Divine Spirits' Diadem—The Warped World RP
1
Welcome, this is another attempt at an RP which I hope works out. This current RP will take place in the land of China. Martial artist drive in this world, where they test their skills. If you’re interested to join after you read, please PM me. Only join if you’re certain you can write at least twice per week at minimum. Those who cannot keep up with that simple demand will be kicked.
(Still open for players do join.)
Prologue:
One thousand years ago, the land of man had reached a technological level never once seen throughout human history. Humans had created vehicles that would allow them to fly anywhere they wished, had extended their lives and saved the lives of those with deadly diseases when once there was no cure. It seemed nothing could stop humans from pursuing their goals of advancing even further.
Many pursue this advancement, hoping it would one day end the need for humans to fight each other. But there were humans who saw it differently. They saw opportunity to further extend their power and conquer the world.
One day a great war began, no one could recall how it began as the war itself did not last long. Two years into the war, strange creatures emerged unto the land from what it seemed to be out of nowhere. Even with all their advancement, man’s weapons were useless against the creatures. The creatures destroyed all armies which it soon after exterminated most of mankind.
From the millions of humans that lived on this Earth, the numbers dwindled down to a few thousands in less than a year. Survivors believed that this was the end of humanity. Before all hope was lost the God Jade Emperor and Goddess Amaterasu heard the pleas of the remaining humans for salvation. Even if worshipped on different cultures and not by everyone left on the Earth, the Jade Emperor and Amaterasu could not stand as man were being exterminated. Even though they could not come down from the Heavens themselves, the Jade Emperor blessed twelve humans with the powers of the Zodiac and the knowledge to use Chi. Goddess Amaterasu blessed these twelve Zodiacs with twelve holy weapons from around the world, many of the weapons which were myths.
The Zodiac’s fought bravely, repelling the creatures that once man could do nothing against. On what seemed to be the final hours of the battle with the creatures, a great curse was placed on seven of the Zodiac’s that could not get away. Unable to completely destroyed the creatures, the Zodiac’s sealed the remaining creatures away. The Zodiac’s taught the way of Chi to the remaining humans as for when the seal would broke down the future, humans would be ready to face the great evil again.
Seeing as seven of the twelve Zodiac had a curse placed on them, and the Jade Emperor and Amaterasu could not remove the curses, they created two more Zodiac’s in hopes it would balance the Yin and Yang among the Zodiac’s as the Yang was stronger than the Yin.
Years passed and man began anew. The world now different, humans strive to rebuild what they once had and would prepare for the evil that once came to return once more. The Zodiac’s that fought for salvation now long gone, temples now lay hoping they shall return once more to fight the great evil.
Character Sheet:
Name: Your character name
Age: 16+
Gender: Male or Female
Country: What country are you from. I expect most players to be from China itself, foreign characters are allowed but there will be a limit.
Appearance: How does your character look like.
Personality: How your character behaves. What might be their good sides or what kind of disadvantages might they have.
Virtues: All virtues start at 1 automatically without any points spent. Divide 15 additional points to raise them to a maximum of 5.
Benevolence: is about altruism and kindness. You may earn a Deed when you heal the sick out of compassion, rescue a child trapped in a burning building, or otherwise save the meek from their misfortunes.
Ferocity: does not restrain its own power but indiscriminately inflicts it upon all who oppose it. All within the Martial World face violence in their lives, but those who live by this virtue revel in bloodshed. You may earn a Deed when you humiliate or maim an opponent, when you set things on fire as a tactic, or otherwise cause great destruction
Force: measures your power and skill; not merely destructive power, but true mastery over yourself and your abilities. You may earn a Deed when you achieve a stunningly high skill roll, when you defeat a major opponent, or when your grand plan successfully comes to fruition
Individualism: selfishly places its own desires above all others. You may earn a Deed when you defy your superiors, when you stubbornly refuse to be convinced by others, or if you allow bad things to happen to others because you can benefit from it.
Honor: is your proper behavior and all-as-it-should-be feeling. You may earn a Deed when you repay a great favor or kindness shown to you, when you observe a social or traditional norm at cost to yourself, when you stand by your sword brothers in their time of need, or when you insist on speaking the truth even when a lie would have been more beneficial.
Obsession: values its goals so much that it stops at nothing to achieve them, whether those goals are chivalrous or corrupt. These goals could be shared with others; a fanatical zealot might have not just a high Loyalty towards his master, but also an Obsession towards following his orders to the absolute letter. You may earn a Deed when you execute your plans even though they might hurt innocents, when you trick or force people into aiding you, or when you forsake other duties to fulfill this one.
Loyalty: means placing the interests of your superiors above your own. They can be your parents, teachers, the Emperor, sect leaders, or even the people of your country as a whole. Your leader doesn’t necessarily have to be present, or even alive, for you to remain loyal: if a military coup executed your rightful leader, it’s entirely possible to be a loyal person, even though you defy the current authorities. You may earn a Deed when your orders conflict with your personal wishes or you go beyond the expected duties of your station.
Revenge: pays back any wrong tenfold. No insult or injury can be left unchallenged! It’s not necessarily yourself that you’re avenging; a vengeful son could draw his sword when he hears anyone maligning his father. You may earn a Deed when you challenge others to a duel over an insult, or otherwise fiercely protect a reputation.
Righteousness: seeks justice and uprightness and abhors crime and corruption. You may earn a Deed when you expose a magistrate who took bribes, when you convince a ruler to pass a law that is fairer to his subjects, or when you track down and punish a murderer who was never caught.
Ruthlessness: seeks to increase its own well being at the expense of others. You may earn a Deed when you frame a political rival for a crime he didn’t commit, when you steal a secret kung fu manual to increase your own power, or when you arrange for your followers to die in an ambush because they know too much about you. The difference between Si and Hen is this: Si is passive and selfishly fails to act better. Hen is active and chooses to commit a sin.
KUNG FU:
Each character gets access to two External and one Internal Kung Fu Styles for free. You get a total of 30 Destiny points to buy Kung fu moves.
External Kung Fu: provides the character with basic combat statistics and certain descriptors that determine how the character fights and interacts, not only with his opponents, but with his surroundings.
Internal Kung Fu: allows you to spend Chi to perform special maneuvers or add special effects to your attacks. You automatically get the first technique of your free style. Both types of styles offer a great gamut of techniques, but those have to be bought separately with Destiny.The kung fu styles a fighter uses are more than simple means of attack and defense, but a reflection of his or her personality, history, and philosophy. Ideally, your styles should compliment your character concept.
Stats: 30 points Stats cap at 10.
Speed: This measures your swiftness and decisiveness. A style with a high Speed bonus is quick and aggressive while one with a lower Speed bonus is likely to be passive, preferring to let others make the first move. Your Speed score is used to determine your initiative. If your Speed is 15 points higher your opponent cannot counter you.
Footwork: This represents is your mobility and lightness.
Block: Yet dodging is not always the best choice. By Blocking the attack, such as by battering the weapon aside with your own, kicking a table into your opponent, or in any other way interfering with the execution of the attack, you can defend yourself handily.
Strike: This is, quite simply, the accuracy of your attacks. It can represent economy of motion, furious power, elaborate patterns, or deceptive feints. If your strike is 20 points higher you can deal additional damage unless your opponent fully block all your damage.
Damage: Although it would be nice if you could instantly pulverize an enemy with a single hit, that probably won’t happen (much). If your strike hits, you inflict a Ripple. Suffice it to say that Damage makes it more likely for your attacks to cause serious lasting harm. A high Damage bonus typically represents greater destructive force, with more focus on specialized striking points on the body or sharpness.
Toughness: Some martial art forms tighten your muscles until they are unbreakable like iron. Others sway with attacks, rolling with the blow rather than resisting it. However they accomplish it, martial arts can provide an added level of protection by not only making you harder to hit but also harder to hurt.
Chi: Players begin with 10 Chi. Decide what type of Chi does your character have. There are the Elements of: Wood, Fire, Earth, Water or Metal.
Perks: Please look at the Perk section, you get a total of 25 points to spend on perks all perks have a current limit up to 4.
Weapon: Please look at the weapon section.
Armor:
Light Armor lets you count your Toughness as 5 higher for the purpose of Ripple rolls intended to cause physical injuries. All but the lightest clothing may count as Light Armor.
Medium Armor lets you count your Toughness as 10 higher for the purpose of Ripple rolls intended to cause physical injuries. It also imposes a -5 penalty to Speed and Footwork, as well as Finesse, Stealth and any other skill use the I may deem appropriate. This represents thick hardened leather, heavy furs or simple plating. Reduces Damage by 10.
Heavy Armor lets you count your Toughness as 15 higher for the purpose of Ripple rolls intended to cause physical injuries. It also imposes a -10 penalty to Speed and Footwork, as well as Finesse, Stealth and any other skill use I may deem appropriate. This is solid iron armor reserved only for wartime or elite guards. Reduces Damage by 20.
List of External/Internal Kung Fu,Perks, and Weapons
Mechanics:
When combat begins the turns shall begin with the Initiative Phase during this time only Kung fu moves that increase Speed can be used as well as Chi moves that increase Speed. Only one move of each can be used and only a total of two Chi moves can be used in the turn.
Once is determine who has the initiative Action Phase will begin for the one attacking while Action 2 Phase will begin for the one defending. During Action Phase one can use moves that increase Strike Toughness or Damage unless stated otherwise. Only one Kung fu move can be used during this turn.
During Action 2 one can use moves that increase Footwork,Toughness or Block unless stated otherwise. Only one Kung fu can be used this turn.
During any of these phases moves that are listed as Trigger can be used but only one Trigger move can be used per turn.
Critical Success
If you roll high enough to reach a higher difficulty level than required, your success is correspondingly greater. If your roll wasn’t made against a set difficulty but was opposed by another roll, you achieve a critical success if your final number is at least 10 points higher. Sometimes this is merely a nice little bonus. If cooking a simple meal is a trivial (10) task, then achieving a moderate (20) result just makes the food taste better. Other times, the benefit can be much more significant. If you intimidate some bandits thoroughly enough, they might be so frightened that they give up on crime and mend their ways!
Marvels
This is a special Minor Combat Action, and will get greater attention in that chapter. In a nutshell, Marvels make sure you get more use of out your rolls by adding extra utility to them that can help you in your struggles. Some Marvels hinder your enemies or allow you to accomplish certain goals. Unlike regular Minor Actions, Marvels don’t have a static difficulty but are usually opposed by a defense roll. Example: Your hammer slams into a soldier and knocks him right off the city walls! The attack itself simply hurts him, but the way you forced him down was done with a Marvel.
Rippling Rolls
The defender faces a Rippling roll if the Attacker succeeds by 10 or more. Roll an amount of dice equal to the total amount of Ripples present on the victim and apply any relevant bonus. This doesn’t consume the Ripples; they are only compounded by new unfortunate events.
Disorient Rolls
This is a special Minor Combat Action, when used two d10 will be used against your opponent's toughness. If your roll is higher your opponent you inflict a Passion condition such as fear, awe, despair or contemplating the error in their methods.
Disruption Rolls
This is a special Minor Combat Action, when used two d10 will be used against your opponent's toughness. If your roll is higher your opponent cannot take action that turn you can only use this twice per fight.
Poison/Burn/Freeze
This is a special Minor Combat Action, when used two d10 will be used against your opponent's toughness. If your roll is higher your opponent they’ve become poison/burn/freeze they will take damage each turn based on a D10 roll additional stacks can be applied.
Shock
This is a special Minor Combat Action, when used two d10 will be used against your opponent's toughness. If your roll is higher your opponent cannot take action that turn plus an additional turns depending on d4 dice.
(Still open for players do join.)
Prologue:
One thousand years ago, the land of man had reached a technological level never once seen throughout human history. Humans had created vehicles that would allow them to fly anywhere they wished, had extended their lives and saved the lives of those with deadly diseases when once there was no cure. It seemed nothing could stop humans from pursuing their goals of advancing even further.
Many pursue this advancement, hoping it would one day end the need for humans to fight each other. But there were humans who saw it differently. They saw opportunity to further extend their power and conquer the world.
One day a great war began, no one could recall how it began as the war itself did not last long. Two years into the war, strange creatures emerged unto the land from what it seemed to be out of nowhere. Even with all their advancement, man’s weapons were useless against the creatures. The creatures destroyed all armies which it soon after exterminated most of mankind.
From the millions of humans that lived on this Earth, the numbers dwindled down to a few thousands in less than a year. Survivors believed that this was the end of humanity. Before all hope was lost the God Jade Emperor and Goddess Amaterasu heard the pleas of the remaining humans for salvation. Even if worshipped on different cultures and not by everyone left on the Earth, the Jade Emperor and Amaterasu could not stand as man were being exterminated. Even though they could not come down from the Heavens themselves, the Jade Emperor blessed twelve humans with the powers of the Zodiac and the knowledge to use Chi. Goddess Amaterasu blessed these twelve Zodiacs with twelve holy weapons from around the world, many of the weapons which were myths.
The Zodiac’s fought bravely, repelling the creatures that once man could do nothing against. On what seemed to be the final hours of the battle with the creatures, a great curse was placed on seven of the Zodiac’s that could not get away. Unable to completely destroyed the creatures, the Zodiac’s sealed the remaining creatures away. The Zodiac’s taught the way of Chi to the remaining humans as for when the seal would broke down the future, humans would be ready to face the great evil again.
Seeing as seven of the twelve Zodiac had a curse placed on them, and the Jade Emperor and Amaterasu could not remove the curses, they created two more Zodiac’s in hopes it would balance the Yin and Yang among the Zodiac’s as the Yang was stronger than the Yin.
Years passed and man began anew. The world now different, humans strive to rebuild what they once had and would prepare for the evil that once came to return once more. The Zodiac’s that fought for salvation now long gone, temples now lay hoping they shall return once more to fight the great evil.
Character Sheet:
Name: Your character name
Age: 16+
Gender: Male or Female
Country: What country are you from. I expect most players to be from China itself, foreign characters are allowed but there will be a limit.
Appearance: How does your character look like.
Personality: How your character behaves. What might be their good sides or what kind of disadvantages might they have.
Virtues: All virtues start at 1 automatically without any points spent. Divide 15 additional points to raise them to a maximum of 5.
Benevolence: is about altruism and kindness. You may earn a Deed when you heal the sick out of compassion, rescue a child trapped in a burning building, or otherwise save the meek from their misfortunes.
Ferocity: does not restrain its own power but indiscriminately inflicts it upon all who oppose it. All within the Martial World face violence in their lives, but those who live by this virtue revel in bloodshed. You may earn a Deed when you humiliate or maim an opponent, when you set things on fire as a tactic, or otherwise cause great destruction
Force: measures your power and skill; not merely destructive power, but true mastery over yourself and your abilities. You may earn a Deed when you achieve a stunningly high skill roll, when you defeat a major opponent, or when your grand plan successfully comes to fruition
Individualism: selfishly places its own desires above all others. You may earn a Deed when you defy your superiors, when you stubbornly refuse to be convinced by others, or if you allow bad things to happen to others because you can benefit from it.
Honor: is your proper behavior and all-as-it-should-be feeling. You may earn a Deed when you repay a great favor or kindness shown to you, when you observe a social or traditional norm at cost to yourself, when you stand by your sword brothers in their time of need, or when you insist on speaking the truth even when a lie would have been more beneficial.
Obsession: values its goals so much that it stops at nothing to achieve them, whether those goals are chivalrous or corrupt. These goals could be shared with others; a fanatical zealot might have not just a high Loyalty towards his master, but also an Obsession towards following his orders to the absolute letter. You may earn a Deed when you execute your plans even though they might hurt innocents, when you trick or force people into aiding you, or when you forsake other duties to fulfill this one.
Loyalty: means placing the interests of your superiors above your own. They can be your parents, teachers, the Emperor, sect leaders, or even the people of your country as a whole. Your leader doesn’t necessarily have to be present, or even alive, for you to remain loyal: if a military coup executed your rightful leader, it’s entirely possible to be a loyal person, even though you defy the current authorities. You may earn a Deed when your orders conflict with your personal wishes or you go beyond the expected duties of your station.
Revenge: pays back any wrong tenfold. No insult or injury can be left unchallenged! It’s not necessarily yourself that you’re avenging; a vengeful son could draw his sword when he hears anyone maligning his father. You may earn a Deed when you challenge others to a duel over an insult, or otherwise fiercely protect a reputation.
Righteousness: seeks justice and uprightness and abhors crime and corruption. You may earn a Deed when you expose a magistrate who took bribes, when you convince a ruler to pass a law that is fairer to his subjects, or when you track down and punish a murderer who was never caught.
Ruthlessness: seeks to increase its own well being at the expense of others. You may earn a Deed when you frame a political rival for a crime he didn’t commit, when you steal a secret kung fu manual to increase your own power, or when you arrange for your followers to die in an ambush because they know too much about you. The difference between Si and Hen is this: Si is passive and selfishly fails to act better. Hen is active and chooses to commit a sin.
KUNG FU:
Each character gets access to two External and one Internal Kung Fu Styles for free. You get a total of 30 Destiny points to buy Kung fu moves.
External Kung Fu: provides the character with basic combat statistics and certain descriptors that determine how the character fights and interacts, not only with his opponents, but with his surroundings.
Internal Kung Fu: allows you to spend Chi to perform special maneuvers or add special effects to your attacks. You automatically get the first technique of your free style. Both types of styles offer a great gamut of techniques, but those have to be bought separately with Destiny.The kung fu styles a fighter uses are more than simple means of attack and defense, but a reflection of his or her personality, history, and philosophy. Ideally, your styles should compliment your character concept.
Stats: 30 points Stats cap at 10.
Speed: This measures your swiftness and decisiveness. A style with a high Speed bonus is quick and aggressive while one with a lower Speed bonus is likely to be passive, preferring to let others make the first move. Your Speed score is used to determine your initiative. If your Speed is 15 points higher your opponent cannot counter you.
Footwork: This represents is your mobility and lightness.
Block: Yet dodging is not always the best choice. By Blocking the attack, such as by battering the weapon aside with your own, kicking a table into your opponent, or in any other way interfering with the execution of the attack, you can defend yourself handily.
Strike: This is, quite simply, the accuracy of your attacks. It can represent economy of motion, furious power, elaborate patterns, or deceptive feints. If your strike is 20 points higher you can deal additional damage unless your opponent fully block all your damage.
Damage: Although it would be nice if you could instantly pulverize an enemy with a single hit, that probably won’t happen (much). If your strike hits, you inflict a Ripple. Suffice it to say that Damage makes it more likely for your attacks to cause serious lasting harm. A high Damage bonus typically represents greater destructive force, with more focus on specialized striking points on the body or sharpness.
Toughness: Some martial art forms tighten your muscles until they are unbreakable like iron. Others sway with attacks, rolling with the blow rather than resisting it. However they accomplish it, martial arts can provide an added level of protection by not only making you harder to hit but also harder to hurt.
Chi: Players begin with 10 Chi. Decide what type of Chi does your character have. There are the Elements of: Wood, Fire, Earth, Water or Metal.
Perks: Please look at the Perk section, you get a total of 25 points to spend on perks all perks have a current limit up to 4.
Weapon: Please look at the weapon section.
Armor:
Light Armor lets you count your Toughness as 5 higher for the purpose of Ripple rolls intended to cause physical injuries. All but the lightest clothing may count as Light Armor.
Medium Armor lets you count your Toughness as 10 higher for the purpose of Ripple rolls intended to cause physical injuries. It also imposes a -5 penalty to Speed and Footwork, as well as Finesse, Stealth and any other skill use the I may deem appropriate. This represents thick hardened leather, heavy furs or simple plating. Reduces Damage by 10.
Heavy Armor lets you count your Toughness as 15 higher for the purpose of Ripple rolls intended to cause physical injuries. It also imposes a -10 penalty to Speed and Footwork, as well as Finesse, Stealth and any other skill use I may deem appropriate. This is solid iron armor reserved only for wartime or elite guards. Reduces Damage by 20.
List of External/Internal Kung Fu,Perks, and Weapons
Mechanics:
When combat begins the turns shall begin with the Initiative Phase during this time only Kung fu moves that increase Speed can be used as well as Chi moves that increase Speed. Only one move of each can be used and only a total of two Chi moves can be used in the turn.
Once is determine who has the initiative Action Phase will begin for the one attacking while Action 2 Phase will begin for the one defending. During Action Phase one can use moves that increase Strike Toughness or Damage unless stated otherwise. Only one Kung fu move can be used during this turn.
During Action 2 one can use moves that increase Footwork,Toughness or Block unless stated otherwise. Only one Kung fu can be used this turn.
During any of these phases moves that are listed as Trigger can be used but only one Trigger move can be used per turn.
Critical Success
If you roll high enough to reach a higher difficulty level than required, your success is correspondingly greater. If your roll wasn’t made against a set difficulty but was opposed by another roll, you achieve a critical success if your final number is at least 10 points higher. Sometimes this is merely a nice little bonus. If cooking a simple meal is a trivial (10) task, then achieving a moderate (20) result just makes the food taste better. Other times, the benefit can be much more significant. If you intimidate some bandits thoroughly enough, they might be so frightened that they give up on crime and mend their ways!
Marvels
This is a special Minor Combat Action, and will get greater attention in that chapter. In a nutshell, Marvels make sure you get more use of out your rolls by adding extra utility to them that can help you in your struggles. Some Marvels hinder your enemies or allow you to accomplish certain goals. Unlike regular Minor Actions, Marvels don’t have a static difficulty but are usually opposed by a defense roll. Example: Your hammer slams into a soldier and knocks him right off the city walls! The attack itself simply hurts him, but the way you forced him down was done with a Marvel.
Rippling Rolls
The defender faces a Rippling roll if the Attacker succeeds by 10 or more. Roll an amount of dice equal to the total amount of Ripples present on the victim and apply any relevant bonus. This doesn’t consume the Ripples; they are only compounded by new unfortunate events.
Disorient Rolls
This is a special Minor Combat Action, when used two d10 will be used against your opponent's toughness. If your roll is higher your opponent you inflict a Passion condition such as fear, awe, despair or contemplating the error in their methods.
Disruption Rolls
This is a special Minor Combat Action, when used two d10 will be used against your opponent's toughness. If your roll is higher your opponent cannot take action that turn you can only use this twice per fight.
Poison/Burn/Freeze
This is a special Minor Combat Action, when used two d10 will be used against your opponent's toughness. If your roll is higher your opponent they’ve become poison/burn/freeze they will take damage each turn based on a D10 roll additional stacks can be applied.
Shock
This is a special Minor Combat Action, when used two d10 will be used against your opponent's toughness. If your roll is higher your opponent cannot take action that turn plus an additional turns depending on d4 dice.
0
Act 1 - The Rise of the Zodiacs
The sun rose, morning came, noises could be heard as people were already hard at work. Decorations of all sorts could be seen around the city stores that would open later in the day were already open serving people who had come to the city. Thousands crowded the streets already. Not a single location could be seen vacant as people were happily enjoying the start of the festivities.
In the most northern part of the city stood a grand palace. Guards could be seen in front of the gates as a line of people waited to be let in. Inside, a tall rounded man walked towards the throne room. Upon seeing him, the guards quickly opened the doors to let him through.
He kneeled and bowed as low as he could. “Your Imperial Majesty. Good Morning,” the man said as he then began to stand.
“Dong Zhuo, good morning. I expect you have the report I have asked for.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. All preparations for the festivities have been completed. The Zodiac Tournament shall be ready to start two days from now. All of our guest should have arrived by tomorrow,” Dong Zhuo said as he paused for a moment. “We also have reports of rebel activities, Your Imperial Majesty. We have set up extra security in case they decide to strike during the festivities.”
“Very well, make sure everything proceeds well. We cannot let any harm come to the people nor to any of our guests. We must have everything proceed smoothly for the safety of our future.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. I shall attend to the security purposes myself.”
“Then I have nothing to fear,” the Emperor said as he laughed. “Now if you pardon me, I must attend to my duties at the palace.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”
Outside the city on one of the mountains, a girl looked upon the city.
“They sure are going all out with their festival. Even from here you can see the streets crowded! Even though they look like ants from here,” the girl said as she snickered.
“My lady, that is not something you should say, it’s disrespectful,” a young looking man behind her said as he sighed. “By the way my lady, why are you wearing such inappropriate clothing. Our job is to blend in with the people, not stand out.”
“Ehh, but the clothing sucks. This is much more comfortable to wear, plus it’s hot here,” she said with a grin as she could be seen wearing really short shorts. Her top, if it could be called one, seemed to only cover her breasts, and she had a red scarf around her neck.
“If it’s hot, why are you still wearing your scarf, my lady? I can only imagine what your mother would say if she found I did not stop you coming like that.”
“Sheesh, stop being such a worry wart, Eustace, plus we aren’t here for formalities so what I wear doesn’t matter. We just need to find the source of those disturbance father mentioned. I am more worried if we failed to find those. I wonder though what is Amaterasu doing? China currently falls under her domain so things like this shouldn’t be happening.”
“We have yet to receive word from her, my lady. We can only assume they are back.”
“I said stop being such a worry wart. She should be fine, otherwise the zodiacs wouldn’t be here in China still. After we are finished let us meet with one of them. They probably will direct us to Amaterasu if we talk to them after our investigation,” the girl said as she got up and began walking towards the forest.
The sun rose, morning came, noises could be heard as people were already hard at work. Decorations of all sorts could be seen around the city stores that would open later in the day were already open serving people who had come to the city. Thousands crowded the streets already. Not a single location could be seen vacant as people were happily enjoying the start of the festivities.
In the most northern part of the city stood a grand palace. Guards could be seen in front of the gates as a line of people waited to be let in. Inside, a tall rounded man walked towards the throne room. Upon seeing him, the guards quickly opened the doors to let him through.
He kneeled and bowed as low as he could. “Your Imperial Majesty. Good Morning,” the man said as he then began to stand.
“Dong Zhuo, good morning. I expect you have the report I have asked for.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. All preparations for the festivities have been completed. The Zodiac Tournament shall be ready to start two days from now. All of our guest should have arrived by tomorrow,” Dong Zhuo said as he paused for a moment. “We also have reports of rebel activities, Your Imperial Majesty. We have set up extra security in case they decide to strike during the festivities.”
“Very well, make sure everything proceeds well. We cannot let any harm come to the people nor to any of our guests. We must have everything proceed smoothly for the safety of our future.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. I shall attend to the security purposes myself.”
“Then I have nothing to fear,” the Emperor said as he laughed. “Now if you pardon me, I must attend to my duties at the palace.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”
Outside the city on one of the mountains, a girl looked upon the city.
“They sure are going all out with their festival. Even from here you can see the streets crowded! Even though they look like ants from here,” the girl said as she snickered.
“My lady, that is not something you should say, it’s disrespectful,” a young looking man behind her said as he sighed. “By the way my lady, why are you wearing such inappropriate clothing. Our job is to blend in with the people, not stand out.”
“Ehh, but the clothing sucks. This is much more comfortable to wear, plus it’s hot here,” she said with a grin as she could be seen wearing really short shorts. Her top, if it could be called one, seemed to only cover her breasts, and she had a red scarf around her neck.
“If it’s hot, why are you still wearing your scarf, my lady? I can only imagine what your mother would say if she found I did not stop you coming like that.”
“Sheesh, stop being such a worry wart, Eustace, plus we aren’t here for formalities so what I wear doesn’t matter. We just need to find the source of those disturbance father mentioned. I am more worried if we failed to find those. I wonder though what is Amaterasu doing? China currently falls under her domain so things like this shouldn’t be happening.”
“We have yet to receive word from her, my lady. We can only assume they are back.”
“I said stop being such a worry wart. She should be fine, otherwise the zodiacs wouldn’t be here in China still. After we are finished let us meet with one of them. They probably will direct us to Amaterasu if we talk to them after our investigation,” the girl said as she got up and began walking towards the forest.
0
A young woman was walking along the corridor. She could be heard humming as she had gotten up early to prepare herself for the day. She approached one of the doors and knocked.
“Her Grace, are you awake?”
She waited for a minute. After hearing no response, she opened the door. Inside the room there was a bed, dresser, vanity, a small table and a small sofa. On the bed, a young lady could be seen sleeping soundly.
The woman approached said lady and called out to her again, “Your Grace, it is time to wake up.”
Yet again no response.
She approached the curtains in the room and opened them. The room was then brightened up with the light of the bright rising sun.
“Your Grace, your breakfast will get cold if you do not wake up,” the woman called out in a louder tone.
Shifting subtly in her bed, the Princess turned, as if to hint her dislike for the abrupt exposure to the radiant rays of the morning sun. Unwilling to part with her lethargy and drowsiness that formed an illusory gateway to paradise—the mysterious land of dreams—she kept her eyelids shut.
“It may wait a little longer…”
The woman sighed as she then pulled the covers off the sleeping Princess.
“Your Grace, as I said, time to get up.”
“If it is one thing that did not change,” the Princess began, pulling herself up slowly, “it would be your persistence regarding meaningless things.”
“I do not believe missing breakfast can be consider a meaningless thing, Your Grace. There are many people who would wish they had such luxury.”
“I would rather sleep than eat at the moment. I am outside the Kingdom for once—free of duties—I should…” She stopped, looking back to the sun, coming to a realization that the time for selfishness was at an end. “Never mind. Get me one of my dresses, please.”
“Very well,” the woman said as she saw the Princess wearing her black camisole. It was semi-transparent from the bottom and the Princess’ knickers could be seen. “Is something like that really appropriate to sleep in for a Princess?” the woman said as she went to get a dress for the Princess.
“How many times have we gone over this before? A Princess is to look perfect with appropriate articles of clothing at all times—that includes the knickers department, my dear.” Besides, who would prefer stuffy pajamas for sleepwears, anyway?
“Probably all the times I’ve had to wake you up. Aside from that it just seem like you are inviting someone with temptation by wearing that,” The woman picked out a couple of dresses. “Which one would you like to wear today, Your Grace?”
“Is there an issue in wanting to look my best at all times? I am the Daughter of France, after all.”
The Princess’ gaze landed over the dresser where her aide was going over the dresses as she spoke, carefully thinking of how her day would go with what she would wear.
“I would say you would look lovely in anything, Your Grace. But this garment just seems risque too me.”
“It would be wrong to not have risque attire for bed time, my dear. How silly.”
“Coming from a simple background it just seems odd to me still. Well Your Grace, which dress shall it be wearing?”
“I suppose I shall humour your idea of modesty today.” The Princess made a smile, pointing at a particular dress.
“Very well,” the woman said as she grabbed the green and yellow dress with frills, and she grabbed one of the Princess’ corset as well. “Please head over to the vanity Your Grace, so I can dress you.”
When the Princess sat down, the servant removed her camisole, revealing a bustier underneath, which she removed momentarily. She began to put on the corset the way she was taught by the Princess’ maids back in France.
“Not tight enough.”
“Sorry about that, still not accustomed to this. Why did you not allow for your maids to come for this? I am still a novice at this,” she said as she tightened the corset more.
“Let us simply put it that my liberty should remain unfettered once in a while for my agendas.”
“I see. Surprised you did not refuse me accompanying you as well,” she said as she began fitting the dress picked by the Princess.
“It would be queer not to have an aide whatsoever. It makes it easier not to take a maid at the same time. Having an able bodyguard provides the impression that it would be dangerous to bring along a maid who may not be able to fight, do you not agree? One could interpret that I am not interested in bringing along extra baggage.”
“Well I suppose I can understand, considering we are going to China for the first time. We do not really have a great understanding of the land at all besides stories from merchants.”
“And martial artists.”
“Indeed. By the way Princess, will we be witnessing the Zodiac Tournament?”
“I have every intention to partake in one.”
“Really? Would His Majesty not be angered if he finds out? He is overprotective of you. He was really reluctant to even let you come here, if not for Her Majesty.”
“When has my father ever realised that a daughter must pursue perfection and growth? I do not belong to the State, so I do not mind myself being selfish sometimes.”
It could also be said that her father’s fears were founded for good reason, for she would do what she could for the greater good of the country. The Princess too, could very well picture her father’s thoughts of her ideas before he was even informed of her decision.
“Well I shall not stop you, I doubt you would even listen. Which Zodiac will you be going after then, Your Grace?”
“Hm, I have not quite made a decision yet.”
“Well there are many interesting decisions. I wonder if I should even go after one myself.”
“That would be up to you. I would not condemn you if you are interested in participating. Now, enough of this… unless you would prefer me to have woken up so early only to miss breakfast.”
“Please pardon me, Your Grace, but it completely flew past me. I lose track of stuff whenever we begin to talk.”
“This is indeed true. It is not the first time we have had this issue, but it is fine. Let us be on our way now.”
“Her Grace, are you awake?”
She waited for a minute. After hearing no response, she opened the door. Inside the room there was a bed, dresser, vanity, a small table and a small sofa. On the bed, a young lady could be seen sleeping soundly.
The woman approached said lady and called out to her again, “Your Grace, it is time to wake up.”
Yet again no response.
She approached the curtains in the room and opened them. The room was then brightened up with the light of the bright rising sun.
“Your Grace, your breakfast will get cold if you do not wake up,” the woman called out in a louder tone.
Shifting subtly in her bed, the Princess turned, as if to hint her dislike for the abrupt exposure to the radiant rays of the morning sun. Unwilling to part with her lethargy and drowsiness that formed an illusory gateway to paradise—the mysterious land of dreams—she kept her eyelids shut.
“It may wait a little longer…”
The woman sighed as she then pulled the covers off the sleeping Princess.
“Your Grace, as I said, time to get up.”
“If it is one thing that did not change,” the Princess began, pulling herself up slowly, “it would be your persistence regarding meaningless things.”
“I do not believe missing breakfast can be consider a meaningless thing, Your Grace. There are many people who would wish they had such luxury.”
“I would rather sleep than eat at the moment. I am outside the Kingdom for once—free of duties—I should…” She stopped, looking back to the sun, coming to a realization that the time for selfishness was at an end. “Never mind. Get me one of my dresses, please.”
“Very well,” the woman said as she saw the Princess wearing her black camisole. It was semi-transparent from the bottom and the Princess’ knickers could be seen. “Is something like that really appropriate to sleep in for a Princess?” the woman said as she went to get a dress for the Princess.
“How many times have we gone over this before? A Princess is to look perfect with appropriate articles of clothing at all times—that includes the knickers department, my dear.” Besides, who would prefer stuffy pajamas for sleepwears, anyway?
“Probably all the times I’ve had to wake you up. Aside from that it just seem like you are inviting someone with temptation by wearing that,” The woman picked out a couple of dresses. “Which one would you like to wear today, Your Grace?”
“Is there an issue in wanting to look my best at all times? I am the Daughter of France, after all.”
The Princess’ gaze landed over the dresser where her aide was going over the dresses as she spoke, carefully thinking of how her day would go with what she would wear.
“I would say you would look lovely in anything, Your Grace. But this garment just seems risque too me.”
“It would be wrong to not have risque attire for bed time, my dear. How silly.”
“Coming from a simple background it just seems odd to me still. Well Your Grace, which dress shall it be wearing?”
“I suppose I shall humour your idea of modesty today.” The Princess made a smile, pointing at a particular dress.
“Very well,” the woman said as she grabbed the green and yellow dress with frills, and she grabbed one of the Princess’ corset as well. “Please head over to the vanity Your Grace, so I can dress you.”
When the Princess sat down, the servant removed her camisole, revealing a bustier underneath, which she removed momentarily. She began to put on the corset the way she was taught by the Princess’ maids back in France.
“Not tight enough.”
“Sorry about that, still not accustomed to this. Why did you not allow for your maids to come for this? I am still a novice at this,” she said as she tightened the corset more.
“Let us simply put it that my liberty should remain unfettered once in a while for my agendas.”
“I see. Surprised you did not refuse me accompanying you as well,” she said as she began fitting the dress picked by the Princess.
“It would be queer not to have an aide whatsoever. It makes it easier not to take a maid at the same time. Having an able bodyguard provides the impression that it would be dangerous to bring along a maid who may not be able to fight, do you not agree? One could interpret that I am not interested in bringing along extra baggage.”
“Well I suppose I can understand, considering we are going to China for the first time. We do not really have a great understanding of the land at all besides stories from merchants.”
“And martial artists.”
“Indeed. By the way Princess, will we be witnessing the Zodiac Tournament?”
“I have every intention to partake in one.”
“Really? Would His Majesty not be angered if he finds out? He is overprotective of you. He was really reluctant to even let you come here, if not for Her Majesty.”
“When has my father ever realised that a daughter must pursue perfection and growth? I do not belong to the State, so I do not mind myself being selfish sometimes.”
It could also be said that her father’s fears were founded for good reason, for she would do what she could for the greater good of the country. The Princess too, could very well picture her father’s thoughts of her ideas before he was even informed of her decision.
“Well I shall not stop you, I doubt you would even listen. Which Zodiac will you be going after then, Your Grace?”
“Hm, I have not quite made a decision yet.”
“Well there are many interesting decisions. I wonder if I should even go after one myself.”
“That would be up to you. I would not condemn you if you are interested in participating. Now, enough of this… unless you would prefer me to have woken up so early only to miss breakfast.”
“Please pardon me, Your Grace, but it completely flew past me. I lose track of stuff whenever we begin to talk.”
“This is indeed true. It is not the first time we have had this issue, but it is fine. Let us be on our way now.”
0
The sun had risen high above the sky. People could be heard clearly around the city enjoying themselves as the festivities continued. Inside a building, a young man sat at a table eating meatbuns. Another man soon came into the room. He had a robust bod. A few scars could be seen, especially one over his left eye.
“Liu, Dong Zhou wishes to speak to you. Come.”
“Alright.” The younger of the two men placed the bun he was eating on the table, placing a few coins on the table to pay for his meal. It was common for his master’s adopted son to order him around, but it didn’t matter much since he always obeyed. He gave the bun he was eating another glance when he stood up, and finally decided to take it with him.
