~The Darkness Within~
-Chapter 03: The Deal-
Shen walked on moist grass that grew on the fields just outside Lin City walls. The sun was steadily rising and the battle had ended hours ago.
After Lord Ce Yin's death, Shen had headed to the Western side of the city only to find out that Bao Nu had already defeated the boar platoon. Thirty boars had surrendered, the rest were all killed. Shen himself had lost some twenty wolves in the conflict.
Looking around, Shen saw silent, scared civilians pitching tents for themselves. These fields were now being used as a 'refugee' camp. All the civilians that hadn't fled into the forests surrounding the city were gathered here. That way they were easier to handle, and besides the city wasn't exactly in ideal condition to live in right now.
He had just had a 'discussion' with the captured boars, and they had kindly accepted his request to support his war effort. Shen had only had to pull the right strings.
Now he was going to meet Liu Hua and Bao Nu, to talk about a few matters. The first thing was the probable possibility that the hawk had delivered a warning to Lord Shan. In which case Chao Du She would most likely march to meet Shen's army at a battlefield. Only a fool would stay sitting in a fortress when the enemy has weapons capable of grinding it to dust. Lord Shan was anything but a fool.
Shen didn't have good feeling of facing Shan. The former general had this reputation of a master strategist surrounding him; but that didn't bother Shen. What bothered him was how Shan acted on intuition and adapted very well to his enemies' moves, unlike Shen himself who was cold and calculating and stuck to a pre-formed plan. If there was a hole in his plans, Shan would find it and abuse it. That was what Shen feared, not the cobra itself. Though, he did hate snakes in general.
Way back to Shen's exile days, Shan had saved his wolf pack by trading with them when everyone else had refused. This was what Ce Yin had referred to. But it hadn't been an act out of goodwill; the cobra had had his own agenda in it, which had been acquiring the weapon Shen had been developing. Shen had actually given his prototype cannon to the king cobra, but his mixture of gunpowder had been so poor at the time that it hadn't been of much use to the snake. Shen wasn't sorry at all.
Before he noticed, he had arrived to the command tent. He tucked his wings into his sleeves before entering the tent. Inside he saw the two wolf generals already waiting for him. Good. He would start with the second matter he had to discuss. The canines saluted him, and he cleared his throat.
"The boars have joined my army. That repays the losses we experienced today. Thanks to that, I hereby promote you, Bao Nu, as the alpha of the wolf pack. From now on you will only answer to me for your actions, and no one else."
Shen kept a pause, observing the two wolves. Clear disappointment shone from Liu Hua's face, whereas a grin was forming to the corners of Bao Nu's mouth.
"I'm honored, my lord", the brute wolf bowed. "I shall not disappoint you."
"That would be good. I'd hate to repeat what happened at Gongmen's canals," Shen noted.
"I'll never let you down, my lord," Bao Nu swore.
"Good. With that out of the way, we have some war discussion to do. I have all the reasons to believe that Chao Du She, and with that the rest of the Alliance, has been warned of this little invasion. I'd like to hear your suggestions for tuning the plan."
Liu Hua seemed to be still mulling over Shen's decision, but still reluctantly opened his mouth: "I say we should keep going as planned. The idea was to break their moral; and then easily beat them. Perhaps even make them surrender. While the gorillas prepare the cannons to be carried on land, we could send a messenger to the viper's nest and demand them to surrender. The more confident we seem to be in our victory, the more insecure they will be."
"I agree", Bao Nu joined. "I don't like the snake. The less contact we have with him, the better."
"So be it", Shen said. "Send a messenger to Chao Du She to demand their surrender. Also, select two companies to stay here to keep order. Everyone else must prepare for a march; this is as far as the river takes us. We will leave tomorrow morning. Dismissed."
The wolves bowed and left to fulfill their duties.
"What!" Shan asked, his voice chilly as icy lake.
The wolf repeated his message: "Lord Shen demands Chao Du She and the whole Alliance to surrender. Fighting him will only cause destruction that can be avoided."
Calling the atmosphere in the room as tense would be big underestimate. Lord Shan looked at his fellow rulers of the Alliance, who were sitting along the crescent-shaped table. The wolf messenger was standing in the middle.
