As dawn broke over the horizon and soldiers of the Central Citadel readied to ride to war, Song scrambled about the courtyard to ensure no pet was left behind.
The bears were the least of her problems, happy to lay in the wagon with their deer-bone treats, while Sarankho could be trusted to hop in on command. Aurie and Mama Bun were off with Rain somewhere, and Blackjack was with Lin-Lin as always, but the rest of the pets were more troublesome to deal with. Princess was also in the wagon, but in obvious concern as she sat upright and watched Song to ensure she didn’t go too far. Looking adorable in her bright red ribbon bow and frilly checkered dress, the weasel-bear held her treat untouched while emitting a low, concerned rumbling, no doubt remembering her unpleasant wagon trip with the hunter who first trapped her. Much as it pained Song to leave her in such distress, she couldn’t carry the weasel-bear into battle, so Princess would just have to get used to riding the wagon and being separated for long periods of time. Though it was still up for debate as to how well Princess could see, Song made sure to remain within sight as she strolled about the manor courtyard collecting the sleeping laughing birds. Roc was an able guardian who kept his flock together throughout the boat ride from the Northern Citadel to Central’s, but it was still early in the day and the avian patriarch had his head tucked beneath his wing while perched atop the carved wooden turtle roof of Rain’s carriage. Without him to keep the birds in line, a handful of the fuzzy fledglings had to be relocated from the tiled roofs and barren treetops to a more mobile roost, just in case they fell asleep between now and when Rain set out.
Every time she secured one of the fledglings, Song’s heart warmed as the little laughing birds yawned and blinked in her hands, only to immediately go back to sleep once they saw it was her, with some even nuzzling her fingers to beg for scritches. There was something incredibly satisfying about having this level of trust with another creature, so utterly content to place their lives in her hands. Truth be told, Song hoped to one day trust Rain like this as well, for then she might truly relieve herself of all concerns regarding her slave Oaths, save for the one preventing her from travelling too far from his side.
Then there was Jimjam, who refused to leave his treetop perch and even batted at Song’s head when she went up to fetch him, a cantankerous grouch even on the best of days, but particularly bad this morning since he didn’t get much sleep after last night’s excitement. This wouldn’t be too much of an issue if the rabbits would stay in the wagon instead of hopping out the first chance they got, thereby leaving Song unable to focus on Jimjam. Every time she placed one bunny into the wagon, two more would hop out, and it soon became an endless chore of chasing and corralling the rabbits into the large, open-topped vehicle. It would be much easier to keep them contained inside Rain’s closed carriage, especially after he had ‘bunny bucket seats’ installed along the sides for just this purpose, but she worried he would be the first target in a Wraith or Demon attack. Aside from Mama Bun who was always in his arms, Blackjack who was inseparable from Lin-Lin, the red panda who was inseparable from Ping Ping, and Ping Ping who could take care of herself, Song was determined to keep all the other animals safe and sound in Coto and Gakai’s wagon.
Perhaps Mama was right. Song wasn’t getting paid enough to deal with all these ‘shenanigans’, and there really was such a thing as too many pets.
After chasing the rabbits around for a quarter-hour, Song was almost ready to give up when Rain returned to the manor from his meeting with his war council. Utterly oblivious to her trials and tribulations, he greeted her with a simple “Good morning”, while Aurie bounded over to give her a happy little headbutt and Ping Ping ran a slow circle around them. “You’re looking tired today,” Rain said, seeming more chipper and energetic than ever, “But I suppose we’re all short on sleep lately.” Glancing around the manor, he asked, “Is Lin-Lin up yet, or should I go wake her?”
“I’m up hubby.” Her quiet, subdued reply barely audible over her titanic yawn, Lin-Lin shuffled out of her room with Blackjack fast asleep between her ears. Almost tripping over Ping Ping as she came down the stairs, she all but fell into Rain’s embrace with a pout. “It’s too early to be awake,” she complained, burying her face in Rain’s armour, only to reel back with an adorable scowl in search of a more comfortable place to rest her head. Puffing her cheeks up in discontent, she unfurled her ever-present white silk scarf to use as a makeshift pillow before collapsing against Rain like a sack of rice. “Don’t wanna walk. Carriage please.”
