W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria
By Galistar07water
Disclaimer: W.I.T.C.H. is owned and copyrighted by the Walt Disney Company Italia and is in no way affiliated with the fictional works of Galistar07water.
Author's note: If you would like to see drawings of W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria, please visit my page and click the "W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria" folder in the gallery section.
Chapter 03: To Have and to Hold Back pt. II
Orube and the Guardians felt as if they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Behind them, an army of five thousand soldiers and dark spirits were getting closer to the bridge. They were trying to pass it in order to follow the fleeing villagers, but one of the resistance's warriors stayed behind to fight them off. Unfortunately, this warrior was a huge and muscular man, possibly capable of snapping them in halves with his fists. The lance he was wielding wasn't making him any less intimidating.
"So who shall be the first to face my wrath, spirits?" Zhang Yide declared. When none of them answered, he launched himself forward.
Orube and the Guardians jumped back to avoid him just in time. Not only was he huge and powerful, but fast as the wind!
Girls, we really need to wrap this up! Will suggested.
Sure, no problem, Will! Does anyone know how to take down an eight foot man wielding a lance with wind power? Irma asked sarcastically.
Hay Lin shook her head. Girls, I think this man is like our earth's version of Zhang Fei, and with that hot temper, he's going to be really stubborn to convince!
Orube and Kimi exchanged looks. I do not know who this Zhang Fei is, Hay Lin, but I think Kimi and I can convince him. Kimi, behind me!
Zhang Yide looked up and spotted Orube before quickly running towards her. He aimed his lance at her feet, but Orube spun around on one leg, avoiding it. As she continued to spin, Orube swung her other leg clockwise and used it to kick Zhang Yide in the face before he could avoid it. The kick knocked him back a little since he was a heavy man, but it was enough for Kimi to jump from behind Orube and blast him with a bolt of light sphere. Zhang Yide was knocked to the ground and before he could get up, Kimi wielded a flat panel of light construct to pin his whole body down.
"Alright, he's down!" Irma cheered.
Zhang Yide was stunned. He looked at Orube and Kimi with a surprised look as if he was about to recognize them.
"Wait…I know that move!" he said. "Only I know it and I've taught it to two people!"
Kimi nodded and released her hold on Zhang Yide.
"What are you doing?!" Cornelia asked. "He's going to try and kill us again. Let's just get out of here, Kimi!"
"Kimi?" Ha! I knew it!" Zhang Yide laughed with joy when he heard Kimi's name, getting up. "Niece! You still remember all of my lessons?"
"How could I forget when all you did was drilled it into our skulls?" Kimi replied.
"Wait…this big, scary guy is your uncle?!" Irma gaped with her mouth open.
"You're related to Zhang Fei?" Hay Lin asked.
"Girls, now's not the time for a family reunion!" Will cried, pointing behind them. "The army has caught up to us!"
Sure enough, they've spent all of their remaining time trying to convince Zhang Yide that they didn't notice the approaching army have finally caught up to them until now. One of the captains came up front on his horse, pointing at Zhang Yide and declared, "Surrender, peasants! Under the orders of the Imperial Court of Zhong-guo, I command you to lay down your resistances. Give us passage to cross this bridge and maybe I'll let you live!"
"You think we're just going to let you kill those people?" Will challenged.
"Those who refused to pay taxes will pay the ultimate prices!" said the captain.
"Taxes? You and your rotten spirits are not here to collect taxes!" Taranee objected. "We've seen what you were doing! You're pillaging and murdering these people who have nothing!"
"How dare you speak ill-will of our orders? Kill them!"
The soldiers and the dark spirits cried and marched forward, causing the ground to tremble slightly beneath their feet. Will was starting to have second thoughts about her defiance earlier. Never before had they fought against such a large army by themselves. They must be at least three times the size of Phobos's soldiers when the Guardians crashed Elyon's coronation years ago. Back then, they had hundreds of rebels and Caleb to help them. Now, they only have one giant man and Will doesn't think that he'll do much good.
She was wrong.
Zhang Yide smirked as he stepped forward with his lance.
"Watch how a real man stands his ground, little niece," Zhang Yide claimed. "You and your little friends are in for an entertainment!" He swung his lance and a strong gust of wind blew the soldiers and the dark spirits back a few feet. The spirits were the first to bounce back and aimed to attack, but Kimi and Orube quickly combined their chi to create another barrier. With a little help from her Jewel of Life and the presence of Will's Heart in close proximity, Kimi was about to make her defense brighter and a little bit stronger. It was enough to frighten the dark spirits away. They hissed with aggravation before dissipating.
The remaining soldiers gave each other looks of doubt and uncertainty. Those who were holding their lances and swords out in defense at the Guardians and their new friend were visibly shaking. However, this was not enough to dispel their leader's fear.
"Do not let them frighten you! Push forward or I will have you all drawn in quarters!" he screamed.
