Though most of Jinfeng's time spent with the Firstborn was while bound and blindfolded, she found herself piecing together a clearer image of who he really was.

As a soldier? Near perfect. He had his habits, but he varied them often enough with just the right mixture of good judgement and random actions to keep him from being too predictable. Rarely did he move in straight lines, always curving this way or that to give him more time to scout out what lay ahead while never going too far off course from his chosen destination. Which was never the end goal of reaching the mesa, but rather the next closest defensible area. Even without the use of her eyes, the terrain itself revealed to her the Firstborn's thought process as he brought them from one chosen fighting ground to the next, some no doubt picked out beforehand and others chosen on the fly as he brought them ever eastward towards the mesa.

This display of relentless focus and foresight spoke of a level of discipline and expertise that no Novice could match, and in truth, few veteran Vanguards too. Routine was a trap of comfort and familiarity that all too many people fell into, so much so that Jinfeng knew several of highly decorated officers who would do disastrously in the field for this very reason. They operated solely on doctrine and regulation, which was fine for wargames and simulations, but there was an element of chaos and uncertainty when operating in the field, so their inability to adapt their plans and actions to a battlefield in flux would be their downfall.

The Firstborn was no slave to comfort though, which showed in the pace the he set, a steady and unwavering one despite the constant threats surrounding them. Jinfeng was uncertain how much of this could be attributed to the Firstborn though. His horses were of good stock, but their training paled in comparison to the Magical Cow pulling his battle wagon, a behemoth of a beast who was calm and placid as could be despite the physical and magical energies pouring out of it with every breath and huff. While they travelled, she could feel its attention upon her, as the Firstborn had placed her well within the beast's sightlines, yet far enough away for it to react if she should try to strike it down.

Not that she would even dare to try. Though trained in the ways of the Battle Monks of old, Jingfeng had a long ways to go before mastering even the basics of the Way of the Open Hand, much less the penultimate move of the Quivering Palm which Sifu Zhang said was capable of killing with naught but a touch. Without those fabled Abilities available to her, she would struggle to kill a man with a single unarmed strike, and she was under no illusions that she was strong enough to kill a powerful beast like the Firstborn's Magical, white-furred mount.

Which only served to highlight his meticulous mindset, placing what he believed to be a bound and helpless child in such a strategic location so as to account for every possibility under the sun. In fact, Jinfeng was certain the Firstborn harboured suspicions of her real identity from the very start, and no matter how many of his tests she passed, he was never truly convinced by her assumed identity. Not only did he refuse to let his guard down, he repeatedly pushed and prodded her with verbal jabs and probing questions that culminated in her revealing herself because she'd had enough of his suspicions and was certain he would not kill her outright.

That and the fact that his milk mother had discerned her true identity in less than a dozen questions during her shift on watch last night.

Possibly even earlier, as that was simply the first chance the woman had to speak with Jinfeng alone. She still wasn't sure how she'd given herself away though. Her disguise should have been impeccable, because there was no Illusion to see through and no Spell to Concentrate on and give herself away. The Sinew Transformation Methods were a mixture of magic and mastery of the human body, one that focused on strengthening and rejuvenating the body's tendons, muscles, bones, and organs. With a basic comprehension of the Methods, a practitioner gained enhanced strength, flexibility, and resilience as well as improved circulation of Qi within the blood and body. Though most westerners wrongly labelled Qi as Aether due to their similarities in function, the natural Vital Energies of the body differed greatly from the foreign energies of the Immaterial, for the latter was alien and external, whereas Qi was personal and internally generated through the exercises laid out within the Tendon Transformations Methods.

Ones that were originally found within the Yijin Jing, an esoteric manual that pre-dated even the Venerable Tian Zi himself, though he modified and modernized the knowledge contained within to author the Sinew Transformation Methods, which he then shared with his people to increase their strength as a whole. The Battle Monks of the Republic had built their reputation upon these teachings, which did far more than bestow base strength upon the practitioner, for that was merely a side effect of its true function, the foundation upon which the true secrets of the Methods was built.

It was these secrets which enabled Jinfeng to rearrange the physical structure of her appearance, condensing her height and width to match not just Hu Sheng's stature, but his bone structure and posture too. Few understood just how much of a person's appearance depended on their bone structure sitting underneath their flesh and skin, and Jinfeng did not have to do much else to turn herself into an almost exact copy of Hu Sheng. Throw on his oversized greatcoat, smear some dirt on her face, and switch out her straw sandals for his leather boots, and she was confident that no one would see through her disguise. A simple Prestidigitation Cantrip was enough to colour her hair, which the young boy kept long as was the fashion until he came of age at 16, saving her the trouble of lopping off the one and only feminine indulgence Jinfeng allowed herself.

