"The scent of the rose will always stay on the hand of the giver." Old Chinese Proverb.

Lan Zhan would not give up hope.

There must still be something he could do, someone he could appeal to, to find a cure  because nothing short of a miracle was going to help them now.

XiChen had come home from a night hunt far paler than his usual self, a disturbing look flickering in his honey-coloured eyes, a listlessness that was foreboding.

His clothes had been torn and bloodied, and when Uncle had questioned him about it, XiChen had not lied exactly, but then omitting certain details was the same sin.

Not even a week went by before Lan Zhan’s sharp eyes had caught something.

His brother was bizarrely becoming weaker, stayed sitting down for longer periods of time, and appeared to lose his focus.

They wouldn't have known anything was wrong but for the arrival of a well-timed visit from the one who professed to know nothing. Huaisang came to Cloud Recesses, all by himself and without preparing them for it.

That by itself was a rare occurrence, but then he actively sought out both Lan Zhan and Uncle Qiren.

He had explained that in the extermination of a particularly evil ghost possessing the body of a rampaging elephant, XiChen had inadvertently pushed the beast into a Temple of the Goddess Inari. It was a small structure, more a shrine than an actual temple, but at the same time, there was a crack of thunder and a lightning bolt struck the deity, slicing her in a diagonal half.

Nie MingJue had been there too, and the reason why XiChen had to take abortive measures, resulting in the terrible offence against the Goddess. His brother had sent Huaisang to Cloud Recesses, find out how XiChen really was, because everyone knew how the Twin Jades were prone to downplaying any injuries they may have incurred.

Lan Zhan hadn't seen his Xiongzhang all day, and Shifu suggested they all three go and share a cup of tea with him, ask him how he was feeling and generally take stock of his condition.

But when they opened the door of the Hanshi, it became abundantly clear that something was terribly wrong.

XiChen had passed out.

The healers were summoned immediately but they could find no reason why XiChen appeared to be in a coma, and no amount of smelling salts or attempts to rouse him worked. His body began wasting away, and scouts were sent all across the country searching for cures.

Nothing worked.

Some cures needed time to take effect, and that was the one thing they were in danger of losing.

Lan Zhan tried to be strong.

He was acting Head of the Sect now, and the mountain of work was only growing day by day. Like an unbalanced set of weighing scales, one side was up in the air with XiChen's dire condition, his health declining at a fearful speed, while the other side was sinking fast with the weight of his added duties and obligations.

Lan Zhan hated it.

He was frustrated at his brother too, because if only XiChen had said something, then maybe they could have started searching for a cure earlier. Every morning and every night, Lan Zhan went to talk to his brother, hoping and praying for any change, even the smallest of things like a twitch of a brow, or a finger.

But there was nothing.

His brother's body was deteriorating, and any muscles he had previously were now vanishing under the curse that was eating him up alive.

Lan Zhan did not give up.

It was he who travelled almost daily to Caiyi Town, to buy the ingredients for the latest cure that the healers said would be guaranteed to work, for sure this time, like the past twenty times their suggestions were "bound to work".

One late afternoon, the vendor who was packing fresh basil for him, greeted the lady standing next to him.

Lan Zhan was quite surprised because until a few seconds ago, he was sure he was the only patron at this stall.

She was a good two feet shorter than him, of stout body, and wore a bright smile on her wrinkled face. Lan Zhan wondered if he could read her years in the many lines marking her skin, similar to counting the rings on the inside of a cut log to determine the tree's age.

He smiled back because there was something terribly innocent about her. And she was cute in the way most old people are, her silver crescent moon eyes laughing and pleasant to look at.

"Where are you going, PoPo?" The vendor asked her.

"I am going to seek the blessings of the Kitsune." She rubbed her nose most adorably. "Pack me your best, sweetest apples. I hear foxes love them."

Lan Zhan watched as the vendor paled and tried to talk her out of it.

"PoPo, no amount of blessings are worth it! You would do better to-" here, he lowered his voice, "visit the GuanYin temple in town. At least you know where that is!"

