The siege was continuing without a large breakthrough on either side. General Keiichi T'Rumour was growing tired of attacking the heavy walls and leaving barely a scratch on the rebels. He also had begun to wonder about the fate of Captain Hai-Yong who had been taken prisoner. The mercenaries, Kusa and Kurin, seemed to have lost interest in fighting the rebels and were turning their eyes greedily towards the supplies of the Imperial Army and his own weapons and armor. The two dark-haired scavengers seemed like they always had their hands on something that did not belong to them. Their usefulness was not great enough for them to be worth bribing to keep from stealing rations and they were too slippery to actually catch in the act of taking anything to have them executed. The general's patience was gradually waning. "Where are those two anyways?" he pondered aloud, scanning the main campsite with irritation.
*********
The ebony-haired woman placed her hands on her shoulders and tipped her head back yawning softly. "Young man, I have an offer to make you and your companions." Kiisan glanced at her cautiously, with the new slight suspicion that the assassination attempt had instilled in him, narrowing his hazel-green eyes, "Why should I trust you Miss Kusa?" The scavenger mercenary leaned down towards Kiisan and smiled, "I know that you want to trust me, but something is holding you back. It pretty much comes down to this: bring me General T'Rumour's fancy helmet and my partner and I'll help you easily take down the rest of the Imperial Army when the time comes. You just have to trust my plan. I'll need you, my partner, and these two to get rid of those fools outside Serif City."
Han Li shook his head; "I'm not going to be part of any foolhardy plan unless I get to hear the whole thing beforehand." He looked emotionlessly toward Sasshalai who sat on the floor next to Kiisan's chair and added to him, "If you've inherited any of your father's brains I advise you do the same."
Sasshalai glanced back coldly at Han Li, "I am going to follow the directions of my older brother. You left without permission...you have no authority of your own..."
"I am my own person and I will not allow this rune, the master, or anyone else to rule me. I don't see why you don't feel the same, child," answered the wind mage.
Sasshalai lowered his jewel-like eyes and leaned his head against Kiisan who turned and peeked over his shoulder at the serious man, "Let's not fight about any of this now...let's just listen to Miss Kusa's plan."
Kusa grinned and put her hands on the desk, "Shall we begin then?"
Murasaki Fuji no Shita ni Kuni
"The Country Under the Purple Wisteria"
Chapter 18- One on One With the Traitor General
Han Li and Sasshalai stood on the wall above the main gate, looking out at the largest block of the army camp where the general's tent, with the Aronian national flag waving above it, stood. The smaller mage stood on a wooden crate to match the height of his dark-complexioned companion. "Are you ready, Mr. Han Li?" he asked calmly, already anticipating the answer.
"Hear me my True Wind Rune!" called the man with miss-matched eyes.
The tan-faced boy raised his own right hand in response and began to say the spell twin to Han Li's, "Hear me, True Earth Rune!"
"Gather the strength of the wind sylphs!"
"Gather the power of the earth sprites!"
Falina could see the two mages from the window in the government where she stood. They seemed to be glowing with an unearthly light. The growing aura's strength caused their hair and clothes to blow with the ferocity of trees in a hurricane.
"Become a blade that can slice the earth--!"
"Become a blade that can cut the wind--!"
Han Li's cloak rolled and tossed around him like a wave and the band tying up his hair blew out, leaving him surrounded in the swirling strands of his hair. The different parts of Sasshalai's many-layered tunic flapped around like a myriad of cloth feathers, getting tangled in his long, chestnut-brown hair and garland of still fresh-looking dandelions that nearly floated above his head.
"Slay all my enemies!"
Both True Runes shown with a star-like radiance, causing Falina to close her eyes and cover her face with her hands. The Imperial army camp was ripped up, leaving soldiers, tents, horses, and all the other equipment of war scattered around the area barely standing. General Keiichi T'Rumour pulled himself up out of the rubble and rubbed his aching head, looking around angrily for the source of the sudden attack. However, glancing up at the wall no enemy was in sight.
The force of the combined spell was such that both spell-casters were knocked off the wall, back into the fortress city. Han Li, his powers nearly exhausted, floated down to the ground slowly like a dandelion seed. Sasshalai, however, had no such luck or powers, and slammed down to the ground like a wounded bird.
Had Kiisan been present to see the condition of his two companions he would have called off any further attack on the Aronian Imperial Army immediately to take time to attend to their condition, but at the time he was busy heading with Kusa and Kurin to the location of General T'Rumour.
