Blowing out an exasperated and irritated breath, Sabanti clasped her hands behind her back and began to pace once more, taking heavy, deliberate steps. Above, the sky turned a beautiful shade of pink and lavender, signifying the end of another day, but it was quickly beginning to be covered by thick, grey clouds...foretelling a harsh storm coming. But the demon woman paid no attention to it as she scowled, her patience slipping away from her. "Look, I'm only going to ask one more time....where have the strangers gone? And don't tell me again you have no idea what I'm talking about. I know they were here." She stopped pacing and turned to face her prisoners. An elderly man and woman were tied up with thick ropes and sitting on their knees right in the middle of the town for all to see. Around them, a small crowd had gathered to see what was going on, and what they saw caused them to gasp in horror.
The prisoners of this strange, green-skinned woman were none other than the mayor and leader of the small town and his wife. Not even an hour after Hun Li, her brother, and the other strangers had left after the earthquake, the woman suddenly appeared, striding up in a sensual walk and demanding to know where the group went. At first the people were silent and awestruck, but it was the mayor who first stepped up to her with his wife and asked how he could help her, and what her business was with anyone here. The woman never even bothered to answer his question, and instead snapped her fingers. Immediately, the mayor and his wife were bound with rope and trembling on the ground. Screams began echoing all over the place until the woman demanded silence. For long moments she questioned the old man of where the group of friends went, but he stubbornly played dumb, hoping to give them time.
Now, Sabanti stared down in contempt at the cowering old man, her body shaking with barely contained rage. "Well old man, are you finally going to talk? I'm beginning to lose my patience with you, and when that happens, people die." She narrowed her eyes determinedly, making sure her message was getting through.
"P..Please.....I assure you, we've seen no strangers here! Please spare us, we are only a poor, peace loving town-"
"Silence!" shouted Sabanti, her high pitched voice echoing throughout the whole area. The green-skinned demoness sighed with impatience, then held her right arm out in front of her. In a shimmer of bright light, a rather strange looking creature appeared on her hand. It was a dark red in color, and it looked to be a cross between a spider and a snake; the front part of it had six, fuzzy legs, claws, and a sharp-looking mandible mouth. The end part of it was long and sleek, its red hide shimmering in the dying light. The creature hissed softly, then gently began to crawl up Sabanti's arm, its back end swirling almost lovingly around her arm.
"Such a beautiful creature, isn't it? The Red Chistka." the demon woman said in wonder as she looked at it up and down. "For many years I've heard that the first settlers of this world, thousands of years ago, used its venom and skin for many things, including coloring clothes and even make-up for the women."
With a small smile, Sabanti reached up and tickled the creature's chin, and it opened its sharp mouth to let out another soft hiss and reveal its razor sharp fans. "They learned that when the venom of the Red Chistka is dried and used correctly, it's actually quite harmless..." She reached up and touched one of the fangs of the creature, stimulating it. A red, cherry-colored liquid squeezed out, making a drop on her finger. Immediately it dried and created a beautiful red shade, almost like a ruby. "I particularly like it because it's such a rich and beautiful color, unlike any I've seen before. The nobility women used it specifically for jewelry coloring, formal make-up, nail coloring....anything, just for the beauty of the color. It's been said it took years of practice to know what other ingredients to mix it with, and knowing how to to keep it dry to make it safe for use."
She allowed more drips of the venom to settle on all of her fingernails for a few moments, then turned to look at the mayor and his wife with a wicked gleam in her eye. "But by itself, and when it's wet, the venom of this truly glorious creature is very...VERY deadly. One bite, and you'll be dead within seconds." To emphasis her point, Sabanti walked up to the shaking mayor, her fingernails nearly dripping with the poison, then bent down and pressed her fingernails claw-like against his throat. "It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "beautiful, but deadly", doesn't it, my dear man? Now, tell me the truth and this will all go smoothly."
"We've already told you everything we know!" Wu Zhang said in fright. "Please, we only want to be left in peace, we would tell you if..." But man never got to finish what he was saying, as Sabanti gently squeezed on his throat. A few, tiny scratch marks appeared on the side of his throat where her nails grated his skin, but that didn't lessen the pain any as they immediately began to swell, turning purple. Within seconds, the old man's throat was nearly twice the normal size. He gasped and wheezed, his air supply nearly cut off.
"NO! Wu Zhang!" cried his wife. She watched in horror as her husband collapsed to the ground, breathing hard. With tears in her eyes, the woman turned to look at Sabanti in defiance for a moment, then lowered her head in defeat. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you." she sighed.
"Ahhhh, that's better. See how much smoother and happier things are when they go MY way?" chuckled Sabanti as she straightened up. "Talk, old woman..."
"They.....they went to the mountain, to confront the Demon Monkey." The older woman seemed to hang her head in shame as she said this, but she knew she had no choice.
"N..no, Lina!" gasped Wu Zhang at his wife. He tried to sit up, but it was just too painful for him.
"The mountain, huh? They're more foolish than I thought." Sabanti mused. "That crazy demon will finish them for sure. I should have known that's where they'd be headed next....."
