Hyru

Day 24

	Kinshiro was at the main Kin Shi Tal base  
located near the coast of Dunnhizigyz.  The evacuation
plan was going well and since the Kinshou army had not
arrived everybody assumed the defense line at the KST 
sub-base had slowed them down a bit.  After the plan had 
been drawn up and orders were given out, everybody 
jumped into action.  The lower ranking members were sent 
around the base looking for everybody that didn't hear 
the orders and were told what they were to do.  The 
second duty of the lower ranking members was to collect
all food that the Kin Shi Tal had stockpiled and take 
it to the back-up base and then remain there.  The 
higher ranking members were to take all the weapons at 
the base to the back-up base and wait for further 
orders.  The officers that stayed at the base to oversee
the final evacuation and to tie up any loose ends were:
Kinshiro, his personal guard, a small contingent of 
soldiers just in case the black army was to show up 
before the evacuation had been complete, and several 
scouts to keep watch at the front of the base.  
	Kinshiro was talking with the tactician Binsen about 
future plans to get information on the Kinshou army.  
They had both come to the conclusion two teams needed 
to be sent in covertly to the Prison #1 where the 
Kinshou army had come from and to the Island of Kinshou where the army
had originated.  Kinshiro mentioned that it would
be wise to try and team up with other clans like Spyre 
or the Shadow because with their combined talents maybe
they could have a chance of defeating the Kinshou army
and gather lots of intelligence.  Suddenly they were
interrupted when General Pang burst into the room, "The
Kinshou army will soon be here!"  Kinshiro glared at him
and said, "That's good to know but how did you get here
alive?"  "What do you mean Kinshiro?  I was at the 
sub-base watching the defense line and when it looked 
like it wouldn't hold I left to give you the message and
as I was leaving the army split into two groups." 
"You deserted your post!?"  "No.  I just saw that it was
hopeless and that the army was changing tactics so I 
figured the best thing was to relay the 
message that they would soon be here."  "In other words
you deserted them!  You could have sent a lower ranking
member with less skill to give me the message and stay
on the front lines commanding where you belonged.  
Instead you fled like a coward not dying in battle and 
leaving your men without a commander.  There is only one
punishment I can think of to fit your dishonorable act."
General Pang looked down at his feet and said, "I know
imprisonment at the new base."  Kinshiro drew his war
ax, "No.  DEATH!"  General Pang quickly looked up as 
Kinshiro buried his ax into his forehead.  The ax 
cleaved straight through Pang's head and into his brain,
killing him instantly and making him drop to the floor.
Kinshiro put his foot on Pang's body to keep it still as
he pulled his ax from Pang's head, which squirted blood 
out of the deep gash making a pool form at Kinshiro 
and the tactician's feet.  "Shall I clean up this mess 
and take his body to the new base for a honor burial?" 
Binsen said.  "No leave it here to rot.  In our 
clan we give no honor to men such as him. The Kinshou 
army will come and crush it along with this base, so I 
don't see the need to clean it up anyway," Kinshiro said
whipping his ax off on General Pang's pants, "We have 
more important things to worry about now.  Is the 
evacuation complete?"  "About half of the lower ranking
members have made it to the back-up base and the other
half are almost there."  "What about the higher ranking
officers?"  "They are almost ready to leave."  Kinshiro
nodded his head, "No more time to worry about the
weapons.  Tell them to take what they have and leave.
Me, my personal guard, and the acting soldiers will
try to give the members still needing to go some 
cover.  We will stall the Kinshou army for as long as 
we can."  Binsen stammered for a minute, 
"But...sir!"  "No buts soldier!  You are wasting time! 
Just give the order out!"  Binsen reluctantly 
left and gave out Kinshiro's command.  Soon all the 
members were on their way to the back-up base, leaving 
Kinshiro and the remaining soldiers at the base.
	Kinshiro and his few men were at the front of
the base with two lookouts on top, watching
for the army to come.  They soon realized they didn't 
need scouts as they felt the ground start to shake.  
"This army must be huge!"  A Kin Shi Tal member said.
