Chapter 22

It began with infiltration. A charm to bend the light and blend in with her surroundings, along with one to distract Evening Rabbit as she kept watch got Ma Xing within range to continue to the next part of her plan. Evening Rabbit was unfamiliar with Spirit Charms and so failed to properly gauge things until it was too late. By the time that she realized something was wrong, the next part of Ma Xing's Plan went off, a third Spirit Charm to Banish both Evening Rabbit and Shi Hou out of their room at the Inn of the Blue Cactus and out onto the roof of a warehouse nearby that was owned by the Sons of Sextes Jylis.

Fortunately, both had been expecting such an assault and so were sleeping in their equipment. Unfortunately, the Spirit Charm effectively Banished them both into enemy territory, where Ma Xing, if she failed in her assassination attempts personally, could call in backup to help her succeed by proxy. The first that either Evening Rabbit or Shi Hou noticed they were under attack was after they'd already been Banished away.

Shi Hou, having been Banished out of bed, fell onto the rooftop, jolting him awake even as Evening Rabbit stood upright suddenly. Ma Xing Transported herself to the Rooftop, still under the effects of her Camouflage Charm. Neither could see their opponent, and it was only luck and the fact that he had slept in his armor that saved Shi Hou's life as Ma Xing's Red Jade Short Daiklave flashed out for him and rebounded off his Lamellar.

As he fell backward from the unexpected attack that had just been defeated by his armor, the form of a Woman with dark, black, hair and dark, black eyes wearing a green hooded cloak over an Artifact Buff Coat coalesced out of the aether. She had a frown on her face as if she had expected her surprise attack to succeed. Shi Hou couldn't help but grin at that.

"Ma Xing, I presume. Your reputation precedes you. Did you think I wouldn't sleep in my armor with such a deadly assassin potentially aiming for my head?" He questioned.

"You've already made one foolish mistake, how was I to know you would not make another?" Queried Ma Xing.

"I hope that wasn't all you had in you." Frowned Shi Hou.

"Whatever gave you that impression?" Asked Ma Xing.

Then, before he could say anything more, Ma Xing moved. As she did so, she effortlessly slipped past Evening Rabbit's Thrown Blade, punching through the space she had occupied moments before. Shi Hou was forced to parry an incoming attack with Blade Deflecting Palm, slapping the Short Daiklave off center with his right hand, just barely avoiding his throat being punched through. In response, Shi Hou drew on his essence, sparking searing flames along his torso and arms as he lashed out to attempt to grapple Ma Xing and pull her into a Searing Embrace. Ma Xing, however, merely backflipped out of the way, infused with essence allowing her to move so fast that she could dodge the Grapple, kick out at Shi Hou's chin, and avoid a second thrown dagger from Evening Rabbit all at the same time.

Shi Hou felt his lip bloodied from Ma Xing's Boot, even as she dodged his grapple and Evening Rabbit's thrown blade. Ma Xing landed on the balls of her feet before moving in to thrust her Short Daiklave at Shi Hou, who was forced to draw upon the power of his Gem of Perfect Mobility to duck the thrust aimed at his throat. Fortunately, it seemed that whatever Charm Ma Xing had used to move so preternaturally quickly had run out of steam after that, allowing Shi Hou to utilize the Form Charm of Terrestrial Hero Style to slam an elbow strike into Ma Xing's ribs in a burst of Divine Aura, both searing her and bruising her ribs.

As Ma Xing stumbled backward, clutching her torso, Evening Rabbit flung her Orichalcum Throwing Blade at her once again. Ma Xing was forced to Transport Herself away from the assault in a burst of essence, appearing behind Evening Rabbit. Evening Rabbit turned and moved her arms up to block the kick that she thought would come for her face, only for a second kick to scythe up suddenly from below in a pulse of essence, smashing Evening Rabbit back and almost sending her off the Rooftop.

"Swaying Grass Style? Where in creation did you learn that?" Demanded Shi Hou.