"This guy really needs to take a chill pill," Irma smirked. She held up one hand and magically iced the ground beneath his colt's feet. The poor horse lost its balance and fell, bringing down its rider in a humiliating fashion.
"Enough!" Zhang Yide roared. He spun and swung his lance around, but aimed the bladed end at the bridge behind them. In one terrifying blow, he conjured up a tornado funnel from his weapon. The bladed wind sliced up the bridge, cutting off the soldiers' only access to the other side for miles. After the amazing display, Zhang Yide brandished his lance, glared at the army and bellowed in a terrifying voice, "I AM ZHANG YIDE! YOU CAN COME FORTH AND FIGHT ME TO THE DEATH!"
His voice was so loud that the Guardians' spines shivered and they covered their ears. They had never met such a strong, stubborn and terrifying warrior before. Will looked up to see that they were not the only ones afraid as the soldiers had looks of fear on their faces, even their leader. Quickly, they turned tail and ran back the way they came.
Once the last of the soldiers were out of sight, Taranee was the first to break the silence.
"That was absolutely amazing!"
"Yeah! You practically had them running with their tails in between their legs!"
"I see that your reputation still precedes you, Uncle," Kimi nodded.
Zhang Yide laughed proudly and planted his lance into the ground. "And I see that you are now a Guardian, Niece, although I didn't realize that there should be more than two." He looked up to glance at Will and her friends.
Thinking that it was an insult, Irma put her hands on her hips. "Excuse me? Are you saying that we're not good enough?"
"Ignore them, Uncle Zhang," Kimi shrugged her comment off. "They're Guardians from another world. Kandrakar ordered them to help me find Kyochi."
"Great Dragons of the Sea!" Zhang Yide exclaimed, grabbing Kimi by the shoulder and shook her. "Are you telling me that your brother is the Guardian of Darkness? What happened to him?"
"Byakko," Orube seethed her teeth. "We've discovered that he and his fellow Celestial Warriors have betrayed us."
"Hwang-Ryong said that they had incapacitated Kyochi so that he couldn't inform the Prince of Darkness of their plan to take over the universe!" Will stated.
Zhang Yide let his niece go and stumbled back. From the look of his face, the Guardians could see how shocked and worried he looked. For a moment, he didn't look like the intimidating man they had seen moments ago. However, it soon changes when the expression on his face transitioned itself into something furious.
"Byakko, that rotten son of a bitch!" Zhang Yide growled, clenching his fists. "I care not if he is half-god. If that treacherous dog dare harm my own blood, I will personally have his head on my lance!"
Taking in a deep breath, Will concentrated her words, hoping not to anger the man further. "Sir, we have a mission from Kandrakar and it involves us finding a way to foil Byakko's plan from usurping your emperor."
"Another treason," Zhang Yide barked. Will winced but did her best to keep a straight face.
"However, the Guardians and I need your help," Will continued. "We need to infiltrate the capital. Can you help us?"
Zhang Yide thought for a moment and shook his head. "Our resistance is still small and weak, Guardian," he replied solemnly. "After what you have seen, we must take care of the refugees and protect our citizens first before we can regroup and formulate another counterattack. I must rejoin my brothers and help them as best as I could."
"But that could take days," Cornelia objected. "We don't have that long."
"Isn't there another way for you to help us?" Hay Lin pleaded. "The Jade Dragon said that you guys could."
"Uncle, there must be some way you can assist us," Kimi suggested.
The warrior thought for another moment and made a grab for his lance. Pointing at the mountains behind them, he stated, "In those mountains lie the Siulahm Temples. The monks there are strong and powerful and their newest abbot is said to be the wisest man in the universe."
Hay Lin blinked in surprise. "You guys have your own Shaolin Temples, too?" she asked, clasping her hands in excitement.
"If you go to them, perhaps they will be able to help you," Zhang Yide said. "However, from here you must go through another forest that is sacred."
"More spirits?" Orube guessed.
"Yes, and very dangerous ones this time, and some of them are ancient and magical and can trick you into thinking that they are humans."
"Is that why you mistook us as spirits before?" Irma crossed her arms.
"I can escort you to the edges of the forest, but from there, you are on your own and I must rejoin my brothers," Zhang Yide offered.
"Great, more spirits," Taranee scowled. "I'm starting to get sick of them."
"I don't care how dangerous it is, Uncle," Kimi insisted. "If I must battle ten thousand spirits and demons to save my brother, I will gladly do it a thousand times over."
"Kimi is right," Orube agreed. "No matter the dangers, we will learn to endure them until our mission is accomplished."
"Kandrakar chose us all for a reason," Will insisted. "We will do whatever it takes to prevent the Celestial Warriors from winning."
"And we will move mountains to do it and save your nephew," Cornelia promised.
"Please, take us to the forest," Taranee asked.
Zhang Yide sighed and laughed. "I apologize for before and that I cannot journey with you now. But I see that you are all persistent and loyal. I shall spread the words of your honor and hoped to fight with you again. Come, I shall show you the path."
