The Imperial troops were not distracted by the bluebells for long. Kiyon quickly spread the order to charge on the few rebels atop the hill. As General Raecliff and his troops rushed past, Kiyon de Silverburg drew back slightly to watch the battle from a safe distance. There was no need to put his own life in danger. Certainly not if there were others willing to risk their lives in his place.

He raised a hand to shade his eyes as he was looking into the sun to view the rebels. Nothing unexpected had happened and it seemed that Cuaran and his men had the upper hand. He was somewhat surprised at the tiny number of revolutionaries present. The reddish-brown-haired strategist had been informed that they fought fiercely despite their numbers, but even if they had left troops to guard their headquarters it still seemed as though more should be present for such an important conflict.

Kiyon was pondering such matters silently; his eyes fixed on the two priests caught up in the battle. From his position he was unable to tell which of them was the rather infamous Father Kiisan, but he could tell that both fought with a certain passion that he had not glimpsed in many years.

A loud shot rang through the air. Kiyon did not know what hit him. He fell from his horse to the dry grass, his shoulder bloody and in pain. The angry strategist cursed and looked around him for the culprit.

Close beside Mio, Caio grinned proudly as he reloaded his rifle. "You didn't kill him, did you?" Mio asked the gunner, his voice tinged with worry.

"Nah, I don't think so," Caio replied, raising his weapon again and aiming this time towards the Imperial troops that continued to surge up the hill around them.

The young strategist winced at the sharp, piercing sound the gun made. It hurt his head. The whole battle was making his head ring. He held a blue firework shakily in his hand, waiting for the right moment to set off the signal. Sanada had told him she would say when, but she had disappeared into the rebel troops, carrying their banner aloft. "I think it will be up to me..." he thought aloud.

Caio laughed as he shot off his weapon; "I'm trusting your judgement, Mio!"

"I'm glad someone can," the strategist replied.

Murasaki Fuji no Shita ni Kuni

"The Country Under the Purple Wisteria"

Chapter 40- We Cannot Falter!

As Mio's hand trembled in fear, Sanada's voice carried over the battle to him, "Mio! Shoot off that flare now!"

Caio struck his flint against his knife blade to make some sparks, and the flare was lit.

Louis Abdul saw it burst and shine over the battlefield and nodded to Rizu to send off the reply. Before Rizu's orange flash of light finished lighting up the sky the charge had begun. General Raecliff was caught off guard by a sudden attack from behind.

"Tej! What's going on?!" he screeched at his fellow commander.

The dark-eyed man threw back his head and laughed, "Now I can finally show you what I really think of people like you, Cuaran!" He slipped his bow over his shoulder to get it out of the way and drew his heavy sword.

The Imperial general with a paler complexion raised his own, thinner blade in reply. "Tej! Have you gone mad?! We're here to put down a revolt!"

General K'aan grinned and charged towards his former ally and the thinner Imperial parried the blow expertly. He swung again wildly, using all his strength against his opponent and their blades locked. It was all General Raecliff could do to hold off the larger, stronger man's attack. He did not even have a chance to strike back. Around the two men the battle continued to rage.

Nearly all of the troops under Tej's control were more loyal to their strong-handed and stouthearted commander than to the head Imperial strategist and had defected along with their general. The arrival of more rebels from behind in the brush startled even Kiyon. Suddenly the Imperial troops found themselves nearly outnumbered.

As they began to take the top of the hill and one soldier stretched his bow to shoot an arrow into the revolutionary banner the ground began to shake. Sasshalai's right hand was clenched in a tiny fist he held high above his head. Carlos stumbled at the tremor and the javelin aimed towards his chest, passed over his large hat. Kiisan fell to the ground beside his friend.

"You were warned!" a thundering voice echoed in their minds, "Now GO!"

Han Li rushed up the hill, through the confused and anxious Imperial troops as the shaking subsided. He looked at Sasshalai with a carefree smile spreading across his usually serious face. "I sent a breeze ahead for you, was it timed well?"

The boy nodded, "It was great. Thank you."

"You weren't bad yourself, kiddo. Your father would be proud."

Carlos steadied Sasshalai with a gentle hand; "You look tired. Don't overdo it," the priest cautioned. There was no time for the boy to reply. Kiyon de Silverburg, his shoulder bandaged haphazardly, was already goading them into resuming the assault.

