“She has served her purpose.” His words are cold and deadly serious. The ominous aura is familiar, it feels like that time in the hallway. He’s ensnared her in an illusion. A small flat-bladed knife drops out of his cloak sleeve. “Stop, what are you doing!” I try to force myself to step forward but my core was still reeling from the sealing technique. I crumple to the ground and start clawing toward them. “It will be quick, and painless. She was a valuable tool after all.” “Why would you attack your comrades.” I plead with a horse voice. I’m choking back tears and trying to force my body to move. “How pitiful!” A low chuckle rumbles from within. “Your friend will die, all because you were an unfit vessel.” It’s chiding angers me. In the empty space of my mind. I see an evil grin from ear to ear. “Once you are unconscious, I’ll take your body, and kill them both.” Its laughing grows louder. “Then you won’t mind if I borrow your power first?” My question stops the laughing. “I knew it. You don’t know how my seal works, do you?” This is probably an upside to the situation, drawing his power will be easy if he doesn’t know how it works, to begin with. “You will regret this trickery mortal.” It growls. I walk forward to the caged beast and place my hand on the gate. “Since you are living I can do this.” A stream of Qi flows into the gate’s seal. The feeling of a hot iron rod pierces my abdomen. “How dare you!” The beast's struggle is meaningless. The Qi exits the cage and connects to my core. In reality, only a few seconds have passed. Already, my limbs and core feel rejuvenated. Purple energy swirls around me and catches the attention of Roh. It is too late. My surroundings slow and my body tenses up. Before I knew it I land a blow to Roh’s face. His body soars through the air and lands twenty feet away. I look to her and run. With my newfound strength hoisting her away was easy. Even someone on his level will have to recover from that hit. The next problem is getting past the barrier. “I’m sure these are meant to keep me in.” The barrier hums with energy. I reach out to touch it and am met with an unpleasant zap. “Any ideas, demon?” I ask to no reply. The presence I felt earlier subsides as I feel the demon slumber. ‘I must have sapped his power dry.’ I think. As a barrier ninja I know this is impossible without the password. Not unless I focus a lot of energy into a fine point that is. “Wait.” I gasp. I gather qi into my right palm. So much energy flows that its hard to contain. “This should do it.” With all my might I slam my palm into the barrier. Sparks fly and the air shakes from the impact of the shattering barrier. That effort leaves me winded and with barely half of the power I borrowed left. With that in mind, I continue on, not sure of where I am running to. I run and run, for what seems like ages. So long in fact, the sun kisses the horizon. My power dwindles, and I have no idea where I’m running to. “Dani.” Anya groans. I heave a sigh of relief. “Anya, I’m so glad you’re okay.” I set her down under a nearby tree. “How badly did he hurt you?” She holds her hand to her temple and grimaces. The pain she’s in is obvious. “My head is pounding, but other than—“ Her expression changes when she looks at me. “What did he do to you?” I look down and see burn marks on my body. “Or was that the… Demon?” “This one was on me. I had to use the power to get away from Roh.” A sharp pain knocks me to the ground. “Dani!” Her voice was the last thing I heard before I fell unconscious. ///

Roh

“Roh! How could you let this happen?” The general continues to shout at me. “Wait till your father hears about your failure.” Those words stir a fiery hatred within. My expression must have given that away because his angered expression creeps into a grin. “Yeah, how about I go tell him right now? He will teach you what it means to serve your village!” His sly comments are abruptly ended when I appear, standing behind him while he sits at the pompous desk. “I will handle it, General.” My tone is a cold knife that cuts through his confidence. “You will do well to let your subordinates perform their duties—“ I focus my Qi and flash to the other side of the room. “—unimpeded.” “You will not leave your superior without dismissal.” His words are shaken by his wavering control of the situation. My eyes begin to glow silver as I look back at him “I am dismissed, aren’t I?” The General doesn’t scare me. Of course, he resorts to threats. “I have work to do, General.” I bow and enter the hallway quietly shutting the door behind me. “Aw, is the poor little prodigy angry?” Scarlet's voice comes from the right-hand side. “It’s rude to eavesdrop Scarlet.” I give her a side glance to show my annoyance. “No, what’s rude is him threatening to tell your father. I’m sure you wanted to do bad—“ She bites her lip so hard it draws blood. “—bad things to him.” Her snake-like tongue slithers and wipes the blood away. “You’d like that wouldn’t you?” I continue down the hallway. “You know me too well, daddy’s boy.” She starts cackling maniacally and follows me down the hallway.