{"id":2061,"date":"2019-08-10T08:18:22","date_gmt":"2019-08-10T06:18:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/?p=2061"},"modified":"2019-08-11T08:23:12","modified_gmt":"2019-08-11T06:23:12","slug":"a-summons-to-dixing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/a-summons-to-dixing\/","title":{"rendered":"A Summons to Dixing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Author's Note: <\/strong>Part of <a href=\"https:\/\/archiveofourown.org\/series\/1440709\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Writer's Month 2019 (opens in a new tab)\">Writer's Month 2019<\/a>, day 10 - prompt: dark AU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Zhao Yunlan had only ever heard stories of \nDixing's Dark Lord. Even after three years as Head of the SID, he'd \nnever set foot in the land of constant night. So when he received the \nsummons, he didn't hesitate. Not that the <em>very<\/em> impressive Envoy\n left him much of a choice, opening a portal with a hand gesture and \ninviting him through with a simple tilt of his mask-covered face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Of\n course, Your Excellency,\" Zhao Yunlan deadpanned and followed him, but \nnot before calling over his shoulder, \"You're in charge, Da Qing. \nThere's fish in the fridge, if I don't come back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dixing turned \nout to be even gloomier than expected, and not just from a lack of \nlight. The few inhabitants he saw appeared downtrodden, and he suddenly \nhad a much better understanding why Dixingren might risk imprisonment by\n violating the treaty and sneaking into Haixing. Zhao Yunlan had a very \nbad feeling about this whole thing, and he set his shoulders as he \nfollowed the Envoy into the Palace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the Envoy was impressive, Dixing's actual ruler was <em>terrifying<\/em>,\n an ominous presence on an ornate throne. He exuded an air of ice-cold \nmenace, not amended in the least by his startling beauty and made even \nmore intimidating when the Envoy smoothly knelt in front of him. Zhao \nYunlan remained standing for a startled second, before a strong hand \ngripped his wrist and yanked him off his feet and onto his knees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\"My Lord,\" the Envoy intoned, \"As you ordered, I have brought you Kunlun.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\n previously so imperious white-cloaked figure was completely subservient\n to his black-clad master, and even Zhao Yunlan's usually indomitable \nspirit needed a moment before he managed to protest, \"I don't know who \nthis Kunlun person is, but my name is Zhao Yunlan. I'm the Chief of the \nSID, and it's an honour to meet you, my Lord. I must admit I've always \nwanted to see Dixing.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Oh, I know who you are, Lord Guardian,\" \nthe Black Lord replied, his voice strangely similar to the Envoy's, \nalbeit more menacing, insinuating, sending cold shivers down Zhao \nYunlan's spine. A knife-like smile parted a mouth that he would have \nfound extremely attractive under different circumstances. \"And I'm glad \nyou find Dixing to your liking, since you won't leave here for a long, \nlong time.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zhao Yunlan gasped when a tendril of dark energy \nwrapped around him and abruptly pulled him forward, until he came to a \nhalt at the Dark Lord's feet. He opened his mouth to protest, but a cold\n hand gripped his chin painfully, forcing his face upwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Oh, my Kunlun, you're mine now.\" <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Staring into black eyes like bottomless pits, Zhao Yunlan's heart sank.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zhao Yunlan had only ever heard stories of Dixing's Dark Lord.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[342,343],"tags":[295,299,307],"series":[],"class_list":["post-2061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guardian","category-shen-wei-zhao-yunlan","tag-audience-teen","tag-genre-slash","tag-warning-au"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2061"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2063,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2061\/revisions\/2063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2061"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=2061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}