This is a piece of story I have been contemplating for some time and thus decided to write my favorite portion of it to see how it flowed, which in turn is another reason I have decided to upload it here. With that in mind this is not the beginning nor the end, sort of in the middle. This is based upon two characters I have created in the RTK/DW series for quite some time however it does not involve any canon characters, at least not in this chapter. I intend to continue however for now I present my first uploaded work. Do enjoy now.
Through Flames of Triumph; Flames of Sorrow Breed
The sound of hooves padding rapidly upon the secluded landscape of the barren pathway leading to Huarong compound were to be the only sound to shatter the silence, echoing they would, across hilltops as each step pressed against the ground, kicking aside the mire of the dampened passage as rain descended upon the lone rider, the ever wondrous cerulean night sky preceding this current time, long having dissipated, concealed by dreary storm clouds. The individual traversing the rugged mountain terrain was to be none other than her majesty Xia Xiaoli, the newly established Empress of the Qin Dynasty. The young maiden had recently come to learn the secret held by Prime Minister Zhou Lang. Her husband Cai Yun was to embark on a campaign through the very terrain she now traveled upon, his intention having been to decimate the He Jing, the Supreme Commander under the banner of the Han Imperial Dynasty.
He Jing had constructed his depot in the isolated region of Huarong, south of Shang Dang, in preparation to invade the fortress city of Chang An, thus the Han would be posed to assault the Qin capital of Han Zhong, effectively ending a near decade long war; however he had made a colossal miscalculation by concentrating his supplies exclusively upon this location instead of following the advice of his advisers and spreading throughout their territory, in hopes of a swift victory.
Jing would never be able to anticipate Yun would use his central army as a decoy while he personally led the charge through the mountainous region in order to take advantage of the only route which none would imagine was passable given the harsh environment. What would bring devastation to Xiaoli was the realization this mission… would be her beloved's final, for despite the overwhelming opportunity presented, only a limited contingent could journey such a long course without revealing their identity, thus it was to be inevitable regardless of their victory, all who followed the Emperor… would perish.
"I will not be too late" muttered Xiaoli aloud; reflecting upon the words Zhou Lang had spoken to her as she departed.
"Please, your majesty, do not venture to Huarong. There will be nothing left, all you will bear witness to is a massacre. This is the precise reason his majesty Cai did not wish for you to possess such knowledge" Zhou Lang warned, attempting to convince the young Empress that such a sight we be better left never known. "And what if he lives?! What if he needs my assistance? Am I suppose to confined myself to my bedchambers awaiting the news I am to be a widow?!" she angrily retorted. "Your majesty, you will be too late, you must understand the decision his majesty has made." "I don't understand Lang!" she interrupted before brushing him off, kicking the sides of her horse as she sped out of the city: "Your majesty! Xiaoli!" Lang called but to no avail. All he could do was pray she would be able to handle what remained of armies deployed.
In any event Zhou Lang had immediately ordered escorts guards, numbering slightly over a hundred in addition to Lady Xia's own personal guard and servants to chase after her. He had feared for her health due to the frigid climate of the trailing end of the winter months, however the effort was for naught to some extent as the guards were unable to maintain their pursuit, for Xiaoli pressed outward without rest for a duration exceeding that of two days and in their exhaustion, they would lose sight of her.
Despite the gravity of Lang's warning, she had pushed it to the far corner of her mind, refusing to acknowledge for even a fragment of a second that what he had stated may very well be reality. It was her belief she could reach the battlefield in time, and in doing so rescue her beloved from his chosen fate, fighting by his side or mending his wounds. In her blind and desperate state of mind, nothing else mattered, not her officers, not the people, not even her family; they all seemingly did not exist.
The frigid temperature only began to worsen, however it was irrelevant in her determination, all it provided was the indication she was without close proximity of her destination, albeit nary a thing could ready her for what she would observe as she passed through the final widening turns of the pathway; leading her to the hilltop as she finally arrived at the outer edge of Huarong. Within an instant she would see in the distance where the conflict had taken place; she would descend the hilltop devoid of hesitation and into the valley which stood as the entrance way.
"By the heavens" she spoke as she passed through, unable to fathom what was before her very eyes, now understanding why Zhou Lang had attempted to force her compliance. The sight… was horrifying; bodies littered the earth at every turn or what was left; some burned, while others crushed by falling rockslides and debris. The forest that had risen proudly before was nothing more than a smoldering ruin. The velocity of the rain prior to her arrival made everything appear as if a river had flooded inland… one of crimson shade. The loss of life, immeasurable even by estimation was astonishing.
