Wu Xie
Next morning, Wu Xie wake up feeling a bit cold, because he was no longer been hugged by his lover. When the realization that Xiaoge was no longer around hit him like a cold bucket of water, Wu Xie left his sleeping bag in a rush to look for him, but he only needed to turn around to see him. He sighed in relief, following Qiling and called his name when he lose him into some bushes.
"Xiaoge!" He shouted.
"Here." Came his soft response, he barely catch, but he was quite close so it was easy to find him. Just behind some bushes, Xiaoge was working on something on the ground all cover in death leafs and as Wu Xie came close, a strong smell of rotten flesh mixed with something else hit his nose.
"Just what you got there?" Wu Xie asked, squatting down by his side.
"A snake." Xiaoge answer, while uncovering the remains below the leaves. Just seen the size of the bones, Wu Xie was quite astonished.
"Oh damn, it's so huge." Wu Xie whisper as he looked at the gigantic skeleton head.
"It is." Xiaoge glanced at him.
"Well, at least is long dead. This place is definitely a den of snakes we need to be more careful about it." Wu Xie said and Xiaoge assented in agreement, then took out his leather glove and knife.
"Wait, what are you going to do?" But once again, ignoring his protests, Xiaoge cut his hand and squeeze it hard to draw out blood.
"It's just a bit." Xiaoge repeated in apology, seen Wu Xie pout at him. He looked so cute while a bit angry that Xiaoge give Wu Xie a peck on his cheek, before he grabbed Wu Xie's hand, tainting it with his blood.
"What is this for?" Wu Xie asked curiously.
"For the ticks, put your hand on the ground, but don't move." Qiling said, not really giving Wu Xie time to argue and placed his bleeding hand in between the exposed bones of the snake. Immediately, a great number of ticks went out of the remains of the snake, which make Wu Xie unconsciously move backwards and yell. If he wasn't busy making sure no tick will come close to his lover again, he would had sighed. He just warn him not to move and of course, that was exactly what he did. But then again, it wouldn't be Wu Xie if he had actually do as he said.
Hearing his yell, the others came rushing to see what had happen.
"What the hell Tianzhen? I hear you yell and I thought something was eating you, but there is nothing, unless it was Xiaoge." Pangzi asked.
"If you had been here two minutes earlier you would had yelled too. There was so many ticks inside that snake..."
"What snake?" Pangzi interrupted, looking up.
"The dead one Xiaoge is exploring." Wu Xie pointed down to Qiling.
"Oh hell, is that a snake? It looks more like a dragon. So huge!" Pangzi shouted in panic, covering his nose with his hand.
"Nothing about tombs seems to be normal, it really isn't that unexpected to find overgrown reptiles here." Ah Ning said.
"Thus, when there is one there are two, right?" Pangzi asked looking everywhere as if in any bush was one in hiding.
"It's possible. What did you found, Xiaoge?" Pan Zi asked and Qiling took out a few things, a very old flash light, some bones and other stuff came out one after the other.
"Xiao San Ye, you should head back to the camp, I will help Zhang Qiling with this." Pan Zi offer and after a glance with Xiaoge, he agree, going back to have some rest. The day was already hot and humid from yesterday rain and to his bad luck, while he dozed, he actually dreamed or more like have a nightmare in which they discover that the bones inside the snake belonged to Ah Ning and not only that, that impossible big python showed up and was about to eat him when he wake up with a yell, looking at Ning's way, but sighed as he saw her, resting not too far from where he was.
"Hey are you okay? You yelled and all...." Pangzi came closer.
"Yeah, just a nightmare. Where are the others, not done yet?" Wu Xie asked Pangzi.
"About that, you should come and see for yourself." Thus Wu Xie followed Pangzi back to where the python was and see there was all sort of things carefully placed on the ground.
"Judging by what you found, it doesn't look like whoever those bones belonged to, was from an expedition. Just look at those explosives, it can't be anyone exploring this area looking for the tomb." Wu Xie said and Pan Zi assented.
"There was a rumor than illegal activities were done in this area. It was said that they were deal with and the bodies were never found in the desert. Perhaps they end up here by accident and die while encountering this python." Pan Zi explained.
"Make sense." Wu Xie said.
