Fan Fei sat beneath a tree, its wide branches swaying gently in the morning breeze. The rising sun cast golden rays through the leaves. She had not moved in hours. Her body was still and upright, legs folded in deep lotus, hands resting lightly on her knees.
Her breathing was shallow and calm. With each inhale and exhale, she felt her chi flow clean, precise, and balanced. Her meridians were open and aligned, her inner energy humming in a state of calm power. It was a flow she had trained for years to master, and now it wrapped around her like a second skin.
Deeper and deeper she sank into the stillness, into the quiet clarity of perfect control until a voice broke the trance.
"Lady Fan! Mistress Fan…Mistress Fan!"
Her eyes opened slowly, glowing faintly for a moment before returning to normal. The boy before her short, nervous, out of breath froze as her gaze fell on him. He took a clumsy step back and immediately dropped into a bow, stammering his apologies.
"I'm sorry! Forgive me, Mistress, I didn't mean to disturb you!"
Fei exhaled and stood gracefully, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "How many times have I told you, Jin?" she said softly but firmly. "You don't need to be afraid."
"I…of course, Mistress. My apologies," Jin said again, still bowing.
"Stop it, you fool," Fei said with a roll of her eyes, though her tone held no real malice. "Now, is it time?"
Jin straightened and nodded. "Yes, Mistress. The chiefs are waiting."
Fei looked toward the hills, where smoke from morning fires curled up from the valley floor. "Good," she said. "Let's get this over with."
She led the way, her long robe brushing through the tall grass. Jin followed a few steps behind, head bowed and nervous.
Ahead, nestled in a shallow basin between two hills, was a large makeshift camp. Dozens of tents, crafted from animal hide and reinforced with wood and bone, stood in organized clusters. At the center of the camp stood a larger tent, the meeting place of the five great tribal chiefs of Liangzhu.
This land was not her home, not truly. Liangzhu had taken her in, yes, and she had protected it with her strength. But her soul belonged elsewhere.
K'un-Lun.
The thought struck her. It had been eight years since her exile. A flicker of memory surfaced, but she pushed it down. Those memories were painful, and she did not like to revisit them.
The five chiefs stood waiting for her: Jiàn-Guō, Chief of the Stone River Tribe; Báo-Yǔn, Chief of the Leopard Cloud Tribe; Zhào-Lín, Chief of the Forest Fang Tribe; Hàn-Róng, Chief of the Great Clay Tribe; and finally Shēn-Wù, Chief of the Mountain Fang Tribe.
For three years now, Fan Fei had stood between them and annihilation. Her wandering path had brought her to Liangzhu, a fractured land besieged by chaos. Monsters roamed the valleys. Deviants prowled the forests from their underground cities. And worst of all, the Gorgillas the savage, bestial hybrids of man and ape descended in unstoppable raids.
Fan Fei had made a vow: to shield these people and protect them.
"Varrock will be here soon, Mistress Fan," Hàn-Róng said, stepping forward.
Fei turned to him and gave a soft smile. "This is our best chance at peace," she said. "If the Deviants truly honor this pact, we can turn our blades away from each other… and toward the Gorgillas."
Some of the chiefs nodded in agreement; others frowned, wary. The Deviants had long been enemies, and many in the tribes had lost kin to them. But Fan Fei's words held weight. Her presence alone was enough to keep most doubts at bay.
This peace was necessary, for of all the foes she had fought for them rogue spirits, beasts, monsters of the sea the Gorgillas were the worst: brutes, senseless, remorseless. The Deviants could be reasoned with, but the Gorgillas were almost mindless.
Jin touched her arm lightly. "They're here," he whispered.
Fei turned toward the forest's edge.
Fifty figures emerged from the tree line: yellow- and gray-skinned Deviants, their forms twisted in varied ways: horned, taloned, scaled but all armed and disciplined. At their head stood one who towered above them all: tall, powerfully built, with ember-like eyes and yellow skin that glowed faintly in the sun.
Varrock, the Ember-Eyed.
"Mistress Fan Fei," he said as he approached, his voice deep and smooth. "I'm glad to finally meet under more peaceful circumstances."
Fei bowed slightly, her tone respectful. "King Varrock. The feeling is mutual."
Varrock let out a low, amused laugh. "Let's get this over with," he said. "I've reviewed your terms. They are acceptable."
Behind her, the chiefs murmured relief, hope, cautious approval.
Fei inclined her head. "Thank you, King Varrock. You've made the right decision."
"There are… some final demands."
Fei's expression darkened, her shoulders straightening slightly. "I thought you said you agreed to the terms."
"Yes, yes," Varrock said, waving his clawed hand. "But I believe we can go further."
Fei's brow arched. "Further?"
