by JC Kang
Once Lord Wu descended, Geros had planned to lead his men to occupy that position. It would’ve not only provided a commanding view of the battle, but also a superior position from which to engage whichever army emerged victorious…and depleted.
Yet Lord Wu had left long before the Teleri army had arrived, and from this vantage point, it was impossible to tell if they planned to engage the Cathayi imperial troops or join them. He looked back at his own orderly ranks, the Bovyans showing no signs of wear after they had stolen a march on his enemies.
He held his hand back to an aide. “My looking glass.”
The aide thumped his fist to his chest and withdrew the scope.
Geros swiped it and took in the scene. Peng’s troops seemed to be in disarray, even though there were no signs of a battle having taken place. Strange, since Peng had proven a capable leader. Geros shifted to Lord Wu’s men. They looked to be…resting?
If only he knew more. Tivar take the Nightblade for failing to maintain communication! Or perhaps they had ferreted him out. Geros examined the imperial troops. They were breaking camp, when they should be annihilating Peng’s disorganized army. On a hillside outcrop, at the close end of the imperial armies on Lord Wu’s left…
Princess Kaiya.
He snapped the looking glass shut and turned back to his aide. “How many Cathayi soldiers did we count?”
The aide pointed at the groups in turn. “Lord Peng has a hundred and twenty thousand. The imperials, a hundred and fifty thousand. Lord Wu, thirty thousand.”
In total, a nearly six-to-one advantage over his own forty-five thousand men. Yet none of the enemy were Bovyans, and in a pitched hand-to-hand battle, the enemy’s muskets would be useless. If Peng saw the tide turn in his favor, ambition might get the better of him. Might.
For Kaiya, Geros would take that gamble.
He turned to his command team. “The Cathayi outnumber us, but their closest group is resting and the rest are not prepared. If we stretch out in thin ranks, we will be too close for them to use guns once we engage. General Tanos will attack their left-center, while General Baros falls on their left rear flank. General Kros will hold our own left flank. I will personally slide behind Baros and attack their central command.” Which was Kaiya.
General Baros gawked at him. “Your Eminence, if they see you coming, Lord Peng will be able to fall on your right and isolate you.”
“Lord Peng’s men are too disorganized, and he might very well turn on her…I mean, them.” Another risk he would take, since this might now be his only chance to seize the princess and his unborn son. He glared at the men, who bowed their heads. “Now attack! Quickly and quietly, before they can organize.”
The men all thumped their chests and hurried to their divisions.
Geros looked back at the valley, where his prize waited unawares. Soon, very soon, she would be his again. Or he would be dead.
The energy of the world hummed in Kaiya’s ears, providing a backdrop for the sounds of war. Metal clashed on metal as the Teleri smashed into Lord Wu’s rear. Boots stomped, men screamed, all in a symphony of slaughter. If only she could connect to the energy, harness it into her voice, she could turn this battle into a rout. There had to be a way.
Emotions. Enough emotions would topple the Tiger’s Eye, hopefully for good. Kaiya conjured up memories, seeing if they would stir her feelings. Hardeep’s enchantment and Avarax’s deception. Zheng Ming’s charm. Tian treating her like dirt in their escape from Iksuvius, followed by his affection in the Wilds. The love only she evoked in him. The joy and rapture of making love to him. Geros taking her. Her father’s death. Tian’s death. Jie’s death.
She was now all alone in this world. Yet, all the images and memories felt like she was reading a sterile, historical account of her life. The energy of the world remained close and torrential, but walled off, just like when Geros had collared her with the grey metal neck ring.
Hand to her throat, Kaiya looked down at the battle from the outcropping. Lord Wu’s men were fleeing from the onslaught. The Teleri snaked along the provincial army’s edges in the most bizarre fashion to her untrained eyes. It seemed inconceivable that such a small force could even stand a chance against a much larger one. Beneath her, Hua officers scurried about, mobilizing their men to arms.
And then she saw it: the Teleri reserve slipped behind the wall formed by their forward troops. Headed where? She followed the curve of the battle lines, meandering down the mountain, along the road…to her.
