An Ember Among Shadows

Chapter Six

"And what comes, is what comes. And your conviction matters in many."

- Sacred Scripture, verses eight and nine of Faith.

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"Did we lose her?" Ruqa jerked his head around, his senses on full alert, though in the sleet-like rain, he needed to be a predatory animal to pick up anything dangerous in an instance.

A faint rustle to his left and Ruqa didn't need to wait for an answer. From the shadows of the trees behind them, Milwa's gaunt face appeared. Sinister, hellbent. "I have had this area secured in my favour. Do you really think it's that simple to escape?"

"Leave us be," Ruqa asserted. "You have stolen our things. What more do you want?"

Milwa raised a finger and pointed straight at Nezha. "There is a generous bounty going around for a sorceress with pure fire magic."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Nezha.

Milwa flashed her yellowed teeth with a sickening smile. "There are people hunting you down, and I'm going to be the one to give you to them." She then turned to Ruqa. "You're a man of faith, no? Why don't we hand her over together? We can split the money."

Ruqa stood unmoved. Truly he was tempted. After all, Nezha would eventually be executed once the Grand Abbess receives his letter. But she did just save his life, and it was against his principle to sell someone off. He swayed a little, tipping closer to the edge.

"You've talked too much." Nezha stretched a hand. At the same time, Milwa shot four shadow tendrils towards both of them. They ducked, though there was not much space to move. One careless footing could send them both to their end. Milwa extended another tendril, but this time, a hanging vine coiled around her left wrist, and another wrist, and one around each ankle, glueing her to where she stood.

Before she could dissolve herself into the shadows, a blazing flame ignited, preventing any shadow from forming near the bandit. Milwa shrieked a curse. Nezha wrested Milwa's dagger out of her waistband and pressed it threateningly under her chin. The bandit squirmed.

"Does this feel familiar to you? I don't have your shadow ability, so I thought I'd improvise," taunted Nezha, her voice a shade darker than the night that surrounded them. "Your game sounds much less appealing when someone else plays it, no?

"Now answer my question. Who issued the bounty?"

Milwa chuckled but that only made Nezha bury the blade deeper.

"They go without a name," Milwa blurted. "And they move without a trace. I've never met them myself — don't think anyone has — but the folks up in Bikam village are spreading the news like flies. They speak of cloaks as dark as void, and smoke as black as night."

"Smoke?" noted Ruqa.

"Where's the village?" Nezha demanded.

"Northeast. In the district of Furu."

Nezha stepped back. She flexed her fingers and Ruqa saw the vines that held Milwa tightened. "I suppose your men will be here soon. They will have trouble taking those off of you. That should buy us some time." Nezha stalked to the edge of the ravine and flung the dagger into the river. "Let's get out of here, Ruqa."

"You're helping a stone leech?" Milwa called out. "Have you betrayed our kind?"

Ruqa glanced behind, but Nezha turned a deaf ear and strode on.

"Maybe you'll breed with them next."

Nezha halted in her tracks. Without turning around, she flicked her fingers and the vines twisted sideways, twitching Milwa's neck with a vicious crack.