Wu knelt in front of the ever-burning tree and its companion shrine. She closed her eyes and waited for some contact, any contact, from the Heavens. It had been so long since she'd had any guidance, months since she'd last seen the Water Dragon bow to her before disappearing. Even Zin Bu had left her.
But surely she deserved an answer after all she'd done? After all she'd been through?
She closed her eyes and waited for an answer.
Wu sat on the steps outside of the Black Leopard School, staring down at the city. She had no reason to go back to her room at the Arena just yet. Qui and Kai Lan wanted the build-up to her match with Iron Soldier to reach a fever pitch before they were actually allowed to exchange blows. She'd argued ferociously with both of them, but Qui was a promoter first and Kai Lan - well, Kai Lan was a complete bastard. Neither would budge and so she'd been left to her own devices while they stoked a fire around a match that could only have one outcome.
In the meantime, she and her companions still had to eat and have a place to sleep, they still had to have gear, so she'd taken on another odd job. It had ended well enough. She had a new technique. The technique wasn't as honorable as she'd have liked, but neither was Iron Soldier as honorable an opponent as she'd have liked. A few dirty tricks might be called for if she were to beat him and gain the Executioner's favor.
The demon next to her cackled, swinging Wildflower's feet in glee. "That was very productive, mortal. And violent."
Wu had invited Ya Zhen to this task. He'd been useful, though she doubted she would call on his services again. She'd thought that by allowing him out, he'd leave Wildflower alone for a few hours. She realized too late that she'd just strengthened him.
But to be fair, the demon didn't give her a headache with Tho Phan.
"Not one but two demons in the courtyard. I think you impressed them," it said.
The air was heavy and hot. It would storm soon. Maybe not tonight or tomorrow, but soon. "I just wanted their petty squabbling to end."
The demon cocked its head to the side. "I didn't think you'd side with Master Smiling Hawk."
Her clothes were sticking to her. It was uncomfortable; Two Rivers had never been this hot or humid. Even on the hill above the city, she could find no relief. "He made the best offer."
"Why are we sitting outside the school?" The toad demon's red eyes glinted in the coming darkness. "Master Wu the Lotus Blossom sounds very nice, don't you think?"
Her lip curled in disdain. She'd thought she'd have her own school once, but it was ash now. She was not looking for a replacement. "What am I going to do with a martial arts school, Ya Zhen?"
The girl shrugged willow-thin shoulders. "Have soldiers at your command. Use them as fodder against your enemies. What anyone would do with expendable mortals."
"I'm starting to regret inviting you to this task, demon."
"Really?" the demon snapped. "I know why I am here, mortal."
She picked up a stone and threw it down the hill. "Oh really? Enlighten me. What do you think you know?"
"What do you think I do inside the girl all day? Play mahjong with myself?" The demon pulled at a thread on Wildflower's sleeve. "Even when I am not summoned; even when the Guardian is keeping me at bay, I can see you and hear you."
"And?"
"I've had thousands of years to observe your kind, mortal." The demon grinned and Wildflower's smile seemed to have more teeth in it. "You're all so very amusing. You lie to yourselves all the time."
She stood up. "It's time for me to go back to the others, demon. It's time for you to go."
"If I go, who's going to approve of all your black and evil deeds? Not your friends, mortal. Dawn Star has no stomach for what you really like to do."
He was right. Dawn Star would be very disappointed in her right now. But Dawn Star wasn't here.
"Not that it matters what your friends think. There is only one whose approval you seek." Wildflower smiled. "I've seen how you watch the assassin, Wu."
The punch would have been clean and hard. It would have been a punch that could have caved in a child's chest.
But it was a punch that stopped a hair breadth's from the girl.
The demon inside chuckled. "That would have killed her if she weren't already dead."
Wu held her breathe, afraid that any movement would turn into her trying to shake the demon out of the girl. "What is it you want?" she choked out, infuriated at her lack of control.
