It takes us a week to reach the nearest city, Huadi.

The trip is relatively uneventful, except for the few wild animals that tried to attack us on the road. I’m treated to a sight of Kai Yun frying them with bolts of lightning, or just tossing them into walls with wind, all seemingly effortlessly. The only major event to speak of was the time we were ambushed by a group of bandits, but even then Kai Yun deals with them easily. The attacks gradually abate as we near Huadi, the roads now more heavily patrolled by soldiers.

And so, I’m given a week to think.

Kai Yun still hasn’t told me much about himself. All I know is that he’s a member of the Army, and that he’s very strong. I’d seen Master fight off three men at once, but Kai Yun fended off the group of at least twenty bandits all the while protecting our carriage. He moved so fast I barely saw him, a blur of death carving through their ranks. Their charred bodies told me just how much power was in each of his lightning bolts, and he didn’t even seem to be sweating after it all. When asked as to why he was in the village in the first place, all he would say was that he was investigating rumours of the Bayati preparing for war when they attacked.

It’s never been this serious. The Bayati are said to be wild and primitive, a horde of barbarians warring within their tribes, but even though our village was at the frontier and thus closest to their territory, they were never much of a concern. Always a distant problem, a topic of conversation but never an impending disaster.

Until now, I suppose.

After my breakdown, I’ve been reevaluating my life. The village is gone, and now I’ll need to find a means of supporting myself. But I doubt my old job of errand boy is going to cut it in the capital, where I can’t rely on finding cheap vegetables and meat as I have so far.

Maybe I could join the Army, try to find Brother. I was rejected once, but with a war, they’ll need soldiers to throw at the enemy, won’t they? If that’s the case, at least some good may come out of this whole mess…

Reaching the city gates, Kai Yun needs only show his badge before we’re allowed through. The towering walls are manned by soldiers, some manning massive crossbows mounted on the top of the wall. Large metal gates set into the base of the wall are propped open, a sculpted dragon’s head arching over it, while another group of soldiers stand guard before it. Several carriages and wagons are lined up before the gates, the soldiers checking those who enter, but Kai Yun ignores the queue and several cries of indignation, spurring us through the gates, pausing briefly to flash his badge.

Entering one of the major cities in the Empire, Huadi shows me that it’s a sight to behold.

Beyond the high stone walls, the city is packed. I’m assaulted by smells of freshly grilled meat, the shouts of vendors selling their wares. People crowd the streets, slowing the progress of our wagon, but giving me more time to admire the city. Still on the outskirts, I see the houses of the merchants and workers, but their houses are still properly built, unlike ours. The houses are mostly just shades of grey and brown, but the various colours of the gowns the people wear and the banners lining the streets give the scene a sense of life I’ve never felt before. Children stop and stare at our carriage, and I check to make sure that neither of us are still stained by blood or ash. Seriously, though, there’s so many people that I don’t think I could last a day on these streets. Even on the carriage, being surrounded by so many people, I have a vague sense of being crushed.

Kai Yun doesn’t stop, though, nudging us forward into the heart of the city, where the palace resides. Even from the gates, the Imperial court is visible, its sheer size making it a clear landmark of the city.

Do ministers and city officials really need that much space? How large does your house have to be, really? I mean, sure, there’s a lot of them, but even so that building is just excessive.

The most opulent manors back in the village would pale in comparison to some of the houses here, their massive structures looming over us. Sloped green roofs, framed with gold and red trim, guarded by two massive stone lions set before their doors, seems to be a common theme among the richer members of the city. The roads here are cleaner and the crowds have abated significantly, giving me a sense of relief.

Kai Yun leads us to a large, flat building, where we dismount. Dragging the prisoner (and yes, he actually does drag him, on account of him still being unconscious), we enter and are greeted by the sight of an old, wrinkled man, back hunched over and hands trembling. Even before Kai Yun has started speaking, he points at me and screeches.

“OUT! OUT!”

It’s a few frantic seconds of hushed explanations by Kai Yun before he calms down enough to let me follow Kai Yun further into the building. Stopping before a pair of large wooden doors, he knocks, and we wait for the voice within to tell us to enter.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The man inside is certainly not who I expected to meet. A head of jet-black hair cropped short, instead of being tied into a bun as is the usual form. Red and gold armour, in the colours of the Imperial Army, but much more ornate than the standard fare. Small golden dragons run down the sides of his armour, and his helm, laid on his desk, is in the form of a dragon’s head. But most notable, the large guandaoleaning against the wall, the blade the green of jade and the handle carved in the form of a twisting, you guessed it, dragon.

