Part Three
Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 41
Left Her Behind
"Oh, Zhang He! You look awful, are you all right?" Were the first words Diao Chan had said once they had gotten back to Sima Hua's home. They had spent all night walking back, in hopes of not wasting anymore time. Xiao Qiao, being the lucky one, got to be carried by Zhou Yu the entire way, due to her injuries. Zhang He was not entirely sure Zhou Yu's injuries were healed, but he did not say anything.
Diao Chan rushed up and smoothed Zhang He's windblown hair.
"I'm okay, Chan, just tired." He said with a sigh as he patted her on the head. Sun Shang Xiang, Zhou Tai, Xiao Qiao, and Zhou Yu trudged in looking miserable and cold, then sighing with relief as they felt the warmth of the house. Sima Yi came gliding over, a half smile on his face.
"Did you do it? Did you get Yu Ji?" He asked, ushering everyone towards the fireplace. Zhang He nodded weakly and dropped down gratefully near the blazing flames.
"Excellent work, I knew you could do it." Said Sima Hua's eccentric voice from the staircase. All eyes went to him. He was holding a heavy ball of crystal in his hands and was barely able to stand up straight.
"Grandfather! What in the world is that?" Sima Yi got up and took the shining orb from him and placing it on a nearby table. Sima Hua teetered down the stairs and regained his balance with difficulty.
"That is a Seeing Glass! It allows me to see anything I want, with the right preparations of course." He said snappishly, grabbing the enormous glowing sphere and removing it to another table, near to where everyone was sitting. "Now . . ." He breathed, eyeing everyone around him. "I will show you how to use Dobutsu magic . . . But first I must see what you spirit beast is. We already know that Zhang He is a Phoenix . . ." He looked at Zhang He. Then his gaze shifted to Sun Ce. "And Sun Ce is a Lion. But Zhou Yu and you, my grandson, remain to be seen. Using this glass, we can discover yours too, but without having to put you in situations of mortal danger or extreme hatred." Everyone nodded and looked expectantly at him.
"I think Zhou Yu should go first." Sima Hua said at length, "I think he will be easier to read." Zhou Yu stepped forward and sat in front of the Seeing Glass.
"Put your hand on top . . ." Sima Hua said softly, looking deeply in the orb. Zhou Yu nodded and carefully placed his hand onto of the translucent ball. Almost immediately after Zhou Yu's hand came in contact with the Seeing Glass its hue changed to a brilliant, teal blue.
"Excellent, excellent . . ." Sima Hua said, half to himself. He gazed into the shiny orb and analyzed it, making small noises every time he found something out. "Alright now, close your eyes and think of something that makes you feel strong emotions." Sima Hua said. After a few seconds the Seeing Glass changed colors from teal to deep blue, swirling with black. "Sorrow . . ." Sima Hua said under his breath, then nodded. He put his hands on either side of the crystal ball and closed his own eyes. "Yes, yes . . . a fearsome disposition, but gentle to your allies, intelligent, good natured . . . Oh, now I see!" Siam Hua took his hands off the glass suddenly and everyone saw with in it a tiny form of an emerald green dragon with a golden moustache and tail. It spouted fire at time and bared its silver talons.
"A dragon? That's my spirit beast?" Zhou Yu sounded breathless.
"Yes, the mightiest of all." Sima Hua was smiling. "Now grandson, you come up here. . ." Zhou Yu stepped off to the side as Sima Yi walked up and stood before Sima Hua. "Do the same thing as he did, boy." Siam Hua said a bit impatiently. Sima Yi put his own hand on the Seeing Glass and it transformed to the same deep blue, but this time it had fragments of gold floating around rapidly instead of swirls of ebony. "Right, yes . . ." Sima Hua said examining it with squinted eyes. He moved in on it and put his hands on the sides once again. "Ahh, I see great sadness and fear in your soul, my grandson, but there is also much hope and devotion to your friends, and much mysteriousness . . . With such a mixture . . ." He removed his thin hands slowly and open his wrinkled eyelids. In the Seeing Glass was a silvery image of a wolf with yellow eyes, against a full, white moon.
"A wolf . . . that's good . . ." Sima Yi said, gazing into the dark crystal.
"Yes, now that we have discovered your spirit beasts, we can begin the ritual . . .Come with me, you four." He said as he led them into a dark, curtained room. Inside a purple hue somehow encircled everything and on a clothed table lay some strange instruments, devices and objects. Sima Hua picked some candles and bowls out of them and took the rest and shoved them off carelessly.
"Kneel in a row along the table." He commanded, barely paying attention to anything besides what he was doing. He arranged one candle and bowl and candle in front of each of them and produced a white pitcher from somewhere near his feet. He shook it a few times and said a prayer below his breath. Then he ritually poured some clear liquid into each of the bowls and lit each of the candles.
"Drink from the bowls and think of the animal . . ." Sima Hua said. Zhang He took the bowl in his hands and closed his eyes. He thought of a flaming red and gold Phoenix as he put the bowl to his lips and drank down the fluid. It turned out to be Sake, wine made from rice. Sima Hua must have purified it. After he'd drunk down the entire bowl, he set it down and waited for everyone else to be done. Sun Ce had finished first, signaling he's finished with a sigh as he slammed it back down on the table. Zhou Yu was sipping his with relish, making no noise at all as he finished. Siam Yi seemed to be having difficulty. The taste obviously made him choke and he had to try a few times before he'd downed the entire bowl.
"Excellent, excellent. Now blow out the candles." Sima Hua ordered softly. Zhang He pursed his lips and blew a jet of air at the flame. It danced for a moment then spontaneously disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Everyone close their eyes again." He said again, this time a little to happily. Zhang He closed him eyes, feeling very vulnerable. All of a sudden he heard a thunk beside and Sun Ce yelling. He opened his eyes just in time to see Siam Hua swinging a black stick of wood with golden characters on it at his head. He had no time to dodge and in seconds he was out cold.
When he awoke, Sima Hua was above him, smiling mildly and nodding. Zhang He rubbed his head as he sat up.
"W-what was that for?" He asked Sima Hua.
"You needed a whack of the spirit stick . . ." He said, as if he just given him a pat on the back. He noticed Sima Yi, Sun Ce, and Zhou Yu were all sitting in dismay, all touching their heads where the had been struck.
"That completes the ritual. Now, you need to learn how to use the power." He said, sitting before them and looking sagely. "The first thing to remember is not to use this power whenever you feel like it. There are two reasons for this. One is that once you are under the influence of Dobutsu you can only control your self limitedly and you cannot return until you are completely exhausted. The second is that each time you use this magic you lose a little bit of your soul. After about seven to ten uses, you will be totally lost, just an empty shell, so use it only when you have to. Now that that's out of the way, I'll tell you how to summon the power." Everyone sat with their breath held, waiting for Sima Hua to begin.
