laleia

In retrospect, she should have realized she’d end up on her own. For the first five tasks, they’d been allowed to be three. But they’d had to leave Maya behind before the second part of three tasks. And now for the final challenge, she was on her own. The quest was being divided as Jason had predicted, but he probably hadn’t imagined that they’d be whittled down this way.

Avi braced herself as she stepped forward. As Jason had predicted, this world dissolved around her in a flurry of sharp shadows, and she had to close her eyes to keep from getting dizzy. When her eyes opened, it took her a moment to re-orient herself, and then she had to blink and rub her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing or imagining things.

The world was black and white.

Or rather, a few colors existed, mostly with a faded washed-out watercolor look, and everything had a surreal black-and-white look about it. She looked down to check that she was the proper shape and size. She was the only thing that was.

She looked like she was in the park from before, but run through a strange filter. She walked up to a tree, and against her better judgment, touched it.

The tree was composed of harsh black lines that grayed-out at the edges, and she touched expecting that her hands would go through, that it would turn out not to be a tree after all. The tree felt real even though it didn’t look it, and her hand came away with black all over it. She held the hand up, and sniffed to see if it was some strange form of sap, and the slightly familiar smell washed over her.

She looked up in sudden insight. The black stuff was ink! She was inside a Chinese brush painting!

Now that she’d come to the realization, she could see it everywhere. How the lines were all characteristic of Chinese calligraphy, thus the graying-out at the edges and the harshness. The strange colors were because so little in Chinese paintings were in color, depending on the painting, of course. And the things she’d assumed to be ornaments or fruit hanging from the trees?

She touched one in awe, and felt its firmness beneath her hand. They were Chinese characters, suspended in the air.

She felt she could be forgiven the belated realization. While she saw brush painting around all the time, a brush-painting world with three dimensions was appropriately surreal. Apparently, when Jason said Folds often took on the resonance of the local culture, this Fold had taken on the resonance of the local art culture more than just plain Chinese culture. Avi idly wondered how many years the gallery had been hosting paintings by Chinese brush artists.

“This is awesome,” she said, or tried to say. No sound came out of her mouth, but obscure Chinese characters formed in front of her before fading away, and a sense of This one is pleased with the world that greets her permeated her being.

“Hello?” she tried again. Again with the lack of sound, the appearing-and-disappearing characters, and a sense of This one greets the world but truly would just like to examine whether the observation she observed was permanent. If she’d thought communicating with a dragon was strange, this was infinitely more bizarre. It was like the universe was translating her words into dragon-speak and including all the subtext.

It was a little annoying, to be honest.

She wandered through the ink-painting, not quite certain of where she was to be headed, when she saw in the distance a painted pavilion. And somehow, she knew that was her destination.

It wasn’t actually very far, as a brisk walk had her in front of the pavilion in a matter of minutes. She realized that part of the reason the pavilion had looked so far was because it was smaller than she had expected, painted small so it would look like it were in the distance.

And inside the pavilion, in the center, where she could touch if she just bent over and reached her hand out, there was a plain wooden chest. Was this it? Would it really be this easy?

Hesitant about actually stepping into the pavilion after her last experience, she tried to lean over and took hold of the box without actually touching the pavilion. Just as her fingers were centimeters away from the box, however, something snapped at her hand, stinging her fingers.

“Ouch!” she shouted, or try to shout out. Instead, there was This one feels pain.

She whirled around to see what had managed to snap at her hand with some sort of pebble and saw standing twenty feet away from her a figure she recognized from all the research that she had done over the past week.

In front of her stood Old Yang.

“I thought you were dead!” was the first thing that might have come out of Avi’s mouth, but for the stupid speech thing. Instead, what came out was This one is startled to see the other one here and expected the other one to have passed away ago, which presumably would have been more convenient than the impending task this one faces now.

