Lu Bu's Puppet
Chapter 2 - The Last Meaningfully
The next morning was eventful. A woman with baseball sized hair curls on top of her head and a beautiful pink dress that one would only wear to a costume party on Halloween was there to greet her on top of the cliff. It was around perhaps three or four in the morning. The moon was setting and the sun had yet to arrive from the other side of the world. "Come. We have work to do." It was a nasty, snobbish tone that Jade never really put up with, but now wasn't the time to choose favorites. She stood, her arm having a bit of a numb feeling now. At least the pain was residing.
That night, she had figured out why she was here. Perhaps life was giving her a twist and all she needed to do was finish the game. But she never liked playing Lu Bu as a character. He was always so ruthless, not to mention he made it so easy to beat the game. Much less, she hated playing Diao Chan because she would always boost so much and not have much to show for it. But hey, this is where she ended up and this is how she will deal with it. A game was a game, but now, it was life.
Her feet started to become slightly moist from the morning dew clinging to the ground, grass cooling sore soles. If only it could cool her temper. Chan walked so slowly. If they had a lot to do, well then Goddamn it, she should move her ass! The men began rustling around in their rooms and lights began to flicker faintly. Soft footsteps echoed through the halls, for the hallways were made like that. No one could shift through the halls without someone hearing. Wei builders had talent. Jade had to admit that at least.
In a room, Jade heard the door slide shut. The next thing she knew, bangles and a sword were issued to her as well as leg and shoulder pieces. She felt like a football player. A breastplate secured her arm. Great. That would weigh her down. It was made a later goal that the plate had to go by the time of battle. Diao Chan stood back and grinned with her own delight. Jade looked like a dork. Wonderful. Arrows and a bow weren't issued to her for good reason. How she supposed to aim anyway? With her teeth?
Lu Bu opened the sliding door and glanced at her. An amused look was plastered along his face. Maybe later she could wipe that way with her sword, but until then. He nodded to Diao Chan and she followed him, which left Jade to her own thoughts. Now what? Sure, she knew the game but they never showed the intervals. The parts you never saw were the early mornings, the trainings, and the fucking beginnings. She had to keep repeating to herself that everyone would be fine and dandy. But it took effort and she didn't always win the first time around on the game.
The morning horn sounded and she began her work on taking off the breastplate. The rest of her would look fine if she didn't have that damned piece of metal on. It clanged to the floor loudly, and she had doubted that anyone had heard it. Feet were pounding and echoing so hard that she felt like she was in a never-ending thunderstorm. The paper-thin door slid open and she watched as the halls filled with more and more soldiers.
This was real history, she knew, but as a dropout, she never really learned China history. Fuck! School really does pay off. Knowing very well that some things weren't really how China was, she kind of figured that it had to be somewhat a dream. Morning horn? Probably from the movie of 'The Last Castle'. Sliding doors? Definitely from 'Monsters Inc.' But still, everything felt so real and so.life.That she just couldn't resist the idea of this being her new beginning.
~*~*~*~
They stood along each other, bows strung along the backs of the higher- ranking officers, swords placed in a position that made everyone pretty much look like a clone of each other. Not a sound was made above the light breathing and rustling of the horses. Slow winds began to quicken their pace as the two scouts returned. Word of the other army advancing carefully reached Jade's ears. She was fairly close to the front line. And it was just her.alone.
~Dear Lord, I pray that you will give me strength, agility, and luck. Lend me the courage to defeat my enemies and out-live the dying. Give me justice. Amen.~ Prayer never hurt anyone. She always put in pleas to the Lord about her survival. Not trusting the fact that she felt like she was just using up oxygen on this world, her prayers always gave her a bit of reassurance. It was as if they gave her the hope to keep going on. With out hope, no one wants to live.
Dust stung her eyes; the sun's morning rays gave her a soft feeling along her cheeks. Morning. Her most hated time of day. Whoopdiefuckingdoo. It had been dry that summer from what she could tell. The trees long limbs drooped and the leaves, though green, shriveled slightly from lack of hydration. Even the weeds couldn't function very well. Only patches of cacti flourished throughout the area they were in. A horse rustled beside her. Evidently, even the horse could feel the heat of the oncoming battle. Great.
