Mudan
My heart hung heavy when the next morning came, and not just because we were woken up by Young Master Teng's screaming.
"Senior Renge stand alert!" He barked harshly, nearly tearing us out of our skin. Dong smacked his head upon the stone when he jerked awake. "Old Master will be putting you into groups, do not waste time!"
"Groups? Again?" Dong groaned distastefully. "Yes, because that turned out so well the last time."
We hurried to gather ourselves so we could report to Old Master. He stood at the base of the pass outside the cave, staring menacingly into the distance at the temple.
"You all have one role in this battle, and it is to clear out every Bai He that gets in my way," he said with an eerie calm. "Master Sanxian will be my responsibility. I will be splitting you up in directions you will attack from. Young Masters' Teng and Shui will accompany me as I go after Master Sanxian."
I wasn't surprised at all, Young Master Teng was Old Master's closest confidant and the eldest Young Master. Young Master Shui was just after him, they probably knew the Master of the Bai He Clan as well as he did.
"Young Masters Hova and Kanade will attack from the South and East with their groups. Young Master Sol and Young Master Yan Ri will attack from the North gate and clear out the courtyards. Young Master Shen will attack the outside and West, you will sweep the grounds with your group and make sure no one runs alive."
I looked to Shen to see how he was feeling. Predictably, he showed nothing but cold determination in his eyes. His hair was tightly tied to his knot, leaving dark strands to lightly hang on the sides. He gripped his double-bladed sword with firmness, there was no sign of vulnerability whatsoever.
I dreamt of him. Not in a weird way, but as a way to receive some sort of clarity within myself. Had I done the right thing? Had I been too lenient? Had I made it easy for him to walk over me and get away with it?
My paranoia still lingered. It was not welcome at the moment. I couldn't be dwelling on this, not right now. So I mentally pushed it aside.
"Young Masters, split the Senior Renge as I instructed," Old Master ordered. "We leave after."
Dong and I looked lostly at each other as the Young Masters began calling names. My stomach sunk, and I impulsively held onto his arm. He frowned down at me, then smiled with frail reassurance. I didn't want us to separate. Not again.
"Kai, Bhen, Wanli, Mina, Suna!" Young Masters Hova and Kanade called. I breathed out silently, relieved that Kai was not stuck with either of us.
Yeri, Yura, Chu, Dong and An Lan's names were called by Young Masters Yan Ri and Sol. My hopes were crushed like aged leaves cracking in the fall.
That left me...
"We're separated, again," I said hopelessly, dropping my hand from his arm. "You're fighting through the courtyards, that's going to be so dangerous-"
Dong shushed me and put his hands on both my shoulders. "I'm fighting with Young Master Sol and Young Master Yan Ri," he said. "I don't trust myself with my life, but I do trust them. We're going to be fine."
"Stay alive, okay? Or I will kill you," I threatened him, trying to mask the fact that I wanted to cry.
Dong didn't say anything, instead he pulled me in for a hug.
It was so public. So exposed, but I didn't care. I gripped him tight enough to cut off his circulation. The warmth of his arms seeped into my chest. I felt safe.
"You stay alive too, alright?" He said under his breath. He pulled away and walked to his designated Young Masters. I turned and walked where I knew I needed to be. The universe must have craved irony today.
I stood amongst ten others before Shen. Young Master Shen.
He froze momentarily when we met eyes. And my first instinct was thinking he'd give me a bland and unkind look. But he smiled. It was barely visible, hardly a muscle movement, but it was there. Shen nodded in acknowledgement to me, and it made me realize that last night was not a dream.
He really had apologized. And we really no longer hated each other. It was an idea I had to grow into. Once this war was over, we'd accept and reflect on that too.
"We'll be taking the outside as you heard from Old Master. Now our objective may seem simple, but we should never underestimate our enemies. We must surround and hammer them down so we can assist our other Renge in the actual temple," Shen explained coolly. "These are our formation plans..."
***
THIRD POV
The Renge spent the first half of the day leaving the cave. Each of the groups left after one another to circle around the temple. Old Master was last to depart, seeing each of his clansfolk off with a grim stare. They were warned to be swift, and to remain unseen.
The pass continued around the mountain, however it reached a point where the watchtower of the Bai He temple was perfectly in view. They were taught early that if the enemy was in range, then so were they.
"We'll jump from here," Shen beckoned his group to the edge of the pass, where the thick blanket of trees stared at them from down below. "Make sure to use your Zen to break your fall, do not make too much of a scene. Every move is crucial. We are not to be discovered until Old Master gives the signal."
Old Master told them that a black flare would indicate the first wave of attack. If they were compromised before it went off, the Young Masters had to send off a red flare.
Meiqi, the only girl other than Mudan, jumped first. She disappeared between the trees, leaving a lavender splash of Zen on the floor as she landed. Mudan went after her, swan-diving head first. As she broke through the canopy, she discharged a gust of wind from her mouth, flipping to her feet in time to hit the ground.
Meiqi stood on the sides with a bow and arrows attached to her Renge garb. The tips of the arrows were laced with a murky green. Poison. Mudan blew out a breath. This was truly going to be bloody.
Once everyone had made it to the bottom, they followed Shen into the woods. He ordered that they get into the battle formation as they surrounded the temple. Mudan and Meiqi, along with Minho and a boy named Agung were on Shen's side as he crept around the Western side of the temple. The others were scattered around, awaiting the signal.
Mudan held her breath every step of the way, they all did really. Every chant could be heard. They were having afternoon class. Their Young Master was shouting orders, and by the naive child-like ring in their choruses, anyone could tell that they were Juniors.
Shen remembered the days when he was a Junior. Hopeful. Swinging a wooden sword. Excited to learn how to fight. Filled with blissful innocence of the dark, draining world that would come thereafter. Though life as a Junior wasn't all that filtered either.
You constantly heard of faceless enemies as a child, told that they wanted to destroy you for being gifted. For being a Renge. As a child you were motivated to develop that fighting spirit, or you'd be left to die by your own Clan.
Shen silently shook his head to himself. He was thinking of this now, hearing the Bai He's very own Juniors. Those kids were going to die. Gruesomely. What a twisted fate to have. All because of their Master's grudge.
Suddenly, a loud clap cracked across the sky. Everyone looked up to see the black flare ascending over the treetops. The Senior Renge stared at each other, awaiting a move. The forest was silent.
There was confusion within the ranks. The chanting had stopped on the other side of the wall. Now there was just murmurs and incoherent mumbling. The Young Master who trained the Juniors had made his way up the watchtower. He aimed a spyglass in the direction of the flare.
His face dropped, but before he could make a move, a flaming arrow punched him in the chest and smacked him into a bell.
The bell echoed loudly across the temple, sending everything to Hell. Screams elevated into the air as the Young Master, now on fire, folded over the railing of the watchtower and fell to the stone of the courtyard. Soon, the darkness that was the Renge vaulted over the walls of the Bai He temple.
Other Bai He Young Masters started running out of the temple in quick defense, however, they were met with the force that was Young Master Sol and Young Master Yan Ri.
Mudan could hear the crying screams of the Juniors as they ran for their lives, the chaotic blasts of Zen as it hit flesh and stone. She wanted to cover her ears as everything sounded too vivid, but Shen's voice overpowered all of that at once.
"Come on!" He shouted at them. "Now its our turn!"
***
A/N: Apologies for the late update, readers. I promise, everything will escalate from here.