It had not been difficult to find the abandoned campsite, and Lu Xun looked about it thoughtfully. He could see where the campfire had been set up, and the bloodstains that were left behind from Zhou Yu's injuries, undisturbed by the morning's dew.
There was definitely a struggle here, and he could see Sun Ce's tonfas resting somewhere near the bushes. "Just like him, to leave his stuff about."
He picked up the weapons so that he would not forget to take them back, and his golden eyes searched the ground, to see what kind of clues he could pick up from there.
The soldiers around him did exactly the same, though many of them were not even sure what they were looking for. And, taking a second look at the tonfas, Lu Xun noticed something, as he ran his hand down it's usually smooth exterior. Something gnawed on it, and these marks... he would have instantly though of a rodent, to sharpen its teeth, but these marks were FAR too big for rodents.
They were also too predatory. Whatever had chewed on these weapons had canines, long, sharp canines. "Almost like a dog... or a fox..."
Realizing what he said, he shook his head, quickly dropping the idea for a second. "More evidence, but a small fox could have mistaken it for food... they are still are stained with the scent of blood..."
Satisfied with the answer, he began to examine the ground for footprints to see if there was any trail of where the prankster had gone.
"Don't venture out too far... the thing might still be here..."
The soldiers nodded, and one spoke hesitantly, "Sir... I think I may have found something, though I do not know if it is of much interest..."
Lu Xun quickly acknowledged him, knowing better than to let any useful information slip his attention. "Anything would help right now... what is it?"
"It's a paw print, sir..."
"Oh, if its that of a fox, it is nothing useful." Lu Xun, so skeptical, pulled out one of the tonfas and showed it off to the soldier, keeping his voice calm and trying not to scold him. "These tonfas are scented with blood, and a fox probably came by and mistook it for food, licked and nibbled at the tonfas until it realized its mistake."
The soldier shook his head, "If this paw print was left by a fox sir, then it was a REALLY large fox..."
Now, Lu Xun asked to see it, and sure enough, there it was. He was appalled by its size, and he would have quickly suggested a panda, though they weren't known to attack humans. No, this was definitely canine... "Where do these tracks lead to?"
"They have a set leading into the camp, and then another leading out. However, once you leave the dirt right at the campsite and go towards the woods, they can no longer be seen..."
That wasn't good. "Damn... this is a mystery indeed. But, nevertheless, that thing could be anywhere, and we haven't enough evidence to search any deeper..." Lu Xun frowned, "Let us go back to make our report to Lord Sun Ce..."
"Sir, I hate to sound gullible, but what if it WAS a werefox!" A soldier, slightly younger than him, asked, slight fear in his voice. Lu Xun could see the same in the others, sighing and shaking his head. "What shall we do if it is?"
"Then we shall do what we are doing anyway; hunt it down and destroy it."
None dared to argue with him, as he was right many times before. As he mounted Pat Se, he neglected his fear of horses to address them, using what knowledge he had to soothe them. "Sun Ce gave strict orders, and despite what the thing is, we are going to stick to those orders. If it IS a werefox, by any chance, then we can feel safe right now to know that it can only attack at night..."
This seemed to relieve the soldiers, especially the younger ones greatly, and they nodded, "Aye sir."
"Good... now we should be more concerned in finding out WHO this attacker is, what he's capable of doing, and how to protect ourselves..." Lu Xun stated, feeding off of his own confidence and their trust. "What bothers me is the fact that it attacked so close to Jian Ye... and for that, we must be on strict alert..."
"You can count on us sir!"
~*~*~*~*~
Zhou Yu was hot, sweaty, and miserable. Whatever had bitten him must have given him some sort of infection, as just a few hours after losing consciousness he broke out into the chills and a fever. But the doctors proclaimed that he was going to be fine once his fever broke, and two days later, it finally seemed to be happening.
On the up side, however, Sun Ce came almost every hour to come and make sure he was well.
As delightful as it was, it was also a nuisance. He was sleeping well until he heard Sun Ce's shout, waking to see the Little Conqueror had spilt the tea all over himself. "Sun Ce... you need to be a bit more careful that that..."
"I was only trying to help..."
Seeing Zhou Yu draw the blankets closer, Sun Ce asked, trying to recover the lost tea. "How you feeling, eh? Any better?"
"A little..." Zhou Yu lied. As much as he was freezing, he was soak and wet with sweat, and he was miserable, so miserable. His wounded arm was wrapped in bandages, urging him to scratch to soothe the itch. But he knew not to do such a thing; it would only make the infection worse.
"Is there anything I can do for you? Fluff your pillows, get you something to eat... anything?"
Zhou Yu wanted to sleep, but he didn't want to usher away his friend so quickly. "I'm fine... how's Lu Xun coming along with the investigation?"
"Not so well," Sun Ce sighed, taking a seat by the bed. "He's so skeptical and realistic; how can you work with him?!"
"The last time I checked, I was pretty skeptical and realistic myself, my lord," Zhou Yu chuckled. "Lu Xun means well..."
Still, that wasn't enough to make Sun Ce feel any better. "I tell him what I think it was and he mocks me about it..."
Lu Xun? MOCK?! "What did you suggest, sir?"
"Well, it wasn't human, and it wasn't a normal animal... so I said it was a werefox..."
Despite himself, Zhou Yu had to laugh, his rich, melodious voice filling the air. "A werefox? Oh sir, surely you jest!"
