The Sixth Seal

Xi Shi held tight to the tapestry as the man pulled her leg closer to the edge of the altar. The cross timber creaked under the strain. The soldier’s grip was strong. She stretched her right leg out to the opposite edge of the altar and used it as a pivot point. With all of the strength she could summon in her upper body, she twisted her torso until she was facing away from the man. Several other soldiers stood behind him, but because of the confined space of the altar room, were unable to flank her. She twisted her body to its limit, coiling herself up like a spring. When she could twist no further, she threw her right leg up in the air, letting her upper body uncoil, sending her leg arcing through the air. Her foot pummeled the side of the man’s neck.

He immediately released his grip and grasped at his throat. His eyes bulged and he staggered backwards into the soldier behind him. The two went down to the floor in a twisted heap. A third soldier leapt over the two, but she had already made her move. She was halfway up the tapestry and pulling herself onto the cross timber when he reached the altar. She pulled the tapestry up behind her and flung the end around the timber that held the raised roof above the altar. In a matter of seconds, she was pulling herself out of the opening and onto the roof. She glanced back down into the temple as the soldier climbed on top of the altar. He lunged for her, but wasn’t quite tall enough to reach the cross timber.

The moon was directly above her now, its silver light shining down, exposing her. She could hear movement below. By now the palace guards would have the temple surrounded. The book pulsated beneath her robes. She could feel its warmth even through the leather pouch. It pulsated in time to her heartbeat.

She scanned the grounds and the surrounding forest. She could see the forest beyond the wall. She had planned an escape from the rear of the temple. The scrub brush and ornate plantings providing the cover she needed to reach the wall undetected.

A noise at the edge of the roof drew her attention. The soldiers below had raised a ladder up to the roof and had jostled several of the ceramic roof tiles in the process. She stood, balancing herself between tiles, and peered over the edge. There was already a man ascending and several below were preparing another ladder. The man looked up just in time to see her pushing the tip of the ladder away from the roof with her foot. She watched his eyes widen and heard the air rush from his lungs as he hit the ground.

She eyed the palace wall behind the temple. It was farther away and taller than she would like it to be, but she had run out of options. She balanced herself, leaned forward, and then leapt into motion. Even with her light frame she managed to dislodge a few tiles, sending them crashing to the ground below.

She threw her arms out in front of her and locked her eyes on the wall. She knew she hadn’t jumped high enough to land on her feet, but she hoped that she had enough height to grab onto the wall’s edge. The cool night air passed over her body and for an instant she imagined she was a majestic Red-crowned Crane gliding above the treetops. Her impact with the wall brought her out of her reverie. She hit hard, but immediately found a grip, wedging her fingers into the seams between the stone slabs. With all of the strength she could muster, she pressed her toes against the wall and inched her knees upward until they were nearly parallel with her chest. She braced her feet against the wall and pushed her legs up as hard as she could. When her torso was above the wall, she leaned forward and rolled over the edge.

Soldiers rushed her from either end of the wall where the guard towers met the next course. She took a breath and stood. She could see the tree line along the eastern side of the palace. Somewhere within the forest was the horse Wang Xu had left for her.

The soldier between her and the tree line shouted something to the men below. Shortly afterward they arranged themselves in a semi-circle below her and stretched a length of fabric between them.

“Are you so frightened of me, that you’re afraid you will fall? Do you need the others to catch you?” She smiled as she pulled the dagger from her sash.

He glowered at her and drew his sword from its scabbard. “Come at me, woman, and we will see who is frightened.”

She glanced back over her shoulder. The other soldier was still advancing. The man with the sword edged closer, turning the blade slowly in his right hand.

“You’ve nowhere to run, woman.” He lingered on the last word with disgust and spat on the wall.

She smiled at him again. “So you say.”

The speed of her charge gave the man little time to react. He lunged forward thrusting the point of his sword at her chest. When she was directly even with him, she dodged to the right and twisted her body around. With a quick jab she plunged the dagger into his side. The point found the spot between his armored breastplate and his belt. She pushed it all the way to the hilt and grabbed his sword arm. She used her forward momentum to spin him around before pulling the dagger free from his body. She felt his warm blood on her hand as she tossed him over the wall. The soldiers below caught him in a makeshift net, but there was nothing else they could do. He was already dead.

