30 days ago...

A familiar seven-colored raven pecked at Jin's window. He had been poring over battle plans all morning; they were starting to blend into each other. He found himself staring blankly at a map for minutes at a time before snapping out of it. These past few weeks, he'd had very little sleep. It was starting to show.

He jerked awake at the sound, jerked again at the bird, then he scrambled over and unlatched the glass. The bird inclined its head at him; it had the manners of a royal courier. Its master had trained it well.

Jin took the cream letter and was disappointed to find it was not addressed in Ruyi's hand, but in Marcus'. He opened it and read. The more he read, the paler he got.

"Dear Jin,

Your sister is in trouble. We do not have much time left. The warlord Lucius means to conquer all of the Demonlands. He means to murder or enslave all those who oppose him. That includes half of those who live here. That includes the Frigus tribe—and Ruyi with them.

I would not come to you if this were not absolutely dire, but I must come to you now. I come to you as leader to a leader, but I also come to you as someone who, like you, only wishes the best for the realm.

In 30 days, there will be a battle in the Desolate Mountains—a battle that will decide the fate of my realm, and likely yours as well. Do not imagine Lucius's ambitions stop at the Desolate Mountains.

If you wish to answer my call, follow this map. I have attached a detailed route through the Desolate Mountains, avoiding all traps, monsters, and natural hazards, and keeping out of the sights of the Vulture flocks. I must ask—it is of utmost importance—that you arrive in exactly 30 days, in the morning. We can work out the precise hour as you get closer.

You can send scouts ahead if you wish to verify my report. I know it is hard to trust me. We have been enemies. I have tried to harm you in the past, true, but that was because I thought you were a threat to the peace of the realm, and I was the Lord of Demons. I am the Lord of Demons no longer. As you read this, I will have given that up to Lucius in order to secure this 30-day peace window.

Your intelligence should be able to confirm this. By the time this letter arrives, this news will have spread all over the Demonlands. We are no longer enemies. Perhaps we can be allies, if we can find the will.

I come to you in supplication, for the good of the people of the realm—true for us, but also for Ruyi. Help us. Save us. I ask that you bring 30,000 men. You will find attached a battle plan—a pincer maneuver. Come over the high mountain ridge after they fill the Sunken Valley, and we will have them trapped and surrounded. And we can vanquish this evil for good.

But you are caught in your own war, and you have a duty to your people, this I know. My offer shall benefit us both. In return for your help, I will repay this favor. Ruyi will repay this favor. We will come over the mountains with you and vanquish your foes in turn. We will bring peace to the land. All lands.

I eagerly await your response.

Your friend,

Marcus

***

Jin stood. He almost made for the door, then he hesitated. Could this be a trap? But it didn't make sense—if Marcus wanted to ransom Ruyi, he could have done it a thousand times over. Why now? When Jin came to the Emperor in supplication, just as the Emperor came to him now, Marcus had given freely; he had never stooped to dirty tricks. Still, Jin had to make sure.

So he sat and scribbled out a letter and sent it by raven. He sent it to his contacts near the border to draw news of the demon world—if something like this truly happened…

Jin swallowed.

***

Two days later, the news came back. An ebony owl brought the letter. Marcus had spoken true; he really had stepped down. This was not about power, then. It never seemed about power with Marcus. He was telling the truth.

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Ruyi was in trouble. Ruyi needed him. He stood and made for the door. Nothing more needed to be said.

***

But first, he had to get his supporters on his side. He explained it to Mother, who agreed instantly. He explained it to Father, who was more hesitant. Jin could see his distaste for humankind, his distrust. But he could also see Shao Yang, thinking of his daughter. And though his father would never admit it—he never admitted to weakness—she was his weakness. Jin always thought the way he treated Ruyi was cruel and unnecessary, and it was, it truly was. But he also saw this was a kind of twisted, ugly love. There was still love in it, at the bottom of it. Shao grudgingly agreed.

***

He decided to take some from the army and most from the Southern Division. He went to his generals there with the plan; they met in a war tent around a great oak table. There was Sen, Tingting, and Chen Huo.

He was nervous as he spoke. Sen’s face exposed nothing of her feelings, but Tingting's grew progressively more nervous, and Chen's progressively more unhappy.

