Jericho
Tenebris In Lucem
The air was stuffy. It was hot and wrapped around everyone and everything. There was a slightly musky smell. There was thick sweaty skin pressing around her. A hand shaking her shoulder. Lihua jerked awake, her hand that was under her pillow coming out, a knife clenched in it. Her heart beat fast. Her breath was shallow. She breathed, seeing no one. Her eyes were narrowed even as she de-tangled herself from her sheets. She still had her knife clenched in her fist. She looked at the candle lit on her beside table and moved to it. Slowly she began to light each candle in her room. It was still dark outside. Running a hand through her black red hair, she sat in a corner of the room and closed her eyes, knife in her hand.
Zhang Lihua woke once again as light peeped through her curtains. Her candles had mostly burned out, only a few were left. She stood up, stretching even as she tucked her knife under her pillow again. She ran a hand over her arm and felt dirty. She wasn't. But she felt like Yang Song's filth stuck to her body. She grabbed clean clothes, her ever present sword and a small cloth with soap. She was going to bathe... before everyone woke. She traveled a decent amount to reach the small river. Still, people were just waking and it was secluded. Her sword was placed next to her clothes as she stripped and went into the frigid water, exhaling at the strength of it. Slowly she began to bathe.
Jericho fell to the ground, out of breath, as he balled his hands into fists. He began to grit his teeth, closing his eyes, trying to calm down. All he could feel was rage, he didn't even know why. He stood up, and looked at the make shift soldier made of wood. All the slices of his swords were off, they were not fatal, they were all sloppy. With a yell, he punched right where the face would be, and he could feel the blood inside of his glove. He was too angry to feel the pain though, he didn't care about the pain. He quickly picked his sword back up, and faced the pseudo soldier. With one slice fueled by rage, he cut it down the middle. He did not stop there, he continued to cut, and cut, and cut, not letting up. A full minute passed before he fell onto his knees, gasping for air. His rage began to recede, and he noticed it was almost pitch black outside, the stars and the bright moon were the only thing giving out any kind of light. He was out here for hours, and did not even notice. "What is wrong with me?" Jericho ran his hand through his hair as he leaned back against a tree for a few minutes.
Jericho knew that he had some time before he was to ride out to the Sith Ruins, so he offered a few days ago to escort Lady Lihua back to the city. He would stay here for a few days, and ride back to the city. In that time before the ruin he would allow himself to gather and calm himself. The anger the was clouding of of late would prove a enormous distraction. But his entire time being here, something was off. Something deep inside his head was going off, telling him that something was wrong, something wasn't as it should be. But Jericho could not figure it out, and it was irritating him. Something had gotten to him so much that he could not even hold back his rage, he became so angry over something he didn't even understand. He shook his head, and thought to himself that it might get better if he had a good sleep. So he sheathed his sword and began to make his way out of the forest and go back to the inn they were staying at.
As he walked, Jericho thought it would be a good idea to go to the nearby river, while he was near it, to wash his face off, as well as clean his bloody hand. He made his way towards the river, when he heard some branches break and crunch in the distance. Within an instant, Jericho hid behind a tree, trying to look for the source of this commotion. He titled his head to the side when he noticed it was a woman. What was a woman doing out here by herself so late at night? He began to walk closer, to try to see if he knew her. And indeed he did, it was Lady Lihua herself, and he quickly looked away as she began to undress. She was quite beautiful, but Jericho did not want to look upon her like this without her knowing .He wondered what caused her to be up so early, so he waited for her to be in the water before he made his way towards the river. He kept his gaze away from her and moved to the river and cleaned his hands.
In the water, she realized she should have had her maid warm hot water in a tub for a bath. But she needed to be completely immersed in the water to rid herself of the filth of the rival city. Lihua wasn't ashamed of it, she had given back to the kingdom her family seemed to adore so much. She was repulsed by the memory of the large man. Going underneath the water, she rose up and had to keep her feet moving so she wouldn't sink. She paused as she ran her hands through her hair. Someone was close. Spinning around, she saw the giant of the man and wanted to smile. This wasn't the large, loud and annoying giant from the royal palace. Instead it was the one who was silent and kept himself shrouded with darkness but was in truth was a shining light; at least that is what she believed all of the members of the silver jedi were like.She knew little about the different orders of jedi. "Lord Jericho?" She called out to him. "What a pleasant surprise. Don't think it'd be possible to perhaps, shrink?" While Lihua's words seemed rude, in reality, they were nicer than typical. Almost playful. But still had her personality show through. "And if it's not too much take off that mask? We're not in battle." She waved at him signaling him to walk over to him.