Varrock nodded. "An alliance…"
Fei paused for a moment, considering. Her initial irritation cooled into curiosity. "I assume this is about the Gorgillas."
"Indeed." Varrock folded his arms. "They've become quite the nuisance since they crawled up from the south…a mistake," he added, "of my glorious ancestors."
Fei narrowed her eyes. "Your ancestors' mistake?"
Varrock's face showed no shame. "Millennia ago, when our people ruled this world before the Great Cataclysm my ancestors dabbled in many… creations. The Gorgillas were one of them, man and ape, combined. For war? For sport? Even I do not know. Now they are a danger to us all."
Fei folded her arms, lips pressing into a tight line. "Well… that explains a few things."
She turned to the five chiefs. "Are we in agreement?"
Báo-Yǔn scoffed and stepped forward. "What choice do we have? I hate the Deviants more than any man here. An alliance… it's necessary if we are to fight against the Gorgillas."
The other chiefs nodded. Even Jiàn-Guō gave a solemn grunt of approval.
Fei looked back to Varrock and extended her hand. "Then it's settled: peace, and an alliance."
Varrock stepped forward and gripped her forearm in a warrior's clasp. "Then it is done," he said. "You've been a mighty foe, Mistress Fan Fei. Now I look forward to fighting beside you."
She allowed herself a smile. "I'm looking forward to it."
Jiàn-Guō let out a deep, booming laugh. "This calls for celebration!"
Cheers rang out from the camp from the tribal warriors and even from some of the Deviants.
Fan Fei smiled, feeling a lightness. For the first time in years, the tribes would be stronger, safer. With the Gorgillas now in their sights, she knew peace was within reach. And once they were dealt with once this land was stable perhaps she could move on.
To the north. To the distant south. Or even beyond the sea, to the islands she'd only heard of from the men of the sea.
=======
It took another month to finalize the peace treaty, but at last it was done, the terms were sealed, and the alliance was forged.
Now the promised celebration was upon them.
The gathering was held near the Five Banners, a sacred place nestled among the grassy hills where five man-made mounds, shaped by generations of tribal hands, stood in reverence to each tribe's origin. Today, they were adorned with colorful flowers, carved effigies, and long banners waving proudly in the warm breeze.
Warriors danced with their weapons drawn in peaceful flourish. Drums and flutes echoed across the valley. Children ran and played. Even Deviants mingled with humans. Fei had personally fought beside them a week ago, helping to repel a Gorgilla raid on Feng, the underground city the Deviants called home.
She sat alone high atop one of the earthen mounds, watching the celebration below with satisfaction. Her arms rested loosely around her knees, her hair caught in the wind.
From the corner of her vision, she spotted Jin climbing the path up to her. Breathless and fidgeting, the young man approached and stood awkwardly at her side.
"So…" she said without looking at him, "will you finally ask that girl you like to marry you?"
Jin flushed bright red. "N-no. I… I'm too much of a coward."
Fei finally turned, a hint of a smirk on her face. "You're a fine boy, Jin, soon to be a man. Go talk to her. Who knows, maybe she has her eye on you, too."
Jin shook his head. "I'm not like the warriors of my tribe. I don't have their strength. Or their courage." He hesitated. "Which is why… I have a request."
Fei raised an eyebrow. "What kind of request?"
Jin took a breath. "I want you to teach me your martial arts."
Fei's expression darkened instantly. She looked away. "No."
Jin blinked. "Why?"
"I…" Her voice caught. Her left hand reached across and gently brushed the back of her right. A faint, dragon-shaped scar marked the skin there. Her fingers lingered on it. "I can't. I'm sorry, Jin."
"But why?" he asked again, softer this time.
Fei stood abruptly, her eyes turning back to the celebration below. "Go, Jin. Join the others. Celebrate. I need to be alone for a while."
Jin lingered for a second, then nodded, head bowed. "Yes, Mistress."
He turned and made his way back down the mound, disappearing into the celebration.
Jin's request was innocent but the memories it stirred were not. Not after what had happened. Not after what her teachings had once led to.
It was the reason she was exiled from K'un-Lun because she had taken pity on a handful of men and women.
Fan Fei had been patrolling the snowy passes around the sacred peaks of K'un-Lun when she saw them men and women from the outer valleys, their clothing in tatters, their bodies thin from hunger, driven away by beasts. They were no threat to the Great City. But they were defenseless.
And so she broke the law.
She taught them kung fu. Slowly, over months, they became her students. They learned discipline, defense, and honor. She grew to love them each of them a reminder of why she had taken up the martial path in the first place.
But nothing remained hidden in K'un-Lun for long.
When the others found out, she was seized and dragged in chains before Lei-Kung, the Thunderer himself. She was accused of the gravest crime possible: sharing the sacred martial secrets of the Great City with outsiders.
