The walk is short and feels shorter by the fact I have adrenaline pumping through my body and I am shaking in fear. Gripping my staff I soon come to the entrance where we have stacked stones to make it even harder to pass. “Come, carry him back” I immediately hear and see a man sitting and holding his stomach together on the side. I move as fast as I can extracting bandages from my pack and put the compress on his stomach.

I carry the man, I have no idea who it is, back to the hall where I meet Ha. She takes over and sends me in the other direction. I no longer dawdle and fidget, I have no time for such foolishness. I run, I fetch men and direct others to where the fighting is hardest. Seconds feel like hours and minutes like days. Five men, I have carried back to the infirmary. Four of them is already back in the fight.

“We can hold them no problem.” A young man says to me and grin. We have a short sit down since there are no enemies outside at the moment. “They can’t pass and we have gotten into a very good rhythm.” His name escapes me, but he is younger than me and it seems glad for the fight. “They will do something soon, now they are hounding after the huntsmen.” An older man says, he is the one holding the door at the moment. “Let them, they will not manage.” The younger man answers back with a grin.

I feel it before it comes, a wave of power building up outside. The men I am with seems more wary of the surroundings. “Get down, fight when it has passed,” I tell them and run off in the direction of the power. “Make way and bunker down,” I scream as I pass through the halls by both wounded and healthy people. I feel it when it hits, the strike makes the building shudder and heaves like a ship at sea. Some scream, but most stay silent so I run toward the entrance.

Stone blocks have been moved around and our defences have been opened. A man is pinned beneath one of the stones, I leave him to the tender hands of the students following me. It seems I have to actually fight the opponent causing this ruckus. Yi stands there like a true villain in the snow that falls from the heavens. There is less blood on him than on me, but it is clear he has been fighting hard and long.

“So you finally show?” He says and spits blood on the snow. I don’t tremble and stand my ground. “Well, what am I supposed to do when weaklings knock on my door,” I say to him and smile the happiest smile I manage. “Losers such as yourself should really stay away from the big boys,” I say trying to goad him into speaking more, I need time for other men to help me.

“You crappy dog of a man unworthy of being a warrior of any kind. Whoreson and demon spawn who perverts the heavenly energy for your own twisted benefit. You mongrel and guttershit dares to stand up against us. You have killed my brother and spit on the agreement between you.” Yi rants at me and I can see spittle flying from his mouth and blood leaking down his chin. He looks tired and more than a little crazy there he stands. “I will kill you and all your loved ones, then I will salt the ground you stand on so nothing can grow there for the next thousand years.” He is screaming and to rile him up even more. “What an unforgettable and weak brother you had, I was here drinking tea and all you have met so far are the hunters from the village,” I say to him and smirk while thinking of how both he and his brother can eat shit for all I care.

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“You ungrateful little swine of a coward hiding behind women and children. You are a disgrace to all men.” He continues to rant, but then he stops and looks straight at me. I see he has recovered and looks to be about to attack. “Well, you are faring worse than me in this fight so I would imagine you are the disgrace to the concept of man since you don’t seem to be able to hurt me,” I tell him and know it was a mistake when the words leave my mouth. Yi screams and the sound sends a chill down my spine. He then rushes at me and slices with the sword that up until now has hanged by his side. I manage to move my staff in front of his sword and the clash sends me flying backwards. I smack into the fallen stones behind me. “Ha, insolent whelp, like I the great Yi master of the Tiger Mountain sect can’t hurt a little shit like you.” His laughter is that of a deranged man and he stands there laughing at me. I try giving him a good show groaning and even crying a little, it is not hard, I am in so much pain.

I see the shadow creep up behind Yi, no idea who it is before his face becomes revealed by the rising sun. Xi steps forward and his axe gleam when a sunray catches it going down. There is no great boom, no big sound, just a wet “schlop” and some bones breaking. Xi is not done and wrenches his axe out again while Yi begins turning towards him. These men are tenacious to the last it seems. Again Xi chops down with the axe, and again until Yi’s head lay splattered all over the ground beneath him. As the snow falls the only sound for a while that I can hear is the groan and roar of flames burning down in the village. Xi wrenches his axe out the last time and the corpse of Yi makes a thud on the ground when it lands.

“Thank you,” I say to Xi after a little while. What else am I to say to the man. He saved me and probably everyone else, it seems to be so little and my gratitude is greater. Xi just smiles back and waves it off. “My pleasure, think he was the last still attacking. His brother was caught by an arrow early in the fight.” Xi says while I stumble over to him. I just embrace him in a hug and hold him close for some time. “Thank you,” I tell him again and smile at him. “Okay” Is all Xi manages to say after this and I begin looking him over. “No wounds?” I ask him after a bit and he shrugs. “Not that I know of.” I pat him down and can’t seem to find any. “Okay, go to Ha and get yourself checked out, then gather your men and send the wounded for healing. I need you or whoever is healthy to go back into the mountains and hunt down the rest of the sect. If you can find their headquarters I need you to burn it to the ground.” I tell him, he nods at my message and moves on leaving me standing there alone.

When he is gone I can let my emotions get the best of me for a moment. I shudder and tremble a while before I walk over behind a stone and retch. I vomit out all I have in my stomach and begin crying. For some time I stay there and let it wash over me. The fear and disgust of what has happened today, and what I will need to do going forward this day. After some time I straighten out, pat myself down and clear the tears. I need to show a brave face to the men and women depending on me, I cannot break down on them.