Bring Me To Life
By Gingivere the Shadowreaver
~*~*~*~
DISCLAIMER: All characters from Dynasty Warriors are copyrighted to KOEI Corporation and KOEI Co., Ltd. Please do not alter or steal this story, or I will have Lu Bu and his ultimate DOOMNESS kill you in an instant!
Author's Note: Okay, Okay, I know people don't like this, but this MUST be addressed. I am well aware of the original stuff and all, but if I used that, then it wouldn't be HALF the fun. So, I am pretending that everyone is alive during the SAME time period, so that certain couples will work. Yes, I am butchering the entire RotTK goodness, but bare with me. So, Da Qiao is NOT Lu Xun's mother-in-law... and stuff...
BTW, this story WILL contain some suggestible scenes, such as violence, as well as some m/m fluffiness (Zhang He/Sima Yi, baby), but nothing TOO sexual, at l;east nothing beyond kissing. So if you don't like Sima Yi or Zhang He, oh well, don't read this fic (it's not ALL about them but they're very instrumental in this). Mainly focuses on Lu Xun, Zhou Yu, and Zhang He...
~*~*~*~
The battle seemed endless, and Sima Yi knew this. And what was worse, this was HIS plan, and he was losing! He watched the fight, as he hid half his face behind his black feathered fan. 'Not good... not good at all...'
The Shu were much stronger than he had planned, or Cao Cao had expected. This assault should have never have happened, but it was his lord's wish. The ambitious ruler wanted nothing more than to rule all of China, and it looked like Shu was to be the first to conquer.
But they faught back, as expected. But they weren't expecting this much.
"Cao Cao, you opened up a horrible can of worms..." Sima Yi shook his head, mounting his horse. The creature wanted to leave this land, and the strategist couldn't blame him at all. Why stay in a doomed battle? This was useless, completely USELESS.
Within the bloody mess was Zhang He, useless disposing of Shu soldiers. This was all but a game for him, to kill soldiers, as well as any villagers that dared to get in the way of his golden claws. There were no innocents in war, and that he found out at an early stage.
Sima Yi was never worried about him, at least not normally. He cursed, looking over the battlefield for Cao Cao. This was insanity; they had to retreat!
He spotted him, slaying three soldiers that seemed to be but a mere scratch to the troops. Courageous Cao Cao, but too foolish. Sima Yi commanded his horse towards his position, killing any soldier that got into his way. It took much longer than he thought, and he shouted to Cao Cao, giving a bow and trying not to distract him from the fight. "Sir, we must retreat! We have obviously underesitmated them!"
Cao Cao was not the one to enjoy retreats, but he even knew this was a imprudent plan. It was too soon, and as shameful at it was, Cao Cao gave the command, somehow holding back the rage in his voice. "Give the command- take your troops to the east! We'll meet there!"
Nodding, the general gave the command, showing no shame for doing the right thing. "Fall back! To the East!"
The command echoed, and Sima Yi gave his Lord one last look before obeying the command himself. He could read his anger and shame, and he knew he was going to get a beating for this. He didn't dwell on it, however, making room as Zhang He quickly got on the horse without it stopping. He would simply think of a better strategy next time... and he was already planning the next successful attack.
"They're retreating!" Zhou Yun made the observation, knocking back a few soldiers with his spear. He wasn't sure if Liu Bei had even heard him, but the leader of Shu had already noticed. He was enraged by the attack, and now the nerve of the Wei, to retreat! He gave a whistle, waiting for the arrival of his grey steed. "Your orders?"
Liu Bei mounted his horse as soon as it arrived, his anger obvious. "Tell Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu to hold the front! Grab your best men! We'll stop them before they can get away!"
Zhao Yun nodded, quickly spreading the word. He wasn't even sure if that was a good idea at all, but he did not question. As Liu Bei passed Ma Chao, he requested the same thing, and soon, the leader and two of the Five Tiger Generals and their troops had pursued the Wei army heading towards the East. Their only objective was to hunt them down and slay them. Liu Bei hoped that Cao Cao was with them... he would kill that beast like the spineless dog that he was.
~*~*~*~
::Three Weeks Later::
Horses were the bane of his existence. Clam ones, wild ones, fat ones, skinny ones, fast ones, and slow ones. Lu Xun never truly cared for horses, even Pat Se, Wu's slowest and oldest horse in existance. From his earliest memories, all he could remember is his first time on a horse, remembering the hell the day was. The horse went psycho on him, and he nearly died from that experience. Though even has he tolde Zhou Yu that (actually the man badgered it out of him), he was still teased about it.
