HEING MEH

Chapter 17

"Where are you taking me?" Xu Lin asked and Valmont glanced behind his shoulder. The girl was still following him. Heck.

"I have business to be taken care of." he replied. Xu Lin settled with this and asked nothing more. She wanted, but didn't dare to annoy a demon. They were walking on a public street though, but that had never stopped demons from killing humans in stories.

But there was something strange about this demon. Ni Tang wasn't scary like Shendu and Xu Lin even thought that he could have turned out to be rather nice if one got the chance to know him. She had always been told that demos were cruel, evil and malicious, but they had never been described as quiet and polite. Though it was true that Ni Tang was very different in his human form. He talked more, had a British accent and was much more self-confident and smug.

It was funny, but in his human form Ni Tang was much more demonic than as a demon.

"What is Shendu going to do to me?" she decided to ask. Valmont stopped on his tracks and turned to look at her. It was clear from his face that the question was very uncomfortable and Xu Lin regretted making it.

"Why do you want to know?" Valmont asked.

"I am going to meet him. I want to know what is coming so that I can brace myself."

"But why do you want to meet him? He is not something a young girl should even know about."

Xu Lin sighed.

"No, but it could be my destiny to meet him. I don't know what will happen, but I am sure of this. I have had dreams." she replied and hoped that her walking companion would settle with that. It was enough for Valmont, but not because of what Xu Lin though. He just didn't feel like arguing over something like that.

And besides, he couldn't tell Xu Lin what Shendu would most likely do if he got a young beautiful girl in his claws. That wouldn't be very beautiful.

They arrived at the Dark Hand HQ after one hour's walk and Valmont cursed Ni Tang for that the demon had left. If he had to turn into a demon why couldn't it happen nearer?

Xu Lin followed Valmont with no sound as they walked through the hall and took the elevator up. The girl couldn't understand what the demon wanted from this place and she was starting to get suspicious. That human who so clearly knew where he was going was so different from the demon who she had met the previous night.

"What is this place?" she dared to ask. Valmont opened his mouth to give her some simple reply, but then they met exactly the persons that he had been looking for.

Chow, Ratso and Hak Foo stared at him.

"You came back." Ratso said. Valmont let out a mental sigh, someone had seen his transformation. He had hoped that he wouldn't have to explain it to anyone.

"I indeed did." he said and shot a questioning look at Hak Foo. How much had the warrior told the rest?

"They know the main facts." the warrior said.

"Fine. Good." Valmont said. He felt unusually beaten. The secret he had been hiding for five years had come out and he didn't know what to think of it.

"Are you going to turn into a demon again? If yes, warn us beforehand." Chow said. It was relieving to notice that Valmont was back, but at the same time it felt like a good idea to keep an eye on him. Chow knew that Valmont was the demon he had met five years ago and that was enough to prove that Valmont's didn't recognise them as a demon. And that meant that he could attack them.

"No. Definitely not."

"What is going on here?" Xu Lin's voice asked suddenly and all men turned to look at her.

"Hey, who is she?" Ratso asked.

"Her name is Xu Lin and she wants to meet Shendu." Valmont replied. The three other men froze and stared at Xu Lin in open shock.

"Shendu? Why?" Chow asked.

"That is my business. Can you help me to find him?" Xu Lin asked.

"No way! Do you even know who Shendu is and what he's going to do to you?" Ratso asked. Xu Lin glanced at Valmont.

"You are going to help me, right?"

"Actually I don't want to see that demon ever again in my life." Valmont said. Xu Lin's eyes darkened.

"You promised to help me yesterday!" she said.

"I was in my demon form and it doesn't count. No one knows what I can do in that form. And besides, Shendu is a blood thirsty demon and you'll be doing everyone a favour by not going near him." Valmont said.

"Everyone keeps saying that. Even Jade, who - " Xu Lin started angrily, but Valmont interrupted her.

"Jade? You mean Jade Chan?" he asked in curiosity. Xu Lin nodded and Valmont smiled in victory. Now he knew how to get rid of Xu Lin.

"You better return to the Chans. Their odds to meet Shendu are much greater than mine and they can also take care of you." he said. He wasn't actually even interested in what happened to Xu Lin in the end, but he wanted her life to be on someone else's shoulders. The girl couldn't stay with him after all and he was about to continue as if nothing strange had happened.

Xu Lin lowered her eyes. She knew Valmont was right, but she was ashamed to meet Jackie and Jade and others after her stunt. They would think she was irresponsible.

