Qinghai, China, 1723


The reports of canon and musket fire filled the air. The stench of gunpowder hung heavy, throats, noses, and eyes stinging from the sulfuric discharge from the weapons. The moans of the wounded were the only sounds that could be heard over the constant ring of gunfire. Many surgeons and healers were hard at work, trying their best to ease the pain of their patients, no matter how difficult, even though Corporal Hu Chan had already preformed more amputations than he would care to count. But the bespectacled water deer, his fuzzy brows knitted together in concentration as he attempted to clean an arrow wound in a wolf soldier's shoulder, simply pushed the thought out of his mind.

The crowded camp of the 8th Royal Regiment was quiet, save for the distant sound of battle, as well as the moans and screams of the wounded and dying in the surgeon's tents. Stepping out from his own tent was a middle aged water deer, his tired emerald eyes scanning the rather gloomy scene of wounded or fatigued soldiers slumped against trees or each other, with a few stray groups either reading books or letters from home, or getting a hot meal in their bellies. Walking through the encampment, the old water deer traded nods with a few of the other soldiers who, quite frankly, had seen better days, if their dirtied blue tunics, beige pants with light blue wrist and leg wrappings was any indication. As he continued to walk through the camp, the old buck noticed a fresh faced young buck walking toward him. Upon stopping just five feet from the older buck, the young soldier gave a crisp salute.

"General," he said curtly. The action only earned him a small smile and pat on the shoulder as the older buck responded in a low and rough voice,

"At ease, son," to which the young buck did as such. The General's smile widened, as the young buck reminded him of himself when he had first joined the army. But now was not the time to reminisce, the General told himself, as it appeared that the young buck had something more to say.

"What is it, Private?" he asked in genuine curiosity, as well as concern that was brought on by the boys uneasy demeanor. General Hanfang always wanted his troops to know that they could speak to him about anything, no matter how difficult the subject. This is what made him different from all the other no-nonsense generals of the Imperial Army. But it also made him quite a worrier himself. Straightening up at being addressed by his superior, the young buck relayed the message he had been given to deliver.

"It's Captain Li," the private answered, "he wants to speak with you in the map tent." With a nod, Han left to meet with his captain, but not before giving the private another smile and pat on the shoulder. However, the smile soon faded as he began to wonder what Captain Li could want with him in the map tent, especially at such a late hour. Although, it might have something to do with their current situation.

Upon entering the map tent, Han noticed that the only occupant besides himself was a young, brown furred buck, wearing the same military garb that he was wearing, leaning over a map placed on a collapsible table, his neatly braided black and brown pony tail trailing down his back until it stopped just at his shoulders. Smiling at the buck he viewed as a son, Han decided to make his presence known, but in his own cheeky fashion. As quietly as possible, Han crept up behind his captain and, just as he was right on top of him, bellowed,

"CHANG!" Said buck, who was so engrossed in the map before him, jumped about a foot in the air. Wheeling around quickly on his heals, his right hand moving to the single-shot pistol he kept holstered on his left hip, the young buck's wide blue eyes landed on the beaming face of his general, who at this point was laughing heartily at his little joke. With a roll of the eyes, Captain Chang Li, try as he might, could not be angry with the man he had come to see as a second father to him and began to laugh with him as his grip relaxed on his pistol, all while joking,

"I swear Han," he laughed, "one day you are going to do that, and my pistol will be out and ready before you can even blink." With a roll of his eyes, Han continued to laugh as Chang extended his hand out, which the general gladly took in both of his. As he smiled at Han, Chang couldn't help but remind himself about how the General shared so much in common with his niece, whom Chang himself saw as a little sister. Noticing Chang's expression, Han chuckled as he asked,

"What?" With a chortle Chang Answered.

"I just keep forgetting how similar you are to Huifang, sir, both in appearance and personality." Han simply shook his head in amusement, silently agreeing with his Captain. Apart from his mustache-goatee combo, along with his bushy eyebrows and neatly kept pony tail, all greying with age and the stress of his position, Han was the spitting male image of his niece. With that in mind, a look of realization suddenly appeared on his face.

"Oh, speaking of Huifang..." Han was suddenly cut off as Chang pulled out a folded piece of parchment from an inner pocket from his tunic, smiling at the look of relief that appeared on Han's face as the latter took the the parchment.

"Arrived earlier this evening, right on schedule," Chang said, a smile still on his face. After a few moments of reading what was on the parchment, Han let out a sigh of relief.

