Tales
Soujiro: Well, well, well, I see my fans are awaiting my new chapter…
Zhou Yu: Please note that you have only received a few reviews, Author Soujiro.
Soujiro: *Ahem* A few is considered a lot…
Zhang He: 'A few' are beautiful words…
Zhou Yu: I see…
Zhang He: Shall we begin then?
Soujiro: What ever suites you fine…
(P.s : I know nothing of the past of the characters, don't be surprised if you find Dian Wei started off as Wei's first sumo-wrestler or something. -_- And if you come across a character called 'Zhuge Hua' just pretend he's Zhuge Liang's son or something...)
DISCLAIMER: *sighs* Dynasty Warriors belongs to me not...
Chapter 3: Strange Happenings…
[Sima Yi P.O.V]
"I don't see why I have to be dragged down here---" Zhang He pours some tea, "Sit at this round stone table---" Xu Huang and Dian Wei take a seat, "Drinking tea---" Zhang Liao, Xiahou Dun and Cao Pi all settle down, "On a ridiculously hot SUNNY day, Zhang He…" He just smiles at me and pours some more tea. "Don't be mean, Yi-chan…We must find a way to welcome our new friend…" Setting the tea pot down, Zhang He goes behind the Sakura tree. A soft, shy voice can be heard:
"Must I go?"
"Come on, they're REALLY friendly…" Obviously Zhang He's voice…
"Truly, I really doubt that."
"Oh, just come anyway…You DID come all the way here to get introduced…"
A pause of silence. Then a shuffling of feet. Zhang He emerges from behind the tree, looking rather triumphant as he drags the young priest out. He sits down beside me, leaving the frowning priest standing there all by himself. If I remember correctly, he goes by the name Yue. How queer…No surname…
Yue stands there still, shifting under the gaze of everyone sitting at the table. "Well, do take a seat." Zhang He says to him and he nods once.
Yue looks around the table, considering. Then, he decides to settle down in between Cao Pi and Xu Huang, who both smile in delight. Okay…So there are two gays who have taken liking to a certain young priest…
Zhang He sips some tea. "We're here today to introduce ourselves to Yue-chan, have we not?" Zhang He gets a glare from Yue after the 'Yue-chan' is mentioned, "Who shall begin?"
Silence again. Cao Pi appears to be flirting with Yue. Yue ignores him, taking a sip from his cup of tea. "Oooookay, let's have Dian Wei first then." Zhang He gestures to Dian Wei, who starts flexing his over sized muscles…
"I am Dian Wei, of course…" The bald man begins his speech…Dian Wei the imbecile…"I like arm wrestling…" A sport for people with puny seed-sized brains…
"AND…" Dian Wei's voice trails off as I bury my head hopelessly in my arms. Yes, it seems like it's going to be a rather looooooong day.
[Zhuge Hua P.O.V]
(Destination: Shu's Camping Site)
I yawn as I step into my tent, having just taken a rather tiring stroll outside. Setting myself down upon the ivory carved chair, I brush my hand across the contents on my table. My hand hovers above a suspiciously empty spot. Something is missing. But what is it? I rack my brains for the answer. Ah yes, I remember. Isn't it that scroll father handed to me…I freeze in mid-thought. The 'scroll'.
The 'scroll' with particularly top-secret information in it. The 'scroll' which even I was not allowed to read. The 'scroll' which if fallen into the enemy's hands could lead to trouble for Shu.
Where IS THAT SCROLL????
There is a shifting of feet outside. I can hear two hushed voices arguing about something…
"You tell him…" Jiang Wei's voice. "No, YOU tell him." Zhao Yun's voice. "You're obviously older than ME. So YOU should tell him…" Jiang Wei's voice again. Just what are they up to?
Before Zhao Yun can retort with another "No, you tell him", I push the tent flap open to reveal my two fellow companions.
"Tell me what?" I ask, eying them closely.
There is a bout of silence. Then, Jiang Wei nudges Zhao Yun in the arm with an elbow and he opens his mouth to speak. "Urm, you see Hua…" "I don't quite see yet, Zhao Yun." "Right, of course not…" I can see the faint red of a blush seeping up his cheeks.
