by tantan
"And I can fly" he added defiantly.
"So can I, kid, so can I. But that doesn't change facts. Sayonara has recruited the meanest and toughest people in the entire Afterlife. Half of em can fly too. You wouldn't stand a chance if you didn't have somebody to guide you. Somebody who's made the journey several times, and knows every weakness in their surveillance net."
Al-Out's eyes glowed. "You can get me close to Sayonara?"
"That, and more, if you will aid me in tonight's mission."
"So be it," said Al-Out. "I will help you."
The raid lasted five minutes. With Shorty's blazing guns and Al-Out's sword, the Mongols stood no chance. The Huns cheered from the sidelines, relieved that they had given Al-Imony and his men the right directions. They took five prisoners and killed the rest.
"All right you dog start talking," Al-Out roughly flung one of the prisoners to the ground.
"Cat got your tongue huh? Very well. He thrust his sword, point first, into the prisoner's stomach, who shouted in agony and collapsed onto the ground moaning and crying.
"Bring another one in," Al-Out barked. The prisoner didn't talk, and joined his companion on the ground.
"Talk," Al-Out said, to the third prisoner.
"I never signed up for this. They said it was a life of glory and adventure. Should have listened to my da, and stuck with farming. I could've even been married by now." The prisoner said rapidly, glancing at Al-Out's sword worriedly.
"Think you can mock me, do you?" Al-Out yelled, and cut off the soldier's head.
"Hey kid," said Shorty." Remember to ask them a question before saying 'talk'."
Al-Out nodded, looking at the ground, embarrassed at his lapse. "Where are the two girls you kidnapped?" he asked the fourth prisoner. The prisoner glanced at the other two who were wildly trashing on the floor screaming in agony, and the decapitated head by his feet.
"They're in the main camp. They should be in the Khan's tent by now. Please don't kill me."
"Al right," Shorty said. "You and the other one can go. But you shall not go in the direction of the main camp. And if I find that Genghis' soldiers have been forewarned, I will search for you through this entire Reality, and make the remaining part of your Afterlife an everlasting agony. Got that?"
The soldier gulped. "Yes sir."
"What do we do now?" Al-Imony asked. "I cannot risk my tribe against Genghis Khan's full might.
"I go on," Shorty said. "If any are willing to accompany me, then they are welcome," looking at Al-Out.
Al-Out nodded and hugged Al-Imony. "I must leave you. Thank you for being like a father to me. Tell your wives that I said goodbye."
"Thank you for your help, and thank Al-Acarte for the delicious juicy mutton," Shorty said patting his stomach.
"God be with you on your journey," Al-Imony said, and went back to his men.
"Well," Shorty said to Al-Out. "It's just you and me kid."
Three Hours and Twenty Seconds of Storm
Hearthoff, Peter and Thomas darted through the air on their chariots, in the direction of the rising sun. Peter, who was dead bored of flying in a straight line made his chariot do cartwheels through the air, terrifying the strapped in lamb next to him. "Aw sorry Lambkins," he said, "just couldn't help myself."
The heat from the Desert radiated to the sky, making the whole place a furnace. Thomas sweated profusely, creating rivulets as it fell to the sand below.
The mocking bird had followed the sympathetic Thomas for some time in the hope of food, but had soon given up. "That's right. Run you selfish…." The bird and its insults were soon left behind in the wind of their chariots.
"I think I'll miss that bird" Thomas sighed.
"I can take its place if you like." Peter grinned. "You're so ugly that…"
"Thanks, but no. "
"As you wish," Peter did another somersault in the air. "Oh, sorry Lambkins."
"Lads," Hearthoff said, looking at the gathering clouds in the distance, "looks like there's going to be a storm. We'd better land and take shelter."
They landed, and found a conveniently located cave. Hearthoff set up a fire, and cooked some bird meat he had carried with him. Thomas was ordered to fan the smoke out of the cave.
The storm soon came. Dust clouds of massive proportions blossomed in the distance, even filling some of the cave with sand, in spite of the canvas sheet Hearthoff had secured to its mouth. Lightening crackled through the air. Winds blew with tremendous force. The stillness of the Desert became a whirlpool of rushing wind.
"Looks like my kind of weather," Hearthoff laughed. He seemed to get more excited as the storm increased in magnitude. Each time a lightening bolt struck he gurgled with manic laughter, frightening both Thomas and Peter out of their wits.
"Umm... Sir… When do you think the storm will abate?"
