Having the black ball of fur once again in his arms was almost too much for the God. He was beside himself with happiness, a warmth growing and spilling from within him not unlike the stolen moments with the youngster from his past. He burrowed further into the warmth, a small sob falling from slightly parted lips, unable to help himself as the noise escaped him. He was overwhelmed in the best way.

The creature, Jinzha, was warm, soft and yet it was these comforting features that made him recall how the other was taken from him in the first place. His body stiffened as he shot back, eyes immediately raking over the creature's body, wanting… no… needing to know the other was okay. He desired assurance that they hadn’t been hurt by the hands of someone he once knew to be kind, as he was also aware of the cruelty that could be orchestrated by those hands of hers.

Jinzha allowed his Highness time to work through this as the creature was aware that it was necessary and needed for the other to process all that had occurred. She nuzzled into his touch as slender hands came to cup her face, wanting to assure the other that she was indeed safe and happy here in his arms. Which, unknown to the God, was right where she had wanted to be. Such things had started as her doing a service for Zhi Yu, but it was easy to fall into a routine with Jiehong. He was always so kind and so gentle, and this brought a warmth to Jinzha that she was not aware she could feel.

Only once Jiehong had assured himself that the other was okay did he move to head toward the temple. His eyes shone with unshed tears at the emotional moment and his hands lightly shook by his side as his eyes darted around to take in the surrounding area. Yes, he was happy and content, however that did not mean that he wasn’t aware that the hound coming back could cause some trouble in the future. If the Empress had been able to notice such a fluctuation within the power inside of his domain previously, she was also certain to notice again.

He wished for nothing but to secure the other with promises of safety, and if he knew he was strong enough to make such promises he certainly would have. Unfortunately, this was not something the God could guarantee. He knew, especially now with his powers dwindled, that he couldn’t stand up for himself, let alone the innocent creature which seemed to have taken a liking to him. This train of thoughts made his brow crease. He wished it was easier, that perhaps his story could have been different to the one which he was currently facing. But he knew that would be to no avail; it was too much to ask for such a disgraceful God. Jiehong let out a small sigh, glancing up toward the fading light as he ushered the hound into the temple. His hand rested on the wooden frame of the sliding door as his eyes glazed and a memory hit him.

~~~

It was a cold day in the middle of winter, and the wooded area of his cabin sat amongst the snow. It was not often the man felt lonely, not with the youngster to keep him company. But it had been weeks, and as the coldness seeped into his bones, so did the loneliness that he had become accustomed to. 

The young man had left without so much as a word, only leaving a note behind explaining that he would return but that he had to become stronger first. He had to gain strength in order to protect the other. Jiehong let out a huff of a laugh, brow furrowing as he thought over how ridiculous that statement and sentiment was. The young man did not need to protect him. It should be the other way around. 

He missed him, he would admit to such. Over the few years they had spent together and the time he had spent watching the other grow, they had become close. The young man had grown into his appearance, maturing and becoming someone to be proud of. The two had become close, almost family, at least this was what Jiehong would have called the budding relationship that the two had nurtured.

He had gotten used to the laughter and loudness around his once empty home. Now the silence that followed the boy's departure was loud in its quiet. It unsettled him and made him keep himself busy, hoping the boy would return soon. 

He knew that there was something different about the boy. The purple mist which seemed to follow him around like an aura when his emotions became too high was a dead giveaway to the other. But he did not mind. He felt no ill intent from the younger and instead wished to nurture whatever it was growing inside of him. 

As hot puffs of air hit the coldness outside causing small clouds to appear, he moved. He planned to go into the nearby town to gather some food and other supplies before the weather became too torrid for this. His hands clenched into fists at his side as he walked through the forest. His eyes and ears would have been typically sharp and senses honed to ensure his safety. Unfortunately, it was this day that he was not paying much attention to his own surroundings, lost as he was in his thoughts and musings of the boy. 

A snap would have been heard by the man if he’d been less distracted. If not for his lack of foresight, he may have even noticed the change in heat and the odd sense of danger surrounding him. Perhaps he would have heard the distant growls and snarls growing louder as the creatures got closer to him. Instead, all of this came rushing to his senses all at once as a large creature appeared in front of him. Teeth bared in a snarl and ruby red eyes glinted as the black mass of fur stood out amongst the pale white snow. 

Jiehong stumbled, his cloaked back hitting against a nearby tree as more of the same creature seemed to appear before his eyes. He was not prepared for this. He was uncertain as to what to do, or how he could escape or create distance between himself and the danger present. 

Everything moved too quickly. Muttering words of “It’s alright, I won't hurt you,” to placate the creatures was to no avail. The large wolf-like beings sprung forward in magnificent leaps; they were fast, dangerous and yet Jiehong couldn’t help but notice the beauty in their movements. 

He was certain that his life flashed before his eyes. It must have, for all of the memories seemed to play out like a movie: him meeting the boy in the cold, him helping stitch and mend the boy’s wounds, the two laughing over tea, the anger and purple mist which followed the boy closely, them planting the sunflowers together... Everything seemed to be shown in startling clarity, so much so that he barely noticed the flash of purple, light  mist seeming to cover the man as he remained backed against the tree. So much so that he only caught flashes of black and silver robes as something moved like a shadow, too quick for the naked eye to see. The blossoming of what looked like black Dahlias and forget-me-nots sprouted around the man, a bad omen if he would have noticed. 

A flash of blinding purple light appeared, too bright for anyone to keep their eyes on for too long. Characters appeared blurred and yet clear in front of him, meaningless in this moment yet seeming to feel important, at least to him,  before nothing… darkness. He felt coldness seeping in. 

~~~

A shiver raked through Jiehong’s body, breaking him out of the odd… memory? He was uncertain what it was, but it all felt so real. It felt as if he had been the one to live through that, as though he had been there, experiencing it all firsthand. A high whimper made him spin around to face the interior of the temple, eyes blinking as he shook his head.  Jiehong ran a shaky hand through his hair before muttering a small, “Come on Jinzha, let's make something to eat.” He tried to dispel the weird thoughts as he lightly slid the doors shut behind him.

His head was pounding, a light headache appearing to settle through him as he massaged his temple, trying to relieve some of the tension and pain he was feeling from the unsettling memory he’d had. His mind moved back to the flash of sunflowers and a small boy's face. He was then presented with a similar scene that had occurred in his garden. A sharp pain knocked into him the more he tried to think, to remember. He stopped trying, instead turning to busy himself in mundane tasks and to make something warm for the two to eat. He did, after all hope to enjoy this happiness and peace for however long it lasted.