 |
|||
|
|
Part 4- Rout
Xiong Fei
The battle came 6 days later. Duke Hatak had deployed scouts all along the route from Rosewood to Tai. As expected, an army was sent to put down the rebellion. Much smaller than Yu Sheng expected, the monk immediately proposed meeting them in battle. The duke agreed.
Marching under the cover of darkness, The Dark Army, as the men has started calling themselves, went out to meet the Bright army. Xiong Fei could only imagine their surprise when they woke up to see their enemy right at their doorsteps. Now for the hard part…the battle.
Xiong Fei looked across the field at the Bright army. Both armies were about the same strength, about 10,000 on each side. Duke Hatak has left the remaining fist to guard the supplies as the wagons were left behind in the march. To Xiong Fei, it was a mistake to leave behind so many men but then he heard the monk’s plan. Yu Sheng’s was bold, daring and unheard of, if somewhat cruel. That’s why Xiong Fei was a wizard, not a military strategist. He would much prefer to be researching his spells than in a military campaign.
As the 2 army faced up to one another, Xiong Fei heard the horn. The monk had ordered the release of the bitches. From the lines of the Dark army, naked women ran across the field towards the lines of the Bright army. Xiong Fei could see that some of the women were reluctant to run, fearing that they would be shot down while crossing. If only that was the case.
Xiong Fei knew that these women were the ones who had given the pain-masters the most problems; all of them were missing both hands. As the women ran, Xiong Fei could almost hear the gash of shock from the Bright army. The mental image of their follow comrades running like sacred rabbits across the field, handless and naked, is not one they will ever forget. Xiong Fei soon heard shouts of encouragement from the Bright army. As the women reach the lines, The Bright army gladly opened up. Soon almost all the women were in the lines. Then as the army tried to close up after them, another horn was heard. With bile in his mouth, Xiong Fei and his follow wizards raised their hands to the sky. Explosions rocked the Bright army. Unknown to them, Xiong Fei and his wizards had put a delay fireball spell on each of the prisoners earlier in the day. The fireballs blew the prisoners’ body apart…along with anyone in the area. Huge inviting holes soon appeared in the disciplined lines of the Bright army. The duke wasted no time. Another horn was heard; the order for the charge. The men of the Dark army crashed into the Bright army’s lines like a tidal wave.
The Bright army had no chance. Soon the lines were broken. Even to Xiong Fei’s untrained eye, victory was a certainty. Pockets of resistance were swept up in the wave that was the Dark army. Xiong Fei smiled sadly, what was to be a battle had turned quickly into a rout. Xiong Fei saw the standard of the Bright army commanding officer turning. She was trying to make a run for it but Yu Sheng had already expected that. His monks had being deployed behind the Bright army to cut off any escape routes. Xiong Fei almost felt sorry for her.
Tian Lung
Waiting was never a problem for Tian Lung. A patient man by nature, waiting was almost second nature to him. Waiting for battle was also not a problem, waiting for battle with other people unfortunately was.
Tian Lung and his follow monks had sneaked behind the Bright army in the night. They had already heard the explosions and the sounds of battle. Now all they could do was wait. If the battle went well, the Bright army would run and that’s where the monks will come in. They were to cut off any escape routes the Bright army would used. In theory you would think that monks would have no problems with waiting, however this was far from the case. As Tian Lung looked around his section, he could almost feel the nervous energy coming from the men. But then only Tian Lung, Lim Cheng and Fu Hong were monks. The rest were laymen and slaves.
Tian Lung looked at the 4 slaves in the section. Both Lim Cheng and Fu Hong had bought their slaves/wives along for the mission. He has never understood why his follow monks want to fight with women at their backs but Tian Lung knew that its’ not his place to argue about such matters. However, it’s not the slaves that gave Tian Lung cause for concern. 6 laymen were in their section as well. It is them that Tian Lung was worried about. Like all laymen, in fact like all young men, they were eager for battle. Eager for a chance to prove themselves in battle and take that all important step towards their goal of monkhood. Eager men in battle usually mean dead men in battle. 13 men in a section, a holy number for the temple, Tian Lung hoped that it will be enough.
Soon footsteps were heard. Tian Lung silently cursed as their quarry came into view. A group of Bright soldiers were running for their lives, it seems that the battle had gone well for the Dark army. However, the group running towards Tian Lung’s section number around 20. They had the section outnumbered. Tian Lung’s section will have no choice but to let them go. Then Tian Lung saw the standard. Tian Lung immediately looked at his follow monks. Both Lim Cheng and Fu Hong saw the same thing. The commander of the Bright army was in the group, the section cannot allow such a prize to escape.
