Being shaken rapidly becomes disorienting and the only thing Jing Yuan can concentrate on is his oldest lesson, his master's voice ringing in his ears - a Cloud Knight must never let slip their weapon. He doesn't, his knuckles turning white as he holds on despite being whipped through the air.
He hears shouting, Dan Feng - no, Dan Heng, he must remember that - yelling something in anger, and the shaking slows as the wolf reacts to something the Vidyadhara is doing. He grunts in pain as gravity takes hold and the teeth dig more deeply into his arm, but he manages to shift his grip on his glaive to slam the pommel into the beast's jaws, trying to force it to release him.
And suddenly he's falling, the teeth becoming nothing but shards of metal - several of them still embedded in his arm - and the head a rain of leaves and vines that is pushed aside as a coil of water wraps around him, slowing his fall. Thanks to that, he manages to land on his feet, though leaning heavily on his polearm as he watches the rest of the wolf crumble into ruin. He refuses to allow his knees to buckle, hoping that one slight scrap of dignity might remain to him. They must still reach the door, after all, and he doesn't want to force Dan Heng to carry him.
Kills the dog, but only temporarily. It's fine. Everything is totally fine!!
Dan Heng drops with the beast, rolling to absorb impact and taking off in a small trot towards Jing Yuan.
"General!" His own voice cracks a little seeing the amount of blood soaking the man's white clothing, the arm hanging limp at his side. But he's standing. Jing Yuan is standing. Good.
"Come on. We're going together. Come on." Dan Heng takes the general's good arm, upsetting his balance on his glaive, and taking his weight against himself. A vidyadhara, even a young one, is stronger than an average human, but it's still...Jing Yuan is much taller than himself. Still, it's fine. He can take it.
They need to go. The fallen foliage is forming into massive paws, a torso...is it absorbing the smaller ones even?? Stars above. No. They are leaving. His powers are a bit...strained here, but he tries to keep a water dragon circling them for stray attacks.
"Walk with me, I've got you." And if the general cannot...Dan Heng will pick him up. He's hesitant to because it'll hurt the man more, but desperate times...
"Ah, Dan Heng... " He leans heavily on the younger man, grateful for his strength. With his help, he even manages quite a few steps before his knees start to buckle. He can hear the rustle of leaves behind them, and after so many wolves had re-formed in front of him it's quite easy to identify even without looking around. "We... need to go faster, don't we?"
He doesn't want to hold them back. If the choice is between feeling a little foolish and Dan Heng dying for his dignity... well, at this point he will take being a sack of flour. He chuckles weakly."I think you may... have to carry me." He knows how strong Vidyadhara are - the disparity in their heights may cause some problems, but Dan Heng should be able to manage it.
"Perhaps. Just a bit." Dan Heng clenches his teeth when the rustling grows, and Jing Yuan's weight increases. It's like...before, with Phantyllia. The General took too much damage...
"Right. Okay. I'm sorry, General. This is going to hurt," Dan Heng breathes. With that as his only warning, the Vidyadhara leans down and scoops Jing Yuan's leg up to heft the man's full weight onto his back, tugging the general's good arm more securely around his neck.
From the outside this may look rediculous. Especially with the surreal thoughts in Dan Heng's mind insisting this should be easier, it used to be so easy, when did Xiao Yuan get so big- all not him. Still disorienting, making his heart ache. It's fine. They'll be fine.
"If I need to attack more, you're going to have to just...hang on, Sir," he grunts, moving forward with a burst of cloudhymn. It's not very fast but still better than it was. Jing Yuan's legs are likely just short of dragging on the ground. It is what it is. There's rustling and growling behind them. They're almost there. Almost.
Jing Yuan does his best to move with Dan Heng, to be slightly less troublesome than a sack of potatoes, still holding his glaive but trying to keep it out of the way. The movement does earn a couple of grunts of pain that he represses as best he can - he knows there's no other choice and no more comfortable way to do this. No need to make this worse for either of them.
