Three Koi and an Orchid

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Her hand rose to wipe her eye.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The irritation roused her, and Pia cracked open her eyes. The dull sound of drums beat in her ears and the world swam in blurry smudges before her. She blinked, then blinked again until her vision cleared. A fierce pain radiated from the back of her head.

Groaning from the pain, Pia reached back to touch it. The second her fingers touched the lump on the back of her head she hissed loudly. Her fingertips brushed crusted blood, dislodging some and causing a fresh leak to start. Wiping her fingers on the edge of her robe Pia blearily looked around. Haojie was in front of her, back turned to her. She leaned forward but that move sent the world spinning once more. Biting down the nausea that rose in her throat, Pia took a few slow breaths to get it under control.

When she felt able to speak, Pia managed a soft, “Wha’ppened?” that came out more of a mumble than a sentence.

Haojie spun around quickly causing the bag he held in his hands to rattle loudly. His eyes scanned her pale face over.

“Oh, you’re awake! How’s your head?” his voice was low but it still made Pia wince in pain.

The sound only caused her head to pound harder.

“Hurts,” she mumbled.

“You hit it pretty good. An excellent self-knockout technique.”

If her head hadn’t hurt so badly, she might’ve laughed, but any movement just exacerbated her nausea. Her eyes slipped closed, blocking out the sights, wishing she could block the sounds too. Thrum, thrum, thrum the drum in her head pounded away.

A pill was pressed to her lips, and she obediently opened. The taste was bitter, it was a trademark of Yijun’s, but she chewed and swallowed it, gagging at the taste. For a moment, Pia thought she was about to empty her stomach. Sweat broke out across her brow as a low, heavy pressure built in her belly. The rain continued to fall, and the coolness was a relief against the fire in her scalp. Slowly, the ill feeling subsided, and lethargy crept through her veins. Her lashes fluttered but didn’t open again.

Fingers grasped her arm, pulling her sleeve up, and then resting on her pulse.

“Your pulse is a bit arrhythmic, but I don’t sense any lasting injury. Likely the shock,” he murmured, more to himself than to Pia.

Breathing slowly and evenly, Pia saw and heard nothing, and that was a relief.

Haojie sighed, seeing her slide unconscious once more. Tucking the bag over his shoulder, he bent and lifted the girl into his arms.

“I should’ve swapped with Yijun,” he grumbled, then leapt into the air and leapt across the breeze.

When Pia became aware again, she was tucked beneath blankets, a warming stone placed beside her legs, and her head was wrapped in cloth. Sitting up, Pia put her hand to her head expecting pain, but none came. Her eyes swept the room, not recognizing the brown walls or the plain, narrow bed she was laying in.

Shifting, Pia turned to see Yijun sitting on a stool at the side of the bed. He was wrapping up a fabric medical pouch but she could see rows and rows of acupuncture needles before it closed all the way.

“I leave you alone with Haojie for one day...” Yijun said with the sigh of a suffering man, but he smiled to let her know he was joking.

He leaned towards Pia and gently peeled back the layers of the bandage around her head, revealing skin that had been expertly knitted together with fine threads of yi, a technique passed down through his family for centuries.

“Feeling better now?” he asked. “The skin on your scalp has healed but you’ll have some tenderness and aches for a few days.”

She nodded. The pain was gone, only a slight pressure at the base of her head remained. It was hardly noticeable, especially in comparison to the earlier nauseating feeling. Yijun was truly a skilled physician.

“What happened?” she asked, feeling the back of her head. It was tender, but the knot was gone, and the blood washed away. She remembered coming to in pain and Haojie giving her medicine, but nothing else.

“Your leg tangled in the rope when you fell, and you cracked your head off the tower wall. Hung there until Haojie got you down.”

Remembering the terrifying feeling of freefalling, Pia shivered violently. Looking at her hands, Pia saw they were once more covered in light wraps too. The sliding grip had scared her so badly she’d not even registered that pain.

Frowning as she tried to remember, Pia asked, “He gave me a pill for it. Didn’t that help?”

Laughing, Yijun put his rolled-up pouch into his physician bag. Resting his elbows on his knees, he leaned close and gave Pia a secret smile.

In a conspiratorial whisper he said, “He gave you a sleeping pill. I think he meant to give you a pain pill, but he’s never been very good at telling the two apart. He’s sulking around here somewhere.”

It pulled a laugh of disbelief from her. Shifting in the bed, Pia turned herself to face Yijun. In the dim lantern light, she could see he was wearing a set of black robes, embroidered with red lines on the cuffs and trim. It was much finer wear than she typically saw him in. Remembering the earlier information Haojie had given her, Pia’s curiosity took the chance.

