I started having an anxiety attack as Khan made his way to our destination. I could feel the sweat forming on my brow as I tried to prepare myself mentally for the task ahead.
What was I thinking? If I get discovered for this, I could be sentenced to death!
This was the dumbest idea I have ever had!
"Khan, why did you let me do this?" I whispered and lightly kicked him in the side. He whinnied in dismay and I sighed defeatedly. "Im sorry boy. Im just frustrated." I rubbed him aologetjcly and he let out a snort.
"Are you seriously talking to a horse?" A nasally voice that seemed to come out of no where startled me. I pulled back on Khan's rings and he stumbled back a little. "HEY WATCH IT!" Protested the voice. I looked down to where the sound was coming from and saw a pudgy man in army clothes glaring up at me. "What's your damage?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, are you okay?" I asked.
He snorted and gave me a weird look. "Im fine, thanks. I was going to tell you that the camp is less then a mile away, but you probably should turn around now and come back when your balls drop."
My jaw dropped in disbelief and he snorted again in amusement. "Just kidding, but seriously, your voice is really girly. Their gonna eat you alive down there- where are you going?"
I was so embarrassed by his comment, I guided Khan into the direction he pointed me in before he could even stop talking. "Im going to the camp." I tried to make my voice alittle deeper.
"But I have to take your horse, check her in at the stables."
"The stables? But I thought my horse stayed with me?"
"No, they have to be trained for war, just like us." He looked at something over the hill and I followed his gaze. Just like he said, there was a mini camp that seemed to be exclusively for horses. I protectively gripped the rains on Khan and frowned. I don't let just anyone handle my horse, especially not this horse.
"Can't I check him in myself?"
"Nope. Policy rules." I frowned deeper. He laughed loudly. "Don't worry, you can visit your girlfriend anytime you want after your training."
"Khan is a boy." I glared
"Just hurry up and get off will ya?" I sighed deeply but did as I was told. He tried to put his foot on the ring so he could mount Khan, but his foot missed and he accidentally kicked him straight in the stomach.
"CAREFUL!" I screamed angrily. He snorted yet again. Man this guy was annoying. "Whatever, it can't feel anything."
"HIS NAME IS-"
"Yeah yeah yeah... HAI!" Once he got his fat legs on my horse, he kicked both his legs into Khan's sides and slapped his behind, making him speed down the hill. I could hear that jerk screaming even from all the way up here, which made me laugh slightly.
I silently walked down the dirt road when I heard the faint sound of a cricket beside me. I reached into my satchel and saw Cri-Kee hop onto my finger. I smiled slightly. "Well, where did you come from?" I laughed and he seemed to reply, making a sound of his own.
Starting back on the path again, I giggled to myself and placed Cri-Kee back in my satchel. "I guess its good you came along. Im gonna need all the luck I can ge--" something ran straight into the back of me, knocking me flat on my face. Laughter filled the air as I got up to brush myself off.
"Watch where your going next time!" I turned my head ready to go off on whoever it was rude enough to yell at me, only to find out he didn't acknowledge my presents at all.
"You and me got unfinished business." Yelled the other guy, muscles flexing and veins pulsing. "Admit what you did, apologize, and maybe I'll go easy on you."
"Okay, I admit it. Im the one who put sawdust in your portage." The lean muscled, ratty looking one gave him a wicked grin. "And I apologize that you didn't choke to death on it. That was the plan anyway." A couple snickers from the surrounding audience sent chills down my back. These guys are brutal!
"YOU LITTLE-" he didn't even finish his insult by the time his fist connected with the other guys jaw. "-TRAMP! IM GONNA-" he left hooked him. "-BEAT YOU SO HARD-" he kneed the guy and he fell to the ground, so now the bigger one was stomping on his back. "-YOUR KIDS ARE GONNA FEEL IT!"
I backed away slowly from this disaster when I felt someone else run into the back of me. "HEY! Im walking he-" I cut him off by throwing my hands in the air to protect my face, I backed tracked around him as I shouted out apologize " I'm so so sorry! Please, don't hurt m-"I tripped over a barrel, and ended up on the ground once again. I rubbed the back of my head and sat up on my knees as I watched the barrel roll down the path and into a whole stack of barrels. They all fell over as salted meats and rice grains spilled everywhere. A heavier set guy came and slipped on the mess and ran straight into the line of men waiting for the chef to serve them their afternoon meal. Each guy tumbled onto one another until finally the man at the front of the line fell face first into the pot of rice and vegetable stew.
