Rose Tint My World
By Gingivere the Shadowreaver
~*~*~*~
Chapter Three
~*~*~*~
The only peace that came to the Shu camp was when Zhu Rong finally fell into slumber, her whining and bitching bringing her too exhausted to carry on any further. Unfortunately, by the time she laid her head to rest upon the hay, the sun had broken through the jungle's protective layers, welcoming them to the new day.
Zhuge Liang brought himself out of the bed somehow, cursing his old, tired bones for putting up such a fight in the first place. Damn that Wei Yan, and damn that woman. And damn him for not ordering her to be slain on the spot!
He brought himself to face the new day, and he rose an arm to shield his sensitive eyes from the blinding southern sun's rays. He remembered a time when he enjoyed the mornings, but that was when he was in his prime.
Now, the famous Zhuge Liang had lived many, many seasons, seen many battles, but had yet to fight in one. He had seen the fall of the Han, and the rise of chaos. He had seen his lord die, and his son takes his place under his own advisory. And he promised that he would live the day when the Han was restored once again.
And yet, he found himself trapped in this god-forsaken jungle, fighting a boring battle with a civilization of nitwits. Many times had he already defeated the Nanman King, and he released him, trying to win his trust through defeat in battle. And now this was perhaps the biggest slap in the face for him!
This woman, this she-devil that actually rose to challenge him? Had she no idea who he was, or was she truly that ignorant?
The very thought made him laugh. He had to admit, she was a brave one, and though it appeared her stupidity was the cause of her going off into battle then her bravery. Either way, she was just as unsuccessful as her husband was.
Nevertheless, he was here to make up for Wei Yan's mistake, and as he dressed himself, he brought himself out, thankful that he still had his white fan to make a feeble attempt to cool himself off. It was early in the morning, yet the sun gave them no pity?
At the sight of their lord, all present saluted, and not to his surprise he found one of his generals missing. He asked, "Has Wei Yan returned to camp yet?"
One of the generals was brave enough to respond truthfully, "We're not sure, Prime Minister. He's been missing since last night."
Yes, Zhuge Liang knew that much, as he was searching for him as well. He sighed, rubbing his tired eyes and shaking his head, regretting not spending the few extra hours not searching for the idiot. "When you do find him, tell him to report to my tent immediately... he should know better then to run off like this..."
"Yes sir!"
It was far too hot outside for him to stand, as he retreated back into his tent. He could tolerate poison marches and stampeding elephants, but not this merciless sun! One of the soldiers dared to stop him, as he was halfway through the opening of the tent. "Sir, what shall we do with the prisoner?"
He gave a sigh, but nevertheless, answered their question, "Give her food and water; treat her like some disobedient dog. Rape her if she gives you any lip, but keep her alive. She will know that as long as we have her behind bars that she will not give us that sort of disrespect."
With that being said, he retreated back into the tent before anyone could dare second guess his orders. He wasn't expecting them to take the most part of it serious, though, but he could careless. As long as that woman stayed alive for the negotiations, he couldn't care what condition she went back to her stupid husband in.
~*~*~*~
There was a barred window in the stoned building that was used as a dungeon, and Zhu Rong was lucky enough to get the scattered light from the unforgiving sun to wake her up. However, unlike Zhuge Liang, the southern humidity did not affect her at all, but it was more of the fact that she had just gotten to sleep a few hours ago.
"Rotten sun... couldn't you go on vacation every once in awhile?"
It only seemed to laugh at her, as the native birds gave their sweet tunes. She growled, spotting one of the green feathered fiends at her barred window, and if she wasn't saving her throwing knives for that bastard Zhuge Liang, she would have silenced its call. "Shut up will ya? Some people are trying to sleep."
"Funny... nothing but a hypocrite for you to say that, lady."
Zhu Rong looked towards the bars, seeing a few soldiers gather at the door. They had the nerve to gawk at her, as if she was some sort of model for them? She hissed, grabbing on of her knives but doing a good job of keeping it out of their sight. She didn't like the look on their faces... not at all...
She could see one of them holding a tray full of food and water, certainly a welcoming sight for the starved woman. Laughing, Zhu Rong stood, ready to take the food and be gone with them. "Whatever... give me the food an' I'll consider being extra quiet for the rest of the day."
