The Three Kingdoms; Rise of Cao Cao.

[Stitches]

Please refer to this map of the Three Kingdoms.

Please see the OOC.

A perturbed silence echoed. He dismounted, leading the white stallion closer to the scorched ruins of the peasant town. The distinct smell of burning flesh tainted the cool night air. A bitter rain fell, as the fires subsided. Families had been barricaded inside their own homes whilst the buildings were callously set alight, left to burn to death in a fiery abyss.

"Too late."

Ma Chao's eyes gazed furiously at the remains whilst a harrowing rage burned within his heart. He had rode for countless hours to this little village, leading a small army under the direct orders of Liu Bei himself. Now, he had to return with the harrowing news that they had been too late to save the innocent villagers. Cao Cao's army had moved devastatingly fast, raiding the town for supplies, taking all the strong men and kidnapping the women of their choice, before elliminating everyone and everything that remained. Ma Chao would give everything he possessed to see the fall of Cao Cao and the Wei empire. He would gladly lay down his life to drive his spear through Cao Cao's heart. His hand curled into a fist, shaking violently as he trained his eyes away from the devastation, looking now to one of his generals.

"Lord Ma Chao. What shall we do now?"

"We ride to Jiang Ji, over the mountains. There we shall find Zhang Fei. We shall report to him and he shall relay our new orders. The men will be able to rest there."

The general nodded.

"I shall get the men ready to ride out."

Ma Chao also nodded, as he tenderly stroked the mane of his horse. If it were up to Ma Chao, he would of rode headlong into Wei, reeking as much havoc as he could in the search for Cao Cao. However, he knew that the general was cowardly and would never put himself in real danger. He would have to be patient, despite his raging emotions. Checking his saddle, he mounted his horse, positioning his spear to the right. He hoped that one day the violence inflicted upon Shu would cease so the people could live without fear once more. With a quick flick of the reigns, Ma Chao steadily guided his steed away from the chaotic scene.

[Nevan]

Zhao Yun, or better known as the little dragon was lying down against a hill with 500 soldiers behind him. He edged slightly to the peak of it and looked over, he could see the heads of atleat 5000 Wei troops marching through the Shu border. "Ahh, Zhuge Liang, so this is what you for-sore. Well done" he muttered as he held his spear downwards so he was not spotted. He looked up and across the rankings of Wei men, to see the peak of the head of his Co-Commander.

The commander looked at Zhao Yun and nodded. Wich was replied by a nod from Zhao Yun. He held his left hand up slightly so the commander could see it, edging upwards were three fingers. Then Zhao Yun slipped a finger back into his fist shape "2...". And finally his last finger dissapeared "1.......ATTACK!" He screamed loudly that the wei soldiers looked around them in shock as the Shu troops on both sides of the path got up and charged towards the wei ranks with weapons drawn.

The Shu soldiers engulfed down onto Wei troops like water unto a fire. Fighting broke out, and within the first 10 minutes of fighting the taken-by-surprised Wei troops had suffered many casualties. As the Shu soldiers continued to cut down Wei, the soldiers bearing Cao Cao's banner began to retreat backwards, running away for there lives, back from the Shu border and towards safety.

Zhao Yun plunged Dragon Spear into a soldiers stoumach, releasing blood and acid into the body so it would make for a painfull death, then he pushed the soldier to the floor, and pulled his spear out as he turned to fight another soldier. After cutting down another, he span his spear making a deep gash into the back of a Wei troops neck who was busy running away, who fell to the floor and screamed and gurgled blood at the same time as the soldier died.
The fighting stopped as the Wei soldiers who werent killed were out of the Shu troops melee range, breathing slightly the Shu troops readied themselves. And Zhao Yun held his hand up and flicked his wrist forwards, saying "Cavalry!" in a loud voice, wich was mimiced by some liutenants who shouted it. Then the Shu soldiers backed towards the edges of the path as the beating of Cavalry came thudding from behind them. Zhao Yun watched as Shu cavalry raced in between Shu soldiers and towards the reatreating Wei troops. Zhao Yuns steed stopped before him, and he mounted it holding his spear steady. He looked down to his Co-Commander saying loudly "Let the men rest, then march to Jiang Ji, i will meet you there!"

"Jiang Ji?" The commander asked and Zhao Yun looked down towards the commander saying "I dont know myself, but we must go there to regroup with Zhang Fei, its Zhuge Liangs orders." he said that then flicked the rope he was holding onto with his left hand, and with a noise of "HYA!" his horse rode forwards with the rest of the cavalry, as the cavalry took a charging formation, they grew ever closer to the remnants of the Wei soldiers.

As they got nearer, they realised some of the Wei soldiers werent retreating. From this distance, they could not see why, but the rest of them continued over the hill at the far edge the plains wich opened out after the path.

"HALT!" Yun ordered loudly, and the cavalry stopped, and the soldiers who were behind moved forwards to join a formation. He could still not make out what they were, but his calls were answered when he saw hundreds of arrows flying through the air towards them.