There were seven seats at the table, but three of them remained empty. Mi and Lin had fallen, and Fei Cui was blocked off. Shan was sitting in the center position, left to him was sitting a large ox, and at his right side were a goat and a fox. All of them turned to look at Shan for a moment, and then the noise broke out.
"If Shen truly has a force big enough for us to be just an inconvenience, then we should surrender. We have to think the people first, Shan!" The ox bellowed.
"Yes, the reports say that Shen has the dragons on his side, we won't stand a chance!" The goat panicked.
"Even you can't save us from this Shan; you saw what happened to Lin. In just one night!" The fox declared.
"Perhaps we should evacuate to the mountains."
"We are doomed!"
"I won't risk my people for a desperate war attempt!"
"There's nothing we can do!"
"Enough!" Lord Shan raised his voice and slammed the table with the flat side of the weapon on his tail tip.
He looked each of the leaders in the eyes before he spoke again. "Calm down! Can't you sssee what Shen is doing to you - !" The cobra turned his gaze to the wolf messenger, who flinched under the snake's stare. "You. Out!"
The canine didn't have to be told twice, and he quickly slipped out of the door.
Shan sighed and fell against the back of his seat. "The white peacock's weapon is not unstoppable. I know what it is, and how it works. I know how to destroy them. If you just-"
"How you know all this? Xi, the ox, interrupted.
"Because back when he was only an outcast, I traded with Shen and his wolf pack. I exchanged food and iron ore for the weapon he was developing."
"What? So you have this same weapon, why have you never told about it to us!" Xi was getting enraged.
Shan smiled bitterly. "There was nothing to tell about. The weapon didn't quite work at that time, and later Shen moved southwards, out of my reach. But what I have is the idea of how the weapon works, and how to fight against an army using them."
He raised his head a little higher and let his gaze to sweep the 'audience' again. "I'm sure Shen couldn't have assembled an army large enough to totally overpower us, which means he will be trusting in his weapons. What he is doing now is merely playing a trick; he wants you to fear him, to panic, so he can easily walk over you!" Shan drew a breath. "But if we stick together, if you trust in me, we can make Shen pay for what he has done to our allies! We can make sure that he won't threaten anyone ever again! So, what do you say, will you crumble in fear, or will you go to war?"
The ox hit his chest with his fist: "My army is yours, lord Shan."
"The province of Dao will join you", the goat assured.
"I'm in", the fox finished.
"That's better", Shan smiled. "Call in the messenger", he added to the viper guards positioned at both sides of the door.
"Shall we send his head back to Shen?" Xi asked.
"No! We are not barbarians, Xi", Shan refused strictly. "We will tell Shen that the Alliance of Seven will not bend before him, and that if he desires our lands, he must come to get them!"
"Unfortunate, but goes as expected", Shen stated.
The messenger had just delivered the response from Lord Shan. Their refusal to surrender wasn't any surprise, but that haven't even been Shen's goal in the first place. He knew he had achieved his goal when the messenger had described the ruler's reactions to his demand. They were just as afraid and unsure as he had hoped.
One more victory would settle this. One more victory and Shan couldn't hold things from falling apart any longer. And with the cannons by his side, Shen was sure that the next victory would be the next battle. Which, by the way, would most likely be one that won't involve laying siege to any cities.
His general and right wing wolf had laid out the familiar map of China on the table in the middle of the command tent, and they were moving figures representing military units on the map.
"…if Shan is going to march against us, this is most likely where he'll try to position his army", Liu Hua explained, pointing to a huge field that ended in a high cliff near the border of Lin and Chao Du She. "There he can position his archers on the cliffs, perfectly covering the soldiers down on the field. The cliffs are surrounded from other sides by dense forest, which makes it impossible to attack the cliffs via the forest by whole army. Smaller groups will be easily repelled."
"Sounds plausible", Bao Nu grunted. "If we don't reach the cliffs first, what can we do?"
Shen laughed. "That is indeed great positioning. But Shan doesn't know what the cannons are capable of. So, we will set up cannons here, here and here", Shen moved figures of small cannons to the places he meant on the map. "With the cannons pounding the cliffs, the main force can plunge forward and push the enemy against the rocks. No retreat, no chances. Checkmate." Shen smiled wickedly, eyes wide with excitement.
