Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Alsantset lamented her fate as she made contact with the enforcer. He arrived within moments, gliding through the trees, and began leading them down the mountains towards their judge and executioner. At least Charok and her children would be safe, hidden with Huushal's parents. Hopefully they could escape and return home, telling Papa about this, so that he may take vengeance for them. She had not expected that the Society would seek legal recourse, having been the instigators of the events. It was likely they had fabricated some evidence, and without any backing, their little group would be summarily executed. They had all done her proud, her little band of young warriors, striking fear into the hearts of their enemies. Their stories would end here, but hopefully, they would be told to the People and immortalized in memory.

After two long hours of travel, they reached the camp of the Justicar, several Enforcers and Adjudicators present, each stiff backed and gazing sternly. With the full authority of the Empire behind them, the ability to have anyone executed, regardless of standing, Alsantset felt herself quail before them. The Society members were present, standing to one side, while the Justicar stood waiting, fully dressed in the black robes of his office, an ornate feathered headdress covering his face. He probably had stood there for the entire time it took to find them. Justicars were not known for being leisurely.

Alsantset brightened, spotting a familiar face. Tanaraq was here, leaning against a horse, waiting patiently. Why was she here? She should have been with Akanai, returning home to rally the troops. Alsantset dare to hope. If Akanai was here, they could demand a trial by combat. She looked frantically, but Akanai was nowhere in sight, Tanaraq shaking her head. Cruel hope, dashed upon harsh truth. The Justicar spoke as soon as they were dismounted. As Justicar of the Empire, I declare this mediation in session. Which of you is Alsantset? She, it seemed, spoke with a feminine voice, distorted and echoing in her helmet, her boredom evident. Alsantset stood forward, acknowledging her name. Speak of the events these past days.

Alsantset gave a clear and concise presentation of the facts, starting from the displaying of prizes at the Society, ending with the attack she had launched only a few hours ago. The Justicar interrupted often, asking pertinent questions and for clarifications. Rain fell asleep on his feet during the proceedings, leaning against Zabu, his light snores earning him many glares and scowls from the members of the Society, and no few from the Enforcers. They mistook exhaustion for arrogance, but it mattered little. Rain would not survive long enough for it to cause him difficulty.

The Justicar did not seem to mind, ignoring him completely, fully focused on Alsantset's testimony. Tanaraq disregarded the entire proceedings, cooking a large amount of food while she waited calmly. It drove Alsantset mad to the point of distraction. Her good friend was ignoring them, but for what reason?

When she had finally finished, more than an hour had passed and her throat was dry from speaking. The Justicar turned to the Society members, speaking to Elder Situ Bolin for their version of events.

Bolin sported an ugly scar upon his face, Rain's work. We were out here on a hunting trip, for some of the youngsters who were eliminated from the competition. It was to allow them to relax after their vicious treatment at the hands of those savages." He shot a glare in their direction. "This morning, without provocation, we were attacked by the People, killing several of our guards, and grievously injuring the little patriarch of the Situ Clan. We of the Society humbly ask the Justicar to judge fairly based on the evidence provided.

Shameless. Alsantset fumed, knowing the Society would get away with its lies. They would have been careful to separate themselves from the actual assassins, all warriors not truly associated with them, only a loose bond tying them together. The work of individuals, they claimed, and would even be able to swear by, and Alsantset had no way to prove otherwise. Most vexing.

After a period of questioning, the Justicar paused shortly for deliberation before speaking. It would appear there is no proof of wrongdoing on the part of the Society. I rule that the Society of Heaven and Earth are the victims of an unsubstantiated attack from the People tribesmen. All those who took part in the attack, please step forward.

Cursing inwardly, Alsantset stepped forward, Huushal and Adujan waking Rain to join her. At least it was only the four of them, perhaps the others would be spared. Eyeing them, the Justicar asked, Lieutenant Tanaraq claims that you are all members of the Imperial Defense Forces. This is true? Their affirmation kept them from immediate execution, but not much else would change, as the Justicar turned to Elder Bolin and asked, Does the Society wish to formally press charges?

