Part 3
The Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 25
Thirteen Celestial Nights
Sima Yi recovered in half a day and was back on the grounds. Telling his dark past to Sun Shang Xiang seemed to have affected her greatly. She followed Sima Yi wherever he went, and it seemed like their bond had grown stronger. Of course, he would have had to have trusted and liked her very much to have told her something that private. Zhang He never told them him that he had heard him, but looked at Sima Yi in a new light, he now understood why Sima Yi acted the way he did.
Once everything was back to normal, they began planning their very first attack. The strategists decided to attack and take control of the Nanman territory, as they had refused their peace proposal. They would start moving out in a couple of days so they could ambush quickly. Zhou Yu was a better strategist than Zhang he took him for. Sima Yi and him together were unbeatable. They would carry out difficult situations together as fast as lightening and end up coming up with amazingly intelligent solutions.
Diao Chan was not very happy about heading into battle once again. She knew she wasn't the best of fighters, but Zhang He assured her everything would be simply fine. Sun Ce on the other couldn't wait to get back in battle and give his Tonfas a good workout.
On the sixteenth Zhang He gave the order for them begin the travels to the steamy jungles of the Nanman lands. Since it was so close to their main camp, it would only take about four days to reach the border of their land. Their plan was to hide in the jungles, then lead a fake charge on the west side, away from their cities. Once all the people were out of the city, the troops would move in and occupy the land. The charge team would then retreat and needle through the jungle and join the other forces. When the Nanmans returned, they would find enemy soldiers all over their land. Unable to regroup, they eliminate them as easy as a ravenous dog after a stray chicken.
On the second day of traveling the weather became simply unbearable. Horrible, thick humidity hung in the air and it rained endlessly, dampening the spirits of the troops and thoroughly perturbing the horses. The sounds of rolling thunder could be heard every now and then and dangerously close lightening struck frequently and lit up the cloudy sky like magic. The girls made a huge fuss about how the humid air and swollen raindrops were completely destroying their hair, and how all they wanted to do was take a bath. Sun Ce was in bad spirits and yelled at anyone who dared to get in his way.
"Stupid Nanmans, why do we have to attack them and their horrible land?" He whined.
"Because, Sun Ce, it is an easy way to get land that doesn't belong to the Shu, Wu or Wei. These Nanmans are brainless fools who believe you don't need to think before you act. That is why we must take the land." Zhou Yu explained wearily.
"That's jut a bunch of gibberish, I want a real reason!"
The day dragged on and the troops could be heard sniffling and coughing from behind Zhang He.
"Only a bit longer!" He called back to them "I want to stop just as bad as you do, but we can't lose hope!" This seemed to boost their spirits a tiny bit and they trudged on with an exhausted doggedness. When they were nearing midnight, Zhang He let the troops stop and set up camp near a river. As they couldn't start a fire, nobody could cook the food, so nobody ate. Wet and miserable, they set up their tents and retired into a bitter sleep. The girls joined the boys on this night in their tent. Everyone was so cold that they all huddled together, relying on each other's warming body heat. Zhang he clutched Diao Chan's shivering body and wondered how in the world anyone was going to sleep that night. But they all eventually gave into sleep and got some rest.
That morning, Zhang he was awoken by shouts from outside. The rain had lessened up, but he immediately started shivering. He sat up a little roughly and accidentally woke Diao Chan. They both rushed outside to see the troops trying to fish something out of the river. Zhang he realized that some fool had dropped all the rations into the river and they were speeding down stream faster then a horse at full gallop.
"No! " Zhang He yelled as he ran over trying to get his hands on a heavy bag of rice that was rapidly sinking. Try as they may, not a single bad of food could be rescued. Stomachs growling hopelessly, they mounted their horses and got ready for another long day of riding. Sima Yi had grown quite ill and looked as though he would plummet off his equine servant at any moment. His eyes were half closed and when Zhang He spoke to him all he did was moan weakly. What he really needed was a good night or two's sleep in a warm, dry bed, and a large helping of food, which they could provide neither of.
All that day Zhang He's stomach growled loudly, begging for just a bite to eat, but to no avail. Diao Chan whined pathetically next to him and almost fell asleep on her horse. Sun Shang Xiang and Sun Ce got into a huge fight about nothing very important and ended up giving each other a fat lip and a black eye before someone stopped them. Zhou Yu didn't speak to anyone, but looked extremely sad and kept rubbing his head. The troops looked unhappy, but still plodded on. Zhang He was worried they might give up and go back to their original forces, but they never did. All the generals looked upset as well, but still continued on. Zhang He sincerely hoped they were all with him one hundred percent. Night came once again and everyone was simply famished. They searched around for any sign of an animal to hunt, but they found nothing was big enough for eating. The rain had stopped, but everyone still wore damp clothing and all the blankets and tents were still soaking wet. When they all entered the tent to finally get some sleep, it was well after midnight. Sima Yi had a terrible hacking cough, and no one could sleep with the noise. Only ten minutes after they had been trying to get to sleep, Sima Yi got to his feet with difficulty and apologized hoarsely. He made his way out of the tent drunkenly and stepped into the dark night. Zhang He knew he should've stopped him, but felt too tired to get up.
"Good riddance . . ." Sun Ce growled nastily. Hunger had really transformed him into a master of unkindness. Sun Shang Xiang rose and kicked him hard in the belly. He let out a roar of rage and swung at her.
"How can you say that, you bastard?" She spat. She stormed feebly outside, undoubtedly to join Sima Yi. Diao Chan was shaking with hunger beside him, but hadn't even said a word the entire time. He moved even closer to her and placed a protective arm around her trembling shoulders. Zhou Yu was silently pulling tiny bits of flesh of his thumb and fingers with his teeth and gnawed hungrily at his fingernails. Zhang He thought of the hot, steaming rice waiting for them back at the main camp, or the exotic dishes of the Nanmans that they could pilfer. He fell into restless dreams filled with wonderful heaps of warm food.
When they woke in the morning the weather was extremely humid, and growing hotter by the second. They found Sima Yi and Sun Shang Xiang sleeping next to one another on the ground quite a distance from the camp. Sima Yi looked awful. Judging by the dark patched under his eyes he hadn't gotten very much sleep. Zhang He put a hand to his forehead but immediately drew it back.
"You're burning up!" He exclaimed. Sima Yi wiped his brow with some difficulty and stood up shakily.
"M-my head hurts . . ." He croaked in a guttural wheeze. The second his stood up his knees buckled under him and he fell flat on his face. Sun Shang Xiang helped him up and rested half of his body on her shoulders. Zhou Yu stepped up. He was two times paler than he usually was and looked quite ill himself.
