(A/N:) Hey everyone. Number29 here, with an author note.

And this, as opposed to the last one, will be extremely short. Here's a head's up:

The next chapter may contain violence (V), sexual content (SC), nudity (N), and maybe even Language! (L) and not the good kind of language! The bad kind!

Remember kids, this is a PG-13 rated book. If you are under 13 leave now. What you are about to hear is for 13 year-olds and up! Not 12 and under-year-olds!

Have a nice day.

(End of A/N)

6. The Secret of the Shang

The fort was taking a well deserved rest after the battle against Tusaine at Fort Drell. The only events were the men lazing about and the King devising battle plans every day at noon. All else was quiet.

The Queen's Riders had arrived the day before, the 7th, 8th, and 9th divisions. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd were riding from Corus today. The army had their regular daily practices, of course, but the drill sargents let them off early.

Daine was busy practicing archery by herself in the fort practice yards, between the actuall building part of the fort, and the barracks, when Tknombi found her.

With a sigh she put down her bow and walked to her teacher.

"Yes, Tknombi?" she asked.

"I know you think you're good at fighting, but you are about to fight a powerful enemy, for the second time," he replied.

Daine froze. "What?"

"Nothing. What is important is that I teach you absolutely everything I know while we are at his break between battles. We cannot do what we are about to do within the walls of the fort. Follow me, and I will teach you the secret of the Shang..."

Ozorne bowed, curling his lip as soon as his head had gone down. The King could not see his look of superiority if only the floor saw it. The King's patience with Ozorne was at its end, and Ozorne often wondered why he was kept around.

"If I am such a burden, Ain," he sneered at King Ain. "Then why do you flatter youself by making sure I am always in your presence? Why haven't you beheaded, or cast me out yet?"

"Your orders are from me. My orderes are from Duke Roger of Cont'e."

"Impossible!" Ozorne replied. "'Duke' Roger has been dead for at least twenty years!"

"It is possible to communicate to those already gone," King Ain replied icily. "As it is possible for someone from the Realms of the Dead to communicate to the mortal realms. If you have the Gift, it is but a simple procedure."

"A simple procedure?" Ozorne demanded. "If it were so simple, it would be in thousands of texts, but it is not! I think I of all people would know if there were some spell to communicate between realms."

"Ah, but you do, Ozorne."

"And which spell is that?" Ozorne demanded. "Is it the spell of the flying faries?"

"It is none other than the spell used to open portals between realms."

"Impossible."

"That's what you think," King Ain replied, shrugging. "I do not think the same as you, my mind is simple. I believe what I see, and I have seen this."

"A likely story," Ozorne muttered. "I suggest we attack the Rider camp as soon as possible. I've heard from our spy that the other units of Jonathan's army are moving toward Drell."

"All in good time, Ozorne. All in good time," the King replied.

"What is this 'secret of the Shang', Tknombi?" Daine asked as they rode down the road to the west. "You never mentioned a 'Shang secret' when you were training me."

"That is because I did not think someone who had not began training when they were young would progress so far," he replied, urging his gelding forward. "Oh how wrong I was..."

"Are you saying I'm good?" Daine demanded. "I can beat folk trained with sword, dagger, bow, and wrestling, but I could never beat a Shang."

"Don't be so sure. The only reason I beat you before we went riding to Drell was because I use the Shang secret."

"What is the secret of the Shang?" Daine asked again.

"You know that Shang is the art of fighting with all weapons, but more importantly, with your own two hands," Tknombi said. "But the Shang style of fighting also largly relies on the use of speed. Without speed, your attacks can be as strong as you are, but they will never reach their target."

"Yes," Daine said impatiently. "But what's the secret?"

"The secret of the Shang is speed. It is by using my speed that I beat you last time. Think," he replied, "When you were about to step-kick from my neck up, did you see my arm move to block it? Did you see me knock you to the ground? No."

