Friend or Foe (Open)

[Ming Xiang]

The sun was coming out to tell the people the day has started. The wind was pushing hard bringing down the dry leaves from the ground and also from the trees and ship them to there new homes. In the sky you see the the birds that were finally having to go in the south. The clouds were coming from the west that would have more chance of rain then anything else. The insects were starting to slowly disappear and the cold was finally here. There was no doubt in the people wind that the summer has your and the fall was finally starting and soon it will be snowing the first flake of the winter.

Ming Xiang is laying on a big rock in the middle of the forest with a pouch of water in her hand. She decides to take a drink of water and sometimes watching the sun getting up for the day. She was lying there with her armor on and her swords connecting too both her wrist. She suddenly close her eyes and started to think. Today, my plan is to meet someone to become a new friend since I am tired having no one to talk with.

After she made her plans to make a new friend. She hears a kid screaming for help. She got up on her feet running as fast as she could toward the scream for help. There it was three bandits trying to force a innocent girl to do something. Xiang did not want to wait too see what the bandits were going to do. The bandit that was the closest to the little girl was about to reach and rip the poor child's clothes off when Xiang jumped down and cut the bandits hand right off falling on the ground and the blood sprayed on the girl and also on her.

While the bandit was screaming in pain from the lost hand he did the mistake to turn his back to Xiang and she then without thinking twice cut the bandit head off. The body fell on its knees while the head roll of the right shoulder and on the ground before landing on the ground. The other two bandits could not believe the skill of the warrior and could even lose believe that it was a young girl that was not even twenty years of age. The commander of the other bandit did not want to go next so he send the other that was shaking from the thought of the battle and now he was holding his spear.

The second bandit running toward her as fast as she can with the spear towards her Xiang grab the little and jumps with her other hand she throws her weapon making the chains going around the bandits neck with the blade cuts his head of making the body hit the tree while the head falls on the ground. The third bandit shoot's a arrow at Xiang that she reflected it in the wrong direction making it hit the little girl on the tip of her shoulder making her cry. Xiang anger was boiling her own blood.

The bandit was trying to reload the bow quickly while Xiang runs toward him he miss fire the arrow making it going down and then Xiang took the miss fire arrow and jumps in the air stabbing the bandit in the throat with the same arrow. The bandit drops his weapon while gasping for air. The blood of the bandit is coming out from the throat and mouth and also going down in his throat making him drown in his own blood. She then ran toward the little girl to the threat her wounds.

Xiang and the little girl decided to leave the forest. Xiang covered with blood on her armor and the little girl with a bandages arm was on the road to the city of Chen Liu.

[Cao Cao]

Cao Cao looked out of the window of his room located in the palace. He had a nice overview of the entire city. Such a beautiful city...a city that was under his control. Cao Cao left his room and went into the throne room, in this room there was a giant throne of blue and black. Cao Cao took a seat on the throne and readied himself for the boring tasks of being Governor of Chen Liu. Oh how he wished he could just give this job to an officer or something. He looked at his guard and said,"Bring in the first visitor..."

[Ming Xiang]

The wind is blowing rapidly. The sun was going behind the black and also the gray clouds. The tree's were shaking while the leafs were falling. The rain was coming down as suddenly as someone would blink a eye. The streets were almost covered with puddles and mud. You hear a tree falling down with a childish scream that a rabbit has been crushed to there death. You hear branches cracking and falling and you hear the lightning that comes from the sky. The thunder storm has started after such a beautiful day no one would of thought that this would be the weather at the end.

In the entrance of the city you could see a old man well in his sixties arguing black and blue with a guard. He seems to be angry and getting wet but he did not leave. The old man screaming his lungs out. "My grand-daughter is out there you must go get her before she gets hurt or even worst kill by those bandits." The guard stand there in silence and following the orders given by his lord Cao Cao he was waiting for the first visitors.

