Zhao Yun sank into the soft linen of his bed. Even with his eyes closed he could tell the window was open, brightly coloured spots moving over the darkness of his eyelids. His arms ached and his head was throbbing. For some reason, he found hard to remember, he was still wearing his battle garb. The heavy shoulder plates dug into his collarbone and his headband had slid down to encircle his neck. As he slowly opened his eyes he could see a perfect blue sky a single blinding ball of light sparkling in the centre. Using his hands he raised himself to a sitting position. His hands sunk into the yellowy sand on both sides. Surrounding him was an unfamiliar battlefield, strange exotic plants sprung from the ground and giant lizards crept from holes beneath rocks. Wood lay in splinters all across the beach and the crashing of waves forced there way into Yun's eardrums.

Zhao Yun jumped to his feet, he grabbed for his spear but it was gone. He looked around, his eyes flitting from left to right. A rustling in the heavy undergrowth caused him to spring to action, fists raised, in a sparring position.

But instead of a vicious Wei soldier or giant monster, a thin woman stepped out from the trees. She had short brown hair, and a golden headband held it back from her eyes. She wore a long white dress with swirling green leaf patterns adorning the edges. Behind her was a man with long dark hair, he wore a white cloak and a green tunic, he held a rather battered but still quite magnificent white swan feather fan. Yun recognised them immediately as the strategist Zhuge Liang and his wife Yue Ying. They both looked worried. Yun rushed over to them,

"Lady Yue, Master Zhuge, where are…"

"No time," Ying interrupted hurriedly,

"Whats the…" Yun began but once more Ying cut across him, "Wei Yan, injured, badly."

Yun didn't need to listen twice.

"Where?" he demanded.

"Back at our little camp. I think it might be too late." Replied Liang lazily; one might almost think he was enjoying himself. Ying gave Liang a blistering look and then sprinted off into the forest beckoning for Yun to follow.

Yun raced after her watching carefully for broken logs on the ground. Ying was surprisingly speedy. After Yun had become seriously out of breath they reached another sandy clearing and Yun spotted Yan lying a few metres from the sea. As he ran over he saw the extent of the damage. A huge sharp shaft of driftwood was embedded deep in his chest; dark blood was clotted around the area. Yan was taking quick short bursts of breath, and his face was pale. Ying was stroking his long wild hair away from his face and Huang Zhong was examining the wound. Several other familiar Shu faces watched fearfully from the side. Liang jogged rather irritably up to the tent erected for Wei Yan.

"You can save him right Liang?"

Zhong looked earnestly to Liang, hope shone in his eyes.

Liang looked from Zhong, to Yan, to his wife lovingly calming the patient.

"I can try," he replied simply.

Zhong nodded bravely, and Yan whimpered.

"First," Liang began, "I will need something to cut the wound more open with."

Zhong unsheathed his long ornate sword and passed it to Liang who held it disdainfully.

"I suppose this will do. Now Yun, Zhong, hold him down"

Yun took a deep breath and grabbed Yan's arms pinning them to the floor, Zhong did the same to his legs. Yan's eyes brimmed with tears, and he looked to Ying for reassurance. She stroked his perfect smooth cheek and smiled a halfhearted smile at him but she still couldn't bear to look at the rotting slimy piece of wood ripping a hole in Yan's stomach. Liang lowered the sword so the cold metal caressed Wei Yan's skin, he shivered with fear. Liang pushed down on the blade gently tracing a neat line of blood across Yan's stomach. Yan screamed and writhed but Yun and Zhong held him down to the sand. Ying looked as though she might be sick.. Liang carefully peeled back the flap of skin on Yan's muscular chest and, wiping his hands on his tunic, began to work. Yun and Zhong looked away unable to watch this most unnatural of surgeries. Zhang Fei talked loudly of Yan's need for good liquor before an operation. Ma Chao soon lost interest and went to practice with his spear, Jiang Wei watched in amazed silence. Guan Ping went pale and excused himself. Only Ying remained completely devoted to Yan. She pressed her fingers to his lips to silence him and wiped the tears from his eyes. A few minutes later the wood was out leaving only a gaping hole in its memory. Yan lay unconscious due to loss of blood on the beach floor. Ying quickly began conversation with Liang.

"Medicinal herbs." She demanded.

"What?" Replied Liang

"Medicinal herbs. He needs them."

"I'm not sure." Liang answered thoughtfully.

"You know which ones I mean, the small green three leafed…"

"I know what you mean!" Liang retorted irritably.

"Good. You and Yun can go find some."

"And you?"

