The Great Warrior is all snug wrapped in the Night Dragon’s mane as they fly across China. In the distant the Cresent Moon Mountains can be seen pocking through the mist and Huīchén makes a sharp turn to the left and flies down in to a valley. Yūrei watches the snow covered land change to lush green and he starts to feel quite toasty even when the mane reduces down to just around his waist. The Night Dragon comes in to graceful landing near a pool that has steam rising from it and the sound of a geyser spewing hot water seems to echo all around them.
“We are here,” Huīchén informs, making his way through the long grass towards a bamboo house. The thatched roof is covered in mushrooms and flowers and the Night Dragon starts to call, “Léiyǔ, my good friend, I have someone who wishes to see you.”
The door flings open and a tall man, who is only dressed in a loincloth comes stepping out. His thin body is covered in incantations and his long, flowing black hair has an almost purple shimmer to it. He emits a soft cough and quickly returns to the house to come back out dressed in a Yukata like garment.
“Welcome, Ink Summoner,” he says with a slight bow and goes on to help him down.
“Thank you. I am King Mèngjiàn and Huīchén has kindly brought me to you because I have a problem.” The Masked Warrior goes on to tell him about the Lost King who is after him and watches Léiyǔ brow crinkle and he starts to chew his top lip.
“Hmm, just who is Lost King?” Léiyǔ questions a moment later folding his arms.
“No idea,” answers Yūrei, removing his mask and attaching it to his belt.
The Whisper Summoner places his hands behind his back and begins to walk back and forth. “The king that used to live at that palace you spoke of went bad after the sudden death of his daughter. Death informed me the girl was mortal and she had been killed an Eternal man. For some reason the Lost King, if it is the same man, thinks you are responsible. I mean why else would he be pursuing you? Then again you did mention he went after you entire family and Fate was helping him. Hmm, the fall of our race was not by Fate it was by Chaos. It was all a lie.”
“What you saying, someone pretended to be Chaos?” Huīchén enquires, looking to the Ink Summoner who gives him a blank expression.
“The fall of the Eternals should never have happened, and it was all because one of our kind grew tied with his roll. He believed it was time the Dragons took charge, thus the battle commenced. Fate was brought in to divide us by making us turn on one another. We started to imprison our own brothers, believing we were keeping the safe from Fate. When in truth we were giving them a slow painful death; that is when the god of the afterlife rose and gave us the Elementals to unlock our race once more. The only problem was the one who started it could not allow us to regain power, so he throw us in to an endless loop. Yet I know that loop has been broken and we are finally restored.”
“Ah, now I know who is after me, for I am the one who has brought order to Chaos. Or I should say helped Chaos to restore balance.”
Léiyǔ is baffled, he points a hand at the young Eternal before him. “How when you are just an Ink Summoner?”
The Night Dragon clears his throat and whispers, “Show him your chest.”
Yūrei removes the top section of his Kimono and undergarment and he hears the elder gasp. He watches him give the Ink Dragon’s head a stroke and questions, “You have Elemental abilities? How is that even possible?”
“King Jīngyì gave King Yǔmáo, my father, his Ink Dragon and my father also gave me uncharted abilities.”
Léiyǔ walks around him as he utters a spell that makes their hidden incantations appear. “You are really him, the one Chaos said would rise and help him and Death to restore balance. I cannot believe it, you have finally got to me… the problem is I have no idea how we can take down this Lost King who pursues you; when he himself is an illusionist and is rumoured to be not an Eternal. Yet you did mention he has a Whisper which he uses to get you. Which means he has to be close by. The only reason my Whisper was able to take down the one which attacked my home, was because it was disintegrating. From your incarnations, upon your left arm, you are capable of summoning a Titan from another realm.”
“Yes, the only problem is it takes an awful amount of my energy to summon him.”
“We cannot have you collapsing otherwise he will win again.”
“Ink Heart,” blurts the Night Dragon.
The Great Warrior shakes his head. “My husband is not too willing to bring forth his creature… he might when he knows it is the only way to save me.”
The elder Eternal grabs the young man’s shoulders and gives him a shake. “What! You are married to the Ink Heart Summoner?” When he sees the king nod he continues, “He will have to bring him forth in order to save all of us. If he does not then we are doomed to repeat two centuries.”
Then it dawns on the Masked Warrior Einar already knows that is why he was in the third tower reading the scroll about the fall of the Eternals. “He is looking for what he is up against, a bad Eternal or a higher god. That is why he returned to Tower Island and that is why we are not together for he knew that is where he need to be once I restored everything. Einar knows the one who put caused the loop has no idea he is a Master is the Lost, Forbidden, Obscure and Light Arts. Plus he is also an enhanced Soul Drinker for he bares the marks of the chosen. I do not know any more than that, for my husband does not like talking about his past.”
