Disclaimer: I dont own the Dynasty Warriors series, this is a fictional story based on historical events and people

I've wanted to try making a Dynasty Warriors game for so long, since I've been following the games since Dynasty Warriors 3, played a demo and was instantly hooked, been buying the games and expansion packs ever since.

This particular story is based on the plot of the Jin Storyline from Dynasty Warriors 7. However some things will change, character fates and even the ending of the Three Kingdom's themselves. Characters will use Musuo attacks, but there will be limits to their powers. My OC is certainly not going to be all powerful

The only thing I own is my OC Kai Xun, whose armour I'm basing off of some od the edit parts in Dynasty Warriors 6: empires. Picture him as wearing a Shinobi shirt, steel gauntlets and boots and shinobi pants. His weapon is an original design that may have been used by different games and anime, I'm not sure where I got the inspiration for it from. I've also made main character models for some historical characters, such as Sun Quan's sons, the future emperor's of Wu.

Now that that is out of the way, enjoy :)

A Warrior's Choice

Chapter 1: Chaos rises again

Long ago the land was divided when the leader of the country failed to support his people. Or perhaps it was the greed and corruption of the men at the emperor's side. I did not exist then so I cannot speak for the Han Empire. You may know the tale well, of the great mystic Zhang Jiao and his uprising against the Han Empire. His Yellow Turban Rebellion was but the beginning of a much grander tale. Even when heroes united to put an end to his rebellion chaos and corruption continued to spread throughout the land. Tyrants and warlords rose up in order to make their mark in history. Many great heroes chose leaders to follow and in the end only three great kingdoms remained. These Kingdoms were named Wu, Shu and Wei, led respectively by Sun Quan, Liu Bei and Cao Cao. The Three kingdoms clashed many times; their battles would become legendary. Heroes rose and became the stuff of legend, but in the end they fell. Either because they were overwhelmed by battle or illness. Great men and women rose but couldn't escape their fate in the end. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms still carries to this day, even without the presence of these great heroes.

My name is Kai Xun, I have been a soldier of the Wei army since the battle of Wu Zhang Plains. There I witnessed the amazing strategies of Zhuge Liang best the patience and intelligence of our supreme Commander Sima Yi. Sima Yi himself even acknowledged the brilliance of Zhuge Liang despite never meeting the man face to face. But now several years after that battle, Zhuge Liang has passed and Sima Yi has carried on his arrogant nature. It is an arrogance well deserved, because I doubt there is anyone left who can oppose Sima Yi and his family.

We enjoyed a relative time of peace. But now the seeds of Chaos and war seem to be sprouting again. I wonder, whether the final victor he who deserves it, he who will be willing to change this country or he is simply the most ruthless. The Sima family or those who fight for benevolence?

"Liu Bei is dead, why do you fight on for his vision? Liu Shan does not share that vision, why fight for a lord unworthy of your loyalty?"

He stands facing a former ally turned enemy. The enemy in front of him stood with an unwavering sense of conviction. His enemy's hands never shook as he raised his double-sided trident. But his own hands kept shaking as he gripped his spear. Even his fellow soldiers beside him were unsure of whether to fight or flee.

"Wei is continuing to grow everyday, and the Sima Family's ambition will one day eclipse that of the three founders. Jiang Wei, please come back to Wei, you'd need not perish with Shu," He said.

Jiang Wei, former Wei officer and apprentice to Zhuge Liang held out his weapon as he closed his eyes.

"This body, this soul lives for the glory of Shu, I made an oath to the prime minister. We fight for a land for the people, where the people's needs and dreams are met. WE FIGHT FOR BENEVOLENCE!" Jiang Wei yelled.

He rushed forward, cutting down two Wei soldiers. He thrust his trident at the enemy in front of him. Kai Xun tilted his head back, barely dodging Jiang Wei's thrust. Jiang Wei span his trident around before splitting Kai Xun's spear with a single slash. A cut spread across the bridge of Kai Xun's nose. Then a heavy kick grounded him to the floor, the dirt and blood staining his blue armour. He laid out across the floor, looking up at the moon shining bright above him. Jiang Wei kept moving forward, never concerned by the soldier he had left behind.

Now years after that battle I stand with other soldiers, ready to defend the kingdom of Wei. Our enemy is one who would fan the flames of war, Gongsun Yuan.