A momentary silent captivated the woman, whilst she absorbed the sickening display. "He has to… he just has to" she stated, trying as best to reassure herself Yun was not among those present. She would gradually proceed onward, careful with her every movement. "Yun!" she called out, which would echo throughout the gorge. "Yun!!" she began to shout: "Where in heavens name are you?!" she continued, her tone becoming ever more anxious. She had nary a clue if he was alive and if my fortunate's favor he were, where he might be. Thus she was forced to continue onward through the entirety of the valley and all there was to show, an image not soon, if ever, forgotten.
Xiaoli would eventually come upon a clearing, whilst it was identical to where she had already ventured from, with the exception of fewer soldiers and those who had perished were almost entirely made of the royal brigade for both the Han and Qin, suggesting such may be the location He Jing and Cai Yun clashed. Her eyes however suddenly caught the momentary shimmer of light in the distance. It would allot her hope that some had survived, that it had been possible. "Please, please be there" she muttered as she turned about her steed and raced in the direction of the glow. Her hope would initially be dashed aside; for as she arrived it began evident the light which caught her gaze was merely the aftermath of a flame yet to have been extinguished. Such a depressant feeling would quickly subsided for she would spot the Imperial chest of the Han, donned upon a half unhinged flag pole, solidifying only a single man would have such in his possession.
She pressed on without delay, holding faith if she located He Jing's body, it would provide her some sense of direction, a means to finally learn what had become of her love. What awaited her only served to amplify her previous trepidation. There before her, was the Sword of Conquest, the coveted weapon wielded by Cai Yun; imbedded into the throat of indeed He Jing. What terrified her was as her eyes searched the ground for any indication Yun had taken leave; she came across a blood stained trail leading a short ways northward. Such would have posed troublesome to distinguish however the rain had solve some, fortunate as it were… the icy wind however gave no such resolution.
She would follow alongside this trail, which would guide her towards ever the discussed Cherry Blossom Valley, a once breathtaking forest, filled with a wondrous, even somewhat mysterious aura of beauty. No longer, this battle, the loss, all that had transpired here would ever asphyxiate it. Could one truly again ever again admire the beauty with the knowledge of those who perished a few miles beyond?
Continuing as she were, Xiaoli navigated through the forest until she came across a lone semi blossoming cherry tree. It was there she would at last discover who she had sought for after such a length of time; laying quietly beneath the aforementioned. "Yun?" she called out, her voice ever full of concern as she sped towards him, pulling back on the reins of her horse, bringing it to a halt as she neared; dismounting with instantaneous haste, kneeling by his side.
"Yun!" she would call once more, and to her immense delight, this time he began to stir, sighing heavily due to his wounds. "Xi..Xiao…Li?" he replied in bewilderment as his sense of vision returned to him. "W-what… what are you… doing here?" he inquired, only to be embraced moments after asking. "It does not matter" she sung with absolute contentment, as she rested her head against his chest. Some time would be allotted to pass before either spoke, eventually however Xiaoli would pull away. "Why, why didn't you tell me, why didn't you tell me anything?!" She demanded; try as she might to sound firm, perhaps even angry, yet she could not mask the pain derived in her tone.
"Because… I-I knew you would have… never remained in… in Chang An" he replied, struggling to answer. "Of course I wouldn't have!" she retorted. "I would have fought by your side, like always. I would have protected you as you protect me" she explained, resisting ever so intently the tears that were welling up in her eyes. "That is precisely why; this… this was something… only I could protect you from. When I learned… of this pathway, I had no alternative. Had I told you… you would have insisted joining, following regardless of what I said and I could not bear the thought." Yun believed with complete certain her fate would have been foretold in the matter manner he believed his was had she involved herself.
Xiaoli only shook her head, sighing as she did so, "Why did it have to be you? I don't understand why it had to be you who came here and with such an undersized militia" she responded, knowing full well the selfish undertone that such a statement accompanied, yet she did not care. With so many others having sworn allegiance to her husband, even before his rise to the Son of Heaven, why so few would attempt such an endeavor, she could not fathom. "It… it was necessary" he replied, a brief smirk having formed as he realized that would not suffice to settle his wife's demand. He just could not resist.
"The information uncovered came weeks before preparations were complete. He Jing… was intending to send the… entirety of his army upon our kingdom. We… had little time to take advantage of such a monumental opportunity… one that would prevent such a vast loss of life, and at last… end this accursed war. In addition… we could not arouse suspicion. Besides… how could I request even my most loyal of mine to embark on a campaign I was unwilling to do myself, when it was certain… to be one they never returned from?"
"No!" she suddenly yelled, Yun already recognizing why. "Xiaoli, forgive me however… I will d-" "I said no!!" she shouted, interrupting him before he could finished what he had meant to say. "Don't you; don't you dare talk as if you're going to die!" The expression painted upon her was of absolute sorrow, even still she would refrain from losing her composure; however the emotions were overwhelming, forcing her to close her eyes and breathe deeply, as light streams of tears would course down her cheeks. "I will never allow that to happen, you will return a hero amongst our Empire; we will fight alongside one another once more in the final battle, forever ending this senseless war."
