After Kendra and Jin came out of the bathroom together, Scott and the bodyguard, named Mike, just shrugged it off and invited Jin to have lunch with them.

Kendra still felt a little queasy, so she nibbled on some protein bars as Jin and her father shoveled in fried rice and bok choy like nobody's business. Mike noticed Kendra looking a bit ill and sympathetically patted her back. Kendra was surprised by this gesture and smiled at him. The guard bushed a little and looked away, pulling a mango out of his bag, as well as a smell knife. He began skinning the fruit and cut juicy parts off and handing them to Kendra.

"Eat this; fruit is good for many things." He rumbled.

Kendra took the pieces and popped them in her mouth. The golden juice calmed the unrest in her stomach and cured the bitter taste of the bile in her mouth.

Jin burped loud and long, causing everyone to stare as she calmly wiped her mouth afterwards. She noticed them looking at her intently, so she finished wiping her mouth and stated, "I liked it very much."

Then Scott burped loudly as well, dissolving the tension. They all laughed, except Mike, who cracked a small smile.

"Shall we go to see the Terracotta Warriors now?" Kendra's father asked,

Jin smiled, "I have not seen that yet, I was saving it for last. May I accompany you?" She asked, looking towards Kendra.

Kendra nodded and stood, "Yeah, sure!"

So they all went together to the architectural site and looked around, Kendra kept an eye out for a sword or an obvious sign of one.

Jin was looking around too, but unlike the serious Kendra, she was excitedly looking at everything, pouring over the information displayed, watching the tourists, and ardently examining the statues with binoculars.

Kendra wished she could be as carefree as Jin, but her anxiety made it hard for her to focus on pretending to have fun.

Mike scanned the area for possible threats, as he was taught to do, his eyes glanced over the Chinese girl that accompanied them, but then slid back to her.

Kendra scanned the statues for any clue, but found nothing… Until her light-perceptive eyes caught a glow from one of the soldiers in the back.

Jin saw her new friend's eyes stop and focus on one of the terracotta soldiers, she smiled. "Is there one you like the most?" She asked cheerfully. "I like that one, personally." She said pointing to one of the other statues, Kendra distractedly glanced at Jin, but didn't focus.

That's the one.

Jin pulled a flat stone slab engraved with Chinese characters on it and held it out in front of her. The characters began to glow faintly with blue light. The light caught Kendra's eye, but too late. It was also too late for Mike to do anything before ghostly blue light restrained him, holding him to his spot a few feet away.

"You are too easy to fool, Kendra Sorenson." Jin chuckled and leaped down into the pit where the terracotta warrior faintly glowed.

"No!" Kendra protested, unbelievingly. What do you expect, Kendra? You only knew her for an hour or so, how could you possibly have trusted her? Her mind scolded her as she struggled against her bonds.

"It's no use; my ancestor will keep you securely bound until I ask them to let you go." Jin shouted back up at Kendra, smirking at Kendra's frustration.

"So, she's a Zǔxiān xiōng tú." Mike growled and gritted his teeth.

"Sorry, what?" Scott asked, standing in perplexity, totally unbound, but very much frozen in confusion.

"An ancestor wielder. They are able to summon the spirits of their ancestors using a stone grave marker. Now…" He turned his head slightly to glare at Scott.

"Er… Yes?" Kendra's father blanched.

"Stop her."

"Agh, I really can't." Scott muttered, shrugging his shoulders helplessly.

"Dad! You have your alchemy, potion, and chemistry set! You can still do something!" Kendra shouted at her father.

Mike held the father's gaze sternly, "Do your part for the mission. That ancestor wielder doesn't believe you are a threat. Here is where you prove her wrong."

Scott swallowed heavily and turned to the railing where in the pit Jin could be seen chanting and summoning more ancestors to help her remove the magical seal on the terracotta statue. He dug through his backpack and pulled out a vial filled with something green and wriggling. He dropped it over the edge and the vial broke. He then took out his water bottle and poured the rest of the water somewhat on the small, green worm-thing.

Then it got big. Really, really big.

"I freeze dried it." Scott stated nonchalantly as the giant, spiny, walking cactus monster stomped over to Jin and sung a spiny, club-like arm. Jin dodged and the arm hit the magical barrier around the statue.

The tourist's screamed or stood confused as tremors shook the place.

The monster swung again and almost made contact with the Chinese girl, Scott stood still, in awe of his own work.

"I did something magical! Did you see?! I did something magical!" He looked towards Kendra and Mike as breathlessly as a kid on a Holiday.

"Do you have acid number four in your collection?" Mike asked bluntly, killing most of Scott's enthusiasm.

"Yes?" Kendra's father said, digging though his pocket and pulling out another vial, this one with a gleaming, black liquid. "Why?"

"Pour some on our bonds, the spirits will melt."

"You certainly know your magic stuff, Mike." Scott said appreciatively and poured a small amount of the gunk on Mike's wrists. The spirits dissolved almost immediately, and Scott went over to Kendra next. Once Kendra was free, she hoisted herself over the railing and tumbled down the steep drop to the bottom of the pit.

Jin stood fending off Scott's cactus monster with her ancestors and was too busy to notice Kendra come running straight for the glowing statue. But once Kendra passed right in front of her, she realized her spirits were no longer restraining the other girl.

But in that moment when Jin was distracted, the cactus monster crashed an arm into her and sent her flying, her back hitting the wall forcefully, blood streaming from the needles that had pierced her skin.

Kendra didn't stop running till she had reached the statue, the barrier that stood before her and the statue glowed red and stopped her in her tracks. Scott and Mike caught up with her and examined the obstacle.

"Put some acid on it." Mike suggested, Scott complied, and the red light dissolved a little. He dumped more on and Kendra managed to slip an arm through the hole. She touched a hand to the glow in the soldier's chest and drew out of it a bronze sword.

It was short, but felt strong, and shone as if it was newly made even though it was thousands of years old. Kendra felt pride well up inside her and she took a step back, her new sword in her hand.

Mike clapped a hand on Kendra's back, "You did well, finding it. And you-" He turned to look at Scott, "Did well saving us. That cactus is truly a work of genius."

"Aww, shucks." Scott mumbled, feeling a bit bashful.

Kendra grinned and turned around, ready to go home with her prize, but then she saw Jin's mangled body, bloody and bent in odd places.

"Jin!" She choked and ran towards the other girl, but when she got there Jin was half-standing on her own, and glaring at her.

"You bitch! You think you can keep my destiny away from me?! I was meant to have that sword, not you! I will become an Eternal, and I will stop it nothing till I have that sword in my hands and you dead on that blade." The Chinese girl glared, then cried in pain and fainted.

Kendra shook in horror, "Why?!" She whispered.

Mike came over and pulled her away, "Leave her. That is the most merciful thing we can do. She's in no condition to act on her threat, let's go."

Kendra felt tears rained down her cheeks and heard her sobs, but she just felt hollow.

Why is betrayal a part of this world? Why vengeance? I wish it would all just go away…