Chapter 149: Catch that Wang!

Wang Zen walked across the streets. He looked aimless and tired.

“I can’t believe he just left me.” Zen found a lonely corner and sank down. Whe he woke up, his father was gone. He went to the businessman he had met a few days ago and found out that he had also left. He could not believe he went through with it and left him behind. “What am I going to do? I wanted to help get revenge for my father.”

“Get strong.” Shibi said.

“What?”

“Get strong.” Shibi said. “Take revenge.”

“On my own?”

Shibi nodded.

Zen sighed and softly slammed the back of his head against the wall. “Do you know how long it would take for me to get strong enough to take revenge?” he closed his eyes as he remembered what his father had said. “How long did it take him? Probably as long as he has treated me like crap. No wonder he left me behind. I would have left me behind.”

He sat there for a while.

“What are you doing?”

Zen opened his eyes and saw Shu Nan standing before him. “Shu Nan.”

“You look like a well dressed hobo.” She said with a smirk. “Is this how you look after paying for a meal?”

“You! You dined and dashed!”

“I didn’t.”

“Yes you did!” Zen scrambled to his feet. “You left me with the bill!”

“That’s not dining and dashing.” She said. “Like you said, you settled the bill.”

“I wasn’t suppose to.” Zen said. “You said it was your treat.”

“Yes, you treated me.” She said. “So it was my treat.”

“That’s not what that means…” Zen took a deep calming breath. “You know what, forget it.”

“Aw, so this is your Scorch Ape.” She said as she patted Shibi on the head. “I’m surprised your father would let you walk around in the open like this after what I heard happened last time.”

“My father doesn’t know.” Zen said. “He left.”

She tilted her head in worry. “What arde you talking about?”

“We had an argument… and… and he left me behind.”

“And you let him?” she shouted.

“I don’t know.” He said. “He was gone by the time I woke up and anyways, what could I have doen to make him take me along.”

“What’s with fathers? What’s with men? Its like your brains are smaller than that thing between your legs!”

“What?”

“We’ve got to find Wang Ton.” She said. ‘I can’t… We can’t let him leave like that.”

“There’s nothing I can do.” Zen said. “I don’t know where he went.”

“We’ll figure it out.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. “Come on. Let’s go!”

A handler came out with a a blue four legged creature. It had long slender legs with a yellow back.

“Hey, Girl!”

“A Lake Dasher.” Zen said.

“Ah, you know your beasts.” Shu Nan said. “This is my trusty steed. She can swim well in water and is swift on land. No better beast as a steed.” Shu Nan looked at the handler. “Thank you. Please deliver this to me.”

She handed a note to the man who accepted it along with a coin. With a nod he was away.

She mounted the steed. “Come.”

“Will she be able to handle all of us?”

Shu Nan smirked. “Don’t underestimate her.”

Zen joined her, riding at the back before the Lake Dasher sped forward, leaving the town.

“How will we find my father?” Zen shouted over the whooshing wind.

“By finding his business partner.” She said. “Rumour around town is that Shan left in the morning. He and a small company were heading West.”

“Which is where my father will be!”

She looked back to smirk and wink at him. “You catch on quick.”

“Shu Nan, why are you doing this?” he said. “Why are you helping me?”

“Who said I’m helping you, Kid?” she said. “I could be doing this for me.”

“I doubt it. You wouldn’t attack Wang Ton.”

“Why would you think I wouldn’t?”

“Because we’re the same.” Zen said. “You don’t like your father much. I doubt you would do anything to impress him.”

She stayed quiet for a while before she spoke again. “Our parents leave a strong mark on our hearts, huh?”

Zen did not respond.

“Even when we hate them, even when we swear them off, their existence still affect our actions.” She said. Her voice suddenly became more serious than he has ever heard. “But I have a unique opportunity. I can free myself from the man who would be my father. I can truly free myself from Shu Bua.”

Zen did not know what that meant but whatever it was, he was sure his father could handle her if she did mean him harm.

“Whatever your reason… thank you.”

“Sure, kid.”

Soon enough they caught up to a caravan of carriages. Shu Nan urged her steed forward.

“Come girl, just a little longer and you can rest.” Shu Nan whispered to the Lake Dasher before looking back at Zen. “Kid, which carriage is your father in?”

Zen scanned the carraiged. There were 9 in total. Most were loaded with workers, young men journeying to dig for metal in the mines. But there was one carriage which looked more sophisticated than the others. A man pokec his head out of a carriage and Zen recognised him immediately.

“There!” he pointed at his father.

The Lake Dasher curved closer to the carriage and when they were close enough, Shu Nan’s hand went up in flame.

“What are you doing?” Zen said.

“Slowing them down.” She shot a fireball at the carriage and it veered, threatening to tip over.

“No!”

Water came out of the carriage and stabalized it. During the commotion, Nan was able to get closer to the carriage. The door opened and Wang Ton leapt on the roof, looking down at the two.

“Thanks girl,” she patted the Lake Dasher before grabbing Zen by the scruff of the neck. “Let’s move!”

She leapt up, dragging Zen and Shibi up with her before they landed on the roof of the carriage.

“Zen?” Wang Ton said.

“Sorry,” Wang Zen said. “I didn’t know she would do that!”

“Nice to see you old man.” Shu Nan said before grabbing Zen’s free shoulder and shoving him and Shibi to Wang Ton. “Here, have your son back. You should be allowed to see him for your final moments.”

“What?” Zen said, turning to her when she regained her balance. “Shu Nan, what are you doing?”

“Shu Nan?” Wang Ton said in surprise. “You are Shu Bua’s daughter.”

“The way he has treated me over the years, I’d say that’s debatable.” She smirked. “But let’s not focus on him. I’m more interested in you and me.” She touched her storage stone and there were balls of yellow light and her long pole axe appeared in her hands. She did a quick flourish before taking a fighting stance.

“There’s no need to do this.” He said. “Your father has given me an off.”

“If your talking about Shu Bua, he doesn’t control what I do.” She said. “And I’m not doing this for him. I’m doing it for myself.”

“Shu Nan, I can’t let you do this!” Zen said as Shibi glowed beside him. He touched his storage stone a the Zen Blade appeared. “I’ll stop you if I…”

Wang Ton touched Zen’s shoulder before stepping before him. “No, she wants me, so it is me she will get.” He touched his won storage stone and there was black flashing lights before a hammer appeared in his hand. He took a fighting stance.

Zen noted how their stances matched. One held a long pole single sided axe while the other held a long pole hammer.

“I heard you love of weapons is as great as mine.” She said. “Let’s see your skill in them.”

The axehead of her weapon glinted before she rushed forward. Ton also rushed forward than the fight began.