A scene unfolded. There was a haze, preventing details from being seen, but it looked to Feng like a being with many protrusions, arms or legs, was talking to something that looked eerily like her, just taller.

  This figure seemed to have red and blue hair, a red and blue Qipao, and was slightly on the yellow side. These were the extent of the details Feng could see through the veil. Feng wondered what they were talking about.

  The 2 figures seemed to turn towards her, and they walked where they looked. The details for some reason only got more blurry and difficult to tell the closer they got to her. She struggled to move, to speak, to even breathe, but could not do any of those things. She didn’t need to breathe though, which puzzled her as well.

  She woke up when they were on the other side of the veil, as usual. These dreams started when she was young, and they continued in varying amounts of scarcity as she grew.

  Feng rubbed her eyes, her left eye Red, and her right eye Blue. These were rather unnatural to see, but beautiful in their own way. Her hair was also red and blue, but the sides were opposite that of her eyes. She was told she was born like this.

  Blue is not a natural hair color, so everyone wondered how it was possible. Some, like her parents, believed her to be touched by the goddess of color, Yánsè. Others believed her family partially dyed her hair, either with or without her knowledge. She never once touched hair dye, so this wasn’t true as far as she knew.

  She sat up and threw the blanket off her. As she turned to get off the bed, her feet slipped into some fuzzy slippers. She yawned as she shuffled through the door. The sun was already up, and that meant everyone else was up too.

  She quickly ran back inside. She forgot to change into regular clothes! Feng decided on her favorite Qipao today, one that was red and blue in floral patterns, the same one she always saw in that dream. In fact she saw it in the dream before she actually had it. Despite her questioning, she never found out where it came from. Her parents, Sou and Hei, said they didn’t give it to her.

  With her Qipao on, she slipped off her slippers and put on her Xiuhua Xie, also colored red and blue. The shoemaker was told to make shoes based on her personality, and this is what he came up with. Feng almost smiled at the memory. Almost.

  She walked outside, and everyone she walked past greeted her hello and goodbye. “Hello Feng, are you excited!” Some would say. And she was, hence why she was asleep until this late. She would nod or give a hand gesture to show her excitement.

  As she approached the meeting hall, adorned with large lamps and several statues around its outside, she took a deep breath. This was it. She was about to be told what her next mission is.

  She opened the doors, and her master, Shin Jiang was sitting on a mat, his knees in front of him and his body resting on his legs. “Greetings, Feng. You finally join us.” He said.

  Everyone on the left and right, sitting in the same position, murmured agreement. Feng took her feet out of her shoes and put on a pair of slippers by the door, these ones not fuzzy at all. “Thank you master. I apologize for being late, I had a dream again.”

  “The one with the 2 talking behind a blurring veil?” Shin asked.

  “Yes, that one again. Also I was excited so I didn’t fall asleep until late unto the night.” She informed him. She sat down on one of the straw mats, right next to him. “What has been discussed so far?” She whispered to him.

  He shook his head in response. “Let’s get to the point. Your next mission. This one is very dangerous and hasn’t been attempted, but the great cold inches closer to our city each day. We must find another place. That is where you come in.” Shin said.

  “There’s supposed to be a kingdom very unlike our own past the forest and caves. This is just legend, of course, but I would like you to make the journey and see if it’s true.” He said. “You may deny this request, if you choose to.” He finished.

  “I deny nothing. I will find the kingdom, or return with news it doesn’t exist. When do I set out?” She asked.

  “Tonight, if it pleases you.” Her master said, turning his head towards her. “Later, if you wish though. Supplies aren’t something to take lightly.”

  She just sighed. Another impossible mission none but her dared to try. So she agreed. She could do it. Her master had other plans.

  “Before you go, I want to Spar with you. Seriously this time. I want to see the extent of your training and creativity.” He said. “This mission is like nothing anyone has ever tried, and may prove fruitless. The danger of the unknown is beyond anything our Intel can tell you.” He smiled, as if he knew the outcome.