Soldiers marched across the region, charging towards one another. The soldiers in purple were rebels against the Kingdom of Wei. Battalions of Wei soldiers had been taken away from their homes to join the front line against the rebels. There was no doubt that this battle would end in a massacre for Gongsun Yuan's forces. But it was foolish to think they would go down easy. They proved their fighting spirit by at least holding their own against the larger Wei force. Supreme Commander Sima Yi hadn't been seen since the troops left camp. The soldier had no doubt that the strategist was plotting something. Purple soldiers were sent flying from the effects of an earth-shaking blow. A young man lifted his great sword over his shoulder, frowning as the soldiers continued to charge him. He sighed before swinging his sword around. The sword was twice the size of his body, but he had no problem wielding the giant weapon. His grey, knight styled blue armour fitted the giant sword. A western styled helmet obscured the top half of his face.

"Oh well, at least I don't have to do a lot of running," He said.

An officer of Gongsun Yuan's forces rode atop his horse. He drew his sword as he drew closer to the shorter warrior. But the knight swung his great sword, knocking the officer off his horse with one blow. He cockily hefted the sword onto his shoulder.

"That's yet another victory for me," He cheered.

The officer turned his head as he heard the yell of another officer. He widened his eyes as an arrow flew towards him. Raising his sword, he braced himself. Much to the young man's shock, the arrow stopped inches from his eye. He lowered his sword and backed away, looking at the man who had aided him. The soldier squeezed the arrow, breaking it in half and dropping the pieces to the floor. His enemies examined him, measuring his fighting strength. They cringed at the vicious scar on the bridge of his nose. His face was clear of facial hair, but another scar decorated his right cheek. He had thick long hair like a wolf's mane. And like so many other soldiers, he stood a foot taller than the man he had saved.

His blue armour identified him as a warrior of the Wei army. He wore steel gauntlets and boots with steel plates on his waist armour. The chest plate he wore was of a simple design that allowed him some freedom of movement. It had been based partially of the ones spies wore, with the addition of a brown strap running vertically across his chest. A grey scarf was wrapped around his neck and he had tightened it to cover his mouth. As he walked forward, the rebel soldiers raised their spears. He frowned as he raised his sword, a thick bladed weapon with a unique designed hilt and a handle on the other side of the blade.

"Hey, thanks for the help," The Warrior with the giant sword said.

"Its an honour Xiahou Ba," The soldier calmly bowed his head before rushing towards the soldiers.

The Gongsun Yuan officer widened his eyes as the Wei soldier sprinted towards him and his troops. Spearmen thrust their blades towards the soldier, who easily slipped through the gaps in their formations. He slashed one rebel across the side and hacked another down with one fluid swing of his sword. Tilting his head, he dodged a spear thrust even greater than he had on the Wuzhang Plains. His free right hand moved with incredible accuracy, grabbing the point of a spear and stopping it inches from his neck. He knocked the soldier back and slashed him down the middle. Then he bashed two more spears aside and cut down their wielders.

"Who the hell are you?" The Officer asked.

The Wei soldier looked at the rebel officer as they prepared to face off. A well-structured circle of troops had formed around them. It was if the whole fighting had stopped to watch their dual. Soldiers were even putting down their weapons and getting out moneybags, placing bets on the two officers. The Gongsun Yuan Officer drew a Dao Sword, pointing it at the Wei soldier.

"Let me at least know your name before I send you to hell," The Rebel officer said.

"Kai Xun," The Wei Soldier stated as he gripped the second handle on his sword.

Gasps and chuckles escaped the crowd of soldiers as Kai Xun drew a second sword from his blade. Kai Xun then stabbed the second sword into the ground, gripping his first sword with both hands. The rebel officer clicked his fingers. A moment passed before one of the rebels passed him another sword. The Wei soldiers jeered and taunted the man for his lack of respect. It was a gesture Kai Xun returned.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am…"

"Your name matters little to me, tell it to those you meet on the way to hell, and tell them Kai Xun sent you!" The Wei soldier growled.

Xiahou Ba was the first of many to cheer for his comrade. The Wei soldier's cheering was the gong that signalled the duals start. Kai Xun rushed forward, slamming his sword against the rebel officer's twin blades. He swung his head back as the rebel thrust his swords forward. The officer's swords missed Kai Xun by inches. Both warriors altered positions, preparing to strike one another again. But unexpectedly, Kai Xun shifted around the rebel as he thrust his swords forward again. As the rebel lunged, Kai Xun moved around him, keeping his right leg in the way of the rebel's feet. Soldiers from both sides laughed as the officer stumbled forward, slamming into the ground.

