The Lotus Of East Palace
Chapter 15 (Kaze)

It seems like a week has passed, Dong-gung has been quiet ever since Yeon-Hwa went to the Sun Palace and Elias never came home. Though usually the morning we always started by their dispute which is always interesting to watch. I feel like I lost them. At least our breakfast this morning was delicious. Louis is cooking for us.

"You want more, Miss Kaze?" he asked when he saw me finish my breakfast.

"May I add the fried chicken?"

"Of course." Louis said with a friendly smile. "Eat a lot. They seem to be coming down at noon. Basic newlyweds." He said while glancing towards the third floor. "I'll cook again for them later. You guys just spend what's on this table."

I really like Louis. Ever since he came, I've never been hungry. He even learned how to make Lotus cakes and often made them for us. His attitude was also very polite to us. She's flawless.

"Aren't you too small to think of a man?" Shuu asked as we were walking around Dong-gung. This is one of our routines. Seeking information. Shuu could read the minds of the people around us, so we often traveled to crowded places.

"I was a thousand years old" I replied.

"Now you're only thirteen."

"Oh, come! I'm just praising Louis. Not that I want to marry her or anything."

"Is Eri still following?" Shuu shifted the subject.

Ever since my meeting with Eri on festival day, Eri had often secretly followed me and Shuu as we gathered information. Eri and the other Torakka can't keep track of us, but Eri knows me and Shuu live in Dong-gung. He's spying on us. I know he did not do so by the Emperor's order but purely out of curiosity.

"Shuu, you know better about that. You can catch Eri's mind if he's still following." I said.

"really. I just want to shift the subject so we don't fuss about Louis and your interest in him."

"You're jealous!"

"Ha! Just be right. I'm not—“ Suddenly the steps stop. His pupils widened as if he had just seen a monster before his eyes. But there was nothing in front of us. Shuu seems to catch the contents of a mind that is not good. I waited tensely.

Should I run? Myname*. What was?*

Damnit damnit! Yi-Zhuo follows Eri.

Whahuh? Since when?

I don't know. There were too many thoughts that I caught around us so I just realized that Yi-Zhuo was here. We should split up, then meet at Xiang. Don't go home to Dong-gung until the situation is safe. And don't run if they don't chase. Yi-Zhuo can shoot you if you run.

All right, I get it.

So Shuu and I split up. I will take a detour by going outside Jungdo city to Yangdo city and then cross the river to Xiang. I'll pretend I don't know you're being followed. Then we will return to Dong-gung if the situation is safe.

...****************...

Dusk came when I reached Xiang. This whole day I was just walking around and playing around enjoying my fake freedom along Yangdo city while hoping that whoever followed me would get exhausted and give up. I know Eri's been following me all day. But I don't know for sure if Yi-Zhuo and Gyeoul are following me as well. As Eri said, the other Torakka may not be like him.

Xiang is a water village. A village is set up on the Yaozhi River, the largest and longest river in the Orient. The area is occupied by the Jung people. So it's only natural that Shuu invites us to meet here. This was the territory of the Huang Clan. Shuu is safe here, and that means I will be protected here as well. Hopefully.

Shuu may have reached Xiang since then because my journey through Yangdo was longer.

Shuu? Have you arrived yet?

It's freaky. I've been trying to call him telepathically since, but he hasn't answered me. Xiang was quite spacious, so maybe we were too far apart so we had trouble telepathically. I finally decided to go to a place where I might be able to find Shuu. The Huang Clan Palace.

I went there a few years ago. Shuu introduced me to his extended family. The Huang Clan was a worshiper of Dragons, just like the Eri family. When I came to the Huang Clan Palace, everyone immediately kowtowed when they saw me. So I guess the Huang Clan won't hurt me or arrest me if I go there.

To head to the Huang Clan Palace, I had to board one of the boats. In Xiang, everyone uses boats as transportation because the roads are very narrow and there are more rivers. Even the market in Xiang is a floating market where sellers sell on boats instead of at kiosks. Actually, this place is quite unique and beautiful—more at night because there are many lanterns whose light bounces off in the river water. Unfortunately, the cleanliness is less guarded so I can smell the garbage from the river. Even if I were a Water Dragon, I wouldn't want to swim in the Yaozhi river.

