PtM Book 14 - Chapter 52: Flight

3/5 this week. Didn't want to leave you hanging yesterday, but I think everything will go over better if I post the epilogue right after the last chapter tomorrow.

--

The air in the canyon was cool and humid, a refreshing change after spending so much time inside and near the sacred deserts, in Yu Wen’s opinion. The scenery was beautiful out here, though she wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it.

The situation was grim. They’d destroyed a few toys for resources and exposed too many of their abilities. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, but they’d made one unfortunate miscalculation: gods and goddesses cared a lot more about reputation than they’d imagined. They were now sending one of their avatars down to punish them.

In other words, they’d forgotten the pettiness of goddesses.

Already they could feel her closing in on them. Artemis was a goddess of the hunt, and her arrival had been heralded by the cries of every wild animal and lesser demon, which were now tracking them in her stead and reporting their every movement.

Did Yu Wen regret what she’d done? Maybe. Would she do it all over again? Probably.

Alas, this was what happened when dancing on a knife’s edge.

“I see the tree,” Xiao Bai said as they approached a stretch of woods that hugged the canyon’s windswept walls.

“It’s unmistakable,” Yu Wen confirmed. From a distance, the ghost hand tree looked to have three heads and six arms, like an asura of legends.

When they arrived at said tree, two suited figures stepped out to welcome them. They were none other than Locke and Trevonay, the classy devils, and though they wore their usual mocking grins, there was a grimness even to them.

“You brought them?” Trevonay asked.

“Of course,” Yu Wen answered. She summoned twelve wooden objects that radiated vital energy a half step into the immortal realm. These were the remnants of the twelve lifesource hearts she’d stolen from Verdant Crossroads’s Tree of Life. The same lifesource hearts that had been nourishing the Monkey King’s stone body for the past half year.

“I must admit that I did not expect you to recover them for us,” Locke said, inspecting the wooden power sources. “It is my understanding that these are vital to the Monkey King’s revival.”

“You’re the one who set the contract,” Yu Wen said. “If you’re going to add a poison pill term, you should be prepared for someone to swallow it.”

“I just never took you for the type,” Locke said. “But I’ve been wrong before. Go on, then. Fulfill your part of the bargain.”

Yu Wen sent out a stream of Grandmist and surrounded the lifesource hearts, converting them into more raw, unadulterated Grandmist.

“It’s done,” Yu Wen said. “Our contract is fulfilled. I have taken and destroyed the twelve lifesource hearts under your supervision.” She stored the additional Grandmist inside the Scales of Sanctity. According to the contract, she was entitled to all resources resulting from a treasure’s destruction.

“It was a pleasure working with you, but I imagine the feeling isn’t mutual,” Locke said. He looked at Xiao Bai, who was giving him the stink eye. “It’s a hard world out there. Will you not reconsider our offer for shelter? Few organizations in this world can resist the wrath of a divine avatar.”

“We’ll be fine on our own,” Xiao Bai said. “Won’t we, Yu Wen?”

“Indeed we will,” Yu Wen said. “That being said, I wouldn’t say no to an escort, Locke. Perhaps I could obtain one with some payment?”

“The payment would have to be hefty indeed to fight off what’s coming for you,” Locke said. His breath caught in his throat when she took an item out from her belt pouch and tossed it to Trevonay to inspect.

“Locke, this… this is an immortal jade! A big one!” Trevonay said.

Locke frowned. “What would you have us do? We are slayers, not bodyguards, Daoist Misty Sea. Taking you into our organization and protecting you is one thing. That’s an investment. But this…”

“Oh, come on, don’t pretend you haven’t planned an ambush for the literal swarm of angels coming my way,” Yu Wen said. “You were probably planning to wait until the divine avatar dissipated. Well, I just want you to jump them a little earlier than planned, so that we at least have a sliver of a chance for survival.”

Trevonay chuckled. “She thinks we’re suicidal.”

“We slay angels and saints, not goddesses,” Locke said to Yu Wen.

