Feeling someone shake his shoulder slowly pulled Zen out of his deep sleep. He awoke over the span of a few minutes, but when his eyes still didn't open, he felt warm lips press against his forehead.

"Time to get up, my Zen."

He was reluctant. It had been such a long time since he'd been able to rest so well.

"We will have many more calm days in our future, sweet one, but today we must be strong," Qi said as his fingers began sifting through Zen's long hair.

He let himself have just one more minute before finally tilting his head up and looking into his master's warm eyes.

I will protect this person forever.

"Ready to go?" Lee Shaan called from across the small clearing, drawing Zen's attention for a brief moment before he hurried to his feet, then helped his master up, too.

"Thank you, Zen," Qi said politely as he fastened his sword at his waist, then did the same for Zen and his blade.

They both started heading over to where Lee Shaan and Huang were waiting when Zen paused for a moment and reached up to feel his empty robe.

Xisheng?

Frowning, he turned in a circle, but couldn't find any trace of the little cat. He was just about to tell his master when he felt his blade vibrate slightly against his side, drawing his attention down to it.

Ah, you were resting inside. I apologize for disturbing you, I was just worried that you might have wandered off.

Reassured, they finished their short walk back to their comrades, then waited silently as they discussed their next move. Evidently, they all agreed that they needed to remove the current false emperor of Han, but that was just the simple part of the plan. They were probably going to have to split up in order to safely enter the palace grounds. Zen and Qi would enter from the front while Huang and Lee Shaan would take one of his lair's tunnels and end up closer to the back.

They continued discussing the details as they set out. It took less than half an hour for them to exit the forest, and thankfully, there were only a few sparse, unassuming guards that were easy enough to sneak past. It took them nearly two days to make it to the outskirts of the capitol, the distance much farther since they had decided not to use Huang's lair to travel just yet. His father could still force his way into it, and even though they did plan to use it later, it would only be the two curse masters who would descend, since their abilities would help them stay hidden if others happened to be patrolling down below.

Lee Shaan guided them to the back of a little home a few streets into the city. He'd made Qi cast his invisibility spell on himself and Huang used some of his dark magic to change his facial features. It was a simple trick that wouldn't fool the stronger opponents they planned to face soon, but simple guards and everyday people would have no idea that there were two wanted princes walking about their quiet town.

The man who owned the home was a retired farmer who could barely walk even with the assistance of a cane. His handicap didn't hold him back from hobbling right up to Lee Shaan and reaching up with his frail little arms for a hug, though. The much larger man gladly hunched over until he could tug the elderly man into his arms, too.

"Hello, grandfather. I'm sorry it took me so long to come visit this time," Lee Shaan said as he carefully released the man, but kept his large hands on his shoulders to make sure that he had his balance well enough before letting go completely.

The man waved his hand the slightest bit and moved to sit down at a rickety old table that only had two chairs. Lee Shaan followed him there, but got nudged away after a moment.

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself," the man said, a pout to his words that made a rare, honest smile appear on Lee Shaan's face as he leaned against a counter a few feet away and crossed his arms.

"I can see that all too well, grandfather. So, when are you finally going to stop being so stubborn and come live with me?" he asked, seeming to already know the answer he was going to get before even asking the question.

"Perhaps when you stop being such a stubborn lad and finally settle down!" the man grumbled, though he could tell that he was just playing around... for the most part.

Lee Shaan let out a deep bit of laughter as Zen felt Qi tug him over to the corner of the room to sit down beside a quiet, flickering fire.

"Zen, how have you been doing with Xisheng since I had left? Has he given you any trouble? I've also noticed that he can now switch between his cat form and possessing your blade, has this caused any issues?"

Zen quickly shook his head and scooted closer as he lifted one hand, requesting his master's. Qi gave it to him immediately, his attention focused on what was beginning to be written upon it.

"No issues. He helped me fight Ashong."

Qi glanced up into his eyes, clearly surprised.

"I did see him walk out of the bushes dragging your sword. He looked quite worn out and went to sleep as soon as we settled down," he said, earning another nod from Zen.

"He is a very good spirit."

He could tell that his master was still a little uncomfortable with his original soul being around them, but he wasn't worried.

"If you trust him, then so will I. Now then, we need to decide on our course of action once we enter the palace grounds."

Zen quickly grinned and tapped his master's palm, then began writing again.

"I am not familiar with the palace's layout besides the area where we stayed, but if I remember correctly, you have studied the grounds at some point?"

"You are correct. I have studied the architecture scrolls that Lee Shaan had gifted me during one of my many visits south. At the time, I thought I'd have little use for the information, but as I have told you many times before... knowledge is never wasted. So I studied them well."

Zen grinned as he scooted closer, his shoulder pressing against his master's as he adjusted his grip on the man's hand, then continued to write.

"Tell me about it so that I can be prepared to assist you as much as possible?"

