The End of the Three Kingdoms
Garbed in nothing but her nightclothes after a night of tender slumber, Cynthia kneeled before a delectably naked Zhou Tai, her hands holding his as he sat at the edge of their bed, gazing thoughtfully down whilst she beamed up at him. After a week recovering together, the couple no longer experienced the same discomfiture they had felt after leaving the dungeon they had been imprisoned in. But the revelations of Galatea had only just begun to sink in. They amounted to nothing less than that the beleaguered world was in dire peril.
The Kingdom of Shu had fallen, and the allies had not completed recuperating from the disastrous defeat they suffered at Wu Zhang. Sun Quan and his men had fallen in Jianye at Rigardo's hands, and there was nowhere for her and her husband to flee to. It was truly a new world – a new world in which there was no Shu, Wu, or even Wei. Cao Cao had said so himself. Galatea had been telling the truth all along. The man truly did not care for his own empire – at least, it seemed so. He claimed he wished to inaugurate a so-called Jin Alliance, a military powerful enough to resist Isley's relentless, global invasion: in other words, he had reached the second stage of his ambition after succeeding in bringing the Claymores together.
Cynthia paused thoughtfully, looking into her half-Yoma husband's eyes, full of brooding lustre.
What did he think? What did he think of the tragedy that was Wu's destruction?
So many questions still remained unanswered. But for now, she was content enough to know that Zhou Tai still stood by her side.
"You do not need to worry for me like this," she piped up, stroking his lap fondly. "You must admit, brave and gentle warrior – Galatea and Cao Cao have lived up to their words. It's somewhat jarring… to find ourselves in their care. And the realization that Wei is a non-entity…"
"It is admittedly difficult to believe that they intend to protect us and the interests of Wu's survivors, especially after all the conflicts that have passed between us. But you, Cynthia… you have not allowed the boundaries of Kingdoms to limit the boundaries of your trust."
She blushed. "I'm sorry, my Lord. I must seem so disloyal and unfaithful. Truth be told, I have only your happiness and wellbeing in mind. Compared to that, not even the Kingdom of Wu matters."
"I am that important?"
"Yes," she whispered. "Yes, you are."
Her hand moved to her stomach fondly, and she looked back up at him. She wondered if he ever thought of the marvel that only a woman's intuition could understand. Perhaps he had not believed anything could have emerged unscathed from the Battle of Wu Zhang Plains, but he had proven himself incorrect with his endurance and survival. His artlessness was something that had always endeared him to her. But she could not keep the shroud of ignorance around his eyes any longer. It was time.
It was time to confess to him of her unborn child.
How could it have happened? The Organization had repeatedly told her, indoctrinated her with the lifelong mantra of ultimate despair and indignity – that women of silver eyes could never experience the excitement and agonizing fulfillment of childbirth, of bringing life into the beautiful world. Cynthia herself had not noticed any change in her physiology since her first consummation with her beloved. Surely there couldn't have been. Nothing had changed in these four years at all –
But could… he have changed?
What had happened to him that night at the Red Cliffs… when he lost half his humanity… to give him the power to impregnate even the most barren of women – the Claymores of the Continent?
It seemed miraculous, ludicrously miraculous. What had Zhuge Liang done? Surely he should have become a sterile eunuch, a man whose seed would be incapable of any notable feat – but instead… he had gained in potency?
What was her husband becoming?
She knew only this: prior to their journey to northern China to join with their then-Shu allies against the then-Wei army, her Lord had lovingly trusted her with raising his miraculous seed, the seed that would grow into the human union of a Chinese and Continental Claymore. But that legacy had to be protected. The life within had survived the trauma she suffered at Wu Zhang, but only the gods knew what harm could come to her next. Furthermore, the union of two half-Yoma made it almost certain that their child would be only half-human. He – or she – would desperately need all the love and affection and support she and Zhou Tai could offer.
"My beloved Tai," she whispered nervously, pressing two fingers together as she stared at the ground.
Zhou Tai smiled affectionately. "Yes?"
"I know this isn't exactly the best time, what with the world about to be overrun by Awakened Beings…" She smiled nervously. "But I think you're going to be a father."
Zhou Tai's smile faltered momentarily, as if she had said something incoherent and incomprehensible. "A father?" he clarified, not quite understanding what he had just heard from his wife's lips.
"A father," affirmed Cynthia.
Zhou Tai fell silent.
