Part 1
Rise of the Stars
Chapter 3
Escapade
After the second day, life took a normal pattern at the palace. For about three weeks the schedule was: Wake up, go to training, train until sunset, take a bath, and go to sleep. At first, training was a truly difficult, but after weeks of performing the same blocks, it became somewhat monotonous, but just as exhausting. After those three short weeks, Rai Tso informed Zhang He that he had master blocking and could get on to basic attacks, though this was not as wonderful as he had expected. It mostly consisted of executing forward slashes, then naming and performing the block that was used to protect you from it. Rai Tso also said that at the rate they were getting on Zhang He will have mastered the Metals Talons completely in a year, and that he was going into battle in less than two months. This last bit was not exactly good news to him. He was totally sure he would be slaughtered in an instant on the cruel fields of battle. At least he knew about one hundred different blocks. Yuan Shao was still a kind but strict master. He would check in on Zhang He's progress every couple of days or so to see that it was coming along nicely. He also had heard little from Guo Tu. Occasionally he would spot him consulting with Yuan Shao while training or walking down the halls, where Guo Tu would pause and sent nasty looks in his direction, but other than that, they left each other alone. At times he would go down and visit the seemly ever-drunk Hua Zhu at the stables when his training that day was short. They talked about different things, news of the Han, who had a son, who had been slain in battle, and sometimes Zhang He would brush the well- fed horses. When he wasn't doing anything at the time, Zhang He would sometimes walk over to the edge of the palace and gaze down at the dark forest in hopes to see the elusive dragon. He was always tempted to sneak down there at night and show Guo Tu, but he did not want to get on bad terms with Yuan Shao this early at becoming his bodyguard. But still the wonderfully evil pleasure of the thought of Guo Tu's face when he found out that Zhang He had one this small battle always tempted him even more. He was gradually getting well known at the palace. He could sometimes hear people talking about "The New Bodyguard" or Yuan Shao would introduce him to warlords he could never remember the names of. After a particularly tough day of training during the middle of the third week, Zhang He realized that his stamina was growing. He no longer was totally tired out after a day of training. He could also feel the muscles in his arms and legs getting harder and starting to shape. He liked to pose in front of the mirror for himself; pleased at the way his body was coming along. After a few more training sessions Rai Tso, she even noticed that he was getting more physical. "Have you realized you've been here for an entire month, Zhang He?" She said one day before training had begun. "It's seemed like a lot less!" Zhang He said in Slight disbelief. "You know..." Rai Tso began "Out of all the student I've ever had, I like you the best Zhang He." "Wow, thank you." Zhang He realized that she had been more of a mother to him than his own. She had died when he was very young, but his memories of her weren't very nice. Rai Tso was always very kind to him, even though he had sometimes been quite rude. "Well, shall we begin?" She said brightly. "Alright, I'm ready!" Zhang He said. "We're starting out with some basic blocks again, ok? Here I come!!" She said charging forward. He blocked her very first attacks easily, and she backed off a little. She feigned an attack once, but Zhang He saw through it. Just as she was about to charge at him again, he felt something small and hard hit him in the back of the head. He turned to see what hit him, and realized his terrible mistake. The cold metal tore into his soft skin and he felt his warm blood trickle down his chest. Rai Tso screamed and he cried out in agony, clutching his injured body. "Oh my God, Zhang He! Are you alright?" Rai Tso said rushing over to his crumpled figure. "Is there a problem here?" Said a cold voice from above. Zhang He open his streaming eyes, and looked up at the grinning face of Guo Tu. "We were training." She was almost crying, "He looked back, and I just couldn't stop!" "My, my, first rule of training is always keep your eyes on the instructor!" Said Guo Tu, stooping down towards Zhang He's wincing face. Blood was staining the expensive silk shirt. Guo Tu brought his face next to Zhang He ear and whispered. "And am so sorry about throwing that rock, I truly am." Zhang He glared at Guo Tu and longed to slash him across the chest. Guo Tu rose to his feet and brushed off his clothing. "I must go and inform Lord Yuan Shao about this.mishap." He said in a wickedly cheerful way, and strode off out of sight. Zhang He was beginning to get light headed from loss of blood. Rai Tso picked him up and rushed off to a part of the castle he was not familiar with. She stumbled inside the large building and laid him down on a bed. She tore off his shirt and began to use it as bandaging to stop the blood flow. He blinked several times and his vision blurred. What a simply wonderful way to die. He thought sarcastically. He closed his eyes and tried to clutch his body again, but he was losing strength. After a few seconds, he was out cold.
