The Mosaic Path
For minutes the whirling water had torn her down. When it spat Yan Da out, she felt terribly dizzy. It took her a moment to bring her balance and awareness back into line. Now she looked into a twilight streaked with blue and gray. The ocean floor was definitely different from what Yan Da had imagined. She stood on a huge round square that was framed by ancient pillars. Under her feet a fine mosaic glittered in the little light that was emitted by beautiful spheres surrounding the circle. She had never been a good swimmer, and she had always avoided the depths of lakes and seas. Now she was surprised by the calm and beauty she felt down here. It's so different ... in my dream it was dark. Will I die here today, under tons of water? At least I don't regret anything. Life has been so good to me for the past few weeks. Who could have guessed that after all this suffering a love like his and mine would still be possible ...
Her nostalgic thoughts were interrupted by Ying Kong Shi, who was hurled out of the vortex. He caught himself elegantly on the ocean floor, and was upright again in seconds. Yan Da looked at him, irritated. He looked up at her, teasingly. "Remember, my mother was a mermaid." Yan Da was about to reply when a drum beat boomed through the water, followed by more rhythmic beats. More and more sea creatures gathered outside the circle of pillars. Yan Da could only make out their outlines, of bodies with scales, tails, glowing eyes, claws. She immediately felt scared and unwelcome. The Predor Mermaid's hair flowed around her head as she raised her staff, and a high-pitched sound silenced the crowd. Yan Da and Ying Kong Shi looked at each other, and quickly joined the other clan leaders.
"Queen Yan Da, it's time to prove your empathy and compassion as a leader. Follow the mosaic path. It is older than our records go back, as is the gate at its end. It is the entrance to the Realm of Transition. Legend has it that the first immortal, the creator of the Ice Fantasy World, established this realm to banish all of his early creatures that did not fit in his conception of perfection. Later, it is said, he used the realm of transition as a place of prolonged punishment for all insurgent immortals he had killed, but also as an opportunity to suppress his harem. How this happened is known to only few of you who live on the surface. I'm telling you this today so you can understand how long the Mermaid Tribe has been the victim of cruel and mighty rulers.
The Creator took great interest in some of the immortal women from the very beginning of the Ice World. To control their whereabouts, he gave them fish tails and banished them to the depths of the Endless Sea. Out of loneliness and longing for their homes on land, our ancestors began to sing at the sea shores. Their melancholy melodies attracted many immortals. At first, those encounters only led to innocent friendships. But then, one day, something changed. A mighty spell spread over the Ice World, and everyone and everything was hit by it. The change afterwards was incomprehensible, as many relationships changed into a deeper feeling, which was called love. After few months, it became clear that love expressed in a physical way produced offspring. No matter what kind of creature, the effect was the same. This development gave all immortals quite a power. Before, it had only been the creator who had been able to produce new life. But now it was life itself that could renew and develop and bond in this unexpected way.
Those immortals at the shores became the fathers of the first mermen who were growing into beautiful, proud, and strong-willed adults. For the creator those men were living signs of the infidelity of the mermaids, who had longed only for familial affiliation. He punished his harem by killing all their sons and banishing their souls to the Realm of Transition. The mothers had no choice but to weep for their lost loved ones forever. The mermen's souls are still in the Realm of Transition, unable to reincarnate or ascend to heaven. Since then, as our elders tell us, the seal of the Realm of Transition has grown in power. Any being who finds a violent death in or on the waters of the Endless Seas loses its soul to the seal and is neither reborn nor finds peace in heaven. Since then, the Mermaid Tribe has tried to stay out of conflict and war so as not to feed the seal with even more souls. Too many of our people and too many other immortals are already captured in the cursed dimension.
Your first task, Queen Yan Da, is to enter the Realm of Transition. The seal poses no danger to the living creatures, you can simply walk through the gate. To leave that place, you must follow the mosaic path that continues on the other side. You are to cross the realm to see how many sea dwellers and immortals have been killed by the fire of your people and the hatred of the Mermaid Tribe over the centuries in seeking revenge. As I have to admit, we repeatedly used She Mi's Leaf of the Six Leaf Ice Crystal to sink ships of the Fire Tribe that tried to attack the Ice Tribe via the sea route. Huo Yi was always suspicious, but back then, he didn't know that we held such a mighty power source in our hands, and we continued to claim to be neutral. You now understand that behind that evil seal, there are also a lot of souls of the Fire Tribe.
