Bring Me to Life
By Gingivere the Shadowreaver
~*~*~*~
Chapter Seventeen
~*~*~*~
Another village in ruins, so was it to them? Wei was not really heartless, however, when they were discovered, the villagers were in panic, quickly setting their own village alight and fleeing from their presence. It was almost an insult, to se the smoldering village, but they did not complain at all, merely walking by on their nervous steeds, letting the villagers do as they please. They would not come to steal their food, though the sigh of Xu Zhu was enough to send them into an uproar over food shortages.
Xu Zhu was perhaps one of the strongest men that Dian Wei had ever worked with, and though he wasn't really the most fit creature on the planet, he was a tiger of a man, one never to be fooled by his childish and dorky looks. Xu Zhu was a warrior and devoted to one thing...
Protecting Lord Cao Cao.
That was why they were still walking the lines of the borders, in search of their lord. They had long since been separated from their duties, and though Xu Zhu seemed only worried about his stomach, his partner, Dian Wei, was more concerned with the safety of Lord Cao Cao.
Xu Huang felt the same, though he was silent throughout most of the quest, keeping his eyes peeled and ready for possible ambushes and traps. This land was uneasy, and war was upon them.
There was a slight noise that rose from the tired horse, and Dian Wei sneered, "Silence your stomach!"
Xu Zhu whined, shifting his mallet from one hand to another. "I can't help it... I haven't eaten in so long..."
"We should stack up on supplies... the campaign was a failure, and we've been running low since being separated..." Xu Huang pointed out, seeing two kids that looked upon them in fear, almost feeling bad for them. "Perhaps at the next village we'll stop... and just pray that we don't get too deep into trouble once we get there..."
The other two generals did not complain, and the army of three thousand marched onward to Huo Quan, just a few miles short of the mountain's basin. Had they known of the Allied Forces ambush parties hidden among the mountains, they would have gladly gone to assist their lord. However, Pang Tong and Zhou Yu did what all well known ambush parties did best, moving their own armies without much notice from anyone else. They were a phantom army with one mission...
~*~*~*~
If Zhang Liao knew of Xu Huang's army but several miles north, he would have sent a messenger and ask to be assisted. However, the man waited upon the walls of the village, looking through the cold, crisp early morning skies, in hopes to catch a soldier or two. He knew there was a force coming, his instincts told him so, and as he held his halberd at his side, he was ready for them.
'They will most likely send a small troop, to lure us out...' Zhang Liao thought to himself, white puffs of steam escaping his nostrils in two streams. The soon-to-be battlefield awaited them, but there was no sign of the bold heroes charging forward just yet. He could wait for him, slapping a sleeping soldier on the shoulder to wake him up. 'Willing to be that Lu Jun will be there as well... he may be more challenging than the actual soldiers.'
Yes, Zhang Liao knew the art of battle well, and he leaned against the stone wall, anxious to begin but not engaging. He was there to defend, and that was all that was required of him. 'Yes,' he thought. 'Let them charge me... I may not be able to hold them back, but I will give my lord time...'
He heard his name being called, and he looked along the insides of the walls now, seeing Zhang He upon the horse, his men standing ready to depart. Zhang Liao sneered, "Guard the supplies with your life... I will do my best to make sure that none get through."
"Yes, of course... I shall see you later then..." Zhang He's usual prep was gone, but Zhang Liao didn't care, watching him turn his horse about and giving the order. Just a few hours earlier, Sima Yi and the convoys had departed, and the strategist looked no brighter.
'It's their own problem, let them work it out...' Zhang Liao thought with a sneer, turning back to his duties and waiting for the troops to come marching in. What happened to those two were beyond his point of caring, for now he only cared for battle.
It was, at best estimate, just an hour before dawn when a soldier gave a shout, catching his attention before the sound of thundering hooves did. Perched on the side of the wall, Zhang Liao scanned the area, quickly catching sight of the smoke that lifted into the sky. Horses, but not many. At last, they had arrived!
And who else would be at the front except the three that led the forces? He instantly spotted Lu Jun, Wei Yan, and Zhao Yun (perhaps him most of all), their weapons drawn and battle in their eyes. No strategy here, but to attack with sheer strength and numbers. They were outnumbered, but not enough to give away the advantage. Perhaps they could walk away from this fight with minimal damage...
They drew closer and closer, and Zhang Liao gave the order, his voice heard by the incoming forces. "Close the gate, and let none pass! If they want us so badly, let them find their OWN way into the castle!"
So now, the battle began...
~*~*~*~
"I knew it... I just knew it!" Lu Jun was almost infuriated, to see Zhang Liao standing upon the walls over his own city, taunting him. He did not even have to look inside to see that Cao Cao had abandoned the fortress, and if he guessed right, the only general there to defend was Zhang Liao.
