Ai, Fenhua, and Lixin walk to the steps of the palace. Soldiers formed lines behind them.
They go inside, and a preator stroll towards him "general Lixin. The varina informed you of the rebellions if I'm not wrong"
"Yes. Three rebellions, two on the east and one south, the ones on the east are put down and only the one in the north is left"
Fenhua and Ai turn their head at Lixin surprised
"The soldiers are gathered and waiting for you, it may be one of the largest settlements of the forsaken, but even general Gao managed to hold them. It will be a quick victory"
The general nods his head and walk outside and on the other side of the palace. Finding lines of men filling almost all his view.
They start marching, and on the way, Ai and Fenhua stand beside him
Ai asks " what rebellion are you talking about?"
"Someone has given weapons and supplies to three settlements of the forsaken. Two have been put down and the other north almost managed to reach the nearby village if it weren't for the varina on the small outposts and Gao to act quickly"
Ai murmurs "On the north the closest one is Klaebens settlement"
Fenhua asks suprised "and what about him?"
"He is probably on his way here, seeing us missing along with the army leaving the city. when he comes I will either kill him or let him live. Depending on his choice"
Ais and Fenhua's hearts beat rapidly and Lixin continue forward
"Lixin it is insane to kill him. He has done nothing wrong and"
"Choosing his people is treason. If you want to follow him is acceptable but you will also be killed"
Ai look at Fenhua holding his breath. Murmuring "the children"
Ai left debating at her thoughts.
The army rest at the green hills with flowers of yellow color surrounding their feet. they look from above at the small impoverished structures, walls made of planks. Iron bars and some tables and chairs all tied by ropes, and the shiny grey armor of the people standing behind. Lixin says with authority "Ai at one hour from now we will march at the village, tell everyone to rest now that they can"
Ai walks away and from the crowd of soldiers, one man comes forward. Everyone look at him with a frowning stare. Lixin looks closer and sees Klaebens angered face.
He narrow his eyes, and Klaeben stand against him
"Lixin im one of them I can convince them to stop. just give me a chance and you will see they do not pose a threat" "are you sure you are one of them?" Klaeben grabs him tighter "you know I can burn your skin at an instant, order the troops to leave now" "and what will it change if you kill me? The people and you will be slaughtered, possibly even worse"
Klaeben grit his teeth "your next move will be very crucial for the people and you dehi"
Klaben look him in the eyes, both of their eyes shining.
Klaeben wait but Lixin says nothing.
He walk toward the settlement "they will not hear you" Klaeben clutch his palms and look forward with his eyebrows pulled closer.
He strides near seeing the faces of the people clearer, soon arrows fall, most fall away from him and the few that fly on him get stopped by a stone wall, more fall and he run closer, making a stone wall and a roof almost at his height, leaving a small opening to watch them.
The arrows continue "please, I'm here to save you" the people shout in rage and desperation "kill the bastard" Klaeben take a deep breath, suddenly the stone walls get destroyed, and sees everyone with their bows beside their eyes, He build the walls again and tries to hold them before he sees rocks coming from outside but he builds another four layers. Two of which get destroyed. he starts feeling a small pain in his chest and for a moment he hold his breath before he sense hot air striking him, soon he feel his whole body burning. he takes deep breaths and opens the wall from behind, making more as he runs away, looking behind him and creating more walls feeling his lungs ready to collapse.
the walls fall and arrows fly with one of them piercing his arm and almost making him stumble. he let a desperate grunt and continues to run with his hand.
He makes some small steps and stops opposite to the army on the hill, grunting as more blood fall from his hand.
Ai rush at him shouting "bring a varina"
a woman comes and heal his wound in an instant, Ai and Klaeben look at Lixin and he stare at Klaeben with superiority "look what they did to our messanger. Imagine what would happened if they touched your families and friends. soldiers march" the army march besides Klaeben, his heart pounding fast and feeling his lungs closing.
Lixin pass him and shout "preaka, Rosanne, and astitare destroy the wall"
soon the wind change direction towards the village, fire starts building and soon a wave of it melt the walls and the people. screaming as their skin burns. Klaeben look frozen as the soldiers march carelessly.
Ai pull Klaeben from his wrist and runs towards the burning wall and says with a strong voice "we have to save as many as we can"
Klaeben grit his teeth and shake his hand and runs faster. They blend with the soldiers and Lixin look over them with Fenhua meters behind him and stepping at the dry leaves. Lixin look at Fenhua with the edge of his eyes and back at the army
Fenhua shout "we can find a better solution."
Lixin look again with his eyes shining, and thrusting the spear down, the rock and wood clashing "you will speak about what's right when you joke all the time?
you didn't care for these wastes until you met Klaeben"
Fenhua let a short syllable shout before Lixin raise his voice "it's Saturday"
Fenhua squints his eyes before his breath cuts short
"Say nothing more and I will spare you more time"
Lixin turn back to the field and place his spear behind the shield and rush to the lines and Fehnua stare with fear, placing his leg forward and back again.
