Zhuge Liang awoke in his bed, the commotion of serving girls rushing around bringing materials to the doctor, who sat mixing powders and potions in a bowl.
His head hurt and that terrible feeling of dread had returned. That feeling he had before he had found Jiang Wei, the feeling that after he was gone, Shu would fall and there was nothing he could do about it. Now with Jiang gone he had no one to follow in his footsteps and little time left.
"Oh sir! You're awake." Zhao Yun said, leaning over Zhuge. He smiled and some of the colour returned to his grey cheeks. He didn't look good at all.
"Zhao Yun… how long was I…" Zhuge said but the doctor checked him, handing him a bowl of thick brown liquid and bidding him drink it.
He put the bowl to his lips and swallowed hard. It tasted foul and he had to use all his reserves to keep it down.
He sat up slowly and tried to shift his legs out from under the covers but Zhao Yun bade him lay back down.
"Sir stop! You're too sick to " Zhao Yun said.
"But I must find him…" Zhuge said but Zhou pushed him gently down.
"I've already sent Wei Yan out, he is scouring the country looking for Jiang Wei. I trust he'll be successful. Wei Yan is the best tracker we have. If anyone can find Jiang Wei, its him." Zhao Yun said.
Zhuge relaxed. He didn't like Wei Yan but he had to admit, he was a fantastic tracker.
---
It was early morning in Wu camp and among the horses; Jiang Wei sat fast asleep bound to the post. Gan Ning approached with a bucket of cold water and threw it over the sleeping boy, who woke startled. Gan Ning laughed.
"Ha! I got you biter! That'll teach you to mess with the great Gan Ning!" Gan Ning laughed.
Jiang Wei couldn't help but laugh. This was Wu's brightest and best, their most powerful and disciplined officers and they were still stuck on childish revenge pranks. Gan Ning left wailing with laughter as Jiang Wei shook off to try and get the water drops out of his hair. He was quite thirsty but he wasn't about to beg for another bucketful! He had standards.
Lu Xun was watching from behind and sighed. He wandered over and looked down at the Shu soldier.
"And you are?" Jiang grinned trying to blow a loose wet hair away from his face.
Xun smiled a little. "I'm a Swallow."
"Yes and I'm a Unicorn! I mean your name Sparky!" Jiang grinned.
Lu Xun looked down at the puddle of water on the floor.
"Wow, Gan Ning sure did a number on you!" He sniggered.
"Yip, that man of yours is a real burst of sunshine." Jiang laughed.
The two suddenly stopped, realising that they were talking, as would old friends. Lu Xun made the first move and cleared his throat, saying. "Well, lord Zhou Yu has big plans for you."
"Just go." Jiang smiled, trying to blow away that same errant hair. Xun left and sighed as he rounded the corner. He had known this boy only a few seconds and already they were closer friends than him and Zhou Yu.
---
Cao Cao rode confidently into his main camp. Xiahou Dun had made a good job of arranging the bases. No Wu soldier could get through these defences!
"The supply base is secured sir!" Zhang He called, dancing up to the black steed below his lord.
"Good work Zhang He." Cao laughed.
Sima Yi glided up, impatiently fanning himself with the deep coal feathers. He stood next to Zhang HeHHhh He, glancing over at his effeminate compatriot.
"The catapults are ready sir." Sima growled low beneath the ebony veil of feathers.
"Excellent! Sun Quan will never know what hit him!" Cao Cao laughed a gruff and bitter laugh. He wasn't about to be humiliated again like back at Chi Bi, this was different, this time he had the upper hand.
---
Zhou Yu paced up and down like an angry boar, trying to tie up all the loose ends. Being the only competent man in Wu meant he always had too much work to do. He glided past the post where Jiang Wei still patiently sat.
"Hey, what's your name... Zhou Yu!" Jiang called.
Zhou turned angrily to the boy, who sat there grinning.
"What?" Zhou snarled.
"I need to pee." He said trying to act seriously. It was so easy to get Zhou Yu riled up it was becoming a game.
"Good!" Zhou spat, going back off on his work.
Jiang began to laugh. Yes of course he was afraid, he was terrified, but as long as he didn't let the enemy know that they didn't have anything to use against him. He looked around and Lu Xun stood in his usual spot around the corner watching him.
"Hey, sparrow!" Jiang called.
Xun pretended to ignore him.
"Hey, little bird! Don't pretend you can't hear me! Get over here I want to talk to you." Jiang sniggered.
Xun Sighed. "Its Swallow."
"Swallow, sparrow, all just little birds! Now get over here!" Jiang called.
Xun sighed again, leaving the safety of his cover and walking over to the bound officer.
"I need to pee, untie me!" Jiang sniggered.
"If I do, how will I know you won't escape?" Lu Xun asked.
"You wont, care to take the risk?" Jiang sniggered.
Lu Xun laughed. This charade was so utterly ridiculous he couldn't possibly let it bother him.
