This story is starting to get a bit too long in my opinion. I fear I might not be able to keep it together. I will read everything I have written this far, but I also wish you to point out everything that you think doesn't make sense. It would be very helpful because I am doomed to miss something.
Oh, and I decided to use a small bit of mythology in this chapter. I hope it doesn't bother anyone. It's a brief part and the character won't appear again.
HEING MEH
Chapter 28
Shendu eyed Valmont in thought. The man looked normal, but the demon could sense his confusion. It was clear that even an arrogant and overly self-confident man like Valmont had to react to this somehow.
"I have been thinking," the demon said.
"And?" Valmont asked. He didn't sound very enthusiastic to hear what the demon had to say.
"It's no use wasting our time here any more than we have to. We will take care of this Ni Tang problem right now."
Valmont tensed visibly and Shendu had to grin. Ah, there were only a few things that pleased him as much as tormenting his enemies.
"And how have you decided to do it?" Valmont asked. To Shendu's displeasure his voice sounded completely normal. The demon had hoped he could scare him a bit more.
"The only thing I am going to do is to sit here and relax. Everything is up to you," he said. When Valmont said nothing the demon continued, "You have to climb to the top of Kebnekaise."
Valmont blinked.
"What? That's over a mile high! I will never get there in snow!" he complained.
Shendu shrugged.
"Not my problem," he said and turned his back to Valmont. The demon started to walk away, but he turned to glance back at Valmont at the door. "I'd hurry if I were you."
"You want me to go now? It will take an eternity!" Valmont insisted. Shendu frowned angrily. Valmont was probably afraid of his clothes and hair getting dirty.
"It's still not my problem. I have told you what to do, and it's your own business if you obey me or not. If you ask me we can already return to the others. I would love to see you fall apart and go insane," the demon stated and left.
Valmont clenched his fists.
"Oh, how I hate him..." he muttered.
Jackie wasn't on a very good mood. He was not tired anymore and he was happy for that they didn't need to travel farther, but he still didn't feel comfortable. The worry for Jade was killing him and he couldn't sit still at all.
"They will be able to help her," Xu Lin stated helpfully. Jackie and she were sitting in the room with the fireplace almost alone. Two old people, a man and a woman, who were concentrated in their hot chocolate, were the only people with them. Most of the people in the hotel had gone skiing or downhill skiing.
"I hope so. I don't even want to think about what will happen if something goes wrong," Jackie replied.
"Nothing will. I'm sure Hsi Wu will do everything he can," the girl said. Jackie looked at her in thought.
"How can you be so sure? You don't know the demons like we do," he said.
"Perhaps not, but... Jade wrote about the sky demon in her letters," Xu Lin said turning her eyes away. Jackie felt that the girl wasn't sure if she wanted to tell about her friend's writings or not.
"What did she say?" he asked anyway. He had to know everything that there was to know.
Xu Lin shifted on her seat. "She told me how Ni Tang captured her and how Hsi Wu was the only demon who was able to tolerate her. He took Jade as his slave and treated her like dirt at first. Jade said that they argued much and that Hsi Wu threatened her with torture and other horrors."
Jackie frowned disapprovingly.
"As I suspected," he said. "I should have stopped those monsters from getting her."
"But they didn't do anything, Hsi Wu stopped them. The sky demon saved her when Shendu tried to kill her and Jade said that they started to get along slowly. She even said that he was her first friend."
"And you? Jade met you before she learned to know Hsi Wu," Jackie pointed out. He didn't really want to be believe everything Xu Lin was telling him. He knew the story was true, but his suspicious side didn't let him accept it. It would have been so simple if the demons were as cruel and evil as they had thought in the beginning.
Xu Lin blushed a little.
"Maybe so, but I and Hsi Wu are different kind of friends to Jade." Now Jackie stared at the girl in open horror and she corrected herself quickly. "Not like that! Jade and Hsi Wu have nothing deeper than friendship between them, and it has probably died during time as well. I meant that they can be something more if given the right circumstances."
