When Límíng wù and his older brother Mùsè (Twilight) where children, they would love to explore the land known as the Home of the Snow Dragons. It was called this mainly because Longwei and his daughter Bǎihé have lived there for centuries, even her three children where born there. It is a place of mountains, wide open fields and thick dark forests that go on for miles in all directions.
Límíng wù was adopted by Mùsè’s father Yè yuàn (Nightwish) Head of the Northern Healers, after he was found on the mountains that lie on the border of Korea and China. Because of his abilities he knew straight away who his biological father was. Dorjee, son of Xuě méiguī, who is married to the legendary Night Dragon Yè huī. The only thing Yè yuàn could do was send word to Xuě yuèliàng Leader of Southern Healers who is connected to the family and he knows word will soon be passed on the grandparents. He knew once the weather gets warmer Yè huī and Xuě méiguī would come to see him.
Sure enough on one hot summers day Bǎihé, daughter of Longwei brings her uncle and aunty to meet their grandson. The couple are on one hand over joyed to meet their grandchild yet at the same time angry that their own son could leave his new born baby in such a harsh environment. For nearly five minutes Xuě méiguī just holds the invent to her chest with her cheek rested upon the top of the baby's head.
Yè yuàn makes sure the couple were all right with him adopting the little Snow Dragon and raising him as a second child he could not have. Yè huī and Xuě méiguī take it in turns to give him a hug and the Night Dragon places his hand upon the baby’s back.
“Dorjee was our last child,” he says close to tears. “We just cannot take on another now we are a great, great grandparents.”
Xuě méiguī nods in agreement and adds, “We are more than happy to hand our grandchild over to you. However, we are happy to aide you in any Dragon related problems that may arise over the years.”
The Head Northern Healer was very happy with this arrangement. However, when Límíng wù turned five, the couple suggest their grandson spend some time with their nephew Longwei, to help him perfect his Snow Dragon abilities.
Over the following years The father of the Gods along with Bǎihé teach him from controlling his telepathic and telekinetic abilities. To leaning how to jump up and down from things without falling off and hurting himself. With each passing year the height would get higher to a point he is jumping from six foot hight walls, using his abilities to slow his descent to land without making a sound. Neither of them would go any higher until he gets his wings which would not happen until he was around twelve or thirteen years of age.
❈❈❈
It has been raining heavy for three days. To pass the time they have been playing games and the Father of the Gods has kept them entertained with tales of the Soul Drinkers who helped at a time known as the Dark Chapter, who are these days very rarely seen.
On the forth day the children awaken to sunlight streaming through the shutters. They both quickly get washed and dressed before heading to the kitchen for breakfast.
Yè yuàn can easily tell his boys are eager to get out, to continue exploring all the wonderful and sometimes mysterious places. He gives them both in turn a kiss on the forehead and tells them once they have eaten they can leave.
They all sit down to eat Congee that has been topped with honey and fruit. Once the children are finished, Mùsè fills a bamboo container with tea whilst his brother packs some snacks in a small basket for later and they both head outside.
This time they decide to head north to the high hills and it is not long before they see bamboo growing in a nice neat square. This is a classic sign it was planted by a Snow Dragon as they are well known for plating everything in neat and perfect squares.
Mùsè notices his brother is staring down at the path and performing strange actions with his hands. “What is it?”
“This path, it was also made by a Dragon or Dragons.”
The young Healer looks down at the dirt to see it has been made from fragments of rocks that form fan shapes. He knows the Dragon would have used his abilities to pick up rocks, crushing them in to the fine gravel and scatter it on the ground to have formed the path.
“I see what you mean. Come, let's see where it leads to.”
The young Dragon nods and together they run up the path to see it disappears in to the Dark Forest. A place no god would enter for it belongs to an Ancient Forest God.
However, they soon begin to see small Forest Spirits appearing upon the branches of trees. These little creatures that are no bigger than an adult hand and are the Forest God's children. They are all shades of green and have large dark green eyes that seem to sparkle in the light. They start to beckon the children to enter.
The Healer takes hold of his brother’s hand before they step inside and together they continue along the path that snakes its way through the dense forest. All the time the young gods know they are being watched and they are careful not to wander from the path.
When they have walks for around three miles the trees begin to thin out and through the gaps they begin to see a high white wall. it seems to go on for miles in both directions.
