Victims Of A Crime.

  Several Chimes earlier.

  Dar Luso appeared next to his sister.

  With a gentle hand on her shoulder, he kissed her head.

  “Mom was terrified watching that unfold.” He said simply.

  Jianrong held out her hand in front of her, a slight tremor in her hand.

  “She wasn’t the only one.” Rong took a breath. “Everyone ok?” she asked.

  Dar moved to look at Lu Nara, then glanced back.

  “Lin Su and Na are going to punish you; be ready.” He laughed, then smiled softly. “You have good kids; Ai was really brave.”

  Jianrong snorted. “Of course, she is my child.” She reddened and couldn't wait to be reunited.

  “What is the play?” Rong asked.

  Dar Luso gave a soft whistle, looking at the damage. “Already in motion, Dad already wrote the whole account of what Matron captured.”

  Jianrong froze for a moment. “How is she taking it? Everyone is hiding.”

  Dar looked around, then returned to her side and sat down, and petted her pheasant.

  “Gobble, gobble!” Pleasant angrily stated, and Rong pulled his hand away.

  “He doesn’t like men.” She said with a resigned sigh.

  “You get all the tail around here.” He grinned.

  Rong groaned, then pointed to Lu Nara, “Don’t think I won't stab you, she made fun of my hair.” She joked.

  Dar stood up, “Dad said to gather the scribes and have them document it all.”

  Rong glanced where they had been, expecting to see their tablets on the ground. Instead, she realized they had run off with their documentation.

  “Impressive resolve,” she thought.

  Moments later, the bell rang to gather.

  Valen appeared from the Bloom and started shouting orders as he stood near the fallen Envoy.

  Within a chime, the village had found all the mortals who also happened to be the scribes.

  Valen walked them through the fall of Lu Nara as if she had lost her senses, faulting Qi deviation for her strange behavior and praising his daughter for striking when the woman had lost control of her Qi.

  As all of them were mortals…none knew any better, and as Rong watched them wrap up her corpse and store it poorly, she figured better no one else would know either.

  When the Matriarch had appeared with her baby, dressed as if she had been foraging for herbs with Lana and Elder Teyren in tow, their mouths moved like fish out of water.

  When she took command of the situation and placed them under confinement for possibly attempting to assassinate her, they had no words left.

  By morning, while the five guards were causing their own uproars across the plains, Rong fed Ai a bite of her pancake, holding Shen’s hand, who was still shaken by the sudden rush to flee.

  “Aunty Rong…no…mom..Mom, are we safe?” Shen asked, making Na freeze and look at Jianrong in shock.

  Jianrong’s face flushed as she took in an unsteady breath.

  She hadn’t thought, when she had stood before her mother and declared these children her family, that this day would come.

  She did not expect it or even anticipate it.

  She did not expect her child to be the one who locked her into a role she had been lamenting since she had returned.

  A tension left her body as acceptance finally seeped into her, not the resigned acceptance of death but the kind that accepts that something better is around the bend.

  All she needed to do was keep moving forward to find out.

  Rong touched the young boy's face. “Everyone is safe. Aunty Bright already told me how happy she was to have you visit her. That is our secret place, so if we need to hide, we will go there.”

  Shen nodded. “Mom…is Matron like you?”

  Jianrong laughed and kissed her son, “I am like her; she was born that way. I am slowly changing.”

  Lieutenant Koal and Sergeant Lui ran through the forest panting.

  Both men were Core Formation; both men were terrified.

  When their Spirit Sense caught movement ahead, they moved with reckless abandon.

  The merchant caravan headed to Seldara felt the men coming before they saw them.

  The two Auras were trembling under the exertion; they had not stopped running through the night.

  The guards heard the gasped story and sent two riders to Seldara at full speed.

  The only way to protect their lives was to ensure everyone, everywhere, knew what had happened.

  The same thing was happening all around the farming plane. Every guard, besides the captain, exited the woods, found people, and shared their story.

  Some hid and took refuge; others threatened to kill mortals if they told anyone where they were.

  But in every scenario, the story of the Heavens Envoy plotting murder and attacking her own entourage was spreading.

  Late morning.

  Chamberline Tang Shan sat with Jianrong drinking tea while discussing the letter that had been handed off to Shepard, and in turn handed off to Andrew…who in turn handed it off to his master General Jang.