She threw back her head with a bright laugh.

"Haizi, don't talk to me about what I should do! Everyone is right in their places. But what I want, only the Kitsune can give me. It is said, once he gives his name, by that alone he has given his favour. Then he will do anything for his followers. Now pack them up quickly, hurry along."

"But PoPo, what is it you want that only the fox spirit can give you?" The vendor's hands shook and he dropped the apples three times before he was able to wrap them in brown paper.

"Haizi, I want what any grandmother would want: grandchildren! It's not difficult to work out! Who is the Guardian of the fertility Goddess Inari?" She taps her nose three times. "I intend to use my wits." She pays the man and is about to walk off, when Lan Zhan stops her with a bow.

"PoPo, please tell me. Will this Kitsune grant any wish?"

"Yes, of course! If you can find his shrine, that is!" She winks at him, her silver eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Why? Where is it?" Lan Zhan was desperate now, willing to try anything.

"To be honest, I'm not exactly sure. All I have is the rhyme my grandmother taught me." She leans closer to whisper it. "Deep in the bamboo groves, the quick-witted fox resides, Pure of heart alone, can entice him to come out!" She chuckles, patting her own chest. "I'm as pure hearted as they come, and I'm going to see him with gifts."

"How are you so sure that you'll find his shrine?"

"Sometimes, all you need is to believe, child." Her beautiful silver eyes turn kind.

Lan Zhan has an inexplicable burning in his eyes as a result, and he wants to cry. But there is no time for that, he thinks, as a plan begins to form in his mind.

She pats his arm and trundles off, and when Lan Zhan turns back in her direction, she has vanished, swallowed up by the crowds of afternoon bargain hunters.

****************

Lan Zhan’s flight back to Cloud Recesses is fast, with an excess of spiritual energy. He delivers the ingredients the healers wanted, and then he goes to visit his brother.

Lan Zhan has made up his mind.

It is the only course left to him. He doesn't believe in coincidence and it cannot be one either, not if his brother managed to piss off a deity, and then just as he begins to lose hope, the Universe gives him a direction.

It might not be precise, it might not work, but Lan Zhan has to try.

He picks up XiChen's frail hand, the skin so papery that he can see the too thin bluish veins so close to the surface. His brother has become too delicate, as if even the smallest gust of wind will hurt him.

His thumb traces along the knuckles of a hand he used to hold as a child, and he lowers his lips to the fragile skin.

"I am going to try one last thing, Xiongzhang. Please, give me your blessings that I will be successful. I cannot-" his voice breaks, and he has to take a few deep breaths before he can bring himself under control again. "I won't lose you, too."

With that, he abruptly stands up and strides to his Uncle's house.

**************

"No! Please! WangJi, reconsider!" Uncle is just as desperate as he is. "You don't even know where it is? What if this is another fruitless search?"

Lan Zhan gives him his reasoning.

"Shifu, there are too many things that match, for us to simply ignore. I have to try."

"So, am I to lose both of my nephews?" He wipes away under his eyes, suddenly tired.

"No." Lan Zhan tells him. "If I am successful, you will still have one."

"For what it is worth, you have my blessing." Uncle tells him, full of reluctance.

Lan Zhan understands this. If something happens to him, then Uncle too, will be all alone.

***************

Lan Zhan isn't sure where to go.

He asks for directions from anyone he can find, until he comes to the base of a mountain. It doesn't look as if anyone comes here because the path is overgrown and thorny bushes hinder his progress. Bichen makes short work of them and then a faint trail appears.

It is close to evening now, and Lan Zhan hopes to find the shrine before it gets dark.

He has already bought some sweet apples, but as he went past a man selling spicy chicken breast, he bought some of that too, wanting to cover all his bases. And as he hiked up this mountain, his eyes peeled along the treacherous path where one misstep could lead to a terrifying tumble, Lan Zhan spotted a cluster of wild pansies.

On a whim, he plucked as many as he saw, his arms laden with the colourful blooms.