[LordSaladin]

In the mountains somewhere in the northern most part of Wei, a small fire was burning, the scent of cooking meat hung in the air, as a green cloaked man sat near to the fire, turning the dead beast on a spit occasionally, allowing the juices to drip into the flames, causing an occasional hissing noise.

It was warm, given the height and time of day, the sun just beginning its final descent towards the horizon. The weather had been, of late, very pleasant which suited Ai Xulan perfectly. Isolation AND good weather; Perfection.

Soon, the animal was fully cooked, and as the skin slid off the beast, Ai began to eat away at the well cooked meat, holding the long stick that had skewered the animal as a piece of cutlery, a slightly barbaric way to eat, but necessity occasionally caused for such incivilities. It wouldn't be too long until he was back home now, and could sit at a table and eat like a real man.

Sat upon a log of reasonable height above the floor, Ai ate his meal with an easy, comfortable pace, before closing his eyes and sleeping for about an hour, sat fully erect as he allowed his body to rest, though his mind was fully awake. As he slept, his mind ran through the next of his missions; it would be an interesting one, this.

Of course, he was more than prepared for this particular assassination.

[Stitches]

"Father, people are dying and we are posted here doing absolutely nothing! Please, let me ride out with a small army of men."

"Xing Cai, my daughter, I appreciate your enthusiasm but, you must remain calm. This is a battle of large proportions and I will not see any harm come to you."

"But, but.. I am a skilled warrior! My name is known throughout Shu. They sing songs of my valor!"

"No ifs, no buts, you are not a part of this."

"But.."

"End of conversation."

Zhang Fei swiftly turned his back to Xing Cai, demonstrating his authority. The young woman scowled furiously. How she longed to fight for the name of Shu. If she was indeed going to be the Empress one day, it was only right that she should play her part in the war. Her mood elevated when her father had turned his back on her, she stomped her feet, making a hasty and dramatic exit from the room. Turning the corner, she placed her back against the wall, leaning wearily. A sigh escaped her lips, as she let her temper subside. She realised that her father only had her best interests at heart, but she was not a child anymore, he could no longer tell her what to do. She closed her eyes, and pictured in her head the sound of battle, with forces colliding in a brutal battle to the very end. She was not afraid of dying in battle. She knew that many people would tell stories of her bravery and her memory would live a long life after her body decayed in the ground.

"..I am awaiting the arrival of Ma Chao and Zhao Yun.."

Her ears burned and her eyes flew open. Tilting her head to the side she listened closely to the conversation that was occurring between her father and another official in the room that she had previously been standing in. Ma Chao and Zhao Yun. Now there were two heroes. She liked to be in the company of both men as they would often tell her stories of their adventures and relive with her the battles that they had seen. The corner of her mouth creased to form a coy smile. She would have to speak with the two men when they arrived at Jiang Ji. Perhaps they could be persuaded to take her with them when they had their next encounters with the might of Wei's great armies. Her heart danced within her chest, as she fought of engaging in battle with two of Shu's mightiest warriors. But, for now she would go for a short ride. Riding her tall, grey steed always made her feel better. She departed, dashing through the tall hallways of the regal building. She would not wander far, she just needed to clear her head incase she would be fighting in the foreseeable future.

[souloe]

"Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once." ~William Shakespeare
"I guess we must both be cowards then, Zhang Long."
"Shouldn't you be worrying about the battle, Wu Jian?"

Wu Jian turned his steed slightly as though to emphasize the situation.

"The army has regrouped and the arrows are fending off our pursuers. Or does the man of a thousand blades have something to share?"
"You are asking a commander who is only one in name?"
"Cao Cao has great expectations for you. Your hatred for him makes you strong. I'm sure Souloe of a Thousand blades would do his very best for his lord, right?"

Zhang Long turned his steed to face the Zhao Yun's troops at the bottom of the hill. The enemy cavalry had halted reducing casualties, but with every moment they stayed the barrage of arrows intensified as though more and more men had picked up the bow.

"Sometimes I wonder how you got your position."
"And how do you think you got yours? Let me tell you something. A general needs only two things: their wit and their men. You will do well to remember my words."

Zhong Long never asked to become a commander but apparently Wu Jian had been saying good things about him in front of Cao Cao. And here he was, a commander but only in name. Zhang Long submited and gave his input.

"The arrows were fired prematurly and defending flank should not have merely halted. I estimate a loss of maybe 800 soldiers. Paired with the two mistakes from the ambush group, we might have been able to lead a counter attack to crush Shu's entire persuit pack."
"You are as they say you are Zhang Long."
"As they say...?"
"Just be thankful you survived the ambush. Once the enemy retreats we will re-organize our army. HYA!"

Wu Jian rode off to attend to other duties. Had he dropped by just to check if Zhang Long was alright? Zhang Long, in turn, rode off to see the situation of the troops and to prepare them for the next set of events should Shu continue the persuit.

