Chapter Text
A long time ago
I joined the battles
There, as a healer.
I couldn’t save many people
One day I met you
Purple flames shined bright
It left me a light
Hope returned once more
Winds ripped at my clothes
The dragon untamed
Qingloong obeyed you
And I felt at peace
”Jiyan…?”
The faint melody hummed with a new vigor. Geshu Lin could hear the wind sing a familiar tune, one that resembled the green haired man.
The song had slowly lulled him into sleep after their extra exercises in bed. He had hugged Jiyan close to him until he could hear the very same song from his tacet mark.
Geshu Lin tried to decipher the meaning behind this melody. He was curious on what the thoughts of his dragon were.
The wind blew against his hair. They gently combed through the entangled strands and made sure to not hurt him. These winds actually felt like real fingers.
He opened his eyes and saw Jiyan leaning over his head. Judging from his position, Geshu Lin was lying on the other man’s lap while Jiyan decided to give him a new hairstyle.
Geshu Lin blinked and examined his surroundings. They were on a lush green field with multiple white flowers, that swayed with the breeze. The sun was shining through some clouds and the temperature was pleasingly warm. It reminded Geshu Lin of the garden he used to play in as a child.
A stark contrast to the dried and dead fields of Desorock Highlands and Norfall Barrens. Everything was more alive in this world.
The scenery was too good to be true. It was probably just an imagination of his brain that tried to trick him into feeling safe, before unleashing another nightmare.
The very same monster could be combing through his hair. He looked back at Jiyan, who met his gaze with his usual warm eyes. The expression looked almost like love.
“Good morning Geshu Lin.”
The voice also sounded like Jiyan. Deep yet soft and gentle. This was a strikingly real image of the man, almost like he was really here.
Geshu Lin couldn’t trust this mimic. He immediately tried to grab the monster and choke him until its breathing stopped, so that it can never pretend to be Jiyan again.
Instead his hands closed around a green body and he could feel two small teeth sinking in his hands. Geshu Lin let go and Qingloong followed to apologize for his bite.
His companion returned to Jiyan, before he disappeared back into its owners tacet mark. Geshu Lin could only watch in silence, as his dragon chose the side of the entity.
Or it was the real Jiyan all along.
“It is really me Geshu Lin.”
His face must’ve given away too much. Geshu Lin felt the wheels turn in his head before he answered with the full wisdom of his thinking capacity.
“How?”
Jiyan just continued his mission on combing his hair. They let the question hang in the air until Jiyan finally said something.
“It’s a long story.”
”I have time.”
The fingers in his hair stopped moving and Jiyan chuckled, before resuming his caress.
”You’ll say that I’m insane.”
”You’re the most sane person in the whole camp.”
Geshu Lin locked eyes with Jiyan, who let out a sigh. The wind picked up and all the work on his hair was ruined. Jiyan just corrected the strands and began again.
”One night I had a strange dream. A white cat was talking to me. They offered me to accompany you.”
Geshu Lin let the words sink in. A white cat sounded familiar to him. Like the cat he saw in his last dream.
”Well, I agreed and somehow got squished into the form of my forte. After that I saw you fighting and helped you out.”
He remembered when the dragon wiped out the Tacet Discords that threatened to suffocate him. After that in every dream, Qingloong appeared again.
And now he had his dragon directly in front of him.
”Does that mean you’ve been stalking me through my dreams the whole time?”
”I wouldn’t call it stalking.”
Jiyan averted his eyes in shame. Geshu Lin also looked at him embarrassed. The man in front of him knows about his nightmares and ultimately everything about his past. Never in his life did he feel so exposed.
”You’ve been stalking me the whole time…”
”I did not!”
The fingers in his hair clenched until Geshu Lin’s scalp burned. He hissed and Jiyan immediately let go while mumbling multiple apologies and rubbing his head to soothe the pain.
“I preferred you as Qingloong more.”
Jiyan’s face scrunched up in a deep pout. He retreated his fingers and instead crossed his arms.
”If you prefer my forte over me, I’ll take my leave now.”