"The two mages will knock out the rest of the troops easily with their powers combined. I know, I've heard all about this kind of thing," Kusa had told him, "Kurin and I will take you to General T'Rumour, who should be pretty damaged by the attack also, and you just finish him off for us. It won't be that much trouble for someone like you."
Kiisan sighed to himself as he allowed the two mercenaries to lead him over debris, around enemy soldiers who were much too busy trying to desperately find out what had happened to even recognize Kiisan, let alone attack him, and through the piles of torn up grass. The young man sincerely hoped that the damage had been limited to the area immediately surrounding Serif City and had not touched the agricultural villages in the area. They had most likely suffered enough abuse from the Imperial soldiers.
As the trio rounded the corner of the wall the man they were looking for came into sight. He was an unmistakable figure with his gleaming helmet still perched atop his head. "It probably helped keep him from blowing off somewhere," Kiisan thought to himself.
Seeing Kusa and Kurin approaching with the rebel leader General Keiichi T'Rumour felt somewhat unsurprised. He turned to glance at them, but then turned and walked to the main gates of Serif City and leaned against the huge wooden doors to wait. The dark-haired man watched the traitor mercenaries hurry towards him and was thoroughly unimpressed with the small priest stumbling along behind them, the bells on his staff jingling and his large hat sliding around.
By the time they stood a few feet from the general Kiisan was slightly out of breath. The walking was not hard for him, but the terrain was rather rough and the scavengers were quick and merciless about making him keep up. As his eyes met those of his opponent Kiisan felt a shiver run down his back. The older, more powerful man attempted to set his enemy off guard with a cold stare, but Kiisan proved to have more resolve than General T'Rumour had been expecting. The now single leader of the revolution summoned up his courage to meet his enemy's gaze. The calm, dreamlike feeling that the Circle Rune had been lulling him into before began to surge forward once more. This time, however, instead of causing him to loose track of the world, it allowed him to focus on the task at hand, pushing away the creeping thoughts of fear that had threatened to rise and suffocate him. The rune on his palm felt warm and Kiisan wrapped the hand more tightly around his staff. "General T'Rumour, I am Kiisan. Last time we met I was the prisoner, but this time things are different. With the help of my friends and allies, your troops have been scattered. Please surrender peacefully and your life will be spared. I would be honored if you would consider lending your hand to liberating this nation from an unkind regime, but if you wish rather not to support us, you could still stay on in this city under guard until our revolution is complete."
The general drew his long sword from its sheath and pointed it towards the small man with hazel-green eyes; "I would never surrender to you. This regime has taken me where I am today and I am sworn to defend it. I as soon die as turn traitor now. I will keep what honor I have left if I die today and if I kill you I will retrieve all the honor that I have lost. Show me what you can do, Father!"
Kusa and Kurin drew back as Kiisan parried General T'Rumour's attack with his staff. Both knew that if they came too near the man they had sold out their lives would be cut drastically short. Crouching behind an over-turned cart, Kurin peered at the two through his dark shades while Kusa attempted to salvage some packets of rations from the things that had spilled over in the disarray of the magic attack.
Kiisan had been prepared to possibly duel the general, but not so suddenly, or with his staff. Although his skill with the tall staff was greater, he had been thinking that the thin blade Louis Abdul was loaning him would be a better weapon for the task. Another thing that worried the young man was the idea of taking a life. Fighting to defend his own life was one thing, but actually killing an opponent was a different thing entirely.
The tall man lunged forward when he recognized Kiisan's pause in thought. The priest could not move quickly enough in his robes, and although he dodged the attack he fell down on the ground and his staff was knocked from his hand. General T'Rumour grinned, "This was too easy. I can taste victory already," he thought to himself. The Imperial officer raised his sword to deliver the final blow. Kiisan closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he pulled the borrowed blade from the leather sheath stuck through his sash, swinging it upward in a last desperate effort.
The two blades met in a clash of metal. Kiisan felt a spark singe his hand as he opened his eyes. The smaller, lower quality blade cracked and splintered under the force, a sharp piece ricocheting off the general's sword and stabbing into his arm, between his heavy gloves and shoulder plates. He dropped his heavy sword in pain clasping his bleeding arm in his left hand. Kiisan scuttled back away from his opponent and recovered his staff, fortunately the weapon the general had dropped had fallen far enough from him that it slashed partway through the toe of Kiisan's boot, cutting his foot.
