by Brian Thomas
As Chow knew it would, the cry snapped the life guard back to their duty and they repeated the gesture and took up the cry as one, “Death or victory!”
Captain Chow’s chest filled with pride as he looked at the determination on their faces. They knew the calibre of the man they faced yet each was loyal to their vow, the life of their master’s slayer or their own. They knew there was no turning away from this battle, it was win or die and they wanted to win. Chow screamed his battle cry and urged his men into motion. They raced forward, each eager to reach Li Chin first, swords drawn and screaming their intent.
Li Chin knew their greater numbers would initially work against them and they would be hampered by their armour, though Chow would waste no time to organise a more strategic offensive while the closest pinned him down. Their best strategy would be to constrict his fighting space, where the advantage of their greater numbers and armour could be brought to bear. They would try and overwhelm him as they closed in, preventing him from taking the initiative. He must avoid being static at all costs.
The first ranks screamed towards him from both sides simultaneously and Li Chin stepped out to meet those on the opposite side of the still cowering headman and the decapitated Zu Wah, who between them were obstacle enough to slow the charge from the other side. Deflecting the first sword as he stepped between another two, his own sword point flicking across the throat of the middle soldier. As the first guard’s impetus carried him past, Li Chin spun into a squat avoiding the last guard’s sword as it swung overhead; he cleaved his own sword in a wide arc to take the first man in the back of the neck as he sped past. Off balance and leaning forward as his sword unexpectedly swept over Li Chin’s body, the last of the three guards fell into Li Chin’s sword point as he drove it up from his squatting position, the guard’s impetus carrying him past to fall with his comrades adding to the barrier behind. Li Chin slipped a knife from the waist sheath of one of the falling guards as he sprang up from the feet of the second rank following closely behind.
Believing Li Chin to have been downed, their surprise was short lived as he stepped in towards them. Too close to use the long blade he used the knife and the haft of his sword to make short and precise strikes at the throats and faces of those in front of him, while they belatedly tried to step back and win room to use their own weapons. Hampered by their own men pressing from behind they were despatched before they could adjust to his new attack.
Li Chin was a blur of motion. His moves too quick to plan were the product of endless practice and honing. No blows using the sword’s edge in this close combat, no deep thrusts which could trap the knife blade and no poorly aimed cuts which could be shrugged off by an opponent’s armour. Speed and precision were Li Chin’s advantages now and he put them to good use as the second rank fell and the momentum of those behind them carried them on to stumble over their fallen comrades.
Pivoting on one foot Li Chin used the back of one of the fallen guards as a spring board to gain height, leaping towards those now closing in from the opposite side, his sword and knife striking out as he landed amongst them. His change of direction had caught the closely packed guards by surprise and they struggled to bring their swords to bear as he struck using elbows, the short blade and his sword’s haft to wreak havoc in their midst.
Swerving to avoid a thrusting sword he gripped the wielder’s arm, pinning it against his side and using the trapped limb as a fulcrum to high kick out at those on his right, feeling throats and faces crushed under the force of his blows.
Coming down from the kick, Li Chin again used the guard’s pinned arm to swivel, slipping his own knife blade into its owner’s bared armpit as he spun, with the same motion pushing the finished man away to block those behind and win space to use his sword on the new rank he had suddenly exposed. They were unprepared as Li Chin’s gleaming blade swept into reach over their falling comrades even as they went down, the point flicking left and right faster than they could follow and with devastating accuracy.
As the guards before him fell, there was a roar to Li Chin’s left. Chow and three of his men charged towards him bearing a stout wooden fence they had wrenched out of the ground, using it like a giant shield they sought to overwhelm him with it. Li Chin turned and leapt to make a side kick into the middle of the fence as it bore down on him. The power of the kick forced the fence and the men holding it backwards, causing them to fall beneath their impromptu weapon as they crashed to the ground. Leaping to stand in the centre of the fallen fence, he thrust his sword straight down between its staves into the gut of one of the pinned men, even as the guards behind reached him.
