The Warriors Path

by Brian Thomas

  As Zun spoke he recovered his confidence again. The lightning was mere coincidence, it had been building up all afternoon and had struck the highest point in the surrounding area, Mading’s raised sword. Zun knew his own ability and even if he did not believe he could win against the priest he would still have no choice but to try. Honour demanded adherence to his orders and the code allowed no other choice.

  Li Chin remained calm and motionless as he regarded Zun with uncompromising eyes. “I have no desire to take your life but you cannot win. We can all choose a different course Lieutenant. Do so now and live a useful life, rather than throw it away for words to men of no honour who do not understand their value.”

  Zun bridled at the calm figure before him. Fear of losing his honour was greater than his fear of death and he was repulsed by the man in front of him, who having so easily discarded

  his own oaths now sought to corrupt him to do the same. “No true warrior would only enter contests he knew won before the event. Defend yourself Priest, for I will show you what value there is in words. Words that bind a man and his honour and which only he himself can foul!”

  Li Chin nodded gravely before taking up his staff in both hands. “As you wish. The choice is yours Lieutenant.”

  The rest of the villagers were forgotten as Zun launched his attack. Using the point of his sword he probed the priest’s defences, feet spread wide to keep his balance whilst sliding forwards with his thrusts and backwards to evade Li Chin’s staff. Li Chin allowed himself to be pressed back, so the light from the camp fires could supplement the quickly disappearing daylight. While they fought Zun drew a second slightly shorter blade and rained blows from both of them upon Li Chin, who deftly fended them away with his staff. Both men were testing the other’s ability, seeking weaknesses in the other’s defence before making a commitment to strike that could prove a fatal error. Li Chin’s staff was longer than Zun’s sword and he was able to use both ends to ward blows and strike back but Zun’s use of the second blade countered the staff’s advantage. Though there was no sharp edge or point, as with the blades, the staff nevertheless remained a lethal weapon in the hands of a master.

  The two antagonists appeared almost to be in a dance as they stepped and swayed in time with each other, sidestepping and warding off the other’s blows and countering in rapid succession. The sound of Zun’s swords jarred against the staff, beating out a continuous tattoo as the two men sought advantage. The speed of the blades and whirling staff were almost too quick to follow, each of them implementing practised attacks and defences instinctively. The contest became faster, almost frenetic in the speed at which they battled.

  Suddenly, the two men broke off from one another. Each standing in a defensive position facing their opponent. Zun continued to watch carefully while breathing heavily, sucking air into his starved lungs with sweat running from his forehead. Li Chin waited patiently, breathing steadily but otherwise unmoved. It was obvious to both of them Zun could not maintain the pace and, as yet, Li Chin had probed but not pressed a determined attack. Knowing his own ability Zun was stunned at his lack of impact on the priest. Had he not come first in the academy tournament for the last two years? Zun was the first sword in the province and yet he had not even been able to raise a sweat on the priest.

  Li Chin spoke quietly and with respect while Zun recovered his breath and watched him cautiously. “You are skilled and fight bravely but you cannot win. There is no honour in doing another’s bidding when the deeds set you are unjust. Have the courage to follow your own path and put up your swords.”

  Li Chin’s words interrupted Zun’s own thoughts and as he looked at the knowing eyes of the priest he realised Li Chin had purposely not pressed an attack of his own. “An honourable death is preferable to a meaningless life, such as yours outside the codes.” Zun gasped out the bitter words as he recovered his wind.

  Not rising to Zun’s baiting Li Chin replied calmly. “There is no honour in death. Just an end. The honour is in living a life which is your own, not a life another has told you how you must live. There is honour when you choose to be honourable, even if this is the harder way. Choose to live and act honourably of your own free will, do not remain blind to the wrong you do because you allow oaths to enslave you!”

  Zun realised he was succumbing to the almost hypnotic tone and certainty in the priest’s voice. Contemplating failure, starting to believe he would lose to the priest. This as much as anything would sap his energy and resolve to win.

