I Will Not Surrender!

Dom locked eyes back with the Young Warrior and directed his horse towards him, easily dispatching the other Yellow Turban Rebels who neared him with a stab of his spear. Behind him the Xun Family Guards began to meet the charging foe, stepping forwards in line as Xun You directed them with some new tactics he had learned from Subutai the night before. They stepped forwards, bashing with their shields, then following up with a stab from their swords, rather than the usual slash, they would then repeat, in a way similar to the styles Octavian and Pullo had been training back at Riverside. 

Dom soon reached the Young Warrior, who raised his serpent spear and clashed against Dom's. Dom parried the spears edge and stabbed back towards him, whilst the small cavalry that supported Dom separated and clashed in to the enemies that were around the Young Warrior. The Young Warrior blocked Dom's stab, swirling his spear shaft around Dom's and trying to pull Dom's spear away with it. Dom held his spear in a relaxed manner and swiftly rotated it and pulled away from the disarming attack.

Dom stabbed down again, the Young Warrior quickly blocking with his spear shaft and coming on the counter attack. Dom turned his horse to get a better angle, whilst the Young Warrior side stepped and prepared an attack of his own, a glint of excitement as the battle continued growing in his eyes.

Tomoe and the two Tiger Guards smashed in to the enemy flank that charged from the left, the two Tiger's causing carnage as they charged, their claws swiftly swinging from left to right, whilst their powerful jaws grabbed on to any exposed foe. The Yellow Turbans that confronted them tried to put up a defence, but were now being attacked by the Xun Family Guards that were charging and using the Legionary technique they were being ordered to do. The Xun Family Guards did not execute the manoeuvres perfectly, but against the bandits that were attacking they were giving themselves a good chance. 

Tomoe swung her Naginata and easily decapitated the enemies that neared her, the blood spurting high from the headless corpses as they fell, covering her and her Red Hare horse as she continued to charge forwards. Her blood lust began to grow and an aura of death and destruction began to spread from around her as the enemies began to try and get away from her as much as possible. 

Meanwhile at the other side as Dom clashed with the Young Warrior and Tomoe charged, Subutai was loosing arrows at the enemy who he believed to be the Commander, who was similarly dressed as the Young Warrior who was fighting against Dom. The Warrior ducked and rolled to dodge the arrows, which was rare for someone to be able to avoid them. Subutai enjoyed the challenge, a large grin on his face as he directed the two Forbidden Guards beside him to launch arrows at particular spots to reduce the Warriors movements. 

"Shoot at his left." Subutai ordered to one of them, "slowly move to the central as you do so. You on the other hand to the same on the right. I'll stay central and stop him from advancing or retreating."

The two Forbidden Guards agreed and followed his orders, as Xun You and Xun Yan's forces hit the enemy lines on this side with the two Forbidden Guards that were flanking that side of the battlefield.  Some enemy archers were firing back and in to the Xun Family Guards as they charged, injuring some, but the moment to fire quickly shrank as the two sides clashed in to each other. 

Dom continued to clash against the Young Warrior from atop his horse as Xun Family Guard and the Forbidden Guards around them pushed back the charging bandits, bodies and wounded falling around them. The Young Warrior span away from Dom's incoming stab and aimed his serpent spear towards Dom's horses exposed flank. Dom quickly turned his horse away and felt the edge of the blade ricochet of his armoured leg grieves, the blunt pain transferred to Dom's shin and he winced in pain, however he was grateful that he had his new armour on as his older armour would have most likely have been broken through. 

The Young Warrior stepped back, preparing himself to strike back, however he looked around and saw that what they had expected to be an easy ambush for some food and coin was now becoming a full on battle, his men falling one by one. He turned to see if he could escape, but Dom's Forbidden Guards and Leonidas were behind him attacking his men, whilst the Xun Family Guards brought the battle lines higher.

"Dismount and fight me!" The Young Warrior challenged with a toothy grin, the sounds of yells and grunts around them. 

Dom, Leonidas and the two Forbidden Guards had now boxed in the Young Warrior between them, as the Yellow Turbans on this side of the battlefield began to flee in to the forest and retreat, leaving their friends and allies behind to be captured or die.

"Put down your spear and surrender." Dom replied.

"I will not surrender!" The Young Warrior said back, "I will die a warriors death, not on my knees with my head extended for the executioners blade!"

Leonidas and the two Forbidden Guards pointed their spears and halberds at him, whilst Dom also pointed his spear at him, the Young Warrior tried to bash away the tips with his serpent spear, but the empty space was quickly filled with another.

"Surrender now and I will spare your life." Dom said decisively, not wanting to kill the Warrior who had injured him and fought bravely in the face of death. 

The Young Warrior thought for a few seconds, before dropping his spear and putting his hands in the air in surrender. 

