[MDZS] The Dragon and the Fox

A Familiar Song

Wei Ying continued to stare at the dragon. Lan Zhan gathered sticks, twigs and branches for building a fire. He dug a pit near Wei Ying and set all the wood inside it. Lan Zhan was about to use his qi to light it, but Wei Ying was faster, using his foxfire to burn the wood. He smiled cheekily as Lan Zhan looked at him surprised.

Lan Zhan: "Wei Ying shouldn't use qi until fully recovered." He laid a blanket over Wei Ying's legs and walked away to prepare the meal.

Wei Ying pouted. He stuck his tongue out at the other while they weren't looking and huffed. He grew bored. He noticed he still had his flute in his hand. He decided to play a song as Lan Zhan had requested.

Lan Zhan was busy carving the carcass when he heard the tone of a flute in his ears. He listened for a moment. The song which was being played by the fox surprised him. He hadn't known Wei Ying knew that song. He stopped what he was doing momentarily to listen to it. The song was played perfectly! There wasn't a missed note or hesitation on any point in the song whatsoever!

He wondered how Wei Ying knew it in the first place. As soon as the song finished, he turned around and stared at the fox boy. Wei Ying was startled a bit by it. The longer Lan Zhan stared at him, the more he began to feel he'd done something wrong. Lan Zhan strode up to him at a fast pace.

Wei Ying's ears laid all the way back against his head. His eyes widened in fear. He was certain he'd done something wrong. Why else would Lan Zhan walk up to him in that manner? Wei Ying wanted very badly to hide, but his legs were still paralyzed from the spider venom. Instead, he raised his arms and closed his eyes and waited.

Lan Zhan stopped just before him, confused as to why Wei Ying was acting that way. He lowered himself to the fox's level.

When nothing happened, Wei Ying gingerly peeked out through a slit in one of his eyes. Lan Zhan was still looking at him with that stoic look. He closed his eyes, shutting them tight. The next thing he knew, he felt strong arms embrace him gently. He was very surprised.

Lan Zhan waited for Wei Ying to calm down, but it seemed his silence frightened the poor fox even more, so he embraced him in a gentle and warm hug. He shushed the other, soothing and comforting him.

Wei Ying calmed eventually. Lan Zhan would inquire later as to why Wei Ying was behaving the way he was. Instead he asked, "Wei Ying. The song. How does Wei Ying know it?"

Wei Ying shrugged. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "It just came to me as I was thinking of playing something random."

Lan Zhan nodded. "Sorry. Did not mean to scare Wei Ying."

Wei Ying chuckled nervously. "It's alright, Lan Zhan. I'm just an overly timid fox." Lan Zhan looked at him skeptically. He wasn't convinced.

Lan Zhan: "Wei Ying." The other looked at him. "Have an idea. Remove upper robes." Wei Ying freaked!

Wei Ying: "Lan Zhan! What are you planning? Are you trying to be shameless? You've already kissed me, and now you want me to remove my clothes? I never knew you had this side of you, Lan Zhan!"

Wei Ying wasn't joking. He was being serious. Lan Zhan knew it had to do with the fox's past, but it was urgent he follow directions.

Lan Zhan: "Not being shameless. Trying to help."

When Wei Ying saw there was only honesty in the Lan's eyes, he calmed somewhat. He turned around and removed his upper robes, so they laid around his waist. Lan Zhan's breathing hitched as he saw the multiple scars scattered along the fox's back. He hesitated for a moment. He didn't know if he should touch the other or not.

Wei Ying: "Lan Zhan? What's wrong? Why aren't you doing anything?" Wei Ying saw the sad look upon Lan Zhan's face. It was such an open expression, Wei Ying was a bit baffled. "Lan Zhan. Don't worry about it. They're old scars from when I was a child. They mean nothing."

Lan Zhan wasn't having it! Those wretched Jiangs had hurt his Wei Ying! He was glad they were dead. If they weren't, he would have most likely murdered them himself. "Lan Zhan! You're scaring me!" Lan Zhan was snapped out of his thoughts. He embraced the young fox in a warm hug. "Lan Zhan. I said it's okay. Besides, they don't hurt anymore."

Some of the scars littered across his back were still fresh, as if they hadn't healed at all in the months Wei Ying had escaped. They were scabbed over. Lan Zhan lightly ran his fingertips over one. Wei Ying winced. Lan Zhan sighed. "Wei Ying..." He hated the thought of his fox being tortured like that.

Wei Ying sighed as well. "Lan Zhan. Please. Just continue what you were doing. I will explain with time. I promise." He flashed the other a sad smile.

Lan Zhan nodded and continued. He had been wondering if he could remove the venom faster by using his qi. "What are you doing exactly?"

Lan Zhan: "Removing the venom."

Wei Ying: "What? You can do that?"

Lan Zhan: "Don't know. Thought about it for a while now. Didn't want to try without Wei Ying's permission."

Wei Ying made an "Oh" with his mouth. "Go ahead. If it helps me walk faster, then go for it!" He was excited by the prospect of whether it would truly work or not.

Lan Zhan: "Might be painful," he warned. Wei Ying shrugged. He was used to being in pain. What could a little more pain hurt?

Lan Zhan began the process. He placed his palms fully along the spine, sending his qi into the other's body. He directed it into the spinal cord. Wei Ying didn't feel anything at first. He wondered if Lan Zhan was doing it.

He was about to ask when he felt a slight tingle in his spine. The feeling surprised him, but it wasn't painful. After a few minutes, the tingling sensation slowly turned into a slight burning feeling in his back. He screamed out from pain as the burning grew into a fire. He felt as though his back was on fire!

Lan Zhan heard the scream but continued. He was nearly finished. He gathered the venom into one spot and purified it. Lan Zhan caught Wei Ying as the latter passed out from pain. Lan Zhan wasn't overly certain he had removed it all, but he was certain most of it was gone. He popped one of the pills into Wei Ying's mouth.

Lan Zhan laid the fox on the ground, using the boy's robes as a pillow, covering him with the blanket. He returned to cooking dinner, while the boy slept.