The man stayed quiet as he lead Liu to Dong Zhou as he hardly ever spoke. After a couple of minutes, he had lead Liu into another building, one which people seemed to avoid unlike the other buildings. They finally reached their destination as the man opened the door without knocking at all.
“Dong Zhou, I have brought Liu as ordered,” he said as he then stepped outside.
“Quick to the point as always,” Dong Zhou simply said as he saw the man leave. “Well then I hope you know why I had Jianhong bring you here today, Liu.”
“A job?” Liu replied. Just looking at the hulking man that was his master was enough to intimidate a normal person, and the same held true with his imposing voice. Nonetheless, he seemed calm in the presence of his master, but it was noticeable the he was more alert than back when he had been eating.
“Fool, as if you would even to that. Unless you are gonna tell me you have finally gotten over your pathetic dilemma.”
The young man bowed his head as a reply to his master’s admonishment.
“Pathetic. If you were not such a skilled assassin, I would have you disposed of already,” Dong Zhuo said angrily. “I had you brought here because I hope you plan to participate in the Zodiac Tournament at least. You may not want to kill but I hope you are still willing to fight. Unless you have become nothing but a pathetic worm.”
“If that is what you command, Master.”
“Then which Zodiac will you be going after? Jinhong is already going after Dragon. I believe that is nothing but secure as he has never lost before.”
Must I really do this? “...I have not chosen anything, yet.”
“I will leave you with two choices then, Snake or Horse. Other assassins have already picked their target. I believe the more I spread you around, the better odds we have at controlling most of the Zodiacs.”
“Then I shall pursue the snake,” Liu replied after a brief silence. He’d rather not agitate his boisterous master any more than he already was. In hindsight, it was inevitable that his master would send him to fight in the tournament.
“Very well then. I hope you are not simply saying that and once in the fight surrender on your first fight. I shall have Jinhong behead you if that occurs.”
Liu averted his gaze, his plan nipped in the bud. “Of course.”
“Now then, follow me. We will be heading to the palace. I shall see if you will be of any other use to me with all these foreign guests coming here.”
“Foreign guests?”
“Have you been living under a rock as well now, fool? The Emperor has opened our country borders to outsiders. I believe some of them shall be participating in the tournament as well. I hope you prepare yourself to face the unexpected.”
There may be hope for me to retire from the combat quickly yet, Liu thought. “Forgive me, Master.”
“Whatever, just follow me. I am hoping for success from you. Any more failures and I shall not care anymore on how skilled you are.”
Liu just nodded and proceeded to follow his master. As much as he was averted to fighting, not dying was a good incentive as any to push him to fight.
“Liu, Dong Zhou wishes to speak to you. Come.”
“Alright.” The younger of the two men placed the bun he was eating on the table, placing a few coins on the table to pay for his meal. It was common for his master’s adopted son to order him around, but it didn’t matter much since he always obeyed. He gave the bun he was eating another glance when he stood up, and finally decided to take it with him.
The man stayed quiet as he lead Liu to Dong Zhou as he hardly ever spoke. After a couple of minutes, he had lead Liu into another building, one which people seemed to avoid unlike the other buildings. They finally reached their destination as the man opened the door without knocking at all.
“Dong Zhou, I have brought Liu as ordered,” he said as he then stepped outside.
“Quick to the point as always,” Dong Zhou simply said as he saw the man leave. “Well then I hope you know why I had Jianhong bring you here today, Liu.”
“A job?” Liu replied. Just looking at the hulking man that was his master was enough to intimidate a normal person, and the same held true with his imposing voice. Nonetheless, he seemed calm in the presence of his master, but it was noticeable the he was more alert than back when he had been eating.
“Fool, as if you would even to that. Unless you are gonna tell me you have finally gotten over your pathetic dilemma.”
The young man bowed his head as a reply to his master’s admonishment.
“Pathetic. If you were not such a skilled assassin, I would have you disposed of already,” Dong Zhuo said angrily. “I had you brought here because I hope you plan to participate in the Zodiac Tournament at least. You may not want to kill but I hope you are still willing to fight. Unless you have become nothing but a pathetic worm.”
“If that is what you command, Master.”
“Then which Zodiac will you be going after? Jinhong is already going after Dragon. I believe that is nothing but secure as he has never lost before.”
Must I really do this? “...I have not chosen anything, yet.”
“I will leave you with two choices then, Snake or Horse. Other assassins have already picked their target. I believe the more I spread you around, the better odds we have at controlling most of the Zodiacs.”
“Then I shall pursue the snake,” Liu replied after a brief silence. He’d rather not agitate his boisterous master any more than he already was. In hindsight, it was inevitable that his master would send him to fight in the tournament.
“Very well then. I hope you are not simply saying that and once in the fight surrender on your first fight. I shall have Jinhong behead you if that occurs.”
Liu averted his gaze, his plan nipped in the bud. “Of course.”
“Now then, follow me. We will be heading to the palace. I shall see if you will be of any other use to me with all these foreign guests coming here.”
“Foreign guests?”
“Have you been living under a rock as well now, fool? The Emperor has opened our country borders to outsiders. I believe some of them shall be participating in the tournament as well. I hope you prepare yourself to face the unexpected.”
There may be hope for me to retire from the combat quickly yet, Liu thought. “Forgive me, Master.”
“Whatever, just follow me. I am hoping for success from you. Any more failures and I shall not care anymore on how skilled you are.”
Liu just nodded and proceeded to follow his master. As much as he was averted to fighting, not dying was a good incentive as any to push him to fight.
0
Time quickly flew by. Breakfast had now turned to lunch, and soon it was already afternoon. The train had finally arrived at the capitol of China known as Beijing. Guards could be seen around the station examining everyone who was disembarking from the train.
The woman who accompanied the Princess could be seen carrying two luggage bags as she followed behind the Princess. A guard came to them, bowed, and signaled to follow him. He then lead the two to a rickshaw. A man signaled to the Princess’ guard to give him the luggage. She complied as he then placed it in the back and tied it up to make sure it would not fall. He helped the two onto the rickshaw.
“Should I really be sitting next to you, Your Grace? I do not believe I deserve such a thing,” the woman said, realizing just then she was sharing the same seat as the Princess.
The Princess made a smile. “So you are saying that you do not wish to sit with the Princess of your country?”
“I am but a simple farmer's daughter. One would take it as too much of an honor for someone like me.”
“It cannot be any more than what you have experienced. If you may travel with me—you may sit with me as well. Or do you happen to be one of those who secretly loathe me?” the Princess asked, her smile and tone now giving away that she was simply teasing.
“I have no reason to loathe you, Your Grace. I have too much respect for you. If I had loathed you, I would have never accepted His Majesty’s offer to serve you.”
“Good. I believe you do not have any problems with sitting beside me, then.”
The man began pulling the rickshaw as he pulled it towards the Royal Palace.
After an hour, they had arrived at the Palace. On their way, they noticed how the architecture was completely different from their country or any of the surrounding ones. Even the way people dressed was completely different.
“China truly is completely different, it feels as if it is another world to me.”
“I wonder how they wear these… unique dresses. I would like to try them out someday.”
“They do look lovely, especially the brightly colored ones.”
“The motif of flowers particularly looks appealing in these attires… I cannot say that I am particularly finding myself fancying the architecture, but at least it is something new and refreshing,” the Princess said as she shifted about her eyes left and right, but with much restraint.
She had no intention of looking like a child, especially in a foreign country. There was something about the vermillion lanterns that she liked around the neighborhood, they were particularly a soothing sight to see.
A guard arrived and bowed to the ladies as he signaled them to follow him towards the palace. After almost an hour, the guard let them into a room and handed them a key and a letter.
“The guards here do not seem to talk much, do they?” the bodyguard of the Princess said as she approached a closet in the room.
“Is that not because they think we cannot speak in their mother tongue?” The Princess laughed. “How amusing.”
“I shall assume most of the guests cannot. They probably have given up finding out who can,” She began opening the luggage and hanging the Princess’ clothes. “Pardon me Your Grace, but what does the letter say? Do you think it might be in French?”
“Give me a moment, I am yet to read it.”
Dear Guests,
Welcome to Beijing, the capital of our country. We hope you enjoy yourselves and the accommodations we have prepared for you all. A banquet shall be hosted for all guests at 7p.m. Servants shall be arriving at your rooms at 6:30p.m. to direct you towards the banquet. If you wish to come please simply follow them.
Regards,
The Imperial Royal Family
“It appears to be an invitation to a banquet in the evening.”
“I shall assume you’ll be attending, Your Grace?”
“I am interested in their cuisine. You never know when someone interesting attends, too.”
“Very well. I shall do my best to have you ready for the banquet, Your Grace.”
“I shall leave it to you.”
Evening came and a knock was heard on the door at the appointed time the letter said a servant would arrive. The guard opened the door and a young servant girl bowed.
“Will you be coming along, my lady?”
“Yes,” the Princess responded in the Chinese language. For the evening event, she was dressed in a black dress, long gloves, and accessories, her hair adorned with a deep scarlet rose. The skirt was long as one would expect from an aristocratic family of the western world. Unlike her previous garment, her cleavage was in display thanks to the way the dress was designed, making it a rather bold choice for the evening.
“Very well, please follow me. I shall take you to the banquet,” the girl said as the Princess followed behind her.
After a couple of minutes, they arrived at the grand hall. Within, many tables could be seen spread out with many kinds of food on the them. The girl led the Princess to a table in the far back middle of the room where currently no guests had been seating.
“Please enjoy,” the girl said, giving a bow as she headed off.
Even if she was told to enjoy the food, the Princess was unsure where to start. Thankfully, they had the courtesy of providing her with a spoon and fork rather than a pair of chopsticks as she was a foreigner in the country. Suffice it to say, it was an interesting experience for her. The adventurousness in her allowed to very much indulge in the newfound cuisine of the evening, as she got to learn of the Chinese food. It made her wonder if she could get Chinese restaurants to be opened locally in her homeland.
Soon after, a man stood in front of the door that was in the back of the room. “Dear guests, I present to you, Your Imperial Highness,” he said. His voice could be heard clearly throughout the room.
An elderly man stood in the front of the door now wearing what seemed like a European military suit. “Welcome, my dear guests. I hope the food is to your liking. We have gone to great lengths to prepare this bountiful feast tonight. I hope tonight we can also foster relationships with all of you, ones which will benefit us all.” His voice sounded clear as well as everyone in the hall could hear him.
Upon finishing, the other man next to the emperor spoke again. “Everyone please continue to enjoy the banquet.”
The Emperor then began heading towards the middle table. Two people followed behind him, a young man and a young woman. He soon approached the table where the Princess of France sat.
“Good evening, may you happen to be Princess Marie Auguste Charlotte de France?”
“Good evening. I am indeed the Daughter of France, Your Imperial Majesty.” Marie made a courteous and respectable bow, her expression pleasant—befitting of the reputation of peerless beauty that her mother held.
“The description your father gave in the letter fits you very well, Princess,” the emperor said as he signaled to the man and woman behind him to step forward. “Allow me to introduce my son and daughter.”
“I am Prince Qiang Khan, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Royal Highness,” Qiang said as he gave a slight bow. He wore a blue chafou decorated with a pheasant and stars on it.
“I am Princess Khutulun Khan, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Royal Highness,” Khutulun said as she bowed as well, wearing black manchu decorated with flower patterns.
“I too, am delighted to meet Your Imperial Highnesses both.” Marie gave yet another bow in return to the members of the Imperial family.
The three then took a seat with the Princess. “I hope things are to your liking, Princess Marie,” the Emperor said. “Our servants worked hard to make everything perfect.”
“Please let the chefs know that they deserve my compliments. The food was exquisite. I am quite adventurous so it was very refreshing to say the least.”
“Worry not, word shall reach them. Pardon me, but I received a letter from your father for an audience with me. He did not go into much detail, simply said his daughter would know what to do.”
“There are matters pertaining to the wellbeing of our countries—and by extension, the future—that I wish to discuss. Of course, mind not my father’s words. If you are busy, please feel free to postpone, or cancel it.”
“Worry not, I have time. You can thank your father for sending the letter in advance. Had he not, I would not have had free time till next month.”
“I thank you for making the time for an audience with me on behalf of my father, Your Imperial Majesty.”
“Do not worry, I have my own things I wish to ask. The ambassador I sent to France two years ago told me a lot on his return. I just did not have the time to react upon it all this time.”
“Regardless, I am honored for the opportunity to have an audience with Your esteemed Imperial Majesty. I shall answer to the best of my knowledge, and look forward to the moment we speak again.”
“Good. Well then if you do not mind I would like my children to take part in it as well. They are the future of my country so I would like them to know what things are to come if you do not mind.”
“Please, feel free. They would be more than welcome to join.”
“Very well. Now then, let us continue to enjoy this feast and a toast for good things to come.”
The night had passed quickly and a new day had started. Servants could be seen cleaning around the palace. The Princess was being lead to the Emperor by the same girl who had taken her to the banquet last night.
As they walked through the corridor, many statues of different animals could be seen, each embedded with different jewels in them. Looking at them carefully one could see there were different statues for each of the Zodiacs.
When the guards saw them approach, they quickly opened the door.
“Please proceed my lady. Once finished, I shall show you back to your room.” The servant girl bowed as she stepped to the side.
Once inside, simple room bookshelfs could be seen all around filled with books. In the middle was a desk with the Emperor sitting in the chair. Behind him stood his son and daughter.
“Good morning, Princess Marie, I hope this place is fine with you for our audience.”
“Good morning, Your Imperial Majesty, and Highnesses. The room strikes to me as quaint, which I quite prefer, in all honesty.”
“Good Morning, Your Highness,” the Prince and Princess both replied back.
“Now then, I would very much like to hear what you have to say, Princess.”
“Pardon the abruptness of my suggestion, Your Imperial Majesty, but what is your thought in regards to an alliance?”
“An alliance you say? May I hear your reasons Princess? As you currently know, we do control most of Asia and even some countries in Europe so why would you think we are in need of an alliance?”
“To unite the east and the west, and to further promote trading—I believe it is beneficial for both sides. Besides, even if China’s influence runs far into the west, it is yet fragile in its core at the moment—divided into three by the warlords.”
The emperor was a bit surprised to hear this as he did not think word of this had gotten out. “I see stories spread as fast as ever. How much do you know of our current estate, Princess? It seems you are well informed.”
“Sun Quan rules the south-west. Lui Bei rules the south-east. Yan Cao rules the north. They await your fall, Emperor. Turmoil would only come in the future, as is the same for my country.”
The Emperor laughed. “I see you are well-informed. I had given each of them territory to govern as I believed our lands had grown too big for just one man to rule. All three have fallen under the greed for power. They’re no longer the trusted lords I once knew.”
“In the upcoming Zodiac Tournaments, I assume they would try to gain further power?”
“Of course. Both my children shall be participating. I am certain they both will win the Zodiac they pick to serve under. This should solidify their positions with those three as well, I would hope.”
“There are fourteen Zodiacs at the moment, yes? Would it truly suffice?”
“Perhaps not but they are the only ones I can trust right now. Though is France not under similar circumstances? Rumors of revolution have reached our lands.”
“I see Your Imperial Majesty is just as well-informed as I am. Indeed, our country faces a financial crisis as we speak, and it is fanning a flames that may burn overmuch if given time—enough to consume the state whole.”
“I see. I would imagine you are here for the Zodiac tournament as well, are you not, Princess? They are the hope of many considering what they did for humanity.”
The Princess of France looked away. “Ah, it was a form of partial excitement, but I am unsure if I should participate. My mindset edges near an acceptable form at times.”
“I would suggest you do, Princess, if you know martial arts. I believe any true martial artist would want to test out their skills as well.”
“Should growth simply involve testing one’s mettle? I feel as though there should be… more to it than what we usually conclude.”
“That would be up to you, Princess. You do also gain the Zodiac’s blessing and power if you win so there is more to it than just testing your mettle. There is also the fact everyone in the world should know what the Zodiac’s did for us, is there not? I would imagine you becoming a Zodiac might help settle tensions in your country unless I am wrong to believe that.”
“Oh? Has it done the same for your country before, then?”
“Of course. The Zodiacs have a knack for showing up when tensions are high in the world for some reason. It seems as if trouble is their invitation to this world.”
Marie cracked a smile as if she found this notion hilarious. “So they are the unsung heroes, are they?”
“But of course. Stories only recall the first Zodiacs. They do not recall the heroics of the other Zodiacs.”
“Well, I cannot say that it does not interest me. There is one Zodiac that interests me. So, perhaps I shall test the Eastern martial arts that I have mastered recently.”
“Good, I shall assume that is one less Zodiac falling under my enemies’ hands,” the Emperor said, laughing. “If you do not mind which Zodiac it is, perhaps it might not be for our best interest if you happen to be going for one of the same Zodiac as my children.”
“Enemies… well, that would be the Rabbit. The Rabbit embodies various aspects that lead me to believe that it may grant exceptional agility.”
“I see. Then we have nothing to worry about. My son Qiang is going after Tiger himself while Khutulun has decided she will go after Ox. I expect both of them to win their respective Zodiacs easily as I have trained both them myself since they were both children.”
“I wish Your Imperial Highnesses luck regardless.”
“We wish you the same. Now then, anything else you wish to discuss, Princess? I believe we trailed off a bit from our original conversation.”
“Rather than anything else, Your Imperial Highness, I would very much prefer to hear an answer to the very first question I asked in this meeting of our’s, if that is alright.”
“Pardon me about that. Trade can be done. We will allow merchants from France to come and go and no tariff shall be imposed on most goods, and if one is imposed it would be at a lower rate. Would that be of help to you, Princess?”
“Indeed. I would be very grateful, Your Imperial Majesty.”
“About the alliance, that one would depend more on you, Princess. It is a custom of ours when forging an alliance that if a marriage is involved. If I recall, you are the eldest daughter of France and currently the only one eligible for marriage as your siblings are still young. You would be marrying my son here if this alliance were to happen.”
This topic of marriage was expected, but hearing it from the Emperor still made her body stiffen up from unexpected nervousness. She stole a glance at the Princess and looked down at the table. This would be the only true role of a female Royalty born to the House of Bourbon, yet why was there a form of hesitation somewhere in her heart?
“Yes, I was… aware.”
“I would suggest you think this over. There is no need to rush on your decision. But I will say my son is a good man, he would take care of you properly,” the Emperor said, laughing.
“Father, you could at least say that without laughing,” the Prince said. “We can work out a temporary alliance in the meantime, Your Highness. I believe both sides would benefit from this while a final decision is made. A lovely lady like yourself must not be rushed into a decision.”
Marie gave her shoulders a jerk before her lips curled into a smile, it was too soon for her to let her nervousness show.
“If it is felt appropriate to the Emperor, I would agree. I shall take my sweet time to ponder over the matter of sealing an alliance for the future to come. While I understand the weight of responsibility, my mother has taught me to give voice to my own selfishness too.” She chuckled.
“Do not worry, Your Highness, my brother can deal with it. He probably wouldn’t be speaking right now if you said yes all of a sudden,” Khutulun said as she snickered.
“Dear sister, please do not start spreading lies to our dear guest now. She’s already shown being a more proper Princess than you.”
“Well sorry for enjoying my freedom to go out and fight. It’s more fun than learning how be a proper lady,” she said, pouting.
“Pardon, but I believe all Princesses should find a balance between the two?”
“I guess if they can stand those boring lessons. They’re just not to my liking. I’d rather be out fighting. I have yet to lose even once. Dear brother here though won’t fight me for some reason,” Khutulun said as she gave a glare to her brother
“I have no reason to fight you, dear sister. If you want to fight me maybe you should try going after Tiger instead then. I would have a reason to fight you then.”
“Now, now, you two, that is enough,” the Emperor said. “I do not believe it is appropriate for you two to show your petty argument in front of our guest.”
“We are sorry, Father,” They both said as they bowed.
“It is fine,” Marie said. “They seem to get along well together.” And are rather amusing.
“Now then, anything else you wish to discuss, Princess Marie? I believe the temporary alliance helps what my country currently needs for now.”
“Just one more thing—it is a bit of an unrelated subject—but… seeing as there are great warriors assembled here, I am quite curious, what would be an interesting school of martial arts to learn from the East?”
“Oh I know, you should learn Eight Legends or Storm God’s Fury! I believe those fit a westerner perfectly!” Khutulun said happily. The mention of of martial arts always got her motivated.
“Fit a westerner? How so?” Marie seemed to share almost half of the enthusiasm. Perhaps it was because she had already learned some of Storm God’s Fury before.
“From my understanding, western are mostly users of sword and spears. These two use both so that is why I say that. Unless the info I heard has been wrong.”
“No, Your Highness is certainly not mistaken. In fact, I have delved into the Storm God’s Fury before thanks to this fact. Regardless, I thank you for your answer. I shall keep the Eight Legends in mind when I seek to learn more arts in the near future.”
“I see. Well then, you shall enjoy Eight Legends!”
“With that settled, anything else, Princess Marie?” the Emperor said.
“Nothing else for now, Your Imperial Majesty. I am very thankful for the precious time that was put aside for this audience, I shall not take any more than I require.”
“Well then thank you as well, Princess Marie. I would hope this is the beginning of a peaceful alliance and one for the future generations.”
“I hope so too, Your Imperial Majesty.”
The servant girl who had accompanied Princess Marie before was waiting for the Princess outside the door. She bowed as she then began to let her back into her room. Walking down the corridor up ahead, Dong Zhou could be seen walking down the path.
“My, if it is not Your Highness from France. Good Afternoon, it has been sometime since we last met has it not,” Dong Zhou said as he bowed.
“Good afternoon, Ambassador. It has been long indeed. About two years, I suppose? How have you been faring?”
Marie made a smile. Not for an apparent pleasant company, but for matters most diplomatic and social. There was a lingering taste of discomfort despite the two long years that had passed since their last meeting. It was impressive in itself how this man could make her feel that way for so long. An achievement indeed.
“I have been doing well, Your Highness. I have even risen among the ranks to be His Imperial Highness second in command.”
“Congratulations. I am delighted to know that you have had great achievements. I suppose it is rather improper for me to address you as the Ambassador now?” She chuckled. “Or shall I continue for the sake of the old times?” she joked.
“That is fine, I still have my role as Ambassador. I just have more responsibilities as well now,” Dong Zhou said with a smile. “How are you fairing yourself, Your Highness? Enjoying the city?”
She didn’t think he would answer seriously, but it was no big matter to her.
“Yes. A change like this in atmosphere is far more relaxing than I had assumed initially.”
“That is good, so I assume you have explored the city already, Your Highness?”
“Unfortunately, I am yet to do so. I am still on my tour across the palace.”
“I see. If you like I can have one of my guards show you around the city. He is a dependable man when it comes to that kind of task.”
What is this man up to…? “Would it not be exciting to wander without a guard, though? I know how foolish it sounds, but adventurousness is an enticing prospect, would you not agree?”
“I believe that would not be an appropriate thing to do, Your Highness. Even with guards all over the city there are still those who wish for ill intent if they see profit in a situation. Your Highness’ appearance would be worth their trouble.”
“Oh dear, I was not aware that the city was unsafe for one such as I, but I understand. One cannot simply avert their gaze from a pleasant rose. Very well, if you would insist, Ambassador—and believe that your guard is up to the task—I would welcome him to provide his guidance.”
This brat. It seems she has not changed at all from our last meeting.[i] “Very well then. Liu, get over here,” Dong Zhou said in a commanding voice.
“Yes, Master,” Liu made his presence known to the Princess. His appearance was deceptively unthreatening, with him just being clad in a normal commoner’s clothes, and the lack of vigilance his appearance suggested. It was easy to miss him, especially when accompanied by Dong Zhou.
“Let me introduce you to Liu, Your Highness. He is a capable man who should be able to guide you around the city as well as protect you.”
“Good day to you,” Marie greeted, her smile light now since her daring statement made to Dong Zhou. “My name is Marie Auguste Charlotte de France. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Liu.”
“Good day, I will be keeping you safe for the duration of your stay,” Liu replied with a small smile.
“Oh my, I shall depend on you then.” [i]So these are the type of attendants he keeps…
Liu’s smile twitched a little. “Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”
“He might not seem like much but I can guarantee you he shall properly take care of you, Your Highness.” Dong Zhou said as he then gave a glare to Liu.
A shiver ran down his spine, and he hurriedly faced towards the girl who he correctly assumed as a Princess and spoke, “Would the Princess like a tour of the town?”
The Princess glanced only to follow the sharp gazes just slightly. As a Princess, she’d make notes of the intrigues but not necessarily act upon them, for there was no need to. Whatever purpose the gaze held, it’d likely not be to her high detriment. At least she hoped not, otherwise Dong Zhou would be a fool from her perspective.
“If you would be so kind, Mister Liu. I would also like to go shopping sometime for dresses. The fashion trend here is so intriguing that it is enticing me to indulge them.”
“The market district has merchants that sells both silk and cloth, I recommend we go before they hike up the prices for the tournament.” If anything, he was both interested in leaving Dong Zhou here and seeing the Princess wearing a Cheongsam.
“I shall be taking my leave then. I have work to attend to. It was a pleasure meeting Your Highness again,” Dong Zhou said as he then faced Liu again. “Liu, I hope you don’t do anything foolish.”
“I will keep the Princess safe, Master.” He hoped that this job went on uneventfully, maybe even well enough that Dong Zhou allowed him to finally retire.
“Excuse me, would you still like me to accompany you back to your room?” the servant girl asked upon seeing that Liu was now gonna follow the princess.
“Oh, no need. You may now take some rest.”
“Very well. I shall take my leave for now,” the servant girl said as she bowed and headed off.
After a few minutes of walking they reached the Princess room. Liu went up to the door and knocked. After a few minutes someone finally opened the door.
“I am sorry for the wait,” the servant said as she opened the door. “How can I help you? Oh, Your Highness. welcome back,” she said as she noticed the Princess behind Liu.
“Thank you.” Marie gave Liu a glance, turned to her attendant, and motioned a hand toward him. “Jeanne, this gentleman here is Liu, a bodyguard offered for my safety throughout my stay here in China.” The Princess turned to Liu now and thus gestured at her attendant. “Mister Liu, meet Jeanne Delacroix. She is my aide from my country.”
“Hello.” Liu made a small smile similar to what he showed Marie, as if it was a practiced reaction. However, it looked convincingly sincere enough for people to not think about him much.
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Jeanne said as she then faced Marie. “Though Highness, is another bodyguard really necessary? I am certain I can handle anything myself.”
“He shall provide aid for our tour, unless you hold utmost confidence in your capability to show me most—if not all—of this city?” the Princess spoke in French as did her aide, and gave Liu an apologetic smile.
Liu scratched his cheek, unable to understand the Princess’ language. He was glad he was out of his Master’s view, but admittedly it came with the price of a troublesome job. When she smiled at him, however, he thought that just maybe it was worth it.
“I see. Very well then. If he will show us the city I cannot complain,” Jeanne said.
“If it is acceptable, Mister Liu, we shall make way for the tour of the city as soon as I prepare.”
“Where would you want to go first, Princess? Shall I prepare a carriage for you and your companion?”
“The markets first, and yes please—we would appreciate it if you prepare the transportation for us beforehand.”
“As you wish, Princess,” Liu said as he bowed out the room to prepare.
“What dress shall I get you, Princess?”
Marie entered the room, prompting Jeanne to shut its doors closed. As the drawers were opened for her, the Princess pointed at a deep scarlet dress with black flower designs across the long skirt with some black stripes. It glittered in the lantern lights of the room as it was witnessed, its rich material apparent to them both.
“I suppose… this would do for the rest of the evening.”
“Understood,” Jeanne said as she then picked up the dress Princess Marie had chosen.
After a couple of minutes Jeanne finished preparing the Princess after combing her hair. With a rose-adorned accessory, a ring, and rose-shaped crimson earrings, her Princess was indeed ready. “I believe everything is ready. How does it look to you, Your Highness?”
“Fine enough.” Marie inspected herself before the mirror as she answered.
“Very well, shall we get going then, Your Highness?”
“Yes.”
The woman who accompanied the Princess could be seen carrying two luggage bags as she followed behind the Princess. A guard came to them, bowed, and signaled to follow him. He then lead the two to a rickshaw. A man signaled to the Princess’ guard to give him the luggage. She complied as he then placed it in the back and tied it up to make sure it would not fall. He helped the two onto the rickshaw.
“Should I really be sitting next to you, Your Grace? I do not believe I deserve such a thing,” the woman said, realizing just then she was sharing the same seat as the Princess.
The Princess made a smile. “So you are saying that you do not wish to sit with the Princess of your country?”
“I am but a simple farmer's daughter. One would take it as too much of an honor for someone like me.”
“It cannot be any more than what you have experienced. If you may travel with me—you may sit with me as well. Or do you happen to be one of those who secretly loathe me?” the Princess asked, her smile and tone now giving away that she was simply teasing.
“I have no reason to loathe you, Your Grace. I have too much respect for you. If I had loathed you, I would have never accepted His Majesty’s offer to serve you.”
“Good. I believe you do not have any problems with sitting beside me, then.”
The man began pulling the rickshaw as he pulled it towards the Royal Palace.
After an hour, they had arrived at the Palace. On their way, they noticed how the architecture was completely different from their country or any of the surrounding ones. Even the way people dressed was completely different.
“China truly is completely different, it feels as if it is another world to me.”
“I wonder how they wear these… unique dresses. I would like to try them out someday.”
“They do look lovely, especially the brightly colored ones.”
“The motif of flowers particularly looks appealing in these attires… I cannot say that I am particularly finding myself fancying the architecture, but at least it is something new and refreshing,” the Princess said as she shifted about her eyes left and right, but with much restraint.
She had no intention of looking like a child, especially in a foreign country. There was something about the vermillion lanterns that she liked around the neighborhood, they were particularly a soothing sight to see.
A guard arrived and bowed to the ladies as he signaled them to follow him towards the palace. After almost an hour, the guard let them into a room and handed them a key and a letter.
“The guards here do not seem to talk much, do they?” the bodyguard of the Princess said as she approached a closet in the room.
“Is that not because they think we cannot speak in their mother tongue?” The Princess laughed. “How amusing.”
“I shall assume most of the guests cannot. They probably have given up finding out who can,” She began opening the luggage and hanging the Princess’ clothes. “Pardon me Your Grace, but what does the letter say? Do you think it might be in French?”
“Give me a moment, I am yet to read it.”
Dear Guests,
Welcome to Beijing, the capital of our country. We hope you enjoy yourselves and the accommodations we have prepared for you all. A banquet shall be hosted for all guests at 7p.m. Servants shall be arriving at your rooms at 6:30p.m. to direct you towards the banquet. If you wish to come please simply follow them.
Regards,
The Imperial Royal Family
“It appears to be an invitation to a banquet in the evening.”
“I shall assume you’ll be attending, Your Grace?”
“I am interested in their cuisine. You never know when someone interesting attends, too.”
“Very well. I shall do my best to have you ready for the banquet, Your Grace.”
“I shall leave it to you.”
***
Evening came and a knock was heard on the door at the appointed time the letter said a servant would arrive. The guard opened the door and a young servant girl bowed.
“Will you be coming along, my lady?”
“Yes,” the Princess responded in the Chinese language. For the evening event, she was dressed in a black dress, long gloves, and accessories, her hair adorned with a deep scarlet rose. The skirt was long as one would expect from an aristocratic family of the western world. Unlike her previous garment, her cleavage was in display thanks to the way the dress was designed, making it a rather bold choice for the evening.
“Very well, please follow me. I shall take you to the banquet,” the girl said as the Princess followed behind her.
After a couple of minutes, they arrived at the grand hall. Within, many tables could be seen spread out with many kinds of food on the them. The girl led the Princess to a table in the far back middle of the room where currently no guests had been seating.
“Please enjoy,” the girl said, giving a bow as she headed off.
Even if she was told to enjoy the food, the Princess was unsure where to start. Thankfully, they had the courtesy of providing her with a spoon and fork rather than a pair of chopsticks as she was a foreigner in the country. Suffice it to say, it was an interesting experience for her. The adventurousness in her allowed to very much indulge in the newfound cuisine of the evening, as she got to learn of the Chinese food. It made her wonder if she could get Chinese restaurants to be opened locally in her homeland.
Soon after, a man stood in front of the door that was in the back of the room. “Dear guests, I present to you, Your Imperial Highness,” he said. His voice could be heard clearly throughout the room.
An elderly man stood in the front of the door now wearing what seemed like a European military suit. “Welcome, my dear guests. I hope the food is to your liking. We have gone to great lengths to prepare this bountiful feast tonight. I hope tonight we can also foster relationships with all of you, ones which will benefit us all.” His voice sounded clear as well as everyone in the hall could hear him.
Upon finishing, the other man next to the emperor spoke again. “Everyone please continue to enjoy the banquet.”
The Emperor then began heading towards the middle table. Two people followed behind him, a young man and a young woman. He soon approached the table where the Princess of France sat.
“Good evening, may you happen to be Princess Marie Auguste Charlotte de France?”
“Good evening. I am indeed the Daughter of France, Your Imperial Majesty.” Marie made a courteous and respectable bow, her expression pleasant—befitting of the reputation of peerless beauty that her mother held.
“The description your father gave in the letter fits you very well, Princess,” the emperor said as he signaled to the man and woman behind him to step forward. “Allow me to introduce my son and daughter.”
“I am Prince Qiang Khan, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Royal Highness,” Qiang said as he gave a slight bow. He wore a blue chafou decorated with a pheasant and stars on it.
“I am Princess Khutulun Khan, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Royal Highness,” Khutulun said as she bowed as well, wearing black manchu decorated with flower patterns.
“I too, am delighted to meet Your Imperial Highnesses both.” Marie gave yet another bow in return to the members of the Imperial family.
The three then took a seat with the Princess. “I hope things are to your liking, Princess Marie,” the Emperor said. “Our servants worked hard to make everything perfect.”
“Please let the chefs know that they deserve my compliments. The food was exquisite. I am quite adventurous so it was very refreshing to say the least.”
“Worry not, word shall reach them. Pardon me, but I received a letter from your father for an audience with me. He did not go into much detail, simply said his daughter would know what to do.”
“There are matters pertaining to the wellbeing of our countries—and by extension, the future—that I wish to discuss. Of course, mind not my father’s words. If you are busy, please feel free to postpone, or cancel it.”
“Worry not, I have time. You can thank your father for sending the letter in advance. Had he not, I would not have had free time till next month.”
“I thank you for making the time for an audience with me on behalf of my father, Your Imperial Majesty.”
“Do not worry, I have my own things I wish to ask. The ambassador I sent to France two years ago told me a lot on his return. I just did not have the time to react upon it all this time.”
“Regardless, I am honored for the opportunity to have an audience with Your esteemed Imperial Majesty. I shall answer to the best of my knowledge, and look forward to the moment we speak again.”
“Good. Well then if you do not mind I would like my children to take part in it as well. They are the future of my country so I would like them to know what things are to come if you do not mind.”
“Please, feel free. They would be more than welcome to join.”
“Very well. Now then, let us continue to enjoy this feast and a toast for good things to come.”
***
The night had passed quickly and a new day had started. Servants could be seen cleaning around the palace. The Princess was being lead to the Emperor by the same girl who had taken her to the banquet last night.
As they walked through the corridor, many statues of different animals could be seen, each embedded with different jewels in them. Looking at them carefully one could see there were different statues for each of the Zodiacs.
When the guards saw them approach, they quickly opened the door.
“Please proceed my lady. Once finished, I shall show you back to your room.” The servant girl bowed as she stepped to the side.
Once inside, simple room bookshelfs could be seen all around filled with books. In the middle was a desk with the Emperor sitting in the chair. Behind him stood his son and daughter.
“Good morning, Princess Marie, I hope this place is fine with you for our audience.”
“Good morning, Your Imperial Majesty, and Highnesses. The room strikes to me as quaint, which I quite prefer, in all honesty.”
“Good Morning, Your Highness,” the Prince and Princess both replied back.
“Now then, I would very much like to hear what you have to say, Princess.”
“Pardon the abruptness of my suggestion, Your Imperial Majesty, but what is your thought in regards to an alliance?”
“An alliance you say? May I hear your reasons Princess? As you currently know, we do control most of Asia and even some countries in Europe so why would you think we are in need of an alliance?”
“To unite the east and the west, and to further promote trading—I believe it is beneficial for both sides. Besides, even if China’s influence runs far into the west, it is yet fragile in its core at the moment—divided into three by the warlords.”
The emperor was a bit surprised to hear this as he did not think word of this had gotten out. “I see stories spread as fast as ever. How much do you know of our current estate, Princess? It seems you are well informed.”
“Sun Quan rules the south-west. Lui Bei rules the south-east. Yan Cao rules the north. They await your fall, Emperor. Turmoil would only come in the future, as is the same for my country.”
The Emperor laughed. “I see you are well-informed. I had given each of them territory to govern as I believed our lands had grown too big for just one man to rule. All three have fallen under the greed for power. They’re no longer the trusted lords I once knew.”
“In the upcoming Zodiac Tournaments, I assume they would try to gain further power?”
“Of course. Both my children shall be participating. I am certain they both will win the Zodiac they pick to serve under. This should solidify their positions with those three as well, I would hope.”
“There are fourteen Zodiacs at the moment, yes? Would it truly suffice?”
“Perhaps not but they are the only ones I can trust right now. Though is France not under similar circumstances? Rumors of revolution have reached our lands.”
“I see Your Imperial Majesty is just as well-informed as I am. Indeed, our country faces a financial crisis as we speak, and it is fanning a flames that may burn overmuch if given time—enough to consume the state whole.”
