Tales of the Exalted

The party left with little fanfare. Jin-Sahn had them ride towards Terenuthis until he felt they were well out of sight from Karakorum. Then he brought the party to a halt.
"We head now for Cao Wei, to see with our own eyes what has transpired, and put to rest all suspicion."
The trip could be made in three or four days with a party of this size. He instructed word be sent to his father and apologized that they would most likely miss the festival.

The road to Cao Wei was dusty from lack of use and the days seemed longer than they should have been. Callista tried to keep pleasant thoughts in her mind to hold the anxiety she was feeling at bay but no matter how hard she tried, worry continued seeping in. There was also a bit of sorrow at having to miss the festival but she understood that it was a necessary sacrifice to see this through. She knew in her heart what they would find when they got there, either the village still stood or there would be evidence of a Temujin raid. Either way, she doubted there would be signs of any rebels.
Despite this, she tried hard to keep her demeanor light and pleasant as she saw no need to increase the concerns of others by not putting on a confident face herself.

The travel on to Cao Wei was almost depressingly somber. None of the people wanted to believe that the Khal's brother had done anything, and those that questioned his loyalty were almost as depressing. Ruby tried to pass the time asking about stories these people had and talking to whoever she could, since Silver had decided that people were boring on this road and only occasionally checked in with them.

She had already met Princess Callista and Gaheris. Awilix and her 'partner' had too many rumors hovering between them for Rebekah to try and talk to them. All of the Temujin had the same things to say, so that left group she hadn't spoken to since the incident.

Ruby spurred her horse up to the monstrous beasts of the An-Tir, up to the shining armor of their warlord's aide. She swallowed her trepidation as she addressed the aide-de-camp. "I...uh, never got to thank you for putting your men on the line to protect my engineers at Shu Han, I'm Ruby, the seigemaster. Can't really call myself a Talon-master without a talon."

Jill was amusing herself by trotting along an enjoying the scenery. Sure, she could have used a little less spurring but Ruby didn't seen all that skilled in horsemanship so she forgave her. Coming up on the large An-Tir horses, she couldn't help but eye them a little. A horse of that size would be interesting to turn into, but the knight would possibly miss the beast if it died of a sudden wild animal attack.

Well met Mistress Ruby. Thank you for your consideration. I am sorry that in the end it was all for naught. While I know it is a cold comfort, your loss of your Talon was not your fault. In fact I was quite impressed with your execution. he leaned in conspiringly I know as a horse man we are supposed to value dash and elan above all else, but between you and me, I have always found engineers to make the best commanders regardless of their forces. You live and die by terrain and understanding your forces position before the battle is even engaged, were only more commanders as prudent. By your accent I can tell that you are not from the Kingdoms, so the Prince must value your skill as well. I imagine you will be given Temujin to start training in short order.

The once verdant fields and colorful architecture had begun to recover recently in Cao Wei. A people known for their fierce military prowess, the kingdom of Cao Wei had nearly been razed to the ground before surrendering to the Shining Horde.
It didn't seem unlikely to Jin-Sahn that many of the young men, raised on glories and sick of toiling in the fields, would escape across the river into Shu Han. What did surprise him was the welcome he received.
At first the villages were shocked to see the banner of the royal house, but soon the reagent of Cao Wei, an exalted named Cao Ren, came to greet the prince at the head of an escort of warriors. The giant man pulled his horse to a stop and quickly dismounted to bow low to his Prince.
"Prince Jin-Sahn, welcome to Cao Wei, we are humbled by your visit." the man spoke proudly. His men quickly followed suit, dismounting and bowing low.
"I am sorry it has taken so long, and for the circumstances of my visit. Rise, and let us speak. I make for Chang'an." he said. Cao Ren stood, relief apparent on his face.
"Have you come to direct Cao Wei's armies against the traitor Guan Yu?" the man asked once he was mounted. He guided his horse in step with the Prince. Jin-Sahn looked at the man confused.
"So it is true then? The Blue Dragon has returned?" he asked. It was Cao Ren's turn to be confused.
"Yes, my Prince," he said, his soldiers riding on the outside of the Prince's party, clearing the path. "Khal Chagatai said he was going to Terenuthis to warn the Great Khal of our people's danger." he seemed to be clarifying that the Prince knew this.
"I only just learned of this in Karakorum. You and I will discuss it at length after I've seen the devastation on Chang'an myself." Jin-Sahn vowed. Cao Ren's demeanor darkened at that.
"Why would Chagatai lie, he even left men behind to assist in our defense?" he asked.
"This is the reason I have come, Cao Ren. To see with my own eyes what treachery my Uncle is capable of." the Prince said.

By the time they arrived, Callista felt worn on the inside. It was not that hard of a journey but each day they drew closer to the village was another day closer to them exposing Chagatai’s deception. Every once and awhile she glanced over at her companions, glad to know that she didn’t carry this weight alone but it had been her that Sanjuro had said would find the proof. Perhaps she had already played her part in enlisting the help of others but somehow she knew there was more to this than they had discovered so far.

