Yushir hurried on his way and a wicked smile lay on his lips. His footsteps pointed toward the general direction of the palace of His Majesty but he ran into trouble along the main thoroughfare, or rather, trouble ran into him. The screams ahead of him were the first sign of something amiss.

A half dozen goddesses scurried past him with frightened looks on their faces. They glanced over their shoulders down the street and Yushir followed their gaze. The slim figure of Lord Kang could be seen strolling down the walkway. He had an oblivious smile on his face as he bowed his head to those terrified onlookers who quivered on the sidelines. The beast who had pretended to attack Anna trotted at his side, its tongue lolling out one side of its mouth.

Men and women alike skirted around the pair and one of the gods even marched up to Kang. “What are you doing with that beast here?” he snapped as he stabbed a finger at the animal. “You have your stables in the outskirts where you can walk them!”

Kang’s smile didn’t falter even a fraction of an inch as he patted the top of his animal’s head. “Mew here has grown tired of the view from the stables so I decided to take him for a walk around here. Surely you don’t object.”

“O-of course I object!” the other god sputtered as he swept an arm over the area. “You are frightening everyone with your selfish action!”

“Is there a problem here?” Yushir chimed in as he strolled up to the pair.

The men both bowed their heads to the prince before the irritated one waved a hand at Kang. “This fool has brought his pet to wander the streets without any care for the rest of us.”

Kang draped an arm over his pet’s back and leaned against the creature. “There really is no need to worry. Mew here is completely harmless. Aren’t you, Mew?” The creature opened its mouth in a yawn and revealed its many sharp teeth.

The color drained from the other god’s face before he rallied his courage. “As harmless as a nest of snakes!”

Yushir patted the man’s shoulder. “I will second the comment that this creature is harmless.”

“But I heard it attacked a goddess just the other day!” the god insisted.

The prince laughed. “That was merely a play we were acting out. There was never any danger to the goddess.”

Yushir’s words seemed to soothe some of the god’s shaky nerves but he still cast a suspicious eye at the beast. “Then I leave the care of this beast in your hands, Your Highness.”

The god moved away and the others did likewise, leaving the pair mostly alone. Kang smiled at his compatriot. “I am much obliged for your good opinion of my pet, Your Highness.”

“You were rather lucky I happened to walk by,” Yushir scolded him as he led Kang and his pet away from the heavily trafficked thoroughfare and to a side street. He turned to face the strange duo. “What brings you out here with your pet? You know His Majesty’s opinion on the matter.”

Kang shook his head. “It is because of His Majesty’s opinion that I have brought Mew out here. He is concerned about the recent attacks on the immortal villages in the lower realms and worries that someone may attempt such an attack on our kingdom, so he has commanded me to walk Mew a few times a week to inspect his lands.”

Yushir lifted an eyebrow. “His Majesty has that much concern that he would frighten his subjects?”

His companion pursed his lips and gave an affirmative nod. “Very much so. Rumors are swirling around the courts of the land immortals that a god is behind the attacks.”

“Let us hope they remain just that, rumors,” Yushir commented.

Mew lifted his snout in the air and his nose twitched. He strolled close to Yushir and tried to stick his snout into the prince’s sleeve. Yushir jerked his hand back and frowned at the beast. “What is it doing?”

Kang grinned at him. “You seem to have something hidden in your sleeve that Mew appears to want to eat.”

Yushir tucked his arm behind his back and skirted the large beast’s curious nose. “I fear I will have to disappoint your pet though I am glad to see his sense of smell is up to the task His Majesty has assigned to you.”

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Kang clapped his hand on Mew’s back and nodded. “You can count on us, Your Highness. If there is trouble we will find it.”

Yushir skirted the beast and walked backward toward the main street with one eye on the animal. “Then I will leave you to it.”

Kang stood straight and puffed out his chest. “We will bring honor to ourselves, Your Highness!”

The large beast licked its lips at Yushir. The prince spun around and hurried away. I hope he remembered to feed that thing before he let it out on this walk he wondered to himself.

Yushir’s thoughts didn’t linger long on the beast and its tamer as his footsteps led him back on track toward his initial goal. The destination was a palace close to that of His Majesty. The home was surrounded by high walls of pure white and enclosed a large and luxurious garden. A gazebo stood near a gurgling brook and fish swam in a pond on the opposite side of the main path. The straight stone path traveled up to the low wide steps of the porch which was attached to a long and wide single-floor home. The roof was decked out with many peeks, however, that created an effect of an imperial home.

The sliding doors were open and a single hall led to the very rear of the building. The wide corridor gave an airy quality to the building and windows had been placed at every opportunity to allow natural light to stream inside. Doors on either side of the front half of the hall led into spacious rooms filled with treasures of gold and bedrooms decked out in white silk sheets and curtains. The rear half of the passage was completely open except for a few tall screens and columns that propped up the roof and separated seating areas.

A low reclining couch sat at the very end of the hall and Lord Eastwei propped himself up on the comfortable furniture. The nearly-finished flute sat on the low table in front of him along with a few half-open scrolls. The lord’s eyes were closed and his breathing was regular. Yushir wondered if he would have to rouse the lord from his slumber.

“You have come at an irregular hour.”

Yushir almost jumped at the other lord’s voice but he managed to recover his composure behind a smile. “Am I that late for tea?”

Eastwei opened his eyes and studied his guest. “You are both early and late which means you have come for another purpose.”

Yushir took a seat on his favored cushion near his host’s position and smiled. “I did have something rather interesting to show you.” He reached into his sleeve and drew out the half square of brownie. “This.”

Eastwei lifted an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“I believe Lady Roberts called it a ‘brownie,’” Yushir mused as he turned the cake over in his hand. “It is a treat she created only this day, and she managed to use creation magic in its design. That is a very clear sign that her training under my tutelage did not go to waste.”

“It is rather strange that she should be able to use her magic on a day when she was not under your tutelage,” Eastwei pointed out.

Yushir’s smile faded a little but he cleared his throat. “Yes, well, one must let the bird leave the nest at some point to test its wings, but do you know-” He held aloft the treat so it glistened in the sun, “-this reminds me of something. The flavor calls to mind the tea Shian served us at her party.” He nibbled a bit of the treat and furrowed his brow. “Yes, it does have that sweet and yet bitter flavor.” He cast a sideglance at his companion whose attention lay on the sweet.

“Then you have come to have me taste this treat?” Eastwei guessed.

“I’m afraid not.” Yushir plopped the rest of the treat in his mouth and chewed with satisfaction before swallowing. “There was hardly any of my piece left to share though I do recall seeing more in the pan.”

Yushir plucked a few crumbs from his lap and tossed them into his mouth before looking up. He discovered his companion standing. Eastwei walked past him and toward the door.

Yushir scurried to his feet. “Where are you going?”

Eastwei didn’t break his stride when he replied. “Out.”

Yushir watched him go with a sly smile on his lips as he stroked his chin. Interesting.