Jackie sighed in defeat. "I would like Jade to have a good life. I don't want her to get involved with demons any more than she has to," he muttered.
"I believe that, but Jade hasn't heard from Hsi Wu in five years. We should see what she thinks when she wakes up," Xu Lin suggested.
Jackie flashed a weak smile at her.
"But there is something else I would like to talk about," Xu Lin said then. Jackie could feel that their earlier conversation had been just a base for what she really had to say,
"What is it?" he asked.
"I had a dream again last night," the girl admitted. Jackie tensed, he hadn't really spared a thought to the girl's dreams. He had had so much to do.
"What happened?" he asked in worry. The previous dream had ended in a way that he didn't want to even think about. That cursed Shendu...
"Someone died. Shendu was carrying me and suddenly we heard someone scream in pain. I can't say who it was, only that it was someone I know. Probably one of the demons or our friends. It could be anyone, but me and Shendu," Xu Lin explained.
Jackie bit his lip. "I really hope your dreams aren't true," he muttered. "We should pay more attention to them."
"And then Shendu talked about a sacrifice," Xu Lin continued.
"A sacrifice? What could it mean?"
Xu Lin shrugged. "I don't know, but I feel we will learn it sooner or later."
Jackie could only agree.
Valmont drew cold air in his lungs. He was wearing thick winter clothes and had decided to try Shendu's suggestion.
It can't get much worse than this, he thought to himself and turned to look north where Kebnekaise stood. It would take a couple of hours to walk there, and it would be completely dark then.
Valmont took the first step and started walking. The road was open, he guessed it had been cleared in the previous morning. Small snow flakes fell from the sky and snow crunched under his steps.
His cheeks stung in the cold, the temperature had to be at least -20C and the air was dry.
The road was straight and he had no difficulties following it. It was pleasantly dim, only a little of the sun could be seen in the horizon. The sky was almost clear and the night was very much like the previous one.
Valmont wasn't sure of that he was expected to do. Shendu had told him to climb on Kebnekaise, but then what? Even if he managed to do it he had no idea what to do then. The Brit really hoped that if something was to happen, it would do it on its own.
Again he had to think about what would be the outcome. It was possible, even likely, that when he came back he wouldn't be quite his own self anymore. The thought made him feel strangely confident. If he had to give up something for a... demon, he wouldn't do it voluntarily.
It felt like the time had stopped and he couldn't tell how far he had walked. It was now dark around him, and he couldn't see the road again. Somehow Valmont knew that if he had glanced behind himself, he wouldn't have seen the lights of the hotel.
And it wasn't because they were too far away. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt he wasn't on the same plane of existence with the hotel anymore.
He lifted his eyes to the sky. Stars and green northern lights could be seen among the clouds.
Valmont wished that Shendu had given him better instructions. It felt so hopeless to go on without knowing about his destination. He couldn't really see in front of himself and it started to feel like that he was merely staying in one place in blackness.
"I will never get there like this," he muttered and frowned licking his cold lips.
And then he sank in the snow up to his knees.
I must have stepped away from the road, he thought. For a moment he considered going back so that walking would be easier. But somehow he felt that it would be for the best to keep the direction he had unconsciously chosen.
Roaming in the snow was very difficult, hard and slow. He didn't do much process and the only thing he managed was to get his shoes full of snow. It melted against his skin making his socks and trouser legs wet, and this made him feel cold. Valmont found it relatively strange because he hadn't felt cold in a while.
The notion made him feel pleased, it proved him that Ni Tang hadn't taken over yet. As long as he felt uncomfortable in the cold he was more or less in control of himself.
The thick snow had looked inviting and beautiful, but now that he was roaming through it himself he noticed that it wasn't that much fun after all. He had to lift his legs high if he wanted to make any process at all. It was heavy, a little like running in water.