[SSJHunterKiller]

“So, they are at it once again. Every night we rest, the other armies are fighting each other and growing weaker.”

Lu Meng stood atop a cliff in front of the castle at Wu Hu, overlooking the Chang Jiang River. The cool air wafting up from the river created a strong and constant breeze. Behind him a messenger from Sun Quan was kneeling, waiting to be dismissed after giving his report.

“You may go. When you return, be sure to give my regards to Master Quan.”

Standing up, the messenger bowed and turn, quickly moving away. Stepping forward to the very edge of the cliff, Lu Meng looked down on the river and sighed. From this vantage point, it would be impossible for anyone that didn’t know about the wars to believe that this wasn’t a perfect world. A few boats silently coasted along the glassy surface of the river and Lu Meng could see torches being lit on deck as the sun faded down over the horizon. Behind him was a large tent where a number of Wu officers were meeting with Lord Sun Jian to determine what their next move would be. Lu Meng had long left the meeting once Gan Ning’s stubbornness drove him to angrily pacing around the room. The noise from the tent had ceased in the last few minuets, leading Lu Meng to believe that through the combined efforts of Lord Sun Jian, Lu Xun, Master Sun Ce and Zhou Yu had finally calmed Gan Ning down to the point that the strategy meeting could once again be the focus of the meeting.

With a shake of his head, Lu Meng turned away from his perfect view over the Chang Jiang and back towards Wu Hu Castle. What he saw there was as different from his view of the river as night was to day. The castle was already lit up with torches that lined the top of the walls, some stationary, held in slots on the walls, other held by soldiers doing their rounds. Off to the side of the castle stretched tents as far as the eye could see, with the combined soldiers of six of Wu’s top officers here, the force could easily march through just about any normal army, certainly any that was commanded by Shu’s Lord Liu Bei.

“Unfortunately, Cao Cao is no normal man.” Lu Xun had appeared from the tent and spoke as if reading Lu Meng’s mind. Lu Meng simply nodded and headed back towards the rows upon rows of tents that stretched out behind the castle and out towards the end of the cliff. The night was just falling and already Lu Meng was thinking of the trials of the next day, depending on what was decided by Lord Sun Jian and Master Sun Ce, tomorrow would be another day of sitting and watching the Chang Jiang or they could march against Cao Cao, Liu Bei, or both. As he walked, Lu Meng walked past a pair of soldiers playing a game of Shogi, both of who stood and bowed upon seeing him. After studying the board for a few seconds, Lu Meng moved one of the pieces, almost ensuring that players victory, assuming that he could take advantage of the opportunity that had just been given to him.

Lu Meng paused outside his tent and looked at the scroll that the messenger had delivered to him, which was still clutched tightly in his left fist. A message delivered by Sun Quan’s personal messenger that was to be delivered directly to Lu Meng, ensuring that none other than Master Sun Quan and Lu Meng were aware of it contents. With a deep breath, Lu Meng entered his tent, a pair of serving girls sat on cushions awaiting his arrival. As soon as they saw him, they both jumped to their feet, one rushing over to the far side of the tent, where a medium sized pot hung over an open flame the other rushing over to his desk and pulling out his chair. Once seated, the girl at his desk bowed and moved towards the tents entrance and stopped with her back to the opening, facing Lu Meng. The other girl carefully moved over to Lu Meng’s desk with a tray that held a small assortment of stuffed buns and a pot of tea. Once her job was done, she too moved to the door and stood in a similar fashion. Once Lu Meng was comfortable, he nodded and expressed his tanks for their work; both girls bowed and left the tent, heading back to their own tent. Taking a sip of his tea, Lu Meng set the scroll down and stared at it for a few minuets, as if the scroll would do something all on it’s own.

With another deep breath, Lu Meng carefully spread the scroll out on his desk.

“Lu Meng. I apologize that this letter had to be sent like this, you must feel a little uncomfortable receiving a letter like this. I assure you that everything is fin here at Jiang Ling. However, I have received word of a few rumors which have caused me to lay awake at night. From what I’ve been told, Ma Chao is to ride and meet with Zhang Fei. To what purpose or if this is true or not, I cannot say. All I know is that if they join, it will be likely that they will move against either us or Cao Cao. If you do not receive another message from me within a fortnight, then my fears have been realized and I will need you to alert my father.”

Lu Meng rolled up the scroll and closed his eyes. In his mind, Lu Meng was measuring the distance from Wu Hu to Jiang Ling. Shaking his head Lu Meng easily saw Sun Quan’s error. This message was sent almost a fortnight ago, by the time Lu Meng waited to alert Lord Sun Jian after waiting another fortnight; Sun Quan would be dead or extremely low on supplies with death a few short days away. Lu Meng looked over to the fire then to the rolled up parchment in his hand. Quickly standing, Lu Meng rushed out of his tent and back towards the tent where the Wu officers were still conducting their meeting.

