They hit the trees hard.
Branches tore them aggressively as they continued towards the ground. Nong’s wings had vanished into glittering dust. Ru Feng pulled her in close and cradled her in his arms protecting her from the impact. They landed roughly stirring a cloud of grass and dirt and rolled down into a dark ditch. The fall knocked the breath out of him. She fell away from his arms and he tried to reach for her but his body was so sore.
Still – all the beating he had endured was no comparison to what he had felt in his own chest when the arrow had blitzed right past his face and into Nong.
He had never had the urge to kill anyone before being the cursed beast that he was. But he wanted to kill General Rangshi.
He inched over to an unconscious Nong. His hands were covered in blood from her wound. She couldn’t be dead. She couldn’t. How was he so useless? Struggling against the darkness of the night and his own shaking body he reached for Nong. Carefully, he picked her up and laid her onto his lap. He wanted to tug the arrow out of her. But Prince Edan’s memory taught him to leave it. He picked out brambles from her hair and clothes and brushed away the dirt from her face seeing that she was still breathing. Thank the gods he sighed in relief. He needed to get her back into town.
Her lashes fluttered for a brief moment.
“Wake up,” He whispered hoarsely.
He wanted nothing more. In this desperate moment - not even to break his curse. Curse be damned! He just wanted to see her smile again.
“Please,” He begged.
Nong stirred. “Ru?” She breathed weakly and winced at her wound.
“I’m here,” He responded. Touching her cheek with shaking fingers. “I’m here,”
She blinked a few times adjusting her eyes to look at him.
“I love…your eyes,” She said quietly – barely a whisper. “They are like the sun. And I…had always wanted to fly,”
He stared back at her in anguish. Nong had always seen him. Right from the beginning, she had always seen who he really was. His glamour never fooled her. And he didn’t want to admit it but he was happy about it. Because there was someone in this world who saw him when he couldn’t even bare to look at himself.
“You did,” He said softly.
But tears began to well up in Nong’s eyes. And as they dripped down her face she began to sob. She leaned into his chest, covering her face with his torn shirt.
“I’m sorry, Ru Feng. I’m sorry,”
He continued to hold her in his arms. Being careful around her wound as he listened.
“This is all my fault. I’m so sorry,” She cried.
“It’s not. Stop crying. You’re going to make your injury worse,” He reassured her.
“It is!” She sniffled. “I lied to you! I don’t know how to use magic! I don’t know how to break your curse! I lied! And I cast that flying spell without ever having done so before! And I made us fall and you’re hurt because of me!”
She stopped to catch her breath. “I’m sorry, Ru Feng,” her voice shook.
Ru Feng stilled. Nong struggled to sit up so he helped her. She stood on wobbly legs and limped over to a nearby tree. She rested her forehead on it breathing hard between the pain in her shoulder and her crying. Her sight began to get spotty once more.
“But I saw you…in his memories,” Ru Feng said.
Nong’s shoulders shuddered. “You’re the one with the glamour…but I’m the biggest fraud of all…” she said heavily. “The only thing I’ve ever done is see the future for the King. And even that – I can barely control. That day in the library…I saw…”
“The beast…” Ru Feng finished for her.
He knew what she meant. She knew all along that he would turn into a monster. And she let him believe that she could help him. Of course she did. Because she loved Prince Edan. He was the one that she was trying to save. Not him.
Nong collapsed at the tree. Ru Feng felt his world shatter. He wanted to roar. He wanted to run. He cursed the gods and at the same time he selfishly pleaded for help. He hung his head ashamed of his inability to do anything. Slowly, he crawled to Nong, picked her up in his arms and started walking.
---
They stumbled upon a creek and Ru Feng gently laid Nong down by a stump. He was covered in sweat even though the night was freezing. He wavered to the glistening water and stooped down to wash the grime off his face. Tearing a corner from his battered shirt – he rinsed it and brought it over to carefully wipe Nong’s wound.
Her breathing was weak. He worried she wouldn’t make it through the night. He was lost in these woods. He couldn’t help her. He couldn’t even help himself. He was selfish for wanting more than fate had in store for him. He deserved to turn into a mindless monster. His trembling hands balled into a fist.
A snap from the forest caught his attention. Did General Rangshi find them?
Instead, a mist rolled over towards them and Ru Feng turned to see an old woman approaching. He stood as she came closer. The fog behind her moved as if it were alive. She was hunched over using a wooden cane to help her walk. Her hair was bright white and wrapped with a purple and blue scarf. She had on loose black clothes and had on the northern signature silver jewelry. But it was the feathers hanging from her belt that surprised Ru Feng.
“The Tiger and The Bird,” She said. “Follow me if you want to save her,”
The old woman didn’t wait for Ru Feng. She disappeared into the mist as suddenly as she had appeared from it. He was reluctant to follow but if it meant he could help Nong, he took her back into his arms and hurried behind. As soon as he stepped through – the scenery transformed. His eyes widened at the new landscape before him.
Gone were the creek and dark pine forest. They were somewhere high surrounded by an expanse of mountains, clouds, and a peach sky. Birds soared in the distance. And a gentle breeze tousled his shaggy hair.
The old woman was a few paces ahead following a single dirt path uphill. Lavender and white wildflowers dotted the field around them. A few children who were playing stopped to look at them pass by. As they reached the top, Ru Feng squinted at the dawn’s light. They arrived upon a plateau where a small village rested. Straw huts huddles together to form a cozy settlement. In the distance was a pen of sheep being tended by a farmer. Puppies chasing chickens ran across the path.
“What is this place?” Ru Feng asked.
The old woman lifted her cane towards the village. “Welcome to the Bird Village,”
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