The labouring made him feel hot and he didn't have to touch his forehead to notice that it was soaked with sweat. It was very uncomfortable to sweat while it was so cold.
There started to be less and less trees. There hadn't been much to begin with, but now Valmont couldn't see candle firs in the dark anymore. There were of course sprigs and dwarf birches, but most of them were under the blanket of snow.
And that was why he didn't see them at all. One very unfortunate dwarf birch happened to be on his route and Valmont tripped on its branches, falling on his face on the snow. The small tree scratched his calf and now he had snow inside his jacket as well.
For a moment he couldn't do anything but lie there panting. It felt surprisingly good to do nothing. His tired muscled liked the coolness the snow offered, and he closed his eyes for a while.
Soon he started to feel cold again and he forced himself to get up. He knew that it was still quite a way to Kebnekaise, and he would have to climb on the top of it as well. He was lo longer even sure where the mountain was.
It would take an eternity before anything happened. When he would finally get there he would be too tired to start climbing. If he even got there.
His bare feet didn't feel cold as he ran. The demon wasn't sure of his direction, but he knew he was going towards his destination.
Valmont started when a part of his dream flashed in front of his eyes. Before he even realised what he was doing he had taken off his shoes and rolled his trouser legs up to his knees.
His toes curled when they sank in the snow, but after his second step he didn't even feel the cold anymore. Walking was easier without shoes and Valmont could go on as if he was on a just opened road. It felt like he had been created for walking on snow.
Now that he didn't sink in the snow anymore he was proceeding faster. Valmont thought that snow wasn't probably good for his feet, but the thought escaped his mind soon. It was just somehow unimportant.
Without really noticing it he took off his jacket and other winter clothes too until he was dressed in his usual business suit. Now he felt much more comfortable. Freezing -- if the tickling sensation he felt even was it -- felt only good.
The clouds had moved and revealed the sky. Valmont lifted his eyes...
The dark sky and dancing northern lights spread above him...
He shook his head. It felt like he wasn't entirely awake, but between dream and consciousness. He had to blink.
To his pleasure he noticed that his skin was still the normal colour and when he touched his ears he realised there was nothing new in them. When he brought his hand in front of his face he didn't see a red glow on his skin.
Valmont sneered. Ni Tang was probably lurking somewhere, but he was still his own self. And would stay that way. He straightened his suit and looked around. Whatever happened, he would be ready.
"You are a bit too arrogant for my taste, if I may say," a voice said somewhere near him and Valmont started. He slit his eyes when he noticed a figure in the dark. Whatever it was took several steps closer and became more visible, as if there was a circle of light around Valmont.
The Brit felt how something inside him recognised magic in the newcomer. He felt he wasn't fully aware of it himself, but he could almost see Ni Tang tilting his head in curiosity.
When the newcomer got closer Valmont saw that it was a very strange looking man. He was sturdy, his skin was of greyish colour and he had greenish beard and hair. He was not dressed properly for the climate, there was only a cloth wrapped around his waist. He looked like he was feeling very uncomfortable.
"Who are you?" Valmont asked.
The man was now standing right in front of him and, in Valmont's opinion, looked as out of place as possible.
"My name is Ahti. I am the Finnish god of lakes and rivers," the man announced. He had a strong voice and sounded a bit too arrogant for Valmont's liking.
"A god?" he asked. He thought he should have felt more impressed than he did. He crossed his arms on his chest. "Wrong country and wrong place," he announced.
Ahti replied with a sigh.
"My homeland is not magical enough anymore. We had to retreat here where magic still runs strong," he said and pointed behind himself where Kebnekaise stood.
"I see," Valmont stated. He felt no pity for the god.
"But it's not that horrible. The Norse gods are of course annoying and continue reminding us that we are just guests," Ahti snorted.
They had started to walk towards Kebnekaise without Valmont really paying attention.
"There are more of you?" the Brit asked in suspicion.
