Soldiers bustled through the corridors of Karakhorum’s court, carrying crates of dusty blades and old leather armor. They stopped, bowed to me, and went on their way. Sons fitted their fathers in the courtyard, and wives prayed for their husbands. Everyone kept glancing at the sun, watching it sink slowly closer to the horizon. We’d be in battle when it had dropped out of view.

Erhi ran up to me. “Kublai.” She put her hand on the small of my back. “I’ve seen something.”

“Good or bad?”

“I’m not sure.”

I started walking and she slipped her arm into mine.

“I saw bodies,” she said. “Lots of bodies. And you were standing among them, covered in blood. It was night. I was beside you, when… someone came for me.”

“Someone?”

She pursed her lips. “Not him, but one of his emissaries.”

“What did he look like?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t be afraid to tell me.”

“No, I mean he looked like he was nothing.” She pulled me closer. “It’s like seeing a painting with a hole burned through it. Only now, that hole was the shape of a man.”

“Why would he be after you?”

She glanced down. “Well, I haven’t told you about this yet, but when I was in the Split-Skull Forest, I was made to perform duties for…you know.”

“And I assume those weren’t just changing his bed linens.”

She shook her head. “All kinds of things.”

“We shouldn’t risk you talking about it. Not after what he did to Altan.”

“The emissaries are…” She put a finger on my chin and turned my head. “Kublai, they’re monsters. They were men at one point, but they became something else.” She sighed. “It’s just… they’re coming for me. I should go with them when—”

“No you won’t. If they’re coming for you, then they’re coming for me too.”

“But—”

I put a finger over her lips. “No. That’s final. You won’t go with them.”

She pushed my arm out of the way and kissed me, swinging her arms around my neck.

“They’re waiting for me,” I said. “Your vision said you were on the battlefield with me, right?”

She nodded.

“Then you better get ready.”

I took her hand and we strode off to the training grounds behind the court building. When we got there, Eeluk had about eighty men tugging on bits of mismatched leather armor and grunting at one another. Erhi waved the smell away from her nose. Eeluk was scribbling on a little board with a quill.

“My lord,” Eeluk said. “The men of the finest constitutions.”

One of the shirtless men burped and rubbed his belly.

Erhi raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure they’ll strike fear into the hearts of our enemies.”

“I agree,” I said. “Looking at them, all I can think about is a heart attack.”

“They aren’t what you might call conventional,” Eeluk said. “But they have the best constitutions in Karakhorum.” Eeluk scanned his list. “Undertakers, butchers, career drunkards…you get the idea. I’ll add more in the next hour.”

“Brilliant. Thank you, Captain Eeluk.” I turned to Erhi and whispered, “They need to be able to handle the trip.”

“You know,” she said. “I didn’t see any men wearing this armor dead on the battlefield.”

“Good to know,” I said, and turned back to Eeluk. “Captain Eeluk. I want you to look at this…force, remove those who are drunk, and then get me down to fifty men.”

Eeluk stopped writing. “Excuse me, my lord? We’re facing around five hundred men each time. Five hundred fresh men. We should be adding people, not cutting them.”

“Exactly,” I said. “We’re against five hundred. Defeating them with fifty has a nice ring to it.”

“A nice ring.” Eeluk paused, and then scratched out a few names on his list slowly. “My lord, it isn’t my place to say this, but—how are we even going to imagine winning with fifty men? How we going to make up the difference?”

“Don’t worry about that. We have something up our sleeves.”

Eeluk lifted his sleeve up. “I don’t.”

“I do.” I grinned and opened my sleeve for him to see.

“All I see is…you,” Eeluk said.

“Exactly. That’s my secret weapon. Don’t tell anyone.”

Eeluk shrugged and continued crossing names off and calling out their names. Men dropped the blades they’d just picked up. Some gave a sigh of relief, others almost looked disappointed. We left the drunkards to sleep it off in the bushes.

“I hope you actually have something,” Erhi said.

“Have I ever not?”

“I don’t know with you, honestly. I don’t know if it’s just you or if having that map makes you think you’re invincible.”

“Oh, it’s just him.” Batu stepped out from one of the storerooms. He’d raided it for a pair of shin guards, one glove, leather chest armor, and a wooden shield with fur around the edges. None of it matched, and half his torso was still bare. “It’s all him. That map probably made him tamer, honestly. That night-hound in the First Capital wasn’t the first wild creature he’s tried to wrestle.”

