Author's note: Ooh, things are happening. Haha! This one ISN'T short!
Nyooo, take that! I hope you like this one, all you Sun Ce fans! I made
its specially for you (well, actually I was planning on making it anway,
but we'll call it even!) This one is for you, Cousin!
Enjoy!
Part 3
The Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 33
Tomorrow I'll Cry
"Spit it out, then!" Sun Ce yelled as the soldier dripped water all over the floor.
"The Lords Sun Ce and Sun Quan and the Lady Sun Shang Xiang have been sent this urgent letter from their father!" The man said, holding out a scroll he had kept dry under his armor. Sun Ce ripped it out of his hand and ripped open the rolls. His eyes darted quickly along the lines. He suddenly let out a cry of rage.
"Read it to me, Shang Xiang, I can't understand these hard symbols!" He said, thrusting it at her. She scowled, but snatched it away from him. She looked over it quickly, and then gasped.
"Father's been captured by Liu Biao! It says they have him at their main camp and are holding him hostage. They'll only release him if we surrender control of Wu!" She cried.
"What!?" Sun Ce yelled. "That . . . That bastard! What a dirty trick! We've got to tell Quan and get him rescued instantly!" Sun Ce declared.
"We can't! They'll kill him if we show up with troops." Sun Shang Xiang said, biting her nails.
"And besides, we can't just send troops out in weather like this, they'll all freeze to death!" Zhou Yu added.
"What about my sister!?" Whimpered Xiao Qiao. Sun Ce's eyes darted all around the floor. He shook his head violently.
"Da Qiao's in trouble right now. Pop isn't in any immediate danger. I'm going to save her, right now!" He declared, pushing the frightened soldier out of the way and running through the open door. Zhang He started to run after him, and the others followed. He turned quickly back to them.
"Stay here!" He commanded, then rushed outside.
Once outside he caught up with Sun Ce. He was rushing back towards the woods but Zhang He grabbed his shoulder. "We we're just in there and there were no signs of anybody. Let's check on the east side." Zhang He offered urgently. Sun Ce nodded critically and sped off in the opposite direction. The bullets of ice ricocheted off their heads, creating miniature bruises and Zhang He had to squint to stop them from hurting his eyes. Once they reached the field on the east side Sun Ce came to an abrupt halt. He cupped his gloved hands around him mouth and took in a huge breath.
"DAAAAA QIAAAOOO!!!!" He hollered as loud as he possibly could. "WHERE ARE YOU!!!???" He wiped the freezing water out of his eyes and squinted around for her. Zhang He heard the sound of door opening and looked behind him. Gan Ning was tentatively poking his head outside and looking around. Once he spotted Sun Ce and Zhang He, he let out a joyful "Ning" and trotted over to them.
"What the Ning you guys doin' out here?" He asked as soon as he'd reached them.
"Have you seen Da Qiao, Gan Ning?" Sun Ce asked exasperatedly. Gan Ning put a finger on his chin and looked thoughtful.
"Come to think of it . . . No, haven't seen her for a while." He said, seemingly unperturbed by the rain and hail. Zhang He sighed quickly.
"This isn't getting us anywhere! We've still got the northern side and southern side to check, we'd better hurry, and she could be in a lot of trouble." Zhang He said, pulling Sun Ce by his arm. They trailed off the south side, Ning bouncing along behind them, emitting small "Nings" with each step. They were just about to pass through the gate when they heard malicious laughter beyond it. Sun Ce recoiled for a moment, Gan Ning bumping into him and falling to the mud below.
"Da Qiao!" He said, sounding frightened. He kicked open the doors ferociously and pounded outside them. Da Qiao was laying a good ways off in the soaking grass. About 17 silhouettes of bulky men were coming up behind her. She was curled up in a shivering ball and her eyes were shut tightly. "You leave her alone!" Sun Ce said, charging in their direction. All the men had their weapons in hand, but Sun Ce and Zhang He had left theirs back in the building. Gan Ning shrieked, then ran back to the camp and disappeared into the gloom. Heart of a lion, that one . . . Zhang He thought as he joined Sun Ce. Sun Ce jumped in front of Da Qiao's crumpled form, and hastily snapped into a right hand fighting stance.
"You think you can fight us, little man?" Said one of the large men in a cruel mocking tone.
"Listen up, you rabble! I'm Sun Ce, the Little Conqueror, and this here is my woman! Any of you who take so much as another step with have to fight me!" He said with palpable ire.
"Not smart, Sun Ce . . ." Zhang He whispered as he tried to recollect his martial arts training.
"You either help me, or get lost Zhang He." Sun Ce said, his hand balling up as he eyed the leader of the criminals. Zhang He sighed and fell into his fighting stance as well.
"I hope you know what you're doing . . ." He breathed, watching the muscley men advance. Just as the biggest moved in front of Sun Ce, he snapped. He launched several mighty punches into his stomach and surprisingly knocked him down with a roundhouse kick. He finished him off by administering an outside crescent kick to his stomach. The man gasped then fell silent. Zhang He decided to start off with the least threatening of the bunch. He jumped high into the air and landed behind him. With a sharp push kick to the back, that bandit fell to the ground and Zhang He leapt up again and landed with his elbow crashing into the man's spine. He let out a cry of pain and said no more. Suddenly, a thick forearm clamped itself tightly over Zhang He's throat and squeezed with a vice-like grip. He gasped and futilely tried to wrench off the thick appendage. He sunk to his knees, starting to feel lightheaded. He could hear the man laughing horribly in his ear and then the arm released and Zhang He's body flopped helplessly down, his mind unable to focus. At that moment he felt the flesh above his rib cage be slashed away by a cold metal blade. He cried out and put a hand to his injury. Maybe if he was still enough they would think he was dead. Zhang He held his breath and tried to look as expressionless as possible. The ice-cold raindrops beat all around him, willing him to shiver so violently that it would give him away, but he somehow held. He could still hear Sun Ce completely absorbed in the fray. He probably hadn't notice Zhang He had fallen. Zhang He felt his warm blood leak out all over his hand, almost a comfort in this bitter hellhole. He cracked open one of his eyes and saw all the men had become interested in bringing down Sun Ce, who was cut on his face and had a nasty looking gash across his chest which was splattering blood all over. He had a crazed look in his eye, as if he did not know exactly what he was doing. He took down two more of the remaining five with a very well placed scissor kick, but afterwards he was not so lucky. A surly looking man with a unibrow struck Sun Ce in the face and brought him to the ground. As he advanced over Sun Ce's diminished form, Zhang He felt he could not sit around and watch any longer, injured or not. He sprang shakily to his feet and managed to clobber the man in the back of the neck. "Sun Ce!" Zhang He alerted, extending a hand quickly to Sun Ce as the other two came pounding up. He seized Zhang He slippery hand and was hoisted up, ready to go.
The other two men came charging forward, apparently with a makeshift strategy in mind. The blasted forward and simultaneously landed to aerial sidekicks on Zhang He and Sun Ce. This was the breaking point for Zhang He. He let himself be pushed to the ground, the loss of blood giving his arms and anemic feel. If only he had his Talons, this could have been an easy win . . . The rain washed the coagulating blood out of his wound and it began to bleed freely once again.
"It can't end here. . ." He breathed, trying to get up again, but a new slash on his arm floored him again. He looked into the laughing face of a man; the arms raised a spear and aimed. Zhang He shut his eyes and moved his arms over his eyes. All of a sudden a familiar sound in the distance made his heart leap with hope.
"NIIIIIIIIING!" It sounded, filling Zhang He's body with warmth. He smiled and opened his eyes just in time to see Gan Ning charge up with his magnificent sword and cleave the man in two. Gan Ning spotted the other thief, leapt into the air and stuck the mighty blade through his chest.
"Oh, Gan Ning. I've never been so happy to see you." Sun Ce breathed. Gan Ning removed his sword from the corpse with a forceful yank.
"The Ning did it! Ning is a good guy! Awww yeah!!!" Gan Ning cheered.
"Good job, Ning. Zhang He said, holding his wound as he rose. He looked back at Da Qiao. His stomach lurched; she looked so ridged and pale. "Sun Ce, you'd better get her out of here NOW!" He yelled, panic returning.
"Oh no, Da Qiao." Sun Ce yelled, plucking her urgently from the ground and racing back towards camp. Gan Ning melted off into the gloom while they were on their way back, but no one seemed to notice. They blasted through the doors a couple of minutes later and quickly deposited her shivering frame onto the bed. Xiao Qiao screamed when she saw her sister and Sun Shang Xiang and Diao Chan looked extremely uneasy.
"Help, Zhou Yu!" Sun Ce yelled needlessly, Zhou Yu was already at her side. His broken fingers were stalling the speedy examination, so Sima Yi also rose to help.
"Wake her up, I need to see something." Sima Yi commanded. Zhou Yu shook her by that shoulders almost violently, then her eyes slowly creaked open.
"Da Qiao!? Can you hear me?" Sima Yi demanded. She whined to show she understood and Sima Yi looked panic-stricken. "Tell me, what's your sister's name?" He asked again, faster than before. Da Qiao seemed to think very hard about the matter.
"Uh . . . It's . . ." She squeaked through her shivers.
"She's got hypothermia, get all her clothes off and wrap her in about seven blankets, then dry her hair thoroughly!" Sima Yi shouted. "NOW! She'll die if you don't!" Everyone follwed hastily, gathering up all the warm blankets they could. "Xiao Qiao, go back to your building and get her some new clothes, Shang Xiang and Diao Chan, get on either side of her and don't let go, she needs your body heat."
"You two are injured!" Zhou Yu said, seeing the blood all over the floor.