Grinning like a fool but wise enough not to speak, Rain lifted Lin-Lin into his arms and carried her into his carriage, only to emerge shortly after to let the veiled Guard Leader take her place by Lin-Lin’s side. Sister-in-Law Sarnai was also present, clad in ornate Sentinel leathers, which signalled her intention to ride her quin rather than sit in the carriage. This only reinforced Song’s decision to keep the animals in a wagon, as Guard Leader’s first and second priorities would be Lin-Lin and Rain respectively, so she couldn’t be trusted with the animals’ safety. The issue was, one word from Rain and all Song’s hard work would be for naught, but thankfully he didn’t second guess her decision. After greeting the gurgling bears with a pat on the head and cooing at indifferent Princess’s ribbon, Rain turned to Song and handed her a rectangular jade token with the words, “Thousand Man Commander” inscribed on its face. “This is yours if you want it,” he said, carefully choosing his words so as not to inadvertently give her an order and instead offering her a choice. “You don’t need a rank or even have to take part in the fighting, but if you want the job, it’s yours. You can pick whether you want to command Death Corps or Sentinels, or you can attach yourself to my honour guard and fight there, but under Kuang Biao’s command. I asked if there was any job he’d like, and he requested that one, so... yea.”
In Song’s eyes, this wasn’t even a choice. “I will join your honour guard,” she said, without giving the token a second glance. A thousand Death Corps or Sentinels would be better served if commanded by someone else, someone capable of acting independently from Rain if they should become separated. If they were fighting from a static position, Song wouldn’t hesitate to take up command, but they were heading off into a chaotic, mobile engagement on the open plains of Central, where it was entirely possible for adjacent units to get cut off completely from one another, and Song could not afford to risk it.
Besides, she couldn’t afford to have more responsibilities on top of looking after the animals, which would be a full-time job all by itself. They would likely be better off leaving all the animals at the Citadel, but not only did Rain insist on bringing them, Luo-Luo couldn’t be trusted to care for them all by herself since Lin-Lin was determined to come along. The Imperial Servant was hardworking and conscientious to the extreme, but she treated the animals like cute, living decorations to love and adore, which they were, but it also took discipline to train and control them. One only needed to look at the obese, overfed Noodle to know Luo-Luo was an unsuitable pet owner, but the snake loved her dearly and had yet to warm up to anyone else.
Left on her own, Luo-Luo would soon find herself powerless to keep the animals in check, and Rain would no doubt return to a manor full of broken beams, scratched up surfaces, and excavated tunnels aplenty thanks to bored bears, curious wildcats, and enterprising bunnies. Granted, she would have help from Sorya and Anrhi to keep the animals in line, but the twin handmaidens were too flighty and careless when caring for the animals, prone to making minor mistakes like brushing the same bunny twice and leaving another ungroomed or not making sure all the animals ate their fair share instead of letting the most aggressive ones hog most of the food for themselves. There were certain standards of care Song expected when it came to the animals, and there was no one she trusted to fulfill them besides herself, not even Rain.
Accepting her refusal with a casual shrug, he tucked the token into his sleeves with a smile and said, “Well either way, I’m glad to have you watching my back, Martial Aunt. I’ll handle the rest of the animals, so you can rest or whatever.” Technically, since he was calling Mama ‘Mother-in-Law’, Song was now ‘Sister-in-Law’ instead, but she personally preferred Rain’s choice of address more since it implied seniority. Leaving Rain to corral the rest of the rabbits, Song went to bid Luo-Luo farewell and hoped Rain remembered to do the same without prompting. The tired Imperial Servant stood dutifully to one side with her hands clasped and eyes hopeful, but Rain mostly ignored her to go collecting the rabbits, who all but hopped into his arms.
How unfair of the bunnies to play favourites like this...
Clasping Luo-Luo’s hands and meeting her eyes, Song offered her a warm nod farewell. In return, Luo-Luo responded with a beautiful smile before pulling Song into her surprisingly strong embrace. “Return safely,” Luo-Luo whispered, and only now did Song realize the taller woman was trembling with fright. “That is all I ask.”’
Surprised by Luo-Luo’s display of affection, Song didn’t know how to respond except to nod and say, “Okay.” They spent a fair amount of time together, but the same could be said about the rest of Rain’s household, and while she was fond of Luo-Luo, she didn’t know the other cared so much about her in return.
