Death Wish

22. Masked Man

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"Hong are you sure I did not interrupt anything? I don't know if my eyes are tricking me but I could've sworn you two were holding hands!" The crown prince said narrowing his eyes at Bao.
"I don't know what you're talking about.....he just came to wish me luck that's all......nothing weird!" Bao said hoping the Crown Prince won't suspect anything between her and Jo.
"Hmmm....Who was that man anyway there's something oddly familiar about him like I
know him from somewhere", said Jian.

"That's physician Jo, stop with all these questions what brings you here?"
"I want come to the East with you and your troops, it is only right as the Crown Prince of this country to go and fight for our people".
"I've already told you, you coming is a great risk if anything was to happen to you your family would have all our heads it's best if you stay here for safety your highness".
"But I want to go to prove to you I'm nothing like my father I'm willing to die for my people".
"Your highness do you even know how to hold a sword? Or even have basic martial arts?"

He paused for moment.

"I can always learn!" He said trying to do a martial arts pose which made Bao burst out laughing.
"We don't have time, I started practicing martial arts since I was four years old and I'm still intermediate you will not hack it in just an hour please be serious", she said trying to stop laughing. 
Jian sighed accepting she has a strong point about him not having any self defense skills.
"You're right sorry..." he said voice trailing off.
"Look don't be sad about it there is still time for you to start learning self defense skills so next time if there is ever any battles you can come,  right now we really can not afford that risk", said Bao.
"Will you teach me one day Hong?"
"Would you not rather a guard in the palace to teach you?"
"No I only want you!"
"Fine then".

—————-

It was finally time for Bao and her troops to set off to the East, they had everything ready and were just about leave. She was in her tent sitting on her wooden bed holding the jar of her fathers ashes.
"Father if I don't succeed in killing Ãl-Emre I will happily take my own life and join you,mother and older brother Hong in the after life", she said kissing the jar before placing it in her pouch.
Bao left her tent to meet her troops at the entrance of the camps.
—
Meanwhile Jian was in his tent contemplating whether or not if he's making the right decision of staying instead of going to war. He thought about it staying only meant that he was just like his father and he hated it. Jian wanted to be different he wanted to be like his  grandfather the founder of Tang he was brave and fought in many wars. His grandfather made Tang a victorious state which his father ruined. The prince then decided he will go to war no matter what he will make Tang great again! 

After five days and nights of traveling Bao and her troops arrived in the East. Her and twenty of her men were planning to head to the docks where they will steal weapons from a Turkish general named Ferhas.
"Right guys remember the plan two of you will take the carriage of hay stacks to pretend that you are merchants shipping goods to another country,eight of you will be hiding underneath them stacks on signal you are to jump out, rest of you are to hide in the positions I placed you in and on signal you are also to jump out! We must have those weapons no mistakes FOCUS!" Bao said to her men showing them a map of her plan.
"FOCUS!" They all shouted in sync.
"Right lets go then!" She said feeling proud that she is commanding a whole group of soldiers.

They began the plan as described and soon arrived at the docks. Bao with two of her men were on the roof of a building near the docks, they had a good view of what was happening: they seen the man Ferhas waiting at the port for the ship of weapons to arrive he had a couple guards surrounding him, Baos men pretending to be merchants were near Ferhas and were facing Bao waiting on her orders to attack.
She got her bow and arrow and signaled for the men she was with to move closer to edge of the roof. Bao's target was Ferhas she was watching his every move like a bird watching it's meal, she was the eagle he was the prey. She waited until Ferhas stood still when she shot her arrow shooting him directly in the head causing him to fall in to the sea, this was the signal her men were waiting for and they began attacking Ferhas' alarmed guards. Bao and the men she was with on the roof jumped down to help the others.
Both sides were aggressively fighting, both sides slowly losing men. Her opponent Bao was wearing a mask and she could only see his bright angry brown eyes he was very aggressive he managed to cut her back a few times but she could withstand the pain and cut his arms a few times too.
"You're a woman!" He spat dropping his sword.
Her heart sank.
How did he know she thought? She noticed her men didn't hear anything as they were busy fighting.
"So what?! Grab your sword let's fight! She said pointing her sword at him.
"How foul your country is allowing a woman to be committing such acts! You have no shame! I will not fight a woman!" The masked man said angrily.
"You just don't want to admit that you're losing against me a woman", she snapped back.

The masked man groaned and picked his sword up charging heading for Bao.
"HONG!"

Bao's heart sank when she recognized that voice. What is he doing here she thought?!

It was Crown Prince Jian he had jumped out of the hay stack and ran towards Bao and the masked man.
"CROWN PRINCE?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE I TOLD YOU TO STAY AT THE CAMPS WHY DIDNT YOU LISTEN!" She shouted frustrated and panicking.
"Crown prince?" Said the masked man laughing.
Bao watched the masked man rapidly charge towards the prince she knew he was planning to stab him, she had to do something fast she couldn't let the prince die. She decided to run as fast as she could to the prince hugging his body so the masked man would not be able to touch him.
Then and there she felt a sharp piercing pain in lower belly, blood began gushing out of her mouth and belly. Still hugging the prince tightly her vision was slowly blurring she heard a huge splash as they both fell deep into sea still in each other's arms not one of them letting go.