"You're right," Daine replied softly, remembering:

Daine had roundhouse kicked him in the chest, sending him reeling over his own tunic. Then he'd regained balance, and ran at her using his exceptional normal speed. It was when she became confident that she would win that he had won with a flick of his wrist.

"I can do that too?"

"Of course. All the Shang can do it."

"Teach me."

"Be prepared Ozorne. Fail me with this attack on the Rider camp, and I will crush you," King Ain warned Ozorne, shaking the clay model of him.

Ozorne's stomach began to hurt.

"Just a taste, Ozorne. I could pierce your eyes with needles, I could put you underwater, I could ---"

"I know what you can do with it!" Ozorne screamed back. "I am the Emperor Mage of Carthak! Do you know what mage means? I am one of the greatest sorcerers in the world! If you didn't have these damn dampeners in here, you're precious clay Ozorne doll would already have failed in its purpose. A flick of my fingers could bring it to me!"

"Hold your tongue!" King Ain cried. "My patience with you is truely reaching its end! One wrong move, Ozorne ---" he squeezed the doll. "--- And you will regret it dearly. You were brought back for one purpose. Do not fail me!"

He made the model of Ozorne bow. The real Ozorne bent to his knees, inclining his head.

"I cannot wait until I am back in Carthak!" Ozorne screamed as he left the room.

"Nor can I!" Ain shouted after him, clutching the wizard rod tightly.

Ozorne walked through the entry-way to Fort Drell, glowing with his Gift, though he was unable to use it just yet. The Tusaine Raiders were saddled and ready.

Ozorne stalked to the horse that had been made ready for him, climbing into the saddle. The very air around him seemed to seethe with energy. Most of the men near him backed away, that is, all the men but Duke Hilam of Tusaine.

"Can we get this moving, Ozorne?" he asked impatiently. "I like you, must redeem myself in the eyes of my brother. I started this war twenty years ago, and now I must finish it," then he added to the war-mages near him, "Watch him like a hawk does a rabbit. He may use his Gift, but the second he looks as if he is going to turn on us, or if he does turn on us, take him out."

"Ride!" Ozorne screamed at the Raiders.

"Fool. They do not respect you," Hilam laughed. "You have caused them to many casualties. This is how you do it," he cleared his throat. "RIDE DAMN YOU! MUST I REMIND YOU THAT I AM A DUKE, AND CAN HAVE YOU DUMPED INTO THE FIREWEED THRENCH?!"

The Raiders began moving. Of course, the last part was just for show. They began moving at the word "ride". None of them dared ride after he'd said "damn you," none of them were that stupid.

They rode out the gate that faced the Drell river. Riding along the bank, they rode right into the forest to the south of Fort Drell, using the same attack plan they'd used in their first attack. Except the first attack had been up in the forest to the north.

Hilam haulted the company. Nodding to a archer near the front, he guestered to the path in front of them. The archer strung an arrow in his bow, and stepped onto the path.

Looking down both sides, he lowered his bow, then quickly raised it, and fired it at the skyline. For a few seconds there was silence, then the sound of a man falling out of a pine tree could be heard throughout the area.

"Tortallan," Hilam snarled. "Bring your so-called King Jonathan a message. Tell him the Tusaine army is coming. Tell him they will be there long before his army. Tell him his death is coming, and Duke Hilam wants his head."

The Tortallan spat in Hilam's face.

Angered, Hilam drew his sword as the Tortallan stood rigid faced before him. With one rapid swipe of his blade arm, he cut the archers head off. Ozorne watched, horrified as the head rolled into the middle of the road, and haulted, balancing on the back of the skull and the stump of what remained of the neck. It looked like it'd been planted there.

"Put some arrows in his body," Hilam commanded. The same archer stepped forward and put two arrows into the Tortallan's back, then grabbed the Tortallan's own dagger, and burried it into the top of his disembodied head.

"Very good. Move forward."