”You say Khal Chagatai left men to help defend against Gaun Yu, but he should have had a whole host with him. As a proud man, he did not think to repel this threat on his own?” Callista asked as her horse came up alongside the men’s. Rebels or not, it seemed to her that some six thousand men would easily be able to squash such an uprising.

"He left behind two hundred men, nearly a quarter of the men he brought. But the rest were plesged to the battle in Shu Han, my lady." he said

Donovan couldn’t think of much more damning evidence than that. Even if the men had shown in Shu Han 600 men was only a tenth of what was promised. And yet even those men had never shown.
Since the destruction of Chang’an, has there been any other engagments with or reports on the movement of the Blue Dragon?

Ren thought a moment.
"After he raided Chang'an, his forces were scattered by Chagatai's. My men have been barred from the crossing, so any word we have is second hand. But I am told that Han Dynasty loyalists have been fleeing from Cao Wei and Sun Wu to bolster that traitor's forces. I would not doubt he has pledged his army to the Dragon-King's by now." the man said.

The next few hours saw the party, now nearly a hundred strong, at the border of the ruins of Chang'an. It had been a medium sized fishing village, once wealthy from traders from Shu Han, and traders heading to Shu Han, but it had fallen into decline once the Dragon King shut down trade into the nations of the Shining Horde.
Still, the idea that Guan Yu would kill a few hundred of his own countrymen like this... it didn't add up.
Outriders from Chagatai's garrison rode out to greet him and Jin-Sahn instructed his men to various tasks. Some began setting up camps, thers headed up river to verify Chagatai's claim that he tried to find a path around. The rest, including all of his advisors, followed him into the town.

He spoke with the ranking Temujin, a distant cousin from a lesser bloodline, and got pretty much the same story he'd gotten from Chagatai. The difference was, he insisted that the force had been outriders for the main army of six-thousand. They'd been sent ahead after Cao Wei traders along the road to Karakorum had explained about their kinsman's rebellion.

He pulled the Princess and her trusted group aside.
"I will take the other advisors to discuss plans to seek down Guan Yu. While I do so, find me evidence of what has truly occurred here. These men have an answer for every discrepancy. I do not like it." the young Prince ordered.

Ducking his head, Eida walked off towards the village, or rather the remains of it. He was not interested in the Temujin reclamation camp in the least. He could feel the spirits of fire under his bare feet as he walked across the char covered earth. The others were not far behind him, but everyone had their own breadth of knowledge, so he would let them search their own way.

Half of the village had been scorched to nothing. The foundations of houses could be seen in the ground where the land had been cleared and supplies to new buildings were being gathered in efforts to rebuild. Eida waved a couple of the Temujin behind him to go talk to the builders, see if they would tell the same story as the warriors. He continued on to the very edge of town and started walking the perimeter.

Several minutes passed where he found absolutely nothing. The occasional horse's passing, but otherwise it was like noone ever left besides the main roads, which was unusual for an open place like this. He quite nearly walked right over some stones dashed with blood coming from inside the town. Looking outward, Eida saw the cover of trees and out in the distance, the river. Working off a hunch, he took off towards the waterfront.

The blackened timbers stood against the skyline like a grove of dead trees. It had been several weeks since the battle of Shu Han, so this scene had to at least be that old. The city was burned, fire had touched every building to some extent, meaning the whole city had attempted to be torched, and in this goal it was largely successful. If there was a battle, they had decided to raise the city completely after the fact, something achievable to be sure, but generally a fear tactic done when opposition was low. Most warriors did not have the spirit for burning after the bruises of battle, and the loss of fellow warriors. This was not proof though. He walked over to what remained of the town garrison building. Half the roof had been taken by the fire, and had crept inside as well before burning itself out. He inspected the half charred remains of several weapon and armor racks. Ghost images of several swords and spears lined the walls, silhouettes of several bits of armor blackened the wall. Though all the armor and weapons were gone. The armor must have been removed after the battle. He was somewhat surprised by this, not a single weapon? Thief’s and raiders would have little use for damaged weapons. Someone wanted it to look like the defenders were fully arrayed and ready for a fight, not a hasty response to a raid.

The sight of the village was painful to view. Once a peaceful settlement, now a burnt husk of black wood and mud that scared the landscape. A few stray livestock still roamed the hills seemingly unaware of their masters hasty and violent departures. Callista slid off her horse and followed the others solemnly into the remains of the village. Everyone seemed to be moving about, busy with searching the place for any signs of foul play but she had no clue what to look for.

Feeling as if she couldn't help much, she made her way to the edge of the village where a large pit had been made to burn the bodies. Even charred, the lingering smell made her stomach churn but she held her head up high and instructed some of the men to start preparing proper graves as she tried to remember the proper burial rights Persica had taught her over the years.

During the process several of the men brought it to her attention that some of the lesser burnt bodies had odd wounds for people supposedly killed by the well armed footman of Cao Wei. In fact many of them looked as if they had long slashes from curved blades much like the Temujin or even more incriminating, multiple arrow wounds.

