Yuze had thought he had more time.
He'd misjudged Kai Low's drive to get them to the Bandri and just how much the tribes had shifted from their normal patterns.
Beng Shai's camp was just over the traditional border between the central and northern lands. It was nothing more than a long flat stretch of wheat between two small rolling hills. Beng Shai's camp was just behind the hill, so close that Yuze was completely unprepared when they road up to it early the next morning.
Fox was supposed to be working in the north, how the hell had he not noted such an important change in location?
Beng Shai's camp was smaller than the typical Bandri camps, but only a few minutes of looking around told Yuze why.
There were very few women and no children that he could see. Beng Shai must have moved the vulnerable parts members of the tribe to a safer location. It also meant that everyone in this camp was a warrior and that Yuze's chances of escape had dropped drastically.
Kai Low had said something in one of the tribal languages Yuze didn't know and darted off, but judging by the fact that he suddenly had forty warriors watching him, it was something to do with keeping Yuze right where he was.
Yuze didn't even have time to contemplate an escape before Kai Low was back, Beng Shai hot on his heels.
It was a toss-up whether Yuze or Beng Shai were more surprised to see the other, some small part of Yuze had been hoping the man himself was busy elsewhere, despite his personal banners flying above the camp.
And judging by the confusion on Beng Shai's face, he recognized Yuze right away. "Lord Rong?"
Enough to have remembered Yuze's name.
Great.
The smug look on Kai Low's face was somehow worse, and Yuze had the strongest urge to wipe it off his foxlike face. "Why do you look so smug? I told you who I was."
The smug look dropped off Kai Low's face as his jaw dropped and several of the warriors surrounding them look at him in surprise. "What!? No, you didn't!" He shrieked, the flush rising again. "He's been lying the whole time!"
Beng Shai didn't seem surprised, but either Yuze or Kai Low. "I doubt Lord Rong would have felt comfortable coming out and identifying himself when he was so outnumbered."
Yuze shrugged carelessly, just to watch Kai Low's scowls deepen.
"What were you doing in the camp Lord Rong?" Beng Shai seemed more resigned than anything else. "You already know our plans well enough to burn our camps, was there something you thought you missed?"
Yuze stared at him, completely lost. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Kai Low scoffed. Gone was the impish flirt of the last few days, in his place was a bitter, angry young man. "You've been trying to wipe us out for years. Using a false peace to trick us into trusting you while you stabbed us in the back!"
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Yuze snapped. "You're the ones who betrayed us."
But Beng Shai just shook his head, almost sad. "I don't know why you're so determined to destroy us but we won't go quietly."
"No one in the Camelia wants to destroy you." Yuze insisted, still lost. "The only reason we ever fight with you is because you attack the villages or our soldiers."
"You attack us first," Kai Low snapped.
"You expect us not to defend ourselves?" Beng Shai sighed. "The delusion of an empire is that they are always the one who is right. You don't even live on these lands, but you are the one's deciding the laws of it? We lost everything during the last war and all we wanted was to survive and keep our children safe."
Yuze shook his head, trying to make sense of this. "Are you- you claiming we attacked you first?"
"Tribes do not burn camps full of women and children." Beng Shai stated, resolute.
"No," Yuze returned sharply. "Just villages. You can call us monsters all you want, Beng Shai, but not being a part of us, does not automatically stop you from being a monster."
The warriors around them started to get agitated from the argument. Yuze had no avenues of escape or even hope, but he couldn't just stand there and let Beng Shai twist everything around to absolve their sins and put them on the Camelia.
"The Camelia was established to protect the Land of Sorrow. We don't invade, we don't conquer. We just hold the line."
"No, you do what every empire does. You use defense as an excuse to destroy anyone who refuses to join you." Kai Low had displayed moments of surprising intelligence over the last several days, so Yuze was totally surprised that he did so again now. But he was still building on a false premise. Did he truly believe Beng Shai? Or was he part of the Bandri's leaders attempts to re-write history? He was charming enough to be a dangerously effective messenger.
"The truth always comes out eventually." Yuze warned. "You can claim whatever you want now, but even your people will see through the lies eventually."
"My people already know the truth." Beng Shai said. "I wonder when yours will be able to say the same." He waved several warriors closer. "Tie him up and put him in an empty tent. Make sure someone is watching him." He turned back to Yuze, who didn't bother putting up a fight he'd never win. "I will let you lie for now; I have innocents to burn who died at the ends of your swords, but when I return you will tell me the truth."
Yuze scowled. "I am telling you the truth. The Camelia has never attacked first. You're the ones who betrayed us!"
But none of them were listening to him anymore and Yuze found himself pulled away with such force that the ropes left burns on his arms even through his clothes.
~ tbc