《Threads of Song and Shadows》


 Prologue: Skaria

    Little Yue has never truly been privy to the Great Mother''s thread world, her thread sight only allowing glimpses of the living, glowing tapestry of the world''s essence. And even in those brief glimpses the threads are hidden in semi-darkness, her weaving limited to the barest of touch upon Her fabric. Like that of a child trying to wrap her small palms around an oak tree fully grown, or of the blind groping around in the dark. The Great Mother''s woven fabric is said to be a true sight to behold, that if She willed it, the miracle of her Weaving could heal even a heart gone cold and still.


    Yue has never put much faith in the Great Mother, for She has never placed much faith in her. But standing amidst the sweaty crowds of the Skarian capital city of Vyrnos, Yue wondered if the Mother has been especially cruel to her this day.


    "There you are! I''ve been looking all over this blasted square for you." A flustered voice called out from behind her. Yue brought her hands up to maneuver towards the voice, turning around face-first into a wall of cloth.


    "You didn''t have to come, Ye Yang. My father said to meet him here so he''ll be around shortly. What''s with the sudden crowd anyway?" Bumping unceremoniously into the lean body of her friend as she was pushed around by a pack of children squeezing through the throng.


    "The crowd''s not our concern. You''re not supposed to be here." A slight pause and frown. "Uncle Ning sent me to get you. Come on!" He made a grab for Yue''s arm but she ducked away.


    "No, he didn''t. He would''ve passed on a message to me, which you would''ve mentioned before anything else. You''re still a terrible liar, Ye Yang," Yue said with a small smile, "even after three years with General Ye Sun in the desert campaigns, and at last filling up the official court uniform." She gave an affectionate pat on said uniform.


    He does look rather dashing in it today, thought Yue, even if his eyes looked more and more haunted as the years passed. The red and black robes of the military court attire emphasized Ye Yang''s sunken eyes more than usual, but it also brought attention to his lean physique. The black of the elite contingent, and running along his arms are the red stripes of a flame weaver. His first gold badge on his shoulder gleamed under the sun - the mark of a lieutenant.


    Ye Yang flashed a quick, shy smile, a remnant of his boyish past. It was replaced with a frown almost immediately. "We need to go, now."


    Not understanding his urging but trusting him nonetheless, she gave a quizzical glance but motioned for him to start walking away from the square. She held onto his robes from the back and kept pace with him, his bulk and uniform helping to clear their way. Locals in their colorful clothes would take a look at Ye Yang''s uniform and sheathed sword along his back and take a step back out of respect.


    All of a sudden, the crowd''s attention shifted. Yue turned around, her hand halting Ye Yang. She leveraged on his shoulder and tipped onto her toes. A commotion was breaking out at the opposite end of the square, where the crowd was thickest around a temporary platform that had been erected. A group of soldiers was escorting a handful of prisoners towards the platform, followed closely by a small contingent of mounted black-armored knights with pauldrons of the deepest red. The red of decaying lifeblood.


    The Crimson Jackals, Yue breathed. The Skarian Army''s infamous blood weavers. At the sight of the mounted weavers, the crowd erupted with fear and excitement.


    "Why are they here?"


    "Can''t be good if even the Jackals are involved."


    "Doesn''t His Majesty Ka Long have direct control of the Crimson Jackals?"


    "This is gon'' be big, it will. And not in any good way, I reckon."


    Ye Yang took one look at the spectacle and his expression grew fierce. Yue looked at the twelve prisoners being lined up on the platform, a sinking feeling in her gut.


    "There''s never been so many sentenced to a public execution before..." Yue said uncertainly, looking at Ye Yang''s darkening expression and back at the stage.


    The prisoners'' heads were covered with black canvas sacks, chains around their wrists and a rope that linked them together. Judging from their dirty clothes, there were both men and women of all ages. Furthest right towards the stairs, there was an old wizened man like Old Man Pu the gardener back home. Tan, wrinkled skin wrapped around capable hands, and a back bent from years of tending the orchard. Some were small and slender, teens about her age. Scanning down the line towards the middle, there were tall and strong men in the old guard uniform and courtier robes from Skaria''s outpost towns. Men that she might''ve seen, might''ve known, living at Lady Shu''s Imperial Villa which governed Tyrmal, the largest outpost town that sat on the shared border with the Kharian Deserts.


    Deserters or members of the growing rebellion, most likely, Yue thought, appraising the motley group.


    Standing closest to the blood weavers were nobles in torn silk robes. A highborn lady with double thick chains around her hands to keep her from weaving. Another man standing tall and proud, probably a self-made noble in his prime from his stance. She recognizes the tells when her father would school her in etiquette.


    "The way you carry yourself matters, moonlight. It is as much an outward presentation of character as it is a form of mental discipline. Control over your body is the first step to mastering your own mind and heart. And the strength of a weaver comes from his mind and heart more than brute force. Remember this."


    The man on the stage reminded her so much of her father that the memory of his voice echoed in her mind. She has never witnessed death before, and she didn''t intend to rectify that this day no matter the uncomfortable tug in her heart. Suddenly, the urge to get out of the city square became unbearable.


    "Let''s go." She turned to Ye Yang and he smiled in relief. Taking hold of her hand, they made their way towards the entrance of an alley that would lead them back to the palace. The closer they got to the edge of the crowd, Ye Yang''s urgency seemed to increase as well. His hold on her tightened, his focus almost single-minded. They were almost through when the trumpet heralding a royal proclamation sounded out.


    Almost against her will, Yue''s body stopped short of the alley and swiveled around. A middle-aged man, tall and lean in the white and blue robes of the upper Skarian royal court and a blue headband with the royal sigil of House Kin, a winged sea serpent, atop his forehead stepped up to the podium and wiped at his forehead daintily with a kerchief from his billowing sleeves. Even across the square, Yue could feel his cold, calm gaze assess the crowd down his aristocratic nose.


    This was a man who would sentence a child to death for his own gain with not a flicker in his conscience, Yue thought with a chill, looking at Ye Yang with mock shivers.


    Make that a whole horde of children and their pet puppies, Ye Yang''s wry gaze back seemed to say.


    Yue feigned outrage.Don''t touch the puppies.


    They smiled at each other. Ye Yang had that effect on her. Her childhood friend - troublemaker and protector, even if it was just a joke to make her feel better. And she would return the favor in a heartbeat.


    The air in the square thickened uncomfortably. The familiar feel of sound weavers - a subset of air weavers - condensing the air particles to amplify sound through an increase in particle vibrations. The royal herald cleared his throat and spoke in a clear, even tone.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Citizens of Skaria, I greet you most humbly. I, Kin To, Marshal of House Kin, stand before you as royal herald and in the stead of His Majesty Ka Long, twenty sixth Emperor of the Dragon Reign, Conqueror of the Tolmar Isles, Guardian of the Mythic Forest, Restorer of the Lost Faith and Great Dragon of the North, be overseer of the execution that shall henceforth begin."


    The crowd had quietened as the announcement rang out around the square. Yue looked around and noted several sound weavers stationed at regular intervals around the perimeter holding the sound bubble around them steady. Marshal Kin''s low voice reverberated in her ears, the pleasant tenor contrasted sharply with the nature of the words coming forth.


    "These twelve prisoners are brought before the good citizens of Skaria as a demonstration and celebration of yet another victory over the rebel rot festering in the underbelly of our great nation, and of the crucial alliance with the Sohar Empire. It is a victory unlike any other, as the taint was discovered from within our own borders. A taint from within the sacred Inner Court. As such, the betrayal undermines the foundations of our great nation evermore so. It is therefore in His Majesty''s terrible displeasure to declare, with advice from the Privy Council, these rebels forfeit of their lives through blood execution."


    The crowd gasped, and shocked murmurs were heard over the new hush that fell. A blood execution meant a slow, painful death as the innermost threads of a person''s essence was twisted and ultimately broken. The stronger the target, the thicker their threads, a perfect mimicry of their vitality. The thicker the threads, the longer it takes for a blood weaver to snap them, prolonging the pain of the unnatural death.


    Marshal Kin turned to give an imperceptible nod to a foot soldier. For a split second, a heavy sorrow seemed to settle over the Marshal''s face, for all the world like Raythear bearing the weight of the Mother''s Great Loom upon her shoulders. A tired defeat. An expression that came and went between two heartbeats, replaced with his former chilly disposition. Five men peeled off from the impeccable assembly at the foot of the platform and proceeded up the platform to remove the canvas sacks hiding the prisoners'' identities.


    They started from the side closest to the stairs. When the first sack lifted, Yue''s legs almost gave out on her.


    Old Man Pu opened bleary eyes unused to the bright midday sun, taking in his surroundings in confusion. Beside him Stable Master Jotun paled even further when he took in the situation. On his right stood Advisor Kol, Yue''s beloved tutor, face set in resignation. One by one their faces were revealed, with expressions that ranged from fear and confusion to a weary defeat. Yue''s heart beat fast and tight in her chest, cold sweat breaking out all over.


    Why were the household of Lady Shu''s Imperial Villa up there? Her family.What''s happening, did someone do something to incriminate themselves and the entire household? Should I do something?CanI do something, anything?Her mind was in overdrive. The scene in front of her didn''t make sense.


    The crowd fixed their rapt attention on the last of the prisoners to be revealed. But Yue''s gaze kept drifting back to the man standing tall and proud on the left. A self-made man. The most powerful beast weaver in Skaria.


    A loving father.


    Yue''s eyes welled with disbelieving tears, breath coming in short gasps.


    He couldn''t be...please, Great Weaver, my weaving doesn''t even have to ever manifest. Ignore my prayers before now. Please grant me Your most kind attention now. Please, Mother Weaver. If you do care about all the children in your great Fabric, please don''t let that be my father.


    The soldiers marched on, each reveal breaking a piece of Yue''s soul. As they reached the last two prisoners, Yue squeezed her eyes shut and held onto Ye Yang''s hand in a death grip. The crowd around her erupted in shocked outrage a second later, jostling her and Ye Yang as the mass took a visible step forward towards the stage. She opened her eyes.


    His face was bruised and one eye was swelled shut. A fresh scar ran from his right cheek to the top of his neck. A rebellious fire blazed through his one good eye, glaring at the soldiers marching off the stage and at the blood weavers gathering in a line between them and the crowd. Beside him, Concubine Shu opened her pretty almond eyes, mostly unharmed but for her tattered silk robes. Her father and Lady Shu turned to look at each other, and it was the fear in his eyes in that moment that broke Yue. The tears that welled flowed freely, and her legs would have given out if not for Ye Yang''s hand, a lifeline in a turbulent sea storm.


    Aside from the fact that Lady Shu''s Imperial Villa was a strategic outpost located beside the Kharian Deserts, her father and Lady Shu have always been close. That is why he chose to reside in her Villa during the hibernation months of the Royal Palace''s mythic beasts, and Yue got to travel with him. But something more than friendship passed between them that day on the execution platform. Something only she would be able to notice with how stoic her father was.


    Marshal Kin spoke up then. "In the name of the Almighty Dragon Ka Long and Queen Consort Hy Li, with the power bestowed by the Great Mother Weaver, Skaria shall begin its righteous extermination of the rebellion that has troubled our land and borders for decades in earnest."


    In the years to come, young Yue shall come to understand the complex emotions lacing the Marshal''s voice as he gave the signal to the hooded blood weavers. But in that moment, as blood rushed through her ears, all she could hear was a great silence and her heart. Thumping.


    Her father''s eyes swept the crowd and found her. Both of them seeming to borrow enhanced sight from the eagles they sometimes saw as they traveled to and from the capital to Lady Shu''s Villa.


    "Look, Father! It''s that rare Tolmar Eagle Master Jotun was talking about during Beast class last month!"


    Mounted on Yirlhil, a winged, black pegasus with an attitude, a gift from the Avi Hyi High Lord, Ning Xiao glanced at where his excited daughter was pointing at in the sky. Her enthusiasm brought a smile to his face. Eyes crinkling at the edges, he sent a thought to touch the eagle''s innermost heart threads lightly. In a blink, the eagle folded its wings slightly and glided towards them. It landed gracefully on his outstretched arm, lightly armored in case of any opportunistic bandits they might meet along the way. Yue clapped her hands excitedly, eyes shining with pride at her father, reaching out to stroke the eagle. He sent another thought to calm her startled mare before it could buck her off.


    "It''s so soft! Not as soft as the Cavern Owls we saw last year, but still soft. But it was so far away! I could hardly see its threads! Can we keep it? I''d like to see Kerk and Kel''s faces when we bring her back to the Villa again in Deisam."


    "Concentrate on her threads, moonlight. Tell me what you see."


    She scrunched her face in concentration. He waited patiently as her eyes flashed brighter after awhile then dimmed immediately, her thread sight and weaving still weak. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a cute O.


    He nodded. "She''s pregnant. Tolmar eagles are usually lone migratory birds, but they mate for life. Let''s not keep her from her mate, moonlight. They''re never far from each other, especially when the female''s at her most vulnerable." Just then, a frantic, high-pitched call came from the forest in the distance. Yue gave a sad, parting pat on the eagle''s graceful spine, and let her father send her off. He ruffled little Yue on her head, faint disappointment morphing into an adorable giggle.


    "That''s my girl."


    In that moment, Yue felt like that little girl again. All she wanted was for her father to pat her on her head and know that her small corner of the world was safe. That herfamilywas safe.


    The line of blood weavers raised their hands palms up, and with some unseen signal crushed their fists. Her heart stuttered. The first of the prisoners, the frailest in health, fell over in spasms. Eyes wild and mouths open in silent screams, the crowd''s roar of outrage drowning out all other sounds. Old Man Pu had blood foaming at his mouth, a moment later his body fell still. Eccentric Lord Rei, head advisor in the Villa and always with his head buried in some old scroll, crashed to his knees and broke his head on the platform a second later. Beloved tutor Lord Kol, in his early fifties who always said he knew more varieties of tea than Mistress Yuken, head of the palace''s expansive kitchens, shivered violently and bent over backwards, his spine popping in an unnatural angle. All three laid still on the platform, blood seeping silently through the cracks in the timber planks.Three bright and colorful souls dimmed forever, threads unwound from the great Tapestry.


    One by one they fell. After a bare minute, only Lady Shu, Captain Jun of the Villa''s distinguished garrison, Stable Master Jotun and her father were left standing. Each weaver''s eyes glowed bright, locked in an internal battle of wills with their executioner, sweat beading around their temples.


    Master Jotun, with his temperamental nature who told the best stories about mythical beasts, scrunched his face in agony after a short struggle. Lady Shu had her eyes closed and eyebrows furrowed, opened her eyes at the last second to look at the sky one last time. Her father stared his executioner down, head high even as exhaustion made him look more aged. As the minutes wore on, the crowd quietened and looked on in morbid fascination. Blood execution never took this long.


    All of a sudden, her father looked at her across the square again. His gaze was clear. The glow from his weaving fading slowly. It glowed again momentarily and she felt a gentle stroke along her threads at the top of her crown, and in her heart threads. Her eyes filled with tears and she tried to switch to thread sight to return the farewell gesture. Tried and tried desperately. Finally, as the world''s threads glowed in front of her, she saw her father''s heart threads waver.


    And break.

 Chapter One: Weaving

    A gentle mist lay over the predawn Skarian forests, shrouding tall oak trees and the occasional red maple. Some of the forest''s inhabitants has already gone into slumber this close to winter, but the rest of them in the underbrush or canopy lay silent as three children rushed past.


    "Come on, Yue, the game is only fun if you actually catch us," laughed Kelia, the eldest of the three, leaping fallen branches and moving through the forest like a tiny gazelle. Sweeping her head back around, her long fair ponytail over one shoulder, the twinkle of her bright green eyes taunted Yue more than her words.


    Kerk, Kelia''s younger brother by ten minutes, laughed as he paused beside a branch, closed his eyes for five seconds and lifted his hand. Yue sprinted with all the might in her twelve years old body, closing in on Kerk, not noticing the small branch hovering just slightly above the ground. She slammed into the earth near his feet while he leapt away and gave his sister a victory clap on the hand.


    "Stop using your weaving, stupid. You know it''s not fair when I can''t." Yue sat up and brushed her stinging palms.


    "Then you need to start practicing harder, moonface. Your father''s the best beast weaver in Skaria, or at least that''s what they say in Vyrnos. There''s no way you can''t weave."


    Yue threw a handful of leaves at Kelia, hating the nickname but hating the reminder even more. She meditated and practiced every day, but she still had trouble looking at the world''s threads even as she concentrated, much less manipulate them.


    "The Mother''s gift comes when it does, moonlight," her father would ruffle her head affectionately whenever he sees her frustration, "won''t do you any good to rush it."


    "Come on, let''s get to the river before Master Jun decides we need more chores for being tardy." Kerk gave Yue a hand up as Kelia circled around and brushed her off, giving them that familiar elfish grin so similar to her twin''s.


    "But even if he does go all temperamental again, I won''t be the tardiest." With that, Kelia sprinted off.


    "That idiot." Kerk smiled as he took Yue''s hand and bag of supplies he dropped during their game of tag. They walked briskly in companionable silence for awhile, drinking in the cool morning air and listening to the birds and little animals in the underbrush start to stir. Yue looked up at the older boy, her brother in everything but blood, looking at his green eyes take in the forest around them with a small smile. Yue knew he was looking at the world with his thread Sight, and the usual pang of hunger and curiosity rose within her.


    "What''s it like, Ker?" Swirling green eyes met her dull grey gaze.


    "Imagine all the colors in our paint set in the learning pavilion, Yue, and all the colors besides. Imagine them brighter than any gold or silver ornament in Lady Shu''s headdress. Now they''re like slivers of crystal shards crossing each other, weaving together to form the Great Mother''s amazing tapestry, always flowing, always moving. Like that tree, if you follow the threads, you''ll see that they flow down and around the trunk, tangling with the neon green of the grass and those hopping pink and purple that I''m guessing are the rabbits in their warrens, and circling back up again into the canopy."


    Yue strained her eyes at the tree that Kerk was pointing at, and to the spot where the rabbits were supposed to be. And for all the good it did, her sight refused to come.


    I''m never going to be a weaver. Her heart sank heavier this morning, dreading Master Jun''s weaving class. She walked the rest of the way to the river in silence.


    ***


    "You''re late."


