Fight and Flight

Jewels woke up before there was light outside.  Carefully rolling out of bed not to disturb Raiden, she quietly makes her way to the door.  Slipping out, San and Ni bowed slightly towards her as Roku steps forward to follow her to her room.  When she entered, Roku stopped outside the room and waited for her while she changed and got ready for her morning training routine. 

After her run, Jewels enters her training room to find that all the holes she created last time she was there have been patched up and the walls repainted.  The floors still had the circular burn mark on them. She left Roku guarding outside not wanting to let others know what she is capable of.  Because of the Infinite Galaxy no one could tell what her energy cultivation level is.  She wanted to keep her strength a secret and surprise her enemies.  

That morning instead of sparing with Roku, she planned to spar with Nemean and Fenghuang.  Jewels called them out from her bracer and when they came out, both of them knelt down with one knee on the ground and their heads bowed down to her.  Jewels didn't like seeing them on their knees, however she pushed the feelings aside. 

"Every morning and every night, you guys will help train me.  The Madewell Tournament is in a week and I need to place within the top five of my group.  You will teach me all you know until I stand on top of the world." Jewels ordered them.  

After the announcement, Jewels began to spar with Nemean and Fenghuang.  Sometimes it was one on one, sometimes it was the two of them against her.  After an hour of sparing, Jewels asked them to teach her how created sound barrier as well as teach her the Flying Eagle Technique.  Creating a sound barrier was easy for Jewels while she had to work really hard not to fall when she tried the Flying Eagle Technique.  It wasn't until she fell five times straight that she gave up for the rest of the day,  her body couldn't take her falling any longer without bigger consequences.  Nemean and Fenghuang went back into the bracer without any complaints.  When Jewels opened the door she was expecting Roku and another guard, but what surprised her was that along with Roku, stood Raiden and his entourage.  Stopping in her tracks, she unknowingly smiles at Raiden brightly. 

"What brings you here so early?"  Jewels asked. 

Without saying a word, he steps up to her and hugs her tightly.  

"Is everything okay?" Jewels worried as she closes her hand around his body squeezing him tightly as well.  

"Make sure to eat your meals and train harder." Raiden said in the crook of her neck.  "You wouldn't want to let your Master down." 

Instead of answering him, she nods her head once. Raiden pulls back and kisses her forehead and quickly leaves her there looking at his back as he walks further and further away.  

"Roku, is everything really okay?" Jewels said when it was just Roku and Jewels alone in the hallway. 

Turning around to face Roku, she raises her eyebrow at him.  At first he did not answer her nor did he even look at her. 

"You don't have to say anything," Jewels said as she walked right in front of him so he was forced to look into her eyes.  "I'm going to ask you again.  Is everything alright with Raiden and the Redbane Kingdom.  Blink once for yes, blink twice for no." 

Roku stared hard at Jewels for a long time before he blinked twice.  Nodding her head, she goes back into her room and prepares herself for her day.  

-------------------

At breakfast she checks in on Uncle Jude's progress and Pop pop plans for the day.  Afterwards she heads off to see Master Roku and is surprised that his house has been mostly cleared out in preparation of moving to Redbane.  Jewels spent all of the morning and most of the afternoon with her Master when she left she headed towards the town square to sign up for the tournament.  

In the town square, Jewels and Roku walked up to the city hall and entered.  The line to sign up for the tournament had ten people waiting in line.  Stepping behind the last person, they waited patiently as each contestant signs up. Jewels stared at the participants steps up one by one up to the desk and touches the clear quartz stone. After the clear quartz stone signals what level the participant is, they sign up with their name on the correct cultivation level sign up sheet.  Participants would then be grouped together within the different level fighting groups.  

When it was her time to sign up, Jewels touched the clear quartz stone with her left hand and a buzz could be heard.  The low buzzing sound became louder and louder, Jewels quickly took off her hand and looked at the man behind the desk to see what he had to say.  The man didn't even look up at Jewels and said in a bored voice. 

"High level 5.  Sign your name here." The man said pointing to the sheet of paper.

"I think there must be something wro---"  Jewels started to say. 

"There's nothing wrong with the clear quartz stone.  It says you're a high level 5 cultivator.  It never makes mistakes."  The man said annoyingly at Jewels.  