Bolin looked darkly at them, scowling. I cannot speak for the Society as a whole, but the Situ clan will press charges. A few other elders spoke up, the Baiji and the White Lotus Sect, as well as the Lin and OuYang clans.

Stirring a pot from her seat by the fire, Tanaraq yelled out, They demand the right to trial by combat. Their chosen champions are Lieutenant General Akanai, Major Baatar, and a third yet to be determined. Probably one of those kids, who cares anyways. It won't get that far. Akanai had been promoted, but Tanaraq was being foolish. She must not know the laws well enough. Neither Baatar, nor Akanai were here, nor would they arrive in time to stand for them.

Unperturbed by the disturbance, the Justicar looked to Alsantset, who simple shrugged. As she said. They had better odds in a duel than if they left things for the Justicar to decide. They had no choice but to forfeit the match for over 100 years of age, but Alsantset would fight the under 100, and if she won, they could win the under 25 as well. It was a slim chance, but the best they had.

Even worse, Baatar and Gerel of the Iron Banner were seen as heroes of the citizens, peerless warriors who came from the outer villages. While a large number of people lived in the cities, a majority still lived out in the wilderness, farmers and woodcutters, shepherds and herdsmen. For those people, Baatar and Gerel were an inspiration, and for the Society to challenge them so soon after their emergence would reek of squashing rivals whilst they were still weak. To do so, and openly at that, would earn the Society the scorn of the Empire. While the strong ruled, the weak provided, and even the weak had say in who they would sell to. This fiasco could even invite an Imperial Inquiry, considering a Lieutenant General was now involved. The entire endeavor had been a disaster. Why had those damn savages acted so lowly, with so great a backing?

Without warning, the needle on his compass reversed itself and Bolin came to a stop. He had passed Chilok? Returning slowly, he scanned the area slowly. Returning to the ground, he walked a circuit around, watching the compass closely, fixating upon the location of the token.

His chest tightened when he spotted it, a patch of loose dirt. Chilok was dead, and it could bring retribution down upon them. Digging with his hands, he frantically moved the earth aside, ignoring his pride and scrambling in the dirt, near panicked. After minutes of clawing, he reached the body, pulling it from its impromptu resting place. Chilok, dead, bisected at the waist. If Chilok was dead, then it was likely the others were as well, but how? If the savages had the strength to deal with five elders, it was unlikely they would have been pressed so hard. A hidden expert, or reinforcements brought by that Lieutenant? Bolin checked the body, praying as he did so, almost shouting in joy when he found the clan token. They had not checked the body, and left behind the only proof tying the Situ Clan to the attacks. Falling back onto the ground, he sat for minutes, giddy in relief.

Taking the two halves of the body with him, Bolin returned home, new worries fresh upon his mind. There would be harsh punishments for this failure, and Bolin was the only surviving Elder to accept them. If only he could step back through time, and slap himself across the face.

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Tong Da Hai stood with Brigadier Xue Chang in the command platform, both men exhausted from five long days of combat, yet still fighting and keeping up appearances. Both of them were injured, Chang's arm in a sling, while Hai had half his face wrapped in bandages, the result of an errant spray of demon ichor. There were fewer and fewer orders to give, every person capable standing upon the walls by now. In a mere day, they had suffered numerous casualties, the enemy relentlessly charging the walls. He had witnessed new groups of Defiled arrive throughout the day, joining the fray as they were reinforced from behind. The enemy chose to grind the city beneath the bodies of their solders, and Hai was glad to oblige them. Even if Shen Huo were to fall, he would make them pay dearly for it.

