Migong - Book 1

Chapter 3: A Mountain of Knives*

Feiyan did not flinch as three throwing knives embedded themselves into the wood next to her head, one of them cutting a few strands of her hair. She only watched dispassionately as the strands floated to the ground.

The sun had not yet risen, and they were standing in the practice ground in a darkness only broken by the still hanging moon and a single torch.

"Xia...they'll never learn anything from a standing target," she drawled. Although she sounded confident, the knife released by her seven-year-old junior, had made her bite the edge of her tongue.

"Shijie*...! Sorry!" the boy squeaked in horror, balling his small hands into fists at his sides. He trembled at his mistake.

"Steady...Maki...you must steady your feelings," encouraged Gen.

The boy's two fighting partners stood off to the side, their lower faces covered with the black fabric that formed part of the Shadow uniform. Not yet old enough for the silver masks, their eyes were wide even as they tried not to show their anxiety. A Shadow was not allowed to show their feelings. Even though they were not throwing the knives themselves, enduring their feelings of worry was also part of training. No one wanted to injure senior sister Feiyan, and yet here they were...throwing knives at her...

Standing beside the boy, Gen looked ashen, which only made the bruising and oozing cut on his face more apparent. It would appear that Xia had forbidden Gen from tending to the injuries. One eye was now completely swollen closed, and he squinted with the other as he showed the boy how to adjust his grip on the throwing knife.

"It's alright. Shidi * did well!" Feiyan smiled encouragingly at the child. "Shijie isn't afraid, so you don't have to be afraid either."

"Again," snapped Xia, mercilessly. "As close to her head as you can without cutting her hair this time. Go on..."

"Xia...this is taking it too far...what if Maki gets her eyes or face? How will you explain it to Lord Mu?" asked Hajoon, arms folded over his large chest. He loomed menacingly over his much smaller Captain.

"What did you call me?" Xia sneered. His eyes were adamant.

"Captain...please," said Hajoon, lowering his head.

"Next time think with your head and not your dick. You can't call yourself a Shadow if get caught so easily..."

"Xia!"

"You-!"

Both Gen and Hajoon had spoken simultaneously, clenching their jaws and fists at their Captain, but he was unmoved.

"Fine," Xia rolled his eyes. "Gen, you show Maki how it's done," he said, jerking his chin towards Feiyan.

Hajoon paled slightly, tensing.

"Xia, Gen's only got one good eye right now, and even so, I'm not sure..." he began.

"Even if you don't speak, no one would consider you mute*!" Xia rounded on him impatiently. "Gen, hurry it up."

Gen held the small, leaf like blades between the fingers of one hand and then threw them.

"Wait...Shixiong*!" cried the boy, flinching as the knives were released.

There was a loud gasp from the young ones as the knives whistled through the air.

At the last minute, Feiyan calmly slit her right hand out of the ropes using a hidden blade in her wrist sheath and slid out of the way as a flying knife buried itself right where her cheek had been the second before. The second knife landed where her shoulder had been, and the last didn't even make it onto the board.