The gift of the Mermaid Saint
"Be careful, Yun Fei!" Yelled Yan Da loudly, hardly suppressing a mischievous laughter, as a sack full of grain threatened to fall on Ying Kong Shi's head. They had been traveling through Yan Da's kingdom for three days now. In order not to unnecessarily disturb the villagers in the many small towns, Ying Kong Shi and Yan Da had decided to travel as volunteers with the soldiers and some of the Kingdom Guardians. Disguised, they had visited the construction of the villages and had helped where they could. Together with the village elders, they had developed concepts to provide the population with the best possible care. Schools, libraries, meetinghouses, theatres, sports fields, markets, healing facilities, all these institutions that were important to a community had suffered from the war or were even closed. Sometimes it hadn't been possible to hide their identity. In these cases, Yan Da and even Ying Kong Shi had always received sincere and awesome gratitude. They had been given shelter and were looked after, even if some of the villages had little to spare, for the plants had not grown as quickly everywhere as in the woods around Fire City. Yan Da had asked Ying Kong Shi for help, which he granted her immediately. Now they unloaded the food provided by the Ice Tribe.
Yan Da gave Ying Kong Shi a teasing, almost erotic look. Smiling, he followed her and helped her unload another heavy sack. He came very close from behind. Her sheer closeness made his heart beat faster. The last three days had been a new experience for Ying Kong Shi. He was going to get married soon - and not just to any woman. No. He would marry Yan Da, the woman of his heart. His gaze fell on her slender hand. On the Fire Queen's finger was the ring he had given her after the night in the cemetery. She had been so surprised. He would never forget the joy on Yan Da's face, when she accepted his gift. It was now official in all kingdoms that in a few days she would become his wife. Never before had anything bothered him as much as the upcoming wedding.
He smiled as they lifted the sack onto the cart together. Working with her, disguised as common immortals, was physically demanding, but also pure fun. He quickly found out that his Yan Da, even after the merge with her younger version, was still very playful, even though she had a rough tone from time to time. She had always been a woman who was used to command, but also to bear responsibility. The Fire Queen's soldiers loved and adored her, and felt ashamed of her rebuke. She made men want to do better, and that was a rare gift, even among male leaders.
But basically, she was still the same to him, even though Yan Da had been locked in under Yan Zhu's control for an unimaginably long time. Ying Kong Shi felt that she maybe had changed less than him. He didn't make a fuss about it, but he still had to deal with the vast amount of Xian Xue's memories. The Bird Spirit's experiences gave him a headache from time to time, but his memories of the young untainted Yan Zhu helped him also to better understand Yan Da's character. Sometimes he felt that she was very manly in her way. But it was just a facade that she got used to wear in the constant environment of men. Underneath, she hid a woman who loved life, and cherished small things. He often saw her pause for a moment and take a close look at a scene in front of her, smiling at people, houses, or beautiful plants. She enjoyed the morning sun on her face. She appreciated it when someone gave her water without being asked to. She didn't smile much, but when she did, it was an honest and bright smile. Ying Kong Shi was glad that he had the time and opportunity now to finally get to know her better.
The sun made her hair glow in its multiple shades - red, black, white, golden strains flowing down in glossy waves down her back. She had fully recovered from fighting in the Realm of Transition, and she literally radiated her new strength and dignity. And in the nights, she also became more and more self-confident and courageous. She never just let him fall asleep, instead she demanded his caresses. Ying Kong Shi loved the way she was getting used to being in physical contact with him again. He felt that his love made her bloom like never before. Yan Da's face showed a calm and contentment that Ying Kong Shi would never have thought possible, and he felt that, after their long journey of waiting and hoping for each other, he was now ready for a life with her.
Still standing behind her, he enjoyed the scent of her hair and body. She was only inches away from him, and he suppressed a gasp as she suddenly leaned her back against him. Yan Da turned her head to face his gaze. Their eyes met. Without another word, Ying Kong Shi turned his wife-to-be around and pushed her gently but unmistakeably against the cart. Their hands intertwined, and he kissed her, enjoying the fullness of her lips, her taste already on his tongue. "Yan Da…" The Ice Prince almost drowned in the feeling of excitement that rushed through his head, only surpassed by the feeling of happiness that she kissed him back just as passionately. Her hand in his neck pulled him closer, and Ying Kong Shi felt her pressing her body against his.
