The Empire Long United
Chapter 3
Betrayal: The retreat east
'Uncle, Ji Jia's army is closing in. If we don't do something, he'll conquer all of China! Please uncle, help me.' Liu Fan said. 'I am always grateful to my late brother for giving me this position. How could I refuse to assist my nephew? The armies of Jing are at your command my Emperor.' Liu Xiong said. A soldier ran into the room. 'Sir! Ji Jia's army is approaching!' Liu Fan rose. 'We can't wait for Zima Hui and Xiahou Mei to return. Mobilize the armies!'
Liu Huang swung his sword, cutting one of the training dummies in half. 'Damn that cousin of mine! I should be emperor, not a snivelling little brat like him!' He said. He swung his sword again, taking the head off another dummy. He continued until all the training dummies were destroyed. Panting, Liu Huang swore again. 'I should kill him and take my rightful place on the throne!' He heard a voice speak to him. 'You would kill your own flesh and blood in order to achieve what you want?' Liu Huang looked up from the ground to see a robed figure. 'Who the hell are you?' He said. 'You wish to kill the emperor and take the throne. You are a would be usurper.' The robed man said. 'Shut up!' Liu Huang swung his sword, and the man blocked it with his bare hand. 'My master could use one with your zeal and enthusiasm. My offer is as stands. Betray your cousin, fight for our side, and you shall be rewarded with what you seek most.' An insane grin spread across Liu Huang's face. 'I shall do it!'
'My lord, are you sure it was wise to send Zima Qi to take Jing? That's where Shu's main army is situated there since there defeat several days ago.' Ji Jia heard this and laughed. 'I don't really care what happens to Zima Qi. I merely sent him there as an experiment.' Ji Jia pulled Dark Wolf out of its sheath. 'This sword has the ability to resurrect souls it takes and enslave them to the bearer's will. However, I am not sure if it puts a complete block on the memories the soul once had. If there is still something in the world that will remind the soul of it's past, the soul will break free of its slavery. That is what I think anyway. If I am right, them Zima Qi will defect to Shu. If I am wrong, then Shu will receive another beating. Either way is fine with me.' Ji Jia said.
Son Kai watched Ji Jia's army approach. 'Something isn't right.' He said. 'Their formation. It's familiar yet foreign to me at the same time.' Huan Jian stood next to him. 'I know. I just can't remember the name.' Zhen Gong shook her head. 'The formation is called Eight Gates to Impregnable positions. It's not the formation we should be worried about though. It's who's leading them we should be scared of.' She said. Son Kai and Huan Jian looked at the leader. 'Zima Qi!' Huan Jian said, shock apparent in his voice. 'Yes. It seems that he's a traitor to the emperor and his family.' Zhen Gong said. 'But that's impossible. Zima Hui said Zima Qi was killed. Zima Hui even took Geomancer.' Son Kai said. 'I don't know what to believe, only that he's an enemy now.' Zhen Gong said. She walked away from them and headed to the stables. 'Zima Qi. Whatever's made you switch sides, you'll pay for betraying us.' She thought. 'Arm yourselves my men! We are going into battle!'
Zima Qi looked at Xiang Yang's formidable walls rising infront of him. 'These weaklings of Shu. I shall end them for Master Ji Jia's glory.' He said. He saw the gate open and an army charge out. 'General! Prepare for your death!' Zima Qi yelled out, swinging Geomancer above his head. 'Zima Qi! What made you betray Liu Fan? Have you no honor!' Zhen Gong yelled out. 'I don't know how you know me, but I shall end you life!' He said. 'He's forgotten? He doesn't know who I am?' She shook her head. 'Can't think about that right now. I have to stop that formation of his!' She scanned how Zima Qi had his troops set up. 'Eight Gates to Impregnable positions has eight points of entry: Survive, Desist, Confound, Perish, Injure, Surprise, Liberate, and Exhibit. If I enter through Survive, Exhibit, or Liberate, I'll win. If I enter through Injure, Surprise, or Desist, I'll lose most of my men. If I enter through Confound or Perish, I'm doomed.' She quickly scanned their formation and found what she was looking for. 'There it is! The Survive gate! Time to scatter them!' She lifted her sword into the air. 'All men charge!' Zhen Gong's unit charged for the point she was aiming for, when the enemy shifted formation! 'No! The Desist gate!' Entering the wrong point, a long, bloody battle insured. Zhen Gong dropped her normal sword and pulled a different sword off of her back. 'OK Viper blade, let's see what you've got.' Zhen Gong pressed a button on the hilt of the sword, and the blade shot out on a chain, flying into the back of an opposing soldier. She pressed the button again, and the blade retracted. 'Nice.' She commented. Zhen Gong suddenly felt pain erupt on her left side and she went flying from her horse. She landed or her arm, which broke with a sickening crack. She let out a scream of pain, and several Shu soldiers surrounded her. 'We won't let them get to you Lady Zhen. They shall not pass so long as we draw breath!' One of them said. Zhen Gong gripped her arm, trying not to show she was hurt. She looked up and saw Zima Qi approaching. The soldiers surrounding her drew their swords. 'Lord Zima Qi! We can't allow you to harm Lady Zhen!' A soldier said. Zima Qi hefted Geomancer and swatted the soldiers away. Zhen Gong was still on the ground when Zima Qi walked up to her. Zima Qi kneeled down and lifted her chin so she was looking directly into his eyes. 'A shame that one as beautiful as you must die here.' He stood back up and took out the hidden sword in Geomancer's handle. 'Good bye.' He said. He pulled the sword back, in preparation to stab, but found himself unable to bring the sword down. 'Why can't I do it? I don't know her, and she's of no use to me. Why?' Time suddenly seemed to freeze for him, as images shot through his mind. He saw two people fighting, one of them wielding a large war hammer, and the other with a normal sword. 'That's the woman I'm fighting now!' Zima Qi thought with a start. He squinted his eyes, trying to see who her opponent was. The two stopped fighting long enough for him to see her opponent. It was himself that he saw.
