He awoke to a finger jabbing his cheek until his gums hurt. Light flitted through his cracked eyelids, reminding him of the time of day. "I'm up. I'm up," he scratched the back of his head, reviving his consciousness. Something scrambled up his legs and settled on his lap. His gaze landed a spirit staring up at him with wide, purple eyes. "Hey, An-Ri. You hungry?"

An-Ri's ears twitched at the prospect of food. For an ancestral spirit, she sure loved the cuisine in the mortal realm. "Bird man..." she started saying. Her eyebrows knocked together, her fists waving in the air as if she couldn't figure out her words. She whirled to the tent flap then back to him. "Bird man and Kai. They...um, they..."

She bit her lip, a frown pulling at the edge of her lips. It's early. What's there to scowl about? Her purple eyes flitted from one place to another. She's thinking. But about what? "What about the bird man, An-Ri?" he prodded. Her gaze flicked back to him. "Where's Kai-Se? I should be making you breakfast now."

At that, An-Ri's eyes widened. "Yes! Bird man and Kai," she climbed down Nao-Zai's lap and began yanking at his hand. Her small fists only wrapped around two of his fingers. "Bird man and Kai."

Okay, this was making less and less sense. As far as Nao-Zai was concerned, there were no bird men in this region of Shinjien. Those might exist in Shencai or in Dansarun. What's a bird man doing all the way in Xuijae if that's the case? And what's An-Ri trying to tell him? Kai-Se went with the Shencai bird men? What?

Was he that angry about their argument last night? Nao-Zai never understood why Kai-Se had walked out on him and he's still struggled this morning. Maybe he'd never get it. Mostly because Kai-Se wouldn't feel the need to communicate. Ever.

Well, let him keep all his secrets and Nao-Zai would gladly mind his own business. But then again, most of his business has something to do with Kai-Se. Because if he was left on his own, he'd be in Yomaura Fortress, training a new batch of recruits or having a spar with the Generals. Maybe he'd be helping around with the construction, if his uncle continued the projects in one of the flanks throughout Jang-Ho's coup and this...mad scramble for the Imperial Throne.

That, or he'd be out in Izeryeo, tilling the soil and finally getting to growing vegetables or something. He'd always wanted to try that. Had he not been born into a union between the warrior clan, Yomaura, and the artist clan, Xianzhu, he would have taken a direction with the least number of lives lost.

He let An-Ri pull him off the lumpy mattress, adding his own strength on his way to straighten up. One glance at the shadows dancing on the tent flaps, he'd better start cleaning up for another long trek throughout the day. An-Ri wove around his legs and bobbed up and down, trying to get his arm or hand again. Nao-Zai swiveled out of the way every time, doing his best to fold the mattress with a hyperactive child popping up in places and messing up his work at every turn.

A deep growl made him pause, letting the half-folded mattress hang in the air. He looked to his left to find An-Ri's small frame hovering meters from the floor, glaring at him with a red tinge in her forehead, cheeks, and neck. What's going on? Did she have a fever? She's fine a few minutes ago.

"You already got your flight under control, huh?" Nao-Zai raised an eyebrow and resumed folding the mattress, going as far as the last fold when a force gripped at his hair and yanked him back. "Hey, what—"

He whirled to find An-Ri pointing towards the world outside the tent, some kind of desperation marring her features. "Bird man got Kai," she insisted. Her conviction about bird men was something to be praised. "Bird man—"

Nao-Zai sighed. "Okay, fine," he said. "We'd look for this bird man, yeah? Just let me do my chores first, yes?"

An-Ri pouted. Her ears twitched, picking up all the sounds available to her in this forest. Nao-Zai had yet to hear what the rest of the Noryeong clan has to say about the spirit's presence and why he and Kai-Se appeared to be raising her like a normal child. He'd prefer it to be that way. The less mouths, the better.

He finished putting all the tent's contents into the travel bag and tied the knot to seal it. Then, he began taking the tent down, his body moving on automatic after the countless times over the past few months he had been doing the same thing. Even if Kai-Se had started his day early and left Nao-Zai to sleep in, he would be back some time soon. So...why wasn't he showing up?

He glanced at An-Ri who now sat beside the knotted travel bag, still muttering under her breath about bird men and Kai-Se. What's up with that? Also, why wasn't An-Ri disappearing into the earring? Usually, she preferred to sit out of mundane tasks like tidying up and traveling. She only ever comes out when it's time to eat or they have to fight someone or something.

