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Xie Feng left the small hut and set off into the forest. He wasn’t concerned that his guest may try to escape. Instead his mind was on thoughts of home. It hadn’t truly been that long since he was kicked out of Shadow Manor, and he had spent far longer stretches of time away from the Yanhui clan’s main territory. But he always missed the comfort and security Shadow Manor offered, and of course, missed his little brother.
As he walked along, following the twisting forest path at a casual pace, he thought back to the time before he had joined the Yanhui. As a half-demon, Xie Feng and his little half-brother had been constantly hunted by humans and cultivators. Their mother, a fox demon by the name of Xie Biyu had eventually been slain by a cultivator from the Leimen sect. Leaving her two sons, both born of her liaisons with mortal men, alone in the forest. Xie Feng had been old enough to keep himself alive, but having a younger sibling to not only protect but also feed, had been a strain. Not that he would have ever left his little brother to fend for himself. Xie Meilin was far too precious, and the apple of Xie Feng’s eye.
Reminiscing as he walked, Xie Feng recalled the night he had first met Xu Xian. His heart picked up slightly at the memory.
11 years ago:
“Brother!” He caught the sound of Xie Meilin’s voice from afar, as his brother cried out in fear, causing Xie Feng’s heart to seize. The humans had found their den! Four paws pounded the earth as he raced through the forest, unheeding of the clawing reach of the undergrowth as he forced his way through. He had gone out to scavenge food for his younger brother and himself at dusk, hoping to raid the near by village for scraps while the humans were within their houses. But he had badly miscalculated!
The moment he realised something had gone wrong, he had raced back home. Ears pinned against the fur of his neck as he stretched his long body to cover more ground. His brother’s cries of fear spurred him to greater effort until he burst into the clearing where their den was located. The small cave, formed by a huge slab of rock that stuck out of the earth at an angle, had been their home for the past few weeks. Typically frequented only by a few animals and birds, the small open area under a large tree was now full of human men. Each man held a weapon, and they were all leveled at the young boy curled up under the rocky shelf.
Xie Meilin had pressed himself as deep into the alcove as he could manage. Big golden eyes wide in fear as he hugged his skinny legs tightly to himself. His long black hair, so like his mother’s, was a mass of tangles and his knees were smeared with dirt. He would have looked like any orphaned child but for the elegant points to his ears, and the upright slitted pupils of his eyes. Spear points stabbed out at the young fox-demon and he flinched back with a cry of pain. Blood seeping from a shallow cut to his shoulder.
Xie Feng saw red. How dare they hurt his little brother?! Instantly his lean fox body transformed into that of a young man. His eyes were wild and his fingers tipped with claws as he threw himself at the human attackers. Managing to catch them by surprise, he clawed at the man he crashed into, eliciting cries of pain and anger from the brute. Then hands were on him, grabbing at his arms and legs, heaving him off his victim and throwing him back across the clearing with angry shouts. Colliding with the ground he rolled several times before sliding to a stop, only to leap back up and fling himself forwards once again. But this time the humans were ready and they stabbed at him with their spears. Only his preternatural speed and awareness kept him from being skewered on the spot, as Xie Feng wrenched himself to the side to avoid the attacks.
He was desperate to get to his sibling, and his only consolation was that with him there as the greater threat, the hunters were ignoring Meilin for the moment. Eyes blazing red with his hatred and fury, he lunged at the nearest hunter again, managing to claw the man’s arm and face, drawing blood before so meting heavy slammed into him from the side. Skidding across the dirt once more, stopped by the massive trunk of the large tree his body slammed into. Coughing and gasping for breath he staggered back to his feet, one hand instantly moving to press to his side where he was sure his ribs had been broken. He winced, struggling to breathe as he glared at the hunters arrayed before him.
“Monsters!” He screamed, half in fury, and half in panic as he spotted several of the humans at the back of the crowd turning towards his little brother once more. NO! Fear gripped his heart at the sight. Xie Meilin was so innocent! He’d never hurt anything before, let alone a human! Roaring in fury he once again threw himself at the hunters, uncaring of his own safety, just desperate to save his precious sibling.
Suddenly a suffocating power blanketed the area. The weight of it driving several hunters and Xie Feng himself to their knees. The other humans all staggered, but remained upright, their grips on their spears tightening. Xie Feng, so stunned by the heavy wave of pressure that he could barely raise his head, caught sight of something moving behind the humans.
“Meilin…” He groaned out, his lungs burning from the pain of both his ribs and of trying to breathe past the weight in the air. Only able to see the boot-clad feet and the bottom of the figure’s layered black robes, Xie Feng could only knee and hope, his heart stuttering. The figure walked with casual ease, pacing the leaf-strewn ground to stop before the small cave where Xie Meilin was hiding. The newcomer turned to face the humans before a deep voice filled the clearing.
