Wen Reian

2019 years after The Long Night

Xibù Shataar

“L-Lan Kai-Le?! Are you… are you sure this is a good idea?”

Reian got no response, the hunter just kept glancing around, gaze flickering over every tree and shrub, as if tracking something that Wen Rei couldn’t see.

The healer frowned. Ever since finding out who it was they needed to talk to, Kai-Le hadn’t said more than a few words to him, and even less to the poor boy, A’Qin, who so desperately wanted to accompany them. Lan Kai-Le was silently adamant that he remain in the city, though it wasn’t clear why. If Kai-Le really thought that The Wanderers were so dangerous that he didn’t want the boy from tagging along, well, Wen Reian wasn’t so sure he should be here either!

Despite all that, despite whatever they might face, he still had to get answers. Reian followed the silent man all the way back north into the forest, continuously questioning and complaining at their lack of a plan, both out loud and in his head.

There is no way anything good will come of this, he kept thinking bitterly. Not after they find out Lan Kai-Le and I are responsible for hurting their men!

Just then a flicker caught both of their attention and before Reian knew what was happening, Lan Kai-Le was stepping in front of him, blocking his view of the handful of strangers that were steadily converging on them.

A dozen turned to two dozen, and Wen Reian’s heart filled with dread as he really saw first hand how outnumbered they were...

Gods, this must not come down to a fight! I have to stop it-

Attempting to push past Lan Kai-Le, Reian only got so far before he was roughly yanked back, the hunter not hurting him per se, but definitely getting on his nerves.

As he glared up at the much taller man, irritated at being pushed around again, they suddenly heard a deep chuckle come from the center of the group.

A man walked out; his thick, wheat-colored hair tied back in a knot, and his deep-set eyes almost reminiscent of Jin Songcai’s… blue, full of secrets.

This person stared at the two of them with traces of humor and recognition on his handsomely-aged face. His people all watched him, waiting for the man to decide their next move, though it seemed to Reian that this man would not want their meeting to come to a battle either. He likely wants to protect his people too...

“A Shataarian man with spears instead of swords, and another possessing a touch like a poison-tipped blade.” The man said slowly, “You wouldn’t be the ones we were warned about, hmm?”

Lan Kai-Le, still standing in front of Reian, seemed to shiver but then the healer realized it was because he might be holding back from doing something potentially very violent.

Wen Reian immediately, without thinking, put his hand on the hunter’s arm, trying to calm him somehow, though it was probably impossible for Kai-Le to feel anything since his aura was sealed.

Reian swallowed his nervousness and spoke as calmly as he could-

“Surely you wouldn’t argue that our first meeting with your people was less than fair. Can you blame us for using self-defense?”

For a moment the man said nothing, and Reian wondered if he’d said the wrong thing, then he heard a soft laugh amongst the crowd, slowly making its way around their ranks until a smile tugged at the edge of their leader’s lips. Finally, with a nod the man replied.

“I concede if I know I am beaten. If you went against my men and they didn’t survive, I can’t say anything,” then he frowned.

“But why have you come to seek us again? Surely you wouldn’t argue that it might not be in your best interest…”

This time, to Reian’s surprise and also gratitude, Lan Kai-Le was the one who spoke up. As he did, Wen Reian almost wanted to bury his face in his hands and weep, for it was unlikely that The Wanderers had any idea what on earth the man was trying to say!

“Xie Xingyue…” the hunter said darkly.

It wasn’t until Reian stopped cringing that he realized the looks The Wanderers were sharing were clearly because they recognized the name! Their leader seemed to think for a moment, then he scowled.

“It doesn’t surprise me that his bad luck has caught up to him at last… why? What’s he to you?”

Reian stepped forward, ignoring Lan Kai-Le’s little huff of disapproval.

“He has committed an act of war against the Kings of Hêi’àn City, by abducting the Princess,” then Reian paused. “And other atrocities-”

He could feel Kai-Le’s posture soften slightly…

The Wanderers exchanged looks, then the leader gazed up and down at Reian, which only fueled his nervousness.

“You are Wen Reian, aren’t you?”

Blinking, all he could do was nod.

“Make a deal with us,” the man said. “And we will tell you everything we know about Xie Xingyue and his soldiers. And where they took your Princess.”

Reian didn’t even stop to think. He reached out his hand, at the same time as he was uttering ‘deal’ so fast it seemed he took The Wanderers by surprise. They laughed again and Reian blushed as he tried to hold his ground.

“Don’t you want to know what we want from you first?” The man grinned.

Wen Rei swallowed and shook his head. Whatever it is, for A’Jun I will do it.

“Very well,” their leader said. “Follow us…”

Wen Reian stole a nervous glance back at Lan Kai-Le, but the hunter was just watching him evenly. Reian could tell that he was behaving himself. If The Wanderers were leading them into a trap (which Reian really doubted since they’d already had them cornered, so why would they bother) Lan Kai-Le would definitely make the first move.

