III
Two days later, Emperor Lam set out with the fleet one again. After hours and hours of searching, they finally spotted the monster at midday, but when the fleet changed course and approaching the monster, the beast immediately dives down and disappeared. When dust approaches, they have to return to port, the monster now actively avoiding the fleet, and only active at night. With every several weeks, in the dark of night it will suddenly resurface and attack coastal towns and villages. The situation fell into a stage of stalemate again. Emperor Lam cannot think of any way for the fleet to engage the monster, it had learned.
One month late, in a stormy night, Emperor Lam’s chamber still lit, sitting at his desk and thinking while listening to the sound of thunder and rain. On his desk, is his dinner, partially eaten, in the past month he eats very little due to the disaster control effort and trying to find a way to kill the monster with minimum risk of human life cost. Then a soft voice broke the silence in the room, it coming from the small wooden chest on his bed. Empress Aucelen’s voice calling for her husband from the magic mirror in the chest. Emperor Lam took the mirror and put it on a stand on his desk.
“Lam you look a little skinny, are you well? Have you eating properly?” Empress Aucelen worried.
“Oh, it… I just… overwork a little bit… it just… I having a hard time hunt down that damn monster… but don’t worry I’m fine. Why are you calling me?” Emperor Lam answered.
“It is about those samples you sent me.” Empress Aucelen said.
“You had analysed them? How is the result? Does it march my suspicion?” Emperor Lam asked.
“Well, good news, it is not?” Empress Aucelen softly smile.
“Phew… that’s a relief.” Emperor Lam sighed.
“But one question still remains though. Where does that monster come from?” Emperor Lam said
“Well, after analysed your samples I have found that, this monster is actually a gold fish but the thing is, those samples contained a significant amount of Quasium in them, even lingering trace of magic.” Empress Aucelen said.
“You mean… someone… somehow… make a gold fish ingested Quasium powder, then use magic to make it mutated into that monstrosity? But why? How? Quasium is toxic to living things if ingested in raw form isn’t it?” Emperor Lam said
“Hum… not exactly… I am not sure about how it exposed to Quasium, although that will explain how the monster possessed magic resistance ability. I mean the magic part, it is not like someone has used a spell on it but rather it has been exposed to a magical field, I think it maybe… from the Emerald Forest…”
Empress Aucelen pause for a minute, her eyes suddenly fill with sorrow and glistering when she mentioned that name “the Emerald Forest” the name only known by the Elvas, but to the rest of Varlaurea continent’s inhabitants it only known as “the Laughing Forest”. Her mind overflowed with memories, memory of events that happened years ago, centuries ago and of those whom no longer walk the earth, but to her it felt like yesterday. Without a word Emperor Lam know exactly what going on in his wife mind, his heart ached for seeing his wife’s eyes fill with sorrow like this, he can saw a tear is about to escape her eyes. But before he can say anything Empress Aucelen take a deep breath and a warm smile bloom on her face.
“Are you alright Aucelen? I know how that place mean for you. If…” Emperor Lam whispered.
“I am fine, Lam. Thank you.” Empress Aucelen smiled.
“Now, back to our topic. Like I said the monster came to be what it is today is because it has been exposed to Quasium and the magic in the Emerald Forest. It does not have anything to do with your earlier suspicion.” Empress Aucelen said
“Hum… if that the case…” Emperor Lam sit back on his chair, his eyes gazing into nothingness, his left hand kept stroking his beard, his mind drowned in thought.
“Lam, please do not do anything reckless?” Empress Aucelen said
“What? Reckless? Me? What are you talking about?” Emperor Lam jolted, and snap back from his thought.
“Thirteen years I has spent with you, Lam. You think I do not know what are you thinking every time you stroking you beard continuously with you left hand like that.” Empress Aucelen sighed.
“Lam, you are the emperor of Varlann, you cannot solve everything by yourself and by charging head on into danger like that. You have…”
“I know, I know, I have responsibility and the empire need me.” Emperor Lam interrupted his wife.
“And me too, Lam. I need you. How can I live without you?” Empress Aucelen said.
“I am sorry, I will try not to do anything stupid, I promise.” Emperor Lam softly spoke.
Empress Aucelen sigh and look at her husband lovingly.
“Well, do you have anything else on your mind, Lam?”
