A Gathering of Heroes series: Anhu

Chapter 15 (Li)

We're running as fast as we can, footsteps muffled by the still-warm sand. At a distance, I can see an eerie bluish-grey light shining in the dark of the night, and smaller, red dots surrounding it. An ominous wind picks up, carrying with it a putrid stench and blowing up a mini-sandstorm. However, through the flying grit, I can still see that eerie beacon, and the monk's words haunt me.

***

- Earlier in the day -

"You're finally leaving?" he asks. While his words are tinged with sadness, he doesn't sound at all surprised.

I nod, closing the bedroom door behind me while surreptitiously avoiding his gaze. "Thank you, for swiping some guard uniforms for us."

"... It's not a problem," he says after a brief moment of silence. It's not the first period of silence between us the last few days, but each gets more awkward than the last. "Is he okay?" he finally asks.

"Ahh," I hesitate, tilting my head towards the closed door. "He's exhausted. He's still floating in and out of consciousness, but I think I've got the gist of his message."

"Which was?"

I grin. "Good news from Dong Ying."

He nods slowly. Finally, as if he can't hold back the question, he blurts out, "Who is he?"

I shrug. "I don't know his name, but he's a runner from a greasy, melancholy friend of mine in Dong Ying. How he found me, I haven't the slightest idea, but considering it's that guy... I'm not surprised."

"A... greasy friend?" I don't have to look at him to know that he's adorably wrinkling his nose like a child wrinkling his nose at the sight of his least favorite dish on the dinner table. I smile to myself and move away from the door. The wheels follow me. "I'm starting to question your taste in friends, Chunfeng."

I laugh gently. "I sometimes question it too," I reply lightly.

"Jiejie," Xiaolong whines, running full speed at me in the hallway. I catch him in my arms and know what he'll say before he even says it. "Don't make me go."

"Don't worry," I say gently, "It'll be fine. We'll find Qiuhuo and then come to you straightaway, okay?"

He lets out another half-hearted, protesting whine and clutches my clothes in his small hands. I look over his head to see Qingyu coming towards me with a scowl on her face.

"We're already significantly delayed with the arrival of this messenger," she says. "We were supposed to leave at dawn with the prison group, weren't we? How are you planning on getting that girl out now?"

I shrug. "I'll work something out when I get there. What about you? The desert sun is harsh at noon. You should have left according to plan."

Qingyu narrows her eyes at me with displeasure. "If our xiaozhuzi refuses to go, we won't go either."

"Yeah, and of course, that means we can't leave either," Ganzorig adds, coming up from behind Qingyu.

I sigh. "Xiaolong..."

"I don't wanna go!"

"Don't throw a tantrum now," I scold as gently as I can. "Jiedao-gege will be with you. There's nothing for you to worry about."

"I wanna go with you!"

I shake my head and peel the sobbing child away from me. I kneel down so that I am eye level with him and say, "This is for the best. I don't want to be away from you either, but it's what we need to do to make sure everyone will be safe, now and in the future. Do you understand? I need you as a User at the Portal, in case anything goes wrong with the yaoguai. You're the only one I can count on there."