Something else sped by just as the troll tried to reach out for him. Robes black as night fluttered in the breeze. More small pieces of paper arched out towards him, and he tried to dodge each one. The last caught his arm, exploding on impact.
Jon cringed to the pain. The troll brother now shifting him away from the next attack. “Hunters!”
Hunters?
“Found you!” A voice sounded from the distance.
They both glanced to their right. Standing in knee-high grass was a man in full black robes with blue brocade lining his collars. His sword was drawn, pointing towards them. This hunter was definitely different than the one he’d met last night—surely no one to mess with.
“A-Zhu, I found them!” the man hollered with a dreadful smile. He stepped out of the grass. “Ghastly demons must be slaughtered.”
The troll stood in front of Jon. “Fangde, run.”
“But—“
“No! This one wouldn’t let us go easily.”
The man tipped his head in curiosity. “Let you go? Oh, no. Who would dare let you two go?”
“Run!” the troll ordered, but Jon could only stand there.
There was flash of killing instinct in the man’s eyes. Jon swallowed down his fear. He couldn’t try the trick he used last night on him. One word, and this man would slash down with his sword, slicing out Jon’s throat. Or, at least, the troll’s in which he was pretending to be.
“Go!”
Jon’s knees quivered. Maybe he really should run!
A flicker of something zoomed through the air. Twang! Metal caught metal. The man spun around to see his sword blade stuck in the dirt feet away from him. Another sword next to his.
“What’s the meaning of this?” the man chided.
Another man approached from the side, and Jon immediately recognized him. Dressed in those gorgeous blue, flashy robes with the same brocade strip flowing from his collars, this man stepped up to the other. “Don’t touch them!”
Both men were equally handsome in their own ways. The scary looking one wore his dark brown hair in a ponytail at the top of his head. His face petite, almost like a woman’s, but with a large jaw line and curved nose. He stood a bit shorter than the other man, and it could almost seem like perhaps they were master and servant, or hunting friends.
“Bai Yazhu, are these not the demons you were hunting yesterday?” the man grumbled.
“These are not your demons to slay,” the other said back, his tone lower than his friend’s. “Xu Shiuan.”
Bai Zhu and Xu Shiuan? Two more character’s his mind conjured up for the story. Perhaps they were both the antagonists. This could be fun.
Xu Shiuan walked toward his friend with the same wicked smile on his lips. “Would you care for the honor, then? I’ll let you.”
“Let them go,” Bai Yazhu said.
“What did you say?”
Bai Yazhu repeated, “Let. Them. Go.”
His friend stopped in his tracks and snarled, “You wish to let these two demons go? Are you not a cultivator, anymore?”
“They’re of no danger to us.” Bai Yazhu stood his ground coolly.
Xu Shiuan pointed toward them, the trolls standing in awe at the situation. “Spawn of the underworld need to be sent back before they become dangerous. Should you lose face in front of everyone for this?”
“Who is it I’ll lose face with?” Bai Yazhu questioned. “My sect?”
Xu Shiuan narrowed his brows. “Don’t make me laugh. I’ll tell everyone I meet that Bai Yazhu is a coward who couldn’t do in two worthless dan jiao devils.”
Bai Yazhu let out a slight chuckle. “Be my guest. Just don’t hurt them.”
Crossing his arms, Xu Shiuan stared at the other man. The staring contest lasted a few moments. Jon wondered what all this was. He’d never heard of a cultivator before, and was he really a spawn of the underworld?
He wanted to walk up to the two men and ask, but felt it best not to. Could he die in his dreams? Best not to find out.
With a huff, Xu Shiuan turned away from Bai Yazhu and stepped up to his sword still laying in the dirt. “Alright. If you’re too cowardly to...” He swooped down, grabbing his sword, and took a swing toward the older troll.
Jon stepped back, hoping his brother would too, but it didn’t work the way he’d wanted. The older troll groaned, grabbing at the bloody wound on his upper arm.
“No!” Jon yelled.
Bai Zhu was quick to find his own sword, and soon, the loud clangs of swords bounced off the otherwise peaceful air. The two men fought each other, and Jon couldn’t believe that all of this was going on in his dream.
Can I wake up now?
“Brother.” The troll reached for him.
Jon realized he had bigger problems. Blood ran down his fingers to his wrist from covering his brother’s wound. He lifted his hand, finding the deep, long slice arching from the troll’s shoulder down to his elbow. In this ancient land, without help, he could lose this arm!
“No...” Jon helped the older troll to his feet. “We must go, brother!”