And here he was, once again on a horse. Yes, Pat Se was never the horse to buck, but he still felt uneasy. Horses were always aware, always active, always in fear of the unknown forces that were around them. Well, except Pat Se... nothing, absolutely NOTHING could scare this horse.
The young strategist could bare through it, though, always quick to overcome an obstacle and work his way either through it or around it. In this case, he found the inner strength to ride the dull beast by sharing it. And who better to share it with then with one of the Qiao Twins?
That made it even worse; Zhou Yu KNEW he had a liking to Da Qiao, and the fellow strategist was cruel enough to ask her to ride with him, to ease his fears. He was still embarrassed, and that was almost a week ago!
'Curse you, Zhou Yu... and curse me for my fear...' Lu Xun sighed, staring at the back of the Maiden's head. She had such long, fine hair... the thought left him in an instant, narrowing his eyes and looking AWAY from her. She should be the last thing on his mind. He had more important things to be concerned with.
Like the reason why he was even ON the horse now...
As much as they wanted peace, Sun Ce already knew it could not be avoided. The Wei had gone too far this time, and they found it odd that the Wu Kingdom would be forced to defend their nemesis, the Shu. Liu Bei never asked for help, but when he did, it must have meant that Wei were going to do something drastic. Though there wasn't too much explanation, Sun Ce made the quick decision to aid the ruler of western China. Perhaps now a truce could be made between the two kingdoms, though two strategists failed to see the reasoning.
Zhou Yu and Lu Xun were forced to form a plan on the fly, though to them, it was never that hard. The only thing was the fact that they were forced to work with Zhuge Liang, who Lu Xun, when getting promoted by Kan Ze, quickly realized how deep Zhou Yu's hatred of him ran. Before departing, Sun Ce had pulled him aside, and Lu XUn remembered his exact words. "Be aware of Zhou Yu, and keep him in line when you arrive."
He figured he meant to make sure that Zhou Yu didn't decapitate his rival. That or make sure he didn't set both the Shu and Wei army alight.
The Wu army was separated. Sun Ce lead the group a few miles ahead of them, with Huang Gai and Taishi Ci, while Zhou Yu, Lu Meng, Da Qiao, and Lu Xun kept control of the second group, as back up. It was smart, to keep the party more silent as they quested along the border of the Yangtze River. It was never safe to pass through this territory, especially since they were to battle the Wei soon. However, with most of the Wei army collecting at the western border, Zhou Yu correctly estimated that the river was down to minimum defense, allowing the army to sneak in through the north, trapping the Wei within Shu territory. It seemed flawless, but Zhou Yu and Lu Xun knew that nothing was ever to be that way.
Lu Meng noticed the worried look on the young man's face, seeing how deep he was into concentration. Yes, the man was always thinking, plotting, always calculating and improving old battle strategies. But it was obvious that this wasn't what he was thinking about- something else was on his mind.
"Do you think the plan will work?" Da Qiao broke the silence, looking back at the young man that sat silently behind her. She saw his concern, and smiled, trying to ease it. She knew of his crush, since Xiao Qiao could never keep a secret from her. She kinda liked him, though she wasn't sure if she was worthy of a deep relationship with him, at least not yet... he was so young... she quickly forced herself not to think about it. "Zhou Yu's pretty confident."
Lu Xun made no facial expressions, but sighed, hating how he had to wrap an arm around her waist. Half of him enjoyed this position very much; he wanted to hug her throughout the entire quest, to finally tell her how he feels... However, the other half was hesitant, and that half was getting the better of him. "It seems successful, though I wouldn't be so sure… it doesn't seem right to interfere."
Walking along side the light tan horse, Lu Meng only nodded, "It IS their problem, but they did come to us for help."
"Trusting him so easily is foolish," the strategist looked towards the trees that grew along the river, as if to scout. "Sun Ce should know that…"
"He does."
Lu Xun looked towards the beautiful maiden, and she wore a cheeky smile, a smile that he almost melted from. She petted the horse, also watching out for any enemy troops. "I'm not suppose to tell you this, but this is also a spy mission."
"What? And when was he going to tell us this?" Lu Meng asked, a bit upset now. "Doesn't he trust us?"
"Zhou Yu knows, and he was suppose to tell you, Lu Xun, after we get things settled down out there." Da Qiao gave a slight bow. "I'm sorry, but my sister and I overheard."
Waving it off, the young strategist was always easy to forgive, especially if it came from her, "Don't worry about it. Sun Ce has his ways. But still, something just doesn't seem right at all… Cao Cao is till recovering from the last battle he was in; why attack so soon?"
