Nabi!"
A raw, desperate scream tore through the small room, echoing in Hye's ears. A hand clamped into his hair, yanking his head back so violently his neck protested. From the periphery, a fist materialized, slamming into his right temple with a sickening crack. The grip on his hair tightened, pulling his head upright once more.
"Nabi…" he heard himself groan, the sound ragged, blood warm and sticky at the corner of his mouth.
Nabi's screams for help continued to pierce the darkness. As his vision slowly cleared, Hye forced his head up. The horrifying sight of four men pawing and squeezing Nabi's breasts burned into his eyes.
"Hye!" Nabi's tear-filled eyes met his, her pleas trapped as two soldiers relentlessly kicked Hye's already battered form. "Hye! Hye! Help me!"
Two soldiers swiftly pinned Hye to the floor with their boots. As the haze of pain began to clear, he lifted his head, his gaze finding Nabi, already held down by three brutal figures.
"Nabi! Nabi! Let her go!" Hye roared, thrashing against the boots pinning him. "Nabi!" he sobbed, his voice cracking. "Nabi!"
"Little missy," the soldiers guffawed, their laughter echoing. The three then began tearing Nabi's clothes, one soldier seizing her hand, the other two grappling with her feet.
The door creaked open, and Jochi entered with two more soldiers. He surveyed the scene, his gaze lingering on his men poised to commit their atrocity.
"Finish quickly," Jochi instructed, a cold glance at Hye before he exited with his accompanying soldiers.
The first soldier pulled down his trousers and knelt between Nabi's legs, beginning the horrific act. After he finished, the second soldier followed, then the third, the fourth, and so on.
At first, Hye could hear Nabi's pained whimpers, but as time dragged on, her cries grew fainter, until only the sickening, rhythmic sounds of the soldiers remained. When their unspeakable acts were done, they turned their attention back to Hye, taking turns to beat him again. Hye knew they would kill him if he resisted, so he went limp, feigning death. After a few more brutal kicks, the soldiers, convinced he was lifeless, finally departed.
After a long, agonizing silence, Hye finally opened his eyes. He slowly, painfully crawled towards where the soldiers had left Nabi. He groaned, a low, guttural sound. "Nabi… Nabi…" Inch by agonizing inch, he dragged his broken body towards her. "Nabi…" When he reached her, his breath hitched. Three knives protruded from Nabi's body: one in her heart, two in her abdomen. Cradling her lifeless form, a raw, primal whimper tore from his throat. "Nabi!" he screamed, his voice shredded and continued to sob uncontrollably.
It was early morning. Chinua looked down at Hye, who lay curled on his left side, his hands clenched tightly into fists. In his troubled sleep, he murmured the name "Nabi." She gently nudged his foot with her right boot, attempting to rouse him.
"Hey, wake up," Chinua said, nudging him again. "Hey…" Hye remained lost in his nightmare, but Khawn, awakened by Chinua's voice, looked over. He saw Hye's body trembling violently.
Recognizing the signs of a nightmare, Khawn quickly shook Hye's shoulder. "Wake up," he urged.
"Nabi!" Hye jolted upright, panting heavily, his eyes wide and disoriented.
Chinua knelt on one knee before Hye, seeing the cold sweat slicking his face. "Who is Nabi?" she asked, her voice soft.
Hye looked at Chinua with chilling coldness. "You don't deserve to know who she is," he snarled, his gaze wild.
Khunbish looked down at Hye, his voice low and dangerous. "Better watch your mouth when talking to Chinua."
Hye stood up, brushing dirt from his pants. "I'm not her slave. I don't have to respect her," he said, his eyes flat as he looked at Khunbish.
"We were never Chinua's slaves," Khenbish corrected, his voice firm.
Hye chuckled, a dry sound. "I've only heard of men having multiple wives," he drawled, "but never of women having multiple husbands."
Chinua smiled at Hye, a glint in her eyes. "Do you want to be one of my men?"
Hye hesitated, a faint, "Well…" escaping his lips.
Chinua then turned to Khunbish and Khenbish. "If he decides to become one of my men, cut off his penis," she stated, her voice even, as she turned to walk towards Haitao and the others.
Khenbish looked at Hye. "Only eunuchs can follow Chinua," he deadpanned.
Khawn's eyes widened. "Does that mean I have to…"
Khunbish frowned, cutting him off. "Hurry up and drag him away."
Khawn pulled the rope, following Chinua.
Khenbish then turned to Khunbish. "Chinua isn't actually going to cut off his penis, is she?"
Khunbish smiled, shaking his head. "If Chinua were going to cut off anyone's penis, we'd be the first."
After a long day of marching, thousands of soldiers reached the crossroads. Each division captain bade farewell, and different divisions peeled off onto their respective paths as Taban continued to lead his team directly south.