"First, you must be on the battlefield . . ." He started, folding his arms. "There must me battle energy all around you. Then stand very still and force out your own energy. Don't worry, no one will be able to strike you while you power up. Then call out to the beast God of your spirit and beg for a blessing. This should be enough to release the awesome power of Dobutsu . . ." Sima Hua finished.
"That's it? It's as easy as that? No complicated incantation or complex set up?" Sun Ce asked astonished.
"Yes, that's all." Sima Hua said cheerfully, adjusting his hat and walking back into the room where everyone else was sitting. For a moment the four brothers exchanged glances, shrugged, and exited laughing a bit.
The rest of the evening was sharing adventures, telling stories and reminiscing about everything they'd done together. Many a good laugh was had, and a certain nostalgic mood set it, and Zhang He couldn't help feeling the happiest he'd been in a long time as he sat very close to Diao Chan, resting comfortably in a warm house and listening to his very best friends in the world all around him. He clapped and chuckled when Sun Ce began showing off for Da Qiao by trying to catch food in his mouth after he'd thrown it high in the air and failed dismally. Afterwards, Zhou Yu told a very funny story about an extremely strange town he'd visited when he'd been young. Mitsuko expanded on her journeys in Japan, and Gan Ning contented himself by seeing what would happen if you put different sorts of things into the flames. Zhou Tai stood back, but managed to look shallowly pleased.
"When are you going to make me a great-grandfather, Sima Yi?" Sima Hua asked good-naturedly during this elongated conversation. At this, Sima Yi suddenly blushed and performed his high, nervous laugh, scratched the back of his head, and avoided Sun Shang Xiang's gaze. Soon, everyone began to feel sleepy and moved up one by one to the bedrooms. Zhang He and Diao Chan spent another wonderful night together, resting in the warmth and happiness and taking comfort in the fact that tomorrow; they'd begin the journey home.
Nobody felt upset when they finally arrived back at home's doorstep. Zhang He felt complete again as he waved to the messengers in the tower and they let him back into the camp. As he walked through the familiar grounds his officers, like Lu Meng and Xu Huang greeted him, taking a momentary break from their daily activities. Zhang Liao and Sun Quan joined up with them as Mitsuke went to find Kawaii-Sama and Zhou Tai went off the get some rest.
"I trust your journey was a safe one, brother?" Sun Quan asked Sun Ce. Sun Ce smiled a bit and rubbed his stubby little beard. "Well, we were attacked a couple of times by hostile groups of bandits, an evil magician, and a dragon, but I managed to single-handedly save everyone. . ."
"Shut up, Sun Ce! You don't even go on the assassination mission! You just sat around the entire time!" Sun Shang Xiang snarled.
"Well, I did help carry some stuff . . ." Sun Ce grudgingly admitted. Zhang Liao chuckled a bit and shook his head.
"By the way, brother, I wanted to tell you. A strange messenger kept arriving over the while that you were gone. He looked suspicious, so I didn't take his letter. He refused to say who his lord was." Zhang Liao informed Zhang He. Zhang He nodded, storing the thought in the back of his memory; he had better things to do now than worry about strange messengers.
They later met up with Zhen Ji, who was sitting on the bench near the tranquility pond, trying to look as beautiful as possible.
"Welcome back, brave warriors," She said dramatically, standing delicately when she noticed them arrive. "I'm so glad you made it home without injuring yourselves . . ."
"Hello, Zhen Ji." Zhang He said shortly, spying Lu Xun heading straight for him. Once Lu Xun reached him, he received a detailed report of the happenings and going-ons that had occurred in his absence. He was glad to hear that Pang Tong, Ma Chao, and Wei Yan were doing fine in Ru Nan and that the city was not only back to it's previous state, but prospering greatly.
That night Zhang He got to witness the strange letter-nearing man for himself. Some time after dusk her heard the men at the gate squabbling with someone on the other side. Eagar to solve the issue on his own, he stepped forward and asked what was the matter. The watchmen replied that the messenger from before had returned and refused to leave without passing on his message. Zhang He ordered that they lift the gate and when they did he saw a short man clad in shiny black armor, carrying a letter with a red wax seal on it.
"You are the lord of Shi, I presume?" He inquired without any offense at all. Zhang He bowed and said that he was, indeed. The unfamiliar messenger stepped forward and respectfully got down on one knee and offered him the envelope. Zhang He received it with another bow and the man took off without a goodbye of any sort. Staring of tat the man's minimizing form, Zhang He absent-mindedly ripped open the paper and removed the parchment from within. The letter read as follows:
Most honorable lord of Shi, I send to you a warning that twenty-four hours after you receive this letter, I shall enter your base to collect the Lady Diao Chan. If you do not open the gate peaceably, I will charge your base with my entire army. You may argue that she does not belong to me, but in fact she does. Late last spring her father promised her to me, and it has taken me this long to find her again. Once again, you have been warned not to fight back or guard against me.
From the most humble general Lu Bu, Feng Xian, Chief Secretary, General of the Left, Lord of a Capital Precinct, Graceful Lord
Zhang He stared at the letter, his entire body frozen and his mind racing with fear and worry. Lu Bu can't come here . . . Lu Bu can't just waltz in and take his Diao Chan. Zhang He wouldn't allow it! But he couldn't fight against Lu Bu. The man alone would probably destroy his entire force. But there was no way he was giving up Diao Chan . . . He thought about it a long time, staring at the characters on the page, but not really reading them. He couldn't think up a plan or solution, he needed Zhou Yu and Sima Yi. He raced back into the building where his other three brothers and the women were socializing. The second he flustered in he forced the now crinkled paper into Sima Yi's hands, leaving him with an astounded look. Zhang He stared seriously down at him for a few seconds, then Sima Yi unrumpled the paper and read it in a flash.
"Zhang He . . ." He said, not looking up from the paper. "What are you going to do?"
"That's what I need you for, brother. You and Zhou Yu are the smart ones, I beg you to think up a plan for me." Zhang He said in a near monotone voice.
"What's going on?" Sun Shang Xiang asked, sounding a bit more worried as she leaned near Sima Yi to read the letter.
"Read it out loud, Sima Yi." Zhou Yu offered, becoming attentive. Sima Yi dictated the document out loud and Diao Chan grew increasing pale. At the end she was covering her mouth with her fragile little hands and her eyes began to tear up. Zhang He went over to her and put an arm around her shoulders to ensure her comfort. She looked up at him in the way a deer would look up at a hunter with a knife.
