The travel had been relatively pleasant, but Sarevok got increasingly quiet and brooding, his ancient eyes blind to the beauty surrounding them. Gone were the wind-whipped arid salt plains of the northern province and the Spice Road - the Sheng Ti province was a lush land of rolling hills, rice pads, conglomerates of mysterious-looking caves and beautiful forests where the light shone through the light green leaves of the high trees. Sometimes a fox followed them intently, its brush of a tail wagging slowly from side to side. But if they tried to communicate with the animal, it ran away.
- "It could be a fox hengeyokai, scouting on us," Imoen said.
- "It could be. Or it could be a fox lady... something far more sinister than that," Winski said. "Beautiful maidens with empty souls..."
Peri shuddered. She remembered what an empty soul was like, ironically enough better than Imoen.
Sarevok hadn't spoken in days. As the party arrived at the farmlands outskirting the port city of Lo'Shan and passed places of natural beauty or ornamental temples sculpted of jade, he passed them with unseeing eyes heavy with old grief. Peri shot him a worried look, but opted to stay quiet. She knew what bothered him, and could not do anything about it. At times Umikaze made him smile a little, but the child also evoked painful emotions in him.
They rode past a very luxurious mansion. In the garden there were jade sculptures arranged to face a silvery stream. The large carps swimming in the stream shone golden in the sunlight.
- "Most distinguished travelers! This servant of the Empire would invite you as his guests to offer you the meager hospitality he is capable of, and would be most honored if you would be kind enough to follow the invitation!" A man called for them from the garden.
Sarevok looked at his companions and shrugged.
- "It matters not," he said listlessly and started to dismount.
- "This could be interesting," Winski said.
- "Or dangerous," Peri muttered, her arms curled around Umikaze.
- "Probably he just wants to hear news of the war," Jelena said.
- "Wee! Fishies!" Imoen squealed as she bent to drink from the crystal stream.
The stranger approached them, arching his eyebrow at Imoen with an enigmatic smile on his face. His hair was light brown and there was something ethereal, almost golden in his skin color. His eyes were dark emerald green, and Jelena was reminded of her elven friend Yaylan far away at Elysium.
- "Welcome, weary ones. A small lunch will be served in the garden... and should you wish to refresh yourselves, I would be happy to offer you the chance. My name is Wu Ang Ning."
The others introduced themselves as they walked to a garden table carved from cream-colored marble.
- "Forgive my curiosity, most venerated ones..." Ang Ning addressed Winski and Jelena, "you look human to me, but I can sense a spirit essence in you."
- "And why can you feel that, mister Wu?" Jelena wanted to know, staring at the man. She, too, sensed that he was something unusual.
- "Ah," mister Wu smiled. "For two reasons, perceptive lady. First of all, I command some magical powers myself, and am in fact especially interested in air magic, its powers of revealing information... and then, due to my heritage I have certain attunity to the spirit world."
- "I thought you look kinda funny!" Imoen blurted out, and blushed immediately. "Er... I didn't mean in a bad way..."
- "Some of our kind could pass for humans... others, like me, not. We have been born as a result of mating between humans and nature spirits."
- "But how do the spirits... how should I put this in a Shou-proof way... interact with the human? Carry the deed out?" Peri asked, frowning.
Ang Ning chuckled.
- "I have heard that Westerners often think that spirits are disembodied, invisible creatures. But to us such thinking seems strange. Many spirits are very much flesh and blood, and they are everywhere. We have a large community of bamboo spirit folk here... I am their High Wu Jen, if I may be bold enough to mention such a meager achievement."
- "I believe what you call air magic, at least the information-gathering part you mentioned, is called divination by Western wizards," Winski said eagerly. "Would it be awfully lot of trouble if you introduced me to some aspects of it, after the dinner?"
- "Not at all. I believe there is much to learn from each other. I am sure each one of you could use some rest before you continue your journey to Lo'Shan."
He glanced quizzically at Sarevok.
- "There is a yearning in you... passion. I would ask a maid of mine to soothe it, as they would be glad to do so with such an intriguing human. But I can sense that would not lift the sorrow that clouds your heart and mind."
Sarevok smiled sadly.
- "Aye, spiritual one. I love a dead woman, and no heat of a living one can bring anything but more despair to me."
