Forbidden Dreams
By Natsue Arishima
Chapter Eight: Fight
Zhao Yun yawned, struggling to keep his eyes open, as Zhuge Liang gave off his latest strategy speech.
It wasn't that boring, really, but he desperately needed sleep, and this fact wasn't helped by Zhuge Liang's calm and completely even voice.
Sun Ce sat near him, his head nodding and eyes closed, before finally drooping onto Da Qiao's shoulder. Lady Ce sighed, her pretty face in slight disappointment, but gave her husband his sleep.
Yue Ying, Pang Tong, Lu Xun and Zhou Yu were up front, behind Zhuge Liang and whispering quiet statements to each other, eyes fixed on the Prime Minister. Zhao Yun focused on the strategists, narrowing his eyes. Jiang Wei was not among them.
It wasn't like the young genius to skip an important war lecture.
Zhuge Liang also seemed to know this, for his face was in a small frown. What an obnoxious pupil!
Jiang Wei wasn't the only one missing though. Once again, the great horse Lord was not in sight. Gan Ning was probably swaggering out in the city, drinking with numerous women and showing off his swordsmanship. Huang Gai was also absent.
Liu Bei turned to look at the Tiger General, and Zhao Yun immediately sat up, faking attention. The Shu leader raised an amused eyebrow before twisting back to the speech. Zhang Fei hiccuped, clutching his drink, face redder than ever.
Shaking his head slightly, Zhao Yun stretched, and suddenly bolted upright, green eyes intent on the window. The moon had crept out long ago, its dark, eerie rays penetrating the now quiet room.
Zhuge Liang stopped abruptly, his fan frozen, as he examined the officer closely with his slender, hazel orbs.
Zhao Yun ignored the many eyes on him and he stood up slowly. His gaze never left its target.
It was as if something had lodged itself within his skin, something small and sharp. The sudden jolt of it slowly faded, replacing itself with something else.
His eyes widened, and he turned and left the silent room. Pang Tong looked curiously at him before shifting, allowing the taller man to step over the threshold.
Zhao Yun barely acknowledged his presence. All he knew was that something was going on... something bad...
He had no idea at how he knew this, and wasn't even completely sure. However, he rushed quickly to his room, retrieved his spear, and ran out.
Jiang Wei was in trouble.
*~*~*
He threw himself forward, oddly off balance, and Zhang He flew over him, his deadly Phoenix Talons closely missing their mark.
Jiang Wei gasped as he felt the blades slice into his back. His mahogany eyes widened in shock and pain, and he rolled over. His light green shirt was dyed in bright crimson, which slowly flowed onto the ground as well. Slowly, he staggered up.
The men had stopped attacking, motionless as they surrounded Zhang He and Jiang Wei. Breathing in sharply, Jiang Wei's eyes darted back and forth. He was trapped. There was no way to run. He glared at the silent, black wall of men.
Zhang He looked at him, his eyes gleaming like daggers. Slowly, he walked forward, each light step nearly deafening in Jiang Wei's ears.
The Phoenix Talons were dripping blood, the once shining blades now scarlet. Pale, slim lips curved into a dangerous smile as the graceful general approached.
Ebony eyes stared into mahogany. "What a pity..." Zhang He whispered, "... that such beauty must go to waste..."
Jiang Wei snarled slightly, breath coming in painful gasps. "B-bastard..."
"Oh...?" A cruel smirk. "Believe me, I wouldn't even bother with you if it hadn't been for Sima Yi..." He took a few more steps forward. "Actually... if Sima Yi had fancied me instead of you, I believe we might have made decent friends."
"So that's it?" Jiang Wei snapped, coughing slightly. "You're jealous."
Zhang He fixed him in a long stare. His voice was venomous as he finally spoke. "So what if I am?"
"You love him then," the genius stated simply. "Well then, what's stopping you?"
Silence greeted his words. The Wei officer glared at him, furious.
Slowly, he raised his bloodstained Talons.
*~*~*
Gan Ning grinned impishly, waving off the many girls surrounding them. The night was getting old, and he should be heading back.
"Later... ladies..." he muttered, staggering off. Waving casually over his shoulder, he groaned as he grabbed his Sea Master, limping off balance.
A dull flush was rising in his cheeks, probably the result of his many drinks. He smirked, eyes unfocused.
"Man Gan Ning..." He tripped over his left foot. "You've really wasted yourself this time..."
Staring at the moon, he could guess that it was around midnight. Yep... he had missed Zhuge Liang's speech.
"A guy's only got one life to live," he reassured himself.
The path was getting dark, and he suddenly stopped. Straining his ears, the pirate stood motionless before rushing forward, swaying slightly. His vision turned double momentarily, and he rubbed his eyes furiously.
