They were deep within the Temple of the Blood Moon, a red fortress hidden in the cliffs of Ionia. Braziers burned only at every intersection or so, their dim light lighting only rare patches of the dark temple. Wood was scarce in the mountains, so the Blood Moon Temple was kept mostly shrouded in shadow. There was little for members of the Blood Moon Sect to accomplish. The majority of the soldiers occupied themselves in prayer to any one of three Demon Gods that the Blood Moon Sect worshiped.
The God of Death. The God of Lies. And the God of Vengeance.
A Shinigami, a Monstrous Spider, and a Fallen Warrior. These were the three Demon Gods of the Blood Moon Sect. The warriors of the Blood Moon Sect bowed to their evil deity of choice, murmuring dark and forbidden curses onto themselves for greater powers and mightier skills.
Deeper within the Temple of the Blood Moon, was a secret inner chamber, reserved only for the Blood Moon Elder himself. Lying in the center of the dimly lit room was the Writ of Heaven, white as snow, on a low darkwood table. Second, also on the table, on the walls, on every flat surface reachable with a knife, was thousands upon thousands of carved writings, the Demonic cuneiform that the Blood Moon Elder glimpsed so many years ago. Written on those walls was everything he knew of the Vortex of Devouring Shadows.
The third object of interest was chained to a wall. Shuezi, suffering her punishment for failing her master. The Blood Moon Elder paced back and forth, seething.
"I should kill you." The Blood Moon Elder murmured, his red eyes burning with a rage beyond control. "If he weren't already dead, I would kill your brother a thousand times over for failing me. I would peel the skin from his body and boil him alive."
Shuezi sobbed, tears of sorrow mixing with her tears of pain. She stopped crying when the Blood Moon Elder touched Shuezi again, this time on the throat, his dark chi burning away at her lungs, and she silently screamed once more.
He pushed up against Shuezi's throat, her twitching and flailing intensifying, and then released her, letting her hang against her restraints, coughing and sobbing.
"May there be a hell... an unending Tartarus..." The Blood Moon Elder gnashed his teeth. "Set by the Three Dark Gods just for him."
Shuezi murmured quietly under her breath, her eyes blank with the memory of pain. At this the Blood Moon Elder swooped down on the hapless woman.
"What was that, little Tse?" He raised another chi-infused hand. Shuezi shook her head at the sight, her entire body quivering. "I didn't quite catch that."
He gently laid his back of his hand against Shuezi's chin, while she shivered from the touch.
"Care to repeat that?"
Then Blood Moon Elder turned his hand and dug his claw-like fingers into Shuezi's face, dragging nails across her cheek, burning at the bone, and she let loose another silent scream into the night.
It was morning back when Shuezi had been dragged into the Blood Moon Elder's inner chambers.
It was nightfall now, before the unassuming statue of an unknown god shifted to the side, and Shuezi stumbled out. Hours had passed before Blood Moon Elder was finished with her. Further hours passed before Shuezi dared crawl out of the hidden chamber in the Temple of the Blood Moon. She took only a step, before slouching against the white walls, and hung her head.
She pitched forwards, and vomited clear spit. She coughed and retched, distorting the three long, black scars running along the side of her face. It was the price for her failure.
Panting heavily, Shuezi pulled herself up, wiping her mouth. She looked upwards, her teeth curling into a snarl.
"Brother..." She said in a whisper so soft, so quiet that only Heaven would hear it, "...I... I'll get your revenge... " She slumped upwards against the Temple's high white walls, stumbling, half dragging herself back to her quarters.
Her coffin awaited her.
As did her secret disciple.
Her inner chambers were the picture of ultimate luxury. Painted tapestries adorned every inch of the high stone walls around them. A massive bed lurked in the corner, its size so massive it could have slept a dozen people within its folds without any of them touching. And in the center of the bedchamber, Dragon Maiden laid back lazily on one of dozens of silken throw pillows, each pillow woven of brilliant colors more vibrant than the next. Directly in front of her stood a table carved of red wood and gilded inscriptions, and a small cast-iron teapot clattered at the center, boiling over red-hot coals.
Akali sat nervously across from the Dragon Maiden, her own teacup left untouched.
"Phew..." The Dragon Maiden exhaled, loosing a short plume of steam from her lips. Her raised her teacup to her mouth once more, sipping at the centuries-aged tea.
