Pale flames licked at the gray sky. Dark smoke rose, twisting and curling. When the wind pushed it toward them, An Sun raised his arm to block the sparks. When his vision cleared, he saw within the fire the shape of a figure emerge as if springing out of the air. One man was soon followed by a sea of men storming inside.
"The enemy has breached the wall! Rally to the front!" General Donghai shouted, pulling out his sword.
The clang of steel echoed through the yard as the others joined battle around him. The Tuhan were shouting as they stormed the barricade, jabbing with their spears, swinging their bronze axes, spilling blood. An Sun charged madly, his sword cutting through flesh and bone. Sensing someone behind, he turned only to see a familiar face.
"I cover your back, and you cover mine?" Manchu flashed him a toothy grin.
An Sun managed his own smile and nodded. The two men fought back to back as the enemy's assault advanced. A bloody battle ensued as the battle cries intertwined and became one. Over and beneath the wall, the last assault came sweeping like a darkwave.
An Sun could hear the Tuhan and foreign army shouting to each other, and somewhere behind him, he heard Manchu's alarmed voice.
"Sun, behind you!"
Just as he turned around, he heard the sound of an arrow softly hiss as it left its string. A moment later, there was a grunt, and suddenly a body fell amongst the crowd. Stunned, An Sun looked up to see atop the stairs a figure standing, bow in hand. Those emerald eyes raised and met his own.
"Rin..." Her name fell off his lips in a whisper.
As if she heard him through the chaos, her eyes smiled. Then, as quickly as it came, her expression dropped. She brought up her bow, loosed the arrow, and shot past him. An Sun had no choice but to turn away and face the enemy behind.
Making her way down the stairs, Rin pulled the arrow back to her ear, aimed, and loosed the arrow, then nocked and drew and loosed again.
"Stay close behind me!" She shouted to the boy behind her—an arrow in her hand.
Aiguo nodded and clutched his sword in front to defend against attackers. The heat of the fires was making the wall weep, and the flames danced and shimmered against the ice. Rin squinted her eyes against the fires as they made their way down. Reaching the bottom, there was no time to think before a group charged toward the stairs.
Rin dropped her bow, reached back over her shoulder, ripped her sword from its sheath, and buried the blade in the middle of the first man. The blow sheared right through his helm and deep into his skull.
"Come on!" She shouted behind and brandished her sword into the mass of men.
Covered in ash and blood, An Sun blinked the sweat from his eyes. Above the lower scent of sweat was the acidic smell of fear, carried aloft from clashing bodies that howled amidst a sea of scarlet liquid. His body grew tired and sore, but his movements did not slow. Rather, they grew more violent.
He needed to last longer...Just a little longer.
"Sun!" A clear voice entered his thoughts.
At that moment, like a hazy memory, a figure rushed in front of him. Dark hair scattered across her pale, sweaty face. The moonlight glimmered off her sword.
"Are you all right?" Rin caught her breath.
An Sun's eyes narrowed. He swung his sword past her to cut an approaching enemy. "And you?"
"It could be better," Rin said bitterly, slightly out of breath. "Need help?"
Glancing around at the numerous enemies surround them, his lips twisted into a smirk.