“I see. I would imagine you are here for the Zodiac tournament as well, are you not, Princess? They are the hope of many considering what they did for humanity.”
The Princess of France looked away. “Ah, it was a form of partial excitement, but I am unsure if I should participate. My mindset edges near an acceptable form at times.”
“I would suggest you do, Princess, if you know martial arts. I believe any true martial artist would want to test out their skills as well.”
“Should growth simply involve testing one’s mettle? I feel as though there should be… more to it than what we usually conclude.”
“That would be up to you, Princess. You do also gain the Zodiac’s blessing and power if you win so there is more to it than just testing your mettle. There is also the fact everyone in the world should know what the Zodiac’s did for us, is there not? I would imagine you becoming a Zodiac might help settle tensions in your country unless I am wrong to believe that.”
“Oh? Has it done the same for your country before, then?”
“Of course. The Zodiacs have a knack for showing up when tensions are high in the world for some reason. It seems as if trouble is their invitation to this world.”
Marie cracked a smile as if she found this notion hilarious. “So they are the unsung heroes, are they?”
“But of course. Stories only recall the first Zodiacs. They do not recall the heroics of the other Zodiacs.”
“Well, I cannot say that it does not interest me. There is one Zodiac that interests me. So, perhaps I shall test the Eastern martial arts that I have mastered recently.”
“Good, I shall assume that is one less Zodiac falling under my enemies’ hands,” the Emperor said, laughing. “If you do not mind which Zodiac it is, perhaps it might not be for our best interest if you happen to be going for one of the same Zodiac as my children.”
“Enemies… well, that would be the Rabbit. The Rabbit embodies various aspects that lead me to believe that it may grant exceptional agility.”
“I see. Then we have nothing to worry about. My son Qiang is going after Tiger himself while Khutulun has decided she will go after Ox. I expect both of them to win their respective Zodiacs easily as I have trained both them myself since they were both children.”
“I wish Your Imperial Highnesses luck regardless.”
“We wish you the same. Now then, anything else you wish to discuss, Princess? I believe we trailed off a bit from our original conversation.”
“Rather than anything else, Your Imperial Highness, I would very much prefer to hear an answer to the very first question I asked in this meeting of our’s, if that is alright.”
“Pardon me about that. Trade can be done. We will allow merchants from France to come and go and no tariff shall be imposed on most goods, and if one is imposed it would be at a lower rate. Would that be of help to you, Princess?”
“Indeed. I would be very grateful, Your Imperial Majesty.”
“About the alliance, that one would depend more on you, Princess. It is a custom of ours when forging an alliance that if a marriage is involved. If I recall, you are the eldest daughter of France and currently the only one eligible for marriage as your siblings are still young. You would be marrying my son here if this alliance were to happen.”
This topic of marriage was expected, but hearing it from the Emperor still made her body stiffen up from unexpected nervousness. She stole a glance at the Princess and looked down at the table. This would be the only true role of a female Royalty born to the House of Bourbon, yet why was there a form of hesitation somewhere in her heart?
“Yes, I was… aware.”
“I would suggest you think this over. There is no need to rush on your decision. But I will say my son is a good man, he would take care of you properly,” the Emperor said, laughing.
“Father, you could at least say that without laughing,” the Prince said. “We can work out a temporary alliance in the meantime, Your Highness. I believe both sides would benefit from this while a final decision is made. A lovely lady like yourself must not be rushed into a decision.”
Marie gave her shoulders a jerk before her lips curled into a smile, it was too soon for her to let her nervousness show.
“If it is felt appropriate to the Emperor, I would agree. I shall take my sweet time to ponder over the matter of sealing an alliance for the future to come. While I understand the weight of responsibility, my mother has taught me to give voice to my own selfishness too.” She chuckled.
“Do not worry, Your Highness, my brother can deal with it. He probably wouldn’t be speaking right now if you said yes all of a sudden,” Khutulun said as she snickered.
“Dear sister, please do not start spreading lies to our dear guest now. She’s already shown being a more proper Princess than you.”
“Well sorry for enjoying my freedom to go out and fight. It’s more fun than learning how be a proper lady,” she said, pouting.
“Pardon, but I believe all Princesses should find a balance between the two?”
“I guess if they can stand those boring lessons. They’re just not to my liking. I’d rather be out fighting. I have yet to lose even once. Dear brother here though won’t fight me for some reason,” Khutulun said as she gave a glare to her brother
“I have no reason to fight you, dear sister. If you want to fight me maybe you should try going after Tiger instead then. I would have a reason to fight you then.”
“Now, now, you two, that is enough,” the Emperor said. “I do not believe it is appropriate for you two to show your petty argument in front of our guest.”
“We are sorry, Father,” They both said as they bowed.
“It is fine,” Marie said. “They seem to get along well together.” And are rather amusing.
“Now then, anything else you wish to discuss, Princess Marie? I believe the temporary alliance helps what my country currently needs for now.”
“Just one more thing—it is a bit of an unrelated subject—but… seeing as there are great warriors assembled here, I am quite curious, what would be an interesting school of martial arts to learn from the East?”
“Oh I know, you should learn Eight Legends or Storm God’s Fury! I believe those fit a westerner perfectly!” Khutulun said happily. The mention of of martial arts always got her motivated.
“Fit a westerner? How so?” Marie seemed to share almost half of the enthusiasm. Perhaps it was because she had already learned some of Storm God’s Fury before.
“From my understanding, western are mostly users of sword and spears. These two use both so that is why I say that. Unless the info I heard has been wrong.”
“No, Your Highness is certainly not mistaken. In fact, I have delved into the Storm God’s Fury before thanks to this fact. Regardless, I thank you for your answer. I shall keep the Eight Legends in mind when I seek to learn more arts in the near future.”
“I see. Well then, you shall enjoy Eight Legends!”
“With that settled, anything else, Princess Marie?” the Emperor said.
“Nothing else for now, Your Imperial Majesty. I am very thankful for the precious time that was put aside for this audience, I shall not take any more than I require.”
“Well then thank you as well, Princess Marie. I would hope this is the beginning of a peaceful alliance and one for the future generations.”
“I hope so too, Your Imperial Majesty.”
***
The servant girl who had accompanied Princess Marie before was waiting for the Princess outside the door. She bowed as she then began to let her back into her room. Walking down the corridor up ahead, Dong Zhou could be seen walking down the path.
“My, if it is not Your Highness from France. Good Afternoon, it has been sometime since we last met has it not,” Dong Zhou said as he bowed.
“Good afternoon, Ambassador. It has been long indeed. About two years, I suppose? How have you been faring?”
Marie made a smile. Not for an apparent pleasant company, but for matters most diplomatic and social. There was a lingering taste of discomfort despite the two long years that had passed since their last meeting. It was impressive in itself how this man could make her feel that way for so long. An achievement indeed.
“I have been doing well, Your Highness. I have even risen among the ranks to be His Imperial Highness second in command.”
“Congratulations. I am delighted to know that you have had great achievements. I suppose it is rather improper for me to address you as the Ambassador now?” She chuckled. “Or shall I continue for the sake of the old times?” she joked.
“That is fine, I still have my role as Ambassador. I just have more responsibilities as well now,” Dong Zhou said with a smile. “How are you fairing yourself, Your Highness? Enjoying the city?”
She didn’t think he would answer seriously, but it was no big matter to her.
“Yes. A change like this in atmosphere is far more relaxing than I had assumed initially.”
“That is good, so I assume you have explored the city already, Your Highness?”
“Unfortunately, I am yet to do so. I am still on my tour across the palace.”
“I see. If you like I can have one of my guards show you around the city. He is a dependable man when it comes to that kind of task.”
What is this man up to…? “Would it not be exciting to wander without a guard, though? I know how foolish it sounds, but adventurousness is an enticing prospect, would you not agree?”
“I believe that would not be an appropriate thing to do, Your Highness. Even with guards all over the city there are still those who wish for ill intent if they see profit in a situation. Your Highness’ appearance would be worth their trouble.”
“Oh dear, I was not aware that the city was unsafe for one such as I, but I understand. One cannot simply avert their gaze from a pleasant rose. Very well, if you would insist, Ambassador—and believe that your guard is up to the task—I would welcome him to provide his guidance.”
This brat. It seems she has not changed at all from our last meeting.[i] “Very well then. Liu, get over here,” Dong Zhou said in a commanding voice.
“Yes, Master,” Liu made his presence known to the Princess. His appearance was deceptively unthreatening, with him just being clad in a normal commoner’s clothes, and the lack of vigilance his appearance suggested. It was easy to miss him, especially when accompanied by Dong Zhou.
“Let me introduce you to Liu, Your Highness. He is a capable man who should be able to guide you around the city as well as protect you.”
“Good day to you,” Marie greeted, her smile light now since her daring statement made to Dong Zhou. “My name is Marie Auguste Charlotte de France. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Liu.”
“Good day, I will be keeping you safe for the duration of your stay,” Liu replied with a small smile.
“Oh my, I shall depend on you then.” [i]So these are the type of attendants he keeps…
Liu’s smile twitched a little. “Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”
“He might not seem like much but I can guarantee you he shall properly take care of you, Your Highness.” Dong Zhou said as he then gave a glare to Liu.
A shiver ran down his spine, and he hurriedly faced towards the girl who he correctly assumed as a Princess and spoke, “Would the Princess like a tour of the town?”
The Princess glanced only to follow the sharp gazes just slightly. As a Princess, she’d make notes of the intrigues but not necessarily act upon them, for there was no need to. Whatever purpose the gaze held, it’d likely not be to her high detriment. At least she hoped not, otherwise Dong Zhou would be a fool from her perspective.
“If you would be so kind, Mister Liu. I would also like to go shopping sometime for dresses. The fashion trend here is so intriguing that it is enticing me to indulge them.”
“The market district has merchants that sells both silk and cloth, I recommend we go before they hike up the prices for the tournament.” If anything, he was both interested in leaving Dong Zhou here and seeing the Princess wearing a Cheongsam.
“I shall be taking my leave then. I have work to attend to. It was a pleasure meeting Your Highness again,” Dong Zhou said as he then faced Liu again. “Liu, I hope you don’t do anything foolish.”
“I will keep the Princess safe, Master.” He hoped that this job went on uneventfully, maybe even well enough that Dong Zhou allowed him to finally retire.
“Excuse me, would you still like me to accompany you back to your room?” the servant girl asked upon seeing that Liu was now gonna follow the princess.
“Oh, no need. You may now take some rest.”
“Very well. I shall take my leave for now,” the servant girl said as she bowed and headed off.
After a few minutes of walking they reached the Princess room. Liu went up to the door and knocked. After a few minutes someone finally opened the door.
“I am sorry for the wait,” the servant said as she opened the door. “How can I help you? Oh, Your Highness. welcome back,” she said as she noticed the Princess behind Liu.
“Thank you.” Marie gave Liu a glance, turned to her attendant, and motioned a hand toward him. “Jeanne, this gentleman here is Liu, a bodyguard offered for my safety throughout my stay here in China.” The Princess turned to Liu now and thus gestured at her attendant. “Mister Liu, meet Jeanne Delacroix. She is my aide from my country.”
“Hello.” Liu made a small smile similar to what he showed Marie, as if it was a practiced reaction. However, it looked convincingly sincere enough for people to not think about him much.
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Jeanne said as she then faced Marie. “Though Highness, is another bodyguard really necessary? I am certain I can handle anything myself.”
“He shall provide aid for our tour, unless you hold utmost confidence in your capability to show me most—if not all—of this city?” the Princess spoke in French as did her aide, and gave Liu an apologetic smile.
Liu scratched his cheek, unable to understand the Princess’ language. He was glad he was out of his Master’s view, but admittedly it came with the price of a troublesome job. When she smiled at him, however, he thought that just maybe it was worth it.
“I see. Very well then. If he will show us the city I cannot complain,” Jeanne said.
“If it is acceptable, Mister Liu, we shall make way for the tour of the city as soon as I prepare.”
“Where would you want to go first, Princess? Shall I prepare a carriage for you and your companion?”
“The markets first, and yes please—we would appreciate it if you prepare the transportation for us beforehand.”
“As you wish, Princess,” Liu said as he bowed out the room to prepare.
“What dress shall I get you, Princess?”
Marie entered the room, prompting Jeanne to shut its doors closed. As the drawers were opened for her, the Princess pointed at a deep scarlet dress with black flower designs across the long skirt with some black stripes. It glittered in the lantern lights of the room as it was witnessed, its rich material apparent to them both.
“I suppose… this would do for the rest of the evening.”
“Understood,” Jeanne said as she then picked up the dress Princess Marie had chosen.
After a couple of minutes Jeanne finished preparing the Princess after combing her hair. With a rose-adorned accessory, a ring, and rose-shaped crimson earrings, her Princess was indeed ready. “I believe everything is ready. How does it look to you, Your Highness?”
“Fine enough.” Marie inspected herself before the mirror as she answered.
“Very well, shall we get going then, Your Highness?”
“Yes.”
0
A cool breeze blew, seagulls could be heard as they flew around the port looking for food. Sailors could be seen working on the docks and aboard ships. The port was busy more than usual as people came from abroad. Many ships were arriving. Once ported, people aboard scrambled to get off as many were in a hurry to arrive at the capital so as not to miss the Zodiac Tournament.
Rin was last to exit the boat. She could only sigh with relief as she finally set foot on Chinese soil. The voyage had left her weary and her eyes riddled with bags, but her own health was none of her concern. She had arrived here for one reason, and one reason only.
“Now… to find my parents.”
The foreigner’s first thought was to ask around; the group of men standing about made the most sense to her. Rin approached the group and stared at them blankly until her presence gained their attention.
“Excuse me, but I require information. Could you all tell me about the town that we are in?” she inquired.
“If you want to know little missy you can follow us. We can show you around if you like,” the man said laughing.
Rin raised a brow and tilted her head slightly to the side. “I’m sorry, but I did not make a joke. Is there something humorous about my question?”
“Nothing at all, little missy. I was still laughing about a joke my friend had told me. If you want or not, up to you. We are busy men you know.”
“...I suppose that I could. Please, show me.”
The men led Rin around town for about an hour as they showed her some parts of the town.
“As you can see it is a mostly a boring town but we know of a fun place if you’d like to go there little missy,” one of the men said.
“A fun place? What is it?” Rin questioned.
“Just follow us, will show you,” a man said as the other soon got behind Rin and began pushing her along.
“Please, don’t touch me,” Rin said suddenly. She turned an eye towards the men before walking forward.
One of the men suddenly was kicked straight in the face as he was sent flying backwards. “You bastards never learn, do you,” a young woman with long black hair tied in twintails said as she appeared out of nowhere. “This time you four wont get away,” she said as she quickly ran up to the others and was able to subdue them each with no trouble. “Sheesh, if you guys are this weak how did I even screw up before,” the girl said as she felt disappointed in herself. She then looked back and realized Rin was still standing there. “Hey you are you okay? Did these men do anything to you?”
The japanese woman shrugged. “I am not naked on the floor, reduced to a broken woman, as you can see. So yes, I am fine,” Rin tried to joke. She bowed to the woman in gratitude. “I am in your debt; thank you.”
“No problem but you shouldn’t follow strangers like that, you never know what they might do. You were lucky these guys were idiots,” she said as she tied up the men.
“I suppose so…” Rin turned to one of the men and knelt down in front of him. “But to prey on a woman they didn’t even know was their prerogative. It happens. Luck has nothing to do with it.” After sighing, she stood up and faced the woman once more, speaking in her own native tongue, albeit dimly. “My name is Rin Akira. Hello...”
“Hello Rin. I’m Fang Yang, a pleasure to meet you. By the way are you new to the area? You don’t seem like from around here.”
“I hail from Japan, yes. This is all so new to me, so forgive me if I appear clueless to the area,” Rin replied.
“I see. I’ve never met a Japanese before. All I know is they live across the sea from us. Well I’m not really from this area myself. I come from the northern part of China. So what brings you to China, Rin? Are you here to participate in the Zodiac Tournament like almost all the foreigners?”
“...Tournament? No, nothing of the sort,” Rin’s expression tightened a little as she glanced in the distance. “ I don’t know anything about a tournament. I am actually looking for someone...”
“I see. Who are you looking for if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I am unsure as to what his name is, but I am certain that he is here. A man... I was hoping to meet him soon.”
“So you are basically looking for a stranger? Weren’t you almost taken by this guy? It’s a bit odd you’re looking for a man whose name you don’t know.”
“He is not a stranger per se… I’ve met him before, a long time ago, actually. Last I have heard, he would be here, in China.” Rin appeared lost in thought as she stared blankly into the sky. “I made a promise to meet him again.”
“I see. Well China isn’t exactly a small country you know. You might have to travel around and find them but I’m not sure that would be possible for you unless you have the funds and the knowledge to travel here. From my understanding Japan doesn’t even come close to the size of China.”
“That is fine. Money, time; neither of these are of my concern at the moment. A promise is a promise after all.” Rin clenched her fist as she said this, still appearing emotionless. “I said that I would find him... no matter what it takes.”
“Well maybe it would be much easier to find him if you enter the Zodiac Tournament. Normally those who win the tournament have their names known by everyone in the country. That might help you if you try joining and you think you can win.”
Rin turned back to Fang Yang, humming. “Very well. If this tournament will help me find him, then I accept. Where do I apply?”
“For that you must head to Beijing, the capital. Currently it would take two days to get there. If you like I can show you the way. I get the feeling you probably would get lost if left on your own.”
“Considering this is my first time visiting China, getting lost is expected,” Rin said looking around. “I would be most grateful if you guided me.”
“Alright then, by the way are you hungry? I haven’t ate anything yet so once I turn these creeps in I was thinking of grabbing a bite to eat,” Fang said, laughing.
“Food?” At the very mention, Rin felt her stomach rumble. She gave an embarrassed look and glanced away before coughing. “Now that you mention it, I haven’t eaten anything the whole trip here…”
“Follow me then. I know a great little place here that serves delicious seafood,” Fang said as she pulled Rin’s hand.
“Ahh… sure…” Rin followed the woman, almost flinching from her touch. She almost had a meltdown with those men touching her from earlier; Yang probably wouldn’t be any different, so she had to keep herself at bay. “Then we will depart for the capital, yes?”
“Of course. I did say I would show you the way,” Fang said as she continued pulling Rin’s hand while in her other hand she was pulling the rope which had the men she captured tied.
“Good… thank you again, Fang Yang.”
After turning in the men to the local guards, Fang led Rin into a small hut. Once inside, the aroma of food filled the air.
“Lets sit over here and go ahead and order whatever you want, it will be my treat.”
“Yes…”
Rin pulled her chair out and promptly sat down. Picking up the menu to read it, she peered up to Fang.
“Are you sure that this is okay? I was the one in your debt, after all.”
“It’s fine, or would you actually happen to be carrying currency from our country, or gold at least?”
“...Good point.” Rin sighed.
“Don’t worry, you can pay me back once in the capitol if you want. They exchange currency there. Considering they have people coming from all over the world right now for the Zodiac Tournament.”
“All over the world? Could a tournament be so big to gain the attention of people throughout the earth and bring them all here?”
“Have you been living under a rock this whole time? Do you not know the story of the Zodiacs?”
“Only bits and pieces from when I was learning Kung-fu, however my late master wasn’t too fond of sharing that story,” Rin replied.
“That is odd. Why would someone not be fond of the story? If it wasn’t for the Zodiacs none of us would be in this world right now.”
“He never said… he was too busy drinking away his own problems to tell me anything else other than how to fight.”
“Did your parents never tell you either? It’s a really common children’s tale as well.”
Rin clenched her fist. “My parents…” She looked towards the table and kept her gaze planted there for a while. “They only told me a little bit; something about the war, monsters, the Jade Emperor and Goddess Amaterasu fighting to protect us all. That’s as far as they got.”
“Well basically the Zodiacs were messengers sent by the Jade Emperor and Goddess Amaterasu to save us all. The tournament is held in their honor and it’s also a chance for us to become one of the Zodiacs themselves as well. There are fourteen Zodiacs in total. Do you happen to know them all or would you wish for me to tell you?”
“No, it’s fine; I know about them,” Rin said. “I think the tournament is the only thing that was omitted from what I was told over the years.”
“I see. Well any clue which Zodiac you will to get?”
“The Fox seems interesting enough.”
“Oh that’s an interesting choice. There’s probably gonna be a lot of competition for it as well,” Fang said as she then ordered one of the dishes on the restaurant menu.
“Mnn, it sounds about right,” Rin said, finally coming to a decision of what she wanted to eat on that note. “That said, since I am joining the tournament, I will have to fight these contending people if I want that Zodiac, then?”
“Of course, silly. It is a tournament. Martial artists from all over the world will partake in it. I myself plan to enter as well.”
“Now that’s a pleasant surprise. Which Zodiac are you competing for?”
“I’ll be going after the Cat Zodiac myself. Which will also have a bunch of competition.”
“Hmm, well I wish you luck then. I’m sure it will be a strenuous tournament.”
“Thanks, we'll go ahead and order. You must starving, your stomach has been grumbling.”
Rin stuttered a little on her own words and hid behind her menu out of embarrassment. “R-Right, yes, well… I guess roasted duck sounds good…”
Rin was last to exit the boat. She could only sigh with relief as she finally set foot on Chinese soil. The voyage had left her weary and her eyes riddled with bags, but her own health was none of her concern. She had arrived here for one reason, and one reason only.
“Now… to find my parents.”
The foreigner’s first thought was to ask around; the group of men standing about made the most sense to her. Rin approached the group and stared at them blankly until her presence gained their attention.
“Excuse me, but I require information. Could you all tell me about the town that we are in?” she inquired.
“If you want to know little missy you can follow us. We can show you around if you like,” the man said laughing.
Rin raised a brow and tilted her head slightly to the side. “I’m sorry, but I did not make a joke. Is there something humorous about my question?”
“Nothing at all, little missy. I was still laughing about a joke my friend had told me. If you want or not, up to you. We are busy men you know.”
“...I suppose that I could. Please, show me.”
The men led Rin around town for about an hour as they showed her some parts of the town.
“As you can see it is a mostly a boring town but we know of a fun place if you’d like to go there little missy,” one of the men said.
“A fun place? What is it?” Rin questioned.
“Just follow us, will show you,” a man said as the other soon got behind Rin and began pushing her along.
“Please, don’t touch me,” Rin said suddenly. She turned an eye towards the men before walking forward.
One of the men suddenly was kicked straight in the face as he was sent flying backwards. “You bastards never learn, do you,” a young woman with long black hair tied in twintails said as she appeared out of nowhere. “This time you four wont get away,” she said as she quickly ran up to the others and was able to subdue them each with no trouble. “Sheesh, if you guys are this weak how did I even screw up before,” the girl said as she felt disappointed in herself. She then looked back and realized Rin was still standing there. “Hey you are you okay? Did these men do anything to you?”
The japanese woman shrugged. “I am not naked on the floor, reduced to a broken woman, as you can see. So yes, I am fine,” Rin tried to joke. She bowed to the woman in gratitude. “I am in your debt; thank you.”
“No problem but you shouldn’t follow strangers like that, you never know what they might do. You were lucky these guys were idiots,” she said as she tied up the men.
“I suppose so…” Rin turned to one of the men and knelt down in front of him. “But to prey on a woman they didn’t even know was their prerogative. It happens. Luck has nothing to do with it.” After sighing, she stood up and faced the woman once more, speaking in her own native tongue, albeit dimly. “My name is Rin Akira. Hello...”
“Hello Rin. I’m Fang Yang, a pleasure to meet you. By the way are you new to the area? You don’t seem like from around here.”
“I hail from Japan, yes. This is all so new to me, so forgive me if I appear clueless to the area,” Rin replied.
“I see. I’ve never met a Japanese before. All I know is they live across the sea from us. Well I’m not really from this area myself. I come from the northern part of China. So what brings you to China, Rin? Are you here to participate in the Zodiac Tournament like almost all the foreigners?”
“...Tournament? No, nothing of the sort,” Rin’s expression tightened a little as she glanced in the distance. “ I don’t know anything about a tournament. I am actually looking for someone...”
“I see. Who are you looking for if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I am unsure as to what his name is, but I am certain that he is here. A man... I was hoping to meet him soon.”
“So you are basically looking for a stranger? Weren’t you almost taken by this guy? It’s a bit odd you’re looking for a man whose name you don’t know.”
“He is not a stranger per se… I’ve met him before, a long time ago, actually. Last I have heard, he would be here, in China.” Rin appeared lost in thought as she stared blankly into the sky. “I made a promise to meet him again.”
“I see. Well China isn’t exactly a small country you know. You might have to travel around and find them but I’m not sure that would be possible for you unless you have the funds and the knowledge to travel here. From my understanding Japan doesn’t even come close to the size of China.”
“That is fine. Money, time; neither of these are of my concern at the moment. A promise is a promise after all.” Rin clenched her fist as she said this, still appearing emotionless. “I said that I would find him... no matter what it takes.”
“Well maybe it would be much easier to find him if you enter the Zodiac Tournament. Normally those who win the tournament have their names known by everyone in the country. That might help you if you try joining and you think you can win.”
Rin turned back to Fang Yang, humming. “Very well. If this tournament will help me find him, then I accept. Where do I apply?”
“For that you must head to Beijing, the capital. Currently it would take two days to get there. If you like I can show you the way. I get the feeling you probably would get lost if left on your own.”
“Considering this is my first time visiting China, getting lost is expected,” Rin said looking around. “I would be most grateful if you guided me.”
“Alright then, by the way are you hungry? I haven’t ate anything yet so once I turn these creeps in I was thinking of grabbing a bite to eat,” Fang said, laughing.
“Food?” At the very mention, Rin felt her stomach rumble. She gave an embarrassed look and glanced away before coughing. “Now that you mention it, I haven’t eaten anything the whole trip here…”
“Follow me then. I know a great little place here that serves delicious seafood,” Fang said as she pulled Rin’s hand.
“Ahh… sure…” Rin followed the woman, almost flinching from her touch. She almost had a meltdown with those men touching her from earlier; Yang probably wouldn’t be any different, so she had to keep herself at bay. “Then we will depart for the capital, yes?”
“Of course. I did say I would show you the way,” Fang said as she continued pulling Rin’s hand while in her other hand she was pulling the rope which had the men she captured tied.
“Good… thank you again, Fang Yang.”
***
After turning in the men to the local guards, Fang led Rin into a small hut. Once inside, the aroma of food filled the air.
“Lets sit over here and go ahead and order whatever you want, it will be my treat.”
“Yes…”
Rin pulled her chair out and promptly sat down. Picking up the menu to read it, she peered up to Fang.
“Are you sure that this is okay? I was the one in your debt, after all.”
“It’s fine, or would you actually happen to be carrying currency from our country, or gold at least?”
“...Good point.” Rin sighed.
“Don’t worry, you can pay me back once in the capitol if you want. They exchange currency there. Considering they have people coming from all over the world right now for the Zodiac Tournament.”
“All over the world? Could a tournament be so big to gain the attention of people throughout the earth and bring them all here?”
“Have you been living under a rock this whole time? Do you not know the story of the Zodiacs?”
“Only bits and pieces from when I was learning Kung-fu, however my late master wasn’t too fond of sharing that story,” Rin replied.
“That is odd. Why would someone not be fond of the story? If it wasn’t for the Zodiacs none of us would be in this world right now.”
“He never said… he was too busy drinking away his own problems to tell me anything else other than how to fight.”
“Did your parents never tell you either? It’s a really common children’s tale as well.”
Rin clenched her fist. “My parents…” She looked towards the table and kept her gaze planted there for a while. “They only told me a little bit; something about the war, monsters, the Jade Emperor and Goddess Amaterasu fighting to protect us all. That’s as far as they got.”
“Well basically the Zodiacs were messengers sent by the Jade Emperor and Goddess Amaterasu to save us all. The tournament is held in their honor and it’s also a chance for us to become one of the Zodiacs themselves as well. There are fourteen Zodiacs in total. Do you happen to know them all or would you wish for me to tell you?”
“No, it’s fine; I know about them,” Rin said. “I think the tournament is the only thing that was omitted from what I was told over the years.”
“I see. Well any clue which Zodiac you will to get?”
“The Fox seems interesting enough.”
“Oh that’s an interesting choice. There’s probably gonna be a lot of competition for it as well,” Fang said as she then ordered one of the dishes on the restaurant menu.
“Mnn, it sounds about right,” Rin said, finally coming to a decision of what she wanted to eat on that note. “That said, since I am joining the tournament, I will have to fight these contending people if I want that Zodiac, then?”
“Of course, silly. It is a tournament. Martial artists from all over the world will partake in it. I myself plan to enter as well.”
“Now that’s a pleasant surprise. Which Zodiac are you competing for?”
“I’ll be going after the Cat Zodiac myself. Which will also have a bunch of competition.”
“Hmm, well I wish you luck then. I’m sure it will be a strenuous tournament.”
“Thanks, we'll go ahead and order. You must starving, your stomach has been grumbling.”
Rin stuttered a little on her own words and hid behind her menu out of embarrassment. “R-Right, yes, well… I guess roasted duck sounds good…”
0
Out in an open field, farmers were out working on their rice crops. A few houses could be seen as the land was mostly covered with rice patties belonging to the farmers. It was a peaceful village. On one of the paths, an old man could be seen walking. Following him was a tiger cub.
“Zheng Liao, where are you going today?” the cub said as she ran around Zheng.
“Somewhere I never thought I’d see again,” Zheng said. He was setting out from a village like he had done countless times before, bag slung over his shoulder. He’d be traveling down the road just like always, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this time was different.
“Where would that be? Does it have a lot of meat?”
Before Zheng could respond, an elderly man approached them. “Good morning Zheng. Are you living the village already?”
Zheng stopped and bowed toward him. “I’m afraid so. I’d like to stay longer, but an urgent matter has come to my attention. I thank you and the others for the hospitality you’ve shown me.”
“I see. The children will really miss you and Xiao. They were always so eager to see you two.”
Zheng smiled. “I will miss them as well, and I’m sure so will Xiao.”
Xiao seemed to shiver a bit as she recalled the children always touching her as if she was a doll.
“By the way Zheng, would you happen to be heading to the capitol? I’ve heard stories from passing merchants that the Zodiac Tournament shall be starting soon.”
“I was that transparent, huh? This †˜old man’ still has some fight left in him.”
The old man laughed. “One would have a hard time believing your age, Zheng. We are about the same age yet your body looks thirty years younger than mine. Well my friend, I wish you luck. Opportunities like this don’t come often.”
“Thank you. It feels like joining is something I must experience. The last Tournament was held well before our lives, and the next one will probably be held well after. As you say, opportunities like this don’t come often.”
“I imagine you will be going after protection of the Tiger Zodiac, will you not?”
Zheng glanced at Xiao Bao. “I’ve got designs on the Ox, actually.”
“That is indeed a surprise. I imagined because of Xiao you would have gone after the Tiger. Either way I wish you luck. Now then I shall let you be, it is a two day walk from our village to the capitol. I wouldn’t want to take more of your time.”
“Farewell, and may our paths cross again.”
The man waved goodbye as he saw Zheng Liao and Xiao Bao depart.
“Zheng, what is the Zodiac Tournament the man mentioned?” Xiao asked him with a confused expression.
“Every hundred years or so, a competition is held, and the winner is given a gift from the God whose honor the tournament is being thrown in.”
“Oh that sounds like fun. Do you think I can enter?”
Zheng laughed. “These tournaments are not something one undertakes for fun.”
“How come? You said it was a competition. So far, all competitions I saw you hold with the children seemed fun.”
“Not all competitions bring joy. To compare a Zodiac Tournament to teaching children would be the same as comparing you to a household cat.”
“Please don’t, I never enjoyed when the children kept calling me a kitten. By the way Zheng, will we be coming back to the village once you are done at the tournament?”
“I imagine so. Why do you ask?”
“No reason. I just thought the children would be sad if we didn’t come back.”
“Miss them already?”
“Who would miss trouble makers like them! They're more likely to miss me.”
“Heh. Rest assured, I see no reason not to come back this way once our business in the capitol has concluded. I certainly see no reason to linger there…” Zheng had thought that forty years would be enough for him to forget what had happened to him, but it was hard to not still feel bitter.
“Zheng Liao, where are you going today?” the cub said as she ran around Zheng.
“Somewhere I never thought I’d see again,” Zheng said. He was setting out from a village like he had done countless times before, bag slung over his shoulder. He’d be traveling down the road just like always, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this time was different.
“Where would that be? Does it have a lot of meat?”
Before Zheng could respond, an elderly man approached them. “Good morning Zheng. Are you living the village already?”
Zheng stopped and bowed toward him. “I’m afraid so. I’d like to stay longer, but an urgent matter has come to my attention. I thank you and the others for the hospitality you’ve shown me.”
“I see. The children will really miss you and Xiao. They were always so eager to see you two.”
Zheng smiled. “I will miss them as well, and I’m sure so will Xiao.”
Xiao seemed to shiver a bit as she recalled the children always touching her as if she was a doll.
“By the way Zheng, would you happen to be heading to the capitol? I’ve heard stories from passing merchants that the Zodiac Tournament shall be starting soon.”
“I was that transparent, huh? This †˜old man’ still has some fight left in him.”
The old man laughed. “One would have a hard time believing your age, Zheng. We are about the same age yet your body looks thirty years younger than mine. Well my friend, I wish you luck. Opportunities like this don’t come often.”
“Thank you. It feels like joining is something I must experience. The last Tournament was held well before our lives, and the next one will probably be held well after. As you say, opportunities like this don’t come often.”
“I imagine you will be going after protection of the Tiger Zodiac, will you not?”
Zheng glanced at Xiao Bao. “I’ve got designs on the Ox, actually.”
“That is indeed a surprise. I imagined because of Xiao you would have gone after the Tiger. Either way I wish you luck. Now then I shall let you be, it is a two day walk from our village to the capitol. I wouldn’t want to take more of your time.”
“Farewell, and may our paths cross again.”
The man waved goodbye as he saw Zheng Liao and Xiao Bao depart.
“Zheng, what is the Zodiac Tournament the man mentioned?” Xiao asked him with a confused expression.
“Every hundred years or so, a competition is held, and the winner is given a gift from the God whose honor the tournament is being thrown in.”
“Oh that sounds like fun. Do you think I can enter?”
Zheng laughed. “These tournaments are not something one undertakes for fun.”
“How come? You said it was a competition. So far, all competitions I saw you hold with the children seemed fun.”
“Not all competitions bring joy. To compare a Zodiac Tournament to teaching children would be the same as comparing you to a household cat.”
“Please don’t, I never enjoyed when the children kept calling me a kitten. By the way Zheng, will we be coming back to the village once you are done at the tournament?”
“I imagine so. Why do you ask?”
“No reason. I just thought the children would be sad if we didn’t come back.”
“Miss them already?”
“Who would miss trouble makers like them! They're more likely to miss me.”
“Heh. Rest assured, I see no reason not to come back this way once our business in the capitol has concluded. I certainly see no reason to linger there…” Zheng had thought that forty years would be enough for him to forget what had happened to him, but it was hard to not still feel bitter.
0
The sun was high above the sky. Farmers were working on their rice paddy fields as they were planting new crops. Mountain surrounded the village it was a peaceful place.
A young woman could be seen running towards one of the fields. In the field she ran to a young man who was working planting rice crops into the field.
“Hey Manpu. Let’s go have some fun, aren’t you tired of working in the fields?”
The man wiped the sweat off his face with the corner of his sleeve, leaning on his hoe. “Dia Yan… There is still much for us to do but I admit a small break is welcome.”
“Well I brought some food. Knowing you, you probably forgot to bring something to eat.”
“Rice balls?” he asked, walking over to her.
“Of course, wrapped in seaweed as well. I hope you enjoy,” she said happily.
“You did not have to go out of your way to make them, Dia Yan.”
“It’s no problem really. I do have to keep practicing you know,” Dia Yan said blushing.
Manpu received the rice balls with gratitude, smiling at his childhood friend. “There is no one in this village that makes onigiri better than you.”
“Really? Then I’ll make sure I keep making the best even after we get married.”
“Dia Yan, my family has fallen from grace yet you are still willing to follow through with the engagement between our parents?”
“Of course. We’ve known each other since childhood. You’ve never given me a reason to hate you and I enjoy being with you anyway. Or do you not enjoy being with me?”
“That’s not the case, I definitely do enjoy your company. It’s because of this that I am worried for I will begin to tread a different path soon.”
“What do you mean?” Dia asked as she was confused.
“I am participating in the tournament to restore the honor of my family,” he replied.
“The Zodiac one? But isn’t that in like two days?”
“Indeed, I will be departing later today for it.”
“Why haven’t you said anything before?”
“I do not wish to disturb the others in the village. Only esteemed Father and Mother know about my participation.”
“But why not tell me anything till now? I am your fiance. I believe I do have the right to know.”
“Forgive this foolish man who believes he still has the heart of a bushi.” Manpo lowered his head to his wife-to-be.
“Idiot. Did you not think I would be worried if all a sudden you just disappeared?”
“I had planned to tell you before just before I made for the tournament. I’ll be home in time for the harvest.”
“Don’t you think I want to come with you? We have always done many things together.”
“The day is still young. There is plenty of time to prepare if you still wish to accompany me, Dia Yan.”
“Alright then. I’ll go and get my stuff ready!” Dia Yan said excitedly. “I wonder what we’ll see at the capitol.” She hugged Manpu and ran off back to her home to prepare.
“I’d better hurry off first. It’ll take her till midday to get everything ready…” Manpu murmured to himself before hurrying off. Time was of the essence and even with the fastest preparations, a good amount of time had elapsed before he was out the door, supplies loaded onto his steed. Looking back in the direction of Dia Yan’s home with a frown, he saddled up and snapped the reins, his horse obeying, and they galloped out of town.