Taban halted, turning to face those following him. "Over that mountain is where our last supplies were stolen," he warned. "We have to be careful."
Haitao turned to Chinua. "What do you make of this, Chinua?"
Chinua looked, spotting a river flowing downstream. "Where does this river lead?" she asked.
"Dongnana River," Taban replied. "It flows straight southwest, passes Anpo City, and then goes to the West Sea. However, the river bifurcates there, forming the De-Lia River which flows west alongside the Chono Mountain Range all the way southeast to Tangolian territory."
Chinua turned to Taban. "Captain Taban, would it be possible to rest here tonight and leave tomorrow morning? Our troops are quite tired."
Taban saw the sun beginning to dip below the horizon. He nodded to Chinua. Turning to his crew, he ordered, "Rest tonight. Collect water for us and our horses."
Erden stepped forward. "Captain Taban, is this the place you mentioned where we'd need to prepare our own water supply?"
Taban smiled at Erden. "Yes. For the next three days, we'll be away from any river. We won't have another water source until we reach the next town."
Standing by the river, while Khunbish and Khenbish collected water for their group of five, Chinua turned to Haitao. "I remember you taught us that a river is the fastest way to transport supplies with the fewest troops," she began.
"I did," Haitao replied, "so what are you thinking now?"
"I was thinking of a diversion," Chinua said. "A diversion?"
Haitao echoed, his brow furrowed. "Are you suggesting we use this river to transport the supplies?"
Chinua walked closer to Haitao. "Captain," she said, her voice dropping, "I've always suspected there are spies in the northern camp."
"You never told me this," Haitao said, surprised.
"Do you still remember the Tangolian I let go?" Chinua asked.
"How could I forget?" Haitao replied. "You released that Tangolian spy and were punished by Prince Dzhambul."
"General Batzorig said those spies snuck into Prince Dzhambul's tent and tried to assassinate him, but failed, right?" Chinua asked.
"That's what he said," Haitao confirmed.
"There are thousands of tents in the whole camp, all of which look very similar," Chinua continued. "If there were no spies in the northern camp, how would those assassins know exactly where Prince Dzhambul's tent was?" She sighed. "I've also been thinking that the reason General Mönkhbat's supplies were sabotaged was because someone wanted to destroy the morale of the southern army. If the South Gate camp were destroyed, the Tangolian army could easily take over." She looked at Haitao. "Captain, do you know how many supplies are supposed to go south every three months?"
Haitao shook his head. "I don't know."
"Ten thousand bags of rice, three thousand bags of salt, ten thousand arrows, five hundred longbows, three thousand armors, and five thousand swords and spears," Chinua rattled off.
Haitao's eyes widened slightly. "For you to know such detail, Chinua, you're no ordinary girl just joining the Northern army for fun, are you?"
Chinua chuckled softly. "It's not that I want to hide it from anyone; it's just that I made a bet with a very high-ranking person that I could pass the training without special treatment."
Haitao smiled. "So far, you've done a great job."
Chinua sighed. "Now I understand what you meant. General Mönkhbat and his soldiers are fierce, but they lack support."
"What do you think is the best solution right now?" Haitao asked.
Chinua met his gaze, knowing Haitao likely already had his own answer but was waiting for her to articulate it. "I think the most dangerous road is the safest road. If Captain Taban agrees."
Haitao nodded. "I hope our decision is the right one."
Looking at the calm river, Chinua mused, "Only by taking risks can we truly know if this decision is right or wrong."
Meanwhile, back in the Northern Camp, within a lavish tent, Lixin was combing Dzhambul's hair. He set the comb on a nearby table, then wrapped his arms around Dzhambul's neck, peering at a map spread before them. He smiled. "You changed the order. Why?"
Dzhambul turned, giving Lixin a swift, tender kiss. "If I were Chinua, I'd use the Dongnana River as my main route for these shipments," he murmured.
Lixin cast his robe aside, then turned and settled onto Dzhambul's lap, facing him. "What if you're wrong?" he asked, placing his hands on Dzhambul's shoulders.
Dzhambul began to trail kisses along Lixin's upper chest, his hands firmly cupping Lixin's buttocks. "I'm quite sure Chinua will use the Dongnana River. If I'm wrong, then I'll simply have to keep her in the south for the rest of her life."
Lixin moaned as Dzhambul's tongue teased his nipple. "You're not afraid your father will know?" he panted, breathless.
"Afraid?" Dzhambul purred, gently nipping Lixin's left nipple. "Are you afraid to die with me?"
Lixin gripped Dzhambul's hair, tilting his head back to meet his gaze. "No… I'm even more afraid that I won't be able to die with you." He lowered his body, kissing Dzhambul forcefully.
Dzhambul lifted Lixin into his arms, carrying him to the bed, their lips still locked in a passionate embrace.