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Post by tonglong on Jul 9, 2010 16:19:49 GMT
Chapter 1: The Arrival
Ling Ling was a city basically ruled by the Merchants. They could charge any outlandish price that they wanted and they could get away with it. There was no regulation on the trade. However, people existed here fine. Today was an exceptionally cool day. Many people were confused at why it was cool but just shrugged it off. The matters of more in need of attention than the weather. Life resumed as usual. Si Wang was walking along the road to Ling Ling. The city was known for its harsh ruler and even harsher merchants. However it was not because of that he was here. He had been searching all over China to see if he could find a man worthy enough for him to call master. However, not one of them was worthy. They did not seem to have the same ideals as Si Wang. He will keep searching until he finds one. Walking up to the gate, a guard stopped him yelling, " Who are you and what is your business here? We don't take kindly to strangers around here." Si Wang nodded and said, " My name is Si Wang and I wish to come and stay at the Inn or Tavern before I carry on with my travels. I have recently journeyed from Lou Yang. I am in need of a rest." The guards however smirked at Si Wang's politeness and shoved him, " You got any money? You know there is a toll to get into this city?" All four guards laughed. Si Wang rolled over and stood up, his black robe now caked in mud. He wanted to pull out his sword that was hidden within his cloak. His anger boiled but he held it in check. He rummuged inside his robe and pulled out a purse. The moment it was out the guards snatched it and laughed, " This is enough. Get inside." All four of them put their hands on their swords daring Si Wang to cause trouble. He smiled and bowed, " Of course. I am sorry" and Si Wang was allowed inside. Once inside he walked over to a man and asked him, " Excuse me sir, may you tell me the direction of the Inn?" Si Wang asked. The man looked Si Wang up and down. He shook his head and sighed, " Its over there, are you blind?" The man said pointing at a building behind Si Wang. The man continued on with his day. Si Wang turned and entered the Inn. Once inside everyone turned to look at him with curious eyes. However, as soon as he sat down at a table they resumed what they were doing. As a inn waitress walked over she asked, " Sir, would you like something to eat or drink? Maybe a room to stay in?" Si Wang smiled at her and replied, " Yes ma'am, I would like all of them. If you have tea I would love some, roasted duck, and I would love a room. The cheapest you have." He said smilingly softly. She blushed a little and said, " Okay sir, I will get your food and drink ready as soon as possible." And she walked off. Si Wang sat back and relaxed, hoping that no trouble would befall him while here. However, that wasn't going to happen... |
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Post by tonglong on Jul 9, 2010 19:19:54 GMT
Chapter 2: The Crisis Si Wang waited patiently for his food. After a few moments the woman came back out with the tea and smiled, " Here is your tea sir" She said smiling placing it in front of Si Wang, her green eyes sparkling, " Do you want anything else?" Si Wang smiled and said, " I would love a smile from such a beautiful girl." The girl blushed heavily and smiled and half walked half skipped away. On the other side of the inn, three men where yelling, " Why don't you believe me? I said the bandits are coming! You're just going to sit here and do nothing?" The other two men were guards and they laughed, " No bandits. We pay the bandits to not attack us you crazy old cook. Now get out of my sight, before my sight runs red." The man ran off clearly afraid. A few moments later, a yell. The guards bolted outside. Si Wang followed slowly. Guards were running around everywhere. They screamed at one another and then the lord of the city walked up saying, " What is going on here? Tell me!" The guard bowed to the ground and said, " My lord, the bandits are attacking!" The lord then pushed back the people and guards and proceeded to walk up the watch tower. Moments later he came running back down yelling, " Guards! To me! In my chambers! I will buy them out! Come!" With those words, the lord and all of the guards abandoned the citizens. " What are we going to do?" One person yelled. " I guess we can give them all we have! That is the only way!" " No! We have to keep fighting! We cant do that!" " We are just a bunch of peasants, we have no leader!" " I don't want to give up everything, I would rather die than submit to the bandits!" Si Wang had heard enough. In the town square there was a podium that he stepped up on yelling, " People! Calm yourselves! We will fight them!" The people turned and listened, " I want every person that can wield a sword or spear to the right. Now I want everyone who can use a bow to the left." The people did as they were told. As Si Wang feared, their archers outnumbered their footmen. Si Wang yelled again, " I want everyone to get the weapons. If you cannot find them, ransack the barracks. We must stop them. I will not let this city fall!" Si Wang yelled loudly. The people nodded in approval and ran out to find the weapons. Si Wang then jumped down from the podium and threw off his robe. Underneath was his black scaled armor. His sword hung at his right side and his fan in his left hand. He walked up the watch tower steps and looked out into the fields below. The bandits numbered around 500. This was definitely going to be a difficult battle. The peasants started to line back up and Si Wang descended the tower. To them he looked like a magnification commander, one worthy of control over a massive army. He smiled and stood before them saying, " They number 500," the people whispered their doubts, " But do not fret. I will make sure we will not fail. I will lead us to victory. Archers to the walls. Spearmen to the gate.
