Three Koi and an Orchid

Yijun worked her through all the strikes she knew before beginning to teach her new techniques.

“These moves are the basis for sword fighting,” he explained. “Essentially, you’ve got eight basic moves: forward, overhead, diagonal, horizontal, backhand, lunging, sweeping, and twisting. You might think that sounds very similar to how you already use a staff?”

Pia had been thinking that it sounded exactly like basic staff training, so she nodded.

“Right. It is, hence, the use of ‘essentially.’ Hold your staff out in one hand, keeping your grip loose,” he instructed, waiting for her to follow.

She held out her staff in one hand, balancing it on her fingertips inside her palm, thumb cupping the bottom. Yijun walked to the side of her staff and pushed it until most of the staff was on Pia’s right side.

Seeing it wobble immediately, he said, “Keep it steady.”

Pia tried, but the weight kept dragging the staff downward. Frustrated, she strained harder. Slowly, but surely, it drifted toward the ground.

“See?” He said, pointing at the tipping staff. “It’s off balance. The weight pulls the end away. A sword is much the same. Even a well-balanced sword is still going to have the weight gathered in the palm,” Yijun explained. “We practice the strikes with the staff to gain the muscle for the sword.”

That made sense. Even now, her arm struggled to hold the staff in one hand with all the weight pulling the end downward. Her forearm already ached trying to counteract the tilt.

“Let’s begin. For now, follow my movements.”

Yijun began to demonstrate, holding the staff at the far end as she did, yet effortlessly gliding through stabs, sweeps, twists, backstabs, lunges, and overhead strikes. Pia…tried. Often her staff fell forward and, in her haste, to correct, swung wildly back up. Patiently, Yijun waited for her to reset and then started the movement again.

Between maintaining the wind buffer around her body, slogging through the deep sand, and balancing the staff in one hand, Pia quickly tired. Every part of her body ached from the continual days of training, but even the trembling muscles were beginning to feel like the new norm. So, Pia clenched her jaw, almost to the point of grinding her molars, and urged her body onward. Even if it meant her buffer slipped and her feet burned with the heat of the sand, Pia wouldn’t quit.

Finally, Yijun called it a day, and Pia leapt from the sand with relief, stepping on the blessedly cool, frozen ground. He gave her a grin as he took the staff from her.

“Tired?” he asked. “Or hungry?”

“Both!” she said fiercely, patting her stomach. It rumbled, as if on cue, and they both laughed.

They made their way back to Cangzhi where Haojie met them for their meal. Pia led them to her Lunar Haven, where the three ate an early evening meal as the sun faded, and the lanterns were lit.

Haojie and Yijun sat in the doorway, watching the sky, as Pia opened her books and began to take notes on yi and the meridian points of the body. Looking up, Pia’s heart swelled seeing the two men just sitting, keeping her company, as the last of the sun disappeared beneath the cloak of night.

Four joss sticks burned to ash before Pia finished her notes. Haojie and Yijun had pulled out the chess board and were taking turns losing to one another. They kept their antics quiet but a few loud “ahhhs” and “ughs” had been uttered during their games, making her grin.

Seeing that they were occupied, Pia took out a fresh piece of paper and began to write a letter.

Emperor Fewl,

Do you remember me? It’s Pia. How’s training going? Have you learned a lot?

She paused, not knowing what else to write, not wanting to give too much away. Hesitating, she went on.

I’ve learned a lot! Horseback riding and basic survival skills, and even poisons healing skills!

Raising her brush from the paper, Pia re-read it and cringed. It didn’t sound like anything she wanted to say. Crumpling the paper, she pulled a fresh one from the pile. Slumping on the desk, head in hand, mouth chewing gently on the end of her brush, Pia tried to think about what she wanted to say.

Emperor Fewl,

Are you a proper scholar now? My training has been going well. I’ve learned a lot! My Master sect instructor says I’m the best apprentice he’s ever had! Beat that one! Have you heard from Conch?