"Diao Chan will take the east while I take the west. The rest of you head the middle. Anyone left out may do as they want. If you are caught fleeing, you will be struck down. Onwards!" Those last words made her wonder why these men followed him. If they were denied the chance of safety when they are at life's end, wouldn't they desert this General? She knew that she would, given the choice. But now she was with this army. Any other armies would think she would be a spy and would kill her on the spot. It was like being around gangs all over again.
Men began to push by her. She then decided it would be a little safer to follow the flow. Boy, was she wrong. Enemy soldiers began to appear on the horizon. Since they were against the sun, it was hard to see what was coming down and going up. Next thing she knew, battle was happening all around her. Men had either tripled or paired off to one another. A horseman was striking at people on the ground until an arrow to the armor knocked him off. Another arrow whizzed by her face. She yelped and fell backwards, only having one hand to break her fall. A man began to charge her. A foot flew up to catch him in the stomach. He doubled over. The same foot caught him on the jaw and he fell back. She quickly got up and began to flee. Then she stopped dead in her tracks. Diao Chan had an arrow aimed at her. ~Fuck!~ Turning around, the man had recovered. Rubbing his jaw, he merely glared and ran with a yell towards her.
~It's a game. Maybe there won't be any blood.~ Her sword flew in every which way, him blocking each. Finally, she was able to get through his barrier and caught the inner left side of his stomach. She watched as he doubled over and croaked. Something warm flowed over her hand. She carefully let him down, looking at his face. It was one of pain.then nothing. Her hand.it was painted red like the sunrise, liquid form coursing over her arm. And the blade.it was beet red, glinting in the light. Then dust clung to it as she dropped the weapon. Surprise and sorrow flew over her face. She couldn't breathe. She had taken a life.
Obviously Jade didn't have that much time to dwell over it. Another man came at a charge.and another.and another. Soon, she had been surrounded. Evidently Lu Bu had ordered a temporary retreat from that area and she had lacked the attention to hear it. Men snarled and growled and she slowly knelt. Taking a knee, her dirty hand found the dirty blade. She was now scarred for life. Now, she had no choice. This was different from the man in the store. The man in the store wasn't fighting for something he believed in. These men were. And she killed one who had courage. Luckily, God was with her.
One attacked her from behind, swinging the blade crosswise. Her left hand flung up and blocked it with a loud clang. The man then took a foot to his abdomen. That pushed him back and knocked the air out of him. Another one came from behind as well as one from the front. The right foot that was still in the air swung behind her as her left arm struck out with the sword. Another life. The man from behind flailed back and charged again, this time with two other companions. She took a leap back and stepped on one of the swinging swords, taking that moment to slash at the other twos' faces. They both fell. Two more lives. Soon to be one more to the batch.
Just as she took out the man with the trapped blade, and pike landed her back and knocked her on her stomach. That drew a quick yelp as she landed on her right arm and tore the wound. The pain wasn't something to dwell on, for if she did, she would soon dwell on why it would be so dark. Death did not frighten her. What did was the idea of her parents crying over her lost life. To see them at her funeral was not acceptable.
She rolled onto her back and blocked the sharp end to one side, receiving a nasty cut along her cheekbone. She winced, but that was about all she did. Rolling backwards, she did a somersault behind her and landed in a kneeling position just as the pike swung at her right. Enemies did know how to expose a weakness. She turned her sword so the blade was pointing downward and blocked it. Then she flipped the blade so the tip of the pike went safely over her head. Finally, she struck out and caught the man in his stomach. Soon the blood and death didn't bother her anymore for that day.
Luckily, and quite unexpectedly, a horseman came up and struck down a man she didn't hear coming from behind. The horse's hooves held sharp talons, pointed upwards. Golden plates crossed the horse's side as well as the top of his snout. She sighed and stood quickly, catching the rider's face. It was Lu Bu. Did he come to her rescue for a purpose? He did. The whole army charged then, eliminating the other troops easily. At least he trained them well.
There was quick glare from the General before he dispatched to go and attack the other opposing General, Liu Bei. Maybe she should listen to orders more carefully next time. Taking right along with a captain's team, she charged on the right hand side of the crowd. The rest of her battles were a blur. Someone from behind.take them down. A losing friendly in sight.help him. An officer.attack without mercy. From here on out, it wasn't moral anymore. It was survival.