"Will he be alright? I really don't want to get a new bodyguard, I even liked this one some." "Well, I'm doing my best to help him.he looks like he might come to." "I will allow you to pause in your usual duties to care for him until he regains his strength." Rai Tso and Yuan Shao were speaking in hushed voices, but Zhang He could hear them. He heard Yuan Shao get up and leave and Rai Tso thank him and bid him farewell. She walked around and sat in a chair next to the bed Zhang He was in. He felt a cool hand touch his face and he tried as best as he could to jerk it off. "Are you awake?" Rai Tso said, mildly surprised. He opened he eyes with effort and saw the inquisitive face of Rai Tso. Her reddish hair was let down instead of in it's usual bun. "Barely." Zhang He managed to say. "You gave me quite a scare, I thought I'd killed you. That sort of wound has killed, you know." She said softly. Zhang He looked around, feeling very drowsy. He was in a chamber much bigger than his room. There was an elegant dark blue color to most things in the room. The bed he was in was gigantic, probably able of fitting two people very comfortably. "Where am I?" Zhang He said, touching his throbbing temple. "This is my room, I would've taken you to yours, but I didn't know where it was, and I didn't exactly have time to search." Rai Tso said looking around her spacious chambers. "You have all this space to yourself?" Zhang He asked. He was beginning to regain full consciousness. "I used to share it with someone." Rai Tso said almost inaudibly. "Your husband?" Zhang He said. He then just realized he might have asked too much. ".Yes, we shared many a happy year living here, my son was born in this room as well. He would have been around your age now, I except." Rai Tso said, turning away from Zhang He's gaze. "Oh." He didn't know what else to say. He supposed something terrible had happened to them both, but he didn't have the heart to ask. "Next month it'll be five years." Rai Tso continued, voice quivering. "I miss them both terribly." There was a long pause, and then Rai Tso tilted her head down. "They should never make children go to war." "I- I'm sorry." Zhang He said. He felt terrible not knowing what to say to her, but she seemed to understand. "I'm very grateful to you, Rai Tso." Zhang He said, trying to sit up. His chest was still hot with pain. "You should sleep," She said "You need to regain your strength." And there was no more said. Zhang He stayed in Rai Tso's room regaining his strength for another two days. They talked about simple things such as the weather. After he was feeling better, he went back to his own room. It felt better to sleep in his own bed and walk around the castle at his will. He fell asleep that night feeling well rested and ready for training. He felt it was unnecessary to tell Yuan Shao that Guo Tu had been the cause of his injury; he didn't think it would be that life changing if he did. Training resumed regularly, he was moving on to more advanced attack patterns now. Guo Tu would glace at his if daring to tell Yuan Shao what he had done. Zhang He would glare back in horribly fake, friendly sort of way. He was starting to experience many a sleepless night now; he would stare around at things for hours and hours in the dark. One night, when Zhang He just began to drift off in the early hours of the morning, he heard footsteps in the hall. He crept silently to the door, peered out. Someone was making his way slowly down the hall. He was very tall and wore all black. Zhang He shut the door quickly, trying not to make a noise. He leapt back into his bed and pretended to be asleep. He closed his eyes very tight and felt the rush of adrenaline in his body. The door opened slightly, letting a crack of light in. Zhang He heart pounded faster and faster. The man poked his head inside and peered around. He walked in cautiously. Zhang He let out a slight whimper and hugged himself. I have to be brave.I'm a bodyguard! He thought. The man looked over at his bed, paused, then exited the room. Zhang He sighed loudly, eyes still wide. He sat up, sweat rolling down his face. He had to follow him. What if that man was a thief of a murderer? It was his duty to protect Yuan Shao. He snapped on the Metal Talons, and stealthily slipped outside. He tried to remember everything he learned in his training, as he followed behind the footsteps of the tall man. They twisted through passageways, and every room the man got to, he would peer inside, and look to see who was sleeping in each bed. He was definitely looking for someone. After checking every bedroom in the building, he started to go forward to the north exit. As then man went through the door, Yuan Shao's voice rang in his head. "I also must remind you that you are not to be out after dark under any circumstances, Of course you shouldn't be outside after dark anyway!" He quickly overruled this in his head, if he didn't follow