A Trial by Halves

Four for All

The Celestial Heavens

For some time Haode had lain in his sick bed listening to the sounds of raised voices and running in the corridors, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not get out of bed, let alone sit up.  No one had called in on him for some time, and he was becoming frustrated at the lack of information.  The sounds of armour clanging past his window had him knowing instantly that the guards were on the move and also knowing how close Qing Cang was to escaping, he could only think the worst.

But it was the sound of yelling that soon had him forcing himself into a sitting position and the moment his body rose, waves of nausea hit so heavily that he could not hold back the deep groan as pain soon followed.  His neck was still swollen, it had only been two days and though his Medicine King was keeping him comfortable, it was only effective when he was lying down.

Taking in large lungfuls of air, Haodes head swam while the bile rose and for several mintues his hands gripped the edges of the bed tightly, willing his head and stomach to settle while focusing his attention on the sounds coming from the corridors.  His guards never moved like that unless there was a serious threat to their safety, but the longer he waited for someone to tell him what was going on, the angrier he became and the better he began to feel.

Launching himself onto his feet, the instant wave of dizziness once again hit, but this time he did not allow it to take over.  Instead he stumbled towards the door before throwing it open only to come up against an empty courtyard.  Not only were his own personal guards missing, but so were his maids, men and women who should have been lowering themselves the moment his presence was made known.

Now exceptionally concerned, he quickly called forward his sword.  Whatever was going on, he was going to fight his way out of it if he had to and the moment he entered the corridors, he could see the flash of lightening from a weapon so powerful, that he stopped in his tracks.  He did not need to be told who was throwing his weight around, because it could have come from only one weapon.

"Mo Yuan?" he whispered as he stumbled through the corridors where the guards were gathering in large numbers and no sooner had his feet hit the entrance to the Lotus Pond, then a battle came into view.

"Ye Hua......." his voice hardened while his eyes bulged at the throb of energy pulsing towards him.  He could bearly see his grandson over the top the rest, but what had him stilling in his tracks was the man with him.  Side by side he could see only the energy erupting off their blades and though they were not attacking, his guards were.

His mind moved at the speed of lightning even though he was still groggy from all the medication his Medicine King had been forcing down his throat.  But he was a strong man with the power to force it to the side and he did as his own sword swung left to right.

"Fall Back!" he roared over the din.

Some heard him, most did not, the noise was far too horrendous, but what had his mind suddenly stumbling was the glazed looks on thier faces, there was definitely something wrong.  They all knew their Crown Prince, so to attack him regardless of the wrongs he had committed was illegal, and a complete disregard for rank.  But with no time to dwell on what was going on in their heads, or who had ordered them to attack their own Crown Prince, he continued to slash at every set of armour within his immediate vicinity.

He could feel Ye Huas desperation to move them back, but he could also hear the one with him and as Mo Yuans face came into view, the sound of Kunluns Bell also made it into his thoughts.  So much was happening and it was all too confusing, but the only thing he had on his mind was his grandsons safety while allowing his anger to grow.  At him and the guards.