The day started at night when I was finally able to see the Huang Clan Palace from a distance of several meters. The palace stood on solid ground, instead of being erected on the river like the other houses. The closer to the Huang Clan Palace, the more clear and floral the river water became. No more trash, no crappy boats. The blossoming cherry blossom trees grow along the banks of the river. Some of its fallen petals floating in the river water make this river look pink. This part of the Yaozhi river is often shown to tourists. That is why tourists love the Yaozhi river mainly because of its beautiful night view.

Just before I could see the entrance gate of the Huang Clan Palace, I saw something else. A boat with the symbol of a dragon. It was an imperial boat. And Yi-Zhuo stood there, holding his arrow bow, aiming at me while grinning widely.

"Farmers! Aim it!" His order.

Now I can see it. As soon as Yi-Zhuo shouted his orders, the Yi-Zhuo army archers who had been hiding behind the sakura trees by the river now appeared and gathered to form barricades, aiming their arrows at me.

"Hello, Kaze." Sapa Yi-Zhuo cheerfully. The usually gentle and calm Jungian tribal logic is not suitable for his loud tone of voice. "Where are you going, little Wind Dragon?"

I looked behind me, where the rower was originally still sitting and paddling. Now he no longer exists. The sound of something falling into the river water made me realize that Yi-Zhuo had already fired his arrows at the rower. The rower was dead and drowned. Yi-Zhuo killed him quickly.

Unlike the other Torakkas, Yi-Zhuo is the daughter of a warlord. His older brother was also a warlord. He and his older brother were trained from childhood to fight and kill. He knew how to lead his troops and he was the best archer in the empire. He's not just a Dragon Tracker, he's a warrior and a killer.

I have no other choice. So I brought a big wind that made it difficult for archers to aim at me and make this boat slide far behind—stay away from Yi-Zhuo and the archery troops. I used my wind to move this boat instead of using a paddle. Quickly, I reached the pier near the bustling center of Xiang foreign tourists.

I immediately got off the boat and immediately ran into the crowd. Yi-Zhuo will not give up. He'll definitely come after me. I need to find a hiding place.

Shuu! Where are you? I met Yi-Zhuo.

There's no answer.

I have to face Yi-Zhuo alone. But I can't use my powers here. There are too many people. It's wrong that I can kill them all. I don't want to be a monster. I'm not a killer. I am a sacred entity that protects them all. Many of the Jungian people made offerings at temples set up specifically for the Dragons. I cannot betray their trust.

I continued to run through the crowds of the Jung people who were the natives of Xiang, and foreign tourists who came from far away to enjoy the night view in this Water Village. If I wasn't being pursued by death, I would be very happy to spend time in Xiang. The sight of Xiang at night is one of the things worth seeing before death.

I finally found a dead end. I can't go anywhere. And there's nowhere to hide.

"Where are you going to run the little dragon?" That sound made my feather stand up.

I turned around and found that Yi-Zhuo and his army were already surrounding me. I should have known he wasn't just after me. There is a reason why he became the leader of Torakka even though he was the youngest among the Torakka. He is a brilliant strategist. The siege on the river was part of his plan. He tricked me into taking the road and trapped me in this dead end. Even if I stay on the boat, stay on the river path, I can be more free to go anywhere.

I was too panicked to think straight.

I tried to get rid of my fear. Before this, my relationship with Yi-Zhuo did not get along very well, but the Torakkas were hired to look after us and be nice to us. We are friends who hold each other's hatred in our hearts.

I noticed something was different about him. She remains a beautiful Jungian tribal girl with long black hair that she lets loose behind her shoulders. The bow and arrow in his hand. The white hanfu she was wearing was cut short to the top of her knees—Yi-Zhuo hated long skirts because it made it difficult for her to run. It was all the same, except for her red eyes which were now covered next to her by an eye patch that made her look like the Pirate Queen.

"That blindfold diminishes your beauty, Yi-Zhuo." I commented, trying to shake off the tension.

Yi-Zhuo grinned like a mad woman. "I'm glad you talked about it. I just got it this afternoon while fighting a traitor. He gouged out one of my eyes with his katana."

Yi-Zhuo beckoned to his troops. They then brought in someone who seemed to have fainted. The up and down movement of his chest proved he was still breathing, not dead. His face was battered, his clothes were full of bloodstains. Yi-Zhuo grabbed the woman's hair and showed her face to me.

"Eri!" I screamed in surprise. I can't blow my wind. My wind indulges in my anger, not my common sense. Cloud clouds gathered around me. The lightning was snatching in space. I called the storm. I am that storm.