    For once, the stern consternation in Master Jun''s voice wasn''t directed at Kerk and Kelia. Holding their half squat, Resting Stallion positions, the twins gave Yue secret smiles, peeking towards the forest where two figures tried to slink into the clearing unnoticed. Master Jun didn''t even turn to see the latecomers, calmly correcting Fu-er''s stance with his sheathed wooden sword as he addressed them.


    One slender with a ponytail of midnight tresses, the other a tall, gangly teen with his canvas sling sack threatening to fall off his shoulders. Both jumped in shock and immediately bowed deep at their waists with both fists against each other.


    "The kitchens has been busy due to the visiting garrison from Concubine Pan-rin''s Villa, Master. This is a letter from Mistress Wei, sir." Pretty Ri-en stood up and extended the letter from the Head Mistress of the Shu Imperial Villa''s expansive kitchens. Dressed in the standard loose navy training tunic and pants fastened at the wrists and ankles of the outer household, Ri-en waited patiently for Master Jun''s response.


    Master Jun appraised her petite almond face already smeared with flour with his usual cool gaze and read the letter. He scanned it quickly and gave Ri-en a nod to assume her position at the back of the gathered students waiting in mid stance. From her place in the front row, Yue could hear Xu Jing''s and Tian Feng''s soft pants of fatigue behind her. Ri-en bowed again before joining the back row with the others from the outer household, letting loose a soft sigh of relief to be out of Master Jun''s sightline.


    Zeng, with his back still bowed and fists together, visibly swallowed. Master Jun walked over to where he stood, his long billowing black sleeves covered the wooden sword he carries around for practice. Standing in front of Zeng, Master Jun spoke with soft but clear enunciation.


    "What are the first four tenets of the Scripture on morality, Apprentice Mu Zeng." Master Jun had an unnerving way of making innocent questions sound rhetorical. Yue didn''t envy Zeng, but her screaming thigh muscles were occupying the majority of her attention at the moment that she could feel no sympathy for the latecomer. Sweat was dewing on most of the students'' foreheads in the cool of morning. She could see the limbs of some of the other students start to tremble from her periphery.


    "Obedience and loyalty. Respect and diligence. Selflessness and bravery. Discipline and punctuality." Zeng answered with no hesitation in his perfect recall. As the son and apprentice of the Head Advisor to Concubine Shu, Zeng had the memory of a Laisternian Dolphin. But he also inherited Advisor Mu''s awkward nature and lack of physical adeptness.


    "And yet, knowledge without practice is as regrettable as ignorance. It is disappointing that a child of the inner household cannot uphold even the simplest and most basic of the Scripture''s tenets. It is the foundation of this country and of a weaver. After weaving practice today, you shall go to Mistress Tian to receive extra chores. At the end of the seventh sunset from this eve, I expect you to submit twenty handwritten copies of the Scripture''s passages on the first four tenets. Get into formation."


    Zeng bowed his head and straightened, eyes downcast and shoulders drooping. As Master Jun walked back to the river line in front of the his students, he resumed reciting the various forms of the Stallion routine. Yue felt more than heard the sigh of relief from her peers.


    "Rise and Rear. Twist, bend and Snap. Sweep up to a Canter¡ª"


    As Master Jun recited, he would walk up and down the two lines of students, snapping his wooden sword at forms he thought were not executed with perfect posture.


    Martial routines were Yue''s favorite. In fact, she excelled in it. Movements flowed through her body, and without the need for weaving or thread sight, Yue closed her eyes and broadened her other senses to take in the wider forest around her.


    Casting her awareness outwards, beneath the sounds of the students'' movements, she could hear the quiet morning river currents behind Master Jun as he paced, the leaves above in the evergreen canopy rustling happily in the mountain breeze. She smelled the dew on fragrant leaves, the clean morning mist. Beyond that, she sensed in the dense underbrush and high among the oak branches the attention of little animals, curious about the gathering of humans so close to their homes. She smiled and curled her body into a resting stance and stood up with the rest of her peers.


    After completing the Stallion warm-up routine, Master Jun had them prepare for their weaving meditation. Fu-er on her left walked over, wiping at her brow with her loose white sleeves cinched at her wrists.


    "Morning, Yue. So, what did Kerk and Kel do this time to make you arrive almost after the Master did?" The granddaughter of the oldest Lieutenant General in Skaria said loud enough for the twins nearby to overhear.


    "I''ll have you know we were the ones who had to drag Yue from her supposed morning meditation. Am I right, brother?" Kelia said indignantly from where she was laying out her bamboo mat on the forest floor.


    Kerk''s attention was on Ri-en at the end of the line, his body on autopilot as he dug in his satchel for the little mouse he usually brought for weaving practice. Kelia gave him a little push with her feet. He fell and gave his twin an annoyed look. He turned to them and gave Fu-er a solemn nod.


    "Ah yes, little Yue over there apparently learnt to water weave drool while she was so deep in her meditation."


    Yue''s look of incredulity was enough to send the twins into fits of laughter and earned a hearty chuckle from Fu-er.


    "Great Mother bless your lying soul." Yue rolled her eyes. "And I guess I wasn''t the one who had to go to the stables two days ago to wake you up before Ri-en could walk by and see you water weave your drool all over your baby face."


    "Baby face!" Kerk sputtered. "I''ll have you notice my budding man-stubble here along my chin, woman," Kerk said while lifting his chin.


    "Man-stubble," Fu-er snorted as Yue giggled. "You mean that patch of dirt covering your baby chin?"


    Their banter caught Master Jun''s attention by the river, which made them promptly scatter and sit on their meditation mats. Yue lost all humor as she looked at the others with their practice objects and the empty space in front of her. Chen Fu-er and her brother Chen Guan had bowls of earth, dry topsoil for Fu-er and a mixture of subsoil and bedrock for Guan; pieces of wood for Tian Feng and Mu Zeng; and steel hot plates with oil rocks for Xu Jing and Rien. She shook her head to clear her mind, breathing in deep and pictured what the thread world should look like, channeling her focus into her sight.


    The thread world started appearing in minute shades of grey after what seemed like forever. Staring at the grass in front of her mat, a sickly pallor of light green and brown threads moved sluggishly around each other. Shifting her gaze upwards towards the river and distant forest, all she could see were grayish hues of blue, green and brown fading in and out of her vision. Beneath the green threads of the forest carpet, she focused her gaze first on the moving faint pink threads of the ants in their tunnels. Without breaking her line of sight, she lifted her hands to pull at the threads towards her, picturing them walking towards her mat in their orderly fashion. Her hand rose to align with her sight line and she mentally pulled on the pink threads as hard as she could. For a moment, the pink threads wavered. Yue''s eyes widened and her breath quickened in excitement. The pink threads continued to waver, but started to lose its color, taking on a grayish hue. She tried squinting harder, pulling harder. The grey threads flickered and scattered before her eyes, and the material world reappeared before her again.


    Frustration overwhelmed her. She felt a terrible urge to punch at the trees around them. Taking a deep breath, she sneaked a glance at the others.


    Master Jun stood before Guan, whose eyes were glowing the brightest yellow, wholly focused on the dancing rocks and deep earth above his outstretched arms. Yue switched to her muted thread sight in time to see Guan twist his hands slowly, separating two shades of brown threads from each other. In a quick snap, he extended his right hand completely, flicking the lighter shades hard. Soft thunks sounded from across the river. As her thread sight wavered and disappeared, she looked in the direction of Guan''s outstretched arm. The rocks above his hands had shot forward and hit several trees across the river before falling to the ground. Above his left hand danced the dark brown particles of deep earth. Master Jun tapped Guan''s temples to indicate the unnecessary strain he was placing on his sight. Guan nodded and slowly lowered the soil back into his bowl.


    A soft swish came from the back row, drawing Yue''s attention. Ri-en''s eyes were wide open and glowing a luminous emerald. Her hands hovered over a small steady flame on her steel hotplate. After a few heartbeats, she pulled upwards with her left hand. A small part of the flickering flames jumped into the air to hover a few inches in front of Ri-en''s crossed legs. Light around her fireball seemed to sparkle at places, illuminating the small frown of concentration on her almond face. As a subset of light weaving, flame weavers manipulated the threads of light particles in the air. It was also one of the hardest threads to weave due to the endless energy and motion of the element itself. Ri-en tried growing her floating ball of flames, lifting her hands higher. The flames danced higher and faster, growing agitated. All of a sudden, it gave a brilliant spark and fizzled away. Ri-en''s head snapped back from the flash, shaking her head to clear the afterimage.


    A throat cleared in front of Yue, and she snapped her head back forward to see a pair of dark blue leather boots with gold trimmings. Master Jun whipped his wooden practice sword hard on her arm for her distraction. She flinched, giving him an apologetic half bow. He tapped his temples and his chest, and walked away. Yue''s throat closed up, feeling a complex mix of shame and gratitude. Master Jun never gave up on her, no matter if everyone knew she was a dud. He would constantly check on her and insist she continue her meditation practices.


    Walking to his original position in front of the students, Master Jun bid them keep their mats for the next part of their weaving class.


    Yue smiled inwardly. Combat weaving.


    Even if she could not weave, her mastery of the martial routines and her heightened senses have always allowed her to stay on par with the rest. She also loved the pure physical exertion of the exercise. Yue folded her mat and placed it in her satchel. Lifting her right arm over her head, she started loosening up her limbs for the upcoming sparring session.


    As she lifted her left leg to place vertically against a tree, Kelia came over with an animated Kerk engaging Ri-en in conversation a step behind.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "That is sick." Kelia said with mock disgust. "Also, please save me from those lovebirds."


    Ri-en''s giggle drifted over at that moment, both of them coming over to stash their supplies as well.


    "Yeah! You know how horses have almost three-sixty degree vision? I say almost because they have a blind spot directly behind the back of their heads. Apparently Helmund stallions'' heads are thinner and their eyes can swivel all the way to the back. It''s gross, but they don''t have any blind spots. I found that out the hard way the other day when I was sneaking a ribbon on Concubine Shu''s newest gift from Emperor Ka Long. It''s ridiculous! How can any terrestrial animal have three-sixty degree vision?


    "Oh hey, Yue. That is sick, by the way." Kerk said as Ri-en grinned and gave a nod in greeting.


    "But most everyone does this for warm up," Yue said quizzically.


    "Yes, but normal people don''t stand so far from the tree and go beyond a hundred and eighty degrees," Kelia said slowly with emphasis.


    "Do not linger in groups. Once your bags are stowed, get into your combat pairs." Master Jun said from the river line, where a perfect circle of topsoil was being pushed outwards by the master''s weaving.


    Ri-en waved daintily at Yue again and made her way over with Kerk to where Master Jun stood. There''s no separating them once they''ve started conversing. Yue placed her left leg back on the ground and was about to turn to Kelia when she looped her arm around Yue''s neck none too gently.


    "Ow." Yue instinctively tried to wiggle out of the armlock. Kelia laughed. She sobered and leaned in close.


    "It''s ok if your weaving doesn''t come, you know. You''re still pretty amazing for your age. You''re the best at one on one combat here."


    "That''s if there''s no weaving involved." Yue said angrily, not at Kelia but herself. At the Mother.


    "That''s still something. There''re plenty of non-weavers around, and they''re not complaining. But aside from that, you have your dad''s way with animals too. You''re dismal in earth studies, true, but you''re practically Advisor Kol''s pet in Westhania History." Kelia listed objectively.


    "Are you intentionally forgetting Zeng? No one beats Zeng in history. Or earth studies. Or arithmetic studies." Yue looked at Kelia pointedly, but felt her mood lift slightly nonetheless.


    "Well, nobody actually counts him for anything. He''s sweet, but..." They both looked over at Zeng, who in that moment caused a mini commotion by tripping over Kerk''s mouse cage.


    "Hey!" Kerk''s indignant exclamation came from the gathered students around Master Jun''s circle.


    Yue giggled, grateful for the older girl''s effort to cheer her up, thankful Kelia actually noticed her hurt from before. "Thanks, Kel."


    "Anytime, moonface." Kel''s smiling green eyes twinkled down at her. Yue used her position under Kel''s arm to poke at her funny bone. Kelia laughed and flounced towards Tian Feng. Yue smiled and walked towards Fu-er, her sparring partner.


    Master Jun looked everyone over sternly. "A weaver''s strongest weapon is his thread sight: is this statement true or false."


    The students looked at each other furtively, sensing a trick question from the master. Some murmured their opinions to their partners, while some just pondered silently.


    As the forest sounds flowed through Yue during this lull, she thought of how the master had sensed Zeng and Rien sneaking pass the tree line, and how he noticed her inattention during meditation. The only other weaver she knows who was so attuned to the threads of the world was her father. Her father''s words echoed in her mind. The strength of a weaver comes from his mind and heart more than brute force.


    Just then, Guan and Fu-er raised their hands. The siblings weren''t standing together, but their thoughts always seemed tuned to the other.


    "Master, I believe different weavers value each sense differently depending on their affiliated elements and style of weaving. For example a sound weaver would value his aural capacity as much as his sight as he weaves and adjusts the output; a flame weaver his touch for heat," Guan said with his usual cool expression.


    Fu-er nodded beside Yue. "Yes, and the common denominator is always still our thread sight. That''s why it is the main school of thought adopted in Westhania."


    Tian Feng raised her hand and interjected. "But there are those in the old legends who have lost their sight and weave better than any other in their time. Master Jun, you yourself have occasionally spoken of the vibrations of the threads on your senses. I have been attempting for the longest time to understand what you were saying, Master Jun. In the Villa''s smithy with my father, I believe I have the most opportunity to sense the vibrations in the air being in the smithy. Whenever the hammers strike anvil, I am more attuned to the intentions and movements of others. I believe that our tactile sense is a weaver''s strongest weapon."


    With her impassioned response, Master Jun smiled softly.


    "I am glad all of you have given this much thought, and have been diligent in honing your skills. The Weaver would be heartened to have children who honors the Scripture so. There is one other school of thought that isn''t as common in Westhania, an obscure one that I believe most master weavers abide by.


    "It is more a way of life than anything else. This ideology came from the more controversial sect of Khar. Or as most Kharian colonies call it, Dark Khar."


    The students glanced at each other nervously. It was almost taboo to mention Dark Khar in most of Westhania. The war between the mighty Soharian Empire and the Kharian colonies began because of extreme Khar ideologies spreading to the other nations. Yue has never heard details of the ideologies, but she has always been fascinated with the sect.


    "Most of their teachings and research are deemed sacrilegious, but there is truth in some of them. A long time ago, my own weaving master once said a wise man hears all, but listens selectively. That is why I am going to impart a key lesson I learnt from my time in the desert campaigns.


    "Tian Feng''s response is only one part of this teaching." Master Jun gave a nod towards the smithy''s daughter. She flushed and beamed with pride.


    "It is to a weaver''s credit that he is able to sense changes in the world''s threads, but it is of no use if he does not utilize it. What I mean is, if the weaver should remain in the material world for the better part of his life, even if the threads are subject to manipulation, he will not sense it. An assassin steel weaver can still easily send his blades from upwind and catch his skilled victim unawares."


    Zeng furrowed his brows and raised his hand in inquiry. "But to constantly stay in the thread world is not possible for us in the material world. The strain itself on the psyche is unbelievable. That is why the Scripture emphasizes that the thread world is the Mother Weaver''s domain, only She is creator, moderator and lord there."


    The other students nodded in agreement. Yue thought about the times she tried switching to her thread sight. Her head would ache only after a few minutes of concentration, let alone stay in thread sight constantly.


    "Yes, young Mu Zeng, the Scripture does state that. And this is where the teaching''s sacrilegious nature shows. The power that one might gain through constant use of his weaving comes perilously close to challenging Her authority. However the fact remains that it is possible, and the logic holds true. To remain in the thread world nigh indefinitely, a weaver must be strong in his heart and mind, to have the strongest of will to master his weaving. That is why my lessons always focus on meditation. Because a weaver''s strongest asset is his mental fortitude."


    The students broke out in hushed conversation, questioning the logic, the treachery on the holy Scripture, but above all, the possibilities. Yue looked sadly at all the other students. With training, maybe one or two of them might achieve this enlightened state. But even with infinite training, she might never even be able to exert her will on the threads she could see. She bowed her head and knotted her fingers.


    Yue''s scalp tingled and she glanced up. Master Jun looked at her, expression unreadable. After a few minutes of a fearful excitement amongst the students, he spoke up again.


    "In conclusion, the focus of my lessons will be, apart from meditation, on improving your thread awareness. That is why today''s combat weaving will be slightly different. Combatants within this circle will be blindfolded. You will have to enter the thread world without the use of your sight, and from there sense the changes in the world around you. Rules of friendly combat remain: no maiming, no fatal blows. Once either combatant is out of the circle, the fight is over."


    Chen Guan and Mu Zeng stepped forward and took their blindfolds from Master Jun. Being the only males from the inner household, they were always first to go. Both boys stepped into the circle and pulled the kerchiefs tight over their eyes. Zeng sank into the Creeping Tiger stance, his left arm behind him while his right bent at his side, awkward at first but stabilized after a few adjustments. Guan had his left arm outstretched and his right pulled back towards his right ear, legs wide apart and slightly bent.


    Yue thought Guan''s starting stance was well chosen - a general one but enables the user to be able to quickly spring in any direction with a shift of his hips. Zeng''s aggressive stance showed the boy''s anxiety to end this bout fast.


    Both boy''s blindfolds started to glow dimly around the area of their eyes. Both stood still for a protracted minute. Tensed and waiting. Listening. Then Zeng bent forward and swept his arms towards the ground and up towards Guan''s feet. Small roots and stem from beneath the earth broke free from the ground and reached towards Guan''s feet. Guan''s head tilted down the moment Zeng''s arms moved, shifting his left foot backwards but not fast enough. Grasping roots looped around Guan''s right foot, missing his ankles as Zeng furrowed his brows and searched more accurately for his target.


    In that moment Guan stopped trying to escape his restraints. He twisted his palms upwards, biceps straining and the ground responded to his pulling. Deep vibrations sounded through the ground towards the gathered students, and Zeng stumbled forward as the ground beneath him roiled. He made a soft gasp and Guan used the anchor of his right foot to lash out quickly with his left towards a destabilized Zeng who was now within reach.


    Guan missed a clean kick to Zeng''s shoulder, his leg connecting with the other boy''s elbow. His powerful kick managed to push Zeng through the air and onto his back, his head lying just outside Master Jun''s line in the sand.


    The gathered students couldn''t help their sigh of admiration as both boys removed their blindfolds. Fu-er clapped for her brother. Guan walked towards Zeng and gave him a hand up. Both boys smiling amiably at each other.