Mama's hair had been beautiful once, long, lustrous locks of copper brown highlights amidst a sea of dark sepia shades which Jinfeng distinctly remembered clinging to as a child. Mama's hair was all gone now, so Jinfeng wore hers just like she remembered Mama's so that they would have something to share.

Of course, it was hardly the most comfortable experience, spending days with her bones and muscles all compressed and packed together with no ability to stretch or move comfortably within her own skin. The mission required it though, for she dared not send Hu Sheng to travel with the Firstborn as demanded. The boy had a temper to match a titan's, the result of his protective older sister's penchant for harshly dealing with anyone who dared slight him, and there were few who dared to risk Hu Die's ire. Though named for a butterfly, which was supposedly a beautiful and delicate insect of the old world, Hu Die was more of a wasp in terms of temperament, quick to anger and quicker to kill much like the feared flying bugs of the Divide. Her name still suited her well enough, for she was a beautiful woman with many a suitor, but her pride would not allow her to settle for a lesser partner same as Jinfeng. It seemed like the other girl had caught the Firstborn's eye however, and was considering a partnership with him judging by her coquettish behaviour during the prisoner exchange, and Jinfeng had feared she would go and ruin things by insisting she come along.

Had she known about the Firstborn's lusty appetites beforehand, Jinfeng might well have allowed it, for winning him over would be a great victory for the Republic and the General both. That was the first of his flaws, an indulgence of the flesh which he made no effort to hide. Bad enough to sleep with both Innate sisters, but even his milk mother couldn't escape his lecherous attentions. Granted, the woman was striking and beautiful with her full figure and round, sapphire eyes, but she was twice his age and had nursed him in the crib, which meant she should have been considered family and off limits. Jinfeng had heard Westerners were a depraved and licentious lot, needing a whole litany of rules and regulations regarding their manner of dress and appropriate means of interactions in public and private both to keep social events from devolving into libertine displays of wanton and immoral acts, but this was the first time she'd experienced it for herself.

To think, even out here in the badlands with danger on every side, the Firstborn still insisted on laying with no less than two women at a time. Worse than the promiscuous and amoral act was the unforgivable lack of restraint, and were it not for the Firstborn's milk mother's assurance of her safety, Jinfeng would not have dared reveal her true appearance, not in a million years.

In truth, she regretted doing so almost immediately, because she then learned that the Firstborn's discipline didn't extend to his temper as he lashed out in a fit of what could only be described as childish pique. Satisfying as it was to prove him wrong and subsequently throw him onto the ground, it was hardly worth the price paid in terms of lost trust. The only consolation Jinfeng had in this regard was that this moment was inevitable, for she could not maintain her form as Hu Sheng for the entire journey home. Though the Sinew Transformation Methods were powerful and seemingly without limit, it was neither simple nor easy to grasp, and even Sifu Zhang dared not claim mastery over the Methods. Jinfeng had a lifetime of study and practice ahead of her, a journey she'd only begun six years ago when Sifu picked her out as his one and only Disciple.

Compared to the Firstborn, she began receiving personal tutelage four years after he did, but she'd also had four more years of study under her Sifu, whereas the Firstborn had lost his father and de-facto teacher some four years ago. It put them on equal standing, because even if the rumours were true and the Marshal had taken the Firstborn as his Disciple, there was no evidence of him learning anything other than magic from the stalwart champion and defender of the Eastern Front.

So why was the Firstborn still standing head and shoulders above her? Though sorely lacking in close combat skills and experience, he more than made up for it with his gunplay, which he demonstrated by poking the cold barrel of his supposedly discarded gun into the small of her back. While he himself was still laid out on the ground mind you, and Jinfeng had no idea when he'd Conjured the Mage Hands or how he'd managed to move them about without her noticing. They were hardly subtle considering they were glowing blue hands, but she had seen no sign of them prior to being subjected to the icy touch of his gun. The tiny, compact one judging by the sensation of the gunsight pressed into her skin, which wasn't to say it was the weakest gun, as she'd seen it blow apart Armoured Yao Guai with frightening ease.

Then again, even a Maoser would cause her grievous injury at this close a range, for though her defenses were enhanced by the Sinew Transformation Methods, she was still a long ways away from attaining Bronze Skin and Jade Bones. Not that it would make any difference if she had; The Firstborn's weapons were all first class, with most likely bearing the trifecta of hard hitting Metamagics in Intensify, Empower, and Maximize. More than enough to pierce through even Sifu Zhang's formidable defenses if shot point blank, though at twenty metres of range, it would have to hit something vital to even stand a chance of proving immediate threat to his life. That's assuming it hit of course, as Sifu could dodge, parry, and even block Bolts at that range. One at the very least, though this gun could shoot six times before needing to be reloaded, and the Firstborn had already shown how fast and accurate he could be.