The section spread out and waited in the bushes as their quarry approaches. Tian Lung took the centre while Lim Cheng and Fu Hong had the flanks. His follow monks would hold the wings with their slaves while the laymen would fight with Tian Lung as their centre. Soon the quarry was upon them. Tian Lung was glad that only women were in the group; outside the commander he can kill the rest without pity. A feral smile came on his face.
The section burst out of the bushes as one. Their quarries were expecting a chase from behind, not a battle from the front. As such, they had their best fighters at the rear and their wounded in front. The wounded tried their best to hold off the section, hoping to buy time for the rear to move up. But it was a foolish hope. With speed and surprise on their side, the laymen’s spears took out the front line of the Bright group in seconds. The laymen went forward without pause, engaging the defenders. Tian Lung ignored them all. He only had eyes for one person. Tian Lung have to give the commander credit, she was shouting orders even now, ordering her soldiers to swing to the left. Then Tian Lung was upon her.
The commander was armed like her soldiers, a small shield in one hand with a short sword in the other. Tian Lung swung his staff in a high arc. The commander lifted her shield and took a giant step back as his staff crashed against it. Like most people, the commander has underestimated Tian Lung’s strength. Tian Lung didn’t give her time to dwell on that as he pressed the attack. He swung the staff across and attacked. The commander caught the attack with her shield and counterattacked. Tian Lung ducked as the sword went across his head. Tian Lung then dropped his staff and went for a take-down. The commander cried in shock as Tian Lung wrapped his arms around her legs. Off-balance as she was, Tian Lung easily dropped her on her face. Trusting that his laymen would protect his back, Tian Lung mounted her back and delivered an elbow to the commander’s head. It wasn’t clean, but the next one was. The second elbow caught the commander as she tried to lift her head. Just like that, it was over.
Tian Lung looked around and saw that the fight was already over. The soldiers has obeyed their commander and swung to the left. With numbers, they had overwhelmed Fu Hong and his two slaves. All three of them lay dead on the ground. However, instead of fighting, the soldiers had run the moment the opening had appeared. Cowards!
“Good work”
Tian Lung turned and saw Lim Cheng. “How many are hurt?” he asked.
“None hurt but five of ours are dead including Fu Hong.”
“Let’s go then. We have our prize.”
“Yu Sheng will glad to have her.” Lim Cheng smiled as he said.
“I lay claim”
“What?” Lim Cheng smile disappeared as he looked at Tian Lung in shock.
Tian Lung looked in his follow monk’s eye and repeated slowly, “I lay claim.”
Yu Sheng
The general’s work is never done. Whereas other men who had fought today
were now resting for the night, Duke Hatak has work to do. That meant that his
advisors has work to do as well, like finding out how many soldiers the Second
Princess Mei Yan has left in Rosewood.
The commanding officer of the Bright officer is called Bei Hui. Unfortunately, that was all they had been able to get out of her so far. Yu Sheng know that this will change in time. Already a pain-master was at work with the female. Most of the time, the pain-master would just cut off a hand or two, and the female would soon be begging to talk. However Tian Lung had lay claim on the female, so cutting off limbs was out of the question. But there are other ways.
The pain-master has tied the commander firmly to a chair. For interrogation
of female suspects without threatening life or limb, the pain-master has
several techniques that could generally be applied. In this case, the
pain-master has decided on the fingers rack. Six short wooden sticks were
positioned around and between the commanders’ fingers and strings connect the
wooden sticks together. Each time the commander refused to testify or confess,
the pain-master woud pull the string, slowly, agonisingly squeezing the fingers
between the sticks. The pain was increbile. Yu Sheng has heard of bones being
crushed by this technique. Monks in the temple weren’t allowed cut off limbs of
a claimed woman even their own, but the breaking of bones was generally
allowed. The female screamed again.
The pain-master
relaxed the strings and asked in a kind voice, “Dear commander, we know that Mei
Yan has left the capital to the west, she cannot save you now. Please, just
tell us how many soldiers she left
in Rosewood?”
Yu Sheng could almost smell the fear
from the commander but she stayed silent. The strings tightened. Yu Sheng saw
her face reddened as the scream tore through the tent. Still she stayed silent.
The pain-master bought forward a wooden pail.
“Do you know what
this is?” The pain-master asked in that flat kind voice of his. “This is hot
oil. The temple of the Fire Sun believed that females are not equal to males.
Men are bigger, stronger, smarter; men should rule. Females are labour. They
are needed for their bodies, not their looks. If you refused to talk, I will be
forced to put this oil over you. Do not worry, it will not kill you but your
looks, hair, body will be scarred beyond repair. Please, for all our good, call
us what you know. How many soldiers are left in Rosewood?”
Yu Sheng saw the war on the commander’s face but it was a useless struggle. She will talk, if not now then later. No matter what, the answers will come. With that thought, Yu Sheng left the tent and walked into the night.
|
|
|