Youth, Enthusiasm & Other Neuroses

by His Lordship Havoc

Two friends from a backwater little town join the Wu army in the hope of becoming heroes. But how do you become heroes in an army and a nation of renowned heroes? Ties into my 'Young Conqueror' story. Lots of action and battles, romance and humour. As you might have guessed, it helps to be a Wu-phile to read this story. Reviews are welcome, flames will be laughed at. Enjoy!

1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Dynasty Warriors or any other media associated with Koei or its affiliates. The vast majority of the characterizations have been expanded upon by me for the sake of literary format. Individual or minor characters created by me for the purposes of interaction and story depth or my own property. If you wish to know which ones they are please ask.

This is a simple work of fanfiction meant for the entertainment of Dynasty Warriors players and fans, along with those who are familiar with the Chinese epic Sanguo, or 'Three Kingdoms'. Centred around the characters of the Southlands faction, it helps to be a Wu-phile if you want to read this story. As always, your reviews are welcome and appreciated. Enjoy!

Youth, Enthusiasm And Other Neuroses, Chapter 1

"I still think this was a dumb idea," Guiren muttered as they marched in column along with the rest of their company, heading north toward the Yangtze. "We enlisted in the army to win our fame and fortune but we joined an army that has countless heroes in it already. How exactly are we supposed to get noticed before we get killed?"

"Easy," Keung replied in that annoying tone of carefree confidence he had cultivated since they were young. "We just have to show our officers how brave and daring we can be. Before long we will have their eye and recommendations and commendations will come pouring in."

"So insane bravado is the answer," Guiren sneered. "Make sure we put ourselves in positions where we're sure to get ourselves killed and when the Heavens spare our sorry asses we hope that our commanding officers mistake it for martial competence."

"Everything sounds so impossible when you say it," Guiren's bright-eyed friend laughed. "We always talked about becoming soldiers when we were little."

"Yes, because there wasn't much choice," protested the sour-faced boy. "The Sun family had not yet come back to the Southlands and we could either work as labourers in the fields, butchers in your father's shop or indenture as junior tailors in mine's. The only other choice was to join one of the militias of a bandit-lord and hope you could make a go of it."

"And while that might have been easier to do, at least this way we are part of an army that reveres martial valour and honour. It may be harder to get noticed but at least it will be honest."

"You're certainly going to be noticed when you have my foot up your ass for blathering during a march," their sergeant growled as he stomped by toward the head of the column. "You morons talk more than everyone else in this piss-poor stable of recruits combined. Now shut the hell up or your rations are halved tonight."

Guiren sighed. He hated getting in trouble with the sergeant; the rod up the old bastard's ass had a rod up its ass. They had indeed said farewell to their families in the little town of Pei and headed north to join the forces of Lord Sun Ce, the mighty warlord of the Southlands. Promising to win fame and glory and appointments, they were full of hope as they made their way to Baifu to volunteer.

That was six long months ago and it had not at all been what Guiren had expected. He expected to be welcomed as a brave volunteer, issued shining armour and a blade of distinguished lineage and a keen edge with which to fell his foes. Instead, they had been sent to a camp where misery was heaped upon them as they pushed their bodies and their minds to their very limits. They were generally disregarded by more senior cadets and regular service personnel ignored them entirely. The officers that trained them were scornful and never satisfied with their efforts, always wanting more.

Several recruits who had joined at the same time as them cracked, not able to take the stress. They were either allowed to return to their homes or were given other posts within the army, such as baggage train or cooks. Somehow, against all odds, Guiren and Keung had both made it through basic training.

He had to admit he was very fit now, with nary a shred of fat on his body. Their diet generally consisted of rice, millet and bean curd supplemented with salt, fish and pickled vegetables and fruits. They had engaged in calisthenics at least four hours a day, along with basic formations practice and rudimentary weapons training for another eight. He bore countless bruises and welts from sparring with his instructors and fellow recruits; his joints ached constantly, but he was also reminded of the value of hardship and sacrifice in service to one's nation.

The company now took a break during the march and he sprawled onto a hill beside the road and gazed at the sky. Keung sat down next to him and smiled as he gazed out over the little band.

"Sergeant says that if we march another fifteen li by nightfall then he will have the chef prepare spicy double-fried pork tonight as a reward," he commented. "A welcome change that will make from the rice gruel and millet cakes of this morning, shi?"

"I think the rice is going bad," Guiren grumbled. "Liang was in front of me the whole damn march and he did nothing but fart and I thought I was going to die. I am not sure pork will improve this situation and it's not like sergeant would let us march out of order so someone else can bear the brunt of his flatulence."

"Oh, you complain endlessly," Keung sighed. "Were you expecting our lives to be one of splendour and glory the moment we signed our lives away?"

Guiren ignored the question. "What do you supposed Lei and Min are doing?"

Keung kissed his teeth as he considered the question. "They swore to remain faithful to us, didn't they? Min has never given me cause for doubt. Besides, she did give me proof of her devotion the night before we left."

"Lei cried a lot," Guiren mused. "And while she didn't offer me quite the same proof of devotion as you extracted from Min, she did give me-"

"Yes, my friend, I have seen the pretty crystal necklace she gave you as a token of her unending love," Keung chided. "As has everyone else in our company a hundred times over and more besides. May it keep you ever safe from harm and may it lead you home to your beloved."

Guiren frowned and clasped at the little charm he wore around his neck. He was so attached to it that even their sergeant did not make light of the trinket. It was a little piece of home and it reminded him of what he intended to do and for whom.

Their basic training had ended and they were now being marched north to see which unit they and their fellow recruits would be assigned to. The only thing they knew for certain was that they were being attached to the corps of Grand Marshall Lu Meng, a name that every soldier held in reverence scarcely less than that of Lord Sun Ce or Lord Zhou Yu.

One would normally think that being assigned to the Grand Marshall's corps was a great honour but it was well-known that Lu Meng insisted on receiving the vast majority of green troops so he could hone their skills and then assign them to other corps. The promise of raids and battle were greatest with Lu Meng's corps, since he was responsible for defending the Great River that divided the Southlands from the rest of the Middle Kingdom, but it also meant casualties were highest in this force, which didn't sit well with Guiren.

"Everyone at attention!" Move! Move!" shouted the sergeant urgently, his face flushed, a shade that indicated he was in earnest and not to be questioned. The young soldiers at leapt to their feet and raced to the side of the rode, standing at attention in their squads, spears held rigid. The sergeant went around and made sure everyone looked as disciplined as possible before assuming his place at the head of the squads and waiting silently.

A few minutes later, a regiment came trooping up the road, resplendent in the crimson and gold tunics of the regular Wu army. Company by company their marched, led by an honour guard squad whose great banner proclaimed their commander to be Han Dang. The commander rode at the head of his regiment on a grey stallion, nodding to the recruits as he went past. Guiren gazed in wonder at the soldiers, who seemed like gods to him. They were tough and disciplined, many with the scars of battle worn like honours.

"General Han Dang," Guiren thought to himself, trying to let his awe not show. "One of Lord Huang Gai's most trusted commanders. It is said he saved Huang Gai at the battle of Chi Bi in the middle of Cao Cao's armada as it burned. His bravery is legendary. Truly this is an army of heroes."

The recruits waited at attention until Han Dang's regiment was far ahead on the road. The sergeant was about to tell his men to ready to march when they all heard the music of drums, cymbals and flutes. They paused in confusion until a messenger on a horse rode up and beckoned the sergeant over. He spoke quietly, nodded and rode off. When the sergeant returned, he seemed somewhat pale but his words were scathing.

"Down, you dogs!" he snarled. "I want each one of you worthless bastards bowing so low that the gods themselves would be impressed! Down on your knees and don't fucking move!"

He shoved them all fiercely to their knees and made sure they had kow-towed properly. He then joined them and they once again waited in silence. The music grew louder, as did the rumble of hoofs. A cavalry regiment was doubtless going by, but who on earth did it belong to if its presence invoked such a severe reaction in their sergeant?

Praying no one would see him do so, Guiren dared to tilt his head slightly to one side and open one eye, a risky move since he and Keung were in the front rank of their squad.

He was not at all prepared for what he saw.

The scarlet and gold banners were ornate and illustrious and spoke of the royal house. The companies attached to the regiment were sewn into the banner with gold thread, in order of seniority. Names such as the Valiant Cavaliers, the Iron Fists and the Warhounds, Firesteeds, Shining Spears and the Wildfire Riders were proudly displayed.

Above them all was inscribed the name of the regimental commander… Lady Da Qiao, Princess of the Southlands.

He couldn't help himself as he gazed upon her, riding at the front of her regiment atop a horse whose hair was a lustrous crème colour and magnificently appointed. She seemed small in the saddle but also carried herself with great dignity and a presence that Guiren could not understand. He was awestruck by the sight of her, the consort of the great Lord of Wu and the most important woman in the realm.

"We will fight for you, Lady of the Southlands!" he heard Keung call out as he sprang to his feet. "For you! For your mighty husband our lord and for Wu!"

Guiren could feel himself shaking in horror in what his friend had dared to do. The audacity, a mere recruit addressing the one and only Lady Da Qiao in so cavalier a manner! She who was adored throughout the land and commanded the fanatical loyalty of hundreds of thousands of soldiers… what was Keung thinking?

Out of the corner of his eye he could see their sergeant trembling, though he dared not move from his bow, and he did not want to think about the kind of flogging Keung would endure for his nerve. It was an obscene breach of protocol and manners.

As terrible as what his friend had done was, Guiren could not let him suffer alone. His body felt like lead and he was sure his skin was pale as uncoloured silk as he slowly rose to his feet and joined Keung in gazing on the Lady of Wu.

His heart thundered in his chest as he saw the lady gaze their way and held up her hand. The regiment came to a stop and waited silently. Some of them were still looking at the recruits pointedly, not at all amused by the pluck these upstarts had chosen to display.

Lady Da Qiao leapt down lightly off her horse, indicating with a gentle wave that her warriors were to remain at ease. She walked toward the company and stood silently, assessing them. She was wearing a scarlet robe trimmed in gold beneath her magnificently-crafted armour. Around her waist was a sash made of tiger pelt and her she wore a short, curved sword on her hip. Her long, raven hair flowed freely and on her neck was a simple cord that held a large fang.

"Arise, all of you." Da Qiao commanded in a firm but pleasant voice he had not expected from one so dainty-looking.

Slowly, the recruits and their corporals rose to their feet, most of them pale with terror. Everyone was expecting to be lashed or beaten severely for this horrendous display. The sergeant was shaking so badly one might have thought he was about to have a seizure, though whether this was from fury or fear Guiren could not deduce.

The Lady of Wu stepped closer and stood in front of Keung, the one who had so outrageously called to her. He seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move. Next to him, Guiren felt like he was going to faint- his mouth was drier than a desert and his throat was constricting involuntarily.

Da Qiao finally smiled and poked Keung on the chest with the handle of her riding crop. "A bold gamble, young hero. I pray thee, though, please show more discipline on the battlefield before engaging in such daring-do. Prime Minister Cao Cao is less forgiving than I."

"Great Lady!" the sergeant cried out, throwing himself to his hands and knees as her feet, his voice trembling. "Forgive this worthless servant for the lack of respect his recruits have shown you! Please see fit to punish me instead of them! It is my fault!"

"Nonsense, sergeant," Lady Da Qiao said cheerfully. "No harm was done and it is refreshing to see such enthusiasm. Besides, a lady need only spend a few minutes in the presence of a Sun family male before she feels like she is being treated in a cavalier or condescending manner."

Several of her warriors chuckled, apparently agreeing with the statement.

She now beckoned for the sergeant to rise and smiled warmly as she seemed to recognize him. She then gestured gracefully to them all.

"Brave warriors and future heroes of Wu! The Sun family thanks you and owes you a debt of honour for your sacrifice and your devotion. In my peerless husband's name I bid thee to accompany my men and I for part of this journey until we must turn off and head in another direction than yours. You shall camp and dine with us and tell me of your homes! Make ready now!"

Da Qiao was about to turn away to mount her horse when she paused and looked at Guiren. She assessed he and Keung for a moment longer and then smiled at the sergeant.

"You certainly have your hands full with these two, sergeant. But do not punish them too severely for their audacity. After all, even the Sun family had to start out somewhere…"

She then returned to her horse and waited while the sergeant got his men into ranks and ordered them to wait while Da Qiao's regiment resumed its march. As their company brought up the rear, Guiren and Keung stayed to the very back. Guiren elbowed his friend in the ribs.

"You are without question the stupidest person to ever live," he hissed. "Were it not for the Lady's magnanimity, you would have been flensed by now, and rightfully so!"

"I… I know…" Keung stammered, his normally blithe manner gone. He couldn't seem to believe what he had done. "It just happened, I had no intent of doing so. I just… saw who it was and had to say something!"

Guiren sighed heavily. "Lady Da Qiao may have preached clemency to the sergeant for your idiocy, but that doesn't mean we're not in for a world of hurt. You had best pray that whatever punishment the sergeant cooks up for us kills you because I most certainly will if it does not…"

---

That night seemed like a weird dream for Guiren. They had marched with Lady Da Qiao's regiment, sometimes having to run to keep pace. They covered the fifteen li their sergeant had desired and another ten beyond that before the cavalry regiment decided to make camp for the night. The recruits were exhausted and Da Qiao, knowing how weary the poor boys must be, gave instructions for her baggage train handlers to assist them in pitching their camp next to hers.

