Chapter 2: Origins
Half a year ago, a young man received an imperial decree summoning him to the royal capital for an important mission he could not refuse. With a letter of introduction in hand, he set off across rugged mountains and dense forests toward the heart of the empire. Yet along the quiet trail, a sudden, fear-stricken scream tore through the tranquility of the wilderness.
Ahead, in a clearing amidst the wild thickets, the figures of dozens of ruffians encircled two young women.One was clad entirely in black, standing tall like an unsheathed blade, her hands bound but her spirit unbroken. Her eyes blazed fiercely, like flames ready to engulf the heavens.The other wore soft green robes, her slender frame trembling—but not merely with fear. Determination glinted in her eyes as she clutched a bundle tightly against her chest, within which precious elixirs were hidden.
As the bandits jeered and brandished their blades, they swarmed the two women, overwhelming them despite their fierce resistance. Their torn garments fluttered pitifully under the grasp of the lecherous men, who had long been starved of the company of women.
From the shadows, the young man stepped forth, his gaze sharp and cold. His hand instinctively found the hilt of his sword strapped to his back.Though he knew he alone could not stand against so many, not even for a moment did he hesitate to act.With righteous resolve blazing in his heart, he charged into the fray.
His sword plunged into the back of a bandit who was pinning down the woman in green, then slashed the throat of another who was forcing himself upon the woman in black. Blood sprayed into the air, staining the faces of the women.
The other bandits, startled, roared in fury and rushed at him in a frenzy.The clash of steel echoed through the dense forest, mingled with the heavy sounds of breath and the howling wind, which now carried not peace but the scent of blood and battle.
Sword gleaming with fresh blood, the young man hurled himself into the mass of enemies. Though his techniques were unpolished compared to those of a master swordsman, his determination was as fierce as a raging storm. His wide sweeps felled two or three men, yet the bandits, like wolves scenting blood, surged in ever greater numbers.
The woman in black seized a chance, snatching a sword from a careless bandit and cutting down enemies around her with stunning precision, despite her bound hands.She spun and dodged with the grace of a warrior born, drawing blood with each deft stroke—but for every foe felled, more replaced them.
Meanwhile, the woman in green stepped back, clutching her elixir tightly.Though she lacked martial prowess, she refused to be helpless.Catching sight of a blade about to strike the young man from behind, she whipped her sleeve, scattering a cloud of powdered herbs into the air.
The would-be attacker staggered, his eyes turning bloodshot before he collapsed, writhing on the ground. Though the poison was not fatal, it shifted the tide momentarily.Yet before she could react further, another bandit seized her roughly by the arm.
Curses rang out through the clearing as the battle grew ever more vicious.Though the three fought valiantly, the overwhelming numbers took their toll.
At last, they were fully surrounded.The young man's body bore countless wounds, his once-white robe now soaked in blood.Even the herbs thrown by the green-robed woman earlier had inadvertently affected him.
The woman in black gasped for breath, her sword dripping with blood, her strength waning.The woman in green struggled in vain as her arms were seized and a sword pressed against her throat, blood seeping from a shallow wound. Yet her defiant gaze did not falter.
Above them, the vast sky stretched endlessly, yet their paths of escape were blocked, shrouded in hopeless darkness.
The surviving bandits laughed triumphantly, believing victory to be theirs.Before them loomed a sheer abyss—known to all as the "Abyss of Death," wreathed in heavy mist and wild, gnarled vines.
With jeering laughter, they dragged the young man and hurled him into the abyss, certain he would never return.But without hesitation, the two women—whom they had deemed weak—leapt in after him.
Their bodies plummeted through the misty air, vision obscured, until they were caught by thick vines and branches that slowed their fall.Landing softly upon the ground far below, they found not a graveyard, but a hidden, enchanted world.
The young man lay motionless amidst exotic flora, his breath faint, his once-vigorous face pale with poison and blood loss.The woman in black knelt at his side, her hands trembling with worry as she touched him.
"You must survive... we owe you our lives,"
she whispered, her voice firm though her eyes brimmed with unspoken sorrow.
The woman in green quickly examined his wounds, pressing his wrist to check his pulse.Without hesitation, she pulled out a vial of precious medicine from her bundle.
"The poison has not yet spread throughout his body. Fortunately, we have antidotes and healing salves... but his pulse is dangerously weak. I fear even all our efforts might be in vain,"
she said gravely.
"Their blades were poisoned too?"
"It seems so," she replied.
"No matter. We shall do all we can. Even if he perishes, we will honor his bones in this hidden valley."
To be continued...