ROTK - War of the Gods

Chapter 5

One day, while Dong Zhuo was lounging in one of the Temples many rooms with a dozen or so concubines, a strange visitor arrived. Dong Zhuo was about to attack the man for intruding so rudely, but then he got a good look at the man and decided against it.

The stranger stood six and a half feet tall and was adorned with beautiful gold armor. His belt buckle was in the shape of a lion's head and he had two pheasant tails protruding from his helmet. What struck Dong Zhuo the most though was the man's eyes. They were a piercing blue color and when Dong Zhuo looked into them, he felt as if he had just stared into the abyss.

Almost instantly it dawned on Dong Zhuo that this was no man. It was Lu Bu, the Angel of Death. Somehow he had escaped from the underworld and now stood right there before Dong Zhuo.

"What... What are you doing here?" Dong Zhuo asked. The Angel of Death was the only being in the universe that could put fear into a God's heart.

"Dong Zhuo..." He said, his voice low and terrifying. All of the concubines in the room died instantly at the sound of it. "A wave of energy, triggered by a spell on earth, has penetrated my domain in the underworld and cast me out."

He paused a moment, and the silence was overwhelming. "It has also come to my attention that you are without an Angel. A Lord cannot stay long on Earth without a heavenly representative..."

Dong Zhuo couldn't believe what was happening. The Angel of Death had come to HIM to serve. Nothing could stop him now. Not the angels in heaven, nor the demons in hell. The God smiled, revealing a row of yellow, decayed teeth. "Welcome home my son."

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In Ru Nan, the three men who were once Cao Liu Sun met with the Gods who opposed Dong Zhuo's rule. It was hard for them to believe by just hearing it that Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian were all their father, but seeing them made it absolutely certain. Each man radiated a different quality that had made Cao Liu Sun the greatest of Heaven's Gods.

"The time to attack is now," Sun Jian said, standing at the head of the table. At the other end sat Cao Cao, who now had his arms folded across his chest in defiance.

"A direct assault is a foolish idea," Cao Cao said back. "Now that he has Lu Bu on his side, he is practically invincible." Everyone was quiet for a while at the mention of Lu Bu's name. Children of earth grew up fearing the Angel's name, and it was no different in Heaven. The Gods were mortal too, as much as they hated to admit it.

Sun Jian, forever the courageous tiger, pounded on the table in front of him so hard that it shattered in half, sending splinters flying through the air. "I will attack him now! If you are too scared to fight, than you may die sitting down! I though, will not!"

Sun Jian stormed from the tent. A few of the Gods who had quickly taken a liking for Sun Jian's fearless attitude, like Lu Meng and Huang Gai, quickly left the tent as well to follow their lord. Cao Cao stared at Liu Bei and Zhao Yun who stood behind him. "And what about you Liu Bei? Will you follow in your shadow's footsteps?"

He was probing for a response from the man, and he almost got one from Zhao Yun, but Liu Bei put his hand up to silence his son. Liu Bei then stood from the table and bowed low to Cao Cao. "Please excuse me. I have much to think about and the environment here is not conducive to such mental strain. I'm sure you will forgive me." Then, he too left the tent with Zhao Yun in tow.

Xu Shu looked at his lord and frowned. "Now what?"

"Now..." Cao Cao said, folding his hands in front of himself. "We wait."

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Liu Bei and Zhao Yun walked a ways in silence before the older man turned to Zhao Yun and said, "My son, please do not take offense, but I was not lying when I spoke to Cao Cao. Much has happened and I will need time to think of what course if best to take."

"Yes father," Zhao Yun said, lowing his head. He left his father to his solitude and went back to his encampment outside of the city walls where his human troops resided.

Liu Bei began walking, not really sure where he was going. Something was guiding him though, and he felt best to led his instincts take control. He walked for about two hours when he suddenly came upon a small village. The people there were in the midst of some sort celebration. Liu Bei approached one of the people and asked, "What is the meaning of this celebration?"

"Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, my lord," the boy said, almost shocked at the strangers ignorance. "They have returned from the next village over with the rebel's head who raided last week. Apparently, they were even able to rescue some of the grain which was stolen."

Liu Bei quickly clouded the boys mind so he would not remember the conversation and walked further into the village square where a feast was being prepared. There in the center of the commotion were two very large men were seated. The shorter one had a mustache with pointed tips and a red little nose. He was certainly a beast of a man and he appeared to be enjoying his fill of wine. The other man was much taller and had a long, beautiful beard that seemed to flow on forever.

Liu Bei approached the two men and congratulated them on their successful venture. Both men were shocked at the kind air that Liu Bei radiated. They begged him to stay longer to enjoy the lambs which had been slaughtered and he did so at their request. He was shocked when they declared that he was to be the man of honor at the banquet.

"Oh please," Liu Bei said, "That's really not necessary."

"Oh course it is," Zhang Fei said. "What did we do besides kill a ruffian and replace some stolen grain. Really it is YOU we should be honoring. Think you that we don't know..."

Guan Yu silenced his companion before he said anything that might make Liu Bei uncomfortable. And so, the three men along with the people of the village enjoyed a long night of feasting and drinking. In the morning, Liu Bei realized that he had fallen asleep at some point. He quickly left the little house he had found himself in and was surprised to meet Zhang Fei and Guan Yu outside waiting for him.

Before Liu Bei could speak, Guan Yu said, "Please hear me out. For a long time my brother and I have been searching for a lord to follow. The Emperor has become like a puppet of the evil deity Dong Zhuo. Though we purported last night not to know of your true nature, we know you are a God."

"Why do you say such a thing?" Liu Bei asked. "I am but a simple traveler passing through." The two men would not accept it though and eventually Liu Bei had to tell them everything that had transpired, going all the way back to the beginning of time. The story took several hours to tell, but the attention of both men was completely trained on Liu Bei the whole time.

Finally, when he was done, Guan Yu said, "It is decided then. Zhang Fei and myself will join you, no matter where that path might lead." Liu Bei smiled at the two men. Truly, in them, he found two men that he could fight and die alongside.

"I agree to this proposition under only one circumstance."

"Anything," Zhang Fei said quickly.

"The only way I will allow you two to swear loyalty to me and help me in my struggles, is if I too may swear loyalty to you and promise to help you in all of your struggles."

The two men agreed and they retreated to Guan Yu's Peace Tree Garden to swear loyalty. Oaths though, were not the only thing that would happen there. All three men drew their weapons and touched them together in the air. The names of the brother's weapons were Blue Moon Dragon and Serpent Blade. When Liu Bei drew his sword, the brothers could see that it radiated with heavenly power.

"I swear to live and die by your sides Zhang Fei and Guan Yu," Liu Bei said, placing his weapon upon theirs. "And with this gesture, I do enchant thee." Suddenly, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were filled with heavenly spirit. Though human, they would now possess the strength and power of Gods. "It is done," Liu Bei said, pulling his sword away.

"And now it's time to show Dong Zhuo who the TRUE ruler of heaven and earth is!"

To be continued...