-Royal Palace, Kanyou-

-Chancellor Ryo-

Ryo glanced to both sides and saw only the Mitagi escort. Walking up to them, they nodded, but said, "Lord Ousen Mitagi is resting."

"I'm sure he will be willing to take five minutes of his time for me," Chancellor Ryo Fui responded. "He is, after all, our guest on official business, what with the war and all. I have a matter of great... opportunity I wish to discuss with him."

The guards glanced to each other and, after a brief whisper, one stood before the door while the other quietly entered in. Ryo saw through the gap that the room was pitch black.

Another moment passed and the door opened for him to return, "Lord Mitagi said to provide him a moment to wake fully, and he will accommodate you."

Ryo nodded, "Thank you, for your cooperation. You have been most helpful."

Before long, a man from within said he could enter. The guards opened the door, and Ryo entered in.

Ousen Mitagi was a great, powerful, and large man. He always wore a black samurai mask on his face. It wouldn't surprise Ryo if he slept with it on, fathered his children with it on, and even made love (if he was capable of love) to his many wives with it on. Through it, Ryo could see dark, piercing eyes that never blinked. They were always observant, always thinking, and never revealing.

Ousen sat on a pillow by his futon and motioned to a pillow across from him, "My apologies, Chancellor, for providing you with no refreshments at this late hour... but you did awake me without allowance for preparation." Ousen's tone was biting and accusatory. He clearly did not like being disturbed.

"No apologies necessary, Lord Mitagi," Ryo sat opposite from him and put his hands together and bowed briefly in a gesture of apology. "I know the hour is late, but there is a matter I find I must discuss with you."

"Yes, my servant said you had a proposal. Now. I assume it could not wait till morning?"

"It could, but I am an impatient man when I truly know what I want. I see little point in waiting."

"I know," Ousen tapped his fingers on his lap.

A simple statement, two words, but in Ousen's tone, loaded with possibilities. Ryo hesitated. Ousen Mitagi was always amongst the most difficult to read and not quite the nicest. He had a tone of ambition to him that reminded Ryo of his own and a lethality and power just as potent.

Ousen continued impatiently, "So, tell me, before you waste more of my time. What is it you want."

"You, Lord Ousen Mitagi, head of the Mitagi family, head of the main branch, great general of Qin, general without a single failure or plot or tarnish in your long career... I want you."

Ousen tapped his fingers, "I'm listening. That is all I can offer at this moment."

"That's all I need," Ryo grinned.

-Link, Ouki's camp-

Ouki's return was met with a loud affair. Men cheered his return while officers rushed out to gather the doctors. Link left his tent and watched from a distance. With the medical tents in the center of camp, directly next to his command tents, it was easy to overhear what happened. Ouki Mitagi had fought the demon of Harken Dragmire and defeated it in one and on combat.

A part of this Link knew from rumors. The defeat of the demon coincided with Link's awakening right before Tou died in an almost ironic coincidence of timing. No one awake could have missed the great, fiery beast rise into the clouds and come crashing back down. Nor could they miss how the earth shook, trees fell, and fire spontaneously erupted. The demon's rage and fire consumed nearly half of the forest, and the spreading fire threatened to consume the other half. The Qin and Zhao camps both had to race north to escape the flames. Beyond the survivors who had been picked up thus far, there was little hope of anyone still missing to be alive. Those who were wounded and lost were now dead to the fire.

Yet Ouki Mitagi defeated it.

Though not without a cost, it would seem. Link heard rumors saying Ouki was wounded, even dying. The thought frightened him, and rumors flourished throughout camp. Men wept, men feared, men fled, and men yelled for answers. Sadly, the inner camp was closed, and no response was forthcoming. Hope dwindled at the thought that the Great Bird of Qin, The Pillar, was dying. In the same breath as many feared, others hoped. Men tried to rouse each other and speak against the rumors. Ouki was declared The Great White Fire, The Ashwalker (for he reduced the demon to ash upon walking on it), and there was no chance he would die after winning. They breathed the belief that he was the Hero of old reborn and the Triple Goddesses themselves stood among them.