Geshu Lin felt the body underneath him shift. He turned around and draped his arms around Jiyan’s hips, effectively locking him in place, while his face was buried in Jiyan’s thighs.
”No. You stay.”
The body stopped and fingers came to continue their fight against the knots in his hairs. The small wind kept messing up his work and Jiyan needed to start over.
Geshu Lin made himself comfortable in his new position. He wished this moment could go on forever, since everything in his life had departed too early.
”Jiyan?”
”Hm?”
“How much do you actually know?”
The man above him went silent for a moment. Either to remember what happened or deciding what to tell him. Although Geshu Lin trusted Jiyan to not tell him any lies.
”Not much actually. The only person I saw clearly was you. All other faces and surroundings were blurry. I need to imagine most of the stories behind the dreams myself.”
Geshu Lin let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t get exposed like he initially thought, but still, Jiyan knows far much more than everyone else in the camp.
“I saw your brothers and also your mother. I remember your struggles and how much you fight daily. Both mentally and physically.”
Each word punched another nail in his heart. This wasn’t little at all! He basically knew everything! But even after every embarrassing pinch, warmth flooded his body. Jiyan knew and that was a comfort Geshu Lin had yet to get acquainted with again.
He wasn’t alone anymore.
“Although, what happened to your siblings?”
Geshu Lin stiffened in his arms. Jiyan also stopped his motion and the air was filled with an intense silence. Geshu Lin contemplated, many ‘what if’s’ running around in his mind each ranging from good to total disaster.
”Don’t.”
Fortunately Jiyan doesn’t say anything further. Geshu Lin tried to relax, but the damage was already done. Some part of him will always miss these times when he ran around without a worry. Like a scar that will fade yet always be felt.
Geshu Lin carries too many of them.
The couple both fall in their usual silence again. Simply enjoying the safe spot they previously found in each other.
The silence stretched until Geshu Lin decided to break it.
”You know, one day you should tell me about yourself. So that we’re even.”
“Sure.”
Not even an ounce of hesitation. Geshu Lin mentally shrugged; he didn’t have something to hide from or be chained by his memories.
“Promise?”
”Promise.”
Jiyan’s voice was steady and sure, although the promise rather sounded like an oath. That made the warmth in his body spread further. Geshu Lin decided it was time to test his new gained access to the information.
”Jiyan?”
”Hm?”
Geshu Lin crooked his neck to look at Jiyan’s face. The expression was warm and welcoming.
”Why do you love me?”
Jiyan went silent for a while. Geshu Lin could see him thinking about an answer. Doubt gnawed at his heart with each passing second.
”I don’t know if I’m completely honest. It’s like people who cross your path and then suddenly become a part of your life.”
Jiyan met his gaze. There was nothing but love in his eyes as he recalled their past. Somehow Geshu Lin felt like he didn’t deserve this treatment.
”At first, I wondered why you killed without caring about any life even your own one. That time when I saw you in the infirmary. Then you taught me how to fight when I joined as a recruit, since I was the only one, who decided to wield a broadblade.”
Geshu Lin also remembered. He needed to muster every ounce of his patience to endure that naive boy he was. Other times he thought about more physical lessons, rather than practicing the same hit hundred times.
”I was not kind back then.”
”No, you have a different kindness. You’re rough and merciless in training, but you only want the best for them. In the end I think I survived only because of your training.”
Geshu Lin didn’t know if he could consider a weekly beating as his way of expressing his goodwill to others. Jiyan even got hurt in some matches.
“But I think I realized that I maybe got a crush on you after you helped me deal with my awakening.”
Jiyan awakened in one of the many camps in Desorock Highlands. He was hospitalized for a while since - they later found out - he was a mutant resonator. The green dragon manifested with his awakening and was already fully sentient.
”I remember how everything had hurt. It felt like someone injected boiling water in my veins and dumped me into ice. The doctors couldn’t even help me as long as Qingloong was by my side.”
The green dragon used to bite any staff member, who had even remotely approached Jiyan, out of fear that they’d hurt him. It got so bad that Geshu Lin had been summoned.
”You caught Qingloong like it was an aggressive snake when it launched at you. Then you sat with me for hours until both I and Qingloong were asleep in your arms.”
