“Shut up!” Xixi screamed at them.
One-eyed Nu. Now I remember what Blue Dove said. There is power in a name. As she thought she still was able to block Xixi’s angry attacks. Remember her name and you might save her life.
“Your name is One-eyed Nu!” Lady Jin shouted. “Your name is One-eyed Nu!”
“I am Xixi!” the girl screamed. “See I have two eyes!”
Lady Jin leaped forward. She sliced with the tip of her sword at Xixi’s eye. Lady Jin was able to pull out the eyeball with her sword. She flung it and the evil eyeball exploded into black pebbles. The girl fell to her knees clutching her empty bloody eye socket.
Xixi’s body and clothes suddenly morphed into that of One-eye Nu’s body and clothes.
“One-eyed Nu!” Lady Jin screamed her friends name. “Is it really you? How do you feel?”
“M-Mistress!” Nu looked up at her with one tearful eye. “I’m sorry! I didn’t want to do those things. I couldn’t stop myself.”
“I know! It was Hao’s magic. His evil that changed you. You’re better now.”
Lady Jin set her sword down and pulled out a cloth. She pushed it into Nu’s eye socket to stop the bleeding.
Lady Jin turned away from Nu and snarled at Big Dog Liu.
“Where is Hao?” She pointed her sword at him.
“I’m sure he’s watching us.” Big Dog Liu smiled. “I didn’t expected that this would happen. You were supposed to kill her and then it would be easy for me to kill you afterward. At least that was Hao’s plan.”
“His plan failed.” Lady Jin said the obviously due to anger. She quickly told herself to calm down. Breathe. In and out. Do not give into anger. A warrior must be calm. Make your enemies angry. “Where is Hao? Tell me, dog. And I’ll spare your miserable life.”
“Go fuck your mother, bitch!” Big Dog Liu snarled and unsheathed his scimitar. He was a giant. Bigger than any of his men, because of his six foot height and muscles. As he twirled his scimitar its ruby covered handle sparkled in the sunlight.
Lady Jin dodged his first attack and retreated. She watched to see what he would do. Lady Jin had trained Nu formerly Xixi and new how she fought. This man was a mystery. He was also huge, but fighting men bigger than Lady Jin was nothing new in her career as a swordswoman. She assumed that he would be arrogant in his attacks like most men were when they fought a woman. Of course I could always be wrong about him. I mustn’t jumped to judgment, because I could be wrong. Such mistakes could cause my death.
Big Dog Liu stabbed at her thigh with the curved point of his scimitar. She blocked it. He flipped his scimitar around and poked her ribs on the other side. A mere tease rather than a serious injury. Fool. Lady Jin feigned anger and thrust at his groin. Big Dog Liu danced back and laughed. She continued her fake attack with wild swings. Suddenly Lady Jin stopped and delivered a slash at his right shin. Lady Jin stood her ground and giggled like a girl.
“Did that hurt, Big Doggie?” she twirled her sword and lift her right leg in a crane stance.
“Amusing, Lady Jin.” Big Dog Liu snorted. “Your very good. Hao told me not to be a fool and I’m not.”
“Fine.” Lady Jin replied.
Big Dog Liu feinted a low chop at her ankle then stabbed at her throat. Lady Jin dodged enough to save her life, but still received a light wound. Shit! I almost got cut real bad. She flipped up her blade and sliced his left elbow. How does that feel? Lady Jin smiled at him. He snarled back and swung at her. The two fighters fenced back and forth. Straight blade against curved blade. The speed of their fighting increased and the sound of their blades hit each other was enough to make the horses in the corral jump around and complain to the humans.
Lady Jin parried an attack and circled his blade with her blade to disarm him. Big Dog Liu saw her move and retreated. Damn it! I almost had him. Lady Jin jumped to avoid a chop to her calves. She came down with a slice across his chest. His reflexes were good and he hoped back. Blood came out of the wound, but it wasn’t too deep. Still, wounds added up and Big Dog Liu had more than she did. He was bleeding bad in a number of cuts. Though I’ve been cut a few times as well. Lady Jin shook sweaty hair out of her face. Strands of hair had slipped from the cloth she had used to tie her long back.
