Pathway To Eternity

Not this time. She wouldn't be caught again. Chang Chang took a deep breath and searched her mind, cycling through manuscripts and tomes of blood arts in the vast tower library. Wind. Force. Her master had shown her how the mystical arts could be used if she was ever attacked in her later journey.

Good enough to seal a door. Mystical arts opened and flew before her mind. She discarded the safe arts, those that would do no harm. She threw them all into a dusty corner and pictured a black book, something fearful and dangerous. Yes. Those were the arts she feared most, but they were the only ones that would aid her friends.

Then it came to her: a black tome with a gold spine. The words were written in faded ink, as if her mind were instinctively trying to protect itself from the deadly power in the words. She forced herself to visualize them clearly. Her heart tripped rapidly in her c.h.e.s.t. She thought of a song to calm herself, chanted in time to the music, but her voice quivered. She was no monk cultivator. There would be no serenity for her in this fight.

The arts manifested in a burst of energy. Chang Chang's hair blew straight back from her face. The hot wind made her eyes stream. She lifted her hands, and the wind rose, spiraling outward to the door in a contained funnel. The force of it grated against the wood, forcing the door tight into its frame. The pounding ceased.

"Ju Feng! let's go! I can't hold it for long!" Chang Chang screamed above the wind.

Chang Chang heard a loud thud. It sounded like someone had been thrown into a pile of crates. She was too focused on the spell to see whether it was a friend or a foe. The breath burned in her c.h.e.s.t. Too hot, she thought. The air thickened, and sweat poured down her face. The blood art was too strong. It was happening just like before, but this would be much worse. She could feel the heat building. Paint bubbled on the warehouse walls.

Heavens don't do this to me. Not again.

Five years fell away like scales. She was losing control; the essence of the arts was slipping away, taking on a life of its own. Chang Chang was powerless to stop it. She could hear the screams coming from the stayhouse. So many people, trying to get out….

The wooden door buckled in its frame. Frightened shouts rang out from the other side. Chang Chang fought to contain the wind, to keep it caged in its deadly funnel. Flames burst into being and flew along the funnel's rim. Chang Chang could do nothing but watch them, a dozen restless wraiths spiraling through the air. Pain shot through her after each flame appeared, as if they were being torn from her body.

Chang Chang dropped to her knees, and the funnel burst. Freed, the fire shot in all directions. The deadly flame arrows buried in crates or ricocheted off the tin walls. Everyone in the cavern would be a target, Chang Chang thought wildly. She couldn't end the spell; the magic became unrecognizable once the spell went wild. She had no way to contain it now.

Through a haze of smoke and pain, Chang Chang felt a presence behind her. For all she knew, it could have been Cerest or one of his men, come to stick a dagger in her back. Somehow, she knew it was Ju Feng. The boy crouched behind her.

"Can you walk?" He had to shout to be heard above the roaring wind.

Chang Chang shook her head. The slight movement made her vision swim.

"Where are they?" Chang Chang said. She couldn't see them through the smoke. The crates were on fire, the blaze spreading to every corner of the warehouse. Soon the ceiling would collapse, just as it had done five years ago.

"The others fled in fear of your power display."

"Go," Chang Chang said. "Get out of here."

A wave of energy shuddered through Chang Chang's body. She felt the last vestiges of the spell inside her explode outward. The door and part of the wall blew apart, but Chang Chang didn't hear the grinding, tearing metal. The force of the blast deafened her.

"How convenient," Ju Feng said. He was still shouting, but his voice seemed to come from very far away. He had his hands at her armpits, dragging her to her feet. "You made us a door."

"You shouldn't have… done that," Chang Chang said. She swayed on her feet. A beam broke away from the ceiling, trailing a sheet of flame all the way to the ground.

"We've got to run," Ju Feng said. He took her hand, yanking her behind him. "Put your arms around my neck. Do it!"

Chang Chang wrapped her arms around him. Ju Feng lifted her onto his back and sprinted to the gap in the wall. Chang Chang felt as if she were flying. More beams dropped around them, but Ju Feng found a path through as if by magic. The fire and smoke were everywhere, but he kept running.

Suddenly they were through. Cool air hit Chang Chang's face. It was daylight.

The twisted opening spat them out onto a small dock behind the warehouse. Parts of it burned with the building, but Ju Feng didn't stop to see if it would hold their weight. He charged down the narrow platform all the way to the edge and jumped into the water.

The impact shook Chang Chang loose from Ju Feng's back, but he stayed beside her. The cold water shocked her limbs into functioning. With Ju Feng's aid, she swam to the surface.

"We'll stay in the harbor," Ju Feng said when they'd caught their breath. "Swim underwater as much as you can," he told her. "They'll be watching to see if we survived. We've got to find cover."

He dived down. Chang Chang followed, keeping a hand on his flank so she wouldn't lose him in the murky water. As far as she could tell, they were headed roughly in the direction of the shore.

They surfaced in a thick stand of brush about thirty feet from the dock. Sull waited in the weeds.

"I saw you go off the dock," he said. "Fannie slipped away. No one's watching that I can see."

Chang Chang was shaking by the time she got out of the water. When she came within reach, Sull pulled her against his c.h.e.s.t, hugging her so hard Chang Chang couldn't breathe.

"I'm all right," Chang Chang said weakly. She patted him on the back.

"Gave me a fright back there." the butcher said roughly. He released her and mopped his eyes with his apron. Ju Feng stood a little apart, scanning the area. The warehouse continued its slow collapse, but they were clear of the devastation.

"Let's get out of here," Ju Feng said finally. He moved away, crouching low along the shoreline, not waiting for their reply.

?  O"Where are we goin'?" Sull asked. 

"Conrinue to look for the items." Ju Feng said as he led Chang Chang by the hand, half-supporting her. "She needs rest."

"Back into the water," Ju Feng said. He waded in up to his waist. "Keep her head up. She'll be fine."

The water felt colder. Chang Chang's teeth chattered, but she swam with Ju Feng into the harbor They swam clear of the dock and out into open water. The sky was gray and overcast. In the distance, deep blue clouds threatened rain, but the day was still too bright. Chang Chang felt horribly exposed. At any moment, she expected shouts to go up from the shore."Don't worry," Ju Feng said, seeing her expression. "We're going under." He took in her chattering teeth and general state of disarray. "you'll have to tow her if she slows."

"I can make it," Chang Chang said, but she slurred the words.

"We'll stay under until we reach the wreckage," Ju Feng said, nodding to the floating mass of Mistshore's main body. "We should be able to swim under the docks and footpaths. Ready?"

Chang Chang nodded, and they dived. Sull kept one arm around her and used the other to swim close to Ju Feng.

They swam for what seemed like an eternity. After a time, Chang Chang simply floated in Ju Feng's grip, concentrating on keeping her breath in her body. When she felt she could bear no more, Ju Feng angled upward to the light. They came up under one of the wooden pathways. There was barely room for their heads underneath the rotting planks, but the sound of the waves lapping against the pilings concealed their gasping breaths.

Chang Chang could hear footsteps echoing loudly just above their heads. "Where are you taking us?" she whispered.

Ju Feng put a finger to his lips. He disappeared beneath the surface, leaving her to tread the water.