The two spent the next half hour in silence, neither wanting to talk about anything in particular. That and having a conversation while having ones hair washed was hard.

Xieren was content to just relax, keeping his eyes closed as he let brother's fingers run through his hair. It wasn't exactly a head pat but it might just be better. The feeling a fuzziness rushing through him was a million times better than he could imagine.

All the while, brother hummed to himself, this time a new melody. It was still weird, sounding as if he was trying to make up for other instruments by himself. The image of brother trying to play multiple instruments at once brought a smile to his face.

All too soon, their time came to an end. Another volley of water rushed over his head.

"There." Liang Fei sighed, sitting back. "You don't need me after this, correct?"

"No, but..." The child pouted with his back turned.

"But?"

"You... you aren't going to leave me here, right?" He asked, not really concerned that he'd be left behind. Big brother never left him alone, treating him like child. Really, he was the only one he'd known to treat him like one so he felt a bit reluctant to part with him. He really just wanted to act a bit spoiled and extend their time just a little.

"Xiao Li and the others wouldn't dare harm you since you are with me but no, I won't leave you." He assured Xieren, his eyes darting toward the door. "I just need to talk to Xiao Li about something."

He'd been waiting for a chance to talk to the man about the confrontation in the square. Something told him it was important.

In terms of plot, things seemed to be going smoothly. He couldn't be sure how in line with the plot he was but this event didn't seem random. Especially with the letters he'd left for An Li.

Meanwhile, Xieren's face had turned extremely sour, black as coal as he listened to Liang Fei speak.

Xiao Li... and others, he spoke of so affectionately. But with him... he remained the most distant.

"Does big brother hate me?" He grumbled, glaring at the far wall.

"Did we not discuss this already?" He sighed, a bit impatient.

"Yes but-"

"But?"

"Won't you call me Xiao Ren?" He asked, dunking his face half way into the water. He really wanted to be closer to brother. He's kind to everyone, calling out to them with affection and intimacy.

(AN: With the eyes of a dead fish but yeah, affection.)

To be the only one spoken about so distantly... But his hopes were dashed.

"No." He said, his tone cold and firm. Xieren shivered despite the warm water. Had he pressed him too hard? Fear of seeing those cold eyes made him sink into the water.

Silence fell between them, both of them in their own minds. After a minute, Liang Fei stood up.

"I'll leave you to your bath." He said, his tone as calm as ever but something else seemed to brew under the surface. "Don't stay in too long."

"Un" He nodded, though he was sure the man couldn't see it. "Sorry..."

Neither asked why the apology was said. They both knew. It's just...

It was a bit of a misunderstanding.

"I'm not mad at you, so there's no need to apologize." He sighed, feeling a bit put out. He had said unnecessary things. With that, the door was shut, sounding louder in the tense room.

***

Sometimes later, Liang Fei was found resting his forehead on a wall. An Li stared at him, confused but curious to see how things would go.

He had come to ask if Tankian wanted some snack and found the stoic man staring into space before slamming his head into the wall. Part of him was concerned since the sound traveled quite far but a larger part was amused by the action.

It was such a... human thing to do, An Li was a bit surprised.

Tankian was cold and calm, rarely put out of sorts. If not for his gentle touch, one might think he was a doll. He was attractive enough.

Long black hair brushing his smooth immaculate skin, framing a pair of violet eyes that drew you in and refused to let go. If not for that frustrating mask, the world would marvel at a beauty that surpassed goddesses.

Thinking of how handsome Tankian must be, An Li failed to notice that said man had become aware of his presence. He was generally unaware of other people but the longer he lived as a cultivator, the better his senses became.

His senses were only one sided though.

He still lacked the most essential sense of all. The one that made social interaction easy for some and a nightmare for others.

Common sense.

Really, he should have been more clear with Xieren. Saying that so bluntly, he might have hurt the kid's feelings. He really hadn't meant to be so harsh about it. He just really didn't want to call him that.

It just reminded him of how bad things were.

Part of him had accepted the reality of his situation. That home was a long ways away, if it was even an option. With so many blind spots, he felt an unending sense of fear at the notion that one wrong move and he could wind up dead.

This time, with no second chance.

To call Xieren that would be affirming that despite all his work, he still had no clear plan on how to survive. He couldn't just run away, that would cause a panic and probably a whole lot more trouble. But remaining ignorant of even the basics was worse.