Compound that with what An-Ri was saying...

Nao-Zai whizzed through all his tasks with the tent and by the time he finished, he picked An-Ri up. She felt solid and not about to vanish in a flash of light anytime soon. He brushed her hair into presentable pleats down her back, straightening the straight fringe covering her forehead. Her white fenhai remained flawless as ever. Spirit magic, maybe?

Together, they picked their way towards the Queen, who bustled around with the rest of the women also preparing for the long trip ahead. They were rationing the water they retrieved from a nearby brook somewhere here.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty," Nao-Zai cleared his throat. "I mean, um, Shima-e."

The Queen turned, her long, braided tail of hair whishing like a pendulum. "Lovely morning, Nao-Zai," she said. "How can I help you?"

Nao-Zai scanned the rest of the Noryeong clan. Not a single one of them was Kai-Se. Where had he gone and why hasn't he returned? "Have you seen Kai-Se?" he dared ask. If there was anyone who would know, it's the piper's mother. "He wasn't by the tent since this morning."

Shima-e stuck her lip out. An-Ri gurgled and tried doing the same. "I talked to him before he went in," she said. "I assume it didn't go well?"

He didn't know what she was talking about, but he could only guess. Was she the one who put Kai-Se up to that conversation last night? What if Kai-Se was not really ready but was instead goaded on into it? What should Nao-Zai have done then?

"No, I suppose not," Nao-Zai blew a breath and held An-Ri back when she tried reaching for Shima-e's braids with her claws jutting out from the nailbeds. "I'll ask around if they saw him after he stormed out of the tent."

"I did," one of the Noryeong boys raised a hand, forgetting he still held a water skin. His mother yelled at him and smacked him upside the head. This is precious water. You wasted it! floated in the background while the boy dodged his mother's pinches as he talked to Nao-Zai. "I was out tending to the torches when I saw the prince enter the forest through that direction."

Nao-Zai followed where the boy pointed. There's nothing but the undergrowth, the twisted vines, and the hazy silhouettes of trees beyond the clearing. "And did you see him return?" he asked.

"No," the boy answered, ducking from another swipe of his mother's palm. That's a close call. "I didn't stay up too late or else—whoa!—Mother will kill me like she's trying to do now!"

"San-xie, lay off the kid for a second," Shima-e sighed, stilling the raging mother into submission. The boy skipped out of the way before his mother's wrath reignited. The Queen turned to the rest of the Noryeong clan listening into their conversation despite looking like they're busy with their tasks. "Has anyone seen Kai-Se return to camp?"

Murmurs. Then, silence. Shima-e's features clouded over with worry. Nao-Zai didn't like it as well. If no one saw Kai-Se return to camp even if some of the people here were early-risers and if the piper wasn't in the tent when Nao-Zai awoke, it only meant Kai-Se was somewhere in the forest and he hadn't gotten back at all.

Whether it was a choice or something else, he would never know. That's why he had to find Kai-Se. Again.

"I suppose you known your roads to Hankuure?" Nao-Zai's grip on An-Ri tightened but not enough to hurt her. She clung to him as if she sensed the shift of his mood from nonchalance to urgency. "When you get to Shencai, look for Gang Sen and tell him about a favor he owed Kai-Se. Only the three of us knew it existed so he has to believe you're sent by the Crown Prince of Xuijae. You'll be safe there."

"You couldn't have told me that the first time we met?" the Queen raised an eyebrow and winked at An-Ri who tucked her head against Nao-Zai's neck, spooked. For what reason, he wouldn't ever know. "Could have saved you a lot of heartache."

Nao-Zai shrugged. "Slipped my mind," he said. "I figured we wouldn't need it since I'll be coming with you and Gang Sen knows me. But now..."

"Yes," the Queen bobbed her head in understanding. "We'll be alright. Word arrived yesterday too. The Tarakure clan burned Hanreikisan to the ground. Hana-e is safe. They're meeting us in Torake."

Where were they now? Nao-Zai had never been to Chaebeon beyond Shin-Ki's temple so everything was foreign to him. It's a miracle he had survived this long. "That's good," he said, even though regret and sadness gripped his gut. Hanreikisan was Dong-Seol's pride and joy. To see it used that way must have broken her heart. And to hear it erased from the face of the earth, it's a shame. Truly.