Zhen Gong looked up at Zima Qi from the ground. 'He looks like he zoned out. Did he forget that he's about to kill me?' Zima Qi suddenly dropped his sword and grabbed his head. He began to yell. 'Get out of my head!' He fell to his knees and then to the ground. He didn't look up and stopped moving. 'Is he dead?' She thought. She heard him breathing heavily and very slowly. 'He passed out? What's going on with him?' She looked around and noticed a few Shu soldiers forming a circle around her and the opposing Song army surrounding them. 'Damn. I guess this is where I die after all.' She thought silently, he gaze going downwards. She faintly heard the sound of hoof beats and looked up. 'Zhen Gong! We have come to your rescue!' An army flying the banners of Liu Xiong charged the Song army from behind. 'The formation cannot hold when attacked from the correct gate!' Liu Xiong said, stabbing his spear into an unfortunate Song soldier. The Song warriors began to disperse when another body of soldiers attacked. 'Starting the festivities off without me? How mean of you Zhen Gong!' Zhen Gong shook her head. 'Zima Hui. Late as usual.' The Song army slowly dissipated, and many were captured. Zima Hui rode up and pulled a spare horse up. 'Come on. We're escaping.' Zhen Gong got up, but cringed as pain shot through her arm. 'What happened?' Zima Hui asked. Zima Hui looked past Zhen Gong and saw the unconscious Zima Qi. His eyes went wide. 'Impossible!' He said, his voice a barely audible whisper. Zhen Gong walked towards Zima Qi and tried to pick up his body. 'What are you doing? Your arm's broken!' Zima Hui said. Zhen Gong grunted. 'Whether he's real or not, he's an enemy, and if we capture him we may get some valuable information out of him.' Zhen Gong said. Zima Hui laughed. 'That iron determination and unstoppable independence. I guess that's what my cousin liked about you.' Zhen Gong glared at him. Still trying to lift Zima Qi's body onto the horse, Zhen Gong stifled a scream. 'It's too hard. I can't lift him with this arm.' She thought. Zima Qi's body was suddenly lifted up, and she saw Zima Hui helping her. 'We have to get back. I'm sure everyone's worried.' He said. Zhen Gong nodded. 'Zima Qi's little cousin is growing up.' She thought with a laugh.
All Zima Qi could see was darkness. 'This must be death.' He thought. 'This is not death.' A voice said. Zima Qi turned and saw himself. 'You're me.' He said. 'And you're also me. I am you and you am I.' The other said. 'But how is this possible?' Zima Qi asked. 'It is hard to explain. However, I am here to set things as they were once.' It said Zima Qi shook his head. ' What do you mean?' He asked. 'What Ji Jia told you was a lie. You may not acknowledge it out loud, but a part of your mind was telling you that it couldn't be reality.' He said. 'But if that isn't true, then what is? Who am I really? I can't remember.' Zima Qi asked. 'I cannot answer that you must look inside yourself. The one you fought on the battlefield will be the key to you remembering your life.' Zima Qi's mirror image faded, and he was again plummeted into darkness. Images suddenly bombarded his vision. He saw four children running in a field. 'Who are they?' He watched the youngest of them, a little boy, struggling to keep up. 'Wait for me you guys!' The little boy tripped, fell down and began to cry. 'You bunch of losers!' He screamed between sobs. The other three children stopped running, and the oldest one slowly walked back. 'Get up you big baby. What would ancestor Shi say if he saw you crying because you fell down?' The younger one stopped crying and stood up. 'Humph. I'll show you!' The younger one jumped up and began to run. 'Catch me if you can!' The older boy shook his head then began to run after him. The other two, both of them girls, just giggled. 'Zima Hui is so predictable.' One of them said. 'Yeah. And your cousin Zima Qi knows how to lead him around.' Zima Qi looked shocked. 'Is that kid me?'