It was evening; the setting sun was coloring everything with orange hue. Shen stood on a small hill which gave a perfect view to the soon would-be battlefield. Just as Liu Hua had predicted, the enemy had taken positions on the cliffs, and Shen was left with the field.
Shan's troops hadn't been there much earlier, but early enough that Shen saw no point in trying to capture the cliffs before they'd have dug in. Now he observed as the gorillas rolled the heavy cannons to their positions amidst the long grass. Occasionally a hidden rock made cannon to get stuck, and the gorillas had hard time to get the cannon roll again on the soft, wet soil. The cannons were to be placed in three points behind Shen's lines, their lines of fire covering the whole length of the field.
Shen had half-expected the cobra to make his move immediately as they arrived, but for some reason he was giving him time to set up everything. That concerned Shen a little, but not enough to think it as anything else than a misjudgment from his enemy.
Some cannons were already set up, and the gorillas were barking orders to the wolves that were responsible of carrying barrels of gunpowder and cannonballs to them. Everything was coming along fast enough.
The command tent was set up behind the hill Shen was currently on, out of enemy's sight and reach. Bao Nu was there, going through latest scouting information, and tuning the plans accordingly. In any case, unless the Alliance would attack first, Shen was going to launch his assault at sunset. His wolves were able to fight in dark, but the oxen and boars that made the bulk of the enemy army, less so.
That was why Shen was pretty sure that Shan wouldn't wait that long, and judging how the enemy was forming their ranks at the far end of the field, he was right.
The horizon was turning more and more towards red in shade. It was a little like the colors of his markings, except that it lacked the darkness that made it look like blood. Blood, death and smoke; those were Shen's colors, and he would stay true to them tonight.
Something that caused buzz among his front lines caught Shen's attention. Soon a group of wolves split from the main force and headed towards Shen. As they came closer, Shen noticed a lightly armored, unarmed fox amongst them. The red fox was carrying a white flag.
A messenger.
Sure enough, as the group reached the peacock, a wolf lieutenant saluted him and informed that an Alliance messenger demanded to speak with Shen.
"Speak", Shen said simply, looking at the fox.
"I bring a message from lord Shan and the high council of the Alliance of Seven", the messenger announced. "They want to let you, lord Shen, know that if you don't pull your forces back immediately, they are forced to use military strength to make you to."
Shen chuckled a little, then a little louder, and eventually he full-out laughed. "That is the best threat he can make? To use military strength…!" he laughed some more.
After he recovered, he continued: "You may go to tell your lord that if they don't surrender this instant, they'll all die."
The fox seemed to hate how casually Shen said his threat. He waited him to continue, but as he didn't, the messenger bowed and turned to leave.
As the fox gained some distance, the lieutenant spoke again: "Are we letting him leave, my lord?"
"We need him to deliver a message", Shen said, pressing his wingtips together. "Go to the closest battery and tell them to take aim. Fire when the fox is halfway there."
"Yes, sir", the lieutenant bowed and hurried off. The rest of the group followed him.
Shen looked the show amused. Soon enough the cannons boomed and his message was delivered. "That's how you send a message", he mumbled to himself.
The effect to the enemy was immediate: their ranks begun moving restlessly, and messengers were running up and down the cliff. Shen guessed their command was set up somewhere behind the cliff.
"Go fetch the general and alpha", Shen ordered one of the canines guarding him. "The show is beginning; it would be a pity if they'd miss it."
The guard bowed and sprinted down the cliff towards the command tent.
Howls from the scouts between the two armies echoed to Shen's ears, and told the thing that his eyes had picked up too: the enemy was charging.
"Form the lines!" Shen yelled, and nearby officers howled his orders further.
The wolf army was in a small chaos for a moment, individual soldiers shuffling around and taking their places. Few hundred meters behind the lines, battery commanders were taking their places at their cannons.
"Cannons hold fire, archers fire at will!" the peacock cried.
Hundreds of bulky oxen and boars, mixed with some agile foxes and goats, were closing the gap between the two armies fast.
The massive form of the alpha wolf appeared at Shen's right side, and the more slender general at his left.
"Orders, sir?" Bao Nu asked in hoarse voice, trying to get hang of the situation at the same time.
"Go assume the command of the front lines."
"At once, sir." With that, the wolf was off.
"Liu Hua, you stay with me."
"Sir?"
"I need you to relay the orders to the batteries."