Insulted, Sun Ce replied, "What ELSE could it be, then? You explain it to him! Infact, explain it to me, since you obviously got a closer look at the thing."
"It was probably just some regular old fox," Zhou Yu sighed, seeing his friend's hurt look. "Sir, I do not mean to mock you, but think of it THIS way. If it were a werefox, I would have been infected with its curse and turned into one myself. But you should know most of all that I am still human!"
Sun Ce relaxed in the chair, and Zhou Yu was slightly worried for him over his own health. He'd never seen his friend so tight knit before, "Is something bothering you? I'm sure Lu Xun meant no harm in doubting your words..."
"I'm worried about you, that's all..."
"I'm fine my lord... just tired and a bit sick still..."
Sun Ce seemed to hesitate, but then he blurted out, "Why did you jump in the way of that thing? It could have killed you!"
Zhou Yu winced at the question, resting his bandaged arm along his wet chest. He thought about he question, long and hard, and finally, found the nerves and strength to answer, "Because you were in danger, and how could I return with my lord and close friend harmed?"
"Oh..."
"You seem upset with my answer, my lord?" Zhou Yu asked, trying to fight off the welcoming sleep.
Sun Ce felt himself blush, though he quickly hid it by turning away, "No... er... not at all..."
"Lord Sun Ce, I need to talk to you imme..." The doors swung open, and they both turned to see Lu Meng enter the room, a face full of concern upon his face. He stopped when he saw that Zhou Yu was awake, and he gave him a polite nod. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. Now, what is going on?"
Lu Meng wasn't one to worry, but, like Lu Xun, he had complete control over himself and spoke calmly, though his face denied everything. "My Lord, there's been several guards missing from their posts, and Lu Xun's returned with news of the attacker. He's awaiting you in your quarters..."
Seeing his hesitation, Zhou Yu spoke firmly, "I'm fine, my lord. You need to tend to this immediately."
"Okay, but you better get better soon..." Sun Ce waved a finger at him, then rose to follow Lu Meng. After they were out of hearing range, Sun Ce asked, "So, what's this about missing soldiers?"
"Just what I said sir. Soldiers, dependable, loyal soldiers have been disappearing from their posts..." Lu Meng spoke lowly, trying not to attract attention to themselves. "I know these soldiers wouldn't doubt or second guess our orders, but they're gone... and I don't think they abandoned their posts..."
"Then what has happened to them?"
Lu Meng shrugged, "I don't know... but I think that whatever attacked you and Zhou Yu has found its way into Jian Ye..."
This made his lord curse, "Damn! I was hoping that WOULDN'T happen!"
"I know, my lord... and I'm now worrying for the lives of the soldiers."
"We both are..." Sun Ce said with a growl, and he entered the room quickly, nearly making poor Lu Xun jump out of his skin. "Well, did you find anything? That beast is in our own walls now, Lu Xun... TELL me you found something!"
"I wish I could, my lord... I wish I could..." Lu Xun handed him the chewed up tonfas, trying not to notice the man's look. "All we found were footprints of a fox... and I'm guessing that whoever it was is only disguising himself as a fox to frighten you..."
"I don't care if it be man or beast, it HAS to be stopped!"
The young strategist had no objection to this, and he bowed, "I'll look into that, sir... but you must calm down. Lu Meng, when have the soldiers been found missing?"
"Always off of the night patrols..."
"As I suspected... whatever it is only strikes at night..."
"The cover of darkness is a good time to strike..." Lu Meng added in, bringing a hand to his chin in thought. "Perhaps I should join Lu Xun in researching what this thing is... that is, if you don't mind, Lu Xun?"
"Not at all; I welcome the assistance..."
Sun Ce sneered, ready to usher them both out of his room, "Whatever, get to work! I want this thing found and I want its head brought back to me!"
"You must have a little patience, my lord." Lu Xun proclaimed, trying to calm him down. "I'll find this creature, but for now you need to rest. You're stressed out as it is, and keeping yourself like this will jeopardize us all..."
"How can I rest while that THING walks free?!"
"I don't know how, but you must..." Lu Meng said, doing his best to soothe his disgruntled lord, "You are not helping anyone this way..."
"Always have to join his side, don't you?" Sun Ce went to usher them out now, grumpy and still worrisome, something he hardly ever was. "Well I expect to have FULL answers by the time I wake up, or I'll have you both beheaded! Do I make myself perfectly clear?!"
"Crystal, sir..."
The two men sent each other looks, and neither one of them spoke until they were halfway down the hallway. Lu Xun looked up to his friend, with curiosity in his eyes. "Was he... serious, sir?"
"Of course not, Lu Xun," Lu Meng assured him. "Lord Sun Ce is simply worried about his people... and Zhou Yu in particular."
Blinking, Lu Xun seemed confused for a second, but it did not last for long. "I see..."
Lu Meng sighed, rubbing his temples, "It IS rather obvious then? I must just be slow..."
"No... I just..." He cut himself short. "Yes, forgive me for my bluntness but you're a bit slow I suppose... but enough of that. We have a creature to catch."
"Correction: we have a creature to destroy..." Lu Meng stated, but he could see that almost devilish grin rise upon Lu Xun's face. "Oh, no... don't tell me you're thinking of CATCHING the thing..."
"And why not?"
