Gut ę Sh’e’sh’ou

Angel followed Hou'yi as he walked through the streets, his bow clipped onto his clothing and the quiver of arrows hung across his back.

As they walked, Angel silently memorised the streets and subconsciously thought about routes he could take to get back to the Temple of Sky, before remembering that he could trust Hou'yi. After a while, he realised that somewhere during the few days the archer had spent at the temple, he had started to think that he could trust Hou'yi.

That thought led Angel to pondering as to whether going with Hou'yi to his family was truly helpful at all, like the archer had said it would, or only slow down Angel in his goals.

Silently Angel assessed Hou'yi: back straight and face emotionless, he looked like he wasn't one for doing anything that wasn't for his benefit. He looked proud.

After walking a bit further along, Hou'yi stopped at the front of a glistening building with one guard standing in armour made of Stone.

'Welcome, Angel of Sky, to my home, the House of Hunters.' Hou'yi smiled, and for the first time Angel thought back to the conversation he'd heard, where the other person, Vin, had cursed Hou'yi and asked why he was doing something, or, possibly not doing something to stop something else.

So Angel nodded, wondering whether his sudden doubt was something the sixth sense had told him.

'Please, do come in.'

The inside of the House of Hunters was magnificent, stretching far up, with tapestries on the ceiling a swirling archer shooting down a furious creature in lurking water.

However, Angel quickly looked down from the ceiling again when he felt himself being pulled towards the centre of the floor, and couldn't help but realise that the cold crystal slabs of the floor's design all came together into a centre-point, with numerous circles and symbols surrounding it.

'What—' Angel frowned, looking with confusion and displeasure at the people who were dragging him by the sleeves of his robe to the centre-point—with a feeling of dread and coldness spreading throughout his chest, Angel realised that the people whom he had previously thought dancers' clothing and masks were too well woven, too closely detailed to be for a dancers.

He never had a chance to finish his sentence as Hou'yi smiled briefly at him. 'It's a family tradition. Please do allow us to continue, Angel. It would make us greatly pleased.'

For a moment Angel considered breaking free, but then he reminded himself that he needed Hou'yi's help to make and understand opals and why they were the core of Jess Queen, and that as long as the enchantment—if it was an enchantment—didn't kill him, it was fine. After all, the state of his well-being didn't matter as long as he completely his goals. Another reason he didn't break free was also because his sixth sense had done nothing as he was being dragged; and if it was dangerous, would have surely alerted him by straining his fifth sense.

So the dancers pulled Angel onto the centre of the floor, directly onto the round circle with triangles sprouting from its sides, and sprung around in circles, their cloaks billowing up like wings as they manoeuvred around Angel, before settling on a wounding chain three metres away from Angel, holding their hands up and together.

'There were three great who set out'

The singing was more like many simultaneously speaking, their voices vibrating clearly across the room made only in manufactured stones.

'To destroy and create the world anew'

The dancers spun once more, moving through each other as they settled across the design of the crystal floor, although only keeping to the parts patterned in dark golden stone.

'With the children of ancient created

'The world was peaceful for long

'As each with tradition kept to their own

Then the dancers swept forth all as one, their hands all linked and faces all hidden by the black masks, until they came to only a metre away from Angel, the distance between each dancer shortening until they all stood side by side.

Angel thought that he could see them glow, but their eyes were all hidden, the masks revealing nothing but their mouths.

'The children of ancient were loyal

'Until one rebelled and loyalties shook

'Forth from the sun rose sh'e'sh'ou

'Blazing crimson with their life

'The one was imprisoned to never be seen again

Then their voices suddenly turning high, the dancers held up their arms, holding them high as if wishing to touch the screen and beyond.

'And from the shadow rose an evil

'One of the chained whose fate is set in stone'

And then they bowed, their bodies bending over and arms all stretched out together towards Angel's robe until the two touched.

Angel looked up from the sight, meeting Hou'yi's eyes. The archer wasn't smiling, and sharply calling out: 'Dancers of Time dismissed!' he strode across to Angel, the dancers all gliding away as soon as they'd come, until nothing of them could be seen.

With a sudden start Angel realised that they were alone, before he saw Hou'yi smile at him. A smile as friendly and joyful as the ones he'd seen in the Temple of Sky; and Angel dissipated any thoughts he had of Hou'yi possibly being against him.

'That was interesting,'he said briefly. 'I did not know that those in the inner sections of the city had such traditions.'

Hou'yi pursed his lips and shook his head. 'Not all. We are one of the few. After all, our family has a particularly long line of history.' Then he smiled brightly again and looked into Angel's eyes. 'Would you mind retrieving some food before seeing about the volumes we have in our collection?'