“Manpu! You liar!” Dia Yan shouted as she could be seen trying to catch up Manpu.
He glanced back at her, feeling the urge to rush back and help as Dia Yan tripped in her pursuit, but instead he spurred the horse on with another snap, leaving her and the village behind.
A young woman could be seen running towards one of the fields. In the field she ran to a young man who was working planting rice crops into the field.
“Hey Manpu. Let’s go have some fun, aren’t you tired of working in the fields?”
The man wiped the sweat off his face with the corner of his sleeve, leaning on his hoe. “Dia Yan… There is still much for us to do but I admit a small break is welcome.”
“Well I brought some food. Knowing you, you probably forgot to bring something to eat.”
“Rice balls?” he asked, walking over to her.
“Of course, wrapped in seaweed as well. I hope you enjoy,” she said happily.
“You did not have to go out of your way to make them, Dia Yan.”
“It’s no problem really. I do have to keep practicing you know,” Dia Yan said blushing.
Manpu received the rice balls with gratitude, smiling at his childhood friend. “There is no one in this village that makes onigiri better than you.”
“Really? Then I’ll make sure I keep making the best even after we get married.”
“Dia Yan, my family has fallen from grace yet you are still willing to follow through with the engagement between our parents?”
“Of course. We’ve known each other since childhood. You’ve never given me a reason to hate you and I enjoy being with you anyway. Or do you not enjoy being with me?”
“That’s not the case, I definitely do enjoy your company. It’s because of this that I am worried for I will begin to tread a different path soon.”
“What do you mean?” Dia asked as she was confused.
“I am participating in the tournament to restore the honor of my family,” he replied.
“The Zodiac one? But isn’t that in like two days?”
“Indeed, I will be departing later today for it.”
“Why haven’t you said anything before?”
“I do not wish to disturb the others in the village. Only esteemed Father and Mother know about my participation.”
“But why not tell me anything till now? I am your fiance. I believe I do have the right to know.”
“Forgive this foolish man who believes he still has the heart of a bushi.” Manpo lowered his head to his wife-to-be.
“Idiot. Did you not think I would be worried if all a sudden you just disappeared?”
“I had planned to tell you before just before I made for the tournament. I’ll be home in time for the harvest.”
“Don’t you think I want to come with you? We have always done many things together.”
“The day is still young. There is plenty of time to prepare if you still wish to accompany me, Dia Yan.”
“Alright then. I’ll go and get my stuff ready!” Dia Yan said excitedly. “I wonder what we’ll see at the capitol.” She hugged Manpu and ran off back to her home to prepare.
“I’d better hurry off first. It’ll take her till midday to get everything ready…” Manpu murmured to himself before hurrying off. Time was of the essence and even with the fastest preparations, a good amount of time had elapsed before he was out the door, supplies loaded onto his steed. Looking back in the direction of Dia Yan’s home with a frown, he saddled up and snapped the reins, his horse obeying, and they galloped out of town.
“Manpu! You liar!” Dia Yan shouted as she could be seen trying to catch up Manpu.
He glanced back at her, feeling the urge to rush back and help as Dia Yan tripped in her pursuit, but instead he spurred the horse on with another snap, leaving her and the village behind.
0
Morning came, the palace was silent as the majority who stayed were in a deep slumber after last night’s festivities. A servant girl could be heard running along the corridors if anyone was awake. After a few minutes she reached her destination.
The girl knocked on the door as she then called out to the owner of the room. “Miss Fei, are you awake?”
She was answered by the strumming of an instrument inside. A melodious voice called out. “Come in.”
Inside was a young woman sitting at a large wooden string instrument. Eyes closed, she was swaying gently as she played a slow, relaxing tune. Her fingers nimbly danced over the guzheng, plucking forth resonating tones.
“No need for formality. Our roles may be different but we are both attendants.” She opened her eyes and turned to the girl while continuing to play with deft precision.
“Well sometimes it’s hard to see it that way when you are the Emperor’s personal attendant while I’m just a simple servant who has to serve whoever I’m told.”
“Leave fussing over such things to the nobles and officials,” Fei replied with a subtle smile. “Now then Li, if you’ve come, am I being summoned somewhere?”
“Well I was told to tell you that the Emperor wishes to see you at noon. That he requires your services. So it be best you prepare yourself before then.”
“Oh ho, a summon at his busiest time before the festival. He must desire my services quite intensely,” she joked enjoying the blushed reaction of the young girl before her.
“Do you really do those things with him?” Li asked with an embarrassed tone.
“I attend him as he asks of me.” Fei accompanied the non-answer with another subtle smile.
“Can you at least answer me properly for once? You always say things in ways that I’m not sure how to take.” the girl said as many thoughts poured into her head while her face became red.
“Where would be the fun in that? But I will say, consider the temperament of our emperor and you will have your answer.”
“Well from what I know he wouldn’t but he does spend a lot of time with you. It would give some people some ideas, you know”
“He is merely a fan of good music and company. Is it disappointing to find the truth behind the rumors so mundane?”
“Well they seem to enjoy making stuff up for their own advantages. So anything that sounds favorable to them they would start using.”
“Let them have their fun. One only need open their eyes to see what is truly there. Even you who considers yourself †˜just a servant girl’ could see the truth.”
“Well I have no reason to doubt the Emperor. He has always treated us servants kindly. Still sad though that there are people willing to tarnish the Emperor’s name.”
“Not all men can be righteous.”
“That is true. Well anything you wish for me to help you with, Fei? Or are you fine getting ready yourself?”
“I will be fine on my own. Thank you for delivering the emperor’s message.”
“Wish for once, you’d let me help you but I suppose maybe one day. Then I’ll be heading out now then. I’ll see you later Fei.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.” With another one of her signature smiles she saw Li out of the room. Once the sound of footsteps in the hall had faded, she got up from her seat at the guzheng and opened the window of her room. Immediately a large white raven the color of unblemished snow flew into the room flanked by two smaller swallows and perched on her desk.
“Well then, what news do you have for me today, Xiang?” Fei spoke as she turned to the raven.
“The big fat man seems to be having men in hoods going about all over the palace. We are not sure where as they disappear too fast, but we can tell they are moving about the entire palace as we have seen five different men. There are also a lot of new people at the palace that we have never seen but they all mostly arrived at the same time. They seem to be wearing funny clothes,” the raven said as it flapped it wings. “The man in charge also seemed to talk about a tournament with one of the new people. They mentioned a rabbit, tiger and ox. I am not sure what they meant by those animals.”
“You’ve done well.” Walking over to the desk, Fei took out a pouch filled with seeds and offered the contents to the birds. Stroking the raven’s feathers as he ate, a slight frown appeared on her face as she processed the information. That Dong Zhou, seems he is up to something. I would have thought he’d be busy trying to rig the tournament. Seems the prince and princess have decided on their intended zodiacs but I wonder who this westerner who plans to compete is?
“Would there be anything else you wish for, Lady Fei?” the raven said as it finished the seeds it was offered.
“Don’t you start being all formal with me too after you just heard me chide Li for it!” she said, affectionately tousling the raven’s feathers. “But yes, that will be all. Thank you for the good work as usual.”
“Very well,” The raven said as it soon flapped it wings and flew off.
A couple hours passed. Soon, a knock could be heard on the door.
“Fei, are you ready?” It was Chun Li who had returned a couple of minutes before Fei was meant to set off to meet the Emperor.
“Yes, let us be off,” Fei replied, opening the door of the room. She had changed from her previously simple robe into one of exquisite blue adorned with patterns of flowers. Something more fitting to grace the presence of the Emperor.
“You sure are always ready on time. Sometimes I wish I could catch you unprepared.”
“Maybe one day, but not today,” Fei said giving her a smile.
“Then please follow me,” Li said as she began walking.
“There is that needless formality again. Let us walk together, I know the way as well as you do.” Fei strode forward, walking beside her.
“Well with all the guests I’ve been leading around it’s sorta just recently become a habit. There’s just so many that I need to lead around and remember their faces, I just lose myself.”
“The people from the West that arrived recently?”
“Yes, I think I’ve lost track of how many I’ve had to show to their rooms or to the Banquet. I’m not even sure the majority even understood what I was saying,” Li said as she placed both her hands on her as she felt her head was spinning. “Though there was one lady who seemed to understood what I said considering she even replied back to me. I wonder how important she was considering she sat at the same table as the Emperor. You think she could have been a Princess or Queen from a very important country, Fei?”
“It’s likely she was to be seated in such a place of honor.” Could that have been who Xiang saw the emperor speaking with about the tournament?
“Oh then I can probably brag to the other servants I lead a Princess or Queen from another country as well!” Li said happily.
“Haha, how nice for you.” Fei let out a warm laugh seeing Li’s excitement. “That boast might be even grander in the future depending on the mettle of our visiting dignitary.”
“You think she might enter the Zodiac Tournament?”
“It is just a hunch.”
“Well I hope it comes true. Then I can truly brag to the other servants,” Li said with a big grin on her face. “How about you, Fei, do you plan to enter as well? Or do you really have no interest in fighting?”
“I am just a mere musician. How could I hope to face off against those warriors?” Fei answered with an innocent smile on her face.
“I see. Well I wish I was older myself then I would have loved to enter. Going after the rabbit Zodiac would have been nice.”
“It would have fit you quite well though I would not take it so lightly. It may be just a tournament but there is still the risk of severe injury.”
“I know, but by the time the next one comes around I will no longer be in this world though. They do just happen once every hundred years.”
“True, but still...” Fei wrapped her arms around the smaller Li playfully as an older sibling might. “I wouldn’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Sheesh, I’m not a little girl still. I can take care of myself,” Li said as she felt embarrassed.
“Don’t worry about it,” Fei nonchalantly replied, swaying from side to side as she hung onto Li. As they neared their destination she finally released her.
“Well here we are. The Emperor said that today his private garden would be a nice place to relax for a bit before he heads back to work,” Li said as she sighed. “If you need anything just ring the bell that is inside. I’ll be waiting out here in case anything is needed.”
With a nod and a casual wave, Fei left her escort and stepped out into the warm spring air. She had spent enough time in the garden to have memorized the scenery but still the beauty of it amazed her. Walking along the quiet winding path past groves of bamboo and plum trees, she spotted the Emperor meditating in a small pavilion at the center of a lake filled with lotus blossoms. Seeing him defenseless a devious smile appeared on her face. Stealthily approaching him from behind, she crept closer until she was mere inches away. Leaning forward delicately she gently blew in his ear.
“My someone decided to be playful today,” the Emperor said as he laughed as he still kept his meditating pose.
“Oh, you sensed my approach? That’s no fun,” Fei replied faking a pout. Circling around she took a seat in front of him. “How may I serve you today, my Emperor?”
“Of course, if I had not, what kind of master martial artist would I be?” the Emperor said as he let out laughter again and stood up. “Well Fei, I would like it if you could perform for me of course. Even I need a break after all the preparations and nothing relaxes me more than hearing you play.”
“Your wish is my command.” Getting up, she walked over to a set of instruments that had been prepared in advance. Running her hand across them she looked them over deciding which to play before settling on a guzheng. Laying the instrument across her lap, she took a moment to compose herself and began to strum a spritely spring tune. After playing for a while she spoke up. “Seems the palace has been bustling these days.”
“Of course. This day does only come once every hundred years. This will be the final opportunity to watch or participate for many. I wonder who would miss such an opportunity if they had the chance to come.”
“Unfortunately it seems there may be some rather unsavory individuals within the commotion.”
“Really now? What would make you say that, my dear?”
“Word gets around. There have been rumors of hooded individuals flitting about the palace.”
“Yet I have yet to hear this before now. Would you like to explain, my dear?”
“It is as it sounds. I only know of them from what I have overheard.” A sly smile appeared on her face. “After all, a musician must have sharp ears. On a similar note I heard my Emperor had a meeting with a western dignitary, what was she like?”
“Someone indeed does have sharp ears. Just a warning my dear, as I am certain I can fully trust you, do not mentions things like that around others as if they were in my position. They probably would treat you as a spy,” the Emperor said as he stood up. “My western guest was no other than the Princess of France. It is my hope we can make an ally with the westerners as I fear a great threat shall be upon us soon.”
“The fate of the zodiacs…” Fei murmured to herself before deflecting the topic. “If I were a spy I would certainly be a bold one asking the Emperor directly,” she joked.
“Hahaha. Indeed you would. Well my dear, are you still not interested in joining the tournament yourself?”
“That is the second time I’ve been asked that question today. Do I appear that capable?”
“Well my dear you are still far too young to hide your capabilities from me, you know? I know you are very well capable of handling things yourself considering that Goddess of a fox has taught you all you know up till now.”
“Oh my, you won’t be popular with women if you pry too much into their secrets, my Emperor.” Her smile was innocent but her tone was sharp.
“Hahaha. I have no reason to pry when her radiance is easily visible to my eyes. Even if I try to ignore it I can sense her as clear as day.”
Fei let out a sigh. “I was not aware others could sense her. Have my attempts to escape notice been pointless?”
The Emperor laughed again. “Worry not my dear. I am certain I am the only one who has noticed her. I have yet met others who possess the same gift as me.”
“That is fine then. My Emperor would not be so tactless as to reveal a woman’s secrets to others.” Her sly smile recovered. “It may not be so bad having my Emperor as the only other who knows.”
“I have no reason to reveal it. Why would I want to lose my lovely musician? I just had no reason to bring it up before.”
“And here I thought I was the one keeping the secrets.”
“You are far still too young to have many secrets my dear. Once you reach my age you shall see. Well then I shall be going now. It seems my time for rest is up. I shall wish you luck my dear as I sense fate has something big in store for you. ”
“I wish you the best. Call on me if my Emperor desires music again.” With that Fei let her hands come to a rest.
“I would hope that be after the festivities are over if you have not departed, my dear,” the Emperor said as he then walked out the garden room.
When the Emperor had left, Fei turned her thoughts inward. ”Inari, did you know all along?”
Of course silly. Like him I had no reason to say anything. He never gave signs of putting us in danger so there was no need to tell you, Inari said as she chuckle.
”I should have guessed. Have fun watching me play the fool trying to hide it?”
Now, now no need to get like that. If it was anyone else I would have told you right away but that man did not give me any signs to worry about. I had told you before, I would tell you of men to be wary about like that big man known as Dong Zhou.
”I’m just teasing. I know you have my best interests at heart.”
Well then don’t you think you should start preparing for tomorrow? I believe you’ve idled enough for today.
”It arrives at last. Hopefully my skills have not declined.”
Well just don’t hold back anymore. I doubt you have much to worry about. I was the one who taught you after all.
”My, when have I ever? Deception is also a tactic you taught me.
Then you do not have to worry about your skills then, my cute little Fei.
Finishing her conversation with the goddess, Fei rejoined Li at the entrance to the garden and made her way back to her room.
The girl knocked on the door as she then called out to the owner of the room. “Miss Fei, are you awake?”
She was answered by the strumming of an instrument inside. A melodious voice called out. “Come in.”
Inside was a young woman sitting at a large wooden string instrument. Eyes closed, she was swaying gently as she played a slow, relaxing tune. Her fingers nimbly danced over the guzheng, plucking forth resonating tones.
“No need for formality. Our roles may be different but we are both attendants.” She opened her eyes and turned to the girl while continuing to play with deft precision.
“Well sometimes it’s hard to see it that way when you are the Emperor’s personal attendant while I’m just a simple servant who has to serve whoever I’m told.”
“Leave fussing over such things to the nobles and officials,” Fei replied with a subtle smile. “Now then Li, if you’ve come, am I being summoned somewhere?”
“Well I was told to tell you that the Emperor wishes to see you at noon. That he requires your services. So it be best you prepare yourself before then.”
“Oh ho, a summon at his busiest time before the festival. He must desire my services quite intensely,” she joked enjoying the blushed reaction of the young girl before her.
“Do you really do those things with him?” Li asked with an embarrassed tone.
“I attend him as he asks of me.” Fei accompanied the non-answer with another subtle smile.
“Can you at least answer me properly for once? You always say things in ways that I’m not sure how to take.” the girl said as many thoughts poured into her head while her face became red.
“Where would be the fun in that? But I will say, consider the temperament of our emperor and you will have your answer.”
“Well from what I know he wouldn’t but he does spend a lot of time with you. It would give some people some ideas, you know”
“He is merely a fan of good music and company. Is it disappointing to find the truth behind the rumors so mundane?”
“Well they seem to enjoy making stuff up for their own advantages. So anything that sounds favorable to them they would start using.”
“Let them have their fun. One only need open their eyes to see what is truly there. Even you who considers yourself †˜just a servant girl’ could see the truth.”
“Well I have no reason to doubt the Emperor. He has always treated us servants kindly. Still sad though that there are people willing to tarnish the Emperor’s name.”
“Not all men can be righteous.”
“That is true. Well anything you wish for me to help you with, Fei? Or are you fine getting ready yourself?”
“I will be fine on my own. Thank you for delivering the emperor’s message.”
“Wish for once, you’d let me help you but I suppose maybe one day. Then I’ll be heading out now then. I’ll see you later Fei.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.” With another one of her signature smiles she saw Li out of the room. Once the sound of footsteps in the hall had faded, she got up from her seat at the guzheng and opened the window of her room. Immediately a large white raven the color of unblemished snow flew into the room flanked by two smaller swallows and perched on her desk.
“Well then, what news do you have for me today, Xiang?” Fei spoke as she turned to the raven.
“The big fat man seems to be having men in hoods going about all over the palace. We are not sure where as they disappear too fast, but we can tell they are moving about the entire palace as we have seen five different men. There are also a lot of new people at the palace that we have never seen but they all mostly arrived at the same time. They seem to be wearing funny clothes,” the raven said as it flapped it wings. “The man in charge also seemed to talk about a tournament with one of the new people. They mentioned a rabbit, tiger and ox. I am not sure what they meant by those animals.”
“You’ve done well.” Walking over to the desk, Fei took out a pouch filled with seeds and offered the contents to the birds. Stroking the raven’s feathers as he ate, a slight frown appeared on her face as she processed the information. That Dong Zhou, seems he is up to something. I would have thought he’d be busy trying to rig the tournament. Seems the prince and princess have decided on their intended zodiacs but I wonder who this westerner who plans to compete is?
“Would there be anything else you wish for, Lady Fei?” the raven said as it finished the seeds it was offered.
“Don’t you start being all formal with me too after you just heard me chide Li for it!” she said, affectionately tousling the raven’s feathers. “But yes, that will be all. Thank you for the good work as usual.”
“Very well,” The raven said as it soon flapped it wings and flew off.
***
A couple hours passed. Soon, a knock could be heard on the door.
“Fei, are you ready?” It was Chun Li who had returned a couple of minutes before Fei was meant to set off to meet the Emperor.
“Yes, let us be off,” Fei replied, opening the door of the room. She had changed from her previously simple robe into one of exquisite blue adorned with patterns of flowers. Something more fitting to grace the presence of the Emperor.
“You sure are always ready on time. Sometimes I wish I could catch you unprepared.”
“Maybe one day, but not today,” Fei said giving her a smile.
“Then please follow me,” Li said as she began walking.
“There is that needless formality again. Let us walk together, I know the way as well as you do.” Fei strode forward, walking beside her.
“Well with all the guests I’ve been leading around it’s sorta just recently become a habit. There’s just so many that I need to lead around and remember their faces, I just lose myself.”
“The people from the West that arrived recently?”
“Yes, I think I’ve lost track of how many I’ve had to show to their rooms or to the Banquet. I’m not even sure the majority even understood what I was saying,” Li said as she placed both her hands on her as she felt her head was spinning. “Though there was one lady who seemed to understood what I said considering she even replied back to me. I wonder how important she was considering she sat at the same table as the Emperor. You think she could have been a Princess or Queen from a very important country, Fei?”
“It’s likely she was to be seated in such a place of honor.” Could that have been who Xiang saw the emperor speaking with about the tournament?
“Oh then I can probably brag to the other servants I lead a Princess or Queen from another country as well!” Li said happily.
“Haha, how nice for you.” Fei let out a warm laugh seeing Li’s excitement. “That boast might be even grander in the future depending on the mettle of our visiting dignitary.”
“You think she might enter the Zodiac Tournament?”
“It is just a hunch.”
“Well I hope it comes true. Then I can truly brag to the other servants,” Li said with a big grin on her face. “How about you, Fei, do you plan to enter as well? Or do you really have no interest in fighting?”
“I am just a mere musician. How could I hope to face off against those warriors?” Fei answered with an innocent smile on her face.
“I see. Well I wish I was older myself then I would have loved to enter. Going after the rabbit Zodiac would have been nice.”
“It would have fit you quite well though I would not take it so lightly. It may be just a tournament but there is still the risk of severe injury.”
“I know, but by the time the next one comes around I will no longer be in this world though. They do just happen once every hundred years.”
“True, but still...” Fei wrapped her arms around the smaller Li playfully as an older sibling might. “I wouldn’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Sheesh, I’m not a little girl still. I can take care of myself,” Li said as she felt embarrassed.
“Don’t worry about it,” Fei nonchalantly replied, swaying from side to side as she hung onto Li. As they neared their destination she finally released her.
“Well here we are. The Emperor said that today his private garden would be a nice place to relax for a bit before he heads back to work,” Li said as she sighed. “If you need anything just ring the bell that is inside. I’ll be waiting out here in case anything is needed.”
With a nod and a casual wave, Fei left her escort and stepped out into the warm spring air. She had spent enough time in the garden to have memorized the scenery but still the beauty of it amazed her. Walking along the quiet winding path past groves of bamboo and plum trees, she spotted the Emperor meditating in a small pavilion at the center of a lake filled with lotus blossoms. Seeing him defenseless a devious smile appeared on her face. Stealthily approaching him from behind, she crept closer until she was mere inches away. Leaning forward delicately she gently blew in his ear.
“My someone decided to be playful today,” the Emperor said as he laughed as he still kept his meditating pose.
“Oh, you sensed my approach? That’s no fun,” Fei replied faking a pout. Circling around she took a seat in front of him. “How may I serve you today, my Emperor?”
“Of course, if I had not, what kind of master martial artist would I be?” the Emperor said as he let out laughter again and stood up. “Well Fei, I would like it if you could perform for me of course. Even I need a break after all the preparations and nothing relaxes me more than hearing you play.”
“Your wish is my command.” Getting up, she walked over to a set of instruments that had been prepared in advance. Running her hand across them she looked them over deciding which to play before settling on a guzheng. Laying the instrument across her lap, she took a moment to compose herself and began to strum a spritely spring tune. After playing for a while she spoke up. “Seems the palace has been bustling these days.”
“Of course. This day does only come once every hundred years. This will be the final opportunity to watch or participate for many. I wonder who would miss such an opportunity if they had the chance to come.”
“Unfortunately it seems there may be some rather unsavory individuals within the commotion.”
“Really now? What would make you say that, my dear?”
“Word gets around. There have been rumors of hooded individuals flitting about the palace.”
“Yet I have yet to hear this before now. Would you like to explain, my dear?”
“It is as it sounds. I only know of them from what I have overheard.” A sly smile appeared on her face. “After all, a musician must have sharp ears. On a similar note I heard my Emperor had a meeting with a western dignitary, what was she like?”
“Someone indeed does have sharp ears. Just a warning my dear, as I am certain I can fully trust you, do not mentions things like that around others as if they were in my position. They probably would treat you as a spy,” the Emperor said as he stood up. “My western guest was no other than the Princess of France. It is my hope we can make an ally with the westerners as I fear a great threat shall be upon us soon.”
“The fate of the zodiacs…” Fei murmured to herself before deflecting the topic. “If I were a spy I would certainly be a bold one asking the Emperor directly,” she joked.
“Hahaha. Indeed you would. Well my dear, are you still not interested in joining the tournament yourself?”
“That is the second time I’ve been asked that question today. Do I appear that capable?”
“Well my dear you are still far too young to hide your capabilities from me, you know? I know you are very well capable of handling things yourself considering that Goddess of a fox has taught you all you know up till now.”
“Oh my, you won’t be popular with women if you pry too much into their secrets, my Emperor.” Her smile was innocent but her tone was sharp.
“Hahaha. I have no reason to pry when her radiance is easily visible to my eyes. Even if I try to ignore it I can sense her as clear as day.”
Fei let out a sigh. “I was not aware others could sense her. Have my attempts to escape notice been pointless?”
The Emperor laughed again. “Worry not my dear. I am certain I am the only one who has noticed her. I have yet met others who possess the same gift as me.”
“That is fine then. My Emperor would not be so tactless as to reveal a woman’s secrets to others.” Her sly smile recovered. “It may not be so bad having my Emperor as the only other who knows.”
“I have no reason to reveal it. Why would I want to lose my lovely musician? I just had no reason to bring it up before.”
“And here I thought I was the one keeping the secrets.”
“You are far still too young to have many secrets my dear. Once you reach my age you shall see. Well then I shall be going now. It seems my time for rest is up. I shall wish you luck my dear as I sense fate has something big in store for you. ”
“I wish you the best. Call on me if my Emperor desires music again.” With that Fei let her hands come to a rest.
“I would hope that be after the festivities are over if you have not departed, my dear,” the Emperor said as he then walked out the garden room.
When the Emperor had left, Fei turned her thoughts inward. ”Inari, did you know all along?”
Of course silly. Like him I had no reason to say anything. He never gave signs of putting us in danger so there was no need to tell you, Inari said as she chuckle.
”I should have guessed. Have fun watching me play the fool trying to hide it?”
Now, now no need to get like that. If it was anyone else I would have told you right away but that man did not give me any signs to worry about. I had told you before, I would tell you of men to be wary about like that big man known as Dong Zhou.
”I’m just teasing. I know you have my best interests at heart.”
Well then don’t you think you should start preparing for tomorrow? I believe you’ve idled enough for today.
”It arrives at last. Hopefully my skills have not declined.”
Well just don’t hold back anymore. I doubt you have much to worry about. I was the one who taught you after all.
”My, when have I ever? Deception is also a tactic you taught me.
Then you do not have to worry about your skills then, my cute little Fei.
Finishing her conversation with the goddess, Fei rejoined Li at the entrance to the garden and made her way back to her room.
0
After another bustling day of festivities, the day everyone in the city was expecting came. The city itself was silent compared to previous days. The thousands that crowded the cities where now at the temple grounds as they awaited for the chance to see the opening ceremony. Those who were unable to meet the cut off were already in line to enter the tournament building for the matches they wanted to see.
Soldiers could be seen all around as they made sure to keep the peace amongst the rowdy crowd. After hours of commotion and people pushing others trying to get through, the ceremonial grounds were full to capacity.
“Welcome everyone, we come here on this day to witness with our own eyes the birth of new heroes,” said the young man at the center of the stage in a clear tone so his voice could be easily heard by all those inside the temple grounds. “Without further delays please allow me to introduce to you our saviours who normally can only make their presence known within their own temples but that on this day, are allowed to venture out in their quest to find those worthy of inheriting their power,” the young man said as he then quickly got off the stage.
First to the stage was another young looking man, but to everyone's surprise he came on with strange clothing, something not familiar them. He wore a black coat but not one like the ones worn by westerners as he also wore black pants. His hair was also two different colors; from the front his hair was a bright red while the rest of his hair was black. Atop of his head a pair of dog ears could be seen and if one were to look behind him, a tail could be seen wagging.
“Yo!! What’s up everyone I hope you are already to rock! I am the Zodiac Dog.”
Next came another young man. This time to everyone's surprise he came wearing a tuxedo like the westerners. He wore a small hat which only covered the top of his head. On the sides of the hat a big pair of round ears could be easily seen while behind him a slim tail could be seen.
“Good afternoon everyone, I am the Zodiac Mouse. It is a pleasure to see you all.”
Behind him a tall individual came, making the first two Zodiacs appear like dwarves. He wore eastern armor plated in bronze. He also had his face painted white with red marking around his eyes and on the side of his head, a pair of horns could be seen.
“I am the Zodiac Ox, may you all fight with honor today.”
Zheng Liao watched the god on stage. “We’ll see about that,” he muttered to himself. Xiao Bao ran past his feet. A second later, a child followed, smiling and laughing.
Three men soon came out at the same time. One had long blue hair while he was dressed in western looking clothes like the first two Zodiacs. At first sight, one would imagine he was a regular man but upon witnessing his brown wing on his back one could tell he was not. Next to him was yet another man with a set of wings on his back, but the difference was his wings were golden while his clothing was more from the region. Finally the other man also had something sprouting from his back, but unlike the first two, they were not wings. Instead he had snakes sprouting from his back. White scales could also be seen on his left arm.
“I am the Zodiac Snake as you can probably tell by the snakes on my back. These two here are the Zodiac Rooster and the Zodiac Dragon. They don't like talking much so don’t expect much from them.”
Soon after, another man appeared but this time he was also being accompanied by a female. The man was of slender build. At first appearance, one would imagine he was a western man, but atop his head a pair of tiger ears could be seen, while behind—if not for the hair of the women accompany him—a tiger tail would have been visible.
At first sight of the woman, one might place their eyes solely on her breasts as they were bigger than most woman that could be found in the world. They completely enveloped the man’s arm as she held onto him. She also had long blonde hair, but the length and the amount was much greater than what one would see on a regular woman. Her clothing was also different compared to that of regular woman from anywhere in the world. Showing as little as possible, it barely covered anything but what most considered the bare necessities. But if one paid attention, atop her head a pair of black rabbit ears could be seen. A tail would be visible as well if not for her hair completely covering it.
“Heeeellllllooo everyone!” she shouted happily as she continued to hold on to the man. “I am the Zodiac Rabbit and this here is my darling Tiger! I hope you all have a great time cause I know I will with darling here.”
“As she said, I am the Zodiac Tiger. I hope you can all show us something worth our time.”
“Aww, come on darling, no need to be cold out in public,” Rabbit said as she continued to hug Tiger as they went to where the other zodiacs stood.
The luck of this Goddess… As expected of my choice. This pair is rather interesting, Marie thought, her face full of mirth.
As Rabbit and Tiger left, another girl soon appeared, but she came out running carrying something within her arms. Right behind her another girl soon popped up chasing her.
“I told you already he's not food!! He’s my precious friend!” the woman who ran out first shouted. She had long pink hair, and she wore a pink dress. In her arms, a small piglet could be seen and if one looked, atop her head a pair of pink ears could be seen, that of a pig.
“I can’t take it anymore, I’m starving! He would make a great roast, you know, so hand him over!” the other girl shouted as drool could be seen coming from her mouth. She wore an elegant kimono that had checkered and flower patterns on it. Atop her head, a giant ribbon could be seen, but a pair of monkey ears could be seen as well.
Suddenly, another woman appeared in between the two. She was smaller compared to the two in many ways. Upon seeing her, the monkey woman froze in her tracks.
“Fufufu, my aren’t you being a bit shameful right now, Monkey?” the girl said with a sly smile on her face. She wore a bright red kimono. At the bottom, pink flower patterns could be seen like the others. Atop her head, she had a feature unlike a normal person but like the ox though, she had a pair of horns which curled around instead of being straight.
“You see, Ram, I can explain. I woke up late so I missed breakfast and I just couldn’t resist upon setting my eyes on the cute little guy. He just looked so delicious,” Monkey said as as droll continued to run out of her mouth.
“You monster!! How would you like it if you had a friend and someone tried to eat them!” Pig shouted at Monkey angrily as she hid behind Ram.
“Now, now you two. Let us settle this afterwards. You are bringing shame to our Zodiac name with this behaviour so let us go with the others and let the opening ceremony end, okay?” Ram said with a smile.
“Yes, Ma’am!” the two responded as they followed Ram.
“Oh please forgive me, I almost forgot. I am the Zodiac Ram, the one to my left is Zodiac Pig while the troublemaker on the right is Zodiac Monkey. It is our pleasure to protect you all.” Ram smiled as the two simply bowed and continue to follow Ram.
This is… disillusioning. Marie wanted to sigh. They were a little too silly that she couldn’t tell whether they were fond of skits or were purely childish. What was she nervous about? As a Princess she’d always keep her feelings buried behind a facade of a refined beauty, so none would notice usually, but she was slightly nervous about meeting such powerful beings. Regardless, all of these complicated thoughts were left to the air upon exhaling her breath.
Lastly, three more woman appeared but upon appearing, heavy glares could be felt upon one of the three woman. The smaller of the three of them wore a pink kimono with white flower patterns on it. Like one of the previous women, her hair was pink as well but instead of pig ears on her head, cat ears could be seen.
The next woman wore a purple china dress with jewelry adorning part of it. What stood out most on her though was her multiple visible tails. One could count up to nine tails. A pair of fox ears could also be seen on her head, similar to the other Zodiacs.
Finally, there was the woman majority of the crowd was glaring at. Hatred could be felt going her direction unlike the other Zodiacs, which had been shown pure love. Unlike the others, what stood out most was her lower half which was not that of a human but an actual horse while her upper body was that of a human. Like the rest, she also had a pair of ears atop her head.
Manpu noted the change in the crowd, looking at the target of their hate and anger with interest. He had heard of the rumors of what had happened but wasn’t exactly privy to the full details. Nonetheless, she was a Zodiac and that suited him just fine.
“I told you two it wasn’t a good a idea for me to come here after all…” the horse woman said as she looked down, not wanting to face the crowd.
“Did not believe the hate would continue even with this new generation. Seems the harm caused by that man was even greater than we imagined,” the fox-eared girl said. “But please, Horse, don’t go. I think you leaving would just make things worse. Don’t you think so as well, Cat?”
“Y-yes. We did promise you we would help you fix what happened back then. It wasn’t your fault you had no control over that man,” Cat said nervously as the feeling the people were projecting Horse made her uncomfortable.
“Don’t worry about it anymore… Not like anyone is joining my tournament anyway. There’re no more priests and priestesses and the shrine’s been vandalized beyond repair at this point. It’s under no condition for a tournament to be held there. Just have fun you two!” Horse said as she then ran off, but at the moment she did, shouts of anger could be heard hurled towards her.
“Just die already, monster!”
“You’re no Goddess but a demon! Go to hell!”
More shouts could be heard even though she had left the arena already.
Zheng remained silent through it all. Despite the innumerable deaths the goddess was responsible for, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the Zodiac.
“Silence! That is no way to treat a Goddess who has protected us before!” A man’s shout could be heard clearly throughout the grounds. It was none other than the Emperor who had just arrived.
Upon seeing him, everyone went silent. As none dared speak up against the Emperor if they did not wish to die that day.
“There are many things I want to say to you all but time does not permit me. From here on out the tournament has begun. For those participating, please start heading towards the respected Zodiac Temple you wish to participate. Zodiacs, if you may also head back to your respected temples as well I believe my people have lost their chance to witness you all together for a longer period now.”
“Understood, Your Majesty,” the remaining Zodiacs replied
“Now then good luck to all those participating but next time, those caught disrespecting the Goddess Horse shall receive incarceration,” the Emperor said. As quickly as he had appeared, he quickly disappeared.
The Princess of France hummed at the subsiding sight of the commotion. So this is still the state of things here. Turning, she departed for the Zodiac sign that interested her, traversing past the sea of men and women that made the buzzing crowd.
That was more than enough hatred for one person—no, pardon, one God; unwarranted at that, considering how much she has done for mankind. How ungrateful we have fallen as human beings. Rin eyed the crowd and shook her head silently. Whoever had commented in that manner towards the Horse Zodiac had immediately lost the young woman’s respect, not that they had it in the first place.
That was quite the mess. Wearing a simple hooded cloak, Fei moved seamlessly with the crowd as it dispersed toward the temples.
Ah. They made the Emperor shout. Liu had half the mind to go home when the crowd got rowdy, but sadly he both accepted a bodyguard job and the Snake’s tourney. He was utterly disinterested till the thought of Dong Zhou wanting to chop his head crossed his mind; and with that, he released a heavy sigh.
Manpu rubbed his chin in thought, the scene he had witnessed giving him something to chew on as he made his back to the streets.
After the crowds left the ceremony lines, many of the fighters began to get in line for the tournament they would be fighting in while the people who were just going to watch got in a different line. The lines to watch the fights were all long except for one which had no one waiting which was the Temple of the Horse.
The temples for the Dog, Cat, Pig, Rabbit, Monkey, Rooster, Fox, and Snake were the largest of the lines. The temples for the Dragon, Tiger, Ox, Mouse, and Ram had shorter lines, with the lines for Ram and Dragon seem shorter still compared to the others.
“Please stay in the line you are in. If you leave the line we shall see that as you forfeiting your right to fight in the tournament.” A man’s voice could be clearly heard.
Could be worse, Zheng thought as he looked at some of the other lines compared to the one for the Ox.
Assuming there would be anyone foolish enough to do that. Rin shook her head once again, not even sparing a glance to anyone else but what was in front of her.
Liu was already halfway out of the line, mulling about how he was going to explain it to Dong Zhou.
At the rear of the Fox line, Fei registered the man’s words but paid no heed to them, instead focusing intently on the many potential opponents ahead of her. With piercing eyes she searched for any telltale movements that might betray their style of kung fu or skill level. Any sign that might show hints of past injury or less than peak physical condition that might be exploited later. The battles may not yet have started but to her, the competition was already well underway.
This is quite the competition… but perchance a good opportunity to test my mettle indeed. The one styled Madame Royale in France could only make an amused expression at the line that she had joined. Men never change, do they?
In the queue for the Zodiac of the Ram, Manpu wondered why the line was shorter than the rest but apart from that, did not bother with the other competitors as they waited in line. It was a shame that he hadn’t queued for the Horse considering there wasn’t anybody, but he had been impressed with the way Ram had handled Monkey and Pig earlier.
After a couple of hours all participants finished applying, and all the lines were cleared. Participants were now in the waiting rooms of the temples as they awaited their turn to fight. Cheers could be heard soon after as fights started around the temples.