Sighing, Lu Meng kept his voice down, "Because it's disobeying orders..."
"We will destroy it... eventually..." Now, when Lu Meng first met the kid, he knew he was a schemer, and this was no exception. "If we catch the creature and destroy it, what then? Surely, if the soldiers missing are a part on its account, don't you think we should try to discover what fate those soldiers had and help them?"
Lu Meng growled, "We will deal with the beast NOW so that nothing else happens to the remaining soldiers. The others are no longer alive, Lu Xun..."
That stopped their walking, adn Lu Xun turned to him, "If it IS what Sun Ce says it is... then I doubt that our missing soldiers are dead..."
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that..." Seeing some of the guards staring at them, Lu Xun motioned for his superior to follow him to his own quarters, offering him a seat as he went to the window. "The creature only attacks at night, right? How many soldiers are missing, and how long have they been missing?"
"Only a few. They are always taken during the night of their shift and not seen again. But I fail to see why you think they be alive..." Lu Meng said, hating to sound ignorant, but truly not understanding.
Looking out the window, Lu Xun truly hated to say this. "And the campsite had paw prints, and Lord Sun Ce's tonfas were chewed by some kind of massive canine... all too big to be normal."
"You're beginning to believe it could be a werefox, aren't you?"
"Sadly so... unless it's some sick person who THINKS he is..."
Lu Meng sighed, "Well, if YOU believe... then I guess I have to..."
Now, Lu Xun was indeed the bookish type, as he had his own library (well, it could easily be compared to one), grabbing the makeshift stares and scaling it to pull out a book. Before even opening it, he asked, "The werefox is only a myth, but perhaps one, with pure thoughts of it, can actually 'become' one, if you really think about it... but I don't believe they TRULY exist..."
"Okay, so what would this hypothetical person do with our men?"
Flipping through the pages, Lu Xun answered half heartedly. "Personally I do not wish to know, but it has been only soldiers. No women or children, correct?"
Lu Meng nodded, "And only, well, women tell me anyway, attractive men."
"Really?" Lu Xun cocked an eyebrow, almost blushing. "I see... well, apparently... this sick minded 'werefox' we have on our hands must be... you know."
The other general coughed, "Indeed..."
"Well, this has turned up to be rather interesting... I think I shall join the soldiers at their post tonight, to catch a glimpse of the thing myself..."
"Are you sure that is wise? The beast is likely to come straight for you..." When Lu Xun sent him an almost icy glare, he quickly took back his words and rearranged them, not wishing to strike any open wounds. "Well, of course, that is... I meant by that statement, was that..."
"Yes? Just what DO you mean, Lu Meng?"
He put himself into that corner, and he tried to fight his way out. "Well, no offense intended, but aren't you and Gan Ning... well, as you put it earlier, you know?"
Lu Xun could feel the blood rush to his face, and he demanded, "WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!"
"You know Gan Ning! He's the type to kiss and tell, you know... all pirates are." Lu Meng sighed. "Though, in all honesty, YOU could have told me..."
Instead of going deeper into the touchy topic, Lu Xun turned his attention back to what was more important, as he searched for more information about this beast and its habits. "The 'werefox' has a hunger for blood, so the best way to lure him out would be to kill a cow... or cut a hand of a person and use him for bait."
"If I find you with a cut hand tomorrow, Lu Xun, I SWEAR I will kill you myself..."
"Oh please, it's just a scratch along the palm... and would you rather use another soldier as bait?"
Lu Meng exploded, "DO YOU WANT TO BE TAKEN AND POSSIBLE RAPED AND KILLED OR WHAT?!"
Once again, he was under that hated glare, but Lu Xun said nothing, once against changing the subject. "If this book is correct, then the beast will have a fear of fire... a single flame will send it bellowing, and perhaps then we can catch it, wait until it's dawn so that he regains his 'normal' self, then extract the possible information from him..."
"I refuse to sit here and let you risk your life like this! When did you become so reckless?!'
"If it gets the creature, I'm willing to risk it... all I ask of you is to make sure that the archers are ready and have their arrows alight."
Lu Meng half-growled, "If you insist..."
~*~*~*~
If Zhou Yu knew what Lu Xun was planning, he would have insisted on him to call it off. However, he was too deep into the fever dreams to do anything about it. His health had gotten considerably worse since earlier, as he suffered from the heat flashes and shivers. But the doctors were not alarmed, guessing his fever had finally broken.
Tossing and turning, panting and moaning, he tried to escape the twisted reality he found himself lost in. The problem was... he felt as though he was not alone...
It was a good thing that Sun Ce had fallen asleep, for if he saw his friend like this, he would have been worried beyond belief. No one was there for Zhou Yu, no one... but that thing...
'Go away... why won't you GO AWAY!' Zhou Yu howled within his nightmare.
The creature was right in front of him, or was he? He could only see its fangs and its gleaming eye. It spoke... the god damned thing spoke! 'Zhou Yu...'
'LEAVE ME ALONE!'
'Meet me at midnight...' The creature said, its tongue rolling out of its mouth with a disgusting smile.
The strategist was not going to give in without a fight, 'Give me one good reason why I should..."
Now, the creature came to sit upon his chest, and even then, he could not see anything but that eye and that grin. He was close, so close, and their lips almost met. 'Because I know you will...'
'Like hell you do; I'm not going ANYWHERE," Zhou Yu hissed. 'Now go away!'
