Fantasy The Lost Yearning - Of A Changing Heart

[Relias_]

As the day critters rests their eyes and the nocturnal ones began their hunt. A tall figure of a man makes his way down the dirt path, in his right hand, he held an elegant looking fan. Amethyst colored hues focusing on the road in front of him. A blank canvas of the night, with the main attraction being the dimly glowing moon, the rays of its light creates a radiant glow of rings in the sky.

The man stops and a several set of footsteps follows close to the fork in the road.

“Senior, are we there yet?” Piped a youngster within the group behind him but he was promptly hushed by a man next to him. Scolding him to be patient.

They continued their way to their destination.

Recently there has been reports of an unknown monster dragging the villagers into the depths of the woods, it only took a few incidents for the villagers to ask for help. Luckily a passing traveler had been an expert in extermination and they hired them to help with what money they have.

Zhelian, as he was called. Sets off into the woods with a few commendable fighters of the village to be witnesses as the sun lay down.

An undefined monsters that leave nothing but bones of its prey. Could it be a feral zombie? Yet even ‘zombies’ would not eat a living person’s meat directly. And should it be a common wild animal such as tigers or even leopards, there are bound to be traces of it… yet there is none.

What sort of atrocities will they be facing, Zhelian wondered.

From a small hill, the man gazes down at a calm lake not far away. The cold night wind rushes past, rustling old, almost forgotten memories. The leaves rolls across the dry ground… Snapping his fan open, he continued his way, deeper… and deeper into the forest where the once dry land were now covered in soft, rotten leaves and branches. Dead grass and muddy areas. Having no chance to be touched by the sun due to the thick canopy above.

A soft blue misty tendrils wraps around Zhelian’s right wrist, and he held his hand out as the mist bursts into several small floating ball of lights that illuminates their way.

The air was thick, of uneasiness and rage that lingers within this sealed area could make one sick. Come as it may, the negative aura that surrounds this particular area was caused by the fact that… this was once a blood ridden battlefield of ancient times. The ancestors sealed this area so no malicious spirits could escape. Every five years, a cleansing ritual would be held to help lost, wandering souls.

The trees and living things that grew within this area are all poisonous, and as such there are no animals that could survive within it.

But concerningly, there was not a sight of the elders this year, nor they were the year before... and the poison only spread further.

 

[FrozenMBee]

As the group wandered deeper and deeper into the forest the wind began to pick up slightly. Going from barely noticeable to soft whistling laced with a chill. The whistling sending chills down the fighter's backs the whistling sounding close to a wordless song. The darkness that fills the night and forest seem to take on a life of their own, as they seem to bend and take various forms.

A lone slightly transparent figure appears on the bank of the lake. His golden eyes flutter open with childish wonder and surprisingly sleep. He looks around the area in a bit before faintly hearing a number of footsteps. The figure smiles in glee at the prospect of seeing people finally. He makes quick work of dashing through the forest unconsciously being mindful of the traps set up by the corrupted wildlife.

A man shivered a bit from the biting wind but couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The man looked around to try and see anything but couldn't see much of anything thanks to the darkness that clung to these woods. The man takes a deep breathe and lets it out in an effort to calm his nerves.

The seemingly paranoid man was correct the group were being watched but not by simply the moon, stars and whatever conscious plant that's nearby. But a curious pale specter who stays just far enough to not be spotted yet.

The ghostly specter watches the group in deep confusion. They don't look like the elders that normally come into this part of the forest. The ghostly spirit doesn't truly remember much beyond a deep feeling of hurt and his name Jingyi. He follows the group closely trying his best to not be seen but the same paranoid man finally spots him. The paranoid man lets out a shout loud enough to scare some demonic crows. Jingyi flees quickly in the direction of the lake he woke up by with the sound of crows squawking.

Meanwhile, the paranoid points at the fleeing Jingyi in surprise and sudden fear to afraid to say anything.

 

[Relias_]

"Oh my GOD! Old man what's your problem?!" The youngster calls out, having been pushed out of their formation by the sudden fear-stricken scream of the paranoid man, who was now sitting on the forest floor, pointing shakily at something in the forest.

With each and every pair of eyes, they try to look past the dark haze of night that envelopes the area. But they could not find a thing as the crows flee.

But the traveler has spotted a glimpse of the being before it was fully out of their range of view.

Haste in his steps, Zhelian seemingly flew past the group and into the forest with unfeeling speed, his long, elegant robes barely brushing against the shrubberies. Fishing a few talismans from the pouch strapped to his waist. Each burns into bright golden lights that shoots out from his grasp and follows the fleeing target.

"Stop there." Zhelian ordered, leaping up a fallen tree and rounding a corner where the five golden lights finally surround the fleeing specter, a large array appeared on the ground where they now stood, illuminating the area in splendor gold.

