The Trinity passed 200k words and beyond! LET'S GO! I cannot believe this! Combine this sequel's words and my first book's as a whole. That's my longest fic series of 617k, nearly reaching for one story of 630k (nievelon's Tai Lung redemption story, A Different Lesson).

Volume Three: Deng Wa

Chapter XLII

One Trail

Fang tossed Erden to one of his canines after Tarkhan's outcasts turned themselves in. This ambush from Mingling's plan was not going as intended, knowing she attempted her risk to assassinate the camel without catching her off guard. Pleasing her leader mattered to her the only way. And by doing so was the way to regain honesty toward Genghis Khan. I hope my love understands my path of vengeance, and I am fighting for him.

Mingling trudged her way on the path, and her group of foxes and canines bore their torches, pacing their walks beside the outcasts' yurts. The rest of Genghis's Mongols gathered Tarkhan's people in line, one by one. Mingling sought her fox ally standing before her, who unsheathed his saber. "Where is Tarkhan, my Lady?"

"He is bathing under the sand. He no longer breathes."

The snow fox Fengxian breathed out his harsh sigh, nodding with approval. "That's one traitor we had to worry about."

"Another shall drown when we see the wolverine," Mingling predicted, surveying her eyes on their local groups. "Search what you like in all the yurts. And seize that hawk!"

"Yes, my Lady!"

Each Genghis's ally dragged most captives before forcing them toward the gathering, and the Siberian tiger growled with rich drums as he commanded his soldiers, rounding his claws at the horde. Mingling executed her left hook fastening her gauntlet wrist, leveling her sinister glare at Tarkhan's Mongol herds gathering together. "Is that the rest of his people, Qadan?" she demanded.

Qadan pinned his spear beside his right foot, chuffing. "All of them, Mingling."

"Such pleasant faces," she spread her lips. Mingling and the tiger glowered to their left, summoning Fang, who cuffed Erden with ropes around the boy's wrists. Ahead of the group, Erden's father stammered as he propelled his stance, and the horse bashed his staff against his stomach, pinning him down.

The bear armed over Erden's neck, her hook resting on his chest with care. She fastened her eyes at him with a pleasant smile. "How old are you, boy? Speak up."

Erden quivered his lips with dread; the scream from Tarkhan had him holding his tears. "Thirteen."

"Get away from him!" Chuluun's face contorted.

The horse pounded his head once more, which delivered a random horde of some gasps and shudders. Chuluun spat out his cough of blood.

Mingling crooned her pitches of sigh, kneeling next to Erden. "Is this your papa?" she pointed at Chuluun, and Erden bobbed his head.

The black bear flickered her hook to one of Khan's soldiers, who began to seize Chuluun's arms, forcing him to rise. Mingling stretched her lips, studying the ibex from his feet to his head. Her claw gripped his jaw. "What are you called, Papa?"

The injured Mongol unlatched his black eye, which made him suppress his grimacing growl. "Chuluun, Tarkhan's right hand," he identified himself.

"Yes. Of course, you are. The follower of self-pride," she disgusted, releasing his jaw with a slight push.

The ibex's eyes glared at his son. "Erden, where is Tarkhan? Tell me!"

Erden weighted his head to his feet without giving his gaze at his father. The boy shook his head, showing remorse in front of Chuluun. Almost rejecting this proof, Chuluun inspected the bear rummaging in her short pocket. She brought out Tarkhan's jawbone bracelet of black feathers and beads in front of him and the hostages, and many gasps and horrors churned with grief.

"Your leader no longer matters to Genghis Khan. He is dead," Mingling announced, strolling back and forth while facing the heads of Tarkhan's people. "All those words from your chief filled nothing but shrinks your tenders, cowering across the desert to remain unloyal to your Mongol Warlord. Genghis Khan is your true leader, parasites. I came here to remind your souls that there is only a chance to prove yourself worthy. And what does your Khan expects from more extraordinary aspects? Your loyalty. Your blood of Khan's blood."