Cynthia blushed, the volume of her voice lowering dramatically. She glanced around, despite having closed their door just earlier. "I'm sorry I had to tell you like this," she squeaked. "But we've had so little opportunity to keep to ourselves thus far…"
"I… a father? But that is impossible," he protested, his voice a murmur.
"It is a miracle," said Cynthia almost inaudibly. "It is a miracle… that what happened to you on that night at the Red Cliffs… made you a stronger man."
He shook his head slowly, awestruck. How could it be? Was that what she had intended to tell him that night, on those accursed hours of the early morning that saw their calamitous defeat at Rigardo's hands? "But why did you not say it then – "
"I… I had hoped to. But…" She reached up for him, eyes shining. "I could not bring myself to put such a burden on you then. I thought my death was inevitable." She let out a whimper. "I didn't think I could ever see you again."
He closed his eyes, as if she had stabbed Duskstrike into his heart.
"Please, say something, my Lord," entreated Cynthia, anxiety leaping into her throat. "Why do you look so upset? Please, don't let it be because of the baby. I need you; I need your support. My love?"
Zhou Tai choked out a reassurance, but it was weak and unconvincing. He held her hands tighter, self-doubt and self-loathing overcoming him even as she began to sniffle with emotion. His two clashes against Rigardo had been nothing less than absolute disasters – the first degenerated into a desperate struggle to hold back his Awakening at He Fei, and the second was a miserable failure to protect the woman he loved. He almost could not care that he was now to serve under Cao Cao. Only two things plagued his mind: the murder of his Lord, Sun Quan at Rigardo's hands, and his inability to protect her.
"Tell me what is stirring in your heart. I demand it."
He trembled slightly as her entreaty. He was not good enough. He was not strong enough. Why did she depend on him for a task of such magnitude? He would surely fail…
But he could not falter. Not now. Not when they had veritably returned from the dead to find each other's embrace. That realization temporarily propelled him out of the murky mire of his uncertainty and insecurity, and Cynthia blinked as his face suddenly cleared. He moved to guide his wife onto his lap. "Come here, my love," he whispered, urging her to cease her kneeling.
She complied, rising and nestling into his cuddle. Her tears gradually stopped as she gazed at him hopefully. And when he finally spoke of her future life as a mother, he did not disappoint.
"We have always been a family. Nothing will change. Child or no, I will love you as I always have."
"My Lord," whispered Cynthia.
Another tear slipped down her face, but this time it was not one of anxiety, but one of joy and gratitude.
*
Luoyang Palace East Wing
"I see you refuse to bow before me. I expected so much of you, proud warriors," said a bewitching Galatea. As the new Governess of China, the senior Claymore was expectedly regal, queenly, and infinitely beautiful. She stood a step above the Shu-Wu warriors, beside the throne on which she was supposed to sit as the supreme caretaker of the Middle Kingdom. "How long are you going to let your obstinacy get the better of you? So I killed your King. Leave that grudge behind and join us in the war against Isley before it's too late."
Yue Ying gritted her teeth at her jabbing taunt, but Zhou Tai ignored it. "We refuse not out of disdain or scorn, but out of a desire to know of your plans for us. Once we know, we can make a decision. We can choose either submission… or resistance," he replied grimly.
"I will not repeat myself. You are refusing out of pride, something unbefitting a warrior. Your reasons are simply meaningless. But I suppose that figures. I have heard of your pirate origins." Galatea smiled at the nervous Cynthia, who stood beside her husband in the convocation chamber, waiting for what was expected to be a most emotional reunion. The messenger's memo was straightforward: Yue Ying and Flora had made full recoveries and were to attend a private assembly with Galatea, along with the warriors of the vanquished Wu state. Cynthia glanced nervously ahead. Galatea's husband, the feared Cao Cao, had not arrived yet.
So far, so good, observed Cynthia to herself. Ever since the confession of her pregnancy, her stomach had already felt slightly larger, but she was confident that she was only suffering from the jitters. Zhou Tai seemed completely composed, as per his usual self, but she knew better. She somewhat regretted dropping such a shocking bombshell on him after having awoken to a world without Wu or Sun Quan. The more she reflected on what she had said, and how she had begged for his support, the more she began to resent herself for having piled her fears and hopes on him with only a passing consideration of his pain, of his confusion.
You're a callous woman, Cynthia. Couldn't you have put it to him more easily? My God, what might he be thinking now? You'll have to make this up to him.
