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<blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 3238308" data-attributes="member: 812"><p>CHAPTER FOUR</p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>"Why does Fa get to have all the fun? I just want to kill something, by Her Perfect Backside. What does it take?"</p><p></p><p>Shan complained as she and Wei-Yong led Ming-Wa and the muttering, flailing, overweight Mayor up onto the roof of the store they'd taken shelter in. The Mayor's chubby fist connected with Wei-Yong's head yet again and she looked over at Ming-Wa.</p><p></p><p>"Ming, could you?"</p><p></p><p>The woman concentrated for a second and the Mayor went limp.</p><p></p><p>"Thank you."</p><p></p><p>The three women looked around. Wei-Yong pointed.</p><p></p><p>"That restaurant. We can break through the windows and go down the inside stairs, out a back door or something."</p><p></p><p>"What about Fa?"</p><p></p><p>"Either she's coming with us, or she's not, Shan. Let's go."</p><p></p><p>Below, the ground floor of the shop seethed with tentacles, pulsating mouths and weird flapping limbs on all sides. Fa stood half-way down the stairs, eyes closed as she concentrated on her calculations. Her brain soared and wound around itself in frantic precision, guiding the horrible power of Shadow as it negated reality in exactly the fashion she required of it.</p><p></p><p>The creatures below hesitated. Although they could not perceive Fa herself, the unwinding of Shadow's dark touch was unmistakeable and they drew back.</p><p></p><p>Their caution did them no good.</p><p></p><p>Fa's eyes snapped open and she threw out her hands. A sudden shooting wall of flame seared up all around her, a hollow pillar of fire with Fa at the center. Her hands flipped over, and the pillar suddenly expanded outwards, the wall of flame rolling over all the fiendish monsters crowded into the shop around her.</p><p></p><p>They shrieked and gibbered in sudden, short-lived panic, but they left behind only their blackened corpses. Those left beyond the range of the fire scampered back, but once the flames died down they pressed forward, cautiously, once again.</p><p></p><p>Fa swayed for a moment, swore once, and collapsed.</p><p></p><p>Up on the roof, Shan had reached one of the latticed windows of the restaurant that overlooked the shop and was industriously tearing it apart when with a loud smack she suddenly flew backwards to crash amidst the tiles.</p><p></p><p>Her oaths were numerical: the number of hairy, sweaty, grinning sailors she was going to make the Goddess satisfy after she was done here. Ming-Wa put her hands over her ears while Wei-Yong, trying not to laugh, strung her bow and looked to see what just done that to her friend.</p><p></p><p>It stood taller than a man, with two right hands, each of which held a massive battle-axe. Its left hand clung to the nearest pillar as it waved its weapons at Shan, gibbering the whole while.</p><p></p><p>"Well, so much for Fa's spell."</p><p></p><p>"It saw the window being demolished, Shan. It's inhuman, not stupid."</p><p></p><p>"Whatever. I'm killing it."</p><p></p><p>Shan charged, with predictable results. Wei-Yong nudged Ming-Wa.</p><p></p><p>"He got to scream. Last one didn't get to scream."</p><p></p><p>Ming-Wa nodded.</p><p></p><p>"She's slipping. Although the last one wasn't completely in half."</p><p></p><p>"Yeah. She-- "</p><p></p><p>Wei-Yong's sentence went unfinished as she caught sight of another pair of axes descending to where Shan stood, continuing to demolish the window. Her bow leapt up and two arrows on the string flew away.</p><p></p><p>One embedded itself in the upper right hand of the second axe-weilding creature.</p><p></p><p>The other arrow embedded itself in the lower.</p><p></p><p>His axes hadn't hit the ground before Shan had cut him in half, too.</p><p></p><p>"Okay, maybe she's not slipping."</p><p></p><p>A weary hand flopped out of the rooftop trap door and Fa groaned as she pulled herself up.</p><p></p><p>"Fa!"</p><p></p><p>"Had to collapse the stairs. Crawled up. Tired."</p><p></p><p>Wei-Yong and Ming-Wa helped their friend and followed the Mayor and Shan into the restaurant. More axe-weilding freaks attacked. Fa watched.</p><p></p><p>"You know, I thought she was kind of slipping but she seems pretty on her game today."</p><p></p><p>Bodies spilled guts and blood all over. Shan laughed.