the man, there might not be any Yuan Shao left to punish him. He glided outside and caught a glimpse of the dark forest below. He quickly located the man and resumed following him. He weaved into the courtyard and spied the biggest building in the palace, obviously where Yuan Shao would put his chambers. The man tore off quietly in this direction, with Zhang He about six feet behind. He was ready at any moment to administer a finishing blow to the midnight trespasser; he just hoped it wouldn't be a terrible mistake. After a couple of minutes the tall man reached the entrance to the huge building. He tested the door to make sure it didn't squeak the disappeared inside. Inside of this building, there was barely any light at all to go by, which gave the man a small advantage. He would melt into darkness, and then appear for only a brief moment before he was lost again. Zhang He knew very well he was breaking two very imperative rules, if he was caught or this was a mistake, he would be most certainly released from Yuan Shao's troops. In the midst of all this thinking, Zhang He had lost sight of the man. He blindly went forward, trying to catch him again. He walked down a long hall for a very long time with still not as much as a sound of the assumed assailant. He then stopped and leaned against the wall, maybe he had passed the man. Suddenly, a harsh whisper rang out. "What are you doing here!?" There was no mistaking that voice; it was the last person Zhang He wanted to meet right now, Guo Tu. "I could ask you the same thing! Our rooms are in the same building, you're not allowed to be here either!" Zhang He said quietly. "I came and followed you when I saw you sneaking around! You came into my room and peered at me!" Guo Tu said in slightly more than a whisper. "Shut up, you moron! There's a trespasser in the palace, I think he's after Yuan Shao." Zhang He explained. "I'm going to report you right now, you-" But whatever he was, he never knew, Guo Tu screamed and Zhang He saw two thick arms holding him down. The man heard Zhang He and Guo Tu bickering in the halls, and now he had seized Guo Tu and clasped a huge hand around his mouth. He then took his massive and started to squeeze Guo Tu throat. He made sickening choking sound and tried feebly to remove the iron like hands. This was enough evidence for Zhang He to tell that this man was up to no good. He picked up one clawed and brought it down into the man's back. He obviously had no idea that Zhang He was armed, because he cried out and dropped Guo Tu. I can't stop now, I've got to kill! Zhang He thought in a panic. He swung his Metal Talons in the direction of the angry man. It was hard to see in the dark, but Zhang He could tell the man had drawn a long, silvery sword. This blade seemed to give off an odd radiance, and Zhang He could see where it was. He performed the graceful blocking moves he had practiced every day in training. The man swung the sword with such a force, that it knocked Zhang He off his feet, even though he was blocking. He was in a very bad position; he was lying on the floor with all his defense options down. Out of instinct he rolled back, and saw the sword sink into the wood floor where his head had been lying just moments ago. "Die already!" Yelled the cruel voice from the man, as Zhang He blocked several more attempts at an attack. He thought fast and pinched the sword between the two talons and wrenched it out of the man's hands. He then performed a well-placed kick with flung the man to he floor. It was now or never, kill or be killed! He made sideways slash across the man's throat, and heard him gasp horribly for a chance to survive. The man wriggled around, hands trying to stop the river of life escaping from his open throat. Something strange then overtook Zhang He. He stared at the pitiful sight below him and dropped to his knees. He almost felt the extreme pain the man was in. He watched the last moment ebb away and all was still and silent save Guo Tu's quiet gasps. Blood flowed around his legs and Zhang He stared forward. A horrible sorrow had wrenched his heart; he had claimed a human life.He had killed someone. This man probably had a wife and sons, a family waiting for him to return. He was suddenly reminded of Rai Tso, of the forgotten look on her face. He felt a tear roll down his cheek. Why am I crying? I'm a man, men don't cry. He hid his face with his hands. Winning a duel was not filled with glory, it was terrible. "What have I done?" He said to himself. He heard the Palace around him slowly peer outside to see what had happened. He heard Yuan Shao's booming voice over the soft murmur. "What's going on, what's happening? I heard screaming?" Yuan Shao said, sweeping down the hall. Zhang He looked at the Talons; there was still blood on them. "My God." Yuan Shao said when he saw the dead man "Zhang He, did you do this?" He inquired breathlessly. Zhang He stood up and faced the small