Rebirth and Reincarnation

Khutulun was tending to General Fei’s wounds which left me and five soldiers to hold the fort. Having an idea of the kind of conflict that awaited us, I ordered them to remain over the wall while I waited for the enemies to come for us again. The rest of the soldiers were either sent back to their homes or killed.

Apparently, for years, the governor of Ji had been cultivating a rebellion and had even vowed to kill any member of the Imperial family that they came across. It was a mere coincidence that I was the first one to enter their lands in both cases. Once with Fa Min and Ling, and the other today.

But more importantly, they had a contact inside the palace beside the cook behind the poisoning of the emperor and his favorite. Yes, ‘favorite’, not ‘favorites.

And how did Hui-Lui come across such an information being nothing but a recruit, you ask?

Pure coincidence. He had had the ‘fortune’ of being at the right time in the right place to overhear the overall plan for the ‘new order’. At least 80% of the armed forces of Ji were in the know and more were added each day… which meant that wherever I went, I would be surrounded by enemies.

To make matters worse, General Fei was in a bad way, the soldiers that captured him had done a real number on him, going as far as breaking his fingers for the fun of it…knowing he was a member of my party and loyal to the throne.

I had offered to heal his wounds, but he refused “you will probably need your energy for the upcoming battle, your majesty. My wounds can wait until the position is secured.”

Khu offered to look after him in my absence and sent me away with a kiss that still lingered on my lips.

Of all the paths I had envisioned, I never would have imagined I would be married to a nomad that a few days before had been an enemy.

But right at that moment, I stood ten feet away from the fortifications, waiting for the riders that Khutulun assured me would come back before the day was over.

I gazed at my left and saw the sun begin to sink behind the mountains.

Like specters, the riders appeared on the plains in front of me. One of them advanced until we were fifty or so feet apart and then tossed something my way. I watched it fall and frowned, recognizing the features of the man I had sent back with the message.

“Only cowards talk! We’re not cowards!” he shouted, before spurring the horse forward.

I shook my head and knelt to touch the ground, synchronizing my breathing with the beat of the earth beneath us. I spoke to it, and I knew the moment it responded because the men on horses began to scream.

When I rose to my feet I was greeted by the sight of a horse without his rider. I patted the animal on the side of the head, and it neighed and stood at my side. One by one, all the horses came to me, and I repeated the gesture for them while the fighters from both sides stared in confusion.

“No horse will accept you ever again, chief,” I said to the man glaring at me from ten feet away. His horse had throwed him off and he had landed on his side painfully. “And since you didn’t care for the olive branch, I will return the favor.” I snapped my fingers, and from under his feet rose one of my earth dragons, eating all of him but his head.

I approached it, picked it up with disgust, and tossed it back to the men that were still fifty or so feet away; it hit the ground rolling and didn’t stop until another man stepped on it.

Raising my voice, I addressed the rest of them “I have bested your chief. Will you talk now or not?”

For an answer, the man kicked the head away, unsheathed his sword, and began charging on foot, closely followed by the whole tribe.

I sighed ‘Very well. People can’t blame me for not trying… all right, bring out the big guns, will you?’

‘I’d thought you’d never ask.’

Even though it was just a voice in my head, I could imagine it smirking gleefully.

The ground began shaking under our enemies, and those that stumbled were promptly sucked into the earth as if it were sand. First, it was one by one, then in trios and finally in bigger groups, until only one remained…

The man who had kicked the head stopped to look behind him when he didn’t hear the voices of his kinsmen anymore. Instead of a charging army, there was absolute silence, and in that silence, a mound began to grow on the ground. Bigger and bigger it grew until the ground gave way and from it emerged a monstrosity that even I would be hard-pressed to defeat…: A gigantic sandworm.

I saw the man rub his eyes and stare at the worm, before it opened its mandibles and, with an angry growl, dove into the man as he screamed in fear.

The sandworm struck the earth with the force of a meteorite, making the ground ripple, as it returned to the depths of the earth where it had come from.

I picked myself up, dusting my clothes, having fallen when the worm hit the ground, and stared at the now empty plains. Nothing moved, all was calm until a gentle wind began blowing. I knelt again and thanked the earth for its help, before returning to the fort.

As I got closer, however, one of the horses approached me bumping its head against my shoulder before licking my ear and neighing.

I laughed and patted it on the head while trying to clean the slobber with my sleeve “Ewww. You’re a naughty one, aren’t you, boy?”

It neighed again and hit the ground with its hooves, angry.

I frowned and tried again “girl?”

It snorted and bumped me on the shoulder again, gently.

