Approaching footsteps roared like a beating drum – distant at first, then closer, and closer. By the sound of it, Changhan’s men would be coming through the court’s main door. Let them come.

“Guards,” I said. “Get everyone out and make sure they’re safe. Tell your men to go with them.”

“But—”

“Consider that my first command.”

The captain of the guards paused, then nodded, and his men ushered people out of the court’s back exit. The courtroom was too small to guarantee that no one would be injured in the conflict. The elderly members of court could fall into the hearth trying to escape Changhan’s men, or a child could be trampled by them. I wouldn’t take the risk. I’d take them all on alone—

The sound of footsteps cut off.

A fist pounded on the door. “Usurper! This is Captain Eeluk, here on behalf of Lord Changan, the rightful lord and protector of Karakhorum. Surrender yourself or face severe consequences.”

“Captain Eeluk,” I said. “This is Lord Kublai, the truly rightful lord and actual protector of Karakhorum. If you and your men cease now, I will have no reason to hold you responsible for the commands of a madman.”

The captain paused. “Orders are orders. Men, break the door—”

“It isn’t barred.” I drew Changhan’s son’s sword. It was mine now, though. The steel hadn’t been tested in battle, but its gleam marked it as quality steel. “I’d prefer if you didn’t damage my courtroom doors.”

The doors creaked open. Even unbarred, two guards groaned with the effort of opening them.

These guards’ armor was different. The most obvious difference was Changhan’s golden likeness carved into the black steel. It seemed much thicker than would be reasonable.

Captain Eeluk drew his sword. “Last chance.”

“That goes for you too.” I looked past him. “Has Changhan gone to hide in his little mouse hole?”

“Shut your dirty mouth, devil!” Changhan waved his dagger from behind seven guards. He brought eight in total. “As Eternal Blue Sky is my witness, my men will deal with you here and now.”

“I’m sure your men and I will come to a deal, yes,” I said. “After you’re dead.”

Let’s see how much stronger I am, I thought. I darted forward, straight for Eeluk. My blade glanced off his shoulder padding. It was good armor, but it looked heavy. And judging by Eeluk’s sluggish steps, it was.

Eeluk swung high. I ducked his blade. He spun his blade, trying to intercept my movement, but I caught it with mine. I dragged my blade against his, the screech of steel cutting through the silence. I drove my blade at Eeluk’s throat, but he jerked his head at just the right moment. A drop of blood crawled across his cheek.

I took a swipe at his head and used the motion to get some distance between us. Eeluk was huffing already. With that much armor, he’d wear himself out just trying to close the distance. He’d defeat himself. The other guards were standing back and recovering from the run here, so Eeluk was probably much more worn out than he let on.

He gritted his teeth. “I see why the court guards didn’t want to cross blades with you.”

I grinned. “Then you can see why they’ll follow me too.”

He ran at me, but I slipped between his legs. I kicked his back – and he shot fifteen feet away. It wasn’t all momentum. I was much, much stronger.

I took the distance from Eeluk as a chance to dart at Changhan. The guards tensed as I approached. A couple of them, the younger ones, shook like scared mice.

The first one advanced in a rush, and I dealt with him just as quickly. He swiped at me, and missed. I tripped him and stepped on his leg. Getting up in that ridiculous armor was one thing. Getting up with a broken leg was another.

The next two were smarter about it. They charged me at the same time. One swung high, the other low. I jumped back, dodging both. They’d swung their blades so hard that the momentum carried them well past where I’d been – and into each other. One took a blow to the legs and fell. The other took one to the chest and fell on top of his comrade.

“What are you doing!” Changhan backed away slightly. “Captain A… Ahlock. Ahluck. Do something! The devil’s coming for me.”

Eeluk responded with a groan as he got to his feet. He was still too far away to get to me in time.

I took the initiative with Changhan’s last four guards. I swung at their heads, and three of them dodged without a scratch. The last one, however, fumbled his dodge and lost his balance. They fell into one another, first hitting second, second hitting third, and third bringing Changhan down with them.

Changhan screamed. One of them had fallen on his arm, it seemed. At least he was personally experiencing exactly how heavy that armor is.

A couple of the guards tried to swipe at me from the ground, but I swatted their blades out of their hands. I moved over them as smoothly as a winter fog.

I stood over Changhan. “You could have just left Karakhorum with some dignity.”

He tore his sleeve trying to free himself. “And you could have… could have… stayed in hell, devil. I was right. I told them a devil was coming. I’m not mad! Just like the seer said. A devil with no armies. A devil with black hair and a silver tongue. A devil who’d steal my son and kill me in my own court. A devil who could touch the tips of the mountain and the depths of the sea—”

“Where is this seer?” I held my blade to his throat – more to keep the guards from trying anything than actually keeping this madman on his back.