"Please...don't destroy our home. It's all we have," begged Lina, tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Destroy your home, just like that? Heh, that won't be any fun! But as a matter of fact, I DO have a better idea," The demon woman chuckled deep in her throat to herself, as tiny droplets of rain fell from the grey and cloudy sky.
**********************************************
"Oh great, it's raining! How typical! I hate riding in the rain..." grumbled Ling as she and the others rode on their horses back to the small town. She pulled her hood over her head as she lightly tapped the side of the horse with her foot, encouraging him to go faster.
"Relax Ling, we're almost back anyway. See?" Jeneta pointed to the lights emanating from the distance a few miles away. "And besides, you got your Sacred Medallion and your sword; I'd figure you'd be in a better mood."
"I know, I know. It's just...well...we haven't seen this Zain guy for a while, and I'm a little worried of what he's up to." answered Ling. "I mean, he's snuck up on us before. What if this time isn't any different?"
"Then we'll just have to fight him, just like we did before." said Heather, coming up beside them with her horse. "And with the extra power of Ling's sword, we have a much better chance of defeating him." She nodded and looked at the other girls with excitement. "Come on guys, we only have TWO more of the medallions to find. Can you believe how much we've accomplished already?"
Ling thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah...yeah you're right Heather, we DID accomplish a lot! I'm sure we'll find the other last two medallions in no time! As soon as we get to the city, we'll put ours together to see where we have to go to next. So what are we waiting for?" The three girls let out a loud whoop of excitement as Angeni and Prya giggled. Hun Li, Djoser, and Tao looked at each other in amusement.
Within less than half an hour, the group finally made it to the small town's gates as the rain came down harder, and the cautiously rode inside. Upon entering, the girls were immediately struck at how empty and silent everywhere was. Even in the early evening time, there still would be some people going about their business, finishing up whatever they were doing before going home, but now, everything was just......silent, only the sound of the rain making small pitter patter sounds on windows and the ground. They rode their horses down the streets for a moment, but still no one came.
The group was about to ride on more when Angeni put her arm out to stop them, her eyes flashing with danger sense. "Wait, everyone!" Her eyes narrowed as she looked around. "This isn't right. Something is wrong here....very wrong."
"Wha...what's going on here?" asked Prya, beginning to get frightened. There was a small scuffling sound from up ahead, and with a wave of his hand, Djoser signaled for them to ride on cautiously, then drew out his sword. A moment later they came upon an open square of the city, usually used for outside performances and open markets. Two figures were seated in the middle if it, huddled on their knees with their mouths covered and wrapped up in thick rope. As they got closer, the girls gasped as they saw it was none other than the mayor and leader of the city, his throat swollen in a grotesque way, and an older woman who was obviously his wife, shivering in the cold rain.
"Wu Zhang, sir!" shouted out Hun Li. She quickly jumped off her horse and rushed to the couple, and removed the coverings from their mouths as the others got off their horses and walked up to them.
"Quickly..." Lina said between breaths, "You have to get out of here, it's a trap! She'll come back and...and..." The older woman couldn't continue as she shuddered at the thought of it.
"What? "She"? What are you talking about?" Hun Li asked in confusion.
She turned and was about to ask if the mayor was alright when a tall, shadowy figure walked out of the darkness to the side and up to them, the rain making her green skin slick and shiny. "Why, she's talking about me, sweetheart. And she has every right to be frightened. And so should you."
Everyone turned in surprise to see who it was that spoke. Sabanti walked with cool confidence towards them, a smug smile on her face. She raised a hand, and with a flash, a long, silvery-colored sword pointed at them, its blade side razor-sharp. "Now be a darling and step away from those two, and hand me the Sacred Medallions you have."
"You're.....you're not Zain! Who are you?" demanded Jeneta. She immediately went in a defensive stance, ready to call on her sword to fight.
"Oh please, don't even compare me to that fool Zain, child!" shouted out the green-skinned demoness. She growled low in her throat and curled her lips. "The name's Sabanti, and you will find out that I'm not as nice as that pathetic man Zain. If you want to make it through this night alive, you will hand over the medallions. NOW!"
"Not before we give you hell for it first!" shouted Ling, her hands clenched. "I don't know who you are, but you obviously have no idea what you've got yourself into..."
Sabanti smirked at Ling's words. "Speak for yourself, little girl. Or do you want me to give you a little spanking first?"
Ling's jaw dropped to the floor in surprise, but before she could retort, Hun Li stepped up before them, her eyes narrowing. "That's enough!" She glared at the demon woman and clenched her fists. "You...you come in here, in MY town, harass my people, and humiliate our leader here. I won't let you get away with this. If you want to fight, you fight with me!"
"Humph....very well then, I supposed that might be honorable. As soon as I'm done with you, I'll deal with them." smiled Sabanti.
"Funny...I didn't think that an obvious skank like you would know the meaning of the word honorable!" taunted Hun Li, drawing out a sword from deep inside the folds of her thick coat.
