The City under Attack

The group jumps into action like a swarm of surprised grasshoppers. I quickly lose sight of them in the darkness, but I know they will do their best. It should’ve been me or Dai Xuan shouting the orders, but Feng Yu stepped up as we were stunned. He grabs my wrist and we start running too.

“This can’t be. They can’t be here. They should be half a day away, getting decimated by our forces,” I shout at him as we run together.

“Maybe they had some people stationed around Xiyang already, or other traps planted and when we attacked the dam, they sprung into action.”

“I hope the city guard is up to the task.”

“Qing-ge is with them. There’s nothing he can’t do.”

There is such conviction in his voice, I can almost believe Liu Renqing will be alright. We follow the stream out of the valley. At first glance, there is nothing out of the ordinary with the city on this side, then another flare rises into the night sky in the distance. Something must be wrong. We can’t stop to be let through the city gates, which are already closed for the night. Feng Yu reaches for my hand.

“Do you trust me?”

“Always.”

With a rush of wind and heat, he grows two large wings on his back, shining like molten lava, lighting up the night. He grabs me around the waist and leaps into the sky, jumping in a wide arc over the city wall, right into the city. The air rushes past my face as we fly, sparks fluttering in our wake. For a moment, I am weightless and suspended in a dream. Feng Yu’s wings fade after we land, and with them the heat.

“I’m not powerful enough to keep using them. But you can run from here, right?”

He sounds breathless already. I look across the rooftops, to the west of the city, where sparks are flying. In the distance I can see erratic light on the city wall, between the houses, throwing fearful shadows.

“You?”

Feng Yu shakes his head. “I’ll catch up, I promise. Go. They need every help they can get. And whoever you are, keep yourself and Murong Zhiyu alive, you hear me?”

“Of course.”

I eye the next rooftop, collect all my strength and jump. It reminds me of the first day, on which I barely dared to jump on a tree, but this time I am running with confidence, roof tiles making noise under my feet as I go, some cracking under the strain, but I cannot stop to care. The smell of smoke rises to my nose and the closer I get to the western wall, the louder the commotion becomes. It is a full-fledged battle. Part of the wall collapsed. Around it, houses are already on fire and from the streets, the unmistakable clash of blades and screams of injured soldiers are well audible. What happened? Didn’t they go into the Ghost Hills? They should be so far away. How could they attack so quickly?

Liu Renqing is stationed on the wall. He will explain… if I can find him. I run across the rooftops, dodging flames, until I reach a place where I can jump on top of the city wall. From up here, I can survey the damage, or part of it. The area around the western city gate is a battlefield. The gate and the wall around it have collapsed, and a battle rages on top of the rubble. Rows upon rows of city guards are present to fight back the invaders, but they are falling quickly. The enemy attacks with ferocious energy, and while Xiyang boasts many adept fighters, they are no match for the enemy cultivators and shifters dotted around the area.

I watch in horror as one of them blasts a whole row of soldiers away with an attack of concentrated qi. All over, it’s these attacks that light up their surroundings. There are so many of them, and more seem to join them. The foul stench of their magic drifts on the wind. I only hope the citizens have retreated to safety. Suddenly, I hear a noise behind me and I turn with my sword brandished, only to find General Liu.

“Why are you here? What about the dam?” she asks.

She’s out of breath, her armour is splattered with blood. I can smell it on her. My stomach turns. It may be normal for her, but I…

“The dam??”

“It’s contained. We eliminated the spies. Some of us stayed behind to dismantle the explosives, the rest came here.”

“Good.”

“What happened here?”

“We saw the flare above the dam at the start of the hour of the Tiger. At the same moment, they attacked the gate out of nowhere, a whole group of shifters exhausting their power to hurl magic fire. We are holding them back for now, but there are always more coming.”

“Is it their army?”

“It has to be, with these numbers.”

“That means…”

“Yes,” General Liu says gravely. “Someone has informed them of our plan and our troops ran into a trap. I don’t see them return, only the enemy.”

Below us, a fiery explosion sends an enemy shifter flying. I recognise the colour of the flames immediately. Feng Yu has joined the battlefield. On the other side of the gate, an answering flash of blue. Liu Renqing! He’s alive!

“Keep them out of Xiyang at every cost.”

“Yes, General Liu.”

She puts a hand on my arm. “I don’t know why, but my son chose you. So don’t die.”

General Liu leaps onto the battlefield below, her spear hitting several enemy soldiers on impact. Right. Don’t die. But I need to… I need to…

“What is it?”

“Zhiyu…”

“Afraid?”

“Honestly? Yes. I don’t know how they do it.”

“Let me tell you a secret: They’re afraid too. But bravery is overcoming your fear. They are fighting for a cause that gives them strength. I would offer to take over, but I can’t do it for long, and…”

I sigh. “I get it. Emergencies only. Any tips?”

“I will watch. Tell you what to do. You’re not alone. Go.”

With more conviction than I feel, I jump off the wall, first on a rooftop, then onto the streets. City guards rush past me, waves upon waves of them from all parts of Xiyang, to meet the threat. The queen’s personal guard has joined them—the small, elite group, who has stayed behind to protect her. In the distance, General Liu conjures up a whirlwind of water, glowing beautifully azure as it rips enemies off the ground and watery blades cut up their bodies.

This is it. I raise my sword and start running. The uniforms of Xiyang’s guards are easily distinguishable from the rough dress of the attackers. I see one of them breaking through the ranks and rush forward, slashing at him with my sword. My sudden attack takes him by surprise and I hit his arm with so much force, I cut it clean off. A nearby guard reacts immediately and plunges a spear into his heart.

My heart is beating faster than ever before. What did I just do? Did I really just— Someone else runs at me and I raise my sword to block him just as Murong Zhiyu tells me to.

“Push him back!” she yells in my head and I muster my strength.

I’m actually doing it! He stumbles backwards, losing his footing. His front is open! Murong Zhiyu must feel my hesitation as she takes over in the blink of an eye and slashes her blade through his chest. The man falls over, motionless. Lifeless. As quickly as she acted, as quickly she’s gone. I sink back into her body, breathing hard.

“You’ve never taken a life before,” she says. A statement, not a question.

“Is it that obvious?”

“I will take care of you. Go.”

I look away from the man and continue on. Over the rubble, through the wall. With every step, with every hit, it becomes easier. I run from skirmish to skirmish to cut down the enemy numbers.

That’s how I need to think of them.

Numbers.

It feels wrong.

“Watch out!” Murong Zhiyu shouts and my body twists to the side, barely managing to avoid a blast of concentrated qi.

I jump some distance away and turn back to see who attacked me. It’s one of the shifters! She’s already following me, her aura of energy a clear presence. I can feel its murderous intent. I have never been this afraid in my life.

“Let me,” Murong Zhiyu says and as another projectile hits me, she raises a hand to summon a wall of ice, which shatters upon impact. Through the cover of the flickering snowflakes, she jumps forward, turning them into hundreds of icy needles, which accompany her flight, burying into the white fox shifter. Her clothes turn crimson as she bleeds from countless wounds, but she doesn’t have to suffer long, as Murong Zhiyu slits her throat.

“Foxes are no match for a heavenly dragon,” she states as she flicks the blood off her sword.