Gates Of the West

[Sun Quan]

A few brave heroes..
Gongsun Chao, Saru, Lao Jun, Ling Tong, Zhao Yun & Xiao Huan


~The Emperor's Hall~

[black]"Another long and arduous winter day,"[/black] spoke a solemn Tu Yiang, who was not too pleased to start the day. With him a few others chattered, their eyes constantly watching the aging relic of the 'former Han Dynasty.' Now that Cao Cao was in town things had changed, but with what little power the young Emperor had to spare he made sure that it was clear Yiang would stay in office and by his side. That however didn't stop Cao Cao from filling the entire rest of the court with his deceiving servants of the Emperor. [black]"...Nothing but a bumbling bunch of hens,"[/black] Yiang whispered to himself, [black]"Liu Ren, where in the hell are you."[/black]


"The young hero's are finally here." Tu Yiang's ears perked up at the words of his assistant, whom calmly gestured to the small crowd of men passing through the hall doors. Without a second thought the minister made his way over to the Emperor's chair, which was hidden from view by drapes and assorted beads. An aging and tired hand brushed the beads away, revealing a young boy whom had been well hidden by the drapes of royalty a bit too long. [black]"Your Highness, the search party for lord Liu Ren has been assembled,"[/black] Yiang looked at the boy, who seemed to perk up with the mentioning of Liu Ren. Alas, Liu Ren.. the only other man whom he knew Cao Cao couldn't' bend; if he was here... [black]"Your Highness.. do you have any words for them...?"[/black] The old man paused and watched the young 'God' who was fidgeting in the golden chair that seemed to always adorn his body.

One second went by, then another; it seemed he wouldn't be saying much today.. either. But suddenly, he spoke out, his voice loud enough for the room to hear, [yellow]"Uncle Liu Ren has been gone too long! Pl- please, bring him back to me.."[/yellow] The young Emperor's voice faded and the room grew very quiet, though it was clear they were all staring in their direction.

[black]"Yes your Highness."[/black] Stepping back, the old man raised himself back up and then took back to the court, which seemed quite upset at the recent outburst. Yiang was un-phased however, as he watched over the six warriors before him, each looking a bit too young, and a bit too out of place in the Emperor's Hall... They would have to do, he thought, as he cleared his voice.

[black]"As you may see, the Emperor is very passionate about lord Liu Ren's safety, and seeks his return immediately.. Captain Zhou Jun, please inform these men upon their mission."[/black] Yiang humbly took a step back, while the man whom walked the six warriors up walked forward and drew out a small parchment. His figure was tall, strong and covered in armour; by his side rested a sword, much like the rest of the palace guards adorning the room's walls. One key feature made him stand out, the large purple plume that sputtered out from his helmet. Oh and, his voice, which was very loud and very deep.

[purple]"You six have answered the call to the Emperor! Few ever even have the pleasure of entering his palace, let alone the same room! But you six shall serve him personally"[/purple] Jun's eyes danced across the men as he paused and made sure each of them met his eyes. Not a bad bunch, but not the greatest. [purple]"Your journey shall be a long one, but no pathway is too long for the will of the Emperor! The details of this mission remain in this parchment, which I will carry with me at all times- yes I, Zhou Jun, shall be leading you men. We, together, shall find lord Liu Ren and bring him back for the sake of the Emperor."[/purple] His words seemed to hang in the air, as the entire room gazed at the six travelers who'd taken up the cause...

[purple]"We leave in twenty minutes, I shall see you at the gates to the city."[/purple]

The court bowed to the six, which amazed Yiang, as he truly thought that Cao's hens didn't have any compassion. Then again, maybe the Emperor's words had swayed them to his cause. Either way, the problem was now off his 'desk.'


~The Gates Of Xu Chang~

Zhou Jun cleared his throat, eying the six travelers. However, instead of speaking he simply maneuvered his horse in the direction going east and stirred the animal forward. He did not turn back to speak to his companions, for the captain was too busy trying to understand what he'd done to get such a job.. Go 'rescue' Liu Ren, a man whom he'd never personally met, from the clutches of the 'forbidden city.' What kind of mess was he getting into..

[purple]"If you have any questions, speak now."[/purple] Jun spoke, his eyes still watching the plains off in the distance glow as the sun stepped in for the night..

[Sarugaku Jouten]

{Short and crappy I know. But I am busy with other posts. )

Sarugaku shifted on his horse a bit. The male wearing silver lightweight armor. The built of the armor was for maximum agility but at the cost of little protection, it was perfect for a warrior like him. The only thing that said that he was from Wu was the red sash across his hips and the marking of Wu on the back of his clothing. Upon his back were two swords, both of them black.

"Yeah, what do we get for getting the weakling? Also if you wish it so I can bring my men to come with us. I am sure they will be of great use to us." Silver optics looked toward the other person on the horse. Head shifted toward the side, then to the other. Looking at both side of warriors before returning his dull gaze at the warrior on the horse.