Meanwhile, in the depths of the Dark Forest Continent, Hwang-Ryong sat on his throne awaiting a call from his brother. Seiryuu was standing by his side, playing with her metallic fans with one hand. She knew that her siblings are a bit ticked off at the moment, but she could hardly care about it herself.
"Well, it looks like the Oracle have decided to bring up the Veil on Lusteria," she said simply. "Thanks to her little Guardian-brats, we can no longer infiltrate the other worlds."
"I am well aware of our situation, Lady Seiryuu," Hwang-Ryong replied calmly, although he must admit to himself that he was a little bit vexed. "It is inevitable since our first encounter with the Guardians and their Basilíadian friend. They feared us as they had once feared another dark prince on Metamoor."
"As they should be," Seiryuu nodded.
"Indeed, however this is only a minor setback, my dear," Hwang-Ryong smirked. The glint in his grey eyes shimmered as he began to plot. "The Veil of Kandrakar is nothing more than a wall and a wall can be broken down."
"Hmm, true but Zhu Que and Byakko were not happy when it happened," Seiryuu laughed. "Your brothers need to learn to control their tempers."
"As long as they do their parts, the Kingdoms of Earth and Fire will fall to our knees in due time."
Suddenly, there was a blip and an interface appeared in front of them like a magical video conference.
"Byakko, what a pleasure to hear from you at last," Seiryuu chirped with a hint of sarcasm and delight.
"Have you made any progress in your section?" Hwang-Ryong questioned.
"I have told you before that the situation here is handled," Byakko assured him through his blindfold. "I had my spirits inducing Gluttony into the weak hearts of man and slowly they are destroying each other. It won't be long until Emperor Sheng-tsu hands over his power to me and Zhong-guo will be within our grasp."
Seiryuu smirked and waved her hand. Another magical interface screen appeared next to Byakko's face. It showed the Guardians encountering Zhang Yide and he was leading them to somewhere.
"You still talk big, Byakko," Seiryuu said, "But you must know that the Guardians have returned and they are all in Zhong-guo."
"Is that so?" Byakko smiled wickedly. "I take it that the Guardian of Light is among them? I have half a mind to teach her a lesson after that little stunt she pulled on me the last time."
"They are trying to stop you, Byakko," Hwang-Ryong noted. "It appears that they are seeking help from the resistance and the monks from the Siulahm Temples."
"Unlikely they will succeed, brother," Byakko laughed. "I told you, with what I am doing, those blasted pacifists will be too occupied to help the Guardians fight me."
"So you say, Byakko," Hwang-Ryong mused, but one of his eyebrows frowned a bit. "However, I would rather we stay cautious. Do not underestimate the little witches. Whatever powers you have, do not hold back on them."
Byakko grinned wickedly at the suggestion. "Very well, I will arrange a little…white present for them. If they must journey to the monks' temples, they will have to cross the lair of the White Maiden. I wonder if she is hungry for Guardians' fleshes?"
Byakko gave one last laugh as his body emits a corrupted green aura. He sends it out towards the Guardians' direction and the screen disappeared.
Seiryuu laughed. "So Byakko is going to have that white snake spirit devour our little opponents? I must say that that is no entertainment. I would much rather crush their little lungs myself than have a servant do the work for me."
"You are charmingly sadistic as ever, my dear sister," Hwang-Ryong complimented stoically. "However, I believe the two of us must return to our individual tasks at hand. I assumed that you are still working on Nihon?"
"As diligent as ever, Hwang-Ryong," Seiryuu replied, shrugging and flexing her shoulders. "And what about the boy?"
"Rest assure, for the Guardian of Darkness isn't going anywhere."
"So it's true then," Seiryuu smiled. "You're keeping him hostage in your palace somewhere."
"He is still alive, Seiryuu, and soon he'll be working with us whether he likes it or not."
After Zhang Yide escorted the girls to the edge of the forest, he left to rejoin his fellow rebellion and the fleeing villagers, promising to return again soon.
At first, their little trek through the forest was peaceful, saved for a few bickering chats between Kimi and Will's friends. All seemed ordinary until they accidentally stepped into the homes of a few earth spirits that resembles talking rabbits, insects, and birds. It was Cornelia who started the whole thing when a centipede spirit got too close to her. Freaking out, she instinctively blasted him with her earth magic and that really upset the entire lot of them. Suddenly, rabbits and birds didn't looked so cute anymore, especially when they all transformed into a group of angry looking humans…with blue glowing eyes and sharp teeth. The chase began.
"GET BACK HERE, HUMANS!" cried one spirit.
"HOW DARE YOU USE EARTH MAGIC AGAINST US?!"
"CAW! CAW! TURN AROUND SO THAT WE CAN PECK YOUR EYES OUT!"
The Guardians and Orube continued to run, all the while trying their best not to use magic or risk making things a lot worse than it already is.
"You just had to do it, huh, Corny?!" Irma screamed, trying her best not to fly into a bunch of branches. "You just had to freak out at that spirit, didn't you?! This is all your fault!"
