Heaven-Coming

As dust was just beginning to clear from the battle field, General Xuan Zhen fell sideways into General Nan Yang. Feng Xin caught Mu Qing, long, unbound hair whipping into his own face.

"Hey… we won… right?" Mu Qing asked, oddly breathless. Feng Xian's blood ran cold at the tone… or the lack thereof.

"Yeah. We did."

"Oh, good… I can't… see too well… anymore. They had poison…. Tell my lower generals… for me… will you?"

"Yeah, yeah. Hang on." Feng Xin called loudly to the lower generals of both armies who had united against the threat while he tried to pull out a medicine bottle without unduly jostling the other.

"Hey. Hey, Mu Qing!" Feng Xin's voice gained a shrill edge when that head lolled against his shoulder.

"I'm… here… dumbass." But it lacked all usual conviction or sharpness, gasping harder.

"You'll be fine." Feng Xin said as he popped the cap with one hand and held it to Mu Qing's lips. His other hand held him closer, trying to support him more as they kneeled in the blood soaked ground.

"Huegh… oral…?"

"Yeah, just drink it. It's better than the smoke… just like that. Good. Good."

"I'm… no' … dog…."

"No, no you're not. You're absolutely right." Feng Xin then desperately called to heaven for medical officials.

"So you're victorious?" Some other martial god asked—their territory was nowhere near the south so they shouldn't give a shit.

"That's what I said. Send. The. Medical. Officials. We've been poisoned! General Xuan Zhen is barely holding on."

That caused a stir. A civil god informed politely that help had been dispatched post haste.

"Mu Qing… hey, Mu Qing! Today isn't the day, you hear me!? Today's not the day you die!"

"Shu…."

Feng Xin popped more medicinal bottles, pouring smoke on his head and shoving elixir pills between his lips. His free hand then desperately searched available areas for life threatening wounds or life source sucking marks. He found nothing but could feel Mu Qing shriveling in his arms.

"Feng Shui, where are they!?" He called.

His lower general responded promptly, "no one's seen anything yet, General! Also, we have not found any other poisonings."

"So they were just after my general!?" One of Mu Qing's subordinates raged.

Feng Shui responded, "likely both. General Nan Feng only somehow wasn't hit."

Mu Qing's subordinate came over, brows knit as he assessed his general.

"There's nothing you can do, tend to the wounded and collect bodies." Feng Xin ordered.

He fed Mu Qing his own spiritual energy but only felt it get sucked away like steam off rice in a winter storm. He thinned the flow but kept at it, it could either distract whatever was sucking it away in the first place, or keep Mu Qing with him by a thread. Fingers exploring for cracks in his armor found nothing more than what was typical on the field of battle. Minus the deadly scenario, Feng Xin should have been the one more damaged.

Behind them, their people were growing restless, even those injured who were being transported on gurneys were piping up about the situation.

"Rouye?" Feng Xin breathed as a white silk bandage came down and encircled them both, shivering like it acknowledged the attention.

"Rouye! Has His Highness sent you? Thank-!" Before he could finish, the pair had already been brought up to the heavenly lair. He had no time to feel vertigo from the sudden change and only stumbled forward on shaky feet towards medical-looking officials, arms laden with his counterpart.

"Why didn't you arrive!?" He immediately berated.

"They tried, something's wrong." Pei Ming supplied.

"'Something's wrong!?' LOOK AT MU QING, OF COURSE SOMETHING—" he caught himself and thought it best not to yell in the injured's ear, "of course something's wrong! None of the medicine bottles worked! And I don't know exactly where he keeps his own."

"Haven't you both been around each other long enough to know?" Pei Ming asked but Feng Xin ignored him as he walked briskly with the medicinal officials.

….

Feng Xin rang out the rag again, allowing the excess water to fall back into the silver bowl before pressing it gently to Mu Qing's forehead. A fluttering of the eyelids caught his attention. He held his breath.

Mu Qing looked around blearily, head jolting weakly this way and that, hand jerking.

"Hey, Mu Qing, it's alright. We won, remember? You got injured and were brought back to the Heavenly Capital. You recognise your own ceiling, yeah?"

Unfocused eyes spent an unknown time trying to lock onto him.

"Before you tell me to 'get the fuck out,'" he chuckled dryly, "lemme say first: it's been more than a week; everything of the battle's been taken care of; your officials have held it together well; they've been taking care of prayers and wishes, etcetera."

One of said officials gave Feng Xin a lingering glance as they replaced old water for new. He ignored it.

Mu Qing's mouth moved. Feng Xin's heart clenched when not only had nothing come out, it was the sort of disordered movement found in those gravely wounded in the spine. He swallowed and did his best to hide his worry, busying his hands with the rag.

"Don't worry, don't worry. Everyone's working on it. Already, things have finally been able to help!" He didn't mention his constant supply of spiritual energy which not only helped support Mu Qing's continued existence, but that of his chosen officials as well as Feng Xin's own. But it seemed that even in such a state, Mu Qing could still smell bullshit or could make out the darkening rings beneath his eyes; his eyes narrowed slightly.

"General Xuan Zhen, you're awake! I've brought you more treatments. Healer Zhan Gen is working tirelessly to find a solution to this and General Nan Yang was able to spare some officials to hunt this damned perpetrator down! His Highness Xie Lian is with them as well as Crimson Rain Sought Flower!"

Feng Xin glanced nervously between the two, afraid Mu Qing would get indignantly upset. Then subtly sighed when Mu Qing turned towards his official and accepted the offered medicine pills. Said person lit some incense that held medicinal properties and scampered away with the promise of bringing tea.

"You don't have to try to drink it, I can send him away after he's brought it." He said softly.

Those eyes only narrowed on him again.