A Note: My knowledge of ROTK is, unfortunately, limited. Should the characters as they
were portrayed here never have been anywhere close to Cheng Du at this time, then I do
apologize. I am simply a humble fanfiction writer, not one to study ancient Chinese texts.
Desire
Prologue: The Words of the Sage
"Brother, who is this little man that's standing in our way?"
"Hmm, such a puny warrior could not be the great Lord Zhao Yun! Who are you, and
what are you doing with Lord Zhao's spear?"
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei threw back their heads and laughed at their own jokes. It was
spring, and there was a chill wind in Cheng Du, clouds hanging overhead, threatening to
rain. The farmers were scattering seeds in their fields, and the wheels inside Lord Liu Bei
and Zhuge Liang's heads kept turning like they did year round. Zhao Yun shook his head
and pushed past them, smiling. They meant no harm, but he was busy. When the two
brothers had finished their laughing, they saw that they were alone and hurried to catch
up with Zhao Yun.
"Lord Zhao Yun, we're going to go have a drink! Come with us!" Guan Yu slapped the
smaller man on the back good-naturedly.
"I'm busy." Zhao Yun mumbled.
"You're always busy! Take a break from working and have a drink." Zhang Fei
bellowed, waving his arms.
"Lord Zhuge Liang has sent me to find a sage. He has important information on Wei's
battle with Lu Bu."
Guan Yu laughed.
"It's another red herring! Zhuge Liang sent us after six of these sages, and the only good
that came of it was when one told me who not to bet on at the races! Come have a drink!"
Zhao Yun shook his head and kept walking, sliding past a young man who had no choice
but to rudely bump into the brothers. As he furiously bowed and whispered apologies to
the two, Zhao Yun slipped away and disappeared into the crowd.
"Who not to bet on at the races… the idiots." Zhao Yun continued to mumble to himself
as he came closer to the Inn he had been told of by his last informant. He kept his spear
handy in case something else might be accompanying the sage. For example, a Wu
assassin. In his mind, he saw himself opening the door and coming face to face with Zhao
Yu. He did not want to fight anyone today. He mumbled again to himself under his
breath, a mild oath that he would not be caught unaware by anything that might lie inside.
Zhao Yun spared a glance at the name of the Inn before he laid a hand on the door. The
Thirsty Nanman.
'You've got to be kidding me...' he thought, before opening the door and ducking inside.
The air was thick with the smoke of incense that burned in corners of the room, obviously
to cover up the smell of the current patrons. Men were sprawled wherever they seemed to
have fallen the night before, empty mugs and bowls not too far away. A very distressed
innkeeper rushed out to greet him.
"Lord Zhao Yun! Oh, thank Heaven! Can you help me get them out of here? I can't wake
them up and they just won't leave! I have no food or drink left to give them, and I fear
what they'll do when they wake up!"
Zhao Yun silenced him with a raised hand. Walking over to the nearest drunkard,
sleeping on his back, sprawled over a circular table, he poked the man in the ribs with the
blunt end of his spear. He grunted, swatted at the spot he'd been poked, and rolled over.
Onto the floor. He landed with a loud 'oomph!' and opened his bleary eyes. He saw Zhao
Yun squatting down to a more personal level with the man. Yun narrowed his eyes and
said forcefully,
"Out."
The drunk snorted and went back to sleep. Zhao Yun shrugged and tapped him with the
blunt end of his spear again, harder this time. The man mumbled and groggily climbed to
his feet.
"All right… You want some of this?" he mumbled groggily.
In a matter of moments, the man was face down in the street. His companions followed
him. Zhao Yun shook his head and slammed the inn door. He turned to the innkeeper and
bowed a 'you're welcome'.
"Now, could you tell me where one of your patrons is currently staying?"
He silently crept down the hallway, listening. It was the third door on the left, the man
had told him. Yun silently knelt and put his ear to the door. He couldn't hear anything
moving inside. Was the room empty?
"You may come in, Lord Zhao Yun."
An unfamiliar voice, no man from Wu that Yun had ever heard of. He silently reached for
and opened the door, his spear grasped tightly in his left hand.
"No need for that in here, I will not harm you. Leave your spear by the door."
