Before the Wall
Ben Fischer, Group 2: Fiction, Carmel School Association Elsa High School
mperor Shi Huangdi scanned the scene from the newly built tower. His work was almost
complete…but just one thing stood in his way: rebellion. The slaves were growing restless,
crying and scheming in the night; for they were once great men, proud of who they were, until
the First Emperor came along and robbed them of their families to work on his project.
Although, of course, they weren’t real slaves. Some went willingly, in belief that the project
would save China. But some, if not most, disagreed with the First Emperor’s ways. They
believed that the great Sea and Sky dragons, which were protecting China until the project was
finished, would forever continue to protect them. And Shi Huangdi’s fatal flaw: he didn’t realize that
the greatest jobs were not ones which changed the world, but ones that changed a single person’s
world; one person at a time. These workers once had those greatest jobs: doctors, architects, painters,
and more. Shi Huangdi thought that he was a god; for he was the First Emperor, the Unifier Of China.
And now, as he watched his workers laboring upon the impossible task, everyone stopped. Suddenly. A
first he was confused.
Is this it? Will this be the ultimate mutiny? Right here, right now?
But no. A
steady, high pitched shrill blasted throughout the construction sight. A Supervisor ran through the
crowd, screaming, ‘Invaders! Invaders from the mountain!’
E
In one word, everyone panicked. The few brave Supervisors tried to shoot arrows through the
specially designed walls, but it was no help. The invaders were now in sight, charging from the top of a
mountain where the Wall was unfinished. It was a bloodbath. Shi Huangdi turned away in disgust.
Where were the Sea and Sky? Whenever there was an attack they immediately responded. What if
there were multiple attacks? Both could only cover two places. Was this an elaborate plan of the
invaders?
Whoosh.
The First Emperor had thought too long. Of course he was now an easy target, a
lone figure on one of the highest towers! He leapt for the stairs as another arrow whizzed by his head.
He tumbled down them, in the mercy of gravity-and the invaders. He fell to the bottom of the tower
and looked up, expecting an invader to come in, sword ready. But instead what he saw amazed him.
Half the invaders were dead, and the rest ignored the remaining workers. And Shi Huangdi knew why:
The Sea and Sky had arrived.
***
The two majestic creatures were picking up and tossing away invaders like they were rag
dolls, which they were, technically, against the huge Dragons. Sky was more of an average dragon;
with long, turquoise wings and a lion-like face. Sea, however, was the embodiment of a traditional
Chinese dragon, with no wings and long, blue tendrils swirling around its ferocious face. Dragons are
interesting creatures: the have godlike power, but instead of using it for their own glorification they
helped others.
Why?
The First Emperor thought,
why do such a thing?
But yet they did it. And Shi
Huangdi was grateful.
Soon enough the last of the attack had faded; the only remnant was the heap of dead bodies
left to pick up. Of course, that problem was solved when Sea swatted them off the mountain into
tomorrow. The great Sea and Sky were there; there will be no more attacks for now. At least from the
outside.
It was long past sunset; Si Huangdi was long since fallen asleep. Two dark figures dispatched
themselves from the walls of the royal chamber, and one drew a long, sharp dagger, a throat-slicing
dagger that will bring down the reign of this dynasty… And a long, piercing yell resonated throughout
the room. The First Emperor woke up immediately, although it took him a few precious seconds to
assess the situation. But by then the assassins had fled into the shadows. There was still something
going on, though. The cries continued, but now it was more like wails. Shi Huangdi leapt out of bed,
and immediately regretted it. He barely ever did any work himself; and only now he realized it. He
barely had control over his own limbs. He staggered to the door and looked outside in amazement. This
vision topped even watching the two great Dragons. In one word? What he saw was mutiny.
The Supervisors were trying to disarm the workers, but it was no use. The Sea and Sky had
long since left, and now the slaves were rebelling. And there was no one to stop them. And no one to
stop them from killing him. He turned to run, but his small villa next to an unfinished part of the
project had only one exit. He tried to sneak along the sidewall, but he was still pretty visible. Sure
enough, a mobbing group of rebels spotted him and began running in his direction, screaming and
cursing. Shi Huangdi stumbled and tripped; horrifically, it was over an unconscious body of a