'If you insist... I shall meet you there, and not a second later...' The beast withdrew freeing Zhou Yu of his touch for a while, before disappearing. Now, alone again, Zhou Yu gasped, jackknifing in bed.
Why did he feel so alone? Gods, all he wanted was Sun Ce right now, to be able to see his smile, "Sun Ce..."
"He's not here..." He heard a grunt, and he could see a very disgruntled looking Gan Ning, standing at the doorframe, arms crossed and an agitated look upon his gruff face. Something was definitely bothering him, but he relaxed a bit when he saw how pale the man was. "Seriously, do you need a doctor, cuz I'll get you one if you really need it..."
"N-no... I need Sun Ce," Zhou Yu hated how he sounded like he was a whimpering child. "Or... or you... just somebody... I don't want to be alone..."
That worried the pirate slightly, enough to bring him to his beside. Gan Ning rested a hand on his cheek, quickly withdrawing with a hiss, "Damn, you're on fire..."
Zhou Yu reached out for the pirate's arm, pressing his head to his hand, "No... don't leave me, Gan Ning..."
"But..." No one had ever seen him like this, especially Gan Ning, and the pirate tried not to panic. "You're swimming in your own sweat... where the hell are the doctors?!"
"If... if you take your hand away, he might come back," Zhou Yu whimpered, placing the icy cool palm to his forehead.
"Who will come back... there's no one here, Zhou Yu..."
"Not NOW, I got him to leave..."
"Who? Who did you get to leave?!" Gan Ning demanded. "I've been here for at least an hour, and I didn't see anyone..."
Zhou Yu looked up at him, with the saddest and most pathetic eyes he could ever see, and his voice was even more frightening. "I... I swear that thing was in this room... he was right there..."
"'That thing'? You mean the beast?"
"Yes... and the damn thing knew my name..." That was a vicious snarl that rose from his lips, and as quickly as he had clung tot he pirate, he released him, throwing him onto the cold ground as he tried to rise from the bed, tossing the blankets aside. "The damn creature... when I find him, I will have his head!"
"Where do you think you're going?! It's nearly midnight; you can't just walk out like this!"
That stopped him dead in his tracks, and when he snapped, Gan Ning swore he saw fangs. "What?!"
"You heard me..." Gan Ning rose from the ground, trying to get Zhou Yu back into bed. "You've reached your peak, and you're exhausted... not to mention how sick you are. It's near midnight, and it's time for you to be in bed!"
MIDNIGHT?! Zhou Yu smirked, going back to the bed obediently, much to the pirate's surprise, "You are right... must stay here..."
'Talk about mood swings...' Scratching the back of his head, the pirate was beyond worried. First Lu Xun's plan of capturing the beast, now Zhou Yu's odd behavior. What next? "Just thought you'd like to know that Lu Xun's hunting your little attacker..."
Zhou Yu's laugh was quiet, but still somewhat frightening, "Good... let's see him try and talk then..."
"What?"
"Never mind... just tell me when it is PRECISLY midnight, okay?"
Slightly confused, the pirate just shrugged, preparing to leave. "Right... that's when Lu Xun suspects the 'thing' will appear... trust me, you'll KNOW when it's midnight."
Zhou Yu nodded, closing embrace. There was nothing to worry about now...his eyes and trying to slip into sleep's comforting embrace.
That made Gan Ning feel a little bit better, thought he still could not help but worry a bit for him. 'Poor guy... he looked really paranoid for a second there...'
Zhou Yu had no doubts now, yawning contently, "So I win, beast..."
Or did he? The moment he slipped back into sleep, he was back in that hellish hole he had escaped from. 'At least I'm alone... I can handle this place...'
But he wasn't. Once again, that beast was there, and his snarl brought shivers to his entire form. 'You refuse to come... why?!'
'I TOLD you I wasn't coming! I don't have to obey you!' Zhou Yu shouted back, despite the slight tremble in his voice. The beast seemed to lunged himself at him, but Zhou Yu his hands as a shield. That was when he noticed his wounded arm, something sticking out from the bandages. Was it... hair?
His pulse began to quicken, 'What... what is happening to me?!'
'Meet me at midnight, or not only will you pay, but so will many others...' The beast sneered, backing away slightly.
Zhou Yu gave a howl, an actual howl, lunging for the thing, 'What did you DO to me?!'
He flung himself right out of the bed, but the pain of the impact of the floor was nothing to him. No, he was on fire! His body ached, his muscles were engulfed in the flames. Something was happening, something he knew was happening... and dreaded. "No... not me... stop... this..."
'You can't stop it...'
His wound burned the most, and, through fear, be brought himself to tear the bandages off. That was the source; it had to be. But when he brought his hand to rip the bandages, he froze, seeing his sharp and deadly nails. Nails! "No... NO!"
'Don't try to fight it...'
"But... this isn't... what I want!"
'It doesn't matter... you're mine now...'
The closest doctor could hear the ruckus going on, and he came running when he heard the vicious, mournful howl and the sound of breaking glass. However, when he came to the door, he was almost too afraid to open it, in fear of what could be inside. But he had not choice! Lord Zhou Yu was in there!
Yet, when he mustered the courage to open the door, there was NOTHING there! Panic-stricken, he ran down the hallways, "THE BEAST HAS TAKEN LORD ZHOU YU!"
