“Are you sure you should be traveling in your condition?” Yushir inquired.

  “I am fine.”

  You don’t look fine the prince mused as he studied his friend’s pale face.

  The prince and Dadan stood on the threshold of the heavenly gate with the marbled city at their backs. They each carried with them a small bag that was slung over their shoulders and rested on their backs.

  “You might attend a later meeting,” the prince suggested. “That would give you more time to venture there than the single day I have given us before the Fur Festival to travel across the roads to Banhar.

  Dada stared ahead. “I am fine.”

  Yushir shrugged and readjusted his pack. “Well then, let us be off or we will not reach the city before nightfall. I would hate to miss their spit cuisine. No one quite cooks their food to rare perfection as the bear clan.”

  They took a single step on their long journey before they were interrupted.

  “Dadan! Your Highness!”

  They half-turned back to the glistening city and were joined by Lady Shian. She was out of breath and her eyebrows were knitted together. The young woman clutched her hand over her thumping heart and her teary eyes looked up at Dadan.

  “Puren told me only a few moments ago that you were headed out of the city,” she revealed as her eyes landed on their sacks. “You are leaving without saying goodbye to me, Dadan?”

  “There was no need.”

  Shian’s face fell and the prince took some pity on the lovely woman. He stepped between Eastwei and her and offered the young woman a smile. “What he means to say is that we will be returning very soon after the festival. That will scarcely be five days lost to your wonderful company.”

  “Shall I not go with you?” she suggested.

  “Lady Shian, while we appreciate your desire to assist in forming a stronger bond with the land realm clans, I fear a beautiful lady such as yourself would distract the men from our purpose,” the prince insisted as he draped an arm over her shoulders and gently guided her away from the gate. “However, I have a special role you might play.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh? What role is that?”

  He stopped them several yards away and turned to face her. “You must do your duty here and prepare as many palaces as possible for future representatives of the clans. I expect many will wish to visit our fair realm and I would not want them put out when they discovered there is no place for them to stay.”

  Shian’s eyes flashed with irritation. “I assure you, Your Highness, that there are many palaces currently available. One was only recently vacated which any of the clan leaders might reside in.”

  The corners of Yushir’s lips twitched downward. “You refer, of course, to the Fanshe Hall?”

  “Just the one,” she mused as she glanced at Dadan. “And there are many others.”

  Yushir was hard put to keep his patient smile. “Then I would ask that you make an inventory of them while I am away, and when I return, we will look over them together. Now if you will excuse us, we really must leave.”

  He slipped away before she could object. She spun around to face his retreating back and raised a hand in protest. Yushir strode past Dadan and cast a pointed eye at his friend. Together, the two moved to the gate and disappeared into the land realm.

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  She balled her hands into fists and stomped a foot on the ground. “That insufferable-” She froze and her eyes flickered to the two stoic guards on either side of the gate. They stared ahead but she felt as if their eyes lay on her. She recovered her dignity and stoically slipped away while inwardly fuming.

  The men came out the other side and found themselves in the midst of a bright, sunny morning. Yushir inhaled as they strolled toward the bridge. “The air here is rather fresher than the heavens, is it not?” His companion didn’t deign to reply.

  This will be a long journey Yushir thought to himself.

  And he was right. Dadan scarcely spoke a word to him as they used their immortal speed to teleport from location to location, bringing them ever closer to the territory claimed by the bears.

  Even their supernatural speed couldn’t keep up with the hours of the day. They arrived at the bridge that overlooked the waterfall in the early afternoon. The waning sun reflected its weakening rays on the falling water and the meilita darted to and fro, catching sunlight like they were precious dreams.

  Yushir hurried over the bridge but discovered on the other side that he was alone. He paused and half-turned to find his companion standing on the top of the curved bridge. Dadan had one arm crossed over his chest and his attention was focused on the flitting meilita.

  “Dadan?” Yushir called out as he took a step toward his friend. “Are you feeling well?”

  Dadan finally spoke to him after several hours of silence, and his voice was low and soft. “The meilita are immortal and yet they greet every day as though they were freshly born.”

  Yushir’s expression softened and he joined his friend at the top of the bridge. Together, they admired the dancing luminescent creatures. “They are certainly to be admired for their joyful outlook on life, but what brings you to be so introspective? I have known you to be philosophical, but not on the subject of enjoying life to its fullest.”

  Dadan continued to stare at the joyful creatures but a comment did float out. “I have heard the meilita mate for life, and once a mate is lost, the survivor soon dies of grief.”

  Yushir nodded. “I have heard that, as well. They remain with the body of their mate until they wither to starlight, or so some legends say. I myself have never witnessed the grievous event.”

  Dadan watched the creatures enjoy their carefree lives for a moment longer before he turned away. “We should continue.”

  Yushir studied his old friend with a careful eye as Dadan passed by him. Has the death of his cat changed him so much?

  The prince hurried after Dadan, both worried and intrigued at his companion’s changed perspective. “Shall you go in search of your cat on the morrow? There would be more light then.”

  “Yes.”

  I had better go with him in case he collapses Yushir mused as he examined the ancient god. The long day had taken its toll on Dadan’s health and his steps weren’t as quick as they had been at the start of their journey.

  They fell back into silence and traveled the remaining miles in a few hours, reaching the outskirts of the forest as night was falling. Their silence wasn’t the only one among those shadowed trees.

  Yushir’s eyes flickered over the area and he steered close to his friend. “Is it just me, or is this forest far too quiet?”

  Dadan’s brilliant scarlet eyes studied the area around them. Yushir didn’t like it when they narrowed. “Watch the shadows. There is something wrong here.”

  The hairs on the back of Yushir’s neck stood on end. His gaze fell on the crumbling wall to their left. He spoke to break the silence but his voice only seemed to worsen the tension in the air. “There are rumors that the Tianfeld has been haunted since that horrible battle. Under such conditions, I can see why one would believe-”

  A scream interrupted them.

  The hairs on the back of Yushir’s neck stood on end and he shot up straight. His wide eyes flickered over the area. “What was that?”

  Dadan didn’t deign to respond but dashed forward with his inhuman speed. “Wait a minute!” the prince pleaded as he stumbled along after him. “Do not leave me alone out-” He tripped over a tree root and fell flat on his face.

  Dadan didn’t heed his fallen comrade but leaped over the wall and hit the ground running on the other side. Another scream pierced the air before it was swiftly cut off. The trees fell away around him and the forest opened into a field.

  The Tianfeld.

  He stood on the edge of the barren wasteland and beheld a faint, wispy army of wraiths. The creatures floated to and fro, reenacting the fate that had brought them such a cruel end and an even crueler continuation. A figure sat among them, petrified by their spectral appearance. The fog cleared enough for him to see a wisp of hair.

  Silver hair.