The Purple Jade Palace: The Hummingbird's Plan

A Life for A Life

Two Weeks Later

The valley was filled with lush, tall green trees that towered to the sky housing a mixture of colorful birds and mischievous monkeys. A small stream wound its way through the valley floor, flowing over rocks and fallen logs to provide a serene and tranquil sound to listen to.

It did not sooth Emperor Rathner however. They were two days out of Prince Salren's city, and now impatience and frustration tempered his mood. Not only did he want to see his newborn twins, but there was also a dark cloud over his shoulders. He had learnt of what had happened to Teal and now, all he wanted was to get his hands onto Prince Yernal and break his neck.

Nonetheless, despite the air of urgency, Emperor Rathner's small party had stopped in a grassy nook to allow their horses to take a brief drink and rest, and for the men to take a few bites of food.

The Emperor was filled with guilt. He had assured Jale that Teal would be safe, and he worried at how Jale had taken the news. Jale would know by now. He had sent word back to Jale urging his calm and assurance that it must all be a misunderstanding. He wouldn't stop until Teal was safe and back at the palace. One fear that the Emperor could not shake off, was the fear of whether Teal was already dead. Surely, Prince Yernal would know if he murdered Teal, his life would be forfeit.

A firm hand patted his shoulder, and Emperor Rathner turned to face Ralen.

"The men are ready to keep moving," Ralen informed him.

"Give the horses another five minutes," Emperor Rathner replied. "We have been pushing them quite hard over the past couple of days. Make sure the men check them over to ensure they are all faring well."

Ralen nodded in response and turned to face the other men. He stopped short, and Emperor Rathner sensed his tension immediately.

"In the trees to the left," Ralen whispered.

Emperor Rathner used his peripheral vision to see if he could determine what Ralen had spied. He caught a rustle of movement, but before they had any chance to determine whether these people were friend or foe, a shout came from the trees startling all of Emperor Rathner's men into action.

The ambush was fast and short in duration. The horses spooked, but they were trained for battle and under the control of the men, they did not bolt. Instead, their ears went flat and their nostrils flared. Arrows spewed through the sky and to save being hit, several men tried to guide the horses over to the nearest trees, four sets of reins in each of their hands. One soldier mounted his horse to give himself an advantage, only to have an arrow land squarely in the middle of his chest. Dead, his body fell to the ground, his eyes wide open in shock.

"Protect the Emperor!" Ralen shouted across the melee.

Men raced to their positions and stood their ground, ready and willing to fight to the death for their Emperor.

The attacking men were roughly dressed as bandits, their clothes dirty and old. But the Emperor was not a fool. He could spy trained men when he saw or engaged with them. These were soldiers, highly trained soldiers who had been sent to see his demise.

Abruptly, amongst the chaos of swords clanging together and arrows flying through the air in coordinated attacks, there was a flicker of something else. Something, a blur of white, moving through the trees and joining the fight as well. It whirred past the Emperor and in his need to focus on the bandits as he fought one-on-one, he was unable to determine what it was.

Two men suddenly lunged at him, and his focus and concentration deepened. The Emperor had trained for all types of battle and situations, and he moved with fluid motion as he took on his aggressors. Their skill and mastery of their weapons was undeniable. One falter on his behalf would cost him his life.