“Pardon me, milady.” I joked, patting its head affectionately. I looked at the other horses and most were staring back at me. “What are you waiting for, you’re free. Go.”

One neighed and they all parted… well, all but the mare in front of me, who was now nibbling at my clothes.

“You’re not going with the others, girl?” she neighed, and I shrugged “let’s get you fed, then.”

I walked side by side with a playful horse back to the fort where the five soldiers that had remained were still staring fearfully at me and at the grounds in front of them.

Only Khutulun came to me with a smile, she was pale, and her hands were trembling when they grabbed mine.

“I-” she began but I shook my head.

“It is as you said… some people are just better off dead.”

She smiled briefly and stood on her tiptoes to openly kiss me, a feeling I had missed tremendously in this new life where signs of affection were reserved to private meetings. When she released me, her eyes were sparkling like stars.

My new companion, however, made her protest known when she neighed and pushed Khutulun away with her head.

“Easy girl” I protested but Khutulun just giggled.

“Not one day married and you have already brought my competition home, my lord?”

I shook my head and sighed. “I didn’t bring her. She came with me… but you’re good with horses, aren’t you?”

Khutulun laughed, patting the horse on its head “I very much doubt she’ll let me ride her. Not when a virile handsome man can do it better.” She winked coquettishly at me, making me blush at her double entendre.

She laughed some more at my expense and I mock-glared at her “Oh, I’m sure you and her will get on famously, you evil minx.” I grabbed her by the waist and kissed her briefly before pulling away and slapping her ass.

Khutulun shrieked in outrage while the horse neighed in amusement, and I escaped to see General Fei before her retribution could reach me.

------

I sighed when my consciousness returned to my body. The fight had taken quite a bit of me, and the healing hadn’t been a walk in the park. The bloody bastards who had captured him broke some of his fingers, which I had to set before pouring healing-chi… a painful process for both of us. After almost twenty minutes, the man was asleep and would be fit as a fiddle in a couple of days.

But that was time I didn’t have.

Urus was supposed to arrive at the gathering of tribes the previous day, which meant that I only had 48 hours to get to the main battlefield in Ji.

And still, there was the matter of me walking into a trap.

I sighed again and rose a little unsteady on my feet, until an arm passed around my back and Khutulun appeared under my arm, supporting part of my weight.

“Thanks.” I smiled and allowed her to lead me to a small cot on the other side of the room.

“Even gods can get tired, I see.”

I chuckled, “I’m not there yet, not even halfway.”

She tilted her head, making me smile.

“Cultivation is the path one takes to reach Godhood, but it is a long road. One must pass thirty-three milestones to become an Empyrean. I’m on my eight. Although I could probably challenge the ninth soon.”

“Is that why you disappear in the mornings?” she asked, and I scratched the back of my head. I doubted anyone had noticed my ‘disappearances’. I had been careful not to wake them up, but, apparently, not careful enough.

I nodded “Every morning I work through a series of exercises meant to purify my chi before I spend an hour in meditation. I have been doing it for the past six or seven years, and it has helped my growth immensely.”

She knelt in front of me and took my hands in hers, silently massaging them and looking into my eyes “and you will teach me this?”

“If you are willing, yes. And any other from our people that are willing. It makes you a better warrior… but it’s not without its perils.”

“What does that mean?” her strong fingers moved to massage my forearms and I closed my eyes in bliss. Ever since Ling and I had our little breakout, I haven’t had a massage. And Khutulun was very good.

“The tribulations” I sighed “Each measures your will and chi. If the heavens find one lacking, the tribulation will strike him or her down until nothing but ash remains.”

Her hands stopped for the briefest moment, and I opened my eyes to find her biting her lip, her eyes wide and scared “and you want me to try this?”

“Because I know you are capable of surpassing the tribulations, with a bit of training, of course.”

Her hands began moving again to my shoulders now, while she mulled that over. After a few moments, her eyes were ablaze with resolution “I will try this.”

“Do or do not, there is no try.” I winked at her, and she smiled.

“We will do this, then.”

“We will.”

Her hands moved to my chest, and she pushed me on my back. I smiled and leaned forward for a kiss, but she shoved my head back on the cot “lay still, I’m working.”

I chuckled and did as was told as she began undoing my clothes until my torso was naked. She hummed appreciatively at the muscles that hadn’t been there in my past life and licked her lips before her hands began working magic of their own. After a few moments, she straddled my legs and, with her hands on my chest, leaned forward for a deep kiss that left us both breathless.

She then set her head above my chest and sighed contentedly, closing her eyes as I embraced her.

I fell asleep soon after.