Until then, Pia

Reading it back, Pia sighed. It was really short, but safe. Maybe Master Ruwe had a book on Yingye that she could use to reference in her letters. Best not mention anything that could be fact-checked against her. Pia drew a few small circles around the crossed-out word, turning it into a lumpy flower. It was indecipherable from the original word.

Next, Conch’s letter. She repeated the same lines, minus the mistaken word, and asked Conch if he’d heard from Fewl. Satisfied that she’d at least made an effort, Pia rolled each up and tied them off with ribbon.

“Finished?” Haojie asked, and Pia looked over to see him trying to sneakily reposition one of his black pieces while Yijun looked at her.

“Yes, and I have two letters for you to give to Mow,” Paid said, then tsked her tongue at Haojie when she saw what he did.

Haojie’s face was pure innocence as he tucked his hands back into his lap just before Yijun turned back to the board. A long piece of hair had slipped free from Yijun’s hair, and it hung above the board as he pondered over his move.

“Cheating didn’t even help you,” Yijun said, moving one white piece and stealing two of the black, successfully winning the game.

With a groan, Haojie fell backward, lying on the ground in her doorway as Yijun packed up the board. Pia rested her hand on her palm and smiled feeling warm and content, even as the cool winter air slithered in the doorway and stole the heat from the room.

After a few days of ‘rest’ for her head, Pia was back on a strict training regime. Every day she stretched, ran, endured the Demon Pillars, and practiced archery. Haojie and Yijun alternated what came after the midday meal. Some days it was staff training, formation laying, breaking or evading, and then sparring. In the evenings Pia studied whatever manuals they gave her. Haojie or Yijun would often keep her company, but there were nights that they left her, alone in Lunar Haven to work on her studies.

So far, she’d enjoyed most of the books. The topics ranged from heavenly and demonic beasts to lock picking, to healing with poisons, and even the most boring: etiquette books. Etiquette books always made her sleepy. Did it matter how she drank from her teacup? Did she really need to memorize the different hand gestures for each different bow? Respect was respect, in Pia’s eyes. The only one that Pia enjoyed was the art of whisking tea. Which, Haojie had informed her, was the least helpful skill to acquire, unless she wanted to wed the Emperor.

Only one book continuously remained in her pile, no matter how many times she read it. The Meridian Points, simply named, was a small book, but crammed full of information to memorize. It helped when Yijun integrated the meridian into their sparring or when discussing healing, but there were just so many that often Pia struggled to keep them straight. To Pia, recalling the difference between BL13 and BL21 often felt like trying to hold water in her shoe.

The days passed by quickly, even as winter slowly deepened its hold over Cangzhi Manor. It snowed almost daily, but even when it didn’t, the sharp-edged winds tore at any exposed skin, leaving it ice-singed and numb. The cold and the snow, the wind and the freezing rain, none of it stopped her training. Pia’s aches and pains began to fade as the muscles rose to the challenge, growing and strengthening with each passing day.

Almost through the second month of Ruwe being gone, Pia reached the training yard to find Haojie, Yijun, Lei and a girl Pia didn’t know, waiting for her. Her steps slowed to a walk, eyeing the group suspiciously.

Lei still looked the same. He was dressed in the navy-blue sect robes, still incredibly slim around the waist. His high ponytail was secured with a leather crown and jade hairpin, making him look every bit a rich, young lord. Though, Pia thought as she eyed that dainty face, he still looked a lot like a girl. As if Lei sensed her thoughts, he met her gaze with a cool stare.

Sweeping her eyes away and over to the girl, Pia frowned to see the fierce scowl etched into her features. She had a pretty face, with big eyes and long lashes. Her hair was tied up in a bun, secured with blue ribbon. If it wasn’t for that menacing expression Pia might’ve been excited to meet another person from Cangzhi.

Instead, a little thread of dread unfurled within her. She had a bad feeling…

“Pia!” Haojie called out happily, hand waving as his eyes crinkled merrily. “Come join us!”

