Meng Da slowly gathered his equipment and started to put it on. He looked fondly at the spear the hung on the wall. He adorned his armor and caught himself in the reflection of his mirror. His men, on both sides, hated him. The soldiers he left behind in Shu, and his current soldiers who watched him with an wary eye. There were a select few that were still loyal to him and he swore to protect them. He almost laughed to himself. How could he, a man who always ran when trouble reared its ugly head, protect anybody? He heard a knock on the other side of the door. The soldier ran in, out of breath.
"My lord, Shu has given us the signal."
Meng Da nodded and dismissed the soldier. The letter had come a week ago. Shu was going to attack this area and they needed his help. The new ruler of Wei was suspicious and wasn't kind towards him. When Meng Da had first agreed he thought he was just saving his own skin again but this time, something was different He called a meeting and found his officers all in their battle armor awaiting his command.
"Zhuge Liang has given us the order. Prepare all the troops, we march for Lou Yang!"
His officers immediately departed. He tried to preoccupy himself with small actions, like double checking the supplies and making sure what route they would use but he couldn't shake off a troubling feeling. This campaign would be easy. Attack the city, get reinforcements from Shu and then return with them. He sat in silence. He wasn't sure what he was going to say to his men. Liu Feng had always dealt with the boosting of morale. He paused to honor his fallen friend.
"Liu Feng, it may not be worth much now but, I'm sorry."
He went to the map and started to make battle plans. The enemy's greatest commander, Sima Yi, has to first get reinstated by the emperor before doing anything. That left a very easy march to Lou Yang. He placed soldier pieces on the board and began to think when suddenly a soldier's footsteps reached his ears. He was getting angry.
"Why would you disturb me in battle preparations?" He yelled out to the hall.
Instead something very unusual happened. The meek, quiet messenger had summoned all his strength and burst through the door. Meng Da would've killed him where he stood but the news stayed his blade.
"Sima Yi…. He's here! He's attacking the castle!"
Meng Da almost tripped. Sima Yi had not gotten any sort of court approval, and the troops weren't ready yet.
"Close the gates. Prepare for a siege. Send messengers to Wu and Shu!" He gave his orders in double time.
He grabbed his spear and headed out to the council room. He quickly gave orders that the gates were to remain closed and that they would outlast the enemy attack. His officers moved quickly. He stayed in the room for a moment.
"Liu Feng, Guan Yu. Though I left you both to die, grant me strength in these dark hours."
He walked out of the council hall and mounted his charger. His troops gathered behind him. He hefted his spear and prepared to defend the castle. He turned to his troops.
"We have to hold on to Xin castle until Shu and Wu reinforcements arrive! If we win, historians will write our names in history books, so everyone will know of our fight!"
He regretted saying that. It was a line Liu Feng had always used and it seemed wrong to take it. Meng Da pushed away the self-loathing as a frantic messenger approached him.
"My lord… Shen Di, Shen Dan and several others have defected; they are opening the castle gates!"
Meng Da lowered his head. They were outnumbered, and outthought. There would be no survival, no famed welcome back into Shu. He looked up and saw soldiers in blue pouring over the castle walls and defeating any resistance he still had left. Strangely, he felt at peace. He kicked his horse into a gallop towards the enemy troops. There would be no retreat, but he felt no fear. He was following his own path. Betrayal to his lords meant nothing to him now. Other officers, like Liu Feng, Guan Yu, Shen Dan, and Shen Di followed a cause that was not their own. They fought and died for someone else. Meng Da whipped his spear. There was a few seconds before he would hit the enemy with everything he had. It had took him long but he finally realized something. He was not a coward, he was brave. He would push his own path through the chaos.
He would be loyal to himself.