Kyuu Sogou Byou (One who is cornered will fight like a devil)
By Amaniblue
© Amaniblue, August 2006
Chapter 1
The downpour had stop hours ago, yet a lone figure still drench to the bones stood in the middle of the clearing.
His eyes brighten with anger, survey in an arc, the destruction before him. Deep lacerations were cut into the barks of each tree from its root to the top of its branches. A deluge of fragmented leaves and broken twigs scatter the muddy foundation in a circular formation.
Yet, despite the chaos, the rays of the setting sun reflect off the dewdrops from the remaining leaves and dance around the clearing in a vivid array of colors, encasing the surrounding in a mystical red glow. The color had little to do with the setting sun, however.
The entire clearing and beyond was misted with a layer of red, blood red. The acrid smells thicken in the air and permeate the whole surrounding.
Despite the tell-tale signs, the lone figure continues to stand there. His keen eyes took in every detail that was left behind, enacting the chaos that happened earlier in his mind's eye. Satisfied, the lone figure directs his eyes to the one spot he had been avoiding to assess.
There, close to the edge of the clearing was a small crater about three feet deep. Heat still radiated from it, causing the humid air above it to waver.
A pool of congeal blood gather at its epicenter.
His angry eyes sadden as wetness shine in its depth.
"Sire."
Startle from his thoughts, the lone figure quickly blinks away the wetness and calmly turns around to address the people before him with a nod of greeting.
A youthful soldier dress in a brown military uniform was accompanied by four other men likewise dress in green-brown ones. The youthful soldier bows toward his captain, and then said, "Your Excellency, the scouts has return with their reports."
The captain nods in reply, thus signaling the reporting to begin.
"Sire." Each of the scout bows low in respect.
"How many?"
"Twelve total: seven dead, one severely injured, and four fled on foot towards the east." One of them said.
Then the scout next to him continued. "A broken campsite lies within that path about half a mile away. It seems, they switch to horses from there and headed north-east."
The captain absently glances towards the direction mention, and then inquires, "What is their lead?"
Another scout answers, "Several league. We have two soldiers giving chase as we speak, sire."
Taking only a moment to ponder this new information, the captain redirect his determine gaze back to the group and began to issue orders starting from his left with the youthful soldier. "Set up camp at the enemy base."
"Yes, sire." The soldier bow again then left.
"Then gather the dead back to the campsite."
"Yes, sire." The first scout bow then left.
"Patch up the survivor for interrogation."
"Yes, sire." The second scout bow then left.
"One of you, come with me. The other, report back to the castle, brief Jozak on the matter, then both of you report back to me. Do not, in any circumstances, reveal what you know thus far to him or to anyone else in the castle."
Perplex by the mix command, the scout ask for clarification. "What should I say to him, sire?"
Without missing a beat, the captain enunciate his command with cold clarity, "I want these rats flush out alive."
To be continued...