Chapter 28 "One Final Change" (Part 1)
AN: I really just wanted to finish this story, I don't care that it has been so long that no one is reading it anymore. I'm not sure about my other stories, but I have some ideas. I broke the chapter up into two parts because it's really long, so I'll update that part in a few days. Thanks to everybody who reads this and leave a review if you wish.
Get Sin ran as fast as his legs would take him. His heart beat thunderously in his chest and his breath seemed short. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a man; bow in hand, fleeing the scene on top of a black horse. He turned his attention back to Gan Ning, who had sat up against the trunk of a large tree, his hands in his lap, and his eyes closed. Sin bent down in front of his brother and tried desperately to revive him. He called out his name and slapped him in the face, but his eyes did not move. He stood up and looked down at Ning. It slowly started to sink in. He was dead. Not able to look at his body anymore, he looked around the barren clearing. The sun was slowly rising over the horizon. Fires still burned throughout the forest, but the screams had begun to diminish. The horse still stood where Ning had fallen, he looked on quietly.
Seeing Ning's large broadsword laying on the ground, Get Sin walked over, picked it up, and walked back to Ning. He sat down next to the body and looked down on the blade. On it's shining surface, he saw his whole life go by. His happy, carefree life as a youngster, his lonely and despairing teen years, then his new life reunited with his brother in Wu. All these memories came flooding back to him. He looked at Ning, took a deep breath and spoke; "I guess that's it then. You've passed on and, as I swore, I will join you." Looking back to the broadsword in his hand, he saw another set of memories. "…Shang Xiang, Chan, I'm sorry."
Get Sin held the sword so he looked down at its sharp edge. He brought the blade up to his chest and held it at his throat. Just as he was prepared, he made a new decision. He stood up, holding the sword at his side, and looked down at Ning. "I will join you...but not yet." He looked out at the sun, "You see. It's the start of a whole new day. I have until the sun sets." He looked down the path the man had retreated on. "I have a few things left to do."
He bent down to place the large broadsword into Ning's hand. As he pulled his brother's hands apart, a small hidden blade fell to the ground. Get Sin stopped, picked up the small dagger, looked at it for a minute, and then put it in his pocket. Changing his mind, he placed Ning's hand back into his lap and stabbed the broadsword into the ground next to him. He quickly turned, ran to the horse, and got on it's back.
Get Sin pushed the horse forward a few steps, but already found himself turning to look back, he was shocked by what he saw. Hundreds of crows had already begun flying down and covering the tree. Get Sin had already been worried about some unseen enemy finding Ning's body, and now the thought of these crows ripping his brother's corpse to pieces was all that he could think of. He turned the horse around. The crows suddenly began to caw at him. It did not sound like the usual crow there was something different. It seemed as though they were telling him to go. He stared at them for a moment, mesmerized. He would not even allow himself to think they were talking to him, but every part of his being was telling him to trust them and go.
Get Sin finally realized that the crows were lamenting the loss as well. Gan Ning had been there champion, their role model. He had begun his life just as they had, as the scum of society, pirates and scavengers. Yet, Gan Ning had risen above that. He had become a great and honorable general, and had gained the respect of an entire nation. Now, with their example gone, they mourned for him. They were lost, but they would still do their part to protect the body. Get Sin thought himself crazy, but he nodded to them, turned around and went galloping down the same path as the murderer.
Sin and the horse traveled for quite some time. They passed by the northern bridge where they could see the destruction wrought by the fire. Thousands of burnt bodies lay all over. A few lucky soldiers still scrambled around but they completely ignored the enemy general. Get Sin moved unheeded through the charred forest and came to another clearing. Halfway through the clearing, the murderer was riding calmly on his horse. Even from where Sin was, he recognized the man, it was Shamoke. As Sin watched, his enemy joined with a small group of soldiers led by another general. Sin recognized this other general as well, it was Zhao Yun. None of them mattered though; Sin's only focus was the man that killed his brother.
Get Sin charged across the clearing. "Shamoke!" he yelled, stopping a short distance away from the small group. The group turned around and met Get Sin's stare. "Did you truly believe you could get away without a fight?"
Shamoke stared back at Get Sin, and finally recognized him, "ooh, your the guy from a few nights ago. Ha, you lived through the night and now you wish to just throw your life away in fight with me."
Get Sin didn't say anything else; he only continued to glare at Shamoke.
Shamoke could see his determination, "Fine, if it's a duel you want it's a duel you'll get." He dismounted. "You hear that Yun. We're going to fight, and there are going to be NO interruptions, no matter what."
Shamoke wielded his thousand-spiked mace and walked towards Get Sin. Stopping a few paces from Sin, he took up his stance. "Well?" he asked arrogantly.
Get Sin dismounted and set the horse free. He unsheathed his sword and took his stance in front of Shamoke. The two stood there for a while as if time had come to a halt. Shamoke had a smile on his face, while Get Sin continued to glare at him. So many thoughts were going through Sin's head, he was in no condition to fight, but he had no choice.