Unsure how to fix the now awkward situation, Song turned towards Rain and saw him loading the last rabbit, sweet, slow George, in with the rest of his brothers and sisters, all of whom were hopping about in search of a cozy place to rest instead of leaping down to the grass like they had when Song tried the same. Glancing up at the tree, Rain made eye contact with Jimjam and pointed at the wagon and said, “Come.” Inadvertently using his gift of Oration, Song felt the single word almost wrench her off her feet until she convinced herself the command was not for her, but Jimjam happily obliged by leaping down from the tree and into the vehicle with two, airy, Lightened hops. For his efforts, he received an affectionate hug and a headbutt which had him rumbling with delight. “Good Jimjam,” Rain cooed, while Song stewed in jealousy and wonder at how Rain could pull off such a feat. “Who’s a smart kitten? You are!”
How unfair for Jimjam to play favourites. Song would just have to win the grouchy wildcat over again...
In the exact same fashion, Ping Ping looked into the treetops and squeaked urgently, but rather than coming down from the tree, the red panda ambled out of a nearby bush which still had most of its greenery. The red panda valued concealment over height when it came to choosing where to rest, and while the cherry tree back in the Northern Citadel still had a tangle of dense branches to hide in, the tree in their borrowed Central manor was sparse and trimmed to look more refined and elegant in springtime. Now, with winter fast approaching, its bare, leafless frame made for a desolate sight, but the wildcats and Blackjack alike still enjoyed lording over the others from on high.
Leaving Ping Ping to herd the red panda onto the carriage, Rain sauntered over to also bid Luo-Luo farewell. Much like Song, Rain took both of Luo-Luo’s hands and looked her in the eyes, though he smiled whereas Song forgot to do the same. “Well,” he said, glancing over at Song as if in search of support, so she remained rooted in place by his side. “I’m er... heading off to war now. I’ll be counting on you to hold down the fort while I’m gone, so uhh...” Reaching into his sleeves, he pulled out Song’s token again, before reaching in again and rummaging around. “I hate these sleeve pockets. So uncomfortable and inconvenient. Ah, here we go.” Pulling out a second token, he handed it to Luo-Luo and said, “Now you’re officially in charge of my duties, with regards to both Minister of Finance and Legate. If anyone gives you trouble, just wave this in front of their faces and you should be fine.”
Unlike Song’s token, there were no words on Luo-Luo’s, only a chiselled representation of the Divine Turtle in all her majesty. It was more or less the same image Rain had stamped onto his War Bonds, and Luo-Luo gasped in surprise when she saw it revealed, though the significance was lost on Song. “Lord Husband,” Luo-Luo began, drawing away from the token without accepting it. “This one is merely an Imperial Servant and unworthy of such honour. You should present this to Liu Xuande or Jian Xianhe instead, or even Guan Yunchang or Zhang Yide.”
“Xuande is riding out with me,” Rain replied, pressing the token into Luo-Luo’s unwilling hands. “Where he can learn tactics firsthand. His idea, not mine. As for the others... can you imagine Jian Xianhe or the other two being diplomatic when working with anyone besides me? Xuande is humble enough, and as much as I like the other three, you have to admit, they do have a tendency to strut around with this ingrained arrogance that can rub certain people the wrong way.” Song’s lips twisted into a grimace, not because of Rain’s use of what could only be a lewd idiom, but rather in sheer disbelief that he did not recognize the hypocrisy in his declaration. As if he had any right to call someone else ‘arrogant’, when he himself was the most arrogant of all. It was clear he believed the Empire rotten to the core and needed to be rebuilt from the ground up, and as much as Song hoped his reforms would find success, the pragmatic part of her refused to believe there would ever come a time when slavery or oppression would no longer exist.
Simply put, it was all part and parcel of human nature. Perhaps Rain was correct in saying might did not make right, but the strong would always thrive, while the weak could only hope to survive.
After a long round of assurances that she would not let him down, Luo-Luo timidly embraced Rain who accepted the hug with an awkward, stilted expression. Why he was so conflicted about Luo-Luo, Song could not say, for it was clear he was enamoured by her beauty and she was more than happy to be with him. Then again, perhaps it was out of loyalty to sister Mila, Yan, and Lin-Lin, though how a man with two wives and one betrothed could be unfaithful with his concubine was a question best left for others to answer. Hopping onto Erdene’s back, Song patted the eager quin and kept her from bolting out the gates before guiding her to a slow trot next to Coto and Gakai’s wagon and reached out to give Princess a soothing pat.
