Never Die

by Rob J. Hayes

  "For The Emerald Wind!" he screamed in his high-pitched voice as he continued his dash towards the gates of Wu. Then he burst out laughing, a roar of madness and mirth as loud as a thunderclap and terrifying as a tidal wave. Another volley of arrows struck. Still the fat man continued on and the vanguard followed in his wake, five hundred soldiers almost unnoticed behind one man.

  "Shields up!" The order passed down the line and Cho held up her shield, pulling Ein even closer to her body despite the sense of wrongness that accompanied him. He clung to her, wild eyed, and a whine escaping his lips. Arrows fell down upon them, peppering the shields. Soldiers fell; some screamed, others just died. But most of them continued on, rolling the battering ram on its trundle, behind Chen Lu.

  The gate was as tall as four men and almost as wide, heavy oak planks secured together by bands of iron bolted into place. There would be a bar on the other side as well, maybe more than one. Most people would slow as they approached a gate like that, but Chen Lu picked up speed. He threw his shoulder against it, using his full weight, and Cho heard the crash even over the beat of the drums. But the gate held; it was too much to hope that it might crack open on the first charge. Some guards from atop the wall leaned out to loose more arrows at Chen Lu, and others dropped stones upon him. Iron Gut Chen ignored them all, stopping only to catch his breath before raising his mace and pounding it against the gate.

  With the vanguard at the wall, the battering ram passed through the ranks and Chen Lu stepped aside, panting and leaning against the gate, to let the siege engine do its work. Soldiers formed up on either side, their shields raised against the rain of arrows flying down from above. Slowly, the great ram, a huge trunk of tree with a gilded raven design on its front end, was drawn back and back, and then released to swing down and slam into the gate.

  Cho's unit slowed to a stop before the wall, out of range of rocks or oil. They hunkered down with shields raised, parting occasionally to let their own archers loose shafts at the guards on the wall. Their job was not to breach: they were to pile through the gap once the ram had done its job. Cho just hoped they would last until then. In a fight she had a chance to strike back, her fate was in her own hands, but cowering there outside the wall, only luck could keep her alive and a Shintei never trusted to luck.

  Chapter 35

  With the archers loosing shafts and dropping rocks, quite a few of the rebels were going down and not getting back up again. A steady stream of injured were being dragged back to the lines where the bulk of the rebellion forces still waited. Zhihao heard the crack as the ram once again smashed against the gate. Every time the ram was drawn back, Chen Lu pounded against the gate with his mace, but still they hadn't broken through. Zhihao held a hand to his helmet and squinted against the sun. He was impatient, or maybe it was his horse, or maybe it was all the men at his back waiting for the command to charge. Someone, at least, was impatient, and it was making Zhihao nervous.

  He leaned across to whisper to Daiyu. "How do you think it's going?" She didn't hear him over the beating of the drums, her mask facing straight ahead. Perhaps the strategist herself was nervous. Her hand was buried in her satchel, though Zhihao could not fathom why.

  Zhihao turned around in his saddle to look back at his army. Thousands of soldiers at his back, some nervous, others excited, all of them tired. It had been a long night fighting the fires of Jieshu. It had been a long four days of marching, and no rest at the end, only war. He watched the roof tops, searching for some sign of Roi Astara. The leper claimed he was most useful at a distance with his long rifle. One of the soldiers behind nodded to his prince, so Zhihao returned it and turned back to Daiyu. He placed a gauntleted hand on her arm and she startled a little, but her mask didn't turn his way.

  "How is it going?" Zhihao said again, no more loudly than before.

  "As well as can be expected, my prince," Daiyu said. "Though I hoped the gate would fall sooner. Perhaps it is time the Steel Prince joined the fray?"

  Zhihao laughed at that. "And do what?"

  Finally Daiyu looked at him, not even her eyes were visible beneath the stark white mask. "Whatever you can. Just don't die. The effect on morale would be bad." With that the strategist turned her head back to the battle, her hand once again rummaging the satchel at her waist. Over the past four days Daiyu had gone from controlling to disapproving about fifty times a day, but this was the first time she had seemed so cold. It appeared not even Hosa's greatest strategist was above the pressure riding upon her shoulders.

