178 The ending of and Era [part 2]

 The sweep began as expected. The Blades took up positions to the west and to the north of the town, whilst the entire army moved like a tide over the town. 

They went door to door, knocking until a frightened face appeared at a chink in their barricade. People had fled the safety of their compounds, carrying their valuables or their children. Some were shouting at servants, trying to keep up. Chaos was milling all around the soldiers whilst they calmly continued their work. 

Civilians ran from one place to another, shouting and screaming. Some people, in their haste, had set their own places on fire; carelessly unattended fires, knocked over lamps, fire sticks still lit, lying against the fabric of a dress or shawl. The smell of burning filled the nostrils, it was getting out of control.

"Make sure the doors are checked over there!" one sergeant yelled at his troops.

"All clear in these streets, Sir!"

"Move on!" he barked and as a swarm, unhurried and unbothered by the panic which surrounded them, they continued their slow and methodical rhythm, knocking, pushing open/breaking down locked doors, pulling out people, leaving nowhere unturned.

Meanwhile, the Archers stood, bows at the ready, watching for anyone fleeing in the wrong direction. 

"Stop! Do not continue! We will shoot to kill if you run!"

The warnings were heard and most listened, but some, whether in panic or out of guilt, took their chances and were mowed down in a shower of arrows. Others behind, seeing this, stopped and turned, dropping to the floor in submission.

"This way!"

They were herded into the direction of the southerly flank of the town where a corral had been established. People were scared and looked at the Twin Hammers, ready to bolt, like unbroken horses wanting their freedom. Were these men friend or foe? Were they going to kill them, or release them? Were they any different from the Mu? Some gave a backward glance at their town, those innocents, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, watched it burn. 

Hysteria had reared it's ugly head.

Then it happened.

"Sir," it was one of the Blades, coming back along the track at full speed. "Its a trap, Sir, someone told the Mu our plans and they are heading up this way." He looked at Băo, "all of them, the whole of their army, well, what's left of them."

"Get back to command," he pointed to where Second Master had been standing. "Tell him immediately. Tell him, I am calling the Blades and we will start a forward movement. We will cut off their flanks and reduce their effectiveness. He must defend this area and advance forward to drive them back across their own border." Băo looked at the people and shook his head, "we've pushed them here, we have to protect them. Go!" And with that, he took off, shedding his robes of office and assuming his status as a Blade.

Calling out, he pulled them all in. "Return to this voice, now, it is urgent."

Calls were heard coming from various standpoints and then a rush of people arriving at top speed.

"What's wrong?"

"They know. The Mu know of our plans, so we adapt. Xin, take your pack north and cut back toward the border. Cut an escape route. Take another pack with you. " She nodded and left as instructed. 

"Niao, you take your pack, plus one other, and work the shoreline. Again cut off their escape, especially by water. Any coming up river, sink them." Niao nodded, and gathering her two broods together, they took off at speed towards the river. "How many of you can swim?" She looked around as she jogged. Most could. "That's a relief because we are going to be very wet most of the time." With that she too disappeared from sight.

Băo looked around, " My pack, plus, yes, you all come with me. We are going to play Tag with the advancing forces. Let's see how many we can notch up before anyone notices their numbers are being systematically reduced." 

Second Master heard the news and sighed. He had dreaded this happening and his worst fears were being realised. "So, what did General Băo have to say?"

The soldier relayed everything and Second Master nodded. "Okay, find my Sergeant at Arms and get the heads of units to me as soon as possible. We change tack slightly." He walked into the tent and put on his thickest armour plates, emblazoned with the Hammer, and, picking up his broad sword, he felt its familiar weight in his hands. "Here we go old friend. Keep me safe. We push together, and we push right into Mu territory and all the way to Mudon. We will walk into the old man's villa and state a few truths he needs to accept." 

Turning to the entrance he saw his Sergeant. "Good, let's go to this meeting. It is time we took these dogs out once and for all."

The fighting intensified rapidly. Niao and her cubs were busy, as several armed units had decided to use the water's edge as a way to get closer to the civilians. They had chosen a wrong path as far as she was concerned. Growling, she called in a low and resonant voice, 'Cut them off. Cut them down. Slide them silently into the water.'

Replies came back, low barks, only she and the rest of the packs would understand. How long had they been refining this, she wondered? It seemed like years now. It probably was.

Then she saw it, a contingent of twenty men slowly moving up, along the bank. They were keeping themselves low and out of sight of the roadway, but they forgot to check the water and the reed infested banks. She felt the first leech attach. The three men with her crouched behind her.

