Heaven's Golden Finger - Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Shun eyed the strange being sitting next to him, feeling oddly calm. Surprisingly calm. It wouldn't have been that long ago that he would've been on his feet and prepared to fight. Instead, some instinct told him there was no threat here. Oh, there could be. This was a higher spirit, after all. But no threat now.
"The food belongs to my companions," he told the newcomer. "I've no right to offer it."
Without bothering to look around, Bai Xiang called, "He may have one skewer and only one."
"Lady is kind but not generous," the being grumbled as Shun offered him the agreed upon skewer.
"Monster eats quite enough as it is. Monster is getting round about the middle."
"That is a base canard and Lady knows it."
Shun couldn't help smiling a little, despite the stress of the moment. He handed Lan Shizhong a skewer, then another to Bai Xiang. "We also only have four skewers." Even as he said so, he wondered if his companions had expected this shadowy being. It hadn't occurred to him until that moment that they'd either too many or too few skewers for their party.
Lan Shizhong settled on a rock across from their guest. "Helang. It's been a while."
The name nearly made Shun's composure break. Helang was the Forest King, the shadow wolf who protected and ruled this place. And these two were treating him like a casual friend? He forced himself not to react. Forced himself to listen. He had to much to learn, it seemed.
"Troublemaker is looking well," the Forest King answered, ripping a chunk of lamb from his skewer. "All things considered."
Troublemaker? Shun wondered just what was going on. Wondered and knew better than to pry. He nibbled at his own skewer, examining the Forest King thoughtfully. Small, slim. Likely naked, though one couldn't tell for sure. A being of pure shadow like him couldn't be properly seen. It was like looking at cut-out puppet; one a great deal more solid than those seen in plays.
"Good Boy curious?"
Good Boy? Apparently Helang wasn't terribly good with the concept of names. Shun tried nonetheless. "Greet you, Your Majesty Helang. This disciple of Leifeng is named Shu Shun." He bowed slightly, adding, "And, yes. This one is quite curious. He knows of your reputation but never expected to meet you."
Laughter. "Formality? You don't need formality with me, Good Boy Shun. I, your father, have no need of such frivolities." More meat disappeared into the shadowy mouth. "Come to learn, have you?"
Shun might have objected to Helang's phrasing if he didn't remember that some more boastful types used such terms to establish dominance. Instead, he shrugged it off and focused on the more important point. "If I have, it's news to me." He eyed Lan Shizhong and Bai Xiang. "This disciple of Quan Lei has been taught to learn whatever is useful, however. But I must know the price before I accept it."
Another sharp bark of laughter. "Good Boy Shun is bright as he is beautiful. Price of the thing is the thing itself." Something flickered just about where the shadow's eyes would be. A faint glimmer of black opal. "Your mother's blood running strong inside. You cannot deny it. Only command it and use it. This old man can teach you that."
It was absolutely true. True and a concern Shun had wanted to ignore. He knew better. He was half-demon. He was the son of the King of Demons. And he'd never been taught to control the power he'd inherited. Worse, that power was coming unsealed. If he didn't master it, it would certainly master him.
A glance at his two companions told him the truth. They'd brought him here for this purpose. Both had hopeful expressions. Yet neither opened their mouth or offered encouragement. They wanted him to accept, but needed him to do so of his own free will.
Knowing what it'd mean, knowing he'd likely lose everything he'd gained as a disciple of Leifeng Shan, Shun bowed. "Your Majesty, I cannot and will not ever call you Master. But if you will teach me what I need to know, I will do my best to learn it."
Helang's smile was visible within his shadows only because the moonlight shone straight through his wide open mouth.
They stayed in place for the next three nights. King Helang had business by day, a forest to protect and hunters to repel. The Bazi King may have forbidden intruders in Jingling Forest, but the Khai King had not. For that matter, even on the Bazi side there were always those determined to break the rules. The forest's spirit beasts were simply too valuable a temptation for some folk.