"I know we all need rest, but if we stay where we are, we will surely starve." Zhang He stated crucially. "I'll send some men back on our horses to get some food and we'll move along on foot. We can't stay in one place too long . . ."
"Yes, I agree." Zhou Yu said, stroking his hair, which had become tangled and damp. "Attacking the Nanmans may now may seem like an unwise decision, but once we have control of this land, we shall be as powerful as the other kingdoms."
So they set out on foot. About ten men raced back as fast as they could to get food for the troops. It was the fourth and final day and they were nearing the Nanman city, Ru Nan. Once they had their food, which should arrive by night if the men were reliable, they would be ready to attack the Nanmans in the morning. They pushed on, every man clutching his stomach and wishing for food dearly. Diao Chan kept stumbling and leaning forward and Sun Ce could be heard growling ferociously to himself. Zhang He kept throwing positive comments to the men and helping them out whenever they fell weak. He ended up carrying four men's loads, but he was determined to keep their confidence high. Gan Ning was complaining loudly that "The Ning" needed food to go on and would take another step until he got some. When he saw that the troops didn't stop and beg him to come along, but kept on walking ahead he ran back into the moving crowd and pretend nothing had happened. Pang Tong had invented an easier way of getting along, instead of walking; he used magic to float himself along with the other men. Xh Zhu kept whining and threw a huge fit because he had never gone so long without a formal meeting with his food. His completely empty head couldn't fathom the reason that no one was eating and he kept on smashing the ground in front of him with his colossal hammer. Wei Yan kept uttering words such as "Hungry..." and "Hate..." Ma Chao and Taishi Ci hung at the back of the group and spoke in hushed voices, occasionally pointing and gesturing darkly. Zhang Liao rode close by his brother and reminded him that everything was all right every five seconds. Xu Huang became even more silent and fearsome looking and Huang Zhong looked more prone to hallucination than usual.
After about noon, Sima Yi collapsed in exhaustion. At first everyone kept on going, but Sun Shang Xiang shrieked and alerted everyone of the matter. Sima Yi was out cold and wasn't breathing very deeply. Zhang He's worst fears were suddenly coming to life.
"Dammit, don't you die." He hissed softly. "It's only the twentieth anyway . . . Everyone! We're setting up camp here, they provisions will reach us in a few hours and Ru Nan is only one mile away, we can rest up for now." He announced.
Nobody really bothered setting up tents, but they sat around or lay on the grass, nursing their aching bellies. They laid Sima Yi under a shady tree and everyone flopped down around that area. Nobody spoke, but Sun Ce looked as if he would go into a raging bawl an any second. Sun Shang Xiang rested her tired body against Sima Yi's unconscious one, and Zhou Yu lay supine and motionless. Zhang He and Diao Chan held one another, trying to get their minds of the suffering.
The setting had changed drastically. Instead of the wooded areas full of lush meadows and tranquil streams, there was thick jungle under brush. Strange looking trees had sprouted out of the ground and their leaves drifted indolently in the soft breeze. Different animals Zhang He had never seen, nor heard of could be seen making their daily rounds or skittering curiously around.
Finally, at sunset, the moment every man and woman had been waiting for arrived. Out of the golden horizon rode up ten men on horses, laden with huge bags of food. The troops jumped up and cheered, embracing one another and clapping joyfully. Gan Ning was completely spazzing out and Sun Ce hollered a loud whooping sound. The cooks set to work and at once people were served their long awaited meals. Almost everyone went back for seconds, thirds, and fourths. Everybody's spirits were instantly raised and they quickly transformed back into their usual selves. Sima Yi eventually woke and got his share as well.
"So, are we ready to attack Run Nan!?" Zhang He called out to the conversing men. They answered back with an almighty din that must've awoken the emperor himself. "All right! These are the men I know!" He cheered back happily.
After Xu Zhu had eaten all the remainders of the bountiful meal, everyone put up and collapsed into their tents as dark night set in. The icy hours of darkness in Nan territory were far from enjoyable, but any excuse to sleep next to Diao Chan was a good one. Everyone fell into slumber satiated and ready for the morrow.
The sun rose hot in the sky when morning dawned upon them. The two teams combined and prepared to move out. Zhang He would be leading his team with Sun Ce and Zhou Yu. Following him would be Diao Chan, Ma Chao, Taishi Ci, and Zhang Liao. They would be the Silent Team. They were to wait for the Nanmans to leave the city, and then move in. Next was the Attack Team led by Sun Shang Xiang and Pang Tong. Zhang He didn't appoint Sima Yi to be a leader because at the moment he appeared as if he could not recall his own name. Zhang He had created a plan with Sun Shang Xiang to have him "mistakenly" left behind so he wouldn't be put into danger. They assembled and set out for their destination. When Zhou Yu gave the signal, a beam of white light shot into the air, the Attack Team would create the diversion, and then all they'd have to do is wait . . . Morning crept by slowly as they made their way to the position. Zhang He found it to be ten times more stressful going into battle as the leader, rather than a general. If he died, it was basically over; he mustn't dampen his troop's hope by getting an injury either. They peered over a hill that looked down to Run Nan, the Nanman capitol. It had a nice high wall and excessively large buildings made of light colored organic materials. Zhou Yu looked tense as he looked for the Attack Team below. A feeling of thick anxiety hung palpable in the air. Suddenly, Zhou Yu's eyes widened.
"It's time . . ." He whispered, raising his sword into the air. A second passed heavy and a beam of white light erupted from the tip of Zhou Yu's sword. A muffled battle cry was heard from the trees and movement was evident.
"Get ready!" Sun Ce yelled. Zhang He's heart pounded. He was waiting for that exact second to move the team in. He couldn't act too fast, the Nanmans would spot him, but if he waited too long, the entire plan would fail. He watched as men and women flooded out of the gates, meeting the foreign forces attack.
"It's your call, Brother." Zhou Yu said, stepping back. A minute later, Zhang He was sure the majority of the forces had emptied out of the city.
"Do not destroy any homes, buildings or items. NOTHING gets set on fire!" He reminded the troops critically. Then, the chance presented itself as if a red beacon had been set before his eyes.
"CHARGE!" He bellowed racing down the steep hill on his horse. With a flying leap, he was back on flat soil. He tore towards the city, his army behind him flying at top speed. It was the best feeling in the world, Soaring down the battlefield, an entire army behind you, all following your command. Like being set free. Zhang He's heart swelled and he lifted his gleaming Talons high into the air and exploded through the front gate.
