Turns out that the Nikan royals had no intentions of offering any sort of money to Najeem or his allies. But, then again, he was expecting as much.

Once his allies refused to accompany him to a disguised execution they’d scheduled for tomorrow, he’d been locked in a metal cage full of glowing devices holding Fire Shedim. That meant no shadows.

Well, except for the bucket he managed to get from a guard when he had to piss.

Long story short, Najeem was rifling through the big tents that housed the royals for his belongings when Seang nearly killed him with a blast of light.

“God’s fucking grace!” Najeem cried as he whirled around, back turned to the newly formed hole in the tent’s canvas.

“Najeem?” Seang asked.

“Everyone in the camp is out doing the siege. Who the hell else would I be?” Najeem exclaimed.

“Gods and demons, sorry.” Seang said, sounding more annoyed than remorseful, “I thought you were a royal or something.”

“The Emperor’s brats went up to watch the battle.” Najeem said, “And if you guys are here, not helping kill said brats, then Xinhou’s fucked.”

Lokapele, Vai and Shakti behind Seang looked at each other.

“You say that as if it wasn’t already.” Seang said, “Nevertheless, the people have banded together to fight to the last. Given what I’ve seen of their plans, they might have a chance if we help. And we agreed to do so under the condition that we break you out first.”

Shahla strode up, eyes pointed at the ground, and embraced Najeem. He blinked in shock for a moment.

“Shahla…?” Najeem asked.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, “I’m so, so sorry. I should’ve been there for you.”

Najeem hesitated, formulating a response before placing a consoling hand on her shoulder, “I, uh...I forgive you.”

Shahla nodded against his chest before letting him go.

“Then let’s not waste any more time.” Najeem said, “Xinhou needs a couple of mythical heroes, wouldn’t you say?”

Najeem and his comrades ran back to the city through the shadows to find it in shambles. Well, some of the destruction looked purposeful.

Most of the army hadn’t even got into the city. The walls were on fire, as were about twenty to thirty ladders. Gas steamed up from within the walls as the sounds of fighting raged through the night.

Upon slipping into the city, Najeem found that the citizenry had really gone all out trying to hold off the Nikan. Mountains of dead Nikan littered the road behind the gate. Fires rages in heaps of garbage or massive wooden barricades. Rubble replaced the once pristine brick roads and shattered bits of bamboo covered in blood replaced the vegetation.

As they went deeper into the city, Najeem heard a muffled screeching. Though it wasn’t human.

“What the hell is that?” he asked.

“That’s how we can hear Bane Knights.” Seang said. “There’s one nearby.”

“Shit.” Najeem said, “Let’s go kill him.”

“I’m going to take Vai and Shakti to a command center and either help lead or help heal the wounded.” Seang said, “You three go join the fight.”

Najeem nodded, “Alright.”

He, Lokapele and Shahla emerged from the shadows behind a dwindling force of Nikan led by a Bane Knight wielding a mace.

Lokapele used a bit of molten stone to grab the Knight and throw him into the air. Najeem leapt into the sky and decapitated the enemy with his scimitar. His landing caught the attention of both the White Tiger and the Nikan.

The White Tiger took advantage of the distraction and charged at the Nikan, taking them by surprise. With minimal help, they had the stragglers on the run.

“Who’s in charge down here?” Najeem asked.

The men looked at each other somberly.

“Um…” a young man, no older than eighteen, spoke up, “Was Captain Iseri...sir” His Qahtanad wasn’t too bad.

Najeem frowned, “Was?”

The boy pointed at a corpse on the ground with a face so disfigured it barely looked human.

Shahla clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from vomiting.

“I see.” Najeem muttered.

Then, an orange light rose into the sky, accompanied by a whistling noise.

“What’s that?” Najeem asked.

“Signal. Fighting is done for tonight.” The boy said, “Nikan are going back for now.”

Najeem sighed, but nodded. “Get some rest. My friends and I will clean up the stragglers for you.”

The boy nodded appreciatively before relaying the information to his fellow soldiers. Slowly, they started marching away, leaving far more bodies revealed than Najeem had originally seen.

“Do you think they’ll keep fighting without Kameko?” Lokapele asked.

“Either they’ll fall to despair or they’ll be too enraged to quit.” Najeem said, “All we can do is just help them, whichever direction they decide to go.”

“She didn’t deserve this.” Shahla growled.

“Few who die truly deserve it, Shahla.” Najeem said.

She sighed, “I know. But it still feels so...wrong. She just...vanished. So easily.”

Najeem glanced up as a small sparrow flitted down to Kameko’s body. Its feathers were an odd bright red and orange, almost like fire. He frowned as the sparrow looked at him.

