9

The Game of Hide and Seek

The morning found the five brothers happily spending time together in the eastern realms where the herds and flocks dwelt. Jiàn Shēng was resting his head on Wěi Hóng, while lazily chewing on a blade of grass as was his habit. Zǐ Xīn was gliding through the beautiful skies looking at everything happening in the valley below him while Xióng Zhǎn sat on the branch of a tree, busily fashioning a small dagger from a yellow stone he had received. For once, Yīng Fēng was seated along with them as he gently caressed Ān Jìng who was cooing, with her eyes partially shut. However, Pèi Zhōng was not with him though they were as close as Jiàn Shēng and Xióng Zhǎn. Rather, he was busy playing chase with a flock of sheep along with Jiā Háo who enjoyed this game. Zhì Shēn was playing a special tune on his flute which he had composed for Wáng Léi. To Wáng Léi’s delight, a herd of cattle gathered to enjoy the music along with him.

‘I have a question,’ Jiàn Shēng broke the silence. ‘Do any of you feel love for the Bride?’ None of the brothers present were startled and all replied similarly in the affirmative. Jiàn Shēng realized that they may not have understood him and immediately clarified his words.

‘No, I mean the way the King loves her. Do any of you love her the same way?’ he repeated.

Zhì Shēn stopped playing his flute as he replied with a thoughtful look, ‘How can that be? They are one of a kind. None of us are their equals.’

‘And she is our mother. It would not be appropriate!’ Xióng Zhǎn said firmly.

Yīng Fēng added, ‘I think I can speak for both myself and Pèi Zhōng. To love her that way would both be wrong and the worst betrayal and show of disloyalty towards the King and her.’

‘I do not think she would ever love another the way she loves him. It would be a total waste of breath to even consider such a thing,’ Zhì Shēn continued, ‘But what made you ask this?’

Jiàn Shēng realized that none of his brothers grappled with thoughts as he did. It was not their struggle but his alone. He also noticed he had aroused Zhì Shēn’s alertness. Zhì Shēn was after all one of the guardians of Méiguī shān. His allegiance was first towards the Bride and only then towards his brothers.

‘Er, no… it is just that I noticed how everyone remains bonded, even the creatures in all the realms have bonded pairs. Except for us…’ he mumbled in an attempt to hide his true motivation behind the question.

‘I do not see an issue with that. If you truly want a feminine being by your side, you can ask the King and the Bride. I am sure they will gladly create her for you,’ Zhì Shēn said as he turned a keen gaze upon Jiàn Shēng with eyes that seemed to penetrate into the spirit.

‘Yes, they love us and know how to provide for us what we desire in a lawful manner. Do you want your own bride?’ Xióng Zhǎn affirmed with a teasing look in his eyes. ‘If you gain a bride, would you even care to duel with me again?’ he asked half seriously.

Jiàn Shēng took a little stone and threw it at Xióng Zhǎn, ‘Of course! Would I be dueling with her then?’ he asked as he ran towards Xióng Zhǎn who had jumped down to catch his falling dagger that was struck by the little stone. Jiàn Shēng hoped it would distract Zhì Shēn and his ploy worked, at least for the moment. Zhì Shēn nodded his head as his brothers started dueling, and he returned to playing his flute.

‘Indeed, I can have a bride, but it will not be her! It is her that I want,’ Jiàn Shēng thought to himself as he tumbled and got pinned down by his brother.

Later, the Bride made her way to the eastern realms and passed by the five brothers. Jiàn Shēng’s heart began to beat faster, but he tried to hide it lest Zhì Shēn suspect anything amiss. For his part, Zhì Shēn was looking intently at both of them.

‘Did you see the King passing by?’ she asked them. They indicated that they had not seen him. ‘In that case, if you see him, do not tell him which direction I went in,’ she said with a shy smile.

Zhì Shēn enquired, ‘Where are you going, my lady? Do you need us to go with you?’

‘It is alright. I promised to visit the flock of sheep that dwell in the valley,’ the Bride replied.

‘Ah, then you will indeed find them there. Pèi Zhōng and Jiā Háo are chasing them around in the valley,’ Zhì Shēn informed her. She nodded her head in thanks as she quickly made her way down.

Jiàn Shēng had a strong desire to follow her but was wise enough to not do it this time. He was also careful not to look at her as she left because he knew that Zhì Shēn’s eyes were on him like burning coals. Even Zhì Shēn’s gaze could not penetrate the mask of coldness Jiàn Shēng wore as his heart burnt with jealousy, knowing the Bride was eagerly looking for her beloved.