Now neither of them knew the answer, so neither could give their condolences to ease the man's tension. But it was a common thing for Lu Xun, and many often joked that he was going to age quicker by worrying about every single strategy. He laughed at this; that was never his problem.
The three of them looked up as a horse came running from the front, and they greeted Zhou Yu with a nod. "Anything up there?"
Nodding, Zhou Yu answered, trying to keep his horse calm. He almost laughed to see Lu Xun's glare; he still blamed him for hooking him up with her on the horse, two torment methods in one simple blow. But he let the thoguht go. "Sun Ce spotted a small group… and it looks as if Zhang Liao, Zhang He and Sima Yi is leading them… and it looks that Wei's strategist has something up his sleeves."
"Where are they headed?" Da Qiao asked, wondering why the three men weren't with the rest of the Wei. Maybe they were attacking both Shu and Wu at the same time, but that idea in itself was crazy.
"Looks like their headed East... Lu Xun, Da Qiao, both of you take twenty of your finest and come with me. We're going to stop them and see whatever they're planning."
Lu Xun hardly disobeyed, but he asked, "The troops need you here, Zhou Yu. They're in need of a good strategist."
Laughing, the long haired man shook his head, "You think either of us is going to die easily? We're just going to see what they're up to, only attack if necessary. Lu Meng, catch up to Sun Ce and tell him of the situation."
"You better be back." Lu Meng saluted, and he watched as they left. Now he had a bad feeling in his gut, knowing that somehow, though he wished the feeling was wrong, he wasn't going to see them back by nightfall. Something was up, and he never liked it. "May good fortune be with you."
~*~*~*~
Zhang He hated to travel; the warm skies and slightly humid air would make him sweat like a dog, and he HATED it. It made his hair damp and filthy, and when his hair felt disgusting, he felt the same way. And what was worse that the territory was worse for the horses, making it impossible to ride horseback. He rather missed the flatlands. Curse Cao Cao, ordering them to retreat into the East, only to be chased by Liu Bei's army for the last three weeks.
"You look horribly uncomfortable…"
"I'm roasting like a papaya, what do you think?" Zhang He looked at the man behind the fan, seeing how damp his always beautiful face was. "You look worse than me."
He received a blow, but he cockily dodged the fan as Sima Yi retorted. "Don't say such things, pig… I am far more attractive to the eyes then you will ever be."
Grinning, and looking pretty suave, Zhang He brought a claw under his 'partner's' chin, as if to threaten him. But Sima Yi was not affected, at least not in a bad way, for he smiled too. "Are you saying that I am not beautiful, dear Sima Yi? Remember, I can scratch that pretty little face of yours, and the sweat is making your make-up run…"
As the two went on, Zhang Liao shook his head, trying to guide his horse up the steep hill. He hated it when those two flirted, especially when they were around him. They knew it bothered him, and he swore, one day, he was going to end their flirting for good.
"Does it look bad? Tell me the truth, Zhang He!"
Running the dull side of his claws down his face, Zhang He gave a wink, glancing at their superior to see if he was twitching from anger yet. Zhang Liao always looked cute when he was angry. "Only enough to make you noticeable and beautiful… in a stinky, smelly way."
That was enough, and Zhang Liao grabbed his spear, reeling around at the two and stopping the entire army in their tracks. "Do you two realize the importance of this attack?! If your flirting doesn't give us away, your unnatural aurora of flowers will, or maybe your moaning-filled CRIES after I impale you both!"
Hiding behind his fan again, Sima Yi tried to calm him down, being very careful with his words. Zhang Liao could easily have him executed… even though he was the Wei's best strategist... "Please, forgive us. We are just both very uncomfortable, as well as some of our soldiers."
"Speaking of which, we are running low on water and supplies." Zhang He stated, pointing to the soldiers that followed. "What use will the troops be without proper nourishment? We will simply be picked off like flies if we keep traveling at this rate."
Driving his spear into the ground, Zhang Liao hissed, "And if we slow down, it will give Liu Bei time to catch up to us. They're half a day behind us, and we have no time to slow down. Now I don't want to hear another complaint from you two-"
He was interrupted, as a scout came running from behind. The soldier saluted, bowing his head before speaking. "Sir, we spotted a small army, running along the river. We suspect it's from Wu."
"Wu?" As Zhang He and Sima Yi gave each other looks, Zhang Liao narrowed his eyes. "Why in the bloody hell would the Wu being getting involved in this...?"
"Yes sir. A member of the Sun family is leading them, a few miles ahead of the bigger group, but I did recognize Zhou Yu and one of the Qiao Maidens. Them, along with one of the other strategist and a small group are heading our way as we speak."
