10:

"You're not concentrating."

Reginald's fingers started to twitch. "I'm trying. Really."

"Don't try," Beatrix said. "Do it."

"I want to," Reginald insisted. "But I don't know how. It feels impossible."

"You know how," Beatrix replied. "I've told you everything you need to know. Why aren't you harnessing it? Are you afraid?"

"No!" His fingers clenched into fists. "I want this. I really, really want this. But there's just this wall. I can't get past it."

"Reginald, you're not trying to batter that wall down, are you?" Beatrix sighed. "Find a way around it. An edge, or crack to slip through."

He groaned. "This isn't working."

"Because you're giving up," Beatrix said. "You need to find something that you can focus on."

"Can we take a break?" he asked.

"Go," she said. "We need to start walking again. But I'm not through with you."

Beatrix watched the young man walk off. Not for the first time, she considered pummeling him. She reasoned that it could make him angry enough to not only harness his chi, but to overcome his silly aversion to hurting females. She shook her head as she rejoined the group.

Min didn't look happy. She kept reaching for whatever the Black Whirlwind was drinking, but every time he would slap her hands away. Ai Chun smugly watched over the entire exchange.

"Is everything alright?" Beatrix asked.

The Black Whirlwind shrugged. "Ask her. She won't leave me the hell alone."

"I won't leave you alone because I am concerned," Min said. "Jen Zi, as his physician, how can I be certain he'll recover if I catch him self-medicating?"

"Wine?" Beatrix raised an eyebrow.

"No, some miracle cureall he received from some wandering lunatic," Min replied. "It's unhealthy."

"Whirlwind, what are you drinking?" Beatrix asked.

"Hell if I know," the Black Whirlwind said.

"Then why are you drinking it?" Beatrix asked.

"Because Zin Bu gave it to me," the Black Whirlwind replied. "But he lied. This tastes nothing like wine."

"Who is Zin Bu?" Min demanded. "And why should he prescribe anything to you?"

"He's a member of the Celestial Bureaucracy," Beatrix said.

"The Celestial Bureaucracy," Min murmured. "You must be special indeed, Black Whirlwind."

"Whatever," the large man grunted. He shuffled off over to the food rations.

"I wish he would let me know what kind of medicine he's taking," Min said. "It could be dangerous if I accidentally overmedicate him."

"I'll talk to him," Beatrix promised.

"Thank you," Min said.

Beatrix walked off in the Black Whirlwind's direction, but was interrupted by a flash of blue light. Face to face with Zin Bu, she cracked an amused smirk.

"You look frazzled," she commented.

"You and I should talk," Zin Bu said. "Preferably away from the Black Whirlwind."

"As you wish." She nodded and followed the magic abacus a distance away from the group. "Why away from the Black Whirlwind?"

"Well..." Zin Bu laughed nervously. "He's proven to be cranky in the past. Particularly when dealing with decisions made about him that he wasn't involved in."

"What are you saying?" Beatrix asked.

Zin Bu fidgeted while Beatrix sat beneath a tree. "You saw his wounds, Spirit Monk. You know how serious they were."

"But we got treatment as soon as possible," Beatrix said. "Is he dying?"

"I wish," Zin Bu replied. "The paperwork would be that much easier. No, the Black Whirlwind will be around for quite some time."

"You're dancing around my question," Beatrix pressed. "Why?"

"Because this was never supposed to happen." Zin Bu sighed. "The Black Whirlwind was a formidable ally as a mortal. But that was as a mortal. The problem is that you needed his help for your quest."

Beatrix blinked. "He's an immortal?"

"I hope we haven't made a dire mistake, but he's needed with you now."

"So that vial he's drinking from gave him immortality?" Beatrix asked.

"We had no choice," Zin Bu said. "The oaf was dead before you reached the Laughing Crane. Of course, he isn't aware of this yet."

"And you want me to tell him?" Beatrix raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, heaven's no!" Zin Bu laughed. "As an immortal, I don't even want to tell him until I'm dead. But just be aware that he's in the middle of a transformation and will get better very soon."

"Well, thank you for this information." Beatrix bowed her head. "I think."

"Just let me get a running head start away from the Black Whirlwind and we're even," Zin Bu replied.

Beatrix smiled. "You should start running now, then," she said. "Because the Black Whirlwind and I are going to have a chat."

"A wise suggestion." Zin Bu bowed and disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Beatrix tried to keep her chuckling to a minimum for the magic abacus' sake as she made her way back to the Black Whirlwind. In the middle of eating two days' worth of rations, he glanced up to acknowledge her. Beatrix joined his side. "May I talk with you?" she asked.

