Land of the Rising Sun: Quelling the Ryu

by TheronSniper

Ch. 6 Out For Blood

The distant sounds of retreating horns echoed throughout the harbor and the surrounding habitats. Stone buildings helped guide and reverberate the haunting call which for the Neighponese Imperial Forces had been received as both victory and a ghostly wail. Carts, personal effects of civilians, and supplies from the Cinian garrison were strewn about the roads in a frantic attempt to escape capture. Silk cloth and ceramic storage jars littered the streets among the detritus of war, from earlier bombardments to the harbor by Imperial ships and the landing craft which delivered artillery pieces. The snow storm had begun to bury up to half of everything under a dusting of white, with winds gusting as predicted earlier before. Leader Nozu felt a sense of relief that none of his flyers disobeyed an order in their desperate attempt to secure captives during the operation. None had fallen and that would bring much honor to his unit which was intended to be overwhelmed at first as a sacrifice to weaken the Cinians ability to hold off the additional marine forces.

As his column walked through to the center of Dengzhou, Nozu recalled the intense battles which occurred over the past nine hours since the start. He had surprised himself in securing well over one hundred prisoners with several being high ranking officers, and yet he remained free of any tar pellet. When the adrenaline of battle called upon him he often saw the results and they were never satisfactory to him, while the extra stamina and alertness added to his ability. In the grand scheme of things it was likely the reason his unit had been given first dibs on the placement in the assault. He knew his thirst for a fight made him impulsive once the first victim was stunned, after that... it was nothing but a blur to him as the instinct of survival and greed overtook him rather than careful thought.

A flaw in himself he knew needed to be quelled and thus far he had barely made a dent into it. How long would he have before his luck ran out and he ended up sending his forces into an ambush and be trapped, an utter embarrassment and shame. So far he was fortunate to have risked everything and still come out on top with every Kirin, pony, and griffon under his command still standing. At least he had his record to feel good about, for the time being at least.

A clawed hand took a resting hold onto his shoulder that stopped him in place, "Sir. General Yasuzumi is entering the area. Messenger bird confirms it with the proper signature and magical print. Are you sure this place is safe for him?" Chihiro asked with a hint of concern.

Letting a yawn escape him as his blood simmered into normal levels, losing all excitement from earlier, "Our scouts have been checking every building for anything suspicious. Thus far none have reported back. I believe it is safe to say we are in the clear."

The elite warrior still seemed to linger on the potential of a trap somewhere, as it was his gift in his family's bloodline to sense such things, "Nozu, I must recommend that the Major use the side streets just in case. He's taking the primary route we'll be intercepting soon and it is just begging for trouble."

Sighing, "I'm aware of it Chihiro. The Major is no foal straight out of the nest either, he'll have a forward detachment of bomb detectors double checking the route. I doubt the enemy has any new ways to get past our finely trained warriors as it is." Nozu kept walking onwards with the troops.

From what they had seen, the main thoroughfares were so wide it would be easy to place gunpowder kegs in surrounding buildings and set them off with spider holes to escape through. Just like the incident a few days ago, one that made it possible to have succeeded in today's mission. The issue with that was the amount of gunpowder to bring down a Corian built structure, they knew how to craft strong sturdy buildings. Recon teams would see the amount of explosives long before they harmed the Major that he was sure of.

"If you have time to be worried about the Major General, then I believe you have enough time to keep your wits about in case of packets of resistance are still out there. Stand at your post until we meet with the Major's convoy." Nozu shook his head in annoyance.

The other cadre of elites were mixed in his response, he'd need to correct that later on before descent took root. While it was a good thing to be wary of the foe and such traps, the obvious had to be seen and recognized. Unmitigated fear was the destroyer of moral and currently they needed to be all of the same heart and courage. Their focus was to clean out the structures in their newly designated sector just as the other units were doing beyond the landing zones. For to allow their minds to go anywhere else would risk leaving a Cinian gorilla squad to cause trouble for the rest of the Imperial Army.

Gripping his enchanted Yari, causing the runes to light up out of anticipation of use and to knock out another foe for the tally, "We'll be joining the Major in one more mile! Keep your heads on your shoulders! Least you want to be responsible for letting an archer come within range of the General!!" he warned with a bellow and a slight growl to his soldiers behind him.

The snow crunched beneath each step with the lowly howl of the gusts snaking through the roadways and tall buildings. Though loud as it were he could still make out the compliance of every warrior, most noting the hint of aggression in his tone. The guttoral rumble served its purpose though he loathed to use it much, it was unbecoming of him as it also signaled a lack of obedience in his subordinates.

After capping the urn tightly, Nozu received no other problems and they swept through their area finding no hidden enemy thankfully. Had they did, code would have dictated another sweep for explosives and such, and so far the Cinians were proving to be incompetent and only desperate rather than inventive. That hospital was a revenge strike more than likely, improvised on the spot to destroy moral or for some other goal possibly to incite local retaliation against Neighpon forces and slow the war effort. Nozu knew that was a line of thought however better suited to the logicians under the Imperial Generals.