If he had opened the doors any sooner, he would have known the truth. For now, there was not one of the creatures running about in Jian Ye... but two...
There was definitely a struggle here, and he could see Sun Ce's tonfas resting somewhere near the bushes. "Just like him, to leave his stuff about."
He picked up the weapons so that he would not forget to take them back, and his golden eyes searched the ground, to see what kind of clues he could pick up from there.
The soldiers around him did exactly the same, though many of them were not even sure what they were looking for. And, taking a second look at the tonfas, Lu Xun noticed something, as he ran his hand down it's usually smooth exterior. Something gnawed on it, and these marks... he would have instantly though of a rodent, to sharpen its teeth, but these marks were FAR too big for rodents.
They were also too predatory. Whatever had chewed on these weapons had canines, long, sharp canines. "Almost like a dog... or a fox..."
Realizing what he said, he shook his head, quickly dropping the idea for a second. "More evidence, but a small fox could have mistaken it for food... they are still are stained with the scent of blood..."
Satisfied with the answer, he began to examine the ground for footprints to see if there was any trail of where the prankster had gone.
"Don't venture out too far... the thing might still be here..."
The soldiers nodded, and one spoke hesitantly, "Sir... I think I may have found something, though I do not know if it is of much interest..."
Lu Xun quickly acknowledged him, knowing better than to let any useful information slip his attention. "Anything would help right now... what is it?"
"It's a paw print, sir..."
"Oh, if its that of a fox, it is nothing useful." Lu Xun, so skeptical, pulled out one of the tonfas and showed it off to the soldier, keeping his voice calm and trying not to scold him. "These tonfas are scented with blood, and a fox probably came by and mistook it for food, licked and nibbled at the tonfas until it realized its mistake."
The soldier shook his head, "If this paw print was left by a fox sir, then it was a REALLY large fox..."
Now, Lu Xun asked to see it, and sure enough, there it was. He was appalled by its size, and he would have quickly suggested a panda, though they weren't known to attack humans. No, this was definitely canine... "Where do these tracks lead to?"
"They have a set leading into the camp, and then another leading out. However, once you leave the dirt right at the campsite and go towards the woods, they can no longer be seen..."
That wasn't good. "Damn... this is a mystery indeed. But, nevertheless, that thing could be anywhere, and we haven't enough evidence to search any deeper..." Lu Xun frowned, "Let us go back to make our report to Lord Sun Ce..."
"Sir, I hate to sound gullible, but what if it WAS a werefox!" A soldier, slightly younger than him, asked, slight fear in his voice. Lu Xun could see the same in the others, sighing and shaking his head. "What shall we do if it is?"
"Then we shall do what we are doing anyway; hunt it down and destroy it."
None dared to argue with him, as he was right many times before. As he mounted Pat Se, he neglected his fear of horses to address them, using what knowledge he had to soothe them. "Sun Ce gave strict orders, and despite what the thing is, we are going to stick to those orders. If it IS a werefox, by any chance, then we can feel safe right now to know that it can only attack at night..."
This seemed to relieve the soldiers, especially the younger ones greatly, and they nodded, "Aye sir."
"Good... now we should be more concerned in finding out WHO this attacker is, what he's capable of doing, and how to protect ourselves..." Lu Xun stated, feeding off of his own confidence and their trust. "What bothers me is the fact that it attacked so close to Jian Ye... and for that, we must be on strict alert..."
"You can count on us sir!"
~*~*~*~*~
Zhou Yu was hot, sweaty, and miserable. Whatever had bitten him must have given him some sort of infection, as just a few hours after losing consciousness he broke out into the chills and a fever. But the doctors proclaimed that he was going to be fine once his fever broke, and two days later, it finally seemed to be happening.
On the up side, however, Sun Ce came almost every hour to come and make sure he was well.
As delightful as it was, it was also a nuisance. He was sleeping well until he heard Sun Ce's shout, waking to see the Little Conqueror had spilt the tea all over himself. "Sun Ce... you need to be a bit more careful that that..."
"I was only trying to help..."
Seeing Zhou Yu draw the blankets closer, Sun Ce asked, trying to recover the lost tea. "How you feeling, eh? Any better?"
"A little..." Zhou Yu lied. As much as he was freezing, he was soak and wet with sweat, and he was miserable, so miserable. His wounded arm was wrapped in bandages, urging him to scratch to soothe the itch. But he knew not to do such a thing; it would only make the infection worse.
"Is there anything I can do for you? Fluff your pillows, get you something to eat... anything?"
Zhou Yu wanted to sleep, but he didn't want to usher away his friend so quickly. "I'm fine... how's Lu Xun coming along with the investigation?"
"Not so well," Sun Ce sighed, taking a seat by the bed. "He's so skeptical and realistic; how can you work with him?!"
"The last time I checked, I was pretty skeptical and realistic myself, my lord," Zhou Yu chuckled. "Lu Xun means well..."
Still, that wasn't enough to make Sun Ce feel any better. "I tell him what I think it was and he mocks me about it..."
Lu Xun? MOCK?! "What did you suggest, sir?"
"Well, it wasn't human, and it wasn't a normal animal... so I said it was a werefox..."
Despite himself, Zhou Yu had to laugh, his rich, melodious voice filling the air. "A werefox? Oh sir, surely you jest!"