"You all must WANT to die!" Sima Yi exclaimed, seizing two more blankets as he motioned for them to undress. They each dried off in the warm blankets as Zhou Yu treated their wounds clumsily due to his fractured phalanges. Diao Chan said something to Zhang He in a soft tone, but he couldn't pick up on it. She nestled herself beside him and rested her head on his lap. Everything got fuzzy after that and Zhang He dropped into a restless sleep quickly. He had a dream that he was following something very shiny with his eyes, but could never seem to harness it into his gaze. He awoke to hear Sun Ce's voice talking softly in the night. Everything was pitch dark around him and everyone seemed to be asleep, save Sun Ce and whomever he was speaking with.
"Are you alright?" Said Sun Ce's voice out of the black.
"I think so. I'm so sorry I did something a rash as that. It is unseemly for women to act in such a way." Said Da Qiao's fragile tone.
"No, don't be like that. I think women should act just the way they want to. My sis always does." Sun Ce said, sounding tired.
"That's so kind of you to say." Da Qiao breathed. "I like the way you see everyone as equals."
" 'Course I do. Heck, my sis is ten times smarter than I am. But we men have got to do something tomorrow. That bastard Liu Biao, he's got my Pop. But I'm going out there to get him back. You watch, I'll show that damn son of a bitch who's got him what my Tonfas can really do . . ."
"Oh, please, Lord Sun Ce! You need to rest up. It still be raining out there tomorrow and you'll become ill if you charge into someone's base." She pleaded.
"I've got to do what I've got to do. He's in danger and he'll be looking for his children to come save him. I'm sure at least my sis and bro will come, though Quan may be afraid of getting some infection. . ." Zhang He suddenly felt uneasy. There was no way he was leading his troops out in this weather. Sun Ce was not going to be happy when he contradicted him tomorrow. Da Qiao seemed to be considering something.
"Lord Sun Ce, I shall accompany you as well!" She cried at last. He only laughed in reply.
"Don't want you to get hurt, Da Qiao." He answered calmly.
"But I must help! You saved my life just now; there must be something I can do in return!" She persisted.
"No way, you're too frail. You'd probably get killed out there." Sun Ce replied.
"You just said yourself that women deserve chances too!" She objected.
"Yes, it's true! I've seen you fight and everything, you're the best! But . . . I want to keep you around." He finished quietly.
"W-what?" She asked carefully.
"Well, you see . . . there's no point in hiding it I guess. . . You've really taken my fancy. In fact, you're the first girl I've ever really seen more than just a pretty face, which you've got as well . . ." He added smoothly. Zhang He couldn't help but smile.
"L-lord Sun Ce. . ." She said, sounding embarrassed. "Please take me with you, I'll be just fine, I want to help you rescue your father! I won't be a burden at all!"
"If you . . . really feel you're up to it, but I may not always be there to protect you, you know. . ." Sun Ce said, followed by the sounds of hairs be scratched.
"I won't let you down!" She chimed happily. Sun Ce shifted beside Zhang He. He could hear him running his fingers through his hair.
"Listen, since I am going out there tomorrow, I may not come back in one piece, or whatever, so . . . I just want to . . . While nobody is looking . . ." He felt Sun Ce rise from beside him. Zhang He squinted in the dark and saw the fuzzy form of Sun Ce move over to where Da Qiao was sitting on the bed. She fell back onto her palms as Sun Ce drew nearer.
"What are you -" She began, but Sun Ce quelled her soft words with his lips. The rain pounded above and no other sounds were heard. Sun Ce finally let go and Da Qiao gave a sort of half gasp, then a weak giggle. Zhang He smiled and stroked Diao Chan's silky hair gently.
"Stay close to me . . ." Sun Ce breathed.
When Zhang He awoke again, he could hardly believe it was morning. It was not much brighter than the night and the rain crashed down outside. The first thing he heard was a fierce argument going on between several people. He saw Sun Shang Xiang, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, and Da Qiao standing on one side, and Zhou Yu, Sima Yi, Xiao Qiao and Diao Chan standing on the other.
"We must save our father!" Sun Quan pleaded. "He'll die without assistance!"
"You'll ALL die if you go out there! It is very unwise to attack in bad weather. It says so in the book your great, great, great grandfather, Sun Tzu, wrote, the Art of War! And I quote: 'In ancient times many soldiers lost their fingers to frostbite on campaigns against the Huns, and many soldiers died of plague on campaigns against the southern tribes. This was because of carrying out operations in winter and summer!' Which basically means, as Fan Li so wonderfully translated for the less intelligent: 'Don't go into another's territory at unfavorable times!' If you took the time to read it, you would understand!"
"Well, I can't read, so there!" Sun Ce said, perhaps a little too rebelliously.
"Sima Yi, please, please, will you help me save my father?" Sun Shang Xiang said defiantly. Sima Yi took a step back and looked at his feet. He looked back into Sun Shang Xiang's deep blue eyes and sighed.
"I cannot refuse you anything, Shang Xiang, I shall accompany you on this mission, even though I know it is unwise . . ." He finished, meandering slowly to her side. Zhang He stood up and threw the blanket off him.
"This is madness!" Zhang He yelled. "You'll exhaust the troops, they'll become ill and our forces will deplete. I refuse to let you have any of my men for this insane escapade." Sima Yi looked uneasy, but Sun Ce became livid.
"You're not the one who decides what goes on around here!" Sun Ce stamped, his eyes narrowing.
"Sun Ce, I'm trying to protect you and your siblings! You saw what happened to Da Qiao and she was only out there for about an hour. Just imagine what you'll feel like after a couple of hours! Do you really want you're sister and your brother to freeze to death?" Zhang He said coolly. Sun Ce realized this and fell silent, his teeth still gritted. He suddenly shook his head deliberately and looked back up into Zhang He misty gray eyes.
"I won't take any troops. I'll assassinate Liu Biao and bring back father on my own. Whoever wants can follow me if they want, but it won't be my decision. If Zhou Yu's father plowed through a thousand Yellow Turbans with Sun Quan under his arm, then I can get my father out of there." Sun Ce declared, leaving a ringing silence as he came to a close. Zhou Yu stepped forward.
"I'll go with you brother." He said, seizing the Ancient's sword with his good hand.
"Thank you, Zhou Yu." He said, clapping a hand on his shoulder.
"If Zhou Yu goes, then I will!" Xiao Qiao said, holding onto his arm tightly. Zhang He would not agree to such madness. He walked over to Diao Chan and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders. She seemed like se would stay with him, no matter whom she thought was right. Sun Ce looked at Zhang He hopefully, but after a moment's time shook his head and kicked open the door. Sun Shang Xiang shot him one last melancholy look and they were all gone. Zhang He sighed and his brow furrowed.
"Am I wrong, Diao Chan?" He asked her, staring blankly forward.
"I have no opinion on the matter, but I will always support you decision." She said, turning around and looking him in the face. Zhang He smiled feebly, but it soon faded. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his body. He inhaled her scent and somehow she condoled his stress silently.
"I feel guilty, like I'm betraying my brothers." He said, putting his forehead to hers. "But I don't want to drag myself into a ludicrous suicide mission."
"It is a difficult matter and I know of no solution, but only time will reveal the outcome." She said sagely, somehow looking very silly while she spoke. Zhang He smiled.
"I'm glad I have you with me." He said, the empty feeling dissipating sluggishly. His head still pounded painfully and his stomach felt very ill indeed.
The day went by slowly. They talked very little and didn't do much besides lie on the beds and listen to the rainfall around them. The gales blew fiercely, but Zhang He still wished he wouldn't have stayed. He wished he could be out battling with his brothers, but now his pride was at stake, and that was something he dare not risk, but even so, a part within him burned strongly and reminded him every minute that he should've gone, and there was still time. As much as it called out, his legs did not seem to want to obey, and remained stationary on the thin mattress he lay upon. Later on it darkened and grew to subzero temperatures; night was here already. He moved next to Diao Chan in fear they both might freeze, and he then worried about his brothers. They were all outside with no supplies, food tents, and all because he had been selfish. He was mentally kicking himself for being such a prat, and screwed up his face whenever he thought of the unfortunate incident.
He later fell into a restless sleep, shivering violently and clutching Diao Chan firmly for any warmth she could offer. The next morning showed itself to be a just as bitter. A few seconds after Zhang He had stood up, his stomach started to ache viciously. He doubled over, hugging his belly, and moaned.
"What's wrong?" Diao Chan asked, sounding alarmed.
"It . . . Hurts . . ." Zhang He grunted, falling to his knees. Diao Chan quickly helped him back onto the bed. As soon he lay down a quick and icy flash of the Lady In Black flickered in front of his face. Her horrible twisted face smiled back at him, as though reaching out for his arms, but was gone in a millisecond. Zhang He sprang back to his feet, shaking off the pain. "We're going, now!" He commanded. Diao Chan, looking stunned, stumbled back a few steps.
"Why?" She asked rather timidly.
"I just saw Her. Just a flash, though. I can tell somebody we know is in danger, I'm not taking a chance with our friends." He said, scrambling for the doorknob. Diao Chan nodded critically and walked outside into the raging storm beside him.
A moment later they burst into Mitsuke and Xu Huang's room and yelled the news, they would need as many good generals as they needed. They were ready and dressed for battle in a moment, Mitsuke showing off his swift sword antics before sheathing his mighty Katana. After they'd retrieved Gan Ning and Zhang Liao, they mounted steeds, called together troops and supplies as fast as they could, and raced off onto the road. The muddy trail slowed the horses, but every man urged the constantly to keep moving. The miserable looking soldiers ran at top speed, inhaling the missile-like raindrops and sputtering loudly. The hooves of the horses sloshed up the mud and created a horrible mess that everyone kept slipping in. Gan Ning's horse stumbled once, sending Ning himself toppling off into the sludge below, covering him head to toe. After this event he wailed and complained and finally they had Xu Huang ride with him to suppress Ning's vexing cries with his gigantic axe. Zhang Liao rode close to Zhang He. They both spoke over the roar of the squall about the upcoming plan.