"I'll watch over Yan, perhaps I can stitch him up."

"Of course you will"

Liang stalked off leaving a confused Ying in his wake.

Liang ventured out into the dense, central part of the undergrowth. Yun crept behind him, Zhong's sword in hand, alert for danger. Zhong followed behind bow at the ready. Bringing up the rear was Ma Chao, walking boldly between the trees.

Every now and then Liang would stop them all, bend to examine a herb and then shake his head and continue on the weary voyage. The sun began to roll away over the horizon and the scorching heat retreated. Zhong anxiously voiced his concerns for the time it was taking them. Once more Liang stopped, but this time rather then bend to look at foliage his eyes darted around.

"Something is coming."

All four Shu generals surveyed their surroundings. Three of them readied their weapons whilst Zhuge Liang backed off between the three. Now all of them could hear it, a snorting, snarling monstrous noise belonging to some unseen demon. Zhong put an arrow to his bow and fired a shot into the distance. An angry squeal erupted and then a giant hairy, stinking boar crashed into them. Yun was thrown to the floor, sword knocked from his hand. Liang dived out of the way to avoid the creature. Zhong fired an arrow, which missed, whizzing into a nearby tree. Chao spun on his heel and jabbed his spear down into the boar's back. It gave a pathetic moan and then collapsed. Chao lifted his spear and slid the boar off. Zhong and Liang began to clap and cheer. Yun, however, sat silently on the forest floor, clutching his sword.

"That was brilliant Chao, these old bones could never have done that!"

"Indeed Chao, excellent, a worthy meal to christen our new camp."

As the sun finally crept behind the horizon and the glow of the moon rose ethereally from across the water, Jiang Wei began to cook the boar. The sweet smell of roasting meat brought Fei drooling to the fire. Yun hurried to the tent still holding the sweet life saving herbs. Yan looked worse, Ying had done her best to stitch up the wound but she was no doctor, his face had gone a strange green colour, and his lips curled in pain even in unconsciousness. Ying had disappeared off to the water to wash after a long day and Yun could hardly blame her. Yun took the herbs and placed them over Wei Yan's wound before running a bandage over his chest and around his back. Only once he was happy with his job did he return to the fire and fill his belly with succulent meat, it would taste better, Yun thought, if I had killed it.

The sea tossed and churned, throwing the tiny wooden raft about. The wind whipped furiously at Yun's face and hands but he continued to steer the boat as best he could. He heard a scream and a splash from across the boat but he had no time to look back. The rain lashed down in torrents soaking all the passengers to the bone. Lightning forked across the sky and it looked as though the heavens themselves were being torn open. He glance fearfully back and noticed Lord Liu Bei slip from the rigging and topple into the water. Yun abandoned his post and rushed to Liu Bei's aid. He dived into the water but before he could race after him. He was wrenched from the sea by a hand on the back of his tunic. Guan Yu threw him back on the deck. "No!" He roared over the torrent of the storm," control the boat, I will go after him." And before Yun could stop him he had dived off the side of the raft and swam from site over a monumental wave. Yun cursed as he attempted to turn the boat away but it was too late. The wave swept the raft up and then, as Yun braced himself, broke on top it. An insane flurry of water, wood and bodies smashed against him, he fell through the air his eyes squeezed shut…

Yun awoke with Wei shaking him,

"You alright? You were writhing in your sleep." Wei said, obviously concerned.

"I'm fine, just a bad dream."

And before Wei could ask again Yun got to his feet and headed off towards Yan's tent. He tried to calm himself but so many thoughts were racing through his head, why? Why couldn't he have rescued his lord? After all that was his job. Yun sighed and entered the tent. Yan looked much worse. A giant angry purple rash had formed across his chest and Ying was angrily ripping off the bandages. When she noticed him she rose furiously to her feet.

"Those herbs were poisonous! You could have killed him!" She screamed at Yun.

Yun tried to answer but he couldn't, his mouth opened and closed wordlessly.

"Just get out, Yun!"

Zhao Yun sadly accepted and left the tent he walked over towards the ocean and sat on the beachhead, head in hands, many questions whispered in his ears.

"Had they won the battle of Chi Bi?"

"Where were Liu Bei and Guan Yu?"

"Why was Ying mad at him?"

But most importantly the one he couldn't shake from his mind, why would Lord Zhuge Liang, supposedly best mind under heaven, choose the wrong herb? Or perhaps the better question would be why would Lord Zhuge Liang best mind under heaven want to choose the wrong herb.

YAY! First chapter done!

It's sort of Lost meets Dynasty Warriors!

Please read and review!