Chapter 4

"You don't sound like a native of Muci."

"I'm not. I'm from the Aihui clan of the Huarin isle, Beile-ye," Ying answered respectfully.

After she had dried herself off and changed into a spare set of clothes, she was led to the beile's cabin, as he had ordered.

The cabin was located at the bow of the ship and was vastly more spacious and luxurious than the one she had been assigned. It had translucent windows constructed from yun-mu glass, a sturdy material born out of the Engineers Guild and far more insulating than the flimsy rice paper that the Antarans had used for window coverings prior to its invention.

As the airship pierced its way through the low-hanging, wispy clouds, the loud whir of the propellers reduced to a dull hum. At least the engineers had the common sense to soundproof the inner cabins.

"The Aihui clan," the beile murmured, peering thoughtfully at the mulberry leaves at the bottom of his cup. He was seated by a mahogany table at the center of the room, wearing a fresh set of plum-colored silk robes that made him appear more refined and less like the intimidating character who had not even blinked after taking off someone's arm. "You're related to Aihui Shan-jin?"

Ying's back shot upright. "You knew my father?"

Nergui, who had been standing rigidly in one corner of the room, immediately pounced into action. "You will address the fourth beile as Beile-ye," he chided.

So he's the fourth beile, Ying mused.

Being a beile was a position of lordship awarded only to the eldest of the High Commander's surviving sons and nephews in recognition of their contributions to the nine isles, and came with command of one of the Eight Banners of the Cobra's Order. There were only four beiles in the High Command, and Ye-yang—the eighth prince—was the fourth and youngest of them.

"It's all right, Nergui," the young man said. "Why don't you leave us for a moment. There are some things I wish to discuss with Aihui…"

"Aihui Min."

The name rolled uncomfortably off her tongue. She frequently impersonated her younger brother when traveling outside of Huarin, but to lie in front of a beile was a dangerous first.

She heard Nergui mumble something unintelligible under his breath, probably curse words, but he obediently retreated out of the cabin anyhow. When the door had closed behind him, the beile set his cup back down on the table.

"Don't mind him. Nergui is very strict on protocol. It's part of his job description. You can just call me Ye-yang," he said mildly. "I don't think I'm much older than you, and that address adds ten years to my age."

Ying stifled a smile.

"So," he said, studying her carefully with his unusual gray eyes, "is Aihui Min really your name?"

The blood drained from her face as she stared at the bemused young lord, who might well be more terrifying than the chimeric fox at this moment. Was it her voice? A slip in her disguise? Or had the earlier incident while boarding the airship exposed her identity? She had been extremely careful in re-adjusting her outfit when tidying up, yet it hadn't been enough.

"I can see why you might need to disguise yourself as a boy while traveling, particularly when you're alone, but if you are truly from the Aihui clan as you claim, then you're a very long way from home. Why's that?"

Ying sucked in her breath, trying to calm her pounding heart. Lying to a beile was punishable by death, and she was a thousand feet too far above ground to escape, so her only chance was to come clean and hope for the best.

She dropped to her knees.

"I am Aihui Ying, Beile-ye, eldest daughter of the Aihui clan. I'm here because…because…" She struggled to find a plausible reason to explain her presence here and what she wanted to do in Fei. "I heard that the apprenticeship trial for the Engineers Guild was about to start, and I thought that maybe…" Her voice dwindled to a whisper. Perhaps a half-truth would be more convincing than a complete lie.

"Maybe you could follow in your father's footsteps?" Ye-yang completed the sentence for her. "No need to look so terrified. I know what it feels like to have big shoes to fill, and the extents to which one might be willing to go to do so." He reached over and took her by the arm, gently helping her back up to her feet. "I never had the good fortune of meeting your father, although I've heard many stories about his talents. Is he well?"

Ying heaved a sigh of relief. The beile did not sound angry, so it appeared that she had crossed this hurdle. But the light in Ying's eyes faded a little at the reminder of her father. "My father passed on a few weeks back," she said.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ye-yang ran his index finger along the rim of his cup, letting a moment of silence pass between them.

With her eyes, Ying traced a line down his sharp nose bridge to his lightly parted lips. He looked pensive, thoughtful, and at that moment she wished she knew what was running through his mind.

"Surely you are needed back at home. Does your family know that you are headed to Fei?"

Ying gave a noncommittal nod, looking away so she wouldn't continue to be distracted by his every move. Technically someone in her family knew where she was going. Thankfully, he didn't probe further. Her father's death was not something that she was ready to discuss with someone she had barely met—and did not yet trust.