As excited as he should have been, Guiren, like his fellow recruits, was too tired from the forced march to do more than sit and stare blankly for nearly an hour before the sergeant roused them to activity. If the sergeant was irritated or angry, he dared not show it with the Lady around.

Da Qiao finally visited their little camp and calmly put them at ease, insisting on a certain level of informality, since Private Keung had already established their familiarity. Several recruits laughed nervously, whereas Keung just smiled weakly.

As the sun was setting, the recruits were invited to join the Valiant Cavaliers in dining. The company commander of the Cavaliers, a stern and imposing man, sat around a large fire with some of his sergeants and their new acquaintances. Having eaten his bowl of rice and pickles, the Valiant Cavaliers commander now gazed upon the recruits, assessing first the sergeant.

"I see by the ritual scar on the side of your head that you once belonged to Lord Huang Gai's corps…" he observed.

The sergeant nodded. "It is as you say, commander. I once was a member of the Huolong."

"But the scar is that of a Stone Demon." the commander declared before laughing heartily. "Beware, you sorry lot!" he called out to his Cavaliers. "There stands among us an actual hero and warrior, one of the Stone Demons! Show respect!"

The Cavaliers all cheered, raising their cups in a toast.

"It… it is not as impressive as it may seem," the sergeant said hastily while his recruits gazed upon his with newfound wonder. "I had been newly inducted to the regiment and in my first engagement was nearly killed. Though I recovered from the wound, I was not fit for active combat duty."

"And instead you were entrusted with training the future warriors of Wu," the Cavaliers commander pointed out. "That you were admitted to Lord Huang Gai's personal regiment indicates that you were a formidable warrior and for that consideration alone you have my admiration."

The sergeant bowed his head.

"Please convey my sincere gratitude to the great Lady for her kindness and hospitality," he said. "She is most generous to forgive the audacity of my idiot recruits."

The commander laughed. "She is indeed generous and she commands a deep and unwavering loyalty from all who know her. Only her mighty husband is held in greater reverence."

"It must have been an honour to be assigned to her, yes?" one recruit asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

The Cavaliers commander drew a deep breath. "It was a difficult transition for everyone, both the lady and ourselves," he admitted. "She was new to commanding at all and several of us dishonoured ourselves by disrespecting her and even insulting her."

The recruits whispered in astonishment, unable to believe what they were being told.

"One of our men insulted her to the point where she killed him in a duel. The rest of us were to be flogged for our part in shaming her and she was going to endure the lash with us as a show of solidarity. From that moment on, our loyalty to her knew no bounds."

"So then, you are her senior company?" asked Guiren.

"We have been assigned to her the longest, although some companies have much longer histories than our own, such as the Shining Spears and the Warhounds. We are all considered companies of the royal house of Sun because of our assignment to her. It is a position of great prestige, surpassed only by belonging to the Night Tigers, Lord Sun Quan's Wolf Guard and perhaps the Swordwind regiment that is commanded by Lord Zhou Yu."

More whispering amongst the recruits at the mention of the Night Tigers, the personal regiment of Lord Sun Ce and the deadliest warriors in the Southlands; they were near mythic amongst the recruits. Those who had come from Baifu spoke of these magnificent guardians, resplendent in their black and silver armour and livery, skilled in all manner of warfare, combatants without equal. Taishi Ci, their commander and Lord Sun Ce's personal bodyguard, was held to be the most formidable warrior in Wu, after the warlord himself.

"You whelps need to learn respect," the company commander of the Valiant Cavaliers said. "Not only to hold your tongues, but to know a hero when you see one; your sergeant may not be a Stone Demon anymore, but I know that they only pull from the toughest regiments in Lord Huang Gai's corps and the tests are often deadly. You want to be heroes? Recognize them when you see them! You've had one in your midst all along."

With that, he stood and bowed, walking away to attend to something. There was silence as the recruits considered his words. One young man finally bowed.

"Sergeant?" he said timidly. "Would you… would you consent to tell us of your time as a Stone Demon at some point? I would be honoured to hear of it."

The other recruits now bowed and the man blushed and then scowled. "Do not think fair words will save you maggots from my wrath for your insolence? You had better outrun the horses of the Lady's regiment tomorrow or I will make damn-damn sure I tan your hides so badly you won't run for a month!"

Guiren smiled. For the first time ever, he actually liked his commanding officer.

---

The discipline involved with accompanying the Great Lady's regiment took a toll on the recruits, for they often marched at great speed or ran for extended distances to keep up with her. For all that, though, they found the trek oddly gratifying. When they rested they were well looked after, with the quartermasters making sure they had water and good food. If they stayed in one place long enough, they found that the soldiers of Lady Da Qiao's regiment were not averse to talking with them, even if they found all the gawking a little annoying.

Guiren and Keung did not see the Lady as often as they would have liked, especially since the sergeant now made them march at the back of the column every time they were on the move. He seemed convinced that the two of them would somehow cause more trouble and manage to get her angry and he was taking no chances.

For her part, Da Qiao smiled pleasantly and bowed her head whenever she saw the recruits before continuing on. During one rest stop she had pulled the sergeant aside and spoke quietly with him beneath a gnarled old tree. He had bowed repeatedly but then she pinned some sort of decoration to his tunic and bowed low. She left him standing beneath the tree and it was some time before he moved, apparently lost in thought at her words.

They were marching across a wide green plain when a horn sounded, indicating an alarm. Drums rolled and they recruits froze as they wondered what was going on. Without hesitation, Lady Qiao's regiment sprang into action, several companies dismounting and taking up defensive positions around her while those that remained upon their steeds fanned out and made ready to counterattack the as-yet unseen foe.

"What do we do, sergeant?" asked Guiren as they scrambled to assume something that vaguely looked like a combat formation. "Do we join the line to defend the Lady?"

"Of course not!" the sergeant hissed. "When the enemy appears, we charge them and fight like devils until we die in her name! Her regiment will keep her safe! Prepare yourselves like warriors!"

His blood ran cold at his commander's words but Guiren knew he would obey. He had seen the glorious Lady Da Qiao and sacrificing himself to save her was a small price to pay. His hand gripped the haft of his spear.

Everyone waited silently, the only sound that of the wind in the grass. Before long, though, a rhythmic thumping could be heard. It echoed across the plain and out of the hills nearby, a terrible sound like weapons being bashed on shields. It was soon accompanied by a strange, guttural and alien chanting, the likes of which he had never heard.

Keung stifled a gasp as several groups of astonishing warriors came into view- they were tall and pale-skinned, with massive, muscular frames. Their hair was the colour of straw and their eyes were blue as an icy sea. They carried fierce axes and swords, bashing them on their iron-bound shields. They wore animal pelts over their armour and their expressions were fell and grim.

"Th- the Bailangren…" he heard another recruit stammer. "They're... they're supposed to be loyal to Lord Sun Ce… why are they attacking?"

Guiren's heart pounded in his chest. These were the fabled warriors of the White Wolf tribe? He had always assumed they were just a rumour. Had he stepped out of reality and into a land of legends?

The huge barbarian warriors approached in their mobs, not at all dismayed by the regiment's superior numbers. The dull thud of their heavy boots could be felt through the ground now and several of the recruits were trembling in fear, though they stood off to one side, seemingly ignored by the foe.

"Where is the comitatus?" he heard Lady Qiao call out as she waited atop her horse. "I don't see them!"

Whatever a 'comitatus' was, it was clearly a concern to her and several of her mounted warriors scanned the area warily, trying to find the object she mentioned. The recruits were gazing around uneasily, not sure what they were looking for but certain it wasn't good.

Keung bit his lip as he could feel the company's nerve fraying. Only the sergeant seemed not to be on the verge of panic, although he was clearly tense and even keen for battle. Keung tried to control his breathing and looked at Guiren for assurance. The sour-faced boy nodded and kept looking back and forth.

Twigs snapped and there was a rustle of movement off on their right in the trees. Keung and Guiren both whirled to face the sound, their spears levelled while the sergeant did the same. No sooner had they done so than a titanic barbarian warrior, easily a head and shoulders and most of a chest taller than either of them, burst through the thicket, roaring in a terrifying voice, a huge axe held over his head. He was followed by at least a dozen more, all of them shouting their alien war cries.

Many of the recruits screamed in terror and broke, while some literally fainted. Just over half remained in place, Guiren and Keung among them, along with the sergeant, though whether this was because they were too frightened to move they could not say.

Guiren and Keung both let out a shout and made ready to fight when a horn sounded clearly, calling for everyone to stand down. The recruits milled about in confusion while the Lady's regiment stood at ease and the barbarians all began howling with laughter. Muttering, the sergeant sheathed his sword.

"Lord Elryk, you are incorrigible!" Lady Qiao called out, trying to sound like she was scolding someone. "To make matters worse, you and your men are actually becoming proficient at ambushes. We were only barely ready in time for you!"

A huge warrior with a wild mane of long yellow hair, apparently the Lord of the White Wolves, laughed in a roaring voice and bowed as she rode up to him, grinning ferociously. "As you say, my lady, but we of the Wolf must adapt, for sooner or later the armies of the Middle Kingdom will not be so easily intimidated by our appearance and savagery."

"Not to mention you scared my poor recruits half to death," she chided, thumping him on the arm with her tiny fist and indicating the remains of the green company. "You need to be nicer to people, Elryk. Remember how long it took for the people of Erli-tou to get used to you?"

Lord Elryk chuckled as he looked at the recruits. "Aye, my lady, but this lot did much better than the last ones. Only half of this company ran away or fainted."

Lady Qiao sighed as one of Elryk's men brought up two hollowed-out animal horns, filled with some frothy brown liquid. They toasted one another and then drank, with the barbarian draining his horn easily while the Lady took several stiff slurps and then resorted to sipping daintily.

"You're getting better," the Wolf Lord remarked, clearly pleased. "Before long you will be drinking like one of our women and even some of my men."

"High praise indeed, my lord," she said cheerfully. Elryk looked at the recruits again and spied the sergeant. He squinted his eyes for a moment, scrutinizing him and then grinned.

"A Stone Demon! The scar says so! Drink with us, hero!"

The sergeant bravely strode forward and tried the foreign concoction (something called 'beel') and the barbarians all laughed as he sputtered and choked. Lady Qiao patted the sergeant's shoulder consolingly.

"Feel no shame, sergeant, for it is a cruel trick these barbarians play on everyone they meet," she said in a soothing tone. "Even my lord-husband has a terrible time drinking this mud and nobody of the Middle Kingdom is better at it than he is, much to General Gan Ning's perturbation."

As it became clear that they were in no danger, the recruits began to make camp, since they were obviously stopping for the night. They steered clear of the massive German warriors, most of whom simply grinned wickedly in passing them.

Night fell and a feast was held outside Erli-tou, celebrating the Lady Qiao's arrival. Though they could not attend the festivities, the recruits were camped nearby, close enough to observe the proceedings, an indulgence the sergeant allowed.

Keung and Guiren both ate distractedly, watching in fascination- this was the land of the legendary Bailangren, whom they had in previous times agreed did not actually exist. There had been vague rumours of their presence in Wu and the recruits from the Baifu region often claimed to have seen them before but no one gave their ludicrous stories any credence.

"Six months…" Guiren muttered. "Six long months of abuse, hardship and toil, where everything we had been led to believe seemed like a lie. Then, in one simple march, things no rational person would believe have come to life. What poisoned blossom did I eat, Keung? This must all be a hallucination, shi?"

"Let us hope not," his friend commented, masticating absently on a picked pear while he watched the proceedings around the distant bonfire. He could hear Lady Qiao playing a konghou harp and singing in her enchanting voice while many of the barbarians cheered and dance drunkenly. "It may not be how we expected our fortunes to come about, but surely this is a beginning."

Guiren sighed, not fazed by his friend's eternal optimism. Seeing the great general Han Dang… being allowed to accompany Lady Da Qiao… finding out their cranky sergeant was a Stone Demon… nearly being eaten alive by the White Wolves… it was indeed wondrous, so why was he so irritable?

He concluded that he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

---

Some days later they parted ways with Lady Qiao's regiment, with the recruit company still heading north while she split off and went east, apparently to take part in a campaign meant to keep the Prime Minister's armies off-balance. They were sorry to see her go, but it was not exactly their choice to make, either.

They eventually arrived in Changsha, the capital of the prefecture and the city that Grand Marshall Lu Meng called home. It was well-known that he preferred to be in the field with his men, but the necessities of military administration meant he was often found here.

Guiren and Keung were both stunned by the splendour of the city as they entered- neither of them had ever been to such a large urban center before and their little village seemed unfathomably far away now. The strong stone walls that ringed the city, the numberless houses and manors, divided up into different quarters, the riotous marketplace and the dozens of temples to various gods and goddesses… it was almost too much for them. Was this what they were fighting for?

They were marching through the city square and tried not to ogle as a procession of courtesans passed them, carried on open palanquins. The delightful ladies called to the recruits, giggling and blowing kisses at them, promising to make men of them if they returned from war.