Zhang Liao, he thought with a laugh, holding his spear at his side as the gates began to close. This was surely to be a fight, but no matter. He had no doubt that Zhang Liao was more then a challenge to them, and he liked that.
As did Wei Yan, who practically led the way, his voulge thirsting for as much action as he wanted. Hell, he looked ready to scale the walls if the battering ram did not tear down the gates first.
"The main entrance is blocked, but I know another way in..." Lu Jun informed Zhao Yun, knowing trying to even talk with Wei Yan now was pointless. He hated to strategize, but banging on the door would certainly not get them in. "Find the stream and follow it to the southeast wall... there you will find a small but accessible arch, just big enough for a few. But you can't get in on horseback, so quickly open the main gates."
Zhao Yun nodded, not wishing to risk moving a group at all and taking the opportunity to get lost among the crowd, as arrows from the defending soldiers rained down upon them. Now, Lu Jun caught up with the masked warrior, teeth baring and ready for action. "Be careful out there... remembering that we're aiming to draw them out!"
"Plan... not... mine..." Bloodwrath almost spoke for him, ignoring the volley of arrows as if they were mere gnats. "I... live only... for battle!"
It was chaos from then on out, and as the horse came to a stop, the fearless masked warrior flew into the sky, driving his voulge into the stoned wedges of the wall, missing the next round by mere inches. The battle had begun, and with aid from their own archers, Wei Yan now fought on top of the walls, throwing victims aside like ragdolls and letting their blood soak his clothes. This was all he lived for, to feed that never ending hunger inside of him, to quench its thirst, to stop this pain.
Lu Jun was left with the rather boring task of manning the siege ramps and battering ram, but he found some entertainment with slaying the soldiers that fell and lived to tell the tale. Well, not for long, anyway. As the sun began to make its peak over the horizon, the lord of Wujun hoped to finish this task quickly, to join and raid the real villains in the mountains. 'Lu Yi, you'll be safe once again... just hold on for a little bit longer...'
~*~*~*~
The first thing Gan Ning felt when he senses began to return to his tired body was a bare arm resting across his equally bare shoulder. At first, he thought it was Sun Shang Xiang, huddling up to him for warmth from the chilly morning air. However, when he opened his eyes, he did not see the short red hair, but instead long, wavey blonde, and when he caught sight of this woman's bright blue eyes, he nearly screamed.
"LET GO OF ME YOU BIG-BOOBED, THONG WEARING TWIT!"
The woman was roughly thrown off of him, and the pirate quickly rose to his feet, only to find himself completely naked. "What the HELL?!"
"Well, hello to you too..." Zhu Rong looked up at him, a slight smile upon her face as she rather enjoyed the predicament he was in. 'Oh, yes... definitely better than my husband...'
Gan Ning's red eyes were twin flames as he glared at her, "What in God's name do you think you're doing?!"
She gave him suck a look as he hid himself under the blankets, crawling back onto the feathered bed. "What do you think? Looking at your wounds... you know, I can be a doctor if I wanted to be..."
"Wounds! More like my poor pirate butt!" Gan Ning did not buy THAT excuse for a second, lifting his leg and planted it on her chest gently, to stop her march. "I get it... this is my PUNISHMENT for mocking you, eh?!"
"Perhaps..." She shrugged, sitting and resembling that of an obedient but clever little fox. She was awfully beautiful, but her attitude left a lot to be desired, AND the fact that she was married made any comforting, loving thoughts in the pirate's head disappear. "Depends on what you think... if you think at all, you mindless pirate..."
"I think YOU should be with your husband..."
She giggled, counting the outlines of his toes with her fingers. "YOU try living with that lug..."
"No thanks; I really don't think I'm his type," Gan Ning snorted, trying to stay as far AWAY from her as possible. That seemed impossible, and the pirate snickered to cover his true emotions, "You know... I'm a pirate, and I could just throw your sorry ass into the wall like beating a rug if I wanted to..."
"Then why don't you do it?"
The pirate glared at her, sneering, "Where's my pants... and my bells?"
"You want 'um? Come over here and make me give 'um to you..." Oh, now the snide woman rose from the bed, walking a good bit of distance and pulling them out of the wooden drawers. She waved them about, the bells jingling as she laughed. "When my husband sees these in his drawers, he'll throw a fit and have your head! He can have that... I'll just take the body for meself!"
Gan Ning growled, "Shuddap, you stupid bitch..." With that he leapt from his place, knocking the clothing out of her hands and onto the ground, where he picked them up. "I'm gonna be wearin' these; he won't have a chance to get mad at me..."
Still, even as he clothed himself, she took a good look at him, nodded, and laughed, going to sit on the edge of the bed. "So ya think... what makes you think he isn't already?"
"I can handle him being mad at me, even killing me... but not over some perverted beast like you," The pirate sneered.
