Before Long we came to a crossroads. I slid my mask back over my face, my hand on my sword's hilt. I stood up and looked behind the cart. The ghosts were coming our way, and fast. I could hear Xie Lian struggling to choose a path.
"They're almost here, flower sword!" I shouted and panicked. If they met me in the years apart from my brother, they could slip something that would end up telling Xie Lian what I have done over the years.
"Hang on, snow lotus!" He called back. The ghosts were closing in; we needed to get out of this predicament. These ghosts are getting too close. I heard a third tap of wood, then the cart was pulled off by the ox, and we were off to a possible exit. I sat back in my seat, and before we could even get far, the ghosts came in front of us. I turned to Honger as Brother stopped the ox and stood up. I closed my eyes and just listened to my surroundings. I was able to use a spell I created, suounding frost, to see the outline of everything around me so I could act on any attacker when they tried to get a sneak attack in. The ghosts stayed distant. Honger and I will only act if it is needed. I knew Honger would protect my brother since he is obsessed with him.
"You're the one who put out their flames!" The head ghost spat; his lack of manners made my blood boil- especially since my brother did nothing wrong.
"It wasn't me, brother began as he slid his hands from each other into his sleeves. "I'm just a humble scrap collector."
"We know you're a Daoist; who else would destroy a ghost?"
"There are others who would exterminate your kind," I said, my eyes still closed and the surrounding frost still active. "Other ghosts, for example, may want to reach a higher rank."
"Ha ha ha! You've surely lost your heads!" The first ghost spoke again. This time, after he was done, a ghost beside him lunged towards us.
"You're gonna pay!" He cried, his claws ready. Honger and I turned to him with a sharp glare, my eyes turning dark at the white. while Honger's eyes glowed in a crimson shade of honey. This stopped the ghosts in their tracks, terrified. They knew our eyes.
"For what?" Xie Lian asked. The ghosts flew off, but not before dropping a golden object on the ground. Confused, I slipped out of my seat to investigate. The closer I came to the object, the more I could see it, and the more it looked like two separate golden accessories for a noble. I froze in place, seeing them. My parents crowns. I hadn't seen these since the fall of Xianle.
"Brother..." I squeaked, tears clawing at my eyes. I fell to my knees, taking the crowns in my hands. I felt the sounds around me grow muffled. My vision grew blurry. I felt my brother's shadow over me before kneeling next to me. I shakily turned to my brother. I tried to say something, holding the crowns in my hands, shaking. I saw the look in his eyes. I was right back to that day, when we found mother and father hanging by their necks all those years ago. I remember the scream that came out of me that day.