</p><p></p><p>"Yeah."</p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>"Thank you, thank you, thank you. Goddess be praised. Goddess be praised."</p><p></p><p>Ming-Wa accepted Constable Peng's thanks with grace.</p><p></p><p>"Yes. Goddess be praised. Now you understand there are more of these creatures, right? Let none escape alive."</p><p></p><p>"Yes, yes, of course. Understood. The militia are roused and we'll take care of things, now that you've returned the Mayor to us."</p><p></p><p>The women eyed the still-muttering, twitching figure of the town's official ruler, and refrained from comment.</p><p></p><p>"Where did Li Ling go?"</p><p></p><p>"On to Tieh Tung. It's about a day's ride down that valley. She left this morning."</p><p></p><p>The four women looked up at the noonday sun. Fa grinned at Shan.</p><p></p><p>"No lunch for you, dear. We'll need to ride if we're going to catch her."</p><p></p><p>Wei-Yong chuckled.</p><p></p><p>"Make sure you get the biggest horse in town."</p><p></p><p>Shan groaned.</p><p></p><p>"I can't save the world on an empty stomach, you know."</p><p></p><p>She brightened up as one of the townsfolk handed her a sack full of dumplings. They rode off in the direction Constable Peng had indicated, Shan chewing happily.</p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>There was no sign of chaos and horror in Tieh Tung, but a poster nailed to a shop wall had all of them moving faster.</p><p></p><p>"THE EMPEROR OF DREAMS! TONIGHT! THE NEW PLAY FROM SUNG LI LING, AT DUSK AT THE GREEN LOTUS THEATRE!"</p><p></p><p>Directions were found easily enough and with hearts steadily darkening they rode through narrow, crowded streets towards where the theatre stood.</p><p></p><p>"These Razors. These Jade Razors. Perhaps they aren't what we think."</p><p></p><p>"What do we think they are, Fa?"</p><p></p><p>Fa regarded Wei-Yong with some frustration.</p><p></p><p>"Opponents of the Goddess."</p><p></p><p>Ming-Wa gasped.</p><p></p><p>"But we know they are. Remember Pao Hsien in Hsiao-pei-ho? The obscenity beneath Her temple?"</p><p></p><p>"I remember, Ming-Wa. But think. What is Li Ling doing? Why try to expose the Living World to the chaos of the Dream Worlds? That doesn't make sense if they're trying to overthrow the Goddess."</p><p></p><p>Ming-Wa seethed. Shan shrugged.</p><p></p><p>"They're looking for Her hara."</p><p></p><p>"Her what?"</p><p></p><p>"Her hara. Her center. They're pulling on Her, to see what She'll defend. If they can destroy the world, She has to stop them. And then they know."</p><p></p><p>"Know what?"</p><p></p><p>Shan shrugged.</p><p></p><p>"How should I know? You guys are the smart ones."</p><p></p><p>Fa stared at her giant friend, then shook her head.</p><p></p><p>"Never mind. They ARE opponents of the Goddess."</p><p></p><p>"But you just said."</p><p></p><p>"I was wrong. Thank you, Shan."</p><p></p><p>"No problem. Hey, there it is. Do you think this place will be serving dinner?"</p><p></p><p>Inside, the theatre was packed, and only strange, horrible voices came over the crowd to tell the women that the show had begun. Ming-Wa clutched at her chest at the foul, yet somehow compelling voice, rasping and hissing at her. Shan pushed forward and they followed.</p><p></p><p>Few folks made any complaint at Shan's brusque passage through the crowd; most were content to move aside, staring forward in slack-jawed fascination, and those that retained sufficient awareness to notice took one look at her armoured bulk and decided against protesting.</p><p></p><p>"I'm thirsty. Can we get a beer? Hey, he's cute."</p><p></p><p>Shan had come around a thick pillar and at last stood where she could see the stage. She looked up at the performers and swayed for a second, entranced by the lead actor's considerable handsomeness. The stage whirled and flashed with colour and leaping figures, enacting some battle with stylized acrobatics, their brilliant costumes flickering and weaving through the air as they tumbled about.</p><p></p><p>A table nearby suddenly came free. Wei-Yong rolled her eyes and pushed Shan down into a chair. The others seated themselves.</p><p></p><p>"Come on, Shan. Come on."</p><p></p><p>"Village to village, no one to play with..."</p><p></p><p>Shan's voice trailed off. Wei-Yong frowned.</p><p></p><p>"Shan? Hey, come on."</p><p></p><p>She turned to study the actor who had so fascinated her friend.