I stood there frozen as my lord is over there speaking to the very last person I've expected to see in our camp. I'm not exactly sure what this means. If the man is here then surely they must have found what I left at their village. But does that mean they found out who's behind it? No, that can't be. It's true that I fed their kids a couple days before but surely that is not a good enough proof to suspect me. They can't have possibly seen the stuff I left for them and the first thing they say is 'oh these must be from that super sexy warrior we saw earlier! what a nice man!'.

Hehe...

Ok joking aside. There is at least a possibility that they might have a good guess as to who left them those gifts, otherwise the very chief himself wouldn't be right at our doorstep. Even if they didn't think it was me, surely the two situations must be connected. No way it would be a coincidence to leave them food at night only to be surprised by the chief's visit next morning.
I decided to play it cool. Hoping that I could be wrong. Hoping that the chief hadn't suspected me and came to Lord Liu Bei to voice his thoughts. So I went by my normal routine, snatched something to eat from my bag before patrolling the camp and receiving the occasional report and whatnot.

Out the corner of my eye, I'd take quick glances over to the talking men while chewing on a piece of jerky as one of the soldiers was relaying to me a report about the scout findings. Apparently there's a bandit camp a few miles away and it would do well to nip that problem in the bud before it grows bigger. But I'll have to wait until Lord Liu Bei is done talking with the man before informing him.
A few minutes later, their conversation had finally ended and the chief was being escorted back to his village by Lord Guan Yu. By then, I had made us some tea over the campfire to start the day with. Lord Zhang Fei was still asleep but I made sure I made extra for when he wakes up and when Lord Guan Yu returns. I removed the kettle from over the fire and poured the water, never letting my eyes off of my lord as I was stirring his cup; heavy tea. two spoonfuls of sugar. Just the way he likes it. I grew especially anxious when I saw how concerned he is. He slowly sat down next to me, careful as to not move his wounded arm, then gratefully accepted his tea before taking a couple sips. I nursed my own cup waiting for him to say something but he stayed quiet for a while. The only noise he makes is when he inhales his hot drink.

That's a good sign, right? Right?! I mean if he learned about what I did then surely he would have spoken his mind by now. I opened my mouth to ask what the hell the chief had told him but I decided I should let the man speak whenever he feels like it. A few silent moments and tea sips later and the suspense began bitching at me. Just when I couldn't take it anymore, he has finally broken the ice.

"I heard some weird things from the chief just now." he said after swallowing his tea.

"Oh?" That's right! Play dumb, Zhao Yun! Just play dumb!

"They woke up this morning and they found a slaughtered deer, a bag of berries and some money in their village."

"Really now?" he nodded. "and... what did they do?" I had to ask. I was dying to know if they did what I hoped they did.
"They were weary at first. But of course, they couldn't afford to be suspecting. They didn't pass up the chance so they helped themselves."

"Who do you think left them?"

"No one knows." he shrugged and took another sip. "It is quite the mystery. The villagers believe it's some kind of a miracle and... honestly, I can't blame them." I mentally sighed in relief. My identity is still safe and my effort had actually paid off. If I kept this up, the entire village should be fattened up by the time this whole expedition is over.

"Is that what the chief came here for? For another round of venting?" I joked.

"I was surprised how he found us in the first place. But if you look from the small hill over which our camp is resided, you can see the village from here. It's not far at all and you can make the walk there in ten minutes." At that I considered myself extremely lucky. Having both places be so close to each other made this whole Operation Village Rescue even more possible. It's a sign, I tell you!

"I suppose it's a good thing in case they needed our help or something." I commented and we both drank more of our tea.

"You know," started my lord after a moment of silence. "The chief told me they were scared of us at first. They were weary of a group of soldiers constantly passing by their village. But after your act of kindness towards those children and saving the village from the bandit raid, they began to feel safer around us. Which is why the chief wasn't afraid of paying us a visit."

That sparked a thought in my head. "You think they've been attacked before? Perhaps they might have been raided by an enemy kingdom and that would explain why the village is so barren and underpopulated."

"Even so, it can't be the doing of the Wu kingdom. If they did get looted by an enemy, I'd put my money on Wei or the bandits like the ones we just killed."