"Alright," The Dragon Maiden finally said, after many minutes of quietly drinking her tea. "So what is it that you want, little mouse?"
"Um..." Akali glanced nervously at the fountain of holy water flowing in the Grand Chamber through the door at her back, and then at the Dragon Maiden's silver sword, sitting in its sheath on the table, just within arms reach of the woman. It was only take a second, and the woman could have her head off in the blink of an eye.
"It's fine, little mouse. I've already decided that I won't kill you." The Dragon Maiden picked up her silver sword and placed quietly under the table, her eyes closed. "There. Feel better?"
Akali nodded. The threat of imminent death did put a damper on things.
"I..." Akali proceeded as carefully as she could. She chewed her lip a bit. "I wanted to borrow some of this tomb's healing water."
"The Warrior Saint's holy water?" The Dragon Maiden tilted her head, frowning slightly. "You don't seek weapons? Nor martial scripts?"
"I don't need such things." Akali bowed at her knees, kneeling in respect. Her messed-up ponytail dangled past her head. "Please Aunty, just the water is fine."
"You do not look unhealthy."
"It's not for me. It's for my friend..." Akali bowed again, tapped her forehead against the cold stone floor. A month ago, she would never prostrate like this to anyone. But loss made a decrepit ruin of her pride. "Please, Aunty, I'm begging you. His condition is critical. He could die at anytime."
"...Hmph. So your 'friend' is a man?"
"Um... yes."
"Hmmmph." The Dragon Maiden grumbled, then raised her teacup to her lips again, another frown on her face. "I don't really want to help a man. But I'm a kind-hearted person."
The Dragon Maiden rose, sweeping her robe-clothed arm over the low tea table in between them. When her white robes cleared the view, there left on the red wood was a small crystal bottle. The holy water within the bottle's depths seemed to sparkle with life.
Slowly, carefully, Akali brought the crystal bottle into her grasp, her arms trembling. The bottle felt warm to her touch.
She saved Shen. Hooray.
The junior ninja quickly pocketed the holy water in robes.
"...Thank you for your generosity." Akali fell to her knees, and clasped her hands in front of her. The junior ninja gave a slight smile. But for some reason... Akali felt like it was strained.
Just what was bothering her?
"Hmph. Then we're done here."
The Dragon Maiden waved her hand at Akali, her white robes flapping noisily. She started listing out directions, with a look of extreme boredom on her face.
"There's an upwards exit to the left of the Grand Chamber... um... past the Warrior Saint's statue. Go down straight and take a right at the underground river. If you reach a crevasse, you've gone too far."
The Dragon Maiden laid back, cricking her neck, rolling her long sheets of black hair. But still Akali knelt there, her hands clasped. The junior ninja hung her head, her face shrouded in shadow, her smile vanished. The Dragon Maiden frowned at the sight.
"Well? Get going."
Akali didn't reply.
"Alright-" The Dragon Maiden finally said, sighing. "What is it, little mouse?"
"No."
"What?" The Dragon Maiden tilted her head, her eyes wide with incredulity.
"More." Akali stood, her eyes blazing. She clenched her hands. This was going to be a gamble. "It's not enough just to heal Shen. I want to become stronger. Teach me martial arts."
The Dragon Maiden, despite still lying back, seemed to tower over Akali by the force of her chi. The Maiden's sword had somehow appeared in her hands again. The beautiful woman was clutching the sheathed sword in her hands with a death grip.
"Little brat." The Dragon Maiden spat. "What makes you think you could grasp even one percent of the depths of my mastery? I have better things to do with my time."
Akali glanced from side to side at the empty tomb. The silence of the utterly barren crypt seemed to roar.
"Better things to do like what?" Akali asked. The teenage ninja glanced around at the inner chambers. She picked up a rather horrible ink painting left forgotten on the ground. "...painting?"
Akali would have guessed that the thing splattered on the vellum was something like a five-legged horse, if not for the characters written in equally bad handwriting on the side titling the artwork 'tiger'.
Akali held up the 'tiger', her eyebrows raised.
The Dragon Maiden quickly looked away, leaning forwards and snatching the painting away with her other hand.
