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| | ====Lieutenant Hong Yu, the Crimson Lance (Level 2 General)==== | | ====Lieutenant Hong Yu, the Crimson Lance (Level 2 General)==== |
| − | The leader of the Five Lances, Niu Pa's self-proclaimed bodyguards. A hot-blooded idealist, Hong Yu is a strong believer in honor and loyalty. | + | The leader of the Five Lances, Niu Pa's self-proclaimed bodyguards. A hot-blooded idealist, Chi Qiang is a strong believer in honor and loyalty. |
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| | ====Lieutenant Lan Yu, the Azure Lance (Level 2 General)==== | | ====Lieutenant Lan Yu, the Azure Lance (Level 2 General)==== |
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| | '''Siblings:''' | | '''Siblings:''' |
| − | *Niu Min, Biggest Sister, Age 16 | + | *Niu Zhangnǚ, Biggest Sister, Age 16 |
| | ** A tomboy who wishes she were born a man. Competitive with her big brother but has a girly interior. | | ** A tomboy who wishes she were born a man. Competitive with her big brother but has a girly interior. |
| − | *Niu Jia, Bigger Sister #2, Age 13 | + | *Niu Cinǚ, Bigger Sister #2, Age 13 |
| | ** Responsible and reserved, she secretly has a crush on her big brother. | | ** Responsible and reserved, she secretly has a crush on her big brother. |
| − | *Niu Xin, Big Sister #3, Age 11 | + | *Niu Sannǚ, Big Sister #3, Age 11 |
| − | ** A delinquent daughter who crushes on Jia and dotes on her little sisters. Resents Niu (mildly) for "abandoning them". | + | ** A delinquent daughter who nevertheless dotes on her little sisters. Jealous of Niu for "abandoning them". |
| − | *Niu Lan, Twin Sister 1, Age 8 | + | *Niu Yufan, Twin Sister 1, Age 8 |
| | ** Ridiculously adorable and playful, pranks people by disguising herself as her sister. | | ** Ridiculously adorable and playful, pranks people by disguising herself as her sister. |
| − | *Niu Fan, Twin Sister 2, Age 8 | + | *Niu Yulan, Twin Sister 2, Age 8 |
| | ** Ridiculously adorable and playful, pranks people by disguising herself as her sister. | | ** Ridiculously adorable and playful, pranks people by disguising herself as her sister. |
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| | There is silence for a while, broken only by the wind rushing through the open stable door. Then, there is a laugh. A soft, tinkling laugh, one which makes all the strength flee his mighty body. | | There is silence for a while, broken only by the wind rushing through the open stable door. Then, there is a laugh. A soft, tinkling laugh, one which makes all the strength flee his mighty body. |
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| − | "And what if I was not a thief, dear General?" Zhang Jia replies. She turns, and even in silhouette and wearing a coat, she cuts a fetching figure, one slim hand stroking Blacky's face. Niu doesn't know how to respond, but he tries anyway. | + | "And what if I was not a thief, dear General?" Zhang Ziyan replies. She turns, and even in silhouette and wearing a coat, she cuts a fetching figure, one slim hand stroking Blacky's face. Well, no wonder he wasn't making a ruckus; the horse knew a good person when he saw one. |
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| − | "I... ah... well... I... good morning, Lady Zhang? Have you eaten yet?"
| + | ===A Cordial Visit=== |
| | + | Lieutenant Qi Ma is not a man who loses his balance (physical or mental) easily. As an elite horseman, he's used to being the one frightening people from atop his steed. As a minor lord, he knows he's better than the rank and file, and he carries himself thusly. And as an officer, he knows he must keep his wits about him, to keep an unlucky turn of events from becoming a disastrous rout, or more plainly, a slaughter. |
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| − | "Good morning, Colonel. No, I have not eaten; actually, I was thinking of a quick ride out in the country while the staff prepare breakfast."