~*~*~*~
In the mist of battle, Jade was able to calm a horse and mount it. So now, she was riding a white stallion home. It belonged to someone else. Someone with no name.but that didn't bother her. What did, and it happened to be the usual, were the faces she encountered. Shellshock. There were so many ways to die that day. By sword, bomb, magic.yes, magic. A sorcerer, she saw, was on the field that day. He died by blade.but he killed by power. She knew for she was struck with one of his blows. It felt like lightning. Her whole body came down with a seizure and her eyes felt numb. Limbs gave out and the pain in her arm ceased to be the worst. She felt her chest heave and heard her heartbeat. That was pain.
Now she was sore, tired, traumatized. The men she killed had hope in their eyes. Then the hope died as their heart did. Slowly. It was like killing a tiger. The great beast dies a slow death in the zoo when taken from the open. The wild in their eyes fades after a few years and they soon lose their drive. Some are different though. Some grow angrier. Hopefully, she would never meet someone like that. But perhaps she already has.
He was riding about thirty yards ahead. He looked as if he weren't fazed a bit. His head was high and his steed was dry. Most of the horses here were soaked from panic and stress, but that was normal. Even the best of trained horses still panicked.just like soldiers. But those two were different. They seemed calm and smug. Of course! A battle won is a great accomplishment. But to take so many lives into the palm of one's hand and crush them.how can someone be proud of that?
That had reminded her of her Prince.her only Prince. They were once sitting on the front porch of his home, watching a MP drive by, receiving the faint flicker of red and blue off the adjacent buildings. The smoke from her cigarette seemed to circle the sky before being whisked away by the soft breeze. "You know." His voice had broken through the silence. It almost disturbed her for it was a comfortable silence. "What?" She replied softly. She felt that if she raised her voice any louder, it would break a soft window or something of the sort. When he replied though, that just shattered her opinion of him, which was worse than any window. "It's great to have someone's life in your hand.and either help them succeed or destroy them. The funny thing is I can be proud if it either way."
That night felt like so long ago. So many years had passed.though it was only like three years. Yet he still felt so vivid in her mind. His kisses still tingled on her neck and his side of the bed still smelled of him. How had he left her so quickly? Just the way she may leave her dependents if she didn't make it through this.
"You fight well.for a gimp." All of a sudden her temper flared as she glared to a man riding a horse next to her. He smiled slightly and she shook her head. "Lord, when will the teasing cease?" She hung her head in a comical way, which caused the other man to chuckle. "Oh and you're not very good at making up names." Her head snapped and she gave him a sideways look, stupid grin written all over her. "Jiyun? Doesn't make sense. Though the name Jade suits you rather well. You look like one I suppose." His head tilted back for a moment.
Jade studied him. From the side he looked like a pirate-gone-good, proud eyes and stance on his horse. He had worry lines as well as both smile and frown ones. He had wisdom. Finally, someone she could perhaps learn from. "Yes, Jade does suit you. Especially the Red Jade." She gave him a look. He smiled. "The stone jade comes in many different colors instead of just green. There's also white and red and a few other rarity colors. I gave you the Red Jade because of your temper. Ponder it for the night." She didn't have to say a word and already she had learned something. What a man! If only he were a bit younger.damn it! All the good men had to be grown!
He smiled and again, not a word was said between them for the rest of the journey home. It was only a half hour ride, but it felt like hours. While he was riding next to her, she had a very slight smile on her face. Finally, someone she can be comfortable around. It was like she was gathering knowledge through his silence. It made her almost totally forget about the men she had murdered. Not man-slaughtered. Murdered. ~Oh Lord, please forgive me of my sins and be understanding in this situation. Please give me the strength to go on. Either way, I will forever be your humble servant. Amen.~
~*~*~*~
When Lu Bu's army finally reached a safe place where they may call home, tents began to pitch up and bonfires raged in contained areas. The sake was brought out and the hard wines were unpackaged and placed among the men. Lu Bu himself rather felt like staying in his tent to ponder the night's wins and losses. What would he do now that the war was over? His life lay with battle. And who was there left to conquer? No one was his answer. He glanced at all his war strategies scattered across his tent, the thin papers ripped in some places with spots on them where he had spilt his drinks. Oh yes, even the mighty Lu Bu had his mistakes.
"General?" His eyes snapped up to an approaching soldier. The look was deadly. "What?" The man slowed himself, a bit afraid of what might happen to him. Lu Bu sighed, quite tired of the too-scared-to-talk clique. "Well?!" The troop gave a quite ahem and reported his business. "I have come to report the death count, sir." Lu Bu glared and shook his head. "Idiot. Why would I want a death count now that the war is over?" The soldier began to shake. The General would have hit him if he weren't too pathetically fatigued to get up and move. "Just get out of my sight." He heard a quiet 'Yes, sir' and the rustling of his tent flap before he finally found himself alone again.