Not that he needed either with the gun already pressed against Jinfeng's skin, so she stood very still and watched as the Firstborn laid flat on his back and stared up at the sky, taking slow, deep breaths in a visible effort to contain his rage. He wasn't hurt, or at least the wound was no greater than the blow to his ego, but she'd underestimated just how arrogant he truly was. The longer he laid there, the more anxious she grew, for she knew well how fearsome the General's temper could be, and it was never more fearsome than when he appeared wholly calm and in control. The Firstborn was lacking in that regard, but the more he restrained himself, the more wary Jinfeng grew, half expecting him to have his Mage Hand pull the trigger at any moment then stand to watch the life drain out of her eyes.

The Firstborn's milk mother came to Jinfeng's defense however, showing that she was a woman of her word. "Howie," she began, her tone soft and agreeable despite the hint of steel put into her enunciation. "Don't you think you've scared her enough now? Might be time to lower your gun."

Which outlined yet another of the Firstborn's flaws, his obnoxious tendency to balk at authority. An issue which rarely came up among his family, but only because they worked around his flaws with the practised ease of close familiarity. They structured themselves around him, doing as he said and offering only suggestions rather than making any demands, even now in this tense and possibly deadly situation. Likely because they all knew that demands would only make the Firstborn balk, a lesson Jinfeng learned within minutes of meeting the man, so his family ought to be well used to his quirks.

"I disagree." Sitting up without warning, Jinfeng noted how the Firstborn kept both hands free as he came to his feet in order to receive the gun brought over by his second Mage Hand. The silver, hissing pistol which might well be his weakest sidearm, but was still legendary to the likes of the Vanguard. The Ranger Rattlesnake, an icon of the Yellow Devil Ming which he used to hunt more outlaws and Progenitors in his 14 years than any three Vanguard could match. Had he returned to the fold, he would have been the General's right-hand man, a hero of the Republic standing above all others, which only made his betrayal that much harder to bear. That was only a part of Ming's legacy, and Jinfeng could not deny the traitor his due, for he'd raised a fine soldier in the Firstborn, one who harboured a hatred of the Republic and an appetite for bloodshed which he kept well hidden.

Until now.

His murderous intent pierced through Jinfeng's belly like a cold dagger plunging deep, and she struggled to maintain a facade of calm as she met his gaze with trepidation. "I don't think she scared enough," the Firstborn drawled, spinning his silver revolver about in a flashy show of speed and control as the blurred weapon zipped this way then that while moving faster than her eyes could follow, and yet every time it paused, the barrel was pointed straight at her heart with his finger off the trigger, but ready to fire all the same. "I might well have promised to get the kid home alive and well, but I didn't make no promises to keep her deceptive, deceitful, double-crossing self in one piece." Advancing forward a single step, he stopped at the very edge of her reach in a taunting display of his grasp of range, because he knew good and well she'd need more than a single step to strike him down. "Now I'm tryin' to decide if I want to go through the trouble of burying her and those three corpses she just done dug up, or if I should just leave it all for Abby."

His jaw clenched and eye twitched ever so slightly as he tilted his head ever so slightly, an involuntary action as he held back the urge to beat her bloody where she stood, and she worried that if they were here alone without his family to bear witness, he might well have done just that. "Might not even kill her before I stake her out," he said, and Jinfeng believed his statement to be true. "Saved her hide and she done repaid me with treachery, so only seems right to wipe the slate clean and put us back on even ground."

A horrific statement given in his customary tones, all long and drawn out with a warm and almost musical cadence, one which did little to blunt the impact of his words. "I had no choice," she retorted, only to regret opening her mouth to begin with. Now was not the time to argue, not when his milk mother could do so much better, but there was a darkness to the Firstborn that told Jinfeng he would do exactly as he said and watch while Yao Guai dragged her away kicking and screaming yet wholly alive to suffer untold torment under dark.

This was a punishment so inhumane no government would inflict upon even the most heinous of criminals, and yet the Firstborn casually suggested he do just that. More to the point, Jinfeng believed that he would, so she felt compelled to speak in her own defense, except doing so would only reiterate her guilt in this matter. "Hu Sheng is too young to understand the stakes involved," she began, forcing herself to meet his eyes which threatened to overwhelm her with raw, unbridled rage. "He would not have been able to endure the hardships you put me through."

"It occur to you I only kept at it because you didn't break?" The Firstborn had a scornful look about him, one that was no different from his usual self save for the faintest hint of raised brow, yet the sight of it was infuriating to behold. "I know good and well a kid like that got limits to what they can endure, and yet you somehow managed to come out smellin' like roses no matter what I threw at you. If you was really the kid, he would've snapped an hour in and I'd've put him in his place, simple as that. Then I know he knows where he stands, and we can be cordial after that, but that ain't an option between me and you."