Eventually they approached a large and ornate pavilion, apparently where Lu Meng kept his headquarters. As the prefect of the region he would have been entitled to use the city's palace for his residence but he eschewed the notion, preferring to leave it available for visiting royalty, such as the Sun family members or peers of the four noble clans of Wu. As they approached the Pavilion of Temperance and Wisdom, they heard their sergeant growl at them to smarten up and march properly, for the Grand Marshall himself was waiting on the stairs of the pavilion, flanked by members of his elite infantry regiment, the Long Fangs.

The sergeant called for his men to halt and stand at attention while Lu Meng strode down the steps and approached them. The sergeant bowed low and the Grand Marshall returned the gesture before smiling and clapping him on the shoulder. Clearly they were acquainted, another thunderbolt of revelation to the recruits.

"Good to see you again, Chun," Lu Meng said cheerfully. "Lord Huang Gai sends his regards and still mourns that you choose to keep other company than his."

"The Grand Marshall and Lord Huang Gai are too generous to an old man," the sergeant said humbly. "I come bearing this meagre offering of halfwits and sadsacks, none worthy of marching beneath the glorious banner of Wu."

Lu Meng laughed and strolled past the recruits, inspecting them casually. Keung tried not to stare in awe. The Grand Marshall seemed so personable and normal in some ways. Yet he moved with a confidence born of years of trial and effort. Clearly this was not a man to be trifled with.

Once he had completed this assessment, he turned to the sergeant and his face was serious.

"I know this seems ludicrous, but I am going to have you and your men deployed, old friend."

The sergeant's eyes widened. "But... my lord… they are hardly…"

"This the company of recruits that faced off against the comitatus, correct?" Lu Meng asked.

The sergeant nodded. "And half of them broke or fainted instantly, my lord."

To everyone's surprise, Lu Meng laughed. "And that is more than one half better than any other green company has ever done in the same situation. I am told Glandyth once shouted so loud that a recruit actually died of heart failure right on the spot."

"Whereas mine only fainted, fled or shat themselves," the sergeant muttered. "Their endurance of barbarians aside, I am not convinced that they are at all ready to serve."

"It cannot be helped, Chun." Lu Meng said plainly. "If I could give you the time to train further, I would, but Cao Cao's recovery has been quicker than even Lord Zhou Yu anticipated. We are dispatching several combat teams across the Yangtze to try and disrupt their logistics and impede their progress. While I promise you that I am not sending you into the thick of the fighting, your little company's baptism of fire is coming sooner than expected. I need you, my friend. Get your men encamped and come to my pavilion for your orders."

The sergeant bowed, his fist clasped in his hand. Lu Meng nodded and went into the pavilion. When their officer turned to face them, they saw a grim and fell look in his eyes they were not readily familiar with.

"You all heard the Grand Marshall," he said in a stern voice. "You will have the singular honour of fighting for the Southlands well ahead of schedule. If you thought I was hard on you before, it is nothing compared to what you are in for now as I whip your sorry asses into shape. Gods save us all. Let us make camp and please shut the hell up."

Guiren could not help but wonder what exactly they were getting themselves into, but he was pretty sure the other shoe had officially begun to drop.

How the toe had ended up his ass he was never quite sure.

---

"Parry, parry, slap-strike and low thrust!" the sergeant shouted. "Come on, you lot! You can do better! You eat a bowl of rice for lunch and it makes you fat and lazy?! Try again! Two parries of your foe's sword, looping your spear shaft to fling his weapon aside, slap down to supress the recovery and then thrust into the abdomen! You've done it before!"

Guiren and Keung were sweating as they drilled the maneuver endlessly. It was so simple to watch and they thought they were imitating it well, but apparently the sergeant didn't think so. The style they practice, called Moi Fah Cheung (Plum Blossom Spear), was a standard in the Southlands along with Tang Lung Cheung (Dragon or Left-side Spear), as opposed to the Ying Cheung (Shadow Spear) practiced in the north. Today, though, Sagwa Cheung seemed to be what the recruits felt most comfortable practicing. After a while the sergeant called for a stop and pinched his eyes.

"I did not want to try this particular training technique on you, but we are pressed for time and I imagine this will bring you up to speed or rid me of you. Come…"

He led them now back into the city of Changsha and they arrived at a training hall. The recruits frowned as they saw a soldier being taken out of the building on a litter. He was groaning and holding his privates while his nose bled profusely.

The training hall was spacious; the floor dominated by wooden and metal statues of warriors holding various weapons. Keung and Guiren looked at one another uncertainly.

"What you see before you is actually a rather archaic training protocol, but it has been revived and updated with considerable vigour," the sergeant explained, gesturing to the intimidating effigies. "Each of these statues is able to strike with a weapon, some of them more than once, because of the mechanisms sitting beneath them in the floor. Your job will be to parry the strikes and counterattack, as we have been practicing. They will not kill you but they will hurt your pride considerably, possibly along with other body parts if you fail."

"Have… have you trained with one before, sergeant?" asked one recruit, raising his hand.

"Of course, you idiot," snorted the officer. "I wouldn't have become a member of the Huolong if I had not, never mind the Stone Demons. We trained with dummies such as these a few times a month."

"But our foes on the battlefield are unpredictable and these statues attack only a limited number of ways." Guiren pointed out.

"That is correct, o sage," the sergeant sneered. "It does not feel, it does not think, it does not make mistakes, it only does the one thing it is made to do. You need to do what you are trained to do better than it does what it was designed for. Still sound simple?"

The sergeant now gestured for a young man named Hua to come forward and stood him in front of a large wooden statue holding a wooden jian. The head was shaped to look like a fearsome warrior with a bristling beard and bulging eyes.

"This fellow here will strike three times. You will be able to parry and counter with the spear technique you have been working on. He is fast but the limbs and joints are loose enough to allow you to actually parry him. Miss and your girlfriend will weep. When I give the signal, be ready."

Hua nodded nervously and held his spear in a defensive position. Keung bit his lip as he saw his comrade preparing to back away from the statue's promised impending assault. The sergeant gave a subtle signal and a series of rumblings and clanks emanated from beneath the wooden floor, followed by what sounded like a rush of water.

The statue trembled for a moment and then lurched its body to one side, the arm holding the sword flailing across at torso height in a horizontal cut. Hua cried out in panic and attempted to dodge the strike rather than parry and was rewarded with a sickening blow to the groin as the statue switched directions and slashed with a backhanded stroke. The man fell, holding his privates and rolling back and forth.

"If you suckheads don't want to be deployed to the front, here's your way out," the sergeant growled, leaving Hua to keen in a kind of pain that every recruit felt. "If you train hard enough after this, maybe there will be a spot for you in Lady Shang Xiang's amazon regiment, since your balls would not be required."

Another recruit was summoned forward, this time a man named Yi. Learning from Hua's error, he successfully parried the first strike of the statue but the backslash caught him hard across the hip as he twisted to protect his manhood. He joined Hua off to the side.

Keung broke into a cold sweat as he was ordered up next. He tried to calm himself as he stood in front of the statue, his spear held loosely in his grip. He had been trained not to tense up his muscles since it not only was a waste of energy but also adversely affected his balance. Like a lithe willow, he would bend with force, never breaking.

He took deep breaths as he watched for the telltale sounds of the statue readying to move. He already knew what the moves would look like, he just had to keep calm and remember what to do. The sergeant had told them how the thing worked and moved, there was no reason to expect it to do otherwise.

He nodded to himself as he heard the mechanisms clanking and the statues juddered to life. The first blow came as expected and he parried it with the haft of his spear. To his amazement, the statue's movement followed his parry and the backhand swipe was a recovery! The statue was moving exactly how a foe would if Keung controlled the fight! He parried again as it came back, knocking the sword to the outside. At this point, a foe would be wide open. He lunged in with his spear, driving it at the statue's chest.

He had forgotten the third strike in his eagerness and his spear point gouged the effigy's chest as the third blow landed home, striking him a glancing blow off the shoulder and then cracking across the side of his skull. He spun around and swayed drunkenly for a moment, looking at Guiren in confusion before collapsing to the floor.

Guiren waited grimly as the statue made short work of many of his fellow recruits, all of whom were unnerved by the contraption. Guiren was twenty-third in line and he made several silent prayers to the Heavens that he would not make a fool of or emasculate himself. He stood with the spear in hand, his wrists relaxed and his stance firm but flexible. He ignored the sweat beading on his temple as he waited patiently.

The statue struck and he parried, watching the blow go wide. It came back and he parried again in the tight circle, feeling the articulated shoulder of the statue respond to the flinging motion. It struck again rapidly as it changed direction and he cried out as he slapped down with the haft of his spear and then thrust, driving the spear into the abdomen of the wooden foe.

The statue stopped moving and all was silent. Guiren was breathing hard, still pressing the spear point forward, not daring to move. He was aware that only seconds had passed since the so-called bout had begun, no more than ten, but it somehow felt like hours.

The sergeant walked up beside him and sighed. "There, now was that really so hard?" he asked before turning and sauntering away.

Applause and cheers came from the recruits, those yet to try and those who had already attempted. Guiren was the first to have completed the maneuver. He sat down next to Keung and looked at his spear, as if for the first time. The revelation that had washed over him following the exercise was almost euphoric. He would never fail that exercise again! He understood what it was meant to do now, he could see it in his mind and how it worked.

"Well done, my friend," Keung said, smiling while he rubbed his head. "You were the first of us."

"It would have been you if you hadn't become overeager," Guiren pointed out. "You figured out how it worked and what it all meant, I could see it in your eyes."

"Yeah, before that wooden bastard knocked my eyes out of my head," he groused. "Is it crazy of me to say I am not averse to the notion of trying out the other statues?"

"Probably," Guiren mused, still rather pleased with himself. "One challenge at a time, right?"

They watched as the rest of their company faced off against the mechanical foe, many of them beating it, a few handily now that the example had been set. In spite of his sour words, the sergeant seemed pleased.

"Alright, you lot," he declared as a gong sounded inside the city, announcing the midday. "We will take our meal and then return to try again. Everyone, except maybe the girl formerly known as Hua…"

There was a chorus of laughter and jibes at Hua's expense continued throughout the day.

---

They had trained diligently for three more days and the recruits were feeling very accomplished. They had mastered the initial dummy, even with an increased speed and strength and they tried themselves against three more, performing admirably. When the time came for their deployment as part of a strike across the river, their morale was high, even if they were nervous.

"Don't worry, my friends," Keung said easily with his charismatic smile. "Remember what we've accomplished! We stood against the White Wolves without disaster, something no other green company has done. We prevailed in the training hall against four different types of foes and attacks, which was apparently good enough to be reported to the Grand Marshall as noteworthy. And most important of all, what other green company can say they are led by a Stone Demon?"

"Keung is right!" called out a man named Pan. "We have proven worthy to go on this expedition and we must make the sergeant proud! We're men of Wu and we will not be beaten by any foe!"

The company cheered raucously until the sergeant entered the camp, scowling at them. They all went silent and stood at attention while he chided them.

"Gods, you are an insufferable lot!" he growled. "You beat four statues in a fight and now you're the equal of the Night Tigers? I should apparently be training under you!"

The men laughed and Guiren bowed. "No disrespect to any other unit is intended, sergeant, but we all agree that we are only as good as we are because of your training."

"Then I'll surely be lashed and hung for treason," he muttered. "I warn you now, you represent an ancient tradition of martial valour but your opponents from the north will not care. They intend to take your lands and your women, make no mistake. They will be tough to beat."

The men were silent, considering his words.

"But if it makes you morons feel any better, the Grand Marshall is apparently duly impressed and has an important assignment for us during the engagement we will be taking part in."

The recruits all looked proud, grinning at one another.

"Now go eat, get your gear ready and say your prayers at whatever shrines are nearby, for we move out in eight hours!" the sergeant announced. "Dismissed!"

Keung and Guiren packed their combat gear and went to the shrine of Chu Jung, the god of fire, who was a patron of their village. Rumour had it that he was also the patron deity of the Sun family, which, if true, was something to take great pride in.

After their prayers they enjoyed a few cups of heated wine in the mess tent, since they were already prepared. Keung smiled and challenged his friend cheerfully.

"So how many heads will you take in the name of Wu and the Sun family?" he asked.

Guiren, actually in a good mood, made a show of thinking. "I shall wager ten in this, our first engagement."

"Fine words and a lofty goal," Keung mused. "With your declaration laid out, I shall pledge myself to twelve, including one officer of at least sergeant's rank or higher."

"Fine, then at least one of mine will be a cavalier," shot back Guiren. "And I shall take his plumed helmet to prove it."

There was a loud belch from the table next to them and a rather surly-looking man glared at them as he put his wine cup down.

"You fuck-ups think you'll manage to do anything other than get yourselves killed?" he sneered. "Fine training you have received indeed, if you think you can take on work that a Night Tiger would not consider lightly."

Guiren scowled but Keung put up a placating hand to his friend while addressing the man. "Not that our wagers or our training are any of your concern, but for the record we are indeed proud of our accomplishments and our training. Sergeant Chun was a Stone Demon at one point and it shows in what he imparts to us."

"Oh, indeed it does," laughed the man. "We all know what he imparts to you all once he has bent you over in his private tent."

Guiren roared and threw himself across the table and tackled the man off his bench and to the ground, punching him repeatedly. One of the man's friends tried to pull Guiren off but Keung intervened, slamming his fist across the soldier's jaw and sending him sprawling. Another man leapt in but Keung was ready and the brawl wound its way throughout the large tent, sending tables, benches, wine cups and jars everywhere.