  With no other instruction than get involved Zhihao kicked his horse into motion, and galloped towards the gate. He had no idea what to do, no idea what he could do. If Chen Lu couldn't break the gate, if the battering ram couldn't break the gate, there was no way Zhihao was going to make a difference. An arrow flitted by the prince's helmet with a whistle, a hopeful shot that almost got lucky. But it didn't. It missed and only served to give Zhihao a target. He drew the giant sword from over his back, struggling to hold it steady with one hand, and stood up in his stirrups. Then Zhihao stepped through the world.

  He had never tried the technique while riding a fast moving horse before, nor moved such a great distance. It was a strain and for a terrifying moment, as he passed between places, Zhihao thought his body would pull him back to the horse. He felt the tug of it, as though his soul were being wrenched in two directions at once. Then it was gone and he was standing on the parapets of the wall, the sun glinting off his borrowed silver armour.

  Zhihao jumped down onto the stone walkway behind the parapet, where a line of archers was raining death down into the rebel army. The closest archer, staring at Zhihao with wide eyes, finally raised his bow, a meagre attempt at defence, and the Steel Prince's sword cut through it like kindling. Then Zhihao followed up with a second swipe that took the man's head clean off his shoulders. Zhihao turned on the spot and thrust forwards, puncturing another archer's chest with the sword. They wore no armour, only a uniform of black cloth with high hats that made their heads seem tall. No doubt it was for ease of movement, but it just made them easier to kill.

  Zhihao stepped through the world again just as archers from both his left and right turned towards him and loosed. The arrows passed through the image he left behind, and both men fell to each other's arrow. Then Zhihao was behind another archer. He slashed open the man's back and kicked him over the side of the wall. It was possible the sword strike hadn't killed him, but the fall certainly did.

  He looked towards the inner city and caught a glimpse of what awaited the rebels in the second tier of Jieshu. An affluent and ordered city with buildings rising up two or three storeys in structured rows. Each one had a sloping roof to deter both rain and thieves. Farther in toward the centre the buildings were larger still: warehouses to store food and supplies, weapons and engines of war. Arrayed in a large open square just ahead of the wall, hundreds of soldiers, maybe a thousand, lined up in squares facing towards the gate. There weren't enough of them. Daiyu said that Wu had at five time as many men as the rebellion, but the soldiers defending the gate were maybe half as many as the rebellion. There was a strange metal bell as well, turned on its side, a team of soldiers with torches standing next to it. Torches seem an odd thing to be carrying so early in the day with the sun new and bright.

  A nearby archer swung his bow at Zhihao as he stared out at the soldiers of Wu. The bow clanged against his shoulder, and Zhihao backhanded the man, slammed his head against the stone of the parapet, then threw him over the side to a chorus of cheers from the rebellion's soldiers below. He had no time yet to puzzle out the low numbers of Wu soldiers. More archers on the wall were turning towards him. Zhihao stepped through the world again just as the gate below gave a shuddering crack.

  Cho heard the gate crack. At the same time, the ram groaned, the great trunk lurching sideways as ropes snapped and supports gave out. It crashed to the ground, trapping at least one screaming soldier beneath its weight. And the gate was not yet open. />
  Chen Lu roared in frustration and bent his strength upon the ram, heaving it off the screaming soldier. Then he stepped up to the gate, hefted his mace, and swung with all his strength. The entire vanguard was chanting now, but it was not Chen Lu's name on their lips. "Emerald Wind!" they screamed and every swing of his mace, every crack of the gate only served to make the chant louder.

  With Zhihao keeping the archers atop the wall busy and Chen Lu bending his full power upon the gate, Cho broke ranks, dragging Ein with her and trusting Bingwei Ma would follow. It was important they get through the gate before the real fighting started. She pulled the boy farther in, squeezing past soldiers, until she was leaning with her back against the archway of the gate. Chen Lu was there, his mace on the ground, pushing against the gate with all his weight.

  "I. Am. Iron. Gut. Chen!" Chen Lu shrieked, his high-pitched voice soaring over those of the chanting soldiers. He pushed, leaning into the gate with everything he had. There was a final crack as the bar snapped and the gate started to swing open to the triumphant cheers all around.

