Time to Fight Back

The fires in the city were slowly going out. There were streets full of smoke and the remains of homes that had been torn down. The sky had gotten darker, and a cold wind blew over the ruins. Shen still felt a fire inside him that wouldn't go out, even after the flames had gone out. It was shame and deep sadness. He thought it was his fault that Fenix died. If he hadn't brought Fenix here, he might still be alive. This thought wouldn't leave Shen's mind, and it felt like a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Shen stood still in front of Fenix's grave, which was hidden away in a quiet part of the ruins. He was deep in thought. Kelly had tried to make him feel better before, and as she walked up to him, she kept looking at Shen. He stayed by the graveyard, unable to move on because he was so sad.

Finally, the Warlord quietly walked up to Shen. He looked at Shen, but his eyes didn't show any judgment. The Warlord stood next to him and looked at the grave of Fenix. He didn't say anything for a long time; he just looked at the marker and didn't say anything. Then he took a deep breath and finally said something.

"The hardest part of being a warrior is seeing the people you care about fall," he said in a calm, serious voice. You will never be able to completely get rid of it, no matter how much time passes.

Shen listened, and the weight in his chest seemed to get heavier. He kept staring at the grave. He said, "It's my fault," in a voice full of guilt. "This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't brought him here."

The Warlord thought about what Shen had said and then turned to him. He said in a quiet voice, "A soldier always knows what risks they are taking." Being a warrior means going on missions and giving up things. Your friend knew what could go wrong. You only brought him to the mission. He could choose.

Shen took a deep breath when he heard the Warlord's words, but he still felt too guilty to handle it. "Is that why you're here?" he asked, still staring at the grave.

The Warlord spoke while looking off into the distance and tilting his head slightly. "This is all I have left to give up, so I'm here." I've lost a lot in the years I've been fighting. "But that doesn't mean we can't do anything," he said next. "Because if we quit, then our friends and comrades will have died for nothing."

Shen's face changed in a way that showed how strong his feelings were. He had a million questions in his mind. This was the first time he really saw how his choices affected him. He could almost see every step he had taken since he left home: running away from his past, trying to figure out who he was, making weak friendships, and now losing Fenix.
He was angry and thought, "Have all my actions meant anything?" Did I kill Fenix with my own hands?

Shen couldn't stop thinking about what the Warlord had told him. He slowly lifted his head to look at the grave, and Fenix's last words rang in his ears: "Don't let them remember me as a thief; let them remember me as a hero." Shen decided to do what Fenix asked. He had to do that much for him. Shen stood up straight again, straightening his back.

Shen said firmly, "You're right." "I can't stop now." This is because of Fenix. "I have to finish this."

Shen's words brought the fire back to life in him. The Warlord agreed with Shen when he saw that his face had changed. The Warlord had thought that Shen's eyes would show how determined he was.

At that moment, Kelly came up to them.

"Shen, I need to tell you something about the assassin," she said.

Shen frowned and looked at her. He asked, "Did you find him?"

Kelly gave a small nod. "Yes, but he wasn't alive," she said, taking a deep breath. "We found him dead at home." I think he took his own life. But Fenix was able to retrieve a note from him before the place was ruined.

Shen's eyes grew wider. "Really?" he asked, leaning in with interest.

Kelly read the note. "The note said that Emporia hired him to kill someone in exchange for peace for his people."

The Warlord nodded after hearing her story. He said in a cold voice, "He probably killed himself because he couldn't reach his goal."

Shen's hands clenched without him meaning to as memories of Lina, Geno, and the many souls stuck in Emporia's cruel grip came flooding back to him.
He thought about how many times Emporia had killed people in the name of "peace." They say they want things to be stable, but all they do is cause trouble. That's not peace if they have to kill a lot of people to get it. It's tyranny in disguise.

He thought about Geno's situation and how his brother had warned him that trusting the wrong people could be very bad. He thought about Lina, whom Geno had thought was an enemy, and how hard it was to tell who was a friend and who was an enemy. Shen knew that the anger of the oppressed was like dry wood to a fire, and it fueled Emporia's goals.

