Xu Huang had gone to get some food and when he came back, Zhang Liao had attempted to walk. He stood shakily, tightly grasping at the walls for something to support his weight.

"What are you doing?" Huang cried, rushing to Liao's side and pulling the man's arm over his shoulder to support his weight.

"No, let me do it… I have to get strong again, so we can go help Zhang He…" Liao sighed,

"We can't help Zhang He if you hurt yourself more! Now, get back to bed and rest, you'll be strong enough soon." Huang sighed, motioning his friend towards the couch.

They walked shakily over and Huang lowered the man into bed.

"Ok… I'm sorry." Liao sighed.

"Don't be, your only trying to help Zhang He…" Huang sighed.

"Do you…" Liao paused. "Do you think Zhang He is still alive?"

Xu Huang bit his lip. Knowing full well Zhuge Liang's hatred for Zhang He, the chances are he would be executed by sundown.

"Sure he is." Xu Huang lied.

---

Jiang Wei was walking through the woods, his father Qiong at his side. He grasped tightly at his fathers hand as a shadow passed over him and Qiong laughed, squeezing his son's hand.

"Don't be afraid, nothing can hurt you when I'm here." Qiong laughed. And Wei relaxed, letting his grip loosen.

They had been hunting all day and it was starting to get dark now. The boughs of the trees cast long dancing shadows across the ground.

And suddenly everything went black. Wei was terrified. He turned to seek comfort from his father, but he wasn't there.

And then the sound that made Wei's heart sink deep in his chest.

A wolf's howl.

Wei suddenly took to a sprint, no longer caring for his safety, he just wanted to find his father and get out. But the howling got louder.

Running in horror, he tripped, plummeting blindly into the darkness and slid along the leafy ground.

Wei struggled to get to his feet but when he looked up, he saw the beast in front of him. A great white wolf stood before him, bared fangs.

But this was no normal wolf.

As the great beast got close, Wei could see it's eyes, and they were not the eyes of a wolf.

They were Zhuge Liang's eyes.

---

Wei screamed, leaping up in a cold sweat. He panted, trying to regain his composure.

Just the dream… Just that dream again.

He pressed the palms of his hands to his face, rubbing the sweat out of his eyes. His hands trailed crusty dry blood across his forehead.

Wei suddenly remembered Zhang He, and turned around, only to see Zhang He still lying on the floor, just as he promised.

Jiang Wei laughed. "He, you didn't try to escape!"

"I promised didn't I?" He said, rolling over and smiling.

"Well, you are Cao Wei, I didn't think I could trust your word…" Wei laughed.

"Hey, that hurts! Cao Wei are just as honourable as you Shu Han fools! You are all so inwardly focussed!" Zhang He jested. "You kept me awake all night anyway!"

"Oh… did I?" Wei said, his cheeks going red.

"Yeah, you must have been having one bad dream! You were screaming sand crying out, it was like listening to a murder!" He laughed.

"Oh… sorry." Wei said, blushing.

And as He laughed, the two fell silent suddenly, hearing a grunting at the entrance to the tent.

Wei pulled the covers up over his chest. "Wei Yan, its ok, you can come in." Wei said.

And on cue, the canvas door was pushed aside and Wei Yan stood in his night robes, still adorning his mask.

"You… alright?" Wei Yan growled. His voice seemed concerned

"I'm fine, I just had the dream again." Wei blushed.

"The… wolves?" Yan growled, walking over to Wei's bed and kneeling beside him.

"Yep." Wei nodded, "Was I loud?"

"You… woke…. me up…" Yan grunted.

"Sorry…" Wei sighed.

"It… alright." Yan said, reaching over and ruffling up Wei's hair. He slept with it still in ponytail.

Wei shifted awkwardly, pulling the covers tightly up to his chest. He didn't want Yan to see him…

Yan could see that Wei felt uncomfortable and retracted his hand, smiling.

" I… go now…" Yan grunted.

"Alright, thanks for coming." Wei said.

Yan left and Zhang He turned to look at Wei, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Wolves? You are afraid of wolves?" Zhang He asked.

"Yeah, it's a well known fact here at Shu Han. It's been the basis for some terrible practical jokes too." Wei blushed.

"People pick on you? How come?" He asked.

"Well, I guess its because I'm just their little kid," Wei sighed.

"Are you happy here?" He boldly asked.

Wei fell silent for a moment. "I guess so…"

"Were you happy in Cao Wei?" Zhang He pushed.

"That's enough! You are in no position to try to sway my alliance!" Wei muttered, pulling the quilt close and leaning out of bed to grasp his robes.

He fumbled around for a while and dressed under the covers.

Wei stood up now, clothed fully but for his armour and grasped his trident, pushing it towards Zhang He.