"We should look for any sign that they've been here. It's a good thing they've got Sima Yi and Zhou Yu with them or Sun Ce would do something incredibly stupid." Zhang He informed him.
"Wouldn't any of their tracks have been washed away by the rain?" Questioned Zhang Liao skeptically, holding his hand in front of his eyes to block the rain.
"I suppose, but just incase . . ." Zhang He said, shivering uncontrollably.
"You alright, little bro?" Zhang Liao said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. Zhang He pushed it off impatiently.
"I'm fine . . ." He said stubbornly. He hated it when Zhang Liao called him 'little bro' and treated him like they were both still 5 and 10 years old. His mind wandered to the old times when they had both lived on their father's farm. Zhang Liao had been his best friend when he was growing up. The farm was on the outskirts of a tiny village with a river and forest. Zhang Liao and Zhang He had spent their days exploring these interesting places and loitering in the village. Zhang He also remembered some other children around his age he used to know very well, but now they were just but a faded memory. Zhang He remembered the long hot summer days, lying there in the sun, perhaps nibbling a bit of corn they'd managed to snatch from their father's fields without him noticing. Zhang He suddenly grew placid and all the old times rushed back to him. He recalled his mother's pretty face, long black hair, defined complexion, and lovely gray eyes. She had been very kind to him, even though she had only lived until he was three years old. At that moment a question arose in his mind that had never struck him to inquire about before.
"Liao, did we have the same mother?" He posed. Zhang Liao ran his fingers across his beard and smiled a bit.
"No, my mother was one of our workers back on the farm, your mother was our father's wife." He clarified. "She was a pretty nice woman if I remember correctly."
"Did she bare and other children besides me?" Zhang He pursued further.
"Yes, she had one other child before you. What was his name . . . Zhang Tsu or something. Anyway, a strategist under a great aristocrat came and adopted him when he was about five. I think father still writes to him or something, turned out he was a strategist as well."
"What did he look like?" Zhang He asked, hungry for more knowledge. Zhang Liao put a finger to his lips and narrowed his eyes.
"He had pitch black hair and very sharp features. His eyes were gray too, but not your kind of misty gray, it more like . . . The steel on a sword. I think he was bad from birth; he was always picking fights with everyone at a young age. He absolutely hated you, do remember? I had to stop him from clobbering you all the time. Personally, I think it's great to have him out of the Zhang family for good."
"But he's still my real brother . . . In fact, he's my only full brother. I wonder what's happened to him . . ." Zhang He pondered aloud.
"Trust me, little bro, you don't want to know this guy. He was positively malicious before he even learned to walk. You see that scar on your left arm just above your elbow?" Zhang Liao asked, pointing. Zhang He located with his finger. The long white scar that reached nearly up to his elbow had been there since he could remember.
"That one?" Zhang He said.
"Yeah. He got you there with and knife when he was four! He was one sick kid. I mean, what kind of child attacks a two year old? I'm glad he's out of my life." Zhang Liao finished. Zhang he nodded and was about to continue on with this conversation when Diao Chan cried out from behind him.
"Zhang He, look!" She yelled over the rain, pointing forward. Zhang He squinted through the barrage of raindrops and saw the lighted windows of a small house. Many people were inside. "I just saw Sun Ce inside of there!" Diao Chan informed. Zhang He halted his horse and slid off, still shaking violently. Zhang Liao dismounted as well, then Diao Chan. He put his hand on Diao Chan's shoulder as the walked to the building. She was shaking worse than he was.
"Be careful." He whispered to her warily. "Stay close . . ." He approached the door and knocked cautiously. In a few seconds the door creaked open and a plump little woman opened up.
"Can I help you?" She said sweetly.
"Sorry for the intrusion, but is someone named Sun Ce staying here with a bunch of his friends and siblings?" Zhang He asked, his hair soaking wet. The woman opened her eyes wider and looked surprised.
"Why, yes. How in the world did you know that?" She asked amazedly.
"Great," Zhang He said, ignoring her question. "May I speak with him please?" He asked, but even before he finished the word 'please' Sun Ce's inquisitive face appeared above her.
"Zhang He! What're you doing here? I thought you didn't want to go on this journey. . ." He said, trying hard to hide his feelings of relief and joy.
"I had another vision." Zhang He informed. "Is everyone alright?" He asked, attempting to peer inside. Sun Ce gently pushed the little old woman out of the way and got closer to Zhang He.
"Everyone's fine. Tell me more about the vision, did it show my Pop?" He asked desperately.
"It didn't really have much this time, just a flash. I suppose that means the person that's in trouble is very far away, but I couldn't be sure. The Lady is never a good sign." Zhang He said grimly.
"You've brought Diao Chan and Zhang Liao." Sun Ce noticed, smiling. Zhang He smiled back.
"I brought more than just them. I have supplies, horses, tents raincoats weapons, troops, Mitsuke, Gan Ning, and Xu Huang, as well." Zhang He said, smiling even wider. Sun Ce made a sort of happy grunting sound and craned his neck to see the spectacle. He brought up his fist in triumph.
"I knew I could count on you, brother!" Sun Ce said excitedly. "Now, let me ask these kind people if you all can come in before you freeze to death out there."
In a moment's time, all the generals were safely inside wrapped under blankets and the soldier were in their pseudo-dry tents. Mitsuke looked oddly uncomfortable wearing only the blanket, but all the rest were talking loudly about their current position.
"We've located Liu Biao's base, it's at the bottom of this hill. Tomorrow we're going to sneak around to the west side where there's flaw in the stone fortress here. The Sun family and Da Qiao will enter in first and make their way around here, where Sun Jian is being kept. We'll come in later, as back up, and fight off the soldiers who are pursuing the escapees. Once we're all out, we'll race back towards our main camp as fast as our legs can carry us." Sima Yi stated, displaying these events on a map. "A simple strategy, yes, but we haven't the time for complexity."
"We'll ride out tomorrow at the crack of dawn, if we can see it through this rain." Zhou Yu added skeptically.
"We'd better get our rest then, if we're charging out tomorrow." Sun Shang Xiang pointed out. The all agreed and curled up all over the floor in as many blankets as they could scrape up. Warm, and with a new pair of dry clothes, Zhang He nuzzled against Diao Chan and fell asleep.
In the morning he awoke to find that the rain had died down some. A slight drizzle had descended from the thundering tempest of yesterday, but the mud still remained thick and slippery. They stepped outside, wearing straw hats and straw raincoats. These hats were durable and got for deflecting arrows as well as rain. They mounted and alerted the soldiers and in a moment's time they were off.
"Remember, the main idea in the mission is stealth! You hear me, Sun Ce? STEALTH!" Sima Yi said, yelling to get his point through. Sun Ce charged forward on his horse.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll use stealth, or whatever it's called!" Sun Ce called back nonchalantly, his horse kicking up a shower of mud as he sped up. He rode with the rising sun, bearing down upon Liu Biao's fortress through the trees that surrounded it. If they were seen, the entire plan would be ruined. They flew down the steep hill that showed the defect in the high, stone wall above. The all leapt off their horses and help Sun Ce through the hole, then Sun Quan, and finally Da Qiao. Sun Shang Xiang was hanging in the back. She was about go forward when something quite unexpected happened. Just as she had taken the first step, Sima Yi caught her by the shoulder. He gently spun her around so that she faced him. He hesitated then placed a hand on her shoulder. He blushed profusely, but kept his grip.
"Please, please be careful." He said in a breathy voice.
"Course I will, I'm not that clumsy . . ." Said Sun Shang Xiang with a
slight laugh.
"You . . . re-re-really m-mean a lot to m-me." He stammered, avoiding her gaze.
"Sima Yi . . ." She said, sounding very touched.
She grabbed his hand, turning a shade of deep red. She stood on her tiptoes so that her height almost matched Sima Yi's indelicately kissed him on the cheek. She tenderly let go of his hand, and with a wink, she slipped through the hole to her brothers and Da Qiao. Sima Yi stood, his eyes wide and his hands still stuck in the same position. Zhang He backed towards Sima Yi, grinning wryly.
"Whoohoo! Score one for you, Sima Yi!" Zhang He asked. Sima Yi Finally let down his arms and gazed dreamily off into the distance.
"I have to be dreaming. . . But it felt so real." Sima Yi said, touching the spot on his face where she had kissed him. Zhang He laughed a bit.
"Unless we're all suffering mass hallucination, I'd say that she's as good as yours." Sima Yi genuinely smiled for the first time in a very long time.
The minutes crept by slower and slower each time. The misty atmosphere made it impossible for anyone to see beyond a certain point, but would do well for the Sun family as they were hiding in it.
"When do we go in as reinforcements?" Diao Chan inquired, twirling her handsome maces delicately as she leaned against Zhang He's chest.
"I'm just waiting until someone smart makes a move. Always follow the smart people and you'll go far." Zhang He joked. Diao Chan gave a little chuckle and closed her eyes.
"They shouldn't be taking this long, I'm worried . . ." Zhou Yu said, sitting down beside them, Xiao Qiao following him anxiously.
"What's Sima Yi think?" Zhang He asked.
"He's punishing some soldiers at the moment, they were trying to sneak back to the main camp." Zhang He could've sworn he heard a faint scream somewhere off in the distance. He was just about to lean back and close his eyes when yet another flash of The Lady in Black appeared and disappeared in a blaze. Zhang He leapt so fast that he almost threw Diao Chan off of him.
"Hey!" She yelled, sounding alarmed.
