by Mark Swaine
“Ayano?” asks Shun-Shiro, out of interest.
“No, Chieko,” corrects Akio with a smile.
“I sound nothing like Chieko,” replies Shun-Shiro, shooting Akio a weird look under his visor.
“you sound more like my former Wench everyday,” repeats Akio.
“bold words coming from the child minding wet nurse,” replies Shun-Shiro.
“Tis merely a temporary duty,” replies Akio awkwardly.
“No, you wish it was a temporary duty. Who knows, if everything works out for the best, perhaps you can find a new occupation as a party clown,” says Shun-Shiro sniggering.
“You are too funny, help me, I’m dying with laughter,” replies Akio.
Akio and Shun-Shiro end their light banter and stand ready with arrows poised at the mouth of the sloped alleyway. The Samurai and Jade soldiers feel a slight tremble under their feet and a distant screaming growing louder. The predicted first stage of the infection had begun, for within the city populace the infection is spreading. The freshly infected people awake and can think only of feeding, drinking, eating, devouring, slurping, biting, and ripping their fellow country folk apart. People, eating people, fellow neighbours ripping out hearts, prying ribs apart, and taking twisting bites out of sweating shaking throats. Entire families break bones and tear limbs from siblings and parents and others they'd held so dear their entire lives. Workers no longer care for their living; they now live their undead lives only to scream with open bloody mouths whilst dragging down others who are running for their lives. Infected soldiers, Samurai and Ministers pounce onto those they're sworn to serve, and tear skin apart with their bare teeth. With gnashing teeth, their mouths drip with blood as they sink their faces into gushing open wounds whilst pulling and stretching at ripping red juicy tissue to further expose the sating spillage within their meal. Screaming survivors charge to safety, pursued by their hunters and race down the alleyways toward the Samurai and Jade soldiers. Shun-Shiro checks each of them with his powerful 'Spell of the Scents', a spell that allows its user to sniff out decaying flesh, a spell that was originally created to root out the cause of sick live stock. Shun-Shiro checks each survivor carefully and any who are bitten receive a sharp blow to the neck, or a direct arrow to the head from the archers based on the curved roofs above. The soldiers and Samurai guarding the other exits perform the same procedure but struggle to contain the surging stampede screaming into the market place. Eventually the mad charge of people within the narrow lanes becomes a feeding frenzy of snarling teeth as the undead trip over themselves. The snarling and shuffling bodies form pile ups against the rows of Pagoda walls creating the alleyways. Shun-Shiro takes the crossbow from his back and fires a barrage of explosive arrows into the piled up bodies. Strong explosions of fire and loose rock knock the racing crowd of their feet sending them into an injured daze that slows them down. Shun-Shiro fires more rounds into the dashing packs and Akio tosses a handful of engraved grenades to the Jade soldiers guarding their posts.
“It is time. I must light the explosives, or we lose the marketplace,” says Akio.
“Do it, I shall hold them here,” replies Shun-Shiro.
Akio runs to the centre of the market place whilst Shun-Shiro and the Jade soldiers hold the exit.
In his rapid sprint, Akio hears a deep growl and he looks to the sky in terror.
“Archers find cover!” yells Akio.
As the Archers reign arrows upon the screaming feral bodies in the alleyways they heed Akio's call, but are late to react as a dragon swoops low and fast. In a rushing blast of fire the dragon reduces the soldiers to ashes whilst collecting the flaming wounded into its mouth. As the dragon whooshes by overhead, teams of corrupted Samurai drop from the dragon's back and into the market square. Finding himself surrounded, Akio grips the handle of his Katana. Only their pale eyes are visible as he watches thick strands of yellow drool flop beneath their Mengu faceplates. Their muffled snarls intensify as they reach for their Katanas, but Akio is more reluctant to draw his, even though he knows there’s reasoning with them. His cursed brethren that he left behind belong to the Witch now, and as they move in to attack, he finds they’ve lost none of their skills in combat. But Akio is the swordsman, and he opens them up in strikes of steel and splashing blood as he looks at their partially concealed faces in dismay. As he moves to strike down his next victim, he stalls in mid strike as he recognises the emblem on his Kabuto helmet. Akio peers closer at the familiar family crest on the tall corrupted Samurai facing him, a crest mirrored by his own.