"We should eat something and then leave this place. I feel restless with that thing around, it worries me the pair will come looking for it." Pangzi said while shuddering.
"You guys go back and take a break, I will keep watch." Wu Xie offer and Xiaoge was going to offer himself as well, but Wu Xie stop him.
"You dig that thing, eat something and rest, I will be fine. It's not like I will be out of your line of sight. I will stay close." Wu Xie said and Xiaoge was about to refuse, when Pan Zi tapped his shoulder.
"Don't worry, I will stay with him." He said, smiling at him, still...
"Come on Xiaoge, Tianzhen will worry about you if you don't act as human. Let's go." Pangzi intervened and Qiling follow him to their camp and sat to eat something while watching Wu Xie talk with Pan Zi just a few meters from them.
"Have you ever encounter such a thing in your years as soldier? I mean, you know a lot about rain forests and I'm sure you had seen your share of strange things there." Wu Xie asked Pan Zi,
"I have, most of them unpleasant, but something like that, it can only be seen in such a place. Just think about it, such a forest in the middle of the desert looks fantastic enough." Pan Zi added.
"Yeah, we are surrounded by the Queen mother's darkest secrets. The only good thing is that at least the dangers kept in this basing like place, will not get out, otherwise, not only us, but many others would be doomed too." Wu Xie whisper looking down.
"Xiao San Ye, I know Zhang Qiling had taken upon himself, to protecting you, but I assure I can too." Pan Zi said honestly. Wu Xie was going to respond when a familiar hand cover his mouth, while Ah Ning cover Pan Zi's.
Wu Xie was going to protest, but then the strange sound make him look up and to his horror, he saw a live python not smaller than the dead one, coiling into the tree in front of them.
"Hold still and stay silent." Qiling whisper behind him, removing his hand from Wu Xie's mouth, yet within his touch on his forearm.
The thing came down, as if curious of them and Wu Xie resisted the desire to run. Qiling whisper another advice to stare at it, but it was such a sight it was hard to fight instincts. Still, he remained stoic and in silence as he stared at the snake, hoping it will go away soon, which luckily it did as after a bit, it recoiled back into the top of the tree. It was then that they stood and breathed a sigh in relief.
"This place is no longer safe, get Pangzi, we need to leave." Pan Zi hushed, while slowly walking backwards to get his backpack, as most of them did, but when Wu Xie was about to wake up Pangzi, a very load snoring came out of him.
Immediately, there was movements from the top, as the snake came down. Wu Xie push Pangzi's backpack on his stomach waking him and when the thing moved closer they all dashed away. They run for their lives through the forest while chased by the gigantic snake.
In their haste, they encounter a creek that make their advance more difficult and Wu Xie soon slipped over a rock and fell. He cursed his luck, as Pangzi and Pan Zi help him stand, but by then, the monstrous python was too close to avoid.
Qiling unsheathed his sword and confront it, trying to give Wu Xie and the rest of the team more time to get away.
"Xiaoge!" He hear Wu Xie yell at him.
"Go! I will hold it! Go!" Qiling yelled, but at the same time, the snake used his tail as a whip and throw them down. Seen no other option to keep them safe, he went ahead and fight it head on. His movements were fluid and powerful as he manage to stab it in the head. However, the scaled skin was harder than he thought and it manage to shake him away, throwing his precious sword who knows where.
"Go! Go!" Qiling yelled, now without a proper weapon to protect himself, not to mention Wu Xie and the rest. He pulled Wu Xie by the hand and dashed away, closely follow by the others and they ran over a creek until their lungs burned for more air, then they stopped.
"Wu Xie... are you okay?" Xiaoge whisper, seen a cut on his face.
"I'm fine... but you lose your sword..." Wu Xie shyly looked at Xiaoge, apologizing with his gaze. He honestly couldn't say anything to excuse himself for making Xioage lose his sword in order to save him.
"His Black Gold sword is priceless! Damn snake, I will make it on a soup, just you wait!" Pangzi shouted.
"Stop bragging, not even Xiaoge could kill it. What can you possibly do against it?" Wu said noted, while Qiling took out the sheath of his sword, looking at it with nostalgia. The thing had been with him for so long it was like a part of him, but even so, if of mean save Wu Xie, it was a worthy loss he could handle. Losing Wu Xie, however was something he will not afford anytime soon, or more like he just couldn't at all.