Only for the weasel-bear to latch onto Song’s wrist and forearm with all four paws and refuse to let go.
With a long sigh of capitulation, Song rode with her arm outstretched next to the wagon while keeping a close watch on Rain through the windows of his carriage, and saw he was already lost in heated debate with Teacher Du sitting at his side. No wonder Sister-in-Law Sarnai chose to ride her quin instead, for as much as she doted upon her beloved son, the contents of Rain and Teacher Du’s arguments were too much for most to bear. It was amazing how Rain understood the Dao so well that his words could affect even Mama’s Path, and even more amazing how Teacher Du could hold firm to his Path in the face of Rain’s absurd, yet somehow sensible claims.
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Though Song was content to keep to her Path and progress at her own pace, she would be lying if she claimed she wasn’t curious to know what Rain and Teacher Du were debating. They discussed the Dao every day now, and Song wanted to know what progress they’d made in determining the Dao of Animals. If grumpy Jimjam didn’t have a Core or Spiritual Heart, how was he utilizing the Energy of the Heavens to Lighten himself so easily? Could Song do the same? How wonderful it would be to control Chi without conscious thought, so she spent many an hour studying the animals for signs of Chi usage and more clues, but Lightening aside, there were no obvious tells. Sarankho liked to sharpen her claws on logs wrapped in heavy ropes, but a single glance was enough to tell she most certainly wasn’t Honing them. Banjo and Baloo were easily the strongest of all the pets, but as far as she could tell, their strength was rather mediocre if one judged by their size, unable to win a simple game of tug of war with Tate. She even went as far as to test her Aura on Princess, but aside from growling as she ambled about in search of the source of her concern, the weasel-bear didn’t react in any other noticeable manner, and the moment Song rescinded her Aura, Princess went right back to eating her honeyed treats.
Stroking the clingy weasel-bear’s cheeks, Song hoped there would come a day when Princess or any of the other animals in Rain’s menagerie followed in Ping Ping’s footsteps and ascended to True Divinity. Not because she wanted the animals to become powerful protectors, but because Guan Suo had seemed so miserable as an Ancestral Beast, yet seemed so happy as the red panda, chasing his tail and playing on swings when he thought no one was watching. The same could be said of all the other beloved pets, and as an added benefit, Ping Ping Condensed her Aura after becoming a True Divinity and delighted in sharing her Loving Aura with everyone she met. Would Princess do the same, or was she merely with Song because she offered safety, comfort, and sweet treats? What about the bears and wildcats, or the quins and laughing birds? The streets were rife with rumours that all of Rain’s pets were either already Divine Beasts or prospective ones, and Song could only imagine how wonderful it would be if that were true.
Even though she found no signs of Heavenly Energy manipulation, she did enjoy watching the fledglings learn to fly, their awkward, bumbling movements paling in comparison to Roc or Kipi as they soared through the air. It put her in mind of seeing her students Demonstrate the Forms, executing the movements in a way that wasn’t exactly wrong, but at the same time was utterly riddled with flaws which she had difficulty explaining with words. It did help her progress her own Martial Path, since seeing so many flaws made her more aware of her own, and while the children and fledglings were darling to watch in action, she looked forward to the day when both her students and the fledglings learned their respective Forms well enough to execute them properly.
Outside the Western gates, Rain’s army awaited his presence on the fields of Central, and it was truly a sight to behold. Mama’s Sentinels were already ranging westward to fulfill their duty as scouts and skirmishers, while Central light cavalry stood ready on either flank to reinforce them. A smattering of Royal Guardians sat atop their majestic, black-maned lion mounts off in the distance, so intimidating when grouped together that they had to ride well away from everyone else. The infantry was the most numerous of all groups present, arranged in neat, rectangular formations, with some over a hundred men wide and at least twice that in length. Central’s infantry made for a less inspiring sight in their colourful, mismatched uniforms, lacklustre armour, and bright, eye-catching banners, but Song saw both desperation and determination in their eyes as she rode past them to the front. While they might not be the best infantry the Empire had to offer, they would fight with all their hearts, for they knew better than any the stakes at hand with the Enemy now knocking on their doorsteps.
