The Crow and Cloud Formation - Revision history

JasonK at 23:00, 5 February 2007

2007-02-05T23:00:18Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:00, 5 February 2007
Line 91:		Line 91:
	"We're Tiger Warriors, not the damned [[The Baihu Society\|Baihu Society]]! We know spears and bows, we know how to ride. Forgive our not knowing the finer points of lock mechanics!"		"We're Tiger Warriors, not the damned [[The Baihu Society\|Baihu Society]]! We know spears and bows, we know how to ride. Forgive our not knowing the finer points of lock mechanics!"

	An equine head bumped Han Ying's shoulder. "Shh," he said. "You're riling the horses." He turned to stroke the horse's face ~~abd wgusoered~~ softly in its ear. Crowding around that horse, and the ten soldiers pressed against the small gate, were another sixty [[The Marukan Alliance\|Marukani]] swifts and battlers - half the mounts of the Black Thunder Lancers.		An equine head bumped Han Ying's shoulder. "Shh," he said. "You're riling the horses." He turned to stroke the horse's face and whispered softly in its ear. Crowding around that horse, and the ten soldiers pressed against the small gate, were another sixty [[The Marukan Alliance\|Marukani]] swifts and battlers - half the mounts of the Black Thunder Lancers.

	Han Ying scratched his bristly chin. "Hhn. Maybe we could stampede the horses into shattering the lock?"		Han Ying scratched his bristly chin. "Hhn. Maybe we could stampede the horses into shattering the lock?"

JasonK at 22:54, 5 February 2007

2007-02-05T22:54:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:54, 5 February 2007
Line 65:		Line 65:

	==Lightning Disperses the Clouds==		==Lightning Disperses the Clouds==
	The gunchei had made little protest when [[Choshu Ishi]] had laid out his plan; they were too well drilled for that. But not one of them could keep the disappointment and disillusionment from his eyes when Ishi had said, "I'll take the field, alone, before Madai's main gate, with the scale camped behind me, and challenge [[Mayhiros ~~Zenon~~]] to single combat." Chan Fei had even groaned.		The gunchei had made little protest when [[Choshu Ishi]] had laid out his plan; they were too well drilled for that. But not one of them could keep the disappointment and disillusionment from his eyes when Ishi had said, "I'll take the field, alone, before Madai's main gate, with the scale camped behind me, and challenge [[Mayhiros Xenon]] to single combat." Chan Fei had even groaned.

	"~~Zenon~~'s pride as a martial artist will demand he answer and his men, who ride in the enclosure of his reputation, will flock to the walls to see.		"Xenon's pride as a martial artist will demand he answer and his men, who ride in the enclosure of his reputation, will flock to the walls to see.

	"That's when Chan Fei and Han Ying will take their Fangs over the north wall, under cover of morning mist, and open the doors from within. The rest of you, be ready." They had smiled conspirational smiles, then, and gone to prepare their men.		"That's when Chan Fei and Han Ying will take their Fangs over the north wall, under cover of morning mist, and open the doors from within. The rest of you, be ready." They had smiled conspirational smiles, then, and gone to prepare their men.

JasonK at 08:01, 20 January 2007

2007-01-20T08:01:17Z

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-"He doesn't trust us," [[Soi Fang]] said.  Though she spoke low, her voice rang like a clarion call and the skitter of her horse sounded like a drum as she brought it up to meet her commander and his aide.
+"He doesn't trust us," Soi Fang said.  Though she spoke low, her voice rang like a clarion call and the skitter of her horse sounded like a drum as she brought it up to meet her commander and his aide.
 "Ha!  I knew it!"  [[Choshu Ishi]] clenched his fist and shook it in the direction of Madai, the range town across the field.  Standing, as he was, in the shade of a pine grove, even the guards who'd turned Soi Fang away from the walls would have been hard-pressed to see the gesture.  "Wait.  He who?"
@@ Line 117: / Line 117: @@
 ==The Formation Triumphs==
 ----
 [[Heaven's Mandate]]

JasonK at 08:34, 19 January 2007

2007-01-19T08:34:58Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:34, 19 January 2007
Line 89:		Line 89:
	"Ah. Right. And none of your men can open it?"		"Ah. Right. And none of your men can open it?"

	"We're Tiger Warriors, not the damned [[Baihu Society]]! We know spears and bows, we know how to ride. Forgive our not knowing the finer points of lock mechanics!"		"We're Tiger Warriors, not the damned [[The Baihu Society\|Baihu Society]]! We know spears and bows, we know how to ride. Forgive our not knowing the finer points of lock mechanics!"