"Of course, hundreds. All northern gods, spirits and creatures have gathered at Kebnekaise. Magic is disappearing so we have to stay together. Another group is at Mt. Olympus in the country you call Greece," the god explained.
Valmont lifted his eyes and looked at the mountain. It was gentle like other mountains in Lapland and completely plain. He couldn't see any signs of life, but something told him that the mountain was full of all kinds of creatures. It didn't make the place seem any more inviting.
"Then... why are you telling me that? And why are you here?" he asked.
"It might prove useful for you now that you are joining us. And I am not here voluntarily. Odin made me come. He pushes us around claiming that we are on his grounds. He and the others are interested in what you will do, so I am here to show you part of the way," Ahti said.
Valmont stared at the god.
"Join you? I am not going to stay here!" he snapped surprised that the god had even suggested that.
"No? Then where are you going to go? What is a better place for the polar demon than this where it's dim half of the year?" Ahti asked.
Valmont swallowed. How did that... creature dare to speak to him like he had no power over his own life? He would do exactly what he wanted.
"Now listen -- " he started, but the god interrupted.
"Don't talk to me like that, mortal. If you were one of my people I wouldn't let you get away with it," he said.
Valmont felt how anger rose within him.
"Mortal? I am the polar demon and even though I am the youngest of my family, no one calls me a mortal!" he snapped with a voice that was very different from his own. He started in surprise, the voice was weaker and somehow calmer than his, and yet there was pride and power behind the words.
Ahti snorted.
"Be whatever demon you wish to. Compared to me you are nothing, but a mortal," he said and stopped. "You will have to go alone now. I have made sure that you arrived here."
Valmont -- though he wasn't sure if he should have called himself by that name or not -- noticed that they had arrived at the foot of Kebnekaise, if he could call the place that. The mountain was more like a very big hill.
"Wait a minute!" he exclaimed. His own voice was back. "You said that magic is disappearing. Is it because of a demon called Heing Meh?"
Now Ahti looked just sad.
"Who would have thought we would all be betrayed in such a way?" he asked and took a step back. Valmont opened his mouth to ask what the god meant, but he had disappeared before he managed to say anything.
"Well, that was a useless encounter," he muttered to himself. The god had told him nothing that he believed he would need and he hadn't been too nice. Valmont thought he had been sent there just to annoy him.
At least the travelling had been easier with the god. Valmont couldn't say how much of the night was left, but he hoped it wouldn't end before he had reached the top of Kebnekaise.
Shendu stood alone on the balcony and kept his eyes on the direction of Kebnekaise. He didn't see Valmont or couldn't say where he was, but the demon hoped the cursed idiot was making some process. He wasn't worried about him and would have never hoped anything good for him -- if they asked him, he thought it would have been nice to see Valmont with several limbs less -- but he was starting to get fed up with Sweden and he wanted to return to the others.
"If they open the portal of Sha Fuju without me..." he muttered to himself. It had been his idea and if they didn't wait for him...
Someone opened the door behind him and he frowned.
"If I wanted company I wouldn't be here now," he said sharply. He knew who it was and it annoyed him even more. Oh, how he hated mortal fools who thought they were something compared to him.
"Xiao Fund told me to ask if he could eat your dessert," Xu Lin said and walked next to the demon. Shendu snorted at her question.
"You are an idiot if you think he has waited for my reply. It's miracle if there's anything left."
From the corner of his eye he saw how Xu Lin frowned slightly. Shendu wanted to laugh. Had the girl really expected a less nasty answer? What a naive clown she truly was!
"Are you worried about him?" the girl asked nodding in the direction of the mountain.
"Excuse me? How can you even suggest that I would care about him? If anything, I am worried he returns too healthy!" he snapped.
"You don't have to emphasize your anger all the time," Xu Lin said.
"If you didn't make stupid questions, but understood simple things I wouldn't have to make them clear to you."
Shendu turned his eyes back to the dark landscape. He couldn't see the mountain, but could say exactly where it was.