The Bride ran into Pèi Zhōng and Jiā Háo in the valley. They were resting in the cool shade with the sheep.

‘Did the King pass by here?’ she asked them. Neither of them had seen him and they told her so. She smiled. She knew of just the right place to hide herself. Overlooking the valley was a cliff which had caves and hidden springs of water. She hid herself in a sharp cleft of a rock that she came across and waited quietly for him. There was the sound of wind and water, but he did not appear. Just when she was about to give up and go look for him, she heard a still, small voice. It was so soft that ears could not hear it, but her spirit did.

‘It is him!’ she giggled as she waited awhile before she came out of her hiding. ‘Here I am!’ she laughed gleefully. He must have searched for her for a very long time. But it was not him, it was only a little, white lamb. He ran towards her gingerly. She patted him gently on the head and continued walking about looking for her beloved. The lamb followed her while calling after her all the time.

‘He must have gone further and missed me. Never mind then, I will head back to Méiguī shān and surprise him when he gets there,’ she thought to herself albeit being a little disappointed. She noticed that the lamb was looking a little lost and following her around.

‘Where did you come from little one? Do you want to be mine?’ she asked as she carried him into her arms. ‘Very well, you can come with me to Méiguī shān,’ she told him, seeing that he wanted to be her soul beast. She waited the whole night, but the King did not come to her.

‘Where did he go?’ she wondered as she rested along with Bái Fēng and Bèi Yǎn. She gently caressed the little lamb resting his head on her bosom. ‘What is your name little one?’ she asked distractedly. He did not answer her because he was fast asleep. Slowly her eyes began to close as she drifted into her beautiful thoughts.

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When she opened her eyes, she found herself asleep in the arms of her King. ‘When did you…? Where is the…?’ she mumbled, confused.

‘The lamb?’ he finished her sentence as he kissed her forehead. ‘Where could he have gone? Did you see him?’ he asked her with an amused look.

Then she realized that it was him. He had hidden himself under the guise of a lamb and found her!

‘You, you…,’ she said shyly as she buried her face in his chest, ‘I thought you were a little, lost lamb.’

‘Why did you hide when you heard my voice? Would you truly be able to hide from me?’ he asked with a gentle laugh.

‘Indeed! Everything is open and transparent to your eyes. Nothing is concealed! You can still let me win once though?’ she asked pretending to be annoyed with him.

‘You caught me last night and held me so tightly, not that I am complaining,’ he smiled at her as he pushed a strand of her dark hair off her face.

‘That is not counted!’ she said as she arose to head into the northern realms.

‘I will find you my beautiful sheep, as long as you hear my voice!’ he called out to her as she tossed her hair back and disappeared in a glow of blue light.

The blue glow that emanated from her often made her look like a brilliant star in the sky. For this reason, she was often called the Evenstar.

Jiàn Shēng was waiting for her excitedly. He had arrived much earlier and was distractedly drawing a star on the snow. He erased it and started again, repeating this action many times with a smile. When he saw her approaching him, he hastily erased it and stood up to greet her. They practiced as always but his thoughts were not focused on the sword play.

‘What are you thinking about?’ she asked him.

He looked at her surprised and quickly fumbled for a reason. ‘I was wondering if there is any truth in what Xióng Zhǎn said,’ he replied.

‘Oh? He would not lie. What did he say?’ she asked out of curiosity.

‘He said I was like those goats in the eastern realms,’ Jiàn Shēng said.

She burst out laughing and continued clashing swords with him as she said, ‘Focus now or you will be clambering off the cliff side like those goats!’

After they were done, they sat down to talk. She looked at Jiàn Shēng intensely making him feel a little self-conscious.

‘Is there something on my face again?’ he asked hesitatingly.

‘No… I was just thinking that indeed, you are like a goat in many ways, especially the strong mountain goat. You are strong and agile, confident, and fearless, stately, and majestic yet playful and free,’ she said.

‘Do you really think so?’ he asked pleasantly surprised.

‘I know that to be true,’ she said as she smiled at him warmly. Suddenly she paused as if intently listening to something.

‘What is it?’ he asked her.

‘It is the King. He is calling out to me. I need to return,’ she said as she excitedly got up to leave.

‘But I do not hear him,’ Jiàn Shēng protested.