"Ha, looks like he's in the dirt where he belongs," One soldier said.

"It looks good on him," Another agreed.

The rebel officer yelled as he span around. Kai Xun raised his sword, blocking six successive strikes from the officer's spinning attack. The officer swung his swords around, clashing them with Kai Xun's blade. Both men moved in perfect synch, slamming their swords together. Kai Xun dodged and blocked two strikes, following up with a horizontal slash. The rebel officer crossed his swords together, catching Kai Xun's sword. He then slammed his foot into Kai Xun's chest, knocking him back. The officer grinned as Kai Xun got off the floor, looking at the sword caught in between his enemy's blades.

"Idiot, you think there's such thing as a fair fight? There's no such thing as a hero in this era, all of them died after the Wu Zhang Plains battle. In this era, it is the strong and ruthless that survive!" The officer broke off into a laugh as he threw Kai Xun's sword into the crowd of rebels.

Caught in the awe of the moment, the Wei soldiers didn't notice the elite group gathering behind them. The leader of this group rode a white horse and wore blue and black minister robes. He looked at the Wei soldier in the middle of the duel with great interest. While his opponent didn't notice it, Sima Shi saw Kai Xun gripping the sword he had stabbed into the ground earlier. Sima Yi's eldest son smirked as the rebel officer raised his swords, ready to strike Kai Xun down. Suddenly, Kai Xun fiercely stabbed his second sword into his opponent's chest. The rebel officer dropped his cocky façade as he spat blood from his mouth. Kai Xun slid his sword out of the man's torso and watched as the body hit the floor.

As soon as the rebel officer's life faded, the fierce fighting continued. Kai Xun led his fellow soldiers forward, cutting their way through the army of rebels. Xiahou Ba stayed close beside Kai Xun, cutting down anyone who approached the man that saved him. Sima Shi rode atop his horse, stabbing his rapier into the heads and necks of enemy soldiers. Kai Xun cut a rebel down and raised his eyebrows as the soldiers began running away. The rebels fled up the hill they had earlier charged down, archers shot anyone still lingering.

"We've got them on the run," Xiahou Ba said.

"Do not stop until we have eliminated the rebel forces," Sima Shi said.

He swung his sword forward, signalling the men to charge. Kai Xun ran with the men, with Xiahou Ba falling behind them. The Wei forces pursued Gongsun Yuan's troops, completely dominating the small force. Gongsun Yuan himself was overwhelmed by the sheer ferocity and speed of the Wei forces. But his men still held the line for as long as they could. Sima Shi stabbed a soldier in the neck with his rapier, then cut another infantrymen down. Wei spearmen rushed into a line of rebels, impaling them with a wall of iron spikes. Xiahou Ba slammed his sword into the ground, creating a shockwave that threw several rebels back. Kai Xun deflected a rebel's spear, and then kicked the man in the chest. He ducked to avoid another spear. Quickly grabbing the handle of the weapon, Kai Xun cut the spearman across the chest. Then, taking his spear he hurled the weapon into an enemy officer.

Sima Shi jumped off his horse and casually slashed a rebel officer across the chest. He gripped the handle of his sword, lowering it to the ground. Electricity sparked around the weapon before a series of spikes burst out of the ground, impaling a line of enemy troops. Wiping the blood off his blade, Shi smirked as Wei troops attacked the rebels from behind. Kai Xun widened his eyes in shock as Sima Yi's younger son Sima Zhao led several squads.

'I see, they climbed up the cliff beside Xiangping castle, taking the enemy by surprise. But obviously Lord Yuan would have placed troops to guard that entry point. The intelligence and strength of the Sima Family is frightening,' Kai Xun thought.

Sima Zhao lazily slashed a rebel officer down the middle. He rested his sword on his shoulder, watching as his troops mopped up the remaining rebels.

"All right, time to get this over with," Zhao yawned.

Sima Shi raised his hand, signalling his soldiers to stop. He jumped onto his horse and began riding towards the castle. Kai Xun looked to Xiahou Ba, nodding his head as they ran forward. When they reached the fortress, they found Sima Yi and his troops cutting through the rebel forces. The rebels were backed into a corner and no longer held the will to fight. Kai Xun and Xiahou Ba lowered their swords as they saw several troops falling to their knees. An officer of the rebel army, Wang Jian sheathed his sword as he bowed.

