The fight wasn't as challenging as I had expected. We cleared out the pit faster than any war I have been a part of. With a few slashes of my sword and Honger's fast footwork, the ghosts were gone in an instant. Then again, we are a ghost king and a martial goddess. Honger piled the bodies and made sure not a single Banyue soldier remained down here.
"Ruoye!" my brother's voice echoed.
"Honger," I said with a dark voice. The fabric of this uniform is thick enough to hide open wounds and can act as a full-body bandage. Honger nodded and went flying to catch my brother. I leaped against the walls to catch Kohana and Kiyoshi. Kohana must have tried to get out of the pit with her tails and realized she couldn't get out. She panicked for a second before realizing it's me. Kiyoshi hid his face in Kohana's shoulder. I created an ice path leading to the walls. We slid down to the floor. It was easy, much like the battle down here. We both landed on our feet. Kohana handed me the shaking little boy. I felt another cut open along my scars under my clothes.
"Oh, Kiyoshi," I said as I held him close and began to soothe him by petting his head. He looked up and began to cry.
"Mother!" he cheered as he wrapped his arms around my neck. I heard a pair of silver-chained boots land with a jingle, while another landed with a thud. I looked over, and there was Honger carrying Flower Sword bridal style. I smirked. I knew what Honger was planning. I looked away and focused on Kemo, who was face down in the dirt.
"You haven't changed, Kemo," I said in the limited language of Banyue I could remember. He looked at me with an angered expression. The most I can see down here are outlines, thanks to my power. He didn't make the expression he made the last time I visited. "No, remember?"
Gods above, I sounded like a toddler with that line. He finally recognized me.
"Snow general!" he spat. He knew what would have happened if he had threatened people I know.
"warned you," I responded with the authoritarian tone I used when I would train the soldiers at new Xianle. He began roaring something I couldn't understand. I held out my sword. I felt Flower Sword's gaze on me. My sword more so. The bottom of the sword is real; the rest is just ice. The more Kemo roared, the more I didn't understand. Brother began talking to him. I really need to brush up on the Banyue tongue. I did hear something along the lines of "you and that she devil of ice killed my men," and something after that I didn't catch.
He rushed at us. Honger and I were the ones he targeted. Honger made a quick side step before leaping up into a spinning motion with Flower Sword in his arms. he tapped Kemo's forehead with the tip of his boot before flying backwards. Kemo was launched like he was punched in the face with incredible force. I slowly made my way to them. Kemo hit the wall by the time it stopped beside them. Kohana stayed a ways away. She trusts me. Even though we have only been around each other with our own secrets for the last two years. all she has said is that someone she used to trust killed the people who raised her and her best friend.
"You can put me down now," brother said.
"I've got you, don't worry," while Honger adjusted him in his arms. I held Kiyoshi in my arms just as tight. Kemo came back, trying to hit me this time. i dodged and myself right foot up and kicked him hard enough to knock him away and up into the air. He tried to land a kick on Honger and Xie Lian. Honger blocked the kick. He tried to crush me, but I used the ice to block it. The ice cracked. Brother will be at me for a while about my missing sword, but for now, I am going to remain silent about that. Kemo was charging again. Kiyoshi sent dark energy his way. Kemo dodged and went for his brother, who is still in Honger's arms.
"Ruoye!" Flower sword ordered as the white silk whipped the large man in the face before sending him flying. he landed with a sturdy thud.
"This isn't fair, you outnumber me, curse you five," he growled as Kohana made an insulted noise.
"What did I do?!" she called as she threw her arms out at her sides. "I wasn't even a part of this!"
Kemo doesn't understand what she is saying. I began to speak in the Banyue tongue again with the limited words I have.
"Kemo," I ordered. He stumbled back slightly. He isn't going to back off yet, "She no understand. She is not part of issue."
"My Shiejie is right," Honger said as he left to set my brother down. There is a little of banyue that I can recall, thanks to the constant chatter here, but not enough for me to put full sentences together.
"Where?" I asked in the Banyue language. Kemo gave a glare my way. "Where Ban Yue?"
He was about to stand until he heard my question. I set Kiyoshi down, and he hid behind my legs. Kohana stood close by. Brother and Honger came back and heard my question.
"Ban Yue, traitor!" he roared. he started saying something I didn't understand. I turned to both of the boys, and they translated.
"above the pit." I froze. Little Ban Yue was hanged above the pit. I turned back to Kemo and gave an order in BanYue.
"Answer me." I gave a dark glare that Kemo could clearly feel. "Why hang her?"
He said something like betrayed them and will be hanged a thousand times. Then I remembered.
"Pei Xue?" I asked him. he stood up with a new fire in his eyes.
"You know him?" he asked me. Brother and Honger were watching as the giant came closer.
"Met," I said, then turned my head and saw brother needed an explanation. "Explain, then we'll help you."
I pointed to Flower Sword, and he understood. he began to explain to them. Kemo knows I wouldn't break a promise. not intentionally. I turned to Kiyoshi and sat with him. Kohana stood between Kemo and i. she has every right to feel uneasy around him. besides. We still don't know if Ban Yue will come down here. We sat in silence until Kemo finished explaining and turned to me. I looked to him while Kiyoshi hid again. "Ban Yue" and "Preceptor" were all I could understand.
"Ban Yue is the preceptor?" I asked. I understand a little more than when we started. I interacted with little Ban Yue, and she managed to help with dialogue. As a little girl and as an adult, I met her when she was out and about. Kemo nodded to me. I looked at the ground, trying to piece together what in the world happened to Ban Yue. something that sounded like wind came down. I turned my face to the sky above us. A person in dark-clad robes came down with swift movements like a bird. She created a purple source of light as her hood fell and she floated down. I'd know that face anywhere in the kingdom. She hasn't changed since I met her. She slowly floated down. The light was a flame. I stood on my feet while Honger blocked the view of Flower Sword.
"Ban Yue," I said as she landed. She looked in my direction, and she lit up slightly.
"General Xie?!" She was clearly amazed I was still around.
"Hey, little one." I smiled behind my mask. She was, of course, trying to keep to the point of her arrival. She gave a smile before going back and looking at the deceased around us.
"What happened here, General?" she asked Kemo. She looked at him at a side glance from a pile of bodies.
"What do you mean?" growling with his teeth in a clenched and gritted manner. "They're all dead!"
"How are they all dead?" she asked after a moment.
"It's because of you! you threw them down here in the first place!" he started roaring. Ban Yue twitched towards my brother and Honger.
"Who else is here?" She turned her body to begin to walk towards them. Honger was back to his teenage form. But his hair was undone this time. He gave a glance and a cheeky smile to my brother. She walked closer until something sounded above us again. a roar of some kind. all of us looked up again, and a bright flame appeared as the barrier had been shattered by the flames. The flame was a familiar gold and crimson like ordinary fire. Kiyoshi hid. I took out my sword when the creature landed. Its fist struck the ground as it landed. I saw its face of flames. I felt tears prick my eyes, and my heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest to reach her. The flame creature stood high, taller than me by some. She looked around till she saw me. She and I held eye contact as I felt a tear escape my eye. My sword was down and touched the dirt we stood on. She began to walk towards me. I couldn't help but smile as she came close. She stood before me. I lifted my free hand and touched her face. I didn't see what anyone was doing. Kiyoshi looked out and saw my hand on this creature's face.
"Hey..." I said as I felt my voice crack a little. "A-yoong, my love."