Chapter 3

Bad Luck

The forest was sick. That was apparent.

Wu and Sky climbed the stairs of the ruins, they had just spoke to a Lord Yun to gain a wind map Wu had to discover and fix the Sothern Forest.

'So, tell me about yourself Sky.' Wu's musical voice broke the silence as his thought's turned a little dark.

Sky laughed, ' Well, You know that eight years ago my wife died giving birth to Pinmei. But my daughter was something precious in return.' His eyes flashed down, loosing his wife was hard. ' But before that my life was less… uh.. Stable.'

Wu turned very fast, Sky raised his arms in self defence. She laughed and beamed. 'I've got it! You were raised by a traveling cirques, weren't you!'

There was a moment of silence.

Sky laughed dashingly. 'Curses!' He spoke in a deep voice that he once used to go along with the joke Pinmei made. 'You uncovered my secret! Ha ha… No your not actually that far off. Both my wife and I operated outside the law. ' Wu's eyes narrowed in confusion.

'Not all women lift snobby nobles or stuffy scholars. My wife and I saw eye to eye on many things.'

Just then their was a shriek of the dead, and lost souls raised and attacked.

Wu's hands were suddenly on fire. Literally. 'Dire Flame!'

Fire was suddenly everywhere and the souls dropped like leaves in autumn. Sky defended himself against one but he was getting pushed back. The lost soul was just about to take his soul when a voice cried. ' Don't Move!'

Sky froze not even daring to breathe. A blast of fire barely missed his right ear as it blasted the lost soul in the face and disappeared along with the spirit.

Sky turned around to Wu. She stood straight with her eyes closed. She looked more powerful. Stronger.

When se opened her eyes there was new wisdom. As if she had just improved her skills automatically. ' You were saying?' Her voice rung more like a bell. confusing.

'Well, remind me of my wife. Except she was flighty while your intense, and she fought with nothing of your skill.'

She thought about that for a second chewing on her lips. 'Thank you.' She said sweetly. Sky's heart pounded under his robe. ' Do you think your connections can be useful?' A little lump popped up in between her eyes as she thought about the dark task in front of her. She started up at winding dirt path, passing graves that could have had valuables within them. But she turned a blind eye, for that would be to much of the Closed Fist.

'So.' Sky started a little awkward, as she jumped up onto a little boulder which gave him a view of her incredible back side. Shaking his head, and trying to get up the boulder without looking ridiculous. It didn't work to well. 'Tell me about you. Why are you the leader of this group? Why is there a group at all?'

Wu stopped. Sky walking stupidly into her. As she looked down at the ground. ' They've killed my friends, and my master is kidnapped, I have to also complete the Dragon Amulet.'

She turned around and pulled a chord on her neck, a unfinished amulet of a gold dragon, with little different coloured stones glistened against her tanned skin.

'Why would you need to complete that?' Sky took it is his hands and weighed it in his palm. He understood how women enjoyed jewellery but this was a little ecstatic?

She grabbed his hand pulling him to the mouth of a little cave. He blushed under the thoughts of what he could do occurred to him. But as soon as it was pitch black she let go.

' I can do something that no one can.' Came Wu's voice through the darkness. 'I am the last.'

A dull blue light began to glow as a crescent around Wu's head. Her face was screw up in concentration as she forced her blue crown to glow. But in the dim light of her own power, her beauty broke through truly. He knew. He knew now what she truly was. Though he had never seen one, his father's favourite story's made these people shine.

He drew close, without thinking. Placing his palm. Fingers wide in her fit stomach, while tracing her plump lips. Staring at the Spirit Monk glow.

Sky could really see it from up close, it was more like a million tiny light's shining around her head. He moved his hand from her lips and stroked the back of her hair, trying to find a attachment.

The light flickered and went out.

' Crap!' Wu swore. 'I can't hold it when I'm distracted. I don't have a good enough soul to hold it without a lot of effort.

'Left or Right?'