Zima Qi shot up panting heavily. 'Only a dream. But those images. Could they be real?' He calmed down and slowly looked around. He was in a bed, and next to it, sat a young woman. 'She's one of the ones from my dream.' He thought. The door to the room slid open, and someone walked in. 'You. I've seen you somewhere before.' Zima Qi said. 'Then what Zhen Gong said is true. You have forgotten everything.' Zima Hui said. 'I guess so.' Zima Qi said. 'Tell me what you do remember.' Zima Qi said. 'All I remember is that I woke up ten days ago, was told that I was a general in Ji Jia's army, and that I was suffering from memory loss. Though if my dreams are any indication, that was all a lie.' Zima Qi said. 'So you are our cousin.' Zima Xue said, waking up. 'So you finally decided to wake up Xue.' Zima Hui said. 'Where's that woman I fought. I need to know.' Zima Qi said. 'Zhen Gong? She's till in the infirmary. You did break her arm' Zima Xue said. 'Where's the infirmary?' Zima Qi asked. 'Her room is two doors to the left.' Zima Hui said. Zima Qi stood up carefully and walked out of the room. 'Even though he lost his memory, something tells me that his love for her still shines through.' Zima Xue said.
Zima Qi walked into the room only to receiver a glare from Zhen Gong. Her arm was bandaged, and she couldn't move. 'Come to kill me?' She asked. 'No. Come to see how you were doing.' Zima Qi said, sitting down in a chair next to her bed. 'Why would you care? You can't even remember your own cousin's name.' Zhen Gong snapped. 'I may be a stranger to the memories I once had, but I know this much. This is where I belong, and not with Ji Jia. The few memories I've recovered tell me that much.' Zima Qi said. 'And one of those memories' Zima Qi said, bending closer to her 'involved you.' He moved closer and pulled her into a kiss. Zhen Gong's eyes widened in shock. Zima Qi broke the kiss and grinned. 'Does that prove where my loyalties lie?' He asked. Zhen Gong's eyes welled up, and tears began to flow. She pulled Zima Qi into a hug with her good arm. 'You big dope.' She said. Zima Qi just laughed quietly.
Li Guo stood at the city gate, waiting for his shift to be over. 'Just how I like night duty. Rainy.' Li Guo thought sarcastically. 'Cai Liang should've been here by now.' He muttered. 'I'll relieve you of your guard.' A voice said. Li Guo turned and saw Liu Huang. 'Master Liu, you have never volunteered for guard duty before. What's with the sudden change of heart?' Li Guo asked. 'I simply wish to improve my standings with my father.' Liu Huang lied. Li Guo looked as though he suspected something, but nodded. 'All right then. Your duty should end at midnight.' Li Guo walked off. Liu Huang grinned and laughed to himself. 'Fool.' Liu Huang lowered the gate to see an army waiting. 'The city is yours.' He said to the army commander. 'Raze the city. Kill any Shu soldiers.' The commander said. Within moments, several houses were ignited and, despite the rain, had begun to spread. 'The enemy has entered Xiang Yang!' The Shu and Jing soldiers all woke with a start and began arming themselves in preparation for battle. They didn't notice, however, the dark form as it shot past them.
Son Kai fought his way through a group of Song soldiers and found Huan Jian. 'We have to get to the emperor's chambers!' Huan Jian nodded. 'We have to hurry! With this number of troops, they will get to lord Liu Fan before us!' Son Kai thrust his spear into a Song soldier, blood spraying out onto him. 'Let's go!' A dark shape shot past them. 'An assassin! We have to get to Liu Fan before they do!' They ran around a corner and into another group of Song soldiers. 'Damn! We've got to go through them!' Huan Jian said. 'Preferably before that assassin gets to the Emperor.'
