17
Mulan slowed Black Wind to a trot. The steam was too dense to see through and she didn’t want to risk the big horse stumbling on one of the thermal vents that dotted the landscape. For what seemed like hours, but was no more than a few minutes, horse and rider wandered, lost, inside the steam clouds.
When the clouds cleared, Mulan gasped. The barren landscape was a riot of vibrant color. Red lava poured from vents, transforming into lines of black frozen rock as the air cooled. It was as though she had ridden into a whole other world.
And Böri Khan was nowhere to be seen.
An ear-piercing shriek filled the air. Looking up, Mulan only had a moment to register the hawk diving toward her before she was knocked from Black Wind’s back. She toppled to the ground. Her helmet, knocked loose by the impact, fell from her head and tumbled across the ground. The topknot, kept restrained for so long, came undone and Mulan groaned, her hair falling over her shoulders.
Scrambling to her feet, Mulan reached for her helmet. But before she could get to it, the hawk landed in front of her. Then, as Mulan watched in disbelief, the hawk transformed into a beautiful woman. The woman appeared strong—and deadly.
“You’re a witch . . .” Mulan said, the words sticking in her throat.
The woman nodded. She walked closer, looking Mulan up and down, her eyes lingering on the armor and then moving to the hair that now fell over Mulan’s shoulders. Something flashed across her eyes, a revelation. “You’ve kept your secret. Well done. But now you are in my way. You must retreat. Go.”
Mulan’s eyes widened as she realized this woman could see past her disguise. Rage built inside of her at being called out by the witch. “I am Hua Jun,” Mulan said. “Soldier in the Emperor’s Imperial Army.”
Lifting her sword, she ran at the witch. But Xianniang fended her off. With a wave of her hand, she sent Mulan flying to the ground. Mulan let out a shout and jumped back to her feet. She would not let the witch stop her. Once again, she charged at Xianniang, and once again, the witch brushed her away.
“Your deceit weakens you,” Xianniang said as she wrapped her long fingers around Mulan’s neck. Mulan’s heart thudded in her chest. She was weak, that much was true. Still, she wouldn’t let the other woman see her fear. She met the witch’s eyes as the woman went on. “You would be a fool to fight me—even at your strongest.”
Lifting her sword, Mulan tried to go at the witch. But in response, Xianniang wrapped her hand around the blade and lowered it. “You waste my time,” the witch said, growing frustrated.
Desperately, Mulan tugged at her sword. To her surprise, the blade came back, slicing the witch’s palm. As blood bloomed on her hand, Xianniang’s eyes filled with anger. “Why do you not listen?” she shouted.
Mulan scrambled backward. She used all her strength to keep the sword steady in front of her. Xianniang shrugged and then, pulling a dagger from her belt, threw it at her. Mulan tried to block it, but the force of the dagger was great, and when it contacted her sword, the dagger sent the blade flying from her hand. The sword twirled through the air, end over end, before landing on the ground, where it skittered across a thin crust of cooled lava that covered a nearby lake like ice.
Panic washed over Mulan. Her father’s sword! She couldn’t lose it. Not caring that she had turned her back to the witch, Mulan raced onto the lava crust. Like ice, it was slipperier than it appeared, and Mulan instantly fell, the impact causing the surface to crack around her. She knew there was no way it would hold. Not for long. But she had to get the sword. On her hands and knees, she inched farther out onto the crust as all around her more cracks began to appear.
Behind her, Xianniang stepped onto the cracking lava, her own steps so light that they left no impression on the thin layer of ash that covered the ground. Blood dripped from the wound Mulan had inflicted, dotting the black with red.
Mulan reached her sword. With a triumphant cry, her fingers closed around the handle and she got to her feet. Turning, she saw the witch watching her. “I am Hua Jun. Soldier in the Emperor’s Imp—”
Xianniang had heard enough. “I warned you, Hua Jun,” Xianniang sneered. “You will die pretending to be something you’re not.” In a flash of silver, Xianniang threw another dagger. It flew through the air, striking Mulan square in the chest.
Mulan was lifted off her feet and sent flying backward. As she came down hard, the layer of crust beneath her broke open. Mulan fell through the hole—and into the lake below.
