Chapter 11
Fly
The princess's group sleeps in the Aurora village. Two Earth Element members sleep in the trees, keeping watch and guarding the princess. In this peaceful Mixed Original Holy Land, doing so is redundant, even "too romantic" in Vo Phong's words. But for a recruit like him, it is necessary. The red-haired guy needs to understand the work of the special task force.
In the trees without beds or mats, Vo Phong constantly tosses and turns. When he can catch a short nap, his mind is disturbed again by the words of Chrono Seer K'jun. Then dreams appear one after another; they are like sharp puzzle pieces, and Vo Phong is the person playing the puzzle game.
He buries his head, painstakingly assembling each piece, and the sharp edges prick his hands, shocking him awake. He falls asleep again, continues the puzzle, and wakes up again. "Who am I? Where do I come from?" — these questions keep troubling him.
But the worst is the nightmare at dawn. Vo Phong's head is groggy, and he suddenly notices something wriggling under his feet. Thinking it is a snake, he wakes up in a panic, but there is no snake at all, only the blonde girl Tieu Ho climbing up the tree. Vo Phong widens his eyes, and she pauses. The two stare at each other for a long time. Suddenly, Tieu Ho lunges forward, reaching out to pull off Vo Phong's hood. The red-haired guy catches her wrists and stammers:
- What... what the hell? What are you doing?
- You thief! I must expose you! - Tieu Ho growls.
The two wrestle and pull at each other, falling down from the treetop. Vo Phong lands on the ground; he feels as if his butt is about to split into two halves. Tieu Ho aggressively rushes forward and pins Vo Phong flat on the ground, preparing to pull off his hood. Although the girl is small, her strength is immense; Vo Phong struggles for a long time but cannot escape, shouting:
- Help, help! Vermin, save me!
- Shut up! - Tieu Ho gnashes her teeth - Save what? You thief!
She flings away Vo Phong's hands and grabs his hood. Vo Phong thinks to himself that this time he is afraid he will die in prison, and even his bones will rot. Suddenly, Vermin appears and catches Tieu Ho's hand, preventing her from unmasking the red-haired guy's true face. The girl says bluntly:
- Take your hand off me! None of your business! Want to fight?
- He is an Earth Element member, and I am the deputy captain, so this is of course my business! - Vermin smiles - Have some sympathy, this guy just got injured, and his entire face is completely ruined. It was an injury from a mission, you know! He was contaminated by toxins, and now his face is melting like wax... and there is a very heavy odor...
The deputy captain describes Vo Phong's terrible face with a grimace. Hearing this, Tieu Ho hesitates. The rest of the princess's group wakes up at this time, sluggishly coming out to see who is arguing.
Tieu Ho leaves, not forgetting to cast a sharp glance, as if reminding Vo Phong that this matter is not over yet. Vermin smiles at the red-haired guy, his squinted eyes forming deep, hollow grooves that send chills down Vo Phong's spine. He feels that the deputy captain fellow is covering up for him.
At six o'clock in the morning, Clan Chief Mouyn and the princess's group set out for The Eternity. The Clan Chief lights a torch, leading the group through the mountain tunnel located at the end of the village.
This place is a labyrinth composed of intersecting alleys and cross paths; if they do not rely on the Aurora tribe people to lead the way, a stranger who gets lost is doomed to die.
The flickering light of the torch leads the group through a space filled with chilling air, where the lingering wind drifts like ghosts whispering in people's ears. The Hoa Nghi guard fellow sweats profusely and says:
- Clan Chief, can we use a spaceship to fly over the mountains?
- Between our world and the world of The Eternity, an invisible wall exists. - Mouyn answers - This tunnel is the only passage to The Mother. Spaceships are useless.
Luc Chau asks the Clan Chief:
- I don't quite understand. This place is only well known to the Aurora tribe people, so why was "that man" able to find the path to The Mother ten years ago?
- I thought the princess knew. Alas, there are really many things that young people nowadays do not know. - Mouyn shakes his head, his tone full of regret - Because "that man" was once a Sacred Envoy, and a Grand Sacred Envoy. I once brought him to meet The Eternity. The first time he came, he already remembered all the caves and alleys, possessing a superhuman memory. He was talented, the finest Sacred Envoy I have ever seen. He was stronger than everyone, even stronger than The Seven. I thought he would become the savior of this world, but it was all just an illusion; I really don't understand why he betrayed The Mother.
Princess Luc Chau clasps her hands together in prayer. The others also do not say anything, just focusing on walking forward. Vo Phong guesses that an event happened in the holy land ten years ago, and it was not an auspicious thing.
After walking through winding roads one by one, everyone leaves the tunnel and stops at the edge of an abyss. Below the abyss is a huge valley. A long river flows through the valley, graceful like a silk scarf left behind in the human world by a goddess. The deep blue river water reflects a pack of monsters sleeping on the cliffs. Clan Chief Mouyn kneels down, opens his arms, and lets out a howl.