He had to resolve things so he can finally get on the path of not dying in a horrible terrifying way.

With a calming breath, he swept up An Li, who gasped and clung to him as they walked back to the main room. As one of the brothels top earners, An Li had certain privileges. One such privilege was a private room.

With a calm kind of impatience, Liang Fei dumped An Li onto the cushion, elegantly landing in his own spot.

"Explain." He said as he sat down, not wanting to waste time. If allowed to, An Li's professionalism would have him talking for hours but revealing nothing. It kind of scared him when he saw how effective these people (The courtesans) were at extracting words from customers.

Were they paid by the minute or something?

"Explain? Whatever do you mean, Uncle?" The young man replied, his sweet but fake smile evident.

"An Li." Liang Fei gave him a look. A look that screamed 'don't waste my time.' The young man pouted, slouching back.

"Aw, how come it never works on you, Uncle!?" He complained.

"You aren't the first to try and sway me with a look." He replied, relaxing as he saw the young man give up. They always did when caught.

He needed to be just a bit more shameless for it to work on him. At least, that was what he'd been told.

"You are a thousand years too young to sway me with such amateur tactics." He stated, not meaning to but ruthlessly wounding the young man's pride. He had been the main attraction at the brothel for years and yet, his looks were novice? If he was a novice, who was the master?

Elsewhere, far away in a less than nice place, a shameless man shivered, feeling the call of his people.

"Now explain." The man demanded, staring at An Li over his tea.

"Fine." He sighed. "I was caught spying on some guests." He admitted casually, as if it wasn't a big deal at all.

"Spying?" Under his mask, Liang Fei frowned. Courtesans spied on people? Was that ethical? It made sense but wasn't it kind of cruel to spy on a man with his pants down? Surely, there was some limits, rights?

"Un." He nodded, relaxing as he stared elsewhere. "A client asked me to so I did but I got spotted by those immortals." He quickly turned back to Liang Fei, his eyes glowing with intent. While Liang Fei had managed to resist flinching, he still felt a bit like prey. "Speaking of, you seemed to handle them well enough, Uncle. Is there something you're hi-"

"Don't deflect." He interrupted, chastising him. "Continue."

"There's nothing else to it." An Li stated, crossing his arms. He really had wanted to get more out of Tankian but he was too tough. Might as well tell him. "I just kept an eye and ear out for whatever that guest talks about and sent the report back to my client."

"Do you usually spy on guests?" He asked, a bit concerned about such a practice. If caught by the head, the young man would probably be fired or worse. Liang Fei didn't want that for this young man. He was a bit sly but was generally kind.

"Not really but the client paid a lot of gold for me to do so little so how could I refuse?" He said, shamelessly thinking of all the gold he'd earned by just writing letters. Who knew it'd be that simple?

"By saying no." Liang Fei deadpanned, weighing the options and concluding that such a response would be his answer. Sure, a lot of money was nice but risking your career (though he couldn't really call... this a career) for that short term reward was ridiculous.

"That and it was an immortal who asked me." He continued, not hearing a word he said. REally, who would say no to such an easy deal?

"An Immortal?" He echoed, his worded gaining his attention. Was this possibly a plot point?

"Un." An Li nodded, seeing the curiosity in the man's eyes. "He's a... frequent guest of mine so I knew he was fine. In more ways than one." He said, ending with a sly wink.

The implications of such a phrase alongside An Li's job requirements made Liang Fei a bit out of sorts.

Liang Fei honestly wasn't sure what the say to that. Part of him was almost curious enough to ask how that worked. He didn't know how two guys did it. He kind of imagined a sword fight but quickly decided that such things were probably not how that worked.

Not wanting to think about that, he chose to take that thought and bury it deep into his subconscious with all the other repressed memories. There was space between catching his aunt and uncle 'snuggling' and rooming with a drunk, post sex Xuetian.

Never again...

An Li watched Liang Fei, wondering what thoughts were going through his head. His eyes were deep and foggy, as if immersed in a storm. He really wished to know what the man was thinking. He was so hard to read.

That mask didn't help. If his eyes weren't expressive, perhaps his whole face would be?

Crawling over, An Li reached for the cloth wrapped around his face. He'd be quick, faster than the man could react to. Despite his job choices, he was known for his sticky fingers.

Just as his fingers were about the brush the mask, his wrist was grabbed and he was pulled close until they were nearly nose to nose.