"The Black Yushoto opens many doors for those who would follow him into glory." Smirked Ma Xing.

"Apparently." Huffed Shi Hou, perfection uncoiling from his hands and turning into a Reaper Dailklave.

"Finally taking this seriously?" Questioned Ma Xing.

"You've hardly given me any choice in the matter. You're fast, I'll give you that. Skilled too. You lack staying power, though. You didn't inherit the God-Body or Divine Resilience of Tsaoyun, did you?" Queried Shi Hou.

"What makes you think that?" Asked Ma Xing.

"The way you're still favoring your ribs instead of trying to regenerate the damage with essence expenditures. I'll bet if I can strike a telling enough blow, that will be that. You won't be able to regain control of the fight." Mused Shi Hou.

"Interesting theory. Care to test it out?" Demanded Ma Xing.

"Gladly." Confirmed Shi Hou.

However, before Shi Hou or Ma Xing could take up their respective stances, Evening Rabbit cut in. Literally, as Shi Hou and Ma Xing were forced to break off their attempted showdown to dodge the aetherial, bladed, chain produced by the Flying Guillotine Spell. Evening Rabbit, apparently, had grown tired of being an afterthought in the fight and decided to take her own shot at Ma Xing, forcing the Assassin back with the silvery, whirling, blades of the Spell.

"Rabbit?" Questioned Shi Hou.

"We don't have time for posturing, Monkey! We don't even know where she's taken us!" Insisted Evening Rabbit.

Ma Xing, seeing the fight had clearly turned on her, tried to dodge, duck, dip, and dive away from the lashing blades of the chain of the Flying Guillotine. To her credit, the charm that allowed her to move at Preternatural Speeds helped her in that regard. Right up until Shi Hou managed to strike her in the shoulder with a Dragon-Graced Arrow, having turned Perfection into a Powerbow to back up Evening Rabbit's barrage of sorcery. A burst of divine white light seared into Ma Xing's shoulder, causing her to hiss in pain and forcing her off the Rooftop to avoid being hit by the Flying Guillotine.

As Ma Xing landed on the street below, she growled low in her throat, reaching into her cloak with her unwounded arm, she pulled out a tin whistle and blew into it. Suddenly, a trap door in the rooftop above that Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit were standing on was thrown open, and out clambered a number of Chain Shirt-armored, Slashing Sword-wielding, Sons of Sextes Jyllis.

"If you thought I didn't have a backup plan prepared, then clearly you must still not be taking this seriously." Smirked Ma Xing.

"These won't slow us for long." Warned Shi Hou.

"Monkey, look." Hissed Evening Rabbit.

She pointed to where the newly revealed mortal combatants were forming up. One of them had an alchemical flask that seemed to glow with an inner flame. Alchemist's Fire, Bottled Flame, the Breath of Hesiesh, the Alchemical Substance had a lot of fancy names for what was essentially just a thaumaturgical explosive. Still dangerous though.

"They don't have to." Smirked Ma Xing.

Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit had just enough time to dive for an alleyway on the other side of the warehouse from Ma Xing before the lead Son of Sextes Jyllis lobbed the flask at their position and the rooftop erupted in alchemical flames. What followed was a chase through an entire quarter of Tashkek as Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit attempted to lose the pursuing Sons of Sextes Jylis. Not because they couldn't kill them, but just in case they had more alchemical explosives to use in a fight. By the time they had, Ma Xing had long since slunk away to heal her wounds.

Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit managed to make it back to the Inn of the Blue Cactus just as dawn broke over the skyline of Tashkek. They had scarcely slept a few hours the night previously and were forced to stay in Tashkek for another six hours while they rested up. That hadn't been part of the plan, but hopefully, the wounds Ma Xing had sustained and her lack of a Divine Constitution would keep her at bay for the time needed to rest. By the time Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit left Tashkek through the main gate, the sun was already high in the sky.

Neither realized at the time that this would only be their first encounter with the Sons of Sextes Jylis. . .