Big Dog Liu blocked her next attack and slammed his left fist into her cheek. Lady Jin stumbled almost into an uncontrolled fall onto her butt. But she adjusted herself, ducked her head in, so she rolled backwards. Lady Jin rolled to her feet and brought her sword up in time to block the next attack. She ducked his chop at her neck and went into a squat. Lady Jin shoved her sword into his solar plexus. She twisted it before pulling out.
Big Dog Liu fell to his side. He was having trouble breathing as blood poured from his body. She was panting as well. Lady Jin looked around the camp to see most of the bandits rushing to get their horses out of the corral. I’ll give you this amount of kindness. Whether you deserve it or not. She reached out with her sword slit Big Dog Liu’s throat to put him out of his misery.
Lady Jin looked around to see Hao watching her. Hao waved his hands. Thunder exploded. A portal appeared. Two bandits who hadn’t ran for the horses walked into the portal with Hao. Thunder exploded and the portal vanished.
#
“Do you have a plan to find this damn Hao, mistress?” One-eyed Nu asked. The girl had retrieved on of her eye patches out of her saddlebag and tied it around her head. “After what he did to me I want to chop into little bitty pieces and feed him to rats.”
“I’m working on it.” Lady Jin patted her horse after checking the saddle. It was her own horse the one stolen from her by the bandits. “Let’s go back to the village to rest up. I have a borrowed horse to return to its owner. Then I plan to go see Blue Dove again.”
“Was it his idea to stab me in the eye?” Nu grumbled as they rode of the camp.
“Not exactly.” Lady Jin smiled. “He did give the idea and it worked.”
“Well, mistress. Don’t do it again.”
Chapter seventeen
Lady Jin and One eyed Nu sat on cushions inside Mountain Lady’s cave dwelling within her magical mountain. Nu hadn’t like the idea of them coming to see Mountain Lady, because she didn’t like her first experience with Mountain Lady. Not that Lady Jin could blame her.
After Mountain Lady had given them a meal of wine, deer meat, and wild roots, she leaned back to watched her visitors. Half a dozen long spears hug on hooks around the cave walls. Mountain Lady was very skilled with that type of weapon. Rare furs and heads of various animal also hung on the walls.
“I am surprised that you two have returned to me so quickly after your last visit.” Mountain Lady said. Her beak-mouth turned up into a smile. She was naked as was her custom, but she had tossed a cloth over her lap out of politeness to them. Her humanoid body was covered in feathers. “What are you seeking, Lady Jin?”
“I am searching for Hao.” Lady Jin replied. “I also seek the magic bracelet of Xu.”
“Really?” Mountain Lady poured some wine down her beak-mouth and wiped it with her feathery arm.
“I suspect you have the bracelet of Xu.” Lady Jin raised her chin to look the bird woman in the eye.
“I do.” Mountain Lady nodded. “It won’t be free.”
“What do you wish for it?” Lady Jin tilted her head.
“You are so serious about this!” Mountain Lady laughed and slapped her feathery knee.
“Yes.” Lady Jin agreed. “I need it to stop Hao.”
“You plan to kill him, right?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm.” Mountain Lady nodded with a twinkle in her ethereal eyes. “If you wish to use it to kill him then you must kill someone for me. How is it?”
“I accept.” Lady Jin nodded. “Who do with me to kill?”
“Hmmm. So quick to agree. Not a smart move for a wise warrior such as you.” Mountain Lady chuckled. “But fine I will agree to this. You must kill him in order to get the bracelet to
kill him. Yes. Yes.”
Mountain waves her hands in the air. Roots rip from the ground around where One-eyed Nu sat on a cushion. The roots quickly encircled her body.
“Mistress! Help!” Nu twisted and yanked her wrapped up body back and forth. She was unable to break free.
“What have you done?” Lady Jin leaped up and drew her sword. She tried to hack through the roots, but it wasn’t possible. “Why?”
“Sorry.” Mountain Lady bowed to them both. “I thought you need more inspiration to kill the man you will seek. Your friend is currently safe. You have many days to fulfill your promise to kill him, but if you fail then she dies.”
Lady Jin raised her sword to swing it down on the bird woman. Nu screamed. The roots pulled tighter around her.