General T'Rumour pulled himself together and reached to pick up his blade with his blood-covered gloved left hand, but Kiisan knocked it aside with his staff. Falling back down onto his knees the general pulled his backup weapon, a knife, from his belt and swung at Kiisan awkwardly with his left hand while his right arm hung cumbersomely at his side. Gaining the upper hand, Kiisan sidestepped, trying to ignore the pain in his injured foot. He swept his staff back against the armored man's shoulder, and while his opponent was put off-balance by the assault, Kiisan could feel the reverberation of the wood connecting with T'Rumour's metal shoulder plate all through his body.
The enormous gates behind him began to creak open and Kiisan limped back towards them slowly, not turning his back to his dangerous opponent. Sonoa, Louis Abdul, Rizu, and Junsuke rushed through the gates as they opened, quickly taking in the situation.
"Kiisan! Are you crazy?!" yelled Rizu, "Why didn't you tell me about this?!"
The member of Serif's State Army, Captain Louis Adbul, placed his hand on the impulsive warrior's shoulder, holding him back, "He couldn't tell someone like you because you wouldn't let him go."
General T'Rumour rose up once again to his full height, his sword recovered and in his left hand. Blood stained much of his armor, but his cape still fluttered like a butterfly in a storm and his helmet still shone proudly. "This is between me and Father Kiisan. If this man has the strength to defeat me I will die knowing there was nothing else I could do, but if any of you so much as move towards me now, the rebels will be branded cowards now and forever."
Kiisan stepped forward, his muscles aching and his injured foot feeling slightly numb. "I don't know how much longer I can keep going..." he thought weakly.
Just as the two men each fell into a fighting stance, ready to begin the duel anew a streak of brown and blond dashed between them and a pale-haired woman held back the general's huge sword with a tiny scalpel. "No one will call the revolutionaries cowards if no one ever knows, older brother."
The battle-worn man blinked in surprise, "Haneh? Why aren't you dead?"
Kiisan suddenly recognized the slim woman who had been sent by the turan to assassinate him. How she had made her way out of the place where she healing under lock and key in the government building was unclear, but here she was. Despite being still bandaged for her earlier injuries she stood solidly, blue eyes gazing into those of her older brother.
"You didn't just sell us out to the imperial swine you work for today Keiichi. You murdered your family with your own hands. But I survived. And now you'll pay."
Haneh T'Rumour, only survivor of her older brother's betrayal of his rebellious family, moved so quickly then that Kiisan could not say a word to halt her action as she slashed with the scalpel.
The traitor general fell down dead, his blood forming a pool around him.
Kiisan felt himself begin to grow rather sick and light-headed. Everything appeared through a swirling haze. Haneh removed her brother's helmet and threw it at Kusa and Kurin, who had clambered over the cart, to watch the latest development with packs and pockets stuffed full with booty. They excitedly rubbed the silver helmet with a cloth to make it shine.
Now everything was moving like waves on the ocean. Kiisan was overcome with dizziness and looked for someone to lean on as the rest of his companions, came out of the city to round up the remaining imperial soldiers and examine the scene of the battle. Serif's forces and some of the braver townspeople also came out to take a look.
Holding himself up with his staff, the young man watched Lucien berate Kusa and Kurin for looting and Russ speak with some captured Imperial soldiers, trying to assure them that they wouldn't be executed. Han Li, supported by Hyoko and Hittoko, complained to them about how hard he had been forced to work for such a small victory while the girls giggled at his obvious sarcasm. He spotted Yuber holding Sasshalai in his arms, the small child scanning the horizon for signs of any further danger.
Louis Abdul, Jirobane, Rizu, and Junsuke headed off around the corner of the city wall to survey the damage done to the outside of the walls. Ocha seemed to be tending to the wounds of some of the captured soldiers with Sonoa and Mai Mai looking on. Falina was nowhere in sight. He and Haneh stood silently, side by side. No one had the courage or knew what to say to them after such an event.
Kiisan sat down slowly, cringing in pain. He closed his eyes, feeling his mind begin to drift away, but his slipping away was stopped by the call of a friend. "Kiisan! Kiisan! I'm coming!" yelled Carlos, holding up the edge of his robe to keep it from dragging in the dirt. As he grew nearer, he forgot about such a trifling matter and let it go, dropping to his knees and throwing his arms around Kiisan, "You're okay!! I'm so glad!!!"