Tarkhan's tribe giving their stares at each other, murmured under their breaths once Siberian and his warriors surrounded them with long sabers and waited for execution, part of which to choose their fates. Chuluun glowered at the bear as he finished gazing at his son with misery.

Mingling leered and gripped her ax. "Here is my offer. Bend the knee to Lady Mingling, so I shall spare your life, and you restore your honesty to Genghis Khan. Together, a greater army stands to rain our terrors on the Great Wall, shatter it all open and conquer all of China," she uttered with nonchalance, her face showing ruthlessness. "Refusing your surrender will be. . . imminent suffering."

One by one, as soon as the tiger's warriors made ready for their spears to aim at them, Tarkhan's Mongols knelt before the black bear. They lowered their heads when they sought their leader's yurts puffing embers in the cool air billowing above Mingling. Half of the tribe gave in as the others were concerned about their fate, whose surroundings crept in by long halberds. The gray hawk and marmot were standing last, leering at Khan's Mongols and Mingling.

"Step forward, Chuluun," Mingling gesticulated her fingers and had Chuluun guiding his way near the bear.

"Dooshoo!" the Siberian tiger signaled, and the hawk's archers launched their arrows, silencing two dead who decided not to follow.

"You remain your loyalty to dead leaders?" Mingling fastened her glare.

"Tarkhan and Khan's blood-brother brought ambition to be a proud Mongol," he held his head to his level. "Temujin faces the combination of relentless and leadership. To his character, he unfollows the weak, and we followed his old ally who was not like the conqueror."

"This allegiance of yours seems to be in failure at glory," she stated, her voice blending harsh and balanced. "Genghis serves brightly in him, delivering his ambition toward ruling across countries."

Chuluun kept looking down at his feet. "I follow whoever serves better than a dictator," he said.

The bear, slowly turning to her ally, churned her growling sigh as the Siberian tiger peeped his green eyes at him, shaking his head with disdain. "Your boy's future lies in being Khan's valuable fighter. What will he be doing now if there are no comrades around him? Hmm?"

"My son will not stand his loyalty with Genghis," Chuluun growled, fixing his rebellious eyes at her. "I alone will be the judgment to raise him without anyone's hands touching my boy."

"Erden!" one voice deepened behind Tarkhan's people, and their perspectives followed the leopard general in a leather garment with spike shield wraps and a draped helmet.

Erden widened his brown eyes, surging his breath under his throat. "Uncle Batu!" he screamed. Without Fang's attention, Erden dashed his way around the horde.

Batu placed his long lance beside him before he removed his helmet. After the striped feline let Chuluun's son go, the tiger's guards stood in their positions. The leopard cut Erden loose with his knife and had themselves clasped together. "Batu," Erden sobbed.

"You are safe with me, boy. I am here."

"She killed Tarkhan, Batu. She killed him."

"You have connections, Batu?"

Mingling uttered her demand to Batu, who held Erden's head on his belly. Most of Khan's Mongols remained glaring at him. "Not one outcast, Mingling," he shook his head, radiating his gold eyes. "Tarkhan never liked to join Genghis. I know this boy and his father."

Mingling grasped Chuluun's deel, forcing him to turn at her leopard companion. "What do you think Chuluun did?" she asked. "He befriended the outcast and fled from the Great Khan."

Batu regarded the child's father's face, so disappointed at first when he met him from the beginning. "Chuluun made a terrible choice, Mingling. I say no more."

Mingling nodded. "Very well. Befriend the boy, Batu. Let us grown-ups have a little chat," she gave her threatening stare at Erden's father, and her claw nails pierced in his fur, giving Chuluun a wince. "His child does not need to see this."

"Aav uu?" the boy rested his tears on Chuluun, whose slight grin broke sideway, nodding at his son.

Batu bounded his paws on Erden's shoulders. "Come with me. Let us take a walk."

"No. What about my dad? Dad!" Erden wailed.

