"Why are you on their side? Surely you know who the good guys are."

"I may know but that doesn't make me good. I've been bad since I was born."

-Meilin-

The night was filled with screams and yells of terror and fear. All around them, chaos was breaking out everywhere. People were running blindly in panic, Zhongese soldiers fought with the mysterious enemies who was slowly outnumbering them, the enemies started lighting houses on fire. This was not what Meilin expected her birthday to be. Attacked by a mysterious enemy in her party. She remembered the thief's words, Roll's words.

"Run while you still can. They're after your talisman, your necklace."

The fire inside of her started to burn stronger as she kept following the Greencloak and Abeke. The boy, the thief, Roll. He was in their side all along.

He's working with the man who killed my father, the people who are currently destroying my home!

"Mistress Meilin," she jolted out of her thoughts at Abeke's voice which almost sounded hesitant, "Are you...okay?"

"What do you think?" Meilin snapped, "These people are currently taking over my country right now, tried to steal something from me and they killed my father on my birthday!"

"I understand that what you're going through is tough right now," the Greencloak told her gently but firm, "but we need your cooperation and to stay focused if we are going to get out of here alive."

"How can I cooperate when we don't even know your name?" Meilin fired, "All of a sudden, there's this army of soldiers from some unknown place who's currently destroying my home then you, another guest that's completely a stranger to me, comes up to me and say that you're the only one who could protect us!"

The Greencloak was about to open his mouth when his eyes flared with alarm, "Watch-"

But Meilin had already spun around and had grabbed the dagger mid-swipe from one of the soldiers. Filled with rage, Meilin kicked the soldier hard and pulled the dagger out of his grasp. Then Meilin did a quick spin and slashed the dagger at the man's thigh who fell down, grabbing it in pain. She scowled at the soldier, throwing the dagger to the side before turning to meet Abeke and the Greencloak's shocked gaze.

"What are you gaping about?" Meilin snapped, "We're supposed to be getting out of here."

They both eyed her warily before the Greencloak nodded, "Right. Follow me. I have a friend here in Zhong. She can help us escape get out of here."

"You still haven't told us your name," Abeke pointed out.

"Right, of course," the Greencloak answered, "My name is Tarik."

- - -

They finally got out of the burning city and had entered the Bamboo Forest. Meilin could still remember her father showing her the way through the Bamboo Forest. He mentioned a hidden military base around the forest but Tarik didn't want to risk getting lost. As they walked on in silence, the fire inside of Meilin kept on growing and growing. She kept on feeding it with every angry thought.

I'll find the person who's behind all of this. I'll hunt down that man who killed my father. And i'll find that boy who tricked me! And to think I was starting to like his company...

Out of anger, she harshly kicked a stone that had come across her path and it had almost hit Tarik's foot, who was leading the the two. He glanced back with understanding and sympathy which made her blood boil even more. She didn't want anyone's sympathy or pity, she hated it when people gave her those looks

"So, why are these people after us?" Abeke spoke up and Meilin almost forgot that she was there, "Who are these people anyways?"

"I promise you that all will be explained," Tarik replied, "but now is not the right time. All will be explained when we get you two to somewhere safer."

"Where exactly is 'safer'?" Meilin snapped, "Nowhere is safe. Not with these people killing my country!"

"Patience, Mistress Meilin," Tarik tried to calm her down which only fueled her anger more, "I promise all will be explained but now is not the right time to discuss this-"

"I'm not Mistress Meilin anymore," Meilin interrupted rudely, "I'm only Meilin, just Meilin because of these people who killed my father. I have the right to know who these murderers are!"

They all stopped and Tarik sighed patiently before speaking, "These 'murders' that you call are what we assume as Conquerors."

"Conquerors?" Abeke echoed, clearly confused.

Meilin have heard of that name before. She thought hard before she remembered her tutors, her father specifically, teaching her about a war that had happened long ago. Her father being a former Greencloak, the Greencloaks must've taught him about the war.

"I think I've heard of them before," Meilin was starting to calm down a little, "My father told me about Conquerors and a Devourer." At the mention of her father, some of the anger started to return.

