[MDZS] The Dragon and the Fox

Death and Destruction

Wei Ying awakened in the midst of a peaceful sleep to the scent of smoke in the air. The smell of the fire wouldn't have been so alarming had the direction the smoke was flowing from not been the town.

Yiling was on fire.

Wei Ying was about to awaken Lan Zhan, but the jade dragon was already awake and alert. The two communicated with their eyes.

Wei Ying: "The town's on fire!"

Lan Zhan nodded. The two hurried to the town, practically running for their lives, in an attempt to reach the town in time before it completely burnt to the ground. They stood frozen. Wei Ying went wide-eyed as he watched the townspeople run around in chaos, trying to smother the fire without success. There was screaming and crying nearby. Wei Ying knew at once who it was and ran in the direction the sound resounded from.

Lan Zhan panicked. "Wei Ying! Wait!" He ran after the fox boy who was far ahead of him.

Wei Ying: "Yuan! A-Yuan! Where are you?!"

"Wei-Gege!" Wei Ying looked to one of the buildings. The fire had long since been put out, but there was no life to the little house besides the little boy. Wei Ying went to him right away, lifting him into his arms and comforting him. "Wei-Gege! Grandma!" the little boy wailed. Wei Ying looked behind himself, where Yuan was pointing, and froze. Laying there was the little boy's grandmother. She was covered in burns and cuts - her face barely recognizable. She held something in her hands. The older woman had hidden Yuan away from the fires and had run back inside the building to save what little she could of her home, but she had collapsed from exhaustion and died of smoke inhalation - the burns being post mortem.

Wei Ying was frozen. His vision blurred. Lan Zhan took Yuan from him. Wei Ying didn't notice. The fox boy was lost in a flashback of his parents' deaths. All he saw at that moment was the corpses of his parents laying there, covered in bruises and cuts. Then the vision switched to the Jiangs. His head hurt. He felt dizzy. He felt he couldn't breathe. His chest hurt and felt heavy. Lan Zhan set Yuan on the ground and ran to him. "Wei Ying!" He stood in front of the fox, trying to snap him out of it. "Wei Ying! Calm down! Breathe!" Wei Ying was too far gone. His vision darkened as he fell forward, passing out.

Lan Zhan caught him and carried him off away from the burning town. Yuan followed not far behind. When they were back at the camp, Lan Zhan laid Wei Ying down, covering him with a blanket.

Yuan: "Papa?" Lan Zhan looked to the little boy, clearly having forgotten he had followed them back to the camp. "What's wrong with Wei-Gege?" It took a moment for Lan Zhan to respond. He pet the little boy's head.

Lan Zhan: "Nothing. Passed out from the heat is all. Wei Ying will be fine."

Sometime later, Lan Zhan returned to the town. The fire had long since burnt out, it's destruction clear as day. Smoke still rose from parts of the town where the fire had freshly died. Lan Zhan searched for any sign of life - any at all! Yet, no matter how hard he searched, no matter where he looked, all he found was death and destruction. He wondered who could have done the deed, but without any signs to point out the culprit, he couldn't investigate the matter properly.

Still, he continued to search for clues. There was a moan as a man awakened from unconsciousness. "Help..." he called out, his voice hoarse. Lan Zhan went to him immediately.

Lan Zhan: "What happened? Why was the town on fire?"

The man stared hazily at the jade dragon. He spoke two words so soft, Lan Zhan had to bend down to hear them. "Wen...Ruohan..." The man exhaled his last breath and laid there motionless, his eyes opened wide in horror. Lan Zhan sighed, closing the man's eyes gently. He stood, proceeding to the camp. The dead would have to wait. Wei Ying needed him far more right then.

Wei Ying inhaled sharply as he awakened from a nightmare. Sweat poured down his face and back. He rolled to the side and wrenched up whatever was in his stomach. He felt a hand on his back, rubbing in a soothing manner. He wrenched up everything, until he was dry heaving. Tears poured down his cheeks. He was sick of death!

"Wei Ying..." A pair of strong arms wrapped him in a gentle and firm embrace. Wei Ying all at once felt secure. He felt safe. Lan Zhan stayed there, holding him for as long as the other wanted and needed. Yuan watched at first, but then ran to the pair and proceeded to hug his Gege with as much comfort and as tightly as he could. Lan Zhan saw it and moved his arm, so it wrapped around the little boy, pulling him in closer. The trio stayed like that until the sun set, completely disappearing into the horizon.

Wei Ying and Yuan had long since fallen asleep. Wei Ying held a firm grasp onto Lan Zhan, and Yuan held a firm grasp onto Wei Ying. Lan Zhan held firmly to both. Curfew arrived for Lan Zhan. He covered the two with the blanket and laid down with them, holding them close, and slept.

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"Set the town on fire! Burn it to the ground!" When everyone heard the order, they began to protest. "Why do you not heed my words? Do it! or you'll be next!" The servants and soldiers all scurried out of the throne room to do as their Lord had bidden of them. The man was impatient. He wanted the fox all for himself. It was taking too long for him to arrive at Nightless City. "In fact! don't allow anyone to escape! Burn them all with it!"

There was a collective gasp. The man glared at them. They all bowed at once and prepared to take off for the town of Yiling. The man rubbed his temples in frustration. Why was Wei Wuxian taking so long to go to him?! He sighed. If the fox boy didn't arrive before tomorrow, he would just have to make him go to him.

That's just what he intended to do.

That's just what he did.