Límíng wù runs his hand down it, to find it is made from impacted dirt and rock, which is something he can climb. This makes him remove his cloth boots, he places his left foot on to the wall and feels the retracting claws, that lie under the base of his toes grip.
Mùsè watches his brother crawl up the high wall with no trouble at all. Once he reaches the top the Healer asks, “What can you see, brother?”
The young Dragon’s sharp eyes soon focus on roofs of buildings poking through the trees, he goes on to inform his brother and then asks, “What is that over there?”
The young Healer sees his brother rises so he can get a better view at something over to the left. This makes him ask with a voice full of excitement, “Can you see a way inside?”
“Yes, I can see gates... Well, I think they are?”
“Well, let’s find out.”
Límíng wù nods and begins to trot along the top of the wall.
Mùsè picks up his brother's boots and makes his way through the trees. They eventually reach a section that is covered in flowing vines and moss.
The young Healer takes a closer look to find under the green mould is wood. “I think you are right brother, this is the way in.”
Límíng wù carefully climbs down, he goes on to put on his boots and replies, “They are huge. Let’s go and tell dad, uncle and aunty what we have found.”
“I agree... Hold on how are we going to find this place again?”
“I know,” replies the young Dragon, looking up at the trees. "Please can we mark the path so we can find it again?"
A gust of wind comes from out of nowhere to completely clear the path in front of them. This is when the children notice the edges have been marked with white stones.
Mùsè and Límíng wù both bow to the Forest Spirits. "Thank you."
Then they make their way out of the forest and use the white rocks on the ground to mark the entrance so they can easily find it again.
✮✮✮
Yè yuàn has been helping Longwei have been shopping in local market. They are just sitting down to a nice cup of tea when the children come bursting in to the kitchen saying they had found something.
“Calm down, boys,” says the Father of the Gods, taking hold of each of the children by the shoulder.
“Uncle, dad, you must come and see this. We have found a strange white wall in the Dark Forest.”
Longwei frowns and questions, "The Ancient Forest God allow you both to enter?"
The young gods nod. "Yes, his children waved us in," explains Mùsè.
"What could it mean?" Yè yuàn questions.
The elder gods know it is very rare for the Ancient Forest God to allow anyone to enter his home. Why did he get his children to lead Mùsè and Límíng wù to the white wall and would he allow them to also enter?
"You both realise this is highly unusual," states Yè yuàn, "Chūnfēng's (Spring wind) is very protective of his home."
"I can answer that, Father," responds Límíng wù, "it felt almost like I was being led there. If that is possible?"
The Leader of the Northern Healer gets down on his knees in front of the young Dragon. "My son, there has to be a reason for this, let's discover it together?"
The young god nods and they all make their way outside. Longwei and Yè yuàn follow the children over to the marked entrance and continue to follow the path through the forest.
When the gods arrive at the huge gates Longwei goes on to teach the young Dragon, how to remove the vine from each of the wooden hinges without crushing them in the process.
Límíng wù watches a huge chunk fall to the ground, then his uncle starts to laugh and say verbally, “I don’t know showing off, naughty ability. Now I do not expect you to do anything like that, dear boy.”
“Ah, you never know I might,” replies the young Dragon, holding his left hand out in front of him.
“That’s true.”
“Well he does have one of the best teachers,” implies Yè yuàn, stroking the back of his son’s head.
“Too right, Dad. You can do this, Brother,” encourages Mùsè .
Límíng wù nods, he goes on to do exactly as his uncle had instructed him within his mind, but only a chunk half the size falls from the top right hinge and he quickly tries again to watch this time a large chunk falls away.
“Nice job, my son,” says Yè yuàn, patting him on the shoulder.
“Again, very good control, my young pupil,” informs Longwei as he goes on to remove the vine from around the middle hinge.
Mùsè gives his brother a pat on the arm and whispers, “Go for it.”
The young Dragon emits a soft giggle, then carries on using his abilities to remove more of the vine on the right hand side.
Once all the hinges are free the Father of the Gods moves Límíng wù back before he tries to open the gates, only to discover they will not budge.
“Uncle, they are braced... I think I saw a bar across them.”
“You are quite correct, dear boy,” replies Longwei.
The Farther of the Gods takes around two steps back, before he leaps into the air, to float down and disappears on the other side.
“Uncle?” Yè yuàn calls, his voice sounding a little worried.
“I’m all right, dear boy,” comes Longwei's voice from behind the gate. “Interesting?”
“What have you found?”
