After Ashes Comes...

[Pyra]

Xai Tuyi was sitting down on the muddy ground, his face masked from the sorrowful faces and grey clouds above him. Another wisp of oil fluttered into his nose and he sniffled into his salty, tear-stained hands.

Above him, "Honey, it will be okay," Mrs. Xai Tuyi was trying to console him. It was no use though. This was afterall their entire life. All of it- sitting in front of them, not chronologically, not alphabetized and certainly not categorized like they did in the summers. A mountain of scrolls, treaties and books in no order. In a way it'd been artsy if it weren't covered in oil. Then again, another way and it would have been even more.

Suddenly, a raven in the shape of a man appeared upon the carriage that was next to the mountain. "By order of his Majesty Shi Huang all works not pertaining to his Majesty's edict will be destroyed!" said the raven.

Tuyi's wife patted his back as he collapsed back into his hands. His were always so soft, delicate from turning pages all his life. From a farm herself, she was too used to standing up when getting bad news.

Around the couple were many like them, upset over this most recent edict from the King of Qin. For long since Zhao had fallen and the Qin armies had paraded in the people of BaiMa had been fighting the incursion by remaining who they were. Yet it seemed the King of Qin would not have any of it.

"Light the fires!" came the Raven's caw, just before the cry of the people.

"My life's work, no!" from behind Mrs Tuyi a man budged his way through and broke past a guard. The commanding Qin general quickly pointed to the wild man and yelled for him to halt. Xai Tuyi looked up through his red eyes. Was he going to save their books?

"Nooo, nooooo!" screamed the scholar as he was pulled back by two soldiers and then heaved into the fire. His arms went a flailing, like a chicken trying to fly, as he realized his fate. Immediately upon entering the flame his body resisted the flames, trying everything he could do to escape from it the searing pain. But the raven wouldn't have any of it. He seized a long spear and held the man down with the butt of the pole as the scholar yelled his blood curdling cry.

Tuyi continued to cry. The burning scholar continued to struggle- all while the raven stood high on his perch, sickening those below him. BaiMa's collected crowd was to say the least shocked at having to view such a scene. Few had seen such vile sights in their life and some folks were beginning to speak up and shout for the general to stop.

Finally after a few long seconds the spear appeared from the fire and the scholar had finally succumbed to the fires. His flesh was too little to pull himself from the flames- but his voice wasn't quite finished yet. His feint cries carried on with the wisps of oil though the cold bitter wind, until they began to slowly infect the crowd.

A few feet behind the Xai couple where a group of men whispering:

"We should pull that dog down to where he belongs," said one. "I thought Qin was going to be good news for the land, but they are no different than the chaos they try to deny!" another was more vocal, but a third quieted him. "It is not so black and white- and it is easy to judge here, where we have not seen war for many years."

Just then after hearing the men, Tuyi stood up and began to approach the line of guards controlling the crowd. His face was cast down, and he seemed almost like he was asleep. His wife, who was stricken with grief, could only watch.

[Midnight]

Xu Yi woke to a cascade of overwhelming senses. This morning was most unlike any other. Bai Ma had been occupied a small duration ago, and Xu Yi had been injured in her left forearm dispatching an armed patrol of soldiers just a day ago. Xu Yi rose upright in her bed, still disoriented as to what was happening around her. Voices in the room, a large fire crackling outside - were they in danger? Pain emerged from underneath a large and bloodied bandage on her arm. She clutched it and suppressed a scream that welled up in her throat.

Her vision began to clear, movement to her left, Xi Yi picked up a nearby dagger with her right and hand and caught a man on his neck with the small blade. She didn't draw any blood, but pressed the steel against his skin.

A beat.

She suddenly recognized the terrified man as Mao. Whom looked more shocked than scared. Xu Yi released the dagger which promptly complied with the laws of physics and dropped harmlessly to the barren floor.

