Kage Ou started to lead the statue with himself. Though the shapes weren't easy to catch, he could tell the fifth one beside would be where they needed to go.
"Come on, we found your home. Speed up." He moved the ice bar towards that cave.
The statue watched him for a moment and then followed. Its steps on the water were now careful.
While moving, Kage Ou watched the insides of this cave too. This was more blue than ever. There was a large empty spot in the middle of that place.
'That's it. My struggle ends here.'
"Alright, now stand over here." He called the statue, pointing at the place.
The statue looked at the spot as if it was his lost home. But it didn't move forward just yet.
Kage Ou tilted his head, not understanding why he wasn't going. He observed the place again. The place had some sharp edges of ice. But this wasn't possibly any problem for the statue. There should be something else.
He made his sword pull him closer to the barrier to have a close look. There was nothing more than that. But something else also caught his eyes.
A sword sank into the ice.
Its hilt was out, half frozen. The hilt alone said the sword would be much larger.
Kage Ou blinked. Looked at it and then looked at the chains around the statue's hands.
'What if this is the sword I'm supposed to use to break the chains..?'
Without much thought, he grabbed the hilt and started to pull it backwards. But it was tight. He was already weak to do it in one pull as he was usually able to do. Groans escaped but the sword didn't come out.
So his own sword started digging over the ice, making the silver of the sword gleam.
"That's it. Keep doing. We are close." Kage Ou rolled the sword, making the space around it larger.
After a few moments, finally the sword came out.
It actually was large and the blade was as shiny as silver. It was carved into half shape like a water-drop at the blade but looked perfectly sharp.
Still to be sure, Kage Ou tested it by touching the edge of the blade. His finger immediately bled a little as soon as it touched it. It felt like a paper cut but still too sharp than the pressure he ever had included here.
Within a few moments of withdrawing the sword, the circular area where the sword was started to pulse with soft blue light as if it had come back to life. The middle area smoothed itself from the rough edges to smoother. Like soft blue marble floor.
Kage Ou watched the scene unfold with silent awe. Then looked at the sword and then back to the statue who was also watching the scene.
"I think this is the sword you need to be freed." He smirked, spinning the sword in his grip like a plaything. "Maybe I can keep it too if the cave doesn't want it back."
The statue growled when Kage Ou kept it waiting. Its hands roamed up a little, showing the chains like a reminder.
"Oh, yes. Here we go." Kage Ou gripped the sword properly. His gaze calculating how and where he would slam the blade on the chains.
"Alright. Get ready." He took a few steps back. "Raise up the wrist higher. Stand steady. Don't move."
The statue obeyed, standing still and patient. Kage Ou's own sword stood over its blade like one leg on the slippery ice while watching them.
"Three. Two. One." He muttered to himself, trying to keep his pounding head awake.
Then he ran and jumped from the edge of the ice bar. His arms rose with the sword, one leg hooked up within the perfect position of throwing something really heavy and sharp. "Blade on chains!!"
"Pu!!" His sword cheered, jumping on the ice like a cheerful bird.
The statue's red sockets pulsed more as if eyes were wide but didn't move an inch.
The sharp blade slammed hard over the chain with a sharp sound echoing all over the cave. Kage Ou was about to fall over the water again so his sword moved in speed next, catching him from falling.
His one blade hovered over the flowing water and stood steady with him. Kage Ou turned behind to see how the impact landed over the chains.
The chains on the other hand—trembled while cracking like old skins, the edges had burning fire before it cracked all from the statue's hands and fell into the water, leaving its hands completely open.
"Oh, it's finally done!" Kage Ou couldn't help but grin as the big disaster was gone by now.
The chains made large waves as it sank into water. His sword didn't waste time as it raised him up, out of reach from the waves and landed over the perfect spot near to the circle.
Kage Ou finally looked at the statue's face, immediately seeing the changes. All of the dirt which kept its real look hidden—fell from its skin, revealing that gentle violet as the wrist had. It tilted back its head as if relief washed over it.
The dark red sockets now shut like eyes with their lids. The stone hair looked real as it looked vibrant dark violet, not same as the skin. When it looked down, its gaze softened. The eye sockets were now full-formed eyes with violet lenses. It actually smiled softly at him.
Kage Ou was left stunned. His mouth parted silently. "Wow...hopefully I'm not dreaming.."
The statue gave a slow gentle bow. The move was unlike anything he had ever seen. It felt like a doll moving gracefully. And then he actually heard its voice more than just angry animalistic growling.
"Thank you very much. You have unsealed the chains which have been holding me down for centuries under the water." The statue said. Its voice gentle and graceful. Not prideful but generally grateful.
Kage Ou didn't react for a moment, just stared and then blinked awakened, bowed back almost awkwardly. Even giving a push to his own sword to do the same.
His sword purred like pouting but did as told, lowering itself a bit.
"My pleasure.." Kage Ou breathed.
He had a lot of questions to ask. But it got stuck in his throat when the statue moved closer to him. It lowered itself lightly to him and landed its large hand over the ground in front of him, silently inviting to come up.
Kage Ou didn't make it wait and stood up on its hand. He looked too tiny over its hand. He stood still as now suddenly too aware of what stupidity he had with a statue which looked divine—probably would be too.
The statue took him close to its forehead where the empty space of any diamond was located. Its eyes closed as if it was its way of hugging or showing affection, gratefulness.
Kage Ou didn't know what to do in return. So he just spread his arms and hugged the cold marble skin over there, cheek lightly crashing over it.
"Who was that other man with you?" It asked him after a moment.
Kage Ou blinked as the statue was again too curious over Lìngxi. But he said truthfully. Too much than intended. "My best friend. But..lives within bones too deeper than he knows."
The statue listened and then just chuckled faint and thoughtfully. It didn't even ask his name. Just said, "Keep him within bones then..you deserve to live in his bones too. And if the bone breaks, you shall break together without leaving each other's side."
Kage Ou couldn't help but flush as the statue seemed more bold than he was without even being bold in that way others see. He kept hugging and lowered over the marble skin, suddenly too interested in counting the gloss over it.
"I..would.." He mumbled softly but truly.
He didn't realize the statue had gone silent and still. It made him blink and then look around. Then he realized the statue had already stood up at the circle and gone lifeless. Its posture was like it had caught any falling star. And now beside him was a smaller young male statue who was leaning against the statue's cheeks, smiling faintly and looking into its large eyes.
"Hello? Pretty statue?" Kage Ou called.
No answer. Just the cave echoed his question back to him.
"Pu pu?" His sword was still watching from down there, awaiting for him to come down.
"Maybe I have been too thoughtful to even notice its movements.." He muttered to himself and came down from the statue's hands after looking at both of them for a last time.
"Catch." He called to his sword.
It immediately caught him over its blade again, standing steady over it.
He exhaled, a soft relieved smile spread to his lips. "Let's go to Lìngxi."
The sword obeyed and then they left the cave. He watched the gate thoughtfully. But now it got sealed by itself as they left.
"Sweet dreams." He muttered to himself, as if telling it to the statue and disappeared into the distance.