Xiang and the little girl were finally out of the forest just to realize that the storm was started. Xiang could not believe the luck of this poor little girl had today. They were walking beside the muddy road so they would not sink in the ground giving them more trouble that they already have. Hearing a wolf howling was not really calming to hear at the moment like this being She has the poor exhausted girl in her arms and her energy was starting to drop also they could not wait to see a city or at least a camp to be able to rest her wobbling legs.

They can finally see the entrance of the city she climbs off Xiang shoulder running toward her old grand-farther. Behind her was Xiang slowly walking toward the city and the guard knowing he would want to ask her questions before there end of the trip. She was hoping to enter a inn or a tavern as quickly as possible to be able to have a drink or two and be able to also have a small rest before she dies from exhaustion. The guard steers at Xiang not trusting her at all. When he saw her armor was green his thoughts were pointing toward that she must serve Liu Bei.

The guard walking towards her with his spear out. He saw her armor was covered also in blood. He started to think if there was any guards killed recently and he knows there but he also knew that the little girl she returned with were taken by three bandits so she could of simply killed the bandits and free the girl would explain the blood on her armor.

He grabbed her hard by the arm almost ripping her in half. He was almost dragging her to the palace in front of all the people from the city. The armor were soon covered in mud instead of blood and now she reached the palace bleeding from her face.

[Cao Cao]

Cao Cao sat there, waiting for the guard to bring him back the first visitor, which was taking longer than usual. Cao Cao looked at the main palace door when he heard it creak open loudly. Cao Cao saw two people walking through, well one person walking and the other person being dragged behind him. The guard dropped the woman and bowed to Cao Cao saying,"Look master, I have brought you the first visitor, I have done good?"Cao Cao slammed his hand on his forehead and shook his head slowly. He looked at the gaurd and said to him,"First off, how is it that I have the most idiotic guard in the world? Second of all, I did not want you to actually drag the first person you saw back with you, actually, I did not want you to drag anybody at all. Don't you have common sense? What am I..."Cao Cao looked at the girl and noticed she was bleeding. He got up and walked over to her and bent beside her, taking a look at her. He asked her,"I apologize about my guard, may I ask what happened to you? Did my guard do this to you?"

[Ming Xiang]

Xiang looked at Cao Cao surprised that she was in front of a person as renown as him. She started to sit up and looks at lord Cao Cao in his eyes seeing that he was mad at the guard at some level but this did not make sense that he would hire a guard that would disrespect him. She removed the glove and the chain of her actual weapon slowly to make sure the idiot guard does not think that she was going to attack there lord. She past her hand slowly on her face seeing the blood was coming out worst then when someone ran with a car made out of swords. She looked at the guard with a anger in her eyes for hurting her but she did not dare to do anything while she is next to the lord Cao Cao.

She got up slowly then fell back down from exhaustion from the fighting the travel and now the blood lost she was close to pass out. She throws her sword stabbing the guard that hurt her in the head killing him instantly. She was no longer hold herself back if her death was coming it is as well they execute her right away. "I am sorry lord Cao Cao but I do not like getting hurt by morons that does not know how to threat another human being and even less a lady." She said as softly as she could in her voice you could hear a bit of regret for killing a guard in front of his lord but she knew that to protect herself was also important.

She then started to remove the chains of her weapon and placed it on the ground sliding away from them to make sure there was nothing else that might happen. She looks at the guard thinking that he got what he deserve for treating her so poorly when he could of easily killed her when he climbed the stairs making her head bounce on each steep explaining the cut that was on her forehead she knew that she would need to explain more then just the injury to Cao Cao since she did not have a real reason to even be inside his throne room in front of him.

She explains him what happened with the girl that she rescued and that she was bringing her back. She was hoping that lord Cao Cao would accept that as a reason to come to his city. 'Your guard must of had injured me while he was dragging me up those stairs again i apologized that i lost control and killed him." She was ready for her punishment wounder if he would make her die by a blade through her neck or be treated as a slave for the kingdom or some sort. Her only regret would be not being able to have her first child before she died loving the children like she does.