"Your awake..." Mao noted dumbly, a hint of shock still remained in his voice, he was dressed in farmer's rags. Mao was the stubborn protege of White Feather, and was quite jealous of Xu Yi when White Feather decided that Xu Yi was a better student.

"What's the situation?" Xu Yi looked down at her wound, the blood on the bandage wasn't fresh. As if reading her mind Mao said: "I'll replace the bandage in a second," he placed a bowl of water next to Xu Yi's make-shift mattress, then rose from his crouched position to, "Xilong went to the town square to check on the commotion, we can't travel as a group - they'd recognize our faces quicker together."

Xi Yu nodded. For the past several months Mao, Xilong, and herself had been quite the thorn in Qin's side. But constant fighting wore them all down, and now the trio had to resort to hiding in small towns - like Bai Ma, towns that took the brunt of frontier occupation.

Xu Yi examined Mao's new disguise, a farmer. He wore a ragged brown tunic and breeches of even a darker shade of brown. Needless to say, it was a little less extravagant then his previous disguise - the Marquis of Xiang Yang. That disguise only went so far when the actual Marquis of Xiang Yang (whom was supposed to be on a fishing trip) entered the court.

Mao's story was much like Xu Yi's, he was young, nineteen, and a soldier. A proficient hunter as a child and a killer as a young adult. He had straight long black hair that fell below his ears, soft and determined eyes, and the face of an innocent child. Not the features of a soldier. Nonetheless, Mao's family forced him into service. At that time he was known by his birth name - Phu Er, but he abandoned hopes of ever rejoining his family, and went by 'Mao' - starting a new life.

The door slid open, Xu Yi didn't move, Mao looked over his shoulder - Xilong walked in and swiftly closed the door behind her.

Xilong pulled the cloth mask from her face and spoke quietly but urgently, "They're burning books and men out there Xu Yi! It's madness!" She fell at Xu Yi's side, "You need to do something-" Xilong noticed her arm, and softened - "if you can..."

Xu Yi examined Xilong, a determined child - yet very talented. She was only sixteen years old when her parents died, she was like the many child orphans of the war, but Xu Yi and Mao chose her to save because of her abilities. Despite her not knowing it - Xilong possessed tremendous potential. She held a strange attribute to nature, one similar to Xu Yi in her childhood. But Xilong could not fight, she was agile, but she had never killed before. Mao claimed there was no point in teaching someone the ways of bagua if they could use it against Qin.

Xu Yi argued otherwise, Xilong had a good heart, and wished doom upon no one. With people like her alive, there could always be hope.

Xu Yi smiled, and rose to her feet. She walked to the side of Mao, and let him replace her bandage. Xu Yi pondered their next move. The room was silent when Mao was done.

"Alright," Xu Yi started, "I'll head to the square, you two pack your things, stick together, avoid patrols, we'll meet in Dai in three weeks."

Xilong rose to complain first but Mao cut her off with: "Dai!? What good could we do there?!"

Xu Yi snapped back at him, "Silence! What good could we do now? Look at us, battered and weak."

It was true, Xu Yi was in no condition to even move her left arm, Mao was covered with bruises and cuts, and even Xilong had some type of cold sickness, which was wearing her down with fatigue. Taking that into regard, it would be only days before Xu Yi and Mao were sick too. It would take time to recuperate.

Mao conceded defeat: "Fine, Dai, three weeks. Xilong gather your things. There are horses outside the town waiting for us... if they're still there."

Xilong and Mao moved quickly about the one-room building, gathering important items and food. They had a grand total of two battered swords to protect them, and a handful of knives and daggers.

Xu Yi nodded solemnly and looked blankly down at the floor. Had she made the right choice? Her thoughts weighed heavily on her shoulders. Her choices usually led to deaths - one way or another. It was the price she payed for being at the forefront of war. Barely a minute passed of silent shuffling and Xilong and Mao were gone, it was uncertain whether Xu Yi would see either one again.

