Chapter Two – A Mystery, A Cry, A Death

"You want to know something interesting?" said a woman wearing a silky dark red suit with a long ponytail as she was talking to a woman in a violet suit that also had long hair.

"What?" asked the woman in a violet suit.

"Well, since we restored the Water Dragon and all . . . well I mean since you did, what's the purpose of our life? Is it a way the Water Dragon is paying us back with so we can now live our lives the way we want it since we saved her two years ago?" spoke the woman in the dark red suit.

"Maybe it is, but why do you concern yourself over this Dawn Star?" asked the woman in the violet suit.

"Well, I. . .I don't know, but Wu, listen, I still feel like something is wrong, like something is still out there to kill us---" spoke Dawn Star as she was interrupted by a scream.

"Help us Heavens!" screamed a man who was a merchant, "Help us Heavens!" he went on, as people rushed to him interrogating him, but then he finally broke out, "Shandong has been burned down! Everyone is dead! No survivors, only destruction!" he grimaced.

After the merchant spoke, murmuring began among the people who surrounded him, Phoenix Gate, after all, was a neighbor of Shandong.

"And then. . . I saw . . . massive armies of Elephant, Horse and Rat demons coming on our way here! And spirits and two-headed bull demons too! I swear! Please believe me and do something—anything to stop these horrific creatures!" he yelled in trauma.

"Wu, do you believe this?" asked Dawn Star worriedly

"Wait, you just said you felt that there was something wrong, as if something from out there was to cause something, continue that please," urgently spoke Wu the Lotus Bottom.

"Well, I. . .I sense this large massive energy wave coming this way, but as time passes, its getting weaker, as if the person is going a different way besides coming here. . .that's all I feel," nervously responded Dawn Star.

But before Wu could respond, Imperial Guards were called and were setting up defenses around the city. It was after all the city of Phoenix Gate, where much of the economy of the Jade Empire runs.

In about three hours or so, the Imperial Palace got the message of what happened, adequate defenses were set up and people were equipped with tools to defend the city with their life.

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"Rom! Rom! Rom! Rom! Rom!" marched the massive army of the Being, 'Rom' meant 'Death' in demonic language.

"Rom! Rom! Rom! Rom! Rom!" they went on. The army was now filled with deadly spirits, spirits of the people who died in Shandong with cruel Elephant Demons, cannibalistic Rat Demons and hell-like Horse Demons, but a new addition was in too—Bull Demons, who led the whole army.

"You slaves of mine march on! I have business to attend with a god, a god of who was the reason I was destroyed before," spoke the Being to his minions as if he was furious of his past.

"The Water Dragon Master?" asked one of the Bull Demons as he stepped out of the way to bow to the Being.

"Yes, I must destroy her, and then she shall feel my vengeance!" exclaimed the Being, who then teleported out of the black energy he held to the Temple of Dirge.

A while later, the Being was in Dirge, he walked through the courtyards and glided into the Temple. He saw everything as it was in the past, the wells, the seal, the pillars, everything. The Being was hungry for revenge; he went to a small well in the center of the room and spread his black energy there, tainting the water from crystal blue to black. The Being then did the same as he stretched his dark energy from inside the Temple to the wells in the courtyards which he tainted black from crystal blue.

After his completion, he saw the Water Dragon grimace in pain and scream as she appeared to the Being. She looked down at him in horror, and finally said, "You. . .I know who you are. . .what have you. . .Urgh!" she yelled in pain.

"Yes, it is me who infested your temple in the past before, and I shall do it again," laughed the Being as he loosely let out his dark energy into the Water Dragon who screamed and screamed in pain. The Being laughed at the Water Dragons suffering and filled her with his dark energy until her own color changed from a crystal blue to black as she bowed to him and then vanished into him, which changed the color of the Being from black to red, indicating he was at the height of his power, but still could empower himself with more power.

There was a legend in the Jade Empire saying if a god's color changes which indicates the element they control, that element will change the properties itself. An example of that would be that the Water Dragon was crystal blue, which was the natural color of Water—the element she controlled. Now, since her color changed to black and her body, soul and spirit is filled with dark energy, so will the waters.

An instant after the Water Dragon was captured, the Waters everywhere in the Jade Empire and out of the Jade Empire turned a tainted black, the water turned from calm to violent, making travel and trade impossible.

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In Phoenix Gate, not only were the people aware of an attack, but soon were aware of the waters in the harbors of Phoenix Gate turning a black and turning violent.

"Oh! What have the Heavens done! What sins have we made!" asked the people.

While that happened, Dawn Star fell to the ground in pain as Wu instantly helped her up, "What happened?" Wu asked.

"I. . .I don't know. . .the dark energy I felt before is right here in this city, its very strong, and it's in the waters! Aghh!" yelled Dawn Star as Wu quickly took her into the Wei-ben-Zen Tavern where Dawn Star was put to rest in a room.

End Of Chapter Two