Desperate Saviours

Flora avoided Cao Cao's dark eyes as she confirmed the news that she dreaded. Her hands clutched tighter at her blanket. "Shu… really has been obliterated. It is almost too staggering to believe. Although I should have known the destruction those Awakened Beings were capable of after our disastrous struggle against them," she said, her voice almost a choke.

"Isley seized Hanzhong after destroying our forces at Wu Zhang Plains, before striking at Chengdu. As I enlightened you of earlier, I have sent Xu Huang and the Black Ones in a mission to retake Hanzhong. We must wrest back that city from the Awakened Beings before they can strike at the Central Plains again."

"But… how… did you manage to repulse Isley from Wu Zhang?"

"We did not," he denied dryly. "My son and his forces withdrew once they had retrieved the five of you. According to his report, they managed to slay two so-called Strossi and injure Rigardo to some extent. But these 'Thrones of Darkness' quickly retreated to regather their strength, and the dire circumstances did not merit a pursuit. Besides, we lost Rafaela to Isley. As enticing as it is to avenge her death, it was simply not prudent, especially when five important lives were hanging on a silken thread."

He paused, looking out the wooden-framed window and into the courtyard below. "You slew my cousin, Flora," he observed dryly. "You punctured his armour and cleaved through his body like a dagger through silk."

"I will not repent of that," she snapped, louder than she expected. She blinked, and lowered her voice to its usual mildness. "Cao Ren killed the man I love. I will always respect your cousin as a warrior. But I cannot forgive him. Never."

"When did I ask you to excuse yourself?" snorted Cao Cao. "I am merely pointing out the reality that I, too, have relations. I am a human being, and I hold human beings close to my heart, even in war. I grieve for all the lives that have been wasted in this pointless conflict. But at last, it has all ended." He nodded to himself. "Yes. The land has long since been mired in chaos, but it is now free. Now all that remains is to crush the Awakened Beings that threaten this land, and China shall finally know the new age I dreamt of."

He looked down at Flora. "You are part of that vision. Surely Galatea has already told you of it. You must unite with her. For every silver-eyed warrior that comes under her wing, the realm grows further in resolve and concord. You are all warriors of talent. And it is talented people that I seek to rule the new world."

Silence reigned for several minutes as they gazed at each other.

"If I am to do this, then I must be privy to your knowledge," she replied calmly. "I refuse to serve your vision unless I can see it clearly within my mind's eye, too."

"That can easily be remedied. I will tell you everything you wish to know. Would that satisfy your trust?" he requested, matching her placidness with a surprising and somewhat disarming calm.

She hesitated, and then nodded.

"If you can clear my doubt as to what I am fighting for… then even without my Lord Zilong, I will take up Durandal once again, and wield it in your name."

"The Middle Kingdom will remember you as a true heroine," whispered Cao Cao, "this I swear."

She nodded. "I am tired, Your Excellency. May I have some time to myself?"

He gave a sympathetic smirk. "Of course." He moved towards the doors and disappeared with a billow of his cape.

She turned and stared out the wooden-framed window by the side of the wall. A diminutive songbird flittered by a branch and twittered curiously at her. But her eyes had clouded over, akin to a lover disillusioned by the sudden end of romance. She did not pay attention to the little creature. Noticing her unhappiness, the songbird chirped sadly and flew off, deprived of the company it sought.

"What would you have me do?" she asked quietly.

This time, it was the Crown Prince that entered the room and approached her bedside, but she avoided looking at him. "I am a broken woman. You witnessed my hysteria for yourself."

"I found your squealing to be quite amusing… but I digress. The first action we must take is to inaugurate the new Jin Alliance. We shall require the assembly of all Shu, Wu and Wei Claymores in the presence of Emperor Xian. And then, with a formal blessing from His Majesty, we will be in a position to coordinate our first major counterattacks against Isley and Rigardo."

He stared down at her. "But I must wonder… how do you know for certain that he is dead?"

She blinked. "You cannot mean…"

"You know whom I speak of. The little dragon you adore so. The two of you fought against my wife and I at Tianshui."

She stared up at him, astonished and dumbfounded. "You cannot possibly be implying…"

"I am not. I am surprised, however, by your propensity to resignation so easily."

She was completely taken aback. Of all things, she had never expected such a cruel and pitiless man to say something so… sensible. So encouraging.