Insulted, Sun Ce replied, "What ELSE could it be, then? You explain it to him! Infact, explain it to me, since you obviously got a closer look at the thing."
"It was probably just some regular old fox," Zhou Yu sighed, seeing his friend's hurt look. "Sir, I do not mean to mock you, but think of it THIS way. If it were a werefox, I would have been infected with its curse and turned into one myself. But you should know most of all that I am still human!"
Sun Ce relaxed in the chair, and Zhou Yu was slightly worried for him over his own health. He'd never seen his friend so tight knit before, "Is something bothering you? I'm sure Lu Xun meant no harm in doubting your words..."
"I'm worried about you, that's all..."
"I'm fine my lord... just tired and a bit sick still..."
Sun Ce seemed to hesitate, but then he blurted out, "Why did you jump in the way of that thing? It could have killed you!"
Zhou Yu winced at the question, resting his bandaged arm along his wet chest. He thought about he question, long and hard, and finally, found the nerves and strength to answer, "Because you were in danger, and how could I return with my lord and close friend harmed?"
"Oh..."
"You seem upset with my answer, my lord?" Zhou Yu asked, trying to fight off the welcoming sleep.
Sun Ce felt himself blush, though he quickly hid it by turning away, "No... er... not at all..."
"Lord Sun Ce, I need to talk to you imme..." The doors swung open, and they both turned to see Lu Meng enter the room, a face full of concern upon his face. He stopped when he saw that Zhou Yu was awake, and he gave him a polite nod. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. Now, what is going on?"
Lu Meng wasn't one to worry, but, like Lu Xun, he had complete control over himself and spoke calmly, though his face denied everything. "My Lord, there's been several guards missing from their posts, and Lu Xun's returned with news of the attacker. He's awaiting you in your quarters..."
Seeing his hesitation, Zhou Yu spoke firmly, "I'm fine, my lord. You need to tend to this immediately."
"Okay, but you better get better soon..." Sun Ce waved a finger at him, then rose to follow Lu Meng. After they were out of hearing range, Sun Ce asked, "So, what's this about missing soldiers?"
"Just what I said sir. Soldiers, dependable, loyal soldiers have been disappearing from their posts..." Lu Meng spoke lowly, trying not to attract attention to themselves. "I know these soldiers wouldn't doubt or second guess our orders, but they're gone... and I don't think they abandoned their posts..."
"Then what has happened to them?"
Lu Meng shrugged, "I don't know... but I think that whatever attacked you and Zhou Yu has found its way into Jian Ye..."
This made his lord curse, "Damn! I was hoping that WOULDN'T happen!"
"I know, my lord... and I'm now worrying for the lives of the soldiers."
"We both are..." Sun Ce said with a growl, and he entered the room quickly, nearly making poor Lu Xun jump out of his skin. "Well, did you find anything? That beast is in our own walls now, Lu Xun... TELL me you found something!"
"I wish I could, my lord... I wish I could..." Lu Xun handed him the chewed up tonfas, trying not to notice the man's look. "All we found were footprints of a fox... and I'm guessing that whoever it was is only disguising himself as a fox to frighten you..."
"I don't care if it be man or beast, it HAS to be stopped!"
The young strategist had no objection to this, and he bowed, "I'll look into that, sir... but you must calm down. Lu Meng, when have the soldiers been found missing?"
"Always off of the night patrols..."
"As I suspected... whatever it is only strikes at night..."
"The cover of darkness is a good time to strike..." Lu Meng added in, bringing a hand to his chin in thought. "Perhaps I should join Lu Xun in researching what this thing is... that is, if you don't mind, Lu Xun?"
"Not at all; I welcome the assistance..."
Sun Ce sneered, ready to usher them both out of his room, "Whatever, get to work! I want this thing found and I want its head brought back to me!"
"You must have a little patience, my lord." Lu Xun proclaimed, trying to calm him down. "I'll find this creature, but for now you need to rest. You're stressed out as it is, and keeping yourself like this will jeopardize us all..."
"How can I rest while that THING walks free?!"
"I don't know how, but you must..." Lu Meng said, doing his best to soothe his disgruntled lord, "You are not helping anyone this way..."
"Always have to join his side, don't you?" Sun Ce went to usher them out now, grumpy and still worrisome, something he hardly ever was. "Well I expect to have FULL answers by the time I wake up, or I'll have you both beheaded! Do I make myself perfectly clear?!"
"Crystal, sir..."
The two men sent each other looks, and neither one of them spoke until they were halfway down the hallway. Lu Xun looked up to his friend, with curiosity in his eyes. "Was he... serious, sir?"
"Of course not, Lu Xun," Lu Meng assured him. "Lord Sun Ce is simply worried about his people... and Zhou Yu in particular."
Blinking, Lu Xun seemed confused for a second, but it did not last for long. "I see..."
Lu Meng sighed, rubbing his temples, "It IS rather obvious then? I must just be slow..."
"No... I just..." He cut himself short. "Yes, forgive me for my bluntness but you're a bit slow I suppose... but enough of that. We have a creature to catch."
"Correction: we have a creature to destroy..." Lu Meng stated, but he could see that almost devilish grin rise upon Lu Xun's face. "Oh, no... don't tell me you're thinking of CATCHING the thing..."
"And why not?"
Sighing, Lu Meng kept his voice down, "Because it's disobeying orders..."