'Liu Fan sat in a corner, several Song soldiers surrounding him. 'Remember what Lord Ji Jia said! The one to bring Liu Fan's head gets a hill of gold!' One of them said. The soldiers pulled out their swords. Suddenly, one of them fell down dead, a chained scythe stuck in his neck. The scythe was pulled out and flew into someone's hands. The soldiers turned and saw someone in a black ninja gi. 'An assassin! Kill him!' The leader said, Liu Fan quickly forgotten. The assassin held the scythe in one hand and swung the chain in the other hand. The first soldier charged, and the assassin side-stepped and stabbed the soldier with the scythe. Another charged, and the assassin threw the weighted end of the chain at the soldier. The chain wrapped around the soldier's sword. The soldier looked at the chain and saw a small capsule on the end. 'What the?' He said. The capsule exploded, causing a blinding flash. Liu Fan shielded his eyes, and when the flash cleared, he saw the assassin had killed all the soldiers. Liu Fan finally got a good look at the assassin and realized that whoever it was, they were his size. The assassin walked towards Liu Fan and grabbed his wrist. 'Come on. We're getting out of here.' The assassin said. 'You aren't going to kill me?' Liu Fan asked. 'Please. I've been sent to save you.' The assassin pulled Liu Fan through the burning palace until they found their way out. 'There's got to be a quick way out of the city.' The assassin said. Soldiers were fighting in the streets and Liu Fan quickly spotted Zima Hui and Zima Xue battling Song soldiers. 'Zima Hui!' Liu Fan called out. The assassin sighed. 'Thanks a lot. Now every enemy in Xiang Yang knows you're here.' Zima Hui saw Liu Fan and ran towards him. 'Liu Fan! Are you alright my emperor? Has this devil injured you?' Zima Hui said, looking at the assassin. 'No. This warrior is the only reason I'm still alive. We have to escape Xiang Yang. Liu Huang has betrayed us and has killed Liu Xiong. Jing is no longer safe. We have to retreat somewhere else.' Zima Hui said. Suddenly, a new group of Song soldiers appeared. 'My emperor, you must escape.' Liu Fan shook his head. 'Not without you and the other generals.' Zima Hui lifted Geomancer and laughed. 'Don't worry about me my emperor. You must escape now.' The assassin nodded. 'Head east to Jian Ye. You will be safe there. Spread the message around!' The assassin said. 'Good luck.' The assassin grabbed horse and shoved the emperor up. 'Retreat to Jian Ye! Retreat to Jian Ye!' Echoed around the city. Out of the city's southern gate shot a single horse, with Liu Fan and the assassin.
Liu Fan jumped off the horse and sat down. 'We'll break here for awhile.' The assassin sat down next to Liu Fan and pulled out some food. 'Who are you? Really? And how much longer are you going to keep that ghoulish mask on?' Liu Fan asked. 'You'll find out once we get to Jian Ye.' The assassin said. Suddenly, Liu Fan jumped up and pinned the assassin to the ground. 'No! I'll find out now!' Liu Fan pulled the assassin's mask and was shocked to see 'You're a girl?' Liu Fan said. She had shoulder length brown hair and had light blue eyes. 'Would you stop gawking and get off me?' She said. Liu Fan nodded, and stood up. 'So what's your name?' He asked. 'I'm Yue Mei. And don't think that just because you're the emperor that I'm going to throw myself at your feet and worship you like you're a god.' She said. 'I didn't expect you to.' Liu Fan replied. 'Whatever. Come on. We have to get going or Ji Jia will catch up to us.' Yue Mei said. Liu Fan looked back at the direction that they had fled. 'My generals. My people. Please make it through this.'
Because I forgot to do one last chapter, you get three character bios this chapter.
Character Bios
Name: Zima Hui Gender: Male Age: 18 Eye Color: Brown Clothes: A set of Roman armor Headwear: None Face: None Hair: Short brown Weapon: Yin (One of Zima Shi's broad swords) Position: Director General Descent from: Zima Shi and Son Mia Bio: The son of Zima Kuai and younger brother to Zima Xue, Zima Hui has always yearned to prove himself in battle. He's always wanted to be able to beat his cousin, Zima Qi, at something. However, with Zima Qi's death, he is aiming to avenge his cousin and end Ji Jia's life.
Name: Zima Xue Gender: Female Age: 20 Eye Color: Brown Clothes: A dark green qipao Headwear: none Face: lipstick Hair: Long brown Weapon: Yang (One of Zima Shi's broad swords) Position: Emperor's Chief advisor Descent from: Zima Shi and Son Mia Bio: The daughter of Zima Kuai and older sister to Zima Hui, Zima Xue is less battle hungry then her brother. Zima Xue inherited her position from her father when he died, and has always acted like an older sister and sometimes, even as a mother to the young emperor. With Ji Jia's rebellion, she now has to be there for the emperor more then ever.
Name: Zima Qi Gender: Male Age: 24 Eye Color: Red Clothes: Black armor Headwear: none Face: a scar down the left side of his face Hair: long brown Weapon: Geomancer (A hammer with a sword hidden in the hilt) Position: Commander Of Shu's main Army Descent from: Zima Shao and Kai Mei Bio: The only child of Zima Yue, he is Zima Hui and Zima Xue's cousin. Out of the three Zimas, he is the strongest warrior. When Ji Jia killed him, Dark Wolf enslaved his soul, and Zima Qi was resurrected, though without the memories of his previous life.