Lei-Kung's judgment was absolute.
She was declared a traitor condemned as the worst criminal in the history of K'un-Lun. Her clan and family turned their backs on her. Her students every one of them were sentenced to die.
She remembered that day well; it was burned into her.
In the snowy courtyard, the guards brought them to the mouth of the sacred cave. The earth trembled, and from the shadows emerged Shou-Lao, the Holy Dragon of K'un-Lun, keeper of the city's power and glory.
"No… please! Let them go!" Fei screamed, struggling against the guards who held her. "Only I need to die! Take me!"
The dragon's eyes burned like molten gold as it reared its head back. Then, with a roar that shook the mountain, it struck.
She watched in horror as the sacred beast tore through her students its fire and claws snuffing out every life she had sworn to protect. Their screams were brief. Their bodies fell still in the snow.
Something broke inside her.
"Nooooooo!" she roared, strength she didn't know she had surging through her. She tore free from the guards' grip and charged straight at the beast, every thought of survival gone. She would die with them.
Her fist connected with Shou-Lao's jaw and to her shock and horror, it didn't stop. She punched through flesh and bone, blasting out the back of the dragon's skull in a burst of fire and blood.
She stood there, arm buried in the dragon's head, her skin burning as molten blood coated her.
Shou-Lao collapsed.
She had killed the holy dragon.
Fei looked at her hands as they glowed gold with power, the power that had come to her after she did the unthinkable.
No, no. It was not a gift, she reminded herself.
Lei-Kung himself had named it not a gift but a curse, her shame, proof of her crime.
Fei shook her head. The past was past, she told herself.
She began walking down the slope of the sacred mound toward the sounds of laughter, drums, and the crackle of roasting meat.
"Quite the achievement," a voice said from behind her.
She turned, eyes narrowing slightly, to see a man she didn't recognize handsome, sharply dressed, his clothing far too fine for any of the tribes.
"It's quite the sight," the man continued, sweeping a hand toward the celebrations below. "Humans and Deviants… sharing food and fire without bloodshed. Remarkable."
"Are you from one of the tribes?" she asked, tilting her head, already searching her memory for his face.
The man's smile deepened. "No. I am simply a traveler, like you. My name is Mara."
"It's nice to meet you, Mara," Fei replied evenly, already turning toward the festivities. "I was just going to join the celebrations. You're welcome to—"
"Oh, I will," he said lightly, stepping closer. "But let us speak first… Fan Fei of K'un-Lun."
Her muscles tensed, and her eyes locked on his. "Who are you, truly?" she asked, her voice low.
"As I said," Mara replied, unbothered, "I am Mara. The traveler." His eyes gleamed faintly, like a predator amused by the prey's vigilance. "And I have a proposition for you."
Fei drew in a slow breath and let her senses reach for him, seeking the flow of chi that all living things carried.
Nothing.
Her brow furrowed. Impossible there was always something. Even a corpse held remnants of life's spark. Yet this man stood before her as if carved from absence.
Her hands began to glow faintly with golden chi. "I don't want anything to do with you," she said coldly. "I think you should leave."
Mara chuckled softly, as though she were a child turning down candy. "Even if I offered you power? Power to take your revenge on K'un-Lun. Power to conquer this world and rule it as its goddess?"
She did not answer, but the silence between them sharpened.
"I am indeed offering you all that, Fan Fei," Mara said smoothly. "And more."
Fei narrowed her eyes. "Oh, and I'm sure you'd want something in return," she said, playing along.
"Of course," Mara replied. "It's only fair, after all. All I need you to do is hunt down a few… enemies of mine. Three of them now reside in the Great Mountains. Hunt these dangerous beings down for me and, in exchange, I will give you all the power you could ever desire."
Fei simply laughed, dismissing the man's words. His easy smile faltered into annoyance. For the first time, his voice held a hint of darkness. "I was hoping you would accept."
"I'll give you one chance to leave," Fei replied, her tone calm but unyielding. "I don't want to disrupt the celebrations."
Mara sighed, as though her refusal bored him. "Oh, I don't want to disrupt anything…" His lips curled into a dark chuckle that crawled under her skin.
Then he was gone. She blinked, and the space where he had stood was empty.
Fei stood in uneasy silence for a long moment before forcing herself to walk toward the great gathering. She would deal with whatever that was tomorrow.
She mingled with people she knew, the chiefs, their families, and even Varrock, her former foe whom she had once fought and nearly killed, sparing him something she was now glad she had done.
The roar of the celebrations was suddenly overshadowed by the roar of a thousand beasts at once a deep, ear-shaking bellow that cut through the music and joy, rattling the very air.
Fei froze. She knew that sound.
Across the clearing, Varrock's head snapped toward the tree line. "GORGILLAS!" he bellowed. "TO ARMS!"