"Huifang says she is settling in fine at the palace, and that the Poison Clan is glad to see her back. Also says that they've taken on a new member...a young doe by the name of Fa Jun." Sneaking a glance at his captain, Han let a cheeky smile form on his lips as he noticed that Chang's attention was greatly peaked at the mention of the clan of female water deer, with one member standing out the most to him. Although he never openly discussed it with the other men, Chang Li confided in his General that he had a very deep admiration for the Clan's leader, Jade Tusk, not just for her skill in combat, but also her actions during the defeat of Jindiao and the attempted coup by the Empress's advisor, Shi Long. With that admiration in mind, Han smiled cheekily as he continued to read.

"And to also tell you that Jade Tusk sends her regards." Han chuckled warmly as Chang stiffened at the mention of the emerald toothed doe. Catching on to Han's teasing smile, Chang quickly relaxed and scoffed playfully at the older buck before speaking.

"Well," he began, feigning annoyance with a half smile of his face, "if you are quite done, that letter is only a small part of reason I called you hear." Han's expression changed at that moment to utmost seriousness as Chang directed his attention to the map he had been surveying, at the corner of it, as Han noticed, a letter, which he took and began to read, taking in the very familiar hand writing, which, unnoticed by Chang, he gingerly touched, with longing in his eyes. But, before he could become too engrossed in the letter, Chang pulled his attention back to the map.

"The Dzungars have been pushed back to the Yellow River Basin," he began, his rich baritone voice laced with professionalism, "we are holding at the center, the Green Banners under General Song are holding them on the left flank, Red Banners under General Feng on the right. Last I had heard, the Dzungars were near the breaking point." Looking to Chang, Han couldn't help the look of confusion that appeared on his face.

"So, what is the problem?" Chang, still holding a passive expression on his face, answered.

"That was this afternoon," he said, a light tone starting to seep into his voice as he pointed to the letter in the General's hands. "The letter you are holding came in fifteen minutes ago from your 'special spy team.'" Looking to the letter, Han, with a nod of encouragement from Chang, continued to read the message. As his gaze danced across the parchment, Han's eyes began to widen at what he was reading. Upon finishing the letter, Han looked in front of him, staring at nothing before slowly turning to Chang, a small trace of a smile forming on the Captain's lips.

"The Dzungars surrendered?" Han rasped out. Chang, at this point, could not contain his excitement as a huge smile broke out across his tired face as he eagerly nodded.

"We did it, Han," he whispered gleefully, "we took Qinghai. It's over." After a few moments of processing the news, Han, with new found energy, began to laugh a full, hearty laugh, which was soon joined by Chang as the two bucks enveloped each other in a tight embrace, swaying back and forth in merriment at the welcome news of victory. The commotion itself drew the attention of some soldiers standing outside the tent who rushed in to see what was happening. One soldier, a young tiger named Long Chi, decided to speak up.

"Is everything alright, sirs?" the eighteen-year-old feline inquired. Breaking away from their embrace, Chang walked over to Long Chi, placing both hands on the latter's shoulders as he answered, all with a toothy grin.

"Better than alright, Long," Chang all but laughed out, "tell the men Qinghai is ours."


Ten Minutes Later...


Within ten minutes the entire camp was bustling with celebration at the news that the fighting between the Imperial and Dzungar forces was over. Despite the lateness of the hour, men were singing and dancing, while others helped themselves to extra rations, as well as a special treat of wine, courtesy of a nearby village. Two cups of said wine were in Chang's hands as he made his way to his and Han's shared tent, trying his best not to have spilled by the rambunctious soldiers.

Upon reaching his destination, Chang ducked down into the rather spacious tent, three candle stubs providing adequate light for himself and his general, who as he noticed, was laying down on his cot, wearing only his beige trousers and white under tunic, covered by a blue, gold embroidered waistcoat, reading over the letter that caused such joy within the ranks. Looking up from the letter, Han smiled at the cup of wine offered by the smiling captain before him. Taking the cup, Han sat up with a groan, earning him a chuckle from Chang, who decided to make himself comfortable by sitting on his own cot.

"Word has been sent to Her Majesty?" Han inquired hopefully, knowing that Empress Xiao would be overjoyed to hear the news of their victory. Taking a sip from his cup, Chang nodded as he glanced at the letter by Han's side. Pulling the cup away from his lips, Chang decided to continue pestering Han about a very sensitive topic.

"So are you going to tell me about your 'spies?'" he inquired with a chuckle. Feigning a contemplative expression, which was accompanied by a thoughtful hum as he sipped at his wine, Han playfully responded,

"No, I don't think I will." Rolling his eyes, Chang simply returned to his drink. But as he did so, one topic did cross his mind, a topic that was very often discussed with Han and the other Generals.

"Alright, well, Commander Gengyao wants to know what will be done about prisoners of war." With a hum of acknowledgement, Han spoke.