Zhao Yun silently rested his weapon against the doorframe, and entered the room
unarmed. A sweet scent wafted from a basket of herbs and potpourri, different from the
nauseating cloud in the tavern. This was much more tranquil. Scents of vanilla, jade, and
sakura, which he only knew by chance. He had not smelled sakura since he had gone to
Japan as a boy, yet the blossoms sat in perfect bloom atop the basket. The room was bare
except for a single bed and a paper-covered window through which light streamed into
the room. The paper had been rolled back, giving Zhao Yun a view of the buildings
beyond the Inn, and the pedestrian traffic between them. The sage sat on a cushion
beneath this window, his back to Lord Zhao Yun. His hair was bound into an intricate
braid, one of strange geometric patterns that formed bun on the back of his head, held
together with a single pin. He was clothed in blue, with white ribbon wound around his
body in certain places, seeming to restrict his movement for the purpose of some
meditation.
"Please, sit. You must listen to what I have to say."
Zhao Yun quietly folded his legs and sat, bowing deeply once he had situated himself. He
lowered his head and spoke into his lap.
"Great sage, I beseech you, tell me the news of the battle between Lu Bu and Cao Cao."
The sage chuckled to himself.
"Lord Zhao Yun, always you have placed duty above everything else. You are a great
man, Lord Zhao Yun. If I do not overstep my bounds as a simple peasant man, I might
say you are a greater man that than any you have ever served beneath."
"What?!"
"Your future is very great, Lord Zhao Yun. You will find a treasure brighter than any
gold, which shines more beautifully that great gems and diamonds. But you must fight for
it. Lord Zhao Yun, I see that every fiber of your being shall be tested soon."
"Please, great sage, I am but a simple man. Please, tell me of Lu Bu and Cao Cao."
"Cao Cao defeated Lu Bu, and captured Jing. Lu Bu's army is regrouping and preparing
to counterattack."
"Thank you. I must leave now."
Zhao Yun stood and turned. He took a step forward, then the sage spoke again.
"Before the first frost, you shall betray your Lord."
Zhao Yun's eyes narrowed and his expression hardened. If he had been holding his spear
at that moment, the sage's head would have been rolling about on the floor. Rather, Yun
replied, with all the resolution that his voice could carry,
"Never."
And was gone.
were portrayed here never have been anywhere close to Cheng Du at this time, then I do
apologize. I am simply a humble fanfiction writer, not one to study ancient Chinese texts.
Desire
Prologue: The Words of the Sage
"Brother, who is this little man that's standing in our way?"
"Hmm, such a puny warrior could not be the great Lord Zhao Yun! Who are you, and
what are you doing with Lord Zhao's spear?"
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei threw back their heads and laughed at their own jokes. It was
spring, and there was a chill wind in Cheng Du, clouds hanging overhead, threatening to
rain. The farmers were scattering seeds in their fields, and the wheels inside Lord Liu Bei
and Zhuge Liang's heads kept turning like they did year round. Zhao Yun shook his head
and pushed past them, smiling. They meant no harm, but he was busy. When the two
brothers had finished their laughing, they saw that they were alone and hurried to catch
up with Zhao Yun.
"Lord Zhao Yun, we're going to go have a drink! Come with us!" Guan Yu slapped the
smaller man on the back good-naturedly.
"I'm busy." Zhao Yun mumbled.
"You're always busy! Take a break from working and have a drink." Zhang Fei
bellowed, waving his arms.
"Lord Zhuge Liang has sent me to find a sage. He has important information on Wei's
battle with Lu Bu."
Guan Yu laughed.
"It's another red herring! Zhuge Liang sent us after six of these sages, and the only good
that came of it was when one told me who not to bet on at the races! Come have a drink!"
Zhao Yun shook his head and kept walking, sliding past a young man who had no choice
but to rudely bump into the brothers. As he furiously bowed and whispered apologies to
the two, Zhao Yun slipped away and disappeared into the crowd.
"Who not to bet on at the races… the idiots." Zhao Yun continued to mumble to himself
as he came closer to the Inn he had been told of by his last informant. He kept his spear
handy in case something else might be accompanying the sage. For example, a Wu
assassin. In his mind, he saw himself opening the door and coming face to face with Zhao
Yu. He did not want to fight anyone today. He mumbled again to himself under his
breath, a mild oath that he would not be caught unaware by anything that might lie inside.
