I cough a few times and turn on my side, throwing up the water that invaded me in every direction.
I bend my knees and rest with my forehead against the cold ground... My ribs ache and my ears are ringing very loudly, both from the fall and the blood loss.
I try to lift my head but fail miserably, my arms tremble as I try to rise so I just give up and lay down... One elbow against the ground, in front of my face, and the other injured arm unmoving while sinking in the wet sand.
I look down and see some red dots... "What? More blood?" I think while reaching my fingers from the sane arm to my face, I feel some warm liquid flowing from my head and memories of what happened comes back to me.
I eventually broke my promise to Qin Luo and moved the water toward me to slow down my fall, it was a risky attempt due to my difficulty in moving big bodies of water but I was desperate for anything... It did help me avoid a fatal fall yet it didn't spare me completely, I fell in the water and turned on myself underwater quite a few times before managing to resurface... That's when I hit my head.
After reaching the shore I don't remember anything, I probably blacked out immediately.
I take a few more moments to recollect a bit of strength and rise my torso up, sitting back in my heels on the desolated river beach. I look around and locate a corpse nearby with it's upper part still intact, rising one knee and then the other I move toward it... The wounded arm tightly pressed against my chest as I walk half bent.
The soldier has lost his legs and probably died of either pain or blood loss, but the torso being in good condition means that his closet are still quite intact. I take a nearby sharp rock and take his clothes off, wash them in the water and fold them in suitable patches for me to use to cover both my wounds... I tye one on the arm and one on around the head, the cold sensation ease my pain a bit and brings me back to the present.
-Right... I need to go back...- I look around and locate an opening in the gorge from which the river flows and enter the plains, I should be able to pass from there, I just need to pass through the flooded part of the gorge so I'll rest a bit more for now and regain my strength.
...
After quite some time I feel better enough for the journey back, I take an arrow and stab some fish to eat before roasting it with a ball of fire... After giving it a few bites I stand up and decide that it's time to begin my journey back. I look up at the sky and see the sun about to set behind the cliff...
Something catches my attention, I see two silhouettes moving not too far away from the place I previously fell from. I squint my eyes and soon after their voices reache me -I did what I decided that it's best for my Army, what gives you the right to contest my men?!-
"General Cai?!" I stop in my track and look toward the direction of the voices
-The Emperor himself- replies the other who I recognize immediately, General Wu -What...?- asks the other -We already discussed this, after everything is finished we'll go back and hold a trial but now... This is where we are needed the most!-
I see two more men coming from both sides of General Wu, rising their spears against my general -What do you think you will achieve by threatening me like this? Uh?! Does the Emperor want me to revoke her tirle that much?-
-Threatening? How naive!- laughs the other man and comes forward and stabs the other man in full stomach -You're a burden to both me and our Emperor, same as her... That why we need you both out of the picture. Nobody will know how you died- he shouts with a low voice full of anger
-No...!- I almost scream at that scene but stop immediately, what use would that make anyway? That would just get me killed with some arrow in my brain, I'm too vulnerable right now. I find some debris and hide behind just in case, still keeping an eye on the situation.
General Cai bends forward and tires to attack the other man with his axe, aiming at his right shoulder, but right after laying a weak attack he gets pushed back by the two other men... Managing only to scratch the other man a bit.
-Finish him- says General Wu hiding behind them like a coward, holding his wounded shoulder with rage in his voice...
-In your dreams...!- growls General Cai while spatting blood with each word and he step back, letting himself fall -You will have to come and meet me in the underworld if you want my life so bad- he blurts out choosing a quick suicide instead of a slow and painful death by the enemy's hand.
I cover my mouth with an hand as I stare at the falling body and hide further behind the rocks to avoid being seen from General Wu who rushes to the cliff's edge and stares at the falling body, I hear the splashing sound of the water as he falls into the flood and wait quite a few minutes for the other men to leave.
I seat down with a raging heart -What did I just witness...?- my mind already jumping to find some solution to this mess, how do I even prove what just happened to eveyone else?! I can't just go back and kill General Wu without any evidence.
But more than anything... Why did this happen? I can't shake the feeling that I'm part of this betrayal.
Once I'm sure that everyone has left I leave my hideout and approach the flooded are where the body fell into. I push myself over the stone wall of the newly formed lake and jump in the water...
I begin searching around and moving as many stones as possible, after quite some time I catch a glimpse of red fabric -General...!- I shout and rush toward it with unsteady and heavy steps. I dive into the water and grab his heavy body, weighted down by the armor... I hiss with my only arm left and drag him toward the riverside, luckily he didn't float too far but it still take me too much strength to bring him out and lay him on some fallen stones.
I kneel beside him and look at the colourless face, confirming that he's really dead... I hit my fist against the rocks, once, twice, again...! Until blood starts to stain the cold surface and furious tears leave my eyes -It's no use blaming myself now, but I'm still the one to blame! Why couldn't I save him?! Why am I so fucking weak?!-
I fall on my side and roll on my back, laying beside his still body -General Cai... Believing in me in the end didn't benefit you at all... So tell me now, how do I avenge your death? How am I supposed to prove that man's betrayal?- I sigh, looking at the darkening sky -It's finally time for me to leave and fight alone, in the end I still can't run away from this fate...-
I look at the once glorious man beside me and tilt my head with a risen eyebrow -Wait- I seat back up and completely face the corpse now -Don't tell me...?- I gasp while examining the body -General Cai, after all you really are one cleaver man-.