CH21 – Nightmare city

The flight to Nightless City was silent as Wei Ying and Lan Zhan steadily travelled on Bichen. As they had done many times Lan Zhan stood in front, effectively controlling the speed and pitch of the sword as it sped through the air. Wei Ying had his arms wrapped round his husband. But were as before it would have normally given him comfort and warmth being so close, today he just felt the cold aura seeping from Lan Zhan's body, through his clothing into his own. Lan Zhan hadn't said anything when he had mentioned them going ahead while the others travelled to the other Clan's, he hadn't anything as everyone had packed anything they thought could possibly be helpful to take with them on this mission. He hadn't even said a word when he had stepped up on Bichen behind him, wrapping his arms around him like many times before. Although unlike those many times before when he felt like he was intimately hugging his loving husband, now it just felt like he was hugging a lifelike ice sculpture of the same man.

Wei Ying couldn't remember silence around Lan Zhan ever being so awkward. It seemed the closer they got to their destination the more rigid and unyielding his posture seemed to get. Wei Ying had tried to speak to him…..explain everything….apologise…...beg even…...but Lan Zhan was just ignoring him completely. Wei Ying sighed inwardly. He wasn't able to break this new wall his husband had built around himself, certainly not in mid air. He would have to wait until they had landed and try once again to break through to Lan Zhan. Try to make him understand that although he didn't know the outcome of what was going to happen….he wasn't going their to die like last time. This time he had a reason to fight, to live, and the man in front him was that reason.

Jiang Cheng, Jin Ling and SiZhui had already travelled to the few nearest Sects. Cutting off the cores where needed and using the criteria the group had come up with to probe people cores. They had to be young enough to have been poisoned without showing immediate signs, as well as high enough up in the Sect to be able to unknowingly poison others, even those of high rank. This limited the amount of people to check, and along with what HanGuang Jun had taught them they were able to sense the differences required.

It didn't take long to find people which fit all the criteria and had the same sense of poison in their cores. Then a problem presented itself which no one had really considered before. How to get these youths from their respective homes all the way to Nightless City? Travelling by sword would waste too much time and energy, they wouldn't be able to reach all the affected Sects with just the three of them. But if they had any hope of turning this situation around, Wei Ying needed these men. Eventually after Jiang Cheng had thought of…...and abandoned…...a fair few ideas of his own, a Lan butterfly appeared in front of his hand. Reaching out to take it, the butterfly landed gently in his palm, and as if it was speaking directly into his mind he heard Lan SiZhui's voice say.

'Sect Master Jiang, ZeWu Jun has an idea how to get everyone to the city'

Nightless City came into view. The looming, almost red, mountain appeared first beneath the clouds. Followed by the roof of what had been the stronghold of the Wen Sect. The columns from this height looked small, like twigs, but Wei Ying knew in reality they were huge and solid. This stronghold had been attacked not only during the Sunshot campaign but also many times since then by Sects who hated the very idea of its existence. Not only that but after its abandonment nature had stepped in to reclaim what had once been taken. Yet still the mighty fortress still stood, still refused to yield to those who wanted it to crumble. It might have been built by one of the most evil and hated Sects in history but Wei Ying had to admit, even if it was just deep down, that the city was close to indestructible.

Landing gently in what had once been the main square Wei Ying stepped off of Bichen and turned to face Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan always had a blank look on his face, giving nothing away of the emotions churning underneath, but today it seemed carved not from beautiful jade but from solid ice. Wei Ying reached out to grab Lan Zhan's hand only to have to snatch it back as Bichen whistled past on it way to its sheath. Finally out of patience Wei Ying shouted in annoyance.

'HEY!…...do you plan on ignoring me for the rest of our lives?'

Grimacing at his tone, after all he was meant to be reassuring Lan Zhan not shouting at him, Wei Ying took a breath but didn't back down. Lan Zhan stopped where he stood but didn't turn around, his back ramrod straight, all his muscles tense.

'You have been ignoring me for over a day! You didn't even want to share the same bed with me last night…...yes I'm not an idiot I noticed. Now you arn't even going to look at me!…...Fine then…...I'm not sure I'm in mood to look at you either right now!'

Wei Ying's confusion, desperation and temper had finally gotten the best of him as he turned and almost ran up the steps to the main building. His heart hurt, his head hurt, everything hurt. He just wanted to run away from this whole place and never look back. Did everyone think he WANTED to come back to this place. Hell last time he was here his own brother had killed him, it wasn't exactly a memory he wanted to recall. Everyone was acting as if he had made this choice just to torture them. To make them relive the nightmare that went on that day. What about the nightmare he hadn't gone through? He was the one who had been hunted like an animal, seen his sister die and then died himself. He hadn't made this choice at all, he was forced into it. If he didn't come here thousands would die, did they think that was better!

He hadn't realised he was speaking aloud until a strong hand clamped itself on his upper arm. Already being in full rant and not paying any attention on his surroundings the contact startled him and he spun round to face the pale face of Lan Zhan staring at him. His eyes where unblinking but tinged with red, the small drops of water on his cheeks the only indication he had been crying. Lan Zhan's other had reached up and with his thumb wiped away tears from Wei Ying's own cheeks. He didn't even know when he had begun to cry himself. Both men looked into each others red rimmed eyes for a moment until Lan Zhan spoke up.

'I'm sorry' He said slowly 'I don't know how to deal with this.'

Wei Ying rested his hand upon his husbands, only now realising it was shaking slightly.

