Chapter 3

"Lu Xun... are you SURE this will work?" Lu Meng asked. "The last thing we need is for you to get hurt..."

Lu Xun was a brilliant man, and not normally one to take risks, but the young man was ready to use himself as bait, grabbing some fish and rubbing it on his clothes. He was never reckless, never careless, until now. "I won't get hurt... not unless your archers are poor marks men..."

"You know they are not..."

"Then there's nothing to fear." Lu Xun said with that rather arrogant smile, one hardly ever seen on that humble face of his. After washing his hands thoroughly, he held out his hand towards Lu Meng, who reluctantly handed him the knife. "Let's see if this sick minded person truly thinks he's a werefox... get to your position."

"You just be careful..." Lu Meng couldn't watch him cut along his palm, not wishing to see the blood. "Before I go, I want to know the reason WHY you're doing this..."

"In order to protect the others, of course." That was a lie, but Lu Meng could not tell. As the young officer looked at his own, bleeding hand, he sighed, waiting until the archers were ready before stepping out into the open. 'And, to test something else...'

He could see nothing in the enveloping darkness, but perhaps that was for the best. Now no one could see his nervousness, or his slight fear. What he wondered about, though, was if this thing was for real or not. Was it someone so insane that he merely THOGUHT he was a werefox, or was it a real one? As his blood dripped along the soft grass, he went deeper and deeper into the darkness, swallowing his nerves and hoping he was still visible to the archers.

If it was a real werefox, then was his preparation enough? He hoped so, and began wishing he had paid more attention to the folktales that had been told around the fire when he had been younger.

'Enough of this nonsense... there's no such thing...' Lu Xun insisted, stubbornly. 'It is only a man, like any other... only insane and at our mercy. For we know his weaknesses, and he knows none of ours...'

He would have continued on his way, but he heard a man shout, drawing away his attention from the original task at hand. "The beast! The beast took Lord Zhou Yu!! He's done for!"

'Zhou Yu?! THIS wasn't supposed to happen!' That was it, and Lu Xun called off the plan, shouting to the archers. "Blast, somehow the beast got into the main hall... find him, and KILL him!"

That was when he heard a snarl behind him, and he froze, "TWO?!"

He dared to turn around, and he could see the snarling beast, it's gleaming eye sparkling with amusement. Gripping the knife, Lu Xun sneered back, ready to defend himself if he had to. "Quite insane for you to think you're a werefox, but I'll give you credit for catching me off guard..."

"Well, I am certainly glad to hear it..." The damn thing spoke, and a small light of recognition lit up in Lu Xun's memory, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. The beast now began towards him, using all four limbs in a slow, menacing stalk. But not once did Lu Xun back down, nor flinch.

"I wouldn't come any closer, if I were you," The young strategist spoke calmly, which was amazing considering how fast his heart was beating. "I have no qualms about stabbing you right through the heart..."

That only made the beast laugh, now reaching to his hind legs and showing off its obvious height advantage. Now Lu Xun could see the outlines of his half-human face, trying to describe it as it laughed again. "Do it, then..."

And he lunged to do so, using the little light he had to try and aim correctly. But he wasn't fast enough, and he found himself pinned to the ground, the one eyed werefox upon him with a howl, neither biting nor digging his claws into his flesh. "Not yet..."

"Not yet? What is THAT supposed to mean?!" Lu Xun demanded. Before the beast could even answer, it rose its head, seeing the fire arrow just in time to dodge. It caught the gun powder that Lu Xun had dropped shortly before, and as the explosion of flames ignited, Lu Xun was relieved to hear the creature's fearful cries. He caught a small glimpse of the creature's face before slipping into unconsciousness.

~*~*~*~

Zhou Yu ran, struggling to get out of the castle. He was in pain still, but more than that he could feel fear pulsing through his veins. What if he hurt someone in this state? No, he couldn't live with himself if he would bring physical harm to another, and he only ran faster. What scared him the most was that he had to have undergone a change, as he ran on all four limbs.

