COURTED BY THE BANDIT...

CHAPTER 15 - BACK AGAIN

  JiaoLong had fainted soon after the coughing ended and a head splitting headache took place. In his state of unconsciousness he heard the desperate shouting of A'Zhe but he couldn't respond. More like he couldn't bother to respond. His body felt heavy, like he was stuck under a mountain, his head felt foggy and plus having his heart broken by seeing his little friend doing such crooked business... Hmph! Why should he bother? Thus he closed his eyes and let his pain drag him under. He only felt a teeny, tiny bit guilty...

  After the pain had passed he opened his eyes ready to see his familiar room but instead he was in a small zen garden. Beyond the zen garden was nothing, just an expanse of white space. JiaoLong stood in one spot in confusion. Why Wasn't he home? Had he really died in that body? Is this heaven? Why is it so quiet? Was this his allocated spot? Why is it so small? Is he dead!?

  "You are not dead yet you foolish child... calm down and listen. You have come to the time space of MinZhe. It's your duty to see what influences you have imposed on him... and for you to learn."

  "Learn about what?"

  "You'll see child... though I'm afraid still only straight forward approaches will make you truly see... aiya..." His ancestor who was once again in the form of a proud phoenix sighed whilst perching on the tree. "Walk over to the pond by the sand  garden and observe."

  JiaoLong looked around and found a quaint looking little pond and strode over. The surface of the water was as calm as can be and clear all the way through. It's emerald green colour shone in purity and put ones mind at ease from one glance. JiaoLong leaned over the edge and peeked in but saw nothing but his own reflection.

  "I see not-"

   "Hush!" Commanded the phoenix and with a swish of its tail a feather darted out and lightly tapped against JiaoLong's mouth. He found that he could no longer utter a sound and glared at the phoenix. You stinking chicken!

  He turned and focused back at the water. His gaze was just about to drift past his reflection when he realised that it was no longer a reflection of himself. JiaoLong frowned and leaned in closer and the 'reflection' did not mirror his movements. He then realised that the rebellious eyes and set of downcast eyebrows looked extremely familiar! It was A'Zhe,,, but so young, younger then when he first met him.

  The image in the water showed young A'Zhe frowning at a room a servant had pointed him into. It couldn't be called a room really, it had no bed or chair, just a stack of hay and a pot. He turned and said something to the servant which resulted in him getting kicked down. JiaoLong gaped at the scene, well his eyes widened since he couldn't open his mouth. It seemed as if the servant had called someone because not a few seconds later a bunch of scrawny kids appeared in the door way looking menacing as they advanced on A'Zhe. JiaoLong watched on in horror as the children proceeded to beat up a too young A'Zhe. When they left the hut, a small body huddled in the corner on the hay, arms clutching at his own shoulders he shivered as blood leaked onto the hay. the image swirled and showed the rising and setting of various suns and moons. And as time went on this harsh treatment happened more often than not. JiaoLong watched whilst needles struck his heart.

  The scene changed again to when A'Zhe was thrown out of the house at his feet. JiaoLong was watching from A'Zhe's point of view and so he saw himself sat in that weird one arm one leg in the air position. A'Zhe spared him no extra mind as he walked off. And then they met again when JiaoLong chose to take a beating for him. A'Zhe's eyes were focused solely on the stranger he had just met and the image became blurry as he realised  that tears must have been in his eyes. He then saw his horrible sleeping position and how A'Zhe had put up with him. Them Bathing together, eating together. And when he disappeared for the first time he saw A'Zhe's frantic expression when he couldn't find JiaoLong. He repeatedly shouted his name until his throat became hoarse and started crying on the spot. JiaoLong's already hurting heart clenched even more, he hadn't cried when he was being beaten, why would this silly boy waste tears on him? 

  JiaoLong was forced to watch all the things he had to endure and overcome at the bandits camp including gaining the position of handling troublesome people. He watched as A'Zhe tortured each and every single on of them without emotion. And then JiaoLong had appeared in the picture once again. A'Zhe's vision for the entire time had been focused on him, they narrowed when he smiled and enlarged when he was searching through the crowd, and blurred when he had once again disappeared. A'Zhe punched the ground, the wall anything within his vision. And when he calmed down he seemed to have some sort of resolution in his mind. He stood and left the torture room.

  The next image appeared but A'Zhe had changed dramatically, gone were his cute and boyish features, they were replaced with the vitality of a late teen and arrogance was in the air all around him. It seems like he had become fond of drinking whenever he had trouble. And he seemed to have anger issues too. But what JiaoLong noticed the most is that since he had disappeared it seems like A'Zhe hadn't killed a single person... Well maybe brought them knocking at deaths door but he never delivered the final blow... it seems like he was compromising with what JiaoLong said. But JiaoLong felt very unsettled at one thing. It seems that at the passing of the years A'Zhe is loosing the light in his eyes, all feelings were being replaced by a cold, icy attitude.

  And with a click of the fingers, half a decade seemed to have passed. A'Zhe was now a strong looking and imposing figure. Causing havoc wherever he went and emptying the wine shops. He never stopped in one place for long, he was always moving, watching, searching... and when he had no results, a milli second of emotion flashed in his eyes causing him to look like a lost and desperate child.

  The water once again returned to its normal state.

  JiaoLong was on his knees as a teardrop silently slid down his cheek. It was his fault that caused A'Zhe to be like this.. this cold, unsociable person...

  "Take me back."

  Phoenix, "..."

  "please... it;s my fault."

   Phoenix "Are you sure? This will be your last time. Remember that your soul is only residing in a temporary body. The body is also close to its limit."

  JiaoLong thought d=for a while. If the body was at the limit then he didn't have long to set things straight, to get A'Zhe back on the right path. But since he's decided he won't back down, he'll make do with what time he's got.

  The phoenix watched the decision set in the child's eyes and nodded. The ancestors had been right to transmigrate this child, he needed healing and a resolution in life, even if only temporarily, he needed to know that he can cause a ripple in others life. "Very well... Enjoy your last trip my child, may all be well." It raised its tail and waved it downwards like a fan and a sea of feathers once more drowned JiaoLong. He closed his eyes at the familiar moving of feathers against his skin and silently thought strategically of all the ways to greet A'Zhe, after all,,, he now looked to be in his early twenties, what a manly looking man, he can no longer pinch his cheeks as greeting right?

  JiaoLong at last opened his eyes as his feet touched down on grassy land. He turned to take in his surrounding but instead tripped over something.

  "Motherfucker!! this hair has grown double the length? Is this magic hair? does it do anything other than shock me each time??"

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Author tries to be coy...

JL- "I will set you on the straight path!"

MZ- "... after you made me walk the bent path you want me to go back to the straight path? That's not fair JiaoLong..."

JL-"..."

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A/N- Hello... sorry for any mistakes... I literally just remembered before sleeping that a promised a chapter today so speedily wrote it hahaha... Hope I didn't disappoint... But anyways I now feel motivated to write another chapter tomorrow for our gong and shou to meet again! Tension, drama and hehehe is soon on the way...

  Gotta save to good stuff for last ey? Don't worry my dear rotten girls/boys/people, it's on the way ufufufu... should I put up a warning sign when it comes? ( pun intended)

  Hope you enjoyed, do comment to let me know your thoughts... even if you're thinking about the dog that just pooped on your doorstep... I'm a lonely individual...;)