The Dragon Emperor

<p style=”text-align: center;”>Legends of Varlaurea
The Dragon Emperor
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• This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by Chickknight_Greenleaf.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by Chickknight_Greenleaf.

“My journey through Varlaurea continent had lead me to a charming old temple, situated in the middle of a lush, emerald green bamboo forest. After sightseeing around the temple for a while, I realized that, this temple doesn’t worship any deity, but an emperor from ancient time. Curious, I asked the temple’s caretaker about the figure being worship here. The caretaker said, the person being worship here was called Emperor Suk Lam, the Dragon Emperor of the ancient Varlann Empire, a very respected heroic figure to the people, and even been considerate as the father of the people. Interested, I ask if there is any tale or legend attach to this emperor. With a face overflowed with proud, the caretaker nodded. And so, with a pot of tea and a few sweet buns, I sit there on the temple courtyard, listening to the fantastic tales of the Dragon Emperor Suk Lam, tales of his adventures, his battles against monsters and evil cultist.”

From “A Journey to Varlaurea Continent” by Chickknight Greenleaf

Chapter 4 “Myths and Legends of Varlaurea continent”

THE MONSTER OF KAOREN LAKE

I
The story began in late spring, Varlann Empire, in the tenth year of the Dragon Emperor Suk Lam reign.

The morning spring breeze sweep across the beautiful meadow spotted with patches of white small flower, blooming along a curvy road. The road carved its way through that green sea of grass, and stretched far to the horizon. On the jagged horizon of faraway mountains top, the sun raising slowly, shinning its golden rays on a convoy of three carriages and five wagon slowly roll along that curvy road. Escorting the convoy is four hundred Downer men strong, clad in black lamellar armour, their spears shine under the morning sun like the stars of the night. On the men’s back is a short yellow brocade cloak, embroidered with cloud, sword and lion motifs. These are the prestige Brocade Cloak Guards of the Varlann Empire in charge of safeguard the imperial family.

The men riding a strange creature, the velelis. A bipedal, horse size, dinosaur-like creature, with horizon posture, covered from head to leg in filament feather, small feathered arms with three fingers, and the tip of their tail also covered in bird like tail-feather. Their snout and mouth are like of a horse, and on top of their head a pair of cat-like ears. The creature’s coat has two main colours, brown and yellow, sometime spotted between two colours. They’re being use as a mean of transportation and mount by the inhabitants of Varlaurea continent.

In the middle of that convoy, there’s a red carriage, the biggest of the three, pulls by four velelises, with curved roof painted in deep jade green, red lanterns adorned with silver wind chime and red tassel hung on each corners. Inside the carriage, hung a hammock, on it, lied a Downer man, the man is in his early thirty, clothed in a knee length, right lappet, red cross-collard robe, a type of robe worn by all Varlanner, rich or poor. The man has shoulder length black hair, handsome face typical of a Downers, slightly slanted eyes and thick eyes brow with a short goatee under his chin, and on his forehead, right at the hairline, protruded a pair of small, deer-like antlers bend upward. That man name is Suk Lam, Emperor of the Varlann Empire, the Lord of One Hundred Clans, the son of Dragon. Laying on his hammock Emperor Lam reading the reports of his official from the city of Qualoh, a port city on the lakeshore of Kaoren Lake. And these particularly report is the reason His Imperial Majesty left the comfort of his palace.

“Your Imperial Majesty, we will arrive to Qualoh in thirty minutes please get ready.” An official said.

Then the convoy stop for the royal servants get in His Imperial Majesty’s carriage to help him change to a more formal attire. A black silk, right lappet cross-collard robe, with big loose sleeves, embroidered with cloud motifs, and a coiling dragon made of gold thread in the middle of the chest, finally an ankle length silk skirt. His hand and leg adorned with intricately carved gold bracelets with silver rattler bells attached.

Thirty minutes later, the imperial convoy came to Qualoh city, at the outskirts of the city, a deputation of Qualoh, the lord governor Buh Huy is waiting to welcome His Imperial Majesty arrival. Lord Buh Huy of Qualoh city get off his velelis, following him is his family. They came before the convoy kneel down and formally bow by interlock their fingers, raise their hands in front of their face, palm faced inward.

“I, Buh Huy and my family, welcome Your Imperial Majesty. Long live the Emperor, may you reign for thousands and thousands of years.” Lord Buh Huy and his family simultaneously spoke.

“Be at ease.” Emperor Lam’s voice came from behind the carriage’s veil.

“Thank Your Imperial Grace.” Lord Buh Huy and his family said and stand up.

After the welcome, they continue to enter the city. In the city the citizens have took to the street to welcome his arrival and immediately Emperor Lam can feel the air of distress from the citizens, is it because they fear him? Is it because Emperor Lam a tyrant? No. There are clearly hope in their eyes when they saw a glance of the emperor carriage before they kneel down. And suddenly a cry echo from the crowd. Emperor Lam ears caught the cry and order the convoy to stop, then his step out of the carriage order the Brocade Cloak Guards to find the person who the cry belong to. After a while the Brocade Cloak Guards escort an old man out of the crowd, the old man face etched with many winkle by time, his eyes soaked with tear. He came before Emperor Lam, put down his walking stick, formally bow and kneel down painfully, His Imperial Majesty immediately took to the ground and hold the old man hand help him get up.

“Your Elderly, why are you cry? What’s trouble you mind?” Asked the emperor.

“Your Imperial Majesty, these are the tears of joy, for this old man had finally can set these blurry eyes upon you. These are the tears of relief, for finally you are here. The gods are smiling upon us today, for the terror from the deep soon will be vanquish.” Said the old man, his tears roll down his wrinkle face.

The crowd becomes noisy, some pray to the gods, some burst into tear, and murmured relief that the emperor is here.

“Your Imperial Majesty, my old sickly wife and two granddaughters are all what left of my family, my sons…” A hiccup interrupted the old man “…all four of my sons and my grandsons are death, the youngest of my grandsons is only fifteen he’s die too young…. It’s all because of that monster… please! Your Majesty slays that monster, so that my sons and grandsons can be at peace, so their souls can meet Mien papa in the underworld and pass on to the next life.” The old man kneels down again as he finished his sentience.

Emperor Lam holds his hand and pull him get back up as the crowd started to cry.

“My beloved subjects, ease you mind now and do not be afraid, here I am and right here in the name of the gods, in the name of the supreme Quelas’Airuth, in the honour of the Imperial bloodline and my father the Emperor Suk Luotu and my mother the Empress Lu Nue…” Emperor Lam stop for a second to take a breath, tear started to swelling in his eyes. “…This, I swear to yours all, the terror yours have endure thus far shall be no more, I shall not rest until this monster has slain, and the souls of those who has gone because of this abomination be at peace.”

“LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR! LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR!” Cried the crowd.

As the largest fresh water body in Varlaurea continent, Kaoren Lake located at southern part of the continent near the downstream region of the Great River. Its name means the “sea lake” for it so vast that ship have to took five days to sail across the surface of the lake. The lake is so big it even has its own weather pattern. Below those glistering blue waves, many bounties to be catch. And with it gentle tides, it accretion the shore, enriched the soil and help feed those first Downer’s settlements when they first came to Varlaurea, after their long journey through the Age of Wandering. Many cities have thrived and flourish on the benevolent shore of the lake and come with the lake connection with the Great River, trade from the free cities of the Uppers in northern Varlaurea and Chihan empire in the east flow through Qualoh city, created the busiest trade routed of all Varlaurea.

It all happen five years ago, first there are only some isolated incidents occurred throughout many cities, some fishermen went missing when diving to harvest clam, pearl and seaweed. At first, the local officials only think it just accident, until thing escalated, from missing fishermen to entire fishing ship went missing. And two years ago in the fishing village near Qualoh, a survivor has been found. He claimed there was no accident, he claimed that his fishing boat and crews was attacked by something in the lake. “It’s like a gigantic fish I never seen before” the fishermen assertively proclaimed.

Lord Buh Huy as that time did took noticed of this incident and ordered an investigation but came up empty hand. And thus that fishermen story became nothing but the rambling of a traumatized man and soon become mere rumour or spooky tale around the tavern table. But fishing ships still went missing, fear quickly rose among the people, they do not dare to go fishing far from the lake shore anymore. And then, another incident came to lord Buh Huy’s ears, a trade ship from Chihan empire has sunk not too far from Qualoh, six survivors had been found and they all claimed their ship had been attacked by something, some kind of gigantic fish. The survivors claimed it torn their ship apart with just few rams, and swallow several sailors with just one gulped. A military search had been launched, but all they can find is only plank of woods, and torn pieces of sails floating in the water, no sign of the “big fish”.

In following years, more and more ships were attacked, more and more survivor’s testimony claimed the existing of this “big fish”, trade is stagnated. Two navy expeditions had been launched by Lord Buh Huy, and in the second expedition a medium Junk ship had been attacked in front of the entire fleet. Despite the valiant resistant of the crew, with just several rams the monster torn the ship apart, and swallow the helpless sailors in the water. Witnesses estimated the monster length is about 100 lias (1 lia = 1 meters) at the least, its back cladded in dark red scales, with many foot-like pelvic fins protruded from the side of its body. The “fish” mouth is as big as the city’s gate full of jagged teeth. With eyes glowing with a sinister red hue under the sun.

Upon hearing this news, Lord Buh Huy was quickly launched the third navy expedition to kill this monstrosity. Many volunteers had sign up; six warships had been launched with many volunteer civilian ships. But they attempt achieved little to no avail. Three warships and a large sum of volunteer ships has sunk, the rest are severely damage, more than 500 casualties. Enraged by the attack of Lord Buh Huy’s navy, the monster retaliates shortly after, the number of attack increase. And about eighteen months ago, for the first time, the monster took it rage to Qualoh city. It suddenly resurfaces not too far from the city’s port and before anyone can react, with a swept of it giant tail, the monster hurled a tsunami toward the port, damage many ships, buildings, infrastructures, washed countless people out to the lake and to their demise. Every several weeks the monster attack Qualoh and its neighbouring cities with tsunami, bringing death and destruction to the populations. Many names it had been called: The “Terror of the deep”, the “Whirlpool of sharp teeth”, the “Tsunami Maker”, and the “Fins of doom”

The people are terrifying, some think the monster represented the wrath of the gods, and as the resulted of that, a cult has arisen and perform human sacrificed to the monster. Lord Buh Huy had tried his best to suppress those cultists and reassure the people that he will send a messenger to the capital and ask the Imperial Court for aid. When the matter came to the Imperial Court. The Imperial navy has dispatch a fleet of five Heavy War Junk, fifth-teen frigates, and ten galleys to help exterminate the monster but sadly, they’re too, achieved very little result, the progress is slow, their ballista’s bolts cannot penetrated even haft their shard’s length through the monster’s scale and does little damage to the monster, even the Imperial Court Mages accompany the fleet cannot cause much damage either, most of their spells kept getting deflect from the monster’s scale, like there are some kind of magic had been infused in it. And the monster is cunning, it lurking under the waves hiding from the Imperial fleet and only ambushes the lightly armed patrol ships and slower logistic ships. The situation remands stalemate. Therefore, Emperor Lam had leaved his palace and solves the matter with his own hand.

After his arrival at Lord Buh Huy’s castle, Emperor Lam took no rest and immediately held a meeting in the main hall with Admiral Huan Tah, the commander of the Imperial navy fleet that was dispatched to Qualoh, Taosih Tsun head of the Imperial Mage team accompany the Imperial fleet (*Taosih: a high ranking Downer mage), Lord Buh Huy and his advisors.

“Gentlemen, what had we known so far about this monster?” Said Emperor Lam

“Your Imperial Majesty, after five months battle this monster, sadly we have learned very little about the monster. Only is that, its scales are extremely tough, our strongest ballista cannot penetrate very much through it, and it’s very intelligent, always attack where we least expected.” Admiral Huan Tah said.

“We still do not know anything about the monster’s origin, and its scales not only tough but also seem to have magic deflecting ability, most of our elemental magic had a difficulty to struck a directed hit on it and those manage to hit does very little damage…” Said Taosih Tsun. “But five weeks ago we did have some progress.”

“Oh, do tell Taosih Tsun.” Said Emperor Lam.

“Your Imperial Majesty, five weeks ago during a hunt of the navy, we have successfully struck it with a lightning spell, the monster seems to be hurt and intimidated by it.” Said Taosih Tsun.

“Lightning spell?” Emperor Lam said “Lightning spell is very dangerous and can cause unnecessary damage, especially on watery environment like this, be cautious Taosih Tsun. Nevertheless, you’d done a good job, taosih.”

“Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty, me and my team will.” Said Taosih Tsun.

“Also according one of our captains, his crew had land a successes hit with one of his ballista in the monster’s mouth, it’s seem… though it’s tough on the outside but vulnerable on the inside.” Said Lord Buh Huy.

“So this mean it can be kill.” Emperor Lam said. “Then what’s the problem here? Why haven’t you exploit this weakness, Admiral?”