Why did he feel it...knew something?

______________________________________________________________________

The Nikan returned to their attack in the morning.

They’d abandoned their camp to hold a position in the city.

Seang had filled in Kameko’s position among the Captains, but she was a different brand of leader compared Kameko. Seang kept order and efficiency whenever she was in charge. But Kameko seemed to inspire her followers. The Captains were noticeably more fearful of the Nikan without her.

The soldiers either followed the Captains in their growing fear or carried rage enough to make them take brash and stupid actions. This division was causing the rebellion to lose cohesion. Now some were naively considering surrender, while those who were angry wanted to exterminate the army instead of just driving them off. Even if it came at the cost of most of their people.

This division was likely why they’d lost major chunks of the city by the time afternoon rolled around.

More than that, the Nikan were catching on to their tactics. Skirmisher groups were getting captured in droves, especially once the Nikan moved their cavalry in.

The Empire would mark their territory in the city by either hanging prisoners on street lamps or nailing mutilated corpses to walls. Reactions to their cruelties only served to further divide the cowards and the fools.

Seang was left in the former governor’s house alone after their last panicked strategy meeting. She sighed and pressed her head into her palms.

This was going to be another slaughter. People were losing hope, only wishing to either have a quick death in battle or to be spared at any cost. And yet she wouldn’t let herself leave them. She knew why, but...she still thought herself a fool.

This happened last time she faced them. The Nikan always killed the will before they killed the people. Then they would kill the people.

“Seang?”

The warrior nun glanced up at Shakti at the door.

“What is it?” Seang asked.

“They need the first battalion on the ground.” Shakti said, “The royals joined the push.”

Seang sighed, “I’ll be there.”

“Something wrong?” Shakti asked.

Seang chuckled emptily. “You mean aside from fighting this hopeless battle?”

Shakti nodded. “You have that look on your face. The one whenever you’re fighting them. Or whenever you’re remembering.”

Seang pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s all happening again, Shakti. This is Palowang all over again.”

“What...actually happened there? If you don’t mind me asking.” Shakti said.

Seang shook her head and gestured to one of the empty seats at the dining table they had held the meeting at. Shakti sat in one chair close to her.

“About a year after you left home, the Nikan pushed into Jambudvipa. The Emperor tried to amass an army to challenge them as quickly as possible, so he beseeched the Gurus and masters all over the empire and asked them to send warrior monks to help bolster his forces. My monastery was actually helping train recruits in Palowang.”

“Isn’t Palowang pretty far South?” Shakti asked.

“It was. But Palowang was a major foothold, filled with only recruits and warrior monks. The Nikan wanted it so they could encircle the army. They sent an emissary asking for our surrender. We refused, so they brought their entire army up to the gate the next day. But they only sent a fraction of them at us. We fought them with all we had, but to no avail. They broke through the walls, but only did so to drop off another deal for surrender. This one, however, required that all the recruits be killed and all the monks and nuns handed over as prisoners.” Seang recalled, her eyes staring into nothingness.

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“The town agreed and started capturing my sisters and killing our students. I hid from them and managed to evade their capture while they waited for the Nikan to come and accept the terms. They arrived and said they would sell the monks off into slavery. Then they started dressing my sisters up with what were called ‘whore’s uniforms’. They pierced them with jewels and gold, adorning them like trophies. Which they were. After taking their prize...they slaughtered the town. I didn’t stay to see what they’d done. I just ran south. As fast as I could.”

“Gods, Seang…” Shakti muttered, “And...you think they’ll do the same here?”

“I know so. In fact, I bet they’ll do worse. Xinhou defied them far more than Palowang did.” Seang muttered.

“Then why don’t we try to get the people out?” Shakti asked.

“Did you forget the Nikan have the gate? Kameko organized this to be an all or nothing last stand. We weren’t supposed to last this long without winning or dying.” Seang muttered.

“What about us? Shahla and Najeem still have their mission. We should leave.”

Seang shook her head. “You should leave. All of you, if you can. Leave me behind.”

“What?”

“It’s stupid, but I refuse to run from them again. I decided this a long time ago. That if ever I was in a position to fight the Empire again, I wouldn’t abandon them a second time. Either I win this battle or I die.”

Seang looked up at her friend. Shakti’s brow furrowed with rage.

“I’m sick of this!” Shakti snapped.

Seang jumped. She’d never seen Shakti this angry before.

“You think just because you’re our leader, you get to play martyr? You think you get to shoulder all the burdens of this group? What the fuck is a noble sacrifice going to accomplish if you toss away your sliver of a chance at victory. Also known as us! Your allies!”

