The Purple Jade Palace: The Hummingbird's Plan

Shapeshifter

Lana stirred, coughing against the choking sensation of the water. She retched onto the rock beside her, water spluttering from her mouth, her chest aching with the force of her body expelling the unwanted liquid from her lungs. Lana's head was pounding, thwarting her acute senses. Trembling, her hand went to her forehead and the sticky feel of blood covered her fingers.

The feel of the cool, hard rock beneath her, the damp smell it held and the mist of water that covered her skin even though her clothes were already wet, reached her senses. Panic and confusion set in, and it took a moment for her thoughts to catch up with her to remember what had happened. She had been attacked on the balcony. The motions, the sounds, the sharp smell of fear mixed with the stale sweaty smell of the attacker, and the rough, painful touch of it, came racing back to her. Someone had attacked her at her weakest.

Lana's attention was suddenly drawn elsewhere. Something was happening close by. Someone was struggling and gasping. The distinct sound of bones crunching cut through everything else and the sound of the struggling and gasping ceased instantly.

Lana sobbed a raspy gasp. Disorientated with the sound of the waterfall, the spray and her throbbing skull, she had no idea which was the safest direction to take. Somehow, she had made it to the side of the waterhole that was all she could discern.

In the past, Jale had guided her down to the waterhole, so she was aware of the amount of rocks surrounding it. It was a fair guess that was where she was now. Defeat drew in. There was no way she could make a quick escape. At present, she couldn't even determine which way the waterhole lay with the sound of the waterfall all around her.

Her only defense in a situation like this was to freeze. Just like an animal. The instinctual act of hoping the attacker would walk straight past without noticing her.

It was not to be so.

Lana sensed someone approach. She held her breath. Her body trembled with fear. Whoever had attacked would see their task to the end.

Lana drew in her breath and frowned as the smell of animal flooded her nose. It was the smell of damp fur and hot breath mixed in with the smell of something familiar.

Lana reached out her hand and gasped as she made contact with wet but warm and soft fur.

"Teal?" she whispered.

<<<>>>

Under the balcony of the waterfall palace, a stone staircase zig-zagged its way down the rock to reach the waterhole below. Jale jumped down several steps in one go when he rounded a corner and then continued again as fast as he could. His sword was at the ready in his hand, not knowing what he would encounter when he reached the bottom. Behind him, Ralen followed close at his heels.

This was where Jale's soldier training kicked in. Lana's piercing scream had woken him, had woken all of them from their lazy slumber. The Emperor's guards had swarmed the balcony immediately, surrounding the Emperor and guiding him to a secure room until the cause of the scream could be determined.

A soldier had come racing forward and informed Jale he had seen Lana fall over the balcony. He had also told him that Teal had jumped in after her. Fear pounded in Jale's chest. Fear was something he had learnt not to be afraid of as a soldier. He held onto it, used it, let it guide him, and channelled it for extra strength.

The Emperor would remain under protection with his personal guard until Galton and Satner had secured the palace. Twelve men standing with the Emperor, all of whom would die before letting anything happen to their leader. Not that their security was imperative, the Emperor could more than hold his own in a battle. But the nerve of it. For them to attack at the end of the Midsummer Festival of all things, in this place, and right under their noses. And Lana of all people!