Batu strode his way with Chuluun's son away from the bear's sight. The ibex watching his son mourn burst his heartbreaking joy with tears. "I'm always behind you, khüü! I will always be there with you!"

Please!

Erden strolled past ten yurts away with Batu, whose grip palmed on the ibex's shoulders. He wrestled both sides before the leopard managed to face the boy with care. "Look at me. I do not have the heart to answer you, Erden," Batu expressed. "Whether he lives or not, you must be brave ahead of yourself. Does your father want you to look back?"

At first, the boy knew what his father had guided him and what he could achieve ahead of Erden. Steering on his path of courage let him see his failures, but failure was his teacher to practice his mistakes before mastering his skills. Erden drenching his warm tears, observed the night's cobalt heaven, finding the belt of three stars together and two limbs carrying a sword and a shield. His father's croaky voice swarmed in Erden's thought.

If I am dead with the wind, or am killed by a warrior, do not look back, Erden. When you look at the stars, thinking of me, I will come to you, my son. You are so much smarter than me.

The ibex's eyes closed when Batu bent his right knee, urging him. "Now, it is time for you to carry on. Serving with the Khan is your only path to claim glory, knowing your name is a treasure," the leopard said. He patted Erden's heart, having the young watch his eyes. "Let me promise you this, boy: Once I convince Genghis Khan to be your guide, you will be on my side."

"Okay," Erden sniffed.

"Let's head to your yurt and gather your weapons and clothes. You have a long stride ahead in the following days. My friend Qadan will go with you."

Batu and Erden carried on as Chuluun had watched his son go. He remained on his knees when the tiger signaled his paw with his fellow guards, finding another gray hawk at the third-row front who screeched with opposition. Four bolts plunged into his throat before Chuluun flinched by arrows' crimson fletchings whirring past above him, trembling in fear.

Mingling rotated her head to the ibex with a menacing stare. "You were saying, Chuluun?" she crooned.

Chuluun's eyes filled with hostility. "Genghis lives in Mongolia throughout his whole life. You — on the other hand — have a Chinese tongue."

The bear invaded Chuluun's head near his muzzle. Her behemoth height made the ibex look away from her grimacing face. "Inner Mongolia is where I was born. Choose your words wisely, defiant. Surrender now for your boy."

With enough words to demand his surrender, Mingling readied her hook by wanting to attempt several execution parts. Now that Chuluun was concerned about his life leading to his imminent death ahead of him, he only reflected on his son growing up to be a warrior.

The bear's hand felt a firm surface from Chuluun's deel pocket in his chest. Breathing in with a sign of insistence, Mingling ripped his cloth open and rummaged where the slot was, which brought the ibex to clench his teeth as the tiger aimed his lance near his head. Her index and thumb stroked something rigid and lengthy, sensing a bone shape. Slowly picked from his pocket, she filled her breath with great astonishment, widening her eyes at the object.

Large claw nails linked on a dark brown string. Almost precisely the detail of what Batu was told from Genghis Khan wishing Mingling to exterminate his blood brother's loyalist. "My my, Chuluun. That wolverine crafted this necklace for you," she chuckled, then scoffed with jealousy. "You really are a special mate to someone. Would you like to pay a visit to another tribe with us? I am sure they enjoy seeing new faces."

Chuluun spat at her muzzle. "You tyrant bit—"

And her hook plunged into his skull.

The tiger Qadan kept his sight out of Chuluun's corpse, his black ears recording the flesh tear with a spine bone snap, wrenching apart as Tarkhan's people sufficed with horrifying gasps. Snapping the antlers and throwing the ibex's head had him hear the angry splash and foams in a round pot, the fire arising with shrilling sizzles.

"Anyone else?" Mingling called out to many with vexation.

A lynx in a colorful garment bent her body forward, showing her stammer beg. "I serve with the Khan, my Lady! Spare me!"

Around the poor soul, Tarkhan's Mongols did the same, crawling before Lady Mingling.

