Samaya knew that they were watching her from afar, despite her warning them not to. It didn't matter. They were far enough away that she could do her work. That was what mattered. She closed the windows. She walked to the bed and pulled up the mattress to reveal a few pieces of paper. They had interconnected writings on them. Gibberish, as far as Samaya was concerned. She could understand individual characters, but not what it all meant when it came together. It didn't matter. They did their job well enough, these talismans.
She chose one. It was written in dark blue ink and had the character for "crisis" in the middle. She took it and tore it in half, hoping that whatever energy it released would not be felt by those lurking outside. She felt the familiar buzz ripple around her. Not having a shred of "qi" herself, the sensation was bizarre, strangely similar to electrocution without the pain and loss of agency it usually came with.
And then, she waited.
It only took a few moments for that familiar presence to appear. She smiled and looked back.
"Hey, kid."
It was a figure of a teenage boy who was draped head to toe in black, including his head and mouth. Only his eyes were visible. He had a knife out in his hand and his eyes were darting about, no doubt looking for the "crisis".
"Relax," she said as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I am fine." She leaned forward. "But I need your help. Are you on a mission right now?"
The boy shook his head.
"Good." She said before leaning back. She frowned thoughtfully for a moment, wondering how much she should reveal. After a moment, she decided he would have to know anyway if he was to help her. If she had to choose one person that she could trust in this world, it was this boy. He would kill for her and Manu.
She gave him the basics. The only indication of any surprise he might have felt at finding out about Manu's parentage was the raising of his brows. Once she finished, she looked at him.
"I need you to follow us. Keep an eye on Manu. Make sure he is safe."
The boy tilted his head questioningly. Samaya rolled his eyes.
"Yes, I can protect him myself when he is within my eyesight. You know how he gets. It won't be like here, where everyone knows by now not to touch him. Until I can ensure that he is protected within the Palace, I need you to protect him and... get him away if I give you the signal."
The boy nodded before staring at her. His eyes flicked towards the direction where he could no doubt feel their surveillants and then back at her. She smiled fondly.
"I will be fine. I can handle them. If anything happens, don't worry about me and protect Manu. Get him away." she stared him in the eyes, dead serious. "Got it?"
He stared at her for a moment before nodding.
"The Brats," she said. "Tell them that I'll be leaving. They will have no job from me from now on. They will just have to keep an eye out for anything strange like I said. Tell them not to accept any dangerous mission from Siwang either."
The Brats are what she called the group of a dozen or so of the children she had saved from black market slave traders. She had become somewhat of a nemesis to those fuckers. They couldn't really do anything to her because one, she had Siwang's protection, and two, she had sent them back with broken bones the first few times they tried.
Most of the children were sent back home or taken in by Siwang, But some insisted on staying with her. Of course, she had been in no position to actually take them with her. So, she arranged some jobs for them in different shops and stalls at the edge, along with a small safehouse where they could live, and in exchange, they became her sources of information within the city. It was only four kids at first. Now, they were a dozen or so.
"I'll let them know," the teenager had a quiet, raspy voice. It fit him.
"Good. You can go get some rest now. Be here at dawn." She paused. "Don't tell Siwang."
He did not hesitate to nod in answer. She smiled at him fondly. Siwang might have trained the boy, but Samaya was the one who saved him from those villagers who wanted to burn him alive for his dark qi. The boy had developed a fierce loyalty to her. She was not so oblivious that she was unaware of it nor so good a person that she would not take advantage of it. But.... she did feel slightly guilty.
She beckoned him and he walked to her. She reached out and patted his head, smiling softly when she saw the pleased gleam in his eyes. She would be lying if she said she did not care for the boy.
"Thank you, Ah-Liu." She said softly.
He ducked his head and immediately disappeared in a flash. Samaya chuckled.
What a shy boy.
The next morning, when the sun rose over the horizon, Manu woke up. He yawned loudly before stretching and getting off the bed, only to find his mother bustling about. She turned to him and smiled.
"Breakfast is almost ready. Go wash up."
He nodded and quickly ran to the bathroom. He quickly cleaned himself up, changing into clean clothes. He returned to find both of their breakfast on the table. He grinned when he saw his favorite shrimp dumpling soup. Just the smell made his mouth water. He quickly grabbed a piece of dumpling and stuffed it in his mouth.
His mother laughed at that. "You eat too fast."
Manu looked at her while eating. "It's hard not to since you're cooking, Mama." He swallowed before tilting his head, "Are we leaving soon?"
"In a bit," She told him with a small smile. "Let's eat first. I am almost done packing what we need. Want to help me with the rest of it?"
Manu blinked before quickly nodding his head. He helped his mom finish packing everything they needed for the trip, even if most of it was just necessities. She gave him instructions as they packed. Don't run about. Don't go out of my sight. Don't try to steal from our companions. Run if I tell you to. Keep quiet when you meet new people, especially if they are nobility.
Soon after she finished packing everything away, there was a knock on the door. "That must be them," Samaya sighed. She went and opened the door, revealing four men standing outside, Han Qin at the front.