“As I had said, Your Highness.” Admiral Huan spoke “The monster is very intelligent, and after the hunt five weeks ago, now we have a hard time to lure it to engaging in a sea battle.”

“Lord Buh Huy, how is the situation with the cult that you spoke of in the report?” Emperor Lam asked

“Your Imperial Majesty, I had arrested most of the cultists, and put a wanted order on their leader. I think they won’t be a problem anymore.” Lord Buh Huy replied.

Suddenly the city alarm bell rung. A city guard rush in the meeting hall

“My lords, Your Majesty, the monster had reappeared. It just surfaced outside the port.” The soldier said

Heard the news, everyone in the hall rush to castle wall. Because Lord Buh Huy castle located at a highest hill overlook the city, from the wall’s battlement they can saw the port in clear view. Emperor Lam can see all the people in the area around the port fleeing inland or toward higher ground in panic. Out at the port, is the cause of the chaos, a gigantic dark red fish-like head bobbing amidst the wave, its two big round eyes menacingly glowing under the sun. The monster cycling the deep water outside of the port with its mouth of jagged teeth wide open, gulping up any poor souls whose have to risk their lives just to try to make a living by fishing near the shore and the port. Then the monster suddenly twisting it enormous tail and created a tsunami six lias high rushing toward the port. Witnessing all that happening Emperor Lam cannot stand idle, he must do something. And his eyes turn white, blood vessel bulging around the tail of his eyes. The Emperor invoked his magic to enhance his body, and with just one somersault he had arrived at the port. Right the moment his feet touch the ground Emperor immediately chant a spell in ancient language.

“Thur rua fuh qelah ein luur.

Ark ein kavik zuarah iun huslur.

Kelov, kelov zuarah fiee ein nukuur

Divardi uanarku aban pofike da kuhfur”

“Earth and stone beneath my feet

By my command now pay heed

Rise, rise now to aid my need

Created an impenetrable wall withstands all siege”

The ground before his feet started to rumbling violently, two parallel cracks appeared and stretching along the shore line, then the earth rose up, created a wall eight lias in high and hundreds lias in length, enveloped the entire port area. With just himself Emperor Lam had done what would take ten taosihs to accomplish. Awestruck by such marvellous magic, everyone near the port stood in silent as the tsunami make land fall, the water crashed on the earth wall violently, mist plash through the top of the wall as if it about to suffuse, yet the wall still stands, and the port is unharmed. Seeing it attack has fail the monster disappears back under the wave. After the danger had gone Emperor Lam recalled his magic and returns the ground back to normal. Then awoke from the silent someone in the crowd starting to chant “the son of dragon” following soon by the crowd and the entire city roaring with cheering and chanting.

THE SON OF DRAGON! THE SON OF DRAGON!

They cried

Some of them cannot curb their joy, they rush in and swirling around him, chanting “the son of dragon” as four men carry him on their shoulders through the crowd as they exploding with joy.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by Chickknight_Greenleaf.

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.

and now the next story

THE MISTY FOX OF THE BAMBOO FOREST.
I
The story began in late summer, in the third year of the reign of the Dragon Emperor Suk Lam.

In the northwest region of Varlann empire, there lied a small beautiful town called Baini. A small town Baini was, but the town had been blessed by the gods with a rich soil and a very suitable climate for growing many types of tea including the Green Jade tea, one of the ten most famous types of tea. Not only that, surround the town was a breath taking scenery.

Many towering limestone mountains dotted a landscape of gentle slope hills. And in the early morning hours, when the sun has yet to rose, and the eastern sky is a pinkish red glow, white strips of cloud lingering and warping around those mountaintops, making them look like the pillars that held up the very sky. A turquois green river run through that scenery, splitting and re-joined its stream, lazily winding its way and dug many deep gorges through the mountains and the hills. And on those hillslopes were layers and layers of rice and tea terraces farm. To the north, beyond the town’s farming terraces is a bamboo forest, vast and lush, stretched as far as the eyes can see, their emerald-like stem swaying and dancing in the breeze, foliage rattling with every stroke of the wind, created a symphony of peace and serenity.

The quaint town was no less charming than the scenery surrounded it. Lined up the streets were lovely two stories timber and mason houses, built in traditional Varlann architecture, walls painted with light yellow paint and their columns coated with a warm reddish dark-brown colour, some even intricately carved with elegant flower and leaf motive. Their roof slightly curved upward at the corners, covered in terracotta fish-scale roof tiles. And if the owner was more wealthy, the glazed plate roof tiles or the fancier glazed tubular roof tiles would be use, with decorated outer edge at the eave edge of the roof.

With all of that, one can see why Baini is a very attractive vacation destination for the aristocrats and the scholars. But that’s not all, Baini also is home of a very prestige White Cloud academy, an institute build to straining young mage and a place where the magic scholars and mages from all over Varlann came to discuss, train and research about magic and the arcane matters. Which turned the small town into a very vibrant and busy place with tea traders, mages, researchers and tourists come and go every day.

It happened on a fateful day, a tailor had gone missing. After a tired week to finished a big order before deadline, the tailor decided to went on a fishing trip to relax. At morning, to his wife, the tailor said “I’ll be back before sundown. In the meantime, you prepare some ingredient and spice, honey. I’ll bring home a big one for you, I can feel it in my gut.” And so the man set out jollyingly whistling along his way to his favourite fishing spot. Yet when morning turned to noon, noon became twilight, and the twilight sky darkened into night, the tailor still hadn’t return home.

The town folks had searched for him but without any success, and of course his family were heartbroken. Normally this kind of incident would be considered as an unfortunate event if not for just three days later another incident occurred.

A group of teenage girls went to the bamboo forest to dig for bamboo shoots. Their trip has nothing out of the ordinary, until when the girls preparing to get home at midday. A dense veil of mist came out of nowhere in midday of a summer day and set upon the girls for a few minutes. After the mist dispersed, the teenage girls realized one of them was missing. The teenage girls quickly returned to town and informed the town folks of what happened. According to them, when the strange mist befell them, they suddenly felt a rush of fear and anxiety. Not only that, some of them said they saw strange shadowy figure moving and animal growling noise echoing in the thick mist. The town folks thought the missing girl might be attacked by wolf, so the town guards organized a search party with some local hunters throughout the night. They started at the missing girl’s last known location, and found two set of footprints going deep into the bamboo forest, one set belong to the missing girl, the other set are fox’s footprints not wolf. They follow the girl’s footprints to a small stream inside the forest until the trails end, the hunters spread out to look for more trace in the surrounding area, and to their horror, a corpse was what they’d found.