Swordsman, behind the spearmen. We will hold them back." |
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Post by tonglong on Jul 9, 2010 19:47:22 GMT
Chapter 3: The Attack
Si Wang once again was in the watch tower. He watched as the bandits drew nearer. They probably didn't expect resistance. This was good. It will be a good surprise. When they were only about fifty yards from the city, Si Wang raised his hand and let his fan fall, with it flaming arrows fell too. The bandits didn't expect this to happen. In fact, many of them stood dumbstruck at the arrows flying towards them. Many of them fell before the onslaught of the arrows. Si Wang smiled, "Good. Knock your arrows. Ready. Aim. FIRE!" This time the when the arrows were let loose the bandits actually moved. Si Wang smiled, maybe they had someone intelligent as their leader. With the second barage there was less deaths than before. Si Wang knew what he had to do. " Fire at will! Keep them away from the gate. They do not have ladders so this should be a simple gate siege!" Si Wang said running down the stairs of the watch tower. When he reached the bottom he yelled at the men that were guarding the gates, " I need twenty men who will launch a counter attack with me. We are going around the side and flanking them, Anyone up for it?" The people were silent. Leaving the walls? They wouldn't do that. Si Wang smiled and shook his head, " I guess we can hope that their numbers won't bust through the gate." Just then a man stepped forward with a spear, "I will. I am tired of being pushed around by these bastards." After that a few other men volunteered. Eventually there was twenty five men. Si Wang smiled, " Come. Let's go." Si Wang led the men around to the rear gate and out. It was guarded by a few men, actual guards that had decided to fight and had training. They snuck out the back and around the side. There they sat and waited for the bandits to reach the gate. By now the numbers of the bandits have dwinled to around 350. This is a huge accomplishment for the people, but only enraged the bandits more. They grew more ferocious and began firing arrows back at the people. The spirit of the people was wavering. The bandits reached the walls and had their ram begin to take down the walls. It was going to be a massacre once they got inside. However, Si Wang and his small troop of men snuck around the back, and launched a devestating rear attack. Despite being outnumbered, each one of Si Wang's men could easily take on two of the bandits. They bandits were in shock. They didn't expect a rear attack. They didn't even expect any resistance. This was the work of some tactician. The leader of the bandits, Jin, grunted on his horse. He would find this bastard and kill him. Many of his men were dying. He wasn't going to put up with it. Si Wang and his troop was surrounded, and a few of his men had died. The bandits still numbered around 260. The bandits now were focused on them instead of the walls. The people of the city's spirits were raised and they renewed the onslaught of arrows. Which each volley more and more bandits fell dead. The bandits knew that if they didn't break inside soon, they would lose. However the gate opened by itself and the remaining swordsmen and spearmen charged out right at the bandits. It was going to be the bloodiest battle Ling Ling had ever seen. The battle raged on and Jin scanned the area for the lord. He couldn't find him. So someone else was conducting this defense. He smiled and looked around, spotting Si Wang. Si Wang stood out because of his armor and skill with a blade. Jin moved forward on his horse to Si Wang and called out, " You! Leader of these pigs! Fight me now, one on one." Si Wang smiled and replied, " Come fool, let us fight." |
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Post by tonglong on Jul 10, 2010 2:15:11 GMT
Chapter 4: The Duel Jin got down from his horse and smiled pulling up an axe laughing, "You're going to die puny man." Jin easily stood over six feet tall and was of muscular build. However, this was nothing to Si Wang as he only smirked and pulled out his sword. Jin cracked his knuckles and smirked running forward at his opponent. Si Wang was surprised that the big man could move so fast, however he recovered quickly to dodge Jin's overhead attack. He then countered with a vicious slice to the ribcage which was then deflected by the handle of the axe. Jin then sliced at Si Wang's ribs and connected but was deflected by Si Wang's armor. This he knew. That is why he decided not to dodge or block, but to sacrafice a hit so he could get a strike in on Jin. However, he wasn't expecting Jin to block the blow with his hand. On his hand was a metal gauntlent. Then Jin attacked back with a vicious headbutt. This caught Si Wang completely off guard and he stumbled backwards disoriented. Jin capitalized on this. He rushed forward kicking Si Wang onto the ground. By now the fighting had stopped and the bandits and miltia were now watching the duel unfold. As Si Wang fell to the ground, the miltia gasped and the bandits laughed. However, Si Wang rolled over as the axe came down and shot a foot out that hit Jin's leg. He stumbled