You can find more of this on by Subscribe/Star (dot adult slash KajaWilder), it's posted past Ch. 20 there. You can find the same on my new (via Discord per their ToS), under /WildErotica. The DISCORD is at h-t_t-p_s-:_/-/_discord-._g-g_/-N9yDASt6Cw (taking out hyphens and underscores, 'cause FFnet). If you prefer direct links, go to my Discord and follow the 'links in general' section to find the ones you want. All of my fics are well ahead of what I post here, often 10-30 chapters ahead.

You can also read my original fiction on Kindle, or Kindle Unlimited for free. My author page: www ._amazon ._com / stores / Kaja-Wilder/ (this time taking out underscores and spaces, but leave the one hyphen).

Enjoy!

Chap. 11

"Why are you doing this?" Lin cried out, as he dodged left, an arm sweeping down to deflect his brother's, which held a wickedly sharp, already bloody knife from the first two swings. This time, he got lucky, and was uninjured.

His brother, Chen, sneered cruelly, a gesture most unlike his normal good nature, "It's your fault. Your fault they had to die, Lin! If you hadn't come here, we could've lived the rest of our lives in peace. You killed them, by coming back! I was only the blade in your hands!"

"No! I came to- to fight bandits!" Lin protested, following what he'd been taught to say even now, with his mother, and another brother, Jao, were bloody on the floor, eyes open in horror and terror, unmoving. Unbreathing. Dead. Corpses, like the friend he'd watched die at Hibonyi Valley, or the many bandits he and his men had fought since. "Not to kill you! I love you!"

"Yeah, well, we all hate you," Chen sneered again, "You always thought you were too good for us, too good to be a farmer!"

"No, I didn't-"

Another swipe, this one cut through his clothes, into the flesh on his stomach. He could feel hot blood welling, running down his front, but didn't think the cut was lethal. Yet, at least. "Chen, stop! I didn't, I sear!"

"You're the real Dai Li, the real monster," Chen growled, hissed, spat. No longer yelling, but almost softly, though his face was still twisted into a mockery of his normal jovial expression. Then, lightning fast, too fast even for Lin's semi-trained soldier's instincts to react, he was inside Lin's guard, the knife plunging into his chest, slipping between two ribs.

Everything happened so quickly, but it felt like an eternity as steel scraped against his ribs, slipping between them, cold metal parting skin, muscle, and deeper organs alike. "And now there's one less monster in the world," Chen whispered, before turning his back on Lin, as the world tilted around him. He did not remember his face hitting the floor.

Lin woke with a gasp. The room was quiet, dark, though he saw the old, familiar light of dawn creeping in through the curtains. The house was quiet still, but it was light enough that Lin was sure someone was up. His father, if he wasn't hung over, would be out in the fields along with Dei and Long. His burliest sister, Awul, would probably be taking care of the two oxen they owned, either milking them or hitching them up to help pull the wagon, as the first of the season's harvests was due any time.

When he had dressed, slowly because he'd slept in but was still drowsy and tired after the night's activities, Lin made his way out into the common area of the house, the shared living, dining, and cooking area where much of his family had been celebrating the night before.

Jao was sitting in his father's favorite chair, whittling on a piece of wood. He grunted as Lin entered the room, but didn't look up.

Lin was glad he didn't. The last time he'd seen Jao, half his throat had been cut open... by the very knife he was holding right now. He swayed on his feet, feeling very faint suddenly as the memory of the nightmare he'd woken from came back to him in a rush.

"You alright?" Jao asked, glancing up as Lin's hand slapped the wall to keep himself steady, "You look a little green."

"I'm fine," Lin lied, and took a deep breath to steady himself. The familiar scents of his family's home welcomed him: Cardamom, jasmine, cedar, bamboo, and of course beets, along with unwashed peasantry. It... it helped. At least, he told himself it did. The coppery tang in the air was just his imagination, wasn't it? A memory of a dream that wasn't real.

Jao was here, talking to him. Holding the knife? Well... that had been Chen in the dream, and it wasn't strange that his brother would be using that one to carve: it was the family's best carving knife. There was one question it raised, though. "Why aren't you working? Isn't it late?"