"What. Do you think you're doing?" He said, his voice a pitch deeper as he stared the young man down. He hadn't expect him to be so close but the thought of being caught scared and annoyed him.

An Li, on the other hand, was mesmerized. He hadn't noticed how lovely Tankian's eyes were, deep and vibrant violet that looked way too deep. The practiced and well trained courtesan known for breaking hearts was floored by this man's one intense gaze. Flushed red, An Li let himself fall into those eyes, unconsciously moving closer.

Liang Fei, oblivious to his actions, frowned, confused by the dazed look in the man's eyes. His eyes were misty and his face red.

Was he sick?

Just as he was about to ask, he heard the door open. Standing there was a pouting young boy who openly glared at An Li.

"Oi, stop clinging to big brother!" He cried rushing over only to be intercepted by Liang Fei, who lifted him easily into his arms. "You're bothering him!"

"Don't go around attacking people, Xieren." Liang Fei gently scolded, watching the child flail about trying to hit An Li. Despite being a cultivator (in training), Xieren was still a child and as such could be easily overpowered by an adult.

"Now now, there's no need to get so excited." An Li sighed, fanning himself as he tried to recover from that smoldering look. Even the memory had him shivering in delight. "Uncle and I were just talking."

"You don't need to be that close to talk!" He argued, not sure what he was bothered about but letting loose his annoyance.

"You are correct." He retorted, righting his robes that had slipped during the event. "But 'adult conversations' are like that, you kno-"

"Stop it. Don't lie" Liang Fei sighed, feeling things were getting weird. "Don't antagonize Xiao Ren so much." He asked, looking down at the simmering hellion.

Looking at him all puffed up and mad made him imagine a surly kitten, wanting to scratch the offending party's eyes out. As the only adult (it turns out) he had to regain control.

As he spoke to An Li, the surly kitten relaxed, practically purring at the slip.

He called me Xiao Ren!

Xieren curled up, still held in Liang Fei's arms, silently screaming with happiness! Had either man looked at him, they would swear there was a rapidly wagging tail behind him as he happily let himself be held.

The only thing to make it better?

A head pat.

***

After some explanations, Liang Fei chose to put Xieren to bed since it was getting late. An Li gave them his spare bed room for the night. He had tried to entice Liang Fei to share a room with him but was silenced by the glower of the child in his arms.

Really, kids shouldn't look so scary~

Unaware of all this, Liang Fei gently declined, wanting to tuck Xieren in. He was still a growing boy so sleep was imperative.

Saying his goodnight's, Liang Fei walked to the bedroom, carrying Xieren like a kitten as he did so. Said kitten was happy to remain where he was. It was kind of fun.

Minutes later they arrived and Xieren was returned to the ground. As he prepared for bed, Xieren couldn't help but stare at Tankian.

The man was strange, smelling nice but looking cold. His words were few and he wasn't nice in the traditional sense, where one smiles a lot. Xinyi was nice in that way but mostly spent time with him because he listened to her talk (for hours!) without growing impatient.

In a sense, he understood her better than Tankian. This man got nothing out of him but seemed content to spend time with him. Nothing untoward or even strange, like they were truly siblings.

Xieren found himself liking the thought of having big brother as a brother.

But first...

"B-big brother!?" He called out, just as Liang Fei was about to leave. "Are... Are you still mad at me?"

The man with slightly furrowed brows turned back, confused.

"Did I not explain myself before?" He responded, confusing the child. Explained before? What was explained before? Was there a part of the conversation that he'd missed?!

"...N-no, I don't think-"

"I told you I can't hate you." He clarified, sitting down beside him. The room was still brightly lit so Xieren could see all the shades in Liang Fei's eyes. Within those shades, he saw that the man was being honest.

"But wasn't that something else?"

"No, I was speaking in general." He stated, shaking his head. "Xieren is a good child so I can't hate you. Did I not clarify that?" He replied, cocking his head like a bird. The image of the stone face man doing such a thing would be hilarious if not for the context.

Xieren, while somewhat happy, couldn't help but be a bit bewildered by the statement. Who talked like that!? Generally conversations were only about the subject, not in general! Moreover, you never said all that so how was anyone to know!?

Moreover, he didn't know a thing about him. He was just a kid he'd met in the forest. He could have been a terrible person intent on harming him. If Liang Fei had shown himself to be bad, Xieren was fully intended on doing that. But to be so casually liked was...