"What I want? You know what I want and this has nothing to do with that." Ya Zhen manipulated the girl's body, leaning her up against the wall and crossing her arms. "I just like watching the delicious complications you mortals make up. Did you two have an argument? Is he angry with you or are you angry with him?"
She wanted to threaten him with pain to keep his mouth shut or plead with him not to say another word to anyone, but she said nothing. Ya Zhen had the upper hand, holding Wildflower hostage body and soul. Right now, in her state of mind, Wu would lose whatever fight she chose to pick.
She fell back on something Master Li had taught her. When you can't win a fight, walk away. "Go away, Ya Zhen."
"Don't think you can dismiss me as easily as that," he said smugly.
"Don't think you can toy with me without consequences." She closed her eyes and spoke louder. "Chai Ka. We need your help, Wildflower and I. Help us."
The smile tightened grimly. "Fine. I'll keep your secret, just don't - " The demon was cut short. He hissed through gritted teeth. "Chai Ka, you can't get - don't!"
Wildflower cried out and her eyes faded from red to black and then blue.
"That is more than enough." Wu did not know if Chai Ka was saying that to her or to the demon he fought inside. His next words were definitely for her though. "If you have any thought for Wildflower, do not summon the demon again. He grows stronger in this evil city. He grows stronger in the presence of blood."
"I realized that too late, Chai Ka. It won't happen again." Wu didn't want to ask, but she did anyway. She'd rather hear bad news at once remove than see it in the child's eyes. "Did Wildflower see what...how much does she know?"
"The demon cannot torture Wildflower and you at the same time. I kept her safe while he was with you, and she cannot know what did not actually happen."
"But you do," she said pointedly.
"I see as much as Ya Zhen does, yes."
"I don't know what I would have done if I'd actually - actually..."
"But you did not. My path is clear and what I think of your choices, when they do not bear on my task, does not matter."
Which meant that he didn't approve but was too polite to say so. "Choices?"
"Sometimes you lose focus on what you are supposed to do. You may be required to make a choice soon."
She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "I've made my choice. Master Li is my choice."
"I would prefer that you say that order or helping the Water Dragon is your choice." Wildflower pointed at the ground. "Look."
The setting sun threw her shadow on the ground, a tangle of black on the red-hued ground. "My shadow?"
"Watch it."
She concentrated on the darkness on the ground. Her shadow twin stood there, hands on her hips. There was no face, but if there were, it would have been sticking its tongue at her.
Then, it changed. Her body was still there, but darkness swirled around the shape on the ground, great black tongues threatening to swallow her form. She turned around to see if she could see the tentacles behind her, but there was nothing. Yet when she turned to the ground again, she could clearly see them swarming around her.
"That is chaos. It is a proper path, so long as one knows when to use it and why."
Know when to use it? Master Li had always favored the Open Palm. Even her most basic studies had focused on it. She knew of the Way of the Closed Fist, but only in passing, not in practice. Or so she'd thought. "I try, Chai Ka, but there are times - "
The blue light in Wildflower's eyes flickered. "I must go. I cannot lend my strength to you when Wildflower needs it more."
She did not look up from the ground. "Of course, Chai Ka. And thank you for showing me this."
The blue light died and the voice that spoke now was young and female. "Wu?"
"Welcome back." Wu glanced for the last time at her shadow, then took the girl's hand. "Let's get back to the others. I'm hungry."
The girl's small soft fingers intertwined with Wu's. There was not a trace of worry or pain on Wildflower's face and she smiled. "Me too. Let's go."
When they finally scrambled out of the caves, it was almost dark.
"I'll gather some firewood," Wu told her friend.
"Then I'll get dinner ready."
Wu did not have to do far. She picked up a few pieces of the old pagoda where one of the training scrolls had been displayed. She and the other students had always gone to it for guidance. Now it was ash.
Ash. She'd sat in the silence for hours, listening to her breath and the slow drip of water. Yet there had been nothing.
Where was her guidance? Why hadn't the Water Dragon answered her?