Well, whatever the case is, I'm still going to help them out. I thought. Now that I know what to do, I'm going to stick to it.

Good thing we invaded the bandit camp because we overheard them planning their next move. There's another village nearby where the criminals have settled but unlike the one nearby us, this one is actually flourishing and in pretty good condition. Making it the perfect target for those humanoid hyenas.
Too bad for them I was there to lay waste on the camp and everyone in it with the company of Lord Zhang Fei and other fellow soldiers. Naturally, Lord Liu Bei stayed behind for the sake of his injury and Lord Guan Yu is sticking with him for protection. Leaving me and the raging Tiger general to get the job done.

I didn't bother dismounting my horse as I waved my spear instantly killing every bandit it came in contact with. Zhang Fei grunting and growling with every wave of his weapon sending tens of enemies flying. The soldiers swept through the bandit ranks barely leaving them a chance to fight back and before we knew it, we were looting the corpse littered camp of its food and money, probably stolen by those scavengers.

Let's see. Riceballs. Meat Jerky. Dumplings. Some gold. No bandages or any medical equipment. There wasn't much but at least our supplies are slowly growing. Even though I wanted so bad to take all these things and dump them straight in the village, I have to remember that my comrades need those things as much as the villagers do if not more. And that during night time, I'll get them the usual stuff anyway. The only thing I can share is the gold I kept. Half of it for me, half for the village. And with time, they should have enough to fend for themselves.

We gathered the resoursces and galloped back to base, leaving the former bandit camp behind us; emptied, bloodied and ruined."You're back early." commented Lord Liu Bei as we walked past the camp borders, Lord Guan Yu never leaving his side like the vigilante bodyguard he is; the aura he's giving off makes him extremely discouraging to approach. I mean with a beard like that, you'd have every reason to fear him!

"Those bitches couldn't fight for shit!" laughed Lord Zhang Fei as we all dismounted the horses.

"They barely had any weapons on them. They just relied on punches and claws." I added. "The bandits were quite able-bodied though. Despite their lack of weapons, they were pretty physically fit which would explain how they managed to steal everything so far." I reported to my lord at which he nodded. The bandits, most if not all of them, did look quite healthy. However, not even their muscles helped them against a group of highly trained soldiers wielding weapons and donning armor. Not that I'm complaining but if one of them at least had a dagger, I would have picked that up instead of the spearhead I'm currently using.
We proceeded to divide our loot and share it with the rest of the camp. After that, everyone began settling down after the little mission; from taking off their armor, training, eating, or getting back to sleep. I walked besides my lord with Guan Yu being on his opposite side and Zhang Fei behind us. My spear pointing at the ground ahead of us as I held it to my side.

"How is your arm, my lord?" I asked.

"Mm. It's fine. Thanks for asking, Zhao Yun..." he mumbled while looking at the ground, seemingly so deep in thought, he practically drowned in it.

"Is everything alright, brother?" enquired the bearded general.

"I'm just thinking about what happened at the village today." he started as we all took our usual seats by the dim firepit in the camp center. And so he explained what he already told me earlier today. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei displayed genuine surprise while I had to fake it. "Nobody knows who left it. They claim it's a miracle but it's not enough explanation. Someone out there is actually leaving food for the village." he didn't so much as look bothered or concerned, more like genuinely curious.

I hope I don't give anything away by asking this. "My lord, why is it occupying your mind so much? It's not like it's a bad thing."

"Of course, it is not!" he exclaimed. "But the chief himself is just as bewildered as I am and asked me if I could discover the culprit's identity." Culprit? Is that what they call me - I mean whoever is helping the village? Outrageous!

"You don't owe him any answers, my lord." I retorted. "You have enough on your plate as it is. Why stress yourself over something like that especially if it's causing no harm?"

"Because I'm curious, Zhao Yun!" He smirked. "It's a mystery I would like to solve! Some kind soul out there is helping the village in secret and I would like to know who that is! Sounds thrilling and should break the usual routine around here!"

"Very well, lord." I relented. "As long as you don't push yourself too hard." As long as you don't find out in the end.