[Gongsun Chao]

In a rather stark contrast to the warrior from Wu, the young noble from Ru Nan wore a beautiful suit of white armor depicting elaborate designs of dragons and serpents, and talked quite a bit with the officials that they'd met so far. Chao felt quite at home in the imperial court, where he had spent so many years of his childhood. He introduced himself in a cordial manner to most of the officials that they met, and to each of the six heroes that had gathered.

"Well met, Lord Zhou, I am Gongsun Chao, son of the late Magistrate Gongsun Jieming the White Dragon of Ru Nan, and commander of the Standard of the White Dragon. At the service of the Son of Heaven, as we should always be."

He bowed low, especially when honored enough to be in the Emperor's official's presence. Despite his sometimes childish lack of inner respect, he really liked the Emperor and the few remaining loyal officials. He thought of the Emperor as a man quite like himself, young and brave yet not so skilled as to make a difference in the world, important yet not so much as the legacy they carried. Chao identified with the burden of legacy.

"In His Majesty's name, we shall find Liu Ren."

As they were all preparing to leave Xu Chang, Chao asked Zhou a question.

"Lord Zhou, should I have some of my men accompany us? The Standard would be honored to spare some men for the sake of His Majesty, the Son of Heaven."

[Lao Jun]

In a way, Lao Jun was relieved to be out of the presence of the young Emperor and his court. The honor of even being allowed in the Imperial Palace alone was almost overwhelming, and to be one of but six individuals allowed to serve the Emperor on this mission only compounded that. It had not been paralyzing, but he had certainly felt a weight on his shoulders during the encounter. It did not help that he did not necessarily look the part of a hero standing next to warriors in shining white and silver armor. His own armor was somewhat worn, and not at all elaborate, a reflection of his previous hardships. At least out here, away from the gazes, he only felt the pressure of the mission itself. That was something he could handle.

As they were waiting he warrior in silver armor, a man from Wu, asked about a reward, and Lao Jun scowled in response. “We ‘get’ the honor of serving the Son of Heaven. That is enough for any mortal man.”

Stirring the reigns of Ju Feng, Lao Jun did not spare the man from Wu another glance as he followed Zhou Jun eastward. It was disappointing that some would answer the call of the Emperor purely out of greed, but also expected. Such was the way of man. Where one found the honorable, so would one find the dishonorable. That said, Jun did not see this as an excuse to let the dishonorable go without reprimand.

[Xiao Huan]

Nagamasa hadn't expected the Emperor to be so emotional about the man Liu Ren. The outburst of the young Xian had stirred an all too familiar feeling inside of Nagamasa. Liu Ren was the Emperor's uncle, the only person whom the boy could trust in the court. In that moment, Nagamasa had made up his mind. He would bring Liu Ren back, one way or another.

That evening they'd set out eastward following the Zhou Jun, the man who was chosen to lead this expedition. He seemed like the no nonsense type and Nagamasa would not want to try his patience. Nagamasa rode alongside his friend, Gongsun Chao. He shot his fellow youth a quizzical look when he requested that he should bring troops. The Emperor had wanted six for a reason and that reason was likely contained in the scroll which Zhou Jun had with him. Nagamasa leaned carefully toward Chao and whispered.

"I believe it would be wise to retract your question Chao. If he'd wanted us to bring our men they'd have requested it."

He straightened up again and thought of the mission.

"A city found only in dreams", he thought as they rode with the dying sun behind them.

[Zhao Yun]

Zhao Yun nodded politely to the other generals that had gathered at the gate when he arrived. It seemed everyone was rather eager to head out, so he didn't bother to dismount. And truly, it wasn't long before everyone had arrived and they were on their way to do the Emperor's wishes. Although Zhao Yun sometimes questioned his leadership and ability to properly govern his office, he would never say it out loud. Still, he felt like it was his duty to serve his Emperor the best he could, for he who served the Emperor also served the people.

For the occasion, he had polished his armor and brought one of his finest steeds. Still, he didn't care all that much for 'decorations' and thus looked rather plain compared to some of the other generals. He listened as some of his companions asked their questions and even begun a small quarrel. He himself kept quiet, just enjoying this nice day for as long as he could. No doubt the quest they were about to undertake wouldn't be a simple one and Zhao Yun could only guess what was to happen in the next few days.

[Ling Tong]

It was a great priviledge to take on such a task. And it wasn't a task to simply get it over and done with, it was a task for the Emperor. Ling Tong was pleased to be part of one of only 6 people to be able to go into the Emperor's palace and be part of a quest.

As he stood with the other 5, he listened to Zhou Jun and then heard them talking with him. He smiled, as he sat back onto his teed ready for the long journey ahead of them, leaving Lei Huo in charge of his post, as he prepared to go on this adventure.