Part 8

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'Come on, my good one, we have to go. Everything will be...'.

Mum's last words always ended the same way. Every night, Guan Yu woke up in a cold sweat, shrieking in fear and pain. Shaking from the horror he had experienced, he clenched his hands, trying to stop shivering. Coming to another cry, Ping sat down beside him, hugging and comforting the boy. Cuddling the trembling child, the man would lose the rest of his sleep, spending most of the night with the boy.

Sitting beside the small bed he had brought for his friend's son, the sergeant settled into a small chair, smoking a pipe. The smell of expensive tobacco slowly spread in the darkness, and the small embers smouldered mystically in the darkness. Mesmerising to the eye, they glowed invitingly, making Ping smoke more and more.

His young ward could not come to his senses. The child refused to eat and could not sleep properly. The horrors of the experience overtook him in every way. Sitting on his bed at home, he agreed to do whatever the sergeant ordered, but he showed no initiative. The doctors who examined the boy said with one voice that it was post-war syndrome, a classic illness for many military men. If grown men could fall into such a state, what else could be expected from a hothouse boy from the countryside.

Clenching his fists to a crunch, the sergeant cursed the useless field doctors. Accustomed to stitching or setting bones, they could only throw up their hands, unable to help. Even the colonel's personal physician who came to examine Yu only shook his head negatively.

-The boy needs emotional stability, and that will take time, care and nurturing. Or take a risk and try to shake him up, but I don't guarantee a good result, rather the opposite.

The elderly doctor's words replayed in the sergeant's mind every time he had to sit down beside the bed. Looking at Guan Yu's sleep-curved face, Ping increasingly came to the conclusion that he would have to take the risk. With his idiotic act, Li had left his son on the neck of a completely unprepared person. Ping knew nothing about raising children. How to take care of them, what to say and what to teach them! Thousands of questions flew out of his mouth, but the reflection in the mirror only made stupid faces. There was a thought of sending the boy to a special institution for military children or full board at the academy where he was studying, but meeting his gaze with the child's empty eyes, he discarded the idea.

'Look after Yui.'

-Idiot...

Scolding and mourning his friend, the man often drank and thought about everything that had happened. The captain wasn't the only one who had lost his loved ones. Hundreds of the garrison's military walked around the city as pale shadows. The wives, children, and many other relatives of the Fire Nation warriors were left forever in the ground. Beyond the Ten-Ten River, a scorched wasteland filled with brigands and marauders had formed. To fair enquiries, the office of the commander-in-chief replied in the same way:

'You should not have made ties with a disloyal part of the population, outside our safe zones.'

Having heard such formal answers, the furious men revolted and scuffled at the General Headquarters. The building where the meetings were being held caught on fire collapsed, and hundreds of maddened soldiers rushed to storm Dong Jo's personal estate. The city was in a frenzy as countless Lu Yang residents joined the uprising, threatening to tear down the flimsy barriers of the guards with their bodies.

Pillars of smoke from the fires could be seen everywhere, the raging fire mages who had nothing left to lose were having a blast. Together with the common people, they forced the commander-in-chief to leave the city and lock himself in the Pohai Fortress. There was hope for the sailors patrolling the river, but there were many sympathisers among them. The fortress was besieged and the battle continued for several days until the Earth Kingdom's army arrived from the east.

Fixing his bandaged arm, Ping recalled how Cao Xun's soldiers had swooped down on the province, killing everyone in their path. Bypassing the river, the shrew troops had put many colonist villages and the major river city of Liping to the sword. Together with the savage tribes that had spread across the peninsula, the Earth Kingdom army had a real chance to bring all the colonies back under its banner.

Together, Prince Airo and Viceroy Tao Qian were able to stop the conflict between the military and channel their anger in another direction. Despite all the scepticism towards the young heir, under his command they managed to stop Cao Sun's advance. The victory was won by a simple trap, with General Airo acting as the bait an anvil and the Viceroy as the hammer.

Confident of their victory, the shrews stubbornly marched forward, living up to the stereotypes of the land lords. Bursting through the small units, which should have been more of a distraction and assure the enemy of total superiority, Cao Song quickly found himself in a cauldron. Pinned on all sides, the Earth Kingdom troops threatened to fight to the last man until Tao Qian's loyal supporters killed the Earth Kingdom commander. Sneaking into the camp, they poisoned Cao Sun and the morale of the army crumbled before their eyes.

Of course, the victory in the general battle brought Airo laurels great commander, but small skirmishes and attacks of savages from the forest of Baru continue, and their complete eradication will take more than one year.

Returning from battle, the army of the Fire Nation demanded justice from the Viceroy and the Prince. Gathering under the walls of Pohai Fortress, they threatened to launch another assault if Dong Jo did not receive the punishment he deserved. Following a lot of advice, the heir to the throne with his authority condemned the actions of the commander-in-chief and in a ritual duel burned him alive. It is said that Dong Jo's body burned for three more days because of the fat in it. In his last moment, the fat general cried out that he had been tricked and it was not supposed to be like this. Most paid no heed to his words, but the sergeant could see the Viceroy and the Prince frowning. Unlike the angrily rejoicing soldiers who finally saw a spark of justice, the high command had realised something for themselves.