A dried out, mummified corpse lied under a pile of bamboo leafs, but base from the clothing on the corpse, they’re sure that was not the missing girl but the body of an adult man. The corpse was recovered and brought back to Baini. After being examined, the town’s physician concluded the cause of death is unknown as he cannot find any signs of trauma or puncture wound on the corpse, and judging from the corpse clothes and some belongings, he identified this corpse is the previous missing tailor. But one thing the physician cannot explain is the corpse’s condition. The tailor only went missing for three days, what cause the mummified condition of the corpse? Why was the corpse’s face covered in dry blood? And how did his body end up deep in the bamboo forest? The town folks continue the search for the missing girls in the following week, yet to no avail.

Then early of the next week, another missing case happened. A wealthy tea merchant on a business trip in Baini and two of his servants has vanished. According to the merchant’s other servants, on the day of the merchant’ disappeared, they were accompanying their master to visit the tea fields and the tea processing workshop at the outskirt of the town for business purpose. After the trip, at late noon they went sightseeing near the bamboo forest. Then a strange veil of mist suddenly casted over them, when that happened the servants said some of them felt anxious and unease almost fear-like emotion, but some felt a rush of euphoric, and saw something moving in the mist, and their master and two other servants just walked into the mist and never come back.

Then a week later, another incident happened. A teenage girl and her brother were on their way back to their home after they brought lunch for her farther at the rice terrace not far from the bamboo forest. The girl said a strange veil of mist rolling down from the norther toward them, and when the mist completely enveloped her and her brother, she felt a strange euphoric sensation and saw a figure in the mist calling her to go toward it, that she cannot resist, while her brother screaming in fear calling for their father. The father saw the strange mist and felt unease, when the boy started screaming he quickly rush to his children aid. Luckily, he found his children in the thick of the mist but he couldn’t stop his daughter from walking toward whatever was in the mist. Hopeless, he has no choice but knocked his daughter down. But unfortunately, after knocked his daughter down, he starting to be effected by the mist just like his daughter and abandoned his panicking son to follow the call from the thing in the mist and disappeared.

The kids were found by other farmers, and been brought back home. A few days late, they were brought to Mayor Lin’s office, the town mayor, to take their testimony about what had happened while the guards search for their father. The two kids have completely opposite testimony, the girl said “I suddenly felt a euphoric sensation and then a figure of a young handsome man dress in white calling for me, saying he will shower me with love and affection. His voice a so alluring I can’t think straight anymore and feel compelling to follow him”. On the other hand, the little boy said he saw the shadow of some kind of creature, akin to a wolf or a dog as big as a house, with long ear and big long fuzzy tails in the mist.

Confused by the kid’s testimony, Mayor Lin, worry that these missing case may involve magic or the occult, so he asked for the assistance of White Cloud academy. Grand Taosih Wu Lee, Headmaster of the academy agreed and sent Taosih Yung and Taosih Hai to provide assistance. After read the witness’s testimonies and the autopsy report of the tailor body, Taosih Yung concluded the reason the body was in such state and the cause of death maybe because of magic, more likely was blood magic. This mean a mage had use blood magic to drain all the life energy or “Qigun” from the tailor body, causing haemorrhage from the eyes, mouth, noses, ears and the body to dry out into a mummified-like state. With this finding, this mean a mage from White Cloud academy or a visitor mage was the perpetrator. And if this finding go public, it would cause tension between the mage community and the normal folks in Baini. Because the mages in this world were not like those mages you could find in fairy tales. Not all mage uses their power for benevolent purpose, some has use their birth gift for malevolent and selfish deeds. And many incidents had occurred throughout history of Varlaurea continent with woeful consequences.

After being informed, Grand Taosih Wu Lee urged Lord Lin to kept the investigation as low profile as possible and kept the tailor’s cause of death from the public, to prevent any unnecessity public unrest. Lord Lin reluctantly agreed, meanwhile Grand Taosih Wu Lee would organize an internal investigation while Taosih Yung and Taosih Hai keep provide assistant to the town guards in the investigation and the missing victims search effort. Sadly, the investigation in White Cloud academy went into a dead end, the faculties, researchers and students are all have solid alibi in the time frame of those missing cases. Then Taosih Hai had realized something, although all the victims do not have anything in common or connection but all of these missing case related with the bamboo forest. In the tailor case, his favoured fishing spot did locate near the bamboo forest, the teenage girl, the tea merchant and his servants case was obvious, and in the nearest case, the farmer’s daughter said the mist come from the north where the forest are. Thus, Taosih Hai and Taosih Yung asked Lord Lin for some men to investigate the bamboo forest. Lord Lin agreed and sent the town guard’s captain with five of his men and two volunteer hunters who’ll be their guide to accompany the taosihs.

The investigate team heading to the scene of the latest case ere break of day. After an hour searching for clue, the two taosihs couldn’t find anything significant. But when they search the surrounding area, Hunter Tao, the older of the two hunters spot some fox footprints come from the north. He said there are something strange about these footprints, these fox footprints may seem normal to the untrained eyes but to his experienced eyes, they’re a little big for a fox. The old hunter also said, he was one of the hunter who found the tailor’s body, and he did notice some fain fox’s tracks around the body. And in the case of the teenage girl, he had seen a lot of fox footprints among the teen girl footprints all heading to a same direction.

At that time, he did not find it to be strange because there are a lot of foxes live in the bamboo forest. Taosih Yung hypothesized these clues may lead to something, so the team heading to the spot where the tailor’s body was found. When they arrived at the place, the two taosihs can sense a faint lingering trace of magic in the area and the surrounding bamboo trees, they kept searching the surround area in hope of finding more clue. Then suddenly, a shroud of mist came out of nowhere blanketed the area, the mist was so thick they barely see anything beyond one’s arm length. Not long after, a guard started to feel anxious, and calling for everyone. Hearing that, Captain Vu, the Town Guard Captain tried to calm him down and tell everybody follow his voice to regroup. And that was when Taosih Hai sense something moving in the mist toward the group, thought the taosih can’t see what exactly it was due to the thick mist, but he can sense that something’s Qigun aura and it was a strong one.

“Captain Vu, I can sense something, do you sense it, Yung?” Taosih Hai called out to his companions

“Yes, it come from the north” Taosih Yung answered as he senses that strong aura of qigun moving toward them, then it stopped and stand still at about ten or twenty lias from them.

“What is it? can anyone see it?” Pu An, the younger hunter asked.