It was getting quite dark now, and Lan Zhan’s steps were becoming slower. He was tired, but he wasn't going to stop until he found the shrine. Desperation and sheer willpower made him set one foot in front of the other, as he climbed higher and higher.

And then he found the Grove of Bamboo trees.

The night was incredibly silent suddenly, with all the usual sounds of nightlife fading away, as though he had entered a sacred place. With just the hush of the whispering wind among the bamboo leaves, Lan Zhan trudged forward.

He could sense a power, something perhaps watching him, and the air felt heavy with static like the kind before an impending storm. There was a fragrance lingering around him, and he lifted his nose to smell more of it, unable to identify what it could be.

But then, a fog descended upon the mountain.

It was already night, the darkness deep and velvety, but now his sight was impaired further by the low cloud. It was strange as well, because it seemed to drift out of reach when Lan Zhan lifted his hand in front of him.

He had transferred all the flowers to his other arm, hoping to feel his way forward.

He felt as if he had been travelling for years, not hours. His legs felt heavier than logs, and lifting them up seemed wrong somehow.

He was dizzy now, and when he collapsed, eyes closed, he heard one last thing:

"Sleep, Haizi."

**************

Lan Zhan was dreaming.

He could hear a flute playing in the distance, a muffled sound, but the melody was both sweet and endearing. It fluttered in the cavities of his heart and he opened his eyes.

He was standing at the base of about ten neatly carved steps, which led to a pedestal upon which the unmistakable form of the Kitsune stood, watching him.

Whoever had carved his likeness out of stone was a remarkable artist.

Each whisker seemed as real as if the fox spirit would leap down from his high place, his fur on end, magnificent tail swishing with an ancient power. But it was his glowing red eyes which were fierce, pinning him in place.

Lan Zhan dared not move, but he lowered his gaze.

His arms held the flowers he had carefully preserved on the way up here.

He knelt on one knee then, shocked at himself.

How could he have been so disrespectful, to stand upright in the presence of such greatness?

And then he felt ashamed because he wasn't here out of some casual wish, a genuine desire to only make his offerings without expecting anything in return.

No, it was worse than that.

He had come here to barter for his brother's life.

With material things, as if they could make up for it.

He wondered that out of all the people who might make it this far, how many came here only to inquire after the fox spirit? Solely for that reason, just for the sake of it? How many of the devotees that reached this far, didn't want anything from the divine deity?

He heard a sad laugh.

Lan Zhan kept his eyes down, suddenly alert.

He was no longer alone.

Nothing but a swish of many tails warned him, and then a snout was sniffing at his face. Lan Zhan couldn't help himself, a huff of laughter left his lips as it tickled. He could smell that wonderful perfume again, something floral, fresh and addictive.

But he didn't look up.

"Not many people worry about me." The deep voice gives him shivers, making Lan Zhan tremble.

He refuses to speak though, because it appears the Kitsune can read his mind.

Lan Zhan is one hundred percent sure he hadn't spoken.

The laugh comes again, this time, a little bit lighter.

The fox spirit nuzzles under his chin, as if he wants Lan Zhan to look up.

When he does, Lan Zhan freezes in place.

Those brilliant red ruby eyes are staring back at him.

It's as if everything about Lan Zhan is exposed, laid bare for this stranger to see.

Every thought, every whim, every desire.

There is nowhere to hide, and Lan Zhan lets go of any humiliation he might have felt; instead, now that he's been given permission, he stands taller, summoning all of his courage.

This is for his brother, after all.

"Your brother?" The Kitsune asks him, and yet his mouth never moves.

Lan Zhan nods, afraid to speak.

He is in the presence of a deity, a powerful being who can shape shift, if the rumours are to be believed.

There is a chuckle, and the magnificent beast who must be at least four times the size of a normal fox, easily towering over Lan Zhan, resumes pacing. His swishing tails come ever so close to Lan Zhan’s face, and he gets the feeling of immeasurable softness. He's suddenly filled with a sharp, deep desire to thrust his hands into the fluffy tails and bring them to his face.