I felt Zhang Fei nudging me and whispering in my ear. "Forget it. Once that man sets his mind on something, he never lets go. He has a rock for a head." earning an indignant 'I heard that!' from Master Liu Bei earning us a few chuckles.

the lies that you're making
Your love is mine for the taking
My love is
Just waiting
To turn your tears to roses

Alright, alright. I'm up. I slid my finger across my phone to turn off the alarm. Man, can't believe I slept through Skillet song opening until the lyrics started. Then again Lord Guan Yu has always told me I sleep like a mountain.

A few moments later, I was stalking around in the forest wearing my disguise. The bag hung smugly against my torso as I took out the nightvision goggles and put it on. And just like that, nighttime instantly turned into daytime. I walked in the same route I did last night before switching on to another area. Making sure to stay upwind so no prey catches my scent, yet I catch theirs. Soon enough, I spotted another deer. It was smaller than the one from yesterday with shorter four pointer antlers. I carefully came closer while keeping a low profile, quickly yet silently ducking behind a tree or among the bushes every time it looks in my direction. And when its back was completely turned, I took my chance to leap from among the bushes and land directly on the poor thing with all my weight. The young deer was significantly weaker than the last one making it much easier to take down. And since it didn't have a chance to run, it spared me from chasing after it.
I didn't even bother using the dagger this time. I just clamped down hard with my jaw on the windpipe and used my teeth for an extra grip. My claws maintaining a good grip on my victim's neck. When the animal finally stopped kicking, I let it go and gathered the berries. Oh, there are mushrooms too! I made sure to pick the safe ones and - hey, there are apples on this tree! Well, don't mind if I do.

Deer is dead. Bag is full. Let's take the fresh meal back to the village.
The journey there was twice as long this time but at least the deer weighed much less. And while it has less meat on it, I dearly hoped it would be just as fulfilling.
It wasn't long before I reached the village. And just like last night, I left the stuff behind me a couple feet away from the village border to check if I'm completely alone before grabbing the deer from the antlers and dumping everything next to the well. I opened my bag to take out the small gold sac and left it right next to the deer then bolted off into the darkness of the forest.

addicts, drugs, and vampires
They permeate my life
Don't know which one I'm gonna be tonight
I know you think I'm crazy
You think I've lost my mind
I'm locked and loaded got you in my sights

I can't believe I slept through the entire first verse of Papa Roach song. Then again, Lord Zhang Fei did always tell me I sleep like a sac of potatoes.
I turned off the music before sitting up thinking about what I did so far. Two nights in a row. Two nights I bring the people those offerings. How are they reacting to this whole thing so far? Are they delighted for finally getting to eat? Are they also skeptic for having food suddenly being brought to them out of nowhere? What if I kept going with it? How will it turn out eventually? Are they going to get stronger, depend on themselves and bring more life back to the almost dead village? Or are they going to rely on the fact that someone is out there getting meals for them? I didn't like the sound of the last thought. I can't be there for them forever. I'll be around for as long as this expedition lasts - which might last a week, give or take - and that's it. Once it's over, I'm done. By then, they should be well fed enough to care for themselves and thus leaving them no excuse to need help.

As I was putting my armor on, a thought made me freeze halfway through putting my gauntlets on: the chief. Is he here again? Last time he was freaked out enough to come to Lord Liu Bei about the subject. And with this whole thing happening the second time, he might repeat his visit. Then again, why should it matter? as long as he doesn't suspect me, he can come over as many times as he wants. I simply freaked out at first because I thought I got caught. I walked out the tent and first thing I did was to scan around for the chief and - oh dear Lord! There he is!

Just like last morning, he was talking to Lord Liu Bei at the camp entrance. The man was wide-eyed and while he isn't exactly flipping out, he is still mad flabbergasted about the mystery offerings being left at their place. I would probably go crazy too. One day, I'm starving and can't find anything to eat. Next day, I find fresh kills in my home every morning. It's both good and mind-boggling!

Anyway, I decided to leave them to their chat and mind my business. I helped myself to some riceballs and as per usual, received the morning report but there was nothing of concern. But I stayed alert in case something comes up. The Wu forces fighting back would nag at my head from time to time.
Once I made sure that everything seems to be in order, I sat by the firepit to be joined by Zhang Fei. I was preparing the tea for us while my fellow general checks his phone mumbling 'dagnab them fancy gadgets...' while swiping his thick finger across the screen.

