Strategies For Mountains and Valleys
"Hhn. We're in trouble," Smiling Tao said, his red cheeks a cheerless counterpoint to the gravity of his words.
"You think?" Choshu Ishi looked around. He stood at the head of a talon of his men, in a thin valley between two hills. A scale of enemy archers in skirmish order topped the hill to his left, with arrows knocked and ready to fire; the other hill carried a scale of close-packed heavy cavalry, riding Marukani Battlers and armed with lances that seemed pointier than was strictly necessary - the vengeful remains of Mayhiros Xenon's Black Thunder Lancers. Both units looked well-rested, like they'd been waiting on those hills forever.
Ishi's own troops, a double line of mixed infantry and cavalry, were ordered for march, not battle. Weary from the road, they still sensed the danger of being penned in and shifted their feet, trying to face every direction at once. Soi Fang and Ashitare Wei, relays of The Qinglong Alliance rode up and down the line, holding their banners up in the Rout-Stemming Gesture. "Steady," the called. "Steady!"
The Ivory Dragon drawn his sword, Hidden Riches, and the ground shifted beneath him, steadying his stance. "If we form in close, shields high against the arrows and spears set against the horses. Our own cavalry could circle around the hill..." He caught Tama Gui's eye and gave the Gunchei of The Zhuque Brotherhood a subtle nod.
Tao shook his head. "Not on the hills. Them. Over there." The fat man nodded ahead along the ravine floor, where two riders sat ready. The first was Mayhiros Xenon, seemingly healed from their earlier encounter, but Ishi didn't recognize the second. She wore a suit of gunzosha armor beneath an undecorated war-robe and held a signaling fan in her hand. But her most distinguishing feature was the mask she wore - a leering demon's face, complete with horns and bulging eyes, cast in glazed white porcelain.
"Mayhiros Xenon and... uhm... another Dragon-Blood? So what? We still have numbers, discipline and training on our side."
"Not another Dragon-Blood. Or not just another, anyway," Tao said. "There's something about that mask..."
"It has a demon's face?"
"No..."
"Yes, it does." Ishi pointed at the mask with his free hand; Tao gave him a cross look.
"I think it's one of Shalrina's masks."
"Whose?"
"The Face-Craft Masks are magic - they channel the faces they show. A demon's face can give you extra power in battle and war, or in sorcery."
Ishi brandished Hidden Riches. "That's nothing; every dragon has some bit of wonder to call his own."
"This is different. You have to be skilled already to get one of the Face-Craft Masks; they come dear. And that's a mask made with the Face-Craft Mastery Spirit."
Ishi sighed. "You're sure?"
"Very."
"Then we're in trouble."