Zhang Liao cursed, to escape from one group only to be caught by another. "Damn… how far behind are they?"
"A quarter of a day, sir."
"Gives us enough time for a strategy," Zhang He nodded, sharpening his claws against one another. He did love battling, even if he had to do it here. "If we quickly dispose of the two strategist, then the Wu Kingdom will be easier to defeat."
"But what about Liu Bei? If he stop to fight, then that gives him more time to catch us." Zhang Liao did not like the cards Fate gave him to play, but now was not the time to complain. He had to come up with something, and quick. "We'll handle Wu first, but it has to be quick. I am hoping that Cao Cao hasn't chosen to leave us to die..."
Sima Yi nodded, fanning himself. "Cao Cao would never do such a thing; remember, he's nothing but a man with fantasies of horses without us. And don't worry about the Wu... We can snipe them; hide among the rocks and pick them off."
"Zhou Yu is not that stupid," Zhang Liao snapped, actually commenting the skilled strategist. "He knows that will be the first place for an ambush, and we're not just dealing with Zhou Yu here. Neither Zhou Yu nor Lu Xun should be underestimated…"
Now, Zhang He smiled, pulling out his bow and a few arrows, each bearing a white tip. These weren't ordinary arrows at all, but some of his own kind. They saw the fire in his eyes, and he gave his usual cocky smile. "You worry too much, Zhang Liao… I swear you would be a strategist, no offence Sima Yi. It is not beautiful, to age quicker, by fearing a single flaw that is scribbled on paper or on the battle field."
He turned, setting one of the arrows onto the bow, and he let it loose, aiming high and striking a hawk in the wings. As it fell, Zhang He reloaded, turning back to the skeptical general and the slightly offended Wei strategist. "Now spend the time to think of a plan, or watch the bird slowly die, to rot and to change into a beautiful flower…"
"Have you tried the poison on humans yet?" Sima Yi question, watching as the wounded bird began to convulse.
"We shall soon see… now what's the plan?"
~*~*~*~
"The Wei are heading towards Wu territory…"
Gan Ning was having a peaceful nap, and he was dreaming, seeing himself on an old pirate ship. He missed the way it swayed, rocking back and forth in rhythm with the sea. Oh, how he missed that as well… someday, he would return to it.
But now, the ex-pirate found himself looking up at Sun Shang Xiang, and he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Can you repeat that? I was sleeping well…"
She sighed, "That's just like you, to sleep when the war is coming to us."
Sitting up, Gan Ning apologized, rubbing his shoulders. "I spent all night scouting; what do you expect?"
"A small group of Wei are just beyond the outskirts of our land, with Liu Bei and some Shu right behind them, AND Zhou Yu, Da Qiao, and Lu Xun going to cut the Wei off." It was a tongue twister to her, but she managed through it without too much trouble. She helped him up, "Taishi Ci is going to join them, and so are you. So saddle up."
He saluted, still rubbing away the sleepiness. One day he'll finish his dreams, but today was not to be the day. "Damn Wei… always ruining it for all of us…"
~*~*~*~
"What?"
The soldier cowered under the enraged gaze of the mighty leader of the Shu Kingdom, and Liu Bei had to repeat himself before the soldier could answer. "What did you see?"
Still holding his salute, the man answered, "They're headed towards Shu territory; they'll be there within a week."
Liu Bei had a quick temper, and he sneered, not liking the situation at all. He knew he shouldn't have pursued Sima Yi, and he wondered, what were the Wu up to? It was never like them to go on the offensive.
"And sir, we saw the group separate, and it looks like Zhou Yu's group is heading towards Sima Yi…" the soldier finished.
"They must think they're heading towards Wu… this is not like them at all." Now the leader grew slightly worried. He had two choices; continue after Sima Yi, or stop the Wu army from reaching Shu. "Perhaps they're wanting to aid us… but highly unlikely."
The soldier asked, "What should we do?"
Getting onto his beautiful gray steed, the ruler of Shu looked in the direction of the south, a hard frame on concentration on his face. "If we destroy both Zhou Yu and Lu Xun, then Wu will be without their strategist, and what threat would the remaining group be then? Tell the troops to prepare for battle; we have a new enemy to defeat as well!"
Giving another salute, the soldier ran off, and Liu Bei looked back towards the South. No, defeating the two would be a difficult task, as well as fighting off Zhang Liao. However, it was not like him to back down. He recieved nods from both Ma Chao and Zhao Yun, recieving their approval.