but righted himself, however this was all Si Wang needed to get back up. With this he renewed his attack with three vicious attacks and only one was blocked. Blood drew from Jin's left arm and upper chest but this seemed to unaffect Jin. Jin was getting angry and angry. Eventually he snapped putting so much power into his slash that it shatter the scale armor. The shock was too much for Si Wang and he fell to the ground. The battlefield was silent as Si Wang crawled to his knees only to find the axe at his neck. Jin laughed and said, "Any last words? Oh nevermind, too bad, I'm just going to kill you." Jin raised the axe up and started to come down. However, the axe fell from his hand as a sword was planted into his stomach. In a split second Si Wang had impaled Jin and he laughed, "The key to battle... Always protect vulnerable places." Jin dropped dead. The bandits were crushed. However the militia used this to their advantage and began their attack on the bandits. The bandits' morale was shattered. They fled back into the woods. The people cheered and yelled at their victory. This man had saved them. |
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Post by tonglong on Jul 10, 2010 3:05:21 GMT
Chapter 5: Overthrow The people were happy. They had done something that no one else thought they could. Without the help of the town guard they defeated a massive bandit force. They rejoiced and yelled praises for the man. However he yelled out for them to stop. He stood atop the podium and yelled, " People listen to me. What I did is nothing to worship me about. I am just a simple man. I just have skills that you don't have." The people cried out and protest but Si Wang held up his hand, " Please, I am just an average man. However, I do believe in equality. In every bit of the people serve the lord, the lord serves his people. I believe that every living being has value and no one can say any different." The people nodded and some yelled out in agreement. Then one person yelled out, " Our lord is cowering in his palace!" The people grew outraged and rushed towards the governor's palace. The gates were closed but the people tore them down in a few minutes. The guards on the inside were dumbstruck and easily over run. Si Wang yelled trying to get the citizens to calm down but they didn't. The over took the palace and eventually pulled out the lord of the city. He screamed, " Who do you think you are? I am your lord!" He screamed. But the people weren't listening to it. The picked him up and threw him down in front of the gate. Si Wang shook his head and stepped forward, "Y ou see these bandits. The people of your city. They have died." He said pointing at the dead on the battlefield. The lord turned his nose in disgust, "I don't care, this has nothing to do with me. All of them could die again and I wouldn't care. I have been appointed by the emperor to rule over this pathetic city. I am far above this." Si Wang shook his head. The voices in his head had arrived. He smiled maniacally and stepped forward kicking the man down onto his knees, " You are pathetic. A vile creature. Men like you don't need to exist." He pulled out his sword and put it to his throat. However, one voice told him not to. He lowered his sword, the look on the man's face was intense fear. He turned to the people and said, " It is your decision for his fate. Chose it and carry it out yourselves." The people murmered amongst themselves for a moment before one old man stepped forward, " He will die." And then he rushed forward stabbing the man in the chest. The lord let out a cry and fell dead. The old man smiled and said, " Now, I must go turn myself in to the Emperor. I can't just kill him and get away with it." Si Wang smiled and drew the man into a hug and released him smiling, " This is yet another sacrafice for the cause of equality. You sir, I thank you gratefully." Si Wang bowed and the rest of the city followed. The man nodded and left the city. Some people were crying but others where laughing and yelling. A young boy walked up to Si Wang asking, "Sir. Who is going to lead us now?" The city grew deathly quiet. No one made any sounds. Si Wang shrugged and answered, "I do not know." Then the boy said smiling, " Will you lead us?" Si Wang flinched. Him leading? Here he was searching for a lord to serve and they ask him to lead them? Could he really do it? He shook his head saying, " I am sorry I don't know if I can." The waitress that had served Si Wang came up to him and gave him a hug saying, "T hese people need someone to lead them. And right now, you are the only one. Lord..." She said trying to get his name. " No. I am no lord. I am Si Wang. I guess..." Si Wang said sheathing his sword, " I will lead you. But please, every man is equal. We will try and change the land." He raised his fan and the people cheered. End |
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Lu Xiang
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The Eagle of the North
Posts: 3,658
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Post by Lu Xiang on Jul 10, 2010 9:27:24 GMT
A very well written piece, good job man.
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