The White Phoenix

Chapter 24 - Nightmare

The air was warm and humid. There was also a slight chill from the resentment hanging overhead. It was dark, and multiple people from various clans and sects were lined up in rows and columns. The sect leader of the Lanling Jin Sect, Jin Guangshan, was creating a siege. He was wanting justice, vengeance, revenge...for his son Jin Zixuan. He died under the hands of some fellow cultivator, but it wasn't just a death, Jin Guangshan believed it to be murder. He blamed Wei Ying, Wei Wuxian.

Laughter was heard in the distance, and soon, corpses were animated to fight against the sects. Fire created a wall around the entire battlefield. The glint on Wei Ying's crimson red eyes, was rage, death, destruction, and vengeance for himself. He did not do what he was accused of but he was given no chance to defend himself. So he decided enough was enough, and brought the fight to them.

Lan Wangji was one person on his mind though. He and Lan Xichen were nowhere to be seen. He doesn't know if he lost their trust or if they abandoned him. All Wei Ying knows, is that he was alone. Jiang Wanyin was there, blood dripping from his sword, standing several feet away from Wei Ying. Wei Ying was sure, that he was as good as dead.

Lan Wangji was woken up in the middle of the night to crying from Wei Ying's room. He grew worried as it was very rare that he would hear or see Wei Ying cry. So he got up and went to see Wei Ying. Wangji lit a candle in Wei Ying's room for some light, only to see Wei Ying tossing and turning. Wangji sat beside him as Wei Ying rolled to his back.

Wangji moved some hair out of Wei Ying's face and placed a kissed on his forehead, "A'Ying?" Wangji whispered, "wake up sweetheart, you are having a bad dream." Wei Ying opened his eyes as tears fell down his face. Wangji gently wiped them away, "I am here."

Wei Ying sat up quickly and moved to Wangji's lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around Wangji, "I was alone. All alone!" Wei Ying cried, "I was being hunted for a crime I didn't do. I was alone! You and Xichen-Ge were not there for me."

"I will always be there for you, A'Ying. So will Xichen-Ge," Wangji assured him, rubbing his hand on Wei Ying's back, "I will never leave you. That is a promise."

"There was fire, blood, black smokey stuff that made me feel cold. It carries death with it. Jin Guangshan, whoever that is, wanted me dead," Wei Ying explained.

The fact that Wei Ying has a name, surprised Wangji. Because Jin Guangshan was a man that was never to be trusted, he did not want him around Wei Ying to begin with. But how did Wei Ying see his face.

"The bad man, Jiang, was there. He tried to kill me," Wei Ying told Wangji.

"Those people, will not come anywhere near you. Not with me around," Wangji said and held Wei Ying's face in his hands, "I will not let anyone hurt you. All that you saw, it was just a bad dream."

"It looked real," Wei Ying sobbed.

"Shhh," Wangji hushed. He hugged Wei Ying closer to his chest, placing his hand on the back of Wei Ying's head, guiding it to rest on his shoulder. Wangji would sit there for the rest of the night if he had to, and that was what he did.

Lan Xichen was surprised to see the uncomfortable position Wangji was sitting in. Sitting up with his back leaning against the headboard of the bed, and Wei Ying cradled in his arms. Lan Xichen decided to let Wangji sleep past the morning bell and went to get breakfast for him and Wei Ying. When he returned, Wangji was up, but Wei Ying was still asleep.

"Care to tell me what happened to have you sitting there sleeping in such an awkward position?" Xichen asked.

"A'Ying had a bad dream last night," Wangji replied.

Wangji explained all that A'Ying told him to Xichen. Even Lan Xichen was surprised that Wei Ying had a name. He was more concerned with that then anything. So he decided that he did not want Wei Ying around the man. As he was also a lustrous man who sleeps around. Xichen did not want Wei Ying around that. He could see the protective nature in Wangji building by the day. Wangji was getting so protective of Wei Ying, Xichen had no doubt that Wangji would kill anyone who would try to get in the way.

"A'Zhan?" Wei Ying asked as he was waking up.

"Hmm?" Wangji looked down at the young boy in his lap.

"Can I spend time with you today?" Wei Ying asked.

"Of course," Wangji said, "I'll be going to the library a little later today. You can get some studying done."

"Okay," Wei Ying said sitting up and stretched, "I am hungry."

"I brought you and A'Zhan breakfast," Xichen told them.

"Really? Thank you GeGe!" Wei Ying said getting off of Wangji so he could go eat. Wangji and Xichen laughed a bit as they watched Wei Ying leave the room happily so he could go eat.

"How are you feeling?" Xichen asked Wangji.

"I will be okay," Wangji assured him, "I just need to wrap my head around what Wei Ying saw in his dream. It won't actually happen, will it?"

"It sounds so much like a premonition, but I don't think it is one. It's just a bad dream. A'Ying as a lot of those. He worries about those he cares about. You specifically," Xichen told him.

"I do not want Wei Ying to think I abandoned him, ever," Wangji said.

"I know," Xichen said, "you are too devoted to him to ever do that. I think you two should be together as much as possible if that helps ease that fear."

"Alright," Wangji agreed. He then left the room with Xichen so he could go eat breakfast.