The Lotus Children

Smoke cleared from the battle ground. Nothing, but death and destruction littered the land. One lone gasp was heard out of the thousands of corpses. The victorious men kicked at the body again.

"Are you alive?" A soldier asked. Trees, bushes, and the once proud castle stood as they slowly burned into oblivion.

Another gasp was the body's reply. The soldiers had found the male form of a samurai general. He was stuck literally to the frame of a broken carriage by many arrows. The once glorious armor painted with the gods of hell and red sakura were soaked in his warrior blood. Black long hair caked in blood, dirt and sweat hung across the samurai's face. Eyes as blue as the sky looked down at he land and his throat gasped with another dying breath.

"Please..." Some blood was splattered on his face and a trail of tears lined the corners of his eyes. "Help Lord Genji..." The soldier laughed quietly.

"I'm sorry, Lord Genji is deafeated." The soldier grabbed hold of an arrow. "You however, still have a fighting chance." The other soldier with him held the beaten warrior down as they began to pull the arrows out of the barely living body. The first arrow was followed by a bloody scream. Then as more arrows came out blood followed their path.

"Kill met then." The dying samurai said. Blood ran out his mouth. "Let me die honorably in battle." His body had stopped jerking.

"You are Lord Senshi, correct?" The samurai lifted his head slowly, eyes wide. "Found you." The soldier smirked. He wasn't just a mere soldier, he was a Heishi General. It was General Nenmatsu.

"I fought you briefly the first 4 days." Nenmatsu lifted Senshi's head even more. "So this is what happened to my lovely foe."

Senshi's eyes were frozen stiff with fear. A terrible gut wrenching feeling turned his whole body ice cold. "What will you do?" The voice was a whisper.

"If I wanted to kill you, it wouldn't be like this." The general's brown eyes caressed over the broken form. "It's time for you to sleep." He put his hand behind Senshi's head and pinched behind the ear. Senshi eyes closed and his form relaxed. The other soldier helped his general strip the sleeping samurai of his armor. Nenmatsu was surprised at how much blood Senshi lost. How was it possible that he was alive?

"Sir, he needs immediate medical attention." The soldier accessed and Nenmatsu lifted Senshi into his arms. Senshi's head lolled as the high ranking samurai started walk was qucik and swift to his army's tent.

"My Lord, what have you brought me?" The doctor asked in panic. With his armor stripped everyone could see the laserations, the gashes bruises, and severe head wound Senshi's body had.

"Help him, if you would?" Nenmatsu asked. He laid Senshi down and the doctor got to work.

"Fetch me some soap and water." The doctor barked. Nenmatsu kept a watchful eye as it took hours to stop the bleeding.

...Some time after the stressful wait, the doctor announced. "He is stable, my Lord." He ordered his attendants to take Senshi whever Lord Nenmatsu wanted.

"No, I'll take him." Nenmatsu gingerly carried Senshi to his carriage. He told his soldier to to all the way to the palace. He then returned to speak with the doctor in the doorway.

"Ah," The doctor grabbed a pot. "make sure he takes this teas twice a day, my Lord."

"What is it?" Nenmatsu lifted the top and sniffed the contents.

"A mixture of herbs, but mainly Camomille." The doctor smiled.

"Thank you." Nenmatsu closed the lid. "I will come back if anything happens."

"Please do my Lord! I would say you need rest too." The doctor suggested. Nenmatsu nodded. The soldier had went ahead to the palace. So, Nenmatsu loaded the saddle with the medicine then mounted the horse itself. He was off by the snap of the reins.