  Cho saw it at the same time as Ein, a huge cannon pointed straight at the gate, the mouth of it a roaring tiger just like the banners of Wu. A Wu soldier standing next to it lowered a torch to the top of the giant iron monstrosity.

  "No!" Ein's voice was a whisper and Cho dragged him away from the gate just as a sound like thunder shook the world.

  Then Cho was on her knees, ears ringing. Her chest felt numb, tingling from the sensation of the boy she clutched to her. Soldiers of the rebellion staggered past, as though they were drunk, staggering about and falling over each other. Others were injured, limbs missing and mouths gaping. Slowly, the sounds of the battlefield came back to Cho, screams piercing the ringing in her head. Ein wriggled against her chest, and she realised she was pressing him hard against her armour. She released him and he gasped, pulling away and falling over. He sat on the ground, shaking his head as if he had something stuck in his ears.

  Bingwei Ma emerged from the chaos next to them. He scooped the boy up and placed him on his feet, then held out a hand to Cho. She stared at him dumbly for a moment, seeing his lips moving but unable to make out the words. She turned towards the gate. The battering ram was in ruins, splinters of wood and wreckage, mangled bodies everywhere. There was no sign of Chen Lu, only blood on the ground and his giant mace propped up against the wall. Cho looked back at Bingwei Ma and reached up to take his hand.

  "Iron Gut Chen is gone," Bingwei Ma yelled. This time the words reached her, muted through the din. Bingwei Ma grabbed Cho by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. She had never noticed it before, but his eyes were blue, sparkling like a calm ocean. "Itami, do you hear me? Chen Lu is dead."

  Cho struggled to understand his words. It didn't really matter. None of it did. She smiled at him. Then the Steel Prince was there, dressed in stunning silver armour, splashed red with blood. She smiled at him too.

  "What's wrong with her?" said the Steel Prince.

  "She is dazed from the explosion," Bingwei Ma said.

  Soldiers were forming up, stepping over the dead and dying, and marching towards the breached gate. The larger force behind them was on the move as well. This was part of the plan, Cho remembered that much, but she couldn't remember the plan itself.

  The Steel Prince pulled off one of his gauntlets, stepped close, and slapped her. The shock of it brought a certain clarity to her thoughts. Then the realisation hit her. Chen Lu was dead, reduced to nothing by the blast. His iron skin put to the test and found wanting. Cho blinked twice, and shook the last of the cobwebs from her head. Her left hand found her saya, touching the hilt of both swords quickly to be certain they were still there.

  "Back with us?" Zhihao asked.

  Cho nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The ringing was still loud in her ears and shouting was dangerous when it came from her lips.

  "Good. Stick to the plan," Zhihao said. "Get Ein into the palace. Find the emperor and kill the bastard."

  "What will you do?" Bingwei Ma asked Zhihao.

  "What would the Steel Prince do?"

  "Lead the charge," Bingwei Ma said with a nod that was all respect.

  The soldiers of Wu were forming up behind the gate and the soldiers of the rebellion were gathering, eager to do battle.

  "Have I mentioned I hate this plan?" Zhihao said. He waved the Steel Prince's sword in the air, shouted to the troops and charged through the broken gate, first through the breach. A huge wave of soldiers stormed through after him, stepping over their fallen comrades.

  Bingwei Ma gripped hold of Ein and dragged him through the gate, squeezing past soldiers. Cho followed after him, content to let the Master of Sun Valley lead until her senses fully returned. She shed her armour as she went, dropping the ruse of being just another soldier in the rebellion. First the ceramic chest piece fell to the dirt, then her helmet. The rebellion soldiers surged against the men of Wu guarding the gate, clashing swords and shields and screaming their rage. Their formations crumbling as the battle was joined and reinforcements arrived for both sides, turning the battle into a furious melee. Cho caught a glimpse of Zhihao, flashes of the Steel Prince's silver armour, as he attacked from behind the enemy lines, disappearing and reappearing and cutting down the men of Wu with lighting strokes of the Steel Prince's sword.