Having coming up behind the human-like entity, Zhelian has no clue as what the being could look like. For all that's worth, it may be a demonic entity trying to garner pity in the form of a human. Though normally they could not stay in that form for long.

Snapping his fan close as yet another chill, icy wind ran by. He focuses on the specter.

"What is your name and reason for being here?"

 

[FrozenMBee]

Jingyi tries to go faster but as he rounds the corner right in front of the lake he's forced to stop. He looks at the large array with a bit of confused fear.

He doesn't turn around when he hears the familiar sound of footstep coming up from behind him. Despite being dead Jingyi swallows nervously.

'I hope this guy doesn't think I'm evil or something' Jingyi thinks nervously.

He shoves his nervousness down when the man behind him asks Jingyi his name and why he's here.

Jingyi can't help himself but to look over his shoulders golden eyes instantly catching the purple ones of the man behind him.

Jingyi can't help but to get the feeling this man was familiar to him. Jingyi turns around fully and takes the man in for a few moments before looking the man straight in the eyes.

"I am Jingyi...and," Jingyi pauses a moment before continuing with a soft sad tone ,"I don't know why I'm here."

As the ghost watched the man in front of him he couldn't help but to wonder where the rest of his group was. Did he leave them behind? Why would he do that? Weren't they hunting something or at least that's what it looked like to Jingyi.

The silence envelope the duo with only the rustling of leaves and the faint sound of whistling in the air. The light of the moon began to waver as clouds rolled slowly over it. Plunging the forest into deeper darkness for a few seconds before brightening back to normal. Jingyi tilts his head back to watch the sky for a few moments before looking back at the man that caught him.

"Why are you here? And what's your name?"

 

[Relias_]

As cold as the breeze were… it could not compare to the chill and sting brewing at the back of his head. Past memories rolling to light as darkness envelops them. When one who has died has more shine and life in their eyes than the one who is standing alive. The wind’s caress feels as though small pins were shoved into his skin. Though seemingly calm, his eyes widened just the slightest bit at the sight of the specter.

He remembers an innocent, warm smile. A childish request… and days long gone.

The forest’s somber, eerie tune fills in the silence. Though dark, what little of the array light glimmers in the specter’s hues. For a moment, Zhelian thought that he could reach out and the young man would be there.

Yet as the clouds rolled past, that sudden hope was crushed as fast as it had came. ‘Jingyi’ echoes in his head. A voice so clear that he thought he was going to explode from it. From a name long forgotten but exists in what little conscious he has.

With a swift flick of his wrist, the array dimmed and disappear, there was no sense of malicious energy from this specter. Yet he stood there, within a corrosive area like a pure white flower inside a well of ink.

"Why are you here? And what's your name?"

It was a question he started with, and now it’s being asked to him. Zhelian rips his turmoil thoughts for the sake of answering the lone spirit’s question. “I’m—“

The ground shook. An unearthly wail echoes into the night sky, startling what demonic animals that sleeps within the area. Zhelian’s attention snaps back into focus to the mission at hand: Capturing the perpetrator of the feral being. His sword flew from it’s scabbard with chilling purple light and dove into the depths of the forest from which he had came from.

Turning to the specter, Zhelian ordered him to come with. “If you try to flee, I will rip you apart.”

 

[FrozenMBee]

Jingyi's ghostly form shimmers faintly in the moonlight as the familiar looking man deactivates the array. The slightly transparent specter feels himself getting a bit excited when the taller male starts to introduce himself but almost shouts in irritation when said man gets interrupted. As the ground shook and the unearthly wail echoes Jingyi shivers a bit despite not being able to feel the temperature of the world or much of anything anymore. He glances in the direction the wail had come from eyes quickly shifting to watch the sword fly into the forest.

The ghost blinks in surprise when he feels a sort of longing at the sight of the sword. He can't quite tell if it's the sword itself he aches for or the fact its flying. He's brought out of his musings at the roughness that the man before him spoke in but decided against commenting on it. Assuming it was from the stress of his current situation.

The silvery specter sighs heavily and can't help but wonder if this is how the man usually talks to people. "It's not as if I have anywhere to flee to."

Jingyi shakes his head in slight exasperation before realizing something. The man he's currently sticking close to hasn't answered his questions. He goes to say something about it but is cut off by screams and caws from disturbed crows.

Jingyi looks up in the direction of the sounds seeing a massive flock of demonic crows fly into the air. The ghost doesn't hesitate to head straight for the screams. Even though Jingyi knows he can't do much he can very well try. He hopes the group of mortals that the man left behind were alright. But Jingyi guesses he spoke to soon when the scream grew louder alongside the sounds of ripping and crunching.

"How are you going to take down the monster?" Jingyi can't help but ask, curious to know if this man was truly their senior or not. But also hoping that he was apart of the plan somehow not wanting to simply hang around and do nothing.