Soldiers could be seen all around as they made sure to keep the peace amongst the rowdy crowd. After hours of commotion and people pushing others trying to get through, the ceremonial grounds were full to capacity.
“Welcome everyone, we come here on this day to witness with our own eyes the birth of new heroes,” said the young man at the center of the stage in a clear tone so his voice could be easily heard by all those inside the temple grounds. “Without further delays please allow me to introduce to you our saviours who normally can only make their presence known within their own temples but that on this day, are allowed to venture out in their quest to find those worthy of inheriting their power,” the young man said as he then quickly got off the stage.
First to the stage was another young looking man, but to everyone's surprise he came on with strange clothing, something not familiar them. He wore a black coat but not one like the ones worn by westerners as he also wore black pants. His hair was also two different colors; from the front his hair was a bright red while the rest of his hair was black. Atop of his head a pair of dog ears could be seen and if one were to look behind him, a tail could be seen wagging.
“Yo!! What’s up everyone I hope you are already to rock! I am the Zodiac Dog.”
Next came another young man. This time to everyone's surprise he came wearing a tuxedo like the westerners. He wore a small hat which only covered the top of his head. On the sides of the hat a big pair of round ears could be easily seen while behind him a slim tail could be seen.
“Good afternoon everyone, I am the Zodiac Mouse. It is a pleasure to see you all.”
Behind him a tall individual came, making the first two Zodiacs appear like dwarves. He wore eastern armor plated in bronze. He also had his face painted white with red marking around his eyes and on the side of his head, a pair of horns could be seen.
“I am the Zodiac Ox, may you all fight with honor today.”
Zheng Liao watched the god on stage. “We’ll see about that,” he muttered to himself. Xiao Bao ran past his feet. A second later, a child followed, smiling and laughing.
Three men soon came out at the same time. One had long blue hair while he was dressed in western looking clothes like the first two Zodiacs. At first sight, one would imagine he was a regular man but upon witnessing his brown wing on his back one could tell he was not. Next to him was yet another man with a set of wings on his back, but the difference was his wings were golden while his clothing was more from the region. Finally the other man also had something sprouting from his back, but unlike the first two, they were not wings. Instead he had snakes sprouting from his back. White scales could also be seen on his left arm.
“I am the Zodiac Snake as you can probably tell by the snakes on my back. These two here are the Zodiac Rooster and the Zodiac Dragon. They don't like talking much so don’t expect much from them.”
Soon after, another man appeared but this time he was also being accompanied by a female. The man was of slender build. At first appearance, one would imagine he was a western man, but atop his head a pair of tiger ears could be seen, while behind—if not for the hair of the women accompany him—a tiger tail would have been visible.
At first sight of the woman, one might place their eyes solely on her breasts as they were bigger than most woman that could be found in the world. They completely enveloped the man’s arm as she held onto him. She also had long blonde hair, but the length and the amount was much greater than what one would see on a regular woman. Her clothing was also different compared to that of regular woman from anywhere in the world. Showing as little as possible, it barely covered anything but what most considered the bare necessities. But if one paid attention, atop her head a pair of black rabbit ears could be seen. A tail would be visible as well if not for her hair completely covering it.
“Heeeellllllooo everyone!” she shouted happily as she continued to hold on to the man. “I am the Zodiac Rabbit and this here is my darling Tiger! I hope you all have a great time cause I know I will with darling here.”
“As she said, I am the Zodiac Tiger. I hope you can all show us something worth our time.”
“Aww, come on darling, no need to be cold out in public,” Rabbit said as she continued to hug Tiger as they went to where the other zodiacs stood.
The luck of this Goddess… As expected of my choice. This pair is rather interesting, Marie thought, her face full of mirth.
As Rabbit and Tiger left, another girl soon appeared, but she came out running carrying something within her arms. Right behind her another girl soon popped up chasing her.
“I told you already he's not food!! He’s my precious friend!” the woman who ran out first shouted. She had long pink hair, and she wore a pink dress. In her arms, a small piglet could be seen and if one looked, atop her head a pair of pink ears could be seen, that of a pig.
“I can’t take it anymore, I’m starving! He would make a great roast, you know, so hand him over!” the other girl shouted as drool could be seen coming from her mouth. She wore an elegant kimono that had checkered and flower patterns on it. Atop her head, a giant ribbon could be seen, but a pair of monkey ears could be seen as well.
Suddenly, another woman appeared in between the two. She was smaller compared to the two in many ways. Upon seeing her, the monkey woman froze in her tracks.
“Fufufu, my aren’t you being a bit shameful right now, Monkey?” the girl said with a sly smile on her face. She wore a bright red kimono. At the bottom, pink flower patterns could be seen like the others. Atop her head, she had a feature unlike a normal person but like the ox though, she had a pair of horns which curled around instead of being straight.
“You see, Ram, I can explain. I woke up late so I missed breakfast and I just couldn’t resist upon setting my eyes on the cute little guy. He just looked so delicious,” Monkey said as as droll continued to run out of her mouth.
“You monster!! How would you like it if you had a friend and someone tried to eat them!” Pig shouted at Monkey angrily as she hid behind Ram.
“Now, now you two. Let us settle this afterwards. You are bringing shame to our Zodiac name with this behaviour so let us go with the others and let the opening ceremony end, okay?” Ram said with a smile.
“Yes, Ma’am!” the two responded as they followed Ram.
“Oh please forgive me, I almost forgot. I am the Zodiac Ram, the one to my left is Zodiac Pig while the troublemaker on the right is Zodiac Monkey. It is our pleasure to protect you all.” Ram smiled as the two simply bowed and continue to follow Ram.
This is… disillusioning. Marie wanted to sigh. They were a little too silly that she couldn’t tell whether they were fond of skits or were purely childish. What was she nervous about? As a Princess she’d always keep her feelings buried behind a facade of a refined beauty, so none would notice usually, but she was slightly nervous about meeting such powerful beings. Regardless, all of these complicated thoughts were left to the air upon exhaling her breath.
Lastly, three more woman appeared but upon appearing, heavy glares could be felt upon one of the three woman. The smaller of the three of them wore a pink kimono with white flower patterns on it. Like one of the previous women, her hair was pink as well but instead of pig ears on her head, cat ears could be seen.
The next woman wore a purple china dress with jewelry adorning part of it. What stood out most on her though was her multiple visible tails. One could count up to nine tails. A pair of fox ears could also be seen on her head, similar to the other Zodiacs.
Finally, there was the woman majority of the crowd was glaring at. Hatred could be felt going her direction unlike the other Zodiacs, which had been shown pure love. Unlike the others, what stood out most was her lower half which was not that of a human but an actual horse while her upper body was that of a human. Like the rest, she also had a pair of ears atop her head.
Manpu noted the change in the crowd, looking at the target of their hate and anger with interest. He had heard of the rumors of what had happened but wasn’t exactly privy to the full details. Nonetheless, she was a Zodiac and that suited him just fine.
“I told you two it wasn’t a good a idea for me to come here after all…” the horse woman said as she looked down, not wanting to face the crowd.
“Did not believe the hate would continue even with this new generation. Seems the harm caused by that man was even greater than we imagined,” the fox-eared girl said. “But please, Horse, don’t go. I think you leaving would just make things worse. Don’t you think so as well, Cat?”
“Y-yes. We did promise you we would help you fix what happened back then. It wasn’t your fault you had no control over that man,” Cat said nervously as the feeling the people were projecting Horse made her uncomfortable.
“Don’t worry about it anymore… Not like anyone is joining my tournament anyway. There’re no more priests and priestesses and the shrine’s been vandalized beyond repair at this point. It’s under no condition for a tournament to be held there. Just have fun you two!” Horse said as she then ran off, but at the moment she did, shouts of anger could be heard hurled towards her.
“Just die already, monster!”
“You’re no Goddess but a demon! Go to hell!”
More shouts could be heard even though she had left the arena already.
Zheng remained silent through it all. Despite the innumerable deaths the goddess was responsible for, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the Zodiac.
“Silence! That is no way to treat a Goddess who has protected us before!” A man’s shout could be heard clearly throughout the grounds. It was none other than the Emperor who had just arrived.
Upon seeing him, everyone went silent. As none dared speak up against the Emperor if they did not wish to die that day.
“There are many things I want to say to you all but time does not permit me. From here on out the tournament has begun. For those participating, please start heading towards the respected Zodiac Temple you wish to participate. Zodiacs, if you may also head back to your respected temples as well I believe my people have lost their chance to witness you all together for a longer period now.”
“Understood, Your Majesty,” the remaining Zodiacs replied
“Now then good luck to all those participating but next time, those caught disrespecting the Goddess Horse shall receive incarceration,” the Emperor said. As quickly as he had appeared, he quickly disappeared.
The Princess of France hummed at the subsiding sight of the commotion. So this is still the state of things here. Turning, she departed for the Zodiac sign that interested her, traversing past the sea of men and women that made the buzzing crowd.
That was more than enough hatred for one person—no, pardon, one God; unwarranted at that, considering how much she has done for mankind. How ungrateful we have fallen as human beings. Rin eyed the crowd and shook her head silently. Whoever had commented in that manner towards the Horse Zodiac had immediately lost the young woman’s respect, not that they had it in the first place.
That was quite the mess. Wearing a simple hooded cloak, Fei moved seamlessly with the crowd as it dispersed toward the temples.
Ah. They made the Emperor shout. Liu had half the mind to go home when the crowd got rowdy, but sadly he both accepted a bodyguard job and the Snake’s tourney. He was utterly disinterested till the thought of Dong Zhou wanting to chop his head crossed his mind; and with that, he released a heavy sigh.
Manpu rubbed his chin in thought, the scene he had witnessed giving him something to chew on as he made his back to the streets.
After the crowds left the ceremony lines, many of the fighters began to get in line for the tournament they would be fighting in while the people who were just going to watch got in a different line. The lines to watch the fights were all long except for one which had no one waiting which was the Temple of the Horse.
The temples for the Dog, Cat, Pig, Rabbit, Monkey, Rooster, Fox, and Snake were the largest of the lines. The temples for the Dragon, Tiger, Ox, Mouse, and Ram had shorter lines, with the lines for Ram and Dragon seem shorter still compared to the others.
“Please stay in the line you are in. If you leave the line we shall see that as you forfeiting your right to fight in the tournament.” A man’s voice could be clearly heard.
Could be worse, Zheng thought as he looked at some of the other lines compared to the one for the Ox.
Assuming there would be anyone foolish enough to do that. Rin shook her head once again, not even sparing a glance to anyone else but what was in front of her.
Liu was already halfway out of the line, mulling about how he was going to explain it to Dong Zhou.
At the rear of the Fox line, Fei registered the man’s words but paid no heed to them, instead focusing intently on the many potential opponents ahead of her. With piercing eyes she searched for any telltale movements that might betray their style of kung fu or skill level. Any sign that might show hints of past injury or less than peak physical condition that might be exploited later. The battles may not yet have started but to her, the competition was already well underway.
This is quite the competition… but perchance a good opportunity to test my mettle indeed. The one styled Madame Royale in France could only make an amused expression at the line that she had joined. Men never change, do they?
In the queue for the Zodiac of the Ram, Manpu wondered why the line was shorter than the rest but apart from that, did not bother with the other competitors as they waited in line. It was a shame that he hadn’t queued for the Horse considering there wasn’t anybody, but he had been impressed with the way Ram had handled Monkey and Pig earlier.
After a couple of hours all participants finished applying, and all the lines were cleared. Participants were now in the waiting rooms of the temples as they awaited their turn to fight. Cheers could be heard soon after as fights started around the temples.
0
“Welcome everyone. Today we are here to honor the Goddess Zodiac Rabbit” A young woman said as her voice could be heard clearly throughout the arena. “I welcome all fighters who have come. You all bring joy to our Goddess with your presence here. Today’s tournament shall be a long one so I hope you all can bear with us today. Now let us begin! For the first match today, coming all the way from the west we have Silvia Thérèse de Grâce. Her opponent will be Na Wing. Contestants please approach the center of the arena.”
Marie—otherwise now known as Silvia—walked up to her adversary with confidence and eagerness both. Most of her life had been spent pursuing strength and power rather than victory and triumph itself. However, the mood for the day was different. It had been long since the prospect of battle brought about an excitement that would change her very outlook of the world surrounding her, making her battle-ready.
She donned an attire patterned with scarlet roses across her chest. The skirt was woven with petals that marvelously dazzled—bathing under the radiance of the sun, making the Princess in incognito shine in turn.
“Must be my lucky day. Shouldn’t you be at your home, little lady?”
“Sleeping simply became far too repetitive, Sir.”
“Don’t worry you’ll be sleeping soon again.”
“I hope so too.” The Princess under her alias winked, but before her was a rapier fortified—pointed directly at his heart. Its handguard at its base—seemingly a silver steel shaped as a rose—sparkled sparsely against the morning sun as did its slim and long blade. Her other hand was kept far from her bladed hand as per the demands her stance would require her to follow. This was because the rapier was supposed to be the forefront vanguard of the fencer, and it was to be maintained in every way.
“Now then, ready, fight,” the young woman announced. A gong could be heard signaling the beginning of the fight
Her lips curved. Silvia witnessed her confident adversary charge at her with no sense of mercy or restraint. He had every intent to deliver her defeat, and his expression made it clear that he held no notion of not wanting to hurt a lady, as a proper gentleman would. This made Her Grace most pleased, for she wished for battles where men wouldn’t find excuses tailored to etiquette and morals. Such men were common in France, except for the most boorish of men who were, unfortunately, failures—never to be truly addressed as gentlemen by their peers.
The facial features of the warrior was wrought with terror, his teeth clattering and his mouth gaping for air, for the sharp edge of the slim rapier danced deftly like a snake past his arm that attempted to strike down at her—burying its tip deep into his gut. He coughed out copious amount of crimson blood, looking down at her with rage, adding further to her amusement.
Mounting his other arm, he released a fist. Surely, it would trample her for good.
The southern wind picked up a soothing breeze—gently ruffling the glistening blonde hair that ran down her back—as if it was urging her to act, as if proclaiming its support to her refined form. Thus, Silvia vanished, just like the wind, as if she became one with it; transfiguring the expression of her opponent—as well as the audience— in that very moment.
With deadly precision, the cold of steel and the warmth of blood mixed once more. From his back he could feel the prickling pain, leaking away more of his crimson liquid. The newly created wound connected with the first one inflicted but a moment ago, and so the tip of the rapier exited from the wound at his gut in the front.
Pulling out her blade, Silvia only shook it once to let his blood bathe the arena, relishing in her victory. Allowing her blade to rest downwards now and face the earth, she commended him for facing her without any form of hesitation.
“Sweet dreams,” she wished him in French watching him fall. She gave a wave of her hand at the audience that burst into a chorus of cheers, before departing from the battlefield.
In the middle of the arena, Liu stood in front of his opponent. He was wearing his usual red shirt and black pants, but he had unrolled the sleeves on both. The sound of the crowd and the obnoxiously loud announcer filled Liu’s ears as he stood motionlessly. His eyes were currently closed as he prepared himself to fight. It was unavoidable and he was not allowed to lose, whoever it was that stood in front of him must go down—otherwise he might lose his head. Finally, the sound of the gong broke through the sea of noise and signaled the start of the fight.
Within a few seconds, Liu slipped into his opponent’s guard, and began relentlessly striking his opponent’s weak spots. Each joint and soft muscle was stuck with hardened fingertips with terrifying precision and speed, with Liu seemingly doing it all in one breath. The spots where he hit his opponent began to turn black as blood started to coagulate, a result of his corrupted chi that was transferred with each of his strikes.
He pulled back from his assault when his opponent tried a desperate attack, forcing him to dodge. Liu took this time to prepare a greater amount of his internal chi, with the intent of finishing his nearly subdued opponent. It was then that everyone in that arena realized; Liu wasn’t planning to let his opponent survive this bout.
“Whoa, there. I like seeing blood like any other warrior but I just can’t let you keep going there,” Snake said as he had suddenly appeared behind Liu and held him back.
Liu tried to struggle from Snake’s grip, unable to let his opponent go, but it was futile. His arms fell limply to the side, as his breathing started to slow down; he felt like his stomach churned in disappointment.
“Tch.”
“If you want to kill so bad you can wait till after the tournament. I am certain you can find a job or two that will let you taste blood.”
“...No. I’d pass,” Liu replied as he calmed himself down. “Could you let go of me?”
“Very well then. Warning though, if you try and strike him now I will knock you out cold.”
Liu just nodded in reply. If anything, he just wanted to rest.
When the gong sounded Fei cast off her cloak revealing a beautiful and brilliantly intricate pink changyi underneath. To others it must have seemed an absurd outfit to be fighting in with its loose, flowing design and decoration. Slowly drawing a sword that had been also hidden beneath the cloak she tossed the scabbard off to the side and faced her opponent, a lithe, roguish looking fellow wielding a pair of curved knives. Giving him a confident smile, she raised her free hand and beckoned for him to come at her.
As soon as he was within striking distance her sword flashed, and the air was stained crimson as a large gash appeared on her opponent’s chest. With fluid movements that showed no signs of being hindered by her choice of outfit she danced around his attacks, silk fluttering in the wind, and laid another slash across his wrist severing the tendons of his right hand before coming to a rest a short distance away, observing her now crippled opponent.
“Yield?” Fei asked, giving her opponent a chance to give up before receiving further injury.
The response she received was a knife thrown at her face. Cocking her head slightly to one side, she dodged the projectile with minimal motion and frowned at him. Advancing slowly, she feinted a slash targeting his remaining weapon before twisting behind and laying a devastating slash across the back of his legs that brought him to his knees. Before he could recover, she opened another gash across his back mirroring the one on his chest. Without a second glance, Fei turned away and walked over to where she had tossed the scabbard earlier and, after wiping the blade clean with a cloth, sheathed the sword once more. Unable to stand and bleeding profusely from the wounds in his chest and back, it was over for him.
Despite attempting to remain calm and focused, Zheng Liao couldn’t help but feel excited as the first round drew upon him. He bowed to his opponent, but the younger man ignored it. He stood, muscles tense, sword in hand, as the spectators cheered them on. The gong sounded for them to begin.
Zheng gave his opponent no time to act. He crossed the distance between them in the blink of an eye and lashed out. The open palm of his hand was a hair’s width away from striking the man’s cheek. His hair rustled from the wind created by Zheng’s hand as it flew past.
Zheng ducked the young man’s swing. “Down here,” he said, fist catching the swordsman full-on in the stomach even as the words left his mouth.
His opponent made a good show of shrugging off the attack, but its effects were apparent. His next attack was slower than the first, and Zheng sidestepped it with ease. He followed up by planting a hand on his face and slamming him down onto the floor of the arena. The sword flew from his land and landed far out of reach.
Zheng turned and left the arena. There was no need to check on his opponent. He knew he wasn’t getting back up from that.
The voices of the arena rose in a chorus all around the two competitors. Manpu faced down his first opponent, a large thuggish man who sneered down at him. His katana slid out of its sheathe with a hiss, the samurai brandishing his weapon. His opponent merely cracked his knuckles and hunched lower to the ground as the referee stepped forward with a gong. “Ready, set, go!” He declared before ringing it.
Blood stained the arena grounds before the echo of the gong had even stepped, the thug taking a step back as the katana peeled apart the flesh of his chest easily. Winding his arm, he prepared to deliver a thunderous punch to the smaller man but found himself on the ground, blood flowing from another wound. He hadn’t even seen the sword move.
Manpu flicked the blood off the blade before returning the katana to its scabbard, sliding it into place with a faint click. He gave the fallen man a glance before turning away towards the waiting area, there were plenty of other fights for the day.
Marie—otherwise now known as Silvia—walked up to her adversary with confidence and eagerness both. Most of her life had been spent pursuing strength and power rather than victory and triumph itself. However, the mood for the day was different. It had been long since the prospect of battle brought about an excitement that would change her very outlook of the world surrounding her, making her battle-ready.
She donned an attire patterned with scarlet roses across her chest. The skirt was woven with petals that marvelously dazzled—bathing under the radiance of the sun, making the Princess in incognito shine in turn.
“Must be my lucky day. Shouldn’t you be at your home, little lady?”
“Sleeping simply became far too repetitive, Sir.”
“Don’t worry you’ll be sleeping soon again.”
“I hope so too.” The Princess under her alias winked, but before her was a rapier fortified—pointed directly at his heart. Its handguard at its base—seemingly a silver steel shaped as a rose—sparkled sparsely against the morning sun as did its slim and long blade. Her other hand was kept far from her bladed hand as per the demands her stance would require her to follow. This was because the rapier was supposed to be the forefront vanguard of the fencer, and it was to be maintained in every way.
“Now then, ready, fight,” the young woman announced. A gong could be heard signaling the beginning of the fight
Her lips curved. Silvia witnessed her confident adversary charge at her with no sense of mercy or restraint. He had every intent to deliver her defeat, and his expression made it clear that he held no notion of not wanting to hurt a lady, as a proper gentleman would. This made Her Grace most pleased, for she wished for battles where men wouldn’t find excuses tailored to etiquette and morals. Such men were common in France, except for the most boorish of men who were, unfortunately, failures—never to be truly addressed as gentlemen by their peers.
The facial features of the warrior was wrought with terror, his teeth clattering and his mouth gaping for air, for the sharp edge of the slim rapier danced deftly like a snake past his arm that attempted to strike down at her—burying its tip deep into his gut. He coughed out copious amount of crimson blood, looking down at her with rage, adding further to her amusement.
Mounting his other arm, he released a fist. Surely, it would trample her for good.
The southern wind picked up a soothing breeze—gently ruffling the glistening blonde hair that ran down her back—as if it was urging her to act, as if proclaiming its support to her refined form. Thus, Silvia vanished, just like the wind, as if she became one with it; transfiguring the expression of her opponent—as well as the audience— in that very moment.
With deadly precision, the cold of steel and the warmth of blood mixed once more. From his back he could feel the prickling pain, leaking away more of his crimson liquid. The newly created wound connected with the first one inflicted but a moment ago, and so the tip of the rapier exited from the wound at his gut in the front.
Pulling out her blade, Silvia only shook it once to let his blood bathe the arena, relishing in her victory. Allowing her blade to rest downwards now and face the earth, she commended him for facing her without any form of hesitation.
“Sweet dreams,” she wished him in French watching him fall. She gave a wave of her hand at the audience that burst into a chorus of cheers, before departing from the battlefield.
In the middle of the arena, Liu stood in front of his opponent. He was wearing his usual red shirt and black pants, but he had unrolled the sleeves on both. The sound of the crowd and the obnoxiously loud announcer filled Liu’s ears as he stood motionlessly. His eyes were currently closed as he prepared himself to fight. It was unavoidable and he was not allowed to lose, whoever it was that stood in front of him must go down—otherwise he might lose his head. Finally, the sound of the gong broke through the sea of noise and signaled the start of the fight.
Within a few seconds, Liu slipped into his opponent’s guard, and began relentlessly striking his opponent’s weak spots. Each joint and soft muscle was stuck with hardened fingertips with terrifying precision and speed, with Liu seemingly doing it all in one breath. The spots where he hit his opponent began to turn black as blood started to coagulate, a result of his corrupted chi that was transferred with each of his strikes.
He pulled back from his assault when his opponent tried a desperate attack, forcing him to dodge. Liu took this time to prepare a greater amount of his internal chi, with the intent of finishing his nearly subdued opponent. It was then that everyone in that arena realized; Liu wasn’t planning to let his opponent survive this bout.
“Whoa, there. I like seeing blood like any other warrior but I just can’t let you keep going there,” Snake said as he had suddenly appeared behind Liu and held him back.
Liu tried to struggle from Snake’s grip, unable to let his opponent go, but it was futile. His arms fell limply to the side, as his breathing started to slow down; he felt like his stomach churned in disappointment.
“Tch.”
“If you want to kill so bad you can wait till after the tournament. I am certain you can find a job or two that will let you taste blood.”
“...No. I’d pass,” Liu replied as he calmed himself down. “Could you let go of me?”
“Very well then. Warning though, if you try and strike him now I will knock you out cold.”
Liu just nodded in reply. If anything, he just wanted to rest.
When the gong sounded Fei cast off her cloak revealing a beautiful and brilliantly intricate pink changyi underneath. To others it must have seemed an absurd outfit to be fighting in with its loose, flowing design and decoration. Slowly drawing a sword that had been also hidden beneath the cloak she tossed the scabbard off to the side and faced her opponent, a lithe, roguish looking fellow wielding a pair of curved knives. Giving him a confident smile, she raised her free hand and beckoned for him to come at her.
As soon as he was within striking distance her sword flashed, and the air was stained crimson as a large gash appeared on her opponent’s chest. With fluid movements that showed no signs of being hindered by her choice of outfit she danced around his attacks, silk fluttering in the wind, and laid another slash across his wrist severing the tendons of his right hand before coming to a rest a short distance away, observing her now crippled opponent.
“Yield?” Fei asked, giving her opponent a chance to give up before receiving further injury.
The response she received was a knife thrown at her face. Cocking her head slightly to one side, she dodged the projectile with minimal motion and frowned at him. Advancing slowly, she feinted a slash targeting his remaining weapon before twisting behind and laying a devastating slash across the back of his legs that brought him to his knees. Before he could recover, she opened another gash across his back mirroring the one on his chest. Without a second glance, Fei turned away and walked over to where she had tossed the scabbard earlier and, after wiping the blade clean with a cloth, sheathed the sword once more. Unable to stand and bleeding profusely from the wounds in his chest and back, it was over for him.
Despite attempting to remain calm and focused, Zheng Liao couldn’t help but feel excited as the first round drew upon him. He bowed to his opponent, but the younger man ignored it. He stood, muscles tense, sword in hand, as the spectators cheered them on. The gong sounded for them to begin.
Zheng gave his opponent no time to act. He crossed the distance between them in the blink of an eye and lashed out. The open palm of his hand was a hair’s width away from striking the man’s cheek. His hair rustled from the wind created by Zheng’s hand as it flew past.
Zheng ducked the young man’s swing. “Down here,” he said, fist catching the swordsman full-on in the stomach even as the words left his mouth.
His opponent made a good show of shrugging off the attack, but its effects were apparent. His next attack was slower than the first, and Zheng sidestepped it with ease. He followed up by planting a hand on his face and slamming him down onto the floor of the arena. The sword flew from his land and landed far out of reach.
Zheng turned and left the arena. There was no need to check on his opponent. He knew he wasn’t getting back up from that.
The voices of the arena rose in a chorus all around the two competitors. Manpu faced down his first opponent, a large thuggish man who sneered down at him. His katana slid out of its sheathe with a hiss, the samurai brandishing his weapon. His opponent merely cracked his knuckles and hunched lower to the ground as the referee stepped forward with a gong. “Ready, set, go!” He declared before ringing it.
Blood stained the arena grounds before the echo of the gong had even stepped, the thug taking a step back as the katana peeled apart the flesh of his chest easily. Winding his arm, he prepared to deliver a thunderous punch to the smaller man but found himself on the ground, blood flowing from another wound. He hadn’t even seen the sword move.
Manpu flicked the blood off the blade before returning the katana to its scabbard, sliding it into place with a faint click. He gave the fallen man a glance before turning away towards the waiting area, there were plenty of other fights for the day.
0
Hours passed and the Ram tournament had quickly reach the final rounds. From a hundred competitors, only two remained. One was a young samurai nobody had ever heard of. He had easily defeated his opponents by countering all their moves, only being hit once. The other remaining opponent was none other than the Ram’s Head Priestess herself. Even though young, she had already proven herself to be an amazing warrior, having received no damage in her fights.
Having witnessed her martial prowess, Manpu knew that she was levels apart from the rest of the competitors in the Ram tournament. He hadn’t shown much of his own swordplay thus far but against her, there would be no chance of winning without it.
“Competitors, please come to the center of the arena,” the woman announcer said.
“You should probably give up now. I saw your fights and you won’t be able to catch up to me if you just go at your current slow pace.”
”You might be surprised, Priestess. Even the sluggish river may turn violent with enough rainfall,” Manpu replied.
“Hmph. We’ll see about that,” Mei said as she took hold of the spear she was carrying on her back.
“Now then, begin!” the announcer said as a gong was heard.
That moment, Mei quickly rushed towards Manpu barely giving him enough time to react. As expected, she’s fast. Then I’ll start with this! Eyes tracking her movements, Manpu knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up without the use of his martial arts. Wind and lightning erupted around him as his sword was drawn, redirecting the spear flying towards him with a light push. He stepped into her guard in that same motion, staining the priestess’ outfit red with blood with a flash of his blade.
“Damn you,” Mei said as she was surprised at the sudden burst of speed he had unleashed. “I figured you might be hiding stuff but I did not expect this much.”
“Perhaps you will take me a little more seriously,” Manpu said as he tried to catch her again, but she danced out of the path of sword, easily at that.
“You’ll regret that soon enough,” Mei said as she then rushed towards Manpu, this time even faster than before. Manpu could barely see her.
This time she was too quick and clicking his tongue, Manpu raised his katana and prepared to counter. It was the only way he could inflict any sort of wound on her at this point, and his blade flashed out to meet the spear.
The katana was swung in one motion and yet both her arms erupted in spurts of blood. At the same time, the spear pierced through his armor like it was parchment and plowed into his chest. Manpu coughed blood as he looked down the shaft at the young priestess, his vision slowly turning dark.
“Your win, Priestess. It was a good bout.”
“Hmph, even at the last moment you still managed more strikes on me,” Mei said. She pulled her spear back
Manpu dropped to the ground with a clatter, having blacked out. His hand was still gripping tightly onto his katana.
Having witnessed her martial prowess, Manpu knew that she was levels apart from the rest of the competitors in the Ram tournament. He hadn’t shown much of his own swordplay thus far but against her, there would be no chance of winning without it.
“Competitors, please come to the center of the arena,” the woman announcer said.
“You should probably give up now. I saw your fights and you won’t be able to catch up to me if you just go at your current slow pace.”
”You might be surprised, Priestess. Even the sluggish river may turn violent with enough rainfall,” Manpu replied.
“Hmph. We’ll see about that,” Mei said as she took hold of the spear she was carrying on her back.
“Now then, begin!” the announcer said as a gong was heard.
That moment, Mei quickly rushed towards Manpu barely giving him enough time to react. As expected, she’s fast. Then I’ll start with this! Eyes tracking her movements, Manpu knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up without the use of his martial arts. Wind and lightning erupted around him as his sword was drawn, redirecting the spear flying towards him with a light push. He stepped into her guard in that same motion, staining the priestess’ outfit red with blood with a flash of his blade.
“Damn you,” Mei said as she was surprised at the sudden burst of speed he had unleashed. “I figured you might be hiding stuff but I did not expect this much.”
“Perhaps you will take me a little more seriously,” Manpu said as he tried to catch her again, but she danced out of the path of sword, easily at that.
“You’ll regret that soon enough,” Mei said as she then rushed towards Manpu, this time even faster than before. Manpu could barely see her.
This time she was too quick and clicking his tongue, Manpu raised his katana and prepared to counter. It was the only way he could inflict any sort of wound on her at this point, and his blade flashed out to meet the spear.
The katana was swung in one motion and yet both her arms erupted in spurts of blood. At the same time, the spear pierced through his armor like it was parchment and plowed into his chest. Manpu coughed blood as he looked down the shaft at the young priestess, his vision slowly turning dark.
“Your win, Priestess. It was a good bout.”
“Hmph, even at the last moment you still managed more strikes on me,” Mei said. She pulled her spear back
Manpu dropped to the ground with a clatter, having blacked out. His hand was still gripping tightly onto his katana.
0
The final round had finally come in the tournament for the Ox Zodiac. As many had expected Princess Khutulun had reached the final round with ease. Not a single opponent manage to outdo her strength and skills. Next was a fighter many people found surprising to make it was no other than Zheng Liao he managed to make it to the finals with ease as well.
“Welcome everyone. We have finally reached the final round. Do your right we have Your Royal Highness, Princess Khutulun who has honor us with her presence on this tournament today. Do your left we have Zheng Liao even though almost four times Your Royal Highness he has shown us he can still give it his all. Now then contestants please approached the center of the arena.” The male announcer said.
“I was always told to respect my elders but don’t think this moment counts. I hope your ready for a beating Zheng Liao.” Khutulun said as she position herself.
Zheng bowed. “There can be respect even amongst bitter enemies, Your Highness.” Truth be told, he didn’t think he’d make this far, never mind end up in a bout with the Princess.
“I suppose so. I guess I’m just itching to fight. I never had such an opportunity before and who know’s if I will continue having chances like this.”
“On that we agree, Your Highness, but we must also never forget ourselves.” Zheng readied himself for the fight.
“Now then I hope you everyone is ready! Let the match begin!” The announcer said as soon after the gong was rang.
Zheng had taken his previous opponents lightly, but that wouldn’t be happening this time. He channeled his chi and launched himself at the princess, moving far faster than should be physically possible. And it was still not enough. She dodged out of the way seemingly with minimal effort. The ex-scholar felt something he hadn’t in quite some time: apprehension.
“That was way too obvious. Now let me show you how it’s done!” Khutulun said as she then when after Zheng who still had not regain balance as she then quickly send out a punch towards Zheng stomach hitting him as hard as she could.
The blow nearly knocked him off his feet. He stumbled back. He coughed, and blood spattered the floor of the arena. He took a step forward, but his body shook, forcing him to stop and steady himself. Did I really come so far to be taken out so quickly? Zheng considered quitting. He didn’t think he was skilled enough to take the Princess on, simple as that.
He smiled. I didn’t join the win. I’m not quitting just because I’m about to lose!
He called on his chi and felt his skin harden. He called upon the Windy Cloud Force technique and threw himself once more at the Princess. He came closer this time to landing a hit, but the result was the same. His fist sailed harmlessly past her.
“Not bad much better than before but how about this.” Khutulun said as excitement was clearly shown on her face as she raised her leg and swung at Zheng who was right in front of her. Zheng tried blocking that moment but the Princess Khutulun kick was too much as it hit him send Zheng flying backwards.
Zheng stared up at the midday sky, his whole body aching. She needs to show a little more respect to her elders. That was the last thought that passed through his head before everything went black.
“Welcome everyone. We have finally reached the final round. Do your right we have Your Royal Highness, Princess Khutulun who has honor us with her presence on this tournament today. Do your left we have Zheng Liao even though almost four times Your Royal Highness he has shown us he can still give it his all. Now then contestants please approached the center of the arena.” The male announcer said.
“I was always told to respect my elders but don’t think this moment counts. I hope your ready for a beating Zheng Liao.” Khutulun said as she position herself.
Zheng bowed. “There can be respect even amongst bitter enemies, Your Highness.” Truth be told, he didn’t think he’d make this far, never mind end up in a bout with the Princess.
“I suppose so. I guess I’m just itching to fight. I never had such an opportunity before and who know’s if I will continue having chances like this.”
“On that we agree, Your Highness, but we must also never forget ourselves.” Zheng readied himself for the fight.
“Now then I hope you everyone is ready! Let the match begin!” The announcer said as soon after the gong was rang.
Zheng had taken his previous opponents lightly, but that wouldn’t be happening this time. He channeled his chi and launched himself at the princess, moving far faster than should be physically possible. And it was still not enough. She dodged out of the way seemingly with minimal effort. The ex-scholar felt something he hadn’t in quite some time: apprehension.
“That was way too obvious. Now let me show you how it’s done!” Khutulun said as she then when after Zheng who still had not regain balance as she then quickly send out a punch towards Zheng stomach hitting him as hard as she could.
The blow nearly knocked him off his feet. He stumbled back. He coughed, and blood spattered the floor of the arena. He took a step forward, but his body shook, forcing him to stop and steady himself. Did I really come so far to be taken out so quickly? Zheng considered quitting. He didn’t think he was skilled enough to take the Princess on, simple as that.
He smiled. I didn’t join the win. I’m not quitting just because I’m about to lose!
He called on his chi and felt his skin harden. He called upon the Windy Cloud Force technique and threw himself once more at the Princess. He came closer this time to landing a hit, but the result was the same. His fist sailed harmlessly past her.
“Not bad much better than before but how about this.” Khutulun said as excitement was clearly shown on her face as she raised her leg and swung at Zheng who was right in front of her. Zheng tried blocking that moment but the Princess Khutulun kick was too much as it hit him send Zheng flying backwards.
Zheng stared up at the midday sky, his whole body aching. She needs to show a little more respect to her elders. That was the last thought that passed through his head before everything went black.
0
“Welcome everyone, we have finally reached the final round of the Zodiac Fox tournament. Without further ado allow me to introduce our finalists. Our first finalist is someone who has caught our imaginations she has yet to be touched even once this whole tournament, skillfully avoiding all of her opponents attacks and making them pay for their failures. We have Fei! On the other side our fighter has fought with all her might, being able to win all her fights but having to put all her effort to make it through. We have Rin!
“Participants, please come to the center of the arena,” the announcer said.
Fei advanced to the center of the arena with the same relaxed gait she had entered all her other matches with, but for the first time her sword was already drawn. Looking across to the battered Rin, she called out to her opponent before the match, another first of the tournament.
“You’ve done well to get this far but here it ends.”
Rin stared blankly to the opposite side, her disposition unmoved despite her tiredness. She locked eyes with Fei and promptly narrowed them upon her words. The distant former monk drew her sword, albeit with a slight wince heard in her voice.
“It shall end indeed. But which one of us will come out as victor? Prepare yourself.”
“My, how scary.” Fei stepped back, appearing intimidated by Rin’s demeanor but her eyes remained locked with hers.
“It is not my intention to frighten. By the by, whichever the outcome, I wish you luck regardless,” Rin replied monotonously.
“Think nothing of it.” Fei let out a small laugh that her performance was taken seriously. It seemed her opponent was more earnest than she had thought. “May Amaterasu bless the victor.”
