Unexpected Attack

The sudden chill was instantly replaced with a warm feeling pulsing through my skin and easing me of the heavy pain making me sigh in relief.

My eyes fluttered open and by the bedside was my master who worriedly gazed at me, holding my hand in his and the warmness of his palm was so comforting, I met his gaze and wanted to speak but immediately felt a lump in my throat making me cough instead.

"Easy there." my master comforted me and when I tried to sit upright, he stopped me.

"Don't move, the poison hasn't been gotten rid of yet." he stated leaving me baffled by his words.

"Poison?!" my voice was weak and couldn't sound as shocking as I wanted it to but he knew his words had caught me off guard. He nodded and made me lay back properly on the bed.

"Yes poison, a very rare type of poison which would have killed you in seconds but fortunately your body was strong enough to hold it back before I came." he rubbed his thumb gently on my knuckles and I could make out the relieve in his eyes when I woke up.

"How are you feeling?" he asked and I wasn't practically sure how I was feeling, the icy chill had reduced but the pain still lingered on my system and I felt weak. I gave a nod in response indicating I was fine. I glanced at our hands which was still entwined against each other, was the sudden warmness I felt coming from my master? he was alleviating the pain inside of me, he saved me again.

"Why would anyone try to poison me? I haven't even been here for long neither am I a threat to anyone." I spoke up.

"Are you sure about that?"

His question left me confused and he pursed his lips for a second. "We didn't just come here to while away time, seems someone already poses you as a threat." he frankly said to me and I wondered who that could be, our thoughts was suddenly interrupted as the door creaked open and I wasted no time releasing my hands from my masters hold, the emperor walked in and a maid followed with someone else behind her. My master and I exchanged puzzled looks before turning our attention back to them.

"How are you feeling?" the emperor asked and I smiled faintly.

"I feel better your majesty."

The maid just bowed her head politely, her dark hair covering half of her face and her skin looked so pale like they were going to turn transparent. I haven't seen her among the maiden before and I had no idea why my curiousity landed on her even though she looked so fragile.

"Do you need help with something your majesty?" my master asked. The middle aged man standing behind him folded his arms and stared at us with what I spotted to be a hidden gender.

"I want to talk to you." he said firmly to my master who in return got to his feet, I gazed at both of them and it felt like their eyes said alot more than words could but my master nevertheless, followed him out along with the emperor. I watched them step out and when I was about to relax, I realized the maiden was still here, I couldn't see her face and she looked weak yet oddly intimidating.

"Do you need anything?" she asked politely and I gazed at her for a few seconds before replying.

"A water will do thank you."

"Sure." and she left, I didn't know why but I wonder why she looked odd, or seemed odd.

She returned later on with a glass of water and dropped it beside me.

"Anything else?"

I shook my head and thanked her once more before she took her leave, my throat was starting to feel really dry and I felt glad I asked for the glass of water, immediately taking a huge gulp of it to clear of the dryness in my throat.

Lord Qui didn't return after that talk with the stranger leaving me restless as usual, I can't just sit and wait for him to show up, I'll go look for him myself. Due to my worriedness, I slowly got out of bed planting both my feets to the ground, that awful chill returned once more and I was in need of a warm up, where was my master?

I walked slowly along the hallway, my eyes scanning every area hoping to spot my master but end up feeling solemn when I didn't. I felt feverishly weak but continued on my slow pace holding unto the walls for support, maybe Xiong has stepped out once more else he would have assisted me with a little walk.

An overflow of sensation flowed through my already weak system and I immediately stopped at my tracks, it was a warning sign or rather a killing intent, how I knew? I possibly couldn't tell. Glancing at the huge glass window which took up the whole space on the wall, it looked calm and the clouds were just moving on their normal slow pace, it all seemed fine and normal...

I immediately got out of the way when something heavy smashed through the window, drawing out my whip the same time as it landed on the floor. I gazed warily at the beast in front of me, it looked horrific with red glowing eyes and saliva dropping from it's fangs, it gazed at me with an intense glare and I didn't move an inch, it was so big it's head was touching the ceiling and it had bat-like wings which was formed from it's dirty coloured skin, my heart raced violently and I tried to remain still while it's gaze never averted from me, like it was waiting for me to make my move. It would have gone well but a maid suddenly showed up and the sight of the beast made the tray in her hand fall to the floor.

"Ahhhh!!!!!! beast!"

"Shit!" I cursed underneath my breath and made a run for it, it gave out a horrible shriek I thought it'd blow up my eardrums as it followed my trail. The maid also ran off but the beast was strangely focused on me, chasing me down the hallway and every failed attempts it made to strike me only got it angrier, it tried clearing me off with it's wings but I leapt into the air evading it's hit and it ended up bursting through the walls. I landed safely on the floor and kept running.

How I kept running after feeling really weak, I had no clue but that thing was way too strong for a weak disciple like me to deal with.

Luckily my master came in view ahead and it's like he heard the noise and came to check out what it was, he frowned the moment he spotted the beast and made way for me to slid underneath him, his sword appeared right in his hands and his grip tightened around it, unlike me, he launged at the beast with his sword.

I looked away the moment I heard slashing and piercing and I shuddered a bit from the shriek that came next. I slowly opened my eyes only to find the beast dead in front of me, it's been sliced in half and remained lifeless on the ground, the sword immediately vanished just like how it came while my master walked up to me not caring for the world.

"Are you alright?" he asked and I couldn't speak, the whole thing just felt like a dream, it all happened so fast I didn't even know how to reply to him, he shook me gently drawing me out of my sub conscious state.

"Are you hurt?" he asked softly and I shook my head in response, still gazing at the lifeless beast on the floor wondering why it chose to come after me, it really wanted to kill me.

"Come." my master stirred me away from the beast, taking me back to my room.