"Zhang He . . . Don't let him take me away. . . I don't want to go back to that horrible life." She pleaded in a breathless voice. Zhang He gave her a condoling expression and tightened his grip.
"I won't let anyone hurt you or take you anywhere." He said protectivly.
"That may not be the case. . ." Sima Yi put out carefully. Zhang He shot him a dirty look.
"What?" He asked sharply.
"Well, Lu Bu is a killing machine. His power and strength is renowed. There is no way we could possibly defeat him, coming head on. Since this is the case and he will leave peacefully if we give him Diao Chan, I think this is the best course of action. . ." He ended cautiously.
"So your saying we should just let him have Diao Chan!?" Zhang He nearly screamed, feeling outraged. "Let's just give him Sun Shang Xiang and the Qiao Sisters, while were at it!"
"Calm down, Zhang He!" Zhou Yu said, staring intently off into space. "I believe there's a way of doing this where nobody can get hurt. . ."
"Exactly what I was coming to, Zhou Yu!" Sima Yi said, sounding a bit exasperated. "I suggest we say to Lu Bu that Diao Chan ran away from us months ago and we haven't heard from her since. He stupid enough to believe it, isn't he Diao Chan?" Diao Chan considered for a moment, the worry line between her brow not disappearing.
"I think he just might be, but then his ire is so easily aroused. He may try to kill or kidnap somebody because things aren't turning out the way he wants. He's a very dangerous man, I would never try to push it with him. . ." She said warily, holding onto Zhang He's hand.
"This is risk we're taking then . . ." Zhou Yu said half to himself, still making eye contact with none. "We ought to use extreme caution. . ."
"I propose we keep all the women in a locked room until Lu Bu is gone, for sure. That way, he coulnd't kidnap anyone, then we should have all our officers on alert and dressed in full aromor with their weapons close at hand. If Lu Bu looks like he's going to get angry, we'll retreat and charge him with our armies." Sima Yi said, using his intelligence quickly.
"Good plan . . ." Zhang He lied. He knew it was foolish, but his chest felt heavy and uncertain. He had a bad feeling about trying to decieve someone so mighty as Lu Bu, but he decieded to say nothing about it. This may have been one of the only chances to save his Diao Chan and he wasn't going to take any chances with someone as precious as her.
That night, Zhang He decided it was best for him to sleep next ot Diao Chan, just incase Lu Bu planned on taking a night visit. He put the Metal Talons near the bedside and stayed up nearly all night. Another thing that bothered him was Diao Chan talking in her sleep once again.
"In the ground . . . She's awake . . . in the dark . . .waiting. . .for . . . you . . .She knows . . . coming back . . ." She would say along with some other prhases Zhang He had heard before. When Zhang He finally was able to slip into dreams, they were anything but pleasant. His dreams in the past month or two had been restless and a bit unerving, but rarely was one so clear and coherent as the one he'd expeirenced about the girl talking to the man that looked so much like himself. That is, until this night . . . As Zhang He passed through that stage which is somewhere near sleep and somewhere near conciousness, his mind suddenly developed a sense of crystal clarity that you couldn't help but remember later on.
He saw, once again, that young woman with the ebony hair reaching down to her ankles. Her eyes were in a daze and stared beyond the real world and into your soul. She was very beautiful, but she also had sometime of a frightening supremecy about her. Her black robe was drawn tighty about her and her head would lean a bit forward, giving the appearance she was looking into the ground.
She was running through the same forest, but it was night this time it was night. The darkness enveloped the world around her and she seemed to fleeing in fear. She tripped once into the gloomy ferns of the forest floor and as she touched them they suddenly cruled and blackened, then fell into a pile of ash. She covered her head with her hands and made small cowered noises, the earth and foliage turning black around her body. The tree she leaned upon slowly turned to stone and the dead leaved float down around her. Suddenly footsteps were heard from behind and another figure came into view.
"Sui Ki!" A strong voice yelled. "Sui Ki!! Where are you?" Zhang He saw it was his loo-alike that was calling for Sui Ki, whomever it was. Suddenly, he spotted the girl whimpering by the tree and rushed over to her.
"Ki. . ." He said, removing her hands. "What are you doing out here?" He took her shoulders and brought her up to her feet.
"I . . . got afraid . . . but it followed me." She said, her black eyes shining with highlights. "I hear them outside all the time. They want me to leave . . . The like my sister better. . ."
"Ki . . . don't you worry . . .They're only afraid of your power. They think you might kill them, that's all. Once we're married, I won't let anyone hurt you. Ever." He said reassuringly. She looked up a bit pathetically into his eyes and he gave a feeble smile.
After this the forest scene melted away and Zhang He saw the man again, this time talking another women, who looked unmistakeably like Diao Chan. There was no question, this had to be her. She even had the same hair and voice. Zhang He wondered if he was seeing her past, but he found that she looked the same age as she did presently. He decided to stop thinking for a moment and listen to what they were saying.
"She's getting worse every day. Last night I woke up and she was leaning over me, ready to use her power, I could see the the glow on her skin." He said in a hsed voice to Diao Chan.
"She can't help it. If she doesn't kill and loves too much it hurts her inside. It hurts her to even love, but it's so addicting and wonderful to her she can't help herself, just like if I don't love or heal I'm not myself." Diao Chan said, looking worried. She wore a white robe, identical to Sui Ki's, save the color.
"Sui Ko, I'm worried . . perhaps it would be better for me to leave, for my sake and hers. . ." He said, avoiding her gaze. "I want you to come with me. . ." Diao Chan, or as she was called here, Sui Ko, looked up at him with alarm.
"You want me to come with you and leave my sister all alone?" She asked, a mixture of sorrow and yearn in her voice.
"I can't live with her any longer, she's going to kill me, for sure. I will regret this descion for the rest of my life, I know it, but I'd rather have that than die. Please, Ko. . . I loved you from the start, as well as your sister . . ." Zhang He watched it, not knowing what to think. Just as he began to analyze the scene, aterrible screeching filled his mind. IT's words were so loud that he couldn't register them, all he could do was cringe and put his hands over his ears. This didn't seem to help at all, so Zhang He closed his eyes, and flailed around, trying to wake himself from the horrible dream.
The next thing he knew was that he had infact woken and the bright morning light was glaring through the half open window. His entire body was drenced in sweat and he quickly wiped his brow and sat up. Diao Chan lay sound asleep beside him, no longer uttering the strange words and phrases.