“You look prepared,” I said.

“Always am,” Batu said.

“Fall into your ranks,” Eeluk shouted. “Five lines of ten.” He turned to me and said, “My lord, if you will.”

I left Erhi and Batu to address my men. Half of them had bellies hanging over their belts, and the other half weren’t in much better shape. Their helmets were skew. Their swords were strapped to the wrong side of their belts. One man had even put two swords on his back, as if he were some kind of martial legend.

None of this mattered, however. After a day, they’d be the heroes who saved Karakhorum. After a month, they’d have songs sung about them in taverns all over the continent. After half a year, they’d be carved into the peoples’ minds as proof that a few ordinary men can defeat the Council of Lords in open combat—under the right leadership, of course.

“Now, men, this is going to be an experience for you,” I said looking the men intently in their eyes, one by one. “I’ll assuage your worried minds: you will not be facing the enemy in the field. Your struggle will be to arrive…well, alive, and looking strong. You may want to bend over and puke, but you should suppress that urge. Any questions?”

The men glanced at one another until one man stuck up a hand.

“My lord,” he said. “How will Karakhorum win the battle if we’re… not fighting?”

“You’re not fighting,” I said. “I am.”

“Alone?” Eeluk said.

“My brother’s coming too,” I said.

Eeluk blinked his eyes rapidly and set down his little list. “My lord, I don’t think you need my years of experience to tell you that two men can’t possibly defeat five hundred.”

Batu put his face in his hands. “Saying that just makes him more excitable. When do we leave? The sun’s almost set.”

“Soon,” I said. “We’ll be heading south first. But first, let me explain our travel arrangements.”

The men whispered and slowly shook their heads as I told them about the map. After, one of the men turned to Eeluk.

“Captain—did you know about this?” he said.

Eeluk nodded. “But I didn’t know you can take this many people with you.”

I tossed my bag off into the dirt. Then I slipped off my shirt and my boots, then my belt, blade, and trousers. “It’ll be a bit of a squeeze, but it can be done.”

I stopped at the shorts I wore under my pants. I wouldn’t need anything like a shirt or a sword to do what I needed to do.

“What can?” Batu said. “Should I go take a walk while you…” He looked me up and down. “Do it?”

I gave Batu a flat look. “I’ll need everyone to put a finger on my skin. Anywhere.”

The men chuckled, but no one stepped forward.

Batu was the first. He stuck a finger on the tip of my nose. “This’ll make for some gossip among the servants.”

One by one, men came forward and placed a finger on my flesh. They came faster when they saw that the best spots, the ones that didn’t have them pressed between someone’s thigh and the dirt, were getting taken.

“You look silly,” Erhi said.

“That may be true,” Eeluk said. “But I’ll remind the reluctant men that orders are orders.”

The last men came along begrudgingly.

I let the map unfurl in my hand and looked for one of the southern cities. “Brace yourselves.” I stuck my finger down on the smallest one.

The blue light took longer to envelope us this time, but it did. It craned open like a blooming flower beneath us. Blue tendrils stretched out and touched each man, pulling us into the Spirit Realm. It may have taken some time to begin travelling, but it was over in a blink.

When I opened my eyes again, we were behind a hill on an empty plane just outside the city, judging by the tufts of smoke leaking into the sky. Tall, sun-browned grass rustled in the wind. Orange light streamed from the horizon. We were early. My men looked as if they were uneasy, but most of them just rolled their ankles and breathed deeply. Batu, however, was bent over and throwing up as usual. I whistled into the wind.

“We’re…” Batu said. “We’re… early.”

“Not by much,” I said. “I wanted to give the men a few minutes to recover.”

He stood back up and wiped his mouth.

“Though it looks like you’re the only one who needed it.” I turned from Batu and chose a man who was looking around him with bright, ready eyes. “You’re my scout,” I said to him. “Lay on the top of the hill and return only when you see the city gates open and an army march out.”

The men fell back into their ranks, but their lines were rougher than before. Understandable. They had, after all, just been teleported. A few of them started praying quietly. I whistled a ditty my mother used to sing.

“Now that we’ve all made it,” I said. “We can discuss the plan of action.”

My men visibly tightened, their backs straightened.

“Oh wow,” Batu said. “We have a plan this time?”