"We have to go, right now! They're in trouble!" Zhang He yelled. He quickly snapped on the golden Metal Talons and sprang gracefully towards the defect. Nobody seemed to be showing any signs of movement, but all eyes were on him. "Let's go! Someone's about to die, do you understand!?" Still no one moved, but their eyes grew wider. Diao Chan looked very frightened and kept pointing to an area around the region of Zhang He's left ear. Zhou Yu held Xiao Qiao, who's eyes had grown round and scared, by the shoulders. "What? What's everyone staring at?" He asked alarmed. He looked at his skin and the reflection of his face in the Talons and they seemed perfectly fine.
"B-behind you . . ." Squeaked Diao Chan. Zhang He's heart felt sick but he nonetheless turned slowly to witness what he had be so obliviously blind to. Fixed behind him were no less than one hundred archers, anchored and ready to release. A burly looking man with bulging muscles and a very full beard grinned horribly about a foot above his own head.
"Oh . . ." Zhang He said in an oddly high pitched voice. He swallowed and stood as still as possible.
"Little rats have wandered into our trap, my people!" The big man, who had to be Liu Biao himself, said in a booming voice. Zhang He readied the Talons to strike, but didn't dare move more than that. The tall man put his huge paw of a hand up to his face and scratched his grizzly facial hair. "What shall we do with the rodents, men?" They all laughed maliciously, eyeing Diao Chan. Zhang He suddenly felt very protective of her and put up his arms.
"Don't you hurt Diao Chan, you'll pay if you so much as touch her." He said bravely. The man let out a barking laugh and put his hands on his hips. Then his thick arm reached out and grabbed Zhang He around the throat. He choked and felt himself being lifted up into the air. His kicked his legs furiously and slashed at the man, but he was covered in thick armor.
"This puny little man is gonna make me pay, guys!" He smiled, showing several blackened teeth. The all laughed louder and Zhang He felt humiliated, not to mention short of breath. "You know, I think 'e loves the lady over there, men . . . Whaddya say we do with 'er?" He asked cruelly. The all bellowed an assortment of answers, none of which made Zhang He feel as though she weren't going to be harmed in at least one way. The big man laughed some more and increased his grip on Zhang He. "Get 'er and the other little woman too, boys!" Diao Chan screamed and Sima Yi seized her around the shoulders, not surrendering her to the malcontent men. Zhou Yu drew the Ancient's sword and pushed Xiao Qiao behind him.
"Let 'em go, or we'll shoot the whole lot of ya!" Roared the man. Sima Yi grudgingly released Diao Chan, Zhou Yu lowered his weapon, snarling, and the soldiers brought the two girls roughly to the other side of the hole. The tall man gave a look at Zhang He, grunted, and then threw him violently to the ground. "Put the women in my chambers then tie up these fools and lock 'em up. All of 'em, except this puny fool. Bind 'im and put 'im next to our guest of 'onor!" He ended in a mighty cackle. The archers swarmed Zhang He's generals with heavy ropes. Several of them came up from behind him and fastened binds around his torso and ankles. They then shoved a dingy white cloth in his mouth and fastened it around the back of his head. He did not put up a struggle; it would have only gotten people on his own side killed. They tossed his demobilized body painfully through the hole, then dragged him to the center of the camp where on a wood platform was Sun Jian. He was tied to a long wooden pole and restrained in the same way as Zhang He was. There were several other poles beside him, but none were being occupied. The fastened him to the pole right next to Sun Jian, who shot him a reproachful looked. He watched as the led all of his friends, now bound, into a cart with bars made metal keeping them in. Once there were shoved inside, they shut the door, creating a mobile cage. He peered around, looking for the rest of the Sun family, but it appeared as though they had not yet been captured. There is still hope then . . . Zhang He reassured himself.
"Search around, men! Find those Sun family intruders, then we'll kill 'em all and their pitiful father!" Yelled Liu Biao. He heard Sun Jian snort furiously beside him and his body moved violently. He was yelling something through the rag, but Zhang He couldn't make it out. Liu Biao's louts dispersed, investigating every nook and cranny of the camp for Sun Ce and the others. Zhang He shot a quick look at Sun Jian, who met his glance. His eyes were fiery and angry, as though he would rather die than be held captive by this lot of scandalous fools. He once again mumbled something through the rag, but Zhang he shook his head to sow he didn't understand. Sun Jian rolled his eyes and gave up, gazing fixedly forward once again. After only a few moments, crashes, bangs, and clanks of battle rose up out of the lull.
"We found 'em! This way everyone!" Cried someone. People seemed to be focusing on an area just beyond everyone's sight range. Zhang He could faintly hear the crunch of skulls, no doubt Sun Ce at work. His heart pounded. There was no telling whom the Lady in Black showed herself for. He had been sure it was Sun Jian, but it could be any one of them . . . Yells echoed over the rooftops, then a high-pitched scream.
"RUN, SISTER, RUN!" Bellowed Sun Ce's loud voice from across the way. Sun Shang Xiang came tearing across the field in front of the, holding only one Chakram and sporting a nasty cut above her left breast. Blood dripped her white silk shirt and she was scowling. When she saw everyone tied up, caged, and subdued, she halted and gasped.
"Guys, what happened? Father! Sima Yi!" She shrieked. She ran over to the enclosure holding Sima Yi captive and pressed her face between the bars. "I'll get you out Sima Yi." She said, looking for a latch to cut.
"Shang Xiang, don't be stupid! Flee! Run away, Liu Biao is just over there!" Sima Yi yelled, sounding exasperated.
"There's no way I'm leaving without you, or the rest of you guys." She said determinedly. Sun Jian seemed to be fuming beside him. He was yelling things that sounded suspiciously like curse words.
"What do we 'ave 'ere?" Said Liu Biao from somewhere behind them all. Sun Shang Xiang turned white as a ghost and froze. "Well, if it isn't Sun Jian little son!" Sun Shang Xiang brow furrowed, Zhang He knew she was going to get mad . . . Oh, please, Lady, not Sun Shang Xiang. I can't be her, it'd kill Sima Yi if she died, and it'd kill Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, and me! Lady, not Sun Shang Xiang. We all love her too much . . .
"Why, you!" Sun Shang Xiang raged, grasping her Chakram until her knuckles turned white. Sima Yi stuck his hands outside the bars as far as he could without anyone noticing. He pulled on her Chakram, and glanced back at him. She let it go carefully, trying not to let Liu Biao see. He saw Sima Yi's lips move near Sun Shang Xiang's ear, but he could not understand what he said. She nodded, slightly, and looking determined.
"What's wrong, you think we made a mistake?" Said Liu Biao, advancing forth, completely oblivious to Sima Yi's plan, whatever it was. He walked up to Sun Shang Xiang, towering above her greatly. She stood, trying mot to appear frightened. "Let's see, short hair, men's clothing, and a headband. Seems to me that's all the stuff that applies to men! I think you're a man under there!" He laughed.
"I'll have you know I'm one of the most feminine people you've ever met! I just don't want to act like it all the time! Now let my friends and father GO!" She yelled. Liu Biao laughed heartily in her face. "Well, I usually give women pleasure before death, but since you aren't really a woman, we'll just have to kill you now. Sun Shang Xiang gave a high-pitched scream as he dove for her, only narrowly escaping his grasp. She scrambled away, but tripped over herself once she got away. Zhang He's heart gave a leap of horror as Liu Biao wrenched her off the ground and lifted her high into the air by her wrist. "We could chop off your, or perhaps pierce you heart? There's also torture, that's one of my favorites." Liu Biao laughed.
Sun Jian was positively writhing beside him. Off in the distance, Sima Yi looked sick.
"But, since its you, I think you ought to watch your father be murdered before it's your time." He said, lowering her back. "HEY! YOU GUYS!" Two men came trotting over. "I got another one to be tied up, but this time, don't gag 'er, I want to hear her scream when her father is killed." Anger burned within Zhang He. If only he hadn't been so careless. Only a few seconds later, Sun Ce and Sun Quan arrived, also bound heavily and yelling for their release.
"You put on hand on Da Qiao, and I swear!! I'll kill you all!" Sun Ce growled.
"Shut up, you!" Liu Biao snarled, kicking Sun Ce hard in the chest. He breathed roughly and gasped, the wind had been knocked out of him.
"Prepare to witness this, pathetic Sun Family, and I destroy you and your allies one by one!" Liu Biao announced grimly, unsheathing a mighty sword from the scabbard at his waist. Zhang he had two or three more quick flashes of the Lady, but they revealed nothing. Liu Biao lifted the silver weapon up above his head and walked over to the wooden platform Sun Jian and Zhang He were seated upon. He ripped the cloth out of Sun Jian's mouth violently.
"Liu Biao! Do what you like with me, but leave me children alone!" Sun Jian croaked angrily.
"Hmmm . . ." Liu Biao said in a mock pondering voice. "No." He finished shortly. Liu Biao seemed placid for a moment, then suddenly thrust his mighty sword into Sun Jian's belly. Sun Jian cried out hoarsely and the entire Sun family wailed as they watched him. Sun Jian gave several short breaths and Liu Biao ripped out the sword roughly. Blood flowed down all over the platform. The moment it touched Zhang He, that horrible icy cold feeling over took him again. He could feel the Lady, but not see her.
"HA HA HA!! How's it feel to die, Tiger of Jiang Dong?" Liu Biao grunted gleefully. Zhang He started breathing hardly and shaking. Sun Jian looked as though he was in absolute pain. He clutched his wound weakly, blood dripping out on his fingers. A mixture of vomit, blood, and froth leaked out of his mouth as his eyes glazed over. Liu Biao kicked him violently in the head and Zhang He heard a sickening crack ring out. Sun Jian fell limp, still bleeding out all over them place.
"POP!!" Sun Ce wept, desperately trying to free himself. Tears flowed freely from his eyes, he didn't seem to care. Sun Quan had fallen to his knees and Sun Shang Xiang was shrieking at the top of her lungs.
