Arc 10 - First Steps

ZaiWin¹Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos). sighed, feeling tired, a light headache pulsing on his temples.

He’d just finished facing another long interrogation session with ZenTar²Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind). One that obviously hadn’t added anything useful to the previous two. Still, ZenTar kept glaring suspiciously at him, especially regarding what had really happened in that icy cave. Not that ZaiWin could blame him. He was, in fact, withholding a few small details from him. But somehow, for the first time in his entire life, he felt that some things weren’t meant to be shared with other people. So yes, he had patiently put up with ZenTar’s questions, repeating the same answers, inwardly apologizing for his lack of absolute honesty.

Faced with the door to his bedroom, however, everything else simply vanished.

He’d left Snow home earlier that evening, since the boy had wanted to take a bath before going to bed. That and because one look at ZenTar’s face, during their evening meal, had immediately told ZaiWin what would inevitably follow. And so he pushed the door open as silently as possible, not wanting to disturb Snow’s rest.

VinWei³Literally vin (hard) + wei (crystal) had apparently determined Snow’s entire schedule for the next few days, and he had responsibly decided that he had to be well-rested, in order to keep up with her teachings. The boy’s serious expression when he’d told him as much had inevitably left a smile on ZaiWin’s face. Until VinWei had determined that he was not to be present during their sessions! ZaiWin would just intimidate him, VinWei had argued. As if that could happen! It couldn’t, right? After all, they have been … doing fine, these last few days. At least ZaiWin liked to think that they had.

On the other hand, of course it was good that Snow felt this committed to the whole process, but ZaiWin couldn’t help resenting the fact that he had just nodded obediently, when VinWei had spouted that unconceivable rule of hers! He couldn’t help wish Snow would feel at least a bit lonely, when faced with the prospect of spending so many hours away from him! As far as ZaiWin was concerned, just the thought that he wouldn’t be able to see him as much left him annoyingly irritable. In fact, he’d spent the entire afternoon feeling restless, when VinWei had kidnaped Snow right after their midday meal. And only the fact that he hadn’t wanted to lose face in front of ZenTar had stopped him from leaving everything to find them. That he’d have to stand more days like that made him want to punch someone.

ZaiWin halted at the door.

Since Snow had been tired, he’d expect to find him sleeping, curling on the floor, as usual. Instead, he was sitting on the bed, his hair, still wet, completely glued to his head, his pale eyes staring emptily at the burning fire.

Closing the door behind him, ZaiWin grabbed the towel Snow had abandoned on the bed and placed it over his head, startling him.

Pulled away from his thoughts, Snow blinked and tilted his head back to look up at him, as ZaiWin carefully tried to dry his hair. Even though it was comfortably warm inside the room, Snow’s hair felt ice-cold to the touch.

The first thing that coursed through ZaiWin’s mind was that the brat must be thinking about whatever VinWei had told him, since she’d refused to share the contents of their conversation with him, no matter how openly he showed an interest in the subject. But then … Snow’s mind worked differently from his. If VinWei had told him something that might have disturbed him, he’d be curling under the blankets, trying to hide his moment of weakness from ZaiWin. If it hadn’t disturbed him, he wouldn’t be sitting there, mulling over whatever she might have told him. Which meant that it had to be something else.

Uncovering his head, ZaiWin placed the towel back on the bed and tried to comb Snow’s hair with his fingers. It still felt cold. But at least it wasn’t as wet as before, already gaining a few soft waves, the silver points standing everywhere.

“Thinking about what happened this morning?” ZaiWin guessed and Snow immediately averted his gaze, telling him he’d guessed right. “You don’t have to worry. Like ZenTar showed you, Tei⁴Literally tei (metal). Where Tei is the name of the Clan, also the name of a Province. is still considerably far away from here. Besides, no matter who may be searching for you, they still have to pass through me first,” he added in a cold tone, and Snow stole a peek at ZaiWin, just to confirm that he was wearing the corresponding deadly expression on his face.

Taking a deep breath, Snow sighed.

“I’m not afraid,” he declared and, somehow, that simple sentence was enough to allow ZaiWin to relax.

Sitting beside him, ZaiWin leaned forward to peer inquisitively at him.

“Do you know who they are?”

Snow shook his head.

“Do you know why they’re looking for you?”

Snow shook his head again.

“But you’re not afraid.”

Another negative shake.

“Then why the worried face?”

For a change, Snow clearly hesitated before answering that question.

“I feel … I should be there.”

“There?! You mean Tei?”

Snow nodded.

“Why? What for?” ZaiWin corrected, and Snow raised his head to look at the burning flames again.

“There’s darkness there. A very deep, very wrong … very sad darkness,” he replied in a small voice and ZaiWin couldn’t help stare at him in disbelief.

“And you want to go there and cleanse it?”

Snow nodded again.

According to what VinWei had told them, ZaiWin could more or less understand when the brat felt impelled to that kind of thing in Nox⁵Literally nox (night). Where Nox is the name of the Clan, also the name of a Province.’s territory. He might have even considered it normal, if they were speaking about one of the neighboring Provinces. After all, being surrounded by such darkness could eventually place Nox in danger. But they were talking about a Province that was at least three weeks away on horseback, and that was if one were in a hurry.

“You heard them say that Tei has two Celestials, right? Everyone says that they are doubly blessed. _The envy of every other Province.”

Snow frowned and turned to look at him.

“Why aren’t they there, then?” he demanded, almost sounding angry, and ZaiWin couldn’t help feeling taken aback by the seriousness that he read in his pale gaze.

“Hm … they’re probably at the Palace, in Wen⁶Literally wen (sun). Name of one of the three Empires, Wen, Ran and Sen. (Sun, Moon and Star). Also used as surname by the members of the Imperial Family with ascending rights to the throne.” Snow’s frown only deepened, almost as if he were to blame for things being the way they were. “They are bound to two royals, and so they probably only visit Tei on official occasions. Those that are candidates to succeed the throne are always invited to live at the Palace. Unless they hold some other responsibilities, like being the Governor of a Province.”

“But they do leave the Palace on official events. So why aren’t they going there now? And what about all the other Celestials that don’t live in the Palace?”

ZaiWin widened his eyes in disbelief, when he finally understood what Snow was trying to say.

Silvareiel

Ah, our ZaiWin is finally slowly finding his independence. Poor Zen, being left in the dark like that ?