"Smart move," satisfied Mingling. "Which one of you knows where the wolverine's tribe is at?"

The golden eagle crept with her giant wings. "I can take you there, my Lady. I am the only one who knows where he lives. Beg me mercy."

Mingling stepped forth and fiddled her claw on the falcon's side of her jaw, buzzing her own throat with kind. "Thank you," she simpered. "On your feet. Qadan's hawk will soar beside you."

The bird bobbed her head and stood beside the horse before Mingling angled her eyes on the people. "At this moment on, gather what you need to survive. Tomorrow, you stride South and pay your visit to Genghis Khan around a three-week hike. He will do the same with my word as I spared your life. Carry on."

She took her to pose as a calming figure when Mingling surveyed all of the Mongols, retrieving their belongings, clothes, and wood for winter days and essential tools to collect weaponry and sharp blades before hunting and fighting.

Peeping at the next yurt, which finally let Fengxian's foxes throw their torches and burn the whole, Mingling strolled across the edge before a gentle stream of sand swam around her feet. She sought a small yak with short sabers, two blades that glinted dark silver, which a reverberating sound of whirring metals in the air. The face of her nemesis with emerald eyes made her clench her teeth.

I will get Kai and finish him off last time. His wretch threw me away from all of China.

Mingling had started her fire after she sat on the top ridge. Once ten yurts burned to the ground, with harsh smokes and orange embers swimming in the breeze, the bear inspected the necklace's claw nails. The specks of white stars above her dazzled with the wind muttering with grinds of sand. She motioned it closer to her inky nostrils for a moment, breathing in the ibex's sweat and desert aroma breezed with calm ripples.

You hike down the hill as the cobalt water mirrors the sun, the cloud shredding its white cloth. The lake's bank leads fifteen yurts perching close and beyond on the meadow. Amidst the nearest stands a round tent with a wolverine skull above the drape entry. You lead onward to the slope while you pass by the other outcasts cooking their pots, the boil wafting soups. Across the side of the bank, young warriors of gobi bears, falcons, and the ibex spar with their sworders in colorful deels.

"Sarnai."

The wolverine Sarnai simpers. She greets you in front of the entrance, dressed in a dark ruby deel with intricate tribals and headdress silver beads, welcoming you to her presence. You urge her with the critical matter. "Could we speak alone about that thing, Sarnai? Inside your yurt as possible."

"Yes. Come in, Chuluun," the wolverine urges. Observing yourself as ibex in tan deel, he and Sarnai enter.

The interior surrounds dark silver surroundings, and ahead of the room rests a sigil of the bear with a leather drape helmet. The round table with a voluminous sheet stands in the middle, the oval roof above shining rays of light. Chuluun takes his stand close to the center, and Sarnai's root pole barricades him with a lightning-passed movement.

"That's close enough, Chuluun. That thing remains to be sleeping."

"Where is this rock coming from, Sarnai?" Chuluun asks, filling with determination.

The center of the table murmurs its sigh of rubble. "This is no rock, Chuluun. An ancient form from tens of generations passed this round to a gifted soul. I highly doubt Temujin wants this because he is a warrior who kills warriors for honor and respect."

"Can you be able to look at it?"

"It, Chuluun, will not give in to anyone but one. This rock, you called it, reads your soul and rots in your heart if disturbed. Compared to a shaman like me, a forgotten word allows it to manifest your predictions, and it expects the shadow figure, who bathes with scarlet blotches."

Chuluun's rich brown eyes broaden, flooding his gasp. "Who is this shadow figure, Sarnai?"

The wolverine's claw extends close to the table cloth, her low thrum voice murmuring. For a moment, you detect distortions of glass taps drumming, the Lady's war cries, bones cracking, rupture breaths into silence. Sarnai retreats her paw in her robe after her brown eyes widen. "The evil eyes of shulam."

"Should I be worried about that?" he asks, whose voice was nonchalantly balanced.

Her eyes read at his daring look. "If you are brave to face death, Chuluun."

