A simple tale

12. Where are you?

A/N I'M AT 1.43K!!!!!!!!! Thank you for reading this far and I'm sorry last chapter was a filler chapter ( it was probably confusing). Anyways THANK YOU!!! (*~*)

I spun around to see...

Ai Jei POV
Dark silhouettes appeared in between the trees. They moved closer one step at a time.
"Fei Xuan, Huang come here.....we have company!" I yelled.
Scowling I turned around to the oh-so-mighty snivelling princess. "You stay here. Don't make any trouble and do not try to help......if you are a nuisance you may accidentally be killed by the 'enemy' and seeing as we tried so hard to save you..." I said that last part smirking at the terrified expression on her face.
I drew the sword Xi had given me on the day we had first met. Tentatively I kissed the ornate handle for good luck, "stay safe" I whispered into the hilt. Quickly I regained my composure to see that Fei Xuan had brought out his broad sword and Huamg his duel swords.
Their presence giving me confidence I turned to my opponents.
"Let the game start!"
We advanced. You could hear the vibrations off each step. My opponents appeared. Metal glinting. 12 I thought. I can handle it.
"Keep up with me," I smirked backwards at my attendants.
We dodged and slashed at the men. We watched as their crimson blood painted split second painting in the air then fell down to earth to rejoin its' owners. I have always admired the art of warfare, it can be so brutal and cruel yet so elegant and beautiful. Killing had been my profession since I was...very young, young enough only to understand that my beloved parents had left me standing with a stranger and my sisters hand in mine, young enough to understand that they weren't coming back....and they weren't regretting it.
"MISTRESS AI JEI WATCH OUT!" Yelled Fei Xuan and Huang in unison. I felt the edge of the sword graze the back of my neck. With lightning speed I jumped 3 feet into the air and slashed at my attackers throat. The good spurted out into a scarlet rose, gracefully decorating the surroundings. Damn I shouldn't get lost in though of them. I mentally spat at the memories of them, then smiled again at the image of the expressions of pain on their faces as I twisted my knives in to their hearts. Their expressions portrayed nowhere near the pain I felt as I went through years of training, then missions to earn as much money as I could to save the life of the only person I have ever loved, the only person I will probably ever love. Then to see them slowly slipping away with a painful smile on their face, encouraging you to live on. They didn't know that pain.
Pulling myself together I yelled "Huang! Fei Xuan! Anything to report?"
"Yes ma'am all of these people," he gestured to the heap of bodies lying on the forest floor," are wearing the uniform of the Snowsaint country." My brow furrowed. If they have just agreed a peace treaty why would they attack us? Unless it was a distraction! It all makes sense now, they sent a party of mercenaries to each party to assailants everyone so that they could come in a save the day and the Shichuan country would owe them a debt of Honor. That means that they would be able to ask anything of the Shichuan country and they would have to comply. Things like merging kingdoms and they could appoint a new monarch. I whipped my head towards Fei Xuan and Huang, they had obviously reached the same conclusion as me. What about Xi? He would've been attacked too.
"Go back to the palace and inform everyone!" I pointed for Princess Meiji to leave. "You guys will come with me!"
Leaping onto the lowest beach of a xǐ shù tree and gestured for the others to follow in suite. We glided from tree to tree scanning the ground for signs off our fallen comrades and more importantly Xi.
Arriving at a clearing we saw the signs of a vicious battle. Mutilated body's carpeted the forest floor. Both ours and the enemy's. I said a prayer to send them on their way to Tiāntáng, that should appease their spirits until we have time for a proper burial.
I scanned their faces. Xi was not among the many dead. The many that would be mourned. The many that were loved
"WHERE ARE YOU XI??!!"