In return, Old Yang sneered, and communicated, This one is deceased, and the other is a silly enfant for not thus realizing. This one passed away in the course of constructing the final task, unable to leave this dimension, and now the final task is to defeat this one, who while merely a shade of his former existence, still poses a potent threat. Old Yang looked a bit peeved at being described as “a shade of his former existence” but seemed more mollified by “potent threat.”

Avi opened her mouth, and out came, And what might be the task that this one must yet overcome?

Old Yang sniffed. Quite simply, the other one must defeat this one in combat.

Avi hesitated. The other one should perhaps be made aware that this one lacks Talent and thus could not survive Talented combat.

Old Yang’s eyes were cold. Then the combat will be very short indeed.

And then, before Avi could react, Old Yang was racing toward her, a blue ball of Talent in his hand.

But of course, Avi had as a child had some training in the art of self-defense, as it became increasingly evident that she would be unTalented her whole life. She raised her arms and crossed them, and the blue ball of Talent dissipated upon coming into contact with her unTalent, though she grunted a little at the impact, and she felt her hair frizz from some of the un-nullified energy.

This one is confused and expresses such with expletives.

Before Old Yang could react, Avi followed with a blow to his ribs (weak, glancing), a knee to his groin (this one hit square on but it quickly turned out that shades were not as vulnerable in that location), and a kick to his head.

She had merely expected for that last kick to disorient him, but to her horror, his entire head popped off. His head rolled in front of her, blinking once or twice.

This one supposes the other one will retrieve the box now.

This one will indeed retrieve the box and restore the Talent that rightfully belongs to this one.

The head seemed want to say something more, and opened his mouth, but then the light in the eyes died out, and Old Yang was officially dead.

Avi wanted to rest, to marvel at the fact that she had actually defeated Old Yang, but she knew better than to tarry. She snatched the box from the pavilion, and it thrummed at her, thrummed with familiarity. Then she hurried back down the path from whence she came.

She was worried at first that she would have difficulty finding the path back, but as soon as she returned to her origin point, the world around her faded, and she was back at the chasm.

“Avi!” Jason’s face on the other side of the chasm melted with relief. “You’re okay! I was so worried.”

“It was a little difficult,” Avi admitted. “I didn’t really expect the Abyss to spit you out like that, and it was certainly tricky getting past Old Yang on my own, but I managed!”

Avi triumphantly held up the small, plain wooden chest that throbbed with familiarity.

“Old Yang?” Jason asked, kind of confused.

“It turns out that he didn’t have enough Talent to get out when he was done setting up the challenges,” Avi briefly summed up. “So he ended up becoming the final challenge. But I defeated him, or rather, defeated his shade, and I finally got it!”

“Great!” Jason beamed. “Grandmother will take a look and see what kind of spell is needed to bind it to you. Before you know it, you’ll have your Talent restored and you’ll be learning the basic forms all over again. Ready to come back?”

“You bet!” Avi closed her eyes to begin the trek across the Abyss, and had only taken a few steps when another shout caught her attention.

“Avi!” Avi couldn’t open her eyes but from the sound of it, Maya was also on the other side of the Abyss, probably at least 20 feet away from Jason.

“Maya? I thought you were holding off the creature? What’s happening?” Avi asked, confused. She stopped moving, but continued thinking very solid thoughts so the Abyss didn’t get any funny ideas.

“I managed to slay it once I got in a decent few stabs with the sword and then I learned that you finally retrieved the box and – Avi, whatever you do, don’t let Liang Family get a hold of that box!”

“What? Why?” Avi was confused.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, Avi, but that’s not your Talent. That chest contains a demon who’s only imprisoned by the Words on the seal inside. If you break the seal, it will escape! Liang Family wants you to give them the demon so they can control it and demolish all the other Families!”

“What?” Avi said, taken aback.