"Once their surrender has concluded, we send their boys back to their homes, shops, families, farms, the like." Taking another slow drag of wine, Han breathed a long sigh as the bittersweet liquid traveled down his throat. After a few moments he continued, giving further instruction on a rather controversial opinion.

"And the leaders, if they escaped, fled while my back's turned, that wouldn't bother me." Han then looked Chang in the eye to emphasize his next point. "When peace comes, Chang, it mustn't just be hangings." Opening his mouth to speak, Chang suddenly thought better of it. But one thing did weigh heavy on him about his general; he looked much greyer these days.

"By, outward appearance," Chang began hesitantly, "you are ten years older than you were a year ago." Han, with a vacant stare, merely hummed in agreement, which was followed by a moment of silence before he spoke again.

"Some weariness has bit at my bones." Looking at his half empty cup, Han sighed a sigh that Chang noticed was laced with sorrow. "I've never seen the likes of it before, Chang," he admitted, "what I've seen in this war." Chang's face softened as he looked upon his General, no, his friend in this very rarely seen, vulnerable state. Leaning forward, Chang began to speak.

"You knew what this was," he began in a gentle, comforting way, "what this was always going to be; intimate and ugly."

With another solemn nod, Han looked up from his cup, meeting the eyes of his most loyal captain and dearest friend. Setting his cup on the ground, Han motioned for Chang to do the same, which he did without question. Holding out both of his hands, Han flexed his fingers, a clear indication to Chang to offer his own. After doing so, Chang felt Han trace his thumbs over the tops of his hands. Their eyes meeting, Han reached up and gently cupped Chang's left cheek in way that a father would his son. Chang leaned into the fatherly gesture, eyes closing in content, glad he could cherish these private moments. Opening his eyes once more, Chang looked into the tear brimmed eyes of his friend, who with a shaky breath choked out,

"We've both made it possible for one another to do terrible things." Reaching up and grasping Han's right hand with his left, Chang brought it so that it was resting between them. While doing so, Chang brought up his left hand to cup Han's right cheek, using his thumb to wipe away the tear that finally had the weight to fall. Looking into Han's eyes, Chang spoke.

"We've won the war," he began softly, "now you just have to help lead us out of it."


Meanwhile...


In the deserted halls and chambers of the Hubei Volcano, a wolf, clad in dark grey robes, walked through the foreboding fortress, once the stronghold of the most feared criminals in all of China, now, a mere shadow of what it once was. Upon reaching the main chamber of the fortress, the wolf, a slender, brown furred female with orange eyes, knelt down as she bowed her head before a torn and tattered red flag, that which bore a black symbol of what appeared to be a feline. After a moment, a soft, raspy voice sounded.

"What is it, Mu Lang?" asked the voice impatiently. Raising her head in the direction of the voice, the she-wolf's orange eyes met pale blue as she relayed the news she had just heard from their most loyal spy.

"The Dzungars have surrendered, my lady." After a moment of silence, the dark and foreboding cave was filled with a bone chilling cackle.

"That is very good news, my child," the voice laughed, "very good new, indeed."


One Week Later...


After about another week, the last remnants of the Dzungar forces had been routed and had either surrendered or were in full retreat. But, per Han's request, Chang saw to it that the retreating forces were not pursued. While Chang never quite understood his general's methods when it came to war, it was not his place to question him. Besides, he knew that Han had a good heart, a heart that beat for his country, men, and of course, his family.

Looking around, Han smiled as the last remaining tents of the the regiment's camp was torn down. This war had been a taxing one, but it was good to know that his men would be getting some much needed rest. Just three days after the main Dzungar forces surrendered, the 8th Regiment received a letter for Her Majesty Empress Xiao herself, inviting them to the Forbidden City for a period of rest and relaxation. Seeing as how the Green and Red Banner Divisions of the Imperial Army, under the commands wolf General Lu Song and bear General Sun Feng respectively, entered the battle late, the Blue Banners under Hanfang were given top priority, which was perfectly fine with the men.

Upon hearing footsteps approaching him, Han turned to the source of the sound, smiling as soon as his eyes fell on his loyal captain, who was accompanied by Company Medic, Corporal Hu Chan. Closing the Distance between himself and the two other bucks, Hanfang greeted them with a broad smile and cheerful voice.

"Chang, Hu," he said brightly to both bucks who nodded in response, chuckling as they both offered a crisp salute, "at ease boys, this is not a time for formality, but rather a time for celebration." The two younger bucks smiled at their general's words, agreeing with him one-hundred percent. Looking to Hu, Han smiled as he addressed the bespectacled buck, his round eyeglasses settled on the bridge of his nose, framing his amber eyes perfectly as his bushy brown eyebrows raised in interest at what the general was clearly about to say. "How are things on your end, Hu?"

