"Yun Yun!"
The sky turned a faint and warm peach, gradually shifting in hues with the sun to signal the approach of sunset. Jinxing ran freely past beasts and humans, leaving behind the red clay dwelling covered in vines, as well as a dragon and a dragon pup who were casually trailing behind.
"Ao?" Yinyun saw his vessel growing smaller as he moved away, and was drawn by the tinkle of golden bells on the human's wrists and ankles.
"Yun Yun!"
"Ao!" The dragon pup floated eagerly towards that lilting and playful voice.
Tian Ci stood in silence, gaze unreadable as he watched the two reunite with much joy.
His brows furrowed after a while.
"Don't follow him Ah Yun. He has no idea where he's going."
Jinxing stopped, the dragon's voice carried on the wind so that even at a distance it rang in his ears and tickled them. Frowning, he defended himself and his plans for the little dragon.
"Have idea.."
"Well then, let's hear it.."
"Gift.." Pointing to the end of the road they traveled on, Jinxing assumed gifts would be where the most noise and beings were gathering.
"Okay, but 'where' is the place you're going to get it?"
Jinxing paused, and thought for a while.
"...…."
"...…"
"...Ci Ci knows?"
The dragon rolled his eyes and made a click of his jaw in annoyance. "..If you didn't know where you were going...why have Ah Yun chase after you? If you get lost with him, don't be shocked if I don't spare your little life.."
"Not lost..!" Jinxing crossed his arms, turning as the snow ball of fur floated ever closer to him. He held out his hand but Yinyun wasn't interested, rubbing himself instead against the part of the human's chest that was exposing the skin over his heart. An intricate mandala of gold glowed beautifully over the warm skin, letting off tear drops of honey light that were eagerly absorbed into a softly parted mouth and the delicate form.
Jinxing covered Yinyun with his palm gently and spoke in a quieter tone.
"Not lost."
The dragon lowered his tone as well, not wanting to stress the infant during feeding. "I don't want him in a situation where he's even out of sight. You haven't proved you can be a responsible little fool."
"Not a little fool!" Jinxing stormed off with the dragon pup secured and continued towards the town..
"Where do you think you're going?--"Jinxing!" Tian Ci fumed, striding after the pair.
"Dumb dragon!" Jinxing yelled back and quickened his pace.
"Is there anywhere you can run?"
The trio traveled further into the local marketplace, gaining stares as they fussed, oblivious to all else. The dragon's eyes never left the human and ensured he didn't go too far. Both seemed content to occupy each other's space and annoyed one another with equal resolve.
Yinyun rested on the human's chest, happily absorbing energy and warmth, soothed by the hum of both his guardian's voices..even if those voices weren't saying anything particularly soothing.
.
.
"..Master..!" The dragon Enzhou, having watched at a respectful distance, finally drew near and began to call out. There wasn't anyone who could recognize their master at a glance, but if people kept looking, they would soon detect the unmistakable aura and the magnetic pull of the dragon's energy. Only 'that' little fool seemed unaffected by it.
Should anyone discover the dragon's identity… it would be a mess of epic proportions.
"Shh, Enzhou, let them go. They're bonding." Anle playfully leaped on Enzhou's back, patting him roughly on the shoulders as he grinned from ear to ear. The town of human and beastkind had evolved wonderfully, which brightened his mood. This was only due to their master's unseen yet careful cultivation of the land and it's energy.
"No they aren't!" The idea was so preposterous that the hair on Enzhou's head stood up, mirroring a dark red flame. He didn't even notice that there was also a dragon on his back.
"Why does master even bother mincing words with that human!"
"Because he sees him as an equal, obviously." Anle sighed, rolling his eyes.
"An equal?" Enzhou turned, getting only a glimpse of lavender hair spilling over his shoulders and pale feet in gold sandals. "Get the hell off!"
"Yeah, equal. Do you fight with someone who isn't?" Anle continued to cling and hitch a ride, ignoring the heated command and playing with the white fluffed collar around his companion's neck.
Enzhou was once again in deep thought and continued to carry a perfectly able dragon while walking ever closer to his masters and the aberrant human.