“I do.” I looked at the sunset as light drained out of the field. The moon cast silver light over my fresh army. “And now that the Eternal Blue Sky has gone off to…” I twisted my mouth sideways and narrowed my eyes. “Eat?”

Batu shrugged. “You prayed as much as I did as a child.”

“Yes, my lord,” one of the men said. “The teaching is that the Eternal Blue Sky is away to eat.”

“I wish him a pleasant meal,” I said. “And I hope he wishes us the same.”

“We’re going to eat?” Batu said.

“No. We aren’t.” I whistled again.

“Why are you whistling so much?” Batu said. “I haven’t heard you whistle since…what was her name?”

I shrugged. “I’m whistling for a different girl.”

“I don’t know if you noticed,” Batu said, “but there’s no one else—”

Footsteps flattened grass in the distance, leaving dark spots that lingered. The soft brush of the wind was drowned by the heavy swoosh as she approached. Dog had picked up on my call.

“Oh,” Batu said, staring at the invisible beast’s trail. “Oh.”

“My lord,” one of the men whispered. “What is that over there?”

“My dog.”

“I don’t see it,” he said.

The rest of the men nodded and murmured amongst themselves.

“Be grateful,” I said. “If you could see it, you wouldn’t be able to sleep ever again.”

The man pursed his lips.

I could barely see Dog’s outline as she approached, and it was fading. The longer I spent in the Spirit Realm, the more spiritual energy lingered inside me, but it always faded.

I felt her tongue lick me from legs to chin, grating over my bare flesh like sandpaper. I rubbed where Dog’s snout was, but my fingers met some of her teeth too. “How’ve you been, girl?”

The grass in front me flattened and a dark patch popped in the moonlight. She must’ve rolled over.

“My lord!” My scout raced down the hill. “They’re marching out, an army, they’re marching!”

I nodded and started pacing around my men, between their lines and around the whole group. I made eye contact with each of them. “Men. Listen carefully. Your orders…”

I gave them the time to think over my words.

“Your orders,” I continued, “are to do nothing.”

“Nothing?” Batu’s hand drifted from his blade’s hilt.

“Stay out of my night-hound’s way for now,” I said. “She’ll tear through them, and they won’t even see her coming.”

“Then why’d we come?” Batu said.

“If their army is decimated by who knows what, that’ll just look like they weren’t fed or an unholy wind blew them off their horses or anything else. But if there’re fifty men there, swords drawn amidst the carnage, then they were defeated. Five hundred men didn’t just fall off a horse. Five hundred men were beaten by fifty. That’s what the city will see, and when I return, that’s what they’ll remember.” I turned back to my men. “You will follow Dog, but don’t get in her way.”

I could still just barely see where Dog’s eyes were, if I squinted. I approached her, and she bent her head down. I grabbed some of her fur and mounted her by the iron collar.

Batu looked up at me. “This looks…confusing.”

“I’m counting on it.” I smiled, rolling the map up tightly and tucking it underneath her collar. “Dog!” I pointed in the direction of the city gates. “We’re having late dinner today, we’re following the customs of the southern lands we’re visiting. Eat!”

She burst into a sprint. Her growling sounded like the continuous crashing of a stormy sea. Her paws dug into the dirt, and the claw marks grew with each footprint. Behind us, clumps of grass landed with a thud. Her fur smelled of blood.

The army came into view as we crested the hill. A few stragglers ran out of the city gates, but most of them were out in the open. Cavalry trotted ahead of the infantry. Their armor sparkled in the moonlight.

I grabbed more of Dog’s fur and buckled down. “Dog, go!”

The army grinded to halt as men turned to stare at what must have looked like a floating man racing toward them. Horses, however, whinnied and reared, throwing the less experienced riders off their backs and bolting off. Men put their hands on their blades out of instinct, but by the time I was close enough to see them draw…

We cut a path through them like they were little more than grass. Men tried to prod at the invisible night-hound with their spears, but Dog dealt with them with a quick snap of her jaw. Archers’ arrows plinked off Dog’s teeth—they did little more than irritate her. Blood dripped down her fur, allowing the men to make out her shape. That only made them drop their blades and run off. Some ran for the horizon, others scurried back to the safety of the city walls. I let them go. Someone had to spread the word.

My men charged into battle when they’d seen more than half the army decimated in a few minutes.

