by JC Kang
“Wait.” Feneyas held a hand up to Kiri while he held the woman’s gaze. “You said the Warrior Beyond the Wall. I don’t remember him.”
The woman shook her head, her eyes sad. “It must be you. Poor man; it is said that the reborn forget who they are.”
Kiri nodded vigorously. “Yes. The spirits have said as much. Now, hurry home before more of the Metal Men return.”
Feneyas glared back at her. “Wait. Tell me more.”
“Our shamans,” the woman said, “have told stories that you came from beyond the Wall and dwelled among the Maki tribespeople. Taught them how to fight. But then you were killed rescuing the Willow Beauty from the Castle of Trees. So the stories say.”
Kiri looked him up and down. Apparently, she didn’t believe the story any more than he.
“Where is the Castle of Trees?” Perhaps he could learn more about his identity by backtracking. Maybe find out who the Willow Beauty was.
Forehead crinkled, Kiri shrugged. “Never heard of it.”
The woman, however, pointed back down the trail. “Maybe five days’ walk, that way. The Metal Men defiled the forest and built the Castle of Trees by the Great River’s north bank.”
Feneyas followed her finger. “Is your home in that direction? May I accompany you?”
The woman’s eyes widened. “The village would be honored—”
“No.” Kiri rose up to her full height, admittedly only up to Feneyas’ chest, yet she projected an air of authority. “First, your shaman must perform the correct rituals, and the spirits will determine whether or not he will go.”
Feneyas met her gaze and she winked. He rolled his eyes with a sigh.
The woman placed a hand on her chest and headed up the trail. Somewhere, in that direction, he would find out more about his life.
CHAPTER 11:
Victory Without Fighting
The sweet evergreen forest below the Great Wall’s East Gate obscured the invading army. Still, the low rumble of drums told Kaiya exactly where they were. The beat carried above even the roar of the spring-swollen waterfall half a li away. Soon, too soon, she would see Emperor Geros again.
She only hoped the stifling lamellar armor hid her identity as well as the Tiger’s Eye buried her emotions. The steel helmet would’ve weighed her head down if she’d been in perfect health; still recovering from her wound, it might as well have been a dwarf anvil. It was the price she paid for the T-slit which exposed only her eyes.
The drums stopped. Black flags emblazoned with the Teleri’s gold sun emerged from the tree line, almost a sixty feet below, borne by a dozen soldiers. A single white flag of parley fluttered alone among the swaths of black. A man, larger than all the rest, marched at the head of the procession.
Even though his features remained obscured by distance, his confident gait and sheer size announced the arrival of Geros.
Memories of his muscled mass pinning her down, taking, sent a chill down her spine. He’d violated her body and crushed her soul. The recollection was too close, too personal compared to her other memories. She faltered back a step.
A hand, Jie’s, pressed between her shoulder blades. The small gesture served as a reminder that Kaiya was not alone. Around her, provincial musketmen trained their weapons on the unwelcome visitors. Lord Zheng Han stood by her side, accompanied by officers and lords, and fortunately not his emotional wife. Imperial soldiers from the local garrison were also conspicuously absent.
Geros wouldn’t be able to pick her out from all of the men, not from this distance. The fear disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. Kaiya straightened, squaring her shoulders as well as her energy allowed.
The enemy formation came to a halt. A single officer stepped forward and yelled, “I present Emperor Geros of the Teleri Empire.”
If only she had the power of her voice. Conventions and rules of parley be damned, she would command the musketmen to fire on him.
Geros strode to the fore. “Great Zheng Han, Lord of East Gate Province, open the gates and swear loyalty to me.”
Lord Zheng burst out laughing. “We Cathayi believe a man can only have one master. I already owe allegiance to the Son of Heaven, Tianzi Kai-Wu Wang. He happens to be on this side of the Wall.”
Though truth be told, Lord Zheng had not acted as such over the last couple of days.
Geros’ voice boomed loud in Kaiya’s ears despite the distance and elevation between them. “And what has that allegiance gained you? New lands? Rewards of gold and silver? Auspicious marriages?”