 

[Relias_]

“If it truly is a feral spirit, I have three options: First is to help it cross by granting its wish… as long as it is within a reasonable area. The second is to seal it and send it to the nearest sect to be purified. The last option is to completely eradicate it so it could no longer gather energy to form another body.”

Seeing the flash of purple and blue in the distance, Zhelian hastened his pace, he took out several talismans from his pouch, and in the same way, they burn a bright golden light before rushing across the forest.

“As for ‘how’, I’d have to keep it still enough to talk to it.”

A tall— feral horned beast that towers over all of them, with half of a man hanging from its mouth, the blood splatters all over the forest floor as the beast tries to catch the spiritual sword that suddenly came it's way. Five beams of lights burst from the depth of the forest and latch on its two arms and legs while one wraps tightly around its neck, a magic array appeared below it. Rendering it immobile.

“Senior!” The youngster cries out when he sees the man steps into the area, under the moonlight of what little space the canopy above has to offer.

The demonic beast growls saliva laced blood drools down its ragged fur, black tendrils of mist surround its body. Its big, yellow eyes set on the new arrival as it sees them as more food. But no matter how much it struggles, it fails to set itself free.

The sword returns to Zhelian’s side, blood dripping from the cuts it had made on the beast’s sides in an attempt to rescue what remains of the group.

“It… it killed uncle Chen…” The youngster tries, but his heart was beating far too fast. It was reasonable, he was on the brink of danger he was already asking for forgiveness for his past sins.

“Ah…” Seeing a ghostly figure not far from Zhelian, the youngster curiously points at Jingyi, not noticing the difference between the dead and alive from the darkness. “Who’s he?”

Zhelian’s purple hues glance over at the ghostly figure before swiftly averting his eyes. He cannot be distracted by faint memories of the past.

“An acquaintance,” Zhelian replies and steps past the youngster, his translucent amethyst blade radiates a soft, warm glow. Since this is a feral beast type…they live only to feed on the flesh of the living. “It probably wandered into this area and couldn’t find its way out, thus evolving through the negative energy… moreover it looks like a leopard. From the horns and its size… I’d assume it has only been a few days since its transformation. People at the sect should be able to cleanse it.”

Zhelian taps on the growling beast’s forehead with his closed fan, and it wobbles, its legs losing strength, eyes droopy before it falls onto the ground and the array disappears along with the black tendrils.

Halfway into the mission, he had thought that it’d be a flesh-eating soul of a demon… but turns out that it was just a transformed beast. Nevertheless, it should put the villager’s minds at ease.

Though covered in blood, the youngsters grinned and goes to wake their knocked out comrades with plenty of slapping and yelling. Making sure how he’ll boast about being the only one awake and fight the beast.

While they were being woken up, Zhelian turns to the specter after entrapping the sleeping beast into his Qiankun bag. Unsure to which extent Jingyi’s memories still lingers within him, he introduced himself. “Zhelian.” And held the pouch containing the beast. “And this is what I am here for.”

 

[FrozenMBee]

When Jangyi saw the demonic beast he wondered why it looked somewhat familiar. It's silhouette pokes and prods at memories he can't find. It frustrates Jingyi as the feeling of being lost increases. The golden lights of the array dance off of Jingyi's form highlighting his eyes which seem to glow along with the array.

The quiet ghost blinks when the youngster points at him stifling the small laugh that almost escaped. He's kind of glad the youngster didn't seem to realize he was a ghost and not a living person. Jingyi didn't want more screaming or being asked how he died.

But he's a bit taken aback when the man the youngster called Senior said he was an acquaintance. Here Jongyi thought he was more of a shadow than an acquaintance.

Jingyi watches as the man taps his fan on the beast's forehead in awe and even feeling slightly impressed. He knows that to cause a creature that massive to simply faint like that the man must be quite strong.

Jingyi stares the Qiankun bag quietly for a moment before looking back up at the man now named Zhelian. Jingyi hums softly at the name.

"It...sounds familiar," he says calmly before realizing that if the group came for that beast then they will leave the forest. Which also means they'd leave Jingyi and its feels longer than it has been since he interacted with someone else.

Jingyi turns around and starts heading back to the bank of the lake. The wind suddenly picks up again but it's howling this time and the clouds became thicker blocking the moonlight. The darkness seems bend and twist taking on odd shapes like earlier but Jingyi doesn't notice. Preferring to keep moving when he asks his question.

"I guess you'll be going then?"

 

[Relias_]

“Us?” The youngster was the one who answered it, jogging a little to shorten the distance between them, “Aren’t you be leaving too with us? Since Senior said you’re his acquaintance.”

Hearing no response, the youngster hasten his steps and rushes over to the pale figure, failing to notice what was wrong as he tries to clung to him and failing as the man has moved away. “I haven’t seen you before, are you an immortal like senior too?”