A lump formed in her throat. The reserve troop, marching double-time or perhaps faster, came for her. Like the Founder’s victory at Narrow Barrel Valley on Great Peace Island. Facing an army twenty-five thousand with under two thousand of his own men, he had killed the enemy lord, and the opposition crumbled.
This time, they didn’t plan to kill the leader. Geros undoubtedly had other plans for her.
And no one to protect her. Her generals and senior officers raced among the men in a vain attempt to organize them. Sameer had run off after the Scorpion. Brehane—she would be using her magic by now if she were able. Perhaps Doctor Wu was still tending her wounds. And Fleet… Fleet had disappeared yet again, after waylaying a messenger to who knows where.
As her gaze swept across the valley, something glinted in the corner of her eye. Right by her side, where she had somehow missed it. Xu’s magic mirror, the one she’d carried to Vyara City and back, rested on a folded pile of fine silk. Instead of a reflection on its face, several black words burned on a parchment background. The title of another book, perhaps. She read.
When a regent looks the part, her people will listen.
Never a straight answer from that elf, even in his letters. She knelt down and ran her fingers across the gold embroidered blue silk. She lifted it, revealing an outer robe with five-clawed dragon patterns stitched into it. It was beautiful. A silver-threaded sash tumbled out.
She appraised her plain travelling dress, light brown and soiled with mud, dirt, and blood. Her own sash, hastily wound back after General Lu tore it off, was creased and ratty. In whole, certainly not the bearing of a princess, let alone a regent. She looked back at the Teleri reserve, jogging unopposed toward her position, with Geros’ unmistakable gait at the head of their column. Only a few minutes away.
It left scant time to rally her army. Cold ran up her spine. Nothing kept Geros from capturing her again. Her heart pounded in the constricted confines of her chest. Where was the cursed Tiger’s Eye when she actually needed it?
Put on the sash and robe, Xu’s voice spoke in her mind, exasperated.
Kaiya’s stomach leapt into her throat. There was no sign of the elf lord. If he could see what was going on, why didn’t he help?
Because if I saved the day, your people would look to me for leadership. Xu’s words blew out like a long sigh. Success or failure is on your shoulders. Now put on the clothes I made especially for you!
What was that supposed to do? Make her appear regal in defeat? Create an extra layer for Geros to strip away?
Just do it! his voice snarled.
The elf should’ve just said something instead of leaving a cryptic message about fashion sense in his magic mirror. Hands trembling, fingers stiff, she unwound her sash. Tian’s pouch again tumbled out, this time hitting the rocks with a dull thud. A strange sound, really. She shook her head, trying to focus as she tore the old sash away and started wrapping the other.
She froze mid-wind. The energy of the world buzzed in her feet, resonating to her heart. Could it be? Tentatively, she sang a single note. The power surged through her, echoing into the night. Soldiers from both sides froze on the battlefield and looked up at her. Geros stopped mid-stride and stared at her through wide eyes.
Perhaps her fear had battered down the Tiger’s Eye, even if she didn’t feel that fright now. Still, the energy of the world coursed through her. The magic mirror’s surface flashed at her feet. A Hua marching song flickered into view, one which th
e slave girl Yanyan had sung during the War of Ancient Gods to mobilize Hua slaves against their altivorc masters.
Holding the memory of Tian facing three Teleri with only a stone-headed spear, Kaiya sang. The world’s pulse vibrated through her. From where she stood, radiating out, Hua soldiers formed up. Their unified chant and the pounding of their spear hafts on the ground followed the cadence of her voice.
Still, the Teleri lines held. Their expeditionary force scrambled up the hillside. Geros himself had closed enough for her to make out his ravenous smirk. Her song did not affect them either way, nor did she know any Arkothi songs that could evoke fear in them.
Geros was just ten paces away. There had to be something she could do. A word of power. It had been so long—well, besides ordering Peng’s men to kneel—since she’d used one. It had to be simple, one syllable at most, and in the Arkothi language. Even with the energy of the world welling in this spot, it might not be enough to affect so many.
