68 THE GREY MAIDEN 10

Chapter 10: The avatar

When the sun rose high, the scouts had comeback, they have found Hua Xia. Surprisingly, that lunatic didn't run far, the scout said, the cultist had entrenched in the city square of Vudai, and performing a horrible ritual. When asked, the scout describe it with a disturbing face, his voice trembling with every word he said. The cultist had barricaded all the roads lead to the central square, in there they're performing human sacrifice. By the scout word, he saw the Grey Maiden sitting in the middle of a large magical circle, while Hua Xia standing nearby chanting something from a big book in his hand, as thousands of cultist came near that magic circle one after another and have their life force drained till they're but a dry corpse.

Without a word exchange with his wife, Emperor Lam known what is going on, Hua Xia is finishing his job, to turn Li into a living god. He gave to order to set out, and so they rode to Vudai city. After a day and a night of riding, Vudai is within sight, when they came near the city, heavy rainclouds are rolling in and thunder clapping above giving ominous scene.

They went straight into the street without any resistant at all. The city is empty, it's kind of strange, to think Hua Xia would leave a hefty amount of cultist to defend his ritual, but that is not what they should concerning about, what they should concerning is the aura of qigun emitting from the city square. It is unprecedented.

They never felt any qigun aura like this before, every hair on their body is standing up, sweat pouring out like they just have shower even with the cool wind blowing around, the pressure is unbearable. Suddenly Empress Aucelen signaled them to stop.

"Lam, I think we should let the Brocade Cloak Guard and the army outside the city square. If what is happening in there is what I thinking it is, I am afraid… they will not be of much help in this situation, and will lost their life unnecessary."

The emperor agreed with his wife, so the Brocade Cloak Guard and Heitei's troop will remain outside guarding a perimeter in case of anyone escape from the square. A debate broke out between Emperor Lam, Empress Aucelen and their son. Prince Tua must remain behind with the troop, that is understandable, he's the heir to the throne and their only son, no parent would let they child be endanger like this.

"Please, father, I'm an able body. What would the world think of me if I let my parent went into danger, while I stand back and watch?" Prince Tua argued

"Like your mother said, absolutely not. You'll stand back, that's a direct order from your emperor…" Emperor Lam took a deep breath "… and a please from your father, what would the world think of me if I let harm came to my only son? Do I have to beg you to obey this time? please son."

With that, Prince Tua can't not go against his parent's will and must stand back. The pair and the disciples of Ochwesi starting to claim their way through the barricades of rubble and furniture. When they reached the final barricade, rain starting to fall, and when Emperor Lam, the first person to reached the top of the last barricade, his eyes widen in horror. Smacked into his retina is the image of… corpses, countless corpses, piled on into several big piles around the center of the square. The other can't believe their own eyes when they saw the sight. Amidst those piles of corpses, are a few cultists they slowly step forward as it they turn to be sacrifice.

The couple leap up to the air, follow suit are the disciples of Ochwesi. They quickly spotted their target, in the middle of those piles of corpses is the girl Li, with this raining condition, fire and lightning magic is unusable. So gathered the rain drop around them, they launched waterjets down on the girls Li. The high-pressured waterjets piercing through the air, charging toward their target and stop midair, liacens away from Li and splash down to the ground harmlessly. Emperor Lam, Empress Aucelen, Kwanjobo and his brothers and sister landed in surprise. A maniacal laugh sounded within the piles of corpse "Yes! Yes! Finally, my work has done, witness, witness the avatar of the Old Gods, ha, ha…" Hua Xia laugh was cut short as an invisible force emitted from Li, flung everything around her, even the raindrop in the air, outward. Li or right now appropriated called the avatar, stand up on her feet and slowly raise into the air, hovering several lias above them.

