Chapter 10
Sagacious Zu
'Hey Wu.' He looked Sullen, but allowing her to hug him. Something dead was in his eyes.
'Oh Zu! I've been so worried!' Wu moaned tearfully, and for a second Sky didn't believe that she didn't love Zu.
'No, Wu. Don't cry, not for me. I'm ready to talk.' Zu pushed her off but kept both hands on her arms. ' You know that I was a Lotus Assassin. The one that got away in fact. You also know that The Emperor lied about Sun Li and his brother dying at Dirge. But I was not there, so I'm only as know what you do on that subject.'
Wu nodded, saying nothing.
' You also know that while Li was at Dirge his wife gave birth to a child, and was murdered. I was one of those elite. I was sent to kill Li's wife and child.'
Sky had to speak up. ' I would not want to have to bear that burden. I pity you.'
Zu's eyes bore into Sky's begging for understanding. Acceptance. Like the look a child gave to a bully who have broken his favourite toy.
'So you did it then?' Wu whispered horrified. 'You killed them?'
Zu looked at Wu's dark eyes. ' The order's could not be wrong. I had .to be wrong to even think of betraying the Emperor I… Hesitated. And the mother was killed.'
A moan broke through Wu's lips, and Zu's tone turned almost into a beg.
Sky saw his wife in his head. Pinmei being born but as she started to bleed crimson all over the floor, her face slowly paling. They did not allow her to hold Pinmei.
'Protect Her.' was her last dying request.
'I couldn't let my team go through with their mission. I slaughtered them all, and then I ran. As I betrayer to the Empire.'
Zu took a step into the shadows, and disappeared. Only his voice rang out, almost victorious. ' Master Li's child still lives.'
The Soul Extractor Operated lay on the floor dead. Wu dropped off the slaves at the small mine wishing them luck. 'Thank you,' A beaten slave said. ' I never thought I would see a kind soul n this place.'
Wu smiled and glowed her blue crown, and a hard smile stretched across her face. She was still scared of herself and how she reacted to Sky pulling her away from her crazy evil laughing Closed Fist moment.
When they were all gone she moved down to the deepest mine. Sky leaned up against one of the posts of the Soul Extractor. ' How are we going to get a spirit shard now?'
Wu didn't answer but smiled watching the walls grow higher and higher as they went deeper and just moved them to the deepest mines.
The dark cave looked terrifying. Sky stuck his hand into the cave and looked at his hand, he couldn't see it. 'Wu, I don't think this is a good idea.' He didn't want her going in there.
So Wu naturally ran right into it. 'Zu?'
The cave slammed shut before Sky could get in. He whipped his hand out of the way before it could get crushed again. He heard Zu's voice before a yell of rage, though he could not make out the words. Wu's yell of battle and something connecting with something else, that wasn't really there.
There was a hand on his Sky's back and he spun around ready to attack.
Zu pressed his fingers to his own lips and whispered. 'Sky. I have to ask you a favour.'
Sky nodded, terrified by Zu's crazy expression.
Zu's eyes flashed with pain. ' Protect her.'
Simple words but this was the second time someone had told him to protect something precious to them and him both. One that was right about to leave.
There was a moment when everything was revealed to Sky, thanks to his wife's death.
Zu wasn't going to live through this.
Wu dragged a body out of the caves and threw it on the platform, her eyes narrowed at Zu as she frowned her full shell lips parting just a fraction. ' Explain.'
Zu told Wu about how this rotten body was a crazy Horse Lord leader who was taken down by the spirit monks, Zu apologized for putting Wu though that.
'I had to see if you were what you said you were… before I go.'
Wu looked confused. 'You're leaving?'
Zu just walked away. Wu raised her arms in the air exasperated. 'Come on! This is hard enough!'
Her voice echoed in the chambers and Sky cringed at the profound silence after.
Wu looked over at Sky. ' What do you think he means "before I go?" '
Sky shrugged not wanting to say what he truly thought out loud what he thinks out loud.
Wu scooted him over and pulled the switch as a green liquid dumped from the cauldron's on top of.
It smelled like burning flesh and salt, and it burned Sky's nose.
Wu didn't seem to notice.
Soon there was only a purple almost diamond like stone in the middle of the platform.
Then there was a bang and the machine stopped.