| + | However, even he is ill-prepared for the sight of the Ox General approaching him with a veritable bush of ginkgo flowers in hand. It would be a comic sight if only he didn't have such an earnest expression on his face. |
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| − | "But... but it's dark out, and while there haven't been any bandits sighted, it would be dangerous to go alone..." | + | "How about these, Qima?" he asks. "Are these good?" |
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| − | "Oh, I am well aware of that fact. But I won't be going alone... will I?" | + | "They look pretty," the cavalry captain nods. "I'm sure she'll like them. But..." |
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| − | Even in the pre-dawn darkness, Niu can tell Zhang Jia is looking right at him. Looking at him, and waiting for an answer.
| + | It's almost heartbreaking to see how his face lights up, then falls at the last word. |
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| − | "...I'd like nothing more than to escort you, Lady Zhang," Niu says. As the words hit the breeze, a tension he didn't know he had slowly seeps out of him. | + | "Well, to begin with, I'd strongly suggest the male flowers; the female ones bear rather... stinky fruit. And with women, one should remember that excessiveness can be frightening. For instance, this... impressive bush-" |
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| − | "And I would gladly accept a bodyguard of the General of Iron Might," she replies. "Come with me, then. The sun will be up soon." | + | "But you said a handful!" |
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| + | "Indeed I did, Colonel; however, I hadn't reckoned on the size of your hands. Perhaps... fewer?" |
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| − | This is an unusual situation for Niu Pa, the General of Iron Might, who typically stands at the head of his forces and fearlessly leads them into the thick of the battle so that they might emerge triumphant. He's following behind Zhang Jia, a willowy young woman in surprisingly sensible riding clothes - this must be the outfit her mother doesn't let her wear normally - listening to the sound of gentle hoofbeats in the freshly fallen snow, drowned out by the sound of Ziyan humming a tune to herself.
| + | The look on Niu's face is so forlorn that Qi Ma finds himself continuing on his own. |
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| − | ''She's pretty,'' he thinks. ''But I've seen prettier. She has a nice voice, but others can sing better. She can ride, but I know women who ride - and better than me too. | + | "Why don't I help you pick them out? You'll have to select the best, of course, since it's your gift, but I could provide a second opinion." |
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| − | So why am I thinking about her so much?''
| + | "You would? Oh, thank you, Qi Ma! I honestly don't know anyone I could trust with this; Big Brother and Xiao Chi are too busy for these things, and Suoyou's long gone, while Zhang Lang and the Sun Brothers don't know anything, and - Qi Ma?" |
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| − | "Colonel," she calls out in a sing-song voice. "We're here."
| + | The horse officer isn't responding; being caught on the receiving end of a crushing hug will do that to you. A quick movement later, he's dusting himself off and catching his breath. |
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| − | "Here? Um... where's here?" He barely needs to touch the reins before Blacky's halted himself. | + | "No worries, sir - we'll solve this. Count on it!" |
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| − | "We'll need to leave the horses behind for this," she says. "The path's too narrow for them. Butterfly will do fine by herself; how about... Blacky, was it?"
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| − | The horse in question neighs in assent, and against the white of the snow Niu can see the stallion flicking his head toward the dismounted Ziyan, as though to say "go on, big guy, I've got you covered."
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| − | "Oh... ah, Blacky will be fine. Be good now, you hear?" the Ox General says as he lands on the ground with nary a sound. The wind picks up and he knows he should feel cold, but strangely, his face is hot and his skin is tingly.
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| − | ''Am I getting sick?'' he thinks, and then Zhang Jia speaks up again.
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| − | "Come on, this way!" she enthuses, and before he can reply, he feels a small hand (relative to his own monstrous paw) grabbing his and tugging him along. Niu allows himself to be led like a puppy, and snow crunches under his boots as they begin ascending a rocky trail that leads up the side of a hill.
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| − | "So tell me," Niu says as they're clambering up some rocks. "What's so special about this place?"
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| − | "That... is a secret~" Zhang Jia replies. "You'll find out when you get the-argh!"
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| − | Instantly, Niu is on his guard, and one hand slams into the sandstone like a piton while the other shoots down to grab Ziyan, who's sliding down the trail. She yelps in pain, but clings tightly to Niu's arm and chokes back her agony as she pulls herself up his muscled limb.
