RTYY 100 – On the Other Side of the Border
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Oh my gosh! Can’t even believe this! Chapter 100 ?!! Which means 100 days of updates. So, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all! I wish I could to it in person! If I’ve reached this far it’s all thanks to you guys! So thank you for reading. Thank you for all the comments and review. Thank you for all the wonderful corrections that help me be a better writer. Thank you for all the lovely hearts you cast on my chapters. Let’s hope I’ll be able to write another post like this 100 chapters from now! ?


Nox1Literally nox (night). Nox is the name of the Clan (family name), also the name of a Province. ZaiWin uses it because he is the Governor of Nox. ZaiWin2Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos). cursed under his breath when the brat sitting in front of him almost fell head-first over his horse’s neck. Wrapping an arm across his chest, he stopped him from slipping forward and gently made him lean back, his head leaning against his shoulder, his soft hair tickling his neck.

It was the second fucking time, he thought angrily, pulling him closer so it would be easier to hold him. The damned brat was like a freaking child! One badly slept night and he’d fall a sleep while standing on his own feet the next day.

Too aware of the smaller body glued to his, of the way his chest rose and fell every time he breathed, ZaiWin couldn’t help sigh in resignation.

It wasn’t as if he could actually drop him, he considered. The damn brat might break a leg or something, which would only make things more difficult for him. Not to mention that VinWei3Literally vin (hard) + wei (crystal) would probably chew his brains off while he was still alive, as punishment for having damaged her precious Tien'Elhar4Literally tien (Heaven) + el (supreme) + har (girl child). The Heavenly Beings also known as Celestials in the common language..

The brat felt a bit sturdier from the last time he’d hold him, ZaiWin noticed with a second thought. But he was still too short, his build way too delicate for a sixteen-year-old boy. Well, that was to be expected. After all, taking into account the way he’d lived till then, it was a miracle he’d grown up to be as healthy as he was. At least he’d completely recovered his normal motor skills, walking and even running without any major difficulty.

“Did he fall asleep?” VinWei asked, slowing down enough to catch up with him, looking worriedly at the boy, and ZaiWin sighed again.

“He had some trouble falling asleep last night.”

“Not to mention the energy he spent on that absurd array,” she added with a scowl. “Have you talked to him about it?”

“Not yet.”

“Then make sure you do as soon as possible! As his Chosen One you’re not only tasked with keeping him safe. You’re also the only one who can stop him. Tien’Elhar tend to get too engrossed in their work, to the point they’ll damage their own health. It is your duty to make sure that doesn’t happen!”

ZaiWin simply nodded, knowing that arguing with her about such matters would be completely fruitless. As far as VinWei was concerned, nothing could be more sacred, more precious than a Tien’Elhar. And if he openly told her that he couldn’t care less about any of those idiotic duties, she was sure to give him an earful on how ungrateful, self-centered and irresponsible he was.

Taking a deep breath, VinWei looked around, at the slender, darkened trees surrounding them.

“Those things … where do you thing they came from?”

“Tei5Literally zai (metal /metallic). Tei is the name of the Clan (family name), also the name of a Province. is just on the other side of this border,” he simply replied and her shocked expression said more than words.

“You can’t possibly think … Tei? They’re blessed with not one, but two Tien’Elhar! And everyone knows that feimao6Literally fei (raging / furious) + mao (beast / monster). Raving beasts that appear in unbalanced, ungoverned lands. They possess destructive markings that in turn corrupt the land even further. Hard to explain in just 2 lines -_-; Anyway. Bad, vicious things that need to be killed. don’t show up on blessed land. Maybe … they’re here to punish our Wei. We haven’t have a Tien’Elhar to watch over our Province in more than one-hundred-and-fifty years,” she added in a small voice and ZenTar7Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind). immediately turned back with an annoyed expression on his face.

“As if! Even if it's been a long time since Wei has had a Tien’Elhar, it is still one of the most well governed Provinces of Wen8Literally wen (sun). Name of one of the three Empires, Wen, Ran and Sen. (Sun, Moon and Star). Also used as surname by the members of the Imperial Family with ascending rights to the throne!” he declared without the shadow of a doubt. “Your Clan has always administered their lands justly and with honor! Everyone knows this! If it wasn’t so, neither Nox nor Zai9Literally zai (blade). Zai is the name of the Clan (family name), also the name of a Province. would be willing to establish such close relationships with Wei!”

ZaiWin gave her a small, comforting smile and nodded.

“Zen is right. You know how I abhor all these political webs and how I don’t trust any of those so called nobles. Do you think I’d purposely come all the way to Wei, to deliver Nox into your father’s hands, if I wasn’t absolutely sure of his righteous character? If your lands are getting sick, I’m sure that it wasn’t your doing. It must be the result of the unfortunate fact that you cannot choose your neighbors.”

VinWei took a deep breath, feeling a bit more reassured, her mind immediately turning to a more logical approach.

“But Tei?”

“Tei is basically a self-enclosed Province. None of us have permission to freely cross their lands without submitting a previous request. Even Wei’s merchants have problems making sure their products reach Teiin10Literally tei (metal / metallic) + suffix in (center), meaning the center of the Province of Tei, in other words, Tei’s Capital. All Capitals of all Provinces are named as such.. Most of them simply prefer to take their businesses elsewhere,” ZenTar pointed out.

“I, for once, have never been allowed inside their lands,” ZaiWin added, at which VinWei looked surprised.

“You never went there? Even though you’re always running up and down?”

“I have requested to cross their lands a couple of times, in order to reach my destination a bit faster. But I was always refused and forced to take the longer route.”

“Even when following the Palace’s orders?”

“Even then. I never thought much about it, though. It’s no secret that the Tei El’Gin11Literally el (supreme) + gin (gold). Name given to the male children of the Emperor. Could be translated into prince in the common language. and El’Lin12Literally el (supreme) + lin (silver). Name given to the female children of the Emperor. Could be translated into princess in the common language. hold a special distaste for my person.”

“They’re a couple of freaks, that’s what they are!” ZenTar spat with contempt. “The things we hear about them would creep out any sane man!”

“Surely you do not believe everything they say,” VinWei countered. “I admit, they’re a bit odd and enjoy spending their free time in strange ways. But I’ve personally met them both a couple of times. And, beyond the fact that they share a very close relationship, being twins and all, I couldn’t really find anything wrong or strange about their ways.”

“Personally there’s nothing I can say about Wen GinWan13Literally gin (golden) + wan (fire) or Wen LinWan14Literally lin (silver) + wan (fire), since I haven’t seen them since the Seventh Year Gathering we all had to attend ten years ago. And maybe you’re right, and there’s nothing wrong with them. But the feimao we encountered yesterday, and the decaying state of the land around us, tell me that there’s something certainly wrong with Tei.”

VinWei looked at the trees surrounding them, their darkened branches, their dying leaves. The soil at their feet was covered with a thin layer of grayish, moldy, dead matter that was slowly choking the life out of every other plant. There were no birds, no insects, no small animals peering at the strangers crossing their lands. Besides the rustling of the wind when it blew across the brownish leaves, and the sound of their horses’ hooves against the dirt of the road, everything was deadly silent.

The land was slowly dying, she could tell at a glance. Which was what inevitably happened wherever feimao moved in. Her father would have a fit when he learned about what they had encountered.

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