"Oh, shut up, Irma!" Cornelia snapped back. Using her earth magic, she commanded the trees to make way for them to escape as they tried to reach the Siulahm Temples ahead. "You were freaking out when that giant centipede came at us, too!"
"How much further until we get there?" Taranee asked.
Hay Lin suddenly flew higher and disappeared. When she came back, she said, "Girls, there's a giant lake up ahead! And I can see the Lusterian Shaolin Temples on the opposite side."
"Then that's where we need to go," Will cried.
Orube glanced at her friend. "Will, we can probably lose these spirits once we get closer to the lake. Even they know better than to go near it."
"Anything to ditch these losers!" Irma cried between panting.
To their relief, the girls finally reached an opening. All around them were forests, but in the dead center was a giant lake with a wooden bridge. Sure enough, the Siulahm Temples were glimmering in the distance up ahead, situated on the tall mountains.
"The beach and this lake is hallowed ground," Kimi stated. We cannot fly over it. The only way across is through the bridge."
The Guardians landed and did their best to cross the bridge. Sure enough, the angry spirits of the forests stopped at the edge of the trees and did not dare step on the sand.
"Ha! Look at them!" Irma teased. "Looks like they're not smart enough to follow us."
"Don't antagonize them further, Irma," Hay Lin warned.
Before Irma could reply, the sky turned dark and a mysterious green mist came down from the sky.
"Girls, what is that?" Cornelia asked, pointing to the mysterious mist as it came closer to them.
"Duck!" Will ordered. All seven of them ducked their heads, trying to avoid the glowing green mist. Looking up, they realized that the mist felt familiar as it splits into two: one went straight for the mob of angry forest spirits while the other went into the lake.
"This cannot be good news," said Taranee.
She was correct. The seven of them looked on in horror behind them as the angry spirits shrieked in agony and pain when the mysterious green mist invaded their souls. Suddenly, their eyes were red, not from anger but from pure evil. Those that took on the shapes of humans returned to their wild animal forms, only this time more grotesque and dark. They looked up to see the Guardians on the bridge and began to drool hungrily.
"Fresh meat!" they cried.
"What's going on?" Irma cried.
"It's Byakko! He's using Gluttony to turn those spirits dark!" Kimi replied. "We have to get across the bridge now!"
Cornelia was about to question why since the spirits cannot step onto the beach. But now that they've been induced with Byakko's Deadly Sin…anything was possible. Sure enough, the demonic spirits gleefully set foot onto the beach and ran straight for the bridge.
"They're coming! We have to find a way to slow them down somehow!" Will ordered.
Irma took out her magical weapon, a pink tambourine and aimed it at the oncoming dark spirits. "I got it!" she declared.
She began to fire a flurry of ice shards near the front. She smirked when they stopped to growl. The shards didn't really do much to leave a mark on them. Rather, they shook themselves dry like dogs and growled in annoyance. One of them pointed its claw at her and declared, "That one I want gutted!"
"Uh oh!" Irma gasped.
"It didn't work! Irma get out of there!" Will ordered. She summoned a few energy spheres from her fingertips and zapped at the spirits' feet. The others have already made it to the other side of the lake safely and at that moment, Irma got an idea.
"Will, that's it! Let's giving them something shocking for the taste buds," Irma suggested. She held up her tambourine again and this time, she used it to blast a column of water at the spirits.
"Now, Will!" she signaled.
The Guardian of Energy conjured up a lightning bolt and threw it at the soaking wet spirits. Once electricity and water made contact, the spirits screamed as they were being electrocuted. There was a strange, small explosion and the spirits were blasted back to the other side of the bridge.
They groaned as they got to their feet and growled at the Guardians.
"Playing hard to get, huh?" Irma sneered. She looked around and saw the lake. It looks like she'll need a bigger body of water to hold these guys in place. "You wanna play with water, fine! After all, we're vacationing by a lake!"
"Lair, no!" Kimi cried from across the other side. Irma ignored her and helped up her arms. Suddenly, the waters of the lake started to obey her command as they raised and coiled themselves into pillars of serpents. With one flick of her wrists, Irma pounded more than a thousand pound of water pressure on the dark spirits. Moving her arms, she created tidal waves and washed the spirits back into the depth of their forest.
"And don't come back!" Irma smirked and flew to meet up with Will.
"Irma, that was great!" Will cheered. "I didn't know that you can be that persistent."
"Well, you know me, Will," Irma laughed. "I got a lot of practice from chasing down ice-cream trucks and cute life guards at the beach."
The five Guardians burst out laughing, saved for Kimi and Orube.
Irma folded her arms and gave Kimi a gloating smile. "So what do you think of me, now? You still think I'm a lily-liver? Because I can tell you that I'm no pushover."
"You want to know what I think?!" Kimi yelled, pointing an accusing finger at her. "I think you are the biggest baka in this group! We just told you that this lake is sacred!"
