After fending off the fairies that came for the 'Crimson Flower', Lotus watched carefully as Jade built the smoker out of wood and began smoking the seasoned fish. After watching them do so, she hears Grim sighing in dismay, "And now we gotta wait?! Fgna! So boring!"
Seeing the cat slumped against one of the logs, Kalim thought of something and said, "Wanna hear a story? There's one of the tactician of the sand!"
"I've heard stories about the great Seven over and over again." Grim complained.
Yuu hummed in deep thoughts, "I remember camping is best accompanied with ghost stories but it isn't the right time for it. Do you know of any tales, Lotus?"
"Stories?" Lotus hummed in deep thoughts as well, "I've heard of many folklores and legends from the east."
"Oh!" Lilia smiled, "I remember hearing of one about a female soldier who went off to war to protect her country from foreign invaders. She had great agility and strategies. Once she was able to use an avalanche to stall the enemy's invasion."
"An avalanche?!" Cater was startled before sighing and swirling one of his curls in disbelief, "Talk about exaggerations."
"A female soldier?" Lotus nodded, "He's not wrong."
"Eh, he isn't?!" They looked to her in shock.
"He isn't." Lotus explained, "He's just missing the details in between. That female soldier and the army was caught in a terrible fight against the enemy army. Everything was not on their side. They had gunpowder cannons fitted into bamboos, weapons of various range and functions, flexible armor, but none worked against these foreign invaders that trudged through the desert using blood from their mounts as water and wanted nothing more than to conquer that kingdom. They were true meaning of the survival of the fittest."
"Fgna!" Grim shuddered, "They even drank blood because they were thirsty?!"
"That was how they survived the long journey for the campaign." Lotus nodded, "It was the dead of winter when the two armies clashed and the female soldiers and her army weren't in a good position. Aside from the snow and lack of food, everything was against them. They were weak as the enemies pushed them back. Then, in a last ditch desperation, an idea clicked in her head. She snatched one of the bamboo cannons and launched it at a snow covered mountain. The force of it was so powerful, it created a giant avalanche burying their enemies under thick layers of snow. Her army, who have lived on those lands since long ago, knew the path to avoid getting caught up. Except she did not, she barely survived that event, but was terrible wounded from the fight."
"So, that's how she was able to create that avalanche." Jade noted in bewilderment, "She must've been hailed a hero."
"She would've been from that." Lotus sighed, "If it wasn't for the fact, that they discovered her gender during treatment after that incident."
"Discovering her gender?" Grim looked to her in confusion.
"That's right." Lotus nodded, "During that era and place, men were enlisted into the army. Both old and young must join the army to protect their family and country. However, the female soldier's old father suffered a devastating wound during the last war and remained handicapped with a cane. Despite this, he was still forcibly enlisted. His daughter knew that her old and frail father would not survive the war this time and was against the decision, but going against the order was akin to going against the emperor during that time. They would've been thrown in prison at lightest or executed if not. Moreover, women were banned from joining the army, instead, they were to stay home and grow their hair as well as nurture their appearances and household skills for marriage or care for family. If they didn't do so and showed up to join the army disguised as a man, they would be executed for the crime of deceit. Despite all this, the daughter stole her father's sword, armor, and the enlistment scroll in the dead of night. She trimmed her hair short, leaving behind her life as a housekeeping woman, and rode her horse to the army settlement as a soldier in place of her father. By the time her parents realized this, it was already too late."
"Then, what happened when they discovered her gender? Did they kill her?" Yuu shuddered.
Lotus shook her head, "The tactician had wanted to do so, but the general and the entire army could not bring themselves to do so. Instead, they left her in the tent in the snow mountains and made their way back to the capital having successfully crushed the foreign invaders. Their idea was to proclaim her dead, so she could return home alive. Seeing that she had kept up with their strict and harsh training, it would be weird if she was not able to return home as well. However, while staying on the mountains, she discovered that the invaders were more formidable than they had anticipated as she witnessed them drag themselves out from underneath the snow. So, she made her way back to the capital as well. From there, she managed to regain everyone's trust and saved the emperor who was held hostage by the invaders. After that, the emperor did the most charitable and noble act as a humble yet well respected ruler."
"What did he do?" Grim raised a brow in confusion.
"He bowed to her." Lotus replied, "This was important, because it was beneath a position of an emperor to bow before a commoner or anyone lower status than them. But, this woman, not only gave her life to save her family, but, even after being left in the snow, she still returned to save the entire kingdom, the army, and him from the foreign invaders while regained the trust of her comrades. Seeing him do this, everyone present at the ruined victory celebration from the officials to the common poor people all did the same and hailed her a hero. Rather than give her the death penalty, the emperor gave her the sword of the deceased enemy general as a trophy of honor to bring home and a position in the army. She became the first female soldier recorded in history since then and one who managed to bring her family honor without marrying herself off as a woman such as others of the same gender. This is later became a story that tells of filial piety and staying true to yourself rather than fitting in a mold set by others. After all, she did all this after failing the tests set by a matchmaker and had been proclaimed her unable to bring honor to her family because she could not pass the matchmaker's test."
"Seriously?" Cater sighed, "Talk about narrow minded."
"Then, she proved them wrong and came back as a honorable soldier! Hah!" Kalim laughed.
"Yes." Lilia chuckled, "It really is a funny thing. I'm surprised that she was able to keep up with the training regimen of soldiers despite having a female body of a human."
Lotus nodded, "To begin with, the daughter was very witty and was trained martial arts by her father a long time ago. It was her outgoing nature and tomboyish personality that made her stand out above the rest of female participants. Women during those eras were expected to be obedient and stay in the background quietly like some decoration. The daughter brought a great wave in society that was rather conservative in nature. Unfortunately, the wave took a bit longer before women could start enlisting into armies or do men's job after that. They were rather very conservative to begin with. Of course, this does not mean that you can go around and breaking rules just cause they didn't work for you, Grim."
"Hey! I didn't even say anything yet!" Grim cried out in dismay.
"Yet." Lotus pointed out with a smirk before turning to Jade, "How's the smoking process?"
Jade checked the fish before noting in surprise, "It's still raw in the center..."
"Ugh..." Grim groaned, "What do we do now?"
This time all eyes fell on Lotus as she frowned having realized the amount of baggage she got clinging on her this time as she quietly regretted having chimed in recklessly.
She sighed in dismay and thought for a bit before responding, "Why not a legend?"
"What is it about?!" Grim cheered eagerly, "It'd best be a good one!"
"This so called good one is an entire chronicle, so no." Lotus huffed deadpanned in her response.
"Aw!"
She shook her head and sighed, "Well, seeing that I'll be talking about that legend, I'll go ahead and mention about that chronicle as we get there. The story takes back even before the era when the female soldier started."
"Even before then?" Lilia noted in bewilderment.
Lotus nodded, "It was during the time when celestials and the mortal realm were still struggling against demons and monsters. The tale was called the Nezha. Have you heard of it, Lilia?"
"No." Lilia shook his head.
"Guess I'll start with the setting." Lotus nodded.