She looked at the ground while she knew that Cao Cao was looking at her trying to hide her tears that was dropping from her eyes. She was not sad of dying she was just sad that she would never be able to be a mother a child that could help China reclaim the piece in the lands cause she knew that she would never be one of the reason that the lands will become one under the command of the lord that she would join. She then thought maybe Cao Cao would give her a chance if she agreed to fight for him and maybe more if needed that she would just to have the chance of having a child to take care of.

After she thought of that she looked and Cao Cao the words were about the exit her mouth when the old man entered the room. The old man looked at the dead guard and saw that the girl was crying he decided to say what he came to say. "My lord if you may give me a moment, I would only like to say that if it was not for this young lady my grand daughter would of died. If she did not kill the bandits they might continued attacking the kingdom and that would not be better for us." The old man was kneeing in front of both of them waiting to see what he should do now.

Xiang surprised the old man came in the throne room and even more surprised the words that came out of his mouth she stopped crying and looked at the old man. In her eyes you could easily say that she was shocked and then she looked at lord Cao Cao shivering a bit being scared of his decision she stayed there in silence hoping that she would get anything except death.

[Cao Cao]

Cao Cao looked at the girl in shock as she easily killed the guard. Normally a lord would kill the murderer but Cao Cao was kinda happy to see the retarded guard gone. He grabbed her face and lifted it up so he could look her in the eyes and said,"Don't worry about it, you had all the right to kill that man, the idiot that he is. Nobody should ever touch or treat a lady like that. All I care about is if you are okay..."Cao Cao looked up when he heard the palace doors open again, this time an old man came through them. After hearing what the man said, Cao Cao called for some of his guards. Once a guard came to him, he turned to him and said,"Can you go get a doctor? Please be quick, she won't last much longer with this much blood loss. Don't worry, we are going to get you well."As Cao Cao said this, he gave her a nice, sincere smile. It was during this time when Cao Cao noticed how beautiful the woman was, even though she was covered in blood. Maybe that might have made her look even sexier, who knows?

[Ming Xiang]

The guard runs outside looking for a doctor or anyone that knows how to threat a severe wound. The old man decided to leave right behind the guard. The rain was still falling pretty aggressively that might take the guard a while to be able to see were he is going. The other guards decided to go at the entrance leaving Ming Xiang and Cao Cao together alone for the reason they are scared to do something wrong that may cost there life definitely that there was one guard dead that the reason was still unknown.

Xiang looked in Cao Cao eyes while that he was holding her face. She was starting to feel something for the man and feel attracted to him because of her heart. The blood was still falling on the ground from her face and she started to shiver from the cold that she feels from the weakness from the massive blood lost that she was suffering.

The guard came back with a doctor right behind him. The doctor was quickly next to the girl. He asked her to remove her armor to make sure that she was not injured anywhere else. Xiang refuse removing her armor that the doctor asked the guard to force her. The guards tries to take off her armor but she tries to keep her armor and hit the guard in the wrong place by mistake while she was kicking. The guard falls down face first on the ground and the other two guards start laughing at the other guard letting him get kicked in the middle of the bulls-eye.

The other two guards now was working together and got her armor off. She was only wearing her underwear under her armor. She tries to hide her body while blushing sever red. She did not wear any clothes except her underwear because it was obvious for the movements be easier. She did not want the people to steer at her but many of them did. The doctor was checking her to make sure that she does not have any other bad injuries that he would need to threat but it was obvious that she was not comfortable with them starring at her. She did not mind Cao Cao cause she does feel for him for a reason that she cannot even explain to herself.