‘You will, if you listen with your spirit,’ she replied as she made her way out of the northern realms. She had a special gift for her beloved and was excited to give it to him.

She arrived at Dàshān where he was standing and gazing around at the splendor of all the realms they had created. He smiled to himself as he heard her tiptoe behind him. She grabbed him from behind in a tight embrace and said, ‘Where will you run now, lamb of mine?’

He turned around and hugged her.

‘I have something for you,’ she said as they made their way to the great throne. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap.

‘Let me see it,’ he said, curious about what she was holding in her hand.

She put a chain around his neck. It was crafted with crystalline material that shone brightly. A beautiful pendant hung on it. It was a piece of rectangular crystal that the Bride had made with her own hands using the essence of her waters. She opened the pendant as it contained something special within it. On one side she had carved a lamb. On the other side she had carved out space and filled it with a special fragrance.

‘This is to remind you of the day you became mine. That day I hid in the cleft of the rock, and you called to me. That little lamb followed me and became mine! Every time you see this and smell the fragrance, remember that you are mine,’ she said.

‘Have I not always been yours?’ he asked with a tender smile.

‘Yes, of course. But this is my mark of ownership. Wear it as my seal of love upon your heart that all may see that you are mine and I am yours,’ she replied.

‘Does Bèi Yǎn have such a seal too?’ he asked her with raised eyebrows.

‘Of course not! How could I possibly own her or any of the other soul beasts? This is a special seal meant only for you!’ she said firmly.

‘Then of course, I will not refuse this seal. I will always wear it for all to see and know that I am already a claimed man. The place beside me is yours alone. I am yours as you are mine,’ he affirmed as he kissed her tenderly.

From that day, the king wore the special locket over his clothes such that it was visible to every eye. When anyone enquired about it, he lit up with joy and proudly replied, ‘I am an owned man. It is my beloved’s seal upon my heart!’ He smiled to himself as he knew the story behind the lamb and the cleft rock.

One day as he sat with the five brothers drinking some wine that the Bride had made for all, he opened the love locket. She was not present, but the sweet fragrance rose before him and he closed his eyes, smiling and lost in his thoughts of her. They were playing a simple game of wéiqí as well and the intoxicating fragrance drifted from the locket.

‘What is that fragrance?’ Xióng Zhǎn asked, snapping the King out of his sweet reverie.

‘My love seal,’ the King replied happily like a young lover who was newly married to his beloved. As the brothers gazed upon the open locket, Jiàn Shēng noticed the little carved lamb on one side. He just nodded his head as if impressed and smiled in approval. Within him a tempest was brewing. The more he suppressed it, the more its heavy clouds threatened to burst with a shower of jealousy at any time.

That night was spent by Jiàn Shēng in total misery.

‘What is splendid about him? It is just a locket! There is nothing great about it or him except that she made it, and she gave it to him,’ he thought as he lay in his bed. Unable to sleep with all the tossing and turning, he got up and walked about. He wanted to scream, and he began to feel something stronger than jealousy stirring towards the King.

‘A mountain goat is better than a pathetic lamb. She said so herself! She said I am strong and agile, confident, and fearless, stately, and majestic yet playful and free. He is boring and dull. He may be powerful and handsome, but I do not think that I cannot be his rival when it comes to her affections of love,’ Jiàn Shēng repeated over and over again, deluding himself.

He suddenly stopped pacing as his eyes lit up with an idea. He quickly took out his carving dagger and rushed to his treasure trove of stones that he had received over time. He looked through the stones carefully.

‘No, not this. Not this either. This will not do, nor will that one…’ he said as he rummaged through his collection. His eyes lit again when he had reached the bottom of the pile. ‘This is the perfect one!’ he said as he pulled out a brilliant purple stone of darkest hue. It was a stone of great power and beauty. He set out to work on it carefully with his carving dagger.

Before the night was done, he fashioned a carving of a strong mountain goat with its massive horns. He set it in copper such that the edges of the head had a thin copper shine all around, and a twirl of copper twisted around its horns. The chain was similarly fashioned from copper. He wore the chain and its pendant around his neck with great pride.

He caressed the pendant as he thought aloud, ‘What lamb? What seal of love? Just a pathetic and weakling lamb. It was me whom she praised. I will wear this as a reminder till I make her mine!’

As he lay down, he held the pendant tightly with one hand. With the other hand he unconsciously kept drawing the star on his bed. From that night, Jiàn Shēng began to actively plan how to make the Bride his own.