"Never mind that."She crumpled up the scrawling, and tossed it lightly into the flames. "Eternal boredom is infinitely preferable to having to deal an idiot like you."
"I won't leave."
"You won't learn a thing."
"Try me."
"I refuse." The Dragon Maiden tossed her sword back under the tea table and laid back on her silk cushions, putting her hands comfortably behind her head. She closed her eyes, as if preparing to nap. "Go find someone else to bug, Idiot Two."
Akali rose, clenching her hands. She felt the power of darkness in her rise once more.
This motion wasn't lost on the Dragon Maiden. The beautiful woman curiously opened a single eye at the junior ninja in front of her. The lady dragon gave a smirk.
"Promise me one thing." Akali said, her eyes downcast.
The Dragon Maiden only tilted her head, her cool eyes watching Akali carefully.
Slowly, Akali withdrew the crystal bottle of holy water from her robes, and placed it on the tea table.
"If you kill me," Akali crouched low, her arms floating upwards into a hand-to hand combat stance. "you'll still give this holy water to Shen."
The Dragon Maiden rose to her feet, her hands floating at her sides. That smirk was full and apparent over her pale face.
Then, the lady dragon leaped, flying past Akali, her robes fluttering like wings. She floated through the air until she landed in the Grand Chamber, the statue of the Warrior Saint at her back. She turned on her heel, widened her stance and raised her hands, imitating the statue's pose, an arrogant smile on her lips.
Then she drew her hands downwards, holding her hands at the small of her back.
"I don't like hedged bets. Since you decided to make this a contest of skill, I'll tell you what." The Dragon Maiden crouched low, her ethereal white robes flowing around readied stance. "Force me to use any of my hands or feet and I'll give you the holy water. Furthermore, I'll take you as my student without regret."
The Dragon Maiden smiled, revealing brilliant white teeth. "When you give up, you get nothing. You'll spend as long as I like here, working as my servant. Boiling tea, cleaning the tomb, whatever I want."
Akali walked out of the inner chambers, her head pounding. She rolled her fingers in anticipation. She didn't stop until she was squarely in front of the Dragon Maiden.
"That even a question?"
To just force this woman to use her hands... She looked really strong. Akali didn't know if it was even possible.
Akali closed her eyes, drawing on that forbidden strength. The dark whispering in her heart grew louder and louder. She felt a little part of herself die as she drew upon the Vortex of Shadow's strength.
But she needed to do this.
Akali opened her eyes, and lunged forwards.
How?
Akali fell back, sweat rolling in waves down her face. The junior ninja panted, taking the chance to put her hands on her knees. She wiped her face, trying to clear the stinging sweat from her eyes.
"Given up yet?" The Dragon Maiden taunted, her hands still folded behind her back, her feet still planted squarely where they were. She hadn't budged an inch from where she stood, and Akali had been flailing at her for what felt like an hour. To top it all off, that annoying smirk was still on her face.
"Never!" Akali snarled. The junior ninja rose once more, and charged again.
She yelled, then led with another stiff punch, but the Dragon Maiden simply turned her shoulder, and cradled the blow. Another kick, another vicious elbow, but the master seemed to glide through the junior ninja's blows.
"Y-you!" Akali lashed out, her fingers arched like claws. She clawed at the Dragon Maiden's face, but the woman simply leaned back. "Stop!" Akali grunted, "Moving!"
Shadowy smoke gathered at Akali's right hand once more, and she lunged forwards, a dark, devastating blow gathered in her fist.
The Dragon Maiden showed only a moment of concern.
The lady dragon leaned forwards, and thrust her arm forwards. She threaded her arm through Akali's, and placed her upper arm squarely into Akali's. Akali's punch cut short, but the air flowed with her punch. The Dragon Maiden's hair and robes blew backwards from the force. A flash of anger crossed her face, and then the Dragon Maiden shoulder checked Akali, sending the junior ninja's own force spiraling back into her. The girl was sent flying back.
"Agghk!"
"Good strength." The Dragon Maiden admitted. "So you forced me to use my upper arm." She raised her lithe hands in reply, smiling. "But my hands are still untouched."
"You-!"
Akali, her chest heaving, looked around the ancient tomb. Her eyes gleaned something silver lying forgotten in the inner chambers. The Dragon Maiden's silver sword under the tea table, its shining handle poking out from between the tea table's legs.
