Book 1: LIFE
Chapter 9:
THE CONVICT
The men were going through their morning drills as always. The army had never looked to be I better shape than they did now. Precise, strong, and a force to be reckoned with. Yet The Master was still not amused. Everyday he sat in his study, thinking things over and holding long discussions with General Aitoku.
"I've seen the men." The Master told him on one of these visits as he poured them both hot cups of tea.
"Ah. I know they are a little rough with their marching, but we'll fix that up right away." Aitoku told him as he reached out for his cup of tea. Instead, the Master withdrew it, giving a long scornful look at his General.
"They look terrible." The Master said as he shoved the tea down hard on the table in between them, spilling some over onto the fine polished wood. Aitoku made a scramble to balance the cup before it tottered off the edge.
"I honestly don't know what you are talking about." General Aitoku shouted back as the Master plopped down in his seat. "I have worked those men into fighting machines, with their only goal being to protect peace and follow your orders willingly. I starve them, beat them, and work them to the bone to get results, what more can be done?"
The Master took a few moments to look Aitoku over. Aitoku seemed to be seething as he took a sip of hot tea and gagged as it burnt his throat. "They are not yet loyal to you." The Master told his bluntly. Aitoku gave him a glare and then rose to his feet.
"They follow me well enough." Aitoku stated.
"Yes, but only because you know what to do." The Master told him bluntly. "They know you are not serious half the time and that your punishments are seldom profitable to the group." The Master said. "They must fear you, not see you as some obstacle they can dodge just by walking the other way. I want a General that can command attention and fear and still get results and loyalty."
"Then why did you pick me anyway?" Aitoku shouted back. The Master opened his mouth to respond but stopped. It was risky to reveal so much to him. He simply waved his hand, signaling the end of their meeting as Aitoku stormed out of the room.
"You were the only one closest to Zhong." The Master whispered to himself, a reassurance that his plan would not fail.
Aitoku examined his troops as they finished their daily routines. They were in shape, no doubt about. Yet still the Master insists that he is failing in his tasks. 'So what if the men aren't happy or truly trust me and do not fully fear me?' Aitoku thought to himself. 'I have them in shape and following orders and that's all that need be done.'
The gates opened and a cart rolled up. Aitoku's eyebrows rose into his hair as he put his helmet on and marched down to meet the men. The guards moved around to the back and undid the hatch and barked orders for the others to get ready.
The cart door was opened and out stumbled a scruffy man bound in tight chains. His stay in the new prison had been terrible and Zhong blinked t the outside world he had missed these past four years.
"Stand up straight, now." The driver shouted as he shoved Zhong into line. Zhong complied willingly and stood at attention. The ensuing murmur from the crowd was contagious as the rest of the Global Army gawked at the sight.
The mighty Zhong had finally been broken.
After all of these years, he was finally tamed.
Aitoku moved up in front of Zhong and glanced him over. "Do you understand why you have been brought out of your prison cell early?" Aitoku asked Zhong.
Zhong didn't even blink. "I do, General." Zhong answered promptly.
"You will stand a hearing to see if you have learned your lesson." Aitoku informed him. "At the end, it will be decided if your prison sentence will be shortened or lengthened. I will check with the Master to see if he is ready for you." Aitoku shifted himself to the guards who only seemed to recoil slightly from the glare he gave them. "Bring him in and keep a diligent eye on him." General Aitoku turned on his heel and fell away towards the Master's residence with the armed guard swarming behind him with Zhong. Aitoku slipped inside, leaving Zhong and the guards waiting on the porch.
Zhong did nothing but stare blankly at the floor; his life was flashing before his eyes. He had to do it right this time, he just knew it.
Aitoku returned, ushering them inside. "The Master will see you now" Aitoku informed Zhong. The guards undid his binds and walked him towards the golden curtain across the room. He was shoved inside to face his leader.
The Master was sitting upon his high backed chair with a phoenix atop it. He was glaring at Zhong from over the tips of his fingers. "Hello, Zhong." The Master said in his husky voice. "Glad to see prison has done wonders to you."
"Yes, it has." Zhong responded as he bowed low to him. The Master raised an eyebrow.
"So, you do not harbor feelings of resentment?" The Master asked. Zhong kept his head bowed low to the ground.