    "How many times do you suppose you have to knock me down before Master Jun decides to let me pair with someone from the outer household?" Zeng said ruefully, rubbing his messy head where he bumped it on the ground.


    "Never going to happen, wise boy. You''re stuck with me for better or worse." Guan said with a playful smirk. "Sorry, brother."


    Zeng mock punched Guan. "Don''t be."


    Master Jun smiled at their exchange, and nodded for Yue and Fu-er to take the blindfolds from the boys. Yue''s good humor evaporated. She can hold her own seven times out of ten against Fu-er during their sparring sessions. But blindfolded? She swallowed, looking over at Fu-er as they stepped into the circle. The other girl looked slightly nauseous but smiled at Yue before lifting Master Jun''s black embroidered kerchief over her eyes.


    Being in the circle and lifting her navy embroidered kerchief, she has never felt so vulnerable before. She took a deep breath and cast her senses further and wider than she has ever done before. At first all she could hear was her soft breathing and thumping heart. She tried opening her eyes behind her blindfold to switch to thread sight, but all she saw was pitch darkness. A soft whoosh in the air came from her right, and her body took over on instinct. She bent to the left slightly and felt Fu-er''s hand slicing down an inch from her nose - almost fatal. Yue placed both her hands together and pushed the back of her hands outwards, connecting squarely with Fu-er''s sternum.


    An audible gasp came from the students. Yue breathed hard. That was close.


    Yue tried to picture in her minds eye Fu-er''s preferred style of combat. She was an earth weaver, one who manipulated the finer, dry grains of topsoil. She would manipulate the top layer of soil to move together with her soles, so that no sound was made whenever she moved. A born assassin.


    With Yue''s aural abilities, she reasoned that Fu-er wouldn''t be able to sneak behind her easily. She decided to drop into a Resting Stallion stance, both hands bent in front of her, effective for warding off frontal attacks.


    A whisper of sand disturbed on the left this time, but too intentional. It sounded like a feint. She¡¯s coming in from the right. Yue moved towards the sound, certain Fu-er would be coming from the opposite side. A hard punch towards the left edge of Yue''s solar plexus knocked her almost clean off her feet. She misjudged. It wasn''t a direct hit, but it was nevertheless hard enough to push her closer to the boundary line. In that jolt, a few things happened simultaneously.


    A cacophony of sound echoed through Yue''s ears. Every rustle of every leaf and sand produced feedback in her eardrums. She felt a thousand vibrations along her skin, raising goosebumps on her arms. Shining behind her closed lids were glimmering grey threads of every shade, brighter than anything she has ever seen before. Dancing, moving, weaving threads. Somewhere to her right is a condensed cluster of dynamic threads of dark grey, like the outer edges of a shadow cast under a setting dusk sky. Vibrations from the same direction intensified and she felt the tiny hairs on her arms stand on end. The static in the air before a thunderstorm.


    Yue whipped her head in the direction of the vibrations. Gathering all the strength in her core, she planted her feet on the ground just inside of Master Jun''s circle. Her hands found Fu-er''s outstretched arm, grabbing her at the wrist and underarms. Fu-er twisted her legs fast as a cobra strike, shifting the sand underneath Yue''s feet. Yue saw the light grey strands on the ground waver before it moved. Yue shifted her body even closer to Fu-er, her back towards the other girl''s front. Yue, her hands maintaining their death grip on Fu-er''s arm, pulled downwards with all her might.


    She felt Fu-er''s thud on the ground resonate throughout her body. Yue pulled her blindfold off, staring at Fu-er on the ground with wide-eyed shock. She briefly wondered if the dumb look on her face mirrored Fu-er''s. No, her own was probably funnier.


    There was a moment of stunned silence from the onlookers, before hesitant, excited applause came. Master Jun''s proud, fatherly smile was a shot to Yue''s heart, his eyes gleaming for a moment. Or was it a trick of the light? Yue felt her own disbelieving smile.


    What was that? Yue thought in wonderment. She didn''t know what exactly happened, but for a moment she felt invincible. She couldn''t touch any of the strange monochrome threads, but it was like another sense opened up to her. Maybe this was what Master Jun was talking about. A muted thread sight that could replace being fully immersed in the thread world constantly to reduce the strain on a weaver''s psyche?


    Yue helped Fu-er off the ground, the other girl giving her a pat on the back. As they walked towards the other students to pass the blindfolds, Tian Feng spoke up.


    "That wasn''t normal." The wariness on her face transformed into a mortified grimace as she realized she had spoken aloud. She gathered her wits and continued.


    "I''m sorry, Yue, I know you''ve always been the best when it comes to normal combat. I don''t mean any offense to you or Master Jun." The burly older girl bowed respectfully to the master at this, and looked at Yue again. "The day the master talked about Dark Kharian ideologies is the day that you gain proper thread sight? Tell us, Yue, what did you see during combat just now."


    All eyes turned to her. Yue felt a nervous prickle at her neck, and a lady''s voice echoed in her mind.


    Tell them, daughter...


    A feminine liltwith an edge of cruelty. Soft yet chilling at the same time. A quiet chuckle.


    Weak...


    No, Yue thought. Was she losing her mind? She rubbed her suddenly sweaty palms on her loose pants.


    "I...didn''t see anything. I only focused on my other senses like Master Jun said. And behind the blindfold, well..." She gave a weak shrug. "Everything seemed...heightened. That''s why I could...sense...where Fu-er was going to strike..."


    Yue stuttered through her reply, and cast her gaze downwards lest anyone could see through her lie. Was her moment of triumph part of some dark reckoning? Was she going against the Great Mother''s holy Scriptures? She was still reeling from what happened. She needed time to think this through.


    The moment of awkward silence was broken by Master Jun clearing his throat.


    "Tian Feng, Kelia, please take the blindfolds." Tian Feng walked meaningfully towards Fu-er, the burly girl''s wariness still etched deep on her face. Kelia came over and took the blindfold from Yue''s hand, expression concerned.


    "You OK?" Kelia whispered.


    Yue nodded, eyes still downcast. "Yeah, just need a moment."


    Kelia smoothed her hand over Yue''s sweaty head, smiling as she said. "That was sick, by the way. You need to teach me sometime."


    Yue smiled and joined the others. Some cast her looks of awe, but there were suspicious glances as well. Zeng looked thoughtful. Kerk bounded over and patted her on her back. Hard.


    "Moonface, that was awesome!"


    Master Jun glanced sharply at Kerk. The older boy looked sheepishly downwards, then leaned over to whisper to Yue undeterred.


    "That was awesome! How''d you do that?"


    Yue coughed a bit before replying. "You going to make me cough up my spine right after my moment of glory?"


    Kerk snorted, unrepentant. "It wasn''t that hard. And it seems you''re made of tougher stuff than I thought, moonface. So, what''s the secret?"


    Yue sobered, thinking about her fight. It was equal parts thrilling and frightening. It did feel unnatural.


    "I''m not sure, Ker. It felt...amazing. Like I was invincible. I felt like I was a whole other person. It didn''t feel like me, but at the same time, it also felt right. I could suddenly see everything even behind the blindfold. I don''t know how to put this, Ker. Do you get what I mean?" Yue looked at Kerk imploringly.


    Kerk''s skeptical expression was not the most encouraging. "No. Not one bit."


    Yue rolled her eyes. Kerk smiled kindly and shrugged. "But it seems like you''ve found your calling. Master Jun''s teachings today really helped you, and you look happier. I''m glad for you, moonface."


    "Thanks, Ker." Yue smiled at the older boy adoringly. He smiled back and bumped her on her shoulder, returning his attention to his sister and their smithy apprentice friend in the combat circle.

 Chapter Two:

    As the midday winter sun rose to its zenith, lounging low in the southeast sky, Yue looked up and imagined fiery Thaytear gliding through the sky, weaving threads of light emanating from his body high in the clouds to give them precious rays of daylight. Mischievous but humble servant of the Mother.


    "What''re you stoning for, hotshot?" Kelia came over, rubbing her behind where she fell out of the circle during her bout with Tian Feng. It was a drawn out battle, with both girls fumbling behind their blindfolds for the first five minutes. The next five was an intense mix of hand to hand combat and weaving. Tian Feng came away with scratches on her arms and face from the birds that Kelia commanded, while Tian Feng delivered some of her own bruising hits on Kelia''s arms with her blunt tipped steel knives.


    "I don''t have much to pack." Yue gestured at her satchel on the forest floor, then glanced at the others with their meditation objects. Master Jun stood a distance away, smoothening out the forest floor with brief glances. Looking at the fading circle, Yue could still feel the residual excitement and trepidation from before.


    Yue secretly attempted to re-enter the state she was thrust in during her spar with Fu-er as the subsequent combat rounds proceeded. That glimmering monochrome world stayed tantalizingly just outside of her grasp. All that remained as she switched to thread sight were the lackluster colored threads she was used to. And a splitting headache. She frowned and rubbed her head between her brows.


    "How''s your bruises, Kel?" Yue asked the older girl, who was subconsciously rubbing at her shoulders.


    "Well, let''s just say that I''m awfully glad Feng is only allowed blunt steel in that circle. That girl has too much holy passion for the Scripture and bootlicking for someone with such a mean streak." Kelia grimaced in pain as she rubbed on a particularly sore spot. "Too much muscle too."


    Just then, a garrison runner leapt down nimbly from a nearby branch, riding the wind threads with ease. Dressed in the garrison''s camouflage green uniform cinched at the wrists and ankles, the runner walked towards Master Jun with the grace of a jungle cat. He bowed and pulled his face cover off, holding up a rolled up scroll in both hands.


    The messenger stepped close to the master and relayed his message. Master Jun''s eyes widened fractionally. He paused, then replied softly and gave a nod in dismissal. The runner bowed, adjusted his face cover and took a running leap towards the tree line. All Yue could see of his face was the glow of his dark brown eyes. As he jumped upwards towards the branches, the fabric around his legs fluttered vigorously from the rings of wind sheathing the his ankles. Come and gone with the wind, Yue thought enviously. Literally.


    She and Kelia looked towards Fu-er. She stared after the runner with such open longing Yue felt like an uninvited voyeur. Everyone knew Fu-er''s dream was to be part of the Imperial Army''s messenger spy contingent.


    The Wind Runners, Yue recalled, or so was the universal moniker of the Imperial thirty-seventh weaver contingent.


    With her grandfather''s connections, she would''ve been well on her way to becoming a full fledged member. If not for her grandfather himself who didn''t think much of women in the army.


    They gathered in neat rows of two in front of Master Jun as he read the scroll with Concubine Shu''s wax seal. His eyebrows creased slightly. A short moment later, he rolled the scroll up and addressed the students.


    "It seems that the Villa will be receiving two royal processions this coming few days. I''m sure all of you are very excited, but remember to report to your respective masters and mistresses for your daily tasks. Apprentice Mu Zeng, remember to submit your copies of the Scripture before the seventh eve. Dismissed."


    The excitement amongst the students was palpable as they trudged back to the Imperial Villa. Even Zeng wasn''t immune to the curiosity and anticipation. Yue glanced back towards the river where Master Jun stood with a pensive expression, eyes on the water but gaze cast inwards.


    "Two royal parties! Do you reckon either one will be from the Palace?" Kerk''s animated voice pulled Yue''s attention back, his excitement infectious.


    "Do you remember Aunt Yura, from the Palace kitchens? I read from her letters to mother last week that His Majesty is sending some of the lesser advisors out to all the concubine''s villas to announce the invitations for the annual Moon Festival," Rien said from beside Kerk.


    "But ConcubineShu usually turns down the invitations. I wonder why they even bother anymore." Mu Zeng said from the front.


    Rien shrugged. "I don''t know, but Emperor Ka Long seems pretty adamant about all the royal relatives'' attendance this year."


    Yue thought of Ye Yang in the capital, and Prince Yin Long. She gave a dreamy sigh. "I wonder who''s coming to Tyrmal."


    "I hope they don''t send as many as last year. We had to clean thirty guest rooms last year twice every morning and eve. ConcubineShu even had the spare pavilions opened to accommodate LadyYol-Min''s entourage." Xu Jing groaned.


    Kelia did a happy wiggle as she walked. "I hope Lieutenant Ye comes. I mean," she blushed, "I''m sure I''m not the only one excited. I was pretty sure I caught Feng staring after him forlornly during his last visit."


    "I was looking at his sword!" Tian Feng sputtered. "It''s made by the finest craftsmen in Vyrnos. Rumor has it Master Cang Deng of the Royal Smithy made it himself."


    Fu-er turned around to give Tian Feng her most deadpan expression. "Be honest, Feng." She paused and took a breath. "Which sword of his were you looking at?"


    Tian Feng blushed a furious red. All the girls giggled while Guan and Kerk rolled their eyes. Mu Zeng looked at Fu-er and went pink at his ears.


    Their banter continued till they reached the ornate gates of the Villa, where they dispersed to attend to their chores as apprentices. Yue waved at the others and walked towards the stables with Kelia. Kerk stood by the gate with Rien, giving her a shy peck on the cheek in farewell. Rien blushed and ran towards the main pavilion where the kitchens were.


    Kerk stared after her for a minute before bounding over to Yue and Kelia. "You guys didn''t wait?"


    "And have to witness you and Rien mentally doing illegal things to each other? Brother, why would I subject myself to that?"


    Kerk swatted at Kelia.


    The stablehands had already mucked out the stalls when the twenty odd war stallions were out with the garrisoned forces during their morning training. The three of them had just put down their satchels in the abutting storehouse when the horses were led back in.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Morning, father!" Kerk and Kelia ran towards Stable Master Jotun and bowed briefly with wide smiles. Strolling casually through the stable doors with a fearsome pegasus, dressed in the black armor of the elite Imperial Army with gold embroidery around his shoulders and arms, Royal Beast Weaver Ning Xiao bit on an apple and fed the rest to his restless steed.


    "Father!" Yue ran over to where he stood with Master Jotun. Her father''s eyes crinkled when he saw her, reaching out to ruffle her head affectionately. Yue took Yirlhil''s reins from him and stroked his snout in greeting. He nickered and bumped her hand.


    "Morning, moonlight. How was weaving practice?"


    "It was...not bad." Yue bit her lip. She still wasn''t sure what to make of her earlier experience.


    Kelia clapped Yue on the back. "Not bad? She was amazing, Uncle Ning! Master Jun had us blindfold ourselves during combat practice, and -"


    "And she practically backflipped Chen Fu-er into the next continent, sir." Kerk interjected excitedly.


    What? Yue grimaced at the twins. "I just suddenly had this new awareness of my surroundings, and my body knew what to do from there. That''s all."


    She didn''t want to make a big deal out of this anymore than her friends had, not until she figured out what happened. And more importantly, to practice and be sure she could actually replicate the miracle again.


    Master Jotun knocked the twins on their heads with his free hand, the horses beside him snorting in annoyance. "You two have got to stop making up stories and making others feel uncomfortable."


    Kerk and Kelia raised their arms to protect themselves and massaged their heads indignantly.


    Yue''s father''s expression remained neutral, but his shrewd eyes scrutinized her.


    "Next continent, eh? I¡¯d better not get on my daughter''s nerves then, since her temper isn''t known to be the best."


    "Father!" Yue said, exasperated. Kerk and Kelia sniggered while Master Jotun rolled his eyes. Ning Xiao gave his daughter a small smile and shrugged in his armor.


    "Well, all''s good that end''s good. I''m going to change out of my armor back in our room, moonlight. I''ll be in the main pavilion with Shu for the rest of the day to entertain Lady Pan-rin''s party. After that we will have to welcome the royal procession and throw a banquet at sup tonight." He gave the three of them a knowing smile.


    "With the attendance later this eve, I''m sure the three of you will want to be at the main gates when the procession makes their way in. Better work hard and work fast, apprentices." He winked at them and patted Yirlhil on his graceful neck. Turning to give a nod of farewell to Master Jotun, Yue''s father turned and left the stables.


    Yue exchanged glances with the other two, taking a step towards her father.


    "Wait, who''s coming later? Father!" Yue called out to his retreating back.


    "Make sure to clean out Yirlhil''s hooves! I think some mud caked in there just now." He called back without turning around, lifting his right hand in a lazy wave.


    Kerk and Kelia took the reins that their father was holding and looked at him questioningly. Master Jotun stroked his stubbled chin and looked thoughtful. "If the three of you will scrub out the water troughs and check on the hay stores today, maybe I''ll tell you before the rest of your friends gets the scoop first."


    "But we did that just three days ago!" Kelia said.


    "I like my horses having clean water. Off with you lot now." Master Jotun said testily and hobbled to his office at the back of the stable.


    "Father!" Kerk said, to which Master Jotun only grunted in response.


    The three of them bowed respectfully at the stable master''s back and set to work immediately. Together with the other stablehands, they led all the horses back to their respective stalls. Kerk led a few of the stablehands to gather the hay and feeding concentrates from the storehouse; Kelia delegated others to specific stalls for tack removal and brushing; while Yue attended to Yirlhil''s daily maintenance and grooming.


    As she led him to his spacious berth with a taller ceiling height to accommodate his wings, Yirlhil started to tug on his reins, reluctant to enter his stall. His restlessness was affecting the nearby stallions already in their stalls, knocking into stablehands who were busy brushing the lather off of their backs.


    "Hey, now, whoa! Steady," Kelia said as she rushed over from the neighboring aisle, having heard of the commotion. Her eyes flashed a striking emerald, hands outstretched towards a particularly spooked black stallion. She walked cautiously into the stall and stood between him and the stablehand tending to him.


    As Kelia dealt with the war stallions, Yue walked in front of Yirlhil and placed both hands on his huffing snout. She felt dwarfed by the pegasus'' generous bulk. She looked into his eyes and channeled the calm of the Laisternian tributaries, its trickling streams from the Dragon Alps. His nervous energy dissipated slowly, wings flaring and resettling occasionally from residual anxiety. Yue smiled, mesmerized by the beauty and awareness in the pegasus'' deep blue eyes.


    The blue of the unpredictable Avi Hyian Sea, Yue imagined. A seaport nation on the other side of Westhania, Yue could hardly imagine the things Yirlhil have seen and experienced there. A song echoed in her mind then, a haunting melody of rough seas and singing sirens.


    "Is he alright now?" Kelia''s cautious whisper broke through the trance that Yue and Yirlhil seemed to be trapped in. Yue jerked from the shock, turning to see if the other girl heard the song too. It was so vivid.


