15 Chapter 15: The Magic Lake

Lilian joined the group in their lunch by sitting beside Arroth and asking questions about Zaganon. "How old is he?"

Arroth: "….. about 200?"

Lilian nodded and rubbed her hands on Zaganon's cold scales. She grinned and scratched Zaganon as if he was a pet cat. "He's so young and beautiful!"

Araya didn't mind what's going on on the other side, but he can't let his men forget what they came here for. He ordered his meal and turned to the group. "I think we should discuss our matters privately."

Lilian raised her head when she heard Araya speak. Her eyes first fell to the beautiful Azure dragon on Arroth's side and didn't see a beauty sitting quite close to them. She stared and examined Araya's face marveled in his long silvery locks and grey eyes. He had a tiny mole on the side of his cheeks, destroying the perfect symmetry of his face. Although he looks cold and apathetic, Lilian still found him to be the best beauty. "And you are?"

Araya frowned at Lilian. "Araya. My family name is Qin."

"Qin… Are you from another country?"

Araya nodded, stating no more words. Him talking to Lilian would just waste his energy and time. He'd rather use his voice to talk about Dayan, and where they can find him.

"He's a young master of a powerful family!" Zulta narrowed his eyes and grinned deviously towards Araya. "He's the best there is!"

Lilian laughed and said. "I suppose you guys are busy, I'll be going now." She stood up, never forgetting to look back at Zaganon and Arroth. "Private matters shall be discussed privately, I will be going." She waved her hand and left.

Arroth touched his neck and felt an incredible sense of dread. That woman was an ordinary human, yet she carried an aura that made him want to kneel. Arroth had always thought that he was the best there is. His brother raised him to think that he was the only thing in this world that matters, that he would do great things in the future, but seeing more of the world made him realize that his brother had just hidden the bad, and it is only when he was turned into a dragon that he could see.

"Thank you, brother." Arroth rubbed Zaganon's chin and lowered his head. "It must have been hard for you to hide it."

Arroth smiled and turned his head back into the group. When he raised his head, he found that Araya was looking at him. "Is something wrong?"

Araya pointed to his chest. "Your pendant, it's glowing."

Arroth turned his head down, but in minutes he heard voices that were not of this place.

"I'll smile for you whenever you want me to."

"Let's make a deal."

"YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE ME!"

A series of angry and happy voices echoed in his head. Arroth felt his brain twitch and spasm, his eyes turned red, and his chest felt tight. He clutches his chest, and his heart begins to beat faster. His head continued to hurt as if they were being mushed into goo or soup.

"YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE!"

"I didn't say I didn't like it."

"I'm happy that you exist."

"KILL ME NOW!

"Look at them, they're adorable!"

"It hurts… I... It hurts so badly… why... I miss you."

"THEY AREN'T THE SAME! it's not the same… you... he's dead."

He couldn't tell where he should listen, and the voices kept getting louder and louder until suddenly there was silence.

Then a voice.

"Hey Kid, you just met your first clue."

Click.

Arroth heard the sounds of glass shattering and a scream that was painful enough to break his heart. Arroth's eyes turned blurry and he passed out on the table.

**************

By the time Arroth woke up, the sun had already set. The moon and the stars had decorated the skies with a cold, calming breeze, blowing by the window. Arroth sat up and scanned the inn he was staying in. The room was made with redwood, with only a lamp lighting the room up. There was a desk on the opposite side of the bed, and a nightstand seated beside it.

Arroth pushed the quilt away, trying to decipher who covered him with it. The only person that would go all the way to tuck him tight is his brother, but he's now a dragon. He stood up, sliding the doors open.

"You're awake." A sweet and mellow voice sounded from outside the door.

Arroth pushed the door out of his face and met Lilian's calm yet powerful eyes. Unlike before, she wore a little purple dress and a crown above her head. She brought with her a bowl of chicken soup that Arroth couldn't help but want.

"Why are you here?" Arroth frowned. He has a bad reputation with royalties, and Lilian being a princess isn't something he wished to dabble in.

"I made soup." She let herself inside Arroth's room, placed the bowl on the desk, and sat on a nearby chair. "Come, I'll feed you." She pulled another chair closer, tapping at it to tell Arroth to sit.

Arroth's eyes twitched, his temples spasm, and his hands were balled into a fist. He's already almost 200 years old and some girl who looks as if she just turned 20 was treating him like a child. It's one thing that Lilian made him feel small, it's another for Lilian to treat him like a child. "I can feed myself."

Lilian laughed and pulled Arroth down to sit. "Nonsense, sick people need to be taken care of! and besides, I wanna suck up to you." She stated blatantly.