Somehow it seemed more difficult to find the way out, and as much as he wanted to howl in frustration, he refrained from doing so. If anyone found him like this... they would surely kill him...

"There it is!" a soldier shouted, grabbing his spear and swiping at him, missing by a hair. "I found the creature!"

He only kept running, and if he had been human, he would have yelled to tell them that it was no beast, but he, Zhou Yu! 'They can't even tell...'

As much as he feared to think it, he was no longer human. But what was he? Surely he wasn't that beast, that werefox that they were after! 'Have I changed before? Have I harmed anyone?! Surely... surely I would remember this...'

A soldier leapt into his path, and Zhou Yu did the first thing that came to his mind, latching his jaws around his neck and tried to silence his cries. The moment the blood seeped into his mouth, he withdrew in horror, 'WHAT AM I DOING?!'

As more soldiers began to appear, he retreated back down the hallways, trying to flee, not wishing to do that same, animalism act again. 'No, leave me alone... I'm not like this... This isn't me! Go away!'

He was beyond frightened now, and very confused, and he released a whimper as he ran, 'What am I going to do?!'

"Stop him!"

Zhou Yu snarled, 'NO! STAY BACK! I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU!'

It was not long before he found himself surrounded, and he backed into the wall, seeing his own soldiers, wielding their spears and swords at him, as if he were some sort of demon. But he wasn't, he knew he wasn't. He would have cried for them to see the truth, but no tears would flow, only fear and this undying urge for their blood.

'I cannot escape... perhaps it is best... to let them kill me...'

"There are two! The other creature has Lord Lu Xun!" cried another soldier to the others, as he ran into the hallway.

This made Zhou Yu jerk his head up, and he growled, 'No... I will NOT allow this to happen to anyone else!'

He could hear the footsteps of more arriving, and the fear only grew and grew. He rose his claws to shield his face, wishing for nothing more than for this nightmare to end. 'End this confusion; end this pain!'

'You should have come to me, you inexperienced fool...'

That voice; he almost cried with joy when he heard it. 'Where?! Where are you?!'

'What? Now you WANT to come to me? My, my...' The voice laughed. 'Find your own means of escape... plow through them if you must, but you know where to find me...'

'I... I can't! I'll HURT them!' Zhou Yu cried, staring at the soldiers. 'They know no better!'

'Then die... they will never accept you for what you are now...'

The strategist finally gave a howl, plowing through the soldiers, 'I'm sorry... but if I stay I may hurt you even more...'

He did what he could only do; scratch, bite, and kick. He was amazed at how much power he had, merely tapping a soldier sent him flying into the wall. But he didn't care; he HAD to escape from here, before someone he knew arrived.

He finally made it outside, and his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, 'Now... where am I supposed to go?'

Now a woman screamed, grabbing her child, "It's that beast!!!!!"

Those words caused Zhou Yu more pain than anything else that had happened this night. Even his physical discomfort was nothing compared to the agony those words wrought, 'Whenever I find you... I will make you pay for this...'

The guards only came by the dozen, and he was on the run of his life, trying to divert their weapons and divert his own from striking them. He could see the gates now, and he zoomed towards it, praying for nothing else to stand in his way.

He was lucky, and ran into the woods, hiding amongst the trees and bushes. 'Please... just give up... do not continue to chase me...'

They seemed to have obeyed his thoughts, as their shouts became nothing more than distant cries to his ears. He was free, he was finally free. Still, he continued to run, making as much distance as possible from the place. He had no desire to meet with anyone else; all he wanted was to be alone...

But that was no granted to him, and as he fell to the damp grass, to drown in his own sorrow, he heard the werefox's snickering. 'Go away... just go away...'

'You do have constant changes of heart, don't you?'

'You did this to me... what have you DONE to me?!' Zhou Yu regained his vigor, digging his claws into the ground and tearing the grass apart. 'What have I become?!'

'You are far too intelligent to need me to tell you that...' Now, Zhou Yu looked up to face this beast, and he could easily see is face now. Yes, he only had one eye, but there was something else, some familiarity within him. 'Tell me... do you know me?'