"Zhao Yun! Make some extra tea for the gentleman!" I raised my head and, to my surprise, my lord, Guan Yu and the chief himself were approaching us. Ah, so the man is staying for tea. Well, why not?

"Yes, my lord." I complied pouring more water in the kettle. I nudged Zhang Fei with my elbow and he took one look at our guest before pocketing his phone out of common courtesy. While we wait for the water to boil, my lord and the chief were discussing different matters. General info about our expedition without giving away classified information. What we do for a living. Everyday life in the village and how it came to be in such a barren state. The chief explained they were attacked by bandits a few months ago, and while the village was never exactly in the best of state to begin with, it was much better than it currently is before the raid, yet their previous conditions weren't good enough for them to be fully satisfied. The village has always been poor and, after the bandit raid, it became even poorer.

"... that is until the Guardian Angel came to us with their blessing." We all looked at him, I was too stunned that I almost accidentally overpoured the tea.
"Guardian Angel?" repeated Lord Liu Bei with a raised eyebrow.

"That is what the villagers has come to refer to whoever is leaving all those things." He explained as he accepted his cup of tea mumbling a small 'thank you', followed by Lord Liu Bei and the other two generals. We all sat down silently relishing in our tea until Master Liu Bei spoke up again.

"So you still haven't seen our mystery figure?" I slightly grinned in amusement at my lord's choice of words, at the fact that this conversation unbeknownst to them literally revolves around me.

"Actually, we almost did." And just like that, my grin was gone. I carefully looked at the chief from over my teacup while maintaining a perfectly neutral expression. "My son woke up for some water around dawn and saw outside the window what looked like a shadow next to the well last night."

"A shadow, you say?" repeated Lord Liu Bei looking quite intrigued. My two fellow generals seemed concerned as well. I too shared the same feeling but not for the same reason.

"A person clad entirely in black. We couldn't see much details under the moonlight but if you looked carefully, the shadow had what looked like a pair of green eyes." Everyone was shocked into silence, myself included, at the fact that I was actually spotted. "It was standing next to the the well and placed something next to it then vanished in the dark. When we approached the well this morning, we found the deer, a bag full of berries, mushrooms and apples and a sac of gold. We don't know who bestowed on us such generosity, but there's no mistaking it that that being is what left us the food and money in those past two nights."

"You make it sound like a ghost." commented my lord.

"Or an angel, you might say." mumbled the chief. "A Guardian Angel."

Guardian Angel, huh?
You know what?
I like the sound of that!

After thanking us for the tea, the chief returned to his village. The lord offered that one of us escorts him but he politely declined, insisting that he'll be fine on the way back which I'm sure he will seeing as the scouts didn't report any bandit sighting. What they did report however was something much more serious.

"Well, that was something." grinned Lord Liu Bei.

"You don't hear something like that everyday." agreed Lord Guan Yu.

"Guardian Angel! Ha!" scoffed Lord Zhang Fei. "Guardian Angel my ass! I bet it's just some dumbass playing nice!" My eyebrow twitched. "Those villagers are so dumb, they believe any crap that pops into their heads! That thing can suck my balls any time of the day!" I barely refrained from ripping off his beard. "Guardian Shmardian! 'oh look at me! I'm a pwetty angel! I love to help morons!' HAHAHAHA!" That's it. Where's my spear?

"Hehehe. It does sound hard to believe." chuckled Lord Liu Bei in amusement.

"Oh fuck that! That Guardian Angel fella can go eat my di-"

"My lord!" We all turned to the sound of the scout running in our direction in a hurried panic. Good because if I heard one last insult from Zhang Fei, so help me, he'll sleep with a spear fucked ass. "A Wu battalion is on its way! They're marching from the east!"

Don't you just hate it when your fears become reality? Sure, we've been expecting a retaliation from the Wu kingdom ever since we first demolished their camp but it doesn't make it any less alarming when the enemy finally attempts to get some payback.
So me, Lord Guan Yu and a good majority of our soldiers galloped off to where the scout had directed us to to meet up with the imminent threat, preferably as early and far away from our camp as possible. After all, all that's left back at base are a few soldiers and an injured emperor. Even with Lord Zhang Fei staying behind to help protect the camp, it doesn't do much to ease my mind. What if the troops coming in our direction was just a distraction to go for the camp? What if this is all a trap and we're slipping right in it?

