Zhimian's Tale II

Thirty-Nine Years Ago – Eastern Territories, Demon Realm

"Aww, Ruolan, look," Zhimian-Lang murmured with an overjoyed smile. "She has your eyes."

He sat beside his lover on their bed, cradling their daughter in his arms. The newborn demon was swaddled in blankets, glittering red eyes blinking slowly. A demonic mark – the same as her mother's orchid – decorated her tiny forehead.

Ruolan-Jun chuckled. "And your nose, my love." A sheen of sweat covered her forehead, and the midwife stepped forward to dab at it with a cloth.

"What would you like to name her?" Zhimian-Lang asked.

"You choose, darling."

Zhimian-Lang studied their daughter. "How about… Jing?"

Ruolan-Jun tilted her head. "'Crystal'?"

"'Glittering'. Her eyes are like red gems, don't you think?"

"Hm. Alright. Jing it is." Ruolan-Jun leaned forward to kiss Zhimian-Lang's forehead and tap their baby's nose gently. She rose from the bed. "I have work to attend to. Draw me a bath," she ordered a servant, sweeping from the room.

Zhimian-Lang opened his mouth, about to call her back, ask her to spare another hour with her lover and their daughter. He closed his mouth again. It would be useless, and only irritate her.

Instead, silent, he held his daughter close. She would be his only one, he knew – Ruolan-Jun would not spare the time and effort of pregnancy and birth again. With Zixin-Jun and Xiaobo-Jun defeated, she had a kingdom to bring to heel, after all.

Jing babbled, reached out with tiny hands. Smiling, Zhimian-Lang held out a finger, and his daughter's hand closed around it with a surprisingly strong grip.

Quietly, so quietly only he and his daughter could hear, Zhimian-Lang whispered, "You are loved, Jing." 

Thirty-Two Years Ago – Borderlands

That summer's day was an increasingly rare occasion in which Zhimian-Lang managed to convince Ruolan-Jun to leave her throne room. Constantly swamped with petitioners and paperwork as she was, it had taken a report of an unsanctioned attack on a human village to draw Ruolan-Jun out. Zhimian-Lang had jumped at the chance to accompany her, hoping for her to spend time with her daughter. Ruolan-Jun had, reluctantly, given in.

"Stay close," she ordered as they crossed through the border.

Zhimian-Lang's stomach turned inside out as they hurried through the warped space that formed one of the few points where one could cross between realms. He held Jing close, balanced on his hip.

They stepped out of the warped space, and Zhimian-Lang sighed in relief. Clutching her sword, Ruolan-Jun surveyed the field they'd stepped into carefully. It was farmland, as far as they could see. Smoke rose in the distance, from the attacked village.

"I'll investigate," Ruolan-Jun said. "You stay here."

Without waiting for an answer, she leapt onto her sword and flew towards the destroyed human village. Zhimian-Lang watched her go with a barely-suppressed sigh.

Jing wriggled in his arms, and he set her down on the ground. Still holding her father's arm, she looked around with big eyes and sniffed the air. "What's that smell?"

Zhimian-Lang crouched beside her and pinched a leaf of one of the crops in front of them. "These are tea plants."

"Oh. Where'd mama go?"

"She'll be back, don't worry."

Jing scanned the field, watching the tea plants sway in the wind and the clouds crawl across the sky. Abruptly, she pointed at something across the field. "What's that?"

"Where?" Zhimian-Lang squinted where she was pointing.

A lump lay beneath a few tea plants, several paces away. Zhimian-Lang tensed. He couldn't sense a threat, but perhaps it was just sleeping. He wished for his sword, but part of his hostage agreement was that he could never be armed. A foolish decision, but one Ruolan-Jun had not fought against.

Zhimian-Lang stood up and pushed Jing to hide behind him. A gust of wind ruffled his hair, and he breathed a sigh of relief as Ruolan-Jun landed beside him.

"Tianlang-Jun's forces," she muttered. "This is too close to the Eastern Kingdom – he keeps overstepping. I'll have to –" She noticed Zhimian-Lang's worried expression. "What is it?"

"Probably nothing," he admitted. "But there's a creature over there."

Narrowing her eyes, Ruolan-Jun stalked forward, sword at the ready. Jing crept after her mother, and Zhimian-Lang hurried to hold her back. Only a few feet away, they all tilted their heads at the lump beneath the tea leaves.

"It's a human," Ruolan-Jun announced. "A young one." She leaned down and poked the child roughly.

Dark eyes blinked open, and the child sat up. She yawned widely and stared at the three demons in confusion, but not fear. Her clothes were ragged, and her face smeared with dirt.

"Her parents probably died in the attack," Ruolan-Jun said emotionlessly. "It's the only village nearby."

Jing stepped forward and crouched in front of the human child. "What's your name?" she asked.

The child was silent. Perhaps she had not yet learned to talk. She reached out and poked at Jing's demonic mark curiously.

"Leave her, Jing," Ruolan-Jun ordered, stepping away. "We return to the palace."

"Dearest," Zhimian-Lang said, setting a hand on her arm. He glanced at Jing, and lowered his voice: "You should know, Jing has been very lonely. I know – " he hurried to add as Ruolan-Jun sighed – "you don't want her associating with other demons who might be a threat. But a human… a human's not a threat at all, right?"

Ruolan-Jun hesitated. Jing was plucking tea leaves off their stems and tossing them in the air by the handful. The human child watched, giggling, as the leaves fluttered down around them.

"Fine," Ruolan-Jun agreed with a sigh. "But if another demon decides to eat her, it's your problem."

Zhimian-Lang's shoulders slumped in relief. "Thank you, love." He stood on his toes and kissed her, then beckoned for the two children over.

Jing took the human child's hand and helped her up. "Is she coming with us?" Jing asked, peering up at her father.

Zhimian-Lang crouched with a smile. "Yes, dear. She'll be your friend, alright? You have to take good care of her, and make sure no one hurts her. Can you do that?"

Frowning determinedly, Jing nodded. "What's her name?"

"Hmm… How about Ming?" Zhimian-Lang suggested. "For 'tea'?"

Jing nodded, and looked at the human. "Your name is Ming. Can you say that?"

"Mi," the child mumbled.

"Ming."

"Mm… Ming."

"Yeah, that's it!"

"Ming!" Ming grinned happily.

"We should hurry," Ruolan-Jun interrupted.

Zhimian-Lang picked up Ming, who was too little to follow on her short legs, and took Jing's hand. Together, they followed Ruolan-Jun back into the Demon Realm.