For Our Families (Mulan Fan-Fic)

Chapter 3

I slid off the side of Si as I arrived to the training grounds, my nose wrinkled in disgust as I peered at the lack of hygiene that some of the men around me had. I pulled along Si and came to a fight that had broken out at the food line, I stood off to the side and watched in silent curiosity.

Then a man screaming power and dominance walked out of a tent and stood in front of the frenzied brawl and called out,“Soldiers!”Everything stopped instantly and everyone untangled themselves from the mess of limbs everywhere, then they all surrounded some random poor soul that was curled up on the ground and yelled simultaneously“He started it.”

I sweat dropped, I was to spend the next few months or so with these man-infants, how childish they were acting.

“I don't need anyone causing trouble in our camp.” The mans deep and steady voice clearly stated as he stood above the soldier, the latter quickly getting to his feet and looking off to the side.

“Sorry.”The soldier said in a weirdly feminine way, my eyebrows furrowed as I squinted my eyes and looked closely at this soldier. Something is off about him.

He then perks up a bit and says again,“I mean-uh, sorry you had to see that, but you know how it is when you get those-uh… manly urges, and you gotta kill somethin’.” His voice had weirdly
dropped a couple octaves, and he started making very cliche manly-like gestures. I set my handflat against Si’s neck and leaned against him staring at this strange soldier who I had yet to know his name.

“What’s your name?” The man who I am guessing is our captain asked, the soldier straightened up his back,“My…uh…ah…”The soldier stammered.

I leaned forward even father and stared at
him, waiting in anticipation for who this guy was so that I can keep an eye on him.

“Your commanding officer just asked you a question.” A new voice rang out, I looked off to the side and saw a scrawny man with a hat on him, he was apart of the Emperor’s council. How he had gotten that job, I have no idea.

“I got a name. Ha! And it’s a boy name too!” The soldier says, evading the question again.

“His name is Ling.” The soldier says randomly glancing at another soldier.
“I didn’t ask for his name, I asked for yours.” The captain pressured, my eyes had yet to loosen from their furrowed state, I had never met a man or women who had acted as strangely as this man currently is.

“My name is Ping.” The soldier finally said as he reached behind his neck and re-adjusted his armor, at least that’s what I think he did.

“Let me see your conscription notice.” The captain ordered, I watched as Ping reached into a pocket on his side and hands it to the captain. I looked around real quick to see everyone staring at Ping with what was probably the same expression I had. Ping was a mystery, or he was just dumb; at this point I’m thinking it might be the latter.

“Fa Zhou?…. The Fa Zhou?” The captain asked in near disbelief, to which the council man says a very suspicious manner,“I didn’t know Fa Zhou had a son.” Ok, now everything was getting very weird.“He doesn’t like to talk about me much.” Ping suggested like it was a question.

“I can see why, the boy’s an absolute lunatic.” The council member said, I pursed my lips as I looked around and examined the spilled rice and how messy everyone was. I couldn’t disagree.

I flinched when the captain suddenly yelled out in a commanding tone, “Okay,gentlemen, thanks
to your new friend Ping. You’ll spend tonight picking up every single grain of rice, and tomorrow, the real work begins.” To which every man turned and glared at Ping in either intense hatred or annoyance, I frigidly turned and tried to sneak out to somewhere so I can set up my tent.

“And where do you think you’re going? I gave you a direct order.” I bit my lip as every fiber in my being loathed Ping for messing up everything. I put on a nervous small smile and turned looking at the captain, I took a deep breath and made my voice lower an octave.

“Umm…Well I had just happened to walk in during the middle, so I haven’t yet set up anything so I was going to go do that now before it gets dark.” The captain stared at me and I stared back at him, which would
have been a big no-no if I was still a girl, but I’m a man now.

“What’s your name soldier?” The captain asked with honest curiosity but it still held some annoyance in it, without thinking, I said“Oh Fang.” If I hadn’t been in the captains presence I would have cursed and slapped my cheeks in complete horror, I had just told him what my realname was. I didn’t even hesitate to make up a new one.

“Is what people call me because I look
similar to my sister but my name is Oh Bolin.” I compulsively lied, I didn’t know I could make up a lie that well in a split second and that made me feel a lot better about being able to hide my identity while I am in the army.

“Oh Bolin… huh? Well, I’ll allow it just this once since you didn’t do anything.” He gruffly stated before walking away to his tent, staring down all the men crawling around as he did so.

I let out a relieved sigh and gripped Si’s reign as Mian Feng slithered out of my armor, when she had gone, I don’t remember. It’s probably for the best though, I’m not sure if we are allowed to bring pets to training, but I’m sure it’s fine since she won't be getting in the way.

~~~
Pretty long chapter if I do say so myself.