"Relax, Master Zhao Yun." Assured Lord Guan Yu as if reading my mind, almost making me think I said something out loud. "Our numbers might not seem like much. But we shall achieve victory if we maintain our focus."

"That's not what I'm worried about, Lord Guan Yu. What if we're running into a trap? Maybe our camp is the real target all along."

"Have faith. Lord Zhang Fei is there. And if it comes down to it, Lord Liu Bei should be able to fight back even with his injury. He's a strong man." He asserted, his beard flowing smoothly with the wind as our horses took us to the potential war 't you just love it when your fears don't become a reality?

When we went to intercept the Wu battalion, turns out it really is too big to count as a mere distraction. They really are planning to wage a full blown war in the old fashioned way. Still, that doesn't mean I won't assume our camp is safe. There is still a pretty good chance they sent some of their forces there too. I secretly prayed for the lord's safety which is all I can do for him, but right now I can't afford to be distracted. This is much more serious than a simple camp raid. Practically half the enemy kingdom is here for us.

We ran into battle with the ferocity of a thousand dragons. Guan Yu and some others dismounted while me and a few others remained on horseback. I dashed with my horse through the field to ram through as much of the opposing troops as possible. Any other normal horse would have stopped in its tracks but not White Dragon; my mount is powerful enough to plough through the enemy ranks like they were nothing more than weed.

My spear went in wide swift swinging arcs sending away soldiers covered in their own blood. Relentlessly, I continued on with my stabbing without a care in the world who I hit as long as they're a threat. I spotted in my peripherals Lord Guan Yu swinging his spear in wide circles shredding anyone who came too close. Once I was done clearing up a certain area, I moved on to the next. I carried on with spear sweeping my surroundings, occasionally commanding my horse to stomp on the ground at the enemies from the front.

At some point though, someone jumped me from behind (ok that was too suggestive) and eventually managed to knock me off of my horse. I quickly rolled down instantly jumping to my feet before performing a 360 degree spear swing, sending out powerful air currents to clear out the area around me from the enemies, including the oaf that forced me to dismount.

"Egh!" I yelped as an arrow impaled me. I yanked it out before turning around to find a troop of archers lined around the battlefield border. I decided to take those out first lest they become a constant nuisance. I dashed in their direction, deflecting the arrows on the way, then I performed a sweeping hit that instantly took them out. Then shifted my attention back to the troopers who had met the same fate.
I kept on fighting, waving my spear and performing a plethora of combos, and taking out as much of the enemy troops as possible. Not even wasting time taking out the squad leaders. My fellow Shu officers not relenting as they fought off against their Wu adversaries. When the coast became somewhat clear, I looked around for my fellow general but I didn't see him. However, his yells and grunts in the distance were a telltale sign that he's still kicking. I ran off with the company of some of my soldiers then spotted more enemies on sight. And their numbers were not few...

Time to end this. The sentence passed my head with the resolution of someone who's willing to get shit done as soon as possible. And that's when my musou attack comes in. I took a ready stance for a second before lunging my entire body forward in a spiral leap with the spear pointing on, waves upon waves of screaming solider were yeeted into orbit. The crowd cleared and among the chaos, emerged the last person I expected to see, yet not as shocking to see him.

"Ah, the Dragon of Shu." smirked my adversary. Donned in his red Wu armor, he skillfully swirled his dual blades in his hands in preparation to cut me down with them. Well, wishful thinking is wishful...

"Lu Xun..." I mumbled with the enthusiasm of the dead bodies surrounding us. "I'd say I'm happy to see you, but the absence of my boner says otherwise."

"Oh, that's okay! The sword I'm about to penetrate you with is completely different from the one in my pants!"

"What a relief..." I mumbled. He scoffed in a way that might seem friendly yet it portrayed otherwise. We both maintained a bit of a distance apart, circling each other, weapons held in tense fists in preparation for the walloping we're soon to exchange.

"You assholes from Shu think you're the boss around here, huh?" He spat, still smirking. "Going around attacking our camps like the hotshots you think you are?"
"If you expect an apology then tough luck because we won't be stopping any time soon." I retorted. "You can't expect us to see your camps infecting the areas and we'd just let you have it your way, yes?"