If he knew of the trap that laid for both the Wu and Shu, he would have simply fell back into his own territory…
By Gingivere the Shadowreaver
~*~*~*~
DISCLAIMER: All characters from Dynasty Warriors are copyrighted to KOEI Corporation and KOEI Co., Ltd. Please do not alter or steal this story, or I will have Lu Bu and his ultimate DOOMNESS kill you in an instant!
Author's Note: Okay, Okay, I know people don't like this, but this MUST be addressed. I am well aware of the original stuff and all, but if I used that, then it wouldn't be HALF the fun. So, I am pretending that everyone is alive during the SAME time period, so that certain couples will work. Yes, I am butchering the entire RotTK goodness, but bare with me. So, Da Qiao is NOT Lu Xun's mother-in-law... and stuff...
BTW, this story WILL contain some suggestible scenes, such as violence, as well as some m/m fluffiness (Zhang He/Sima Yi, baby), but nothing TOO sexual, at l;east nothing beyond kissing. So if you don't like Sima Yi or Zhang He, oh well, don't read this fic (it's not ALL about them but they're very instrumental in this). Mainly focuses on Lu Xun, Zhou Yu, and Zhang He...
~*~*~*~
The battle seemed endless, and Sima Yi knew this. And what was worse, this was HIS plan, and he was losing! He watched the fight, as he hid half his face behind his black feathered fan. 'Not good... not good at all...'
The Shu were much stronger than he had planned, or Cao Cao had expected. This assault should have never have happened, but it was his lord's wish. The ambitious ruler wanted nothing more than to rule all of China, and it looked like Shu was to be the first to conquer.
But they faught back, as expected. But they weren't expecting this much.
"Cao Cao, you opened up a horrible can of worms..." Sima Yi shook his head, mounting his horse. The creature wanted to leave this land, and the strategist couldn't blame him at all. Why stay in a doomed battle? This was useless, completely USELESS.
Within the bloody mess was Zhang He, useless disposing of Shu soldiers. This was all but a game for him, to kill soldiers, as well as any villagers that dared to get in the way of his golden claws. There were no innocents in war, and that he found out at an early stage.
Sima Yi was never worried about him, at least not normally. He cursed, looking over the battlefield for Cao Cao. This was insanity; they had to retreat!
He spotted him, slaying three soldiers that seemed to be but a mere scratch to the troops. Courageous Cao Cao, but too foolish. Sima Yi commanded his horse towards his position, killing any soldier that got into his way. It took much longer than he thought, and he shouted to Cao Cao, giving a bow and trying not to distract him from the fight. "Sir, we must retreat! We have obviously underesitmated them!"
Cao Cao was not the one to enjoy retreats, but he even knew this was a imprudent plan. It was too soon, and as shameful at it was, Cao Cao gave the command, somehow holding back the rage in his voice. "Give the command- take your troops to the east! We'll meet there!"
Nodding, the general gave the command, showing no shame for doing the right thing. "Fall back! To the East!"
The command echoed, and Sima Yi gave his Lord one last look before obeying the command himself. He could read his anger and shame, and he knew he was going to get a beating for this. He didn't dwell on it, however, making room as Zhang He quickly got on the horse without it stopping. He would simply think of a better strategy next time... and he was already planning the next successful attack.
"They're retreating!" Zhou Yun made the observation, knocking back a few soldiers with his spear. He wasn't sure if Liu Bei had even heard him, but the leader of Shu had already noticed. He was enraged by the attack, and now the nerve of the Wei, to retreat! He gave a whistle, waiting for the arrival of his grey steed. "Your orders?"
Liu Bei mounted his horse as soon as it arrived, his anger obvious. "Tell Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu to hold the front! Grab your best men! We'll stop them before they can get away!"
Zhao Yun nodded, quickly spreading the word. He wasn't even sure if that was a good idea at all, but he did not question. As Liu Bei passed Ma Chao, he requested the same thing, and soon, the leader and two of the Five Tiger Generals and their troops had pursued the Wei army heading towards the East. Their only objective was to hunt them down and slay them. Liu Bei hoped that Cao Cao was with them... he would kill that beast like the spineless dog that he was.
~*~*~*~
::Three Weeks Later::
Horses were the bane of his existence. Clam ones, wild ones, fat ones, skinny ones, fast ones, and slow ones. Lu Xun never truly cared for horses, even Pat Se, Wu's slowest and oldest horse in existance. From his earliest memories, all he could remember is his first time on a horse, remembering the hell the day was. The horse went psycho on him, and he nearly died from that experience. Though even has he tolde Zhou Yu that (actually the man badgered it out of him), he was still teased about it.
