it was a subtle shift, a tension in the soft bodies huddled in the warren living in the meadows behind the jìngshì. soft chubby cottonballs that usually jostled for his attention were suddenly still. pink noses twitching rapidly, long ears pivoted not toward him, but toward the deeper shadows of the back hills. lán wàngjī’s hand, which had been offering lettuce leaves and carrots, froze. a faint, acrid tang of disturbance that should have no place within the boundaries of the cloud recesses.
lán wàngjī rose in a single, swift motion, the vegetables left on the ground for his warren. bìchén at the ready in his hand without a conscious thought. following the rabbits' collective gaze, lán wàngjī ventured into the mossy path. and there, collapsed amidst the ferns... “ —wēn qíng? ”
her features were pale and smudged with dirt, her body curled as if against an unseen force. the air around her hummed with a dissonant, chilling frequency he knew too well... the lingering residue of resentful energy.
his fingers went first to the pulse point at her throat. the beat was there, thready and far too fast, but stable. gold eyes swept over her, checking for visible wounds but there were none. there was, however, a corrosive darkness that seem to cling to her body.
without a second thought, soft blue light emanated from his two of his fingers as he channeled a purifying stream of his own spiritual energy into wēn qíng. this was meant as a stabilizing measure, not a definitive cure. he would need to know exactly what happened and what they were dealing with before a proper cure could be found.
once he had brought her inside the cloud recesses, laying her carefully on the bed, he set himself at the low desk nearby the bed. wàngjī materialized in a shimmer of blue light across the dark walnut desk, long graceful fingers settled on the zither strings, and he began to play. a wave of tranquil, purifying energy filled the small room as the melody of rest elegantly fought to suppress the líng qì in @pyreruin's body.