Shen didn't like the news. His eyes were full of rage. The Empire had come across him again. They not only killed Fenix, but they also hurt people here and hired a killer to destroy the kingdom. Shen felt like two parts of him were pulling him in different directions at that moment. One half wanted peace, and the other half wanted revenge. He took a deep breath, stood up straight, and made his stare harder.

He began to say, "The Empire..." but then he stopped and stared at Fenix's tomb for a while. Finally, Shen started again, his voice low and shaky with emotion. "I've seen how people's desire for peace can turn into disaster when greed and cruelty take over. That messed-up sense of order has killed a lot of people in Emporia. They can't keep doing this.

The Warlord listened carefully to what Shen said. The young leader was clearly brave, but for a moment, the Warlord's eyes showed that he was worried. He spoke slowly and with a clear goal in mind. "Son," he said in a serious voice, "even if you tell the kingdom about the Empire's wrongdoings, they won't go to war like this." The kingdom won't start a war like that because the Empire is too strong.

Kelly agreed with what the Warlord said. "He is right," she said with a serious look on her face. "The Republic, which supports the Empire, will also join the fight if we start a war in the kingdom." That war won't end well for the kingdom.

Kelly suddenly grabbed Shen's arm, and her eyes showed that she was scared. "But Shen," she said softly, "haven't we lost enough?" You already think Fenix is your fault. Are you really ready to put more lives at risk? If we attack Emporia now, more people who aren't involved will die. We can't just ignore that.

There was a hint of pain on Shen's face. "I know," he said, his voice shaking. "I'm not taking this lightly." But how many more people will be affected by Emporia if we do nothing and just watch? "Would we be able to live with ourselves if we saw that happen?"

Kelly was unsure because she didn't want to lose any more friends and was sickened by how cruel the Empire was. She said, "I don't want to lose anyone else," and tears were about to fall.

Shen took a deep breath and tried to relax. He thought Fenix died because of what he did. I'm going to put other people in danger now too. But if we don't keep going, Fenix's death and the deaths of everyone else we've lost will have been for nothing. I have to believe that there is a way to fight for freedom without hurting too much.

Shen listened to what they said, but his face didn't change. "This won't be a war," Shen said with a strong look in his eyes. "It will be a rebellion."

Kelly was shocked to see him. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice full of interest.

Shen stopped for a moment to think before he said anything. "The Republic will step in if we send a lot of troops here." But if it's a local uprising, only Exilia and the Empire will fight. The Republic won't get involved.

The Warlord began to see Shen's plan, but he wasn't sure yet. He said with worry in his voice, "Even if we get everyone else together, the Empire is much bigger than us."

"For now," Shen said, his eyes shining with determination. "We can attack from both sides if we can get through the rebel walls."

Kelly nodded, which made it seem like she understood what Shen was saying. "The bomb that hit the city yesterday was fired from a catapult system recently developed by the Republic. It was bigger than a cannonball and blew up when it hit something. "That bomb could blow up that big wall in no time."

Kelly's comment gave Shen a chance to move on. He went on to say, "I know someone smart enough to build those bombs." "We can hit both the wall and the train route if we can make two."

"Why the train line?" Kelly asked with interest.
The Warlord spoke for Shen before Shen could. He said, "To make sure the Republic doesn't get involved." "If we stop the trains, it will take hours for backup to get there from their main base." During those hours, we would have enough time for a strong uprising.

It made sense for Shen to do what he did. It was dangerous, but it gave them a chance to fight back against the Empire. The Warlord, who had been waiting a long time to get back at his family and take back these lands, nodded in agreement.

Shen felt another wave of doubt. He couldn't stop thinking about the worst: more graves and more regrets that would follow him around. Is this really the only way to do it? He thought about how tired his brother Geno looked and how uncertain Lina's future was. His last breath hid Fenix's last smile, which broke his heart.

Kelly said in a calm but firm voice, "We're with you." "But please, no more risks that aren't necessary." "Think about each step."

Shen took a deep breath and let her words calm him down. He said in a low voice, "I promise." "I'll do everything I can to keep everyone safe, no matter what it costs me."

"Then it's time to fight back," Shen said more firmly, his voice steady. He knew they would follow him once he made his plan clear and easy to understand.

The Warlord smiled a little bit. He said, "Now I see why the kingdom made you an analytical commander," and his eyes lit up with respect.