"I understand."
The enemy was now within arrow distance, and Shen's archers released an arrow rain on them. The sharp arrow tips tore through leather armor and flesh, and cries of pain echoed to Shen's position.
Most of the enemy was unharmed, though, and now the frontlines clashed with each other. Clanks, thuds and cries marked the beginning of the battle, as swords met other, axes bashed shields and spears stabbed flesh.
It seemed that the Alliance army outnumbered the wolves, not greatly but still. Shen observed the battle silently. Soon it became apparent that the enemy was breaking through from left flank.
"I've seen enough", Shen stated. "Order the cannons to fire in the middle of enemy ranks."
Liu Hua released a long howl that carried the order to the batteries. Flames danced in the twilight as the cannons fired. Hard metal violently made its way through bodies and armor with equal ease, sending severed limbs and other body pieces flying on the living soldiers.
Shen couldn't have enjoyed more. The enemy's terror was so apparent in their screams and panicked moves. He could have almost said that he was happy. Not really, but pretty close. This was the ones who opposed him deserved. This was his justice.
As the cannons fired for the second time, the enemy lines crumbled. Whole platoons broke off and begun mindless retreat back to the cliffs. Those who stayed to fight were defeated fast.
"Chase them to the cliffs! All batteries begin pummeling their defensive positions!"
The cannons were burning through gunpowder and ammo fast, and several gorillas were struggling to resupply them before they ran out. Shards of rock and dust clouded the cliffs as the cannonballs met their marks. If that did not kill the enemy archers positioned there, it certainly messed their aim and concentration. The wolves were free to pursue the fleeing enemy.
Shen followed as the two armies ran across the field. But then, instead of turning into the slaughter Shen had expected, the enemy reformed their lines and put up a significant resistance.
"What…?" Shen voiced quietly. They were in chaos, they were running for their lives; they shouldn't have been able to regroup! Unless… Shen's eyes widened at the thought …it was just an act. But why?
Before he had time to ponder it for longer, a scream echoed from the nearest battery: "Snakes, snakes in the grass!"
Shen turned to look, just to see that were some kind of skirmish going on. It was impossible to make out any details due to the thickening darkness.
Some screams more and then a bright light flashed and defeated the shadows for a split second, before everything was engulfed in a thick, black smoke.
"NO!" Shen cried, shocked by the sudden twist. Just then he became aware that the same thing was happening at the both remaining batteries, too. "Protect the cannons! Do something!" he yelled, half in general and half to Liu Hua.
The general howled some commands, but it was too late. Similar explosions devoured the remaining batteries. Shen's eyelids were twitching.
That was before the dust cleared from the cliffs, and he saw hundreds of archers pouring from the forest to the cliffs. It was a perfect trap. Regardless of the darkness and the distance, it was clearly visible that the tide was turning now. The wolves were taking heavy losses.
Shen just stood there, an expression of disbelief frozen on his face. His feathers were slowly rising in anger and shock, and he was breathing heavily.
"My lord?" Liu Hua asked cautiously.
"Sound a retreat", Shen stated darkly and turned to walk back to the command tent.
Shen paced back and forth furiously inside the tent. His commanding officers watched his rage helplessly. Shan knew… of course he did… and he had hidden those snakes there…. argghhhh!
"How many?" Shen asked suddenly, bluntly.
"Sir?" Bao Nu asked.
"The losses! How many!" Shen raged.
"Sir, hundred and eighty-six wolves and fifteen cannons", the alpha wolf informed.
"FIFTEEN CANNONS!" the peacock stopped, yelling out the words. He turned towards the canines, flames dancing in his crimson eyes. "We lost fifteen cannons!"
Even the brute wolf seemed to be a little… uncomfortable at the presence of his enraged lord. "That's right, sir."
"That is almost a THIRD of our cannons! Do you have any idea what that means to the conquest!" Shen felt that if he wouldn't hit something soon he would explode from the frustration. "Guard!"
An armored wolf hurried in, but before he had time to say anything, Shen jumped and kicked him in the face so hard that he flied backwards out of the tent and stayed lying there, unconscious. Shen landed in a crouched position, and remained in it to breathe in deep. Then he straightened up and turned back towards the general and boss wolf.