Now she changed, and she rose, to strike him. However, he caught the wrists and blocked the kicks, pinning her down upon the bed with sheer strength. She bellowed, her voice ringing in his ears. "RAPE! RAPE! THIS BRUTE'S RAPING ME!"
THAT made Gan Ning actually laugh, "With my pants on?! Good grief... how stupid can you BE?!"
"As stupid as they are... they'll believe anything!"
Gan Ning let her go, his laughter echoing, "Well, if they believe that, then it would be relief to die, just to get away from such idiocy!"
Anger rose in her blue eyes, as she stayed in that position on the bed, glaring at him. She sneered, "You have the nerve to speak, then... I heard what your so called friend's been saying about you, dumb pirate... nothing good..."
"And which friend would that be? I have so many here," Gan Ning sneered.
"All of them... even the ones in green say so... They had little or no objection when the guards came to take you away..."
Now the pirate's curiosity was peaked, "What ever are you talking about?"
She made herself comfortable on the bed now, burrowing into the feathers and replying. "I was bored, so I decided to fake your execution... when the guards came to take you to your death, they didn't say a single word in objection... seems to me that they WANTED you gone."
Gan Ning only shrugged, "It is possible..."
"Especially the red head... you know, if I wasn't mistaken, she looks to be having some sort of fancy with another guy..."
This made him twitch, but he shrugged it off again, "She can like whomever she wants; doesn't hurt me any..."
That made Zhu Rong angry, as she ranted, "Then all you pirates ARE alike... heartless fodders with no feelings!"
"Look, just because I don't bare my heart and soul to you doesn't mean I don't have them," Gan Ning snapped. Then, he asked, "So how long do you plan on keeping me IN here? It won't be long before I plan my grand escape..."
"Are you really that thick?"
He grinned, quickly glancing about the room for a weapon. "As thick as I want to be... but even if I DO tell you my means of escape, there won't be a single thing you can do about it..."
The woman eyed him, smirking, "I didn't bring you in here to escape..."
"Apparently, you don't catch ON well... I said that I'm going to escape, no matter WHAT your intentions are..." Gan Ning hissed, "You asked me if I was thick? Look in the mirror, bimbo..."
So far, the closest thing he could find for a weapon was his own bells, and the woman rose from the bed, a devilish grin upon her face, one that he did not like at all. "Name calling is so childish... are you like that in the bed?"
The pirate sneered, "Guess you'll never know..."
Then, in an attempt for freedom, the pirate tore the cords to his own bells, whipping them across her face and smashing them along her head, sending her to the floor in a heap. Not even recovering the lost bell, he bolted to the window, leaping right through it and landing in the closest tree. "See you later, bimbo!"
"GUARDS! AFTER HIM!"
~*~*~*~
When Zhao Yun's forces had broken through the small opening, Zhang Liao knew it was time to escape, and without regrets, he ordered his troops to retreat. Wei Yan and Lu Jun had long since broken in, and he put up an excellent defense against them both, but even he was outmatched and outnumbered.
"No matter... I do not flee, but I live to fight another day..." He looked at the preoccupied forces, then called to his remaining soldiers. "Retreat! Abandon the fortress!"
It did not take them long to obey, and he waited until a good amount of men left before leaving himself, shouting his words to the Allied forces. "We'll have our day, vermin... wait and see!"
So with that, the last of the Wei forces tried to retreat, but they could not escape the wrath of the masked monster and the Red Eyed Beast.
"Enemy... soldiers... DIE!" Wei Yan roared, bringing the blade of his weapon to rest in the skull of his unfortunate foe. Now Lu Jun could see the extent of his power, and it nearly made even HIM sick to see the brutality of the man. No one was safe when he hit Bloodwrath, absolutely no one!
Bloodwrath was quite an accurate term. The man was coated in it, his clothing and hands, even his face. It made him shudder to see some of the warm red liquid drip between the other man's lips and the tongue sliding across them as though to savor its unique saltiness.
"My... goodness..." Lu Jun could now see the curse from a different, but frightening point of view, as those eyes, those bloodshot red eyes, turned upon him. "Well shit..."
"What... wrong?" Wei Yan's voice was hardly his own, as if a demon was screaming to be released. He stopped, turning to a soldier that tried to crawl away, and he forbid him the gift of life, driving it's blades into the man's back over and over again. "No escape... you all... DIE!"
Zhao Yun came horse to horse with Lu Jun, speaking softly, "Horrible, isn't it?"
Seeing the massacre continue, the lord of Wujun couldn't find himself to even speak, and he could see more soldiers fleeing from the sight, only to be struck down. He almost pitied them... but more so, he pitied the man who struck them.
This was what the man lived for; it was the only way to relieve his terrible pain. And as time wore on, he lost more and more of himself...
"Wei Yan, stand down for now!"
"No... must... FIGHT!" The tormented beast roared, denying Lu Jun's orders and only continuing the slaughter. This was the only way; he wanted to stop the pain. "DIE!!!!!"