"Where did he take Jade?" Jackie exclaimed after running on the street and noticing that Jade and her captor were gone. Only now Hsi Wu noticed that the Chans had arrived and he turned to face them.

"He took Jade away." he said quietly.

"Away?" Jackie asked and eyed him in suspicion. "And who are you?"

"He is a demon!" Uncle shouted as a warning and everyone backed a step. Viper shot a questioning look at Uncle.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"I can sense dark chi around him. He has to be a demon." the old man replied.

"A demon? But which one of them?" Tohru asked. Jackie was the only one who seemed to remember what had just happened.

"What did you do to Jade?" he asked and took a step closer. He wouldn't have cared if it was Shendu in his real form in front of him, the worry over Jade was too powerful.

"I haven't even touched her. It was Shin." Hsi Wu replied calmly. His eyes moved from mortal to mortal and stopped at Viper. The woman had to be the Guardian Tso Land had talked about. The moon demon had said the Chans had the other one and when he concentrated Hsi Wu could almost feel an aura of power around her. And that gave him an idea.

"Shin? Shin who? Don't try anything funny demon, I know the guilty is." Jackie said. Hsi Wu glared daggers at him.

"I don't know who Shin is, but he is our enemy too. And my name is Hsi Wu, so address me right." he said.

"So you are the sky demon. Tohru, get a flute!" Uncle said. Tohru turned around to leave, but Hsi Wu spoke again.

"Wait! I have a proposal!" he said.

"We don't want to have anything to do wit - " Jackie started, but Uncle whacked him silent. The old man hated demons just as much as Jackie, but he could still think clearly.

"What kind of?" he asked. Hsi Wu licked his lips. He knew that if he took this further he would break the traditions of his family and the older siblings would probably hate him.

"The creature that took Jade is the enemy of us all. My family knows how to get rid of him, but we need something from you before we can do that. If you agree to assist us you can get Jade back." he said. Jackie frowned.

"That sounds too good. If you have nothing to do with this, why are you here now? How do we know that you are not working together with Shin?" he asked.

"Never suspect something like that! I came here to make sure that he hasn't hurt Jade, but I arrived too late to save her." Hsi Wu replied. Everyone stared at him in surprise.

"You wanted to protect Jade? Why?" Viper asked.

"She pleases me." Hsi Wu replied and grinned. "She is a very beautiful young woman and every demon would like to have her."

An expression between hate and despise appeared on Jackie's face and it looked like he wouldn't be able to control himself for very long.

"You... you sick creature! I will never let you touch Jade!" he threatened and Tohru stepped next to his friend to be ready if Jackie decided to attack Hsi Wu. The demon was in his human form, but as long as they had not a banishing spell he was in control of the situation.

"Silence! Who do you think you are? Without me Jade wouldn't be alive anymore!" Hsi Wu snapped at Jackie.

"What do you mean?" the man growled.

"Five years ago when Ni Tang captured Jade she travelled with us every time we opened a new portal. Haven't you ever wondered why Shendu or some other sibling of mine didn't kill her? We only needed her to carry the Pan Ku box and any mortal could have done that. Shendu wanted to rip her apart as revenge against you, but I protected her. I took care of her. I was the only she trusted. And I am the one who allowed her to return back to you. So don't talk to me as if I was just another demon who wants to taste mortal flesh." the sky demon lectured. He said more than he had been about to, but when seeing the mortals' confused and disbelieving expressions he realised he had said exactly the right thing. So pathetic, mercy always worked so well with mortals.

"What do you want from us?" Uncle asked.

"You have the other one of the Guardians of Sha Fuju and we need her." Hsi Wu said and nodded at Viper.

"Why should we give her? Why don't we just save Jade without you?" Jackie asked.

"Because you can't do that. You are mere mortals with no idea of what to do and you lack the other Guardian. You are helpless without us."

"Without you? Do you mean your siblings agree with this too and want to work with us? Uncle can't see Shendu doing that." Uncle said.

Hsi Wu shifted uncomfortably and that told much.

"They don't know yet?" Viper guessed.

"No, but when I explain the situation to them they must agree. Po Kong and Tso Lan are intelligent, they can take care of Shendu. And the others are no problem." the sky demon said.

"For some reason it's hard for me to believe that." Jackie muttered. Hsi Wu heard it, of course.

"What bad have we done to you during these years?" he asked.

"You are demons and all of your ancient crimes are more than enough." Viper said.

Hsi Wu frowned.