crowd. "I did." He hung his head. "Do you know who this man was?" Yuan Shao said. He knew what was coming; he had made that terrible mistake. "He was killing Guo Tu, I just couldn't sit there and let him die! I'm sorry, so sorry, my lord, please forgive me." Zhang He said, dropping down on his hands before Yuan Shao. "Forgive you! FORGIVE YOU!?" Yuan Shao let out an enormous laugh "Zhang He, this man has been out for my head ever since I was young! I should make you my second in command, not forgive you!" Everybody around began to talk amongst themselves. Yuan Shao pulled Zhang He up by his arm and looked around at everyone. "This boy is a hero everyone! He has saved my life by killing the evil Fang Gao!" The quiet chatter grew to a small roar, and Zhang He smiled. "What a good find you were! Your father would be very proud!" Yuan Shao said, patting Zhang He on the back. Zhang He looked down at the dumbstruck Guo Tu. He looked so stupid there sitting on the ground, with his eyes wide, that Zhang He smiled even more broadly. "You can go back to your room and get some sleep, and tomorrow we'll see what we can do about a reward!" Yuan Shao said, "Oh, and will you please escort him back to his room, he will receive a punishment later on.I have to get someone to clean this mess up." Yuan Shao said, looking around for someone to do he job. The others, upon hearing this, slowly started to enter back into their own bedchambers. "Come on, Guo Tu, let's head back." Said Zhang He offering him a hand. Guo Tu Helped himself back onto his feet, and charged off towards the exit. Zhang He looked back at the remains of the killer, and he no longer felt remorse. He was a horrible man; he had only been after Yuan Shao's head. It now seemed that Zhang He had done something extremely good in his own mind. He walked off in the direction of his room, and stepped into the cool night air. The long walk back seemed a lot shorter when his mind was full of thought. He pushed open the door, stepped in, and then shut it with care. He pulled of his dirty, blood-soaked clothes, and made use of another pair in the wardrobe. He sat down at his table and stared off into space. He lie down on the less than comfortable floor and fell immediately asleep.
Rise of the Stars
Chapter 3
Escapade
After the second day, life took a normal pattern at the palace. For about three weeks the schedule was: Wake up, go to training, train until sunset, take a bath, and go to sleep. At first, training was a truly difficult, but after weeks of performing the same blocks, it became somewhat monotonous, but just as exhausting. After those three short weeks, Rai Tso informed Zhang He that he had master blocking and could get on to basic attacks, though this was not as wonderful as he had expected. It mostly consisted of executing forward slashes, then naming and performing the block that was used to protect you from it. Rai Tso also said that at the rate they were getting on Zhang He will have mastered the Metals Talons completely in a year, and that he was going into battle in less than two months. This last bit was not exactly good news to him. He was totally sure he would be slaughtered in an instant on the cruel fields of battle. At least he knew about one hundred different blocks. Yuan Shao was still a kind but strict master. He would check in on Zhang He's progress every couple of days or so to see that it was coming along nicely. He also had heard little from Guo Tu. Occasionally he would spot him consulting with Yuan Shao while training or walking down the halls, where Guo Tu would pause and sent nasty looks in his direction, but other than that, they left each other alone. At times he would go down and visit the seemly ever-drunk Hua Zhu at the stables when his training that day was short. They talked about different things, news of the Han, who had a son, who had been slain in battle, and sometimes Zhang He would brush the well- fed horses. When he wasn't doing anything at the time, Zhang He would sometimes walk over to the edge of the palace and gaze down at the dark forest in hopes to see the elusive dragon. He was always tempted to sneak down there at night and show Guo Tu, but he did not want to get on bad terms with Yuan Shao this early at becoming his bodyguard. But still the wonderfully evil pleasure of the thought of Guo Tu's face when he found out that Zhang He had one this small battle always tempted him even more. He was gradually getting well known at the palace. He could sometimes hear people talking about "The New Bodyguard" or Yuan Shao would introduce him to warlords he could never remember the names of. After a particularly tough day of training during the middle of the third week, Zhang He realized that his stamina was growing. He no longer was totally tired out after a day of training. He could also feel the muscles in his arms and legs getting harder and starting to shape. He liked to pose in front of the mirror