“The Teleri Empire cannot offer me lands,” Lord Zheng said. “Nor does the Bovyan race believe in marriages. Only a traitor, who would be reviled until history ends, would take treasure to betray his lord.”
Geros shook his head. “I offer you all of Cathay. You will be governor, to administer the will of the Teleri Directori. You will rule your own province as an allied independent state. All you have to do is give me control of the East Gate.”
Murmurs erupted among the gathered lords. Kaiya was among those who turned to gauge Lord Zheng’s reaction. After his indecent proposal and Jie’s report, she’d expected him to reject any offer—at the cost of his sons—and then take her to his bed, by force if she refused. This new proposal might be too sweet to decline.
He remained silent, face blank.
Emperor Geros, on the other hand, grinned. “Consider this, Lord Zheng. Cathay rots from the inside, with corrupt ministers and greedy lords undermining the nation for their own gain. Multiple enemies wait on the outside, ready to invade. We will restore order and prosperity, and defend your borders.”
The weasel! Kaiya bit her lip. Hua’s belligerent neighbors acted only on Geros’ bidding. It would not be surprising if he had somehow meddled in Hua’s internal affairs as well.
Lord Zheng echoed her suspicions. “I imagine our neighbors would behave differently if you ordered them to. I—”
“I have offered them generous rewards, as I will to you. Your title as Governor shall pass to your sons and grandsons.”
Kaiya shuddered, knowing what would happen next.
The Teleri ranks parted and two soldiers pushed forth their gagged prisoners.
A shaky young man, his steps faltering.
A man almost entirely wrapped in bandages, dangling between two large Bovyans.
And Ming. Now accounted for.
He kept his chin high and walked tall. Despite his proximity, their marriage seemed farther away than ever. It was past time to consider a new course of action. For now, however, it remained to be seen how the events would play out.
With their resemblance to Ming and Tian, the other two prisoners were undoubtedly Shu and Lun. Lord Zheng’s stoic expression wavered for a split second.
Remaining motionless to avoid drawing Geros’ attention to herself, she spoke. “Lord Zheng, if you open the gates to the Great Wall—”
“Silence,” he hissed through gritted teeth. When he spoke out loud, it must have been for her benefit. “My family has defended the East Gate for three hundred years. This is not a decision I can make without the counsel of my vassals and advisors.”
“Do not deliberate too long.” Geros reached over and yanked Shu’s arm, eliciting a yelp from the young man. “I will remove one of your son’s fingers each hour that I do not hear a satisfactory response. You have ten hours before I remove his head.”
Lord Zheng’s shoulders slumped. “You will have my answer within an hour.” When the flags of parley retreated back into the forest, he turned around and strode toward the stairs. His advisors followed close behind.
Kaiya tore off the helm and stumbled to keep up with him. The armor might have well been a ship’s anchor. “Lord Zheng, I never took you to be a collaborator. If you do this—”
Her jerked around and planted a finger in her chest. “If I do this, then my sons will live and pray for our ancestors and my own repose.”
Since when had the great lords of mighty Hua given
up so easily? They must have grown complacent after three hundred years of peace. With the armor of the Great Wall and a hundred thousand rifles pointed out, the nation’s soul had rotted within.
She took Lord Zheng’s sleeve in her feeble grip, not believing what she was about to say. Despair crept in through her emotional armor, nearly breaking her resolve. “Please, wait. Marry me, take my sons as yours so that they might one day rule. Just keep the Teleri out of Hua.”
He wiped her hand away and turned. “I already have sons. I will rule, and so will they.”
“Only as slaves to the Bovyan scourge. I—”
“Guards, take her to my family temple.”
She reached for him again, using all her energy to lift her arms, to no avail. Her voice failed her, coming out no louder than a whisper. “Offer me. Offer me for your sons, but don’t let them in.”
He didn’t acknowledge her. Perhaps he hadn’t even heard her plea over the jangle of armor. Then he snorted. His stride lengthened and he disappeared behind a wall of trailing soldiers.
