by Brian Godawa
The impact of soldiers battering the door rattled them to the bone with each pounding.
Balthazar said, “This is it, brothers. We failed to protect the relics.”
The other two were dead sober.
“Shang Di, help us,” said Melchior.
The hatch started to splinter open. The soldiers would be upon them in moments.
Gaspar said, “There is only one way to keep the emperor from eating the manna.”
Balthazar saw Gaspar looking hungrily at the golden cup. He put it behind his back, away from his greedy eyes. “Blasphemy! You would eat of such power and become the very monster we flee?”
Melchior suddenly whipped his head around toward Gaspar with realization.
The door splintered some more. They were almost inside.
Gaspar said, “Balthazar, your lack of faith in man’s power has become a lack of faith in God’s power.”
Melchior’s eyes were wide open with realization. “He’s right, Balthazar. For once and only once in my brother’s life, is he actually right.”
Now it was Gaspar’s turn to roll his eyes.
“Can’t you see? Shang Di has chosen us.”
The soldiers smashed a hole through the hatch. The first one started to wedge his way inward.
Balthazar lifted up the small cup to heaven.
Melchior prayed. “Almighty Shang Di, we do this in your memory and for your glory.”
Balthazar added, “We are but your servants.” He opened the lid of the golden jar.
At that very moment, outside the little ship, a huge tail broke the surface of the water. It was ten times the size of the junk, rippled with muscle and covered with impenetrable scales.
It arced out of the water and slammed down toward the warship. But the little vessel was in the way. The tail missed the warship and hit the junk instead, crushing it and shattering it into a million splinters. In an instant, the junk vessel was wiped from the face of the deep.
A huge wave of sea water drenched the warship.
So a sea monster was guarding the islands after all.
Leviathan.
CHAPTER 32
The giants pounded down the brick and dirt fortification near Fan Zhou’s vantage point on the barbarian side of the Wall. He turned and looked out onto the Ch’in side and saw Meng Tian’s army amassing for war. He blew his own horn to call his battered forces to meet them on the battlefield. He joined them from his crumbling tower.
When he arrived at the battle front, Fan Zhou rode along the front lines on his steed. The fearful eyes of the rebels followed him.
Behind him, the giants and barbarians battered down the Wall. Before him, the emperor’s mighty army prepared for attack. He knew he was facing his own destruction. He saw Meng Tian and the emperor’s son Fusu astride their warhorses on the top of the ridge. Beside them were not one, but four eight-foot tall unearthly looking warriors with an unearthly repose. They seemed to glitter bronze-like in the sun. Shining Ones.
He shouted as loud as he could for all to hear. “Men of Tianxia! Who are you, I ask? Why are you here this day? You are the poor and the wretched, the dregs of this world beneath the thumb of power!”
This did not sound like it was going to be very upbeat to many of the rebels who were already having a hard time finding courage.
“You are farmers, servants, slaves of the emperor! You are not trained soldiers! Yet, here you stand with me to face the very wrath of the emperor of all under heaven! You have become imperial traitors, all of you! And why?! I will tell you why! You fight because you know in your souls that there is an emperor enthroned in heaven, not under heaven. And his mandate grants life and station to all! Our earthly emperor has defied that mandate, and exalted his throne above the stars of God! You were not born slaves! You were made slaves! You do not rebel against the emperor on earth. He has rebelled against the emperor of heaven! You are not slaves of Huang Di! You are warriors of Shang Di!”
The rebels cheered with one voice. Weakened hearts found strength. Frightened eyes grew steely with determination. Doubts became faith. They had found deep within the courage to face the impossible, to fight to the death, to sacrifice their lives for their families, for their God. It is why they had come. It is why they would stay.
Fan Zhou heard the war horns of Meng Tian resound across the valley. He countered with his own. And the two armies raced to meet each other in the valley of decision.
Then Fan Zhou saw the four Shining Ones beside the general mutate and alter their shape as the armies spread out onto the battlefield with raging fury.
They transformed into dragons.
• • • • •
The giants were almost upon Antiochus. His horses were faltering. He continued to follow the tracks of Chang’s chariot. He had to catch him. He had to save Mei Li.
He crested a hill and saw below him the gigantic Altar of Heaven in the middle of the huge area. It was twice as large as the one he had visited with Mei Li, but it was laid out in the same design. About a mile square with a circular altar in the center that rose in several levels up to heaven. Most of it was overgrown with vegetation from lack of use.
As his chariot plunged downhill, his thoughts raced ahead. Why would Chang bring her here? Why would he go to the very place the priests had been seeking? It didn’t make sense to him.
Then he saw the figure of a man carrying a small woman’s body up the stairs of the circular altar.
Chang. Mei Li!
His attention had been so diverted that he failed to see the chariot stopped in the middle of the path before him.
He yanked the reins to the left. The horses turned hard.
The chariot slid behind them.
