The Gold Dragon and the Black Tiger chapter 6
Here's to another shitty chapter by yours truly.
Enjoy and Review (if you wish)
Dark Magic and Healing
Tomorrow is when they return Blake sighed as internally as she looked around at what has been her home for many years. Better gather some items before going.
Grabbing a sheet of cloth and laying it down, the black tigress collected what little she needed to the centre of the room on the fabric. Blake knew that if she stayed here when Zu Lin came back with his men, she would either be captured and tortured or killed. Not wanting to stay around for what that time came the tiger grabbed her favourite scroll, the one about Yang. She looked over it fondly remembering the day she read it to the golden dragon, she remembered those beautiful lilac eyes how emotion swirled in them like a storm. Her hand went over the carved handles, the dragon head and tail a poor imitation of the real one.
Enough reminiscing. Time to leave. Blake put the scroll along with her other belongings and folded the cloth into a makeshift sack. Changing into her tiger form Blake picked up the sack between her teeth and opened the door with her paw. Better tell the village elders that I will be leaving and tell them that they too should leave, who knows what that man could do…. I felt something dark and powerful emanating from him.
Blake trotted down the steps of her home and down the beaten dirt path that lead to Ānji. Looking back to her temple for one last time the tiger let a single tear slip down her furry cheek. For centuries, she was the guardian of her village, the people of the town respected her, save a few, they gave her scrolls to read and not only did she protect them, they protected her too. So, to leave her home and the life she had was emotional, but danger hung over her like a dangerous thunderhead. With a grunt, she hurried to the village.
When Blake arrived at the chambers of the council she found Ling Geng kneeling at the table with a pot of tea. It seemed she was waiting for the other elders to discuss the many topics and stresses of the village. However, Blake needed to be far away before night falls. Clearing her throat, the black tigress got the attention of the old woman who looked up and smiled but that quickly fell away when she saw Blake's sad yet serious expression.
"I'm leaving" Blake stated. The older woman gasped. "I will no longer be the village guardian."
Before Blake could say her farewell Ling almost threw herself at the tigress's feet.
"Lady Blake I implore you to stay" Ling Geng begged. "Whatever we have done to make you decide on leaving we will make it right"
"You and the people of this village have done nothing wrong, despite the daily wooing of the village men. I sense darkness on the horizon, danger will be coming. I want you and the rest of the villagers to seek refuge in another town. That man that came looking for the dragon I felt powerful magic coming from him, dark magic. You will be in danger if you stay" Blake explained to the old woman. The council member's eyes widened to be warned from a magical creature was not to be ignored.
"The other council members and I will come up with a plan, we'll ensure word spreads but I am not sure how many wish to leave their home" Ling Geng stated worriedly.
"Then do not force them to leave, persuade them if you can but if their mind is set then leave them, for they will blame themselves once the danger comes" Blake's ears flicked. "I must leave now, be safe Ling, I hope to see you again one day"
The black tiger changed into her human form and hugged the old lady, who returned the embrace. Blake then gave the old woman a kiss on the forehead, for Ling was the only one Blake could trust fully "May the moon and stars guide you and may the gods protect you,"
With that she changed back into her true form, picked up her small travelling sack and turned to leave only to see the other council members standing there with wide eyes obviously having heard the discussion. With a sigh, Blake put down her belongings and addressed them.
"I am sure you all have heard mostly everything" Blake blinked. "While I'm sadden to go, I must leave. I have already warned Ling of the danger that's coming and I need you to heed my warning as well and gather as many villagers as you can and leave this place. I do not want to be responsible for bringing danger to you"
The other council members looked at each other unsure of what to say or do.
"If it is your desire to leave us, then we shall not hinder you. We thank you for everything you have done and will take heed to your warning, safe travels to you oh great guardian" one bowed to her. the other members followed suit.
"May you all stay safe; may the moon and stars guide you and may the gods protect you" Blake repeated the same blessing up on them like she did with Ling.