What was there left to do? Then it dawned on him like an early morning breakfast. He still had the unknown. Obviously, she was nowhere near his race and she wasn't someone who knew of him, so therefore, she seemed like something interesting to prod tonight. "Soldier!" A man rushed in and stood. He was indeed one of his trusted bodyguards. Never left his side. "Bring me the Unknown, Jade." The man nodded and rushed out of the tent. Finally, he will see what this young woman had to offer besides her skill and that.mouth.
There were indeed a few things the General had figured during the battle. She had never killed like that before. Reports from Diao Chan told him that she had tried to run during the first few minutes of battle. Even though Diao Chan did not have that much of a liking for her, she commended her bravery in war. Combat styles that were seen rarely around China had been exerted during this particular battle. She was a find indeed. But there will always be that mouth.
Finally, the Unknown became the Drunkard as he watched her come stumbling into the tent slightly. She plopped herself down and placed an elbow on his table. She smelled of stale wine. "What's up? I heeerrrrd you wanted ta seee me!" He raised an eyebrow at his bodyguard and the man just gave him a sign. Obviously, she's been drinking herself into a nice little cove of Drunkenness. Great. She was an alcoholic too. Though he couldn't very much have doubted it either. Yet he had believed and continued to believe that Sake was the way to a drunken fool instead of a drunken master. She.may be an acceptation. Jade sighed and laid her head on her arms. Or she may not be an acceptation.
"Sit back." He snorted as she straightened her back and hung her head behind her. "Head up." Wearily, she pulled her head forwards and squinted. The General gazed at her and shook his head. "You've been drinking too much." He watched as she waved a hand and grinned, tilting her head to the right, "NAAAaaahhh..." Two of her fingers came together a bit. "Just a little." Oh.sure. "So.what exactly is your name?" Jade smiled and leaned forward. "It's Jade. Jade Kier. But I think you Chinese people would pronounce it Kier Jade, since Jade.is my first name an' all." Hmm.what a strange name. "But anyways! Say, why're you always grumpy all th'time?! It's s'like you never get any!" This made his temper flare into a blazing aura. "Getting any? Any of what?"
The sound of her laughter made it even worse. "YOU KnoW! The pink! Women! Get yo dick wet like a sloppy joe!" Lu Bu was almost amused. Almost. She was so blunt, that it made him sick. Women shouldn't be allowed to talk and he now knew why. What's wrong with the women these days? Then there was a clatter as she tried to get up and walk out side. She ended up on the ground beside a broken bottle. Luckily, it was right outside his tent. He shook his head and stood. "Soldier. Clean that up." Picking up her dead weight, he had to wonder about her. Why someone like her would drink herself stupid? Especially on a night like this.
Perceptibly, he had no idea where her tent was arranged. So inside his tent she went. She was valuable, yet if she kept this up the way she had this night, she wouldn't make it past next spring. He covered her in fur and felt her neck. Still warm and normal. All she did was drink herself out. A night's rest would do the trick. Yet during that night, he only slept for two hours. Most of the time he either studied his war strategies and diagrams.or watched her. She was beautiful. A jewel indeed. Yet so were a lot of women. Diao Chan was the most beautiful in his eye. Now she had a competitor.
Jade stirred and Lu Bu stilled. Evidently, the women even had reflexes in her sleep. A good trait to have when one is around people of his sort. The night had fallen and he felt useless. He no longer needed that trait. All the battles, training, and defenses were no longer needed. His war days were over. Sure, there would be perhaps five or six men that would sneak into his camp and try to smother or murder him in his sleep. But he never slept. Not really, at least.
What was he to do with this girl, now? He couldn't kill her. She could come in handy. But in the mean time, she was useless. She needed rest because of her few injuries. An almost twenty-four hour battle had occurred and this woman only rested thrice. To add, each time was only an hour. Nasty cuts littered her body and one, fine tipped cut lay under her right eye. How she managed that, the General couldn't tell. Jade's arm was healing nicely and tomorrow the bandage would be removed. It had been observed that she had moved her right arm enough times to be able to have it stretched and exercised once again.
How would Lu Bu benefit from keeping this one around? He would be soon to find out.