    As Kelia''s eyes glowed faintly, Yue realized a second too late that she was attempting to check on Yirlhil''s heart threads.


    "No¡ª" Yue reached a hand out to Kelia, but Yirlhil reared upwards then with his wings flared to the edges of the aisle, and let loose an angry whinny. He would have brained Yue with his front hooves if it wasn''t for Kelia pulling her aside. Yue''s heart jumped into her throat. The two girls had to scoot close to the stall doors to avoid the rampaging pegasus and the wind he stirred up. Kerk and the other stablehands ran over from the neighboring aisles, standing with shocked helplessness as the pegasus raged.


    Master Jotun appeared at the other side of the aisle, his eyes blazing orbs of jade.


    "Quiet!"


    The authority and sheer power in that single word sent goosebumps across Yue''s arms. Yirlhil continued to struggle, but as Master Jotun hobbled closer, his agitation started to calm again. The stable master''s anger was a palpable storm as he approached Yirlhil. For a moment, Yue almost felt sorry for the poor thing.


    He snapped his hand out in a vise grip and Yirlhil snapped to attention, breathing and heartbeat prisoners to the master''s will. Master Jotun leaned in close to Yirlhil with his glowing emerald eyes, snarling to the wily beast.


    "I will not tolerate you causing harm to my men nor any charge of mine in this stable anymore. If I were to come across another such incident, be assured you will find your sorry hide chained outside of the shelter of this stable come nightfall. Are we clear?"


    Yirlhil snorted in fear and rebellion, but with another squeeze of the master''s hand, he bowed his head in acquiescence.


    Yue patted his flanks in sympathy. She took his reins again and led him towards his stall.


    Things ran along smoothly after the commotion was settled. Yue and Kelia worked well as a team. They removed his harness, brushed his elegant mane and body and picked his hooves clean in record time. They helped Kerk and the other stablehands with the other war stallions, after which they took a break for their midday meal.


    "I can''t believe we still have to clean the hounds'' cages, walk them, and take stock of the storehouses. Ugh," Kelia grumbled around a mouthful of ham and bread, sprawled out beside Kerk and Yue, the other stablehands sitting in a circle with them under the shade of maple trees a distance from the stable. They chuckled and chucked leftover pieces of crumbs at her.


    "Don''t be lazy, Mistress Kelia. We all take turns," Konpi pointed out at the other end of the circle.


    Kelia grunted. She curled towards Yue.


    "I''m going to take a quick nap. I''ll see you later at sup then, Yue. Seems like we won''t be able to get the scoop from my father before everyone else now."


    "See me at sup..." Yue sat upright, glancing at the sky. Oh no, her history class! She completely lost track of time while lounging out in the sun. She pushed onto her feet and brushed her soiled white training robes. It will have to do.


    "Thanks for the timely reminder, Kel," she said, trying to keep the sarcasm to a minimal but failing terribly. She bent to give a peck on Kelia and Kerk''s cheeks and raced off towards the learning pavilion on the other end of the estate beside the Villa''s central Lily Pavilion. She prayed Advisor Kol be held up at the luncheon with Concubine Pan-rin a little longer before she arrived, or she''d be sitting with Mu Zeng late into the night copying Scripture tenets all week.


    Just the thought had Yue blanching and, holding her worn satchel and white headband that she had removed during her stable chores in her hands, picked up her pace. She was flying pass timber-decked outdoor corridors heading towards the Lotus Pavilion when she collided headfirst into robes of white and royal blue. The colors of the Upper Skarian Court.

 Chapter Three

    ¡°Oof.¡±


    Yue and her unsuspecting obstacle collapsed in a tangle of robes and awkward limbs.


    ¡°Who dares run so recklessly in the household of a royal family, what¡ª¡± The flustered Advisor untangled himself from Yue and ignored her proffered hand up. Yue stood back and bowed hastily.


    ¡°My humblest apologies, Advisor.¡± Yue peeked at him from beneath her dark bangs. He didn¡¯t look familiar. She has never seen him before in the Villa nor the Palace during her annual visits. He must have come with Concubine Pan-rin¡¯s entourage.


    What is he doing coming out of the Lily Pavilion? Yue frowned and straightened. It led only to the private quarters of Lady Shu and the upper household officials. He smoothed his robes and straightened his skewed reading glasses. That was when she saw the sigil carved in burnished gold on his white headband - the famous winged sea serpent of House Kin.


    ¡°Ah, midnight dark hair, mysterious grey eyes and a pretty, bow-shaped mouth. You must be young Yue. I¡¯ve heard much about you from the other advisors at court. Apparently you are quite the star student at the Royal Learning Pavilion. But dismal in weaving, or so I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    Yue frowned. She did not have access to the court grapevine, but even for gossip, that seemed a rather crude summary of herself. She couldn¡¯t decipher his carefully neutral tone, if he meant it with any ill will, but she bowed again in acknowledgement. He mistook her annoyance for confusion.


    ¡°Where are my manners, allow me to introduce myself. Upper Advisor Kin Liu, son of Lord Advisor Kin To of the Privy Council, and Head Advisor to Concubine Pan-rin, at your service.¡± Advisor Kin said with a shallow nod and genial smile. Yue recognized the effort he made to seem more approachable, and appreciated it. It was rare for a country as hierarchical as Skaria. She bowed deep and addressed him.


    ¡°You honor me with your name, Advisor Kin. I am Ning Yue, daughter of Ning Xiao.¡±


    ¡°And where, pray tell, were you in such a rush to, young Yue? You should know it is unbecoming of a lady of the inner household to be seen running.¡±


    Yue wasn¡¯t fond of the overly familiar way he addressed her, but she responded with the expected reverence nonetheless.


    ¡°The Lotus Learning Pavilion, Advisor Kin. Lower Advisor Kol holds history and earth study classes there every fortnight.¡±


    ¡°Then I wouldn¡¯t wish to hold you back any further. You may go to your class.¡±


    As Yue continued on her way, she glanced back at the mysterious advisor straightening his headband as he glided down the corridor. The conversation seemed oddly focused on her, and his appraisal deceptively casual. She shook her head and hurried towards the Lotus Pavilion, putting the incident out of her mind.


    ***


    Yue snuck around the corner of the learning pavilion, regretting once again for her designated front row seat as the Royal Beast Weaver¡¯s daughter. Peeking in through the large open windows, she spied Advisor Kol sitting on his red silk cushions at the front of the room. He was in the midst of giving a lecture on Emperor Ka Long¡¯s great victory over the Tolmar Isles while he grabbed a handful of tea leaves from a container in front of him with a pair of engraved tongs, a pot of water already quietly boiling at his side.


    ¡°Tolmar was ruled by four siblings of the Poltak family, each chosen ruler given one of their four islands to govern. The children of every generation will have to compete in an ascension competition. The selections are often brutal,¡± Advisor Kol paused as he took a sip from his teacup calmly and set it down, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.


    ¡°Every ten years, more than half the Poltak¡¯s youngest generation passes on due to sibling rivalry or disease. Many will also lose their lives in the process of the ruling family¡¯s conflicts.¡± As Advisor Kol shook his head and turned towards the map of Westhania behind him, Yue chanced leaning forward, catching Chen Fu-er¡¯s eyes as she did. The Lieutenant General¡¯s granddaughter¡¯s seat was thankfully close to the entrance.


    ¡°Pst, Fu-er.¡±


    Fu-er kept her head facing forward, the only indication she heard Yue¡¯s urgent whisper was a subtle eye roll and a small smirk. Fu-er cast her eyes downwards on the woven reed mats to hide the glow of her weaving and held her right arm slightly to her side, palm facing down. She gave a small nod to Yue.


    Yue felt particles of soil start to swirl around the soles of her feet, her body getting lighter as it was buoyed a hairsbreadth from the reed mats. Making sure Advisor Kol still faced the map, she padded soundlessly into the room. She slid into her seat and crossed her legs, letting loose a soft sigh of relief. After a moment of internal celebration, she hurriedly reached into her satchel and placed her parchments on her low, dark wood table. The other students around her snickered. Yue ignored them and gave Fu-er a smile of thanks.


    ¡°¡ªdied of unknown reasons. There left a power vacuum¡­¡± Advisor Kol turned back at that moment and stared at Yue, confusion on his face. Yue pretended to be scribbling furiously on her empty parchment, looking up after awhile with innocent attentiveness. He scratched at his navy headband, the burnished bronze engraving of a sparrow in flight tilting slightly.


    ¡°I have the strongest impression that you weren¡¯t at your seat just moments ago, Apprentice Ning Yue.¡± He blinked in puzzlement, reaching for his cup of tea.


    His safety blanket, bless him, Yue thought fondly. She bowed and held her fists in front of her.


    ¡°With all respect, Advisor Kol, I have been here since the start of your lesson.¡±


    He took a tentative sip, regarding her over his half-moon reading glasses. Yue¡¯s confidence faltered, not expecting the eccentric advisor to be in one of his rare lucid moods. As the silence stretched, just as her nerves began to wear thin under his inquiring gaze, his eyes clouded over with his wandering thoughts. The wisps of vapor from his upraised cup drifted in front of his unseeing gaze, seeming to mirror the cogs shifting within the historian¡¯s vast memories.


    ¡°Since the start¡­since the beginning¡­Emperor Ka Long¡¯s brilliant foresight brought about his historical victory over the Tolmarians.¡±


    Yue breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mu Zeng raised his hand from the second row. ¡°Advisor Kol, by beginning, might you be referring to the time the Great Dragon sent the Wind Runners to Skaria¡¯s allies with secret alliance missives for the Seige of the Bay of Urandil?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Great Dragon, Fu-er leaned back and mouthed the words to Zeng, giving him a meaningful look. Zeng flushed, shrugging with a sheepish look. Zeng¡¯s worship of His Majesty Ka Long was well-known among the apprentices of the inner household.


    Advisor Kol showed no signs that he heard Zeng¡¯s question, staring into the wisps of smoke curling in the air. Zeng raised his hand again, unfazed by their tutor¡¯s silence.


    Advisor Kol held his hand up, halting Zeng.


    ¡°I heard you, apprentice Mu Zeng. The impatience of youth,¡± he mused distractedly.


    ¡°Before Emperor Ka Long was the Great Dragon, when we still knew him as the upstart young prince, third-in-line to the Golden Seat, he visited the largest island within the Tolmar Isles. No one knew yet, but the shrewd prince was keeping a very close eye on the Poltak family, unchallenged for nigh on four generations. Because he knew¡­he knew that as third-born son of Emperor Shen Long, the reigning Dragon then, his only path to the throne laid with conquest over his father¡¯s greatest territorial adversary then ¡ª the Tolmarians.¡±


    Advisor Kol¡¯s voice took on a dream-like quality, as if revisiting a fond memory from long ago. Considering the wizened historian¡¯s thinning silver hair, he likely did live to see the enthronement of the current emperor. Yue leaned forward with rapt attention.


    ¡°He befriended the Poltak¡¯s second son, Pantak ¡ª arguably the most ambitious but least capable of the lot. While Prince Ka Long was there, as third-born son he related to Pantak¡¯s frustration more than either prince realized. He learnt of Pantak¡¯s plans to inherit Undal Island, the largest among the Tolmar islands, rich with crop and fertile lands. So Prince Ka Long decided to give Pantak the push he so desperately wanted.


    ¡°With the aid of his trusted aides in the thirty-seventh Imperial contingent, seeded rumors of dissension between the rulers of Undal and Jondal, Pantak¡¯s mother and uncle.¡±


    Fu-er bounced excitedly at the mention of the Wind Runners, giving her a hopeful beam. Yue turned to her and smiled, catching in her periphery Chen Guan and the rest of the military apprentices from the third and last rows snoozing softly. Fu-er followed her gaze and rolled her eyes at her brother and her fellow apprentices.


    ¡°When tensions between the two island rulers reached its peak, civil conflict began. The subsequent skirmishes saw the death of Mullutok Poltak, the Jondal ruler. Pantak¡¯s mother suffered a fatal battle wound, and succumbed to it shortly after.¡±


    On Yue¡¯s left, Apprentice Chun Sou raised his unruly bedhead from scribbling furiously on his parchment. ¡°Advisor Kol, is this where the Tripartite started? The secret alliance that Apprentice Zeng mentioned before?¡±


    ¡°Not quite yet, Apprentice Chun Sou. Prince Ka Long sailed back to Vyrnos to bide his time. Shortly after Pantak¡¯s mother left the Undal rulership empty, the power vacuum of two of Tolmar¡¯s largest islands was too huge a temptation for any individual possessing a drop of Poltak blood. The ensuing chaos embroiled even the other two island rulers and their families, and the small but once mighty Tolmar Isle was reduced to a shadow of its former self.


    ¡°When the in-fighting came to a stalemate between Pantak¡¯s older brother, Pantak himself and Mullutok¡¯s daughter, Pantak sailed to Vyrnos in the dead of winter with a group of his strongest water weavers in record time. He sought support from Prince Ka Long. And this is where the young prince agreed to see Pantak enthroned on three conditions.


    ¡°First, to allow a Skarian ambassador to oversee Tolmar¡¯s trade and military affairs. Second, to pay a small tribute to Skaria annually as a token of good faith. And lastly, to send to Skaria a Poltak son as ward to the Emperor.¡±


    Those were impossible terms. Yue frowned in puzzlement. She raised her hand to draw Advisor Kol¡¯s attention. ¡°But Advisor, wouldn¡¯t that effectively make Tolmar a vassal state?¡±


    Advisor Kol sipped daintily at his refilled teacup, nodding happily.


    ¡°Oh yes, Apprentice Ning Yue, very good. Pantak¡¯s desperation drove him to accept the prince¡¯s very biased terms. Do not, however, underestimate the prince¡¯s good will. He was fond of Pantak, and with the blessing of his father, Emperor Shen Long, personally led a charge of five contingents of Skaria¡¯s elite weavers to put down all rivals and dissenters, ending Tolmar¡¯s three years of internal conflict.


    ¡°The rest, as the legends of Emperor Ka Long go, is history. Tolmar grew weak and after five years, Prince Ka Long saw an opportunity to take over the islands with minimal force. He gathered a secret alliance and led a small Skarian contingent to wipe out the Bay of Urandil, Undal¡¯s main trade port. Undal Island¡¯s seat of power fell, and the subsequent islands thereafter fell rapidly to the alliance forces.¡±


    The listening students couldn¡¯t help their soft exclamations of awe at young Emperor Ka Long¡¯s wit and cunning, breaking out in murmured discussions about his eight-year stratagem. Amidst the happy atmosphere, Yue twirled her quill and frowned contemplatively.


    Did Emperor Ka Long betray a man who had befriended him for years in cold-blood? And to what end? His own succession? She shook her head. She has always admired the Emperor from afar whenever she went to the Imperial Palace and through his many legends, but she hoped she should never have to meet such a coldly intelligent man.


    She thought of Prince Yin Long then, and how different he was from his father. His low, infectious laughter, lopsided smile and bright, warm chocolate gaze that made even the gloomiest days in the palace feel cozy. A secret smile started to bloom on Yue¡¯s flushed face.


    ¡°Wait a minute. Yue, are you giving your creepy smile because of the story? Because you have your creepy smile on right now. It¡¯s a very inspirational story, but I don¡¯t see anyone else being creepy about it,¡± Fu-er said while leaning her head on her palm, elbow on the table in front of her, her expression an amused befuddlement.


    Yue stuck her tongue out at the smiling girl. ¡°Not as creepy as you stalking Zeng when he¡¯s on duty in the archives after your military training.¡±


    Yue had to swerve to avoid the panicked smacks of Fu-er, half shushing her, half peeking at the boy in question. A flustered Fu-er was a rare sight, and Yue leaned back and enjoyed her pink cheeks turn scarlet as Zeng glanced over at them. Yue laughed, reaching out to placate her.


    A loud, lively tune pierced the late afternoon air, the sound traveling across the entire Villa. Everyone perked up in their seats, even those snoozing just moments ago. Leaning over Fu-er, Yue tried to peer pass the large pavilion windows and beyond the orchard outside to the Villa¡¯s golden gates and carriageway. The students crowded around the doors and windows, whispering excitedly.


    Living at the edge of Vyrnos beside the North Laisternian Sea and on the border with the Kharian Deserts, the Imperial Villa did not see many royal visitors, nor any visitors for that matter. Yue felt her heart lift at the thought that she might be able to see Ye Yang or Prince Yin Long again before her trip to the palace in a few months. She hasn¡¯t seen them in ages since the both of them graduated from the Royal Learning Pavilion and joined the Imperial Army in the desert campaigns two years back.


    Advisor Kol tapped his empty teacup on his table, an impatient reminder for the students to return to their seats. He refilled his cup and looked up at the students, a twinkle in his suddenly clear gaze.


    ¡°It is rather a pleasant sight to see everyone so excited about my stories,¡± Advisor Kol said dryly, to the students¡¯ snickers. ¡°Well, if anyone has any questions regarding Emperor Ka Long¡¯s conquest over the Tolmar Isles, now would be a good time to have them answered.¡±


    He looked at the antsy students over his half-moon glasses fidgeting in their seats. Yue herself kept finding her gaze drifting over to the window. Advisor Kol swirled his teacup is his hand leisurely, unaffected by the air of anticipation. He waited a beat, two, before continuing.


    ¡°Now that everyone has such crystal understanding of the events, each student is to submit two scrolls of your analysis on today¡¯s topic. Dismissed.¡±


    A collective groan from the students. Yue sighed. Another week of research and homework after her evening sup. She shook her head. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be dallying. The procession horns sounded nearer to the gates already. She grabbed her parchment and quill, hastily stuffing them into her worn satchel.


    ¡°Quick, Fu-er, or we¡¯re going to miss the royal procession!¡±


    ¡°Coming! Brother, are you coming with?¡± Fu-er slung her satchel over her shoulder, turning to Guan behind her.


    ¡°You guys go ahead, I¡¯ll be going to the main pavilion with the other military apprentices.¡± He nodded towards the students in the back, whom Yue noticed already had on their formal red apprentice robes. She looked down at her stained training uniform. She could still see the spot where Yirlhil had rubbed his nose against her. She looked at Fu-er and grimaced.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time, come on!¡± Fu-er grabbed her hand and, waving at Guan, rushed off to catch the grand procession, where the first few mounted knights in the elite black armor of imperial weavers crossed the ornate gates.