What they did not see was her crossing her toes, as they opened the gates quickly. She was about ready to just snatch the tray from them, but one of the horny soldiers grabbed her arm, making the foolish mistake to twist it about and behind her back, causing a small gasp of pain to rise from her throat. No, it didn't really hurt, but it took her by surprise to find one of them even TOUCHING her.
Did they NOT know who she was?!
"Hey, what gives?!"
The soldier smiled, as the other soldier holding the tray releases it from his hold as she swore she saw drool dripping from his lips. She screeched, kicking him away with brute force. "Gross! I thought you were suppose to have MANNERS around a lady!"
Now one of them dared to cup his hands around her breasts, and she gave him a kick to the southern-most area. Her fierce spirit seemed to have taken over, as she fought the soldiers with only her feet, kicking them away as they closed in on her. She was not to be disgraced in such a manner, she proclaimed, screaming and bellowing. "No way, punks! Only ONE man is allowed to touch me there!"
"We're only following the Prime Minister's orders!" One shouted, catching the fiery woman on her blind side and pinning her down with the help of the others. It wasn't bad enough that she was scantly dressed as it was, but they began to tear what little clothing she had left.
Not once did she shed a tear, as she reached for her hidden daggers, preparing to waste these scum. There was no chance in HELL that she was going to be beaten and raped like this! "Get outta here! Get offa me!"
But alas, he was too overpowered, and not even the Goddess of Fire could remove them, as they began to discuss who should go first. She had her hand on one dagger, desperate to slay at least one...
They were desperate, but it was as if the clouds opened up and the Lord Himself shined upon her for the first time ever, sending her a savior from this humiliation. Her savior gave a vicious cry, one that resembled that of an enraged tiger, and she could see the bodies flying, as her beast of a savior thrashed about, acting as if they were mere ragdolls.
What strength!
"Get... out..."
When she had the decency cover herself up and regain her torn clothing, she turned to see fleeing soldiers, a few limping and others holding various other wounds. And who else was there, standing at the door, armed only with his bare, bloody hands?
"Great... I've been saved by the animal..." Zhu Rong was thankful, more towards the fact that their Prime Minister would not see her like this, but to be rescued by him, the one who had captured her in the first place? She held her leather strap up, not wishing to flash him with her lovely double feature as he slowly turned to her. "What ya gawkin' at, big boy? You lookin' for some sort of thanks?"
She was so busy trying to keep her clothes together to notice his clenched fists, nor the glint in his deep black eyes. Even if she did, she probably wouldn't have cared, as she tried to tied the straps together. "What a bunch of jerks...treatin' me like that. Oh, let me guess, you scared them away to do the same, eh? Well, not without a fight."
"Silence... you..." Wei Yan gave a deep growl, one that stopped her from her activities. He sounded hurt, mentally hurt. Now she noticed the change in his eyes, seeing now the deep sorrow that shone through the skull mask. "Woke me up... you did..."
"Hey, you okay?" Was this actual concern in his voice? No, it simply could not be, for it any Nanman was there, they would have fallen dead from such emotions rising from her. Hearing it, Wei Yan quickly turned away, but did not move, as if to question his own thoughts right now. Momentarily forgetting about her torn straps, she rose, but he quickly backed away with a growl, not wishing to be touched. "Good grief, what's your problem? You got some sort of social disorder or somethin' like that?"
Again, avoiding the woman, Wei Yan answered, "You live... stay silent..."
Pushed away again, Zhu Rong shrugged, "Suit yourself... you know, I wonder about you sometimes. You're not right, not at all... why'd ya help me?"
"Don't care..." Wei Yan sneered, looking away, to avoid her gaze. She never seen a guy so odd like this, as if he feared the presence of others. Her curiosity seemed to get the better of her, as she had easily forgotten that this was the man that bested her in battle and brought her here. There was just something about him that her woman's instincts could not ignore. It was not love she was feeling, but it was something other kind of love, something he was missing or he never had.
She was so caught up in trying to figure him that that he was almost halfway out of the door, and she asked, "Hey, where you goin'?"