Jao shrugged and set the whittling down before the knife. Lin found himself watching his brother's every movement suspiciously for a moment, at least until he was unarmed, and stretched in the chair. "Mother wanted someone to keep an eye on you, since you were out late. I volunteered. You're welcome... I won't ask too many questions. I want to know who that girl was, though. One of your soldiers?"

"N- No, she's-" How could he tell Jao what she really was? He couldn't. Even the number of soldiers with them was being hidden if possible. The presence of Kyoshi Warriors would probably, almost certainly in fact, tip off the Dai Li.

"Camp follower?" Jao asked pointedly, a strangely judgmental look on his face, then. "You know Father always warned us against loose... well, you know. Not that I can blame you, she's certainly beautiful."

"No, I- She's not a camp follower," Lin muttered, blushing as he remembered not just Jao walking by as Ty Lee had kissed him against the wall of the house, but then gotten on her knees and sucked his cock to completion. "And I don't think she's a 'loose woman'." At least, not with other guys. I hope? I kind of got the impression Ty Lee has done... stuff... with the other Kyoshi Warriors, though.

"Then what? Tell me she's not your superior officer... that's no way to get ahead."

"Got head last night from her," Lin snorted... then blushed furiously, even worse than before.

Jao blinked, then snorted, laughing, "Yeah, right."

"No, I did," he muttered, "It... I didn't expect it. But once you were gone, she said something like, uh... what was it... 'it's hot, getting caught', then she... she got down on her knees, and... well, you know."

"Damn," Jao laughed. Lin looked up to see his brother's eyes wide, all laughter gone, "That look... you've never been a good liar. She really did, huh? How was it? I always wanted someone to do that to me, but all the village girls are taken or ugly. I even tried to get some time with a woman on the corners in Pingjin last season, but Father saw right through me, wouldn't give me the two Qing I thought I'd need."

This time, Lin shook his head, rolling his eyes, "If you just want a lady to do that, it'd probably only cost you one Qinq... if you aren't picky about, you know, her looks... or catching something you don't want from her. The cleaner, prettier ladies might be two or three Qing."

"Oh, you'd know?" Jao laughed skeptically, "You've always been to shy to even try and hit on the local girls. Two years in the big city, and you're suddenly a ladies' man? Last night aside, anyway. That was... surprising."

"Ugh... you're being stupid," Lin grumbled, "No, I'm not a- a ladies' man. And Qiquon isn't a 'big city', it's barely a blip on the map. Pingjin's... a medium-small city. And no, I've never, uh, hired a woman here, but I do hear what the men talk about. They were very excited that we stayed there for a night on our way here."

"Hm... maybe. That does seem more like you, I'll admit," Jao replied shrewdly, "but you still haven't said what that lady last night is to you. If she's not, you know, a camp follower, or your woman, then I might-"

"Stay away from her," Lin barked.

Jao flinched for a moment, then laughed, "Oh, so she is something to you, then. Come on, you know I don't gossip. Who is she? Some noblewoman's daughter who followed you all the way out here?"

"No! Fuck, drop it... she's dangerous, okay? That's what she is. Someone dangerous, someone you don't want to know about, get involved with, or get to know. Someone you don't... want holding things over your head."

Jao recoiled as if struck when he yelled, then leaned in seriously as he kept talking. "Do you need help, Lin? If she's dangerous, then... is she coming after you? Blackmailing you?"

He sighed, then dropped into the chair facing Jao, his mother's favorite one. "No... not... nothing like that. Yes, she has something over me, but I have it over her, too... maybe. Just leave it alone, okay? You don't want to know."

"It's bad, then."

Lin nodded and ran his hands through his dark hair, then down his face, pulling on the skin there. "Yes, it's bad."

"Alright. Well, I won't say anything," Jao promised, "Just... be careful. If she's dangerous, then watch your back. You know we've got yours, if it ever comes down to it, right? You can always just... I don't know, resign your commission and come back here, if things get iffy with... whatever you're doing. I presume it's not just hunting bandits."

Lin sighed, nodded again, then looked down at the floor, studiously clean planks several generations old now, warped and stained, beautiful. Home. "No. No. We're doing that, but it's... it's only a part. That's all I can say. Oh, speaking of... here."

