THE FORTUNIST

Wuxhia

"Albenarum is an exclusive university for nobles and youths who have deep connections with cryfixes."

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Something big was going to happen tonight. To him? To Bala? To Xihan? To the palace? Wuxhia could feel it. Why was it taking so long though?

At the stroke of twelve midnight, Wuxhia cannot stomach his apprehension anymore. He stands up and leaves his chambers in search of his father. He first searches Xihan's study, Xihan's favourite place to be but he isn't there. He searches the living rooms and the sparring grounds. Surely, Xihan would not sleep knowing what was about to happen.

Wuxhia decides to push his luck anyway. His mother would not be too happy to see him but well... a son has to do what a son had to do.

"Mother," Wuxhia calls gently as he opens the door to his parents' sleeping chambers.

"What do you want?" Fowella asks wearily even before Wuxhia can spot her sitting in the middle of the huge bed, her back against him.

"Is father here?" Wuxhia takes great care not to stammer.

"What would he want here after you helped him land another goldmine with the Fortunist? I should be asking you his whereabouts?"

"He isn't supposed to be at the palace until morning."

"Oho, are you suggesting to me now that he has a mistress? Did the Fortunist tell you to tell him that too? To take a mistress? Suppose he took all his guards with him to see a mistress. I did not reckon myself to be that scary. Is that it? Am I telling myself lies?"

"You know that's not what I meant Mother. It's just that the palace is all Father is always concerned about."

"Careful now Son. How do you think he puts food on the table for you? Should he turn himself to a robber?"

"Sorry," Wuxhia hesitates, "Mother."

Why would his father leave him behind? Xihan had never before wanted Wuxhia to slack in anything when it came to duties of being the General's son. Wuxhia followed his father to literally anywhere whenever he was not occupied with his studies.

Wuxhia notices that the compound is unusually quiet too. By this time of the night, servants should be out discussing what they could not discuss in the day due to work, but now...

A female servant scurries past.

"Stop," Wuxhia orders. The servant comes to a halt and Wuxhia admires her back view. Slender, average height, sixteen- or maybe seventeen.

"Turn around."

The servant obeys. Wild frantic eyes filled with adoration and fear at the same time. Her hands shake on the chamber pot she is carrying.

"Where are your fellows?"

"A...asleep?" The servant stutters.

"Asleep," Wuxhia scoffs, "Do you take me for a fool? You servants don't sleep. You spend most of your nights chattering like crickets and then being clumsy in the day periods." The girl trembles. She is obviously intimidated. Wuxhia rolls his eyes. "Summon me Bala."

"Ba...Bala?"

"Yes."

"But Young Master Wuxhia, the chamber pot."

"Obey me before anything else. Where is this insolence coming from?" If he were his father, he would have the girl locked up. The girl stumbles away to summon Bala.

It is still strange though. Why should a servant have second thoughts regarding orders? On top something as simple as calling for another servant.

Wuxhia lets his mind stray to other events such as meeting with the Fortunist. Her blood red lips under that hooded cloak as she smiled at him cockily and told him she wasn't there for him. She had come instead with a fortune, for Bala...

The servant girl is taking too long. Has she run away? Surely she would know the consequences of running. Wuxhia chooses not to act on his annoyed impatience. He is worried now in fact. Why did his father leave without him? Why is the compound oddly quiet and gloomy? Why is Bala, his faithful loyal trusted servant waiting to be summoned? Wuxhia finds himself walking towards the male servant quarters. Towards Bala's room.

'They think they are mighty wise,' Wuxhia thinks with a scoff. He can feel the roving eyes of servants on him through curtained windows. He can hear their fearful hush. They are trying to avoid him. Suspicious mass behaviour like this should not be overlooked.

He throws open the door to Bala's room. Someone is sitting by the tiny bed. It is the female servant he had sent. She jumps up in startlement as she turns to face him. Her eyes are teary. The bed is empty. Wuxhia's eyes survey the room trying to find his servants.

He does find Bala, but it is an unalived version dangling from the ceiling.

"I did not know Young Master, I swear on my mother's..." the girl is cut short as Wuxhia whips out his sword and points it at her.

In two large steps, Wuxhia is in front of the hanging body. He takes a swing and cuts it down.

"This is my father's doing," Wuxhia mutters through a strangled breath. He feels numb but he knows the wrath will come. He should not be sullying Xihan's name in a servant's presence but he could swear on his own mother's life that every one of the servants knew. That would explain their hiding and leaving the surroundings empty. It would explain Xihan going to the palace without him.

Wuxhia's grip tightens round the sword. His father had always been a sadistic person.

"What is your name?"

"Medien."

"Medien?"

"Y...yes."

But Wuxhia had always been more sadistic. Xihan just did not know it yet. Now Xihan would have to learn this fact the hard way.

"We have to bury the body, Medien."