Sprites & Demons, M.P. Busch [the ebook reader txt] 📗

That day changed all of their lives. It seemed that even the elated air of Chi Bi could not pull Liu Bei away from his memory of Lady Mi.

Perhaps, just perhaps, I can, Zhaolie thought slyly in her head. She moved away from the darkened threshold, disappearing into the palace.

The Bird Monster

The markets in the city center at mid-day were filled to the brim with townspeople.

An adorable city child in a ragged, rural cloak ran swiftly through the city streets, the adults towering over him. They all overlooked the boy; most of the adults perceived the small children as playing around with their friends when they were moving so fast. Indeed, the boy was not the only child playing about in the streets. A small urchin was also ideal for performing tasks however, since he or she was most easily persuaded through the use of temptation.

The boy turned abruptly and bolted into a shadowed alleyway.

It was where the Bird Monster was waiting for him.

Bird Monster was the name the urchin had given his new black-clad friend. The Bird Monster was taller than most adults in the cities, slenderer and more flexible. His face was covered by a mask, with a protruding beak where the human nose would be -- hence the name 'bird monster.' His cloak was pitch black with a hood that covered most of his forehead and reached out above the tip of the beak. The shadow that was formed by the hood darkened the bird monster's face, strengthening the glow of his red eyes.

The urchin had seen through this ruse, even though he was little over the age of eight. The Bird Monster's crimson 'eyes' were only red-tinted glass: the Bird Monster was seeing the world through a scarlet filter.

The Bird Monster was leaning against a stack of boxes, arms crossed, when the boy arrived. The mysterious figure wasn't intimidating to this little urchin though; in fact, he gave the Bird Monster a mischievous grin in response to the monsters cold stare. They had made a previous engagement, and the urchin wanted to make sure the Bird Monster's end of the deal had been upheld.

The leer on the boy's face shined with accomplishment as he held out his palm. The Bird Monster's red eyes looked back at him, unmoving. There was a small pause, then the lean figure reached into the back of his cloak, dug through something -- probably a bag attactched to his backside -- and revealed a shiny gold coin in the palm of his hand.

The urchin snatched it away with a certain swiftness only a child could produce, his tall adult friend did not flinch. He smiled with glee, then a realization came to him, and his grin dissipated. He turned with a frown, pointing his index finger at his shrouded accomplice accusingly, the innocent-looking boy blurted out in a childish squeal: "Two gold coins, we had a deal!"

The unmoving red eyes stared back at the urchin. After a pause the Bird Monster's hand reached back in his cloak once more, and he revealed another gold coin. The urchin attempted to snatch this one as well, but to his frustration the Bird Monster simply moved his hand higher. The urchins height, once a blessing used for pick pocketing and stealing, was now a hindrance to a most simple task. The little boy vaulted up into the air once more, swiping at the Bird Monster's hand, knowing that inside that palm was another gold coin, with which he would be able to eat hot meals with his family for a month.

Though shrouded by his disguise, one emotion leaked through the mask and all of the leather: annoyance. The little boy faltered for a moment and stopped jumping at his unreachable goal, and looked up at the Bird Monster. The adult had grown a few more inches (he stopped leaning) and he now looked down at the urchin through those soul-piercing red lenses. His voice was a deep baritone, muffled by his mask, and almost a growl: "I have upheld my end of the bargain, you will tell me what I need."

The urchin had been so keen on retrieving his money, he had simply forgotten the two-hour-long tasks of eavesdropping, infiltration, and odd-jobs he had to preformed to get the money in the first place. The urchin regained his composure, back-stepping and crossing his arms defiantly. "Well," the child started, his voice was as high as one would expect from an innocent looking child who hadn't even entered the early stages of puberty. The urchin went on to explain everything he had learned in the past two hours.

Underneath the mask and the disguise, Kao Ba smiled slyly.

Ghost

Ba Zeng woke up in the middle in the night to silence. At first he was dazed, and he rubbed his eyes. He sat up in his feather bed, there was only the sound of wind gusts hitting the translucent linen of the window. Ba Zeng could not figure out what stimulus had prompted him to wake up so abruptly. He did not need to use the latrines either.

Yet he knew he was not alone in the room. He could feel his presense, Ba Zeng knew a ghost had visited him.

After a yawn Ba Zeng asked rather casually, "Not dead yet Kao Ba?"

The red eyes appeared in a corner, the moonlight relfecting off of them through the translucent linen. Ba Zeng could not see Kao Ba's body, it appeared as if a rough disembodied voice was talking: "No formalities this time Ba Zeng?"

Ba Zeng ignored that hidden request, from within his bed he called out: "Are you here to take my life Kao Ba?"

The disembodied voice responded after a long pause: "No." The shadow grew and emerged from the dark corner of the room.

Forgive me for this text is unfinished. I hope you've enjoyed this sample, I am always open for critique.

Imprint

Publication Date: 10-20-2010

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
This is dedicated to Lu Chen. Who inspired me to continue writing.