Jackal Among Snakes

A story spread across the Great Chu—a story spread by tongue and page, delivered to all of the age. The words therein spoke of a victor, a conqueror, a fearless leader of the young and old whose name rung bold. He travelled the lands and sea, spurred forth by heaven’s guarantee, to bring the glory of their empire to another land’s history.

The tale, of course, spoke of the emperor.

With heaven’s winds guiding them and the emperor presiding them, an army divine soared to lands not yet explored. Awaiting these soldiers were this lands’ present holders—elves and men, gods and their followers, standing head and shoulders taller. Clash their armies did, thrash they tried… and out of their crowd, the barbarian king stepped proud. With hair as black as the abyss, he stepped forth to resist.

The emperor presiding advanced forth gliding, and the skies shone with lightning and fire as the war kept tightening under the weight of man’s ire. The barbarian king’s black blood stained the snowy soil, dripping and gleaming like oil. Yet just as he bled, the emperor himself spilt red. Two masters at their summit, one fated to plummet.

Yet in the end, who before has ever dashed the hopes and dreams of the empire supreme?

As the barbarian king inflicted a blow most sound, the son of heaven delivered an attack profound. The king crumpled, downed… yet as he lay dying, his gray eyes defying, the emperor merely stood above sighing.

“What a waste,” said the emperor, “A warrior of your stature I must fracture. Tell me, great king, why you resist me, when you might assist me?”

“I resist,” said the king loudly as he died there proudly, “So that the sun persists to grace my people, that we might one day rise an eagle.”

“The sun, you say,” mused the emperor as he gazed upon this icy bay. “But as the suns move, so does the moon prove that light does not always exist. As surely as light comes, so too does it flee. We must strive to thrive when light deigns not dive. While we wait for light to revive, we must survive. Your light is dimming, noble king, yet your tale may be just beginning. I have no need for this land of endless cold, for it is a place that cannot be controlled. Will you and yours embrace the moon and become my boon?”

a name: Sun, that the king might be the light he so wished for his people. The king rose again with the strength of ten men, abandoning title

could inspire such loyalty that even royalty follow him

loyalty, and he promised them realty. Indeed—to a people that roam, what better promise than house and home? A quaint deal, perhaps, yet quite a steal. Back the son of heaven sailed with a greater reward than had

yet back home ambitions ignited anew. The imperial court,

the emperor,” they sneered, “When he fancies himself an adventurer? We are the empire’s operators, its moderators; what right

is a pawn, his mind gone and soul withdrawn.

been taken

a fight would kill heaven’s faithful one-by-one. And so, by response,

all the devout throughout the opposing redoubt. “Why do you fight, good men?

Abandoning heaven’s own son, they sought an empire redone; themselves at the top, their reign never to stop. They abandoned their master, walking headlong toward disaster. To whom did

gods descend upon good men, blinding and grinding as their winding binding was finding its purchase across the whole surface of the empire set fire. But the emperor’s new servants, disgusted by this observance, were eager deterrents of the court’s ignorant servants. They rose up

for peace, three times he offered mercy. Yet three times he was refused, three times called unworthy. Heaven was watching as this court kept botching, and through the evil gods’ darkness pierced the emperor’s sharpness. Eight commanders he entreated, yet

up, people of

up and greet

up, tired and weary souls, to mend the countless holes! There is respite

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