Legend of the Red Sun Village

by Mark Swaine

  Yeman Ren bellows in protest as he expects to be torn apart any second, but it isn't the idea of being torn in two that he’s afraid of, ‘tis the certainty of opening his undead eyes in a decomposing machine of meat. Yeman Ren's shouts of protest die to a groan, and for reasons he cannot comprehend, the dragon's jaw stops to a gentle hover a few inches away. Looking inside the dragon's mouth, he sees bursts of green light irradiating the dragon's grey interior buzzing with flies. The grey rotting flesh of the dragon's gullet begins generating new pink flesh, and the dragon's jaw moves away and closes. Yeman Ren stands to his feet to see a cloaked man with flashing green eyes removing his glowing emerald hand from the dragon’s head.

  “Yu-Huang?” asks Yeman Ren looking under the stranger’s hood. “What are you doing here?”

  Yu-Huang looks at Yeman Ren with a vacant expression and remains silent as he stares through the large troll as if isn't even there. Yu-Huang turns back to the dragon and pats its nose affectionately before issuing various commands in the language of Tai-Chi. Obeying Yu-Huang's command, the cured dragon gallops back inside the gate from whence it came.

  “Yu-Huang, Emperor!” says Yeman Ren in a raised hushed voice.

  “Yes,” replies Yu-Huang as his eyes dim to his normal creamy jade eyes.

  “What are you doing in this place?” asks Yeman Ren, confused at the Emperor's sudden random appearance.

  “Word has reached my ear that you are once again in need of aid,” replies Yu-Huang slightly disorientated.

  “I can handle a mere dragon,” says Yeman Ren, brushing the dirt off his chest. “What is wrong with you?” asks Yeman Ren, looking at the Emperor's puzzled expression.

  “What? Nothing is wrong,” replies the Emperor, coming around.

  “Why are you really here?” asks Yeman Ren.

  Yu-Huang discards Yeman Ren's badly-timed curious question as an enraged Captain Hao and archers storm the high spectator stands. Captain Hao commands the archers to take aim and fire and Yu-Huang commands the remaining survivors to follow the dragon into the tall and square portico where a Bonsai portal awaits to take them elsewhere.

  “I have readied a portal. We must leave,” says Yu-Huang.

  “Where is the Jade soldier, Shaozu?” asks Yeman Ren looking at the stain of blood on the floor by the stadium wall.

  “With the other mercenaries I have released,” replies Yu-Huang.

  As spears, arrows, explosive barrels and rotten fruit are hurled at them from afar, Yeman Ren and Yu-Huang make for the hidden portal.

  “I sought the council of the Black Dragon,” says Yu-Huang, sprinting.

  “I thought he was dead, still hiding from his mate in the darkest of dungeons? Coward!” says Yeman Ren, recalling the scars they'd traded in battle.

  “The wise and brave dragon advised I speak with you,” says Yu-Huang.

  “Did he now,” says Yeman Ren, suspecting the nature of the all-knowing dragon's probable revelation.

  “Tell me about this Legion of Shāshǒu (Killers),” says Yu-Huang sternly.

  “Not here,” replies Yeman Ren, running through an explosion of blazing oil. “Where does the portal lead to?” asks Yeman Ren.

  “The coast line. I plan to use the Raiders in battle,” replies Yu-Huang, leaping through an explosion of towering flames.

  “A strange decision, you are not yourself my old enemy. How did you convince them?” asks Yeman Ren, racing Yu-Huang to the gate.

  “With divine influence... and promise of wealth,” replies Yu-Huang.

  “I will take you there, to the territory of the Legion of Shāshǒu, but I would advise you to remain cloaked, for they are trained to kill you on sight,” replies Yeman Ren.

  “Take me there, show me. The portal will obey your destination, you must visualise the very ground beneath your feet,” instructs the Emperor. “Tell me Yeman Ren, how is it you came to be in this predicament?” asks Yu-Huang running alongside Yeman Ren through an uprising ball of fire.