He tucks his bad arm into his armour as best he can, wincing as the metal teeth dig in again. They'll have to wait to take them out, but he knows that with each movement they're tearing through more muscle, causing damage even without being embedded in that monster's skull.
"Do what you have to do. I'll manage." He says it as confidently as he can, considering the situation - he'll hold on as long as he can. Then he chuckles, breathless and tight, but genuine. "Under the circumstances, perhaps I can finally persuade you to call me Jing Yuan?" He is literally carrying him, after all. It's no time to stand on formality.
Can't carry your pain General but I can carry YOU-wdym you want to be called by name...
If Dan Heng was told he was going to give the Arbitor General of Divine Foresight a trotter-back ride today, he would have given that person the most baffled look. And maybe suggest they get checked out for a concussion. And yet...here they are. It was either this or a fireman carry, which would have likely been too much top heavy weight for the shorter man.
"Alright. That's all I ask- stars-" Dan Heng whips around for a moment to swipe at some mostly formed creatures gaining on them, doing his best to ignore the giant creature's regenerating, unsettling gaze. He leans into the movement to keep going towards the door, and to not send themselve's both toppling over.
"Gen- you- is now the time??" Dan Heng asks, harried and...rather surprised, actually. The fact that he didn't outright insist on the titles there probably means he's thinking on it. Or he's a bit...distracted at the moment. Still...almost there. And...
"I...are you sure it wouldn't...upset you?" Yes, Dan Heng insists on his own name being used, and he's grateful to the general for doing his best to respect it. It would be good to extend the same courtesy (especially in a place where such titles would have no meaning...) but...but for Jing Yuan, whose memories of Dan Feng are likely stronger, of a version of him that likely called the man by name...
It's alot to think through with a pack of plant wolves chasing them down.
((You can have them reach the door if you want, or if you don't, they will get there on my next reply! <3))
Jing Yuan closes his eyes against the pain that accompanies Dan Heng's rapid movements, keeping his breathing as steady as he can, trying to stay stable so he doesn't push the smaller man off-balance - it would be very easy to do when he's such a bulky load. It's hard to see Dan Heng fighting when all he can do is try not to over-burden him, but hopefully they won't have to do this very much longer.
"Ah, my apologies. I didn't mean to distract you." It just occurred to him at that moment that being called 'General' while being toted about on someone else's back - someone not even in his chain of command - was a little ridiculous. "As for it upsetting me -"
Jing Yuan opens his eyes to see a wolf creeping around to flank Dan Heng from the left and gathering itself to leap - he has no choice but to straighten his bad arm and make a downward sweeping gesture, a blast of lightning cracking down onto it and scattering into pieces. He lurches forward against Dan Heng with a grunt of pain. "Hn. P-perhaps we can finish this discussion another time."
The door is almost within reach. They'll have time to talk. This won't be their end.
And it's hard for Dan Heng to fight when he knows it's hurting Jing Yuan. He just keeps his eyes on their destination...
"It's alright. You're alright, we can later," he breathes, both an answer and a reassurance. Jing Yuan has a point, but the request tugs at...a thread that happens to be tangled with many others. Names and their significance-
Dan Heng yelps when a crack of thunder sounds nearby, and there's a scorching pile of plant debris where he wasn't looking. The weight on his back shifts and he uses that momentum to go faster still, holding steady against Jing Yuan's pain. Almost...almost...there!
With a shout, Dan Heng bursts through the door, whirling around to jam it shut against a wolf's snapping jaws. The dragon snarls back, lurching forward with his and Jing Yuan's combined weight. It squishes him a bit but it works, the door closing with a final clang. There's a lever that he wrenches to the side, and a lock seems to snap in place.
He wheezes, leaning his head on the metal for a moment, horns knocking against the surface. He can hear the grating sound of metal scraping against metal, the rustling growls and yelps but...the door seemed sturdy. It should hold.
"I'm...setting you down now. We...we should be safe." It probably hurts Jing Yuan alot, but...it's what he can do. He crouches down to let the man slide off his back and lean against a wall. He tried to find a place with little to no plants...somewhat cleaner. Dan Heng collapses soon after in front of him, plopping down to sit with a groan. He leans his elbows on his knees, looking up to eye the general through sweat-damp bangs. "That was. Too close."
