Traces

Imsong arrived inside Lord Bai Hua's study. She detected no other mortals inside the study except for a devilishly handsome man. He was absorbed in his work or what looked like work. He was studying the cylindrical object which he had found it earlier.

She suddenly appeared in the room.

He felt her presence and said resignedly, without looking up, "The protective enchantments around the castle must be child's play for you"

She laughed at this and said mockingly, "I was there when they built this castle, little Yur. There are corners which you don't even know exist. For example, your treasury can be accessed through the left wing of the castle and can be entered even by outsiders. But if I really wanted anything from this castle, why, I can come and go as I wish."

"You won't even know if anything went missing."

"That's why I asked to see you, O Old One," he played along.

Imsong was actually telling him the truth, but he merely thought that she was playing with him. She looked so young, and even though he knew that she was an immortal, he had always thought that she was some 200 years old.

"I found something in the old caved-in part of the treasury. I didn't notice at first but it was emitting a soft aura. And it rejects any form of probing."

She had felt a weak aura when she entered but she had thought that it was just some of his trinkets.

She came close to his desk. He pushed the trinket towards her for her observation. She looked at it and felt around the edges and the rugged surface of the artifact. And started thinking fast.

"I think I have seen this somewhere. I feel quite familiar with this. It's something the Emperor had."

Bai Yur was shocked to hear her say "the Emperor". It's been so long that he had even forgotten that he existed. He had left this world according to the legends. But this artifact belongs to him? It was incredulous!

"Are you sure, Head Shaman? It doesn't look important though. Look at this thing, it's old and had lost its original appearance."

"Little Yur, you can be ignorant too."

He didn't feel offended.

"Don't you have some wall paintings of the first Lord? Let's go to the underground chamber."

Saying this, both of them disappeared with the artifact.

They reappeared in the underground chamber. It was lit by an orb in the middle of the room that seems to illuminate the entire room. It was filled with many old trinkets and chests that used to belong to previous Lords of the kingdom. It was a collection of things which they had used when they were alive. Things they were fond of, things they had cherished.

She ignored everything and went to the deepest part of the room, followed behind by Lord Bai Yur. She pushed on a wall. There was a loud creak and that part of the wall moved to give way to another way.

She smiled at a shocked Lord Bai, and said pleasantly, "Good thing I know my way around the castle, you first, Little Yur."

He speechlessly entered followed by Imsong.

They entered a room that was filled with cobwebs and dust. The air was musty as if living things had not entered inside it for many centuries. The illuminating orb was also dusty and hence it was gloomy and dark inside this part of the chamber.

Imsong flicked her hand and all the dust and cobwebs disappeared. The room was instantly cleaned. It smelt fresh like it had always been cleaned. And it became a lot brighter.

"There, all clean like it had always been cleaned," she said happily.

He finally said, "What room is this? Why have I never heard of this in the books?"

"Because you are young because the historians didn't know. Neither did the previous Lords. Except for the First Lord."

"And how do you know all these?"

"Because my master told me," she lied. She didn't want to give this haughty Lord a heart attack.

He accepted this answer. Thinking that the role of Head Shaman must have been handed down like his position. He didn't think more to it.

"Okay. What are we looking for?"

"A painting."

"Whose? The First's?"

"No. The Emperor's."

"WHAT?!" He was shocked! He thought it was just a legend! Even though he was not called a king, he had thought that it was some eccentric tradition made up by the First. When she had said the artifact belonged to the Emperor, he had just thought she was playing with him.

"The disbelieving tone in your voice is treasonous, you know? Ah, found it," she said as she went about rummaging through the open chests.

He thought she would take out a painting in a scroll. But instead, it was a small palm-sized polished stone with a painting of someone.