The silent sentry at the convocation chamber's entrance suddenly saluted. "Announcing the former Marquess of Shu, Flora, and the former Grand General of Shu, Yue Ying!" Cynthia jumped at the voice, and stood at attention along with her husband. Zhou Tai remained emotionless, although his heart was also pounding. Their allies, cared for and tended to by the wardens of Wei, were here. At last, they would meet once again. An indescribable tension filled the air, neither hostile nor joyful.
Galatea's face relaxed further as two feminine forms slowly walked past the wooden doors to the chamber. She kept quiet, allowing the allied comrades to regain their bearing. Surely it was as if they were meeting strangers. It had only been a month, but already a profound change had overtaken the two women that stepped onto the patterned rug of the palace floor – Flora's eyes seemed tired, exhausted from nights spent crying into her cushions, and Yue Ying looked somewhat jaded, her smile tinged with a bittersweet irony ever since she had submitted to a new master. Nevertheless, they were instantly recognizable – from Flora's azure, flowing clothes and silver armour, to Yue Ying's auburn hair, bindi, and elegant green and white chemise. Four pairs of eyes met, and a world of agony, love, celebration, fury, and desperation opened up before them.
"Hello, Cynthia. Hello, Master Zhou," said Flora, her voice breaking in relief.
Cynthia ran towards Flora and hurled herself into her arms. Galatea's smile broadened. For once, she did not mind remaining out of the spotlight as her four enemies-turned-comrades at Wu Zhang Plains reunited in a whirl of quick tears and quiet, stuttering words. "Cao Pi told me of the situation in Shu and Wu," murmured Flora. "I am… sorry for you and Lord Zhou Tai, sweet Cynthia."
"Marquess Flora… Lady Huang. I thank the gods that you are well," whispered Cynthia, clutching Flora to her. She quickly released her silver-eyed comrade and bowed profusely before Yue Ying. The Chinese woman hastily guided her back up with two hands. Her fingers brushed by her cheeks tenderly. "We will not forgive the monsters that have done this to our people. We must avenge those whose trust we have betrayed through our failure."
"It is a miracle that you are alive. I had thought we had met our doom on the plains of central China," said Yue Ying, looking up and smiling at Zhou Tai, who nodded in thankful acknowledgment. The Yoma-man bowed low at the waist before Flora, who blushed and returned his deference. "Have you two been coping well? Finding ourselves here…" Yue Ying looked around the once-Wei palace pillars and walls. "Finding ourselves here was terrible at worst, and even now, I still feel as if I'm in some kind of hell. Avici, perhaps?"
"Somehow, we have managed. But I cannot say the same for the Chinese nation. The Strossi still roam free. How can we stop them? Their power is simply too great." Cynthia stared up into Yue Ying's maternal eyes. "Isley… if he could trounce us so easily, what will he do to the rest of…"
"He is nothing but a rabid, overgrown mule rampaging across the world," boomed Cao Cao's voice. "His so-called strength cannot hold a candle to my ambition." He emerged from behind the drapes, standing beside Governess Galatea. "The time has come to act. We cannot stand idly by and allow Isley to break past our strained defences. The Emperor must be… persuaded… to bless the Jin Alliance."
"You're rather confident that we will join you," muttered Zhou Tai. "But as grateful as we are, we must be convinced further of your fidelity."
Cao Cao smiled, as if he had expected resistance all along. "You have pride, and you are guided by your feelings of honour. I admire a warrior's self-respect, and feelings are what make life worth living. But be warned. Left unchecked, they will engulf you and cloud your sight of what the future can offer. Blinded by the night of the past, you will miss the coming of the tender dawn."
Slowly, munificently, he extended a gloved hand towards the couple. "Join me," he proposed simply, looking directly at Cynthia. "Join me, and you shall never lose a home again. I will protect you, as I do my own family… for my officers are family."
Zhou Tai looked hesitant, but Cynthia did not share his uncertainty.
"Is that a promise? Is that an oath?" she asked. She looked at him, this time quite fearlessly, into his dark brown eyes. "That our family will be safe in your care?"
"You have my word," replied Cao Cao. "Your entire family will enjoy the service of my personal Royal Guard. Starting tonight." He smiled. "No. Starting now."
Her eyes momentarily widened. He does not know that we of the silver eyes are not… supposed… to be able to give birth.
All that matters to me now… is that my child will not be hurt. I will give him the protection she needs – and I don't care who gives me that protection.
Torn and unconfident, Zhou Tai looked at her, and while she did not nod, the understanding between them was mutual. The Premier swore to shelter her husband… and although he did not know it yet, her unborn baby, as well.
How could she refuse?