So it was a matter of control and dominance. Strange for a man who balked at the mere suggestion of authority to demand so much in return, but Jinfeng was no stranger to dealing with men of this nature. Giving in would only earn his disdain, as he will see her compliance as weakness and become threatened by any show of strength. Conversely, a direct confrontation could only end in her death or worse, so she could neither comply nor stand her ground against him in this. This was not to say she could do nothing either, or that her only options were to choose between bad and worse. Contrary to what most men believed, there was more than one type of power in this world. There was hard power, the direct and overwhelming force whether it be physical or otherwise that so many favoured, but then there was soft power, the strength of give and take, push and pull, and it was this second power which Jinfeng was most familiar with.

The key was to present the argument in a manner that made it appear as if she were giving ground, allowing them both to save face and come to an agreement. "I understand your concerns," she began nodding to show agreement as she accepted responsibility for their current dilemma. "My actions were not done out of malice or spite, but rather desperation." Without giving him time to interject, she continued on in the same breath to establish that what was done was done, and there would be no changing the facts. "How might we move forward so that you can be assured of my compliance?"

The Firstborn almost looked amused, though he still radiated anger with every fibre of his being as he lowered the barrel of his pistol to point at her knee, while at the same time pressing harder with his Mage Hand to remind her that the second gun was still there. "I could shoot you in the knee," he drawled, cocking the hammer as if he intended to do just that, and for a moment, Jinfeng believed he truly would. "Leave you unable to zoom around on those thick legs of yours." Shuffling her feet, she resisted the urge to look down at her legs to assure herself they were not all that thick, not that he could even see them through her warm, padded trousers. That's why he called them thick, because she was wearing many layers to keep herself warm, and while these trousers might have been large on Hu Sheng's smaller frame, they were a touch tight on her, though not so much that they were uncomfortable.

Or at least they hadn't been until the Firstborn opened his stupid mouth and called her thick.

Though she worked hard not to show her ire, the Firstborn picked up on it all the same, and she could see him file that information away for future use. An infuriating man, one who'd spent the last two days needling and prodding and pushing her to her breaking point in a deliberate effort to start a fight just so he could put her in her place. A tactic aimed at a child of thirteen mind you, because even if he suspected Hu Sheng wasn't really who he appeared to be, he had no way of knowing for sure. Just because he was right didn't justify his actions, not to anyone of good moral standing, but she should have long since written him off as such when he refused to return the bodies of their dead without proper payment.

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And that was his greatest weakness and most unforgivable flaw. Everything else was workable, whether it be his lusty appetite, rejection of authority, desire for control, or unjustified hatred for the Republic. Those flaws could be corrected, worked around, or even taken advantage of, but above all else, the Firstborn was a money-grubbing mercenary who fought only for himself. It showed in his words and his deeds, a man alone by choice when he could do so much more as part of a whole. With his skills and the General's backing, they could win over the whole Council of Elders, or at the very least sway public opinion enough to force the Council to vote in their favour. He was the Firstborn, the man fated to become the Imperial Dragon of his generation, the man who would lead them all forward into a prosperous future, but instead he'd been tainted by Western greed and avarice to become the Yellow Devil, a man who fought only for himself and his own gain.

It mattered not that Jinfeng would have lost the vast majority of her comrades had he not stepped in. He did it not to save their lives, but because he believed his chances of survival were higher if he helped them fight the horde as opposed to running away in the dead of night. While it was true he had no obligation to help any strangers in the badlands, it was simply human nature to extend a helping hand to those in need, especially to one's fellow countrymen. Perhaps that was the issue then, the fact that he did not see them as his countrymen despite the blood coursing through his veins, which was a true loss for the Republic and an injustice Jinfeng could not let stand.

Swallowing hard, she drew herself up to full height and braced herself for the pain. "If that is what you must do, then go ahead." Extending her left leg to one side and resisting the urge to check its thickness, she added, "If you would be so kind as to shoot me in the left leg, I would be much obliged." Though most people favoured one hand over the other, it surprised them to learn they did the same with their legs, and Jinfeng favoured her right. Even if she were to take infection from this wound and be forced to amputate, she could still recover given time enough and the use of a prosthetic. Or perhaps the Firstborn would come to see the error of his ways and teach her how he was able to Conjure up a working hand underneath his glove, one he didn't work too hard to hide, but never revealed in plain sight.

"That's enough now." Showing some steel for once, the Firstborn's milk mother stepped in between the both of them and gave Jinfeng her back. "You know good and well injuring her would only make her more of a burden, and you ain't dumb enough to think it's worth the effort. The way I see it, if you wanted to shoot her, you'd've done it already instead of jawin' on like you are, so quit scaring the girl and leave off." Which seemed like an absurd argument considering the Firstborn was wavering with indecision about whether to let her live or not, but to Jinfeng's surprise, he lowered his gun with a scowl and turned away to grab his belt. One that was too heavy for his singular Mage Hand to drag across the ground, which Jinfeng now realized was a sign that it was merely a basic Cantrip threatening her life all this time.

