Chapter 2: ...A Job Opportunity?
When I returned home I was welcomed by a high-pitched voice yelling "Mei Mei! Mei Mei!" Soon I saw a child flying at me, which I recognized to be my youngest sister, Jailyn. She'd taken to addressing me as "Mei Mei" after she'd heard one of her friends call her older sister that. When Jailyn was young, she had some trouble saying her name, so she chose to call herself Jing, and the pet name just stuck around. "Ah-Jing, you need to mind your manners!" by the time two other young women walked over Jing, who was only seven, had already wrapped her arms around my waist looking up eagerly at me. At the sound of her older sister's words just now, Jing loosened her embrace and stepped a few paces away from me, and muttered.
"I'm sorry Mei Mei"
"It's okay." I coaxed her while patting her head.
Saphia and Whitney followed, standing behind Jing looking at me doe-eyed waiting for me to acknowledge them.
"And what have these two troublesome young ladies been up to while I was gone?"
My words sounded harsh, but in actuality, I was wearing a huge smile and affected a tone filled with amusement and sarcasm. These three were my whole world. They were never reserved or cautious around me. They never once thought to fear me, in fact, they even looked up to me. I can't count the number of times I've caught them spying on me while I was in training, staring in bewildered awe. I eventually invited them to train and meditate with me. I've been teaching them for quite a while now actually. They may look like delicate flowers but they are really impressive martial artists.
Each of them has their respective appearance, abilities, and proficiency.
Jing is only six years old and is still too small to try to practice with even the smallest of wooden swords. She has shoulder-length jet black hair, it's pin straight, but still has baby-like thinness to the ends. Her round face has a pair of beady almond-shaped brown eyes that could melt anybody's heart with a single blink. She always wears little half pigtails with bows and adores wearing the color pink. I've been helping her learn how to dual wield daggers. Wooden practice ones that is, a six-year-old has no place holding a real weapon.
Saphia is ten now, she's rather rambunctious as well. Her temperament is perfectly suited for sword arts. She knows when to attack using great strength, as well as when to tease the enemy by dodging in to tire them out. She prefers to wear jewel tones, but mainly reds and purples, and despite my countless attempts to warn her otherwise, she still wears her hair unrestrained. So she always has thick dark hair running to her shoulder blades. It's mostly straight like Jing's, but like Saphia herself, it contains a slightly rebellious wave. Her eyes are very similar to Jing's as well, but when you look closer, instead of the honey brown you can see a hint of in Jing's eyes, Saphia's give off a glint of purple. Like an amethyst submerged in dark waters.
Whitney is 12. She bears Jing's same eye color, while her hair is more similar to Saphia's. Although it's usually tied back in either a sleek ponytail or bun with just a few strands out in the front, refusing to be tamed. Her favorite color to wear is blue. Whitney is very studious and mature, so she's not well suited for hand-to-hand combat. This is why I learned how to use a long bow to instruct Whitney in archery.
Staring at the three of them, I thought maybe It wasn't a bad thing that I didn't get any offers. There's nobody in Beiyang more qualified to teach my sisters than me, so I can contribute to the family this way.
Yes. That way my parents won't have to hire a teacher for them. That way this family taking me in wouldn't be a wasted effort.
I was thinking about this when I was snapped out of my trance by Saphia clinging to the front of my clothes, her fists crumpling the fabric as she pulled.
"Sky! I heard you won everything!! Who cares what those loser organizations think of you?! You're awesome." Her voice rang with trill and enthusiasm.
I froze. What a terrible embarrassment I was. I could only muster the strength to say one word.
"...Thanks"
Jing must've detected the dejected tone in my voice because she came over and carefully wrapped her arms back around my waist, glancing up at me consolingly. I patted her on the back and smiled a bit.
"Did you really not get an offer?!" A sympathetic voice of disbelief called out. Whitney had asked this question. She knew the answer, but because this happened to me, she wouldn't hold back about being indignant about it.
I sighed. "I didn't. But that's okay, I can stay back and teach you guys. That way, none of you will have the same unfortunate fate as me."
Saphia and Whitney held hands with each other, looking at me courageously.