It smashed into the other vehicle. Antiochus went flying up and over it into the dirt, landing hard on his shoulder.
He rolled to a stop, coughing and protecting his wounded side.
By the time he gathered his wits and got up off the ground, the eleven monstrosities were pounding a path toward him, a mere fifty feet away.
They had murder in their reptilian eyes.
He struggled up to his feet and attempted to run. He could only limp. His ankle had also been sprained in the fall.
He heard the chariot behind him crashing aside with the force of the unstoppable giants. He could hear their huffing as he broke into the clearing near the wall of the Altar of Heaven.
Where is a gate? Where is a gate?
He spotted one and limped toward it.
He broke through the open gate into the vast grounds and ran toward the altar.
He hadn’t gotten ten feet before he tripped and fell on his sprained ankle. He crashed to the ground. The sting of pain shot through his wounded shoulder.
The giants are upon me, he thought, and turned to face his killers.
He was shocked to see them standing at the gate. Or at least one of them stood there, just outside the opening as if he could not enter without permission.
Antiochus looked around.
He saw another gate down the way, with another giant standing ready and unable to enter. He saw the other monsters running to take their places at other gates. They were surrounding him. Surrounding the Altar of Heaven.
But why did they stop? Why did they not enter?
Unless they could not enter. Unless something unseen was not allowing them in. Could it be primeval magic? Hidden Watchers?
He blurted out, “Mei Li!” and struggled to his feet. He hobbled over to the circular structure at the center of the huge spiritual complex.
The ugly sound of a giant groaning in pain made him turn his head just as he reached the first level of the altar.
He saw one of the giants fallen dead at the gate.
The figure of Wu Shu stepped over the body and made his way toward the altar. He saw a bloody cloth wrapped around the assassin’s torso where Mei Li had speared him. He must have followed Antiochus here on one of the original chariot horses.
H
e was making headway toward Antiochus.
Antiochus stumbled up the steps in agonizing pain. But a sudden surge of strength filled his body and he could tolerate it. He pushed on.
At the top, he looked back and saw the wounded Wu Shu making his way up the stairs. He looked ahead and saw Mei Li tied to the horned altar stone, with Chang Shen over her, picking up a sharp stone.
Another flood of realization filled Antiochus. So that was it. Sacrifice. Human sacrifice to the Dragon on Shang Di’s own altar. The Dragon wins.
“Not on my watch,” he grunted, and ran toward the altar, lightning pain with every limping step.
CHAPTER 33
The forces of empire clashed with the forces of rebellion on the field of slaughter before the Long Wall of death.
The giants broke through the Wall. It would only be a matter of minutes before the archers on the ledge were overwhelmed and walls crumbled to the ground in defeat.
Fan Zhou looked out upon his humble forces armed with few weapons, little armor, and, mostly, converted garden tools. He saw them rise up with unbelievable courage against the arrogant forces of tyranny.
But then he saw the Dragons.
The four of them were each ten foot long serpents. They glided through the air and around the soldiers like free flowing water. Their spiked backs and sharp claws slashed through their opponents by the dozens. Their fangs pierced armor and impaled their enemies.
Fan Zhou knew it would be mere minutes before his pathetic army of peasants was crushed between the dragon army at their throats and their serpentine spawn at their backs.
He spotted the royal son, Fusu, drift apart from the protective General Meng Tian. He decided to make one last act of honor. He launched his horse toward the successor of the Ch’in throne.
• • • • •
Antiochus hit Chang in a running leap. The two of them tumbled to the ground, struggling for control of the sharp piece of flint in Chang’s hand.
Antiochus’ entire left side and arm were almost worthless from the wound he had sustained in his fall. He felt as if he were one handed.
Chang was a scholar, not a warrior. But he was driven by a demonic passion. He apparently had all his body strength and weight to put behind him. He held Antiochus down and pushed the flint blade toward his face.
Antiochus pushed back, grunting in pain. He felt his left side unwinding. The flint hovered over his eye.
But his battle wits were still strong. At the last moment, he dodged his head to the left. The stone flint went deep into his strong shoulder. He yelled in great pain, losing strength in both arms.
Chang withdrew the flint and raised it above his head with a diabolical grin, ready to plunge again.
The tip of a javelin pierced him from behind. His eyes froze in shock.
Antiochus rolled away. Chang fell to his face, dead.
Antiochus lay on his back. He was too weak. He had lost the use of both his arms.
Wu Shu stumbled up to him.
Antiochus could tell that his assassin had lost too much blood. He was pale, delirious and could barely stand. He withdrew a dagger and held it in his trembling hand.
Antiochus waited for the final blow from his enemy.
It never came. Wu Shu just stared at him and gave a slight nod. The kind a warrior may give to another in praise of his fighting skills.
Instead of killing him, Wu Shu walked over to Mei Li.
Mei Li! thought Antiochus. He was supposed to kill Mei Li. That was his truest revenge, against the one who spurned him!