What were these strange dreams? It seemed all of them were connected somehow, like they told a story. But is this just make believe? Thought Zhang He. Perhaps a glimpse from the past? But no, it couldn't be . . . Who are those people? And Diao Chan? What was she doing there? Why did they call her Sui Ko? Zhang He didn't want to think about it now, he needed to get ready for the arrival of Lu Bu this evening. He got out of bed, stretched, and looked around the chamber, noting the still sleeping forms of all three brothers. He poked into the closet and pulled out his seldom used formal attire. Zhang He loved these robes, though he almost never had an occasion to wear them and had no idea where he'd aquired them. They were of royal purple, gold, and a rich scarlet red. They had wide formal shoulders, traditional Chinese frogs down the middle, a front loin, long sleeves reach close to his ankles and large, wide pants with a cape reaching down from the belt. He lay them out on the table and just as he was about to go and wake up Sima Yi, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce, something glinting in the closet caught his eye.
The closet, holding only everyone's formal, war, sleep and regualer robes along with some acessories that one or all of the equiped at one time or another, it was just a small alcove with a dirt floor. No one payed much attention to it and kept it shut all the time, so no one really had time to investigate it. Now that Zhang He saw a glint of gold down in the dirt, he was curious. He got down on his knees and brushed away the many particles of sand around a sharp edge of a golden something poking out of the dirt. After uncovering it, he found it was a shiny golden earring, made of the finest marterilas with jagged desgins with a deeply coloer purple stone rimmed with gold. He unclasped the end and looked ath the point. It was still quite sharp, as he discovered when he poked it with his finger. He found that it matched quite nicely with his formal attire, and for that fact, his war and regualer uniform as well Zhang He had this strange attarction to the color purple and he always strived to wear it. He wouldn't dare tell his brothers though, they'd think he acted like a woman. Suddenly he felt a presence behind him and when he turned his heart gave a leap as he saw Sun Ce craning his neck over Zhang He's shoulder to get a look at the thing in his hands.
"What is that?" Sun Ce asked drowsily.
"It's an earring." Zhang He said a bit quietly, standing up. A puzzled look came over Sun Ce's face.
"Where'd you get it? Your ear's not pierced, is it?" Sun Ce said, looking at Zhang He's ears. Zhang He moved a bit away from him.
"I found it in the closet." He said shortly, examining the pretty piece of jewelry. "It's nice, actually."
"You like it? I'll pierce your ear for you so you can wear. I did it to myself and Zhou Yu, but he didn't wear an earring enough so it closed up." Sun Ce said while yawning.
"Where'd you learn to do that?" Zhang He asked warily, before agreeing to anything 'Sun Ce-ish'.
"Figured it out a while back. It doesn't hurt." Sun Ce said with an all to satanic smile. Zhang He hesitated for a moment, gazing at the expensive- looking earring.
"Are you sure it doesn't hurt?" Zhang He asked gruffly. Sun Ce nodded happily. "Alright, but don't do anything stupid. . . "Zhang He, almost afraid of what would come next. Sun Ce smiled again, rubbing his little beard a bit.
"I'll be right back, don't move." He said walking outside. After a few moments Sun Ce returned holding a lit candle and a needle between his index finger and thumb.
"Where'd you get those?" Zhang He demanded, starting to feeling nervous. "What are you going to do?"
"Girls had them, for sewing." He said setting the candle on the ground. "Sit down and close your eyes."
"Not until you tell what you're going to do." Zhang He said, his eyebrows coming close together with worry.
"Don't mind that . . .," Sun Ce said, sitting near the candle and grabbing the earring from Zhang He's hand. "Just don't go nuts or anything when you feel something. Zhou Yu kicked me right in the gut . . ." He added with bitterness. Zhang He sat down carefully, all the time eyeing the silver needle with nervousness. Sun Ce was about to do something but when he noticed Zhang He was still watching and told him forcibly to shut his eyes. Zhang He felt everything besides safe not seeing what was happening, but he did as he was told. After what seemed like hours Sun Ce finally spoke again.
"Get ready." He said dangerously. Zhang He felt Sun Ce's rough fingers on the back of left ear and braced himself. The next thing he knew a searing pain penetrated through his left ear lobe and his eyes snapped open. He yelled and clawed at his ear, but Sun Ce caught his wrist before he could do anything.
"Calm down!" He scolded. "It'll be over soon." Zhang He winced in pain as he saw Sun Ce pushed the earring into his ear lobe and remove the needle slowly.
"Ow! That hurts!" Zhang He whined, rubbing his tender ear.
"You've taken worse injuries than that!" Sun Ce argued, stabbing the candle with the needle and blowing it out. "Don't take out the earring or it'll close up." He added as he went to give back the candle and needle.
Later on in the day the three brothers went and took a bath in the spring outside of the camp, and then dressed in their formal attire. Sima Yi proudly wore his tall hat with the Sima family crest in it and an outfit somewhat similar to Zhang He's save it was twice as elaborate.
"Where did you get such expensive clothes?" Zhou Yu asked when Sima Yi finally was dressed fully.
"My family is exceedingly rich, though I shall receive none of my father's fortune unless I gain back my father's respect." Sima Yi explained, fixing his hat to be straight.
"Wow, I had no idea." Sun Ce expressed as he played with the golden fixture in his hair. He hated dressing formally and especially hated having his hair in a bun with a golden fixture surrounding it. "Why do we have to dress like this anyway? We should just kill Lu Bu instead. . ." He had said before grudgingly. Zhang He fixed his hair in a bun as well, surrounding the point where it was attached with black cords of silk.
"We should be prepared to do battle." Zhou Yu said. "Carry your weapons with you at all times today." Zhang He found this to be much more of a challenge than he had expected. The Metal Talons were clumsy when it came to everyday activities and he had to resort to taking them off and putting them on perhaps fifty different times in five hours.
When the sun began it's slow descent, Zhang He and the others took Xiao Qiao, Da Qiao, Diao Chan, Zhen Ji, and Sun Shang Xiang (Who had not gone easily) into the storeroom and the doors were locked. Afterwards they saw to it that every officer was equipped with a weapon and dressed in either partial or full armor. Zhang Liao, who also dressed in formal attire for he was the lord's brother, followed the brothers and helped them with the overwhelming task. Finally, as the sun met with the horizon line, Sima Yi, Zhou Yu, Zhang He, Zhang Liao and Sun Ce lined up near the entrance to await Lu Bu. Almost seconds after they readied themselves, the guards at the door shouted down to them and the gate began to rise. Zhang He watched with sick apprehension as the form of the behemoth of a man was slowly revealed. Finally, when the door was up as far as it could go, Lu Bu's remarkable silhouette strode towards the five men. Then, when he came into the light, Zhang He truly beheld his extraordinary outline. There stood before him the vicious, powerful, ruthless and mighty Lu Bu.
Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 41
Left Her Behind
"Oh, Zhang He! You look awful, are you all right?" Were the first words Diao Chan had said once they had gotten back to Sima Hua's home. They had spent all night walking back, in hopes of not wasting anymore time. Xiao Qiao, being the lucky one, got to be carried by Zhou Yu the entire way, due to her injuries. Zhang He was not entirely sure Zhou Yu's injuries were healed, but he did not say anything.
Diao Chan rushed up and smoothed Zhang He's windblown hair.
"I'm okay, Chan, just tired." He said with a sigh as he patted her on the head. Sun Shang Xiang, Zhou Tai, Xiao Qiao, and Zhou Yu trudged in looking miserable and cold, then sighing with relief as they felt the warmth of the house. Sima Yi came gliding over, a half smile on his face.
"Did you do it? Did you get Yu Ji?" He asked, ushering everyone towards the fireplace. Zhang He nodded weakly and dropped down gratefully near the blazing flames.
"Excellent work, I knew you could do it." Said Sima Hua's eccentric voice from the staircase. All eyes went to him. He was holding a heavy ball of crystal in his hands and was barely able to stand up straight.
"Grandfather! What in the world is that?" Sima Yi got up and took the shining orb from him and placing it on a nearby table. Sima Hua teetered down the stairs and regained his balance with difficulty.
"That is a Seeing Glass! It allows me to see anything I want, with the right preparations of course." He said snappishly, grabbing the enormous glowing sphere and removing it to another table, near to where everyone was sitting. "Now . . ." He breathed, eyeing everyone around him. "I will show you how to use Dobutsu magic . . . But first I must see what you spirit beast is. We already know that Zhang He is a Phoenix . . ." He looked at Zhang He. Then his gaze shifted to Sun Ce. "And Sun Ce is a Lion. But Zhou Yu and you, my grandson, remain to be seen. Using this glass, we can discover yours too, but without having to put you in situations of mortal danger or extreme hatred." Everyone nodded and looked expectantly at him.
"I think Zhou Yu should go first." Sima Hua said at length, "I think he will be easier to read." Zhou Yu stepped forward and sat in front of the Seeing Glass.
"Put your hand on top . . ." Sima Hua said softly, looking deeply in the orb. Zhou Yu nodded and carefully placed his hand onto of the translucent ball. Almost immediately after Zhou Yu's hand came in contact with the Seeing Glass its hue changed to a brilliant, teal blue.
"Excellent, excellent . . ." Sima Hua said, half to himself. He gazed into the shiny orb and analyzed it, making small noises every time he found something out. "Alright now, close your eyes and think of something that makes you feel strong emotions." Sima Hua said. After a few seconds the Seeing Glass changed colors from teal to deep blue, swirling with black. "Sorrow . . ." Sima Hua said under his breath, then nodded. He put his hands on either side of the crystal ball and closed his own eyes. "Yes, yes . . . a fearsome disposition, but gentle to your allies, intelligent, good natured . . . Oh, now I see!" Siam Hua took his hands off the glass suddenly and everyone saw with in it a tiny form of an emerald green dragon with a golden moustache and tail. It spouted fire at time and bared its silver talons.
"A dragon? That's my spirit beast?" Zhou Yu sounded breathless.
"Yes, the mightiest of all." Sima Hua was smiling. "Now grandson, you come up here. . ." Zhou Yu stepped off to the side as Sima Yi walked up and stood before Sima Hua. "Do the same thing as he did, boy." Siam Hua said a bit impatiently. Sima Yi put his own hand on the Seeing Glass and it transformed to the same deep blue, but this time it had fragments of gold floating around rapidly instead of swirls of ebony. "Right, yes . . ." Sima Hua said examining it with squinted eyes. He moved in on it and put his hands on the sides once again. "Ahh, I see great sadness and fear in your soul, my grandson, but there is also much hope and devotion to your friends, and much mysteriousness . . . With such a mixture . . ." He removed his thin hands slowly and open his wrinkled eyelids. In the Seeing Glass was a silvery image of a wolf with yellow eyes, against a full, white moon.
"A wolf . . . that's good . . ." Sima Yi said, gazing into the dark crystal.
"Yes, now that we have discovered your spirit beasts, we can begin the ritual . . .Come with me, you four." He said as he led them into a dark, curtained room. Inside a purple hue somehow encircled everything and on a clothed table lay some strange instruments, devices and objects. Sima Hua picked some candles and bowls out of them and took the rest and shoved them off carelessly.
"Kneel in a row along the table." He commanded, barely paying attention to anything besides what he was doing. He arranged one candle and bowl and candle in front of each of them and produced a white pitcher from somewhere near his feet. He shook it a few times and said a prayer below his breath. Then he ritually poured some clear liquid into each of the bowls and lit each of the candles.
"Drink from the bowls and think of the animal . . ." Sima Hua said. Zhang He took the bowl in his hands and closed his eyes. He thought of a flaming red and gold Phoenix as he put the bowl to his lips and drank down the fluid. It turned out to be Sake, wine made from rice. Sima Hua must have purified it. After he'd drunk down the entire bowl, he set it down and waited for everyone else to be done. Sun Ce had finished first, signaling he's finished with a sigh as he slammed it back down on the table. Zhou Yu was sipping his with relish, making no noise at all as he finished. Siam Yi seemed to be having difficulty. The taste obviously made him choke and he had to try a few times before he'd downed the entire bowl.
"Excellent, excellent. Now blow out the candles." Sima Hua ordered softly. Zhang He pursed his lips and blew a jet of air at the flame. It danced for a moment then spontaneously disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Everyone close their eyes again." He said again, this time a little to happily. Zhang He closed him eyes, feeling very vulnerable. All of a sudden he heard a thunk beside and Sun Ce yelling. He opened his eyes just in time to see Siam Hua swinging a black stick of wood with golden characters on it at his head. He had no time to dodge and in seconds he was out cold.
When he awoke, Sima Hua was above him, smiling mildly and nodding. Zhang He rubbed his head as he sat up.
"W-what was that for?" He asked Sima Hua.
"You needed a whack of the spirit stick . . ." He said, as if he just given him a pat on the back. He noticed Sima Yi, Sun Ce, and Zhou Yu were all sitting in dismay, all touching their heads where the had been struck.
"That completes the ritual. Now, you need to learn how to use the power." He said, sitting before them and looking sagely. "The first thing to remember is not to use this power whenever you feel like it. There are two reasons for this. One is that once you are under the influence of Dobutsu you can only control your self limitedly and you cannot return until you are completely exhausted. The second is that each time you use this magic you lose a little bit of your soul. After about seven to ten uses, you will be totally lost, just an empty shell, so use it only when you have to. Now that that's out of the way, I'll tell you how to summon the power." Everyone sat with their breath held, waiting for Sima Hua to begin.
