Chi Myst'wing 3 A Mystical Lady

Miles of flying had taken a toll on Chi. Exhausted was the word that best described her current state. She felt her wings had become a burden, and her eyes swollen with tears, smudging her vision. From her smudged vision, the Sol was blinding, glittering like a thousand stars that she turned her head away and spotted a leafless tree. So, she headed for it and landed on the gra.s.sland with faint crunches of red and yellow leaves. With struggling breath, she laid herself low with her hands and knees to support her weight. The pain inflicted from Emberfist's claw, and the metal chain was still fresh to her.

"Mama," said Chi. "Wait for me. Me will save mama." Having the pain of separation with her mama, she felt herself on another verge of tears.

A warm and gentle hand laid on her shoulder. "Dear child, everything will be alright." The voice followed was feminine and caring.

Chi opened her eyes and spun to the sound. A lady in green hanfu whose beauty she had never seen, yet her hair was white, and her eyes glinted with the wisdom of ages. Her smile was soothing that Chi threw herself under the lady's arm, and the lady embraced her in return. With new tears streaming, Chi sensed floral fragrance around her as she found solace in a maternal-like embrace.

Once Chi had felt much better, she pulled herself from the embrace and sat. The lady then sat beside her.

"Dear child," said the lady. "You must be hungry. I have some bread." She then took out two loaves of bread from her green bag.

"Thank you," said Chi, taking the bread and delivering it into her mouth. When she bit it, the bread did feel like a rock that she had to tear it by moving her head away. Though it was hard at the surface, inside, it was soft. She enjoyed the milky-like taste of the bread together with seeds and nuts. The surface even had soy-white flour that made Chi's lips and fingers powdery white.

"You like it? I baked it at myself."

Chi nodded as though she was a little child. Both sat and enjoyed the tasty bread.

Once they had their bread, Chi was now looking as if she had never cried. The lady was glad that she had comforted Chi.

"Dear child, my name is Nuwa. What's yours?"

"Chi Myst'wing, and thank you, Sister Nuwa." She paused a moment before she continued to speak. "Why Sister Nuwa don't afraid of me? Me, is a redragon, and everyone here fears a redragon."

"A redragon is nothing as I have faced many creatures that are far more terrifying. Chi, though you are a redragon, I don't feel you're like one. You're more like a gentle girl. A redragon never shed a single tear, but you did. Your very nature is truly different from them. What had happened to you, Chi?"

Chi took a deep breath before she spoke. Nuwa listened to every word from Chi, which began from her life in Igniswing, the hunting festival, the attack on the goatmen village, her capture, and how she escaped from her execution.

"Do Sister Nuwa know who attacked the redragons?"

Nuwa just shook her head.

���My mama had been caught. Me want to save my mama. My mama is probably being executed instead. If fate is cruel, me choose to die to join papa and mama…"

"Chi, let's go back and save your mama."

"But, Sister Nuwa, the redragons are very strong and ferocious. It's better Sister Nuwa don't go."

"I have told you. I have faced many creatures that are way more terrifying than redragons. I can save your mama."

"No, it's suicide." There was no confidence in Chi that Nuwa could save her mama, she knew she would want to be with her mama even though she would die. Chi was surprised to see how fearless and confidence in Nuwa.

Nuwa knew Chi wasn't much convinced that she stood up. Only that Chi realised Nuwa's height was actually about her shoulder. Thus, Nuwa moved and circled both her hands swiftly – a gust of wind whirled around her hands, carrying along with the fallen leaves from the ground. She made another movement and the whirlwind grew larger; now revolving around Nuwa and Chi. Even the tree branches moved along with the rapid swirl of the whirlwind. Nuwa then spread her arms wide, all the leaves fall as like how they fell from the trees. Nuwa whirled her hands again, and this time, sparkling ent.i.ties appeared between her palm, acc.u.mulating to a sphere of a s.h.i.+ning orb. It became bigger as Nuwa spread her palms further away, and she hurled it up toward the sky… it boomed with a loud bang and showered the sky like a day-time meteor shower.

"Now, let's save your mama," said Nuwa, looking at Chi who was bewildered.

"Yes, Sister Nuwa." Now Chi was so convinced Nuwa could save her mama.

Chi raised up, and without her expectation, she saw smoke rising beyond the brown forest. Was it another redragon's hunt? But the hunting festival ended yesterday. If so, who was attacking? She turned to Nuwa and realized that she had spotted the smoke too.

"Chi," said Nuwa. "Let's go find out what happens there first, alright?" She took out a bamboo flute and played it vertically with a soothing tune. Not long, something white appeared above the bare forest, flying toward Nuwa. "I am travelling with my white crane." When it had landed near Nuwa, Chi saw it was tall that with its' height about her height. It has a long black neck, its' eyes were black, and its' beak was long and grey. When it lowered its body, Nuwa mounted on it. Then, it flapped its wings gracefully and rose onto the sky.