Now was not the time to pass out.
He had heard weapon clashes.
*~*~*
The cold blades dug into his arm, and Jiang Wei was sent flying. His back hitting the wall, he gasped in pain, and slowly slid to the ground. Coughing, blood splattered onto the dirt.
"Now. There's no need for this torture. Let us take you back." Zhang He straightened from his crouch, and crossed his arms, ignoring Jiang Wei's previous comment. "Sima Yi's been waiting for a long time." The smooth voice was slightly weak, choked with hidden tears.
Jiang Wei didn't move. He closed his eyes, staring at the darkness of his eyelids. "Zilong..." he whispered quietly. The blood from his arm didn't seem to affect him at all. He had been through pain worse than this.
Wordlessly, he stood up, face covered in shadow. Zhang He sighed, and hissed, "As you wish..."
He flipped forward, his dark hair whipping the sky, and Jiang Wei was ready for him. As the Wei general neared, the strategist suddenly rolled out of sight, and Zhang He landed gently, lowering his weapons.
"Hiding now, are we?" He smirked, and suddenly heard something behind him. Spinning around, his eyes widened as he felt a fist connect with his stomach.
Jiang Wei grinned. "Don't think you've won yet."
He received an angry hiss in reply. Zhang He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly froze as he saw a form over Jiang Wei's shoulder.
"Oi," Gan Ning drawled, his eyes strangely fierce and yet still slightly unfocused. Sea Master was once again placed across his shoulders. "What have we here?"
*~*~*
His horse snorted underneath him, the powerful hooves thundering against the hard earth. His rider urged him faster, and the horse willingly obliged, its thick white mane billowing.
Zhao Yun's eyes flicked through the streets, his spear held high. The passing people quickly shuffled out of the way.
Where... which way...?
"Damn it, Jiang Wei..." he mumbled, rubbing his steed's neck reassuringly. His horse nickered softly. "Where are you?"
*~*~*
The pirate grinned crookedly, hiding his concern. Jiang Wei spun around, clutching his bleeding arm, his eyes widening. "Gan Ning?"
"Yep!" Swinging his sword in front of him, Gan Ning smiled. "Ready to have some fun as well."
With a roar, he dashed forward. Inches away, Zhang He suddenly snapped his long, pale fingers, and his immobile troops sprung into action.
Gan Ning paused, confused, as glinting blades surrounded him. "Okay... this wasn't what I had in mind..."
Jiang Wei quickly started towards his friend, but Zhang He cut him off. "Your opponent is me."
"Gan Ning!" the strategist yelled, backing up slowly as the Talons neared him. "Get out of here!"
"You!" Gan Ning snapped back, slashing through an opponent. "Look at ya, all covered in blood." He smiled. "What the hell did you get into this time?"
"This is a very touching conversation, but I'm running out of patience." The Wei general cocked his head, the smooth hair falling from his shoulders, as if examining the distance between them.
Jiang Wei swallowed, his hands white and sweaty. "Zhang H-"
He didn't get to finish his sentence as Zhang He sprang forward, his speed quiet and deadly. His hand immediately went to his spear-less sash. He was rooted to the spot, too stunned to move.
"Oi! You! Move your ass, boy!" The clashes and yells of pain around him drowned the pirate's words as he sliced easily through his rivals.
Closing his eyes, Jiang Wei forced himself to breathe.
Zhao Yun... why aren't you here...?
His next thoughts disappeared as he felt the cold bite of ten sharp blades. Pain consumed him, and darkness surrounded him.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he fell.
*~*~*
He squinted, and suddenly gasped. Jumping off his horse, Zhao Yun quickly approached the injured silhouette.
The man looked up wearily, his eyes hidden underneath the spiky hair. A sword was being dragged slowly behind him, and a bleeding gash was in his side.
As he saw the Tiger General approach him, the pirate grinned. "Hey..." he muttered, before falling onto his knees.
"Gan Ning? What...?" Zhao Yun crouched down, looking intently at his friend. Noticing the blood still seeping, the Little Dragon's eyes widened.
But the pirate shook his head. "Don't bother. They took him..."
Zhao Yun let out a low whistle. "Who...?" But he had a bad feeling in his gut.
"Him! The little strategist! Jiang Wei!"
The Little Dragon froze. "They... What? No... It's not possible..."
Gan Ning wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand. "Back there..." he pointed behind him. "I tried... but..."
The general stood up, racing towards the dark alleyway. His green eyes were hooded as he saw the splotches of blood... the dead bodies of the Wei troops...
"No..."
Jiang Wei was gone.
**********
A/N: So evil, yes I am... I can't really think of anything to say right now... Oh yes! For those of you who just read but don't review, PLEASE DO! Opinions are nice! Anyhoo, R&R!