Chapter 2 - The Last Meaningfully
The next morning was eventful. A woman with baseball sized hair curls on top of her head and a beautiful pink dress that one would only wear to a costume party on Halloween was there to greet her on top of the cliff. It was around perhaps three or four in the morning. The moon was setting and the sun had yet to arrive from the other side of the world. "Come. We have work to do." It was a nasty, snobbish tone that Jade never really put up with, but now wasn't the time to choose favorites. She stood, her arm having a bit of a numb feeling now. At least the pain was residing.
That night, she had figured out why she was here. Perhaps life was giving her a twist and all she needed to do was finish the game. But she never liked playing Lu Bu as a character. He was always so ruthless, not to mention he made it so easy to beat the game. Much less, she hated playing Diao Chan because she would always boost so much and not have much to show for it. But hey, this is where she ended up and this is how she will deal with it. A game was a game, but now, it was life.
Her feet started to become slightly moist from the morning dew clinging to the ground, grass cooling sore soles. If only it could cool her temper. Chan walked so slowly. If they had a lot to do, well then Goddamn it, she should move her ass! The men began rustling around in their rooms and lights began to flicker faintly. Soft footsteps echoed through the halls, for the hallways were made like that. No one could shift through the halls without someone hearing. Wei builders had talent. Jade had to admit that at least.
In a room, Jade heard the door slide shut. The next thing she knew, bangles and a sword were issued to her as well as leg and shoulder pieces. She felt like a football player. A breastplate secured her arm. Great. That would weigh her down. It was made a later goal that the plate had to go by the time of battle. Diao Chan stood back and grinned with her own delight. Jade looked like a dork. Wonderful. Arrows and a bow weren't issued to her for good reason. How she supposed to aim anyway? With her teeth?
Lu Bu opened the sliding door and glanced at her. An amused look was plastered along his face. Maybe later she could wipe that way with her sword, but until then. He nodded to Diao Chan and she followed him, which left Jade to her own thoughts. Now what? Sure, she knew the game but they never showed the intervals. The parts you never saw were the early mornings, the trainings, and the fucking beginnings. She had to keep repeating to herself that everyone would be fine and dandy. But it took effort and she didn't always win the first time around on the game.
The morning horn sounded and she began her work on taking off the breastplate. The rest of her would look fine if she didn't have that damned piece of metal on. It clanged to the floor loudly, and she had doubted that anyone had heard it. Feet were pounding and echoing so hard that she felt like she was in a never-ending thunderstorm. The paper-thin door slid open and she watched as the halls filled with more and more soldiers.
This was real history, she knew, but as a dropout, she never really learned China history. Fuck! School really does pay off. Knowing very well that some things weren't really how China was, she kind of figured that it had to be somewhat a dream. Morning horn? Probably from the movie of 'The Last Castle'. Sliding doors? Definitely from 'Monsters Inc.' But still, everything felt so real and so.life.That she just couldn't resist the idea of this being her new beginning.
~*~*~*~
They stood along each other, bows strung along the backs of the higher- ranking officers, swords placed in a position that made everyone pretty much look like a clone of each other. Not a sound was made above the light breathing and rustling of the horses. Slow winds began to quicken their pace as the two scouts returned. Word of the other army advancing carefully reached Jade's ears. She was fairly close to the front line. And it was just her.alone.
~Dear Lord, I pray that you will give me strength, agility, and luck. Lend me the courage to defeat my enemies and out-live the dying. Give me justice. Amen.~ Prayer never hurt anyone. She always put in pleas to the Lord about her survival. Not trusting the fact that she felt like she was just using up oxygen on this world, her prayers always gave her a bit of reassurance. It was as if they gave her the hope to keep going on. With out hope, no one wants to live.
Dust stung her eyes; the sun's morning rays gave her a soft feeling along her cheeks. Morning. Her most hated time of day. Whoopdiefuckingdoo. It had been dry that summer from what she could tell. The trees long limbs drooped and the leaves, though green, shriveled slightly from lack of hydration. Even the weeds couldn't function very well. Only patches of cacti flourished throughout the area they were in. A horse rustled beside her. Evidently, even the horse could feel the heat of the oncoming battle. Great.
