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significanceofmoths · 3 days ago

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When fish soar

The second Wei WuXian hit the water Jiang Cheng knew it was over. Still, he dived down through the air toward the surging surface of the lake as fast as he could.

Lan Wangji beat him.

As the Second Jade of Lan burst back into the air, Jiang Cheng’s heart sunk as he caught sight of Wei WuXian. Eyes closed and head rolling limply with water streaming from his soaked hair and clothes. From the hem of his robes, a scaled tail narrowed to a wide fluke that twitched sporadically in the urge to get away from the Waterborne Abyss.

As the other boys fell silent in shock, Jiang Cheng dearly wished he had a second weapon to use while riding his sword.

Off the top of his head, he could think of twelve uses for parts of a mermaid to advance cultivation or create powerful tools and talismans. Five of them would require Wei WuXian to be awake and alive as he was cut to pieces. Other cultivation clans would certainly have their own they’d never shared.

Mother was right, Wei WuXian shouldn’t have been allowed to come.

Jiang Cheng had wanted to agree with her, but Father had smiled and agreed with Wei WuXian that he should be allowed to see the rest of the world outside Lotus Pier. Why couldn’t he disagree with father just once? Wei WuXian had looked at him in that moment and Jiang Cheng had known he would have cheerfully stayed behind if he told him to. But he’d wanted Father’s approval and he’d wanted his best friend beside him in a strange place and he’d instead said Wei WuXian should come with him to Cloud Recesses. This was his fault.

Not slowing, Jiang Cheng redirected his desperate rush. Nearly knocking Lan Wangji off his sword, he grabbed Wei WuXian and roughly put some distance between himself and everyone else. Arms aching under the sudden burden – Wei WuXian was so heavy in this form – he prepared himself for a fight. He could see Su She whispering furiously to the Lan boy holding him, gesturing toward Wei WuXian with greed in his eyes. Jin ZiXuan was openly gaping and seemed too stunned to react, but the other Jin disciples were beginning to dart glances between themselves. The rest of the Jiang disciples had chosen to stay in town, keeping control of the waterways and directing civilians with practiced ease. Jiang Cheng became acutely aware that not only was he alone, but the way the disciples had scattered in the chaos had effectively surrounded them.

Jiang Cheng hefted Wei WuXian into a more secure position and tried to subtly get out of what would certainly soon be an encirclement.

A tendril of water passed dangerously close beneath him, reminding him of the lesser, but more immediate threat. Hefting Wei WuXian so he was in less danger of his tail being sliced by Sandu and angling himself so he could see as many of the others as possible, Jiang Cheng waited for the Waterborne Abyss’s next swipe. A corkscrew of water stabbed into the middle of the whispering Lan’s and Jiang Cheng took his chance. As everyone flew erratically out of the way, he sped toward shore. Water and wind stung his face as he prayed for more speed.

“Hey, Wei WuXian!” he jostled him a bit, but Wei WuXian only groaned. As a guardian of the waters, being dropped into the midst of such corrupted water must have been too much of a shock. He couldn’t count on him to wake anytime soon.

Behind them came shouts. He could hear the crack and thunder of talismans going off. Fighting the Abyss or aiming at him? Me Jiang Cheng decided as a streak of golden energy singed the shoulder of his robes. The shouting behind him became louder as voiced joined in and they pulled away from the roar of the Waterborne Abyss. The deep singing of a powerful sword cutting through the air behind him made him turn.

Lan Wangji was far too close. Soaked white robes streamed behind him as he followed. If he gained even a little speed he could reach out and touch them. Jiang Cheng tried to swerve out of reach. His heart leapt into his throat as the move made him wobble, Wei WuXian’s dead weight nearly toppling them both to the water. The water that was far too close. No dammit! Sandu wasn’t made for speed like Suibian, but it wasn’t brute power like Bichen – he was sinking under the weight.

“Come on!” he snarled, eyes toward the shore. If he could get to shore he could use Sandu to attack.

Another barrage of talismans burst behind him, wind and fire pushing against his back. Come on, he thought, bending his knees and leaning into it. Wei WuXian’s fluke scraped the water. With a cry Jiang Cheng nearly plummeted into the shallows. Throwing his weight back he turned his fall into a dizzying spin. The safety of the shore and the chaos of the persuing cultivators behind him flashed before his eyes. Heaving Wei WuXian up, Jiang Cheng timed it as best he could and jumped. His boots hit the gravely shore. Sandu rolled clumsily through the air as he tried to avoid slicing either of them and stop it’s uncontrolled spiral. It stuttered in the air as a stone slipped under his heel. He was a second too slow rising.

