The sun had already set and the cover of the night was almost complete in the sky when Huang and Seyran appeared from thin air, some meters away from the immense gates of the capital. Dispersed and not far by much from the building, were many tents where a gleam of fire could be seen; some people were beside it, taking their supper. Their belongings were still in their carriages and apart from those people’s soft chatter, the sometimes neighing of their horses were also their companions.
The time to enter the capital had long passed it seemed and those people were patiently waiting for the morning. From where she stood, Seyran couldn’t really see the peak of the building clearly but she supposed that some guards must be there for the travelers to be so conscious of their ways of acting. Huang, perched on Seyran’s shoulder, was quite satisfied with the result of its efforts. After trying so much, -and after some poor attempts were they ended in strange places- it could finally measure by how much qi one should infuse inside that white stone to get the correct distance. Well, approximately anyway, for it was aiming for the inside of the capital and not the gates.
The detour they had taken in the steppe had been quite useless. Although there had been many lions of all dimensions, from big to small and some contracted beasts in there, there weren’t a giant golden one or a fox for that matter. Those lions that they encountered hadn’t been contracted beasts but simple ones which left Seyran at her first point, not knowing anything about her enemy’s strength. With no golden beast in sight, nor a fox she could only ask herself ‘how was she going to proceed?’. And thinking about said opponents, at this very moment she really wished it was just that royal family. Hoping that it was their spies in the forest that alerted them about sensing her qi. She clung to the possibility of finding the young man in one of those people’s hands. But still wary and doubtful when thinking back about that deep murderous intent she felt, she hoped she didn’t have too many enemies, for then, she would have no idea where to search.
A mantis, one of the witnesses of Yenaigai’s kidnapping had also been dragged in their quest to find the servant and was actually annoying Huang with its constant complaints. A pity it wasn’t heard by Seyran thought the bird for certainly with all the noise it was making she would have chase the damn thing away! But no, the poor bird was bound to be the only one to hear it and it couldn’t voice its own complaints, for Seyran wanted silence since the forest. Huang clutched the animal harder in its claws not forgetting to threaten its life once again. But like the previous times, it shut up for just a little time before blabbering again.
However, Huang was too satisfied to argue with it. ‘Hadn’t it done fine now? Look, look, stupid mantis, your teacher is here! Teleportation? Nothing difficult, this mighty one mastered it in few hours!’ Well, that’s what it thought without chirping it though, lest should that woman find fault with it. Huang was fast to say.
“Next time, we should be inside” but before it infused the qi, the bird was stopped.
“No, here is perfect.”
She really wasn’t all too eager to arrive in the imperial palace. By that time she would let Huang fly to search for Yenaigai but what after that? What if a fight broke? In Unzu it had been easy to attack and defend at the same time, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was an army all by herself. But here she needed a plan and a backup plan if that one failed. She should first try to sneak the servant out but didn’t really know how. That would have to wait for Huang to inspect the place first.
However, that wasn’t really the reason why she stopped the bird now. She just didn’t want it to teleport them in the middle of people. That would be too troublesome if the words of that grandma she met previously could be trusted.
She slowly walked to the carriage and sat in the shadow of one of them, where light didn’t come, avoiding to be seen. There she could softly hear those people talking about the fourth princess who was coming soon and who won a sacred beast. She listened for some minutes then closed her eyes to cultivate.
As she was concentrating, she got distracted by muffled sounds coming from the deeper parts of the shadow of the nights, meters in front. The people behind were too engrossed in their talking to notice. Breathing low, she closed her eyes, more to test her abilities than any real curiosity. The cultivation could enhance the sense of audition and she wondered how much she progressed. From the voice she heard, it seemed to be a young man, who was slightly angry and actively reprimanding in soft tones.
“What are you coming back for? Do you wish to be their slaves? Go away!”
After which sounds of stomping feet in the ground could be discerned. There was the soft whimpering of an animal too. In dissatisfaction with the results, he urged some more “Go already!” before running away in the opposite direction of the gates, but Seyran could hear the little animal followed right after.
Seyran just sat there, asking herself ‘Why were they more persistent when one actually set them free?’ That servant too had refused to leave. Did they like it so much, being ordered around?
She let out a long sigh, which startled the animal on her shoulder but she paid it no heed, more concern about her future actions which, in the end, were all for a servant. Was it stupid? She knew no more. She just closed her eyes and resumed cultivating.