He didn't even stop, as he walked up the stairs in what appeared to be a slow, lifeless android kind of walk, like a drone being called away. "Nowhere..."
"Nowhere? What ya mean by that?" Her question came too late, and she gave a sigh, exasperated at her own confusion. She laughed it off, though. He was a typical man, she figured, one that never told his feelings to anyone. But still, as she tried to fix her broken strap, she could not shake this feeling of pity for him. ""What am I thinkin', thinkin' about that lug? Ha! Now... to plan my..."
She was about to say escape when she noticed something. In his haste to leave, Wei Yan had left, not only the cell door open, but the door to freedom as well. If she believed in the Lord, she would have fallen to her knees and thanked him for creating one as stupid as Wei Yan, however, she vetoed the idea as she darted out of the hell hold.
"This fire's not going to be contained, not even by that bastard Zhuge Liang!"
Or so she thought... for she did not see Zhuge Liang and a few soldiers watching from a considerable distance. One of the soldiers grabbed his bow, ready to strike her down, but the white battle fan rose, blocking his aim. Zhuge Liang spoke with a low voice, one that meant trouble for the escaped Goddess of Fire. "Not just yet... she will not escape just yet."
As the soldier sent him a questioning look, the old Prime Minister smiled, an almost evil glint in his eyes as a soldier in the watchtowers gave a cry, alarming the entire camp of the situation. Instantly he could see Wei Yan searching for his voulge, staring at him the most. "Wei Yan has been disobeying many orders lately... and I wish to test his loyalty. I'll leave him to find her, and if he releases her, then we kill him..."
"What if he brings her back? We let him live?"
"We'll see... but have a search party ready by midday..." Zhuge Liang ordered, and the soldiers saluted. He could already see the impressive woman running through the gates, the arrows that he had sabotaged unable to reach their running prey. He hated to sabotage his own supplies, but it was the best for the little test, seeing Wei Yan giving chase now. "Yes... personally I do hope he fails... then I can FINALLY be rid of that thorn in my side..."
Now, all he had to do was wait, something that the Sleeping Dragon did well.
By Gingivere the Shadowreaver
~*~*~*~
Chapter Three
~*~*~*~
The only peace that came to the Shu camp was when Zhu Rong finally fell into slumber, her whining and bitching bringing her too exhausted to carry on any further. Unfortunately, by the time she laid her head to rest upon the hay, the sun had broken through the jungle's protective layers, welcoming them to the new day.
Zhuge Liang brought himself out of the bed somehow, cursing his old, tired bones for putting up such a fight in the first place. Damn that Wei Yan, and damn that woman. And damn him for not ordering her to be slain on the spot!
He brought himself to face the new day, and he rose an arm to shield his sensitive eyes from the blinding southern sun's rays. He remembered a time when he enjoyed the mornings, but that was when he was in his prime.
Now, the famous Zhuge Liang had lived many, many seasons, seen many battles, but had yet to fight in one. He had seen the fall of the Han, and the rise of chaos. He had seen his lord die, and his son takes his place under his own advisory. And he promised that he would live the day when the Han was restored once again.
And yet, he found himself trapped in this god-forsaken jungle, fighting a boring battle with a civilization of nitwits. Many times had he already defeated the Nanman King, and he released him, trying to win his trust through defeat in battle. And now this was perhaps the biggest slap in the face for him!
This woman, this she-devil that actually rose to challenge him? Had she no idea who he was, or was she truly that ignorant?
The very thought made him laugh. He had to admit, she was a brave one, and though it appeared her stupidity was the cause of her going off into battle then her bravery. Either way, she was just as unsuccessful as her husband was.
Nevertheless, he was here to make up for Wei Yan's mistake, and as he dressed himself, he brought himself out, thankful that he still had his white fan to make a feeble attempt to cool himself off. It was early in the morning, yet the sun gave them no pity?
At the sight of their lord, all present saluted, and not to his surprise he found one of his generals missing. He asked, "Has Wei Yan returned to camp yet?"
One of the generals was brave enough to respond truthfully, "We're not sure, Prime Minister. He's been missing since last night."
