Jin An exited her room after spending the evening before celebrating with Ao Shun and the new family members. They had spent the dark of night shooting fireworks and dancing to music played by Huxian on his flute.
The couple had decided they would celebrate and have a wedding ceremony that weekend and the staff of the manor began preparations. The dragon's bride would become the dragon's wife. Jin An was very nervous but she had seen that she couldn't leave if she wanted to. There was something holding tightly onto her heart, painfully tensing the palpitating muscle every time she even considered escaping her fate.
The clouds were ominous as they hung in the sky. Distant thunder crackled across the heavens as if warning of an impending storm. The wind dusted across the treetops, red leaves and pink petals cascading down into the courtyard, almost looking like a shower of blood droplets as they floated to the ground, covering the white pavestones. No one noticed the i
THE VEIL- Ri Il laughed hearing the report from Xun Zi that the dragon was marrying his bride. He held his stomach as it rolled repeatedly. Standing from his throne, he raised his arms up into the air. “I can’t be happier that I will have such a splendid stage to destroy the bride and render the dragon pathetic. Follow them. Keep a close eye on the stage and all its wondrous opportunities for her demise.” Xun Zi and the Shroud members walked out as hearty laughter continued with whoops of celebration between cackles. THE FOREST ROAD- Blended into the forest fluidly, the Shroud members watched and followed the procession of the wedding caravan. They made sure to keep their distance knowing the wolf and fox would sense their presence. Foretelling thunder sounded in the distance. The heavy limbs of the sheltering trees rattled together in the intermittent wind cruising through the thick forest. Huxian watched from a di
3,900 years ago - 720 BCE-HEAVENLY REALM Thousands of years have passed since Nuwa created humanity. Ao Shun (the Black Dragon God- Heilong) stood at the gates of Heaven peering down into the mortal realm. He sighed, watching the humans celebrate the Dragon's birthday on the thirteenth day of the sixth moon. Their dragon had no name. He had been in Heaven for over three thousand years, and only had a few companions for company. He wasn't sure if this was just boredom or curiosity, but he wanted to visit the human realm and play. Ao Shun grumbled, turning away from the view of Earth. He looked around him, frowning. The Heavenly Realm was a beautiful place, but it never changed. Ao Shun raised his hands, waving them through the air. The white and gold architecture of his home changed into shades of blues and greens. He groaned dissatisfied. He continued waving his hands. The colors changed repeatedly: yellow and blue, black and gold, gr
Huxian, Langshen, and Ao Shun wandered down the emptying street, looking like rich bachelors on the way to the brothel for wine and women. Ao Shun was curious about everything. His friends laughed at him. This wasn't their first time in the mortal realm, but they knew about human customs. Keeping an eye on him, they allowed the dragon to do as he wished. Ao Shun walked, turning in circles, taking in the sights and smells. He looked like a small child experiencing the world for the first time, but he was 3000 years old. A few vendors were giving away the remaining food they had. Langshen accepted a bun. "Ao Shun, taste this." He held it out for the dragon, who readily accepted it. Taking a bite, his eyes expanded. A smile widened across his face as he chewed. Engulfing the bun, he spoke with his mouth full. "This is human food? I could get used to it." He laughed, wandering towards more food vendors. They handed him remnants, which he greedily
Ao Shun walked in holding plates of food. Looking to the bed, he expected the girl to be there. Panic rose, seeing it empty. Tilting his head, he listened. Ragged breathing sounded from behind the curtains. He smirks and set the food on the table. He moved silently to the edge of the curtain and whispered, "Why are you hiding from a god?" Silence. Jin An closed her eyes tightly, sucking in a breath. "I brought you food. You're too skinny. Come eat." The dragon sat at the table, pouring himself a cup of wine. Behind the curtain, Jin An run out of air, gasping. Sniffing the air; the smell of freshly cooked meat started to override her fear. Her stomach growled. Biting her lip, she peeked around the curtain, her eyes landing on the food. Subconsciously licking her lips, she stepped from her hiding place. The dragon ignored her, even turning his body away from her. He realized she was scared, but the need to fill her stomach would ov
PURGATORY- Zhou Shuren hurled the cup of wine towards the head of the man standing before him. Yao Fu stood firm, his eyes clenching as the cup strikes him in the temple. He bowed his head, his knees striking the floor. "Yan Wang (the King of Purgatory, used as a title), I came as soon as I discovered the dragon had left and arrived in the mortal realm." He smashed his head to the floor as a sign of repentance. Zhou Shuren stormed towards his servant, grabbing him by the neck, effortlessly lifting him inches off the floor. "I should have known prior to his exit from the Heavenly Realm. You're like the others; worthless." He tossed him to the floor like a limp rag doll. Turning, his eyes glint with a black energy that starts to surround his body. Speaking to no one in particular, "The dragon has always been a thorn. His ego has surpassed even that of the Emperor." He cracked his neck, the sound echoing through t
THE VEIL- Yao Fu stood at the entrance to the Veil, awaiting entrance into the cathedra room. His hands wrung together in an anxious twitch, a drop of sweat slowly sliding down the side of his temple as he waited. He whispered a self-motivating prayer to himself, "Be eloquent. Don't screw this up or you're dead." A Veil member trod out from the monolithic serpent-ridden doors. Swinging his hand biding him entry, Yao Fu swallowed nervously following the man inside the vast interior. His mouth dropped in awe seeing the exquisite decor of the hall. As he followed, his head was on a swivel. The massive green columns looked as if snakes had engulfed every space. The detail in the sculptures created a slithering effect on the hard surfaces. The floor reflected the flames from thousands of lit candles and lanterns along the path. In the center, of the massive cathedra room, sat a fountain created by four skeletons all leaning in towa
Jin An opened her eyes, her breathing speeding up as she surveils her surroundings. The sun shone through the paper covering the windows. She looked to the door, her hands covering her heart, beating furiously inside her chest. The feeling attacking her should be one of fear and burden, but it wasn't. She had awoken mid-teleportation, feeling warm, and protected. She bit her lip gently, giggling softly into her pillow. Jin An lay in the bed, looking around her. She wasn't used to the furnishings being so fancy. In her home, she lived day to day with the money she made selling flowers, so what she owned is shabby and worn. She had never been bothered by the state of her home, but seeing the room of the manor, she felt like nobility. Slowly, she crept from the bed. Her head ached a little, trying to remember what happened. The three men had approached her as she was finishing up for the day. Her mouth hung open remembering she had struck the man in the face wit
She looked at the food, then at Ao Shun, back and forth numerous times. Her face contorted with all sorts of emotions, trying to figure out what was happening. She glanced to the other two men in the room, thinking, “Why didn't they look surprised to see food floating and frozen in mid-air?” Slowly, she circled the floating food and the dragon. Her breathing hitched, her brow wrinkled. She stopped orbiting, staring at the man in front of her. Massaging her eyes, she tried to dispel the obvious hallucination, then began giggling maniacally. Without warning, her hand flung out, punching Ao Shun in the stomach. Quickly, she looked to the faces of the others for a reaction. They appeared shocked and entertained at the same time. She cautiously eased her head around to look at Ao Shun, his hand rubbing his stomach. Tilting his head, he took a step closer to her. "Why did you hit me…again?" Realizing he was real and not a figment of her imagination, she col