"Liu Hua, those cannons and wolves need to be replaced. Buy some metal and hire mercenaries from Korea. Also, I want that cobra dead!"
Shen's treasure keeper seemed really troubled by the request. "Sir, you don't have funds for that. And you haven't had any assassins since-"
"I know! I know…" Shen seemed to lose himself into memories for a while. "Forget that. Prepare my flagship for a journey and a platoon of wolves to go with it."
The wolf leaders were taken by surprise.
"My lord, are you going somewhere?"
"Yes, Bao Nu", Shen answered, "I'm going to raise some funds."
It was raining heavily. Shen and his wolves were soaking wet, but it was not enough to extinguish his determination. Two days ago he had set sails at Lin and headed back for Mi. One day ago he had entered the marshlands West of Mi. Two hours ago they had come out of them. One hour ago it had begun to rain. Now they had the Green City at sight.
At Shen's order the wolves arranged into a formation behind him. He checked that the lines and rows were straight before he took his place at the front, regardless of how uncomfortable the water made his clothes and how his soaked feathers sticked against his skin.
Shen straightened his composure and then gave the order to move. Due to the weather he couldn't make the kind of entrance he would have liked; now he looked like a soaked dog. Not to mention he actually had fifty of those with him.
He wasn't here to fight. What he was going to do was more like collecting taxes, or, well, demanding money for protection. Shen was sure he would succeed; Fei Cui was not in the position to oppose him.
They arrived to the city and continued their march through it, towards the palace. The city had no walls protecting it, and there were no guards at sight. Actually, there was no one at sight, but it didn't really was that big surprise. No one in their right mind would want to be out during that rain.
As they proceeded through the city, they saw many curious faces gathering to the many windows that they passed. Mud splashed at their feet and stained Shen's robes. He regretted not taking something less expensive as now the fine silk clothing was ruined, but it was too late for that.
There seemed to be two guards standing at the palace gates, looking every bit just as pitiful as Shen imagined himself to look. As the magpies in golden armors noticed the rather large, armed group heading towards the palace, they raised their spears and commanded them to halt.
"Who are you? What do you want?" The other gate guard demanded.
Shen took a few steps forward and motioned the wolves to stay behind. "I'm lord Shen", he announced, "and I've come to meet your master. Those are my bodyguards; we are not here to cause trouble."
The guard who had spoken seemed suspicious and didn't seem to recognize Shen's name. The two guards exchanged a few words and then the other one opened the gate slightly, slipped in and closed it after him. The remaining guard faced Shen.
"We'll inform lord Zang of your arrival. If he doesn't grant you an audience, you must leave."
"He will," the peacock smugly stated and walked back to his pack.
Rain kept falling.
Finally the palace door opened and what seemed to be two squads of magpies marched out. At the lead was a magpie with a little more decorated helmet and additionally he was wearing a green cape. The leader gestured the gate guard to open the gates and then proceeded forward until he was almost beak-to-beak with Shen. The magpie looked tense to say the least. At his order the other guards split into two rows with a wide gap between them.
"Lord Shen, I assume?" the leading magpie aimed towards Shen.
Shen raised his eyebrows and looked behind him. Slowly he turned back to face the magpie. "Well… do you think I would be one of those?" He pointed towards the canines.
The magpie didn't quite know how to react other than not looking delighted at all.
"I'm captain Que. Now I ask you to come with us; we'll escort you to lord Zang. The wolves must stay here."
"Very well", Shen said, shrugging it off like he didn't care. "Lead me the way."
The captain took a position at Shen's side and the guards escorted them inside the Emerald Palace.
The main hall was magnificent to say the least: the walls were made out of marble and mahogany, and they were decorated with ornate patterns made out of emeralds. At the both sides of the door were huge peacock statues made out of jade. Though regardless of its glory it didn't quite suit Shen's tastes.
Halfway through the hall Shen saw an open doorway to the left and behind that was what seemed to be a training hall. But what really caught his attention was what was in the training hall: a green peacock youth holding weird-looking swords in his wings, standing perfectly still at ready, his eyes closed. The steel armor that the peacock was wearing was polished and shiny, and a green lightweight cape was hanging over his left shoulder.