Saphia looked serious as she nodded> "Mn. We're lucky to get to trouble you to instruct us. Professor Badass!"
Whitney was shocked as she yelled "Soph!"
I didn't know if I should laugh or cry, the sight of a ten-year-old wholeheartedly cursing like that really was too absurd…
"You guys a too much," I said accompanied by a half laugh, half sigh. "Come on, let's have dinner."
-
After laughing, eating, and talking together, I sent my sisters to wash up and get ready for bed.
Tonight was much like any other random weekday night. Our parents were out doing some sort of political rigamarole and wouldn't be back until long after midnight.
I sighed, wondering how I'd face them after failing to find somewhere to go yet again. They never blamed me, but I could tell they were at a loss about what to do with me. I decided not to dwell on it though, instead, I decided to draw myself a bath.
As I stepped into the water, which was probably still a little too hot, something tense in me finally relaxed.
I languidly sat in the warm water thinking to myself.
I'd never realized how lonely it was. I knew the stares and ridicule of others felt isolating but I've always been strong-willed. I thought that I'd be able to take it without batting an eyelash. After all, I've always been witty, kind-hearted, and compassionate. I thought eventually I'd be able to win people over by showing them my good nature, but people just look terrified when I act kindly towards them. Instead, they just look terrified, as if some sort of monster was trying to coerce them.
Whoever said "It's better to be feared than loved" is sorely mistaken.
I pour my heart into making life easier for others, and for once I'd like somebody to look me in the eyes and understand. I would gladly shatter my soul for another person, so was it really too much to ask for another person to keep a sliver of kindness for me?
As life would have it so far, the answer is yes.
I got out of the tub and dressed myself in clean clothes, I was midway through drying my hair when I heard a frantic knock on my door.
"Young Master!!! There's a man from the capital here for you!"
WHAT?
Why would anybody from the capital want anything to do with me?
I followed my servant out to where our reception hall was.
Sitting non-chalauntly in a chair was a man with a rather severe appearance.
He had silky light brown hair, all tied back into a ponytail that was held together by a navy blue ribbon. There was not a strand of hair out of place, he even had two silver clips on either side of his head in order to keep back any stray hairs that may fall by his face. His skin was very pale, like porcelain, but he had a trace of light pink in all of his features. His eyes were upturned and phoenix-like, they were honey brown but as the light hit them they shone like gold. He wasn't from around here.
As I walked over my wavey hair was a tiny bit still wet, and I was in more casual nighttime robes. While not looking entirely unpresentable, this was a one-eighty from my typical appearance. Here, I was much more feminine.
I walked over to stand in front of a chair, facing the man in navy blue light metal armor and matching navy blue clothes.
"May I ask why I have a caller this late in the evening?"
Both my tone and appearance, It was clear to deduce the indication of what I was saying.
Don't you think it's a little inappropriate to show up asking for me this late in the evening?
The man was not shaken by my words, but he did appear faintly shocked.
"...You're the young master of this household?" He spoke in an unhurried, but cautious manner.
With that, I took a seat. I sat leisurely and waited a moment before responding.
"Mn. That's correct."
"Well, then I must invite this Young Master Xie to travel west to the capital with me to train under my elders."
Training…in the capital…of Great Aramore?
I'm just some rich kid from a city in the eastern countryside. He must be joking.
Not to mention my present image isn't exactly good.
I was stunned.
"Do you even know who I am? What my reputation is?"
The man just laughed a little. He couldn't be much older than me, maybe a year or two, but he acted like he was many years my senior.
"It's precisely because of your reputation that we'd like to take you in. Besides it doesn't matter what outsiders think of you-we're a rather secretive bunch."
"That means…I can't tell anybody who I'm training with?"
"Precisely, we won't stop anybody from finding out about our member's identities once they're on missions, but when you're training it must remain a secret."
"Can I decline? Also, who are your elders?"
"You can't. You'll find out when we get there. We leave the day after tomorrow."
He stood up and left, he didn't even say any goodbyes or pleasantries.
I just remained where was, absolutely dumbfounded.
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punkfunk13
punkfunk13 Sorry, this is so short! I'm pretty busy, so I thought shorter more frequent chapters would be easier to manage!
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