Lin reached into his money pouch and pulled out several iron Chun, and one silver Wángzi coins. "This is about what I sent last time, the two that didn't make it. See that Father gets them, okay?"

His brother sputtered as he heavy coins fell into his hands, "Y- You- are you serious? Lin, this is more money than I've ever seen at once in my whole life. I don't think I've ever even seen a silver prince! I'm not even sure if Jo can meet that value!"

Lin shrugged, "Then let him trade for it. But yeah... I make a decent amount as a Lieutenant, now. It's... I couldn't pay our village's taxes, but I could pay for our family's, by myself, if I had to. And... look, I can't say why I got promoted. It's a- a military secret. But there's something I did, something... that they thought was worth keeping me around. It's... I can't talk about it. Just... take it. I don't think I earned it, and it will help you all."

Jao swallowed, then nodded. "I... Alright. I'll keep it safe, you've my word, Lin. But seriously, if... if this woman's dangerous, if this business that isn't hunting bandits is dangerous, then... be careful. Really. And not just so you can keep sending loads of money home."

This time, the soldier nodded seriously as he stood up straight again. "I will. I-"

Whatever he was going to say was interrupted by a knock, before a familiar voice, flat, expressionless, almost certainly not Ty Lee's, called through the door, "Zhōngwèi Lin? Zhōngwèi, are you there? It's time to move out."

If Jao thought anything was strange about a woman knocking on the door and asking for him, he said nothing. Only waggled his eyebrows suggestively with an amused smile on his face as Lin sighed, trying to look more put-upon than suddenly terrified, as he crossed the room to open the door.

Mai was standing on his family's stoop, dressed in a perfect replica of an EKMS female officer's uniform. "S- Sergeant?"

Without hesitating, Mai stood tall and snapped off a perfect Earth Kingdom salute, "Jūnshì Eina, Sir. I've been assigned by Captain Taijin to act as your liaison and assistant during your stay here. I'll run messages back and forth between you and the main camp, and whatever else you need, Sir."

Lin swallowed, the lump in his throat suddenly painful. Mai was far too beautiful to be acting as a lowly Sergeant, or his assistant! Her delivery had been flawless, just like everything she did, but no one would think the pale-skinned, statuesque woman, nearly as tall as he was, was his inferior officer! If anything, it would be the other way around.

Behind him, Jao whistled, "Hey, uh, Jūnshì Eina. I'm Jao, Lin's brother. He's happy to go with you. And, of course, you know, if you want to have a quiet night yourself, I'm sure our family would be happy to host you for the evening? While you're in the village, of course."

Lin winced.

Mai, seeming quietly amused despite her mostly deadpan, professional expression, glanced through the doorway at Jao, then nodded, "Perhaps if my duties permit, I'll take you up on that, sir."

There was definitely a difference, Lin noticed, in the way Mai said Sir, and sir. One that he knew Jao picked up on too, for he saw his brother wince out of the corner of his eye. Still, Mai turned to him, glanced up and down, the nodded, clearly satisfied by what she saw, "Good, you're ready to go. Captain Taijin wants us to begin soon, we should get going, if that's alright, Sir."

Lin swallowed. She was clearly eager to get started on... whatever they were doing, but also deferring to him. No doubt, she expected him to drop everything, but... well, really, what was stopping him? A conversation with Jao he didn't want to have about yet another beautiful woman in his life, one even scarier than the last one? "Y- Yes, of course, Sergeant. I'm ready now. Let's go. Goodbye, Jao."

"Bye! And it's a pleasure to meet you, Jūnshì Eina!"

The door was summarily closed in Jao's face, not by Lin, but by Mai herself, who smirked, before she started walking across their modest property to the road that would lead them back into the village proper. Neither said anything for several minutes, not until they were well away from any buildings, people, or even rows of crops to hide inside. Mai spoke first, crisp, precise as always, though Lin found himself distracted by the scent of some sort of perfume the woman was wearing, combined with the achingly familiar odors of the fields surrounding them, or the tanner's, and charcoal-maker's homes. "My cover is Sergeant Eina while we're in the village. Ty Lee will be Sergeant Shi. No others of our group will be seen publicly for at least two weeks. We don't have uniforms for everyone."