Gravel crunched beside them. Jiang Cheng let Wei WuXian drop, getting both hands up into a sword seal to face…

Lan Wangji’s back stood in front of him. A Gusu defensive barrier, wider and stronger than anything he could have created himself bloomed in the air between them and the approaching disciples. A wave of attacks smashed uselessly against it. In the air, the others hesitated at the sudden about-face.

“Killing is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses.” Lan Wangji intoned, righteous anger deepening his voice. Jiang Cheng fought not to join the others shriveling beneath that tone – acutely reminded that Lan Wangji was head of punishment.

“But…Second Master Lan! He’s a-”

“Guest disciple of the Cloud Recesses and under our protection.” Lan Wangji cut off Su She. The other boy flinched back behind the Lan disciple who was carrying him.

A Jin disciple boldly hovered a bit closer. “We’re not in the Cloud Recesses now.” his lips curled in a sneer as he failed at looking down on Lan Wangji even from so high in the air. “Mermaids are valuable commodities, not disciples.”

“Killing is forbidden.” Lan Wangji repeated.

“Yes.” Lan XiChen’s voice brooked no argument. The black look on his face as he stepped beside Lan Wangji and glared up at the others was jarring. Jiang Cheng had never seen the man with anything but a pleasant expression before. “I will tolerate no further attacks on him. We will return to the Cloud Recesses immediately.”

The few that hadn’t backed down for Lan Wangji alone folded now. Jiang Cheng didn’t miss the calculating looks they shot Wei WuXian as they backed off and turned their swords toward Caiyi under Lan XiChen’s steady stare.

Jiang Cheng didn’t let down his guard or his sword once they were alone. Narrowing his eyes at the Twin Jades, he leveled his sword threateningly. “If you so much as touch him, I’ll end you.”

Lan Wangji’s expression didn’t change. Instead, his eyes slid to were Wei WuXian was sprawled on the rocks. Acutely aware he couldn’t position himself to hide Wei WuXian when his tail was stretched out across the lakeshore, Jiang Cheng lifted his sword a bit higher. Golden eyes didn’t even flick toward him, fixed on Wei WuXian. Jiang Cheng caught the way his eyes slid over scales and fluke, lingering over the delicate-looking fins at Wei WuXian’s hips that draped over the rocks like a dancers silk veil.

“Did you hear me?”

Lan Xichen stepped forward, empty hands hovering a distance away from his sides in an unthreatening gesture. “Rest easy Young Master Jiang. We will not harm your head disciple, or allow any harm to come to him.”

Jiang Cheng scoffed. “I’m just supposed to believe that? Let me guess – you’re going to ask me to return to the Cloud Recesses for this all to be resovled nice and neat.” He made no attempt to hide his sneer, using derision to hide his growing panic. He would have had trouble with just the one of them. With both jades of Lan…

Lan Wangji’s head turned. Jiang Cheng focused on him, watching as he looked back at where the other disciples had disappeared. With a satisfied hum, he turned back and met his eyes evenly.

“Wangji! Wait!” Lan Xichen called out a second too late.

Lan Wangji’s form rippled, then stretched. The change was the same too rapid to see, but just slow enough to leave an unsettling impression that Wei WuXian merging his legs into a tail, or splitting it back did whenever he watched by accident. Only, Lan Wangji did not turn into a mermaid.

Pebbles on the shore shattered with an earsplitting crack under the sudden weight, shrapnel and dust bursting around the massive, clawed talons. Jiang Cheng lowered his sword in shock.

A dragon. That was a dragon.

“Wangji….” Lan Xichen dragged on hand over his face in an intimately familiar gesture.

“I will take Wei Ying to safety.” Lan Wangji’s voice wasn’t booming like some tales he’d heard, instead it carried an undercurrent like a steel forge. The deep roar and his of the bellows, the heat and clang of a hammer pounding molten metal. The shortest tooth Jiang Cheng could see was as long as Sandu.