“I’m not asking you to kill a goddess,” Yu Wen said. “I’m not even asking you to fight her. I just want you to attack her escort. That shouldn’t be too much, should it? Besides, isn’t escorting a lady in need the gentlemanly thing to do?”

“That… She’s got us there, Locke,” Trevonay said.

“I’m thinking,” Locke said. He stood still for a long minute. Judging by the hand in his suit pocket, he was probably communicating with other slayers. Finally, he looked to Trevonay and nodded. “Very well, Daoist Misty Sea. You have yourself a deal.” Trevonay pocketed the crystal. “I will remind you once again that we are not bodyguards. But killing saints is what we do, and there’s a whole flock of them coming your way.”

“Details,” Yu Wen said.

“Our brave men and women are a ways out, but so is Artemis and her posse,” Locke said. “So while this location is a fine site for an ambush, Artemis will get here before they do, so we must move said ambush to a better location. You’re moving seaside, correct? I know a place half a day out. You should be able to reach it no problem, assuming you don’t waste any time.” He then pulled out a jade slip, inscribed it with his spiritual sense, and tossed it to her.

Yu Wen caught the jade and inspected its contents.

“Got it,” she said. Then they were off, wondering whether or not they’d just been cheated.

***

As Daoist Misty Sea and her demon companion faded into the distance, Locke and Trevonay looked over their unexpected balloon payment a second time. Neither of them had ever interreacted with immortal items before these recent months, but a few prayers to their patron goddess had confirmed their authenticity.

“I can’t help but think we’re being played, Locke,” Trevonay said, splitting the jade in two and putting his half away. “I’m not good for much, but I’m good at reading people, especially scammers. But when it comes to her, I keep being wrong.” The short, wiry man retrieved a toothpick from his stash and started to pick his sharp teeth, as was his habit. He always had to be chewing on something. He’d been that way ever since he’d quit smoking.

“You worry too much,” Locke said. “The lifesource hearts are gone, and our oracles have assured us that other supplementary materials are far inferior. Each Tree of Life can only supply a single heart, and it will take them a thousand years to grow another batch.”

“But what if they’re wrong?” Trevonay asked. “If it were a normal immortal, I wouldn’t be worried, but I’ve heard stories about this one. He’s not someone you want to mess with.”

“Who hasn’t heard stories of the legendary Monkey King?” Locke said. “He was a terror, both in heaven and hell, and I think a healthy fear of him is practically a genetic memory. Relax, Trevonay, it’s highly unlikely that the oracles are mistaken. You should know that this was one of the few instances where our oracles and Jezeriah’s were so worried, they collaborated.”

Trevonay sighed. “It’s too bad she refused. Does she really think she can outrun a goddess?”

Locke shrugged. “That’s not for us to worry about. If she lives, she lives. If she dies, she dies. We get paid either way.”

“Should we step in anyway?” Trevonay asked. “It doesn’t seem very gentlemanly to abandon a damsel in distress. Especially after what we put her through.”

“No, it does not,” Locke said. “Alas, this is the wretched world we live in.” Being a gentleman was a way of life, an ideal that was hard to maintain but worth it in the end, even as a villain. Still, clashing with a divine entity on principle wasn’t in his repertoire.

“I wonder why she did it,” Trevonay said. “In the end, she has a good relationship with that Clear Sky fellow, doesn’t she?”

“Perhaps she knew that if she ran, we’d kill her, which would leave a very angry goddess with a lot of pent-up energy to vent,” Locke said.

“There, I knew it,” Trevonay said. “I knew she was plotting something. That’s the motive!”

“Well done, Trevonay,” Locke said. He sighed. It was such a pity. Such a waste.

***

At the edges of Huxian’s teleportation network, a sleek ship flew over lush fields. It was a fast ship, but despite its speed, it did not disturb the air in the slightest. A blade was affixed to the ship’s prow, allowing it to cut directly through the void to avoid troublesome things like friction and turbulence.