Jericho smiled slightly under his mask as she insulted him while he moved next to her.Though Jericho was not insulted in the slightest, there was times when he too wished he was a little shorter. He let out a sigh. "It's just Jericho, not lord." He replied to what she said. He decided to roll with what she said, "Let me try..." Jericho then squatted down, looking down at the ground and made sure he kept his balance. He looked back towards her and shook his head about the mask and kept the conversation on her insult. "Is this better?" As Jericho looked at her, he noticed her beautiful eyes, they were somehow different than how he remembered them. He did well to not stare at her, occasionally looking past her in the forest, before he would move his eyes back on Lihua.
Catching his gaze, the princess smiled and bit her lower lip lightly. For a moment, a thought flickered in her mind. Her muscles in the face were hurting from the smiling. She would either regret smiling or enjoy it... around the right people at least. Perhaps just around the right people. She moved her hand to his and lightly squeezed his hand and leaned in close to ear. "You aren't afraid?" She asked, in a whisper. Moving her head away, she rubbed her thumb over his oversized hand. "You're touching the daughter of a King... Do you have no fear?" She was teasing him, but she wanted to see if he realized she was. But before he could answer her, the princess raised her hand and lowered his mask and gave him a deep kiss.
Jericho grinned in between kisses as he kissed her back. He was so happy, but he did not have time to think about that, because she went on the offensive. As he should have known, she was not going to be as gentle as he was to her. Though he would show her just how dominant he could be. He moved one hand onto the small of her back, and pulled her closely into him. He could not get close enough to her, no matter how hard he tried. His other hand he kept on her face. He kissed back even more than she did, occasionally softly biting her bottom lip, and tugging on it slightly. Whenever they were in between kisses, he had a huge smile on his face. It was smiling by itself, he couldn't even control it, that is how happy he was.
After so many hours of speaking to one and other, the sun began to rise, he turned away so she could get dress and escorted her back to the city ."It was nice to get to know you, Master Jedi." She said in a more noble tone far from the casual and fun tone she had with him while their time together. She gently placed a hand on his masked cheek. "Please be safe and I hope you come visit again." Jericho nodded slowly as his retort. With a short wave, he turned and made his way to the sith ruins. The mountains in the region was always known for its strange tropical heat and it's brutal mountain passes and ranges. It was apparently chock-full of bandits who prey on the passing merchants and anyone else brash enough to travel through the mountains. That was just the mountains, he knew not of the dangers of the ruins.
Zhang Lihua woke once again as light peeped through her curtains. Her candles had mostly burned out, only a few were left. She stood up, stretching even as she tucked her knife under her pillow again. She ran a hand over her arm and felt dirty. She wasn't. But she felt like Yang Song's filth stuck to her body. She grabbed clean clothes, her ever present sword and a small cloth with soap. She was going to bathe... before everyone woke. She traveled a decent amount to reach the small river. Still, people were just waking and it was secluded. Her sword was placed next to her clothes as she stripped and went into the frigid water, exhaling at the strength of it. Slowly she began to bathe.
Jericho fell to the ground, out of breath, as he balled his hands into fists. He began to grit his teeth, closing his eyes, trying to calm down. All he could feel was rage, he didn't even know why. He stood up, and looked at the make shift soldier made of wood. All the slices of his swords were off, they were not fatal, they were all sloppy. With a yell, he punched right where the face would be, and he could feel the blood inside of his glove. He was too angry to feel the pain though, he didn't care about the pain. He quickly picked his sword back up, and faced the pseudo soldier. With one slice fueled by rage, he cut it down the middle. He did not stop there, he continued to cut, and cut, and cut, not letting up. A full minute passed before he fell onto his knees, gasping for air. His rage began to recede, and he noticed it was almost pitch black outside, the stars and the bright moon were the only thing giving out any kind of light. He was out here for hours, and did not even notice. "What is wrong with me?" Jericho ran his hand through his hair as he leaned back against a tree for a few minutes.
Jericho knew that he had some time before he was to ride out to the Sith Ruins, so he offered a few days ago to escort Lady Lihua back to the city. He would stay here for a few days, and ride back to the city. In that time before the ruin he would allow himself to gather and calm himself. The anger the was clouding of of late would prove a enormous distraction. But his entire time being here, something was off. Something deep inside his head was going off, telling him that something was wrong, something wasn't as it should be. But Jericho could not figure it out, and it was irritating him. Something had gotten to him so much that he could not even hold back his rage, he became so angry over something he didn't even understand. He shook his head, and thought to himself that it might get better if he had a good sleep. So he sheathed his sword and began to make his way out of the forest and go back to the inn they were staying at.