Children giggles rush behind the yurt curtain. Two Mongols diminishing their hot topics about the stone's capabilities, they reach for the drape; the ibex take his last look at the object, whose glass underneath the sheet titter with tapping. "Where exactly did you find this round, Sarnai?"

"Someone who wishes to give it away from one of his own."

Returning to her consciousness grew Mingling's inaudible gasp, her thoughts clustering with such curiosities and demands. She again inspected Chuluun's claw nails necklace, proving to surge her ideas. The bear remembered the silent room with void walls, crept with flickers of charcoal fire. With her close to the figure ahead that was hard to reveal, a shadow's webbed claw handed a draped shroud object to her, which flowed with ink ribbon hisses.

My master gave his gift to me long ago. I had it hidden in my chamber for over a hundred years in Yinxing Mountain. Who took it?

The bear pressed her jaw against her teeth with a slight frown. Soft taps crushing the sand strolled beside her, introducing the snow fox. "My Lady. My apologies for disturbing your presence. May I have a word with you?"

"Of course," Mingling accepted his request, having Fengxian sit ahead of her. "What do you require to speak with me, Fengxian?"

The fox brushed his palms near the fire with relaxation. "You had concerns before. Not like a recent one, but does let you out of focus last week," he pondered. "I believe I know something you have been reflecting on for quite a while."

Mingling scoffed with a blunt, once by her grunting giggle. "There are others to be handled, knowing that we made thousands of enemies," she simpered, her figure uncloaking her sinister smile. "I can only imagine two whose heads I still want."

"You still loved Prince Huoju, my Lady?"

His query deepened in Mingling's thought, merely enough to swim her memories as herself so young and defiant at the round arena in Yingxing Mountain. Tamed by her teacher and her mate, Mingling sparred her vixen opponent Lingling, who loathed the bear, whose cunning trickster and resilience delivered the bear's might. She confronted Lingling the last time that Mingling had enough of her opponent's scornful insults tormenting her. With the bear's sinister glare rayed violet, her eyes clenched Lingling's throat, nearly murdering Huoju's top student. Abhorrence overgrew inside Mingling; yet, the Prince of Darkness wished for her student not to slaughter her classmate, which he envisioned the two students become pure into fighting together in the Great War.

Each day, Mingling and Huoju visited the webbed chamber across the column bay, the river of lava streaming beside them. There rested Lingling on the flat igneous surface in oblivion. Nearby were Lingling's companions, who had watched and aided her with care, and the vixen's crocodile doctor; their surroundings triggered their chilling backs and clenching eyes at the bear. They stopped and obeyed Huoju's gesture, giving their teacher to clarify with his disciple that Mingling wished to bless Lingling's recovery. From their perspective, Lingling's friends agreed to submit their actions as Huoju encouraged them and both Mingling and Lingling to unite as fellow brothers and sisters of the Prince's Shadow Combatants.

Hundreds of years passed, and Mingling and Huoju stood proud on the igneous balcony near his throne room. The two warriors delivering remarks on surveying under the mountain landscape with embers served their sips of rice wine, hard to recall rates with their greater army. Lava blends of orange and crimson spilled onward in the air, roaring rings of charcoal ashes. Beneath the peak grounds swarmed a whole army of the Fire Clan in the distance, random directions to their leads wherever their duties served to prep soldiers and new blood. The front of the mountain's gate opened with guests and outcasts, inviting pale blizzards as the snow coughed its tiny dots and smokes.

Huoju's rocky hoof streamed his lava steam on her claw, her cozy sensation receding vexation. Mingling angled her eyes at him, whose muzzle scar blazed with dark cherry flesh.

"The Prince of Darkness, whom I was loyal to, did have his heart," Fengxian commented, touching. He clasped his fingers ahead of him. "Not while being ruthless during his command or meeting his valuable assets. He had chosen over a few who were broken men, like me, who decided not to come back to all jail houses, nor homes who abandoned those we cared for."