'Uncle, Ji Jia's army is closing in. If we don't do something, he'll conquer all of China! Please uncle, help me.' Liu Fan said. 'I am always grateful to my late brother for giving me this position. How could I refuse to assist my nephew? The armies of Jing are at your command my Emperor.' Liu Xiong said. A soldier ran into the room. 'Sir! Ji Jia's army is approaching!' Liu Fan rose. 'We can't wait for Zima Hui and Xiahou Mei to return. Mobilize the armies!'
Liu Huang swung his sword, cutting one of the training dummies in half. 'Damn that cousin of mine! I should be emperor, not a snivelling little brat like him!' He said. He swung his sword again, taking the head off another dummy. He continued until all the training dummies were destroyed. Panting, Liu Huang swore again. 'I should kill him and take my rightful place on the throne!' He heard a voice speak to him. 'You would kill your own flesh and blood in order to achieve what you want?' Liu Huang looked up from the ground to see a robed figure. 'Who the hell are you?' He said. 'You wish to kill the emperor and take the throne. You are a would be usurper.' The robed man said. 'Shut up!' Liu Huang swung his sword, and the man blocked it with his bare hand. 'My master could use one with your zeal and enthusiasm. My offer is as stands. Betray your cousin, fight for our side, and you shall be rewarded with what you seek most.' An insane grin spread across Liu Huang's face. 'I shall do it!'
'My lord, are you sure it was wise to send Zima Qi to take Jing? That's where Shu's main army is situated there since there defeat several days ago.' Ji Jia heard this and laughed. 'I don't really care what happens to Zima Qi. I merely sent him there as an experiment.' Ji Jia pulled Dark Wolf out of its sheath. 'This sword has the ability to resurrect souls it takes and enslave them to the bearer's will. However, I am not sure if it puts a complete block on the memories the soul once had. If there is still something in the world that will remind the soul of it's past, the soul will break free of its slavery. That is what I think anyway. If I am right, them Zima Qi will defect to Shu. If I am wrong, then Shu will receive another beating. Either way is fine with me.' Ji Jia said.
Son Kai watched Ji Jia's army approach. 'Something isn't right.' He said. 'Their formation. It's familiar yet foreign to me at the same time.' Huan Jian stood next to him. 'I know. I just can't remember the name.' Zhen Gong shook her head. 'The formation is called Eight Gates to Impregnable positions. It's not the formation we should be worried about though. It's who's leading them we should be scared of.' She said. Son Kai and Huan Jian looked at the leader. 'Zima Qi!' Huan Jian said, shock apparent in his voice. 'Yes. It seems that he's a traitor to the emperor and his family.' Zhen Gong said. 'But that's impossible. Zima Hui said Zima Qi was killed. Zima Hui even took Geomancer.' Son Kai said. 'I don't know what to believe, only that he's an enemy now.' Zhen Gong said. She walked away from them and headed to the stables. 'Zima Qi. Whatever's made you switch sides, you'll pay for betraying us.' She thought. 'Arm yourselves my men! We are going into battle!'
Zima Qi looked at Xiang Yang's formidable walls rising infront of him. 'These weaklings of Shu. I shall end them for Master Ji Jia's glory.' He said. He saw the gate open and an army charge out. 'General! Prepare for your death!' Zima Qi yelled out, swinging Geomancer above his head. 'Zima Qi! What made you betray Liu Fan? Have you no honor!' Zhen Gong yelled out. 'I don't know how you know me, but I shall end you life!' He said. 'He's forgotten? He doesn't know who I am?' She shook her head. 'Can't think about that right now. I have to stop that formation of his!' She scanned how Zima Qi had his troops set up. 'Eight Gates to Impregnable positions has eight points of entry: Survive, Desist, Confound, Perish, Injure, Surprise, Liberate, and Exhibit. If I enter through Survive, Exhibit, or Liberate, I'll win. If I enter through Injure, Surprise, or Desist, I'll lose most of my men. If I enter through Confound or Perish, I'm doomed.' She quickly scanned their formation and found what she was looking for. 'There it is! The Survive gate! Time to scatter them!' She lifted her sword into the air. 'All men charge!' Zhen Gong's unit charged for the point she was aiming for, when the enemy shifted formation! 'No! The Desist gate!' Entering the wrong point, a long, bloody battle insured. Zhen Gong dropped her normal sword and pulled a different sword off of her back. 'OK Viper blade, let's see what you've got.' Zhen Gong pressed a button on the hilt of the sword, and the blade shot out on a chain, flying into the back of an opposing soldier. She pressed the button again, and the blade retracted. 'Nice.' She commented. Zhen Gong suddenly felt pain erupt on her left side and she went flying from her horse. She landed or her arm, which broke with a sickening crack. She let out a scream of pain, and several Shu soldiers surrounded her. 'We won't let them get to you Lady Zhen. They shall not pass so long as we draw breath!' One of them said. Zhen Gong gripped her arm, trying not to show she was hurt. She looked up and saw Zima Qi approaching. The soldiers surrounding her drew their swords. 'Lord Zima Qi! We can't allow you to harm Lady Zhen!' A soldier said. Zima Qi hefted Geomancer and swatted the soldiers away. Zhen Gong was still on the ground when Zima Qi walked up to her. Zima Qi kneeled down and lifted her chin so she was looking directly into his eyes. 'A shame that one as beautiful as you must die here.' He stood back up and took out the hidden sword in Geomancer's handle. 'Good bye.' He said. He pulled the sword back, in preparation to stab, but found himself unable to bring the sword down. 'Why can't I do it? I don't know her, and she's of no use to me. Why?' Time suddenly seemed to freeze for him, as images shot through his mind. He saw two people fighting, one of them wielding a large war hammer, and the other with a normal sword. 'That's the woman I'm fighting now!' Zima Qi thought with a start. He squinted his eyes, trying to see who her opponent was. The two stopped fighting long enough for him to see her opponent. It was himself that he saw.