"We will destroy it... eventually..." Now, when Lu Meng first met the kid, he knew he was a schemer, and this was no exception. "If we catch the creature and destroy it, what then? Surely, if the soldiers missing are a part on its account, don't you think we should try to discover what fate those soldiers had and help them?"
Lu Meng growled, "We will deal with the beast NOW so that nothing else happens to the remaining soldiers. The others are no longer alive, Lu Xun..."
That stopped their walking, adn Lu Xun turned to him, "If it IS what Sun Ce says it is... then I doubt that our missing soldiers are dead..."
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that..." Seeing some of the guards staring at them, Lu Xun motioned for his superior to follow him to his own quarters, offering him a seat as he went to the window. "The creature only attacks at night, right? How many soldiers are missing, and how long have they been missing?"
"Only a few. They are always taken during the night of their shift and not seen again. But I fail to see why you think they be alive..." Lu Meng said, hating to sound ignorant, but truly not understanding.
Looking out the window, Lu Xun truly hated to say this. "And the campsite had paw prints, and Lord Sun Ce's tonfas were chewed by some kind of massive canine... all too big to be normal."
"You're beginning to believe it could be a werefox, aren't you?"
"Sadly so... unless it's some sick person who THINKS he is..."
Lu Meng sighed, "Well, if YOU believe... then I guess I have to..."
Now, Lu Xun was indeed the bookish type, as he had his own library (well, it could easily be compared to one), grabbing the makeshift stares and scaling it to pull out a book. Before even opening it, he asked, "The werefox is only a myth, but perhaps one, with pure thoughts of it, can actually 'become' one, if you really think about it... but I don't believe they TRULY exist..."
"Okay, so what would this hypothetical person do with our men?"
Flipping through the pages, Lu Xun answered half heartedly. "Personally I do not wish to know, but it has been only soldiers. No women or children, correct?"
Lu Meng nodded, "And only, well, women tell me anyway, attractive men."
"Really?" Lu Xun cocked an eyebrow, almost blushing. "I see... well, apparently... this sick minded 'werefox' we have on our hands must be... you know."
The other general coughed, "Indeed..."
"Well, this has turned up to be rather interesting... I think I shall join the soldiers at their post tonight, to catch a glimpse of the thing myself..."
"Are you sure that is wise? The beast is likely to come straight for you..." When Lu Xun sent him an almost icy glare, he quickly took back his words and rearranged them, not wishing to strike any open wounds. "Well, of course, that is... I meant by that statement, was that..."
"Yes? Just what DO you mean, Lu Meng?"
He put himself into that corner, and he tried to fight his way out. "Well, no offense intended, but aren't you and Gan Ning... well, as you put it earlier, you know?"
Lu Xun could feel the blood rush to his face, and he demanded, "WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!"
"You know Gan Ning! He's the type to kiss and tell, you know... all pirates are." Lu Meng sighed. "Though, in all honesty, YOU could have told me..."
Instead of going deeper into the touchy topic, Lu Xun turned his attention back to what was more important, as he searched for more information about this beast and its habits. "The 'werefox' has a hunger for blood, so the best way to lure him out would be to kill a cow... or cut a hand of a person and use him for bait."
"If I find you with a cut hand tomorrow, Lu Xun, I SWEAR I will kill you myself..."
"Oh please, it's just a scratch along the palm... and would you rather use another soldier as bait?"
Lu Meng exploded, "DO YOU WANT TO BE TAKEN AND POSSIBLE RAPED AND KILLED OR WHAT?!"
Once again, he was under that hated glare, but Lu Xun said nothing, once against changing the subject. "If this book is correct, then the beast will have a fear of fire... a single flame will send it bellowing, and perhaps then we can catch it, wait until it's dawn so that he regains his 'normal' self, then extract the possible information from him..."
"I refuse to sit here and let you risk your life like this! When did you become so reckless?!'
"If it gets the creature, I'm willing to risk it... all I ask of you is to make sure that the archers are ready and have their arrows alight."
Lu Meng half-growled, "If you insist..."
~*~*~*~
If Zhou Yu knew what Lu Xun was planning, he would have insisted on him to call it off. However, he was too deep into the fever dreams to do anything about it. His health had gotten considerably worse since earlier, as he suffered from the heat flashes and shivers. But the doctors were not alarmed, guessing his fever had finally broken.
Tossing and turning, panting and moaning, he tried to escape the twisted reality he found himself lost in. The problem was... he felt as though he was not alone...
It was a good thing that Sun Ce had fallen asleep, for if he saw his friend like this, he would have been worried beyond belief. No one was there for Zhou Yu, no one... but that thing...
'Go away... why won't you GO AWAY!' Zhou Yu howled within his nightmare.
The creature was right in front of him, or was he? He could only see its fangs and its gleaming eye. It spoke... the god damned thing spoke! 'Zhou Yu...'
'LEAVE ME ALONE!'
'Meet me at midnight...' The creature said, its tongue rolling out of its mouth with a disgusting smile.
The strategist was not going to give in without a fight, 'Give me one good reason why I should..."
Now, the creature came to sit upon his chest, and even then, he could not see anything but that eye and that grin. He was close, so close, and their lips almost met. 'Because I know you will...'
'Like hell you do; I'm not going ANYWHERE," Zhou Yu hissed. 'Now go away!'