 Chapter Four

    By the time Fu-er and Yue was in sight of the main carriageway, the gathered crowd from the other pavilions was already a dense mass of celebratory energy. The two girls looked at each other excitedly and held hands as they made their way to the front.


    ¡°Pardon me, sorry. Apologies, Mistress Jin! Short girl moving through!¡± Yue shouted as she finally burst through the crowd to the front, Fu-er panting at her side.


    The procession was grander than the annual proceedings. Four marching musicians in the bright colors of a spring celebration took point with their ceremonial horns held high, two standard bearers behind them, and eight cavalry knights on their tall war stallions donned in the blue and white of the Skarian Empire. Following a short distance behind them were the emissaries in their fine robes of red and silver, and silk headbands embellished with the royal sigil. As the procession neared, almost against her will, Yue¡¯s eyes subconsciously searched for the familiar mop of dark hair brushing a fair nape. A hint of a self deprecating smile, dark eyes that hid a piercing intelligence¡­and a black fox mask with scarlet markings.


    Just as her heart was about to go into overdrive with anticipation, a gold palanquin came into view, lifted by four wood weavers in the brown and gold garb of master weavers. Seated atop elegantly behind translucent gauze curtains was the unmistakable silhouette of Prince Yin Long.


    ¡°He actually came!¡± Kelia appeared by Yue¡¯s side, just managing to squeeze through the throng. She held onto Yue¡¯s hand tightly, her squeal of excitement lost in the crowd¡¯s wild exuberance at the sight of the prince¡¯s palanquin.


    Yue¡¯s eyes fixed onto the silhouette, hands clenched tight with Fu-er on her right and Kelia on her left with the effort to look past the sheer barrier, sure that he felt her gaze too. She felt a small smile of girlish admiration come unbidden onto her face. He seems to have grown out his hair, and grown a little into those broad shoulders, Yue observed with wide eyes.


    A sudden flash of midnight behind the prince¡¯s palanquin caught her attention.


    Impossible. Yue¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Threads of darkest midnight curledthrough the curtains, a color that she had never before seen. She had never entered the Mother¡¯s thread realm without conscious effort before, much less seen such dark threads.


    Threads of midnight¡­threads of shadows¡­ Soft, feminine laughter. Laced with a hint of cruelty.


    Threads of Mine¡­


    Yue froze. The voice that haunted her from before. She glanced around, but she saw no unfamiliar faces. Fu-er looked down at her, alerted by her frantic movements.


    ¡°You alright, Yue? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I thought I heard someone,¡± Yue tried shouting back, but her response was lost in the crowd¡¯s renewed vigor as more mounted knights passed through the gates. Yue shook her head at Fu-er and turned back to the carriageway. She squinted at the spot where she last saw the phantom threads, but all that remained was the reflection of the sun on polished gold.


    Kelia jerked Yue¡¯s hand. Lost in her concentration, Yue started. Kelia leaned in close.


    ¡°Moonface, is that Lieutenant Ye?¡± A feminine whisper of awe.


    Yue forced her gaze towards the back of the palanquin where Kelia was looking at. Riding astride on black war stallions half a head taller than the rest of the cavalry was General Ye Sun and his son, Ye Yang. Both were outfitted with the latest armor designs Ye Yang was raving to her about during his last Moon Festival visit. That was many years ago. Curving black scales hugged their torsos, accentuating their lean physique after years of battle in the Kharian Deserts. Silver steel highlighted Ye Yang¡¯s shoulders, ending in hooked talons that held aloft a billowing black cape. In contrast, General Ye Sun had gold adorning his shoulder pads to mark his status and contributions. Yue had never thought of Ye Yang as a man, not when he always stood in the shadow of the prince in her heart. But in that moment, with a serious countenance that so mirrored his father¡¯s, Yue could finally see why he¡¯s been getting propositioned by more than a few courtiers¡¯ daughters back in Vyrnos, as he was wont to complain about whenever he wrote to her.


    ¡°Oh wow, it is him,¡± Yue whispered back. She and Kelia giggled like school girls just enrolled in the learning pavilion. Looking at her childhood friend, he seemed almost a different man. Her smile faltered. Worry about the prince¡¯s and Ye Yang¡¯s lack of communication with her in recent years surfaced to plague Yue - would they treat her differently now that they were no longer friends in the Royal Learning Pavilion? As the palanquin and elite weavers rode past them, she studied Ye Yang in greater detail.


    The angles of his face had sharpened with adulthood, his dark hair slicked back was longer than when last she saw him, though he kept the sides short. His straight, aristocrat¡¯s nose looked crooked, like it might have been broken recently but had not healed right. His eyes, midnight dark and serious looked forward with steadfast concentration, his overall posture showed a confidence and ease with his position in the royal procession. He looked different. He felt different. A flicker of melancholy stole through Yue.


    Before Ye Yang turned his head subtly to catch her eye and give her a mischievous wink, letting his arrogant indifference settle onto his face again a heartbeat later. A stunned second, and relieved laughter bubbled from within her. She chided herself for her lack of faith. Her old friend remained beneath the mandatory fa?ade he had to adopt as social customs dictated. Her good humour restored, she cheered with the crowd, waving at Ye Yang and the rest of the mounted knights.


    As the crowd''s jubilation died down to a happy murmur, a second palanquin appeared at the gates. Larger than the first, with elaborate gold carvings twined around curved posts and its tall, curved roof. As the palanquin drew nearer, Yue could make out intricate dragons and beasts of myths in the design, precious gems embedded where their eyes were, seeming to come alive in the golden hues of dusk. The gauze curtains for this palanquin was tied back, the royal within waving serenely at the crowd, face hidden coyly behind a red silk fan. Her headdress was an elaborate study in braids and gold ornaments, jewelled tassels that complemented the dark tilt of her eyes, the only visible part of the noble lady. Her robe of crimson and topaz draped around her elegantly in layers, pooling around her cushioned seats. Four master weavers were assigned to her palanquin, their eyes luminescent in the setting sun.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "I wonder who she is," Yue said to no one in particular, gaze transfixed on the mysterious beauty. Kelia and Fu-er shrugged, all three of them craning their necks as the procession gathered at the plaza before the Dancing Peony Pavilion, the largest building in the middle of the Imperial Villa for welcoming its noblest guests.


    Concubine Shu stood at the top of the large stone steps leading up from the plaza, framed by manicured willow and maple trees in planters on both sides. Draped in silk robes of softest mauve and daisy yellow, Concubine Shu struck a regal silhouette of feminine elegance. Standing to her left and right in a perfect arc were members of the upper and lower households - upper advisors in robes of white and silver embroidery, garrison officers in grey and silver armour, and lower advisors in robes of navy.


    The royal herald stepped from his place behind the marching musicians onto the first step, bowed low at the waist to Concubine Shu. Concubine Shu lifted her right hand, granting him permission to proceed. The herald bent and stepped to the side, arms raised in piety.


    ¡°Prince Yin Long, descendant of the Great Dragon and heir to the Golden Seat of Skaria.¡± A pause, the gauze curtains of the first palanquin fluttered. Leather boots of midnight and shimmering gold trimmings emerged, then a pale hand and mop of raven dark hair. The prince brushed his hands down his black robes, and adjusted a matching headband of black with the royal Dragon sigil carved in polished gold in the middle of his forehead. From Yue¡¯s position in the middle of the carriageway, she could just make out the red and white of soaring cranes embroidered on the dark background of the prince¡¯s robes. He smiled and nodded at the assembled welcoming committee. With Concubine Shu¡¯s lead, the advisors and gathered crowd along the carriageway knelt as one.


    ¡°Long live the young dragon.¡±


    Yue peeked up from her kneeling position, catching the prince¡¯s awkward hesitation. She smiled. Seems like he hasn¡¯t lost his endearing introverted nature yet. Prince Yin Long cleared his throat and signaled for Concubine Shu to rise, along with the rest of her ¡ª and his ¡ª subjects.


    ¡°I thank you for the warm welcome, Concubine Shu. May I present to you Concubine Yol-min, who has gladly volunteered to be royal emissary for the Moon Festival invite this year.¡± He waved at the second palanquin, coming to a gentle halt behind the first. The four master weavers lowered the palanquin as one with uncanny synchronicity. A veteran soldier in black scaled armor with sapphire blue pauldrons who until now stood silently by the palanquin reached forward to offer his arm. An elite imperial water weaver.


    A hand as fair as the first fall of snow appeared from behind the second palanquin. Concubine Yol-min placed her hand daintily on the soldier¡¯s proffered arm, rising from her seat and stepping lightly onto the plaza¡¯s stone steps. The bright crimson of her gown contrasted sharply with the paleness of her exposed nape, her powdered face. She stepped up to the prince¡¯s side and smiled warmly.


    ¡°I, too, thank Lady Shu for the warm welcome. We have brought some supplies at the behest of the Great Dragon His Majesty Ka Long for the coming winter. We hope you will accept them, as a small token of our gratitude for your continued good work here at Tyrmal.¡±


    A voice like warm honey, soft and pleasant, carried across the plaza by sound weavers around the plaza¡¯s rim. Concubine Shu¡¯s responding smile was brusquely polite. Yue stared in surprise. Even though she was only shy of thirty years of age, Concubine Shu was a symbol of maternal gentleness, her smiles rare but when earned, a precious gift. Yue, Fu-er and Kelia exchanged puzzled glances, affirming each other that they witnessed the same cold response.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she only a Lady Yol-min last year?¡± Yue asked.


    Fu-er cocked her head. ¡°That¡¯s right, I remember distinctly she was among the visiting nobles from Sohar who visited Tyrmal. Is she a concubine now?¡±


    ¡°Apparently so, and no wonder. Who could resist skin like hers?¡± Kelia scrunched her nose. The three of them craned their necks, trying to glimpse more of the fair beauty.


    ¡°It is always a pleasure to welcome two such distinguished guests to Tyrmal. Pavilions in the inner wing have been prepared. Should your parties require any assistance, Mistress Xu will attend to them.¡± Concubine Shu nodded at a matronly figure at the base of the stone steps, bronze hairpins, symbols of the head housekeeper, glinted in her humble updo. Mistress Xu bowed to the royals with her usual no-nonsense countenance. Concubine Shu continued. ¡°A dinner banquet has been prepared. Please freshen up and settle in. The banquet shall begin after sunset.¡±


    As the gathered royals exchanged pleasantries and the crowd dispersed, Yue parted ways with Kelia and Fu-er, waving at them as she headed towards the Lily Pavilion.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys after the banquet, ok?¡±


    ¡°Make sure to clean that dirt off your nose! I¡¯m sure the prince will be absolutely enamored by your hygiene,¡± shouted Kelia as she turned towards the quarters of the outer household, located nearer to the Villa¡¯s gates and across the orchard from the Learning Pavilion. Fu-er laughed, walking in a separate tangent towards the pavilions of the garrison officers.


    ***


    A third sash in shades of forest green and bronze fluttered onto Yue¡¯s mattress, a frustrated Yue throwing death glares at her dark wood cupboard. Royal Beast Weaver Ning Xiao leaned against the timber door frame to her room, arms crossed with amused impatience.


    ¡°Moonlight, since when were you so critical of your wardrobe? You¡¯ve always been happy with your formal dress robes.¡±


    ¡°It has been ages since I¡¯ve attended a banquet of this magnitude, Father. And besides, I¡¯m a formal apprentice now. I need to present myself as such,¡± Yue reasoned levelly, even as her heart beat fast with anticipation at reuniting with Ye Yang and the prince.


    Her father¡¯s eyes glowed suddenly. ¡°Your heart threads are fluttering quick as a swallow, moonlight. Why is that?¡±


    Yue flushed, waving her hands at her dad. ¡°Father, you¡¯re not allowed to use your thread sight on me! That¡¯s cheating. Go to the banquet already, old man, I¡¯ll be there before it starts officially.¡± She pushed her father¡¯s tall laughing bulk out of her room, sliding her door firmly shut and blew at her bangs.


    She debated between four dress robes she procured from a traveling merchant during her last visit to the the capital. As the last rays of sunset winked from her room, Yue decided on a simple layered dress of white silk with slender stalks of yellow daisies and pastel roses below her waist, before tying a sash of shimmering silver just below her budding chest. She sat in front of a round silver dish, braiding her hair up into the customary Skarian updo and pinned it down with silver hair sticks. Yue slipped into a pair of white linen flats and pulled on a long, pastel rose fur robe over her simple dress to shield herself against the early winter chill. Yue glanced at her silver dish again and, satisfied, breezed out into the common room she shared with her father.


    Candlelight from the garden outside reflected into her eyes, catching her attention. In the corner of the common room was her father¡¯s scaled armor of midnight, hung on a display timber pole shaped in a T. He must have polished it after leaving Yirlhil in her care this morn and left it to dry on the balcony. Yue walked over quietly, reaching out reverentially to stroke the famed Skarian imperial armor. Behind slender pieces of hardened steel was a layer of soft beaten leather. Leaning in close, she noticed a complex web of scratches and cuts on the midnight scales. Yue cocked her head in contemplation. There was never any mention of battle in her father¡¯s stories, not like the ones reflected in front of her.


    A deep drumbeat sounded from the Dancing Peony Pavilion. Once¡­twice, signaling the start of the banquet. Yue straightened reluctantly. She gave one last longing glance at the imperial armor, resolving to ask her father about the battles he has seen. As she walked out into the candlelit paths connecting the inner household wing with the central pavilion, she looked up at the shimmering crescent moon, anticipating the day she graduated from the learning pavilion and earned her own scaled armor. Earned her place beside her father, Ye Yang¡­and Prince Yin Long.

 Chapter Five

    Yue slid into her place on the lower dais just as Concubine Shu stood from her cushioned seat at the head of the upper dais. She waved at her father seated beside Concubine Shu, who smiled in relief at her before turning back to his conversation with Upper Advisor Kin Liu on his left. With her arms folded in front, Concubine Shu curtsied to Prince Yin Long beside her. Conversations quieted and all eyes turned to the elegant concubine. She straightened and addressed the gathered members of noble houses and stations.


    ¡°Once again, I welcome all distinguished guests today. Before we begin this lavish banquet, I believe the Young Dragon Prince Yin Long and my sister in serving His Majesty Ka Long, Concubine Yol-min, have brought a royal edict to be announced this eve.¡±


    A coy laugh from Concubine Yol-min, seated prettily on the prince¡¯s other side. ¡°Not an edict, sister Shu Li. A royal invitation.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me, a royal invitation,¡± Concubine Shu amended, deadpan. She waved a hand at the royal herald seated just below the upper dais. He stood and bowed politely to the royal family above, producing an elaborate linen scroll from his immense sleeves.


    ¡°Written, morn of the fifteenth sun cycle of Febrar, twenty one years into the reign of His Majesty Ka Long, twenty sixth Emperor of the Dragon Reign, Conqueror of the Tolmar Isles, Guardian of the Mythic Forest, Restorer of the Lost Faith and Great Dragon of the North. It is in His Majesty¡¯s pleasure to formally invite all members of the inner household of Concubine Shu¡¯s Imperial Villa, overseer of the outpost town of Tyrmal, to the annual Moon Festival celebrations at the Royal Palace one month hence. Attendance is mandatory. Such is the decree of His Majesty.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound like a royal invitation. It was an edict in essence, as Concubine Shu said, Yue thought pensively, wondering about the Emperor¡¯s motives. A simple wish for a family reunion, or something more?


    Concubine Shu stayed seated this time, waving gracefully at the royal herald. He nodded and in a resonant baritone began a short litany to the Great Weaver.


    ¡°Mother Weaver, we give thanks for the safe arrival of our two royal parties, for shielding our threads in Your great Tapestry to those who might unwind it. We give thanks for this bountiful feast, without which we would not be able to continue Your noble Work. And lastly, we give thanks for the peace and security within our borders, without which Tyrmal and Skaria¡¯s outpost towns would not be thriving as they have been thus far.¡± The royal herald paused. Concubine Shu gave Prince Yin Long a gentle smile, nodding. Prince Yin Long raised his golden chalice at the royal herald, who then bowed low again and announced.


    ¡°Let the banquet begin!¡±


    Kitchen servants in neat rows appeared from the outer corridors, bearing fragrant platters of steamed buns and mini rice claypots. Yue perked up, not realizing her hunger until the aroma hit her. One of the servants knelt in front of her, transferring bowls of seasoned meat and piping hot soup onto her low table. Da Lun, a senior military apprentice in his red apprentice robes, leaned over from her right, practically salivating across the space between them.


    ¡°You know, if you can¡¯t stomach it all, I could always help you with a portion of your servings.¡± A big, dimpled grin from the muscled apprentice.


    ¡°Oh, stay within your seat, you big oaf,¡± Yue said with a giggle, pushing him back across. She lifted her chopsticks and placed a slice of decadent meat in her mouth pointedly for emphasis. She made a sound of pure bliss. ¡°This is good.¡±


    An infectious, deep-bellied laugh from Da Lun had the other military apprentices glancing over. Still grinning from fending off Da Lun attempting to steal food off her table with his chopsticks, Yue glanced up from her bowl.


    And almost choked on the small roll of rice she was chewing on.


    Dark eyes met hers. Prince Yin Long looked at her from across the two dais and several rows of banquet guests, his face an unreadable mask. After an electrifying second during which Yue stopped breathing, he lips curved gently in greeting. She smiled weakly in response. He broke eye contact after another beat, returning to his conversation with the three concubines at the head of the upper dais with him. Yue overheard snippets of their conversation, noise in the banquet hall fluctuating as food was served.


    ¡°¡­can¡¯t even begin to imagine living so far from the capital,¡± Concubine Pan-rin tittered, eyes regarding Concubine Shu sharply, who continued with her meal serenely. She continued, ¡°You must tell us if you are in need of any supplies or troops so far out here in Tyrmal, and practically neighbors with those Khar barbarians.¡± A shudder. ¡°Sister Yol-min and I shall inform His Majesty as soon as we can.¡±


    Concubine Yol-min chewed daintily, her shrewd eyes observing Prince Yin Long¡¯s and Concubine Shu¡¯s neutral expressions. ¡°Yes, please do, sister Shu Li. His Majesty did mention his concern for Tyrmal on occasion when he visits my chambers in recent months.¡± A coy smile. ¡°I will endeavor to report of any shortfall here in Tyrmal when next I see Him.¡±


    Concubine Shu, who remained silent thus far, looked up then and smiled coldly. ¡°I am fortunate to have such considerate sisters. It might please you to hear that the outpost is well-provided for by the grace and benevolence of my lord and I have not been negligent in my duties as overseer, as it is a heavy responsibility entrusted to me. His Majesty has stationed a group of Wind Runners here, should I find myself in need of a direct line to the capital. Thus I will not trouble my sisters with this mundane task. But likewise, I thank you for the offer.¡±


    Conversations in the banquet hall rose, Yue strained to catch Concubine Pan-rin¡¯s next words, curious for news from the palace.


