Yulong, Silver and Chains

THREE

    She had packed a few essentials when the soldiers came to pick her up. She slung her bag over her shoulder and exited the brothel. There was a wagon waiting in front of it. Half a dozen men were sitting inside, all dressed in tunics and commoner clothing. They all had weapons strapped to their waist and she saw a few of them eye her with interest. Manchu stuck his pert nose in the air as usual, refusing to meet her gaze. Before she boarded the wagon, however, she spotted Lin sitting against the brothel.

    When her eyes caught with Lin's, Lin offered her a smirk. She jutted a thumb at the soldiers. "You going to be handed around to the whole lot?"

    Meifen scowled darkly. "Work is work. Now shoo!"

    "I do whatever I want," she sneered.

    She almost rolled her eyes at the hotheaded girl. She placed a hand on her hip. "Don't snoop around where your nose doesn't belong. Steer clear from Lotus Spring. Your stench is going to drive away the customers and in turn drive away my potential clients. You look like a wet rat, with your hair all matted and cut like that." Her nose crinkled. "I have trouble believing you're truly a female."

    The younger girl shot her a dark glare. "Go back and work, old hag."

    "Gladly," she said just as Manchu barked at her to enter the wagon. She spun around on her heels and climbed the wagon with ease, tossing her bag on the wagon floor beside her as she took her seat. The stench of sweat hit her immediately and she scrunched her nose together in disgust. A few of the soldiers shot her curious looks while the others glanced over her body longingly. There were seven in total, including Manchu.

    The soldier sitting next to her looked to be around her age. He had long black hair that he kept tied behind his head and he had soft brown eyes that spoke of kindness. A puckered scar across his jaw spoke of his soldier status. She vaguely wondered the story behind it, but she wasn't too interested in him to venture a guess or ask. The wagon lurched forward and they officially began their journey to Ki.

    "My name is Kong," the man beside her said. Crinkles formed around his eyes when he smiled.

    She eyed him coolly before a smile stretched on her face. It would be wise to understand who these men were and if they posed a threat to her during this journey. "I'm Meifen," she answered.

    "I was quite surprised when we were told that a woman would be journeying with us," he said with another carefree smile. It was aimed at her in such a way that she knew he was trying to weasel into her heart—or more specifically, between her legs. "It's not often that women are given missions alongside men. I'm looking forward to seeing the mission unfold."

    She smiled at him, but before she could speak, Manchu barked, "We aren't here for pleasure and making friends. This isn't something to 'look forward to.'"

    Kong straightened. "Yes, Lieutenant General. Apologies."

    Manchu grunted a reply while Meifen examined the rest of the soldiers. Three of them were young and were in their early to mid-twenties, including Kong. The other three looked more experienced and had a hardness about them that reminded her of assassins. Those men were probably mercenaries. The younger men looked too bright and happy to be serving their empire; they must have been simple soldiers in Lieutenant General Manchu's army.

    The rest of the ride was spent in silence and it wasn't until they exited the city and were traveling through the countryside that Meifen spoke up. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably and half-prayed Manchu had a heart big enough to see her discomfort and call for a break. "Who is the man we're retrieving?" she asked, trying to fill the void. She was alright with a silence between them all, but she needed to have a clearer picture of what they were doing.