“Shakti, what-”

“Shut up and listen, alright? You’re the new member! We signed on knowing the risks of fighting the Nikan long before you ever came along! You don’t have the right to shut us out! You did the same thing in that monastery of yours and did that help your night terrors? Did that stop you from remembering the horrors you saw?” Shakti screamed, “I’ve made a commitment to something for the first time in my life! How dare you try to take that from me?”

“I didn’t mean-”

“How can you even think to ask us to abandon you when you’ve spent who knows how long despising yourself for the same gods damned thing!”

Seang’s eyes widened as Shakti’s Scars glowed with an intensity she’d never seen before. Flames exploded around them and Seang fell out of her chair into them.

But they didn’t burn. In fact, the image of the flames fuzzed at the places where she touched them.

“I will not let you isolate yourself again! You don’t get to be the only one in pain! You don’t get to martyr yourself! You’re going to stay with us! And you’re going to lead us! Because that’s the only way you will actually forgive yourself!”

As Shakti calmed down, the flames vanished, and her Scars faded.

“Di-Did I…” Shakti mumbled.

“You’re right.” Seang sighed, “I’m sorry.”

Shakti didn’t respond, but Seang preferred that, since her brain was racing a mile a minute.

“Can you get the captains again? I think we might be able to turn this around. Send Najeem to cut off the advance of the Royals.”

“But he won’t-”

“I know.” Seang muttered, “But he’ll make it back perfectly fine.”

_______________________________________________________________________

Najeem furrowed his brow as a messenger appeared from an alleyway near the position he was holding.

“Orders from the Captains.” the man said in broken Qahtanad, handing him a slip of parchment.

“This soon?” Najeem muttered, but the messenger had already darted away.

He opened the message and read it through as his soldiers loosed just barely enough arrows to seriously hamper the Nikan advance. It appeared the central command had actually come up with a plan other than ‘slow them down and hope for the best’.

Najeem pocketed the orders and had one of his drummers signal to fall back.

His soldiers packed up their wooden barricades they used instead of shields and started retreating. They went up the main street and fled out of sight of the Nikan.

“Set up in the financial district! We’ll hold them there!” Najeem shouted.

“You said that the last two times we moved.” His interpreter said.

“The Captains have a plan. Do you wanna be the ones who fuck it up?”

The interpreter sighed and relayed the order to his men. When they marched into the upper market, the battalion set up its shields around the perimeter of the open area, which had been filled with one of those bamboo maze contraptions from the first attack.

The first Nikan to catch up with them was, predictably, the cavalry. The army had been using horses to chase after Skirmishers and quickly claim areas of the city with weaker defenses.

But here?

Bamboo snapped as the cavalry collided with the maze, tripping horses or piercing their legs with shards of it. The fallen cavalry’s corpses or unconscious bodies quickly piled up. Soldiers on the roofs Najeem hadn’t noticed before doused the cavalry in oil before tossing a firebomb down.

Before his soldiers could relax, the wall of corpses was burst through and brought down by a single man.

“Men of Xinhou!” the fifth prince roared as he walked through the flames, “Your fires are too cold to singe me! Your spears will be too dull to pierce me! Your wills will chip and break against my will of stone! No one will hear the cries of those destined to fall!”

Gongsun Huan led his men into the market carrying a polearm with a spiked mace head at the top that gave off a more pained scream than Bane Knights as the Shedim trapped within was used to empower the prince.

Najeem’s archers launched a volley of arrows at Huan, but they merely chipped and shattered on impact with his skin.

Najeem drew his scimitar and hopped over one of the wooden shields, his Shedim manifesting behind him.

“Zaheer! So you finally decide to fight like a man instead of a shadow?” the prince grinned.

“Don’t get me wrong. I fully intend on fighting like a shadow. And my name is Najeem.” the Asasiyun responded, “What would you say to one-on-one duel to decide this skirmish, huh? Whoever loses retreats?”

Huan was a brute, but he was one of those types obsessed with honor and whatnot. Without his sister, Najeem doubted he would make the smart decision and just engage them.

Huan narrowed his eyes, “You think you can bring down the Ox of the East?”

“I do, actually.” Najeem said.

Huan grinned even wider, “Then I welcome your challenge!”

Huan fell into a sharp stance with his mace as Najeem wrapped a small buckler around his left hand and held a hidden straight dagger under it.

Najeem hopped on the balls of his feet, loosening himself up. Huan’s stance was rigid. The Bull demon King would have to be mobile to crush Najeem. The enemy was safe until Najeem could figure out what powers he was drawing from the Shedim in his weapon. Or until Seang’s plan worked out.