The chef yelped in surprise. "AYIAA! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS! GENERAL SHANG! GENERAL SHANG!" All the men seemed to straighten their backs as the rowdiness in their faces dimmed to a serious gaze. The meaningless quarrel I witnessed only moments ago ceased, and the crowd of blood thirsty fools silenced their cursing and harsh words.
All around me, soldiers stood tall, saluting their general as he pushed the flap of his tent to the side. My eyes widened as I overlooked him entirely.
Almost as if he knew I would be arriving, he came out of his tent...with no shirt on. He slipped on his sleeveless vest as if he just remembered he was outside half naked. Oh my... I thought to myself. I felt the color rising to my cheeks, I probably looked like a freaking tomato.
Even from this far away, I knew he was a tall guy. Probably stood to be about 6ft 3in. His shoulders and were broad, but not overbearingly so. They weren't as wide as the muscular guy I encountered earlier, but not as lean as the ratty one either. It was the perfect size, same went for the rest of his body. Perfectly sculpted rock hard abs, large protruding biceps, strong pecks that led up to his wide neck. His jawline was as blemish free as his even, sun kissed complexion. I couldn't rid myself of the thought of him scolding the men for being so rough with me. But thinking about that only made my face grow hotter. If only Ma ma set a date with someone that looked like this! I would have married a long time ago.
His light brown eyes scanned the members of the camp until they landed, and lingered on me. If it was possible, my eyes grew even wider as I saw his full, pink lips pull back into a slight frown and one of his thick eyebrows raise in question. Oh no! Why is he staring at me? Can he tell I'm a woman? Maybe if I come clean now, he'll have mercy on me. Okay, here goes noth-
"Private, I'm flattered that you think it's appropriate to kneel in my presents, but this is the army, not the palace. A normal solute will do just fine." The soldiers around me began to chuckle, and I noticed I was still on my knees, crushing the blades grass with my hands. I quickly scrambled to my feet and kept my head down in efforts to hid my blushing face. I raised my hand to solute him like the rest of my comrades. "At ease." He said and everyone dropped there solute, bringing there feet together all at once. I did the same, a few steps behind the others of course.
He glared at us and then turned around to the face the trembling chef. "You called for me sir?"
"Y-Yes general. These rowdy fools knocked over all of the stew I prepared for this afternoon's m-meal." He stammered.
"Oh?" He walked over to the poor man who had his whole head dunked in the pot and dipped his finger in the sauce that dripped down his clothes. He inspected his finger, analyzing the sauce intently. "Vegetable stew?"
"Y-yes general."
He rubbed his two fingers together while shaking his head. "Such a shame." He walked back to the spot he stood at before where he knew everyone could see him. "Well, I certainly hope everyone feels at home." He stretched his arm as he spoke. "Fighting one another, wasting our supply of food, even disrespecting the honorable chef Leon who spends his days cooking for the likes of you." He cocked his head to the side and frowned deeply. "The same chef who thinks its okay to disturb the hard working general as he is resting! As if he is nothing more then a cabin boy who he can boss around!" He laughed sarcastically as the man that emerged from the tent beside his own came to stand next to him, clipboard in hand. "Can you believe it Chi-Fu? It seems my position as general not only means I am responsible for creating a battle strategy to take down China's greatest, oldest, and strongest enemy on a seemingly impossible deadline, but I am also responsible for REPRIMANDING AN ENRIRE ARMY, AS IF THEY WERE NOTHING MORE THAN A BUNCH OF DUMB KIDS!" The camp was so quiet, you could hear a pen drop, if anyone had the nerve to actually drop it.
The general sighed deeply as he held the bridge of his nose. He must be so stressed. He has too much to deal with already without us bothering him. "Since you all are so energetic, maybe you won't mind getting started on your training a bit early. You will run around the entire premiss while carrying a pail of water in each hand! After cleaning up every last grain of rice, of course." The crowed of men groaned in unison, thinking about all the hard work in store for them. "OH STOP YOUR COMPLAINING! Now if you haven't already, you are expected to be registered and checked in by the end of the day. If not, you will answer to me. Are we clear on that?"
"Aye sir." We all bowed our heads as General Shang marched back into his tent, most likely to return to his nap. I wish I could take a nap. I thought to myself.
As everyone continued doing what they were doing before, I made my way to the registration table.