Akali marched forwards, as the Dragon Maiden watched Akali curiously. The teenage ninja kicked over the tea table angrily, sending the contents on the table flying.
"You think you can get me to move by destroying all of my stuff?" The Dragon Maiden called, clearly bored with this response. "How childish. I'll just have you repair everything once you're my servant for life."
Akali didn't respond. Instead, she drew the Dragon Maiden's sword out of its sheath in a single motion. The three-foot long saber felt no heavier than a willow wand. But even Akali could tell, inexperienced as she was with swords, that nothing she could do to this sword would damage it. She wasn't as good with swords as Shen was... but she would have to try.
The Dragon Maiden narrowed her eyes at the theft of her weapon.
"Clever girl." She admitted, "But it doesn't matter how many swords you arm yourself with. You can't force me to move."
Akali then turned, sword between her hands, and charged again. The sword seemed to have a life of its own, as Akali waved it in as many loops as she could. Still, the Dragon Maiden twisted, turned, and sometimes gave a still upper arm or an elbow to block the junior ninja's blows. Even armed, nothing was going through.
Akali tried thrusting backwards with the handle, intending to ram the Dragon Maiden with her butt of the sword, but the Dragon Maiden simply gave Akali another hip-check, sending the teenage ninja flying once more. This time, Akali flew further, and hit the rock wall behind her.
"Gaha!"
Akali crumpled to the ground below her. She winced, and clutched at her side. She curled up into a ball, feeling to make sure that none of her ribs were broken. The pain of her body hurt, but there was something that hurt more in her heart.
"Don't worry." The Dragon Maiden checked under her nails for dirt. "I held back. None of your bones broke." She looked up, smiling. "Are you ready to serve your master? I like my tea dark."
Akali started to cry.
"Hey... come on." The Dragon Maiden sighed. She put her hands on her hips. "Don't do that."
"I'm weak." Akali muttered to herself. "Kona... dead, because I wasn't strong enough... Shen, with his heart torn out, because I wasn't smart enough."
Akali gave a tremendous sigh, tilting her tear-stained face upwards. She closed her eyes, staggering to her feet, the silver sword dangling at her side. "I'm so tired..."
The Dragon Maiden said nothing.
Across from her, Akali turned the silver sword upwards in her hands. She stepped forwards, levelling the point if the saber to face the woman in front of her. Akali saw the crazed look in her own eyes, reflected in the Dragon Maiden's gaze. She probably did look insane, Akali laughed to herself.
...Heh. But maybe that's just what she needed.
"What's this?" The Dragon Maiden questioned, frowning. "Some kind of suicide charge?"
"Yeah." Akali said, smiling through the tracks of tears on her face. "That's exactly what it is."
Akali took a single step, and started jogging forwards, looping the silver sword far behind her. The Dragon Maiden crouched lower, ready to dodge the obviously telegraphed attack. Akali advanced, closer and closer.
Then, while Akali was still a good ten feet away from the Dragon Maiden, the junior ninja planted a single foot in front of her, reversing her momentum. The Dragon Maiden raised her arms in confusion, while Akali leaned back, her silver sword still flying.
And then Akali turned, exposing her neck. She swept the silver sword forwards, to the side and then back at her, turning the razor-sharp edge back towards her throat.
She closed her eyes.
"Hey-!" The Dragon Maiden yelled in surprise.
There was a sharp clang, and then soft wobbling sound of metal stopping suddenly.
Akali opened her eyes, and found the Dragon Maiden right in front of her, her face furrowed in concern, the silver sword clutched firmly between the lady dragon's fingers. It only took the martial arts master a single step to clear the full distance between the two and catch her sword.
There was only silence.
Then the Dragon Maiden sighed, exasperated.
"Crazy girl. What was that for?" The lady dragon pulled her silver sword away from Akali, flipping it safely between her hands in a single motion. "You scared me half to death."
Akali swayed for a second. Then she fell backwards, lying on her back, and smiled, laughing a little. Tears came out of her eyes, unbidden, and Akali wiped them, still laughing, her sweat and tears staining a puddle in the rock floor below her.
The Dragon Maiden saw the smile. She glanced back down at the sword in her hand, and gave a small grimace. After staring for a few seconds at the hand that caused her loss, the lady dragon then rolled her eyes and sighed.
