Page 199 of Savage Throne
I almost tripped.
Shit. Not the tree.
He grabbed hold of the lowest branch and climbed up fast.
The crows exploded into motion and swarmed him.
“Fuck all of you!” He swung his blade in wild, vicious arcs cutting through the dark mass and climbing up the tree.
Goddamn it!
Feathers and blood rained down, mingling with the white petals that fell like snow from the tree’s branches.
Still, I didn’t stop running.
I reached the base of the tree, leapt up, and gripped the same branch he’d used.
The wood was rough beneath my fingers, slick with the crows’ blood and crushed blossoms, but I held firm.
Why can’t you just die!
I looked up to see where he went.
Above me, he climbed higher, his blade flashing as he continued to slice through the relentless crows.
Dead birds fell around me. Some of their lifeless bodies thudded against the ground as I pulled myself onto the branch.
I followed him into the darkness, tightening my grip on Soaring Precious.
I climbed higher and higher through all the crows and blossoms, shoving leaves out of the way.
The branches groaned under my weight.
Above me, my father moved with the feral agility of a man fighting both nature and fate. His blade flashed in the dim light, carving through the crows that swarmed him.
Feathers, blood, and broken blossoms continued to rain down.
Aunt Min screamed. “Be careful, Lei, and get him out of that tree!”
I didn’t need her warning to understand what she meant.
Another Sun Tzu lesson hit me.
Never fight on your opponent’s terms.
For anyone else, this tree would be overwhelming to battle in.
It would have been a clear disadvantage.
But for my father?
It was a playground.
In fact, I was sure that my father had chosen the tree because it would give him the advantage of height, vision, and unpredictability. Each branch was a weapon, a shield, a foothold he could use to maneuver around me.
He might be hiding something there too. I’ll have to be careful.
The crows, though relentless in their attack, only added to the chaos, getting in my way. Plus, their presence would mask his movements and obscure all his intentions. The uneven terrain of the branches would make every step treacherous.