As if she had another choice.

Clenching her jaw, Pia walked over to the group, feeling the weight of the stares coming from Lei and the girl, and coming to a stop beside Yijun. Too late Pia realized it looked defensive, and the girl gave her a cold smirk.

“Pia, you know Lei,” Yijun said, and the look he gave Pia made her remember the last time she’d seen Lei, in Snowbird Pavilion. That memory made her shoulders relax as her lips quirked upward. “This is Chasu,” he continued, gesturing his hand to the new girl.

“They’re going to join us for training today. It's time you had some competition to push you forward,” Haojie cut in, voice rising in excitement.

As far as Pia was concerned, there wasn’t anything to be excited about. Lei and Chasu had the look of hunting dogs, on the scent of an injured rabbit, drooling, waiting in anticipation for the hunt. Though, Pia acknowledged that it could also be her own nerves that made it feel that way.

“Today, Haojie and I will be spotters. Since this is Pia’s first time sharing the Pillars, I want no contact!” Yijun said, voice coming out fiercely stern.

She’d never heard Yijun sound so…authoritarian. It surprised Pia. He was always calm and steady, and ceaselessly patient. The tension she felt fully left her as she realized Yijun and Haojie weren’t just throwing her to the dogs.

“What are we starting with today? Is anything different?” Pia asked, shifting her clay pouch from her hip to her midsection and loosening the ribbon.

Eyes looking up at the tower, taking in the state of the structure, Yijun said, “Up the rope ladder, down the logs, up the rope climb. Once you’ve finished, do it in reverse,”

Whenever the tower grew too icy, Yijun always leaned on the cautious side and refrained from having Pia go down the logs. Despite her skill at enveloping her body with a yi buffer having grown stronger, Yijun still refused to budge.

“A needless risk,” was what he always said.

Dipping her hand into her pouch, Pia dusted her hands with the clay as she walked to the rope ladder. Intending to start on the far left, she was shocked when suddenly two bodies flanked her, forcing her towards the center.

Eyes narrowing, Pia shot a look at either side of her. Both Lei and Chasu were staring straight ahead, not at her, but she could tell they meant trouble. Letting out a heavy breath, Pia steeled herself, and then grabbed the rope.

“And…Go!” Haojie hollered, once all three students had a hand on the rope.

Immediately, Lei and Chasu shot up the rope. Their hands and feet moved with the speed of experience. Yet, having spent almost two months training every day, Pia wasn’t far behind.

The rope had a crisp, icy feel beneath her palms, but Pia had practiced using fire yi as a buffer, and the heat kept her hands from numbing. The muscles in her shoulders flexed as she climbed. Lei and Chasu were only two rungs ahead. Pride swelled in her heart and that feeling gave her a burst of energy, speeding her up until she was level with the students.

And…Pia realized she’d made a mistake. She’d thought it was a speed race, but apparently Chasu had other opinions on the ‘competition.’

A blast of wind yi crashed into her side, knocking her sideways. Having sensed the buildup, Pia was able to tighten her grip on the rope and tip her toes downward to absorb the gust.

Grunting as she swayed on the ropes, Pia looked up and saw Chasu’s pretty face pulled into an ugly scowl. Chasu had paused on the ladder and launched the attack at her.

Narrowing her eyes, Pia glared up at the girl, and her anger flared to life. Her eyes scanned the girl over, landing on the girl’s right hand, and Pia saw that Chasu's grip was loose around the ladder. Sliding her fingers together Pia sketched a quick, small rune on her finger. Taking the risk, Pia let go of the rope with her left hand to snap her fingers, powering the rune as she did.

Runes were something she was only finally getting a knack for. Talismans, with their flexibility in construct, had always been her go-to. Since she’d been studying, Pia realized runes weren’t so different than talismans. They were easier to craft, requiring less time than a talisman, and easy to draw during a fight. Talismans had more power, but runes had more adaptability.

The rune, a simple fire rune, worked well with the fire yi she’d wrapped around her. As the rune activated, Pia flared her fire yi, forcing more power into the attack.