Meaning that if she were willing to bet her life on being faster than a twitch of a Conjured finger, she only needed to twist in place and push back on the revolver with a measly 8 Jin of force. No, 4 Jin, because the Spell was Split and had a lower tolerance because of it. Not a risk worth taking unless absolutely necessary, but it was still an option she never considered because she couldn't well assume he was using the Cantrip instead of the hardier, upcasted version he had developed himself and used to fire the robust, pistol sized revolver Blastguns he carried on the back of his belt. A feat to be lauded, and one that could go a long ways towards bringing injured Vanguard back to full strength, but she perhaps rightly assumed he would not be willing to part with his knowledge for anything less than a king's ransom.

That was a matter for another time however, as she still had to win back his trust. "You must know I had no desire to deceive you," she said, which earned her a scowl from the Firstborn and a frown from his milk mother, who perhaps knew him well enough to know silence would be to Jinfeng's advantage here. Unfortunately, the arrow was loosed and there was no returning it to the quiver, so she pressed on. "I only wish to see our Ancestors safely home in a safe and expedient manner, and this was the only way I could see moving forward."

"Great," the Firstborn said, his hands still gripping his holstered pistols with a gaze that spoke volumes to his desire to use them. "Then we're in agreement. We both want you and yours gone quick as can be, so you and your cargo can get gone first thing tomorrow mornin'." Jinfeng's stomach dropped as she caught on to his meaning, but the Firstborn was not a subtle man. No, he wanted to hammer home the point to make his stance clear, and he did just that with the grace and elegance of a drunk sword dragon. "We won't be leavin' with you of course," he added, eyes narrowed as if daring her to object. "I'm sure a competent, shapeshiftin' gal like yerself can get home safe and sound."

And he could not care less if she didn't, which she most certainly would not. She was no Scout, and there was nothing she could transform into that Yao Guai would not attack. Even if she could take on the appearance of a Yao Guai, that would not be enough to keep her safe, because they used more than their eyes to differentiate friend from foe, and the Firstborn knew this well enough. Jinfeng would not beg though, would not even show him a hint of despair, and instead fixed him with a wide-eyed glare that would've shaken a lesser man, but he merely laughed it off. "I see you wandering around again, and I'mma shoot you on sight," he added, sauntering away without making any mention of bindings or blindfolds because he knew they were pointless now that she'd revealed herself.

He was honest about that much at least. Claimed he had no confidence in controlling any other member of the Vanguard, so rather than even try, he gave her just enough rope to hang herself so that he could kill her with a clean conscience. Cold and calculating, that was the Firstborn in a nutshell, an inner nature wholly at odds with his otherwise friendly and congenial demeanour.

So Jinfeng did the only thing she could do. She collected the Ancestors and retreated to the shed to avoid giving the Firstborn an excuse to kill her personally, as opposed to letting the Yao Guai do the job for him. A small part of her yearned to force his hand and make him kill her himself so that her spirit might haunt him forevermore, but she knew good and well it would not bother him in the slightest. He had no love for his people, and no chivalry for the fairer sex despite his lusty nature. Or perhaps that was his actual goal, to leave her with no choice but to barter for his protection with the only currency she had, by warming his bed like he expected Hu Die to if she were here in Jinfeng's place. Worst of all, the short-sighted woman was even amenable to the suggestion, begging Jinfeng to send her in place of her brother before she could reveal her plan.

One that was not going well, but for now, she was still drawing breath, which might well be the best she could hope for after a clash of wills with the Yellow Devil.

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Tina was in awe of Jinfeng, though she didn't dare admit it out loud.

Not with Howie in such a dark mood that he had to walk it off, doing laps around the mesa with his head on a swivel like there was something to look out for. He was just keeping busy is all, working off his anger in the only way he could without wasting his strength. Was worried about the Qinese Battle Monk in training, and rightly so considering what Tina had seen the other woman do to Abby with her bare hands. Wasn't many with courage enough to go run up into a swarm of Abby, much less the skills to punch and kick up a storm before dancing back out again. Was incredible really, and Tina could count on one hand the number of real Rangers that could do the same, because even though they were renowned as the masters of all trades when it came to killing Abby, hand to hand combat wasn't a huge focus among the Rangers, as they preferred to kill from afar.

Fact is, most did, because hitting your enemy without giving them a chance to hit you back was only good tactics. Sure, Tina was learning how to fight with her Butterfly Sword, but that was an option of last resort, whereas Jinfeng's fists appeared to be her weapon of choice. Could've fought with a spear or sword like most of her cadre, or even pick some sort of exotic weapon like that blue-haired innate girl with the pleasing pastel eyes and deadly chain and sickle, but no. Jinfeng went in armed with nothing but her bare knuckles and the boots on her feet, and Tina had to admire her for it.

