One Tail at a Time

My Brave Fu Yu - 2

My feet..... I can't feel my feet.  There is noise everywhere and the light I saw before is growing in intensity, but nothing matters, not even the large pool of blood staining my gown and outer jacket, all I care about is Fu Yu who is in full battle with God knows who.  Im afraid and cold, and as much as I want to rise and help him, something else has me listening intently to the voices behind me.

"Pull down those fences!" someone is screaming

"But Master, what about them?" a lowly servant is asking with fear in his tone.

"Its just a kid and a tree Sprite, do as you're told, I'll take care of them" he grunts which instantly has me wondering what he means by that.

Somewhere in the back of my foggy mind, I'm thinking I should be crying about now, I should be shaking with fear and worst of all, my fox whistle should have at least injured these men, because I threw everything into it, only the battle against Fu Yu is still raging.  And rather than three men, there are far more than I realized, though there are several wounded and on the ground, including me.

That amazing Sprite!  Not only is his sword flashing about the path and surrounding trees, but there is a look on his face I have never seen before.  Right now, he reminds me of Shifu.  His face is actually very calm but there is a hint of mania in those eyes, as if something in his mind has snapped and to be honest, that is more scary to me than these men who are doing God knows what to Papas fences which border this path.  I can't see them and nor do I dare to look.

"Get those fences down and when you're done, set these trees on fire!" that Master man bellows as his footsteps draw closer and closer.  

"Yes Master."  A different voice says this time.

I don't know what's going on, but it seems as if me and Fu Yu have walked into some kind of scheme, and now we are in big trouble because this man is going to set the trees on fire.  If I don't die by their swords then Im going to be burned alive and suddenly there it is.  The tears are raining down my face, my hands are scrambling about my body for my sword, and I am once again releasing my Fox whistle.

It feels weak, but Im hoping beyond hope that its enough to at least alert Zhe Yan even if my family don't hear it.  And within seconds, that Master is leaning over me to assess the damage.  

"You're as good as dead anyway!" he almost spits in my face, before turning his attention to Fu Yu and setting off a wave of anxiety as my little friend is completely surrounded.  I can't see how many men there are exactly because they are moving shadows in the light that Fu Yus dagger is producing and it is here that I get to see first hand exactly what Senior Die Feng has been teaching him.

Fu Yu is the same age as me, we grew up together and being so young like me, he acts his age most of the time, and at other times, he's just a big baby who cries too easily and throws tantrums like any child.  But this Fu Yu is one I don't even know.  The atmosphere is filled with danger and anger, yet despite the terror I am sure he is feeling, I can't actually see it.  There is a deadly warning in his eyes now as those men surround him, and very briefly he catches my eye which sends an instant shiver down my spine. 

"Don't move...."  thats what his eyes are telling me, but of course I want to ignore it and help, only my feet are injured and there's a pain in my belly which has me crying harder for me and for him, because he's all alone with it.

I know he is being trained to be my protector, but this is too much!  I should also be protecting myself, not leaving my life in the hands of my little Sprite, but there is nothing I can do but watch as the tip of his dagger begins to light up.  I haven't actually studied his dagger and nor has he shared its capabilities, because to me it just looks like a dagger.  Only I can see now that it is not.