"Well, we urm, went into your tent…" "For what reason, my friend?" I question him sharply, causing the warrior to jump. The younger of the two speaks up, "We uhh, were looking for you…but you weren't there…So we poked around your things…" Which is quite natural, I note to myself. "And we found a rather royal looking scroll…" "SO, YOU took the scroll!" I exclaim. "Where is it? You better not have read it Jiang Wei!"
"No, we didn't." Jiang Wei says softly. "We uhh, we…"
"You…?"
"We lost it."
The world comes crashing down before my eyes. "YOU WHAT!?" Both of them move back a few metres. "We didn't mean to!!" Zhao Yun says, trying to sound innocent. "We were just playing catch with it and I threw it a little high up a bit, okay, maybe too high up…And it fell into a bush and now we can't find it!"
"We're really, really sorry we lost one of your poems or something but we're still friends after all…right?" Jiang Wei smiles nervously at me. "No, NOT right. Do you know whose scroll that is? It belongs to…" Before I can finish my sentence…
"What's all this racket, Zhuge Hua?" That voice…that voice is…
Zhao Yun and Jiang Wei bow down in respect. I turn around, slowly, to see my father Zhuge Liang, fanning himself leisurely. "Good day, father…" I try to smile, but it is as if someone just put glue on my face.
Father nods in acknowledgement to the two behind me, then to me. "I've come to retrieve the scroll I turned into your possession, Hua." He says, still fanning himself with that fan which Jiang Wei claims is made out of the butt feathers of a goose. I turn a bit to see the reaction of the two trouble makers. They exchange glances and look to me, as if I would have some way to get them out of this.
I will myself not to point an accusing finger at Zhao Yun and Jiang Wei immediately.
Taking a deep breath, I open my mouth to tell Father what happened to the scroll.
"Father…I'm afraid WE," I turn to look at the two you-know-whos, "have lost the scroll."
Father stops fanning himself. Probably, this day will be longer than I thought.
[Lu Xun P.O.V]
(Destination: Some place in no where)
"Gan Ning…Haven't we passed by here before?" I ask as I whip a branch out of the way; for the fifth time. "No, that can't be! I'm pretty sure we're going the right way…"Gan Ning stops moving and rubs his chin, pausing to think awhile. "I think." He adds, after a moment of silence.
"THAT'S IT!!" Lu Meng screams, chopping off some branches in his way. "I've had enough of wandering around the same place!"
"I'm afraid I have to agree my fellow Gan Ning." Guo Jia says, smiley face and all. "Perhaps we could have been back in base right now if you hadn't thrown the map into the swamp? Which, if you would kindly let me remind you, we have passed by five times?"
"I KNOW! I KNOW!" Gan Ning retorts, tearing at his hair. "Maybe we should turn right at this point instead of always going straight, Gan Ning." I suggest, wondering why I didn't suggest it earlier. "Right, whatever you say, Lu Xun…"
The four of us trudge through the dense foliage and find ourselves at a clearing which looks like some old ancient ruins. "Well now, at least we haven't come across here before." Guo Jia says happily, brushing a hand across some ancient carvings on a pillar.
Was it just me…?Or did I just see the carvings glow?
I walk across the clearing to where Gan Ning is standing, reading something off a tombstone. "Look, Lu Xun! Something we can understand!" I look at where he is pointing and find that indeed, the words are carved out in a language we all understand.
Gan Ning begins to read aloud:
"The ruins are very, very old. They were created a long, long time ago, to stop the wars of humans, mindless killing and greed. But what lies within these tall pillars of stone has taken its own shape, its own mind…"
He pauses to ponder over some part which has worn away. I lean back onto the stone pillar behind me. There are three pillars in all, forming a triangular shape around us. Turning, I touch one of the carvings with a finger. Once again, the carvings glow softly. I wasn't imagining it then, was I?
Gan Ning continues reading, probably finding the part worn away impossible to read.
"To awaken this spirit, all it takes is…"
Lu Meng circles the third pillar, pressing a finger against a carving. "Look, doesn't this look like a dragon of some sort?"