Batu rode ahead of them. “I think I like your pet more now.” He whistled. “What next?”

I pulled the map out from under Dog’s collar. “This, again.”

I waited for my men to deal with stubborn survivors who insisted on fighting to the bitter end. They put up a good fight, but most of their former army had dissipated like mist in the midday sun. My men had their senior officers on their knees, caked in dust and splattered with their men’s blood.

I hopped off of Dog. “Am I right in assuming you’re all surrendering?”

The ten officers nodded solemnly.

“Good,” I said. “Kneel before me and I’ll show mercy.”

One by one, they stood and then bent the knee.

I stuck out a hand. “Lord Kublai.”

They shook my hand weakly one by one and scurried back to the city as soon as they could. Most of them wouldn’t take their bending of the knee seriously, and they’d turn on me as soon as they were behind that wall. This, however, wasn’t for them. The city scouts would see this and report to Oktai and Batbayar—that’s who this was for.

Once all their men were gone, I unfurled the map. “Men!”

They knew what to do this time, and they didn’t hesitate as they had before. They flocked to me like mosquitos.

I glanced at Dog. “I’ll whistle. Come find me.” After a quick scan of the map, I stuck my finger on another southern city.

This time went just as the last. I whistled, and when Dog came racing over the rocky ground, we began our assault. Ranks of men fell by the dozens. Battlefields were littered with twisted armor and bent swords. First men, then entire armies fell. By the third city, my men knew when to charge and when to wait for Dog to finish. When I dropped off of my night-hound’s back, they flocked to me and prepared for the next one. We made it through city after city without a single loss. All fifty-two of us made every journey, it was becoming so routine that everyone started having their fixed spot to touch on my naked skin.

By the seventh city, hours after the first, more ravens than men were being sent and received. Word was spreading.

When we reached the eighth city, the city gates didn’t open. No army marched out. Even the archers rushed from the tops of the wall to hunker down inside.

“They must’ve received word,” Batu said, yawning.

My men were getting impatient, however. They started talking loudly, boasting about their deeds on the battlefield and showing off their stolen blades and blood-stained armor.

One of them, a young apprentice by the looks of him, approached me. “My lord, shall we storm the city?” He smirked. “We can easily—”

“No,” I said.

“But, my lord.” He shook his head, still grinning. “We’re strong enough to take whatever—”

I jumped off Dog and strode up to him. “No. There are too many civilians.”

“Civilians, my lord? All I see are enemies harboring enemies.”

“And all I see are people I’ll be ruling by the end of the year. I’d rather not rule them as the man who sacked their city and broke open their gates to let a raping bunch of blood-mad green boys run amock among them. They’re already ruled by people like that.” I put a hand on his shoulder. “If they’ve heard of us and they choose to cower behind their walls, we’ve already won.”

The gate creaked open. A single rider came out to meet us.

“Are you Lord Kublai?” he asked.

“I am,” I said.

“I have a message from Lord Batbayar.” The rider cleared his throat and unfurled a piece of paper. “Lord Kublai. I fear our relationship may have begun on sour terms, and I desire, from the bottom of my heart, to correct that unfortunate circumstance. I hope you, in your benevolent and gracious heart, may find it agreeable for us to move past these terrible blows we have dealt one another in such a short time—”

“How long is this letter?” I asked.

“I have another page.”

“Can you give me the gist of it? Don’t try and convince me you haven’t read it, though I know you’re not allowed.”

The rider smiled a little, then put the letter away. “He wants to meet. He spends half of page two on why you should meet him in one of his territories. He said you’d like crab, and his city Khanbaaliq is known for it.”

“I’ve never tried it.”

The rider smiled. “He speaks the truth—the crab is wonderful.”

“No,” I said. “I meant that I’ve never tried walking straight into an obvious trap. From what I hear, it’s not good for your health.”

Batu guffawed. “I feel a sneeze coming along just thinking about it.”

“Tell Lord Batbayar I’ll meet with him. In Karakhorum, in one week. And he can leave his crab in Khanbaaliq, I’ll be preparing the feast.”

The rider nodded and turned back to the city.

“Men,” I said. “We’re going home. We have to prepare some pork to roast for our guests.”

Batu grinned. “Never forget the good manners our sweet mother went through all that trouble to teach you.”

I patted him on the shoulder. “I wouldn’t dream of it, brother. I wouldn’t even dare.”