[Cao Cao]

Cao Cao put his hand up to stop the guards from taking the girl's armor off but he stopped and let them go ahead for two reasons. One, she really did need to take her armor off, and second Cao Cao did not mind seeing her without any clothes. Trying hard not to stare he was taken out of his staring by the doctor who said to him,"She has no extra wounds, I am going to wrap her wounds up so they can stop bleeding..."He was going to continue but Cao Cao cut him short saying,"Well go ahead and do it then, you do not need to tell me every single thing you are going to do, I will see it when you do it!!!"As Cao Cao said this he turned to the woman and said,"I am sorry about my guards, I really need to fire my recruting officer, haha. May I ask your name miss?"

[Ming Xiang]

The blood was stopping when the wound was finally fully covered by the bandages. She then the guards were running outside at the entrance of the castle being scared that she would kill her or even there lord that seems to like her for some reason. The doctor was finishing bandaging and then realized that she had has a severe bruised on her back that was kinda hard to see since she did not want to let him touch her. She decided to leave it as it was before she gets mad. "You will be fine miss" The doctor said while leaving to go back in his home for now until there was another emergency.

Cao Cao and Ming Xiang were alone once more in the room but this time she was not wearing her armor but she did not mind since it was only Cao Cao. She looked at him with a small smile and decided it was as well she said her name out loud. "I am Ming Xiang from Jiang Dong but I do not wish to serve Sun Jian I rather serve you." She said that and then slowly crawl to Cao Cao and touch his chest through the clothes that he was wearing. She then realized that she was touching the lord and she quickly back away hoping that he was not mad at her and that he would feel the same way as she does.

Ming Xiang was staring at Cao Cao scared what he would do without noticing that she was was still close to naked. She then realized that he was staring at her young body and she was really happy to be admired by such a man in his position. "I am sorry if I did something wrong" She was attracted to the man but did not know how to say it so she stood there quietly.

[Cao Cao]

"No, it is okay, you are still in pain and you need a shoulder to cry on, everybody needs that once in a while. It is nice to meet you Ming Xiang, after seeing what you can do to my guards, I would love to have you as an officer."Cao Cao watched as Xiang got close to him and put her body on his. Getting a little excited over it, Cao Cao quickly came to his senses. He did not want Xiang to think that he was a pervert and all he wanted was her body, though that is somewhat true. He smiled at her and said,"May I escort you to your own private room here in the palace? Every officer has one, well every officer that I hold in high esteem."As Cao Cao said this, he stood and offered her his hand so she could use him as a support to stay standing.

[Ming Xiang]

Ming Xiang got up slowly being able to stand up on her own this time and place her armor on so that she could bring it with her and also stop being cold for the time being. She placed both of her swords in there special holders made for her swords in the sense of the shape. You hear the people outside complaining about the rain and how roughly the idiot guard treated the girl when he dragged her the whole way from the entrance of the city to the throne room which was a fair distance. She then looked at lord Cao Cao that her heart was beating to get with him she still tries to hide it just in case that he does not feel the same way as she does.

After a few second of being silent she went beside Cao Cao and nodded that signified that she was ready to visit her new room even do she did not believe that she joined the army but she must be part of his force if he offered her a room. Her heart was doing jumps of joys inside thinking that lord Cao Cao accepted her in there army and that for her meant more then most people love there family. This day she wanted to make a new friend but in her heart she feels that she did more then just get a new friend or a new allies she made herself a new life.

The guards were looking at her when they were in the corridor of the location of each room. They seem to watch her like a hawk since she was with there lord that there job must of been the ones protecting him. She looks at the pictures on the wall and also the rooms that seems to have officers inside and other did not. She looked at lord Cao Cao with a small smile but not to much to make it obvious that she was happy but only in the sense of content with the tour of the castle.

It was a few moments after, they finally got in front of the door of her room. She was nervous to see that quality of the room and was more scared that this might all be a trap. She knew that he said the punishment for killing her guards were normally death and that she did killed the guard in front of him. She got a bit nervous wondering what will happened knowing that and also that he made a doctor treat her wounds it was hard to know if it was a actual room or a trap to kill her for killing a guard and he did not want to get his hand dirty with the blood of a women that would make people question his decision and might cause a refuge against him.