  “I was passing the Red Sun village on the way to land of the Shāshǒu when your cub companion Xunsu hailed me from one of your portals. She pleaded with me to aid the Samurai during the attack of the undead,” says Yeman Ren as a volley of arrows bounce of his shoulders. “One of the Samurai was seriously injured, with one of your Jade soldiers accompanying me, we made haste for the Huīsè de Cǎo village where my dear cub practises medicine. Soldiers arrived, they naturally assumed I was a creature of darkness and attempted to kill me. Shaozu would not permit my death and was branded a traitor, but they allowed Xiaojian to care for the wounded Samurai,” replies Yeman Ren.

  Yu-Huang feels bitter knowing his own prolonged prejudices against the trolls had caused so much misfortune. King Kao Lu had assured Yu-Huang he'd watch their backs from the Kunlun mountains, and he had kept his word. Were the trolls not so rightfully cautious of the human's, they would have felt safe fighting among them. Yeman Ren had arrived to aid the human's and his efforts were repaid with slavery. Yu-Huang knows he must eradicate the xenophobia toward the trolls before the next attack on the city. Yu-Huang and Yeman Ren draw closer to the portal under cover of darkness and he suddenly realises that he feels safe in the company of the honest beast beside him, and he need not be afraid of the dark in his company. Yu-Huang knows he can no longer trust in his sixth sense, he had failed to see the coming attack, he had failed his beloved dragons, and all this time he was under the illusion he was truly able to see into the many hearts of darkness beating within the mortal chests residing under his rule.

  “Yeman Ren, I need a bodyguard,” says Yu-Huang embarrassingly before jumping into the shadow of the portal.

  Yeman Ren looks down at Yu-Huang strangely before he too disappears into the portal. Captain Hao curses wildly before ordering his troops to clear the stadiums and he appears nervous as he wonders how he is going to cover up the disappearance of five thousand mercenaries, Necromancers, Raiders and Assassins. Yu-Huang and Yeman Ren appear from the shadow of the connecting Bonsai tree and Yu-Huang runs on momentum toward the edge of rocky precipice overlooking a seemingly eternal drop between a close adjacent mountain face. Yeman Ren quickly grabs him by the waist and sets him down by the edge.

  “Maybe you do need a bodyguard,” jokes Yeman Ren, issuing caution to the careless Emperor.

  Yu-Huang composes himself then aims his hand at the Bonsai tree, thus bridging it to the tree on the shoreline of the ocean where thousands of assassins, mercs and raiders prepare to set up camp. Shaozu, being cared for by Chika, shakes and sweats wildly as his severed nerve endings puts him in a world of hell. But the real torture not lay in his pain, but his current predicament. Being surrounded and cared for by the worst of the worst only makes him feel that much worse as they clean his stump whilst forcing him to smoke freshly made opium and drink wheat beer. Shaozu, having never indulged in any such vice turns pale before slumping into Chika's arms unconscious.

  CHAPTER twenty-two

  Back on the mountain.

  “Where are we?” asks Yu-Huang, a little shaken.

  “The Háo Jiào (Howling) Mountains. Follow me. As I said, remain cloaked,” warns Yeman Ren.

  Yu-Huang looks at the wide gap between the towering winding mountain face and listens to the rushing wind whistling without pause. Yu-Huang holds his arm out above the vertical drop and allows the hard blasts of wind to batter the palm of his hand. Yu-Huang's cloak flows to the side in flapping whips as he looks closer at the far curved edge. Suddenly a flock of rushing birds squawk wildly through the slipstream with three black gliders in pursuit. The dashing pointed gliders invert and twist as the underhanging ninjas fire arrows at the flock of birds. As speared birds drop from the air in a tumbled free fall, the black garbed ninjas catch them and stuff them into hide stitched pouches.

  “Gliders. The Shāshǒu are well trained in both land and aerial combat,” says Yeman Ren.

  “You have been busy,” says Yu-Huang.

  “No, the Shāshǒu are self relian
t, they merely follow my command,” says Yeman Ren. “Are you ready?” he asks, waiting at the arched entrance of a cave.

  Yeman Ren gestures Yu-Huang inside the cave and he appears confused as he notices the cave is nothing but a circular booth with only one opening, the one he entered. Yu-Huang looks down startled as he feels an updraft coming from beneath a lattice formation of rock balancing his feet. He touches the sides of the smooth stone wall, then looks at Yeman Ren leaving whilst crouching to look through the opening.

  “When you arrive, stay where you are. Fear not, Xiaojian used to do this all the time,” says Yeman Ren.