The qigun aura emitting from the avatar is indescribable, the pressure it exerting is unimaginable and unbearable. "Is this how it felt like when you stand before a god? Felt so small, so insignificant, so overwhelming." Emperor Lam think while crawling on the ground, looking up at the avatar hovering above him. His body trembling by the sight of her, he felt like he being pinned to the ground by a gigantic invisible foot. The other are no better, Kwanjobo and his companions are suffering the same state, an incomprehensible fear dominating Emperor Lam's mind, all he can think of right now is run, run as far as possible or be squashed like worm. But then, he saw it, the love of his life, Empress Aucelen still stand, tall and proud, in defiance in front of a god. Emperor Lam pull himself back on his feet, how can he be of any less than his wife, it would be shameful.

With an echoing road, Emperor Lam use his ultimate power, the dragon blood in his vein. He charging toward the avatar, with his giant dragon mouth wide open. A stream of flame erupting from his throat, turn rain into steam and quickly engulfed the avatar, follow suit that fire is a snap of his powerful jaw. His enormous teeth, each as big as a house's column, stopped lias away from the avatar, she doesn't even have to move a finger, doesn't even need to turn around to be able to stop Emperor Lam's dragon jaw. Emperor Lam slammed and pinned down to the ground like a ragdoll by the avatar power, before she can strike again a ball of light hit the avatar with an earth shaking explosion. Empress Aucelen charging up her qigun again ready for another shot, the disciples of Ochwesi has regain their composure and kept launching rubble and spikes of ice toward the same point in the air.

Although being continuously attacked the avatar still can able to pinned Emperor Lam on the ground, and from her hand, Emperor Lam can't be sure what kind of magic is that, he guessed it may similar to his wife's ball of light, it's like a beam of pure light strike down to the ground near where Kwanjobo stand, an explosion sounded, shockwave erupted, mud and rubbles flying everywhere, it blew the disciple of Ochwesi several lias away, knocked them unconscious, only Empress Aucelen still on her feet. The Avatar turn to Empress Aucelen and with a strange booming monotone voice, the avatar spoke to her. It's sound like a group of people speaking in unison through the avatar mouth, Emperor Lam can't understand anything from the avatar's word, for she speaks in a language, that to him, sound kind of like Elvas's language. Empress Aucelen still stand tall, and answered the avatar in the same language. They exchange word for a few seconds, Emperor Lam can felt the avatar's grip on him loosen up as if she distracted by the conversation she has with his wife. That's good, siege the opportunity Emperor Lam sprang up again, rush in for another bite. Oh! It's all just futile, Emperor Lam can few a powerful invisible force smacked him on the face and flung him into a nearby building, moment later Emperor Lam crawl out of the rubble, lost his dragon form, covered in bruised and blood by the impact, a horn and his left leg broken.

Seeing her husband hurt like that, Empress Aucelen charging up her sphere of light, channelled all her anger and everything she got in it. The sphere hit and release a shockwave powerful enough to knock even Empress Aucelen to the ground. The avatar staggering in the air, but eventually regain composure. Look at the injured Emperor Lam, the avatar turned to Empress Aucelen spoke a few words, she pointed her arm at Emperor Lam, charging up and unleashed her light beam at him.

Fortunately, Empress Aucelen has leap in and protect him from the beam. Although his wife has block all the attack, Emperor Lam still can felt its unbearable heat on his face. His wife scream in pain as she kept blocking beam after beam from the avatar.

An explosion! The avatar staggering in the air again and blood pouring out of the stump of her elbow. After the explosion liquefied her left forearm, staring at the wound with a mildly annoyed expression, the avatar grumbly spoke something to herself. It's seem Li body wasn't strong enough to containing the power of a god. No matter, the avatar charging up her power again with her right arm, and Empress Aucelen bracing for another attack, her arms trembling in pain, they had turned red and her palms burned from the previous attacks.

"S… stop it… Aucelen… save yourself." Emperor Lam spoke

A voice! There's a male voice just called Empress Aucelen's name, where is it come from? Emperor Lam look around then realized it come from his wife or more precisely, from one of the earing she wearing, the voice spoke quickly in Elvas's language, and Empress Aucelen yelled something in answer. Empress Aucelen quickly turn her back, ignore the pain in her arms, she pulling her husband away from the avatar, moment at her beam hit where the couples just stand. The avatar charging up another attack as the couples took cover behind some rubble.