“Come out, identified yourself.” Taosih Yung said to the entity in the mist who the Qigun aura belong to, but only silent answered him. Then the aura starting to move around the team, and kept circling them for minutes, as if it observing them, studying them. And out of sudden, a scream broke the veil of silence, the anxious guard started to screaming in panic, saying there were spiders, giant spiders coming out of the mist trying to attack him. Everyone rushed to the direction of the screaming, Taosih Yung was the first to saw the panicking guard, but he dares not approach him as the guard was flailing his sabre maniacally at his surroundings. Captain Vu arrived a second later and tried to calm the guard down, but the panicking guard gave off a shriek of absolute terror as he saw Captain Vu came close to him, he thrusted his sabre in the captain’s chest and run off into the mist. Taosih Yung rushed to the captain side as he collapsed on the ground, tried to help Captain Vu but it was already too late, the captain had die, the blade had pierced through his heart. A minute later, hunter Tao and hunter Pu An and the other four guards came, Taosih Yung explained what’d happened to Captain Vu to them as the mist starting to disperse, and that was when they realized Taosih Hai was nowhere to be found.

III
The next morning, Emperor Lam headed to the bamboo forest. Accompanied him were: Taosih Yung, Hunter Tao, Seven Fingers and several Brocade Cloak Guards and Lizardmen Infantry. They surveyed all the missing cases scene in the forest, including the place where Captain Vu died but nothing of significant was found. At near midday they followed hunter Tao deep into the bamboo forest, to the area of the forest where fox was frequently spotted. After an hours of searching, they finally found some fresh tracks, fox footprint quintuples the size of normal fox and surrounded with many set of normal fox footprints, and according to Hunter Tao these tracks was here approximately just a few hours ago. The tracks lead deep into the denser part of the Bamboo forest, they followed the track for an hour, to a small hill with many dense bamboo bushes, and from a distain they can see a very large hole, the size of a Velelis on the middle of the hill. When they came near the hole, Emperor Lam and Taosih Yung immediately felt a strong Qigun aura emitting from the hole. This mean, whatever the entity in the hole was, it had magic.

When they came closer to the hole, like a steam explosion, a cloud of mist suddenly bust out of the hole, engulfed the entire area. The mist was so thick they barely can see anything, but Emperor Lam still could feel the Qigun aura inside the hole had leaved its hiding place and running away from them. Emperor Lam rushed after the Qigun aura despite the poor visibility. After fifteen minutes of chasing the entity in this thick mist, Emperor Lam started to feel strange, like a person who had consumed a stimulant substance. His mind felt fuzzy, heartbeat slightly increased, and he felt a slight tingling on his skin. The Qigun aura suddenly stop and stand still in front of him. Emperor Lam approaching cautiously, his right hand firmly grasping his sword’s grip, ready to draw the blade. But then, when he come closer to the Qigun aura and to his surprise, he could see a humanoid shadow standing in the mist.

“Who’s there? Name yourself.” Emperor Lam said.

“My… my… Lam, don’t you recognize me?” A woman voice answered him. Then that shadow walking toward him, revealing a beautiful, tall blonde hair woman, her hip gracefully sway as she walks. The young woman wearing a thin, tightly fit and slightly see-through long white dress, revealing her slender body and her white smooth skin, her long and pointed ears half hidden in her knee length hair. Her golden locks, thick, and silky, look like a stream made of liquid gold, bouncing with every movement of her head. She stood in front Emperor Lam staring at him with her icy blue eyes, and a seductive smile on her red juicy, glossy lips. The women look just like Emperor Lam’s wife, Empress Aucelen.

“Au…Aucelen? H…how… what are you doing here?” Emperor Lam asked his wife.

“Do you remember Lam?” Empress Aucelen asked.

“Remember? Remember what? Why’re you here?” Emperor Lam said

“YOU PROMISED TO STOP THEM!!!!!!” Empress Aucelen yelled and let out a bone chilling shriek, suddenly her body became fuzzy as if she was not physically there but just a ghostly image projected on the veil of mist.

“What!!?!!!” Emperor Lam staggered as his wife image slowly fade out into the mist. Before he could make sense of what just happened, her soft voice came from behind him “Why do you not stop them, Lam? You had promised.” Emperor Lam turned back and saw his wife sitting on the forest floor, her arms holding a charred corpse “My people, my friends, most of them I know from birth.” she said, stroking the charred corpse’s face lovingly, her face fill with sadness and pain. “They are all death, Lam, all death, you had promised me. Now their blood is on your hands.” Empress Aucelen said and starting to cry, blood red tears streaming down her elegance face. And then Emperor Lam realize his hands now soaked in blood and he, himself no longer standing in the bamboo forest anymore. Beneath his feet now, was a mount of charred corpses, around him were trees, mighty and old trees, centuries old tress with extremely deep root. But they were all laying on top of each other, charred and smouldering. All were uprooted and flatted by some incredible invisible force, the devastated scene stretched many kelias away, their trunk all pointed to one direction. And at that direction, a city was burning, above that city was a smoke cloud, rose high and shaped like a gigantic mushroom. Tears pouring out of Emperor Lam eyes “I’m so sorry my love. So, so sorry. I was too late.” He murmured “I was too late.”  Emperor Lam felt to his knees, his hand holding his head and crying like a baby, keep mumbling sorry to his wife.

“WAKE UP!” A hoarse voice echoing from a distain, Emperor lam raised his face and saw a tall shadow approaching him, then a pair of scaly hands from that shadow grasped Emperor Lam’s robe-collard pulling him up, and a flat face with a big slanted amber eyes rushed close to his face.

“WAKE UP YOUR MAJESTY!!! IT’S NOT REAL.” Seven Fingers screamed at Emperor Lam face.

“S…Seven Fingers?” Emperor Lam murmured

“Wake up! It’s not real, it’s just a hallucination, you had been effected by the mist.” Seven Fingers said, shaking him intensively.

A few seconds later, Emperor Lam finally came back to his sense, drawn his sword, he stood back to back with Seven Fingers. That entity was still near, but the mist surround them was still too thick to see anything clearly.

“Can you see it, Your Grace? I can smell its scent nearby.” Seven Fingers asked.

“No, the mist is too thick, but I can still sense its Qigun.” Emperor Lam said.

“FIGHT ME! FIGHT ME!! COME OUT AND FIGHT ME! COWARD!” Seven Fingers yelled out in challenging.