To be honest, Ping doubted that the prince had done so out of a call of honour. After his victory at Agni Cai, the soldiers had imbued him with boundless respect and loyalty. Eager for revenge, they filed reports in droves to transfer to General Airo's army. Half of the city's garrison was dead, and the other half was threatening to go to war. What would happen to Lu-Yang and its suburbs if most of the reports were approved was unclear, but the prospect terrified the sergeant.

At least the prince had left for the capital on the personal orders of the Fire Master of Azulon. Now the city had time to recruit new men to be ready. It was now dangerous to wander through the ruined streets in the dark, the once thriving port city deserted. Traces of battle could still be seen here and there. Black scorch marks from fire magic or dried red stains on the ground. Fragments of spears and pieces of armour could be found everywhere. The dispersed Fire warriors spared neither themselves nor others.

Noticing that the boy had begun to stir again, Ping placed his palm on his forehead. Feeling the touch, little Yu shuddered, but quickly calmed down and fell into a deep sleep. Recently, the man had been able to solve the problem with a few words or a touch, but he couldn't go on like this for long. The endless wake-ups were taking a bad toll on him. The huge bruises under his eyes and painful thinness made the sturdy and healthy man unrecognisable to his co-workers.

Some who knew Guan Li well helped in any way they could, but no one was willing to shoulder the care of an orphan. Running his hand through the boy's clumped hair, Ping decided that tomorrow he would try to bring him back to life.

-Get the gun. I'm not a loving mother or a respectful father, so I'll bring you back to life the way I know how.

Like a mechanical construct, the boy jerkily touched the shaft of the guan dao. As he struggled to lift it and straighten up, the once sturdy child swayed to and fro, unable to keep the heavy blade in place. Every now and then the blade would fall down, only to be picked up by Yu in a new attempt.

-Sling it on your shoulder like I did.

Following the advice, his friend's son opened his mouth to ask a question, but quickly shut it. The shaft that was flying at his head threatened to knock the boy's teeth out, but with a ridiculous flailing of his arms he managed to dodge, though he fell on his arse.

-Wake up. You are a soldier of the Fire Nation.

The sergeant's cold voice drew the boy's attention back to him. With bewilderment and question, he watched the man circle him, unfurling the weapon in his hands.

-Get up. There will always be someone dying!

Before he could follow the order, Yuu was forced to somersault to the side. The sharp shank of the weapon sliced through the ground like a saw. Loosening and tearing, it returned to the air, where Ping got rid of the dirt stuck on the blade with a couple of movements.

-Get up and fight. That's why you couldn't help your mother.

Leaning on the shaft, the boy was poked in the right arm, sending the weapon flying out of his hands. With a painful shriek, he fell on his side. The sergeant looming over him shook his head and twirled the halberd again.

Another jerk, and the blade was left stuck in the ground behind him. The blade left a thin streak, and although it didn't look as dangerous compared to the blow of the shoe, Guan Yu was sure that he wouldn't survive something like this.

Rising to his feet, the boy held out the guan dao in front of him. The tip of the blade dangled from side to side, threatening to fall at any second. His muscles, stiff from the strain, refused to obey, and sweat dripped down his face. Mixed with the mud, it stung his cheeks and forehead. Covering his eyes for a second, the child received another blow to his right leg. Sticking it out too far, he felt the full range of sensations from his mistake.

Limping and stumbling backwards, the captain's son took the correct stance. Taking the shaft closer to the centre, Yu finally stopped writing hieroglyphics in the air with it. Remembering the science he had forgotten for a couple of days, the boy slowly moved his feet in a crouching motion, walking around the sergeant in a circle. The man who watched the change in his gaze smirked in anticipation.

The sergeant's jerk went unnoticed, only the clash of blades and the ensuing thrust of his hand into his chest were perceived by his dulled senses. Lying on his back, Guan Yu breathed heavily, trying to get air back into his lungs, which the caring sergeant knocked out with an open palm.

-Get up and fight. If you can't get up, you'll die, just like those you couldn't protect.

The words broke through the shroud of alienation, evoking anger and pain. Painful images of the death of his mother and sister flashed before his eyes. With a growl and tears, the child returned to the rack, burning Ping with a hateful stare.

A new collision and the sergeant's longer shaft hooked the boy's left leg, toppling him to the ground.

-Get up! Fight! If you could fight, they wouldn't be dead.

Drool mixed with tears and the earth that went into his mouth. His body demanded more air and wouldn't let him close his lips to breathe through his nose. Sweat poured from her forehead in hail onto the dry ground. Yu was up before he realised his weapon had been knocked out of his hands and his body tumbled to the side.

Pounding the ground with his fists, the boy pounded the ground furiously, picturing the faces of the bandits in front of him. Rising to his feet and staggered to his feet, he lunged at his enemy with his fists alone.

Intercepting the weak blows, Ping twisted the boy. Pinning him down, he shouted loudly and mercilessly into his ear.

-Fight! Fight! As long as you have any strength left in you!

Twisting to the point of crunching his wrist, the boy clamped his teeth into Ping's arm. In surprise and pain, the man released the little beast from his grasp. Collapsed in a clump on the ground, the child lay motionless, still crying and breathing heavily.