Work Text:
These were not soldiers, Xuánzàng realized.
Yes, they were in a soldiers’ tent. Yes, the armor and weapons on the opposite side of the space likely belonged to these two. But they were not soldiers. They were boys, with acne on their still childish faces and barely into their teens.
“Did you hear me?” suddenly came his father’s voice.
Xuánzàng looked back at his father, the one he had met weeks ago, and nodded, “I… I heard you.”
“Then kill them.” Chen Guangrui ordered.
( “Are you sure you want to do this?” the Abbot grabbed his hand, his elderly face pinched with worry, “I will not stop you, but a soldier’s life is not what you believe it to be, child.”
Xuánzàng tensed, “I’ve prayed to find my family for years, you know that. I won’t let us be separated again.”
There was a solemn look of understanding in the elder’s eyes, “If this is the path you choose, then I wish you well.” he said as he patted the teen’s cheek, “Remember, you are always welcome here.”
“I won’t be coming back.” he bitterly declared as he mounted his horse, “I have my real family now.” )
“Chen.” his father’s voice one more snapped him from his thoughts, “Kill them.”
Xuánzàng could barely speak past the tightness in his throat, “Father… these are children.”
Guangrui’s eyes narrowed, “They are Liu Hong’s men.”
“They weren’t even alive when he killed you!” he argued, unable to control his voice, “Father, please! Just let them go!”
Giangrui sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Those monks raised you to be soft.” he grumbled, “We’ll talk about this later.”
Xuánzàng watched in horror as his father drew his sword and stepped past him. The boys gasped, holding each other as they turned their heads away in tears. The blade rose up… and never came down.
“Chen!” Giangrui scolded as his son threw himself over the other two, “Step aside!”
“No!” he glared up at his father defiantly, barely able to hold back tears, “If you want to kill them, you will have to kill me first!”
“Cease this foolishness!” he growled, “Before I order someone to hold you back!”
“Then do it, and I will slit my throat in shame afterwards!” he challenged. The look of rage on his father’s face scared him more than any battle had, but still he continued, “If you kill these boys, you are no better than liu Hong, and you might as well kill your own son!”
“I have no son.”
His father might as well have pierced his heart with his sword right then and there, it would have hurt less than what he had just declared. Instead, the general sheathed his sword and left the tent without so much as another word.
Xuánzàng let out the breath he was holding, exhaling a shaky sob. No, no time for tears. They needed to leave before his father changed his mind and came back.
Standing quickly, he offered his hand to the two teens, “Come with me,” he urged, “I know where we can go where he won’t be able to hurt you.”
The kids quickly accepted his offer, taking his hand and following him out. Xuánzàng quickly picked them up and placed them onto his horse before mounting it, taking off full speed in the direction he had come from.
Back to the monastery. Back to the Abbot and the men who raised him. Back to his home. Back to his real family.