	An equine head bumped Han Ying's shoulder. "Shh," he said. "You're riling the horses." He turned to stroke the horse's face abd wgusoered softly in its ear. Crowding around that horse, and the ten soldiers pressed against the small gate, were another sixty [[The Marukan Alliance\|Marukani]] swifts and battlers - half the mounts of the Black Thunder Lancers.		An equine head bumped Han Ying's shoulder. "Shh," he said. "You're riling the horses." He turned to stroke the horse's face abd wgusoered softly in its ear. Crowding around that horse, and the ten soldiers pressed against the small gate, were another sixty [[The Marukan Alliance\|Marukani]] swifts and battlers - half the mounts of the Black Thunder Lancers.

JasonK at 03:24, 19 January 2007

2007-01-19T03:24:52Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:24, 19 January 2007
Line 64:		Line 64:


	==~~The Crow's Eye Is Plucked~~==		==Lightning Disperses the Clouds==
	The gunchei had made little protest when [[Choshu Ishi]] had laid out his plan; they were too well drilled for that. But not one of them could keep the disappointment and disillusionment from his eyes when Ishi had said, "I'll take the field, alone, before Madai's main gate, with the scale camped behind me, and challenge [[Mayhiros Zenon]] to single combat." Chan Fei had even groaned.		The gunchei had made little protest when [[Choshu Ishi]] had laid out his plan; they were too well drilled for that. But not one of them could keep the disappointment and disillusionment from his eyes when Ishi had said, "I'll take the field, alone, before Madai's main gate, with the scale camped behind me, and challenge [[Mayhiros Zenon]] to single combat." Chan Fei had even groaned.

Line 82:		Line 82:


	==The ~~Clouds Disperse~~ the ~~Lightning~~==		==The Crow Plucks the Corpse's Eye==
	While [[Choshu Ishi]] was fighting for his life before Madai's main gate, Chan Fei and Han Ying were having problems of their own. Though their arms were bolstered by the Essence of Ishi's Strength of Stone Technique, there are some problems that cannot be solved by force alone. "I don't see why," Han Ying grumbled, glaring balefully at the stout gate set into the town's northwest stone wall.		While [[Choshu Ishi]] was fighting for his life before Madai's main gate, Chan Fei and Han Ying were having problems of their own. Though their arms were bolstered by the Essence of Ishi's Strength of Stone Technique, there are some problems that cannot be solved by force alone. "I don't see why," Han Ying grumbled, glaring balefully at the stout gate set into the town's northwest stone wall.

JasonK at 03:22, 19 January 2007

2007-01-19T03:22:13Z

@@ Line 83: / Line 83: @@
 ==The Clouds Disperse the Lightning==
 ----
 [[Heaven's Mandate]]

JasonK at 02:42, 18 January 2007

2007-01-18T02:42:33Z

@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
-==The Crow's Eye Is Plucked, The Clouds Dispersed By Lightning==
+==The Crow's Eye Is Plucked==
 ----
 [[Heaven's Mandate]]

JasonK at 04:12, 17 January 2007

2007-01-17T04:12:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:12, 17 January 2007
Line 37:		Line 37:
	"Very."		"Very."

	Ishi shaded his eyes again and strained to see the town. He could mark the outlines of the hastily thrown up earthen ramparts and the sturdy palisades beyond, but the text on banner was still a mystery. "Then what the hell is he even doing in there?"		Ishi shaded his eyes again and strained to see the town. He could mark the outlines of the hastily thrown up earthen ramparts and the sturdy palisades beyond, but the text on the banner was still a mystery. "Then what the hell is he even doing in there?"

	"Taking hostages." Soi Fang's horse skittered away from the angry blare in her voice.		"Taking hostages." Soi Fang's horse skittered away from the angry blare in her voice.

JasonK at 04:10, 17 January 2007

2007-01-17T04:10:57Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:10, 17 January 2007
Line 21:		Line 21:
	Soi Fang shook her head again.		Soi Fang shook her head again.

	Ishi sighed. Between his Scale, his command and support crews and the camp followers he had almost a hundred mouths to feed and a dwindling stock to do it from. If they didn't resupply soon... "Do we have enough food to last until the next range town?"		Ishi sighed. Between his Scale, his command and support crews and the camp followers, he had almost a hundred mouths to feed and a dwindling stock to do it from. If they didn't resupply soon... "Do we have enough food to last until the next range town?"