And here he was, once again on a horse. Yes, Pat Se was never the horse to buck, but he still felt uneasy. Horses were always aware, always active, always in fear of the unknown forces that were around them. Well, except Pat Se... nothing, absolutely NOTHING could scare this horse.
The young strategist could bare through it, though, always quick to overcome an obstacle and work his way either through it or around it. In this case, he found the inner strength to ride the dull beast by sharing it. And who better to share it with then with one of the Qiao Twins?
That made it even worse; Zhou Yu KNEW he had a liking to Da Qiao, and the fellow strategist was cruel enough to ask her to ride with him, to ease his fears. He was still embarrassed, and that was almost a week ago!
'Curse you, Zhou Yu... and curse me for my fear...' Lu Xun sighed, staring at the back of the Maiden's head. She had such long, fine hair... the thought left him in an instant, narrowing his eyes and looking AWAY from her. She should be the last thing on his mind. He had more important things to be concerned with.
Like the reason why he was even ON the horse now...
As much as they wanted peace, Sun Ce already knew it could not be avoided. The Wei had gone too far this time, and they found it odd that the Wu Kingdom would be forced to defend their nemesis, the Shu. Liu Bei never asked for help, but when he did, it must have meant that Wei were going to do something drastic. Though there wasn't too much explanation, Sun Ce made the quick decision to aid the ruler of western China. Perhaps now a truce could be made between the two kingdoms, though two strategists failed to see the reasoning.
Zhou Yu and Lu Xun were forced to form a plan on the fly, though to them, it was never that hard. The only thing was the fact that they were forced to work with Zhuge Liang, who Lu Xun, when getting promoted by Kan Ze, quickly realized how deep Zhou Yu's hatred of him ran. Before departing, Sun Ce had pulled him aside, and Lu XUn remembered his exact words. "Be aware of Zhou Yu, and keep him in line when you arrive."
He figured he meant to make sure that Zhou Yu didn't decapitate his rival. That or make sure he didn't set both the Shu and Wei army alight.
The Wu army was separated. Sun Ce lead the group a few miles ahead of them, with Huang Gai and Taishi Ci, while Zhou Yu, Lu Meng, Da Qiao, and Lu Xun kept control of the second group, as back up. It was smart, to keep the party more silent as they quested along the border of the Yangtze River. It was never safe to pass through this territory, especially since they were to battle the Wei soon. However, with most of the Wei army collecting at the western border, Zhou Yu correctly estimated that the river was down to minimum defense, allowing the army to sneak in through the north, trapping the Wei within Shu territory. It seemed flawless, but Zhou Yu and Lu Xun knew that nothing was ever to be that way.
Lu Meng noticed the worried look on the young man's face, seeing how deep he was into concentration. Yes, the man was always thinking, plotting, always calculating and improving old battle strategies. But it was obvious that this wasn't what he was thinking about- something else was on his mind.
"Do you think the plan will work?" Da Qiao broke the silence, looking back at the young man that sat silently behind her. She saw his concern, and smiled, trying to ease it. She knew of his crush, since Xiao Qiao could never keep a secret from her. She kinda liked him, though she wasn't sure if she was worthy of a deep relationship with him, at least not yet... he was so young... she quickly forced herself not to think about it. "Zhou Yu's pretty confident."
Lu Xun made no facial expressions, but sighed, hating how he had to wrap an arm around her waist. Half of him enjoyed this position very much; he wanted to hug her throughout the entire quest, to finally tell her how he feels... However, the other half was hesitant, and that half was getting the better of him. "It seems successful, though I wouldn't be so sure… it doesn't seem right to interfere."
Walking along side the light tan horse, Lu Meng only nodded, "It IS their problem, but they did come to us for help."
"Trusting him so easily is foolish," the strategist looked towards the trees that grew along the river, as if to scout. "Sun Ce should know that…"
"He does."
Lu Xun looked towards the beautiful maiden, and she wore a cheeky smile, a smile that he almost melted from. She petted the horse, also watching out for any enemy troops. "I'm not suppose to tell you this, but this is also a spy mission."
"What? And when was he going to tell us this?" Lu Meng asked, a bit upset now. "Doesn't he trust us?"
"Zhou Yu knows, and he was suppose to tell you, Lu Xun, after we get things settled down out there." Da Qiao gave a slight bow. "I'm sorry, but my sister and I overheard."
Waving it off, the young strategist was always easy to forgive, especially if it came from her, "Don't worry about it. Sun Ce has his ways. But still, something just doesn't seem right at all… Cao Cao is till recovering from the last battle he was in; why attack so soon?"