The troll nodded and pressed his own hand to his wound. While the clangs of swords sounded behind them, this was the best time to make their getaway. Stepping away from the fight, Jon couldn’t believe this could work...
“Ahh!” Screams permeated the air.
The troll’s body arched, and Jon stopped to notice the large glowing arrow in the middle of his back. Behind them, the fighting had stopped and the men stood—Xu Shiuan carried the shape of a bow, sparkling with a black magic aura.
“You!” Bai Yazhu had trailed the direction of the arrow to his friend. “Where did you learn such tricks?”
With a wave of his hand, Xu Shiuan’s bow disappeared into thin air. “There may be many things you do not know about me. Now,” he hollered toward Jon. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Jon helped keep the troll brother up on his feet. The arrow pierced through his back, the magical tip of it coming out of his chest, but there was no blood. Only his loud shrieks hinted of the pain coursing through him.
“Dispel it now!” Bai Yazhu ordered.
“It won’t kill him,” Xu Shiuan laughed. “Yet. Why are you so hung up on letting these two go?”
Bai Yazhu sheathed his sword and stepped towards them. “You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Try it,” Xu Shiuan snorted.
There was no answer. The older troll fell to his knees, his entire body arching to the power of the arrow stabbed through him.
Xu Shiuan sneered. He waved his hand, and the arrow dispersed. The troll dropped to his stomach. Jon knelt beside him—there was a pulse, but just barely. He glanced up at the two men who were watching him with curiosity.
“You...” John hissed.
Xu Shiuan let out a snort. “A-Zhu, take care of the other one. And don’t come back until it’s dead.” He turned and stepped away with a slight limp as if he were hurt in the fight with his friend.
Jon stared at the other man, Bai Yazhu, before giving his attention back to the troll brother. “No, don’t close your eyes. You have to stay with me.” Speaking softly, he leaned in and brushed his hand across the troll’s face.
The troll smiled. “Brother, run. D-don’t let them...” He coughed and blood spurt from his lips. “P-please...”
“No, no, no, no... You gotta live, brother.” Tears streaked down Jon’s cheeks. This wasn’t even truly his brother, but for a brief second, it felt like it. If only he had siblings of his own, then maybe he wouldn’t feel too bad losing this one in his dream. “Come on, we’ll get to TengDao and find a healer.”
As Jon tried to pull on his arm, the brother smiled even bigger but didn’t budge. “Ah, that’s just like you, Fangde...”
“N-no! D-don’t close your eyes. Come on!” Jon turned his attention to the hunter who was still standing there. “What are you still here for?” He struggled up on his feet and stomped toward him. “If you really want to help, take him to TengDao!”
Bai Yazhu glanced at the troll on the ground, then back to Jon. “It’s no use. He’s dying—”
“He’ll live if we hurry!”
“Do you still not belong here?” The hunter asked, catching Jon off guard.
Perhaps he was getting too caught up in this dream. Why hadn’t he woken up, yet? This dream was entirely too long, and for some reason, he was now living the part. He wiped the moisture from his eyes and straightened his spine.
“I... It’s all a dream.” He really didn’t belong here. “But still, you can’t leave him like this.” Jon took in a soothing breath. If he were calmer, he might be able to get through to the hunter, or wake up. Either one would work.
“He will die,” Bai Yazhu said. “You... are at risk.”
“I don’t care about myself!”
They stared in awe at each other for a moment, before the hunter nodded. “You should. Do you know what it means being a dan jiao?”
If he did, then Jon may have already ran away. He clenched his fists, hoping the hunter’s answer wasn’t something awful. “What?”
“Death.” The answer was just as bad as he thought. The hunter continued, “Should you even be seen by a commoner, their life would be brought to an end. Happen by a woman giving birth, their baby will die soon afterwards. A happy marriage would be broken up, perhaps the bride or groom would die the night of their honeymoon... Don’t you understand?”
Jon swallowed and nodded.
Bai Yazhu motioned to the troll lying on the ground. “He’s dead and good riddance. You should go to TengDao yourself, before I change my mind and do what is necessary.” He thumbed across the hilt of his sword. There was no hesitation in his posture or a shakiness in his hand. But his eyes spoke of no murderous intent.
“O-okay. I... I’ll go to TengDao,” Jon agreed, despite not knowing how to get there. He glanced down at the troll brother who hadn’t moved this whole time. “Him?”
“Leave him. He’s already dead.” Bai Yazhu turned to leave, and Jon bent down to check for the pulse that wasn’t there. “Shall I see you again, I will be sure to take your head.”