"First, you must be on the battlefield . . ." He started, folding his arms. "There must me battle energy all around you. Then stand very still and force out your own energy. Don't worry, no one will be able to strike you while you power up. Then call out to the beast God of your spirit and beg for a blessing. This should be enough to release the awesome power of Dobutsu . . ." Sima Hua finished.
"That's it? It's as easy as that? No complicated incantation or complex set up?" Sun Ce asked astonished.
"Yes, that's all." Sima Hua said cheerfully, adjusting his hat and walking back into the room where everyone else was sitting. For a moment the four brothers exchanged glances, shrugged, and exited laughing a bit.
The rest of the evening was sharing adventures, telling stories and reminiscing about everything they'd done together. Many a good laugh was had, and a certain nostalgic mood set it, and Zhang He couldn't help feeling the happiest he'd been in a long time as he sat very close to Diao Chan, resting comfortably in a warm house and listening to his very best friends in the world all around him. He clapped and chuckled when Sun Ce began showing off for Da Qiao by trying to catch food in his mouth after he'd thrown it high in the air and failed dismally. Afterwards, Zhou Yu told a very funny story about an extremely strange town he'd visited when he'd been young. Mitsuko expanded on her journeys in Japan, and Gan Ning contented himself by seeing what would happen if you put different sorts of things into the flames. Zhou Tai stood back, but managed to look shallowly pleased.
"When are you going to make me a great-grandfather, Sima Yi?" Sima Hua asked good-naturedly during this elongated conversation. At this, Sima Yi suddenly blushed and performed his high, nervous laugh, scratched the back of his head, and avoided Sun Shang Xiang's gaze. Soon, everyone began to feel sleepy and moved up one by one to the bedrooms. Zhang He and Diao Chan spent another wonderful night together, resting in the warmth and happiness and taking comfort in the fact that tomorrow; they'd begin the journey home.
Nobody felt upset when they finally arrived back at home's doorstep. Zhang He felt complete again as he waved to the messengers in the tower and they let him back into the camp. As he walked through the familiar grounds his officers, like Lu Meng and Xu Huang greeted him, taking a momentary break from their daily activities. Zhang Liao and Sun Quan joined up with them as Mitsuke went to find Kawaii-Sama and Zhou Tai went off the get some rest.
"I trust your journey was a safe one, brother?" Sun Quan asked Sun Ce. Sun Ce smiled a bit and rubbed his stubby little beard. "Well, we were attacked a couple of times by hostile groups of bandits, an evil magician, and a dragon, but I managed to single-handedly save everyone. . ."
"Shut up, Sun Ce! You don't even go on the assassination mission! You just sat around the entire time!" Sun Shang Xiang snarled.
"Well, I did help carry some stuff . . ." Sun Ce grudgingly admitted. Zhang Liao chuckled a bit and shook his head.
"By the way, brother, I wanted to tell you. A strange messenger kept arriving over the while that you were gone. He looked suspicious, so I didn't take his letter. He refused to say who his lord was." Zhang Liao informed Zhang He. Zhang He nodded, storing the thought in the back of his memory; he had better things to do now than worry about strange messengers.
They later met up with Zhen Ji, who was sitting on the bench near the tranquility pond, trying to look as beautiful as possible.
"Welcome back, brave warriors," She said dramatically, standing delicately when she noticed them arrive. "I'm so glad you made it home without injuring yourselves . . ."
"Hello, Zhen Ji." Zhang He said shortly, spying Lu Xun heading straight for him. Once Lu Xun reached him, he received a detailed report of the happenings and going-ons that had occurred in his absence. He was glad to hear that Pang Tong, Ma Chao, and Wei Yan were doing fine in Ru Nan and that the city was not only back to it's previous state, but prospering greatly.
That night Zhang He got to witness the strange letter-nearing man for himself. Some time after dusk her heard the men at the gate squabbling with someone on the other side. Eagar to solve the issue on his own, he stepped forward and asked what was the matter. The watchmen replied that the messenger from before had returned and refused to leave without passing on his message. Zhang He ordered that they lift the gate and when they did he saw a short man clad in shiny black armor, carrying a letter with a red wax seal on it.
"You are the lord of Shi, I presume?" He inquired without any offense at all. Zhang He bowed and said that he was, indeed. The unfamiliar messenger stepped forward and respectfully got down on one knee and offered him the envelope. Zhang He received it with another bow and the man took off without a goodbye of any sort. Staring of tat the man's minimizing form, Zhang He absent-mindedly ripped open the paper and removed the parchment from within. The letter read as follows:
Most honorable lord of Shi, I send to you a warning that twenty-four hours after you receive this letter, I shall enter your base to collect the Lady Diao Chan. If you do not open the gate peaceably, I will charge your base with my entire army. You may argue that she does not belong to me, but in fact she does. Late last spring her father promised her to me, and it has taken me this long to find her again. Once again, you have been warned not to fight back or guard against me.
From the most humble general Lu Bu, Feng Xian, Chief Secretary, General of the Left, Lord of a Capital Precinct, Graceful Lord
Zhang He stared at the letter, his entire body frozen and his mind racing with fear and worry. Lu Bu can't come here . . . Lu Bu can't just waltz in and take his Diao Chan. Zhang He wouldn't allow it! But he couldn't fight against Lu Bu. The man alone would probably destroy his entire force. But there was no way he was giving up Diao Chan . . . He thought about it a long time, staring at the characters on the page, but not really reading them. He couldn't think up a plan or solution, he needed Zhou Yu and Sima Yi. He raced back into the building where his other three brothers and the women were socializing. The second he flustered in he forced the now crinkled paper into Sima Yi's hands, leaving him with an astounded look. Zhang He stared seriously down at him for a few seconds, then Sima Yi unrumpled the paper and read it in a flash.
"Zhang He . . ." He said, not looking up from the paper. "What are you going to do?"
"That's what I need you for, brother. You and Zhou Yu are the smart ones, I beg you to think up a plan for me." Zhang He said in a near monotone voice.
"What's going on?" Sun Shang Xiang asked, sounding a bit more worried as she leaned near Sima Yi to read the letter.
"Read it out loud, Sima Yi." Zhou Yu offered, becoming attentive. Sima Yi dictated the document out loud and Diao Chan grew increasing pale. At the end she was covering her mouth with her fragile little hands and her eyes began to tear up. Zhang He went over to her and put an arm around her shoulders to ensure her comfort. She looked up at him in the way a deer would look up at a hunter with a knife.