The truth. It was time to admit the truth. Surely Geros would trade Zheng’s sons for her. Kaiya’s lips moved, but no words came out.
She couldn’t even speak, let alone channel the power of her voice. Unable to keep up with Lord Zheng’s brisk pace without losing her breath, Kaiya had no hope of changing his mind. She hunched over and gasped for air as two guards came to either side of her.
The fleeting emotions rippled and eased enough for her to focus. There was another way to keep the Teleri out. Kaiya straightened and lifted her chin. Even if her voice held no magic, it still carried the tone of imperial authority. “Wait. Withdraw and give me a moment with my handmaiden.”
Both soldiers took several respectful steps back and bowed their heads.
She beckoned to the Insolent Retainer. “Jie, scout out the Teleri army’s numbers and weapons.”
“What should I do if I find the Young Lords and cannot expedite their escape?” Jie stared at her feet.
The underlying question spoke more loudly than if Jie had yelled it out at the top of her lungs. The only leverage Geros had was Zheng Han’s sons. Remove the sons from the trading block…
The dilemma gnawed at Kaiya’s conscience. Could she trade the lives of three men for the livelihood of millions? The Tiger’s Eye might have stifled her emotions, but her moral compass remained.
Yet she was forced to admit the real reason behind her order to scout out the enemy. The half-elf would not have the same compunctions toward taking away Geros’ bargaining leverage, and Kaiya could wash her hands of the decision.
Until Jie asked.
The Tiger’s Eye, battered by hopelessness, crumbled around her. Despair and guilt threatened to keep her from verbalizing what she must. Tears blurred her vision.
“Take away Geros’ leverage.”
As much as Jie disliked Young Lord Zheng Ming, the thought of murdering him didn’t sit well in her stomach. It was the logical decision, one which the princess had forced through the crumbling wall of the Tiger’s Eye.
It had reformed almost as soon as she choked the words out, standing as strong and steadfast as the Great Wall, which Jie climbed down before sneaking up on the Teleri camp.
With a skillset geared toward urban operations, each step on the uneven forest floor made her cringe. A twig here, dried pine needles there, all ready to crackle and reveal her location. Not that she would have to worry, since the Bovyans made plenty of noise themselves.
The sentries, placed every thirty feet along the perimeter of their camp, jingled in their chainmail. Other soldiers sat and sharpened weapons, the metal on whetstone whispering loud enough to mask her steps. Most soldiers leaned against trees and slept.
Jie skirted the edges, taking count. About six thousand heavy infantry in the vanguard. In the field, they might overwhelm Dongmen’s provincial armies if they were able to close to melee range without taking devastating losses from musket fire. They would never stand a chance trying to breach the Great Wall.
Using trees and marching soldiers as cover, she then made her way into the heart of the army. Sixteen officers gathered around a fallen tree, discussing options in the event the cowardly gate lord refused their passage.
Ming and Lun were nowhere to be found. Zheng Shu however, sat at the end of the log, hands bound with rope. Sweat trickled down his brow, despite the cool afternoon breeze. A guard stood cross-armed beside him.
While Tian had always worshipped his eldest brother Ming, and admired his second brother Lun, Shu was more of a peer. Like Tian, Shu preferred painting over swordplay. From the way his eyes flicked nervously about now, he didn’t seem suited as a warrior. The poor man didn’t deserve death.
Jie could kill the guard, but not without drawing the attention of the officers just a few feet away. The camp would rouse, limiting her options. She needed to find Lun and Ming and reevaluate.
Creeping back through the enemy’s encampment, she happened upon the supply van. With the last leg of the ancient highway yet to be restored, the Teleri had relied on porters: a thousand Hua prisoners of war, connected to each other with rope around their necks. It must have been a nightmare trying to traipse through underbrush at a quick pace while carrying packs of supplies.
A hundred enemy soldiers stood watch over her countrymen as they rested against trees. There was little she could do for them by herself. Lun lay flat, breathing heavily. Still no sign of Ming among them. Smart, keeping the most important hostages separated. The minute she rescued or killed one, the Teleri would secure the others. The mission was hopeless.