His master calmly met his eyes once more, his smile gentle but stretched with the slightest hint of worry. He was keeping it well hidden, but Zen could still see it. There was very little that Qi could hide from him, and while he knew that he'd prefer that he stay behind somewhere safe, he also knew better than to ask him to do such a thing.

They discussed the layouts of each pavilion first, then moved on to the many large gardens that covered a lot of the northern portions of the grounds. The side passage they had left from before with prince Yuen was definitely out of the question as an entrance, since it was never wise to sneak back in the same place one had previously left from.

Qi had left the horse he'd stolen at an inn near the area where they'd exited the forest, hoping that its owner would come looking for it. Lee Shaan had also sent his own steed back, since they would be much less conspicuous without the well-bred beast.

They moved on to discussing the layout of the guards that they remembered from their time there, then went further in depth once Huang and Lee Shaan joined them with small plates of food they'd helped Lee Shaan's grandfather make.

It was a simple dish of mutton and vegetables, but for once, Zen was more than happy to clean his plate of food. It was also surprisingly delicious.

"I'm happy you're eating, love."

Zen looked up as he finished chewing his last bite of food. The happiness that shown back at him from his master's warm eyes made heat rise to his cheeks.

I will eat more from now on.

He also felt like he could stomach food better ever since prince Yuen had transferred a little bit more of his soul to him. Comfortably full, Zen settled his head on his master's shoulder and listened as Huang and Lee Shaan took over the conversation, discussing the different areas around the palace grounds that were easier to maneuver into, but also easier to be caught by patrols.

They considered several other options before Zen tapped on his master's hand and began writing again.

"Since my abilities are now fully unlocked and the curse is broken, I can manipulate fire much better than I could before."

"I refuse to consider it," Qi said immediately, making sure that his tone brooked no argument.

He'd seen the burns that he'd given himself while fighting Ashong. It had taken a while to heal most of them, and many scars still remained. Zen pursed his lips but didn't try to write again until a few moments had passed.

"What about Xisheng?"

Qi looked back over at him with a slightly raised brow.

"What about him?" he asked, curious.

Zen was about to say that they could use him to scout out the area before they entered it, but he quickly withdrew his hand and blushed when he realized that sending in such an uncommon creature, cub or not, wasn't the most inconspicuous of ideas. The cub also wasn't the best at listening...

Instead of hearing any bits of laughter at his blunder, their group simply continued their discussion as Qi leaned over and pressed a kiss to his hair.

"Love you, my Zen. Keep brainstorming with us."

He honestly felt like he should just keep his thoughts to himself after that, but as he listened to the group develop their plans, he realized something. Taking his master's hand again, Zen tapped his palm to draw his attention, then quickly began writing.

"Lord Lee Shaan is a curse master... is he able to make a lair like prince Yuen?"

The look on his master's face told him that he had done well with his question this time.

"Lord Lee Shaan, are you able to create an underground lair like prince Yuen?" Qi asked for him.

The man raised a brow but slowly nodded.

"I can, though that is no easy feat. It is definitely not something that I can accomplish within a day's time."

Everyone was silent for a long moment before Huang licked his lips and looked over at the man sitting beside him.

"I could not do such a thing in such a short amount of time, either, but perhaps... together?"

Lee Shaan still looked skeptical, but the man's growing smirk told the group that he was definitely willing to try.

"If we can actually build a brand new lair leading to the palace, it would make our entire plan so much easier," he said as he quickly turned to face Huang and reached a hand out, palm up. Huang quickly settled his own hand in Lee Shaan's, then closed his eyes to focus.

Zen watched them silently with his master as Qi gently sifted his fingers through his hair. They waited nearly an hour before the two opened their eyes again and gave out tired sighs.

"We don't have enough spiritual energy to form it so quickly," Lee Shaan said as he looked at them solemnly.

I use dark energy now, though...

Zen tilted his head, meeting his master's eyes. It was immediately clear that Qi understood what he planned to do, so he didn't bother trying to write on his palm as his master simply nodded and nudged him forward after stealing a quick kiss from his lips.

The kiss seems unnecessary in front of them...

He wasn't complaining, though. It just made him a little more nervous as he hurried forward and sat next to Lee Shaan and Huang.

"Let's see what you've got, little guard," Yuen said with a smirk as Zen straightened his shoulders and reached forward to set his hand overtop both of theirs.

I will show you.

He closed his eyes and focused all of his energy into the palm of his hand. It didn't take long to feel the other two pulling at it as if it were on two strings that were both being tugged in two different directions, but he made sure to stay focused. He wasn't sure that anything was actually happening besides his body being drained of its spiritual energy, but then something did begin to happen.

The ground beneath him began to shake ever so slightly. Then, as more time passed, he started to feel as if he were actually sitting in the air instead of on the floor. It nearly freaked him out enough to open his eyes.