"Fine, I surrender." He said in a disappointed voice, having just declared that he would not surrender, "I hope you stick to your word."

"I intend to." Dom replied, "What is your name?"

"Liao Hua." He replied, before shouting loudly. "Put down your weapons and surrender!"

"Cease attack!" Dom said, agreeing with Liao Hua's action.

Those that heard him and hadn't escaped on his side of the battle quickly listened to their leader and dropped their weapons and put their hands in the air. The Xun Family Guards that were attacking were well trained by the Xun Family, and even though they had been fighting seconds earlier, they stopped attacking.

Tomoe heard Dom and Liao Hua's shouting and quickly pulled her horse in, whilst also stopping her Naginata mid swing as it almost removed the head of another Yellow Turban, who upon realising he hadn't died, immediately fainted and crashed loudly to the ground. Chen Lu and Chen Ping also quickly stopped their Tigers from attacking, with Chen Ping's stealthily tearing a leg loose from a decapitated body and crunching on it loudly. Those that were around, either from the Xun family or the Yellow Turbans grimaced at the site. 

The enemy on Subutai's side continued to fight, even after hearing the shouts on the other side. Subutai had finally shot the Enemy Commander in the chest, knocking him to the ground as it stuck in his thick leather armour. The Enemy Commander broke the arrow in half as he began to try and escape himself, however the Xun Family Guards and the two Forbidden Guards on horseback were now well within the charging Yellow Turban ranks. Xun You himself was near the front, spurred on by the dire situation his family was just in, whilst Xun Yan reached the fleeing Enemy Commander and slashed his sword at him, taking his head from his body. 

"Surrender!" Xun You shouted loudly at the Yellow Turbans that were now also beginning to flee. Some did drop their weapons and get to their knees, whilst the majority continued to flee in to the forest. 

"Fire at will!" Subutai said to the two Forbidden Guard Archers, shooting at any of the enemies that were fleeing or still fighting regardless of the situation.

"Do not chase them!" Xun You ordered loudly to his men, "Collect the enemies and guard the perimeter."

Dom was stood at the rear of the carriages, beside him was the three Xun family leaders, as well as Subutai and Shang Yang. Tomoe was busy preparing the formation to begin marching again, whilst Leonidas had been dispatched to keep an eye on the thirty or so Yellow Turbans that had surrendered during the battle.  In front of Dom, on his knees was a tied up Liao Hua, who had a determined look on his face.

"Why did you attack us?" Xun Yu asked Liao Hua. 

"Food and Money." Liao Hua replied honestly. "The local Magistrate is corrupt and the taxes are too high, many are having to resort to banditry to survive."

"But Bandits end up robbing from people like yourselves, just causing more devastation to the people." Xun Yu argued back.

"I do not disagree." Liao Hua said, "But I need to eat and live, what else could I do?"

"Are you the leader of this group?" Shang Yang asked.

"No, that was Du Yuan." Liao Hua replied, "He wore similar armour to me, I am the second in charge of this small group."

"I think I killed him." Xun Yan said in a teasing way, but was disappointed to see that Liao Hua was not angered by the comment.

"Life and Death are always close together." Liao Hua said, "We understand the risks that we take."

"So, what do we do with him then?" Xun Yu said, not wanting to make the decision as Liao Hua had surrendered to Dom and not him. 

Dom looked at Shang Yang before replying, and seeing that the Advisor just nodded with a smile, Dom knew how to respond.

"I am in the need of skilled Warriors and Commanders, who can help my distant Kingdom survive. My priority is the people and having a place where the possibility of Bandits rising should be next to none, as everyone will be happy and content with the lives they live." Dom started, "Would you like to join us?"

Liao Hua was taken aback by this question, not understanding how he would be in a situation where he wasn't instantaneously executed as a criminal. He wasn't the only one surprised, as both Xun Yu and Xun You looked at Dom with a strange look. 

Before Liao Hua had time to respond, Dom turned to Subutai and ordered him to untie Liao Hua. Before asking, "So what is it?"

"It would be an honour My Lord." Liao Hua said, bowing his head as he was untied. 

[Congratulations Warrior Hero Liao Hua recruited] 

"Show Stats." Dom said, excited by this development.

[Liao Hua

Hero Grade - B

Hero Strength - Loyal to the End and Vanguard General

Liao Hua was a loyal general of the Shu-Han of the Three Kingdoms Era, having been a commander of the mighty Guan Yu's until his death, he then served under the Emperor Liu Bei, before then serving his son Emperor Liu Shan until the Kingdom eventually submitted to the Wei. He fought in the majority of the major conflicts that involved the Shu, including their multiple excursions in the the Wei controlled territory. His highest position gained was second in command, until he fell out with the young General Jiang Wei's aggressive military policies and retired from the limelight.]