“Check your side, Yè yuàn, they appear to have a carving of a creature dragon on them.”
The Leader of the Northern Healers takes a few steps back so he can get a better view at the gates and notices all the mould and moss do indeed form to make two dragons facing each other holding a large ball between them.
“Yes, I see them,” he replies. “Oh my goodness, could this be the place?”
“It is hard to tell, with it being all over grown, nonetheless it could be..?”
“It could be what?” Mùsè asks, his eyes filling with wonder.
“The long lost Order,” replies Yè yuàn, placing his left hand upon the gate.
The children look up at their father and they both mutter, “Order?”
He crouches down and tells them, “According to uncle, Dorjee found this place, just like this abandoned. So he decided to make it into a place where all the gods could come and gather to discuss any matters which were happening in their part of China. It was also a place for knowledge, scrolls on the gods, medicines, construction and history, were stored here. Then one day he was gone and this was once again left to be reclaimed my nature. Dorjee never revealed its location.”
Mùsè frowns and questions, "Because this place belongs to the Forest God?"
“Yes. Also this place has always been a secret and he wanted it to remain that way.”
Longwei comes into land and explains, “You need to add to that, Yè yuàn, the reason he left was because it felt like he had no right to be here. He took that as a sign the Ancient Forest God, that lives in Dark Forest was not happy about him claiming this place. Dorjee said to me once, perhaps I should have got a Dreamer to ask Chūnfēng's (Spring wind) permission.”
"Interesting... And I know it will not go that way for us," says Límíng wù looking at the gates.
Longwei flicks back his long sleeves and replies, "That is good to know.”
The other gods watch the gates begin to open a small way and the Father of the Gods informs them, “I’m afraid that is as far as they will go. I think we can all squeeze through the gap.”
The Head Healer, takes a look and answers, “I think so. I will go first.”
Longwei nods and once his friend has passed through the gap he sends the children before joining them.
They all take their time to look around. To the left of the courtyard is a large round building. They make their way through the small forest of trees to discover a large building lies on the right. Peering through a bared window they see it is a huge kitchen which looks like it has been frozen in time with the long stone table set for dinner and cooking pots have been left on the stove.
Mùsè and Límíng wù carry on through the little forest of trees to come out in front of a large three stories high wooden building. Part of the left hand side has been constructed in to the very mountain itself. They find one of the doors is slightly ajar, peering through the gap they can see a long corridor that leads to some stone steps. The walls are beautifully decorated with flowering trees, even the ceiling has been painted to represent a blue sky with birds flying across it.
“Look, brother, the floor sparkles,” says Mùsè, pointing his hand at it.
Límíng wù looks down to see in the shaft of light coming through the bared window the floor glistens like water. “That is pretty.”
“It sure is. This must be the living quarters giving its size.”
“I think you are right, brother. Let’s carry on.”
The young Healer nods and they continue to take a look at the outside of the building.
Yè yuàn grows concerned when he cannot see his children, Longwei gives him a pat on the arm, as he sniffs the air and tells him, “They went this way.”
They make their way through the trees to find them staring out across the land.
“What is it, boys?” Yè yuàn asks, walking over to them.
Mùsè points his hand out in front of him and answers, “Wait, you will see it.”
Both adult gods look in the same direction as the children and after a few minutes they see a huge cloud of steam shoot into the air and they all hear a loud hiss.
“It cannot be... Can it really be a natural hot spring?” Longwei questions, watching another cloud of steam shoot into the air.
“Let’s go and find out,” answers Mùsè all excited.
They all make their way down a small hill to see a long building lies on the left hand side, not far from where the hot steam is coming out of the ground.
The children run over to it, only to find the windows are too high up to see through, so they wait for their father to look and tell them what lies within.
“This is a bathroom, I’m seeing around six toilets, or more. It is a little hard to see. I wonder what lies beyond the doors.”
They all move to the next set of windows only to find they lie high above their heads.
Longwei removes his boots and climbs up nearly eight feet to peer through the small bared window.
“What do you see?” the children ask.
“A very big bath in the centre of the room with a wash room on the left and on the right is a place to dry.” Then something sparkly catches the Father of the God’s eye, he tries to peer more though the bars and mutters, “What is that?”
“What have you seen?” Yè yuàn asks, watching him reposition himself.
“There is something shiny on the rim of the bath. It could be a hairpin or an item of jewellery. There is only one way to find out.”