Hiding his face in his arms, Xieren tried to get his feelings in check. Pure happiness was warring with his fear of rejection. He had trusted this man but he'd shown himself to be cold...

"But you got mad at me..." He mumbled, looking up at him with wet eyes, tears nearing the surface. Seeing this, Liang Fei rested a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"That was... not you, it was something else." He admitted, not really wanting to go more in depth with his excuse. There was no need to vent his problems on a child. "But know that you weren't at fault."

"Really?"

"Absolutely." He assured, earning a happy hug from Xieren. Liang Fei patted him on the back, finding the act cute.

"So what will you call me?" He asked, staring up at him with gleaming expectant eyes. Seeing that the man was confused, he clarified. "You only call me by my name."

"Eh? What else can I call you?" He retorted, still confused.

"You call that other guy Xiao Li!" He replied, his tone making clear his feelings on said 'guy'.

"So you wish for the same?"

Ah? I-I mean, it'd be nice... Since big brother claims not to hate me." He muttered, hiding his face from him. He'd come to realize that big brother was a bit soft hearted when asked nicely so he tried to persuade him by acting shy.

Such devious mind at such a young age. How frightening. 

Liang Fei, on the other hand, was unsure how to proceed. Calling him that would just make him sad so perhaps...

"I won't call you Xiao Ren but give me some time and I promise to come up with something." Liang Fei wasn't the best at names but he was sure he could come up with something.

"My own name?" Xieren was practically glowing with joy. "You'll give me one?"

"Un" He nodded, happy the matter was done.

"I want it now!" He demanded, with one eye gleaming with excitement. Liang Fei was quite put out.

"Give me time." He pleaded, willing his soft heart to remain firm. He would not let cute sway him this time.

"But-"

"Be good." He said, tucking the child into bed. When opened his mouth to complain, he reached out to pet him.

The moment was one that was but a second to Liang Fei but to Xieren, it felt like hours. The heavens opened and the choirs shouted with joy as this child finally, at long last, got his head pat.

Liang didn't understand why Xieren had reacted so strangely. Before, he'd went so far as to smack his hand away but now he reacted like a puppy, shivering with barely contained energy.

Was it because he was Tankian and not Liang Fei?

"...Xieren?" He watched the child happily accept his head pats, barely aware of anything else.

"Un?"

"Do you... like being petted?" He asked still confused.

Xieren felt his face burn with embarrassment. Part of him wanted to scream and shout the heavens that this was not a like but a love! Head pats were the best (despite him getting so few.)

Another part of him was self conscious about admitting such a thing, though he knew brother wouldn't fault him or make fun of him. Still.

"N-not really but I don't mind when big brother does it." He mumbled, covering half his face with the blanket. His eyes remained elsewhere, too embarrassed to look at the man.

"Then please don't mind if I continue." He said, gently stroking the boys head. Xieren preened under the attention, letting the pure contentment fill him.

Liang Fei was fine with This, since he liked kids but his words did make him wonder. Who did he not like petting him?

Except, the response he got was a bit disheartening.

"My Shizun..." He replied, his tone resentful and annoyed. He didn't want to talk about that guy. He had finally put him out his mind and yet big brother just had to bring him up. "I hate him."

Said Shizun flinched, not expecting such a response. Hate him? How come!? He hadn't even done anything but try and check him for injuries.

Then again, Liang Fei had to remember that there was a history between them that was unknown to him. Liang Mei's rants were near gibberish and he mostly drowned her out.

"May I hear about him?" He asked, wanting to get a better understanding for the body he inhabited. While he was physically and mentally caught up (kind of) he still was unaware of how he used to be before Liang Fei took over. It'd be another lesson.

Unfortunately, said lesson was less than encouraging. To be blunt, Shao Liang Fei was a terrible master.

"Shizun is very distant with us disciples, generally just giving vague instructions and leaving us to do our best." Xieren reluctantly explained, pouting.

"He doesn't direct you?" He asked, confused by the mans actions. Who did that kind of thing?

(AN: Subs?)

"He doesn't do anything like that." Xieren sighed, annoyed at the subject yet unaware the said person sat beside him.

"Perhaps... he trusts that you will succeed on your own." Liang Fei tried to defend his original but was only met with a snort.