"We surrender, please forgive our foolishness," The officer said.

"There are five options in war: fight, defend, flee, surrender or die," Sima Yi said as he walked towards Wang Jian.

He lowered his black-feathered war fan, a look of anger crossing his face. Sima Yi suddenly threw his hands forward. The soldier's gasped as Wang Jian rose from the floor. He struggled helplessly, as if he had been trapped. Kai Xun narrowed his eyes at Sima Yi's fingertips. Wires of some kind had extended from his sleeves, wrapping around the helpless Wang Jian.

"You have proven yourself inept at the first two, and now you have the temerity to surrender!" Sima Yi coldly stated. "Death is all you deserve!"

Cuts suddenly spread across Wang Jian's body as the wires slid back into Sima Yi's sleeves. The general's blood sprayed across the floor and the rebel soldiers looked on in fear. Sima Shi thrust his sword forward, ordering the Wei soldiers to finish the rebels. Gongsun Yuan's other officer, Liu Fu stood up, rallying his troops for a final stand. Kai Xun readied his sword as he moved with the Wei soldiers. Spears pierced through armour and swords clanged together as the Wei troops began overwhelming the rebels. Sima Yi swung his war fan, throwing several rebels back. He casually sidestepped the swipe of Liu Fan's sword. The strategist then released a great wind from his fan, throwing Liu Fan against the wall.

"Pathetic," Sima Yi whispered.

He turned his back to Liu Fan, focusing his attention on other soldiers. Kai Xun slashed a rebel across the face and then stabbed another in the gut. He looked towards Sima Yi, who cut the throat of a rebel with his own sword. Kai Xun widened his eyes as he saw Liu Fan charging towards Sima Yi's back. Without a second's hesitation, Kai Xun ran past Sima Yi and slashed the officer across the chest. Sima Yi watched as Liu Fan fell to the floor, his blood staining the blade of Wei soldier. The Wei strategist rubbed his chin, intrigued by the soldier's appearance.

"We have taken the Eastern Inner castle, Gongsun Yuan's forces are all that remain," Sima Shi said.

The gates of the east castle opened and several arrows flew into the Wei forces. Sima Shi deflected two arrows and stepped behind a lamp for cover. Several of Gongsun Yuan's troops fired crossbows from the inner castle gate. Wei soldiers underneath the bridge to the inner castle gathered, aiming their bows upwards. They released the arrows, sending them flying into the first line of crossbow men. Kai Xun and the others then swiftly ran down the bridge. Xiahou Ba jumped and slammed his sword into two soldiers. He threw his head back as major tried to hit him with a spear. Ba quickly grabbed the handle of man's spear, hitting him across the head with the shaft.

"Just cause I'm wearing heavy armour doesn't mean I'm slow," Ba said.

"Yes, I suppose your height is good for something," Kai Xun smirked as he blocked and countered a rebel's sword.

A vein on Xiahou Ba's forehead throbbed at Kai Xun's joke. Gongsun Yuan and his officer Zhang Chang moved to counterattack against the Wei forces. They led their defence captains into a deadlock with the imperial troops. Sima Shi stabbed a rebel in the neck and casually kicked another soldier to the ground. Zhang Chang brandished his scimitar, swinging it towards Sima Zhao. The youngest child of the Sima Clan blocked the officer's strike, lazily swinging his own sword downwards. But Zhang Chang quickly blocked the man's sword and swung his blade again. Zhao ducked beneath the blade and delivered a swift uppercut to Zhang Chang's chin.

Sima Zhao chuckled in celebration as he shook his hand. He yelped as he blocked two rebel's sword. Pushing the two men back, Sima Zhao sighed as he braced himself for their next attacks. Kai Xun kneed a soldier in the chest, and then stabbed his sword through the man's back. Swinging around, Kai Xun slashed two more rebel's throats. He then turned to check the condition of his commanders. Sima Yi was throwing aside any rebel soldier in his way. His eldest son Shi was easily over powering the enemy troops. Sima Zhao however was facing two rebels at the same time. He remained unaware of Zhang Chang. The officer shook his head as he regained consciousness.

'Coward,' Kai Xun thought as the man moved to attack Sima Zhao.

