Whispering Grove: The Demon's Covert Refuge

Icy eyes rest carefully on the slender figure at his side. Each step seems controlled, neither forward nor backward. Perfectly lined with his as if the slightest movement could alter the fragile balance created. Her hair slides softly down to her waist, revealing the light padding of the leather armor. From what A-Yin has observed, the fubai looks pretty agile, and this choice of clothing doesn't surprise him. Daggers are tied to her thigh and wrist, her arms drop relaxed along her legs, and her slender fingers occasionally graze the sword's sheath. She is armed to the teeth; these are just the weapons she shows. I wonder what else you hide under that little armor.

The two of them move towards the northwest slowly, giving him time to study her movements, but her behavior is impassive and severe. Rei seems to keep track of their motions in search of landmarks, and occasionally, her gaze rises to the sky, meeting him.

"How did you find me?" The question arises spontaneously to A-Yin. The rumor of a safe refuge is slowly spreading in the Rèn, but no one has ever been able to get so close.

"Ronnie is a canary who likes to sing."

The familiar name doesn't surprise him, yet his look darkens slightly. I shouldn't have spared him. Rei notices this and adds, "Don't worry. I thought I'd do you a favor by shutting his mouth."

So it was you who wreaked havoc on Aryo harbor. The thought almost makes him laugh; while she was backpacking on her way to him, A-Yin was on her trail with no clues and a fistful of flies in hand. He clears his throat and says, "Maybe it would have been more useful if you found out who else he sold the map to."

The know-it-all tone makes her giggle, and Rei turns to him with a grin. "Those who are already dead never speak. I don't see why wasting my time." From the pocket of her backpack, she takes out the map and shows it to him. The point indicating the location of the refuge is only a dot in the vast forest located east of Aqua, south of the Neutral Region, and west of Sixan. "This is just an overpriced piece of paper. Luckily, I managed to have it for free."

Yet you found me. Thinking backward, the marks protecting his territory resonated in the southeast in the rocky area. A-Yin has ventured into those caves but has never fully explored them. Not only did he think the tunnels were so narrow and intricate that no humans would ever go, but rumors of several collapses had spread in the past. So he had abandoned the idea of ​​placing brands, and now the little fubai has emerged from the underground in an unexpected surprise. He still feels the taste of her blood under his tongue, which seems to flood him with light bursts of rasuah. What are you? The question torments his mind, yet looking for answers now seems useless. A-Yin knows almost nothing about her, and she better trust him if he wants to uncover this pretty mystery. The first meeting did not provide a good starting hand for either of them. Rei attacked four of his demons, and he confessed he wanted to kill her. For this reason, it is necessary to carefully weigh the following moves to play his cards at his best.

A-Yin is usually not so reckless, neither in words nor in gestures. He always tries to control his behavior to be flawless in everything he says and does, yet he is strangely crude today. Her body, attitude, and scent have recalled and awakened every fiber of his being, seducing him into a rash taste. I hope it doesn't backfire; for once, I'm reckless.

The refuge's walls stand out to the fubai's left, and after a while, they find themselves in front of a high double-leaf gate. Metal pillars reinforce the wooden points. The gate opens slowly as soon as the archers notice the leader's figure approaching. Rei silently follows him, and her eyes quickly fall on every detail of the environment. The path is no longer grassy but cobbled, and from the inside, two other rows of walls rise upwards, this time lower and made of wood. The structure is circular and concentric, well cared for, and defined as a small village lost in the woods. How long have you been here? She wonders while looking around.

The demons present give the two a few surprised looks, dwelling on the unusual aspect of the new addition, but immediately return to their activities.

They advance a little before a red demon approaches briskly, with a severe face and a slightly worried expression. He is not wearing armor and doesn't appear to be armed. He is not much taller than her and has golden eyes and short black hair that hides two pointed horns that emerge upwards. "Boss." the sound is dry and concise, not followed by bows or reverences, and A-Yin does not seem irritated. On the contrary, he smiles and pats him on the shoulder.

"Is the emergency cleared? Is there any news of the group sent in advance?"

The leader nods and calmly replies, "Lì, we will discuss it later. For the moment, we will show the newcomer her accommodation." His answer makes her giggle.

The light sound catches his attention, and with a step to the right, the red demon clears his field of vision and sets his golden eyes on her. Only now does he stop to look at her. Her hair looks whiter than snow. She has no horns and a pair of lilac eyes shine brightly on her dark face. She approaches him gracefully and holds her hand, saying, "Nice to meet you. I'm Rei."

"A fubai." The word comes out from his lips in a whisper so spontaneous and innocent that it makes her smile. A pat on his neck shakes him from his thoughts. Lì clears his throat and turns, gesturing to follow him. "Let's go."

Rei accompanies him, and the demon effortlessly guides her through the refuge, demonstrating his usual mastery as the leader carefully assesses the situation. Communicating anything to Lì in the current circumstances would not only be impractical but also potentially unsettling. It's fortunate that she trusts someone, and since winning her over will likely be a gradual and challenging process, introducing him seems the most pragmatic choice, given his renowned kindness and tact.

A-Yin tries to position himself behind them to better study their behaviors towards each other, but as soon as he moves, the lilac gaze follows him, and he returns to her side, giggling. I want to decipher you.

