Chapter 8:

Spread of Blood

Shang walked into the room, seeing Mulan fast asleep in their bed. He quietly shut the door behind him so he would not wake her up from her slumber. He couldn't get what the Emperor said about Mulan and that necklace out of his mind. He kept seeing visions of Mulan when she almost died that day the Mongols attacked, and pictures of her saving him and his men from the Orcs.

He shook his head, there was so much going on and it was driving him crazy. Once ready for bed he slipped under the covers right next to his wife. Turing to his side to face her, he began to wonder. Was the necklace ever going to be found, and if it did what would happen to Mulan if she put it back on?

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Nothing was working he moved side to side trying to get comfortable. In the process of trying to get comfortable he woke up Mulan. She looked at him seeing that he was on his back eyes open. She went towards him putting half her body on top of him. Shang placed his arms around her waist and rubbed them across her back.

"Shang what's wrong?" She asked in a quiet little whisper. Shang shook his head and looked the other way. Knowing that something was wrong she placed her small hand on his face and brought him back to look at her. "Please Shang tell me what's bothering you."

He sighed heavily he looked at her with such worry and fear. Mulan never saw him like this before, the only time she saw him like this was when she got hit with an arrow by one of the Mongols. "I'm afraid I might lose you....." He said bringing his hand up against her check.

"What do you mean?" Shang then chuckled to himself but it wasn't because it was funny, he chuckled because Mulan was the only one that could save them and she didn't even know it. This made Mulan utterly confused.

"Mulan that necklace that Ho Chi gave you is more powerful then you think."

"I don't think I understand?" Shang took a deep breath and began to tell her everything that the Emperor said to him. She could hardly believe it, that necklace was the one tool that could save China and the dragons and she didn't even have it.

"So what are we going to do then I don't have it anymore, It could be anywhere? And what about the dragons....what about Ho Chi.........." She stopped when she felt the warm touch of Shang's finger on her lips.

"I know, the Emperor is thinking of something all you have to do is stay in the palace where it is safe and you can't be harmed." Said Shang trying to reason and try to calm Mulan down.

"But what about Ho Chi and his kind, I can't just leave them, If I was suppose to protect them then I should........"

Shang interrupted her again, "But without the necklace you can't protect them." Mulan stopped realizing that he was right. She got off him and went to the side of him and laid her head down on his chest. He stroked her hair, he knew this was hard for her.

"I'm sorry" He said feeling guilty about all of this.

She sighed, "It's not your fault but if these Orcs do get powerful and I am still without the necklace, then I believe I wont be safe anywhere." Shang stopped stroking her hair, she was right. What if it did come to that, How would he protect her then? He put both his arms around her and held her tight in his grasp. She returned the comfort, feeling warm and safe in each other's arms.

"We'll think of something." Shang replied trying to forget what she even said, he didn't want to think of the worst at that time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning wasn't pleasant, It was a stormy and rainy morning. Making the air warm and moist. Mulan took her good old time fixing the bed. When she finished she plopped down on top of the bed and moaned. "Why did I have to get that necklace?"

"Because it was a gift from Ho Chi!" Mulan swan up into a sitting position to see her little red dragon friend Mushu. "Hey there Mulan."

"Hi, Mushu."She fell back down on the soft bed. "I take it you know that I lost the necklace and these Orcs want to take over." She said in a snobby yet stating the obvious. Mushu sighed he knew.

"Yes, I take it you already know what the necklace does do you not?"

"Unfortunately, yes I know." She responded rolling her eyes.

"Mulan, cut the attitude with me, I'm not here to play games now." Mushu demanded in an angry way. Mulan turned towards him in shock. Mushu never raised his voice on her before. "I went to see Ho Chi yesterday, and all I saw was dead corpses of dragons that have been killed by the Orcs."

Mulan panicked, "They are all dead! What.... What about Ho Chi don't tell me that he is dead too?"

"Easy girl, I think he is fine, I never found his body on the mountaintops so I think he is ok." He looked at Mulan who had her hands covering her mouth. She breathed in out, in and out. She was scared he could see it in her eyes. "Hey it's ok..."

"Mushu, I was suppose to protect them, help them and......And I wasn't there. We don't know where Ho Chi is or if he is even alive. Mushu.... I can't do this, I just don't know what to do." She said in sorrow and pain. She did not yell at Mushu, instead she tried to stay as calm as she possibly could. Mushu feeling her pain got on top of her shoulder and padded her on the back to comfort her.