"Much too close." Although the tone is fervent, Jing Yuan's voice is a thread of its usual richness as he carefully lowers himself down the wall until he can sit and rest, cradling his arm against his chest and... ahh, he's just not going to look down at that yet. Give it a few minutes before he has to see what kind of damage he's done to himself. "You're all right? Not injured?"
It would be very like Dan Heng not to let on that he got hurt until the crisis had passed, though Jing Yuan's fairly certain none of the wolves got close enough to touch him. From what he can see there's no signs of injuries, so he relaxes a little.
"...your assistance was incredibly timely, and much appreciated. Can I assume you found yourself there just as suddenly as I did?" He still has no idea how he got here, or where 'here' is. It's certainly nowhere on the Xianzhou Luofu, not with these metal bulkheads, tight corridors, or the abundance of plant growth everywhere. He supposes that's their next course of business, once they're both able to actually move again.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
BAD DOG NO TREAT
He hears shouting, Dan Feng - no, Dan Heng, he must remember that - yelling something in anger, and the shaking slows as the wolf reacts to something the Vidyadhara is doing. He grunts in pain as gravity takes hold and the teeth dig more deeply into his arm, but he manages to shift his grip on his glaive to slam the pommel into the beast's jaws, trying to force it to release him.
And suddenly he's falling, the teeth becoming nothing but shards of metal - several of them still embedded in his arm - and the head a rain of leaves and vines that is pushed aside as a coil of water wraps around him, slowing his fall. Thanks to that, he manages to land on his feet, though leaning heavily on his polearm as he watches the rest of the wolf crumble into ruin. He refuses to allow his knees to buckle, hoping that one slight scrap of dignity might remain to him. They must still reach the door, after all, and he doesn't want to force Dan Heng to carry him.
Kills the dog, but only temporarily. It's fine. Everything is totally fine!!
"General!" His own voice cracks a little seeing the amount of blood soaking the man's white clothing, the arm hanging limp at his side. But he's standing. Jing Yuan is standing. Good.
"Come on. We're going together. Come on." Dan Heng takes the general's good arm, upsetting his balance on his glaive, and taking his weight against himself. A vidyadhara, even a young one, is stronger than an average human, but it's still...Jing Yuan is much taller than himself. Still, it's fine. He can take it.
They need to go. The fallen foliage is forming into massive paws, a torso...is it absorbing the smaller ones even?? Stars above. No. They are leaving. His powers are a bit...strained here, but he tries to keep a water dragon circling them for stray attacks.
"Walk with me, I've got you." And if the general cannot...Dan Heng will pick him up. He's hesitant to because it'll hurt the man more, but desperate times...
absolutely totally really fine!
He doesn't want to hold them back. If the choice is between feeling a little foolish and Dan Heng dying for his dignity... well, at this point he will take being a sack of flour. He chuckles weakly."I think you may... have to carry me." He knows how strong Vidyadhara are - the disparity in their heights may cause some problems, but Dan Heng should be able to manage it.
OH no....gravity is increasing on him
"Right. Okay. I'm sorry, General. This is going to hurt," Dan Heng breathes. With that as his only warning, the Vidyadhara leans down and scoops Jing Yuan's leg up to heft the man's full weight onto his back, tugging the general's good arm more securely around his neck.
From the outside this may look rediculous. Especially with the surreal thoughts in Dan Heng's mind insisting this should be easier, it used to be so easy, when did Xiao Yuan get so big- all not him. Still disorienting, making his heart ache. It's fine. They'll be fine.
"If I need to attack more, you're going to have to just...hang on, Sir," he grunts, moving forward with a burst of cloudhymn. It's not very fast but still better than it was. Jing Yuan's legs are likely just short of dragging on the ground. It is what it is. There's rustling and growling behind them. They're almost there. Almost.
"Just hang on."
he ain't heavy he's my general?