"What's the problem?" Irma asked. "We drove Byakko's dark spirits back and without your magic pendent."
Orube and Kimi gave Irma a horrifying look.
"Irma, I know that you were trying to help, but you have absolutely no idea what you have unleashed," said Orube.
"Knave!" Kimi snapped furiously. She pointed out into the lake. "Byakko didn't just induce his Deadly Sin into those spirits, but also the one living in the depth of this lake. We still have another spirit after us and because you used the waters of its home for your attack, it will be furious at us!"
"Oh, come on!" Irma complained. "I just blasted away…like twenty corrupted spirits! One little lake spirit is nothing compared to—"
Suddenly, the lake started to glow and bubble behind them. Then the surface of the water broke as a something huge penetrated through the surface. It was like a giant explosion, causing several water droplets to rain down on the seven girls. When it stopped, they all looked up to see a giant, pearl-white snake staring down at them.
The snake was as enormous as a skyscraper and its fangs as big as their houses. The most terrifying part was its eyes because it felt as if they could piece a man's heart on sight. It spoke and when it did, green mist was polluting out of its mouth like poisonous gas.
"Who dares to disturb my home?" the snake demanded. Based from its voice, it was a female spirit and not a very happy one. She looked down at the seven little beings on her shore and hissed. "I am Bai Suzhen, the White Snake and the spirit of this lake, and one of you has defiled my home with your water magic!"
Irma gulped nervously.
One little snake spirit, huh?! Kimi thought furiously, using their telepathy channel. Sure, no problem at all!
"Spirit, I pray thee to hear our words," Orube called out. "Forgive us for disturbing your home for we did not mean to. We were chased by dark spirits who were corrupted by Byakko's spell."
"Yeah, and it looks like you've been affected, too!" Irma added. "So maybe we could work things out and—"
"NO ONE CAN CONTROL ME!" Bai Suzhen hissed. "I AM THE SPIRIT OF THIS LAKE AND FOR DEFILING ITS SACRED BORDER, DEATH SHALL BE YOUR PUNISHMENT! GNAWING AWAY YOUR BONES WILL DO NICELY!"
"Girls, it's time to fly!" Will suggested. The others didn't need to be reminded twice as they turned around and tried to fly away.
Although this proved to be a bit more difficult since the snake is huge and could follow them on land. Not only did they have to avoid getting swallowed alive but the poisonous mist from her fangs. Some of them hit the trees and the acidic mist corroded the floras as if they were nothing.
"How are we going to get out of this one?" Cornelia cried. She pulled up a giant bolder and threw it into the White Snake's mouth which crumbled into dust the next second.
"I don't know but we better think of something fast!" Taranee replied. She turned around just in time to see the White Snake aiming her attack on the Fire Guardian. Summoning her fire magic, she tried to shield herself. Once the poisonous fog cleared up, Taranee fired a blast of flames at Bai Suzhen's face. It didn't do much. They had faced a giant snake-man before but this one is completely off the scale!
"My, what a spicy treat you'll make!" Bai Suzhen flickered her forked tongue in delight.
"Get away from her!" Will screamed and made a dive. She pulled out the Heart and Kandrakar and used its magic to emit a blast of light, blinding the giant snake. Bai Suzhen hissed and recoiled back.
"That's it!" Will turned to Kimi. "Quick get your Jewel of Life out. We can try and confuse her by blinding her eyes!"
Kimi nodded and together, the two Guardians used their magical talismans to emit a blinding ray of light. The others had to close their eyes and looked away but Kimi, being that it's her element, didn't have to even blink. Once the light died down, they couldn't see anything. It was as if the White Snake has disappeared.
"She's gone!" Will cried. "Where did she go?"
"Stay alert," Kimi warned. "I can sense her aura. She's still here somewhere."
"Then we better make our way towards the temple as fast as possible," Will suggested.
Together, the seven of them slowly made their way up the mountain. All the while, they tried to keep their senses on the alert.
Cornelia turned to Orube nervously. "Can you tell where she is?"
"I don't know," Orube replied, shaking her head. "I can smell the stench of snake everywhere. It's as if she's right next to us and we wouldn't even know it."
"I don't like this at all!" said Irma. "We're exhausted and ever since we came here, all we ever did was run!"
"If you had listened to Kimi and Orube earlier, we wouldn't be in this mess right now!" Hay Lin snapped.
"How was I supposed to know about not using the lake water?" Irma retorted, waving her arms in exaggeration. "They could at least put up a sign that says, "DO NOT DISTURB" on the beach in the first place!"
"Shhh! Quiet!" Will shushed them. "I think I heard something."
For a moment, everyone was silent, not realizing that they were holding the breaths. The trees and the grass began to rustle around them, causing their hearts to quicken its paces.
Not good at all! Taranee thought.
Suddenly, it stopped.
Some of them were about to let out a sign in relief when something caught Kimi's attention: the aura of Gluttony at their right.
"Take cover!" Kimi warned.