Conflicting gossip made it all very hard to tell what was what.

Link entered the crowd. He struggled and pushed his way to the front where much-taller men would not block his view. Still, he saw nothing. The personal guard did not allow anyone through the barricades, let alone some teenager temporarily at the lowest officer rank. Link focused his Gift so a seamless moment passed by. During that brief time, he was able to move literally before anyone saw him. Afterwards, Ouki's men were so busy looking beyond the barricade they did not think to look behind. No one stopped Link's path until he was at Ouki's tent. A guard posted in front grabbed Link in a grip of iron and tried throwing him out. However, Link isn't the quietest of prisoners.

Ouki heard the yelling and peered out. He ordered the guard to allow Link in.

"Sir, he is a 100-man officer!" The guard protested.

"I said, allow him in," Ouki repeated himself.

"There is only so much leniency one can allow for one so low!"

"And I will decide how much is too much," Ouki assured him. "Allow the boy in. He answers to me and me alone."

The guard looked between Ouki and Link, huffed his frustration, and let go of Link's arm. Link then rubbed his arm, gave the guard an equally frustrated glance, and entered Ouki's tent.

"Here to check up on me, Link?" Ouki wondered.

Around Ouki were doctors, servants, personal guards, and the Englishman. The commanders weren't even present, only a few men. Ouki was in his undergarments while being attended to. Were it not for the nauseating amount of muscle on him, or the awe-inspiring number and intensity of scars covering his body, Link might have been squeamish over the man just short of naked.

"How can I not? First, I hear my idol is dying, but then I see hope being restored in your achievement. Yet in the same breath, others continue to lower hope due to your injuries," Link replied.

"Yes, morale is a hard thing to balance. The truth is simple: I am not dying, but I am injured," Ouki said. "However, even admitting injury, with hope and morale in such a delicate state, can be a fault of its own far beyond just mine."

Link gulped, "How bad is it?"

"As you can see, I have burns. The burns are unnatural, but not extensive. I can be healed by our new Fae allies on my return. Their water's healing is a miracle given form. This is the greatest injury, and the other is to my arm. In wielding the Spear of Nayru to its-my greatest-potential, and throwing it as far as I did, I pulled my shoulder."

Now that he mentioned it, Ouki held his arm and winced whenever a doctor attended to it. They inserted needles into his nerves and applied ointments to aid in the healing.

"Doesn't sound so bad," Link said hesitantly.

Ouki smiled widely, assuring Link. "You're right! It's not. Still, it must be attended to. So be appeased, young Link. I will make my triumphant return shortly and all will be put to rest. I cannot allow the army to see me in this state. Just the sight of me... almost naked... in front of so many young, strapping men... Hmmmmmmmm," He hummed sensually.

Link felt sweat form on his brow. He may have made a mistake in coming here.

"But that, as you can see, is dealt with. How about you, Link? Your command was listed among those with casualties. Refresh my memory, how many are left? You started with a full one-hundred, if I recall."

"There are five left," Link answered. "All wounded and won't be able to join in the war any further. Except for me." Link put a hand on his stomach and looked down at his injury, "My own sword, left to me by my deceased sister, was shattered into my stomach. It was almost like her second death, shielding me with her own body. But she also scarred me permanently. Tou, a man like my own brother, died after carrying me here, while I was a helpless baby on his back. My men died to buy my escape. They all died because I was ambitious and thought I could... stop Harken on my own."

Ouki stayed silent as Link talked.

"I try not to think about it," Link finished. He sniffed as tears threatened to come, "If I were, I wouldn't be able to take a single step forward, and my men wouldn't want that. I can't repay their debt by being dragged down with them into the ground."

"The path of the general is sacrifice, Link," Ouki said. "Many have died, and many more will, but you will grow. You and your small team looked a demon in the eye. You met a nightmare to meet all nightmares and you outran it. Nothing could possibly compare to what you did. Your team will either crack under the memory or defeat the fear and master themselves. With each obstacle, you will become stronger. With each small victory, you will gain worth, value, confidence, experience, and ultimately power."