'I... I do not think so...' The strategist answered. 'Though... I feel I do...'

That seemed to have disappointed him, but never the less, the creature grew closer to him. 'To be honest, I was amazed when I drove my teeth into your arm... I was hungering for another, more susceptible flesh...'

'You wanted Sun Ce?!' Zhou Yu gave an audible snarl, his fur bristling, 'I'm glad it is me then that has gotten this... just so I can kill you!'

'You can't... and you won't...'

The Wu strategist rose, 'Try me... I can and I WILL!'

When the creature laughed again, Zhou Yu instantly recognized him, and he asked, 'Xiahou Dun? Is that you?'

'I'm surprised it took you so long...' Xiahou Dun, whose face was now only so obvious through the thick fur, laughed. 'And I fear that your other may know this too... and that's certainly not good, for me nor you...'

'My other?' Zhou Yu sneered. 'To whom do you refer?'

'The other strategist... young Lu Xun...'

'Lu Xun knows? Good then! Whenever I change back, we can both hunt you down!' Zhou Yu smiled, hating to smile with such canines. When Xiahou Dun drew closer, he swiped, backing away. 'Unless... you plan to do the same to him as you did to me...'

'I just might... he'd be MUCH more obedient...'

Zhou Yu snarled, striking him openly. But he was over powered and pinned, much to his dismay. 'You won't touch him, nor anyone else! I won't let you!'

'What makes you think you have a choice?' Xiahou Dun's eye sparkled with amusement, not once easing his grip upon him. 'And I am sure that Lu Xun could figure out what you've become, since he know knows that this is all true. What makes you think he'll trust you... what makes you think even Sun Ce will trust you?'

Zhou Yu growled, 'Because they are my friends... that's why. And I will NOT let you harm them! You'll have to kill me first!'

'Maybe later... you might want to have a decent meal first...'

The strategist snarled, 'I want nothing but to kill you!'

He was released, and the one-eyed werefox turned away. 'Then starve then... stay here, mope, whine, cry... but don't raise your voice with me...'

'And why not? You act as though I should be afraid of you,' Zhou Yu rose, his fur bristling all the more. 'And that is one thing I am not...'

Xiahou Dun was a man that he knew about, but he was almost completely different now. He never hated the man, until now. 'Then go back home if you want... the spell wears off at dawn, but you'll become this by nightfall. Do you really wish to return there, only to go through the same experience?'

This made the Wu strategist pause, and he shuddered, 'No... of course not...'

Who would want that, he thought. The fear in the women's eyes, the anger and hatred towards him by the soldiers. No one wished for that, and, he asked, berating himself with every word. 'What do I do then? Where am I to go... and what's to become of me?'

'You may go wherever you like, do whatever you like. No one can stop you... but going back there will not help anything.'

'Oh. How I wish for your death...'

'I am sorry... I have no intention of dying...' Xiahou Dun sneered, beginning to leave. 'So... will fish suit you well?'

Zhou Yu sighed, falling in step beside him, 'What does it matter? It's not as though you really care...'

'Would you rather human flesh then?'

This made his jaw drop, and he answered quickly, though angrily, 'DON'T EVEN TEASE!'

Xiahou Dun only laughed before disappearing into the darkness, leaving poor Zhou Yu with his own raging breath as company. He was alone again, and now he could feel tears streaming down his fuzzy face. He brought his clawed fingers to his cheeks, feeling the fur, and he moaned. 'What have I become? This can't be real...'

He whimpered, curling into a ball, and his tail moved restlessly, 'I want to wake up...'

But he could not... he could see a small puddle of water in the distance, and he slowly made his way towards it. He had to see it for himself, maybe then he would believe it. So he drug himself to it, and looked down. He could see his own chocolate brown eyes, shining with tears, but there was not much else that was human. He had fur on his face, and a pair of fox ears, and when he opened his mouth, he could see his teeth, so perfect for ripping apart flesh, 'Oh Gods... no...'

Now he believed it, but he did not want to. He drove his paw into the water, breaking the image. 'I'm not a werefox, I'm not this?! THIS IS NOT ME...'

