The Wandering God

33 Men Are Not Sages, How Can They Be Free From Fault 1/3

人非圣贤，孰能无过
Rén fēi shèngxián, shú néng wú guò
Men are not sages, how can they be free from fault.
To err is human.

Riding through the forest at night Kageyama's senses came alive.

Every creak of a branch, every rustle of the leaves above... Kageyama heard it all. His hearing was so sharp, he could pick out the individual leaves as they scurried across the path in front of him, driven by the faint night wind.

The wind brought the promise of winter, just on the horizon. Kageyama pulled his coat up at the collar.

He kicked Makabe's sides, and the stallion broke from trot to canter, the animal's hooves beating out a statattco on the soft dirt of the road like some heartbeat of the forest. The rhythm thundered in his own chest, setting his heart racing faster.

Kageyama wanted to reach Memorial Temple by end of the rat hour, well before dawn.

Makabe threaded his way through the forest, around trunks and branches fallen in the storm, picking his path carefully over the gnarled roots that would cause another horse to lose its footing or even turn a hoof.

The stallion really was a rare horse. Kageyama would regret when it came time to replace him.

Makabe was so sure footed, it required little of Kageyama's attention to steer him along the narrow path to the temple. And, this was the second time in less than a week that the horse had found his way in the dark to the memorial temple. The first time, Makabe had had two riders.

Kageyama began to think back, to six days earlier, and what had occurred in the Great Hall.

Sanli caught Ao as she fell backwards, and swiftly carried her across the great hall to Kageyama.

"Take her to Memorial Temple. Don't let anyone stop you," whispered Sanli, passing Ao's limp form into Kageyama's arms. "Keep her safe. That's an order."

At Sanli's words, Kageyama's seal burned, as though flames were held to his stomach. Flames that would burn stronger should he fail to obey the order.

Sanli turned away to face those behind him in the great hall. Kageyama lifted Ao higher in his arms and left, just as wild protests and accusations erupted from Sanli's family.

Glancing back briefly, Kageyama saw Sanli standing like a barricade, between those in the hall and the door.

Kageyama hurried through the corridors of Lady Lu's manor. He had wondered how Sanli was able to walk so quickly across the great hall carrying Ao, but now he understood. She seemed to weigh hardly anything. Even with her silk robes and heavy wooden shoes, she still felt too light.

A woman as ostentatious and brash as Ao should surely be heavier.

Kageyama glanced down at the face of the woman in his arms. She was too pale. The red gouges on either cheek stood out against her white skin, like red petals of carnage on snow.

Kageyama leaned closer, and put an ear to her mouth. Ao's breath was there, but slowed, and faint. The girl's loss of consciousness did not make sense considering the injury. He suspected the Dahu's golden claws were coated with some kind of sedative drug.