"Going fairly well, sir," Hu responded in a somewhat nasally tenor, "almost all of the men have been tended to. I am just grateful that Generals Song and Feng arrived when they did." Looking down briefly, Hu opened his mouth to continue, but the words seemed to be getting caught in throat, which seemed to worry his comrades.

"Hu, you alright?" Han worriedly inquired, leaning down slightly so that he was able to make eye contact. After another moment of silence, Hu, who at this point had become lost in thought, quickly recovered upon hearing Han's question.

"Truth be told, General," Hu answered, raising his head as he spoke "this war has just been hell. This last offensive in particular. I haven't seen so many bodies since Tibet."

Han and Chang nodded solemnly, remembering how three-years-ago the Regiment came upon a deserted battlefield in Tibet, where Imperial soldiers had been massacred by the Dzungars. The two were pulled form the memory has Hu continued to speak. "But it will be good to get some rest after everything that has happened." Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Hu smiled as he saw that it belonged to Chang.

"That it will my friend," he said with smile. Han smiled as well, sharing the sentiment expressed by his men. Looking around, Han could see that the camp was now completely dismantled. In a single clap, Han brought his hands together.

"Well," he said enthusiastically, "it looks like we are all set to leave. Chang, have the men fall into formation." With a broad smile, Chang responded.

"Yes sir," he said brightly before turning on heels, bellowing out, "REGIMENT, FALL IN!" Within minutes, the entire regiment was in four organized rows, each soldier with a musket slung over their backs, heads adorned with blue peak caps that matched their uniforms, as were Chang and Han's. At the forefront of the formation was Hanfang and Chang, being the regiment leaders. And just before them was a young private, a buck, that Hanfang recognized as the one he spoke to a week before when they had learned that they had won the war. In the bucks hands was a flap pole, adorned with the flag of the crest of the Imperial Family. With a smile, Han began to issue the order that would lead his men to a period of relaxation.

"REGIMENT," he bellowed, causing all soldiers to stand at attention, "FORWARD...!" Looking to the young buck in front of them, Chang noticed that he was about to step down on his right foot.

"Left foot, private," he corrected in whisper, smiling as the buck quickly corrected himself.

"Yes sir!" he responded curtly. Seeing that everything was in order, Han gave the final command.

"MARCH!" Soon the area was filled with the sounds of hundreds of marching soldiers, each filled with glee at the thought of the comfort that awaited them.


Meanwhile, in a small camp near the Yellow River Basin, still burning embers of a fire let out a violet hiss as they were extinguished by a bucket of water. As the ember cooled, a single figure, clad in a grey tunic, which possessed a hood that was currently covering their head, and pants with red trim, walked away from the makeshift fire-pit, bucket in hand as they made their way to cliff that overlooked the entire basin. Across the river itself, the figures heterochromic eyes, one gold and one blue, could make out the forms of the soldiers of the Red and Green Banners, clear out the remaining Dzungar forces. With a smile, the figure walked back to the little makeshift camp and began to dismantle the rather large tent that was set up. As the figure did so, voice sounded.

"It seems your boyfriend really knows how to kick butt, sister." Looking to the source of the voice, the figure could make out the form of a female snow leopard, clad in the same attire as them, but with wrappings that covered the top of her head, including her ears, sitting on a nearby tree branch. With a gruff chuckle, the figure responded with a distinctive female voice.

"Han is a good man, Wing, and a brilliant leader," she responded, still fiddling with the ropes that held the tent up, "but if it weren't for us, then only the universe knows what would have happened." Rolling her gold eyes, Wing, with impressive skill and flexibility, jumped out of the tree as she began to walk toward her sister.

"Please Su," she laughed, "you know that if it weren't for us providing that information throughout this whole thing, they'd be deader than dead." Upon hearing the latter part of her sister's rather blunt statement, Su suddenly froze in her current task, head bowed at the thought of Han and his men being slaughtered by the Dzungar forces. Catching onto her sister's sudden change in mood, Wing, realizing what she had said, let out a sigh as she knelt by her sister. Reaching up, she gently removed the hood that covered her sister's face, Revealing the face of one of the most feared criminals in China, Su Wu. But, this Su Wu was different. This Su Wu was calm and collected, but not the same calm and collected that resulted in devious schemes to rule China.

This Su Wu was redeemed.

"I don't want to think about that," Su finally responded, tears forming in her eyes, "we almost lost Wan in the war, I don't want to think about losing Han."


