Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

"You have quite the skill. Did you have a teacher?"

Hu Baihe asked, evidently curious about Ming Yue's past. Although it was a quick fight, she could not dismiss the skills she saw. Rather, the sensations she felt from fighting Ming Yue. That was something she could not ignore. 

"No, I have no formal teacher. I've only been learning here and there but I am mostly self taught."

"I see. Despite your age, it seems that you've gone through a number of experiences. Now you will be sent into the middle of a war. At the very least, you have the skill to fight back and escape on your own."

Hu Baihe did not speak with a tone of pity, it was flat and cold, solemn even. 

Ming Yue found it strange as the atmosphere between them was unusual. 

"Is there something wrong?"

She asked, not wanting to beat around the bush. 

The two continued walking as the question was asked. There was a slight silence before the Guardian Fang spoke. 

"The way you fight is unlike something I've ever really seen. Your speed is one thing but so is your way of vanishing, diminishing your own presence. You are more like an assassin than a warrior. But the one thing that makes me wary of you is your intent."

"My intent? What do you mean?"

Ming Yue did not understand what Hu Baihe was saying. 

"In war, the ability to kill is important but the intent to kill is even more important. You have both, killing without batting an eye. There is no doubt in my mind that you have killed many. In that regard, you are less suited to be called a cultivator but rather, a killer."

She stopped walking and turned around, facing Ming Yue. Her eyes met with Hu Baihe's stare and within that very stare were eyes of sincerity. 

"And a killer in the battlefield will thrive like wolves in a field of rabbits. The intent to kill will grow and if you let it, it will overtake you."

Ming Yue looked at her with curious eyes. 

"Why would you tell me this?" she asked. 

Hu Baihe's lips trembled before she took control over her emotions. Her eyes continued to keep contact with Ming Yue's eyes, emphasizing the importance of her words. 

"This is war, a thing that overflows with bloodshed and violence. It will be unlike anything you've seen. For someone like you who has never experienced this, you could lose yourself in an endless battle. I've seen many soldiers succumb to the horrors of war, becoming scarred by it. Some cower in fear for the rest of the lives and others wind up in their own delusions, believing that the battle is never over."

She looked down at her sword before turning away, no longer facing Ming Yue. Who knows what emptions were running through her. As a soldier, there is no doubt that Hu Baihe has experienced the worst that war had. 

"Pray that you do not end up like this."

Hu Baihe then pointed at an empty tent that had bed and a few provisions. 

"This is your tent and these supplies are for you to take when you head into the Demon Continent. When the sun rises, it will be your turn to go."

She saluted and left Ming Yue and her two beasts alone. 

The young girl looked at Hu Baihe before entering the little tent with Hei Yue and Xiao Yin. It was a simple tent, just large enough for the three of them. The bed itself took half of the space and it was a small bedroll. Next to it were the provisions, a weeks worth of dried food and other small items like torches and extra clothes. 

She placed them into her spatial ring along with the provisions she was given to on the ship. 

"Come on you two, we have a long day ahead of us."

Hei Yue looked at her before snuggling into the bedroll with her. The Mistral Fox wriggled in, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep. Xiao Yin did the same and all three of them shared the rather small bed roll. 

It was somewhat tight but comfortable. It helped that the fur and feathers were incredibbly soft and fluffy. 

Despite that, Ming Yue didn't sleep until much later into the night. Her mind was occupied by the thought of entering the Demon Continent. But that was soon replaced with the thought of war. She understood what war was and she knew what a terrifying thing it could be.

But reading and hearing about it was different to experiencing it firsthand. 

"Even entering this camp, the feeling is too strange", she thought. 

"Are you afraid?" Xue Yue asked, sensing the emotions. 

"I'm not sure. War is something I've heard stories of. Battles on the scale of millions, castles and fortresses besieged, I'm not exactly afraid but I can't say that I am not afraid."

Xue Yue paused for a moment and then snickered.

"Neither of us know what war truly is. It is something we have never experienced. To be afraid of something we don't know is only right."

"That is true. But still, I don't know what to think of this. As much as I agreed to take this mission and go to the Demon Continent, have I overestimated myself?"

"Why do you say that?" Xue Yue asked.

Ming Yue thought whether what she had chosen was right. Suddenly, it felt as if she was thrown into a position she knew nothing about. She began to have second thoughts about it all. 

"Are you really going to hesitate now?"

Xue Yue's voiced turned sharp, sounding annoyed by this. 

"It's too late to renege", she said, "If you have second thoughts now, it will be the end of you. A moment of hesitation is all it takes."

"You're right. You are right, Xue Yue. It is going to be a long day."

Ming Yue's mind slowly calmed and her resolve stood firm. With Xue Yue around, there was a bit of clarity to the decisions she made. After all, a second opinion does make the difference. 

With her heart settled, Ming Yue fell into a slumber and the sun gradually came. 

On daybreak, her eyes opened up and she awakened her dreaming companions. 

"Wake up, it's time to go."

Her lips broke into a smile as the two slowly aroused from their sleep. 

"Xiao Yin... your feathers..."

She picked up the Star Owl, studying the ruffled feathers which seemed to go in every direction. She quickly combed it with her fingers. Xiao Yin purred* under the touch of her gentle fingers which shook Hei Yue awake, who seemed to want some of that pampering.

Suddenly, her hands were occupied with softness as she ran her fingers through the fur and the feathers.

It was a nice way to start the day, reminding Ming Yue to appreciate little moments like these. 

Minutes later, she stopped and the trio quickly left their tent, heading towards the formation. Despite the early start, the camp was as busy as ever, soldiers tending to their daily duties. Ming Yue had a quick look along the way as she arrived to the massive formation. 

In front of her was the very thing she say up in the skies, a massive teleportation circle big enough to fit thousands of soldiers. But right now, it was only for her. 

The formation was on a raised platform, several feet above the ground. There was a set of stairs leading up to it. 

From afar, she felt its pulsating power, dormant but restless. Up close, it felt like standing next to a massive drum, banging at the rate of one's heartbeat. 

Commander Bi stood there waiting for her. His face was stone-cold as he looked at her nad gestured her to come up. 

"Stand at the center of it and do not move. The process will only take a few seconds and there will be someone standing by to get you. Stay safe and farewell."

Ming Yue did as he said, stanidng at the center of the great circle. 

The pulsing energy of this massive formation stopped as the strange blue glow dissipated. Then the formation almost roared to life as it glowed with a prismatic light.. The clouds in the sky churned and spun as a pillar of blinding light shot from the formation, sending its passengers to the Demon Continent.