He glided in on his frothing horse, cutting down any soldiers that dared to stand in his path. His slashed their soft bodies open, spilling the scarlet elixir athwart the sandy road. A terrible but sublime numbness of pure desire for delivering death overtook Zhang He's body and control had gone astray. A primordial force erupted inside his mind and the Phoenix in him was released. He spread his golden wings and split his way along the field. He tore abruptly to the side and removed some heads in a blink of an eye. It didn't matter who was who now, he would guide his people to supreme glory. As he swung, a fresh wave of inferno actually leapt from the Talon's metallic points. He didn't have the time to become surprised; he only continued undulating his weapon ferociously. Fresh streams of white- hot flames sprang again and again, incinerating all that came in contact. It was no longer up to Zhang He which way his body moved; the Phoenix was now the towering overlord of his person. His pale gray eyes flashed with a malicious crimson radiance that obscured his vision from reality. He didn't see, but felt rather where his enemies were. The Phoenix took flight and guided him and he disintegrated life after life. The cries of the battling men reverberated in his ears like an unending chorus of lost souls. The Lady in Black was at his side, his very soul in the Phoenix. He could distinguish Her amassing the Souls of the deceased upon the battlefield. The amazing power, this ability to bring an end to lives was simply beautiful to Zhang He, he fed off the flood of supremacy that enveloped him. He suddenly felt a warm hand on his shoulder and the Phoenix steered his body around and faced the person that touched him. His hands automatically slashed at the person, but something in his heart threw the attack off course. The metal only removed a bit of flesh from the being and it fell to the ground. Zhang He fell to his knees and fought with all his might to be freed from the Phoenix. The trancelike state subsided and his vision returned little by little and he gazed down at the crumpled figure he had just slashed.
When he saw what he had done, he felt his heart stop dead inside his chest. His hands quivered and his eyes opened wide. Diao Chan, his Diao Chan was laying whimpering on the ground, clutching her stomach in anguish. Tears sprung from his eyes and fell hopelessly into the sand. He fell forward and tried to hold her in his arms but she jerked back frantically. She looked like she was terrified of him, as if he were her foe. A terrible heartache overtook him and he covered his face with his hands. He then drew them back as he noticed they were glowing with an unearthly golden light, as was his entire body. He didn't have time to think about that now . . .
"D-diao Chan." He whispered reaching towards her again. She tried to escape, but lay frozen staring into his eyes with confused fear. "P-please . . ." She doubled over in pain and curled her person into fetal position. Zhang He picked up her feather-light body and laid it on his lap as he rested his head on hers. I won't lose you, Diao Chan. . . I can't lose you! B-but it's my fault, I did this to you . . . He thought with a frightened deadness. He felt warm blood soak the front of him and drip down his legs. "Please, don't die . . ." He gasped into her ear. Her arms reached limply up around his neck and she pressed her injury against his chest.
"I'm s-scared. . . I don't want to d-" She stopped. Zhang He could feel her breathing slowing down. Her entire body relaxed and she fell against him, tears pouring down her terrified face. Zhang he felt the Lady in Black over his shoulder and Diao Chan seemed to sense her as well. "No, don't let Her take me . . ." She panted.
"Get away!" He bellowed at the Lady, but She only drew nearer. She drifted down to where he held Diao Chan's quivering body and moved her blurred hand right above Diao Chan's heart. A thin, wispy cloud of mist rose out Diao Chan and her body fell limp. Zhang He yelled and shut his eyes. He clutched Diao Chan's corpse so tightly his knuckles turned white. The golden light grew around his and his tears felt so hot they burned him. Suddenly, the air around Zhang He burst into flames. It enveloped him and Diao Chan and burst in minute explosions. He felt his hair and clothes incinerate followed by his body and Diao Chan's. Intense pain was still around and he became part of the fire.
He suddenly realized he was dead. But how am I still thinking? He bewildered lifelessly. All of a sudden feeling started to come back to him. It felt like he was growing rapidly, larger and larger. Then, it all stopped abruptly. His body had come back to him, he was alive! He realized he was holding a person in his arms and they were completely covered in something dark, flaky and greasy. Somebody else's hands were wiping of the flakes on his face vigorously. He opened his eyes and stared into the wide- eyed face of Zhou Yu.
"He's alive!" He yelled breathlessly to someone behind him. Zhang He moaned and sat at up, letting the black flakes flutter down silently. He looked down and realized that all of his clothes were gone. He blushed and was for once thankful for all the little flakes covering his body. He looked beside him and saw that Diao Chan was still lying on the floor, also covered in the ebony material. Sun Ce came bounding up and fell to his knees on the ground beside Zhou Yu.
"What the hell happened?" He inquired loudly. "You guys just burned up and now, your, well, not!!"
"Zhang He is a Dobutsu!" Zhou Yu exclaimed.
"A what?" Zhang He croaked, looking around for something to cover up with. The Talons were still fastened to his hands, looking a little singed, but still in tact.
"That's animal magic." Zhou Yu explained, removing the clothes from a fallen soldier and handing them to Zhang He. "It's when someone's animal spirit rises and takes control of their body. After the trance has subsided, the person is left with an amazing ability. Do you remember which animal your spirit was taken by?" He asked.
Zhang He pulled the pants from the soldier on and fastened the belt quickly. "It was a Phoenix, I think." He answered.
"Exactly. Do you know about Phoenixes? They are magical birds of legend, which die every ten years and are reborn from their own ashes. You see, when Diao Chan died, you became so upset that the ability was shown. The Rebirth Flame. That stuff you're sitting in is the ashes from your old body."
"Is Diao Chan alive?" He said turning away from her nude frame. Zhou Yu nodded, then stood and went to retrieve another uniform for Diao Chan.
"Man, we thought you guys were dead." Sun Ce breathed, standing up shakily. Zhang He heart sickened as he remembered who had killed Diao Chan in the first place. How could he have done such a thing? How could he have struck down his love? He recalled the way she had tried to escape from him. She was actually afraid of him. He couldn't stand to see her like that ever again. Zhou Yu returned and shook Diao Chan awake. She opened her eyes slowly, took a moment and analyzed the situation, the immediately tried to cover herself. Zhou Yu handed her the clothes and looked away. Sun Ce and Zhang He also respectively turned their heads. After she was dressed she walked around to the front.
"Diao Chan . . ." Zhang He whispered, standing up. She looked a little nervous, but stood her ground. He put his hand on her forearm and pulled her gently forward. He wrapped both his arms around her, but she did not respond. She began to shake slightly and Zhang He felt warm tears soaking into his new shirt. "I-it was an accident, I would never hurt you . . ." He breathed into her ear. "The Phoenix had take over me, I tried to stop it, but I lost control." Diao Chan sobbed quietly and grasped the front part of his shirt in her petite hands.