Mulan’s chest burned as she sank deeper and deeper beneath the lake’s surface. Her hand, still clutching her father’s sword, was frozen and she felt powerless. All she could do was sink, weighted down by the armor she wore.
She saw a flash of color, and then something dove into the water above her. At first, Mulan feared it was the witch, coming to finish her off. But as she watched, the shadowy shape took form, revealing itself as the Phoenix. Reaching her, the bird turned and, wrapping its long tail feathers around her wrist, pulled her upward.
A moment later, Mulan burst through the surface, opening her mouth and sucking in air. She lay on the hard ground beside the lake for a long moment, her eyes closed as her heartbeat slowed. She opened her eyes.
Instantly, she wished she hadn’t.
There, protruding from her chest, was the witch’s dagger.
It stuck straight out, the tip of the blade disappearing into Mulan’s armor. But as she stared down, expecting any moment for blood to pour from the wound, Mulan’s eyes narrowed. Lifting her shaking hands, she pulled out the dagger. Ripping back her armor, Mulan saw, to her relief, it had embedded not in her skin, but in the leather binding she had wrapped around her chest.
In a whoosh, Mulan’s breath rushed out of her and she shouted a cry of gratitude. To think, the thing that she had used to lie, the thing that could have been her downfall, had just saved her life.
Slowly, she got to her feet. Turning around, she saw the Phoenix sitting a few steps away. The bird’s feathers were wet and she looked tired, but happy. Meeting her gaze, Mulan gave the Phoenix a grateful nod. The bird nodded.
I’ve got your back, always,
she seemed to say. And for the first time, Mulan realized how much she had needed the Phoenix, now and throughout the long journey.
Lifting her sword from the ground, she read the inscription, her eyes lingering on one word. “True . . .” she said aloud. True. Yes. It was the virtue she had struggled so much with, and yet the one she longed to embrace. And now she needed to be true to herself. She wasn’t going to listen to the witch’s words or let doubt creep in. She needed to follow her heart.
Mulan raced over and jumped onto Black Wind’s back. The horse whinnied as she urged him forward. Behind her, she heard flapping wings as the Phoenix took flight. Together, they raced across the valley in the direction of the battlefield. Her armor, loosened from the fight, fell to the ground piece by piece. The wind whipped her long hair around her face. There was no hiding who she was now. But she didn’t care. She was done pretending. The witch had seen her as enough of a threat to try to kill her. She was strong. She was no longer Hua Jun. She was Mulan. She was a woman. And she was a warrior.
As she reached the edge of the valley, she could hear the sounds of battle from below the ridge. Riding over, Mulan pulled up Black Wind. Below, the Imperial Army was trying, in vain, to keep the Rourans at bay. Soldiers stood back to back, their swords flashing in the sunlight as they struggled to fight the Rouran attackers. Arrows continued to fly through the air but they were being shot without intention as the archers simply tried to survive.
Above it all, Mulan saw the witch, once again in her hawk form. She circled above the two armies, letting out menacing shrieks that encouraged the Rourans and made the Imperial soldiers shake in fear.
Mulan didn’t hesitate. Spurring Black Wind, she raced down the hill and right into the fight. As she went, she lifted her sword and swung. On either side of her, enemies fell as metal met skin. She didn’t even notice the stunned looks of Commander Tung or Honghui as they caught sight of the powerful female warrior doing what none of them had been able to—win. Caught in the moment, she appeared like a mirage through the steam that rose from the valley floor. Her hair covered her face and her arm moved so fast that she appeared a blur.
As she raced on, Black Wind’s nostrils flared and his hooves pounded against the ground. Together, they looked like something magical. Reaching the heart of the battle, Mulan gathered her courage and pushed herself to her feet so that she was standing tall on her horse’s back. Then, with a cry, she leapt off and flew through the air. For a moment, she hung, suspended, before landing on the ground, her sword raised in front of her.
Instantly, the Rourans rushed at her. Channeling her training and focusing on her chi, Mulan lost herself in the rhythmic swing of her sword. Around her, the men she had come to know as friends fought valiantly. Honghui’s sword dispatched two Rourans at once while Yao screamed and shouted, swinging his sword wildly but effectively. Even Skatch and Ramtish were giving it all they had, kicking and scratching and throwing rocks to protect themselves.