</p><p></p><p>"Oh. Pretty."</p><p></p><p>Wei-Yong swallowed, blushing, and sat down at the table with Shan, equally fascinated by the handsome young man.</p><p></p><p>Ming-Wa and Fa turned to look at the stage and both did exactly as Wei-Yong had. All four women sat, helpless and mute, as the play continued on its deadly course.</p><p></p><p>Backstage, the playwright, a thin, sallow woman in filthy robes, held a knife in her hands. Pointing towards her stomach. She convulsed and buried the blade in her own body. Spasming, she choked and fell to the floor.</p><p></p><p>"At last... The Emperor of Dreams comes forth... "</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="barsoomcore, post: 3238308, member: 812"] CHAPTER FOUR ***** "Why does Fa get to have all the fun? I just want to kill something, by Her Perfect Backside. What does it take?" Shan complained as she and Wei-Yong led Ming-Wa and the muttering, flailing, overweight Mayor up onto the roof of the store they'd taken shelter in. The Mayor's chubby fist connected with Wei-Yong's head yet again and she looked over at Ming-Wa. "Ming, could you?" The woman concentrated for a second and the Mayor went limp. "Thank you." The three women looked around. Wei-Yong pointed. "That restaurant. We can break through the windows and go down the inside stairs, out a back door or something." "What about Fa?" "Either she's coming with us, or she's not, Shan. Let's go." Below, the ground floor of the shop seethed with tentacles, pulsating mouths and weird flapping limbs on all sides. Fa stood half-way down the stairs, eyes closed as she concentrated on her calculations. Her brain soared and wound around itself in frantic precision, guiding the horrible power of Shadow as it negated reality in exactly the fashion she required of it. The creatures below hesitated. Although they could not perceive Fa herself, the unwinding of Shadow's dark touch was unmistakeable and they drew back. Their caution did them no good. Fa's eyes snapped open and she threw out her hands. A sudden shooting wall of flame seared up all around her, a hollow pillar of fire with Fa at the center. Her hands flipped over, and the pillar suddenly expanded outwards, the wall of flame rolling over all the fiendish monsters crowded into the shop around her. They shrieked and gibbered in sudden, short-lived panic, but they left behind only their blackened corpses. Those left beyond the range of the fire scampered back, but once the flames died down they pressed forward, cautiously, once again. Fa swayed for a moment, swore once, and collapsed. Up on the roof, Shan had reached one of the latticed windows of the restaurant that overlooked the shop and was industriously tearing it apart when with a loud smack she suddenly flew backwards to crash amidst the tiles. Her oaths were numerical: the number of hairy, sweaty, grinning sailors she was going to make the Goddess satisfy after she was done here. Ming-Wa put her hands over her ears while Wei-Yong, trying not to laugh, strung her bow and looked to see what just done that to her friend. It stood taller than a man, with two right hands, each of which held a massive battle-axe. Its left hand clung to the nearest pillar as it waved its weapons at Shan, gibbering the whole while. "Well, so much for Fa's spell." "It saw the window being demolished, Shan. It's inhuman, not stupid." "Whatever. I'm killing it." Shan charged, with predictable results. Wei-Yong nudged Ming-Wa. "He got to scream. Last one didn't get to scream." Ming-Wa nodded. "She's slipping. Although the last one wasn't completely in half." "Yeah. She-- " Wei-Yong's sentence went unfinished as she caught sight of another pair of axes descending to where Shan stood, continuing to demolish the window. Her bow leapt up and two arrows on the string flew away. One embedded itself in the upper right hand of the second axe-weilding creature. The other arrow embedded itself in the lower. His axes hadn't hit the ground before Shan had cut him in half, too. "Okay, maybe she's not slipping." A weary hand flopped out of the rooftop trap door and Fa groaned as she pulled herself up. "Fa!" "Had to collapse the stairs. Crawled up. Tired." Wei-Yong and Ming-Wa helped their friend and followed the Mayor and Shan into the restaurant. More axe-weilding freaks attacked. Fa watched. "You know, I thought she was kind of slipping but she seems pretty on her