Zhang He sighed. "Again with the trident…"

"Sometimes I think I can trust you, then…" Wei growled, but trailed off letting the point of his spear waver from its target. "Get up, we have to go see someone."

"Who?" He asked.

"Oh, I think you know him well." Wei said.

---

White feathers stretching as far as the eye could see, god had graced him with wings and could he have asked for a greater gift?

Lu Xun admired his new wings, glistening silver plumage, simply beautiful. He had to show the others.

But when he left his room, the castle was dark, and all around the mocking sounds of laughter. They were laughing at him. He had to escape. He ran.

The corridors enveloped in darkness swirled into black. An eternity of nothing, yet the laughter would not cease.

He took flight, shedding ivory feathers against unseen walls to escape from the nightmare, but the further he ran, the faster he flew, the closer he came to that one thing he feared most.

Zhou Yu.

He wicked smile twisted wide, for he too had grown wings, magnificent black feathers stretching from his back, covered in shredded red cloth.

Unable to control his new wings, Xun fell, careering into the blackness, and collided with an invisible ground.

Xun struggled to get to his feet when a boot came crushing down on his fragile new wing, splitting the bone. He screamed in pain, but he had no voice, the laughter only got louder, as if it were spilling from his own mouth.

And his assailant laughed, joining the symphony of torment.

"Have you too been blessed?" Yu growled, his machinating gaze fixing on the boy, writing in pain on the ground. He slammed his other foot into the boy's chest, holding him down tightly, and leant down, smiling wickedly. "You are not worthy of the power." Yu snarled, taking the base of Xun's wings in hand and throwing him onto his stomach.

Xun could feel Yu's boots digging into his spine, as the jealous strategist tore the younger's wings from his back.

---

Xun Jumped up, panting viciously. Cold sweat had beaded on his forehead and slid down as he sat up.

"Calm down…" Xun muttered to himself, wiping the water from his brow.

But as he pulled back the covers, he fell back in shock. Before him lay his twin blades, and a pile of shredded cloth.

At some point in his fevered dream he must have taken hold of his swords…

I didn't hurt anyone did I?

Xun grasped his twin blades and inspected them closely, there didn't appear to be any blood on them…

But he still wasn't satisfied. He threw off the shredded covers and donned his robes, rushing out the door and down the corridor to Zhou Yu's room. And when he saw the man sleeping quietly, he let out a deep sigh of relief.

Yu stirred, he must have heard Xun's sigh. Xun turned around to leave.

"Lu…. Lu Xun…" Yu muttered.

Xun stopped in his tracks and turned around, seeing the older man lying in bed, covered with a deerskin blanket and surrounded with discarded bandages.

"Xun… Come…" Yu said, pain in his voice. He hung his hand out from under the skin, motioning the boy closer.

Xun shivered and looked around. No one else was here… But he couldn't say no…

He whimpered quietly and shuffled close to his ex master, looking down at the pained man.

Yu eased his eyes open slowly, looking up at the young boy, and smiled.

"Oh, Xun…" Yu said, stretching his hand out to touch Xun's face, but he pulled away. Xun's eyes filled with fear.

Yu's brow flattened, he sighed. Xun was still frightened of him, and there didn't seem to be any way to console him.

"Please Xun… listen to me… I'm…" Yu said, but he stopped, suddenly curling over and clutching at his wound. It was bleeding afresh on the sheets. He swore threw fresh flowing tears and clasped his hand around the wound, trying to hold his shredded skin together with his fingers.

Xun just stood and watched as Yu writhed in pain before him.

"Xun… get help!" Yu begged in a momentary panic, but Xun just stood there, keeping a blank gaze affixed on the man.

"Xun, why do you tarry, please get help!" Yu cried, blood now staining the corners of his mouth and seeping through his blankets.

Xun began to laugh, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

"Does it hurt Zhou Yu?" Xun cackled.

Yu's eyes widened as he tucked his arms tight in to his chest to try and stop the bleeding. "Xun… help me." Yu pleaded.

"I asked you a question, BOY!" Xun growled, his dark eyes darting a vicious gaze to the bloody man.

"Yes it hurts…" Yu sobbed.

"Good!" Xun snapped.

"Xun, have pity…" Yu sighed.

"I will show you the same pity you showed me. I want you to suffer, FEEL MY PAIN ZHOU YU!" Xun snarled.

"I'm sorry Xun. I'm SORRY! I was a terrible person and don't deserve your forgiveness, but If you let me suffer then you are no better than me!" Yu screamed.

"What is all this?" Qiao asked walking in, and upon seeing all the blood upon her husband, rushed to his aid, lamenting bitterly.

Xun stood back, watching her soothe her husband and re-dress his wound. Xun grunted. Yu didn't deserve her.