"Diao Chan will take the east while I take the west. The rest of you head the middle. Anyone left out may do as they want. If you are caught fleeing, you will be struck down. Onwards!" Those last words made her wonder why these men followed him. If they were denied the chance of safety when they are at life's end, wouldn't they desert this General? She knew that she would, given the choice. But now she was with this army. Any other armies would think she would be a spy and would kill her on the spot. It was like being around gangs all over again.
Men began to push by her. She then decided it would be a little safer to follow the flow. Boy, was she wrong. Enemy soldiers began to appear on the horizon. Since they were against the sun, it was hard to see what was coming down and going up. Next thing she knew, battle was happening all around her. Men had either tripled or paired off to one another. A horseman was striking at people on the ground until an arrow to the armor knocked him off. Another arrow whizzed by her face. She yelped and fell backwards, only having one hand to break her fall. A man began to charge her. A foot flew up to catch him in the stomach. He doubled over. The same foot caught him on the jaw and he fell back. She quickly got up and began to flee. Then she stopped dead in her tracks. Diao Chan had an arrow aimed at her. ~Fuck!~ Turning around, the man had recovered. Rubbing his jaw, he merely glared and ran with a yell towards her.
~It's a game. Maybe there won't be any blood.~ Her sword flew in every which way, him blocking each. Finally, she was able to get through his barrier and caught the inner left side of his stomach. She watched as he doubled over and croaked. Something warm flowed over her hand. She carefully let him down, looking at his face. It was one of pain.then nothing. Her hand.it was painted red like the sunrise, liquid form coursing over her arm. And the blade.it was beet red, glinting in the light. Then dust clung to it as she dropped the weapon. Surprise and sorrow flew over her face. She couldn't breathe. She had taken a life.
Obviously Jade didn't have that much time to dwell over it. Another man came at a charge.and another.and another. Soon, she had been surrounded. Evidently Lu Bu had ordered a temporary retreat from that area and she had lacked the attention to hear it. Men snarled and growled and she slowly knelt. Taking a knee, her dirty hand found the dirty blade. She was now scarred for life. Now, she had no choice. This was different from the man in the store. The man in the store wasn't fighting for something he believed in. These men were. And she killed one who had courage. Luckily, God was with her.
One attacked her from behind, swinging the blade crosswise. Her left hand flung up and blocked it with a loud clang. The man then took a foot to his abdomen. That pushed him back and knocked the air out of him. Another one came from behind as well as one from the front. The right foot that was still in the air swung behind her as her left arm struck out with the sword. Another life. The man from behind flailed back and charged again, this time with two other companions. She took a leap back and stepped on one of the swinging swords, taking that moment to slash at the other twos' faces. They both fell. Two more lives. Soon to be one more to the batch.
Just as she took out the man with the trapped blade, and pike landed her back and knocked her on her stomach. That drew a quick yelp as she landed on her right arm and tore the wound. The pain wasn't something to dwell on, for if she did, she would soon dwell on why it would be so dark. Death did not frighten her. What did was the idea of her parents crying over her lost life. To see them at her funeral was not acceptable.
She rolled onto her back and blocked the sharp end to one side, receiving a nasty cut along her cheekbone. She winced, but that was about all she did. Rolling backwards, she did a somersault behind her and landed in a kneeling position just as the pike swung at her right. Enemies did know how to expose a weakness. She turned her sword so the blade was pointing downward and blocked it. Then she flipped the blade so the tip of the pike went safely over her head. Finally, she struck out and caught the man in his stomach. Soon the blood and death didn't bother her anymore for that day.
Luckily, and quite unexpectedly, a horseman came up and struck down a man she didn't hear coming from behind. The horse's hooves held sharp talons, pointed upwards. Golden plates crossed the horse's side as well as the top of his snout. She sighed and stood quickly, catching the rider's face. It was Lu Bu. Did he come to her rescue for a purpose? He did. The whole army charged then, eliminating the other troops easily. At least he trained them well.
There was quick glare from the General before he dispatched to go and attack the other opposing General, Liu Bei. Maybe she should listen to orders more carefully next time. Taking right along with a captain's team, she charged on the right hand side of the crowd. The rest of her battles were a blur. Someone from behind.take them down. A losing friendly in sight.help him. An officer.attack without mercy. From here on out, it wasn't moral anymore. It was survival.