"This is ridiculous. I think master might just have pup-sickness."
"What?"
"You know, where a dragon becomes heavily influenced by their child's attachments? I'll never accept it if it's other than this!"
"Never accept what?" Tian Ci now stood before Enzhou and Anle with an air of scrutiny as they yelped and seemed to just notice him standing before them.
And even if he 'had' just materialized in front of them, to Tian Ci, their surprise just showed they were up to something.
"Master! You left us so quickly.." Both relieved and alarmed, Enzhou shifted his expression three times.
"I left you behind on purpose."
"Come now wonderful, great, and lovely master.." Anle jumped from Enzhou's back and looked coy ".. we're your little tails. How can we not follow you?"
"...…."
"...anyway…we're here to show the young master and the little empress the town!"
"Little empress?" The dragon's expression turned dark and he advanced on the younger dragon, the sharp claws on a hand extended.
"No violence! It's just a nickname because he's so innocent and temperamental! That's all I meant! Nothing else.."
"Liar."
Seeing how things could go south, Enzhou jumped in to save a soul.
"Please ignore this dumb lizard, my lord. We also want to pick gifts for the young master. He deserves all that our gold can be spent on, wouldn't you agree?"
The dragon's brows raised lightly, not upset with this offer. "Hm. Ah Yun is definitely worthy of you spending all your fortunes on him."
"All…of our fortunes..??"
"Anle!"
"I was kidding, En. Of course all our fortunes go to the heir!"
Tian Ci nodded, his tone gruff. "Just don't get in my way."
"We wouldn't dream of it!"
.
.
.
With time to himself, Jinxing tried to decipher what the dragons were speaking of at a distance, but eventually walked off and left them to their business. Yinyun moved from the human's chest to his shoulder and sat comfortably, content and glowing softly with a golden shimmer; the residue of his 'feeding'.
"I can buy a good gift for Yinyun.."
The human spoke this in his native tongue so there was little distortion in grammar. The snow furred dragon looked up at him; his eyes were clear and the amethyst glittered with a sense of awareness that was both pure and wise. He had understood the human's old language."Ao!"
"What does Yinyun want?" Completely missing the enormity of the dragon pup understanding the Human empire's language, and understanding to some degree, adult speech in general, the human continued to talk as though it were normal. "..tell Jinxing.."
Yinyun rolled from side to side happily. "Ao ao ao ao.."
"…mo..ther?" Jinxing listened and replied, a little curious. He had heard the black dragon speak of Yinyun's 'mother' but it didn't seem like anything good. Nevertheless, if it was what his minion and companion desired, as a General, he should supply it!
"Jinxing will get mother!"
"Ao?" Yinyun looked confused at the human and nestled in against his neck, a little cautious, as though someone might come take him away.
Settled on his goal, the two traveled boldly through the throngs of beings that inhabited Dragon's Eden.
For Jinxing, the word 'mother' was simply another word for females. In his memories at the Tower, they came only when he was violently ill, and even then it was just to place a hand on his head to pass healing energy when his Teacher got "carried away".
In those moments, he would be taken in dreams to a different place and time, where another 'mother' spoke to him in a beautiful language and held his hands. Whether it was the mother in his dreams or the one the Tower sent, both made his chest hurt and his eyes wet, so he left such things alone.
"My young lords and ladies!"
Startled from his thoughts, the human turned at the petal soft sound of a young woman clothed in sheer peach robes and the charming cadence of a young man in sky blue robes of the same kind. Their eyes were bright and held an air of 'come-hitherness' as they attracted both humans and beasts attention.
"We're here to announce that the Fragrant House has completed renovations!" - Cheers erupted from various beings in the crowds, but some continued on their way as though it had nothing to do with them. For those it did matter to, they drew nearer to the male and female, and as Jinxing did as well, he noticed a faint yet pleasant smell.
"We once again welcome those with wings, scales, or tails, to join us in the Halls of Rapture to unwind and relieve any stress or troubles you're burdened with….." Said by the robust and charming man, many women and men, human and beast, blushed and cheered boldly.