He grimaced as he began to pace about, his cold eyes deep in thought. "Giving up is what kills people. In the midst of deceit and lies, betrayal and hurt… what must a person do to gain anything at all?" He licked his lips, immersed in his own reflections. "Only the will to fight… to dominate… renders humanity worthy of treading their noble path."

She looked away. If she met his eyes, surely she would collapse from vulnerability. But more importantly, was he right? Could it be that she was mistaken? Did she dare to believe the impossible?

She turned and lifted away her blanket, moving to place her bare feet on the floor. Her milky-white legs felt cold. "I miss him so. He fought by my side against you. It was my greatest honour to be loved by a man of his calibre."

"Should the chance arise, I am willing to indulge your… curiosity as to Zhao Yun's whereabouts." Cao Pi walked away, his pace relaxed and unperturbed. "The world has changed in an inconceivably short time. If you wish to protect the Chinese people, then you shall serve my father and I. Even if you found Zhao Yun now, there would be nowhere for you to go, except to remain in Luoyang… and to fight for the Chinese people you have come to love."

She avoided his eyes. The world had indeed changed. The master plan set forth by Galatea and Cao Cao had begun to take effect, and she was chosen, as a witness, to wield Durandal for the people.

If she could stay here until… perhaps… she managed to find him…

Was it too much to ask for? Was it too audacious to believe that Zhao Yun still lived?

"What choice do I have?" she murmured. She looked up at Cao Pi, hiding the doubt and fear as best as she could. "Until I find my beloved dragon, I cannot simply sit by while my people suffer from the Continent's scourge." She glared at her rescuer. "But I shall serve only them, not you. I will not submit merely to – "

"Swear it," he demanded, his eyes glinting viciously. "I command that you make an oath before me, here and now. Refuse, and my offer shall be withdrawn. I shall bind you in chains and have you agonize, day and night in my most putrid dungeons, over what could have been. And I will never permit you to search for him… even if I knew of his survival."

She lifted her body from the bed and stood before him. Only one month ago, she could never have imagined kneeling before this man, this man who would resort to such vile oppression and coercion to achieve his vile goals.

Her hand found his face, but it was a weak slap, a disappointed, saddened blow. He didn't even feel the need to resist the sting. She glared at him, silently enraged at his apathetic lack of response.

But after many months of weary battle and with nothing to lose, she finally did the impossible. She sighed quietly, and genuflected before the Crown Prince, closing her eyes in resignation.

"Kiss my hand," he commanded.

She took it, and her lips brushed along his knuckles gently.

"I hate you, Crown Prince."

Cao Pi smiled, pleased. "Good. A worthy heir must be hated, respected and feared. Now that you hate me, I'll enjoy seeing how you will respect and fear me."

*

Cao Cao descended beneath the long palace stairwell, into the massive subterranean city that resembled a hellish reflection of its counterpart on the surface world. Known only as Stonekeep, it had been excavated from the bedrock of the earth to serve as a secret weapons forge and refuge for the army in a function similar to the cavernous city below Xuchang. He made his way down below the deepest dungeons, where the Grand Preceptor Sima Yi awaited him. He took a shortcut through an even more secret tunnel, avoiding the intricate mazes and stairwells that constituted the totality of a labyrinth. After almost an hour of secretive, furtive walking, he finally reached a small, dank door that creaked open upon his approach.

"My Lord," hissed the ghostly Sima Yi, emerging from the darkness and bowing, his clawed hands clasped near his waist. They have not lifted themselves from their slumber just yet. However, Your Excellency has not wasted his time, for we already have begun our… observations into the Yoki power's capabilities."

"Zhuge Liang assumed that only a mind such as his could imagine the potential of a human-Yoma union. But he was too arrogant to realize that he had found a match in me," said Sima Yi craftily. His eyes glinted. "Now… we shall have new weapons in our arsenal against the nightmare of Priscilla."

He turned and gestured to the shadows of a man and a woman, chained by their wrists and ankles against the short, cramped wall. "Feast your eyes upon our great hope," he continued dramatically. "The miracle, the absurdity of our era. This specimen, which your son saved from the Central Plains, will be a crucial factor in determining the balance of power between you and Isley."

The darkness was still overpowering, so Cao Cao squinted further to differentiate the figures. He inhaled in reverent awe.

One was a beautiful, young blonde, her large, gentle eyes shut lightly, almost as if she was merely feigning sleep.