Which left Nao-Zai to wonder if Mang-Zhao, Dong-Seol's widower, had something to do with that fiasco. Perhaps, he'd never really get an answer. Not now. Or ever.

"Take care, Shima-e," Nao-Zai ducked his head in respect for the Queen of the Xuijae Empire one last time. "I'll get Kai-Se back. I promise."

Shima-e bowed her head at him. "Please do," she said. "May the spirits be with you."

At that, Nao-Zai gave An-Ri a little shake. "They already are."

Then, he was off. His soles crunched against the forest floor in rapid successions. He wanted to go faster but he wouldn't want to tire out in the middle of nowhere that fast. An-Ri's weight, despite being negligible before, settled on his arm and shoulder like another stone he needed to lug behind. His breaths hitched, making him gasp against the knots in his lungs. Sweat poured down his back even through the crisp air whipping his hair off his forehead.

He didn't know how long he was running, just that the forest remained unchanging around him. Sunlight flickered in his periphery as it poked through the holes in the canopies, leading his way to wherever Kai-Se could be.

At random times, An-Ri would make a noise—somewhere between a squeak and a shriek—and point towards a random direction. Nao-Zai took it as a sign of the spirit having better orientation and luck at finding Kai-Se than his mortal senses and followed. His sheathed sword slapped against his shin as he ran. He almost forgot he even had it with him. All that mattered now was to find Kai-Se and make sure he's alright.

"An-Ri, what's that about bird men?" Nao-Zai asked through the tightness in his chest and the dull ache spreading from his side. How long had it been since he parted with the Noryeong clan? "What do they look like?"

The spirit's ears twitched and a single, furry tail puffed into existence. "Yellow," was all she said before fixating on something coming up in the horizon. Nao-Zai could make out a pile of white. He sputtered to a stop when they reached it. An-Ri jumped from his arms and inspected the bundle. It's oddly familiar, and Nao-Zai forced himself to crouch after An-Ri and confirm it despite the deep pounding of his heartbeat.

Please let Kai-Se be okay.

His fingers hefted the bundle off the carpet of dried leaves. It was a thin strip of cloth, covered with meager splotches of blood at odd intervals, almost like it was wrapped around a wound before being discarded.

Something clicked. No way—

"Is this Kai-Se's?" Nao-Zai held the cloth to An-Ri who hissed at it.

"Bird man take Kai," she finally spat out. A pleased look flashed across her face as if that's what she's itching to get out of her system since forever. "Bird man got Kai...Se."

What was a bird man?

Nao-Zai looked around the space they came to. It was still the same forest—spindly trees with rough trunks, hazy shrubs with colorful flowers and fruits of different shapes and sizes, and crumbly rocks jutting out of the soil like misshapen heads. He walked a few steps further and glimpsed of a dark triangular shape in the distance.

He placed a hand against An-Ri's back as he picked her up again. She didn't appear to be afraid, but he was. Just a little bit. The triangular shadow turned out to be a shingled roof covering some sort of well. Ever so slowly, Nao-Zai leaned over the wall made of random stones glued together with mortar and checked the crawling void looming before him. A shiver went down his spine and he drew back.

The pillars supporting the roof was thick but old, the splinters already peeling away at the sides. Alga and all sorts of burrowing insects had made a home on the rocks and the wood, making the well appear unstable. Instead of the familiar mechanisms controlling the well's function of lowering a bucket and drawing it back up, a single plank ran between the pillars and a rusty bell hung on it. The bell was nothing special—just a pear-shaped lump of metal with a metallic clapper dangling in the middle.

Nao-Zai had heard enough tales about lone bells in the forest bearing all sorts of curses and would explode when rung. He blew a breath and stepped back. Not dealing with any more bad korza today. In fact, he'd had enough for the last few weeks.

His back hit something solid but not quite. An-Ri squeaked and buried her face in his fenhai. A wall? There were no walls in the forest. Otherwise, he would have seen it. He knitted his eyebrows. Wait a second. This wall...it felt like An-Ri's tail. Fluffy.

Which could only mean...

That's when he noticed the mound of shadow bleeding from his feet. It didn't take the form of a man or of anything friendly. Instead, he watched as the shadow morphed into that of a beast. Fear gripped his heart as he turned, taking his time in case it attacked and ended his life then and there. Blood drained from his face the moment he finished his slow pivot.

Because he's staring up at a tiger with fur as white as snow.

And it's bigger than a house.