It was quite hard to see, but the paranoid man could notice that… “T-th—that’s!” With a shaky hand, he points at the specter.

“Old man, what are you babbling about now?” The youngster sighed. Finding it hard that they actually brought the man here in the first place. In the spur of a second, he hops beside Zhelian’s ‘acquaintance’ wanting to lean against the man for support while thinking of ways to tease his elders.

But to his surprise, his hand went through the man. In the shock and sudden horror, his eyes widened. Now hyperfocused on the specter. He finally noticed that he could see the senior through the man. Slowly pulling his hand back to his sides, he cleaned his throat while the others seemed to also be distraught.

“S-s-since this fellow is this Young Master’s acquaintance, it... it should be fine right?” One said, casting a hopeful look at Zhelian.

Breathing out a sigh, Zhelian gestures for them to follow the orbs of blue fire that illuminates their path back and they hurriedly complied. But the youngster lingers around to ask if the specter will also be coming back. And the answer was… he couldn’t come with due to his soul being trapped in this forest.

Zhelian casts his guilt ridden eyes away from them both and continued on his way.

Saying his goodbyes, the youngster quickly jogs over to catch up with the senior.

ﾟ.*･｡ﾟﾟ.*･｡ﾟﾟ.*･｡ﾟﾟ.*･｡ﾟ​

Their return was greeted with hopeful looks and whispers. The fighters that had come with him were all battered, and they were missing one.

But the youngster stepped in and told them everything. There were tears of joy and there were tears of mourning. But what has been done is done. It would be inappropriate for celebration to be held this very moment and they would have to prepare a ceremony for the dead.

An elder approached Zhelian, who had slipped away from the crowds. “This Young Master…” the old man began, leaning on his staff to support his tired body. Zhelian goes over and helped the old man stabilize himself. “Would you stay for a while? It is not often that us common folks gets to meet an immortal such as yourself… This old me would love to speak a few words.”



Zhelian ended up staying at the village for a few days, mulling over his choices. On the fifth night, he sat down and picked up a brush, held his pristine sleeve back, and dipped the tip of the brush in ink, he then begins to write, the characters were beautifully written, swift yet clean. Not a crease of the paper or the smallest blotch of ink to disturb the writing could be seen.

The candlelight dances briefly as he places the brush down and took out a small embroidered pouch and places it at the top edge of the paper to hold it down. Standing up, he goes to pick his sword that was leaning against the side of his bed, using his spiritual power to blow the candle out.

It was time for him to leave, but there was still one thing he needed to do.

In the dark of the night, he swiftly makes his way back into the forest. His white robe of green bamboo leaf pattern stood out the most in the dark and under the moonlight it gave off a radiant, elegant glow. Nocturnal critters peeks from their hiding spots, eyes glued to the wandering immortal.

Hundreds of years that he had lived, morals greyed and buried under a mask of stone, sufferings, and happiness, not once had they lasted. Cold wind of the night caresses his cheek, and his midnight locks sways in the breeze. Zhelian leisurely kept the pace of a stroll, not a sense of haste in his steps.

Moonlight reflected on the lake’s surface. Fireflies dances over it, playing on the water and resting on the colorful water lilies.

Stopping near the edge, Zhelian snaps his fan close, hand behind his back as he takes in the night view, forest of death, an ancient battlefield. Almost none has changed since the last time he has seen the area.

Still as mournful as ever.

His eyes focuses on beyond the darkness of the night, searching for what he had come here for. A lone, lost, soul.

 

[FrozenMBee]

In a grove of willows close to the bank of the lake Jingyi sat lost in his thoughts hidden surprisingly well among the leaves. The wind blows gently across the forest causing the branches of the willow trees to shake and shiver rousing Jingyi from his thoughts.

Deciding he's had enough of sitting down and feeling lost Jongyi jumps down from the willow and starts to take a few steps but stops. He blinks at a familiar figure staring out across the lake and can't help himself but to grin.

Wasting no time Jingyi dashes in Zhelian's direction overly excited to see the familiar looking man. JIngyi had been sure he would never see him again. Jingyi bites his bottom lip to prevent the joyous laugh that tries to crawl up his throat and slip past his lips. Eyes as bright as the fireflies dancing around the water lilies.

Slowing down to a calm gliding walk Jingyi mentally tries to calm his excitement a bit. Not wanting to seem childish but he couldn't help himself being alone even for a few days would drive anyone crazy. Especially with his lack of memories constantly haunting him and teasing him with things he should know but can't remember.

Jingyi comes up beside Zhelian trying to be as silent as possible and fighting the grin that's trying to show itself. "I wasn't expecting you to come back here" Jingyi says, tilting his head a bit to the side when he looks over at Zhelian. A small smile accompanying the curious look Jingyi wears hoping to have hidden his current excitment.

"Are you hunting another monster?"