  Live outside the codes? Never! He was suddenly overwhelmed with a rage which would not allow defeat, a battle lust which could only be satisfied by his death or that of the priest. In his heart he knew his rage was being fuelled by his fear of defeat, of his failing to complete his orders, of what that would mean. Zun’s fear of failure fuelled a berserk battle rage which took him as he launched a new and fearless attack at Li Chin. Roaring like an enraged bull Zun swept in, totally disregarding his own safety to make a killing blow. He attacked with all of his skill and strength, battering Li Chin back as his blades attempted to carve a route through what seemed a wall of wood, while Li Chin swung and turned his staff to meet the torrent of blows. Almost blind in his anger, Zun did not see the end of Li Chin’s staff slip through his attack and plunge towards his face. It connected with a sickening thump, his head thrown back by the force of the blow as his body’s momentum carried him forward. Both of Zun’s feet were lifted off the ground before he landed with a crash on his back, spread-eagled, both swords still gripped loosely in either hand.

  After the clamour of their battle the sudden quiet and stillness was stark. Knowing the force of his thrust Li Chin rose from his defensive stance and looked down on the motionless lieutenant sadly. He understood the pride and devotion to his creed which drove the lieutenant. He had known the same feelings himself just a short time ago and it had taken a lifetime, his own lifetime and that of Zu Wah, to convince him it was not enough. He could not expect to overturn this young man’s beliefs indoctrinated from birth in only a few heart beats.

  Li Chin bent down to examine the lieutenant’s injuries. The villagers, who had been watching the bout in awe, slowly shuffled their way in to the circle of light cast by their fire where the contest had taken pace.

  Laulun was shocked but the first to recover her wits amongst the villagers. “We must get away quickly, before others come.” She avoided looking at Li Chin directly as she spoke.

  Shushan, showing less reserve than her mother seemed excited. “Is he dead?”

  Li Chin rose to his feet. “No. Though he may well yet die without care and a reason to live.”

  Shushan looked again at the supine lieutenant, with more caution this time, before turning to Li Chin again. “How did you make the lightning strike the soldiers, Teacher?”

  Laulun quickly chided her daughter. “Shushan!” though it was obvious she and the rest of the villagers also believed he had called down the lightning as well.

  Li Chin turned to them in some surprise. “I had no part in that. The air is charged with the power of the storm. It sits right above our heads. When the man on the hill raised his sword it became a high point on the highest ground in the area. Lightning is attracted to both metal and high points; the man made himself a natural lightening rod. He drew the lightning to himself by his own actions and it had nothing to do with me.”

  Shushan was emboldened by Li Chin’s reply. “You pointed your staff at him, that was when and where the lightning struck and just as they were about to attack.”

  Li Chin lifted his staff again and pointed it at the hill. “I used it as a pointer, it is merely coincidence.” But as he spoke there was another flash and crash of thunder, another lightning bolt crashed into a large tree on the hill. Li Chin sighed as the villagers all cringed and looked at him sideways, none of them believing he did not call down the lightning with his staff for a second time that evening. “Come, your mother is right. We must move now and lose any tracks
in the storm that will follow. Make a space in a cart so I can put the lieutenant in. Find a cover to keep him dry from the rain.”

  “We are taking him with us?” Laulun asked in concern.

  “When he wakes I will be gone and he poses no threat to you once I have left.” With a mischievous smile, Li Chin added, “You could tell him I bewitched you all, so that I could hide myself amongst you.”

  Shushan looked straight at him in surprise. “You can do that, I mean bewitch us?”

  Li Chin raised both eyebrows as he saw her wide-eyed expression replicated on the rest of the villagers. “I have no magic talents Shushan. But one does not need magic to bewitch others if they do not take care and use their own wits. An evil person can spread their poison and turn good people, causing them to say and do things they would not have thought of on their own. Just as a pretty girl can bewitch a young man and make him do all kinds of foolish things he would not even consider were she not there.”