Yes, Zhuge Liang knew that much, as he was searching for him as well. He sighed, rubbing his tired eyes and shaking his head, regretting not spending the few extra hours not searching for the idiot. "When you do find him, tell him to report to my tent immediately... he should know better then to run off like this..."
"Yes sir!"
It was far too hot outside for him to stand, as he retreated back into his tent. He could tolerate poison marches and stampeding elephants, but not this merciless sun! One of the soldiers dared to stop him, as he was halfway through the opening of the tent. "Sir, what shall we do with the prisoner?"
He gave a sigh, but nevertheless, answered their question, "Give her food and water; treat her like some disobedient dog. Rape her if she gives you any lip, but keep her alive. She will know that as long as we have her behind bars that she will not give us that sort of disrespect."
With that being said, he retreated back into the tent before anyone could dare second guess his orders. He wasn't expecting them to take the most part of it serious, though, but he could careless. As long as that woman stayed alive for the negotiations, he couldn't care what condition she went back to her stupid husband in.
~*~*~*~
There was a barred window in the stoned building that was used as a dungeon, and Zhu Rong was lucky enough to get the scattered light from the unforgiving sun to wake her up. However, unlike Zhuge Liang, the southern humidity did not affect her at all, but it was more of the fact that she had just gotten to sleep a few hours ago.
"Rotten sun... couldn't you go on vacation every once in awhile?"
It only seemed to laugh at her, as the native birds gave their sweet tunes. She growled, spotting one of the green feathered fiends at her barred window, and if she wasn't saving her throwing knives for that bastard Zhuge Liang, she would have silenced its call. "Shut up will ya? Some people are trying to sleep."
"Funny... nothing but a hypocrite for you to say that, lady."
Zhu Rong looked towards the bars, seeing a few soldiers gather at the door. They had the nerve to gawk at her, as if she was some sort of model for them? She hissed, grabbing on of her knives but doing a good job of keeping it out of their sight. She didn't like the look on their faces... not at all...
She could see one of them holding a tray full of food and water, certainly a welcoming sight for the starved woman. Laughing, Zhu Rong stood, ready to take the food and be gone with them. "Whatever... give me the food an' I'll consider being extra quiet for the rest of the day."
What they did not see was her crossing her toes, as they opened the gates quickly. She was about ready to just snatch the tray from them, but one of the horny soldiers grabbed her arm, making the foolish mistake to twist it about and behind her back, causing a small gasp of pain to rise from her throat. No, it didn't really hurt, but it took her by surprise to find one of them even TOUCHING her.
Did they NOT know who she was?!
"Hey, what gives?!"
The soldier smiled, as the other soldier holding the tray releases it from his hold as she swore she saw drool dripping from his lips. She screeched, kicking him away with brute force. "Gross! I thought you were suppose to have MANNERS around a lady!"
Now one of them dared to cup his hands around her breasts, and she gave him a kick to the southern-most area. Her fierce spirit seemed to have taken over, as she fought the soldiers with only her feet, kicking them away as they closed in on her. She was not to be disgraced in such a manner, she proclaimed, screaming and bellowing. "No way, punks! Only ONE man is allowed to touch me there!"
"We're only following the Prime Minister's orders!" One shouted, catching the fiery woman on her blind side and pinning her down with the help of the others. It wasn't bad enough that she was scantly dressed as it was, but they began to tear what little clothing she had left.
Not once did she shed a tear, as she reached for her hidden daggers, preparing to waste these scum. There was no chance in HELL that she was going to be beaten and raped like this! "Get outta here! Get offa me!"
But alas, he was too overpowered, and not even the Goddess of Fire could remove them, as they began to discuss who should go first. She had her hand on one dagger, desperate to slay at least one...
They were desperate, but it was as if the clouds opened up and the Lord Himself shined upon her for the first time ever, sending her a savior from this humiliation. Her savior gave a vicious cry, one that resembled that of an enraged tiger, and she could see the bodies flying, as her beast of a savior thrashed about, acting as if they were mere ragdolls.
What strength!
"Get... out..."
When she had the decency cover herself up and regain her torn clothing, she turned to see fleeing soldiers, a few limping and others holding various other wounds. And who else was there, standing at the door, armed only with his bare, bloody hands?