"He he he . . ." Liu Biao laughed. "You three are next."
but we'll call it even!) This one is for you, Cousin!
Enjoy!
Part 3
The Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 33
Tomorrow I'll Cry
"Spit it out, then!" Sun Ce yelled as the soldier dripped water all over the floor.
"The Lords Sun Ce and Sun Quan and the Lady Sun Shang Xiang have been sent this urgent letter from their father!" The man said, holding out a scroll he had kept dry under his armor. Sun Ce ripped it out of his hand and ripped open the rolls. His eyes darted quickly along the lines. He suddenly let out a cry of rage.
"Read it to me, Shang Xiang, I can't understand these hard symbols!" He said, thrusting it at her. She scowled, but snatched it away from him. She looked over it quickly, and then gasped.
"Father's been captured by Liu Biao! It says they have him at their main camp and are holding him hostage. They'll only release him if we surrender control of Wu!" She cried.
"What!?" Sun Ce yelled. "That . . . That bastard! What a dirty trick! We've got to tell Quan and get him rescued instantly!" Sun Ce declared.
"We can't! They'll kill him if we show up with troops." Sun Shang Xiang said, biting her nails.
"And besides, we can't just send troops out in weather like this, they'll all freeze to death!" Zhou Yu added.
"What about my sister!?" Whimpered Xiao Qiao. Sun Ce's eyes darted all around the floor. He shook his head violently.
"Da Qiao's in trouble right now. Pop isn't in any immediate danger. I'm going to save her, right now!" He declared, pushing the frightened soldier out of the way and running through the open door. Zhang He started to run after him, and the others followed. He turned quickly back to them.
"Stay here!" He commanded, then rushed outside.
Once outside he caught up with Sun Ce. He was rushing back towards the woods but Zhang He grabbed his shoulder. "We we're just in there and there were no signs of anybody. Let's check on the east side." Zhang He offered urgently. Sun Ce nodded critically and sped off in the opposite direction. The bullets of ice ricocheted off their heads, creating miniature bruises and Zhang He had to squint to stop them from hurting his eyes. Once they reached the field on the east side Sun Ce came to an abrupt halt. He cupped his gloved hands around him mouth and took in a huge breath.
"DAAAAA QIAAAOOO!!!!" He hollered as loud as he possibly could. "WHERE ARE YOU!!!???" He wiped the freezing water out of his eyes and squinted around for her. Zhang He heard the sound of door opening and looked behind him. Gan Ning was tentatively poking his head outside and looking around. Once he spotted Sun Ce and Zhang He, he let out a joyful "Ning" and trotted over to them.
"What the Ning you guys doin' out here?" He asked as soon as he'd reached them.
"Have you seen Da Qiao, Gan Ning?" Sun Ce asked exasperatedly. Gan Ning put a finger on his chin and looked thoughtful.
"Come to think of it . . . No, haven't seen her for a while." He said, seemingly unperturbed by the rain and hail. Zhang He sighed quickly.
"This isn't getting us anywhere! We've still got the northern side and southern side to check, we'd better hurry, and she could be in a lot of trouble." Zhang He said, pulling Sun Ce by his arm. They trailed off the south side, Ning bouncing along behind them, emitting small "Nings" with each step. They were just about to pass through the gate when they heard malicious laughter beyond it. Sun Ce recoiled for a moment, Gan Ning bumping into him and falling to the mud below.
"Da Qiao!" He said, sounding frightened. He kicked open the doors ferociously and pounded outside them. Da Qiao was laying a good ways off in the soaking grass. About 17 silhouettes of bulky men were coming up behind her. She was curled up in a shivering ball and her eyes were shut tightly. "You leave her alone!" Sun Ce said, charging in their direction. All the men had their weapons in hand, but Sun Ce and Zhang He had left theirs back in the building. Gan Ning shrieked, then ran back to the camp and disappeared into the gloom. Heart of a lion, that one . . . Zhang He thought as he joined Sun Ce. Sun Ce jumped in front of Da Qiao's crumpled form, and hastily snapped into a right hand fighting stance.
"You think you can fight us, little man?" Said one of the large men in a cruel mocking tone.
"Listen up, you rabble! I'm Sun Ce, the Little Conqueror, and this here is my woman! Any of you who take so much as another step with have to fight me!" He said with palpable ire.
"Not smart, Sun Ce . . ." Zhang He whispered as he tried to recollect his martial arts training.
"You either help me, or get lost Zhang He." Sun Ce said, his hand balling up as he eyed the leader of the criminals. Zhang He sighed and fell into his fighting stance as well.
"I hope you know what you're doing . . ." He breathed, watching the muscley men advance. Just as the biggest moved in front of Sun Ce, he snapped. He launched several mighty punches into his stomach and surprisingly knocked him down with a roundhouse kick. He finished him off by administering an outside crescent kick to his stomach. The man gasped then fell silent. Zhang He decided to start off with the least threatening of the bunch. He jumped high into the air and landed behind him. With a sharp push kick to the back, that bandit fell to the ground and Zhang He leapt up again and landed with his elbow crashing into the man's spine. He let out a cry of pain and said no more. Suddenly, a thick forearm clamped itself tightly over Zhang He's throat and squeezed with a vice-like grip. He gasped and futilely tried to wrench off the thick appendage. He sunk to his knees, starting to feel lightheaded. He could hear the man laughing horribly in his ear and then the arm released and Zhang He's body flopped helplessly down, his mind unable to focus. At that moment he felt the flesh above his rib cage be slashed away by a cold metal blade. He cried out and put a hand to his injury. Maybe if he was still enough they would think he was dead. Zhang He held his breath and tried to look as expressionless as possible. The ice-cold raindrops beat all around him, willing him to shiver so violently that it would give him away, but he somehow held. He could still hear Sun Ce completely absorbed in the fray. He probably hadn't notice Zhang He had fallen. Zhang He felt his warm blood leak out all over his hand, almost a comfort in this bitter hellhole. He cracked open one of his eyes and saw all the men had become interested in bringing down Sun Ce, who was cut on his face and had a nasty looking gash across his chest which was splattering blood all over. He had a crazed look in his eye, as if he did not know exactly what he was doing. He took down two more of the remaining five with a very well placed scissor kick, but afterwards he was not so lucky. A surly looking man with a unibrow struck Sun Ce in the face and brought him to the ground. As he advanced over Sun Ce's diminished form, Zhang He felt he could not sit around and watch any longer, injured or not. He sprang shakily to his feet and managed to clobber the man in the back of the neck. "Sun Ce!" Zhang He alerted, extending a hand quickly to Sun Ce as the other two came pounding up. He seized Zhang He slippery hand and was hoisted up, ready to go.
The other two men came charging forward, apparently with a makeshift strategy in mind. The blasted forward and simultaneously landed to aerial sidekicks on Zhang He and Sun Ce. This was the breaking point for Zhang He. He let himself be pushed to the ground, the loss of blood giving his arms and anemic feel. If only he had his Talons, this could have been an easy win . . . The rain washed the coagulating blood out of his wound and it began to bleed freely once again.
"It can't end here. . ." He breathed, trying to get up again, but a new slash on his arm floored him again. He looked into the laughing face of a man; the arms raised a spear and aimed. Zhang He shut his eyes and moved his arms over his eyes. All of a sudden a familiar sound in the distance made his heart leap with hope.
"NIIIIIIIIING!" It sounded, filling Zhang He's body with warmth. He smiled and opened his eyes just in time to see Gan Ning charge up with his magnificent sword and cleave the man in two. Gan Ning spotted the other thief, leapt into the air and stuck the mighty blade through his chest.
"Oh, Gan Ning. I've never been so happy to see you." Sun Ce breathed. Gan Ning removed his sword from the corpse with a forceful yank.
"The Ning did it! Ning is a good guy! Awww yeah!!!" Gan Ning cheered.
"Good job, Ning. Zhang He said, holding his wound as he rose. He looked back at Da Qiao. His stomach lurched; she looked so ridged and pale. "Sun Ce, you'd better get her out of here NOW!" He yelled, panic returning.
"Oh no, Da Qiao." Sun Ce yelled, plucking her urgently from the ground and racing back towards camp. Gan Ning melted off into the gloom while they were on their way back, but no one seemed to notice. They blasted through the doors a couple of minutes later and quickly deposited her shivering frame onto the bed. Xiao Qiao screamed when she saw her sister and Sun Shang Xiang and Diao Chan looked extremely uneasy.
"Help, Zhou Yu!" Sun Ce yelled needlessly, Zhou Yu was already at her side. His broken fingers were stalling the speedy examination, so Sima Yi also rose to help.
"Wake her up, I need to see something." Sima Yi commanded. Zhou Yu shook her by that shoulders almost violently, then her eyes slowly creaked open.
"Da Qiao!? Can you hear me?" Sima Yi demanded. She whined to show she understood and Sima Yi looked panic-stricken. "Tell me, what's your sister's name?" He asked again, faster than before. Da Qiao seemed to think very hard about the matter.
"Uh . . . It's . . ." She squeaked through her shivers.
"She's got hypothermia, get all her clothes off and wrap her in about seven blankets, then dry her hair thoroughly!" Sima Yi shouted. "NOW! She'll die if you don't!" Everyone follwed hastily, gathering up all the warm blankets they could. "Xiao Qiao, go back to your building and get her some new clothes, Shang Xiang and Diao Chan, get on either side of her and don't let go, she needs your body heat."
"You two are injured!" Zhou Yu said, seeing the blood all over the floor.