You might also encounter those unfinished creatures of the first immortal, but they never showed interested in us living immortals. I'd like to give you an advice, though. Don't use magic, as they are attracted by it like mots by the light. As long as you don't use magic, nothing will happen to you. And don't stray from the path. My most loyal advisers walked it off this morning, and it's sure to be lit. Again, stay on the path, for that realm is huge, and none of us ever dared to explore to far from the safest route. We promised Prince Ying Kong Shi not do endanger your life, so stick to the rules for your own safety."
Darkness… Yan Da closed her eyes and panic closed in on her like a suffocating blanket. She felt a warm hand on her arm. "Yan Da, what's wrong?" Ying Kong Shi's worried voice brought her back. "Nothing, everything is fine."
Her hand closed around the tear stone. The fine seal stabbed her skin and the sudden pain helped her shake the vision off. Yan Da took a deep breath and turned to Ying Kong Shi and her friends. "I thank you for your trust, leaders of all kingdoms. Thank you for accompanying me here. I'll be back soon. Wish me every success! "With these words she bowed deeply. Piang Feng smiled, and Yan Da was surprised when he suddenly stepped forward. "Queen Yan Da, I think I was the one who doubted you the most at the beginning of this new era. But seeing and working with you since the end of the war has made me overcome my concerns. I can see the light in you and I wish you good luck. When you come back we will drink until we drop." Yan Da smiled at his words. "Yes, we'll definitely do that!" She looked around for the last time, until her gaze caught on Ying Kong Shi.
The expression on his face showed nothing but open friendliness. He nodded to her, stepped forward, and did something that seemed to freeze time for a brief moment. Everyone watched breathlessly as the Ice Prince raised his right hand and brushed Yan Da's cheek with his knuckles. "Don't worry, Queen of Fire. Everything you need to pass this task and all that will follow is hidden in your heart. Thank you for taking this test for all of us." The hint of a sweet encouraging smile caused a whisper in the crowd and seemed to transmit to all beings who witnessed this moment of affection.
The Predor Mermaid looked at the faces of the council members nearby, and found that none of them were left untouched by the scene in front of them. Only Hye Quian's face seemed to harden, and her hand involuntarily slipped to her sword. When the assassin felt the Mermaid Saint's gaze on her, she withdrew her hand and nodded to Yu Lian with a slight smile. But the leader of the Mermaid Tribe had noticed her friend's tense posture. An icy feeling spread over her. How could she have missed something so obvious? Her desire for a friend in the early days of her leadership seemed to have blinded her. It can only be her. Nobody else has the skills and access to the Assassin's Castle. Nobody knows the old artifacts there except her. And the Council listens to Hye Quian ... who could better stir up doubts than her? She lost everyone to Huo Yi's attack, her trainers, and her classmates who grew up with her. And wasn't Hye Quian always particularly loyal to the last royal family? Does she actually use the political situation to take personal revenge on the Fire Tribe? Oh no ... I had her secure the mosaic trail this morning. What should I do?
She glanced over at Ying Kong Shi, who didn't seem to notice her gaze. The Mermaid Saint stepped restlessly from one leg to the other and thought feverishly. Then Yu Lian made up her mind, and raised her staff. "I will accompany you in your task to witness the course of the events, as it is my duty and right as the leader of the Mermaid Tribe." From the corner of her eye, the Predor Mermaid saw how Hye Quian flinched, and then quickly came close to her. "In that case, dear Mermaid Saint, I must insist on going with you. After all, I'm your bodyguard and my help may be needed. "Yu Lian's mind raced as she considered her next steps. Finally she nodded. "I expect nothing else from you, Hye Quian. But leave your sword here, in the end we don't want to disturb anyone in this peaceful task."
Yan Da, who had looked back and forth between the council members and the Mermaid Saint in astonishment and increasing suspicion, felt that something was not going according to plan at all. After a quick exchange of looks with Ying Kong Shi, who nodded imperceptibly, she replied. "This is really a big surprise and a great honor, Predor Mermaid. Since I'm not familiar with my surroundings, I actually feel more comfortable if I don't have to go alone." "Then let's leave immediately, it will probably take half a day to walk through the area." With these words the Mermaid Saint and the Queen of Fire walked towards the mosaic path, followed closely by the Assassin. Soon the twilight had swallowed the three figures in the distance.