ROTK - War of the Gods

Chapter 15

Zhuge Liang appeared in Zhou Yu's chamber aboard his flagship and said simply, "It is time." Zhou Yu jumped up from his desk and ran up to the deck where his generals were already assembled.

"We await your command," Huang Gai said.

Zhou Yu lifted his arms up high into the air and the fleet began moving as a gong was sounded. The archers ran to the tops of their ships and prepared for battle. "This is the moment of truth Zhuge Liang," Zhou Yu said. "Live or die, we do it together."

His fleet of 500 warships crossed the top of Chi Bi, ever careful not to drop down below the hole's event horizon. Ahead of them, they could see that Cao Cao's fleet was assembling quickly and the Gods were coming forth from their ships.

"Archers ready," Zhuge Liang shouted. The army of archers raised their bows up and drew back the strings. Zhuge Liang looked to see the status of the 20 special archers who wielded the chemical laden arrows. Everything would be decided in a few short moments.

Cao Cao's archers began firing from hundreds of yards away. Cao Cao's strength was certainly in the enemy troops. Without individual energy shields for the ships draining him, he was able to make his archers stronger and more accurate. The hail of arrows shot through Zhou Yu's archery units like lasers, cutting down hundreds upon hundreds of men.

"Now!" Zhuge Liang yelled as the arrows fell around him. It was a premature attack, but he knew there was no choice. They would be destroyed where they were unless they did something... anything. The sky was filled with arrows flying back and forth between the two fleets. Suddenly though, one of Cao Cao's ships caught fire. One of the arrows had struck!

It was all Zhuge Liang needed. He lifted up his hand and whipped up the air inside the giant energy shield, creating an intense wind. The flames leaped from ship to ship, devouring hundreds, and then thousands, of vessels.

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Cao Cao stood on the deck of his flagship, looking out in horror at the fire that consumed his fleet. There was nothing he could do. If he lifted the energy shield, the fires would be extinguished, but his troops would be killed instantly in the vacuum of space.

"Impossible," was all he could say. He reached out with his mind and felt the enemy fleet. There, the Angel Zhuge Liang allowed his presence to finally be known by Cao Cao. "No!!" Cao Cao screamed. "He's tricked me again!"

The smoldering bubble that was Cao Cao's fleet, slowly began sinking toward the black hole. As the ships hit the event horizon of Chi Bi, they were sucked down into the huge dead star, crews and all, never to be seen again.

Cao Cao and his Generals lifted up into the sky and away from Chi Bi. Their defeat had been complete, and although Cao Cao's rage threatened to take hold of him, he knew better than to let a defeat turn into a funeral for himself or one of his children. Instead, he teleported back to Mars with his children, his mind set on one thing alone - revenge.

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Zhuge Liang turned from the scene of devastation and looked at the Gods that were assembled there. They were all looking at Chi Bi in amazement. All of them that is, except Zhou Yu. The other Angel was staring directly at Zhuge Liang with the blankest expression Zhuge Liang had ever seen on another person. And then, a trickle of blood passed over his lips and down his chin.

Zhou Yu fell to the deck of his flagship, moving his arm away from his chest and revealing an arrow which struck straight threw his heart. Sun Jian's children gasped in shock when they saw the fallen Angel. They rushed to his side and lifted him up, but it was clear he was already dead. He had died standing up, staring at Zhuge Liang.

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They held a ceremony for him on the way back to Earth and it was a vivid reminder to them all that even the Gods and Angels were not immortal. When they arrived at Earth, Sun Ce stopped Zhuge Liang before he went down into the hold to retrieve his friend Pang Tong,

Taking hold of the Angel's shoulder, Sun Ce whispered into his ear, "I can make my father believe that you were behind Zhou Yu's death. If you do not hand over possession of the Earth's moon in one month's time, I will make that happen. Then, not only will you lose your precious moon, but also Earth itself."

Sun Ce stepped away from the Angel and then turned away. He needed no response.

Zhuge Liang quickly went down the hold of the ship and gathered his friend Pang Tong. They went directly to Liu Bei's chamber and reported everything that had happened at Chi Bi and also about what Sun Ce had threatened.

"I'm sorry Zhuge Liang," Liu Bei said, "but I cannot allow Sun Jian to take the Earth's moon as his own. From there he could launch any sort of surprise attack."

"Our minds think the same," Zhuge Liang said. "We must think of some way to stall them."

"Yes, and while you do that," the Lord said, "Guan Yu will go to the moon to safeguard it from any attempt by Sun Jian to take it prematurely." They agreed on this plan and Zhuge Liang went by the 29th day and appeared before Sun Jian to stall for more time.

"Great Sun Jian," he started to say, but he was cut off.

"Do not come in here attempting to deceive me! Stand up Angel and look in the eye!"

Zhuge Liang stood from his kneeling position and looked into Sun Jian's eyes. He continued his oratory. "Before your request to transfer the Earth's moon to your authority, Liu Bei began a small colony of enchanted humans there. They were working to bring atmosphere to the satellite, but it did not work. The moon is simply not suitable for living."

"I was unaware of any colonies there," Sun Jian said. "What of it anyway? I know that you have come here to postpone the transaction, but hear me now Angel - I will not allow it."

"The colonies have not yet been disassembled," Zhuge Liang began to say.

"Well then, I will acquire all that is there."

Zhuge Liang knew that Sun Jian would not give in right now. Perhaps in the morning he would have better luck. "I am not feeling so well right now, your majesty," Zhuge Liang said. "Could I perhaps have a room for the night and we can continue this discussion in the morning?"

"That is fine," Sun Jian said, "but my answer will be the same in the morning." With that, he stood up and left the room. The same servant boy as last time stepped forward, ready to show Zhuge Liang to his room. Sun Jian had agreed to let Zhuge Liang stay for the night pretty quickly. Had he suspected that the Angel would stall in this fashion and plan accordingly? Was he walking into a trap?

Zhuge Liang pushed these thoughts from his mind as the servant led him to his guest quarters in the Great Temple of New Jiang Dong. Surely Sun Jian had no reason to kill an Angel. He got to the room and saw that it was a nice, comfortable chamber. Much more inviting than the waiting room he had been in the last time he was here. "Thank you, that will be all," he said to the servant, who seemed to be standing there waiting for something.

The boy left and Zhuge Liang laid down on the bed and tried to remember the last time he had slept. It had been over a week, and he was pretty tired. He closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep when he heard a noise. He opened his eyes and looked around the room, seeing nothing. But then, there was movement in the shadows next to his bed.

He stayed perfectly still, waiting to see what would happen. He gripped his white fan tightly, waiting to defend himself with it. Suddenly, a cloaked figured emerged from the shadows and rushed toward him. The glint of metal was unmistakable in the moonlight. They had a weapon!

To be continued...