“Begin!” the announcer said as the gong was then hit, signaling the start of the match
Instantly Fei was upon Rin, blade drawing circles in the air before moving in with a sharp stab towards Rin’s chest.
In hindsight, either blocking and taking only the brunt of the attack, or dodging the opponent’s blade completely would have been the best course of action; because while intending to counter, Rin somehow misread Fei’s movements and ended up taking her blade full force into her abdomen.
That did it. The woman was left dazed and bleeding and defenseless, all for Fei to take advantage of her.
Fei pitied her, knowing it was not just the last strike that had left Rin in such a condition but also accumulated damage from the previous rounds. However she was neither kind enough nor disrespectful enough to hold back because of it. Taking a few steps back, she observed her disoriented opponent.
“It is a shame about your injuries. As a gift for making it this far I’ll show you something interesting to finish this.”
In the next moment Fei had disappeared, not by some trick of speed but seeming to suddenly cease to exist.
“W-What…” Rin darted her eyes left and right in search of her opponent, bearing no fruit to finding her.
As quickly as she had disappeared, Fei was suddenly there once more but now directly in front of Rin. Her sword snaked through Rin’s guard and plunged deep into her abdomen once more but this time did not stop until the blade had been fully sheathed within her opponent. Releasing her weapon, Fei left it there and backed off once more.
Petrified and helpless, Rin could do nothing but fall to her knees, gasping for air as her opponent’s blade pierced through her flesh.
“So quickly… how did you…?”
Her sentence was cut off as she passed out immediately after hitting the ground.
Fei stood by silently as she watched Rin fall. Any words offered as the victor to the vanquished would be an insult to the resolve that had brought Rin there. Standing amid the arena filled with speechless spectators, she gazed pensively upward at the moon. Despite the many battles and many red flowers she had made bloom among her opponents, her changyi was unsullied; her elegant form an untainted lotus blooming in the moonlight amid the stained battlefield.
“Our winner is Fei! Amazing she managed to win all her fights without taking a single hit! Her opponents never stood a chance!” The announcer shouted with excitement as everyone in the arena stood up and began cheering and called out Fei name. As they did fireworks began to go off.
Turning to the roaring crowd Fei smiled and gave a graceful bow.
The announcer soon approached Fei. “Pardon me Miss Fei. If you can please follow me I shall show you to the Fox Zodiac Chamber.”
“Lead the way.” Fei replied with a nod.
“Participants, please come to the center of the arena,” the announcer said.
Fei advanced to the center of the arena with the same relaxed gait she had entered all her other matches with, but for the first time her sword was already drawn. Looking across to the battered Rin, she called out to her opponent before the match, another first of the tournament.
“You’ve done well to get this far but here it ends.”
Rin stared blankly to the opposite side, her disposition unmoved despite her tiredness. She locked eyes with Fei and promptly narrowed them upon her words. The distant former monk drew her sword, albeit with a slight wince heard in her voice.
“It shall end indeed. But which one of us will come out as victor? Prepare yourself.”
“My, how scary.” Fei stepped back, appearing intimidated by Rin’s demeanor but her eyes remained locked with hers.
“It is not my intention to frighten. By the by, whichever the outcome, I wish you luck regardless,” Rin replied monotonously.
“Think nothing of it.” Fei let out a small laugh that her performance was taken seriously. It seemed her opponent was more earnest than she had thought. “May Amaterasu bless the victor.”
“Begin!” the announcer said as the gong was then hit, signaling the start of the match
Instantly Fei was upon Rin, blade drawing circles in the air before moving in with a sharp stab towards Rin’s chest.
In hindsight, either blocking and taking only the brunt of the attack, or dodging the opponent’s blade completely would have been the best course of action; because while intending to counter, Rin somehow misread Fei’s movements and ended up taking her blade full force into her abdomen.
That did it. The woman was left dazed and bleeding and defenseless, all for Fei to take advantage of her.
Fei pitied her, knowing it was not just the last strike that had left Rin in such a condition but also accumulated damage from the previous rounds. However she was neither kind enough nor disrespectful enough to hold back because of it. Taking a few steps back, she observed her disoriented opponent.
“It is a shame about your injuries. As a gift for making it this far I’ll show you something interesting to finish this.”
In the next moment Fei had disappeared, not by some trick of speed but seeming to suddenly cease to exist.
“W-What…” Rin darted her eyes left and right in search of her opponent, bearing no fruit to finding her.
As quickly as she had disappeared, Fei was suddenly there once more but now directly in front of Rin. Her sword snaked through Rin’s guard and plunged deep into her abdomen once more but this time did not stop until the blade had been fully sheathed within her opponent. Releasing her weapon, Fei left it there and backed off once more.
Petrified and helpless, Rin could do nothing but fall to her knees, gasping for air as her opponent’s blade pierced through her flesh.
“So quickly… how did you…?”
Her sentence was cut off as she passed out immediately after hitting the ground.
Fei stood by silently as she watched Rin fall. Any words offered as the victor to the vanquished would be an insult to the resolve that had brought Rin there. Standing amid the arena filled with speechless spectators, she gazed pensively upward at the moon. Despite the many battles and many red flowers she had made bloom among her opponents, her changyi was unsullied; her elegant form an untainted lotus blooming in the moonlight amid the stained battlefield.
“Our winner is Fei! Amazing she managed to win all her fights without taking a single hit! Her opponents never stood a chance!” The announcer shouted with excitement as everyone in the arena stood up and began cheering and called out Fei name. As they did fireworks began to go off.
Turning to the roaring crowd Fei smiled and gave a graceful bow.
The announcer soon approached Fei. “Pardon me Miss Fei. If you can please follow me I shall show you to the Fox Zodiac Chamber.”
“Lead the way.” Fei replied with a nod.
0
“It’s been a long day everyone, but the time has finally come for the final round! On our left, we have Liu who has relentlessly defeated his opponents and on our right, we have the Head Priestess of the Snake temple, Tang Yaling. Please step forward to the arena.”
Yaling came forward as she was spinning her kusari as she was preparing herself to strike Liu the instant the match started. “My aren’t you a cute little boy. I hope you’re ready for some pain, cutey.”
“I sincerely regret my actions.” Liu shifted to a stance, wary of his enemy’s range. He wondered if his Master would allow him to give up now. Probably not.
The moment the gong was rung, Yaling quickly attacked Liu with her kusari before he had a chance to even react as it struck him on his back. “If you move that slow cutey you won’t last long. I hope you know that,” Yaling said with a smile.
In response, Liu spat something that looked like a black wad of liquid to the floor. He felt his self-ingested poison starting to work in his body. His teeth rattled and he started to feel cold. In just a moment, it was completely absorbed by his system, with it an unnatural strength and toughness filled his being. Almost immediately he tried to attack her, only to miss by a hair’s breadth as his hand sailed harmlessly past her.
“My, you're not a snail like I thought at first. Interesting. Well then prepare yourself cutey, as I’ve decided you're my prey tonight.”
How is she—? I have to take another dose? Liu took another vial of poison, the numbness from his first dose masking the damage it was causing his body. With this second boost of his abilities, Liu committed to the offensive, trying to hit his enemy by her weak spots. However, she kept dodging his attacks almost teasingly while replying with attacks of her own. Liu hated to admit it, but it was only due to the poison that he was able to dodge her attacks, and he knew he was slowly approaching his lethal dose.
As she continued to dodge Liu’s attacks, she quickly closed in onto him and gave him a kiss on the cheek as she then quickly stepped back. “I hope you like your reward for actually making me work tonight, cutey. But I think it’s time we finished this.”
“Y-you...”Liu was surprised by the Snake Priestess’ kiss. Any other moment he would’ve enjoyed it, but she did it in the middle of a fight. She was toying with him, still. This woman’s… dangerous. He mustered his internal chi preparing one ultimate blow; the most powerful poison he could use.
He could barely feel his limbs at this point. The damage of the poison he had ingested went past the benefits it gave when they exchanged blows. She outclassed him at every turn; is this what Dong Zhou wanted? Before his hands struck her, he felt two strikes pierce through the numbness from the poison, causing him immeasurable pain. It forced him to his knees as he began shivering all over, the night(?) air suddenly felt below freezing.
Liu could then feel a hand on his back, and a warm sensation began to fill his body. “Yo kid. Next time you should probably call it quits sooner. Even an assassin should know when he's outmatched by another,” Snake said as he began healing Liu.
“M-m-meat b-buns...” Liu was hugging his knees, focusing on his favorite thing so that he didn’t pass out. He thanked Snake in his head for healing him, but he figured he could do it later on. Probably. What he was sure of was he’d never forget her. Tang Yaling.
Yaling came forward as she was spinning her kusari as she was preparing herself to strike Liu the instant the match started. “My aren’t you a cute little boy. I hope you’re ready for some pain, cutey.”
“I sincerely regret my actions.” Liu shifted to a stance, wary of his enemy’s range. He wondered if his Master would allow him to give up now. Probably not.
The moment the gong was rung, Yaling quickly attacked Liu with her kusari before he had a chance to even react as it struck him on his back. “If you move that slow cutey you won’t last long. I hope you know that,” Yaling said with a smile.
In response, Liu spat something that looked like a black wad of liquid to the floor. He felt his self-ingested poison starting to work in his body. His teeth rattled and he started to feel cold. In just a moment, it was completely absorbed by his system, with it an unnatural strength and toughness filled his being. Almost immediately he tried to attack her, only to miss by a hair’s breadth as his hand sailed harmlessly past her.
“My, you're not a snail like I thought at first. Interesting. Well then prepare yourself cutey, as I’ve decided you're my prey tonight.”
How is she—? I have to take another dose? Liu took another vial of poison, the numbness from his first dose masking the damage it was causing his body. With this second boost of his abilities, Liu committed to the offensive, trying to hit his enemy by her weak spots. However, she kept dodging his attacks almost teasingly while replying with attacks of her own. Liu hated to admit it, but it was only due to the poison that he was able to dodge her attacks, and he knew he was slowly approaching his lethal dose.
As she continued to dodge Liu’s attacks, she quickly closed in onto him and gave him a kiss on the cheek as she then quickly stepped back. “I hope you like your reward for actually making me work tonight, cutey. But I think it’s time we finished this.”
“Y-you...”Liu was surprised by the Snake Priestess’ kiss. Any other moment he would’ve enjoyed it, but she did it in the middle of a fight. She was toying with him, still. This woman’s… dangerous. He mustered his internal chi preparing one ultimate blow; the most powerful poison he could use.
He could barely feel his limbs at this point. The damage of the poison he had ingested went past the benefits it gave when they exchanged blows. She outclassed him at every turn; is this what Dong Zhou wanted? Before his hands struck her, he felt two strikes pierce through the numbness from the poison, causing him immeasurable pain. It forced him to his knees as he began shivering all over, the night(?) air suddenly felt below freezing.
Liu could then feel a hand on his back, and a warm sensation began to fill his body. “Yo kid. Next time you should probably call it quits sooner. Even an assassin should know when he's outmatched by another,” Snake said as he began healing Liu.
“M-m-meat b-buns...” Liu was hugging his knees, focusing on his favorite thing so that he didn’t pass out. He thanked Snake in his head for healing him, but he figured he could do it later on. Probably. What he was sure of was he’d never forget her. Tang Yaling.
0
“Thank you for bearing with us till now, everyone! The moment you all have been waiting for is finally here! The final round for the Rabbit Zodiac is finally upon us!” said the announcer. It had gotten dark already. The only thing keeping light around the arena were candles that had been placed all around it.
“Finalists, please step forward.”
Princess Marie, addressed as Silvia in this tournament, stepped into the arena crafted out of white stones. Surrounded by the audience, statues of the Zodiac Rabbit, and being observed by the Goddess she was attempting to win over, she held her head high with pride and vigor.
In this final match, she wore a long golden dress. It glittered sparsely under the crescent moon of the starry night sky, and the illuminations provided by the myriad candles of the temple. Under the facade forged of grace and elegance supported by the expensive dress, however, her wounds were dressed with bandages—a bare-minimum treatment. She had been fighting all day, hiding her martial arts abilities as she was aware that many would be prying with keen pairs of pupils at her matches.
A man approached. He had a muscular build, and many scars could be seen on his body. He looked at Silvia and began to laugh.
“Someone like you made all this way? Must have gotten lucky and fought nothing but weaklings. Sorry lady, but your luck ends now.”
“Oh, is that so? I suppose the gods have abandoned me.” Silvia shrugged. “If that is so, then so be it. More importantly, I am interested in your skills; shall we dance?” Thus, the Princess put her guard and hence took stance, placing her rapier before herself.
The gong soon was struck. At that instant, the man was able to swiftly run up to Silvia, only giving her seconds to react.
Parrying, Her Grace nimbly evaded the assault when the other finalist sprang into action.
They clashed; as he let his fists rain, so did her rapier lash out in tandem, providing a seemingly fierce showdown between the two, the crowd cheering in turn. Despite her wounds, all seemed to go well for some moments. She avoided the hammering jabs with very minimal movements, feeling the passing wind generated.
The exchanges of blows were endless, and the Princess’s block finally fell flat when one of his fists overpowered her guard and struck at her gut. A supernatural force soaked in some of the blow like a sponge absorbing water, taking away its absolute effectiveness as a lethal punch.
The said force did not prevent it from touching against her many wounds and thus caused an immediate pain, but the rush of adrenaline allowed her to avoid paying attention to this burning agony of flesh. For now, there was a battle to win.
Despite this, he gave her a satisfied look, but what was strange was the fact that she did the same.
“Congratulations, I present to you an exquisite dance for the night.”
The master of the western martial arts had finally come to the conclusion that a fragment of her abilities were to be displayed in this fateful evening.
Taking a step back, Silvia performed a pivot so graceful that the gallery was spellbound in less than a moment—the moonlight reflected against the dancing blade as it wet itself with her adversary’s deep red blood. With great merriment and joy, a calamity was brought forth by her blade. Her dance only sought to intensify with passion for combat. It was graceful and beautiful both, and brought out the western culture that dwelled in her due to her upbringing, however, it appeared to be quite perilous to any observer at this moment.
The strikes were indeed much more deadlier than usual; ripping away some of his tendons and drawing precise curves at his popped veins that were stretched all across his muscular body. As if there were thorns clinging onto her silver fencing sword, its lethal air that swirled in its immediate vicinity tore his skin apart—completely devoid of mercy whatsoever—even when he dodged. Eventually, the moment came when she held his fist with her palm and electricity flared out with a burst of flash and the shock spread across his very veins, causing him to contort his face.
It was futile to resist, and he learned that she had not been merely winning her battles via mere luck. A cool, calculating—and perchance sly—lady hid beneath the mask of a charming beauty and as they would claim, every rose had its thorns.
Thus, Silvia’s blade not only pierced his body, but also his mind; devoiding him of his will for further combat.
Like a lone leaf landing on a lake, her heel soundlessly made contact against the arena; her serene form facing his back, heralding the end of her vivid and intense dance. Her blade faced against the earth now, it was clear that she placed great confidence in her abilities, assuming his defeat.
“We have our winner! Our new Rabbit Zodiac is Silvia Thérèse de Grâce of France! She’s our Second western Zodiac of the day!”
Second… I suppose there was no reason to make doubt of her triumph. She rested her eyes closed for a moment, relishing in this feeling for a moment—the feeling of relief. It’d do well for the future of her country, for sure.
The crowd began applauding and cheering. Fireworks could then be seen going off in the sky. Many different kinds of colors were now filling the sky.
She waved at the crowd before gracing the burning bright fireworks with her own gaze. She preferred the sight of the moon and the stars devoid of random bright colors usually, but celebratory fireworks were indeed nice to observe once in awhile.
The announcer then approached the Princess. “Excuse me Miss Silvia, if you can please follow me I shall be taking you to the Goddess chambers.”
“Very well, let us be off.”
“Finalists, please step forward.”
Princess Marie, addressed as Silvia in this tournament, stepped into the arena crafted out of white stones. Surrounded by the audience, statues of the Zodiac Rabbit, and being observed by the Goddess she was attempting to win over, she held her head high with pride and vigor.
In this final match, she wore a long golden dress. It glittered sparsely under the crescent moon of the starry night sky, and the illuminations provided by the myriad candles of the temple. Under the facade forged of grace and elegance supported by the expensive dress, however, her wounds were dressed with bandages—a bare-minimum treatment. She had been fighting all day, hiding her martial arts abilities as she was aware that many would be prying with keen pairs of pupils at her matches.
A man approached. He had a muscular build, and many scars could be seen on his body. He looked at Silvia and began to laugh.
“Someone like you made all this way? Must have gotten lucky and fought nothing but weaklings. Sorry lady, but your luck ends now.”
“Oh, is that so? I suppose the gods have abandoned me.” Silvia shrugged. “If that is so, then so be it. More importantly, I am interested in your skills; shall we dance?” Thus, the Princess put her guard and hence took stance, placing her rapier before herself.
The gong soon was struck. At that instant, the man was able to swiftly run up to Silvia, only giving her seconds to react.
Parrying, Her Grace nimbly evaded the assault when the other finalist sprang into action.
They clashed; as he let his fists rain, so did her rapier lash out in tandem, providing a seemingly fierce showdown between the two, the crowd cheering in turn. Despite her wounds, all seemed to go well for some moments. She avoided the hammering jabs with very minimal movements, feeling the passing wind generated.
The exchanges of blows were endless, and the Princess’s block finally fell flat when one of his fists overpowered her guard and struck at her gut. A supernatural force soaked in some of the blow like a sponge absorbing water, taking away its absolute effectiveness as a lethal punch.
The said force did not prevent it from touching against her many wounds and thus caused an immediate pain, but the rush of adrenaline allowed her to avoid paying attention to this burning agony of flesh. For now, there was a battle to win.
Despite this, he gave her a satisfied look, but what was strange was the fact that she did the same.
“Congratulations, I present to you an exquisite dance for the night.”
The master of the western martial arts had finally come to the conclusion that a fragment of her abilities were to be displayed in this fateful evening.
Taking a step back, Silvia performed a pivot so graceful that the gallery was spellbound in less than a moment—the moonlight reflected against the dancing blade as it wet itself with her adversary’s deep red blood. With great merriment and joy, a calamity was brought forth by her blade. Her dance only sought to intensify with passion for combat. It was graceful and beautiful both, and brought out the western culture that dwelled in her due to her upbringing, however, it appeared to be quite perilous to any observer at this moment.
The strikes were indeed much more deadlier than usual; ripping away some of his tendons and drawing precise curves at his popped veins that were stretched all across his muscular body. As if there were thorns clinging onto her silver fencing sword, its lethal air that swirled in its immediate vicinity tore his skin apart—completely devoid of mercy whatsoever—even when he dodged. Eventually, the moment came when she held his fist with her palm and electricity flared out with a burst of flash and the shock spread across his very veins, causing him to contort his face.
It was futile to resist, and he learned that she had not been merely winning her battles via mere luck. A cool, calculating—and perchance sly—lady hid beneath the mask of a charming beauty and as they would claim, every rose had its thorns.
Thus, Silvia’s blade not only pierced his body, but also his mind; devoiding him of his will for further combat.
Like a lone leaf landing on a lake, her heel soundlessly made contact against the arena; her serene form facing his back, heralding the end of her vivid and intense dance. Her blade faced against the earth now, it was clear that she placed great confidence in her abilities, assuming his defeat.
“We have our winner! Our new Rabbit Zodiac is Silvia Thérèse de Grâce of France! She’s our Second western Zodiac of the day!”
Second… I suppose there was no reason to make doubt of her triumph. She rested her eyes closed for a moment, relishing in this feeling for a moment—the feeling of relief. It’d do well for the future of her country, for sure.
The crowd began applauding and cheering. Fireworks could then be seen going off in the sky. Many different kinds of colors were now filling the sky.
She waved at the crowd before gracing the burning bright fireworks with her own gaze. She preferred the sight of the moon and the stars devoid of random bright colors usually, but celebratory fireworks were indeed nice to observe once in awhile.
The announcer then approached the Princess. “Excuse me Miss Silvia, if you can please follow me I shall be taking you to the Goddess chambers.”
“Very well, let us be off.”
0
When Manpu next came to, he found himself in a soft bed. The decor and furniture in the room were relatively simple. He idly wondered if this was the infirmary but stopped once he noticed Zodiac Ram at the table, sipping tea daintily from a tea cup. Manpu immediately lowered his head in respect. “Esteemed Zodiac of the Ram.”
“My, you woke up much sooner than expected,” Ram said as she put her teacup down. “Raise your head. No need for that when you are an injured guest of my temple.”
“Thank you, Esteemed Ram,” Manpu replied. He leaned back into the bed, not showing his discomfort. He was recovering at the temple?
“How do you feel? Mei sure did a number on you after what you did to her.”
“I have no complaints. One must be prepared to be slashed if they themselves take up the sword.”
“That is good then. I must say though, I never expected Mei to have you brought here. This infirmary is normally only reserved for the priestesses that work at my temple.”
“I myself am puzzled. As an outsider, I should not be here.”
“It might be best to ask her. Though she was indeed mad that you managed to hit her. You are probably her very first opponent who managed to hit her three times in one fight.”
“The priestess was a marvelous opponent. I struck her thrice and she did not fall yet it only took one from her to incapacitate me. I admit, it is frustrating to be removed in such a fashion.”
“Fufufu, then see it this way, warrior. You might have fallen in a short time like the rest of her opponents but in that same time frame, you managed to strike her back at which none were able to do,” Ram said as she took another sip from her tea. “I must say, if you had countered her perfectly, things might have turned in your favor on your next move.”
“Perhaps. A minor misstep is all it would take to topple even the most steadfast of combatants. I will not get ahead of myself, considering I did observe her fights. She had yet to reveal her true strength.”
“I wonder what is taking Mei so long? Perhaps her new appearance is still a bit too much for her.”
“Maybe the change was unexpected.” Manpu chuckled softly.
“Don’t go telling him stuff, Ram!” said a woman’s voice that could be heard behind the closed door.
“It seems she is more displeased with me than I had thought,” Manpu said with a sheepish smile.
The door opened and inside came a woman. She had long blonde hair. On the side of her head, a pair of horns and a top her head, a giant white ribbon could be seen. She was wearing a brown coat which covered most of her body but seemed to show most of her cleavage.
“So how are you feeling? I would have imagined you’d be out cold till tomorrow.”
“Much better Priestess, thank you,” Manpu replied. “I wouldn’t want to impose on you any longer than I should. Allowing me to rest here and converse with yourself and esteemed Zodiac has already been a great privilege.” The change in the priestess, Mei as she was called, was surprising but most definitely not a bad one. He idly wondered how those horns felt.
“What are you staring at, pervert,” Mei said as she glared at Manpu.
“My humblest apologies, Priestess. I did not mean to stare, but your change is most charming,” he replied with a bowed head.
“Hee hee hee, but of course the Zodiac Ram has blessed me with her powers,” Mei said as she was blushing.
“Now where are my manners. Esteemed Zodiac, Priestess. My name is Azai Yoshimasa of Clan Azai,” he replied, pressing both of his fists to the bedding and bowing from the hip as best he could. “I am most honored to have this conversation.”
“I am Zhao Mei, Head Priestess of the Ram Temple. You’re probably wondering why I had you brought here, right?”
“Yes, Priestess Zhao. I do not believe I have committed any offences… so there must be another reason.”
“It’s very simple, I want you to become my follower. You should feel honored I’m asking you to become one.”
Eyes widening in surprise, Yoshimasa was silent for a moment. “Priestess Zhao… I’m extremely honoured that you think so highly of me but…”
“But what? You should feel honored I want you as my follower, you are the first person in a very long time that has done that much damage to me.”
“It is a most generous offer, but I am afraid that I will be unable to carry out my duties to my clan and village if I become Priestess Zhao’s follower,” Yoshimasa said with clarity. If one were discerning enough, they would be able to see the subtle signs that he was clearly wavering.
“Ehh, I’m not asking you to abandon what you are doing. You can think of it like a job. I’ll just call upon you when I need you. Not like i'm asking you to be with me all day, idiot.”
Yoshimasa hummed in thought. If this was the case, then it’d be a good offer. Not a Zodiac but a close second at least but… he didn’t know what duties as a follower entailed, and that was enough to give him pause. “This one apologizes for saying something so selfish but until when do I have to give an answer?”
“I’ll give you three days. I am not in hurry just yet but three days from now I’ll be heading out for some exorcism work and having some help would be nice since. The area is supposedly filled with ghosts and the undead.”
“Thank you, Priestess Zhao. I will return before then,” Yoshimasa said with a bow of his head. Not enough time to discuss with father… I’ll have to decide by myself.
“Very well then. Once you make your decision just come back here. I hope to hear a good answer.”
The Zodiac Ram simply sat on her chair as she continued to listen to the conversation, simply drinking her tea as she gave a sly smile.
“Maybe with this, I’ll be able to protect the family as well,” Yoshimasa said in a softer tone.
Ram then stood up from her seat and walked over to Yoshimasa. “Well then take off your shirt, time to see if you wound healed properly. I only gave you emergency treatment earlier because I was not sure how to remove that armor of yours.”
Yoshimasa wordless obeyed her instructions, removing the garment.
“Can you wait at least till I Leave!” Mei said as she left the room, embarrassed.
“Such a silly girl. She needs to start being more honest with herself at times,” Ram said as she then placed her hand on Yoshimasa’s wound which had not been completely healed. “You know with a bit more training, you can have a bit more muscular body that would drive some women crazy,” Ram said, laughing.
“Perhaps there will be more time for me to hone my physique in the days to come,” Yoshimasa said as he examined himself. “Though I think I won’t be courting any more ladies.”
“Oh my, could it be you are a married man already? Or could it be ladies do not interest you and you prefer the company of men?”
“Surely you jest about men, Esteemed Zodiac. I am not yet wed but am currently betrothed to another.” Yoshimasa’s smile dropped when he remembered how he had left Dia Yan.
“It seems you did something you’re not proud of?” Ram asked as she removed her hand from his chest. She then calmly sat on his lap. “Go ahead and tell me if you don’t mind, sometimes it's good to tell others your problems.”
“An act not befitting a samurai at all. I deceived my fiance and came here, leaving her behind in the village. Her anger will not so easily be placated… and neither will mine nor her family's once they find out I have failed in addition to committing such a dishonorable act.”
“I see. Did you have a reason to lie to her? If you did, you could simply explain it to her. If she truly does love you, I am certain she would understand. Of course you would still have to do something for her.”
“She would definitely have pressed me to bring her along. Though my fiance is capable, so are many of those gathered here today and I would imagine not all of them would adhere to the rules set. There are always underhanded ways to win a fight after all. I am just eliminating the possibility that she might be pulled into danger.”
“My, such a caring man. Then simply treat her like an empress next time you see her. Otherwise you might lose her trust.”
“It is expected of a husband to protect his wife but yes, I intend to bring a gift back for her though I am unsure of what to buy at the moment.”
“Just make sure it’s the most expensive thing you can afford. If you go cheap she will think you don’t care.”
“I-I see. This is a first for me so I pray she will forgive me with that peace offering… The most expensive thing I can afford,” Yoshimasa murmured, calculating how much he had on him.
“Well it's up to you, doesn’t have to be over the top if you can’t even get home. Just make sure of that. Well then, I shall take my leave. I must check up on Mei herself. Since instead of turning into her lesser Zodiac mode, she turned full Goddess from the start so I must be sure she turns back to normal with no difficulties.”
“Thank you very much for your guidance, Esteemed Zodiac. Hopefully this failure of a fiance will not make another blunder in choosing his gift.”
“My, you woke up much sooner than expected,” Ram said as she put her teacup down. “Raise your head. No need for that when you are an injured guest of my temple.”
“Thank you, Esteemed Ram,” Manpu replied. He leaned back into the bed, not showing his discomfort. He was recovering at the temple?
“How do you feel? Mei sure did a number on you after what you did to her.”
“I have no complaints. One must be prepared to be slashed if they themselves take up the sword.”
“That is good then. I must say though, I never expected Mei to have you brought here. This infirmary is normally only reserved for the priestesses that work at my temple.”
“I myself am puzzled. As an outsider, I should not be here.”
“It might be best to ask her. Though she was indeed mad that you managed to hit her. You are probably her very first opponent who managed to hit her three times in one fight.”
“The priestess was a marvelous opponent. I struck her thrice and she did not fall yet it only took one from her to incapacitate me. I admit, it is frustrating to be removed in such a fashion.”
“Fufufu, then see it this way, warrior. You might have fallen in a short time like the rest of her opponents but in that same time frame, you managed to strike her back at which none were able to do,” Ram said as she took another sip from her tea. “I must say, if you had countered her perfectly, things might have turned in your favor on your next move.”
“Perhaps. A minor misstep is all it would take to topple even the most steadfast of combatants. I will not get ahead of myself, considering I did observe her fights. She had yet to reveal her true strength.”
“I wonder what is taking Mei so long? Perhaps her new appearance is still a bit too much for her.”
“Maybe the change was unexpected.” Manpu chuckled softly.
“Don’t go telling him stuff, Ram!” said a woman’s voice that could be heard behind the closed door.
“It seems she is more displeased with me than I had thought,” Manpu said with a sheepish smile.
The door opened and inside came a woman. She had long blonde hair. On the side of her head, a pair of horns and a top her head, a giant white ribbon could be seen. She was wearing a brown coat which covered most of her body but seemed to show most of her cleavage.
“So how are you feeling? I would have imagined you’d be out cold till tomorrow.”
“Much better Priestess, thank you,” Manpu replied. “I wouldn’t want to impose on you any longer than I should. Allowing me to rest here and converse with yourself and esteemed Zodiac has already been a great privilege.” The change in the priestess, Mei as she was called, was surprising but most definitely not a bad one. He idly wondered how those horns felt.
“What are you staring at, pervert,” Mei said as she glared at Manpu.
“My humblest apologies, Priestess. I did not mean to stare, but your change is most charming,” he replied with a bowed head.
“Hee hee hee, but of course the Zodiac Ram has blessed me with her powers,” Mei said as she was blushing.
“Now where are my manners. Esteemed Zodiac, Priestess. My name is Azai Yoshimasa of Clan Azai,” he replied, pressing both of his fists to the bedding and bowing from the hip as best he could. “I am most honored to have this conversation.”
“I am Zhao Mei, Head Priestess of the Ram Temple. You’re probably wondering why I had you brought here, right?”
“Yes, Priestess Zhao. I do not believe I have committed any offences… so there must be another reason.”
“It’s very simple, I want you to become my follower. You should feel honored I’m asking you to become one.”
Eyes widening in surprise, Yoshimasa was silent for a moment. “Priestess Zhao… I’m extremely honoured that you think so highly of me but…”
“But what? You should feel honored I want you as my follower, you are the first person in a very long time that has done that much damage to me.”
“It is a most generous offer, but I am afraid that I will be unable to carry out my duties to my clan and village if I become Priestess Zhao’s follower,” Yoshimasa said with clarity. If one were discerning enough, they would be able to see the subtle signs that he was clearly wavering.
“Ehh, I’m not asking you to abandon what you are doing. You can think of it like a job. I’ll just call upon you when I need you. Not like i'm asking you to be with me all day, idiot.”
Yoshimasa hummed in thought. If this was the case, then it’d be a good offer. Not a Zodiac but a close second at least but… he didn’t know what duties as a follower entailed, and that was enough to give him pause. “This one apologizes for saying something so selfish but until when do I have to give an answer?”
“I’ll give you three days. I am not in hurry just yet but three days from now I’ll be heading out for some exorcism work and having some help would be nice since. The area is supposedly filled with ghosts and the undead.”
“Thank you, Priestess Zhao. I will return before then,” Yoshimasa said with a bow of his head. Not enough time to discuss with father… I’ll have to decide by myself.
“Very well then. Once you make your decision just come back here. I hope to hear a good answer.”
The Zodiac Ram simply sat on her chair as she continued to listen to the conversation, simply drinking her tea as she gave a sly smile.
“Maybe with this, I’ll be able to protect the family as well,” Yoshimasa said in a softer tone.
Ram then stood up from her seat and walked over to Yoshimasa. “Well then take off your shirt, time to see if you wound healed properly. I only gave you emergency treatment earlier because I was not sure how to remove that armor of yours.”
Yoshimasa wordless obeyed her instructions, removing the garment.
“Can you wait at least till I Leave!” Mei said as she left the room, embarrassed.
“Such a silly girl. She needs to start being more honest with herself at times,” Ram said as she then placed her hand on Yoshimasa’s wound which had not been completely healed. “You know with a bit more training, you can have a bit more muscular body that would drive some women crazy,” Ram said, laughing.
“Perhaps there will be more time for me to hone my physique in the days to come,” Yoshimasa said as he examined himself. “Though I think I won’t be courting any more ladies.”
“Oh my, could it be you are a married man already? Or could it be ladies do not interest you and you prefer the company of men?”
“Surely you jest about men, Esteemed Zodiac. I am not yet wed but am currently betrothed to another.” Yoshimasa’s smile dropped when he remembered how he had left Dia Yan.
“It seems you did something you’re not proud of?” Ram asked as she removed her hand from his chest. She then calmly sat on his lap. “Go ahead and tell me if you don’t mind, sometimes it's good to tell others your problems.”
“An act not befitting a samurai at all. I deceived my fiance and came here, leaving her behind in the village. Her anger will not so easily be placated… and neither will mine nor her family's once they find out I have failed in addition to committing such a dishonorable act.”
“I see. Did you have a reason to lie to her? If you did, you could simply explain it to her. If she truly does love you, I am certain she would understand. Of course you would still have to do something for her.”
“She would definitely have pressed me to bring her along. Though my fiance is capable, so are many of those gathered here today and I would imagine not all of them would adhere to the rules set. There are always underhanded ways to win a fight after all. I am just eliminating the possibility that she might be pulled into danger.”
“My, such a caring man. Then simply treat her like an empress next time you see her. Otherwise you might lose her trust.”
“It is expected of a husband to protect his wife but yes, I intend to bring a gift back for her though I am unsure of what to buy at the moment.”
“Just make sure it’s the most expensive thing you can afford. If you go cheap she will think you don’t care.”
“I-I see. This is a first for me so I pray she will forgive me with that peace offering… The most expensive thing I can afford,” Yoshimasa murmured, calculating how much he had on him.
“Well it's up to you, doesn’t have to be over the top if you can’t even get home. Just make sure of that. Well then, I shall take my leave. I must check up on Mei herself. Since instead of turning into her lesser Zodiac mode, she turned full Goddess from the start so I must be sure she turns back to normal with no difficulties.”
“Thank you very much for your guidance, Esteemed Zodiac. Hopefully this failure of a fiance will not make another blunder in choosing his gift.”
0
Upon entering the temple, a priestess approached the announcer and Marie as she then took charge into leading Marie into Rabbit’s Chamber. Once inside, statues of rabbits could be seen around as well as tapestries while in the back of the room there was what seemed like a throne chair. In the middle of the room, there lay a giant circle in it the lay a drawing of a rabbit as well.
The priestess then guided Marie to the center of the room.
“Please wait here. Once I leave, please transfer some chi into the circle Miss. It shall summon out the Goddess. She then shall offer you her blessings.”
“Understood. I am most gracious for the provision of your guidance, Miss.”
With a respectable bow no one would expect from just any westerner, Silvia proceeded to the large circle drawn at the center of the hall. Concentrating, her eyes were closed and her hands placed upon her bosom—her Chi of the element of Wood gently washed over the floor surrounding her, causing a glow of supernatural light, as if a tree had sent to its roots some of its nutrients, but in a more fanciful style.
The circle soon began to glow once the chi had filled the circle. A bright light enveloped the room. When she next opened her eyes, the room had completely changed. Now instead of statues and tapestries, the night sky surrounded her as stars could be seen all around her.
Marie thought she was going to fall, but much to her relief, she could feel the same sensation of the solid floor under her heels and soon relaxed, letting her view fall upon the twinkling stars in every direction she could turn to. It was as mesmerizing as it was beautiful, but she knew better than to let it have her descend into a reverie, instead expecting the Goddess.
A white light then began to shine in front of Marie. The light shined brighter as it then began taking shape. As quickly as the light appeared, it soon began to fade but out of the light appeared a woman. It was no other than the Zodiac Rabbit herself.
“Congratulations! On winning my tournament Princess Marie Auguste Charlotte de France. From today onwards you shall be the warrior, or knight if you prefer, who fights under my name.”
“Good evening, o esteemed Goddess of the Zodiac of Rabbit. I must claim that I find myself surprised that you were aware of my identity. Regardless, it is an honor,” Marie stated, making an amused expression a moment later. “Perchance I shall fancy myself a royal paladin,” she added in jest.
“Good Evening, I must say as you’re a Princess, being a royal paladin would fit you better. Anywho before I begin to offer you my blessing, how much do you know of the Zodiac story, Princess? Even though your chi told your identity, I didn’t want to peek too much into your memories as that would have been rude of me.”
“I am aware of… I suppose most of the tale you wish to address.”
“Then what do you know of the curse placed upon seven of us Zodiacs?”
“I had heard tales that the curse brought with itself calamity to humankind due to the excess of yang, breaking the balance. In particular, my dear Goddess, you were one of the victims to go berserk from this tragedy, I believe.”
“That is correct. I only came back to my senses thanks to Fox and Cat who absorbed our excess yang, while Fox absorbed all the yang that was put into me. But would you happen to know of the second curse?”
“The second… curse? Pardon me, dear Goddess, but I am most ashamed to confess that I am unaware of this atrocity that you speak of.”
“Worry not as the second curse was not meant to be known to others. As it might cause people to be wary of us and we do not want that to happen. We are here to help humankind so we do not want to lose their trust. We Zodiacs only tell this second curse to those who become Zodiac because the curse does not only affect us, but it also affects our host as well.”