  Nadia, with Auriel, listened to his guidance, while Virea and Serel wrote their own narratives to share with friends and family.

  As they sat there, the Palace was in an uproar.

  Worse, the Empress seemed already fully briefed, without anyone knowing how.

  By late morning, a line of soldiers was riding to Ironwood.

  Velran had tried to get his people onto Ironwood grounds first, to lay blame, undermine the Exiles, and gain leverage.

  What they got was a blue Albatross of Dar Luso landing near the entrance to Seldara, with Virea, Alia, Serel, and Cheri in tow, as they moved to the Royal Investigator's residence with all their letters, transcripts, and witness statements.

  The Envoy had never stepped into the capital, and her mission had never been revealed.

  Their goal had been to come and go with as little oversight as possible for maximum deniability.

  What it got them was Seldara paralyzed by what they thought they knew versus what they could prove.

  By evening, the troops arrived.

  Nearly one hundred soldiers arrived armed and armored.

  “Dar Luso Bloodforge, surrender yourself!” The man at the head of the column shouted at the closed gate.

  A woman in conservative attire moved to face the men.

  “Elders, my brother headed to Seldara this morning, if you saw the Blue Albatross that was him and his spouses turning over all the documentation. She explained.

  The Captain pointed at her as if he had found someone they had been searching for.

  “Jianrong Dar Bloodforge, you are under arrest for the murder of Heavens Envoy.” The man shouted.

  Jianrong tilted her head. “What Envoy?” she asked. Everyone around her simply stared at the men.

  “Don’t play games!” The man's aura erupted, sending the horses into a panic.

  The Fort watched him rein it in with a scowl at them.

  “Do you have an arrest warrant for me?” she asked.

  A man held up a scroll.

  Rong kicked off the wall and floated to the ground like a leaf drifting onto a river on a warm summer day.

  All the men felt a coldness knowing she was strong if she could lighten herself to such a degree.

  Rong approached and reached for the scroll. The man handed it over, and she opened it up.

  It was official, it had the high minister's name and seal.

  “This fucking guy again,” she breathed quietly.

  “I surrender.” Jianrong rolled the scroll up and handed it back. Then she raised her hands.

  Men grabbed Jianrong and locked her hands behind her back in manacles.

  The captain spoke sharply. “If she moves, hit her, do you understand?” he barked.

  “Oh wow,” Rong said, surprised.

  Then the man struck her face.

  A moment later, he dropped to his knees, clutching his arm. “She broke my fucking hand!”

  The captain turned, but a moment later, he was yanked off his horse, and a knee was pressed into his back as every man in the caravan realized Core Formation Warriors surrounded them. Who were supported by over thirty archers.

  Jianrong looked at Rosha, whose weight was bearing down on the man, and gave a thankful nod.

  “It's funny how much a Peak Core Formation warrior differs from a mid-Core Formation…isn’t it?” Rong asked as she crouched next to the Captain.

  The man glared up at her, then her Aura pressed down on him until he could not breathe.

  “I understand you are under orders, but here are families who almost died because of the Envoy; you have my siblings and me in the capital already. Why don’t we just be on our way? You will need to bring the Envoy's staff and the body of the Envoy and the man she killed, a Captain from Golden Claw. You will have your hands full.” She said it with a smile.

  “Sergeant Mira, please give our saviors the people, bodies, and my weapon,” Rong said to the woman on the wall with her composite bow.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Eventually, Jianrong was loaded with everyone else and the two bodies.

  Before the line of men had even left the forest, a rider raced ahead to let the capital know that over thirty Core Formation Warriors had been detected.

  By morning, they reached the gates of the capital.

  Empress Sulara had demanded that Jianrong be released into her custody.

  The hardliner faction ministers blocked her using their numbers and favors.

  Dar Luso was placed on house arrest at the investigator's house, and the documentation was seized.

  The cell they placed Jianrong in was deep within the palace.

  It was three by three meters with thick steel bars with arrays on every wall.

  They had placed a suppression talisman on her neck but had not stripped her.

  When Elaren demanded to see her, she broke down in tears and was escorted away after becoming enraged by the conditions Jianrong was suffering.