"Zhang He . . . Don't let him take me away. . . I don't want to go back to that horrible life." She pleaded in a breathless voice. Zhang He gave her a condoling expression and tightened his grip.
"I won't let anyone hurt you or take you anywhere." He said protectivly.
"That may not be the case. . ." Sima Yi put out carefully. Zhang He shot him a dirty look.
"What?" He asked sharply.
"Well, Lu Bu is a killing machine. His power and strength is renowed. There is no way we could possibly defeat him, coming head on. Since this is the case and he will leave peacefully if we give him Diao Chan, I think this is the best course of action. . ." He ended cautiously.
"So your saying we should just let him have Diao Chan!?" Zhang He nearly screamed, feeling outraged. "Let's just give him Sun Shang Xiang and the Qiao Sisters, while were at it!"
"Calm down, Zhang He!" Zhou Yu said, staring intently off into space. "I believe there's a way of doing this where nobody can get hurt. . ."
"Exactly what I was coming to, Zhou Yu!" Sima Yi said, sounding a bit exasperated. "I suggest we say to Lu Bu that Diao Chan ran away from us months ago and we haven't heard from her since. He stupid enough to believe it, isn't he Diao Chan?" Diao Chan considered for a moment, the worry line between her brow not disappearing.
"I think he just might be, but then his ire is so easily aroused. He may try to kill or kidnap somebody because things aren't turning out the way he wants. He's a very dangerous man, I would never try to push it with him. . ." She said warily, holding onto Zhang He's hand.
"This is risk we're taking then . . ." Zhou Yu said half to himself, still making eye contact with none. "We ought to use extreme caution. . ."
"I propose we keep all the women in a locked room until Lu Bu is gone, for sure. That way, he coulnd't kidnap anyone, then we should have all our officers on alert and dressed in full aromor with their weapons close at hand. If Lu Bu looks like he's going to get angry, we'll retreat and charge him with our armies." Sima Yi said, using his intelligence quickly.
"Good plan . . ." Zhang He lied. He knew it was foolish, but his chest felt heavy and uncertain. He had a bad feeling about trying to decieve someone so mighty as Lu Bu, but he decieded to say nothing about it. This may have been one of the only chances to save his Diao Chan and he wasn't going to take any chances with someone as precious as her.
That night, Zhang He decided it was best for him to sleep next ot Diao Chan, just incase Lu Bu planned on taking a night visit. He put the Metal Talons near the bedside and stayed up nearly all night. Another thing that bothered him was Diao Chan talking in her sleep once again.
"In the ground . . . She's awake . . . in the dark . . .waiting. . .for . . . you . . .She knows . . . coming back . . ." She would say along with some other prhases Zhang He had heard before. When Zhang He finally was able to slip into dreams, they were anything but pleasant. His dreams in the past month or two had been restless and a bit unerving, but rarely was one so clear and coherent as the one he'd expeirenced about the girl talking to the man that looked so much like himself. That is, until this night . . . As Zhang He passed through that stage which is somewhere near sleep and somewhere near conciousness, his mind suddenly developed a sense of crystal clarity that you couldn't help but remember later on.
He saw, once again, that young woman with the ebony hair reaching down to her ankles. Her eyes were in a daze and stared beyond the real world and into your soul. She was very beautiful, but she also had sometime of a frightening supremecy about her. Her black robe was drawn tighty about her and her head would lean a bit forward, giving the appearance she was looking into the ground.
She was running through the same forest, but it was night this time it was night. The darkness enveloped the world around her and she seemed to fleeing in fear. She tripped once into the gloomy ferns of the forest floor and as she touched them they suddenly cruled and blackened, then fell into a pile of ash. She covered her head with her hands and made small cowered noises, the earth and foliage turning black around her body. The tree she leaned upon slowly turned to stone and the dead leaved float down around her. Suddenly footsteps were heard from behind and another figure came into view.
"Sui Ki!" A strong voice yelled. "Sui Ki!! Where are you?" Zhang He saw it was his loo-alike that was calling for Sui Ki, whomever it was. Suddenly, he spotted the girl whimpering by the tree and rushed over to her.
"Ki. . ." He said, removing her hands. "What are you doing out here?" He took her shoulders and brought her up to her feet.
"I . . . got afraid . . . but it followed me." She said, her black eyes shining with highlights. "I hear them outside all the time. They want me to leave . . . The like my sister better. . ."
"Ki . . . don't you worry . . .They're only afraid of your power. They think you might kill them, that's all. Once we're married, I won't let anyone hurt you. Ever." He said reassuringly. She looked up a bit pathetically into his eyes and he gave a feeble smile.
After this the forest scene melted away and Zhang He saw the man again, this time talking another women, who looked unmistakeably like Diao Chan. There was no question, this had to be her. She even had the same hair and voice. Zhang He wondered if he was seeing her past, but he found that she looked the same age as she did presently. He decided to stop thinking for a moment and listen to what they were saying.
"She's getting worse every day. Last night I woke up and she was leaning over me, ready to use her power, I could see the the glow on her skin." He said in a hsed voice to Diao Chan.
"She can't help it. If she doesn't kill and loves too much it hurts her inside. It hurts her to even love, but it's so addicting and wonderful to her she can't help herself, just like if I don't love or heal I'm not myself." Diao Chan said, looking worried. She wore a white robe, identical to Sui Ki's, save the color.
"Sui Ko, I'm worried . . perhaps it would be better for me to leave, for my sake and hers. . ." He said, avoiding her gaze. "I want you to come with me. . ." Diao Chan, or as she was called here, Sui Ko, looked up at him with alarm.
"You want me to come with you and leave my sister all alone?" She asked, a mixture of sorrow and yearn in her voice.
"I can't live with her any longer, she's going to kill me, for sure. I will regret this descion for the rest of my life, I know it, but I'd rather have that than die. Please, Ko. . . I loved you from the start, as well as your sister . . ." Zhang He watched it, not knowing what to think. Just as he began to analyze the scene, aterrible screeching filled his mind. IT's words were so loud that he couldn't register them, all he could do was cringe and put his hands over his ears. This didn't seem to help at all, so Zhang He closed his eyes, and flailed around, trying to wake himself from the horrible dream.
The next thing he knew was that he had infact woken and the bright morning light was glaring through the half open window. His entire body was drenced in sweat and he quickly wiped his brow and sat up. Diao Chan lay sound asleep beside him, no longer uttering the strange words and phrases.