The way Pia saw it was Chasu had done one of two things: used fire yi like Pia or used wind yi. Either way, her little fire rune would land on Chasu’s right hand and burn. The intensity would depend on which yi Chasu used, but it’d be enough to rattle the girl's balance. Plus, if it was wind yi, it might leave a mark.

Not waiting around to see, Pia surged forward, speeding her way up the ladder. The yelp from Chasu made her grin, and she pulled a little more yi around her, just in case the girl retaliated.

At the top Lei stood, waiting. Pia reached the top just seconds before Chasu. The three stood there panting from their speed climb.

“Nasty trick,” Chasu snapped, rubbing the red welt on her hand.

Pia smirked. It had been wind yi Chasu used then. Serves her right, Pia thought. Pia had found out firsthand during a sparring lesson with Haojie that a wind yi buffer was weak to even the smallest fire attack. Especially when unexpected.

“You started it,” Pia pointed out, forcing her raging indignation down.

Lei looked between the two girls; face furrowed in confusion.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

Pia shook her head, staying silent. No matter how annoyed she felt from the petty attack, she wasn’t a snitch.

It seemed Chasu wasn’t about to admit her underhand move either.

“Let’s go down,” Pia said, moving to the side of the tower. Kneeling at the edge, Pia dropped her weight on her hands and eased her legs over the side. The first log always made her nervous; hanging by only her hands, just the tip of her toes able to reach the log below. Pushing earth yi into her core, weighing herself down, Pia released her hold on the ledge and fell onto the log below.

It was awkward to share the space on the logs. Lei, dropping onto the far-right side, accidentally kicked Pia in the back as she’d bent to curl her arms around the log. Gasping in pain, Pia sat up, ready to snap at the boy.

Before Pia could say a word, Lei said, “Watch it!” His high ponytail sashayed with attitude as he tossed her an icy glare. As if Pia had been the one not paying attention!

The audacity from the boy shocked Pia, but she bit her lip, swallowed her irritation, and continued to roll her body around the log and dangle her legs for the next drop.

Chasu kept her tricks to herself as they descended, and Pia was grateful. Even when they finished the logs and moved onto the rope climb Chasu refrained from any yi attacks.

It didn’t keep her mouth quiet.

“You don’t seem special,” Chasu said, about halfway up their rope climb. “How’d you worm your way into Duke Zhi’s graces?”

“Chasu,” Lei hissed from Pia’s other side.

Once more the two had pushed her into the center position, flanking her on both sides. Pia thought it must be some kind of power move she didn’t understand. Just ignore them, Pia thought, putting one hand in front of the other, trying to let the strain of the exercise fill her mind.

It didn’t work, and Chasu kept going.

“What? It’s not like you think otherwise. Weren’t you just complaining to me about how your brother never takes on apprentices? Now he has some unknown, untalented girl as his apprentice,” Chasu snapped back, voice breathy from the strain of pulling herself up.

Ignoring them, Pia pulled harder on her rope, hoping to reach the top soon.

Clearly embarrassed, Lei shut his mouth with a loud huff of disgruntled air. A memory came to Pia, from her etiquette books. Talking behind someone’s back was considered a low-class act. In trying to stir Pia up, Chasu had accidentally riled Lei. A little smirk twisted her lips.

“Talking behind others’ backs? I thought that was only for the beggars,” Pia said matter-of-factly, not looking at either one. “I guess breeding isn’t all that ‘special’ after all.”

Seconds after she said it Pia realized she’d made another mistake. They likely didn’t know anything about her. With her own words, Pia made it clear ‘breeding’ and ‘class’ were sensitive topics. Plus, she didn’t know anything about Chasu either. Pia would’ve thrown her hands up in frustration with herself if she wasn’t busy using them to climb.

Sure enough, like a wolf on a sheep, Chasu let out a cold laugh.

What is it with this girl? Pia wondered in irritation.