"You all must WANT to die!" Sima Yi exclaimed, seizing two more blankets as he motioned for them to undress. They each dried off in the warm blankets as Zhou Yu treated their wounds clumsily due to his fractured phalanges. Diao Chan said something to Zhang He in a soft tone, but he couldn't pick up on it. She nestled herself beside him and rested her head on his lap. Everything got fuzzy after that and Zhang He dropped into a restless sleep quickly. He had a dream that he was following something very shiny with his eyes, but could never seem to harness it into his gaze. He awoke to hear Sun Ce's voice talking softly in the night. Everything was pitch dark around him and everyone seemed to be asleep, save Sun Ce and whomever he was speaking with.
"Are you alright?" Said Sun Ce's voice out of the black.
"I think so. I'm so sorry I did something a rash as that. It is unseemly for women to act in such a way." Said Da Qiao's fragile tone.
"No, don't be like that. I think women should act just the way they want to. My sis always does." Sun Ce said, sounding tired.
"That's so kind of you to say." Da Qiao breathed. "I like the way you see everyone as equals."
" 'Course I do. Heck, my sis is ten times smarter than I am. But we men have got to do something tomorrow. That bastard Liu Biao, he's got my Pop. But I'm going out there to get him back. You watch, I'll show that damn son of a bitch who's got him what my Tonfas can really do . . ."
"Oh, please, Lord Sun Ce! You need to rest up. It still be raining out there tomorrow and you'll become ill if you charge into someone's base." She pleaded.
"I've got to do what I've got to do. He's in danger and he'll be looking for his children to come save him. I'm sure at least my sis and bro will come, though Quan may be afraid of getting some infection. . ." Zhang He suddenly felt uneasy. There was no way he was leading his troops out in this weather. Sun Ce was not going to be happy when he contradicted him tomorrow. Da Qiao seemed to be considering something.
"Lord Sun Ce, I shall accompany you as well!" She cried at last. He only laughed in reply.
"Don't want you to get hurt, Da Qiao." He answered calmly.
"But I must help! You saved my life just now; there must be something I can do in return!" She persisted.
"No way, you're too frail. You'd probably get killed out there." Sun Ce replied.
"You just said yourself that women deserve chances too!" She objected.
"Yes, it's true! I've seen you fight and everything, you're the best! But . . . I want to keep you around." He finished quietly.
"W-what?" She asked carefully.
"Well, you see . . . there's no point in hiding it I guess. . . You've really taken my fancy. In fact, you're the first girl I've ever really seen more than just a pretty face, which you've got as well . . ." He added smoothly. Zhang He couldn't help but smile.
"L-lord Sun Ce. . ." She said, sounding embarrassed. "Please take me with you, I'll be just fine, I want to help you rescue your father! I won't be a burden at all!"
"If you . . . really feel you're up to it, but I may not always be there to protect you, you know. . ." Sun Ce said, followed by the sounds of hairs be scratched.
"I won't let you down!" She chimed happily. Sun Ce shifted beside Zhang He. He could hear him running his fingers through his hair.
"Listen, since I am going out there tomorrow, I may not come back in one piece, or whatever, so . . . I just want to . . . While nobody is looking . . ." He felt Sun Ce rise from beside him. Zhang He squinted in the dark and saw the fuzzy form of Sun Ce move over to where Da Qiao was sitting on the bed. She fell back onto her palms as Sun Ce drew nearer.
"What are you -" She began, but Sun Ce quelled her soft words with his lips. The rain pounded above and no other sounds were heard. Sun Ce finally let go and Da Qiao gave a sort of half gasp, then a weak giggle. Zhang He smiled and stroked Diao Chan's silky hair gently.
"Stay close to me . . ." Sun Ce breathed.
When Zhang He awoke again, he could hardly believe it was morning. It was not much brighter than the night and the rain crashed down outside. The first thing he heard was a fierce argument going on between several people. He saw Sun Shang Xiang, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, and Da Qiao standing on one side, and Zhou Yu, Sima Yi, Xiao Qiao and Diao Chan standing on the other.
"We must save our father!" Sun Quan pleaded. "He'll die without assistance!"
"You'll ALL die if you go out there! It is very unwise to attack in bad weather. It says so in the book your great, great, great grandfather, Sun Tzu, wrote, the Art of War! And I quote: 'In ancient times many soldiers lost their fingers to frostbite on campaigns against the Huns, and many soldiers died of plague on campaigns against the southern tribes. This was because of carrying out operations in winter and summer!' Which basically means, as Fan Li so wonderfully translated for the less intelligent: 'Don't go into another's territory at unfavorable times!' If you took the time to read it, you would understand!"
"Well, I can't read, so there!" Sun Ce said, perhaps a little too rebelliously.
"Sima Yi, please, please, will you help me save my father?" Sun Shang Xiang said defiantly. Sima Yi took a step back and looked at his feet. He looked back into Sun Shang Xiang's deep blue eyes and sighed.
"I cannot refuse you anything, Shang Xiang, I shall accompany you on this mission, even though I know it is unwise . . ." He finished, meandering slowly to her side. Zhang He stood up and threw the blanket off him.
"This is madness!" Zhang He yelled. "You'll exhaust the troops, they'll become ill and our forces will deplete. I refuse to let you have any of my men for this insane escapade." Sima Yi looked uneasy, but Sun Ce became livid.
"You're not the one who decides what goes on around here!" Sun Ce stamped, his eyes narrowing.
"Sun Ce, I'm trying to protect you and your siblings! You saw what happened to Da Qiao and she was only out there for about an hour. Just imagine what you'll feel like after a couple of hours! Do you really want you're sister and your brother to freeze to death?" Zhang He said coolly. Sun Ce realized this and fell silent, his teeth still gritted. He suddenly shook his head deliberately and looked back up into Zhang He misty gray eyes.
"I won't take any troops. I'll assassinate Liu Biao and bring back father on my own. Whoever wants can follow me if they want, but it won't be my decision. If Zhou Yu's father plowed through a thousand Yellow Turbans with Sun Quan under his arm, then I can get my father out of there." Sun Ce declared, leaving a ringing silence as he came to a close. Zhou Yu stepped forward.
"I'll go with you brother." He said, seizing the Ancient's sword with his good hand.
"Thank you, Zhou Yu." He said, clapping a hand on his shoulder.
"If Zhou Yu goes, then I will!" Xiao Qiao said, holding onto his arm tightly. Zhang He would not agree to such madness. He walked over to Diao Chan and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders. She seemed like se would stay with him, no matter whom she thought was right. Sun Ce looked at Zhang He hopefully, but after a moment's time shook his head and kicked open the door. Sun Shang Xiang shot him one last melancholy look and they were all gone. Zhang He sighed and his brow furrowed.
"Am I wrong, Diao Chan?" He asked her, staring blankly forward.
"I have no opinion on the matter, but I will always support you decision." She said, turning around and looking him in the face. Zhang He smiled feebly, but it soon faded. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his body. He inhaled her scent and somehow she condoled his stress silently.
"I feel guilty, like I'm betraying my brothers." He said, putting his forehead to hers. "But I don't want to drag myself into a ludicrous suicide mission."
"It is a difficult matter and I know of no solution, but only time will reveal the outcome." She said sagely, somehow looking very silly while she spoke. Zhang He smiled.
"I'm glad I have you with me." He said, the empty feeling dissipating sluggishly. His head still pounded painfully and his stomach felt very ill indeed.
The day went by slowly. They talked very little and didn't do much besides lie on the beds and listen to the rainfall around them. The gales blew fiercely, but Zhang He still wished he wouldn't have stayed. He wished he could be out battling with his brothers, but now his pride was at stake, and that was something he dare not risk, but even so, a part within him burned strongly and reminded him every minute that he should've gone, and there was still time. As much as it called out, his legs did not seem to want to obey, and remained stationary on the thin mattress he lay upon. Later on it darkened and grew to subzero temperatures; night was here already. He moved next to Diao Chan in fear they both might freeze, and he then worried about his brothers. They were all outside with no supplies, food tents, and all because he had been selfish. He was mentally kicking himself for being such a prat, and screwed up his face whenever he thought of the unfortunate incident.
He later fell into a restless sleep, shivering violently and clutching Diao Chan firmly for any warmth she could offer. The next morning showed itself to be a just as bitter. A few seconds after Zhang He had stood up, his stomach started to ache viciously. He doubled over, hugging his belly, and moaned.
"What's wrong?" Diao Chan asked, sounding alarmed.
"It . . . Hurts . . ." Zhang He grunted, falling to his knees. Diao Chan quickly helped him back onto the bed. As soon he lay down a quick and icy flash of the Lady In Black flickered in front of his face. Her horrible twisted face smiled back at him, as though reaching out for his arms, but was gone in a millisecond. Zhang He sprang back to his feet, shaking off the pain. "We're going, now!" He commanded. Diao Chan, looking stunned, stumbled back a few steps.
"Why?" She asked rather timidly.
"I just saw Her. Just a flash, though. I can tell somebody we know is in danger, I'm not taking a chance with our friends." He said, scrambling for the doorknob. Diao Chan nodded critically and walked outside into the raging storm beside him.
A moment later they burst into Mitsuke and Xu Huang's room and yelled the news, they would need as many good generals as they needed. They were ready and dressed for battle in a moment, Mitsuke showing off his swift sword antics before sheathing his mighty Katana. After they'd retrieved Gan Ning and Zhang Liao, they mounted steeds, called together troops and supplies as fast as they could, and raced off onto the road. The muddy trail slowed the horses, but every man urged the constantly to keep moving. The miserable looking soldiers ran at top speed, inhaling the missile-like raindrops and sputtering loudly. The hooves of the horses sloshed up the mud and created a horrible mess that everyone kept slipping in. Gan Ning's horse stumbled once, sending Ning himself toppling off into the sludge below, covering him head to toe. After this event he wailed and complained and finally they had Xu Huang ride with him to suppress Ning's vexing cries with his gigantic axe. Zhang Liao rode close to Zhang He. They both spoke over the roar of the squall about the upcoming plan.
