The Emperor's Head

31. Meeting Destiny

These arms feel wrong.

Jun's mind trudged toward the edge of consciousness, and his surroundings began to intrude on his fading dream. The horse beneath him tensed and relaxed its muscles as it galloped on a smooth stone path, its hooves clanging loudly along with dozens of others around him. The air that hit his tender face insulted his nose with the overwhelming smell of decay. Jun's eyelids fought against the pressure to remain closed. When he finally opened them, he wished he had lost the battle. Nausea hit his stomach; nothing would have stayed if anything had been present to fill the gnawing void. Pikes lined the broad street in front of him with torches between them. On each hung a body, all in various stages of death. The sounds he had not been able to identify prior clarified the moaning and writing of the dying. Jun followed the macabre scene to the end, where the grand gates of Tian were silently opening. His head must have tilted back while he did so, alerting the nameless guard who held him.

"He's awake," a voice behind Jun announced loudly. The man the others called the general slowed his horse to ride alongside Jun and his captor.

"If you look closely, you should recognize some of the people who decorate the avenue," the general observed, waving a hand at the surrounding victims. "Many will have been from the Yewen Clan. A fresh batch of refugees was captured just before we left the city."

Jun did not follow the slender man's hand but stared at his partially visible expression. Though his tone hinted at levity, his pale narrow face showed no amusement, and Jun wondered if he had seen the man's jaw clench after he spoke.

He is so young, maybe younger than Captain Liu, yet he is the general of the Imperial Guards. He must be a loyal servant of the crown. Does he disapprove of his emperor's choices?

The thought of Captian Liu brought forward a fuzzy memory of the man who had strived to save him being pulled from their tent and dragged away behind a horse. They had only known each other a few days, but his death had been almost enough to break Jun's spirit. Had it not been for the tiny sliver of Bolin's presence that persisted at the edge of their bond, Jun would have lost all hope. Despair threatened to pull Jun back into unconsciousness, but the man behind him squeezed against his bruised ribs, and the pain made him alert once more.

They haven't healed me.

Jun took the time to explore his body's injuries. In addition to the remnants of beatings to his body, his nose still felt broken, and his cheek swollen. These were his only visible injuries, obtained from the kicks Liu had landed on it right as the other soldiers dragged him away. His parting gift was to distort Jun's face, and none of the soldiers who brought Jun to the emperor seemed to want to fix it.

These are the men who are supposed to be his most loyal troops. These are his imperial guards, yet they all allow this small rebellion. Was Oyun right? Is the Empire on the verge of collapse?

Jun had been unconscious for much of this journey from the woods outside the Sanctuary. But those times he was able to hear and see his surroundings, Oyun's words held more truth.

"If we do not do something now, the Empire will collapse before another heir can take the throne. And it will collapse to both internal and external forces." Oyun held his hand over the map of the Empire and then pointed to the southern border. "We have lost ground there already." He pointed to the ocean to the east. "Enemies already block some of our ocean trade, and warships have been seen in the distance."

"Are you trying to frighten me, Teacher?" Jun felt his stomach clench with anger. Oyun only wanted one thing, he wanted Jun to release his fire and claim the throne.

"I am trying to teach you," Oyun responded dismissively. "You have to know the situation in full before making a decision.

"I have made my decision," Jun insisted and stood up from the table.