Snow Flower, Fire Storm

II

1994 YEARS AGO, UNKNOWN LOCATION

The air smelt dank and stale. When Xie Xiao pried his eyes open he found himself trapped in smothering darkness. His hair was scattered around his face in an unruly mess and his clothes stuck to his skin with what could be sweat or blood.

He darted his eyes around trying to shape things out of the darkness.

Where was he? How did he get here?

His last memory was of dying; blackness engulfing him from all sides as he tried to hold onto Xun Yuan with the last of his strength. He vaguely remembered Xun Yuan's unfriendly face as he plunged his swords into his heart. It was unbelievable that of all the people in this world he had to die at Xun Yuan's hands.

He tried to sit up and immediately hissed at the flare of pain in his chest. What was going on? Why could he still feel pain? Wasn't he dead?

"You're awake," said a quiet voice from somewhere towards his left.

Xie Xiao froze. Xun Yuan was in the darkness with him.

He tried to drag himself away from where he heard the voice, but soon his back hit some kind of barrier and he couldn't move any further.

A moment later, a small red light filled the space around him. Xun Yuan had lit a lantern. When his eyes could focus again Xie Xiao saw that they were in a cave somewhere, the ceiling so low that Xun Yuan was kneeling on the damp floor beside him. He was still dressed in the ragged white clothes he wore during his imprisonment. He looked haggard and the three scratches down the side of his face still seemed fresh. It had to mean that not a lot of time had passed since Xun Yuan stabbed him.

Xun Yuan's face was awash with the eerie crimson light of the lantern, his expression—or the lack thereof—betraying none of his thoughts. He inched closer to where Xie Xiao sat collapsed against the wall and felt around his waist with one hand until he found the knife tucked away in Xie Xiao's belt. The knife was sharp and dainty. Xun Yuan pulled it smoothly out of its sheath and and inspected the white blade for a moment, seemingly fascinated by how it caught the lantern's light.

For the second time Xie Xiao tried to edge sideways, out of reach of Xun Yuan, but a pale hand pulled him back by his collar and pressed him against the cave wall once more.

"What are you trying to do?" asked Xie Xiao hoarsely. His mouth was dry and his throat felt parched. He wished he could have some water.

"Stay still," ordered Xun Yuan tersely.

Xie Xiao obeyed. It wasn't like there was anything he could do to resist anyway.

Xun Yuan opened his own hand and placed it in the way of the lantern's light, then he put the sharp edge of the knife against the pearly white skin of his palm. He made a clean slice. In a single slick move he'd carved a bloody trail over his life line.

Bemusement poked at Xie Xiao. What was Xun Yuan doing?

Without so much as a word Xun Yuan pressed his bleeding palm over Xie Xiao's heart. Xie Xiao watched him with bewilderment. He really couldn't tell what Xun Yuan was up to. If Xun Yuan was a cultivator Xie Xiao could have believed he was attempting to cast some evil spell on him; but Xun Yuan was not a cultivator. The best explanation he could come up with in this situation was that Xun Yuan had gone crazy.

"It's a blood oath," explained Xun Yuan at last. "Xie Xiao, do you want to live?"

What kind of question was that? Of course, he wanted to live. Was Xun Yuan trying to use him as a human sacrifice as part of some archaic ritual?

It was then that Xie Xiao became aware of his own heart beneath Xun Yuan's wet hand. With a jolt he realised his heart was no longer beating. "Am I dead?"

"Not yet. But your spirit is slipping away. Xie Xiao, tell me. Do you want to live?"

"Yes," said Xie Xiao fervently. If he died how was he going to find out why Xun Yuan drove those swords into his body?

"Very well," said Xun Yuan, his posture relaxing. "This is a promise made upon my blood: you will live as long as I am alive."

Xie Xiao said nothing.

"This is goodbye then."

Xun Yuan tapped his forehead lightly with two of his knuckles, plunging Xie back into a long night. "Get some sleep."

Xie Xiao slept for a long time, tossing and turning on the rough ground.

It could have been a dream, but he thought he heard someone screaming all through the night.