“Spoken like someone from a low-class family,” Chasu said, clearly fishing, hoping for Pia to respond with anger.

Having wised up, Pia stayed quiet the rest of the way up the rope. At the top, Pia didn’t wait to catch her breath, instead she grabbed her rope, and began to rappel down right away, hoping it’d give her at least a breath of distance. Looking up as she jumped and slid, Pia saw Lei looking down at her, face thoughtful.

Relief crashed over her when Pia saw they were taking a break at the top. Scowling, Pia couldn’t help but think they were gossiping about her in the meantime.

At the bottom, Pia saw Yijun’s raised brow, the questioning look, but she stomped past him, heading for the logs. Anger was giving her energy, and she wanted to put it to good use. Except, the logs were hard to maintain the speed on, and soon Lei and Chasu weren’t far behind her.

Almost to the top, Pia paused to catch her breath. A warm buzz coursed through her veins and her heart pounded vigorously inside her chest. She grinned from the feeling, that special feeling that came when her body was pushed to its limits—lungs screaming for air and the blood in her veins rushing to the beat of her drumming heart.

Lei’s upper body leapt atop the log and with a loud grunt he shifted around until his leg swept over the top too. For a moment the two stared at each other in silence. Lei’s pale, dainty face was flushed red from exertion, and he breathed heavily. It reminded Pia of the day she’d seen him in Snowbird.

“What?” he asked defensively, seeing the twinkle in her eye.

Pia shook her head, refusing to answer. Thankfully Chasu chose that moment to jump to their log, scurrying into a sitting position. Rising to her feet carefully Pia decided it was time to move upward.

Leaping up, Pia rolled herself onto the next log, and Lei was hot on her heels. Pia looked down and saw that Chasu was pushing herself to keep up, already bracing to jump to their log. Except, Pia saw it wasn’t going to work. Lei, not paying attention, again, had started to swing his leg just as Chasu jumped.

Dropping her upper body onto the log, Pia wrapped her legs tightly around it and leaned forward, lunging for Chasu’s arm, knowing what was about to happen.

Just as Lei swung his leg upward, intending to stand, Chasu’s left arm reached for the log. The two connected and Chasu’s arm was knocked wide. The sudden shift sent her reeling backwards. Her big, wide eyes seemed comically large as fear filled them.

“Her arms!” Pia cried, hoping the boy understood.

Pia’s hand wrapped around Chasu’s wrist, and seconds later Lei grabbed Chasu’s other hand. Together, Lei and Pia steadied the girl, lowering her carefully back onto the log below. Once the girl was safely on the log, the tension left Pia’s body in a rush. Arms and legs dangling on either side of the log, Pia left her upper body on the cool log, hoping it’d calm her rushing pulse.

From below her, Pia heard a soft, “Thanks,” and then a few breaths later, “This doesn’t make us friends,” Chasu said coldly.

For some reason that made Pia’s lips quirk into a smile.

The rest of their training went smoothly, albeit quietly. Not a word was spoken between the three for the rest of their time on the Demon Pillars. At the bottom, Haojie and Yijun passed out waterskins, sharing a look together as they took in the silent teenagers.

Haojie raised his brows but a look from Yijun kept him quiet.

“How was it having competition?” Haojie asked Pia instead, never one to handle silence for too long.

Squeezing the waterskin Pia thought about how it had gone. The tension had increased her performance, and Chasu’s little trick had made her realize her grip had significantly improved.

“It was…interesting. What do you think about me trying the east side of the tower now?”

“Great question. That's exactly why Lei and Chasu are here today. They’ve been doing the eastern side for about a month now?” Yijun asked, looking toward Lei and Chasu.

The two nodded.

“Why don’t you two go first? We’ll spot you,” Yijun told Lei and Chasu. To Pia, he said, “Watch how they do it. This exercise relies solely on hand, finger, and foot grip.”

Chasu and Lei shifted their clay pouches to the center of their bodies and dusted their hands with a thick coating before starting. Pia realized that, like the training ring Yijun took her to practice in, the base of the east side had a thick, wide sand base.