“Leave, or die.” The voice, thought softly spoken, emanated a power so devastating, Xie Feng felt his blood run cold. Evidently the humans also felt it as they had all stepped back away from the newcomer and several had dropped their weapons in fright. For a moment it seemed the hunters may try and fight the stranger who had appeared before them, but finally the weakest among them couldn’t take the pressure of the stranger’s presences and broke away from the group, fleeing into the forest with frightened screaming. The stalemate shattered, the rest rapidly followed, some terrified, others lacking the courage to remain without the advantage of numbers.
A moment later, the clearing fell silent, only the fading sounds of the fleeing humans and the abandoned weapons strewn across the grass evidence of what had just transpired. That, and the dark-robed figure still standing before the cave. Sallowing, Xie Feng pushed himself upright, sitting in the dirt where he had fallen. Staring up at the stranger who had saved his little brother, he couldn’t force a sound past his frozen lips. It was only when the demon, for with that level of power he couldn’t be anything else, turned towards the cave that Xie Feng gathered himself and struggled to his feet. “Please! .. Spare my brother.” He cried out, staggering after the stranger with hand outstretched plaintively.
The stranger paused and turned back around, and Xie Feng finally got a proper look at the being. The newcomer was tall, dressed all in black, his multi-layered outfit looked expensive thought was not ostentatious. A large silver metal hairpiece was fixed in place by multiple tiny chains that tinkled with his every movement. They were attached to square of white fabric covered the lower half of his face, leaving just the pair of dark eyes visible. The pupils vertical slits just like Xie Feng and his sibling.
Swallowing, Xie Feng instantly dropped to his knees and thumped his forehead on the ground. “Please, your Lordship. Spare Meilin.” Xei Feng knew this demon was well above him both in power and position. He looked like nothing less than a King. Not dareing to lift his head, he simply waited, breath lodged within his chest, for the demon king’s answer. Unexpectedly it was not his voice that broke the stillness, but a warm hand settling on Xie Feng’s shoulder, encouraging him up from his prostrate position.
“Are you alright?” That low, resonant voice asked, as Xie Feng was drawn back up to his wobbly feet. The hand remaining in place until he found his balance. Though he dare not lift his head, he only nodded, voice stuck somewhere inside with his breath. “Good.” The voice continued, before the hand removed itself and Xie Feng could hear the demon moving across the clearing. Only then did he risk looking up, to see the stranger kneeling down and offering his hand to the still-terrified Xie Meilin. To his shock, his younger brother instantly accepted the hand, letting the demon pull him gently from his hidey-hole, only to collapse against the black-robed figure and dissolve into sobs.
Panicked that his brother had just offended their savior, Xei Feng raced over and attempted to pry the small form off the demon lord. But the stranger only smiled, shaking his head. Indicating that the youngster was fine to cling and cry. Unable to fully understand what was going on, Xie Feng could only stand there, helpless, as Meimiei cried into their rescuers robes, getting the shimmery fabric all wet.
The demon settled a hand on his sibling’s shoulder, as if to comfort the child, but Xei Feng couldn’t look away form those dark eyes. The weight of the demon’s power was still blanketing the area, but it felt… secure, and safe now. Rather than menacing and dangerous like before. Shifting a bit awkwardly, Xie Feng nearly jumped out of his skin when the demon spoke again.
“Come home with me.” He said, his voice still low and soft, but welcoming now. “I promise to always protect you both.” Xie Feng, having been about to reject the offer, froze again. Safe? This powerful being was offering to keep his little brother safe? His heart leaped at the idea, but he was still cautious. After all Xie Feng knew how two-faced the world could be.
“Why?” He demanded, swallowing his fear for his brother’s sake.
The demon smiled, head turning to look into the forest briefly, before his gaze returned to Xie Feng. “Because I can. Because that is the reason I founded Shadow Manor. To give demons like you and your brother somewhere safe to live. Somewhere where you don’t need to live in fear of your life each day.” He gently stroked Xie Meilin’s messy hair where the young boy was still clinging to his waist.
Xie Feng frowned, trying to gauge how truthful the stranger was being. But hadn’t he just saved them both? And could Xie Feng really risk refusing with the humans in this area now knowing who and what they were? Uncertain if he was making the right decision, but lacking any real options, he slowly nodded. “Ok… But if you ever hurt my little brother.. I’ll kill you.” It took all his resolve to squeeze out those words, but the demon only smiled and nodded.
“Deal.”
Startled by the easy acceptance of his outrageous threat, Xie Feng stared at his new lord with wide eyes, watching as the man scooped Xie Meilin up into his arms, seemingly unconcerned with how filthy the boy really was. With that, he turned and started to walk off, but paused as he reached the edge of the clearing and Xie Feng hadn’t moved from his place. “Come along then. If we hurry, there should still be some leftovers from dinner.” He smiled as Xie Feng’s mouth watered. With no other option, and his mind imagining their first warm meal in months, Xie Feng finally ran after the stranger and his sibling. Following the Lord into the night.