  “Where are you going?” asks Yu-Huang.

  “Preparing for your arrival, make yourself at home,” replies the troll.

  Suddenly a burst of air blows through the lattice ground and lifts Yu-Huang before shunting him upwards through a series of tubular airways. Pushed by channelled wind through the network of light brown airways of rock. The wind slows and Yu-Hunag is slowed to a gentle hover as he exits the mouth of cave.Yu-Huang looks around and sees a hut overlooking the mountain a short way ahead, a hut carved from the mountain, big enough for a troll. Yu-Huang makes his way there and opens the skin hide drapes leading into a large living area. Yeman Ren's living area is homely, but it’s evident he hasn’t been here for some time. A massive strewn rug fashioned from the pelt of a conjoined red and white tiger with its two adjoining heads poised in a vicious growl has a layer of dust camouflaging its radiant stripes. He looks curiously at a piece of black slate placed on the centre of a large fireplace mantelpeice built into the cave. The square stone framed slate is too small and weak to contain the wrath of a troll’s clumsy grip. Yu-Huang looks closely at the white chalk drawing and smiles at the unlikely live depiction of a little girl sat on the shoulder of a giant.

  “Xiaojian, the origin of your strength is no longer a mystery,” says Yu-Huang.

  “She was only five when she made that, she had just lost her first tooth,” says Yeman Ren nostalgically.

  “I met her once, she is very kind, but very angry,” recalls Yu-Huang.

  “Because I sent her away. I not wanted her to be raised as a killer,” replies Yeman Ren. “Come, they are waiting,”

  Yeman Ren gestures Yu-Huang to the large clifftop veranda and the Emperor is lost for words as he looks down at the assemblage of soldiers. Men and women swoop down on sails and gliders to land gracefully on the ground. Garbed in matching loose black slacks, crimson belted jackets and matching hooded masks, the Legion of Shāshǒu await their master and commander.

  “Who are these people?” asks Yu-Huang in awe at the sheer magnitude.

  “These are your people. This army was forged of those we took from the Red Sun village all those centuries ago,” says Yeman Ren, “and now I give them back to you.”

  “You have been holding these people captive here... this whole time?” asks Yu-Huang crossly.

  “There are no prisoners here Yu-Huang, the Legion of Shāshǒu outnumber us trolls hundred to one. They are self-reliant, yet obey my commands without question. You will need this army if you hope to destroy the minions of Darkness, in their service they will have their revenge, and so shall I,” says Yeman Ren.

  “Revenge? So much malice and hatred,” asks Yu-Huang.

  “Had I known I was in league with the very same evil that killed half my army, then I would have left the caves sooner and never looked back. Sometimes when the Darkness loosened its grip on my soul, there were moments when I realised how blind I was to the truth, and how my foolish choices would lead to the ruin of my legacy, and my people,” says Yeman Ren. The two men approach the edge and Yu-Huang listens to Yeman Ren address his army.

  “LEGION OF SHASHOU, WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE?” bellows Yeman Ren at the top of his deepest voice.

  “DEATH TO YU-HUANG, DEATH TO YU-HUANG, DEATH TO YU-HUANG!” shouts the army in unison.

  “I CANNOT HEAR YOU!” shouts Yeman Ren.

  “DEATH TO YU-HUANG THE TRAITOR, DEATH TO YU-HUANG THE TYRANT, DEATH TO YU-HUANG THE COWARD...”

  “Coward?!” exclaims Yu-Huang perturbed.

  “DEATH TO YU-HUANG, DEATH TO YU-HUANG, DEATH TO YU-HUANG!” roars the Legion of Shāshǒu.

  “LEGION OF SHASHOU, WHO IS YOUR ENEMY?” shouts Yeman Ren.

  “Yeman Ren what are you doing?” says Yu-Huang questioning his method.

  “YU-HUANG, YU-HUANG, YU-HUANG!” shouts the Legion.

