Lady in Red

Chapter 3

     "Grandpa!" The Hikes said standing and another person took their place, Red quickly gave her identification and went to her room to rest.
   The next day, the first task of the session was to go for a hunt,all the clans left to start hunting different types of rare birds and each clan had a representative. In the Hailings Mimi,disciple three was good at hunting and the bow and arrow so she was the one who volunteered to go. As the session took place, Red had an assignment that she had to finish off and when she sent the reply back to her master that's when she saw him, Ru, the reason she only wears red and so to avoid meeting with him she took off running and by mistake she released a trapped and angry bear.
   It came chasing after her and she had nothing to protect herself with,just when she was about to get caught she turned and used it's speed against it and killed it by using a wood she got off the ground,but what she didn't know was that the bear was a mountain lions,prey so it jumped towards her but before it landed on her it dropped down dead. Red turned towards her savior and signed annoyed,this is the second time he found her without her mask.
    "We should stop meeting like this, don't make it a habit you know,it isn't a good one."
   "I was handling myself just fine."
  "Sure" he replied and walked away to continue with his hunting.
   Just then, Mara appeared with Ache at his side.
    "You killed them? You killed them!"Mara shouted in anger and made more people gather.
    "They attacked me I was just trying to protect myself." She said.
    "Those were our pet's!" Mara said and Red looked at her in confusion.
   "What do you mean?"
    " Have you ever seen a mountain lion in this part of the world? It was just keeping the bear in check."
   "It was a mistake."
    Later in the day as the session came to an end a meeting was called accusing Red of killing someone else's spirit beast and that is the greatest crime in this world.
   "Today,the sixth disciple of hailing, Red has been accused of killing two spirit beasts,in our law,these crime is punishable by a hundred strokes and two years in prison or death."
    "I accept my mistake." She replied.
     "By the order of the great sect, I announce..."
    "Wait... Wait a minute there is something you are missing out."
     "Xian what in the world are you doing?" Asked their mother horrified.
     "She's lying." He said. Everyone gasped. "The freaking bear is still alive,and the mountain lion was shot by me when it attacked Red."
    "That is a lie." Red looked at Xians face through her mask,no one has ever tried protecting her before. "Xian wasn't there when we found her."
   "Thats because I had already left. Mara,the arrow that shot, the lion was mine and..." Before he said anything else he collapsed and fainted.
   "Xian!" His family shouted and run to where he had fallen.
  "Xian, doctor! Someone get the doctor." He was rushed into his room and Sandra and Christian following behind their parents,when they opened his shirt to check his shirt,the tree was lighter than when it was before.
    " He did it!" Exclaimed Sandra happily.
    "Did what?" Asked their father.
    "He has seen her face,he finished the first task." Christian said surprised " But what is wrong with him now?"
   The doctor came and checked Xian. He shook his head and checked again." He's been poisoned. I don't know what the poison is of yet but it is not meant to kill,just to keep him sedated."
    "When will he wake up?" Asked the king.
    "I don't know yet."
    "What kind of doctor are you give us straight answers." Said Christian annoyed. The doctor apologized and left them alone. Suddenly a young boy came rushing in witg guards following him trying to stop him,he went and hid behind Christian.
    "Hey stop there!" The guard shouted.
   "Please help me,I just wanted to give Xian the antidote." After saying that, Christian told the guards to leave and they all turned to the boy.
   "Who are you?" They asked him.
   "I'm Shady,Xian's spiritual beast,please let me help my master."
    "Xian has a spiritual beast?"
   "Sandra you used to call me shadow for always sneaking up on you and Christian when you were little." Shady answered Sandra's questions.
   "Impossible that was an annoying black snake." Shady smiled and they looked at him surprised," That was you? Where did you go to?" Shady sat and gave Xian the antidote then turned to Christian.
    "Xian sent me away to study medicine,herbs,poisons and antidotes while cultivating when he was eight,he said this place was dangerous and he might need it someday."
    "He sure has." Said Sandra.
    "So that's why he locked himself up and cried for three days he was missing you?" Christian said making them laugh while his Father looked away uncomfortably,the queen saw this but dismissed it for now.
  Later Xian woke up and found out the investigation was done and sure enough the bear was still alive but the mountain lion had died. He was sentenced to 100 strokes and one year imprisonment. The King's face paled when he heard this and he left the court after dismissing everyone.
   "What's going on?" Asked the queen.
   "Huh... Oh nothing I just came to breathe for a while." He lied.
    "I'm your wife not advisor." She rebuked and cornered him but he had had enough,he wanted to share his sorrow with someone, at least to get to be able to find a way out of the mess he'd created.
     " I don't know what to do anymore. This is getting more and more messed up,he can't even enjoy his life." He said running a hand in his hair frustrated.
     "What are you talking about?" Before he could say anything else,they heard screaming,they rushed to the place only to find Shady trying to stop the canes.
    "Stop he isn't strong enough yet,he just woke up from his poisoning. Stop! He'll die." They had been hold up while Xian had been chained and was being beaten, his eyes were glued to something in the back while he was being beaten,they were stuck on Red.
   "What is going on!" Shouted the King,but the punisher continued he was not allowed to stop for anyone. "The mountain lion was killed for self protection." He said.
   After the hundredth cane,the punisher stopped and the chains were opened,Xian looked at his father and smiled.
   " Papa, at least I'll get to go through everything before I'm 25 right? Don't stress yourself too much, you'll die young." He said and his dad left him alone and went to his room. That night he cried,he cried while his wife wondered what was going on,he cried for his son and for his mistakes.
   "What is really going on?" She asked.
    "He's going to die."
    "Of course not he's a fighter he'll survive that stupid sentence."
     "He'll die once he reaches 25. He has to die so that your son can ascend the throne. Xian is only destined to live up to 25."