The training area extends to the right of the entrance in an oval. Inside, the fubai notices a small group following the movements of a particularly muscular demon holding an ax. Her eyes narrow on him. He has brown hair and amber eyes. The figure looks almost familiar, but her attention is captured by Lì, who says, "The refuge is made up of three circles. In the outer one, there are the houses of the families, the children, and the elderly who manage the various activities that allow the shelter to function independently. There are farms, crops, warehouses, and shops, including Dora's tavern."

Her white eyebrows raise in surprise, and the red demon adds, "If you're hungry, I'll take you there at the end of the tour. The communal canteens will be closed at this time."

"Sure."

The small, brief interaction leads A-Yin to take a smug glance at the underling. "How kind you are." But he ignores him and adds, "Everyone contributes to the community, so you, too, will have to find something to do."

"And what is there in the other two circles?"

This time, the subordinate's voice is crushed by the leader, who replies, "The quarters and canteens of the fighters, in the smaller one, my pagoda." then he lays his eyes on both of them and smiles, "You will stay in the second one, together with him. I hope you don't mind sharing the room, but we weren't expecting new visits."

The lie perplexes Lì; there are several empty rooms, and it is unusual for an ordinary soldier to join in the houses of a commander. But the confused expression is silenced by A-Yin's look, and the three of them start walking again. The tour continues for a while, but it doesn't seem to displease Rei, who is surprised by the availability and tranquility with which they show everything. The atmosphere inside the refuge is relaxed, to the point that it seems to her that she has walked into a small community dedicated to helping each other. Almost no one is armed or in armor; indeed, they pace carefree through the streets as if the humans outside the small bubble did not exist, as there was no plague to torment the Rèn. However, as soon as they enter the second circle, everything becomes noisier, and the demons present don't spare themselves in caressing her body with their curious eyes. They joke with each other, fight, and ruffle playfully but stretch their backs to the passage of the two.

"Boss."

"Captain."

Lì turns to her and shakes his head in embarrassment. "How rude of me. I didn't introduce myself before." Rei shrugs her shoulders as a sign of disregard, and he adds, "Besides me, there are three other captains. Khan takes care of the troops, Wu of the archers and espionage missions, and Zhou helps me coordinate the operations." The golden gaze looks around for familiar faces, but they all seem missing, so he says, "Looks like I'll have to introduce them to you tomorrow."

The tour ends in the captain's dormitory, where Rei is left alone to arrange her belongings.

Afterward, Lì and A-Yin walk into the meeting room, waiting for the other three middle demons to join them. It doesn't take long before they reach them. The leader waits for everyone to sit down before opening his mouth, but Wu's voice rises, agitated, "Four of my demons are in the infirmary!"

The news shocks Lí, who clenches his fists and widens his eyes. "When were you going to tell me?"

"What is happening?" Kahn asks.

"How did she get here?"

"Has our position been discovered?"

The voices overlap, and the oldest mutters, "Let him talk!"

Everyone shuts up, and A-Yin clears his throat before saying, "Her goals are compatible with ours. She wants to open Diyu's doors."

His eyes move to Wu's green ones. She looks particularly agitated, and a wrinkle marks her forehead due to the frowning expression, so he gestures for her to speak. "Why? I saw their bodies. One shot was enough."

Lì slides into the chair and a drop of sweat wets his forehead. How is it possible? She didn't look that strong.

"Because she is one of the keys." The leader's voice makes Lì more confused, so a chuckle escapes from the tanned lips. "Yet you stared at her for so long, didn't you notice?"

The question perplexes everyone, but A-Yin promptly adds, "Her eyes are lilac. She is the latest heir of the Taijàng."

"Why didn't you eat her?" Wu's voice rises again, and Kahn places his hand on the back of her chair as soon as he notices A-Yin's stern gaze silencing her. "She could prove to be a useful resource. I don't see why we shouldn't use her as long as we need her." with one hand, the leader takes out a metal container from a pocket and adds, "If Rei turns out to be a problem, I'll kill her myself."

His icy blue eyes wander on his subordinates, trying to analyze their reactions as he draws on the cigar. Kahn seems indifferent; Zhou, even though an old acquaintance, seems indecipherable; Wu is angry; Lí is the first to find the courage to speak. "Why is she under my watch?"

"For the same reason, you are my right-hand man. You are a good observer, kind and smart. I'm sure she'll trust you as much as you can handle suspicious behavior." A cloud of smoke rises to the ceiling, and the leader adds, "We are numerically ahead. It would be foolish for her to attack directly."

The red one nods, and they exchange a look of agreement. Wu's voice is heard again, this time more timidly than before. "You haven't told us yet how she found us."

"Ronnie." The single name is enough to clear up doubts, so A-Yin gives them one last look and states, "Act as usual, and everything will be fine. Now go."

The room empties quickly, except for the elderly demon who sits across from him with folded hands and a heavy gaze. "I guess there's more you didn't say."

"You know me too well."

"I have to, or who knows how many troubles you would have got me into as a child."

A trail of smoke comes out of the demon's mouth before smiling and confessing, "I tasted her blood, and it's different."

"Perhaps because she is a fubai." 

But A-Yin shakes his head and replies, "No, I've eaten more than one in the past. Something's wrong, and I want to find out what." The cigar is pressed into the ashtray, and the old demon puts his glasses on his nose. "I hope you know what you are doing."

The sentence makes him giggle because he has no idea, and that's what amuses him. A-Yin spawned a clone to watch over her in this brief absence, but the little fubai didn't leave the room and just filled up some of Lí's empty drawers. A smile draws on his lips, and he says, "I'm sure things will work out in my favor."