Callista tried her best to look strong, as a leader should be but deep inside the well of sorrow grew deeper with every tiny body they removed. By the time they were almost done she wanted to run into the comfort of the trees and hide herself away before her walls crumbled. But she stood fast to see her task finished before she slipped away.

Mercy watched the princess supervise the re-burying of the dead. It was a wasted effort in her mind. Inspecting the bodies she understood, but it was common solider knowledge that the dead brought more death to the living from their rot. It was melancholy and sweet, and seemed important to her though, so she didn’t question her decision not just finishing burning them or digging a mass grave. After all, she wasn’t on the work detail. Instead she just stood with the princess, it was odd being on the side overseeing a work party rather than a laborer within it. Callista’s conversations were mostly one way, the workers saliently brining up bodies they thought would be of interest, but only speaking when spoken to. After almost an entire day of overseeing the task the princess excused herself. This is what they must mean by the loneliness of command.

The trees told the tale of someone panicked. Their direction was clear, they were headed directly to the river, the blood on the foliage was a beacon leading him on. There were no real tracks, too much time had passed, but blood only faded in frost, it wasn't washed away.

The river was wide and deep, frequent eddies along the river home to the fishermen's bounty. Eida began walking the length of the water, slowly heading downstream as he picked over rocks along the sandy bank.

After an hour of solitude, he found something that turned his gut. Laying on the bank was the body of what was a young girl, who couldn't have been far into puberty. The flesh that hadn't been picked off the bones was in the middling stages of decay, small patches of hair was on the skull

Stuck in the girl's ribs was a Temujin dagger, steel glinting dully in the light. Reaching down, Eida pulled the simple blade out and examined it, confirming that this murder was definitely due to the Horde. There was no way it could have been an accident either, stabbing a girl while she stands in front of you could never not be deliberate.

Eida pulled the body out of the water so he could burn it with rites and hopefully put the P'o to rest before it rose in the night. As he did, the limbs got stuck on something. After a brief struggle, he pulled out a tattered blanket woven in the nomad's traditional patterns. He had to suppress urge to take out his anger on the Khal's brother himself.

Cutting a square of the blankets weave, Eida wrapped the knife in it as the body burned, Jaeda's emerald flame devouring the soaked bones like they were oil soaked tinder. He left shortly after the blaze died down, leaving only charred ash in the sand. There wouldn't be anything else over here. Chagatai and his loyalists had some serious things to answer to.

Donovan rode an ever expanding circle round the village. He kept the horse at a quick trot. What he was looking for, if it existed wouldn’t be hard to find since he was looking for it. After a couple hours of searching he found it, out of site from the village behind on the far side of a low hill. Green grass surrounding a patch of dirt and mud. He hopped down from his horse and proceeded to dig. The dirt had been tempered by the rain and he imagined the hooves of several horses, but it was not packed hard, it just took time. His shovel hit something hard and he worked around it, tossing the excess dirt aside. His fingers grabbed the shoulder of the dirt caked laminar. He rode back with the one artifact. The dirt would keep the others. The armory had been disposed of not used in a battle.

Seeing the mess, Rebekah dismounted. Her horse gave a snort as she walked off and meandered over to some grass that wasn't trampled. It hadn't wandered off yet, she figured it would just graze for a while while she went though the village.

Rebekah's heart hurt as she walked through the wreckage. This was what she brought to the world. Fire, fear, power. But it was all used wrong. Every building was burnt from the outside. Rebels would have scorched their own land when they were losing. Not only that, but even in the areas that hadn't been cleared for travel, there was no explosive debris in the road. It was like every house had been battered inwards.

She waved over to a small band of An-Tir who had dismounted. "Could you look around the wreckage, find me roofing tiles from a few, I want to look at something." Happy to have a task, the armored men sifted through the rubble. A few minutes in and they each had a handful from different buildings.

Rebekah turned a critical eye to the baked clay. Even after possible rain, the skyward facing had dark splotching. Clay being as porous as it was, absorbed oils and held them tight, staining them dark. It was an important step to certain kinds of explosives. Not only had the village been burned to the ground, but the attackers lit it up from the outside. There was no rebellion from inside.

The knights looked on curiously as she turned the tiles over in her hands. Hoping an explanation would be enough for them, she held one out, pointing at the dark smear. "Pitch and tar oil stain clay, spill some lantern oil on the dirt to see an example." They all nodded in understanding before walking off.

A large war dog came trotting through to town. Like most of the livestock, the group thought he was merely a stray leftover from the battle. What they didn't notice was the large circle around the village and back through it that it made with its nose to the ground.

The hefty beast found the familiar red haired woman and rested its head on her knee as she crouched down. "There have been people here. Much more recent than the several weeks ago the battle should have taken place."

Ruby didn't have to lean over to try and pet the large warhound that came around to her. She yelped and nearly jumped a foot however, when it spoke up.
"Bad! Don't scare me like that, how am I supposed to know? Gods damn you and your mean spirit, Silver. That wasn't funny."

She tilted her head to the side and grinned in only a way a cat can. "I didn't mean to scare you, just be thankful you didn't get a nose to the crotch first. I think I could track these scents back to their source but I'm pretty sure we know where they'd lead to by now."