"My older brother, Wen, has taken over as chieftain. He doesn't need my help," she replied. Or at least not the type of help I'm willing to give. "My father used to tell me stories about his time in Fei. I was hoping to walk in his footsteps and experience things for myself. Huarin is a tiny place. There is only so much one can do there."

She stared out the windows at the wafting clouds, reminiscing on some of the enigmatic tales she had heard about Fei and the guild.

The guild.

The Engineers Guild was exalted across the Antaran isles and its masters revered by noblemen and commoners alike. Compared to the other guilds that handled issues like protocol, agriculture, and trade, the engineers were by far the most lauded. The responsibilities and trust placed upon them by the High Commander and the critical importance of their work on all aspects of Antaran life had elevated them into prominence.

Two weeks from now, a fresh group of bright-eyed young men would enter its heavily guarded walls and vie for the chance to learn from the best minds in the Antaran isles—but she would not have that opportunity. She would be so close, yet so far.

Ye-yang traced the rim of his cup again. "You want to enter the guild," he remarked, as if he had read her mind. "Judging from your skill with the ore barrel, it seems like you've inherited much of your father's gift. It would be a waste if you didn't have the chance to hone it."

"That's not possible, Beile-ye," Ying said sullenly.

"If you're willing," he continued, "I might be of some help. The four beiles may nominate one candidate each for the Engineers Guild trial, and it so happens that I haven't nominated anyone this year because I've been away at the Juwan mines. Our nominees aren't required to register along with the rest of the candidature."

"Really?" The spark in Ying's heart ignited once more, only to be immediately extinguished. "But the guild doesn't accept girls."

"True. The guild is traditional—stuck in their ways. But then again, you don't necessarily need to enter the trial as a girl," the prince replied, gesturing at her outfit with a mysterious twinkle in his eye. "We can keep your identity a secret between us. For now. Until you can prove to the guild masters that you deserve a place. Prove that you can be an exception."

Ying nodded eagerly. She'd had plenty of practice keeping up a disguise successfully before—although it bothered her that the fourth beile had seen through it so easily. If she was to enter the guild's trial, she would have to make sure her cover was foolproof.

"Although, I should warn you that going in on my card could make things a lot harder for you within the guild," Ye-yang mused. "You'll have to do a lot more to prove your mettle, as I do."

"But why would you help me?" Ying asked, trying to read the beile's intentions. "We barely know each other. I could be a good-for-nothing who might drag your name through the mud."

"Maybe that's for the better," the beile replied cryptically. "Getting past the front door of the Engineers Guild is only the first step for you, though. If you hope to do as your father did, you must pass the apprenticeship trial to be formally inducted into the guild. After that, it's another arduous battle to climb the rungs to become a guild master."

The Engineers Guild was mostly a mystery to Ying, her patchwork understanding built from sparse bits of information and exaggerated tales she had gathered over the years. Her father rarely spoke of his time in the capital, so most of what she knew came from the mouths of traveling merchants. Still, its allure was great.

Excitement and anticipation brewed inside her, but then the soft echoes of her father's last words whispered at the back of her mind once more. The jade pendant and journal bound beneath the folds of her robes weighed heavily on her, reminding her of her purpose in going to Fei.

A-ma wouldn't want me to do this.

He had told her to burn the book. He had told her to stay out of danger. He had told her not to go searching for the assassin. Accepting Ye-yang's offer and entering the guild would be going against everything she had promised her father.

But I have to.

"I'm not afraid," she declared. She wasn't afraid of leaping off cliffs, so what else should she be afraid of? She needed to do this. If she became a recognized engineer in her own right along the way, would that be so bad?

She wanted to be the exception Ye-yang spoke of, to show everyone that she was capable of holding her own within the guild. Perhaps this had always been part of her destiny, and she could finally acknowledge it now that the goal was actually within reach.

"Good." Ye-yang stood up and walked over to the windows, turning his back to her as he gazed out at the gray skies ahead. There was an air of solemnity to his silhouette that contrasted sharply with his youth. "You can go. When we land in Fei, you can stay in my manor until the guild's apprenticeship trial begins."

"Thank you, Beile-ye," Ying said with a bow.

"It's sad when you have a name that no one will use," he replied wryly. Waving his hand, he dismissed her from his room.