Flush with their praise and their victories, Keung and Guiren fought much better than green recruits should have, especially considering that they were outnumbered. The fight began to turn against them, however, as more opponents rushed up, eager to teach the upstarts a lesson. It was only when Sergeant Chun rushed in that things started to even up.

Punching and cuffing and swearing at everyone in sight, the sergeant made his way toward the belligerent duo, yelling for order and an end to the fighting. It seemed to have no effect and in fact he was soon challenged by the company commander of the men fighting with Guiren and Keung.

"Your bastards started this, let them get what's coming to them!" the man snarled at Chun.

Without hesitating, the sergeant punched the man so hard that he flew backward over several tables and crashed in a heap, unconscious. He whirled around and glared angrily at the remaining combatants and they all began to back off, not willing to risk his wrath, even if he was only formerly a Stone Demon.

Keung and Guiren were panting and looked battered, but their eyes flashed defiantly. The man Guiren had initially attacked was still out cold from the pummeling he had received.

"Get your sorry asses out of here!" the sergeant roared. They bowed hastily and left, sprinting back to their own encampment zone, where they would have friends in case their foes decided the matter was not settled. They waited patiently for the sergeant to get back, telling everyone else to stay clear. Sergeant Chun's face was almost purple when he found them.

"We are mere hours from moving out on campaign and you idiots decide to get in a fight with our own troops?! Give me one good reason why I should not have you thrown in irons and leave you behind to rot!"

"They impugned our company, sergeant!" Guiren protested.

"And they made fun of your past as a Stone Demon!" Keung added. "The first man said the only thing you trained us to do was bend over inside your tent and let you have your way with us!"

"And what, pray tell, did you say that incensed the man so to begin with?" the sergeant growled, flexing his hands as if he was restraining himself from choking the life out of them.

Keing and Guiren looked at one another. "Initially we said nothing to him; we were talking to one another and placing a wager about how many heads we would bring back. I promised to bring back the head of one ranking officer and Guiren said he would take the helmet of a cavalier. Then he began insulting us, though we had said nothing to him."

"Well at least that explains it," Sergeant Chun muttered. "The men you fought with are part of a cavalry company. They are called the Bronze Cavaliers and they are known for their arrogance."

"Then hopefully we took them down a peg or two." Guiren said, sighing and rubbing at a bruise on his chin. "It is not becoming of warriors of the Southlands to behave in that manner."

Sergeant Chun looked at him in disbelief. "Have you morons heard yourselves over the past two days? One would think you were aiming to replace the Night Tigers on the battlefield."

"That's what the guy I punched out said." Guiren mused. "Are we really that arrogant?"

"Or that good?" Keung added.

Chun groaned. "Get yourselves ready, I will inform the commander of the Bronze Cavaliers that we will deal with the matter once the campaign is concluded. Try not to piss anyone else off."

They were bombarded with questions as they made ready, but discipline and eagerness prevailed and the company was ready to march within minutes. When the sergeant returned, he inspected them and nodded approvingly.

"Alright, you have proven you can be ready. Now drop your gear and your weapons."

The men all protested, thinking that maybe they were being removed from active duty, but the sergeant put up a hand, staying them. "Do as you're told, now."

Grudgingly, the recruits dropped their spears and stripped off their gear. As they were grumbling, two wagons approached their encampment and baggage train handlers began unloading bundles and equipment. The men all watched in shock as they revealed proper outfits of crimson trimmed in gold, along with light armour and keen spears, meant for combat.

"We have need of regular troops on the front lines and your current equipment is not equal to the task that is being asked of you." Sergeant Chun said sternly. "Your new armour is a stiff quilt tunic with leather scales and your current spears will be sent back to the training camps for future recruits. You are now full members of the armies of the glorious Sun family. I expect you to behave as such."

The men cheered as they re-equipped themselves, complimenting one another on their garb and weaponry. They were ready quickly and stood beneath their new banner, which proclaimed their company name…

Lu-Mog'wai, the Green Demons.

---

They had crossed the Yangtze into contested territory and were waiting in ambush. The Prime Minister's forces had withdrawn from the regions along the river, attempting to force the Southlanders to garrison the lands but Lord Sun Ce had not risen to take the bait, at least not yet. He had taken control of certain key strongpoints and landings, fortifying them but refusing to send garrison troops into the lands of the river. The first raids by the north were smashed by the Wu troops as they attempted to force them out of their strongholds.

"Lord Sun Ce has not liberated these lands, sergeant?" Keung asked as they waited in the darkness, peering out into the fields before them.

"Not yet," Sergeant Chun replied, his eyes scanning the night. "One day, maybe, but now is not the time."

"But, if these people are suffering, should not a benevolent ruler take them in hand?" the recruit pressed.

Chun sighed. "I am no politician, boy, but it would be extremely dangerous for us to garrison these lands right now. In doing so we would be leaving our strong fortifications on the south side of the Great River behind. That is what the enemy wants. If these people need protection, Lord Sun Ce has extended an invitation for them to cross the Yangtze and join us. There are worse things than abandoning one's home in the face of adversity and death."

It seemed cruel to ask people to flee their ancestral homes, but Keung could not argue the sergeant's point. Certainly he would feel no regrets in leaving their little village if it meant not dying. Pei wasn't all that wonderful anyway.

The sergeant hissed for silence and they all waited in anticipation. Distantly they could hear the tread of feet through the field. They could hear the commander calling to his men as they marched quickly. Through the night, Guiren's keen eyes could see them approach.

"There's maybe just more than a company, sergeant," he whispered. "They're marching in a long column, two abreast…" he strained to identify their banner in the moonlight as he and his fellow recruits hid in the tall brushes.

"Their banner declares them to be the Golden Archers. Your orders, sergeant?" he asked.

The sergeant's eyes narrowed as the enemy company came into view. They marched with discipline and clearly had experience, but they were lightly armoured and they carried only knives as side arms. Better still, their commander, in his arrogance, had not yet noticed them and was taking no precautions about being attacked, he was clearly only interested in getting somewhere in a hurry.

A fatal error.

"Now!" the sergeant hissed as he rose out of the reeds and charged, followed by his recruits, all shouting as they plowed into the stunned enemy. The Golden Archers were completely unprepared for the assault and several died with spears in their midriffs before they knew what was happening.

Guiren snarled and thrust his spear forward, driving it through the sternum of his target. The man gasped and gurgled before collapsing, his entire body shuddering as he died. At the base of his spine, Keung could feel a wash of realization and horror about taking a life building but he forced it down violently, resolving to deal with the issue after the battle. It was a little late now.

The enemy formation had been long and thin, meant for speedy travel and not at all for combat. They were burst apart by the Green Demons quickly and while the brawl was confused, the outcome was not really in doubt. Ambushed and spread out where they could not support one another, the northerners stood no chance.

This did not mean they were going down without a fight, however. Nearly half of them had been wounded or killed, but the remainder began to fight back, drawing their knives and using them deftly. The speed of the small blades made parrying with a spear difficult and several of the Green Demons were wounded in the savage exchange, at least one severely.

The sergeant had discarded his spear and taken two knives from the enemy, using them with a swiftness Guiren had not seen before, weaving and dodging amongst his targets, felling them with precise and lethal blows. Keung was stunned by the flawless mastery shown and wondered what level of control it took to become so puissant.

Pain flooded up his arm as a knife buried itself in his shoulder from behind. He cried out and kicked backwards, catching his unseen foe in the groin with his shoe. As the man doubled over, Guiren spun and drove his spear down through the man's back, pinning him to the ground. He stamped on the corpse to help pull his spear out and charged into another man, the white-hot pain in his shoulder driving him to a fury he did not know he possessed.

The man dodged his first strike but Guiren spun and slammed the butt of his spear across the man's head, sending him reeling. He lunged again and buried his spear blade in his foe's throat before dropping to one knee, reaching to clutch his shoulder. The pain was overwhelming and his head swam. He breathed deeply and tried to master himself, not daring to open his eyes. Everything sounded like it was slow and distorted, as if he was underwater.

When he finally did open his eyes, he found himself feeling detached, almost passively observing the wild melee that went on around him. He found himself watching Keung as his friend leapt in and attacked the enemy commanding officer. The commander carried a stout jian as a weapon and it soon became obvious why Keung had chosen this man as his foe.

He parried the commander's first strike and then the second, knocking the blade wide. He slapped down hard with the haft of his spear and then drove the blade deep into the man's abdomen. The man cried out but gripped onto the spear haft, pinning Keung to him and raising his blade for a vengeful final strike…

Keung punched him into the face, knocking him over. He then grabbed the commander's sword and with a loud shout he struck his head from his prostrate body.

"Clear!" shouted the sergeant, holding up one of the knives he was using. Dozens of responses echoed rapidly around him and the sound of the fighting had died off. What followed was an almost deafening silence, punctuated only by the groans of the maimed and dying.

Guiren hissed as he rose, still holding his shoulder. He straightened himself and looked around wearily, the pain he was in giving everything a sickly yellowish colour, even in the dark of night. The Golden Archers had been slain to a man. He noticed a few of his own comrades lying on the ground but for the most part they seemed to be moving.

"Alright, you lot, get these bodies into the bushes and gather their bows!" the sergeant said sternly. I want this completed in ten minutes, before anyone else comes to investigate!"

The recruits moved quickly but many of them were still shaking from their first taste of real combat. One of them was sent to fetch the junior healer assigned to them, hiding a few hundred spans away, out of danger.

The sergeant now approached Keung, who was standing and breathing deeply, massaging his temples as he attempted to clear his mind. To the recruit's amazement, the sergeant clapped him on the shoulder and nodded.

"Well, done, boy," he said, nodding to the decapitated body of the enemy commander. "Looks like you've got a head start on Guiren with your bet. Retrieve that helmet and we'll get it cleaned up for you…"

Keung nodded and reached down to gingerly unstrap the helmet off the dead man's head, repulsed by how the eyes gawked at him accusingly. He bowed as he presented the gory trophy to the sergeant. The veteran warrior grinned and held it in the air for his men to see.

"Green Demons! Your first war trophy!"

"Keung! Keung!" the men shouted in response, clapping him on the shoulder as they raised their weapons in the air.

It didn't matter what exactly they had accomplished with this minor action, the fact that they had triumphed handily over what was apparently an experienced unit was good enough. Flush with their victory, the newly-minted warriors set about the task assigned with a will before getting back into their ranks and waiting while their sergeant inspected.

"Battle has been given some li to our east," he announced, standing in front of his men. "Though the engagement is much larger than the one we fought here, the Grand Marshall told me that he did not want the Golden Archers we just fought to complete their flanking action and harry our forces, as they were rumoured to be quite competent. This was a job well done and I will make sure he hears of how you discharged your duties on this night."

He waited while the healers tended to those who had been wounded and noted with grim satisfaction that not one of his recruits had died, though one or two might not be able to continue to serve in battle. They would see to this issue when they crossed back over the Yangtze. Until then, he still had to get this lot back alive and intact if their victory was to mean anything. He knew that sacrificing a unit to destroy an enemy unit, even a veteran one, was not a trade-off that Wu could readily afford.

Within minutes they were ready to begin their march but then they heard horns, many of them.

"Sergeant? Those horns… are they ours or theirs?" one of the men asked quietly, trying to keep the trepidation out of his voice.

The sergeant said nothing but closed his eyes and listened. When he opened them his expression was grim. "To my knowledge none of our troops engaged in this operation are as far west as we now find ourselves. Unless I miss my guess, those horns belong to a regiment-sized unit heading east at speed."

"What do we do?" asked another. "Do we continue back across the river as planned?"

Sergeant Chun was silent for several moments, biting his lip. He knew not to throw his men away, but to not come to the aid of his comrades when he knew he could… was this also not throwing lives away?

"Guiren, Cheung," he said finally, his eyes glinting with determination. "You two can see like gimlets in the dark, probably as a result of youth wasted spying on bathing girls in your home town. I want you to go and sight the enemy unit as quickly as you can, try to assess their strength and intent and report back to me. They cannot be much farther than three or four li north of us. You are swift runners, so I expect you back within an hour. We will begin a march eastward, so find us as quickly as you can. Leave your spears behind and go!"

The two warriors bowed hastily and dashed off into the night, determined to make their sergeant proud.

"Is it wise to send only the two of them, sergeant?" wondered one of the remaining troopers. "Should we not assist?"

"Even a full company of you morons is no match for a regiment," he growled, watching them disappear from sight. "Their luck hasn't run out on them yet, let us see if it will hold until dawn. Gods willing, you fools will have another chance to make a name for yourselves before the sun rises."

---

Guiren breathed deep as he paced himself, running steadily alongside his friend. He was the faster of the two of them but if the course was long, Keung could run farther, so he did not push his body too hard. What counted now was making sure they got back to report at all.

"And you thought… the gods would not smile on us…" Keung panted as they headed north toward the foe.

"How is this smiling on us?" Guiren remarked, scowling. "I've been injured and we are trying to find an enemy regiment by ourselves. It smacks of suicide to me."

"I must ask, how exactly did you plan to be noticed in an army of heroes if you intended to commit no heroic acts?" Keung teased. "By sitting back on your haunches and complaining until someone promoted you?"

Guiren said nothing, looking directly ahead.

