Dynasty Warriors : Rise of the Wang Empire

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Death's Head -      I do not own Dynasty Warriors 3. Koei and THQ have that honour. All I own is a copy of Dynasty Warriors 2 and 3. This is my first Dynasty Warriors fanfic, so if you flame me for it, I'll send Wei Yan and Ma Chao to deal with you!

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In the Wu territory :

Zhou Yu, breathed in a breath of air, exhaled and smiled. His beloved was right, about going for a quiet horse ride. Before his head was crowded with plans, strategies, information for his lord and in the smallest part of his mind, a special reserved place for his love. Now, only two things were in there : One, the peacefulness of solitude, and Two, Xiao Qiao.

Xiao Qiao was kneeling next to the same tree Zhou Yu was leaning against, going through one of the saddlebags, she had one of her assistants prepare for her. She was tired of eating meals in the 'sterile' dining halls of Sun Jian's palace, and had thought that sharing the midday meal, with Zhou Yu, amongst the nature that was around the palace, would be a pleasant change. She smiled as she saw her assistant had follow her orders to the letter, and was about to hand Zhou Yu some food, when the faint smell of smoke reached her. She raised her head, and stood, looking around. Zhou Yu had also noticed the smell, and stood next to her.

"Zhou Yu…"

He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I know. Xiao, I want you to ride back to the palace, find Sun Ce and Lu Xun, and have them return here with their troops."

Xiao looked at him, eyes wide.

"I am not leaving you here by yourself! Either you come back with me, or the both of us go and investigate."

Before Zhou Yu could respond, the neighing of horses interrupted the two. Strategist and maiden turned and saw the source of the sound. Sun Ce, Lu Xun and Huang Gai sat on their horses, their troops behind them. Sun Ce smiled and rubbed his chin.

"Well, well, well, it would seem my sword brother and his maiden, were having a little dispute."

Zhou Yu sighed.

"Nothing of the sort Sun Ce."

Lu Xun smiled.

"Really? It seemed that way to the three of us."

Xiao Qiao's face had flushed red, and Zhou Yu sighed once again. Huang Gai reined his horse, and looked at his fellow Wu warriors.

"My lords, might I remind you, we have a job to do. I suggest we do it."

Zhou Yu nodded.

"I agree. Let me get my horse, and I'll accompany you."

Xiao grabbed his arm.

"Wait one minute! I am not letting you out of my sight! If you go, I go."

Zhou Yu looked at her, trying to ignore the sniggers from Sun Ce and Lu Xun, silently wishing something bad would happen to the two of them.

"Xiao, please. This could be dangerous, and I don't want you anywhere…"

Sun Ce chuckled.

"Oh come on Zhou Yu. Let her come! After all, we're just doing a normal patrol, that's all."

Zhou Yu faced the other three, hands on his hips.

"Very well, I can understand that. But why are three of you going?"

Lu Xun smiled.

"Because Da Qiao, is after Sun Ce again."

Sun Ce paled.

"Heh, heh, heh, it's not as bad as it sounds…"

Zhou Yu crossed his arms across his chest.

"Yeah right. Knowing you, you probably peeked in on her, while she was either changing clothes, or bathing."

Sun Ce's face went bright red.

"Uhhh, it's nothing of the sort! Now come along! We've got a patrol to do!"

Sun Ce turned his horse away, and rode back towards the troops. Huang Gai and Lu Xun looked at each other, Lu Xun laughing, and Huang Gau wore a slight smile on his face. Zhou Yu sighed, and turned to find Xiao Qiao was already on her horse. She looked down at him.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

Zhou Yu shook his head, as he mounted his horse, and rode up next to Xiao.

"Fine, but I want you to stay as close to me as possible. If anything goes wrong, I want you to ride back to the palace, as fast as you can. Understand?"

Xiao pouted, and was about to reply, when she saw the worried look on her lover's face. She nodded.

"I understand."

Lu Xun coughed, and spoke.

"We should be going after Sun Ce. Who knows, Da Qiao could be riding out here after him."

Huang Gai nodded.

"We should get moving."

Zhou Yu, Xiao Qiao, Lu Xun and Huang Gai headed back towards the troops and Sun Ce. Once they were all there, Sun Ce led them on the patrol.

Three hours later :

Xiao Qiao stifled a yawn. Her back was stiff and sore, and she smelled of the horse she rode. All she wanted to do, was to return to the palace and take a nice hot bath. A smile crossed her face. Take a nice hot bath with Zhou Yu…

The object of her affection, was at the moment, engaged in a conversation with his fellow strategist, Lu Xun.

"So how are the numbers for the overall troop? Have we restrengthen our forces back to what they were, before the battle at Hu Lao?"

Lu Xun nodded.

"That we have. We even have two thousand more, than we did before. We are well prepared for the fighting to come, this summer."

Zhou Yu smiled.

"Good, but we should also refortify our outposts and supply villages as well, just to be safe."

Lu Xun and Zhou Yu continued their talk, while at the head of the troop, Sun Ce and Huang Gai rode. Sun Ce was obviously depressed, most probably because of what awaited him when they returned to the palace. Huang Gai looked at his young lord and spoke.