The ship was Huxian’s personal vessel, and a relatively new purchase. Much better than the one Cha Ming had taken off him and subsequently thrown away. The deck was comfortable, though you wouldn’t believe it looking at the passengers.

Cha Ming and Huxian were both stone-faced, and Huxian’s six friends wisely kept silent. No one else from Verdant Crossroads was with them, as they as hadn’t wanted to mix anyone else up in their personal mess. But Petros was there—as a consultant, a noncombatant.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” the archer said. “You realize who were competing against, right?”

“I am well aware,” Cha Ming said.

“Artemis is a literal goddess,” Petros continued. “There’s no way I can track faster than she can. My whole skillset is based on hers, you know.”

“You’ve said it ten times, so why should my reaction be any different?” Cha Ming asked.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve been tracking your girl for so long, I’d never stand a chance,” Petros said. “But even so, I advise you to reconsider your current course.” Then he sighed. “I’m going to get into so much trouble for this.”

“You are on a mission,” Cha Ming said to Petros. “You’re getting paid. We are paying you to track down a thief. It’s all perfectly reasonable and laid out in the contract for your self-defense.”

“I think you underestimate Jezeriah’s and Artemis’s ability to see past lies and deception,” Petros said. “And I think you don’t quite understand how vindictive they can be, because you’ve never upset them much before. Speaking from experience, it’s not pretty.”

“I take it that means you’re not fighting with us?” Cha Ming asked.

“That is a negative,” Petros said. “Sorry.”

“Then don’t worry about it,” Cha Ming said. “By the time we’re done with Artemis, she won’t even remember you.”

Cha Ming wasn’t normally so grumpy, but the war had taken its toll, as had Yu Wen’s recent actions. Even Huxian, who never took anything seriously, was not in a good mood. “Why did she do it?” Cha Ming muttered.

Neither of them had received a message. Neither of them had been warned.

“Isn’t the answer obvious?” Petros said.

Both Cha Ming’s and Huxian’s heads turned.

“I was just thinking out loud, Petros,” Cha Ming said. “We’re not stupid. We know exactly why she did it.” He looked off into the horizon. “How certain are you that we’re heading the right way? Is there a margin for error? I know she hides her karma.”

Petros snorted. “You’ll find that my tracking skills—and Artemis’s, for that matter—rely on karmic triangulation instead of direct tracking. Its much more reliable and can give directions without actually locking onto something.”

“And how does that work, exactly?” Cha Ming asked.

“We don’t track her directly. We focus on the ripples of her actions,” Petros said. “The more crime scenes I investigate, for example, the better a lock I’ll get. I’ve developed a sixth sense with regards to her actions by now and could track her across the continent.”

“But why would she head over to the Inner Inkwell Sea?” Cha Ming asked.

“Well, she’s not exactly welcome in Mendin,” Petros said. “Or the Crimson Lotus Empire, from what you’ve said. My guess is she’d rather wrestle with pirates and sea demons than do it all over again in Slovana.”

Cha Ming sighed. “I should have realized what was happening. I should have known.” It wasn’t that she’d been mysteriously comatose despite seeming completely fine. She had been completely fine.

“You couldn’t possibly have known,” Petros said. “You trusted her, Clear Sky. So when she told you she was done, you had no reason not to believe her.”

Cha Ming shook his head. “No, I could have predicted it. The story didn’t fit.”

Petros put on a puzzled expression. “The story?”

“Stories often play out in three parts,” Cha Ming explained. “You can have one gift or three, but never two. The same applies to the parts of a plan, requests, etcetera. To have only two targets on her contract… it was stylistically wrong.”

“This is real life, not a story,” Petros said.

“Is it?” Cha Ming asked. “Is it really?” He used to believe that, but after setting eyes on the realm’s Dao origins, he wasn’t so certain. “Each person’s life is a story, Petros, but in the end, those stories are just chapters in much greater ones. The same applies to cities, to nations, to planes and to gods.