~*~*~*~
In the mist of battle, Jade was able to calm a horse and mount it. So now, she was riding a white stallion home. It belonged to someone else. Someone with no name.but that didn't bother her. What did, and it happened to be the usual, were the faces she encountered. Shellshock. There were so many ways to die that day. By sword, bomb, magic.yes, magic. A sorcerer, she saw, was on the field that day. He died by blade.but he killed by power. She knew for she was struck with one of his blows. It felt like lightning. Her whole body came down with a seizure and her eyes felt numb. Limbs gave out and the pain in her arm ceased to be the worst. She felt her chest heave and heard her heartbeat. That was pain.
Now she was sore, tired, traumatized. The men she killed had hope in their eyes. Then the hope died as their heart did. Slowly. It was like killing a tiger. The great beast dies a slow death in the zoo when taken from the open. The wild in their eyes fades after a few years and they soon lose their drive. Some are different though. Some grow angrier. Hopefully, she would never meet someone like that. But perhaps she already has.
He was riding about thirty yards ahead. He looked as if he weren't fazed a bit. His head was high and his steed was dry. Most of the horses here were soaked from panic and stress, but that was normal. Even the best of trained horses still panicked.just like soldiers. But those two were different. They seemed calm and smug. Of course! A battle won is a great accomplishment. But to take so many lives into the palm of one's hand and crush them.how can someone be proud of that?
That had reminded her of her Prince.her only Prince. They were once sitting on the front porch of his home, watching a MP drive by, receiving the faint flicker of red and blue off the adjacent buildings. The smoke from her cigarette seemed to circle the sky before being whisked away by the soft breeze. "You know." His voice had broken through the silence. It almost disturbed her for it was a comfortable silence. "What?" She replied softly. She felt that if she raised her voice any louder, it would break a soft window or something of the sort. When he replied though, that just shattered her opinion of him, which was worse than any window. "It's great to have someone's life in your hand.and either help them succeed or destroy them. The funny thing is I can be proud if it either way."
That night felt like so long ago. So many years had passed.though it was only like three years. Yet he still felt so vivid in her mind. His kisses still tingled on her neck and his side of the bed still smelled of him. How had he left her so quickly? Just the way she may leave her dependents if she didn't make it through this.
"You fight well.for a gimp." All of a sudden her temper flared as she glared to a man riding a horse next to her. He smiled slightly and she shook her head. "Lord, when will the teasing cease?" She hung her head in a comical way, which caused the other man to chuckle. "Oh and you're not very good at making up names." Her head snapped and she gave him a sideways look, stupid grin written all over her. "Jiyun? Doesn't make sense. Though the name Jade suits you rather well. You look like one I suppose." His head tilted back for a moment.
Jade studied him. From the side he looked like a pirate-gone-good, proud eyes and stance on his horse. He had worry lines as well as both smile and frown ones. He had wisdom. Finally, someone she could perhaps learn from. "Yes, Jade does suit you. Especially the Red Jade." She gave him a look. He smiled. "The stone jade comes in many different colors instead of just green. There's also white and red and a few other rarity colors. I gave you the Red Jade because of your temper. Ponder it for the night." She didn't have to say a word and already she had learned something. What a man! If only he were a bit younger.damn it! All the good men had to be grown!
He smiled and again, not a word was said between them for the rest of the journey home. It was only a half hour ride, but it felt like hours. While he was riding next to her, she had a very slight smile on her face. Finally, someone she can be comfortable around. It was like she was gathering knowledge through his silence. It made her almost totally forget about the men she had murdered. Not man-slaughtered. Murdered. ~Oh Lord, please forgive me of my sins and be understanding in this situation. Please give me the strength to go on. Either way, I will forever be your humble servant. Amen.~
~*~*~*~
When Lu Bu's army finally reached a safe place where they may call home, tents began to pitch up and bonfires raged in contained areas. The sake was brought out and the hard wines were unpackaged and placed among the men. Lu Bu himself rather felt like staying in his tent to ponder the night's wins and losses. What would he do now that the war was over? His life lay with battle. And who was there left to conquer? No one was his answer. He glanced at all his war strategies scattered across his tent, the thin papers ripped in some places with spots on them where he had spilt his drinks. Oh yes, even the mighty Lu Bu had his mistakes.
"General?" His eyes snapped up to an approaching soldier. The look was deadly. "What?" The man slowed himself, a bit afraid of what might happen to him. Lu Bu sighed, quite tired of the too-scared-to-talk clique. "Well?!" The troop gave a quite ahem and reported his business. "I have come to report the death count, sir." Lu Bu glared and shook his head. "Idiot. Why would I want a death count now that the war is over?" The soldier began to shake. The General would have hit him if he weren't too pathetically fatigued to get up and move. "Just get out of my sight." He heard a quiet 'Yes, sir' and the rustling of his tent flap before he finally found himself alone again.