"Think of it this way, you have received your first battle scar, a valiant trophy to show your beloved Lei when you see her next. Imagine how proud she will be of you. Girls love battle scars."

Guiren could not refute that logic, since Lei had indeed told him before he left that she looked forward to counting each and every scar on his body during their wedding night. As anxious as battle seemed to make him, he could not deny that the gods were giving him plenty of chances to prove he had what it took to be a hero.

"Let's just keep focused for now," he said finally. "If the sergeant thinks it was a regiment up ahead, I'm pretty sure we don't want to display our valour by getting caught, shi? We should just get close enough to take a tally, try to identify them and then head back. No heroics just yet, okay?"

"You have my full agreement, my friend." Keung said readily. "We have one victory already tonight, let us not overshadow it with colossal recklessness."

Guiren nodded and they ran along in silence. They could still hear the horns up ahead and now could hear the rumble of many feet marching in unison. Their brows knit as the realization descended upon them that they were alone and now closer to the enemy than they were to any friends. If there had ever been a time in their lives to practice caution, this was officially it.

The stopped running and crept forward, altering their course slightly to the east so as to remain abreast of their quarry. They spotted some bushes and slipped into them, praying they would not be noticed. Guiren's hand reflexively went to the crystal around his neck and gripped it, running his thumb over the charm.

"Lei… I do this for you. You give me the strength and the courage to face this foe."

The clouds parted and they were now able to see their foe- indeed it looked to be a full infantry regiment not much more than a hundred spans away from them, marching toward that battle that raged on to their east. Keung felt his neck begin to sweat as he counted company after company tromping by, mostly swordsmen with shields and heavy armour. Their blue and gold banners fluttered in the night breeze, proclaiming them to be the Immortal Blades.

But what caught their attention most was the name of the commander, sewn in gold thread into the top of each of those proud banners…

Cao Pi.

"Shit…" Guiren breathed. "The fucking heir of the Prime Minister. Now what the hell do we do?"

"We tell the sergeant, I guess," replied Keung quietly. "Do you think that is him, riding at the head of the column?"

"The banners say so," Guiren mused. "We should report it is Cao Pi and if it isn't him, well, no one will fault us. I have been told he is an arrogant-looking son of a bitch, so the commander certainly has the air about him to be."

"I've been told most of the Prime Minister's family and commanders are arrogant sons of bitches," Keung commented, actually smiling. "Either way, I would be happy to have a part in wiping that smug look off his face."

"I think we've seen enough. Let's go." Guiren urged.

They slowly crept out of the bushes and slipped back toward the south, not daring to turn east yet. The enemy was not running, so assuming they kept their current pace in their heavy armour, the two of them would be able to get out of sight and then sprint to catch up with their company.

Guiren said a prayer of thanks as the clouds covered the moon again, casting the land into darkness. Casting caution to the wind, they broke into a full run, ready to exhaust themselves in order to get back and report their findings to Sergeant Chun. His shoulder burned and made him light-headed, but Guiren pushed it from his mind and kept focused on running.

He pictured his beloved Lei running alongside him…

---

The sergeant called for a halt as he spied the two soldiers stumbling up, red in the face and panting in exhaustion. He stood in front of them while they collapsed to their knees, trying to catch their breath. Two troopers brought over water for them and they drank greedily.

"Slow down, you idiots," the sergeant hissed. "You'll cramp up if you keep drinking like pigs and then I'll be forced to leave you behind. Pace yourselves and when you can speak let me know what you have found out."

They both nodded dutifully and took slow, deep breaths, trying to compose themselves. Keung recovered first and clasped his fist in his hand.

"Sergeant," he began breathlessly. "We saw an infantry regiment to the north heading east toward the battle. Their banners proclaimed them to be the Immortal Blades, commanded by Cao Pi. At least ten full companies."

The sergeant said nothing as he listened to their report but his expression was grim. "How quickly are they moving?"

"They are marching steadily, but seem to not be running since they are heavily armoured." Guiren answered, finally able to speak. "Sergeant, are they… could that really be Cao Pi's personal regiment?"

It took the sergeant a moment to respond, obviously still lost in thought. "I have heard it said that his personal regiment is called the Immortal Blades. They are an elite unit, some of the most proficient swordsmen in the northern plains."

"What do we do?" asked one of the other troopers. "Even if they were not elite, they still outnumber us ten to one, sergeant. If we have completed our assignment, should we not cross the river as ordered? Surely the Grand Marshall has anticipated this sort of thing."

The sergeant still said nothing for several seconds until Keung bowed.

"Sergeant, with all due respect… is it not possible that Lady Da Qiao is fighting in the east? I would consider myself remiss in my duty if I do not do everything I possibly could to keep these Immortal Blades away from our princess."

Several of the Green Demons whispered amongst themselves at the mention of Da Qiao, the realization of her possible peril washing over them. If they seemed anxious to retreat seconds ago, the notion of their princess being in danger overrode this completely sensible urge.

Sergeant Chun nodded gravely. "I know for a fact that the Lady's regiment is engaged in the easy, it was all part of the plan. And while I certainly would not suggest that the princess' safety hinges on the actions of you blithering idiots, I know that it is the duty of every soldier in Wu to fight and die to protect her."

He now turned and fixed his troops with a challenging gaze. "Are you sorry lot ready to throw away your lives to save the princess, even if she never knows of your sacrifice?"

Several of them men cried out loudly that they were and virtually all nodded their affirmation. Sergeant Chun nodded and cracked his knuckles. "Then we'll send the medics back over the river with our wounded and we will head east with all speed. And if you sorry asses thought you ran fast to keep up with the princess on the way north, it will be nothing compared to how fast I make you run east to save her. Fall in!"

The men all formed marching ranks and waited silently while the wounded were escorted south. Chun knelt in front of Guiren, who was still kneeling and trying to catch his breath.

"Can you do this?" the sergeant asked. "That shoulder wound is nothing to sniff at, it would be perfectly acceptable for you to head south so that you may fight another day, son."

"I will be fine, sergeant," Guiren replied. "I will die before I let this wound keep me from discharging my duty to Lord Sun Ce and his consort. No force on earth will stop me."

"I'm holding you to that," the sergeant said, nodding. "Because you and your pea-brained friend here are going to be running at the front of the column, setting the pace for everyone else to match. Go."

Keung helped his friend up and they assumed their positions next to the sergeant at the head of the column. Guiren was pale but his eyes glinted with grim determination.

"Look at it this way," Keung suggested, grinning at his friend. "At least we're not at the back of the column where Liang can keep farting on us."

In spite of himself and the searing pain in his shoulder, Guiren laughed.

---

The Green Demons ran hard, stopping only once to drink some water while they sprinted east towards the battle. Amazed at his own fortitude, Guiren was still managing to set the pace by which the company ran. Even Sergeant Chun seemed somewhat winded as they sprinted through the night.

"Sergeant, a question," Keung said as they drank, resting their legs for a moment. "What will we do once we arrive at the battle? We are unlooked for in all likelihood and the Immortal Blades are likely to be our closest foe and they still outnumber us. How then will we keep them from entering the battle?"

"That is not possible," Chun answered simply. "Barring intervention by the gods, the Immortal Blades will engage our comrades. Under our own power we cannot stop that. My plan is to let them get engaged and then to hit them from behind once they are committed."

"But they will still outnumber us, I imagine," mused Keung. "Will we be enough?"

"Maybe, maybe not," the sergeant said in a plain voice. "We may be going to our deaths, overwhelmed by a more skilled foe. But that is our duty and we have agreed we shall execute it to the best of our meagre abilities. There is no turning back now."

He paused to examine Guiren's shoulder, scowling as he did so. "The blood has stopped flowing and now your shoulder and arm will be cramping so badly that you will not be able to move them. If you plan to be anything other than a hindrance to us, you will need this…"

He pulled a small pouch off of his belt and from a jar he fingered out a noxious-smelling green goop that he smeared all over the wound. Guiren grunted and gnashed his teeth in dreadful pain for several seconds until the throbbing went away, replaced by an almost euphoric bliss that tingled throughout his body.

"That should get you through the next hour or so," the veteran muttered as he put the tiny jar away. "As long as it didn't rob you of all common sense, that is. It was a slave given to me by the healer Ren Neng while I was a Stone Demon. Because Lord Huang Gai's men bore the brunt of the heavy fighting, each of us was supplied with a small amount that would allow us to keep fighting and sell our lives as dearly as possible."

"Sounds like you should smear some on all of us, sergeant!" quipped one trooper, eliciting chuckles from several others.

"Forget it," Chun muttered. "Guiren is normally a moron and this ointment will just make him even stupider. I am not the least bit interested in putting up with all of you being that retarded for a whole battle."

They resumed their run, the sergeant clearly trying to make calculations in his head about how they would best be used in the upcoming melee. The battle was already underway and one company would not tilt the odds in Wu's favour if they simply showed up, so he weighed his options carefully. Ninety green spearmen, plunging headlong into a maelstrom of violence…

He held up his hand, ordering a stop. His men waited breathlessly while he scrawled some characters on the ground, mumbling to himself. A few minutes later, he turned to face them.

"We know that no enemy can be south of us, meaning that our closest foes are the Immortal Blades. If they are this close to the river, the mean to veer south and skirt the water to attack our flank during the engagement; that being said, we will let them get ahead of us and once they are committed to battle we will drive into their rear, hopefully causing confusion and distracting them. If you fight hard enough, they might think a larger force has ambushed them, but you would all have to fight like you mean it. Do you morons hear me?"

His men all nodded solemnly, their bravado noticeably absent now that the reality of what they were going to do had sunk in. It was unlikely many of them would survive.

"Don't let your nerves get the better of you, other warriors have been in worse scrapes than this. Have you all heard of Lady Shang Xiang's stand at Moon Water Bridge against Zhang Liao and a thousand troops?"

Several of the men nodded but still others looked unsure.

"Well for you doubters out there, it really happened," he said almost proudly. "I was part of that campaign against Lu Bu and while I did not see the battle for myself, I have spoken with the women of her amazon regiment and they have confirmed it. She and her captain Fu Chin Ran held a bridge against a thousand rebels and the warrior Zhang Liao. If the Bow-Hipped Princess can survive five hundred to one odds, you sad sacks should be able to handle a sneak attack at ten to one, yes?"

This strengthened their resolve noticeably and he nodded in satisfaction. "What we have to do now is be patient and position ourselves carefully if we are to ambush the foe. I'll need two volunteers to scout out the enemy's movements and when they are approaching the battle. Guiren and Keung cannot volunteer. They'll need their strength for the fighting to come."

Two men raised their hands and were sent forward to scout the enemy. The rest of the company resumed their march under the stars, conserving their energy for the conflict. Most were feeling the earlier exhilaration of coming to blows with the enemy and seemed to be keenly anticipating another round.

"How does that salve make you feel?" Keung asked of his friend, both concerned and curious. Guiren made a face and then answered. "It is mostly numb now, there is still some pain and stiffness but nothing like I imagine it should be. If the salve holds out long enough, I should be able to use my arm for the fighting."

"Then let us hope our comrades return with new of imminent danger quickly." Keung replied, grinning. "And don't forget, we still have our wager to finish. We shall consider this an extension of our first engagement, yes?"

"Sounds fair," Guiren grunted. "More chances to kick your ass and take as many trophies as the northerners will give me."

"Then let us hope they are feeling generous this night…" Keung said as they marched quickly toward the tempest.

---

They stood at the very edge of what had become a battlefield, a large plain on which two armies contested a prominent hill crowned with a small fortress. Most of the whirling melee was hidden form them by the dark of night but countless cymbals, horns and drums indicated that this was no small skirmish but a pitched battle. The clash of steel and the discordant blaring of instruments mingled with the rumble of countless feet and the wails of the maimed and dying.

"There they are," exclaimed the scout who had been sent ahead to tail the Immortal Blades. He pointed to their north and east, indicating the regiment that marched toward the combat, their weapons now drawn as they prepared to enter the fray. "They will enter the battle within the next two minutes, sergeant. What do we do?"

Sergeant Chun strained his eyes as they concealed themselves behind their vantage point, a small farm with a rickety old fence that provided just enough cover under darkness to keep them from being spotted. He tried to identify any banners or clarion calls he could make out at that this distance. If only the damned clouds would clear…

Guiren peered through the night, trying to help. "Sergeant, our closest allies are… the Young Tigers."

"Damn," Sergeant Chun muttered. "The Young Tigers are a company from Baifu, composed of young men who have lost their families to the war. They're exclusively orphans. They are trained from a young age to fight for Wu, but they are still green, like you imbeciles."

"So it's fair to say that Lord Sun Ce would not be pleased if they perished to a man at the hands of these Immortal Blades." Keung posited. The sergeant scowled at him and he stopped talking.

"Do the Young Tigers see the Blades?" asked another trooper. "Can we warn them?"

"Not without giving our position away," Chun answered grimly. "Even if they turn to meet the treat, they are but one company against an elite regiment. They will be ground into dust. They are on the edge of the battle so that they can help to turn the enemy's flank when the moment to counter-attack comes. But if the Immortal Blades hit them first…"

"Then not only do the young Dragons get annihilated but our forces get flanked." Guiren muttered. "Sergeant, we can't let them be destroyed. What can we do to aid them?"