  “NOT ANY MORE!” says Yeman Ren in a rumbling voice that echoes around the gigantic assembly platform. “NOW WE FACE A NEW ENEMY, AN ENEMY EVEN GREATER AND MORE POWERFUL THAN YU-HUANG HIMSELF, YOU KNOW OF WHAT I SPEAK! RIGHT NOW, OUR VERY SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON WORKING WITH THE EMPEROR, AND NOT AGAINST HIM. THIS ENEMY HAS THE POWER TO END EVERYTHING. YOU HAVE SEEN WITH YOUR OWN EYES WHAT IT DID TO US, TO OUR FAMILIES, TO OUR FRIENDS, TO OUR SOLDIERS IN ARMS. ONLY TOGETHER CAN WE DEFEAT THIS ENEMY. HE NEEDS US, YU-HUANG THE EMPEROR NEEDS US. HE NEEDS OUR ARMS AND WINGS IN BATTLE, FOR WITHOUT THE LEGION OF SHASHOU, ALL THOSE ACROSS THE LANDS WILL FALL VICTIM TO THIS ENEMY, THIS DARKNESS. HIS FEEBLE JADE FORCES AND LEADERLESS SAMURAI ARE NO MATCH FOR THIS DARKNESS WITHOUT THE AID OF THE LEGION OF SHASHOU! YOU KNOW THIS! SO I ASK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU: ARE YOU WITH ME! ” bellows Yeman Ren.

  The Legion of Shāshǒu, brainwashed into despising Yu-Huang for so long fail to reply to Yeman Ren's inspiring speech, until a short few begin to reply in singular bouts of concurring yells. Yeman Ren smiles wryly and continues.

  “YU-HUANG HAS NOT THE MIGHT TO FACE THIS EVIL, HE IS TOO BUSY STROKING RABBITS AND HEALING BRUISED APPLES!” bellows Yeman Ren to the laughing crowd.

  Yu-Huang laughs bitterly under his breath then looks up in contempt at the large beast employing sneaky tactics to manipulate the loyal soldiers, but Yu-Huang knows that time is short, and so plays along and remains silent.

  “YU-HUANG'S RETIRED CHAMBERMAID POSSESSES MORE POWER IN HER FICKLE WRIST THEN HE DOES IN HIS ENTIRE PUNY BODY!” continues the massive troll as the crowd raise their swords in thunderous agreement.

  “ARE YOU WITH ME?!” shouts Yeman Ren.

  Somewhere from within the crowd, a chanting begins and eventually the entire crowd begin chanting over and over in a single unified determined booming voice.

  “DEATH TO THE DARKNESS, DEATH TO THE DARKNESS, DEATH TO YU-HUANG ANOTHER DAY!” bellows the crowd.

  “Good enough,” says Yeman Ren smiling at the excited army.

  “Good enough!? This is you giving me my people back to me?” says Yu-Huang sardonically.

  “The honourable way would take much longer, how much time do you have?” asks Yeman Ren. “Come, let us talk,” says Yeman Ren, patiently before guiding him back into his living area.

  A troll approaches Yeman Ren and informs him that all the raiders have been safely escorted through the portal and are being housed in the main barracks.

  “Jungurrrrrrr shtonsho Chikurrrr con Shurrrrzu (what of Chika and Shaozu, did you locate them?),” asks Yeman Ren.

  “Fundurrrr dronbar-gobura karrr (waiting comfortably in the spare bed chamber),” replies the guard.

  Yeman Ren dismisses the troll and leads the Emperor to the spare bed chamber to find them on a waist high slab of concrete laden with woollen throwovers. Chika holds a wet cloth to Shaozu's sweating forehead as he trembles from his fever. Yu-Huang is taken aback as he sees the assassins face, for it was one of many face he had witnessed in his dreams. Yu-Huang discards his distraction and focuses on the wounded soldier.

  “He is getting worse,” says Chika to the Emperor.

  “What happened to him?” asks Yu-Huang.

  “He saved my life,” replies Chika pressing the cloth gently against his head.

  “Stand aside assassin,” says Yu-Huang firmly.

  Yu-Huang walks up the long steps leading to the bed and concentrates doubly hard whilst holding his hand over Shaozu's severed leg. A few minutes later a dim light begins to glow from his hand as bands of energy escape his fingertips to p
enetrate the bloody bandaged stump of Shaozu's leg. As Yu-Huang's divine magic takes effect on Shaozu's body, the colour returns to his face as he begins to wake. Shaozu smiles slightly as his blurred vision finally settles on Chika's stern and worried face.