"Great... I've been saved by the animal..." Zhu Rong was thankful, more towards the fact that their Prime Minister would not see her like this, but to be rescued by him, the one who had captured her in the first place? She held her leather strap up, not wishing to flash him with her lovely double feature as he slowly turned to her. "What ya gawkin' at, big boy? You lookin' for some sort of thanks?"
She was so busy trying to keep her clothes together to notice his clenched fists, nor the glint in his deep black eyes. Even if she did, she probably wouldn't have cared, as she tried to tied the straps together. "What a bunch of jerks...treatin' me like that. Oh, let me guess, you scared them away to do the same, eh? Well, not without a fight."
"Silence... you..." Wei Yan gave a deep growl, one that stopped her from her activities. He sounded hurt, mentally hurt. Now she noticed the change in his eyes, seeing now the deep sorrow that shone through the skull mask. "Woke me up... you did..."
"Hey, you okay?" Was this actual concern in his voice? No, it simply could not be, for it any Nanman was there, they would have fallen dead from such emotions rising from her. Hearing it, Wei Yan quickly turned away, but did not move, as if to question his own thoughts right now. Momentarily forgetting about her torn straps, she rose, but he quickly backed away with a growl, not wishing to be touched. "Good grief, what's your problem? You got some sort of social disorder or somethin' like that?"
Again, avoiding the woman, Wei Yan answered, "You live... stay silent..."
Pushed away again, Zhu Rong shrugged, "Suit yourself... you know, I wonder about you sometimes. You're not right, not at all... why'd ya help me?"
"Don't care..." Wei Yan sneered, looking away, to avoid her gaze. She never seen a guy so odd like this, as if he feared the presence of others. Her curiosity seemed to get the better of her, as she had easily forgotten that this was the man that bested her in battle and brought her here. There was just something about him that her woman's instincts could not ignore. It was not love she was feeling, but it was something other kind of love, something he was missing or he never had.
She was so caught up in trying to figure him that that he was almost halfway out of the door, and she asked, "Hey, where you goin'?"
He didn't even stop, as he walked up the stairs in what appeared to be a slow, lifeless android kind of walk, like a drone being called away. "Nowhere..."
"Nowhere? What ya mean by that?" Her question came too late, and she gave a sigh, exasperated at her own confusion. She laughed it off, though. He was a typical man, she figured, one that never told his feelings to anyone. But still, as she tried to fix her broken strap, she could not shake this feeling of pity for him. ""What am I thinkin', thinkin' about that lug? Ha! Now... to plan my..."
She was about to say escape when she noticed something. In his haste to leave, Wei Yan had left, not only the cell door open, but the door to freedom as well. If she believed in the Lord, she would have fallen to her knees and thanked him for creating one as stupid as Wei Yan, however, she vetoed the idea as she darted out of the hell hold.
"This fire's not going to be contained, not even by that bastard Zhuge Liang!"
Or so she thought... for she did not see Zhuge Liang and a few soldiers watching from a considerable distance. One of the soldiers grabbed his bow, ready to strike her down, but the white battle fan rose, blocking his aim. Zhuge Liang spoke with a low voice, one that meant trouble for the escaped Goddess of Fire. "Not just yet... she will not escape just yet."
As the soldier sent him a questioning look, the old Prime Minister smiled, an almost evil glint in his eyes as a soldier in the watchtowers gave a cry, alarming the entire camp of the situation. Instantly he could see Wei Yan searching for his voulge, staring at him the most. "Wei Yan has been disobeying many orders lately... and I wish to test his loyalty. I'll leave him to find her, and if he releases her, then we kill him..."
"What if he brings her back? We let him live?"
"We'll see... but have a search party ready by midday..." Zhuge Liang ordered, and the soldiers saluted. He could already see the impressive woman running through the gates, the arrows that he had sabotaged unable to reach their running prey. He hated to sabotage his own supplies, but it was the best for the little test, seeing Wei Yan giving chase now. "Yes... personally I do hope he fails... then I can FINALLY be rid of that thorn in my side..."
Now, all he had to do was wait, something that the Sleeping Dragon did well.