"I know..." Link whispered. "This isn't the first time I've had to sacrifice. When I defended the princess from Zant... I used the men as pawns to keep her alive."

"Good thinking," Ouki nodded.

"It doesn't feel like it."

"The problem, Link, is you blame yourself. Soldiers fight knowing they might die, but they die with a hope that it will achieve a purpose greater than themselves. They keep a throne secure, keep loved ones safe, or stop an invasion. A general takes that hope and assures it. The truth is, I don't blame the invaders or the defenders. It is war. That is the time we live in."

"So the age is to blame?"

"It isn't that easy. If there was any singular person to blame, killing him would end the war. If there was a singular concept to blame, the scholars would have discerned it. The truth is, this is how people are. There was a time of peace, but it speaks much of people when the death of a single man five hundred years ago set us into a war continuing into five hundred years later. A war amongst thousands of nations that eventually became seven. How many have died because the Wise Tyrant, Rebellious Hero, and The Demon King fought? Link... do not think about it. Be content with the scope of your reach and do the best you can to do what is right within that reach. If you try to overthink your station, to think on the level of kings and philosophers, you will only drive yourself mad."

A soldier at this moment ran in and dropped to his knees in a bow. "General Ouki!" He gasped out. "There is smoke to the north! The sounds of battle are in the wind!"

Ouki waved off the doctors, "That is enough. It looks like my plan has come to fruition. Englishman, prepare me."

Link looked at him curiously. Ouki stood and his men set on him his armor. The night had long passed, and it was a new day. It seemed there was more to the war now.

"Link, return to the medical camp. If the doctors allow it, you may return to the war. The final phase has come," Ouki proclaimed. Link silently bowed and left.

Ouki sighed. He was tired, exhausted, and he had not spoken truthfully of the intensity of his injury. His throwing arm was numb and tingling.

"I truly cannot grasp how you can dote on him, sir," The Englishman said.

"I understand your concern, but it is not for you to know."

Ouki stepped out into the broad daylight, and at his appearance was a thunderous cheer. Ouki took up his spear and pointed south to where a fire was still lit.

"Look south, all of you!" Ouki announced. "The Zhao thought they could entrap us! Catch us like spiders in a forest catching a fly! But look north!" Ouki pointed his spear north. "Look how there is smoke! It is us that has entrapped them! Some of you may be curious, noticed something off, and asked yourself, 'Where was General Moubu? Where is that dog?' Well, gentlemen, there is your answer! General Moubu is known as a dog for a reason! For when he catches a scent, he never lets go! I knew Harken would seek to use his unnatural strength against us, as a beast is hidden in the forest! I knew Zhao would capitalize upon it, use it! All we had to do was flush them out and, like a good dog, Moubu was waiting! Zhao is exhausted from this invasion! They fought city after city, fortress after fortress, and Bayou for days before we ever met them! And now, we have come upon them when they are dwindled, without hope, and exhausted! It is time to take them to the slaughter! Harken thinks he can defeat us with a demon? Let's show him how wrong he is!"

The men roared until the earth shook and, under this momentum, it took little effort to get them to organize into battalions and charge. The Zhao, in escaping both the demon and Ouki, had failed to flee far enough. They had stopped to lick their wounds and check on their remaining numbers and failed to notice Ouki had split his army in two. Ouki, with his perception, fought them in the forest in their own terms and won. Moubu, like a relentless bulldog with a taste for blood and set off the chain, circled around the forest and came upon Zhao without warning or mercy.

"Let's finish this war."

Ouki gathered the men and marched against the Zhao. He left a single part back with the medical camp with the order to evacuate to Bayou. Link joined the army once more, this time without any soldiers under his command, to help with what little he could.

The Zhao suffered deeply as the Dog of Qin, Moubu, bared his fangs and bit deeply into their ranks. Before they could respond, he had killed yet another one of their generals. When at last they could organize and respond, Ouki came upon them from the other side and sandwiched the Zhao in between.