The clearing of a throat just a few steps away made them freeze on the spot. It was Lu Zhao, the Kingdom Guardian, who once had served at Li Luo's side. Quickly, they let go of each other. "No no, carry on. Do not feel bothered by me. I'm sorry I disturbed you. I… sorry, it's just the unloading… sorry, not my business." Ashamed, the Kingdom Guardian hurried away. Yan Da was about to complain about the situation, when she found herself pressed against the cart again. "She is right. It is none of her business." His mouth closed hers again, and Yan Da's excitement flared up again. But this time, he stopped after the kiss, and looked deeply into her eyes. "I am sorry, we get more company." He gently stroked her lower lip, before he turned away, just a moment before several people of the village appeared to help unload the carriage. He left a Yan Da behind whose heart raced. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she watched Ying Kong Shi quickly becoming involved in a casual conversation with the villagers. He gave her a smile over his shoulder that made her melt away. Even if Yan Da would never admit it, this was how she liked him best, in the disguise of Yun Fei. Maybe it was just because she had gotten to know him as that person first. Or maybe it was because Ying Kong Shi had been Yun Fei before their growing fondness for each other had been tainted, and they had been separated to be enemies. I love you, Yun Fei, she whispered silently in her head.
Evening came soon, and it was time to stop work for the day. But still, Ying Kong Shi and Yan Da had one more task on their list. In the tavern of the village, the Mermaid Saint awaited them. She was holding a mug of wine in her hands. Yu Lian, too, had disguised herself. Her simple clothes were similar to the robes of the poor villagers. She smiled when Yun Fei bowed to her. Her trained eye could not see through the illusion that the Ice Prince had built around him with his magic. And yet, just the perfection of the spell told her that it was none other than the most capable sorcerer of the Ice Fantasy World, Ying Kong Shi. Yan Da also bowed and smiled at her new friend. The two had been in close contact since their adventures in the Realm of Transition, and discovered they had a lot in common. "It's nice that we can still meet before your big wedding day. And I am honoured that you kept your word, Ying Kong Shi - I'm finally meeting the author of my favourite book." A smile played on Ying Kong Shi's lips as he sat down at the table across from the Mermaid Saint, and naturally took Yan Da's hand to make her sit down next to him.
The Mermaid Saint commented this loving gesture with a slightly suggestive smile. "So I wasn't wrong that you two were in love before the whole circus about the aptitude test started." Yan Da and Ying Kong Shi looked at each other, and Yan Da nodded. "You are right in your assumption, and … you are not." And then they told Yu Lian their story. It turned out to be a long evening, but Ying Kong Shi and Yan Da were prepared for it. Together, they had decided to gradually tell the whole truth to all the new clan leaders. Everyone should know about the terrible wars of the Ice Fantasy World of the past, and what price had been paid to change this world's destiny. They left nothing out, patiently answering questions from the ever stunned-looking leader of the Mermaid Tribe. When the story was finally told, the Mermaid Saint kept silent, occasionally taking a sip of wine from her mug. She looked like someone who only held the vessel in order to have at least something to hold on to, when everything else seemed to shake in the face of an overwhelming truth.
Yan Da and Ying Kong Shi looked at each other. The Ice Prince took a deep breath, and filled their cups as well. The mild night air mixed with the smells of meat and alcohol, and the first guests were already walking out of the tavern. Finally, Yu Lian reached out to grab Yan Da's and Ying Kong Shi's hands. She held them both tightly, obviously fighting with her feelings. When she spoke, her voice sounded changed, deeper, as if she was about to announce something of great importance.
"At the bottom of the Endless Sea, there lies an ancient being that is said to have never been awake. We call it the Deep Dreamer, born asleep, ten thousands of years ago. Its huge body is so fused with the ocean floor that it can no longer move, even if it wanted to. It constantly speaks in its sleep. Our sages claim that it utters the dreams of the wisest of all immortals so that we may learn from their dreams." With these words she reached into her sleeve and took out a scroll. "This is the very first dream that the Deep Dreamer told of. Our ancestors recorded it and copied it many times over thousands of years. The original scroll is long gone, but... I think it tells the story of your very first reincarnations. To this day I had a vague feeling that this dream somehow reminded me of the two of you. So I thought it would be a nice gift for your wedding. But now, after what you've revealed to me, I am ready to believe that the story in this scroll is not just a fairy tale I grew up with. No, don't open it yet. I want you to read it in private. I have already read it hundreds of times, anyway. I want you to share it just with each other, as it is meant to be."
With these words, the Mermaid Saint stood up. She bowed deeply. "Thank you for this unexpected evening, my friends. You gave me a lot to think about." Yan Da and Ying Kong Shi also rose and escorted the Mermaid Saint outside. There was a rain barrel in front of the tavern, reflecting the bright moon in the surface of its water. They said goodbye to the mermaid with a firm handshake. "Thank you again for sharing the truth with me. And thank you ... for being there. Your story ... it makes me believe more in the good of this world again, and in love, as well." With these words, Yu Lian dipped her hand into the barrel and disappeared in a confusing play of blue sparks that spiralled down into the depths of the water, until all lights vanished. "I didn't know she can do that," Ying Kong Shi whispered, deeply impressed. "It seems that the Mermaid Saint is truly connected to all waters. This gives the name of the Endless Sea quite a new perspective," commented Yan Da. When they finally turned around to set up their night quarters, Ying Kong Shi put his arm around Yan Da's shoulders. "Come, Yan Da. I'm tired, and I want to hear your voice reading our story to me."