Chapter 32: The Southern Expedition

Xu County

Where Liu Bei had once ruled as prefect was now a stinking hole in the ground. Flames spat upwards from the ruined villages as the mobs of demons overran the township, sending the few human survivors into a frenzied, terrified panic. Yoma claws and fangs ravaged mutilated corpses as the creatures opened up a path for a woman in strange red robes. Barefoot and strutting ostentatiously, Luciela smiled at her followers, the legions of Yoma that swarmed across the smouldering homes, devouring all who stood in their way along with those who didn't.

Pillage. Take it. Rape it. It's all yours. Why should I care about these ugly villages, these disgusting reminders of what we cannot stand? This province of several thousand human beings has been reduced to your dinner feast.

A hundred and twenty four severed heads hovered above the ravaged town, their eyes testament to their final moments of absolute terror. Gore dripped onto the collapsed rooves of huts, seeped into the street pavements, and dyed the earth crimson. The Yoma had piled mountains of bodies up every high wall and every road corner, eagerly hoarding their celebratory provisions for the next few days. They would require all the delicious energy they could accumulate. But it was not enough, to slaughter every creature that ran or crawled for its life. It was not enough to set to the torch the entire county. No. These atrocities alone would not satisfy them.

The husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons had been killed and tossed aside, into a mass grave. Their wives, sisters, mothers, and daughters were forced on their knees by the marauders, forced onto the ground, forced between the brutal Yoma. "Have mercy," cried a bleeding woman. "Have mercy!" One of the monsters laughed and grabbed her behind, pulling her around him. She screamed, but it was futile. The beast slavered over her, its toxic drool burning into her skin. In desperation, she lifted a jagged shard of broken pottery from the ground and stabbed it into the Yoma's arm. The creature hissed in brief pain, and in vengeance, thrust its claws into her two eyes. She went limp, and human fluid poured from her impaled head onto its arm.

Another Yoma approached her, grabbing and digging into her breast. "What a frail, fragile little Chinese. She's perfect for a good hard rape before we eat her guts."

"She's already dead, idiot," growled another one. "He went and speared her through the skull."

"No problem, she's still warm."

The three Yoma took their time with the corpse, and with the screaming peasants around them. The women and children were particularly delicious. The children… one of the demons clutched at a lifeless infant, sinking its teeth into its soft corpse. Who knew that the flesh of the young ones was so succulent? The small baby's undeveloped innards spilled out, and a throng of Yoma fell upon the nauseating display, tearing each other apart for a taste. All around the dead and dying, the demons laughed, making merry in a shower of blood. The Awakened Beings that were not far behind would have to find a different prefecture to raze and feast on.

"Yellow bitches all around! Pass 'em here… I'm hungry for 'em."

A burning hell had been created on this earth. Luciela looked up into the smouldering sky, to where the flames of the smoking villages reached. "Come, you blonde allies of this rathole nation," she hissed. "Let's see if you and your allies have the nerve to stop me."

*

Chengdu, in a humble inn

His long hair loosened and draping down his back, Zhou Tai had been sitting on his bed, wiping clean his armour with a ragged cloth, when Cynthia stepped into his room, her large eyes excited and eager. The Rising Dragon General was wearing the pale dress he had once made love to her in, when they consummated their desire in the soldiers' cafeteria. That dress certainly held many fond memories. He nodded, setting aside his shoulderplate to give her his attention. "Are you prepared?" he asked. "Tomorrow we must stand before the Shu officers. Stand before them… in our first campaign together since Chi Bi."

"I'm all ready, already," she replied, poking her tongue at him. "Have you had dinner yet?"

He shook his head.

She looked extremely proud. "So why have all that boring, stomach-turning mush we usually have to eat when you can enjoy your songbird's gourmet cooking?" she brought her hands around dramatically. "Ta-da!"

Zhou Tai blinked. She was holding a plateful of freshly grilled pork, the steam rising to the roof of his room. She had garnished it with herbs and spices, although the arrangement looked… somewhat clumsy. He cocked his head. "You made this yourself?"

She giggled. "When I said I wanted to prepare something for a military admiral, the chef couldn't refuse." She flushed. "I spent two hours in the kitchen until he shooed me away."

"Pork chops require two hours?" he blurted tactlessly.

"I've never cooked a real meal before. I've never had to. I'm half-Yoma, remember? We don't need to eat much at all," she sputtered, conveniently forgetting that he was half-Yoma, too. She shuffled her feet in embarrassment. "It's my first time… cooking a decent, full serving of food, let alone a serving of Chinese food. Please, won't you try it?"