With haste, Chi spread her wings wide and lifted off. Both of them now were flying side by side. The crane seemed like gliding in the sky. "A graceful creature as my companion," said Nuwa. "Before that, I used to travel by an equine, I met him during my travel to the south a long, long time ago. He's so special that he prefers only fresh bamboo shoots and spring water." The crane seemed to know Nuwa was talking about him that he screeched with a happy vocal.

When they reached the village, the smell of burnt wood entered Chi's nostril. Nuwa and Chi were shocked to see the village had all burnt out. It could mean that the attack had occurred hours ago. No one could have survived this kind of attack. There were lifeless bodies of humanoid wolves scattered around. Chi and the crane landed, Nuwa jumped out and landed on the gra.s.sless ground.

"Skywolves," said Nuwa.

"Skywolves?"

"Yes, skywolves. They were excellent hunters, and intelligent too."

"It wasn't the work of a redragon," said Chi.

"Yes. I don't think it was redragon. Someone else."

The stiff faces of skywolves had their jaws opened wide hinted that they had died in agony. Their wound showed that they were either slashed or stabbed by sharp weapons. Those were never the redragons' attacks. If they were attacked by redragons, their injuries would have bruises, claws mark or burnt as those were the redragon's method of attacks.

"Who did it?" said Chi.

"No idea. The skywolves all died with such torment that they couldn't find peace. Chi, let's pray for them to find peace."

"Pray? But me have never prayed before."

"Chi, just follow me and make a wish for them in your heart. If the prayer comes from the bottom of your heart, then it works."

"Sure, Sister Nuwa."

Nuwa closed her eyes and grasped her palms, and Chi followed ditto. They took some time to make their prayers.

"Me wish that all the skywolves could find peace…"

Having finished praying, Chi opened her eyes and the sight of what was happening amazed her. All the skywolves' bodies were disintegrating into sparkling ent.i.ties, billowing up and dissolved into thin air.

With an astounding feeling, she turned to Nuwa. "Sister Nuwa, it works!"

Nuwa beamed to Chi. "Yes, Sister Chi. Our prayers have worked. They have found peace, and now they are one with the Universe."

The skywolves were at last found their peace. Chi was radiant with bliss, and she exchanged her radial feelings with Nuwa.

"It's your nature," said Nuwa. "You're happy because you have helped others to find peace. The joy you feel now is not the same as what most redragons feel in their hunt. Your nature and your physical form are not in tune, and that has caused you so many sufferings."

Nuwa turned away from her quick. Then, from far, came screeching sound and Nuwa swept her right hand through the air, making the wind swooped. It seemed that Nuwa had grabbed something. It was so swift that everything seemed to happen in a second. Nuwa opened her fist and revealed an arrow made of sharpened wood and feather.

Chi looked at the arrow and then to Nuwa, wanting an explanation.

"It's a skywolf's arrow," said Nuwa. "It's for hunting purpose. Probably, a skywolf thinks that we are responsible for the slaughtering of all his fellow villagers."

Sense of fear began to root inside Chi. She turned around to scan for the possible hiding place of the hunter. "So, he thinks we're the one responsible. Sister Nuwa, we must be careful."

"No worry, Chi," said Nuwa. "I believe he wouldn't launch another arrow since I can easily catch it. Just let him. I hope he will realise that we're not the one responsible. Now, let's go to Igniswing and save your mama."

Nuwa then sat on her companion. The crane and Chi, spread their wings wide and lifted off. Nuwa guided the crane to fly beside Chi. It was a wonder that Nuwa seemed to know the direction of Igniswing although Chi never told her the direction. It came to Chi that Nuwa may be familiar with the Eastern Land since Nuwa had said she used to travel a lot.

The journey was silent though Chi was enjoying it. Stream of cold breeze whipped her face as she flew above the scenery of bare forests, a golden streak of the beach and then the sapphire Eastern Sea. While crossing the sea, Draconian Isles appeared as patches of reddish and brownish hues in a diamond shape on the background of the azure sky. The patches grew larger as she flew until she could see the patches were the floating islands. No wonder she used to hear, 'The Floating Isles of Draconian' from her tribe. The islands floated above the sea like they were hung with invisible chains from the heaven above. Streams of water rolled down to the sea with mist arose and smudging the waterfall.

Chi and Nuwa on her crane headed for the largest island, Igniswing. From where they were flying now, the island did look like a dragon's head. It was the home island of the redragons. The home to the most vicious and feral dragonkind in the Isles of Draconian.

Once they reached the largest island, Chi and Nuwa began their ascent and landed on the flat brown-green gra.s.sland of the island.