Jewels stared at the man for a while deciding if she should try arguing with the man again, however she decides not to. Seeing her hesitate, the man tells her to touch the stone again to verify her cultivation level.  Touching the stone again with her left hand, she buzzing sound could be herd again and when she lifted up her hand, the man told her the same thing. 

"High level 5 cultivator."  

Jewels left scratching her head in confusion.  Jewels knew for a fact that she was a mid level 7 cultivator, why would the stone say she was high level 5?  Was it because she broke through too fast and did not have a firm foundation?  If her foundation is not strong, that would mean she was not as strong as she thought she was.  Silently panicking, she makes her way to a stone and gem store to buy a clear quartz stone herself.  Upon purchasing the stone the size of her fist, Roku and Jewels make their way back to the Brooks Manor. 

Once inside the training room, she takes out the clear quartz stone and touches the stone with her left hand, the same buzzing sound was heard and in the stone showed five stars with an outline of a six star.  Jewels then held the stone with her left hand and seven stars was reviled with the eighth star partially whole. Jewels calls out Nemean and Fanghuang and shows them her predicament.  Why was one hand level 5 while the other hand level 7?  

"It might be because of the Infinite Galaxy?"  Nemean suggested. 

"When other cultivators look at you, they are able to read your cultivation level.  Right now your cultivation level is seen as level 2.  Many cultivators wear talismans to hide their true cultivation level.  The Infinite Galaxy is purposefully hiding your cultivation level to protect you without you even knowing it. "  Fenghuang said. 

Taking their advice with a grain of salt, Jewels contemplates her options before she throws the stone at Fenghuang and they start sparing without warning.  Fenghuang first started off strong, breaking through Jewels defense, forcing her to back away.  However the longer they fought the weaker she became.  Still not fully recovered, Jewels prolonged the fight until she saw an opening and struck quick and fast.  Jewels broke through Fenghuang's defense and punched her in the face.  Hitting her felt so good, that Jewels did not hold back with her strength.  Her pent up anger towards Fenghuang flooded through.  With one hit, Jewels as able to break through Fenghuang's defensive barrier and Jewels attacked mercilessly.  She was the reason Nemean and Jewels lost their faith and trust in each other. She accused Jewels of forcing a contract with her.  She didn't even thank Jewels for setting her free.  Not only that, but she never apologized for any of her mistakes that she made!  

"You are an ungrateful bird."  Jewels said as she landed on top of Fenghuang and started hitting her face after every sentence. 

 "You haven't even said thank you to me for saving your ungrateful life!"  Pow!  Jewels fist landed hard on Fenghuang's cheek. 

"Or thanking me for showing you the way out of that dimension!" Pop!  Jewels fist hit her lip. 

"You never apologized for accusing me of forcing a contract with you!  When in all honesty it was an accident!" Bam! Jewels hits her again. "Why would I want to contract myself to a bird that jumps to conclusions.  What kind of all-knowing, benevolent, stuck-up, "all seeing" phoenix, do you think you are that saying a simple "thank you" and "I'm sorry" is too hard for you to say? 

"You never apologized for causing a rift between me and my cat!" Jewels yelled punching her in the mouth again. 

Fenghuang's face was a bloody mess, but she didn't fight back and took the hits from Jewels, knowing full well that she deserved all of Jewels punches.  

Nemean stood on the sidelines and watched them first spar then fight seriously.  He knew his human was angry, he knew she would soon face them and give them their punishment when the time came.  So when his human straddled Fenghuang and started hitting Fenghuang in the face, over and over again venting her anger, he stood there and watched knowing that he was at fault too.  

Jewels was so angry, that she lost her self-control and infused her fire energy into her fist.  She punched Fenghuang one last time, before she noticed what she did and pushed herself off of Fenghuang.  Fenghuang's body laid there unconscious and bloodied. Jewels didn't have enough fight in her to continue sparing.  She felt empty and disappointed.  

Nemean approaches Jewels in his lion's form and bows his head low to her.  He then lays down and turns his belly towards her and submits to her.  Jewels hand automatically reaches out to touch his belly, but she stops herself right on time.  Instead of rubbing his belly, she punches his nose. 

"Idiot." Jewels tells him as she sits back down. "Who told you to believe in words of a stranger? If I did anything that you didn't like, or if you had any questions, you should of talked to me about it, instead of jumping to conclusions. Not only that, but we shared memories of our lives, you purposefully held back the fact that you can change into a human form.  So not only are you an idiot, but you're a lair too."  

