The Tiny Emperor's Great Wall (Revised)

Chapter Seven

Fenghua stared at the bowl of rice accompanied by a piece of goat. After forcing the enemy to retreat, the general thought it was good to celebrate. Nothing special. He allowed his troops a single bottle of beer for each squad. Shouwie, Ba, and a couple of commanders chatted with one another. Nearby guards enjoyed their drinks but kept an eye on the wall. The rabbit on the moon stared down on the broken battleground, no doubt wondering how one demon had managed to cause so much damage.

"I never thought it would work so well," stated one of the commanders. "Having that blind ruffian do some real work is a plus." To Ba, he nodded his head. "And your instructions helped."

"All I did was remind the workers how to keep the cave from collapsing," said Ba. As she munched on her goat she hummed. "I was afraid that the roof wouldn't hold under the Acciro army's weight."

Picking up his bowl, Fenghua used his chopsticks to shovel up a bit of rice. He placed it in his mouth and swallowed. His stomach grumbled in protest, and he set the bowl down.

A sharp jab from a finger in his chest drew his attention to Shouwie. Quick gestures demanded that the general eat his food. Taking a deep breath, the tiger general resumed eating. He choked down half of the rice and most of the goat. Neither tasted that good to him, but for his troops, he managed to keep it down.

"Still, that little trick is only going to delay them for maybe two days," Ba continued. Her finger rubbed the lip of her bottle. Venia's beer, if the general read the label right. Popular up in this region, the beer was easy enough to get. The general himself preferred the classic rice wine. After several moments of thoughtful pause, Ba cupped her chin. "Sir, what do you want me to do with that river? I can't be in the dark much longer."

Nodding in agreement, the general set down his bowl. "It's simple, really. I want you to move that river into this valley."

Silence greeted the tiger general. Fenghua scooped up his teacup. A good drink always helped to calm his soul. He would need it to explain what he needed from his troops.

A snort came from Shouwie. "Sir, are you asking that we flood ourselves out?" Placing his drink down, he bowed his head while crossing his arms. "Forgive me for saying this, but are you sane? Even in peace times, to make a tunnel from up in the mountains to here would be difficult."

"You are not an engineer," stated Fenghua. A disgruntled nod came from Shouwie as he looked to his feet. To Ba, he asked, "Do you know how the First Emperor of these lands tamed the great floods?"

Smirking, Ba folded her arms. "You mean the one who spent some hundreds of years doing so?"

"Floods used to bring havoc until they were brought under control." Fenghua placed his cup down. "None of the divinities helped us in saving the world. Only through his diligent and strong virtues did the Yellow Emperor achieve it. Now, we will harness the power of the water once more."

Fenghua slipped the map from his shirt and placed it in front of Ba. His claw stabbed at the river high in the mountains.

"Two months," declared the general. "That is as long as I can guarantee holding the wall."

"I'm glad for the confidence, at least," grumbled Shouwie around a mouthful of goat.

Leaning on the table, Ba studied the map. A small smile crossed her face as she tapped one of her fangs. Her narrowed eyes peered into a distant future.

"The rock is hard in this area," noted Ba. "Even with earthbenders, it will take time." She gave the tiger general a sigh. "It's doable, but it will not be easy."

"But you can do it?" demanded Fenghua.

"How much of your army would you be willing to sacrifice?"