'How long will you lie to yourself?'

That damn voice again, and he once again curled himself into a ball, weeping, wishing only to wake from this dream. It did not take him long to cry himself to sleep... 'I'm human... I'm human...'

He was awakened by the prodding of a cold nose, 'No, you cannot sleep. Wake up and eat...'

'Let me sleep... maybe then I can wake up...' Zhou Yu moaned, burying his head beneath his paw-like hands. 'Leave me be...'

'But you need to keep up your strength... I won't always be there to hunt your meat...'

'Why do you care so much about whether or not I eat?!' Zhou Yu demanded, raising his head. 'What am I to you?'

The question was answered with another question. 'What do you think I am to you?'

'That is no answers!' The strategist half-growled, his ears raising. 'You treat me as your... puppy almost!'

Dropping the fish in front of him, Xiahou Dun backed away, sitting at a comfortable distance. 'Eat... if you plan on returning to Jian Ye in the morning, I suggest you come up with a good excuse of how you escaped from me...'

'I do not understand you, not at all!' The confused Zhou Yu responded, but rising to eat the fish. The fish was raw, but he found himself enjoying it. But he kept his back turned from the one-eyed werefox, snarling as he began to plot his excuse. 'Once I leave, I will track you down and kill you...'

'Silly puppy...' Xiahou Dun snickered, now laying on his back. 'It's sad...'

Zhou Yu could feel his ears flatten against his skull, and he growled, "I am no one's puppy..."

Those words went through his own lips, and he was surprised to hear how deep his voice was now. He could see Xiahou Dun grinning, and he barked, "Leave me to sleep now... I've had enough for one day..."

"I do wish you were a bit more obedient..."

"You can go to hell... never will I obey you!" Zhou Yu howled, his eyes narrowing and his teeth baring, "You are not my master!"

The look Xiahou Dun gave him was almost frightening, and his grin was the worst feature. "I will be soon enough... for now, you can go back to your friends and see how they welcome you when they discover what you are..."

"I HATE YOU!" Zhou Yu leapt upon the cocky beast, his teeth aching to sink into that throat, "DIE!"

"How DARE you show your fangs at me?!" Xiahou Dun caught him, any form of gentleness was long since gone. Zhou Yu was thrown into the puddle, and the beast now stood over him, snarling wildly. "You'll learn... soon you WILL call me master..."

"Never!" Zhou Yu snarled, equally wild. "I will NEVER call you master! Not now, not EVER!"

"Have it your way... I will meet you here, same time as tonight..." Xiahou Dun said with a gruff, turning away and once again disappearing into the woods. Zhou Yu only glared at his shadows, then turned away, looking at the sorry excuse for himself in the water.

'I don't want to come... but what can I do? I am a danger to all around me now...' Zhou Yu sobbed to himself. 'I cannot live like this... I cannot live with this... BEAST!'

No one was there to comfort him now, and he wiped his own tears away. Somehow, he was going to end this, but for now, he only had to get used to this new thing, as much as he hated it. He could not deny this now, as it all seemed very true. 'There must be a way to break this spell... there has to be...'

~*~*~*~

Lu Xun woke slowly, though he instantly knew he was no longer outside. Firelight flickered onto the walls, and he spoke sleepily, "Where am I?"

He was answered by a doctor, "You're in the infirmary, sir... how do you feel?"

"I feel okay... what happened?"

Now the doctor was almost pushed aside, and an angry pirate answered him, "That son of a bitch nearly tore your HEAD off, that's what happened!"

Lu Xun winced, "Oh... hello, Gan Ning. Are you quite well?"

"Don't give ME that..." Someone was trying to hold Gan Ning back from strangling the young officer, and he shouted to Lu Meng. "Let go of me, will you?! Somebody has to knock some sense into that boy, and it might as well be ME!"

"You will do no such thing, Gan Ning!" Lu Meng spoke firmly. "Leave the boy alone..."

