Side Story 1 Part 2: The Sage Emperor’s Resting Place
1.7k 4 38
X
Reading Options
Font Size
A- 15px A+
Width
Reset
X
Table of Contents
Loading... please wait.

Black, Myrddin, Lei Yan Shen, and Kang Yang sat around a table of an inn in the rather populous city Wanchen with a ward of silence around them. Although the table was full of delicious dishes none of them had even picked up their utensils. 

“Truthfully,” Lei Yan began as he rested his chin on his interlocked fingers. “We already know where the base of the giants are. But it’s protected by a magical barrier they’ve engraved into the land. Our diviners cannot do anything to it, although our army is guarding it day and night the giants still seem to be able to move about within the empire.”

“As for what they are searching for...I can hazard a guess. I mentioned the Sage Emperor from three thousand years ago, right?” Lei Yan took a sip from his winecup. “After the Sage Emperor died and was buried in his mausoleum, he was accompanied by numerous treasures that would make the world green with envy. But after the mausoleum was completed it disappeared completely from the world, hidden away even by the Xuan Dynasty or so the legend goes.” 

“What could the storm giants want from the mausoleum?” Myrddin asked. 

“There are legends concerning the numerous treasures that are buried within the tomb that have been lost in time. But there are rumors that three thousand years ago the Sage Emperor waged war against the storm giant’s ancestor, a Titan. The Sage Emperor managed to defeat the Titan and repelled the storm giants into the Everstorm Lands.”

“Aren’t Titans a type of spirit?” Myrddin asked, greatly surprised. “Said to be the beings closest to the gods, yet a mortal like the Sage Emperor defeated a Titan?” 

Lei Yan smiled. “That’s what the legend said. But the Sage Emperor didn’t do it alone, he had help.” At this Kang Yang focused his attention onto the prince, a slight smile and shine in his eyes. “It was said that before the Sage Emperor ascended the throne he abruptly appeared in the war torn land that now formed the Xuan Dynasty and he carried with him two things.”

Lei Yan raised his index and middle finger up. “First was the Holy Sword Manusya, Sword of Promised Triumph. A sword forged by the Black God that granted its user neverending triumph against his enemy.” He lowered his middle finger so only his index finger was raised. “And the second was the Black God’s sacred blood. Within the Sage Emperor’s body ran the Dragon God’s bloodline gracing him with the Dragonpact.”

“Dragonpact?” Myrddin questioned as he casted a side glance at Black who was nursing a glass of unknown liquor that she had pulled out of nowhere. 

“I guess it wouldn’t be strange for you not to hear about the Dragonpact.” Lei Yan smiled proudly. “I’m unsure of the process, but it involves taking in the sacred blood of the Black God. With that as an intermediary, the holy power of the Black God can descend upon your body granting you a portion of the Black God’s strength enough to match a spirit. Kang Yang is a Blessed of the Red God, but the strength granted to him is cannot even compare to the power of a Dragonpact.”

“You say that the Black God’s blood ran through the Sage Emperor’s veins, does that mean you inherited that blood?” Myrddin asked. “Does it give any special abilities besides when calling forth the Black God’s power?”

“It granted the bearer a superhuman body, stronger than a lion and swifter than a gazelle and more mana than the elves. But that was three thousand years ago. The blood has thinned out so much now that there’s barely any difference between having it and not having it. And only the great ancestor could call upon the Black God’s strength. We, his descendants, are unblessed.” Lei Yan shrugged. 

“We’re getting off topic. It is said that when the Sage Emperor defeated the Titan, he took something crucial to it that caused it to fall into slumber. Our treasury has no hint of such an object, by this it can be easily determined that the object is in the mausoleum.” 

Myrddin grasped his chin in thought. “I have an idea of why the storm giants are here, but the situation doesn’t warrant a prince like you to venture to search the mausoleum right?”

Lei Yan made a bitter smile. “I used to have eight older brothers you know? But they all died and it wasn’t just because they were fighting for the throne.” Lei Yan poured himself another cup of baiju. “You could say the situation originated from a thousand years ago. The Imperial Family in an attempt to preserve the bloodline intermarried. There was a point that even half siblings married each other.” 