"Three hours and twenty seconds. Three glorious hours and twenty marvellous seconds! I think I'll go for a walk. You lads stay here." He laughed again and rushed out into the storm.
"What do you think we should do now? Should we go after him? Bring him back? He might die out there, or get lost".
"He's the thunder god," Peter said. "He can take care of himself. Stop worrying and fan the fire. It's dying. Besides, he told us to stay here."
Mighty and Terrifying Warrior Makes the Man Spouting Nonsense Eat Dirt and Then Points His Sword at the Stupid Man
After a while the two boys heard footsteps and some shouting. Thomas and Peter froze.
"We'd better hide," Thomas said quietly.
"Well, you can hide like a coward if you want to. I'm ready for anything," Peter drew his sword --Excalibur--which glowed with a strange ethereal light (all good swords glow in the dark in a fantasy story).
"Hiding doesn't mean you're a coward. It means you have good sense," Thomas yelled. "Any person with brains enough, would assess his situation before jumping in, unless he's a fool".
"You calling me a fool?" Peter yelled back.
"Yes."
"I hear them," a voice came from outside. "There's a cave right here." The voices were strangely accented and musical.
"Now you've done it," Peter said.
"Well. If you'd hidden like I'd told you…"
Nine people entered the cave single file, and stared at Thomas and Peter. "Who are you?" the first of the nine asked. The man was dressed in a full set of armour and carried a crescent shaped blade.
"I'm your worst nightmare," Peter yelled and charged.
"There once stood a beardless youth with an immortal sword.
He will soon realize his error and say 'Oh Gawd'" one of the nine, an elderly person with a flute chanted.
Thomas put a restraining hand on Peter's shoulder and said "Peter…I don't think they want to fight."
"Of course they want to fight," Peter glared at the nine trespassers. "Why wouldn't they want to fight? I can see it in their eyes, all itching for it. And one of them's started playing a mocking dirge on his flute as well." Peter shook off Thomas' hand and rushed at the man with the crescent shaped blade.
"Guan Yu," shouted a woman from behind him, "be careful with the boy. We do not want to harm him."
"It's not him who'll be doing the hurting today, Missy," Peter growled.
Guan Yu easily parried Peter's blow and stood ready for another one and then another, and another... "Night Ghost Explores the Sea," he shouted. "Full Martial Flower". He neatly deflected Peter's blow from the front, and the second blow from behind as Peter somersaulted over him. "Black Dragon Presents its Claws," he shouted, warding off Peter's rapid attacks with his own attacks. "I see you have some skill boy," he said between thrusts and parries.
"Mighty and Terrifying Warrior Makes the Man Spouting Nonsense Eat Dirt and Then Points His Sword at the Stupid Man," Peter shouted, executing three swift thrusts, and a heel kick which brought Guan Yu to the ground. "Yield," he said, his sword at Guan Yu's throat.
"Never!" said Guan Yu, his face bowed down in shame. "Why, to be
beaten by a mere boy. Kill me now and finish it."
"No one will be killing anybody today." Hearthoff emerged from the shadows. "Guan Yu, your opponent was Peter, destroyer of the dining hall of Valhalla."
"So you're the one who bested all the Einherjar together," he said looking at Peter with newfound respect.
"Lads, this is Guan Yu, and with him the Eight Immortals," he introduced each by name to the boys. Guan Yu had brought meat and wine with him, thinking that Hearthoff and his companions would be half starved. There was much feasting and drinking that night, as the storm slowly abated.
"But tell me Hearthoff," Lu Dongbin said, "Were there not five of you. How is it that I find only three."
"The other two should've reached by now, with Shorty." Hearthoff looked puzzled.
"They have not," Guan Yu said. "Perhaps they have undergone some mishap on the way. We must search for them before continuing our journey to T'ien, he said, "the Chinese heaven" he added for the boys' benefit.
"Shorty is North East of here," He-Xiangu said, looking at her lotus blossom.
"We leave at dawn," Hearthoff said authoritatively. "Now rest. I predict that we're going to have a day filled with event."
Genghis Khan: Keeper of the Unbroken Voice
Mary and Anne stared at the sea of tents they were surrounded by.
"Welcome to the camp of the great Genghis Khan," one of the Captains said, escorting them to the largest of the tents in the middle. The tent itself was a gigantic affair, made out of silk which had golden embroidery depicting scenes of great victories in battle by the horde.
"Oh great Khan," the captain said, entering the tent, "we have captured two fair maidens, who await your