The doctors forbid any sort of violence, and they came to an agreement as Lu Meng released him. Gan Ning promised not to touch Lu Xun, but he struck violently with words. "What the hell were you thinking, trying to lure that thing, with YOU as bait?"

"I was TRYING to spare our men, you silly pirate! AND DON'T YELL AT ME!' Lu Xun snapped, hiding beneath his blankets.

He noticed his entire right arm was bandaged, and he asked, directing his question towards the doctors. "What's happened to my arm, may I ask?"

"You were injured while battling the beast, sir..." The doctor drew the blankets from his head, showing him the bandages. "When you dropped the gunpowder, you miscalculated the distance and some of the flames got your sleeves."

That was relieving to hear, "So I wasn't bitten..."

"Unless we haven't found the bite, no sir..."

Lu Xun yawned, "Can I be alone now? I wish to sleep, if you all do not mind..."

Lu Meng and the doctor had no problem with it, but it was apparent that Gan Ning did. "But what if that thing comes back for you? That THING could be anywhere!"

"Well, if you're THAT worried, you can stand guard outside if you want..." Lu Meng said in a gruff voice. He shook his head, turning to Lu Xun now. "Just thought you should know that the beast took off with Zhou Yu... Lord Sun Ce wishes for your full recovery so that we can begin finding the means of getting him back."

"Yes sir. Good night."

It was quite as the two left, leaving only Lu Xun and the still steaming pirate alone in the room. Lu Xun asked almost timidly, "How mad are you?"

"Pretty damn mad..." Gan Ning said with a hiss, trying to hard to keep his voice low. "Do you realize that you could have been KILLED?!"

"Of course I realize it. I am not stupid," Lu Xun sighed. "Look, I'm sorry if I worried you... but I'm fine."

Gan Ning set himself down on the side of the bed, sighing angrily, "I can't believe you... I just can't..."

Lu Xun scooted closer, embracing the pirate carefully, "I really am sorry... I never meant to upset you..."

He could see how much this had affected him now, and it seemed that though he did not capture the beast, he succeeded in that little test. Gan Ning's red eyes narrowed, as he wrapped an arm around him. "NEXT time you do that, though, I will seriously kill you myself... and don't smile like that, wipe if off! Makes me think you did this to test my ... shit..."

Lu Xun snuggled closer, "Don't be mad... just hold me..."

"You COULD have been killed; I think I have the right to be mad..." Never the less, he granted him his wish, trying not to touch the bandages. "Just be yourself, okay? Be that careful and cautious kid you usually are..."

"I'm not a child... do not treat me as one," Lu Xun spoke seriously, meeting the crimson eyes with his own golden ones. "I am just your love, and nothing more... nothing less..."

"If you insist..."

The other man sighed, "I love you, you silly pirate, though I know you sometimes doubt it..."

It was a sweet moment, one that they were both rather thankful that no one else saw. Gan Ning rested his head on Lu Xun's soft hair, smiling thoughtfully. "Meh... only time we get is the time alone..."

"Then you had better not waste it..."

Blinking, Gan Ning asked, "What exactly do you MEAN by that..."

Snuggling all the more, Lu Xun only smiled, "Figure it out..."

He felt Gan Ning's chest vibrate when the pirate laughed, and he was thankful to hear them. He couldn't erase what that beast had said to him earlier, wondering if it would return once again. He shook his head; he need not worry about that, at least not now.

"I'm glad you're here, Gan Ning..." He said softly, yawning.

"You are, eh? And just why is that?"

Should he tell him what the animal told him? He decided to, knowing best if he told someone else. "I think that thing is real... and I think... it's after me next..."

THAT made the pirate stiffen, but he spoke soothingly, "I won't let him take you... so just sleep easy..."

Lu Xun only nodded, but those words alone could not soothe his fears. He not only feared for himself, but for Zhou Yu now. That was definitely real, and since Zhou Yu was bitten, the chances of him becoming one was high now...

'I shall have to tell Sun Ce... tomorrow...' The young strategist yawned, before allowing himself to fall asleep in the pirate's warm arms. Yes... tomorrow they would have to being the search anew...