Jin Lu took a deep breath, her eyes snapping open. The last thing she remembered before darkness took her was the annoying beeping of machines and the doctors' overexcited voices in the hospital room. Looking around, Jin Lu was definitely no longer in the hospital.
Dark stone walls and packed dirt ground underneath Jin Lu reminded her of an alley, though not a modern one. The absence of motor vehicle engines and the low buzz of electricity made Jin Lu's ears lightly ring from the abnormal quiet.
Jin Lu pushed herself up from the ground, a cool breeze making Jin Lu aware of the cold sweat drying on her forehead. A low groan slipped from between Jin Lu's lips when she moved her stiff muscles, and she cut it off quickly. Something about the sound and feel of Jin Lu's throat felt off. Placing her hand against her throat, Jin Lu felt a lump. Fear jolted through her, followed by shocked confusion when Jin Lu looked down.
Jin Lu was wearing a shirt of poor quality with more holes than patches… and her chest was flat. Though Jin Lu had been small for a woman, she did have enough chest fluff to identify as a member of the female persuasion.
Now, there was nothing there.
A bizarre thought came to Jin Lu and her eyes widened. Her hand moved before she could stop it and slammed down on her crotch. Stars exploded behind her eyes at the force of impact, her hand stilling on the length of flesh her hand had crashed into hidden in her lap.
There was, indeed, a penis… under her pants… attached to her body.
What. The. Fuck!
Taking deep breaths to help alleviate the pain as well as calm her racing heart, she heard light footsteps coming down the alleyway toward her. Swinging her head to the side, she made out a youth slinking his way along the wall. His steps were light but quick as he came forward and crouched down a few inches in front of her.
"You okay, Jin Lu?" His voice was quiet and though the question was one of concern, it held an impatient tone.
I am a thirty-year-old woman in a young man's body… I. Am. Not. Okay!
"You're the last one. Come on," he said, waving his hand as he got up. Jin Lu got up carefully, her muscles stiff and her mind in gibbering chaos. The kid took off as soon as Jin Lu's feet were under her, looking back with a grimace at how slow she was being.
You try walking with a limp noodle between your legs for the first time and see how fast you walk!
Jin Lu took a few hesitant steps, PTSD from the pain she had caused herself earlier still fresh in her mind, before muscle memory kicked in, and she followed the child quickly and quietly. The cloth shoes on her feet were thin, but her steps were lighter than the youth in front of her. Her heart raced again with adrenaline, but her face showed indifference.
Though Jin Lu had grown into a respectable member of society after getting into Julliard during her late teens, her youth had been filled with scenes much like this one.
They made their way stealthily along back roads and over rooftops before stopping at a shadowed corner. Four small, teenage human shapes waited for them, three boys and a girl, all of them young and showing differing signs of malnutrition.
"Finally! We were about to start without you two, what took so long?" the girl hissed, her eyes shifting everywhere at once.
She was jittery as a rabbit. Jin Lu frowned at her attitude, and the girl froze, her body tensing with dread. Though Jin Lu was surprised and a little amused by the girl's reaction, she didn't show it. The previous owner of this body must have had a wicked temper.
"We're here now, aren't we? Let's get this over with." The boy who came to get her gave the girl a disgusted sneer before shifting his attention to the other boys. They nodded as one and disappeared. The girl growled low in her throat, her aggression palatable.
I'll need to get in and out quickly. I have a feeling she's going to be a risk.
The young man ignored the girl and looked back at Jin Lu in a way that told her to follow him. She nodded and both of them made their way up the wall of the building, using the balconies and pitted stones to climb to the roof. Following his lead, Jin Lu crouched down until they both laid flat at the edge of the building, looking across a small gated courtyard to an impressive looking house.
Jin Lu could make out the three boys from before, one sitting lookout in a tree overlooking the fenced courtyard, while the other two were already inside the fence.
Professionals… or experienced. Either way, I have a feeling if I screw this up I'm dead.
"The siblings were able to poison the wine, so the two servants left behind should be asleep and the owner won't be back till tomorrow. I'll watch here while Tang Hai and Tang Chin take the front and back entrances. Tang Shi will cover the escape route, while Yu Cui will watch the main street. Got it?" The boy looked at Jin Lu for confirmation.
"Was there something specific I need to grab?" Jin Lu asked, her voice sounding strangled as she tried to make it quiet.
Having a boy's tenor come out of her mouth was going to take some getting used to. The youth looked at her like she was an idiot before replying, "Just grab the valuables and get out." Jin Lu nodded before swinging over the edge and repelling down the side, staying in the shadows as much as possible.
Old habits never die, I guess.
Sneaking to the tree, Jin Lu scurries up the trunk quickly and flips down from the branch hanging over the fenced yard. Her body moved on old instinct and adrenaline, a nostalgic smile flitting across her face. Though she hadn't done anything like this in over twenty years, sneaking into houses had been one of her favorite things to do.
The risk and danger had her heart rate spiking, and she took a deep breath, stretching her neck to relieve the tension. Holding the air in her lungs, she let her mind empty before slipping a few fingers under the window sill she was standing next to. It lifted easily, not making a sound. Stopping at the height of two fingers, she stood flush to the wall for a few moments, waiting for any movement or sound from inside.