Inch by inch, the Imperial Army seemed to gain a foothold. Whether it was the appearance of the mysterious female warrior or just luck, it didn’t matter. Inches were all they needed. With renewed energy, the soldiers continued to fight. Spotting the last large group of Rouran invaders, their arms heavy with sword and shield, Mulan rushed toward them.
In a group, they turned to face the approaching warrior. But Mulan didn’t slow. She kept running, and just as it seemed she was going to collide headfirst with the remaining Rouran soldiers, she once again jumped into the air. Her feet light and her mind focused, she raced atop the invaders, using their helmets and their raised shields to propel herself forward. In a flash, she had crossed over all of them and leapt to the ground.
Furious, the Rourans turned and started chasing after her.
Mulan allowed herself a small smile. This was what she had wanted. Sprinting toward the other edge of the valley, she ran onto a large rock formation. On the other side was a wall of steam. A gust of wind blew back the steam for a moment, revealing a large crack in the ground. Mulan hesitated only briefly before leaping. Behind her, the steam moved back over the ground, concealing the crack from view.
Behind her, the invaders’ angry cries grew louder as they saw their prey disappear. With bloodlust in their eyes, they followed, running up and jumping off the rock. But their cries of anger turned to fear as they fell, one by one, into the deep crack just beyond the rock. The crack, formed from the pressure of the lava, billowed steam upward as it pulled the Rourans down. In seconds, the invading warriors had been lost to the earth.
On the other side, standing with her sword still raised, was Mulan, ready for the next onslaught. Across the crack, the rest of the Imperial Army arrived, their eyes wide as they realized what she had done.
Hearing the pounding footsteps of dozens of men, Mulan turned to see another group of invaders rushing at her from the opposite direction. She lifted her sword. But before the Rourans reached her, they came to a skidding halt. Dozens of pairs of eyes landed on her and then peered into the steamy crag beyond. She saw them take in the Imperial Army standing behind her, swords high.
And then they turned and ran.
In the space that followed, the only sound Mulan could hear was her own pounding heart. They had done it! She had done it! They had held off the northern invaders.
But her victory was short-lived. The Imperial soldiers had not even given a shout of joy before the shriek of a hawk pierced the air. Looking up, Mulan saw the witch circling faster and faster as she watched the invaders run like cowards. Mulan knew the witch was the real enemy. Reaching behind her back, Mulan grabbed her bow and notched an arrow. Taking aim, she let it fly.
The arrow soared through the air. Mulan held her breath and waited. As she watched, the hawk turned. For the briefest of moments, it seemed like Mulan’s arrow would do its job. But just before the arrow hit her, the hawk transformed, splitting into hundreds of smaller birds.
They filled the air, blocking the sun as they hovered. Then, in one fell swoop, they moved in for the attack. Loud shrieks filled the air as the birds dove at the Imperial Army. The men ducked, trying to fight off the creatures. But the birds kept coming.
“Tortoise formation!” Commander Tung cried, his voice cutting through the shrieks of the birds and the men’s screams.
As the soldiers gathered together, lifting their shields above their heads so they resembled the shell of a tortoise, Mulan scanned the horizon. Her eyes widened as she spotted movement on the ridge of the snow-covered mountain that dominated one end of the valley. Atop it, she noticed dozens of Rouran archers readying their bows. Her eyes grew wider as she saw a large trebuchet being moved into position. The wooden catapult would take out dozens of Imperial soldiers in a single shot. The sling could hold a huge rock or dozens of smaller ones. It was a powerful—and deadly—weapon.
The birds had been a diversion. The Imperial Army hadn’t won. Not yet. There was a second wave being prepared—and it was about to attack. Trapped in the valley below, Commander Tung and his army wouldn’t stand a chance.
Lifting her hand slightly, Mulan saw the mountain reflected back at her in the blade of the sword. She had an idea.
Using the distraction of the tortoise formation, she snuck out from under the cover of shields. She whistled loudly and a moment later, Black Wind raced up. Jumping onto his back, she turned him toward the ridge. As they galloped away from the other soldiers, Mulan reached down and grabbed an Imperial helmet. Then another, and another, and still more. Satisfied, she continued toward the ridge.
Her last success had been lucky. But she was going to need more than luck to pull off this plan.
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