Disclaimer: I do not own any character in this fanfic unless otherwise stated. Lu Xun, Gan Ning, Lü Meng, and all other characters are copyrighted to KOEI Productions and are used for fan reasons only. Please do not steal or alter this fic.
What is frightening is to think that I worked this into my busy schedule. Oh well, let's boogie! disco ball lowers and Shrek 2's 'Hero' plays in the background Oh, come on, Meng, you KNOW you can dance! Seriously, I would have posted this sooner had I not used 'inappropriate language' in one of my poems. Need to watch my dirty mouth now…
Now, onto the story! tangos with Lu Xun
Chapter Twelve: SandstormIt seemed inevitable, Lü Meng thought, as the soldier brought nothing but disturbing news. Lu Xun had yet to catch up with the group, but Gan Ning could easily read his friend's expression to see that the situation was not good at all.
Of course, no one really needed to say anything about it, as it was only obvious that the battle was to come to them head on, as dust seemed to settle in the sky before them and slowly encircling around them. This was certainly not good… and Lü Meng sneered, looking to the rising sun and only wishing they had set out sooner.
Now, Hua Seung was serious.
"What about the traps?" Gan Ning asked the soldier, hoping to strike some hope in the surrounding soldiers around them, as doubt and fear began to gradually rise within the ranks. "Surely it's taken some kind of toll on them!"
"They've breached the traps… Hua Seung sent some of his men to their deaths, and though many lay dead, they are merely marching over their bodies!"
No, that wasn't good news at all, and they heard pounding hooves as Lu Xun finally caught up with them. By the look in his golden eyes, things were certainly not good, and Gan Ning turned to face him, as Lü Meng made no movement. "They're gaining… and fast. How's the front?"
"No good… we're surrounded," Gan Ning stated with a growl, his red eyes glancing towards wherever his friend was looking. He could see many things in those eyes, and he wondered if their discussion last night was one of the reasons why there was anger in them. He spoke nothing of it all night and all morning, and he wasn't even going to begin to try now. "Now what? We can't run…"
And Lu Xun objected, "But we cannot fight either… what of our reinforcements?"
The scout merely shook his head, "No where to be seen…"
"We're alone…" Lü Meng finally spoke, disappointment ever so obvious in his voice as he narrowed his dark green eyes, looking at the rising dust that encircled them. He could not see Lu Xun's devastated look, nor Gan Ning's angered glance, as he tried to find an opening of some sort… there had to be at least one opening. "Their army is too large and we are too few to make a considerable difference. When the main force arrives, we will most likely be dead."
"Lord Lü Meng!"
Gan Ning also objected, "What?! Hey, you're killing our morale!"
Shaking his head, Lü Meng spoke softly, continuing to scan the area, almost smiling as he spotted what looked to be some kind of clearing. It was headed west, but still, it was better than nothing. "It's the truth… we're going to die here. There comes a time when we see our lives coming to an end, and what better way to die… than to die defending our land like true soldiers, true warriors, should. Which would you chose, Gan Ning… to die an old man, or to die by the blade of your enemy?"
The former pirate's red eyes flashed, as he grabbed his sword, startling his horse slightly as he gave a shout, "What kind of a dumb question is that, Meng?! I'd rather die in battle, of course!"
"And you, Lu Xun?"
The boy said nothing for the longest of time, choking on his words as he tried so hard not to cry. Had he known what his friends were about to do, than he would have tried to talk them out of it. "Better to die defending this land… than to live my life as a coward."
Turning his head slightly, to look at the men behind them, Lü Meng rose his voice, to talk to the soldiers as hints of the pirate's flags began to rise over the horizon. But the soldiers did not notice them, looking at their general who seemed to glow now, his silhouette blocking the sun's rays and taking it as his own to shine. "When we dropped our garden tools, to raise swords and spears instead, we all knew this would come. Death is inevitable, but death would be nothing but a relief from what these pirates will do to a live soldier, or the shame from running from your fate."
The soldiers around them said nothing, but the confidence was there, as they understood the situation now. Even as the sea of flags grew closer and closer, the men around them showed no signs of fear, as Lü Meng continued. "Our deaths will be marked in history; our pasts deeds, our past mistakes, our past fears… they mean nothing now! All that matters is that we try to take out as many pirates as we can and to keep fighting, to distract them for the main force! Our deaths will be the beginning of their defeat!"
What else could the soldiers say in reply? Every word that he had spoken was pure and true; Gan Ning and Lu Xun could vouch for that, as they heard no fear, no falseness in his deep baritone voice. His dark green eyes told all, and now no one denied it.