From a raised edge of the fence Li Chin swept the first stroke aside and in a continuous movement took its wielder in the back of his exposed neck. The guards struggling to escape from under the fence started to tilt up one end and Li Chin used the rising edge to step off, thrusting right and left to finish the men struggling to escape from beneath his rising platform. Li Chin landed lightly back to the ground and a guard dived at his knees, just as two others followed Li Chin over the edge of the collapsing fence. Jumping clear of the man’s outstretched arms, Li Chin immediately jumped again with a half turn, weapons ready in mid-air to meet the two men throwing themselves at him with wild screams from the height of the collapsed fence.
Stepping to one side on landing, Li Chin deflected a sweeping blow and struck one of the guards in the neck with his knife as they flew by; immediately following after them as they landed clumsily. Stumbling on the littered ground, the second guard was ill prepared for Li Chin’s quick thrust. Releasing the borrowed knife now wedged in the man’s neck, Li Chin made a reverse thrust with his sword, using two hands to drive the point home between his side and right arm, into the gut of the guard behind him who seconds earlier had tried to grapple him by the knees. The force of the blow pierced the guard’s leather breast plate and stopped the man dead, his own raised sword slowly slipping from lifeless fingers as he stood transfixed, before dropping to his knees and tipping over.
Li Chin turned, withdrawing the sword as the guard fell away from the point, balanced on the balls of his feet and ready for the next attack. All about were the bloodied bodies of the fallen, marking the brief battle as it had traversed the confined space of the village square. A soldier on his back groaned softly before his bent knee straightened out and he died, with an almost peaceful sigh. Making a quick count Li Chin could see all but one of the life guards. Chow was missing.
Walking to the now shattered wooden fence panel that had been used as a ram against him Li Chin pulled it back to expose Chow, who lay gasping harshly on his back alongside the hunched over figure of the headman. Xiou was crouched on his knees shielding his head with raised hands, covered in the blood and gore of battle. He was visibly shaking but miraculously otherwise unharmed.
Li Chin cast the fencing to one side, gently cradling the wounded captain’s head and shoulders on to his lap as he sat beside him on the bloodied ground. A broken strake from the shattered fence had pierced Chow’s stomach below his breast plate and its bloodied point protruded from his back below his ribs. Opening his eyes Chow saw Li Chin. His free hand groped weakly for his belt knife trapped under his body. It was out of reach, even if Chow still had the strength to wield it. His bloodied hand dropped away helplessly.
“Rest Captain. You have done your duty and died for your master.” Li Chin told him grimly.
Realising there was nothing more he could do Chow relaxed giving Li Chin a weak smile, though his eyes still shined bright. “My beauties were magnificent weren’t they?” There was a momentary flash of concern as he asked anxiously, “None survive?”
Li Chin understood. Had understood from the moment he had completed his swing against Zu Wah, to end facing Chow across the village square. “Do not be concerned. You are the last and will shortly follow your brave guard. The life guard’s honour is intact and will shine bright across the land. I will see that it does.”
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sp; Chow smiled again, his worst fear no longer a concern. None could now say they had failed in their honour, even if they had failed in their duty. “You made us look like slow old men my boy. You are so fast!” The captain’s look of admiration cut through Li Chin like a knife but he kept his features stoic, revealing nothing of his thoughts to the proud old captain. Chow hissed strangled words between clenched teeth. “I would rather fall to a lion than to a lucky strike from some incompetent fool or, the Spirits forbid, for old age to take me. Do not worry boy about what is done and cannot be undone. I will have but a short turn upon The Great Wheel. I go willingly and will return stronger for it in the next life.” Chow’s pained expression turned to one of bewilderment as he demanded urgently, “But tell me, why? And for the love of the Spirits, don’t say I and my men died for an old peasant; that all our lives are worth less than his.” The initial shock from Chow’s wounds began to wear off and he leaned back weakened by the effort to speak. They both knew he had only moments before he would join his men.
