"Turtle, Duck, Dragon, Horse" pt. 2

"The road they’re following climbs steadily, rain tapering off as they leave the valley. When they reach the crest of the first hill, they can look back and practically trace the rainstorm’s edge with their fingers..."

"A spotlight snaps on as soon as the recording plays, revealing the absurd figure of a hunched elderly man rippling with muscles... His manic, cockeyed expression gives the impression he’s enjoying the startling effect of his sudden appearance."

"'Well, I don’t have many details of the other case aside from this arrest report... I have to say, though,' says Tao, turning the wanted poster to face him, '50 gold is a very low reward, considering the severity of these charges.'"

"Watching all this and knowing what she knows, Akiya’s too tense to sit back down, so she presses her palms against the table and keeps her breath steady. She can’t have Quyt see her freaking out."

"Spirit energy flows through the channels of her body, sending her heart soaring. She's an ecstatic conduit, a living whirlwind in skirts of dust and glowing sparks, which she feeds upward. The cloud above her ripens and splits."