“GET DOWN!!” Yukai’s warning exploded right as the mighty beast descended upon them in a thunderous roar, the sheer force of its mammoth beating wings sweeping some disciples clean off their feet. A sharp flash of red was the only warning Yukai caught before he yanked Xiayi towards him, narrowly escaping the sharp claw which smashed a deep indent into the ground where Xiayi used to be. Yukai yanked Xiayi with such force they were both knocked off balance, and he snaked his palm to the back of Xiayi’s head right before they collided with the ground. With Xiayi tight in his arms, Yukai grit his teeth and dug his heels into the earth to slow their descent.
Finally, they rolled to a stop. Yukai looked upwards, panting; they had fallen quite a long way, ending at the bottom of the hill as the chaos ensued up top. He could see his fellow disciples engaged in fierce battle–Jiuli, Jiang Lian, Mingyan, Daiyu–everyone was fighting tooth and nail against the inhumane shrieks which painted the sky crimson with fury.
It really is a big fucking bird, Yukai thought sardonically.
“Xiayi,” Yukai checked the bundle in his arms urgently, palm still cradling the back of his head, protecting him from the fall. “Xiayi, you back with me? Are you hurt?”
like remnants of a nostalgic dream, he drifts until his heart stops -- then he lurches awake. “qing---” the second syllable is lost within the gust of air that’s beaten out of him. he can’t see, can’t focus. all he knows, now that the fog had cleared from his head, is that they’re falling. they’re falling to whatever place, to whatever depths, and qingfeng’s -- no, yukai’s arms are around him, his hand cradling the back of his crown, as if he’s coddling him. in that moment, despite all conditions and potential consequences, he almost berates him.
he shoves yukai off, never one to be gentle in the first place despite his lan upbringing. his eyes trail up to the red monster that squawks from above, its claws lashing at the other disciples, striking one in particular across the chest. there’s yelling, screeches from those he’s grown alongside.
a single thought intrudes in his mind then: vividly, cruelly.
he reaches out and bunches yukai’s robes in his fist once more, lest the other decides to be heroic and charge into battle. “don’t draw attention to us.”
the thought brightens, its words trickling into every corner of his mind. echoing, chanting, it tells him one thing and one thing only:
his grip tightens around the fabric once more, and this time, there’s a gentle tug in the opposite direction -- a subtle gesture that reads come with me. this is not a fight they can win. they’re better off with reinforcements.
( and if their companions die . . . )
( well, then, good. a life for a life. )
the monster lashes out from above, its wings smacking against one of the lan disciples, flinging her down hill. her bones shatter one last time as she lands beside them. blood spews from her mouth, her eyes glossing over. leave them. there’s nothing wrong with preserving one’s self. there’s nothing wrong with -- no. these are not his thoughts. the words are twisted, cackling in a voice that sounds so much like his. but xiayi knows him well, knows him better than anyone. he would never say something like this.
“run,” he utters after a moment, his gaze falling upon the woman’s slain form. she used to be sickly when she was younger. qingfeng adored her. always the kind heart, he visited her daily and poured her tea. it’s unfair that she’ll get to see him first . . . “---are you deaf?” his eyes snap up to yukai now. “i told you to run. go. now.”
he shoves him away and in the same fluid motion, leaps onto a branch and draws out his erhu. there’s no hesitation as he begins to play, the strings vibrating against his fingers, their cords carrying upward to create an invisible barrier. and just like so, it catches the monster’s attention.