“Angels and devils—why do they fight, Petros? Why all this conflict? Why was the universe made this way? It all seems so… orchestrated. I can’t help but wonder about the validity of my decisions and the extent of my independence. Who knows how many real decisions I’ve made to date?”

Petros blinked. “Well. That was a little too deep for me, Clear Sky. I’m an archer, and an investor, not a philosopher. And I’ve gotten paid, so I guess I’ll just do my job.” His eyes glowed with a golden light, and he pointed. “Please adjust course a little to the left. No. The other left.”

***

Yu Wen and Xiao Bai arrived at a canyon a little less than a half day later. It was a wider canyon than the last one, with patterned walls that glistened with flakes of unextracted metal. A thin stream ran through the canyon, feeding lush woods to either side of it. The topography was mostly flat and covered in wilderness.

“Not a bad place to die, is it, Xiao Bai?” Yu Wen said. “I would ask you how death feels, but I suppose I’ve gone through it once before. Not that it makes it any less frightening.”

Xiao Bai shrugged. “We had a good run. I’ve got no regrets. Next time maybe life won’t be so short. But then again, lives as long as your last one are pretty rare, so I guess this is payback in some strange way.”

“Can you tell me about them?” Yu Wen asked Xiao Bai. “My past lives?” It was a taboo topic for Xiao Bai, but what did it matter at this point?

Xiao Bai pursued her lips. “I can’t say much.”

“Even now?” Yu Wen asked.

“Even now,” Xiao Bai confirmed, but she gave no explanation as to why that was.

A light wind blew through the valley, stirring up the lesser bestial demons that lived there. Yu Wen pitied the creatures because they’d soon be collateral damage. “She’s getting closer. The feeling’s making me sick.”

Xiao Bai sighed. “I can tell you that none of them have ever had peaceful endings. They were all born in unusual circumstances and gained great power through twists of fate. Like you, they always pulled trouble to themselves like a magnet, and like you, they never lost hope.”

Yu Wen couldn’t help but smile grimly. “Why am I like this, Xiao Bai? Why was I made this way?”

Xiao Bai snorted. “If I had a silver for every time you asked me that, I’d be a rich rabbit.”

“Do you remember my first life?” Yu Wen asked.

Xiao Bai maintained her silence, but that was all the confirmation she needed.

Their pursuers and potential rescuers had yet to arrive, so they waited like prisoners headed for the executioner’s block. An aura was coming in from the south, omnipresent and insurmountable. It pressed on her, making it difficult to breathe.

“They’re here,” Xiao Bai said, looking up. At first, they looked like golden stars in the violet sky. They grew until they were the size of seagulls.

A little closer, and she was able to make out their ceremonial golden armor, their jade wings gilded with gold, and a variety of weapons.

Cardinal Shenedrik was their leader. He had three pairs of jade wings, more than anyone else in their group. The look he gave Yu Wen was beyond hateful, but even so, he did not act on it and deferred to the woman beside him.

Said woman did not wear golden armor like the others, preferring light-brown leathers instead. She wielded a bow the same pale shade of silver as her flowing hair and sharp eyes. She was beautiful, just as any other goddesses were. Their features transcended this reality.

“So we finally meet, mortal,” the goddess known as Artemis said.

“That much is obvious,” Yu Wen answered.

The goddess snorted and unleashed a powerful wave of soul force that filled Yu Wen and Xiao Bai with the overwhelming urge to kneel. “You have caused Jezeriah a great deal of trouble, mortal. I expected something special, but I can’t say I’m terribly impressed.”

“You must not underestimate her, Great Goddess,” Cardinal Shenedrik urged, but he regretted it instantly when he saw her peeved expression.

“Must not… An interesting phrasing,” Artemis said. “I will make sure to tell your patron goddess of your boldness. Perhaps she will appreciate it, but it’s difficult to say. She can be… moody.”

The cardinal paled, but dared not speak anymore, lest he anger her further.