Léiyǔ slightly rises his hands in front of his chest. “I am not interested in his past. Just tell me, does he have a Describer and a Compass?” When he sees them both nodding he emits a happy cheer. “Yes, he is the one Chaos calls, the Child of Divine Light. Your surprised expression tells me neither Death nor Chaos have told you.”
“They have not said a word to me, then again my memory is practically gone. However, hearing you calling my husband, ‘Child of Divine Light’, I do recall him referring himself sometimes, during the Dark Time as the Divine One whilst patting his chest. I could tell by his eyes he hated it. I completely understand when he was just a child who was barely immortal and thrown in to a battle that could kill him. The thing is he knew he had to do it and he will know he is going to need to summon his Ink Heart one more time to save the man he loves, even if it costs him his life.”
They all bow their heads as none of them want the Soul Drinker to die. Léiyǔ claps his hands and stresses, “As long as we keep the food coming, he should be fine.”
Yūrei laughs and remarks, “Every story of him is the same he was seated on a boulder or ground munching and cheering his creature on. This is because their bound is very strong.”
“Then you know they will succeed,” says Léiyǔ patting him on the arm. “And you should be by his side… no, in order to get this Lost King to come out of hiding, we are going to have to offer you up as bate.”
Huīchén nods in agreement. “He is right, for you are what he is after.”
The Great Warrior slaps his hands and states, “Mother will know where I need to be.”
“Mother?”
The Night Dragon quickly explains, “He was raised by Raven and Zhìhuì.”
The elder Eternal cannot believe what he has been told. He frowns and questions, “Have taught you about crystals?”
Yūrei is a little reluctant to answer, “Yes… what you getting at?”
“Can you use them to protect yourself?”
“Yes, mother made sure I carry ones that can be used to counteract some spells. However, they did not prevent me from having blocks put on me.”
“That only happened because he was able to touch you. If we place you in a bubble or barrier which the Lost King cannot pop then your husband can sweep in with his Ink Heart and take him down.”
Huīchén’s front paws stomp the ground and he announces, “Zhìhuì is one of the most powerful Dreamers, who can project nightmares even when the person is awake. He can also throw up barriers that can shell from illusions. Plus just one look and he will know what this Lost King is going to do next. Raven, let’s just say in the Battle of the Black Birds he can do things which Soul Drinkers are not meant to do. I can see them both not letting you go down a third time. They will also fight along side you.”
The Masked Warrior nods. “I get that feeling they are not going to lose me again. And I bet they are already coming up with a plan.”
“And I,” says Léiyǔ placing a hand to his chest, “am your backup. So, let’s get to your family and get ready to take down this Lost King.”
“I suggest you wrap up warm, because where we are going it is freezing,” implies Yūrei with a smile.
The elder glances down at his thin robe and quickly returns to his home. A little while later he returns dressed in a Kimono and thick top coat. The bottoms of his Hakama have been tucked in to a pair of cloth white boots that have red bows upon each toe. He puts on a shoulder bag and starts to fill a small clay pipe with tobacco.
“If you are needing a smoke you had best do it now before we go to Tower Island for my husband and father are there.”
“No, it is just a terrible habit whenever I am about to travel I always stuff a pipe for when I am in need of it,” informs the elder returning the pipe to his bag.
“Ah, I understand. Huīchén, thank you for your help.”
The Night Dragon is about to answer when a portal opens and Yè yì comes running out of it, drawing his Katana and points it at Léiyǔ.
“Mèngjiàn, I am so glad I caught up with you,” he announces through his pants.
“Uncle, what is going on? You were not home and something big was running through your house.”
“He knows.”
“Yè yì, what are you implying? I am not responsible for whatever it is you are blaming me for. I have not left my home.”
“Don’t you dare give me that crap, when it was your creature I saw rising from the shoreline.”
Léiyǔ’s eyes blink in shock. “Creature? What are you on about? I am no Ink Summoner.”
Yè yì lowers the Katana and enquires, “Remind me does your Whisper look like a Samurai Warrior?”
“Of course not, for there was no such thing as Samurai when I summoned my Whisper. Back up, Mèngjiàn, you did say a something large was running through his home?”
“Yes, according to my mother, they only heard it.”
“That was an echo which only occurs when a Whisper was used incorrectly. Anything else happened?”
Hǎifēng’s twin sheaths his Katana and answers, “Yes, I would have to say very odd indeed.” He folds his arms and frowns. “A creature no bigger than a Watcher entered the room and tore open every cushion and throw fathers in to the air. Then it climbed up the wall to disappear in to the rafters. That is when I got this overwhelming to find Mèngjiàn, even though you are not my nephew. You are our king and it is our duty to protect you.”
