Han Fang breathed out, and thunder rolled out.
He could feel the frisson of power running through the air, feel the charge in every invisible droplet of moisture, and the coolness of the wisps of stormcloud gathering about his shoulders like a cloak. He could feel the movements of every twig and blade of grass, every crawling thing in the dirt, and every bird in the sky, by the minute current of heavenly energy that coursed through all living things. And, if he pulsed his qi in just the right way, he could disrupt it.
He had finally mastered the first stage of an art of the third realm, with the Echoing Heavenly Current technique, he could once again call himself worthy to be Han Jian's eyes on the shadows. He would not be helpless or caught unawares again.
It had taken nearly nine months of his second year, but he was finally keeping up with Han Jian again. Han Fang felt something on the edge of his senses then. As if summoned by his thoughts, Han Jian was here, walking up the winding path to the training ground. He was not alone. He could feel Fan Yu as well, stolid and solid, but… diminished from how he had been. With the clarity of his new arts, that was all the more clear.
"...Try to focus on the positives, Yu, you actually made some progress on your latest attempt, right?"
"Barely," the other boy's voice was bitter, but he had lost the combative bluster that would have once marked such words. "What is even the point? My failures have already lost me everything. Father is not even going to send one of my Elder Brothers to observe the tournament."
In the field far above them, Han Fang grimaced. The news of his engagement being broken had shattered what little remained of Fan Yu's determination. His family's growing coldness in their correspondence had done the rest.
Han Fang felt for Fan Yu, no matter how abrasive he was. His situation struck far too close to Han Fang's own fears. That he would fail to live up to the honor he had been given, that he would lose the name he had been gifted, and be left behind. He knew all too well that the great majority of the Han family regarded his adoption with irritation.
There were only so many resources to go around after all, each pill, elixir and stone he received was one which another scion was not.
"That's not true Yu, it's not like reaching third realm at sixteen or seventeen isn't still impressive," Han Jian said comfortingly. "And you'll get there, you'll have to work for it but…"
"Do not coddle me Jian," Yu said. "Your kind words only make things worse. I have built my own failure."
"And you can build your own success," Jian insisted. "Yu, I… won't baby you, you've always had trouble with getting discouraged easily. But I know you can come back from this. It's not like you're being cast out from your clan."
"Hmph," Fan Yu grunted. "It seems that even you can run out of soft words, Jian. I will leave you to your cousin. I should… cultivate."
Han Fang withdrew his senses back to the field. He knew that his breakthrough had only made fan Yu feel worse, and the other boy had begun to openly avoid him. However, he could not regret his own success.
He opened his eyes and blinked away the spots that burst out in his vision, it was still jarring to go back to seeing with only his physical eyes. He would have to continue working on his technique, otherwise that would be an unacceptable liability.
"It's a little rude to listen in like that, Fang," Han Jian said as he entered the training ground.
Han Fang dipped his head in deference, but if Jian had wanted to keep him out, he would have. Opening his ears to listen to what could be heard was just one of his duties. With his right hand, he signed to Jian.
He received another letter?
Yes, Jian signed back. "I… don't want to think ill of the Fan, but it seems his Father was more invested in the Gu alliance than I thought. It looks like he's going to continue negotiating for one of his other sons or nephews."
Han Jian grimaced, it was one thing for your betrothal to be broken, but another for it to outright be given to a close relative. No wonder fan Yu had been so despondent.
It is still good that things were broken off, I think.
Even he could see that Gu Xiulan and Fan Yu would only have made one another miserable. He supposed that it was a benefit of his low birth that he did not have such troubles.
"Maybe so," Jian said with a sigh, looking up at the sky. He himself was still troubled by it. Han Fang felt a needle of irritation. He wished that his brother would not still pine so.
He let out a raspy cough, drawing Han Jian's attention.
How have your own negotiations been going?
"Father is still in talks with the Guo clan, there's a half daughter of one of their Ebon Rivers Ambassadors that he's trying to negotiate for…." Han Jian said without much enthusiasm. "But, let's leave that aside."
Han Fang nodded agreeably, he would have to look into it himself. Even a Zheng sired bastard, half-child as it was polite to say, from the Guo clan would be a strong tie. Han Jian's father was a canny negotiator, he would not shoot so high if he did not think his odds were good.
"What I actually came up here for was to give you good news," Han Jian continued, a genuine smile returning to his face. "Your spirit beast is here."
Han fang blinked, then blinked again, looking around at the empty field.
"Well, not here, here," Han Jian said sheepishly. "I mean they're arriving today. I figured I should let you know so you can go meet her."
Her? Han fang signed. He felt strangely nervous at the idea of meeting his spirit. He had known that one was coming for some time, but it hadn't quite seemed real.
"Her name is Sidao," Han Jian said, glancing to the side. "Ah, fair warning, she might be a little rough. Like I said, I couldn't get you a partner from the mainline, but the clan managed to entice a few of the Waste branch in, and your partner is one of them."
Han Fang's eyebrows rose. The tigers of the southern wasteland were wild, and not often inclined to bonding. The feeling was generally returned, since they were even less inclined to obeying their human partners than their more northern kin. He would not complain however.
Thank you so much Jian. I will be sure to make it work.
***
Han Fang was less certain of his words as he arrived at the forest clearing which had been set out for their meeting. The caravan of the Han Family which the spirit should have arrived with was here, unloading goods for the Argent Sect, and would soon be moving north to eventually at Xiangmen to purchase foodstuffs and tea.
However, the clearing was empty.
Knowing the temperament of the tigers of Han, Han Fang considered that perhaps Sidao had gotten bored and wandered off. However, somehow that felt wrong. He felt a tension in the air, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. Slowly, Han Fang turned, observing the edge of the clearing and the swaying grass and brush.
Carefully, he extended his senses, letting the sizzle of the heavily currents touch his mind.
He jerked himself to the side, something thin and invisible carved a path through the air, and sliced through the trunk of a young tree, and deep into the sturdier oak behind it.
"Hmph, not wholly unaware then," The voice was sibilant, feminine, and deeply bored in tone.
Han Fang met a pair of golden eyes suspended in the evening shadows of the canopy. It was only then that he felt the sharp sting of pain from his upper arm, and the faint wetness of blood. He had been cut, and it had taken several seconds to even notice. He could have been angry at the attack, but this was simply the way of tiger spirits. If she had intended him true harm, the cutting wind would have aimed for his head.
"I am pleased to meet your expectations," he said in the voice of his spirit, meeting those predatory eyes steadily.
"Just as I am pleased to be shown your prowess."
"What a respectful boy," the spirit purred, and around they eyes emerged the rest of the tigers frame, melting from the shadow. Pale grey fur, the color of the ash wastes, and broken up by stripes of deep black. Her frame was less muscular than Heijin's. Smaller and more lithe, more akin to the great cats of the hills and mountains.
"This Sidao greets the cub of Han."
"Han Fang greets the child of the Grave Wardens," He said formally. The southern branches were descended from Grandmother Tigers third cub, who took up the southern watch, and developed to consume the ashen flesh of the Walkers.
"I am honored by your presence."
Sidao's long tail flicked back and forth as the tiger stalked around him observing from every angle.
You are," she said haughtily.
"Understand that I seek new hunts, new foods, new amusements. Your tale was of interest. You will not bore me, I hope, deathtouched."
Han Fang straightened his shoulders.
"I will not."