Zhen Gong looked up at Zima Qi from the ground. 'He looks like he zoned out. Did he forget that he's about to kill me?' Zima Qi suddenly dropped his sword and grabbed his head. He began to yell. 'Get out of my head!' He fell to his knees and then to the ground. He didn't look up and stopped moving. 'Is he dead?' She thought. She heard him breathing heavily and very slowly. 'He passed out? What's going on with him?' She looked around and noticed a few Shu soldiers forming a circle around her and the opposing Song army surrounding them. 'Damn. I guess this is where I die after all.' She thought silently, he gaze going downwards. She faintly heard the sound of hoof beats and looked up. 'Zhen Gong! We have come to your rescue!' An army flying the banners of Liu Xiong charged the Song army from behind. 'The formation cannot hold when attacked from the correct gate!' Liu Xiong said, stabbing his spear into an unfortunate Song soldier. The Song warriors began to disperse when another body of soldiers attacked. 'Starting the festivities off without me? How mean of you Zhen Gong!' Zhen Gong shook her head. 'Zima Hui. Late as usual.' The Song army slowly dissipated, and many were captured. Zima Hui rode up and pulled a spare horse up. 'Come on. We're escaping.' Zhen Gong got up, but cringed as pain shot through her arm. 'What happened?' Zima Hui asked. Zima Hui looked past Zhen Gong and saw the unconscious Zima Qi. His eyes went wide. 'Impossible!' He said, his voice a barely audible whisper. Zhen Gong walked towards Zima Qi and tried to pick up his body. 'What are you doing? Your arm's broken!' Zima Hui said. Zhen Gong grunted. 'Whether he's real or not, he's an enemy, and if we capture him we may get some valuable information out of him.' Zhen Gong said. Zima Hui laughed. 'That iron determination and unstoppable independence. I guess that's what my cousin liked about you.' Zhen Gong glared at him. Still trying to lift Zima Qi's body onto the horse, Zhen Gong stifled a scream. 'It's too hard. I can't lift him with this arm.' She thought. Zima Qi's body was suddenly lifted up, and she saw Zima Hui helping her. 'We have to get back. I'm sure everyone's worried.' He said. Zhen Gong nodded. 'Zima Qi's little cousin is growing up.' She thought with a laugh.
All Zima Qi could see was darkness. 'This must be death.' He thought. 'This is not death.' A voice said. Zima Qi turned and saw himself. 'You're me.' He said. 'And you're also me. I am you and you am I.' The other said. 'But how is this possible?' Zima Qi asked. 'It is hard to explain. However, I am here to set things as they were once.' It said Zima Qi shook his head. ' What do you mean?' He asked. 'What Ji Jia told you was a lie. You may not acknowledge it out loud, but a part of your mind was telling you that it couldn't be reality.' He said. 'But if that isn't true, then what is? Who am I really? I can't remember.' Zima Qi asked. 'I cannot answer that you must look inside yourself. The one you fought on the battlefield will be the key to you remembering your life.' Zima Qi's mirror image faded, and he was again plummeted into darkness. Images suddenly bombarded his vision. He saw four children running in a field. 'Who are they?' He watched the youngest of them, a little boy, struggling to keep up. 'Wait for me you guys!' The little boy tripped, fell down and began to cry. 'You bunch of losers!' He screamed between sobs. The other three children stopped running, and the oldest one slowly walked back. 'Get up you big baby. What would ancestor Shi say if he saw you crying because you fell down?' The younger one stopped crying and stood up. 'Humph. I'll show you!' The younger one jumped up and began to run. 'Catch me if you can!' The older boy shook his head then began to run after him. The other two, both of them girls, just giggled. 'Zima Hui is so predictable.' One of them said. 'Yeah. And your cousin Zima Qi knows how to lead him around.' Zima Qi looked shocked. 'Is that kid me?'