"I've never seen you like that. It was the most frightening thing I ever witnessed, you were like my enemy, it looked like you wanted me dead!" She wept.
"Never! Diao Chan. . ." Zhang He comforted, placing his hand on top of her head and stroking her sleek hair. She looked up at him and a single tear dripped down her cheek. "I love you . . ." She smiled tearfully and nestled her head back onto his chest.
"Sorry to break up this touching love scene, guys, but there's more enemies coming." Sun Ce interrupted looking over his shoulder. Diao Chan stepped away and picked up her maces, which were lying in the pile of ash and hurried forward.
"Let's enter the main capitol building and start to occupy the city from there." Zhou Yu advised, leading the way. They sped through alleys and ran around buildings until they reached they largest hut in the city, situated at the dead center. Some guards stood protectively in front of the gargantuan entrance. Everyone snuck up beside the wall and prepared to leap out and attack, but Zhou Yu stopped them. He pressed a finger to his lips, then turned back to watch them.
"So, why are we here anyway? Shouldn't we be guarding the Qiaos instead?" One guard asked indolently.
"You idiot, this is Meng Huo's home! If this got destroyed or occupied, he would kill us himself! Besides, they already got some men down there at the south end guardin' now." The second wheezed.
"I wouldn't mind being those guys! The Qiao sisters are so pretty . . . Where did Lord Meng Huo capture 'em from, anyway?" The first questioned.
"Snatched 'em right from their beds in the city Zhen Dian. Zhu Rong weren't to happy 'bout it though, so he only keeps them for entertainment when guests are over." The guard explained.
"I hear they scream up somethun' horrible, not very obedient either." The other continued.
"It's true. That little one is always cryin' to go home, scared to death she is. But, if you ask me, I don't think women should be livin' all by their little selves." He said. Zhou Yu drew back and told everyone to jump out and kill them on the count of three. He got past one, but somewhere between two and three, Sun Ce stopped him.
"Zhou Yu! Didn't you hear? They have some beautiful women captured here! We have to rescue them!" Sun Ce objected.
"We don't have time, Sun Ce, we're already behind schedule as it is!" He snapped.
"But Zhou Yu, beautiful women . . ." He begged. Zhou Yu sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Fine, Diao Chan, find Sun Shang Xiang and you two kill these guards. Zhang He, come with Sun Ce and me, we'll rescue the Qiaos, then meet the girls back here and together break in the castle. Understood?" Everyone nodded and the plan was initiated. Zhang He followed Sun Ce and Zhou Yu to the south end of the city, occasionally meeting up with a stray peon or two. After about five minutes, they found there way to a fairly large hut. About two or three guards with spears were standing in front, looking bored. Sun Ce leapt out like a wild animal and crushed their skulls as fast as lightening. He kicked open the door a burst in, followed by the slightly less enthusiastic Zhang He and Zhou Yu.
Inside it was very dark and there was only one door at the end of an empty room. It was very hot at stuffy inside and Zhang He winced when he first stepped in. A soft wailing came from behind the door and Sun Ce ran forward to open it. It had held behind it a large cage made from bamboo, which was holding two young girls captive. The first looked quite short and innocent. She had light brown hair, which she wore in a long side ponytail, fastened with several lovely hairpieces. She was crying and had her face covered with her hands. The girl wore a very cute out fit with very bright colors and a large bow at the back. The second girl looked a little more mature and clam. She was about the same height, but seemed much older in the way she presented herself. She wore her lovely deep- brown hair in flared buns on either side of her head, held on with a set of red clips. She had donned upon her body a shirt that was much too large for her, but embroidered beautifully with royal shades of red and golden. Below that was a short, sea-blue skirt and cute little shoes. They were both astonishingly gorgeous.
The moment the door swung open, they both looked up in fear. The sister with the dark brown hair stood and balled up her fists.
"Leave us alone, we are not your playthings! We have lives, too, you know!" She yelled with a slightly less menacing feel then she had attempted to use.
"Don't worry, girls, I'm here to save you!" Sun Ce announced gallantly.
"What?" squeaked the second sister, perking up. "We're being saved?"
"I'll have you out in a moment . . ." Zhou Yu smiled, drawing his extravagant sword.
"We're going to be saved! We're going to be saved!" Cheered the sister with the lighter hair, dancing around in a circle. Zhou Yu slashed the bars swiftly and the two small women dashed out.
"Thank you so much, we are forever indebted to you, my Lord-" The first sister said, clearly wanting Sun Ce's name.
"Call me Sun Ce . . ." He answered huskily.
"Right . . . I am Da Qiao, and this is my sister Xiao Qiao." Da Qiao said, fingering her dark auburn hair buns.
"YAY! We're free, FREE!" Xiao Qiao said, running around Zhou Yu ecstatically. Zhou Yu chuckled and caught her shoulders.
"Calm down, calm down." He scolded gently.
"Yes, sir!" She said in a mock military fashion. "Are you a general?" She asked excitedly.
"Yes, that I am." He said starting to walk back towards the door.
"Cool!!" She cheered, "Which kingdom are you part of?" She asked, following beside him closely.
"We are all part of the Shi." He said motioning to Sun Ce and Zhang He.
"I haven't heard of that one." She said.
"We've just built our kingdom. We are presently in the middle of our first battle." He explained.
"There's a battle going on?" Da Qiao asked worriedly.
"Yes, we're taking the Nanman land as we speak." Zhang He said.
"Wait a moment then!" Da Qiao said, hurrying back into the room. After a minute she returned, carrying four extremely large sticks with colorful shapes poking out of the ends. She threw two to Xiao Qiao and grasped two herself. "We can fight with you! It's all we can do at the moment to repay for rescuing us."
"Uh, no offense, but what can those little sticks do?" Sun Ce asked, bewildered. Da Qiao held the sticks in either of her hands, executed a swishing motion with her fingers, and revealed the sticks to be large, brightly colored battle-fans. They were unlike they ones Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang possessed; they were like gigantic versions of the ones that concubines carried. Da Qiao's fans were bright purple, and Xiao Qiao's were baby blue.
"Wow." Sun Ce muttered smiling. "Very impressive." They made their way outside, and rushed back towards the castle. There they found Sun Shang Xiang and Diao Chan waiting on the steps.
"Hey brother! Who're they?" Sun Shang Xiang asked inquisitively.
"I am Da Qiao, and this is my sister-"
"Xiao Qiao, prepped and ready to fight!" She yelled.
"Excellent, are they on our side?" Sun Shang Xiang asked.
"For the time being, yes, they can decide where they will go once the battle is over." Zhou Yu said. "Now, let's get into that castle!"
The Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 25
Thirteen Celestial Nights
Sima Yi recovered in half a day and was back on the grounds. Telling his dark past to Sun Shang Xiang seemed to have affected her greatly. She followed Sima Yi wherever he went, and it seemed like their bond had grown stronger. Of course, he would have had to have trusted and liked her very much to have told her something that private. Zhang He never told them him that he had heard him, but looked at Sima Yi in a new light, he now understood why Sima Yi acted the way he did.
Once everything was back to normal, they began planning their very first attack. The strategists decided to attack and take control of the Nanman territory, as they had refused their peace proposal. They would start moving out in a couple of days so they could ambush quickly. Zhou Yu was a better strategist than Zhang he took him for. Sima Yi and him together were unbeatable. They would carry out difficult situations together as fast as lightening and end up coming up with amazingly intelligent solutions.
Diao Chan was not very happy about heading into battle once again. She knew she wasn't the best of fighters, but Zhang He assured her everything would be simply fine. Sun Ce on the other couldn't wait to get back in battle and give his Tonfas a good workout.
On the sixteenth Zhang He gave the order for them begin the travels to the steamy jungles of the Nanman lands. Since it was so close to their main camp, it would only take about four days to reach the border of their land. Their plan was to hide in the jungles, then lead a fake charge on the west side, away from their cities. Once all the people were out of the city, the troops would move in and occupy the land. The charge team would then retreat and needle through the jungle and join the other forces. When the Nanmans returned, they would find enemy soldiers all over their land. Unable to regroup, they eliminate them as easy as a ravenous dog after a stray chicken.
On the second day of traveling the weather became simply unbearable. Horrible, thick humidity hung in the air and it rained endlessly, dampening the spirits of the troops and thoroughly perturbing the horses. The sounds of rolling thunder could be heard every now and then and dangerously close lightening struck frequently and lit up the cloudy sky like magic. The girls made a huge fuss about how the humid air and swollen raindrops were completely destroying their hair, and how all they wanted to do was take a bath. Sun Ce was in bad spirits and yelled at anyone who dared to get in his way.
"Stupid Nanmans, why do we have to attack them and their horrible land?" He whined.
"Because, Sun Ce, it is an easy way to get land that doesn't belong to the Shu, Wu or Wei. These Nanmans are brainless fools who believe you don't need to think before you act. That is why we must take the land." Zhou Yu explained wearily.
"That's jut a bunch of gibberish, I want a real reason!"
The day dragged on and the troops could be heard sniffling and coughing from behind Zhang He.
"Only a bit longer!" He called back to them "I want to stop just as bad as you do, but we can't lose hope!" This seemed to boost their spirits a tiny bit and they trudged on with an exhausted doggedness. When they were nearing midnight, Zhang He let the troops stop and set up camp near a river. As they couldn't start a fire, nobody could cook the food, so nobody ate. Wet and miserable, they set up their tents and retired into a bitter sleep. The girls joined the boys on this night in their tent. Everyone was so cold that they all huddled together, relying on each other's warming body heat. Zhang he clutched Diao Chan's shivering body and wondered how in the world anyone was going to sleep that night. But they all eventually gave into sleep and got some rest.
That morning, Zhang he was awoken by shouts from outside. The rain had lessened up, but he immediately started shivering. He sat up a little roughly and accidentally woke Diao Chan. They both rushed outside to see the troops trying to fish something out of the river. Zhang he realized that some fool had dropped all the rations into the river and they were speeding down stream faster then a horse at full gallop.
"No! " Zhang He yelled as he ran over trying to get his hands on a heavy bag of rice that was rapidly sinking. Try as they may, not a single bad of food could be rescued. Stomachs growling hopelessly, they mounted their horses and got ready for another long day of riding. Sima Yi had grown quite ill and looked as though he would plummet off his equine servant at any moment. His eyes were half closed and when Zhang He spoke to him all he did was moan weakly. What he really needed was a good night or two's sleep in a warm, dry bed, and a large helping of food, which they could provide neither of.
All that day Zhang He's stomach growled loudly, begging for just a bite to eat, but to no avail. Diao Chan whined pathetically next to him and almost fell asleep on her horse. Sun Shang Xiang and Sun Ce got into a huge fight about nothing very important and ended up giving each other a fat lip and a black eye before someone stopped them. Zhou Yu didn't speak to anyone, but looked extremely sad and kept rubbing his head. The troops looked unhappy, but still plodded on. Zhang He was worried they might give up and go back to their original forces, but they never did. All the generals looked upset as well, but still continued on. Zhang He sincerely hoped they were all with him one hundred percent. Night came once again and everyone was simply famished. They searched around for any sign of an animal to hunt, but they found nothing was big enough for eating. The rain had stopped, but everyone still wore damp clothing and all the blankets and tents were still soaking wet. When they all entered the tent to finally get some sleep, it was well after midnight. Sima Yi had a terrible hacking cough, and no one could sleep with the noise. Only ten minutes after they had been trying to get to sleep, Sima Yi got to his feet with difficulty and apologized hoarsely. He made his way out of the tent drunkenly and stepped into the dark night. Zhang He knew he should've stopped him, but felt too tired to get up.
"Good riddance . . ." Sun Ce growled nastily. Hunger had really transformed him into a master of unkindness. Sun Shang Xiang rose and kicked him hard in the belly. He let out a roar of rage and swung at her.
"How can you say that, you bastard?" She spat. She stormed feebly outside, undoubtedly to join Sima Yi. Diao Chan was shaking with hunger beside him, but hadn't even said a word the entire time. He moved even closer to her and placed a protective arm around her trembling shoulders. Zhou Yu was silently pulling tiny bits of flesh of his thumb and fingers with his teeth and gnawed hungrily at his fingernails. Zhang He thought of the hot, steaming rice waiting for them back at the main camp, or the exotic dishes of the Nanmans that they could pilfer. He fell into restless dreams filled with wonderful heaps of warm food.
When they woke in the morning the weather was extremely humid, and growing hotter by the second. They found Sima Yi and Sun Shang Xiang sleeping next to one another on the ground quite a distance from the camp. Sima Yi looked awful. Judging by the dark patched under his eyes he hadn't gotten very much sleep. Zhang He put a hand to his forehead but immediately drew it back.
"You're burning up!" He exclaimed. Sima Yi wiped his brow with some difficulty and stood up shakily.
"M-my head hurts . . ." He croaked in a guttural wheeze. The second his stood up his knees buckled under him and he fell flat on his face. Sun Shang Xiang helped him up and rested half of his body on her shoulders. Zhou Yu stepped up. He was two times paler than he usually was and looked quite ill himself.