Zhao Yun spoke softly, though he knew Wei Yan could hear him, "It won't make the pain go away... it will only ease it for a short while."
Still, they were ignored, and Wei Yan gave another slash, striking the open back of a young soldier, no older than his late teens. He turned to see the monster, a wave of horror overcoming him as he rose his hands to defend himself from the inevitable. He heard the roar, closing his eyes in fear, then heard the sound of metal clashing together...
Wei Yan snarled, glaring at the man who DARED to try and end his killing spree, "Go... away..."
"You still haven't dueled me... now's the best time..." Lu Jun growled, feeling the sheer strength of the beast equally matching his own.
"Fine. Duel... NOW!"
It was enough to give the soldier time to flee, but he stopped when Zhao Yun intercepted his course, bringing the butt of his spear to his temple and knocking him out instantly. Perhaps a little prisoner of their own would help, and he looked to the all out battle between the two Bloodwrath monsters...
Lu Jun growled, "You're really pathetic, you know that Wei Yan? I'm sure there would be a way to help you, and it's much easier than living with such pain!"
"Fight... me.. FIGHT... ME!!!"
"I'd rather help, but if you insist..."
Oh, to see such fury and pain in one's eyes would strike a nerve in the coldest of hearts, and this was no different. Lu Jun stayed onto the defensive, as the raged creature struck ferociously, tearing apart the spear's wooden hilt as if it was nothing. "You... know... nothing! FIGHT BACK... FIGHT ME!!!!"
"I know EVERYTHING, Wei Yan... and you hate me for it, admit it!" Lu Jun drove a kick into Wei Yan's gut, fighting with his wits for one as he pulled his sword from the ground, catching the blades and holding it away from his head. "Fight me more, and you'll only be lost forever!"
"Don't... care! Must... be... better... than... this..."
Fighting him back, the Red-Eyed Beast showed no mercy, striking with such speed that Wei Yan could not counter. No, the man did not strike with his blade, but with a fury of punches and kickers, only to catch him off balance. For though he was quicker than Wei Yan, he could not match his strength...
Zhao Yun cried out, "Stop it you two!"
But they did not listen to him, as the fight only got worse and worse. Somehow, Wei Yan was able to dodge one of the blows, and with tremendous force, he threw Lu Jun off of him, not even waiting for him to regain his balance before tackling him right in the gut. It was a horrible fight, almost too gruesome for the Little Dragon to bear...
Both opponents were bleeding from wounds, though none appeared too serious. Lu Jun hissed, "Had enough?"
No words could form, as Wei Yan's bloody fingers clenched Lu Jun's throat, refusing to let loose. Lu Jun still fought, growling deeply, "You... can't even speak... can you?"
His answer was an animalistic howl. He did the first thing that came to his mind, searching of a rock or any kind of weapon. Then, he shattered the piece of the broken cart over the man's head repeatingly until he was released. He shouted, jumping on top of the vicious man and pinning him down. "Enough is enough!"
The eyes that stared up to him held little, if any human comprehension, and he swore, "Damn... you poor brute..."
"Is everything alright?" Zhao Yun asked, grabbing his spear and ready to break them up if it was necessary. He could see Wei Yan's struggles begin to decease, but not once did he let down his guard.
Lu Jun sighed, "No... no it isn't."
Eventually, the pondering and the kicking began to die away with the war, animal-like cries, and Lu Jun was not sure if he should have removed himself or not, in fear of the Bloodwrath reawakening. It was resting now, as he saw tears begin to leak through the man's dented mask. "Go... away..."
"I know you hurt, but you must fight it... look at yourself; how can you live like this?"
"Always... have. Do... not... know... another... way..." His voice seemed weak now, and all signs of his past insanity were long sense gone... "Go away... leave... now..."
Lu Jun nodded, "Okay, I will. But don't forget my offer of help..."
With another hiss from the masked warrior, Lu Jun released him, wiping his bloody hands on the side of his shirt as he turned to the soldiers. Despite it ending on that note, they had won this battle, and he rose his hand triumphantly, giving a shout, "This is the dawning of a new day! Let the sunlight eat away the blood, and rest yourselves... you've all worked hard and well for this victory!"
They gave a round of cheers, and though Zhao Yun wish to aid his comrade, he looked to Lu Jun instead. "Do you really think there's a way to help him?"
"Of course... but the problem is that he does not want to be helped..." Lu Jun quickly defected the question, eyeing the celebrating soldiers. His home was his own again, and he was thankful to see it with minimal damage. "Now, let's rest... we'll follow them after the troops have regained their strength again..."
Zhao Yun nodded, glad to see that Wei Yan finally stood his own feet now. He could only see trouble rising from the eastern horizon, knowing that this victory wasn't as fruitful as the lord of Wujun proclaimed it to be. But he was willing to accept it...