Two redragons, Temper and Hothead who were guarding the island, had their grimace changed in no time when they saw Chi.

"Chi, you again!" said Temper. "You still dare to return after everything had happened? And you bring along another creature? Is it your hunt?"

"Hey, Chi!" said Hothead. "You have come back here to submit to Emberfist or to die?"

"No," said Chi, ignoring the displeasure from both redragons. "Me come here to save my mama."

"Then, leave both of you! Don't come and desecrate Igniswing!"

"I have come here to save Chi's mama," said Nuwa. "And I will not leave without her mama."

"What do you have to save her? You have nothing. And our great chief wouldn't allow it." Hothead spoke as Temper nodded in agreement.

"I challenge you two to a fight," said Nuwa so sudden, startling Chi.

Why did Sister Nuwa make such a challenge? Didn't she realize the redragons were powerful Cyaians? Chi then recalled that Nuwa had powers that redragons don't have. Perhaps Nuwa could stand some chance against the redragons.

"If I win," said Nuwa. "I have right over you, and if I lose…"

"Then," said Temper and Hothead together. "We will have right over you!"

It was true that Nuwa had some knowledge of redragon's culture and tradition. She had told Chi that she had met creatures even more fearsome and powerful than the redragons. Maybe to her, redragons are nothing when compared to those fearsome creatures.

"We accept your challenge," said Hothead. Both redragons roared and tensed their spiked body while Nuwa just stood in relax. Hothead dashed forward, directing his fist toward Nuwa. In a flash, Nuwa swiped her leg through the air, striking him… and in a blink, he was on the ground, with a look of surprised how on Cyaia he could end up sprawling. Temper spread his wings wide and sprinted faster than Hothead… and Nuwa leapt. When Nuwa was near enough, she swung herself so fast that her hand swiped over Temper. The momentum threw him feet away, and he landed with a thud. Nuwa then made another leap and landed with her palm facing Temper who was sprawling on the ground. Both Temper and Hothead yielded and said, "Now you have rights over us."

"I have no right over you," said Nuwa. "Just lead us to your chief, will you?"

Both redragons pulled themselves up and agreed to lead Nuwa and Chi to the chief. Chi and Nuwa followed the redragons along a path of scattered bones until the statue of Igniswing appeared before them. Along the way, Chi sensed many redragons had their contemptuous gaze on her. The trail led them to a wide-open area where Chi could see the red-glowing pole on a pile of woods, and ignium chains were feet away from the pole. She was bound at that pole yesterday, but she felt like it had happened many years ago. It was such an unpleasant memory for her that she thought the incident was distant in time.

They reached by an entrance that looked like a dragon's mouth. The opening was, in fact, part of the mountain that looked like a dragon's head when seeing from afar.

"Wait here," said Temper. Then, he entered the entrance.

Nuwa looked around – piles of bones laying everywhere. Thousands of hunts had been devoured here. The smell of stench and stale of flesh and bones were enough to give an observer sick and nauseates. Such a place with thousands of years of creatures-devouring was enough to have Igniswing's atmosphere smells like a demonic lair. Yet of those smell and atmosphere, Nuwa still looked without any fear.

And Temper emerged from the entrance. "The chief asked you to enter."

Nuwa and Chi stepped into the entrance. Flight of stairs led them up to the resting chamber. They stepped through the dimly lighted area with the flickering fire from the dragonhead torches. After some time of walking, they reached a vast hall. Rouge Ti and the elders were sitting on benches, all sat in a curved shape, facing the chamber entrance. Now the pressure of many eyes on her was intense.

"Chi, you again!" said Rouge. "What do you want? And why you bring along another Cyaian?"

"Dear chief, me want to take mama with me."

"Hump!" A wisp of smoke came out from Rouge's mouth. He then turned to Nuwa. "Who are you? And what do you what?"

"I'm Nuwa, chief. I also come here to take Chi's mama with us."

"Chi's mama," said Rouge, in rather a mocking tone. "You all are weakling. You all are not qualified to speak to me. Begone now!"

"Dear chief," said Nuwa. "I challenge you to a fight."

Chi was startled. Did Nuwa know what she was doing? Though Nuwa had defeated two redragons before, that did not mean Nuwa shall overconfident of her powers. Rouge Ti was not an ordinary redragon. His strength and power were far surpa.s.sed by the two redragons.

"Hwa hwa hwa!" Rouge Ti laughed.

So, with the elders in the chamber. The sound of laughter echoed from the wall even though they had stopped laughing, dwindling to silence, and only the breathing sound could be heard.

"You challenge me?" said Rouge. "A woman challenges me!" Rouge looked at the elders, and they shook their head with a derisive grin. "Woman, you will never defeat me. Redragons is the fiercest and strongest Cyaians in Eastern Sea and Land. And I'm their chief!"

