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He ran out of Scalegorge Waterscape, voices echoing behind him. “Sir, I don't know how it happened-!” “I don't care how it happened! Find the egg!”
“And find the THIEF!”
He ran breathlessly towards his starskiff, departing in secret with the egg in his arms. He looked down at the egg as the starskiff approached the Alchemy Commission, where his love laid injured. “I'm so sorry, little one. You had nothing to do with all of this… but I can't do this alone.”
He arrived at the Alchemy Commission to a silent night, where even the guards seemed sleepy. He snuck past them, to his Yinxing. “I can't risk losing…” He thought, cutting an unnoticeable piece of the man’s hair. “I can't risk failing…”
He made his way to his quarters, where everything else was already set up. He placed the egg on the censer with shaking hands, lighting the incense. “This time, I will get it right.” He pulled out the ceremonial knife, the scented smoke surrounding him. “This time, there will be 'you’, there will be ‘us’.” He made a cut across his palm. “This time, our bond will not break.” He clutched the hair in his bleeding hand, holding them both over the egg. “We will be eternal.”
Thunder struck outside, and everything went dark.
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Dan Heng shot up with a scream, the grip of the manacles on his arms bruising him from the force of which he moved with. Fortunately for him, for once, he was so deep inside this prison, no one would have heard his screams. He took a hold of his head with a hand, sighing deeply.I
“Please don’t let that be what I suspect…” he prayed futilely, he knew that it wasn’t a nightmare, but a part of Dan Feng’s(His) past. The sound of food being brought to him by a puppet broke him out of his horrified state.
Even the bland taste of the food here was preferable to that. That feeling of being someone else, someone he was told was so despicable… and the odd feeling in his chest after, when what he saw didn't match what he was told. He shook his head, reaching for one of the books The General sent him instead. He knew why The General did this for him, but it still left an odd warmth in his chest. He didn't dwell on it, focusing on his newest reading material.
Several hours later, he was pulled out of his reading by a very familiar cough. Turning to the source, he saw The General there, giving him a look of satisfaction. “I have some good news for you, old friend.I have successfully gotten you released from the Shackling prison, as of tomorrow morning, changing your punishment to banishment from henceforth. I’m simply here to tell you and give you this.” A bag was placed into his cage, The General turning to leave, though not without a few last words. “I will have a more… thorough conversation with you tomorrow, Dan Feng.” With that, the man left, leaving him with a feeling of dread and anticipation? In his stomach. He was gonna be… free? He'd be leaving this place? Why? Why would The Ge- Jing Yuan go so far on his behalf?
He shook his head to disperse the thought, instead using his limited movement to pack his little amount of belongings. His favorite book he had refused to return, the few changes of clothes he had, his hygiene products and a small mirror was all he had. He closed the bag, putting it aside as his chains were tightened for the night, for the last time.
He just hoped that this wouldn’t bite him in the tail, it all seemed too good to be true…