Now neither of them knew the answer, so neither could give their condolences to ease the man's tension. But it was a common thing for Lu Xun, and many often joked that he was going to age quicker by worrying about every single strategy. He laughed at this; that was never his problem.
The three of them looked up as a horse came running from the front, and they greeted Zhou Yu with a nod. "Anything up there?"
Nodding, Zhou Yu answered, trying to keep his horse calm. He almost laughed to see Lu Xun's glare; he still blamed him for hooking him up with her on the horse, two torment methods in one simple blow. But he let the thoguht go. "Sun Ce spotted a small group… and it looks as if Zhang Liao, Zhang He and Sima Yi is leading them… and it looks that Wei's strategist has something up his sleeves."
"Where are they headed?" Da Qiao asked, wondering why the three men weren't with the rest of the Wei. Maybe they were attacking both Shu and Wu at the same time, but that idea in itself was crazy.
"Looks like their headed East... Lu Xun, Da Qiao, both of you take twenty of your finest and come with me. We're going to stop them and see whatever they're planning."
Lu Xun hardly disobeyed, but he asked, "The troops need you here, Zhou Yu. They're in need of a good strategist."
Laughing, the long haired man shook his head, "You think either of us is going to die easily? We're just going to see what they're up to, only attack if necessary. Lu Meng, catch up to Sun Ce and tell him of the situation."
"You better be back." Lu Meng saluted, and he watched as they left. Now he had a bad feeling in his gut, knowing that somehow, though he wished the feeling was wrong, he wasn't going to see them back by nightfall. Something was up, and he never liked it. "May good fortune be with you."
~*~*~*~
Zhang He hated to travel; the warm skies and slightly humid air would make him sweat like a dog, and he HATED it. It made his hair damp and filthy, and when his hair felt disgusting, he felt the same way. And what was worse that the territory was worse for the horses, making it impossible to ride horseback. He rather missed the flatlands. Curse Cao Cao, ordering them to retreat into the East, only to be chased by Liu Bei's army for the last three weeks.
"You look horribly uncomfortable…"
"I'm roasting like a papaya, what do you think?" Zhang He looked at the man behind the fan, seeing how damp his always beautiful face was. "You look worse than me."
He received a blow, but he cockily dodged the fan as Sima Yi retorted. "Don't say such things, pig… I am far more attractive to the eyes then you will ever be."
Grinning, and looking pretty suave, Zhang He brought a claw under his 'partner's' chin, as if to threaten him. But Sima Yi was not affected, at least not in a bad way, for he smiled too. "Are you saying that I am not beautiful, dear Sima Yi? Remember, I can scratch that pretty little face of yours, and the sweat is making your make-up run…"
As the two went on, Zhang Liao shook his head, trying to guide his horse up the steep hill. He hated it when those two flirted, especially when they were around him. They knew it bothered him, and he swore, one day, he was going to end their flirting for good.
"Does it look bad? Tell me the truth, Zhang He!"
Running the dull side of his claws down his face, Zhang He gave a wink, glancing at their superior to see if he was twitching from anger yet. Zhang Liao always looked cute when he was angry. "Only enough to make you noticeable and beautiful… in a stinky, smelly way."
That was enough, and Zhang Liao grabbed his spear, reeling around at the two and stopping the entire army in their tracks. "Do you two realize the importance of this attack?! If your flirting doesn't give us away, your unnatural aurora of flowers will, or maybe your moaning-filled CRIES after I impale you both!"
Hiding behind his fan again, Sima Yi tried to calm him down, being very careful with his words. Zhang Liao could easily have him executed… even though he was the Wei's best strategist... "Please, forgive us. We are just both very uncomfortable, as well as some of our soldiers."
"Speaking of which, we are running low on water and supplies." Zhang He stated, pointing to the soldiers that followed. "What use will the troops be without proper nourishment? We will simply be picked off like flies if we keep traveling at this rate."
Driving his spear into the ground, Zhang Liao hissed, "And if we slow down, it will give Liu Bei time to catch up to us. They're half a day behind us, and we have no time to slow down. Now I don't want to hear another complaint from you two-"
He was interrupted, as a scout came running from behind. The soldier saluted, bowing his head before speaking. "Sir, we spotted a small army, running along the river. We suspect it's from Wu."
"Wu?" As Zhang He and Sima Yi gave each other looks, Zhang Liao narrowed his eyes. "Why in the bloody hell would the Wu being getting involved in this...?"
"Yes sir. A member of the Sun family is leading them, a few miles ahead of the bigger group, but I did recognize Zhou Yu and one of the Qiao Maidens. Them, along with one of the other strategist and a small group are heading our way as we speak."