Suddenly, a white flash jumped out of the bushes and bare its poisonous fangs at Hay Lin. The Air Guardian screamed in agony. Kimi tried to blast the white figure away, but to her surprise it turned on her and sank its teeth into her shoulder before she could block.
"Hay Lin! Kimi!" the others cried.
"That's better," said a smooth voice behind them. They looked up to see a beautiful Chinese-looking woman with long, dark hair in a white dress. "The poison will paralyze winged creatures like you in minutes before I can swallow you whole. I do always enjoy eating birds, but you will do nicely."
"It's burning me!" Hay Lin cried, writhing on the ground.
Kimi tried her best to stand, but even the acidic poison was taking its toll on her body. "Feels like fire!"
"Yes, I do so love to see my prey suffer before a meal," Bai Suzhen cooed, flickering her forked tongue.
"You won't get them!" Will declared. "You'll have to get through us first."
"As you wish," Bai Suzhen declared. Swinging herself around, a giant snake tailed appeared and slammed them into the trees. "Did you not think that I would be fooled by your blinding trick? I've got a few up my sleeves."
She walked over to Will and smiled. "Oh, don't worry, my dear, I will be sure to leave you last."
"No!" Kimi cried, crawling over to Hay Lin who was coiling in pain. "I won't let you win."
She pulled out a glass phial with the glowing liquid. Hay Lin could barely see it as her vision was getting blurry, but at the same time, she knew what it was: it was Kyochi's healing potion from the university. Kimi was about to unstop it when a giant snake tail knocked it out of her hand and rammed her into the mountain side. Kimi slumped into unconscious and this time for real. Hay Lin gasped in pain as she no longer has the strength to keep her Guardian form and reverted back to human. She could only looked on helplessly at the danger they were in.
"Apologies, my dear," Bai Suzhen hissed. "But I am afraid that you cannot win against me."
She pounced, aiming for Hay Lin when suddenly a flashing figure knocked her to one side.
Looking up furiously, Bai Suzhen saw a monk standing before her. His head was shaved and he was wearing a humbled looking attire with patches here and there. In one hand, he was carrying a simple wooden staff in one hand and in the other, a japa mala with wooden beads.
"Filthy human! You dare disturb a spirit's meal!"
The monk bowed respectfully to hear. "You must forgive this humbled one for he cannot allow you to spill blood on the steps of the Siulahm Temples."
"Ingrates!" Bai Suzhen hissed, she turned around to slam her tail against him. The monk simple jumped out of the way with great agility. Once airborne, he threw salt at her which caused her scales to simmer as if her skin was boiling.
"You have been infected by a dark vice," said the monk with concern. "It has clouded your wisdom and your kind heart, oh, great White Snake spirit. Please allow this humbled one to cleanse you of your impurity."
"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" Bai Suzhen snapped. "I am the great White Snake and I will not tolerate such rudeness from a human like you!"
She aimed for the monk but he lean back slightly before swiftly placing the palm of one hand on her forehead. The spirit gasped in surprised and stopped dead in her track. Suddenly, monk's eyes glowed red as if he's been possessed. The who scene looked more frightening when a strange, black aura emitted from his body.
What is going on? What is he doing to her? Taranee asked, although she was a bit afraid to find out.
I don't know, but whatever is going on, it seems to be weakening her, Will thought.
Bai Suzhen screamed and recoiled back in order to gasp for breath.
"What—what did you do to me, monk?!" she demanded.
The monk stumbled back as if his action had taken a toll on his as well. "I…I have repressed your powers for the moment," he panted. "Now it will be easier for us to cleanse you of your sin."
"You'll do no such thing—" the spirit threatened but before she could finish her sentence, five more monks jumped out of the foliage wielding tiny gongs and japa malas. They began to chant in what most people believed is Buddhist sutra.
The Guardians and Orube watched in amazement as the monks performed a cleansing ritual, hoping to exorcise Byakko's Deadly Sin from Bai Suzhen. The White Snake tried to fight back but with her powers currently repressed, there was nothing she could do but try and cover her ears. Yet even so, the mantra managed to work their ways into the depth of her heart, forcing the Sin of Gluttony to be extracted from her.
