"Second Brother..Second Brother ...Kiyoshi bullied me!" I run towards Akuma for comfort..not forgetting to sell out Kiyoshi.
"Kiyoshi mind your strength." My mother scolds.
Akuma picks up his sister and places her on a chair in between him and his mother.
"Oh my, look at how red your nose is!" He uses his water element, doing some fancy hand signs to conjure up a light blue film made of ice and pats her nose softly. "Here this should reduced some of the swelling." He also hands me a small Jade tablet with Rai engraved in it. "I have to trouble you to wear this from now on, it'll hide your spiritual presence, no one can know of your spirit power okay... promise to try and keep your amazing power hidden okay?" He ties the Jade around the loop of my belt.
"Don't nag the little brats fine, let's eat I'm famished." Kiyoshi pulls out a chair and begins inhaling everything in his bowl.
The family enjoys dinner together, both brothers arguing and joking around reminiscing together while Shinah sits quietly enjoying the loving atmosphere.
When the sun sets Akuma takes the dishes to Ya Ling and excuses himself to do a perimeter check.
My mother kisses me goodnight and retires with my fourth brother.
Kyoshi drags me by the hand and pulls me towards my mothers garden.
"You pig why are you walking so fast!" I huff at him.
"Me Pig? Ha ha says the one who ate two helpings of rice!" He laughs but slows his steps to match mine.
"I hadn't eaten for two weeks it's natural I make up for lost times." I mumble.
Kiyoshi laughs letting go of my hand and pulls out a old wooden box tossing it to me. "Before you open it I have some questions for you. I'm no good at explaining things so, don't worry Akuma will arrive shortly to show you how it works."
I smile looking down at the old box. On the face of the box is a carving of a dragon with a curved indentation in the box where it's mouth is. The dragons tail coiled around our family crest.
Why did he bring this out the treasury? It shouldn't be out in the open, what is he thinking carelessly tossing our families blood sacrifice chest?
"Mm.. questions?"
He watches my reactions carefully and pulls out a small red bladed dagger twirling it in between his fingers slowly. "Will you answer honestly."
I look at his dagger and smile, another family heirloom... sigh ... in the hands of this unreliable guy. Did he steal this stuff out the Imperial Treasury ..wow Third Brother has skills. That place is an unbreakable fortress I definitely have to bribe him to show me later!
"That depends on the question. Should you be playing with that out here?"
"Why you scared?" He twirls the dagger faster and gives a side smile.
Shit...that smile.
"Mm I'm afraid, of becoming a casualty of your poor skills." I laugh and take a step back. I look back at the box curiously, I see that's why he gave me this?
As soon as I step back Kiyoshi quickly grabs my hand looking down at me with that evil side smile before slicing my wrist pouring my blood down on the wooden box over the indent of the dragons mouth.
My body goes numb and I fall forward, Kiyoshi catches me before I hit the ground and pours medicine that heals my wound and wraps it in a bandage.
I panic, I knew he was going to cut me but I can't move! I'm not even fighting back you idiot. I glare at him. "Was that necessary?!"
"Very, you see I've been waiting for you to show up. When Shen told me you were still unconscious after a week I figured I'd test you after you woke up. You passed twice but failed the most important one. Oh and don't bother struggling my dagger was laced in a paralyzing elixir." He twirls his dagger and it turns into a bundle of fine red thread. He uses it to tie my hands together yanking me behind him while he picks up the small box that fell on the ground.
Waiting for me to show up? What test is he talking about..
"Ha ha see this little thing. It's actually our family's blood box. As in only the blood of a Rai decent can open it. Huhh, as you can see it didn't open." He grabs my neck lifting me off the ground, smiling.
"If you tell me what you've done, who sent you, and their main purpose ...without trouble... I promise to end your life quickly."
He softly tugs on the rope and thin needles materialize along the rope, seeping through my pores. The heat attacks my bloodstream, boiling my blood.
Fucking Kiyoshi you moron I'm not possessed! Only you would use this ancient artifact in this sick way!
"I'm your sist—" He releases his hold on my neck letting me fall to the ground and tugs on the rope aggressively. The needles get larger emanating more heat into my bloodstream.
The heat blurs my vision and my head starts pounding.
My meridians were automatically sealed from his artifact binding so I can't protect myself at all. Wuu this idiot I'm so going to have Shen kick his ass!
"I said no trouble, that was your only chance, understand this... I rather kill you both than let your disgusting presence continue to possess Shinah."
He starts making hand gestures at a speed the eye can't catch. The thread stretches looping around my arms to my neck and back down binding my entire body.
The thread gets tighter and cuts into my skin.
I can't breathe.. It burns... everything hurts..
He's really going to kill me!
XiaoLong ... help ..it's going to cut right through me.
"Lett ...me st..ab youu!" I scream with all the energy I have left.
Kiyoshi stops the thread from constricting and pulls me up by the hair.
"Those your last words?" His eyes shine brightly back at me.