It was still early evening and the halls were just starting to come to life. Servants bustled around, helping the courtesans get ready to entertain guests. Singing and music filtered through the doors as regular customers listened to their favorites. But as Tejara approached Mei’nin’sa’s room the halls grew eerily quiet, as if everyone was avoiding her hallway.

Nai was by Mei’nin’sa’s door, slumped against the wall, eyes closed, head down, a crossbow bolt buried in her thigh. The sight of the serious young girl pale and unconscious made Tejara’s blood roar in her ears.

She tried the door handle and found it was locked. Without hesitating, she swung the ax in her hand and the door knob. Wood splintered under the strike and after two more swings the door broke up.

A whistling sound broke through the blood rushing in her ears as a crossbow bolt whizzed by her head and imbedded itself in the opposite wall. Tejara’s step stuttered as she took in the room.

Mei’nin’sa was laying flat on her back, limbs splayed and unmoving. One of the young lords who had attacked Tejara was between Mei’nin’sa’s legs, his penis inside her. The other young lord was straddling her chest, lifting up her head and fucking her mouth. And beyond them was the one. Mei’nin’sa had called DonDon, struggling to load another crossbow bolt.

Tejara’s steps only stuttered, they did not stop.

There was red at the edges of Tejara’s vision and her blood was roaring even louder in her ears. She grabbed the one sitting on Mei’nin’sa chest by the hair and yanked him up. He let go of Mei’nin’sa’s and it hit the floor with a dull sound. Tejara took a second to look down into Mei’nin’sa’s face and saw glassy, unfocused eyes and blood seeping into the woven reed and straw floors.

Her vision narrowed. Overtaken by red. She swung her ax into the young man’s chest. Ribs crunched and a wet wheeze escaped his lips. Tejara tossed him aside and reached for the other man, already raising her ax. The man scrambled backwards, flipping onto his hands and knees to crawl away from her. His thigh was bleeding from her ax already. She buried the head of her ax in the back of his skull. Black hair, flesh, skull, and brain matter all clung to the blade as she pulled the ax out. It dripped onto the woven reed floor as she turned to face him.

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A crossbow bolt grazed Tejara’s shoulder. She grabbed the crossbow and flung it as hard as she could into the wall.

And that’s when the bastard began to spew his bullshit. To threaten, bargain, and beg...

“If you harm me, you’ll be hanged!” he tried to back away but Tejara grabbed his shoulder before he could get far. She raised the ax. “I-If you let me go I’ll get you a pardon for those two!” She lowered the ax. He sighed, his fearful, wide eyes relaxing a bit. And then.

Tejara swung the ax up, between his legs, into his scrotum.

He screamed and cursed and tried to wriggle out of her grasp.

“You bitch! You fucking bitch! You’ll hang for-” she planted her ax in the center of his face and pushed him away, letting him fall to the floor.

Tejara stumbled a step back and turned around, crying out softly, “MeiMei?”

Mei’nin’sa did not respond.

Tejara dropped to her knees and shuffled over to where Mei’nin’sa still lay prone. “MeiMei, are you asleep?” Tejara reached for her and saw the blood on her hands. She hurriedly pulled them back and wiped the blood off. She reached for her again, one hand on her hip, brushing her skirts back into place, the other hand sliding under her shoulder to scoop Mei’nin’sa into her lap.

Mei’nin’sa’s head flopped against Tejara’s chest, skin pale and bruised, blood trailing from her nose and ears. “MeiMei, you're safe now.” Tejara whispered, hugging her closer and combing out the bloody mats in her hair with her fingers.

Mei’nin’sa didn’t stir.

Tejara could not even feel her breathing.

Tejara held her face gently and turned it.

Mei’nin’sa looked up at her, eyes unseeing and unblinking, and mouth agape to never tease or sing or smirk or kiss or smile like the soft dawn sun again.