Kaiya gripped the ground with her toes and straightened her spine. She sucked in a deep breath. Guanyin’s Tear atop the pyramid darkened, and the Trees of Light dimmed, shrouding the battlefield in the light of the three moons alone.
“Flee.” The Arkothi word rolled off her tongue and boomed. It echoed throughout the valley. The pyramid and trees lit up again. All the energy drained out of her. Her wobbly legs unable to support her, Kaiya buckled to the ground. Tian’s pouch lay near her hand, and she picked it up. Though her head and shoulders felt like a dwarf anvil, she pushed herself into a sitting position and looked to the battlefield.
The Teleri lines broke. The Bovyans threw down their arms and fled in an all-out retreat. A rout. Just three steps away from her, Geros took tentative backward steps before turning into a full sprint. He tripped over his feet and stumbled the rest of the way down the hillside.
Her words struggled to break free of her throat and came out only as a hoarse whisper. “Cap—capture. Capture him...”
Lord Xu materialized out of thin air. “Kaiya, come with me.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, and the battlefield winked out.
Kaiya blinked. They now stood near an enormous arch, which spanned the mouth of an atoll. Her feet sunk into fine white sand. At last, after her armies had already turned the tide of the battle, he appeared.
“Sit,” he said, indicating a worn boulder behind her.
She nodded and settled on the edge, letting her legs dangle over the side. Just like she had often done at Sun-Moon Palace, looking out over the lake. Those days had been filled with uncertainty, as plotting and insurgency roiled the realm. Though Peng, the source of all the turmoil, was dead, the road ahead still felt daunting. The North lay pillaged by the Bovyans. Bridges destroyed. Ambitious lords who might not necessarily believe in or care about Guardian Dragons.
He sat down beside her and pointed to the moons, now going their separate ways. It would be three centuries before they met again in the high halls of heaven. He patted her on the head. “The annals of history tell you the Godseye Conjunction and the appearance of the Guardian Dragon heralded in the Wang Dynasty. Let me tell you another story.”
Tiger’s Eye or not, Kaiya’s spine tingled.
“Three hundred years ago, I sat with your ancestors under this same sky. It was not for the celebration of victory, but to mark the beginning of a new road. The next years were not easy. Warlords had undermined Yu Dynasty imperial authority for a decade before the Hellstorm, and the Long Winter would leave the people starving. Yet Wang Xinchang and Wang Yuxiang overcame the hardships and reunited Hua.”
Kaiya nodded. The histories often glossed over the process in favor of the grand story of the Guardian Dragon and the Mandate of Heaven. Still, there were more complicated stories left untold.
Xu turned her chin to meet his gaze. “Your ancestors were strangers to this land, and I daresay, not as resourceful as you. Have faith in yourself. I have faith in you. You have far surpassed my expectations.”
“Expectations?”
“Remember that I once said you were born to face Avarax?”
She nodded.
“The late Queen Regent’s bloodline does not easily beget scions. Your father asked for my power to help conceive his children. I gave you Yanyan’s voice so you could vanquish Avarax once her ward on his power failed.”
Kaiya’s mind spun. How was it even possible?
“You defeated him when I could not.” He grinned. “Now, you are reuniting Hua.”
Kaiya stared back at him. “Why? Why did you help my ancestors? Why do you help me? Why do you care about Hua?”
He gazed back up at the stars. “Did you see it before? A constellation appeared above the moons just before the Godseye Conjunction. It is gone now.”
“The Golden Flock.” Kaiya looked. Indeed, the new stars she had seen at the pyramid had disappeared.
He pointed toward the red star, Yanluo the Conqueror. “If you watched the heavens from there, you would see a very different picture. In the elaborate dance of the stars, Tivara is just one of the performers. Yet, it is one of the most important. Sometimes a stagehand must work with a diva.”
A diva. Kaiya pouted like a child. Was he referring to Tivara, or her?
He laughed. “The Hellstorm, elf angels, the Altivorc King: they are all part of an intricate choreography, the push and pull of good and evil. What you do here, in undermining the altivorcs and their allies, ensures that the universe unfolds as planned.”