~

Echoing Wind more or less -appeared- in the agitated crowd of townspeople in the square. No one noticed, too preoccupied with the large mass of books and literature which burned with a eerie crackle. The brightness illuminated the faces of everyone in the square. Taut shadows cast themselves at Echoing Wind's feet. Her left arm was in a new bandage, and resting in a makeshift sling. With her right hand she pulled a bright red hood over her face, in an attempt to hide her features. Her long hair rested over her chest.

Echoing Wind was in no position to fight, only run and hide. She examined the square - it was crawling with soldiers. No doubt the amount of men present was bolstered with her presence in the area. She was still a sought after individual - with a large bounty.

The fact remained - there was nothing she could do for these people.

The Raven's laugh tempted her action, but would only lead to her death. She strengthened her resolve and turned her back to the fire.

She took a step...

[Pyra]

Bai Ma had been a smart location, being so close to the former capital of Zhao and having gathered much of the local populace because of said proximity. The town was filled with much to confiscate- and rebels. The Qin commander had been sent not only to burn books but to rouse up what was left of the Zhao armies.

Qin's King was playing chess with a wounded dog, waiting for it to make its next move.


Xu Yi made her crushing step, unable to prod the dog along. In her state, she might not have noticed the tall figure wrapped up in green and brown, like a wandering hermit, walking past her. Had she noticed him at all, she would be able to remark at his wide and ever reaching smile; he simply glowed amongst the crowd. He, that is being, Morning.


Then, a screech came froth from the front; Tuyi had withdrawn a small knife and struck a guard in the neck. Now his hands were a mess of blood as he struck out again at the line of soldiers. His arms flew, touching down whereever there was a free patch to land, ripping flesh as they went about. Behind him, his wife finally realized what her husband was doing and quickly fell to the ground. Tuyi had such soft hands, why, why would he bloody them?

Around her men began to push forward with the sudden urgency that had befallen the event. In the ruckus the Raven cackled and signaled his soldiers forward. Suddenly the two forces were pushing and pulling, Tuyi still thrashing- though he'd taken many a blow by now. And even more, in the men's struggle, Tuyi's wife was beginning to become trampled by the heavy swaying feet of the townsmen.

"Miss-" she looked up suddenly and flinched, the pain from those stepping on her finally snaking up her spine. "You don't look comfortable," said Morning. Her eyes focused finally and realized there was a monk before her- his hand extended. She took it, and was pulled up immediately onto her feet.

"Will you be able to stand?" said Morning as he studied her.

"Ye-- my husband.." she replied.

"Where has he gone?"

She looked away drearily toward the front of the crowd, silently wondering why though in the middle of the thick struggle that she and her rescuer weren't being sloshed around too. "Here," Morning took his spear, which he held in his right hand, and stuck it in the ground before picking her up and carrying her further back to a few older men who held off behind, "please, look after her, she has taken ill."

The men nodded, their attention still on the fight before them. Cries were coming from the crowd and from behind it, the many wives of the townsmen knowing their husbands were no match for the Qin soldiers.

"Excuse me," Morning brushed past a man and grabbed his spear from the ground, causing a stir around him. The blade was covered, but the bright iron pole made a resonating hum once plucked from its brief nap. 'Yes, time to wake up my friend,' thought Morning as he slowly guided himself through the crowd. Miraculously, the men began moving out of his way; some taking note of whom he was and praising his arrival or sinking back, knowing he would not approve of their blatant fighting.

After clearing one last hurdle of men, Morning found a body crumbling under the weight of a soldier's sword. The blade was being slowly thrust into his shoulder- a method of torture in most circles. Seeing the man's discomfort, and for that matter the fact he was at the front, Morning acted. The soldiers were surprised at first by the sight of the monkly man, but were even more so when he drew up his pole weapon and thrust it toward the soldier attacking Tuyi, sending his blade flying in the air. It landed just shy of the raven, who cried a foul caw as the sword planted in his carriage. Who was this?