Ying spent most of the journey to Fei holed up in the little cabin that she had been shoved into—a cupboard, quite literally. The rest of the crew proved to be well-trained, highly regimental members of the Order who preferred to treat her like she didn't exist. Thankfully, there was a small porthole in her cabin to watch the clouds float by.

Leaning her head against the glass, she stared at the gulls flying past.

If only she had found a way to pack her glider with her. Flying was a sensation that she would never get enough of, and flying in an airship just wasn't the same as flying with the icy wind against your cheeks.

Her breath hitched as the clouds parted dramatically to reveal the view down below.

The island of Fei was at least ten times larger than Huarin. The city itself was concentrated at the western side of the diamond-shaped land mass.

Fei—the capital city of the Antaran territories and seat of the Aogiya High Command.

Multistory pagodas pierced toward the sky, scattered among a complicated maze of emerald-tiled roofs. Her eyes traced the network of canals that crisscrossed the isle, with stone bridges arching gracefully across the waters. Wooden poles with brightly colored banners and auspicious red lanterns lined the streets.

As the airship began its descent, Ying spied the hundreds of people pounding the pavement. Merchants and traders, street performers and musicians, scholars and schoolchildren—like crawling ants going about their day.

"Hurry up," Ying murmured, willing the ship to move a little faster. She wanted to get a closer look at every single detail of the city she had only ever dreamed of.

Unlike most of the other isles, whose people retained the traditional Antaran nomadic way of life, Fei's infrastructure was modeled after the Great Jade Empire. Some claimed it was a hint toward the ambitions of the High Commander, but no one dared openly speculate about his intentions.

Outside, she could hear the men shouting out instructions for landing. Anticipation bubbled in her chest.

A loud, methodical clicking drifted in through the wooden walls as the large sails that stretched out sideways like wings of a bird started retracting back toward the hull. The ship was now gliding toward a vast, grassy plain to the north of the city, where a collection of black sentries sat in neat arrangement. More airships belonging to the Order.

The sounds of the propellers waned. The airship bobbed up and down a few times, then came to a complete stop.

With her face plastered to the window, Ying watched as men dressed in the black uniform of the Order jogged toward the vessel, deftly fastening it to the ground with thick ropes.

"They're setting up the gangway," a crabby voice said. Nergui had flung open the door to her cabin without knocking. "Beile-ye said you are to come with." His wide nostrils flared as he regarded her with condescension, then he snorted and left.

Ying scrambled to collect her things, fastening her bundle as securely around her as she could. She pressed her palm against her chest, feeling her father's journal sitting safely beneath the down-lined cotton of her clothes.

"Watch over me, A-ma," she whispered.

Ying sat quietly in a corner of the carriage, her knees glued tightly together and back as stiff as a board. The carriage was trundling through the busy streets of Fei, its steam-powered wheels taking them from the airship port to the beile's manor. From time to time she would glance over at Ye-yang, who was leaning casually against the backrest with his eyes lightly shut.

He looked even younger than Wen, she thought, and hardly like what she imagined a beile to be. But Ye-yang, with his mild, unassuming manner and youthful countenance, was in fact one of the most powerful individuals in the Antaran territories.

This realization both intimidated and puzzled Ying.

"What do you think?" Ye-yang lifted his eyelids and looked at Ying.

"What do I think of what?" Ying quickly averted her gaze, lifting up the curtain to peer outside instead. A blush crept up her neck and cheeks. She hoped he hadn't caught her staring.

"Fei. It's very different from Huarin, or all the other isles, for that matter, even Muci."

They were passing through one of the capital's principal streets of commerce, and it was bustling with activity outside. Ying gaped in awe at the never-ending row of shops, taverns, and the occasional brothel, all built from brick and mortar, many several stories high. Music filled the air—not coarse, cacophonous drumming but melodious, graceful melodies of zithers and pipas. On the streets, elegant palanquins bearing their wealthy owners trotted along on their spiderlike legs, powered entirely by steam-driven motors fixed to their bases, much like the carriage she was now sitting in. Horses were too humdrum for the fancy Fei residents.

Everything just seemed to move faster over here. It was a completely different world from the calming grasslands and felt-lined gers that she knew.

A trader selling colorful dough figurines stuck his face in front of her carriage window, trying to convince her to buy his wares in his crisp, impatient Fei accent. She dropped the curtain and plastered herself against her seat, startled.

The corners of Ye-yang's thin lips tilted upward in an imperceptible smile. "I expect things will change in the nine isles eventually. It's about time we moved on from our ancestors' nomadic ways. The climate of the Antaran territories is cold and harsh all year round. We will soon find sustenance a challenge if we insist on holding on to traditions," he said.

