Mudan

Everyone looked up to see Bhen holding his arm out, his gold Zen glowing in his palm. He was ready to send another blast out. There was desperation in his eyes.

"Stop this," he breathed heavily. "Stop all of it. Please. It's uncalled for."

I held my head in my hands. Everything was so messed up. A whirlwind of chaos. Kai had almost forced himself on me, all for revenge. Shen and Kai were about to kill each other if Bhen hadn't chimed in.

The look on Shen's face was scary and more remote than mountain peaks. His chest heaved up and down in anger as he tried to control himself. Kai held his murderous gaze, still standing shirtless with his Craft ready at will.

"If you touch her again...I will kill you." Shen made sure it sounded like a promise. "She is my prisoner. I am in charge of her. I say what happens to her until she steps on Renge grounds, not you, not anyone is allowed to hurt her but me! And the only reason I am not tearing you apart right now, is because of your mission."

Kai spat on the floor and shook his head. "What you are doing should be an act of disloyalty. And it should be punishable by blood. You are protecting a traitor and giving her special treatment. She even has the privilege of water. You seem to have not learnt from your mistakes, Shen. Not at all."

"You dare strip me of my honorific?"

"You are no Master in my eyes."

"Kai, that's enough!" Yura got up from the shambles. Her face was pained and repulsed. "You've done enough, please."

Shen shot Kai daggers. "Get out of my sight."

Kai looked straight at me and gave me a look that screamed, "this isn't over". He stormed out of the room, with Yura following him. I hugged myself, still processing it all.

I traced the marks on my neck where Kai choked me. I still felt the ghost of his hand on my skin. Tears fell on the top of my hand. Crap, I was crying. I was not weak, right?

"Young Master," Chu said in a small voice. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"No. I will do everything myself from now on. Thank you, Chu and Bhen. But I'd rather you focus on your mission."

"Yes, Young Master." The siblings bowed and left. I looked at Shen and suddenly felt uncomfortable. My clothes were all ripped and an indecent amount of skin was showing. I felt like a victim, I felt weak. I hated it.

"Did he...did he touch you?" Shen's voice shrunk and was suddenly cautious.

I shook my head. "He...he was about to. I couldn't...I couldn't stop him." My voice cracked. Damn, why was I so affected by this? I had been through the worst things in the world. I had killed people, so why was I reduced to this?

An assassin turned victim?

"I won't let him hurt you again."

I shook my head at him, my hope in the ground. "But you'll let my father kill me."

Shen ignored my words and avoided my gaze entirely after that. He picked up a blanket and wrapped it around me. I got up from the bed and Shen led me out of the room and into the torch-lit hallways.

We went to his room, which was more nearby than I thought. He shut the door behind us and began making a bed on the floor for me. Well, I thought it was for me until he took it.

"Am I supposed to sleep there?" I pointed to his bed. "I thought I was your prisoner."

It really did feel like special treatment. And with special treatment, came a weakness to exploit. Compassion was an ugly thing, really. It made you stupid, but in this case, I needed Shen stupid.

Shen said nothing. "I don't think you want me to die," I continued. "I think you're just acting tough. But the real you is still there."

I waited for my words to settle. I hoped I would end up being right. I looked at him for any trace of emotions in his eyes. There was a flash of something, but I didn't know what. I walked up to him and stopped until we were inches apart, my eyes glued to his pleadingly.

"Why wouldn't I want to see you die, Mudan?" He asked coldly. "You have done nothing but worsen my life."

My breath hitched in my throat. "Really?"

"Of course. Every mess you made I had to clean up. Even now, who has to deal with you after you turned your back on the Clan? Me. Who tried to stop you the night you ran? Me. Who got punished after letting you go? Me."

"And you honestly think I don't want to see you perish? After all you've put me through? And not to mention all those times you've attacked me because of your pissy moods and insecurities. I had to suck up your anger issues, all because you felt you had to compete for acceptance.

"And the only reason I was going to let you have my bed, was because I pitied you for a fraction of a second for almost being taken by Kai. But thankfully you woke me up. You think you have some hold over me, Mudan. You have nothing."

I was hurt, but the embarrassment wasn't enough to stop me. I just didn't believe it. I refused to. Those last days of my life at Penyin were all spent with Shen. When my mother died, he was there. It couldn't have all changed.

I wanted to say so much, but, "You're wrong," was all I could pathetically utter.

A chuckle fell from his lips, but it was humorless. He pushed my hair behind my ears like he used to do, but this time there was no soft intent behind it. He did it patronizingly, with no care in the world.

His fingers softly grazed my cheek, making me pathetically melt into his hand. Hoping that he was being vulnerable. That this meant something. But when he abruptly tore his hand away, I knew it was too good to be true.

"You've really become weak, haven't you?" He mocked with a twisted smile. "Do you really think one touch is all it would take? Do you know what I've been through because of you?"