In an hour they managed to reach the intersection of the main roads earlier than the command column, letting them secure a perimeter for the leadership.

"Isamu! Have every flyer posted at the roofs of these buildings around us, they'll be able to react quickly to anything that pops out we may have missed. Chihiro, have four squads sweep the structures for trap doors! All others!! You're on guard duty! Anything moves that is not Neighponese knock them out!" Nozu commanded and his orders were heeded at the snap of the claws.

Winged kirin, griffon, and pony alike took to the blistering sky and posted themselves on high perches where they would see best, mana rifles ready or sticky bombs lolling in grasp to be tossed at an unlucky victim. Nozu admired those with such appendages to be able to see the battlefield from so far up, it offered a breathtaking view any commander would commit their all for. Of course it made them vulnerable to arrows and spell casting with no cover, their bodies were also fragile in order to allow lift off and that was a sacrifice that made such a weakness beyond his to handle.

The snow drift gave to their movements, parting away in their graceful fall like a swarm of white flies. He could barely hear their wing beats through the winter storm, yet he needed not to as he knew they were executing his tasks perfectly. The infantry mulling about were on alert with their rifles scanning with their eyes just in case of an ambush, using the flurries to mask their approach. Multi colored tails of hair and scaly extremities swayed nervously, betraying their owners otherwise steely gazes. The fires of the kirin would keep them warm in these conditions brought by the northerner, but the birds and equines needed coats and he could not fault them for it.

They were loyal to the bone and even as they shook from the freezing conditions, they were as strong and durable as any kirin. The sensation of delight of such capable assets trained by him and his elites almost made the weather nearly undetectable, as if it were sunny with a warm breeze off the bay.

"The Majors approaching!!" one of the unicorns shouted from the ring of pointed rifles, interrupting Nozu's tranquil notions.

Turning around, he noticed the incoming formation of additional kirin warriors leading the procession, unlike his own they were marching more than being on their claws in a combat zone with none checking the ground for traps. Similarly dressed soldiers walked on all fours with their mana guns resting on their backs as if the entire harbor had been declared a green zone. While the Major was a seasoned commander, it seemed odd for such laxity to be allowed even if they were heading into friendly controlled areas.

"Somethings not right...." Chihiro whispered nearby.

"You sense it too?" Isamu added.

Nozu did not detect anything off about the approaching General and his warriors, neither did the other soldiers posted on the road that the high ranking officer used. A frown dawned upon his snout, he'd have to have a word with those two about potentially putting the others on a hair trigger by saying such things. Those sent to find traps and hidden passageways should have reported about anything dangerous long ago, if they were making good time and locating such things.

His tail swayed in annoyance, even if a group of Cinian warriors jumped out of the ground now they'd be repulsed and subdued faster than they'd be able act. Not to mention the General himself rode a mighty Giant Monitor Lizard adorned with additional armor complimenting the saddle and reins. The beast took up a good third of the main pass with hearing and a sense of smell that should be sufficiently trained to detect foes hiding even in this hampering weather. With mighty racking claws, dense scales, and runic wards to protect its body temperature from cold the reptilian was an army in itself. Smart and capable of obeying orders through special commands, Nozu knew they were to be treated as equals least they became untamed wild dogs. Its dark tree bark brown head with beady eyes swayed with each step it took forward, imposing as any drake.

As Nozu prepared to report to Major General Yasuzumi with just minutes to spare before both forces were within greeting distance, a frantic call went out from one of the houses around them. Kirin and pony alike shot their heads and ears towards the soldiers pouring out of a three level home of stone and wood with statues of caricatured beasts standing guard by the doorway.

"BOMB!!" the violet hued dracony shouted loud enough for Nozu to pick up.

"BOMB!!!!" another tan hued soldier behind him hollered.

Flashes of mana rifle fire flickered behind the two panicking scouts as what appeared to be a battle raging from the lower level basement of the home. The harsh wintry gales made it impossible for the battle sounds to reach Nozu and his brigade, but his hearing also collected the screech of three griffons on the rooftops. They and the other flyers had begun to fire off in the distance, likely spotting runaway enemy soldiers as their own weapons spewed soft aqua bolts of concentrated spells. Paralysis shots they were, that specific color meant they'd scatter after a certain distance to cause a splash zone of effect.

"BOMBS!!! There's a cache under the street!" the first of the horror stricken scouts went wild as if he'd seen darkness made real.

