Waiting for Action II

I walk towards the residence, slow and lost in thoughts

It will be dawn in a couple of hours...

The sky is already turning from black to blue and the stars are less visible...

After talking with Youya I decided to go for a walk in the empty streets of the city.

Everything that's happening is confusing me...

Only a few months ago I was just a Lady like anyone else, with a normal average future to come... After I became a soldier...

And now what?

A Royal Guard who could be about to stop some malicious business from happening... Or risk it all while trying.

I cannot foresee the outcome afterall...

How much time has passed since I left home? Should be around 3 months now... Maybe even 4

Only three months to completely change someone's life...

Once I arrive at the gate I decide to move that fallen tree branch... It's been laying there for a couple of days now, since nobody wanted to do it.

I take off my shoes and enter the house.

XianLen room is still open and he's asleep against the wall, hugging his fox...

"That poor little Prince..." I enter slowly to not wake him up and place a blanket over his body

Wan opens his little eyes looking at me lazily before going back to sleep,

I reach my hand to caress the Prince hair as he murmur in his sleep snuzzling on the fox

-Mmhn... Wan'Ge, sleep...-

"He address his fox as am human... He surely is tired, poor thing" I smile one last time before leaving.

In the morning I end up waking up a lot later than usual... The sun is high and the air is warm.

I open my eyes to find a little kitten purring beside my shoulder

-The little Goblin...?- it meows happy, liking my hand as I pet the black fur

-What time is it already... My training.. - I stand up holding my head.

After washing up, and getting dressed properly, I leave my room headed for the kitchen where I find XianLen munching on a stick with some kind of fish on it

-What's that...?- I stare insecure as he push over a plate with another stick in it

-Don't worry I bought these... You've been deep asleep you know? So after a quick breakfast I went out to buy them for lunch, hopefully you would have woke up by then hehe... To think you can look so normal when sleeping-

-That's not a compliment you know?- I seat down taking the stick and having a bite... Not bad

-I suppose so... But you always look like you want to bury someone alive normally-

-I wouldn't! what the heck?-

-Never say never...- he giggles -Anyway if you need to train go ahead... Ain't feeling like sneaking somewhere today-

-Sure...-

I go to the same place I've been using these days and seat down...

As I begin to find my focus those sounds reappear again

Metal against metal...

Shouts...

Horses running...

-We must reach that mountain today!-

-We will never make it Sir!-

-That's their base, we must hit while everyone's distracted!- as the men talks in my mind, a flash of a mountain appears in the back of my eyes.

It's dark, almost black and no trees on it... It looks dead.

I try to focus so I can remember more details

But the more I watch the more my brain hurts...! As if the mountain grabbed me and was dragging me toward it

-Stop.... Stop....!-

I try to fight back, I don't even know how to fight my own brain!

It feels as if black hands are grabbing me, as I try to backwalk...

It's twisting me, hurting me... Too much!

It's painful...!

As a thunder echoes I find myself free again

I open my eyes in shock and find the water of the pound boiling, the ground all around is hot as fire.

-Oh my- comments XianLen passing by, taking out the steamed bun from his mouth -What the heck?-

-Was that me...?-

-Who else if not? Has something happened?-

-I'm not sure...- I relax my body as the ground release the heat, making the water go back to normal -... I saw a mountain this time... And it was trying to take me with it, somehow-

-A Mountain...? Can you describe it?-

-Mhn... It was black and no life grew on it, the men said they had to get there by today, because there was a base of someone... The sky all around was gray and full of heavy clouds-

-Mmh... That actually doesn't tell me much but I'll see what I can discover...- he hold his chin lost in thoughts -I'll be back for dinner-

I stand up but he pushes me back -Alone... You go get some rest...

I'll just go meet with a friend and ask around, don't you worry... I'm not going to do anything weird hehe-

As I am training my physical abilities the gate gets opened and my brother appears on the other side, fully equipped as a Guard

-Good evening sister- he says untying his armor

-It's evening already?- I lower my sword looking at the sky, turning orange and pink

-Can I join you?-

-Sure, take any weapon you want...-

-No need- he replies unsheathing his sword, laying by the hip

-It's been so much time since we had a lovely siblings moment...- he swing the sword coming in front of me

-And I beated you last time...- I smile

-I won't hold back- he replies beginning his sparring

-So... Has there been any developments?-

-He requested for extra surveillance as planned... Your trick of scraping his carriage worked afterall... He got worried by something so meaningless, which means he is hiding something indeed...

Anyway using a bit of a play I managed to get assigned to his quarters for the next few days...-

-Play? What have you done now...?- I sigh pushing him back

-A overprotective brother wanting to stay close the the Prince who so much liked his sister's performance? How does that sound?

Ah my poor little sister... If she was to get called by him as a Guard I would be so worried!

That because he's know for being a womanizer and tried to force himself on our chief's daughter.

They never got revenge so he doesn't like the Prince at all, that made the act works on him- he shake his head, holding an hand over his heart

-These are tricks I've learnt from you, you know?-

-Go on-

-Sure... Well an old man, a farmer from around here, came to offer his Homage to the newlyweds with a many chests full of the best products of the season...

The Prince personally took one and locked himself in his studio, I managed to see a letter inside the smaller basket he took.

He then said he got called to the Palace for some business, that will be the day after tomorrow...-

-Well done brother... Now it's just a matter of stealing it-

-You treat this matter as a daily training... Are you really not worried at all?-

I shake my head -I do understand what I might be running into, but it's worth it if we manage to help someone. And who knows... This someone could very much be China itself, since a Royal family member is implied...-

-How do we proceed now?-

-Have you memorized the shifts and map?-

-Not completely... I still have to figure out a few ones in the night along possible extra security measures he takes... I should be able to do that tonight-

-Well then... I'll be waiting for more news from you tomorrow.

Time is short, I must act- with one last hit I send him on his knees

I turn around to reorganize my weapons as he fixes himself

-One last thing Lai'Er... Be careful here-

-Why?-

-That XianLen... I heard weird stories about him- as he says those things the fox who was sleeping on the terrace,nrise his head growling angry

-For example?- I turn back to face Pei

-I'm not so sure myself, since it is forbidden to talk about it but...

It looks like when he was still a youngster he run off somewhere, disappearing for a few days, and when he got back he has never been the same person anymore.

Some peoples even said he came back transported by a group of foxes, all covered in wounds... He was supposed to die due to the amount of blood he lost, but he didn't...

They joke saying he married a ghost, for having overcame such a tragedy-

-That doesn't sounds too absurd actually...- I steal a glance toward the household

-Well those are just Urban legends anyway... But they surely started somewhere so be careful-

-I will-