"If I were you, I wouldn't do what you thought you'd do, sweet." Yi-zhuo. His tone was too calm for the size of the person who was dealing with the rampage of the Wind Dragon. Yi-Zhuo then took out a clear glass bottle from her clothing pocket and showed it to me. "Include me, this is Morta. This beautiful poison was obtained from Schiereiland. You want to know how it works?"

Yi-Zhuo then smeared the liquid on one of his arrows. And with a very fast movement, which no one was wary of, he thrust the arrow at one of the members of his army. Not in his heart, but in his hands. But the person immediately fell down and stopped breathing. She'sdead. Yi-Zhuo laughing.

"Disgraceful, right? I don't even need to hit his heart to kill him." He said while still pulling Eri's hair. He brought the poisoned arrow closer to Eri's bloodied cheek. "Your bad breath, sweet. We'll settle this peacefully. Or our beautiful Eri will never again open her beautiful eyes."

"You're crazy! Eri is your partner! You're friends!"

Yi-Zhuo swung his hand rapidly, smoothing out the poisoned arrow at Eri, this time he aimed at his heart.

"Stop!" I'm yelling. I stopped the wind. Expel cloud cloud overcast. Muffling badaiku. I sat down in front of him. "Don't kill him, please... I'm going with you, so don't kill him." I looked up at him, "I'll do anything for you as long as you don't kill him."

"Smart kid." She smiles.

...****************...

We boarded a horse-drawn carriage to the Sun Palace in Shina. Yi-Zhuo is about to hand me over to the Emperor. And I have to obey if I don't want Eri dead.

Shuu, if you hear me, please save me. We have left Xiang and are now on our way to Shina. Come here, Shuu.

"So where's your twin brother?" Yi-Zhuo asked as we were already halfway away from Xiang. It was late and I was tired. But Yi-Zhuo kept interrogating me, asking for Shuu's whereabouts, asking me where I had been hiding all along and how I could hide my tracks from the Torakkas.

"I don't know." That's how I answered all the questions. Whatever happens, I will never tell Yi-Zhuo about Dong-gung and the people inside.

Yi-Zhuo gripped my face with his hands. His long fingernails scratched my cheeks until they bled. I moaned, but he didn't stop it. Torakka should not be allowed to hurt the Dragons. But Yi-Zhuo did not care about the rules. "If you keep saying no, I can kill Eri right now, sweet."

"You can't hurt me. I belong to the Emperor! I am the most precious treasure of this empire!"

Yi-Zhuo laughed horribly. "You little pet bird of the Emperor who is noisy and annoying. No need to boast like that, sweetie. You and Shuu are just—“

Yi-Zhuo's words came to a halt as suddenly the carriage shook violently. Looks like we passed through rocky ground. Maybe we started to go through the wild woods. But this train stopped when I was sure I almost threw up because of the shock.

"What's up?" Yi-Zhuo shouted while peeking out of the window.

"Torakka, we can't continue on the way." One of his troops.

"Why indeed?"

"There are wild rose trees blocking the way, Torakka."

Yi-Zhuo looked angry. His face was red. He was about to explode, but he held it. "Wild roses?" His cold soft voice was like a knife, it could make anyone shudder in horror.

"Truly, Torakka. The wild rose was—“ Before he explained more, his life had already drifted. Yi-Zhuo pierced his neck with an arrow covered in Morta's poison. Yi-Zhuo then got off the horse carriage while dragging me out. His hand gripped me so tightly that his nails pierced.

When we were outside, I looked around for the carriage that was carrying Eri. It's not far from where I'm currently standing. I should be able to take her away and escape from Yi-Zhuo. But his grip on me is too strong.

"It could be that all of you stopped just because of the wild roses!" He yelled. His voice was deafening. But at that moment, I could see why they stopped the train.

Not the usual wild rose. It was a forest made up of thorny rose tendrils that surrounded us. The rose thorns were the size of a dagger blade. And the forest formed a barricade around our horse-drawn carriage. There was no other way but to retreat back to Xiang.

I can smell a very fragrant rose. The wild roses were gigantic and blood-red in color. I'm not sure if a plant like this was in the Orient before.

From a distance, I saw someone wearing a robe and hood that covered his head so I could not see it clearly. He walked quietly and unhurriedly from the middle of the wild rose forest heading towards us. Beside me, Yi-Zhuo seemed to be squinting trying to see who that person was.

"Hint!" Yi-zhuo Order. As soon as everyone raised their arrows and aimed at that person.