His eyes were scanning the enemy for the hidden threat, a single Demon, a stocky red creature, almost human in appearance. A single combatant, yet it had almost single-handedly won the battle for Shen Huo. Appearing without warning, it killed Exarchs and Officers with ease, turning the tides and crippling their efforts at stemming the horde of demons and the Defiled experts. It was hunting down experts, striking while they battled other demons or Defiled martial masters, a coward of a demon. Even without the advantage of surprise, it was a difficult opponent as Hai found out first hand, his attacks barely able to leave a mark on it's hard blood-red flesh, its face twisted in a mockery of human emotion as he fought it back. Chang had ordered the Exarchs and officers into pairs to help deal with the threat, but still it managed to kill and slip away.

The enemy horde seemed near endless, even with only the infantry charging forward, carrying ladders and rams. The demons had managed to break through three sections of the northern gate, with two more remaining. Should those be broken, the enemy would send its cavalry and monsters through to rampage throughout the city, and Shen Huo would be lost within hours. Hai watched as wave after wave of Defiled scum crashed into the walls as the soldiers of his fine city threw them back, again and again. The demons were dwindling in number as Hai and Chang hunted them down over the past day, killing when they could, throwing back when they could not. The other officers had done well, Man Giao having killed his fourth demon only hours earlier. The nobles of his city had turned out in full force as well, holding the other walls, sending fresh guards to relieve his soldiers. It truly took a common enemy for them to all come together. That didn't stop them from secreting away their heirs and wealth, all being ferried to Shen Bin, but if his son were here, Hai would do the same.

A crash of flesh and metal sounded by him, several Defiled experts fighting their way to the command platform, more of them coursing their way up the ladders. They broke through, charging towards him, hoping to take his head. Smiling at them, Hai incinerated them to ash, taking great pleasure in their dying screams, while more continued to charge in. Chang brought his axe to bear, crashing forward into the line, fighting alongside his soldiers as he barked orders.

A flash of red crashed into the Brigadier, the two of them sent rolling to the floor as they struggled to kill one another. Their hunter had appeared, along with two bestial demons, one graceful and sinuous, the other large and lumbering following close behind. Moving to intercept them, the Divine Flames tore into the smaller demon with a wave of his hand, sending it reeling from the room. The second demon charged him, a slow speed that matched its size. He danced with the beast, burning its flesh as it smashed about, killing soldier and Defiled alike in its frenzy to injure Hai. A simple pattern of attack, the beast was easily avoided, but proved difficult to kill, an appropriate creature for this task of distracting him. He needed to aid Chang, but could not do so until he dealt with this nuisance. Drawing all the strength he could muster, his palm struck the beasts shoulder, sending it prone to the ground, as Hai brought his foot down upon the unholy monstrosity, smashing through close-packed flesh and compact bone, crippling the creature before him.

A heavy impact landed on his back, the second demons fangs tearing through his flexible armor to find purchase in his flesh as he stood. With a roar of pain, Hai pierced his hand into the beast's snout, and with a thought he ignited his chi, exploding the creature into a mist of acidic fluids and jagged flesh, injuring all around him. The power of the Heavens surging through him, he threw out a line of focused flame, wrapping about the Red Demon as it tried to eviscerate Chang, the flames barely able to mark its skin. Chang stood and lifted his axe with his single good arm, bringing it crashing down upon the demon, driving it through the floor. The brigadier swung again and again, unable to kill the demon as it struggled against Hai's bindings.

His strength failing, Hai pitched the creature from the platform, his remaining flames igniting as it sailed through the sky, erupting in an explosion as it crashed into the Defiled. Too strong, it seemed near unkillable, they would not survive another encounter with the Demon. Hai stood feebly as healers and soldiers rushed in, and they finished off the crippled demon, killing and pushing back the remaining Defiled, once again taking the wall. Struggling to stay awake, Hai watched Xue Chang stride about with his guts spilling out, giving orders with a vigor so at odds with his grievous injuries. The man was steel, unbreakable. Hai collapsed into the arms of his healer, unable to stand any longer, listening carefully as his eyes began to close, not sure if he was imagining the noise. It was a beautiful sound he had heard in his youth, a sound he would never forget.

The piercing cry of several thousand arrows, arcing through the air in unison.