"We will charge into the rear of our foe at just the right moment, as they are about to engage the Tigers," Chun said, his mind made up. "By the gods, you sorry lot listen to me and listen good. We will only have the element of surprise for mere moments before the enemy is able to respond in a coordinated manner. Between ourselves and the Young Tigers, we cannot kill enough of them to prevent a response. All we can do is attack and pray for a miracle. Steel your hearts and clench your sphincters, because we move out now. Keep pace with me."

He led them at a brisk jog north to get directly behind the Blades, who were fanning out in a formation called 'Fish Scales' that allowed them to attack on a small front and still support one another. Their horns and cymbals rang out, announcing their arrival on the battlefield. Keung could feel a cold sweat building on his neck, the tumultuous and inhuman sounds of battle ringing in his ears. He thought of his darling Min and how proud she would be of him for his part in this great battle.

Even though he was likely to not survive it.

"No, you're not a hero yet," he reminded himself. "Only great heroes are allowed to die in battle, a list of glorious accomplishments already to their name. It is my job to make the other man die for his country and let his girl mourn the loss. Min, I will make you proud of me and dammit, I'll be demanding proof of it when I see you next…"

The Young Tigers had been alerted to their peril by the enemy's instruments and turned to face their foe. But one company of young and brash swordsmen against over a thousand seasoned warriors… they were doomed to death and defeat.

Guiren had not even noticed that the sergeant had picked up the pace and they were now running quickly, weapons ready, as they tried to catch up with the Blades, who still had not seemed to notice them, intent as they were on their prey. He worked himself into a fury, thinking of the Bronze Cavaliers he had fought before the march and how he had sworn to make every foe pay for threatening his home. He thought of his desire to protect Lady Da Qiao, whatever the cost.

And he sure as hell had no intention of letting Keung win their wager.

"Look at their armour," the sergeant said, drawing his blade as he ran. "It is thinnest in the small of the back and behind the knee. If you cannot kill your foe, take him down so he cannot move! Once they turn to fight, remember they are swordsmen and how to fight them! They will try to get in on you, past your longer weapon!"

Every man running with the sergeant nodded, a murderous and desperate desire to destroy the foe taking over. There was no retreat now, no reprieve. If they did not kill every man in front of them, they would die once the momentum turned against them. It was all in the hands of the gods now.

"For Wu!" the sergeant yelled loudly as the led his men in a frenzied charge into the rear of the Blades. His men took up the battle cry and they slammed into the designated reserve unit that hung back slightly from the others. Keung and Guiren both shouted as loudly as they could, slamming into their chosen foes, the crash of bodies a cold shock to everyone involved. Many of the northern troops were born to the ground by the sheer momentum of the unexpected attack, while others died with spear points bursting through their armour or staggered and fell when their knees were pierced. The Green Demons shouted and yelled like their namesakes, desperate to kill as many men as possible quickly.

Shouts of confusion echoed through the ranks of the Blades, who had not quite engaged the Young Tigers. At the call of their sergeant, the orphan warriors shouted and drove into the ranks of the enemy directly in front of them, determined to make their way as deep into the Blades formation as possible and sell their lives dearly. Keung was heartened by their ferocity, a spirit he could identify with now. Both companies knew they were going to die unless they fought beyond their abilities and kept the favour of the Heavens.

Guiren did not think about what was happening, he simply thrust and slashed with his spear, determined to take down every northerner within reach. Beside him, Keung fought with a keen intensity, his normally cheerful eyes blazing with a white-hot wrath his friend rarely saw. They both shouted and drove their spear points through the chest of a swordsman who had turned to face them. Guiren kicked the man off their blades and then slammed his shoulder into another, knocking the man to the ground. He ignored the look of shock and fright in his foe's eyes as he slammed him spear down and pinned him to the earth.

Another man slashed at Keung desperately but the Green Demon batted the sword aside with his spear haft and drove the steel-capped butt of his weapon into the northerner's throat, stunning him. He kicked the man's shield out of the way and struck, his keen spear point lancing into the foe's groin, dropping him. He felt unstoppable, his prey unable to match his speed or fierceness. Were these Immortal Blades perhaps overestimated?

Then he saw their leader, the man they assumed to be Cao Pi, turn his head and glare at them indignantly, clearly inconvenienced by their unannounced arrival on the scene. He leapt nimbly from his horse since his momentum had been blunted and strode back toward them, a gleaming blade in his hand. One of the Green Demons nearby leapt at him but the trooper was struck down swiftly and with seemingly little effort. Cao Pi parried another strike easily and grabbed the man's spear, tossing him aside contemptuously.

His speed was remarkable and watching him shook Keung out of his battle haze. He now found himself oppressed by the noise and press of bodies, his ears unable to process all the sounds they were subjected to. It was suddenly hard to breath and he felt hot, his limbs heavy. The sergeant had been serious when he warned them about losing the momentum of their surprise charge.

He took half a second to look around and try to make sense of what had happened thus far. They seemed to be deep inside the Immortal Blades formation, meaning they had done their job of disrupting their planned attack, but they were now surrounded by companies of swordsmen who were not engaged in the front and were turning in to destroy them.

Guiren snarled and parried a slash by a foe and then counter-attacked, but the thrust glanced off the man's stout shield. He panicked as he realized he was open and dodged to one side, barely avoiding the sword tip aimed at his throat. Unsure of what to do, he stamped down on the man's boot, which staggered him a little and gave Guiren a split second to twist away and get his spear back between the two of them. He thrust repeatedly at the man's face, forcing him to hold up his shield while he tried to think of a way to get inside his defences.

"Behind you, Guiren!" he heard Keung shout.

He dodged wildly and felt a sword tear across his light armour's flank, a ragged gap now rent in it but his tender flash mercifully unharmed. He fell to the ground and rolled on his side, seeing Keung's spear burst through the back of the foe who had tried to get behind him. But he also knew that as long as he was on the ground he was easy prey for anyone who could reach him since his spear was now little more than a stick he could parry with.

He rolled away from a determined thrust and kicked out with his foot, catching his enemy in the stomach, but the bright steel scales held and he merely shuffled backwards, glaring hatefully from beneath his burnished helmet. Someone stumbled over him and fell, landing on top and he thrashed desperately to escape, unsure if the person now over him was friend or foe. The earth beneath him quaked and thundered and carried the maddening, coppery scent of blood. He screamed in frustration and terror, unable to do anything.

He was suddenly hauled to his feet and Sergeant Chun was there, yelling at him. He couldn't make out what the man was saying but he kept pointing toward Guiren's left, signifying what he should do. The trooper staggered off in the indicated direction, now spying a group of his comrades fighting with some Blades. He steeled his nerve and charged in, sweeping a sword aside and burying his spear deep in the man's shoulder, dropping him. He sensed a lull as the Blades tried to form a shield wall in order to deal with the brash young warriors, who all levelled their spears and glared, daring their enemy to try and break them apart.

Training took over and they all thrust their weapons in unison, not allowing the Blades to get inside the reach of their spears. They shoved the swordsmen back, thrusting at angles to get inside the protection of the shields. The sergeant had taught them that the spear was the king of the battlefield, but against these well-armoured opponents, Guiren felt unsure of that assessment. He knew that if any gap appeared in their bristling hedge of spear points, the swordsmen would exploit it and burst their tenuous line apart easily and slay them all.

Through all the cacophony he could hear Keung taunting a foe, mocking his mother's virtue and goading him to attack. He flushed angrily, wondering how his friend had managed to keep the presence of mind to use his irritating wit as a weapon in these crazed quarters.

"That all you got?" he heard Keung saying. "That's not a thrust, this is a thrust! Don't believe me? Your mother agrees it is, it's the best one she ever felt and she can't wait for more!"

Whoever he was fighting fell for the jibe and paid for it seconds later, clearly allowing Keung to get the better of him and end his miserable life. He kept thrusting his spear in coordination with his comrades, desperately warding off the enemy time and again, but he knew that numbers would soon tell, they were only buying time for themselves.

A swift sword sheared the point of his spear right off and he gaped in astonishment as Cao Pi glared at him. He watched helplessly as the sword came up for a final strike but then Sergeant Chun leapt in and attacked the Prime Minister's son furiously, their blades flashing and ringing in a flurry of deadly steel.

"Dammit, boy!" the sergeant yelled as he kept the enemy commander occupied. "Pick up a fucking weapon and use it already! What are you going to do, piss on them in fright?!"

He blinked and hunched down to grab the sword of a man he had just slain, praying he remembered enough of his training to use it effectively. His comrades were still thrusting with their spears but his weapon was now too short to assist them effectively. He waited a split second until they all lunged in again, keeping the swordsmen at bay and then he threw himself forward, slashing at the knees of the enemy, below their shields. One man cried out and collapsed but another struck at him almost instantly, a blow he only barely caught on his new blade and turned aside. Closing his eyes, he thrust, hard, and felt the sword tip penetrate steel and leather, sliding deep into his foe's vitals.

He opened his eyes but the blood that was plastered to his face meant he couldn't see. He swiped and slashed wildly, praying that he wouldn't feel the blow that was now bound to kill him…

---

Keung was panting as he twisted away from a determined thrust and tripped over a body, falling on his back. He jammed his weapon up frantically, trying to keep his foe at a distance while he recovered. The whirling melee had swallowed his company and every man was fighting desperately to merely survive. Only one small knot of them had any coordination and they were beginning to fall prey to the superior tactics of their foe.

He kicked his foot into his opponent's shin, forcing the man to hobble back and sprang up, hoping to put some distance between them. He carefully stepped backwards, avoiding tripping over the carpet of bodies and keeping his spear between himself at the foe. He tried to think of a taunt to anger his man and get him to make a mistake but nothing came to mind. He also doubt it was a tactic that was likely to continue working, since not everyone from north of the Yangtze could be that stupid.

He did the only thing that came to mind- he turned and ran, navigating his way over the corpses as quickly as he could. He heard the foe shout and give chase and he hoped his advantage in speed due to his light armour would serve him well. He smashed his spear across the helmet of a foe as he ran by, knocking the steel shell askew and blinding him. The man cursed and swung wildly, nearly killing the man chasing Keung. Unable to capitalize on the mistake, Keung just kept running.

To his dismay, however, he realized he was running deeper into the fray. He saw Sergeant Chun trading deadly blows with the enemy commander and it seemed as if the sergeant, despite his Stone Demon training, would not be able to match his foe's skill for much longer. Cao Pi was too skilled, too fast and too intent on his foe's death.

He grimaced as he saw Cao Pi's blade crease Sergeant Chun's thigh, causing the older man to stagger and drop to one knee. Desperate to do something, he called out to Guiren, who was standing nearby, a sword in his hand. His friend espied him and saw what he meant to do. The two warriors howled and leapt at Cao Pi, striking desperately, trying to kill him or at least drive him back away from the sergeant.

For all their intent, though, Cao Pi would not be moved. He parried their wild attacks calmly, each move flowing seamlessly into the next, parrying and counter-thrusting until he had split the two of them up. In a whirl of white cape, he turned on Keung and thrust, forcing the young trooper back hastily. Guiren darted in, now to Cao Pi's rear, but the enemy commander spun and struck out with the back of his mailed fist, catching Guiren across the jaw and knocking him to the ground. Without missing a beat he was facing Keung again and his blade moved faster than the eye could follow. Keung didn't even know where to begin parrying, let alone how.

Guiren staggered to his feet and lunged in again, slamming his sword down in a lethal arc, but Cao Pi caught the strike calmly on the flat of his own blade and shoved him away. The two warriors glared at their foe, unable to best him.

"I grow tired of this child's play," Cao Pi said in his mellow voice, the words burning in their ears despite the cacophony of battle raging around them. "You and your little friends have had your fun, but I have no time to consort with such lowborn fools as yourselves. Now… prepare to die."

"Gottny time for someone a little more your speed, pal?" rang a clear and almost jubilant voice across the tumult. Cao Pi looked up and scowled as someone descended toward him out of the night air. He leapt backwards nimbly, avoiding the ground-splintering strike as the new foe's tonfas smashed into the earth where he landed. Knocked off their feet by the concussive force of the blow, the two Demons scrambled to their feet, unsure of what had just happened.

Standing in the midst of the enemy formation, the brawny newcomer whirled about with a speed and grace neither of them had ever thought possible. The Blades converged on him, clearly alarmed by his presence but they were no match for him- every time he struck a man fell. Every attack was parried and then turned into a lethal counter-attack. The battle aura around the man blazed like a living fire and Keung could have sworn it resembled a tiger.

Seconds later, the path between the newcomer and Cao Pi was cleared, the Immortal Blades foolish enough to oppose the warrior all dead. He stood tall and twirled his tonfas in his hands, a clear challenge to his counterpart.

"Whaddya say?" he asked, his eyes flashing. "Ready to try yourself against me, pretty boy?"

Cao Pi's mood grew cold. He sniffed indignantly and turned away, gesturing with his blade and scores of his troops charged in, covering his retreat. The warrior smiled, nodding his head.

"You guys might wanna try an' regroup," he said to the two of them. "Whatever you do, you're gonna wanna be away from here. Go!"

Knowing better than to disobey, they dashed over to the sergeant, who was still on one knee, panting and trying to rise. They helped him to his feet and he nodded to them before gently easing away, indicating he could walk or at least stand on his own.

"Come," he said wearily. "Your fellow Demons have need of you."