The Kitsune pauses at that, turning his fierce, electric gaze at him once more.

"What do you want? Why have you come here?"

Again, such a deep voice.

It feels like it's hundreds of years old.

"Are you lonely?" Lan Zhan blurts out, and then he's instantly ashamed.

He bows once more, going down again on his knees.

What an insolent question!

He'll be lucky if the Kitsune lets him go after this. He would not blame the deity for putting an end to him right now, should the thought occur.

"Young Master, too ready to be humble." The beautiful snout pokes under his chin again, tickling Lan Zhan with his whiskers and making him smile.

It almost sounds like a complaint.

There's a warmth and Lan Zhan resists the urge to wipe his nose, but it definitely feels wet.

Did the great and powerful Deity just lick his nose?

No way!

"Tell me the truth, why have you dared to disturb my rest?"

This time, Lan Zhan makes no mistakes.

"I have come to ask for your forgiveness." He hopes his voice sounds stronger than he feels now.

Remembering his brother makes him feel weak. What if he fails? And worse, what if the Great and Benevolent Fox spirit says no?

The thought makes him shudder with fear.

"Speak your mind!" The Kitsune demands.

"It is on behalf of my brother. There was an unfortunate accident, and my brother caused the Shrine of the Goddess Inari to be destroyed. I am begging for your forgiveness." To his horror, Lan Zhan’s vision blurs and all that can be heard is the steady dripping of tears as they fall on the dry ground.

"Most actions can be reversed, if one applies correct thought. How about you build her another one?"

The voice is misleading.

Sometimes it sounds far away, and yet just now, Lan Zhan felt it right in his ear, along with the hot breath. He doesn't understand, nor is he prepared for the lightning bolt of desire to thrum through his nerve endings like fire.

It is with great difficulty that he banishes all inappropriate thoughts with old, ancient and proven meditation techniques.

The Kitsune huffs out a disappointed breath.

"It has been considered. Plans are being drawn up, but still, that's no guarantee that my brother's health will be restored." Lan Zhan chooses his words specifically well.

"Ah. You want a guarantee?"

Lan Zhan’s nod says it all.

"Such guarantees don't come without a price."

"I will pay anything!" This time, Lan Zhan is down on both knees, hands joined in a prayer. "Please! Save my brother!"

The Kitsune gives him another intense look, as if he's appraising Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan has no idea if the Kitsune is happy with him, or if he's been found wanting.

"In return for saving your brother, my price will be a life for a life."

Chills race across Lan Zhan’s body, but he forces himself to meet that fiery gaze, half hoping it's some kind of crazy test.

Something to test his sincerity.

"Agreed, but I will not kill an innocent." He is sure about this.

"And I would not ask that of you."

Lan Zhan can trust that.

"Then?"

"Then, I want you to agree to marry me. If you say yes, and you intend to faithfully keep your promise, then in return, I promise your brother will show marked improvements by sunset tonight. By tomorrow evening, he should be as he was before the slight towards the Goddess Inari."

There is no hesitation in Lan Zhan’s mind and his mouth operates before his thoughts can catch up.

"Agreed."

**************

Dear Wonderful Readers,

This one is a surprise even to me. My Bestie @edzooc8r sent me a TikTok yesterday and suddenly, this story took shape instantly. I have plans for another short series, and I think this one may have around four parts if not more, because as we all know, I'm a lousy planner.

It's also a gift for all of you, and since this is my birthday month and giving is way more fun than getting, it's also for one particular reader whose message kind of stuck with me.

This person said they never made requests (true) and they missed the multiple part short stories. So here you are @LDeLobel I sincerely hope you like it!

In fact, I'd love to hear what all of you think about it?

And on the subject of giving, if it's at all possible, even if it's only a piece of chocolate, please try and give yourself a gift. Even if it's going outside in the sunshine, or looking at a pretty flower, or a handbag, whatever floats your boat.

Charlie.