Nao-Zai's eyes snapped open the minute he heard something thud against the floorboards. He bolted to a kneeling position, checking Kai-Se to see if something happened to the prince. When Nao-Zai had confirmed nothing had changed since he retired to this room, he glanced at the doors. What could have made the sound that woke him?

Before he could get to any conclusion, a shadow dashed through the corridor, lighted by the lanterns from outside the room. Then, the door slid open with such force Nao-Zai didn't even have time to process it. "Follow me," Dong-Seol's stern voice flooded his ears. "Quickly."

He didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed his boots from the doorway, stuck his feet inside them, and went back to scoop Kai-Se up. Then, just like the rest of the afternoon he spent with Chi-Sae in getting here, he was moving again.

This time, his and Dong-Seol's footsteps against the floorboards weren't anything short of light brushes. They were thundering claps, one after the other. It took the rest of Nao-Zai's energy just to keep up. Dong-Seol, once again, has proven that she could still move around a lot despite her skirts wrapped around her legs.

"What happened?" Nao-Zai asked, watching Dong-Seol's hair sway behind her with every step she took. "Where's Mang-Zhao?"

"He's preparing the horses as we speak," she answered. With a quick swipe, she reached behind her, collected her hair in a grip, and with a series of mechanized movements, tied it off in a quick knot at the base of her neck. Her hip-length hair had now been reduced to her shoulders. "They found you."

In every context apart from the one they have, those three words would have sounded good. But all they did now was to induce some sort of dread in his gut. He glanced at Kai-Se, daring himself to think of what the prince would have said in such a time like this. Maybe he'd crack a joke, make Nao-Zai roll his eyes when it didn't land. Or maybe Kai-Se would be more stressed than him, considering it was his and the Empire's lives at stake.

"How many were there?" Nao-Zai dared to ask. He wouldn't like what he would hear, regardless of what came out of Dong-Seol's mouth.

The woman didn't bother looking at him. "A little more than twenty," she said. "I can handle a few of them to give you time."

Nao-Zai studied Dong-Seol. Her clothes didn't appear to have any concealed weapons. Her stance, gait, and the way she carried herself didn't hint at anything that made her close to being a warrior. What made her think she could handle trained soldiers from the Yomaura fortress on her own?

He glanced at his own sword, swinging uselessly by his side. Between carrying Kai-Se and running, it wouldn't take him long to figure out he couldn't actually swing at anyone with his blade. Despite how he tried to think of ways around it, it's either he would have to leave Kai-Se for a minute or he'd have to focus on solely running instead of dealing with his pursuers.

"How did they even know we were here?" Nao-Zai demanded, following Dong-Seol, who disappeared into a corridor he hadn't seen when they entered the house. It led to a dimmer part of the mansion and what looked to be a kitchen and a stable rolled into one.

Dong-Seol clicked her tongue as she moved to shut the gates behind her, blocking the way they came from with kegs, sacks, and other heavy things she managed to get her hands on. "Some really good spies," she said in a strained voice as she plopped another sack atop one keg pressed against the gate. "That or there's a traitor within the Emperor's ranks. There seemed to be a lot of that recently. I heard the fellow planning the uprising was once a trusted soldier."

She chuckled under her breath. "How times change."

How they did, truly. Just a few months ago, Nao-Zai had begun getting used to his life in the fortress after being gone too long for an assignment. Now, he's running for his life, chased by people who wanted to harm someone he was supposed to protect. Still, like last time, it was still Kai-Se. It seemed like the prince had a penchant of getting himself into trouble even when he's not really trying.

A quiet neigh resounded behind Nao-Zai. He turned to see Mang-Zhao leading two horses towards them. One was a dark stallion with an equally dark mane and the other was a mare with a brick red coat and yellowish tail. The dignitary handed Nao-Zai one of the reins.

"The terrain is treacherous for horses but we don't exactly have the time to worry about that," Mang-Zhao said. "Hop on. Keep a tight leash. Don't fall behind."

Nao-Zai didn't even get to nod in agreement when Mang-Zhao turned to his wife. "I'll see you in a few days," he said. "Then we'll have that deonkitte cakes as promised."

Then, with a flourish, the dignitary swung into his horse. Nao-Zai followed, laying Kai-Se against the horse's neck first before climbing next. When he had already settled, he tested flicking the reins. The stables-slash-kitchen was a tiny, boxed-in space, flanked on all four sides with walls, dividing up the mansion into smaller parts. The exit Dong-Seol had just sealed was the one leading inside. The other gate remaining open before them showed Nao-Zai nothing but endless rows of trees and the sinuous downward slope going to who-knew-where.

That's when he heard the footsteps, the clamor of weapons being drawn, and the blaze of fire burning against torches. Dong-Seol continued loading heavy things against the other door, giving her husband a sweet smile while at it. With a nod to his wife, Mang-Zhao tapped his foot against his horse's flank, urging the animal to break into a run. Nao-Zai was about to do the same when a shadow dropped behind Dong-Seol and a flash of silver blazed into the darkness of the night.

A scream died on his throat, reduced to a mere gasp as he watched the figure clad in black rise from Dong-Seol's writhing body. Hair as glossy as spilled ink, a grin telling him she believed she was better than anyone, and the thin sword he'd recognize anywhere even when half-shrouded by the moonlight.

It was none other than Zhi-Xen.

Nao-Zai's throat closed up. He turned to Mang-Zhao who stared at his wife's bloody form lying on the floor. If he helped, if he got down from his horse, then he'd end up in the same state. Conflict shone in the dignitary's eyes and Nao-Zai could have sympathized, if they had any time left to do so.

"Go," his voice, at first, sounded like a weak spurt from his tight throat. Zhi-Xen rolled her wrist, her blade swishing in brief slashes of silver. She wasn't speaking, just smiling up at Nao-Zai with recognition and an arrogance fit for someone of her caliber. Then, she dropped into a stance.

And lunged.

"Go!" Nao-Zai screamed at the top of his voice, startling his horse into submission. The moment Zhi-Xen's blade reached him, it touched nothing but the tip of the mare's blond tail. As he and Mang-Zhao tackled the winding forest, swerving past trunks and protruding branches from the undergrowth. The only time he dared look back at the mansion was when they had reached some sort of clearing and the air lost the stench of blood and metal.

He looked over his shoulder, expecting to see the gates and Zhi-Xen still dashing towards them. All that greeted him were the stillness of the forest and the meager beginnings of the sunlight rising from the east.