B??riKhan’sdarkeyesnarrowedashewatchedthemerchantsandtradersgoabouttheirbusiness,completelyexposedandunprotected.UndertheEmperor’srule,thepeoplehadgrownlazy.Therehadbeennowars,noreventhethreatofwar,inyears.PeoplehadforgottenthedayswhentheRouranshadrunrampantovertheEmpire,instillingfearwiththesimplementionoftheirname.ThefamedShadowWarriorshadcausedtradingpostslikethisonetoshutdown.AndthentheEmperorhaddefeatedtheRouranleader,andforyears,therehadbeennosignofthefearsomeShadowWarriors.TheEmpirehadgonebacktobelievingitwassafe.

ButB??riKhanwasabouttoshowthemhowwrongtheyweretobelievetheRouranshadbeendestroyed.HisfatherhadtaughthimallheknewbeforetheEmperorhadkilledhim.AndnowB??riKhanhadrevitalizedtheRourans.Itwastime,hethoughtashiseyesflickedtotheopengateofthetradingpost,forthemtobegintheirrevenge.

Turningtohiswarriors,B??riKhanraisedhishand.Twelvehorsesshiftedontheirfeetasthetwelvemen,dressedinblack,theirfacescoveredexceptforaslitfortheireyes,tightenedtheirlegsastheypreparedtourgetheirmountsforward.Inthehandofoneofthewarriorswasapole.Ablack-and-goldflagflewfromit,bearingtheheadofawolfwavingandundulatinginthelightbreeze.B??riKhanwaitedamomentmore.Hewantedtoseethefearintheeyesoftheguardswhentheynoticedhimandhismen.

Hedidnothavetowaitlong.Upontopofthewall,aguardturnedthecorner.Inthesamemoment,thewindwhippedup,snappingthewolfbanner.ThesoundcarriedacrossthesteppeandtheguardspottedB??riKhanandhiswarriors.AsmileofsatisfactionspreadovertheRouranleader’sfaceashesawpanicfilltheguard’seyes.Astheguardbeganafruitlessattempttowarntheothersoldiersandclosethemarketplacegates,B??riKhandroppedhisarm.

Inaninstant,theShadowWarriorsracedacrossthedesert.Theirhorses’hoovespoundedonthesand,creatingahugecloudofdustbehindthem.Thegiantbeastsateupthedistanceandsoonwereuponthetradingpost.Uponthewall,guardsbegantoletloosearrows.Buttheiraimwasoff,theirhandsshaky.ThearrowsflewwideandshortandtheShadowWarriorsgallopedcloser.

“Takeouttheleader!”B??riKhanheardoneoftheguardsshout.Liftinghiseyes,hesawanotherguardtakeaim.B??riKhandidn’thesitate.Hekeptchargingforward,evenasthearrowflewstraighttowardhischest.Justasitwasabouttoimpalehim,heliftedhishands,grabbingthearrowbytheshaftandstoppingit.Astheguards’jawsdropped,B??riKhanpulledhisownbowfromhisbackandnotchedthearrow.Heletitloose.

Totheguards’surprise,thearrowdidn’tflytowardapersonbutratherarcedthroughthesky,sailingoverthewallbeforeembeddingwithaloud

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inapoleinthemiddleofthemarketplace.Themerchantsandtraders,whohadbeenunawareoftheapproachingdanger,lookedoveratthearrowinalarm.

Standingnearby,atraderwearingaredfezshiftedhiseyestothearrow.Acalculatingglintflashedinhiseyeasheliftedhishandandslowlypulledalongneedlefrombehindhisear.Then,withacry,hekickedoveraspicestand.Ascoloredpowderfilledtheair,themanintheredfezbegantotransform.Hishairgrewlongerandbegantoflowoverhisshoulders,andhisfeaturesbegantomorph.Hischeeksthinnedandhisskingrewsmooth.Underhiscloak,hiswaistnarrowed.Afewmerchantsshoutedasthetransformationcametoanend.

Wherethemanintheredfezhadjustbeennowstoodabeautiful—anddangerous-looking—woman.Butthiswasnoordinarywoman.ThiswasXianniang.