'Huh. Looks like the shards enough to corrupt the machine. I bet it'll work for the Jade Golem.' Wu smiled skipping over to the stone and picking it up.
Sky leaned against the door as he waited to be let in. Cursing the stupid Commander.
'Unless you want your slave killed by High Inquisitor Jia' He said in a High squeaky voice. 'He can wait out here.'
Wu's face had paled and she muttered something that should have been a command for her "slave" to stay outside, he glared at her, but followed her instructions.
Because truly he didn't have the choice.
He took a deep breath and tried to make himself feel better.
Something Happy, he thought. Something that will help get out of this hell.
In his minds eye he saw Wu in a the grass of his farm outside of Tein's Landing.
He sighed.
Who knew what Wu was going to after this was over. She could become the Empress if she wanted! Of course that might be a little weird considering the heir is a woman.
Or she could go back to Two Rivers or somewhere like it. Maybe get a normal home. Or start a school of her own.
Or maybe she would be doing what she is now, shaking up different Empire's. Improving them. Sky could see that, that's just Wu.
Okay, he thought self conscious. What if Wu stayed with him? Well obviously he would have to tell her he's in the Guild. Maybe they could live at his old farm, he still owned it.
He would show her the flowers in the spring, string a million in her beautiful long hair.
He would show her the simple life, and hold her close in his large and effective bed, whispering his thoughts about until she fell fast asleep. She wouldn't have to fight anymore, he would protect her like life itself.
They would have children, and she would live to see them. And they would run around in the hay and play with the small goats and the puppies that always seem the multiply. They would be beautiful like her, their daughters with long flowing hair.
She would be happy. And the sun would shine everyday, because it was locked up in her heart.
He was the Sky. She was his Sun.
There was a scream and something hitting the stone, and Sky was free falling back into the darkness.
The Lotus Assassins ran as a corrupted Jade Golem crushed the door before falling unusable. Knowing it was not safe to go in Sky waited till the older woman named Jia walked away. Wu followed her right behind Jia.
As soon as Wu was barely out of his site Sky followed. What choice did he have? Even if this was his death he still loved the girl.
Jia and Wu were battling when he ran in. Jia smiled and froze Wu, she was unable to move.
'YOU BITCH!'
Sky didn't mean to scream these words or attack Jia with his hands but suddenly his hands crushed her throat.
Her eyes were dead as she smiled, and a golden blade sliced threw Jia's heart and out of her back.
Wu dropped the blade and began to climb the hundred stairs towards the shinning piece of cold.
Under the rustle of the water falls, Sky heard armoured boots hitting the floor.
Out of no where Zu was in front of Sky. ' Behind you!'
Wu spun just in time dodging Death's Hand and his blade, she punched him in the face, but he just laughed and kicked her all the way down the stairs, were her unconscious face flooded Sky's mind.
Her eyes popped open a second later and Zu helped her to her feet pushing her into Sky's arms.
He looked at Sky with a frantic look. ' Go!' He shouted at Sky. ' I will do what I must!'
Sky opened his mouth but Zu dodged Deaths Hand's blade which knocked into the pillar.
'Zu!' Sky shouted trying to decide to help.
'ZU!' Wu bellowed as she struggled in Sky's arms.
Zu looked at Wu for a slip second, and that's when Deaths Hand drove a blade through his stomach.
The wall came crashing down, and Sky covered Wu as the rocks fell. As soon as the majority were down she raced out of Sky's arms, racing towards a dying Zu, who lay uncovered by rocks on the floor, a little trickle of blood dripping down his face, the rest spreading across the floor.
Wu picked Zu up so his head rested against her chest. ' It's going to be okay.' Her hand glowed blue as she pressed it against Zu's blade wound. The light went out. ' It'll work. Why won't Spirit Thief WORK!'
Zu's dying face smiled up at Wu's face. Sky dropped down beside Wu, watching his dying comrade breathe his last few breaths.
'He wants the suffering to stop Wu.' Sky whispered in a thick voice. And Zu nodded weakly.
'Wu, Thank you.'
Wu sobbed and shook her head. 'For what? Being the cause of another one of my friends death?'
Zu laughed, bubbles of blood popping on his lips. He raised his darkened hand against her cheek and whispered. 'Fr finally setting me free, to be a normal man.'