The loud sound trembled Chi. She had never seen the chief this terrifying, but she could detect calm composure at Nuwa; she didn't seem to have even a slight fear. That convinced Chi that Nuwa could defeat the chief.

"Chief," said Nuwa. "If I defeat you, I shall take Chi's mama."

"If you lose," said Rouge Ti. "Then submit yourself to me!"

"Deal!"

"Such a pride for a woman," said Rouge. "Who doesn't know how to measure her own strength. Let's fight!"

And Rouge rose from his bench and roared. The whole chamber quaked along with his roar. Chi could feel herself shaking together with the chamber, but Nuwa could still stand firm and calm. He spread his wings so vast that it covered two elders on his right and left and leapt with speed so swift that Chi has never seen before... Nuwa was swifter as she could evade him. Rouge spun and delivered his fist… and Nuwa parried it away easily and Rouge started to be irritated. He leapt and readied his leg to Nuwa… but Nuwa ducked, swirling her hands and redirected the chief's leg, hurling Rouge onto the ground.

The ground shook with the chief's fall. The elders were appalled while Chi was pleased. Rouge pulled himself up and flew toward Nuwa. They fought for few rounds with each round Rouge was being tossed, slammed and hit. Rouge was relentless like all the redragons.

At last, his anger peaked that he shouted a thunderous roar that could be heard even outside the elders' chamber. He charged with all his might and fury… and stopped so sudden when Nuwa halted him with her palm before his face.

Rouge spun and spat in anger. "Aargh! You have rights over me. Take the whole tribe if you wish so."

Nuwa withdrew her palm. "Chief, I have no interest either in you or the tribe. I just want to take Chi's mama away. Hope you, the great chief can allow us to do so."

"Humph!" Rouge spat. "Another weak and useless redragon. Igniswing has no need for such a weak creature. Her wellbeing and whereabout are not our concern anymore!"

"Chief, what do you mean?" said Chi with surprise.

"Your mama had left too, soon after you left. She flew to the direction which you flew and kept muttering your name."

"Mama, where are you?" said Chi to herself. At first, Chi was jovial that she could meet her mama. But since the chief had revealed that her mama's whereabouts were unknown. She felt disheartened. Where else on Cyaia could she find her mama.

"Chi, have faith," said Nuwa as she held Chi's hand. "Affinity will arrange you and your mama reunion in the future. I can feel it."

Chi tilted her head down to Nuwa and nodded. "Me hope so, Sister Nuwa."

"What else you want?" said Rouge, while he gazed at Nuwa. "If there is nothing else, do leave Igniswing."

"Let's us leave now," said Nuwa, as her head tilted in a way to beckon Chi to follow. "Chi, the redragon is the most fearsome creatures in Eastern Land. Finding your mama in this redragon's form can be very dangerous. Besides, we don't know your mama's whereabout. So, let's go to my home first. I will help you get ready to find your mama, and I will train you to become more powerful. Only that, you are much more prepared to find your mama."

"Thanks, sister Nuwa." Chi felt a sudden liking toward Nuwa. Nuwa was like a caring sister to her.

They left the elders' chamber. Again, Chi could feel the weight of redragons' eyes on her. She even felt Emberfist was eyeing her. She could just ignore it. Nuwa set herself on the white crane as Chi flapped her wings. "Follow me Chi," said Nuwa, leading Chi out of Igniswing, toward the north, crossing the Eastern Sea.

"Sister Nuwa," said Chi. "You seemed to know a lot about redragons' tradition. You even know that you have to challenge them to make them listen."

"Well, I have met them in the past," said Nuwa. "I will tell you more at my home."

"En." Chi nodded to Nuwa, and she turned to look in front. For their whole silent flight, the Sol hung low at the western horizon, painting the sky and the sea with reddish hues. When Chi heard the sound of waves. .h.i.tting the beach, she knew they had reached the land and saw patches of forest and mountains range lies before her.

"We are almost there, Chi," said Nuwa and they began to descend toward the mountains.

Chi knew they were approaching Nuwa's home when she saw a large area of thick fog and they descended into it. The moment she entered the fog, the surrounding area was bright as though there was no fog at all. Even when she scanned behind, she only was the clear blue sky. It came to Chi's realization that the mist was magical and visible only from outside.

"The fog is to hide my home," said Nuwa.

Nuwa and Chi landed near the entrance of a cavernous tunnel. As Nuwa had set her feet on the gra.s.sy ground, she turned to the white crane. "Thank you, Bai'he. You may rest," said Nuwa as she patted her companion's head. The crane screeched and then made his way to his partner who was waiting at the bamboo forest nearby. "That is Bai'er," said Nuwa. Chi could see him exchanged screeches with his partner.