After that night both Jiyan and his forte obediently swallowed every pill the doctors had given him. Qingloong never bit anybody else, especially Geshu Lin himself.
“I still can’t believe that you managed to tame my dragon.”
A poet would claim that Geshu Lin had tamed his heart instead.
”Qingloong is indeed very clingy. No wonder with an owner like you.”
”I’m not!”
Geshu Lin just let out hoarse chuckle. His voice wasn’t used to laugh like this and he immediately started coughing a few times.
”You should stop setting things on fire, the smoke is going to kill you.”
Geshu Lin only settled back in Jiyan’s lap. He gave a barely visible nod, while he felt the stare of the other man at his back. They both know that he wouldn’t do that! Asking a fusion resonator to not set things on fire was akin to asking a normal person to not exercise anymore; unhealthy for both body and mind.
“You still haven’t answered my question on why you love me. All you did was recount the past.”
Jiyan went silent, before he shook his head.
”Let’s not talk about that without me thinking this through properly.”
Geshu Lin didn’t inquire anything further, just like Jiyan hadn’t breached his own boundaries. He made himself comfortable in his position and closed his eyes.
Jiyan also leaned back and relaxed. Geshu Lin could feel his consciousness slipping away, his mind slowly waking up. He only heard the faint melody of Jiyan’s tune and he may or may not joined him.
The man who fought years
Ignited a flame
My heart beats for him
And I found purpose
With fear we all live
Green and purple joined
the monster is gone
Nightmares shall vanish
He who is my guide
Two men’s love in war
Survives the next day
He who is my warmth
~~~
As the dream sinks back into Somnoire, a white cat made its way to a deep dark prison, hidden between nightmares.
The cat met a man wearing a black goat mask and a leather jacket. He stood there and watched the headless calamity Tacet Discord in its prison.
“How’s our dear visitor?”
The gatekeeper shrugged.
”It’s more prisoner than guest. Zhanzheng has been sleeping since the soldiers managed to destroy its physical body. I don’t know if this is a good sign.”
The white cat settled next to the man with the mask and began to groom the fur.
”It won’t do any harm as long as we keep it chained in there. And we better keep that up. Zhanzheng will exist as long as war lasts.”
The gatekeeper finally turned to face the talking animal. He was tense in his shoulders and obviously didn’t trust the words of his companion.
”The Threnodian and its kin aren’t to be underestimated. May I remind you that Zhanzheng managed to rip a hole into Somnoire and enter it precisely because it was a creature of the Lament? The whole system was a disaster and we have the very same monster still in here!”
The strange white cat finished his grooming and shifted to tuck his paws into a loaf. The Ebony Gatekeeper was still staring at him.
”Like I said: Zhanzheng won’t pose a problem as long as we keep him here. The system is equipped to watch the Tacet Discord every single second, so it can’t slurp innocent souls anymore.”
Ebony Gatekeeper gave up. He let his shoulders hang down in defeat and he exhaled audibly.
”How are the two soldiers?”
”Not injured and mentally stable. As good as a soldier can be. The two love doves actually managed to synchronise their dreams together this night.”
The man let out a sigh.
”I still don’t understand why you chose that medic to keep the General save.”
“If I had sent anyone else our bait might’ve sliced their head off. Plus, that green haired guy will finally shut up in his dreams! That constant whining about his crush nearly busted my eardrums!”
The strange white cat rolled his eyes, while the tail was wagging in an annoyed motion. The Gatekeeper chuckled at this adorable display.
”What was that saying again? Two mice in one catch!”
”To shoot two birds with one stone.”
The cat rolled his eyes again. He then got up and stretched his spine, before he yawned. The white cat turned around and walked back into Somnoire.
”I’ll go take a nap, do your gatekeeping stuff.”
”Sweet dreams.”
~~~
The melody of the wind slowly turned quiet. Instead Geshu Lin woke up with a warm body in his arms and green hair tickling his nose.
The younger man was still asleep. Naked, as Geshu Lin noticed, before he realized that he shared the same condition. Last night was really rough.