Huang had absorbed his fill of her mana by its claw so it wasn’t really hungry. But sensing her qi, it could almost hear its stomach growl. Did it really matter that it didn’t bring food today? If it asked would she give? Then it comforted itself. Of course she would give, after all, it wasn’t its fault that it didn’t bring meat, who would have cooked? Wasn’t it by its magnificence that they were here? How could she have come here otherwise? However, the bird didn’t even request that Seyran was opening her eyes to stare at it.
“Starting now cultivate to make your hunger disappear. I’ll need all the mana and qi I can get” And she closed her eyes again. Moreover, it seemed like she would do so until the day replaced the night.
The little bird felt wronged. There was a big gap between eating and letting the sensation disappeared, okay! The mantis laughed and Huang’s claws clutched it harder, to the point where it pleaded for help. In the end, to pass the time, Huang cultivated too, just so it could be immersed enough to not hear the mantis.
***
In the palace, rare were the occasions were the family dined together. During the evening meal, they would eat with their consorts, one of them or just alone. Shanlin was dining by herself when a servant reported the arrival of the right general, Mehwan. Those two had long been friends and the right general was also someone who instructed her when she was small so they didn’t need to be overly courteous when they were by themselves. Shanlin invited the general to dine with her and asking her to forget about the rule of staying silent during dinner, she asked her the reason for her presence.
As another set of bowls was brought, the general informed the royal advisor about their eagle’s spies last reports. The eagle had been left in the forest to keep an eye on the crown princess. A month ago it reported her awakening and now it said that she left to find her servant. Shanlin just smiled her mood actually good, happy that the fake princess was still here.
“Who cared if she’s searching for that boy? Let her come.”
“She has a fire attributed bird as her contracted beast. It seemed it can use wind too and maybe more.”
“So what? Isn’t the second princess already in the Capital? Who is going to trust her when the time comes she claims to be my sister’s daughter?”
“That…” Mehwan wanted to say that in the first place the reason why that princess went into the forest and defied her mother wasn’t it for the sake of that young master? But she remembered that the queen was no longer here and the princess hadn’t had enough time to really cultivate to the point of frightening them. She should be easy to deal with. So she had a smile on her face and lifted her bowl to eat.
***
Xian Su Qiun, the first daughter of Shanlin, dismissed her servants and by herself, went to her youngest sister’s place. Last night, the elder sister hadn’t really wanted for the youngster to hear about their secrets but Bai Ming had appeared in their mother’s courtyard as they were discussing the oncoming crowning of the next year and when she asked some questions, their mother indulged her. In the end, Su Qiun and Bai Ming hadn’t really had the time to talk all by themselves.
When she arrived, the front of Bai Ming’s courtyard was still dark, not a servant could be seen. Every servant in that part of the palace may know about her return but no one dare talk about it for it was the instructions. The servants in charge of that courtyard had long been arranged and had already swept the place but left the fourth princess for now. They would officially wait on her the following day.
Su Qiun helped herself and entered the place, softly calling for her young sister. Two of Bai Ming’s guards came to meet her and brought her to a room her sister was currently using, waiting for her. The guards were dismissed and the sisters talked for a long moment, reminiscing about the past, talking about the academy and whatnots. In the end, when most topics where used, the elder she didn’t forget to instruct.
“Tomorrow by the morning don’t forget to cross the gates and salute the population with respect.”
Bai Ming responded in affirmation. More words were said and Su Qiun ended up asking her sister view if she really went ahead and claimed the throne. Bai Ming may have already given her consent the previous night but Su Qiun felt compelled to ask again.
“The matter of elder sister crowning, I really have no objection,” Bai Ming said to Su Qiun with a smile. “I’m more than willing to give a helping hand.”
The little sister said so with a smile. Whether she believed her or not, Su Qiun didn’t say, she only smiled back sweetly in return.
“Then this older sister is taking her leave. May little sister sleep well for us to celebrate until morning.”
Once Su Qiun was gone, Bai Ming left that room to return to where she was before, her bedroom. The bound Yenaigai was on the floor, glaring daggers at her as she went in. Food was placed in front of him but the ropes tightly chained his feet and hands, let alone eat, he couldn’t even move. Bai Ming sat in front of him once again, slowly eating, not forgetting to comment about the taste from time to time.