For some reason, having the hunter following closely behind him, practically so close Reian could feel his hot breath on the back of his neck, made him feel at ease.

It’s only because I’d rather have someone with me now, someone who knows a thing or two about fighting. Just in case. Hopefully it won’t come to that. I suppose it does depend on what they want me to do-

At last, after several minutes, they entered a part of the forest where a small, make-shift campground had been constructed. It was homey and messy, and it was full.

Reian and Kai-Le both froze momentarily as they took in the little village of people; old and young, all going about their day and even laughing and playing with one another.

A few looked up at their leader when they saw he had returned, then their gazes found Reian and his very intimidating friend. Wen Reian met the eyes of some older men and women, all kneeling around a huge fire-pit, plucking the feathers off of some birds, and washing clothes in a basin. It reminded Reian of Jingshen a little bit, those long months that he’d spent busying himself with work and chores, until he eventually moved to Hei’an City.

A few little kids paused their game of chase as they were so distracted by the new visitors. A young boy, hardly four years old, dropped his ball and blinked huge brown eyes as it rolled all the way to Reian’s feet with a light thud.

Before Reian could even think to reach down and pick it up, or even offer the child a reassuring smile, the healer was watching in astonishment as Lan Kai-Le bent down on one knee, retrieved the toy, and held it out to the child gently.

Wen Reian had never seen the man do anything gently before, he almost didn’t recognize him! But as the little boy approached them, Wen Rei watched the obvious softening in the hunter’s golden eyes, the way Lan Kai-Le seemed to hunch his shoulders so he appeared smaller, non-threatening...

Reian was more than speechless, unable to even breathe correctly until he heard the leader’s voice calling for him through the loud silence.

“You have a patient. Through here,”

Wen Reian blinked. He looked one last time down at Lan Kai-Le, who was tilting his head ever-so-curiously at the clearly very shy little boy.

Reian left Kai-Le there, deciding there was no danger of him doing something unheard of at the current moment. He followed the clan leader quickly inside one of the many tents and huts, and as Reian stepped inside he was immediately struck by the familiar energy of someone whose aura wasn’t quite right. And not just that… They were very, very sick. Poisoned, there was no mistaking that feeling.

Wen Reian looked down. On the floor was a woman kneeling by the bedside of a little girl, perhaps only a few years younger than Song-jun. The girl had ashy, pale skin, dark purple eyelids, and seemed as if she was struggling through every breath.

Reian heard the leader say softly, “My daughter… if you heal her, I will give you whatever you want.”

Before he’d even begun to speak, Wen Reian had bent down, settling on his knees and reaching a hand out for the girl’s wrist. The woman by her side, face streaked with tears, seemed to startle when she saw him, glaring and batting Reian’s hand away.

“A’Mira, he can help her.” The clan leader said.

Reian decided A’Mira must be the girl’s mother, so he bowed his head and didn’t reach out again, instead closing his eyes and focusing first on isolating the poison in the girl’s system. Whatever had done it was some sort of toxic plant or herb, likely only fatal to the girl because of her age and the apparent weakness of her heart.

Reian frowned, feeling the thin walls of her heart and the strings around it, like sharp wires, tangled together like a net. She was probably born with some sort of defect. Before he could work on that though, he had to get the poison out of her body...

I hate stuff like this, I can always taste the bitterness in my mouth for days after I’ve healed someone with this kind of sickness-

Reian calmed himself first. He often heard Songcai’s voice in his head when he was healing, and the man was telling him now to ground himself, in preparation for connecting to the girl’s soul and body.

Before he could make the link however, a commotion outside made his eyes flicker open, and then he watched as a winded, wide-eyed young man peaked his head in and exchanged frantic words with the clan leader. Reian watched the man sigh, and then glance down to him.

“It seems your friend is getting impatient. Is there any way you can calm him down?”

Wen Rei blinked. Lan Kai-Le?! No, he barely even knew how to calm himself down in a situation like this.

Reian ended up muttering softly, “It might help if he could come inside. I’ll keep an eye on him, don’t worry…”

After seeming to weigh all his options, the man nodded and then returned a moment later with Lan Kai-Le following closely behind. The moment Reian met his eyes, he felt his breath catch in his throat.

Lan Kai-Le was wild-eyed, clearly startled… the worry lines on his forehead had returned again and for some reason they made him look younger, more human.

Reian didn’t understand why Kai-Le would be so worried, except then the hunter’s gaze traveled over him, once. Twice, and then again. As Kai-Le seemed to find nothing amiss with Wen Reian, he gradually relaxed.

In that moment, Reian had the sudden wish to be able to reach out and feel whatever confusing thing Lan Kai-Le felt in that moment. But he knew it was impossible. What wasn’t, and what he needed to do as soon as possible, was heal the chief’s daughter.

