"We must make quick progress," Ji-jau said standing before a meeting of the townsfolk, he'd only spoken in public once before and was still amazed at the authority being a Magii gave him. He held an arm in the direction he'd arrived, "When I was flying here I saw a large host of men moving in this direction, therefore it is wise to assume that Hitachi and his forces are only six moons away, maybe eight to give him enough time to set up a camp and plan his attack." The people smiled, despite the odle of their impending doom a Magii visiting their village was certainly a novelty.
"I estimated that we could be prepared in ten moons." He watched as the smiles dropped.
The warriors of the town however maintained their expressions, true they hadn't been smiling to begin with but they remained resolute, the rough of the mountains.
"But, from what I hear the people of Taiipen are the strongest people in the whole of Chi-zee. Even so to do the work of ten moons in eight and still be fresh for whatever is to come will require the most determined of mindsets, I ask each of you, even the youngest children. Are you ready for this challenge?"
All around the meeting heads began to nod.
"Very well," Ji-jau said, "therefore we must begin our work."
"The houses need sealing, the dragons breath can turn stone to hot liquid and if any of it touches you, you will burn to death. The trick is keeping it on the enemy."
"The other factor is the air, the dragon will fill the air with a smoke so hot and thick you won't be able to breath. We need a space that will have plenty of air stored in it to enable breathing without suffocation."
"The caves," said Bebe Lindo, a large round-faced man standing amongst the warriors, others in the crowd nodded their agreement. "Yeah," Shi-zu said, "The caves have air and water runs down their inside, they'd be the perfect place."
"Very well then," Ji-jau said rubbing the stubble that covered his chin – for reasons entirely unknown Bokken Magii's beards grow faster then ordinary men's, "We need Ironwood and large boulders to steal the entrances. As well as smaller rocks to fill the gaps. The entrances must be sealed."
****
Eight days seem like mere hours when preparations need to be made for an enemies arrival. by the faith of their leader in this young Magii the town devoted themselves wholly to preparations, even military training was stopped as the warriors of the village were the only ones able to life heavy stones into the face of the caves.
The caves that they used if there had been some natural disaster were made larger by the woman and children using only three pick-axes, miniature explosives provided by their Magii friend and long lengths of iron-wood. The soldiers placed stones in their entranceways, and sealing them tight. Making gaps just large enough for the men to fit through. Above the caves they propped up large boulders they'd hewn from the rock using ironwood poles that would release their load if pushed in any direction other then their length. All set-up the boulders would be positioned to fall onto the cave-mouths allowing the warriors to defend their village then retreat into safety, sealing the entranceways as they went.
Each night the villagers would make a half-hour pilgrimage to the Chiituki hot pools to heal and rejuvenate themselves. First the men then the woman and children. During these times Ji-jau noted carefully the effects and the time it took for person to become fully rejuvenated, scrawling the figures in a hide-bound notebook he carried with him. Ji-jau hadn't fully given up on purpose for coming to Chiituki.
When all their preparation was complete the villagers of Taiipen refreshed themselves in the waters of Chaiituk one last time then each family took a single pail of water and one small sack of rice into the caves with them and waited for either their destruction or salvation.
All too soon night arrived. Without touches Hitachi's forces moved up the mountain relying solely on the light of the moon, Shi-zu watched from the bunker he shared with Ahledmin, Potru, Huni, Bebe Lindo and Shi-zu's family. Hitachi's men were incredibly numerous and carried forged metal. By contrast Shi-zu held in his hand a large piece of sharped flint, shaped into a two headed axe and then bound by tree-gum and flax fibres to a handle of aptly named axe-wood
Mercifully the archers waited below, there was no way for Shi-zu to fend against archers. Even the light armour they wore wasn't enough to stop anything more then a glancing arrow.
I'm treating this too much like a battle he thought, I'm not going to lay my hands on them unless they enter the cavemouth, relax. Let Ji-jau's dragon do the work. Yet still Shi-zu couldn't let go of the uneasy feeling that had begun to take a hold of him. Can Ji-jau's dragon really defeat all of them?
****
Ji-jau walked up the mountain smiling, I hope the Hitachi can roar as loud as my dragon. When he reached the hot-pools Ji-jau stopped, taking note of where Hitachi's forces were- the scouts had only just reached the village then gave a little grin. He pulled from his robe twelve small diamond bottles, he pulled off the first's bamboo stopper and filled it with the powerful water, then proceeded to do the same with the second and third.
****
Ahledmin grinned, "I thought of a name for this battle."
"And that is?" Potru replied.
"Ahledmin's last stand." No-one had made it to the courtyard, but despite their apparent calm their was a tension in the air.
Potru frowned, then in his perfect monotone said; "How about something more like, Ahledmin whips Hitachi's ass and lives until his grandchildren have children."
Shi-zu, Huni and Bebe Lindo laughed. Ahledmin stroked his beard, "It doesn't quite have the same ring to it but..."
He stopped, for just a second the unmistakeable sound of stone sliding on stone had filled the night air. Shi-zu clenched his teeth in a sort of savage smile, the scouts have arrived.
Bebe Lindo pointed, at the tip of his arm sat a large boulder, on top of the boulder a small person moved like a spider. Shi-zu squeezed the handle of his axe for comfort. Ji-jau will be ready soon.
****