"We should look for any sign that they've been here. It's a good thing they've got Sima Yi and Zhou Yu with them or Sun Ce would do something incredibly stupid." Zhang He informed him.
"Wouldn't any of their tracks have been washed away by the rain?" Questioned Zhang Liao skeptically, holding his hand in front of his eyes to block the rain.
"I suppose, but just incase . . ." Zhang He said, shivering uncontrollably.
"You alright, little bro?" Zhang Liao said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. Zhang He pushed it off impatiently.
"I'm fine . . ." He said stubbornly. He hated it when Zhang Liao called him 'little bro' and treated him like they were both still 5 and 10 years old. His mind wandered to the old times when they had both lived on their father's farm. Zhang Liao had been his best friend when he was growing up. The farm was on the outskirts of a tiny village with a river and forest. Zhang Liao and Zhang He had spent their days exploring these interesting places and loitering in the village. Zhang He also remembered some other children around his age he used to know very well, but now they were just but a faded memory. Zhang He remembered the long hot summer days, lying there in the sun, perhaps nibbling a bit of corn they'd managed to snatch from their father's fields without him noticing. Zhang He suddenly grew placid and all the old times rushed back to him. He recalled his mother's pretty face, long black hair, defined complexion, and lovely gray eyes. She had been very kind to him, even though she had only lived until he was three years old. At that moment a question arose in his mind that had never struck him to inquire about before.
"Liao, did we have the same mother?" He posed. Zhang Liao ran his fingers across his beard and smiled a bit.
"No, my mother was one of our workers back on the farm, your mother was our father's wife." He clarified. "She was a pretty nice woman if I remember correctly."
"Did she bare and other children besides me?" Zhang He pursued further.
"Yes, she had one other child before you. What was his name . . . Zhang Tsu or something. Anyway, a strategist under a great aristocrat came and adopted him when he was about five. I think father still writes to him or something, turned out he was a strategist as well."
"What did he look like?" Zhang He asked, hungry for more knowledge. Zhang Liao put a finger to his lips and narrowed his eyes.
"He had pitch black hair and very sharp features. His eyes were gray too, but not your kind of misty gray, it more like . . . The steel on a sword. I think he was bad from birth; he was always picking fights with everyone at a young age. He absolutely hated you, do remember? I had to stop him from clobbering you all the time. Personally, I think it's great to have him out of the Zhang family for good."
"But he's still my real brother . . . In fact, he's my only full brother. I wonder what's happened to him . . ." Zhang He pondered aloud.
"Trust me, little bro, you don't want to know this guy. He was positively malicious before he even learned to walk. You see that scar on your left arm just above your elbow?" Zhang Liao asked, pointing. Zhang He located with his finger. The long white scar that reached nearly up to his elbow had been there since he could remember.
"That one?" Zhang He said.
"Yeah. He got you there with and knife when he was four! He was one sick kid. I mean, what kind of child attacks a two year old? I'm glad he's out of my life." Zhang Liao finished. Zhang he nodded and was about to continue on with this conversation when Diao Chan cried out from behind him.
"Zhang He, look!" She yelled over the rain, pointing forward. Zhang He squinted through the barrage of raindrops and saw the lighted windows of a small house. Many people were inside. "I just saw Sun Ce inside of there!" Diao Chan informed. Zhang He halted his horse and slid off, still shaking violently. Zhang Liao dismounted as well, then Diao Chan. He put his hand on Diao Chan's shoulder as the walked to the building. She was shaking worse than he was.
"Be careful." He whispered to her warily. "Stay close . . ." He approached the door and knocked cautiously. In a few seconds the door creaked open and a plump little woman opened up.
"Can I help you?" She said sweetly.
"Sorry for the intrusion, but is someone named Sun Ce staying here with a bunch of his friends and siblings?" Zhang He asked, his hair soaking wet. The woman opened her eyes wider and looked surprised.
"Why, yes. How in the world did you know that?" She asked amazedly.
"Great," Zhang He said, ignoring her question. "May I speak with him please?" He asked, but even before he finished the word 'please' Sun Ce's inquisitive face appeared above her.
"Zhang He! What're you doing here? I thought you didn't want to go on this journey. . ." He said, trying hard to hide his feelings of relief and joy.
"I had another vision." Zhang He informed. "Is everyone alright?" He asked, attempting to peer inside. Sun Ce gently pushed the little old woman out of the way and got closer to Zhang He.
"Everyone's fine. Tell me more about the vision, did it show my Pop?" He asked desperately.
"It didn't really have much this time, just a flash. I suppose that means the person that's in trouble is very far away, but I couldn't be sure. The Lady is never a good sign." Zhang He said grimly.
"You've brought Diao Chan and Zhang Liao." Sun Ce noticed, smiling. Zhang He smiled back.
"I brought more than just them. I have supplies, horses, tents raincoats weapons, troops, Mitsuke, Gan Ning, and Xu Huang, as well." Zhang He said, smiling even wider. Sun Ce made a sort of happy grunting sound and craned his neck to see the spectacle. He brought up his fist in triumph.
"I knew I could count on you, brother!" Sun Ce said excitedly. "Now, let me ask these kind people if you all can come in before you freeze to death out there."
In a moment's time, all the generals were safely inside wrapped under blankets and the soldier were in their pseudo-dry tents. Mitsuke looked oddly uncomfortable wearing only the blanket, but all the rest were talking loudly about their current position.
"We've located Liu Biao's base, it's at the bottom of this hill. Tomorrow we're going to sneak around to the west side where there's flaw in the stone fortress here. The Sun family and Da Qiao will enter in first and make their way around here, where Sun Jian is being kept. We'll come in later, as back up, and fight off the soldiers who are pursuing the escapees. Once we're all out, we'll race back towards our main camp as fast as our legs can carry us." Sima Yi stated, displaying these events on a map. "A simple strategy, yes, but we haven't the time for complexity."
"We'll ride out tomorrow at the crack of dawn, if we can see it through this rain." Zhou Yu added skeptically.
"We'd better get our rest then, if we're charging out tomorrow." Sun Shang Xiang pointed out. The all agreed and curled up all over the floor in as many blankets as they could scrape up. Warm, and with a new pair of dry clothes, Zhang He nuzzled against Diao Chan and fell asleep.
In the morning he awoke to find that the rain had died down some. A slight drizzle had descended from the thundering tempest of yesterday, but the mud still remained thick and slippery. They stepped outside, wearing straw hats and straw raincoats. These hats were durable and got for deflecting arrows as well as rain. They mounted and alerted the soldiers and in a moment's time they were off.
"Remember, the main idea in the mission is stealth! You hear me, Sun Ce? STEALTH!" Sima Yi said, yelling to get his point through. Sun Ce charged forward on his horse.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll use stealth, or whatever it's called!" Sun Ce called back nonchalantly, his horse kicking up a shower of mud as he sped up. He rode with the rising sun, bearing down upon Liu Biao's fortress through the trees that surrounded it. If they were seen, the entire plan would be ruined. They flew down the steep hill that showed the defect in the high, stone wall above. The all leapt off their horses and help Sun Ce through the hole, then Sun Quan, and finally Da Qiao. Sun Shang Xiang was hanging in the back. She was about go forward when something quite unexpected happened. Just as she had taken the first step, Sima Yi caught her by the shoulder. He gently spun her around so that she faced him. He hesitated then placed a hand on her shoulder. He blushed profusely, but kept his grip.
"Please, please be careful." He said in a breathy voice.
"Course I will, I'm not that clumsy . . ." Said Sun Shang Xiang with a
slight laugh.
"You . . . re-re-really m-mean a lot to m-me." He stammered, avoiding her gaze.
"Sima Yi . . ." She said, sounding very touched.
She grabbed his hand, turning a shade of deep red. She stood on her tiptoes so that her height almost matched Sima Yi's indelicately kissed him on the cheek. She tenderly let go of his hand, and with a wink, she slipped through the hole to her brothers and Da Qiao. Sima Yi stood, his eyes wide and his hands still stuck in the same position. Zhang He backed towards Sima Yi, grinning wryly.
"Whoohoo! Score one for you, Sima Yi!" Zhang He asked. Sima Yi Finally let down his arms and gazed dreamily off into the distance.
"I have to be dreaming. . . But it felt so real." Sima Yi said, touching the spot on his face where she had kissed him. Zhang He laughed a bit.
"Unless we're all suffering mass hallucination, I'd say that she's as good as yours." Sima Yi genuinely smiled for the first time in a very long time.
The minutes crept by slower and slower each time. The misty atmosphere made it impossible for anyone to see beyond a certain point, but would do well for the Sun family as they were hiding in it.
"When do we go in as reinforcements?" Diao Chan inquired, twirling her handsome maces delicately as she leaned against Zhang He's chest.
"I'm just waiting until someone smart makes a move. Always follow the smart people and you'll go far." Zhang He joked. Diao Chan gave a little chuckle and closed her eyes.
"They shouldn't be taking this long, I'm worried . . ." Zhou Yu said, sitting down beside them, Xiao Qiao following him anxiously.
"What's Sima Yi think?" Zhang He asked.
"He's punishing some soldiers at the moment, they were trying to sneak back to the main camp." Zhang He could've sworn he heard a faint scream somewhere off in the distance. He was just about to lean back and close his eyes when yet another flash of The Lady in Black appeared and disappeared in a blaze. Zhang He leapt so fast that he almost threw Diao Chan off of him.
"Hey!" She yelled, sounding alarmed.