“Well, mortal? Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Yu Wen wrestled to control her instinctual fear and looked the goddess over, inspecting her. The goddess’s soul fluctuations were quite strong, but her body was not. At most, she had the physical prowess of an initial-gold ranker.

“Aren’t you a little weak for a goddess?” Yu Wen asked.

Her words were met with angry, indignant glares from the saints. But Artemis transcended such things, and even seemed entertained by her rudeness.

The corners of Artemis’ mouth pulled up. “This avatar may be weak, but this is a mere fragment of my power.”

“I just think it’s funny that you think you can handle us with such a small show of force,” Yu Wen said.

“I think you overestimate yourself, mortal,” Artemis said. “Even with this much power, I am more than a match for the two of you. That being said, I do have an army as backup, so I don’t think we’ll be running into any problems.”

Yu Wen was finally used to the pressure, so she took her arrogance up a notch. “I suppose that’s all I can expect from a mere false goddess. You barely qualified for your position, yet you dare boast in front of me?”

Artemis’s eyes narrowed. “This just became personal.”

“Good, I wanted to hit you where it hurts, and it seems I was on the mark,” Yu Wen said. “Xiao Bai, would you care to tell me how many stronger goddesses you’ve seen to broaden her horizons?”

Xiao Bai shrugged. “At least a few million, if not billions. There’s a lot of them in the immortal realms, and practically all of them are stronger than she is.”

“You dare!” Artemis growled, but she immediately reined in her expression. “I see. You were distracting me. Buying time for the arrival of your allies.” She looked up to see two gentlemen in dapper suits standing beside a crimson portal. It was only large enough to accommodate the two of them, but it soon grew in size to accommodate those following behind them.

A winged figure flew out, then a second and a third, and once the portal reached its largest size, they began pouring out by the dozen until there were hundreds of devils in ordered ranks. Some wore suits, others armor, but all wore the red and black colors of Harid Dej.

“I am relieved to hear from the goddess that this is a personal matter, because we happen to be here on business,” Locke said. “I would hate to mix personal things and business, because such things tend to get messy.”

Artemis’s eyes swept over the army of slayers dispassionately. “So this was a trap all along. And she was bait. I understand now. But aren’t you being a little bold, challenging a goddess with your puny mortal strength? Do you dare stand between me and my quarry?”

“Harid Dej, no!” Trevonay was quick to say. “As slayers, it is our sacred mission to take down saints of Jezeriah’s pantheon and maintain the balance. It’s a… relatively straightforward mission. As for matters between gods and goddesses, I would never dare meddle. By all means, pursue your quarry, and we will simply tangle with this lowly mortal army. I’m sure an exalted goddess like yourself wouldn’t stoop so low as to interfere in our mortal affairs?”

Cardinal Shenedrik didn’t seem surprised by the attack in the least. “After crossing blades so many times, we’ve come to expect your treacherous actions,” the cardinal said. “We came prepared to fight a bloody battle. Great Goddess, do not trouble yourself with these heathens. We will cleanse them from this plane and prevent them from interfering in your hunt.”

“I will allow it,” Artemis said, and with her permission, they were off.

Locke, Trevonay, and the slayers were gone, as were the cardinal and the angels. Sounds of battle ensued. Spells, sword attacks, and trickery—everything was fair game between these mortal enemies.

This left only Yu Wen, Xiao Bai, and the goddess. Not a good matchup, despite her words to the contrary. They knew this. The goddess knew this. Yet there was no avoiding it.

“I wouldn’t want things to end so quickly, so why don’t we make a game of this?” Artemis said. Twelve portals appeared behind her, each one golden and sublime. Twelve wolves with pale silver fur stepped out, each with golden eyes and claws like diamonds. They sniffed at the air and savored it. It bore the scent of their newest prey.

“I’ll give you a thirty-second head start,” Artemis said. “If you can make it out of the far end of the canyon, I’ll will forgive your transgressions. You may begin.”