  “Someone is burning up their political capital for something….I wonder what it is?” she thought.

  They brought her one meal a day, her toilet was pale, never cleaned.

  She sat in silence.

  Some days she would be taken out to walk outside for half a stick, other days they seemed to forget.

  When night fell, the guards would bang on her door to ‘check’ on her.

  By the fifth day, Rong was pretty sure they thought she would gobble up whatever it was they had in mind.

  They took her out of the cell and moved her to a private room.

  Two attendants were there to bathe her and help her change.

  “No, thank you,” Rong said, disinterested in the shallow show of generosity.

  A short time later, Jianrong sat before a panel of five male elders.

  “Jianrong Dar Bloodforge, you have brought before this committee on grave charges. How do you plead?” Minister Cyreth demanded.

  “Guilty,” Jianrong replied.

  The room froze.

  Velran blinked, then picked up a sheet of paper and cleared his suddenly dry throat.

  “Take note, Jianrong Dar Bloodforge admits guilt,” he said more weakly than he stared.

  Jianrong simply sat and waited.

  Velran looked Rong in the eye and spoke slowly. “Girl, you are charged with killing Heaven's Envoy; that is a capital offense. Do you have nothing to say?” He asked, wanting her to have an excuse.

  Jianrong nodded. “I, a Core Formation warrior through Heaven's grace, struck down a traitor and murderer who was a Nascent Soul. For that, I cannot lie, guilty as charged.” Rong smiled.

  The men looked at each other.

  An older man cleared his throat. "Explain HOW you killed a Nascent Soul!"

  Jianrong shrugged. “She struck down the captain when he turned his back to her. I felt power course through my body as I leaped through the air and stabbed her in the head, then in the heart.” Rong stated.

  The men blinked. “What art did you use?”

  Rong shook her head. “We don’t have arts, we are not a sect, and we cannot afford to buy them.” She replied.

  “I don’t believe you,” Velran spat.

  Rong shrugged. “You have her body, my knife, there were three scribes within five meters of the event. Her entire retinue was facing her when she struck the man down, and I killed her within two heartbeats later. What you believe is irrelevant, Minister; you have proof. All of it.”

  "How do you know Heaven approved?" another man asked.

  “I am Core, she is Nascent. I have no magical spells, no arts, and no treasures. If Heaven was not in favor, then perhaps she was a terrible cultivator?” Rong offered.

  “Heaven tests heretics.” The quiet elder finally stated, his eyes boring into her.

  Rong nodded. “It seemed she failed.” She agreed.

  Velran gave a short laugh. “Do you think it's your place judge your betters, daughter of an exile?” he demanded.

  “It sounds like.” Jianrong looked at each one of the people in the eye. “As though you endorse what is said, admitted to in front of witnesses. DO YOU endorse her words, elders?”

  Her brows rose.

  “I must warn you, I serve the empress under Tianrelion imperial mandate; to renounce her rightful place is to admit you are traitors. There is no need to hold a trial to find you guilty if you admit it in front of others.” Rong said coldly.

  Velran stood up and pointed at her. “LISTEN, YOU LITTLE BITCH, YOU ARE ON TRIAL. WE WILL FIND YOU GUILTY, AND YOU WILL DIE. BEG FOR MERCY, AND WE CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT!” The veins on his forehead bulged with anger at being led by the nose.

  A heavy silence hung in the air, then Jianrong turned to the scribe, who was pale.

  “Please note the time.” Rong said evenly, then turned to face the five men.

  “By the power invested in me by Heaven's chosen Empress Cyreth Tyrenna Sulara, under the Tianrelion Kingdoms Mandate recorded by the Cyreth family Grand Elder and Heaven… I hereby declare my intention to detain High Minister Cyreth Velran for subversion to the crown, undermining her highness's legitimacy through siding with the heretic, traitor, murderer, while undermining Tianrelion law by working for personal gain while employed in an official capacity.”

  Jianrong put her manacled hands out, and with a sharp movement without Qi, only her compressed Aura and her Feral strength snapped the chain.

  Then, to everyone’s horror, she reached up and pulled off the binding talisman she had long ago drained of Qi for just such a moment.

  When she stood up, Velran fell back a step.

  “Do you think Heaven is with me, or against me, Minister?” She asked sweetly.

