Su Lan

1304 years after The Long Night

Xi Qiáng Forest

Even this far west, smoke clung to the lungs and watered the eyes. Ash was raining from treetops, scattered in the wind as it was carried all the way from the ruins of Hêi’àn City. Staring out over the horizon, Su Lan watched the sun rise. He glared at it, wondering why the Gods would feel the need to cast such light on a day as dark as this.

Beside him, The Usurper; Meng Bai, slowly stroked the oily feathers of his hawk. The creature rested on his shoulder, tilting its head towards the rustle of branches and calling out in a shrill voice-

Su Lan winced, “Can you make it be quiet? There’s no need for this torture.”

Meng Bai’s hard face remained unchanged. His hair was slicked back tightly, worn in a long tail, and Su Lan decided that he quite resembled his bird. Certainly those piercing eyes were akin in every way…

Meng Bai’s voice finally shattered the silence as he said; “Torture is exactly why you are here. Remember who you work for, demon. I will have no mistakes today.”

Su Lan was quiet as the man gestured for his guards to bring the prisoner.

I know whose side I’m on, Su Lan repeated to himself again. My own-

“Su Lan!” Yi-jun cried

“Hold him-“

“Wait, don’t let them do this!”

Watching his old friend be carried roughly by the guards, Su Lan knew there was only one choice. He caught Xie Yi-jun’s eye only once before the man was blindfolded, tied with his hands behind his back against the post they’d staked into the ground.

As Meng Bai laughed cruelly at the fallen hero, remnants of his broken kingdom snowed down upon everyone, as if to highlight the true scope of the destruction.

“Su Lan!” Yi-jun continued to beg, “I have a message for Songcai. Before you kill me, please hear it!”

Meng Bai stopped laughing, his eyes turning sharper than that of his hawk.

“Go on, speak!”

“I’ll only speak it to Su Lan.”

Meng Bai probably couldn’t tell but Su Lan knew Xie Yi-jun quite well, or he used to. He could see that the man had already loosened one of his hands from the binds.

Approaching carefully, Su Lan took in the disheveled appearance of his former King. Skin burned in places, covered in soot and blood. His dark hair had come out of its usual braids and was singed at the ends by the fire that had scorched his city…

Everything about him said he was on his last legs. But Yi-jun would never give up. He used to say “only death will stop me… and maybe not even then-”

“I will get your message to Jin Songcai,” Su Lan said.

Leaning in closer to hear Yi-jun’s last words, he was prepared when the man suddenly yanked one arm free and swung it out. In a split second, he had Yi-jun’s fist trapped in his grip, and the man still wasn’t backing down-

“Guards!” Meng Bai barked.

“No need...”

Exerting a fraction of the force he’d normally use, Su Lan pushed, hearing the pained groans of Xie Yi-jun and the snapping of his bones as the arm was forced back and held in place by Su Lan’s magic.

Panting, his head hung down, Xie Yi-jun was still fighting to the last breath-

“Damn you Meng Bai!” He shouted, “Damn you and your pet Su Lan to hell!”

“I’m not interested in prolonging his suffering,” Meng Bai sighed, as if he had better things to do.

“Make it quick, and make it permanent.”

Su Lan only nodded. Yi-jun was heaving with effort as he tried everything to escape, but the magic that held him was infallible.

Su Lan leaned even closer this time, aware that his friend wasn’t going anywhere.

“Do you really have a message for Songcai? If so, I will deliver it.”

Yi-jun first sent a surge of curses at him, spit flying from his mouth, then he seemed to recall his lover…

Su Lan watched as the man’s shoulders hunched even more. He nodded.

“Tell me,”

Placing his ear beside Yi-jun’s lips, he received the words, each and every one ringing true and touching what remained of his heart.

Certain he’d find the young healer on the battlefield in Hêi’àn City, he promised he would deliver the message when they returned.

Yi-jun smiled faintly, perhaps remembering times spent with those he loved. Or maybe praying that those people would be safe after today…

Su Lan had the same prayers.

“It won’t hurt, A’Jun.” He said softly, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder.