Between their chests was a green dragon squeezed between the chests of the couple. Qingloong had its tongue out and was purring happily.
Cute.
Geshu Lin looked around his room. The sun wasn’t even shining yet and the whole room was plunged in darkness. He suspected that their clothes were somewhere lost in the room.
His clock was hopefully still on his small table next to the bed. He turned around to get a look at the time, but a small groan stopped him.
Jiyan shifted in the bed and dug his nails into the arm of Geshu Lin. Qingloong rolled over and nuzzled in his chest, where it let out a small grumble.
Meanwhile Geshu Lin froze in his position. He didn’t dare to move in fear that he got assaulted by a grumpy dragon.
He searched in the dark for his clock, but the continuous tapping on the table was counterproductive. Geshu Lin summoned a small flame ball to help him see better.
Both Jiyan and Qingloong let out a whine. The little dragon blinked a few times and came flying to swallow the flame.
But despite the once shared connection between Geshu Lin and Jiyan, Qingloong couldn’t digest the flame and coughed up multiple puffs of smoke, before the dragon dramatically sunk back down.
The room got plunged in darkness once more. Geshu Lin felt the dragon nuzzle against him, already asleep. He could only sigh and continue his search without any light.
Geshu Lin managed to wiggle his way out of Jiyan’s grasp. With both hands available he found the clock in record speed.
06:19
He had overslept a little, but the camp wouldn’t collapse if Geshu Lin slept an hour more. Or so he hoped. Today would be the funeral for all fallen soldiers in the past few weeks and transportation had already been set.
Geshu Lin only needed to attend, maybe give a small speech and set up the stone slate with the names of the people carved on.
This would be another long day.
His first objective was to get Jiyan to let him go. The man was already clinging to him again like a sloth to a branch. His little dragon wasn’t better. Qingloong was wrapped around his bicep like a snake on the same branch.
”You’re really clingy.”
Geshu Lin came closer to Jiyan and began to shake him gently. The latter only shifted closer and used the opportunity to snake his arms around him.
”Jiyan, time to wake up.”
A shift and a whine was the only answer he’d get. Geshu Lin proceeded to shake him a bit harder and finally the younger man cracked open his eye.
”Can I at least wash…?”
”Then get up first.”
Jiyan blinked a few times and closed his eyes. He settled back in his place, while Geshu Lin looked at him with an eyebrow raised. Qingloong got squeezed between his owner and his partner again and seemed to enjoy it.
Geshu Lin looked at him. He then sat upright under the protest of his two clingy dragons and picked him up. Jiyan let himself get carried to the bathroom.
”Careful, my back hurts.”
Geshu Lin should perhaps feel guilty about this, but a sense of pride filled him instead. He gently opened the door and got the water running.
After the tub was filled, they both settled in the warm water. Jiyan was sitting between his legs with his back turned to him. That way Geshu Lin was able to hug him from behind, while Jiyan continued to snooze on his shoulder.
Qingloong was straight up sleeping at the edge of the bathtub. The small body wiggled and suddenly leaned towards the water. The poor dragon fell into the tub and immediately tried to get out. Jiyan was startled awake when Qingloong hit the water.
The small dragon jumped and snaked around Geshu Lin’s head where it messed up his hair. He could barely see because of the body wrapped around his face.
Jiyan was wide awake now and tried to coax the dragon down from his head. Qingloong stayed stubborn and insisted on keeping the white hair as its nest. It even arranged the strands to demonstrate its intention. Jiyan sighed in defeat and leaned back.
A warmth spread through Geshu Lin’s body. Jiyan hummed in approval and Qingloong dug deeper in his hair.
”You always get pleasantly warm when you’re happy.”
“I do?”
He never realized that his purple flames reacted to his emotions. Geshu Lin always thought they were just a tool and not a catalyst for his emotions. Perhaps he’d one day get a cute pet too, like Qingloong.
After they washed and dressed themselves in their clothes, Jiyan attempted to get Qingloong off again. Many protests and hisses later, the green dragon returned to its owner, but not before blow drying Geshu Lin’s hair.
Geshu Lin glanced at the mirror and saw that the end of his hair was actually slightly curled.
