Chapter 2
Mai slept longer and sounder than she normally would have during the night and into the morning, but she was having good dreams about her father and his swordsmanship skills. She dreamt about him and the courageous men who kept the large city safe. Her father had told her the story of the nineteenth siege so many times, she could vividly visualize it when she closed her eyes...
The invaders, numerous thousands of them, began the march on the large walls of the city, armed with cannons and catapults. As they reached the base of the wall, they fired. The wall was hit hard, but not completely penetrated. Because there were so many siege weapons and because the weapons were sychronized to fire simutaneously, the army was immobile for more than 3 minutes, loading immense rocks and tons of gunpowder.
After the third shot, the men were tiring from lifting the voluminous ammunition. They moved slower, their bodies weary. But, their hearts were joyful! Soon, the wall would split, and they could storm the city. The long and demanding war would end, and the army could finally go home!
One soldier toward the front of the vicious array noticed shadows on the wall. Upon closer inspection, they appeared to be large spiders stealthly moving down ropes tied to the top of the wall. "Look!" he cried. Unfortunately, his call of warning came too late.
Mai's father led the pack of warriors. He was much younger and more agile then, and held the now-framed, golden broadswords at his side. His grey hair was then black, with the kind blue eyes fierce and determined. As he advanced on the soldiers, the slow-witted soldiers drew their guns too slowly. He lept and swiftly struck, slashing two cannons in half, then rolled and plunged his swords into the soldiers working the cannons.
By this time, the other swordsman had reached the front line, and were wreaking just as much havok. But, everyone's eyes were on Mai's father. He was rolling and leaping, taking out four or five soldiers at a time. Within three minutes, half of the massive invasion force was on the ground, either dead or bleeding profusely. The masters quickly disposed of the cannons and the catapults, as the city was already armed enough.
Suddenly, the dream changed. Mai was seeing the dream from her father's eyes. Instead of outside the city's walls, she was in the courtyard of the Forbidden Place. All around her, people lay dead or dying, both in white uniforms and grey uniforms. A feeling of grief was all over the interior of her body, and threatened to completely overtake her. She seemed to be seeing the world in red. As her eyes scanned the palace, a spiritual wave of emotion hit her like a train. It was unbearable.
As she turned on her heel to leave the eerie courtyard, a slash of pain erupted through her body, originating from her chest. She looked down and saw a silver blade through her chest. As the immense pain spread throughout the body and blood began to squirt from the wound, she simply fell to her knees and accepted the assured death...
Mai shot up in bed for the second time that night. Another night dreaming about death. Why did the subject constantly float into her subconscious mind during the nighttime. She turned to look out the window, the sole source of light for the room, and saw that the sunrise was just beginning. Mai climbed out of her small bed and got dressed, her mind still dwelling upon her malicious dream.
"Who was it meant for?" she muttered quietly. "My father or myself?"
After dressing, she started down to leave the house and eat her morning meal outside. Mai had long since memorized the maze of hallways and doors. The only sound that could be heard was the quiet Thump! of her slippers as they swiftly touched the metal of the tunnel-like passageways. Mai was not in a hurry, she never was, it was just her manner of moving. She always moved hastily, sometimes without even knowing it.
As Mai reached the sitting room, and pushed on the door to exit the manor, a familiar voice came from behind her.
"Where do you think you're going?"