House of Chen

  Min watched Second Master go up the hill toward his wife. She shook her head. 'I feel for him. I feel for her. She needs help otherwise she will not get through this ordeal.' She shook her head again, then, with resolve, ' this won't get the move done', she called the adults together for a meeting. It was time to move out and take everything they had salvaged back to Chenxi, ready for the rebuilding. She was under no illusions as to just how bad it would be. They needed carts, wagons, anything they could muster to get them all back. Assigning jobs to people, she sent them off to complete their tasks, then lifted herself off her chair and straightened her back. She was getting too old for all of this. Slowly, she left the make shift hut and started the trek up the hill to where she knew Yiran would be sitting. She heard it before she saw it. Reaching into her apron pocket she pulled out a vial in preparation. Yongle looked at her with obvious worry. "Its alrig...

  Xin went over to Băo and placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt his body tremble and she noted tears were falling on the face of the woman on the cot. "You know her?" "She is my sister." Xin tensed. She had never seen him like this. She didn't even know he had a sister, they never had time to talk about things like that. She quietly muttered to herself, 'when we have time, we must sit and tell each other of our pasts, our families, our hopes and dreams.' Out loud, all she could say was, "I'm sorry." He turned his head and faced her. Tears were falling freely down his cheeks. There was nothing but anguish in his eyes. "Is she dead?" Xin looked down and held a finger under her nose. There was the faintest of breaths, but it was clear she was close to death. "Barely." He looked down at her. "I can't let her suffer any more like this, I really can't." "Would you like me to do it?" "No. I...

  It was some time before Xin found Băo and his pack. The back street was very busy and reaching him was fraught with the possibility of being seen. She called out her signature sound and waited for the response. Her Blades had followed her, protecting her like a most precious, and delicate sister. "I hear a response," one of the Blades whispered. Another nodded and they slowly advanced towards the source of the sound. She called again. This time there was a question in it. "Where are you?" The answer came, but with a rider, "be prepared for what you'll see." Xin, was thoughtful. There wasn't much that shocked her any more. These past few years had hardened her into a creature far removed form the girl she had been five years ago. She looked at her pack. "We go in, but be aware as always. Create a perimeter." They nodded. They would do this naturally, why was she emphasising it? The name read, Pleasure Palace, but the smell which hit them...