Wu stood in the middle, unable to decide. Temple or Pilgrims Rest?

'We might want to see if there is anyone that we can help up in Pilgrims Rest, Wu.' Sky offered. He did not care either was. But this Spirit Monk was getting ever so interesting.

She took off right, never hesitating as they watched for ghosts, and every time they came by one she danced with her legs kicking and balls of fire, and the dead cold silence of the forest clouded once more.

Slowly they moved up the stairs, as a rustle under the building sounded.

They were only men in Pilgrims Rest. How odd, when he was here their was waitresses and wives here too. All of them stared at Wu with wide grins and hungry eyes.

Sky was visited by an unexplained urge to swipe up Wu and run out of these men that all hungered for Wu.

Well, all except one.

At the top of the stairs A skinny man stared at Sky. They looked at each other for a long time, when the skinny older man mouth, very fast. " Run" .

There was a blast of energy and something tore through Sky's arm. A tiny thing with muscles of a grown man ripped the skin right off Sky's arm. Sky howled out, drawing his sabers.

'I'm suddenly very glad I didn't order anything from the kitchen.'

They weaved and spun killing off the little monsters.

'There's got to be a hundred of them!' Shrieked Wu, who was killing them in one blow.

After one wave was finished another wave came, Sky looked over to Wu again for a split second. She seemed exhausted and limping a her leg bled.

Sky, with a different desire now. To protect her, killed every one of these animals on his way. Back to back they killed the monsters desperately.

It slightly frightened Sky how much weight Wu pressed against him in support.

After it was over Sky slid his arm under her chest to keep her up. She did not shy away. Just breathed heavy.

'Thank you from saving me from those things.' The skinny man walked over meeting the two of them. 'My name is Hen Pecked Hou.'

Wu blinked for a moment and shook her head. ' Err… I'm Wu The Lotus Blossom… And… This is Sky.' She looked at him oddly. Though Sky was suppressing a laugh.

Hou's shoulder hunched forward. ' No sense dancing around it, you could have just asked.'

' My wife is… unique. To say her force is as strong as the Wall is a undertaken to her persistence. I could also make the same comparisons to her temper and the Imperial Army, but you get the picture.'

Wu frowned. 'You obviously don't like her. So why not just leave her?' She weighed closer into Sky forcing more of her delicate body to carve around is right side. It was very VERY distracting.

The man jumped and swung his body in a circle as whispered as if keeping it from someone beside him. ' You have no idea what your suggesting.' The man straightened up then. 'But, let me do more then thank you. Have you ever heard of the Drunken Master Style?'

'Of course, But I've never seen the style.'

Hou smiled ' I was a Master back in Phoenix Gate. It gained my fame, fortune,… and a wife.'

She nodded understandingly. 'Of course. So you can teach me?'

Hou patted her on the shoulder ' That's all I can do.'

'So it wears off quickly right?' Sky mumbled to Hou as he set down wine for Wu as she walked over to the middle of the field.

'After about five minutes. She won't be able to feel pain for that long either.' Hou answer blankly.

She began to dance again. Towards the ghost that was their target. After she smashed the bottle on the ground after chugging the wine hr movement became for sloppy. And she drunkenly destroyed the ghost.

'Whoo! Go Wu!' Sky cheered after she got back on her feet drunkenly. She smiled at him with an eyebrow cocked.

'Tank's gorgeous.' She smiled and waved her arms a Hou. 'Go to Tein's Landing. You'll find others there!' She barked. Angry.

Hou ran away from a drunk Wu. Sky smiled a little as she staggered drunkenly, injuries forgotten to the temple, with the clear temple crystal in hand. Sky began to count the minutes in his head.

After Wu had recovered from her drunken outburst she staggered behind Sky as she tried to recover her wounds with out his help.

Sky pictured himself in a tavern. And Wu and Dawn Star walking through the door. What would happen then?