  Shushan’s mother hid a smile as she clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention, quickly organising a free space and a cover in one of the carts. Others broke camp and prepared for the march in the rain, which started to come down in heavy droplets.

  Once Zun had been manhandled into the cart Shushan stood beside Li Chin, watching the covered form of Zun with mild apprehension. “Why must we take him? He would kill you and think nothing of killing all of us if those were his orders? We owe him nothing.”

  Li Chin looked at her solemnly. “The blow to his skull was hard. If we leave him in the rain and cold he would die.”

  Shushan set her jaw stubbornly. “You said he may die anyway.”

  “Then it would be because it was his time and the Spirits took him, not because we left him to die. I know you see the difference Shushan.”

  Unconvinced, Shushan tried again. “Surely he is our enemy, what do we care if he dies. There will just be one less soldier who might come to kill us or steal our possessions.”

  Li Chin thought for a moment, analysing his own reasons before replying. “I have seen soldiers take the lives of many peasants as if they had no value and decided this was wrong. Now you, a peasant, wish to take this soldier’s life. Does his life have less value than a peasant’s?”

  Li Chin turned with Shushan and they began to follow the villagers and carts as they began leaving the camp. “Once you have taken a life it cannot be given back. This man, the lieutenant, has great skill and courage. He is proud and was ready to die doing what he believed was right, to perform his duty faultlessly rather than accept the disgrace of failure. I respect him even if I believe he is misguided. He has laudable qualities that others have distorted for their own gain, as were my own. The world would be a poorer place without his like. I have chosen not to kill unless there is justifiable need, in defence of myself or others. The ghosts of those you kill during your life will visit you in the night Shushan. Be sure you can stand proud and unashamed when they come. Once you start to take life and tell yourself it is unimportant you will have become what you fight. You will have become the enemy.” Li Chin wanted to reach out to this young woman being fashioned by violent events around her but instead gave a bow, before turning to walk out of her life and into the dark night.

  Shushan trudged beside the cart, head down, as she thought of Li Chin’s parting words. He was the Teacher and wise in these things, so she would try to follow his instructions. Even if she were not convinced it was right. For the time being at least, she would care for the wounded warrior. But if he were to become a threat it would be best to kill him quickly, before he recovered his strength and they were no longer able to.

  Feeling better with the compromise in her own mind, Shushan resolved she would train ceaselessly until she could wield a blade as well as the Lieutenant, so that she need never feel vulnerable again. Only those who were strong enough to fight off anyone who attacked them were truly safe and she would become strong enough to fight off all aggressors.

  Shushan brooded over her dark thoughts, her determination tempered in the heat of the storm. The little cavalcade struck out across country eschewing the road in their need to evade any pursuit, swallowed by the dark night and lashing rain.

  Chapter 17

  Mading opened his eyes, or tried to. His right eye was sealed shut while all he could see through the other was a blurred white fuzziness. His first thought, if it was a thought, was that he hurt everywhere. Especially on his right arm and his face. There was a metallic taste in his mouth. He was thirsty and his tongue felt swollen for want of a drink. He thought about moving, but only got as far as blinking the one eye which could open before deciding that was enough for the moment.

  He could hear indistinct voices, muffled by whatever covered him and was making everything appear white. He realised the voices were probably closer than they sounded. In his current state he felt vulnerable and lay still so as not to draw attention, while he tried to determine if the voices represented a threat. He strained to catch what was being said while checking how seriously injured he was. The voices seemed to be arguing and one of them had a particular whingeing tone that seemed vaguely familiar to his befuddled mind. The voices were getting increasingly agitated but it was difficult to hear what they were saying through whatever covered him.