Zhang Liao cursed, to escape from one group only to be caught by another. "Damn… how far behind are they?"
"A quarter of a day, sir."
"Gives us enough time for a strategy," Zhang He nodded, sharpening his claws against one another. He did love battling, even if he had to do it here. "If we quickly dispose of the two strategist, then the Wu Kingdom will be easier to defeat."
"But what about Liu Bei? If he stop to fight, then that gives him more time to catch us." Zhang Liao did not like the cards Fate gave him to play, but now was not the time to complain. He had to come up with something, and quick. "We'll handle Wu first, but it has to be quick. I am hoping that Cao Cao hasn't chosen to leave us to die..."
Sima Yi nodded, fanning himself. "Cao Cao would never do such a thing; remember, he's nothing but a man with fantasies of horses without us. And don't worry about the Wu... We can snipe them; hide among the rocks and pick them off."
"Zhou Yu is not that stupid," Zhang Liao snapped, actually commenting the skilled strategist. "He knows that will be the first place for an ambush, and we're not just dealing with Zhou Yu here. Neither Zhou Yu nor Lu Xun should be underestimated…"
Now, Zhang He smiled, pulling out his bow and a few arrows, each bearing a white tip. These weren't ordinary arrows at all, but some of his own kind. They saw the fire in his eyes, and he gave his usual cocky smile. "You worry too much, Zhang Liao… I swear you would be a strategist, no offence Sima Yi. It is not beautiful, to age quicker, by fearing a single flaw that is scribbled on paper or on the battle field."
He turned, setting one of the arrows onto the bow, and he let it loose, aiming high and striking a hawk in the wings. As it fell, Zhang He reloaded, turning back to the skeptical general and the slightly offended Wei strategist. "Now spend the time to think of a plan, or watch the bird slowly die, to rot and to change into a beautiful flower…"
"Have you tried the poison on humans yet?" Sima Yi question, watching as the wounded bird began to convulse.
"We shall soon see… now what's the plan?"
~*~*~*~
"The Wei are heading towards Wu territory…"
Gan Ning was having a peaceful nap, and he was dreaming, seeing himself on an old pirate ship. He missed the way it swayed, rocking back and forth in rhythm with the sea. Oh, how he missed that as well… someday, he would return to it.
But now, the ex-pirate found himself looking up at Sun Shang Xiang, and he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Can you repeat that? I was sleeping well…"
She sighed, "That's just like you, to sleep when the war is coming to us."
Sitting up, Gan Ning apologized, rubbing his shoulders. "I spent all night scouting; what do you expect?"
"A small group of Wei are just beyond the outskirts of our land, with Liu Bei and some Shu right behind them, AND Zhou Yu, Da Qiao, and Lu Xun going to cut the Wei off." It was a tongue twister to her, but she managed through it without too much trouble. She helped him up, "Taishi Ci is going to join them, and so are you. So saddle up."
He saluted, still rubbing away the sleepiness. One day he'll finish his dreams, but today was not to be the day. "Damn Wei… always ruining it for all of us…"
~*~*~*~
"What?"
The soldier cowered under the enraged gaze of the mighty leader of the Shu Kingdom, and Liu Bei had to repeat himself before the soldier could answer. "What did you see?"
Still holding his salute, the man answered, "They're headed towards Shu territory; they'll be there within a week."
Liu Bei had a quick temper, and he sneered, not liking the situation at all. He knew he shouldn't have pursued Sima Yi, and he wondered, what were the Wu up to? It was never like them to go on the offensive.
"And sir, we saw the group separate, and it looks like Zhou Yu's group is heading towards Sima Yi…" the soldier finished.
"They must think they're heading towards Wu… this is not like them at all." Now the leader grew slightly worried. He had two choices; continue after Sima Yi, or stop the Wu army from reaching Shu. "Perhaps they're wanting to aid us… but highly unlikely."
The soldier asked, "What should we do?"
Getting onto his beautiful gray steed, the ruler of Shu looked in the direction of the south, a hard frame on concentration on his face. "If we destroy both Zhou Yu and Lu Xun, then Wu will be without their strategist, and what threat would the remaining group be then? Tell the troops to prepare for battle; we have a new enemy to defeat as well!"
Giving another salute, the soldier ran off, and Liu Bei looked back towards the South. No, defeating the two would be a difficult task, as well as fighting off Zhang Liao. However, it was not like him to back down. He recieved nods from both Ma Chao and Zhao Yun, recieving their approval.
If he knew of the trap that laid for both the Wu and Shu, he would have simply fell back into his own territory…