“Oh no, you are not thinking about going inside there to retrieve it, are you?”
Longwei laughs. “My good friend, I never said I was going inside. Even though that wooden floor looks safe there is no way I would cross it to reach the bathing room, which by the way has a nice stone floor.”
Yè yuàn breaths a sigh of relief. “Glad to hear you say that.”
The Father of the Gods places his left hand through the bars and uses his telekinetic abilities on the object to have it come shooting towards his open palm to stop a few inches from it.
“Now that is interesting.”
“Why? What is it?” Mùsè asks, all excited.
Longwei floats down to the ground, he opens his hand to reveal a strange square object which has a nick in one edge.
“It is beautiful, what is it?” Yè yuàn asks.
“Well your guess is as good as mine. For I too have never seen anything like this before.”
Límíng wù points his hand at it. “It looks like it fits into something.”
“I think you are right, Brother. The question is, what?”
“For now, I will place it in my bag for safe keeping,” informs Longwei, placing the odd object inside his cloth belt bag.
They carry on looking around to find right of the bathhouse are gardens, in which they discover all kinds of herbs growing from all corners of their land and one herb they do not recognise. When the small leaves are rubbed they give off a sweet smell which is very close to another herb that helps with heat and also can be used to calm women’s menstrual cycle.
Longwei gives the leaves another sniff and tells them, “I know what this is, it is a sister plant of the one we use to calm the female. I have never been able to get it to grow. It is clear someone knew what they were doing as it is obvious it is very happy here.”
Yè yuàn smiles. “It certainly is. As I myself have tried and failed to grow this. It makes you wonder how they accomplished it.”
“Hopefully that information, can be found in the archives.”
The young Dragon looks up at him and questions, “Where is it?”
The Father of the Gods crouches down and answers, “That room is hidden here. We just need to find it. Now I have a proposal, Límíng, you were led to this long lost place, what would you like to do? Restore it to its former glory, or leave it to once again be lost to history.”
Mùsè looks to his brother. "You said so yourself, you felt like you were being led here. I feel Chūnfēng wanted you to find this place for a reason, and only you can know what that is."
The young Dragon places a hand to his chest. "I feel like I belong here... Is that possible?"
Yè yuàn places his hands upon his son's shoulders. "Yes, I believe so. It is how I felt when I set up my home near those cold mountains. My father believed I was drawn there for a reason and it was to protect the north of China and stop any clan from my region from attacking. Now, you will not know overnight why you were drawn here. However, one day you will feel like I do you are in the right place to do good."
Límíng wù nods and his lips form in to a soft smile. "I believe so too, Father. Yet I am too young to take on this place alone."
"We will help you," replies Longwei, gently gripping the young god's shoulder. "You just tell us what you would like to do."
"I wonder if there is a way to reassure the Forest Spirits that any god who come here are to help me restore the place and run it. I wonder if making an offering of knowledge... would make them happy? Perhaps they might care for a story, of the powerful gods who live far to the west?”
“That is a great idea, my dear son, and I know of the very one. I made a copy of it long ago, so the scroll I have with me can be given to them,” sates Yè yuàn, reaching in to the left inside pocket of his half coat to bring out a bamboo scroll and hands it to him.”
Longwei snaps his fingers and interjects, "That's it. We need to open up the meeting room doors just enough so that everyone who comes here are able to post in a scroll of knowledge inside. That should a please the sprits.”
“Let's give it a try, Uncle, with this one,” replies Límíng wù, holding up the scroll.
They all make their way back to the meeting room. On way they discover another large building has been revealed. It is almost like the trees have moved to allow them to see it.
“I wonder what that could be?” Mùsè ponders, pointing his hand towards a large partly open door.
“Let’s take a look,” answers Límíng wù, taking hold of his brother’s hand.
They peer through the gap to see raised platforms lie down one side of the room, with a door right at the bottom and a curtain off place to the right.
“Dad, could this be some kind of infirmary?” Mùsè wonders over his shoulder.
Yè yuàn joins them. “It does look like one. Oh dear, we cannot have mice running around.”
They all see one is happily having a wash on one of the raised platforms.
“Do not worry, I could bring some of my best mouse caters to thin the numbers,” implies Longwei as another one runs across the floor.
The young Dragon nods, then carries on his way to the doors of the court and gives them a gentle push. Centuries of dust come flowing out of the room like a cloud, making them all quickly turn away and shield their eyes.
ns 15.158.61.6da2