  “OK, I accept. When will we hold this match?” She asked. “Sundown?”

  Her master nodded. “Yes, that will do. We shall do it in front of the mountain at the back of the kingdom, near the mountain being battered by the Great Cold.” He declared. “You may go and prepare now. The rest of the meeting doesn’t concern you.”

  “I’m sure it does. I’m going to stay.” She insisted.

  “Feng, we talked about this. You’re not part of the council. Just go, trust me.” Her master said. “You don’t want to hear this.”

  “I’m staying if I can.” Feng responded.

  Shin looked down for a second. “Council, I request that Feng be left out of the rest of the meeting.” Shin said.

  “We deny your request. She makes her own choices. If she chooses to stay, then she can stay.” The other members said all around her.

  She bowed in gratitude, then sat back up in the same position as everyone else. “Now, there is a matter to discuss. Feng, your constant tardiness by hours is unacceptable.”

  She nodded solemnly. “I’m not used to the daytime. Most missions you have me carry out at night.” She stated in her defense.

  “And about that too, the missions are easier to complete at night. But we need you during the day. You’ve got to do better.” They stated, before Shin cut in.

  “Hold on, none of you even do anything anymore besides order her around. You shouldn’t be telling her to do better if you can’t even do assassinations anymore.” His voice got louder with each word.

  “She took down the city of Gypa in one night for Kele’s sake! In your prime it would have taken all of you to do that!” He shouted.

  Feng placed a hand on his left leg. “Calm down master Shin. I’ll do it. I’ll do my work during the day. Believe in me.” She said.

  Everyone else nodded. “Good, glad that’s out of the way. Shin, your spot on the council can be replaced, and to be quieted by your own pupil, shameful.” One on Shin’s right said.

  Feng rose and stood. “The rest of you, if you want, you’re welcome to teach me as well. I would like to improve.” She said loudly, with just a hint of anger. “But if you can’t teach me anything, permit me to keep learning from Shin.”

  Shin held her sleeve and tried to pull her down. “Feng, what are you doing? Sit down.” He whispered.

  “That won’t be necessary. From now on, Feng is only welcome when called by us. And when you get back from your mission, I will handle the punishment for your remarks.” One of the members said. Feng shivered.

  “Yes sir. My apologies, it was not my place to speak against you.” She said.

  The member was Garnt, who was the leader of the council. He waved his hand, and she left, hitting a statue as she left to go to her house. She didn’t go back to her house though, she stopped by Heshual, a pond with lily pads and a few fish. And she sat until sundown, then went to the base of Mount Kri, where her match with Shin would take place. When she saw the bamboo, but not Shin, she worried.

  She entered the bamboo forest, and went to the shrine. From somewhere around, she heard his voice. “You have to open your mouth, and make things worse.” His words said. As she tried to find the source of the words, the sky above her grew dark, while the rest stayed bright. She jumped back out of the way, right into a pit trap.

  “When it comes to yourself, you don’t care. But me? You don’t trust me to defend myself or to know what you should do.” She grabbed a vine while she could. The vine started to loosen from the soil.

  “You don’t understand that I care for you. Your parents care about you. The only ones that don’t care, are the ones you actually listen to.” She climbed out of the pit and winced as her hand gripped caltrops that weren’t there before.

  “Look at you. You don’t even have a friend. You don’t like talking to your own family. The Cold grows closer, and could wipe them out any day now.” She gripped the grass anyways, ignoring the pain as her blood soaked the soil.

  “That’s why I have to take this mission, so everyone else can survive.” She said defiantly. When she finished climbing out a moment later, she was met with cut bamboo falling right to her shins.

  “Don’t let people control you.” Shin said to her. She looked up, and saw him standing with each foot on top of a different bamboo shoot.

  “Like how you’re trying to control me?” She said as she shook the stalks he was standing on. He held on to the shoot as he descended, and aimed to plant a kick on her face. “As you taught me, I know how you work too.” She said as she nimbly side-stepped his kick, then aimed to punch his side as he passed. Her fist met with solid clay.