The sound echoes on the mountainside, spreading along the river, shaking all things. The pack of monsters awakens; they cry out loudly, then immediately flap their wings and fly into the air. Those strange monsters possess strong limbs and well-built bodies.
In order to lift up their massive bodies, The Eternity bestows upon them four orange-red wings, just like the afterglow of the setting sun. Vermin leans close to the red-haired guy's ear, saying in a low voice:
- They are the "Fallen", a kind of aerial monster — they can fly, and can easily kill us like a bird catching insects. In the past, the Fallen mainly fed on humans, but when the leader was subdued by Goddess Areia, they stayed here, serving as pack mules to carry us to The Mother.
- Pack mules? Us? Climbing onto the backs of those man-eating monsters? - Vo Phong rolls his eyes.
The deputy captain nods, confirming it. Before the red-haired guy has time to ask more, a Fallen beast soars into the air from the riverbed. Its body is three times the size of an ordinary Fallen beast, with six orange-red wings flapping on its back, its massive form as though it were swallowing the sunlight.
The monster soars in the air, then lands on the edge of the abyss, its forelimbs covered in sharp claws piercing deeply into the ground. It turns sideways to look, its flat head shaking slightly, its wide mouth full of jagged teeth.
Particularly, its back is covered with densely packed spearheads. Every single metal stake pierces its rough skin, oozing drops of scalding blood, red and yellow mixed together like lava. Mouyn instructs everyone:
- It is the alpha of this pack of monsters. Everyone, say nothing!
Mouyn steps forward, speaking to that Fallen with the language of the Aurora tribe. The monster does not pay attention to the chief, but instead stares intently at the princess.
It emits roars of fierceness one after another, its burning golden-yellow eyes as though they wanted to tear her to pieces. After the chief finishes speaking, the monster turns around and presents its massive back for the group to climb onto.
Before they have time to steady their bodies, that Fallen lowers its body and then soars away, its six wings stirring fierce winds in turn. Vo Phong almost falls down, but luckily he quickly hugs a spearhead tightly. Vermin pulls Vo Phong up with effort, and Tieu Ho immediately speaks sarcastic words on the side:
- Why didn't you fall down!
Vo Phong is extremely furious, wishing he could pull out all of her blonde hair. The two relentlessly hurl bullet glances into each other's faces, each constantly muttering curses at the other, while only Vermin, sitting in the middle, has to endure it all.
The Fallen's brilliant red wings flap through the morning air of the Holy Land. The monster's shadow glides past green hills one after another, then soars over ancient tree forests of ice-stone color one after another. The princess leans on Chien Tu's shoulder, tightly holding his hand.
The red-haired guy watches the young man and young woman with melancholy. He wishes he could replace Chien Tu, holding the princess's hand, flying between heaven and earth. What could be more wonderful than this? - He daydreams.
Time flies. An hour has already passed, but the figure of The Mother is still nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, the Fallen's speed increases, rushing straight toward a patch of dark clouds. Everyone tightly grasps the spears on the monster's back, each and every one turning pale with cold.
The monster breaks through the sea of clouds, circles a few times, and then carries everyone to land on top of a mountain hill. Everyone has difficulty breathing because the air is thin, and the sight before their eyes makes their breathing even more difficult.
In the air are scattered crumbling ruined cities that float and move one after another, slowly drifting toward the unknown distance. They are cracked and broken, with ancient trees and weeds scrambling to grow wildly inside them. According to Mouyn's statement, these ruined cities are relics left behind by the world's first era named "The Ancient Five Empires".
The five largest empires once existed in the Heart-Dream World; because of power struggles, the five major empires constantly provoked wars, and finally The Mother destroyed everything, letting the Heart-Dream World return to the beginning of its birth.
This is the first and only punishment of The Eternity.
The Fallen flaps its wings and flies away. Clan Chief Mouyn bends his body, singing with a hoarse voice:
"The children have already come, respected Mother
Please let the children see clearly the wrong things of the past
In order for there to be no more sad things
In order for there to be no more bitter tears"
As soon as the singing stops, tens of thousands of black-grey stones fly from each city, connecting to each other, forming a seamless long bridge that spans the sea of clouds and is boundless. Everyone sets out on foot from here.
This is a trial that all Sacred Envoys and guards must overcome. Looking at the long bridge with no end, Vo Phong already feels tired before even taking a step.
Everyone follows the Clan Chief and steps onto the long bridge. After walking for a distance, Vo Phong is surprised to find that this bridge is not only made of stone, but also contains countless rare metals inside—gems, agates, gold and silver, and even diamonds. Those treasures are exposed outside, visible to the naked eye, as if one only needs a shovel and the desire to get rich to dig to one's heart's content. The red-haired guy's breath hitches:
- Diamonds... diamonds!