“She’ll curse me for telling you.”

“I’ll curse you if you don’t.”

“You can’t. You’re not a seer.”

“But I am a devil, right? What kind of devil can’t curse a mortal?”

He pursed his lips. “Fair enough. The Daurian forest. Find the tallest tree.”

“And she lives on its peak?”

“No.” Changhan glanced around, as if she might be watching him at this very moment. “Cut down the tallest tree. She’ll come for you.”

I stepped over him and out of the court building. I could see Chair-Wax still keeping watch over the wall. This probably counted as doing bad.

Changhan pulled at my leg. “Are you… going to let me—”

I slid my blade through his throat. “I wouldn’t want to disappoint the seer. Not when I intend to have her help me.”

I drove my blade into Changhan’s neck, separating his head from his torso. I’d need to show it to Chair-Wax. If I went empty-handed, the giant would add me to the crimson smear on the wall. He would try, at least. But when I present the head of his former leader, he’ll accept me as his new one. Giants, like goblins, respected strength.

Men, however, weren’t so simple. I helped some of Changhan’s guards to their feet, but some refused to be helped. They didn’t even meet my eyes, and scurried off as soon as they could be free of their armor, like lizards losing their tails to escape a cat. It probably didn’t help that I was carrying Changhan’s head by the beard in my other hand.

Eeluk took my hand up, though. “He always used to complain about his head having a parasite in it.” He looked at Changhan’s head dripping at my side. “You seemed to have alleviated his ailment.”

“Unfortunately, the symptoms are still with us.” I nodded at the outer city.

Eeluk managed to get up after some struggle, but immediately fell on one knee. “If it ever comes to this, as your personal guard, I’ll defend you—”

“If it ever gets to this point,” I said, “you shouldn’t. Kill me. In my sleep, of course. That way you might just have a chance at actually succeeding.”

Eeluk chuckled. “Lord Kublai.”

“Round up your men, calm them down,” I said.

I pulled out the map from my satchel, found Karakhorum, and pressed my finger down onto the space just outside its wall.

And before my next breath, I landed in the mud. But there didn’t seem to be anyone around. The city was bustling before, and now all I heard was the distant whiney of horses and… cheering?

As I wandered closer to the sound, after putting the map away, I found Batu, shirtless, in the middle of a crowd, half a dozen men beaten at his feet. Batu took their apples and threw them to the crowd, roaring like an ape and pounding his own chest with meaty, sharp slaps. He stuck his tongue out and flexed his muscles and even did a backflip for good measure.

It had caught the attention of three giants, one of which was Chair-Wax.

I cut through the crowd and held out an open hand. “Can I have an apple?”

Batu guffawed. “Looks like you’ve already got one, Kublai.”

Everyone followed Batu’s eyes to Changhan’s head. I threw it into the makeshift wrestling ring, and it landed with a soft crunch. Their cheers fell to silence. A few anxious mothers scurried away with their children.

“I fear that apple might have a worm in the core,” I said. “And it’s Lord Kublai now.”

“Lord Kublai, protector of Karakhorum, something something, eater of apples?” Batu bowed. “Consider me the first to bow to your reign.”

“Someone’s already beaten you to that, little brother.”

“You!” Chair-Wax shouted. “You killed. Changhan?”

“I did,” I said.

“Changhan. Is dead?”

“He is.”

The three giants glanced at one another. Chair-Wax, the biggest of them, took a few steps back. He must’ve crushed a couple houses, from the crunching sound. But when his bent knee hit the ground, it sent a light tremor through the entire city. Birds scattered in response.

“Lord. Kublai.”

The goblins in the crowd pushed through peoples’ legs. A dozen of them, then another, and another. Goblins bred like mice. I couldn’t count how many there were, but they all wore little chains like necklaces.

“Lord Kublai,” one of them squeaked. They bowed with their heads all the way in the dirt, in unison as if they’d been practicing it for years. “Lord Kublai.”

The crowd of men followed suit.

“Look at you, big brother,” Batu said. “Digging in old temples put you in high places, hasn’t it?”

I looked up at the Eternal Blue Sky. “Not high enough. All rise.”

Giants, men, and goblins rose. The goblins sorted themselves into service ranks, like a miniature military force. The giants kept watch, as they had before. And the crowd of men dispersed into the village.

“One more thing,” I shouted. “Chair-Wax. Open the gate.”

“Open?” he asked.

“Yes. Everyone may enter the city.”

Chair-Wax nodded.

“What now?” Batu asked, wiping the blood off his face.

“I have to go cut down a tree.”