    ¡°¡­hear rumours of His Majesty¡¯s frequent visits to your chambers in recent months. Oh, do tell¡­¡±


    Da Lun reached a hand to clap her on her back, the military apprentices apparently sharing stories about her father during this morn¡¯s military training. She smiled distractedly.


    ¡°¡­did mention He wished for me to bear Him a son.¡± Concubine Yol-min raised her sleeves to chuckle coquettishly, her smile never reaching her emerald eyes. Concubine Pan-rin¡¯s responding laugh came after a pause, overly high and forced. Concubine Shu regarded her with a slight tilt of her brow. Yue tuned them out then, her morbid curiosity over their posturing fizzling out. Her attention was abruptly snagged by the military apprentices, as their conversation took a sudden turn towards her recent miracle during weaving class.


    ¡°Hey Yue, I heard your weaving manifested in a most dramatic show of martial brilliance.¡± A smattering of good-natured laughter from some of the apprentices.


    ¡°Yes, I heard from Guan about how you weaved while blindfolded this morning! And I quote ¡ª with unnerving accuracy.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°So did your weaving manifest? What kind of weaver are you?¡±


    Yue flushed, flustered at the flurry of questions. She took a quick sip of tea to calm her nerves, raising her hands up. ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything like that! Guan was exaggerating!¡± She paused, realized the flaw in her reasoning. Guan never exaggerated, the General¡¯s grandson objective to a fault. The other apprentices eyed her skeptically.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to lie, Yue, at least put in a bit more effort,¡± a captain¡¯s daughter said from a few places down.


    Yue panicked, attempting to salvage the situation. ¡°I think my thread sight manifested in full today, which aided me in combat. But my weaving hasn¡¯t manifested at all.¡±


    Da Lun opened his mouth to pipe in, but the captain¡¯s daughter gave a sudden gasp and widened her eyes at Yue. A soft cough sounded behind her, and a familiar, deep voice followed.


    ¡°You will have to regale me with this fascinating story, Yue. Sounds like quite the news.¡±


    Yue froze, then swiveled on her cushion, heart in her mouth. The prince stood behind her in the outer corridor, looking down at her with a warm smile, hands behind his back and hair neatly held back by his black and gold headband. The entire row of apprentices turned and gaped at him. Yue recovered her wits first. Turning fully in her seat, she kneeled and kept her head low. ¡°Prince Yin Long.¡±


    Before the other apprentices could react, some still staring open-mouthed in awe, the subject of such admiration crouched down, finger on his expressive lips currently curved in a mischievous grin. ¡°I made my escape from the head table. They assume I¡¯ve headed to the washroom, so do not draw attention to me. Carry on with your meal, but I wish to borrow Yue for a time. Come,¡± Prince Yin Long commanded as he tilted his head towards the gardens, standing back up and offering his hand. With butterflies in her stomach, Yue put her hand in the prince¡¯s shyly and crept away with him.


    As they walked across the outer corridors that framed the perimeter of each pavilion, the reed mats absorbing any sound they made, Prince Yin Long led her towards the private gardens of the inner household. Yue looked at his broad shoulders, wondering about his adventures this past two years ¡ª how it has shaped him through his transition into adulthood after the learning pavilion, how it has helped him grow, if he remained healthy in body and mind. He still retained remnants of his boyhood introversion, but he walked straighter now, shoulders pulled back and steps firm. As they neared the lilac bushes that marked the start of the landscaped gardens, he stepped down the corridor onto damp earth, reaching a hand up to help her down. In the glow of a clear winter moon, he looked ethereal. Reminiscent of the fabled Molthear, midnight twin of the sun weaver Raythear, weaving threads of moonlight to light up the darkest corners of the world.


    ¡°You look lovely this eve, Yue. As I¡¯m sure you must have already heard from the other apprentices plenty of times by now.¡±


    Yue flushed, her heart a trapped hummingbird in her chest. ¡°As do you,¡± she breathed. After a protracted silence, he let go of her hand and stepped back, leading the way into the garden.


    ¡°So your weaving manifested? I overheard that much from your conversation,¡± he prompted, appraising her beside him.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t, only my thread sight did. Remember how I used to only be able to see threads in muted colors? I can see them clear as day now. Well, not always, but on occasion I do see them. Usually at the most unexpected times. And all I see are full-blown monochrome threads of more grey, like the translucent film over my thread sight before has matured into full opacity.¡± Yue blew out a frustrated breath, gazing up at the prince, hoping he could provide an explanation, his mind as sharp as his father¡¯s. He stared pensively at the pond in the distance as they strolled, which remained still under the watchful crescent. His unhurried, long strides were easy to keep pace with, and Yue forgot about her earlier worries about her weaving, immersing herself in this stolen moment in time with her friend in companionable silence.


    Prince Yin Long¡¯s footsteps paused. His hand shot out suddenly, halting her, his head cocked towards a nearby copse of weeping willows, limned in silver in the moonlight. With full concentration on the prince¡¯s face, Yue went on high alert and cast her senses wide. She knew there were many who would wish harm upon the crown prince, and they have provided any potential assassin with the perfect opportunity for an ambush. Yue swore internally. The prince¡¯s eyes took on a subtle silver sheen at the edges, their natural coloration masking the glow of his weaving. He scanned the shadows cast by the willow trees with his thread sight while Yue shifted to guard his back.


    A small sound like the susurration of leaves to her left was all the warning she got, a second after which a shadow leapt towards them from behind a boulder, close enough that there was no room for defensive maneuvers. Yue and the prince leapt back to dodge the assassin¡¯s sweeping blade. Prince Yin Long pivoted around to the assassin¡¯s back, aiming a kick at the base of the assassin¡¯s skull. The assassin ducked, seeming to be acutely aware of the prince¡¯s moves. As the assassin came to a half crouch, he swept his legs out. Prince Yin Long leapt up and sideways, turning midair to kick at the assassin¡¯s jugular. The assassin leaned back, green eyes flaring. A spark, and red hot flames shot from opened palms towards the prince¡¯s side as he landed on the ground.


    Yue reacted after the glow from the assassin¡¯s eyes gave him away. She spun in close to the assassin¡¯s blind spot. Coming up from under the assassin¡¯s guard, her kick to the crook of his arm changed the trajectory of his flames in the nick of time. The assassin shifted right, jumped to avoid Yue¡¯s sweeping leg, turned in midair to punch a ball of flames towards the prince again powered by a jet of flames at his feet. Yue glanced up to see the silver lining the prince¡¯s eyes sputter, distracting him from weaving.


    Yue observed the assassin from a step away, finding his movements odd. He could have delivered a fatal blow when she got in close in her desperate move to deflect his initial flames from the prince, but chose to step away. He was also familiar enough with the prince¡¯s weaving to know how to distract him from it.


    As their dance accelerated, the prince managed a glancing punch at the assassin¡¯s sternum, pushing him back. Prince Yin Long reached a hand out in a vise grip, quick as a cobra strike, his eyes glowing silver again. The assassin froze abruptly, his heart threads puppet strings to a master puppeteer. The royal family¡¯s ace up their sleeves ¡ª blood weaving.


    Prince Yin Long panted and relaxed his stance, his grip remaining strong. The assassin smiled behind his face cover, closing his eyes briefly. The scene in front of Yue seemed a frozen moment in time, serene in the aftermath of a drawn out battle. But her senses tingled, the hair on her nape sensitive. She stared hard at the assassin, whose eyes remained closed even as he was paralyzed by the prince¡¯s blood lock.


    ¡°Who are you? Which house do you serve?¡± Prince Yin Long said as he recovered his breath. He took a step forward, shaking his outstretched arm. The assassin shook under Prince Yin Long¡¯s weaving, a frown of pain appearing on his forehead. Before the assassin¡¯s eyes opened, Yue felt more than saw the spark that shimmered a meter above the prince¡¯s head.


    The world exploded in a brilliant show of monochrome threads in front of Yue, dynamic and intertwined as they danced around her, disturbed by the fight that had occurred. She picked out the darker threads of the prince and the assassin, still forms a distance apart. As she looked at the prince, her blood froze.


    Above him roiled a condensed mass of light threads from the moon and nearby stone lamps, gathered from far and wide due to the lack of light threads at this late hour. They sparked against each other, held together by a powerful flame weaver. As a final light thread from a stone lamp at the other end of the garden was yanked into the storm above the prince, he glanced up. His face registered the impending explosion, a mixture of shock and determination as he braced himself. But Yue was already moving.


    With no weapons and nothing in her immediate surrounding to wield against two powerful weavers, she knew the hopelessness of the situation. The only thing she could consider right now was to save the prince, and she would do it at all costs. Not just as a loyal Skarian citizen, but as a friend. She put all her energy into closing the distance between her and Prince Yin Long, but she feared she could not reach him before the fatal flames above him did. In that moment, as a cloud cover passed before the moon and the world hovered in a shadowed reality, Yue stepped between two midnight strands of the Mother¡¯s threads.


    And stepped out between two others beside the prince.


    He glanced down at her in shock. Yue didn¡¯t have time to process what she just did. All she could think was to get Prince Yin Long out of danger. She smiled up at him in farewell and pushed him out of the immediate blast zone. As the clouds drifted past the moon and revealed the glittering stars above, so it did with Yue standing directly below the fiery comet, hurtling right towards her.

 Chapter Six

    "Yue!"


    Yue shut her eyes tight and curled into a ball. This is it, she thought as the world burnt bright through her eyelids, my time would be up before I came of age. At the very least, she would perish protecting someone worthy. The thought comforted her. Her heart calmed as she accepted her fate. Through her thoughts and the rush of flames above, she heard the shouts from people closest to her heart.


    The prince, her father¡­


    Moonface! That was definitely Kerk and Kelia, she thought with grudging affection.


    The flames above her flared suddenly, it burnt so hot and fast the faint odor of singed hair from her high bun wafted towards her. The flare caused a loud explosion that ringed in her ears, her eyes momentarily blinded. She shook her head and opened her eyes, blinking away the stars that lingered. Looking above her, she searched for her fiery execution, seeing only floating embers of light flickering away into the night. She glanced around her in confusion, first to Prince Yin Long a few paces to her right. In her panic she had pushed him further than she would have thought possible, but she was glad he was safe. Safe and running toward her curled position.


    Yue did a mental check of her condition. Finding nothing amiss, she sat back onto cool grass, not bothered by the dirt staining her pristine white robes.


    ¡°Yue!¡±


    She turned towards her father¡¯s frantic shout from the edge of the garden, his right hand outstretched towards the assassin.


    Twin saber-toothed hounds and a pheonix as dark as the night sky burst from the shadows behind her father, shooting towards the assassin and pinning him to the ground, their speed preternaturally fast.Sharp canines lodged into the assassin¡¯s elbows while the pheonix soared high and produced a shrill cry. It swooped back around in a sharp arc and arrowed downwards, to stab down at his ankles with its razor sharp talons.The assassin shrieked in pain, cries muffled by his face cover. Sparks appeared on his hands but dissipated as soon as the mythical hounds dug deeper.Dark crimson was a steady flow seeping into the damp grass around him.


    Her father stood beside a tall, dark haired soldier in elegant military court robes. The glow of the soldier¡¯s eyes from his weaving was so intense that his irises burnt like emeralds in a hot forge. As the embers above Yue drifted away on a passing breeze, the fearsome expression melted into relief, and that¡¯s when she recognized him.


    Ye Yang, she breathed, happy to see her friend. Just then, dizziness swept through her, forcing her to lay back onto the ground to rest her head and soak in the cool temperature.


    ¡°Yue!¡±


    A chorus of voices as the prince and her father reached her. Behind them, Concubine Shu had also rushed from the banquet pavilion, her face pale as a sheet. Concubines Yol-min and Pan-rin were also there, hands checking on Prince Yin Long beside her. Her father placed his palms on her forehead, her cheeks, worry etched onto his normally stoic fa?ade. ¡°Are you hurt, moonlight? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?¡±


    Yue placed her hands on her father¡¯s, soothing his worries. ¡°I¡¯m fine, father. I think Prince Yin Long was hurt fighting the assassin, though. Please send a physician to check on his injuries.¡±


    Concubine Shu placed a gentle hand on her head, stroking her hair. ¡°I am glad you are safe, Yue. We must thank the Mother Weaver for protecting you.¡± Tears welled in Concubine Shu¡¯s almond eyes. Yue felt tears prick at her own, touched by the heartfelt worry in the noble concubine¡¯s words.


    ¡°I apologize for causing you concern, Concubine Shu. I really am fine.¡± Reassured, Concubine Shu wiped at her tears and stood, going over to check on Prince Yin Long. Yue¡¯s father held onto her hand as she sat up, crouching beside her protectively. A few paces in front of her laid the prone form of the assassin, still under the three obsidian shadows. Still dazed from the attack, Yue stared at the beasts, feeling non-plussed. ¡°Father, where¡­what are those creatures?¡±


    As she watched, the three beasts dislodged themselves from the assassin and ran off into the shadow of the willow trees. Her father scratched at his gold headband, a sheepish smile on his face. ¡°They are my familiars, moonlight. I was waiting for your weaving to manifest before I told you about them.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Yue muttered softly, crestfallen. Her father¡¯s comment hurt.


    He squeezed her hand. ¡°I will tell you more about them when you recover from tonight¡¯s incident.¡±


    Yue nodded distractedly, remembering her other savior. She glanced over to where she last saw Ye Yang. He sat on the stone steps leading down from the outer corridor, head bowed. As if sensing her gaze, he lifted his head. A lopsided smile, half in relief and half in exasperation, graced his face. He stood up and made his way over to her, mirroring her father¡¯s crouch. Yue¡¯s father clasped Ye Yang¡¯s shoulder in greeting and stood to escort Concubine Shu back to the banquet hall.


    Ye Yang ruffled Yue''s singed bangs. "Are you alright, Yue? Can you stand?" He asked, concern clear in his sea green eyes.


    She nodded, rotating her wrists. "I''m perfectly fine. Just a little dizzy. Thank you for stopping the flames just now, Ye Yang. It was such a dense concentration of threads, and it had already built enough momentum to rival a falling boulder. How did you manage to stop it?"


    "Well...I''ve seen something similar happen in the desert. The sun reigns longer during the day there than in Vyrnos, and the wind threads are sparse. Perfect conditions for flame weavers.


    "During a particularly harsh summer, we came upon a large Kharian raiding party. We fought to a stalemate, both sides fought so fiercely, not giving an inch. When the sun came to the peak of its cycle, my father stood over the battle on a sand dune and amassed a huge amount of light threads, prepared to fry the entire raid party. One of the Khar''s flame weavers snuck across the battlefield, sliding on the blood of his fallen comrades to stand before the gathered light threads. His skin started to blister immediately under the immense heat...I can still smell the parts of his skin that started melting." A shaky breath, his hands trembling slightly under Yue''s. Ye Yang breathed deep, finding his centre once more before continuing.


    "The Kharian very smartly chose to focus his expended energy on the bottom of the condensed threads, and with a few focused threads of light, pierced through my father''s ball of flames and unwound the bulk of it. This distraction gave the Kharians time to retreat." Ye Yang paused, nostrils flared and eyes glazed, trapped in the memory. His next words came out in a whisper. "It stopped a massacre."


    His tone...it was one of withheld relief, his eyes haunted. It was the first time she heard of his and the prince''s time in the Khar desert campaign. Instead of stories of glory and achievements as she''d expected, Ye Yang''s time there seemed to cast a shadow on him. Yue touched his arm, hoping to bring him back to the light.


    "Hey, are you alright? It seems your weaving has really improved these two years, though. That''s another step towards your dreams of being Chief General." A tentative smile, unsure of how he would react. "Anyhow, it was a really close call, and I owe you a big one this time."


    He shuddered, brushing aside the compliment. "I can''t keep my eyes off of you two for even a second, can I? How is it that the both of you always manage to get yourselves in some life or death situation every time you get together? And it''s always when I''m not with you," Ye Yang huffed. "I''m supposed to protect the two of you."


    Yue listened to him rant in silence. He needed the outlet, his loyalty to his friends a defining trait Yue has always admired.


    "Hey, but we always manage to get out fine," Yue said, hoping to lighten the mood. Ye Yang glared at her. Yue continued hurriedly. "Anyway, how did you know to come looking for us?"


    "Your father sensed the disturbance in the threads around the Villa, and I was already out searching for you when I noticed your empty seats. Conversation at the upper dais wasn''t exactly the most exciting affair." He shrugged and looked pointedly at Concubine Yol-min and Concubine Pan-rin, the latter still fawning over Prince Yin Long. "I was about to seek solace in a commiserate soul when lo and behold, our princeling was gone from his golden cushion and so were you."


    Prince Yin Long sent a smug grin to Ye Yang over his shoulder, having heard his last remarks. Yue laughed. Kerk and Kelia rushed over from the outer orchards where the outer household held their dinner banquet.


    "Moonface, are you alright?" Kelia demanded, the folds of her sunset orange apprentice robes clutched in her right hand to facilitate her sprint over, Kerk one step behind.


    "The hounds were going berserk in their pens, so we came to check on the Villa''s perimeter when we saw a gigantic ball of fire in this direction from way back at the Lily Pavilion."


    Before Yue could respond, Concubine Yol-min cleared her throat and came to stand beside Ye Yang, the folds of her pastel silk robes swishing softly. She eyed the twin stable apprentices, her emerald eyes cold. The subjects of her icy appraisal dropped to their knees immediately, heads on the ground in supplication.


    "Our humblest apologies, Concubine Yol-min. We did not mean any disrespect," Kerk said, a quiver in his voice.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "We only meant to check on Apprentice Yue. Please forgive our intrusion," added Kelia hastily, swallowing visibly.


    Concubine Pan-rin sashayed over to stand by Concubine Yol-min, tutting as she went. "Failure to pay respects to your betters. Intrusion into a royal gathering without permission. Name-calling of an apprentice of the inner household." Concubine Pan-rin counted on her slender fingers. "The number of sins the two of you have committed within the span of a few minutes is truly astounding. Wouldn''t you say so, sister Yol-min?"