  A presence revealed itself near the wall, away from everyone.

  Everyone but Rong turned, feeling the pressure.

  “Jianrong, stop. We can talk about this.” Ning Ya stated.

  Jianrong turned. There was no smile on her face.

  “Uncle Ning, in front of me stands a man who has admitted to breaking the law and his oath of office. All five men here have not renounced the words or actions of the heretic, murderer Lu Nara of the Golden Claw Heaven’s Dynasty, as she undermined the Empress's authority, murdered a soldier working under Heaven's authority while trying to abduct my sister without providing documentation or justification beyond that it benefited her.”

  “Jianrong!” Ning Ya spoke loudly.

  A slow smile slid across her face. “All I want to hear is the people who have read the Heavens scribes transcript, renounce the heretic and agree she broke Tianrelion law….so simple… just say it,” Jianrong warned.

  Velran moved to Ning’s side.

  Jianrong’s eyes followed them.

  Ning Ya was screaming inside.

  He did not want these people implicated, but he also could not allow Heaven’s Envoy to be called a heretic; Heaven would punish them, grind them down if it got out.

  His eyes pleaded with Jianrong, but in truth, there was no good answer; the best answer was to do nothing and hope it blew over.

  Paper over it, make the men who talked disappear, even the scribes could go missing, it would be best for everyone.

  All the men fell back to Ning Ya, whose jaw was clenched tight.

  Jianrong moved around the table easily, as if curious about the minister's place, Ning, between them and her.

  She turned her head and looked at the scribe, who looked at her pale-faced, terrified of what he was writing.

  “Drop your brush and do not pick it up,” Rong said evenly.

  The man blinked, the brush fell from his hand, and he remained still.

  Her eyes moved back to Ning and the traitors; she puckered her lips in thought.

  “So…does this mean you will be supporting Velran’s push to become Emperor?” Rong asked, leaving the men locked in disbelief.

  Rong smiled, “You already told the Empress Yue has sided with the high minister… what do you think that looks like down the road, uncle?”

  She laughed.

  “Either he takes power, or Yue is married to Sulara and takes power… right?” she asked.

  Jianrong closed her eyes and chuckled, then looked up at Velran. “Five copper says she renounces the throne and starts cultivating again. What are you gonna do? Lead?” Her laugh was loud and sharp, and her eyes sparkled.

  “You have the staying power of a lame horse, Yue will send you along, and this whole place will turn into the Gilded Sect…all because what…he financed you or perhaps has dirt on you?” She moved to the door, then stopped.

  She looked Ning Ya in the eye. “You're pathetic. Don’t interact with my family from now on. You're dead to us.”

  Then she was gone.

  Jianrong moved with a fluid grace even when covered in filth.

  Taleth popped out, her face a look of concern.

  Rong motioned to her room in the distance, and the Commander whispered.

  “I traced that rumor.”

  “Velran?” Rong asked.

  Taleth did a double-take and then nodded.

  Rong nodded. “That checks out, well, come get your payment and help me change. I need to talk to you about the future, too. The winds of change are coming.” She said it softly.

  When they got to her room and the Arrays lit up, her robes fell away, and Taleth gasped.

  “Come on, help me. We are short on time,” Rong explained as she dumped water over her head.

  “Matron, please drop that pack of mine on the bed,” Rong stated...

  Taleth looked at her strangely, then felt movement in the other room and looked.

  On the bed was her armor and new robes—grey and crimson.

  Taleth was scrubbing the woman's back, but her eyes moved between the half-meter-long red tail and the large red ears on her head.

  Then she noticed the fur on her feet, lower back, forearms, and hands.

  “Solomon, what happened to you?” she whispered.

  Rong turned to her and gave a soft smile. “The gods needed me to swap teams, so here I am.”

  Taleth took a sharp breath, her eyes searched Jianrong’s. She could not see a lie, and, being so close, her whole body hummed with resonance.

  The palace guard swallowed hard. “You smell…delicious.” She said weakly.

  Rong laughed, then stood and pulled her down. She paid her back for finding out where the rumor started.

  Jianrong's arrest was to force her to share what she had, what she was giving to Ning as family to Velran and very likely Yue…although she would bet money, it would turn solely to Yue when he worked out how to push away everyone or kill them.