He gave a small smile, his eyes twinkling. "Of course."

"It'll be much better than the rations we usually have to eat." She hurried to his divan, lifted a pair of chopsticks from her plate and picked out a small piece. She kneeled before him and leaned forward. "Say 'aah,' big boy," she laughed, nudging at his lips with the sizzling piece of red meat. He carefully bit down and took her culinary art into his mouth, chewing slowly, allowing the flavour to sink into his taste buds. Within a few seconds, it did. Her cooking hit him like a meteor hammer, and his eyes momentarily widened.

Even for his unrefined, easygoing standards, it tasted terrible.

It was overcooked – extremely overcooked. He could taste charcoal, and somehow, the pork itself suffered from a bitter tang – perhaps she had used the wrong herbs, or too many of one kind? Is this really pork? He desperately wanted to spit out the infernal glob, but he knew better. He forced his lips into a satisfied smile even as he swallowed hastily, the aftertaste lingering like the stink of a poisonous cesspool. "… It's delicious," he mumbled, lying to himself and her.

"Really truly?" cried Cynthia, squealing for joy. "That's such a relief! So I'm not useless with food after all. Do you want me to cook for you everyday, then?"

"No need," he said at once, hiding the panic in his deep voice.

She blushed. "It'd be an important skill I need to practice… if our future together really works out like I wish…" Her young eyes turned dreamy, staring into his narrow, chrome counterparts. "To be your loyal wife… if that is ever possible…"

Watching her adorable countenance and listening to her beautiful desire, Zhou Tai's heart melted, her ghastly cooking momentarily forgotten. "My… my wife?"

"When this is all over, I don't ever want to go back to the Continent. I don't want to return to the hell that was my life. I want to stay in China, to stay with you…" she gazed at him, almost urgently. "I want to the world to know me as Cynthia Zhou."

A poignant pause. "To unite as one family… and to have children, together?"

"Let me be the mother of your sons and daughters, brave admiral," she begged, burying her face in his lap. "I never really realized the miracle of living until I realized someone like you was alive. So much has changed in me… and I want to prove it to you."

After several moments of silence, his scarred hand moved forward to stroke her soft face. "You need not prove anything. Had I not met you, I would never have a chance at humanity. I promise… you will be my wife," he murmured, as she closed her eyes to savour the tender contact between them. "And I will be your husband."

"And I can cook… for our family… as often as I want?" she gasped.

"Yes."

While he meant it, he somewhat regretted speaking them at this particular moment, for his overtures of love in marriage had only galvanized her into feeding him more of her "gourmet cuisine." He winced inwardly as she brightened and picked out another piece of pork, offering up her culinary disaster again. "Then… open wide again, baby!" she squealed, encouraged and enthused. "Tonight's practice night!" Too softhearted to refuse her, he compliantly bit into her second serving, taking it from her chopsticks and chewing quietly. He feigned an impressed expression even as his tongue recoiled from the horrible, horrible flavour.

How did she manage to make pork chops bitter?

*

Yue Ying stood on the pavilion by her favourite lake, holding Zhuge Liang's hand. "I do hope they'll be on time tomorrow," she asserted. "It is to be a grand endeavour, after all."

"Trust in them. It is merely a technicality," he said. "They will be true to their promises. Wu are like us, after all. We all wish to be free from the Yoma."

She took a sip of wine by the tableside. "Lady Flora and Zilong are growing closer each day," she murmured, unable to hide her curiosity at their relationship. "She was gushing to me of his gallantry several weeks ago. Apparently, she taught him how to dance in the tradition of her homeland. They went to the festival markets after dining together." She could not help smiling. "Could it be that the strings of destiny have pulled them together, to weave a new tapestry of their life together?"

"That's not like you, beloved," replied Zhuge Liang, pouring her another glass. "To engage in local gossip is something we rarely do."

"It's the alcohol," replied his wife light-heartedly. "Or perhaps the pollen in the air." She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "We go to war tomorrow, my Lord. What is on your mind?"

"What is on my mind? Only one thing, my love: we cannot lose with your command." He closed his eyes. "I am proud to be your husband, Yue Ying. I have no doubt that with our strategies, and with your technological expertise, we will topple Luciela and bring true peace back to our lands. And… we will ensure that our silver-eyed friends live through these difficult times."