Before he could admire his new hairstyle, Jiyan already pushed him to the door. He looked at Geshu Lin and begged him to go scout the hallways first.
He confirmed that they were empty and Jiyan grabbed him and dragged him to the infirmary. He muttered something about a check up of the wounds.
Geshu Lin noticed that Jiyan was walking around like an old man, with his back bended forwards. This would probably give him some stares. Hopefully nobody would realize where these back pain came from.
At the infirmary Geshu Lin lied down on the bed. Jiyan went to search for new bandages in case they needed to rewrap the wounds. When he returned Geshu Lin already threw his top in a random spot.
Jiyan carefully examined the scar that formed. Somehow even after getting thrown around and fighting against Tacet Discords the skin luckily didn’t tear. The medic contently nodded.
”I’ll get some medicine. We can exclude the bandages for now.”
He emphasized the ‘now’. Jiyan gave him a warning look, before he went to return the unused equipment. While Geshu Lin waited for him another doctor walked past to get new gloves.
Jiyan came back and hissed at a particular harsh misstep. A hand reached for his lower back to soothe the pain, but unfortunately the doctor spotted him.
”Jiyan, you’re alright?”
Her face betrayed a hint of concern.
”Just some back pain, nothing to worry about.”
”Lower back pain?”
Jiyan nodded before he straightened again. He and Geshu Lin could basically see the wheels turn in her head as she thought about a possible diagnosis. Suddenly she gasped and looked at Jiyan like she saw a whole other person. The couple stiffened.
Oh shit.
”Jiyan! Don’t tell me that you have kidney stones!”
”…”
The silence that followed stretched for several minutes until it became awkward. Geshu Lin looked back and forth between the two doctors, while Jiyan stared back at his colleague in shock. Something clicked in his head and he stumbled to break the silence.
”Yes! I… no! I think it’s unlikely for me to have kidney stones. Thank you for your advice though…”
Geshu Lin wished to be a wall.
Her face fell into a disbelieving frown. She shook her head and put her hands on her hips, like a scolding mother.
”Still, you should get a check. That stuff needs to be taken seriously!”
Being a wall sounded really nice. Bricks aren’t appreciated enough in this world.
With a raised finger she looked at him one last time before grabbing her two gloves and hurriedly walked out of the room. On the way out the doctor patted Jiyan on his shoulder.
The man exhaled audibly when the door clicked shut. Geshu Lin was still stiffly glued to the wall, trying to be as invisible as possible. Jiyan handed him the pack of medicine with instructions written on it in big visible letters.
”That was too close for comfort.” Mumbled Geshu Lin. He removed his back from the wall and went to fetch his top. Jiyan looked like his soul jumped out of his body. The hand on his lower back didn’t help much to ban that image.
Geshu Lin finished dressing and was already at the door. He made a small hand gesture to make Jiyan snap out of his static shock state. The younger man followed him wordlessly.
”Do worry Jiyan. Next time I won’t be gentle.”
One suspiciously placed breeze later that blew his hair in his eyes and Jiyan was gone from his sight.
In the afternoon Geshu Lin had a rare opportunity to leave the Desorock Highlands and return to Jinzhou. Half of the soldiers accompanied him, although many weren’t physically there.
The funeral will be traditionally held at the memorial of the Rangers. The place where the life of a soldier began and ended.
One bumpy ride later the car rolled into the military station in front of Jinzhou. Geshu Lin got out of the vehicle and was greeted by several other Rangers. Training instructor Yhan was already waiting for him. He had more white strands than Geshu Lin remembered.
“Preparations are all set. We’ll begin the ceremony in 20 minutes.”
Geshu Lin nodded and made his way to the plaza. A General was expected to arrive first. The stone in his backpack weighed heavier than ever.
He didn’t saw much of the lively city. People laughed but Geshu Lin didn’t feel like laughing with them. Most of them are even unaware of what happened.
Yet they blamed him for everything that happened. They called him names, names that they didn’t know what weight it carried. If the Rangers lost a battle, Geshu Lin would get blamed, if they won a battle he would also get blamed due to the many casualties.
Geshu Lin never really liked the public perception.
