The Red Plains Quotes

“The fear receded. It didn't disappear. It lurked in the shadows, its claws hooking into passing thoughts and twisting them, turning them from their purpose to its own. He held it back. It was the hardest fight of his life.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

“How many millennia had she witnessed? Watching people, loved ons, be bron, live, grow and die was at once a thought of wonder and infinite sadness.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

“The reality, Haung knew, would be something quite different. From a distance, civilisation looks clean and desirable. Up close, the shine is dulled by self-interest and tarnished by greed.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

“Only the last gasp of evening served to illuminate the stone floor.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

“Zhou,” Biyu said, when Sabaa paused, “before the Jade Emperor, humans were just like the beasts in the field. We ate, lived and reproduced, but we were going nowhere. The universe is order in all its perfection, stagnant and unchanging. The wars set us free. Free to change, to learn, to adapt, to become more than we were. To do that, we sacrificed order for a measure of chaos, of challenge. It let some people, men and women, do evil, but even that inspired many more to do good. Medicines, writing, music, architecture, all the accomplishments of your Empire came at a high price, but it was worth paying. Tonight we reaffirm that fact. Without the power we grant the Jade Emperor from the realms we represent, we would lose all that we have gained. The universe would reassert its control. Over the years, order would take charge once more and progress would end. Given time, our race would slide back into the beasts we were once. It is something we could not survive.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

“The image of Jiao’s face when she was told he had been drowned with a half-naked woman tied to his body made him giggle and he realised he was close to panicking.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

“I don’t like boats,” Gang grumbled. “Unsteady and prone to sinking.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

“There is bathhouse a couple of streets away.” Gang walked over to Haung and slipped a hand underneath the Taiji’s arm, lifting him onto his feet. “Come on, I’ll take you. It is time for my yearly bath anyway.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

“I snapped. The anger, I can still feel it now, rose through me like a wave and I drowned in it. I was reborn in it. You know what it is like, Zhou. The world lost its colour, everything turned to black and white. There were shades of grey, but no colour. Even time seemed to slow down, the pain was there and I drew on it. I made it part of me and I threw it at them.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

“Let the dying men die. I know it seems cruel, and it is, but they will slow us down and if we are caught out in the open this little army will be wiped out. My friends can buy us a day, maybe two, and you will need to use every moment to get as far away as you can,” the lady said. “I will not leave men to die,” Haung said. “They are already dead, Haung. Are you prepared to sacrifice everyone else’s life just to grant them another day of agonising, painful, fear-filled life?” “They are my men,” he said. “It is my job to protect them, keep them alive.” “And to send them to their deaths.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

“The battle for the Wall tended to ebb and flow like the tide, Haung noted. The attackers would crest the Wall and fight like demons for every stone of territory in an effort to establish a safe zone from which to expand their presence. The battle would descend from carefully ordered lines into pockets of a chaos. Each soldier forgot, in those moments, that they were fighting for their country, that they were weapons of their respective generals. In those moments, as swords stabbed and swung, as shields were raised and men screamed out in fear and anger, they were totally selfish, they were fighting only for their lives. That is not to say that there not moments of altruism, but even those had overtones of selfishness, of self-preservation. You saved the man next to you, if you could, so that they in turn could save you. Once the Mongols were pushed from the Wall, the tide ebbed and a moment of calm descended. Each man, Haung included, spent their first breath wondering whether they were still alive and unhurt. The second breath was given in thanks that all was well. With the third intake of life giving air, thoughts turned to their comrades. The selfishness and joy of survival was brushed away, hidden in the pit of shame that each man dug for themselves in their first real battle. In that small window between high and low tide, civilisation returned.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

“Zhou followed and bringing his horse to a halt, attempted to swing his leg over the cantle. It refused to move. Trying again, his muscles complained at the demands. He leaned to the left, hoping his weight would drag his foot clear of the stirrup, which it did. His supporting leg decided it was unwilling to take the burden of his whole body and gave way. Turning at the last moment, he landed on his back. Breath exploded from his lungs and his head hit the thankfully, cushioning grass with enough force to make red and orange blotches dance in his eyes. Despite the impact, the ground felt a great deal more comfortable than being on the horse and he was tempted to close his eyes and sleep.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains

“One moment,” Haung said, and drew the small knife from his belt. He rolled up his sleeve and drew the sharp edge over his skin, drawing a thin line of blood, black against his skin in the dark. Collecting the first, fresh well of blood from the cut he drew a smeared symbol on each eyelid. A deep breath and he opened the locked door in his mind, the place where he had contained the cold power of the void. He let a tiny bit leak out and then slammed the door shut again. He pushed the power along the meridian pathways of his body, focusing their energy in his eyes and locking it in place with blood symbols. There was a feeling of sickness in his stomach that passed quickly. “Done.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Red Plains