THE FORTUNIST

9. Wuxhia

"Very few people can transcribe Anviem; The ancient Albenian script which is believed to be extinct."

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Medien watches Wuxhia as he smokes a pipe by the grave. She feels useless. 'Why did he even want me here?', She wonders.

He had been the one to cut the body down. He was the one who carried it to the Tai Forest boundary. He had singlehandedly dug the grave, flung Bala's body inside, then closed it. To all these, Medien had been a witness.

Before they made the journey, Wuxhia branched his father's study. He had come out with a fine wooden comb that had three jewels encrusted on it. A red ruby, a green emerald and a purple amethyst. Medien has never seen a comb like that, with such a unique extravagant design. She doubts if anyone has.

Fine theories are playing in her mind. Is it thinking too far if she thinks the comb is a cryfix? She knows Salem's Flower takes the form of a comb, but that cryfix belongs to Salem House. There is simply no way it can be here, in Dropp's territory, the territory of the Twin Mountains.

But what if... just what if... this is indeed Salem's Flower?

"Tell me something Medien, did you really not know that my father was going to kill..., you know...?"

"No," Medien shakes her head. Wuxhia stands up and turns away from her to face the night sky and its dying red moon. He blows smoke into the air.

"Do you know the reason I left two weeks ago?"

"A retreat."

"That is the calculated lie that was disbursed. I actually went to look for the Fortunist."

"B...but..."

"Don't bother saying what you want to say. That doesn't matter if I indeed won my audience with the Fortunist. Bala had come to join me halfway across my journey. He had come to convince me to return, something my pride would not allow. If he hadn't come when he did, I probably would be dead by now.

"The Fortunist got into our basement with nobody noticing her. When she waltzed in, I just knew." Wuxhia purses his lips contemplatively. "I stood up and told her plainly: 'you are the Fortunist.' I stammered a little though. I couldn't see the top half of her face but I think she looked me in the eye, gave a pitying laugh. She seemed to know what I had suffered in trying to find her. She seemed to be amused by it. She told me 'I'm not here for you. You are none of my business.' What can you make from all these Medien?"

"So...so, the Fortunist. It's... it's a woman." Not a question.

A side of Wuxhia's face carves up. Medien notices that the creepy beautiful comb has replaced the smoking pipe in Wuxhia's hand. "I have been dying to tell that to somebody. You thought it had to be a man too, didn't you?"

Medien does not like the look on her Young Master's face. Quite maniacal. He did not look this scary when he cut Bala's body down. Or when he asked her to help him dispose it. She shifts back a little and glances behind. She would not be able to make a run for it. They are a decent distance away from the General's lodge. Why would she even want to run there? She could feel at ease anywhere that her young master isn't at. He is angry for Bala, more than he had initially let on.

"The...the Fortunist can be anyone. Man or woman."

"Boy or girl, but it is a woman Medien. Only a woman is capable of giving the kind of fortune she gave. Now that you know, you have to go."

Medien jumps to her feet and starts running. Deeper into the forest. Surely! Wuxhia would be mad to follow her. The Tai Forest is rumoured to be haunted by spirits of enemy invaders trapped in it. She hears the swish of a sword being pulled out of its scabbard. Fear makes her throat to constrict and she falls down. Stricken with panic, she tries to crawl. He physique is poor. She can hear Wuxhia's footsteps patiently walking beside her, as if taunting her. She starts to cry.

She turns up her head to look at the young master. The way he holds the sword is limp. She begins to doubt if he actually wants to kill her just to blow of the steam of Bala's death.

He squats and pushes his face close to hers so that their foreheads touch. "Medien, I have to have my revenge. It's the least I can do for Bala. I... I cannot let him die like this."

His hands reaches out and wraps Medien's throat. She tries to shove him off but she cannot. She begins to choke. Soon, she loses consciousness.

Wuxhia examines the comb. "Seviem," he says, then bends down to kiss Medien's lips. He blows out air from his mouth and a bluish essence comes out instead. The essence gets sucked into the purple jewel on the comb. The amethyst begins to glow.

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Xihan rushes into his study and frantically looks around. His joy and expectations have been brought to a halt when the servant he appointed to spy on his son told him that Wuxhia had left with Bala's body and a servant girl.

"He also went into your study," the servant had informed.

"To look for me, I suppose."

"No, he had already gone there earlier to do that, before...well, before he found..."

"Why would he go there again?"

"I don't know for certain, but he did not look aimless."

"No," Xihan groans as he opens a hidden safe under his desk and finds it empty.

"Are you looking for this?" It is Wuxhia, sitting on his chair, waving a comb. One of the jewels on the comb is glowing. Wuxhia looks deranged.

"What have you done?" Xihan gravely asks.

Wuxhia scoffs and rolls his eyes. "You are asking me what I have done? What about you? What have you done? Now, I told Mother that I sent Bala far away where you won't be able to find him. I'm not sure yet though, what I shall tell her about you."

Wuxhia rises to full height. And Xihan realises that the boy has been resting on the hilt of Xihan's sword of office all along.