“Oh! The cultist leader, what should I do with him now? Do you need a sample of him?” Emperor Lam asked
“About him? I think you should bring him back to the capital, I will diagnose him to make sure if he is just delusional… or worse, if it is the worst case scenario I will have my people to take care of him.” Empress Aucelen said
“Alright then, see you soon at the capital, goodbye Aucelen.” Emperor Lam bid farewell to his wife then put the mirror back to the wooden chest, sitting on his bed staring at the storm outside the window, scratching his horns he murmured “Sorry Aucelen.”
The next day, Emperor Lam leave his chamber after a quick breakfast and a chat with lord Min to confirm on something. He then goes to the castle’s kitchen, ordered the kitchen staffs to prepare a meal, then took the food and head to the castle’s dungeon. He’ll pay that cultist leader a visit today, because of the chat earlier with lord Min about of some interested details he found in lord Min’s report about his raid on the cultist rallies. These details gave him an idea, and idea that may help him get rid of that monster without a single life lost.
At the dungeon, upon meeting the guards of the dungeon he commanded them to bring the cultist leader to the guard room. Some guards find this strange, because no one can survive the dark cell more than one or two week let along over a month. But to the surprise of the guards, somehow the cultist leader still alive after over a month in the dark cell with little to no food and water. After the cultist leader had been brought before Emperor Lam, he told the guards to leave him alone with the cultist leader. The cultist leader now is literally just skin hung over a bone frame. His emaciated face, together with his already long face and dark circles and winkles under the eyes make him looks just like those hungry ghost painting one usually saw in painting depicting the underworld. His eyes sunk deep into his skull, but those crazy looking eyes still had light, make his gaze inside those dark sockets had an eerie glow to it. Upon seeing emperor Lam put the meal basket and open it, he sunk his skin and bone fingers into the meal basket, wolfing down the food in a blink of eyes without a second thought.
“Feeling better, I hope?” Emperor Lam asked
“What’s the meaning of this? Why’re you here? Why am I here? Why the food?” The cultist leader asked
“Well… you see; in the past month I have been thinking a lot about…. What you had said on that night… now I just realized the wisdom in your words and I felt deeply sin… I just… I wish you could help me correct my way.” Emperor Lam said
“So you have finally saw the wrong of your way and want to ask the old gods for forgiveness?” The cultist leader smirk
“Yes, Your Excellency. I shall issue an Imperial decree to make the worship of the old gods become the main religion of the empire. And you shall be the head priest of the first temple and help bring all the subjects of the empire back to the correct way.” Emperor Lam said
“Good, good, my child. Your intention is good, but I am afraid that is not enough for your crime.” The cultist leader said
“Then how do I make an amendment, Your Excellency?” Emperor Lam asked
“A sacrificial ritual is a must, bring me 100 virgin boys and 100 virgin girls, I will offer them to the gods through their agent.” The cultist leader said.
“Offer through the agent of the old gods? You mean the mon… the great fish? Will it heed your call?” Emperor Lam said
“It will my child, have faith.” The cultist leader said
“Thank you, Your Excellency. It shall be done.” Emperor Lam smile.
After that Emperor Lam gave order to the guards, that the cultist leader will be bathed, dress properly and being treat like an imperial guest. Then he returns to his chamber and summon Lord Buh Huy and Admiral Huan Tah to discuss their plan of action. Five days later, Emperor Lam informed the cultist leader that the offering and the ritual ship had been prepared. At the next day, when the sun has yet to rise and the morning fog still linger on Lake Kaoren surface. They boarded a large three mast Junk ship and set up a ceremony altar on the deck. This ship will be use as a ritual ship, on it, is Emperor Lam, the cultist leader, Lord Buh Huy and Admiral Huan Tah with thirty sailors to manned the ship. The “offering” boarded a difference vessel, a Junk ship with roof, decorated with colourful flag and bamboo blinds. Although the blinds cover much the cabin but they are quite thin and anyone can see the offering peoples inside it, dressed with white robe and large burlap hood, the attire of funeral.
