Alisha sat atop the highest spire of the lord's castle. She held her hands together in meditation under the morning sun. As the wind from the Jade Plains gusted around her, sky-attribute spiritual energy was collected and absorbed into her body. It was then gradually guided into her spiritual sea which resembled an endless prairie where the wind swept over the grass like waves.

This wasn't a very efficient way to cultivate but it was better than the alternatives. Ordinary spiritual stones did even less for her and jade had its dangers. She didn't want to hear another lecture from her father over dinner.

She breathed out and calmed her thoughts, returning to a state of balance. The wind was soothing. It gave her a temporary respite from the chaos of her responsibilities. She yearned to return to those peaceful times ten years ago when she worried about nothing except the next breakthrough.

"My lord!" The urgent voice of one of her captains came from the stairwell.

Alisha opened her eyes, "Hana, what happened?"

The female captain approached and bowed, "Message streamers were seen from the west, from Harsh's direction. Two red, bandit attack as well as danger to the town!"

Alisha knew what that had to mean. The bandits were finally tired of waiting. They were finally confident enough to launch an actual attack against the town.

She sighed. She felt weary as her worries multiplied.

"Start the evacuation of the northern mining fields. Send the guards to the north gate as a precaution and close the other three gates." She beckoned to the captain and headed down the stairs, "Come, let's go to the north wall."

She went to her room, dressed in the usual cloak and face-veil that hid her features, and charged out of the castle on her horse.

By the time she got to the north wall, it was a scene of chaos as hundreds of people were squeezing through the tiny gate. Some of the town guards were already here with more arriving every moment. They were maintaining order as well as they could although some small fights still broke out here and there.

"My lord!"

Alisha stopped and Hari Patel, another captain more youthful than Harsh and a similar age to Hana, rode up beside her. His boyish good looks and windswept mane were popular with ladies of all ages.

"Status?" She asked.

"Another message streamer from Harsh, they are retreating under pressure! We should go and help him!" Hari said, hand tightly gripping the hilt of his sword.

"What about the evacuation?" Alisha asked instead.

"But..."

"Tell me."

"We have around six hundred people still outside of the walls and plenty more material that needs to be brought in..."

"Lord Reddy!" A shout interrupted him.

A portly man wearing rich crimson robes waddled up to them, his face equally red as his clothes. His name was Tarek Baba, the most senior member of the Southern Seas Trading Company here in Jade Hill Town. Although he did not have any direct power in the town, he didn't care for or fear her. The influence that the trading company held in the region and the kingdom was simply too formidable.

"Lord Reddy! What is the meaning of this? Isn't it just a few bandits? Why do we all have to go inside the walls? This is ridiculous! This is costing us so much money!" He complained.

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Alisha didn't even look at him, "This is for everyone's safety. I don't know how strong the bandit force is but it's better to be safe."

"Safe?" The merchant waved his fat arms around, "Don't you have the town guards? Are they incapable of fighting off a few starving bandits? We've ignored your negligence regarding the bandits all these years but this is unacceptable! How are we supposed to mine jade if we can't even go out! Do something!"

"How dare you!" Hana shouted. "You can't speak to the lord like this!"

"How dare I? Maybe the lord should actually do something! We are sick and tired..."

"Enough!" Alisha said, her voice sharp and piercing. "I am doing everything I can. Please get everyone back inside."

She turned her horse and continued to the north wall. Tarek Baba was left spluttering angrily before he stormed back towards the gate.

"Are we doing everything we can?" Hana asked her, clearly frustrated, "We should go and help Harsh!"

"Yeah!" Hari chimed in.

Alisha usually wasn't one to allow her captains to criticize her in public but she remained silent. She had not been mentally prepared for a fight. She was reluctant to send more of her people out into danger.

The two disgruntled captains followed her atop the north wall where they observed the mass of miners and merchants waiting to enter the gate. Hana and Hari barked out orders from above while two more captains managed things from the ground outside. Together, they managed to calm those waiting to come back in but there was hardly any change to the snail-like pace.

Alisha turned to the western horizon, hoping Harsh was okay. Such a brazen attack from the bandits was outside of her expectations.

Sometime later, a small cloud of dust appeared over the hills to the west. It was hard to make out if it was Harsh or the bandits. They were too far away.

Then, a distinctive projectile launched straight into the air and exploded in a puff of red smoke high above in the sky.

"It's Harsh!" Hari shouted, "He needs help!"

Alisha stood root to the spot, staring blankly at the western horizon. Her mind was buzzing with a hundred different thoughts, all incoherent.

"My lord!" Both captains screamed at her.

"My lord, please!"

"We have to go help Harsh!"

She didn't reply or even move. She didn't know what to do. Losing Harsh, her beloved uncle, would be unbearable. But she didn't want to send Hana and the others to a similar death.

"Damn the Holy King!" Hana finally snapped, "I don't care if you won't let me, I'm going to save big brother!"

She climbed the parapet and was about to jump off.

"Wait!" Alisha cried, finally waking from her stupor.

Hana's determination was powerful and refreshing, like a swift breeze across the Jade Plains. It blew away the clouds of doubt in her mind.

Harsh Patel was in danger, the one and only. He dutifully served the previous lord and now her as the most reliable captain. He watched her grow up and supported her father during the toughest times.

She was willing to fight for him!

Alisha vaulted over the wall and was the first one to leap down. Her cloak fluttered behind her but her hood and veil remained firm, hiding her features. Wind swirled around her feet as she landed deftly on the ground.

"Hari, Hana, come!" She called out.

She didn't wait for their response and dashed toward the mass of people in front of the gate. The two captains came down, landing with much less grace, and chased after her.

"Yan! Zheng!" Alisha shouted, her voice slicing through the hubbub.

"Yes, my lord!"

Captains Yan Wu and Zheng Bai galloped over on their steeds and saluted. The last captain, Tanvi Kapoor was handling the other three gates so there was no time to call her.

"How many horses do we have outside of the gates?" She asked.

"Around fifty or so," Yan answered.

"Call them!"

A moment later, all the mounted guards gathered around her, tight and anxious faces awaiting her orders.

"Harsh's squad is coming back but he's being chased, probably by bandits. We're going to help him!"

"Yes, my lord!" Everyone shouted eagerly.

"You, you, and you." She picked out three of the weakest guards, "Give me your horses, go back to Captain Kapoor and tell her to bring all of the remaining guards out of the gate. There's no time so just bring whatever weapons they have on hand. Form a defensive line facing west and protect the people still trying to get through the gate."

"Yes!"

Alisha grabbed the reins of a vacated steed and leaped on. Captains Hari Patel and Hana Patel followed suit.

She rode to the front and addressed them all. "We ride out to receive Harsh and his squad. Then we are immediately leaving. We're not going to fight a losing battle. Follow my orders, retreat when necessary."

She saw some unhappy faces, especially from Zheng.

"I don't care what you feel." She said, "I would rather see each of you alive. A few dead bandits do not interest me if it costs your lives. Fight for each other. Be safe. Understand?"

"Yes, my lord!"

She jerked her horse around, "Go! Hyah!"

"Let's go!"

"Keep up!"

Alisha and her guards made a mad dash towards the west.