by Brian Godawa
He spun and threw the guan dao blade at the assassin. It struck her in the back and sliced into her with lethal force. She dropped dead at the feet of Li Bu Hai.
But her blades fell with her.
They punctured the chest of the old man.
Mei Li screamed, “NOOOOOOOOO!” She struggled against Chang’s grip.
Antiochus dropped to an exhausted knee. He looked around at the havoc and death. The priests were all dead. The high priest was dead. The goat had run off into the wilderness. There was no sacrifice. All was lost.
I have only one thing left to lose, thought Antiochus. And I am not going to lose her.
He got up to his feet and walked slowly and deliberately toward Chang.
The traitor pulled Mei Li to one of the chariots, and shoved her onto its platform. He lashed her hands to it. He held the dagger closer to her throat, warning Antiochus to come no closer.
Antiochus stopped. But he was not going to let this little rat get away.
The rat laughed. “You still have no idea.”
Idea of what? thought Antiochus. What is he talking about?
Chang sheathed his knife. He picked up a ram’s horn, bringing it to his mouth and then he blew it. The sound echoed off the nearby wall and through the forest around them.
Antiochus was confused.
Mei Li shouted, “Run, Antiochus! Run!”
Chang gripped the reins of the chariot and whipped the horses. He raced off into the night, leaving Antiochus in a cloud of dust.
Movement high on the wall caught Antiochus’ attention. Dark shadows were climbing over the top of the wall. Giant shadows. Nephilim warriors. A squad of them. They were coming for him. And they were seconds away.
Demons from hell, he thought. No, worse. Servants of the Dragon.
He burst into action. He leapt into the other working chariot and whipped his horses to escape.
Behind him, the giant warriors, twelve of them, all ten feet tall, chased their human prey. The ground rumbled beneath their feet. They didn’t need beasts of burden. They could run faster on their own.
CHAPTER 29
The emperor stood silently over the dismembered forms of three scholars on the torture racks of the dungeon below the palace. All three were dead. But before they expired—actually quite early on in the administration of the Five Punishments—they talked. All three had confirmed that Xu Fu had escaped with the three magi on a junk ship headed for the Island of the Immortals. But when the emperor heard that they had the elixir of immortality with them, he flew into a rage and completed the punishments on the scholars himself.
Li Ssu wiped blood off the emperor’s face with a towel. Huhai stood back timidly out of the way of both of them.
Huang Di stood staring into oblivion. He said in a strange calm, “These scholars have been a bane to my existence. Too often they have hidden knowledge from me. They have consistently fought against my dictates with their appeals to the ancestors and ancient wisdom. ‘Confucius says this, Lao Tzu says that.’ Well, I say they are unsightly weeds that are choking my garden.”
Li Ssu said, “Your majesty, may I offer a piece of advice on gardening? Eliminating the scholars will only bring temporary relief to your frustration. After they are all gone, new ones will rise and learn from the same books and literature of the ancients. And you will have the same weeds once again. If you want to kill the weed, you must pull it out by the roots. And the root of the scholar’s weed is the writing of the ancients.”
The emperor looked at Li Ssu and grinned malevolently. “My dear chancellor, are you the only one in my kingdom whom I can trust?”
Huhai felt ignored, but he watched very closely the strategy and performance of his Legalist mentor. He asked, “Father, should we not immediately set chase for the traitors?”
“Let them paddle water as fast as they can,” said Huang Di. “They will not outpace my warship. I have something I need to do first.”
A cold wind blew through the palace grounds. The populace of Xianyang huddled together in the large open square, split by the middle walkway that led up to the palace steps.
Twenty large piles of books filled the walkway before the crowd. Twenty scholars from the academy were tied to twenty stakes on each of the piles. A mockery of their scholarship.
Nearby was a large pit dug hastily in the earth, surrounded by a company of soldiers holding pikes. They acted like a fence, obscuring what was in the pit.
High above, at the top of the steps, the emperor looked down on his people, his chancellor and his son by his side.
Li Ssu was pleased with himself at the speed with which he could compose an imperial decree with such precise legal language. He did deserve his position as the left hand of the mighty.
The chancellor unrolled the bamboo and prepared to read the emperor’s decree. The acoustics of the palace area amplified sounds, thanks to the feng shui of its architectural design. The feng shui masters determined the physical and spiritual alignments of structures with the invisible forces that bound the universe.
The chancellor’s voice rolled out loudly. “By imperial decree of the August Emperor, his majesty, Ch’in Shih Huang Di, who has received the Mandate from Heaven to unify all under heaven, who has distinguished black from white, who has established a single source of authority, and whose dynasty shall last ten thousand generations! Hear O black-haired people of Tianxia, in former days, this land was fragmented and in confusion because feudal rulers studied the past in order to criticize and disparage the present. Every one of them prided themselves on their private individual theories, based on a multitude of antique documents that all disagreed with one another!”
Huhai listened with particular gratitude. He was to be spared the laborious, exhausting devotion to learning the hundred philosophies that plagued the land’s history. Li Ssu had imparted to him one solid comprehensive design to change the world.