Their reactions were telling as Rain’s carriage rolled down the line. A good number of soldiers fell to their knees and prayed to the Mother above, though Song wasn’t sure if their piety was directed to the ‘Mother’s Chosen Son’ or the Divine Turtle herself, whose head was stuck out the window with mouth wide open in delight. Scattered amongst the pious were a number of soldiers saluting the carriage as it passed, and still more who bowed their heads with a single fist over their hearts, a show of respect to the man they believed would lead them to victory against the Defiled, or at a bare minimum, a man they respected. Hard not to with tales of Rain’s plucky courage spreading like wildfire ever since he told the Bristleboar Divinity to fuck off, and even Mama grudgingly admired his courage in private while lambasting him for an empty-headed fool in public. A necessary measure to keep Rain’s already massive ego from growing even larger and crushing him beneath its weight, but thus far, it did not seem to be working.
Leave it to Rain to first deny one Colonel General’s plan for lack of support, then reject another for being too risky to carry out, only to put a third plan into motion that for all intents and purposes was a copy of the first two, save for a few minor additions. As far as Song could tell, Rain completely forgot or overlooked the contributions of Colonel General Nian Zu and Colonel General Shuai Jiao, and was intent on giving all the credit to himself and his war council, which as of yesterday included the Imperial Scion and Clerk Liu Xuande amongst their ranks. Rain was not doing himself any favours by snubbing two Colonel Generals, but Mama would talk some sense into him soon enough, of this, Song was sure.
If not, then the third and most numerous group of soldiers present might take issue with Rain’s leadership, and perhaps his continued existence as well. While the pious and the respectful soldiers were firmly in his camp, they were few and far between, for almost three-quarters of the gathered soldiers paid no mind to Rain’s passing, a grave breach of protocol considering that as Legate, he was technically the highest ranking Officer in the outer provinces. If it were Shen ZhenWu in Rain’s place, the soldiers would all be saluting, if not kneeling as he passed, but for Rain, most simply either ignored him or watched him pass by without action. Song could see Kuang Biao and the Death Corps itching to teach all those offenders a sound lesson, but she knew Rain would never allow it. Respect was earned, he would say, not given freely due to status or rank, which ran counter to everything Song knew to be true, but there were other good reasons to show mercy. Not all of the disrespectful soldiers were doing so out of malicious intent, as many could be ignorant of protocol or simply doing as their comrades were, but those soldiers were supposed to take their cues from their Officers, who by and large were nobles who looked down on Rain for his slave heritage. Many of those Officers belonged to families or factions who only barely supported Rain even at the height of his popularity as Minister of Finance, and perhaps were outright antagonistic when he was Number One Talent in the Empire, but now they had ‘good’ reason to resent him. In their eyes, it was an affront to fate, karma, and the Heavens for a mere slave to be raised to the seat of highest power in the outer provinces, and while they would not dare openly disobey so long as the Imperial Clan stood behind him, Rain himself wasn’t certain they would support him for much longer.
It was all a convoluted mess of politics Song barely understood, but these were the facts as she saw them. Shen ZhenWu had either conspired with or made use of the Bristle Divinity to have his guardian, a Divinity from the Yang family, killed. Yang Jixing’s guardian, a Liang family Divinity and somehow related to Shen ZhenWu, either encouraged Jixing to pursue Luo-Luo or didn’t properly advise him, and quite possibly allowed him to die at the hands of a Wraith as well, thereby securing a large advantage for the Liang family in whatever Imperial Clan conflict the Supreme families were embroiled in.
This was where things grew complicated.
According to Rain, Shen ZhenWu likely expected the People to rebel, but since Rain’s actions were technically legal and there was no proof tying him to the Defiled Wraiths, the former Legate was now in a bind. He could either continue working with Rain and find another opportunity to be rid of him, or Shen ZhenWu could follow through with his initial plan and have Rain and the People declared as rebels and traitors. The former meant admitting defeat and having a tribal former slave as his second in command, whereas the latter meant going to war with a man who had a well-known and much venerated Divine Turtle at his side. On her own, Ping Ping was powerful indeed, but what she represented was far more powerful: the true Mandate of Heaven.