Giving him a sly look, she asked, “So. A sect task?”

Rolling his eyes, Yijun stood up.

“Nice try,” he said, picking up his physician bag and crossing the room to the doorway. She sighed, slumping onto her elbows on the bed.

When Pia didn’t get up to follow, Yijun raised a brow.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Realizing Yijun meant for her to go with him, she scurried out of the bed. Standing, Pia looked down and found her boots beside the bed. Someone had taken the time to clean most of the mud from them and dried them out. She pulled them on and then stood. Her balance swayed slightly at the sudden change in position, but quickly righted itself.

“I don’t recognize anything. Where are we exactly?” she asked as she moved to follow him.

Opening the door, he gestured into the outside hall.

“We’re inside one of the Xieya houses, the Snowbird Pavilion. Haojie brought you here in a panic. I think he worried that he’d accidentally poisoned you,” Yijun said, voice warm with amusement.

Eyes narrowing darkly, Pia muttered, “Feeling safer by the minute with him being my spotter.”

Yet, her mood lifted as they walked. Her first glimpse inside one of these ‘secret’ sect houses! The hallway they were in ran between an inner wall and an outer wall. The walls were neutral brown and beige with no decorative additions. Simple and minimalistic. They soon came to a doorway that led out to a long running walkway that ran the length of the house. On the other side of the walkway was a wide courtyard. Inside the courtyard Pia could see rows of students training. Instantly, her curiosity rose.

Her eyes roved over them, mentally counting about thirteen students. They were all dressed in deep blue, almost black, training robes. Currently, the students were all squatting deeply, with three bamboo poles holding large, wooden buckets balanced on their shoulders. From the walkway she couldn’t make out what was in them, but it was clear from the strain on their faces that the buckets were heavy. Pia winced as one of the instructors swatted a boy whose poles began to wobble. She remembered the pain of those bamboo canes.

“Are those apprentices?” she asked Yijun, ducking her head to keep the students in her vision when a potted tree blocked her view.

At the end of the row of students Pia caught a familiar face. It was dainty, almost feminine, and the student had a high-swaying ponytail.

“That’s Lei, isn’t it?” she asked, pointing to the boy.

“Those are apprentices who’ve received their tokens. It’s a step above regular apprentices,” he explained, coming to a stop to watch when he saw her craning her neck. Pia stood at his shoulder, grateful to get a chance to look her fill. Yijun added, as if he’d almost forgotten, “Oh, yes, that’s Lei.”

Lei’s face was bright red, and Pia could see from here that his legs were trembling. She remembered how he’d snubbed her, calling her a ‘that.’ Her head cocked to the side as a thought came to her.

“Would it be terrible if I—”

“Yes, it would.”

“I didn’t even finish my sentence.”

“Someday you’ll find out firsthand that you never want the wrath of an instructor on you.”

“Someday?”

Grinning, Yijun gently tugged the end of her braid, saying, “When Ruwe deems you ready, you’ll know.”

Sighing, Pia’s eyes stayed locked on the students. She’d wanted to flick wind yi at one of Lei’s buckets, but she refrained.

“Why’s it such a big secret? Aren’t I a part of the sect too?” she asked, fingering the black token that hung from her belt. The cool, smooth surface always reassured her.

Pursing his lips, Yijun remained quiet. She stole a glance at his profile. His wide jaw was set but his brows were low in thought. Hope unfurled within her, a warm buzz that settled under her skin. Perhaps it was just the aftereffects of being healed, but Pia thought it was her anticipation building as Yijun thought of an answer for her.

Finally, he said, “You are a part of us. But you’re Ruwe’s apprentice, not a Xieya apprentice. I can tell you that Ruwe also wasn’t an apprentice of the sect, but of his Master.” Yijun held up a had to stop her when he saw her mouth open. “That’s all I’m saying on that.”

Her mind buzzed with the new information. Ruwe also hadn’t been an apprentice of Xieya? What did that mean? It pleased her to have something in common with her Master. It soothed the knot of frustration she felt for always being kept in the dark.

“Come with me. Someone wants to see you,” Yijun said, turning away from the walkway.

Someone? Pia wondered. Despite Cangzhi being a massive complex, she’d hardly met anyone outside of the servants.

Pia’s eyes took one last look at the training students, particularly at the straining Lei, and turned to follow. When Yijun reached the doorway at the end of the walk, Pia let loose the wind talisman she’d secretly drawn and hidden beneath her palm. It sailed across the courtyard. Just as she stepped through the doorway, she heard a satisfying gasp, followed by the crashing, sloshing sound of a bucket full of water hitting the ground.

Biting her lip to keep from laughing, Pia looked up and saw Yijun giving her a flat look.