Morning smiled true, but would not wait for the soldiers to react any further in a way that would harm the townsfolk. His pole went to work, striking the sword-less guard before him and sending him flying back. His immediate companions were next, one looking questioningly as a bright iron pole raked across his arms- causing him to fall down in immense pain. Another was quicker and charged his blade forth- but his target quickly swished to the right and struck him in the side of the head. More guards piled in to fight Morning and with each arrival they were disarmed and put upon the ground by his spear, which was still covered.

[Midnight]

Echoing Wind stopped after one step. A palpable pang of dread struck her in her chest. She glanced to her left, a man in a rather out-of-place green color moved swiftly past her, a man with a purpose. A minute passed, the commotion began to commence. Screams emerged from the helpless townspeople. The glowing man spared no hesitation in dispatching the guardsmen that quickly descended amongst the crowd.

Intrigued, Echoing Wind turned, her worn cloak still clung close to her body. The long strands of her hair appearing just above her breast. Her eyes shone with something she had not experienced for a while.

Hope.

The feeling started with a small tingling in her brain. The thought, the feeling that she were useless soon abated. If this man were so bold as to non-lethally take down the garrison, how could Echoing Wind stand idly by and let him bear the full brunt of their assault. The corners of her lips began to turn upward in a selfish smirk.

Echoing Wind suddenly felt a sharp pain in her left arm, she had almost forgotten it was still in this makeshift sling. It was as if reality had hit her hard. She hesitated. She wasn't even armed.

Another trio of guards was cast away by a single blow from this man's spear. They toppled over each other as they crashed into a
cart of cabbages nearby. Echoing Wind noticed Raven atop the carriage. The fire still burned strong next to him, the burning man nothing more than ashes. The flames cast his taut shadow over the square, and even though his legion was being dispatched, he moved not a muscle.

No, the flames revealed a sinister grin hidden under his beak. Raven raised a hand, the din of the fighting in the square soon became drowned in the sound of loud footsteps. There were many archers, surrounding the entire square. With two volleys, most, if not all, of the townspeople could be dead.

He wouldn't dare... Echoing Wind thought with an increasing dread. The sharp pain in her left arm now seemed trivial.

Raven laughed menacingly as his arm lowered, a signal for the initial volley. The man who had taken up to task of defending the people now needed help. Echoing Wind did not hesitate this time, she ran with abnormal speed. Leaves picked up at her feet, she made her way through the edge of the packed herd of townspeople. She suddenly broke away from the crowd, the leaves rose, but they did not fall. Leaves and flower pedals of many colors ran with her, carrying her to her destination.

Echoing Wind dug her feet into the ground as she reached the front of the crowd, the man who had given her hope stood behind her. The dirt displaced at her feet, the leaves left her side and continued to rise air, disorderly, this time - with no destination.

The leaves dissipated...

The inertia left from Echoing Wind's sudden stop carried her ragged cloak with it, leaving her exposed in her bright red robe. He elegance shown brightly, but so did her weakness, a bloodied bandage was apparent on her left arm. Her right arm was extended outward, as if to shield the innocent people behind her with some sort of barrier. The arrows left the archers' bows, and had been in half-flight when Echoing Wind stopped her movement.

And then, as if the heaven's themselves did not want the townspeople to be hurt, a gale of wind suddenly summoned itself, casting away all of the arrows harmlessly to the ground. The archers looked at the spectacle awestruck. Many recognized what they had just experienced, and called out with growing fear: "Echoing Wind!", "It's Echoing Wind!", "Ahh!", they fled.

Raven was taken aback by Echoing Wind's sudden appearance. He cawed with rage, ordered another volley, one that never came. He looked to the rooftops where he had positioned the archers; most were gone, the rest were stricken with temporary paralysis. Raven threw a tantrum of rage atop his carriage.

Although Echoing Wind was grateful, the man had put all of the townspeople in danger. As if he were under her scrutiny, Echoing Wind turned her neck, though she could only see him in her peripherals:

"That was reckless."