"We don't stand a chance!" Another said.  "We should 
run!"  The other said.  "No.  We will stand our ground
and fight with our last ounce of blood like our 
ancestors did.  They fought until all their enemies were
dead and our clan survived.  We may not win and we may
even die but our ideals and clan will live on to one 
day kill the Kinshou army.  We will give the other 
members the chance to carry on and our fight will not be
in vain.  For the Kinshou army may kill us but they will
never DEFEAT US!!!!"  Kinshiro yelled.  The rest of the 
soldiers yelled battle cries and raised their weapons 
high into the air.  Just then the Kinshou Army could be
seen in front of Kinshiro and his men.  Kinshiro raised 
his hand for a second then abruptly lowered it, 
"ATTACK!"  The Kin Shi Tal soldiers responded and ran 
toward the Kinshou army with weapons drawn.  The scouts 
on top of the base jumped down also ready to fight.  
Kinshiro himself watched his soldiers run to obvious 
defeat and death.  He pulled out his great war ax handed
down through the ages by the many powerful and 
magnificent leaders of the Kin Shi Tal.  It was said 
that this ax had originally belonged to the founder of 
the Kin Shi Tal.  It had served Kinshiro well and was
one of the most potent weapons on all of Monic.  
Kinshiro held it up and said a prayer to the Overseer 
before priming it and rushing to his clan's destiny.
	Kinshiro neared the Kinshou army and saw 
many of his men already dead and only a few soldiers 
remaining.  He pulled his ax to the side and swung it 
toward the head of a Kinshou knight.  The ax cleaved 
straight through severing the head from the body.  A 
Kinshou knight came at Kinshiro with his sword raised 
high.  Kinshiro took another swing with his ax and 
embedded it in the stomach of the soldier going through
his armor.  Kinshiro pulled it out quickly and did an
overhead slice to another knight cutting off his arm.
The knight picked up his sword with his other hand and
thrust it at Kinshiro who blocked it with his
ax.  Kinshiro turned around, blocked another attack
with his ax, ducked, and then held up his ax to ward off 
more attacks.  Kinshiro jumped back and then spun his 
ax over his head getting read for another attack.  He 
went for the Kinshou knight with one arm and tried to 
decapitate him.  The ax flew through the air but when it
met its target, the ax broke in two.  There was a loud
thunder clap sound as the ax broke and shards of metal 
flew from the ax as it splintered in half.  All Kinshiro
was left with was a small piece of the ax blade on one 
side of the hilt.  He looked toward the Kin Shi Tal 
base as several Kinshou knights drove their swords 
through his body.  About six blades pierced through his
chest and neck, sticking out his back.  The knights 
pulled their swords out and Kinshiro fell to the ground 
to rest in a pool of his own blood.  Kinshiro caught a 
glimpse of the Kinshou army as they pillaged and
destroyed the Kin Shi Tal base but he didn't die with 
pain and regret but with pride, honor, and happiness. 
He knew the sacrifices of his men and him would help the
Kin Shi Tal to carry on and survive.  The only thing 
left for him to do was to die and join the honored dead
of his clan in the great beyond...       
	Meanwhile on a trail not far from the Kin Shi 
Tal base, the rest of the Kin Shi Tal were making their 
way to the Kin Shi Tal's back-up base.  A few of them 
had already made it to the base and were preparing
it by setting up defense lines and outfitting it
with things needed for a functional base.  They were 
trying to transform it into the new Kin Shi Tal base 
and since it had not been used yet it needed to be 
worked on.  On the trail the Kin Shi Tal soldiers were
running as fast as they could to try and make it to 
the new base just in case the Kinshou Army had made it 
past the Kin Shi Tal base.  Binsen was at the front 
of the troop of soldiers and was shouting out commands 
of what they were to do upon arrival at the base.  As 
they marched up a hill and were about to get past the 
horizon, Binsen saw a horrible site.  Up at the top of 
the hill were 20 Kinshou soldiers spread out in front 
of them to block the path.  "Halt!  Kinshou knights 
are at the top of the hill!  Drop what you have and get 
ready to fight!"  Binsen yelled.  The soldiers quickly
obeyed and then went with Binsen to the top of the hill
where the Kinshou knights were waiting.  As if they were
all joined telepathically, the Kinshou knights pulled
out their swords simultaneously.  Binsen wondered how 
these few soldiers could have made it here without being
held up by the Kin Shi Tal defense line at the base.
Then he remembered back to what General Pang had said.
