Fearless (A Mulan Retelling)

Chapter Fifty Six

General Zayn was the one to slam the door open. He could hardly believe that they'd made it this far. As he stepped in, his steps were heavy and his spine erect. Erodyne could even tell that Zayn was a proud man. The group followed after him, looking as stoic as they could muster.

The general quickly took a look at his surroundings, noticing multiple things at once. First, the Token guards that stood too close for comfort. Two, the emperor in the very back. Three, the two women in the room -one veiled in lace, and one with golden hair. Four, the distinct man that stood in the midst of them. In his mind, he cursed. He understood why the emperor would be here... but the women?

Of what use was a whore here? None.

"Ah, and here we are," the Tokenmaster said, now stepping forward, "I have been expecting you."

The general looked over at Erodyne, a little surprised at his appearance. As usual, Erodyne wore a serene smile. The minute Zayn looked into the Tokenmaster's eyes, he could tell that insanity had ridden the man. Even still, his enemy was armed. Zayn would have to fight him... and kill him.

"Men..." he called out, smile fading for a moment.

The guards around Erodyne sprang into action, attacking the members of the group with a ferocity that they had not yet faced. Jehrth and Shen both came under pressure almost immediately, and neither of them could get far enough away to use their bows. The skirted out wide, trying to find an opening. As for Dregar, Ra, and the General... they returned the fight with one of their own.

Zayn noticed seconds into the fight that none of the men were trying to bring him down. At least, not directly.

With a glance, the general saw that Erodyne was simply watching things happen from where he stood. He should have been thankful for it, but he wasn't. No. Zayn knew almost immediately that the Tokenmaster had his sights set on him. The way Erodyne's eyes glossed him over, and the general saw bloodlust behind the tranquility.

Ra pulled out his axe and began swinging at the men trying to pull him down. Due to the close proximity of them; however, it was hard to maneuver his blade to hit them. Even still, he managed to knock them away.

Dregar went immediately defensive, using his shield more than his sword. Two of Erodyne's guards were taking on the swordsman. Dregar just hoped that they'd get tired banging on his shield. Then --then he would strike. However, they didn't have time to get tired. Despite the fact that Zayn knew he should keep a close eye on the Tokenmaster, he spun right into the fray, coming to the aid of his fellow man.

The Token fighting the general stood no chance. He swung his sword to hit Zayn, but Zayn raised his shield in time to catch the blow. Afterward, he thrust his own sword forward, catching the soldier in the gut after several swings. The sword came out red, and the Token staggered forward onto his knees. Blood poured from his lips, and he met his end. Zayn kept at it, watching his men and hoping for the best. He knew that the worst of it was yet to come.

In the meantime, the servant woman standing with Erodyne watched the two sides fight. In her heart, she longed to help. But she couldn't. Looking around the room, she saw a lot of things. Emperor Rus wasn't the only prisoner here; that was something that she didn't expect. She also noticed that nothing stood between her and the door she had just arrived from. If she could just get the emperor through that door... they would be free.

All the men that were worth a damn here right now were the ones fighting General Zayn and the rest of the scouts. She could easily pick off any other simple militia that came her way. But how was she going to get him through that door unnoticed?