Prologue: The Flames of War

"My lord, what shall we do with the body?" a voice asked.

Cao Pi was startled out of his daze at the question. 'My lord' was a title he was not used to having. His father's appointment to Duke of Wei was unexpected and bold, yet no one in the court fought against the appointment. With his father's new title that made him nobility as well, something he was not quite used to given his humble beginnings.

"Give the man a funeral. Bury him beside the river and mention this to no one," Cao Pi said quietly. He stared down at the body of the innocent man who had the misfortune of running into local bandits. The blood slowly trickling off him unsettled the young lord, who was reminded of his first encounter with the substance known as blood…

The room was dark and cold. The window was open and the room seemingly empty. He snuck down into the room, terrified of the darkness, looking for the scroll he had left. His father's poems were contained in there and he would receive a thrashing for losing it. As he desperately stumbled around the room, his foot caught something on the floor. He tripped and fell into what seemed like a puddle. But this sticky liquid could not be water not wine judging from its thickness. He peered under the table whereupon he gazed at the most horrifying sight a child could behold. It was a corpse. The corpse of a woman, with blood drying around the various wounds that had been inflicted upon her, and her eyes sightlessly staring up at him from under the desk. His lungs filled with air and his voice was starting to rise into a scream when a pair of rough hands covered his mouth and dragged him into the next room. It was his father, who was shaking with rage. He roughly pulled him farther away from the scene and threw him into the arms of his mother. He expected comfort but was met with a sound beating. But as blows were rained down upon his back he could not forget the terror in the woman's sightless eyes not the blood surrounding her and enveloping his senses…

The woman was a maid, killed for spurning his father's advances as he found out later. It was the first corpse he had ever seen and his frailty and shock that followed him the days after did nothing to please his father. He was called weak. Weak because, unlike his brothers who could kill the animals their father gifted them at times of sickness, he could only run. Weak, because he cried when left alone in darkened rooms. Weak, because he could not stare at a lifeless corpse with indifference despite being the son of a warlord, of a man who killed and would one day trust his sons to do the same. His weakness was what brought him here, to a supply camp down the river from Chibi. He was made commander of the supply and reserve troops. Troops only to be called in if his father's invasion force was to meet staunch resistance. However, with the invasion force's sheer size, this seemed unlikely to him and therefore the position was deemed ceremonial in his own head. He was the eldest of his brothers now and was one of the prime candidates to become the heir to his father's dukedom. Having military experience was absolutely vital, as he would need to prove himself as an able heir to his father's armies. He had never been directly involved in a conflict like this. His new responsibility scared him stiff, but for the sake of his dream, he knew in his mind that he must persevere.

I'm there. I will not fail you.

The sound of a pained scream brought himself back to his senses. He looked around panicked. As he ran back to his base camp, he struggled to remain calm. Was there an invasion? Could the enemy have pierced there camp? However, when he past the camps wooden walls all seemed peaceful and quiet in the encampment. There did not seem to be any disturbance. However, just as the young lord turned away, another scream jerked him back around. It came from the prisoner's hut. But we had no prisoners. Father kept them with uncle Cao Ren at the supply depot. He pushed open the hut doors and strode inside. He was treated to an unexpected and horrible sight. Strung up by ropes to the roof of the hut, unconscious, and bleeding profusely from several places on his body was a strategist he knew as Pang Tong. The man who had helped devise the invasion plan. Standing a few feet from him, panting, was the general Li Dian. He was clutching a long leather strap in his hand with bloodstains all along it. Confusion filled Cao Pi's mind, as he was unable to comprehend the events occurring around him.

"What's the meaning of this mutiny, Li Dian? Why are torturing our lords trusted ally and strategist?" The young lord shouted. Li Dian took a step back and bowed his head.

"My lord this man has been discovered relaying our plans to enemy spies! We have begun interrogating him in order to discover the nature of what he revealed as well as the enemies tactics," Li Dian replied.

"How did you come across such evidence, and even if this is true, why was I, leader of this encampment, not informed of the situation!" Cao Pi yelled. Li Dian took another bow and replied,

"My lord, we had thought that is we managed to pry out the information ourselves, then your lordship would need not be involved this process."

"I am the head of this encampment and therefor all reserve troops in the absence of my father. I must be consulted in all military decisions. I have noticed that you did not answer my first question either. How did you come across such information?" Cao Pi asked.

"My lord, he was discovered with several enemy spies just a few hours ago." The general replied.

"All this time and I was not informed. Never mind, if what you say is true, then what happened to the spies?" Cao Pi asked.

"My lord, they were all killed in the ambush," one of the aides replied.

"My lord, we have managed to pry valuable information out of him. He mentioned before he passed out that the allied forces against us would use the linking of the ships to their advantage. He mentioned some kind of counterstrike!" The general said.

"Pang Tong was the man who suggested the linkage of the ships together. Are you telling me he suggested this in order to aid Zhou Yu's forces?" Cao Pi questioned.

"That is exactly it my lord. Though I do not know how the enemy intend to take advantage of this, given out sheer numbers," Li Dian said. A number of military aides beside him nodded.

Cao Pi pondered to himself. Li Dian is highly trusted. His interrogation cannot possibly be false. But what does the enemy intend to gain from something that was meant for out advantage. And more, what do I do know?

"Li Dian, as ranking general, what do you suggest?" Cao Pi asked.

"My lord, I recommend we send a messenger to our lords troops. Perhaps General Jia Xu will be able to decipher the enemies ploy," the general said with a bow. Cao Pi nodded.

"Send the messenger right away. It should be a few hours journey by boat. Our lord's attack should not begin till dusk." Cao Pi said. As Li Dian dispatched the messenger, Cao Pi could not shake the feelings of uneasiness in his body. This enemy plot was starting to unnerve him. Pang Tong had fallen into a deep unconsciousness due to the interrogation and was unable to be further questioned. What would father do? How would react to this situation, given the lack of information? Cao Pi pondered to himself. Wu fought with the ferocity of tigers his father had said to him once. Yet despite this, both he and his father knew that they were not simply animals that would charge into battle regardless the odds. Zhou Yu and his aide Lu Su were said to possess renowned intelligence and remarkable strategies. Due to the sudden shift in the winds, Cao Pi sat near the fire in the centre of the camp and thought to himself. How do they intend to escape this situation? But, try as he might, nothing came to his mind. He was new to military affairs after all, and studying could only help so much. His tutors had not prepared him for situations with the unknown. Frustrated with himself, Cao Pi angrily poked the hungry flames with his stick. Cao Pi watched as the flames devoured the end of his stick, spreading to the upper regions, charring the wood badly…

Cao Pi gasped. Suddenly it came to him. The hooking of the ships, the sudden change in the winds, it made sense know! Wu intended to scorch the life out of the Wei fleet. They would bring to life the flames of war and use them to devour his father's fleet. Cao Pi stood up.

"To arms men! Ready the ships by the river bank!" he yelled. Li Dain and other commanders and captains hurried towards him as the camp sprang to life.

"My lord, what are doing? The messenger has only just left-" but Li Dain was cut off by Cao Pi who slung a bow over his shoulder and tied his sheathed blade to his waist.

"Our lord will require more than just a messenger, general. I have formulated a theory to our enemy's plan, but for know we must get ready. I will explain on our way to meet up with the rest of the fleet," Cao Pi said before charging off. As he ran towards the docks with his men, Cao Pi thought of the woman dead on the floor, the harsh beating his mother had given him, and most of all, his father's disappointment.

Father, I am coming for you. I will prove myself capable of leading these men. Watch me.