Jewels looks over at Fenghuang and her bloodied face.  

"Go lick her clean." Jewels tell him.  

But before he cleaned her wounds, he sat in front of Jewels and licked her cracked knuckles, healing them in one sweep.  When they were healed, Nemean went to Fenghuang and when he was about to open his mouth, Fenghuang stopped him. 

"Don't." Fenghuang said.  "I will wear my human's punishment as a reminder of her disciplining me of my lack of manners and humbleness."

After sometime of rest, Nemean and Fenghuang went back to teaching Jewels the Flying Eagle technique.   Jewels tried over and over again to fly, but when she was 3 feet off the ground she would fall again.  Once she fell, she would stand up and start all over.  When dinner time came around, Jewels stopped her training and called Nemean and Fanghuang back into the bracer.  Opening the door, Jewels did not see anyone standing in front of her door. At first she was happy for no baby sitters, however a feeling of foreboding came over her as she entered her room and quickly cleaned up.  

Jewels made her way downstairs to her Uncle's quarters when she heard Uncle Jude and Raiden arguing. All of Raiden's bodyguards stood in front of the opened door staring straight, pretending that they did not hear the argument from behind them. 

"What are you trying to say?"  Uncle Jude said harshly. 

"This Prince means what this Prince's says." Raiden said calmly. "This Prince shall leave this Prince's golden gift in the hands of General Jude Brooks and Professor Brooks.  This Prince shall take this Prince's leave from the Brooks Manor and move back into the Eastern Sunrise Courtyard. "

"And what about Jewels?" Uncle Jude said through gritted teeth. 

"What about this Prince's golden gift?" 

"After---" Uncle Jude started to say, but was interrupted by Jewels. 

"Uncle, if Prince Raiden wants to leave, let him."  Jewels said as she entered the study.  "If he wants to leave me in your hands, that's fine.  I rather be in Uncle's capable hands than be in the hands of someone that isn't strong enough to hold on."

Jewels words cut Raiden deep, but he showed no emotion except the tightening of his jaw.  

"I'll be perfectly fine, Uncle."  Jewels reassured him by giving him a genuine smile.  "We'll be just fine." 

Turning back to Raiden, she could see through his cold exterior.  She could see his hand curling into a fist, the small twitch of his eyebrow, the tightening and loosening of his jaw.  She saw it all.  She knew something big must have happened for him to withdraw so quickly away.  He was leaving her in her Uncles hands because he would be too preoccupied to look after Jewels.  What ever that was bothering Raiden, he wasn't able to tell her about yet, so instead he backed away to protect her and her family. 

Jewels smiled at him and says, "Enjoy your stay at Eastern Sunrise Court.  It is a lovely place to stay at when you're in Madewell. Much more fitting for the Prince of Redbane, don't you say?" 

Raiden misunderstood Jewels smile.  He thought that Jewels smile represented her happiness with him leaving the Brooks Manor and her. Just because he was forced to move away from her at the moment, does not mean that he'll come back for her later.  After all, she is his golden gift, he said he was going to leave her with her Uncle, not give her back!  

Raiden took a long look at Jewels before he made his way out of the Brooks Manor and left them behind.  

---------

When the left wing of the Brooks Manor was the five of them again, they all sat in the sitting room to discuss why Prince Raiden moved out.

"That odious Prince!" Zeze shrieked.  "How dare he take our young miss and make her his golden gift and take advantage of her then throw her away! I knew he was no good the moment I saw him!" 

"Calm down Zeze, if anyone hears you, it would be your head on the chopping block and I wouldn't be able to save you."  Uncle Jude said to her.  

"Why, Prince move out?" Pop pop asked Jewels as he looked at her. 

"My only guess is that something big must of happened in Redbane and at this moment he isn't able to tell me or any of you about it. He moved out to protect us so we wouldn't be implicated in what's happening and what he's about to do. "  Jewels said as she sipped her tea. "Besides, he said he's leaving me in Uncle's hands, he didn't say he was giving me back to Uncle. There's a difference." 

"What do you think happened?"  Thomas asked from the corner of the room.

"I'm not too sure.  He didn't tell me nor did Roku." Jewels said. "I'll ask my Master tomorrow  to see if he's heard anything." 

"What are we going to do now?" Zeze asked. 

