Jia knelt on a hill.

Her wrists were tied with rough rope behind her back, her ankles tied also. Her skin was cut and irritated where it touched the rope. Her struggles had only made them worse. Joon stood to her left, carrying a huge battle-axe. The leader, Seungho and two other Wolves stood about fifteen feet to her right. The two other Wolves each hand a hand on Mir’s binds. If Mir should try to run, all they would need to do was give a sharp tug, and the noose around Mir’s throat would break his neck.

Mir looked confused, as if he didn’t believe this was actually happening. Every now and then, he’d squeeze his eyes shut, as if trying to wake up from a nightmare.

At the foot of the hill, the Wolves gathered. In front of Jia was a chunk of wood that was to serve as a chopping block.

Jia regretted her actions.

Even though she was able to feel emotions, she never should have let her priorities get out of her sight. FeiFei had brought her to back to the grave and trained her up to serve a purpose. Jia was sent to protect the people of Huang Shi, and while love was all well and good, it had distracted her.

Soon, Jia would be dead.

Jia imagined the villager’s reaction when the Wolves attacked the town with no one to protect them. The Wolves would kill at will and probably burn it to the ground. Jia could practically hear the screams.

Jia gulped, trying to change her train of thought. Usually in her mind, she could feel FeiFei’s presence; either a voice speaking in her ear, or the feeling of being watched from above. However, she couldn’t sense the goddess now. With a sinking feeling, Jia realised she had been deserted by FeiFei.

Jia didn’t want to die. She had died once before, and it wasn’t pleasant. Unwelcome, memories of her first death flooded into her mind; the pressing weight of the ocean upon her, the salty water filling her lungs, the frantic panic as she struggled to break the surface.

They weren’t good thoughts either. The thought of the sea made Jia feel nauseous and frightened. The thoughts of her first death made her hands shake behind her back.

Jia had barely started living again, and she was going to be executed. Jia stormed her brain for escape plans, but she couldn’t find one. Even if she was to ignore the fact they had Mir, she was bound, unarmed and surrounded by dangerous Wolves thirsting for her blood.

Jia was staring death in the face. This time, FeiFei wouldn’t be helping her out. So, she could either shut her eyes and die, or she could look death in the eye and die with the little dignity she had left.

The former was a lot easier, but Jia knew she had to go with the latter. If not for her sake, then for Mir’s.

The poor boy looked as if he was about to collapse. When Jia caught his eye, she saw that they were wet. Jia gave him a small smile, and nodded, as if to say everything was going to be alright (which was of course, a lie).

Joon began to speak to the crowd of Wolves. “Brothers! Sisters!” he cried. “We are here today to judge the faith of the criminal before us, the Red Riding Hood!” The tribe hollered and yelled, calling for her head.

“Now, let’s list her crimes, shall we?” Joon asked the crowd. He stood on the balls of his with his hands behind his back. He was clearly enjoying this.

“She killed both of my brothers, and made me lose my arm!” one voice called.

“She killed my husband!” screeched another.

More and more voices called out, creating quite a din. Jia looked down.

Joon nodded. “This woman,” he said as he began to pace, “killed many of us. She injured many of us too. And, she will continue to do so, until justice is dealt.”

Joon stood still for a moment. “So, friends, what will the jury decide? Guilty or innocent?”

“Guilty!” yelled the crowd back a hundred times.

Joon grinned. “Well, you can’t say I didn’t give you a trial.” He walked back to Jia’s left side, hefting the battle-axe from his right hand to his left.

Jia gulped, raising her eyes to meet his. Suddenly a voice whispered in her ear.

“You fool Jia. You really have gone and ruined things. Whatever you might think, I haven’t deserted you. I’ve sent help.”

FeiFei. Jia’s eyes widened. “Who?” she thought back.

“One of the girls who trained with you. The girl in the cerulean cloak. She should be there soon. I’ve told her your location.”

Jia her lips. She remembered the girl in the cerulean cloak. Like her, she had not been able to show emotions. Jia didn’t know her real name.

“Any last words, Riding Hood?” Joon asked, an amused expression on his face.

Jia had to try and stall for time. “Yes,” she said boldly. She didn’t feel very brave. Fear sat like an ice cube in her stomach, trying to freeze up her system. Jia could have gladly broken down crying there and then, but no; she had to be strong.

“I came with you. I didn’t fight back, even when I could have killed you all. I ask that you let Mir go.”

“Jia-” Mir protested from her right.

Joon’s smile grew as he looked down at her. “As if,” he said. With a sharp push he forced her forward, pushing her head down on the chopping block. “I’m going to make him watch you die, make him kiss your decapitated head, and then kill him.” “He’s a madman,” Jia realized.

“Usually,” he said with a sadistic, manic grin, “I would clear the neck of hair or clothes to ensure a clean cut. You don’t deserve a clean cut though. And seeing as you’re the Red Riding Hood, you should die with your hood up.” Leaning down, Joon yanked Jia’s hood over her head.

Jia bit her lip. Her body was shaking with fear. Her only thought was “I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die.” Where was the cerulean cloaked girl? Had this been some cruel jape of FeiFei’s? To give her false hope before death? The crowd of Wolves was laughing and jeering at her.

Jia broke out in a cold sweat. She could hear sobbing to her right, most likely Mir. Jia tried to block out the sound. She was barely keeping it together herself; Mir could very well set her over the head.