"I... Alright. Eina, and Shi. I can- I can probably remember that."

"Good. Read the scrolls. Ty Lee said she had to remind you."

He blushed again, thinking about what the same woman had done shortly after that. "I- I will."

Mei made a small sound of acknowledgment, but it was another li before she said anything else, when they were already passing the outermost of the central homes. "She also said she gave you a blowjob."

He stumbled, twice in fact, and almost ate the dust of the roadway. "Sh- She said- she told you... that?"

Mai nodded, "Motivation for the future. Do yourself a favor, though: Don't get emotionally attached to Ty Lee. I know she's friendly, and attractive. But she's... damaged. She has a very hard time with relationships, and she will never be in one with you."

"I..." Lin swallowed, red-faced again, not least because he'd almost fallen in front of the perfect woman that Mai seemed to be, embarrassing himself, but also because of his own lack of, well, experience... or comfort talking about such topics. "I... why are- why are you telling me this?"

Mai looked at him seriously for a moment, and her stride slowed just a little, "Because you need to know. If she wants to do things with you, and you want to do things with her, then that's fine. But don't get your feelings involved. That will only drive her away, and put a damper on the mission's success."

He swallowed, as once again visions of Mai on her knees instead swam in his mind. But why would she ever... with him? She would probably do that for no man. A prince, maybe. A king, slightly more likely. But him? Lowly Lin? No. Better not to even think about it. "I... I don't think she's... interested. In me, I mean. And I'm not... she's... you're both so..."

He couldn't say it.

Somehow, Mai seemed to understand, though, because she raised one amused eyebrow, among the most clearly he'd ever seen her express... anything, really, and she asked, "Scary?"

Another nod.

"Good. We should be. But we're on the same side," Mai reminded him as she turned back to continue their walk. "But I mean it, if you want to have fun with her, go ahead. Just don't get emotionally attached. The same's true for... well, all of the Kyoshi Warriors. And don't get them pregnant. We are all supposed to be taking herbal teas to help with that, but... sometimes one of them will forget."

He gulped. "I- I wouldn't-"

Her look of skepticism could've melted sand into glass, he thought. "Right... because you fought Ty Lee so hard last night."

"I didn't know she was going to do- that!"

"You still didn't stop her. I don't care, Lin, I really don't. It doesn't bother or upset me at all. Just don't get attached. Not to her. Probably not any of the girls; they're all going to go back to Kyoshi Island when this mission is over. There's no future for you with them, unless you go, too. And it's far enough off you'd probably never see your family again."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Why do you care, anyway? What business is it of yours?"

"It's not, and I don't care," Mai hissed suddenly, sharply, though her face stayed carefully neutral, schooled into a passive mask despite the vehemence in her voice, "Fuck her, for all I care. Just don't mess with her head, or her heart. I care about her, because she's my friend. My only friend."

That... That statement... "Ouch," Lin whispered, his steps slowing. "I... that was mean."

He didn't know why he had said it. Lin could think of nothing stupider to say in that moment, except possible, 'you don't deserve to have friends', which would also have been a terrible lie.

But he had.

After a few steps, Mai looked back at him, visible confusion in her eyes. "What was?"

He swallowed. Did he dare say it? "I... I thought we were, you know... at least... becoming..."

He couldn't finish, though. How Lin had worked up the courage to even start, he didn't know.

Again, however, Mai seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. Was she a witch, that could read minds like a scroll? "We aren't."

Then, a few seconds later, more softly, "We might be, eventually. But I barely know you, and you don't know the real me, not at all. But... there's some potential. Now come on, we have work to do. We've got to spend some time at Jo's Trading Post. Establish our presence, spread some money around, get some supplies for the camp. I've got a list Captain Taijin had put together. And... and maybe I'll come to your house for dinner tonight. So- so we can work on that."

Lin blinked as he started working again, his stomach strangely hollow. Why should they be friends, after all? But he tried to focus on work, on duty, instead. It would help... right? "Work on what?"

"On being friends."

Like it was a ghost, the strange, hollow feeling in Lin's gut vanished into mist, then was gone.