But just then, before Yi-Zhuo shouted the next command to shoot an arrow, the earth shook. The shock was big enough that Yi-Zhuo was forced to let go of her grip on my hand. I'm liberated.

I tried to take advantage of this opportunity to run, but even to stand up I had difficulty. The ground I was on kept shaking. Everyone fell to their knees on the ground. But that person, who was wearing a robe, looked unperturbed at all. The ground he was on did not shake. He continued to walk towards us without being disturbed. Even from a distance, I could see that along with his footsteps, the forest of thorny wild roses followed behind him. It was as if every trace of her foot had grown roses.

"Who are you?" Yi-Zhuo yells at him.

Now that he was close enough to us, I could see that he was smiling. He looked up at us all. She's a girl. His eyes are red.

The ground still did not stop shaking as rose thorn tendrils began to appear around us and twisted the hands and feet of everyone—all except me. They all cried out in pain as the thorns of roses as big as knives pierced them. Some tried to escape, but the rose thorn vine quickly caught his leg and ensnared him like a living animal. No matter how strong they tried to resist and tried to break away, the rose thorns snared them even tighter.

"Earithear?" Yi-Zhuo asked. He looked silent calmly— did not move a single finger to resist. Yi-Zhuo and the rest of Torakka were given lessons about the Dragons. He knew which Dragon could bring up a forest of thorny roses like this. He knew that the more he moved, the more the rose thorns would become entangled.

To answer the question, the woman raised her hand. Fire emerged from his palm. He was playing with the fire as if it was just a toy. "Not." He said with a smile. Then he pulled his hood, exposing his whole face to us.

That's Diana. But not Diana either. Both of his eyes were as red as the flames on his palm.

Thank goodness I'm not too late. You all right? Said.

B-baginda Queen... My tears did not flow. It wasn't Diana. It wasn't Diana from the beginning.

My queen smiled. Even if he takes on the form of someone else, he is still my Queen. Come, Kaze. Let's go home. Said.

I immediately ran towards him. Now the earthquake he created had stopped, but the thorn tendrils were still trapping Yi-Zhuo's troops.

My queen immediately greeted me and hugged me.

Sorry to keep you waiting. Said.

It's okay, Queen.

You called me that again.

So what do I have to call you now? Your Highness Princess Anastasia? Anna's? or Diana?

She smiles. Sorry I didn't tell you from the beginning. We'll talk about that later. Just so you know, I was late not because I did not hear you, but because there was a little problem earlier.

Household issues?

Wasn't it! She laughs. He's with Shuu. They were facing similar problems in Xiang.

I know who he means. Our king, of course. I did get suspicious of the strange couple of Dong-gung owners that—on their behavior. But I didn't ask Shuu because I thought he would tell me that I should know. It turns out my guess is right. Our King and Queen were disguised as Riz and Diana all along.

My queen then observed the wounds on my cheeks and my hands. The injuries caused by Yi-Zhuo's sharp nails. His eyes looked fiery when he saw it. And maybe he was not aware, but flames started to spread around Yi-Zhuo and his troops, forming a circle of fire barricades that they would have a hard time passing through without burning.

Before I asked him how he could bring fire, he already raised his right hand and showed me his ring finger. "She said it's a temporary wedding ring." He said while showing me a ring with ruby gems. But I'm well aware of what's in there. The heart of the Great Fire Dragon was still beating. That is why my Queen can bring out fire from empty air.

"Too fancy." My comment.

"agree. The risk of marrying a King. I never asked for a wedding ring." My queen then turned to Yi-Zhuo and his troops who began to be paralyzed by the thorns. The spines belonged to Earithear—the abilities belonging to the Earth Dragon. My queen wears an emerald jewel necklace where Earithear's heart is in—a heart that has stopped beating, but still holds the power of the Earth Dragon. That's why Torakka hasn't been able to track us. We are hidden because of the power of the Earth Dragon.

Will he be released? My toot.

My queen shook her head. He's now paralyzed, that's enough prison for him. He will slowly return to normal, although it will take a lot of time. But I'm not gonna kill him. I hope you understand that we should not be vengeful. Revenge will destroy you.

I nodded in understanding. Even in her past life as Grand Queen Zhenra she had never killed her enemy out of spite. My queen then turned back to Yi-Zhuo. "Send my regards to the Emperor. Tell me that the King and Queen of the Dragons are back. So don't ever tease the Dragons again!"

We return to Dong-gung and bring Eri who is still unconscious.

...****************...