Flashback~Two Months Prior


"I HOPE THIS INFORMATION IS WORTH IT, SU!" Wing called out as she and her sisters ran through the forest, all while being chase by wolf soldiers of the Dzungar Army. With a somewhat agitated tone, Su responded.

"UNLESS HAN GETS THIS INFORMATION, HE AND HIS BOYS ARE WALKING INTO A TRAP!" Su practically screamed, using her impeccable kung fu skills and feline reflexes to dodge a musket ball and arrow aimed at her head and back, respectively.

"I KNOW YOU LIKE HIM AND ALL, SU," Wan called ahead, having a bit of difficulty keeping up with her sisters as she was constantly dodging the onslaught from their pursuers, "BUT THIS WHOLE SPY THING IS REALLY BECOMING A PAIN IN THE...!" Wan couldn't finish as she let out a piercing scream, brought on by her shoulder taking a direct hit from an arrow. Tumbling to the ground, Wan moaned as she attempted to stand up, but failing as she could not support herself on her injured shoulder.

"WAN!" Wing called after seeing her sister fumble to stand, only to collapse when pressure was applied to her wounded arm. Seeing the Dzungar soldiers approach her wounded sister, something in Wing snapped as she went into what could only be described as a feral rage. Leaping at the soldiers, Wing began violently slashing at them with the dagger she kept in one of puttees, several soldiers falling dead in just seconds. As this happened, Su ran up to Wan and, with a warning to her sister, pulled the arrow out of her shoulder, earning a groan in response. Looking into her sister's eyes, Su's heart broke as she saw the usually bright and optimistic golden eyes of her sister fill with tears of fear.

"It's okay, Wan," Su soothed, cradling Wan's head, "we are going to get you out of hear, you are going to be just fine." After a letting out a strangled sob, Wan nodded. With that, Su helped Wan to her feet. Looking to her other sister, Su was met with sight of Wing standing over the bodies if the Dzungar forces that had hurt their sister, the sound of her labored breathing filling the air. Gently, Su called out to Wing.

"Sister." Looking to Su, Wing began to relax at the sight of her little sister Wan, alive. She was pulled from her thoughts as Su continued to speak. "Get Wan back to camp, I NEED to get this to Han." Su presented a scroll that she had been carrying the whole time, a scroll that contained information regarding a Dzungar ambush on the Eight Regiment. With a nod, Wing took Wan from her sister and, after offering her luck, watched as her sister ran along to deliver her message.


Su was suddenly pulled from her memories as she was enveloped in a tight embrace as her sister offered her comfort.

"I know, I know," she soothed, stroking the back of Su's head, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." With a sniff, Su pulled away.

"No, it's alright," she said, "this is life after all. None of us can live forever." Looking into her sister's eyes with a smile, Su was suddenly pulled from the moment as she heard footsteps approaching them. Looking to the source of the sound, Su and Wing saw their sister Wan, clad in the exact same attire as his sister Wing, but with a piece of clothe covering her mouth and nose, approaching them, a scroll held tightly in her hand. Standing up, Su and Wing walked toward their little sister, both pulling each other into a tight hug, afraid to let each other go. Pulling away from each other, Su spoke.

"Hows the shoulder, Wan?" Moving her shoulder in a circular motion, Wan, after pulling her fac covering away from her mouth, responded with a smile.

"Much better, Su, but I think THIS is more important." Wan then produced a piece of parchment that was neatly folded. "I found this pinned to a tree. I think it's from Han." Taking the letter from her sister, Su could see that it was addressed to "My Trusty Spies." Opening the letter, Su began to read aloud to her sisters who listened on in intrigue.

"My Dear Wu Sisters, I thank you for your service to China, to the Imperial Army, and to Me. Please meet me in two days in the Forbidden City at Li's Bar at midnight, so that I may show my gratitude for all you have done. Best Wishes, Han." Smiling sweetly at the letter in her hands, Su looked to her sisters who were both sporting sly smiles. Catching on to her sister's silent teasing, Su quickly regained her composure.

"Shut up," she said with a laugh, "and lets get ready to head out."


The Imperial Palace, The Forbidden City, Beijing~ One Day Later


Xinshi was exhausted. The Chinese sparrowhawk fought to stay awake as she glided into the courtyard of the Imperial Palace, her blue and red trimmed uniform vest rather disheveled from her long journey. Landing with a huff, the sleek feathered avian fought to catch her breath, completely worn out from her journey. However, her energy was instantly restored when she looked up, her hazel eyes wide in surprise at what she saw. Standing just feet from her, two female water deer, clad in dark grey hanfus, bound at the waist by a black sash, had leveled there spears, the position of which put the tips just two inches from Xinshi's head.