“I understand the situation. Seeing as the Horse is widely loathed for wanton destruction and murder despite the fact of the uncontrollable curse, it would indeed be best to keep this matter away tucked away from the general public.”
“Please don’t think bad of Horse. It was not her fault her Zodiac came to do the things he did. She indeed was very proud of him and had praised him many times because the time before he went berserk, he was considered the strongest Zodiac ever to rise. One day though for reasons unknown he had decided to give into the curse that was placed upon Horse. Why? We simply do not know,” Rabbit said in a sad tone before shaking her head. “Anywho, we are not here to talk about sad things, but I must ask, do you know of the seven deadly sins? As a westerner, I believe you must but considering catholicism is not the main religion in Europe anymore as it was one thousand years ago. I am not certain.”
“I am well aware of the sins described in religion, great Goddess Rabbit—including the Seven Deadly Sins. As one who has spent most of my time to achieve mastery of the western martial arts, one of them happens to use it as it's very philosophical foundation, in fact.”
“Good. Then I don’t have to go into full details. Along with the yang curse, we Zodiac were also cursed with the Seven Deadly sins. It was the original thing that caused our yang to increase.”
“So… these sins have infected the Zodiacs—may I know what cursed my dear Goddess here before?”
“I myself was cursed with the sin of Lust. It has caused me to stay at the temple because the other Zodiacs worry what might happen if I go out on my own. When I go out it's usually with Darling. Unless it’s the warrior I have blessed.”
“Oh dear, I suppose the bedroom practices have taken their rise in activity due to it then,” Silvia joked, giggling, albeit it was likely very true. “My condolences. Pardon me for my assumption, but I cannot imagine it was too bad, or was it?”
“Let me ask then, what would you say if they have? Would you still want to server a Goddess like that, one who cannot control herself most of the time?”
“Feel free to admonish me for my honesty, but… it depends on how amusing it is.”
“How amusing it is?” Rabbit said as she tilted her head in confusion.
A face full of mirth blossomed, accompanied with the quirking of the Princess’ lips. “Do you really wish to know?”
“By all means. I am not sure why it would be amusing.”
“I believe we may skip, for I spoke in jest. I suppose I should learn some restraint, I apologize.”
Rabbit approached the Princess as she was now curious what she was hiding. “You can tell me! No one else is around to find out, you know.”
Marie feigned a surprised look. “Oh, what could I possibly hide from a Goddess such as you?”
The Goddess pouted. “Fine, I’ll just find out once I give you my power.”
“Oh dear, I always knew the nature of the world denied privacy, but was it to this extent?”
“No, we just exchange some memories with each other. Otherwise your body would not be able to handle the transformation without knowledge. In exchange, I receive some of your memories.”
Silvia blinked at the response, not because of the knowledge provided to her but because she was taken seriously. Perhaps her jest would be better off sealed in the box that was the confines of her mind for now.
“Of course, that is acceptable. Any other terms I shall make myself aware of?”
“Well then first let me ask, do you accept my, Royal Paladin? If you accept I shall transfer some of my power to you.”
“Let us place that confirmation aside for a moment, please. Dear Goddess, I have heard that one passes through various forms of change via this process of receiving power. I would be grateful if you would share with me an elaboration regarding it.”
“Oh. I had completely forgotten about that. Sorry, I can be forgetful at times when something catches my curiosity,” Rabbit said, laughing.
“Hence my inquiries. I am all ears now.”
“Very well. When I transfer my Divine Chi into you, it shall first be mixed with your current Chi, but your human body will not be able to handle it. Right after I am done I shall send blessings into your body which will transform it. During this phase, your body might completely change. One thing that is certain is you will gain Rabbit ears and a tail, but this first form is not truly a God’s body but that of a half God. At first you can only change into this form for a certain amount of time as it will take time to get used to. Once you have mastered it though, we can proceed to the second step which is to achieve the Zodiac’s true God form,” Rabbit said as she paused. “Any questions so far?”
Her Grace hummed in thought, looking up to the glittering stars once more. “So I become a demigod, basically. Are the ears and tail a feature in my supposed temporary form only?”
“Yes. Unless you wish for people to stop at every corner to worship you.”
“I am fine either way, in all honesty. Moreover, are there other changes of note… to my mentality for instance?”
“There might, it differs on people. Since I am currently still cursed, the Sin of Lust shall also appear in you. How much it will affect you I do not know. One thing is certain, on days of the Full moon you might want to find a partner or be somewhere on your own.”
“Mnm… is that so? So the Goddess carries with her still the Sin of Lust despite the yang being absorbed by Lady Fox?”
“Yes. The sins themselves are not part of yin and yang but that of desires. For some reason, those wretched beast curses are so powerful not even a God can remove them.”
“An aftermath, is it? Oh dear, that is indeed a curse. Its name is far more appropriate now that I have heard this tidbit.” She now dropped her mirthful expression and made a more serious face. As befitting of a Princess, she could switch gears when required in any situation. “However, I hold no fear for these anomalies. Come as they may, but all good has its bad, like the darkness of the moon in contrast to its pleasing lume. If I must drink some poison to take the ascend ever higher, I shall summon every ounce of my bravery and sincerity to do so.” She made a courteous bow, and thus extended her hand toward Goddess Rabbit. “Shall we tread this path together, esteemed Zodiac Rabbit?”
“How brave of you, Princess,” Rabbit said as she accepted the Princess’ hand. “I shall take this as you accepting to become my Maiden, correct?”
“Yes,” Marie confirmed. “That said, I am quite particular with the titles, especially this. Let us speak of it after the ritual, perhaps?”
“Then it's settled!” Rabbit said. Great excitement could be heard from her tone. “We shall now let the Ritual begin!” Rabbit said as she pulled the Princess towards her as she then embraced her. “I hope you’re ready for a wonderful night, Princess,” Rabbit said as she licked her lips.
“I had a hunch, but you really do not care about who you sleep with, do you?”
“I used to once. But as time passed, this cursed just became too much. But enough of that, I waited too long already holding back this whole time,” Rabbit said as she then pressed her lips against Marie and began kissing her passionately. As she did, her Divine Chi began to flow into Marie. The Princess could soon feel a sensation powering her body.
As their lips parted, Silvia waited until the saliva bridging the two ladies broke. Suffice it to say, the mood helped shove away all reason and logic for the occasion that was the ritual.
“I hope you knew, but we of the French are of a different—and more exquisite quality—than what you may have expected. Allow me to demonstrate…”
This time, it was the Princess who took the initiative. Passion and romance went hand-in-hand with the French, and this was common knowledge in the western side of the realm. Her tongue danced with some form of practiced grace, intensity, and fluidity, all at once with that of the Goddess’, as the pair ascended to greater heights of pleasure.
When their lips parted again, Rabbit was a bit surprised but it was an enjoyable surprise to her. “My, I did not think such a way of kissing existed. Maybe I should have convinced one of my previous Zodiacs to travel West before.” She then proceeded to kiss Marie back as her body quickly memorized what she had just experienced and even more chi was transferred into Marie.
“No worries, I am sure it would be mutually beneficial for us if we have between ourselves a… cultural exchange?” Marie suggested between the moments their lips were locked, making a racy wink.
Rabbit then stopped kissing the Princess. “I think it's time we turn it up a bit.” She said smiling as she then quickly moved behind Marie. Embracing her from behind, she then placed her hands on Marie’s breasts and made the Princess turn her head a bit and proceeded to kiss her again. Her tongue began dominating Marie as she started passing her chi yet again.
“My, oh my… to think my metaphor regarding poison was especially correct to this extent… is a mystical delight in itself.”
The Divine Chi starting to dwell in her heart, body, and soul—it started to generate an irresistible pleasure, but at the same time a tingling sensation flooded her very form, shaking the very foundations of her calm, calculating, and relaxed demeanor. Just the simple sensation of the Goddess’ bosom rubbing against her back gave rise to strong stimulations. From a state of rest, it transitioned to unrest, and one could only seek for more.
“It feels wonderful, does it not?” Rabbit asked as she then proceeded to undress the Princess with her free hand. “My, such smooth skin. I do not recall the last time I felt skin this smooth. Teehee. You're gonna be such a delicious Princess.”
“Not unless I have you cooked for dinner first. Hoho.” And so the Princess couldn’t help but make a joke yet again.
“Such a naughty girl, teasing a Goddess. Maybe I should teach you a lesson,” Rabbit said as she began pinching Marie’s breast and giving her one final kiss as then a sudden burst of chi filled Marie body.
Her luscious honey gathered in one particular private place so much. Add to it the stimulation from the touch and it would result in the final nail in the coffin for Marie. A loud moan thus escaped past her fresh, supple, pink lips as the culmination of pleasure caused a flight to climax.
Despite this, she made a smirk when the moment had passed—still panting from the overflowing power that ran across her body like electricity—holding the back of the Goddess’ head so as to not fall off, as she could hardly feel any strength in her legs. She would dare to make a comeback, for she was no ordinary lady, but the Daughter of France.
“Oh… I am sure we would make a coin whole together. Speak for yourself next time and I am sure the point would well reflect upon me regardless.”
“We’ll see, but time for the best part!” Rabbit said as she snapped her fingers and a bed suddenly appeared in front of Marie.
Seeing the fixture materialize via magic, she gave a push to the Goddess to accentuate the point she made previously; it’d be her turn to teach her a lesson. Her expression was a mixture of lust, merriment, and some form of amusement. It was hard to tell apart each of them.
“Then I suppose I shall savor this banquet as well as I may, my dear Goddess.”
“You may, but tonight you are mine,” Rabbit said as took a hold of Marie and made sure she was the one on top.
Resigned to her position, Silvia exhaled a breath and simply made the decision to take joy from what was to come, rather than defy the one who would share her destiny and future both. With that thought, she was starting to feel a little expectant, and thus turned docile. For once it wouldn’t be so bad to have one lead her rather than be the one to lead. Her tone would indeed be laced with defeat due to this inevitability.
“I cannot tell if you are a more greedy rabbit than a lusty rabbit.”
After a while, loud moans could be heard if anyone else was in the room.
The priestess then guided Marie to the center of the room.
“Please wait here. Once I leave, please transfer some chi into the circle Miss. It shall summon out the Goddess. She then shall offer you her blessings.”
“Understood. I am most gracious for the provision of your guidance, Miss.”
With a respectable bow no one would expect from just any westerner, Silvia proceeded to the large circle drawn at the center of the hall. Concentrating, her eyes were closed and her hands placed upon her bosom—her Chi of the element of Wood gently washed over the floor surrounding her, causing a glow of supernatural light, as if a tree had sent to its roots some of its nutrients, but in a more fanciful style.
The circle soon began to glow once the chi had filled the circle. A bright light enveloped the room. When she next opened her eyes, the room had completely changed. Now instead of statues and tapestries, the night sky surrounded her as stars could be seen all around her.
Marie thought she was going to fall, but much to her relief, she could feel the same sensation of the solid floor under her heels and soon relaxed, letting her view fall upon the twinkling stars in every direction she could turn to. It was as mesmerizing as it was beautiful, but she knew better than to let it have her descend into a reverie, instead expecting the Goddess.
A white light then began to shine in front of Marie. The light shined brighter as it then began taking shape. As quickly as the light appeared, it soon began to fade but out of the light appeared a woman. It was no other than the Zodiac Rabbit herself.
“Congratulations! On winning my tournament Princess Marie Auguste Charlotte de France. From today onwards you shall be the warrior, or knight if you prefer, who fights under my name.”
“Good evening, o esteemed Goddess of the Zodiac of Rabbit. I must claim that I find myself surprised that you were aware of my identity. Regardless, it is an honor,” Marie stated, making an amused expression a moment later. “Perchance I shall fancy myself a royal paladin,” she added in jest.
“Good Evening, I must say as you’re a Princess, being a royal paladin would fit you better. Anywho before I begin to offer you my blessing, how much do you know of the Zodiac story, Princess? Even though your chi told your identity, I didn’t want to peek too much into your memories as that would have been rude of me.”
“I am aware of… I suppose most of the tale you wish to address.”
“Then what do you know of the curse placed upon seven of us Zodiacs?”
“I had heard tales that the curse brought with itself calamity to humankind due to the excess of yang, breaking the balance. In particular, my dear Goddess, you were one of the victims to go berserk from this tragedy, I believe.”
“That is correct. I only came back to my senses thanks to Fox and Cat who absorbed our excess yang, while Fox absorbed all the yang that was put into me. But would you happen to know of the second curse?”
“The second… curse? Pardon me, dear Goddess, but I am most ashamed to confess that I am unaware of this atrocity that you speak of.”
“Worry not as the second curse was not meant to be known to others. As it might cause people to be wary of us and we do not want that to happen. We are here to help humankind so we do not want to lose their trust. We Zodiacs only tell this second curse to those who become Zodiac because the curse does not only affect us, but it also affects our host as well.”
“I understand the situation. Seeing as the Horse is widely loathed for wanton destruction and murder despite the fact of the uncontrollable curse, it would indeed be best to keep this matter away tucked away from the general public.”
“Please don’t think bad of Horse. It was not her fault her Zodiac came to do the things he did. She indeed was very proud of him and had praised him many times because the time before he went berserk, he was considered the strongest Zodiac ever to rise. One day though for reasons unknown he had decided to give into the curse that was placed upon Horse. Why? We simply do not know,” Rabbit said in a sad tone before shaking her head. “Anywho, we are not here to talk about sad things, but I must ask, do you know of the seven deadly sins? As a westerner, I believe you must but considering catholicism is not the main religion in Europe anymore as it was one thousand years ago. I am not certain.”
“I am well aware of the sins described in religion, great Goddess Rabbit—including the Seven Deadly Sins. As one who has spent most of my time to achieve mastery of the western martial arts, one of them happens to use it as it's very philosophical foundation, in fact.”
“Good. Then I don’t have to go into full details. Along with the yang curse, we Zodiac were also cursed with the Seven Deadly sins. It was the original thing that caused our yang to increase.”
“So… these sins have infected the Zodiacs—may I know what cursed my dear Goddess here before?”
“I myself was cursed with the sin of Lust. It has caused me to stay at the temple because the other Zodiacs worry what might happen if I go out on my own. When I go out it's usually with Darling. Unless it’s the warrior I have blessed.”
“Oh dear, I suppose the bedroom practices have taken their rise in activity due to it then,” Silvia joked, giggling, albeit it was likely very true. “My condolences. Pardon me for my assumption, but I cannot imagine it was too bad, or was it?”
“Let me ask then, what would you say if they have? Would you still want to server a Goddess like that, one who cannot control herself most of the time?”
“Feel free to admonish me for my honesty, but… it depends on how amusing it is.”
“How amusing it is?” Rabbit said as she tilted her head in confusion.
A face full of mirth blossomed, accompanied with the quirking of the Princess’ lips. “Do you really wish to know?”
“By all means. I am not sure why it would be amusing.”
“I believe we may skip, for I spoke in jest. I suppose I should learn some restraint, I apologize.”
Rabbit approached the Princess as she was now curious what she was hiding. “You can tell me! No one else is around to find out, you know.”
Marie feigned a surprised look. “Oh, what could I possibly hide from a Goddess such as you?”
The Goddess pouted. “Fine, I’ll just find out once I give you my power.”
“Oh dear, I always knew the nature of the world denied privacy, but was it to this extent?”
“No, we just exchange some memories with each other. Otherwise your body would not be able to handle the transformation without knowledge. In exchange, I receive some of your memories.”
Silvia blinked at the response, not because of the knowledge provided to her but because she was taken seriously. Perhaps her jest would be better off sealed in the box that was the confines of her mind for now.
“Of course, that is acceptable. Any other terms I shall make myself aware of?”
“Well then first let me ask, do you accept my, Royal Paladin? If you accept I shall transfer some of my power to you.”
“Let us place that confirmation aside for a moment, please. Dear Goddess, I have heard that one passes through various forms of change via this process of receiving power. I would be grateful if you would share with me an elaboration regarding it.”
“Oh. I had completely forgotten about that. Sorry, I can be forgetful at times when something catches my curiosity,” Rabbit said, laughing.
“Hence my inquiries. I am all ears now.”
“Very well. When I transfer my Divine Chi into you, it shall first be mixed with your current Chi, but your human body will not be able to handle it. Right after I am done I shall send blessings into your body which will transform it. During this phase, your body might completely change. One thing that is certain is you will gain Rabbit ears and a tail, but this first form is not truly a God’s body but that of a half God. At first you can only change into this form for a certain amount of time as it will take time to get used to. Once you have mastered it though, we can proceed to the second step which is to achieve the Zodiac’s true God form,” Rabbit said as she paused. “Any questions so far?”
Her Grace hummed in thought, looking up to the glittering stars once more. “So I become a demigod, basically. Are the ears and tail a feature in my supposed temporary form only?”
“Yes. Unless you wish for people to stop at every corner to worship you.”
“I am fine either way, in all honesty. Moreover, are there other changes of note… to my mentality for instance?”
“There might, it differs on people. Since I am currently still cursed, the Sin of Lust shall also appear in you. How much it will affect you I do not know. One thing is certain, on days of the Full moon you might want to find a partner or be somewhere on your own.”
“Mnm… is that so? So the Goddess carries with her still the Sin of Lust despite the yang being absorbed by Lady Fox?”
“Yes. The sins themselves are not part of yin and yang but that of desires. For some reason, those wretched beast curses are so powerful not even a God can remove them.”
“An aftermath, is it? Oh dear, that is indeed a curse. Its name is far more appropriate now that I have heard this tidbit.” She now dropped her mirthful expression and made a more serious face. As befitting of a Princess, she could switch gears when required in any situation. “However, I hold no fear for these anomalies. Come as they may, but all good has its bad, like the darkness of the moon in contrast to its pleasing lume. If I must drink some poison to take the ascend ever higher, I shall summon every ounce of my bravery and sincerity to do so.” She made a courteous bow, and thus extended her hand toward Goddess Rabbit. “Shall we tread this path together, esteemed Zodiac Rabbit?”
“How brave of you, Princess,” Rabbit said as she accepted the Princess’ hand. “I shall take this as you accepting to become my Maiden, correct?”
“Yes,” Marie confirmed. “That said, I am quite particular with the titles, especially this. Let us speak of it after the ritual, perhaps?”
“Then it's settled!” Rabbit said. Great excitement could be heard from her tone. “We shall now let the Ritual begin!” Rabbit said as she pulled the Princess towards her as she then embraced her. “I hope you’re ready for a wonderful night, Princess,” Rabbit said as she licked her lips.
“I had a hunch, but you really do not care about who you sleep with, do you?”
“I used to once. But as time passed, this cursed just became too much. But enough of that, I waited too long already holding back this whole time,” Rabbit said as she then pressed her lips against Marie and began kissing her passionately. As she did, her Divine Chi began to flow into Marie. The Princess could soon feel a sensation powering her body.
As their lips parted, Silvia waited until the saliva bridging the two ladies broke. Suffice it to say, the mood helped shove away all reason and logic for the occasion that was the ritual.
“I hope you knew, but we of the French are of a different—and more exquisite quality—than what you may have expected. Allow me to demonstrate…”
This time, it was the Princess who took the initiative. Passion and romance went hand-in-hand with the French, and this was common knowledge in the western side of the realm. Her tongue danced with some form of practiced grace, intensity, and fluidity, all at once with that of the Goddess’, as the pair ascended to greater heights of pleasure.
When their lips parted again, Rabbit was a bit surprised but it was an enjoyable surprise to her. “My, I did not think such a way of kissing existed. Maybe I should have convinced one of my previous Zodiacs to travel West before.” She then proceeded to kiss Marie back as her body quickly memorized what she had just experienced and even more chi was transferred into Marie.
“No worries, I am sure it would be mutually beneficial for us if we have between ourselves a… cultural exchange?” Marie suggested between the moments their lips were locked, making a racy wink.
Rabbit then stopped kissing the Princess. “I think it's time we turn it up a bit.” She said smiling as she then quickly moved behind Marie. Embracing her from behind, she then placed her hands on Marie’s breasts and made the Princess turn her head a bit and proceeded to kiss her again. Her tongue began dominating Marie as she started passing her chi yet again.
“My, oh my… to think my metaphor regarding poison was especially correct to this extent… is a mystical delight in itself.”
The Divine Chi starting to dwell in her heart, body, and soul—it started to generate an irresistible pleasure, but at the same time a tingling sensation flooded her very form, shaking the very foundations of her calm, calculating, and relaxed demeanor. Just the simple sensation of the Goddess’ bosom rubbing against her back gave rise to strong stimulations. From a state of rest, it transitioned to unrest, and one could only seek for more.
“It feels wonderful, does it not?” Rabbit asked as she then proceeded to undress the Princess with her free hand. “My, such smooth skin. I do not recall the last time I felt skin this smooth. Teehee. You're gonna be such a delicious Princess.”
“Not unless I have you cooked for dinner first. Hoho.” And so the Princess couldn’t help but make a joke yet again.
“Such a naughty girl, teasing a Goddess. Maybe I should teach you a lesson,” Rabbit said as she began pinching Marie’s breast and giving her one final kiss as then a sudden burst of chi filled Marie body.
Her luscious honey gathered in one particular private place so much. Add to it the stimulation from the touch and it would result in the final nail in the coffin for Marie. A loud moan thus escaped past her fresh, supple, pink lips as the culmination of pleasure caused a flight to climax.
Despite this, she made a smirk when the moment had passed—still panting from the overflowing power that ran across her body like electricity—holding the back of the Goddess’ head so as to not fall off, as she could hardly feel any strength in her legs. She would dare to make a comeback, for she was no ordinary lady, but the Daughter of France.
“Oh… I am sure we would make a coin whole together. Speak for yourself next time and I am sure the point would well reflect upon me regardless.”
“We’ll see, but time for the best part!” Rabbit said as she snapped her fingers and a bed suddenly appeared in front of Marie.
Seeing the fixture materialize via magic, she gave a push to the Goddess to accentuate the point she made previously; it’d be her turn to teach her a lesson. Her expression was a mixture of lust, merriment, and some form of amusement. It was hard to tell apart each of them.
“Then I suppose I shall savor this banquet as well as I may, my dear Goddess.”
“You may, but tonight you are mine,” Rabbit said as took a hold of Marie and made sure she was the one on top.
Resigned to her position, Silvia exhaled a breath and simply made the decision to take joy from what was to come, rather than defy the one who would share her destiny and future both. With that thought, she was starting to feel a little expectant, and thus turned docile. For once it wouldn’t be so bad to have one lead her rather than be the one to lead. Her tone would indeed be laced with defeat due to this inevitability.
“I cannot tell if you are a more greedy rabbit than a lusty rabbit.”
After a while, loud moans could be heard if anyone else was in the room.
0
The announcer lead Fei inside the temple where a priestess was waiting. After exchanging some words the announcer bid farewell while the priestess signalled to Fei to follow her. The priestess then lead Fei into the Fox Zodiac chamber. Within, statues of foxes could be seen as well as tapestries and in the center of the room lay a giant circle with a fox drawn in it. The priestess lead Fei to the center of the room.
“Please put chi into the circle once I leave the room. You shall meet the Goddess soon after,” the priestess said as she bowed and walked out of the room.
Walking over to the circle as instructed, Fei knelt down and placed a hand on the symbol of the fox but hesitated infusing her chi, a playful idea coming to mind.
”Inari, how would you like to play a prank on one of your fellow gods?”
Why should I? This is a ceremony you know. As a Goddess myself, I shall not. Afterwards probably.
”Tch, that’s no fun.” Fei made an exaggerated show of sticking out her tongue in indignation but acquiesced. Sending her chi into the mark on the ground, it flared upwards causing the air to crackle and sizzle as if a raging inferno were suddenly blazing within the room.
The circle soon began to glow once the chi had filled the circle. A bright light enveloped the room, causing Fei to close her eyes. When she next opened her eyes, the room had completely changed. Now instead of statues and tapestries, the night sky surrounded her as stars could be seen all around her.
Spying a table laden with various fried tofu dishes and three chairs surrounding it, Fei walked over and took a seat.
“Seems my little attempted ruse was found out before it even began. But you probably already knew that, didn’t you Inari?” Fei spoke aloud, picking up a treat from one of the dishes laid out.
“Was it that obvious?” Inari said as she suddenly appeared. She then took a seat in the chair opposite from Fei. “She always did love preparing meals for guest. I see you haven’t changed, Kurara.”
“My, my I have not heard that name in ages. It’s nice knowing you still remember me, Inari,” Kurara the Fox Zodiac said as she suddenly appeared in front of the two. “Good Evening.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Kurara.” Fei bowed her head slightly. “I assume you were watching the tournament but if not let me introduce myself. I am Fei.” Her words were casual, but her tone was respectful.
“Fei, watch how you address others. I myself simply called her Kurara as we are old friends. You have only just met her.”
“Even so, going forward we are to be partners. Shall we not get along?” Fei turned to Kurara, “However, if addressing you by name offended you I apologize and will refrain from doing so from now on.”
“Well I don’t really mind, it is just a custom from our land. But I suppose others would find it offensive. How about when it’s just the two of us?”
“Oh ho, Inari’s too much of a stickler to also be included?” Fei lightly teased.
“Well normally Gods don’t interfere with others but I have not seen her in such a long time I simply had to let her come in.”
“I speak only in jest. Though if you two wish to meet more often I do not mind being the conduit that enables it.”
“Well it is rather difficult considering we stay at different realms, and once you accept my power I shall be in a different realm than her as both our Chi cannot interfere with yours. Otherwise consequences might happen.”
“I see, it is a shame.”
“Well aside from that let's continue onto other things which are currently more important. As the winner of my tournament you have the opportunity to choose if you wish to become my warrior. Though the path of becoming my warrior is a painful one and one that many back away from once they find out what it is.”
“Oh, what might it entail?”
“We zodiacs have different ways we can transfer our Divine Chi to others. Some are simple and safe while others might be difficult or dangerous. Sadly, mines fall under the dangerous category.”
“Go on.”
“To transfer my Divine Chi I must literally burn you with it.”
“That is all?”
“Yes. Is it not surprising to you?”
“It is, but not beyond the realm of my expectations. Besides,” Fei’s eyes drifted to the side and her lips curled into a bitter smile, “I stopped fearing fire long ago.”
“I see. Well, let us eat first. After that I wish for you to tell me everything you know about the Zodiac Story.”
“Long ago when unknown creatures threatened to wipe out humanity the Jade Emperor and Amaterasu blessed twelve humans with the power of the Zodiac and knowledge of chi. The Zodiacs repelled and sealed the creatures but at the cost of seven of their number being cursed. To restore the balance of Yin Yang two additional Zodiacs were created, Fox and Cat. I believe that is the story as it is taught to every child.”
“Indeed it is. But did you know that a second curse was placed on the Zodiacs as well?”
“I cannot say I do.” Fei cast a sideways glance as Inari. “What does it entail?”
“Hey, we promised them we would let them tell people and I’m not one to break a promise,” Inari said.
“I didn’t say anything,” Fei replied innocently.
“Right,” Inari said as she grabbed one of the fried tofu and began to eat it.
“Well let me begin. Currently as you know, seven of the Zodiacs had a cursed placed on them which cause them to go berserk. When this occurred Amaterasu promoted me and Cat into Zodiacs as the Jade Emperor gave her the power to do so. I was assigned to take all the excess yang from them all while I also had to remove all of rabbit yang away. But what we did not know was that seven of them were also cursed with the Seven Deadly sins. We currently still don’t know how these creatures had such power.”
“If you are telling me this, am I correct in assuming the curse is passed on to the Zodiac warriors?”
“Yes. But worry not, I am not actually cursed. Well, maybe a little but for those who were not cursed, we were blessed with the seven holy virtues by Amaterasu to counter this curse.”
“May I know which one you received?”
“Chastity, so the little lust that went into you might not grow.”
“Are the blessings likewise passed to the Zodiac warriors?”
“Yes, but how much it varies might be a lot or you might feel no difference at all.”
“I suppose we shall see. Be it a curse or a blessing, I have no intention of letting it sway me.”
“I wish you luck in that. I’ve met many who have proclaimed the same thing. I’ve yet to met someone who has succeeded.
“So I may have the distinction of being the first,” Fei replied with a smile.
“Well then, would you like to proceed to the ritual? Or would you like me to explain everything or would you want to hear it from Inari herself later?”
“I would like to hear it directly from you. After all, we shall soon be partners.”
“Very well then, I shall begin. On the final days of our battle with those creatures, we had finally defeated the majority of them except a select few whose strength equaled or surpassed our own. Not being able to defeat them, we had decided that we would seal these creatures as our strength back then was not enough. Our Warriors back then might have been gifted but they were still learning about their powers. Of course, me and Cat were still not part of this battle. During the finally battle, seven of the Zodiacs became cursed as you know. Mouse was cursed with Sloth, Tiger was cursed with Pride, Dragon was cursed with Wrath, Horse was cursed with Envy, Monkey was cursed with Gluttony and Dog was cursed with Greed. If it was just them who got cursed we might have been fine, but when Rabbit witnessed her husband fall, she quickly rushed towards him. In that instant the creatures placed a curse on her as well which was Lust,” Kurara said as she took a sip from her tea after finishing her first explanation. “Any questions so far or shall I continue?”
“Go on.”
“The Jade Emperor and Amaterasu reacted quickly to this, creating two new Zodiacs. Even if two were made into yin the balance would still not have worked as Rabbit still had yin in her to counter this. When I was first assigned, I was given no yin or yang. Instead I was tasked to absorb all of Rabbit’s yang. Which you know of already. Once we accomplished our mission days later, it was then that we noticed the second curse as the cursed Zodiacs were now trying to apply their curse among the rest of us. To avoid this, the Jade emperor and Amaterasu asked one of the Gods from the west to bestow upon the remaining seven Zodiacs the seven heavenly virtues. Which is how I came about having Chastity.”
“May I know from which god your blessings were received from?”
“Truth be told I’ve forgotten. Many things have happened since then, I cannot recall anymore.”
“Quite a poor soul, to have played such a part in averting calamity only to be forgotten by all.”
“In all honesty all I recall was he or she asked not to be remembered. I am not certain if they did something or if we simply just forgot about them overtime.”
“I see, it seems of little importance then if it was of their will. Is that where the story ends?”
“I suppose so, unless you wish to hear the really long boring story.”
“Oh, what might that be?”
“So you don’t mind me talking for the next three days? Because that is how long the story will take if you wish for me to tell it.”
“I suppose it can wait for next time.”
“Aww. Here I thought someone was finally brave enough to hear it all,” Kurara said as she let out a chuckle.
“Maybe on a day when you have prepared more snacks to get us through it,” Fei replied, munching on another treat from the quickly disappearing set of fried tofu dishes.
“That can easily be arrange my dear,” Kurara said joyfully.
“She really will do it if you tempt her, Fei. Once she sets her mind on something she won’t stop till she finishes,” Inari said as she continued to enjoy the fried tofu.
“Story aside, just to eat three days worth of her cooking would make it worth listening to,” Fei replied with a smile. “Though right after the tournament doesn’t seem like the best time to disappear to do so.”
“Then when we have more time then. Now then, for the little details you must know about the Zodiac is you gain two forms once you become one. First is that of a demigod which ends up being your main form for the long run as very few have ever reached the final form.”
“What does it take to reach the final form?”
“Training. A lot of it it might take years before you even reach it. Currently, only Ram’s Zodiac warrior managed to achieve the final form in one go.”
“Oh ho, should I take that to be a challenge?”
“If you like, please do. It would make me really happy if someone who is my warrior achieves it on their first go as well.”
“My, I hope I do not disappoint.”
“Another thing is once you’ve achieved a good amount of mastery even in your demigod form, you can start having Followers. Which are basically people you transfer some of your power into. Of course there is only a limit of two per Zodiac.”
“That seems like quite the gift to give. Is it customary for Zodiacs to have Followers or a personal choice?”
“Personal choice. If you don’t wish to have one you don’t have to. In my opinion though, you gain more in making Followers since they shall forever be loyal to you.”
“Out of gratitude or compulsion?”
“Probably both. It really depends on you overall of course.
“That sounds quite dangerous in the wrong hands. Is the restriction a physical limitation or custom?”
“It’s only dangerous if you choose the wrong Follower of course. I suppose it might be both. Nobody has ever tried having more than two Followers before. Even though one does not get weaker, your chi does seem to feel different according to previous warriors.”
“No Zodiac has tried to create an army bound to follow them regardless of individual will?”
“How silly. If someone had such intention we ourselves would know of it right away. Of course I suppose there is one limitation with Followers. After you make one you cannot make another one till a year passes. For some reason it doesn’t work even after you recover.”
“I see.”
“I believe that is all there is needed to know if at the current moment. It would be no fun telling you everything in one sitting, now would it.”
“Shall we begin then?”
“Then please close your eyes and focus on relaxing your body. You will feel a tingle first. As your body gradually gets hotter, you will eventually feel it burning in a way you have never experienced before.”
Nodding, Fei got up from her seat and sat on the floor, or what seemed to be the floor, of the starry space. Assuming the lotus position she closed her eyes and relaxed as told. “Please be gentle,” she teased with a small smile on her face to hide her anxiousness.
Kurara stood up from her seat and approached Fei as she then placed her hand on her chest. Fei slowly could feel heat coming from her hand, but it simply felt warm at first. After a few minutes the heat gradually got hotter. A golden flame soon surrounded Fei. One would imagine the flame would start burning her body alive, but all it did was gradually make her body feel hotter, only giving the sensation that her body was burning.
Acknowledging the pain, Fei let it run its course through her body without resistance. While within it felt as though her body was turning to ash, none of it showed on her face, as serene as if she were meditating.
“Prepare yourself, this next wave is gonna hurt,” Fox said as she then transferred even more divine chi into the flame, causing the golden flame around Fei to light up even more. The heat had grown stronger as if it could melt anything it touched.
Even as the divine chi seared her every nerve, Fei’s composure held, albeit barely. Beads of sweat formed on her skin only to instantly evaporate in the raging fire and her breathing grew ragged, but even within the inferno she did not cry out.
“My, trying to tough it out are we? Not bad but this next wave you probably will not resist even if you try,” Fox said.
“We... shall see.” Fei forced out the reply with difficulty, but still her expression betrayed none of her ordeal.
Fox simply smiled as she then let out a final burst of divine chi into Fei. The sensation Fei felt was one nobody could ever imagine. Her body felt as it was about to melt. One would imagine touching the flames would melt a person’s skin and bones.
Fei finally reached her limit. Her mind could no longer withstand the feedback from her body and began to shut down. However, even all sensation began to fade still she held her meditative position, silently sliding into unconsciousness as she sat motionless within the raging flames.
“Please put chi into the circle once I leave the room. You shall meet the Goddess soon after,” the priestess said as she bowed and walked out of the room.
Walking over to the circle as instructed, Fei knelt down and placed a hand on the symbol of the fox but hesitated infusing her chi, a playful idea coming to mind.
”Inari, how would you like to play a prank on one of your fellow gods?”
Why should I? This is a ceremony you know. As a Goddess myself, I shall not. Afterwards probably.
”Tch, that’s no fun.” Fei made an exaggerated show of sticking out her tongue in indignation but acquiesced. Sending her chi into the mark on the ground, it flared upwards causing the air to crackle and sizzle as if a raging inferno were suddenly blazing within the room.
The circle soon began to glow once the chi had filled the circle. A bright light enveloped the room, causing Fei to close her eyes. When she next opened her eyes, the room had completely changed. Now instead of statues and tapestries, the night sky surrounded her as stars could be seen all around her.
Spying a table laden with various fried tofu dishes and three chairs surrounding it, Fei walked over and took a seat.
“Seems my little attempted ruse was found out before it even began. But you probably already knew that, didn’t you Inari?” Fei spoke aloud, picking up a treat from one of the dishes laid out.
“Was it that obvious?” Inari said as she suddenly appeared. She then took a seat in the chair opposite from Fei. “She always did love preparing meals for guest. I see you haven’t changed, Kurara.”
“My, my I have not heard that name in ages. It’s nice knowing you still remember me, Inari,” Kurara the Fox Zodiac said as she suddenly appeared in front of the two. “Good Evening.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Kurara.” Fei bowed her head slightly. “I assume you were watching the tournament but if not let me introduce myself. I am Fei.” Her words were casual, but her tone was respectful.
“Fei, watch how you address others. I myself simply called her Kurara as we are old friends. You have only just met her.”
“Even so, going forward we are to be partners. Shall we not get along?” Fei turned to Kurara, “However, if addressing you by name offended you I apologize and will refrain from doing so from now on.”
“Well I don’t really mind, it is just a custom from our land. But I suppose others would find it offensive. How about when it’s just the two of us?”
“Oh ho, Inari’s too much of a stickler to also be included?” Fei lightly teased.
“Well normally Gods don’t interfere with others but I have not seen her in such a long time I simply had to let her come in.”
“I speak only in jest. Though if you two wish to meet more often I do not mind being the conduit that enables it.”
“Well it is rather difficult considering we stay at different realms, and once you accept my power I shall be in a different realm than her as both our Chi cannot interfere with yours. Otherwise consequences might happen.”
“I see, it is a shame.”
“Well aside from that let's continue onto other things which are currently more important. As the winner of my tournament you have the opportunity to choose if you wish to become my warrior. Though the path of becoming my warrior is a painful one and one that many back away from once they find out what it is.”
“Oh, what might it entail?”
“We zodiacs have different ways we can transfer our Divine Chi to others. Some are simple and safe while others might be difficult or dangerous. Sadly, mines fall under the dangerous category.”
“Go on.”
“To transfer my Divine Chi I must literally burn you with it.”
“That is all?”
“Yes. Is it not surprising to you?”
“It is, but not beyond the realm of my expectations. Besides,” Fei’s eyes drifted to the side and her lips curled into a bitter smile, “I stopped fearing fire long ago.”