    Concubine Yol-min opened her silk fan, nodding her assent. "It seems to me that you have been enjoying far too liberal an education here in sister Shu Li''s Villa. It shall be remiss of us of the royal family to let slide such a glaring slight."


    Kerk and Kelia did not dare look up at the concubine from their kneeled positions, sweat beading on their temples as they awaited their impending judgement. Yue clenched Ye Yang''s hand, worry for her friends evident in the tremble of her hold.


    "The two of you shall receive lessons in respect today. But seeing as this is the eve of the month of the Moon Festival..." Concubine Yol-min considered the two apprentices, silk fan fluttering softly before her kohl-lined eyes.


    "Oh, you are far too soft-hearted, sister Yol-min. You''re just as bad as sister Shu Li." A grating laugh. Yue flinched as she heard the sound echo across the still garden. "In that case, I shall pass judgement. Twenty paddles of the flog, and five lashes of the cane each shall suffice."


    Kerk and Kelia started to shake from fear. Neither would be able to stand for a month with that punishment. Yue made to stand and plead for her friends, who came only because of their worry for her. Prince Yin Long held a hand out to stop her, shaking his head subtly. He looked towards the Lily Pavilion, where Stablemaster Jotun was hobbling over as fast as he can. The old beast weaver panted as he reached the small gathering, going down on his knees with difficulty. Yue''s heart clenched.


    "Concubine Yol-min, Concubine Pan-rin. This lowly one comes before you to beg clemency for this two children. They are young and reckless, Concubines, but they mean no ill will." He paused, catching his breath. "If there must be punishment served, then let it be borne by me as a negligent father."


    "Father!" Kerk and Kelia turned their heads on the ground, eyes beseeching Stablemaster Jotun to retract his offer. Their father shushed them harshly.


    Concubine Yol-min looked down at the stablemaster, her eyes cool as the winter breeze that chilled Yue through her robes. "There is truth in that saying, stablemaster, and I admire your love for your children."


    Kerk and Kelia glanced at each other, relief on their faces. Yue unclenched her hands.


    "But, you are also aware of the Scripture''s passage: the hardest bruises on a child should only come from the cane of a loving parent. You have failed in your Mother-given role as a parent by spoiling your children. How do you propose to atone?"


    Tensed silence filled the air. Yue glanced at Ye Yang, whose frown mirrored her confusion. No one knew how Concubine Yol-min might react to anything Master Jotun said next, but from her steely expression, it would not be pleasant.


    Master Jotun closed his eyes, weary determination in the lines of his face. "I offer up my good leg as penance to the Great Weaver for failing in my duties."


    "No!" Kerk yelled. Kelia sobbed from beside her brother, face torn between horror and disbelief. Yue looked on with dread, wracking her mind for a way out of the dire situation. If she pleaded for Kerk and Kelia on grounds of ignorance, it would solidify the two concubines'' accusation of their lacking education. If she were to go to Stablemaster Jotun''s aid,a member of the inner household lowering herself for a member of the outer household, it would bring disgrace upon her and her father. Furthermore, it would seem like the members of Concubine Shu''s Imperial Villa were banding together, furthering the slight on the two royal ladies. Yue felt her gut churn ¡ª from the guilt that she was the reason for this turn of events, from how helpless she felt. From the thought that her second father was about to become permanently crippled.


    Concubine Pan-rin smirked, smoothening imaginary strands of hair that escaped her elaborate headdress. "That settles it then. The father of the offenders has offered his leg in atonement for his children''s sins. Guards!"


    "If I may, Concubine Yol-min," Ye Yang stood from beside Yue, hands cupped before him and head bowed. Yue stared up at him in surprise, not having felt him move. Perimeter sentries marched towards them as the two concubines turned to face Ye Yang.


    Concubine Yol-min waved her hand graciously, her face thawing slightly as she looked at him. "Formalities between us need not be so stringently upheld, cousin. You know that."


    Yue jerked in shock. Cousin? Ye Yang shifted uncomfortably, glancing at her in his periphery. He inclined his head in another shallow bow before he straightened. "Concubine, cousin, let us also take into account the good work Stablemaster Jotun has done for our country. Before he was stationed in Tyrmal and before Skaria gained its current Royal Beast Weaver, Master Ning Xiao, Master Jotun was Head Beast Trainer of the Royal Stable, who handled all the royal family''s beasts bar those of mystic status during the Great War as well as the Tolmar Conquest. Apart from that, he was also the esteemed beast tutor in the Royal Learning Pavilion for nigh on a decade¡ª"


    Concubine Pan-rin sliced her hand through the air, cutting Ye Yang off mid-sentence. "Captain, we do not have all eve to listen to one stablemaster''s accolades. What is the point you are trying to make?"


    Unfazed by the abrupt interruption, Ye Yang looked up at the testy concubine with a steadiness more commonly found in earth weavers. "My point, Concubine Pan-rin, is that the Scripture also advocates the practice of weighing our sins against our merits. It would be unwise to judge him based merely on his transgressions this eve."


    Concubine Pan-rin blinked, taken aback by Ye Yang''s reference to the Scripture. No one could refute the Scripture, not if they were ready to accept reprisal from the monks of Mount Shengmir. Concubine Yol-min seemed surprised by her cousin''s calm response, studying him with her usual shrewd gaze. As she lowered her silk fan and made to reply, Prince Yin Long stood up from his seated position, brushing loose soil and seeds from the flowering bushes that clung to his midnight robes.


    "Noble concubines, as well-intentioned as your lecture for Stablemaster Jotun and his apprentices might be, might I remind you that it is considered bad practice to enforce violence on the eve of the celebration of Molthear''s dark birth. By doing so as members of the royal family, you are not only bringing bad fortune to His Majesty but to Skaria as well." Prince Yin Long eyed the two concubines coolly, dismissing them by turning to Stablemaster Jotun, Kerk and Kelia. Concubine Pan-rin kept her gaze down, chastised. Concubine Yol-min demurred after a moment''s hesitation.


    Yue smiled in relief and admiration. Prince Yin Long just invoked the divine in their little standoff, subtly warning them of His Majesty''s possible involvement should they push with their agenda.


    "As Your Highness has rightly reminded us sisters, it is the night of the enigmatic Moon Weaver. We will naturally defer to your decision then, Prince Yin Long," Concubine Yol-min said respectfully, once more the smiling beauty. She turned to Stablemaster Jotun and added, "The three of you should thank your lucky stars. You may leave us."


    Concubine Pan-rin pouted as Kerk and Kelia helped their father up, making their way back to the outer gardens. The sentries at attention around the small gathering picked the unconscious assassin off the ground, slinging him onto the shoulder of a particularly tall guard. Kerk and Kelia glanced back at Yue once, and she shook her head to signal that she was fine. Concubine Pan-rin curtsied to the prince, her action forced. "Sister Yol-min and I shall take our leave too then, and rejoin sister Shu Li at the banquet," she sniffed daintily.


    Concubine Yol-min curtsied fully and stepped around them. When the two concubines reached the silvery lilac bushes that marked the boundary of the inner gardens, Concubine Yol-min turned to them and commanded softly. "Cousin, walk with me. We have much to discuss since the last we met."


    Indecision warred on Ye Yang''s face, torn between staying and assuring the safety of his friends and his duty as commanded by the concubine. Yue stood up shakily and waved at him to go, her small smile encouraging. Prince Yin Long reached out and patted his shoulder, saying, "She will be fine with me, brother. I will not let my guard down again."


    Yue looked at the two of them, incredulous. "You are the one that needs to be protected, my prince. Go on, Ye Yang, I''m sure your cousin must be very anxious to speak to you." She looked at him pointedly, still reeling from the news of his familial link with Concubine Yol-min.


    Ye Yang sighed, exasperated. "Just...avoid any trouble when I''m not around. And stop bringing her to weird, dark places alone, Your Highness."


    "I endeavour to please, Captain Ye," Prince Yin Long bowed low, voice laced with levity. "Besides, the garden is not a weird place. I am certain your words will wound Old Man Pu more than any amount of your flames could, should he have gotten wind of it."


    A reluctant smile peeked out of Ye Yang''s irritable expression, and Yue giggled. Ye Yang punched Prince Yin Long lightly on his shoulder, before moving off to join the waiting concubines.


    As Ye Yang slowed in his jog, he glanced once at Yue and Prince Yin Long. They made a lovely couple in the moonlight, framed by lush peony and lilac bushes swaying to the evening breeze, silver weeping willows in the background. The pond rippled lightly, reflecting the clear crescent. The soft glow of Molthear''s weaving outlined the elegant lines of Yue''s face. She has grown a bit more into her own, but still retained the roundness of youth before a lady turned of age. They have only been apart for two years but she seemed to have matured a fair bit, the little he witnessed of her combat skills far superior to when he saw her last in the Royal Palace. He remembered the tremble in her hands as the stablemaster and his children were being judged, the kind worry in her eyes.


    Ever since the day she threatened to oust him on his prank on the prince in the Royal Learning Pavilion during her first year as an honorary student in the Palace, he felt himself being drawn to her. He saw how she smiled up at the prince, his childhood playmate, her face lighting up from within. He saw too the way the prince''s stance softened around her, his expression indulgent. He was happy for them, that they have found their thread partners. And he vowed to protect that bond, no matter the cost.


    "I see the way you look at her, cousin. Is she aware of your feelings for her? Are you?" Concubine Yol-min stared at him as a sister might, slight concern in her frown. Ye Yang glanced at her sharply, then looked at Concubine Pan-rin''s intrigued expression. Concubine Yol-min placed her palm gently on Ye Yang''s forearm, placating. "Sister Pan-rin was from Sohar as well, cousin. You need not be so wary around her. She can be trusted."


    Ye Yang removed her hand gently, bringing his fists together for a formal bow. "You forget I am only half Soharian, cousin. I fight for the Skarian army, and I was brought up on Skarian soil. My loyalty is to the prince and the royal family, both of you noble concubines included. I do not trespass where the prince''s attention should land, if you would pardon my sloppy explanation."


    "There is nothing to pardon, Ye Yang," Concubine Yol-min said gently. "I grew up on stories of my father and your mother''s childhood bond, one that lasts even now in their frequent letters to each other. I wish that of us, Ye Yang, as we are the only family in Skaria of our generation." Her expression turned distant, voice soft.


    "I am aware, cousin, and I am eternally grateful to have another kin here, one who treasures kinship."


    "Then, may I request for you to come to me if you are in need of any assistance? Of any kind. I hope to be there for you, as you will be there for me." A hopeful gleam in sincere, sea green eyes so similar to his own.


    Ye Yang hesitated a moment before nodding. Concubine Yol-min beamed at him, her smile incandescent. Concubine Pan-rin pouted from the side. "What about me? This should be a trinity, shouldn''t it, sister Yol-min? The number three has always been a sacred number in the Scriptures anyway."


    Ye Yang feigned hard of hearing, gesturing towards the banquet pavilion. "Shall I escort you both back to the banquet, concubines?" Concubine Yol-min laughed, the exotic tilt of her eyes more pronounced in her happiness, hiding her smile behind her reopened silk fan. Concubine Pan-rin sulked as the three of them made their way towards the banquet pavilion. Ye Yang glanced back once, hearing echoes of Yue''s unique peal of laughter, reminiscent of the mini wind chimes his mother was fond of caught in a light spring breeze. The sound floated softly to him, and he felt them reverberate in his heart threads, a sound he did not realise he missed until then.

 Chapter Seven: Weaver Behind The Moon

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    Daughter¡­


    Daughter of Shadows¡­daughter of Me¡­


    Who¡­? Yue thought sleepily, the familiar feminine whispers a distant echo in her dreams.


    Ning Yue¡­You are afraid of Me¡­of who I might be, of what I might represent in your society of class and superstitions¡­Yet you draw on My power, child, use My gifts as easily as you draw breath.


    What¡­gifts? Yue felt her dream-self rise from her prone position, rising to a semi-conscious state of awareness, wariness churning in her gut.


    Let Me show you¡­


    Show me¡­? A moment of all-consuming darkness engulfed Yue¡­


    ¡­and she was tumbling from high above, through dense layers of pitch dark clouds and opaque mist. Yue felt a scream build within her, her hands grasping for purchase on any surface. Her hands grabbed at vapor, but she realized the futility of her efforts in this dream world even as the cold of winter failed to penetrate her night robes. Surrendering to the dream-fall, she watched as a familiar landscape came into view below.


    A circular pond. A curving row of lilac and peony bushes. A cluster of golden weeping willows.


    Two figures stood facing off in the middle of the Imperial Villa¡¯s garden, one with a dark face cover paralyzed by his opponent, the other in midnight and gold robes with his right hand outstretched.


    Yue felt her descent slow, her dream-self hovering just above the scene.


    ¡°Who are you? Which house do you serve?¡±


    A hard shake from the prince rattling the assassin, and the beginning spark of flames above. Yue glanced around, searching for herself. She will rescue the prince, she knew she did. But where was she? Staring hard at a stone lamp a distance away, there was no one there. The only markers of her presence during the attack were patches of disturbed grass and the occasional out-of-place stepping stone.


    The ball of flames above the prince grew and grew, and Yue¡¯s dream-self felt a sudden great tug. Landing hard beside the stone lamp in her memory, she looked up in time to see Prince Yin Long register death above him. Yue reached out to him, expecting to appear beside him at any moment, but as she waited, she watched as the fiery comet slam into her friend. First his raven dark hair, his handsome face, then his broad shoulders, and uptilted gold-tipped boots disappeared behind a wall of red hot flames. She smelled charred hair, clothes, grass¡­and flesh. Prince Yin Long held his arms up to shield his head, his scream of pain echoing into the still night. She tried to run to him but her feet were firmly rooted to the ground, wisps of smoke and shadow curling around her ankles. The acrid smell of burnt flesh coated the back of her throat. She kneeled beside the stone lamp and retched.


    There was no bile that came from her efforts to dislodge the taste in her dream. The smell was so real, the sight of the prince¡¯s pink and melted skin seared vividly in her mind, his screams her personal torment.


    The crazy lady is just playing with my mind. She is clearly one of the mischievous lesser deities of the old legends, playing tricks with my mind to break my heart threads, Yue thought feverishly, using reason to calm her racing heart. All she needed to do was wake from this terrible dream. Lesser deities should not have the power to hold her against her will.


    Oh, dear child, do you not see? You require My gift to protect the people around you¡­Do not reject My will any longer¡­


    I do not require any gifts from nefarious, lesser Weavers, Yue thought as she searched for a way to wake herself. She remembered all the times Kelia would unleash an affectionate hound on Kerk whenever he overslept for class, the hound¡¯s unceremonious pounce on the sleeping boy a fail-safe method to wake him up. She needed a jolt, and a hard one to ensure the dream-jolt resonated with her material self. The chill of the stone lamp through her palms gave her an idea.


    Yue¡¯s hesitation lasted a second. She sucked in a deep breath, shut her eyes tight and rammed her head against the rough-hewn river stone. She braced herself for the paralyzing impact.


    As her forehead neared the lamp, Yue experienced a moment of vertigo, her entire body flung high into the atmosphere. Heart in her throat a second time, she looked around for the lesser deity toying with her.


    ¡°Where are you? Show yourself! Only a coward hides behind mist and illusion,¡± Yue shouted, channeling her father¡¯s assertiveness whenever he approached a misbehaving beast.


    A coward¡­? A high-pitched, grating laughter, the lesser Weaver¡¯s amusement apparent. Strong words for a little girl¡­


    Above Yue, the crescent shone bright with the brilliance of a cloudless night sky. The moon¡¯s image wavered, red bleeding in at the edges and a woman¡¯s mirage shimmered behind, the smiling crescent now the grotesque grin of one of the most beautiful woman Yue has ever seen.


    Fairer than any concubine, the lesser Weaver¡¯s face was backlit by an inner glow. Her tilted eyes were closed, but Yue imagined they would be large when opened. Her nose had an elegant, straight profile, slender with a dainty point. The red of her smile and long, flowing obsidian waterfall of hair accentuated her snow white countenance, the grey of her fluttering gown evoking images of storm clouds gathering on the horizon of a choppy sea. Yue have never heard of a night deity apart from Molthear, the moon Weaver, son of the Great Mother Weaver. The woman in front of her was a mystery, the edge in her smile discomfiting.


    ¡°Who¡­are you?¡± Uncertainty in her tone, Yue asked while her dream-self hovered weightlessly.


    Oh, dear child¡­be careful what you wish for¡­My true nature is not something any mortal can witness and walk away from¡­not with their sanity intact¡­


    The Weaver behind the moon continued to respond in her mind, her mouth still and smiling in front of her. The lesser Weaver¡¯s head tilted unnaturally to the side, her grin getting wider.


    Since your presence has amused me, I shall let you have a rare glimpse of My Weaving¡­pray your mind does not break permanently¡­


    The Weaver behind the moon laughed, her mouth opening impossibly wider. Her flowing hair and gown fluttered faster, disturbed by winds that arose and buffeted the night sky. The howling winds tore through Yue as she raised her arms to shield herself. As she fought the onslaught, globular masses of dark matter oozed from the mysterious deity¡¯s gaping smile. Thick and viscous, it pulsed to the tempo of the winds. The mass of dark matter flowed towards Yue, aided by the shrieking winds. Wisps of shadow curled around her body, almost caressing in their touch. Yue felt her initial fear ebb away, getting used to the cool touch on her bared skin.


    Until a hooked obsidian talon tapped at her left ankle.


    Yue started and whipped her head down. Below her ankle, two glowing red eyes stared back at her from the depths of viscous night. Unblinking. A skeletal head emerged, that of an emaciated desert jackal larger than her torso. Its body, shaped like an eagle, coalesced behind its head, the talon continuing its tap-tapping rhythm. Behind the jackal-eagle floated a winged pegasus, wisps of its face floating away with the wind and piecing back again, making it look gaunt with holes at times, whole the next. Its red unblinking eyes fixed on Yue. To the side of the pegasus was a strange amalgam of a cavern bat and mountain lion, its spiked wings flared in the storm, smoke puffing from its maw.