Tai… this is for you, and our shy little angel. Cynthia lowered herself and kneeled before the Premier and the Governess. Her strength suddenly seemed amplified. "Then I pledge myself to your service," said the pregnant woman, "and trust in the integrity of your promise."
Breaking his silence, Zhou Tai's silver irises clouded over. "Cynthia, no…"
She glanced behind her briefly, and her eyes shone with an astonishing love. "This is for the best, baby Tai. Don't worry. I will let nothing come to harm you."
"Your ambition had better be worth our allegiance, Cao Cao." Yue Ying stepped forward, along with Flora. "I refuse to engage in your style of warfare, although I would prefer to call it treacherous butchery. So do not expect your armies to function the same way while I am Supreme Commander. I will fight this war my own way." The two women gazed at the man, still reluctant to abandon their defiance entirely. But they had pledged to crush the Awakened Beings alongside Cao Cao even before Cynthia and Zhou Tai rose from their coma, and this final reunion between the warriors that were first to look upon yellow eyes was prelude to a new fashion of warfare.
A war waged by enemies-turned-allies.
Flora nodded in agreement with Yue Ying. "I will lay aside my opinion of your son and hold you in a different light. I know better than to hate a man who desires an end to the bloodshed in his nation. I trust you, former King of Wei. But know that if you break that trust, you shall not regain it."
Cao Cao blinked in slight surprise, before allowing himself a chuckle. "That is also what Galatea warned me, when she first met me. I assure you that the future I see is clear. And I will need what you can offer the land. Every portion is essential, every individual, necessary."
"You make us sound like mannequins to be pulled and discarded at your bidding, like a showman seeking to please some riffraff crowd," insisted Yue Ying.
"That 'riffraff' crowd you speak of consists of nothing less than the people of China. You would do well to remember that it is they whom you are fighting for. If nothing else, surrender to the Emperor alone, and not to me. That is also sufficient."
"You are the Prime Minister," snapped Yue Ying. "Even a child knows you have made His Majesty a puppet figurehead. Don't play us for fools."
"My apologies. I've forgotten that it is quite impossible to satisfy women." And with that scornful insult, Cao Cao swept out his hand dismissively, signalling an end to the argument. Yue Ying glared at him and slowly kneeled. There was no other way out of this. Flora followed, and Cynthia and Zhou Tai genuflected in tandem. "The five of you, China's greatest heroes, have allied your strength with mine. With Shu and Wu's demise and the exodus of their people into my land, the era of the Three Kingdoms has definitively come to an end." His face was meditative. "The realm, long divided, must unite. And it has done so this day. "Marquess Flora. Supreme Commander Yue Ying. Admiral Zhou Tai. Herald General Cynthia. You all form the centre, the axis of the Jin Alliance's army. I need your strength. I need your talents, your capabilities. And then… you will prove to the Awakened hordes the indomitability of the human spirit."
"If it is in the interests of protecting the Chinese people and those that you have granted asylum to, then I will gladly accept, Your Excellency," said Cynthia quickly.
Cao Cao smiled in elation. "Good. Well met." His eyes alight, he walked over and smiled down at her bowed head. He exhaled heavily as he raised his ornate Sword of Heaven. "The spirit of a warrior is strong within you. You shall become a mighty servant of mine, indeed." Cynthia closed her eyes as the flat of his blade gently tapped her shoulder. She heard his voice boom out across the convocation room.
"Arise… China's new Herald General."
Flora could not help looking at the Herald General admiringly as Cynthia rose, looking at Zhou Tai in embarrassment. The conflicted man felt, to his own chagrin, quite proud as well.
"Our first task is to ensure all refugees pouring in from the western and southern borders are sheltered appropriately," said Cao Cao. "I will arrange a magnificent ceremony for my new commanders… and you will be treated to the finest Shu and Wu dancers and musicians, as a token of my trust and hospitality. You must be present, so we may inaugurate the Jin Alliance and bring my ambition to fruition."
Galatea stepped forward to stand beside her husband. "Allow me to enlighten you on the theatres of war you and many others shall participate in. There will be several major fronts that require securing," she said. "You already understand that you must depart for Mount Imeon in several weeks, Yue Ying. The Cosmodrome will begin construction under your supervision, and our alchemists require your expertise with the bladed bow's armaments." Her eyes gleamed. "Like a game of chess, we must outmanoeuvre Isley to a checkmate. The Silk Road will serve as a lifeline of supplies and troops to Mount Imeon. We must hold that route at all costs so that the Awakened Beings are powerless to stop the weapons from Mount Imeon."