--Natsue Arishima
By Natsue Arishima
Chapter Eight: Fight
Zhao Yun yawned, struggling to keep his eyes open, as Zhuge Liang gave off his latest strategy speech.
It wasn't that boring, really, but he desperately needed sleep, and this fact wasn't helped by Zhuge Liang's calm and completely even voice.
Sun Ce sat near him, his head nodding and eyes closed, before finally drooping onto Da Qiao's shoulder. Lady Ce sighed, her pretty face in slight disappointment, but gave her husband his sleep.
Yue Ying, Pang Tong, Lu Xun and Zhou Yu were up front, behind Zhuge Liang and whispering quiet statements to each other, eyes fixed on the Prime Minister. Zhao Yun focused on the strategists, narrowing his eyes. Jiang Wei was not among them.
It wasn't like the young genius to skip an important war lecture.
Zhuge Liang also seemed to know this, for his face was in a small frown. What an obnoxious pupil!
Jiang Wei wasn't the only one missing though. Once again, the great horse Lord was not in sight. Gan Ning was probably swaggering out in the city, drinking with numerous women and showing off his swordsmanship. Huang Gai was also absent.
Liu Bei turned to look at the Tiger General, and Zhao Yun immediately sat up, faking attention. The Shu leader raised an amused eyebrow before twisting back to the speech. Zhang Fei hiccuped, clutching his drink, face redder than ever.
Shaking his head slightly, Zhao Yun stretched, and suddenly bolted upright, green eyes intent on the window. The moon had crept out long ago, its dark, eerie rays penetrating the now quiet room.
Zhuge Liang stopped abruptly, his fan frozen, as he examined the officer closely with his slender, hazel orbs.
Zhao Yun ignored the many eyes on him and he stood up slowly. His gaze never left its target.
It was as if something had lodged itself within his skin, something small and sharp. The sudden jolt of it slowly faded, replacing itself with something else.
His eyes widened, and he turned and left the silent room. Pang Tong looked curiously at him before shifting, allowing the taller man to step over the threshold.
Zhao Yun barely acknowledged his presence. All he knew was that something was going on... something bad...
He had no idea at how he knew this, and wasn't even completely sure. However, he rushed quickly to his room, retrieved his spear, and ran out.
Jiang Wei was in trouble.
He threw himself forward, oddly off balance, and Zhang He flew over him, his deadly Phoenix Talons closely missing their mark.
Jiang Wei gasped as he felt the blades slice into his back. His mahogany eyes widened in shock and pain, and he rolled over. His light green shirt was dyed in bright crimson, which slowly flowed onto the ground as well. Slowly, he staggered up.
The men had stopped attacking, motionless as they surrounded Zhang He and Jiang Wei. Breathing in sharply, Jiang Wei's eyes darted back and forth. He was trapped. There was no way to run. He glared at the silent, black wall of men.
Zhang He looked at him, his eyes gleaming like daggers. Slowly, he walked forward, each light step nearly deafening in Jiang Wei's ears.
The Phoenix Talons were dripping blood, the once shining blades now scarlet. Pale, slim lips curved into a dangerous smile as the graceful general approached.
Ebony eyes stared into mahogany. "What a pity..." Zhang He whispered, "... that such beauty must go to waste..."
Jiang Wei snarled slightly, breath coming in painful gasps. "B-bastard..."
"Oh...?" A cruel smirk. "Believe me, I wouldn't even bother with you if it hadn't been for Sima Yi..." He took a few more steps forward. "Actually... if Sima Yi had fancied me instead of you, I believe we might have made decent friends."
"So that's it?" Jiang Wei snapped, coughing slightly. "You're jealous."
Zhang He fixed him in a long stare. His voice was venomous as he finally spoke. "So what if I am?"
"You love him then," the genius stated simply. "Well then, what's stopping you?"
Silence greeted his words. The Wei officer glared at him, furious.
Slowly, he raised his bloodstained Talons.
Gan Ning grinned impishly, waving off the many girls surrounding them. The night was getting old, and he should be heading back.
"Later... ladies..." he muttered, staggering off. Waving casually over his shoulder, he groaned as he grabbed his Sea Master, limping off balance.
A dull flush was rising in his cheeks, probably the result of his many drinks. He smirked, eyes unfocused.
"Man Gan Ning..." He tripped over his left foot. "You've really wasted yourself this time..."
Staring at the moon, he could guess that it was around midnight. Yep... he had missed Zhuge Liang's speech.
"A guy's only got one life to live," he reassured himself.
The path was getting dark, and he suddenly stopped. Straining his ears, the pirate stood motionless before rushing forward, swaying slightly. His vision turned double momentarily, and he rubbed his eyes furiously.