The Qigun aura of the entity starting to move again and kept circling the two. Emperor Lam then chant a spell and created a gush of wind, blew away the surrounding mist, gave them a brief look on the entity. What befell their eyes confirmed Taosih Yung’s theory was right; it was a fox. Stand behind that mist veil was a fox with white fur, its eyes were blood red, its mouth full of shape teeth with two long canines protrude out from the upper jaw. But the creature’s size bewildered them. From their quick glance at the animal, they estimated, that, at the very least, the fox’s size was quintuple the size of a common Red Fox. The giant fox immediately turned around and ran back into where the mist still thick after being seen. Emperor Lam quickly after it, Seven Fingers closely behind, they chased the white fox through the thick mist by follow its Qigun aura for a few minutes. Then out of nowhere, a red fox jump on Seven Fingers, and another one materialized from the mist and charged at Emperor Lam, then another, and another, and another. Soon, dozens and dozens of red fox came out of the mist and suicidality charging at two of them. After Emperor Lam and Seven Fingers truck down dozens of them, the mist started to dispersing and the Qigun aura of the white fox had disappeared into the forest, the rest of the red foxes scattered to the thick of the bamboo forest.

Seven Fingers and Emperor Lam still stand back to back, eyes and ears open wide for a few minutes to make sure they were all gone, then sheathed their blade. “How can a fox turn into that size?” Emperor Lam wonder out loud while staring at the footprints the white fox left behind on the ground.

“We should find the other, Your Grace.” Seven Fingers said

“You’re right, let go.” Emperor Lam said “Oh, Seven Fingers, thank you for snapped me out of my hallucination but if you dare tell anyone what you saw…” Emperor Lam stare at the bald lizardmen.

“I saw nothing, Your Majesty.” Seven Fingers said.

“Good.” Emperor said and kept walking. For a few step, then he turns back again and ask “By the way, does the mist have any effect on you?”

“None, Sire. None.” Seven Fingers answered.

“Is that so? Huh, your lizardmen are resilient, what a fine product yours are.” Emperor Lam smiled and resume to find the group.

Fifteen minutes later, they found the rest of the group and Emperor Lam confirmed Taosih Yung of his theory. Then, while there was still sunlight left, Emperor Lam examine the fox’s den. The den tunnelled deep down to the foot of the hill, its ceiling high enough for a person walk upright. After a few minutes exploring the tunnel they found the main chamber, the main chamber was quite big, likely ten lias in diameter, under the touch light they can saw two other tunnels and corpses scattered on the chamber floor, dry out mummified human corpses.

“By the gods, what on earth is that?” a Brocade Cloak Guard said, pointing his finger at the centre of the chamber. Lied on the ground was a strange, pinkish object, look like some kind of pod, leathery in texture, and as big as a pot-bellied pig, the pod’s surface seems to covered with vents.

“Taosih Yung, have you see anything like this before?” Emperor Lam asked

“No, Your Highness, this is the first time.” Taosih Yung replied and walk closer to examine the strange pod

But before the taosih could examine the pod, they heard the lizardmen infantry sounded the alarm outside of the tunnel, Emperor Lam rushed back out of the tunnel and find the area filled in mist again. The white fox had returned to defend its lair. The Lizardmen and the Brocade Cloak Guards quickly formed a circle around Emperor Lam.

“Steady everyone, steady, whatever you saw in the mist. It’s not real.” Emperor Lam said

Out of sudden, countless red foxes emerged from the mist charging at them. But this time they did not attack, instead they ran through the group like a stream of red fur. Was this an illusion? A mind trick of the mist? Of the white fox? But Emperor Lam could feel those red foxes fur rubbing against his leg as they ran through, were these foxes were real? As everyone still confuse by the stream of foxes, a giant pawn appeared from the mist swiped a lizardmen flew several lias into the mist, Emperor Lam chanted a spell to create a strong wind like before and blew the mist surrounding them away. But it’s didn’t have much effect, his spell only could expose the beast temporary, and the fox only need to retreated back to where the mist was still thick. After a few second the mist replenished again and clouded their vision.

The beast charged in again, its lightning fast jaw came through the thick mist and snatch a lizardmen’s neck, flailing the poor sod around like a ragdoll. Seven Fingers rushed in with his sabre but the white fox threw the lizardmen infantry’s body at him, knocked him off his feet. Emperor Lam leaped toward the white fox, the creature responded with a left paw swipe at Emperor Lam, but he quickly rolling on the ground, evaded the strike and sunk his sword into the fox’s front right leg. The fox roaring in pain, its gigantic jaw trying to snatch him, but Emperor Lam already leaped out of its range. The beast then quickly retreated back to the thick mist as it saw Seven Fingers and the rest of the Lizardmens and Brocade Cloak Guards charging at it.

The beast was smart, it lurking in the mist veil waiting to strike, wait for the opportunity to pick them off one by one. This time Emperor Lam chanted a wind spell again but increased the spell power and keep it going, this way the wind from his spell will blowing continuously preventing the mist to replenish. The fox quickly countered this by creating more mist, but only for a minute before Emperor Lam’s magic overpower its. Lost its cover, the white fox suddenly charging at them at full speed, despite the injurer on its leg, it still could charge in with an amazing speed. With a beast this size running at full speed no one can stop it, nor dare stood in its way, some unlucky souls cannot react in time get trample under its paws. Seeing Emperor Lam who have to remain stand still for his spell to continue to take effect, the white fox aiming toward him, its jaw wide open ready to bite Emperor Lam in half. But Taosih Yung who stand near Emperor Lam at that moment, quickly threw himself at Emperor Lam, pushed him aside and suffered the worst fate. And with the poor taosih still in its mouth the white fox run into the deep of the forest, disappeared in the mist.

After the white fox was gone and the mist completely dispersed, they tend to the injurers. Emperor Lam then realized the red foxe’s footprint were all headed to the white fox den, he returned to the main chamber of the den and found that strange pod had disappeared and drag mark were visible on the ground lead to another tunnel. Emperor Lam intended to follow the tunnel but Hunter Tao advice they should return to town for the sun would set soon. So they retrieved the corpses and brought them back to Baini.

After a quick examine, those corpses had been identified as the previous missing victims based on the clothes and belongings found on them, among the corpse was also included the missing Taosih Hai. But there were no signs of the latest victims from the mass panic the night before Emperor Lam’s arrival at Baini. The merchant and his servants has been given their last rite and their coffin transported back to their home town for burial, the rest were given a proper funeral and burial, Emperor Lam even attended their funeral himself. The victim’s family were extremely honoured by his present at their love one’s funeral.

After the funeral, thinking only magic could explain the existence of the white fox and its ability, Emperor Lam came to White Cloud academy and re-interrogate all the faculties, apprentices, researchers and scholars present at the academy at that time, yet still came up empty hand. All of them still have solid alibi and the testimonies they just gave Emperor Lam are still consistence with what they have given from the previous internal investigation. The academy was truly innocent, and Grand Taosih Wu Lee was not hiding anything to protect his academy.

