Solstice Souls: Solstice Sons (Book 3)

Rats in a Trap

Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang's POV

Content Warning: This chapter contains descriptions of violence, blood, gore, and killing. If you are uncomfortable with any of these, please scroll to the end of the chapter where the line of #'s appears. I will provide an brief summary so you won't miss out on anything. 

Waiting.

Nie Mingjue hates it with a passion. He is a man of action, a man who runs into battle without fear. He is a warrior who has fought his way through insurmountable odds and faced death more than once.

He's waited for three days. And today, he waits again. He waits because his little brother has asked him to have patience. Well, maybe not asked. Threatened might be a better word. He had no idea Huaisang knew so many secrets about him.

Mingjue had wanted to meet their enemy on the battlefield. Fighting was all he knew. It's what he lived for. It was in his blood and every breath he took. For years, with Baxia at his side, he had protected The Unclean Realm as well as, if not better than, all the QingheNie leaders before him.

Last night, Huaisang made him promise again. This time, seeing his older brother's anxious pacing and short temper, he begged Mingjue not to attack. At least, not before meeting with him before the sun's first rays peeked over the Hebei mountains. His surprisingly calm little brother swore the battle would be over before it even began. By the time the sun had risen halfway in the eastern sky, his didi was emphatic that the Wens would be surrendering to them.

If there were any left, that is.

"Good morning da-ge." Nie Huaisang says with a yawn.

Mingjue casts a wary glance at his younger brother. "Is it?"

Huaisang snaps his fan open confidently. "Of course it is.

The two brothers stand atop the immense wall surrounding The Unclean Realm. No enemy has ever been able to breach the thirty foot walls protecting their home. And today will be no different, if either brother has anything to say about it.

Huaisang smiles at his older half brother. Even though they had different mothers, Mingjue never treated him as anything less than his true full brother. After their father died, Mingjue had made sure he wanted for nothing and grew up knowing he was safe within these walls.

And now it was time for him to protect Mingjue.

"Da-ge, if you like, I can tell you what I have planned for our unwelcome guests over an early breakfast."

Mingjue looks down at his didi. "I have a feeling I'm going to be both proud and terrified at what you have done."

Huaisang giggles. "Oh come now. They deserve everything that happens to them."

A half-cocked smile appears on Mingjue's normally angry looking face. "I can't argue with that, didi."

                                 *****************************

A young scout rushes into the throne room and bows before Nie Mingjue. He's the fourth one since Huaisang served him a light breakfast and explained what he had in store for the approaching Wen army. All of them reported before the single incense stick in the room was even half burned.

Impressive.

They received many updates on the readiness of their troops and placement of men over the last few days. But this junior disciple gives them the news they've been waiting to hear all morning.