“I only learned of it when I went to deliver your message to my Matriarch, and she forbid me to speak of it until you’d recovered the box, because she’d made a promise to Liang Matriarch that she wouldn’t tell. That’s why she had the termination order out on you, Avi – she was worried you would find the box and give it to Liang Family!”

“Don’t listen to her!” Jason said hastily. “The Zhang Family just wants you to hand your Talent over to them so they can control you with it.”

“I couldn’t tell you before because I was bound! But that’s why I kept on warning you not to go for it once I found out because I knew it wasn’t safe and you were only a pawn! Whatever you do, don’t trust Liang Family and don’t hand it over to them!”

“What’s going on?” Avi said, “Why are you both doing this now?” How could she be “firm of heart” if her two comrades were now suddenly casting aspersion on each other and demanding she choose a side? “How can the box not be my Talent? It feels so familiar!”

“That’s the demon trying to escape!” Maya said. “It’s trying to trick you any way how so you can help it toward its escape!”

“Don’t trust her words,” Jason protested. “You’ve been working with me for so long, surely you don’t really doubt me? Would I send you off on such a dangerous wild goose chase if I weren’t sure you were going to gain so much from it?”

“He lies!” Maya said at the same time, trying to be heard over Jason by yelling louder and louder. “He only got close to you in the first place because it was his duty! He pretended to love you because he wanted to have that extra edge so he could pull something like this! Will you really trust him over me? You’ve known him for a month, but we grew up together!”

“Oh sure, trust the woman who you haven’t seen in five years, only to conveniently appear when you are in a precarious position, just in time to report you to her Family, betray your ideals, and then convince you to give control of your fate into her hands!” Jason said. “I know it’s hard to trust me but you know that I like you because of who you are! I argued with Grandmother for your sake! I defied the rules! Because I think you genuinely deserve this! I know we’ve only known each other for a month, but I’m not asking you to turn your Talent into my hands! You can take your time to think about it, just whatever you do, don’t give it to her!”

“Because then Zhang Family might have access to the demon and destroy your Family, am I right?” Maya demanded. “Avi, you know me. Your parents know my parents. And what do you know about them aside from what he has told you? Do not give them that box, or all of Beijing will change as we know it!”

“Both of you SHUT THE FUCK UP,” Avi demanded, eyes still closed. She’d had enough. “I’m three steps into the Abyss and you have to bring this up now? You know my heart can’t waver or I’ll fall fucking in, and if I do I swear to God I’m cursing the two of you with my dying breath, Talent or not Talent.”

Both Maya and Jason quieted immediately.

“That’s better,” Avi said. “Now, I don’t care what this box has in it right now, my priority is to make it across the Abyss. Then I’ll decide which of you has actually betrayed me, and which only guilty of being a fucking liar. Right now, I need both of you to guide my away across the Abyss.”

“Come this way,” Jason said encouragingly. “It’s not too far.”

“Yes, this way,” Maya echoed.

Even as the two still quibbled over which direction Avi should go, Avi started walking, making for what sounded like the middle of the two voices.

“You’re about halfway there,” Jason told her after ten minutes. “Almost there. Turn around, you’re heading in the wrong direction. Veer to the left.”

“Yes,” Maya agreed, “but turn left a little more than that.”

“What- that would point her at you! Why, so you can snatch the chest off her?” Jason demanded. “No, come this way! Turn right!”

Avi scowled, and held the box up.

“Avi, what are you doing?” Maya asked.

“Be careful with that!” Jason said.

“Since the two of you won’t shut the fuck up about the stupid box instead of guiding me to safety, I figure there’s only one thing I can do to resolve the matter.” And without further ado, Avi dropped the box.

She couldn’t see it fall, and she couldn’t hear it shatter as it hit the ground as the Abyss was bottomless, but she did take a certain malicious pleasure in Maya’s and Jason’s gasp of astonishment and mildly outraged shriek respectively.

“Avi! You… you!”

“That’s not something you can take back!” Maya said. “It’s gone forever!”