"Remember, The Fragrant House can give can you 'anything' your heart desires.."
The two emissaries of The Fragrant House departed on white horses that sprouted avian wings. Red petals fell from the sky and coated the clean walkways with beauty and fragrance. A crowd began to walk down the road the man and woman had flown over, presumably to go visit the Fragrant House which had been closed for a time.
Jinxing looked at the fading flying creatures and then down at the roses."Yinyun! Mother is there! At Fragrant House!"
"Ao?"
"Said, 'Anything'…'Give'…that means Mothers!" Jinxing could only understand but so much of the beast tongue and his sentence was a mixture of that with human words thrown in. Yinyun understood roughly that they were going to get something, but why it should be called 'mother' once again made him feel uneasy so he huddled close.
"Good gift for good Yun yun." Jinxing proudly declared and followed the throng of beings headed down a gray cobblestone road lined with stores draped in all manner of silk. The wind made them flutter in a flanking sea of rainbow colors.
There were many that passed him along the way. Dragons, serpents, foxes, horses, birds, bears, and lions. All were either in their full form, much larger, colorful, and more exotic than his Teacher had taught him about and then there were hybrids between human and beast. Then, there were regular humans, casually traveling among and with those beings who flew, galloped or slithered. None seemed too concerned with the other and Jinxing marveled at the tapestry of harmony.
.
.
"Try not to push! There's plenty of room for all of you ~!"
The Fragrant House was arrayed in the shape of an enormous pink cherry blossom, from each of its giant and wide petals, sheer fabrics fluttered in the wind. The mouth of the establishment was a set of circular double doors, completely wide open with the sounds of zither, the fragrance of ylang ylang, and the flow of water emanating outward in welcome. Jinxing saw the crowd and reached for the dragon pup resting on his shoulder. He squeezed his fluff gently and tucked him into the side of his garment, which strangely enough compressed to hide the ball of fur. With the child hidden, the human strode easily into the crowd of furry, scaled, feathered, and hairless patrons trying to sign-in to the Fragrant House with the persons from earlier.
The sway that resulted as he moved through them and was lightly pushed along, didn't bother him at all. However, those that did get too close and looked at him, wrinkled their noses before their eyes bulged and they backed off in alarm. This happened to such a degree that before the human knew it, all the beasts had slunk back and made a path, eyes on him, but also looking around as if waiting for something. Humans were not so keen and simply looked on curiously.
"What's wrong with you guys? - A curious onlooker, human in species, questioned while poking a red bear beast who had gone from walking on two legs to his four. That red bear shook its head, black eyes glistening. "Can't speak for the others, but I don't wanna get my scent on him."
"How come?"
"The one whose scent is already on him will come for me. I can smell it. Not every beast is a friendly one, young man. And some beasts are territorial to the point of insanity."
Having said so, the bear shook his head at the thought. "THAT, is the kind of scent he's got on himself. Best just let him through so when his companion comes there won't be any problems…"
"Huh.."
The human still seemed confused, only detecting the fragrance of fresh honey and the smell of morning dew as Jinxing walked briskly by with purpose, blue celestine robes and fluffy tresses fluttering.
"Jinxing's here!" - Standing before those doors where beauties and flowers could be found in abundance, Jinxing was greeted by a young man with green eyes and feline irises; His voice was full of enthusiasm that matched perfectly the brunette furred ears flickering atop his head. His olive hued garments swayed while he corralled this bright eyed patron who was clearly of unique standing, away from other employees who had started to flock towards him.
"Greetings young master Jinxing, I am Calif, the proprietor of the Fragrant House and a member of the Association of Dragon Compatriots.."
The man known as Calif looked into the eyes of the young human with an exotic appearance. Jinxing didn't avert his eyes but reached up instead to feel the strange appendages on top of the man's head. "...what..?"
Startled, the feline almost crushed those hands with his claws, but feeling the gentlest squeeze along his ears and the warmth of the small chest pressed against him as he stood on the tips of his toes to reach him, Calif stilled, resting those claws on the other's waist, leaning down to smell his scent.