Kai Xun tried to move forward, only for three rebels to get in his way. He kicked one in the head, and punched another across the face. Pulling his arm back, Kai Xun threw his short sword as hard as he could. Sima Zhao cut his two opponents down and widened his eyes as he saw a sword spinning towards him. The sword flew past his shoulder. Sima Zhao turned around and cringed as he saw the sword placed between Zhang Cheng's eyes. Kai Xun slammed his head against his opponent's, knocking him unconscious. Feeling a presence behind him, Kai Xun turned and raised his hands as a sword was swung at him. He blocked the sword with the steel armour on his gauntlets. Gritting his teeth together, Kai Xun widened his eyes as he identified his opponent. Gongsun Yuan grinded his sword against Kai Xun's gauntlets, pushing him back.

"I am the King of Yan, if Wei will not give me that which I deserve then I will take it for myself," Gongsun Yuan said.

"You murdered a Wu messenger thinking you'd be rewarded for it, history could have known you as the man who bought two kingdoms together, but instead it'll remember you as a greedy bastard who ruined any chance of peace we could have with Wu!" Kai Xun growled.

He shoved Gongsun Yuan back, sending him stumbling towards Sima Yi. Sima Yi frowned as he swung his fan around. The wind he created threw Gongsun Yuan away from the troops, sending him crashing unceremoniously into the ground. His sword and helmet clattered across the ground, the latter item shattering from Sima Yi's ruthless attack. Gongsun Yuan crawled across the floor, shifting to his knees as Sima Yi stood over him.

"Pl-please, have mercy!" Gongsun Yuan begged as he bowed his head. "I surrender!"

Sima Yi looked down at the Gongsun Yuan. His face was calm, but that gradually faded as he broke the rebel lord down.

"The fact that you instigated a revolt is not such a great crime," He said.

He looked down at the wounded lord with a glare.

"Your greatest crime was having the temerity to think you had the talent to do so. You who are unaware of your own mediocrity!" Sima Yi squeezed his hand into a fist, shaking with fury as he looked at the imbecile.

Two of Sima Yi's personal soldiers walked up behind Gongsun Yuan. They grabbed his arms, pulling him out of his bowing position. A look of pure fear crossed Gongsun Yuan's face as Sima Yi's expression of fury turned back to a calm mask.

"Die," He said, a smirk spreading across his face.

"CURSE YOU!" Gongsun Yuan yelled as the soldiers dragged him away.

Kai Xun looked at Gongsun Yuan in pity as he was dragged away. Sima Yi walked towards where the "king of Yan's" sword lay. He picked the weapon up as Sima Shi and Zhao walked to his side. Kai Xun watched as the three Sima's spoke. Sima Shi pointed in his direction and Sima Yi nodded his head.

"You, the one with the scarf, come here," Shi ordered.

Kai Xun lowered his scarf away from his mouth as he walked towards the three lords. He pressed his right fist into his left hand as he bowed to his superior's. Sima Yi looked the young man over. Again a look of intrigue replaced his calm expression.

"What is your name soldier?" He asked.

"Kai Xun my lord," Kai Xun said.

"And your rank?"

"Scout captain my lord!"

"Shi told me of your accomplishment today, you saved the life of a member of the Xiahou family, defeated three enemy officers and saved my life as well," Sima Yi explained.

"Um father he also saved my life too," Sima Zhao said.

"Irrelevant," Sima Yi huffed.

Sima Zhao dropped his head, a sweat drop running down the back of it. Kai Xun widened his eyes slightly as Sima Yi seemingly offered him Gongsun Yuan's sword.

"This was but a simple battle, even without my strategies the men were inspired by your actions. Gongsun Yuan's rebellion began because he was unhappy with the rewards he was given; he foolishly sought out a title beyond his capabilities. Tell me Kai Xun, what reward do you think you deserve?" Sima Yi asked.

"I am but a soldier, I will take the reward all common soldiers receive," Kai Xun said.

Sima Yi smirked at how quickly Kai Xun had answered the question. He lowered the sword, throwing it to the ground.

"Brave, loyal and aware of your capabilities…you are dismissed Kai Xun!"

The soldier nodded his head, turning away from the Sima family and returning to his fellow troops. When he reached the group, several of the older officers patted his back or ruffled his hair. Xiahou Ba walked through the crowd, smiling as he held Kai Xun's swords.

"Thanks for helping me out today, I promise I'll do what I can to repay the debt someday," Xiahou Ba said.

The young man removed his helmet, revealing a youthful face and a head of blonde hair. Kai Xun took the swords from Ba and linked the blades back together. He slid the sword into the sheath on his back and smiled at the officer.