  She pulled her bloody hand away from him. His brown eyes were dilated, and his black brow was contorted not in anger like his tone suggested. “I’m not letting you win this one. Not like the other matches we’ve had.” He said firmly.

  She crouched low to the ground and charged him, swinging at his legs, which he easily jumped not quite over. He landed on her leg she tried to trip him. “I don’t want you to die or become a puppet. You’re not meant to be a puppet.” He said softly, then stomped on her wrist, and on hearing a loud break, walked away. She gripped her left wrist with her right hand, then tried to clench her left hand into a fist.

  She nearly screamed in pain as he continued to talk. “You’re only 15, you should be training with the other kids and going to school and learning to cook.”

  She started to get up, but he was already out of sight again. His voice now echoed from above “And you don’t even have a goal to work towards or anything you want to really do.” He grabbed her by the hair.

  “If I’m not rough, you’ll never admit defeat. Make this easy on yourself. Don’t put yourself through more pain.” He said, taking note of the hand speeding towards his crotch. He caught it with his free hand and squeezed it hard, her bones grinding together.

  He didn’t take note of her other hand, the one he broke, reaching back to do what her right hand tried to do. As he squeezed her right hand hard enough to bruise it, her broken left hand hit his crotch, very hard. He let go of her hair and hand.

  He didn’t make a sound, just tried to grab her hands, and he succeeded. “What will you do? If you have to fight unfairly against me, you don’t stand a chance against the westerners.” Her face contorted to shock.

  “Yes, I’ve been there. The Kingdom of Renar. They have this thing called armor, that protects them from swords even. Your hands won’t be able to harm them through it.”

  She grinned through the pain. “I’ll find a way. Just like I found out how to beat you.” She said as she tried to kick Shin in his shin. He easily stepped on that foot, but then she kicked him in the groin with her other foot, and he let go and his face grimaced with pain.

  “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.” He said as he tried to get up, but couldn’t. He fell right back down on his knees before putting a hand on the ground to balance himself.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Just in time for the top of Feng’s foot to hit his face and knock him over again. “Let me go. Make this easier on yourself.” She said.

  “No, I won’t give in. Don’t be stupid Feng. You can’t do this, you can’t even beat me fairly and they protect their weak points.” Shin said. “If you ever once listen to me in your life, listen to me now. Don’t go to Renar.” He said.

  Her response was to kick him across the face again, but not before he uttered one more statement. “At least try to make a friend and genuine connection.” He said as he blacked out.

  She looked down at him, then went to go to his house. The equipment and mission help should be there. She just hoped that she could sneak past his wife, Shira.

  Feng carefully walked up to the house, and got down on her stomach to crawl around it to the back door. She crawled up the steps, and tried to slide open the door quietly as possible, careful not to raise her hand too high and risk its silhouette being seen.

  As she did, the door slide open easier than she thought, and to her surprise, was met with a brown haired and brown eyed lady at her level. “Hello Feng.” Shira said.

  Both stood up quietly. “I guess this means Shin lost.” Shira said as she looked down on Feng. “He told me to prepare everything. Come with me into the kitchen.” Feng followed quietly, unsure what to say.

  Then she decided. “I’m sorry for the state he’s in. He didn’t leave me much of a choice.” Feng said sheepishly. In the middle of the dining room sat a bag, as usual. And another bag, not as usual.

  “Don’t worry about it dear. He’s tougher than you could know. I didn’t think anyone could beat him in a fair fight.” Shira said.

  “It wasn’t fair, I had to hit him where it hurts. He would’ve beat me if I didn’t.” Feng replied, looking curiously at the 2nd bag. “What’s this one for?” She asked.

  “That, is full of Shin’s teachings. And notes on the Kingdom of Renar.” Shira said. “Stay for dinner, please. Don’t go just yet. Let’s say a proper goodbye.” Shira quickly asked with a concern in her voice.