She smiled sheepishly. "I know well that war is not something that we should find happiness in. But somehow… I still have." She put two hands to her chest. "Each of us in Shu and Wu have given a part of themselves, so that we may put aside our own interests for the sake of the nation. From tomorrow, this alliance of ours will be tested. I have unqualified faith that no matter which Abyssal One decides to threaten us, we cannot lose with Lady Flora and the others by our side. We will not fail. Not with the silver-eyed warriors by our side, and Lord Zhou Tai."

Zhuge Liang nodded. "We've reached a new stage of our journey to unify China. The success of this campaign will determine our men's morale in the next. We… must not fail." He raised his cup, smiling. "For our people, my darling."

She met it with hers. "And for our son, my Lord."

They lifted their drinks together, and the moon beamed. "Bottoms up!"

*

Dawn

After a brief lull in the turbulent violence after Yi Ling, the joint Shu-Wu army finally assembled in Chengdu, gathering before the towering fortress where Flora and company had once fought a band of Awakened Beings. Within the space of an hour, contingent upon contingent and legion upon legion had filed outside the castle, their numbers stretching further than the forest itself, sweeping beyond the very horizon. Spears, halberds, bladed bows, flamethrowers, pikes, voulges, swords… they glittered in the morning light, paradoxically like the shimmering stars in the night sky. Fiery red and emerald green glittered together, a sea of allied soldiers shimmering in their armour through the province.

At the forefront of the massive force stood the four commanders of the renewed alliance: Lance Marshal Flora, Plains General Miria, Cavalier Admiral Zhou Tai, and Rising Dragon General Cynthia. Flanking them were First Commandant Jean, Flank Commander Tabitha and Lieutenant General Yuma, along with the anti-Yoma division of Shu: recently promoted Lieutenant Commander Clare, Warrant Officer Helen and Flying Officer Deneve. Cynthia looked around her, rather impressed and oblivious to the fact that she outranked many of her comrades from the Continent. "This is a huge undertaking Lady Huang's prepared, isn't it?"

"Where do they pull all these soldiers from?" muttered Deneve. "The numbers are… staggering."

"You haven't seen the end of it," said Miria discreetly. "The Grand General has summoned a detachment of Pyrotroopers from Wu to assist in the attack alongside the Crescent Wardens."

"Moony," sniggered Helen. "So it seems our Grand General gets to boss around the Wu guys too. I wonder what that Lu Xun fellow has to say? And would you look at that? There're more foreigners leading this gang of chumps than Shu and Wu officers!"

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious," said Deneve coolly. "Did it occur to you that they might have been assigned in other regions of conflict?"

"But still," cried Helen, "this is pretty crazy, isn't it? I never thought they'd let us ever outrank them. I thought Chinese blokes were all – "

"The Chinese people are not all chauvinistic or narrow-minded, Miss Helen!" pre-empted Flora, outraged.

"Lady Helen has a point," came Zhao Yun's voice. He approached the generals, his eyes meeting his lover's. As if in response, he smiled. "That is, the part about more foreigners commanding our forces for this particular expedition. I would say it's for two reasons: firstly, you've earned our trust and respect, which is the foremost thing you need if you wish to help us command. Secondly, you know the Awakened Beings better than any of us. It's a major military advantage for us. If this arrangement works, we should employ it. If we're in a position to defend the weak, then we must seize that chance." He looked at Flora. "With my comrades, and my Lady, we'll bring peace to the weak and meek of this world."

Flora blushed. "Zilong…"

They fell silent, dispelling their chatter as Yue Ying made her way to the front of the troops. She had appeared at last, in her beautiful chemise and black boots. She stepped onto a large podium facing the vast military host. She raised her voice. "Valiant men and women of China! Look sharp!" Zhou Tai and Cynthia snapped to alertness at her sharp command. Miria raised her head, and Flora followed suit with Zhao Yun. The officers gave their full attention to the Grand General as she began to speak. "This day shall be the first step in our journey to pacify southern China and rid the region of a crucial threat that has been lurking in the realm for too long. We will avenge the horrendous atrocities they've committed against our nation. We'll march as one, and stride together as a united front. We will topple that archdemon and eradicate her minions, before moving against Wei itself! A magnificent victory is within our reach!"

Yue Ying attached Sapphire Crescent to her forearm and saluted her troops. "Our target is the Abyssal One of the South – Luciela!"

The coalition returned her salute as one and turned as one, preparing to march. Three hundred thousand husky voices thundered through the cool breeze.

"Yes, Ma'am!"