BALLAD OF HUA MULAN 》THE WEEPING MONK

chapter 2

chapter 2:
cursed fey.
Mulan

That bitch.

All five of my wolves were slaughtered. By the sharpness of her blade and the swiftness of her hands, they died within seconds so they died quick and with little pain, but these wolves were my prized possession. It was another test from the Church, yet a gift to me. I trained them and disciplined them, even loved them as they were merciless on the field but gentle with me.

She will feel my wrath.

"Those dogs meant something to you," Monk spoke up.

"These wolves were the finest creatures I've ever come into contact with. That witch will know my pain soon," I replied, tearing my eyes away from their rotting flesh and yet the buzzing of the flies around them reminding me of my failure.

"Wolfs blood," The monk touched a nearby branch that had blood on it, and his sense of smell was right.

"Same tracks, same girl," He mumbled.

"Let us find her, Father," I wanted to tear down this witch myself. She clearly holds an unholy power, and must be stopped.

"I need you to kill every Fey in this wood," Father Carden instructed us.

"We will not hesitate," I bowed.

Just. . .only when it comes to children.

God would never want us to harm children. I know it.

__________

"Born in the dawn."

"To pass in the tw-!"

A Fey boy, the one that I was supposed to kill earlier, ran out from his hiding place with hope in his eyes, but it died when he quickly saw us.

The boy grunted and squirmed around as the Weeping Monk pushed his face against the earth, "I will ask you questions, and if you lie to me, I will know it. How many of your kind escaped?"

"I don't know."

That earned him nothing but pain.

"I don't know! I saw some run into the Iron Wood," He struggled out, and looking into his panicking eyes, I saw bravery hidden inside.

"How many?"

"Only a few," He then grasped his throat and held him against the rock.

"How many?" He repeated.

"Enough to kill you, you scum!" He spat at him, to which the monk rolled his eyes and grabbed him by his collar and we dragged him along with us.

"They'll kill you both if you don't let go of me!"

"Highly unlikely, boy," I replied, and he stared up at me with confusion.

"Why is your voice sound like a bloody girl?"

"Shut it," I hissed at him.

"What? Did your balls get cut off to sing for the choir?"

How is this little boy able to see through me?

None of the Paladins ever questioned shit.

We tied down the boy as the night fell unto us, and decided to rest. I volunteered to take the first shift, but the monk insisted that I get my rest to gather up mt strength incase we found anymore Fey.

At first, it was cold, despite the fire that he lit. It was hard falling asleep in the cold, it was even worse in China during those harsh winters, but then all I felt was warmth. It was as if a big blanket of wool was wrapped around me, and sleep was finally able to overtake me.

"Get up, you murdering pigs."

A harsh voice startled me awake, and I immediately viewed our situation. A few Fey surrounded us, one holding a pointed stick to the Weeping Monk and the others working on trying to untie the boy.

"Josse!" The boy spoke up.

"Squirrel, are you alright?"

And I felt the monk move, and my face flushed once I realized what the warmth was. He was holding me and we both slept together. It made me turn red because of how informal all this was. Only married couples could hold eachother in such a way in China, and many of the dates up until your wedding were supervised by your parents.

"Tie them up. I think we've caught the big killers," Two Fey pulled us up off the ground and I looked to the monk, who was just letting them tie him.

So I followed his league.

"Look at the eyes," Josse pointed out.

"Shed a few for us, brother?"

"Why does the Soulless Soldier have such feminine hands?" My captor taunted.

"Why do the Fey have such small dicks?" I smirked as he dragged me to the horse.

"Ever been dragged by a horse with a hot coal up its bum?"

Why would you do that to a horse?

"Not that I can recall," The monk replied, and I sensed a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"Just kill them, Josse!" The Fey boy shouted.

"That would be the wiser option," I replied.

"What did you have in mind for Squirrel, you sick bastards?" Josse got up in our faces.

"I've got no interest in the boy. He's bait," Just as he spoke, I knew he had a plan and was thankful that he let me get my rest.

"Bait? For what?"

The horse brayed, sensing that something was coming, "Be still, Goliath," The monk told his horse.

And he turned back to them and whispered, "For you."

Just then, I kicked the Fey in the balls as the monk punched Josse in the face and luckily, those stupid Fey got curious and left my katana on the ground and unsheathed. Picking it up with my foot and angling it, I cut the rope off of my hands.

"You bastar-! Agh!" I shoved my katana through his skull.

"Don't you have anymore insults?"

I heard another coming behind me and shoved his friends body onto him before driving my katana through them both, straight through the chest.

"You tell your Fey brethren what you saw here. Tell them I'm coming," The monk told the Fey boy, or Squirrel as they seemed to call him, before cutting his rope from his wrists.

"Go."

"Thank you. . .for keeping me warm," Although it was a shocking gesture, especially coming from him, I was grateful. We didn't bring our essentials, so I expected it to be like any night.

"I cannot allow my comrade to get frostbite, now can I?"

I chuckled, "But you do so terribly at keeping watch."

"Yet I do wonderfully at keeping you rested," I saw a small smile.

Yes. . .you do indeed.