By Gingivere the Shadowreaver
~*~*~*~
Chapter Seventeen
~*~*~*~
Another village in ruins, so was it to them? Wei was not really heartless, however, when they were discovered, the villagers were in panic, quickly setting their own village alight and fleeing from their presence. It was almost an insult, to se the smoldering village, but they did not complain at all, merely walking by on their nervous steeds, letting the villagers do as they please. They would not come to steal their food, though the sigh of Xu Zhu was enough to send them into an uproar over food shortages.
Xu Zhu was perhaps one of the strongest men that Dian Wei had ever worked with, and though he wasn't really the most fit creature on the planet, he was a tiger of a man, one never to be fooled by his childish and dorky looks. Xu Zhu was a warrior and devoted to one thing...
Protecting Lord Cao Cao.
That was why they were still walking the lines of the borders, in search of their lord. They had long since been separated from their duties, and though Xu Zhu seemed only worried about his stomach, his partner, Dian Wei, was more concerned with the safety of Lord Cao Cao.
Xu Huang felt the same, though he was silent throughout most of the quest, keeping his eyes peeled and ready for possible ambushes and traps. This land was uneasy, and war was upon them.
There was a slight noise that rose from the tired horse, and Dian Wei sneered, "Silence your stomach!"
Xu Zhu whined, shifting his mallet from one hand to another. "I can't help it... I haven't eaten in so long..."
"We should stack up on supplies... the campaign was a failure, and we've been running low since being separated..." Xu Huang pointed out, seeing two kids that looked upon them in fear, almost feeling bad for them. "Perhaps at the next village we'll stop... and just pray that we don't get too deep into trouble once we get there..."
The other two generals did not complain, and the army of three thousand marched onward to Huo Quan, just a few miles short of the mountain's basin. Had they known of the Allied Forces ambush parties hidden among the mountains, they would have gladly gone to assist their lord. However, Pang Tong and Zhou Yu did what all well known ambush parties did best, moving their own armies without much notice from anyone else. They were a phantom army with one mission...
~*~*~*~
If Zhang Liao knew of Xu Huang's army but several miles north, he would have sent a messenger and ask to be assisted. However, the man waited upon the walls of the village, looking through the cold, crisp early morning skies, in hopes to catch a soldier or two. He knew there was a force coming, his instincts told him so, and as he held his halberd at his side, he was ready for them.
'They will most likely send a small troop, to lure us out...' Zhang Liao thought to himself, white puffs of steam escaping his nostrils in two streams. The soon-to-be battlefield awaited them, but there was no sign of the bold heroes charging forward just yet. He could wait for him, slapping a sleeping soldier on the shoulder to wake him up. 'Willing to be that Lu Jun will be there as well... he may be more challenging than the actual soldiers.'
Yes, Zhang Liao knew the art of battle well, and he leaned against the stone wall, anxious to begin but not engaging. He was there to defend, and that was all that was required of him. 'Yes,' he thought. 'Let them charge me... I may not be able to hold them back, but I will give my lord time...'
He heard his name being called, and he looked along the insides of the walls now, seeing Zhang He upon the horse, his men standing ready to depart. Zhang Liao sneered, "Guard the supplies with your life... I will do my best to make sure that none get through."
"Yes, of course... I shall see you later then..." Zhang He's usual prep was gone, but Zhang Liao didn't care, watching him turn his horse about and giving the order. Just a few hours earlier, Sima Yi and the convoys had departed, and the strategist looked no brighter.
'It's their own problem, let them work it out...' Zhang Liao thought with a sneer, turning back to his duties and waiting for the troops to come marching in. What happened to those two were beyond his point of caring, for now he only cared for battle.
It was, at best estimate, just an hour before dawn when a soldier gave a shout, catching his attention before the sound of thundering hooves did. Perched on the side of the wall, Zhang Liao scanned the area, quickly catching sight of the smoke that lifted into the sky. Horses, but not many. At last, they had arrived!
And who else would be at the front except the three that led the forces? He instantly spotted Lu Jun, Wei Yan, and Zhao Yun (perhaps him most of all), their weapons drawn and battle in their eyes. No strategy here, but to attack with sheer strength and numbers. They were outnumbered, but not enough to give away the advantage. Perhaps they could walk away from this fight with minimal damage...
They drew closer and closer, and Zhang Liao gave the order, his voice heard by the incoming forces. "Close the gate, and let none pass! If they want us so badly, let them find their OWN way into the castle!"
So now, the battle began...
~*~*~*~
"I knew it... I just knew it!" Lu Jun was almost infuriated, to see Zhang Liao standing upon the walls over his own city, taunting him. He did not even have to look inside to see that Cao Cao had abandoned the fortress, and if he guessed right, the only general there to defend was Zhang Liao.