The Raiders continued riding, going over the road and into the other side. That's where they ran into Jonathan's Champion. The Lioness.

Daine focused as hard as she could. She'd already been training for at least two hours, and she still hadn't achieved this "secret of the Shang" that Tknombi spoke of almost casually.

"This is impossible!" she cried, falling to her knees frustratedly. "You are working me to death, Tknombi. I need a rest."

Suddenly the trees along the side of the clearing burst open. From the rupture poured a small escort of ten knights, all in full armor.

"What's going on?" Daine demanded.

"Oh, Lady Daine!" one cried, making her blush. "We're glad we found you. The Lioness sent word by messanger bird that her dispatch has encountered a group of twenty Tusaine Raiders, almost all on horseback. She needs reinforcements. There's only three of them there besides her!"

"Great Mother," Daine murmered, getting to her feet despite her exhaustion. Tknombi handed her her sword, and she ran to meet the knights, Tknombi in tow. "Well? Let's go!"

The men ran as fast as they could in their plate armor, Daine following closely. They reached a road, and Daine could just make out the figures of people fighting down the stretch. The Lioness was very outnumbered.

Tknombi raced toward the fight. Daine stood back for a second, trying to decide whether or not to use sword, or shape-shifting. She decided to use her sword.

Running into battle with a troop of knights behind her, she screamed at the Tusaines angrily. Most of the Raiders had gotten off their horses, and were fighting on foot. Daine called out to the horses with her magic, asking them to abandon their masters. She got no reply, but could sense that these were corrupted horses.

"What fitting revenge this would be," Alanna taunted to ther opponent. "If I captured you to pay you back for kidnapping me twenty years ago?"

"Shut your mouth, Ignorant cur!" he replied, swing a sword at the Lioness with great speed.

"What, Duke Hilam? Are you afraid I'll distract you with my taughts?" she replied, laughing. "I'm surprised you aren't dead yet."

"I'm surprised that Roald didn't just kill you when he discovered you were a girl. But then again... Roald always was a softy..." he taunted back.

"You'll pay for that!" Alanna cried.

Daine snapped back to the battle, seeing two Raiders advancing on her from the front.

Goddess, she prayed, give me strength!

One of the men engaged in battle with one of Tortall's knights. The other advancing one ran at her quickly, unsheathing a sword as he came.

Daine focused, like Tknombi had told her she had to do, in order to use the Shang power. Suddenly, she disappeared!

Reappearing behind the Tusaine, Daine hacked at his side violently, cutting through rough leather. He screamed and turned, swing diagonally upward as he went. Blocking his hit slightly to late, her sword was knocked out of her hand.

"Never fought a Raider, huh?" he asked. "Well, I heard you were good. I guess my sources were wrong."

Instead of replying, Daine punched him in the face, breaking his nose.

"Bitch!" he screamed at her, wipping his nose with his shirt sleeve. "I'll kill you!"

He attacked once more, and Daine, at a disaddvantage without her sword, quickly whiped out one of her daggers. She ducked under his swing, and stabbed the dagger into his chest. Her knife met only hard leather. She neaded her sword.

Not letting her fear get the best of her, she swept her leg down and underneath his, sending him sprawling onto the ground.

Replacing her dagger in its spot, she snatched up her sword, and cut a deep gash in his leg as he was climbing up. He fell down, and struggled to get up, without success. Daine felt no sypathy for any of them. They were the enemy. They had to learn not to start sensless wars that they couldn't possibly win.

Daine walked over to the fallen solder slowly. Grabbing him by the back of his hair with one hand, she slammed his head to the ground, causing him to fall unconsious.

Next to her, the Lioness knocked away Duke Hilam's sword, just as Tknombi kicked a Raider ten feet backward. They were winning.

"Retreat!" Hilam screamed at his men. "Retreat!" he grabbed his sword, leaping onto his horse. "Back to the fort!"

They rode off into the forest, disappearing within seconds between the tightly knit tree trunks.