“Jia! I love you!” he shouted, before one of the Wolf’s hit him. Even now, it made Jia’s heart flutter. She wasn’t sure if he meant it or if he just wanted her to die with good words in her ear. Either way, it was enough to bring a tiny smile to Jia’s lips.

Tears were threatening to overwhelm her. Jia didn’t want to cry as she died, not in front of the Wolves. And so, for the last time ever, she donned her emotional armour. As Joon raised the axe above her head, tears and fear melted from her face. Her eyes became glassy, her face grim.

Joon swung the axe down.

Joon laughed as the axe cut through skin, flesh and bone. The blood of the Red Riding Hood was the same color as her cloak, he realized as it sprayed onto his face and clothes. Despite what he had said about clean cuts, the axe had cleanly removed hood and head from body. The head (still hooded) rolled down the hill to the feet of the Wolves.

Joon vaguely noticed the anguished sobbing to his right. A million years was lifted off his shoulders; his worst enemy was gone. He had fulfilled his vow; Jia’s blood was on his hands, her body at his feet.

Joon broke into hysterical laughter. He realized another thing; he was most likely insane. That made him laugh all the harder.

His laughter froze when an arrow penetrated his chest.

Joon’s eyes widened, for a second fearing the impossible; that Jia had come back from the dead. He could hear yells and cries of pain from the crowd. Coughing a little, blood sprayed out of his mouth.

“Run!” Seungho yelled. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Seungho and his two friends run as if the devil was on their heels, leaving Mir sobbing on the ground.

Joon could hear the blood thumping in his ears. He fell to his knees.

Looking up, he saw a woman. She wore similar clothes to the Red Riding Hood, except her hood was cerulean blue. Her hair was shorter too. She held the same type of bow Jia had worn. Her face was void of any emotion. The woman notched another arrow to her bow, pulled the string back to her ear, and loosed the shaft.

The arrow hit Joon through the throat, piercing right up to the silver feather at the end. Joon coughed up blood once more before falling forward, dead.

Jia was dead. 

Jia was dead.

Jia was dead.

Mir couldn't process that infortmation. It was Jia, she couldn't die. She was the best warrior Mir ever met.

She couldn't be dead.

But she was..

Mir’s throat was dry. His injuries hurt but his heart hurt even more. His eyes stung with tears.

The last few minutes had been a blur. He remembered Joon swinging his axe, he remembered closing his eyes and opening them once again in time to see Jia’s hooded head roll down the hill. He remembered watching Joon die, he watched the cerulean cloaked woman girl at least a dozen Wolves. The rest of the Wolves had fled.

The blue cloaked woman was examining Jia’s body. The sight of it, cold, bleeding and lifeless made Mir sick. Turning on his side, he began to heave, retching up anything he still had in his stomach.

When his stomach was empty he knelt up, bending forward so that his forehad rested on the cold ground.

“Breathe in, breathe out,” he told himself.

It was strange how less than an hour ago, Jia had been breathing, thinking and full of life. And in just a swing of an axe, she was wiped off earth like a man swatting away a mosquito.

Mir was unsure how long he stayed in that position. He was in shock, he guessed. He had seen what had happened to Jia, but he hadn’t fully processed it yet. Although he was grieving, he knew the grief hadn’t fully hit him yet. He would be fine for a few hours, and then the realization would dawn on him, forcing body shaking sobs through his body, like when his father had died.

Mir became of aware of a shadow above him. Slowly looking up, he saw the cerulean blue cloaked woman in front of him.

She wore the same grey tunic and trousers Jia had. She carried a similar bow and dagger. Her cloak was identical, except it was colored differently; cerulean blue where Jia’s had been crimson red.

Swallowing, Mir asked a question. His voice was hoarse. “Who are you?”

“My name is Amber,” she spoke coldly, like how Jia used to speak. “I am of Jia’s order. I was sent to help her…but I’m afraid I am too late. I will become the new protector of Huang Shi.”

Mir glared. “Jia will always be the true protector of Huang Shi,” he snapped.

Amber’s face stayed neutral. “I understood that Jia was your friend. I’m sorry for your loss.” Amber turned and walked over to where Jia’s headless body lay. The sight made Mir want to retch again. “I’ll take care of the body,” the girl said. “You should go now.”

Mir didn’t need to be told twice.

He stumbled off into the woods, but soon found his feet. He ran until his heart was pounding and his blood was thundering, deeper and deeper into the woods. He wasn’t watching, wasn’t caring where he was going. He tripped up over a loose root and fell, scraping his skin, but he was oblivious to the pain. He hauled himself up again and continued running.

Mir ran until he could hardly breathe. More than sad or heartbroken, he was angry now. At himself, at Joon, at Jia.

Yelling in frustration, he hit the tree beside him with all his strength. He didn’t care about the splinters that entered his hand.

“Why did you have to die?” he yelled to no one. He hit the tree again. “Why?”

“It’s not fair.” Another hit.

“You didn’t deserve it!” And another.

“I should have been more careful.” Mir kept on furiously striking the wood.

“I should have protected you.”

“It’s my fault!”

The energy left Mir and he stood silent gasping for breath.

Where did he go now?

The Wolf Tribe called him traitor, Huang Shi called him enemy and the only person he loved and trusted was dead.

Mir sank down against a tree, closing his eyes. A tear squeezed out and ran down his dirty cheeks.

He was truly alone now.

The End

Every fairy has a hidden meaning right?

I guess this one is that love doesn't always equal happiness.

Sorry for the gory ending. otl.

Thanks for the support guys! xoxo mwah

cuties.

Bye!