The Asasiyun stalked around Huan in a circle that was just out of his reach, studying the prince. Najeem believed himself to have a fairly solid understanding of this man. He was arrogant, vainglorious, obsessed with his status as a great warrior among his men.

Huan was the first to move, eager to get on with the fight. He swung his mace across where Najeem’s head had been had he not ducked down. The Asasiyun dashed forward, getting far enough in to make the prince’s weapon too long to hit him effectively.

But as Najeem came up from his crouching position for a dagger thrust to the throat, the wooden butt of the polearm smashed into his jaw.

Najeem tumbled to the ground, but quickly recovered to his feet.

Huan had purposefully stopped a thrust aimed at the throat. Perhaps whatever was making the prince invulnerable didn’t affect the throat. That was his weak spot.

Najeem dashed in again, slipping into the shadow of a building and reappearing behind the prince. His scimitar grazed the back of Huan’s neck, but the Bull Demon King was already whirling around.

Huan swung his mace, knocking Najeem out of the air with a blow to his padded vest. The Asasiyun rolled over and didn’t hesitate, rushing in again. He swung his sword up, knocking the polearm out of his way, and tried to stab at his opponent’s throat from above.

Huan deliberately sidestepped the attack and tried to smash Najeem’s skull in like a melon. Najeem ducked under the mace swing and jumped over a sweep of the weapon’s shaft, but was smacked in the chest with the butt of the weapon again.

Najeem fell backwards and rolled to the side just before the mace’s head pounded into the ground where his head had been. Najeem swept Huan’s legs out from under him and was immediately on top of the prince, going in first with a stab of his scimitar. When Huan caught his wrist, the Asasiyun attempted to puncture the jugular with his knife.

Huan tilted his head away and attempted to swing an uppercut into Najeem’s chin. The Asasiyun backed off before the blow could land, giving Huan time to clamber to his feet.

Najeem narrowed his eyes and saw a nick in the prince’s neck from earlier. He’d been correct about the throat theory, if the evasion of a throat puncture wasn’t enough.

He closed the distance while Huan was weaponless and went straight for the Bull Demon King’s throat. The prince turned to face him, but hadn’t been able to block before Najeem’s scimitar made contact with his neck.

Then Huan grabbed Najeem’s wrist.

The scimitar clattered to the ground; the blade dented and warped from being crushed against invincible skin.

Najeem cringed in excruciating pain as the Bull demon King tightened his grip on his arm. On instinct, he rammed his dagger into Huan’s wrist. The dagger pierced and got the prince to let go of him.

Najeem fell to the ground, bewildered.

“I can only make the front of my body invulnerable.” Huan grinned. “Let this be a lesson. When your enemy offers a piece of bait, don’t take it with such earnesty.”

Huan kicked his mace into his hands and raised it above his head. A simple, stupid mistake would spell Najeem’s end. There were no shadows under him. He had no weapons save for his dagger. He tried in vain to cover his head with his arms before someone yelling his name burst into the market.

“Prince Huan!” a messenger exclaimed, “The rebels are attacking the rear guard! The imperials have almost wiped them out!”

Huan dropped his weapon, “What?”

“You must hurry, your highness!”

“Retreat! Nikan, retreat to the gate! Now!” Huan ran off with his army, sparing Najeem.

Had he really been such an unworthy opponent that the prince had simply forgotten him?

Yes. Yes, he had been, from the moment the fight started.

Because Najeem had actually been the arrogant one. And so Huan had made a fool out of him.

______________________________________________________________________________

As sunset came once again to Xinhou, Shahla was feeling far more optimistic than the night before.

Seang’s attack on the rearguard had really done a number on the Nikan and kept the vanguard occupied enough to reclaim a massive portion of the slums.

Shahla looked out at the city from a balcony at the governor’s old house atop the city’s central spire. Despite the death, destruction and desolation, the people of Xinhou were high in spirits. They weren’t celebrating, but their camaraderie had seemed to have been mended after Kameko’s death.

Kameko’s death. The reminder of...well, she wouldn’t have called Kameko a friend, but a cherished ally. The reminder of her passing dampened Shahla’s mood.

At the very least, she suffered a kinder fate than most of those who had been killed to decorate Nikan territory with macabre acts of cruelty.

A small chirp drew Shahla’s attention to a fiery red sparrow on the balcony’s railing. She offered the bird a small smile.

The door to the room she was sharing with Lokapele swung open, scaring the bird off.

Shahla turned to find Najeem leaning on it, clutching his right hand close to his body.

