296 196 – Return to Sender

Plotline: Main

Chapter Type: Social

“I’m sorry.” I said, to the young lad with his hand upon my chest. “Say that again.”

“You are not permitted entry.”

I sighed. “I have a room on the second floor.”

“You do not. Du Jing, who was paying for your room, explained that you are to return to your barracks, effective tonight.”

Of all the petty... “When should I be here to meet her in the morning?”

“So sorry.” he said. “I mean to say that the noble Du Jing does not require your assistance, and that she prefers never to lay eyes on you again.”

I rubbed my eyelids with my left hand, greatly desiring to shove him out of the way and demand answers from Du Jing herself. “Did she say why?”

.....

He looked down and away. “She says... she says your actions killed her stronger apprentice.”

“The actions of...”

But he scrunched his eyes shut at my tone. I grabbed hold of my anger. By the hilt, not the sharp end. Okay, breathe... The lad was just a messenger.

“Her version is not entirely accurate. How much are rooms, if I only need to stay tonight?”

“Ah. So sorry, but the owner has also talked to me, and explained that you are not to be granted admission, unless I am already dead or otherwise disabled. Please do not do this thing.”

I grumbled at him, but he didn’t have to actually shove me. I mean, what had I expected? That my efforts would be recognized for what they were? Thanks for holding them off so they could escape?

One thing was for certain; I wasn’t running out of hatred to power that rage emotion attack any time soon.

Assholes.

The ground gate being both closed and locked, I got to the stairway on the right of the Rice Gate, and began a simple evocation.

“Earth on my feet, my ankles, my shins, elsewhere on my body. Please rejoin with your fellows, here. From mud and stains, become again the whole ground. Move Earth!”

And I screamed, because I had forgotten to identify myself to the magic. It tore off my scales, and bits of the underlying skin.

[You have 2/80 health remaining.]

Incidentally, four parts to any good invocation. First, address the magic, say hi. Second, introduce yourself. Third, mention that you’re asking for something, and fourth, name the spell. And YES, even if this process is rude in your culture, it’s what’s needed to make the invocation work safely.

I made my way up the stairs, introduced myself to the champions on the roof because getting struck and falling to my death was the opposite of what I needed, and used my wonderful new Might score to climb up the side.

“You look to be in very poor condition.” Guo Zan said.

“Worse than when you left. Again.” said Teng Ah.

“Yes. I’m certain that Captain Feng and Sergeant Shi Kang will both be upset by that.” I said.

“I would worry more about Sister Yoshi.” Teng Ah said.

“They cut her mana ration, saying there should be less healing needed now that Xinyi Shi is dead.” Guo Zan lamented. “And there are rumors that they are placing champions on half rations as well.”

“Why would they do that?” I asked. “Champions would starve on only normal rations.”

“The rumor is that shortly after they began moving medical support back into the middle section, weevils were found in several crop fields. They needed to be burned.” Guo Zan said.

“They began moving the support units?” I asked. A quick look over the back of the Rice Gate confirmed it; a third of the tents, the ones nearest the second wall, were already gone.

“When the outer wall was first breached.” Teng Ah said.

“As someone who is often in need of medical attention, I don’t like that movement.”

“None of us do.” Teng Ah said.

“It is the right move, though.” Guo Zan said. “If the enemy were to capture or destroy our support units, this entire siege would be over in a matter of two or three weeks. With the rebels camped right there...”

“I wish those rebels would just get swallowed whole into hell.” Teng Ah said.

And in any good story, that is exactly when there would be a loud roar, and both sides of the inmate encampment would plunge whole into the ravine, falling into the ocean below, and presumably dying to the last man, woman, and fu dog.

I looked at the camp, holding my breath for one, and then two heartbeats. No such luck. The elementals were doing their thing whenever they were doing their thing, and nothing we mere mortals were doing was going to speed them up.

“Please, do not interrupt me, even if I am your junior.” Guo Zan said.

“I am so sorry, second sword. Please proceed with what you were saying.”

“Thank you, fourth spearman, I shall. With the enemy encamped right there, it is a certainty that they will continue to attack the breach in the wall. I thank all the gods that serve the Celestial Emperor that Xinyi Shi burns in hell. If he were still alive, I fear he would have broken through that breach, and we would be having this conversation at the second wall.”

And yes, I knew that Xinyi Shi was doing the exact opposite of burning in hell. Not all truths need to be spoken.

“I haven’t seen any champions at the pit. At the breach, rather.” I said.

“You wouldn’t.” Teng Ah said. “Not from the ground.”

“Every archer champion is training our most veteran archers from atop that breach.” Guo Zan said. “I understand the casualties are... impressive.”

“Impossible for the rebels to continue sustaining, if they are not reinforced.” Teng Ah said.

“Don’t say that!” Guo Zan hissed. “Now you’ve practically ensured they will be!”

I cleared my throat. “The fact that our enemies aren’t led by idiots and imbeciles practically assures they will be reinforced, possibly by exactly the champions they planned to use if they got those siege engines to overload our wards and bring part of the wall down.”

Guo Zan stroked his mustache. “Ah-ah. There is that, yes.”

“Wait, I get berated, but Little Monitor gets agreed with?” Teng Ah asked.

“You seem to be looking forward to that happening, Guo Zan.” I said.

“A pitched battle with the cream of the enemy champions? Under the fortifications manned by what is certain to become a near legendary force of archers? Bring them on, if they want to fight us on deadly ground that is in our favor.”

Teng Ah spat over the fortifications. “That’s not what they’re doing, though. Looks like they aren’t even using their best troops, so far. Probably just finished their training; new to their initial development point breakthrough.”

“I hope that isn’t the case.” Guo Zan said.

“It would be a shame if fresh soldiers were being used that way.” I said.

“What? No, no, I mean if they’re saving their veteran troops and just lulling us into a false sense of security, it means that the current wall breach is only part of their plan.” Guo Zan said.

I yawned. I hadn’t meant to, but there was no stopping it. “How about the troops on the wall? How are they holding up?”

Teng Ah shrugged. “We have little enough contact with them.” he admitted.

“You should get below, Little Monitor, and hope that Sister Yoshi doesn’t have you tied to your bed.” Guo Zan said.

historical

“I doubt that.” I said. “It seems to me that every day I’m not on bed rest, I seem to be on cooking duty.”

“Ah-ah.” Guo Zan said, “You have a talent, Little Monitor, and that talent keeps us fighting at our best. Do not sell yourself short.”

“We don’t.” Teng Ah said. “Thank you for your service. But... is there any chance that we might have duck again soon?”

It was my turn to look down. “I can only cook what ingredients they bring me.” I said.

“I hear the central Quartermaster was shut down, that they found no less than twenty traitors in a recent raid.” Guo Zan said. “I originally thought it was just rumor, but the way supplies have been disrupted... It is clear that something is going on, something so bad that they dare not tell us what it is.”

“Or they got in a load of wine, and are drunk from quality testing, again.” Teng Ah said.

“That didn’t actually happen.” Guo Zan said. “Or if it did, it only happened the once.”

I felt a second yawn coming. “Well, if I’m to cook breakfast, I’ll need to get as much sleep as I can.

Guo Zan and Teng Ah shared a look, and then nodded to each other.

“Get your sleep, Little Monitor.” Guo Zan said.

“We won’t be offended.” Teng Ah said. “And we look forward to a warm meal at the end of our shift.”

We made our polite bows, and I made my way toward my bed.

So... a raid on the quartermaster? Sounded like Kismet was having all the fun.