Phoenix

Chapter 26*Revised*

            The next few weeks were pleasant enough. Jiang Yanli, Lan Xichen, and Nie Huasang still argued over the egg in between battle strategies, much to Qingheng-Jun's amusement. Wei Wuxian was trying to make newer and bolder talismans and arrays while practicing his cultivation. Lan Wangji would pluck him away to eat and sleep or for their every day means every day activities. Lan Wangji just watched everything with concealed amusement only those closest to him could see. 

          If Wen Li didn't know any better, she would suspect he wanted to watch the world burn. She knew he enjoyed the chaos his husband brought to his normally silent home. Sometimes, it seemed like there wasn't enough chaos. Then again, she could see his sentiments mirrored on Quingheng-Jun and Lan Junjie's faces. Could it be a direct Lan family line trait? Is that why they needed so many rules? She and Wei Wuxian shivered, thinking of a world where these men weren't controlled by their rules. 

             It was also interesting how invested the whole sect seemed to be once the news somehow (Nie Huasang) got around. The elders were happy their second heir was having a biological child. They had backed away from their reservations about the couple a bit. Women of cloud recesses, whom Wei Wuxian had never seen before, kept coming up to him with little clothes and toys for the coming baby. 

             To Lan Qiren's horror, Wei Wuxian had settled in by helping the little ones with forming their cores. He was also teaching a beginner's talisman course for the slightly older disciples. All in all, it was a peaceful life.

              They should have known better, but they had become complacent. Nie Huasang and Wen Qing were already pulling strings to win this war before it started. Wei Wuxian had let his guard down while surrounded by the care the Lans were showing him. One afternoon, after one of his classes, Wei Wuxian went to his room to grab more paper. 

              He was on his way to the library to meet with Lan Wangji for research. He felt something was wrong as soon as he walked in. When nothing jumped out at him, he just shrugged it off. Rushing around the room, he grabbed the paper and cinnabar, but as he was leaving, everything went dark. 

            A hard slap woke Wei Wuxian from unconsciousness. He looked around blearily, his head pounding, feeling weakened before he felt his heart in his throat. In front of him was the Lan disciple he had seen glaring at him a few times. He was holding his egg by a smug-looking Wen Chao and his bodyguards. 

           Wei Wuxian yelled through his mind link at Lan Wangji. ""LAN ZHAN!!!! WEN CHAO AND A LAN HAVE OUR EGG!!!""  He could hear Lan Wangji's hysterical growl on the other side, which made his fear greater. ""WEI YING! Where are you? Are you injured? How is our egg?" Considering Lan Wangji's questions, he forced himself to look around while ignoring his dread and Wen Chao's annoying cackling. 

           His blood ran cold when he noticed they were on a high cliff in the burial mounds. The one place in this world no one has ever returned from, even as a spirit. "OH SHIT! LAN ZHAN, WE ARE IN THE BURIAL MOUNDS. WHAT DO I DO?!" He tried to remain outwardly calm while Lan Wangji told him he would be there soon and cut their link. The soldiers that held him up tightened their grip as if sensing his need to run.

            Wen Chao seemed to notice his distraction and stabbed Wei Wuxian in the chest close to his heart with a mad smile. "Oh, do I have your attention now, Wei Ying? Su She, drop the egg!" Wei Wuxian watched almost in slow motion as the Lan disciple smirked before tossing the egg off the cliff. He felt himself transform, burning the soldiers holding him in place and flying after the egg off the edge of the cliff. 

             His wound was still open, but he managed to catch the egg and wrap himself around it before hitting the ground with a sickening crack that shook the area. His body was too weak to keep the phoenix transformation, and he felt it leave his skin like ashes. He would have to wait a while to use it again since his phoenix had been forced into his rebirth cycle. Most of his bones were broken, but he was coherent enough to notice the egg seemed fine. With that final thought, he succumbed to a healing meditative sleep, trying unsuccessfully to call his mate.   

            Lan Wangji had been extremely worried since Wei Wuxian hadn't met up with him in the library. He was meeting up with his brother, father, and uncle to inform them of the matter when the message from Wei Wuxian came in. He had the forethought to connect his brother to the frantic communication as well. Lan Xichen's face was pale. 

            Their father tackled Lan Wangji to the floor after his growl to calm him down. Quingheng-Jun wanted to be informed of what was happening. With great reluctance, Lan Wangji explained that Wei Wuxian and their egg were in the hands of Wen Chao near the Burial Mounds. Even Lan Qiren's face went pale. He might hate Wei Wuxian, but in that egg was his grand nephew. While they assimilated the situation, Lan Wangji had taken his chance to rush out. Lan Xichen rushed off to inform the others and put Cloud Recesses on lockdown. He needed to find out which Lan had betrayed them. 

             It was a terrifying scene that Lan Wangji had arrived too. A mountain still in a black inferno that seemed to cleanse the air around it. While he could see a few men had flown off on their swords, there were bodies visible in the flames. At that moment, though, he didn't care and landed in the middle of the inferno, looking for his mate and child. 

             The flames were harsher than normal. Though he was immune to being burnt by them, he felt himself sweating profusely. Try as he might, there was no sign of his husband. He tried the teleportation rune, but it didn't seem to work. It was making him think his mate and babe could be dead. He was growing more desperate by the minute before Lan Yi's melodic voice entered his mind. "Wangji, he is your mate. Close your eyes and focus on finding your bond, then follow it. Remember, we can't get physically involved, but we are still your guides. Ask us for help if you need it." 

             Forcing himself to calm down, Lan Wangji sat in the middle of the inferno in a meditative state. He focused inward on the link he felt to his mate, remembering the time their energies melded together to create their little egg. He could feel himself becoming one with the fire around him, and then he felt it. A small tug towards the edge of the mountain. Quickly, he forced his body to move. He transformed before descending into the harsh, resentment-filled valley. 

             He could barely see in the darkness but followed the bond that held them together until something sparkled in the darkness. As he drew closer, he noticed the ice crystals that covered the egg and his extremely wounded mate under it in a pool of his own blood. He felt his breath hitch Wei Wuxian's leg at the wrong angle, and ashes seemed to cover his skin, making him blend with the ash-filled ground of the Burial Mounds like a hill in a blood pool.   

            Horrified, Lan Wangji slowly made his way over to the body. He grabbed Wei Wuxian's wrist to check his vitals and let out a whimper. Wei Wuxian's normally exceedingly warm body was as cold as the ice Lan Wangji could create. He forced himself to focus through his tears and lost hope on still looking for a pulse, refusing to admit his lover could be dead.

              It was weak, but it was there for his immense momentary relief. This was another reason he insisted on being intimate every day. Lan Wangji could admit that if he had found no pulse in this situation, he would have snapped, forgetting it would have been normal for a vampire. He had to act quickly to heal and protect his lover. He had just arrived at the Burial Mounds and could already feel the fierce corpses heading their way. 

            Lan Wangji called some of his husband's fire from the mountaintop to cleanse some of the area and make a heat source for them. Then, he built a dome of ice to protect them from the corpses while he worked. He knew enough about medicine to know he couldn't move his lover yet. So he focused on taking the medicine he had in his pouch out to treat and bandage his wounds carefully. He moved the egg closer to the fire. After setting the leg and gently treating Wei Wuxian's wound, Lan Wangji knew all he could do was wait. He laid on the floor by Wei Wuxian, transferring bits of energy to his lover until he fell asleep crying.