for himself; pleased at the way his body was coming along. After a few more training sessions Rai Tso, she even noticed that he was getting more physical. "Have you realized you've been here for an entire month, Zhang He?" She said one day before training had begun. "It's seemed like a lot less!" Zhang He said in Slight disbelief. "You know..." Rai Tso began "Out of all the student I've ever had, I like you the best Zhang He." "Wow, thank you." Zhang He realized that she had been more of a mother to him than his own. She had died when he was very young, but his memories of her weren't very nice. Rai Tso was always very kind to him, even though he had sometimes been quite rude. "Well, shall we begin?" She said brightly. "Alright, I'm ready!" Zhang He said. "We're starting out with some basic blocks again, ok? Here I come!!" She said charging forward. He blocked her very first attacks easily, and she backed off a little. She feigned an attack once, but Zhang He saw through it. Just as she was about to charge at him again, he felt something small and hard hit him in the back of the head. He turned to see what hit him, and realized his terrible mistake. The cold metal tore into his soft skin and he felt his warm blood trickle down his chest. Rai Tso screamed and he cried out in agony, clutching his injured body. "Oh my God, Zhang He! Are you alright?" Rai Tso said rushing over to his crumpled figure. "Is there a problem here?" Said a cold voice from above. Zhang He open his streaming eyes, and looked up at the grinning face of Guo Tu. "We were training." She was almost crying, "He looked back, and I just couldn't stop!" "My, my, first rule of training is always keep your eyes on the instructor!" Said Guo Tu, stooping down towards Zhang He's wincing face. Blood was staining the expensive silk shirt. Guo Tu brought his face next to Zhang He ear and whispered. "And am so sorry about throwing that rock, I truly am." Zhang He glared at Guo Tu and longed to slash him across the chest. Guo Tu rose to his feet and brushed off his clothing. "I must go and inform Lord Yuan Shao about this.mishap." He said in a wickedly cheerful way, and strode off out of sight. Zhang He was beginning to get light headed from loss of blood. Rai Tso picked him up and rushed off to a part of the castle he was not familiar with. She stumbled inside the large building and laid him down on a bed. She tore off his shirt and began to use it as bandaging to stop the blood flow. He blinked several times and his vision blurred. What a simply wonderful way to die. He thought sarcastically. He closed his eyes and tried to clutch his body again, but he was losing strength. After a few seconds, he was out cold.
"Will he be alright? I really don't want to get a new bodyguard, I even liked this one some." "Well, I'm doing my best to help him.he looks like he might come to." "I will allow you to pause in your usual duties to care for him until he regains his strength." Rai Tso and Yuan Shao were speaking in hushed voices, but Zhang He could hear them. He heard Yuan Shao get up and leave and Rai Tso thank him and bid him farewell. She walked around and sat in a chair next to the bed Zhang He was in. He felt a cool hand touch his face and he tried as best as he could to jerk it off. "Are you awake?" Rai Tso said, mildly surprised. He opened he eyes with effort and saw the inquisitive face of Rai Tso. Her reddish hair was let down instead of in it's usual bun. "Barely." Zhang He managed to say. "You gave me quite a scare, I thought I'd killed you. That sort of wound has killed, you know." She said softly. Zhang He looked around, feeling very drowsy. He was in a chamber much bigger than his room. There was an elegant dark blue color to most things in the room. The bed he was in was gigantic, probably able of fitting two people very comfortably. "Where am I?" Zhang He said, touching his throbbing temple. "This is my room, I would've taken you to yours, but I didn't know where it was, and I didn't exactly have time to search." Rai Tso said looking around her spacious chambers. "You have all this space to yourself?" Zhang He asked. He was beginning to regain full consciousness. "I used to share it with someone." Rai Tso said almost inaudibly. "Your husband?" Zhang He said. He then just realized he might have asked too much. ".Yes, we shared many a happy year living here, my son was born in this room as well. He would have been around your age now, I except." Rai Tso said, turning away from Zhang He's gaze. "Oh." He didn't know what else to say. He supposed something terrible had happened to them both, but he didn't have the heart to ask. "Next month it'll be five years." Rai Tso continued, voice quivering. "I miss them both terribly." There was a long pause, and then Rai Tso tilted her head down. "They should never make children go to war." "I- I'm sorry." Zhang He said. He felt terrible not knowing what to say to her, but she