Zhang Liao, he thought with a laugh, holding his spear at his side as the gates began to close. This was surely to be a fight, but no matter. He had no doubt that Zhang Liao was more then a challenge to them, and he liked that.
As did Wei Yan, who practically led the way, his voulge thirsting for as much action as he wanted. Hell, he looked ready to scale the walls if the battering ram did not tear down the gates first.
"The main entrance is blocked, but I know another way in..." Lu Jun informed Zhao Yun, knowing trying to even talk with Wei Yan now was pointless. He hated to strategize, but banging on the door would certainly not get them in. "Find the stream and follow it to the southeast wall... there you will find a small but accessible arch, just big enough for a few. But you can't get in on horseback, so quickly open the main gates."
Zhao Yun nodded, not wishing to risk moving a group at all and taking the opportunity to get lost among the crowd, as arrows from the defending soldiers rained down upon them. Now, Lu Jun caught up with the masked warrior, teeth baring and ready for action. "Be careful out there... remembering that we're aiming to draw them out!"
"Plan... not... mine..." Bloodwrath almost spoke for him, ignoring the volley of arrows as if they were mere gnats. "I... live only... for battle!"
It was chaos from then on out, and as the horse came to a stop, the fearless masked warrior flew into the sky, driving his voulge into the stoned wedges of the wall, missing the next round by mere inches. The battle had begun, and with aid from their own archers, Wei Yan now fought on top of the walls, throwing victims aside like ragdolls and letting their blood soak his clothes. This was all he lived for, to feed that never ending hunger inside of him, to quench its thirst, to stop this pain.
Lu Jun was left with the rather boring task of manning the siege ramps and battering ram, but he found some entertainment with slaying the soldiers that fell and lived to tell the tale. Well, not for long, anyway. As the sun began to make its peak over the horizon, the lord of Wujun hoped to finish this task quickly, to join and raid the real villains in the mountains. 'Lu Yi, you'll be safe once again... just hold on for a little bit longer...'
~*~*~*~
The first thing Gan Ning felt when he senses began to return to his tired body was a bare arm resting across his equally bare shoulder. At first, he thought it was Sun Shang Xiang, huddling up to him for warmth from the chilly morning air. However, when he opened his eyes, he did not see the short red hair, but instead long, wavey blonde, and when he caught sight of this woman's bright blue eyes, he nearly screamed.
"LET GO OF ME YOU BIG-BOOBED, THONG WEARING TWIT!"
The woman was roughly thrown off of him, and the pirate quickly rose to his feet, only to find himself completely naked. "What the HELL?!"
"Well, hello to you too..." Zhu Rong looked up at him, a slight smile upon her face as she rather enjoyed the predicament he was in. 'Oh, yes... definitely better than my husband...'
Gan Ning's red eyes were twin flames as he glared at her, "What in God's name do you think you're doing?!"
She gave him suck a look as he hid himself under the blankets, crawling back onto the feathered bed. "What do you think? Looking at your wounds... you know, I can be a doctor if I wanted to be..."
"Wounds! More like my poor pirate butt!" Gan Ning did not buy THAT excuse for a second, lifting his leg and planted it on her chest gently, to stop her march. "I get it... this is my PUNISHMENT for mocking you, eh?!"
"Perhaps..." She shrugged, sitting and resembling that of an obedient but clever little fox. She was awfully beautiful, but her attitude left a lot to be desired, AND the fact that she was married made any comforting, loving thoughts in the pirate's head disappear. "Depends on what you think... if you think at all, you mindless pirate..."
"I think YOU should be with your husband..."
She giggled, counting the outlines of his toes with her fingers. "YOU try living with that lug..."
"No thanks; I really don't think I'm his type," Gan Ning snorted, trying to stay as far AWAY from her as possible. That seemed impossible, and the pirate snickered to cover his true emotions, "You know... I'm a pirate, and I could just throw your sorry ass into the wall like beating a rug if I wanted to..."
"Then why don't you do it?"
The pirate glared at her, sneering, "Where's my pants... and my bells?"
"You want 'um? Come over here and make me give 'um to you..." Oh, now the snide woman rose from the bed, walking a good bit of distance and pulling them out of the wooden drawers. She waved them about, the bells jingling as she laughed. "When my husband sees these in his drawers, he'll throw a fit and have your head! He can have that... I'll just take the body for meself!"
Gan Ning growled, "Shuddap, you stupid bitch..." With that he leapt from his place, knocking the clothing out of her hands and onto the ground, where he picked them up. "I'm gonna be wearin' these; he won't have a chance to get mad at me..."
Still, even as he clothed himself, she took a good look at him, nodded, and laughed, going to sit on the edge of the bed. "So ya think... what makes you think he isn't already?"
"I can handle him being mad at me, even killing me... but not over some perverted beast like you," The pirate sneered.