"Those are my ears, young master." He breathed on the exhale against the human's neck. "And it's not a good thing to touch others without permission, even if what is on them looks exciting."
Jinxing stopped, his gaze thoughtful. "Not good?"
"Exactly. It's rude and shows you have no manners. It also reflects poorly on your species."
Jinxing tilted his head to the side, a little confused. At the very least he knew he should stop and rested on the flats of his feet, pulling away from the feline human hybrid. "No touch."
"Good. Now, Jinxing, was it? What brings you to the Fragrant House?"
Jinxing followed the man through the main area, where many dined and conversed while beautiful beings danced, laughed, and sang with those seated at cushioned tables or off to the side in curtained booths. Those beautiful beings would also pour saffron liquids into ornate cups and bring fragrant food on sparkling trays; Some even played instruments whose notes sent a pleasant tingle into the youth's ears.
"Is there something you desire?"
"des..ire?"
"...."
"... I guess desires, to put it simply, would be the things you like. Most people here desire the finer things in life and we can give that to them…for a fee of course."
"..the finer things...is good?"
"Oh yes..the finer things in life are great.."
The area they were in was much quieter now. Gone were the mouth watering aromas of meals and the laughter and music and chatter. Now corridors lined with silk covered flooring were flanked on both sides by lavish rooms. In those rooms the voices were hushed, the sounds a little stranger, and the scents, a bit questionable even if pleasant. Jinxing swallowed as he caught glimpses and shadows of beings holding onto one another and having rather interesting 'fights' where he wasn't sure who was winning since they only seemed to do one move.
"...."
Calif glanced at the human's reactions to these things and stifled a laugh before taking the male's hand and hurrying him along. "Come along, young master. Even if you beg I won't tell you what they're doing."
Jinxing closed his lips that were parted to ask about the fighting styles seen in those private rooms with doors open. But if the cat wasn't going to tell him, he could always ask the big dragon later.
At the end of the long corridor of mysteries, a cherry wood staircase led to a wide and sunny suite with several interconnected spaces. One could easily be identified as a bedroom, another a study, another a space for eating and entertaining guests. The open concept allowed for view of all sections no matter where you stood. This suite was at the very top of the Fragrant House and Jinxing could see the sun slowly descending in orange hues and the expanse of rooftops and trees in the distance.
"Lord Calif!"
From behind a curtained area beside the dining area, three women excitedly approached with flushed cheeks and billowing robes.
Each was a different hybrid - one rabbit, one sheep, and one deer. Their ears and irises displayed this fact while in every other regard they appeared human. They surrounded the tall feline who looked upon them with a gentle gaze, before their eyes fixed on Jinxing who was thrust before them.
"This is young master Jinxing. Serve him until I return but do NOT touch him. I'm counting on you. Be sure to give our patron your best.."
The man's tone was brisk and businesslike but still held an air of affection. The three ladies nodded with enthusiasm, smiling and waving as the man turned to leave.
Jinxing watched and listened, confused. "Calif..?"
The feline paused, ears twitching at the sound of his name from the human's mouth.
It was a pleasant sound.
He smiled, fangs glistening in the warm light.
"They're my attendants. Tell them what you want and they will get it for you. Be good and no sneaking downstairs. I'll be back."
.
.
A woman with blonde rabbit ears that laid calmly upon her tresses of long hair approached the human male now left with them.
"I'm Peony, this is Daisy, and this is Juniper." The deer was Juniper and the sheep was Daisy. Jinxing's nose wrinkled at the scents of floral powder on the rabbit's skin to avoid sneezing.
He patted his chest. "Jinxing."
"It is our pleasure to meet you, master Jinxing. Is there anything we can get you until his lordship returns?" As instructed, the woman asked this esteemed guest of their lord for whatever he desired.
Remembering how the feline had explained 'desires' earlier, Jinxing was confident as he reached into his robes, bringing a ball of white fur out with amethyst eyes.
"Jinxing wants.. the finer things..and mothers!" - He cheered his declaration, gently thrusting the dragon pup forward to the shock of all three attendants.
"..for Yun Yun!"