"Fine. We can get what we want anyway, we don't necessarily need you. I think Jade will be interested in that you didn't want to help her." he said. He was a bit relived because of the mortals' reaction, now he didn't have to talk about this to Shendu. Then again, if the humans stayed as their enemies he had done a great mistake by telling them about the demons' plan.

He turned on his heels and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Jackie called when he had taken a few steps. Hsi Wu turned around.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Maybe we... could come up with a deal." Jackie said reluctantly. He looked like he was doing something really horrible and in his own mind he was a traitor.

"Jackie, are you sure of this?" Viper asked. Jackie nodded.

"If we don't work with them they might find Jade before we do. I don't want any of them to touch her." the man said.

"Jackie is right. We have to think of Jade." Tohru added. Hsi Wu tilted his head.

"So you are ready to give the woman to us?" he asked.

"No. We want to be part of this just as much as you and you may not do anything without our approval. And we won't try to banish any of you to the Netherworld as long as we work together." Uncle said.

"And you may not hurt Viper any way." Jackie added.

"I have to talk with my siblings. Wait us when the sun starts setting." Hsi Wu said, turned around and continued on his way. Jackie and the others stared after him.

"He is gone! That dirty traitor is gone!"

Tso Lan and Po Kong watched in silence as Shendu rushed in the room. The fire demon was a terrifying sight in his human form too and now he looked really dangerous.

"Who is gone?" Tso Lan asked softly.

"Hsi Wu! He has left!" Shendu snapped. "You let him go!"

"It is childish to blame Tso Lan for what Hsi Wu has done. It is also dangerous considering your position." Po Kong stated.

"We agreed that the birth order doesn't matter anymore."

"No, we didn't. You just understood it that way."

Shendu closed his eyes to calm down. He didn't want to admit it, but the situation was slipping out of his control. The older siblings had sworn that they wouldn't take his position, but they were doing it anyway. It was natural to them, they had got used to bossing younger siblings around.

"That doesn't change the fact that Hsi Wu - the youngest of us - ran away." he said.

"I don't believe Hsi Wu has left for good. I explained the situation to him and he is too intelligent to leave just like that. I am sure he comes back." Tso Lan said.

"He still deserves a punishment."

"We decide that, not you."

Shendu glared at his siblings and sighed in defeat. He could see his dream of world domination becoming weaker and weaker.

Jade opened her eyes. Her last memory was how the world had swirled in her eyes and then nothing. She was surprised to notice that she wasn't hurt and didn't feel tired at all. She sat up and looked around herself.

The room had a bed in the middle of it and she was sitting on it. The room itself was very dim. There were some candles here and there, but they let the corners covered in darkness and she had no idea of what shape the room was. The walls seemed to be made of white stone though and they had no decorations.

The sheets under her were soft and completely black. The light of the candles played on the surface of the fabric and Jade felt somehow not real. Where was she?

After some hesitation she placed her feet on the floor and only when feeling its cold surface against her skin did she realise that her own clothes were gone. Now she was dressed in a white nightgown and she blushed when she noticed that she had nothing under it. Who had undressed her? She really hoped it hadn't been the man who had caught her.

She walked to the wall and pressed her hand against it. There was no door anywhere and she wanted to make sure the wall really was there. Her skin met stone and Jade sighed. What a strange place.

Suddenly the wall flinched some distance away and the girl turned all of her attention to it. She expected to see her captor and braced herself, but to her surprise it was someone she hadn't seen in many years.

"You!" Jade exclaimed as Hoyle walked through the wall. Soon after the man's arrival the wall turned back to normal and looked as strong as a moment before. Jade suspected a spell had been cast on it and that it allowed only certain people to travel through.

Hoyle nodded. He had aged a bit since Jade had last seen him and he looked tired.

"Necrosis is here too, isn't he? What do you want from me?" Jade asked. She almost believed she had seen a strange expression flash on Hoyle's face, but then she decided that the light of the candles had fooled her.

"It's not my mission to tell you that and I don't even want to. Sh - master Shin sent me to make sure you are awake." Hoyle said.

"Master Shin? Don't you work for Necrosis anymore?"

"You ask too much. Master Shin controls everything here and both I and Necrosis are under his power." Hoyle replied. Jade could hear from his voice that he didn't like that arrangement.

And the name Shin made her flinch. Jade remembered the strange boy better than well and though it had been a while since she had last met him his image was still clear in her mid.

And Hsi Wu had said that Shin was dangerous.