  Feng looked down, then back up, then down again. “I don’t want to say goodbye. I’ll be back.” She said to Shira.

  “I don’t know about that dear. There’s a reason you haven’t heard the story of how Shin came back from Renar.” Shira said. “Just for dinner. I’ll pack some extra food for you if you do.” She said as a last ditch attempt.

  “Well, I guess I am more used to working by night. Sure, I’ll stay for dinner. What is it?” Feng asked, not actually that curious. Food was, after all, just food.

  “Why don’t you choose?” Shira asked.

  “I don’t really care what we eat. I don’t have much of a preference.” Feng said.

  “Hmmm, then how about spicy stir fry with Chicken?” Shira inquired. Feng nodded. “Great, it’ll be ready in an hour. Make yourself at home, and please, make any request of us. We can spare a lot for parting gifts.” Shira finished.

  Feng stood up, bowed thanks, and went to the room they set aside for her many years ago. There were a few tools she long since swore off, like Caltrops, and a gun that hadn’t been shot. She didn’t like them. Too noisy, and they only fired once, with the handle going along with the barrel making accidental misfires easy.

  She tried to grab it with her left hand, then quickly remembered it was broken. Oh well, Feng didn’t like weapons, even swords turned her away. But per her master’s request, she mastered them all and carried many tools with her on missions to make accomplishing tasks possible.

  She walked out of her room when she heard a baby crying next door. Despite her usual litheness, Shira was there from the kitchen even faster, scooping up the baby. “Oh Aiyah, it’s OK. Mommy’s here.” Shira quietly said, comforting the baby. After a few moments, she set Aiyah down and began changing her diaper.

  “Feng, could you go and check on the chicken? I don’t want it overcooked.” She said as she cleaned Aiyah’s bottom. Feng nodded, then walked to the kitchen as Aiyah made sounds that would make anyone with a heart smile.

  When she got to the kitchen however, Shin was already there, stirring the Chicken. “What’s the chicken for?” He asked her.

  “Spicy stir fry. Dinner. I’ll be joining you before I head out on my mission.” Feng responded.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to eat with your parents?” Shin asked. “It’s not normal to eat with someone who broke your hand.” He stated.

  “I don’t know if there’s any reason not to, most breaks happen by accident, so it’s probably a lot more normal.” She countered.

  “That’s less true, but it’s your choice. I have something for you after dinner, so come see me before you leave for your mission.” He commanded.

  “I won’t need to come and see you, since I’m eating with you.” Feng countered again. She then got next to Shin, and grabbed the rice. “I’ll make the rice.”

  He quickly grabbed it from her and started himself. “No way, your hand is all broken. Bandage it up at least.” Feng didn’t have an argument, and got to bandaging it right away. “I still don’t want you to go.” He said as she did.

  “I beat you. Or do you want to go instead of me?” She offered.

  “I can’t, you know that. Maybe if I didn’t have a kid, but I’m not risking death again while he’s waiting for me.” He said. He put the spoon he was stirring the chicken with down. “I wish you’d reconsider. There’s already an evacuation plan, you could join us and work together.” His hand balled into a fist.

  “Those men, they don’t understand what they’re doing to you.” Feng placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “I’ll be alright, Shin. If you survived, I can too.” She tried to reassure him. He turned to her, and she expected to see anger, but instead she saw sadness.

  “I just don’t want to lose you. Shira, me, even Aiyah will miss you.” He said slowly. He then turned back around, and started to scoop the rice and Chicken onto 3 different plates.

  “Dinner’s ready. Let’s not talk about this anymore.” He said as he set the plates down before the eating mats. “Could you go get Shira for me?” He asked. Feng nodded.

  “Sure thing.” She said as she walked down the hallway to the baby’s room. “Hey Shira, dinner’s ready.” She said from inside the hallway.

  “I’ll be right there!” Shira responded from the other side of the closed door. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Shira was still feeding Aiyah. “You don’t mind, do you? She’s hungry after her nap.”