Well that was obvious his heart would stop just like it had when he met her in the Pirates Lair. He would have walked over with his most dashing smile, offering her a drink. As soon as he got her away from Dawn Star he would have offered her the extra bed in his tent. She would have accepted. It was the only answer he would allow, then as soon as he got her alone. Oh, that would be the night. He would kiss her plump lips softly, wrapping his long fingers in her hair. Take out her ponytail, undo the bottom of her armour…

'Ah!' Wu screamed from behind Sky, pulling him out of his fantasy. He twirled to see that she had lost balance and fallen into a thorn bush.

'Stay still!' he cried slowly picking her out of the bush. ' He set her on a rock, swiftly pulling thorns from her body. She again did not move away from his touch.

'Today is not your day my friend.' He laughed as he moved to her leg. The wound had many thorns in it. It would do more damage to pull out the thorns, ' Almost killed by a fox spirit, injured by cannibals, having to travel with a unhelpful bastard.'

She frowned confused. ' No your not.'

'That's not what you said twenty minutes ago.' He laughed. The sky was beginning to flush a dull colour. It would be night soon.

' I'm sorry. You've been a bigger help then you realize' She shook her head. 'This place messes with your brain.'

'You can always tell me to leave you know.' Sky said. Not that he wanted to. There was a new type of desire that he cherished for this women.

She shook her head and stood up. ' Not going to happen.'

She turned her back and walked towards the temple, liming slightly from her wound.

There was a laugh. And a huge Black haired man attacked Wu.

She danced again, just a little slower. More careful from her wound. The man lunged forward but was easily defeated.

The man smiled and they started a conversation. Sky did not pay attention though. He was in his own fantasies again.

'You and the pretty boy over there. You must make good silver to have your own eunuch.' Nodding at Sky.

Did he mean me? Sky though angrily. Really nice, what do you think I am? A man-whore?

'Ha!' Sky laughed covering up his annoyance ' Your going to fit right in! You like to dice correct?'

The big man shrugged. ' Sure, Can't say I'm good at it though. Can never remember the rules!'

'Prefect, Just… Perfect. Wu? Wu!'

Sky caught her before she hit the ground. Spear Catches Leaf walked up slowly. ' I wondered when the poison would get to her.'

Sky pulled Wu close. In case of danger. ' What poison?' Fearing the big man poisoned her.

Spear Catches Leaf crouched down putting his hand on her forehead and the brushing against the thorns in her wounds. ' Red Killer thorns. They're deadly.'

Sky's stomach dropped. 'Help her!'

Spear Catches Leaf took her in his arms. ' Send word to your fellows to come to the temple. I will need all of them.'

'Wu!' Shrieked Dawn Star as she ran to the small cushion on which The Lotus Blossom lay with a cloth over her face. Dawn Star hugged her, and she groaned.

'Do not touch her.' instructed Leaf. He gave dawn Star and Wild Flower a small picture each. 'Go find the each of these herbs. They are in the area.'

Wild Flower offered Dawn Star her hand looking terrified of the forest. Dawn Star smiled and took it. Leaf looked to the men. ' Who here has the steadiest hands?'

Zu stepped forward. It had to be true. His hands were deadly still.

Spear Catches Leaf instructed him to VERY slowly pull out each of the thorns while Hou help a cloth to the wound to slow the fast bleeding. Moaning in pain every time, u did not struggle. She was too passed out.

As soon as Dawn Star and Wild Flower were back, The Black Whirl wind was instructed to go find the strongest wine. And not to drink it. Cussing, he fell out of view.

'Sky,' Leaf said while everyone was making up their bed rolls. He held a damp cloth in his fist. ' Where ever you see her sweat, wipe clean. She will be out for a couple days while the antidote sits. But cooling her down will improve her health by a fair margin.

Dawn Star probed up onto her elbow and looked across the fire. ' Two days? We have to leave here by then.'

Spear catches Leaf smiled. 'There is no rushing health child, any sooner and the antidote will not work and she will die. Just think the two days as Down Time.

eunuch eu·nuch A man or boy whose testes have been removed or have never developed.