Shun made use of his free time to rest and meditate. Even if Leifeng Shan cast him out for studying his mother's cultivation, he refused to forget their teachings. He was his father's son, his grandfather's grandson. He would never set aside what they'd given him.
The Forest King's teachings focused first on differentiating between Spirit and Magic. No easy task, Shun soon realized. They were closely related, intertwined in a way most people couldn't sense. It was only because he'd learned to cultivate his Spirit before his demon seal broke that he could recognize the presence of both.
Spirit came from life. Magic from an energy that followed life. The one must be drawn into the body, flow through the wielder's spirit and outward. The other could be guided and directed by will alone. "Most sorcerers need to find a means of focusing," Bai Xiang told him at one point. "As an Adversary, you won't be needing that."
"I still don't understand what an Adversary is," Shun complained. "I'm beginning to think it isn't at all like what Master Qiong believes. Nor Chosen One, for that matter." She'd been telling him stories of the previous Chosen Ones and Adversaries. Only rarely did they ever truly come into conflict. Some even became lovers.
The last made Shun flush bright red to think about. He knew how fake Shirong felt towards him. Knew too that the idea had been strangely interesting. Now fake Shirong had taken over and rid Shun of the spoiled brat, he'd begun realizing how sweetly earnest the boy could be. Real Shirong had been too, when he wasn't acting like a complete fool. He wasn't bad looking either.
Unaware of his thoughts, Bai Xiang continued, "I don't know what Master Qiong truly believes. From what you've told me, he's fed the two of you a meal of pure nonsense. Perhaps he hoped to repeat what he did to your parents."
The idea made Lan Shizhong wince. "The thing is, no one knows why he bothered. Your father wouldn't be the first to fall in love with a demon, Xing Baishe wasn't the first to fall in love with a human. There's no law nor God against it."
Only one person knew the answer to that question and that person wasn't likely to tell anyone why he'd done what he'd done. "I've often wondered what Xu Sheng would say about it," he admitted. "For that matter, why did he leave Shirong Shidi with our sect? Didn't he know Master Qiong had taken over by then?"
Neither of his companions had an answer to that. The fact that they had any answers at all was strange. In fact, "Were you two involved somehow? You know so much about what happened."
They looked at each other, embarrassment suffusing both faces. They looked too young to have anything to do with Shun's parents or the troubles surrounding them. Yet they were cultivationists and strong ones at that. They could have been around at the time. Likely they were.
"We know a bit," Bai Xiang admitted after a moment. "But not enough to be useful. We don't dare intervene too obviously. Your sect master is too powerful for folk like us to face. More's the pity." The last was said softly, to herself, and it was obvious she had some grudge against Sect Master Qiong.
Before Shun could think of another question to ask, the lady added, "You should practice your shape-shifting. You're going to need it. Besides, it's time for my nap."
She was obviously putting off answers she simply didn't want to offer. But Shun knew better than to push someone for explanations. Lies and evasions were far more likely than any other possibility. He inclined his head and focused his thoughts on his body. If he were able to talk or use his spiritual powers in snake form he might well stay in it for a great deal longer.
Practicing his snake form required privacy. Or, rather, Shun demanded privacy for the whole thing. It wasn't that he had to strip down for the process. Demons could bring their clothing along during the change without much trouble. What bothered him was the way his bones and muscles jerked and twisted and reformed. It was embarrassing. Unattractive. Intensely personal.
Fortunately, his two companions didn't seem to mind. Bai Xiang reiterated her determination to nap, and Lan Shizhong went off with King Helang to keep an eye out for hunters. The pair worked well together, old friends returning to old ways. From the way Bai Xiang watched them leave, they must have been doing this for a long time indeed.
Sitting in the middle of a small clearing, talismans surrounding him to ward off intruders, Shun focused his thoughts on his newest training. Focused his thoughts on the feel of magic instead of spirit. Then, as he'd been taught, set that magic flowing around his body from toes to head.