“Yes, I know,” Avi said grimly. “Now are either of you going to guide me, or am I doomed to die here?”

“You’re turned around again, you want to make a 180 turn,” Jason said quietly.

“More like a 155-degree turn,” Maya corrected, exact as always.

Avi continued her way until both Maya and Jason at the same time said, “You’re here. You can open your eyes.”

And so she did.

Epilogue:

“You’re really leaving, then,” a voice said at the doorway.

“Oh, Aly,” Avi sighed. “I want to stay, but the visa issues mean I can’t.”

“I don’t understand!”

Of course she wouldn’t. The visa issues were a manufactured excuse. Avi’d come to Beijing because she figured nobody would know her here and she’d get a break from the whole Talented Family business. Somehow, she’d ended up pulled in a quest and had nearly destroyed the world in the process. If she stayed, it would no longer by in anonymity. Everyone who was anyone in the Talented community now knew who she was which … wasn’t the point of coming here in the first place.

“I won’t be far,” Avi consoled. “You can come visit.”

“You’ll be in a different country!”

A friend of a family friend owned a hagwon in Seoul, and that was where Avi was headed, apparently, to finish off her year abroad in relative anonymity in, well …

“A country where you don’t know the language!”

“I can always learn.”

“I’ll miss you. The school won’t be the same without you,” Aly pouted.

“You’ll have plenty of other teachers to go clubbing with,” Avi promised, “and to commiserate over brat children with. And we’ll Skype. Now help me finish packing.”

---

Avi was unsurprised to see Maya at the airport. She was wearing her House uniform, there on official business – to see to it that the Lau Family representative actually left the country.

It was her first time seeing Maya since they’d parted ways outside the museum.

“I’ll leave you to a moment alone,” Aly said delicately, as she went off to the side.

Maya raised an eyebrow. “What have you told her about exactly?”

“Never mind that,” Avi said firmly. “Has Zhang Matriarch forgiven you yet for not successfully retrieving the demon?”

“Seeing as I kept it out of Liang Family’s hands, she’s done so, if grudgingly. Have you heard from Jason?”

“He’s come by and groveled several times. He says he didn’t know what his Grandmother’d done. Apparently his father had persuaded his Grandmother to make Jason Heir if he gave her the map to an unbeatable weapon. Things … didn’t end up working the way anyone intended, but Jason says he believed the whole time, that he never knew it was a lie.”

“Do you believe him?”

“I do,” Avi said honestly. “I told him that, but he thinks I still secretly resent him or something. I mean, I know how manipulative Families can be, and his Grandmother is certainly very … stone-cold, I think they say.”

“Given the research we did, I can certainly see how his father and his Grandmother might have secretly plotted behind his back,” Maya admitted.

There was an awkward silence.

“I’ll miss you,” Maya said. “I enjoyed seeing you again.”

Avi snorted. “I frustrated you, and exasperated you, and defied you – which you did not hesitate to point out each and every time.”

“You remind me of home,” Maya said, with a soft smile that changed her face from the emotionless façade to the girl Avi’d kissed in a storage closet five years ago. “And of what life will be like when my contract is over.”

“When your contract is over, and not before,” Avi said, “give me a call and we’ll hang out.”

“You’ve made a similar offer to Jason, I imagine,” Maya said, one eyebrow raised.

“Of course. He’s promised to visit me in Seoul, actually. You won’t be able to, because you still have, what, three years before your contract ends?”

“Three and a half,” Maya said grimly, “with the grace period.”

“My sister will be done with her apprenticeship in contracts by then,” Avi said. “You should definitely have her take a look at the contract before the end, just to make sure your Matriarch doesn’t trick you into staying on longer.”

“Oh I will, rest assured.”

“Then I’ll see you when that day comes.”

“I’d like that.”

---

The airplane soared into the sky, and nobody noticed the silvery dragon that trailed its wake. After all, people see what they want to see …