The Dragon Maiden floated back to her quarters, her sword cradled in her arms.
"We start training tomorrow, Second Disciple. Welcome to the Ancient Tomb Sect."
It was nighttime. The moon shone in a single beam from the occulus above, and a single junior ninja slept peacefully below.
The Dragon Maiden was standing at the feet of the colossus of the Warrior Saint, her hands reaching upwards to stroke the feathers of the massive eagle that answered her call.
"Hi, Ao'Niao." The Dragon Maiden smiled as the eagle nuzzled up against her breast. "Did you miss me, Ao'Niao? It's been a long time."
The eagle, more than large enough to seat a grown man on it's back, clicked it's beak happily. That beak large enough to fit a cow's head, and strong enough to crush it in a single bite, nipped gently at the Dragon Maiden's robes. The Dragon Maiden bent down, looping a silk ribbon around the massive eagle's beak. Attached to that silk ribbon was the crystal bottle that Akali had won from her.
"Take this bottle to the Idiot." The Dragon Maiden asked of the massive eagle. "He'll know what to do with it."
The Dragon Maiden turned her head, to glance into her inner chambers. Buried deep within, Akali slumbered, a smile on the ninja's face for the first time in a long, long time. The Xiao'nin slept comfortably on the bed of silk pillows that the girl had made for herself.
The Dragon Maiden sighed. Why were the only disciples she ever managed to get were the troublesome type?
The eagle, sensing its purpose was done, unfolded its wings, its wingspan nearly as wide as the colossus of the Warrior Saint was tall. With it's storm-like wingbeat, the legendary eagle named 'Ao'Niao' took to the skies, ascending into the occulus cut into the Ancient Tomb's ceiling, to return to the mountain night, and to its master waiting in the Wudang Complex far above.
The Dragon Maiden stared off into the small piece of night that the occulus carved into her Tomb's roof. She wondered if the Idiot was staring out at that same sky that she was.
It was morning. Bright sunlight streamed through the occulus in the tomb's ceiling. The rising sun climbed and climbed until a single ray of light shone on Akali's face.
"Ah!" Akali shouted, sitting up suddenly. "I forgot!"
Her hair a mess and her breath smelling like death, Akali vaulted through thicket of silk pillows scattered amongst the bedchamber to come up behind the Dragon Maiden, who was busy slumbering at the edge of her titanic bed. The Xiao'nin reached up to shake the sleeping woman slightly.
"Master!" Akali called, "Master!"
"Mmmphmhmh..."
Akali started to shake the woman harder.
"I forgot! I need to get the holy water to Shen! Please, master, I- urk!"
The Dragon Maiden lashed out with a single slender hand and found Akali's throat. Pulling down, the woman dragged Akali lower until the Xiao'nin's face was buried in the Dragon Maiden's silken bed, her eyes level with the lady dragon's.
"First of all, wake me like that again, and I will end you."
Akali mumbled something that she hoped sounded like 'yes'.
"Second, I already sent the water off to someone who'll get the bottle to your little lovebird. This Shen kid is with the Wudang, yes?"
Akali nodded, rubbing her face against the Dragon Maiden's bed as she did.
"Well, the Idiot, he'll... he'll get it to them eventually. Now, just let me... sleep more..."
"...How much more?" Akali asked from in between cushions.
"Four..." The Dragon Maiden sighed, smacking her lips. "Four more hours."
The junior ninja blinked. She struggled a little, but couldn't get out. Because the Dragon Maiden still had her hand wrapped around Akali's throat.
Much later...
"So first," The Dragon Maiden said, marching through the empty mazes of corridors that seemed to stretch forever. She had taken Akali, her throat still red, deeper into the Tomb of the Living Dead's inner chambers, which eventually branched off into endless identical corridors of dark and cold stone. "You must personally go through the initiation ceremony."
"Ah." Akali replied, jogging to keep up.
"Here." The Dragon Maiden suddenly said, and shoved Akali into an unassuming doorway. Akali stumbled through the door, and found herself in a quaint stone room, lit by many small candles. The smell of incense burned in the air. Three ink paintings hung on the sloped wall before them, one of what Akali recognized to be the Warrior Saint, the other one of a beautiful woman with a golden crown on her head and robes a brilliant fiery red, and the last painting of a handsome young man with a massive sword in his hands.