“Najeem! I haven’t seen you all day! Where were you? What happened?” she asked, rushing over to him. He collapsed just as she was within reach to catch him.

Shahla sat him up against the wall and saw his hand. His wrist was almost completely purple and black with bruises.

“God almighty, Najeem! I’m gonna go get Sea-”

“No.” Najeem groaned, “Don’t get Seang.”

“Well, someone has to treat this.”

“Just...get some salve. I don’t want any of the others to see me.” the Asasiyun coughed.

Shahla nodded and went to go grab a tin of what the Nikan called jade balm from a medicine cabinet. Apparently, it was some kind of miracle salve for any injury.

She returned to Najem and made him uncover his injury in full. Shahla started smearing the translucent paste on his wrist, causing him to wince.

“How did this happen?” Shahla asked.

“The fifth prince.” Najeem muttered.

“You fought him?”

“I fought him. But he didn’t fight me. He toyed with me. He made a fool out of me.”

“All that matters is that you’re alive.” Shahla said.

A long pause of silence filled the room before Najeem cleared his throat. “Shahla...do you think I’m arrogant?”

“What does that matter?”

“Please, just...answer the question.”

“I mean...sometimes. Like when you say Seang and you share leadership.” Shahla caught herself. Why the hell did she just insult him like that?

I didn’t insult him. I said the truth.

“I knew it…” Najeem muttered, “I’ve been brain dead this entire time.”

“Why does this matter to you?”

“The Bull Demon King. I thought he was an arrogant, status obsessed fool. I was only describing myself. And because of that mistake, I was defeated and humiliated. Seang’s timing was the only reason he didn’t kill me.” Najeem shivered.

“Thank god for that, then.” Shahla embraced her bodyguard. No, not her bodyguard. Her friend in need.

“I always thought I was insightful. How wrong I was…”

Shahla held Najeem’s shoulders at arm’s length. “Najeem, it takes a big man to admit his flaws. But it takes an equally big man to get up after he’s been knocked down.”

Najeem gave a slight nod of acknowledgement of her words.

“Why don’t you get some rest, alright?” Shahla hoisted him onto her shoulder. “Think you can show yourself to the others now?”

Najeem glanced away from her, an ashamed reluctance in his eyes.

“Ok. You can stay here for now.”

Shahla settled him on a sleeping mat, then turned to leave.

“Princess?” Najeem sounded so drained.

She stopped, but didn’t turn to face him.

“I’m sorry. I’m quite the demanding servant, aren’t I?”

“You stopped being my servant the moment we left our old city, Najeem. You’re a good friend. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Shahla stepped out onto the former governor’s patio as Seang and the others were receiving a report from a panicked scout.

When the scout left, she approached them.

“The Nikan are trying to smoke us out.” Seang said.

“What?” Shahla gasped.

“They’ve given up on trying to take the city, so they’re just going to burn it down with us inside.” the warrior nun muttered, “Not what I would’ve expected.”

“Well, what are we gonna do about it?” Lokapele asked.

“We need to escape the city if this rebellion is going to be anything more than a record scratched out of the history books. But the front gate is really our only way out given how many people we have.” Seang said, “They’ve backed us into a corner. Again.”

“Actually, the sewer systems might be a viable escape method.” Shakti suggested.

“The Captains and I already talked it over. The Nikan have undoubtedly made the bigger, more modern sewers near the gate impossible to escape through. Those to the west are too small to get us all out.”

“So either we die in a fire, or we die fighting?” Vai asked, “What a wealth of options.”

“If we fight, there’s a chance of at least some of us escaping. Better odds than the fire.” Shahla said.

“I don’t think most of the people here give a damn about escape at this point.” Lokapele said, “But they would want to go down fighting.”

“So then, it’s just us who should worry about escaping. That makes it easier.” Vai said, “Send the rebels as a distraction and go through the west sewers. Shouldn’t be too small for us.”

“Where’s Najeem? He should talk with us about this.” Seang said.

“Uh-he...he got injured fighting the fifth prince.” Shahla said, “He needs to rest. At least for a little.”

“Well, don’t let him rest too long.” Seang pointed out towards the gate, where an orange glow from roaring flames could be seen from this spire. “And there’s another issue with the west sewers: The Chungsu Mountains.”

“What about them?” Lokapele asked.

“The closest mountain pass and the White Tiger tunnels are apparently towards the North. If we go west, we’ll either have to climb the mountains or cross the Chungsu river. The bridges are guarded and...how many of us can swim?”

Vai raised his hand.

“Exactly.” Seang sighed, “It’ll still be easier than getting everyone out, but we have to go through the army.”