As he walked, Jericho thought it would be a good idea to go to the nearby river, while he was near it, to wash his face off, as well as clean his bloody hand. He made his way towards the river, when he heard some branches break and crunch in the distance. Within an instant, Jericho hid behind a tree, trying to look for the source of this commotion. He titled his head to the side when he noticed it was a woman. What was a woman doing out here by herself so late at night? He began to walk closer, to try to see if he knew her. And indeed he did, it was Lady Lihua herself, and he quickly looked away as she began to undress. She was quite beautiful, but Jericho did not want to look upon her like this without her knowing .He wondered what caused her to be up so early, so he waited for her to be in the water before he made his way towards the river. He kept his gaze away from her and moved to the river and cleaned his hands.
In the water, she realized she should have had her maid warm hot water in a tub for a bath. But she needed to be completely immersed in the water to rid herself of the filth of the rival city. Lihua wasn't ashamed of it, she had given back to the kingdom her family seemed to adore so much. She was repulsed by the memory of the large man. Going underneath the water, she rose up and had to keep her feet moving so she wouldn't sink. She paused as she ran her hands through her hair. Someone was close. Spinning around, she saw the giant of the man and wanted to smile. This wasn't the large, loud and annoying giant from the royal palace. Instead it was the one who was silent and kept himself shrouded with darkness but was in truth was a shining light; at least that is what she believed all of the members of the silver jedi were like.She knew little about the different orders of jedi. "Lord Jericho?" She called out to him. "What a pleasant surprise. Don't think it'd be possible to perhaps, shrink?" While Lihua's words seemed rude, in reality, they were nicer than typical. Almost playful. But still had her personality show through. "And if it's not too much take off that mask? We're not in battle." She waved at him signaling him to walk over to him.
Jericho smiled slightly under his mask as she insulted him while he moved next to her.Though Jericho was not insulted in the slightest, there was times when he too wished he was a little shorter. He let out a sigh. "It's just Jericho, not lord." He replied to what she said. He decided to roll with what she said, "Let me try..." Jericho then squatted down, looking down at the ground and made sure he kept his balance. He looked back towards her and shook his head about the mask and kept the conversation on her insult. "Is this better?" As Jericho looked at her, he noticed her beautiful eyes, they were somehow different than how he remembered them. He did well to not stare at her, occasionally looking past her in the forest, before he would move his eyes back on Lihua.
Catching his gaze, the princess smiled and bit her lower lip lightly. For a moment, a thought flickered in her mind. Her muscles in the face were hurting from the smiling. She would either regret smiling or enjoy it... around the right people at least. Perhaps just around the right people. She moved her hand to his and lightly squeezed his hand and leaned in close to ear. "You aren't afraid?" She asked, in a whisper. Moving her head away, she rubbed her thumb over his oversized hand. "You're touching the daughter of a King... Do you have no fear?" She was teasing him, but she wanted to see if he realized she was. But before he could answer her, the princess raised her hand and lowered his mask and gave him a deep kiss.
Jericho grinned in between kisses as he kissed her back. He was so happy, but he did not have time to think about that, because she went on the offensive. As he should have known, she was not going to be as gentle as he was to her. Though he would show her just how dominant he could be. He moved one hand onto the small of her back, and pulled her closely into him. He could not get close enough to her, no matter how hard he tried. His other hand he kept on her face. He kissed back even more than she did, occasionally softly biting her bottom lip, and tugging on it slightly. Whenever they were in between kisses, he had a huge smile on his face. It was smiling by itself, he couldn't even control it, that is how happy he was.
After so many hours of speaking to one and other, the sun began to rise, he turned away so she could get dress and escorted her back to the city ."It was nice to get to know you, Master Jedi." She said in a more noble tone far from the casual and fun tone she had with him while their time together. She gently placed a hand on his masked cheek. "Please be safe and I hope you come visit again." Jericho nodded slowly as his retort. With a short wave, he turned and made his way to the sith ruins. The mountains in the region was always known for its strange tropical heat and it's brutal mountain passes and ranges. It was apparently chock-full of bandits who prey on the passing merchants and anyone else brash enough to travel through the mountains. That was just the mountains, he knew not of the dangers of the ruins.