Zima Qi shot up panting heavily. 'Only a dream. But those images. Could they be real?' He calmed down and slowly looked around. He was in a bed, and next to it, sat a young woman. 'She's one of the ones from my dream.' He thought. The door to the room slid open, and someone walked in. 'You. I've seen you somewhere before.' Zima Qi said. 'Then what Zhen Gong said is true. You have forgotten everything.' Zima Hui said. 'I guess so.' Zima Qi said. 'Tell me what you do remember.' Zima Qi said. 'All I remember is that I woke up ten days ago, was told that I was a general in Ji Jia's army, and that I was suffering from memory loss. Though if my dreams are any indication, that was all a lie.' Zima Qi said. 'So you are our cousin.' Zima Xue said, waking up. 'So you finally decided to wake up Xue.' Zima Hui said. 'Where's that woman I fought. I need to know.' Zima Qi said. 'Zhen Gong? She's till in the infirmary. You did break her arm' Zima Xue said. 'Where's the infirmary?' Zima Qi asked. 'Her room is two doors to the left.' Zima Hui said. Zima Qi stood up carefully and walked out of the room. 'Even though he lost his memory, something tells me that his love for her still shines through.' Zima Xue said.
Zima Qi walked into the room only to receiver a glare from Zhen Gong. Her arm was bandaged, and she couldn't move. 'Come to kill me?' She asked. 'No. Come to see how you were doing.' Zima Qi said, sitting down in a chair next to her bed. 'Why would you care? You can't even remember your own cousin's name.' Zhen Gong snapped. 'I may be a stranger to the memories I once had, but I know this much. This is where I belong, and not with Ji Jia. The few memories I've recovered tell me that much.' Zima Qi said. 'And one of those memories' Zima Qi said, bending closer to her 'involved you.' He moved closer and pulled her into a kiss. Zhen Gong's eyes widened in shock. Zima Qi broke the kiss and grinned. 'Does that prove where my loyalties lie?' He asked. Zhen Gong's eyes welled up, and tears began to flow. She pulled Zima Qi into a hug with her good arm. 'You big dope.' She said. Zima Qi just laughed quietly.
Li Guo stood at the city gate, waiting for his shift to be over. 'Just how I like night duty. Rainy.' Li Guo thought sarcastically. 'Cai Liang should've been here by now.' He muttered. 'I'll relieve you of your guard.' A voice said. Li Guo turned and saw Liu Huang. 'Master Liu, you have never volunteered for guard duty before. What's with the sudden change of heart?' Li Guo asked. 'I simply wish to improve my standings with my father.' Liu Huang lied. Li Guo looked as though he suspected something, but nodded. 'All right then. Your duty should end at midnight.' Li Guo walked off. Liu Huang grinned and laughed to himself. 'Fool.' Liu Huang lowered the gate to see an army waiting. 'The city is yours.' He said to the army commander. 'Raze the city. Kill any Shu soldiers.' The commander said. Within moments, several houses were ignited and, despite the rain, had begun to spread. 'The enemy has entered Xiang Yang!' The Shu and Jing soldiers all woke with a start and began arming themselves in preparation for battle. They didn't notice, however, the dark form as it shot past them.
Son Kai fought his way through a group of Song soldiers and found Huan Jian. 'We have to get to the emperor's chambers!' Huan Jian nodded. 'We have to hurry! With this number of troops, they will get to lord Liu Fan before us!' Son Kai thrust his spear into a Song soldier, blood spraying out onto him. 'Let's go!' A dark shape shot past them. 'An assassin! We have to get to Liu Fan before they do!' They ran around a corner and into another group of Song soldiers. 'Damn! We've got to go through them!' Huan Jian said. 'Preferably before that assassin gets to the Emperor.'