- It belongs to the dead. - The Clan Chief says - If you take away anything from here, it will disappear.
Tieu Ho sighs, saying carelessly:
- Thieves are always obsessed with these things!
The red-haired guy is so angry that his throat tightens, and his ears feel burning hot, as if emitting smoke.
A strong wind blows majestically from the west. The clouds and mist clear a path, revealing another scene beneath the bridge. Everyone sees that the surroundings are a vast and quiet ocean. On the water surface, countless illusions move slowly, and some are flying in mid-air together with the Sacred Fairies one by one.
Vo Phong kneels down, stretching his neck to look toward the ocean, finding that these figures look very much like humans. The only difference is that they are like a mass of gas that cannot condense, liable to dissipate at any time. He knows this ocean because the Heart-Dream people talk about, tell, and weave countless legends about it all day long. In ancient language and beliefs, this place is called "Hell". Vo Phong asks:
- Soul-gathering Ocean?! It is the Soul-gathering Ocean, right? It is actually real!
- That's right. After people die, all souls return here, waiting for The Eternity to transcend them, except for the Sacred Envoys. - Clan Chief Mouyn confirms - Be careful with every step, falling down from here is no joke.
Tieu Ho suddenly interrupts:
- The Clan Chief's words are not complete yet! The Mother only allows good souls to obtain transcendence. Certain thieves can never think of being reborn!
The red-haired guy tries hard to restrain himself. Tieu Ho looks at the sky admiring the clouds as if nothing had happened, her hands behind her back, taking light steps that are close to skipping. The girl smiles happily, as if she had found a new pastime.
Although the majestic holy land feasts the eyes, it tortures the legs mercilessly. The bridge surface is rough and slippery, making walking very laborious. After walking continuously for three hours, the princess and her party are all exhausted.
What is more depressing is that up until now, the figure of The Eternity has still not been seen. Clan Chief Mouyn signals everyone to stop and rest, and announces even worse news: the team still needs several hours to approach The Mother.
In the team, Vo Phong is the most tired one, both physically and mentally. Along the way, he is constantly tortured by Tieu Ho with sarcastic and harsh words.
Although her legs are tired, her mouth is not tired at all, muttering a string of words like "theft" and "robbery" every ten minutes.
Vo Phong feels like he is listening to a boring song over and over again. Tieu Ho has absolutely no intention of letting him off; seeing the red-haired guy lying on the ground panting, the young girl slowly approaches. Vo Phong leaps up immediately:
- What are you doing?!
- What's wrong? Do you have a guilty conscience as a thief? Hey, do you know, the smell of 'thief' on your body is simply too strong!
She deliberately speaks loudly so that everyone can hear. Counting it up, Tieu Ho has already muttered the word "theft" nearly a hundred times. Vo Phong can no longer endure it, stands up, stares, and says:
- I tell you, I am a regular soldier of the Earth Element, a soldier! Do you understand? I have a graduation certificate from the academy, which is openly, justly, and legitimately recognized! On what grounds do you say I steal things? Why are you always babbling?!
Tieu Ho is so angry that her teeth chatter with clicking sounds:
- Shut up! I am the one who has the right to speak...
- Shut up, hammer! You suspect me? Then I suspect you too! On what grounds can a talkative girl like you become the Sacred Envoy's guard? Shut up, you fierce, ugly, fire-spitting chameleon!
- Bastard! What do you say?!
That "fierce, ugly, fire-spitting chameleon" rushes straight over, grabs Vo Phong's collar with one hand, determined to settle scores with him. Luc Chau sighs in front of this pair of men and women struck by heaven, having no choice but to step forward to intervene.
But before the princess walks very far, the bridge body suddenly shakes violently, every single rock trembling, as if it will fall apart at any moment. Everyone falls into extreme panic, thinking that this bridge is going to collapse. The Clan Chief hastily calms everyone's emotions:
- Do not fear, it is just...
Bursts of screams instantly swallow the Clan Chief's voice. Countless black resentful souls suddenly appear out of thin air, pouncing on everyone, opening their wide mouths and attempting to tear everyone to pieces. Tieu Ho steps back in panic, accidentally steps on a rough rock, and slides straight down from the bridge. Luc Chau shouts anxiously:
- Tieu Ho!
Right at that split second, Vo Phong suddenly lunges forward, grabbing Tieu Ho's hand with one grasp. The girl's weight, combined with the slippery rock, causes him to instantly lose balance, and he is also dragged down. In a panic, the red-haired guy tightly grasps a protruding rock, every single knuckle feeling severe pain as if about to fracture.