Li Chin was still for a moment, looking away from Chow’s questioning gaze as he examined the carnage surrounding them. The slumped over bodies of the life guard, some seeming to hug or reach out to their fallen comrades in death as they lay close, or even atop of one another where they had fallen. The peasants had started to stir again, emerging from the nearest cover they had been able to find once the slaughter had begun. Xiou’s wife and children peered fearfully at him from under the wooden floor of a building, their eyes searching amongst the bodies for Xiou.
Li Chin’s mind was at a loss for words which would mean anything to Chow. That Li Chin believed his master was evil? That he had been shown by spirit guides Zu Wah would become more so and that many would lose their lives as a result? This would be no justification for Chow. A master was to be obeyed whatever the command. It was the iron code Chow lived and now died by. He would not understand, even if Li Chin were able to explain what had led to his actions in the few precious heartbeats left for Chow.
The chickens and cockerel, which had superficially at least been the cause of the carnage, at last escaped from their crushed cage with a triumphant cackle and self-important strutting, attracting Li Chin and Chow’s attention. They began scratching around in the square. Wandering unconcerned amongst the fallen bodies of the life guard, ignorant of their own near escape but pleased to be free of the cage. Meanwhile, Li Chin berated himself at not being able to explain to Chow what he did not yet fully understand himself.
The cockerel threw back its head, crowing out loud to the world in appreciation of its newly secured freedom. Strutting purposefully the bird’s bright plumage glinted in the sun as it turned to look directly at Li Chin and Chow, who were almost at eye level with the cockerel as they sat quietly amongst the carnage.
Chow’s hand grasped Li Chins’ as his vision began to fade. He knew his time was short and there was urgency in his voice. “Tell me, I must know!”
Li Chin sat up straight and returned the grip, which was already starting to weaken. “You are correct. It was not for a peasant old friend, but for the cockerel. Is he not magnificent, strong and proud? A prince amongst his own kind. Surely he must have been a warrior in a previous life and deserved better than an ignoble end in a cooking pot. How could I not come to the aid of a warrior prince, especially when he was outnumbered and by some of the finest guards in the land at that?”
Chow’s expression was puzzled, his dulled mind working through what Li Chin had said and trying to focus on the cockerel strutting closer, seemingly interested in their quiet conversation. Chow’s expression was still puzzled as he switched his gaze back to Li Chin but, slowly, a smile started to spread across Chow’s lined and pale face. “A chicken then? I died for a proud chicken?” His gaze fell on Xiou a few feet away, still visibly shaking where he knelt. Chow smiled appreciatively at the idea. “Ha; better to die for something noble, even a chicken, than a shivering peasant.” Chow’s spirit slipped from his body, the smile remaining on his dead lips.
“May your journey’s end find a warm welcome, old friend.” Li Chin whispered, releasing his hand from Chow’s now slack grip.
With a cacophony of clanging armour and crashing boots Lieutenant Dae led the soldiers making up the rest of the honour guard from their billet outside the village breathlessly in to the square. Their swords were drawn expecting to face an enemy in the midst of their attack. Lieutenant Dae came to a breathless halt, staring in disbelief at the carnage of the fallen life guard, even the guardian half buried by the lifeless body of Captain Chow and covered in the gore of battle. As his men quickly filled the space searching for the perpetrators of the attack Lieutenant Dae’s eyes fell on Zu Wah. The lieutenant cast out his arms and barked out quick commands, sending his men to search the village and catch the now flown enemy. He had mustered his men as soon as the first battle cry muffled by the surrounding buildings had reached them. Unable to see what happened beyond the outlying buildings the cries had almost instantly been followed by the clash of weapons. It could have been no more than two minutes since that first sound and yet, from what he could tell all but the guardian had been slain, without the enemy losing a single casualty he could see.