Yu Wen and Xiao Bai exchanged a look and took off. No words were needed between them. They knew the goddesses’ promise was empty, but a small chance was better than nothing.

“Any great ideas?” Xiao Bai asked.

“None,” Yu Wen said. “I don’t suppose killing those wolves will do anything, will it?”

“A bit,” Xiao Bai said. “They’re technically a part of her. A piece of her essence. If we can chip away enough of it...”

“Then she’ll get upset and come kill us herself,” Yu Wen said.

“Exactly,” Xiao Bai said. “It’s still a work in progress. Let me know if you come up with anything better.”

***

The battle broke out just as Cha Ming and company were arriving. Over a thousand angels and devils flew into the sky, with golden armor, black cloaks, and wings both jade and ochre.

The battle was cruel, and not at all like the one Cha Ming and friends had just witnessed. This was not a fight for profit or territory. Both sides wanted nothing more than to tear each other apart.

One skill after another lit up the sky. Cardinal Shenedrik summoned dozens of golden angels to do battle. The opposing cardinal did much the same, though the devils he summoned were red and black. Locke was also there, unleashing spells that would kill Cha Ming even if there were a thousand of him, and Trevonay kept appearing and disappearing throughout the battlefield, slaying defenseless targets as he found them.

Every few minutes, an ochre- or jade-winged figure fell from the sky.

“Is she up there?” Cha Ming asked, squinting as he inspected the surreal scenery. The canyon seemed eerily familiar.

“No, she’s not up there,” Petros said. “It seems she’s currently trying to make her way through the woods instead. I also sense a divine aura chasing after her. I assume it’s Artemis.”

“There’s no use worrying about the other battle,” Cha Ming said. “Let’s just find her first and figure out what’s next when she’s safe.”

Petros nodded and led the way. Their ship was extremely mobile, even in such a crowded environment. It skimmed the land and flew through the trees, which bent out of the way to avoid them.

A tense silence filled the vessel as they went. Memories came to mind the closer they were. Memories of the scene beneath the Tree of Life.

He remembered seeing Sun Wukong’s body and the absence of the lifesource hearts. Equally vivid in his mind was the rage he initially felt, which soon faded when he wondered why she would ever do such a thing.

A detailed inspection revealed that she’d taken, but she’d also given. Only the Crown of the Starry Sky had made it possible to see that Sun Wukong’s body was not only completely fine and fully formed but had undergone a heaven-shaking transformation.

The lifesource hearts were gone, but Sun Wukong no longer needed them. His stone body was fully nourished and brimming with immortal energy. She might have taken the hearts, but she’d covertly upgraded Sun Wukong’s body in exchange. The trade was completely disproportional.

That meant that she hadn’t betrayed them at all. She’d only wanted them to think she’d betrayed them. She’d boosted Sun Wukong’s body until there was nothing to improve, at great cost, then left as quickly and silently as she could.

As for why she would do it, it was obvious when you connected the dots. This entire war was about preventing Sun Wukong’s resurrection, and Locke and Trevonay’s final scheme was just a layer of insurance. She’d tampered with it, and now, to avoid attracting the wrath of a goddess and a thousand saints to Verdant Crossroads, she was sacrificing herself in a remote location.

“We’re getting close,” Petros said. “I sense battle fluctuations up ahead. I’d like to remind you once more that I won’t be participating in this suicidal battle.”

“You’ve done more than enough, Petros, and I thank you for that,” Cha Ming said. “I’m willing to face death with her, but there’s no reason for you to do the same.” He then looked to Huxian and knew that asking him would be pointless, since their lives and deaths were interconnected. His friends’ grim countenances told him they were prepared to do the same. “You have good friends, Huxian.”

“Right?” Huxian said. “I told them it was dangerous, but they said it wasn’t every day you get to fight a goddess’s avatar. What do you even say to that?”

Cha Ming sighed. “We’re going to die, Huxian. I can feel it.”

“I know.”