CHAPTER 3: TOWN HERO

Meixing woke up in a soft bed. It was the first time she had woken up in such a soft bed, with silk blankets. She had not slept in a bed since her grandmother had grown bedridden. Once that happened, she slept on a mat on the floor.

She heard a familiar sound that she had not in a long time. Her grandmother was singing.

"Gran Mama?" she said, sitting up and yawning.

"Meixing!" she sang while twirling around. Meixing could not believe that this was the same woman who was bedridden yesterday. "What are you doing?"

"Tea, Hon Hon." she said. "Taste this."

Meixing accepted the cup of tea and began sipping. Her face twisted in disgust. She had never liked tea.

"Now now Hon Hon, remember, no man will marry an unlady like woman." she said. "A lady loves tea."

Meixing rolled her eyes, while taking another sip and smiling. "Boys are weird."

They had been placed in one of the houses near the town centre. It was much better than the one room shack they had called their home for most of her life. The house was a reward for her part in resisting the demon attack. Though most soldiers believed her victory was a product of pure luck, aided by Bao who had hurt the demon, thereby weakening it enough that even a weak girl like her could finish it off.

Even though they thought this, they still had to honour her and she was on no mood to fight their perceptions of why she won. Even though she knew that Bao was being given too much credit, she could not argue that she deserved anymore. In truth, she did not defeat the Gecko Demon, the sword did.

When she held it last night, she could feel its presence, entering her mind and controlling her body. Which is why she was relieved when she could put it down once in the house.

"I'm going to take a walk outside," her grandmother's declaration snapped her out of her musings. "I'm going to breathe the air rich people breath." She said before exiting the bedroom.

Now alone, Meixing leaned over the bed. Her hair cast on the floor as she looked under her bed. She pulled a white cloth that wrapped around something long.

Gently unwrapping the cloth, she revealed the old sword that had saved her life. She wanted to touch it but still was afraid if the presence she felt when she had last time.

She wrapped the blade in the cloth, making sure not to touch it and pushed it under the bed again.

"Hon Hon," her grandmother peeked in. "There is a messenger here to see you."

The messenger had come to her with a summons. They were debriefing everyone who was involved with repelling the demon attack and although everyone thought her involvement was down to pure luck, they still wanted to gleam any useful information she may have.

She and her grandmother were led into the biggest building of the small town where the council members held meetings.

"They used guerrilla tactics." One if the council members said as she entered. "They attacked unarmed people and as soon as they saw soldiers they ran away, only to attack other places."

Meixing stopped in front of the three men as they spoke. Two of them were relatively young in their forties while the third was much older, grey hair already poking from his long hair. She looked to the side at the other two people who were standing, Chui Bao and a woman she assumed was his mother.

"Chui Bao, perhaps you can tell us something about the attack."

"We heard the horn," Bao began. "My mother and I ran out if the house, heading for the nearest shelter with everyone else. Then one of the demons attacked us. It was huge and kept eating people using its tongue.

"My father appeared. The demon tried to escape but he was able to kill it." He said. "But while he was dealing with it, another, this one looked more like a man than the giant one, came from behind him and killed him before running away. That's when I chased after it. I tracked it to the old well, where we fought and it... it defeated me."

"Ah," One of the council members said. "That's when you came in." He looked at Meixing while flipping through the stack of papers before him.

"Meixing granddaughter of Ling. The demon was now very weak and injured and you finished it off."

"Y-Yes!" she said in a high-pitched voice.

She felt her grandmother's hands squeeze her shoulders reassuringly.

“Did the demon have the town statue?” The other young council member said. “Do you know where that is?”

“I’ve heard of it.” Miexing said. “It’s a statue of a pig made of jade.”

“Yes, did the demon have it?”

She shook her head no.

"But there are some details that you are not telling us." The oldest of the three said. "Did the demon say anything to you?"

She opened her mouth, thinking of the last thing demon said about more of them returning in 3 days but then she shut her mouth. "No."

"You hesitated." The man said.

"I... was thinking... remembering."

"And I heard you used an old rusted sword to kill it." The man pressed. "Where is it now?"

"I lost it after the demon was killed," she said. "Maybe it's down the well with it."

"It’s not." he said, his eyes digging into hers.

She looked away in discomfort.

"Fine," the man said. "We'll have to fix up security. You two have done us proud. Our town thanks you."

Meixing sighed in relief when she exited.

"That was stressful." Her grandmother said. "I think we need some shopping to soothe my nerves.

What do say, Hon Hon."

"Yes!" Meixing said, hopping in excitement. "Wait, we're poor. We can't shop."

"We'll shop with our eyes."

"Yay!" she clapped. "Wait... no. I need to take care of some things Gran Mama. Will you be okay on your own?"

"Yes." Ling said, kissing her on the forehead.

"See you later, Gran Mama!" she shouted as she jogged away.

Meixing arrived at the house. She quickly went to the bedroom and pulled the sword from beneath the bed. She unwrapped it and looked at it in nervousness.

She took a breath and snatched it quickly, closing her eyes in anticipation... Nothing happened.

Her shoulders drooped in disappointment.

"ITS ABOUT TIME YOU PICKED ME UP!"

She jumped in fear at the voice.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN USE ME AND DUMP ME?"

"N-No it wasn't like that… I… I" she said. "Wait, so you are real."

"Yeah, you've had a taste of my power." The voice of the sword said. "And now you want more to fight more of the coming demons."

"So what that demon said was true." Meixing said. "Can you help me protect the town in 3 days time?"

"Three days... oh, you think what that demon said about an army coming here in 3 days was true?"

"So what it said was a lie!" she said happily.

"Oh it's true! They are going to come and absolutely decimate this town."

She frowned.

"But lucky for you, he lied about the time." The voice said. "You don't have 3 days. You probably have more... much more."

"Really?"

"I could make you strong enough to repel them when they get here."

"Please do!"

"If I do, what do I get in return?"

"Huh? You want something in return?"

"Of course. I only helped you the first time cause you got me out of that well! I'm not going to help you again unless you give me something in return."

"Okay. What do swords like?" she said. "Do you want me to polish you or something?"

"I DON'T WANT NO DUMB POLISH! Especially from someone as flat as you!"

"Hey!" she protested.

"No, I want something greater. If I help you, you must dedicate yourself to freeing me.”

“Free you?”

“It will take a lot of work and you may die.”

“D-Die?”

“Yes, so… are you in?”