Lieutenant Dae’s anger and shock at the fall of Zu Wah along with the life guard was heavily tinged with an almost reverent respect for who, or what, had caused such sudden mayhem before making an undetected escape. All of the casualties appeared to be in the immediate vicinity. The bodies of the life guard lay on top of each other as they surrounded their slain master. Even the guardian was half pinned under the body of the dead captain; perhaps that was how he had escaped the same fate as the others. The villagers, who may conceivably have been involved, he instantly disregarded. Those he could see were patently what they appeared to be, peasants mostly in shock at what had occurred in their previously quiet haven. There had been no indication of any threat on their arrival, yet an enemy had somehow got past the defences of the life guard and the guardian before killing Master Zu Wah. The enemy had then made its escape without being seen or leaving any trace of having been here, other than the carelessly strewn bodies of the elite guardsmen and the master!
Lieutenant Dae’s sergeants returned to the village square at a run, both bowing before the first reported. “There is no sign of any enemy Lieutenant and all of the life guard are slain. Only the guardian survived the attack. The men are searching the fields but the view from the outskirts of the village is clear and no one is in sight. I have questioned some of the villagers but none saw any strangers either approaching before the battle or escaping afterwards. I also questioned a woman on the outskirts of the square, hiding under this building but close enough to be covered in blood from the battle. She said one moment the peasants were on their knees kowtowing to the master who was talking to the guardian and the next moment the guards were all fighting a grey swirling shadow that suddenly appeared amongst them. She and the other villagers took what cover they could and she only came out because we pulled her out.” The fearful implication in the sergeant’s voice that their enemy was not human but otherworldly was clear.
Lieutenant Dae felt a shiver run down his spine as he heard his own fears reflected in his sergeant’s voice and report. He dismissed the sergeant sharply. “Keep searching!” He considered what his men even with their greater numbers might achieve should they find the perpetrator of this slaughter, where the guardian and the life guard had so spectacularly failed. As Dae quickly reviewed the aftermath of the battle he decided it could only have been a demon, to have come, slaughtered and gone so quickly without him seeing any sign it himself. With the master and the captain now dead the guardian was the highest authority and unable to wait any longer he strode to Li Chin, lifting the dead weight of the captain from off the guardian’s legs. “Guardian, what has happened, what has done this terrible thing?”
Li Chin looked up from Chow’s now lifeless features and noticed the lieutenant’s eyes were fixed on h
is captain’s dead face. Chow’s frozen smile had been robbed of its mirth in death and was instead a sinister grimace. The fixed smile of his dead captain seemed to unnerve the lieutenant as he waited for Li Chin’s reply. Li Chin’s expression remained blank while he considered events since he had been poised to strike at the headman’s bared neck. Even now, despite the high price of his decision, he could not regret it. Though he feared there would still be more yet to pay for that decision. Much more. He had been influenced, manipulated even, and he did not know by who or what. It was important he sought guidance from those who might know or at least able to make an intelligent guess at whom the guides were.
The unaccustomed chill stare the lieutenant was receiving from Li Chin as he thought did nothing to calm the lieutenant’s already rattled nerves. At last Li Chin spoke. “I do not know all that has happened Lieutenant Dae but the life guard died an honourable and courageous death fulfilling their duty. What is done is now past and we must instead look to the future.” Li Chin hesitated at his last word which conjured up a memory of the gleaming, slowly twisting Tree of Futures pulsing with vibrant energy.
Laying Captain Chow’s body gently down on the ground, his affection for the old captain obvious to see, he rose to his feet and spoke more forcefully. “I must go to the Temple and seek their wisdom on what has happened here. While you must return to Wing-Ho and guard against attacks on the family estates. Others will recognise this time of weakness for the House while it has no leader. They will see an opportunity to expand their own interests. You must return and prepare against opportunistic incursions, make a show of the House’s strength to deter any such aggressions until a new master is appointed in Zu Wah’s place.”