As the night turned late, when Emperor Lam prepare to return to Mayor Lin’s mansion and get prepare for the hunt to slay the white fox. Grand Taosih Wu Lee came up to him, said that he may have found some clue. The taosih presents before Emperor Lam a big dusty book; it was the journal of a late taosih name Yen who just passed away several months ago due to natural cause. The late Taosih Yen was the librarian of the academy, and she have a hobby of write down everything she heard or saw in the academy and Baini town like a diary of the town and the academy.

The journal Grand Taosih Wu Lee was presenting to Emperor Lam was written two and a haft year before the first missing of the tailor. In the November section, Taosih Yen mentioned about the arrival and staying of a scholar name Hua Yu from Chihan. According to Taosih Yen’s journal, the scholar came to the academy and made a hefty donation, then stayed at the academy for research purpose. The scholar mostly kept things to himself and not socialize much, so no one payed much attention to him.

He stayed at the most remote and private northern wing of the academy doing research by himself, though he did not cause any trouble while staying in the academy, his manner made others find him creepy. Especially some of the apprentices said they often heard him talking to himself in his quarter and while walking on the hallways. The scholar also frequently went to the bamboo forest, for a troll and taking a break from work, accorded to the scholar. But he’s always gone for very long, sometimes gone for a whole day, and sometimes return with a big leather bag. The journal also noted, he often borrowed book in the library, books about: religion, folklore, ancient tales, and myths, especially myths and tales from and before the Age of Wandering.

Apart from that he also frequently requested for alchemist and surgery equipment and supply, for his experiment and theory testing. Then on one stormy night, some apprentices said they heard strange noise, like animal growling, broken glass, and sound of struggle come from his room, and the next day the scholar appear with an injure on his hand. He explained the injure was caused by accident while doing experiment and he would pay for all the damage. Several days later, he just packed up his luggage and leave. After his leave, some apprentices on cleaning duty came to the room and while cleaning they found trace of blood, animal furs and faeces scattered around the room.

Emperor Lam kept reading the journal in hope of finding more information, but that was all what the journal recorded that have some relation to the current situation. Sat back in his chair Emperor Lam scratching his horn, thinking about what he had learned. Then an apprenticed rushed into the room and said Baini was under attack, Emperor Lam rushed to the nearest window and before his eyes, the giant cloud of mist was slowly swallowing Baini from the east side of the town.

When he arrived at the town, the streets were already drowned in thick mist and the town folk’s terrified screams echoing through the streets. Although with poor visibility Emperor Lam still could sense the white fox’s Qigun present at the east side of the town, and quickly made his way toward it with Grand Taosih Wu Lee closely behind. They flumping through the thick mist on the street among the town folk’s screams of horror. The mist got thicker and thicker as they get near to the east side of the town. As the mist got thicker, the harder for them to keep sight of each other, and also the more potent of the mist’s psychedelic effect.

A few minutes late, Emperor Lam had lost sight of the grand taosih and found himself alone. He called out for the old taosih but only silent answered him. Then suddenly he could hear the old taosih’s scream echo from a distain. But press on, he still, because he just sensed the white fox’s Qigun was moving toward him. When he came to a main street lead to the east side of the town, he tried to concentrate on the white fox’s Qigun aura to keep his mind keen, and wondering, did the fox notice his present as well? If so, how? was it had the ability to sense Qigun aura like every mage do to? Neither way, Emperor Lam drawn his sword and when he about to chant a wind spell to clear the mist, he felt a shadow behind him.

With a swift fluent spin, he swung his sword at the shadow behind him, but stopped his when his blade still liamis (1 liami = 1 milimeter) from his target’s neck. Because he realized that shadow was just a teenage boy. The teenage boy’s face was emotionless, and his gaze was blank like he was in some kind of trance. The boy walked slowly passed Emperor Lam toward the outskirt of the town, following the boy were a few other town folks, they also have a blank gaze like the teenage boy. Emperor Lam try to wake them up but no use, then among the charmed town folks there a woman with long blonde hair. The woman raised her face staring at Emperor Lam, her face was badly beaten, her right eye swollen, and purple like an over ripe plum. Her left cheek also swollen and bruised, and her noses are bleeding badly.

“Aucelen? Wh…what happened to you?” Emperor Lam recognized the woman. “W…wait…wait… you’re… you are not real.” Emperor Lam said, take several steps back, shaking his head trying to snap himself out of the hallucination.

“Am I?” With a despiteful eyes Empress Aucelen replied “So this is what you said to yourself, after you did this to me, your filthy mutt!”

“I… I was… no… I’m… I’m sorry, I did not mean to… it… it’s because of the war, we were…” Emperor Lam stuttered, staring at his wife battered face, his eyes started to glister, emotion swelling up inside him. Guilt?

“No…. no….” Emperor Lam shook his head intensively “No… you’re not real… you… you are not real!” he yelled and strike at Empress Aucelen, his blade cut through her like cutting air.

“Yes… trike me down, beat me up, like you had done before, embrace your barbarous nature, filthy mutt.” Empress Aucelen voice echoing in Emperor Lam head.

“Shut up!” Emperor Lam grinded his teeth, then a wind spell, he chanted, a spell so strong it blows away the thick mist over the entire town block, and knocked all the charmed people on to the ground, the mist dispersed, revealing the white fox, hundred lias away down the street from where he was standing.

“FILTHY BEAST!” Cried the emperor, he leaps forward and from his mouth a giant tongue of fire gushing toward the white fox. A monster the fox was, but at its core it’s still an animal, and all animal afraid of fire. Seeing Emperor Lam’s fire breather rushing toward it, the white fox retreat and turn tail back to the forest. After the fox was gone the charmed town folk came back to their sense, Emperor Lam return them to their house with the help of the town guard. This time, Baini only suffered some minor property damage due to the frightened folks, none had been taking away by the fox, except for Grant Taosih Wu Lee who have been wounded by a frightful rampaging town folk after he got separated from Emperor Lam.