Even I know who this is. The ‘Jade Dragon’, Liu Jing Chao. One of the Great Generals of the Empire, the hero who slew the Beast of the Western Passes, the man who was said to have turned back a rebel army of seventy thousand men at the Qinya mountains with a mere company of ten thousand, all through use of superior tactics. This was a living legend, so famous even I had seen paintings of him in a remote village in the middle of nowhere. He had to be in his eighties by now, but he still looked not a day over thirty.

Just how developed was his Core? And now he’s glaring at us. Shit, the man is intense. I can’t even bring myself to meet his eyes.

Dropping to his knees, Kai Yun motions for me to do the same, and I quickly follow. “Servant Zhen Kai Yun greets Great General Liu. Servant Zhen brings news regarding the Bayati, and a prisoner of war.”

“And the boy?”

Even his voice is terrifying. It’s deep, gravelly, and he sounds like he’s ready to rip my head off even with that simple sentence.

“Servant believes he will be useful in the war.”

Wait, how? I doubt I can offer anything Kai Yun can’t, and I don’t think he would bring me here if all he wanted was another soldier.

“Servant wishes to take the boy as a disciple, if Great General allows.”

…What?

Jing Chao’s eyes seem to bore holes into both of us, and it’s a few tense moments before he speaks.

“Granted. Now, report. How did they slip past you? And what were your observations?”

“Servant apologizes, but this one has not managed to find out how the enemy managed to avoid observation. Servant hopes information may be gained from the prisoner and begs forgiveness for his failure. Regarding the enemy, servant notes their movements during the attack were focused on obtaining food. However, more concerning was that servant notes how the attackers were composed of two separate tribes, horsemen and langren, led by this commander.” To make his point, he kicks the man lightly in the head. “Servant believes there may be a possibility that the tribes have somehow been unified, and they may be seeking expansion.”

“…Fine. Your failure to notice enemy troop movements will be forgiven, for now, given your excellent track record and your capture of an enemy commander. Bring this man to the interrogation room and set to complete your new task: we are now at war with the Bayati. You are to act as part of the advanced unit; report to our camps near the Liusha canyon in a week for further orders. Dismissed.”

Following Kai Yun’s example, we salute and leave the room.

The interrogation room is, thankfully, not what I had imagined. I had thoughts of bloody blades and screaming men, but it turned out to just be a few cells housing inmates who were curled up in the corners, manned by a surprisingly pleasant middle-aged man who introduced himself as Zi Long. Kai Yun barely spares enough time to throw the prisoner into a cell before we leave, muttering a few hushed words towards Zi Long. The man seems amiable enough, offering tea and biscuits, but the way the vacant stares of the prisoners and their crazed whispering tell me otherwise.

“Are you still wondering about what I told the Great General?” Kai Yun’s voice snaps me out of my reverie.

“…Actually, yes. Did you mean it? When you said you intended to take me on as a student?”

“Of course. Why else would I say it?”

We wander down the twisting corridors of the building, Kai Yun’s strides long and purposeful, and though my legs are as long as his I struggle to keep up. Already I’ve lost track of where we came from, for this building is a veritable maze…

“…Do I have a choice?”

“Yes. After all, anyone who would refuse is not someone I would want as a disciple.”

“But I don’t even know who you are, or what you do. How can I make a decision until I have more information?”

Kai Yun ponders this for a while, and we walk in silence until he speaks again.

“My name is Zheng Kai Yun, and I’m part of the Imperial Information Corp, reporting directly under Great General Liu. We’re an elite unit tasked with maintaining security of the empire. How we do so is up to Great General Liu; we are the shield that bears the attack, or the dagger that strikes at the heart of the enemy. We are the best of the Army, and with this comes certain…privileges.”

“Then why choose me? I’m an untrained nobody who doesn’t even know how to use reisen and was prevented from joining the Army. I’m no genius, and I’m no elite.”

“Because I see potential in you. Give me time and I believe I can make you a truly fearsome warrior.” His voice now has an edge, but it is so subtle I almost do not notice it. “Are you going to go back to your mediocre life, dying unknown and in the middle of nowhere? Or will you take this chance, this path of pain and suffering, to spread your wings and fly?”

I could still join the Army. Find Brother. And I still want to. But…

No.

I’ve spent too long hiding beneath Brother, relying on his strength. I had grown soft and comfortable, because Brother was always there, Brother always would be.

Until he wasn’t, and I saw the truth of my weakness. Joining the Army would be me falling into the same rut; a life of relative ease and comfort, hiding my head under the sand. I’m not religious, but the Heavens have seen fit to give me a chance at greatness, and I shouldn’t be so willing to throw it away. No more would that weak little boy who thought himself mighty by tricking an oaf exist. No more would the child who collapsed in the face of danger live. He would die, burned away together with the village that birthed him.

Hang on, Brother. We will meet again, and this time, I’ll be the one protecting you.