But Jin had barely finished speaking when Sen shot up from her seat. "So," she said, "when do we leave?"

"Hold on. What?!" Chen looked from her to him in consternation. "Have I gone mad, or have you two gone mad? You mean to divert most of our fighting forces to throw out some unseen enemy on the word of our greatest foe?!"

"I have reason to believe he's telling the truth," said Jin. "And as I've told you—this way will help us too."

"This is madness," Chen repeated. "Jin, you can't be serious! Take a day and think this through."

"If you want to stay, then stay," snapped Sen. "I'm going."

Jin held up a hand to forestall her. Then he looked his friend coolly in the eyes. "Chen," he said, “You are one of my best friends, and I will forever cherish all you have done for me. But you must keep in mind that the moment I put on this crown, I am your Emperor first and your friend second. I speak to you now in my capacity as ruler. Do you understand?"

Chen sucked in a harsh breath, but he nodded.

"Good," said Jin. "This decision is mine. If you are determined to fight it, if you are determined to fight me, perhaps you do not belong as a general in my army."

There was a terse silence. Then Chen shook his head. "You bastard. Of course I'll fight for you."

"I am glad to hear it, General Huo.” Jin took a deep breath. “It’s settled, then. We march in three days' time!"

***

30,000 strong marched into the Desolate Mountains, following Marcus's route, and as he said, they encountered no resistance.

Ruyi gasped as the human army poured into the valley, an upwelling of dark blue, a sea washing down to cleanse the earth, fast and furious, and Lucius's demons were trapped between them. They didn't know where to turn. Ruyi searched the crowd wildly, scanning for a face. She found what she was looking for—a blossom of red—and she saw Jin, flanked by his guard, spear shining red-white in the dim light.

"Jin!" she cried. "Jin!" He didn't hear. He was too busy wading into the fight.

Then they all were rushing forward, crushing back Lucius's army. A sudden panic had gripped Lucius’ forces. They were caught off guard, squished in; now they had fewer numbers and they were caught in an awful position. And the route behind them was too narrow to escape through. They couldn't get out.

At the front of the charge were Marcus and his guard, and the rest of the Warlords on his side. They demonformed at once, a horde of half-deities. They went to war.

So did the Warlords of the other side, and Ruyi saw giant phoenixes ripping at mountainous sphinxes, 20-foot giants wrestling each other. Each strike was a natural disaster, an earthquake, a tsunami, a lightning strike. The earth shook; the air sizzled with scattered power.

But they were not evenly matched. Marcus's side now had more foot soldiers, but Lucius still had more Warlords. The giant serpent roamed free; at his side was a tower-sized ape.

Ruyi snatched out her vial and drank, and she felt a bolt of lightning rip through her body; everything tingled white-hot. She roared and demonformed. At the same moment, Jin dashed forward ahead of the crowd, and their eyes met. Ruyi waved a paw at him excitedly. He grinned fiercely back.

Then, together, they charged straight for the two warlords left. Jin's spear flashed with fire as he stepped, one by one, faster and faster as she ran, and Ruyi's domain roared out of her too; she too began to step, and they were both running, trailing qi and essence, twin rivers of fire and ice drawing closer and closer, and converging, at last, on the enemy.

The serpent lunged, baring its man-sized fangs, but Jin nimbly dodged and set his spear against its scales. An explosion rocked the earth, blinding, scorching, and where it struck, the scale melted off the skin. The serpent reared back, hissing, and a blizzard struck on the other side; four white lines carved down its flesh, leaving frostbite in its wake. When it flailed back around, fire scorched the ice. At the same time, Ruyi bit where Jin had melted, sinking her fangs deep in and putting the cold into the core of its being. Faster and faster they spun, and the snake toppled like an old tree falling, crashing rigid to the ground. The two of them converged one last time on its throat. They moved so well together they didn't even need to look at each other to coordinate; at some level, maybe at the level of the soul, they just understood each other.

It spasmed once, and was gone.

The ape warlord was helpless; they'd struck too fast. It could only watch as its leader fell. Then Ruyi and Jin turned their sights on it, too. It tried to run. There was nowhere to run.

Then they turned their sights on the rest of the enemy army, and completed the crush.