The death of his compatriot spurred the other man into action. He drew his sword and ran headlong toward her. She threw the dagger at him, but the blood on her hand affected her release and her aim went wide. The soldier knocked the dagger aside with his sword. She turned away from him and raced along the wall toward the forest edge.

More shouting and clamoring arose from beneath her. When she reached the end of the wall she jumped, again throwing her arms out, but wider this time as though she actually was the Red-crowned Crane taking flight. The treetops rushed up to meet her. She twisted her body to the side and made contact with the first branch, snapping it in half with her shoulder. The force spun her around and she flailed her arms out instinctively. Further and further she fell, cracking and snapping branches until at last her hand caught a sturdy limb.

She hung by her arm from a mighty oak. Her body swung like a pendulum and all of the tiny scrapes on her arms and face made their presence known. With a few careful steps she tested the branch below her before dropping onto it in a crouching position. Taking a moment to steady her breathing, she listened to her surroundings. Her enemies were mounting up. Some of them were already in the forest.

The sounds of soldiers on horseback were getting louder. She was certain there would also be scouts on foot searching for her. There was no time to rest. She gripped the branch and swung down. The ground loomed a good distance below, but there was nothing to be done about it. She rocked her body back and let go of the branch. When her feet hit the ground, her knees were already prepared for the impact. They absorbed the force and sprung her forward in a somersault. She came up quickly to her knees and listened for her pursuers. She could hear their heavy boots on the ground as they fanned out behind her. The dense forest would provide her some protection.

She ran in the opposite direction in an attempt to put as much distance as possible between her and the advancing soldiers. Then she saw it. A white ribbon tied around a low hanging branch. She pulled it free as she ran past it. From Wang Xu’s instructions, she knew there would be another that would lead her closer to her mount.

She almost passed the next ribbon without seeing it. The white silk fluttered in the night breeze and picked up a glint of light from the moon that peaked through the treetops. She pulled the ribbon from the tree and scanned the area. There nestled between two trees was the smallest horse she had ever seen. If it had been any smaller, she would have thought it to be a pony. Save the white ribbon tied to the saddle, its reddish brown coat and short black legs offered almost perfect camouflage underneath the nighttime canopy of the forest. She approached the little horse cautiously.

He glanced her way and gave her a little snort.

A man shouted from the brush behind her and to her right. I’m sorry there is not more time to get to know each other, my friend. But I need you to run like you have never run before.

When she was upright on the little horse, she knew instantly why Wang Xu had chosen it. Despite all appearances, the horse was rugged and steady. His height was also an advantage. She raced through the forest staying just below the lowest branches. She guided the horse in the direction of the river and her rendezvous point.

The sound of soldiers filtered through the trees in almost every direction. She altered her course, navigating the horse up an incline. The horse’s hoof beats changed in tempo and pitch. The ground below them was harder, rockier. She glanced behind and could see the first of the soldiers. Had they spotted her yet?

The trees gave way to scrub brush and rocky outcrops. She could see more of the sky now. The little horse’s short and strong legs remained true as he carried her up and across the rocky terrain. She nudged him upward. The shouts were growing louder and more frequent behind her. A spear swished past her head and hit the rocks in front of her. It ricocheted and fell back toward her down the incline. The little horse didn’t miss a beat. He leapt over the splintered spear and found firm footing once more. She stroked his neck and whispered praises.

The little horse crested the incline and skittered to a halt. She lurched forward from the momentum and rolled off the horse still clutching his neck. Her feet came to rest on the edge of a stony cliff. Tiny rocks fell over the edge to the river below. She kept hold of the horse’s neck, as he pulled backward. When she was far enough from the edge, she turned the horse around.

Soldiers crested the incline and edged closer toward her from either side. The plateau they now occupied was large enough for twelve of the mounted men to hem her in, forming a semi-circle.

“There is nowhere left to run, Princess.” She recognized the man as the captain of the guard.

“You will not take me alive.” She took up a defensive stance. The man laughed.

“There is no need for more violence, Princess. Give us the book and come back with me willingly and the Emperor will forgive all. There is no other choice for you now.”

“We do not see the choices that we are incapable of.”

She slapped the little horse hard on the flank and sent him charging forward. He broke through the line and managed to knock one of the riders from their mount. She patted the book once more to make certain it was firmly in place before spinning around to face the cliff’s edge. She heard the screams behind her as she pushed her body up and outward.

Again she was the Red-crowned Crane gliding through the night air. The sounds above her faded as she hurtled ever closer to the river below.