Daughter of Heaven

Chapter 21 - Snake Bite

Yu Zhu ran back to the cottage, using qi to speed along her travel. She ran into the courtyard without acknowledging Lin Yu. Yu Zhu ran into her room and grabbed her bow and arrow. She tucked three daggers into her belt and hung her quiver full of arrows around her pale purple robe.

"Yu Zhu, what's wrong?" Lin Yu asked as she ran up and grabbed Yu Zhu's arm, her warm brown eyes filled with worry. Yu Zhu shook her head, "I've lost something, I need to go into the forest."

Lin Yu grabbed Yu Zhu, "You're not serious."

Yu Zhu looked at Lin Yu. "He has our friends. Or at least he sent someone to kidnap them."

Lin Yu was more confused than ever, "Who? What are you talking about."

Yu Zhu adjusted the sword on her belt, " When we were coming back, a black crow demon attacked us. The crows the the ruling demons of the Xin Meng kingdom, the kidnapper was powerful and he gave me something that's Wei Yun's. I'm going to get them back."

Lin Yu let go of her arm and sprinted into her room. Yu Zhu blinked as Lin Yu ran back outside, her sword in her hands. "I'm going with you. Hurry, before grandfather and elder brother come back, they'll try and stop us." She threw on a jade green robe with her favorite daggers hidden on the inside.

Yu Zhu opened her mouth to protest, but Lin Yu shook her head, "You are merely mortal. He is a god. I'm trying to balance the scales. Trust me, when you go to war with a god, at least bring a demon."

"I don't want to get you killed."

Lin Yu shrugged, "I don't want to die either. But where you go, I go. We are sisters."

There was a funny feeling of warmth in Yu Zhu's chest as Lin Yu said that. Her eyes stung but she forced herself to calm down as they leapt into the night.

If wandering demons looked up at the moon this night, they would see two slender figures flying though the air. One girl's shining black hair spread out around her unforgettable face like crows' wings and glide like unspun black silk on her purple robes.  The other moved through the air like a  green snake moved through water, graceful yet deadly. They disappeared towards the forest as quickly as they appeared.

Yu Zhu and Lin Yu landed outside the forest, Lin Yu looked at Yu Zhu, "where do we go?"

Yu Zhu dug for the small acorn and threw the seed into the air, "Find your master."

The seed glowed sliver and zoomed towards the clearing. Yu Zhu and Lin Yu  chased after it.

The dark trees thinned as they got closer and closer, Yu Zhu could see the little clearing in the distance.

Suddenly, a black shadow zoomed and rammed into Lin Yu.  She was thrown violently towards a giant ash tree.  Lin Yu flipped in the air and kicked off the bark, drawing her sword as she rushed at the shadow.

The shadow laughed and turned into a young man. His black robes contrasted with his pale face, his eyes flashing in the moonlight. The handsome man drew his sword and metal clanged as they exchanged blows.  Yu Zhu recognized him as the kidnapper.

"You!" She yelled, "Where did you take them?" Yu Zhu grabbed a dagger and flicked at the crow man, he held up a hand and it turned into a white feather.

"Pretty." He laughed as he fought  Lin Yu with one hand and waved his arm in the general direction of clearing, "I'll keep your friend occupied, you go and get those two kids."  Yu Zhu jumped into the air and unsheathed her sword, she couldn't just leave Lin Yu with a powerful crow demon. The Crow threw out an arm, Yu Zhu tried to bring up her shield but against a full fledge demon, the magic a human could learn was laughable. Yu Zhu was thrown into soft earth, her breath knocked from her lungs.  Above her the two demons battled.