Stay focused, little guard. Do not open your eyes.

He bit his lower lip and nodded, returning his full attention to the task of transferring his energy. A faint breeze began to gently play at his hair, rustling it with moist air from below. It was so tempting to open his eyes and see what they were creating, but he forced himself to not be distracted.

"Need a little more," Huang said, his voice strained as a faint buzzing sound began to echo around them.

Zen squeezed his eyes shut tighter as he slowly reached behind himself with his free hand.

Master is a light expert, but perhaps it would still help, if even a little...

He didn't even need to extend his arm more than halfway before he felt his master's warm hand slip into his own. Qi moved to sit beside him, then reached his free hand forward to settle overtop all of theirs.

"It may not do much, but perhaps it will be just enough," he said as warmth from his master's light spiritual energy entwined with their darkness.

The soft breeze from below suddenly flared to life, whipping his hair and clothing around like he was sitting within a furious storm. A faint drizzle of rain began to settle against his face and hands as he breathed in the growing dampness around him. It was an absolutely-surreal experience, and all too abruptly, it ended with a strong knock on the dilapidated from door. His focus broke with a startled gasp, his eyes jerking open.

He expected to see the others jumping to their feet, but to his surprise, not only were they no longer in Lee Shaan's grandfather's little side room, but they were underneath it, looking up through a mostly-translucent, cloudy floor!

How...?

Zen was about to jump to his feet when he saw Ashong step into the dining and kitchen area above them with two guards flanking him on either side, but a firm hand grabbed his arm and hugged him tightly against a firm, familiar chest.

Qi reached up and tapped Zen's lips twice as he settled, signaling to him that he needed to remain silent and calm his mind. He watched with butterflies in his stomach as the men questioned Lee Shaan's grandfather, then turned toward the little attached room where they'd been sitting beside the now-waning fire.

He was about to start panicking when he realized that they had all eaten something and that there would be plates set out, but when he glanced around the dingy-looking cave they'd somehow drifted down into, he noticed that all of the plates and cutlery they'd used were now scattered around them. It had fallen, too.

Ashong looked around for a few moments and said a few things that were mute to their ears before turning and walking back toward Lee Shaan's grandfather. He didn't seem happy, at all, but thankfully, he also didn't seem to have found any evidence that they'd been there, either. So, after saying a few more words that looked a lot like threats, considering his body language, he stormed out.

They waited for quite some time before Qi finally released him and stood, then offered him a hand up. Lee Shaan and Huang were already standing, facing a large, dark tunnel-like opening in the rocky wall before them.

We actually did it...

He watched as Lee Shaan tilted his head up at the same time his elderly grandfather grinned down at him.

"Thank you for your help. You will always have a home with me, should you choose to accept it," Lee Shaan said as he looked up at the man, his voice proud, even though it was unlikely that the man could hear him.

He knows that you love him.

Lee Shaan glanced over his shoulder at him and smirked, then turned back to facing forward and, after taking in a big, deep breath, released it slowly and took a step forward.

"Let's do this," he said, then turned to look at Huang as the man fell into step beside him.

"After we're done with this whole take-over thing, you're mine."

Zen raised an eyebrow as Huang tripped over his own feet at the other man's bluntness, only managing not to fall because Lee Shaan caught his arm in time. He quickly shrugged him off and scowled.

"In your dreams," he grumbled.

His words were evidently funny, because Lee Shaan began laughing as they turned a corner, making them walk out of sight since him and Qi were just starting toward the dark entrance, themselves. He didn't need to see the two to be able to hear the larger man's reply, though.

"Oh, believe me. I already own you in every single one of them, so we can just skip right to real life now."

The sound of someone being smacked met his ears a moment later, making him look at his master at the same time Qi glanced at him with a grin that he was struggling to hide.

"They're quite cute, in their own way," he said with a quiet chuckle, making Zen purse his lips and look down at the ground for a few moments, somehow annoyed by his words for some reason.

He was just looking back up when he felt his master grab a length of his hair and tug him closer for a brief, abrupt kiss.

Huh?

Qi stuck his tongue out the slightest bit as he leaned away, then moved to step in front of him.

"Do not ever think that my heart will wander away from you. I know that prince Yuen has shown interest in me, and I have become quite accustomed to him being around, but I am not interested in him, nor do I believe that he is interested in me any longer... or available, for that matter. So to make my thoughts as clear as possible... there is no one else I wish to have besides you," he said with such sincerity that Zen couldn't help the blush that crept up his neck as his master gave his hair another gentle tug while turning, making him fall back into step beside him.

"Let us finish cleaning up this mess we've gotten ourselves into, then find a nice, quiet place to live together in peace, hmm?" he said as he finally released Zen's hair... only to lower his hand and entwine their fingers.

Zen quickly nodded, unable to hide his own small, hopeful smile.

I would love such a life. Especially if it will forever be with you.