As everything became chaotic and additional soldiers poured into the affected building to bolster the fighters already engaged in the fire fight. Nozu soon lost his hearing and sight as a pressure wave passed through his body as it did everypony else around him. He felt a sharp pain on his right leg even as he was lifted off the snow covered cobble road and harshly tossed about by a detonation. Upon bouncing for the second time, the earth sickeningly lurched from the ruptured terrain as if the planet itself reeled from the injury inflicted upon it. He felt one of his horns snap off in the tussle by the feel of it breaking, his whole body immediately surged with pain and that was all the world was too him in its muteness. Whatever happened he had not the faculties to determine what just transpired, as even when his lengthy form and almost obliterated clothing finally settled to a stop did something hard and heavy land upon him.

With his lungs forced to evacuate any air they had, refusing to let any back in even in his stunned state attempts were made. The unrelenting tinging sound filling his skull amidst the pain, even being a dracony did not guarantee to be impervious to catastrophic damage. That was the real world tugging at the little ability towards thinking that Nozu could muster, conflict over dying to a bomb or facing against a highly skilled combatant soured his taste buds even though that was bile.

Unable to even grunt, his still intact arms flailed against the chunk of stone masonry which laid upon his diaphragm. Quickly acting almost out of instinct, his one horn still in one piece gathered mana through a subconscious need to survive into a tiny ball of coursing magic over the horizontal bony protrusion. Nozu just wanted to breath again and thus that pressing thought fired off the reactionary build up, sending a strong enough force that saved his life. Though his head jerked down by the act the stone fragment flew backwards and safely away. There was still a fight to make his body work to his whims, but eventually air worked its way back into his airways and the sweet relief soothed the deaf leader.

For what felt like days to Nozu, he lay in full body aches and soreness not wanting to even move as a single twitch tripled the sensations. His nose picked up on smoke from burning wood, metal, and soon the fresh crispy arctic air as the northern front forced away the smoldering atmosphere. Dust still lifted off the ground about him, still causing the battle scene to be murky at best as he opened his eyes from the stinging particles which found their way through the lids protection.

His ragged breaths threw up additional wafts of sediment and dirt, tears doing their best to remove the foreign material out. With each blink, the devastation started to take form as the small intersection and the thoroughfare the Major had been on was far too consumed by the still rising plume of the ruination. The very houses his flyers were firing from had lost their tops and collapsed, there was no sign of his warriors there. Looking at everything from a sideways perspective had almost caused vertigo for the once healthy officer, even with prayers of protection to the four Dragon Lords Nozu still feared he'd slid along the road as if gravity worked in a different way.

By now snow flakes had started to penetrate the intense heatwave pulsing from the giant smoke pillar before him, though most still sizzled away hitting his scales. Whatever explosive was used it generated an intense amount of energy, possibly mana as the tall tale signs made sense. Thinking about it was the best Nozu could manage with what recovery began to occur. Unable to move much anymore as his body locked up in shock, he could see his kirin soldiers scattered about his vision though they were scarce in number. The ravages were just as painful to witness as he was in currently, many of whom he knew since they were inducted into the Imperial Army as youths. None of his elites were even visible, just fragments of a broken neighborhood and the casualties before the blast zone.

The ceaseless ringing pervading him though thankfully he'd gotten use to it soon enough. Another building collapsed in the veil of the wreckage, the quake it produced was all he could go by. If there were any survivors of the General's column their chances were heavily at risk from being squashed by the ruins. He still found it in himself to worry about others even though he knew little of his own state and fate.

Small vibrations were picked up behind him, even through his scales the minute amount of padding on the cobble road was detectable. The numbness since faded, Nozu discerned the feelings of hooves galloping as fast as they could.

'One set... after another.' he thought.

'It... drawing closer...' the kirin tried to move again only to be greeted with every nerve in his fiber flaring angrily.

'Uuuugghhh... pony... not Cinian... Ryu King please not... Cin...' he winced as the wash of agony died away.

Shuttering internally, somepony had reached him and nearly skidded to a fall as they swung about to face him. It wasn't a foe who'd take his life as a prisoner, nor was it a dracony of Cinian origin but a gray coated mare with two toned violet rich mane that bore the marks of the blast. It had pins and ties disturbed and out of place as her long hair hung by her neck and shoulders, she was somepony familiar to his memory but the catastrophe made it hard to piece the puzzle together.

Almost immediately as if his body had hung out for help, the sight of the saddlebags on her flanks with the mark of the Southern Dragon Lord of the East Cinia Sea set off a reaction in him. The azure Ryu stylized to the field nurses and doctors garbs and bags of white fabric, it was a charm to believed to aid in saving lives and it was a comforting thought to the kirin officer.

His eye lids grew too heavy to keep open, his lungs slowing down, the mare had a very ghastly look about her as she quickly went to administer medicine. She begun to dig out of her satchel using her unicorn magic and set out with a few rolls of gauze and salve jars. He couldn't hear her voice as she no undoubtedly tried to keep him away, her words vibrated every so softly along his armored suffering body which gave any hint to it. And then there was nothing but darkness...

Comments

[enderchangling]

Wow. That was well written.

[TheronSniper]

8413050
Thank you, I've read into the war this is based off of and continue to study the cultures involved.