“Big brother, Akitaka, is that you?” asks Akio in horrified disbelief.
The tall snarling Samurai fails to respond, but appears taken aback by the smaller man's attempt to interact with him. If there were ever a time to reason to a soul possessed by the Witch, it was now thinks Akio. Maybe, perhaps, if he tried hard enough, he would get through to him, thinks Akio. Akio had known this older man since he was a baby in his arms, and will not simply strike him down Without trying to reason with him. Maybe the possessed man will recognise my voice; maybe somewhere in the back of his mind he will remember my face. I have to at least try,” thinks Akio, lowering his Katana.
“Big brother, hear my voice, you are Akitaka Ishikawa, son of our father Akihiko Ishikawa, son of our mother Akiko Ishikawa, and I am your little brother, Akio. Remember! It is I, Akio,” bellows the pleading Samurai whilst removing his helmet.
“Akio, have you forgotten your mind, he is no longer your brother, kill him!” shouts Shun-Shiro whilst holding his post.
As more corrupted Samurai charge toward Akio's flanks, he counters their strikes and sends their armoured heads toppling through the air, but leaves his motionless brother standing.
“Do not make me do this brother, I beg of you,” pleads Akio, with an outstretched hand.
Akitata appears confused and he slowly lowers his Katana by his side as Akio places a hand on his shoulder. Relieved with joy as Akitata appears to recognise his face, Akio lets down his guard. Akio slowly removes his brother’s helmet to look upon his disfigured face of bare bone and tissue. Akio's eyes swim with tears as he clenches his teeth in despair, but he is so relieved to see Akitata it didn't matter what he had become. Perhaps Emperor Yu-Huang would be able to heal him ponders Akio as he dares to wrap his arms around him.
“Akio Ishikawa,” whispers the corrupted Samurai.
Akio suddenly grunts a spurt of blood from his mouth as he feels a sharp penetrating force drive through his chest. Akio's grip loosens around Akitata's shoulders as he stumbles backwards whilst looking at the hilt of Akitata’s Katana protruding from his torso.
“Akio!” screams Shun-Shiro, in a great panic.
Akitata stumbles toward Akio to finish the job and Akio takes his head with one furious lateral swipe from his Katana. Akio pants heavily as he slides the blade out from his chest, and he feels the rim of the blade slicing against the edge of his heart. Akio stumbles to a knee and grips his bleeding wound as a group of mercenaries abseil to the ground in fits of laughter whilst observing their wounded target climbing back to his feet. The men jest that the possessed Samurai had made their job of killing Akio that much easier. Akio loosens a round dragon patterned grenade from his belt and tosses it backwards. One of the mercenaries catches the grenade and observes it closely as the fuse fizzles to a stop. In a loud savage boom of cauterised flesh and bone, Akio regains his composure and sprints to the centre of the market place to trigger the counter measures. Skidding to a stop on his thigh, he blows on a section of cobbled ground to reveal the beginning of a fuse unravelling in four directions. Akio mutters magic under his breath and holds the fuse in his smoking fist and squeezes it tight to ignite the flammable black twine. The fizzling fire rapidly trails along the grouting and cross sections of massive cobblestones and rapidly cracks and sizzles toward the four alleyways. The fuse drives directly to strategically-placed black cobblestones in the four narrow lanes.
“FALL BACK!” sho
uts Shun Shiro.
As the soldiers fall back, the cobblestone explosives rocket upwards between the high buildings and race toward the rushing masses of feral undead beings. Akio's demolition team know the drill, and everywhere around the Huanghua territories they were following suit as multiple explosions echo from all directions. In the market place, iron support beams and toppling concrete seal of the alleyways. The survivors quiver in fear as they hear snarling and scratching coming from behind the mounds of rubble.