[Nevan]

Zhao Yun watched as hundreds of arrows rained down upon his men, killing many but non hit the Little Dragon. He looked around at his men and up to the Wei archers, he remembered Zhuge Liangs words, taking them in carefully. He had said "Do not pursue them towards the hills, and if you do make sure not to get into the range of a battalion of archers".

Zhao Yun nodded remembering the wise words of Liang "Ok, Pull back. We ride straight to Jiang Ji". He said loudly and him and his men turned around and headed back towards the path, but did not go through it, instead he turned and rode towards Jiang Ji. He atleast had not need worry about defending that pass. He had held it off for nearly a week now with different strategies each time, and that with the damage they had done this day, by the time Wei was ready to marche again, an army of 10,000 Would be there to defend it. Zhao Yun chuckled to himself as he rode. Knowing he had done all that damage even though he was to only hold off the enemy until a larger force came to defend, and then ride to Jiang Ji. Zhao Yun wandered wich officer would be leading them, of course his biggest guess would be Master Guan Yu or Zhuge Liang. Or possibly Wei Yan. He had never thought much of the Wei Yan fellow, he was a strange character but with amazing battle prowess.

His cavalry stopped after about an hour of riding, Going into a small supply camp with many tents lined up. And injured men sat around fires who had been hurt in the recent battles. He looked around at the men as his cavalry lined in behind him "Pack up your tents and put out the fires, we ride to Jiang Ji, give the wounded horses!"

Zhao Yun dissmounted his horse and a soldier came up and took his mount away to stable it. He walked into his large tent and sat at a table with some officers working under him. He unfolded a large wooden pallet that had been cut into strips and fastened together to make a scroll type thing. He picked up a quill and ink and scribbled down some notes on it. He then walked outside and gave it to a messenger on a horse "Ok, give this to Zhuge Liang, tell him it should explain the current situation enough." The man picked up the scroll and put it in a leather pouch, then rode off.

Yun walked back into the tent and took his seat again "Ok, you know what to do. Get all our supplies in carts and on horses, and order your men to pack up there tents and whatever belongs to them. I expect our army ready to march to Jiang Ji within 3 hours. Line them up on the feild outside camp." The officers nodded and walked out of the tent.

Zhao Yun also walked out as soldiers walked in and started packing things up. "There must be a big battle about to happen, its not often so many officers are ordered to go to a certain place." He thought as he walked around the camp to watch his men do there duties.

[souloe]

The moon gazed down gently and the starry sky became an audience to witness Zhao Yun's retreat. To Wei's men, it seemed that they were safe from pursuit for now. At the top of the hill Wu Jian surveyed the land. There was a single path in between two peaks out of which the ambush came. Beyond the peaks was a large forest and somewhere beyond that was Sui Ding.

"Status report."
"Sir, we have 500 deaths, and 600 more wounded."
"Looks like your estimates were wrong Zhang Long. How many can still fight?"
"Of the 600 only about half of them is currently ready to rejoin battle."
"So 800 men lost."
"The 300 are still alive sir."
"Get the commanders."
"Yes sir!"

***

The commanders soon joined Wu.

"Order the troops to move out. Commander Jiao, take your troops to the left peak. Commander Ming, take your troops to the right peak. Commander Lou, take your troops and the wounded and stay behind this hill. I will personally lead my troops into the forest."
"You aren't even going to ask us for opinions, Wu?"
"This is the Shu border. Why do you think their army retreated even though they know we are here, Ming?"
"But we just suffered an ambush. The troops aren't ready to engage a full fledged battle right away."
"Have some faith in me Jiao. We are not going to engage a full fledged battle. We're just going to return the favor. Here's the plan."

***

"What happened to re-organizing the troops Wu?"
"This is the reorganization, Zhang. Did you notice Shu's retreat?"
"Yes. They did not want to pursue us further and so retreated."
"And where did they retreat to?"
"Beyond...*silence*"
"Good, it looks like you've caught on. There are only a few possibilities but if my guess is correct, this would be the right course of action. Help the troops prepare the traps and ambush. We don't have much time."

[Stitches]

The ride to Jiang Ji was a solemn one, the spirits of the two hundred men were dampened by their late arrival. Ma Chao himself felt his gut twist, as he led the men through the narrow mountain pass. Nobody spoke and heads were held low. He knew he tried to boost their moral, as they would soon be fighting another fierce battle. He galloped ahead, with a sharp twist of the horse's reigns he stood before the soldiers, facing them head on. He unsheathed his spear, holding the fork high into the air.

"What happened earlier was certainly a horrific tragedy. Right now is not the time for merriment or celebration, however, when we arrive at Jiang Ji I expect you all to drink, to rest and to sing loudly to the demise of Cao Cao and the fall of the Wei empire! Do you hear me? Raise your voices for the glory of Shu. For the glory of Shu!"

"For the glory of Shu!"

