The closer that they got to Mt. Solace, the clearer it beca to Sen that they had entered the true hinterlands of the kingdom. In fact, he wasn’t even sure they were still in the kingdom proper. The borders got hazy this far north. Yet, it was the growing distance between settlents that told the real story. True towns all but ceased to exist and the villages were small, even by Sen’s forgiving standards. Most nights, they slept in the wilds in the cool embrace of Sen’s mini-fortresses. He wasn’t sure exactly when he’d started to think of them that way, but that’s what they were. Tiny stone citadels to ward off those that stole through the dark with ill intent. He’d even taken to sealing off the door at night simply to ensure that nothing with above-average strength could knock it down while they were unaware. As for anything that could put a hole through one of his walls with one blow, well, that was sothing that was probably going to be able to kill them no matter what. The first ti he’d sealed the door, Falling Leaf had given him an odd look.
“Why did you do that?”
“It’s just a feeling. I’ve felt like sothing was watching us.”
“Did you sense anything out in the forest?”
“No, but my spiritual sense isn’t perfect. Sothing more powerful than could theoretically block or trick it. I prefer not to take a foolish chance when it’s so easy to just seal the door. I opened up a few narrow air slits to ensure we maintain good airflow.”
Falling Leaf frowned for a mont, then shrugged. It seed she was willing to indulge his silly human concerns as long as they didn’t inconvenience her too much. Despite that precaution, the feeling of being observed persisted for several days. Sen started to range out away from the road in both directions, just to see if his spiritual sense could pick up on sothing that might be keeping its distance. It didn’t turn up anything, which actually made him feel worse instead of better. He’d learned a long ti ago to give his intuitions the benefit of the doubt. They were certain that sothing was observing him and Falling Leaf. When he poked at that intuition to see if it might cough up so more information, such as if they were in actual danger, his intuition remained silent. He interpreted that to an that whatever signals he was picking up on weren’t clear enough to indicate danger or a lack thereof.
He felt a little bad that his paranoia was infectious. He saw Falling Leaf start to watch the forest around them with more vigilant eyes, which was saying sothing. She relied far more on her natural senses than he did and tended to be more guarded about potential dangers than he was most of the ti. So, she spent far more of her ti watching the trees than she did watching the road. Not that it really mattered much. She moved along the road with a grace that almost matched what she had been able to achieve in her ghost panther form. She navigated over loose stones and uneven spots as though they didn’t exist. Yet, nothing appeared. At least, nothing appeared from the forest. Instead, the lurking watcher appeared in the middle of the road ahead of them. Sen recognized the figure, so he was just aggravated. Falling Leaf, on the other hand, was so stunned that she tripped. Sen caught her arm to prevent any unfortunate tumbles. The three eyed each other in silence for almost a minute. Sen could see that Falling Leaf’s eyes were wide and her breathing was too fast. He intentionally put his body between her and the figure. He kept his tone neutral when he spoke, but he also kept his hand on the hilt of his jian.
“Hello, Boulder’s Shadow. This is an unexpected eting.”
The panther man considered Sen’s face before his feline eyes traveled down to where Sen’s hand was obviously ready to draw the blade.
“Unexpected and, it seems, unwelco.”
Sen lifted an eyebrow. “The circumstances of our last eting were not what you might describe as ideal.”
The evolved spirit animal inclined his head in acknowledgnt of the point. “They were not, but I kept our bargain.”
This ti it was Sen who was forced to incline his head in acknowledgnt of the point. “And I repaid that kindness.”
“Did you?” asked Boulder’s Shadow.
“Have you seen Feng Ming recently?” asked Sen.
“I have not.”
“You’re welco. I very specifically asked him not to hunt you down. He agreed. I think he was more intrigued by the novelty of your existence than he was infuriated by the actions you and yours took. But do not mistake . It was a close thing.”
“I’m sure it was. I knew Feng Ming long ago. He was not a man to be trifled with even then. I do not imagine his temper has grown less powerful.”
“It has not,” agreed Sen. “Fortunately for you, I think it does take more to rouse it.”
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“A true rcy then. Still, that complicates matters. I had hoped to leverage your debt to . Now, it seems my position is weakened. Still, we have a matter to discuss.”
Sen had been watching for it, so he saw the panther man’s eyes flick behind him for just a mont. Right to where Falling Leaf was peeking around him. Sen closed his eyes and took three deep breaths. He supposed he knew that sothing like this was bound to happen eventually. He had revealed too much in that first eting, however unintentional that revelation had been. Sen’s simple knowledge of ghost panthers had said too much. He’d been worried that the transford panther man would co looking for where or how Sen had learned about ghost panthers. The fact that Boulder’s Shadow was here, now, ant that he had likely put two and two together. It also likely ant that the spirit beast ant to take Falling Leaf away with him. When Sen opened his eyes, Boulder’s Shadow flinched at what he saw in them.
“Don’t,” said Sen. “Don’t even suggest it. If you do, it’ll beco a fight. So, don’t even put it in the air.”