“They are still coming,” yells a frantic, breathless man.
Akio looks around the market place, hoping to discover a small exit that might lead them through a safe network of buildings and into the countryside. Akio double takes at the narrow alleyway where Xunsu had supposedly made her way to the portal, and sees the side of her head poking around the corner.
“Xunsu! what are you still doing here!” shouts Akio furiously.
Xunsu stutters to find an excuse that would explain her continued presence in this hostile situation, but finds she needn't bother as Akio appears relieved to see her face.
“I came back,” she simply replies. “You are hurt,” says Xunsu, worriedly.
“Do we still have the portal?” asks Akio with anticipation.
“Yes,” replies Xunsu, “with our supplies intact. Now let me help,” she adds.
“You wish to help, begin moving these people into the portal. Shun-Shiro check each one of those people before they even step foot into that portal,” commands Akio.
Shun-Shiro discreetly pulls Akio aside and observes the wound in his chest, then looks at him worriedly.
“Did the blade touch your heart? Answer me brother! Are you hurt!” shouts Shun-Shiro frantically.
“No Chieko, I am merely grazed my old wench,” replies Akio, bringing up more blood.
“This is no time for your foolishness. Why do you bleed still?” replies Shun-Shiro, crossly and worried.
“Take Xunsu, I shall hold them here, take the civilians to the safe ground of the Red Sun village,” says Akio.
“I will not leave you behind brother!” scowls Shun-Shiro.
“You would rob me of my honour?” replies Akio.
“No, never,” replies Shun-Shiro softly looking solemnly at Akio.
Xunsu shouts and waves the survivors to the alleyway and Shun-Shiro marches ahead of them whilst swiping his Katana across the necks of three people hiding their infection. With Shun-Shiro and Xunsu leading the last of the civilians into the Bonsai gateway, the Samurai hear a familiar scream descending from above.
“Gaikotsu!” yells Junichi, a fellow Samurai.
“What is a Gaikotsu?” shouts Xunsu.
“The colossal sized remains of the unburied dead, condemned and returned to unnatural life by their own restless spirits,” says Shun-Shiro.
“Master Akio, we are leaving,” shouts Xunsu.
“We had many fun adventures together Xunsu, I will remember you. Shiro, destroy the portal from the other side, nothing gets through!” concludes Akio, gripping the collar of Shun-Shiro's chest guard.
“Destroy the portal? You will be trapped here, you will be killed. I will not leave without you Akio!” screams Xunsu attempting to wrangle free of Shun-Shiro's grip.
“I need you to protect the survivors Xunsu. Shun-Shiro, time grows short. Now go: the Gaikotsu draw near,” urges Akio.
A hulking skeleton leaps from the dragon far above and bellows a shrill war cry in its long descent against the blue sky. Akio listens to Xunsu's fading cries as Shun-Shiro drags her kicking and screaming into the shadow of the Bonsai portal, and as the ground trembles with an earth shattering impact, a blast of dust and air hits Akio's back. Akio listens to the cackling coming from the centre of the market place, and he hears the sound of multiple swords scraping against each other. Akio turns to face the Gaikotsu, a collection of bones formed into an eighteen armed giant three times as tall and wide as troll.
The shoulder guards of solid bone rise up and down as if recalling how to breathe from its absent lungs. Its three heads squeak and grind as they track Akio's careful sideward steps. Its three arched legs move aptly in a spider like walk, and the Gaikotsu screams to the skies as Akio slowly wipes the blood from his chin and tilts his head up to the beast whilst aiming his Katana forward. Five Jade soldiers steadily stand to Akio's back without taking their eyes of the freakish brute.
“Why do you yet remain?” asks Akio, “the portal will not stay open for long, go now while there is still time,” he adds.
“The Jade Army has protected this city for over a thousand years, we will not dishonour our ancestors, nor fail our Great Emperor, nor abandon our allies in times of need,” says the Captain.
“Should you stay, should you choose to fight this creature, you will die,” replies Akio.
“Then we shall die together,” replies a Jade Soldier.