Li Ssu continued, “Today, the past will be changed! Hope will rule the future! Hope in our dear and fearless leader, the emperor! Today, all records of the historians other than those of the state of Ch’in shall be burned! All copies of the poetic Odes and the historical Documents, and the writings of the hundreds of schools of philosophy shall be delivered over to the governors of every province for burning! Henceforth, anyone who discusses these ancient manuscripts and their ideas shall be executed! Anyone who uses the past to criticize the present shall be executed along with his family!”
The frigid air combined with the chilling declaration to produce an unimaginable silence in the huge crowd. It was as if they were all holding their breaths in fright.
Li Ssu concluded, “Only new wisdom produced under the emperor shall be allowed! Behold, the confirmation of the emperor’s decree upon those who defied him!”
Twenty soldiers, carrying twenty torches approached the piles of books surrounding the scholars bound to their stakes. They lit the books on fire. The flames lick up the materials like kindling, quickly bursting into twenty roaring bonfires. The flames consumed the scholars, who screamed in agony as their flesh was burned from their bodies.
Li Ssu rolled up the decree. But his job was not yet done. He gestured to the soldiers standing over the large pit. The soldiers stepped back from the edge, and the spectators finally saw what they guarded. The rest of the four hundred and fifty scholars had been bound and thrown into the pit dug right in the center of the palace grounds. Li Ssu nodded to Huhai. The prince nervously gave the command to two hundred soldiers who proceeded to fill in the hole with dirt.
They buried the scholars alive.
Li Ssu sighed with satisfaction. He was particularly pleased with his clever calligraphic layout of the piles of burning books. Only from high above could it be seen that the layout of the piles was in the shape of the Ch’inese character for “devil.”
The emperor said to Li Ssu, “Chancellor, arrange my speediest, most powerful warship. I have one last set of rebels to hunt down. And you will be go
ing with us, my son.” Huhai swallowed fearfully. “It is time you learn how to catch traitors.”
CHAPTER 30
OOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM.
The last long horn call for the Juren echoed over the Long Wall and through the forest as archers and other soldiers in the rebel camp prepared for defense.
The morning dawn broke through the misty fog that swirled around the forest trees like wisps of dragon breath. An eerie pall of silence hung in the air.
The general of the rebels, Fan Zhou, stood on the parapet of the tower, looking out into the vast expanse of misty forest just outside the clearing before the Wall. His people had been the last to succumb to the emperor, but he never did. Though he did not like the feudal nature of perpetual war with seven kingdoms, he much preferred the solidarity of family and clan to the servitude of despotism. He would rather die free than live a slave. At least with the warring states, alliances could be made to overthrow cruel tyrants. With one man in power over all under heaven, who could stop him? An absolute monarch was a god, and in all his life, Fan Zhou never saw human nature as anything but warped and twisted. So an absolute monarch could never be trusted. An absolute monarch would always end in evil.
So he stood on the parapet of a tower on the Long Wall, preparing to fight to the death against an emperor who had already been rumored to be going mad with delusion. Yes, he would rather be dead than a slave to madness. He had done his best to train and prepare his ragtag army of farmers, citizens, and straggling soldiers. They would have to fight the well-oiled machinery of the emperor’s army, led by the decorated and fierce general, Meng Tian. Fan Zhou knew their slaughter would be great. But he could not tell his people. He had to inspire confidence in the face of the odds, hope for victory, no matter how impossible. If he lost the morale of the people, they wouldn’t even last a day.
But first, the barbarians.
A war cry came from the forest. The first assault force broke out of the trees. It was not the giants, but a multitude of Xiongnu warriors with primitive ladders. They came with relentless fury like packs of wolves in conical helmets and bear furs.
The rebel archers released their weapons in synchronized volley. Barbarians fell in droves.
The few who reached the walls with their ladders were crushed by stones and burned by boiling oil.
A new war cry sounded, and they withdrew as suddenly as they had attacked.
Fan Zhou knew what it meant. This had merely been a sortie mission to discover the extent of their defenses.
The next attack would be worse.
• • • • •
The chariots had been racing all night toward the city of Yanjing. Up ahead, Mei Li, tied to her chariot, could only think of one thing: how she had been kidnapped by the treacherous Chang, and was unable to give her father a proper burial. The thought of his body lying on the ground, vulnerable to the wild elements, made her sick to her stomach.
A distance behind them, Antiochus rode with relentless determination. He could see his horses lathering heavily and slowing down. They might not catch up to Chang before they collapsed from exhaustion.
Antiochus glanced back. The giants were not far behind. They were catching up to their human prey as they ran on foot through the wilderness and meadows of the province.
One of the strongest of the giant warriors came within sight of Antiochus. He had been closing the distance all night, pacing himself so as not to over-exert. He was not merely the most agile of the Juren, but the cleverest. Antiochus did not look forward to facing this monster in a battle.
The giant’s presence spooked the horses. Their fright kept their pace racing down the bumpy road.
Antiochus could finally see the giant’s features in the morning light as he drew within fifty feet. He wore animal skins for a loin cloth and on his feet. His scimitar sword was strapped to his back.
Forty feet. He had grey skin and long red hair on an elongated head.