“You interfere in matters you do not understand, boy,” growled Boulder’s Shadow. “This is pride business.”
Sen drew his jian.
“Matters I don’t understand. Pride business. Do you hear yourself? I don’t understand. You an to take my family. And for what? To participate in your dirty little war? Die in it? If you think I’ll let that happen, you have sorely misjudged ,” said Sen.
Almost as if summoned by Sen’s rage, black lightning that emitted a purple hue started crackling around his jian. Boulder’s Shadow didn’t step back, but everything about his posture went from aggressive to defensive in a mont.
“Do you even know what that is?” asked the panther man, his eyes locked on the blade.
“No. But I do know what it does. Would you care to find out?”
Boulder’s Shadow shook his head. “You speak as though you have a voice in this matter. You do not. She will co because she must. I am the pride father, perhaps the last in the world. She is a cub. It is her duty to obey. The authority is mine.”
Sen considered that for a mont before he shrugged. “I don’t care.”
Sen could feel the mont build toward an explosion of violence. He was ready for it. Sen didn’t think he could actually defeat Boulder’s Shadow. Then again, he didn’t need to beat the spirit beast. He just needed to drive the panther man off. If Sen inflicted enough damage, the cost of trying to take Falling Leaf away would be too high. And if there was one thing that Heavens’ Rebuke excelled at doing, it was inflicting damage. Sen lifted the jian and pointed it at Boulder’s Shadow. When Sen was sure that the tension had reached its peak and violence would ensue, Falling Leaf spoke.
“He’s right, Sen.”
“What are you talking about?” demanded Sen.
“He has the right to command. I must obey.”
Sen wasn’t sure exactly how he pulled it off, but Boulder’s Shadow managed to look smug. Sen’s mind raced. He was fighting a battle he only vaguely understood. In fact, all he really understood was the cost of failure. He knew with utter certainty that if he let her be taken away here, he would never see her again. He hazarded a glance at Falling Leaf. His oldest friend looked… She looked lost. He said that it was about authority, thought Sen. Authority had to co from sowhere. In the case of the ghost panthers, it was about a social order. Sen had pieced together that much at least, but that social order was gone. It was as dead as all of those ghost panthers who had been purged by other spirit beasts. Boulder’s Shadow was leaning on authority that just didn’t matter anymore.
Sen had a different kind of authority. Their family, their pride, was about as bizarre as it ca. A street rat, three quasi-immortals, and one stray ghost panther, but they were a family. It wasn’t just Sen who had included Falling Leaf. Uncle Kho and Master Feng had gone out of their way to be kind to her and include her. Auntie Caihong had taken months to teach her and included her in their search for Sen. Sen didn’t imagine for one mont that they would all just shrug it off if they found out that so spirit beast waltzed in and took her. If Boulder’s Shadow wanted to take her away, he wasn’t just challenging Sen’s authority. He was challenging the collective authority of Sen’s entire pride. And he knows it, thought Sen. Otherwise, he would have simply killed in an ambush and taken her away. This only works if she goes of her own free will, and I let her do it. Sen was deeply grateful for the vastly improved speed of thought that ca with his cultivation level because Falling Leaf had only taken one step toward Boulder’s Shadow when his hand landed on her shoulder. He felt the tension leave her body like an explosion.
“You can’t have her,” said Sen. “She’s of my pride now. If you take her, it will an a war that you know you cannot win.”
Boulder’s Shadow ground his teeth, but Sen could feel the sense of defeat in the panther man. The spirit beast tried one last gambit. He turned his eyes on Falling Leaf.
“To my knowledge, we are the last. They will never understand you. They cannot understand you. I know who you are. I know what you are and what you need. Co with ,” he said, holding out a hand.
Falling Leaf was silent for a very long ti before she spoke.
“Where were you? When I was fleeing death at every turn, where were you? When I carved a place for myself in blood, where were you? When I found a family, where were you? You may be a pride father, but my pride father is a dragon nad Feng Ming. My pride sister is a queen of poisons nad Ma Caihong. My pride brother is the very lightning itself, and his na is Kho Jaw-Long. And he,” said Falling Leaf, pointing at Sen, “he is the storm that scours away the unworthy. The storm that cos in judgnt and in wrath. He is my storm.”
Sen knew a cue when he heard one. He had to work fast, but at least it wasn’t on quite the sa scale. He wove qi in a mad frenzy before lifting his jian toward the sky. He unleashed the sa technique he’d used over Inferno’s Vale. Boulder’s Shadow stared up at the growing mass of death above them. When it had grown big enough, Sen called down pillars of fire, shadow, and lightning in a ring around them. Boulder’s Shadow slowly lowered his eyes to look at Falling Leaf. He turned his gaze to Sen and found nothing there but the implacable stare of a man on an immutable course of destruction and, if need be, mutual destruction. Shoulders slumping a little, Boulder’s Shadow turned and walked away without another word.
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