Cai was forced to take a circuitous route to his building, avoiding fires and groups of fighting Folk. He wasn’t sure what was going on, who was attacking, or why, but he knew he didn’t want to get involved any further. It would only prevent him from reaching Zhao-Fu.

He glanced down at the man in his arms and coughed, his lungs still sore from all the smoke inhalation. Had he been right to take this man with him? He could suddenly hear Zhao-Fu’s voice loud and clear in his mind, reprimanding him for such a thought. 

“Life is precious, Cai-Su, you know this. Had you not saved this man, he would have surely died from exposure, trampling, blood loss, or any number of other terrible fates.” 

Sighing, Cai hoped his mentor would have enough energy to tend to the old man’s arrow wound when they arrived to the apartment. He wasn’t sure how much of the chaos had reached their door, and was still optimistic as he approached the last corner before his street.

His breath caught as he noticed the plumes of dark black smoke wafting high into the sky ahead. [color=a0410d][i]Please, let it not be my building,[/i][/color] he prayed silently as he rounded the corner.

The sight he beheld dropped him to his knees.

The entire street was ablaze in embers and thick black smoke. What was once a crowded mess of apartment buildings, a street full of people going to and fro, awash with chatter and laughter from residents was now reduced to rubble, ash, dying embers, and smoke. Bodies were strewn about where they had been slain or where they had fallen from burn wounds or other maladies. It was a horrifying sight to behold.

The fact their enemy had reached this far outside the city center in the short time span indicated they were not only ruthless, but well organized and large in number. It wasn’t safe to remain in one place for long while they were about. But Cai’s mind was far too preoccupied to bother with such information, he was frozen in place, kneeling at crossing, facing the remains of what had been the building where he’d resided with Zhao-Fu for the last three years. His eyes saw scenes that had nothing to do with what was before him.

The old man in his arms stirred, coughed, and groaned in pain. His arm reached out and a shaky hand touched Cai’s shoulder. “Thank you,” he rasped, before overtaken by another fit of coughing.

The action was enough to shake Cai from his stupor. 

[color=a0410d]“We’re not out of the woods yet,”[/color] he said gravely after collecting himself. They should have been safe here, but it seemed nowhere had been spared the enemy’s ferocious attack. Survival instincts demanded Cai run, get as far from the city as he could, but he wouldn’t give up hope that his mentor had somehow survived until he had evidence of the contrary. [color=a0410d]“Will you be alright if I leave you here for a bit? I need to check on something.”[/color]

The man looked at their surroundings, his eyes wide and worried. “Is it safe?”

[color=a0410d]“Nowhere in the city is safe right now.”[/color]

“Please,” the man paused and was wracked with coughs again. It took several breaths before he was well enough to continue. “My daughter. I must find her.”

[color=a0410d]“One thing at a time,”[/color] Cai said, in what he hoped was at least a partially reassuring voice. [color=a0410d]“I have someone I’m looking for too. It shouldn’t take too long.”[/color] There was barely anything left of their building to look through, part of it had disintegrated to rubble, but a small section of the first floor seemed sufficiently intact, scalded and blackened as it was. If Zhao-Fu wasn’t there, it meant his mentor had escaped somewhere and there would be a chance for reunion. He gently placed the man on the ground, careful with his injured leg. [color=a0410d]“Do you have somewhere outside of the city I can take you?”[/color]

The man considered the question and Cai stood, taking the opportunity. It was best to leave the man with a task while he checked the apartment. [color=a0410d]“Think on it a moment, when I return, we’ll handle that arrow and head out of the city.”[/color]

As he approached what remained of the building, Cai found himself holding his breath. [color=a0410d][i]Please don’t let him be there, please don’t let him be there,[/i][/color] he repeated mentally to himself as he pushed aside a blackened door and stepped inside.

***

The old man looked up, startled by the large figure that approached him. The haze in the air made it difficult to recognize the Moeku, but as soon as the man who saved him was near enough to make out his features, Lian felt himself relax. 

The Moeku seemed stiffer that earlier, his words clipped as he checked in with the man before kneeling down to him to tend to the arrow still protruding from Lian’s thigh. In his hands he held a long red pole that had burned in a few places, and a burlap bag from which he pulled the materials necessary to dress the wound.

“I cannot thank you enough,” Lian said, o when he was back on his feet once more, leaning heavily on the Moeku for support. “What can I call you?”

[color=a0410d]“Cai-Su. Did you think of somewhere I can take you?”[/color]

“Ah, yes, I did think of a place. Let us hope my daughter did as well and will meet us there. Come, it’s this way.”