He tucks his bad arm into his armour as best he can, wincing as the metal teeth dig in again. They'll have to wait to take them out, but he knows that with each movement they're tearing through more muscle, causing damage even without being embedded in that monster's skull.
"Do what you have to do. I'll manage." He says it as confidently as he can, considering the situation - he'll hold on as long as he can. Then he chuckles, breathless and tight, but genuine. "Under the circumstances, perhaps I can finally persuade you to call me Jing Yuan?" He is literally carrying him, after all. It's no time to stand on formality.
Can't carry your pain General but I can carry YOU-wdym you want to be called by name...
"Alright. That's all I ask- stars-" Dan Heng whips around for a moment to swipe at some mostly formed creatures gaining on them, doing his best to ignore the giant creature's regenerating, unsettling gaze. He leans into the movement to keep going towards the door, and to not send themselve's both toppling over.
"Gen- you- is now the time??" Dan Heng asks, harried and...rather surprised, actually. The fact that he didn't outright insist on the titles there probably means he's thinking on it. Or he's a bit...distracted at the moment. Still...almost there. And...
"I...are you sure it wouldn't...upset you?" Yes, Dan Heng insists on his own name being used, and he's grateful to the general for doing his best to respect it. It would be good to extend the same courtesy (especially in a place where such titles would have no meaning...) but...but for Jing Yuan, whose memories of Dan Feng are likely stronger, of a version of him that likely called the man by name...
It's alot to think through with a pack of plant wolves chasing them down.
((You can have them reach the door if you want, or if you don't, they will get there on my next reply! <3))
no subject
"Ah, my apologies. I didn't mean to distract you." It just occurred to him at that moment that being called 'General' while being toted about on someone else's back - someone not even in his chain of command - was a little ridiculous. "As for it upsetting me -"
Jing Yuan opens his eyes to see a wolf creeping around to flank Dan Heng from the left and gathering itself to leap - he has no choice but to straighten his bad arm and make a downward sweeping gesture, a blast of lightning cracking down onto it and scattering into pieces. He lurches forward against Dan Heng with a grunt of pain. "Hn. P-perhaps we can finish this discussion another time."
The door is almost within reach. They'll have time to talk. This won't be their end.
no subject
"It's alright. You're alright, we can later," he breathes, both an answer and a reassurance. Jing Yuan has a point, but the request tugs at...a thread that happens to be tangled with many others. Names and their significance-
Dan Heng yelps when a crack of thunder sounds nearby, and there's a scorching pile of plant debris where he wasn't looking. The weight on his back shifts and he uses that momentum to go faster still, holding steady against Jing Yuan's pain. Almost...almost...there!
With a shout, Dan Heng bursts through the door, whirling around to jam it shut against a wolf's snapping jaws. The dragon snarls back, lurching forward with his and Jing Yuan's combined weight. It squishes him a bit but it works, the door closing with a final clang. There's a lever that he wrenches to the side, and a lock seems to snap in place.
He wheezes, leaning his head on the metal for a moment, horns knocking against the surface. He can hear the grating sound of metal scraping against metal, the rustling growls and yelps but...the door seemed sturdy. It should hold.
"I'm...setting you down now. We...we should be safe." It probably hurts Jing Yuan alot, but...it's what he can do. He crouches down to let the man slide off his back and lean against a wall. He tried to find a place with little to no plants...somewhat cleaner. Dan Heng collapses soon after in front of him, plopping down to sit with a groan. He leans his elbows on his knees, looking up to eye the general through sweat-damp bangs. "That was. Too close."
no subject
It would be very like Dan Heng not to let on that he got hurt until the crisis had passed, though Jing Yuan's fairly certain none of the wolves got close enough to touch him. From what he can see there's no signs of injuries, so he relaxes a little.
"...your assistance was incredibly timely, and much appreciated. Can I assume you found yourself there just as suddenly as I did?" He still has no idea how he got here, or where 'here' is. It's certainly nowhere on the Xianzhou Luofu, not with these metal bulkheads, tight corridors, or the abundance of plant growth everywhere. He supposes that's their next course of business, once they're both able to actually move again.