When dawn of the next day came, Emperor Lam set out to the bamboo forest again, and this time he going with full force of 300 Lizardmens and 200 Brocade Cloak Guards, Hunter Tao accompany them like before. They started at the white fox den, but after two or three hours of stakeout with no sign of any activity of the beast. They concluded that the white fox had abandoned this den, then they venture forth through two other tunnel inside the den. One tunnel lead to a stream in the forest, after an hour surveying the surrounding area without finding anything, they return and exploring the second tunnel. The second tunnel burrow deeper into the forest and surfaced near a tall limestone mountain. The mountain reach to the sky above from the treeline like a gigantic termite mound on a vast grassland made of bamboo trees

When they emerged from the tunnel, Hunter Tao found trace of fox’s activity in the surrounding area. They followed those traces for over an hour, the hunt team came up to the base of that limestone mountain. After a surveyed the base of the mountain, they found more giant footprints near a cave entrance where the water stream came from. So while there were still plenty of daylight Emperor Lam decided to explore the cave while the rest of his force set up a base camp. Follow Emperor Lam was Seven Fingers, Hunter Tao, and two other Brocade Cloak Guards.

The cave’s interior was very large and tall, enough for Seven Fingers to be able to stand upright. The cave ceiling hung full of stalactites with various sizes and peculiar shapes, some are very large and reached to its stalagmite bellow and formed a stone column, while some are small, still forming, still dripping water. Some look so thin and so fragile, gave off an impression that they may break off if you just breathe on them. The group keep venture forth into the cave, while crawling through a narrow section, Emperor Lam signal the rest to stop and listen.

After a minute of silent, they could hear fain sounds echo from deep within the cave, the sounds of claw scratching on stone like of when a dog running on stone tiles floor. As they go deeper, the cave widening out again and lead to a large chamber, they estimated it was forty to fifty lias in diameter. There was no sign of the white fox in the chamber, at the middle of the chamber lied a large stone mount with a flat top cover in thick layer of green moss, daylight reached inside the cave chamber through an open round hole about two or three lias in diameter on the ceiling, enough for them to see around without need of touch, at the end of the chamber was another cave tunnel.

On a large, flat top boulder, left of the centre mount, something caught Emperor Lam eyes, a red fox standing there staring at them for several minutes then ran off. Emperor Lam curiously headed toward where the fox was, as they climbed through the slippery mossy boulders, they saw four mummified corpse lie on the moss, one of the four corpses, Emperor Lam could recognize base on the clothes the corpse was wearing, that corpse was the ill-fated Taosih Yung. But there was no time to mourn him, because when Emperor Lam reached the flat top boulder, before his eyes lied the leathery pod they had found previously in the white fox den, but the pod was significantly bigger than the last time he saw it, not only that he can feel a fain qigun aura radiating from the pod. “It have magic.”, “What on earth is it?”, “Is it have anything to do with the beast?” Emperor Lam wondering and stepped closer to the pod with sword in one hand and the other hand reached out to the pod. But before he can touch it, Emperor Lam felt another qigun aura rushing toward them from the end of the chamber. And not for long, the white fox was standing at the cave tunnel at the end of the chamber, bared its fangs threateningly, staring at them with its crimson, anger filled eyes.

This time the white fox didn’t even bother to create the mist veil to conceal itself, the beast ferociously charging through the slippery boulders toward Emperor Lam. Emperor Lam swiftly leap to centre mount, moment before the white fox’s gigantic paws crashing down on the spot where he was. The beast standing between them and the leathery pod, staring them with a piecing gaze, those eyes seemingly glowing red and filled with fury, its head lowered, fur puffed up, bared fangs growling. Hunter Tao unleased his arrow, though the arrow hit but it only pissed the fox off. The beast turns its gaze toward Hunter Tao, its eyes turn white and seconds late the hunter trembled and screaming in fear, like there some kind of invisible horror was standing in front of him.

With a strange roar echoing the cave chamber, Seven Fingers lunged forth, sabre in hand and aiming at the fox neck. The fox turned around swiping its paws at the bald lizardmen, force Seven Fingers to receded to avoid those giant paws. The two Brocade Cloak Guards quickly closed distain, and swung behind the beast, forced it to turn it head to watch out for them. Snatched the moment the fox distracted, Emperor Lam sunk his blade deep in the fox’s shoulder then swiftly leaped out of its attack ranger. Red blood pouring out from the wounds soaked the white fur on its leg, outnumber and surrounded, yet the fox still stood where it was, it’s seemingly the beast was defending that leathery pod.

“Why?” Emperor Lam wonder, then a small bulge swells up on the pod’s surface, and move slightly before disappeared, there was something inside the pod, “Is it the fox’s offspring? If so it must not be born.” Emperor Lam thought.

When he saw the fox was distracted by the two Brocade Cloak Guards again, Emperor Lam leap forward, his sword’s tip aims at the pod, when his sword only liamis from the leather pod, the fox charged at him and rammed its head at Emperor Lam, knocked him aside, then it pounced at him. As it about to bite Emperor Lam head off, Seven Fingers jumped on its back swinging his sabre at the animal’s flesh. Painfully, the beast shaking its body tried to shook Seven Fingers down. It turned to the bald lizardmen ready to payback for the sabre wounds on its back, at that moment Emperor Lam got back on his feet and breathed fire at the beast’s face. Badly burned, excruciatingly in pain and with its fur on fire the fox panic, tried to escape through the cave tunnel it’d came from. But before it could reach the tunnel, a giant boulder flung at the fox by Emperor Lam’s telekinesis and crushed its hind leg and pinned the beast on the ground. Emperor Lam quickly came near and keep breathed fire at it. Gruesome howls of pain came out of the beast’s mouth, echoing the cave as the fire swallowing its body and searing its flesh. After a few minute the beast are nothing but a smouldering charred corpse, reek with awful burned flesh smell.

“Your Majesty, you need to see this.” Seven Fingers called

Emperor Lam climbed his way back to the flat top boulder where everybody was gathering around that strange pod. Before his eyes, there was a small rip on the pod and a transparent liquid was leaking out, then the thing inside the pod move violently again, making the small rip become wider. The transparent liquid inside the pod oozing out with a fishy smell, and the pod partially deflated. After a minute, a creature emerged from the pod. Covered in fluid, the creature fumbled its way out of the pod, it looks like a fully formed kit, the size of a small dog, white fur, its eye has not open yet and it have, what seem to be a tail which branched at the base, into three separated tails. After few second out of the pod, the kit let out a soft moan, calling for its mother. Hunter Tao curiously touch the creature, and right at the moment his finger contacted the kit’s noses, the hunter convulsing continuously, and unable to retract his hand, his eyes rolled up and mouth foaming. A Brocade Cloak Guard trying to help the hunter and suffered the same fate when he touches Hunter Tao. With his magic ability Emperor Lam could sense Qigun are being drains from the two men to the kit, and in a few minutes they would die. With a quick stab Emperor Lam’s blade pieced through the kit chest, killed it instantly and free the men. After that they gather bamboo and burn all the remains of the kit, the leathery pod and the white fox to ashes in the cave and return to Baini.