"We have to go, right now! They're in trouble!" Zhang He yelled. He quickly snapped on the golden Metal Talons and sprang gracefully towards the defect. Nobody seemed to be showing any signs of movement, but all eyes were on him. "Let's go! Someone's about to die, do you understand!?" Still no one moved, but their eyes grew wider. Diao Chan looked very frightened and kept pointing to an area around the region of Zhang He's left ear. Zhou Yu held Xiao Qiao, who's eyes had grown round and scared, by the shoulders. "What? What's everyone staring at?" He asked alarmed. He looked at his skin and the reflection of his face in the Talons and they seemed perfectly fine.
"B-behind you . . ." Squeaked Diao Chan. Zhang He's heart felt sick but he nonetheless turned slowly to witness what he had be so obliviously blind to. Fixed behind him were no less than one hundred archers, anchored and ready to release. A burly looking man with bulging muscles and a very full beard grinned horribly about a foot above his own head.
"Oh . . ." Zhang He said in an oddly high pitched voice. He swallowed and stood as still as possible.
"Little rats have wandered into our trap, my people!" The big man, who had to be Liu Biao himself, said in a booming voice. Zhang He readied the Talons to strike, but didn't dare move more than that. The tall man put his huge paw of a hand up to his face and scratched his grizzly facial hair. "What shall we do with the rodents, men?" They all laughed maliciously, eyeing Diao Chan. Zhang He suddenly felt very protective of her and put up his arms.
"Don't you hurt Diao Chan, you'll pay if you so much as touch her." He said bravely. The man let out a barking laugh and put his hands on his hips. Then his thick arm reached out and grabbed Zhang He around the throat. He choked and felt himself being lifted up into the air. His kicked his legs furiously and slashed at the man, but he was covered in thick armor.
"This puny little man is gonna make me pay, guys!" He smiled, showing several blackened teeth. The all laughed louder and Zhang He felt humiliated, not to mention short of breath. "You know, I think 'e loves the lady over there, men . . . Whaddya say we do with 'er?" He asked cruelly. The all bellowed an assortment of answers, none of which made Zhang He feel as though she weren't going to be harmed in at least one way. The big man laughed some more and increased his grip on Zhang He. "Get 'er and the other little woman too, boys!" Diao Chan screamed and Sima Yi seized her around the shoulders, not surrendering her to the malcontent men. Zhou Yu drew the Ancient's sword and pushed Xiao Qiao behind him.
"Let 'em go, or we'll shoot the whole lot of ya!" Roared the man. Sima Yi grudgingly released Diao Chan, Zhou Yu lowered his weapon, snarling, and the soldiers brought the two girls roughly to the other side of the hole. The tall man gave a look at Zhang He, grunted, and then threw him violently to the ground. "Put the women in my chambers then tie up these fools and lock 'em up. All of 'em, except this puny fool. Bind 'im and put 'im next to our guest of 'onor!" He ended in a mighty cackle. The archers swarmed Zhang He's generals with heavy ropes. Several of them came up from behind him and fastened binds around his torso and ankles. They then shoved a dingy white cloth in his mouth and fastened it around the back of his head. He did not put up a struggle; it would have only gotten people on his own side killed. They tossed his demobilized body painfully through the hole, then dragged him to the center of the camp where on a wood platform was Sun Jian. He was tied to a long wooden pole and restrained in the same way as Zhang He was. There were several other poles beside him, but none were being occupied. The fastened him to the pole right next to Sun Jian, who shot him a reproachful looked. He watched as the led all of his friends, now bound, into a cart with bars made metal keeping them in. Once there were shoved inside, they shut the door, creating a mobile cage. He peered around, looking for the rest of the Sun family, but it appeared as though they had not yet been captured. There is still hope then . . . Zhang He reassured himself.
"Search around, men! Find those Sun family intruders, then we'll kill 'em all and their pitiful father!" Yelled Liu Biao. He heard Sun Jian snort furiously beside him and his body moved violently. He was yelling something through the rag, but Zhang He couldn't make it out. Liu Biao's louts dispersed, investigating every nook and cranny of the camp for Sun Ce and the others. Zhang He shot a quick look at Sun Jian, who met his glance. His eyes were fiery and angry, as though he would rather die than be held captive by this lot of scandalous fools. He once again mumbled something through the rag, but Zhang he shook his head to sow he didn't understand. Sun Jian rolled his eyes and gave up, gazing fixedly forward once again. After only a few moments, crashes, bangs, and clanks of battle rose up out of the lull.
"We found 'em! This way everyone!" Cried someone. People seemed to be focusing on an area just beyond everyone's sight range. Zhang He could faintly hear the crunch of skulls, no doubt Sun Ce at work. His heart pounded. There was no telling whom the Lady in Black showed herself for. He had been sure it was Sun Jian, but it could be any one of them . . . Yells echoed over the rooftops, then a high-pitched scream.
"RUN, SISTER, RUN!" Bellowed Sun Ce's loud voice from across the way. Sun Shang Xiang came tearing across the field in front of the, holding only one Chakram and sporting a nasty cut above her left breast. Blood dripped her white silk shirt and she was scowling. When she saw everyone tied up, caged, and subdued, she halted and gasped.
"Guys, what happened? Father! Sima Yi!" She shrieked. She ran over to the enclosure holding Sima Yi captive and pressed her face between the bars. "I'll get you out Sima Yi." She said, looking for a latch to cut.
"Shang Xiang, don't be stupid! Flee! Run away, Liu Biao is just over there!" Sima Yi yelled, sounding exasperated.
"There's no way I'm leaving without you, or the rest of you guys." She said determinedly. Sun Jian seemed to be fuming beside him. He was yelling things that sounded suspiciously like curse words.
"What do we 'ave 'ere?" Said Liu Biao from somewhere behind them all. Sun Shang Xiang turned white as a ghost and froze. "Well, if it isn't Sun Jian little son!" Sun Shang Xiang brow furrowed, Zhang He knew she was going to get mad . . . Oh, please, Lady, not Sun Shang Xiang. I can't be her, it'd kill Sima Yi if she died, and it'd kill Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, and me! Lady, not Sun Shang Xiang. We all love her too much . . .
"Why, you!" Sun Shang Xiang raged, grasping her Chakram until her knuckles turned white. Sima Yi stuck his hands outside the bars as far as he could without anyone noticing. He pulled on her Chakram, and glanced back at him. She let it go carefully, trying not to let Liu Biao see. He saw Sima Yi's lips move near Sun Shang Xiang's ear, but he could not understand what he said. She nodded, slightly, and looking determined.
"What's wrong, you think we made a mistake?" Said Liu Biao, advancing forth, completely oblivious to Sima Yi's plan, whatever it was. He walked up to Sun Shang Xiang, towering above her greatly. She stood, trying mot to appear frightened. "Let's see, short hair, men's clothing, and a headband. Seems to me that's all the stuff that applies to men! I think you're a man under there!" He laughed.
"I'll have you know I'm one of the most feminine people you've ever met! I just don't want to act like it all the time! Now let my friends and father GO!" She yelled. Liu Biao laughed heartily in her face. "Well, I usually give women pleasure before death, but since you aren't really a woman, we'll just have to kill you now. Sun Shang Xiang gave a high-pitched scream as he dove for her, only narrowly escaping his grasp. She scrambled away, but tripped over herself once she got away. Zhang He's heart gave a leap of horror as Liu Biao wrenched her off the ground and lifted her high into the air by her wrist. "We could chop off your, or perhaps pierce you heart? There's also torture, that's one of my favorites." Liu Biao laughed.
Sun Jian was positively writhing beside him. Off in the distance, Sima Yi looked sick.
"But, since its you, I think you ought to watch your father be murdered before it's your time." He said, lowering her back. "HEY! YOU GUYS!" Two men came trotting over. "I got another one to be tied up, but this time, don't gag 'er, I want to hear her scream when her father is killed." Anger burned within Zhang He. If only he hadn't been so careless. Only a few seconds later, Sun Ce and Sun Quan arrived, also bound heavily and yelling for their release.
"You put on hand on Da Qiao, and I swear!! I'll kill you all!" Sun Ce growled.
"Shut up, you!" Liu Biao snarled, kicking Sun Ce hard in the chest. He breathed roughly and gasped, the wind had been knocked out of him.
"Prepare to witness this, pathetic Sun Family, and I destroy you and your allies one by one!" Liu Biao announced grimly, unsheathing a mighty sword from the scabbard at his waist. Zhang he had two or three more quick flashes of the Lady, but they revealed nothing. Liu Biao lifted the silver weapon up above his head and walked over to the wooden platform Sun Jian and Zhang He were seated upon. He ripped the cloth out of Sun Jian's mouth violently.
"Liu Biao! Do what you like with me, but leave me children alone!" Sun Jian croaked angrily.
"Hmmm . . ." Liu Biao said in a mock pondering voice. "No." He finished shortly. Liu Biao seemed placid for a moment, then suddenly thrust his mighty sword into Sun Jian's belly. Sun Jian cried out hoarsely and the entire Sun family wailed as they watched him. Sun Jian gave several short breaths and Liu Biao ripped out the sword roughly. Blood flowed down all over the platform. The moment it touched Zhang He, that horrible icy cold feeling over took him again. He could feel the Lady, but not see her.
"HA HA HA!! How's it feel to die, Tiger of Jiang Dong?" Liu Biao grunted gleefully. Zhang He started breathing hardly and shaking. Sun Jian looked as though he was in absolute pain. He clutched his wound weakly, blood dripping out on his fingers. A mixture of vomit, blood, and froth leaked out of his mouth as his eyes glazed over. Liu Biao kicked him violently in the head and Zhang He heard a sickening crack ring out. Sun Jian fell limp, still bleeding out all over them place.
"POP!!" Sun Ce wept, desperately trying to free himself. Tears flowed freely from his eyes, he didn't seem to care. Sun Quan had fallen to his knees and Sun Shang Xiang was shrieking at the top of her lungs.
"He he he . . ." Liu Biao laughed. "You three are next."