[Cao Cao]

Cao Cao looked at Xiang curiously when she did not walk through the door into her room. She had a look of fear on her face, though what was she afraid of?"Hey, there is nothing to be afraid of, it is just a room. I think you will like it a lot. It is very big and should have all the things that you need in it. Don't worry, nothing will harm you while I am here to protect you."Cao Cao grabbed the door handle and pushed it open and swung his arm forward, telling Xiang to go ahead into the room.

[Ming Xiang]

Xiang entered slowly and goes directly to sit on her bed. She was happy that the room was not a trap and she knows now that Cao Cao has feelings for her even if they are small they are existing which makes her happy to see that she has a chance to get with him now. She gets out of her army slowly in front of Cao Cao not caring if he was watching her get undress she placed the armor on the side to make sure to clean it before placing it in the closet. She opens the closet and sees all there was were a bath robe and slippers she puts them off knowing that it was better then a heavy armor covered in blood to just relax with. She then looked at Cao Cao and signals him that he can come in if he wanted she did not mind at all.

She looks outside seeing that the rain was still falling from the sky like there was no tomorrow and unfortunate when it rain that means that it will be a boring day for her. She sat in her bed looking at Cao Cao wondering what he was going to do next if he was going to come and sit with her meaning that he might want something more then just a officer that would mean a friendship or even more like her hearts want it to happened or will he leave down stairs to go back in his throne room not liking her or not trusting her which ever it was would mean that Xiang would need to work had to get what she wanted or it would never happened.

Then a maid appear and started to clean Xiang armor making sure not to damage it at all and making sure that when she would use it again she would not smell like old crimson blood from the gates of hell coming towards them. She was done cleaning realized that her lord was still there the maid hurried up to finish to make sure they could finish there plans or discussion they were having before stupid like she was she did not notice what were going on between those too if it was love or just a ruler talking to his officer making sure that she is ready for her first fight that he would need her by his side in battle of the lands.

[Cao Cao]

Cao Cao stared at Xiang as she undressed and put on a small bath robe. She sat dow and motioned for him to sit down beside her, there was no way Cao Cao was going to say no to that. Cao Cao sat beside her, looking over her, noticing even more how beautiful she was. He shook out of his trance once again and said to her,"So, do you have anything you want to ask me? If you do, do not hesitate to ask me, I will be there to answer them for you."Cao Cao sat there and waited for Xiang to answer him, as he did this, he once again scanned the beautiful woman's body, Cao Cao really wanted this girl right then and there but he had to keep himself back...give it some time, then go after her.

[Ming Xiang]

Ming Xiang looks at the man of her dreams that is beside her. The wind was blowing even harder making the room colder that she started to freeze. She did not want to be more obvious how she feels but if she dies she would never have a chance to say anything. She gets closer slowly to make sure he was alright with her getting closer not wanting to force him into anything even do she really wanted a relationship with this man that she fell in love with the first second that she meet him. She goes under his arm slowly shivering a bit signaling to him she was cold and needed some heat and the best heat sort was with a fire that she did not want to start one or the body of another person. She looks at the man and then looks down thinking of kissing him and knowing that she should not she decided to ignore her feelings.

All of the sudden, she hears a guard that was walking looking for lord Cao Cao but the reason was unknown. She quickly slide away from him to make sure that lord Cao Cao would not lost any respect from the member of his troops. The guard entered the room and kneel down at the door. "I am sorry to bother you my lord, I just wanted to make sure you were alright if you need me I will be behind this door" After he said his words he closed the door behind him and stand guard right there.

Ming Xiang was blushing a bit almost getting caught being close to lord Cao Cao without knowing if he felt the same way as she did. "I am wondering were I may get a few piece of clothing." The only character she can think of that would make sense without telling him that she wanted him that she went so close to him. She looks at him kiss him on the cheek after he would respond her question to say thank you and she then realized how dumb she was doing that.