18. Shadows of Parents

In the meantime, Xiang, Guo and a few others had broken into the masters' quarters, where all Gongmen City documents were stored.

"Nice facility," Xiang said dryly. "But not very elegant."

His gaze wandered up to a large picture on the wall.

"They seem to be his parents," Guo said.

Xiang rubbed his beak. "Seems to be."

Guo studied the picture thoughtfully, especially Shen's father.

"He looks like you," he said finally.

Xiang waved his wing disparagingly. "Oh, my father looked a lot better. Just like me."

Reverently, he stroked his feathers. Then he swung his robe around harshly. "Burn it! Everything!"

"Everything?" Guo asked.

"Of course," Xiang confirmed somberly. "Nothing should be left over from the city, or do you think, I just laid out all the explosive powder for fun? First, we destroy the interior and then later we blow up the whole city. But only when he's dead. Together with his brood."

"What about my reward?" Takeo asked, who had sat down on one of the shelves.

"Takeo, you can make yourself useful by burning some things!" Xiang ordered gruffly.

"Burning?"

"Yes, burning! Put everything together and then out with it!"

It did not take long and a kind of pyre was piled up in the backyard of the palace, consisting of all city documents and valuables.

While the soldiers were busy carrying the things out, Xiang took the time to look through some papers now and then. Most of it was of no interest to him. He only dwelled a little longer on the family's personal documents. Especially with the parchments of the city's history.

"A nice clan brought him up here," Xiang said disdainfully and threw the next scroll into a corner. "First, they pamper him, and then they just throw him out. A nice family."

He went to the window and looked out at the place where they had started to set fire to the already large pile of papers.

Guo joined him. "Well, after all I've heard, they should have loved him. At least that's what the rumors say in the city."

Xiang snorted. "Nonsense like that."

There was a pause that slowly made Guo uncomfortable. Mumbling, he went away. "Well, at least he seems to have had good parents. In contrast to your mother…"

He stopped, startled. Hesitantly, he turned to the peacock, who was frozen. Suddenly, his wings began to shake. Before Guo could say anything, the peacock grabbed a chair and threw it at the ox. Guo was able to avoid it at the last second.

"I WON'T HEAR OF HER ANYMORE!" Xiang yelled at him. "NEVER AGAIN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

Anger and fear were reflected in his face. But then he seemed to have regained his composure and turned his back on the ox.

"Never again." His voice fell into a hoarse, shaky whisper.

The ox rose ruefully. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking aloud. It could have been possible that that's why you hate women so much."

The peacock turned to him in a flash, staring at him menacingly. "One word more and you can wipe up your blood from the floor!"

Guo ducked his head. The peacock looked like he might kill someone at any moment. But the peacock controlled himself again and avoided his gaze.

"What are you still standing around here? Make yourself useful. Just go away!"

Hastily Guo left the room. It fell silent. Only from the outside could the flames in the courtyard be heard, greedily distorting the paper. There was a warmth in the air, but the peacock was cold inside. He leaned against the wall and hugged himself. An ice-cold shiver went through his marrow and bones as if someone were stretching its cold fingers towards him.

"You are my good boy, aren't you?"

Her finger feathers clawed his neck admonishingly. She laughed.

He looked at his wings in shock. He thought he could feel blood under the feathers.

No, that was just an imagination!

Her laughter echoed in his ears again. Groaning, he held his head and sank to the floor. Her voice and her laugh. That devilish laugh from her. How much he had hated it.

Suddenly, he jumped up and threw a table with brutal force against the wall. The wood crashed into a thousand pieces.

Panting, the peacock knelt on the ground.

You will never control me again!