As always, Lord Xu talked in riddles. Kaiya let out a long sigh. As if the realm wasn’t enough responsibility.
Plucking the mirror from her hands, he held open the regent’s robe he had made for her, the one she never managed to slip into. Indeed, her new sash still dangled from her hastily tied knot.
She threaded her arms into the sleeves. “Is it magic?”
He grinned. “You should have learned from these last few weeks that you do not always have to rely on magic.”
Evasive answers yet again. She sighed. “Now what?”
Ignoring her, Xu fiddled with the mirror, and different images flashed across its face. One painting appeared. Was that the Dragon Pearl, in someone’s hands? Her hands? Or was it just a reflection? It disappeared with a sweep of his hand. He pressed the mirror to his chest and looked up. “If I were regent, I would worry about the remnants of the Teleri army and their capable leader.”
She kept her eyes locked on the mirror. “If you were their capable leader, where would you go?”
He lowered the mirror, which now showed only a reflection. “I would hunker down in a defensible location, perhaps behind walls.”
Which likely meant Huajing. Kaiya’s heart sank.
Chapter 45:
Mad Dashes
Geros crumpled the messenger bird’s missive. Leina insisted he bring the remnants of his army through Huajing’s east gate instead of the more convenient south gate, yet left no reason why. The city’s south walls rose in the distance, so close.
He looked back at the remnants of his once-proud army. Just ten thousand remained. So many had fallen on that fateful night of battle. The rear guard of ten thousand was unaccounted for, though even faced with overwhelming numbers and superior weapons, they had stalled Cathayi pursuit for a couple of days. His current ragtag band was all that had survived eight days of forced marching with little food and constant skirmishes. The wounded had to be left behind.
He growled deep in his throat. Now, Leina wanted them to leave the highway and traipse through farmland and marsh. She should’ve sent supplies instead. Still, she’d proven reliable in the past. With a sigh, he beckoned his men onto the farmland.
Outside of Kaiya’s carriage, long since repaired, birds screeched at each other as they competed for mates. Horses clopped, and boots marched through along the highway. She had rode at the head of an army too many times for her nineteen years. Hopefully, this would be the last.
She cradled the chunk of fallen star, whose steadfast throb
felt comforting, even if its power seemed distant and walled-off again.
Across from her sat Brehane, now recovered from the spear butt to her head. She pulled and stretched Jie’s mysterious armor while Cyrus stared out the window. Perhaps he thought about Sameer, who’d chased after the Golden Scorpion Sohini, and Fleet with him. Also missing was Doctor Wu. Kaiya had searched and searched the battlefield herself, to no avail.
In the far distance, the staccato cracks of musketfire made her heart jump. Even so, the other two showed no signs of hearing it.
Commander Zhuang rode up to the window. “Jie-xia, the capital is within sight.”
At last. It had taken nine days, their pursuit of Geros slowed by the Teleri rear guard’s defense of the central valley’s final gap. “Any sign of the Teleri?
“No, Jie-xia.” The cavalry commander shook his head. “They had a significant lead on us because of their rear guard action.”
Kaiya sighed. If Geros reunited with the garrison he’d left there, they might have enough men and supplies to hold the walls and gates. “Tell General Lu to start making preparations for a siege.” Despite his earlier betrayal, the general had volunteered to lead all the assaults. He had more than proven his worth, and his soldiers adored him. Still, she’d keep a wary eye open.
Commander Zhuang said, “Our scouts reported trampled fields and bootprints up ahead.”
Perhaps Geros had sent men into the fields to forage for food. Still, nothing besides radishes and leafy greens were in season. They must surely be hungry.
More musketfire pattered up ahead, though again, her companions did not appear to have heard it. She looked out the window. Far beyond, Sun-Moon Castle and the Hall of Supreme Harmony stood out above the south walls. Had her brother survived the siege? And even if he still lived, the Guardian Dragon had entrusted her with choosing a capable Tianzi. As much as she adored Kai-Wu, he made a more suitable poet or teacher than ruler. Could she depose her own brother? And would the people accept that decision?