Sabanti's eyes popped open in outrage at that taunt, then with a loud growl, she rushed forward towards Hun Li, her sword swinging everywhere. For what seemed like eternity, the two women fought heavily in the now pouring rain, their swords making loud clangs and sparks as they clashed hard with one another. Hun Li's swordsmanship was nearly unmatchable as she parried and thrust expertly, then jumping and flipping through the air. But Sabanti proved herself to be skilled too, as she blocked and parried herself, and dodging almost all of the cuts and swipes Hun Li threw.
"Is Hun Li going to be alright?" Ling asked worriedly, turning to Tao.
The young man looked up with worried eyes at his sister fighting, his lips in a tight line. "I hope so. No, I KNOW so. I believe in her..." he said softly.
Suddenly, Hun Li dropped to a crouch and kicked out her legs in a graceful sweep, knocking Sabanti's legs from under her. The demoness fell hard to the ground with a grunt, but immediately flipped back up in a fighting stance, her eyes narrowed and glowing yellow with rage...but also with a touch of respect. "Well, well....nobody has given me a good fight like that in a long time. But you must know I will not let you win this," she said, panting hard.
"Just as I assure you, that I will not let you win this." Hun Li answered, sweat mixing with the rain pouring down her face. The two women stared each other down for just a moment, then they rushed towards each other with a loud yell and started fighting again. Sabanti growled and swiped her sword in the air where Hun Li's head was just a moment before, intending to cut it off, but the young woman ducked down just in time to avoid it. Then just as Hun Li stood up, Sabanti yelled again, but this time she wrapped her arm around Hun Li's neck in a tight choke hold. The two struggled, but then Hun Li raised her arm and jabbed her elbow into Sabanti's side hard.
The woman let go of her, but before she could retaliate, Hun Li clenched her fist and punched the green-skinned woman hard in the face, knocking her to the ground with a grunt. The demoness fell away onto the mud and lay there for a moment, the wind knocked out of her.
Hun Li looked at her opponent in a disgusted way, then turned to walk away, intending to go back to the group of friends and brother. She did not see Sabanti's eyes snap open. Ling shouted with joy and was about to rush to the young woman when she suddenly saw movement behind Hun Li. Sabanti was already on her feet, and there was a flash of something metallic in her hand. It took a second for Ling to see what it was, but it was too late.
"Hun Li, LOOK OUT!" The woman never saw Sabanti rush up behind her, and her body went rigid and stiff as the evil demon woman stabbed her deeply in her side with her hidden dagger. Slowly, Hun Li slumped to the ground as blood poured out of her wound. Her eyes were wide with shock, and a moment later, she strangely felt no pain.
"NOOOO! HUN LIIIIIII!" screamed out Ling, rushing out in a run to her. Ignoring everything else, she dropped by the young woman's side and held her hand, trying to give her comfort. They never felt the night's rain fall down on them in cold drops, drenching them.
"Hun Li, come on, you can't leave us now! You'll be okay, right? Please, you have to get up!" Ling pleaded. She squeezed the woman's hand as though to give her some of her own strength as the others rushed up beside her, but she could already feel Hun Li's hand growing cold, despite the rain.
Hun Li barely had strength to speak, and could only weakly squeeze back Ling's hand with an ever so soft smile, as though assuring her that everything will be okay. Her eyes then turned to look up at her brother, tears running down his eyes. Barely noticeable, she nodded her head. In her eyes were the words that only he could hear..."take care of her, and make sure they all finish their journey". Then closing her eyes, Hun Li breathed her last.
"H...Hun Li?" Ling's eyes widened in disbelieve. No, it couldn't end like this....not when they were all so close! The woman had only just begun to become the closest thing to a big sister to her, and now...she was gone. How was she supposed to go on now, who was she supposed to look up to now as a role model, an idol? Confusion swept through her, and no words could be found as she sobbed. Then looking up, she saw Sabanti still standing there off to the side, a smug smile on her face.
"YOU!" screamed out Ling in rage. "You killed her! How could you?! You'll pay for this! I'll kill you myself, I swear!" She jumped up and was about to rush at Sabanti when Djoser rushed up and grabbed her around her waist.
"Ling, no! There's been enough bloodshed!" the dark-skinned man said softly.
But the Chinese girl was too enraged and grief-stricken to hear any words. The cold rain and sweat plastered her black hair to her head as she continued to scream and wave her arms madly and kicking her legs to free her herself from Djoser grip. "You didn't have to kill her! I'll get you for this, I swear, you psychotic bi-!
"Tut, tut, tut!" Sabanti cut her off before she could finish her word. "Young ladies don't curse! she taunted, waving her finger "no". Then with a chuckle, she turned away. "Well, looks like my work here is done. But don't think this is over. We'll meet each other again, and I swear, you will NOT get the remaining Sacred Medallions. Ta now!" With a flash and shimmer in the air, the demon woman disappeared, leaving the group to once again grieve for another fallen friend as lightening streaked across the sky.
Her energy spent after her outburst, Ling just went limp in Djoser's arms and wept, her heart feeling as though it would break in two as the rain continued to fall.
********************************
To Be Continued...
*********************************