XXXX

Cathak Sen was finally on the road, trailing the pair of Anathema back west. It looked as if they were attempting to head for Varsi, as they were heading due west. He couldn't fault them for wanting to find a larger city than Tashkek to skulk in. After all, there were only two cities large enough to get lost in along this part of the Scavenger Lands, Varsi and Puyo. At least if you weren't headed for Thorns.

Addled as being Anathema undoubtedly makes the mind, Cathak Sen somehow doubted that two Anathema would head to a Realm Satrapy like Thorns to hide in. That was too bold by half even for beings who didn't know their place like the Anathema. They still possessed some self-preservation instincts, after all.

Of course, even if they headed to Lookshy itself, a place impregnable to Realm Dynasts like himself, Cathak Sen would continue to tail them. His only remaining way to avenge the defeat of his Sworn Brothers and gain reward was to maintain enough of an awareness of the Anathema's abilities and whereabouts to reliably brief the Wyld Hunt when the Immaculates finally arrived.

He had tailed them as far as a small village on the road to Varsi about a day's journey west of Tashkek when he received an unexpected visitor. He'd been doing his usual work of taking up a stakeout position at a cafe nearby where the Anathema were staying when a woman approached his table. She was clad in a Chain Shirt and bore a slashing sword sheathed at her belt, clearly a member of the Sons of Sextes Jylis.

"You are the Honorable Cathak Sen?" Queried the Woman.

"That depends on who is asking." Answered Cathak Sen.

"My Master, Yushoto Hanzo, wishes to form an alliance against the two you are tracking." Informed the Woman with a bow.

"I see. Tell me, does the Black Yushoto believe I am so desperate as to ally myself with a Backwater Lookshyan Exile and his band of extortionists and Black Marketeers?" Asked Cathak Sen.

"Why else would you be doing this alone? He knows you had companions that are no longer present." Shrugged the Woman.

"I would mind your tongue. Were stealth not paramount to my purpose here, I would show you exactly how not desperate I am. With a vengeance." Cautioned Cathak Sen.

"Apologies. I meant no disrespect." Bowed the Woman.

"And yet you have given it regardless. Begone before I decide that breaking stealth is worth the temporary loss of my quarry and tell the Black Yushoto I have no need for his band of outcasts and scum." Scowled Cathak Sen.

"He thought you might say that. He bid me to tell you if you refused, to contact him when you realized the Immaculates will not be coming in any appreciable timeframe. When you realize that, you will also realize that you need us." Intoned the Woman.

"Unlikely. The day I need your sort of help is the day I retire from fighting." Scoffed Cathak Sen.

The Woman simply bowed and removed herself from his presence, allowing Cathak Sen to get back to the business of observation untroubled by such fools. As if he required the aid of such scum. He'd already tried doing that once before with the Lunar Anathema Spawn and it had gotten him nowhere. He refused to make that mistake again. Little did Cathak Sen realize that he would be taking the Black Yushoto's offer within the next few months. It was currently inconceivable to him that he would be forced to do so.

Unfortunately for Cathak Sen, Creation would be a very different place six months from now than it was currently and he would not have the luxury of waiting for the Immaculates anymore. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so the Assassination Attempt fails, but Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit effectively get run out of Tashkek and gain an enemy in the Sons of Sextes Jylis by surviving. The Black Yushoto has even reached out to Cathak Sen to try and pool resources against their mutual enemy in a sort of odd alliance. Cathak Sen declined, of course, he's far too proud to accept help from a Criminal Organization led by a Lookshyan Exile like that.

Of course, as the end of the chapter foreshadowed, he isn't going to have the luxury of such scruples in six months' time. After all, by then, the Scarlet Empress will have disappeared and the Realm will be at War with the Bull of the North. The Immaculates are going to have bigger problems than dealing with a Solar and Godblood running around in the Scavenger Lands, where they barely are able to operate to begin with thanks to the Confederation of Rivers.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the next leg of the Journey back to Puyo.

Stay tuned. . .