"I know we all need rest, but if we stay where we are, we will surely starve." Zhang He stated crucially. "I'll send some men back on our horses to get some food and we'll move along on foot. We can't stay in one place too long . . ."
"Yes, I agree." Zhou Yu said, stroking his hair, which had become tangled and damp. "Attacking the Nanmans may now may seem like an unwise decision, but once we have control of this land, we shall be as powerful as the other kingdoms."
So they set out on foot. About ten men raced back as fast as they could to get food for the troops. It was the fourth and final day and they were nearing the Nanman city, Ru Nan. Once they had their food, which should arrive by night if the men were reliable, they would be ready to attack the Nanmans in the morning. They pushed on, every man clutching his stomach and wishing for food dearly. Diao Chan kept stumbling and leaning forward and Sun Ce could be heard growling ferociously to himself. Zhang He kept throwing positive comments to the men and helping them out whenever they fell weak. He ended up carrying four men's loads, but he was determined to keep their confidence high. Gan Ning was complaining loudly that "The Ning" needed food to go on and would take another step until he got some. When he saw that the troops didn't stop and beg him to come along, but kept on walking ahead he ran back into the moving crowd and pretend nothing had happened. Pang Tong had invented an easier way of getting along, instead of walking; he used magic to float himself along with the other men. Xh Zhu kept whining and threw a huge fit because he had never gone so long without a formal meeting with his food. His completely empty head couldn't fathom the reason that no one was eating and he kept on smashing the ground in front of him with his colossal hammer. Wei Yan kept uttering words such as "Hungry..." and "Hate..." Ma Chao and Taishi Ci hung at the back of the group and spoke in hushed voices, occasionally pointing and gesturing darkly. Zhang Liao rode close by his brother and reminded him that everything was all right every five seconds. Xu Huang became even more silent and fearsome looking and Huang Zhong looked more prone to hallucination than usual.
After about noon, Sima Yi collapsed in exhaustion. At first everyone kept on going, but Sun Shang Xiang shrieked and alerted everyone of the matter. Sima Yi was out cold and wasn't breathing very deeply. Zhang He's worst fears were suddenly coming to life.
"Dammit, don't you die." He hissed softly. "It's only the twentieth anyway . . . Everyone! We're setting up camp here, they provisions will reach us in a few hours and Ru Nan is only one mile away, we can rest up for now." He announced.
Nobody really bothered setting up tents, but they sat around or lay on the grass, nursing their aching bellies. They laid Sima Yi under a shady tree and everyone flopped down around that area. Nobody spoke, but Sun Ce looked as if he would go into a raging bawl an any second. Sun Shang Xiang rested her tired body against Sima Yi's unconscious one, and Zhou Yu lay supine and motionless. Zhang He and Diao Chan held one another, trying to get their minds of the suffering.
The setting had changed drastically. Instead of the wooded areas full of lush meadows and tranquil streams, there was thick jungle under brush. Strange looking trees had sprouted out of the ground and their leaves drifted indolently in the soft breeze. Different animals Zhang He had never seen, nor heard of could be seen making their daily rounds or skittering curiously around.
Finally, at sunset, the moment every man and woman had been waiting for arrived. Out of the golden horizon rode up ten men on horses, laden with huge bags of food. The troops jumped up and cheered, embracing one another and clapping joyfully. Gan Ning was completely spazzing out and Sun Ce hollered a loud whooping sound. The cooks set to work and at once people were served their long awaited meals. Almost everyone went back for seconds, thirds, and fourths. Everybody's spirits were instantly raised and they quickly transformed back into their usual selves. Sima Yi eventually woke and got his share as well.
"So, are we ready to attack Run Nan!?" Zhang He called out to the conversing men. They answered back with an almighty din that must've awoken the emperor himself. "All right! These are the men I know!" He cheered back happily.
After Xu Zhu had eaten all the remainders of the bountiful meal, everyone put up and collapsed into their tents as dark night set in. The icy hours of darkness in Nan territory were far from enjoyable, but any excuse to sleep next to Diao Chan was a good one. Everyone fell into slumber satiated and ready for the morrow.
The sun rose hot in the sky when morning dawned upon them. The two teams combined and prepared to move out. Zhang He would be leading his team with Sun Ce and Zhou Yu. Following him would be Diao Chan, Ma Chao, Taishi Ci, and Zhang Liao. They would be the Silent Team. They were to wait for the Nanmans to leave the city, and then move in. Next was the Attack Team led by Sun Shang Xiang and Pang Tong. Zhang He didn't appoint Sima Yi to be a leader because at the moment he appeared as if he could not recall his own name. Zhang He had created a plan with Sun Shang Xiang to have him "mistakenly" left behind so he wouldn't be put into danger. They assembled and set out for their destination. When Zhou Yu gave the signal, a beam of white light shot into the air, the Attack Team would create the diversion, and then all they'd have to do is wait . . . Morning crept by slowly as they made their way to the position. Zhang He found it to be ten times more stressful going into battle as the leader, rather than a general. If he died, it was basically over; he mustn't dampen his troop's hope by getting an injury either. They peered over a hill that looked down to Run Nan, the Nanman capitol. It had a nice high wall and excessively large buildings made of light colored organic materials. Zhou Yu looked tense as he looked for the Attack Team below. A feeling of thick anxiety hung palpable in the air. Suddenly, Zhou Yu's eyes widened.
"It's time . . ." He whispered, raising his sword into the air. A second passed heavy and a beam of white light erupted from the tip of Zhou Yu's sword. A muffled battle cry was heard from the trees and movement was evident.
"Get ready!" Sun Ce yelled. Zhang He's heart pounded. He was waiting for that exact second to move the team in. He couldn't act too fast, the Nanmans would spot him, but if he waited too long, the entire plan would fail. He watched as men and women flooded out of the gates, meeting the foreign forces attack.
"It's your call, Brother." Zhou Yu said, stepping back. A minute later, Zhang He was sure the majority of the forces had emptied out of the city.
"Do not destroy any homes, buildings or items. NOTHING gets set on fire!" He reminded the troops critically. Then, the chance presented itself as if a red beacon had been set before his eyes.
"CHARGE!" He bellowed racing down the steep hill on his horse. With a flying leap, he was back on flat soil. He tore towards the city, his army behind him flying at top speed. It was the best feeling in the world, Soaring down the battlefield, an entire army behind you, all following your command. Like being set free. Zhang He's heart swelled and he lifted his gleaming Talons high into the air and exploded through the front gate.