"We have to be careful, this area is full of leeches. If we get too many on us, they will drain us."

They looked at each other ready to get out. She grabbed the front man's arm, and shook her head. "Bear with it, but this is good." She nodded ahead, "see them? Well they can take over leeching. Use the blades to cut their hamstrings and and remove their tongues if you can, if not, slit their throats, then lower them into the water. They won't be able to scream but they will bleed out for the leeches."

They nodded, each one having perfected the art of tongue removal whilst at the desert front. Niao spoke again, "there are twenty of them and four of us. That's five each. Don't get caught and even worse, don't bleed."

Moving into position, the four Blades prepared themselves for the silent attack. Lifting themselves out of the water in a silent wave, the four took out one soldier each. 

In one fluid movement, their hamstrings were cut and as they went to scream, a blade entered their mouths and removed a portion of their tongue. The fluidity continued as each soldier was quickly, and silently pulled into the water.

The remaining soldiers noticed and turned to face the water, only to see four of their company thrashing around in the water, blood pouring out of their mouths, screaming but making no more than garbled sounds, as they drowned in their own blood. 

The river turned red and began to boil. The blood in the water had attracted all manner of creatures, and they were already attaching, already consuming.

The soldiers went to step back, but with rapid grace, four more were dragged into the water, throats slit and pulled back into the moving tide.

Twelve to go and they were ready to bolt. It was like watching stags at a watering hole. They had recognised a predator was in the water, but didn't know whether it was going to take any more of their number down, or suddenly launch itself out of the water and pull another down. 

As they turned to run, two Blades emerged like demons from the swamp. They had leeches hanging off their legs and arms, weed dripping off their bodies and mud strewn faces bearing down on them.

Three soldiers froze and were taken down instantly. Niao and the last man now rose from the quagmire. They gave chase, slashing at the legs as they went. Screams filled the air, but none lived long enough to report.

In another part of the territory, Xin listened as she heard the first wave of death pierce the air. She smiled, and arming herself with her blades and sling shot, she readied herself and her fellow Blades.

"That will have raised an alarm, now we watch as they start moving. They will herd like deer. They can be picked off easily. You ready for our turn?" 

They looked and smiled. Fifteen men and one woman, a pack of wolves, ready to run down their prey. They had practiced this move so many times. 

"There!" one Blade whispered. "Looks like a complete unit."

"There's another."

"Okay, one pack you take that unit, and we will take the second. No one, repeat no one is to be left alive."

They all nodded and took off as expected, as practiced. Blood was spilled, screams were heard, cut off as suddenly as they began. Xin laughed quietly to herself, "Niao, stay safe sister, we have a lot of living to do," and with that she gave chase to a young man who looked so much like one of those flighty gazelles as he jumped and sprinted for his life. 'Not long little man and your existence will be no more.' 

With that she loaded her slingshot and raise it above her head. As she gently jogged along behind him, she swung the shot and released it. The small dart pierced his neck and the poison was delivered directly into his veins. He dropped within seconds, twitching on the ground, a look of intense horror on his face.

Xin kept jogging, there were others and they would die the same way today.

 

Băo and his two packs moved into the undergrowth nearest the border. Here, they could see just how many troops were coming and it was more than he, or Second Master would anticipate.

He summoned one of the Blades, "Get a message back to the Commander. Let him know the approximate numbers. Tell him, I think the Mu generals have conscripted anyone and everyone whether they wish to be there or not. This makes it dangerous and unpredictable."

He looked around and mentally counted. Yes, they were all here. "How are we going to counter this?" he said to the men.

They shook their heads. "There's too many for us to pick off from the sides or the back." he paused, "Where is the back? There seems to be a river of men coming this way."

Another quietly chimed in, "There are farmers in this as well. Look, some have nothing but pitchforks." He looked at the men. Clearly they didn't want to be there. "How do we tackle this?"

Băo looked at the men advancing. He didn't have it in his heart to kill innocents, it just wasn't his style. He was just about to suggest they pull back, when one of the others quietly cut in, "how about an arc of burning vegetation. There's plenty here and if the grasslands are on fire, it will force them to either retreat or advance along the roadway. They will be easier to pick off."

Băo nodded, "but we retreat first. We return to the bulk of the Twin Hammers and have Arrows and Swords as back up."

It was agreed, and with that, they returned to the main body of the army, leaving Niao and Xin to continue picking off the outliers.