The other was a tall, muscular Chinese man, stripped of his black and red plated armour. His scarred torso was stretched out, his wrists hoisted high above his head whilst chains bound his lower extremities tightly. He snored quietly, oblivious to their presence… to her presence.

"We have allowed them to recover here, ensuring that their Yoki does not get the better of them. This wench is harmless, but the man is dangerous. He fought briefly alongside Zhang Liao and Xu Huang at He Fei, but was instrumental in the Shu-Wu efforts to break past our defensive frontlines. Since his defeat at Wu Zhang, he has remained in a vegetative state since Xu Huang retrieved him. He is our secret weapon," he breathed, "our trump card. He is the Middle Kingdom's first native silver-eyed warrior."

Cao Cao nodded. "The man-fiend… Zhou Tai. And I have heard of his lieutenant… Wu's foremost Claymore, Cynthia. You said that they were recently married, did you not?" He turned to Sima Yi. "Leave me. I wish to deal with these two alone."

"But of course, my Lord." Sima Yi retreated, smirking behind his superior's back. The prison door clanged shut, and Cao Cao turned to stare at the couple that once served the Kingdom of Wu. He had never met them in person before. How extraordinary, that he could at last look upon their peaceful faces. And it was even more amazing that they had managed to cling on to life… with the assistance of his alchemists and healers, of course.

He raised his hand and opened his palm. A shimmering orb of blue magick floated upwards and began to swirl around the prison chamber. He closed his eyes, allowing the icy chi to seep into the dormant auras of his chained guests.

"It is your turn to take back what is rightfully yours, warriors of Wu," he whispered, his face illuminated by his spell. "It is time. Time to…

"Wake up."

*

"Baby."

He did not respond. The urge to sleep was too strong.

"My Lord…"

Why were voices still audible? Had he not consigned himself to the sleep of winter, the chill of deathly slumber? Rigardo had been victorious, had he not? He had resigned himself to death the moment Cynthia had ceased to breathe. Her passing away had been his death knell, the cue for his destruction. He would not wish it to be otherwise.

"Tai!"

Then… why could he still hear her voice? Was the Hereafter this noisy?

"Ugh…" He groaned quietly, almost inaudibly. He stirred and glanced around wildly, his enhanced eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. "…What is this place?" He lifted his hand, but as strong as he was, in his disoriented and weakened state, he could not get the better of his chains. He blinked several times.

A dungeon…

It was a small, enclosed cell with only one door, and he had been shackled against the wall, his ankles scraping against the ground uncomfortably. It was only then that he noticed he was naked, his armour nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Tai," came a musical, sweet voice.

The memories smashed into him like a giant mace. He recalled everything within his mind's eye – his meeting with her, his deliverance from Awakening by her hands, their marriage, the joy of their union and the heartbreak of their separation at Wu Zhang Plains. He felt his eyes moistening. "Impossible," he whispered. "Is it you?"

"Yes," came the gentle, cracking tone. "Yes, Tai. It's me."

She was beside him, staring into his eyes hopefully as he whipped his neck around to face her. She gave a quiet sigh of joy as their eyes met. He gasped in shock that she was here before him, alive and not dead. He sighed in joy as he instantly recognized her warm smile, her smooth, fair, slightly mussed blonde hair, and her twinkling, gentle eyes. But most of all, he growled in fury that she too was naked, chained like an animal and callously locked in this cell with him. How dare they abuse her like this? "Cynthia…" He growled. "I will destroy your cuffs."

"You're awake," mumbled Cynthia joyfully, tears brimming from her large eyes. Her arms and legs, like his own, were chained at their extremities, and he felt rage swirling within him as he struggled to break his own bonds. "My Lord… my baby Tai… I'm just happy to see you awake again. Don't fight just yet. Just talk to me. I have something… to tell you."

"Who has done this to you?" he hissed, his eyes flashing yellow. "I will kill them."

She sighed as he refused to listen to her pleading. "Please, don't be silly, my Lord. We can't do anything yet in our weakened state. We can only hope they've restrained us because we're of Yoma flesh, and not because they wish to harm us." She looked away. "Yet… I am fearful. For so long, we have slept. I worry that…"

At her quiet, pleading, judicious words, he stilled slightly, although he still interrupted her with his concern. "Are you hurt?"