Picking her bag back up, the council members parted and the black tigress left the chambers and the people who she once protected.
On the Outskirts of Ānji
Zu Lin sat in his tent, hunched over an old fading scroll mumbling to himself. His expression was one of obsession, of insanity. For the scroll in his hands was handed down to him from many generations of dragon slayers. He was told as a young boy that it held the secret to gain immortality by mixing dragon blood with another mystical creature's blood but no one could find two mystical creatures as most disappeared over the many centuries and the black tiger was indeed a mystical creature. Able to change forms and conjure shadow beasts. Once I capture that filthy beast I will then capture that blasted dragon and kill them both and then will I gain immortality and all of china will know my name.
A scout stumbled inside, Zu Lin snapped at the poor man "How dare you interrupt me while I'm researching!"
"S-sir the black beast has left their temple, it was c-carrying a sack in its mouth" the man stuttered.
"Where is it heading?" Zu Lin growled.
"I-I don't know sir…" the scout muttered.
"Then stop blathering and track it you fool!" the exiled elder shouted.
The scout nodded hastily and ran out the tent. Zu Lin sighed angrily I will not let this chance slip by me. If that tiger thinks it can run away ha than it is nothing more than a stupid animal that takes us superior humans for fools.
Outside the old man's tent many of the men were sitting around multiple campfires eating rice and meat from the game they caught in the bamboo forest. They chatted away but the topic that was being ushered was the power Zu Lin possessed. Most of them had seen it with their own eyes.
"Who would have thought that he had such power?" one man whispered to his friends.
"I heard someone say that he practices dark magic using animal bones and his very own blood" another said.
"He's absolutely mad" one man muttered. "If I had known he was this insane I wouldn't have joined. Why did any of us join, the dragon hasn't been a problem at all to be honest"
"Shhh Zu Lin will have your head if he heard you say that" the man next to him slapped his arm "We joined for the glory and the money remember"
"Yeah but he doesn't seem to be carrying any money with him, look I'm going to head back to Hángzhōu just before dawn, I have a bad feeling that Zu Lin is going to betray us soon" the man mumbled. Others started to contemplate their decision and most agreed that they too will leave before dawn.
However, Zu Lin, even though his tent, he overheard everything. Seems I need to turn these betrayers.
Grabbing another scroll on his right he unfurled it and began to read the old text. A chant of an old tongue that no one knows tumbled from his lips, the mantra starting to rise in volume but not loud enough for any of the men to hear. Taking his iron dagger, he sliced his hand open his blood black as the night sky dripped onto the ground then slowly snakes with black scales, red glowing eyes and white bone like plates and red markings on its head sprouted, some hissed while some flicked their tongues awaiting orders from its master.
"Bite the men when they are all asleep, but for now keep an eye on those that leave the camp" He whispered to the snakes, with swivels of their heads they left the tent going unnoticed by the men around the camp fires.
The Village of Hángzhōu
"So, let me understand this" Yang sighed for what she felt was the hundredth time "When the guards surrounded Zu Lin he was engulfed in Black Fire and then disappeared and after that some of the men left the village because they hold the same views as he does."
"Yes, my lady" Han Mau confirmed.
"This is deeply troubling… Has his house been searched?" Yang asked with a cocked eyebrow. The council members nodded. "what did you find?"
"Just this piece of fabric, it has an emblem on it but none of us have ever seen it before" Han Mau handed Yang the cloth. The gold dragon's eyes widened as she noticed the emblem the white skull of a wolf with glowing red eyes and red markings that seem to form the shape of an eye. Her hands trembled as many emotions waved over but the most prominent one was fear. This emblem was the same emblem when she first saw the hunters many centuries ago.
"This is the emblem of the hunters that slaughtered many of my kin" Yang whimpered. Tears welled up in her eyes "My mother and father were killed by men that had this emblem etched on their helmets."