Mingling had spread her claw above the fire flickers. "What do you care the most?" she stretched her left eye.

"I care about serving a leader, my Lady. Honesty fits me as I lost my integrity," he said, placing a wood block beside the pit. Flickers stroking the timber skin expanded more brightly than before, dazzling its pulse light on their faces. Sticks snapped before the snow fox reached out his paws near the fire.

"By the way. The last time you told me that you would not replace him," Fengxian recalled, his eyes full of closeness fixed toward her. "You truly meant it?"

The bear rounded her flabby arms over her crossed knees, clasping her paw and hook together. "If there is one way for me to replace anyone like him, I shall let the heavens decide my next mate," she weighed her fastened eyes, refusing to let out her tear. "Every dream, I sleep, Huoju appears, Fengxian. He strokes my heart before I even can do the same to his. My dreams were authentic, and his flesh was not real."

"I sure hope you will see him again for the next eternity," Fengxian said with certainty.

"Is that what you wanted to ask, my friend?" her question was deepened toward a shrill novelty, making her chuckle. "Curiosity and kindness fit in you, as I should have."

"Well, not as always, but that's what friends look out for each other, my Lady," he began to clear his throat before standing ahead of Mingling with respect, dusting sand off his legs. "I should be patrolling with my group."

"Fengxian. Sit by me still," she gestured her claw. "I do have a recent problem. Not compared to the loss of my sun."

Fengxian sat down ahead of her, his silver tail churning beside his left knee. "I am listening."

The bear rummaged Tarkhan's necklace and tossed it above the fire. Fengxian inspected the late traitor's item, his thumb caressing black feathers. "This necklace's scent shall lead me to the wolverine's tribe with the eagle's help," informed Mingling."Chuluun was there with Sarnai, a shaman who hides something in her yurt. I heard the rumbles singing in my ears, calling to me."

Fengxian filled his breath in cold lungs. "You found something that is close."

She nodded. "But that is not the problem what I found so far. One trail was even closer when I engaged Tarkhan. I recognize someone's scent from China before."

The fox's head drew close above the fire. "Tell me what you know, my Lady."

Batu was on the other stretch of the sand rig, observing the snow fox whose head had drawn closer to Mingling. The Khan's General held the ibex's hoof as he and the boy positioned to take their stroll across the cold and irritating specks of sand from their feet, the air murmuring the shroud of dust farther away. Weeping off his tears, Erden glanced at the velvet black and blue horizon with white stars glittering. Batu swept his way on the next hill before the warrior in fine wraps around one's body was on the move near the yurt. Dressed as a Mongol in leather and fur coat made him drum his purrs, seeking a slender tail that quivered back and forth and a round face with fluff ears beckoning with a nod. As those wraps mostly patched around the Mongol's body, the warrior had two spots on the lower shoulder joint and above the muzzle like Batu's.

The two reached for the tiger Qadan, who dominated his slight smile at his friend. Batu beckoned his head with a slow nod at the figure beside the tiger, and the fighter repeated the same with eyes winking, returning to patrol with Genghis' Mongols.

A/N:

— I am going to stop here, where I must be writing on work-in-progress chapters, and many will be published when the time is right. We are in Fall/Autumn season, and I will make sure that this December or earlier weeks before that will get you excited. Volume Three is close to its climax!

— Not wanting to make this history go off direction, Genghis is a badass warlord, and no way he will use the 'mystery' underneath the sheet as my shaman Sarnai mentioned. He would rather focus on his conquest as he has his Mongol army dominating countries. With this history, knowing some of you all know the lore and the year when he visits China, there will likely be an alternative track for my villain, Mingling. She will undoubtedly travel to the South with her more significant numbers, shared by hers and half of Genghis's sons' forces.

— There may be clues here and in the previous chapter. A whole clan is up and running, and they are all loyal to Genghis and Mingling. That's my final explanation instead of tips and hints. I love bringing one mystery character into a game. See all of you in the next update!