Dynasty Warriors: The Rise of Sun
Chapter 13 of my Dynasty Warriors story, enjoy.
Reviews:
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)
Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Dynasty Warriors or its characters.
The Imperial Seal
They sat for a moment, watching the marching army that bore Dong Zhuo's banner, it was marching off west towards Dong Zhuo's main territory of Yong Province.
"My Lord, what should we do, at this rate they'll be past the Tong Gate and on their way to Changan." Cheng Pu queried.
Sun Jian shook his head. "Let them go, this is a bluff, Dong Zhuo is trying to keep us from attacking from the west."
They readied their weapons and ignored the marching army, heading towards the western side of Luoyang, as they did they saw Yuan Tan's army coming to join them. Reaching him Yuan Tan himself spoke up.
"Lord Sun Jian, we just received word from my father, the rest of the coalition broke through Hulao Gate and are attacking the east gate." He explained.
Sun Jian smiled. "Good, I see you brought Master Lu Zhi with you, it is good to see you again.
Lu Zhi smiled back and nodded. "You too, Lord Sun Jian. I've brought siege engines, we can begin our attack on the gate."
"My father and the others will be doing the same on the other side, so let us begin." Yuan Tan said.
Sun Jian agreed and the others all gave a rallying cry, readying their forces and setting up the siege engines. They began moving the battering ram in when suddenly they noticed it and all hell broke loose.
Han Dang had noticed it first and gasped in horror.
"My Lord, look, smoke." He cried.
They all looked and sure enough several plumes of smoke were rising from within the city.
"Fire, the city is on fire!" Ce cried.
Sun Jian growled. "How could, quick, break that gate down!"
With that the battering ram was rushed in and after several efforts to do so, broke the gates open and the they all rushed in. Sure enough the whole city was on fire and there were screams, cries and no sign of Dong Zhuo's army.
"Curses, this was...it was all a trick." Sun Jian cried.
"Sun Jian!?"
He turned to see Cao-Cao riding towards him, the rest of the coalition army had breached the east gate and were now inside the burning city, shocked at what happened.
"Cao-Cao, this is Dong Zhuo's doing, he's tricked us all." Sun Jian explained. "He burned down the city and rode away to Changan with his army, they moved slowly, it was all a double bluff. He made us think he was sending a fake army to flee when it was really him."
Cao-Cao glowered. "Urgh and now there are people suffering and struggling, in danger...But if we don't stop Dong Zhuo. Sun Jian, help the rest of the coalition, I'll deal with Dong Zhuo."
"What, Cao-Cao, no, you know you can't-" Yuan Shao cried out as he rode up, overhearing what he said.
"We cannot let this pass us by, we'll lose everything, he's taken the Emperor with him!" Cao-Cao snapped.
With that he gave the order and he and his army rose back out of Luoyang and headed after Dong Zhuo.
Yuan Shao shook his head. "Curses, everyone, hurry, get those fires out!"
Sun Jian nodded to his men and together they got to work, doing their utmost to help in saving the people and putting the fires out.
The sun was starting to rise as Sun Jian let out a sigh, wiping his brow and looked around, he was covered in soot from his efforts to save people. They'd done the best they could and managed to put the fires out and now he was trying to catch his breath.
"Father…"
He turned to Ce and gave a soft smile. "I'm sorry you had to see all this son, but this is war. This is what you asked about."
"I know, it's worse than I thought but still...for Dong Zhuo to be so monstrous." Ce replied gently.
His retainers hurried over to join him again.
"My Lord, it's…" Huang Gai gasped out, looking horrified. "Lord Lu Zhi is dead."
"What?"
Huang Gai bowed his head. "He was trying to save people from a burning building, he got them out...but then it collapsed on top of him, he was killed instantly."
"So now the last of the Han old guard has passed away, Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun and now Lu Zhi." Cheng Pu mused sadly, before noticing something. "My Lord, look there."
Sun Jian turned to where Cheng Pu had pointed and his eyes widened. Cheng Pu had pointed to a well from which something was glinting in the rising sun. Confused, Sun Jian made his way over to the well and reached for the glinting object and fished it out. He heard the gasps from those around him as he beheld the object in his hand, a large jade seal.
Cheng Pu instantly bowed, his voice awed.
"My Lord, you have...you have found the missing Imperial Seal."
"The Imperial Seal?" Huang Gai gasped.
Han Dang nodded. "Yes, that's certainly it, it was said to be missing since the Eunuch Rebellion last year."
"A sacred relic, the very symbol of the Emperor, it's-" Cheng Pu began.
"Enough." Sun Jian said sharply. "That's all stories. Nevertheless I must ensure this finds its way back to the Emperor once he is safe. I cannot trust anyone else with the Seal...after everything I've seen of everyone here…"
A cold high laugh sounded. "Oh how astute, but to be so arrogant as to assume you are any different from them."
They all spun around to see a man approaching them with a sneer. He was an old man with long white hair and a similar long beard, clad in Taoist robes.
"Who are you!?" Ce demanded at once.
The man smirked. "My name is Gan Ji and I am the harbinger of doom. You have found the Imperial Seal and like all those before you who held it, you will suffer your grim fate."
"Grim fate, you think to threaten me and act as if-" Sun Jian began.
"Ah, you fool." Gan Ji cut him off with a dark grin. "I know you, Sun Jian, you are cursed, your family is cursed. Neither you nor your son...will achieve a great age and will meet terrible ends...after which your family will descend into darkness, all thanks to that seal."
This infuriated the others and they tried to attack the old man but he vanished in a cloud of smoke, his laughter echoing around as Sun Jian looked down at the seal again, suddenly wondering.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.