Especially after seeing the girl handle Howie so easily, throwing him over her shoulder to land somewhat softly in the dirt with nothing more than a little twirl and pivot. In all his fights in all his years, Tina had never seen Howie manhandled like that before, much less by a girl he had at least thirty pounds on. Or maybe less, as Jinfeng was the same height as Howie standing at 5'9", and even skinnier than he was but with a substance to her figure that he lacked. Where he could at best be described as wiry, Jinfeng was more shapely in appearance and lacking any hint of scrawniness, like she fit inside her skin whereas Howie looked about a size too large for his, which was why it was stretched taut over his muscles with barely a hint of fat anywhere outside of his cheeks.

Yeah, he most certainly hadn't been eating well these past few months, but it seemed like he'd gotten so much worse these last few weeks. The travel rations weren't helping, because even though Mama was doing everything she could to make their meals delicious, even the best chef in the world couldn't do much without fire or ingredients. Still, she was doing her best, and Howie seemed plenty happy to eat everything she placed in front of him so long as she wasn't taking too much from their admittedly limited supplies, ones that would be stretched a little thin with an extra mouth to feed.

Or not so much now that Howie said he wanted her gone come morning. Was a death sentence it was, kicking her to the curb all by her lonesome with three corpses to carry and no one to help her along. Wasn't everyone as good as Howie, and even he couldn't survive the trip out here if he didn't have Cowie to lean on. 90% of staying alive out here was avoiding Abby, and the best way to do that was to move faster than they could, which most certainly wouldn't happen if you was walking on your own two feet and lugging a whole bunch of literal dead weight. And while the girl had deceived them, Howie had demanded they hand over a thirteen-year-old kid as prisoner to a bunch of veritable strangers, so small wonder they'd balked at it and done a switcheroo in the end.

Which left a bad taste in Tina's mouth no doubt, but seeing how Jinfeng had been the perfect prisoner and guest so far, she figured it wouldn't be all that bad if they was all a little more cautious while bringing her out far enough to at least give her a fighting chance. Tina didn't say as much of course, because Howie had his mind made up and would only double down and dig in his heels if he got any pushback, so she kept Chrissy company while they watched him march endless loops around the mesa with Cowie and the horses following along because they all thought it was a game and were having a grand old time even though they were all supposed to be resting.

Which Howie figured out soon enough, so he stopped pacing about and turned his attention on to the animals to keep them from wearing themselves out. Though horses were more than capable of travelling 50 klicks a day, that didn't mean it was easy, and apparently the way back would be even harder than getting in. If you ran into Abby on the way east, well you could turn right around and head for safety, but if you encountered them on your way back west, you had to roll the dice and hope whatever direction you ran in wouldn't have more Abby just lying in wait.

Unless of course you was a single woman moving about on foot carrying about a hundred pounds of bones in the most unwieldy fashion possible. Stringing them up on poles like that made it look like them corpses was bouncing along, and it was a miracle of magic that didn't none of them rotted pieces go flying about with each and step Jinfeng took.

All in all, Tina didn't say nothing to Howie, just waited for his temper to cool and dinner time to roll around before bringing Jinfeng her meal. Howie almost insisted on coming with, but Chrissy kept him occupied while Mama accompanied Tina instead, just so he wouldn't worry too much. He'd still worry all the same, because that's just how it was, but he couldn't say nothing against mama who was just as fed up with his antics as Tina was. Wasn't Jinfeng's fault that those men had killed Uncle Ming, and while she was here to retrieve their bodies, it only seemed like the right thing to do to return them to the Qin. That's what they should do, and even if others wouldn't be so courteous, Mama and Uncle Ming both knew that Howie had to hold himself to a higher standard, because he wasn't just anyone, now was he?

Might be the best option would've been to forget the Spellbook and send the corpses back by Federal courier, or private delivery if the postal office wouldn't accept postage for the dead. Was a real possibility, as there were all sorts of finicky rules about what you could and couldn't mail, and Tina was pretty sure human remains were on the no mailing list.

So really, Howie only had his greed to blame for his current predicament, and it wasn't right to send someone to their death just because he didn't want to deal with a Battle Monk in training. Truth be told, Tina envied Jinfeng just a little bit, because Howie treated her like a real threat, instead of a joke like how he saw Tina and the other recruits. He never said as much, but he never gave anyone their age the same amount of respect he was giving Jinfeng. Anyone else and he would've tied them up and called it good enough, because in truth, it would've been, but Tina didn't know enough about Battle Monks to say what they was capable of. Feats of incredible speed, strength, and bodily control apparently, because Jinfeng's transformation was nothing short of amazing, and Tina wanted to know how it was possible without the use of a Spell.