“I see. Well, let us eat first. After that I wish for you to tell me everything you know about the Zodiac Story.”
“Long ago when unknown creatures threatened to wipe out humanity the Jade Emperor and Amaterasu blessed twelve humans with the power of the Zodiac and knowledge of chi. The Zodiacs repelled and sealed the creatures but at the cost of seven of their number being cursed. To restore the balance of Yin Yang two additional Zodiacs were created, Fox and Cat. I believe that is the story as it is taught to every child.”
“Indeed it is. But did you know that a second curse was placed on the Zodiacs as well?”
“I cannot say I do.” Fei cast a sideways glance as Inari. “What does it entail?”
“Hey, we promised them we would let them tell people and I’m not one to break a promise,” Inari said.
“I didn’t say anything,” Fei replied innocently.
“Right,” Inari said as she grabbed one of the fried tofu and began to eat it.
“Well let me begin. Currently as you know, seven of the Zodiacs had a cursed placed on them which cause them to go berserk. When this occurred Amaterasu promoted me and Cat into Zodiacs as the Jade Emperor gave her the power to do so. I was assigned to take all the excess yang from them all while I also had to remove all of rabbit yang away. But what we did not know was that seven of them were also cursed with the Seven Deadly sins. We currently still don’t know how these creatures had such power.”
“If you are telling me this, am I correct in assuming the curse is passed on to the Zodiac warriors?”
“Yes. But worry not, I am not actually cursed. Well, maybe a little but for those who were not cursed, we were blessed with the seven holy virtues by Amaterasu to counter this curse.”
“May I know which one you received?”
“Chastity, so the little lust that went into you might not grow.”
“Are the blessings likewise passed to the Zodiac warriors?”
“Yes, but how much it varies might be a lot or you might feel no difference at all.”
“I suppose we shall see. Be it a curse or a blessing, I have no intention of letting it sway me.”
“I wish you luck in that. I’ve met many who have proclaimed the same thing. I’ve yet to met someone who has succeeded.
“So I may have the distinction of being the first,” Fei replied with a smile.
“Well then, would you like to proceed to the ritual? Or would you like me to explain everything or would you want to hear it from Inari herself later?”
“I would like to hear it directly from you. After all, we shall soon be partners.”
“Very well then, I shall begin. On the final days of our battle with those creatures, we had finally defeated the majority of them except a select few whose strength equaled or surpassed our own. Not being able to defeat them, we had decided that we would seal these creatures as our strength back then was not enough. Our Warriors back then might have been gifted but they were still learning about their powers. Of course, me and Cat were still not part of this battle. During the finally battle, seven of the Zodiacs became cursed as you know. Mouse was cursed with Sloth, Tiger was cursed with Pride, Dragon was cursed with Wrath, Horse was cursed with Envy, Monkey was cursed with Gluttony and Dog was cursed with Greed. If it was just them who got cursed we might have been fine, but when Rabbit witnessed her husband fall, she quickly rushed towards him. In that instant the creatures placed a curse on her as well which was Lust,” Kurara said as she took a sip from her tea after finishing her first explanation. “Any questions so far or shall I continue?”
“Go on.”
“The Jade Emperor and Amaterasu reacted quickly to this, creating two new Zodiacs. Even if two were made into yin the balance would still not have worked as Rabbit still had yin in her to counter this. When I was first assigned, I was given no yin or yang. Instead I was tasked to absorb all of Rabbit’s yang. Which you know of already. Once we accomplished our mission days later, it was then that we noticed the second curse as the cursed Zodiacs were now trying to apply their curse among the rest of us. To avoid this, the Jade emperor and Amaterasu asked one of the Gods from the west to bestow upon the remaining seven Zodiacs the seven heavenly virtues. Which is how I came about having Chastity.”
“May I know from which god your blessings were received from?”
“Truth be told I’ve forgotten. Many things have happened since then, I cannot recall anymore.”
“Quite a poor soul, to have played such a part in averting calamity only to be forgotten by all.”
“In all honesty all I recall was he or she asked not to be remembered. I am not certain if they did something or if we simply just forgot about them overtime.”
“I see, it seems of little importance then if it was of their will. Is that where the story ends?”
“I suppose so, unless you wish to hear the really long boring story.”
“Oh, what might that be?”
“So you don’t mind me talking for the next three days? Because that is how long the story will take if you wish for me to tell it.”
“I suppose it can wait for next time.”
“Aww. Here I thought someone was finally brave enough to hear it all,” Kurara said as she let out a chuckle.
“Maybe on a day when you have prepared more snacks to get us through it,” Fei replied, munching on another treat from the quickly disappearing set of fried tofu dishes.
“That can easily be arrange my dear,” Kurara said joyfully.
“She really will do it if you tempt her, Fei. Once she sets her mind on something she won’t stop till she finishes,” Inari said as she continued to enjoy the fried tofu.
“Story aside, just to eat three days worth of her cooking would make it worth listening to,” Fei replied with a smile. “Though right after the tournament doesn’t seem like the best time to disappear to do so.”
“Then when we have more time then. Now then, for the little details you must know about the Zodiac is you gain two forms once you become one. First is that of a demigod which ends up being your main form for the long run as very few have ever reached the final form.”
“What does it take to reach the final form?”
“Training. A lot of it it might take years before you even reach it. Currently, only Ram’s Zodiac warrior managed to achieve the final form in one go.”
“Oh ho, should I take that to be a challenge?”
“If you like, please do. It would make me really happy if someone who is my warrior achieves it on their first go as well.”
“My, I hope I do not disappoint.”
“Another thing is once you’ve achieved a good amount of mastery even in your demigod form, you can start having Followers. Which are basically people you transfer some of your power into. Of course there is only a limit of two per Zodiac.”
“That seems like quite the gift to give. Is it customary for Zodiacs to have Followers or a personal choice?”
“Personal choice. If you don’t wish to have one you don’t have to. In my opinion though, you gain more in making Followers since they shall forever be loyal to you.”
“Out of gratitude or compulsion?”
“Probably both. It really depends on you overall of course.
“That sounds quite dangerous in the wrong hands. Is the restriction a physical limitation or custom?”
“It’s only dangerous if you choose the wrong Follower of course. I suppose it might be both. Nobody has ever tried having more than two Followers before. Even though one does not get weaker, your chi does seem to feel different according to previous warriors.”
“No Zodiac has tried to create an army bound to follow them regardless of individual will?”
“How silly. If someone had such intention we ourselves would know of it right away. Of course I suppose there is one limitation with Followers. After you make one you cannot make another one till a year passes. For some reason it doesn’t work even after you recover.”
“I see.”
“I believe that is all there is needed to know if at the current moment. It would be no fun telling you everything in one sitting, now would it.”
“Shall we begin then?”
“Then please close your eyes and focus on relaxing your body. You will feel a tingle first. As your body gradually gets hotter, you will eventually feel it burning in a way you have never experienced before.”
Nodding, Fei got up from her seat and sat on the floor, or what seemed to be the floor, of the starry space. Assuming the lotus position she closed her eyes and relaxed as told. “Please be gentle,” she teased with a small smile on her face to hide her anxiousness.
Kurara stood up from her seat and approached Fei as she then placed her hand on her chest. Fei slowly could feel heat coming from her hand, but it simply felt warm at first. After a few minutes the heat gradually got hotter. A golden flame soon surrounded Fei. One would imagine the flame would start burning her body alive, but all it did was gradually make her body feel hotter, only giving the sensation that her body was burning.
Acknowledging the pain, Fei let it run its course through her body without resistance. While within it felt as though her body was turning to ash, none of it showed on her face, as serene as if she were meditating.
“Prepare yourself, this next wave is gonna hurt,” Fox said as she then transferred even more divine chi into the flame, causing the golden flame around Fei to light up even more. The heat had grown stronger as if it could melt anything it touched.
Even as the divine chi seared her every nerve, Fei’s composure held, albeit barely. Beads of sweat formed on her skin only to instantly evaporate in the raging fire and her breathing grew ragged, but even within the inferno she did not cry out.
“My, trying to tough it out are we? Not bad but this next wave you probably will not resist even if you try,” Fox said.
“We... shall see.” Fei forced out the reply with difficulty, but still her expression betrayed none of her ordeal.
Fox simply smiled as she then let out a final burst of divine chi into Fei. The sensation Fei felt was one nobody could ever imagine. Her body felt as it was about to melt. One would imagine touching the flames would melt a person’s skin and bones.
Fei finally reached her limit. Her mind could no longer withstand the feedback from her body and began to shut down. However, even all sensation began to fade still she held her meditative position, silently sliding into unconsciousness as she sat motionless within the raging flames.
0
Hours had passed since Princess Marie had met with Rabbit Zodiac and she had agreed to become her Maiden. She now lay in bed asleep after her long ordeal with Rabbit Zodiac as she had not stopped till the Princess had fallen asleep from exhaustion. It was now early in the morning, but the sun had yet to rise. A small creature could be seen floating around the Princess as if examining her. It suddenly then placed itself between the Princess’ breasts.
“Hmm, not bad at all but I suppose they’re still lacking,” the creature said to itself.
“I do not think exceeding a certain level is lacking at all, Mister.”
“That might be true, but for one who is a demigod your’s are still lacking. They must give you the complete essence that one is in heaven!” the creature said, but it didn’t move from where it lay.
Usually, this would be around the time when Jeanne would be forced to retreat from her wrath of waking her up too early, but it was different this time. The Princess rubbed her eyes and opened them anew, her vision stabilizing now. Finally glancing at the tiger momentarily, Marie only gave it an admonishing gaze.
“You have no sense of quality if you think bigger is simply better, though. That is a childish notion.”
“Silly girl, over time you shall come to understand.”
“Or perhaps you would grow up enough to be mature over time. Time shall indeed tell.”
“I have lived for over two thousands years. I have experienced many things, till you have as well your words mean nothing to me!” the tiger said as it made itself even more comfortable where it lay.
Marie smiled. “So basically, you are beyond help. I pity you.”
“If that is what you believe then so be it. I’ve just come here to check upon my Mistress’ new warrior and to see if she explained everything to you.”
“I am sure there are other—and more important—factors to check than my amply sized bosom, yes?”
“Breast shall always come first!” the tiger said as it laughed.
The Princess picked the tiger up by the back of his neck. “Silly lecherous tiger, it is long past that point.”
“Let go of me! I am the Mistress’ most important companion!” the Tiger said as it tried to get free.
“That may be so, but you have laid yourself atop the chest of foreign Royalty. That is inexcusable regardless of who you are. I must execute you and decorate my room with your head hanging in it.”
“You dare to do such a thing to a God like me! You shall never be forgiven!”
“I am sure you would look great along with the rest of the decorations.”
“I am sorry, I have learned my place. Can you please release me,” the tiger said in an apologetic tone.
“Only if you inform me where our Goddess is…” She looked down at herself, realizing that the supposed God that was the tiger here mentioned that she was a demigod now. “I would love to have a mirror now…”
“She’s currently asleep in her room. She did give you all the Divine Chi she currently had so she must now recover her strength.”
No mirror? Holding penalty, I suppose. “…Ah, I see. Now if my memory serves correctly, you have come to check whether our Goddess forgot anything, yes?”
“Correct. If you may let me go, I shall tell you everything you need to know provided you tell me what my Mistress has told you already.”
“Mn…” Not letting go of the tiger, she started, “I had made inquiries so I should know most of what I am supposed to know. Let us go over what I was told regardless. There were tragedies borne of the First Curse and the Second Curse. The other part I learned from making inquiries was regarding the possible changes to my personality due to the phase of transfiguration, and what it entails to achieve the new form thanks to earning the Divine Chi of a Zodiac… there was nothing else of great import, I hope?”
“Did the Mistress mention to you about both forms of the Zodiac? Can you please also let me go? I promise I won’t do anything else.”
“Very well.” The Princess finally yielded, perhaps the joke went too far indeed this time. “The esteemed Goddess made particular note regarding two steps in the transformation process. The first being that of a demigod I would think, and the other was that of a True God.”
“Yes. Currently you are in your demigod form though it has yet to fully awaken so you are still in ways mostly human, but it seems your body decided to change appearance.”
“Is that a good thing? Bad thing? I am yet to land a proper gaze into my new appearance…”
“It is not a bad thing, it just mostly means deep inside you, you desired change in yourself. Please stand and look at yourself in this mirror,” the tiger said as it clapped its paws together and a mirror appeared beside him.
“I had to mention it the second time before you made that pop up. If only you did so earlier, I would have released you,” Silvia claimed with an amused expression. “Tigers are rather slow, mn?”
“Tigers are not slow! Master is the fastest of them all and the strongest!”
“Maybe just you. Well, good work regardless. Please accept my gratitude.” Contrary to her words earlier, there was a slight change in demeanor and she caressed the fluffy head of the tiger.
Getting up on the bed now, Silvia inspected herself using the mirror produced by the little tiger.
The tiger purred for a second before realizing what he had done. “Please ignore what you just heard. If you would like me to inspect anything, please let me know. I shall gladly assist you.”
“Are you sure you are not looking for an excuse to act upon your lewd desires? Anyway, I need someone to prepare my hair for the day.”
“Currently all the Priestesses are asleep. Nobody else shall be awake till another three hours.”
“You have hands, do you not? Put them to work.”
“Sadly I have paws and they cannot hold anything, and I’ve never once brushed a woman’s hair. But I can give you a nice massage in a certain spot if you like!”
“If you can get me a comb at least, you get some more headpats. How about that?”
“Right away!” the tiger said as it clapped it paws and a comb appeared floating in the air.
Silvia took hold of the comb, and with the view of the mirror, she worked with her hair herself.
“It may be true… this change is quite enticing even to me,” she made a smile. It suited her personality more than before now. “I may have truly desired a change.”
“This current form though is only temporary, at least if you wish it to be, once you gain mastery over your Divine Chi.”
“So mastering my Divine Chi would open forth an opportunity to stay like this for eternity?”
“Yes. But of course, mastering Divine Chi might take years. You never know.”
“I have mastered all the western martial arts there are, and I have come to master the eastern kung fu now… I suppose adding this to the plate is simply what is expected of a Princess. I shall take up this challenge all the same.”
“Though I shall recommend if the time comes, don’t stay in your demigod form all the time. Especially if those vile creatures ever return.”
“And the reason for that would be?”
“If you are ever seriously injured those creatures can find you through your Divine Chi as they love devouring Gods. It is the main reason Gods had mostly given up on saving mankind. Well that is the story I heard from other lesser Gods.”
“Pray tell, what do the creatures do if they are unable to find the Gods? Devour humans instead?”
“Of course. Finding humans for them was easier of course. They simply just had to find a village.”
Silvia smiled, some warmth apparent, as if the answer was thus obvious to her.
“I shall remain in my demigod form if that is the case.”
“Well it is up to you. I would rather have time to heal first or at least distract them somehow. Otherwise might difficult to recover if they ever comeback.”
“My intention is to simply divert their attention. Even a little helps, as long as it saves precious lives. I would choose solitude if I must to keep the monsters away… that is who I am—that is my role as Royalty born in the House of Bourbon.”
“How honorable. Well, simply follow your heart. Under certain conditions, different options may arise. Now then, how much did my Mistress mention about the Ultimate form?”
“As far as I was made aware—it is the form that achieves the Divinity of a proper God. If there is more to it, I am all ears.”
“Very well. As you said it is the proper form of being known as a God but it’s only temporary and there are limitations as well. One is you get two options on what form you take. You may choose to take on my Mistress’ appearance or you may take on another divine form. Alas if you choose to take another divine form, there is a possibility things might go wrong.”
“Mnm… what would this other Divine form entail? Or does that depend on imagination… or rather, luck?”
“Imagination and luck sadly. If things go wrong, you might end up being turned completely into a rabbit or a mix. Unless you are fine with that.”
“I prefer the look of the Goddess to an extent myself… I suppose I would not mind living with that. It is only temporary, after all.”
“It is unless you ever completely master it which no one ever has.”
“You tempt me with that challenging vibe it has once more.”
“Oho, but it is true nobody has ever done it before. I would not be surprise if you yourself fail as well. Currently there might only be one Zodiac knight that might achieve this as they have already shown promise by achieving the Ultimate form right away.”
“Mn… I suppose not being blessed from birth simply sets apart the others. It matters not, all has the potential to change through time.”
“That indeed is true. Now then, did my Mistress ever mention Followers to you?”
“Not quite.” Marie continued to comb her hair. “I am required to don an attire soon. What would go well with these… ears and tail?” she added, while caressing her newfound rabbit-ears and the puffy white tail.
“How about this,” the tiger said as it clapped it’s paws again as a set of new clothing appeared on Marie. “It is not as revealing as Mistress’ but if you like, I can make it so.”
“I do not believe it would be wise to make it as revealing as your Mistress.” She felt the blue heart symbols etched on the skin of her right breast—one smaller than the other. “This is rather fancy and racy compared to the aristocratic values I was taught to dress with, but it is rather lively and refreshing. I like the image it provides.”
With her own elegance and grace, it would be a culmination of all the qualities she may ever want from an attire—it was the perfect plan, despite it being so abrupt.
“But of course you would like it I hand picked it myself!” the tiger said as it let out laughter. “Then another thing I may simply ask, how do you feel personally? Any urges come over you like those that might on Mistress?”
“None for now… perchance if the moon arises at full as the Goddess mentioned.”
“I see. I sense about a level equal to that of my Mistress in you, but it seems it might need a trigger in you in which case is preferably better.”
“My curiosity is tempting me to find out, but I suppose I shall learn soon enough. A sense of restraint is indeed a precious virtue to behold. Now that we are clear on the matter, what were you saying about Followers?”
“Ah, yes, Followers. They’re basically people you pick to serve under you as in how Mistress transferred power into you, you can transfer some of your powers into them. Of course their version would be much weaker than yours. Currently, you don’t have the power to turn others into Followers but there is a limit of two per Zodiac.”
“So I become weaker to have these Followers?”
“Just for one day. After you rest, your power will return. Though you just can’t make anyone a Follower, you must make sure they want to serve under you completely otherwise the process might fail. You must also make sure you follow all the steps correctly.”
“This sounds beneficial but appears to be just as troublesome. For now I shall refrain from having Followers. After all, I chose a path of solitude when I came to this land.”
“That might change, as rabbits are not creatures of solitude and one can’t do everything by themselves. There shall always be tasks where you will require the help of others. The Zodiacs were not given to man to follow a path of solitude but to follow a path of togetherness, one in which everyone works for a brighter future together.”
“It is a path of solitude regardless of how one sugarcoats it with pretty reasoning. Followers and man do not possess what the Gods do. Power sets everyone apart. I would rather keep the rest safe with what I carry with me. Surely, it would be preferred to have capable warriors by my side, but that would not deter me from what I adhere to in the grand scheme of the world.”
“Even Gods themselves cannot do everything. Man may think Gods are all powerful but even they have their limits. But if that is the path you wish to follow so be it. I’ve seen many travel that path during my lifetime. They all believed it was for the best to be alone, but even the strongest need at least one companion. If the Jade Emperor had not asked Amaterasu for help, mankind would not be on this Earth anymore.”
The Princess laughed. “I believe you mistook my words greatly. A little tiger is not required to think overmuch.” She caressed the lesser God’s fur again, as promised. “Now that the outfit is done… I wonder what is next.”
The tiger purred again and then stopped. “You heard nothing. Though thinking about it. what is your name? I could just peek into your memories, but even for me that is too much.”
“Ah, I suppose the introductions were delayed due to the circumstance, I apologize.” The Princess made a courteous bow to the God. “My name is Marie Auguste Charlotte de France. The alias I am currently using is Silvia Thérèse de Grâce. I would appreciate it if you address me as Silvia for now.” An amused expression crept up to her facial features, and she looked back to the mirror. “Perhaps I shall adopt a moniker for this new form of mine—it would herald the legends to develop naturally as per my destiny.”
“I am Kuan Shilin, one of many lesser Gods who protects this world, but I am still a God even if a lesser one. That would be up to you Silvia, many have done the same but may have also kept their names to bring fame to their families.”
“I believe the Royal family of France has the fame of monarchy accumulated for over centuries. Besides…” A fragment of her melancholy found its way to the surface. “I do not belong to the state. A Prince is the one who inherits the throne, not a Princess. A little more individualism would not hurt at this point of life.”
“Then feel free to do so, Silvia.”
She took some moments to ponder. “I want to pick something that I am not very accustomed to like French… maybe from another language. Ah, yes, we can use an eastern language. I am fluent in Chinese but also in Japanese. What would you suggest I should find a name from?”
“Well, do you wish your name to stand for something? Maybe a color you think that suits you?”
“Like this color?” She took up a golden lock of her hair. “I was told since childhood that it was more or less a color that suits me.” She took a peek at the mirror, it was still befitting as ever. Black was a close second, and red would be a close third.
Shilin gave it a thought for about a minute before giving his response. “Then how about Kin’iro?”
“That term quite literally implies the †˜golden color’ in Japanese, I believe?”
“Indeed, it was the first thing that came to mind. If you like, use it. If not, I might try and see if I can think of something else.”
“Let us go with that. They say that simple is best.”
“Then it’s settled. Well I believe that covers everything. If not, I shall let you know right away. Anything you might want to ask yourself, Kin’iro?”
“A good question would be how I should spend my day? Am I bound to any duties as the representative of the Rabbit Zodiac now? If so, dallying here is only wasting precious time.”
“You yourself are not bound to any duties as you are not a priestess unless you wish to become one. You are free to do as you wish. But I suggest you get some more sleep. I would imagine you are still tired especially after what Mistress made you go through.”
“I would at least like to be acquainted with the members of the temple. A night full of touches hardly matches up to a real intercourse, anyway.”
“It definitely didn’t sound like that.”
“That is hardly an excuse to rest.”
“Right. Well, the other members will not be up till another few hours. I was tasked to come and make sure you would wake up considering you fell asleep rather soon according Mistress since she said all the fights had finally taken their toll on your body. She also had said to make sure nothing went wrong with your demigod form. Even though small, there was still a chance of failure.”
“That is true, I was fighting all day. In fact, I completely forgot about my wounds… I suppose they were healed sometime in the ritual.”
“They were. Well, I shall suggest again rest for a bit longer. Once the priestesses are awake, I shall come fetch you to introduce to you do them, but I must warn you they might be wary of you.”
“Wary? ...Very well, I shall take heed of your advice and rest for now.”
“You can blame my Mistress for that, and very well. Shall I accompany you to bed?”
“There is no need for a God such as yourself to accompany me to bed, is there?”
“Very well. It is such a misfortune but I shall take my leave. I shall return in three hours, Kin’iro,” Shilin said as he bowed.
“You could accompany me if you are interested in watching me practice culling cubs, of course.”
“Shall not be necessary. Such things shouldn't be allowed.”
“You are not in great favor of sports, are you?”
“Of course not, over time you might as well as you may get animal instincts. But for now, I shall now leave. I have some duties I must attend to.”
Marie laughed. “Very well, we shall meet again soon.”
While Shilin was about to exit the room a thunderous sound was heard. Soon, more followed as finally another one was heard but coming directly from the temple grounds.
“Are we under attack!? Pardon me, Kin’iro, but if you can please follow me, I don’t believe it is safe here anymore,” Shilin said as the door suddenly opened and Shilin quickly went out.
Kin’iro gave a nod and followed, as the situation seemed to develop abruptly. In a way, she was correct—it was no time to rest.
“Hmm, not bad at all but I suppose they’re still lacking,” the creature said to itself.
“I do not think exceeding a certain level is lacking at all, Mister.”
“That might be true, but for one who is a demigod your’s are still lacking. They must give you the complete essence that one is in heaven!” the creature said, but it didn’t move from where it lay.
Usually, this would be around the time when Jeanne would be forced to retreat from her wrath of waking her up too early, but it was different this time. The Princess rubbed her eyes and opened them anew, her vision stabilizing now. Finally glancing at the tiger momentarily, Marie only gave it an admonishing gaze.
“You have no sense of quality if you think bigger is simply better, though. That is a childish notion.”
“Silly girl, over time you shall come to understand.”
“Or perhaps you would grow up enough to be mature over time. Time shall indeed tell.”
“I have lived for over two thousands years. I have experienced many things, till you have as well your words mean nothing to me!” the tiger said as it made itself even more comfortable where it lay.
Marie smiled. “So basically, you are beyond help. I pity you.”
“If that is what you believe then so be it. I’ve just come here to check upon my Mistress’ new warrior and to see if she explained everything to you.”
“I am sure there are other—and more important—factors to check than my amply sized bosom, yes?”
“Breast shall always come first!” the tiger said as it laughed.
The Princess picked the tiger up by the back of his neck. “Silly lecherous tiger, it is long past that point.”
“Let go of me! I am the Mistress’ most important companion!” the Tiger said as it tried to get free.
“That may be so, but you have laid yourself atop the chest of foreign Royalty. That is inexcusable regardless of who you are. I must execute you and decorate my room with your head hanging in it.”
“You dare to do such a thing to a God like me! You shall never be forgiven!”
“I am sure you would look great along with the rest of the decorations.”
“I am sorry, I have learned my place. Can you please release me,” the tiger said in an apologetic tone.
“Only if you inform me where our Goddess is…” She looked down at herself, realizing that the supposed God that was the tiger here mentioned that she was a demigod now. “I would love to have a mirror now…”
“She’s currently asleep in her room. She did give you all the Divine Chi she currently had so she must now recover her strength.”
No mirror? Holding penalty, I suppose. “…Ah, I see. Now if my memory serves correctly, you have come to check whether our Goddess forgot anything, yes?”
“Correct. If you may let me go, I shall tell you everything you need to know provided you tell me what my Mistress has told you already.”
“Mn…” Not letting go of the tiger, she started, “I had made inquiries so I should know most of what I am supposed to know. Let us go over what I was told regardless. There were tragedies borne of the First Curse and the Second Curse. The other part I learned from making inquiries was regarding the possible changes to my personality due to the phase of transfiguration, and what it entails to achieve the new form thanks to earning the Divine Chi of a Zodiac… there was nothing else of great import, I hope?”
“Did the Mistress mention to you about both forms of the Zodiac? Can you please also let me go? I promise I won’t do anything else.”
“Very well.” The Princess finally yielded, perhaps the joke went too far indeed this time. “The esteemed Goddess made particular note regarding two steps in the transformation process. The first being that of a demigod I would think, and the other was that of a True God.”
“Yes. Currently you are in your demigod form though it has yet to fully awaken so you are still in ways mostly human, but it seems your body decided to change appearance.”
“Is that a good thing? Bad thing? I am yet to land a proper gaze into my new appearance…”
“It is not a bad thing, it just mostly means deep inside you, you desired change in yourself. Please stand and look at yourself in this mirror,” the tiger said as it clapped its paws together and a mirror appeared beside him.
“I had to mention it the second time before you made that pop up. If only you did so earlier, I would have released you,” Silvia claimed with an amused expression. “Tigers are rather slow, mn?”
“Tigers are not slow! Master is the fastest of them all and the strongest!”
“Maybe just you. Well, good work regardless. Please accept my gratitude.” Contrary to her words earlier, there was a slight change in demeanor and she caressed the fluffy head of the tiger.
Getting up on the bed now, Silvia inspected herself using the mirror produced by the little tiger.
The tiger purred for a second before realizing what he had done. “Please ignore what you just heard. If you would like me to inspect anything, please let me know. I shall gladly assist you.”
“Are you sure you are not looking for an excuse to act upon your lewd desires? Anyway, I need someone to prepare my hair for the day.”
“Currently all the Priestesses are asleep. Nobody else shall be awake till another three hours.”
“You have hands, do you not? Put them to work.”
“Sadly I have paws and they cannot hold anything, and I’ve never once brushed a woman’s hair. But I can give you a nice massage in a certain spot if you like!”
“If you can get me a comb at least, you get some more headpats. How about that?”
“Right away!” the tiger said as it clapped it paws and a comb appeared floating in the air.
Silvia took hold of the comb, and with the view of the mirror, she worked with her hair herself.
“It may be true… this change is quite enticing even to me,” she made a smile. It suited her personality more than before now. “I may have truly desired a change.”
“This current form though is only temporary, at least if you wish it to be, once you gain mastery over your Divine Chi.”
“So mastering my Divine Chi would open forth an opportunity to stay like this for eternity?”
“Yes. But of course, mastering Divine Chi might take years. You never know.”
“I have mastered all the western martial arts there are, and I have come to master the eastern kung fu now… I suppose adding this to the plate is simply what is expected of a Princess. I shall take up this challenge all the same.”
“Though I shall recommend if the time comes, don’t stay in your demigod form all the time. Especially if those vile creatures ever return.”
“And the reason for that would be?”
“If you are ever seriously injured those creatures can find you through your Divine Chi as they love devouring Gods. It is the main reason Gods had mostly given up on saving mankind. Well that is the story I heard from other lesser Gods.”
“Pray tell, what do the creatures do if they are unable to find the Gods? Devour humans instead?”
“Of course. Finding humans for them was easier of course. They simply just had to find a village.”
Silvia smiled, some warmth apparent, as if the answer was thus obvious to her.
“I shall remain in my demigod form if that is the case.”
“Well it is up to you. I would rather have time to heal first or at least distract them somehow. Otherwise might difficult to recover if they ever comeback.”
“My intention is to simply divert their attention. Even a little helps, as long as it saves precious lives. I would choose solitude if I must to keep the monsters away… that is who I am—that is my role as Royalty born in the House of Bourbon.”
“How honorable. Well, simply follow your heart. Under certain conditions, different options may arise. Now then, how much did my Mistress mention about the Ultimate form?”
“As far as I was made aware—it is the form that achieves the Divinity of a proper God. If there is more to it, I am all ears.”
“Very well. As you said it is the proper form of being known as a God but it’s only temporary and there are limitations as well. One is you get two options on what form you take. You may choose to take on my Mistress’ appearance or you may take on another divine form. Alas if you choose to take another divine form, there is a possibility things might go wrong.”
“Mnm… what would this other Divine form entail? Or does that depend on imagination… or rather, luck?”
“Imagination and luck sadly. If things go wrong, you might end up being turned completely into a rabbit or a mix. Unless you are fine with that.”
“I prefer the look of the Goddess to an extent myself… I suppose I would not mind living with that. It is only temporary, after all.”
“It is unless you ever completely master it which no one ever has.”
“You tempt me with that challenging vibe it has once more.”
“Oho, but it is true nobody has ever done it before. I would not be surprise if you yourself fail as well. Currently there might only be one Zodiac knight that might achieve this as they have already shown promise by achieving the Ultimate form right away.”
“Mn… I suppose not being blessed from birth simply sets apart the others. It matters not, all has the potential to change through time.”
“That indeed is true. Now then, did my Mistress ever mention Followers to you?”
“Not quite.” Marie continued to comb her hair. “I am required to don an attire soon. What would go well with these… ears and tail?” she added, while caressing her newfound rabbit-ears and the puffy white tail.
“How about this,” the tiger said as it clapped it’s paws again as a set of new clothing appeared on Marie. “It is not as revealing as Mistress’ but if you like, I can make it so.”
“I do not believe it would be wise to make it as revealing as your Mistress.” She felt the blue heart symbols etched on the skin of her right breast—one smaller than the other. “This is rather fancy and racy compared to the aristocratic values I was taught to dress with, but it is rather lively and refreshing. I like the image it provides.”
With her own elegance and grace, it would be a culmination of all the qualities she may ever want from an attire—it was the perfect plan, despite it being so abrupt.
“But of course you would like it I hand picked it myself!” the tiger said as it let out laughter. “Then another thing I may simply ask, how do you feel personally? Any urges come over you like those that might on Mistress?”
“None for now… perchance if the moon arises at full as the Goddess mentioned.”
“I see. I sense about a level equal to that of my Mistress in you, but it seems it might need a trigger in you in which case is preferably better.”
“My curiosity is tempting me to find out, but I suppose I shall learn soon enough. A sense of restraint is indeed a precious virtue to behold. Now that we are clear on the matter, what were you saying about Followers?”
“Ah, yes, Followers. They’re basically people you pick to serve under you as in how Mistress transferred power into you, you can transfer some of your powers into them. Of course their version would be much weaker than yours. Currently, you don’t have the power to turn others into Followers but there is a limit of two per Zodiac.”
“So I become weaker to have these Followers?”
“Just for one day. After you rest, your power will return. Though you just can’t make anyone a Follower, you must make sure they want to serve under you completely otherwise the process might fail. You must also make sure you follow all the steps correctly.”
“This sounds beneficial but appears to be just as troublesome. For now I shall refrain from having Followers. After all, I chose a path of solitude when I came to this land.”
“That might change, as rabbits are not creatures of solitude and one can’t do everything by themselves. There shall always be tasks where you will require the help of others. The Zodiacs were not given to man to follow a path of solitude but to follow a path of togetherness, one in which everyone works for a brighter future together.”
“It is a path of solitude regardless of how one sugarcoats it with pretty reasoning. Followers and man do not possess what the Gods do. Power sets everyone apart. I would rather keep the rest safe with what I carry with me. Surely, it would be preferred to have capable warriors by my side, but that would not deter me from what I adhere to in the grand scheme of the world.”
“Even Gods themselves cannot do everything. Man may think Gods are all powerful but even they have their limits. But if that is the path you wish to follow so be it. I’ve seen many travel that path during my lifetime. They all believed it was for the best to be alone, but even the strongest need at least one companion. If the Jade Emperor had not asked Amaterasu for help, mankind would not be on this Earth anymore.”
The Princess laughed. “I believe you mistook my words greatly. A little tiger is not required to think overmuch.” She caressed the lesser God’s fur again, as promised. “Now that the outfit is done… I wonder what is next.”
The tiger purred again and then stopped. “You heard nothing. Though thinking about it. what is your name? I could just peek into your memories, but even for me that is too much.”
“Ah, I suppose the introductions were delayed due to the circumstance, I apologize.” The Princess made a courteous bow to the God. “My name is Marie Auguste Charlotte de France. The alias I am currently using is Silvia Thérèse de Grâce. I would appreciate it if you address me as Silvia for now.” An amused expression crept up to her facial features, and she looked back to the mirror. “Perhaps I shall adopt a moniker for this new form of mine—it would herald the legends to develop naturally as per my destiny.”
“I am Kuan Shilin, one of many lesser Gods who protects this world, but I am still a God even if a lesser one. That would be up to you Silvia, many have done the same but may have also kept their names to bring fame to their families.”
“I believe the Royal family of France has the fame of monarchy accumulated for over centuries. Besides…” A fragment of her melancholy found its way to the surface. “I do not belong to the state. A Prince is the one who inherits the throne, not a Princess. A little more individualism would not hurt at this point of life.”
“Then feel free to do so, Silvia.”
She took some moments to ponder. “I want to pick something that I am not very accustomed to like French… maybe from another language. Ah, yes, we can use an eastern language. I am fluent in Chinese but also in Japanese. What would you suggest I should find a name from?”
“Well, do you wish your name to stand for something? Maybe a color you think that suits you?”
“Like this color?” She took up a golden lock of her hair. “I was told since childhood that it was more or less a color that suits me.” She took a peek at the mirror, it was still befitting as ever. Black was a close second, and red would be a close third.
Shilin gave it a thought for about a minute before giving his response. “Then how about Kin’iro?”
“That term quite literally implies the †˜golden color’ in Japanese, I believe?”
“Indeed, it was the first thing that came to mind. If you like, use it. If not, I might try and see if I can think of something else.”
“Let us go with that. They say that simple is best.”
“Then it’s settled. Well I believe that covers everything. If not, I shall let you know right away. Anything you might want to ask yourself, Kin’iro?”
“A good question would be how I should spend my day? Am I bound to any duties as the representative of the Rabbit Zodiac now? If so, dallying here is only wasting precious time.”
“You yourself are not bound to any duties as you are not a priestess unless you wish to become one. You are free to do as you wish. But I suggest you get some more sleep. I would imagine you are still tired especially after what Mistress made you go through.”
“I would at least like to be acquainted with the members of the temple. A night full of touches hardly matches up to a real intercourse, anyway.”
“It definitely didn’t sound like that.”
“That is hardly an excuse to rest.”
“Right. Well, the other members will not be up till another few hours. I was tasked to come and make sure you would wake up considering you fell asleep rather soon according Mistress since she said all the fights had finally taken their toll on your body. She also had said to make sure nothing went wrong with your demigod form. Even though small, there was still a chance of failure.”
“That is true, I was fighting all day. In fact, I completely forgot about my wounds… I suppose they were healed sometime in the ritual.”
“They were. Well, I shall suggest again rest for a bit longer. Once the priestesses are awake, I shall come fetch you to introduce to you do them, but I must warn you they might be wary of you.”
“Wary? ...Very well, I shall take heed of your advice and rest for now.”
“You can blame my Mistress for that, and very well. Shall I accompany you to bed?”
“There is no need for a God such as yourself to accompany me to bed, is there?”
“Very well. It is such a misfortune but I shall take my leave. I shall return in three hours, Kin’iro,” Shilin said as he bowed.
“You could accompany me if you are interested in watching me practice culling cubs, of course.”
“Shall not be necessary. Such things shouldn't be allowed.”
“You are not in great favor of sports, are you?”
“Of course not, over time you might as well as you may get animal instincts. But for now, I shall now leave. I have some duties I must attend to.”
Marie laughed. “Very well, we shall meet again soon.”
While Shilin was about to exit the room a thunderous sound was heard. Soon, more followed as finally another one was heard but coming directly from the temple grounds.
“Are we under attack!? Pardon me, Kin’iro, but if you can please follow me, I don’t believe it is safe here anymore,” Shilin said as the door suddenly opened and Shilin quickly went out.
Kin’iro gave a nod and followed, as the situation seemed to develop abruptly. In a way, she was correct—it was no time to rest.