The day was warm and cloudless, the sky a deep blue. When the wind blew, An Sun could smell the rich scents of grass and earth. After leaving Jinping with a few of his men, An Sun led them on his great red stallion to the Western Empire. The travel was smooth for the most part, especially during the day.
When dusk hit, the nights became slightly colder, yet humid. It was uncomfortable to sleep. But that didn't seem to bother them too much as they suffered worse during their first months of training.
When finally arriving in the Western Empire that night, they settled camp in the woods close to the border. In the morning, they would go farther into the empire. But for now, they rest.
A fire crackled in the center of the campsite, projecting long shadows on the surrounding area. The night brought such a silence that the crackle of the campfire was all that could be heard, like natural music. The flames that licked at the wood and the red sparks both danced in the cool breeze. The men added more wood and poked it with long sticks.
An Sun's face was toasted warm and his back cold, mind relaxed and mesmerized. He looked down at the letter in his hand, its edges slightly wrinkled.
"So, why did all of you join the army?" Fan Mingli suddenly asked while chewing on a piece of roasted pheasant.
One of the men by the name of Yin Changpu lowered against a tree and leaned back, stretching his legs out before him while he plucked at his lower lip in thought. In comparison to the others, he was the most muscular. Even seated, he was tall with long legs, broad shoulders, and a flat stomach.
"I grew up in a poor family. My father died a few years back leaving my elder brother in charge of the household. I don't have many skills, so when I heard that joining offers many benefits to the families who join, I thought, why the hell not!"
Each man looked at Yin Changpu with admiration. It was common for men to join the army to help their families – already showing their great sense of gratitude to the ones they care for.
Fan Mingli finished the last bite of his food before he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I'm not very strong or tall like the rest of you as you can see." His eyes looked around at the men, all who stared back at him without pity or contempt. Just thoughtfulness.
"But I know for a fact I'm smarter than three of you combined." Fan Mingli raised his chin proudly.
The men looked at the young man with dumbfounded expressions.
"You little bastard," Yin Changpu sitting beside him punched Fan Mingli in the shoulder, not too hard of course. "You may be smarter than us, but you're also more of an asshole then all of us combined."
Everyone around the campfire laughed as Fan Mingli glared. An Sun listening on the side couldn't help but smile.
"Captain Sun, why did you decide to enter the army? Compared to all of us, you seem to have the most experience."
Yin Changpu's question led the four men to look at him expectantly. They too were curious as to why their strong, great captain joined. From what they've seen, he was capable enough to be a commander.
Under their stares, An Sun folded the paper in his hand and tucked it back in his shirt before turning to them.
"For the benefits as well, you could say," He said.
"Did you join for your family as well?" Yin Changpu asked.
An Sun looked at him silently for a moment. The flames of the fire had flickered within his gray eyes before he reluctantly smiled from the corner of his mouth.
"No." An Sun said with no further detail.
Yin Changpu had been about to further press on the subject, but he was never given the chance. An Sun stood up from the ground, wiping his pants and then staring down at them.
"We'll be leaving before sunrise tomorrow. You should all rest, I'll take the first watch."
Without allowing them a chance to reply, An Sun walked away to rest on the tree in front of their camp. The mood somehow seemed to dampen, but none of the men bothered to comment on it.
Just as An Sun promised, before sunrise the next morning, they packed their camp and set out into the Western Empire. Halfway into the afternoon, An Sun suddenly stopped. Confused, Fan Mingli had been about to speak before clamping his mouth shut to their young captain's warning stare.
An Sun raised his head and looked at the sky. Not a shred of emotion could be seen on his face. That's when they heard the sound of a bird's cry. Looking to the sound, they spotted a brown bird flying over their heads.
The bird lowered itself from the sky and landed on An Sun's outstretched hand. The other men were shocked by the bird's sudden appearance, while An Sun didn't look the slightest bit surprised. He glanced down to see another rolled-up paper attached to his ankle.
