SKY OF PAPER: AN ASIAN STEAMPUNK FANTASY

CHAPTER 50

Late that night, I laid quietly in my futon as I watched with some curiosity at Kassashimei, asleep in the bedding next to me. She was as vibrant as ever when she and I watched over the chienkuu ko earlier that evening. She’d repeatedly insulted the poor shyo mah who, in the dull moments of sitting absolutely still while watching the motions of her partner, kept dozing off. She prodded her in the back with one of her oddly decorated spirit sticks whenever there was any sign of the girl leaning over in a groggy daze. Kassashimei claimed that the stick was a water wand, that if handled properly, kept the rain at bay. In her vast, self-proclaimed charity, she thought it wise that they learn to fly the ship without the hindrance of a sudden midnight rainstorm. 

I smirked at the sight of another trinket in her hands. She took offense and frowned at me through most of the night. Still, in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but wonder about the growing mystery that was my shyo mah. What secrets was she keeping from me? The Young Emperor’s words had only served to nurture my curiosity further. 

She seemed perfectly normal as she slept across from me. As peculiar as she was, there was no cause for me to believe she’d be turning into a cat or a bird and scamper or flutter away before my eyes. At some point, my thoughts drifted away and my curiosities gave way to dreary slumber.  

A week passed. 

A week of crossing nothing, but rolling grasslands that stretched to a hilly, unknown horizon. Only scattered trees and tiny streams marked the landscape below. Certainly it was beautiful, but I grew bored seeing the same, almost featureless world drifting below, day after day. Then, on the ninth day since leaving Castleberg, we came upon a vast forest. Ai explained that the locals called it, the Forest Among the Clouds. True to its name, the trees grew upon a broad, towering plateau that sent tree tops peeking through vast blankets of low-flying clouds. Hovering high above, I watched from the deck, at an immense vision sprawled far below that looked much like a land covered in snow with huddled green tree-top specks that seemed like humble bushes, dotting the pillowy-white ground. My mind wandered as I imagined setting down upon these clouds and treading upon them as if they were solid wisps of white earth. 

Beyond the forest, the clouds cleared and beneath their feathery shroud was revealed an enormous river, one which was as wide as several ships lined stern to bow. Dae Jung ordered us to descend to the water below. Much to my relief, as well as the other children, it was decided that rather than fly, we would sail the river to our next destination. For another week, the ship puffed along the water-bound currents using only its steam engines. All the while, the Boar and Ai sought to maintain our skills by training continuously both day and night.

Since Kassashimei and I had already proven our talents at flying, it was decided that we would learn other disciplines. We would train to become entertainers, just like Ami and Sa Shi. 

Little did we know that moving an unwieldy vessel across the sky was nothing like the delicate, graceful motions needed to make small objects of stone and wood dance. We practiced with flat, ceramic tiles at first, as their shape and weight made them easy to levitate. After a time, we moved on to narrow, wooden poles and learned to balance them on their tips. It was difficult at first, as we found ourselves grasping the craft all over again; but just like at the temple, our teachers were relentless. The Boar would teach us during the day, and while everyone slept, Ai would carry the training well into the depths of the evening. 

My sight had to be further refined in order to follow the tiniest details in the ether, which would allow my partner and I to flick and move various objects in a way that would make them seem alive. Much of these things were carried out at the end of the day as most performing chienkuu ko did their shows after sunset.