Author's Note: It's been about 4 years since my last update (and almost as long since I've even written any fanfics) so all my readers are probably gone by now—but it just feels too awkward leaving this unfinished, so I'll get to the end, one way or another.

Dynasty Warriors: Allegiance

Chapter 4

Weighed down by both the exhaustion from the earlier battle (which seemed to have happened so long ago) as well as from the dizzying effort to come up with a solution to his current predicament, Jiang Wei stumbled to the side of the path somewhere halfway down Mount Qi, pulling his equally dejected steed behind him. He collapsed against a comforting outcrop of rock, gripping his trident with trembling hands, and tried to catch his breath.

Remembering his teacher's lessons a bit belatedly, Wei closed his eyes to calm himself, focusing first on regaining his strength. As his gasping eased, the boy began to mentally layout the situation, thinking of all possible options first, as he had been taught. However, in all his lessons with the prime minister, none had been so penetrating and personal as this—the panic and worry lay coiled behind his logic, disjoining thoughts and interfering with his hard-earned calm.

Po-yueh opened his eyes and looked towards the west, stubbornly trying to arrange his calculations. With the onslaught of evening eating away at the light, he gauged sunset—the deadline of his pseudo-decision—to be less than an hour away. It would take him just about that long to get to either enemy or friend encampment, but not both. If he were to ask Zhuge Liang for his guidance, as he so often did, it would allow Sima Yi the first move. A messenger dispatched to Tian Shui would take mere days of travel to deliver word of Jiang Wei's defection, leaving his mother to the mercy of Wei.

Messenger…

This realization sparked hope into the apprentice's mind and he latched onto it almost desperately—word could be sent to K'ung-ming, giving early warning of Wei's supposed disloyalty, his seeming second betrayal. He could then surrender to Sima Yi, a delay to buy just enough time for Liang to send protection for his family.

With trust only affected on a father figure such as Zhuge Liang, Po-yueh assured himself that the strategist would surely help him and not abandon him and his mother to the kingdom Wei had only just managed to escape.

But even as he thought this, Jiang Wei paused and realized with dismay that though he was sure his plan would work, he had no way nor time to contact any of his allies. If all had gone according to his master's strategy (or at least the part of which he knew of), the entire Shu army would be currently in hiding in the narrow trenches between the three passes of Qi, preparing their ambush on the three respective generals if ever they attempted to return to camp.

Frustrated, Wei pushed himself to his feet, staring around the deserted pass as if expecting a Shu soldier to be watching him from the nearby foliage. However, as he did so, he felt a sharp pain at his right ankle and he fell back against the rock he had been leaning against, more in surprise than anything. His trident clattered to the ground for the second time that day as he clutched the stone for balance and gingerly tested his foot.

Wincing again, Po-yueh realized dully that he must have injured it when attempting to escape from Xiahou Ba earlier and had only overlooked it due to the adrenaline of being cornered by the enemy. His situation seemed to be getting darker by the minute, a circumstance accented almost tauntingly by the overcast sky as sunset neared.

A sudden clatter of movement to his left made Jiang Wei start, and he shifted instinctively into a defensive stance, ignoring the flare of pain in his injured ankle. A dark-coated horse came into view from below, heading up the path with its rather disgruntled looking rider.

"General Wei Yan?" the strategist-in-training said in disbelief, his distaste for the senior officer forgotten momentarily with this heaven-sent advantage. He relaxed slightly, just enough to ease the weight off his foot—he still refused to trust the general, particularly now that he was all but incapacitated.

The masked general grunted in acknowledgement, pulling his steed to a stop next to the rock Jiang Wei had been leaning against. Almost as if to dispel any kindness in his action, Yan explained shortly, "Zhuge Liang sent me to look for you."

The mention of his teacher's name prompted Wei into remembering the predicament he was in. He fully understood that he would get no other opportunity, yet he was still loathe to leave the life of his mother to this officer who had once tried to kill him. The strategist in him forced him to take action though. With the fast approaching deadline in mind, he ground out, "General, I need to ask you a favor."

Wei Yan cocked his head at him, though behind the mask, Po-yueh was unsure if the rider was surprised that the boy would ask anything of him, or was simply indicating that he was listening. He continued anyway. "There's been… an unexpected development and I need you to deliver a message to the prime minister."

"Explain."

Wei flinched slightly at the grunt, already wondering how he could get Yan to just agree to go with as little time and effort possible. "You understand my situation with the Wei kingdom, don't you? I've been discovered by the enemy general, and if I don't yield to him, my family will suffer for my defection--" "So you are being disloyal?" Wen-ch'ang cut in, glowering down at the boy. "Should I just kill you here, then?"

"That's not it!" Jiang Wei burst out in frustration, forgetting respect and manners in his rising panic. "I'm only surrendering to buy time! Just stop asking questions and get back down to the main camp to explain it to master Liang so he can do something about it!"

The rude command rang densely through the silence of the pass, and Wei almost instantly regretted his words. Not only was he of lower rank, general Wei Yan was not likely to let usurpation of command go unpunished. He darkly wished he hadn't dropped his trident earlier.

The stalemate between the two Shu officers stretched, and Po-yueh resisted the urge to dive for his weapon. When Wei Yan moved, the strategist tensed visibly before realizing that the older general was nodding. "I will tell Zhuge Liang. But if this turns out to be a Wei ploy, I will kill you. Now get going." Yan gestured a bit violently up the mountain, apparently wanting to watch the boy go, to assess the truth in Wei's words.

Jiang Wei inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. After awkwardly bending to retrieve his weapon, he moved to his horse to re-mount. Gripping onto the saddle, he paused, realizing with some embarrassment that with his injury he would not be able to get back on his steed easily. His hesitation and pain must have been more obvious than he had thought, and Wei almost panicked when he felt a strong, rough hand grip him by the back of the collar.

Just as he was about to lash out in self-defense, Po-yueh felt himself get lifted up and into the saddle, with little difficulty from the masked general. Humbled, he looked up towards Wei Yan to force out a thank you, but the other officer had already started off towards the Shu camp. He shrugged this off a bit shakily and instead turned to look up at the mountain peak, shrouded now in twilight.

Though Wei knew that all that awaited him was unwilling servitude or possible torture for the extraction of Zhuge Liang's teachings, they seemed little important to him at that moment, assured as he was that his mother would be safe. He nudged his horse into a gallop, the pain in his jarred foot going unacknowledged as he rode willingly into Sima Yi's trap.