The war was getting worse. Zhanzheng was surely one of the many signs that something big was coming.
The large bell looked the same. One item that held such a significant value to the Rangers. He put down his backpack and unwrapped the stone slate.
One ring from the bell. The captains and Sergeants walked in and positioned themselves.
Two rings from the bell. Soldiers started to flood the plaza while they scrambled to find their place in the rows.
The third and last ring of the bell declared the beginning of the funeral. Everything was quiet and everyone waited for Geshu Lin to say the first words. He could swear that he saw more faces than there are present.
“Today, we are gathered here to honor our fallen brothers and sisters. Their lives were stolen by the Lament while defending our country.”
Geshu Lin picked up the stone slate with the names written on it and put it on the pedestal next to the other inscriptions.
”May Sentinel Jué guide their souls until they find their peace. No sacrifice shall be in vain, for our city will continue to exist.”
And he will make sure that Jinzhou will see another dawn.
no matter the cost.
Rangers started to climb the stairs up to the pedestal and set up the remaining stone slates, together with flowers and candles. Geshu Lin lit them up with his forte.
After that everyone fell silent for a moment. The bell began to ring after several minutes of silence and the soldiers started to disperse, either going on holiday or packing their bags for the coming service.
The first Rangers exited the plaza. Geshu Lin waited until the last left since a General was also expected to stay the longest. Just as he thought the last soldier disappeared he spotted green hair under a tree.
Jiyan nodded towards a cliff that was near the mountain.
Geshu Lin found the younger man sitting in the lush green, his little dragon twirling through the grass.
”It’s a nice day.”
Jiyan smiled at him with his signature grin. But this time the expression looked more stiff.
Geshu Lin cursed Zhanzheng all over again.
He walked to Jiyan and lay down on his lap. Geshu Lin felt him shift to better accommodate his head.
”You know, I think there are better ways to honor the dead soldiers other than scribbling them on a cold stone.”
Geshu Lin only listened halfway. Qingloong demanded his attention by digging a hole next to him using only pure aero power.
”Hmm. Such as?”
”Maybe we could plant some flowers.”
Qingloong proceeded to put some ripped off leaves in the hole. The dragon then shuffled the dirt back into the hole, like it wanted to plant something. One white flower poked out of the dirt.
”A life lost, another one reborn, huh?”
”No, more like a departure and return. And of course the flowers need to be resilient, I want them to last.”
Geshu Lin looked up at Jiyan. He was admiring Jinzhou and all the late afternoon buzz. Somewhere down there, children returned once more and some mothers will never hold their baby again.
”What a shitty return. But maybe the academy can help you out with your dream, if you even get the approval of the government.”
“I will. Just wait. I don’t think they deserve these cold graves. The war has scarred too many.”
Geshu Lin looked down at his arm. It was littered in scars from battles that have been far more gruesome than he could ever imagine.
Suddenly a hand draped around the scars. The skin was pale and smooth to the touch. It told a complete different story although both lived in the same circumstances.
“I want to visit my mother in the clinic before we return. But I don’t know if I have the time for that.”
”We’re going back this evening, you have enough time.”
Jiyan started to comb through the white hair. Qingloong nestled on Geshu Lin’s chest and began to drift off to sleep.
What a familiar gesture.
“Is your mother a nice woman?”
Geshu Lin wanted to keep talking with Jiyan. He knew that he’d drift off into his thoughts again if he stopped doing anything.
”She is. Especially since she endured my tantrums.”
”It’s good to have someone, who adores you.”
Jiyan looked Geshu Lin in the eyes. The color of his eyes matched the sunlight that hit his face and the warm breeze gently stirred his hair. No wonder Geshu Lin had thought of him as an angel.
”You know,” began Jiyan. “I’m still trying to figure something out about you.”
”What?”
Geshu Lin frowned. He went through every single interaction they had to remember what Jiyan might’ve wanted to know. He even searched the memories of his dreams.
”If you know how to love.”
Realization hit him like a wall. His lips cracked a rare smile and Geshu Lin chuckled, like Jiyan asked what color the sky was.
”Of course I do!”