#avianflame

Today, there was a very unusual guest inside the training camp. Two women were said to be sent from the palace to become a part of the special medical unit. Clad in their beautiful robes and stringed instruments, a tent was set up for them. There were only a few soldiers who qualified enough to be let in that tent and the lucky soldiers soon spread word about the two beauties who ‘healed’ them.

In reality, Yueliang’s teacher stayed with her for a few weeks before leaving. This is a part of her training. “A simple singer can amuse people but an extraordinary one can also calm storms. Can you do that, my precious student?”, was the challenge left to her.

There wasn’t a lot of ‘patients’ assigned to their tent. In terms of patient, it simply means soldiers who have lost their morale. Most of them couldn’t sleep so they’re here to recover from the shock. It wasn’t that physically tiring but her mental state also would have to be strong.

Their tent was a solitary one. No one was allowed to approach it without the necessary papers so she did her job quietly. She knew that there was some sort of birthday party going on but she thought it would be rude to suddenly join without a proper invitation.

The men’s silly singing brought a smile to her lips. Sitting on one of the beds, she hummed softly as she started to take off her hair accessories one by one. To her surprise, the tent flap was raised by a man who was holding a plateful of food.

❁* ░  Grinding something in a stone bowl, her gaze occasionally lifted from her work and followed people walk by the small backdoor deck before the tearoom. Weather was just fine, not too cold for a late evening. Some of the high spirited talk carried through the complexion to her small spot. Praising the master for tea she prepared the leaves for. Feedback was second handed, but she didn’t reach the stars. Macha was happy to find a purpose in civil life. A nice change for a life style she used to live. While working for her bread, she could help their army to arise.

Remaining in a knelt position, she lifted the bowl for a closer look. The scent, the texture. She turned and shifted it without looking even slightly satisfied about it. Still not the result she wanted. Placing down it down, her set of sad eyes stopped at another pair - almost startling her. Not that she minded company  Perhaps there was something about casual work that caught attention. Recalling, this young man was one of the higher ranks, as introduced.

     Lu Xun was dead. It was odd to think about.

     Or as Taigong Wang put it, ‘in a state of being both alive and dead, until we either find him or do not,’ whatever that was supposed to mean. But there was a way to save him, and that’s all that mattered. However, it hinged on somebody in the camp having a memory that could be used. More and more of his friends and allies had been rescued, and yet there was a jarring absence where the very last of them should be. All throughout their battles, the thought of Lu Xun had occupied his mind. Every new ally rescued was a potential lead, in every battle of the past he was alive out there, somewhere, and it was infuriating. 

     His none-too-subtle questioning every new ally was causing people to catch on quick. Yet he knew his fellows in Wu were concerned for the young strategist as well - though among the strategizing and diplomacy there was little time for a full out investigation. Perhaps Lu Xun could not be saved, trapped with whatever fate had befallen him. He’d almost resigned himself to it when he overhears a throwaway comment in camp from Cao Pi of all people. And he’s immediately ready to set out, practically dragging a ragtag team of volunteers (not that they really had a choice) behind him, and Cao Pi is naturally happy enough to pawn the job off to the far more enthusiastic Wu quintet (not that he really had a choice, either).

     It is at Hefei - where else. The entire group had less than pleasant memories of the place, but they all refuse to let themselves be daunted - they had a mission to achieve. There, it is a matter of splitting up - and as if by some stroke of fate, Ling Tong is the one to find him, in a supply base packed with enemies. Among the grey scales and dark armour of the snake demons, Ling Tong spies a flutter of bright red coattails that could belong only to one man.

    “Lord strategist!” he hops off his horse, hitting the ground at a run. “Lu Xun!”

     He fights like a man possessed, anything to break Lu Xun out of that mob. Several demons at Lu Xun’s rear receive skull-crushing blows from Ling Tong’s nunchaku, another gets a kick to the face. Clearing just enough space for him to take a stand, back to Lu Xun and facing his assailants.

    A bump followed by an abrupt stop was the first indication that something was wrong. Though not entirely forced out of her seat, Jingmian was startled enough to place her hands on the walls to her left and right. It did not take much to piece together that the carriage was spontaneously halted, although the reason was not immediately apparent.

    Leaning forward, Jingmian peered out the window to see what was the holdup, but she reeled back with a gasp as she saw what it was – bandits. They had ambushed the carriage, knocking out ( at least she hoped so ) the driver and the guards. This ambush must have been particularly planned if they were able to overcome guards personally selected by the Sun family.

    Even so, besides a brief glance or two from each brigand – there must have been seven of them, although she did not look long enough to count – they did not look expectingly at the coach. It did not appear they knew she was there. Did they think they actually highjacked a cache? That must have been the case because, without any clear effort of making an exchange with her, they quietly took reign and drove her away.

    Hunched over, Jingmian attempted to keep herself hidden. She focused on trying to take deep, hushed breaths in order to keep herself calm. Impulsively, she wanted to bolt out the door on the back end of the carriage, but logic – and a stronger impulse to stay safe – kept her in place, as she could hear footsteps following the rear as well. At the very least, she was only an hour outside Guangling, so someone might notice the suspicious traversing.

                   The green samurai ducked behind a stone wall, PANTING HARD. These soldiers which he had been battling...none of them had appeared human. Strange skin tones...odd hairstyles...and those mysterious tattoos ! Had he descended into one of the six realms of hell ? But not long ago, Katsuie could have SWORN that he was in the land of the living... 

                   Gazing out into the distance, he noticed that one of the monsters was fighting AGAINST the others. The green samurai squinted ——– wait, was that 'monster' actually a human being ? Was it possible that Katsuie was NOT the only person here ? He stumbled away from the wall —– there was NO HOPE of survival if he continued to fight alone.

                   Only a few steps towards the man, though, and more monsters had begun surrounding Katsuie. As much as he attempted to SLICE through them, he hardly even made a scratch. His left side burned with pain, as one of the monsters’ weapons GOUGED him. Would he die here ? All that he could do now was call out to the retreating human figure.