He glided in on his frothing horse, cutting down any soldiers that dared to stand in his path. His slashed their soft bodies open, spilling the scarlet elixir athwart the sandy road. A terrible but sublime numbness of pure desire for delivering death overtook Zhang He's body and control had gone astray. A primordial force erupted inside his mind and the Phoenix in him was released. He spread his golden wings and split his way along the field. He tore abruptly to the side and removed some heads in a blink of an eye. It didn't matter who was who now, he would guide his people to supreme glory. As he swung, a fresh wave of inferno actually leapt from the Talon's metallic points. He didn't have the time to become surprised; he only continued undulating his weapon ferociously. Fresh streams of white- hot flames sprang again and again, incinerating all that came in contact. It was no longer up to Zhang He which way his body moved; the Phoenix was now the towering overlord of his person. His pale gray eyes flashed with a malicious crimson radiance that obscured his vision from reality. He didn't see, but felt rather where his enemies were. The Phoenix took flight and guided him and he disintegrated life after life. The cries of the battling men reverberated in his ears like an unending chorus of lost souls. The Lady in Black was at his side, his very soul in the Phoenix. He could distinguish Her amassing the Souls of the deceased upon the battlefield. The amazing power, this ability to bring an end to lives was simply beautiful to Zhang He, he fed off the flood of supremacy that enveloped him. He suddenly felt a warm hand on his shoulder and the Phoenix steered his body around and faced the person that touched him. His hands automatically slashed at the person, but something in his heart threw the attack off course. The metal only removed a bit of flesh from the being and it fell to the ground. Zhang He fell to his knees and fought with all his might to be freed from the Phoenix. The trancelike state subsided and his vision returned little by little and he gazed down at the crumpled figure he had just slashed.
When he saw what he had done, he felt his heart stop dead inside his chest. His hands quivered and his eyes opened wide. Diao Chan, his Diao Chan was laying whimpering on the ground, clutching her stomach in anguish. Tears sprung from his eyes and fell hopelessly into the sand. He fell forward and tried to hold her in his arms but she jerked back frantically. She looked like she was terrified of him, as if he were her foe. A terrible heartache overtook him and he covered his face with his hands. He then drew them back as he noticed they were glowing with an unearthly golden light, as was his entire body. He didn't have time to think about that now . . .
"D-diao Chan." He whispered reaching towards her again. She tried to escape, but lay frozen staring into his eyes with confused fear. "P-please . . ." She doubled over in pain and curled her person into fetal position. Zhang He picked up her feather-light body and laid it on his lap as he rested his head on hers. I won't lose you, Diao Chan. . . I can't lose you! B-but it's my fault, I did this to you . . . He thought with a frightened deadness. He felt warm blood soak the front of him and drip down his legs. "Please, don't die . . ." He gasped into her ear. Her arms reached limply up around his neck and she pressed her injury against his chest.
"I'm s-scared. . . I don't want to d-" She stopped. Zhang He could feel her breathing slowing down. Her entire body relaxed and she fell against him, tears pouring down her terrified face. Zhang he felt the Lady in Black over his shoulder and Diao Chan seemed to sense her as well. "No, don't let Her take me . . ." She panted.
"Get away!" He bellowed at the Lady, but She only drew nearer. She drifted down to where he held Diao Chan's quivering body and moved her blurred hand right above Diao Chan's heart. A thin, wispy cloud of mist rose out Diao Chan and her body fell limp. Zhang He yelled and shut his eyes. He clutched Diao Chan's corpse so tightly his knuckles turned white. The golden light grew around his and his tears felt so hot they burned him. Suddenly, the air around Zhang He burst into flames. It enveloped him and Diao Chan and burst in minute explosions. He felt his hair and clothes incinerate followed by his body and Diao Chan's. Intense pain was still around and he became part of the fire.
He suddenly realized he was dead. But how am I still thinking? He bewildered lifelessly. All of a sudden feeling started to come back to him. It felt like he was growing rapidly, larger and larger. Then, it all stopped abruptly. His body had come back to him, he was alive! He realized he was holding a person in his arms and they were completely covered in something dark, flaky and greasy. Somebody else's hands were wiping of the flakes on his face vigorously. He opened his eyes and stared into the wide- eyed face of Zhou Yu.
"He's alive!" He yelled breathlessly to someone behind him. Zhang He moaned and sat at up, letting the black flakes flutter down silently. He looked down and realized that all of his clothes were gone. He blushed and was for once thankful for all the little flakes covering his body. He looked beside him and saw that Diao Chan was still lying on the floor, also covered in the ebony material. Sun Ce came bounding up and fell to his knees on the ground beside Zhou Yu.
"What the hell happened?" He inquired loudly. "You guys just burned up and now, your, well, not!!"
"Zhang He is a Dobutsu!" Zhou Yu exclaimed.
"A what?" Zhang He croaked, looking around for something to cover up with. The Talons were still fastened to his hands, looking a little singed, but still in tact.
"That's animal magic." Zhou Yu explained, removing the clothes from a fallen soldier and handing them to Zhang He. "It's when someone's animal spirit rises and takes control of their body. After the trance has subsided, the person is left with an amazing ability. Do you remember which animal your spirit was taken by?" He asked.
Zhang He pulled the pants from the soldier on and fastened the belt quickly. "It was a Phoenix, I think." He answered.
"Exactly. Do you know about Phoenixes? They are magical birds of legend, which die every ten years and are reborn from their own ashes. You see, when Diao Chan died, you became so upset that the ability was shown. The Rebirth Flame. That stuff you're sitting in is the ashes from your old body."
"Is Diao Chan alive?" He said turning away from her nude frame. Zhou Yu nodded, then stood and went to retrieve another uniform for Diao Chan.
"Man, we thought you guys were dead." Sun Ce breathed, standing up shakily. Zhang He heart sickened as he remembered who had killed Diao Chan in the first place. How could he have done such a thing? How could he have struck down his love? He recalled the way she had tried to escape from him. She was actually afraid of him. He couldn't stand to see her like that ever again. Zhou Yu returned and shook Diao Chan awake. She opened her eyes slowly, took a moment and analyzed the situation, the immediately tried to cover herself. Zhou Yu handed her the clothes and looked away. Sun Ce and Zhang He also respectively turned their heads. After she was dressed she walked around to the front.
"Diao Chan . . ." Zhang He whispered, standing up. She looked a little nervous, but stood her ground. He put his hand on her forearm and pulled her gently forward. He wrapped both his arms around her, but she did not respond. She began to shake slightly and Zhang He felt warm tears soaking into his new shirt. "I-it was an accident, I would never hurt you . . ." He breathed into her ear. "The Phoenix had take over me, I tried to stop it, but I lost control." Diao Chan sobbed quietly and grasped the front part of his shirt in her petite hands.