Han Li warded off an incoming swarm of arrows with a gust of wind. Carlos murmured a spell quietly and raised his staff, raining droplets of flame upon the oncoming enemy. Han Li laughed loudly, the fire of battle beginning to reflect in his sharp eyes. "I remember when that was just a tiny fireball," he told Carlos.

"I've been practicing," the dark-haired priest laughed back.

********

Kiisan was watching for his friends in the confusion, hoping that since the plan appeared to have been well executed that none of them had been seriously harmed in the encounter.

Yuber was raining destruction down onto the Imperials, each flick of his wrist and slash of his blades spilling blood. Mai Mai ran up the hillside to him and slapped his ankle playfully. "I can see you're up having some fun," he cackled and charged towards the Imperials again with a snarl. Mai Mai gave a joyous meow and pounced upon a man who came too near.

Kiisan nearly bumped into Junsuke as he stepped backward. Rizu twirled his spear and hurried to rejoin his partner, who warned Kiisan to watch where he was going.

Caio's presence was apparent from the occasional shot that rang through the air. The rebel leader slid a ways on the dry grass and from his new vantagepoint he picked out Kusa and Kurin amid the dusty clouds being raised by the many feet on the dry ground. As he watched them whirl and spin, blades shining, Louis Abdul, now on foot, having left his horse with Mitsu and Dr. Clark, grabbed Kiisan's arm and pulled him aside.

"I think everything is going well, we're starting to beat them back now. Don't do anything dangerous now that we've got the situation under control-"

The captain was cut off by the arrival of a copper-skinned, black-haired Imperial soldier, who threw off his helmet and clambered off his horse. He bowed to the rebel leaders and introduced himself, "I'm Tej K'aan, formerly of the Aronian Imperial Army. Just wanted to report to you that I killed General Raecliff for ya."

"You're General K'aan? I am pleased to have you fighting on our side," Kiisan responded, shaking Tej's large, gloved hand.

"Kiisan!" Louis Abdul cried, pulling the young rebel out of the way of a long pike. It sailed straight through the spot where Kiisan had been standing before Louis Abdul had grabbed him and into the warrior's side.

"Captain!" Kiisan exclaimed in shock.

Louis Abdul winced in pain, but did not appear overly upset, "We cannot falter!" he told his commander sternly.

The meaning of his words did not pass Kiisan by. He nodded and with eyes lowered turned back to where the main battle was still raging.

*******

The sun was setting as the remaining Imperial troops rushed away from Windfall Hill, their ranks in disorder. Kiyon de Silverburg had been unable to force them to retain any semblance of pride after their harsh defeat by the revolutionaries.

Kiisan watched them leave to the southeast, the way from which General Raecliff had arrived. He placed a hand on his breastplate appreciatively. Although it had seemed heavy and unnecessary at first, the gift had protected him successfully during the battle and he was glad to have it. He sat down on the grass silently, taking in the remnants of the conflict. Carlos sat down beside him and taking off his boots began to rub his feet. "Oww...I ache..." he moaned. Kiisan smiled at Carlos and then started to laugh. Carlos turned to look at Kiisan.

"I can barely believe it!" Kiisan said, "We did it again! We won!"

Mio joined the two priests, scribbling some figures into his notebook, "Our losses were not that bad...we certainly fared well."

"How is Louis Abdul?"

"Dr. Clark says he will be fine. The wound might take a while to heal though," Mio told his friend, "Louis Abdul just told me that he wants to go home to the citadel."

"I see..." Kiisan nodded.

Carlos tapped Kiisan on the shoulder and pointed slightly further down the hill to Sanada, Mitsu, and Tej standing together. "Take a look at that."

The three young men watched the happy reunion of the three former Imperials who had schemed to create this victory.

"Lady Sanada, you look well," Mitsu murmured.

She leaned her head against Tej with a warm smile on her face, "I feel alright..."

"You didn't tell me that you were going to walk up here like that, Mitsu," Tej told his strategist companion anxiously, "If you would have told me, I would have brought you up with my troops. It would have been much easier on you."

Mitsu shook his head; "I couldn't do that because it would have made Sir Kiyon too suspicious. The walk was not so bad. And Lord Han Li met me in southern Dunan and took me about a third of the way."

"I'm just glad that we're all together again," Sanada remarked.

"Me too," Tej beamed, putting his arm around the white-clad woman.

Taking off his yellow hat, Mitsu, sat down on the ground at their feet, "Now, I think we could all use a few days of well deserved rest."