Author notes: Thank you for reading. I don't own kingdom.
Alright so talking about fueling the war. So throughout history people have slaughtered each other over beliefs, gold, and power. Racism is not used as a term used very often in a war setting. But the fact is throughout history racism was and still is a good way to fuel the fire to get young men to go out there and kill other young men, the bottom line is using things like racism, government belief systems, and justice/revenge is a very good way to fuel a war, without a lot of these things a war would become very pointless very fast.
Chapter eight
Cut down
Lai looked into the eyes of the man who just cut him down. He felt the razor sharp blade slice through leather and tear through flesh. It sliced below his left breast cutting through muscle spreading hot agony as the blade traveled up.
It finally stopped its assault just below his collarbone. The blade came out splattering Lai's face with his very own blood. He felt a scream touch his lips but before he could even choke it out the butt of the glaive slammed into his stomach sending him falling off of his mount.
He hit the ground with a painful jolt as it traveled through his body. He couldn't hear anything. The blood was pumping through his ears. The wound throbbed with acidic hotness that wanted to overcome him, and send his mind into a state of shock.
He refused however to let that happen. His vision was blurry and his skin clammy but he focused himself on one single thing, the razor sharp point of the glaive. It was his end no doubt about it, he could taste it in the air as the glaive was aimed at his chest.
He prepared for his death but it never came. Someone dropped in front of him right when the weapon came down. She looked at him her eyes digging into his as she protected him with her own body, like a mother protecting her child. Sin's eyes were filled with sadness and pain, but also she had affection swarming in her gaze.
Her chest exploded as the glaive came bursting out of her flesh. Crimson liquid splattered into Lai's eyes and face. It burned as he tried to wipe out Sin's blood. She was already dead slumped on top of him. He tried to move her but found all the strength in him had left his body.
Hands grabbed him, and the sound of battle flooded around him but he didn't hear any of it. As the group of soldiers took him his eyes watered and it mixed with the blood making his tears turn to scarlet. He was aware that his wound still bled, he was aware of everything but it all seemed so far away to him. Lai couldn't get the image of Sin's expression from his mind. It dug into his flesh like a sword.
"We have to take off his armor."
That was the first voice that broke through to him. His eyes widened as he saw that the person behind the voice was Fu. She was telling the soldiers that had dragged Lai from the fighting what to do. They quickly unstrapped his armor and tore through his cloths. Lai saw them flinch when the wound was revealed.
"Looks like when you slit a bull's throat," one soldier said.
The wound wasn't at all a clean one, the leather that had protected him made the blade wobble and turn when it cut through his flesh. It made the wound jagged and one side of the wound had a piece of fresh flesh flopping about as they dragged him.
"What are you doing!?" Fu shouted at them. "Keep pressure on the bottom of the wound. We can't let him go into shock."
Lai's vision darkened into a blur. He couldn't focus on anything. The time seemed to go by like a coin that scrapped up the side of a sword. Was he going to die? De couldn't deny the prospect of death. The wound that he received was one that could take his life.
He felt something tugging at his chest. Lai opened his eyes to see Fu leaning over him. She was pulling a hooked needle through his torn open flesh. The image of Sin being run through bolted through his skull like an icy stake.
He thrashed up trying to shove Fu off of him so he could stand. However before he even got to moving, hands held him down as he struggled. He tried to speak but a muffled groan was the only thing that escaped his lips. He realized when he tried to speak that he had a ball of cloth shoved into his mouth so he wouldn't bite off his own tongue.
"I'm almost done with the stitches," Fu stated, "please try to calm down."
Like she said, Fu got right below his collarbone in no time. As she stitched and tugged his flesh back together he couldn't stop the stream of tears that slid down his face. He noticed his men who held him down had tears in their eyes as well. Not for him he knew that, but for Sin.
Lai fell back into slumber. He was exhausted mentally and physically, the blood that he had lost would have sent most men into a shock that would have killed them. When he woke up again they had a commotion outside of the tent.
His skin was stained with dried alcohol that was used to clean his wound. Lai didn't like the way his skin looked it was pale, it was very different then his usual sun burnt tan skin. Everything was dark he could see the flicking lights of homes and fires.
However the sound of a hand cracking against bone sliced through the peaceful silence. "You little whore," an angry deep voice hissed, "I find you here with the soldiers. You are no different than your mother."
Lai opened up the flap of his tent and walked out. Fu was on her knees grabbing the right side of her cheek that was torn open. She sobbed as what Lai presumed was her master stood over her like the heavens themselves.
"I should have sold you earlier," the man grumbled, "now I probably can't even get a minor lord to use you as a concubine"
"You're annoying," Lai growled, "why don't you just go home and just get fatter."
The man turned to Lai his eyes blazing with anger. "What did you just say runt? First you spoil my slave and now you are insulting me."
The blood still remained in Lai's arteries suddenly ignited into a boil. He was frustrated torn, and mourning. With the appearance of this fat man who was spouting about his slave made Lai just want to let go some of this frustration.
"Are you saying you are mad at me?" Lai asked. "If so just go home and plow one of your slaves! Why you're at ravage this slave right here and now, I've spoiled her right? It doesn't matter if you stick your cock into her now does it." Lai smiled, "then you can say I fucked the mother and the daughter."
The fat man's face was hot red with anger. He quickly went to draw a knife at his belt. His hands froze over the hilt however.
Lai's right hand, despite it being weak was wrapped around the fat neck of the man. Fu's master looked at Lai with fear. He was looking at a wild beast who wanted to sink his fangs into anything at hand.
"If you can't use the girl anymore," Lai suddenly said letting go of Fu's master, "just let me buy her from you."
The man cleared his throat trying to regain his composure, "three gold pieces."
"All throw in twenty more if you give me the mother."
"The mother isn't for sell," he replied.
Two of Lai's men that had overhead the ordeal already positioned their selves near the fat man. Fu's master looked as they drew daggers from their belts. "Dear me," Lai spoke up so even more of his men could hear, "I would hate to separate a mother and daughter. I think you have enough slaves to fuck, how about twenty-five gold pieces then?"
Three more men who had overheard drew daggers and began to get closer. Cold sweat ran down Fu's master's face, any man could stand strong against another. But to have others ready to take that man's life if he gave the wrong answer, only the strongest willed would still stand strong. Fu's master wasn't one of those men.
"Done," he said as he watched the men who had weapons drawn.
"Give him his coin," Lai commanded he pointed at a pair of soldiers, "you two go get me the other slave and bring her here." The soldiers gave him a salute and followed the fat man as he led them to his home.
Lai felt disappointed. He really wanted the bastard to stand against him to hold his ground, and then he could have watched as he was stabbed to death. He would have taken much pleasure of seeing the man bleed out as he cried for his mother who wasn't going to come and save him.
Fu stumbled to her feet stilling holding her blood soaked cheek. "Thank you for—."
She didn't get to finish the sentence. Lai grabbed the front of her dirty and bloodstained tunic and brought his face only inches from hers. "Twenty-eight gold pieces," he spat the acidic words into her face, "you and your mother will pay me back for that coin." He shoved her back. She took two steps lost her balance and fell straight on her butt. Lai snorted and walked away. As he left he saw fresh tears well up and slide down the girls face.