What were these strange dreams? It seemed all of them were connected somehow, like they told a story. But is this just make believe? Thought Zhang He. Perhaps a glimpse from the past? But no, it couldn't be . . . Who are those people? And Diao Chan? What was she doing there? Why did they call her Sui Ko? Zhang He didn't want to think about it now, he needed to get ready for the arrival of Lu Bu this evening. He got out of bed, stretched, and looked around the chamber, noting the still sleeping forms of all three brothers. He poked into the closet and pulled out his seldom used formal attire. Zhang He loved these robes, though he almost never had an occasion to wear them and had no idea where he'd aquired them. They were of royal purple, gold, and a rich scarlet red. They had wide formal shoulders, traditional Chinese frogs down the middle, a front loin, long sleeves reach close to his ankles and large, wide pants with a cape reaching down from the belt. He lay them out on the table and just as he was about to go and wake up Sima Yi, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce, something glinting in the closet caught his eye.
The closet, holding only everyone's formal, war, sleep and regualer robes along with some acessories that one or all of the equiped at one time or another, it was just a small alcove with a dirt floor. No one payed much attention to it and kept it shut all the time, so no one really had time to investigate it. Now that Zhang He saw a glint of gold down in the dirt, he was curious. He got down on his knees and brushed away the many particles of sand around a sharp edge of a golden something poking out of the dirt. After uncovering it, he found it was a shiny golden earring, made of the finest marterilas with jagged desgins with a deeply coloer purple stone rimmed with gold. He unclasped the end and looked ath the point. It was still quite sharp, as he discovered when he poked it with his finger. He found that it matched quite nicely with his formal attire, and for that fact, his war and regualer uniform as well Zhang He had this strange attarction to the color purple and he always strived to wear it. He wouldn't dare tell his brothers though, they'd think he acted like a woman. Suddenly he felt a presence behind him and when he turned his heart gave a leap as he saw Sun Ce craning his neck over Zhang He's shoulder to get a look at the thing in his hands.
"What is that?" Sun Ce asked drowsily.
"It's an earring." Zhang He said a bit quietly, standing up. A puzzled look came over Sun Ce's face.
"Where'd you get it? Your ear's not pierced, is it?" Sun Ce said, looking at Zhang He's ears. Zhang He moved a bit away from him.
"I found it in the closet." He said shortly, examining the pretty piece of jewelry. "It's nice, actually."
"You like it? I'll pierce your ear for you so you can wear. I did it to myself and Zhou Yu, but he didn't wear an earring enough so it closed up." Sun Ce said while yawning.
"Where'd you learn to do that?" Zhang He asked warily, before agreeing to anything 'Sun Ce-ish'.
"Figured it out a while back. It doesn't hurt." Sun Ce said with an all to satanic smile. Zhang He hesitated for a moment, gazing at the expensive- looking earring.
"Are you sure it doesn't hurt?" Zhang He asked gruffly. Sun Ce nodded happily. "Alright, but don't do anything stupid. . . "Zhang He, almost afraid of what would come next. Sun Ce smiled again, rubbing his little beard a bit.
"I'll be right back, don't move." He said walking outside. After a few moments Sun Ce returned holding a lit candle and a needle between his index finger and thumb.
"Where'd you get those?" Zhang He demanded, starting to feeling nervous. "What are you going to do?"
"Girls had them, for sewing." He said setting the candle on the ground. "Sit down and close your eyes."
"Not until you tell what you're going to do." Zhang He said, his eyebrows coming close together with worry.
"Don't mind that . . .," Sun Ce said, sitting near the candle and grabbing the earring from Zhang He's hand. "Just don't go nuts or anything when you feel something. Zhou Yu kicked me right in the gut . . ." He added with bitterness. Zhang He sat down carefully, all the time eyeing the silver needle with nervousness. Sun Ce was about to do something but when he noticed Zhang He was still watching and told him forcibly to shut his eyes. Zhang He felt everything besides safe not seeing what was happening, but he did as he was told. After what seemed like hours Sun Ce finally spoke again.
"Get ready." He said dangerously. Zhang He felt Sun Ce's rough fingers on the back of left ear and braced himself. The next thing he knew a searing pain penetrated through his left ear lobe and his eyes snapped open. He yelled and clawed at his ear, but Sun Ce caught his wrist before he could do anything.
"Calm down!" He scolded. "It'll be over soon." Zhang He winced in pain as he saw Sun Ce pushed the earring into his ear lobe and remove the needle slowly.
"Ow! That hurts!" Zhang He whined, rubbing his tender ear.
"You've taken worse injuries than that!" Sun Ce argued, stabbing the candle with the needle and blowing it out. "Don't take out the earring or it'll close up." He added as he went to give back the candle and needle.
Later on in the day the three brothers went and took a bath in the spring outside of the camp, and then dressed in their formal attire. Sima Yi proudly wore his tall hat with the Sima family crest in it and an outfit somewhat similar to Zhang He's save it was twice as elaborate.
"Where did you get such expensive clothes?" Zhou Yu asked when Sima Yi finally was dressed fully.
"My family is exceedingly rich, though I shall receive none of my father's fortune unless I gain back my father's respect." Sima Yi explained, fixing his hat to be straight.
"Wow, I had no idea." Sun Ce expressed as he played with the golden fixture in his hair. He hated dressing formally and especially hated having his hair in a bun with a golden fixture surrounding it. "Why do we have to dress like this anyway? We should just kill Lu Bu instead. . ." He had said before grudgingly. Zhang He fixed his hair in a bun as well, surrounding the point where it was attached with black cords of silk.
"We should be prepared to do battle." Zhou Yu said. "Carry your weapons with you at all times today." Zhang He found this to be much more of a challenge than he had expected. The Metal Talons were clumsy when it came to everyday activities and he had to resort to taking them off and putting them on perhaps fifty different times in five hours.
When the sun began it's slow descent, Zhang He and the others took Xiao Qiao, Da Qiao, Diao Chan, Zhen Ji, and Sun Shang Xiang (Who had not gone easily) into the storeroom and the doors were locked. Afterwards they saw to it that every officer was equipped with a weapon and dressed in either partial or full armor. Zhang Liao, who also dressed in formal attire for he was the lord's brother, followed the brothers and helped them with the overwhelming task. Finally, as the sun met with the horizon line, Sima Yi, Zhou Yu, Zhang He, Zhang Liao and Sun Ce lined up near the entrance to await Lu Bu. Almost seconds after they readied themselves, the guards at the door shouted down to them and the gate began to rise. Zhang He watched with sick apprehension as the form of the behemoth of a man was slowly revealed. Finally, when the door was up as far as it could go, Lu Bu's remarkable silhouette strode towards the five men. Then, when he came into the light, Zhang He truly beheld his extraordinary outline. There stood before him the vicious, powerful, ruthless and mighty Lu Bu.