Shamoke's smile grew just before he attacked. He jumped forward and swung his mace down at his opponent' head. Get Sin snapped out of his thought and jumped back, barely dodging the weapon. Shamoke attacked again, swinging vertically at Sin's head. Sin dodged to his right and swung his own blade at Shamoke's open back. Shamoke blocked the blow with the metal bracer on his left arm, and then tried to uppercut Sin with his mace. Sin jumped back to avoid the blow. Shamoke recovered and attacked again. Jumping high in the air, his mace above his head, he swung his weapon as hard as he could at Get Sin's head. With no time to dodge the assault, Sin held his sword with both hands, horizontally, over his head. He closed his eyes as he met the blow. With all his strength, he was able to withstand the hit. He opened his eyes to see a hundred or so, sharp spikes less than an inch from his eyes. He pushed Shamoke back and the two fighters separated.
The two continued to fight ferociously for many rounds. They're exhaustion was finally beginning to show.
Get Sin dodged a blow to his left. In desperation, he charged at Shamoke. His attack was blocked and he was too close and tired to jump back. Shamoke dropped his weapon and wrapped his arms around Sin. He squeezed and shook the helpless Get Sin, causing him let go of his sword, it flung several feet away from them. Sin felt like he was being crushed. He couldn't breath and his bones giving out. In desperation, he rammed his head at Shamoke's eye, causing him to yell out in pain and release Sin from his grip. Get Sin quickly scrambled away to find his sword. Shamoke looked through one eye, and saw Get Sin with his back turned. Picking up his mace, he threw it at Sin with all his strength. Get Sin could feel the blow coming. Finding his sword, he turned around quickly with just enough time. He fell to the ground and deflected the mace, sending it flying off into the woods.
Now weaponless, Shamoke called to his soldiers, "Someone give me a weapon. You! Give me your sword."
A terrified soldier was about to give over his weapon when Zhao Yun stepped forward. "Sheathe that sword soldier, there are to be no interruptions in this fight."
Shamoke looked angrily at Zhao Yun then looked back at his opponent.
Get Sin had not even been able to stand up yet. He was weakly sitting on one knee, desperately trying to regain some energy, but it was slow. He looked down, breathing heavily, as the sweat dripped down from his head. This period of rest did nothing to help regain his strength; the only thing it did was give him time to think about what had happened and cloud his mind. Using his sword for support, Get Sin slowly made his way up. Finally standing, he looked up to see a weaponless Shamoke charging at him.
Unprepared and too weak to move quickly, he could only hold his sword up in defense. Shamoke pushed by it, allowing the blade to cut into his shoulder but now he had Get Sin defenseless. Shamoke tackled him and wrapped his arms around Sin, again. He held Get Sin up in the air squeezing the life out of him. Get Sin tried another head-butt, but this time Shamoke knew it was coming and blocked with his own forehead. Sin almost fainted right there, but was some how able to keep it together. He didn't have much time; he barely had enough energy to think. Finally, he remembered something. Reaching into his robe he took out Ning's small dagger. He stabbed it quickly into the nearest part of Shamoke's body. The blade cut deeply into his stomach. Shamoke screamed in pain, and just as he did Get Sin gathered up his strength and rammed his forehead into Shamoke's jaw. Shamoke released Get Sin and both warriors fell to the ground.
Both of them sat there, only two feet from each other. Both were completely exhausted, breathing heavily, and neither felt like moving. After a while, a smile appeared on Shamoke's face and he began to laugh.
"Ha-ha, this is truly an epic battle. This duel proves it…you and me…we are truly the greatest warriors here."
Get Sin looked at him. A large grin covered his face. Get Sin thought back to all those who died in this battle, both ally and enemy. Gan Ning's blood was on his hand. So many people had died, and here he was, laughing and mocking them. He didn't care about all these soldiers, he didn't care his army had lost. He was nothing but a bloodthirsty brute, not caring about anybody or anything else.
"Don't you agree? I dare you, name any better men in this world!" Shamoke finished.
Looking at this arrogant monster, Get Sin lost it. With newfound strength, he clenched his fist, and punched Shamoke hard in the stomach. Shamoke's head shot forward and his breath left him. Get Sin then grabbed tightly onto the dagger and ripped it out. Shamoke grunted loudly again. He couldn't talk, he couldn't move, he could only watch.
Get Sin held the dagger at Shamoke's throat. He glared angrily at the terrified man.
"My brother was a better man."
He drove the small dagger straight into Shamoke's neck, piercing it all the way through his throat. Shamoke gurgled for a second then fell over dead. Get Sin continued to stare at this lifeless body. He sat down and breathed easily.
Zhao Yun seeing the battle was over, sent his troops away. He turned his horse away from Get Sin, but looked back at him before galloping off. "So, what are you going to do now?" He asked.
Get Sin continued to stare blankly at the body, as he answered. "I…I don't know."
Zhao Yun let out a breath; he knew what Get Sin was going to do. "I know he was your oath brother and all…but…you don't have to…"
Get Sin didn't move. There was nothing Yun could say so he decided to stop. He turned around to leave.
"So we meet again, Get Sin was it?" Asked a new voice.
Zhao Yun turned around to see Pang Tong across the field. A group of crossbowman stood next to him, with their crossbows loaded and aimed at Sin.
