A Cry In The Night (TGCF HuaLian)

Chapter 1

"Don't leave me alone

A cry in the night

of anguish heart striking

of soul killing fright

Live for my living or else I must die

Don't leave me alone

a world heard that cry"

-Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffery

It began as emergencies often did with the summons to the newly rebuilt Grand Martial Hall. As always it was Ling Wen who sent out the summons but this time the god on whose behalf she was calling everyone together was a member of the middle court and he was in no shape to do the for calling himself.

Something had happened to him but no one was sure what. He'd been on patrol and he had encountered a powerful demon but everything beyond that was a mystery. When found the junior official had been shaking and crying out but even as the gods assembled in the Grand Martial Hall the medical gods who had been appointed to watch over him reported that the official had slipped into a coma. This was both highly irregular and distressing and what was more, the junior official was a martial official meaning that whatever had overcome him must have been powerful indeed. Xie Lian could well understand why Ling Wen had been so insistent that he attend.

Ling Wen might have been the one to call the meeting but the person who made the report was actually Feng Xin. It was his subordinate who had been attacked and once he finished explaining the situation he declared his intentions of going after the demon himself immediately.

"I don't think you should do that." It was Xie Lian who spoke up and the whole hall turned to look at him in surprise.

"Your Highness?" Feng Xin frowned slightly confusion.

"What I mean to say is I do not think you should go alone." Xie Lian clarified then explained, "While it is true that you are more powerful than your subordinates, your subordinate is surely not lacking in power and so to have overcome him so completely this demon must be quite strong indeed. If it was a matter of strength I would still leave it in your hands but this time it seems to be a matter of some sort of curse. If it is a curse then we cannot know for sure that you will not be susceptible to it as well and if you are alone then there will be no one to assist you should it be laid on you as well."

Xie Lian's words were frank and some of the younger martial gods winced slightly as though imagining how they would feel if such words were addressed to them, but Feng Xin only nodded slightly in acknowledgment of Xie Lian's logic.

"Your Highness has a point but by that same logic I do not wish to put any other gods in danger."

"Ah perhaps I was unclear." Xie Lian gave him a small smile. "I was saying that I would like to accompany you."

After Feng Xin accepted the meeting broke up quickly but when Xie Lian and Feng Xin made their way toward the descending gates Mu Qing fell in beside them without a word.

"What are you doing here?" Feng Xin demanded.

Mu Qing, predictably, rolled his eyes. "You heard his highness. The more people there are the less likely it will be that all of us get hit by the curse."

"So what? You're volunteering to be helpful?" Feng Xin snapped back. "We don't need your help!"

"Maybe you just can't admit that you need help for once!"

Mu Qing glared at Feng Xin and inwardly Xie Lian sighed. Truthfully he was glad and even a little touched that Mu Qing had volunteered to come along with them but from the way the two were already fighting he couldn't help thinking that this was going to be a very long mission.