Chapter 257

Chapter 257

Letting loose with a tiny shriek, Milas sleepiness vanished as an icy, wet object pressed into the small of her back. Suppressing her panic, she threw aside the covers and found the intruders staring back at her, two bear cubs and a hare-girl with matching scarves and smiles. Morning Mi-Mi, Lin cheered, hugging the offending cold-nosed cub. Wakey wakey, its lunch time ya?

Stop sneaking in and ruining my mornings. Milas scowl faded as the free cub threw his fat furry head into her arms. At least she hadnt rolled off the bed again, her cheeks heating at the memory of being trapped in the confines of her warm quilt as she tumbled to the stone floor. Purposely ignoring Lin, she cuddled with the affectionate fifty kilogram cub as it grunted with joy. Hello my sweetling. Yes, I missed you too. Mean old Lin is always stealing you both away, how terrible of her. Isnt she the worst. They were so soft and adorable, if only theyd stay this size forever, but they were growing larger by the day.

Nothing good could last forever.

Crawling over to join them, Lin rested her head on Milas shoulder with a feigned pout. Im sorry. Dont be mad Mi-Mi, but its not morning anymore and Im hungry. If I waited until you woke up, Id starve.

Fine, but theres no need to steal under the blankets to wake me, is there?

Unrepentant, Lin nodded. Its the safest method, most effective method, ya? Otherwise you snarl, snort, swing your arms around, everything but wake up. Sleepy Mi-Mi is adorable, but sleeping Mi-Mi is scary and dangerous.

Pinching the girl on the cheek, Mila retorted, Lies and slander. I neither snarl nor snort. The rest wasnt her fault, waking up swinging was a survival mechanism learned from Mamas surprise training exercises. The inability to wake... well that was just how the Mother made her.

Grinning impishly, Lin asked, Well why dont we ask Rainy if thats true?

Sensing defeat, Mila huffed and changed the subject. As if Second Grade Warrant Officer Falling Rain has time in his busy schedule for little old me. Hes all but forgotten about us since returning home, escaping into the mountains to play soldier. Its been an entire week since Ive seen his face and I say good riddance.

I miss him too Mi-Mi, but we hafta be strong. Rainy is a busy man, hes making his bandits stronger so he doesnt have to rely on those stinky, lazy monkeys to protect him.

Which of your ears heard me say I missed him? And youre a hare-brained fool if you think those bandits will ever be the match of Argat or Jochi. Granted, Mila had a few choice words in store for those two half-macaque idiots after they returned. No wonder they volunteered for the thankless task of staying on the bandit isle, hoping to avoid Baatars ire after making a mess of their one job, keeping Rain safe.

Tasked by Milas Senior Martial Brother to protect his disciple in secret, Argat and Jochi used their anonymity to sneak off and have fun at the worst times. Even after the debacle with the Council assassins, the pair of bodyguards were still too ashamed to come clean and admit their faults, joining the group without a word of explanation and letting everyone think they were part of the other retinue. Not even Gerel knew Argat and Jochi were Rains bodyguards so he didnt think twice about ordering them along on the scouting mission, which they joined without protest. After finding signs of a Defiled army marching for Sanshu, they were truly riding on the back of a tiger and finding it difficult to get off, abandoning their responsibilities and leaving Rain unguarded in the midst of a Purge just to save face.

Idiots of the highest order.

Rudely awakened and reminded of their failings, Mila started her day in a foul mood, brushing her hair and half-listening to Lin grumble about hunger and boredom. Out of all the retired Sentinels in the Saints Tribulations Mountains, why couldnt Baatar find a pair of trustworthy guards for Rain? On the same note, why did Mama ask Tenjin and Tursinai to guard Mila? Talented as they were, the young couple were far from the best available and though Mamas training was harsh and dangerous, she always made sure Mila was well protected. Until recently, Mila attributed her lack of elite guards due to the Bridge being under siege, as Rains bandit hunting hardly warranted the extra precaution, but during the celebration of their return, shed noticed something amiss.

Rains status among the People was sorely lacking and for the life of her, she couldnt understand why.

Ignoring all else, as the youngest Second Grade Warrant Officer in history and undisputed number one talent of the North, Rain should have been the centre of attention during the celebrations. While the soldiers and citizens of the Empire received him warmly, the older members of the People avoided him like a plague and most of the younger generation followed suit. Even Mamas and Papas old war buddies avoided Rain, choosing to wait until he was absent before coming to greet her and slipping away upon his return. Far as she could tell, hed never even heard of them before much less met them. Strange considering most held positions of authority in the Sentinels or their respective villages and had strong ties to Mama and Baatar.

Though Rain neither noticed nor took offence, the outright contempt and discourtesy had Mila fuming with rage. It wasnt right, Rain brought great honour to the People with his latest accomplishments, yet he went unacknowledged by those who mattered. Her parents refused to explain why it was so and outright asking those old farts only earned her half-hearted denials and awkward excuses. A mystery to be sure, but her persistence bore no fruit this past week. Every time she lauded Rain to one of the older generation, the best she got was a nod or polite smile before someone changed the subject. Only the former Bannermen who brought Rain to the village treated him well, some helping him train bandits while others accepted positions in his now thriving company.

It wasnt fair, but recent events had drawn back the curtains of optimism covering her eyes. The Mother was a harsh mistress, demanding everything and promising little in return, while the Empire offered even less. Why should the People be any different?