"Guān shì yīn pú sà dà bēi xīn duò luó ní,
nā mo hē luō dá nà duō luō yè yé
nā mo a lī yé pó lú jié dì shuò bō luō yé
pú tí sà duǒ pó yé mó hē sà duǒ pó yé mó hē jiā lú ní jiā yé
ăn sà pó luō fá yì shù da nă dá xiĕ
nā mo xī jí lí duǒ yī mēng a lī yé pó lú jié dì shì fó luó léng tuó pó
nā mo nă luō jĭn chí xī lī mó hē pó duō shā miē sà pó a tā dòu shū péng a shì yùng sà pó sà duō
nă mó pó sà duō nă mó pó qié mó fá tè dòu
dá zhí tā ăn a pó lú xī lú jiā dì jiā luó dì yí xī lī mó hē pú tí sà duǒ
sà pó sà pó mó là mó là mó xī mó xī lī tuó yùng jù lú jù lú jié méng
dù lú dù lú fá shé yé dì mó hē fá shé yé dì duò là duò là dì lī ní shì fó là yē zhē là zhē là…"
While the sound of the mantra seemed unbearable to the White Snake spirit, it sounded beautiful, musical, and comforting to Hay Lin. Even if her body felt as if it was on fire from the snake bite, the agony almost felt bearable as the monks' mantra lured her to sleep. Memories of watching her grandmother chanting it in front of their Buddhist alter at the Silver Dragon came into her mind and it made her happy. Hay Lin didn't hear the rest of the beautiful mantra…
Hay Lin woke up suddenly, her head spinning and her body aching. She looked around and found herself lying on a cot. A small amount of sunlight entered the room she was in and she realized that she was no longer in life-threatening danger.
"What happened?" she asked herself. The last thing she remembered was hearing the soft chanting of monks and the screaming of a spirit in pain.
"Hay Lin!" cried a voice at the door. "Girls, get in here, I think Hay-Hey's awake!"
Hay Lin turned just in time for Irma to throw herself at the Air Guardian, giving her a big hug. "Hay Lin, we were so worried!" Irma cried. "I thought the potion wouldn't work!"
"Potion?" Hay Lin asked, blinking.
"Don't you remember, Hay Lin?" Taranee smiled as she and the other Guardians came in. "You and Kimi were bitten by the White Snake."
Suddenly, the memories came back to her in a jolt. "Kimi! That's right! She tried to save me. Where is she?"
Irma pointed to a figure sleeping on another bed across the room. Orube was sitting at her side and putting a wet towel on her head, trying to get her to wake up like a concerned older sister.
Will sighed and sat down next to Hay Lin, handing her a wet towel which she accepted gratefully.
"Kimi got bitten, too, but it was a lot worse on you," Will explained. "The monk said that spirit poisons can be very lethal to Earthlings. If Kaishin and the others hadn't come, you would probably be dead in half an hour after you passed out."
"Luckily, they managed to defeat the White Snake and brought Kyochi's healing potion to you and Kimi in time," said Taranee. "It saved your life."
Hay Lin nodded. "But the White Snake…what happened to her? Was she killed?"
"No, we are forbidden to kill or harm living creatures, Air Guardian," said a new voice at the door. The girls turned to see the face of the man who saved them. Although he was bald, he looked quite young and very handsome for a simple monk. He greeted them with a smile and came in with a tray of tea cups and a pot. He poured a few cups and offered them to the Guardians.
"You're the monk who saved us, right?" Hay Lin asked. "Thank you."
The monk clapped his hand and bowed respectfully three times.
"I am Monk Kaishin," he introduced himself. "Welcome to the Siulahm Temples. We are deeply honored to have the Guardians of Kandrakar here as our guests."
Irma blinked. "So you're not surprised to see five other Guardians from Earth?"
Kaishin laughed gently. "We have known about the existence of more than our two Guardians for quite some time, Water Guardian," he replied. "Our newest abbot has told us about your existences and of your great deeds to help other worlds."
"Wow, then this abbot of yours must be a learned man," Cornelia complimented.
Kaishin nodded. "Indeed. He is said the be the wisest man in the world."
"So he's like your version of our previous bigwig Oracle?" Irma joked. Hay Lin elbowed her in the ribs. "Ouch!"
Wanting to change the subject, Will decided to ask Kaishin something else.
"So what was that stuff you and the other monks chanted to the White Snake before?" Will asked.
"Yeah, is it a magical incantation?" Cornelia. "Because it sounded beautiful. Almost like music."
Before Kaishin could answer them, it was Hay Lin who spoke.
"It's the Dàbēi Zhòu," Hay Lin answered. "Otherwise known as the Great Compassion Mantra. My grandmother would often chant it when I was a little girl. I never knew what the words meant whenever she chant it in Sanskrit or Chinese. Grandma told me it was used for protection."
"Indeed," Monk Kaishin smiled. "It is also used for purification and to repel evilness."
"So that's how you were able to extract the Sin of Gluttony from Bai Suzhen without using the Heart of Kandrakar and the Jewel of Life," Hay Lin noted.
"In order to drive away evil, one must use compassion and light to purify it," said Monk Kaishin. "After the other monks and I purified the White Snake, she returned to her lake peacefully."
"They used the healing potion to cure you and Kimi," Irma beamed. She gave the Air Guardian another hug, causing her to spill hot tea on the sheets. "Don't you ever scare us like that again, Hay-Hey! First you got your wings ripped off by that Tengu and then you almost died from a spirit snake's bite."
"Irma, you're squeezing me too hard," Hay Lin cried. "Give me some room to breathe."
The five Guardians giggled, not noticing the sad look in the monk's eyes. Will was the first to notice how quiet he was.
"Kaishin, are you okay?" Will asked with concern.