	"Probably, and a few days beyond if we restrict rations. But between the demons and what that black sludge in the river did to the fishing this season..." Smiling Tao shrugged.		"Probably, and a few days beyond if we restrict rations. But between the demons and what that black sludge in the river did to the fishing this season..." Smiling Tao shrugged.

JasonK at 03:40, 17 January 2007

2007-01-17T03:40:35Z

New page

"He doesn't trust us," [[Soi Fang]] said. Though she spoke low, her voice rang like a clarion call and the skitter of her horse sounded like a drum as she brought it up to meet her commander and his aide.

"Ha! I knew it!" [[Choshu Ishi]] clenched his fist and shook it in the direction of Madai, the range town across the field. Standing, as he was, in the shade of a pine grove, even the guards who'd turned Soi Fang away from the walls would have been hard-pressed to see the gesture. "Wait. He who?"

"[[Mayhiros Xenon]]," said the third in the trio, Smiling Tao, a small man in farmer's homespuns and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geta_%28footwear%29 geta]. "A great grandnephew of [[Mayhiros Tesos]] and leader of the Black Thunder Lancers. That's his banner, hanging above the gate."

Ishi shaded his eyes with his hand and squinted. "Don't see it. Never mind. Is he just going to keep the gates shut until we've moved on?"

"Longer, probably," Soi Fang said. She was off her horse now, holding its reins and keeping it still by stroking its face with her other hand. "He's worried by the [[Chapter 7|demons lurking around]] and doesn't plan to let up until they pass."

"Well at least it's not because we ride under the Solar's banner and his loyalty's for his uncle."

Soi Fang looked back towards the town. "That's probably part of it, actually. I heard a while ago that Tesos helped him build a manse at a range town in the north."

"Oh. Right. If he won't let us in, he probably won't give us any food, either."

Soi Fang shook her head.

"Sell us any food?"

Soi Fang shook her head again.

Ishi sighed. Between his Scale, his command and support crews and the camp followers he had almost a hundred mouths to feed and a dwindling stock to do it from. If they didn't resupply soon... "Do we have enough food to last until the next range town?"

"Probably, and a few days beyond if we restrict rations. But between the demons and what that black sludge in the river did to the fishing this season..." Smiling Tao shrugged.

"A smaller town might not have enough food to part with." Ishi scratched his head. "Well I don't know what to do if he's just going to be a jerk about it. We can't steal the food, but we can't turn back to the [[Eye of Hiparkes]] - there ''are'' demons out there. Where does he get his nerve?"

"A good question," said Smiling Tao. "Neither he nor his family have any holdings in Madai."

"Wait," Ishi said. "What?"

"No one from Mayhiros holds the lease on any of the farms or pastures in this region, nor on the mill, the smithy, the tavern... None of them even live here."

"You're sure?"

"Very."

Ishi shaded his eyes again and strained to see the town. He could mark the outlines of the hastily thrown up earthen ramparts and the sturdy palisades beyond, but the text on banner was still a mystery. "Then what the hell is he even doing in there?"

"Taking hostages." Soi Fang's horse skittered away from the angry blare in her voice.

"Or taking advantage of a bad situation." Smiling Tao lived up to his name and it was a grim sight. "If he holds on to the town long enough, and with demons as his excuse I expect he could, he'll call it his own for as long as he lives. It's a short step from 'protector' to 'elder' when you have the power of the dragons to call your own."

Ishi loosened his sword in its scabbard. "Alright then."

Soi Fang and Smiling Tao stumbled over each other to say, "What?"

"Fang, get the gunchei together for orders. Tao, ride on ahead to scout his manse and then back to the Eye to get another scale on the move north; I want to meet up with them by the time Xenon runs back there and I want to know what we're going to face.

"We're going to end this." Once more, Ishi clenched his fist.

"How?" Soi Fang let go of her horse's bridle and the animal trotted a few steps away from her high brass voice. "His lancers are a full Wing. They outnumber us five to one! And Xenon's a double-stylist. He's famous for being both a disciple of the Lightning Hoof Style and an initiate in your own Five Dragon Style!"

"Wow." Ishi blinked. "That's impressive."

"He fights from horseback and uses the direlance 'Pine Needle' and the armor 'Four Layers of Bark!' His signature move is called 'Heaven's Black Lightning Punch' and they say he can use it to shatter a stone fortress wall!"

"Wow," Ishi said again. "He sounds really tough. Everyone's heard of him?"

"Yes!"

Now Ishi smiled and he picked up his own white banner. "Then we're definitely going to end this."

==The Crow's Eye Is Plucked, The Clouds Dispersed By Lightning==

----
[[Heaven's Mandate]]