Jie leaned against a tree and stifled a sigh. When had she ever been so defeatist? Just over a week ago, she’d stormed an impregnable fortress against overwhelming odds to rescue the princess. Before that, she would’ve never dismissed a task as impossible out of hand.
Ming’s grating voice hissed from beyond the camp. “Do three of you really need to watch a man squat and empty his bowels?”
Jie shook the image out of her mind, even as everyone else within earshot snickered. She then worked her way toward the source of his voice.
On the outskirts of the camp, three bareheaded Bovyans surrounded him. Their sheer size obscured Ming’s bent-over form, much to Jie’s relief. Imagining him in the act was bad enough; she would’ve never been able to banish the actual sight from her memory.
Plans formed: Draw the guards away and ambush them one at a time. Use the prisoners as a diversion. There wasn’t enough time for either, unless Ming suffered from constipation. Besides killing Ming, that left only one option — a direct attack.
A single armored Bovyan would have little trouble beating her in a fair fight. Three would be suicide. Which was why she did not fight fair.
She crept from tree to tree until she was just a few feet from the back of the closest guard.
Modulating her voice to imitate Geros’, she used a Ghost Echo technique to throw her voice behind the other two guards. “Men, over here!”
As soon as their heads started to jerk toward the source of her trick, Jie leaped onto the closest man’s back and lodged a knife into his throat. His legs wobbled, and she dragged him down to his knees. When the farthest guard glanced down at his fallen comrade, she sent a biao throwing star whirling into his face.
Even before the second skidded into a convulsing pile, Jie slipped behind the kneeling man as he clutched his throat and choked up blood.
Turning back and forth, the remaining guard yanked his longsword from his sheath. Ming, pants down around his ankles, swept his gaze left and right, his mouth gaping. His right shoulder hung in a sling.
Jie threw her voice again, behind the remaining enemy. “Intruders, over here!”
He looked over his shoulder.
She darted across the spot, careful not to step in Ming’s business, and lunged into a scissor-kick.
He toppled onto his knees and fell back in a jingling heap, while she used her momentum to
spring up. She landed mounted on his chest and drove her knife into his eye socket.
Too much noise, so sloppy on her part. She turned to Ming and immediately averted her eyes. “Come on, come on, pants up, on your feet! You can wipe later!”
Ming wiggled his pants up with his free hand. “Jie! You came for me.”
For him, indeed. “Princess Kaiya sent me.” To kill you. “Now come on.” Jie broke into a run, pulling Ming deeper into the forest. She took care to pull his sleeve, not his hand.
Behind them, the Teleri camp roused to life.
CHAPTER 12:
In Search of Self
Ming shuddered at the prospect of being stuck with the impertinent half-elf for the rest of his life. Their last journey together had involved a pyramid, two magic gemstones, and a hundred belligerent charlatans; and it hadn’t been the charlatans who came closest to killing him.
A certain half-elf had.
He stepped on a branch, sending a loud crack echoing through the woods.
She pulled him down into the brush, then poked her head up and looked around. The last jerk of her head put those evil eyes directly on him. She hissed at him in a low whisper, “If you’re going to make so much noise, then stop clinging to me like a wet leaf. Go home.”
Go home. If only he could; but that choice evaporated days ago. It wasn’t like he could have waltzed through the Bovyan horde to the gatehouse, or scaled the Wall like she suggested. Especially not with his shoulder still hurting. He brushed himself off with his good arm, avoiding eye contact with his tormentor.
And provider. She opened up that magic pouch of hers, the one with infinite space that the elf hag Ayana had given her, and pulled out some jerky.
His stomach rumbled at the aroma. He flashed his most smoldering gaze, the one which had charmed many a woman into his bed.
Jie rolled her eyes and thrust the dried meat into his face. Ah, the smell of home, the special spice mix that the castle chef made. All the food she pulled out of that pouch undoubtedly came from Dongmen Castle, so technically it was his, anyway.