The Emperor's Head

29. Exposure

Cold, naked, and alone, Jun woke from the magic-induced sleep that had held him captive. His back and hips ached from the unnatural position in which he had been bound. His hands behind his back were tethered to the bindings on his feet, causing his hips to push forward. Someone had placed a simple loin cloth between his legs that hid very little. Jun explored his body for hints of violation or other injury and was surprised to find none.

Jun closed his eyes when he felt someone approaching. The crunch of boots stopping at his head sent goosebumps up his spine. He had long forgotten the bitter taste of this primal fear, which threatened to pull him back to his childhood. Since Bolin had rescued him from the Academy, Jun's body had been his own to command. Jun slowed his pounding heart; he was no longer a helpless child.

I will burn all of them if they touch me.

The thought of fire pushed Jun out of his near hysteria enough that he touched the wall around his core and tested for weaknesses. The fire remained hidden from prying eyes. He would not release it. If he did, they would know his identity. The Empire would become a battle zone between factions. Though he did not love his Emperor, he loved the people of the

Death is better than discovery.

"Master Jun," a man's voice hissed in his ear. "The Green has found you."

The phrase meant nothing to Jun for a moment, yet his tone prompted Jun to open his eyes and examine the speaker. The man squatting next to him was older by at least a decade but was not old. His square face was framed at the chin by a short dark beard, and a well-groomed mustache covered his upper lip. He wore the black leather armor of the Imperial Guard with the crimson red of his tunic peaking out around his neck and under his arms. At this angle, the soldier's eyes remained hidden under his lids, and his eyebrows angled down like an arrow pointed at his nose as he contemplated Jun's state.

"The Green?" Jun croaked, his throat burning with the effort.

How many days have I slept to feel this dry?

Warm water hit his lips as the soldier lifted a gourd to his mouth. Jun drank with abandon, not caring if it might be poisoned.

"It has been several days. Slow down, or you will vomit," the dark skin soldier barked. Jun restrained himself as the truth penetrated his frenzy. He already felt the water sloshing in his stomach, and the ooze of nausea crept up the back of his throat.

He is right. I must slow down.

A heavy blanket landed over Jun's shoulders then the man busied himself with Jun's foot bindings. "You are to come with me to my tent."

Jun recoiled at the thought of spending the night in another man's tent.

"I am not to touch you," The guard continued his whispered monologue. "The General is angry at the loss of the Hand, and he will not risk you as well. You are to be preserved fully for the Emperor under penalty of death. He has entrusted you to me."

"Who are you?" Jun felt the blood rushing back to his feet as the binding released. His hands itched to rub them, but they were still tied behind his back. The soldier's busy hands didn't move to loosen them.

"I am Captain Liu," the soldier answered. The captain pulled Jun to his feet and stood nose to nose for a moment. Jun realized the man's skin wasn't dark but caked with grime.

How many of my friends did you kill?

Jun remained silent and took the chance to look around the camp. The light of the sky waned quickly, and torches lit the encampment. Jun could feel the pull of the fire but did not respond. The flames' shadows distorted the tents' shape, yet the red and black color of the shelters surrounding the pole he had been bound to be still visible. The rod he had been tied to was not in the camp's center but also not on the edge. The spacing and uniform size spoke to the discipline and wealth of the guards who had captured him. Even if he had not known the uniforms, he would have known these were no ordinary soldiers. As they shuffled slowly into the encampment, Jun took note of the design and tried to remember the layout descriptions in his books for these bivouacs.