She would begin to remove the wool overcoat she had worn to shield herself from the winter breeze, revealing a thin silk sown battle garb, mostly black upon the torso, with a fusion of pearl white along the long sleeves. Whilst this was her usually attire, it served as ill protection from the arctic winds. Afterward she would strip away portions of the blood soaked armor of her injured husband that which appeared the most severe upon the exterior. Having done so, she would finally comprehend the significance of his wounds. The wool garment would be used to help prevent the bleeding, which showed little indication it would cease even as she pressed against the opened flesh, which Yun to cringe ever so slightly, given the stinging effect he would feel, albeit he had been use to it as Xiaoli had embraced him earlier without recognizing her doing so would have such a result; reasonably so under the circumstances.
"Everything will be fine; Lang has already commissioned my escorts to follow in pursuit I imagine. It is only a matter of time until their arrival and once they have, we may return home, together. You will be up and about within the month" she stated, all the while feigning a smile, believing her own illusion, for she was unable to bear, or perhaps more accurately, was unwilling to accept the current reality, even while knowing deep in her heart… this was only her fantasy.
Unbeknownst to her was the effect of her delusion. Yun had no wish to press the discussion further, yet he knew there was little choice, as difficult as it was. Summoning the ever fleeting strength he had remaining, Yun would gently grab her hand to garner her attention away from mending his injuries. "Xiaoli…. I-I need you… to listen to me" he replied, his breathing having steadily declined, made worse as he began in cough at random occurrences. "I… I want you to create… create a world where I man such as I cannot be born."
"Nonsense!" she again interrupted, shaking her head in immediate refusal. "You were a benevolent, passionate liege who sought to rid this land of the chaos which plagued it. Why say such a thing?" Yun managed to amass a light chuckle through his coughing, followed closely by his usually smirk. "I was… I am a ruthless and ambitious man whose intention was to rule over China, though I claimed to fight on behalf of the people… a claim I still hold true, I still fought equally for my own desires" he would explain, pausing momentarily to gather his strength, enough to continue.
"I excel when the world is in turmoil, it is my purpose. Thus… I want you to create a world devoid of turmoil, one where our children can… grow to live, laugh and love without the looming fear of war. It is what the people… long for, yet so few are ever able to witness. You… my love can provide what I… could not. You can supply an ever lasting peace."
Xiaoli was left speechless, touched by his confidence in her, enough that for an instant she would believe what was unavoidable. "And you say you are not benevolent" she replied, maintaining her smile. She would lie beside Yun as she had earlier, now cuddling against him, whilst softly caressing his cheek. "Of course my love, even if all will be for naught as you will survive to rule this land" she responded, before lastly giving way to her building fatigue.
Yun too would drift to slumber, although would awaken a short time thereafter. With the rainstorm having settled and the frigid breeze warmed, Yun was able to enjoy the twilight begin to fade, paving way for the dawning sunrise, although his vision was blurred. A rather peculiar oddity would occur; the cheery tree by which he laid had completely blossomed, leaving an array of beautiful rose colored petals. It was quite the sight to behold, for during the winter season such was believed to be impossible. The flowers would dance calmingly through the wind, one falling upon the nose of Xiaoli.
While she slept, her body still against his, Yun would glance upon the peaceful expression she adorned. "My love… remember, we shall always be together… now and forever" he would state, reciting what they had spoken upon their wedding. His breathing had slowed considerably, his voice was barely above that of a whisper as his strength had nearly depleted. Yun would lie back, gazing toward the heavens, briefly retaining his ever common smirk. "I suppose the dragon can soar no longer."
Xiaoli would start to stir some time thereafter, awoken by a faint sound of a march in the far off distance. She slowly rubbed her eyes as she attempted to regain her senses, still slightly exhausted. Understanding as to what was the cause of the noise came to her when she began to hear her name called. It was undoubtedly those sent by Zhou Lang as she rushed out of the city, losing them in her travel due to her refusal to rest. "Over here!!" she excitedly shouted to catch their attention. "Yun! They have arrived finally, now we may treat you properly" Unfortunately in spite of her excitement, Yun did not respond. "Yun? Wake up!" she insisted, slightly nudging him yet nothing would change. "Come on, we have to go" she replied, her excitement having evaporated. Her attempts to arouse him became ever the more desperate as he continued to remain silent.
"You…. You have to get up" she stated once again, her voice now having filled with panic. It was at this specific moment, as she starred upon the man she loved, that she realized he was gone. Her demeanor froze, the look upon her, completely blank as she starred down upon her beloved husband… knowing there was no longer anything that neither she nor anyone could do. Tears would run down her cheeks, as she was overwhelmed with emotion, unable to hold them at bay any longer, eventually collapsing, burying her face against his chest as she wept uncontrollably.