"Shizun has treated everyone this way, even me, his youngest direct disciple, has been treated like trash." He informed with a scowl. Though his skills were weak, to be treated in such a way by even his master? It really was too much. "I've barely seen him, even before he went into seclusion. From the time he picked me up, I've met him about 3 or 4 times."

Liang Fei was a bit surprised, not expecting his original to be quite so... lackadaisical when it came to teaching his students. From what Xieren said, Shao Liang Fei was a lazy man who just tossed out vague objectives and waved his students off to figure the rest out themselves.

While that might work for some, as expected, it left a lot of disciples confused and left behind, as the few who could work independently flourished.

It was why his (SLF) division had the most lopsided assortment of capable disciples. His method was the equivalent of kicking kids who don't know how to swim into the deep end and telling them to figure out the rest on their own. Really, it was a miracle that no one had died or gotten hurt yet.

Still, he turned out quite a few gems so most didn't dare question his teaching methods. Though, he was still greatly disliked by his fellow elders. It was only his past accomplishments and his family prestige that kept him from being dishonored completely.

Thinking about this, Liang Fei had figured out why he, the villain, was so disliked. He was a shit teacher.

But he was a bit curious.

"He picked you up?" He asked, a bit surprised. He hadn't expected that considering what he'd heard.

"Un." He nodded, yawning. He was getting tired.

"Then he probably saw something in you."

Xieren thought of the last time he'd seen Shizun. While he'd been too concerned about his bullies to think about it at the time, he felt something nagging at the edge of his consciousness. The man who usually turned a blind eye to his suffering and harassment, came to his aid. While one might think that made him a hero in his eyes, Xieren was someone to hold a grudge so he couldn't forgive the man who treated him like trash.

Even thinking back to the day that man picked him up, holding him by his raggedy collar like a stray, he couldn't summon a bit of like for the man.

"I doubt it." He grumbled, closing his eyes. He was still getting petted and it was relaxing.

"Don't say that." Liang Fei continued to encourage the boy. "You are a capable boy."

"I'm weak. I can barely do a single spell."

"You just need practice." He assured, letting his hand rest on Xieren's head. "But for now, go to sleep.

"G'night~" He said, curling up and relaxing under the covers. The room was soon blanketed by darkness and the only sounds remaining was their breathing and Liang Fei's footsteps as he walked out.

"Sleep well, Xieren."

Xieren smiled to himself, feeling very happy and content in that moment. Head pats were great but to hear someone say he was capable, that he was not a waste... It was almost too much to take. He'd have to properly thank brother for his kind words later.

Unfortunately, that night was the last time anyone ever saw Tankian.

***

The next morning, Xieren woke up in his own bed. While it should have surprised him, this was not a first for him.

For the weeks he'd been hanging out with Tankian, Xieren had grown used to waking up at the sect. It would seem that brother took him back every time.

Part of him was concerned for Tankian, since he was constantly breaking into the sect grounds unnoticed. Brother might be skilled but he risked too much just to insure that Xieren got back okay. What if someone caught him?

He might get hurt! Or worse.

Concern for another was new for Xieren but it felt so natural to feel it toward him. Tankian was not just anyone, he was the man who said kind words to him and taught him to read and write. He'd saved him from the ravine!

Tankian was someone worth his concern.

"Oi, waste!? You in there?"

Just then some people not worth his concern called out to him, not bothering to even knock as they burst into his room. Though to call this poorly made shack a room was too generous. It barely counted as a proper shack. During the summer it was a sauna and the winters were bitter and cold. Only his training as a cultivator and his learned skills from living on the street kept him from succumbing to the elements.

The boys who came in were familiar to him. They weren't the usual guys but they were just as hateful. Less hits and more words.

"So this is where the waste lives." One sneered, kicking over some stuff. Xieren didn't bother to make a fuss. It was just what they wanted.

"What do you want?" He demanded, his baleful gaze directed at the young man's feet. To glare at him directly was only going to earn him a beating. It was too early for that.

"Oi, is that anyway to speak to your senior?" The other sneered, stepping closer. "How rude of you, not even properly greeting us despite us coming all the way here to wake you."

You broke my door down! He mentally growled, wanting so bad the strength to beat these bastards. That door was hard to maintain and they just broke it down.

Still...

"Please forgive me, Shixiong." Xieren bowed low, gritting his teeth as he spoke. "Thank you for your humble guidance. This junior will strive to meet your expectations."