"State your name and business," one of the water deer said in a low and rough voice, her blue eyes staring menacingly at the now nervous hawk. But, after taking a moment to recompose herself, Xinshi straitened herself up, bringing herself to full height, an impressive, by a hawk's standards, two feet tall as she took on a calm and collected demeanor.

"I am Xinshi," she began in a calm and respectable tone, although on the inside she was still very nervous, "Lieutenant and personal messenger of the 8th Royal Regiment of the Blue Banners. I have an urgent message for Her Majesty from General Hanfang." It was at that moment that Xinshi was very surprised to see the two does quickly retract their weapons.

"Follow us," the blue-eyed doe said curtly before turning on her heels, along with her companion as they began walking toward the steps that led to the main entrance of the palace. After taking a moment to register what was happening, Xinshi quickly spread her wings as she lifted herself into the air, gliding a short distance in order to keep up with the two cervines. Upon reaching the gate to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the blue-eyed doe's companion nodded to two other does who stood at the entrance, who in turn opened the large double doors that led into the throne room. However, upon entering the lavish space, Xinshi noticed the throne to be empty, which was quite odd.

"Excuse me," Xinshi inquired of the other doe, who looked down at the avian messenger with her stunning violet eyes, one covered by a long lock of fur, as she and her companion escorted her out of the main hall and down a side corridor, "but why are you leading me this way? Wouldn't the Empress accept my message in the throne room?" With a small smile, the doe responded.

"Normally yes," she answered in a light and sweet voice, which caught Xinshi off guard, but allowed her to surmise the doe was still at the very least a teenager, "but it is almost noon, and the Empress should be in the middle of her Kung Fu lesson." This really confused Xinshi.

"I didn't know Her Majesty knew Kung Fu," responded with a small smile of her own. However, that smile quickly vanished as the other guard interrupted the conversation.

"There is a lot you do not know about Her Majesty," she said rather coarsely, "and it will remain that way." The last bit was said with emphasis, particularly toward her companion, who nervously cast her eyes down to the floor.

"Sorry, Haoxin," the young doe said meekly, which upset Xinshi a little. Looking to her companion, Haoxin let out a groan as she pat the young doe on the back.

"Just remember Fa Jun, there is a time to speak, and a time not to. You still have much to learn." Smiling at the young doe who smiled in return, Xinshi relaxed as she took in the now pleasant aura. But the feeling soon vanished as they approached another set of double doors, once again guarded by two does. On the other side, Xinshi could hear grunts and groans, presumably from the Empress and her opponent.

Nodding to the guards, who quickly opened the doors, Haoxin and Fa Jun escorted Xinshi into the rather spacious training area, at the center of which was Empress Xiao, clad in a light green training qipao with red trim and black training pants, combating another doe, who was clad in dark grey training pants and chest wrappings that left her arms, shoulders, and midriff exposed. The doe, as Xinshi noticed, had only one long tusk, with what appeared to be a small piece of jade where the other should be. She was quickly pulled from her thoughts as Haoxin announced their presence.

"Your Highness, Jade Tusk" she said, bowing respectfully as Xiao turned to them, her body relaxing along with Jade's, their chests heaving from the exertion of their duel.

"Yes, Haoxin," Xiao responded in-between breaths, "what...is it." Looking down at Xinshi, Haoxin motioned for her to step forward, which she did, but with a noticeable spring in her step, which seemed to confuse Haoxin. Stopping just a few feet from Xiao, Xinshi presented herself.

"Your Highness," she said with an exaggerated bow, leading to Haoxin facepalming herself and Jade Tusk rolling her eyes.

Great, Jade thought to herself, another Po. However, Jade ceased her thought when Xiao responded to Xinshi in an overly courteous manner.

"Lieutenant Xinshi," Xiao said, a stoic expression on her face. The expression however quickly changed as a huge smile spread across Xiao's face, a smile that was gladly returned by Xinshi. "O-M-G, How's it going, GIRLFRIEND?!" Xiao greeted, getting down on her knees so that she could envelope Xinshi in a tight embrace. Pulling away from the embrace, Xinshi responded in a very lackadaisical fashion.

"Oh, Xiao, sweetie, you have no idea the things I have seen..."

"Excuse me, Empress," Jade interrupted, greatly confused by what had just transpired, "you know this hawk?" Looking back to Jade, Xiao eagerly nodded.

"Xinshi is one of my oldest friends," she responded brightly, turning back to said hawk as she continued to speak. "She was my father's personal messenger before she was assigned to the Blue Banners." Upon hearing of the late Emperor Kang Zi, Xinshi took on a somber repression, taking Xiao's hands into her wings.

