I woke up, with a branch stabbing into my back. It was still dark, which was perfect.

I stood up, trying to get the sleep out of my bones, and got ready. I checked to see if I had everything, and set off. I ran, silently, through the night. I took the back paths. On the roads, I would hide whenever anyone passed me. I couldnt risk it that I was a known deserter. Every once and a while, I would find a place with food, and I would raid it. I generally wasnt in the mood to kill anyone, so I took supplies by utilizing xqintimidation. I went on like this for weeks. It was a generally uninteresting time. But one night, I saw something peculiar. A bunch of men were streaming into a barn. I decided to check it out. I stood outside, and heard the yells inside. They have taken all we have earned for long enough! Cheers and yells of agreement emanated throughout the countryside. I heard calls of, We must fight! form the back. But I had a clever ploy. I could manipulate these men. I walked in. Hello gentlemen. I said. The room fell silent. I couldnt help but notice our concerns are very similar. We both have a hatred for the thieves of our hard-earned wealth, the government. Hurrahs echoes through the room. Now you see, brothers, I can help you. I will lead you into battle with these tyrants, if you let me. The group seemed intrigued. They were all talking among themselves, undoubtedly trying to reach a consensus. At last, a man spoke up. I think its the right thing to do. A chorus of agreement came from around the room. WELCOME, BROTHER! Came from the back of the room. Cheers and battle cries erupted throughout the roomy barn. I wove my hand and everyone fell silent. It will be my pleasure to lead you. We shall march at dawn! I bellowed. The response was deafening. I announced that I would return in the morning. I scurried out into the sheltering blackness of night. I found a pile of hay bales, and snuggled myself in between them. I awoke to the bellows of men. I looked out onto the fields, and saw hundreds of men milling about. Some were well prepared, with full armor, and large weapons. Others were strutting about with makeshift gear. Pitchforks, spades, and other sharp objects were popular objects among the crowd. I stood atop the hay bales. MEN! WE HAVE ALL GATHERED HERE FOR THE SAME REASON! Silence fell on the mass of fighters. IF WE TRY OUR HARDEST, WE CAN VANQUISH THE CORRUPT CHINESE GOVERNMENT! WE CAN RESTART OUR SOCIETY, AND HAVE A SAGE RULER! A deafening roar erupted across the farms. The men, screaming their battle cries, started running down the path, in the direction of the Forbidden City. I joined the ranks of men, with thoughts of becoming the new emperor swirling through my head. I ran to the front, nudging and pushing through the tightly formed ranks. I ran at the lead. We traveled for hours, sometimes stopping for a drink of water, but running wholeheartedly the whole way. We slept close

together, and had a special form of brotherhood I hadnt had since my comrades in my clan left me. At last, the great city of Beijing was shadowed on the horizon. The tall pagodas and temples seemed to loom over our hastily formed army. We hid our weapons, and took the backstreets. Vendors and citizens were shoved out of the way. The shadows of the night blanketed our army and provided us cover. The Imperial Tower was visible at this point, and we marched on, all the while stirring up hatred for our enemy. At last we could see our target. There was a huge wall and an expansive courtyard before us. We all hid, as not to alert the sentries of our position. I signaled some of the men with longbows to come over to me. I assigned them each objectives. They were to hit their man only when they were completely out of sight of the other guards. We watched them for a while, looking at their patrol paths. At last, my strategy was formed. I signaled the men to open fire when the perfect time arose. I told them when that would be for each of them. One by one, the men fell. At last, I gave the all clear. I instructed my men that the most experienced would go dress up in the Chinese clothes, but to wear a blue ribbon so we would know they were allies. I told them to run into the compound, screaming of a Mongol attack on the South Side. That would provide a perfect opportunity for our men to walk right through the North gate, with little opposition. I watched the soldiers slip through the towering gates, and heard their screams of Mongol invasions. A loud clamor came from inside, as all the available troops rushed to the other side of the fortress. Our men were among their ranks, and would turn on them and kill them when we rushed in. I instructed my allies that stealth was the key to this operation. We crept in, sticking to the shadows, occasionally picking off an enemy soldier that happened to be on the ramparts. I decided that chaos would be a valuable asset. I gave some of the men tools for creating fire and instructed them to set the main building ablaze. They went to their mission, and I had the foot soldiers line up behind me. We slunk to the back of the compound, and saw the city guards lined up in perfect rows, backs to us. We prepared for our attack, psychologically and physically. I signaled to go forward. We lined up behind the back row of their soldiers. They were completely unaware of our presence. I signaled for the first wave of attack. We took our swords and skewered the entire back row of soldiers. We pulled back and charged into the next row. They were in a chaotic state of confusion. As we wreaked havoc on their ranks, they finally pieced together what was happening. They fought back. I plunged my sword into the head of an opponent. I slammed him into the ground, and his body slid off my blade. I swung around, gaining power, and slammed the weapon into an enemy combatant. It sliced right through his middle, and his innards spilled out over the battlefield. At that moment, the city guards realized their compound was an inferno. They all looked up in a state of wonder, and we had an advantage to strike for a

precious few moments. We were cutting up their ranks so far, with minimal loss to our troops. A man next to me charged, and took me completely off guard. He tried to drive his dagger into me, but I grabbed his hand and pushed it away. It stayed in the middle, both our forces pushing into each other. I looked into his eyes, and saw a fire. He was still pushing until he abruptly stopped. The blade clanged on the ground. A pitchfork tine was protruding through his skull, and his blood was slowly dripping down, an expression of surprise on his face. His mouth was shaped in an O, and he fell. I stood up, brushing myself off. The entire enemy force had fallen. We claimed victory. The peasants struck down the men that tried to surrender with a special rage at their tyrant ways. I looked at the Imperial Tower, knowing the emperor was inside, with his special guard. We took our fire making tools, and set the tower alight. It burned, as we watched. I could hear the screams of terror coming from inside, until they were cut off. I saw my men around me bow. I was still trying to wrap my mind around my new realization. I was the emperor. I controlled China. I knew I wouldnt use my powers for good. I would be selfish, but at the same time, I knew I would treat my lower class better. These men did this for me. As I looked over the sea of faces, all bowed in praise, I smiled. And then I walked into the garrison, thoughts of my new reign swirling through my head. A grin was still plastered on my face as I closed the door, sat down, and dreamt.