Only now Jade thought that maybe the demon had been right. She had automatically supposed that he had just tried to make her join him. Jade felt really bad because of that - no matter that the other was a demon.

"I demand to know what is happening to me." Jade said in determination. She raised her chin and her eyes blazed. "As long as it is about me I have the right to know."

Then the wall flinched again and a new person stepped in. He was tall and though his face wasn't too old his eyes twinkled with ancient wisdom. A purple robe rested on his shoulders.

"It is about something much more than just you." Shin said smiling. Jade frowned.

"Who are you?" she asked. Shin didn't reply, but turned to face Hoyle.

"You have completed your task. Return to prepare the ritual." he said. Hoyle glanced at Jade once, nodded slowly and left. Jade hadn't learned to know him during the Necrosis incident, but in her opinion Hoyle hadn't seemed like a man who took orders from anyone.

"Who are you?" she asked again once Hoyle was gone. Shin tilted his head slightly and played with his moustache.

"But Jade, don't you know me anymore?" he asked.

"I know you are the same Shin who I met some time ago. But that doesn't tell me who you really are." Jade replied.

Shin chuckled softly.

"It doesn't, but you don't have to know who I really am. Any mortal hasn't seen my real form and lived for longer than five minutes. And right now I need you alive." he said.

"What do you want?" Jade asked. She had been involved with many strange adventures in her life and this didn't seem to be very dangerous. At least not yet. Hsi Wu's words echoed in her mind, but she managed to ignore them.

"Your blood."

"My blood?"

"Yes. I need innocent blood and the tears of a demon in order to revive my lord." Shin stepped closer and brushed Jade's chin with the tips of his fingers. "Unfortunately I need all of your blood."

Jade pressed her lips together. She wouldn't let that freak scare her!

"Jackie will come to look for me. You have never fought with him if you think you can win." she said confidently.

"A whole band of heroes and anti-heroes will come for you as if you were the sun. And that is what I want." Shin said. He glanced at the room. "I hope this is comfortable enough. Unfortunately I can offer nothing better at the time, but I think this is suitable for a young woman."

After saying this he returned to the other side of the wall and Jade was left alone. She sat on the dark bed and sighed.

When he climbed the stairs up Hsi Wu knew that the others wouldn't be friendly towards him. They must have noticed that he had left and at least Shendu was probably furious. Oh well, that was nothing new.

Besides, this was the only way to save Jade from Shin. The older siblings couldn't refuse to help. Shin was the enemy of all of them.

"We have been waiting for you." Tso Lan stated when Hsi Wu appeared in the right floor.

"I know. I have something important to say." the sky demon said. Tso Lan didn't reply, just nodded. He had already learned that when Hsi Wu had a plan it usually worked. He also remembered that the sky demon had used to ask his opinion before telling his ideas to the others. Now Hsi Wu didn't seem to trust him anymore.

All demons had gathered in Shendu's room again. They had nothing to do in the hotel and the situation was slowly starting to remind them of the Netherworld: everyone was stuck in the same place.

Shendu glared at Hsi Wu when he stepped in.

"So you decided to come back. I am surprised." he said. Hsi Wu slit his eyes, but didn't say anything. Instead of that he turned to face Po Kong. The mountain demon was the oldest and had the power to decide.

"Sister, I have come up with a plan that allows us to open a portal in Sha Fuju and destroy Shin." he said. The sky demon's words made everyone - even Shendu - freeze.

"Excuse me?" the fire demon hissed. Po Kong gestured him to be silent.

"What have you found out?" she asked.

"Nothing new, but only a word from me and we have the other Guardian too. I convinced the mortals to give her to us if we do them a favour." Hsi Wu replied.

A moment before the demons had frozen because of surprise, now they did it because of shock. Shendu was the first one to do something.

"You have talked with the Chans? Who gave you the permission to do that?" he hissed through his clenched teeth and charged at his younger brother. He grabbed Hsi Wu's collar and smashed him against the wall. "What did you think you were doing?"

"My plan works!" Hsi Wu snapped back.

"Hah! Alliances with mortals have never worked!" Shendu said.

"Let him speak before ripping him apart." Tso Lan stated. Shendu glanced at his brother in surprise. Had he really said that? Tso Lan should know that mortals were never good allies.

"But - " he started, but Po Kong agreed with Tso Lan.

"Tso Lan is right. We are all curious to hear what Hsi Wu has to say." she said. Shendu looked at his siblings one more time and let Hsi Wu go. He backed away a few steps and slit his eyes, but no one saw that.