"The Sinew Transformation Methods allows a practitioner to exert complete control over their body," Jinfeng explained, after graciously accepting her dinner plate with both hands and a bobbed bow of her head. She had the longest, loveliest hair Tina done ever seen, all straight and silken without so much as a crook in them warm, milk chocolate locks, so dark from afar yet shimmering with bright tones when seen up close. "Though I am no stronger than anyone else with the same physique, I am able to eke out more from my muscles and tendons by virtue of control." Nodding at Tina's blade, Jinfeng added, "Much like how knowing the proper grip allows you to swing your blade faster than you otherwise could."

"That can't be all it is," Tina replied, not wanting to call the girl a liar but not understanding the missing bits. "When you're transformed, you're pretty much brimming with magic, so much that even Howie can see it. As you are now though? Ain't much magic at all, and what's there is just… normal." Wasn't ever no magic anywhere, not even in a lead lined box, as the metal only trapped the Aether and didn't do nothing to make it disappear.

Jinfeng blinked, and Tina was shocked to see how she showed surprise the same way Uncle Ming and Howie did. Was a subtle look, but a telling one all the same, and she wondered if it was cultural among the Qin and Howie just picked it up from his daddy. "What you are seeing are not flows of Aether," Jinfeng explained, after taking a bite to buy herself time to recover. "It is my Qigong, the flow of positive energy moving through my body. You see it often in Ability users who have some grasp of their Qi, but there are no widespread methods as complete as the Sinew Transformation Methods."

Explained why Mama, Chrissy, and Uncle Rigsby always had a warm glow to them then, a question Tina had always wondered, but could never get an answer out of anyone, not even Mama. Who was plenty interested in learning more about Qi, but she also knew Howie might well come looking if they lingered for too long. "You just sit tight and stay warm out here," Mama said, giving Jinfeng a reassuring pat on the shoulder with no fear or hesitation at all. What Jinfeng didn't know was that Mama had a Command readied to go should the girl try anything, which was why Tina was all calm and relaxed too. Howie was right to be nervous around a trained combatant like Jinfeng, but he was looking down on them too much if he thought they couldn't handle her two against one. "We'll talk some sense into Howie and convince him to keep you on a little longer. We'll be here for another day and night at the very least, as this is the first time the horses done made this trip and they could use the extra time to relax, but Howie usually leaves for home before the New Year and is home by the fourth or fifth of January."

Crazy to think tomorrow was Howie's 18th birthday, and that they didn't really have any way to celebrate. Mama had something planned, but it couldn't be too big considering the limitations. Plus Howie wasn't gonna be in any mood, as he was never happy around this time. Then again, was hard to celebrate your birthday when it was also the same day your mama died, and you knew good and well the two were connected.

Though it wasn't right, Tina was starting to think the Qin were just gloomy in general. Despite Mama's best efforts to reassure Jinfeng, the girl was looking like death warmed over as she took a deep breath and steadied her nerves. "Just know that whatever the price, I am willing to pay it," she said, her cheeks taking on a shade of red as she did. "I only ask that… that we be left alone, as I am not…" She struggled to find the words, on account of it being her second language, but Tina was mighty impressed by Jinfeng's capabilities already.

"Flush with cash?" Tina supplied. "Don't worry, Howie won't take you for everything you got. Can't squeeze blood from a stone after all, but he won't leave you high and dry neither. He got conscience enough to get you far enough away that it won't be his fault if you die."

Which was just about the nicest way to tell the girl that she shouldn't count on Howie for too too much, as he was already none too happy about having to do this much. Which he already knew he had to do, because Mama done raised him right, which was why he'd been in such a foul mood and spent the better part of the afternoon stomping about. He talked a tough game, but he was a big old softie in the end, or at least he was until you done truly crossed him good and well.

The girl blinked in confusion, but Tina didn't know any better way to say it, so she just reassured Jinfeng that they'd do everything they could and that she shouldn't worry too much about getting sent out at dawn with nothing but the clothes on her back. Mama did the same, then shooed Tina out so they could talk alone, though Mama kept the door open just in case. Jinfeng minded her manners though, and sat with hands folded on her lap after finishing her meal, so Mama had a quick word in private before leaving the girl shamefaced by her lonesome in the shed outside. Following Mama back to the house, Tina saw her mood and decided it was best not to ask, because she was mighty upset about something or the other though Tina couldn't say what. Inside, they found Howie playing cat's cradle with himself while Chrissy played some tunes, strumming quietly at her fiddle to play a soft and spirited melody that did little to raise Howie's spirits. Chrissy was still game to try though, and Howie did his best to humour her because he didn't want her to feel like she done failed.

Was all for naught though, because Mama was in a big mood, just standing inside the doorway with hands on hips and lips pursed in dissatisfaction. She didn't say nothing though, just stood there all glowering with disapproval, which had Howie looking real scared and uncertain because he wasn't sure why Mama was so upset, when he himself was upset at her. "When you figure it out?" he asked, somehow looking both sour and subdued.