Thirty feet. His bare muscles bulged as he ran, not an ounce of fat. Antiochus could only think of a rhinoceros; primal, brutal, unstoppable.
Ten feet away. His eyes were reptilian, cold, calculating, soulless.
The city of Yanjing was within sight. Antiochus kept glancing back at the giant. He could see that the thing was close enough to jump. When he did, it would be all over for Antiochus. He would never be able to save Mei Li from Chang. Even if he slew this giant, he would be facing the other eleven alone.
He had to shake this one. But he had nothing with him.
Except a single javelin.
Too late. The giant leapt into the air.
Antiochus pulled the javelin, turned and shoved it in the right direction.
Two huge six-fingered hands opened to grab the chariot.
The javelin pierced the giant’s skull.
His wide eyes turned inward.
His dead hands hit the chariot back and bounced off, as the giant landed in a cloud of dust on the road.
This race did not go to the fastest horse, nor this fight to the strongest.
Antiochus pounded onward, without slackening his pace, and without losing the other eleven giants still hot on his trail.
CHAPTER 31
Fan Zhou saw that the emperor’s forces, led by Meng Tian, were not amassing against the rebels yet. This was good. Because should they be attacked on both fronts, the rebels could not hold the line for long.
He looked back out onto the barbarian side. Stillness again. Dead bodies littered the ground.
A large tree trunk came flying like a javelin from the forest. It hit the wall with a thud, crumbling a layer of bricks where it connected.
The Wall shuddered at Fan Zhou’s feet. He lost his balance. When he got up, he saw a boulder flying in the air. It hit the wall.
KABOOM.
And then another. KABOOM. And another. KABOOM.
These large stones were not launched by catapults. They were being thrown by giants.
One hit Fan Zhou’s tower and he felt a part of the structure collapse beneath his feet.
A slew of archers were wiped out by a boulder hitting one of the parapets of the Wall. If they kept this up, they could disintegrate the brick and packed-earth structure in hours.
They didn’t have the patience.
An entire squad of giants rushed the walls. Some of them carried trees as battering rams. Others carried clubs and swords.
A tree trunk battered the wall and created a large pit, with outer bricks crumbling to the ground.
Another surge and a deeper hole.
Crossbows and boiling oil from above deterred the monsters from getting any further. But the defenders could not last forever.
Then the general heard the sound of war trumpets from the camp of Meng Tian. He knew the nightmare he dreaded was about to become real.
• • • • •
The trio of magi had fallen asleep in the hold of their ship. Balthazar and Melchior awakened to Gaspar looking out a small opening. “Brothers! I can see islands on the horizon. Three of them. We have made it to the Islands of the Immortals! Which is a good thing, because I am famished, and I am dying for a good meal.”
Melchior said, “Gaspar, you may be dying as a meal if the sea monster shows up.”
Gaspar turned to Melchior with a strange look of peace and a total lack of hostility toward him. It was the first time Melchior had ever seen this. He thought something was wrong with his brother.
“Melchior,” said Gaspar, “I am sorry for battling with you over the high priesthood. You are my older brother, you are much more disciplined than I, you are wiser and more philosophical. I think you would make a fine high priest. And I would be proud to serve under your authority.”
Melchior was stunned. He didn’t know what to say. Only one thought came to his mind.
“Are you dying?”
Gaspar laughed. “No, I am not dying. But we will certainly all die if the emperor catches us before we make it to the islands.”
&nbs
p; Melchior melted. “Gaspar, you are a sensitive soul. And a good man. You are more compassionate than I could ever be. It is you who deserves to be the high priest, not me.”
“Brother,” said Gaspar.
“I insist,” said Melchior.
Balthazar smiled. Even when these two tried to surrender to each other, they competed for humility.
Then something struck Balthazar. He felt for the golden jar under his woolen sack and pulled it out. Something didn’t seem right. He jumped up and looked out a small slotted window to gauge their location. “Why are we not sailing toward the islands?”
Melchior called out, “Xu Fu? Xu Fu!”
They all filed up onto the deck and stood beside Xu Fu. Their mouths gaped at the sight of the huge warship that towered over them. It was five times the size of their little junk, studded in bronze armor. Archers stood with bows poised to launch. Emperor Ch’in Shih Huang Di stood on the prow glaring down at them, his son Huhai and his chancellor Li Ssu stoically beside him.
Gaspar said, “Is this the sea monster guarding the islands?”
Melchior gave him a snide look.
A large bronze grappling hook hit the deck, crunching into the wood. They felt the junk jerk as it was drawn toward the mammoth warship.
“Brothers,” said Balthazar. “Protect the manna!” He pulled the other two with him back down into the hold. They stumbled through the tight space and locked the hatch.
They heard the sounds of soldiers’ feet boarding their little vessel above. Killing the sailors on deck.
Balthazar held the golden jar tightly.
The impact of soldiers battering the door rattled them to the bone with each pounding.
Balthazar said, “This is it, brothers. We failed to protect the relics.”
The other two were dead sober.
“Shang Di, help us,” said Melchior.
The hatch started to splinter open. The soldiers would be upon them in moments.
Gaspar said, “There is only one way to keep the emperor from eating the manna.”