'Liu Fan sat in a corner, several Song soldiers surrounding him. 'Remember what Lord Ji Jia said! The one to bring Liu Fan's head gets a hill of gold!' One of them said. The soldiers pulled out their swords. Suddenly, one of them fell down dead, a chained scythe stuck in his neck. The scythe was pulled out and flew into someone's hands. The soldiers turned and saw someone in a black ninja gi. 'An assassin! Kill him!' The leader said, Liu Fan quickly forgotten. The assassin held the scythe in one hand and swung the chain in the other hand. The first soldier charged, and the assassin side-stepped and stabbed the soldier with the scythe. Another charged, and the assassin threw the weighted end of the chain at the soldier. The chain wrapped around the soldier's sword. The soldier looked at the chain and saw a small capsule on the end. 'What the?' He said. The capsule exploded, causing a blinding flash. Liu Fan shielded his eyes, and when the flash cleared, he saw the assassin had killed all the soldiers. Liu Fan finally got a good look at the assassin and realized that whoever it was, they were his size. The assassin walked towards Liu Fan and grabbed his wrist. 'Come on. We're getting out of here.' The assassin said. 'You aren't going to kill me?' Liu Fan asked. 'Please. I've been sent to save you.' The assassin pulled Liu Fan through the burning palace until they found their way out. 'There's got to be a quick way out of the city.' The assassin said. Soldiers were fighting in the streets and Liu Fan quickly spotted Zima Hui and Zima Xue battling Song soldiers. 'Zima Hui!' Liu Fan called out. The assassin sighed. 'Thanks a lot. Now every enemy in Xiang Yang knows you're here.' Zima Hui saw Liu Fan and ran towards him. 'Liu Fan! Are you alright my emperor? Has this devil injured you?' Zima Hui said, looking at the assassin. 'No. This warrior is the only reason I'm still alive. We have to escape Xiang Yang. Liu Huang has betrayed us and has killed Liu Xiong. Jing is no longer safe. We have to retreat somewhere else.' Zima Hui said. Suddenly, a new group of Song soldiers appeared. 'My emperor, you must escape.' Liu Fan shook his head. 'Not without you and the other generals.' Zima Hui lifted Geomancer and laughed. 'Don't worry about me my emperor. You must escape now.' The assassin nodded. 'Head east to Jian Ye. You will be safe there. Spread the message around!' The assassin said. 'Good luck.' The assassin grabbed horse and shoved the emperor up. 'Retreat to Jian Ye! Retreat to Jian Ye!' Echoed around the city. Out of the city's southern gate shot a single horse, with Liu Fan and the assassin.
Liu Fan jumped off the horse and sat down. 'We'll break here for awhile.' The assassin sat down next to Liu Fan and pulled out some food. 'Who are you? Really? And how much longer are you going to keep that ghoulish mask on?' Liu Fan asked. 'You'll find out once we get to Jian Ye.' The assassin said. Suddenly, Liu Fan jumped up and pinned the assassin to the ground. 'No! I'll find out now!' Liu Fan pulled the assassin's mask and was shocked to see 'You're a girl?' Liu Fan said. She had shoulder length brown hair and had light blue eyes. 'Would you stop gawking and get off me?' She said. Liu Fan nodded, and stood up. 'So what's your name?' He asked. 'I'm Yue Mei. And don't think that just because you're the emperor that I'm going to throw myself at your feet and worship you like you're a god.' She said. 'I didn't expect you to.' Liu Fan replied. 'Whatever. Come on. We have to get going or Ji Jia will catch up to us.' Yue Mei said. Liu Fan looked back at the direction that they had fled. 'My generals. My people. Please make it through this.'
Because I forgot to do one last chapter, you get three character bios this chapter.
Character Bios
Name: Zima Hui Gender: Male Age: 18 Eye Color: Brown Clothes: A set of Roman armor Headwear: None Face: None Hair: Short brown Weapon: Yin (One of Zima Shi's broad swords) Position: Director General Descent from: Zima Shi and Son Mia Bio: The son of Zima Kuai and younger brother to Zima Xue, Zima Hui has always yearned to prove himself in battle. He's always wanted to be able to beat his cousin, Zima Qi, at something. However, with Zima Qi's death, he is aiming to avenge his cousin and end Ji Jia's life.
Name: Zima Xue Gender: Female Age: 20 Eye Color: Brown Clothes: A dark green qipao Headwear: none Face: lipstick Hair: Long brown Weapon: Yang (One of Zima Shi's broad swords) Position: Emperor's Chief advisor Descent from: Zima Shi and Son Mia Bio: The daughter of Zima Kuai and older sister to Zima Hui, Zima Xue is less battle hungry then her brother. Zima Xue inherited her position from her father when he died, and has always acted like an older sister and sometimes, even as a mother to the young emperor. With Ji Jia's rebellion, she now has to be there for the emperor more then ever.
Name: Zima Qi Gender: Male Age: 24 Eye Color: Red Clothes: Black armor Headwear: none Face: a scar down the left side of his face Hair: long brown Weapon: Geomancer (A hammer with a sword hidden in the hilt) Position: Commander Of Shu's main Army Descent from: Zima Shao and Kai Mei Bio: The only child of Zima Yue, he is Zima Hui and Zima Xue's cousin. Out of the three Zimas, he is the strongest warrior. When Ji Jia killed him, Dark Wolf enslaved his soul, and Zima Qi was resurrected, though without the memories of his previous life.