The Dragon Maiden tilted her head up, then bowed to the Warrior Saint.
"You bow to the Warrior Saint."
Akali complied, bowing to Ionia's patron saint.
The Dragon Maiden held out her hand, pointing at the beautiful woman in red. "You bow to our honorable founder."
"Who is that?" Akali asked, fascinated. She approached the massive ink painting, nearly as tall as she was, of the woman in red. The leafed gold of the woman's crown shone brilliantly on the paper of the scroll. Her painted eyes seemed to stare into her soul.
"...That is Lei-Na, founder of the original martial sect that would become our Ancient Tomb Sect today." The Dragon Maiden sighed a little. "And she was the Warrior Saint's lover."
Akali turned, shocked.
"The Warrior-Saint's... lover?!"
"Heh. Surprised? I know you young ones revere the Warrior Saint, but he was a man once, just like all others. Better than most, but a man nonetheless."
"Wait..." Akali turned the name over in her head. "Lei-Na... Lei-Na... You mean... Reina?! Like, from 'The Legend of Reina'?!"
"Perhaps." The Dragon Maiden shrugged. "I do not know these stories." She urged Akali on, patting the back of her head. "Go on, bow."
Still reeling in shock, Akali bowed to the woman behind the legend.
When she rose, Akali sneaked a glance at the portrait of the young man. He was really handsome, with long sheets of dark black hair and sharp dark eyes. But it was the kindness and laughter in the man's look that was really attractive. The portrait had the look that he was just an instant from splitting a smile.
"Master..." Akali asked carefully. "Who is that?"
The Dragon Maiden gave a short glance at the portrait.
"That's your senior disciple, the Idiot." She turned away. "Four hundred years ago, Brother Yang was my first disciple."
"Ah... Do I... bow to him-"
"You spit at him." The Dragon Maiden strode forwards, and spit at the painting.
The Dragon Maiden turned to stare at Akali, gauging her reaction.
"I-...Uh-"
"Spit."
Carefully, Akali raised her hands, and bowed in slight apology to the handsome young man. Then, she leaned back, puffed up her mouth, gathering up as much saliva as she could in her mouth, and spit.
There is one more thing you must do for me, the Dragon Maiden said to Akali in the darkness as they were walking back to the Maiden's quarters.
Yes?
Swear off men.
Swear off... men...?
Swear it. It is the law of our sect.
But I... Akali shook her head. What was she thinking?
To get stronger, master, Akali replied, I'll do anything.
Good. Then so you vow. Trust your master on this, young one. Men are nothing but pain and suffering for virtuous women like us. And should you learn from me, I shall teach you how to defeat them.
Yes... master.
Thus began the Xiao'nin's tutelage under the Ancient Tomb Sect.
四百年生死两茫茫，不思量，自难忘。
Ten years, dead and living dim and draw apart, I don't try to remember, but forgetting is hard.
千里孤坟，无处话凄凉。
Lonely grave a thousand miles off, cold thoughts, where can I talk them out?
纵使相逢应不识，尘满面，鬓如霜。
Even if we met, you wouldn't know me, dust on my face, hair like frost.
夜来幽梦忽还乡，小轩窗，正梳妆。
In a dream last night suddenly I was home. By the window of the little room, you were combing your hair.
相顾无言，惟有泪千行。
You turned and looked, not speaking, only lines of tears rolling down.
料得年年肠断处，明月夜，短松冈。
Year after year will it break my heart? The moonlit grave, the stubby pines.
He sighed. He was done writing poetry.
It was nighttime already.
His Great Eagle, Ao'Niao, nestled at some bugs in its feathers, busily biting at the roots of his feathers in the outside courtyard.
The Wudang Elder set down his ink brush, gazing out at the moonlit night. On his desk, his completed poem to his long-lost love. The crystal bottle of holy water laid empty at his desk, it's contents long since emptied into the young man's mortal wound. The Temple Doctor assured a quick recovery upon witnessing the power of the holy water of the Warrior Saint.
The Wudang Elder kept the crystal bottle. He insisted on it.
Sighing, the old, storied man gazed out at the night sky, wondering if Long'er was staring out at that same sky that he was.