Shen halted and Que took a few steps before he noticed that the peacock had stopped. Shen raised his wing to silence him before he had time to say anything. The magpie looked at what the white peacock was looking at, and at that moment the green youth at the training hall snapped his eyes open and launched into a furious but graceful blur of swings, strikes and arcing motions. Shen could almost see the heads of the imaginary foes rolling.
"That's prince Hui Huang", Que informed. "He trains hard and often. Now keep moving."
Several ideas bloomed in Shen's mind. The concentration, the motion, the skill… he had found something valuable. Seemed like money wouldn't be the only thing he was going to take with him. He continued walking towards the big doors at the end of the hall with the magpie captain and the escorts, but his mind was working over how he would get what he wanted and how to use it.
They arrived to the golden double doors, and the guard captain halted the escort. He knocked the door lightly and soon they opened. Que motioned the escorts to stay but told Shen to follow him, and then he entered the throne room.
The throne room was rather similar to the main hall, except that there was a lot of gold used in the wall ornaments, and that there was a huge ornamental throne at the other end of the room. Shen wasn't surprised to note that the throne was designed to look like a fanned train of a peacock; there had been similar in the Tower of the Sacred Flame back at Gongmen. Well, not exactly similar, as this one was much more delicate: the feathers were carefully crafted out of gold, and huge emeralds served as the eyespots.
They walked halfway to the throne, and then Que bowed towards the figure sitting at the throne and announced: "My lord, this is lord Shen. I brought him here as you wished."
"Thank you, Que. You may leave us," the sitting figure spoke.
The magpie bowed again and left. The servants that had opened the doors left too, closing the doors after them. The two lords were now alone in the room, and silence landed.
Shen became suddenly rather conscious of his appearance; he was soaked, dirty and his wet train had left a trail of puddles behind him. He had to force himself to block out the flooding memories of his childhood; how he could never live up to other royals' expectations, how there was always something wrong in his behavior, how he was always reminded that his plumage had the color of death… This was his show now, and he wouldn't crumble before any show-off noble. He would never feel ashamed because of his appearance anymore.
The figure sitting on the throne stood up and stared Shen with hard expression. It was a green peacock, some ten years younger than he was, Shen figured. He was wearing a golden helmet-crown with emerald decorations, showy blue robes and an ornate cape.
"Lord Shen", the green peacock started in a loud voice. "How dare you march to my province like that, after all you have done!"
"I should order the guards to kill you immediately and relieve China from the thorn that you are!" he continued.
Shen chuckled. "I'd love to see you try, lord Zang… but unfortunately I didn't come here to fight."
"What do you want?" Zang asked bluntly.
"Ah, straight to the business? Very well." Shen walked slowly towards the throne. "You see, these are very unstable times. Whole provinces fall and people die. To my understanding, Fei Cui does not have an army to secure it."
Zang's expression grew harder.
"I came here to offer my protection. It would be tragic if – someone – would set their sights at the undefended, small province and take it by force, don't you think? Imagine all the horrors the people would face! And even worse, the rulers might even lose their heads."
Lord Zang's train flared in anger. "Enough! You will not walk to my halls and threaten me like that!" he yelled, stepping down the stairs leading to the throne.
Shen found a sudden interest in playing with his wingtips. "You don't want to take it nicely, do you? Your denial is admirable, but you got nothing to back it up with. Let me break this down to you: I got the superior power in this region. At my command, my army will lay siege to your precious Green City and won't leave a stone on a stone. I can do anything I like with you… and your family. The only reason I haven't attacked already, is because I find it unnecessary. Submit to my demands or let your foolishness destroy your whole nation."
Fei Cui's lord was shaking in bottled rage. He had curled his wings into fists and grinded his beak. After a few deep breaths he managed to talk again: "What are your demands, then?"
"Nothing major for a wealthy province like yours… I want a hundred thousand Yuan now and half of your future income, monthly."
"Half…! Do you know what that would cause to Fei Cui?"
Shen looked around in exaggerated manner. "You'd have to do with a little simpler decorations, I guess. Or alternatively, I can help to repaint these walls… with blood!"
Zang's eye's narrowed, and he pondered the options. "Will you guarantee that Fei Cui stays untouched?"
"Yes."
"How can I trust your words?"
"Like I said, as long as you obey, I find no need to waste my time on you."
The green peacock sighed. "Take the money then", he said weakly, turning to climb back to his throne. "But I don't want to see you again", he added.
