Dark Star: The Lowly Guardian |ONC 2023|

120 Years Later

Zhenxing sat beneath a willow tree, cross-legged with his hands resting on his knees, meditating. The soft sound of a guqin floated around him, the notes healing and gentle, helping him restore his spiritual power. A soft wind rustled his hair, making the long black strands flutter around his shoulders.

A soft step sounded nearby and he smiled. "Does my Lord need something?"

A chuff of laughter met his ears, his heart fluttering at the sound. Robes rustled, the smell of amber and anthurium filling his nose as the Tiger Immortal sat behind him.

Silk rustled again, and Zhenxing grunted as spiritual power thumped into his back. He sat up straighter, breathing a silent sigh of relief as the Tiger Immortal replenished Zhenxing's spiritual power, healing the bumps and bruises he had suffered fighting a pesky shan xiao. 

The forest demon had eaten one too many travelers and tigers in the forest the Tiger Immortal considered his territory. The same forest he had found Zhenxing in. So, he had sent Zhenxing to subdue the monster, saying it would be good for his cultivation.

Uneager to return to the Mortal Realm, Zhenxing had descended and been perhaps a little hasty in his search for the shan xiao. The creature had snuck up on him, though Zhenxing had still defeated it. Just...not without earning an embarrassing number of injuries. 

Slowly, he opened his eyes, tipping his head back to look at the azure sky above. Clouds, puffy as cream, drifted by overhead, the drooping boughs of the willow sighing around him. "Thank you, my Lord," he said, his voice shaky with the sudden swell of spiritual power rushing through his meridians.

His Lord had always been too generous with his power, as was his nature.

The Tiger Immortal growled, the sound gentle. "Will I have to remind you for another hundred years, Xing-er? When we are alone, you may call me by my name."

Hu Shen. 

Zhenxing tasted the words in his mind, but couldn't bring himself to be so bold. He loved and respected the Tiger Immortal more than any other being in the Four Realms. Zhenxing owed him his life and his undying gratitude. Not only had this Immortal saved him as a child, he had elevated Zhenxing higher than he ever had the right to be.

As the Tiger Immortal's only attendant, Zhenxing was the only one permitted to be this close to him. An honor that Zhenxing, the lowly son of a hunter, would never dare forget.

But he did not want to displease the Tiger Immortal in any way, either. 

"Hu Ye," he said, "I will once again have to beg your patience."

While Hu Ye was the Tiger Immortal's sobriquet, it still just meant Tiger Lord. Still, it was a bit more familiar and was enough to please the Immortal. 

That chuffing laugh came again. Zhenxing turned to find the Tiger Immortal grinning at him. His golden eyes glowed in the sun, his skin the burnished color of the sweetest, clearest honey. Black lined his eyes like kohl, more black stripes elegant across his cheeks and down his throat. His raven-dark hair was long and loose down his back with a high bun at the top of his head fixed with a beautiful ornament made of silver with a large amber set into it. This was held in place by a pin made of pure amber with a plum blossom trapped in one end.

Zhenxing's breath caught as it always did, like his lungs had never gotten used to how beautiful the Zodiacs are. Or perhaps it was because he loved the Tiger Immortal. Either way, in Zhenxing's very biased opinion, the Tiger Immortal was only second to the Jade Emperor when it came to looks. 

The graceful sleeves of his green outer robes fluttered as the Tiger Immortal stood with a sigh, offering his hand to Zhenxing. He took it, and the Tiger Immortal hauled him to his feet. "I know it was hard, but you did well. Your spiritual power gets stronger every day," the Immortal said, eyes bright with approval.

Generous and noble as he might be, the Tiger Immortal couldn't help but preen when he was right. And he had been very right, in his esteemed opinion, to have plucked this child from the mud that day so many years ago. A fact he could rarely not mention to the Zodiacs who had poked fun at his attendant when he'd brought Zhenxing to his palace in the Heavenly Realm over a century ago.

"Come," Hu Ye said, his smile revealing sharp, white teeth. "The banquet will be on us sooner than we think. We must get ready."

Zhenxing smiled, brushing the grass from his own green robes. The banquet was still hours away, but his Lord was always in a rush, wanting to get from one thing to the next without dawdling along.

"If you return to the Tiger Palace, one of the servants can draw a bath. Meanwhile, I'll pick up the new robes I ordered for tonight." He smiled, fingers itching to tuck back a stray lock of hair framing Hu Ye's face. "I'll be back in time to brush and fix your hair."

Something the Tiger Immortal only ever allowed his singular attendant to do.

The Tiger Immortal perked up at that. Noble as he was...he could also be rather vain, as was the nature of such a proud creature. "You ordered me new robes?" Hu Ye asked, curiosity alight in his eyes.

"Of course," Zhenxing said. "This is the eve of the Year of the Fire Tiger. It's only right that you dress to fit the occasion. I would be a poor attendant if I didn't see to such things properly."

The Tiger Immortal already had his mind on soaking in a hot bath and how pleasant it would feel when Zhenxing brushed his hair. "You never do anything poorly, Xing-er." He winked, amber eyes sparkling. "You were born in the Year of the Tiger."

Zhenxing couldn't stop his shy smile, a blush rising in his pale cheeks. He cupped his hands in front of him and bowed his head. "As my Lord says. I will be home soon."

"Very soon!" Hu Ye said, clasping his hands behind his back as he walked away. "You'll need to dress properly as well. I'll be presenting you to the Guardians as my heir this year."

With that, the Tiger Immortal vanished into thin air, leaving Zhenxing open-mouthed and empty-headed behind him.

Word Count: 1070

Total: 2194