Sensing nothing amiss, she slowly lifted the window until there was enough room for her to slip through. Again she hid against the side of the house, alert to anything that would indicate they were found out. Raising her hand towards where she knew the youth was watching from the roof, she gave a little wave before slipping into the house.
Crouching on the floor, Jin Lu flicked her gaze around the room quickly before hiding next to a side table.
Natural night vision. Sweet!
A smile hovered over her lips as she made out the furniture and knick-knacks scattered around the room, everything in shades of gray, white, and black. Remembering the look of the building from the outside, Jin Lu walked lightly on her toes toward a set of stairs.
Studies and bedrooms were almost always located on the upper floors of rich people's homes. Jin Lu figured it was unconscious (or totally conscious) arrogance, either on the part of the architect or owner.
Three doors along the hall and one at the end. The end was either the study or main bedroom, so she decided to check it first. Passing the other doors, she laid flat at the door at the end and pressed her ear to the crack at the bottom. With her eyes closed, she concentrated on her ears and nose for a moment to tell if there was anyone inside or if her choice had been wrong.
No breathing, the smell of ink and paper in her nose. An evil grin flashed before she stood up and twisted the knob, letting the door open on its own. Just because she didn't hear or sense anyone inside, didn't mean there wasn't.
She may still have her wits and instincts, but this body wasn't completely hers, after all. Staying against the wall, she gently pushed against the door's edge until it was flush with the wall, waited another few seconds, and then slipped in.
Shelves filled with books lined the walls on either side, while a desk with scattered papers sat in front of the back wall, a few paintings scattered across its surface. Staying against the side of the room, Jin Lu quickly went to the desk, opening all the drawers methodically. Lots of papers and writing implements, but nothing that looked valuable.
Not giving up, she started tapping the underside of the drawers lightly. Hearing a hollow thump from the bottom left drawer, her eyes flashed before she removed all the files and scrolls to reveal the bottom. Seeing a small indent at the front of the wood, she grabbed the letter opener from the top of the desk and gently inserted it. A light click came from inside the drawer, and she removed her hand and stepped back quickly, waiting to see if there were any traps.
When nothing else happened, she returned to the drawer and used the letter opener to slide the bottom piece of wood up. Inside were gold coins and gems, as well as more scrolls, though these had a feeling of pressure coming from them. Intrigued, she grabbed everything from the drawer and put them in her bag.
Spacial bag… double sweet!!
Her geeky heart squealed at the thought that magic was available in this world, even though her demeanor stayed professional. She had held a glimmer of hope in her heart after she saw the state of the city she woke up in and the fact that she had a different body, but she didn't want to believe too soon.
Now that she'd seen the gems, felt the pressure from the scrolls, and the evidence provided by the spacial bag, she was almost one-hundred-percent sure that she had been let into a world of magic. If she wasn't in the middle of robbing this house, she would have done a twirling happy dance.
Instead, she replaced the piece of wood and papers back into the drawer quickly and shut everything back up, making sure it looked like nothing had been touched.
Turning to the wall, she lifted the corner of each painting to see if there was any sign of a safe, but didn't expect to find anything. The hidden space had enough goodies in it to show that it was the only "safe" place for valuables. Still, it never hurts to be methodical.
Setting the last painting back against the wall, Jin Lu walked back along the bookshelves, stuffing every book she came across into her bag. Seeing as she knew nothing about anything right now, knowledge was her main objective, and the best way to get knowledge was from books.
Once every shelf was empty, she quietly closed the door to the study and made her way back down the stairs and out the same window she'd come through, closing it behind her. Taking a moment to scan the area, she frowned when she didn't see Tang Shi sitting in the tree. She had thought that was the escape route that the other boy had mentioned.
Sensing that something was wrong, she quickly made her way around to the back of the building. There was no sign of any life anywhere.
Alarm bells rang in her head and without a moment's thought she made a dash for the rear entrance just as an arrow slammed into the wall where her head had been. Though she was startled, she didn't stop her sprint.
Another arrow hit the corner of the fence, the sound of metal hitting rock like a gunshot in her ears. She dashed through the streets with no idea where she was going and no way to find out who was shooting at her.
Zipping around the front of an inn, she took the chance and ran around to the side alley. Leaping as high as she could, she grabbed the bottom of the closest balcony and heaved her body up. Sweat made her hands slick, and she slipped a little, wasting precious time as she adjusted her grip.
Finally slipping onto the balcony, she rolled until she was against the wall, the curtains from inside the room shifting with the dry wind from outside. Jin Lu kept her breathing even and light, though her lungs were screaming at her for oxygen. Her throat burned each time she inhaled, but she stayed where she was, waiting to hear anything.
After not hearing or sensing anything, her heart finally calmed down, and she let out a soft sigh of relief. Slowly getting up, she slipped into the room. Finding it occupied was a little disconcerting, but there was nothing she could do about it, and thought that it might be a blessing in disguise.
Who would expect her to hide in a stranger's room? Using her elbows to pull herself forward, she slithered under the bed until her entire body was hidden from view. Using her arms as a pillow, she laid down and took a deep, meditative breath before releasing all the tension in her body and closing her eyes. Exhaustion pulled her into a dreamless sleep as the sun slowly climbed over the horizon.