"That's more like it." One said, snickering as he kicked over more things. "We humble seniors will definitely guide you well, Little apprentice brother. Even a waste like you."

In the past, such words would have set his heart ablaze with rage and indignation but after the night before with Tankian, he felt... strangely calm. He was still angry over the door but being called waste hurt just a bit less. Thinking of those calm violet eyes eased the majority of his pain. Staring at the ground, his mind had drifted off so he failed to hear the boys words until-

"- when Shizun comes back. After that you-"

"H-huh?!"

Eh? Were you not listening?"

"S-Shizun is...coming down from his seclusion?" He asked, fear creeping into his heart. If he was coming back then...

Then he couldn't go down to town to see Tankian.

The only reason he'd been allowed to wander about as freely as he could was because his Shizun wasn't there to stop him. But if he returned, he'd need the man's permission to leave the sect grounds. And he doubted that man would let him.

Not bothering to listen to another word, Xieren rushed passed to two boys, shoving one to the ground as he did so. Anyone other time, he might have rejoiced to have overpowered them, even just a little but fear of never seeing Tankian again stomped his pride to dust.

Sometime later, Xieren somehow managed to reach the town, rushing around to find Tankian. A few familiar faces called out to him but stopped when they saw his robes. He hadn't bothered to change out of the robes he'd been putting on when those bullies burst in. 

But Xieren couldn't care less.

He had to find Tankian so he could give a proper goodbye. It wasn't what he wanted but it was how things had to go.

Except Tankian was nowhere to be found.

Not at his tree house, that was quiet and still despite his constant calls. Not at the brothel, where he usually hung about to exchange gossip with the ladies and men. They claimed they hadn't seen him since the night before. Even the people he worked for hadn't seen their usually punctual employee.

Xieren was freaking out.

Where was he? Was he alright? Why did leave? Didn't he say he(LF) wouldn't leave him(XR)?

"Brother..." Xieren wanted to curl up and cry but just kept moving, hoping to catch something. A glimps of that long black hair or the mysteries scent that belonged only to Tankian. Anything at all.

But there was nothing.

Just as frustration and sadness flooded through him, his steps were stopped as someone pushed him into an alleyway. It took Xieren a moment to recover, having landed on his back and forced to catch his breath.

"What a sight. Here we were, about to head out only to find a wasteful little rat skulking about town."

Opening his eyes, Xieren glared up at Kang Su, his main bully. While Kang Su was strong cultivator, he was a jealous youth, tending to lash out at those who were better than him. Towards Xieren, his hatred was deep.

While Xieren was considerable weaker than him, Shizun had chosen him over Kang Su during his first exam. While Kang Su was also chosen that day, he resented the fact that Xieren was chosen as well as him. 

To be grouped together with a boy who couldn't barely piece together a spell was the ultimate insult.

"Though I must say it is a bit of a shock to see you here." He sneered, stepping froward. Unconsciously, Xieren moved back, trying to crawl to his feet. Hands landed on his shoulders, keeping him in place. "Shizun is due descend in a few days and yet here you are, not preparing for his return but traipsing through town like a maniac."

"I-" He started only to be kicked in the gut. As if this was a signal, his companions started beating him as well, their larger bodies easily over powering his starved body. He hadn't even tried to eat yet he rushed over and even ran about town. It was no wonder he was so weak. 

After a few moments of them beating him up, Kang Su stopped them with a word, though they still held him in place.

"Now I hope you wont misunderstand and think we're bullying you, waste." Kang Su Mocked, smirking down at the child. "We seniors just want to properly guide you on the right path since you are bothering people."

Xieren, too weak from the beating and hunger, remained silent, not that Kang Su was bound to listen to his pleas. He was enjoying thus too much.

"You dishonor our Master so let us seniors give you proper guidance." He said, featuring for his goons to take him. "Elder Shao will be quite displeased to hear about all the trouble you've caused these good people."

Without looking away, Kang Su watched his minions drag the boy away, feeling content at the thought of him being punished. Finally, some justice for his wounded pride.

Meanwhile, Xieren's mind was on Tankian. He had just wanted to see him one last time, yet...

He had to see him one more time.

He hadn't played the flute to him.

He hadn't gotten a name from him.

There were so many things he wanted to do with him. To see his face, scars and all. To eat with him and receive a smile from him.

"Brother Tankian..." He mumbled, tears fighting to the surface as he was dragged away.