seemed to understand. "I'm very grateful to you, Rai Tso." Zhang He said, trying to sit up. His chest was still hot with pain. "You should sleep," She said "You need to regain your strength." And there was no more said. Zhang He stayed in Rai Tso's room regaining his strength for another two days. They talked about simple things such as the weather. After he was feeling better, he went back to his own room. It felt better to sleep in his own bed and walk around the castle at his will. He fell asleep that night feeling well rested and ready for training. He felt it was unnecessary to tell Yuan Shao that Guo Tu had been the cause of his injury; he didn't think it would be that life changing if he did. Training resumed regularly, he was moving on to more advanced attack patterns now. Guo Tu would glace at his if daring to tell Yuan Shao what he had done. Zhang He would glare back in horribly fake, friendly sort of way. He was starting to experience many a sleepless night now; he would stare around at things for hours and hours in the dark. One night, when Zhang He just began to drift off in the early hours of the morning, he heard footsteps in the hall. He crept silently to the door, peered out. Someone was making his way slowly down the hall. He was very tall and wore all black. Zhang He shut the door quickly, trying not to make a noise. He leapt back into his bed and pretended to be asleep. He closed his eyes very tight and felt the rush of adrenaline in his body. The door opened slightly, letting a crack of light in. Zhang He heart pounded faster and faster. The man poked his head inside and peered around. He walked in cautiously. Zhang He let out a slight whimper and hugged himself. I have to be brave.I'm a bodyguard! He thought. The man looked over at his bed, paused, then exited the room. Zhang He sighed loudly, eyes still wide. He sat up, sweat rolling down his face. He had to follow him. What if that man was a thief of a murderer? It was his duty to protect Yuan Shao. He snapped on the Metal Talons, and stealthily slipped outside. He tried to remember everything he learned in his training, as he followed behind the footsteps of the tall man. They twisted through passageways, and every room the man got to, he would peer inside, and look to see who was sleeping in each bed. He was definitely looking for someone. After checking every bedroom in the building, he started to go forward to the north exit. As then man went through the door, Yuan Shao's voice rang in his head. "I also must remind you that you are not to be out after dark under any circumstances, Of course you shouldn't be outside after dark anyway!" He quickly overruled this in his head, if he didn't follow the man, there might not be any Yuan Shao left to punish him. He glided outside and caught a glimpse of the dark forest below. He quickly located the man and resumed following him. He weaved into the courtyard and spied the biggest building in the palace, obviously where Yuan Shao would put his chambers. The man tore off quietly in this direction, with Zhang He about six feet behind. He was ready at any moment to administer a finishing blow to the midnight trespasser; he just hoped it wouldn't be a terrible mistake. After a couple of minutes the tall man reached the entrance to the huge building. He tested the door to make sure it didn't squeak the disappeared inside. Inside of this building, there was barely any light at all to go by, which gave the man a small advantage. He would melt into darkness, and then appear for only a brief moment before he was lost again. Zhang He knew very well he was breaking two very imperative rules, if he was caught or this was a mistake, he would be most certainly released from Yuan Shao's troops. In the midst of all this thinking, Zhang He had lost sight of the man. He blindly went forward, trying to catch him again. He walked down a long hall for a very long time with still not as much as a sound of the assumed assailant. He then stopped and leaned against the wall, maybe he had passed the man. Suddenly, a harsh whisper rang out. "What are you doing here!?" There was no mistaking that voice; it was the last person Zhang He wanted to meet right now, Guo Tu. "I could ask you the same thing! Our rooms are in the same building, you're not allowed to be here either!" Zhang He said quietly. "I came and followed you when I saw you sneaking around! You came into my room and peered at me!" Guo Tu said in slightly more than a whisper. "Shut up, you moron! There's a trespasser in the palace, I think he's after Yuan Shao." Zhang He explained. "I'm going to report you right now, you-" But whatever he was, he never knew, Guo Tu screamed and Zhang He saw two thick arms holding him down. The man heard Zhang He and Guo Tu bickering in the halls, and now he had seized Guo Tu and clasped a huge hand around his mouth. He then took his massive and started to squeeze Guo Tu throat. He made sickening