If karma and fate were so intrinsic to life itself, why would a Divine Creature support a rebel traitor over the ordained Emperor? Any child born to the Imperial family must be blessed by the Heavens, and doubly blessed to rise above the others to become the next Emperor, yet Ping Ping chose a low-born, ill-fated, former slave of a savage over the supposed Chosen Son of Heaven itself. If this narrative were to gain traction, then it was possible the People’s rebellion would not be confined to the People, and perhaps even extend to the entire outer provinces themselves. Even if the nobles didn’t care to rise up with Rain, the common people of the Empire might choose to support him, which would cause widespread strife they could ill afford even in the best of times. With the Defiled on their doorstep, slaves and commoners were working themselves to the bone and dying in droves to keep the Imperial Army fed, armed, and in good spirits, and a farmers’ rebellion had a better chance of bringing the wall down then an army a million Defiled.
It was a fact as old as time itself, for hungry soldiers would not fight.
Unless those soldiers happened to be Oath-Sworn Death Corps of course. Last night, after waking from his slumber which had Ping Ping so concerned, Rain declared he was ‘pulling out all the stops’ for this counter-attack, and only now did Song understand. There on the fields of Central stood tens of thousands of Death Corps, their intense devotion and genuine admiration almost palpable as they saluted as one to greet Rain’s carriage. Eyes gleaming brighter than their blackened steel breastplates, they watched him step out of the carriage beside the makeshift stage with fervent anticipation, radiating zeal and courage even as they fell to one knee before him, their polearms grounded with the blades pointed towards the Heavens in a show of perpetual vigilance. Gathered here was every Death Corps Guard in the Outer province, save for Orange One and a thousand of her comrades who were still in the Citadel to keep Luo-Luo safe. These Warriors here might well be Rain’s most passionate admirers, for he represented something they might well have long given up.
Hope.
There, standing before them, was a man who was once a slave much like them, and had risen above his status to become Legate. Even without their Oaths, Song suspected most of these Death Corps would die for Rain, because while the rest of the world saw them as slaves and property, he treated them like the Warriors they were. Song knew the Death Corps talked amongst themselves, though they rarely exchanged words where others could hear them, but not only did his initial Death Corps guards tell all their comrades what sort of man Falling Rain was, many saw it for themselves firsthand when he stepped back to save the life of a nameless Death Corps guard, and they loved him for it. So many other Imperial Scions would have pushed onwards without care for the lives of slaves, but now Rain had their love and gratitude for treating them like people, rather than property. A minor thing to have, the gratitude of slaves, but Rain would probably appreciate it, and profess unworthiness at the same time.
A shame the Death Corps were not bound solely to him, like Song was, else they too might be as fortunate as she.
Lifting Princess out of the wagon, Song hugged the weasel-bear tight and inwardly laughed at how much things had changed. When they first met, she feared Rain the most out of any of the People, but now, she counted herself fortunate for falling into their hands, and even more fortunate to be his. Sister Mila, Yan, or Lin-Lin were every bit as kind, but Rain understood what it was like to be a slave and worked hard to ensure Song was given as many choices as possible and knew her work was valued and appreciated. Of course, this initially threw her off and she was still sorely indecisive in too many ways, but thanks to everyone’s efforts, she was slowly getting better with time. Now, she rode in his honour guard not out of obligation, but by choice, and if given the option, she felt that these tens of thousands of Death Corps would choose the same.
It wasn’t the same as true freedom, but being given the chance to follow one’s heart’s desires might well be the next best thing.
The Death Corps aside, the overall mood of this reinforcing army was one of subdued opposition, and regardless of the reasons, Song saw it as a portent of things to come. If Rain could not win over the hearts of his officers, he might well cost the Empire this war by setting out with the reinforcements, but that was the only way to bring the Death Corps along. Luckily, Rain was nothing if not charming, as evidenced by a familiar face which appeared at stage side, the corpulent Bulat atop a bantam of a white racehorse that seemed barely able to hold his weight. “Hey there bossman,” he began, reconsidering his flippant greeting beneath the weight of Kuang Biao’s glare and double down on insolence. “Heard ye were riding out to war again and figured ye could use a hand. Don’t worry about the district, me Ma and Dei An got things well in hand.”