The soldiers bellowing triumphantly, their bellowing voices resounding off of the towering hills. The reaction had pleased Ma Chao, he knew that high moral would mean a better performance from each of the warriors in battle. He smiled a wide smile, returning his spear safely to where he pulled it from. His head was held high, as he looked upon the brave soldiers with pride, each of them willing to lay down their lives in honor of Shu. He steadily turned his horse around, leading the way forward once more. Jiang Ji lay only a handful of miles ahead, just across the Zhi river. He dreaded reporting the disturbing news to Zhang Fei, however, he awaited his next orders with eager anticipation. He would put twice as much force into his next battle, slaying three times as many Wei soldiers. At a faster pace now, he marched the troops forward, heading boldly to their allocated destination.

[Nevan]

Zhao Yun and his men were near the Zhi river, marching at a steady pace they sung old songs of great battles and tales as they marched, they were close to Jiang Ji, only a few miles ahead they would find it. Zhao Yun smiled to see his mens morale so high, of course it would be after holding off an army 10 times bigger than there own. As they marched Zhao Yun sung merrily also, they sung of the great battles such as Hu Lao gate and the three month seige versus Lu Bu.

Zhao Yun suddenly stopped as a soldier of cavelier came up to him "Shu troops have been noticed in the area sir, they are the troops of Ma Chao, and are headed towards Jiang Ji". Zhao Yun smiled and continued through a mountain pass, the pass turned and lead onto an even narrower one, wich was filled with marching Shu troops. "Wait soldiers! File up behind them in formation, follow them to Jiang Ji"

Zhao Yun smiled and rode through the forces of Ma Chao, as the soldiers looked at him and whispered to each other as they moved aside to let him pass. When he finally got close to Ma Chao he slowed his horse down, and moved level with him "Ma Chao the splendid! It's good to see you. How fares Liu Bei, i havent seen him in a few months! And you also are headed to Jiang Ji?"

[Ghost_x1000]

Lu Bu sat in the Lotus Position. Everything was quiet. Everything was still. Here, before the battle, he could truly be alone. As he sat there, his mind turned to something his father had said. "Fengxian, if you wish to be a great warrior, heed the words of Sun Tsu. Sun Tzu said: The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. Take it to heart." He remembered asking his father why he, a Lu, should listen to anything a Sun said. He also remembered the mighty strike his father had given him. "Impudent child!" his father had screamed at him. "It does not matter what a person's name is, but what is in their heart. He may have been a Sun, but he was a noble man. His insights into the art of war are the greatest there ever were. Now, go learn it!" And learn he did. During his childhood as Lu Fengxian, through his change into Lu Bu, to his emergence as the lord of this small province, he had learned. All one must do is put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and the rest would fall into place. There had been some rough times, but now, after three months of training and secrecy, he had finally done it. Lu Bu was back, and stronger than ever!
Suddenly, he snapped out of his trance. Someone was approaching the room. Standing up, and turning around, he listened as footsteps echoed down the hall. Then, a sharp rap on the door.
"Lord Lu Bu! There is a message from the front!"
Reaching over to grab Sky Scorcher, he opened the door. There stood one of his soldiers, panting and tired.
He sneered at the soldier's obvious weakness. "Well, don't keep me waiting. What is Cao Cao planning?"
The soldier quaked in fear of him. Lu Bu was a great man, but one not forgiving of weakness. The soldier tried to keep his fear from showing... and failed miserably. "S-sir, he has crossed the border and is making excellent time. If nothing goes wrong, he should arrive there in three days."
Lu Bu smiled. It was enough to make the soldier run. Oh well, let him go. Lu Bu had more important things to do. Sky Scorcher had to be cleaned. Red Hare had to be prepared. He would find Cao Cao, and would make him pay for what he had done!
Not even taking time to fit on his armor, he headed down to the stables. Down at the end of the street, just beyond the stables, there was an inn. As he approached it, he heard the sounds of drunken customers, singing their off-tune songs. Weaklings, the whole bunch of them! Wine made you weak, to where you would lose your edge! Then, no matter how good a fighter you were, you placed yourself in the possibility of defeat. That, of course, is where you died.
Suddenly, a drunk man charged out of the inn. Swirling around, he ran strait into Lu Bu. Not even looking up to see who he had run into, he shouted, "Hey, hey! Watch were yer goin'." Then he bent over and puked on the side of the road.
Lu Bu looked down at the pathetic waste of a human. "Out of my way!" he said, picking the man up and throwing him aside as if he were just an autumn hare. As he hit, his neck broke with a sickening crack. He would never rise again. At that moment, three of the drunk's friends stumbled out of the inn, themselves intoxicated. One look at what Lu Bu had done to their friend, and they started to get mad.
"Look what he did! Let's get him!" shouted the ringleader, ready to charge him.
One of the others stepped forward and laid a hand on the hothead's shoulder. "Wait, Ching. Don't you see? He has a ji with him. To fight him now would not be a good idea."
The drunken fool did not seem to care. "Yeah? Well I've got a sword! I'm Cai Ching, the great sword fighter. He's a nobody who just got into town last night. Plus, he's walking around without wearing any armor. I mean, who does he think he is, Lu Bu or something?" The man started cirling Lu Bu, rather hazily. "Come on, you son of a dog. Let's see what you can do!"
Lu Bu lowered Sky Scorcher to the ground. Speaking very softly, he spoke to it. "I'm sorry, my old friend, that you must taste the blood of one so low.
The drunk stopped. "What did you say? Oh well, I guess it's not important. What's the matter, dog? Lose your nerve? I don't blame you. I mean, when my friends leave tonight, they'll see a man laying on the ground bleeding to death!"
Lu Bu lifted Sky Scorcher. "You are correct. When your friends leave, they will be taking tidings to your widow. Now... come."
Enraged, the hothead attacked. Rushing forward, he swung his sword at Lu Bu. But Lu Bu was not standing there anymore. Instead, he had leaped over the man, and turned around, waiting for the fighter to attack again. The man did just that. Again Lu Bu literally flew above the man. This went on for quite some time. Back and forth Lu Bu lead the man, wearing him down. Then, as the moon drew high, Lu Bu grew tired of this game.
Feigning weakness, he fell to his knees and dropped down to all fours. The drunk fighter crowed. "Look at him now. His acrobatics have wasted all his strength. Now, he will die!" Then he rushed forward. But Lu Bu had anticipated this. Leaping up, he swung once... twice... thrice! The fighter stumbled back, both of his arms missing and a huge slash down the front of his chest. As he fell down, he saw his friends running away, afraid for their lives.
Lu Bu walked over to the dying man. Looking down, he shoved Sky Scorcher right through the man's chest. Lifting the ji, he brought the man's face right up to his. "Now, 'great swordfighter' Cai Ching. Before you die, I want you to realize just who you decided to combat with. My face may be scarred, my clothes ragged, but I am Lu Bu." Then, he turned around, hoisted Sky Scorcher onto his shoulder, then swung forward. The man went flying, and landed in the street quite a ways away. Then, picking up a torn part of the drunk's shirt, he wiped down his ji's blade and walked into the stables, to prepare his horse to find Cao Cao. What he did to the man tonight was nothing, considering what he was planning. Cao Cao would die... painfully.

