This is a story in a fictional land based upon ancient china.
I stand on the fields of Walao, and I see a flock of eagles fly by as the the sun is rising behind them. Never had I seen a sight as that before. I call out to my men but than I remember what happend. I am all alone now. They all died. The faces of all those that served me flash by before my face. Strange that I never realised there worth until now, until the end. I used them as pawns in my quest for power. I used abused and sacrificed them if needed. That is the way of war.
I see my horse next to me. She was still standing like me. Arrows fill her back. Blood is flowing down from the arrow wounds and more a big wound is on here head. More blood. Despite everything she tried to help me escape but she can not go on further. Strange. I know what I have to do but is hard. I killed hundreds of men and even woman without remorse and yet I struggle with this horse. She was my greatest companion for years. I lift up my sword and I look into her sad eyes. She knows what I am doing and yet she does not try to resist. And then I end her. She dies.
I remember the past. Thirty years ago I started on my quest. The Emperor was dead. The glorious Madao dynasty which ruled over us for five hundred years had fallen. Not by corruption or weakness or anything else. It fell by extinction. The last emperor, Lao Mong was a wise and benovelent ruler however he could not sire children. The rest of the imperial clan died in the Madao civil war, a century ago. The emperors father was the only survivor and he was sickly and weak. It took Emperor Lao du all his energy for died before his son was born and thus Lao Mong was emperor before being born. And now he died himself. The empire fell apart. Warlords rampaged across the land fighting for power, glory and of course the throne itself.
I was one of those warlords fighting for power. I am Juo Zha, I was twenty when the emperor died. Already nobody could match me in battle. My strength and intelligence was greater then any who ever lived. I rode to the castle of the local warlord that I served as a general. Lord Val qio was a fool. I killed him and his best followers to seize control. Then the rest of his army and people came to serve me. Even back then I was known as the god of war due to the fact that never had the world known anyone like me before.
For thirty years I fought to seize control. I am the greatest in the land so I should rule. I defeated countless warlords. The dragon of the south,The dark king of the west. Not even they could defeat me. The mightiest of the warlords and killed them both. I declared myself emperor and conquered half the land. Relations meant little to me. I had been married a few times and had a few children but I did not find it al worth my time. My advisors told me I needed heirs. So I married a few women and sired a few children. Strange I do not even know their names. It is too late now I suppose. I feel regret.
In the west a warlord rose to counter my voice. Biu Qi is his name. He is not strong . But he is Highly intelligent. People call him: The Old Fox. Many flocked to him. He was married with a single woman whom he greatly loved. He had numerous children who are precious to him. And yet even he had a darkness. He killed his wifes former lover to marry her. He is a man who abuses his people with strange laws and taxes. His people are starving and yet they love him still despite his stupidity. I laughed when I heard he challenged me. This fool would pay for this folly with his live.
And so we fought. The foolish Biu Qi would fall I swore. It was a trap. My hundred thousand against his eighty thousand. The enemy ambushed us. Biu Qi send men to attack my from behind. As my army was falling around me I charged the enemy alone. Arrows rained around me as the enemy where attacking from all sides. And then I beheaded the Old Fox in a single brutal attack. But I saw that my army was crumbling. It was over. I wanted to rally my men and retreat but they where dead or dying. So then my horse took charge it seemed.
Now as I am looking at the rising sun it feels strange. I regret so much. But I always did what I thought was right. Now Biu Qi is dead his kingdom will crumble. The chaos will continue for a long time. Only now do I notice the wounds. I feel blood flowing down my cheeks under my helmet. Arrows are hanging in my back to. My whole body is filled with wounds with blood flowing from them. And yet I feel relieved. I fought for my own cause. I always did what I felt was right. No regrets anymore. Behind me I hear shouts of anger. Hundreds of enemy horsemen are coming. They have come to kill me. To end the god of war. I smile. I raise my sword and charge the enemy........
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