"A drink will do," He said.

Xiahou Ba and the other soldiers applauded Kai Xun's suggestion. Sima Zhao smiled as he followed the soldiers, his older brother silently drifting behind. Sima Yi stayed where he was, his memory drifting back to Gongsun Yuan.

"What a miserable world this is, where we are forced to watch while idiots erupt in hysterics," Sima Yi sighed.

He raised his hand, looking at his palm as he mused.

"Meanwhile, my own talents are destined to be wasted. Furthermore…some men refuse to even acknowledge their own potential!"

The Wei strategist silently walked out of the castle, leaving behind the bodies of the imbeciles he despised.

The cunning of Sima Yi, as well as the sheer might of the imperial army managed to eliminate Gongsun Yuan. Not knowing the limits of his strength, he had turned his back on Wei and declared himself the King of Yan. That day, many of the Wei Soldiers including myself saw the anger that Sima Yi bottled inside him. A part of him must have compared Gongsun Yuan to Zhuge Liang. The sleeping dragon of Shu was Sima Yi's enemy, yet a part of him must have seen the man as his only equal. That officer I defeated in a dual was right. The world had changed after the battle of Wu Zhang Plains. The fading of Zhuge Liang's star was like a trigger that led to a great change across the land. It was as if Zhuge Liang himself became the sky and bought on the change.

Within Wei, Cao Rui succeeded Cao Pi as emperor and began a rule of greed and opulence. Meanwhile in Wu, Sun Quan stabilised his country and strengthened its defences. He took advantage of the struggle between Wei and Shu to ensure that his own kingdom's structure remained stable. Sun Quan continues to rule a peaceful kingdom, but he is merely readying his own troops.

The son of the tiger of Jiang Dong had inherited the will of many generations of the Sun family. Dressed in his Imperial gown, the Emperor of Wu sat at his throne. Beside him was his loyal wife and true love Lian Shi. She was dressed in a red and black dress that exposed her neck and midriff. Gold lacing covered some areas of the dress, which was open to expose Lian's black stockings. She stood by Quan's throne, looking to him with concern in her eyes. He sat with his head in his hand, continually rubbing the bridge of his nose. A recent problem within the Wu Imperial court was Sun Quan's desire to declare Lian Shi empress.

Though out of all Sun Quan's consorts, Lian Shi was the only one he truly loved, she was still not the one to provide Sun Quan with an heir. Many in the imperial court, including Quan's own sons felt that Lian was unworthy of such a title, despite her long service to her husband. Sun Quan lamented on his sons, Sun Xiu, Sun Liang and Sun He, they all had the potential to be as great as their grandfather. But Sun Quan doubted their ability to lead. That was why he insisted on strengthening the bonds of his family. Liu Bei and Cao Cao had both been claimed by illness, a fate Quan hoped to avoid.

Sun Liang huffed as he looked towards his father. He and his brothers stood in a room beside Sun Quan's throne. The three young men had adopted the red garbs of the Wu kingdom. Young Sun He wore a red shirt with beast armour at his waist. His brown hair slightly covered his eyes and his red armbands had tiger claw marks on them. Beside him stood the youngest Sun Xiu. He wore red Imperial robes with a Han crown on top of his short brown hair. Tiger fur was wrapped around his boots and shoulders. Sun Liang was the tallest and perhaps strongest of the three brothers. Though Quan had other children, these were the three that distinguished themselves. Liang was dressed in orange and red armour, a gold tiger face as his waist armour's buckle. Brown hair decorated his chin while a red cloak hung off his shoulders.

"How long must he groan over unworthy children and meaningless love affairs?" Sun Liang spoke his thoughts.

"We should be patient, father has been under a lot of pressure," Sun Xiu said.

"He's not going to declare a successor anytime soon, I say we just kick back and enjoy the peace," Sun He said.

"Idiots," Sun Liang muttered as he walked away from his brothers.

Indeed the bonds between the Sun family were no longer as strong as they used to be. Sun Quan thought and thought of a way to unite his family. He wanted to publicly declare his love for Lian Shi by making her his empress. But doing so would lead to further resentment within the court. He looked to Lian Shi, whom gave him a comforting smile. The Wu emperor gripped his wife's hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. He knew that from then on the bond of the Sun family wouldn't be as strong as it once was. But a part of him was at least happy that he could still enjoy the company of his wife.