She smiled at him as she dabbed the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief.
“Does young master Lian want a piece?” He said nothing, not avoiding her eyes either. “Still not talking, that’s fine. When one isn’t hungry one shouldn’t eat or the stomach will get angry”. She carefully looked at the man, taking in the thinness of his arms, she couldn’t help but mock. “Young master has really suffered these last years.”
But the young man wasn’t even acknowledging the provocation. It wasn’t really fun to have him this mute. No matter what she said he just stared at her. She pushed the utensils to a side and sat close to him.
“They said you use to be considered promising. You were personally picked by the queen to accompany her daughter in training.”
But he was still silent. Wanting a reaction from him, she caressed a side of his face and asked,
“Your face is not bad. Don’t you feel like coming to my side? Being this genius’s consort, isn’t it better for you?”
“My mistress is the real genius of this country!” exclaimed Yenaigai suddenly, startling her. She was quick to be angry this time.
“What genius? What can she do?”
This time around Yenaigai reigned in the impulse to defend his mistress, but in his heart, he knew no one could beat his mistress in term of capacity. Core took time to form itself. For average people, it was ten years. Those able to do it in less than that were considered geniuses. Seyran had been the genius amount geniuses for she had formed hers at the age of six. She, who was count amount average just what does she have that she can compare to his mistress?
However, it didn’t change the fact that Xian Bai Ming did have some abilities and she was quite confident in them too, not doubting that she could fight against Seyran and win every time. She had the golden lion as her contracted beast, why would she need to fear? Taking that throne if she wanted, wouldn’t it be as easy as she took that servant? Thinking there her anger faded as quick as it came. To the once again silent young man she asked.
“I wonder, what does it feel like to have his core destroyed, does it hurt?”
“Why not try?” suggested Yenaigai in a kind voice with an intoxicating smile as though he was proposing the best thing in the world when only he knew how much that hurt.
“Oh, you got your tongue back. Let me hear your screams.”
She infused qi in her hand and forced it inside Yenaigai’s body. The foreign energy directly went for his damaged core and degraded it more. It was like every bone in his body was breaking and tearing his flesh apart. Yenaigai bit his lip until it drew blood and in the end could repress it no longer, he shouted at the top of his lungs, twisting again and again. That’s when she let go. She patted his back and gently wiped his sweating face.
“Breathe, breathe” she was saying. And when his breathing was almost normal again she said.
“Mother told me a beautiful story about a boy, who betrayed his family. Do you want to hear? Oh, how foolish of me, how could the main character not know the event of that day?”
She laughed at his stiffed expression and the glare that he renewed on his face. Now to have him so full of expression when these last hours he was a statue was delighting.
“Yeah, those eyes, keep them like that.”
She took out a dagger and slashed his left palm, quite deeply, in hope of seeing the blood flow out. She couldn’t help it. It was the most beautiful color in the world and when she could, she would yield into the impulse to see it. At first, Bai Ming had been someone who didn’t like hurting others and she used to be uncomfortable with blood. But day after day in the alliance academy thought her the beauty of it. In addition, that final test had made it worse and that feeling, the elation of crushing a person under her feet, to left them with no hope and their soul tormented for eternity had no description.
“You have such a beautiful color in your blood.” Yenaigai shuddered, sure that this princess was completely crazy. “Is it her secret? Is starving beneficial to get that color?”
Her eyes were sparkling and if she wasn’t this mesmerized by his blood, Yenaigai would have been fooled into thinking she had discovered a treasure.
Another hour passed. Bai Ming had slashed her prisoner everywhere but his face. Covered in his own blood, Yenaigai was really hurting but he still had enough energy to glare at her. She took some steps back to consider him from head to toe, then, unexpectedly; she beamed and clapped for him. What she was clapping for, Yenaigai had no idea, concerning this woman, a simple reality was engraved in his head: she had completely lost it!
“So commendable efforts, one can’t help but clap. Lian young master is still Lian young master. One should cherish such noble blood in his body.” As she thought like this, her smile grew warmer. Staring at his untouched face she started blabbering,
“Say, I can consider taking you as mine. No need to worry about not having a core. Being my first consort, wouldn’t it be an honor? Changing your identity would be no problem; I’ll pamper you very much. Who said a shattered core can’t be cured? I can get your core treated. How about it? You just have to pledge yourself to me… Why care about someone who easily let you go?”