Vermin rushes up wanting to catch Vo Phong, but is a step too slow. The rock surface is too slippery, and Vo Phong can no longer hold on. He and Tieu Ho fall down together. The red-haired guy can be certain now that The Eternity definitely arranged on purpose for him and this blonde girl to become the first pair of man and woman to die in the Soul-gathering Ocean—this is truly a "romantic" script that he could never imagine in his dreams.
At the critical moment of life and death, the red-haired guy grabs a very long vine by the bridge with one grasp, his hand feeling burning hot. The vine rubs violently against the rock, ripping down countless particles of dust, and finally snaps abruptly because it cannot bear the weight of the two people. They continue to fall, and directly below is a huge city currently floating in the air. Tieu Ho shouts:
- The Eternity, we are dead for sure!
Vo Phong does not know what to do. In the panic, he suddenly sees a sloped wall below, the stone surface being smooth. The red-haired guy embraces Tieu Ho, inclines his body along the direction of the wind, and lands on the sloped city wall.
As soon as he lands, he slides down at an extremely fast speed, his shoe soles rubbing against the flagstone ground, emitting a piercing sound. Tieu Ho screams in panic, her hands subconsciously clutching Vo Phong's neck tightly.
She hears the sound of wind, hears the sound of laughter. "Who is laughing?" she wonders in her heart, looking up at the red-haired guy. Although she cannot see his face clearly, looking at his eyes, she knows he is laughing.
Tieu Ho sees the brilliant sunshine, the endless sky, the boundless ocean. She recognizes the long golden hair flying together with strands of red hair. She hears that laughter that releases the soul and floats with the wind, so vast... vast, as if echoing forever in the distance...
The two slide along the wall, rushing straight toward the Soul-gathering Ocean. Right at this moment, Chief Mouyn mutters a spell. Hearing his call, countless Sacred Fairies surround them the instant they are about to touch the sea surface, firmly holding up Vo Phong and Tieu Ho.
A group of the Sacred Fairies brings the two back onto the stone bridge. Vo Phong falls to the ground panting heavily, his heart thumping wildly. The princess approaches him, asking with concern:
- Are you both doing well?
Vo Phong cannot speak, having no choice but to nod his head. The Hoa Nghi guard comes closer and looks at the red-haired guy, smiling:
- Holding each other so tightly!
The red-haired guy finds to his utter astonishment that Tieu Ho is lying on top of him. The two quickly release their hands, each backing away as if avoiding a plague.
Countless black souls float around, groaning constantly. Vo Phong sees various kinds of figures, from children to the elderly, from women to young men. They used to be humans. Those people belonged to The Ancient Five Empires. They died after the punishment of The Eternity, but instead of going to the Soul-gathering Ocean to receive transcendence, they hid in the ancient cities and clung to the past.
The resentful souls look at the living people, waving arms that are like frost and smoke. They want to strangle the living people, attempting to make everyone become just like them, but they cannot do it.
After a burst of frantic screaming, they weep again, clinging tightly to the feet of the living, begging them not to leave, as they need life to warm that yearning for the long-shattered past.
Tieu Ho is still immersed in shock. Luc Chau helps her sit up, reminding her in a low voice to thank Vo Phong. Hearing this, Tieu Ho struggles and retorts:
- Huh? Why thank that guy? He...
Although he cannot hear clearly what the two girls are saying, Vo Phong, who is yawning, can understand the approximate content:
- Many people are as stubborn as these souls, Princess! Chameleons only know how to spit fire but do not know how to apologize.
Tieu Ho's fists tremble, as if she wants to beat him to a pulp. In the end, she ignores Vo Phong, instead turning to thank Clan Chief Mouyn for saving her life. Luc Chau feels helpless about Tieu Ho's stubborn temper, and can only smile bitterly at the red-haired guy:
- Sorry! Thank you for saving Tieu Ho!
Then the princess lowers her head. The red-haired guy is ecstatic, his mind already flying beyond the nine layers of heaven. She smiled at him just now! She thanked him just now! This is a heavenly big matter! This day should be recorded in the history of the Heart-Dream World! He even hopes the scene just now can recur. And in his fantasy, he will throw Tieu Ho out without any hesitation, replacing her with the figure of the princess.
Everyone continues their weary journey, while Vo Phong is still driftingly daydreaming. Vermin pats his shoulder:
- The smell on your body is too strong.
Thinking Vermin dislikes him for not being hygienic, the red-haired guy sniffs his whole body, but perceives a subtle odor. Although separated by the face-covering hood, his nostrils are still filled with a faint delicate fragrance.
The red-haired guy slows down his pace, deliberately walking at the very back. Taking advantage of no one noticing, he hastily sneaks a sniff at his sleeve, and only then does his anger toward Tieu Ho gradually calm down.
Sometimes, emotions are truly strange...