An emperor, whose title was given since birth, sits on a golden throne, his name carved in every royal family rune stone, but with hands dirtied with cursed blood. Not cursed as in temporary, cursed as a trait that he cannot repel from. Not a blessed ruler, but a ferocious leader. One whose hands were bloodied by unchanged destiny. That destiny would live for a long while, sacrificing his own people for power. The greed he cannot escape grows within him and roots as the years pass. Now, with those unforgiving 'heroic acts' that were named by him, his new journey is to uphold power and use it to exchange his mortal life now for a better one in the future. His search for elixirs, blessings, and old books about eternity never ends.
With one leg over another, he taps his finger on the throne's handlebar in a slow rhythm, resting his head on the other hand, thinking of whatever was going through his mind as the 3 pink, flowery dancers in front of him put on a show. Their faces were half-covered with half-transparent veils.
"Your Majesty!" a man is heard from the other side of the room, gasping for air as he runs. He quickly kneels before the ruler. "I've brought you news. It seems that there's a man who is rumored to be from the future."
The new information piques Lord Tang's interest, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? Go on."
"He's known as a madman for his age, and retired alone in a cottage in Lishan. No other information."
"Lishan?" The emperor says slowly, now straightening his back, his foot tapping lightly on the floor. "Well, we might as well visit the locals and enjoy some sightseeing along the way." He laughs loudly. "Prepare the horses!" He commands; nothing else is needed for the man with his head lowered to hear, rapidly getting on with the assigned request. "A madman, they say…" He strokes his chin.
…
I play around with the grip of the borrowed sword; every step taken, you could hear the leaves crumbling beneath your feet. Li Qiao plays her flute quietly, soothing Ruo Xuan to sleep. He is lying across the back of the moving horse. Her fingers work effortlessly on the wooden flute. I take silent glances at her figure, carving in my memory every detail of her movements and expressions. I take a deep breath and wait till she takes a break for an opportunity to strike up a conversation: "You know how to fight and all that?"
"Well, how else am I supposed to make a living and also protect myself?" She puts her hair over one shoulder. "I mean- weren't people in this era… limited when it came to women's rights?" I walk side by side with the horse they were on.
"They still are, but what can they do about it? Exile me for touching a weapon? Like that's a thing."
"Well, where I come from, possessing weapons is illegal."
"You want to teach me how to wield a sword?" I ask the big question, looking up at her through my eyelashes, an eyebrow slightly tilted up.
Her eyes grew bigger, the spark in them slowly appearing brighter than ever. "Can I?" I could only chuckle at her reaction, "Sure."
Li Qiao swings her feet down and hops off the horse's back. "Let's first find a place to rest."
After wandering around in the vast forest, we reach a secluded place somewhere in the corners of the mountains. Li Qiao is the first one to unpack the travel bags from the horse. I go and wake up Ruo Xuan from his heavy sleep, snoring away in his dreams. "Hey. Wake up!" I nudge him awake. "Help us unpack the tents, do something! You are on the lookout." I drop a heavy bag of essentials on his chest, bringing some sense into him. "Alright, alright, man!" Ruo Xuan sits up and follows the other two on foot, leaving the horse behind. He clicks his tongue.
They build up their camp, getting firewood and logs. "James!" Li Qiao yells after me. I glance in the direction of her voice instinctively… but there was no one. I'm hearing things. I resume organizing the supplies. "James!" I hear it again. I straighten my back, looking in every corner where she could possibly be. "Little girl?" No one replies. I look around to check if Ruo Xuan is nearby, and I see him lying down across a log, bathing in the remaining sunlight. I sigh, exhausted after the long trip for already a whole day of constant walking and searching. It only takes a few seconds to hear the voice of the young girl yet again. "James!" I stand up, leaving all duties behind, grabbing my sword, rushing in the voice's direction.
The trees enveloped me completely. Confusing myself and losing the way back to the camp. But that didn't stop me from rushing into the woods, taking full responsibility for Li Qiao's safety indirectly. With every scream of her voice, I get closer, until, out of nowhere, I find myself standing in front of a huge pile of vines, like a waterfall on the tall rocks, hovering above my head for at least 60 meters high. I get a closer view of the spiny leaves, reaching slowly, digging my fingers behind them, reaching a gap. I walk straight into them, brushing the strands away from my view, and I stand before the entrance of a huge cave, hidden away. I look over my shoulder, hesitant about every step I should take. I take a deep breath before starting to explore inside.
"Li Qiao! Little miss!" My voice echoes. I gradually get concerned, my breath heavy with each second that passes. I started to lose hope, thinking it's a trap, my steps slowing down, when suddenly, a loud thrum echoes nearby. I take it as my only opportunity to find her and run.
I climb up a pile of rocks, using the sword as support. I see an intense blue light shining in my eyes. I reach the peak of the pile, and a huge tree is seen in the middle of the cave. A bright golden tree that shines neon lights, surrounded by wild plants painted in gold, sparkling like stars amid the dark room. Water streams around the base of the tree, lifting its crown high. Below the branches, on the riverside of the stream, a small figure is resting on the playful grass, playing with the goldfish. Her eyes were glowing bright from the reflection of the agitated water. I quietly make my way to her, not wanting to bother such a rare moment. Unnoticeable, I sit down a few meters behind her, propping my arms up and leaning back, enjoying the silent view, the elegant tree in the middle of nowhere, and a hidden gem that plays with everything she finds interesting. I couldn't help but smile constantly. God. How can treasure be real? Let me forever remember this moment and picture it with my own two eyes. I look up at the golden crown hovering wide above us, just like a warm cloth taking away our souls into a dance of a lifetime. I close my eyes, falling into a deep sleep.
The next moment I know, I wake up from a heavy sleep like a baby after its first nap. My eyes meet the falling yellow stars, the scent of musk and herbals. I feel a strange weight on one of my arms. I turn to the side and open my eyes, facing a little miss who loves to run away from people. I sigh, all my worries vanishing for a split second, taking my time to look at her from up close. Her eyelashes flutter at every breeze that brushes her face, her body filled with cold. My heart ached at her trembling figure. Wrapping my hand around her body, while keeping some distance, I tug her closer to me, trying my best to share my warmth with her in a decent manner, like a father caring for her daughter. She sleeps more comfortably.
I feel her moving slightly, waking up, and I quickly pretend to be asleep.
She opens her eyes, meeting my face above hers, closer than ever. She blushes wildly and pushes herself up. "Weirdo…" She mutters, walking away from me, grabbing her sword from the riverside. I pretend just to wake up, yawning and stretching too. "Good morning, little miss." I grin.
"You sleep like a bear and snore like one."
"Thanks. And you sleep like a pig."
"Better than a grizzly."
I laugh, finding her insults funny and adorable. "What are you even doing here in the first place? You left the camp to get wood. No?"
"Technically, yes. I saw many animals running toward here, and I thought I'd have time to check it out. Didn't know this would be here. Like an easter egg."
"Yeah. It's truly amazing. I never knew this place even existed. I might check it out once I go back home. See if it's still alive and… unbothered, like now." I say quietly, brushing my hands on the tree's open roots. She walks up to me, copying my movements, her hand colliding with mine, hovering right above my knuckles. I was taken off guard; every move was unanticipated, uncommon, and unique. As soon as my heart fluttered for a millisecond, I pulled away my hand, taking a few steps back, leaving a quite visible space between her and me. I clear my throat; "We… we should find a way out. It's probably already noon, and Ruo Xuan will freak out if he finds us missing." I avoid her eyes, already looking for an exit. She remains silent. Her eyes linger on me, agonizing in silence for a minute. "Right." She follows behind.