[souloe]

"General Wu, discontentment is floating around amongst the soldiers sir."
"I know." After the soldier left, Wu spoke to Zhang Long. "Lets hear what you have to say Zhang."
"..."
"Do not worry, I am not going to have your head for answering my question. As a soldier, tell me what you think."

Zhang's opened his eyes but for a while he remained silent as though deciding whether or not it would be a good idea to answer.

"What happened to 'a general needs only his wit and his men'? Your men are losing faith in you. First the ambush, and now this elaborate setup while the men should be resting their strength. While it is true that Shu should just leave their border unprotected after a successful assault, what evidence do you have to support your theory of enemy reinforcements? It might happen and it might not. Could it not have been that the Shu fled because they were using a hit and run tactic?"
"And here I thought maybe you would be different. The men who needs recuperation are receiving their treatment with commander Lou's troops. We were ambushed because we were not prepared. It might not have happened but it did. Are you willing to take the risk of losing all your men by being careless and ambushed twice in a row?"
"..."

***

The sun rose the next day without anything eventful happening. Should they had been reorganizing normally, they would have been ready to march by now. Dust picked up from afar and on the two peaks, the soldiers could see Shu's approaching reinforcement of 10000 soldiers. Wu Jian had been right. The ground rumbled and the flags of Shu could be seen clearly at a distance.

The Wei army waited. The Shu army entered the forest while a lone cavalry unit sped ahead. It exited the forest circled a few times and then back. Then, it began. The arrow that pierced the scout was the signal. Traps were sprung and arrows flew throwing the Shu army into disarray. Zhang Long had an army of 1000 situation within the forest. He could hear loud shouts of confusion and also the officials trying to calm their troops. Just as Wu had commanded, he shot anyone trying to bring things back into control. Phase 1, forest ambush. The emphasis here was to take down the army officials and create as much dismay as possible.

Immediately as Shu's army showed signs of recovering, Zhang Long signaled and 800 infantries all retreated at once. A large portion of the Shu army chased as though by animal instincts, or in this case mob instincts. Some officials tried to stop the troops but its effect was minimal. In the heat of battle, not only were they separated by the greenery but with the officials targeted, and the troops barely recovered from the disarray, effective communication was near impossible. Phase 2, flight. The emphasis here was to flee.

The Shu chased and the Wei fled. Wu knew they could not afford horses lest they be seen and the plan realized prematurely. Instead, he prepared pit holes for the Shu to fall through. Zhang Long and his men continued to run, like a race, but careful not to fall in their own trap. Commander Jiao and Commander Ming held their hands up signaling the troops to prepare. Shu's army flooded like ants onto the path following close behind. As soon as the Wei soldiers were clear the commanders signaled. Their troops, in unison, conjured up the water element and the two hills began to move. Phase 3, landslide. The earth fell and rushed upon the unsuspecting Shu troops skyrocketing their death toll.