Yūrei performs a slight bow to thank him and explains, “It was a sign, what is the home of the Eternals Drifting Leaves also known as?”
“Drifting Feathers,” answers Léiyǔ. “The problem is the true location of that place has been lost over the centuries. Where you ended up is like one possibility in thousands. Going back to what you were saying, Yè yì, it is sounding like this has never happened before, correct?”
“Yes, I have never seen anything like it before.”
“My fault,” suggests the Great Warrior, patting his chest, “I led him to you.”
“What are you saying, Mèngjiàn, the Lost King is tracking you?” Huīchén questions. “How is that even possible?”
“I have no idea, yet he keeps showing up in places I have been and Broken Crescent Moon Island is protected so how was he able to get there if it were not following me.”
“You are on to something there,” expresses Léiyǔ looking at the now fading incantations upon the backs of the young Eternal’s hands. “It must be something you always have on your person.”
The Masked Warrior frowns and questions, “Can us Eternals use a compass? I mean what Soul Drinkers use to lock on to crystals.” The other gods just stare at him. “Sorry I should explain, my husband has kind of adopted a compass… it kind of has a mind of its own. It was made by his elder Odin. It is an amazing device and Einar, my husband, never leaves home without it.”
“It sounds fascinating,” says Léiyǔ. “So, is it kind of loyal to him?”
“I would have to say yes, for it does seem to listen and obey him just like his Describer.”
Hǎifēng’s twin shakes his head. “No, it cannot be that otherwise I am bathing he would be able to lock on to you straight away, right?”
“Yes, however, your island is covered in jade and that compass would easily lock on to it. Think about it, he keeps missing me, so he will use the rest of my family and anyone I have been in contact with to get me. It is what my mother has already foreseen. The god of Shadows does not hide me in time and the Lost King gets me. However, the Elemental I know is not longer getting that feeling like it has happened before. I also know this is new and we are all working together to prevent me from being caught.”
“Then I suggest you get back to your family on Tower Island,” implies Huīchén placing his paw around the king. “Try not to follow any more enchanting voices, hmm?”
Yūrei pats the thumb and nods. “I will try my best to not get sucked in. Thanks again for your help.”
“Anytime, I am always happy to help you,” responds the Night Dragon, gently holding him to his nose before relishing him. “Take care of the king.”
Léiyǔ and Yè yì link their arms with the Great Warrior and nod. “We will not let him out of our sight,” says Léiyǔ gently squeezing the king’s chin.
“What, even when I go to the bathroom you both will be with me?”
Yè yì shakes his head. “No, that you can do on your own. Just don’t go following any sparkling leaves.”
“No defiantly not,” responds Yūrei and goes on to open a portal to his husband’s home.
The wind is now blowing around the towers and the only one lit are the second and third towers. The door of the second one opens and Chūnfēng comes over to greet them.
“Einar has found something, your mother and father are still with him. Also with this ice cold wind, Raven and Einar are stuck there. Zhìhuì is in the process of making, what he called a Linking Door because this tower is the only one with a bathroom.”
“That incantation I stood on in the Lost Tower, that was a Linking Door that worked with the bracelet. My mother will be using the locking stones within the towers and if he is successful you will hear—” Just at that moment they hear the sound of faint thunder and Zhìhuì cheering. “There we go.”
They all laugh and make their way inside the third tower to hear, as they make their way to the first floor, the Dreamer call, “Raven, the bathroom is all yours.”
The elder Soul Drinker gives his son a quick hug before he steps on to the floor incantation and vanishes.
Zhìhuì emits a happy squeak and calls, “Son, I see you have brought gusts.”
They all bow and Yūrei answers, “Yes, mother, these are members of my family, Léiyǔ and Yè yì.”
“Welcome, come on through. Einar, show them what you have discovered.”
The Westerner rises and holds out his compass. “I can track the Forest Pixie with this, because around its neck hug a piece of blue Opal which in itself is a powerful making it so easy for my compass to lock on to. I also discovered here in the library a reference to the leave we have all been seeing, according to this they belong to an Eternal named Prince Tiānkōng (Sky) also known as Xiāo.”
Léiyǔ sighs informs them, “That is my uncle… great uncle. He has been missing for centuries. He is a known illusionist who uses Forest Pixies. I do not believe he is this Lost King.”
“Be rest assured he is not,” Einar tells him with a smile, “however, he hits who it could be Gǎngkǒu also called, Seong-yeog. He writes there is a lonely castle on the hill where only one light is seen burning in the west wing. There are no servants or master yet the light is seen every night. The grounds have not been attended to in a long time and the front entrance is lost under a mass of ivy. There is though a path leading to the servants entrance and the locals claim the place is haunted by the ghost of Seong-yeog a king who lost everything. The light turned out to be an illumination stone that began to glow once the sun begin to set. The room itself was empty just like the rest of the castle, however, there is the sense of a dark presents within that lit room. I did not stick around to discover what it was. I have no idea what happened at that castle on the hill, it is clear though someone is using that dark energy and I believe this Seong-yeog nicknamed Lost King is an Eternal pretending to be mortal. The golden red leaves have been coming more often now, the next time they appear I will follow them. That is all he wrote.”