Now she changed, and she rose, to strike him. However, he caught the wrists and blocked the kicks, pinning her down upon the bed with sheer strength. She bellowed, her voice ringing in his ears. "RAPE! RAPE! THIS BRUTE'S RAPING ME!"
THAT made Gan Ning actually laugh, "With my pants on?! Good grief... how stupid can you BE?!"
"As stupid as they are... they'll believe anything!"
Gan Ning let her go, his laughter echoing, "Well, if they believe that, then it would be relief to die, just to get away from such idiocy!"
Anger rose in her blue eyes, as she stayed in that position on the bed, glaring at him. She sneered, "You have the nerve to speak, then... I heard what your so called friend's been saying about you, dumb pirate... nothing good..."
"And which friend would that be? I have so many here," Gan Ning sneered.
"All of them... even the ones in green say so... They had little or no objection when the guards came to take you away..."
Now the pirate's curiosity was peaked, "What ever are you talking about?"
She made herself comfortable on the bed now, burrowing into the feathers and replying. "I was bored, so I decided to fake your execution... when the guards came to take you to your death, they didn't say a single word in objection... seems to me that they WANTED you gone."
Gan Ning only shrugged, "It is possible..."
"Especially the red head... you know, if I wasn't mistaken, she looks to be having some sort of fancy with another guy..."
This made him twitch, but he shrugged it off again, "She can like whomever she wants; doesn't hurt me any..."
That made Zhu Rong angry, as she ranted, "Then all you pirates ARE alike... heartless fodders with no feelings!"
"Look, just because I don't bare my heart and soul to you doesn't mean I don't have them," Gan Ning snapped. Then, he asked, "So how long do you plan on keeping me IN here? It won't be long before I plan my grand escape..."
"Are you really that thick?"
He grinned, quickly glancing about the room for a weapon. "As thick as I want to be... but even if I DO tell you my means of escape, there won't be a single thing you can do about it..."
The woman eyed him, smirking, "I didn't bring you in here to escape..."
"Apparently, you don't catch ON well... I said that I'm going to escape, no matter WHAT your intentions are..." Gan Ning hissed, "You asked me if I was thick? Look in the mirror, bimbo..."
So far, the closest thing he could find for a weapon was his own bells, and the woman rose from the bed, a devilish grin upon her face, one that he did not like at all. "Name calling is so childish... are you like that in the bed?"
The pirate sneered, "Guess you'll never know..."
Then, in an attempt for freedom, the pirate tore the cords to his own bells, whipping them across her face and smashing them along her head, sending her to the floor in a heap. Not even recovering the lost bell, he bolted to the window, leaping right through it and landing in the closest tree. "See you later, bimbo!"
"GUARDS! AFTER HIM!"
~*~*~*~
When Zhao Yun's forces had broken through the small opening, Zhang Liao knew it was time to escape, and without regrets, he ordered his troops to retreat. Wei Yan and Lu Jun had long since broken in, and he put up an excellent defense against them both, but even he was outmatched and outnumbered.
"No matter... I do not flee, but I live to fight another day..." He looked at the preoccupied forces, then called to his remaining soldiers. "Retreat! Abandon the fortress!"
It did not take them long to obey, and he waited until a good amount of men left before leaving himself, shouting his words to the Allied forces. "We'll have our day, vermin... wait and see!"
So with that, the last of the Wei forces tried to retreat, but they could not escape the wrath of the masked monster and the Red Eyed Beast.
"Enemy... soldiers... DIE!" Wei Yan roared, bringing the blade of his weapon to rest in the skull of his unfortunate foe. Now Lu Jun could see the extent of his power, and it nearly made even HIM sick to see the brutality of the man. No one was safe when he hit Bloodwrath, absolutely no one!
Bloodwrath was quite an accurate term. The man was coated in it, his clothing and hands, even his face. It made him shudder to see some of the warm red liquid drip between the other man's lips and the tongue sliding across them as though to savor its unique saltiness.
"My... goodness..." Lu Jun could now see the curse from a different, but frightening point of view, as those eyes, those bloodshot red eyes, turned upon him. "Well shit..."
"What... wrong?" Wei Yan's voice was hardly his own, as if a demon was screaming to be released. He stopped, turning to a soldier that tried to crawl away, and he forbid him the gift of life, driving it's blades into the man's back over and over again. "No escape... you all... DIE!"
Zhao Yun came horse to horse with Lu Jun, speaking softly, "Horrible, isn't it?"
Seeing the massacre continue, the lord of Wujun couldn't find himself to even speak, and he could see more soldiers fleeing from the sight, only to be struck down. He almost pitied them... but more so, he pitied the man who struck them.
This was what the man lived for; it was the only way to relieve his terrible pain. And as time wore on, he lost more and more of himself...
"Wei Yan, stand down for now!"
"No... must... FIGHT!" The tormented beast roared, denying Lu Jun's orders and only continuing the slaughter. This was the only way; he wanted to stop the pain. "DIE!!!!!"