  Feng shook her head. “It’s alright, she needs nutrition too.” Feng and Shira walked together back to the kitchen, where everything was set up for all to begin eating, and Shin was on his knees.

  Feng sat opposite Shin, and Shira sat right next to her, her babe still suckling its late meal. “Thank you, Shira and Feng.” Shin said, bowing slightly before starting to eat with his fork.

  Shira and Feng both started eating in the next few seconds, before Shin spoke. “This is such a simple meal, but the spices are too much.” He said, almost ready to fan his mouth. He shot Shira a glance, and she chuckled.

  “That’s the point. You make the funniest faces when you taste any sort of spice” Shira laughed. Aiyah cooed happily, now filled, and Shira pulled her Cheongsam back over her breast. “I bet even Aiyah could take more spice than you!” She said, laughing again.

  Shin kept eating though, determined not to make a face. He failed. As he looked up. He saw even Shira looking flushed from the heat of the dish, and laughed in turn. “Learn season control, you want to poison Feng before her final mission?” He asked in a joking manner.

  Shira stared intently at him. “How you managed to cross the forest of spirits, I don’t know. Especially with your reaction to anything that’s not plain rice.” Shira retorted.

  Shin looked at Feng, the only one not making a face or showing flushed skin. “She can handle this at least. Unlike you.” Shira said as she tried avoiding eating anymore of the spiciest food she could conjure.

  Feng was finishing up her own food rather quickly. “It’s really good, thank you.” She said between bites.

  Shin pushed his bowl, still more than half full, away from him as she finished up. “I’ll be back in just a moment.” He said, going into his and Shira’s room, then coming out with the backpacks Feng saw earlier.

  “Before you go. I prepared some tools for you. Starting with this canteen made of metal, wrapped in cloth.” He said, handing it to her. “The cloth is to protect the metal from the heat, and keep in the cool. There’s also already some specialized water to keep you held over.”

  Feng’s lip turned up slightly in a partial grin. He pulled something else out of the bag. A weird thing that looked like a bunch of rice paper, but thicker. A lot thicker. “This is called a book. It’s kind of like a scroll, but the people from Renar use this. I don’t know why. But I have recorded my important findings with it. It’s written in the language I taught you.” He took a sip of tea from the cup before him.

  “The language I taught you as a code, is actually the native language of Renar. The writing the book is written in, also their native language as it’s written.” Feng nodded as he handed it to her, and she rifled through the pages. “No no. You read from right to left.”

  She started to read from the right side of the right most page, and Shin saw this. “That’s still wrong. Look, I know it makes no sense, but you read the pages from left to right, top to bottom. The book is read from right to left.”

  Feng looked puzzled. “That seems very inefficient. How do they do get anything done?” She asked.

  “Well, they don’t rely on tactics like we do. They prefer to fight head on, often sacrificing many lives for their idea of honor. Even their own. Even the father will March to war, leaving his wife to care for the child for potentially ever.” He stated.

  He reached into the bag one more time, and brought out a steel tube that seemed very reminiscent of the gun she had. In fact, it was a 1:1 ratio. “This gun is the one I’ve been working on. And I finally figured out the way to make it able to fire multiple times!” He said excitedly.

  “That’s impossible!” Feng said. This could change the trajectory of the nation, Shoni, making every mission easier since the gun could be re-used.

  “It’s not, I just had to think differently. It may have been the people of Renar that let me think this way. They have a weapon called the crossbow. A mechanism that shoots a miniature spear called an arrow. After you shoot it, you can load up another arrow.” He said.

  “Unfortunately, I didn’t get to take one back with me. But I knew the mechanism itself didn’t use gunpowder like ours did. So I toyed around until I was able to make this!” He held up a small piece of metal, though larger than the shrapnel normally used in guns. It was a metal cylinder, with a tip made from metal, but not part of the cylinder. On the back of the small casing, was a little divot with yet another different piece of metal.

  “So how does this work?” Feng asked.