The Shu army was now effectively separated according to General Wu's plan. But the onslaught was not over. Commander Lou's troops begun the barrage of arrows, hundreds upon hundreds of arrows showered down covering the returning men. The 800 infantries quickly picked up the appropriate gear and rode up onto the hills. With a loud battle cry, the army of 800 - infantrymen no longer - rode down to greet the already low moral Shu aiming to drive them towards Jiao into a pincer attack.

On the forest front, things were no different for Shu. Without letting Shu take any breaks, Commander Ming and General Wu's troops released thousands of arrows onto the Shu troops. From two fronts, every Wei soldier had taken a bow to create the illusion of a larger army than it actually was. "Let them take casualties" Wu had said. "If they want to make an offensive against us they would have to separate their forces. Our advantage is fear. We will not reveal the amount of troops at our disposal." Following the general's prediction, the Shu army choose to retreat back into the forest for shelter.

Once the Shu were inside, Zhang Long's remaining 200 troops lit the forest on fire to ensure maximum death tolls on the Shu. After the fire arrows they were supposed to scatter and retreat. Wu had ordered them to place first priority on their own survival. "You are not allowed to die until you come back and rejoin the main army. This is an order."

[Stitches]

The familiar voice had lifted his spirits dramatically. Ma Chao greeted Zhao Yun with genuine happiness.

"Zhao Yun, my friend! It is good to see you alive and well. As for Liu Bei, well I hope that he is in good health. It has been many moons since I have seen him. I am reporting to Zhang Fei now. Word goes from Liu Bei either to Guan Yu or his brother- Liu Bei's whereabouts are uncertain. But, it is indeed good to see you! You must tell me stories of your great battles! How did the assault against Wei fare? You are here now, so am I right in guessing that it went well? How many men did your spear see an end to?"

The young Shu officer realised that he may have sounded a tad overenthusiastic, considering the devastating scene that occurred earlier. However, Zhao Yun's tales of battle would certainly life his own moral, let alone his army's. A ghastly rain poured down from the heavens onto the two armies, drenching both man and horse from head to foot.

"Shall we move out and onwards to Jiang Ji before the supplies get soaked? Besides, I think we could be instore for some very unforgiving weather.."

He trailed off, his eyes seeking through the haze of the lurid sky. The clouds were painted in shades of grey and black. Zhao Yun seemed to be in high spirits and Ma Chao did not want to damper those with his sad tale of loss. Plus, Zhao Yun would hear about it when they reached Jiang Ji.

"Come now, let us ride! Prey tell me stories of your battles, Zhao Yun!"

[Ghost_x1000]

Lu Bu looked out over the plains. Red Hare had made excellent time, despite not traveling at full speed. Lu Bu knew that he would never catch up to Cao Cao, not when he lay so far away. Red Hare was still injured, and needed to be kept from exerting itself. His soldiers were tired, and could not travel much further. And impatient as he was, making sure that his revenge went well was more important than anything, even his pride.
Seeing an army out in the open, he leaned forward, trying to make out the standard. Suddenly seeing it, he laughed. It was Ma Chao and Zhao Yun. Perfect.
Turning back to his troops, he looked them over. They looked like a bedraggled bunch of rejects. That's exactly what they were. Even they didn't know exacly who he was. All they knew about him was that he was a great fighter from a small kingdom. They followed him for honor, not caring who he was. There were only three soldiers that had ever learned who he was, and just before the march had started, he had made sure that they would not give away his secret. Their graves testified to that.
"Mount up!" he shouted, turning back towards the Shu army. "We'll go down to talk with that army, to see if they have need of our help!"
This was to be the ultimate test. Both Ma Chao and Zhao Yun had seen him up close before. He was horribly scarred now, though. He looked nothing now like the proud warrior who had stood astride the battlefield, wielding death like a sword. If he was to pass unnoticed in the tents of great warriors, he must first be unseen. And what better way to do that than to be a minor officer in the ranks of one of them.
The only part of this plan that he was not sure he would be able to carry out was to be submissive. He was the greatest warrior there, and yet if he was to have his revenge perfected, he must be humble. It hurt him to submit, but it must be done.
Galloping Red Hare, who itself looked very different, he raised his weapon, to which was tied a white flag, and hailed the other army. "Greetings, brothers! Permission to come into camp?"

[Nevan]

"We won! Of course, however we only chased them up to the point they rained arrows upon us, at wich point i decided to carry out Zhuge Liangs plan and march to Jiang Ji, But we held an army of 5 thousand off for three days with only 1000 men! The mens morale are soaring! Then of course as we left reinforcements of 10,000 came to put an end to there assault, word has not reached me of how they are doing though" Zhao Yun smiled happily.

As they rode he thought about the fact that Zhuge Liang had told his men to expect strategys when the 10,000 reinforcements arrived. He had left earlier than orders, and he was sure something bad was happening to them. Sima Yi rivalled Zhuge Liang, in this way they had to be carefull of Wei in every way possible.

