WangXian Untamed

Chapter 47 - Adrift

"Thank you."

A small, light voice drifted through Wei WuXian's mind. Even as it registered, the maelstrom relaxed, the violence stopping with an abruptness that wounded as deeply as the knife edge of flailing, incinerating heat had cut a fraction of a moment ago.

The fiery wind died immediately, a mere super-heated presence, no longer in motion.

Unexpectedly the frozen posture released, and Wei WuXian... staggered? He thought he was standing. That's what one did, right? Stand? He took a step forward. Another.

Nothing was visible.

Small giggles sifted through the atmosphere, flew through his bones and were gone.

Looking about, nothing came in sight. The darkness was absolute. There was no way to tell if he was even on his feet, other than the sense that it felt as if he was, it felt as if he took steps.

No pressure on the sole of his foot.

Odd, tickling irritants chased each other about his nerves, racing from one point to another. Many single words, many individual voices, but all too fleeting to identify, slipped along his pathways, drove through his cells and overwhelmed his being.

"... appreciate..." came another voice. Lower. Softer. It wafted about his ankles and was gone.

Wei WuXian tried to wrap his arms about his body, but there was no sensation to confirm.

Fire licked up his spine, from base to skull, an agony of temperature.

He thought he breathed. He could not tell.

"... honour..." The voice of older person caught on his wrist, wrapped about it, and fell away.

Far away, Wei WuXian thought he saw a slight lightening of the... was it sky? Space? Room?

Step by slow step, he believed he made his way toward it. Without the sense of touch, he could not tell his body was truly moving. Without anything to measure his progress by, he didn't know if he truly remained in motion, but he hoped he made progress.

His head hurt abominably. So very different and far, far worse than any injury he'd ever had.

Thinking was a task largely beyond his capacity, so he simply focused on that distant possibility of light and imagined he walked toward it.

Endless time flowed past like a physical substance, eddying about his hips, dragging as it caught behind him.

"... handsome..." a light, female voice sang into one ear and out the other, passing through his head without obstruction.

Hours and eons Wei WuXian plodded forth, his only companions the voices breathing nonsense through his skin and heart and veins and the constant pain that teased from one point to another, never leaving and never remaining still.

Step. Step. Step.

More pressure. Oh wait – pressure? Perhaps he truly was walking after all.

Renewed purpose.

Renewed determination.

Step. Step. Step.

It had been a light. Reassuring. It grew slowly into a dim bright that was unmistakably light in the distance.

A deep breath. Had he forgotten to breath? Oh, the heat was less overwhelming now. He felt able to breath much better. Perhaps that's why he'd started to breath again? The air was better so he could drag it into his reluctant lungs and expel it after?