"Well, aren't you going to go?" he asked when Xu Lin did nothing to move. The girl started.
"I was enjoying the view," she explained.
"As if you could see anything with your human eyes. Aren't you cold? Mortals can't stand low temperatures without proper clothing," Shendu said.
Xu Lin shrugged. To Shendu it looked like she had an explanation ready, but she said nothing. It didn't bother the demon; he didn't think he would have been even interested in whatever she had to say.
"If I were you I would go. I want to be alone and I don't know how long I can stand to see you," he said.
Xu Lin took a step towards the door.
"What would you do if I didn't leave?" she asked. Shendu almost laughed at her. What did she think she was?
He sneered. "If you really want to know, I have many ways to make sure you'd beg me to let you go. My claws and teeth have slaughtered more humans than you can begin to imagine, I have caused so much pain that just thinking about it should make a girl like you insane. Strong warriors have knelt in front of me and begged me to kill them to end their torment. Torment that I of course caused." His voice was barely a whisper and he knew that. He would be glad if the girl had nightmares.
Xu Lin looked annoyed. "I have killed too," she snapped.
Shendu blinked in surprise. He had expected her to run to Chan or start crying, but he had not even dreamt about such a reply.
"What?" he asked in such confusion that all hate and promises of pain were gone from his voice. He had never thought one of Chan's friends or relatives could have had done something like that. Or at least admit it.
Xu Lin glanced at him, clearly uncomfortable. Shendu could see that the girl didn't want to talk about it. But he wanted to hear.
"You are the one who came here, and you won't leave before you have told me," he said threateningly. This was probably the most interesting thing he would learn about Chan's little company and he could already imagine how to use it against the man.
Xu Lin was silent and drew a deep breath under the demon's demanding eyes.
"I was once imprisoned in the Lotus Temple," she said quickly. The words left her mouth with another long breath. Shendu raised a brow. He knew the story of the Lotus Temple better than well. When he had been young he and Xiao Fung had liked to feed humans to the guardian.
"No one should be able to escape, and yet you are here. I also know that you are not the original guardian," he said.
"Jackie helped me."
"Why, of course. That fool is always ruining everything that could cause me happiness."
Xu Lin frowned at Shendu's words, but said nothing. The demon frowned in contempt.
"Let me guess. When you were a guardian you killed some of the wanderers who entered the temple. May I ask if you've told about this to Chan or his niece?" he asked with dark glee. He could see the answer on Xu Lin's face. "And what do you think they would say if they found out that their beloved friend is a murderer?"
Xu Lin swallowed. "It wasn't my fault," she muttered.
"But it doesn't change anything, does it? The people you killed... how do you think their families are doing? Maybe they had children?"
Xu Lin did exactly what the demon had been expecting; she turned around and left him alone.
"Pathetic," Shendu snorted to himself and turned to stare at the darkness again. This knew knowledge Xu Lin had offered him could provide useful in the future. If nothing else, he could at least torment her with it when he was bored.
He would make her cry. Xu Lin hadn't done it a moment ago and Shendu was a bit disappointed. He had wanted the girl to do that, it was always a very entertaining scene to see a mortal cry.
He frowned. Maybe she deserved a point.
Now even the bushes were gone and he could see nothing but snow around.
He knew he wasn't alone anymore. He couldn't see anyone, but every now and then he heard faint laughter and words he didn't understand. It didn't bother him as much as it should have.
"If I am connected to this place it could be useful to learn at least one language spoken here," he muttered.
Ahti's words hadn't helped him at all, just confused him more. But he didn't want to trouble himself with it, someone else could do it.
"I'll tell everything to brother Tso Lan when I get back", he decided. Then he blinked and shook his head.
Climbing on the mountain was slow even now when he could walk on the blanket of snow. Kebnekaise was sly and every time Valmont thought he was almost there he noticed the peak was still far away.