Yet unexpectedly, Pangzi took the black sheath from him, which make Wu Xie seriously furious.
"Give it back to him Pangzi." Wu Xie warned him.
"The sword it's already lost." Pangzi protested, thinking that the sheath could still have a value.
"Even so, that belongs to him, give it back. I can always try to recover it. You are not having your way this time." Wu Xie said seriously and Pangzi sighed. When Tianzhen was determine in something there was no denying it.
"Alright, alright, sorry Xiaoge." Pangzi said, returning the thing to Qiling, which was internally grateful to Wu Xie.
"Xiaoge, I will try to find it for you..." Wu Xie whisper, looking guilty.
"No, it's too dangerous. We should go." And right in cue, the oversized python showed up and so they dashed once more as fast as they could until they reached a dead end on a waterfall.
"What now? There is nowhere else to run!" Ah Ning yelled. Wu Xie looked around in desperation and saw a ray of hope.
"There! There is a cave by the waterfall, let's go!" And so they rushed into the narrow entrance of the cave. Pangzi had problems getting in, but at the end, Wu Xie pulled him in, just in time to save his life. The snake head could not reach inside been too big for the narrow space in between, which was a relief for all of them when they watched it going away.
"Tianzhen. You are my hero." Pangzi whisper out of breath.
"I rather not be your hero, just lose some weight." Wu Xie said.
"Is it really gone?" Ah Ning asked.
"Maybe we should wait in here for a bit longer to be sure." Pan Zi offered, but just then, they hear a strange noise that didn't came from the outside.
"What's that sound?" Wu Xie asked, while looking around with a bad feeling creeping up his already racing heart.
Then, as the sound approached, they turned to look at the thing that was coming, making them even more astonished.
"No way... isn't that..." Pangzi whisper, not believing his eyes.
"It's a tiger keelback." Xiaoge said, walking a few steps back and urging the others to do the same. Wu Xie walked backwards until he bumped into the struggling Pangzi. Giving their circumstances, facing the deadliest poisonous snakes out there, there was not time to be polite, so he pushed Pangzi with his butt, doing the trick, then get out, closely follow by the others.
Qiling was the last and he stared at the deadly thing before he went out, waiting for a few seconds to see if it was coming for them, but after not hearing any more close noise, he went away to join Wu Xie.
"Xiaoge, is it coming after us?" Wu Xie asked.
"No, but we should leave." There was no resisting that request, so they turned the way they came and walked as far as they could in their tired state, as tiger keelback's were territorial, which was the reason the python before had left them to a worse fate.
"I think this is far enough. Let's had some rest here, then keep up moving. The closer we get to the center the more dangerous it became." Pan Zi said and so they rested close to the river, to replenish the water and wash their faces.
Ah Ning was looking at the equipment they had, one backpack for each but they were already half empty.
"We don't have enough rations to stay for too long." She said.
"Yeah and Xiaoge lost his sword, which is a big blow for us." Pangzi added and Wu Xie looked at his lover. He was like a lost soul, so he squat in front of him.
"I'm so sorry about it... I will find you another one, a better one." Wu Xie promise and Xiage smiled slightly. He was too caring and he was sure if he haven't stop him before, he would had turn back to look for the missing sword, which was not worth his risk, despite the good amount of value Pangzi seems to put on it.
"It's okay, you are safe." Xiaoge reassured him, which was what matter the most and Wu Xie was tempted to kiss him right there. He couldn't love the man more than he already had at that moment.
"Wow, no lovely-dovey in public, we just faced death. By the way Tianzhen, instead of adoringly look at your husband, why not sooth my broken heart instead. You use your butt on me, so disrespectful." Pangzi said dramatically.
"Maybe, but it did save your life, right? I should beat you up and see if you lose some weight. Seriously, it make it hard to save you each time." Wu Xie pushed, playing with Pangzi.
"Hey, stop playing, we should head back and see if we can find the provisions left behind at that camp." Ah Ning suggested.