“Bring the creature to its knees and remove its heads,” says Akio.
Akio nods at the guards before they disperse around the market place to surround the beast of rattling bones and armour. The creature's joints clack, crick and squeak with every movement of its limbs. The expressionless Gaikotsu tilts a head to the side and looks into a dark alleyway to curiously peer at the Bonsai tree. Akio tracks the creature's behaviour and frantically wonders why Shun-Shiro has not destroyed the portal. Akio walks into the creature's line of sight whilst spitting a gobful of blood before twirling his Katana and the Gaikotsu's heads roar simultaneously. The wounded Samurai and the Jade soldiers flank the creature whilst maintaining a safe distance. As the multiple heads face the soldiers, Akio and the soldiers charge as a single force. With swords clanking in all directions, the skilled creature finds itself surrounded by the soldiers well timed attacks. Their edged Dao swords deflect and counter the creature's heavy strikes as they duck, spin and roll in organized staggered patterns whilst cutting through the creature's knee joints. As valiantly as they fight, one by one they are cut down by the massive skeleton's Odachi swords. With only Akio and one Jade soldier standing, Akio rolls under the creature's swinging blades and rapidly climbs up the inside of its rib cage. Climbing up its chunky rungs, Akio boards the creature's massive flat shoulder guard and rolls along it to avoid a decapitating strike from its bull sized sword. Akio reaches deep between the Gaikotsu's three wailing heads and grips onto a spinal cord with both hands. With his feet braced on the other two heads he tugs hard and rips the cord free and its wailing head follows. The other two heads scream furiously and the beast grabs Akio with its four skinless arms. With its other two arms, they impale his abdomen with multiple stabbing strikes whilst slamming him against the cobbled ground. Two arrows enter the eye sockets of the skulls and the Gaikotsu throws Akio into the wall of a building before pulling the embedded and irritating twigs from its eye sockets.
The creature approaches the Jade soldier as he rapidly readies another arrow whilst evading backwards. Akio groggily stands to his feet and frustratedly removes the lasso of strong firecrackers from his Obi. As the Gaikotsu swings to strike at the recoiling Jade soldier, a slim cord rope whips around the creature's legs. Akio tugs the lasso and brings the Gaikotsu to the ground with a rattling slam. Akio loosens the lasso and baits the creature toward him, and with outstretched arms shaking in fury the creature accepts the challenge. Akio holds his ground as the creature stomps toward him with its swords pointed forward.
Akio backflips toward the creature and runs along the creature's sword and arm and crouches low before yanking another head from its shoulders and leaping into diagonal aerial barrel roll. Akio crash lands on his hands and feet before smashing the skull headed spinal column onto the cobbled ground. While the creature screams in agonizing surprise, Akio flings his whip. The lasso wraps around the creature's torso and its final head, entangling the creature in a tight enclosure of explosives. Akio's hand glows red and begins smoking, then he squeezes the handle tightly before muttering something under his breath with a cocky smile. A tr
ail of small explosions trail up the tight lash and surrounds the creature in explosives as its limbs and head blow apart in a shower of broken bones. The Jade soldier holds his bow into the air at Akio to signify their victory, and Akio smiles before he collapses to the ground. The Jade soldier races to Akio and aids him to his feet whilst guiding him to the alleyway where the Bonsai tree not only remains, but has grown five times its original height and pushed through the walls of the alley. Suddenly a force shakes the ground beneath the Jade soldier, knocking him and Akio of their feet. Blinded by clouds of dust surrounding them, the Jade soldier listens to the sounds of stamping approaching them. The sound of scraping swords draws closer, and five Gaikotsu emerge from the dense dusty air. As the air clears, the Jade soldier scrambles to his feet and drags Akio behind him. As the Gaikotsu surround the Jade soldier and their target, the Jade soldier arms himself with his trusty Dao sword. The Jade soldier pants heavily as his body accepts the massive surge of adrenaline surging through his body's last seconds. Accepting his fate, the Jade soldier shows his teeth and releases the most fierce, deep war cry known to man.