  When they reached the buildings of the inner city, Cho, Bingwei Ma, and Ein split off from the main force of rebel soldiers. The rebellion was nothing but a distraction. Cho and Bingwei Ma were the real assault.

  The Master of Sun Valley let go of Ein as three Wu soldiers rounded the corner of the large building ahead of them. He pulled off his helmet and launched it at the men, then followed it in with a blur of kicks and punches that turned aside blades and shattered armour and bone. Within moments all three soldiers were either unconscious or so injured they wished they were.

  "Up," Bingwei Ma said. "We will make better progress on the rooftops."

  Cho risked a glimpse around the corner of the building and agreed with him. A full company of Wu soldiers were heading their way. Perhaps two.

  Bingwei Ma gathered Ein up into his arms, and the boy let out a panicked squeal. Then Bingwei Ma leapt upwards, grabbed hold of the first eave with his one free arm, and swung himself up to reach the rooftop. Cho followed him as best she could, climbing where she couldn't make the impossible jumps. Before long she rolled onto the sloping roof and steadied herself on the tiles. The soldiers passed by below in a rush of heavy feet.

  Cho took a moment to look at the battlefield below. The rebellion soldiers were pouring in from the gate, pushing and shoving at each other. Farther in they were fighting Wu soldiers in tight formation. But more Wu soldiers were marching in toward the fray, rounding corners and slipping through alleys. They were surrounding the Steel Prince's soldiers on three sides. It was a trap.

  Chapter 36

  Bingwei Ma leapt from rooftop to rooftop, carrying the boy on his back, and Cho followed in his wake. She was struggling to keep up, though it was only partly because of the pace the Master of Sun Valley set. She was distracted by the battle going on below them, keeping one eye on the Wu soldiers in case any should spot them on the rooftops and raise the alarm. None did. They were too occupied closing the noose around Zhihao and the Steel Prince's rebellion.

  It felt like a betrayal. Chen Lu was already dead, and they were leaving Zhihao to die down there. No one would even know it was him. If the soldiers of Wu managed to kill The Emerald Wind, his body would be paraded around as the Steel Prince. No one would ever understand the sacrifice Zhihao Cheng made for the people of Hosa. Cho slowed to a stop and watched the battle.

  "What are you doing, Itami?" Bingwei Ma was on the next building over, only a short leap away. Ein's pale eyes peered at Cho from beside the Master of Sun Valley. He looked far from pleased to be riding on the man's back, but then Bingwei Ma looked far from pleased about it as well.

  "It's not right," Cho said, hop
ing she wasn't shouting. Her ears were still ringing and her voice seemed somewhat muted. She wouldn't shout now, but down there, amidst the fighting, she would scream. "We're leaving Zhihao to die."

  "Maybe," Bingwei Ma said. He deflated, as though he had just admitted to something truly shameful. "But unless we continue, his sacrifice will be for nothing. For once in his life The Emerald Wind has chosen to be a hero. We should respect that by completing our part of the plan."

  Cho shook her head sadly. "You go. I'm going back to help. Perhaps both of us together can turn the tide."

  "No!" Ein shouted. "You swore an oath to me, Whispering Blade." He sounded angry. He had every right to be. "You will keep it."

  Cho looked from Ein, and then down to the silver blur of Zhihao vanishing and reappearing around the battlefield. She shook her head again.

  "It has to be you, Itami," Bingwei Ma said. "I will not kill."

  Cho clenched her teeth, her hand gripping Peace so tightly it hurt. She turned away from the battle, and leapt across the building to where Bingwei Ma and Ein waited. The Master of Sun Valley smiled at her. "We should get to the palace quickly. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold the boy." They ran on then, leaving Zhihao to fend for himself.

  The palace, a giant pagoda rising twenty storeys high, each with its own eaves was swarming with palace guard. Two dozen soldiers, some with bows but most with heavy spears. A shout of warning went up, intruders on the roofs, and Cho knew any further attempts at stealth were useless. They leapt down the eaves of the last building between them onto the stone courtyard before the palace. Bingwei Ma crouched to let Ein clamber onto the ground, then darted off towards the palace guard, leaving Cho to hurry after him.