The change was never easy on him. Oh, the first time hadn't been so bad, but he'd been worrying about fake Shirong. Nothing else had mattered quite so much as finding the young fool and keeping him safe. Not for the first time Shun felt a little guilty. He'd have gone to the rescue, yes, but he wouldn't have worried for the real Shirong. Not nearly so much, at least.
He knew from things fake Shirong said that the boy felt bad for his predecessor. Knew too that it wasn't real Shirong's fault he'd become Shun's personal troublemaker. Knew, too, that Master Qiong must have had some reason to believe him a risk. That prophecy surely wasn't all of it, though. There had to be more to it than that. Shun just wished he knew what.
As his legs fused together and his spinal cord elongated, Shun keened. It hurt so much sometimes. Was the pain normal for all demons? Or was it his human ancestry, interfering with the process? It probably didn't matter, because the pain was going to be there, like it or not.
At last he lay sprawled in the bushes and against the rocks and trees. Once again he'd no color vision to speak of, but he could tell his scales were a peculiar mix of shades. They reflected sunlight in a surprising fashion, putting him in mind of certain types of fine silk.
It surprised him yet again, realizing he wasn't a white snake. Surely the son of his mother ought to have been bright and white, even if he did still reflect sunlight oddly. Or did all snake demons have their own personal color? Maybe that was why their names were so simple? And if so, what would Shun's snake demon name be?
A sound, a vibration in the ground, distracted Shun from his contemplations. He shifted slightly, turning his head enough to let him see the source. Oh, this wasn't good at all. The last thing in the world he wanted to run into right then. Hunters. Worse, they were just coming into the clearing and couldn't be evaded without drawing attention.
Something slammed into the ground beside his torso. Another something hit the other side, drawing a binding cord tight. How had they snuck up on him so readily? He wanted to curse them, but he'd yet to learn the trick of talking in snake form.
More threads trapped him, forcing him flat against the ground. The hunters must have noticed him while he was shapeshifting and realized he was too busy and too focused to notice them. Damnit. Maybe he should have been less proud, less leery, of being seen twisting and turning in pain as he shape-shifted. The talismans connected to the threads were strong. Not so strong that the son of the demon king couldn't break them. But strong enough to slow him down.
"What a beauty," one of his captors said as the hunters approached him. "What kind is it, though? I've never seen that coloring before. Like a white rainbow serpent, but grey."
Was that his coloring? What an odd way to put it. Shun had never heard of such a thing before. He hissed, tensing slightly to test the bonds. When the threads tightened and drew blood, he hissed and relaxed. No point in taking injury just to prove he could.
"Doesn't matter what kind he is. What matters is that priest is prepared to pay a fortune for us to bring him back." The obvious leader stepped closer. Bent so he could look more directly into Shun's eyes. "Don't fight little snake. It won't do you any good."
Shun drew his magic together. Felt chaos itself roil through him. It'd just take one good solid blast to free him. It'd be risky, of course. King Helang had taught him to gather the energies and dissipate them. He'd not yet taught him how to guide them.
He was just about to make the attempt when one of the hunters shrieked. "Something bit my neck!" A tiny flash of white flickered and was gone, only to reappear at another hunter's ankle. Within moments all ten men were clutching at injuries, their lips turning pale as they tried in vain to save themselves.
The hunter standing over Shun stared. Lifted his sword to threaten Shun. "Stop!" he shouted. "I want the antidote and I want it now!"
"No antidote," a voice whispered. Bai Xiang, shifting from one side of the clearing to the other without ever showing herself. "None. Release him."
"I'll kill him."
The hell Shun was going to die at a fool hunter's hands just because some insane priest wanted, wanted whatever it was she wanted. He released the magic he'd gathered, flinging it at the leader without bothering to focus it. As the man screamed, stumbling away and falling to the ground a short distance away, Bai Xiang appeared beside Shun, pulling the talismans free and releasing him.
"Quickly, boy. Reabsorb that stuff before it does something terrible."
To Shun's shock and dismay, the magic he'd created had transformed its victim to a twisted mass of black opal goo. All of which was slowly spreading through the clearing and absorbing whatever it touched.