"Ready?" He asked, sweeping his eyes over the house.
Samaya sighed softly and nodded. Satisfied with that, he motioned for her to follow him. "Follow along."
She did. But they only walked a few hundred meters. "Wait a moment!"
Han Qin stopped and looked back in askance. Though he didn't show any reaction, the young man beside him had no qualms sending her an annoyed glare.
"I forgot to tell my employer that I won't be coming from now on," she explained. She really did forget, in the heat of everything that was happening. It wasn't like that old man needed her. She was in the habit of leaving spontaneously for her missions. But now, she wouldn't come back for a long time. And there was another reason.
"Your employer?" the man asked.
"Yes," she nodded and pointed to the tavern she had spent her first night in this world. "I work - worked there."
"This is ridiculous!" Samaya didn't even have to look to know who was talking. "We already waited days-"
"And you can wait a few more moments," she kept looking at Han Qin. "Will you not allow us to say our goodbyes?"
A sigh left the man's lips before he waved a hand. "Come back within one incense stick time."
So, roughly five minutes. She could work with that.
She nodded and took Manu's hand before she walked to the tavern, ignoring the furious protest from the other men. The moment she entered the tavern, the room quietened. The few people that were there looked over and sat a little straighter. She had a reputation for kicking any disturbance out without taking any excuses or threats.
Today though, she wasn't here for that. She walked straight up to the counter, Manu following her. "Hey, old man Cin."
"Sami!" The man who had helped her learn her first words grinned at her. "What are you doing here? You don't usually come to work this early!"
"That's because I'm not here to work," she said and leaned over to whisper. "I came here to tell you that I'm leaving."
He scoffed. "You always leave. What's so new about that?"
"Well…. I might not come back this time. I'm taking Manu with me."
The old man paused and stared at her. "Are you in trouble?"
"No…. hopefully." She shrugged. "I'll handle it. Now, where is…"
"Manu!" There was an excited yell behind her and she turned around to see a young, pubescent boy grabbing Manu and spinning him in the air.
Manu was usually left in the tavern when she went out on missions. Needless to say, there was a good bond between the two of them.
"Bolan," she called. The boy put Manu down and looked at her. He beckoned the boy and took him to one of the desolate corners. "Did Ah-Liu come and talk to you guys?"
Bolan frowned but nodded. "Yes."
"Good. We don't have much time left here. Do you remember what I told you guys to keep an eye out for?"
He nodded. She had shown all of them that alley and told them to keep an eye on it at all times. After all, she couldn't be here at all times.
"Remember, trembling ground and something that may look like a-"
"A black hole."
She smiled. "Good. If you see it, tear up one of the 'Inform' talismans I gave you, alright?" She put a hand on his shoulders. "Take care of yourselves and the little ones, alright?" Bolan was one of the oldest among the children. He was also the most responsible.
"Will you come back?" He asked softly.
She sighed. "I don't know, kid," she said softly. "I'll try. I'll send messages every now and then, okay?"
He nodded and she ruffled his hair. She had a habit of doing that. "I have to go now."
They both walked back and Bolan pulled Manu into a hug. In the meantime, she looked back at old man Cin. "Will you be alright?"
He scoffed again. "This tavern was standing long before you came here with only the clothes on your back and the kid on your hip."
She chuckled. "True. I have to go now. Take care of yourself, old man." She turned to the duo. "Let's go, Manu."
Manu gave Bolan one last squeeze before hopping over to her and taking her hand. She led him out as he waved at the old man and the customers.
The group was still waiting where she left them. She walked up to them and nodded. "We can go now."
Han Qin nodded and once again led the group. They walked through the dilapidated part of the town for a long while until they finally arrived at the junction where the commoners lived. Han Qin stopped them just in front of the stable where most of the travelers kept their horses. Someone was waiting for them there. A young teen. He bowed to Han Qin, "My lord, I brought your horses as you asked."
Han Qin nodded approvingly. "Have they been fed?"
The teenager nodded again. She looked warily at the horses. Would she have to ride one of those? She'd rather not. She had never been interested in the equestrian lessons her mentor urged her to go to. She only learned it for an undercover mission where she disguised herself as a rich Indian heiress.
"Good. Here is your coin," He handed the boy a silver tael before he turned to Samaya. "A carriage has been arranged for you and the Prince. It will be here in a moment."
She sighed in relief. Less work for her. She was not nearly prideful enough to insist on doing something she would rather not. Better in a carriage than a horse - in fact - where most of her attention would be on keeping the damn thing under her ass.
They had to wait for a while for the carriage to come. It was more luxurious than most things Samaya had seen since coming to this world. She peeked inside and saw the clearly cozy seats.
"Huh. Nice," She murmured before turning to her son and extending a hand. "Come on, Manu."
So, with that, the men mounted the horses while Samaya and Manu got into the carriage, though Manu grumbled about not being able to ride horses. One Sharp look from Samaya quietened him and they started their journey uneventfully. They moved into the outskirts of the city and then set off.