  Biting back on a groan at the effort, Mading pushed upright. Spirits! The movement left his head spinning, while his face and right side hurt abominably. The cloth covering his face was stuck to the side of his head and pulling painfully at the skin around his right eye. He felt sick, probably would have been he realised, if he’d had anything in his stomach. There were several shocked gasps and the talking stopped. Reaching up, Mading gingerly pulled a cloth away from his face. He was under a tree and in front of him were his men, sitting around a small fire drinking tea. Or at least they had been until he had sat up. Now they were staring at him wide mouthed as if they had seen a ghost and tripping over each other to get away from him.

  “Sergeant, you are alive?” gasped Zhi.

  Mading continued to gingerly pull away the cloth covering his face, stuck there by congealed blood. He realised his men had covered his face thinking he was dead. The thought didn’t make him feel any better. “Of course I’m alive, numbskulls! Though, I am probably lucky you didn’t bury me.” At their sheepish looks he realised they had probably been planning to do just that or arguing about what to do with his body.

  Cursing, he struggled to his feet and made his way to the fire, sitting on the fallen tree they had been using and reached for a bowl of the tea. Looking around as he sipped at the tea he could see all forty of them were there; that was good. All but the lieutenant then. That was not good. “What happened?”

  They looked down at the ground, too ashamed to meet his eyes. Eventually Zhi looked up and mumbled out their story. “When you charged we started to follow you down the hill towards the villagers and the priest.” Mading remembered this much and nodded encouragement. “Then the priest pointed his staff at you and hit you with a bolt of lightning.”

  There were a few mumbles in the background at this, before Mading interrupted. “What?”

  Zhi started again, with an angry glance to the others over his shoulder. “The priest pointed his staff at you and either fired a bolt of lightning at you or drew it down from the sky. Anyway, you were hit by lightning and we believed you were dead.” There were mummers of agreement now and Zhi continued, warming to his theme. “The lightning danced all over your body, making you glow before throwing you back into us, at least ten feet. You were smoking and you smelt like burnt meat Sergeant.” there were more murmurs of agreement and enthusiastic nodding amongst the listening men.

  Mading resisted the urge to touch his face. He could feel the rawness of it and could guess the truth of what had been said. Reaching out his beaker for more tea he noticed some of the overlapping metal discs of his armour had become fused together.

  He realised it must have been an awesome sight to see him
hit by the lightning bolt and he wondered at the power in the bolt which was enough to fuse the brass tablets of his armour, each one thick enough to turn a sword blow. He was fairly impressed himself that he had survived and he hadn’t even been able to see the actual event. Though he could certainly feel the after-affects. Still, there was no need for them to look so ghoulish at the memory. “Get on with it, numbskulls.”

  Zhi looked shamefaced as he continued. “The rumours about the priest must be true Sergeant. He is possessed by demons, or he is a great magician.”

  Mading cleared his throat and spat onto the ground at their feet. “You ran.” They all shrank from his fierce and damning gaze, acknowledging the accusation without uttering a word. “What happened then, you worthless scum? Tell me all of it!”

  They collectively shrank from his accusations but Zhi lifted his chin and took up the tale again. “I and a few others took cover behind the trees on the ridge, to check on the lieutenant and the others. The priest jumped down from the cart and the men who had gone with the lieutenant escaped...”

  “You mean they ran as well, abandoning the lieutenant so they could hide with the rest of you!” The cringing men could not look any more abject than they did already. They all knew the extent to which they had failed in their duty to support their lieutenant.

  “The priest told them they could not win and that they should all go.” Zhi added lamely.

  Spirits! They were like children. “What happened to the lieutenant?”

  “I saw him draw his swords and attack the priest.” Zhi sat more upright, recovering some of his lost pride. “They fought a great duel. I have never seen such speed and skill with the swords as the lieutenant showed. They fought across the camp, we were able to see it in the light from their fires and it seemed to last beyond the endurance of mortals. The lieutenant was a great warrior Sergeant.” A number of the men were nodding their affirmation in the background.