Chapter Text
/ Prologue /
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Ancient China, the Year 1092
In the distant country of Luoyang, a prince lay fast asleep in his bed chambers, dreaming. The moon was high, and the country was silent. So in contrast to what the prince was dreaming.
A tall high tree of cherry blossom, under it, a country in the turmoil of war, a thunder strikes and sets the tree on fire. The fire provides two things at once, destruction to the tree, and a refuge for the heaving soldier. The fire roars so high, that it touches the heavens. Any who dared to come within three inches of the tree was burned to ash. All but the refuge.
It seemed that even the soldier was puzzled. However, he continued to fight whoever came near. But, it didn’t change the fact that he was fighting near a fire. The heat becomes unbearable and soon enough, he starts to burn too.
The wind picks up speed, the flames fly everywhere, and a single cherry of the tree falls on top of the soldier’s armor. He picks it up, and the cherry is shaped in a strange way that resembles an egg. Out of it, hatches a myth. A creature that was believed to have only existed in legends.
A dragon.
The soldier stands there stunned. The dragon inhales all the flames burning the tree and exhales at the approaching foes. A blessing for the soldier. The man rejoices as the dragon burns any who tries to harm the soldier.
He is so elated that he misses the incoming danger behind his back. Soon enough, the sword runs him through and he drops to his knees. The dragon is outraged, and he burns the perpetrator, however, the soldier is already dying.
Saddened and angered, the dragon takes to burning everyone down on its warpath. The dragon though just hatched, was menacing and dangerous. As he watched the soldier try and fail to stand, he couldn’t help but pity the young lad.
Soon they heard the painful shrieks of commoners who were dying all around them. The prince was distraught to see so many innocents be condemned by the burning flame. It seemed too cruel. Inhumane.
He wanted to scream at the soldier. Protect them! He wanted to say. Save them! He wanted to yell. For it is your only duty you are sacrificing! He wanted to remind the warrior.
But he couldn’t.
His throat was clogged up, and though he could hear and see, he couldn’t move or talk. It was like he was paralyzed. So he watched as hundreds of people burned, marring the ground with their ashes and bones.
The heat was unbearable and the smoke was clogging up the lungs of the war general but he stood still. Froze in pain and horror. The prince wanted to scream and punish the lad but he was in no position to do so.
But then something happened. A thick black fog descended the battleground covering the littering fallen soldiers and corpses of the innocents with layers of soot. In just an incense time, a corpse rose from the ground. The prince gaped, horrified.
Demonic sorcery.
One by one, the corpses rose as they died. Some with their limbs intact, others with scattered and littered body parts. The prince could do nothing but watch as the corpses, all with pitch-black eyes, advanced toward the remaining humans.
A few soldiers swung their weapons at the demons but it didn’t stop them. It only served to anger them more. The corpses attacked the living as one and the prince knew they stood no chance against such sorcery.
A few feet further from where his sworn brothers were being ripped apart, the injured soldier tried to back away when a lone corpse cornered him. The prince was gripped with fear as the corpse reached for the soldier.
They all held a collective breath when a roar resounded throughout the battlefield. The dragon batted its large wings as it flew forward at an astounding speed. The prince watched with fascination and obvious relief when the dragon shrieked and opened its huge maw.
Bright orange colored the inside of its neck as hot burning lava bubbled to the surface. One breath and a stream of wildfire exploded forward, burning everything in its vicinity to ash. He barely had time to process anything before the dragon burned all of the corpses walking the ground.
When the dragon returned to the soldier, the young lad was on his knees, weak and dying. The prince watched with utmost pity as the dragon nuzzled the soldier who held back a wince at the pain the action resulted.
“I’m okay,” the prince heard the warrior murmur as the lad raised his hand to pet the large mound. “I am okay, for I do not fear death, my friend. What I am afraid of, is what will happen to you after I am gone.”
It had been a little while since the soldier met the beast, yet it seemed that he had developed an attachment. The ferocious animal let out a crooning sound as it nudged the young man’s hand. As if to say, ‘I will wait for you to come back, of course.’
The general smiled.
“Alright then, my friend. We shall meet again soon.”
And as the prince saw the soldier close his eyes and finally rest in peace, he realized. He might have just witnessed the most bizarre and unusual friendship of a lifetime.
The last thing he saw of this vision? Was that of the dragon groaning and shrieking in pain. As if it could feel that its friend was leaving him. It was heartbreaking to hear. With a last breath drawn, the general fell to the war.
His surroundings turned pitch black along with the warrior. He was uncertain if this was still a part of the same dream, or if he was in another.
A quiet honeyed voice echoed in the void, “What you think, is not there, what you don’t think has been lurking right under your bed.” The prince whipped around looking for the source, “Who is there?”
“You are aware of my existence, but we shall not meet until a long time, my prince.” The prince turned around and came face to face with a humanoid. It looked like a human but was too tall and lanky. “What are you?”
He didn’t know how or why, but he was certain that there was a smile underneath that hood. “The end.”
A blinding white light emanated from the humanoid and the prince was forced to cover his eyes. “Listen close, Your Highness, years down the line, your blood is destined to ascend to godhood. However, if you continue the path you do, you shall doom your family forever.”
“A son, whose blood shall breathe fire, destined to godhood, and shall rise as the sun. He will bring enlightenment and great prosperity to his people. But beware, every sun that rises in the east, shall always be destined to set in the west. Heed my words, and you shall ascend, ignore it, and meet your end.”
The prince wakes up burning with wildfire in his blood.
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©Liyana⋇