Klaeben and Ai go around with no soldier noticing them.
They go through the wide gaps of the poor wooden wall
seeing at first sight either young people rushing with their weapons at the walls or elders and mothers with their children running to the other side of the city.
Klaeben runs and Ai follows behind him at the narrow streets with planks and burned bodies at the walls of the houses.
Klaeben suddenly stops Ai. Taking heavy breaths "why do you?" A high pitched cry is hearkened from the left, Klaeben follows it, moving his hands maniacally and the cry becoming clearer, he stops at a house with a crumbled roof and the cry continues from the other side of the door. he raise a stone pillar and smash it.
walking inside seeing a small pot on the floor and two humanoid dolls made of leaves, he hears the screams from his left and sees a pile of rugged blankets on top of each other, from its holes he sees two brown eyes looking at him, he slowly walk toward the blankets and try to pull them but the person holds them, Klaeben pulls them with force and sees a small child and a newborn baby covered in more blankets, the baby wakes up and the girl look at him with her pupils dilating.
Klaeben kneel and give his hand to her. Looking with worry "come with me. Let's go find your family"
the black hair girl gets up with her hands behind her back, and as she walk closer she shows her right arm holding a knife and swiftly cuts the surface of Klaebens forearm,
Klaeben steps back and the child run forward, he raise his arm and a stone pillar comes from the ground
passing through the knife with ease, he fall to one knee again and shouts "please come with me, your parents will be wanting you to live"
The girl steps back and she swiftly reveal a knife in her other hand and grabs the baby, trying to calm it, Klaebens palms become cold, he extends his arm and runs towards her with adrenaline rushing through his body, the girl close her eyes and scream on a high pitch, placing the knife on the baby's throat and swiftly taking it and turning it on her. she scream again and before she pull the knife Klaeben grabs her arms, and with force he press her wrist and the girl drops it. He push it away with his foot and makes a chain from stones and tights it in the girl's hands, the girl scream and weep, shaking her body as Klaeben push her outside the house, seeing around him burning buildings along with rocks passing through them, having body parts all over the ground. he look up seeing a light coming down, instantly raising a wall and soon rocks fall from the sky many strike behind Klaeben, leaving a burn on the ground, the rocks abruptly stop and Klaeben run into the narrow roads filled with burning wood and bodies, he holds the chains tight and peaks around the corners as the child shakes her hands, out of one of the corners Ai comes to his side and look at the girl with her eyes glistening, Klaeben turn her gaze at him "look at me, take the girl away from this madness"
Ai grabs her and look at her with pain and starts pulling her chains.
Klaeben turn his gaze at the remaining buildings that stand.
He runs beside the flaming ones and rush at one of them, breaking the door with a stone pillar and seeing a dead family, he stands for a moment taking deep breaths and close his eyes and continues to the next and the next until he hears a scream from his right, he rush beside the burning buildings and finds a trail of fresh blood continuing at some turn meters away. Klaeben rush and he sees an old man laying on the floor, looking at Klaeben with his red eyes as they struggle to stay open, Klaeben falls to his one knee "you willl be fine, please give me your hand"
The man grabs Klaebens arm as tears start falling "please, stop the soldiers from burning the large house at the west section, they are children and women hidden there that don't deserve this pain and loss. I beg you to show mercy Huagjin"
Klaeben grits his teeth and grabs his chest armor tight. for a moment he look away before he turn again whispering, almost ready to cry "I will, you have my word that the children and the women will be safe"
the man left a final tear along with a smile "you have my eternal gratitude"
Klaeben lament and look at the man one final time, he takes a heavy breath, and running outside, walking beside the destroyed wooden buildings, smelling the burning wood and flesh.
He rush to the northern section seeing the silhouettes of soldiers. He stands still for several seconds. Thinking if he needs to try going quietly inside, but he sees soldiers gathered around it. He takes a deep breath, coughing with the pungent smell of flesh and he raise his arms and starts waving and shouting with all his strength "do not burn the buildings, they are innocent in there" he repeats it again and again and as he reaches them he sees Lixin walking with a torch closer to the building "Lixin do not dare to burn the building"
Lixin look at him with the edge of his eyes "they revolt, we will show no hesitation"
Klaeben shouts as he makes a pillar opening the door and almost stepping inside before the soldiers grab him and pull him away
"they are children and women inside"
Klaeben makes two pillars thrusting the armor of the soldiers but not their bodies and making them kneel, gasping for air, and makes more pillars all thrusting in the edge of the buildings, making large holes "please, I beg you surrender before they burn you"
no answer is heard "please think of your children"
the grip of a sword hits Klaeben at the neck with force and he falls with his eyes rolling up, watching Lixin throwing the torch on one of the buildings as his face stays unemotional.