Now was not the time to pass out.
He had heard weapon clashes.
The cold blades dug into his arm, and Jiang Wei was sent flying. His back hitting the wall, he gasped in pain, and slowly slid to the ground. Coughing, blood splattered onto the dirt.
"Now. There's no need for this torture. Let us take you back." Zhang He straightened from his crouch, and crossed his arms, ignoring Jiang Wei's previous comment. "Sima Yi's been waiting for a long time." The smooth voice was slightly weak, choked with hidden tears.
Jiang Wei didn't move. He closed his eyes, staring at the darkness of his eyelids. "Zilong..." he whispered quietly. The blood from his arm didn't seem to affect him at all. He had been through pain worse than this.
Wordlessly, he stood up, face covered in shadow. Zhang He sighed, and hissed, "As you wish..."
He flipped forward, his dark hair whipping the sky, and Jiang Wei was ready for him. As the Wei general neared, the strategist suddenly rolled out of sight, and Zhang He landed gently, lowering his weapons.
"Hiding now, are we?" He smirked, and suddenly heard something behind him. Spinning around, his eyes widened as he felt a fist connect with his stomach.
Jiang Wei grinned. "Don't think you've won yet."
He received an angry hiss in reply. Zhang He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly froze as he saw a form over Jiang Wei's shoulder.
"Oi," Gan Ning drawled, his eyes strangely fierce and yet still slightly unfocused. Sea Master was once again placed across his shoulders. "What have we here?"
His horse snorted underneath him, the powerful hooves thundering against the hard earth. His rider urged him faster, and the horse willingly obliged, its thick white mane billowing.
Zhao Yun's eyes flicked through the streets, his spear held high. The passing people quickly shuffled out of the way.
Where... which way...?
"Damn it, Jiang Wei..." he mumbled, rubbing his steed's neck reassuringly. His horse nickered softly. "Where are you?"
The pirate grinned crookedly, hiding his concern. Jiang Wei spun around, clutching his bleeding arm, his eyes widening. "Gan Ning?"
"Yep!" Swinging his sword in front of him, Gan Ning smiled. "Ready to have some fun as well."
With a roar, he dashed forward. Inches away, Zhang He suddenly snapped his long, pale fingers, and his immobile troops sprung into action.
Gan Ning paused, confused, as glinting blades surrounded him. "Okay... this wasn't what I had in mind..."
Jiang Wei quickly started towards his friend, but Zhang He cut him off. "Your opponent is me."
"Gan Ning!" the strategist yelled, backing up slowly as the Talons neared him. "Get out of here!"
"You!" Gan Ning snapped back, slashing through an opponent. "Look at ya, all covered in blood." He smiled. "What the hell did you get into this time?"
"This is a very touching conversation, but I'm running out of patience." The Wei general cocked his head, the smooth hair falling from his shoulders, as if examining the distance between them.
Jiang Wei swallowed, his hands white and sweaty. "Zhang H-"
He didn't get to finish his sentence as Zhang He sprang forward, his speed quiet and deadly. His hand immediately went to his spear-less sash. He was rooted to the spot, too stunned to move.
"Oi! You! Move your ass, boy!" The clashes and yells of pain around him drowned the pirate's words as he sliced easily through his rivals.
Closing his eyes, Jiang Wei forced himself to breathe.
Zhao Yun... why aren't you here...?
His next thoughts disappeared as he felt the cold bite of ten sharp blades. Pain consumed him, and darkness surrounded him.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he fell.
He squinted, and suddenly gasped. Jumping off his horse, Zhao Yun quickly approached the injured silhouette.
The man looked up wearily, his eyes hidden underneath the spiky hair. A sword was being dragged slowly behind him, and a bleeding gash was in his side.
As he saw the Tiger General approach him, the pirate grinned. "Hey..." he muttered, before falling onto his knees.
"Gan Ning? What...?" Zhao Yun crouched down, looking intently at his friend. Noticing the blood still seeping, the Little Dragon's eyes widened.
But the pirate shook his head. "Don't bother. They took him..."
Zhao Yun let out a low whistle. "Who...?" But he had a bad feeling in his gut.
"Him! The little strategist! Jiang Wei!"
The Little Dragon froze. "They... What? No... It's not possible..."
Gan Ning wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand. "Back there..." he pointed behind him. "I tried... but..."
The general stood up, racing towards the dark alleyway. His green eyes were hooded as he saw the splotches of blood... the dead bodies of the Wei troops...
"No..."
Jiang Wei was gone.
**********
A/N: So evil, yes I am... I can't really think of anything to say right now... Oh yes! For those of you who just read but don't review, PLEASE DO! Opinions are nice! Anyhoo, R&R!
--Natsue Arishima