In a similar state, Shu began recovering from its repeated invasion attempts. Zhuge Liang had passed and his role as Grand Commander of the Shu forces fell on Jiang Wei's shoulders. The former Wei officer was already making preparations to launch an invasion of Wei. It was an issue within the Shu court that didn't bother Liu Shan, the young emperor remained calm as if nothing would before him. While Jiang Wei began preparations for further attacks against the North, Liu Shan hosted a series of banquets in order to show his people that nothing was wrong. As always his loyal protector, the famed general Zhao Yun, joined him.

"These meat buns are really good, Zhao Yun, you should try some," Liu Shan said as he took a meat bun off his plate.

Numerous officers and ministers of the Shu kingdom sat at a table, with their emperor at the head. It had been the third day of Liu Shan's celebrations. Zhao Yun stood by the side of his lord, thankfully accepting the food he was given. A part of the general wanted to speak up, to remind his lord what his father Liu Bei before him would have done. But very few saw the qualities that Liu Shan possessed. His love of virtue was not as clear as his father's was. Instead he focused on protecting the people, as opposed to attempting to reform the Han. He remained happy with the land he was given, and merely allowed Jiang Wei to carry on with his own ambitions.

"A toast to the Sixth month of a long awaited peace, may it go on for days to come," Cheers accompanied Liu Shan's toast.

On a day that should have bought joy to the people of Wei, Cao Rui passed from illness. However he was replaced with the young Cao Fang, a boy as inexperienced as Emperor Xian had been before him. Two of Cao Fang's most trusted advisors were to be Wei general Cao Shuang and none other than Sima Yi. But surprisingly, Sima Yi gave up his authority and decided to retire. According to the guards within the imperial court, Sima Yi's reason had been that devising power between two people would only lead to greater chaos. The imperial court and the ministers were the ones that held power, not the emperor's.

As the lone authority of Wei, Cao Shuang had his forces prepare for a campaign against Shu. Our kingdom's lone time rival had also enjoyed a brief peace. But once again the ambitions of men threaten to drive the land into chaos. I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Cao Cao or Liu Bei had actually achieved their ambitions? Alls I know is that there are no more heroes left in the land. I am but a common soldier, thus I do not enjoy the pleasures that lords do. My home is a small hut outside of Xu Chang. The only comfort I have is a small lake by the house. Whenever I am not at war I can occasionally enjoy fishing.

On one such day, when Kai Xun enjoyed what little time he had left away from the army, he decided to go to the lake. Carrying a wooden fishing rod on his shoulder, Kai Xun dragged a small bucket with bait in it. When he reached the lake, the young man sat and dipped the line into the water. His steel gauntlets and boots were gone, replaced with a pair of straw sandals. He waited patiently for a catch, enjoying the sun shining on his face. Digging the handle of the rod into the ground, Kai Xun leaned back and rested his head against the dirt.

'What must be done in order for everyone to enjoy a peace like this?' Kai Xun wondered.

He sighed as he closed his eyes. The sound of hooves against the ground suddenly caught his attention. Kai Xun opened his eyes, sitting up as a lone rider approached him.

"Are you Kai Xun?" The rider asked.

"Yes, I am he," Kai Xun said as he got up off the floor.

"My lord Sima Shi wishes to speak with you," The Rider said.

Kai Xun bowed his head, accepting the invitation. As the rider trotted away, Kai Xun couldn't help but think of the Sima clan's rise to power. Could a conflict within Wei itself begin? Was Gongsun Yuan's rebellion simply the first step to the breakdown of Wei? His thoughts were interrupted as his fishing rod was pulled into the river. Kai Xun looked at the spot for several seconds, a sweat drop running down the back of his head. He shook his head and laughed.

"Perhaps one day the people can enjoy a peace like this," Kai Xun smiled.

He threw the bait bucket into the lake and walked back to his house. Tomorrow he would speak with Sima Shi and the day after he would return to the battlefield.

Next Chapter 2: Logic against ideals

Hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter, I based a lot of the dialogue and description off of the in game cutscenes, but I wont be adapting the Jin Storyline word for word. I'll probably upgrade a few more generic officers to main character status. My plans include Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, the sons of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei respectively, I based Sun Liang's look off of Sun Ce's look in Dynasty Tactics.

Next time will be a duel scene between Sima Shi and Kai Xun as Sima Yi tests Kai Xun's capabilities. Leave me a review and tell me what you thought of the first chapter please.