Kage and Xuanyu: The beginning

The veins on Kage's temple started to throb as he closed his eyes, silently praying for patience. For some unfathomable reason, Xuanyu has been attached to him. Her behavior has been amusing, so far, and he tried to humor her as much as he could.

But this time the mission is too dangerous. A swift rejection was on the tip of his tongue but was ruthlessly swallowed when he noticed the tearful look of her eyes.

"Senior brother, I won't be a burden. Promise…"

Kage mentally slapped himself when he heard himself respond. "Come up, no use flying on your own. Save your strength."

Eliminating the demonic insects was a task specifically assigned to him by a sect elder. There is no question in regards to its importance.

Reaching Huahe Valley and finding the insect lair, after the short interlude, was an easy feat. And in no time, the two were engaged in a heated battle.

Kage was surprised to find that despite her foolish demeanor and wayward behavior, Xuanyu is a decent fighter. Her strength might not be on par with his but her assists were timely and her movements sure.

But just when the two thought they were winning, the queen emerged. It immediately aimed for the weaker individual and Kage had no choice but to take the heavy blow on Xuanyu's stead. Kage felt the excruciating pain on his chest as he plunged into darkness.

By the time Kage regained consciousness the battle was over. He slowly sat up and looked at the charred ground that was once the lair. Xuanyu was hunched by his side, bawling her eyes out. There was no sign of the queen nor any of the insects, only piles of ashes everywhere.

Feeling his movement, Xuanyu looked up. Snot and tears covered her pale face but otherwise she looked unharmed.

Kage unconsciously laughed at her ridiculous appearance before gently saying, "Let's go back." This time, he failed to complete the task assigned to him. But the two of them were alive and for Kage, that's more than enough.

Instead of following him like she used to, Xuanyu remained where she was. She motioned behind him and said, "Senior brother, don't you want to take that?"

Kage curiously turned and met the glassy eyes of the queen of insects. He immediately flashed to Xuanyu's side and took them to safety.

"Congratulations, senior brother!" Xuanyu laughed heartily as he clung to his chest. "With this demonic insect, Elder Long will allow you to go adventuring down the mountain. Please, take me with you when the time comes."

Kage stared at his foolish junior sister at a loss for words.

The End… or is it?