"I am fine, but…" he turned a concerning gaze on Kimi who still hasn't opened her eyes.
"She should have woken up by now," Orube said, holding Kimi's hand while using the other hand to check Kimi's forehead. "The poison shouldn't have affected her this much since she's a Lusterian and she has the Jewel of Life to protect her. Why isn't she waking up?"
"It's not the poison that affected her," said a new voice behind them. They turned around to see another monk, one of the few who helped Kaishin saved them from the White Snake. Unlike Kaishin, this monk was a lot shorter and he wore glasses. He reminded Irma of Martin Tubbs, the boy who used to have a big crush on her for years. "She hit her head hard when Bai Suzhen attacked her."
"Brother Ma-tzu," Kaishin bowed.
Ma-tzu nodded and walked over to Kimi. Holding out a palm of his hand over her forehead, he chanted something under his breath and Kimi inhaled deeply.
"That should help her," Ma-tzu smiled. "Do not concern yourself over this girl. She is stubborn and strong and will wake up in a few minutes."
"What brings you here, Brother Ma-tzu?" Kaishin asked.
"The abbot has returned from his trip, Kaishin," Ma-tzu replied as-a-matter-of-factly. "He told us that we must prepare more food for the villagers. There are more of them from the village now. The situation has grown worse. I fear that at this rate, we will run out of grain from our personal storehouses."
Before he left, he turned to face the five Guardians and Orube. Like Kaishin, he clapped his hands together and bowed deeply. "Guardians, we are honored that you are here. Welcome to our beloved home. You are more than welcome to explore the premises and replenish yourselves. The abbot will see you as soon as he can."
Hay Lin got up and clapped her hands together, too. She bowed to him respectfully. "Xièxiè, Monk Ma-tzu."
Once Ma-tzu left, Kimi began to stir and opened her eyes as if waking up from a bad dream.
"Kimi, you're awake," Orube smiled, sighing in relief.
Kimi blinked at her slowly and suddenly winced. She sat up and held one hand to the back of her head, rubbing where it hurts the most.
"About time you're up," Irma folded her arms. "Did you have a nice nap, Sleeping Beauty?"
"Shut up, lily-liver," Kimi scowled. "Where are we? Is Lin well?"
"She's fine, Kimi," Cornelia nodded, although her tone wasn't really sweet when addressing the Guardian of Light. After all, she still has a bitter taste for their new comrade. "Thanks to Monk Kaishin here and his friends, the White Snake returned to normal. Then they brought us here to the temple and gave you both the anitidote."
Kimi blinked in confusion. "Brother Kaishin?"
"Yeah, he's the one who saved you and Hay Lin when that snake lady knocked you unconscious," Irma snickered.
Kimi looked up to see Kaishin standing alone in the corner. For a moment, their eyes met and Kimi's magical ability to sense people's aura automatically kicked in. There was something familiar about him…suddenly, Kimi's recognized his face and gasped in surprise. Her expression turned venomous.
"YOU!" Kimi screamed, pointing at him. She grabbed the tea cup from Orube's hand and flung it at Kaishin's head.
To be continued…
Cultural references
It was said that during the Battle of Changban between the warlords Cao Cao and Liu Bei in AD 208 during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Yide (Zhang Fei), a blood-brother of Liu Bei managed to break the bridges down in order to give Liu Bei and his citizens enough time to escape Cao Cao's troops. Looking fierce and shaking his lance, he screamed, "I am Zhang Fei. Come and battle me to the death!" at the top of his lungs. Cao Cao's men were so afraid of this giant man that did not dare go near him. This event was also noted in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In this version, Zhang Yide is only Kimi's distant uncle by several generations apart, not her actual uncle from her father's side.
Bai Suzhen is an actual character from "The Legend of the White Snake", a Chinese legend about a snake spirit living beneath the West Lake and fell in love with a human. It's a classical romantic story that is often portrayed in Chinese operas, films, and television series. According to Asian beliefs, when an animal or a spirit meditates for centuries, they will be able to take on a human form and even become immortal. The White Snake in this story has meditated for about a thousand years, and thus, she could transform into a beautiful woman.
As you've guessed it, the Siulahm Temples are based on the Shaolin Temples in China. Byakko mentioned it in chapter two.
Salt is often used against evil spirits and demons and for purification.
The mantra which the monks chanted is called the Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāranī. In Mandarin Chinese, it's called the Dàbēi Zhòu. The English translation is "The Great Compassion Mantra" and it is a very popular mantra in East Asia as often it is used for protection and purification. In my language, it is called Chú Đại Bi and I also chant it as well, especially for protection and during funerals to repel evil spirits from Buddhist temples and our homes. The version that the monks are chanting in this chapter is the Chinese Mandarin version. I recommend that you listen to it in the Sankrit version on Youtube as it sounds very beautiful and peaceful.
Kaishin is a Zen Buddhist name meaning "discipline heart."
Xièxiè means "Thank you" in Mandarin Chinese.