"One more thing, lord Zang. I want your son."
Zang froze on the spot, slowly turning around. "You what?" he hissed.
"The prince, Hui Huang is his name I believe", Shen said innocently, "I saw him training and I was impressed. I'd have a good use for a servant like that."
"You'll NEVER touch my son!"
"Ah, but I don't want to touch him, just merely put his sword skills in use", Shen messed with the distraught ruler.
Lord Zang looked perplexed for a moment, before he understood what Shen had meant. That seemed to only fuel his fury. "I don't care for your word plays. Take all the money you want, but you will not get my son!"
"In that case, I'm afraid we can't have a deal. Are you really willing to sacrifice everything for only one person?" Shen questioned.
"If that one person is my son, then yes", Zang said firmly. "Now, leave!"
"Very well… remember this when-"
"WAIT!" The throne room doors banged open as the prince of Fei Cui stormed in. "Father, please reconsider. You can't risk the whole province because of me!"
Shen was genuinely surprised; had the prince been eavesdropping? That brought him some distant memories of him overhearing a certain prophecy… But anyways, this was interesting; he might get what he wanted after all.
"You don't have a word in this, Hui Huang", Lord Zang said sternly, agitated by his son's sudden entrance.
"No father, if this is about me, I believe I do." The prince was wearing the same outfit than when Shen saw him training, and Shen wondered if he had followed him from the moment he passed the doorway. "Our duty as rulers is to keep our people safe, isn't that what you have always told to me? How could I ever become a good ruler if I cowardly step aside now?"
The lord of Fei Cui sighed in deep. "Hui Huang, this is not about that. You don't understand what that madman would make you to do…! And you'd likely never return!"
"But if I don't go then there is nowhere to return to! I've heard the reports from Mi and Lin, I know what he can do", Hui said, pointing towards Shen, who looked mildly amused of this exchange between father and son. "If this is a way that I can do something, anything to protect you, our people, then I will do it." The prince sounded angry and desperate at the same time.
Zang walked the small distance that was still separating the two. "I understand how you feel", he started quietly, "but I can't afford to lose you too. You will not go."
Anyone else would've felt awkward in the middle of that family conversation, but Shen was beyond petty, useless emotions like those to be disturbed.
Hui Huang tensed considerably. "I'm old enough to decide on my behalf." He turned to walk briskly towards Shen.
"Prince Hui Huang! I'm your father and your lord, and I order you to STOP!" lord Zang yelled, exasperated of his son's denial.
The prince ignored and continued to approach Shen. He stopped a few meters from the white peacock, analyzing him with his gaze.
"I heard you need my services, old man", he said challengingly. "But you must earn them first!" That being said, he launched into a full attack, drawing his dual scimitars from his belt on the fly.
Shen was almost taken by surprise. Almost.
The prince might have been a master of sword, but he was young and inexperienced. Plus he didn't have the knowledge of martial arts that Shen had.
Shen crouched to avoid the double sideways slash, and then he rolled to the right and dodged the following rapid stabs. The green peacock swung around on one foot, trying to reach Shen. Shen saw the opening and swiped the floor with his wet-and-heavy train, knocking the youth down. As he tried to get up, Shen proceeded to kick him on his lower jaw, sending him a bit further across the floor.
Hui Huang groaned and tested the insides of his beak with his tongue, but didn't taste blood. He reached out for his blades that had escaped from his grip, and looked at the white peacock. He was waiting in a stance for him to attack again, but there was no mean in it anymore. He had clearly lost.
The prince got slowly up, glancing at his father while doing so. Lord Zang looked shocked of the short fight.
"You want to save your province so badly, thinking you're up to it?" Shen laughed. "If you really think so, then join me."
Hui hesitated. Just as his father bellowed 'NO', he bowed, looking down, and held other of his scimitars in his wings, offering it up to Shen. "Accept this as a sign of my loyalty, lord Shen", he announced, his expression unreadable.
Shen smiled wickedly. "I hope you understand that if you don't follow my orders to the letter, I'll call off this deal and Fei Cui will be at my sights again."
"I do."
"Good. I accept your offer, prince Hui Huang", Shen said and took the blade the prince was holding. "But I still want the money to seal this deal."
"What have you done!" lord Zang cried desperately, looking at his son in disbelief.
"GUARDS!"