Even at the front of the march, Zhao Yun could hear his soldiers singing merrily of old battles from the back, and was delighted when the sound of song spread like the plague through the rest of the men. Until he could hear nearly every soldier singing. Even the wounded men on horses at the very back were singing merrily. At this Zhao Yun smiled "Morale seems to be Soaring, so come. Tell me of the battles you have encounted!"

[SSJHunterKiller]

The sun was just peaking over the horizon as Lu Meng mounted his horse. Next to him, Lu Xun and Sun Ce were already waiting and behind the three generals were 300 Calvary troops and an additional 500 foot soldiers. Gan Ning had left as soon as Lu Meng had finished explaining the situation with Sun Quan at the meeting last night with 200 men and the fastest horses available.

“We move to support Master Sun Quan at Jiang Ling! There is an immediate threat of a Shu invasion. I’ll be leading the Calvary troops; the rest of you will be following Lu Xun and Master Sun Ce. Troops move out!”

Lu Meng held up his right had as he spoke and threw it out in front of him as he finished, signaling the Calvary troops to move out. Lu Meng kicked the sides of his horse and took off at a Gallop. The fastest horse that Wu controlled and even it wasn’t a match in raw power and speed when compared to the Red Hare, the legendary mount that Lu Bu rode. But while the Persian Mare couldn’t match the Red Hare in speed or power, it did outclass Red Hare in one aspect. The Persian Mare had been gifted by the gods with a fire that most men couldn’t even match and determination that was boundless. Lu Meng smiled when he thought of the first time they had come across this horse. It was tied to a building in a burning town and the beginning of the Yellow Turban rebellion. Most of the soldiers believe that the Yellow Turbans had burnt the town, but Zhou Yu thought otherwise and took the horse. It wasn’t long before they found out that it was this horse, the Persian Mare, which had started the fires with its bizarre power and ability. After months of trying, Lu Meng was finally able to touch the horse without being burnt and now, the Persian Mare even allowed Lu Meng to ride safety on her back. If they had left with Gan Ning last night, the trip would have taken half the time, but sadly, the rest of the horses just couldn’t keep up with the Persian Mare.

OOC: Yes, that’s Date’s horse from Samurai Warriors. I figuered it’d be alright since the horse lights people on fire and I’m a Wu general.

[souloe]

[edited: 2nd draft, changed perspective, minor detail changes]

Zhang Long led the army of Wei rode down the hill and towards the fragmented army of Shu. In unison the troops released a high battle cry adding stones to the well. It was by confusion that the Shu army was lured to the chase. It was by tactics that drew them into an early burial. And now it was by the wind of death that Wei drove down to crush their enemies.

Wu had expected good officers to have stayed on the other side of the mudslide. He had predicted that only the "followers" with mob mentality would chase the bait. Those caught in the trap would be easily dealt with, swift and swaying opinions to the crowd.

Zhang could see fear in their eyes. They were separated from their officers, from their main army and left with only one route of escape… until Jiao revealed himself that is. Cutting off their last hope of escape Jiao emerged from the peak and, together with Zhang, created a situation of pincer attack on the already faltering Shu.

Suddenly, both armies of Wei halted from their advance. Confused, the Shu army held their position uncertain what was about to happen. Zhang waved and a lone soldier rode forward to bellow a message, one that offered to spare their lives should they surrender.

There was a moment of silence. Then there were sounds of blades meeting ground. Suddenly, the entire army of Shu knelt down surrendering their weapons and their will to fight. Hope was offered and hope was taken.

Zhang allowed Jiao to handle the captives while a messenger was sent to report to Wu.

***

“General Wu, the Shu have surrendered and are now held captive.”
“Good. Tell the commanders to gather the troops at where Commander Lou is. We will move south into the forest for camp tonight. We will intercept any request for reinforcements. Also tell them to give food and medical treatment to the captives once we’re settled.”
“Yes General.”

Once the soldier left, Wu’s gaze fixated themselves back unto the forest, of which the Shu had mistakenly thought was their refuge. He could already imagine what was happening below. The masses would be in confusion, people and horses would be stepping on each other and there would even be those who ignore their superiors in favor of self preservation. Then Wu's gaze lifted up to the heavens. The sky was painted dark gray by the clouds that hovered in the air.

"It seems that some men of Shu may be spared today."

It began with droplets and then became a ghastly rain that drenched the earth. The same rain that fell upon Zhao Yun and Ma Chao also fell upon the scorching forest.

“It seems that heavens’ will like to toy with us men. But the Shu will not rejoice. They will find a moment of relief and then grieve at their loss. A proud army has, in a few hours, dwindled to such a pitiful form. They will wallow in fear at the army that did this to them. They will cower at the fact that they have yet to determine the size of their enemy despite their losses. The dead will be their constant reminder and despair shall not leave their side. HYA!!”

Wu left to lead his army back to regroup with his own.