Zhao Yun spared a glance at the name of the Inn before he laid a hand on the door. The
Thirsty Nanman.
'You've got to be kidding me...' he thought, before opening the door and ducking inside.
The air was thick with the smoke of incense that burned in corners of the room, obviously
to cover up the smell of the current patrons. Men were sprawled wherever they seemed to
have fallen the night before, empty mugs and bowls not too far away. A very distressed
innkeeper rushed out to greet him.
"Lord Zhao Yun! Oh, thank Heaven! Can you help me get them out of here? I can't wake
them up and they just won't leave! I have no food or drink left to give them, and I fear
what they'll do when they wake up!"
Zhao Yun silenced him with a raised hand. Walking over to the nearest drunkard,
sleeping on his back, sprawled over a circular table, he poked the man in the ribs with the
blunt end of his spear. He grunted, swatted at the spot he'd been poked, and rolled over.
Onto the floor. He landed with a loud 'oomph!' and opened his bleary eyes. He saw Zhao
Yun squatting down to a more personal level with the man. Yun narrowed his eyes and
said forcefully,
"Out."
The drunk snorted and went back to sleep. Zhao Yun shrugged and tapped him with the
blunt end of his spear again, harder this time. The man mumbled and groggily climbed to
his feet.
"All right… You want some of this?" he mumbled groggily.
In a matter of moments, the man was face down in the street. His companions followed
him. Zhao Yun shook his head and slammed the inn door. He turned to the innkeeper and
bowed a 'you're welcome'.
"Now, could you tell me where one of your patrons is currently staying?"
He silently crept down the hallway, listening. It was the third door on the left, the man
had told him. Yun silently knelt and put his ear to the door. He couldn't hear anything
moving inside. Was the room empty?
"You may come in, Lord Zhao Yun."
An unfamiliar voice, no man from Wu that Yun had ever heard of. He silently reached for
and opened the door, his spear grasped tightly in his left hand.
"No need for that in here, I will not harm you. Leave your spear by the door."
Zhao Yun silently rested his weapon against the doorframe, and entered the room
unarmed. A sweet scent wafted from a basket of herbs and potpourri, different from the
nauseating cloud in the tavern. This was much more tranquil. Scents of vanilla, jade, and
sakura, which he only knew by chance. He had not smelled sakura since he had gone to
Japan as a boy, yet the blossoms sat in perfect bloom atop the basket. The room was bare
except for a single bed and a paper-covered window through which light streamed into
the room. The paper had been rolled back, giving Zhao Yun a view of the buildings
beyond the Inn, and the pedestrian traffic between them. The sage sat on a cushion
beneath this window, his back to Lord Zhao Yun. His hair was bound into an intricate
braid, one of strange geometric patterns that formed bun on the back of his head, held
together with a single pin. He was clothed in blue, with white ribbon wound around his
body in certain places, seeming to restrict his movement for the purpose of some
meditation.
"Please, sit. You must listen to what I have to say."
Zhao Yun quietly folded his legs and sat, bowing deeply once he had situated himself. He
lowered his head and spoke into his lap.
"Great sage, I beseech you, tell me the news of the battle between Lu Bu and Cao Cao."
The sage chuckled to himself.
"Lord Zhao Yun, always you have placed duty above everything else. You are a great
man, Lord Zhao Yun. If I do not overstep my bounds as a simple peasant man, I might
say you are a greater man that than any you have ever served beneath."
"What?!"
"Your future is very great, Lord Zhao Yun. You will find a treasure brighter than any
gold, which shines more beautifully that great gems and diamonds. But you must fight for
it. Lord Zhao Yun, I see that every fiber of your being shall be tested soon."
"Please, great sage, I am but a simple man. Please, tell me of Lu Bu and Cao Cao."
"Cao Cao defeated Lu Bu, and captured Jing. Lu Bu's army is regrouping and preparing
to counterattack."
"Thank you. I must leave now."
Zhao Yun stood and turned. He took a step forward, then the sage spoke again.
"Before the first frost, you shall betray your Lord."
Zhao Yun's eyes narrowed and his expression hardened. If he had been holding his spear
at that moment, the sage's head would have been rolling about on the floor. Rather, Yun
replied, with all the resolution that his voice could carry,
"Never."
And was gone.