The Tiny Emperor's Great Wall (Revised)

Chapter Two

Fenghua collected the army commanders before the wall's gate. One quick look at his small brood brought a sorrowful smile to his face. In all, there were only about twenty commanders left. Most of them had volunteered after their original leaders had died. Seeing their ragged outfits combined with their forlorn expressions produced a sigh from the demon.

Sitting down upon the cold, rocky ground, the general gestured for everyone to sit. All obeyed, except Shouwie and the five-person guard (three humans, a demon, and a naga), who remained standing.

Fenghua picked up his teacup. It was puny compared to his fingers. He had to use the tips of his claws to keep from crushing it. For a few minutes, the general drank his tea. Several of the officers started to shift in their places. Having sat for five minutes, anticipation grew among them as they expected him to say something.

Yet discipline was the rule of the game. Out of the twenty people there, only two managed to sit still with ease: a blind woman and Ba, with her teeth bared and eyes narrowed.

I've got some work to do, noted Fenghua. Clearing his throat, the general caused a couple of nervous commanders to flinch. "Anyone who wishes to follow me, stay here. Those who wish to leave, go ahead." Dumbfounded stares greeted the general. "I will not force anyone here to fight a war they don't want.

"But let me make this clear right now." Fenghua thrust a finger toward the southern plains. "For five long years, the enemy armies have pillaged, raped, and destroyed our lands without provocation. Their own lust for power brought chaos to our homes.

"While we can't draw them back, we can at least protect the Emperor. As long as they live, we can rebuild. So I can not afford to have any weak-willed people here. Leave now and save us all the shame."

Startled chattering erupted from the group. Darting eyes looked to one another to judge their comrades' resolve. After a few minutes, a young man and then a canine humanoid stood, which seemed to convince another two commanders to join them.

"Sir," said the human, "I won't fight a losing war. We have been beaten again and again. I'm not even sure my troops have the stomach to go through one more battle."

Nods of agreement came from the others. Offering a gentle smile, the general gestured for all of them to step forward. Tense people watched the four, no doubt wondering what fate their new general would place upon them. That was probably the scariest thing about getting a new leader: no one knew their temperament. Yet Fenghua just smiled.

"Do you want a drink?" asked the general. One upper hand held up the teapot while the other held the cup. Stunned, the small group shook their head. "Then be off. Gather the troops that want to leave. Just make sure I know of your departure."

"Yes, sir!" said the four with bows. They then sprinted off. A low growl came from Shouwie. He was no doubt frustrated that the general had just allowed such a thing to happen. Showie proved all too easy to read—his emotions and motives were obvious. Fenghua would wish his enemy to be just as easy to read.

With the weak of will out of the way, the general turned to the remaining officers. "It's good to see even in these grim days that there are brave troops. Who was keeping this army together before I came here?"

Ba sat up with a polite bow. "That would be me, sir," she declared.

"Nice to meet you," stated the general with a grin. He tilted his head as he held out a hand. "What is your name again? These old man memories are a little slow."

"C-commander Ba, second in command," stated Ba. She gave a short bow. "Ever since the last general perished—and most of the leaders—I have been in charge. I have managed to keep things together, but only just. The soldiers hardly respect the commander of an engineering corps."