The Silent Guard (mxm)

Chapter 9

Yuen Huang? 

Zen sighed out a pained breath and slowly opened his eyes. At first, all he saw was a blurry light amidst the dripping darkness above him, but as he allowed his eyes to refocus, he realized what that little light was. 

Hello there, little soul. 

Yuen Huang? The little soul repeated as it danced above him. 

Realizing what the soul was saying, Zen slowly pushed himself up, then gently shook his head. 

I am not the person you are seeking. I am unsure of where he is at this moment. 

The dancing light slowed as it circled his head like a halo, drawing his attention upward so that he could follow its movements. 

Young master, Yuen Huang. Young master. 

Zen frowned at the odd thing, wondering who it had actually been to confuse him so easily with its master. And prince Yuen was definitely not little any longer, so whoever the soul had belonged to must have passed away many years ago. 

Deciding to ignore it for the moment, he looked around the massive cave he had landed in. Thankfully, the water that had swallowed them had shrunk away back into the spongy ground, but as he scoured the area several times with his eyes, he felt his heartbeat pick up uncomfortably. 

Master? 

He quickly got to his feet, but nearly fell as the mossy ground shifted beneath him. They had been in such a hurry to leave when prince Yuen gave them the chance, that they'd forgotten to grab their shoes. Not that they would have been much help on such a slippery surface.

Regaining his balance, he hurried to a more stable area with firmer footing before looking down at the little wooden seal he'd been given previously. He could feel it humming slightly, as if asking for attention but not wishing to disturb him outright. 

Perhaps it can help me find where master has landed? 

He reached for it at the same time the little soul began wandering past him toward a tunnel. When it simply hovered by the entrance, he hesitated, looking between the seal and the soul for a few moments before letting go of the seal and hurrying after his new floating friend. 

Best not to use the dark seal unless absolutely necessary, he reasoned with himself, already wary of it since it had separated him from his master. 

As he got closer, the little soul began to spin excitedly in circles. 

I will follow you, little one. Please, if you know where my master is, bring me to him. 

The soul paused in its movements for a few moments before beginning down the dark tunnel, lighting the way with its radiance. Zen kept up easily, honestly surprised by the amount of tunnels they began passing as they first ascended, then descended several times. There were several times where the vines hanging above them inched closer, seemingly curious as to who the trespasser was, but each time they appeared to try and reach closer to him the little soul would glow brighter, forcing the flora to retreat back into the darker recesses of the caves. 

Thank you, little one. 

The soul flickered and danced in response to his thought, drawing a silent chuckle from Zen's lips as they continued on their way. He knew that he should have been a little more cautious of the soul, but such creatures rarely held onto the malice they had acquired in the living world. It also didn't seem hostile in any way, and that was something that could not be hidden once dead. 

Do you happen to remember your name? he asked as they found their way out into another large cavern. This one, thankfully, wasn't raining cold water down upon him like the other had.