He slowly turn at Klaeben, his cold eyes looking inside Klaebens soul and turning his back on him "Lixin, you cannot escape from this"
the soldiers make a stone wall and continue to make more layers thicker than the previous, Klaeben creates a stone pillar and pierce the walls and bluntly strike the soldier's armor. he makes another and strikes more soldiers, looking with fear as clouds of dust rise hiding his body.
the soldiers raise their spears and bows, stone pillars with fire on the edges facing towards him. Fenhua look with his eyes wide open and tries to step forward with his body freezing for a second before he makes another step. Lixin shouts "kill him" the spears and arrows fall, dust raise and as it vanishes They see nobody. they look around, Lixin shouts "he must be close, destroy and burn everything to find him" the soldiers take their torches, Fenhua look around him and suddenly he notice a weight pulling down his wrist, he look at it and sees a stone around his wrist curved with small letters "tell Ai to come find me at night where she took the girl" Fenhua look around him, seeing Ai nowhere.
He stride around, seeing the soldiers breaking everything, placing fire on the woods and bodies or decapitating them with rocks.
his pulse stays the same and moves around with his eyes turning at a fast pace, after a while he sees Ai covered in dirt coming from a hill, she comes closer and Lixin and two other soldiers stand in front of her.
Fenhua rush at them and hears Lixinz authoritarian voice "you are not going to leave this place until the moon comes up" general's voice lowers. Fenhua watching Lixins lips still moving.
He continues to walk closer, moving his hands behind his back and as the general leaves and he reach Ai he swiftly Show his wrist at Ai, she nods her head and takes a stone from the ground. breaking the chain and Fenhua asks "what will you do now?"
"I will help him"
Fenhua tries to smile but he couldn't hide the sadness "it seems I have to keep my mouth close"
Ai's face show nothing and walks away.
The night comes and Klaeben moves the ground using two large rocks, he coughs and toss the dust from his armor, looking in the distance at the burning remnants of the village, and body parts pilled on sticks.
he fall to his knees breathing heavily, his view becoming blurry for some seconds before gradually regaining it.
A shout of a small child echoes and Klaeben look at the soldiers gathering barrels and creating and piercing them with their spears as another shout echoes.
Klaeben's hands start shaking uncontrollably, he takes deep breaths and pulls his hair with force. staring at the distance, and his breaths become faster, feeling his heart ready to burst. He walks towards the village almost falling from the hill and conitnues with slow crumbling steps, looking at the soldiers departing as he tries to calm himself.
He walk through the burning wood, his stomach quickly twisted as his nose caught the pungent smell of burning flesh.
He continue walking and underneath his feet he feels a soft surface, He look down at the burned faces of the children and women, his eyes open wide as he notice a hole in all the children's and women's throats, he grit his teeth and let a melancholic grunt, pulling his hair harder than before.
Ai standing behind a wall hearken his scream and comes beside him and Klaeben says "how is the girl?" No word is heard
Klaeben shouts louder, his voice becoming gravely "Ai how is the girl?"
"She is dead, she throw herself at some rocks meters away from the village "
Klaeben look back at the bodies
"I'm a monster"
"you tried to help them, there is nothing sinister in this" "and still help Huagjin more than them"
"you believed it was the best approach"
He sigh, Ai faintly catching his broken voice "It was a foolish approach. Believing I could change things from the inside, but they do not even show a damm even if Im disguised as them"
he takes a deep breath and continues "I will find another way"
Ai stays silent deep in her thoughts, her eyes focused on him.
Klaeben look at Ais cold eyes as she opens her mouth "I'm sorry" Klaeben look with surprise and turn walking away and Ai follows him "where are you going?" Klaeben eyes shine "to the other villages. Goodbye until the next time"
Ai freeze before rushing at him. grabs Klaeben from his wrist "then if you leave, it will be almost impossible for me to find you"
She look at him with tears gathering in her eyes, holding them back
" Now that you will be leaving for years, maybe even lifetimes will you still feel the same?"
Ai, look at him with worry waiting for the answer.
klaebens eyes open wide and show his teeth with a gloomy face "Don't ask that, of course we will" Klaeben look pensively at her glistening eyes, Feeling a pain in his chest "I need you, but for now my people need me much more"
Ai grabs his wrist tighter "I understand. please come back when you finish"
"I will"
"until then I will help you in whatever way I can find"
"I am glad you stand on my side" Klaeben lean all his body at her. hugging her, wrapping his hands at her head and back, gently touching her hair and both close their eyes for many seconds before Klaebens slowly takes his hands away, looking at her one last time as Ai's cold eyes stare back.
After many minutes of standing and thinking she leaves.
Going back to the camp seeing Lixin talking to the troops and then turning his gaze at her. Striding at her, and saying "some soldiers told me saw you rushing with Klaeben at the village when you were inside the crowd. Hopefully I dismissed their claims and so do they"
"And?"
"I'm just questioning your loyalty"
He examined her face closely "you killed neither a dehi nor one of us"
"I joined the army to protect people and kill whoever wanted to harm them" and walks past him. Laying no eye on him, and reaching inside alone her tent. Sitting and placing he
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r hands on her knees. Wiping her tears as her voice crack. Leaving a weak shout
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