"My lady" Tai Rin rasped "If it is too saddening for you to talk about, please you need speak no more"
"Thank you, elder Tai Rin," Yang sniffled. "but enough, we should ensure the safety of the Village. However, I don't know how we should proceed."
"We'll come up with some ideas" Han Mau assured the gold dragon. "but enough about that, you mentioned a spring that you believe was magical?"
"Ah yes I did. You see I drank from this spring and when I looked at my reflection I saw the black tiger, I mentioned to all of you earlier at the farmer's house, who rescued me. Then I had a dream about the tiger while I slept"
"What was this dream about?" Mei Wan queried a sparkle of curiosity twinkling in her eyes.
Yang blushed and stuttered "I-It wasn't anything of importance or interest. J-just her reading to me"
Mei Wan smirked and gave the gold dragon a knowing wink. Yang coughed and changed the subject "Anyway I would like to give the spring a name and if it is all right with the council I would like tea to be made from its waters."
"Of course, your greatness" Han Mau smiled. "You have given us so much for so little, it will be our pleasure"
Yang beamed happily "thank you, also if you don't mind I would like to reside here in the council chambers for the time being, for I wish to help the village more and it won't be an inconvenience to whoever is making my tea with the spring water because they won't have to climb a mountain every day."
The council members chuckled at Yang's jest. The council and the gold dragon discussed many things from the improved conditions of the poor district to chickens laying more eggs than usual, no doubt to the luck of Yang's scale she gave to the farmer who let her sleep in his barn. Once all topics of discussion were complete the sun was beginning to set below the horizon, the council members took their leave one by one they left, the only council member remaining was Mei Wan.
"Are you not going to go home Mei Wan?" Yang asked the old woman.
"Oh no" the she chuckled "Your greatness is not going to get away with skipping out the details of this dream you had of the black tigress"
The dragon blushed and groaned "Can you just let it slide this time"
"No, no, no" Mei waggled a finger back and forth, that knowing smirk returning to her lips. "I want to know everything about this Tigress you are fawning over"
"I am not fawning over her!" Yang denied "I was barely conscious when she looked after me"
"But she seemed to know a fair bit about you, right" the council woman nudged Yang.
"Mei Wan!" Yang shouted in embarrassment before composing herself, with a sigh she looked at her "You aren't going to leave until I tell you aren't you"
The woman beamed at the guardian. With a shake of her head Yang began regaling the time she spent with the black tiger. Mei Wan listened intently as the golden guardian described the other magical being and chuckled here and there when Yang started to ramble.
"What about that dream of yours" Mei Wan asked.
Once again Yang blushed at the mere thought and looked away as she scratched her head.
"She was naked in her human form, wasn't she?" Mei wan questioned bluntly.
Yang's face went red and hid her face behind her hands "Yes…"
The old woman laughed "Oh my lady you shouldn't be embarrassed about that."
"Shouldn't I?" Yang argued. "It's not, right is it? To be with another species that's also the same gender"
"For humans, it's not allowed but for beings such as you and this Blake" the woman shrugged "You don't have any rules that binds you to restrict you from achieving true happiness"
"To me it sounds like you aren't truly happy" Yang looked at Mei Wan who now wore an unhappy.
"I am old and tired" Mei Wan lamented "But nothing is more tiring than keeping up a constant mask of false happiness. I was once in love with a mystic creature that could change from human to creature. Tell me my lady do you believe in Phoenixes?"
"I'm a dragon of course I believe in phoenixes, but they probably left just like most of us" Yang pointed out.
"I know well I was in love with a female phoenix, she was beautiful in both forms. I was only around eighteen when she told me that she had to leave to be somewhere safe. This was when I was living in the city" Mei Wan told. "we shared one night together before she left though in a secluded clearing in a small forest and it was both the happiest time and saddest time of my life. When my parents arranged a marriage for me I ran away. The rest is history."
"I…. I never knew that about you Mei Wan…. I'm sorry" Yang placed her hand on the woman's shoulder.
