One Tail at a Time

No Virtue in Honor - 3

My heart is pounding in my ears along with the high pitched squeal from Fu Yu.  I imagine my eyes are lit up in fury and excitement much like his, in fact, his face is drawn back in a tight grimace as his sword flares out before him before he lifts into the air to bury it deep into the first black robe he sees.  It catches the enemy in the back of the neck having not seen it coming, which I guess is a blessing, but my sight does not get to linger on the manical laughter as he lunges at a second enemy soldier, because my own sword is already taking the head from the shoulders of another.  

How easy this is.  Only a few minutes ago, my heart was filled with hate and all manner of ugly thoughts on what I was going to do once Shifu finally released me onto these filthy disgusting degenerates, but here I am on the battlefield and mulling over the fact that my innocence has died.  I have now tainted my soul, my hands are bloodstained and my mind sees nothing wrong with this.  

That's why its so easy, I want to cry, I really do and though Shifu told me to create a bubble around my mind to protect it from the violence so it doesn't linger after we leave, I cannot help but take a few seconds to look down at the face lying in a pool of blood below me.  And just like that, a flow of tears escapes me while I permanently etch that face into my mind.  He is just a boy, probably not much older than me, but he was my first kill.

Shifu had also said there is no honor in war, but for this boy, I don't want him to go to his ancestors without the honour of being my first.  I know this sounds ridiculous, because thousands upon thousands are dead already, only he was special, a child who deserves to not only be committed to memory, but I honor his soul right there and then. I wish him well on his journey and hope that his next life is far more peaceful and longer lasting before once again, my sword is raised and aiming to take another.

And before I know it, I am off my horse and on the ground spinning and leaping at every black robe in sight.  Training with my brothers was always robust and energetic so I am reasonably fit and agile, and I guess it is showing now, because none of them come even close to my sword and with Fu Yu at my back and my men either side of me, we make quite an impressive dent in the enemies flanks.  Thats not to say they are weaker or unfit to battle, because they are not, but we are far more technically advanced and I am not being a show off, this is just how I am seeing it.  In fact it is amazing that I am even able to rationalize everything right now, but it seems as if the tactical strategy lessons that have been drummed into my brain since little, is now in full flight as I measure the distance of their feet from the tips of their swords, which gives me a very good idea of where the next strike is coming from and how much power will be in it.

Thousands of years of training is paying off, because I barely catch the tip of a sword, I am too fast and far more agile at getting out of the way, despite the dead on the ground that we are literally dancing over.  Black and white robes, litter the battlefield, but unlike that first soldier, I pay none of them any heed, because once this war is done, they will be given an honourable farewell by both sides anyway.

Now meeting resistance as our arrival finally sinks in, we find ourselves facing the full brunt of the demons flank who have turned to fight us head on and it is here that I get a feel for their expertise and experience.  Some are far more so than others, and I immediately go for the weaker ones in order to get them out of the way.  I might not have battle experience, but I have the foresight to know that these men need to go quickly and before the demons third wave can reach us.

Now and then, I catch sight of my brothers.  Cheng Bao is most fearsome, his roaring is heard over the nearby screams as he takes out man after man with just one strike, where as Shanhu is taking his time as if he is liking the sparring match each soldier gives him before taking them out.  Zi Lan on the other hand is looking tired and has begun to edge back towards Die Feng who is still on his feet and spinning wildly even though he is completely surrounded.  The pride in my belly for my brothers is soaring and having seen more than enough of their courage and bravery, my own heart is now filled with the bloodlust I knew would eventually come, especially seeing as I too am taking down soldier after soldier.