Everything was going to be ruined.

"I met Shin before he attacked me. He was in the company of Jade Chan and seemed to be very interested in her. I suspected he was something more than a human, but I couldn't do anything. A moment ago I was checking if Jade was all right."

"Jade... Isn't that the name of your slave?" Dai Gui asked.

"Yes. When I arrived there Shin had already appeared. He took Jade with him." Hsi Wu said. He kept his face expressionless and his voice didn't reveal his feelings either. He was worried and angry, Shin would never be allowed to touch Jade!

"Interesting. What does he want from her?" Tso Lan asked.

"She must have something that Heing Meh wants. If he gets that something we will all be in trouble." Bai Tsa pointed out.

"I promised the mortals that if they give us the Guardian we will help them to save Jade. It is our intention anyway, because we have to stop the plans that concern her." Hsi Wu continued.

Bai Tsa shot a sly glance at him.

"Maybe there's something more to this too." she guessed.

"What do you mean?"

"Just that maybe you don't want your slave to be in anyone else's hands. You understand what I mean."

"Grr... To be honest Jade and many other things matter more to me than my family does. But I do this because I don't want to die." Hsi Wu said angrily.

"Did the mortals promise their friend to us just like that?" Po Kong asked a bit surprised. Hsi Wu shook his head.

"Unfortunately not. They want to assist us and know everything that is going on. But they won't try to banish us as long as the situation is this." he replied.

"No!" Shendu snapped immediately. He had been silent and listened to Hsi Wu's words, but now he had had enough.

"What do you mean Shendu? The mortals' offer is very tempting." Tso Lan said.

"Tempting? No it isn't! Can't you realise what this means? They try to win us this way! They want us to learn to trust them and once we least expect it they'll stab us in the back!" the fire demon said.

"Very unlikely. Chans have even more miserable honour than most mortals." Xiao Fung said.

"So what? The history is filled with stories of demons who trusted humans and suffered because of it. They hate us as much as we hate them and they will do anything to banish those who they think to be a threat." Shendu explained.

"But this is a unique chance of getting the other Guardian too." Po Kong pointed out.

"We can attack them and take her by force."

"They must have prepared for that. We wouldn't get near before one of us was banished. That risk is too great and our family can't afford losing anyone now that Heing Meh is close. It is much better if we don't have to fight against the mortals too." Hsi Wu said.

"But they are mortals!" Shendu tried once more. He felt like he was the only sensible demon in the room and it made him feel desperate. What had happened to the others? Why had they lost their pride?

Was he really the only one who remembered who they were?

Even before Po Kong opened her mouth Shendu knew that he had lost. He looked at his siblings as if they were strangers to him and only now saw that they had changed. Not physically or like in mortal stories. They had not got any more noble or better, but they had given up.

Shendu closed his eyes for a while. It looked like he would have to be the saviour of the family. Once he controlled the world he would make the others remember what it felt like to have power.

"Fine. We shall do as you wish. But we have to destroy the mortals before they destroy us. Once Heing Meh is gone we will drink mortal blood."

"We have the girl." Shin said. Necrosis stood in front of him his head lowered and eyes closed. He didn't like what he had to do. It wasn't because of that he cared about the girl - whoever she was. He just didn't want to fall back in the dark grave that he had left so long ago.

The grim skill of waking the death had been in his family practically forever. Anyone could learn about the secret arts of necromancy, but his family had been the best.

They had had libraries, laboratories and everything you needed for studying and experiments. His home had been filled with dark magic and during the centuries it had blackened the heart of those who were born to his family.

His siblings - younger and older - had been fascinated by their skills and started studying as mere children. He had been different.

Unlike his siblings, Necrosis hadn't been born in his home and the dark aura of the building had never imprisoned him completely. He had been offered a chance to escape and he had used it once he had been old enough.

Despite that he hated graves, revived servants with their empty eyes and fully woken important people he had never even considered starting legal business. He hadn't bothered, and maybe his heart was almost as black as the one of his siblings'.

He wasn't interested in that, he had got away and that had been enough. Away from his father and his twinkling eyes and long fingers that were like the legs of a white spider.

Necrosis wasn't his real name, of course. He had abandoned that soon after leaving his family. He had chosen his new name to remind himself of the fate he had only barely avoided.

The fate that was catching up with him now.

"I need you to help me with the ritual. Reviving my lord won't be as simple as you might think and I am going to need the help of a necromancer." Shin said.

To be continued...