Free Dragon Gate by Gary Jonas

realized this was a domain he had not mastered.
    “I didn’t expect to see you so soon, Thomas.” Graham glanced behind himself, but the path was clear. The danger was only in front. He considered running but that would be cowardly. Graham was not a coward.
    “We don’t like this world,” Thomas said. “One of those rolling metal contraptions nearly ran me down this morning. I figured, why wait? We’ll kill you, your sister, and your uncle’s family today so we can go home.”
    “There’s no need for this.”
    “Will you face death with honor?” Thomas asked.
    Graham sighed and looked at the men behind Thomas. They used to be his friends. Honor dictated that he not fight back. He was clearly in the wrong here. He’d supported Lucas. Lives were lost. Fleeing only proved his guilt and cowardice. To maintain honor was more important than anything else. He nodded to Thomas and met the eyes of his former friends each in turn. None of them turned away. They all stared at him without compassion.
    “Honor is everything,” Graham whispered and dropped to his knees. He lowered his head, exposing his neck but thinking he should fight back. He didn’t have to take this. He wasn’t bound by the old ways anymore; he could change the outcome. He looked up at Thomas. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
    Thomas stepped forward and raised his sword. “Honor means silently accepting your fate, Graham. It doesn’t mean pleading for your life like a woman.”
    Kelly Chan stepped out of the trees, startling everyone. “Pleading like a woman?” she asked.
    Thomas glared at her. “This doesn’t concern you.”
    “Am I supposed to go home and fix breakfast for all the big, strong men in my life?” she asked as she approached.
    Graham noticed that she was empty handed.
    “Go away, Ms. Chan. They want only me, but if you interfere, they’ll kill you too.”
    Kelly ignored him and stepped right up to Thomas. “That blade looks awfully sharp. Someone could get hurt.”
    “Back up or I’ll cut you down, woman.”
    “You’d stab a poor, defenseless female? Really?” She opened her arms, presenting an easy target. “Show me how a real man handles a sword.”
    “As you wish.” He drove the sword into her chest.
    Graham saw the blade punch right through her.
    “You dick,” Kelly said. “This is a new shirt!”
    Thomas Marshall’s eyes widened, and Graham saw fear creep across his features. “What witchcraft is this?” Thomas tried to pull the sword free.
    Kelly slapped him across the face so hard, she knocked him off his feet. She turned to the men and smiled as she gripped the sword, drew it from her chest, and whipped it around, flinging blood at them.
    “Hi, boys. Anyone care to dance?”
    Thomas pointed at her. “Kill her!”
    The eldest son, Jacob, stepped forward, drawing a blade. “I’ll cross swords with you. Devil or not, I’ll have your head!”
    Kelly tossed the sword to the ground and leaned forward. She swept her hair away from her neck. Graham couldn’t understand why she’d throw away a perfectly good weapon.
    Kelly smiled at Jacob. “Let me see if I have this right. You have a silly no-fighting-back code where you accept death with honor. I’ll play but I’m not going to kneel before you. Take your best shot.”
    Jacob swung the sword at her neck, but at the last instant, Kelly’s hands flashed up and caught the blade between her palms. “On second thought, maybe I won’t play by your rules. Fights are only fun if both parties are actually in the battle.”
    Jacob tried to pull the sword free. Kelly smiled at him and slowly twisted the sword around and pushed it toward his neck. She drove him backward until his back pressed against a tree trunk.
    Graham watched the other men, but they were following their code, allowing one man at a time to face the opponent. To interfere in a challenge was not honorable. Jacob had volunteered so this was his fight.
    Kelly kept the smile on her face as