He could feel Meng Bai’s eagle-eyes on his back, so he let go.

Yi-jun sighed softly, “It’s been a long time since you’ve called me that. Perhaps in our next lives we will meet again under different circumstances.”

“Perhaps-”

“The first thing I’ll do is kill you.”

Su Lan smiled, knowing Yi-jun was saying that because of fear.

“Before I leave you,” Su Lan whispered. “I must tell you something very important.”

Yi-jun raised his head…

Feeling the magic he must use on his friend starting to thicken in his blood, anticipating being used, Su Lan clenched his fists, channeling all his energy into controlling it. Whispering to the former King, he reached out with a shaking finger and lightly touched his cheek…

Where he did, Xie Yi-jun’s pale and ashen face became cold, grey. The man turning to stone right before his eyes, while he still breathed-

“After Jin Songcai receives your message, he will come here. He will touch you. And with your lover’s touch, you will breathe again. That is my last gift, A’Jun.”

As the magic spread, Su Lan watched Yi-jun taking in his words. The man smiled softly, a smile of pure gratitude, pure hope.

Seconds later the smile was set in stone, as the rest of his body and clothes turned solid and cold. A living statue in the middle of the forest...

Su Lan let out the breath he’d been holding in, the warmth of the early morning settling upon his cheek and feeling like an undeserved blessing.

“A fitting end to a useless King,” Meng Bai chuckled darkly.

“Now all who hear your name will remember Xie Yi-jun; The Pebble Who Tried to Move a Mountain.”

Turning away and following Meng Bai and his soldiers, not daring a glance back at Yi-jun, Su Lan was eager to get back to Hêi’àn City. He would find Jin Songcai, deliver Yi-jun’s final words and direct him to this forest. If all went well, the two could start a new life somewhere far away, grow old together and never return…

“All troops to move by nightfall! South, as the eagle flies-”

Meng Bai’s orders were echoed with a lot of “Yes My King,” but Su Lan froze.

“South?” He questioned, “Are we not returning to Hêi’àn? What about the soldiers stationed there?”

Meng Bai was distracted shouting orders to a few others, only a nearby soldier heard Su Lan and answered him proudly.

“Don’t you know?” He grinned.

“Know what?”

“The Hông Zhuí Attack was successful! All the rebels were wiped out last night-“

Su Lan’s heart stopped. As stone-cold in his chest as the King’s.

He grabbed the soldier roughly-

“Hông Zhuí?! You mean it exploded?”

“Yes! Just as His Royal Highness instructed-“

“But what of the people there? What happened to all the people?!”

The soldier just shrugged and pushed him away, calling mindlessly; “They drowned in the ashes! Gods Bless The True King!”

Su Lan’s mind spun. Not only had Meng Bai’s wild plan to erupt the volcano in Hêi’àn succeeded, but he’d gone through with it knowing it was his own men he was killing in the process.

The survivors of the last few weeks’ massacre that were taking shelter in the ruins had done nothing to provoke this! Meng Bai proved his ruthless insanity today; slaughtering innocents who’d surrendered, as well as his own people as they returned from the battle he forced them to fight.

And Su Lan could only choke back tears as he recalled his unkept promise to Yi-jun…

At least the poor boy never knew of his lover’s death.

But now there was no way to awaken the old King. He would be a stone forever, by Su Lan’s hand. His last gift would never be delivered-

“Weeping with joy, I see?”

Spinning to be face to face with Meng Bai, Su Lan blinked the stray tears from his eyes and nodded through the tightness in his throat. Praying his confusion and sorrow wasn’t visible on his face, the man cleared his throat and spoke evenly.

“I have delivered on my end of our bargain,” he said.

Meng Bai’s lips twitched in a sort of thin, lopsided smirk…

Su Lan continued, “I will take what I am owed and be on my way.”

The King clicked his tongue thoughtfully, eyes lowering to his feet as if bored. Su Lan felt his magic rising in his veins again as he sensed the two figures approaching from behind-

“Su Lan, pet…” the King grinned.

“You will get all you are owed.”