17 Bend The Knees

It was early in the morning when Chinua went down the mountain road, but then she decided that since she had left the training camp, she would go to the nearest village to observe. She strolled along the small dirt road with many rice fields on her left. She knows that because of winter in the north, you can only harvest once a year. Farmers are already working in their fields. The voices of many woodcutters already echo with the morning chirping of birds. As Chinua approached the village, she could see many people selling their goods on the street.

By this time in the morning, Chinua was very hungry because she had only eaten two yam roots for the past two days. With her, she has no money. She stood looking at the many people in the street, and she could smell the fresh, warm goat's milk and the steamed food in the early morning's air. She decided to keep observing until noon, and then she would walk back to the camp, and maybe Khunbish and Khenbish would find her on the way back.

"These junks are for children; how dare you sell them on the street!"

"What do you mean? It's not junk!" Hye looked up at the man. "If you don't want it, leave it alone."

Chinua saw the calm youth still patiently carving his wooden toy on the table next to the toy on the black mat.

The man smashed a small crossbow heavily to the ground and said, "I won't buy this piece of junk, even for a single piece of copper, nor four pieces of gold."

Hye said, "Well, if you don't want to, then move along the road."

The man kicked the small toys on the mat on the ground, turned around and left.

Hye looked at the man's back and muttered to himself, "Brainless." He quickly picked up the toys and put them back on the mat.

Chinua looked at the many toys on the mat, some she had never seen before. She squatted down and picked up the crossbow and asked, "How much is this toy?"

Hye looked at Chinua and said, "Four pieces of gold."

Chinua was taken aback and looked at the little toys that were worth as much as a house. "What makes this toy so special as other children's toys?" she asked.

Hye continued to carve his toys on the table, saying, "All these toys cost four pieces of gold each. Take it or leave it."

Chinua said, "I have no money, but I am very interested in your little crossbow. Can I exchange my ring for this? My ring is worth more than four pieces of gold." She took out the ring and handed it to Hye.

Hye picked up the ring and looked at it for a while. He said, "This ring is no ordinary ring. Where did you get it?"

Chinua said, "My brother gives it to me."

Hye looked at the ring and said, "This ring is worth more than four pieces of gold. I can't accept it."

Chinua said, "Then I'll buy all these toys."

Hye looked at Chinua who was determined to buy the crossbow. He picked up the two toys he had just carved and walked to the mat. He packed all the toys, wrapped them in black cloth, and handed them to Chinua.

Chinua smiled and said, "Thank you."

"Wait," Hye said when Chinua was about to leave. He handed her a small bamboo tube. "The remaining arrows."

Chinua smiled excitedly, "You even carved small arrows for this crossbow, so excited."

Hye asked, "What's your name?"

Chinua said, "Chinua."

Hye said, "You must be a soldier?"

Chinua said, "Unofficially at the moment, I'm a new recruit. I have not passed the final exam yet."

Suddenly, everyone rushed towards a large area.

Chinua asked, "What's going on?"

Hye said, "I don't know."

Chinua stopped a woman and asked, "What's going on?"

The woman said, "There is a shooting competition over there. Whoever wins will get himself a jar of silver."

Chinua slowly followed the villagers towards the shooting range. She noticed that Hye was following her too. She turned and asked, "Are you going to the shooting competition too?"

Hye said, "You brought all my stuff, I have nothing else to sell."

A merchant walked over and said, "Gentlemen near and far, we are going to have a very wonderful performance today." He pointed to the people on the opposite side. "There are numbers on the target." He pointed. "The slave can only take as many steps as your arrow falls on the number. When the slave reaches the finish line, you can take the pot of silver. One coin will give you one arrow."

A man stood up and threw a silver bar at the merchant. The man smiled and said, "How many arrows will you give me?"

The merchant said, "Sir, this will give you twenty arrows."

The man stood up and took up the bow and arrow. He chose slave number four. The first arrow missed the target that stood fifty yards away from the starting line. The arrow fell a few yards from slave number four. He drew a second arrow, which hit the outer ring, indicating that the slave would not take a step. The man became frustrated and started shooting from side to side until he reached for the last arrow and the slave was only halfway through the field.

The man angrily shot the arrow into the slave's chest, the slave slowly fell to the ground, and everyone around the shooting range took a deep breath. He threw the bow on the ground and threw a silver bar at the merchant. "It's for that dead slave," he said.

From Hye's face and clenched fists, Chinua knew that the slave standing in front of them might be someone Hye knew. Chinua asked, "You know that slave?"

Hye said, "That's what happens when a kingdom falls. Those who suffer the most are ordinary citizens who fought no war. When King falls, another king rises. In the same land, a fallen king will become a slave, and a rising King will remain in power." He gritted his teeth. "It's all because of some greedy men who cherish his golden chair more than the lives of ordinary citizens."