Zhao Yun spoke softly, though he knew Wei Yan could hear him, "It won't make the pain go away... it will only ease it for a short while."
Still, they were ignored, and Wei Yan gave another slash, striking the open back of a young soldier, no older than his late teens. He turned to see the monster, a wave of horror overcoming him as he rose his hands to defend himself from the inevitable. He heard the roar, closing his eyes in fear, then heard the sound of metal clashing together...
Wei Yan snarled, glaring at the man who DARED to try and end his killing spree, "Go... away..."
"You still haven't dueled me... now's the best time..." Lu Jun growled, feeling the sheer strength of the beast equally matching his own.
"Fine. Duel... NOW!"
It was enough to give the soldier time to flee, but he stopped when Zhao Yun intercepted his course, bringing the butt of his spear to his temple and knocking him out instantly. Perhaps a little prisoner of their own would help, and he looked to the all out battle between the two Bloodwrath monsters...
Lu Jun growled, "You're really pathetic, you know that Wei Yan? I'm sure there would be a way to help you, and it's much easier than living with such pain!"
"Fight... me.. FIGHT... ME!!!"
"I'd rather help, but if you insist..."
Oh, to see such fury and pain in one's eyes would strike a nerve in the coldest of hearts, and this was no different. Lu Jun stayed onto the defensive, as the raged creature struck ferociously, tearing apart the spear's wooden hilt as if it was nothing. "You... know... nothing! FIGHT BACK... FIGHT ME!!!!"
"I know EVERYTHING, Wei Yan... and you hate me for it, admit it!" Lu Jun drove a kick into Wei Yan's gut, fighting with his wits for one as he pulled his sword from the ground, catching the blades and holding it away from his head. "Fight me more, and you'll only be lost forever!"
"Don't... care! Must... be... better... than... this..."
Fighting him back, the Red-Eyed Beast showed no mercy, striking with such speed that Wei Yan could not counter. No, the man did not strike with his blade, but with a fury of punches and kickers, only to catch him off balance. For though he was quicker than Wei Yan, he could not match his strength...
Zhao Yun cried out, "Stop it you two!"
But they did not listen to him, as the fight only got worse and worse. Somehow, Wei Yan was able to dodge one of the blows, and with tremendous force, he threw Lu Jun off of him, not even waiting for him to regain his balance before tackling him right in the gut. It was a horrible fight, almost too gruesome for the Little Dragon to bear...
Both opponents were bleeding from wounds, though none appeared too serious. Lu Jun hissed, "Had enough?"
No words could form, as Wei Yan's bloody fingers clenched Lu Jun's throat, refusing to let loose. Lu Jun still fought, growling deeply, "You... can't even speak... can you?"
His answer was an animalistic howl. He did the first thing that came to his mind, searching of a rock or any kind of weapon. Then, he shattered the piece of the broken cart over the man's head repeatingly until he was released. He shouted, jumping on top of the vicious man and pinning him down. "Enough is enough!"
The eyes that stared up to him held little, if any human comprehension, and he swore, "Damn... you poor brute..."
"Is everything alright?" Zhao Yun asked, grabbing his spear and ready to break them up if it was necessary. He could see Wei Yan's struggles begin to decease, but not once did he let down his guard.
Lu Jun sighed, "No... no it isn't."
Eventually, the pondering and the kicking began to die away with the war, animal-like cries, and Lu Jun was not sure if he should have removed himself or not, in fear of the Bloodwrath reawakening. It was resting now, as he saw tears begin to leak through the man's dented mask. "Go... away..."
"I know you hurt, but you must fight it... look at yourself; how can you live like this?"
"Always... have. Do... not... know... another... way..." His voice seemed weak now, and all signs of his past insanity were long sense gone... "Go away... leave... now..."
Lu Jun nodded, "Okay, I will. But don't forget my offer of help..."
With another hiss from the masked warrior, Lu Jun released him, wiping his bloody hands on the side of his shirt as he turned to the soldiers. Despite it ending on that note, they had won this battle, and he rose his hand triumphantly, giving a shout, "This is the dawning of a new day! Let the sunlight eat away the blood, and rest yourselves... you've all worked hard and well for this victory!"
They gave a round of cheers, and though Zhao Yun wish to aid his comrade, he looked to Lu Jun instead. "Do you really think there's a way to help him?"
"Of course... but the problem is that he does not want to be helped..." Lu Jun quickly defected the question, eyeing the celebrating soldiers. His home was his own again, and he was thankful to see it with minimal damage. "Now, let's rest... we'll follow them after the troops have regained their strength again..."
Zhao Yun nodded, glad to see that Wei Yan finally stood his own feet now. He could only see trouble rising from the eastern horizon, knowing that this victory wasn't as fruitful as the lord of Wujun proclaimed it to be. But he was willing to accept it...