"Why?" Arroth rubbed his wrist. He felt that Lilian's grip was too tight, and was afraid that his hand would be cut off. "There's nothing about me that would interest you." he frowned.

Lilian hummed and scratched her chin. "Do you want to join me somewhere?"

Arroth sat on the bed, a little far away from Lilian. When he heard her decree, his brows knitted, but because of what he heard from Dayan, he couldn't help but be interested. "Where?"

"I'll show you when we get there. First, you have to drink this soup I made." Lilian held the wooden spoon and tapped it on the side of the bowl. "It might help get the pain out a bit.. from your head."

*************

After his meal, Arroth followed Lilian through the streets of Linxi. The streets were more lively at night, and streamers of all colors covered the roofs of most houses and stores. Arroth saw fireworks being sold by a vendor, who looked rather young. He sold all types of stuff, from useless trinkets to useless explosives. Arroth raised his brows, wanting to see what he could buy, but Lilian pulled him to a shop.

"Come on, this is the last day we can see it!" Lilian pulled hard on Arroth, running past the sea of people that have been going in and out of shops and restaurants. Arroth didn't know what they were celebrating, but seeing the calm twinkling lamps, shining upon his silhouette made him feel a festive occasion…. He didn't like it.

"What exactly are we going to see?" Arroth glared at the hands grasping his wrist and thought through whatever is going on. He didn't like Lilian, not one bit, but because he heard Daya state that she's a clue in finding him, he got interested. But the more he's around Lilian, the more he realizes that Dayan might just be trolling him.

"Something beautiful." Lilian had a smile upon his lips as she ran around the streets, with a man she just met following her.

Soon, the two arrived at the top of a hill, 10 kilometers away from the county. The moon hangs softly at the dark expanse of skies, hovering above and beyond. The stars gleamed softly, as two silhouettes ran past the trees in the forest nearby. The sounds of owls cooing and crickets chirping surrounded the very forest. And Arroth could feel his chest being filled with a light yet wonderful feeling as if thick streams of energy flowing through his veins.

Lilian pulled him towards a small space of land where there was a big blue lake. It had a faint cool glow and glassy golden flakes, that made Arroth's throat run dry. The water was not transparent like ordinary water but seemed to be translucent as it had a gentle pearl-like glow. The glow was pure and comfortable, making anyone who found it realize the extraordinary properties it possessed at a glance.

"What is this place?" Arroth walked towards the lake, squatting down to touch the waters with his fingers. The moment his hand dived in, the pendant in his chest began to glow.

"Kid." Dayan's voice sounded in his ears. Horse yet deep, musky as if he had just woken up. Dayan cleared his throat, and Arroth heard a creaking of the bed after. "What you see in front of you is the lake of realities. That is where the magic of the pendant comes from." Arroth heard light groans from the other side and thought that there was someone beside Daya. "Go for a swim. you'll need it."

The pendant lost colors, but the lake began to shine. Arroth stood up and marveled through the lake's beautiful glow.

Lilian took off her shoes and outer robes and dived down the lake. She surfaced her head and called out for Arroth. "Come on in, the water's great!"

Arroth blinked, trying to understand what just happened. A woman took off her outer robes right in front of him… and Dayan, on the other side of the call seems to be doing something that shouldn't be known. Arroth sighed and let things go. "You know, you shouldn't take off your clothes in front of other people.. especially men."

Lilian grinned and replied. "Most men I've met are either impotent or a cut-sleeve."

Arroth pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes twitching, thinking whether Lilian was insulting him or not. "I am neither impotent nor a cut-sleeve."

"Maybe not now, you'll find your guy." Lilian dived her head into the water and swam around the lake.

Arroth took off his outer robes and boots, and lifted the hems of his pants, and let put his feet in the water. Almost immediately he felt the stream of qi flowing in his body, and his forehead began to heat up.

Arroth pulled his feet off the water, his eyes wide open. He touched the center of his forehead and blinked. "Wha-" He took off his inner robes, leaving only his trousers, and walking towards the waters. His feet felt light as if he was walking on clouds. He sat down in a lotus position and began to cultivate.

The water around him began to swirl, and the golden glow seemed to move to his temples, circulating in his meridians. Arroth felt the warm stream of Qi flowing in and around his body, building and growing his core. The air became hot and his forehead burned, and in that very moment, his eyes opened wide.

The ground shook, and the lake opened up a narrow staircase, leading down a very dark room. Arroth and Lilian were sucked in by the staircase, dashing with the water into the darkness.