Lan Kai-Le stood at the mouth of the tent. Reian felt his eyes on him as he took several deep breaths, and then found a stable connection to the little girl. Despite her body being weak, her aura was very strong. That made things easier for him...

While healing, Reian was not aware of time. He was not aware of sound, or anything outside of the shapes, colors, and sensations of the inner-world of his patient.

He used to love watching someone’s colors slowly go back to normal (normal for them, as everyone was different) and he once thought of healing as his calling. Something he was born to do.

Now, it was still wonderful, a good and worthwhile experience of course. But Reian had stopped feeling like he had been born for some greater purpose a long time ago.

As he drew the poison out of her, the girl finally seemed able to draw more air into her lungs. The sudden rush of oxygen made Reian dizzy, so he compensated. A few moments later, it was clear that whatever had poisoned her had done lasting damage on her already frail heart.

I need to be careful here. Hearts, like auras, are curious things. If I work too fast, too slow, too gentle, or not intense enough, it might all go wrong-

As if introducing himself to her at last, Reian shaped his own aura into something… for lack of a better term, easy to swallow.

He spent as long as the girl needed, waiting and holding space for her, inside their bodies and souls, and found that it was a very comforting place to be. She reminded Reian of A’Jun, and being so connected to her now was letting him recall all the many times he had healed the young Princess over the years.

Then Songcai was in his head again-

Focus, Reian. Don’t get distracted...

With such a stable, trusting base between the two of them, the healer finally got to work; curing the girl’s heart of the lesions that the poison had caused, then helping her to strengthen the walls of the muscle.

As always, a mutual experience, Wen Rei felt his own heart warming, beating strongly in his chest and feeling as if little butterflies were giving kisses to it, their wings as gentle as a summer breeze as they fluttered by...

“A’Ma?!”

When sounds at last came back to Reian, that was when he knew they were done. He withdrew his aura from the girl as slowly as he could, while also making sure he left enough residual energy to help her recovery, which could take at least a few hours.

As he opened his eyes, feeling as if he’d just slept fifteen years, and also run the distance from Jingshén to Hêi’àn City at the same time, Wen Rei’s first sight was the girl’s mother, weeping through a huge smile and hugging her daughter, whose eyes had also opened.

Reian caught the girl’s dark eyes, and within them was a familiar warmth, like the butterfly wings. He knew that she recognized him too… they always do-

“You’re awake!”

The chief was then there beside them, his eyes shining with tears as he held his wife’s hand and stared at his daughter.

After swallowing a few times, the girl said weakly; “Thirsty…”

The man laughed and when he turned to Reian, the healer didn’t have the heart anymore to be overly curious about the information he’d been promised. He gave the man a soft nod and said with much sincerity-

“She will be fully recovered tomorrow. You have my word,”

The man wiped the tears from his eyes, then surprised Reian by shaking his hand, rambling on about how grateful he was and how he was glad the rumors about him

were true...

“Everyone says Jin Songcai is the best healer in the world. You must really be his disciple, Wen Reian. I can’t thank you enough!”

Reian bit the inside of his cheek, thinking to himself; yeah you could say that. Disciple, friend… lover-

His heart ached at the memory of those days, so long ago. When Yi-jun and Songcai had both been his in every way. Much had changed in the last decade, but his love for both men hadn’t.

“Stay with us tonight,” the chief raised him to his feet with a huge grin. Reian thought that happiness seemed to suit the man.

“You shall be my guests of honor. Whatever you wish, you will have! And you have my word, we know how to celebrate!”

Wen Reian caught Lan Kai-Le’s eye as he was ushered out of the tent by the chief, who was already going about giving orders and having people start to make enough food and drink for a small army.

Lan Kai-Le’s gaze filled Reian up, with… something. Some odd feeling that he knew was unique to the man. Every time Reian felt it, he had to take a few seconds, like his heart and soul couldn’t believe that Lan Kai-Le was really standing there, having no outward signs of light or life, only a shadow.

Wen Reian sat that night by the bonfire, next to this shadow...

Lan Kai-Le accepted the food from The Wanderers, warily glancing over at Reian before eating, messily and to the point where Reian had to look away.

“Slow down!” He cried, grimacing. “You’re not being force-fed, take your time!”

Kai-Le perked up suddenly as they both heard the sounds of a flute being played, and then the shrill calls and laughter of The Wanderers, the darkness of the night mingling in their blood with the freshly made wine they’d brought out, causing them to dance and sing. It was hauntingly beautiful. It was strange. It was everything that worried and intrigued Reian about Lan Kai-Le.

He watched the hunter in the light of the flames as the man stared at the sight before them with all the wonder of a child.

Reian missed his family. He missed A’Jun, and he missed himself-

But here, with these strangers and a man who still had flakes of blood on his hands and only a shadow to his name, the healer felt that time had stopped once again.