'If you insist... I shall meet you there, and not a second later...' The beast withdrew freeing Zhou Yu of his touch for a while, before disappearing. Now, alone again, Zhou Yu gasped, jackknifing in bed.
Why did he feel so alone? Gods, all he wanted was Sun Ce right now, to be able to see his smile, "Sun Ce..."
"He's not here..." He heard a grunt, and he could see a very disgruntled looking Gan Ning, standing at the doorframe, arms crossed and an agitated look upon his gruff face. Something was definitely bothering him, but he relaxed a bit when he saw how pale the man was. "Seriously, do you need a doctor, cuz I'll get you one if you really need it..."
"N-no... I need Sun Ce," Zhou Yu hated how he sounded like he was a whimpering child. "Or... or you... just somebody... I don't want to be alone..."
That worried the pirate slightly, enough to bring him to his beside. Gan Ning rested a hand on his cheek, quickly withdrawing with a hiss, "Damn, you're on fire..."
Zhou Yu reached out for the pirate's arm, pressing his head to his hand, "No... don't leave me, Gan Ning..."
"But..." No one had ever seen him like this, especially Gan Ning, and the pirate tried not to panic. "You're swimming in your own sweat... where the hell are the doctors?!"
"If... if you take your hand away, he might come back," Zhou Yu whimpered, placing the icy cool palm to his forehead.
"Who will come back... there's no one here, Zhou Yu..."
"Not NOW, I got him to leave..."
"Who? Who did you get to leave?!" Gan Ning demanded. "I've been here for at least an hour, and I didn't see anyone..."
Zhou Yu looked up at him, with the saddest and most pathetic eyes he could ever see, and his voice was even more frightening. "I... I swear that thing was in this room... he was right there..."
"'That thing'? You mean the beast?"
"Yes... and the damn thing knew my name..." That was a vicious snarl that rose from his lips, and as quickly as he had clung tot he pirate, he released him, throwing him onto the cold ground as he tried to rise from the bed, tossing the blankets aside. "The damn creature... when I find him, I will have his head!"
"Where do you think you're going?! It's nearly midnight; you can't just walk out like this!"
That stopped him dead in his tracks, and when he snapped, Gan Ning swore he saw fangs. "What?!"
"You heard me..." Gan Ning rose from the ground, trying to get Zhou Yu back into bed. "You've reached your peak, and you're exhausted... not to mention how sick you are. It's near midnight, and it's time for you to be in bed!"
MIDNIGHT?! Zhou Yu smirked, going back to the bed obediently, much to the pirate's surprise, "You are right... must stay here..."
'Talk about mood swings...' Scratching the back of his head, the pirate was beyond worried. First Lu Xun's plan of capturing the beast, now Zhou Yu's odd behavior. What next? "Just thought you'd like to know that Lu Xun's hunting your little attacker..."
Zhou Yu's laugh was quiet, but still somewhat frightening, "Good... let's see him try and talk then..."
"What?"
"Never mind... just tell me when it is PRECISLY midnight, okay?"
Slightly confused, the pirate just shrugged, preparing to leave. "Right... that's when Lu Xun suspects the 'thing' will appear... trust me, you'll KNOW when it's midnight."
Zhou Yu nodded, closing embrace. There was nothing to worry about now...his eyes and trying to slip into sleep's comforting embrace.
That made Gan Ning feel a little bit better, thought he still could not help but worry a bit for him. 'Poor guy... he looked really paranoid for a second there...'
Zhou Yu had no doubts now, yawning contently, "So I win, beast..."
Or did he? The moment he slipped back into sleep, he was back in that hellish hole he had escaped from. 'At least I'm alone... I can handle this place...'
But he wasn't. Once again, that beast was there, and his snarl brought shivers to his entire form. 'You refuse to come... why?!'
'I TOLD you I wasn't coming! I don't have to obey you!' Zhou Yu shouted back, despite the slight tremble in his voice. The beast seemed to lunged himself at him, but Zhou Yu his hands as a shield. That was when he noticed his wounded arm, something sticking out from the bandages. Was it... hair?
His pulse began to quicken, 'What... what is happening to me?!'
'Meet me at midnight, or not only will you pay, but so will many others...' The beast sneered, backing away slightly.
Zhou Yu gave a howl, an actual howl, lunging for the thing, 'What did you DO to me?!'
He flung himself right out of the bed, but the pain of the impact of the floor was nothing to him. No, he was on fire! His body ached, his muscles were engulfed in the flames. Something was happening, something he knew was happening... and dreaded. "No... not me... stop... this..."
'You can't stop it...'
His wound burned the most, and, through fear, be brought himself to tear the bandages off. That was the source; it had to be. But when he brought his hand to rip the bandages, he froze, seeing his sharp and deadly nails. Nails! "No... NO!"
'Don't try to fight it...'
"But... this isn't... what I want!"
'It doesn't matter... you're mine now...'
The closest doctor could hear the ruckus going on, and he came running when he heard the vicious, mournful howl and the sound of breaking glass. However, when he came to the door, he was almost too afraid to open it, in fear of what could be inside. But he had not choice! Lord Zhou Yu was in there!
Yet, when he mustered the courage to open the door, there was NOTHING there! Panic-stricken, he ran down the hallways, "THE BEAST HAS TAKEN LORD ZHOU YU!"
If he had opened the doors any sooner, he would have known the truth. For now, there was not one of the creatures running about in Jian Ye... but two...