[[忘羡 | WangXian 3]] : Our Flesh And Bones

[44.] Midnight ride. [TW]

Note:


I feel I must give some credit. The title of this chapter is inspired by a song by Moonspell - "...Of Dream and Drama".

 It feels like the same energy, at least to me.

*** 

 Lan Wangji woke up with a cry, all covered in cold sweat, panting. All his senses were overflowed with the concept of danger, and in the first seconds he thought that was an aftermath of his dream. No, this was real, palpable. 

Resentful energy. 

Close.

Dazed and horrified, he ran to the master bedroom, staggering but managing to yell Bai Li's name as he ran – no time was to be wasted. When he pushed the doors open, he gasped. Wei Ying was fast asleep; his body was wrapped in a pitch black aura, but he was not the source of the problem. 

Lan Zhan shouted desperately, daring not enter:

- Wei Ying! Wei Ying, wake up!!!

Huge bloodshot eyes responded to the sound of his voice immediately; Wei Wuxian sharply took a deep breath and Lan Zhan saw him rise and float above the bed, his hair flowed freely one more time and he looked frightening – pale and ghostly. With just a single movement of his hand, a cabinet opened and Wen Ning's bag, with the birthday present still inside, was now floating in the air as well. 

With great effort, trying to control the huge amounts of resentful energy, he spoke hoarsely, turning to Lan Wangji:

- The children... Take it... No touching... Bury it...Away... Run... Escape!  Run, my love!

Lan Zhan heard footsteps approaching - Bai Li came running and was breathlessly standing by his side now, eyes wide open, afraid, but also worried. He did not have anything prepared for a fight, but he trusted his husband, and he understood his words. He stepped in without hesitation, knowing that Wei Wuxian would never harm him - not him, and tore a piece of his garment to grab the bag in his hands without direct contact. Then he ran out of the room, locking the door after himself. 

He snapped at Bai Li:

- A horse. Quickly. Take everyone to the Lake House. Talk only to Lan Sizhui. No one enters this room. No one, Bai Li!  Wait for my return there. Do nothing.  Do you understand?!

The housekeeper nodded quickly, running again to implement the orders. 

Lan Wangji rushed to get dressed and get a proper bag to lock the talisman; the horse was very soon brought to him and he set out without looking back.

Miao Lu was woken by the noise and the sudden yelling of servants; when she opened the door to look outside, she saw Bai Li quietly talk to the Young Master – they both looked very pale and worried. He hastily started giving orders and organizing what seemed to be everybody in the house. 

She wondered what the meaning of this was, but soon enough Bai Li rushed to her room too, almost shouting at her:

- Girl, pack some warm clothes, and put on good shoes! Can you ride?

Miao Lu shook her head "no", but started doing what Bai Li ordered, scared now.

- You will need to ride with the Young Master then!  –  Bai Li shouted and rushed to help the others.

She was ready in no time, and soon enough her Young Mater came running, and, taking her by the hand, led her to his horse.

- Come, hurry, Mistress!  We must hurry. Hold on tight!  –  he told her as he carefully pulled her up to sit behind him on the horse. They immediately left the House, riding in the cold moonless night.

Miao Lu whispered:

- But what about Master Wei...?

**

The Lake House that belonged to the Lan Clan was not too far away, but Lan Wangji hoped it was a distance enough. If something went too wrong with Wei Ying, he could blast it all to Hell. 

He shuddered. His heart sank as he thought that he was now all alone in the whole House... He knew what had to be done, but it still hurt, it still felt like he was abandoning him...

Gods, was he really abandoning him???

***

He rushed.

His brain feverishly analyzed it all. 

The talisman was a catalyst, it amplified Wei Ying's energy. He realized the irony too  -  it was also the main reason why his husband was able to keep up with him at all today, at least physically... sexually.  But it was a trigger too, apparently. He now had to bury it under a shrine, in a holy place, trick it to go back to sleep.

He was now riding up the mountain, to a remote monastery very few people alive still remembered. He had to hide it well, and hide it far away, as he was certain that Wei Wuxian would still be able to sense it, if he truly wanted to.

This was the easy part.

The hard part was Wei Ying's deathwish. 

The dream was terrible, but it gave him unmistakable clarity. Lan Zhan brushed back tears; he was sure Wei Ying didn't even realize what had happened.

"Ravish me. Destroy me. Fuck me to death. Punish me. Punish me tonight, Hanguang-Jun."
 
"Death is always at arm's length for me. But I don't want to die as long as you are alive. Your love reminds me how to be alive... I cannot be alive without you, Lan Zhan."

It was his fault; he never truly considered what those words meant. And today he so light-heartedly spoke about his own end...his own death... about his will...his legacy. 

It must have been awful for him, his husband  -  it must have been truly terrible. Lan Wangji sobbed at the thought.

He was riding like a madman, angry at himself for not paying attention. Now that all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, he thought bitterly that Wei Ying was probably too afraid to be alone, subconsciously searching for him, not trusting himself to be all by himself. As the strongest cultivator at the time, the Yiling Laozu could only trust him  to control him, to keep him safe as well...

He wanted, craved for closeness, togetherness, always, and his deep love for him  was giving him the obvious answer – sex. 

He literally could not remember the last time they were apart... perhaps it was years ago. And now he left him behind. The pain in Lan Wangji's heart could only be compared to the horrors of his dream that night.

The dream of blood, of doom, of the end.

Of Death.

He rode on, never stopping, impatient to come back to the one he loved the most as soon as was humanly possible.