"THE GREAT WALL HAS STOOD FOR CENTURIES" "AS ONE OF MANKIND'S MOST ENDURING WONDERS." "IT SPANS OVER 5500 MILES" "AND TOOK MORE THAN 1700 YEARS TO BUILD." "IT PROTECTED FROM MANY DANGERS." "SOME ARE KNOWN." "SOME ARE LEGEND." "THIS IS ONE OF THE LEGENDS." "THE GREAT WALL" "SUBTITLE BY triyo March 2017" "Najid, cut the horses loose!" "We have to turn back." "We have been riding for six months." " And we've lost twenty men." " But we survived." "Yes." "By chance." "Any one of us could have met that same fate." "We were the strongest." "Remember why you're here." "In the West, we would be enemies, and I wouldd have to kill you." "At least here we have a common goal." "Oh, yes." "This black powder." "It turns air into fire." "And kills a dozen men at one time." " It is a weapon of our dreams." " What if it's just a myth?" "Men have sent word that it's real." "And those men are dead." "And we are next." "We have no maps, no medicines, and no food." "No one is going back." "We take inventory of what we have left and finish what we started." "There's not much here." "The moon is strong." "When the horse are fresh, we move." " To where?" " North." "If they keep after us, we'll kill them in the mountains." "The magnet." "Too heavy." " Useless." " I'll have it." "It's all yours." "Amigo, only you would carry a stupid magnet through the desert." "I can use it to make a compass." "Rizzeti won't make it." "The wound is festering." " We'll be dragging a corpse." " I heard that." "He's earned the right to die where he wants." "I've been left for dead twice." " It was bad luck." " For who?" "The people who left me." "Where are they?" "Hill tribes?" "It's no man." "Then what is it?" "Whatever it is... it's hunting." " What was that?" " I don't know." "I took its hand." "We need to move." "Agreed." "I'll take the hands with us." "What the hell for?" "So someone can tell me what I just killed." "Persistent bastards, aren't they?" "We'll take the rise, make a stand there." "What a long shitting way to go to die." "Mother of God." "Fire!" "I have no need to go down fighting." "Agreed." "I say we take our chanches with the gents in front of us." "I haven't surrendered in a while, eh." "It'll come back to you." "Follow my lead." "We'll be fine." "Of course, my friend." "Where you go, I follow." "You're doing such a great job already." "All commanders to the great hall!" "All commanders report to the General!" "Make way!" "Make way!" "All commanders to the large hall!" "Make way!" "Commander Lin is needed immediately!" "Calling Commander Lin!" "Commander Lin is needed immediately!" "They know what it is." "And they don't look so happy to see it." "All the more reason to get the hell out of here." "Our weapons are on that table." "Have you lost your mind?" "I can take the guards on the perimeter with my bow." "You cut the legs out from under the officers." "I must confess this is not my favorite plan." "Where was this found?" "You speak English." "Fantastic." "Where was this found?" "It wasn't found." "It was taken." "That thing killed three men before we took it down." "Where?" "Two days ride." "North, in the mountains." "He says two days ride north, in the mountains." " They claim to have killed it." " Two days?" "Earlier than we expected." "Strategist Wang!" "I'm listening, General." "The two of them killed it?" " Two of you, you did this?" " Well..." " I killed it." " Alone?" " He claims to have killed it alone." " By himself?" "Impossible." "Tell me how." "A swing of the sword." "The hand came away clean." "The beast fell back into a chasm." " Why are you here?" " We came to trade." "We were ambushed." "Guards!" "You are soldiers." "Commander Lin." "Wait." "General." "They claim to be traders who were ambushed." "These barbarians are liars." "Perhaps not." "They brought the claw here." "The wound is fresh." "There is green blood on his sword." "Those prove his story." "To protect our secret, we must kill them." " Eliminate the possibility of trouble." " I agree." "We should kill them!" "General." "Until we find the truth," " I advise we keep them alive." " Alert!" "General, signals from the smoke towers!" "We are under attack!" "Take them to the stockade." " All stations on full alert!" " Yes!" "All stations on full alert!" "Are you killing us, Sister?" "Two lost travelers?" "1"