Chapter 5

Prompt for Chapter 5: Find a way to mention the four elements Earth, Wind, Water, Fire in any way, EXCEPT as a list of the four elements.

Chapter 5
It had been a week since the currier had been sent back with his message of rejection; Six days since Master Cho had dispatched a messenger of his own to inform the Emperor that a usurper was at large. No illusions were held that the Emperor would come to Master Cho’s rescue. No, this was the guardian’s battle to win or lose. It was only to fulfill his obligation and loyalty to the Emperor that Master Cho even thought to send a messenger to begin with.

The old village guardian carefully dipped his tea pouch into the hot water. The morning air was crisp and clear. Villagers could be seen as small black dots on the terraced mountain sides as they planted their rice crops. They worked the earth in exactly the same manner as their forefathers had for generations before them.

Yes, the morning air was crisp and clear; but that did not keep the old master from knowing there was an ill wind blowing. The army of Lyn Nu would be moving towards the village by now. It would only be a matter of a day or so before the final confrontation. Master Cho could see the event play out in his mind. It was a scene familiar and predictable, especially to one with decades of experience.

The only unknown was the ending.

Master Cho sipped at his tea and looked forward with his mind’s eye. The young and arrogant Chieftain would lead his army from the front, certain of victory and little resistance. He would talk of the upcoming confrontation as if it were nothing; a meeting between a fly and an elephant.

Lyn Nu would try to tap down that internal voice of doubt; that slight whisper that said, “Beware, you are no match for the guardian.” This denial of doubt would actually be the Chieftain’s greatest liability. He would over compensate by boasting even louder, creating a condition where the confrontation could only lead to battle with no room for compromise.

The old man felt the burden of his Ying and Yang once again. On the one hand, he must do what he could to save his village from ruin. On the other hand, he must help Lyn Nu to not destroy himself. For one so young to have raised such an army spoke highly of the Chieftains leadership skills. It would be a shame to lose such a man to the rashness of youth.

The day passed peacefully ending with the villagers’ migration down from their rice fields. Flickering lights for the various home made shadows dance up and down the quiet street. It had been a good day made better by the daily reunion of families gathered together for their evening meal.

The guardian watched it all from where he stood. It was one of his favorite places, a small hill at the edge of the village that gave him a sweeping view of the town and the neighboring countryside. He breathed in deeply, savoring for perhaps the last time, the peacefulness of the village he had spent the entire eighty years of his life.

Now, he looked away from the village, to the south were the mountain pass was now wide open. In the darkness of night, he could make out the tiny specks of light in the distance; the evening fires of the approaching army. They would be within striking distance of the village by late afternoon tomorrow.

Master Cho, lifetime guardian of his village, felt no fear. Instead, he unrolled his mat and sat down comfortably. It was time to reflect on the richness of things. His Ying, the village, was to his left and his Yang, the army, to his right. What a wonderful life he had been given. He was humbled by the experience.

Tomorrow … he would face it when it came. To overly think about it today would be to discredit the value of the moment.

Word count 661