Chinua asked, "Which kingdom did those slaves come from?"

Hye looked at Chinua and said, "Wailldom Kingdom."

Chinua said, "But it was the King of Wailldom who decided to attack Nue-Li City. In that war, the king of Wailldom ordered his men to kill everyone. After that, the entire Nue-Li City was littered with corpses."

"Do you think it's fair that the citizens of Wailldom should face the same fate as the citizens of Nue-Li?" Hye asked.

Chinua turned to Hye, "What do you mean?"

Hye smiled bitterly and said, "So, you don't know the full story?"

Chinua said, "What's the full story?"

Hye said, "Has it been written in the history of Hmagol that Prince Dzhambul ordered his soldiers to kill, rape ordinary citizens and surrendered soldiers? Or is that part not written?" He grinned at Chinua.

Chinua was taken aback. No such event has been recorded in Hmagol's records. Chinua shook her head and said, "There is no record."

Hye said, "Then I supposed there will be no record of boiled and burned people alive. Decapitate people and leave them to slowly die." He turned around. "At least the soldiers of Wailldom only kill, not torture." He turned and left.

Chinua grabbed Hye's arm. She asked, "Are you going to save them?"

Hye said, "Saving a slave makes you a slave. I don't think you've ever heard of that too?"

Chinua said, "Give me five coins and I'll save them all."

Hye said, "Little girl, go home, this is not a place for children to play." He turned around and started walking away.

Chinua said, "If I can't free them all, I'll be your slave." Hye turned around and faced Chinua. Chinua approached Hye. "Do you dare to bet with me?"

Hye walked over to Chinua and said with a smile, "Little girl, you have the guts. Your chance of getting yourself a husband is greater than your chance of releasing those nine people."

Chinua said, "If I can free them, you will sell me your life." She looked Hye in the eyes. "Do you accept?"

Hye looked at this young woman who was taller than any woman he had ever seen. He saw the firm look in Chinua's eyes. He opens the palm of his right hand with five silver coins. "I accept on one condition," he said.

Chinua said, "What?"

Hye said, "You can never harm surrendering citizens or soldiers."

Chinua took the five coins and said, "I agree." She went to the merchant. "I want five arrows."

The merchants said, "Only five arrows? Are you sure, young man?"

Chinua said, "I only need five."

The merchants handed Chinua five arrows. Chinua grabbed the five arrows and the bow and then walked to Hye's side.

"Which one do you want me to free first?" She asked Hye.

Hye pointed to number ten, "Him."

Chinua fixed the first arrow to the bow, looking past the little boy standing beside the target. She released her arrow, which circled in the air and hit the bullseye. The people around her gasped.

The young boy quickly took ten steps forward.

Hype looked at Chinua who stood beside him only a length away. He stared at Chinua, who fastened the second arrow to the bow and released it, splitting the previous arrow into two.

The young boy quickly ran to the next place.

When Chinua's final arrow hit the bullseye, the little boy was just a few feet away from Chinua. Chinua looked at the boy and said, "You really don't need to take ten steps."

The merchant smiled and said, "Your archery skills are very good. Do you want this jar of silver or that slave?"

Chinua said, "I'll take the slave."

The merchant said, "Wait, let's make another bet."

Chinua asked, "What kind of bet?"

The merchant, not wanting to lose his slave, said, "It will be a very exciting bet, a bet of a lifetime." With a wave of his hand, two servants drag a man in chains into the shooting range. "See if your arrows are faster or that beast is faster."

Chinua said, "What if he was faster?"

The merchant nodded to the servant, who threw a knife to the ground. The merchant laughed, "If your arrow is faster than the beast then the beast dies, and this pot of silver is yours." He snickered. "If the beast is faster than your arrow, he will stab you in the head and the beast will be free."

"Sounds boring," Chinua said. "You're a man full of excitement, let's add a little more excitement. If the beast crosses the line and he doesn't kill me, you'll die in his place."

The merchant smiled and said, "Fine, your feet are not allowed to move from this circle."

Chinua said, "Alright."

The merchant threw an arrow and a bow at Chinua. He nodded to the two servants and let them unshackle the man's hands and feet. The beast picked up the knife and rushed towards Chinua. Chinua picked up the bow and shot an arrow at the opponent's feet. This brought the beast to a sudden stop.

Chinua looked at the beast and said, "Sell your life to me, and I promise that for the rest of your life, these shackles will never bind your hands or feet again. Refusing to bend your knees and cross that line...you will take those chains and shackles to your grave."

The beast looked at Chinua and said, "I don't believe you."

Chinua smiled and said, "I'll make you believe it." She hurriedly pointed the crossbow at the merchant and pulled the trigger.

The small arrow directly hit the merchant's left temple, and the merchant fell to the ground and died. She turned to Hye and said, "I won our bet, bend your knees."