Without another word, Lan Wangji moved forward, so much faster than something that size should be able to move. Jiang Cheng cried out in surprise, then swung his sword. Sandu hit a scaled shoulder with a sound like two swords meeting and a shrug sent him flying. Scrambling up, Jiang Cheng spun and his heart leapt into his throat. Lan Wangji’s massive, fanged muzzle was hovering over Wei WuXian, the long whiskers stiffening and reaching out to brush against him like at curious cat as a talon of curved, predatory claws reached for him. The claws screeched over the pebbled shore, slicing rocks like they were dumplings and throwing up sparks as the dug under and up, scooping harmlessly under Wei WuXian.

Jiang Cheng had just gathered his wits to make a futile charge when Wei WuXian stirred.

His nose scrunched and he batted one hand out as if trying to grab for a blanket to drag over his head as he grumbled about it being too bright. Lan Wangji’s massive head tilted, blocking the sun with his shadow.

“Hmm. Thanks…” Wei WuXian wriggled as if settling down, then paused. His eyes flew open and darted around, taking in everything around him as his tail flicked once. His gaze settled on Lan Wangji for a long minute before a smug smile broke out over his face. “I knew it!” he reached up fearlessly and hugged the dragons muzzle. His arms didn’t reach the whole way around. “Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan! What a beautiful dragon you are!”

“Mm.” Jiang Cheng’s heart couldn’t take watching the serrated fangs parting and closing inches from Wei WuXian’s belly and exposed tail. As Wei WuXian began to wax poetic about the pearlescent scales on Lan Wangji’s hide and tug teasingly at his whiskers, Jiang Cheng turned toward Lan Xichen.

“Do you turn into one of those too?” he hoped not. His fight or flight instinct had already twisted so many times he felt nauseous.

Lan Xichen smiled, that soothingly peaceful expression back on his face as if that black look of rage had never been there. Jiang Cheng wouldn’t forget it had been anytime soon though.

“No. Not me.” he looked up at the massive beast that was his younger brother fondly. “It’s a rare trait. Skipping many generations.” he stretched out one hand and patted Lan Wangji’s side. “Wangji’s the first to be born a dragon in awhile. The elders had begun to think Lan An’s blood had diluted too far.”

“Lan An?” Jiang Cheng asked, then recalled the history. A “monk” who’d descended from an unnamed mountain and founded a sect and a family with a beautiful woman. Before he could question further, Lan Xichen clapped his hands once to draw attention to himself.

“Wangji. Take Young Master Wei to the cold spring.”

“-aw, nooooo” Wei WuXian whined from where he’d somehow stretched his entire body over Lan Wangji’s muzzle, fluke smacking deliberately against his nose as he reached for the snowy antlers rising from the crown of Lan Wangji’s head. “It’s so cold!”

As if he hadn’t heard that, Lan Xichen met Lan Wangji’s eyes. “Take the back ways. Be safe.”

“-hey wait just one minute!” Jiang Cheng started but went ignored.

“Yes brother.” With a thunderous crack of shattering stone, his wings spread. Predatory gold eyes suddenly canted down and looked at him directly. Jiang Cheng had been intimidated by Lan Wangji before, but it had nothing on this. Instead of any kind of threat – though perhaps the teeth and claws were threat enough on their own – Lan Wangji merely repeated “I will take Wei Ying to safety.” With that he sprung into the air. He’d seemed large coiled up, but the full length of his body seemed to take forever to rise into the air.

Jiang Cheng felt his breath catch as Lan Wangji rose, the sun gleaming on his scales in a rippling rainbow with his every movement. The awe of the moment was. of-course, ruined by Wei WuXian whooping and laughing like a maniac.

Lan Xichen chuckled softly, sweeping out an arm in graceful invitation when Jiang Cheng turned toward him.

“Shall we?”

Jiang Cheng joined him mounting swords and followed behind him as he took off, noting Lan Xichen was taking a path that would draw attention away from where Lan Wangji had taken Wei WuXian and also ensure they didn’t meet the other disciples.

Still suspicious, he called out “You are going to explain all of this.”

“Of course!” Lan Xichen smiled good-naturedly.

Jiang Cheng had the feeling that this trip to Gusu was about to become more trouble than it was worth.

*****

I wanted it to be longer, but I don’t have any ideas for where to go next, so here it is.

EDIT: forgot to title it. It’s terrible and made up on the spot, but something. Don’t judge me.

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