"Of course.  General Pang had said the Kinshou Army 
split into two groups.  This group was probably sent out
to stop any escape from the base.  You have to 
appreciate the efficiency and cunning of the Kinshou 
people.  But no time to praise the enemy now," thought 
Binsen.  He stopped his soldiers for a moment and 
called out to the lead Kinshou knight, "Move out of our 
way and you will not die!"  The knight at the front 
of the Kinshou line yelled back, "We have no intentions
of moving from this spot.  Here we stay under orders 
from our superiors.  If you try to pass, we will kill 
you.  Your only option is to stay or run back to your 
base."  Binsen clenched his fist in anger at the 
cockiness of the knight, "You are outnumbered.  There 
are only 20 of you but over 100 of us.  You cannot win.
The odds are against you."  The knight raised his 
face plate and Binsen could tell it was a woman, "You 
fool.  Have you not seen or heard of how easily we kill
any of you Anihc people.  You pose no threat to us.  My
men could kill you now by ourselves if we weren't under
orders to hold our position."  Binsen pulled out his 
metal staff, "I don't believe you.  But I guess we will
soon find out if your boast is true or not.  ATTACK!"  
Binsen pointed his staff forward as he yelled and the 
soldiers quickly formed several attack lines and took
off toward the Kinshou soldiers.  Binsen reached the 
lead knight he had just talked to and swung his staff 
toward her head.  She ducked it and her blade flashed at
his stomach but Binsen blocked it by quickly pulling his 
staff down.  Binsen then swung the staff at her legs as 
he took a step back in an attempt to knock her off her 
feet.  She jumped the attack and sliced downward with 
her sword.  "By the Overseer!  That armor must weigh 
hundreds of pounds!  How could she have jumped that?"  
Binsen thought as he got down on one knee and held his 
staff up to block.  The sword came crashing down and 
was stopped by the staff.  She bared down trying to 
break through Binsen's metal staff.  Binsen struggled 
to get up while keeping his staff raised but was soon 
surprised again when the sword suddenly broke through
the staff and sailed down to strike him in the shoulder.
Binsen crouched down on the ground holding his bleeding
shoulder and looked up at the Kinshou knight from whom
he had received the blow.  "You people of Anihc are 
strange indeed.  You still 
fight even though you continually get defeated.  Why? 
It is a quality my people lack.  When we fight an enemy
several times but lose each time we realize there is no
path to victory.  It is better to give up and submit  
then risk further death and bloodshed.  I will give you 
one last chance to surrender," the knight said.  "Never.
You are going to have to kill me first before I will 
ever give up like a coward.  You will never understand 
why we keep fighting.  There is always a way to win no
matter how great the enemy or the odds.  You just have 
to keep fighting until you find it,"  Binsen said 
through gritted teeth.  "I disagree," the knight said as
she swung her sword cutting off Binsen's head.  She 
then looked up and saw that all her men were still 
standing and the Kin Shi Tal soldiers were taking a 
beating.  When the head of Binsen hit the ground in a 
shower of blood and the Kin Shi Tal soldiers saw it 
roll down the hill, they all put away their weapons 
and retreated back the way they had came.  Whether it 
was from fear or the loss of their commanding officer, 
the soldiers wanted to get away from Kinshou knights 
and find another way around them so they could re-group
at the new base and plan a better attack.  The Kinshou
knights looked at their commander, Shala, and waited 
for her orders.  Shala looked down at the man, Binsen,
who she had killed then she looked at the running 
Kin Shi Tal soldiers.  "After them!  They will not 
escape the Kinshou Legion!"  The Kinshou knights 
marched forward with Shala at the lead, in pursuit of 
the fleeing Kin Shi Tal.  
	As the Kin Shi Tal neared a fork in the trail 
where they could escape, a vibration could be felt.  
They stopped in their tracks and saw a much larger 
battalion of Kinshou knights coming toward them from 
the front.  Several Kin Shi Tal shuddered then turned 
around to see the 20 Kinshou knights they had just 
left coming from behind.  They were surrounded with 
nowhere to go.  Standing their ground was suicide, but 
so was fighting either group of Kinshou knights.  The
Kin Shi Tal stood back to back determined not to 
surrender.  The black army all raised their swords 
as they neared the Kin Shi Tal.  The end of the Kin Shi
Tal was coming soon.  But just as they were about to 
battle, the whole forest was suddenly veiled in shadows.
It grew so dark nobody could see anything, not even the
ground they were standing on.  Shouting could be heard
and then a strange noise echoed through the forest and
when the shadows were lifted, all the Kin Shi Tal people
were gone...