"That is indeed correct," Tarik replied as they went on walking once more, "The Devourer was a King of Stetriol who mustered an army called the Conquerors. He was also known as the Reptile King."

"I've heard of the Reptile King when my father told me a story," Abeke spoke up, "I heard that he summoned a huge crocodile, that's why he was nicknamed the Reptile King."

"That is correct once more," Tarik nodded, "He was a king, hungry for power and so, he started a war known as the Devourer War. Never before have there been many Marked people but there was a resistance group. That was how the Greencloaks were born."

"As much as I like learning about history, this doesn't explain why these people are here," Meilin rudely cut in.

Tarik sighed once more, "We believe that there is another Devourer and had also grew an army of Conquerors of his own. Like the previous Devourer, he is also after something important..."

That's when his gaze fixed intensely on Meilin and Abeke. The way he looked at them was how people looked at Meilin's father. Respect and hope, as if they expect something from him. It looked like he was about to say something but decided against it as he kept on leading them through the forest.

There was something he wasn't telling them. Something that made her curious and uneasy at the same time.

- - -

After a couple more meters of walking in tensed silence, Tarik finally led them to a small cottage that was deep in the bamboo forest that you could've missed it. Meilin and Abeke cautiously approached as Tarik quietly knocked on the door.

"Lishay?" Tarik called out softly, "Hanzan?"

There was no answer. They waited for a couple more minutes before concluding that no one was going to answer. Tarik slowly opened the door as he prepared the sword and stepped in the cottage, cautiously. Abeke and Meilin followed behind as their gazes darted around the empty cottage. Tarik relaxed his pose but worry was evident in his eyes.

"They're not here," he murmured.

"So, what now?" Abeke asked.

Meilin thought she heard crunching sounds coming from behind them and she quickly turned around, just in time to dodge out the way of a flying arrow.

"Watch out," Meilin yelled but the three of them have already retreated into the house, Tarik quickly slamming the door shut.

Arrows flew in from the open windows of the house as the three ducked for cover. Just then, there was a couple of cries of pain before it was completely silent.

Then a voice spoke, "Get out of my house and show yourselves if you don't want to end up with me finishing what these people came here to do in the first place."

Tarik glanced at them with a look of reassurance before slowly opening the door and stepping outside. Meilin saw a Zhongese woman with a bow and arrow, poised to attack, a green cloak flowing down from her back. A white tiger was in a crouch as it glared menacingly at them. Nearby were two Conqueror soldiers that looked as if they were unconscious, or worse. Meilin saw Tarik's posture relax completely as the woman's eyes widened.

"Tarik," surprise was evident in her voice as she lowered her bow but she had a wary look.

"Lishay," Tarik sighed in relief, "You're alright."

"No, i'm not," Lishay muttered with a bitter tone, "These people just killed my brother."

Meilin presumed that her brother was Hanzan who Tarik mentioned earlier.

Tarik's face dropped slightly, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"He was killed by the Jackal," she snarled angrily, "Tried saving the general, General Teng only for both of them to be killed."

Meilin stiffened at the mention of her father's name as she repeated, "The Jackal?"

Lishay's gaze snapped to her and her eyes widened as she realized who she was, "Mistress Meilin?"

"Who is this Jackal?" Meilin asked again, her voice growing louder, "Who is the man who killed my father?"

"Tarik...?" She glanced questioningly at Tarik, "Why...?" She didn't need to finish her sentence for Meilin to know what she was about to say. Why is she here?

Tarik looked uneasy as he opened his mouth to say something, only to hesitate and close it. Now Meilin knew for sure that there was something they knew that she didn't know. There was something they were all hiding from them, something that involved her and probably Abeke, something so important that they're reluctant to tell.

"Who is the Jackal?" Meilin's voice lowered to a deathly whisper, "Who is the man who killed my father?"

"Zerif," a man spoke and they both turned to where the voice had came from.

Right there stood a man she had just recently seen. The memory of the blade slicing through his father's chest was so clear in her mind as her gaze met the man, the same man who killed her father. Before anyone else could move, more shadows appeared and soon, Conquerors have surrounded them all.

The man grinned once more, "My name is Zerif."

- - -

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