"Speaking of the Emperor," she began, looking sadly into Xiao's eyes, "I am so sorry to about your father, Xiao. He was a good man, with a dutiful daughter." Upon hearing this, Xiao smiled warmly at her avian friend before a sudden thought entered her mind.

"OH, and speaking of the Blue Banners..." Xinshi quickly caught on to what Xiao was about to say.

"OH, RIGHT!" she exclaimed, quickly reaching for the scroll she had strapped to her back. After presenting it to her friend, Xinshi smiled broadly as Xiao opened the scroll, the smile growing as one began to form on the young lynx's face.

"General Hanfang and the Eighth Royal Regiment are on their way," she said brightly, her voice raising in pitch with excitement as she rose to her feet. "Haoxin," Xiao said, which caused said doe to snap to attention, "tell the others to send out word to the people! We are going to have a great citywide celebration when General Hanfang and his men arrive!" With a broad smile of her own, Haoxin quickly left the room, leaving Fa Jun behind. "Jun!"

"Yes Empress!" Jun responded rather stiffly, which went unnoticed by Xiao.

"Take this to Huifang," Xiao ordered excitedly, handing the startled doe Xinshi's message, "she is going to flip when she reads it!"

"At once, Your Highness!" And with that, Jun left the training hall, the great double doors closing as soon as she was out of sight, leaving Xiao, Xinshi, and Jade alone in the large space, the latter of the three walking to the edge of the main training area to pick up her discarded dark grey qipao, placing the red trimmed garment on before binding it around the waste with a matching read sash. While she did so, Xinshi and Xiao resumed their conversation.

"How IS Sweet Hui, Xiao?" Xinshi inquired, not noticing Jade perk her ears at the little nickname the sparrowhawk had for Huifang.

"She is doing very well, Xin," Xiao responded brightly, "in fact, she is actually my new personal advisor." Xinshi eyes widened upon hearing this.

"Really?" She said, slightly shocked, "I never took Huifang to be 'advisor material.'" Hearing Xinshi say this, Jade decided to interject.

"Huifang is actually more of a confidant than advisor," she said with a small laugh, earning her a playful chastising from Xiao.

"Now Jade," she warned playfully, "you know Huifang does give pretty good advise. Though I will admit, having her as an advisor actually does feel like having...a...sister." Xiao's voice trailed off, ending in a whisper as she said the last word of her sentence, a vacant stare present in her eyes. Looking at each other with a knowing expression, Jade and Xinshi decided to give Xiao some space.

"We will give you a moment, Xiao," Jade said, walking toward the entrance of the training hall, "just come out when you are ready." Once she was alone, Xiao dropped to her knees and bowed her head, a single tear falling from her eye as bitter memories began to resurface.

"I hope we can really be sisters again someday," Xiao whispered, genuine hope laced in her voice as she said one name, "Shi Long."


In another chamber within the Palace, one heavily guarded by several guards, sat the form of a lanky komodo dragon on the edge of her sizeable bed. The chamber itself was actually rather decorated. The furnishings, such as the bed frame, chairs, tables and cabinets were made of the finest wood in China. And the bed sheets were woven from the finest silk in the province. But, such lavish quarters were a great contrast from the circumstances in which it's reptile inhabitant was residing.

In the time since her plan to usurp the throne failed, Shi Long was kept under constant guard. But, the only kind of real social interaction she had was when her meals were brought to her, and by a very specific person each time. Also, as part of her punishment, she was confined to her quarters day-in and day-out, only being given time outside for one hour in the afternoon. Not that she minded being inside, as she preferred being in a shaded area. In fact, her quarters were specially renovated so that it was constantly shaded, with only a few streams of natural light leaking in from the edges of the windows.

But being alone and in the dark brought up very bitter memories for the violet-eyed lizard, as it was in these circumstances that she was deceived by a being she thought was her friend. A being that fooled her into thinking she could become Empress. And to do so, all she had to do was kill the man who had treated and loved her like a daughter, and had been able to reconcile with before his death, and betray then girl who had seen her as a sister. However, Shi Long's thoughts of doubt and regret were interrupted by the voice of very bothersome wolf.

"So Shi Long, have you thought about my offer." With a combination of a hiss and a snarl, Shi Long turned to meet the glowing orange eyes of the brown furred wolf who had been hounding her for the past month, laying down on HER bed.

"Go away, Mu Lang!" Shi long hissed, her eyes and pupils both narrowing into slits as she jumped to her feet, "I have already told you, my business with HER has ended." Shi Long's temper boiled even hotter when she heard the she-wolf begin to laugh as she rolled onto her side.