"Good boy," An Sun smiled and reached into his pouch to take out a small piece of raw meat.
Ju ate it with delight, his beak ripping into the tough flesh. While the bird sat on his shoulders, he unraveled the letter in his hands. The silence in the entire group was so stifling that no one dared to utter a word.
At this very moment, An Sun, who always had a calm face was now emitting a murderous aura like it was nothing. His expression was somewhat terrifying, and it stunned the men.
"We need to move faster," An Sun said in a deep voice.
"Captain Sun did something..."
Being an impatient man, An Sun had not waited for Fan Mingli to finish his sentence. He tucked the letter in his pocket before he put his heels to his horse and trotted off. They had been too shocked to understand what had just happened. They knew whatever was written on that letter must have been serious for the calm An Sun to suddenly snap.
Again, they learned to say nothing and continue onward.
...
"Is something wrong strategist?" General Donghai's rasping voice rang behind her.
Rin stood in front of steps of the province training grounds, her eyes resting on a dead tree in the corner. No one could guess what was on her mind, nor did anyone who passed try as the aura was stiffening.
Shifting her gaze, Rin stared at the scarred general's face for a moment before looking back at the withering tree.
"Have you ever regret killing people on the battlefield?" She asked in a quiet voice.
The burned side of General Donghai's mouth twisted. "No, it gives me joy to kill people."
He didn't hesitate to answer. In fact, he sounded rather content with his words. Rin stared up at him with wide, disbelieving eyes, as if she couldn't believe those words had come out of his mouth.
"You don't hate it?" Rin glanced at him with raised brows.
General Donghai's face was hard to read. He took a long moment to consider.
"Hate is good as any to keep a person going, better than most." He said in his deep raspy voice, and Rin fell silent.
Her eyes trembled, then she quickly looked away. This time her gaze fell not on the tree but the ground.
"Do my words upset you?" General Donghai asked.
Rin said nothing and clenched her fists. Her silence was enough for General Donghai to know he was correct.
"I hate to break it to you, but the world is built by killers. It's better to get used to it than trying to find some shitty peaceful route."
"But what if there was a way to live in this world peacefully? To accomplish your aims without harming anyone?" Rin asked, her voice turning slightly more chilled.
"Have you worked to achieve your aims without killing anyone? Face it, we are no different from an emperor killing his family to stay on the throne." General Donghai's voice was deeper and more powerful than any voice she'd ever heard before, and amusement flickered in its depths. Amusement at her, she soon realized with a raw burst of fury.
Within her heart, Rin was in turmoil and after hearing his words, it provoked her last thread of reason.
"I am not like them." She coldly spat. He hadn't realized how close to home his words hit her.
"Of course you are." General Donghai laughed. "Everyone apart from children and some women are an exception. You've already crossed every line, and you're afraid of how far you'll go. No point in trying to hide behind that fact. I know fear when I see it. I've seen it a lot."
Rin stared with wide eyes; her heart was extremely uncomfortable and filled with shame, so much that her clenched fists were trembling uncontrollably.
Each and every word he uttered pierced the dignity Rin held for herself. She knew she had already thrown so much away to come this far, but at the very least she hoped she could hold on to the last bit of her purity. Her ability to think peacefully.
In the end, General Donghai's words shattered all hope she had of fighting civilly.
She was no longer able to turn back.
"I..."
"Advisor Lan, General Donghai! A group of unknown men were seen coming toward the wall!"
Both Rin and General Donghai turned to the soldier before walking away to see the commotion. At the top of the wall, a cool breeze brushed against their faces. Rin's eyes fell upon the group of six men heading in their direction.
"Scraa!"
The moment Rin heard the sound of a bird's call and her eyes fell upon the bird above, a look of joy crossed their depths.
"Is it the enemy?" A soldier asked.
"No..." A smile crept across Rin's face and she looked ahead with bright eyes. "It's our hope."