Lei and Chasu stepped up to the tower. She watched as they found one of the small, raised planks to rest a foot on, and their hands reached for a plank above them. Once they secured one for both hand and foot, Lei and Chasu began to climb.

It was clear why this side was so dangerous. At the low level, there were ample, relatively close planks to grasp. Yet, as the two went, Pia saw that the number of holding planks decreased and the angle to reach the next rapidly became more of a challenge. Lei and Chasu looked like spiders distorting their limbs as they slowly climbed their way to the top.

Her eyes took note of how they rested often to dust their hands with a fresh coat of clay. Eagerness built up within her. While it looked difficult, it also looked fun.

Casting her eyes to the side, Pia saw that Haojie and Yijun had their eyes locked on Lei and Chasu. Moving quietly, she crept to the wall and began to climb.

Letting out a huff, Haojie said, “As if we didn’t see you.”

Grinning, Pia reached up, searching for a handhold. It was more of a challenge than it seemed. At first the planks all seemed the same size. Quickly Pia realized that wasn’t the case. Some planks were wide, others narrow, some she could curl her fingers around, some she had to cup with her palm. About a quarter of the way up she paused, panting, hands cramping, and re-dusted her hands.

“Taking a break already?” Lei called down to her, surprising Pia with his slight bit of teasing.

Looking up, Pia saw him bent down, peering at her, his ponytail hanging straight down over his head. The sight startled a laugh from her, and she had to grip the planks tightly and wedge her feet more firmly to keep from slipping. He truly looked like a peacock that way.

Focusing on her climb, she looked around for the next plank. The closest overhead one was up to the left, but to reach the one for the feet…How could she do that? Closing her eyes, Pia tried to remember how Lei and Chasu had climbed the wall. Remembering the odd shapes and angles their bodies had had to twist into, Pia opened her eyes and looked around once more.

If she shifted her weight off her right foot, holding the plank above her head with her left hand, Pia could probably make the change over that way. It would be going down a step to go up two. Hoping she wasn’t about to fall; Pia made the change over. Her heart skipped a beat as her fingers scrambled to latch onto the plank to her right. It was a tall stretch and the muscles across her ribs pulled fiercely tight as she strained hard to make it.

Once she made it, Pia couldn’t help but grin in elation. She’d done it. Having caught the concept, Pia slowly began to make her way up the tower. It got harder, and each choice took more time, but progress was made. Her hands ached and with every plank Pia grasped, she became more and more aware of muscles in her hands and arms she’d never felt before.

Looking up, Pia saw that there was one last move to make. Resting her head against her trembling arms, she took in a deep breath. Opening her eyes, Pia looked down, seeing the ground far below, Haojie and Yijun staring up at her. From the distance, she couldn’t make out their faces well.

“You’re almost there,” Chasu said, startling her into looking up.

The girl’s face wasn’t any friendlier, but the words were encouraging. Digging deep into her will, Pia reached up, grasped the last plank with her fingertips, and completed the climb. When her upper body rested against the top of the tower, Pia collapsed, breathing heavily.

Lei and Chasu grabbed her legs, rolling her fully onto the top of the tower. The two were quiet for a long while as Pia lay on the tower trying to recover. Then, Lei surprised her with a compliment.

“You did well. I only made it halfway my first time,” he said, giving her a nod of respect.

Pia was impressed. Her impression of Lei was of a spoiled, indulged little lord. For him to bend his neck, even that little bit…Respect blossomed in Pia. There was no energy left in her to respond, so she merely gave him a small smile.

She wondered, how was she ever going to get down from the tower? Every part of her body felt weaker than a noodle. All the muscles in her body seemed to tremble from exhaustion.

A memory of Haojie teasing her came back to her, and she laughed. Pia couldn’t help but go, “Cluck cluck” with her tongue, and then laughed harder at the bewildered expressions on Lei and Chasu’s faces.