"You poor girl," she teased, shaking her head while doing so, "once you have made a deal with the White Bone Demon, there is no escaping her." Taking on a more serious look, Mu Lang added in an ominous tone, "your soul is hers." With wide eyes, Shi Long began to panic, her breath quickening as she realized the severity of her situation.

"No," she tried to deny, "you're lying! She can't do anything to me! She is powerless!" Mu Lang cruelly chuckled upon hearing this.

"There is a way in which she can regain her powers," she mocked, "and when she does, you are hers once again." Her fear now uncontrollable, Shi Long screamed in rage as she lunged at the obviously deranged she-wolf, who managed to dodge the attack with relative ease before disappearing in a cloud of smoke from a smoke pellet. Looking around frantically for the crazed canine, Shi Long whimpered as Mu Lang's evil cackle echoed off the walls of the chamber. Her peak reached, Shi Long fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself in a tight embrace as she sobbed.


With the Eighth Royal Regiment~Two Days Later


Night had fallen on the Regiment. But, lucky for them, Hu had managed to lead them in the direction of a nearby village he knew of, so the regiment would not need to set up camp. As it turns out, it was his home town, the population being made up of mainly water deer, with a few pigs and rabbits in the mix. By the time the regiment had arrived they were exhausted, but luckily Hu had gone ahead to inform the villagers of their arrival, so several inns and homes were opened to the soldiers who were heavily laden with fatigue.

In a modest two story house that was owned by Hu's family, Han was just getting ready to settle down in a spare bed that had been graciously prepared for him, a single oil lamp offering a decent amount of light, when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," he called softly. As the door opened, Han took in the sight of a blue-eyed buck, his beige fur concealed under a teal hanfu with river patterns and black trousers. Smiling warmly at the buck, Han continued to prepare for bed as the Buck started to speak.

"Is your room to your liking, General?" the buck asked in a gentle tenor voice, which resulted in a broader smile from Han as he turned to the buck.

"Perfect," Han said warmly, extending his hand to the buck, who gladly took it, "thank you again for taking us in for the night, Master Chan." With a small laugh, said buck responded.

"Please, call me Ni, General," Ni said brightly, "and besides, what kind of brother would I be if I turned Hu and his comrades away." With that, Han and Ni shared a good laugh before something crossed the former's mind.

"How is Chang settling in?" Han asked, genuinely curious about how his captain was fairing.

"Quite well," Ni responded, his smile never wavering, "he is actually down stairs playing with my little ones. He seems to be quite good with children." Upon hearing this, Han took on a somber expression.

"Well, there are times in war where you have to," Han said solemnly. Catching on to Han's meaning, Ni nodded in understanding.

"Of course. Goodnight General."

"Goodnight Ni." And with that, Ni left the room, closing the door behind him, leaving Han alone in the room. But not for long. Before Han could even turn around, a familiar scent hit his nostrils. Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, a sly smile crept on his lips as he recognized the strong cinnamon scent. "You're wearing the perfume I got you," he said teasingly. He was immediately answered by a female voice.

"I thought you might like it." With a role of his eyes, Han responded as he turned to face Su.

"And I thought we were going to meet at Li's." Approaching the buck with a seductive gait, Su batted her eyelashes as she offered her reason for being there.

"Couldn't wait," she whispered huskily as she wrapped one of her arms around Han's neck, raking her claws through his unbound mane, while the other reached under his unclasped tunic and began to rub his still surprisingly muscular chest. Han also noticed that Su was beginning to grind her hips against his. Realizing he had to put a stop to her actions, and quickly, Han reached up and pulled her hands from around his neck. With a sad smile, he spoke.

"Not yet." With a dejected expression, Su whimpered in want and need.

"When?" Pressing his forehead to hers, Han gently responded,

"Soon, my love, soon. But until then, we can't risk it, not with the men around." With a sigh, Su nodded in understanding, but her sad expression took on a more playful one, confusing Han.

"Well until THEN, let me give you something to look forward to." Before Han could react, Su pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss. After recovering from the shock, Han melted into the kiss returning it with equal passion. At one point, he even felt Su brushing her tongue against his teeth, begging for entrance, which he gladly granted. But, before he could relish in the feeling, Su pulled away, a sultry smile on her face as she backed away toward the open window from which she had entered. Before leaping out, Su looked back to Han, a disappointed, yet playful look on his face, and gave him a wink.

"Until then," she teased, earning a laugh as Han gave a small shake of his head.

"You are ONE bad kitty," he teased, leading to Su biting her bottom lip as she responded,

"The worst," before jumping out of the window and leaving Han alone in his temporary quarters.