No longer nursing his winecup, Lei Yan directly took a swig from the wine jug. “Ahhhh. For a while it worked, but soon babies began to be stillborn and it got to the point where the Imperial Family had less than twenty members left and that was when the descendants of the Four Founding Dukes struck. On the surface they still pledge allegiance to the Imperial Family but in the shadows they whittled away at their power. In recent years, it's war in all but name as the Xuan Dynasty is practically split into five countries now.”

“The Xuan Dynasty is currently divided into five different power blocs, the North Duke, the South Duke, the East Duke, and the West Duke, and the most precarious Imperial Family that is surrounded by all sides.”

“That sounds like the four cardinals of the Elysius Theocracy.” Myrddin idly commented.

“The Sage Emperor was said to greatly revere the Black God and imitate the Holy Nation to a degree. Although nowadays there are more followers in the Red God.” Lei Yan answered before returning to his explanation. “If the situation had continued then the Imperial Family would have been swallowed sooner or later. But then the giants attacked from the North. Although the Imperial Family wants to unite to fend off the invaders, the South, West, and East Dukes are happy to let the rival North Duke sustain damage.”

“When the giants attacked I linked the motive with the legend. I suddenly gained an idea, if I could gain the recognition of the Holy Sword Manusyu, perhaps I could turn the situation around  and reunite the Xuan Dynasty. Of course the success is low, my surviving siblings are in the Imperial Capital trying to control the situation. It’s already been a few months since I’ve begun, I’ve searched the South, West, and East while concealing my identity but so far I haven’t had any luck.” Helplessness was evident in Lei Yan’s voice. 

“That still doesn’t explain why a storm giant would attack us out of the blue.” Myrddin said, although Lei Yan’s explanation was logical, there were still some holes.

“That might be because of the North Duke, or any of the other Dukes really.” Lei Yan shrugged as if having already accepted the sudden coincidences in his life. 

“So why us?” Myrddin asked. “I don’t think you approached us out of the blue without any reason.” 

Lei Yan looked at Black. “Actually when I said that the sacred blood within us didn’t have any effect wasn’t the whole truth. The blood gives those with connection to the Black God a certain link, it’s how we identified any imposters in the Imperial Family. But by divine intervention I met Miss Adam and Mr Myrddin.”

“Yeah, divine intervention. Literally.” Myrddin muttered to himself. 

“I was hoping to learn more about you two, but it seems the situation has forced my hand.” The air around Lei Yan sharpened. “I would like to enlist your aid in my quest to discover the Mausoleum of the Sage Emperor.”

Myrddin said nothing as he looked at Black, she was the true leader of their little party after all.

“I don’t mind leading you to where the Sage Emperor rests, but there will be a price.” Black finally placed down the glass of liquor having heard everything despite her seemingly distracted state. Lei Yan nodded, having already expected this. “When your life ends Manusya will be returned to the Black God.”

Lei Yan froze. “This...it’s a national treasure of the Xuan Dynasty.”

Black smiled, the emotion in her eyes impossible to ascertain. “Manusyu was originally something Black bestowed upon the Sage Emperor. If anyone of the Imperial Family were able to wield it, I doubt they would have allowed it to be buried with the Sage Emperor and instead kept it as the Sword of the State. Besides, without it how much hope do you have in becoming the emperor of the Xuan Dynasty?”

Lei Yan tensed as his brows furrowed in turmoil. Before releasing a sigh. “I’ll accept.” 

“Then it’s a contract.” Black stood up and held out her hand. Lei Yan tensed as he stared at Black’s hand, an invisible pressure that seemed grasp to his heart surfaced. Lei Yan stood frozen as beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. He gritted his teeth and forced his frozen arm and hand to move as his hand grasped Black’s hand. 

It was at the moment that something inside of him seemed to have broken loose and yet at the same time an invisible chain binded him. Slumping down Lei Yan held onto the table for support as exhaustion consumed his body and his body drenched in cold sweat.

Black however left the table. “Since the contracts have been agreed upon, I’ll leave now to prepare. Oh, also you need to procure an airship or some trained flying steeds if you want to reach the Sage Emperor’s grave.” Myrddin glanced at the strange way Lei Yan acted before deciding it would be best to leave with Black to their room.

Once alone, Kang Yang gave Lei Yan a worried look. “Your highness...”

