As usual Lan WangJi awoke at 5:00 AM. As usual he meditated until he woke Wei WuXian at 7:00 AM with the usual difficulty, or perhaps slightly more. As usual, breakfast in the Jingshi, then separating to their individual duties. Unusually, for men facing the collapse of their known world, the routine did not reassure.
Wei WuXian took the dozen steps commute to his workroom, lost in thought before the final step. Seated once more behind his desk he reviewed his findings of the day prior. Interesting, but nothing particularly helpful. What to try next? Brows drew together above a slight frown as he considered how to further investigate the pellets. Well, if visual inspection yielded little by way of results, perhaps a more physical inspection might help.
On the workbench Wei WuXian set out four small bowls. In them he placed four different liquids – water, vinegar, alcohol, oil. Into each bowl he carefully placed a single pellet in turn, paying strict attention to each and observing for a considerable time before moving on to the next. One by one he made his observations and recorded the results. And one by one he was dismayed to find no result whatsoever, with a single minor variation. No change. No loss of structural integrity of any pellet, excepting perhaps a very slight softening of the pellet that had rested in vinegar. No change in the colour or odour or consistency of any of the four liquids. He drew out the pellets and placed them back in their individual little dishes to dry and shed the remaining liquid from their surface. And one by one each pellet was restored to its original pristine appearance. No change in the surface sheen or texture. No apparent dissolving. Nothing.
The whole morning gone and still nothing helpful! Wei WuXian thought bitterly. This is already the second day from Healer Zhang's warning. How can I...oh gods! His thoughts were interrupted by another violent wave of pain, once more forcing him to the floor, reaching for a basin. He breathed through the agony as best he could, until it finally passed. I may have to visit the Healing Hall after all, he thought. I'm not sure what this is, but it can't be good! He lay on the floor and collected his thoughts. There was no reason for the pain or vomiting he could bring to mind. The pain wasn't in one place but more of an all-over, overwhelming sensation. How can I even explain something this vague to a Healer? he wondered. The low-grade constant pain is bad enough, but an attack like this in the middle of each day? On top of those hellish nightmares? I can't tell Lan Zhan how bad it is... he has enough to worry about. I won't add to that. I won't! Sheer determination to conceal the situation from his beloved drove Wei WuXian back to his feet and the task in hand. His dogged will carried him forward until his body and mind recuperated sufficiently to return to his work.
Wei WuXian decided not to risk the mid-day meal on his suffering stomach. The morning light had passed, so he brightened the workroom to continue. He had been looking directly at one of the pellets when he brought the lights up, and something about the finish in the brightness caught his attention. Picking up the pellet in question, number 6, he brought a lantern close. Rotating the pellet and watching very closely, he noticed something subtle he'd failed to notice previously. Perhaps it had simply not been visible in the light at the time, but when he moved the pellet in his fingers there was subtle glimmer to the surface. He concentrated and used his will to force the wisps of resentful energy being released between his fingertips to drift away from him, leaving more of the surface visible. What could this be? Drawing fresh parchment, Wei WuXian began to inventory the pellets again. With a lamp close at hand, one by one he rotated each pellet, focussing intently on the finish and what he could see revealed by the brilliance being beamed directly onto the surface. One by one he noticed something in common.
Every single pellet had this specific glimmer. Not precisely a metallic finish. Nothing like the mica flecks sometimes used to adorn jewellery or decorative objects. No, this was much finer. Much more subtle... what it looked like more than anything was metal. But not in a form he'd ever used or heard a use for. It had to be powdered. Ultra-fine flakes of metal, ground to particles no larger than dust motes.
YOU ARE READING
WangXian Untamed
FanfictionA sunny meadow above a waterfall, soulmates meeting after too long apart - this was not the end, but the beginning. Fates and Clans did their worst but nothing could come between Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi. The two men would keep their vows to stan...