“Brat,” he chastised, but his lips quirked upwards, and he didn’t reprimand her.

As they walked, Yijun didn’t take her into any of the rooms. It was clear that she was only allowed in certain areas. The temptation to crack one of those doors open was tempered by him having let slide her earlier mischief. Best not to tempt fate twice.

They walked to the end of the hallway and then turned left, then walked another short hallway, and turned right. A sliding door was already cracked open, but Yijun still knocked on the frame.

“Enter,” came from inside and Pia’s ear twitched. That voice sounded oddly familiar.

Yijun went first with Pia right on his heels. He bowed in respect to the person in the room, but Pia was instantly distracted, eyes wide as she scanned the room.

It was lined wall to wall with calligraphy paintings and poems, and maps of places she’d never seen before. Multiple long shelves lined the floor, filled with books, vases, statues, and strange items that she didn’t even recognize. Three crows sat atop a wide perch in the corner and when her eyes locked on them, they bobbed their heads, chattering madly. Her eyes went distant, remembering the crows who’d always greeted her on Divine Ascent. She smiled, and then finally her eyes wandered back to Yijun and the person he’d greeted.

Shocked to her core, Pia’s mouth fell wide open. Had she damaged her brain earlier in the day? Reaching up to touch her head, Pia shook her head and blinked her eyes rapidly to see if the man was still there. He was. The tall frame, broad stature, strong jawline, those deep, fathomless eyes, that wide white streak in an otherwise black head of hair…

When he was still there, Pia blurted out, “You!?”

“It’s I,” Mow said, giving her a crooked smile.

“What’re you doing here?” she asked in a shocked tone, still unable to process what she was seeing.

“How about some tea first?” he asked, sweeping his arm out to indicate the seat beside him. To Yijun, he asked, “Haojie still hiding?”

Mow was sitting in a wooden ground chair stuffed deep with cushions. Before him a low dining table held a steaming pot of tea and four cups.

Yijun nodded. “I’ll go find him,” he said, giving Mow another bow of respect.

“Check the east wing. I suspect he’s found my wine stash and hoping to drink his embarrassment away.”

Grinning, Yijun left the room, leaving Pia and Mow alone.

Mow was dressed in a deep blue robe embroidered with white cranes. It was elegant and refined, a gentleman scholar’s kind of attire. His hair was no longer in a low tail but pulled into a half-tail and secured with a green jade hairpin. Her eyes narrowed. The change of appearance felt like finding a dragon hiding in a dress.

Shaking out a long sleeve, Mow picked up the tea pot and began to pour. He poured until it overflowed, then placed the lid on top of the teacup, and dumped the contents out over the other three cups. Putting the teapot down, Mow tipped each cup over, letting the tea spill onto the tabletop. Replacing the cups on their saucers he poured Pia and then himself a fresh cup.

Pushing a cup across the table, he looked up at her, asking, “How’s it been being Ruwe’s apprentice?”

Feeling rude, Pia quickly crossed to the table and took the seat beside him. Picking up the tea, the sweet and smoky scent of toasted rice tea drifted into her nose. It smelled exquisite.

“It’s been interesting,” she answered distractedly. This entire exchange felt surreal. She’d met the man once in Dwelling. Seeing him here was completely unexpected. Why was he here?

The tea tasted even better; Pia realized. It’d been expertly dried, and the rice toasted with care.

“And how did winning at selection go?”

The hand holding her teacup froze at her lips. The words echoed in her mind. How did it go? And then she remembered Ruwe telling her someone wanted her to think she’d failed…Eyes snapping to Mow’s face, the only common denominator she’d found. Anger, always waiting, always ready, burned so hot even her cheeks flamed red.

“Was it you?” Pia demanded, slamming her cup back onto the table. The tea sloshed out, and any other time Pia might’ve regretted wasting such precious tea.

Mow’s face stayed calm and even. Without answering her, he reached for the pot and refilled her cup.

“Anger is like a teapot,” Mow said, continuing to pour. Pia’s hand stayed defiantly tight around the cup. “It simmers, then it boils, until at last it has nowhere to go but out,” the tea spilled out of the cup and onto her fingers. It burned, quickly soaking through the wraps Yijun had covered her hands in. Still, Pia’s hand remained stubbornly locked on the cup.

He pulled the teapot away then, giving her a reproachful look. In her anger, Pia couldn’t back down.

“I asked you a question,” she hissed, pulling her hands into her lap, where they curled into tight fists. The little sparks of pain from the heat of the tea didn’t pull her from her anger.

“Did it not work out?” He countered, picking up his tea. The steam drifted upwards, casting a hazy view that covered his face, but he saw her jaw tighten and her lips press into a fierce line.

