While the army kept their enemy distracted farther east, she led her men through the wall. They crawled, climbed, and squeezed their way through. It took hours, and they lost one man to the poisonous thorns, but eventually they emerged on the other side. She took a moment to get her bearings, sweeping her gaze across the moonlit meadow. None of the beastmen were anywhere in sight.
Maintaining stealth, they worked their way west along the mountains and hiked for miles. Halfway to their destination, they cracked open ampoules filled with a golden mist, inhaled deeply, and pressed on with magical stamina.
They crossed twice the distance in a fraction of the time. Their bodies would pay for it in the end. Last time Mulan had used such an alchemical concoction, she’d spent days rehydrating her body and stuffing her face with food.
“We’re here. This is where we must recreate the pillars according to Shang Chi’s instructions.” She spoke of the emperor’s chief inventor. Mulan dropped to one knee and removed her pack, flipping up the magic-enhanced leather to reveal the precious items inside. No matter how many objects she placed within it, it always expanded hold more without additional weight. She issued scrolls to each of the men, then they fanned out as they’d practiced dozens of times before embarking on the journey.
Has to be perfect.
She and Fan Wen each climbed trees that would be the linchpin of the entire ritual. The little sorcerer had the face of a weasel, but the whipcord musculature that made him ideal for their operation. Of all the men in their group, he was the smallest next to Mulan.
They moved in unison, smoothing enchanted scrolls against bark, ink glimmering in the night. Below them, the rest of the men in the unit hammered a flawless circle into the ground.
They had mere minutes, no doubt, until they were found. None of their amphibious scouts had ever returned across the border, instead relying upon trained animals to bring their notes and findings.
By the end, she was exhausted. Her limbs screamed for rest, and her cheeks were scratched by branches. She placed the final scroll then began a hasty descent, losing her footing twice before she jumped down to the ground.
Each of those scrolls would ignite and create a powerful chain reaction, transmuting the trunks into two pillars of unbreakable, incombustible ironwood. Somewhere in Liang, two ironwood trees would perish in their place.
Her heart jumped into her throat. The last charm had been placed at the base of the trees. “We’re done here, and we need to leave this area now. Let them discover us, not our purpose.”
“Get everyone moving,” Wen instructed. “I’ll be right behind you.”
“I’m not leaving you behind,” she argued.
The sorcerer flashed a brief, humorless smile. “The magical effect will level this entire area. Get the men clear, because none of you will survive if you’re caught within range. There’s no guarantee I will survive.”
“I see.” She clasped his arm and met his gaze. “For the empire’s honor.”
“Honor and sacrifice.”
Though her body protested, Mulan and her remaining soldiers ran under the cover of the sparse trees around them. The area wasn’t as densely forested as the land stretching hundreds of miles to the east. At any moment, a scouting griffin could have seen them.
But the Lady of Fortune was with them.
Please, Mulan prayed, touching the jade charm that had become a lucky talisman for the past five years. Let us live to fight another day.
Their unit pushed their bodies until their lungs burned. The thick, tall grass didn’t make their escape easy. All the while, she counted in her head and prayed they’d put enough distance between themselves and the transmutation site.
Exactly on time, magic illuminated the sky bright as the dawn. Mulan spun around and stared. A huge shimmering dome had spread out from their construct, leaving nothing within its boundaries but fire and ash. Even from a distance, she could feel the energy it gave off. Within a few heartbeats, the dome expanded, draining the life from every plant, animal, and insect within its confines. Within a day, it would reach full power and the Imperial Army could march through onto enemy soil.
“Hua Mu, someone approaches,” one of the men hissed.
She crouched and drew her blade. Instead of a ferocious beastman, Fan Wen stumbled into view. Smoke drifted from scorched robes that had guarded him against the potent spell, though the smell of burnt hair wafted off the sorcerer. Prior to the explosion, he’d had a glorious mane of dark hair bound by a ribbon. Now little of it remained, singed down to a blistered scalp. He collapsed a few feet away.
Mulan raced to him and knelt at his side, already bringing her waterskin out and placing it to his lips. “Stubborn sorcerer. You did well.”
“Almost didn’t make it,” he gasped.
“It will be a story to tell your children. Now come. I know you are tired, but our enemies will not have missed that.” She nodded toward the dazzling dome in the distance. No sooner had the words left her mouth than howls cut through the night.
“Move,” she ordered.
“I…I cannot.”
Mulan’s gaze snapped to the other men in their company, each of them equally exhausted as her.
I can’t leave him.
A wild feeling came over Mulan as the next howl tore through the air and a wind whipped through the sparse trees. An alien strength infused her that she’d never felt before. She threw Wen onto her back and ran with what remained of the Haste potion burning through her veins.
“You can’t get us both to the wall, Commander.”
“I can!”
The breath came from her in great pants, and perspiration stung her eyes. The men stopped to crack open second ampoules, though her heart already felt ready to burst from her chest. The beasts weren’t far behind. Soon enough, the great wall came into view.
Unfortunately, their enemy waited.
Mulan dropped to one knee and rolled Wen from her shoulders onto the ground. As feral as the assortment of werebears and tartan-clad warriors, she rushed toward an enemy with a drawn blade. The mountain of a man wore furs and green plaid instead of armor, and his mass equaled two of her. Perhaps even three.
He met her blade with his battle axe. The power behind his strike sent tremors through her entire body. As her warriors fought bravely around her, she took hope from their bravery and pushed back her opponent with a swift spin kick. Her slighter build became an advantage that allowed her to duck beneath his guard afterward and drive her gauntleted fist into his side. The poisoned spikes on her knuckles bit into his exposed flesh.
When the giant fell to his knees, Wen delivered the final blow, sending an entropic shard of purple magic through the beastman’s heart.
“Wen!”
The sorcerer shot her a crooked grin. “Couldn’t let you all do the fighting alone.”
They’d needed him, though it was clear from his shaking hands that he couldn’t provide much more help. The enemy kept coming, both men and beasts attacking. A wolf as large as a horse leapt into the fray, its pale gray fur matted with blood. The beast’s eyes gleamed red in the predawn light.
Mulan’s sword sang as she sliced downward through fur, muscle, and sinew. Yelping, the gigantic wolf collapsed to the ground, but another beast leapt over its fallen comrade in a defensive maneuver, jaws snapping. Mulan backed away but kept her guard up, choosing a tactical retreat. All that mattered was getting her men home. They only needed to get through the barrier.