The escorts that had waited outside poured now in from the opened doors.
"You will not get away from this!" the ruler aimed the words towards Shen. "Hui, get out of the way", he added.
The guards were getting closer. Shen narrowed his eyes. He casually threw the scimitar back to Hui, and then half-dozen sharp throwing knives appeared into his wings, seemingly out of thin air.
"Father, please, I gave him my word", Hui Huang turned towards his father, pained. He glanced at Shen, and saw infinite confidence. The guards would all die, he realized. "I did what I had to, for you and mother! I promise you won't lose me!"
Something moved behind Zang's eyes. He raised his wing to stop the guards, who obeyed immediately. Shen chuckled. Zang looked down, going through several emotions. Slowly he lifted his gaze back to his son. "I trust you." He smiled sadly. "I accept the deal. My son will join you with the money at sunset. But for now, you must leave", he stated firmly to Shen, leaving no space for objections.
"Very well, I shall wait", Shen responded, pushed the guards out of his way and left.
Hui Huang felt empty. He had no idea where he had put himself into, although he had claimed otherwise. All that knew was that everything would change, and that he had to do it. That was why he had trained all those years. That he could protect his family. That he wouldn't have to face that situation never again… That he could make up for his mistake. But he couldn't, ever, a little at the back of his voice said. Hui tried to ignore it.
Zang approached his son, and saw the state he was in. He couldn't bring himself to be angry to him anymore. So instead, he placed his wing on his shoulder and said: "I'm proud of you."
Slowly the prince shifted his gaze to his father, his eyes widened a little. "Really?" I thought I let you down again, he thought, but didn't voice it. He never did.
"Yes. But I gotta wonder, how you're going to explain this to your mother", a tiny bit of humor glinted at Zang's eyes.
Lady Mei Yu was heartbroken. No amount of assurance that he'd be fine from her son seemed to help. Partly because Hui wasn't sure himself if he'd be all right, and partly because that's how mothers are.
She had naturally tried to make him abandon the deal, but Hui had to do it. If not for anyone else, he owed it to himself at least.
He unceremoniously packed some things he thought he'd need. He sticked to keeping his armor on, as that was what he'd most likely need. Fortunately the raining had ceased for now.
As Hui descended downstairs to the main hall, he saw his parents waiting for him there. Hui gulped. He hated goodbyes. Not because he didn't want to say goodbye, but because of the emotions that it'd bring up. Hui preferred himself, well, staying cool. What he had said in the throne room was enough.
He had barely managed to set his foot on the hall floor when his mother already squeezed him in a tight hug. Wordlessly Hui accepted the embrace. There were some tears visible at Mei Yu's eyes.
"Do you really have to go?
"Mother, please…" Hui pleaded. "It's for the best of everyone."
"But not yours, or ours", she borderline sobbed.
The prince broke the embrace. "Then I will make it to be."
Lord Zang stepped in to give a heavy-looking sack to Hui. "There's the money for lord Shen, in gold." Hui took the sack and swung it to his back. "I know you can do it, son", Zang encouraged.
Hui nodded, but didn't know what else to say, and thus a silence landed for a moment. "I- I shouldn't keep lord Shen waiting", he finally noted.
"Yes… take care, Hui…" Mei Yu managed to smile weakly.
Hui breathed in deep and walked to the front doors, and then turned around to face his parents one more time. "Father, mother, I promise you this: I will find a way to end this. When this is over, I'll be back."
That being said, Hui hurried outside while he still was able to.
Hui didn't know much of their heading, but figuring from the latest reports of Shen's war efforts at Lin province, that was most likely their destination.
The journey had begun. The journey to the unknown. The journey to darkness.
A/N: Okay, what can I say? Seven friggin' thousand words O.o and only in half of the time that previous chapters took. But I kinda said I've been craving to bring Hui into this... :P
I'm a little unsure of the way I presented a few things, but overall I'm happy with this chapter. Now I can begin digging into Hui's thoughts... next chapter will contain some of my longest-planned events in the story. So, until the ch.4: Cike, I'd like a little more reviews. Big thanks to TotallyElena for her reviews, but seriously, I'm sure there's something worth of commenting in the story, let it be positive or negative. I don't mind criticism (I actually welcome it) as long as it isn't flaming.
TF out.