"No." Zhong simply replied. "In fact, I must thank you. My behavior was self destructive. Without you to keep me in line, I might have gone so far outside of the law that I would have destroyed the honor of this Global Army." The Master shifted awkwardly in his chair.
"Glad to see." The Master said. "And…um…what do you think of Aitoku's promotion?"
"I can only rest easy knowing such a prestigious honor was awarded to a good soldier." Zhong replied. "He was always the one to bring me back whenever I…went overboard."
The Master clicked his tongue and brought his hands down. "Very well then. I have nothing else to truly see." The Master claimed. "Well…you may leave." The Master waved a hand and Zhong got to his feet without another word and walked back to the guards and his bonds. The Master shifted in his chair and looked back at the large wall of fire.
"He is so far from where he should be." The Master mused to himself as his thoughts swirled violently through his minds.
Aitoku entered the tent to see Zhong standing over his possessions which had been returned to him. "The Master will instate you back into the army posthaste." Aitoku informed the man. "You will spend one month on probation and then be put into a petty leadership position." At this point Aitoku noticed Zhong shoving his things into a sack that was lying on the cot.
"And what exactly are you doing?" Aitoku asked him.
"What do you think I'm doing?" Zhong asked surprisingly politely. "I'm leaving the army."
Aitoku was taken aback for a moment as Zhong continued to pack. "Leaving?"
"Yes." Zhong said simply as he examined his standard issue sword, far lighter than his own one but it would serve a decent purpose. "I don't want to be in the army anymore."
"And may I ask why?" Aitoku snapped his arms behind his back and glared at Zhong for a moment. Zhong looked him square in the eye, a more level headed man than ever before.
"I'm done." Zhong said. "All my problems seem to stem from the very basic fact that I am here. Maybe the best way to avoid death is to get out of a career where death seems to be coming at such a frequent pace. It's time to move on with my life and this is it."
Aitoku eyed him over carefully. "That cannot be your only reason."
"Well, I would be lying to tell you that it was." Zhong admitted. "I want to find the man who killed my parents. And when I do, I will return him here to stand the trial he should have stood long ago." Zhong slung the sack over his shoulder and made for the exit. "I already told the army coordinator that I resigned; no need to busy yourself with the paper work."
Aitoku stuck out a hand and grabbed him by the arm. Zhong stopped and turned to Aitoku. Aitoku moved towards a cabinet and seized a bundle of rations. He handed them over to Zhong without a second glance. "You could get into some trouble over doing this." Zhong uttered as he stowed the rations in his sack.
Aitoku still did not turn around to face his old friend. "You are worth more than any duty, Zhong."
Zhong walked the twilit road to the neighboring towns, a calmer, more peaceful man than before. The Master and the Red Witch sat in the usual dark parlor with a pot of tea steaming on the small table. The Master was pacing like always but his sister was also pacing.
"All I'm saying is that you need to make sure that you're secret about the whole thing." The Red Witch sneered as hr brother waved an impatient hand at her.
"I've gone through it all, no need to keep bringing it up."
"But you know that the spirits have figured it out. Sutamo of all people will understand what has happened. This is as much their world-no our world as yours." The Master turned at her on this remark.
"I created this world. No other spirit has any sort of jurisdiction." The Master shouted.
"But they will take you down." The Red Witch claimed. "Of course…I would defend you." The Master glared at h on this one.
"What is it?"
"You have done so much for me with the village provided for me. I have plenty of power and feel like a true Spirit. But don't you think you could lend me some of yours? Just think of how much further I could go with a little boost. I could finally break free of the bonds placed by controlling human minds. If so much as one human escapes my area of power I become so weak that I need to rest for weeks. With your power I could sustain myself."
"All right, shut your mouth." The Master said. "If ever my protégé fails, I will ensure to give you a small dose of power to strengthen yourself with. Rather to have you helping me than to do it alone." The Master took a cup forcefully and slipped into his chair. "And do not worry, not even Dreamchaser will be able to detect my tampering. Everything will go as planned. Even with his resignation he cannot escape my grasp."
"He cannot escape his destiny."
The Red Witch got up and moved to the window, ready to depart. She threw her hood up and turned back to her brother. "And what of this little puppet you've working yourself over? What will become of him."
The Master gave her a quick glance and then smirked. "General Aitoku will no longer be needed after I have the true prize." The Master smiled as his sister departed and Zhong inched closer to his next chance meeting with fate.