Wu's sobbing racked through her body and Zu rendered her unable to respond. He looked at Sky with a faint smile. 'Sky.'
Sky looked up, a tear falling down his face. ' No matter what happened between us Zu, I never wanted it to end this way.'
Zu smiled with real warmth for the first time. ' Wu… and Dawn Star… Were the closest things to friends …I've ever had.' Zu muttered, and Sky knew he was slipping.
Sky patted Zu's hand. ' I know.'
Zu smiled and looked Sky in the eyes. ' But You… were the closest thing I had to a brother.'
Sky nodded tears falling faster. The were bothers in arms. They had their fight's but Sky realized a fondness that had grown under the pain of Wu possibly liking Zu more.
'No matter what now Zu, I will always see you as my Big Brother.'
Zu smiled blissfully and looked back at a hysterical Wu. And rubbed her cheek with his thumb, smiling up at her like a dying father.
'Promise me…'
Wu sobbed harder as Zu's soul began to glow out of his body, her crown shined brighter then before, because he was making it shine.
'To protect Dawn Star.'
He said this like a father asking his oldest daughter to protect her baby sister.
Wu nodded and under the sobs whispered. 'I swear.'
Zu's eyes closed, but his doomed lips moved one more time. 'Thank… you Wu… You…save me.'
His soul dimmed and her crown went out. She sobbed harder clutching Zu's head to her heart.'
'I'm sorry… I'm so sorry….'
Sky picked up his lantern and grabbed a little bottle out of his pocket that was a trinket the Grave digger gave him.
Wu lit it and Sky smashed it against Zu's body. And it burst into flame.
They watched it burn, Wu stopped crying and they stared as Zu's body slowly became ash.
After it was had gone out Sky scooped up the ashes to where Zu's heart had once been. 'We'll bury this outside the city. I don't want him to lay rest so close to where his oppressors operated.'
Wu nodded and pulled out a small golden piece of cloth and wrapped it around Zu's heart ashes. 'Yes, I'm sure he'll like that.'
Wu kissed the bottle and handed back to Sky, where he kissed the other side and placed it into a little wooden box, he would seal it after Dawn Star, he and Wu, wrote their final goodbyes and put them beside his ashes in the box. It was not tradition, but his family own tradition. And for some reason Sky believed Zu would be at peace with such action.
He placed the box in his bag after he tied the box shut with Wu's hair ribbon. Zu was safe.
They walked out, Sky behind Wu, where the Lotus Assassin's waited.
Then Wu did something that terrified even him.
He body curled inward into a hunting poise. And her blade sparkled menacingly. And even from behind her, Sky could tell that there was fire burning behind her eyes.
'I'LL KILL YOU ALL!'
Some ran, some fought the out of control Wu. It didn't matter her blade fell again and again, and Lotus Acolytes, Assassins, and Golems fell to her blade.
By the time they were out of the collapsing building Wu's hair was matted with blood, her robes stained red, and every inch of her skin was coloured crimson.
'Let's go put Zu to rest Sky.'
They did not go to camp, Sky merely got Dawn Star to follow him outside of the city boundries, where he found the perfect place where wild flowers grew under the oldest twisted tree he could find, and explained what happened.
Dawn Star cried, as any woman would, but unlike Wu at the time, she understood. Zu sacrificed himself, so Wu could have the chance to get out alive.
Wu returned lugging something heavy and a spade wrapped around her back. She was still bloody with Lotus Blood. Her last gift to Zu.
They dug a hole first, big enough for the staff Sky bought Zu and the Zu's heart ashes. Then they wrote on little metal rectangles there final goodbyes, placed them in the box and Wu sealed it with a gold coin with Dire Flame.
Once Zu was buried Wu pulled out what was so heavy. A gold tombstone.
'I just had to, he deserves it.'
They place the tombstone in in the ground at the base of Zu's ashes, it took them till sun set to decide, but in the end Wu using Dire Flame wrote in her own hand writing a simple message.
"Here lays Sagacious Zu.
A free man."
They waited until night time to head back, and finally before they went to camp to get ready for the Emperor the next morning Wu let Dawn Star go ahead to tell the others what happened. Wu whispered, 'Come with me. We both need to wash.'