"I've never seen you like that. It was the most frightening thing I ever witnessed, you were like my enemy, it looked like you wanted me dead!" She wept.
"Never! Diao Chan. . ." Zhang He comforted, placing his hand on top of her head and stroking her sleek hair. She looked up at him and a single tear dripped down her cheek. "I love you . . ." She smiled tearfully and nestled her head back onto his chest.
"Sorry to break up this touching love scene, guys, but there's more enemies coming." Sun Ce interrupted looking over his shoulder. Diao Chan stepped away and picked up her maces, which were lying in the pile of ash and hurried forward.
"Let's enter the main capitol building and start to occupy the city from there." Zhou Yu advised, leading the way. They sped through alleys and ran around buildings until they reached they largest hut in the city, situated at the dead center. Some guards stood protectively in front of the gargantuan entrance. Everyone snuck up beside the wall and prepared to leap out and attack, but Zhou Yu stopped them. He pressed a finger to his lips, then turned back to watch them.
"So, why are we here anyway? Shouldn't we be guarding the Qiaos instead?" One guard asked indolently.
"You idiot, this is Meng Huo's home! If this got destroyed or occupied, he would kill us himself! Besides, they already got some men down there at the south end guardin' now." The second wheezed.
"I wouldn't mind being those guys! The Qiao sisters are so pretty . . . Where did Lord Meng Huo capture 'em from, anyway?" The first questioned.
"Snatched 'em right from their beds in the city Zhen Dian. Zhu Rong weren't to happy 'bout it though, so he only keeps them for entertainment when guests are over." The guard explained.
"I hear they scream up somethun' horrible, not very obedient either." The other continued.
"It's true. That little one is always cryin' to go home, scared to death she is. But, if you ask me, I don't think women should be livin' all by their little selves." He said. Zhou Yu drew back and told everyone to jump out and kill them on the count of three. He got past one, but somewhere between two and three, Sun Ce stopped him.
"Zhou Yu! Didn't you hear? They have some beautiful women captured here! We have to rescue them!" Sun Ce objected.
"We don't have time, Sun Ce, we're already behind schedule as it is!" He snapped.
"But Zhou Yu, beautiful women . . ." He begged. Zhou Yu sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Fine, Diao Chan, find Sun Shang Xiang and you two kill these guards. Zhang He, come with Sun Ce and me, we'll rescue the Qiaos, then meet the girls back here and together break in the castle. Understood?" Everyone nodded and the plan was initiated. Zhang He followed Sun Ce and Zhou Yu to the south end of the city, occasionally meeting up with a stray peon or two. After about five minutes, they found there way to a fairly large hut. About two or three guards with spears were standing in front, looking bored. Sun Ce leapt out like a wild animal and crushed their skulls as fast as lightening. He kicked open the door a burst in, followed by the slightly less enthusiastic Zhang He and Zhou Yu.
Inside it was very dark and there was only one door at the end of an empty room. It was very hot at stuffy inside and Zhang He winced when he first stepped in. A soft wailing came from behind the door and Sun Ce ran forward to open it. It had held behind it a large cage made from bamboo, which was holding two young girls captive. The first looked quite short and innocent. She had light brown hair, which she wore in a long side ponytail, fastened with several lovely hairpieces. She was crying and had her face covered with her hands. The girl wore a very cute out fit with very bright colors and a large bow at the back. The second girl looked a little more mature and clam. She was about the same height, but seemed much older in the way she presented herself. She wore her lovely deep- brown hair in flared buns on either side of her head, held on with a set of red clips. She had donned upon her body a shirt that was much too large for her, but embroidered beautifully with royal shades of red and golden. Below that was a short, sea-blue skirt and cute little shoes. They were both astonishingly gorgeous.
The moment the door swung open, they both looked up in fear. The sister with the dark brown hair stood and balled up her fists.
"Leave us alone, we are not your playthings! We have lives, too, you know!" She yelled with a slightly less menacing feel then she had attempted to use.
"Don't worry, girls, I'm here to save you!" Sun Ce announced gallantly.
"What?" squeaked the second sister, perking up. "We're being saved?"
"I'll have you out in a moment . . ." Zhou Yu smiled, drawing his extravagant sword.
"We're going to be saved! We're going to be saved!" Cheered the sister with the lighter hair, dancing around in a circle. Zhou Yu slashed the bars swiftly and the two small women dashed out.
"Thank you so much, we are forever indebted to you, my Lord-" The first sister said, clearly wanting Sun Ce's name.
"Call me Sun Ce . . ." He answered huskily.
"Right . . . I am Da Qiao, and this is my sister Xiao Qiao." Da Qiao said, fingering her dark auburn hair buns.
"YAY! We're free, FREE!" Xiao Qiao said, running around Zhou Yu ecstatically. Zhou Yu chuckled and caught her shoulders.
"Calm down, calm down." He scolded gently.
"Yes, sir!" She said in a mock military fashion. "Are you a general?" She asked excitedly.
"Yes, that I am." He said starting to walk back towards the door.
"Cool!!" She cheered, "Which kingdom are you part of?" She asked, following beside him closely.
"We are all part of the Shi." He said motioning to Sun Ce and Zhang He.
"I haven't heard of that one." She said.
"We've just built our kingdom. We are presently in the middle of our first battle." He explained.
"There's a battle going on?" Da Qiao asked worriedly.
"Yes, we're taking the Nanman land as we speak." Zhang He said.
"Wait a moment then!" Da Qiao said, hurrying back into the room. After a minute she returned, carrying four extremely large sticks with colorful shapes poking out of the ends. She threw two to Xiao Qiao and grasped two herself. "We can fight with you! It's all we can do at the moment to repay for rescuing us."
"Uh, no offense, but what can those little sticks do?" Sun Ce asked, bewildered. Da Qiao held the sticks in either of her hands, executed a swishing motion with her fingers, and revealed the sticks to be large, brightly colored battle-fans. They were unlike they ones Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang possessed; they were like gigantic versions of the ones that concubines carried. Da Qiao's fans were bright purple, and Xiao Qiao's were baby blue.
"Wow." Sun Ce muttered smiling. "Very impressive." They made their way outside, and rushed back towards the castle. There they found Sun Shang Xiang and Diao Chan waiting on the steps.
"Hey brother! Who're they?" Sun Shang Xiang asked inquisitively.
"I am Da Qiao, and this is my sister-"
"Xiao Qiao, prepped and ready to fight!" She yelled.
"Excellent, are they on our side?" Sun Shang Xiang asked.
"For the time being, yes, they can decide where they will go once the battle is over." Zhou Yu said. "Now, let's get into that castle!"