  “Well the gun doesn’t have exploding powder, the little thing you’re holding does. And when you insert the bullet, as I’m calling it, with the flat end touching the back of the gun, you can pull the handle, and a different piece of metal at the back hits that small divot, creating sparks that ignite the powder, and shoot the tip of the bullet with all the speed of the combined shrapnel most guns shoot!” Shin said, as excited as Aiyah might be with a new toy or scrap of whatever would be nearby.

  “Can you show me how it works?” Feng asked.

  “Not without causing Aiyah some hearing damage I can’t. In this book I’ve written, is a full description of how to rebuild the bullets and make the tips.” He said, pointing to the book written in the language of Renar.

  “You’ve worked on this tirelessly, and I don’t use weapons. You can take it back if you want.” Feng said. Shin looked offended.

  “Please don’t. You’ll need it. And I want you to be safe. It’s dangerous to go, even more dangerous to go alone. So take this.” Shin pleaded.

  “I don’t get it, but alright. I’ll take it with me. And bring it back, unused.” Feng said.

  “Thank you. There’s just one more thing. 2 things, really, but they’re on the same scroll.” Shin said. He brought out a scroll, sealed with his house symbol, the symbol of the wanderer. A long dragon that resembled the river Ghesau. “This is your orders after your mission is completed, if you’re alive. And it also holds a poem for you, that Shira and I wrote together.” He handed it to her. “Don’t open it until your current mission is done.” He said sternly as she grabbed it.

  She smiled, just for a moment. “Thank you master, for taking extra care and preparation for this mission. I wish I didn’t have to go.” Feng said.

  Just then, Shin lunged and embraced Feng. “Come back to us. You’re important to me. To us.” He said, his voice breaking. She felt her clothing start to dampen. “I love you, Feng. So don’t go dying before I do.”

  She felt another weight on her back. “My husband is such a crybaby. But I love that he is.” Shira said, herself sounding a bit choked up. “I’ve only known you for a year, but you’re part of this family.” Shira said. As Feng broke away from them, she looked up.

  And right into Shin’s eyes. Such a beautiful blue, but now they had tears. He stroked her cheek, and moved her hair behind her ear. “We love you, Feng. If that won’t stop you from going, then let it be the wind the pushes you faster.” He said. Shira nodded in agreement.

  Feng could hardly stand it, she felt her eyes starting to get watery, so she closed them, and thanked her mentor and his wife. “Everything you’ve taught me, I will use. So please, don’t act like you’ll never see me again. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Feng rose without opening her eyes.

  When she finally did, the couple was still standing there, holding a sleeping Aiyah together. Feng bent down and whispered to her “I’ll be back for you, little one.” Before straightening up again.

  “I’ve got to go now. But I’ll be back soon enough.” Feng said, waving at Shira and Shin. She walked out the door, the backpack heavier than she was used to, but still light enough to carry. When she passed the threshold, Shin didn’t close the door as was custom. Instead, he waited until she was finally out of his sight to close the door.

  Feng looked down, and though she couldn’t see the ground, she knew where it was she wanted to go. She walked to the edge of the city, and looked back at it before turning around again. It was filled with light, still quite a lively city for how late it was. The only concerning thing was the Great Cold creeping over the mountain the city was partially built on.

  As she walked from its edge, her mind stopped thinking. It seemed to all be on her shoulders. The very city she’s walking away from, she felt like she was carrying. Just like with every other mission, everyone depended on her succeeding. As she walked onward, careful not to make a sound, she entered a Grove of trees she was all too familiar with the sight of, but not the smell or feel of the air.

  This was Qiao, the forest that can’t be crossed. She took one quick breath, and then another. This smell was pleasant to her. She relaxed. The trees were different to what she was used to, taller and less chaotic in shape, but she liked the feel of the sharp, pointy, thin pine needles. Once deep enough into the forest, about 15 minutes walking, she light a fire.

  There was a book she wanted to read. The book Shin gave her.