“Witch!”shoutedoneoftheguardswhoseattentionhadbeenpulledfromB??riKhantothecenterofthemarketplace.“She’sawitch!”

Athisshout,themarketplaceeruptedinpanic.Tradersandmerchantspushedandshovedateachother,tryingtogetoutofthewayofthewitch.Theairfilledwithdirtfromthestampedingfeet.Standinginthemiddleofthecommotion,unmovingandunconcerned,Xianniangwatchedthechaosunfold.

Slowlyshebentherkneesandraisedonearm.Withherotherarm,shereachedintoherbeltandthen,fastaslightning,pulledoutfourdaggers.Withahawklikeshriek,thewitchletthedaggersfly.Onebyone,theysoaredacrossthemarketplace,hittingfourguardsandknockingthemtotheground.

Uponthewall,theotherguardsbarelyhadtimetoregistertheirfallencomrades.TheyweretoobusydealingwithB??riKhan.Beneathhim,hisstallion’sstrideswentuncheckeddespitetheflyingarrowsandchaosaroundhim.Withbreakneckspeed,thehorseapproachedthewall.Onitsback,B??riKhangrabbedahandfulofmane.Then,inonesmoothmove,hevaultedhimselffromaseatedpositionsothathewasstandingatophishorse’sback.Heunsheathedhisswordandwaited,hislegssteadydespitethegallopingsteedbeneathhim.Justwhenitlookedasthoughheweregoingtoraceheadlongintothewall,B??riKhanleapt.

Flyingthroughtheair,hislegspumpedasthoughhewererunning.Determination—andanger—filledhisface,andwithamightyroar,helandedatopthewall.TheguardswerenomatchforKhan’sslashingsword.Themetalbecameablurashewhippeditbackandforthwithpracticedease.Takingthecuefromtheirleader,theotherShadowWarriorsclamberedupontothewallandattacked.Theclangofswordagainstswordrangoutasthewarriorsandtheguardsbattled.

SpottingXiannianginthemarketplace,B??riKhandispatchedtwomorechargingguardsandthenjumpeddowntothemarketplacewall.Unawareofhispresence,thewitchcontinuedherownfight.Surroundedbyfivesoldiers,allbiggerandstrongerthanher,Xianniangwasunbothered.Herfacewasamaskofcalm,herhandssteady.Sheseemedtobewaitingforthemtomakethefirstmove,eventhoughshewasheavilyoutnumbered.

Seeingtheirownadvantage,theguardssignaledtooneanother.Thentheyattacked.Theylashedoutwithlongspears,buttheendsoftheirweaponsmetnothingbutair.Intheblinkofaneye,Xiannianggrabbedholdofthenearestspearandflippeditbackonthemen.Herbodybecameablurofblacksilkasshewhippedandturnedandspun.Whenshestoppedmoving,fourofthesoldierslayontheground.Thefifthwasonhisknees,shaking.Youngerthantheothers,helookedupatXianniang’sfocusedgaze,hisowneyesfilledwithterror.

B??riKhansteppedforward.Sensinghispresence,thewitchlookedover.Theireyesmet.Then,eversoslowly,Xianniangloweredherspear.B??riKhannodded.Theirplan,theplanhehadkeptevenfromhisownmen,hadworked.Hewaspleased.Theothershaddoubtedthewitchwouldstickbyhim,buthehadknownbetter.Xianniangwaspowerful,butshewaspowerhungry,too.Alifeofsolitude,keptontheoutsideofasocietyfearfulofherkind,toooftenforcedtotransformintoherhawkformtoavoidjudgment,orworse,punishment,hadmadeherangryandbentonrevenge.Andnowtheywereonestepcloser.Thegarrisonwastheirs.

Together,XianniangandB??riKhanwalkedbacktowardthegate.Behindthem,thebattlesoundsdimmedastheShadowWarriorstookdowntheremainingguards.

“Anothergarrisonfalls,B??riKhan,”Xianniangsaid,hervoiceraspybutherbreatheven.

Thewarriornodded.TheEmperorwouldnotbeabletoignorehimanylonger.TheRouranswereback—andsoontheEmpirewouldbetheirs.