"Last night, while I was on watch," Mama replied, her lips quirking just a bit like she was trying to hide her guilt, because one, she shouldn't have gone and visited the prisoner same as a Tina, and two she really probably should've told Howie right quick. "I knew you'd be rip snorting mad if I told you right away though, so I wanted to take some time to ease into the reveal. You really gonna send her away in the morning? That's a death sentence or worse and you know it."

Howie took a breath, then heaved a sigh, because he could never be mad at Mama. Even if she made what he thought was a bad decision, he was still a mama's boy in the end, so he just swallowed his ire and moved on. "Look," he began, soon as he had his temper in check, "I'll compromise. She can stay in the shed until we leave, and I'll bring her out to the watchtowers, but then she's on her own."

"Good." Despite what she said, Mama's tone was anything but as she wavered between guilt and anger. Then she heaved a long sigh and leaned over to cup his face in both hands. "You need to start watchin' what you say, Howie," Mama began, looking all sad and upset, but not at him. "A man ain't nothin' but his word, and you been sayin' a lot of unsavoury things of late. Even if you don't mean nothin' by it, other folks don't know that, so they believe what they hear and tell others all about it. Understood?"

"…So you sayin' I should keep my word and send her out tomorrow morning?"

Just like Howie, Tina didn't get it either, and Mama rolled her eyes in frustration. "I'm talkin' about how you threaten folks at the drop of a hat, and make insinuations just to get under their skin and keep them on the back foot. Like say those snide comments you made about that blue-haired girlie back there. We all know you said what you said to get a rise out of the kid and see if he understood English, but you got Jinfeng out there thinkin' that's what you anglin' for, and now she's ready to give in just to save her neck."

Howie made a face, but not the right one. Wasn't shock or horror, but one of scorn and revulsion. Wasn't the worst, but wasn't the best either, because Tina was downright horrified by the implications. Seeing this, Howie didn't back down, but doubled down and gave her a look that said she ought to remember this, because wasn't everyone like him just saying things for the sake of saying them. Was a sad look, one full of fear and concern, and for what might well be the first time, Tina finally understood why Howie was always so worried about her.

Because even though he hadn't even considered the implications of what Jinfeng was going through, he understood enough about it to not be surprised. That said something about the world he lived in, something Tina didn't much like, but wasn't no changing the facts.

They had a subdued dinner after that, eating in silence while Tina curled up next to Mama for comfort and Chrissy stuck close to Howie in a determined effort to cheer him up. The mood persisted as the night wore on, right up until it was time to hit the hay and Tina headed out for her turn at watch. "Don't you go meetin' with her all by your lonesome," Howie warned, giving her a look that said he was dead serious. "Same goes for you Aunty Ray. If she desperate and afraid, then there's no telling what she might do, so best to stay away until we can meet with her in strength."

Which was fair enough, so Tina stayed well away from the shed as she went on her rounds, moving slow and steady behind her Echo while hidden behind a Minor Illusion. Kept her mind sharp and focused, concentrating on the Cantrip to keep changing the image of darkness it projected as she moved round and round the mesa. Wasn't much else to do, since there wasn't nothing to see, as Howie had warned them to keep away from the edges so as not to reveal themselves to the canyon below or the cliffs to the north and south sides. The Wards could only do so much after all, and they was working hard to keep the flows of Aether contained so as not to give away the presence of an Aetheric condenser. Abby would want that back right quick, as it was pretty much the most important part of a Proggie's corpse, meaning that so long as it was recycled, that was most of a new Proggie right then and there.

Was incredible Aunty Lina's Wards had held up for 18 years after her death, albeit with yearly maintenance from Uncle Ming and now Howie. Tina didn't know the first thing about Wards, but Mama had been hinting that she might teach her a thing or three just so she could help lighten the load on Howie's shoulders. Wasn't just Abby he had to guard against either. Technically, all Aetheric Condensers were supposed to be handed over to your government of choice, whereupon you'd be given a payout that wasn't nowhere close to what a Condenser was worth. Then again, most folks didn't have the know how to put together a working Condenser and Ward it up to keep Abby from noticing. Small wonder Howie never talked about it though; if the wrong folks caught on to what he had stashed up here, there'd be no end to his troubles.

A thought that took form soon as it flash through Tina's mind, as if it'd been manifested into reality by the mere act of thinking it. Down below in the valley and over to the west, the chittering screech of a Feral bug cut through the dark night, and Tina's blood went cold to hear it. Then a hundred more chitters called out in reply, followed but what seemed like thousands more soon after from every direction there was. This wasn't Abby just howling at the moon or a call out into the night, and she knew good and well what it meant. That there was a war cry if Tina had ever heard one, and she was torn between pity for the poor fools who'd soon be on the receiving end and desperately hoping it wasn't meant for her and her family.

So much for celebrating Howie's birthday then. Wouldn't no one be in the mood for festivities, not with Abby all riled up like this, so Tina headed on back to the house to let them know what's what while wonder just what was going on out there in the Divide.

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