Guo Jia walks over to look. "Why, yes it does, Lord Lu Meng…" He smiles and turns back to his pillar. "Look, mine has a tiger on it…"
I blink. Did the carvings on the pillar Lu Meng is standing under just glow? I step away from the pillar I'm leaning against, regarding the carvings warily. Gan Ning continues:
"All it takes is three brushes upon the carvings of the three pillars, after which, in awhile, the spirit shall awaken and…"
The carvings on all three pillars glow a bright white, blinding me for just a split second. I crack open my eyes a bit, the light still too bright. I can see the blurred shape of Gan Ning on my right, and to my left…
A long thing, coiling around a pillar…
"Lu Xun! Are you all right!" Gan Ning is standing up now, rushing over to my side. I look to my left again. That…that thing is gone. And then, after awhile, I realize the others are gone too. "Gan Ning! The others! They're gone!"
Gan Ning turns around, staring at the empty space before him. "They…they are…?" He asks, looking spooked out. "Lu Meng? Guo Jia?" No answers. They ARE gone.
"What does the writing say? You haven't finished reading them!" I kneel infront of the tombstone, reading the part where Gan Ning left off.
"the spirit shall awaken and…and take two members of your group as sacrifices!!! Now…now…"
The rest of the words are gone, worn off as time went by. I stand up and turn slowly to face Gan Ning.
He looks at me, equally stunned. "Urm, Lu Xun? What now?"
[Jiang Wei P.O.V]
(Destination: Shu's camp, in the middle of Zhuge Liang reprimanding…)
"Do you three KNOW what is in that scroll?" Prime Minister asks, voice strict and commanding. Hua shakes his head, answering for us, "No, father."
Prime Minister sighs, the third time in a row. "Forget it. It looks like because of the carelessness of the three of you, we'll have to get going by tomorrow morn' before anyone finds the scroll."
"What IS in the scroll, father?" Hua asks boldly.
The Prime Minister fans himself, as if it would blow all his troubles away. "In that scroll it states that a week ago, when Lord Huang Zhong was supposed to return with his army of ten thousand soldiers, one of his personal body guards came instead. The bodyguard stated that under unusual circumstances, the TEN THOUSAND strong army and the commander Lord Huang Zhong…." He hesitates, then continues, "disappeared…"
"Disappeared?" Zhuge Hua asks, lifting his head to finally face Prime Minister. Zhao Yun does the same, disbelief written all over his face.
"I know it does sound unbelievable, but the scouts I sent to look for the army found nothing, and tell me, Hua, how can an army of ten thousand soldiers move away from that area within a space of one day?"
"But still…what is so precious about this information?" Zhao Yun asks, voice choked.
"This scroll was supposed to be sent to inform Lord Liu Bei of his…missing army and General. All of you were not informed so as not to arouse panic. And as to why this information mustn't fall into the hands of the enemy…"
"Is because this would tell the enemy, be it Wu or Wei, that we are now in a very vulnerable position, prone to attack, having just lost an army of ten thousand soldiers within a day." I finish the sentence for him, realizing how stupid Zhao Yun and I were to actually LOSE the scroll.
"Exactly."
Shu seems doomed already.
[Yue P.O.V]
(Destination: The round table)
I sigh as the others laugh at jokes and drink their tea. When can I leave this place? When shall I plan another escape? Not if that Sima Yi is always staring at me…I note as I notice him narrowing his eyes at me.
I turn away, avoiding those intensifying eyes. Cao Pi flings an arm around my shoulders. "Game for mah jong, my sweet?" He asks, ignoring the jealous stare from Xu Huang. "Oh, of course, my Lord. Except, how are we going to play on this…exceptionally round table?" I ask politely, trying to erase all tints of sarcasm in my voice.
"No, no, that's alright my dear…Zhang Liao, go get the mah jong board…" He waves impatiently at the said general, not even sparing a glance at him. As Zhang Liao gets out of his seat, muttering to himself, I stare up into the sky and notice, for just the slightest moment, that the sky turned a weird purple.
I look around the table. It seems no one has noticed at all. Strange…
Strange indeed…
*************************To Be Continued*************************
"Touch The Carvings On The Three Stone Pillars
Once
And Watch The Tale Unfold
Before Your Eyes…"
*****
Well then, there you have it, the third chappie. Sorry I haven't posted for like...What? Three months or something but I'm a real lazy chap, sorry to tell ya. Hope you guys liked the chapter anyway.
P.S: Urm, ya, you see that guy there called Guo Jia? Well yeah, I know he's supposed to be in Wei but just pretend he's in Wu...And Cao Pi, yeah, everyone must be think'n he's that old geezer in DW4 but he's supposed to be young, based on some Japanese fanart I found of him off the net. That's all, toodles!