"There are those who feel that progress is a novelty we don't need."

"When survival necessitates progress, they will change their minds." Ye-yang drew circles absentmindedly on the wooden surface of the seat with his finger. "That time might arrive sooner than some may like. Our granaries are dwindling and each harvest is poorer than the one before. The responsibility placed upon the shoulders of the Engineers Guild is heavier than it has ever been. We must be prepared when change comes knocking—and we place our trust in the guild masters to ensure that we are. Perhaps one day I will have to place that trust in you." He smiled.

Ying listened quietly, lifting the curtain once again when she was certain the persistent figurine maker was no longer clinging to her window. The sights were slowly changing as they moved into a visibly richer and more exclusive part of the city. The carriage rolled past several manor doors with imposing plaques hoisted overhead, gold brush lettering spelling out family names in the cursive strokes of Antaran script.

She stuck her head a little farther out, squinting to focus on the glint above the rooftops that had caught her attention. Something was reflecting the sun's rays directly into her eyes, preventing her from figuring out what lay beyond.

"What's that over there?" She pointed a finger toward the painful glare.

Ye-yang lifted the curtain on his side of the carriage and took a quick glance. "That's the new palace that's still being constructed. It's almost complete," he replied.

"A palace? For the High Commander?" Ying strained her neck to get a better look, but the carriage turned a corner and the gleaming roofs vanished from view.

Ye-yang nodded. "He feels it is overdue. It's been years since the nine isles were united, yet the High Commander still resides in a small manor that is befitting only a lowly governor in the Great Jade Empire. Others will not look up to us if we do not accord due respect to ourselves."

So the rumorsare true—the High Commander has lofty ambitions, Ying thought.

There were rumors that the High Commander wished to invade—and eventually conquer—the rich lands of the distant Empire, to avenge the years of suffering and humiliation that the Antarans had endured thanks to their supposedly more refined neighbors. After the last poor harvest, the High Command had issued an edict listing out the Seven Grievances—seven injustices that the Antaran Isles had suffered at the hands of the Empire—and many considered it a prelude to the war that was to come.

The wheels of the carriage ground to a halt, and Nergui's voice rang out from outside.

"Beile-ye, we have arrived."

Ye-yang got up to his feet and lifted the curtains to the exit, stepping out of the carriage. Ying clambered down after him.

She looked up at the plaque hanging above the manor doors, bold strokes carved into the dark wood identifying this as the manor of the fourth beile. Two stone lions stood guard by the sides, baring their menacing teeth to ward off wandering spirits. A tradition borrowed from the Empire.

When she took a step forward, the glassy, marble-like eyes of the stone lions rotated to trace her motion, accompanied by a soft whir. Ying yelped, startled by the bizarre movement.

"Don't worry, that's only a deterrent feature that doesn't actually do anything." Ye-yang chuckled. "Their defensive mechanisms need to be manually triggered."

Ying didn't dare to imagine what those defensive mechanisms were. Arrows shooting out from their claws? A flamethrower hidden within their mouths? She pitied any thief who dared try to break into the beile's manor.

"Beile-ye," a stout man who had been waiting by the main door greeted with a bow.

"This is Aihui Min, my guest for the time being until the start of the Engineers Guild's apprenticeship trial," Ye-yang said. "Arrange for his lodging. He can stay in the Chrysanthemum Pavilion."

"But, Beile-ye, the Chrysanthemum Pavilion is the best guest room we have in the manor. It's reserved for important guests," the man replied.

Ying scuffed at the dirt beneath her feet, ignoring his supercilious glare. Her coarse clothes seemed to fall under the category of "peasant" in the minds of these Fei residents. Even a housekeeper dared look down upon her.

"And I believe it's up to me to decide who qualifies as important and who doesn't," Ye-yang replied calmly. He lifted the hem of his robe and stepped over the raised threshold of the front doors, striding into the manor before his steward could get another word in.

Ying looked up and gave the miffed steward a shrug, then walked confidently through the open doors.

Ying's nonchalant fa?ade began to unravel the moment she crossed the threshold. By the time she reached the Chrysanthemum Pavilion, her home for the next few days, it had fallen apart completely. It was unbelievable that this was where she would be staying for the next week or two, until she needed to report to the Engineers Guild for the start of the trial.