Relenting with a sigh Mow answered her.

“Yes, it was me. I spoke with Master Ton and had your grades removed from the selection pool. I had my eye on you already.”

He’d had his eye on her. What’d that mean? She’d never seen him until the day she’d been bullied back in Dwelling.

“Do you know that that did to me?” Pia asked, and some of the pain and hurt she still felt bled into her voice.

“Why?” was all she could ask, and in that word her voice broke.

For a long moment, Mow stared at her, taking in her face, her braids, the way she sat, and the way her yi rolled furiously within her. A miniscule smile of fondness quirked his lips. To Mow, it was like looking into carbon copy of a long-gone dear friend. Not that she’d know that.

“You were confident in your guaranteed success. I wanted to see who you really were when you failed. Would you despair? Would you seek vengeance? Would you rebel? A person’s words and actions are often at odds. I wanted to see the real Pia.”

She tried to digest it, but the anger within her felt like a caged tiger, snarling and spitting at its cage. A tremble started in her hands and no matter how tight she squeezed them it wouldn’t stop.

Seeing the look on her face and the state of her yi, empathy stirred in Mow. He had no regrets for his actions but, as he looked at her distraught face, he realized how young she was.

“I hadn’t expected you to run away,” he said, voice tinged with regret. “I hardly had time to contact Ruwe and ask him to fetch you. Good thing his two tracker dogs were with him, or you might still be wandering the plains.”

Tracker dogs? Confused, Pia tried to decipher what he meant. Did he mean…Haojie and Yijun!? Pure indignation tipped her anger into action. It wasn’t even a thought, she just reacted.

“Don’t call them dogs!” she roared in rage and hurled her teacup at him.

What she hadn’t expected was the surge of yi that exploded out of her. All the anger and rage, the hurt and pain, the despair she had buried deep within her heart, pounded in her veins, her skull, her chest. A war drum beat within every fiber of her being. BOOMBOOMBOOM. Was it her heart? Was she dying? Her vision narrowed; her breath caught—she couldn’t breathe! And then…

It erupted.

A sizzling, vibrant red-orange ball of power erupted from her chest, blasting towards Mow, trailing violent, volatile sparks in its wake. Pia's shoulders buckled and she sagged as her breath came in ragged gasps, her body trembling as if she'd run for miles. Shock rippled through her, wide-eyed and disbelieving as the air around her still crackled with hostile energy.

Mow’s hand flew up, and with quick sweeps of wrist and palm, he caught the orb in his palms.

“See, a teapot,” he said, giving her a smile as he pushed his yi into the orb until it took on the shape of a teapot.

Mouth agape, Pia could only pant and tremble in the aftermath. His lack of seriousness about it left her further bewildered. A pounding pain filled her head once more. Mow sighed and shook his hand, dissolving the orb. Bringing two glowing fingers to her forehead, Mow pushed life essence into her core. Immediate relief. Her body relaxed and the shaking stopped. The anger that had rapidly burned her from the inside out had vanished like smoke in the breeze.

“What was that?” she asked in a croaky voice.

Pia reached for her tea, found it was missing, and poured herself a new cup.

“It was a child spilling her teacup over,” Mow said, giving her a meaningful look of chastisement.

Shaking her head, Pia tried to wrap her mind around what had happened. She’d never had an outburst like that. It was as if, facing the person who’d derailed her life, all her pent-up emotions spiraled out of control. Now that her emotions had cooled, embarrassment burned her cheeks. Pia’s hurt wouldn’t fade so easily, but in a way, Mow had helped her. In a roundabout way. Casting a look at him sitting so calmly, Pia shivered as she recalled the powerful control of yi he’d displayed. Remembering being impressed in Dwelling over his very light display made her twice as wary seeing his stronger display of control now.

“Your loyalty is appreciated, but I wasn’t insulting Haojie and Yijun. Though I admit I could’ve tempered my tongue,” Mow said, surprising Pia with the almost apology.

He went on, before she could speak.

“Back to your questions…You wanted to know why? I wanted to see if failure would drive you or drown you. I didn’t expect you to run away, but I also didn’t expect you to thrive doing so. I knew I’d made a good decision when Ruwe sent a letter telling me he’d accepted you. I half expected him to bring you right back here and dump you on the sect.”

Digesting that, Pia still found herself coming up short on how Mow was even connected to Xieya, let alone her.

“But, how are you even connect to the Xieya sect? To Master Ruwe?” she asked finally, hoping he’d answer.

For the second time, Mow stunned her.

In a very nonchalant tone, as if he weren’t revealing the most significant information Pia had received since meeting Ruwe, Mow said, "I’m the Xieya Sect Leader, and Ruwe was my sole personal apprentice."