Xuelei, Tears of Blood

Chapter 2 - Blood Brothers

The siblings looked down from the dais. The small group assembled below them were standing in disciplined formation. Seven young men, their very own human weapons, all specially trained by them since they were recruited as boys. Mostly orphans. Blood brothers, bound together by a blood ceremony when they were 'adopted' into the family. They belonged to the brother and sister before them.

The man smiled and nodded to his sister signaling for her to start. The woman opened her arms wide in a gesture to welcome them.

"Welcome back, all of you."

Immediately, as one, the group below them bowed their heads and raised their hands in a palm fist salute of respect.

"Thank you Master. Thank you Mistress!" they chorused in unison.

"It has been some time since all of you have gathered here. Most of you have returned from long and dangerous assignments."

She smiled proudly at the boy in front, the eldest, "Li has just returned this morning. He was successful in completing his difficult task."

Li nodded in acknowledgement and bowed slightly. The Mistress's eyes flickered at the back of the group for a moment, noting the youngest still in his dusty travelling clothes. He looked tired but alert. He had managed to make it back alive ... again. She felt the familiar mixed emotions as she gazed at him, relief yet disappointed, proud of his success yet angry at his perseverance. Dismissing her thoughts, she continued addressing the group.

"Enjoy yourselves tonight, relax, new assignments will be announced tomorrow morning. Dismissed."

The couple smiled and exited together leaving the young men.

They relaxed, moving towards their eldest brother who had managed to survive and return home.

"Hey Li, congratulations!"

"Welcome home brother."

They gathered round, clapping him on the back, congratulating him on completing his assigned task. He winced. "Ouch, not so hard."

"Oh, sorry. You're wounded. Is it bad?"

"It's healing nicely. I'll be fine."

"It's been three months. You look terrible."

"You too brother, you look terrible too, same as always," he laughed at Qian, brother number three.

"Let's go eat! I'm famished."

"You are always thinking of food, Jin. How come you're not fat?"

Jin laughed good-naturedly. His love for good food was well known. The group of young men went to enjoy the spread prepared for them.

Li went to the youngest and patted him on the back. "Welcome home little brother, I heard you just got back too."

Xuelei smiled, "Yes, less than an hour ago."

Shen, fifth brother cut in, "Were you successful? The Mistress didn't say."

"Of course he was successful! He is home isn't he? No one comes home if he hasn't completed the Kill."

"Kill or be killed. Failure is not an option," everyone sang out the Sect's motto and burst into laughter.

"Don't take it to heart that the Mistress didn't mention you. You know how she is. She is in one of her moods."

"Of course," Xuelei replied automatically, guardedly. His stoic façade was in place as usual.

"We are all the same, taken in by Master and Mistress. Why does she treat you differently? Sometimes she dotes on you and at other times she acts like she hates you. It's a mystery."