The offering ship sail right behind Emperor Lam’s Junk ship. They kept sailing till the sun is well above the horizon then drop anchor, the offering ship anchored ten lias before the ritual ship. After the sailors who maned the offering ship returned to the ritual ship, the cultist leader starting to perform his ritual. He stands before the altar and chanting something very strange, it’s not ancient language neither any language of any folks inhabited Varlaurea. He kept chanting like that for a whole five minutes, after finished he cut hit palm and mix his blood with Quasium powder, then he walks to the ship bow and pour the mixture into the water, close his eyes and stand silently with his hands raise in front his face, finger interlocked. Thirty minutes passed, nothing happened, Emperor Lam toing and froing impatiently behind the altar. Then a spotter on top of the ship’s mast saw movement in the water on starboard side, everyone rushed to the starboard and saw a large reddish shadow approaching from a far.
“Oh, great herald of the gods of yore. I hereby presented this offering to you as an amendment for the sin that the Emperor had committed. Please accept this humble offering and ease you anger.” The cultist leader shouted
The monster kept circling the ships for five minutes investigating the situation and do not have the intention to attack. Then it suddenly dives further down until it shadow barely visible from the surface. When everyone on the ritual ship were wondering what the monster is doing, it resurfaces next to the offering ship, haft its head is above water trying to bite through the ship hull, making the offering ship rocking intensively. But the strange thing is… although the ship is being attack and rocking intensively, the people on the offering ship still stay motionless on their seat when normally they should be throw around in it. Then a loud crack resounded, the offering ship’s hull subdued to the monster jaw, from the crack on the ship, black oil oozing out into it mouth. Before it can react Emperor Lam leap to the ritual ship bow, he shoved the cultist leader aside, took a deep breath and breathing fire on the offering ship. The oil vapour in the offering ship caught fire and exploded, engulfed the offering ship and the monster head in a fire ball. Debris from the offering ship flying everywhere, some pieces of them landed on the deck of the ritual ship, partially burned human figure made of cloth and stuffed with straw.
“Wha…what is this?” The cultist leader staring at Emperor Lam, one he saw those straw figures.
“What is the meaning of this? Suk Lam?” The cultist leader yelled
“Seize him!” Emperor Lam point at the cultist leader
But when the sailors about to grab him, the cultist leader jump overboard from the ship bow. However, everyone ignores him, for right now, in front of the ritual ship, the monster is floating leadenly on the surface. Look like the explosion had stunned it. Emperor Lam quickly order the sailor to throw hook ropes at it mouth to keep it from dive back to the water. After all the ropes had secured Emperor standing at the ship bow charging his lightning spell, ready to deliver a killing blow. But the monster suddenly regained consciousness, it jolted intensively trying to free itself from the hook ropes causing the ship to rock violently, the ship hull let out terrify cracking sounds every time the monster lugging on the ropes. Then the hook ropes starting to snap one by one. The situation is worsening. They have come this far and let the monster escapes again? Then without thinking Emperor Lam leaping to the port side and jump overboard.
A minute later, right at the spot where Emperor Lam jumped overboard, a large head rose up from the water, a dragon head. A blue dragon emerged from the water, it snout it long like an alligator and full of sharp teeth with a long black goatee under its chin. On top of its head is a pair of deer like antler and a black mane, it scales shine like polished blue marble, the dragon turn it swan like neck toward the ship bow and snap off all the ropes with it sharp teeth, freed the ship. With all the rope snapped off the monster try to dive back to the depth but the blue dragon quickly intercept, its powerful jaw grabbed on one of the monster fin and tear it off, blood from the wound turned entire area red. The monster convulsing in pain and turn its body around try to bite at the dragon long neck, but the pain from it burned throat, blood lost from the wound and the shock from the explosion had made it slow and the dragon easily avoided. In return the dragon sank it teeth in the monster belly right at the area below the monster gill, and then plugged it front claws under the monster gill cover, the dragon’s rear legs gutting the monster belly. Finally, with it mighty strength, the dragon twist it neck and torn the monster head off, with the monster head still in its mouth, the dragon proceeds to resurface. After emerged, the dragon threw the monster head on the ship deck while everyone cheering on upon seeing the dragon emerged victorious.
“THE SON OF DRAGON! THE SON OF DRAGON!” they cheering.
As they cheering and chanting, the dragon eyes turn white, it body starting to convulsing and shrinking down until it turn into a figure of a man, Emperor Suk Lam of Varlann empire. Exhausted after transform to his dragon form Emperor Lam cannot lip a limb, so the crew have to pull him back to the ship and clothed him, after that they head back to Qualoh with the news of the monster dead.