Antiochus tried to raise himself up. Worthless arms would not stop him now.
Wu Shu held the dagger toward her.
He stepped up to her. She struggled with her restraints. She looked into his eyes.
Antiochus crawled toward the assassin. He cried out, “No! No!”
Wu Shu bent down and kissed her softly on the forehead.
Mei Li could see his eyes filled with joy, not at the pain of regret or unrequited love, but with the knowledge of one final act of redemption.
He placed the dagger at the ropes around her and cut them off.
Then he dropped to the ground, dead.
Antiochus picked himself up as Mei Li got off the stone. Every movement was agony for the Greek warrior.
He said to her, “What do we do now? We have no sacrifice to stop the Dragon.”
Mei Li looked over to the thicket that had grown near the edge of the altar over the years. A small lamb was caught in the branches. It wriggled to try to get free.
Mei Li said, “Shang Di has provided a sacrifice.”
They retrieved the lamb and brought it to the altar.
They laid it on the stone. It bahed and struggled weakly.
He held it down. Thank God it was only a lamb. He wouldn’t have the strength for a goat.
He gave her the flint stone.
She refused it.
He said, “You are the daughter of the high priest. You are the bloodline.”
“The priesthood is male,” she said. “A female cannot perform it. It would not be an acceptable sacrifice.”
“Who said so?” he complained with incredulity.
“Shang Di,” she replied.
How could he argue with God?
She reiterated, “It must be a male priest.”
“But I am not a priest,” he said.
They had come so close. They had everything they needed for a Border Sacrifice except the proper means for making it. They had crawled up to very edge of hope, but could not open the door.
CHAPTER 34
The water around the mighty warship was loaded with the splintered ruins of the junk boat that had moments before been pulverized to smithereens by the tail of the great Leviathan. The boat had completely disintegrated before the emperor’s very eyes. Everyone on board had been killed. His elixir was at the bottom of the sea.
He stared into the debris-filled water. He considered making one last ditch effort of jumping into the water and taking his chances with finding the elixir before he lost his air and drowned. It was a desperate thought that even his madness would not countenance.
There was still the Islands of the Immortals.
He yelled at the top of his lungs. “Curse you, chaos monster! Curse you to hell!”
Li Ssu pointed to the water near the ship. Huhai gasped with fear.
Huang Di saw the back of Leviathan break the surface, mocking him with its ease.
Huang Di turned to Li Ssu and Huhai and said, “Help me with the bow.”
They moved to the prow of the ship, where a large device stood covered by a tarpaulin. The three of them pulled the tarp off, to reveal beneath its folds a colossal mechanical crossbow the size of an elephant.
An ancient poet once wrote: Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook?
Huhai and Li Ssu cranked a large wheel that drew the cable back. The emperor placed a large bolt, twice the size of a man, into place. He mounted the firing mechanism.
Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever?
The body of Leviathan broke the surface again, within a short distance of the ship.
The emperor sighted his target and hit the firing pin with a mallet. The trigger released.
The bolt soared through the air towards its target.
Can you fill his skin with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
The harpoon struck the great fish in its back, pierced the mighty scales, and plunged deep into its flesh. The grappling hook wedged into its muscle.
Lay your hands on him; remember the battle—you will not do it again!
Huang Di grinned with victory.
At that moment, the sea erupted. Three heads broke out of the water roaring. Leviathan was a monster of seven heads. And flame burst forth from them.
A flame comes forth from his mouth. In his neck abides strength, and terror dances before him.
On the prow of the warship, Huhai peed in his r
obe.
No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.
The emperor turned pale as he watched the creature dive deep.
The entire ship jolted forward as the emperor and his crew were thrown off their feet. Some tumbled off the boat into the sea. Huhai was one of them. Li Ssu dove into the water to rescue his charge.
When the emperor got back up on his feet, he saw a wake of white water before him as the sea monster dragged the half-submerged ship through the water. He rolled forward to the bow, now almost underwater. The ship’s stern was high in the air.
Behind him, he leaves a shining wake.
Suddenly, the warship popped out of the water like a floating cork.
There was no sign of Leviathan.
When he raises himself up the mighty are afraid.
From nowhere, the massive body of the sea monster exploded out of the water, ten stories tall. It dwarfed the warship.
It landed on the ship with all its weight, splitting the mighty vessel in half. A huge splash of water, rope, sails, and wood.
It crashes, the mighty are bewildered.
Below the surface in the midst of the wreckage, the emperor struggled to reach the surface. His foot was tangled in rope.
His heart is hard as stone.
Suddenly, the rope yanked the emperor downward.
It was the rope tied to the bolt in the body of Leviathan.
He was pulled into the depths.
Around his teeth there is terror. His strong scales are his pride.
He was pulled deeper and deeper.
His body spasmed. His lungs gulped for air, but filled with water.
He died with his face frozen wide in terror.