The nodded and charged back into the fray, yelling loudly, amazed by the carnage they saw around them. Unnumbered bodies were heaped everywhere, wearing the blue of the northerners but also the valiant scarlet and gold of the Wu army. Guiren knew that some of those bodies were his comrades but he shut the realization away, determined to not think on it until after the battle.

This battle was far from over.

---

The Green Demons were sitting in a small and silent group, no one ready to speak. Of the ninety-five of them who had come to this battle, only forty were still standing. Twenty were injured, twenty-five were maimed beyond recovery to active duty and ten had died in the melee.

Dawn had come and the battlefield was a scene of death and horror. Many thousands on both sides lay strewn across the wide plain, but the forces of Wu had prevailed, driving the enemy back north. The recruits looked dully out over the scene, too exhausted and stunned to celebrate their victory. It was still unclear to them all what had happened and if they had executed their duties correctly. Mostly they were being ignored, at least for now.

Guiren grimaced as he tried to move his shoulder, but he found that the salve had finally worn off and the burning and stiffness had returned. His head was spinning from the pain and he felt sick. He attempted to focus past the ache and move but he swooned and fell over, saved form bouncing his head off the ground by Keung, who caught him and sat him upright again.

"Can you see yet?" Keung asked.

"Only when I open my eyes," Guiren replied. "And frankly, that just doesn't appeal to me at the moment."

"Just as well, there's not too much worth looking at, to be honest," Keung admitted. "Lots of bodies and our troops sifting through the carnage, trying to find survivors."

Guiren sighed and kept his head down, trying to keep from retching.

"I guess we'll need to find you a new spear," Keung remarked. "That jerk Cao Pi saw to yours. And then there's your armour. You're just a mess, my friend."

Guiren grunted. "At least I did not have to result to insults to find a foe. That tongue of yours will one day get us killed, I know it."

"Another day, perhaps," Keung said, his normal demeanor seeming to return. He stood up and looked at his comrades. "And we've all been told not to worry, the sergeant is being looked at by the best healers and they say he will be just fine."

"And I'm glad for that, Keung, but what about our friends?" asked one trooper sullenly. "Many of us are dead now and lots of us will never fight again. What of that?"

"That is war, I am afraid." Keung replied. "We all volunteered to fight in this great army, none of us were pressed into service, like in the north. I'll miss them too, but I am glad that I will be around to do so."

Deep horns blared and the troopers scrambled to their feet as quickly as they could, though several seemed ready to fall over. They waited as a regiment of warriors marched by, all big and burly men carrying clubs, mattocks and hammers. The Green Demons all bowed low as they saw the mighty General Huang Gai walking at the rear of the column, accompanying their sergeant, who seemed to be in good spirits now that he had been healed.

"The Stone Demons…" Keung whispered in awe as the veterans trooped by. "They were here… we fought with the Stone Demons."

Huang Gai motioned his troops to keep marching but he stopped and approached the recruits along with their sergeant. They were all so awed that they forgot to bow. He assessed them for several seconds and then grunted.

"Fine boys you have here, Chun," he mused. "So these are the lads that took it to Cao Pi and saved the Young Tigers from destruction, hm?"

"In spite of their idiocy, I am forced to confirm that sad fact," Sergeant Chun said wearily. "Each one must have an immortal watching over their shoulder, for nothing else can explain how they haven't already killed themselves by tripping over their own weapons."

Several of the men chuckled, knowing that the sergeant was just complaining for show. Huang Gai nodded, still looking them over.

"A remarkable feat, for such green troops of so little experience to prove that valuable on the battlefield. You may not know it, but not only did you save the Young Tigers, but you also helped to keep our flank from being turned, pups. It was a near thing, this battle, but you played your part and more, arriving unlooked for but it was a godsend. Believe me when I say that you fought beyond your abilities and everyone alive today is thankful for it."

"We were lucky, general, that is all." Keung said, bowing humbly. "Everything we accomplished is because of the sergeant and his training. But there also was the one warrior who jumped into our midst, drove off Cao Pi and pretty much destroyed the Immortal Blades all by himself. Pray, general, who was he? We owe him our lives."

Huang Gai raised an eyebrow, apparently somewhat perplexed by the question. "You do not know?"

"No, sir, we were never introduced, I am afraid." Keung answered.

Huang Gai looked down at Sergeant Chun, sighed and shook his head before walking off. The sergeant scowled at them all.

"Who was that? Did you really just ask that stupid a question? Why are you all not dead yet?"

And with that he wandered off, muttering about how the gods had cursed him.

---

"Well, at least we know that the warrior was not a figment of our imagination," Guiren said wearily. "I hope one day to see him again, I want to thank him for saving my life. What regiment do you suppose he serves with? Maybe we can find his commanding officer and ask…"

The Green Demons and the Young Tigers were now assigned the task of acting as garrison for the fort while the other troops secured the surrounding region. Both units had fought far beyond expectations and were rewarded with light duties until the campaign ended. Sharing the common bond of near-death at the hands of a greatly superior force and having lived, the new warriors had much to share and discuss.

It irked Guiren and Keung somewhat, but any Young Tigers they talked to about the mysterious warrior who had saved them looked at them in disbelief and then laughed, wandering off in amusement. Were they doomed to never find out who had their saviour had been?

"What do you supposed was so important about this fort?" Guiren wondered as they moved supplies from the store room to the courtyard for distribution.

"I was told by one of the Young Tigers that the Prime Minister's forces had planted some valuable relic of the Southlands in the fort in an attempt to ambush and defeat whatever force we sent. Fortunately, we walked into the trap and proved stronger, though our numbers were less."

"I've heard there are many thousands dead on both sides," Guiren said quietly, grimacing. "Whatever it was, I hope it was worth it."

"That it not our place to judge, my friend." Keung replied. "We fight for the right reasons, you and I, to defend our homes and live like free men, not be told how to live and what to do."

"But we fight in their armies and they tell us when to fight and die," Guiren pointed out. "Is that right?"

"Are you reconsidering your oath to fight and die for Lady Da Qiao?" Keung asked. "Were she to command you to fight a hopeless battle, would you not?"

"That… that's different." Guiren said weakly.

"I see," mused his comrade, smirking. "It would seem that our mysterious rescuer thinks nothing of fighting the enemy, regardless of the odds. If all of us fought and tried as hard as he did, mayhap we would not need to worry about such casualties."

"I would never have thought that fighting like he did was possible." Guiren admitted. "I am heartened to know that we have warriors like that on our side. Even Cao Pi dared not face him. I cannot help but wonder constantly who he was. Maybe…maybe it was Taishi Ci?"

Keung snorted. "The warrior of the Night Tigers? Surely not, for the Night Tigers wear black trimmed in silver, I am told. That man wore standard scarlet and gold with a tiger pelt around his waist."

Guiren sighed. "If I am ever one thousandth of the warrior that man is, I will consider myself accomplished."

"Then let's try to stay alive until the next engagement, shall we?" Kueng laughed.

---

"I don't understand," Guiren muttered as they marched south, accompanied by the Young Tigers and various other units. "We fought to take the fort and now we're leaving and going back across the river?"

Keung shrugged. "Remember when the sergeant told us that Wu was not strong enough to keep forces across the river and hold them? Not only did we fight to recover whatever it was out of the fortress, but apparently we also won a battle at some place named Nanjun. Lord Zhou Yu fought a great engagement there against a general named Cao Ren and was wounded but still managed to defeat him. We were a diversion, I imagine. Sort of trapping the trappers."

"That's a good cause, I suppose," grunted Guiren. "So Nanjun is now ours."

"Actually, from what I heard, Liu Bei's forces have taken it for themselves," Keung replied, seeming disconcerted. "They took advantage of the battle with Cao Ren to secure the lands while we did the fighting."

"And they're supposed to be our allies?" Guiren exclaimed, turning his head to spit in disgust. "What the hell kind of people fuck their allies over like that? Isn't Liu Bei that warlord we keep hearing about who is always babbling about virtue? We should go right the hell over there, kick their asses and take Nanjun for ourselves!"

"If Lord Zhou Yu sees fit to not do so, I somehow doubt we should question him," his comrade pointed out. "We weren't there."

"True enough, Guiren admitted, sighing. "And to be honest I am looking forward to resting for a while. Our unit needs to be rebuilt, for we are rather understrength."

"Agreed, and we should head immediately to the temple of Chu Jung when we get back to camp to pray for our fallen friends. They died valiantly and they deserve peace in the Heavens, or at the very least distinguished positions in the Celestial Army."

Guiren sighed wearily and rubbed his shoulder. It still ached mightily, in spite of the fact that the healers had told him he was completely mended. He was promised, though, that he would have an impressive scar, guaranteed to make a girl's underthings magically disappear when she was exposed to it. He couldn't wait to try it out on Lei.

He still did not have a spear since Cao Pi had broken his, but he was allowed to carry the sword he had picked up and fought so impressively with as a symbol of his valour. He would have felt prouder of this distinction if he were not so tired. He and Keung were both lauded by everyone else in their company for their part in the battle and the sergeant commanding the Young Dragons has personally thanked them both, impressed by their bravery.

And though he kept grousing and threatening his troopers, they could tell Sergeant Chun was proud too.

"To the side of the road!" yelled Sergeant Chun and the commander of the Young Dragons at their charges. "To the side of the road and wait at attention!"

In spite of how weary they may have felt, the two companies scrambled to form up in lines on either side of the road, waiting silently. It wouldn't be the first time that a veteran unit had come through and forced them to wait, they were actually getting used to it.

"Can't wait until we're the ones who get moved aside for…" Keung muttered under his breath.

The waited patiently until distantly banners could be seen coming from the north. Guiren's mouth went dry when he recognised it as a royal banner. His suspicions were confirmed moments later when cavalry appeared, led by none other than Lady Da Qiao.

As a herald rode ahead of the royal unit, the companies lining the road all kow-towed immediately and with great dereference. Trembling with relief at the sight of the great lady, Guiren, Keung and the other Green Demons began to do the same.

"Green Demons and Young Tigers remain standing!" the herald called in a loud voice full of authority. The troopers all froze and then remained upright, obviously confused. For lack of any other instructions, they simply stood at attention.

Da Qiao and her regiment finally arrived and she smiled at the Green Demons before dismounting. Almost reflexively they began to kow-tow but she bade them rise. Whatever she discerned in their expressions caused her to giggle.

"Gentlemen, such concern and devotion to my well-being…"

The troopers all blushed furiously. Were they that obvious? Was their oath to die for her written on their foreheads?

She bowed to Sergeant Chun and addressed him warmly. "Sergeant, your devotion to your recruits is admirable. Is it true you turned down an offer to rejoin the Stone Demons and a promotion just so you could stay with them?"

The troopers all looked at their sergeant in astonishment. He flushed uncomfortably and nodded. "It… it is so, my lady… these idiots should not be foisted off on anyone else, they are my problem and my responsibility. I would not have it said that I left someone else with my mess."

"They fought well, sergeant, you have every reason to be proud." Da Qiao said gently. "Had it not been for them and the Young Tigers, the battle might have been much closer than it was. It is young heroes like these who will help shape the future of Wu."

She walked up and down the ranks, inspecting the troopers. They could see in her eyes that she was pained by their significantly reduced numbers, but such was the way of war. They could see dozens of horses in her regiment that had no riders.

She stopped in front of Guiren and Keung and smiled at them. "I am glad to see you two have survived this long, given your penchant for reckless daring-do. But worry not, it reminds me of another warrior I know well."

Just then another horse rode up, a magnificent stallion atop which sat their unknown hero. He beamed when he saw Lady Da Qiao and leapt lightly to the ground and swaggered over. He had an infectious grin and he nodded to her.

"Glad I finally caught up with ya," he said cheerfully. "Would've got here sooner, but Huang Gai got that damn anchor he fights with stuck in a tree an' I had to help him pry it out."

He then turned and looked at the remaining troops of the Green Demons and nodded. "You guys, you fought well, all of you. You should be proud, you were a big help in that battle. Takes real bravery to do what you did, takin' on Cao Pi like that. He ain't someone to take lightly."

Keung bowed. "And you, sir, you have the gratitude of my friend and I, for you saved us from that very same man when he had finally outmatched us."

The magnificent warrior assessed the two of them for a moment and then recognition lit his eyes. He grinned broadly and laughed. "Hey, it is you two! You guys're somethin' else, let me tell you! Don't thank me, you have my thanks, trust me!"

He then nudged Lady Qiao and tilted his head at Guiren and Keung. "Hey, Da, it's the two I was tellin' you about."

She smiled and shook her head. "That does not surprise me one bit."

Keung coughed, clearly taken aback by the warrior's cavalier tone while speaking to the Great Lady of Wu. "You must be a great warrior and retainer, sir, to take such liberty in the way you address the Princess of the Southlands. Though I do not begrudge you your fame, I would politely ask that you treat her with more respect, lest I be forced to take you to task on the issue."

Everyone just stared at him in astonishment, at least anyone who wasn't a Green Demon did. Sergeant Chun was gaping at Keung incredulously. A couple of the Lady Qiao's warriors seemed to be suppressing laughter. Unsure of what was going on but desperate to keep Keung from getting himself heroically killed by challenging the unnamed warrior, Guiren bowed.

"Good sir, forgive my friend's high spirits, our regiment was blessed by the Lady Qiao's presence on the way north and it shaped our outlook not only on her but also our purpose. Though we are not her guardians, we consider it an obligation to defend her honour."