  Rong held the woman's head while he drank her fill, while she spoke softly.

  “There will be a coup very soon. The dynamic of the Palace will change, as those in power will be the hardliners.” Rong explained.

  Taleth let go in alarm. “We need to warn the Empress.” She insisted.

  Rong smiled and kissed her on the lips. “She knows, but thank you. We are going there next. The grand elder isn’t going to stop what is coming, and with the death of Heavens Envoy, they will likely have to expedite their timeline or push it further back…I wager they don’t want that… so sooner rather than later, I think. “ Rong wrapped herself and slid on the slate grey pants and short robe.

  Then her once-black tactical vest was locked to her body, now crimson red; on the back was Ironwood's symbol, stitched in place with love and silver thread.

  Jianrong looked at Taleth, who had not stopped staring at her. With a clawed hand, she pulled her into another kiss that lingered.

  “Give me your wrists,” Taleth murmured.

  The taller woman leaned down and kissed her neck, marking her. “I am going to miss you,” she purred.

  Taleth took out her key and removed the broken shackles.

  The smaller woman touched her neck and then looked at Taleth. “You asked me once what we are. I am a woman who serves my village and my family. I have women and children I love dearly. You are in that group. If you wish, there is a place for you, family, and resources.” Rong offered.

  Taleth gave her a soft smile.

  “In a different world, maybe.” She said gently.

  Rong nodded. “Either way. I love you, should you change your mind…you know where to find me.” She said, then kissed the woman goodbye.

  Reaching down, Rong picked up a heavy bag with a large strap, shouldered it, and headed out.

  The feeling in the Palace was off. Without even thinking about it, Jianrong reached into her bag, pulling out long rods made of stone that shimmered.

  Then she moved her hair, put the bag on her back, and tightened the straps with a solid pull.

  When she rounded the corner of the corridor, the area was filled with people; the one giving orders was Wang Tong.

  Jianrong laughed as everyone turned the pressure and intent of so many hits on her like a hammer.

  Then her Aura erupted, compressed, and flowed around her tighter and tighter as Qi flowed through all her meridians, slowly, including her tail.

  Her Honey amor locked into place.

  A soft rose color washed over her face as she used Meridians she had not been born with.

  The people gawked at the fox girl.

  She was something of a legend, but here she was with a face they recognized.

  Tong stepped forward. “Elder Ning and Yue would like to talk to your child; we don’t need to fight.”

  The two rods in her hands began to flow around her body as her Aura filled them with power.

  Their length was designed the same way her knife was. Designed to be grippy even if covered in blood or worse.

  She would teach these people the power of the Escrima.

  “Move aside, the Empress needs me,” Rong ordered.

  The men laughed at her, and she joined in.

  The next moment, her feet skipped back and forth as her ears pivoted and caught sounds she didn’t know existed, her tail flowing behind her, adding stability.

  In a blur of pure muscle and Aura combining to increase her speed, she arrived at nearly the center of the group.

  Everyone's Spirit Sense was screaming as Aura’s flared to empower and intimidate.

  A breath later, two people went down. One screaming as if he were dying, as she had shattered bones in his hand and arm, making it fall limply as if it were an over cooked noodle.

  The other crumbled to the ground. Across his forehead was a concave groove where the five-kilogram Escrima stick had crushed his bone in his skull.

  He would never get back up.

  All around her, swords were being drawn.

  She didn’t wait; her blows aimed at any part of the body not defended.

  Elbows sticking out too far, a new unobstructed, a hand not withdrawn fast enough.

  All of it was fair game, as whatever she struck stopped being usable; for some, that was a permanent condition.

  Tong was screaming orders as Jianrong moved into them like they were a school of fish. Periodically, a sword would bite into her armor, draining Qi; the next moment, they would be screaming in agony as she pinched fingers off, striking the sword hilt with the force of a hammer dropping on an egg.

  Then she was through them and away.

  On the ground in her wake lay several dead.

  The horror came from those she didn’t kill, as most of her attacks without serious money or support meant they would never recover the regular use of the part of the body that Jianrong struck, which had taken them out of the fight to begin with.

  Jianrong moved unopposed until Intent slammed into her Aura armor and simply pressed against her, its rigidity and strength unlike any other Aura protection the Palace had seen.