The manor was far bigger than she had expected, with numerous interlinked courtyards and carefully cultivated gardens separating the many living quarters. As she walked down the passageways, she marveled at the intricate carvings that lined the stone pillars and beams, depicting legendary beasts and heroic murals from Antaran tradition and history. The maidservants and attendants she passed along the way walked briskly and with perfect posture, reminding her of the regimental order she had witnessed on board the airship.

Ding!

The ringing of a loud bell made her jump like a startled cat.

"What was that?" she exclaimed.

"Need you make such a fuss? It's only the tea brewing in the kitchens," the chief steward, Hitara Qorchi, said. In contrast with the scrawny Nergui, Qorchi was a plump man with a bulbous nose and well-filled belly. He clucked his tongue in disapproval and turned to Nergui. "Where did the beile pick up such a ragamuffin?"

"Off the streets of Muci. Apparently, he's the son of Aihui Shan-jin, the late chieftain of the Aihui clan in Huarin."

"The Aihui Shan-jin?" Qorchi sounded impressed.

Nergui nodded. "Could be a lie," he said. "But the beile's sending him into the guild's apprenticeship trial. Those wolves will eat him alive. Maybe then he'll learn his rightful place in the world."

Ying was too busy gawking in awe through the open kitchen windows to register their conversation. The tea brewing that Qorchi spoke of was not being made by hand, but by an elaborate machine made of several glass cylinders filled with different assortments of fragrant tea leaves, suspended above little zisha boilers that were cheerily bubbling over gentle flames. The bell dangled from one side of the machine's wooden frame, triggered by a set of cogwheels that alerted the kitchen staff to a perfectly brewed pot of tea. A timer, of sorts. A young maidservant hurriedly removed the pots from their holders and popped them onto trays, ready to be served.

There was so much to see along the way that it took the two stewards much reluctant cajoling to herd Ying to her allocated quarters—the Chrysanthemum Pavilion. It was a quaint, stand-alone building with elegantly sloping eaves and auspicious maroon-colored roof tiles and latticed doors.

"Here we are," Nergui announced snootily. "Stay within this perimeter, and don't go wandering to other parts of the manor. If you need anything, let the servants know." He clapped his hands, and a maidservant came rushing out, bowing respectfully to them. After issuing some instructions, Nergui and Qorchi promptly left the compound.

"Welcome to the Chrysanthemum Pavilion, my lord," the girl said to Ying. She was tall and gangly, almost an entire head taller than Ying. Poised and well-trained, like all the others.

"There's no need for all the formality," Ying said, purposefully lowering her tone a notch. She had promised Ye-yang to guard her identity carefully, and she didn't want to be caught out once again.

"Yes, my lord."

Well, that was useless.

Her skin crawled with discomfort to be addressed so subserviently. There was never a need for such pretense on the Huarin grasslands, but this was not Huarin.

Ying marched into her new living quarters, noting the many porcelain vases and trinkets arranged on the shelves. Everything looked expensive. There was even a set of nine glass snuff bottles painted with the iconic sceneries of each of the nine isles.

"Can you tell me about the fourth beile?" she asked, fiddling with a vase. Perhaps she would have more luck with this maidservant than she had with the airship crew.

"What would you like to know, my lord?"

"What's he like?"

"It would be improper for me to discuss such things." The girl's expression remained inscrutable, her back still painfully straight and her hands layered neatly in front of her.

Ying wrinkled her nose. Ye-yang obviously ran his household the same way he ran his army. She would have no news from the maid.

She dismissed the girl, sinking down onto the silklined cushions of a bamboo chair. In her hand was a snuff bottle that had Huarin's palm-shaped mountainscape drawn onto it. She traced the inky outline with her index finger.

What was happening back home? Had Nian kept her secret? What if her brother found out her whereabouts? Wen would be furious. When she returned, he would surely have her flogged. Maybe even throw her out of the clan.

Clutching the snuff bottle in her hand, she closed her eyes and leaned back against the chair. Now that the exhilaration of arriving in Fei had dimmed, the reality of her situation began to sink in, weighing heavily upon her shoulders. In a matter of days, she could be walking into the Engineers Guild. Was she ready? She'd always believed she was, but all of a sudden she wasn't so sure. Self-doubt cast a grim shadow in her mind. She could almost hear Wen's sneering voice inside her head, chiding her for being foolhardy and naive.

If the road from the airship port to the beile's manor was anything to go by, Fei was far more different from Huarin than she had expected, with its strict protocols, elaborate infrastructure, and haughty citizenry—and home felt like a long way away.