In the end, he was still the only living member of the Lian lineage. She was willing to take him, she had that much compassion as to take a second-hand good.
“…”
“You just have to say the words. Apologize and pledge yourself to me.”
“…”
She waited but not any sound came from him.
“Fine, let me help you be quiet!”
She searched for small cloth and stuffed it in his mouth.
“Find me some ants and bring them here” she ordered in direction of the windows with a wicked smile. If he wanted to suffer she was fine with helping him.
And so, she poured ants in the young man’s numerous cuts to let him suffer. After administrating she left that bedroom to find another place to sleep. And she did so soundly. Yenaigai, on the other hand, tossed and tossed but the insects kept biting his flesh and the ropes were unwilling to be removed. After suffering through the night, He ended up losing consciousness by the morning.
***
The gates opened with the first rays of lights and the travelers and merchants fixed their things and lined up to the rectangular building called the gates of the capital. The entry cost was ten silvers. Seyran had no idea if it could be considered pricey or cheap and had no intention of asking. Once a carriage was inspected and asked to proceed, she asked Huang to teleport them inside. It was relatively large; the bird should be able to aim right this time.
And it did, chirping with pride how easy it had been. It was a carriage full of fruit, and Seyran’s weight squashed some while she ate others. Huang tried but found it tasteless, left it alone, only looking at the human eating while thinking how good it would be if she gave it some mana now! They traveled hidden inside the carriage for a while. It was going to the imperial city so Seyran was in no hurry to go out since the palace was in the imperial city.
One of the books she read taught her that the gates of the capital actually didn’t immediately open to the Dai capital. The first layout was what was called the outer city where one could see some villages, farming places. After that was the inner city and in the middle of the inner city was the imperial city and the real place considered the Dai capital. The palace was there, in the middle of it.
It was by the afternoon that they arrived at the imperial city. In the carriage, while she couldn’t really see the outside; Seyran could hear the bustling from the market streets. News brought by tradesmen that the golden lion was the sacred beast won by the fourth princess. The entire capital was in festivity for her return.
She went out of the carriage by asking Huang to make her invisible. Some feet away, Huang let go, huffing and this time, asking for recompense. Seeing the animal looking grief-stricken and unwilling, she gave it some mana. After all, she was really counting on that little bird to help her.
“Isn’t she already here?” asked one person “There are some who said that they heard the roar of a lion coming from the palace.”
“I hear its specialized in wind technique, that its roar could destroy a house”
It was the wind its forte?
“Besides wind, what else can it use?”
The voice had come from the side and startled the two gossiping people.
“A beggar?” They didn’t stay, throwing a silver piece to Seyran, they went away but from what they were saying as they kept on going, they didn’t know more.
Her clothes were filthy with sand, herbs and fruits stains. Ignored, Seyran was tempted to strike their back to show them not to turn around when she was still talking. Old habits, she recognized though, they were hard to tame. She retracted the mana she had formed and berated herself a little. She looked down at her clothes. They were really in a sorry state. She longed for a bath. The moment she found him, that servant would be drawing her a bath, a good one.
Shouts of the princess’s return stopped her track of thoughts. ‘Wasn’t she already inside’, Seyran asked herself with a frown. People in military uniforms were asking to free the roads. Seyran let herself be pushed to the side. The coming procession wasn’t really long, quite short for a princess actually. Just one flashy decorated carriage and five guards in black, on their horses surrounding it. But what was really formidable was the lead of the procession. It was a beautiful golden lion and an equally gorgeous woman perched on its back. Apparently, the princess didn’t want to use her carriage.
“That’s it, that’s the lion you’re looking for, quick free me.” Shouted the mantis to Huang. “And that woman is the one who took that young human of yours.”
Huang could only trust the mantis on this. It’s not like it was a dog that could sniff and said: “you’re right buddy, I smelled his odor on them.” In any case, Huang was happy to oblige if only to have the little animal gone and his ears’ suffering stopped. Freeing the annoying thing, he related what it said to Seyran.
She had taken the mantis just in case they happened to meet one of the humans it had seen –since none of the animals were able to describe humans for they were all the same for them- but she didn’t think it would be so fast.
Huang observed as the demoness’s eyes had a new layer of blue. As somber as an agitated ocean.
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