"Well, you're gonna get no argument outta me!" the warrior laughed.

"And yet you saved my friend and I, sir," Guiren continued. "We would like to know who to thank. Are you a member of her retainers or her personal bodyguard and manservant?"

This question was greeted with gales of laughter from Lady Qiao's regiment, along with the Young Tigers nearby. Sergeant Chun just pressed his fingers against his eyes in despair. Lady Qiao was trying to suppress her mirth, to the place where tears were forming in her eyes. The brawny warrior threw back his head and laughed.

"Yeah, you could say that," he replied easily. "I'm her most fanatical servant, for sure. No matter what she needs, I'm there to give it to her. Whatever her desires, no matter how carnal they may be, I-"

Da Qiao blushed and thumped him on the shoulder. "Ce, stop that! Be nice, you stone-headed ox!"

The silence was deafening as the realization of whom they addressed sunk in slowly.
It didn't matter that they had been ordered to remain standing, the Green Demons all prostrated themselves before the mighty Warlord of the Southlands, Sun Ce, the Young Conqueror.

"Forgive our temerity, great lord," Guiren said in the humblest voice he had ever used. "We are your devoted servants unto death."

Sergeant Chun sighed, relieved that his bone-headed recruits had somehow managed to finally figure it out. He had been wondering if they ever would.

"Ah, get up already," Sun Ce said cheerfully. "I already told you two that I'm in your debt."

The Green Demons rose and waited silently. Ce grinned and clapped Keung and Guiren on the shoulder, nodding. "Gotta say, you two really impressed a lot of people in that battle. Keep yourselves from getting killed an' you can expect to see promotions headin' your way."

Keung and Guiren could not believe what they were hearing- were they really receiving accolades from the Lord of Wu himself? Was this possible? Keung reached over and pinched Guiren's bicep, causing his friend to yelp and jerk his arm away, scowling at is comrade.

"No, you're not dreaming, so this has to be real," he concluded, causing more gales of laughter. "I might not have believed it otherwise."

Ce finished laughing and looked down at Guiren's sword on his hip. "Hey, lemme see that for a moment…"

The trooper nodded hastily and drew the blade forth, presenting the hilt to Ce. The warlord examined it thoughtfully and then nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought. It belongs to Cao Shin, a cousin of Cao Pi an' one of the commanders in the Immortal Blades regiment. We found his body an' we're returnin' it to Cao Cao but his weapon was missing. Did you take him down?"

Guiren swallowed and nodded, aware that hundreds if not thousands of eyes were on him.

"Good job," Ce said. "Keep that as your trophy then, you sure earned it." Guiren bowed, still stunned by what he was hearing.

The lord of Wu now looked at Keung. "Got somethin' for you too." He made a casual gesture to a nearby cavalier, who dismounted and brought over some object wrapped in a protective layer of linen. Ce presented it to Keung, nodding to indicate he should unwrap it. The young warrior gaped in astonishment as the crème cloak he held up flowed in the breeze. The inside was lined with purple, a magnificent and rather royal contrast.

"Yeah, Cao Pi left that behind in his hurry to exit the battlefield," Ce commented. "I tried to catch up with him to give it back, but he was runnin' too quick."

The jest was met with yet more peals of laughter and Guiren decided that his friend would fit right in, because the army of Wu certainly seemed a merry bunch.

Sun Ce now looked somewhat serious. "You keep that as your reward and a token of the Sun family's esteem. We don't ask people to fight an' die for our name or just because we're your rulers. You met your debt an' now I'm meetin' mine."

He addressed the Green Demons company now, his voice carrying to all of them. "That goes for every one of you! The Sun family will fight for everything you hold dear and we will reward the man who fights for his friend, his neighbour or for the guy he's never going to meet!"

He now spoke to the sergeant, who bowed humbly. "A tael of gold will be sent from my personal treasury to each of your surviving men, sergeant, for what you have accomplished here. Gold and tax exemptions will be granted to the families of those who were slain. See to it when you get back to your base."

Ce nodded to the troopers once more and then went to address the Young Tigers. Da Qiao remained and spoke to them briefly.

"Our lord is right, my brave young heroes, for it is our sacred duty to fight for you and to make sure your lives are yours to live. Fight with us for those you love and never lose faith in our cause. Fight well and with conviction, so that no death or loss is ever in vain. I look forward to marching with you again one day…"

The troopers all kow-towed reverently and remained in that position until the Lady's regiment was gone. The sergeant finally ordered them to rise and they resumed their march, with Keung and Guiren receiving quiet praise form their companions along the way. In spite of the ache in his shoulder, Guiren smiled to himself. This was what he was meant to do and where he was meant to be. Aside from his love for Lei, he had never been so sure of anything in his life.

---

Guiren and Keung now stood at attention inside the sergeant's tent, waiting while the officer examined some scrolls. He sighed and finally looked up at them.

"The commander of the Bronze Cavaliers was been quite eager to have a word with you two, no doubt it was related to the matter of the brawl inside the mess tent before we left for battle."

Guiren nodded his head. "I would be happy to continue trying to find a solution to that matter with his men, if they think they have the acorns, sergeant."

"That goes for me as well, sir, I don't think my knuckles have been sufficiently calloused on some horseman's arrogant chin yet." Keung added.

"Well forget it," Sergeant Chun said flatly. "The Cavalier's commander dropped the issue like a hot bean cake once he found out how you millet-heads performed in the field and who you received personal commendations from. He seemed too embarrassed to press the matter."

"Damn…" muttered the two troopers.

"There are plenty of northerners to fight with, you dimwits, it's not like you single-handedly wiped them from the face of the earth." Sergeant Chun growled. "But that's not why you're here. The company is to be rebuilt and I have an opening for a squad commander now that Xui cannot return to active duty. As much as it pains me to do so, I am more or less obligated to offer it to you morons first. Are either of you interested?"

Neither man said anything several seconds until Keung cleared his throat. "Sir, does this mean you are not returning to be a trainer but going to stay as our commander?"

"To my great distress, yes, that's exactly what it means," the sergeant replied. "The Lady was most insistent and one does not simply say no to the consort of the Lord of Wu. So I am stuck with you. But answer me already. Do either of you want this post?"

Guiren was the first to answer. "Sergeant, please offer it to Keung. Between the two of us, he is the one with a head for tactics and leadership. I know this about myself now, I might be able to command a squad or even a company one day, but he can actually direct and lead troops, he is by far the most inspirational and sensible man in our ranks. I am just here to fight and serve the Sun family. I'll take the next one that comes along."

The sergeant looked at Keung. "Well?"

The trooper was silent for several more moments before finally bowing and clasping his fist in his hand. "I would be honoured, sergeant. I will make you proud."

"Never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I'm sure you will." Sergeant Chun muttered. "Obviously Guiren will go to a different squad, but I think this actually bodes well for the future of the Green Demons. I'll have the papers drawn up and you'll receive your assignments."

Both men bowed and turned to leave but the sergeant held up his hand, staying them. "there is one more thing, gentlemen…"

They both turned and waited while he rose and came around the desk.

"The recruits have arrived to replenish our ranks and I will be seeing to their training. That being said, I don't want you two imbeciles around, giving them foolish notions of how to act or think. In reward for your services to the Sun family, you are both being given six months of leave until their training period is finished. I have talked to a garrison commander near your home town of Pei and he has agreed to keep up your training regimen so you do not get soft. You will report to him twice a week, but otherwise, this is paid time off."

Both warriors grinned broadly, unable to believe their good fortune.

Sergeant Chun nodded. "There is a supply caravan heading south two hours from now, I expect you to accompany it. You will reach Pei in two weeks and I will have six months of sanity. Off with you. Dismissed!"

Keung and Guiren bowed hastily and dashed form the tent. Sergeant Chun smiled and shook his head. It was good to be back and to know that the future of Wu was assured.

---

"You two can ride, yes?" asked the captain in charge of the caravan.

"Well enough, though we are no cavaliers," Keung admitted. "As long as we're not galloping, I am sure we can keep from falling off."

"We can always stick you in the carts, I suppose," the man mumbled. "Try the horses for now and let me know when it is starting to hurt. We leave in five minutes."

Keung and Guiren had said their goodbyes to their comrades, noting that several of them had also been given leave for their part in the victory, though not for the same length of time as the two of them. They had gathered up their personal effects and their trophies and waited patiently. While they sat atop their mounts, squads of recruits shuffled by, not yet having a lick of military discipline and the innocence in their eyes was almost painful to see.

"Wow…" Keung said quietly as he watched the motley procession. "They sure are recruiting them young these days. Can you believe we used to look like that once?"

"I sure hope we didn't." Guiren muttered, for the first time realising exactly what the sergeant had been up against.

---

Keung rolled onto his back, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. He turned his head and smiled at Min, who simply stared up at the ceiling of the hut, her eyes glazed over with contentment.

"Glad I'm back?" he asked, grinning.

"Most definitely," she whispered, reaching down to squeeze his hand. "But even if you are a hero now, if my father catches us it will be a sore business, so please try to be subtle, Keung."

He chuckled and turned onto his side, pulling her close and kissing her nose. "I will be the very soul of discretion, my heart."

She nodded in satisfaction and then looked down at the wonderfully soft crème cape they had been laying on to keep the hay that covered the floor off their bodies. She took some between her fingers and rubbed it gently.

"I have never felt anything so soft and luxurious in my entire life," she whispered. "It is indeed a great gift, my love. Who did you say gave it to you?"

"Just a friend." Keung said in a non-committal tone. "Guiren and I were pretty impressive when we engaged the enemy."

"I know the truth of it, for you two are the talk of the region, not just the town." Min said, throwing her arms around him and snuggling her soft breasts against his taut chest. "My very own hero and officer! How did I get so lucky? I will hold onto you fiercely now, and if any other woman even smiles at you, she will have me to contend with, no matter who she is."

Keung beamed at the ceiling, wondering what Lady Da Qiao would think of that declaration.

---

Lei panted and moaned as she squirmed, writhing up and down, looking at her lover through heavily-lidded eyes. Beneath her, Guiren hummed and gently arched his hips, caressing her soft body as he did so.

"I told you… my father… would understand…" she said breathlessly, tracing a finger up and down her soft neck as she reveled in the sensations blossoming through her.

"You did, yes…" Guiren agreed, scarcely more articulated than his girl as they made love. "He… was most… accommodating…"

"You are a hero, my love," she moaned. "He is most eager to- ahhhhhhh, yes… to have his daughter cleave to a hero of the Southlands. He suggested that I prove myself… and I do… gladly…"

Guiren was been shocked by the welcome they received upon their return to Pei. They were hailed as the champions of the region and people flocked to greet them when the caravan arrived. He and Keung had agreed to display some humility and did not play up their war trophies when people asked, simply saying they had earned them.

Better than that, though, was Lei's father greeting him enthusiastically and more or less throwing his daughter at Guiren, declaring it a match and telling her to make sure he never looked elsewhere.

If this was what he had to look forward to with Lei, he was certain he never would.

She moaned loudly and strained, pushing down with her hips as her back arched and they both climaxed. She collapsed on top of him, trembling and kissing him almost feverishly, whispering about how much she had missed him.

He held her tight, wondering what would happen when he had to head north again, to fight in those great and terrible wars. Would they have a family? Was he sure they could be provided for? How did one balance those conflicting duties, to his new family and to the Sun?

But that was months away. His only duty now was to live the life he was born to fight for. The Green Demons would wait, the enemy could wait. He reflected on all he had learned and how he had come to wear he was.

By the Heavens, insane bravado had been the answer. He hated it when Keung was right…

---

Author's Notes: This is a spin-off of my Young Conqueror fanfic, with the principal characters set in that universe. I wanted to give my TYC fic a different perspective and this seemed a great way to do it. The principal fic is so high-powered because the Dynasty Warriors characters are, by necessity, super-human and one has to wonder how lesser mortals managed to survive and not get stepped on.

Hopefully Keung and Guiren will be appealing main characters. I'll be limiting the appearance of the Dynasty Warriors persons so that they do not overshadow this story's protagonists. Besides, I would say that it's fairly obvious Keung and Guiren can find trouble all on their own, yes?

This first chapter is actually Chapter 64 of my TYC fic but the two stories diverge from here. Occasionally the plot of YEAON will cross with TYC and I'll try to publish the corresponding chapters of both fics at the same time. Hope you all enjoy!

Keep your stick on the ice!

Management

---

Epilogue: Cao Pi stalked into his personal chambers, a look of displeasure marring his patrician features. Within the room, his wife Zhen Ji was sitting and polishing one of her flutes. She looked up as he entered and noticed he didn't have his favourite crème cloak on, the one with the purple underside.

"Oh, Pi, another one?" she asked, clearly not impressed. "What is it with you and losing that particular type and colour of cloak? I thought you liked that one."

"I do, woman." Cao Pi replied tersely, plainly not in the mood for her jibes. "Can I help it if the gods do not?"

He went over to a large chest and opened it- within the ornate container sat dozens of the exact same cloak he had been deprived of by that wild man Sun Ce and those two insect soldiers who had dared to attack him.

He threw the cloak over his shoulder, fixed the clasps firmly and glowered into a polished surface mirror, his eyes narrowing.

"Mark my words… those two will pay for what they've done…"

End chapter