The Dragon Prince's Warrior

Gratitude to the Universe

"Something very sinister is happening in this forest. There's too much malevolence for this mountain to host, and time is running out. I feel lost", he thought.

As they walked to find shelter, Yun, holding Siu in his arms, couldn't help but ponder the chaotic situation he was entangled in. He knew that even if there were a monument to the now famous Fenghuang at the mountain's summit, what were the chances of finding it there, when things in the surroundings were turning dire with every passing second?

As he understood it, the Fenghuang loved solitude and peace. There was everything in this forest but what would attract that mythical bird. And, as Siu's parents had said, the forest was no longer what it used to be; now it was practically suicidal to venture into it. He had been warned, but his heart guided him there; making a decision was crucial at that moment. Risking everything for his beloved mother was what he had to do.

"This path is truly very long. I never dared to come this far into the forest," Mei said, breathing heavily with each step as they were going uphill through the woods.

"You're right," Yun replied. "We won't be able to reach our destination today, that's clear. We'll look for shelter to spend the night."

"That would be good for us, especially because... your wounds haven't stopped bleeding," Mei said with concern, noticing the small streams of blood still trickling from his torn sleeves.

Indeed, drops of blood continued to stain his torn sleeves, but Yun wanted to appear strong in his opinion. Mei didn't mention this, and she kept walking while paying attention to the young man.

"There will be time for me to heal, I know that. But right now, I'm more concerned about this young lady. She still hasn't woken up, and she doesn't look well. We need to tend to her immediately. I just hope we find at least a cave to protect us from the night dew."

"We also need some firewood, young Yun," Mei suggested. "It's getting too cold," she complained as she rubbed her frozen hands together and blew between them to warm up.

"Yes, of course. We urgently need that too," Yun said with a furrowed brow.

Yun hadn't thought about that detail until he noticed his face being brushed by gentle gusts of air, as chilly as ice. The mountains were getting colder and colder as they ascended, due to the higher altitude.

He lowered his gaze a little to look at the girl he held in his arms; she was very pale, and he could swear her lips were starting to turn purple. He became even more worried because, upon reflection, he realized he had never been so affected by the cold as he was at that moment. Not even during the camping trips while training with his father and brothers.

Yun and Mei climbed a small trail, which had seemingly been frequented by people before but had been abandoned for a long time. Mei held onto Yun's belt to help herself climb, as she was weakened by the walk.

At the top of the climb, both panting from exhaustion, their eyes widened in surprise. A cave lay right there, as if it had been waiting for them alone. That was Yun's thought. Privately, he thanked the universe for such a timely gift.

Had they not been so tired and if Yun didn't have Siu in his arms, he might have run like a child when they are given their most desired toy. Or perhaps not; not in front of Mei. He couldn't show his emotions to a stranger, and he barely did so with his family, let alone with others.

"Thank you, Buddha, for hearing my prayers!" Mei exclaimed, raising her hands. She began to run, excited by the discovery.

Yun smiled and continued walking towards the shelter amidst the forest. It had truly appeared at the right moment, as Yun's arms were in agony, and his forearms and wrists were so numb he could no longer feel them. Carefully, Yun leaned down and laid Siu on the ground. There was no other option; he would have liked her to rest on a bed, but luxuries like that seemed out of reach at that moment.

The young man's jet-black eyes remained fixated on the ailing girl. He looked deeply worried and lost in thought about her, so much so that Mei noticed it immediately. She cleared her throat discreetly and approached Yun to see if she could help.

"If you allow me, young..." Mei muttered as she adjusted the hem of her hanfu dress.

"Ah... of course," Yun responded, fumbling awkwardly to make space for Mei.

Mei pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and began to wipe away the sweat that beaded on Siu's forehead. Despite the cold, her body was sweating, possibly due to discomfort.

"By the way..." Mei said as she continued to clean Siu's face. "Did we introduce ourselves? You see, I tend to forget these things," she chuckled nervously and looked over at Yun.

"Well... with all the commotion, I also forgot about that, but I don't think it's important right now," he smiled slightly, evading the question.

He truly didn't want to go around revealing his name to everyone, and he still didn't fully trust her. He lifted his hand to place it behind his neck, but a twinge of pain stopped him, and he had to lower his arm, wincing slightly.

"Goodness, you also need help!" Mei stood up immediately and without asking for permission, she approached Yun's injured arms, which were still bleeding to some extent.

"I thought it would stop bleeding, but it didn't," Yun clarified.

"You need a change of bandage for one arm," Mei murmured as she examined both limbs. "And this other one needs to be bandaged too," Mei suggested with determination. "If you don't mind, I'd like to check it again."

Yun hesitated for a moment but then gratefully accepted the help without protest. He removed the blue shirt from his hanfu, which was torn at the sleeves and stained with blood. Mei didn't seem bothered by Yun's exposed and muscular torso, as if it were the most natural thing to see bare skin.

"Everything will be alright," Mei said with a smile.

Yun nodded and offered a slight bow. He certainly felt a bit embarrassed, but Mei's mature demeanor quickly instilled a sense of trust in him, allowing her to proceed with her task. She repeated the same procedure she had applied by the river, before they were attacked by that strange tiger. Suddenly, a movement snapped Yun out of his reverie:

"Where... am I?" Siu murmured in a weak voice and turned to look where Yun and Mei were.

"Gods, you're awake, young lady!" Mei exclaimed excitedly, not letting go of the bandage she was applying to Yun.

"Siu, don't move," Yun requested. "You're very weak and need to regain your strength."

"Alright..." she replied. As she regained her senses, she noticed that the young man was shirtless, which made her cheeks flush, and she quickly turned away.

Mei noticed Siu's reaction and a small smile formed on her lips. There was no doubt that there was a certain attraction between the two, but they weren't ready to express it openly.

As soon as Mei finished with the bandage, Yun put his shirt back on. It seemed he was quite reserved about his clothing. When he finished changing, Siu finally looked at him again, but he still averted his gaze, so Mei broke the silence.

"And... how are you feeling, Siu? We need to know all your symptoms to help you," she said as she approached.

"Much better," Siu assured. "I just feel a bit tired and my throat hurts, but don't worry about me. I'll be fine, I promise. I'll rest for a bit," she said weakly as she closed her eyes slowly.

Mei and Yun exchanged incredulous glances, as that near strangulation had been quite severe. Yun wanted to approach her, but Mei stopped him. He also needed rest; all three of them needed to recover their strength. But suddenly, something caught Yun's full attention, and he stood up abruptly, leaving Mei looking puzzled.

"Where are you going?" Mei asked as he walked toward the entrance.

"I just spotted something right in front of the cave," Yun replied. "It's something that will help us a lot, I assure you," he said before completely leaving the place.

Yun couldn't believe it. With the mountain's damp climate, there were perfectly dry pieces of wood right there in front of them, perfect for the fire they desperately needed. Once again, he felt grateful and knelt down to bow in gratitude to the universe.

He always made it a habit to silently express gratitude for every stroke of luck that life presented him. Gratitude was the language of life, because everything the universe did had a reason, and nothing seemed to be a mere coincidence.

When he stood up, that shimmering orange light had appeared once more, and this time he felt it was coming from somewhere high up the mountain. He could swear it was almost like the light he had seen as a child during those boring lessons, and not just on that occasion; he had actually seen it throughout his life during pivotal moments.

"If you are the Fenghuang, guide me to you. Help me save my mother," he pleaded in his mind and returned to the shelter that the universe had provided them.