She stared at him, and then to her side. "I… I don't think so. But was I not…" she glanced down at her bosom. "Was I not stabbed in the heart?" she asked perplexedly. "Even half-Yoma like us would not have been able to survive such wounds. I had feared that death was certain."

He exhaled quietly, nodding in agreement as they exulted in the fact – the unbelievable fact – of each other's survival.

"You underestimate the power of your so-called defensive Yoki. As long as you were swiftly plucked from the clutches of your brutal enemy and given plenty of time to recover, it is possible to heal wounds that do not destroy the head. But Master Zhou Tai seems to surpass even that limitation."

Cynthia blinked in surprise as a stern but noble voice rang out through the dank dungeon. A tall and dignified silhouette in the silver armour of a wyvern opened the dungeon door. "Unchain them," came his voice. A scrawny attendant hurried in and up to Cynthia, much to Zhou Tai's chagrin. With four quick fumbles, the servant unlocked the shackles that bound the Wu Claymore's wrists and ankles. She let out a soft cry as her naked body fell onto the attendant, unable to balance or find its bearings. He quickly set her aside and caught a large cape thrown by the mysterious silhouette. He handed it to Cynthia, who gratefully wrapped the cape around her shivering form. "Now, Master Zhou Tai. It is your turn," came the noble voice.

"I wish to see your face, benefactor," said Zhou Tai hesitantly.

"My apologies. I assure you that keeping your unconscious bodies in a secure dungeon was… a necessary precaution, given your half-Yoma flesh." The man in wyvern armour stepped into the weak light that barely illuminated even his bright armour. His eyes were small and narrow, like Zhou Tai's, but unlike the Wu officer, he possessed trimmed and immaculately kept facial hair.

"Greetings, old rival," he said. "Do you remember me?"

"Master Zhang Liao," said Zhou Tai in shock. He barely noticed the attendant unchaining him. To his own surprised, he found the strength to walk over to his suit of armour and retrieve his black cape, wrapping it around him in an identical manner to Cynthia. "We fought together against Rigardo at He Fei… and you were a witness to the secret of my… Yoma flesh. You seem well. I am glad."

Zhang Liao smiled. "I am sorry for the indignity we were forced to subject you to. But I believe it is better to be safe than sorry."

Zhou Tai glanced to his side, glimpsing a watery-eyed Cynthia, her face radiant with joy and relief. Her messed long hair draping down her rounded shoulders, she whispered his name, over and over again, as if unable to believe that he had veritably returned from dead to love her once again. Cursing himself for his negligence, he hurried to embrace her. He nuzzled against her face, grateful and relieved beyond measure. He almost uttered an obligatory prayer of thanks to anyone that would welcome the appreciation.

"This is nothing less than a miracle," he murmured.

She sighed in his arms. "You are nothing less than a miracle."

They remained immersed in silence for what seemed several hours, until Zhang Liao spoke again. "I have come here with my master, who wishes to see you. It was he that cast a spell to break you out of your hypnosis, which was essential in tranquilizing you during your month-long period of convalescence." Zhou Tai glanced up as Zhang Liao and bowed made way for a shorter, darker figure that emerged from the shadows like a restless wraith. The half-Yoma man's arms tightened around Cynthia as he remembered the identity of Zhang Liao's liege… and his fearsome countenance.

"My Lord, and the Prime Minister of the Chinese nation. Cao Cao Mengde."

The attendant and Zhang Liao bowed, but Cynthia squeaked in fear at the demonic man, whose hawkish face seemed more frightening than Hell itself. He was not tall, nor was he large in any sense. But his human chi dwarfed that of even Zhou Tai's, for it was crafted in the fires of not merely military strategy or martial arts, but of every school of learning that the Chinese academies had to offer. In that sense, he was living proof that no matter how strong the enemy would become, they would do well not to underestimate humanity's capabilities.

But war was war.

"Cao Cao," said Zhou Tai, hugging Cynthia close.

"Be at ease," said Zhang Liao. "We are not – "

"What do you want with us?" cried Cynthia. "Why are we here like this?"

To the couple's surprise, Cao Cao grinned. "You two must be hungry," he replied. "Would you not join me for dinner before anything else?"

She blinked. "I – "

Zhang Liao gestured towards the dungeon door with an open palm. "My Lord will explain everything once you have bathed and are appropriately dressed to sit in his presence. Until then, I urge you to regain your footing quickly. There is much to be said and done."