"What the hell are we WAITING for then?" Gan Ning asked, watching as the enemy soldiers gathered before them, beginning to swarm the land around them. He, like Lü Meng, noticed the section that was open, and he seemed to be on the same wavelength as his friend, as he looked towards Lu Xun. Now Lu Xun noticed the glance, and it was Gan Ning that spoke up, "Might I make a suggestion, Meng?"
"What?"
The pirate was quick with his words, and Lu Xun's eyes widened as he made the offer, "I think our Lord would want some sort of reassurance… and there's still time to send out a messenger."
And Lü Meng's reply made the mouth drop, "My thoughts exactly… Lu Xun, go."
"But… but Lord Lü Meng! Gan Ning! I… I can't just abandon you!" The boy, so clueless to Lady Wu's wedding plans, didn't even think twice to object, even as the two generals turned to look at him. "I won't leave you and the men here… I should stay and fight!"
"I'm disappointed in you, Lu Xun…" Lü Meng denounced him, berating himself from the inside for sounding so harsh. No, he did not mean to, and the look of pain that shot onto Lu Xun's innocent, youthful face only added onto his guilt. Why didn't he just go ahead and give out the reasons? "As your superior general, I command you to go and let Lord Sun Quan know of our plans."
Still, Lu Xun did not back down, and his reply was quick, "I know that it would be disobeying orders… but as a friend, I will not leave you!"
"And, if that be the case then, as a friend, I'm forcing you to go…"
Before Lu Xun could even argue, the general was quick, using his spear and crashing it into the ground in front of Lu Xun's horse, knowing the nerves of the beast well and knowing exactly what it was going to do. Like he predicted, the steed gave a bellow, ignoring his own master as it turned away from the others. And, taking the advantage of the situation, Gan Ning smacked the dull side of his blade against the horse's rear, forcing it to give a cry before darting away from the rest of the army. Both men were thankful that the boy's inexperience with the horse saved them from trying to convince him further, and Lü Meng couldn't even look at Lu Xun's horrified expression as his horse got further and further away. However, he did call out, "If none of us survive by the time our Lord and the rest of the army arrive, let him know that it was one of the greatest honors in my life!"
"Lord Lü Meng, Gan Ning, I can't just-"
The former pirate barked the order before the boy could even attempt it, and he tried not to noticed the pained expression on both Lu Xun's and Lü Meng's face as he did so. "Just go; don't worry about us! We'll give them hell-now GO!"
Lu Xun's loyalty was overwhelmed by the general sense of rank within him, and he knew that they were right to send someone off, to warn the coming forces of the pirate's advancement… though, he knew they meant good, he could not help but feel that somehow, he let them down. He gave them one last glance, swallowing his own sense of pride and loyalty and retreating shamefully from the upcoming battle. He spoke, alone to himself, though he wished that his friends could hear him… "How shameful…"
Watching the boy and the terrified horse dash away made several pirates anxious, as some even prepared their own horses to make chase. Lü Meng could see that, and Gan Ning would have rushed out to stop them, had Hua Seung not given the order already. "Forget the boy! There are more important and more DELIGHTFUL things to worry about, men!"
Though Sei Rong could not approve, he said nothing, knowing better to object right now. No pirate dared to disobey his commands, and much to Lü Meng's relief, Lu Xun was now out of sight. The weight upon his shoulders began to lift immediately, and Gan Ning had noticed the difference instantly, as pirates now began to completely surround them. "He'll be fine… but that didn't feel right at all."
"No… it didn't…" Lü Meng stated lowly, looking this away and that and looking for a weak point in the formation. It was hard to say, since all corners looked exactly the same… so this was the Million Man Army. He smiled lightly, muttering lowly to himself, "You're right about one thing, Ning."
As the former pirate gave him a glance, Hua Seung shouted his orders, "Advance slowly… make them sweat!"
"You're kidding, right? What am I ever right about?" Gan Ning asked, gripping his sword as the soldiers began to take one step at a time, and he found it odd how none of their men moved at all, neither to huddle in to escape the slow advancement, nor a charge. They waited with quiet dignity for Lü Meng's orders, and the former pirate wondered why he had not given the order yet. "Meng?"
"I didn't keep my word about last night, and since we're about to die, I might as well let you know now."