Then a flash of light, not lightning, it's dimmer than that and don't have the thunder clap follow suit, but instead a weird hissing sound like a very loud whistle arrow, then an explosion boomed. The explosion send mud flying with its shockwave, and the avatar staggering in the air again. Then another beam, and another, and another.

"What is that?" Emperor Lam watch in awe. Wondering what kind of magic, he's witnessing

"My people." Empress Aucelen simply say.

Beams after beam fell from heaven, through the rain clouds above, they struck their mark, hit after hit until the avatar fell down to the ground. Yet the beams do not stop, it kept going for every ten seconds, for ten minutes straight. The thundered shockwaves from the explosions pounding the surrounding area, shaking the ground like there's an earthquake going on.

Eventually, it all stop. The couples leave their cover to witness the destruction, a giant crater still smouldering stand before their eyes. But the most importance thing is, they're no longer can sense that immense qigun aura anymore, they have won. Turn to her husband, with her shaking hands, Empress Aucelen draped her outer robe on her husband and heals his wounds first.

After tended to their wound, just to be sure, the couples inspect the crate. Through the fading smoke, at the centre of the crater, in the pool of mud, a weak moan sounded. A painful moan of a scared child, and a badly charred hand reach to the air. Empress Aucelen came near to what left of the girl Li, she holding that charred hand in lamentation, and sing Li a song to ease her fear, to send Li on her last journey. Poor, poor child, born out of malice and madness, never have a proper life that every child should have, only to be use as a tool for some lunatic, to see her die like this, even Emperor Lam can hold his tear.

After Li passed, Emperor Lam and Empress Aucelen find the disciples of Ochwesi, they had recovered, thought badly wound but survived, except Kwanjobo. The old Orc had taken most of the brunt of that strike, and did not survive. Put him on a makeshift stretcher, they lament his lost. Finally, they create and earth coffin for Li and bring her remain out of the city square.

Outside, at the perimeter, the couple smiled in greeting of their son, and the prince have a present for their victory. The Brocade Cloak Guards presented to them the book and then drags a bounded man before Emperor Lam and Empress Aucelen, that man's slanted eyes wide open as he saw the disciples of Ochwesi, Emperor Lam, Empress Aucelen and the earth coffin they carrying.

"No!!! No!!! It's can't be! It's impossible!" Hua Xia yelled in disbelieve "It's can't be, it's can be, where did I do wrong? The whispering said… the whispering said… how can this happened… where did I do wrong? What? Oh yes, my ingredient is not good enough. Then I just have to try again with better ingredient, yes, yes, all I need is better ingredient. Yes, I'll try again next time." He smiled

"Yes, Hua Xia." Emperor Lam stand in front of him "Yes, you go and try again, in whatever hole Mien Papa going to throw you in down there." Spoke the emperor, and slowly he drove a sword through the madman chest, and breath fire on him until a pile of charcoal that resemblance the human figure is all that remain.

After get rid of Hua Xia's ash, they return the book to the disciples of Ochwesi. Hold the tome in hand, Ngbambe sigh after exchange a few words in the Orc's tongue with his brother and sister.

"Perhaps, we should let the Elvas safeguard the book." Ngbambe said, look at Empress Aucelen.

"Are you sure?" Emperor Lam said

"Wise Elder has spoken with us about this matter, at the fortress, and we do hear Ochwesi's wisdom in his word." Ngbambe handled the book to Empress Aucelen "He… has his doubts." Ngbambe said look at Empress Aucelen with an implicit look. And so, they gave Kwanjobo a cremation ceremony, after received Kwanjobo's ash, the disciples bid them farewell and wish they can meet again someday in a more enjoyable scenario.

When Emperor Lam and Empress Aucelen haft way back to Heitei fortress, in the middle of the night, their entire camp has been roused by a bright light in the night sky, the bright light flew over their camp and landed in the surrounding forest, not long after that, three Elvas, two men and a woman, emerged from the trees. Empress Aucelen approached her people and give them the book. The rest of the road was peaceful.

-THE END-