The Silent Guard (mxm)

Chapter 39

(Absolutely obsessed with this song atm, and I worked my butt of on this chapter so I hope you guys like it lol.) 

Zen focused straight ahead as their spider followed a different path, leaving Lee Shaan and Huang's behind as it began to surface. He silently wished them well, then turned his attention back to his master as he felt the seal at his side tugged free from his belt. He wasn't sure why his master had removed it until he noticed the little carved ornament begin to glow with light energy. 

But I use dark energy now...

"I know that look, love," Qi said as he reached over and refastened the seal to Zen's waist.

"You are free to use whatever energy source you are most comfortable with in our upcoming battle, but it seems like your dark energy prefers to manifest itself more as fire, instead of wind. You fought Ashong with your new abilities, and while he's seen you spar in the past, he hasn't seen much of your wind abilities yet."

He had a point. The general, while reasonably familiar to him, hadn't seen him use his spiritual light powers much, but he'd fought him head to head with his newer, dark abilities. 

Nodding in understanding, Zen reaching down and ran his thumb over the warm seal. 

"Also, may I see your sword, my Zen?" Qi asked, making him look back up at him for a short moment before removing his blade from its sheath and offering it to him, hilt-first. 

"Thank you," Qi said as he settled the sharper end of the weapon in his free hand, then focused his attention solely on the blade. 

"Xisheng?"

Zen watched silently as little sparks of purple electricity began to dance along the length of his weapon. Not five seconds after the light appeared, a soft grumble started emanating from the sword. 

"I'm sorry to wake you, but I had to give you my thanks for protecting Zen up to this point," he said as the sword began to pulse with energy, taking on the tempo of a heartbeat. 

"I know this probably isn't much, but please accept this humble offering in the hopes that you will continue to look after him well," he said as he retrieved a folded cloth from within his sleeve. 

A bright purple light blinded them momentarily as the growling sound got louder, but as it faded, Xisheng's little purple cat was left behind, sitting, perfectly-balanced, on the sword Qi had situated atop his crossed legs. 

"Here you are, little one," he said with a pleased smile as he unwrapped a small cut of cooked pork belly. 

"I thought that you might want something in your belly, too." 

The feline flicked an ear and leaned forward, sniffing at the offering for a moment before tilting its head and grumbling. It looked like his master was about to question whether the cub was hungry when it suddenly lunged forward and snapped up the piece of meat. He honestly hadn't fed it since his master had fused Xisheng's soul into the cat's body, but it did make sense that it needed some sort of sustenance. 

It finished off its small meal in just a few moments, then looked up at Qi with a new light in its eyes. 

He just became a cat recently, but he already seems like he's getting pretty comfortable with it. Perhaps when we go back home he will enjoy playing with the strays master feeds behind our pavilion. 

Just the thought of returning home made Zen fidget where he sat, the action inadvertently drawing his master's attention. 

"It will be alright, my Zen," Qi said before looking back down at Xisheng, who was now reaching a little paw out to tap at Qi's robe, clearly wanting more pork.