Lei Yan shook his head. “I’m alright, just exhausted.” Lei Yan observed the hand that had shook Black’s hand as it still trembled uncontrollably. “I’ll have someone procure some gryphons or wyverns. And in accordance with our agreement I’ll let you choose any weapons aside from Manusyu from the mausoleum and browse all the sword manuals stored there. If I cannot then I’ll find another way to compensate you.”

That night Black and Myrddin had separate rooms.

In the tension filled air of the Wanchen shadowy figures moved about in the darkness of the night. For the next fews weeks Black and Myrddin stayed in Wanchen, exploring the many places unique to the northern Xuan city. 


Black leisurely inhaled the scent of her tea before taking a sip to enjoy the taste of the tea. The viscous liquid shimmered under the lights of the room, and the sweet vegetal taste of the tea delicately lingered on Black’s tongue. “As expected of Baihao Yinzhen white tea.”

Black used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of dim sum before popping it into her mouth. The Golden Ratio ShuMai as it was listed on the menu; the wrapping was opened and split into four portions. The sweet and chewy minced shrimp, the fresh crispy vegetables, soft and delicate egg yolks, and finally the marbled pork meat. Each bite allowed Black to savor the individual ingredients yet together combined into something more than the sum of each component. 

But what truly brought out Black’s pleased smile was the attraction currently on stage, the most beautiful woman of Hundred Flower Pavillion and possibly all of Wanchen. Black and Myrddin sat in the most extravagant personal room, reserved only for the wealthy and noble, where they had a clear view of the stage on the first floor.

The stage was a raised circular platform separated from the rest of the first floor by a small moat filled with lotus flowers creating a lone island disconnected from the rest of the building. Upon the center of the stage stood three figures, two of them were in the back playing a zither and pipa respectively with veils that hid their lower faces.

But the main attraction was the main singer in front. Wearing a brilliant black hanfu that accentuated her figure, peach blossoms sewn into the clothing, the black and pink contrastin beautifully. The woman had willow brows, doe like eyes, rosy cheeks, and a smile that would cause flowers to wilt in shame. 

Black leaned back against her chair with her eyes closed as she allowed the honey like words to flow into her ignoring the world around her. The singer’s scarf fluttered in the wind, her figure swaying with the song like a music fairy blessed by the spirits. Her foot moved as if stepping on the air itself and her words filled with innocent temptation. Her voice was soft and delicate yet it echoed to every ear in the building.

“You ask me how deep my love for you is,
How much I really love you
My affection is real.
My love is real.
The moon represents my heart.
 
You ask me how deep my love for you is,
How much I really love you
My affection does not waver,
My love will not change.
The moon represents my heart.
 
Just one soft kiss
is enough to move my heart.
A period of time when our affection was deep,
Has made me miss you until now.
 
You ask me how deep my love for you is,
How much I really love you.
Go think about it.
Go and have a look at the moon,
The moon represents my heart.”

When the performance was finished Black finally turned her attention towards the nondescript man who had been waiting at her side. “What is it?”

“My lady, milord has said all the preparations are done. We can leave at any time.”

Black waved away the shadow guard and stood up with Myrddin. Having already left a sizable down payment, the duo left the Hundred Flowers Pavillion. When Black and Myrddin met Lei Yan and Kang Yang again they were already outside of Wanchen a few kilometers away from prying eyes. The group, now up to twenty-seven members, each had a trained and harnessed wyvern to ride.

“You really didn’t skimp out on the ride.” Black said, impressed as she took in all of the red wyverns. “And having gathered at such a time timing as well.” Black gave a meaningful smile to Lei Yan but quickly turned away.

Black raised her hand in the air and began to spout a bunch of nonsensical words, chants were useless to Black who did not need to self hypnotize herself in order to cast magic, and soon a magic circle that encompassed everyone and the wyverns. A warm light embraced all the people and beasts standing within as they felt their body burst with power, the wyverns even letting out boisterous roars. 

“Alright, let’s go. I don’t want to keep recasting the buf-strengthening spell.” Black waved and took the calmest wyvern. Black frowned as she felt the wyvern tremble under her, sensing her true self.