It was frustrating to keep going, but he didn't have the luxury of turning back either. Shendu would lose it and Valmont wasn't on the mood for arguing with the demon.
After some time -- he couldn't tell how much of it had passed -- he finally arrived at the peak. It was flat and completely plain. There wasn't much snow; the wind had taken care of that. The little snow that was there had frozen into a layer of ice that covered the ground.
Valmont took several steps towards the centre. His bare feet slipped and he fell on his back on the ground. Someone laughed, but he hardly even noticed it.
Now, for the first time during the adventure, he felt very uncomfortable. Neither his human side nor Ni Tang was pleased with the situation. He frowned angrily and forced himself up.
Then he realised that he hadn't slipped on ice, but a mirror covered in snow. He had no idea what it was doing there, but it explained why he had fallen over. He would have never done that on ice.
Valmont knelt in front of the mirror and brushed snow off it. It was useless; the wind would blow new soon.
He didn't flinch when he looked into the mirror; he had prepared himself for what he would see. It also wasn't new to him; he had witnessed a similar sight too many times.
A demon stared back at him.
"Ni Tang," Valmont stated to himself. When he touched his face he realised that despite the image in the mirror he was still his own self.
The mirror was about to be covered by snow again, so Valmont moved to the other side to protect it with his body. Ni Tang moved with him, and stared at him in the same position.
Then the demon pressed his palm against the mirror.
Now Valmont did start, he hadn't moved his own hand at all.
"Let me out," the demon said. It was the same voice Valmont had spoken in when snapping at the god.
"Why should I? I don't want you to ruin my life any more you already have," he replied.
"I don't ask much, I merely want to live and exist. If you don't allow me that I will disappear, but will take you with me," Ni Tang said. The demon's voice was calm, but the malice was still evident in him.
"I was told that we are the one and the same," Valmont reminded. Ni Tang's lips curled into a slight smile.
"We are, and yet we are so different," he said.
"So it is possible to drive the other out?"
Ni Tang shrugged and looked unsure. "I wouldn't try, the consequences could be terrible," he stated. Then a pleading expression appeared on his face. "Let me out. I want to remember who I am. And who you are."
Valmont had no clear memory of what had happened to him as Ni Tang, but he remembered the confusion that had followed the demon everywhere. The polar demon had never been sure of who he truly was and what purpose he had.
"How will it affect me?" he asked suspiciously. He knew he would have to give in eventually, but not before learning as much as possible.
"That can not be known beforehand. I don't even know what will happen to me. Maybe I will disappear somewhere inside you and continue existing as an unconscious part of you. Maybe that will happen to you. Maybe we will become like a werewolf and change every now and then," Ni Tang said.
Valmont frowned. The bitter wind made his hair flow, but Ni Tang was motionless in the mirror.
"Grab my hand. We shall see what happens," the demon said. Valmont hesitated for a moment, but pressed his palm against the demon's.
He wasn't surprised when his hand sank through the mirror as if it was water. Ni Tang caught his wrist and pulled Valmont through the glass. The man had nothing to grab and no way to fight against the demon.
It was dim on the other side and Valmont felt like he was floating in water. Ni Tang was right in front of him, and now he could be face to face with the demon for the first time in his life. He noted how similar their features where, they both had a nose that resembled a beak, their faces were the same shape and something in the demon reminded him of himself.
And yet they were different. Ni Tang was much more slender, taller and he had clear demonic features.
"And now?" Valmont asked. He had a strange echo in his voice.
"I... am not sure. I don't even know what this place is. I lured you here only so that you wouldn't go and leave me," the demon said.
"How could I ever leave you when you are with me no matter where I go?" Valmont asked. Was Ni Tang really that slow and childish? How disappointing.
They looked at each other.
"Of course. This place has to symbolize your mind." Ni Tang lifted his eyes and Valmont did the same. The mirror was nowhere to be seen, they were completely covered by black... something.
