[MDZS] The Dragon and the Fox

Nightmare

"Mommy, where are we going?" a young boy of about five inquired of his mother.

She winked at him with a wide smile and replied, "It's a surprise!"

Wei Ying couldn't wait! He loved surprises. "Papa, where are we going?" He gave his father large, wondering eyes.

The man had a difficult time holding back the secret. Those eyes were deadly. "Sorry, A-Xian. I can't tell you. It is a surprise after all. It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?"

Wei Ying looked dejected. "I guess not..." He perked up all at once, giggling as his father lifted him and threw him into the air.

Only, he never landed back in his father's arms. He looked up. All around him were nothing but barbarian dogs. They had all been slain except for two who were laughing away and kicking at his parents' bodies. Wei Ying screamed out for the men to stop. The two men looked at him with greed written on their faces.

Man 1: "Look at this! They have a kit! These foxes breed worse than rabbits! They fetch a nice price though."

The man had a grip on Wei Ying's mother by her hair. "A-Xian...run...away from...here..."

Man 1: "Still conscious? Good! I can torture you some more. You ninetailed fox breeds are troublesome!"

Man 2: "Cut it out and chain her up already! The male's already passed on. Nothing we can do about that. However, females fetch a higher price anyway. So do children I take it. If we sell both, we can make a great deal of money. We'll be on easy street!"

Mother: "You can't do that...We belong to the Jiang Clan...If you sell us off...my master will find you and destroy you in a heartbeat!"

The man holding her beat her face. "Don't you dare lie to me! I know for a fact you don't belong to anyone! Shut up! The Jiangs! Why would they want lowly animals like you?!"

His hand was stayed by his partner. "Enough! Now look what you've done! We can't sell her anymore!" The man sighed. "Well...at least we have the kit still. We can make some profit off of him." The man looked at his partner. "What's wrong with you? What has you so frightened?"

Man 1: "She wasn't lying when she said she was from the Jiang Clan," he responded in a shaky voice.

The second man took a closer look and froze. There, on the back of the woman's neck, was the slave mark of the Jiangs. The man froze in sheer terror. He looked to the boy a ways away from them. "Go grab the kit!" He ordered, pointing at Wei Ying.

Wei Ying screamed and ran as fast and as far as his little feet would take him. Since he couldn't morph yet, he had no way to hide and camouflage himself. His parents had always done it for him. He found a dark alleyway and hid there in the shadows behind a pile of rubble. The men passed by and he breathed a sigh in relief. He sat down against the wall, his eyes closing to rest.

"Just what do you think you're doing?!" a new voice hollered at him. He looked up to see Madam Yu standing above him. Her ears laid back with a scowl on her face.

Wei Ying: "Madam Yu? What are you doing here?" He realized he wasn't a child running on the street anymore.

Her scowl deepened. She jerked him up and dragged him to a dark room where she chained his ankles. She tore off his robes, Zidian crackling in her hand. "You ungrateful servant! You dare to talk back to me?! I'll show you what discipline looks like!" She at once began whipping him. It stung as a thousand volts of electricity coursed through his spine. She didn't stop, even after he had passed out.

When he awakened, he was in a dark room - the same dark room. His back was sore and it hurt to move. With every try to lift himself from the cold stone floor, new blood oozed from the scabbed-over wounds on his back. He winced from the pain.

The door opened to reveal Madam Yu and Jiang Cheng. "Lift him to his knees," she ordered her son. Jiang Cheng lifted Wei Ying by his hair. He winced at the pain shooting up his back. "Now, Jiang Cheng. I'm allowing you to use Zidian, but don't overdo it. We don't want our slave to die of blood loss."

As soon as Madam Yu left, Wei Ying glared at Jiang Cheng. The Jiang boy sighed. He unlocked the chains and helped Wei Ying to stand. He carefully and cautiously moved him from the dungeon cell to Yanli's residence.

Wei Ying passed out before they arrived. When he awakened once more, he was standing a few feet away from two bodies laying on the ground motionless. There was a dark laughter. He looked up only to see a shadowed figure standing next to the bodies. Wei Ying was enraged. His eyes glowed a menacing red. The figure continued to laugh manically, even as Wei Ying tried to attack it. It disappeared as he reached out to grab it.

He blacked out. He heard Jiang Cheng's voice calling to him. He sounded angry. All Wei Ying saw as he awakened from his state was the wolf form of the other. He ran away. He ran as fast as he could go. He ran and ran and ran. He felt something grab him. He tried fighting it, but it wouldn't release him.

Lan Zhan: "Wei Ying! Wei Ying! Wake up!" He was holding him, trying to keep him still. Wei Ying was fighting him, trying to escape. If Lan Zhan released his hold, Wei Ying would crash to the floor.

Wei Ying: "Let me go! Let me go! No! Leave me alone!!!"

Lan Zhan: "Wei Ying!"

Wei Ying awakened, breathless and sweating. He looked to see Lan Zhan hovering over him with a concerned expression. He hugged the other. The action surprised Lan Zhan. He held the other close.

Wei Ying sobbed quietly. "Lan Zhan..." Lan Zhan hummed. "Promise you'll never leave me...promise you'll always protect me..." Lan Zhan hummed once more.

Lan Zhan: "Promise. Will always be here for Wei Ying."

Wei Ying tightened his hold on the dragon. Lan Zhan hummed and rubbed the fox's back, soothing and comforting him.

Lan Zhan wiped at the tears. "Does Wei Ying want to talk about it?" Wei Ying shook his head. Lan Zhan understood. "Will wait until Wei Ying is ready, even if it takes a lifetime."

Wei Ying sniffled. "Lan Zhan...?" The other hummed in response. "Can...can I have some meat buns...?" His stomach growled rather loudly. He blushed.

Lan Zhan smiled and pet him between his ears, resulting in a loud purr. "Wei Ying can have whatever Wei Ying wants." Wei Ying smiled brightly and giggled happily.