"I'm sorry Mulan, I wish I could do something to help, but I don't have that kind of power. If Ho Chi is out there, he'll find the necklace and return it to you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was still storming, the wind was blowing hard making the rain move in all sorts of directions. Thunder and lighting filed through the sky. Darkness was all around them. The guards outside the palace walls walked back and forth protecting it.

A screeching sound blended with horses hooves came closer and closer. The guards panicked suddenly the cold steel of the Orcs swords went through their warm flesh.

The towering Orcs on horses knocked down the doors. They strength and power made it easy for them to knock the heavy doors down. With Chi fu right behind them, they continued galloping their way towards the palace.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Emperor, Shang and the young Captain Sang were in the palace talking amongst each other. The doors slammed open to reveal a young solder bleeding to death. "Their here the Orcs......They've come!" With those last words he fell straight to the ground.

"Get the men in here Now!" The Emperor ordered Sang, he looked at Shang to give him an order but he was already gone.

The solders all gathered around running in every direction to get into their places. Mulan and Mushu looked outside their door seeing what all the commotion was about.

"What's going on Mushu?"

"I don't know but I don't like the looks of it." He answered.

Mulan and Mushu both looked around at all the commotion. She then spotted Shang coming full speed towards her. "Mulan we have to get you out of here now!"

"Why what's going on?" Then all of a sudden the same screeching noise came again. Mulan and Shang turned their heads to see that it was the Orcs and they had fought with might against the men around them.

Shang without out word picked up Mulan in his arms and ran towards where the Emperor was staying. Chi Fu spotted them running, "Get her!" He yelled out to the Orcs. They looked in the direction he was pointing in and galloped their way towards them.

Shang made his way as quickly as he could avoiding everyone and everything as much as he possibly could. Mulan held a tight grip around his neck, she looked in back of them noticing that two Orcs were behind them coming full speed.

"Shang!" Shang looked behind them and ducked as the Orcs jumped over them. Shang quickly got to his feet and began to run away from them. They halted their horses and steered them in the direction at which they were running in.

"Shang, come on!" Sang called out as he held the door open for them to come in. He slid across the floor, Sang closed the doors with the help of the other men. The doors were closed shut. Shang took deep breaths. Mulan went up to him and began to hug him for comfort.

They hugged each other watching and listening to the pounding of the doors. The screaming of men, and swords clinging together. Then the roar of a dragon. Dragon? Everyone looked to the window and saw Ho Chi fly by. "Ho Chi, its Ho Chi!" Replied Mulan with excitement.

The doors slammed open and in came the Orcs. Solders went around Mulan and Shang and the Emperor to protect them. The Orcs stared at first then raised their swords and placed them in the air, then pointed them at Mulan.

"Rahhh................"Ho Chi came from behind them and blew his flam at them. Everyone was spread now fighting against the Orcs.

"Mulan, I see the necklace! We have to get it from Ho Chi." He said pointing to Ho Chi.

"How are we going to get it though?" Shang was listen to their conversation.

"Mulan, I'll take you over there." Mulan whipped her head over to face Shang.

"No! Shang it's to dangerous."

"How else will you get the necklace?"

"Fine...(sighs) Let's go!" Shang took out his sword and followed Mulan as she made her way towards Ho Chi.

"Going somewhere Mulan?" Chi Fu got in front of her and swan his sword in the air. Shang acted quick and moved his sword in front of Mulan to block the hit.

Shang gritted his teeth. "You'll have to come through me first."

Chi fu and Shang both worked in maneuvering each other's moves. Shang was easily betting Chi fu now. Shang droved his sword into Chi Fu. Chi Fu fell to the ground with a big thud.

"Rahh.........." Mulan heard Ho Chi from the distance, seeing that he was being covered by the Orcs. She ran over to him and pushed them out of the way, Ho Chi pointed to her necklace on his neck. She took the necklace and began to try to put it on when......

"Ah............" A cry escaped Shang, one of the Orcs had stabbed Shang in the side. He fell to his knees clutching at the pain.

Mulan looked over to him and screamed out his name, "Shang!........." She ran towards him watching as he fell to the ground. She bent over him holdings his hands in hers. "Shang please stay with me, please Shang!" She gasped at the site of his huge gash in his side.

"Mulan, I.....I....." She placed a finger on his lips. Tears flowed down both their faces.

"Don't leave me ok." She whispered to him, pleading for him to stay alive.