Tears brimmed in the corners of my eyes. "I thought I was just a complication to you, so why are you getting teary-eyed?" He continued his cruelty. "Are you forgetting you left me? Even after I begged for you to stay, even after I dropped to my knees, you still left me. It was so obvious I cared for you more than you cared for me, but that moment really sunk it in."

"That's not true," I said, my voice cracking in anger and disbelief. "Nine Hells, what happened to you? Is that what you really believe?"

He shrugged carelessly. "Old Master always said you would ruin me. He was right. He made me realize that all you are is pain. Everytime I wanted you, he reminded me of the pain that you would bring me. I can never thank him enough, but I guess cutting your heart out will be enough of a gift, don't you think?"

I had no words left. Everytime I thought I saw a glimmer of the old Shen, he would be crushed by the cruel words and frosty stare of the new one.

With that, Shen walked past me and got into his own bed. I sighed and limped to the one on the floor, realizing I had only dug my grave deeper.

***

That night I did not sleep. There was too much to be done. When the sun rose again, I was filled with newfound determination. Kai had to pay for what he tried to do to me.

Throw me down the stairs. I could handle that. But attempt to strip me of my honour? That was deserving of death. And he would get it from me.

I couldn't be bothered to keep trying with Shen. I didn't know how much punishment he faced, but I couldn't rely on his feelings for me anymore. I didn't even know if there were any left.

I'd have to put my own aside if I wanted even a chance to get the Hell out of here.

Soon after the sun rose, we reached Nephatian air.

The Nephatian city of Gaissan stretched out in the distance, boasting majestic towers and wonders made of gold and other precious metals. The ship-port was a classic display of wealth, as you could see the many other magnificent airships landing nearby.

I pretended to be asleep when Shen left the room. I drank a lot of water through the night and felt myself getting a little better. I tried to summon my Craft, and  my palms gave me hope when it filled with a cold wind. I decided to save my Energy to build up enough health to do smaller attacks.

The door slid open and a servant walked in with a tray and a bowl of rice and stew. "Good morning Mas-oh, I thought Master was in his room. I cannot find him in the lounge."

I looked at the tray of food in her hand. This had to be fate. She was about to leave. I stuck out my hand and it turned cold with air. Instantly as I began using my powers, I felt my health depleting. I just needed to get through this, then it would be enough.

I summoned the air in the servant's lungs and began dragging it out of her. She dropped the tray and began choking, falling over as she desperately gagged for air. After a few seconds, she was unconscious. Or dead. Either way, I was a step closer.

That attack alone was enough to wear me out. I crawled across the floor to the spilled food. The bowl was overturned, but most of the rice was still inside. The stew made a mess, but I was in no position to be picky. I ate the meal hungrily, stuffing my face quickly. When I was done, I collapsed and let the sudden surge of energy take over me.

I wasn't full. Not even close. But that little meal was enough for me to know that I was getting the hell out of here.

I got up and broke the leg of the bed. I broke it in half again, till it had a sharp, devastating edge. I left the room in a rush and looked for some kind of exit. I made a turn, knocking into Yura holding a bag. Her eyes widened when she saw the object in my hand.

I instantly sliced at her face with a growl. She covered it with her bag and shoved the thing at me before kicking into it. I stepped to the side to avoid the kick and jumped off the wall to knee her in the face.

She slid back. I unloaded a kick to her face and spun downward, sweeping her feet at the same time. She dropped, rolling away just as I was about to stab her in the head.

I leaped forward and sliced at her face, neck and chest. Yura blocked each attack with her forearm and tried to throw punches of her own. I grabbed her forearm after deflecting a third punch, flipped her over and stomped onto her throat with all the anger in me.

"I could be gone for ten years and I'd still be your superior, peasant. Tell Kai this is a gift from me to him." I spat at her.

Yura choked and suffocated until she was blue in the face. I delivered a final stomp to finish her off and ran off before anyone could see me.

I hoped he would find her first, I was just mad that I wouldn't get to see his face when he did. I would make him regret it, this was only the beginning.

"Now to get out of here." I found a staircase and headed down. There was a window looking out to the port, big enough for me to fit through.

On the way to it a door opened on the side and Kai came walking out. Without thinking, I kicked the door shut while he tried closing it, catching his hand inbetween. He was stunned just enough and I drove the piece of wood through his eye.

He screamed at the top of his lungs. Blood started spurting and raining from his crushed eye and he stumbled around pathetically, unable to control himself. I grabbed onto his shirt and pushed the wood even further into his head before spinning him around and kicking him down the stairs.

Kai hit every step with a devastating impact until he reached the end way down below.

"Now let's see they'll still find you handsome and charming. Burn in Hell, hound."

I turned to the window and drove my fist into it. It broke after the third time and I  swung through it. I sat on its inside, looking around. I was too far up to just drop, but not high enough where my Craft wouldn't save me.

Finally. I jumped out and raised my hands, projecting multiple Air Pillars to jump off of until my feet hit the ground.
I whipped around and looked up at the ship, finally seeing how small it was compared to the other ships. I raised my middle-finger at it, spun around and ran for my life.