What was there left to do? Then it dawned on him like an early morning breakfast. He still had the unknown. Obviously, she was nowhere near his race and she wasn't someone who knew of him, so therefore, she seemed like something interesting to prod tonight. "Soldier!" A man rushed in and stood. He was indeed one of his trusted bodyguards. Never left his side. "Bring me the Unknown, Jade." The man nodded and rushed out of the tent. Finally, he will see what this young woman had to offer besides her skill and that.mouth.
There were indeed a few things the General had figured during the battle. She had never killed like that before. Reports from Diao Chan told him that she had tried to run during the first few minutes of battle. Even though Diao Chan did not have that much of a liking for her, she commended her bravery in war. Combat styles that were seen rarely around China had been exerted during this particular battle. She was a find indeed. But there will always be that mouth.
Finally, the Unknown became the Drunkard as he watched her come stumbling into the tent slightly. She plopped herself down and placed an elbow on his table. She smelled of stale wine. "What's up? I heeerrrrd you wanted ta seee me!" He raised an eyebrow at his bodyguard and the man just gave him a sign. Obviously, she's been drinking herself into a nice little cove of Drunkenness. Great. She was an alcoholic too. Though he couldn't very much have doubted it either. Yet he had believed and continued to believe that Sake was the way to a drunken fool instead of a drunken master. She.may be an acceptation. Jade sighed and laid her head on her arms. Or she may not be an acceptation.
"Sit back." He snorted as she straightened her back and hung her head behind her. "Head up." Wearily, she pulled her head forwards and squinted. The General gazed at her and shook his head. "You've been drinking too much." He watched as she waved a hand and grinned, tilting her head to the right, "NAAAaaahhh..." Two of her fingers came together a bit. "Just a little." Oh.sure. "So.what exactly is your name?" Jade smiled and leaned forward. "It's Jade. Jade Kier. But I think you Chinese people would pronounce it Kier Jade, since Jade.is my first name an' all." Hmm.what a strange name. "But anyways! Say, why're you always grumpy all th'time?! It's s'like you never get any!" This made his temper flare into a blazing aura. "Getting any? Any of what?"
The sound of her laughter made it even worse. "YOU KnoW! The pink! Women! Get yo dick wet like a sloppy joe!" Lu Bu was almost amused. Almost. She was so blunt, that it made him sick. Women shouldn't be allowed to talk and he now knew why. What's wrong with the women these days? Then there was a clatter as she tried to get up and walk out side. She ended up on the ground beside a broken bottle. Luckily, it was right outside his tent. He shook his head and stood. "Soldier. Clean that up." Picking up her dead weight, he had to wonder about her. Why someone like her would drink herself stupid? Especially on a night like this.
Perceptibly, he had no idea where her tent was arranged. So inside his tent she went. She was valuable, yet if she kept this up the way she had this night, she wouldn't make it past next spring. He covered her in fur and felt her neck. Still warm and normal. All she did was drink herself out. A night's rest would do the trick. Yet during that night, he only slept for two hours. Most of the time he either studied his war strategies and diagrams.or watched her. She was beautiful. A jewel indeed. Yet so were a lot of women. Diao Chan was the most beautiful in his eye. Now she had a competitor.
Jade stirred and Lu Bu stilled. Evidently, the women even had reflexes in her sleep. A good trait to have when one is around people of his sort. The night had fallen and he felt useless. He no longer needed that trait. All the battles, training, and defenses were no longer needed. His war days were over. Sure, there would be perhaps five or six men that would sneak into his camp and try to smother or murder him in his sleep. But he never slept. Not really, at least.
What was he to do with this girl, now? He couldn't kill her. She could come in handy. But in the mean time, she was useless. She needed rest because of her few injuries. An almost twenty-four hour battle had occurred and this woman only rested thrice. To add, each time was only an hour. Nasty cuts littered her body and one, fine tipped cut lay under her right eye. How she managed that, the General couldn't tell. Jade's arm was healing nicely and tomorrow the bandage would be removed. It had been observed that she had moved her right arm enough times to be able to have it stretched and exercised once again.
How would Lu Bu benefit from keeping this one around? He would be soon to find out.