Oh? You seem in a foul mood this afternoon. Mamas snide tone did nothing to improve Milas temper, barely managing to refrain from snapping back. No sense poking the dragon, Mama wasnt above giving Milas bottom a hard swat. Lips pursed and back straight, Mama crossed her arms and shook her head as Mila took a seat beside her. So dramatic. What am I to do with you, girl? Mama asked, leaving no time to reply. Ai, where did I go wrong? Who ever heard of a grown woman sleeping until noon? Perhaps I should thank the boy for taking you off my hands, for who else would accept such a slovenly wife? Patting Songs head as she set the table, Mama added, Learn from your sister, see how diligent and attentive she is? Song, come sit, youve been on your feet all morning. Mila, finish setting the table.

Stifling her jealousy, Mila jumped to obey. She was happy for Song, she really was. Shed always wanted a little sister and the poor girl deserved all the love and affection Mama and Papa had to offer, but Songs earnest efforts and disciplined routines shone a bright light on Milas failings. Mama and Song shared so many similarities it bordered on the eerie, two women cut from the same practical and industrious cloth. They both worked hard and spoke little, their distant attitudes often mistaken for cold indifference. In contrast, Mila was more like Papa, lackadaisical and carefree unless inspiration struck, a social butterfly who preferred sport and distraction over utilitarian training. In short, despite having close ties like mother and daughter or Mentor and Disciple, Mila couldnt be more different from Mama.

Ten silvers on seventeen exchanges!

Overconfident fool. Twelve silvers, twenty-five exchanges.

Hmph, if the match lasts twenty exchanges, this granddaddy will eat his boots. Twenty silvers, fifteen exchanges.

Putting the noise out of mind, Mila clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes, reviewing what she knew about her opponent. Say what you will about his hateful character or shameless behaviour, Zians talents were first-rate. Speed, power, coordination, he had it all, paired with a deep understanding of the Forms and a talent for improvisation. Yesterdays Zian was already gone, replaced by a smarter, better Zian, improving with each match while Mila languished and stagnated, the gap between their martial skills closing bit by bit. Yesterday, the bout lasted seventeen exchanges, so twenty-five wasnt so far a stretch.

No. No more holding back to hone her martial skills. Today, she would go all out and show him the true difference between them.

Ready, Young Master? Jukai asked, officiating the spar. Zian nodded, twirling his blunted sabers. There was no hesitation in his eyes, only grim determination.

Ready, Mila declared in answer, falling into her stance and Reinforcing her body, prepared to unleash every bit of power available to her.

Begin.

Her spear flashed out the moment Jukai spoke, aimed at Zians throat. Leaping back as she advanced, he slapped her spear once, twice, thrice to no effect, the spear still unerringly headed towards him. Eyes wide with surprise, Zian sidestepped, hoping to slip past her guard while still unable to understand why his parry failed time and time again. Hmph, easier to uproot a tree with bare hands than divert Milas full powered thrust. Growling, she shifted her stance and kept her prey in her sights, drawing her spear back for a second thrust. Feinting high, she stopped the spear short and charged ahead, crashing into her opponents chest shield first. Caught off-guard, Zian backpedalled away but her boot snapped out and caught him mid stride. Tumbling back headfirst, his feet planted into her gut in an effort to stay her hand, realizing that if her spear descended, it would nail him to the stage, blunted or not.

And just like that, the spar ended.

Three exchanges. Her best record yet.

Laying on his back, Zian snarled and cursed as his Aura slammed into Mila, freezing her in place. Digging deep, she fought the waves of overwhelming terror with heated rage, her spear raised and ready to deliver the killing thrust. Victory would be hers, if she could only control her quivering muscles, but the effort was futile.

Her struggle lasted only a heartbeat before his Aura overwhelmed her, the strength fading from her legs as she collapsed on the stage. Tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to cry, unleashing the full force of her glare, the only measure of defiance left to her. Every day the same thing, this hateful, unprincipled, thick-skinned, son of a mule. Unable to defeat her in a fair spar, he'd unleash his Aura before she struck the final blow, robbing her of both pride and victory. To make matters worse, Jukai declared Zians victory, his Chi-infused voice carrying over the crowd's jeers and boos.

This marked eight matches and eight losses, the hateful bastard intent on paying her back with interest for assaulting him on Yo Lings island. No matter how hard she trained or powerful she became, without Aura or someone to help her block it, Mila was a fish upon the chopping block when facing Zian. It didnt matter that he relied on Aura to achieve victory, it was merely a skill she lacked the means to counter. If Mila won using her prodigious speed and strength, shed pay no mind to his cries or complaints either.

To his credit, Zian didnt gloat or taunt her, merely studying her in silence before turning to leave. His Aura lingered until he was out of sight, the terror melting away as fury and indignation rose in its place. Tossing the practice weapons aside, she ignored the crowd's curses and consolations and hopped onto Atir, riding back to Rains ger with all haste. Slamming the door behind her, she buried her head in his pillow and cried with all her might, unleashing all her sorrows and frustrations.

Stupid Zian and his stupid Aura, taking advantage of her stupid pride. Stupid Rain and his stupid bandits, too busy to come avenge her. Stupid Lin and stupid Song, running off and leaving her to face humiliation on her own. Stupid Mama for not coming out to help and stupid Papa for not noticing.

Stupid Emperor, abandoning the Western Province without a second thought. Hundreds of millions of innocent people forsaken and left for dead. Not even the barest efforts made to save them from the Defiled, a cruel, callous decision which shocked her to the core. What was the point? If the Emperor could abandon the West, whats to stop Him from abandoning the North? Why fight for an Emperor who cared nothing for His people?

Alone in Rains bed, Mila mourned the Western Province alongside her crushed hopes and dreams. All her life shed dreamed of becoming a Hero of the Empire like Mama, only to find the title worth less than dog shit.

What was she supposed to do now?

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