"It's ok my lady" she placed her wrinkly hand atop Yang's "Just promise me to follow your heart and find true happiness. Now I had better go, we have a lot to do come morn"
"Of course, let me have a guard escort you" Yang smiled "Guardsman"
A guard slid the door open "Yes my lady"
"Please escort Mei Wan home" Yang ordered. "Good night Mei Wan"
"Sleep well my lady" Mei Wan stood up and left the chamber.
With Mei Wan gone, Yang stretched and placed the cushions that the council members used to sit on at the back of the room and moved the table to the side so she had room to sleep. Blowing out the lantern the horned girl changed back to her original form and curled up on the floor. Her eye lids began to droop heavily and before she knew it she was asleep.
Knock knock knock
Yang slowly blinked her eyes open and let out a growl "Who would dare wake a dragon"
Standing up Yang shook herself, her scales clinking together like loose coins in a silk purse. Going to the door Yang slid it open with her talon and what stood before her took her by complete surprise.
"B-Blake?"
"H-hello Yang" Blake was in her human form her left hand clutching her right shoulder.
"Blake, are you all right?" Yang grew concerned and she sniffed the air "I smell blood"
"J-Just a graze" Blake panted as her knees trembled.
Yang quickly went to Blake's side, nudging the black tiger's good arm to loop around her neck as she guided her inside, she could feel Blake shaking against her scaly neck. With a simple breath in the lantern's direction the candle within re-lit. now with a bit of light Yang could truly see that Blake was not ok. The tigress was pale and a light film of sweat coated her skin.
"Lie down on your good side and change back to your original form" Yang whispered as she lowered Blake down. Once she was on her good side the black-haired beauty changed back to her tiger from and there on her right shoulder was a large cut. Crimson blood poured from the wound slowly while some has dried into the black fur. It made Yang angry that some on had hurt Blake but restraining herself the dragon guardian curled around the black tiger and started to lick Blake's wound.
Blake's head snapped up almost headbutting the dragon "Yang what are you-"
"Shh," Yang cooed softly and gently nuzzled the tiger's forehead with her snout silently urging her to lie back down. "Rest now"
Blake did as she was told but she remained stiff as Yang's forked tongue went over the cut she got from an arrow. However, she started to notice how the wound began to hurt less and less, lifting her head again she looked down at the wound and saw that it was closing up. Wide eyed Blake just continued to stare, every stroke of Yang's red forked tongue coated the cut in a somewhat thick layer of saliva and it became absorbed into Blake's skin.
"Healing?" Blake mumbled.
Yang stopped licking the wound nothing more than a mere scratch. "Yep not the most pleasing way of healing others but it's something. Now lie down and sleep, we can talk in the morning"
Yang nuzzled Blake's forehead again before huffing in the lantern's direction making the candle flicker out for the second time. Blake nestled further into Yang's side and started to purr making the gold dragon grin internally.
"Thank you, Yang" Blake yawned "I promise to explain everything tomorrow"
"My pleasure Blake" Yang rested her head in the crook of the tigress's neck. "sleep well."
The guardian of Hángzhōu closed her eyes, the gentle rumble of Blake's purr a lullaby to her ears and in no time at all Yang found herself in the land of dreams.
Author's Note
There you go you bunch of seagulls. My lord.
Now there are two important matters to discuss.
1) Deleting my fanfic Steadfast Tin Huntress
2) Uploading my Elder Scrolls Online/ESO fanfiction between my character and High Queen Aryenn (Leader of the aldmeri dominion faction)
Just need opinions about the two matters above. My steadfast tin huntress fic isn't getting enough support for me to continue it despite it being a bumblebee pairing and it seems most people are interested in my AU fics like this one and my ancient Egypt AU bumblebee fic Bees on the Nile.
As for my ESO fanfic, I don't know how many of you play elder scrolls online so…. yeah….I dont know who many of you would like to read it...
Anyway this is xXIyra16Xx signing out.
