Chapter 31: Fall of the Wu part 2

There was a buzz from Father’s desk. A small transmission stone came to life. Father’s eyes narrowed, and Chanchou swallowed.

 

The connection crackled and writhed, barely stable.

 

“Lord Wu. The Governor has ordered your immediate arrest, and all clan assets to be seized.” The voice on the other end said, clearly strained.

 

“I see.” was all her father said. He rose calmly, and picked up another crystal that was lying upon his desk. He walked to the window, and then threw it into the sky.

 

The crystal rose, elegantly, and unbound by the earth. It began to glow. Softly, at first, and then with increasing intensity, until it was a bright green star hanging in the sky.

 

At once, smoke and flame erupted from several buildings. Warning gongs started ringing. People started shouting and screaming—but her father’s frown became even deeper.

 

“They found some of them—no matter. We are leaving.” father stated, as armed servants rushed into the room. “We are splitting up, and we shall regroup at the fortress. From there we can coordinate our return.”

 

His command rang out, and all of a sudden, things were a whirlwind. Her guards bundled her along, and Chanchou just kept moving, as they ushered her below ground. Things happened so fast, she lost track of her husband. At the start, he was there, and then all of a sudden, he wasn’t. Perhaps he had gone to get their children? Yes, yes, that had to be it!

 

There was no palanquin this time. Chanchou had to half run, half walk, her heart pounding in her throat. She moved like in a dream, following the route father had made her practise.

 

She was panting and gasping by the time she pulled herself up the ladder that lead to a quiet alleyway. They had a couple blocks, and from there they would hit the lake, where there would be a boat—

 

“My Lady, back!” the guard shouted desperately, throwing himself in front of her. All of her guards drew their blades, their faces masks of desperation.

 

And then, Chanchou saw the people standing in front of her and freedom.

 

Blank crystal lenses stared dispassionately at her. Rasping breaths issued forth from face-covering masks.

 

They had clubs and mancatchers in their thick, cloth-covered hands and a few had crossbows were levelled at her and her guards. The tips of their bolts were made of glittering crystal.

 

At the head of the faceless men, Mengde’s elite guards, was a giant of a man. He too had a club—though it was more like a tree trunk ripped from the ground.

 

“Wu Chanchou. You will surrender to us.” the man commanded, his voice so deep it rumbled her bones.

 

Chanchou’s legs were shaking.

 

“You dare impede the Wu Clan?” her lead guard demanded.

 

Those blank lenses simply stared at her guard. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck.

 

“They’re behind us too.” another of her men whispered.

 

The captain nodded.

 

“Through, then. Get ready to run, My Lady.” He said.

 

And then, they surged forwards. The two men with shields were first, roaring battle cries as they surged forwards.

 

The crossbows fired.

 

And instead of simply sinking into or bouncing off the shields, Chanchou staggered as blasts of cold hit them. Her guards cried and fell; their shields and shield arms suddenly encased in jagged chunks of ice. Two men behind them also had their feet frozen to the ground.

 

But they had done their job.

 

For a moment, she was hopeful. Her men were much faster than the hooded mean, wielding unwieldy polearms, who were trying to capture. She saw several of her men simply dance past the thrusts, and then descend on those who dared to impede her path. A sword arced beautifully through the air, sure to kill.

 

The Mengde soldier simply raised his arm, and the sword made a clanking noise as it bounced off, the armor holding without any issue.

 

The return strike from a club crashed into her guard’s gut, and sent him to the floor.

 

It was a scene that was swiftly repeated. Her guards blades couldn’t penetrate the Crystal Emporium’s armor, getting caught on the heavy cloth, and clanking off well hidden plates.

 

The crossbows fired again, and this time they were aimed completely at the ground. The earth froze, locking everyone’s legs in place—save for her enemies, which with a bit of labour, ripped their way free of their imprisonment.

 

The big one simply grabbed a guard’s head, lifted him into the air, and then slammed him into a wall.

 

Chanchou had fallen to her knees. Her legs were shaking. The faceless, emotionless things closed in around her, too big hands reaching down, and grabbing her arms.

 

Chanchou struggled, and screamed, tears falling from her eyes, looking around desperate for something, anything—

 

She froze, as she saw a flash of black and white hair.

 

Her sister was standing there, staring at Chanchou. Her maid was standing right behind her—and the pretty servant was smiling. It was a thin smile that was too wide for her face, that looked like it had to have split her cheeks open.

 

“S-sister?” she asked.

 

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“Hmmm. It’s rather strange that you used this route. I thought father would have changed it. Either he’s sloppy… or you were sent this way on purpose.” Zei Qi mused.

 

Chanchou shook. The men holding her arms kept her on her knees, but parted, so her sister could stare at her.

 

“B-big Sister. Big Sister, please, this isn’t funny anymore.” Chanchou said.

 

“Oh? And doing that to my son, doing that to my husband… that was funny?” Zei Qi asked.

 

“It was just—I didn’t mean anything by it! It was just a game, like we used to play!” her voice cracked. “Please, Big Sister. You made your point! I lose, you win! I’ll do whatever you want!”

 

Zei Qi smiled at her. She stepped forward, and cupped Chanchou’s cheek like she used to do, and leaned in. Her breath ticked Chanchou’s ear.

 

‘You burned down the field, salted the soil, and now you’re trying to garden.” Zei Qi’s voice was dripping with condescension. “Oh, worry not, my dear sister. So you have sown; now you shall reap. This Wu Zeitian declares it.”

 

Chanchou choked, her sister’s courtesy name was a brand in her ears. She had always foud it so funny that the squeamish boor had been given the same courtesy name as the Torture Empress.

 

It wasn’t so funny anymore. Nothing was.

 

Her sister let go of her cheek, and turned around.

 

“Big Sister?” Chanchou tried one last time.

 

Her sister did not look back.

 

==========================

 

Fires burned in the city—yet they were swiftly extinguished. Half of those prepared were never started in the first place.

 

As soon as the flare rose, the Wu Clan was under assault. While the legal holdings were assaulted by Pale Moon Lake City guards, the less than legal holdings were swiftly subdued.

 

The enemies of the Wu Clan feasted on their entrails while they were still alive.

 

The guards stormed the Wu Clan compound— and as soon as they broke open the gates, they found the Master of the Treasury waiting for them, claiming he had been taken prisoner by the Wu Clan, and that as he had nothing to hide, he would of course cooperate with the Lord Governor.