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| − | "Lady Zhang! Are you all right?!"
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| − | "I... I'm fine, Colonel. Thank you. My foot slipped, but I twisted it on the way down, so..."
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| − | Her voice trails off, but Niu doesn't have to look at her face to tell that she's in no state to climb.
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| − | "It's no good. I guess we'll just have to-"
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| − | "Lady Zhang, if you wish to go back, I will gladly bear you down," Niu replies. "But... I think that if you wanted to show me this place, it must be a very special one; and if you'll allow me, I can take you up. Compared to the walls of Bei Ye and Ping Yuan, this hill is nothing."
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| − | "That is... very kind of you, Colonel," she says softly. "Then, if you would help me..."
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| − | "Certainly," he says, lifting her up by one arm until she's positioned over his back. Zhang Jia doesn't need further prompting to drop down onto him, locking her arms around his shoulders the way he saw soldiers on the river clinging to driftwood. He can feel her warm breath against his ear and the side of his neck, smell the perfume she uses, hear her slightly labored breathing and the sound of the fabric of her clothes brushing against his as she adjusts herself so she can hang on as best as she can.
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| − | "You okay back there?" he asks.
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| − | "Mmhm," she nods, and electricity runs through his spine as he feels her chin against his shoulder.
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| − | "All right," he says. "Hang on tight..."
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| − | Perhaps the Ox General's hands are not hammers or axes, but with his strength, they might as well be. Iron-hard fingers sink into the hillside, gouging out solid bucket holds before mighty-thewed arms and legs propel him up against gravity, without any strain even with Zhang Jia hanging off his back. Indeed, he might be able to carry her horse as well on his journey up the side of the hill, but his strength is hardly so tested as he manages to reach the top in minutes, and as he scrambles to the top, Zhang Jia slides off his back, only to whimper in pain as she lands on her injured foot and sprawls onto the ground.
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| − | "Lady Zhang!" he exclaims, going to her side.
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| − | "I'm fine," she gasps, her hands going down to investigate her injured limb. She winces as she touches it. It's not broken, but it's pretty swollen. Niu will definitely need to carry her down again after this.
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| − | "You're hurt," he says forlornly. It might not have been his doing, but she was still in his care, and he was supposed to keep her safe.
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| − | "And it wasn't your fault, Colonel," she says, squeezing his wrist. "But now is not the time. Look!"
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| − | She points to the distance, and Niu suddenly realises that the silhouette of her hand appears clearer than before. That's because the sky is...
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| − | "...it's beautiful," he breathes, deflecting his gaze to avoid looking directly into the sun as it comes up. That brings his vision to rest on Zhang Jia, whose enraptured face is stunningly beautiful in the light of dawn, with the wind playing through her hair and cooling his burning face. Niu notices she's propping herself up on her elbows to watch the sunrise, and reaches his arm down to support her back. No words are exchanged, but he feels her lean in on his proffered appendage, and soon she's leaning against him. The feeling of her weight against his side is soothing; his heart soars and flutters like the flock of birds roused to wakeful flight by the morning and up here, alone with her, he wonders if this is the kind of moment the writers and artists want to capture with their books and paintings.
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| − | They sit like this for a while, Niu's supporting arm now gathering her close to him. He flinches as she speaks, and there's a beatific smile on her face as she looks up to him.
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| − | "So, how was it? Did you like it?"
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| − | "The sunrise? It was... nice, I guess," he mutters. "I'm sorry, I was looking at you, and..."
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| − | His voice trails off as he realises her cheeks have turned pink. Must be the cold... or was it?
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| − | "That won't do," she chides. "I brought you up here to watch the sun rise. You have to look at it too!"
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| − | "Ah... I'm sorry, Lady Zhang-"
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| − | "That's my mother's name," she scolds, before her stern expression changes to an impish grin. "Call me Ziyan," she says softly.
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| − | "Lady- sorry, Ziyan, my name is Rouyuan," he says, voice infused with quiet sincerity.