“Well at least now I know what happened to him, he became a victim of the Siren. I have to admit I have no idea what my uncle is on about… unless he is talking about the old castle he saw on his travels in South Korea near the coast. What does Seong-yeog mean?”
“Sanctuary,” answers Raven as he glides across the room. “I know of the castle your uncle speaks of and it did lie on the east coast. The thing is the Healers made sure that no one was ever to reach it again after two Eternals went missing. I suspect they fell victim to a Linking Door. That is why no one has ever seen Gǎngkǒu and the stories were spread about him by ladies who would pleasure him. The light meant he was ready and waiting for them. That is why there was a trail to the servants entrance. They would stay with him until dawn and according to the girls, when they left he left and the place became empty once more. There is I’m afraid a darker tale, the other reason the Healers cut off that castle was because the ladies were returning with puncher mark in the necks and they were lacking in blood. They told the Healers at the hight of passion he was biting them and they also felt something enter them. It turned out to be some kind of dark entity that sadly drove them mad and they all committed suicide.”
Yūrei gives a nervous cough and questions, “Father, are both tales true?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so. The Healers believe he had summoned something dark and terrible. They also believe he is respectable for the Dark Time. If it is this Gǎngkǒu who is after you, son, then it is going to take all of us to keep you safe.” Raven pulls his son close. “I do not want to lose you again.”
Everyone else joins in with the hug then the Great Warrior notices a golden cat-like eye is peering in at them. He points it out to the family and Chūnfēng opens it.
“There you are, Ink Summoner.”
“Ryūjin, is everything all right?”
“I am not entirely sure, there is a White Dragon asking for you by the name of Xuě yuè.”
“I have not seen him since I got my mortal family home. Please take me to him.” Yūrei climbs out of the window on to the Sea God’s paw and he carefully places him on to his back.
Together they fly over to the mainland to see the White Dragon is in his human form and he pacing the floor.
“Xuě yuè, has something happened?”
“It is Kondō it has been hit badly by an ice storm… an unusual ice storm. Fires will not stay lit only after my breath had been use they remained. I need you and anyone who can break spells.”
“I’m on it,” replies Masked Warrior giving him a reassuring pat on the arm before he portals back to Tower Island to inform the family. Chūnfēng and Zhìhuì portal back with him and the White Dragon flies them to the stricken town.
The air is so cold it makes all of them cough and neither of them want to leave the warmth of Xuě yuè’s mane. He drops them off right outside the inn and Katashi welcomes them inside with warm blankets and a nice cup of hot tea.
“Please tell me this is some kind of spell that can be broken,” pleads the owner rubbing his cold hands together.
Zhìhuì pulls out his crystal from inside his Kimono and asks, “Chūnfēng, do a reveal spell.”
The Conjurer begins to mutter a spell and throws his left hand to the floor. A circle incantation instantly covers the floorboards and it begins to revel strange writing upon the walls.
Yūrei starts to read it and tells them, “It is an ice spell. There will be a heart somewhere which we need to smash.”
“Your highness,” calls the White Dragon, “I have located the heart.”
The Great Warrior joins him outside to see the revealing spell has half exposed a large white crystal that is producing the snow and wind. “Chūnfēng, I need you to make the biggest lightning you can master and throw it at the heart.”
The Elemental gives a sharp nod then he runs away from the building and begins to use his abilities to summon massive black clouds from which blue lightning flashes across them. He draws his hands together and lightning begins to cross his palms to form ball which he shoots up to the floating crystal. There is a deafening rumble of thunder, then a large lightning bolt shatters the crystal. Chūnfēng uses a twister to gather up the shards and smashes them in to the nearby hillside. As the mist around the town begins to dissipate they see a black figure is standing on the hill that vanishes. None of them take any notice and return to the inn to find the mortals are able to once again light fires. They go on to inform the rest of the town the spell has been broken and the people cannot thank them enough.
Xuě yuè is on the outskirts of town when he is approached by a man dressed as a Samurai. “You are friends with Yūrei Samurai?” he asks with a gruff voice.
The White Dragon is cautious and pretends he did not hear him. He turns away by the man grabs him by the arm and utters the word, “Sleep, Dragon, sleep.”
Xuě yuè pulls his arm from the strange man’s grip and quickly walks away, however, he soon begins to feel drowsy and as he falls he transforms in to his creature form.
ns 18.68.41.147da2