Barely slowing as he exited his carriage, Rain embraced Bulat as best he could while Ping Ping ambled around their ankles with wide-eyed delight. “Glad to have you with me,” he said, genuinely delighted to see his old crony, but then he frowned and asked, “But why? There’s no need for you to feel obligated to be here, and I won’t think any less of you for sticking with retirement. You’ve more than earned the right to get fat and live the good life.” Pointedly looking Bulat up and down, he added, “Though maybe not this fat. Moderation my friend, and maybe go for a run every now and then. Your poor horse looks utterly exhausted, and that’s after what? An hour’s ride from the district?”
“Don’t ye worry about Little Hero there. He’s tiny, but tougher than he looks, and he lives to run, he does.”
Bulat’s non-answer made Rain break out into laughter, and Song saw how sorely needed it was. Though he often projected arrogant confidence, only those closest to him knew how uncertain and pessimistic he truly was. Being Legate was no blessing for Rain, but a burden he shouldered unwillingly. If he thought someone else would do a better job, then he would be the first to nominate that person as his replacement, but alas, politics would not tolerate anyone else wearing the mantle of Legate.
Which might well have been why Shen ZhenWu picked Rain as next in line for command. There was truly no other option.
“Here,” Rain said, fishing out the thousand-man commander token from his sleeve. “That’s yours. When we link up with Hongji’s forces, you’ll take over for Mister Rustram.”
“Why? Something happen to him?”
Fear and concern flashed across Bulat’s features, but Rain waved his concerns away. “No, I’m promoting him to Major. He deserves it, seeing how he pretty much ran my retinue for me, and you’ve always been his first choice for number two.” Patting Bulat on the arm, Rain nodded in casual dismissal before heading up onto stage, signalling for everyone else to stay behind. Only Ping Ping followed him onto the small, elevated platform, where he greeted the thousands upon thousands of Imperial Warriors with back straight and head held high. “Hello,” he began, the word ringing with that curious tone which told Song he was Orating, though the mere fact that she could hear his quiet words clear as day from so far away would have clued her in regardless. “I am Falling Rain, standing in for Shen ZhenWu as Legate. Two and a half days west of here, a half-million of our comrades are fighting for their lives all across the second line. I will not lie: they are struggling to hold.”
Honest, humble, and emotionless, Rain’s speech thus far left much to be desired, but after a long pause to let his words sink in, he continued. “Our purpose here today is not just to reinforce our beleaguered countrymen, but to fulfill our duty as Martial Warriors. For too long, the Defiled have plagued our spirits. For too long, the Defiled have tormented our people. For too long, the Defiled have threatened our borders, and now they stand poised to strike at the heart of the Empire itself.” Pausing once more to draw breath, Song felt herself breathing in sync with him, having forgotten to do so under the deluge of emotion which accompanied his words, brimming with righteous indignation at their most troublesome foe. “This I cannot abide.” His fierce scowl gave way to a determined glare, which lent heavy weight to his words, and Song believed he would march out alone if need be, to do what needed to be done. “Today, marks a turning point in our war against the Enemy, one the people of the Empire will remember for millennia to come, so mark this date well, and know my words for truth. Today, we come together, not as denizens of East, South, West, North, or Central, nor are we here as commoners and nobles, or even as slaves and citizens of the Empire.” Stopping to cast his gaze across his captivated audience, he said, “Today, we come together as Warriors of Heaven, united in one purpose, to defeat the Defiled and strike a devastating blow against the Father Himself! Today, we march out not to defend our borders, but to attack the Enemy and drive them back from whence they came. Today, marks the first day in our holy crusade against the Defiled, for we will show them the errors of their ways and teach them the meaning of regret. Though our enemies dare call themselves the Chosen of Heaven, I know that the true Chosen sons and daughters of the Mother are gathered here before me today. March with me, Warriors, and together, we will show those hateful pretenders how true Chosen of Heaven fight!”
His part said, Rain marched off the stage and back to his carriage, the thump of his boots booming in the deafening silence. Then, someone in the crowd thumped their shield, and in the next moment, the plains of Central came alive as every soldier, officer, slave, and noble cheered, stomped, and applauded for their Legate, wholly united in purpose for what might well be the first time in history. As for Song? She had no choice but to follow him thanks to her Oaths, but as she stated before, being free to follow her heart’s desires was the next best thing to true freedom, which was something that would forever be out of her reach.
There was a time when that final realization might have crushed her, but here and now, Song was truly happy to be alive.
Chapter Meme