'You don't have to be sorry.' He began is just as slow and gentle voice as Lan Zhan had been speaking, almost as if speaking to loudly right now would shatter one of them. 'You need to be honest with me. Do you think I don't know you have nightmares about this place, about me falling? I hear you calling for me in your sleep, apologising over and over for letting me go that day, for not protecting me properly.' Lan Zhan lowered his head but Wei Ying hooked his fingers under his chin and raised it again forcing the other man to look at him. 'Lan Zhan that day there was no other way out for me! But today there is, today I have something, someone to fight for. To live for!. I can't promise I will win but I can promise I will do everything in my power to go home with you.'

Tears continued down Lan Zhan's cheeks as Wei Ying spoke. He could only manage a few broken words in response.

'I'm sorry…...I doubted you….I promised I would never doubt you'

Wei Ying moved his free hand to Lan Zhan's cheek as he spoke.

'Stop saying sorry and you never doubted me. Your the one person who always believed in me. Even in this place the first time when i didn't believe in myself, you never stopped! It's just this place can make anyone believe up is down.'

Lan Zhan hugged Wei Ying hard. Both men embraced for long minutes, both needing the reassurance of the other. Neither wanting to break the physical contact they had been missing for what seemed like a lifetime. Just as he was about to gather all his strength and actually break the contact Wei Ying heard a muffled sound come from his shoulder.

'You live, I live. You die, I die. Whatever happens today we do it together.'

Soon people began to arrive and once again the desolate city began to have life back in it, but this time the people aimed to save lives instead of destroy them. The first that arrived was Jiang Cheng with an unconscious man on his sword with him. Next was Jing Ling, quickly followed by SiZhui, although they both were growing into their power rapidly they were not strong enough yet to carry a second person, at least for this great a distance.

As soon as Jiang Cheng arrived he froze, images, emotions and memories flooding back. The man he had been holding up would have tumbled unceremoniously to the floor if Lan Zhan hadn't bee close enough to catch him. For once though Lan Zhan didn't look at Jiang Cheng like he was someone to be hated, pitied or ignored. The look in his eyes was one of understanding as he lifted the man and walked away.

'Brother'

Wei Ying spoke quietly as he walked up and rested his hand on his brothers shoulder. Jiang Cheng simply stared into the empty space. His eyes already watering at the memories tormenting his mind. Wei Ying could only wrap his arms around his younger brother in an attempt to share that loss and sorrow. Jiang Cheng seemed to snap out of his daydream enough to see Wei Ying's own still red eyes. As if by some telepathic communication, both brothers simply nodded and embraced each other, welcoming the connection in such a place as this.

Neither man had noticed Jin Ling land behind them. It was the first time he had been to Nightless City but of course he had heard all the stories about it. It was the place where everyone stood together to kill the mighty and evil YiLing Patriarch, It was the place where thousands of cultivators died both fighting the Wen and Wei WuXian. But most importantly to him, it was the place where his mother had died. Died protecting the brother she had never stopped believing in, and the place his other uncle had killed his elder brother. As a child he had always dreamed of the YiLing Patriarch and the Wen as monsters, of this place as some kind of hell were only the most evil imaginable would dare enter. But looking around it was just a normal place, bigger than most but still normal. And his Uncle Wei was a normal man. Standing here now Jin Ling could not help but gasp at the fact that when he was little more than a little older than he was now, his Uncle Wei had already been vilified to the point where he ended his own life.

'This is where you died!' A voice came from behind him and all three men turned.

SiZhui stood, sword still hanging unsheathed in his hand as he gazed upon the cold stone mountain of a building. Upon seeing both the youngsters both Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng broke apart quickly. Jiang Cheng moved to Jin Ling's side as Wei Ying moved to SiZhui's. Both the youngsters seemed to be starting at the place they had only heard stories and legends of.

'This is where your sister died and your brother killed you!'

SiZhui wasn't really speaking to him but Wei Ying took his son's hand in his own and whispered in a surprising peaceful and gentle voice.

'Yes it was'

'You were my age?'

SiZhui looked lost, as if being in the physical space was somehow making the stories real all of a sudden. Wei Ying nodded gently before guiding his son over to his nephew so he could speak to them both at once.

'Yes I was not much older than your age when my life ended here and yes Jiang Cheng killed me. But listen it was a different time and a different world back then, although we were no older than you physically we were much older than you mentally. But none of us wants to relive such things so I will just tell you this. When all three of us, Jiang Cheng, Lan Zhan and I, where already your age we had been fighting for years. We had all already been on the brink of dying a few times because of the Wen. And its a time we have all been working very hard for our sons and nephews have to go through to.'

'Can't we destroy it?' Jin Ling asked

'No!' Lan Zhan's authoritative voice appeared from one of the buildings. 'The memories will still be there even if the buildings are not. This city only holds pain for our generation.' he nodded from Wei Ying to Jiang Cheng as he spoke. 'but hopefully after what we do today, it will hold a little hope for yours.'

Wei Ying felt his eyes watering up again as hands wrapped around his waist holding him close. Looking at the two youngsters he managed to get out.

'How are the others getting here?'

Thankful for the change of subject Jiang Cheng spoke up, one hand still reassuringly set on Jin Ling's shoulder.

'We don't know. ZeWu Jun is sorting that out.!'

The three older men began speaking while the two younger ones just stared at the scenery and then at each other, both sharing the same thought. They had been raised learning that this place was a hell on earth, but if the memories of what happened here where painful enough to have all three strong men crying it must be a city of nightmares indeed.