Solstice Souls

Sword Seduction

The two older men stared, unsure what to do.

"It's going to have to do. Come on." Wei Ying groaned as he fixed his hair back into his signature high ponytail.

The music started and Mo Xuanyu took the stage to a cacophony of applause. The long billowy fans became extensions of his hands and fingers. He danced like he was battling his co-dancers. Kicks and turns were all to evade imaginary swords. Leaping into the air with nimbleness, he somersaulted over the other two men waving his fans in rhythm with the beating drum. Landing with one leg bent and the other stretched to the side, Mo Xuanyu was the picture of strength, power, and grace.

Mo Xuanyu straightened and spun in circles to the left side of the narrow stage. His fans swirled around his body like a whirlwind, only his silhouette visible through the fine material. When he stopped, a single flashing, golden eye stared back at him, the other hidden behind a silver eye patch.

Wei Ying's fingers tingled and itched at the same time and his right hand fumbled the next twirl of its fan. The long, broad feather-like object hit the stage with a quiet double click. Wei Ying broke eye contact with the heated gaze of the disguised jade and picked up his fan in less than a heartbeat.

The final scene was over and the three dancers bowed in unison. The crowd was chanting Mo Xuanyu's name, their fists pumping the air. Near the front of the stage, Wei Ying caught the glare of the surrounding lanterns on a sword blade held by a young man in the audience and was ready when the weapon came flying towards him.

He expertly caught it with one hand. A half smile unfolded below the silver mask declaring his acceptance of the challenge. Mo Xuanyu raised the sword in front of his chest, examining the metal, testing its weight, measuring its length. He took his two fingers and ran them across the worn blade admiring what must have been a family heirloom.

It was almost as long as Hanguang-jun's expertly crafted sword which he remembered in detail. Inside his devious little mind, Wei Ying was already carving out a plan on how to use the borrowed blade to his advantage.

He looked to Mao Shing and Yan Bai who stood on either side of him. Both men rolled their eyes behind their own masks. Although both men pretended to be annoyed, Wei Ying knew they loved watching him dance as much as the audience did.

Especially when there was a sword involved.

Wei Ying looked to the side of the stage and was thrilled to see the golden eyed man still staring at him with rapt fascination. The dancer and the jade held each other in their gazes, Wei Ying's body charged with sparks of energy that shone in his liquid silver eyes.

For you.

Wei Ying mouthed the words silently and then topped off his tease with a mischievous wink.

Again, Mo Xuanyu began to dance. This time, the sword was his partner. His hands and long fingers twirled the weapon with spectacular ease, creating the illusion that the blade was moving by itself. His movements were extraordinarily fluid and matched the ethereal aura of the music. The sword swung all around his body, across his chest, and over his back. It never stopped moving, caressing his body like a lover.

( For a better visual, please watch the video.  The beauty of this dance is so difficult to describe and we wanted to show you what inspired us to write this part)

When the sharp blade swung effortlessly over Mo Xuanyu's neck, the crowd's shouts and cheers turned to gasps and screams. But, Wei Ying knew it was all in fun.

And, speaking of fun.....

Coming to a breathless stop, Wei Ying glimpsed daringly at both Mao Shing and Yan Bai before turning to look at his parents standing behind the stage. Their dark eyes warned him not to attempt what they already knew he was going to do. All four could see the fire in his eyes and Wei Wuxian could see the fear in theirs.

His father angrily mouthed a distinct 'NO' and his mother shook her head in a controlled panic. Wei Ying glanced back at the jade who was also concealing his presence. The man had never looked away during his entire performance. Wuxian felt the fluttering in his chest again and knew he had to get back at the man for what he had done to him earlier.

Mo Xuanyu stepped to the front of the stage. He gripped the hilt in his right hand and once again raised the sword in front of him. Bringing the sword up to his mouth, Wei Ying cast one final heated glance towards the staring jade, silver eyes imprisoning gold ones, before licking the deadly blade from hilt to tip.

He held the sharp blade gently in both sets of long fingers and lifted the glistening piece of metal above his head, tip down. And then, the man famous for dancing like a winged dragon, leaned his head back and slid the deadly weapon effortlessly down his throat.