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| − | "That's a cute name," she giggles. "Well then, Rouyuan. Next time, you'll have to pay proper attention!"
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| − | "Yes, ma'am!" he replies.
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| − | ===Homecoming===
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| − | The small village of Buluo is nestled in the mountains, amidst large fields walled off from the rest of the world by the ridges around them. Said fields have just been harvested, but the festival the villagers are hosting is not simply to celebrate bringing in the crops, but also to hail the return of sons once thought lost, but come back to rejoin their families. Indeed, the entire detail (with the exception of Lieutenant Qima and Gong Shan) he brought with him to his home is composed of the surviving veterans who were conscripted from the village to aid in the war effort; it is a testament to Niu's care and concern for his men that he managed to return with all but five of the two dozen men he left Buluo with.
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| − | Gong Shan has followed his father to the countryside on occasion and is somewhat used to their rustic ways, but Qima's still somewhat stiff among the smiling, happy villagers. He's not used to the owner of the house personally coming out to welcome him and offer him local snacks, though a keen sense for politeness compels him to swiftly consume it and keep it down, regardless of how exotic it seems to him. But Qima and Gong Shan are left behind in the center of the village, while the Ox General returns home at last.
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| − | "Big Brother!" Niu Jia breathes, touching her suddenly pink cheeks. "You came back..."
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| − | "Almost didn't recognize him," Niu Min grins, trying to reach up to his shoulder and not quite succeeding; he must have put on a growth spurt during the war because now he's much taller than she remembers, and when he walks face first into a doorframe that used to be a good foot over his head, the house trembles and threatens to collapse.
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| − | "Took him long enough," Niu Xin mutters. "Must have been fun killing and fighting and-"
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| − | "Now, A-Xin, is that any way to talk to your brother?" Niu Nu chides as she smiles up to her big son. Instinctively, Niu drops to one knee, so his mother can reach her arms around his neck. His little sisters take the chance to climb up Niu's coat of plates and fasten themselves to his pauldrons.
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| − | "Big bro, big bro, which of us is A-Fan?" the twins giggle. Of course Niu has no clue, given that he hasn't seen them in years, when they were still hanging on to Big Sister Xin's hands. Carefully, he reaches his hands up to lightly pat their heads with hands that are easily the size of their torsoes.
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| − | "It doesn't matter, I'll dote on you both just the same," he smiles.
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| − | "Awwww, that's not fair, you didn't answer us!" they reply in unison. Still, it seems to satisfy them, and they drop off his shoulder and run out the door. No doubt they'll be telling the stories of their gigantic brother to all the other kids in no time. Before that, however, they find the man Niu most wants to see; his father, Niu Lang,
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| − | "A-Pa, my boy! Heavens, you've grown! Guess it makes sense though, you go out into the big open world, and you expand to fill it. And I saw one of your boys by the big fire just now; he was telling us that he was your assistant. Imagine that, a farmboy with a nobby young man as a squire! Come, tell us all about it... no, better yet - the headman's going to have a big feast. We can have storytime there!"
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| − | Much like everything in Niu's life, when he feasts, he feasts - it's as though he's determined to make up for three years of missed dinners here - and when he's invited to tell his tales, he gives it his all. His fellow soldiers, all village natives at well, chip in to corroborate his accounts too; from his impressing and intimidation of the nasty sergeants at boot camp, to his staunch, unyielding strength and stamina that promoted him to an officer, Niu's glory is spread not by the man himself, but by the ones he carried along with him. Of course, it falls to him to narrate the great battles that established him as one of the San Jie; the taking of Huan Ford, the siege of Ping Yuan, the treacherous attack before and the great victory of Ping Yuan. The tale seems almost too unreal to believe, but the Ox General stands before them, and every man who came back with him swears upon their family altars that Niu Rouyuan speaks the truth.
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| − | Loud cheering echoes up from the villagers, and soon the festivities begin in earnest, with dancing, singing, and the like. It's also the time for young lovers to separate from the pack and confess their affection to each other - and Ni finds a familiar face pulling him away...
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