“Strike me down and she will die, Lady Jin.”
Lady Jin lowered her sword and roots loosened a little.
“How do you feel, Nu?”
“Not well at the moment, but better than I was a few seconds ago.” Nu giggled nervously.
“I will do this! You will release her!” Lady Jin shouted at the bird woman.
“I will after you kill him.”
“Do I need to bring you something of this man you wish dead?” Lady Jin sheathed her sword. “His head?”
“No.” Mountain Lady smiled. “I will know when he is dead and you will have your bracelet. And your friend too.”
Lady Jin nodded.
“You will find him within the Wan forest in the state of Chu.” Mountain Lady explained. “Have you heard of the place?”
“Yes.” Lady Jin nodded. “A magical place. Right?”
“Right.”
#
Five days later Lady Jin rides into the Wan forest alone. It had just rain, but that wasn’t too unusual for the area. What was strange was the feeling she had once she had entered the forest. It was not easy to describe even to herself. It was just something Lady Jin felt inside her belly that this was a special sacred place. Am I about to pollute this forest with human blood?
Lady Jin eventually found human tracks in the forest. The first sign of human life she had seen in the Wan forest. The tracks led her a simple hut in a clearing where a man was chopping wood. His legs were as big as trees and his arms were half that. His chest was as broad as bull. He stopped. He looked up at her and smiled innocently.
Who are you? Lady Jin dropped off her horse. He stopped smiling when Lady Jin drew her sword. The large man set down his lumber axe. He reached for an actual weapon. A heavy looking battleaxe that he hefted in both hands.
“I am Lady Jin. I challenge you to a duel.” She bowed formally. Then moved to a fighting stance.
“I have never met you, Lady Jin.” The man bowed. “Nor do I know if I have ever offended in my life. If I have done so then I apologize. May we drink together and be friends?”
“No. We fight to the death.” Lady Jin twirled her sword to indicate this.
“As you wish.” He nodded and moved to a fight stance of his own.
Thunder exploded in the sky without a spark of lightning. A magic portal appears beside the man. Hao stepped out and grabbed the warriors muscular arm.
“Come on!” Hao pulled him into the portal. Lady Jin heard thunder and the portal vanished.
“Hao! Hao!” Lady Jin shook her sword towards where Hao had been.
Thunder exploded again without a trace of lighting. This time Mountain Lady stepped out of a portal.
“I think you need some help finding that warrior.” Mountain Lady told her. “We have been watching your journey. Here this magic mirror will guide to him where ever Hao takes him.”
“Thank you.” Lady Jin accepted the magic mirror. “How does it work?”
“Just look into the mirror.” Mountain Lady disappeared into the portal. The portal vanished with a thunder.
Chapter eighteen
Lady Jin looked and looked. An image of a city was shown in the mirror. Lady Jin nodded for she recognized the place. Mei-yo wasn’t the capital of Chu, but it was a large bustling city. Lots of merchants coming and going in their caravans with hired guards for protection. Lady Jin and One-eyed Nu had traveled as guards in those caravans. Being female guards to protect the wives and daughters was a special niche that paid well. But at the moment Lady Jin was focused on her hunt.
An inn was the first place that Lady Jin stopped at, but because her target was there. She got a room and a boy took her horse to the stables. Lady Jin quickly drank down some wine some soup and bread that the innkeeper’s wife had made. Lady Jin left after paying for the food she was very eager to get her job over and down with. I wish I hadn’t eaten so fast. I was so hungry. After I woke up this morning I just rode her without food or water. The sun was overhead.
#
The magic mirror showed her where he was. Strange, I still don’t even know his name. No. I have no choice. Lady Jin sighed and walked towards a tavern that the mirror had led her to. Lady Jin dropped the mirror in a bag she carried on her belt by her knife. She pulled the bag-strings tight and entered.
The tavern was full of men and women drinking, cussing, gambling, and fighting. He wasn’t alone. Four men were with him at a table. All of them were well armed. They were enjoying themselves with talk and drink. A teenage girl in a short ragged dress dropped on the lap of one of the men. She kissed his neck. He slapped her butt and pulled her close. That was when they noticed her.