"My lord, why do you worry? When we return, I'm sure Lady Da Qiao will have forgiven you, for whatever you have done."

Sun Ce frowned.

"I don't think so my friend. Knowing her, she's probably in her room, sitting on her bed, arms folded across her chest, and brewing up a storm within herself. A storm she'll unleash upon me, when we return."

Huang Gai was about to respond, when one of the point men, rode back towards them.

"My lords! There's the remains of a village, about five miles south of here. My brother, is waiting on the village outskirts, while I rode back to tell you."

Sun Ce nodded, his frown gone from his face instantly. Huang Gai sat in his saddle straight and looked at the young soldier.

"Very well. Lead us to him."

The soldier saluted, then turned his horse and rode off at a fast gallop. Sun Ce urged his horse forward, as Huang Gai roared orders.

"Everyone! Fast gallop! Ready all weapons!"

Zhou Yu glanced at Xiao, and noticed she had already drawn her fans. He withdrew his Elder sword from it's scabbard.

"Xiao…"

She shook her head, as she galloped along.

"I'm coming Zhou Yu, and that's final!"

Zhou Yu sighed, and held onto his reins, and his horse matched the pace of Xiao's. Soon the entire patrol, were on the outskirts of a burnt and decrepit village. Some of the men in the troop, wore grief stricken faces. They had left this village to join the army, and had returned to find it destroyed, they're loved ones dead. Sun Ce issued orders.

"All troops, sweep through the village, find any survivors or any clues as to what happened here." He faced the command group "Zhou Yu, Lu Xun, Huang Gai and Xiao Qiao, let's go."

The five Wu warriors rode into the middle of the village, Xiao turned her eyes away from the sight before her.

"Who could do this… this… butchery?"

Huang Gai looked at the ragged corpses, hung on stakes, the wind blowing their clothes and hair about.

"Someone, who does not fear, Wu retribution."

Sun Ce looked at him, over his shoulder.

"Could it be either Wei or Shu?"

Zhou Yu shook his head.

"I do not think so. Cao Cao, nor Liu Bei, have never done anything like this before, and there's no reason for them to do so now."

Lu Xun nodded.

"This is pure animal savagery. Never before have I encountered anything like this. Not until now, that is."

Xiao stopped her horse, eyes closed tight.

"This is horrible! These people had nothing to do with the army! Why did they have to die! And die in such a terrible way? They were innocent!"

Huang Gai frowned.

"I do not think, that whoever did this, thought they were innocent or not. Rather they were in the way."

Zhou Yu rode his horse next to Xiao's, and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Xiao…"

While the two lovers composed themselves, Sun Ce, had dismounted and looked around the village centre. Lu Xun and Huang Gai with him.

"What do you think Lu Xun? Could it be either remnants of Dong Zhuo's forces? Or even whatever remains of the Yellow Turbans?"

Lu Xun shook his head.

"No. This is not their style. Something, or someone else, did this."

Huang Gai looked at the body of a young woman, hanging on a nearby stake.

"So young… Never experienced what life is yet."

Sun Ce nodded, and was about to respond, when Zhou Yu called out to him.

"SUN CE!"

Sun Ce and the others turned and ran towards Zhou Yu's voice. Lu Xun pointed.

"The village elder's house!"

The three warriors ran inside the door, and saw Xiao Qiao run past them, hand over her mouth, and tears running down her face. Sun Ce looked at the elder, sitting at the blood soaked table, and even his stomach turned. Lu Xun spoke.

"Who…?"

Zhou Yu looked at the three of them.

"I know who did this. Or rather, the whose force it was."

Huang Gai glared at Zhou Yu.

"Who was it?"

Zhou Yu pointed at the wall.

"Something called the Wang Empire. It would seem, there's another kingdom, which wants control of our lands."

Sun Ce looked up at the blood encrusted writing, anger on his face, in his eyes.

"WANG! When we return to the palace…"

Zhou Yu nodded.

"We must prepare our forces at once. It seems, the war has started, and we're the first casualties."

Huang Gai stared at the bloody writing.

"Wang… I have not heard that name, since…"

Lu Xun looked at him.

"Huang Gai? Is everything alright?"

The Wu warrior composed himself, and nodded.

"I'm fine. Just thinking."

Lu Xun frowned.

"Come on, let's see if we can find anything we can use to find these butchers."

As Huang Gai followed Lu Xun, he knew that something from his past, something he had hidden from everyone around him, was now about to return. He prayed silently, to have the strength to deal with it, when it finally appeared.

"I will finish it, this time. I swear it."

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Death's Head -      I know, I know. I'm delving too deep into the relationship with Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao, but they're a couple and deserve to be together…. UNLESS I decide to take a sinister change of mind, and do something to disrupt their happiness. MWA HA HA HA!! **starts coughing** Sorry, gotta stop laughing like that. Bad for my throat and asthma. My bad. No sneak peek this time, as I'm posting it right behind this one, reasons for which I'll explain there.  Anywayz, I've got plans, LOTS of plans, heh, heh, heh. Anywayz, you know the drill now people, R&R please.