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168 First, you dig that hole

  The two men from Reparations jogged towards the circling birds. It was further away than they thought and took them a good hour to reach a vantage point. The smell had been growing the closer they got and now it was overpowering. They covered their noses and looked ahead. Numerous decomposing bodies were strewn by the lakeside. Maggots crawled all over the ground chasing the goo which was seeping from the corpses. The carrion had ceased to feast on the flesh, now they were after the large, fat maggots, which were crawling to find a place to pupate. Smaller song birds had joined the feast, as the next stage of the food web was reached. They grabbed at maggots and flew off, probably to feed young in the nest. Wild dogs still circled. They nipped at small pieces which were still whole but putrid. Snatching at a piece of arm, they turned and ran, ripping the arm, a shoulder, a head, clean off the body. The slaughter man shuddered. He'd dealt with animal corpses like this but never hu...
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167 Moving on

The Reparations Division packed their new belongs. They'd burned their military connections for good, and now, shouldering their bundles, they moved as a new unit, with a different focus. They were never soldiers, they had been forced at the point of a sword to sign up. Mu numbers were low and they needed cannon fodder to face the Chen Army. Well, die with them. The Mu generals had been surprised at how well Chen fought and Commander Zhang wasn't remotely interested in committing his troops to any further bloodshed.  He had called on his old ally to support his effort and they had suggested using the Chen as bait. A satisfactory way to rid the world of their evil, or so they thought.  This was, to all intense and purposes a phoney war. Yes, there had been a large influx through the mountain pass into Zhang territory. Yes, the Mu were closely related to the Zhangs and had, therefore, been called upon to support their in-laws in this matter. It had been at the suggestion of the ...
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166 Time to rejoin the fight

Niao and Hao had half dragged, half carried Yiran. It had been nearly two days without stopping except to pee and grab water. Yiran had cycled between fever and unconsciousness and both were keen to get her to Madam Min and the others as soon as possible. Finding the pyres, and the men tending them, they were pointed in the right direction for the camp. Madam Min had run forward and taken Yiran to the first aid tent where women with some of the old remedies, started treating her. It was a few days before she recovered enough to open her eyes and register where she was. Looking down, she noticed a small hand holding her little finger and chattering softly to no-one in particular. She clutched a ragged doll to her chest. Yiran could only presume she had been chattering for some time, because she got the feeling this was part way through the little girls conversation. "so you see, I haven't got a Ma or a Pa. Do you have a Ma? I'd like a Ma. Some of my friends have one and the...
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165 A dead man doesn't fight back

  Lui Xian sat quietly in his tent. His orderly had delivered some communiques from Tangun and from the forces in Chenxi. He had also just been handed a document from Shipao. Sipping his tea, he took in the logistics of what was happening where. New reparations division heading to Chenxi, the bulk of the forces who had freed Chenxi, heading this way, three packs of Blades already on their way, and now information which surprised him. Commander Zhang, that insufferable, arrogant leader, had finally softened and was in talks with the leaders in Shipao Province. It seems Second Master had laid some plans in place which forced his hand and now he was attempting to save face. Lui Xian smiled. Events were beginning to unravel and soon, men would be able to go home. He thought wistfully of home. A villa deep in the farming lands of Liú, surrounded by gardens of the enclave he controlled. The rice growing on the hillsides and the wines..... His mouth watered and he longed to taste that swe...
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164 Engage

  General Lui Xian sat and waited. They had intercepted many Mu troops as they travelled up from the borderlands, allowing none to return and alert the barracks of their numbers or their position. He waited for the scouts to return from Chenxi. He needed to know whether it would be safe for him to move forward and attack Tangun or to wait it out a little longer.  He had been made aware of Second Master's decisions and the suspected burning of Chenxi; what he needed now was news as to whether there were any troops who could come and help in this final battle. He had only enough to support the transfer of the dead, dying and wounded. It only needed a small number.  He had completed that task.  He had lost some of his troops to the battles which had raged across the marshlands and weeding the enemy out of these enclaves had proved harder and more costly than they had realised. He needed back up badly. General Lui Xian poured himself another green tea and looked over the...
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163 Moving out

  Madam Min sat in her make shift room watching the smoke rising into the sky. She knew what this meant; the day had come and they would be able to return. She looked around at all the inventory, 'there's enough to begin. Enough to repair hope.' she sniffed back tears she didn't realise she had been holding. She thought back to the bustle of the main street, the tavern at night and the customers who came every day to eat, drink and socialise. She thought of the men who, after work, would settle outside and play Go, arguing over who would pay for the next round. It was then she cried. Silent tears streamed down her face and pooled in her cleavage. Deep sobs racked her whole body.  Two of the little 'ones ran in, " Auntie, auntie, don't cry. Why are you crying? Auntie we have been good. Do you want something, Auntie?" The littlest one, barley two years old sat on the ground and began to wail. She didn't know why but she wailed anyway. If Auntie was c...
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162 And the fires burned

The barracks burned bright, and flames rose into the sky. Smoke, black and acrid, rose in plumes above Chenxi . It was visible for miles, and it was registered by most of the Twin Hammers . Second Master was one of those. He watched as he contemplated their next move. "Chenxi has fallen. We move forward." "Sir, what do we do with these men? They are not Chen ." The second in command, an older Hammer who had brought the group this far, looked at his superior. "Assemble the men immediately. Two camps. Those who wishes to return and those who will form the reparations division." Second Master continued looking toward home. ' Yiran , are you still alive? Do we still have children? Please the gods, let her be alive at least.' Little did he know, his prayers had already been answered and his wife waited, still in silent shock, somewhere in the mountains with the two people he could still call family. He came back to the present and waited for the men to...
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