The emperor surveyed the landscape, taking in the huge gray wall that wound serpentine up and down the hills, accented here and there by a roofed outpost. In spite of himself, he gasped quietly, awed by the sheer magnitude of the barrier that stretched far beyond the horizon.

"More than ten thousand li long, sire," His royal councillor spoke from the emperor's side, his voice hushed, also overwhelmed by the enormous stone masterpiece. "Truly a testament to China's strength and steadfastness. Your ancestors would be proud."

The emperor nodded, still gazing into the distance where the wall disappeared into the mists.

The councillor took this as his cue to break off from the royal entourage and move to a small group of men who were prostrated on their knees in the presence of the emperor - the wall's top engineer and his partners. At a word from the councillor, the engineer rose shakily to his feet, still keeping his head bowed.

"Emperor Ming is most pleased at the results of your hard labor. What is your name, man?"

The engineer bent slightly, murmuring, "Thank you, Your Grace. Zan, Your Grace."

"Zan, you have brought honor to your family and your empire. You and your fellows shall receive royal commendations." And with that, the councillor strode back to the small group of royals admiring the view from the parapets.

Zan did not raise his head, but instead gazed at the stones below his feet, a small frown tugging at the corner of his mouth. He was worried, as he so often was that something would go wrong. Yes, the wall was finished now, complete and solid, but there was always the fear that -

At least the royals didn't know. No one did who wasn't a builder. The secret had been passed down from father to son, from family to family ever since the Qin dynasty. Hundreds of years and countless deaths of innocent toilers had preserved the secret well. But there was always the fear that the stones, which were, after all, only a sort of a cage, would crumble, always the fear that invaders would destroy them…

Always the fear that the giant onix slumbering beneath Zan's feet would awake.