A New Start

Journeys

"Are you sure?" His Li Luo asks him. "No, but I have to find out. Only my brother could use the sword like that." Ka Suo has been puzzling over the sword and the thief for some time now. He shakes his head.  They couldn't find his brother, not even in the dream realm. And now the sword had been stolen by a mysterious man in a mask who seems familiar with the sword. Could Ying Kong Shi have also lost his memory?  He couldn't be sure until he saw all the pieces in front of him.

A guard walks in and bowes to the king.  "Urgent news from the border. We have seen the man you are searching for near the boarder traveling with the fire princess. They seem to be headed in the direction of spirit snow mountain." Ka Suo is about to answer when another guard bursts in. "It's the mermaid princess, she's suffering from her cold sickness again. What should we do?"

"We'll have to catch up to Li Tian Jin, the mermaid princess will have to come as well." His Li Luo is visibly upset. "You're going to spirit snow mountain with her." She says this softly, but avoids eye contact.  Ka Suo takes her hand, looks at her with a gentle smile. "I will always want you by my side my Li Luo.  You will come with me as well."  She smiles but still doesn't seem pleased, but Ka Suo is already making plans for the journey back to snow mountain.

Later, a guard hurries to the fire king. "Kasuo and two women have been spotted heading toward sacred snow mountain." Huo Yi leans back smiling. His plans are falling into place.  With Kasuo gone from the palace, this also creates an advantage for him.  There is now noone left that is strong enough to beat him.  Though, one of his opponents could be his match in his current state.  He'll have to think on it.

Li Tian Jin is stone cold walking beside Yan da.  No words pass between them.  They are keeping a slow pace, since their goal is to lure Kasuo to sacred snow mountain.  They had taken a path the ice clan guards were sure to be monitoring.  In truth, they are simply waiting to sense his presence.   Though the first thing anyof them sense is the tension in her companion.  She instinctively looks back down the hill and sees more than one figure moving up the hill.  They are still far enough to not be identifiable.  She places a hand on his shoulder, he turns to look at her.  He visibly relaxes and looks back down the hill.  He frowns. "Something is wrong."  He turns and starts to move towards the figures further down at a quick pace.  Yanda follows without a word.  

Li Tian Jin soon sees that the mermaid princess is being carried by Ka Suo.  He also notices the expression on Li Luo's face.  He quickly gets to work on the mermaid princess once he is close enough.  

"Thank you.  I feared we wouldn't catch up to you on time.  We left as soon as we could."  Kasuo seems genuinely thankful.

Li Tian Jin makes a small smirk toward Yanda, then looks to Kasuo. "We are heading to sacred snow mountain.  You may join us if you wish for me to continue healing the mermaid princess."

"Why are you heading to sacred snow mountain?  Everyone else seems to be fleeing that place."

He frowns at the newly arrived trio. "Its none of your business.  As I said, you can join us if you want me to continue healing the mermaid princess."  With that he turns and heads back up the hill with Yanda.  The trio have no choice but to keep the same pace.

There is a sixth member of their party following them up the hill, but no one says whether they sense him or not.