Wei Ying didn’t want to admit it but the tonic did make him feel much better. The downside was, when Hui Gai returned, there was now two people watching him as if he was made out of glass.

They walked past the stone giant and in many places the grasses were too tall, with thorny weeds hiding in the undergrowth. Lan Zhan was first, hacking his way through the greenery and forging a new path for the others to follow.

Hui Gai was right behind Wei Ying’s back and the latter thought multiple times, he should stop suddenly and let the Demon bang into him...

All around them were huge trees, the likes of which Wei Ying had never seen before, and their thick foliage crowded the sky, preventing sunlight from casting its rays through their leaves.

It left a sort of muffled green light to surround them, and reminded Wei Ying of what it felt like breathing under water for the first time.

Some leaves were spiked, some furry, others had heart-shaped leaves, star-shaped leaves and long spidery ones too. Thick leaves and soft leaves, ones that resembled animal footprints and then, there was the bark on their trunks.

Mostly brown like the trees in Gusu, but there was a cluster of silver bark trees growing in a huddle. Strange flowers had sprouted in clutches too, wild and colourful and these Wei Ying bounded towards, his curiosity getting out of control. It was Lan Zhan who held him back now, worried about his health.

"Do you think it was the picking up of the insects?" Lan Zhan asked Hui Gai referring to Wei Ying's symptoms, whilst grabbing his hand to keep him still and not run away to whatever else had captured his attention.

"Er..." Wei Ying tried to say his theory.

"You're right, that could be a possibility." Hui Gai took over, scratching his chin.

"He was the only one who touched them." Lan Zhan went on, his golden eyes serious.

Wei Ying whined, wanting to twist out of his grip, but Lan Zhan was tenaciously holding on.

"He doesn't have a fever..." Hui Gai speculated.

"No. Just fatigue." Lan Zhan replied.

"And less coordination." Hui Gai added, counting on his spiked fingers.

"Forgot about that one." Lan Zhan put it on his mental list.

Wei Ying growled...

"And temper issues...he didn't want to take his medicine..." Hui Gai side-eyed him.

"No, he's always been like that with medication."

"Is that why Little Rabbit is like that too?" Hui Gai felt as if a mystery had been resolved by this revelation.

"Mn. You could be right." Lan Zhan hissed as Wei Ying, who'd had enough of all this, bit Lan Zhan’s wrist, hoping his hold would loosen.

But Lan Zhan merely swapped out his hands, and licked the place that Wei Ying had placed his teeth upon, albeit none too hard.

Wei Ying pouted.

Utterly delighted, Lan Zhan kissed the top of his head, and they went on further into the dense wood.

"We're supposed to find that plant. Jiyi Huifu." Wei Ying said, sulking.

"We will." Lan Zhan told him, quite happy now that it looked like Wei Ying was back to normal.

"It's got orange leaves."

"Mn."

"And pink flowers."

"Mn."

"Why are you being like this?" Wei Ying stopped walking.

Hui Gai diplomatically went on ahead.

"Like what?" Lan Zhan asked him, cautiously.

"Like...like..." Wei Ying tried to explain...but there really wasn't anything he could put his finger on. "Weird." He finished.

"I do not mean to be." Lan Zhan reassured him.

"Really?" Wei Ying only slightly mollified, kicked a random stone.

"Mn. Really." Lan Zhan tugged on his hand and brought him closer.

He wrapped his free hand around Wei Ying's body and pulled him into a tighter embrace. He inhaled deeply the fragrance of lotus flowers so beloved by him...but this time, there was something slightly different about it.

There was a change...deep within the normally sweet scent...something like an aftertaste...just different.

Lan Zhan ignored it and kissed his hair.

"I was worried about Wei Ying." He admitted.

Wei Ying was silent for a few minutes.

"I know..." He said, finally. "But look....I'm alright!" He leaned back and showed Lan Zhan his wrists, turning them in circles.

"Mn." Lan Zhan agreed easily.

Wei Ying beamed at him then, and seemed to forget about being out of sorts earlier.

He swung their hand together as they ventured further in.

Quite suddenly, as they came out of a particularly dense group of trees, having had to squeeze through their tightly packed trunks because Wei Ying was adamant they weren't cutting any down, the landscape totally changed.

To their left, a huge wide lake appeared, surrounded by the tall mountains, and to their right, a massive gaping hole, dark and foreboding rose up in the side of a cliff face.

Apart from the birds chirping merrily away in the forest behind them, there was only peace and the sound of the breeze as it whispered through the leaves behind them.

The waters of the lake shone bright blue and near the edge at least, they were crystal clear. Smooth round pebbles of different sizes and colours, greys and mottled blues littered the shore. The sunlight was almost blinding reflecting off the surface of the lake.

Wei Ying had to shield his eyes as he looked across the vast lake.

"It's so beautiful..." He murmured.

"Mn."

"One...two and three..." Wei Ying turned around to look but the forest was in the way.

His sigh was one of frustration, as his thoughts were calculating, piecing together everything they had learned about this place before ever setting a foot outside of Gusu.

And then suddenly, his wings shot out from his back and before Lan Zhan could say a word of protest,  he flew up into the blue, blue sky to see if his speculation was true.

************

A/N

Dear lovely readers,

I must tell you that I need to also write for the other books I'm in the middle of...luckily it's the weekend and hopefully I can write more, but I'm going to be taken out tonight...sigh. they've said, I should be taken outside of my comfort zone... kicking and screaming...I think...but anyway...

Have a fabulous Saturday and I hope it's filled with chocolate 🍫🍫🍫

Hopefully you won't have to wait too long...

Charlie