Flame Of Wu

~New Friends??~

Lu Mei felt shocked beyond belief. "You're the...Emperor?...If you are the Emperor, then that means-"

"Sun Ce had passed, sadly." Sun Quan said regretfully before taking in a soft breath. "I am glad to see you again. If I may ask, what are you doing in the land of Wu?" Lu Mei was silent before she spoke up, her voice barely audible form where he stood, "Xia Pi castle was attacked...and my family was separated..." She looked up at Gan Ning, who gazed at her with clouded thoughts and an expressionless face. She brought her attention back to Sun Quan as she reported the events that were still fresh in her mind, "Lu Bu was killed, Diao Chan was captured, and Lu Ling Qi had fled." She looked down at her feet. "Before she was captured, Diao Chan told me to find you and join your army."

She remained looking down as hot tears fell from her eyes, hearing Sun Quan's voice speak up tenderly. "Mei..." She looked back up at him, despite the tears rolling down her cheeks; "You can stay, but you don't have to join the army if you want." She shook her head defiantly in reply; "No. I choose to join your army." Sun Quan remained silent, nodding to himself before he stepped forward to Lu Mei. "Come with me, I have something I need to show you."

"Wait! Why are you so nice to her?" Gan Ning asked as Sun Quan gazed at him with a calm, preserved look. "Because she is a friend, not an enemy. And like you needed before, she can use some guidance; So I'm assigning you to help her adjust to living in Wu."

Gan Ning fell silent and Lu Mei felt a stab of pity for him. She walked away, next to Sun Quan. They came shortly to a dimly lit room. Sun Quan opened the door and Lu Mei squinted her eyes to adjust to the dark as she stepped in. In the room, there was only one well-decorated box across from them. Sun Quan beckoned to her as he walked to the box. "Open it," He pressed gently; "Your father gave this to my father as a gift when we were younger." She hesitated for a moment before opening the box and gasped. It was her father's old spear; lined with beautiful red velvet fabric to keep it looking as new as before. She lifted it out from the box and held it gingerly in her hands, gazing at the various scratches in the handle. She remembered that day...

~~~~~~~~~~~~MEMORY~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lu Ling Qi played with her friends in one of the training areas while Lu Mei sat alone near a patch of flowers. Lu Mei traced the flower's shape with her finger idly while enjoying the ambience of laughter and the sound of the grass as it was stepped on by the playing children. The children then stopped and began screaming and yelling, running away from Lu Mei's direction as she stared to them in confusion. Lu Mei then cried out in fear as she was sharply grabbed by a soldier, noticing his familiar attire but also noting the violet hues and the unknown insignia he bore on his sleeve. This was not one of the soldiers she knew; the fear in her rising more.

She screamed but her mouth was quickly covered by his hand as he quickly moved. He dragged her beyond the borders of Xia Pi, throwing her onto the ground, and brought out a dagger as she stared at him with wide eyes. Before he could kill her, he was struck a heavy blow from an arrow and fell back, lying still against the ground. She ran as soon as the soldier fell and did not look back, tiny yet heavy pants escaping her as she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. She felt so scared she couldn't stop, not even for air until she finally collapsed, falling onto her stomach. Heaving herself back up, she was ready to keep running for she wasn't going to risk facing anymore unknown soldiers.

"Hey! What are you doing in the forest?!" A tall man with tiger-like clothing and a helmet ran over to her. She cried out and shielded her little body with an arm, scrambling back before falling onto her rear, shivering with fear in her eyes. He calmly approached her, for she was terrified of him, and gently lifted her into his arms. She continued to shiver, scared of all the possible deaths that could await her, but her fear fell into confusion as the man rubbed her back gently and carried her away. Later on within the kingdom of Wu, she met Sun Ce and his younger brother, Sun Quan, the man's children. She heard the camp doors open to reveal her parents! She ran over to them, hysterically crying and apologizing before Diao Chan leaned down and scooped up her little girl, her own eyes hazed in relief that her daughter was alive and well. In thanks, Lu Bu gave the kind man his spear and set back home with his wife and youngest child.