    A hand latched onto her arm, Yue¡¯s attention abruptly snagged to her right. A woman stared blankly at her with the same glowing red orbs, her grey hair matted and plastered to her head in clumps and around two horns protruding from her temples. Her skeletal structure poked through paper-thin flesh, and what emerged behind the woman¡¯s body made Yue gulp on a fresh wave of cold fear. Giant spider legs unfurled from behind the woman, seeming to grow directly from her exposed back. Yue pulled her hand instinctively from the spider-lady¡¯s grasp, but her hold was firm.


    As her dream-self continued to hover in the middle of the hurricane, more nightmare creatures emerged. Half human faces gaped at her with inhumanly large mouths, their cold hands grasping at her night robes. Yue struggled frantically, choking on her fear and scream, unable to move, unable to untangle herself from the prison of clinging darkness.


    This is just a taste, child¡­but for now you are not ready to see more¡­already, your heart threads are vibrating at capacity¡­any faster and they will snap¡­soon, little lamb, you will be ready sooner than you think¡­


    High in the sky, the Weaver behind the moon closed her mouth, her grotesque smile once more an ordinary crescent, a luminesce slash across the blanket of night. The flow of viscous dark matter stopped, and the lesser Weaver looked down upon Yue with her tilted eyes still closed, beautiful and terrifying.


    Yue jolted awake from her sleep. Her heart pounded in her chest, cold sweat on her temples and her scream still lodged in her throat. She pressed her shaking palms to her chest, inhaling deeply. Glancing out the gap in her window, the paper screens crackling quietly from the wind outside, the glowing crescent hung low in the sky, normal and unassuming. No bleeding edges or mysterious lady with long dark hair that fluttered in its own breeze.


    There is still a few hours till dawn, Yue noticed, might as well get in a few hours of meditation since all classes are cancelled this week in lieu of the Moon Festival. And without dawn combat classes, that gave her a good three hours before she had to report for stable duties.


    Yue sat up on her mattress, legs folded in lotus form and her hands resting on her knees. Beginning with the deep breathing exercises Master Kol drilled into his students, Yue attempted to enter her thread sight.


    ***


    The Villa was starting to wake and buzz with activity when distant chatter alerted Yue to Kerk and Kelia¡¯s arrival before they stepped into the stables. Yue rose from her seated position behind a sleepy chestnut stallion, humble steed of a cavalry sergeant she had the pleasure to meet a few days past.


    ¡°Hey, Yue,¡± Kerk greeted, lacking his usual cheer.


    ¡°You¡¯re early.¡± Kelia looked out at the sky just beginning to brighten, frowned. ¡°In fact, you¡¯re really early.¡±


    ¡°Good morning to you too. Thought I should get a head start with the number of guests that arrived yesterday,¡± Yue replied, her earlier nightmare now only a shadow in her memories, a dream fading with time. Her meditation helped, so did her father who came and sat beside her lotus form with his own an hour before dawn, his quiet, steady presence a rock to her scattered thoughts. ¡°How is Uncle Jotun?¡±


    Yue remembered the way he leaned heavily onto the twins the previous night as they walked away from the gathering of royals, her worry for the elderly stablemaster a knot in her heart.


    Kelia sighed, leaning against the door to the stall of the chestnut stallion Yue was tending to. ¡°Father is fine, holding up well with some of the banquet¡¯s leftover alcohol.¡±


    Yue¡¯s heart twisted at the guilt on the twins¡¯ faces, her own guilt surfacing. She was the cause of their worry, so she had a role in their ordeal. Kelia picked at the brown ribbon that cinched her sleeves around her wrists, forcing a smile to her face.


    ¡°Good thinking about the early preparations, though. If the entire inner household will be going to the palace in a month, that means they will begin their journey two weeks from now. The amount of feed, tack, towels, utensils, and equipment for the horses and hounds to sort and pack is going to be a massive headache. I don¡¯t even want to think about what Xu Jing and the housekeeping staff are facing right now.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Kerk shuddered, walking over to the rack of brushes, considering the display. ¡°At least we have Konpi and the others, and all we have to face is these beauties.¡± Selecting a mane comb, he walked up to the chestnut stallion and stroked his elegant mane. ¡°While they have to tend to all those prickly nobles.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with those prickly nobles, Kerk?¡± Ye Yang¡¯s sudden appearance at the stable doors had the three of them jumping in surprise, startling the chestnut stallion between them.


    ¡°Ho there,¡± Kerk murmured as his eyes glowed a brief emerald before settling into a muted green in the dark of the stable. Soothing strokes down the stallion¡¯s lean muzzle, before he and Kelia turned to bow towards Ye Yang. With the twins so uncharacteristically subdued, Yue caught Ye Yang¡¯s eye and shook her head, warning him not to tease the twins today. He widened his eyes and gave her an apologetic half smile. He glanced behind him, where Prince Yin Long appeared.


    Kelia gasped, both she and Kerk dropping to kneel on the cold stable floor. Stablehands in the aisles stopped whatever they were doing to go to their knees, palms up on the floor in obeisance. Yue beamed at the prince before following the others, her head bowed low. Yue peeked up to see Ye Yang whisper into Prince Yin Long¡¯s ear, to the prince¡¯s embarrassed flush and a hurried push at the captain¡¯s shoulder. Ye Yang laughed heartily while Prince Yin Long cleared his throat, raising his right hand.


    ¡°At ease.¡±


    Everyone rose, Kelia excusing herself hurriedly to the other side of the stables. Kerk bowed at the waist and followed his sister. Yue looked after their retreating backs worriedly. Last night must have been quite a shock for the both of them to be so afraid of the prince and Ye Yang.


    "I hope their trauma of nobles would lessen over time," Prince Yin Long said empathically.


    Ye Yang stared after the twins, a troubled frown under his white headband.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yue asked. Ye Yang looked down, glanced up and excused himself, jogging in the direction the twins disappeared to. Yue looked inquiringly at Prince Yin Long, who gave her a rueful smile.


    ¡°He probably feels partially responsible for Concubine Yol-min¡¯s unnecessarily harsh judgements last night. Although, I do not disagree with her observation. Concubine Shu permits far too much flexibility in this Villa¡¯s hierarchy,¡± Prince Yin Long said, coming to stand at the stall¡¯s doorway.


    ¡°But what decides that hierarchy? Kerk and Kel¡¯s weaving makes them better beast handlers than I am. They¡¯re smart, capable, hardworking¡­they are fully capable of inheriting the title of Royal Beast Weaver. Much more than I am.¡± The last came out in a whisper, Yue¡¯s voice shrinking as she voiced her innermost insecurities. ¡°It is only by my birth that I am not a forgotten street urchin, wasting away in an alley in Vyrnos.¡±


    The prince shook his head. ¡°Our birth decides but one thing ¡ª our starting line. The privilege we enjoy is the accumulation of the glory of generations of our ancestors through their contribution to their emperor and country, passed down through time. It is how we immortalise our family names and our legacies, for those with the ambition and will. The only difference between the stablemaster¡¯s children and you is the resources with which you began life with. Without ambition and will, one born into the noblest of families will not amount to anything than one from the gutters who claws his way to a higher station through careful strategy.¡±


    Yue absorbed his words in silence, her hands continuing to brush the chestnut mare with rote efficiency. Prince Yin Long had always been wiser than his years, but she wasn¡¯t sure if she agreed with him this time. There were some things decided at birth that hard work alone can never surpass. She should know, for all the hours of extra meditation practices she had put in before the Villa awoke and long after its inhabitants slept when the midnight silence of the corridors was her only companion, her weaving was still an erratic, fickle thing.


    Prince Yin Long¡¯s hand above hers shocked her out of her reverie, his long fingers covering hers. She stopped mid-stroke, flushing as she retracted her hand. His endearing lopsided smile peeked out at her reaction.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my intention to preach, my apologies if I ruined your mood. What I did come to the stables to do was thank you for saving me yesterday. Your hand to hand combat has gotten faster, definitely faster than anyone your age I¡¯ve seen. And the way you appeared beside me when the assassin was about to release his gathered flames¡­it was amazing, Yue.¡±


    Yue looked down in embarrassment, not sure how to react to the compliment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I did that actually, so it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to accept such high praise.¡±


    A soft shake of his head, his tone firm. ¡°You were ready to sacrifice your life for mine. I saw that much in your eyes. That is not something I will ever forget, and I thank you for it.¡±


    She fidgeted with the water brush in her hands. ¡°Okay¡­you¡¯re welcome then, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so distant. Two years apart and I¡¯m back to Your Highness,¡± Prince Yin Long chided gently. Yue peeked at him from beneath her bangs, feeling shy.


    As the silence stretched, Prince Yin Long held his hands behind his back awkwardly before continuing.


    ¡°I came to also inform you that I will be departing for Vyrnos with Concubine Yol-min after the midday meal now that our official duties are done.¡±


    ¡°So soon? But you only arrived yesterday.¡± Yue¡¯s heart sank. She couldn¡¯t help the pout that appeared on her face.


    He laughed and leaned in close. ¡°Yes, unfortunately. Although, it did earn me this new expression of yours. You should use it more often.¡±


    Yue¡¯s flush deepened. She pushed at his shoulder, forgetting the brush in her hand and leaving a wet stain on his silk robe.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I forgot¡ªI didn¡¯t mean to¡ªI¡¯m so sorry,¡± she stuttered as she wiped at the stain hastily. He stilled her frantic pats with a light touch on her wrists.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I only wanted to see you again before my departure. The midday meal will be a family affair¡ª¡± a twist in his mouth ¡°¡ªso we will not have the chance to meet again before you arrive in Vyrnos for the Festival.


    ¡°I enjoyed our time in the gardens yestereve, assassination attempt aside. I bid you a safe journey, Yue, and I look forward to seeing you again in the palace.¡± Prince Yin Long released her hands and stepped back.


    ¡°And I you,¡± Yue said sadly. He smiled and nodded at her, before turning and leaving the stable. Yue stared after him, the slit of the orange orchard visible beyond the stable doors showed the Villa abuzz with outer household members preparing for the processions to Vyrnos. She thought of what he said earlier, of noble families, legacies, ambition and will.


    As more stablehands streamed into the stable, Konpi stuck his head around the stall door to where Yue was brushing the mane of the chestnut stallion distractedly.


    ¡°Mistress Yue, your help is needed in aisle thirty-two. The spotted Andalusian mare has begun foaling. Master Jotun is attending to the morning drills with the other stablehands, and she is resisting our help.¡±


    Yue dropped the mane comb onto a nearby shelf, wiping her hands on a hanging rag. ¡°Isn¡¯t she due next month?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mistress Yue. That is why she is in a lot of pain right now, we need an extra weaver to calm her down¡±


    ¡°An extra weaver? Konpi¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard your weaving manifested, Mistress Yue, my belated congratulations.¡±


    As they rushed down the aisles, Yue smiled back worriedly at the beaming stablehand. An extra weaver? She had assisted in many a foaling before, but always as an extra hand to pass bandages or a sterile knife, not as a weaver. The panicked neighing of the mare in foaling got louder as they approached aisle thirty-two, the weathered timber plague with faded bronze numbering swaying gently by the stall door from all the stablehands moving in and out with buckets of fresh water and rags.


    She took several calming breaths as she stepped into the stall. The broodmare laid on a bed of fresh straw in the center of the large birthing stall, Kelia sat on a short stool behind her, green eyes aglow. Kerk knelt by the huffing mare¡¯s head, emerald eyes luminous as he attempted to calm the mare¡¯s racing heart. Kelia wiped at her forehead with her sleeves as her expert hands wrapped the mare¡¯s tail with a long cloth. Stablehands rushed to wash the mare¡¯s hindquarters in preparation for the foal¡¯s impending delivery.


    Yue took in the scene in an instant, glancing over to where Ye Yang stood in a corner, a worried, quiet observer.


    "Good, you''re here. We need another weaver on the foal''s position," Kelia said from her bent position. She sat up and swept her long ponytail behind her shoulder.


    ¡°But, Kel, I¡¯ve never¡­¡±


    ¡°Nillea suffered trauma to her abdomen when Konpi brought her to the foaling pasture. It¡¯s an induced labor way before her expected delivery date. You can see the foal is facing Nillea¡¯s head.¡± Stress lines appeared between her brows as she explained to Yue in a hurry.


    ¡°Has anyone gone to inform Uncle Jotun? I can¡ª¡±


    Nillea neighed weakly in pain, interrupting Yue mid sentence as Kelia quickly bent and held her palms up, the glow in her eyes intensifying before dulling to their usual green. Nillea¡¯s struggling quieted slightly.


    ¡°Konpi and the others have gone to find my father, but Nillea¡¯s situation is critical. It¡¯s a red bag delivery, Yue, among her other complications. Look at the deep scarlet threads swirling in her. Her placenta¡¯s either detached already or the foal¡¯s bleeding. We need at least three weavers here.¡±


    Yue hesitated by the stall door. Any mistake might endanger both the mare and her foal even more than they were already in. Too much pressure on the foal might cause a fracture or deformity, or a rupture in the broodmare¡¯s placenta; too little and they will not be able to correct the foal¡¯s position in time for it to survive the delivery.


    She took a hesitant step forward, glancing at Ye Yang in the corner uncertainly. He caught her eye and nodded encouragingly. Worriedly.


    Kerk jumped suddenly, startled by the foal''s sudden movements in Nillea.


    "The vibration in her pain threads are getting harder to contain. Are you two planning to help at all?" He huffed irritably, the strain in his voice audible. ¡°Today?¡±


    Kelia kneeled beside Nillea''s heavily distended belly, hands poised over the foal''s position. Eyes beginning to light up from her weaving, Kelia looked up at Yue. "It''s now or never. Are you ready?"


    Yue wiped her sweating palms on her pants. She closed her eyes and concentrated, opening them again to a monochromatic world. The threads around her moved even more sluggishly than usual as her palms trembled in front of her. She gulped and gave a shallow nod to Kelia.


    ¡°On three, I¡¯ll correct the foal¡¯s position. I need you to make sure the cord and flaccid placenta doesn¡¯t get in the way,¡± Kelia said, the glow in her eyes dim behind the grey filter of Yue¡¯s thread sight.


    ¡°One.¡±


    Yue squinted, studying the complex mix of ashen threads around Nillea¡¯s belly, twined and pulsating. Mentally sorting out the shades that represented the umbilical cord and placenta from the muscles and bones, she bit on her lower lip uncertainly.


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    Nillea neighed weakly. Yue glanced towards Nillea¡¯s head resting on Kerk¡¯s crossed legs, and met the deep brown eyes of the foaling mare¡¯s, glazed over in pain. Yue¡¯s heart stuttered.


    I can¡¯t do this. The thought flashed through her mind. The only times she wove were done so unintentionally. What if she couldn¡¯t weave now? If she didn¡¯t clear the delivery path in tandem with Kelia, she could doom the foal even before it could take its first breath. She could possibly endanger Nillea as well.


    ¡°Ke¡ª¡±


    ¡°Three!¡±


    Emerald eyes flashed in front of Yue as she dropped out of thread sight. Kelia pulled hard with her mind and hands, hands going in opposite directions as if turning a large invisible wheel. Yue froze as the bulbous mass squirmed and moved. Sweat rolled down Kelia¡¯s temples. Yue held her breath, praying.


    Two long, dreadful minutes passed. Kelia started panting.


    ¡°Yue, I see a tangle of cords on the exit path.¡±


    Yue squeezed her eyes shut and switched to thread sight. The pulsating mass of the palest pink threads turned slowly, the foal¡¯s head inching towards Nillea¡¯s birthing exit and a small clump of faint red threads ¡ª cords that would strangle the foal in a few moments if she didn¡¯t move it out of the way.


    Yue knelt by Nillea and held her shaking hands up to visualise pulling on the red threads. Her mind caught on the cord threads¡­and slipped, like oil on the smooth Villa reed mats. Yue reached out again, grasping at the threads and pulling what she could. The tangle unraveled an inch. Yue breathed a small sigh. She could do this.


    ¡°Are you working on the cords? The foal is almost there.¡±


    What? Yue glanced to her left and sure enough, the foal¡¯s head was a handspan from its noose. Her heart froze. She needed more time. She refocused on the red threads, clawing frantically at it. The more she panicked, the more she slid on the tangle of threads, her hold on her thread sight tenuous.


    ¡°Yue¡­¡± Kelia panted.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying! Can you keep the foal there for a moment?¡±


    ¡°I¡­it¡¯s taking everything to keep ahold of it. It¡¯s struggling. Hurry,¡± Kelia urged.


    Yue focused on the tangle, blocking out everything. The cords looked like a mound of, made of trap loops and dead knots. She didn¡¯t even know where to start unraveling first.


    I can¡¯t do this¡­


    Yue started blinking in and out of thread sight as she wiped at the sweat that dripped into her eyes.


    Kelia¡¯s sudden cry had Yue glancing quickly at the foal, which had started moving again.


    If there¡¯s no pattern to it, I¡¯ll just have to risk using brute force to open a space for the foal to pass through and hope it doesn¡¯t kill Nillea. Yue mentally reached into the middle of the tangle with two hands, gritted her teeth and pulled.


    Nillea gave a shrill cry as Kerk spasmed and fell on his side, his eyes rolled back. Nillea¡¯s struggling grew more frantic, which pushed the foal headfirst into the cords where a tiny space was starting to form. Kelia rocked back on her heels, pulling the foal backwards with all her strength as blood spurted from her lips.


    ¡°Kerk¡­¡± Kelia moaned through her teeth, her expression fierce.


    Stablehands rushed to prop Kerk¡¯s head up and hold his tongue out in case it choked him. Yue felt more than saw Ye Yang move towards the Kerk, quietly instructing them to give him space, knelt and began pumping on Kerk¡¯s chest.


    Yue continued prying at the tangle of cords, but it was like gripping a swarm of eels. The pink threads kept slipping through her mental fingers. A headache began to pound at her temples. As the hole in the cords grew to the size of a fist, Kelia gave a shout that was cut off abruptly as she fell backwards into a bed of hay and laid still.


    ¡°Kel! Kel!! I can¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t¡­¡± Yue cried as she felt despair well in her. She pulled and pulled as she watched the foal ram into the cords and struggle. Her vision blurred and her tears flowed down her cheeks.


    ¡°Help¡­help me¡­¡±


    As her vision started to blur, the hobbling figure of Master Jotun appeared at the stall¡¯s door, his growled commands muffled by the growing ball of cotton in her ears. Yue smiled in relief even as she felt a warm stickiness trail down her nose. She sat back on her heels and panted softly¡­then surrendered to the cool embrace of darkness.