  Without her armor, she was vulnerable to direct Intent; with it deployed, her physical weakness no longer mattered.

  The hallway was empty to Sulara’s suite.

  Rong's boots clicked with every step, then she saw Velran waiting for her.

  Beside him stood Taleth’s lover.

  High Commander of Palace Security, Marshal Kaen Jiroth.

  Rong did not slow, and they did not prepare to attack, only barred her path to Sulara’s door.

  She came to a stop in front of them, her Escrima loose in her hands.

  “Please move aside, I seek an audience with my Empress,” Rong stated plainly.

  Jiroth glanced at Velran, who smiled.

  “It seems that one way or another, we are destined to be family. I appreciate your skill and sharp wit.

  Velran turned to Jiroth, who bowed and left, not looking back.

  Rong turned to watch the man go, then turned back.

  “May I ask you something, High Minister?” Rong's voice was curious.

  The man nodded, almost amused.

  “Do you just see this as all just a game? Has being at the top blinded you to what is happening around you, not just you, but your faction and Yue? You must admit, he handled his end poorly.” She stated.

  Velran gave a contemplative nod. “Grand elder says you will be invaluable to us. I see that now. You are right, the sect master failed; there is no denying that. But what you fail to see is that he is a Nascent Soul. His power allows for failures so long as he remains powerful.”

  He smiled and put out his hand.

  Rong flipped an Escrima over and handed it to him for inspection.

  He marveled at the weight. “Ad for being blinded, it's you who is simply not seeing the whole picture. Like a frog in the proverbial well, you have a limited understanding of how things work, how they must be done.” He handed it back to her.

  Rong nodded. “I see that I have a simple worldview from living in the simple world.”

  Velran looked at her deeply. “The grand elder loves you child.”

  Rong nodded. “I care about him, too.”

  Velran sighed and shook his head. “No, he loves you. You will be his bride; your power will return his youth; your womb will continue his legacy. Where my brother failed, he will succeed.” He explained.

  Rong blinked, then swayed. “This was always about Ning Ya, once he realized he could fight time.” The young woman breathed.

  Velran nodded. “We thought it was Dar Luso, but when you proved it was you with Elaren, all our plans had to change.” Velran looked relieved, almost giddy.

  His hand came up and touched her face as he looked at her ears and eyes.

  “Your Spirit-fox lineage means you will protect Tianrelion for a very long time, Jianrong. Your village will thrive once we integrate them into our defenses against the Ferals.”

  His smile widened with pride.

  “My sister and niece will be your sisters; there will be no problem with what happens in our house. But you will have only children from the patriarch from now on. You need to understand, this is how the world works. I don’t know what gods or why they chose to change you, Solomon, but it is a gift we cannot let go of.”

  Rong felt like ice water had been poured over her. Everything he was saying, her mind had touched on, but never like this.

  “Is Yue in there?” she asked.

  Velran shook his head.

  “Grand Elder is waiting with Elaren and Sulara. He has much to discuss, but the reality is he must stake his claim to you, and they must accept it. That means they must see him take it.” Velran explained, so she understood what was coming, not out of malice, but out of a growing respect.

  “I cannot have children.” Rong pointed out, her voice weak.

  Velran patted her shoulder. “We have already reached out for support. You will visit the capital of Golden Claw with Grand Elder, where they can see you safely.” He explained.

  “Will it hurt?” She asked softly.

  Velran’s eyes softened, and he shook his head and embraced her. “No child, if anything, it will be pleasurable. The Grand Elder loves you. When your Auras overlap and the process begins, you will come to realize how fortunate you really are.”

  He stepped and looked into her eyes.

  “Your sons will be future rulers, your daughters will marry into the emperor's line… It's all been arranged.” He replied, truly happy.

  Jianrong nodded and put her Escrima away.

  “I want to see Master.” She said weakly.

  Velran guided her to the door. Then he stopped her.

  “I want no bad blood between us, child. I truly pray for your success, for your happiness, and for what you will give us in the future. Sect Master Yue is with General Jang, so you don’t need to worry about anyone barging in. Take your time, this will be a beautiful moment in Tianrelion’s history.” Velran told her.

  Rong gave a slight bow to his delight.