Wyverns were the descendents of dragons, as such they inherited spirit bloodline and had intelligence much higher than normal beasts and boasting great strength and abilities depending on which dragon they descended from. Red wyverns such as these were able to breathe fire. Of course such strength came with high cost and Lei Yan must have spent a pretty coin to buy all these. But as descendants of dragons they were naturally sensitive to dragons, especially Greatwyrms, even if Black wasn’t using her true body at the moment. Black placed her hand on the trembling back of the wyvern, mana began to flow out of her as the wyvern’s trembling increased before it all suddenly vanished.

Myrddin casted a glance at Black’s chosen wyvern as he noticed the scale suddenly darken. 

“Everyone ready?” Lei Yan shouted as he looked around. His shadow guards discarded their black clothing in favor of light scale mail and swords sheathed on their waist. As for himself and Kang Yang, both of them also wore light armor as well as thicker clothes to combat against the cold of high altitude.

Myrddin chose this moment to cough into his fist as he stood next to his wyvern. A sheepish smile on his face as he spoke. “I forgot I know how to fly a wyvern.” 

There was silence as everyone stared at the mage in white in disbelief. 

“You couldn’t have said it at a better time except before we leave!?” Kang Yang no longer had his maintaining his stoic demeanor and instead began to become visibly agitated at the foreign mage.

“Hahaha.” Myrddin could only nervously laugh. His eyes turned to Black and gave a pleading look. 

Black sighed as she got off her wyvern and stood in front of Myrddin, looking up at his face. “Grit your teeth.”

“Huh?”

Without warning Black reared her fist back before launching in a lightning flash blitz. Before Myrddin knew what happened, Black’s fist had connected with his forehead. A dull boom was heard as Black’s fist remained in front of Myrddin’s head and he stood still as if the fist never touched him. Moments later Myrddin’s body began to crumble like a puppet cut of its strings. 

Black caught Myrddin’s body in her arms before he could completely collapse. With practice ease, she swung Myrddin over her shoulders, walked to her wyvern, dumped his body over it, before jumping back onto the saddle. “You don’t mind if we leave a wyvern here, do you?”

Lei Yan just laughed. “No, of course not.” What else can I say!? The others on their wyverns could only warily look at the black haired half elf. 

Soon the twenty-six wyverns took off into the air with Black in the lead. The wind buffeted her face causing her hair to ripple through the gale. Despite this, with trained ease Black never closed her eyes nor turned back as she climbed higher and higher. She pierced through the clouds, ignoring the sudden loss of sight. Behind her in a V formation flew the rest of the group, each of them leaving a quiet vacuum in their wake. But Black wasn’t done yet as she flew higher and higher, piercing through even more clouds.

The air began to grow colder and colder, as her breath began to condense into vapor. Despite this no frost or ice condensing upon her or the wyvern. The air grew increasingly thin yet to the amazement of the wyvern riders they felt no discomfort. 

Lei Yan wondered why Black needed to fly so high into the sky, did they need to follow a certain ritual or pattern to reach the legendary Mausoleum of the Sage Emperor? Nevertheless Lei Yan decided to trust his intuition and it screamed at him to follow Black.

They flight of wyvern riders broke through the six thousand meters mark and now they could arrogantly gazed upon the resident of the land as ants like the high and mighty Greatwyrms. But they didn’t do so as the group looked away from the ground and instead focused their attention on Black in a desperate gambit to focus on something other than what their corpse would look like if they fell off the wyvern.

Some of them even began to envy the unconscious mage.

Black led the group for a few hours until the sun passed the midway mark of its arc and began its descent down into the horizon. It was at this moment that Black raised her hand, her words unable to be heard by those behind her from the lashing wing against their bodies, and a magic circle emerged from it. The magic circle spun in her hand for a few moments before it flew away in front of the group and began to enlarge itself tremendously enough to engulf all the riders several times over before shattering soundlessly.

Just as Lei Yan thought Black’s spell had failed the air before the group began to distort. From the formerly empty space emerged a landmass. The bottom half resembled a upside reverse mountain devoid of any greenery. The top in contrast resembled the quintessential view of a luscious mountain scenery with a mountain dotted with trees growing up from the land and a white tip peak. 

Lei Yan found himself stunned in wonderment at the scene that came legends itself.


*Chinese song by Teresa Teng called The Moon Represents my Heart, an oldie but goodie. I originally wanted to use Blue and White Porcelain by Jay Chou but I felt like it didn’t fit the image.

38