To that, Gan Ning chortled, almost forgetting about the soldiers. "Meng, we're minutes away from death, and you're going to worry about that? Don't worry about it…"
"She was my sister, younger than me by a year and a half maybe…"
"Never told me YOU had siblings, Meng… holding out on me?" Gan Ning winked, and Lü Meng's grin grew, as he joked in spite of the situation. "Afraid I would have made the moves on her? Sorry, buddy, but marrying a female version of you would seem frightening."
Oddly enough, Lü Meng found the humor in that, laughing to block out the now overwhelming sense of depression that was beginning to fall upon them. Swallowing the knot in his throat, the general spoke lowly, "She was the only family I had… my father was a general and died in battle, and my mom died from sickness a few years later. My sister died from the same sickness as my mom… there, now you know."
The former pirate grinned lightly, though he knew that it didn't help the situation at all. It would not fight off the pirates, but it did seem to make his friend feel a lot better and that alone was enough. Now the men seemed on edge, as if begging for the order, but still, Lü Meng held back. Even Gan Ning wondered this, as he whispered allowed for his friend to hear, "Well, it's either surrender and die, or fight and die… no need to ask what it'll be, Meng…"
"Losing her was what pushed me so hard, to put my duties before myself; I didn't want to fail anyone else like I did to her." Lü Meng rambled for a second, before raising his halberd higher, letting it stand completely vertical for all to see. Hua Seung saw this and only grinned, though Sei Rong frowned at its meaning. These men may have appeared small and timid, but still, their courage was remarkable! Lü Meng wanted to prove that he did not fear the coming death, as that halberd never wavered, even as he gave his horse a kick and began the charge. And as the men followed and Gan Ning at his side, he allowed his battle cry to mix with that of his men, seeing nothing but the task at hand before him and nothing else. "FOR WU!"
And to see such a sight would make anyone envious of such courage; that was exactly what Huang Zhong and Wei Yan thought as they overlooked from their own little hiding spot, unseen to all. The old veteran had never seen such an army before, and what kept him from joining the battle was a mystery even to him. As Wei Yan gave his old friend a glance, Huang Zhong whispered lowly, as now Hua Seung ordered his own men to charge as well. "In all of my years in the battlefield I have never seen such an army… Wu and Shu ALONE cannot defeat them!"
"Then… who?"
Not even Huang Zhong could answer this, as the horrible battle began…
Sun Quan looked to the sky, seeing the crows fly in circles above them. Many soldiers did the same, to see what had gotten the birds so hyper now, yet, no one could see anything around. It was Zhou Yu that stated, "The birds are warning us that something's not right…"
Of course, Sun Quan knew to trust Zhou Yu's judgment, and the order was given out quickly. The army stopped in one swift movement, and Zhou Yu looked to his young lord, seeing the now worried look upon his face. "Sending a scout out would be wise; the last thing we need is to be ambushed."
"Right…"
"I'll go." Both men looked to Zhou Tai, as the general moved his horse to stand besides him. He always wore a serious look upon his face; Sun Quan had noted this from his earliest memories of the former pirate captain, one of which was a fond yet frightening one of this man saving his life. Sun Quan could never forget that… "Sir."
How could he deny him? Sun Quan nodded, "But be careful."
He gave a bow of his head, and took off instantly, leaving the two to look at each other now. Sun Quan sighed, "I don't like this, Zhou Yu. An army that big has yet to show itself, and still, no sign of either of our generals or troops! What if we're too late?"
"Stop that kind of talk, at least don't do it in front of our men…" Zhou Yu's voice remained respectable, and though he hated to do such a thing to his friend's younger brother, he knew that Sun Quan wouldn't have gotten fussy with him. "My lord, our top priority is to stop the army's advancement; hopefully Generals Lü Meng, Gan Ning, and Lu Xun have kept a strong defense, but I won't sugar coat it. There was little for them to do…"
Sun Quan's concern could not be contained, as he kept his voice no higher than a whisper. "Why didn't I listen to you before?"
"That's not the point right now… if we do not hold back this army, then there will never be a chance for us to prevent that mistake from happening again."
The young lord looked to Zhou Yu, admiring his wisdom and his cool manner in the situation. He could easily see why his older brother relied on him so much now, as he himself was doing it so often and now was no different. Zhou Yu probably knew this, though he barely showed it. "My lord, I should let you know that I don't think it is just the invading army that we should worry about."
Catching his interest, Sun Quan asked, "Do you think the other kingdoms will attack us as well?"
"Of course; I would expect nothing less." Zhou Yu pointed out. "I sent scouts out and thus far they have not spotted anything that the other kingdoms will even come to our aid."