“Shit! The bitch has follow me!” The axe warrior, she had been chasing, jumped up.
“Go, my friend. I’ll deal with her!” the man with girl pushed her off and stood. He drew a sword. One of the four men left with the man who was her target. The other four charged her.
The swordsman seemed to be the leader. The other two carried short spears with small rectangle shields. Damn it! I’m outnumbered! All three men wore short tunics that went down to their knees with no leggings. Lady Jin was still wearing her riding pants and shirt for she had been in a hurry.
“What only three fighters?” Lady Jin boasted. Come on. Get angry.
The swordsman gestured a signal to a comrade, who attacked on Lady Jin left side. Lady Jin blocked the spear. He slammed his shield at her and Lady Jin struck it with her pommel. Lady Jin slipped back. The swordsman’s blade passed through where she had been. He returned to a guard position with good skill.
“I swear I just came to drink!” Lady Jin grabbed a bottle of wine from off the bar. She used it as a shield to block a spear and broke it on the man’s head. He went down. Lady Jin dropped the broken bottle. The second spearman charged. Lady Jin blocked his spear and kicked his shield. He fell backwards.
“That’s not what my friend said.” The swordsman called back. “He said you came to murder!”
The swordsman feinted towards her face with the point. It was followed by a chop to her arm. Lady Jin parried it and counterattacked. Their swords slipped back and forth. Dodging, striking, pushing, and stabbing. Not a bad fighter. But I need to cut him down before the other two get up. I didn’t want to do a move like this, but I have no choice. Lady Jin squatted. The blade entered his groin. She pulled it back to block a spear thrust. Lady Jin slipped back to a guard position.
“Dirty whore!” yelled the spearman. He had foolishly dropped his shield. He was angry and his attack was based on such emotions. Very aggressive. He stabbed at her without care of his own life. Lady Jin easily blocked and dodged his attacks. Lady Jin chopped into his neck. She dodged a clumsy stab. Lady Jin sunk her blade into his heart. Lady Jin found the swordsman dying. Lady Jin put him out of his misery. The other spearman was still down from the bottle strike. Lady Jin left the tavern when no one else attacked her.
#
Outside Lady Jin gets out the mirror to search again. Once again the mirror showed her where he was and where he was going. Lady Jin raced through the streets and alleys of Mei-yo. Lady Jin dodged around a man carrying a load of firewood on his back. “Sorry!” Then she caused a woman carrying a
pair of buckets on a pool to spill her water. “Sorry!”
A second swordsman stopped Lady Jin’s run through the streets. Between him and her was the axeman that she was after.
“Go away! You have no right to do this!” the swordsman demanded.
“No.” Lady Jin held her ground. He was younger looking than the other swordsman she had just killed. A student maybe?
Lady Jin swung at his legs. An intended miss from to far away. He jumped anyway rather than retreat. He swung in repeated circular motions. Lady Jin dodged them. She slashed his cheek. He charged. Lady Jin spun around his swings and stabbed him in the side. The blade sunk through his lung and possibly poked his heart. The swordsman fell as she yanked her blade free.
“Just you and me.” Lady Jin shook her sword to flick some of the blood and flesh off. She would clean it afterwards if she lived through the fight. “Are you ready now?”
“Yes.” The axeman held up his head. He spun his battle axe in his hands.
Thunder explode and portal appeared between them. Hao stepped out and grabbed the axeman. Hao pulled him into the portal. Thunder hit again and the portal was gone.
“No! No! Damn you, Hao! Damn you!” Lady Jin stomped her feet and waved her sword. Passers by who saw her antics rushed off in fear.
#
Lady Jin returned to her room in the inn. She set the magic mirror down to stare at it. It wasn’t showing him at the moment. The mirror was hot as if it had been used too much like a tired horse. After a while the sun was disappearing from the sky. Lady Jin’s stomach grumbled. Lady Jin went to see if she could get something from the innkeeper’s wife.
Lady Jin sat down with some other guests for soup and stew. One of the guests was flute player and everyone enjoyed his songs that paid for his meal. Others talked about the weather and a couple of wandering scholars worried about the job they were hoping to get with the local government.
Evil Wizard Hao: A Lady Jin and One-eyed Nu novel Page 10