"Kia Min already yipped me out, if that's what you're thinking," the Black Whirlwind said. "I'll drink and eat whatever I damn well please."

"I know that," Beatrix replied. "But I just want you to respect Min's wishes a bit more. If she's giving you medicine, she should know any supplemental medicine that you're taking as well. What if some of the herbs she fed you reacted badly to whatever Zin Bu had given you?"

"Then I'd be dead." The Black Whirlwind shrugged. "Big deal."

"The Celestial Bureaucracy has made a tremendous mistake," Beatrix muttered. "Listen, Zin Bu told me that you'll be fine, so you don't need Min's treatments anymore. But in the future, please, try to care a little."

The Black Whirlwind laughed. "You'd make the perfect nagging housewife if you couldn't kick my ass."

Beatrix raised an eyebrow. "Would you like me to?"

That only caused him to laugh more. "If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were sweet on me," he said. "Alright, I'm almost done eating. We can move again as soon as I'm done."

"Good," Beatrix replied. "I'll go gather the others."

Reginald was squinting at the midday sun, while Ai Chun was aimlessly tearing grass from the soil. Min greeted her with a nod. "You certainly do have strange companions."

"Zin Bu?" Beatrix shrugged. "He appears from time to time."

"Will he be supplying the Black Whirlwind with medicine anymore?" Min asked.

"Oh no," Beatrix said. "I told him you were displeased. He's done with that."

"You must be rather powerful for your word to have such weight," Min murmured.

"It's simply respect between friends," Beatrix replied. "Is everyone ready to move on? I want to be at Tien's Landing by the end of the week."

The small group continued on their trek. While the Black Whirlwind lumbered off in an erratic direction, Beatrix kept a steady pace with both Min and Reginald close behind. Ai Chun stuck to scowling in the back.

"Whirlwind," Beatrix called out. "Is there anything I need to know about this area?"

The Black Whirlwind shrugged.

"Are there any crime lords here to worry about?" she asked.

"Not many left," the Black Whirlwind said.

"Why's that?"

"They were weak," Ai Chun said.

"They were men," the Black Whirlwind growled.

"You know some about crime lords, Ai Chun?" Beatrix raised an eyebrow.

"Some." Ai Chun smiled.

"Ai Chun, don't bother Jen Zi with nonsense," Min said.

"No, I'm interested," Beatrix replied. "What do you know, Ai Chun?"

"Common knowledge, mostly." Ai Chun glared at Min. "Lotus Assassins have practically destroyed all of the existing crime lords. Well, there's a couple left, but that's because they're not obvious in their strength."

"And who are these couple that are left?" Beatrix pressed.

"One's around Tien's Landing, actually," Min cut in.

"Does he have a name?" Beatrix asked.

"Yeah, something stupid," Ai Chun said. "Like Rain or Star or Flower."

"Sky?"

"That sounds right," Ai Chun said. "Took over a year or so after Gao the Greater was gutted."

"Ai Chun!" Min scolded. "Watch your tone."

"Black Whirlwind," Beatrix said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" the Black Whirlwind asked. "We'd still be heading here anyway, right?"

"I had asked about Sky..."

"And I told you it was none of my damn business," he said. "Do yourself a favor and piss off."

"Don't talk to Beatrix like that," Reginald said.

"You going to ask nicely boy," the Black Whirlwind chuckled. "Or are you going to actually make me?"

"If you were a real man, you'd honor my request instead of acting like some ill bred fool," Reginald replied.

That made the Black Whirlwind let out a loud bellowing laugh. "You trained the pup good, Jen Zi. Look at him, getting all red in the face."

"Enough," Beatrix said. "Shall I tell Reginald to shoot you again?"

"Fiesty today, are we?" The Black Whirlwind grinned. "Any time the boy wants to take a shot at me, he's open to try. I'd welcome it. Better than tromping off day after day with no sight of anything. Never thought I'd miss the Lotus Assassins."

"The next town we reach, if you promise not to sleep with anyone's wife, I promise I'll buy you some wine," Beatrix said. "Does that sound fair?"

"Did I ever say I cared about what's fair?" the Black Whirlwind asked. "The next town we get to, I'm buying some wine. What happens to any man's wife is between him and his wife."

Beatrix tried not to groan. "You're really something else."

The Black Whirlwind laughed. "You're just jealous."