"Heads up," Jiang Wei whispered low, resting back so the post nestled between his shoulder blades.
Xun turned around to see Zhou Yu approaching quickly behind him.
"Lu Xun! What are you doing here?" Zhou growled.
Zhou grabbed his shoulder roughly and turned him round so he could glare into those frightened eyes.
"Sir, I was just…" Xun stuttered.
"Stop fraternising with the prisoner and get back to work!" Zhou growled.
"Having a little lovers tiff are we? Aww! You should pick some flowers!" Jiang grinned.
"That's enough out of you!" Zhou snapped.
"Leave him alone sir, I think he's suffered enough." Xun said.
"What is this? You dare to defy me after all I've done for you?" Zhou growled, his eyes furrowing with a look of hatred. He raised his hand to strike his young apprentice but when Xun whined with fear, he turned his anger on the prisoner instead, striking Jiang Wei's face.
This was just the opportunity Jiang had been waiting for and he sank his teeth into Zhou's hand.
He bit as hard as he could but had forgotten one thing; Gan Ning was a seasoned veteran of many battles, a muscular, toned man but Zhou Yu on the other hand, was your average house pet, he did all his little machinations from behind the lines of battle and never saw a single battle.
As Jiang bit, a strip of warm wet flesh sloughed from Zhou's hand and dangled out of his mouth.
Zhou Quickly stumbled back, his face contorted with shock and anger, blood coursing down his fingers like tiny rivers.
This wasn't quite the severity Jiang had expected, but the look on Zhou's face made it all worthwhile.
"You vile little…" Zhou spat, grasping the wound with his other hand to try and stop the bleeding. He glared with a pure hatred the likes of which Jiang had never seen and he knew how to make it worse.
Zhou Yu watched in horror as the bleeding strip of skin in Jiang's jaws, his skin, was pulled inside his mouth, chewed and swallowed.
Lu Xun turned away, bent over and vomited violently.
The flesh was kind of hairy and left an uncomfortable feeling in his mouth. It tasted like licking deer hide, not that Jiang had ever tried, his imagination was just running away with him.
The look of anger on Zhou's face was soon gone, replaced by a disgusted fear.
Don't be sick, you've made your bed! Jiang Thought.
He licked the blood of his lips and grinned. "Commander-in-chief tastes good in the morning huh? Like chicken!"
Gan Ning was passing and seeing all the blood, rushed over to help his lord.
"Sir, what happened?" Gan said clasping his hands over the wound.
"What do you think happened, you idiot!" Zhou snarled, inadvertently spitting in Gan's face as he yelled.
"I warned you about him!" Gan said, escorting Zhou Yu away.
Yet again just the two young apprentices were left.
Lu Xun wiped the vomit from his chin and shivered. His stomach was in bits.
Jiang coughed and laughed. "Well, I don't care to ever do that again! You should be happy little bird, I got him off you're back didn't I?"
Lu Xun's shoulders went into spasms, He leaned over, and putting his hands on his knees threw up again.
"You mind not doing that quite so close to me, I don't know how much longer I have to live here and I take pride in my dwelling!" Jiang grinned.
"That was the single most disgusting thing, I've ever seen." Xun shivered, wiping his mouth.
"You disgusted? How do you think I feel? Having that foul man's flesh in my stomach, I can see it now, it'll slowly take over and I'll become just as stubborn as him." Jiang growled.
Lu Xun laughed. "Really? Because you're already the most stubborn guy I know!"
"Oh no! It's starting! How long do I have left?" Jiang laughed.
They laughed together for a while, Xun averting his eyes from the pool of blood Zhou Yu had left behind.
"You know, Zhou Yu is going to kill you over this." Xun said, the laughter halting.
"What can he do? Whatever plan he has for me needs me to be alive and as long as he needs me alive, he can't do a thing to me!" Jiang Wei grinned.
---
Cao Cao surveyed his vast army, eighty-three legions of fine men arranged before him. It was quite a breathtaking sight to behold.
"You all know your plans and purpose, I don't need to remind you of the importance of the battle I am sure." Sima Yi said
"If we are successful here then Wu will fall and there will be nothing stopping us from taking the land, not even Liu Bei!" Cao Cao laughed.
"But what of Wushu? Surely Liu Bei will come to Sun Quan's aid?" Xiahou Dun called from the crowd.
"I beg to differ," Zhang Liao said, heading his unit of troops. "Our spies indicate that tensions between Wu and Shu are at their all time height. If we end Wu now Shu will be helpless!"
"Zhang Liao is right, Wu will fall to us, from there we will have bases along the great river with which to push Liu Bei right off the map!" Sima Yi said.
"This battle will be simply, beautiful." Zhang He said, raising his claws.
"Indeed," Cao Cao sneered. "Onward!" He called raising his sword to the sky.
"Long live Wei!" All called together.