"Heh, I suppose not because..." His playful smirk morphed into a hostile scowl. "... we would have done the same!"

We both charged at each other. Our growls and the clangs of our weapons were the only noise that could be heard throughout the now semi-deserted battlefield. He lands a hit, I dodge. I counter-attack, he blocks it with this swords. Relentlessly, we dueled among the corpses of our fallen comrades. No intention of surrendering. No intention of backing down. The only intention is to win.

"Ugh!" I grunted in pain as he managed to land a few multiple hits, before quickly recovering and landed a heavy attack that not even he could block.

"Agh!" He got knocked backwards and before he had a chance to get up, I performed another combo that would surely guarantee my victory. I performed multiple rapid stabs before landing another heavy attack then leaped in the air in a spiral motion that took us both to the air, with him impaled on my spear. Before we landed, I hit him in rapid left and right spear swings before forcing him to the ground with a massive slam emitting a scream of defeat out of him.
And just like that, it was over.

He laid there breathing heavily on the ground. Dirt, blood and sweet covering his skin, hair and clothes. I stood there panting slightly, spear pointing at him in apprehension, while keeping an eye out on my surroundings to check for any stray enemy that might sneak up on me. But considering what I did to one of their strongest officers, it would be suicide.

I put two fingers to my - you guessed it, actually no you still didn't - my ear piece. While we still use our phones, having an ear piece is much more practical to use in the field of battle. It would be quite the challenge to answer my phone while my hands are busy killing people, am I right?! Not to mention making it faster for the caller to reach the recipient.

"Lord Guan Yu! What's your status?" I called.

"Perfectly fine." I swiftly turned to find my fellow general chilling right next to me. Well, that was fast.

"Oh, when did you get here?"

"Three seconds ago." Alright then! With concern for the wellbeing of my comrade out the way, I changed the channel to contact our lord.

"Master Liu Bei? How is everything at camp?" I resisted the urge to refer to our camp as HQ - spending time with high tech folk rubbed off on me - but I was too anxious to hear news from the others to be cracking jokes. "He's not responding." I voiced my concerns after a few moments of hearing nothing but static.

"Zhang Fei is not responding either." said Lord Guan Yu. "Don't worry. You know they're still not very good at handling these things. Or could be just bad signal." That did nothing to ease my worries. Nothing, I tell you. That was not a certainty. That was a part of multiple possibilities. Few of which are plain horrid.
"One way to find out. Let's just get ba-"

"HELLO?!" We both flinched at the sound of Lord Zhang Fei's booming voice punching a hole in our eardrums. "IS THIS PIECE OF JUNK ON?"
"Lord Zhang Fei? Are you guys alright?" I asked the loud ass general but I guess answering my question is the least of his problems.

"Fucking doohickey." He cursed for a moment. "Uh, yeah. We're good. Well, at least as good as an invaded camp can get."

"You got invaded?" Said Lord Guan Yu while I gasped. I knew it! It's one of those times when you hate being right!

"Relax. We drove those jackasses away." Then we heard the sound of a sharp object getting swung followed by a scream. "Well, most of 'em anyway. Sorry about that. They did some damage but they haven't been able to steal anything. They're retreating right now. Oh, and before you ask, yes, Brother Liu Bei is fine." That was all I needed to hear.

"Alright, we're on the way." I said. After we hung up, I turned to look at my companion. "I guess our job here is done. Let's get back to ca-" I went wide eyed before making a mad dash for Lu Xun, who was sitting on his knees, holding a bow on which docked an arrow that was aiming straight towards Master Guan Yu's head.
I deflected the arrow with a snarl before knocking the bow away from Lu Xun's hands. I went for another hit but he quickly bounced on the nearest horse and ran off followed by the select few survivors. He turned his head to flip me off and I kindly returned the gesture before he nudged the horse into running faster. I stared at the fleeing Wu officers with a scowl as they made their hasty retreat until they disappeared in the distance.

"That was quite the save." Praised Lord Guan Yu patting my shoulder. "Thank you, Master Zhao Yun."