"I didn't know my mind was such a depressing place," Valmont commented dryly. Not that he was surprised.
Ni Tang tilted his head.
"This is a terrible place. Do you know what has happened to me during the time I've been here?" he asked.
Valmont shot a careful look at the demon. "I don't see anything special," he said.
"I speak! I remember better than well how my siblings always told me that I am too quiet. But you speak non-stop and now I have picked the bad habit," Ni Tang said angrily.
Valmont had to snort. "Maybe you have my sense of humour as well."
"This isn't funny! I am not myself anymore!"
Ni Tang's words couldn't have described Valmont's own feelings any better. That was exactly what he had been thinking and he had feared the demon would take away a too big part of him. He had never thought Ni Tang could feel the same way.
But you have the right to be unhappy. You were you before he was even created, a selfish voice whispered inside him, but he tried to not listen to it. In a way Ni Tang was like an accidentally conceived child, and now he had to take care of him.
"We both have to change for this to work," he sighed. "But I still don't know what to do."
"I have an idea."
"What?"
"Come, I'll show you," Ni Tang suggested softly and offered his arm. Valmont didn't even realise he was doing something; he just flew to the demon as if he was in control.
"What are you doing? I have my word in this too!" he disagreed, but it was more because of principles than any real reasons. Ni Tang didn't' listen, but grabbed his wrists and threw himself at Valmont.
At that moment it seemed that everything became darker and colder. A series of shivers went down his spine and he didn't even feel the demon's weight on him anymore. It was like they had melted together and for a moment he could do nothing, but try to catch his breath.
And then the memories came.
Valmont felt like he was being cut to two different pieces that both saw different things. At the same time when his mind was full of images from his childhood he saw more than clearly what Ni Tang had done during his life. The memories didn't follow each other, but came at the same time not allowing him to prepare for them.
He barely realised he had fallen on his knees and buried his face in his hands. His skin was freezing, and it was the only thing he could feel. Everything else was just a mixture of the memories of two beings.
Images flashed in his mind, he and Sharon...
Hsi Wu...
The university...
Po Kong's portal...
His first girlfriend...
Fights with Chan...
He felt angry for that his privacy was insulted in such a way -- he was sure Ni Tang could see it all somewhere -- but he was also in ecstasy for finally having whole memories. The latter feeling didn't belong to him, he was sure of that.
Or maybe it did. After what Ni Tang had done -- whatever it was -- he noticed he felt more whole than in years.
Valmont stood up, or at least he tried. His knees failed him and he fell back to the ground.
Let me try, a voice inside him said.
"Ni Tang?" he asked. "What is going on?"
The demon was silent for a moment.
I shared your memories and let you see what we did as Ni Tang. Now I am whole and can take my place in where I belong. When we leave this place we will be together and you can never talk to me again.
"So I can ask no questions about this?"
It would be of no use; I know no more than you do. Ask brother Tso Lan, Ni Tang replied. Valmont thought the demon was being too arrogant, even when he knew nothing about the situation. He suspected all demons were like that.
He said nothing, but gave in.
Ni Tang opened his eyes. He noticed he was lying on the ground and snow covered his skin and clothes.
He sat up and looked around. Everything was dark, but it didn't bother him at all. He felt homey and for a while he just sat there enjoying the atmosphere.
His comfortable state wasn't entirely because he was in his own element now. He finally felt whole and could tell who he was. Now he had memories of his childhood and life before he had been created.
Someone could have said that Valmont's memories didn't belong to him, but that was not the case. Valmont and Ni Tang were not two different people, but one. They were the same soul in different forms and now that he had the memories of them both he felt he was ready for everything.
Ni Tang looked at himself. He wasn't sure how the balance between the two forms would work, but he suspected he would learn it sooner or later.
He took a look behind himself, but the mirror was nowhere to be seen. It didn't surprise him; the item had been a mere image for Valmont. In his human form he didn't understand everything and couldn't have accepted his demon side just like that. When you gave a solid form to something that had taken place in his mind you could convince even the most stubborn man to do something.