game today." Bodies spilled guts and blood all over. Shan laughed. "Yeah." ***** "Thank you, thank you, thank you. Goddess be praised. Goddess be praised." Ming-Wa accepted Constable Peng's thanks with grace. "Yes. Goddess be praised. Now you understand there are more of these creatures, right? Let none escape alive." "Yes, yes, of course. Understood. The militia are roused and we'll take care of things, now that you've returned the Mayor to us." The women eyed the still-muttering, twitching figure of the town's official ruler, and refrained from comment. "Where did Li Ling go?" "On to Tieh Tung. It's about a day's ride down that valley. She left this morning." The four women looked up at the noonday sun. Fa grinned at Shan. "No lunch for you, dear. We'll need to ride if we're going to catch her." Wei-Yong chuckled. "Make sure you get the biggest horse in town." Shan groaned. "I can't save the world on an empty stomach, you know." She brightened up as one of the townsfolk handed her a sack full of dumplings. They rode off in the direction Constable Peng had indicated, Shan chewing happily. ***** There was no sign of chaos and horror in Tieh Tung, but a poster nailed to a shop wall had all of them moving faster. "THE EMPEROR OF DREAMS! TONIGHT! THE NEW PLAY FROM SUNG LI LING, AT DUSK AT THE GREEN LOTUS THEATRE!" Directions were found easily enough and with hearts steadily darkening they rode through narrow, crowded streets towards where the theatre stood. "These Razors. These Jade Razors. Perhaps they aren't what we think." "What do we think they are, Fa?" Fa regarded Wei-Yong with some frustration. "Opponents of the Goddess." Ming-Wa gasped. "But we know they are. Remember Pao Hsien in Hsiao-pei-ho? The obscenity beneath Her temple?" "I remember, Ming-Wa. But think. What is Li Ling doing? Why try to expose the Living World to the chaos of the Dream Worlds? That doesn't make sense if they're trying to overthrow the Goddess." Ming-Wa seethed. Shan shrugged. "They're looking for Her hara." "Her what?" "Her hara. Her center. They're pulling on Her, to see what She'll defend. If they can destroy the world, She has to stop them. And then they know." "Know what?" Shan shrugged. "How should I know? You guys are the smart ones." Fa stared at her giant friend, then shook her head. "Never mind. They ARE opponents of the Goddess." "But you just said." "I was wrong. Thank you, Shan." "No problem. Hey, there it is. Do you think this place will be serving dinner?" Inside, the theatre was packed, and only strange, horrible voices came over the crowd to tell the women that the show had begun. Ming-Wa clutched at her chest at the foul, yet somehow compelling voice, rasping and hissing at her. Shan pushed forward and they followed. Few folks made any complaint at Shan's brusque passage through the crowd; most were content to move aside, staring forward in slack-jawed fascination, and those that retained sufficient awareness to notice took one look at her armoured bulk and decided against protesting. "I'm thirsty. Can we get a beer? Hey, he's cute." Shan had come around a thick pillar and at last stood where she could see the stage. She looked up at the performers and swayed for a second, entranced by the lead actor's considerable handsomeness. The stage whirled and flashed with colour and leaping figures, enacting some battle with stylized acrobatics, their brilliant costumes flickering and weaving through the air as they tumbled about. A table nearby suddenly came free. Wei-Yong rolled her eyes and pushed Shan down into a chair. The others seated themselves. "Come on, Shan. Come on." "Village to village, no one to play with..." Shan's voice trailed off. Wei-Yong frowned. "Shan? Hey, come on." She turned to study the actor who had so fascinated her friend. "Oh. Pretty." Wei-Yong swallowed, blushing, and sat down at the table with Shan, equally fascinated by the handsome young man. Ming-Wa and Fa turned to look at the stage and both did exactly as Wei-Yong had. All four women sat, helpless and mute, as the play continued on its deadly course. Backstage, the playwright, a thin, sallow woman in filthy robes, held a knife in her hands. Pointing towards her stomach. She convulsed and buried the blade in her own body. Spasming, she choked and fell to the floor. "At last... The Emperor of Dreams comes forth... " [/QUOTE]
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