House of Chen

  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...

  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...

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...

 The battle in Chenxi had changed. Twin Hammers were advancing and the Mu garrison was emptying, like rats leaving a sinking ship.  As they ran, they were mown down by arrows firing from hidden vantage points they couldn't, in their panic, counter.  There was no escape.  Some threw themselves to the water ways, only to find swords, blades and more arrows, ready to cut off their retreat. There was little sound, just that quiet throng of bow strings, the slice of swords as they sliced the air, and screaming. Lots of screaming. Then the Arrows loaded their cross bows, lit their flaming bundles and raising the bows high, lofted them into the garrison itself. Their aim? To destroy the whole construction. What had been built to control and conquer was to be burned to the ground in a show of force that reminded them who was in charge. Men now fled, their clothing, their skin alight. The stench of burning flesh added to that of the garrison.   The body count grew....