He stood in a field. The sky was golden and soft clouds drifted by lazily. Ping took a few steps into the tall stalks of grain and ran his fingers over the silky tips, just like he would when he was a child.
Before him a figure suddenly appeared. Ping recognized the broad, plated back and scarlet cape billowing without wind. He tried to call out and found he couldn't make a sound, instead walking forward.
"Ping."
He stopped and turned around. His father stood there regally, wrinkles and crippled leg gone. He was tall, imperious in his stance. Ping tried to say something but once again words would not come from his throat.
"You are a disgrace." His voice was like terrible thunder in Ping's ears. "Even the weakest daughter would be of an improvement. It is comical that such a spineless, weak fool could come from me. You would be better as feed for the vultures."
A strong wind blew from behind Ping, smelling of rotted flesh. He whipped around and found Shang standing in front of him.
His skin was gone, only a grinning skull under his helmet greeted him. Ping gasped and fell back. Behind him his father gave a roar and his armor turned into bloody scales that folded in on him. He rose up and was now a fearsome dragon that soared into the sky, circling the clouds with blood thirsty snarls.
"As feed for the MAGGOTS!"
The dragon came down, jaws open and yellow teeth bared. Its crimson eyes glared and it descended down onto Ping with fire spewing from its rancid mouth.
He jolted awake when a slimy tongue flicked at his ear canal.
"Ugh," he groaned around his gag, sticking a finger into his ear to dry it. Around his neck Mushu's body rippled with a chortle. He groaned again when a dull throbbing stabbed at the back of his head like a nail. Where the arrow had lodged into his left arm burned with soreness and felt raw.
He saw a fire flickering a few yards away and was unable to appreciate its warmth from where he was. His back was stiff and he was chilled to his bones. His boots were bound together with leather strips, same as his wrists.
His attempt to sit up was hindered by another chord tying his neck to a stake in the ground. Ping forced his eyes open and found it was already sunset. Several Huns sat around the campfire while one leaned against a gnarled tree next to Ping.
He stood up and loomed over him, giving a malicious smile with ruddy gums. He took a few lumbering steps away, speaking in a foreign tongue to his comrades.
Mushu moved under his armor to whisper in his ear. "Ping. They've been talking about how they're going to kill you."
"Wahaa?" Ping tried to get out around his gag.
"You killed a pretty popular guy back in the Jin Zai camp. That and I think they know you're a famous general's son."
Ping drew his legs in and let his hands rest on his chest. He willed himself to not move or panic as a group of four imposing men stood over him. One approached him and squatted down to his level. He wore leather armor and a hide helmet with studs. His hair hung in silky black strands that melded into his beard.
His flat face and small, bright eyes gave him a savage, carnal element. He lifted his meaty hands to slacken the line around Ping's throat. When he spoke his voice was surprisingly level and a bit more high-pitched than Ping expected for one his size.
"You are son of Fa Zhao, yes?"
Ping tried to answer vocally but had to nod, avoiding eye contact.
YOU ARE READING
Sunset Illusions ( Fa Ping x Li Shang )
Romance(This is a BL) To save his father's life and prove his worth Fa Ping takes his father's place and joins the army. This was a choice that would bring many difficulties and perhaps, even death. Fa Ping expected that, but what he didn't expect was to...
