14
he ved past her fallen rades.
Soon the only other conscript left was Honghui. A few steps ahead of her, his forehead was beaded with sweat and his buckets were sinking closer and closer to the ground. His steps were heavy and his breathing ragged. Like Mulan, his face was focused, but doubt was beginning to creep in.
Mulan didn’t notice any of that. She kept ving. Step by step, higher and higher, gathering strength until she caught up to Honghui—and then passed hi She felt his gaze on her back as she continued. She ignored it. She was sowhere else. Her body was on the stairs, her ar holding the buckets, but her nd was in a deeper place. She was fueled by thoughts of her father, her ther, her sister. Even thoughts of the Phoenix, who was inextricably connected to her and who had found a strength of her own.
Behind her, Honghui’s body gave out. He sank to the steps. Now, it was only Mulan left. As Honghui, Coander Tung, Sergeant Qiang, and all the others watched, Mulan kept cliing. Step by step, higher and higher, until??.??.??.
She reached the top.
For a long nt, Mulan stood, her chest rising and falling evenly. She turned around, her eyes growing wide as she took in the breathtaking view fronbsp; the top of the shrine. Her eyes paused as she spotted the Phoenix perched on a nearby statue. Spreading her feathers wide, the Phoenix called out in triuh.
Pride flooded through Mulan. She had done it. She had done what no n had been able to. She, Mulan, a girl fronbsp; a sll village, had de the iossible possible. She turned back to look at the soldiers gathered below. Only then, as she saw the looks of wonder, awe, and azent on their faces, did she allow herself a sle.
Coander Tung’s thoughts swirled in his head. Hua Jun had done it. He had conquered the shrine. In all his years training soldiers, he had only seen a handful of n acplish the task. And none of thenbsp; had done so with the grace and focus Hua Jun had denstrated. Turning away fronbsp; the shrine, the nder walked toward his tent. Sergeant Qiang fell into step beside hi
“Hua Jun is a true leader,” the sergeant observed. He, too, had been iressed by the soldier’s sess.
Coander Tung nodded. “Yes. He has the sa spirit as his father—a warrior.” He paused, his face thoughtful. “But I sense sothing still holds hinbsp; back.”
“Perhaps in ti he’ll overe the obstacle,” Sergeant Qiang said after a nt.
The nder’s steps stopped, and he turned to look at his second-in-nd. “We’re out of ti,”
Soon the only other conscript left was Honghui. A few steps ahead of her, his forehead was beaded with sweat and his buckets were sinking closer and closer to the ground. His steps were heavy and his breathing ragged. Like Mulan, his face was focused, but doubt was beginning to creep in.
Mulan didn’t notice any of that. She kept ving. Step by step, higher and higher, gathering strength until she caught up to Honghui—and then passed hi She felt his gaze on her back as she continued. She ignored it. She was sowhere else. Her body was on the stairs, her ar holding the buckets, but her nd was in a deeper place. She was fueled by thoughts of her father, her ther, her sister. Even thoughts of the Phoenix, who was inextricably connected to her and who had found a strength of her own.
Behind her, Honghui’s body gave out. He sank to the steps. Now, it was only Mulan left. As Honghui, Coander Tung, Sergeant Qiang, and all the others watched, Mulan kept cliing. Step by step, higher and higher, until??.??.??.
She reached the top.
For a long nt, Mulan stood, her chest rising and falling evenly. She turned around, her eyes growing wide as she took in the breathtaking view fronbsp; the top of the shrine. Her eyes paused as she spotted the Phoenix perched on a nearby statue. Spreading her feathers wide, the Phoenix called out in triuh.
Pride flooded through Mulan. She had done it. She had done what no n had been able to. She, Mulan, a girl fronbsp; a sll village, had de the iossible possible. She turned back to look at the soldiers gathered below. Only then, as she saw the looks of wonder, awe, and azent on their faces, did she allow herself a sle.
Coander Tung’s thoughts swirled in his head. Hua Jun had done it. He had conquered the shrine. In all his years training soldiers, he had only seen a handful of n acplish the task. And none of thenbsp; had done so with the grace and focus Hua Jun had denstrated. Turning away fronbsp; the shrine, the nder walked toward his tent. Sergeant Qiang fell into step beside hi
“Hua Jun is a true leader,” the sergeant observed. He, too, had been iressed by the soldier’s sess.
Coander Tung nodded. “Yes. He has the sa spirit as his father—a warrior.” He paused, his face thoughtful. “But I sense sothing still holds hinbsp; back.”
“Perhaps in ti he’ll overe the obstacle,” Sergeant Qiang said after a nt.
The nder’s steps stopped, and he turned to look at his second-in-nd. “We’re out of ti,”