"Nothing to thank me for, my lord." I replied before my attention was diverted to a different matter. "Beat me back to camp. There's something I need to take care of. Tell Lord Liu Bei I'll be joining you guys soon." He looked mildly surprised but he nodded before whistling for his horse and mounting him, told me to call if something happened then galloped off with our remaining forces.

I turned around and my eyes landed on the bow.
A bow.
Hmmm.
Well, finders keepers!

I picked up the weapon that I now consider an unintentional gift from Wu; a high quality bow crafted from fine material. the string is taut and highly flexible for long distance throws. Exactly what I need. Too bad the previous owner ran off with the quiver and arrows but no matter.
I know where to get some of my own. I thought smirking as I looked over at the dead archers; a treasure trove of arrows that practically has my name on it!

"Where have you been, Zhao Yun?" I was met with Lord Liu Bei's concerned question the moment I got back to camp.

"Relax, my lord." I said dismounting and taking off my earpiece. "Was just doing some looting on my own." I pointed to the bow hanging around my torso by the string. The arrow filled quiver tied around my waist.

"Heh. Smart thinking. Courtesy of Lu Xun, I suppose? Guan Yu told me everything." He said as we walked side by side among the half damaged camp. Some of the tents were either torn or burned down. There were swords strewn about and arrows sticking to the ground. A few dead soldiers here and there. There was even some food from our own ration thrown about. I took in the damage with remorseful eyes, yet feeling grateful that the camp hadn't been completely reduced to ground zero.

"It's okay, Zhao Yun. Nothing that can't be repaired in a short span of time."

"Could have been worse." I shrugged. "So what happened here?"

"Apparently they took advantage of more than half of our troops going to battle leaving the camp semi vulnerable. So they sent a few of their own to attack us right at our home. There were even archers raining down on us which I suppose what you'd expect from one of Wu's strategists."

"My lord, I'm sorry. If I had known, I would have stayed here and let Master Zhang Fei go on my behalf."

"Nonsense. You did the right thing by confronting the enemy head on. Not to discredit Brother Zhang Fei's strength but who knows if the war results would have been the same had you stayed behind. You simply possess this... unique fighting style."

"I'm glad you think so highly of me, lord. In any case, I'm glad you're okay. I was especially worried considering your injury. How is it by the way?"

"Can't say it healed." He said putting a hand on his shoulder. His bandages were blood stained and began to show signs of wear. I'll have to change them for him soon. "But it's okay so far. It doesn't really hurt as much. I'll manage." I escorted my lord back to his tent to let him rest. His tent cloth had a long cut on one of its sides but still maintained his privacy. For the rest of the day, me, my fellow generals and a few other soldiers went to repair the damage as much as possible. Starting by treating the injured. Burying the dead. removing the discarded weapons and other items. Sorting out what resources we have left. All in all, the camp seems to be in a better condition than it did when we came back from the clash against the Wu troops. Now with everyone settled down, we all treated ourselves to a quick meal before retiring for the day.

I was mad relieved when I found my tent to be intact. Despite the little holes in it from the arrow attack, it's still in a perfect condition. I crawled back in and, sure enough, the poncho and everything else are still there. I held the night vision goggles; glad that no enemy managed to get into my tent. This thing is a gift from Chris and if someone stole it, so help me, I'll chase them to the ends of the earth.

I stared at my device longingly wondering how my friends from other worlds are doing right now. Are they struggling in their worlds too in this very moment? Are they relaxing? Are they going through any personal problems? Are they okay in general? I could easily text them and see how they're doing. Amazingly, the communication devices can reach each other across worlds. Somehow the signal can travel to another world and allows you to reach your otherworldly friend as if they're next door. Of course, there's the occasional lag and poor signal, but the fact still remains that something so far can easily get so close.
The idea of a nice quick chat sounds good but it will have to wait until the expedition is over. For starters, I'm exhausted. And even if I wasn't tired or busy, I can't afford to let my guard down while I'm still on a mission where something might happen at any given moment. Not to mention that the sight of the goggles reminded me of the quest I have tasked myself with and the sooner I get some rest, the better. So I relieved myself of my armor; taking off the boots, gauntlets, followed by the breastplate, then the faulds and, finally, the ringlet. I stretched feeling a few cracks in my back before laying my body down. The moment my head touched the cot and I - Zzzzzzzz...