Ni Tang stood up. It was time to return to the others. He took the first leap. He didn't remember going that fast before and it didn't take long before he had left the mountain behind him and was nearing the hotel.
When he got there he climbed to sit on the roof. He felt he wasn't sure what he would say to the others. Ni Tang knew that he wasn't the most talkative person in his demon form -- even if he had picked some of Valmont's habits -- and he didn't want to explain things more than once. It was more like something Valmont would do and the demon wanted to let the man do it.
So the polar demon decided to sit there and watch the northern lights.
Valmont woke up with a start and sat up. It was a mistake, the sudden movement made him move and before he had even realised what was going on he had fallen from the roof in a heap on snow.
His surprised yelp made everyone outside gather around him, and when he wiped snow from his eyes he noticed that it was already daytime. Not bright, but anyone could see around in the faint light.
"Are you alright, sir? What happened?" a man near him asked.
"I'm fine. I merely fell... from the roof," Valmont replied and looked up. He cursed himself for staying up there. It had been stupid. What if he hadn't turned back to his human form, but --
He blinked.
He realised he was thinking about himself and Ni Tang as the same person.
Someone shook his shoulder and he realised he must have stared in front of himself for a while.
"There is nothing wrong," he assured as he stood up and brushed snow off his suit.
"But what where you doing up there?" a woman who asked.
"I wanted to catch some fresh air from the window, and then I slipped and fell. Nothing special, it happens to me all the time," Valmont said politely and flashed a smile at her. The man next to her glared at him.
"Well, nice to hear you are alright," he growled.
Valmont was on an excellent mood as he marched in the hotel. He remembered everything that had happened on the previous night and nothing was unclear. It felt incredibly relieving when he didn't have to take wild guesses about what was going to happen next. He believed he had never felt more self-confident and nothing could have made him nervous at the moment.
Oh, how much money I can make with my abilities! He grinned to himself.
"You are back," Jackie announced as Valmont appeared to breakfast at the same time with him. The Brit nodded.
"Wasn't hard at all," he said and took some toast. Most of the people at the hotel were on a sporty mood and had eaten breakfast earlier. The two of them were the only ones there, save for two other men who sipped their coffee looking dark.
Valmont took a seat in an empty table in the corner. It provided a nice view outside.
Someone placed a plate on the other side of the table and Valmont lifted his eyes from his tea. To his surprise Jackie had sat opposite him. The Brit frowned slightly.
"What do you want, Chan?" he asked.
"To talk with you. What happened?" Jackie asked.
"Why should I tell that?" Valmont asked. He wasn't very happy with the idea of sharing his experience with anyone. Ni Tang was too personal and he didn't want to open his heart to just anyone.
Jackie shrugged. "I thought you might want to talk," he suggested.
"Well, I don't. And even if I did I wouldn't want to do it with you," Valmont announced sharply.
"Then excuse me for being friendly," Jackie muttered.
They ate in silence and Valmont kept his eyes on the window most of the time. How much had Ni Tang changed him? He didn't feel any different. The only difference was that now he had clear memories of what Ni Tang had experienced.
Because it actually was me who did all that, he reminded himself. He had been the same person all the time, he just looked a bit different and called himself with another name every now and then. Chan's Uncle had been wrong; there were no two different creatures.
Only now he started to understand why he had thought Ni Tang was an evil demon who tried to drive him out of his own body. When he had been turned into Ni Tang his memories of his previous life had been removed, and he had believed he was merely the polar demon. As Valmont he didn't want to accept himself as a demon and had decided not to remember anything.
Now that he had all memories he realised that there was nothing else than himself.
Quite psychological, he thought in amusement.
"We can leave this country anytime," he said then. Jackie looked extremely relieved.
"Finally. I wonder how they are doing with Jade?" he asked.
To be continued...