The celebration shattered into chaos. Deviant warriors stumbled to their feet, many sluggish and unsteady from drink; human fighters grabbed for spears, axes, and bows. Women clutched their children and pulled them toward shelter, while the elderly limped as fast as they could toward the safety of the inner camp.
Varrock took a step toward Fei. "Come, Mistress Fan, let—"
The rest of his words drowned in fire.
A roaring wave of flame washed over the mound, engulfing tents, banners, and people in seconds. Fei braced, her chi flaring into a golden shield that kept the worst from touching her but even she felt the blistering heat.
Screams rose all around her raw, desperate. Men women , Deviants and warriors alike burned where they stood. The stench of scorched flesh hit her nostrils.
Through the haze of smoke and the madness of flames, shapes emerged hulking, broad-shouldered, their movements unnervingly fast for creatures so massive. Gorgillas. Dozens of them.
And at their head… a monster even among monsters. Nearly twice the size of the others, his matted fur streaked with blackened soot, eyes burning red—and in his clawed hands, fire itself. He wielded it, casting sheets of flame into the crowd with every sweeping gesture, the inferno moving unnaturally, as though it were alive.
The sacred mound became an open-air pyre, the fire leaping from tent to tent, clinging to flesh, refusing to die even when beaten or smothered.
Fei's heart clenched with fury. She let out a piercing battle cry, her chi flaring brighter than the fire around her, and golden light swirled over her arms.
She charged, a lone figure against the oncoming tide. Her golden fist struck like a thunderbolt, shattering bone and tearing through muscle. The Gorgilla split clean in half, a spray of steaming blood coating her face and chest. More came ten, twenty, thirty charging with inhuman snarls. Fei met them all, her fury guiding every strike. She wove through their massive bodies, fists and kicks landing with explosive force bones snapping, skulls caving. Gorgillas fell like rice before the scythe.
But still, it wasn't enough.
Everywhere around her, the world burned. The leader the Ape King strode through the chaos, his claws commanding the unnatural fire. Wherever he gestured, flame leapt higher, chasing screaming men, women, and Deviants into the open before devouring them.
Fei struck down another beast, but a child's scream cut off by fire ripped through her. Her heart pounded, her fury boiling over. "AARRRRHHHHHHH!" she screamed, throwing herself into the horde. Fifty. Sixty. A hundred she lost count. Her arms and legs burned from strain, her lungs tearing with every breath, but still she fought.
And then… silence.
The laughter, the screams gone. Only the crackle of flames and the guttural snarls of the remaining Gorgillas filled the air.
The Ape King turned toward her. He was enormous, easily twice her size. Fire crawled over his body like armor. He raised his burning claws, his deep, gravelly voice broken but clear enough:
"Fire man… make me strong… I burn… all…"
The words made her blood run cold. Someone.. something had given him this power.
She struck, her chi igniting in a furious blaze. The Ape King took the hits, staggering but never falling. His claws raked across her arms, searing her skin, the unnatural fire burning past her defenses. Pain tore through her, but she refused to stop. Her eyes darted over the battlefield burned bodies everywhere: men, women, children. The faces of the dead tribes blurred into those of her old students.
Her fury peaked.
With a scream that shook her chest, she drove forward, pouring her entire being into a single blow. Her fist tore through the Ape King's chest. The fire in his body flickered out, and his massive frame collapsed backward with a ground-shaking thud.
She stood over him, panting, her fists still glowing.
She looked around. Everywhere lay a field of ash and blood. She searched for survivors, moving among the blackened remains. There were none. Everyone was dead.
She found Jin. The boy's lifeless body lay half-curled, as if he'd tried to shield someone. She sank to her knees beside him, her breath hitching, her hands trembling.
She stared at the dead around her; the memory of her old students rose too, their faces blending with those she had failed today.
Her hands closed into fists. Her chest ached.
She had failed them all.
Fei's breathing slowed, but the fire in her chest didn't fade. Her mind kept circling back to the stranger Mara. His voice. His smile. The lack of chi . And most of all… his parting words: "Oh, I don't want to disrupt anything."
The phrase echoed in her skull, over and over. The unease she'd felt in his presence the same gnawing wrongness had been there again in the Ape King's presence.
Did Mara give this power to the king? Did he orchestrate all of this? What was he, some kind of demon? She needed answers.
"I will find you," she murmured to the wind, her voice low but steady. "I swear it. On every man, woman, and child I failed… I will hunt you down."
She already knew where to begin. Mara had named three enemies three who dwelled somewhere deep within the Great Mountains. He had wanted them dead for his own reasons, but now… now they were her trail to follow they would lead her to him.
Her path would be long and dangerous. She would walk it alone. And when she reached its end… Mara would pay.
.
.