Winter Pass
"-A thousand years, waiting for the sun to shine on us again. A thousand years, screaming for the gods to take mercy on us. A thousand years, crying for our loved ones to come back to life. A thousand years, of pitying our enemies who suffered the same inhumane human-created disasters due to human greed that knows no bounds." He spoke coldly, choking the lungs of the woman sitting in front of him. The woman who knew nothing, yet, still became a victim of the same disaster he endured for thousands and thousands of years. Her sharp eyebrows that he follows to thin almond-shaped eyes that shone grey with pearls falling from them as if she were a clam endlessly spilling precious jewels with no one to help collect them. However, his mouth still continued to spill the cold truth to her "A thousand years...Waiting to be saved by someone, anyone. How many years can a person hold onto a meaningless life like this? Tell me, Miss Shao. How, in the end, could I have saved my people? Should I have asked them to do the same as me? Cursed to live for eternity being haunted by the ghosts of our past." He smiled ruthlessly while the woman's lips trembled and she wordlessly brushed the tears that escaped her away. "-Force them to witness their loved ones die from either their own hands or mine, their leader. Tell me, exactly what is this life supposed to amount to at the sacrifice of so many others?"
Chapter Two
Kang Haolin swept the trees he had broken down out of his way as he made his way back to his shrine basement. The chains at his feet were as heavy as before dragging along the floor and occasionally getting caught in old rubble or tree roots. So eyeing the mess he made in his rage half full of annoyance and half out of self-acknowledgment. Kang Haolin silently and patiently untangled the chains as gently as possible with his large claws, avoiding damaging the ruins of the place he called home. Or at least, doing his best to keep what wasn't broken from breaking further. It wasn't like he could do more damage than already done. But despite this, he was still as careful as possible with the rubble, treating every piece as if it were a treasure.
If his uncle saw him, he would have scolded him while helplessly telling him that if he was sorry for breaking someone's house down. He should have been more careful and controlled his temper better. Kang Haolin indifferently swung his eyes over the flat bumpy land his uncle's hut used to stand before moving his gaze away silently. Lumbering his way to the river that ran down the mountains through the mountain, Kang Haolin was followed by the ghost of fellow villagers. Rolled into the water where he still heard the sound of childish and ignorant laughter when all was peaceful and lively.
The cool and rushing river hardly moved him, surprisingly deep the silver dragon managed to dip almost his entire body into the river. The top half of his white mane still fluttered in the wind, so tilting left and right to rinse as much of the gore off his body as possible. Haolin submerged his snout into the water before rising and shaking his large body sending water droplets everywhere and soaking everything within range with bloody water. He didn't seem to care for the second horror scene he left behind and made to head back to the shrine basement. 'Brother you can't wash in the river like that! Where will we get clean water if you keep bathing there?!'
Blinking at the ghost that rested her hands on her hips while glaring at him from below. Haolin thought for a moment before silently walking past her as if he couldn't see her, the ghost seemed exasperated complaining again. 'You always grumble crankily after going out, how will you get married with such a terrible temperament in the future?' When he arrived at the destroyed shrine basement his bronze gaze flickered with a subtle emotion before vanishing and he silently slid into the destroyed basement. As he settled down into a comfortable position Haolin began the slow task of pulling the chains he had untangled back into the basement. A weary, and shaky voice spoke from above entering his ears as he nonchalantly did this troublesome task of reeling in his chains.
'Don't blame Uncle too much, Haolin. This, this is the only way uncle can protect you and your sister.' Tears fell from a wrinkled and white-haired old man, as a warm hand stroked his languid muzzle gingerly. A blurred face, a sincere apology before darkness. 'Haolin, when you wake up...try to understand, this is the only way you can escape calamity.' Calamity. Haolin hearing these words repeated in his memories, sneered at the chains that bound him in the valley.
Tired of living in a valley bombarded by those who wanted their secrets, who clamored for their blood and offspring. The ghosts of the past continued to whisper to him, making him flick his ear tuffs at them irritably. This is why sleeping was better. After rolling in the chain Haolin lazily laid his head upon his front claws with half-closed eyes. Oh? His ears picked up the sound of relieved crying and whispers of stiff but reassuring words carried to him by the wind. It seems like that guy has some luck, surviving from those wounds. He must have skills.
However, Haolin doubted that those people could leave with the young man in such a critical condition. Not to mention there was no way they could survive after leaving his territory all injured like that. Would they split up again? As he wonders this, Haolin's muzzle pulls down into a frown when he hears the pitter-patter of light footsteps making their way into his village ruins. Haolin's eyes narrowed into slits and he rose from his half-sleepy state, climbing out of the hole he occupied. He squinted and to his mild surprise, it really was as he suspected.
In the slowly but surely brightening village, at the edge of the grove he occupied. Haolin could hear and see a small shadow running and following the path he made. He could still smell the fresh blood of the woman's brother's blood covering her suit, and it was coming closer. Shaking his mane out of mild curiosity and disdain, he ponders her objective. Shao Dai Lu, panting and breathless, rested her palm against an uprooted stump to catch her breath. Her grey eyes shone with determination, her heart racing from not only overexertion but nervousness as she finally faced the dragon again.
The mighty deity stood taller than a home, a large silver shadow with seemingly glowing bronze eyes staring her down indifferently. She swallows harshly and timidly takes a step back, however, reminded of her brother's critical condition. Shao Dai Lu pursed her trembling lips and opened her mouth "He-Here." Shao Dai Lu's body was shivering under his intimidating and prestigious shadow. Haolin continued watching the timid human swallow nervously before facing him while shaking like a cornered rabbit in silence. "We, can we s-stay here in your grove? Sir Deity?" Her grey eyes, even though he could see she was scared she still raised to face him and asked this ridiculous question with as much courage as she could muster.
Perhaps it was because he hadn't seen another intelligent being's eyes in a long time. Perhaps it's because he has been out of touch with the mortal realm for too long. But at this moment in time as the sun slowly warmed up his cold and lonely valley once more. The silver king was a bit curious about the woman's gray eyes that under the light of the breaking dawn seemed to shine like his scales. His tail thumped once in the silence, he didn't answer her question and peered into her stubborn gaze that carried hints of desperation. Just as she was about to look away and run out of nerves the silver king removed his heavy stare from her person without showing any signs of rejection or agreement. Sliding back into his throne room.
*Gasp! Letting go of the breath she was holding. Shao Dai Lu weakly fell to the ground, wrapping her arms around herself and shedding the facade of strength she had facing the silver king.