"The tournament is coming up in a weeks time, I can't afford to get distracted." Jewels continues. "After I place top 5, I will be in the Sky Ship for five days.  Sky Ship is not a place I want to go unprepared for.  We will start packing when I come back from the Sky Ship.  Once the 4 Kingdoms peace talks are done, we will make our way to Redbane with or without Prince Raiden's escort.  My master has already made his intentions clear that he will be moving there on account of me.  I cannot tell him that we are staying, for he has already started moving.  I will talk to him to see if he is able to prepare a small house for us as well."

Uncle Jude agreed with Jewel's plan. Once he agreed, everyone followed.  

"Besides, we cannot stay. I have a feeling after the Madewell tournament, I will be making a lot of enemies and those in the main household will come after us."  Jewels said out loud.

---------------

When the Madewell tournament day came, Jewels woke up early in her empty bed.  It has been six and a half days since she's seen Raiden.  She even missed her babysitter Roku and even the taciturn Ichi.   Getting up, she warmed up with Nemean and Fenghuang by lightly sparing with them.  After an hour of sparing, Jewels washed up and got ready for the day. 

Her Uncle and Pop pop was already waiting for her in the dining room.  They have been waiting for her to come down so they can enjoy their breakfast together.  They both looked more nervous than Jewels when she saw their faces and she busted out laughing.  Their face showed their worry, but how they tried so hard to hide it, entertained her to no degree.  

"Seeing that you can laugh at us makes me more comfortable knowing that you will be okay in the tournament." Uncle Jude said. 

"Geez Uncle Jude, what a vote of confidence you have in me." Jewels teased. 

"That's not what I meant---" Uncle Jude started to say. 

"I'm kidding," Jewels said letting him off the hook. 

After breakfast Uncle Jude, Pop pop and Jewels meet the main family branch outside.  Harvey had made it clear that they all go to the tournament together as if they are one happy family.  The main branch of the family rode in one carriage as Jewels, Uncle Jude and Pop pop rode in another carriage. Once they arrived to the tournament hall, they had to wait for the carriages in front of them to alight before getting down themselves.  

Once inside the main hall, they found the Brooks booth and sat down.  The tournament hall is a circular building with three levels.  The ground floor held a circular stage in the middle of the building, while the first floor was opened to the public.  The second floor was reserved by the wealthy, while the third floor was reserved for the nobility and royalty.  Everyone waited until it was time for the tournament to start.  After an hour of entertainment, performed by dancers and musicians,  the King and Queen of Madewell along with the Princes and Princessess of Madewell made their entrance to the hall. 

When the King stood up to make the introduction to the tournament, Jewels looked away and searched for Raiden.  Her eyes found, the Rowen family's seating two booths down from the Brooks.  Her eyes roamed until she caught sight of Roku standing across from where she sat.  In the booth that he guarded, sat Raiden.  He sat with his cold exterior, frozen into place.  His stoic face looked forward at Jewels as his hands rested on the arm chairs. 

Jewels knew he was looking at her as she was looking at him.  Teasing him, she drank some tea and wiped the corner of her mouth.  She brought the napkin down her neck and pat it dry as if a drop of tea spilled down from her lips to her neck.  She could feel a cold breeze come through the hall and smiled to herself.  She then took a biscuit and dipped it into her tea a couple of times before slowly bring it to her mouth and biting it.  She closed her eyes chewing the biscuit, savoring the sweetness in her mouth.  When she opened her eyes to look at Raiden, he was now sitting on the edge of his seat and his hand tightly crushed the armchair tightly.  Chuckling to herself, she brought the tea cup to her lips and drank while seductively looking at Raiden to gauge his reaction.  

"Play nice," Uncle Jude whispered to Jewels when she place the cup down.  

"It wouldn't be fun to play nice, Uncle."  Jewels said as she smiled.   

"Instead of driving the young Prince crazy, you should make your way down to the participants hall." Uncle Jude reprimanded her. 

"As my Uncle commands."  Jewels says as she stands up to leave.  

Maria and Lindsay have already left the booth when Jewels leaves.  Making her way the participants hall she stretches her arms lightly and cracks her neck.  Loosening her body, her heart begins to beat faster.  It was time for her to show the world that Jewels is no longer that wasteful trash that everyone says she is.  All of her opponents in the tournament would be a stepping stone for her to accomplish her goal.