"Then… we are alone?"
Nodding grimly, Zhou Yu did not bother to hide the truth. "But that does not mean we are doomed, my lord, but we need to be aware of their movements. Cao Cao's forces have already made advancements, and though I can't confirm if they are planning to attack us from behind after our ordeal with this army, I can confirm that Liu Bei has yet to send anyone out."
"Liu Bei…" Sun Quan mused. "You'd think it would be him who would willingly send out reinforcements."
"But still, I believe he's going to attempt to hold the Jing Province as a ransom before he sends out any sort of aid." Zhou Yu shook his head, looking towards the west and giving a sigh. "It appears we have lost the trust between each other, but it would be better if we don't even bother to rely on their aid."
Nodding, the king of Wu could only agree, as he spotted Zhou Tai's cape, as the general was making his return. "Perhaps it would be better if our men felt that there was some sort for help from the other kingdoms, though… I'd rather have false hope then none at all."
"Which is why we are whispering now…"
Finally Zhou Tai approached, physically unharmed, nor the eagerness of battle in his eyes. There was nothing much to report on the army… "There are no ambushes in the immediate area…"
"Nothing?"
He shook his head, and Zhou Yu's eyes narrowed, "Odd."
"Then why are the birds acting so weird?" Sun Quan asked, looking to the squawking crows and seeing their odd behavior intensify. His concern was still there, as he asked aloud again. "Surely something is going on…"
Zhou Yu spoke slowly, sending a slight shiver down Sun Quan's spine. His voice was so grave, that one who heard this could not help but feel depressed by his words. "Something that we cannot see but they can sense. Perhaps the battle has finally started without us…"
No one said anything, except for Sun Quan, "Dammit."
"We should waste no more time, my lord." Zhou Yu said quickly, turning his horse towards the southeast again and preparing to dash off. "Though I have my complete faith in Lü Meng's defensive tactics, I doubt that there is anything else he can do to prevent their advancement by now."
"Of course!"
They heard hooves beating against the ground, and Zhou Yu noticed the scout, seeing the arrow that protruded through his shoulder pad. The instant the light tanned horse came to a stop, the man looked ready to collapse, but luckily for him, a few soldiers were there to catch him. He half-knelt, half stood before Sun Quan's, who eyes never left the wound. "My lord… I spotted a ship along our coasts…"
"What? What kind of ship was it?"
"I'm not sure… I think it was a slave ship from the islands to the far east." The scout panted, trying to keep consciousness long enough to be able to give his report. "It wasn't one of Hua Seung's, though… but they're armed."
Zhou Yu nodded, as Sun Quan gave a nod, "That'll do, soldier… now please, go get that wound looked at."
"Yes my lord…"
Nothing more was needed from the scout, as the two soldiers at his side dragged the scout away. Zhou Yu spoke up to catch his lord's attention, seeing the curious look upon his face. "Sir, the fact that a slave ship is around our coast at the same time a band of pirates is trying to take our land seems to be more than a mere coincidence…"
"I know… tis odd."
Zhou Tai gave a suggestion, "Pirates make good profit from slaves. He'll take his prisoners there."
"And I would assume someone experienced in the practice of piracy would know this for a fact?" Zhou Yu questioned, looking towards the former pirate captain and seeing his stone face, untouched even by the comment. Zhou Tai nodded, and Zhou Yu sneered slightly. "And how often do pirates take prisoners when that are at war, Zhou Tai?"
He was silent as if to ponder, before giving an answer, "Depends on their enemy."
Sun Quan looked to him, "In this occasion, would he?"
"I know not of his tastes. Sorry, my lord."
The king of Wu shook his head, "You're more helpful than you think; no need to apologize. What do you think, Zhou Yu?"
The strategist seemed deep in contemplation, his chocolate eyes narrowing as he thought aloud to himself and answering his lord's question at the same time. "Hard to say; it would most likely depend on his own character, as Zhou Tai pointed out. If he had a brain, he could simply kill our men, but if he has an ego that is greater, then he will definitely try to get a bit of profit from the victory, more so than the land."
"That's assuming a bit much…" Sun Quan stated. "Should we investigate?"
"It would be most wise to… we can use this to our advantage."
That was exactly what Sun Quan wanted to hear, his green eyes sparking up with interests. "What's on your mind?"
"Zhou Tai, how are you on your old practice?"
The man now seemed surprised by that question, as he replied, "Not all is forgotten. I might be rusty."
Then he asked, "Why?"
Zhou Yu only smiled, as he now had a plan…