"In this battle, Lady Galatea, you have sixteen pieces and the centaur demon has sixteen thousand."
"I have sixteen million," said Galatea. "I have every fluttering heart in this nation and beyond. But the most important front, our destiny, shall be that of Kumtag Desert. Even as we speak, our Dune Troopers are amassing for an all-out assault on what can be loosely called the central command of Isley's forces. We must break through the endless sands and into the Dunhuang Oasis, where the Mogao Caves stand. A determined charge into the grottoes will no doubt cost thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of lives. But our imperative task is to root out the portal within the labyrinths, and shatter it into dust." She paused. "Only then will we even stand a chance of excising Isley and Priscilla's presence from this realm. Even then, the unknown factor of Lu Bu remains an omnipresent possibility."
"And what of the cities?" clarified Yue Ying uneasily.
"They will almost certainly come under attack. Already Chengdu and Jianye are in desperate need of liberating. We would be foolish not to expect an enemy invasion against Chang'an, He Fei, Hanzhong, and even Xuchang or Luoyang. But should Luoyang fall, the hopes of the entire nation would be extinguished.
"Furthermore, destroying the portal in China will only dispose of the symptoms, not the disease, for as long as the gateway on the Continent continues to exist, Yoma can continue to invade other worlds. Which is why we must take the fight to the enemy. We must penetrate into the Mogao Caves and reach the portal. But before we destroy it, we shall commission an elite strike force of Chinese and Continental warriors to enter the portal … and travel out through its counterpart to emerge amidst the ruins of Sutafu." She nodded. "Yes. My husband and I have decided that there is no other way to eradicate this cancer. We must conquer the Continent, which was conquered by the Awakened Beings four years ago. We must send an expeditionary force into the portal."
A shocked silence forced itself into the convocation chamber. Yue Ying looked at Zhou Tai in bafflement.
Flora stepped forward, staring into Galatea's eyes. "You did not tell us of this? You are planning an assault on our very homeland?" she cried.
"Preposterous," blurted Yue Ying.
"But necessary," pointed out Galatea.
"A direct attack against the Continent surely would prove suicidal," protested Cynthia nervously. "There is no hope of salvaging it from the hands of the Awakened Beings…"
"I would know, sisters. Do you not remember that I was the first of our kind to be assigned to the Middle Kingdom? Ermita's concern for our… compromised careers… was pivotal in sending the warriors of our cohort to this final bastion capable of standing against Isley. The objective is to destroy the Continent's portal, so that not only China is freed from the hordes, but all other worlds, as well."
"It is a suicide mission… an assignment that they can never survive," said Flora. Revelation after revelation… it seemed all too much for her. "I know not how you could possibly succeed against the guardians of Sutafu and beyond. They are the very reason why we fled the Continent!"
"This is the only way to end the chaos," replied Cao Cao. "For that greater purpose, we must put a swift and expedient end to this calamitous war. We must sever the lifeline of Isley. We must break the source of their power."
Galatea smiled. "This mission, this so-called Sundering, might sound foolish and desperate. Even a grand alliance such as ours is not certain to keep the territory we've managed to cling on to. But worry not. The four of you will remain stationed in China, for she needs your strength. Instead, a select division of powerful warriors will be making the foray into Sutafu once we breach the Mogao Caves' defences – Alicia, Beth, and Xu Huang among them."
"Surely you require more than three powerful warriors to defeat the Awakened Beings amassed on the other side of Sutafu portal," insisted Yue Ying.
"Of course, Supreme Commander. In fact, two of them are already en route to a scouting mission at Kumtag Desert, searching for a… lost comrade… that, if found and rescued, will also join the Sunderers in their mission."
"Who – "
"So many questions," smirked Galatea, and her Lord smirked along with her. "Just be patient and wait, sisters. I guarantee it will be of great interest to all of you."
*
Many li away
Along the venerable Silk Road, a cloaked woman slowly lifted her hood from her head, revealing a ruffled mop of brown hair. Holding her hand was a younger female in a swathe of Arab garments of matching size, although even the turban was not enough to conceal her abnormally long blonde hair. Claymore swords were attached to the backs of their outfits, giving away their affiliation quite noticeably.
"Mama," mumbled the small, manic-eyed girl.
"Keep a sharp lookout, little Miata," urged the beautiful brunette. She glanced around, and allowed herself a breath of pristine, desert air.
"So I am walking the path Miria and her team trod… before they were defeated," murmured Clarice.