choking sound and tried feebly to remove the iron like hands. This was enough evidence for Zhang He to tell that this man was up to no good. He picked up one clawed and brought it down into the man's back. He obviously had no idea that Zhang He was armed, because he cried out and dropped Guo Tu. I can't stop now, I've got to kill! Zhang He thought in a panic. He swung his Metal Talons in the direction of the angry man. It was hard to see in the dark, but Zhang He could tell the man had drawn a long, silvery sword. This blade seemed to give off an odd radiance, and Zhang He could see where it was. He performed the graceful blocking moves he had practiced every day in training. The man swung the sword with such a force, that it knocked Zhang He off his feet, even though he was blocking. He was in a very bad position; he was lying on the floor with all his defense options down. Out of instinct he rolled back, and saw the sword sink into the wood floor where his head had been lying just moments ago. "Die already!" Yelled the cruel voice from the man, as Zhang He blocked several more attempts at an attack. He thought fast and pinched the sword between the two talons and wrenched it out of the man's hands. He then performed a well-placed kick with flung the man to he floor. It was now or never, kill or be killed! He made sideways slash across the man's throat, and heard him gasp horribly for a chance to survive. The man wriggled around, hands trying to stop the river of life escaping from his open throat. Something strange then overtook Zhang He. He stared at the pitiful sight below him and dropped to his knees. He almost felt the extreme pain the man was in. He watched the last moment ebb away and all was still and silent save Guo Tu's quiet gasps. Blood flowed around his legs and Zhang He stared forward. A horrible sorrow had wrenched his heart; he had claimed a human life.He had killed someone. This man probably had a wife and sons, a family waiting for him to return. He was suddenly reminded of Rai Tso, of the forgotten look on her face. He felt a tear roll down his cheek. Why am I crying? I'm a man, men don't cry. He hid his face with his hands. Winning a duel was not filled with glory, it was terrible. "What have I done?" He said to himself. He heard the Palace around him slowly peer outside to see what had happened. He heard Yuan Shao's booming voice over the soft murmur. "What's going on, what's happening? I heard screaming?" Yuan Shao said, sweeping down the hall. Zhang He looked at the Talons; there was still blood on them. "My God." Yuan Shao said when he saw the dead man "Zhang He, did you do this?" He inquired breathlessly. Zhang He stood up and faced the small crowd. "I did." He hung his head. "Do you know who this man was?" Yuan Shao said. He knew what was coming; he had made that terrible mistake. "He was killing Guo Tu, I just couldn't sit there and let him die! I'm sorry, so sorry, my lord, please forgive me." Zhang He said, dropping down on his hands before Yuan Shao. "Forgive you! FORGIVE YOU!?" Yuan Shao let out an enormous laugh "Zhang He, this man has been out for my head ever since I was young! I should make you my second in command, not forgive you!" Everybody around began to talk amongst themselves. Yuan Shao pulled Zhang He up by his arm and looked around at everyone. "This boy is a hero everyone! He has saved my life by killing the evil Fang Gao!" The quiet chatter grew to a small roar, and Zhang He smiled. "What a good find you were! Your father would be very proud!" Yuan Shao said, patting Zhang He on the back. Zhang He looked down at the dumbstruck Guo Tu. He looked so stupid there sitting on the ground, with his eyes wide, that Zhang He smiled even more broadly. "You can go back to your room and get some sleep, and tomorrow we'll see what we can do about a reward!" Yuan Shao said, "Oh, and will you please escort him back to his room, he will receive a punishment later on.I have to get someone to clean this mess up." Yuan Shao said, looking around for someone to do he job. The others, upon hearing this, slowly started to enter back into their own bedchambers. "Come on, Guo Tu, let's head back." Said Zhang He offering him a hand. Guo Tu Helped himself back onto his feet, and charged off towards the exit. Zhang He looked back at the remains of the killer, and he no longer felt remorse. He was a horrible man; he had only been after Yuan Shao's head. It now seemed that Zhang He had done something extremely good in his own mind. He walked off in the direction of his room, and stepped into the cool night air. The long walk back seemed a lot shorter when his mind was full of thought. He pushed open the door, stepped in, and then shut it with care. He pulled of his dirty, blood-soaked clothes, and made use of another pair in the wardrobe. He sat down at his table and stared off into space. He lie down on the less than comfortable floor and fell immediately asleep.