"I know you are reckless, but that's suicidal. Maybe that python is no longer around because of that tiger keelback snake, but there is its territory. Do you want a second round?" Pangzi asked her.
"We don't have enough to go around anyways. We better find what we can to last a bit longer." Ah Ning insisted.
"We don't know where we camped. We run away without a clear path." Pan Zi said.
"The python leave a trace as it chase us, we can find our way back. We leave in five minutes, so I suggest you rest while you still can." Ah Ning demanded, going to the border of the river to wash her hands.
"Yes, Sir," Pangzi said sarcastically with a military salute on her way. That woman was too dominant.
Wu Xie smiled slightly looking at Ah Ning for a second, before he notice something moving in the water close to her. When he realize what it was he yelled at her.
"Ah Ning, get away quick!!" The words left his mouth as he dashed toward her, which make Ah Ning look at him in surprise, then, she felt something biting her deeply in her neck. She barely had time to react, pulling the snake away while Wu Xie catch her on his arms.
Surprise, mixed with fear registered in her brain before the poison did. This was not the way she would had wanted to go, but there was no saving her with the deadliest venom of the snakes injected directly in her aorta, which was a fast trip directly to her heart. If it had been somewhere else, she may had a chance, but her luck had finally run out.
So many times she had escaped it, many of them with the man that was looking at her in horror as she struggle to breathe. Maybe she had cheated death for long enough and just like before, at least she was not alone in her last moments. She would had never said it out loud, but dying in Wu Xie's arms was not really bad. He cared for her the most, after the man she called father... there was nothing to regret now, only the pain she knew it will cause the kind Wu Xie, the only one that moved her heart and changed her life... but at least he had Zhang Qiling to help him deal with it. She closed her eyes, saying a final goodbye on her mind and let go of Wu Xie, for good.
"Ah Ning! Ah Ning!" Wu Xie shake her for a moment before her death sink in.
Time stopped there and everything was blurry as he told himself she was gone... gone for real, gone to never return to the world of the living. He have no romantic feelings for her, but he did care for Ning time and time again, even when she end up betraying him over and over. He would had never wanted to witness her death and more so been unable to do nothing to prevent it.
Could moving faster would have save her? Could not yelling at her would have prevent her from get bitten? He couldn't tell, but tears run down his face as he screamed in pain.
Zhang Qiling watched in sorrow as Wu Xie yelled while crying, holding the corpse of the woman that had both put him at risk and save him at the same time. She was not his favorite person, but he knew Wu Xie cared for her, the same way he cared for the rest of them.
"Wu Xie..." Qiling whisper, but Wu Xie was lost in his pain to hear him. So he simply let him cry his pain away until he was ready to open up to the rest of the world, which was a few minutes later, when he extended his hand to Pangzi. Fatty was confused for a moment, but then understood the silent message. Her bracelet.
Again, Qiling watched in sorrow Wu Xie put together the coins and make the bracelet anew to put it back where it belonged. Then he let go of her. Pangzi said a few words for her spirit to rest in peace, but he could only pull Wu Xie up and embrace him with all the love he had for him.
Wu Xie didn't react at first, but when he whisper his name on his ear, Wu Xie hug him back like if he wanted to melt with him. He let Wu Xie cry a bit more over the curve of his neck, as he silently rubbed his back in return, not knowing what else to do, to let him know he was there for him.
After a while, Wu Xie recover from the impact and experiencing death so close, he softly kiss Qiling on the mouth, who was thankfully still with him, right in front of the other two men that didn't mind at that moment.
"No one else will die on me here, I promise." Wu Xie said, getting away while picking Ning's body.
"Let's go." Wu Xie said as he started walking.
"Wait, Wu Xie..." Pangzi was going to protest about carrying Ning's body, but Qiling stop him by putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Let him, he will do the same for all of us if in her place." Qiling said, quite sure of it and Pangzi assented. Yes, he was that kind of kid and to Qiling, the reason he had fall so hard for him. Then he follow Wu Xie, walked in mourning silence. He also promise to himself that was the last time Wu Xie will shed tears, he will make sure of it.
AN: Thanks for reading. Rest in peace, Ah Ning, I hope this was a better tribute to her last moments. See you next time, please take care. 🤗💕💕💕