The Reliquary  

Click!

Lu Lu reached the bottom of the stairs and flicked a switch with the tip of her tail. It illuminated the chamber.

This secret reliquary, hidden beneath the grand treasury, housed a select collection of treasures; unlike the chaotic, cluttered mess above, where countless trinkets awaited their master's watchful gaze and a treasury boy's gentle caress. Only those truly unique and powerful items were granted access to those mystical confines.

"How beautiful…" Lu Lu was stunned by those arrangements. This wasn't about protection or security, no. This chamber was a museum.

The reliquary's smooth walls glittered as her white kimono brightened against the reflections. Potent energies permeated this place, and a sense of ancient wisdom seemed to emanate from the dozen transparent cubicles standing within. Each one housed a single object, levitating gracefully within their confines. These were prizes beyond imagination.

Lu Lu slithered further inside, whistling cheerfully as she gazed at a magnificent ivory sword radiating with an ethereal blue aura that reminded her of Void Emperor Sindoll's presence, those beautiful, hypnotic butterflies.

She recognized it. This was the 'Serpentbane'. An ancient blade that could slay even those mightiest dragons in Fol Ash with a single touch. But there was so much more.

On the left, within a green jade cube with throbbing white veins rested an ancient book. Lu Lu recalled those stories she'd heard from her senior.

'That's the Tome of a Thousand Transformations, capable of granting its user unimaginable shapeshifting abilities.'

But what was her favorite was that glowing black gem, trapped within its ice-blue prism. 'It's the Soul Devouring Basalt, capable of draining a victim's life force with just a touch, horrifying indeed."

And then there was that crimson fruit within a diamond case that sparkled like a thousand tiny stars that could temporarily boost one's cultivation by several layers, but at the cost of losing an entire stage of cultivation after the effects wear off, the 'Devil Star Fruit', a treasure even Lu Ignis wouldn't dare to touch! She concluded with a shiver.

However, this trip down memory lane wasn't the reason she'd entered this haven. She was here for another purpose. It was work after all. "Senior Kimlung?" Lu Lu called out but received only silence.

She continued searching but those anxieties that haunted her was creeping in now. Why wasn't he present? Surely, he wouldn't have left those vaults unlocked without being inside, not him! This was very, very strange.

"Perhaps I missed him back there."

As Lu Lu turned to exit, a prickling sensation at the back of her skull came suddenly.

"Ouch! What…?"

Her hissed words died before they even formed, for in her hazy vision, she saw it, something that her brain didn't register, but her instincts screamed.

DEATH!

Bat General Kong, looking fierce as ever, had moved into position to eliminate their witness. Protect Master. Kill anyone. Leave no witnesses. Those were his programming.

WHOOSH!

Without hesitation or a single shred of remorse, he thrust his spear forward and pierced Lu Lu's head with brutal efficiency before splitting that delicate skull. It was truly terrifying and yet elegant in its ferocity.

Then he watch her limp form clatter onto the floors, as blood mixed with a familiar grey brain matter oozed outwards. Such a tragic end.

"Another unfortunate soul for the fires."

Raphael and Lu Jade came rushing towards those sounds.

"Again, Kong?" Raphael glared at his Commander. He really wasn't thrilled with his trigger happy bodyguard. "We had a deal. Kill only when absolutely necessary."

Bat General Kong straightened and responded, "My apologies, Master. She tried to slither away. Those movements were suspicious. I feared it would endanger the mission's success."

Lu Jade watched that gruesome act of shadow power before his very eye. It caused him to cringe slightly. He hated being close to death's reminder.

"That'ssss a powerful justification."

After he said these words, he leaned over Lu Lu's corpse with predatory curiosity. He was observing how horrified she looked, and within moments, a glowing purple orb materialized; her Solar Consciousness.

"Oh… a sssoul…!" Lu Jade swiftly moved to feast upon this energy prize.

Suddenly, a mini, yellow-scaled electric dragon rushed out of nowhere and devoured it before he even blinked.

"Huh, Rai Shen Long?" He turned with anger oozing from every scale. But it was gone. The dragon had rejoined with Bat General Kong's spear. 

"You greedy…" Lu Jade was about to continue with his scolding, however, those protests died a swift death before they continued their objective.

"No matter. Big Brother, we have to find the eye." He then scurried forward while scanning those neatly arrange glass cube formations and shelves.

The chamber was much smaller than the main treasury, with only a handful of items on display. There was no clutter now. It was like the sky had descended.

Then something he hadn't noticed before came to his attention. It was more potent down here.

He hissed, "It's in thissss room, I'm sscertain of it!"

Raphael started moving quickly from one glass prism to another, scrutinizing each item until finally… at the far end of the reliquary, within an iridescent crystal prism, an ancient, pale-grey eye rested on a petal.

"Could this be…?"

This caused something within to resonate. The 'Rou Lin Nest' came bursting out of his maw. It flew across the reliquary with unerring accuracy and stopped a mere inch before the pulsing orb.

"Those… feathers?"

Those soft whispers in his soul came to life in an unexpected, yet thrilling melody. The 'Rou Lin Nest' vibrated and resonated perfectly with the eye. This confirmation sent a jolt of excitement, unlike anything Raphael had ever experienced in his human life.

Those feathers of Qi Hawk were practically screaming!

"This isss it! It iss the 'Void Eye'!" Lu Jade shouted as he rushed closer and stared with hypnotic adoration.

It was the object they'd risk everything for. It was there before their eyes, radiating power.

CRASH!

Raphael smashed the iridescent crystal prism with a swift swipe of his tail. It shattered and caused shards to rain down upon the reliquary floor.

He carefully picked up Qi Hawk's 'Void Eye' with his jaws. He held it gently, mindful of its power. Then, just as carefully, he lowered those pearly-white orb into the waiting embrace of the 'Rou Lin Nest.'

As the Void Eye nestled within the soft, feather bed, a wave of satisfaction washed over Raphael, as if he had reunited long-lost lovers.

"Hmm, cozy."

The 'Void Eye' emanated a gentle milky light as it snuggled deeper. The feathers of the 'Rou Lin Nest' fluttered softly in response, as if a silent lullaby played between them.

"We did it Big Brother, we actually got that damned eye." Said Lu Jade ecstatically.

"We sure did. Hmm, but now…" Raphael gazed upon the treasures scattered around. "We can't leave empty handed, can we?"

He chuckled. Those eyes narrowed with avarice as he started examining the treasures in those transparent boxes. It would appear that greed had a grip on this bull's essence, but to be more accurate, it was Raphael's human greed fueled by Shao Jin's instincts,

"Big Brother! Thissss isn't the time for looting. We got what we came for. We have to go! Now!" Lu Jade hissed, urging him to remember their pressing objective.

They weren't mere tourists on a sightseeing tour; they had stolen the Emperor's prized possession! What if their escape route was already sealed?

"Settle down."

Raphael ignored him and began slithering towards a far corner, drawn by an intoxicating crimson glow within a diamond cubicle. It throbbed, and seem to call out to him. He knew it, he felt it deep within. That item possessed an essence beyond anything he'd encountered, except for that Jade Stone.

"That isss the Devil Sstar Fruit, Big Brother, let it be. Please! That fruit, it'sss tempting sssure. But…"

CRASH!

Those green eyes of Lu Jade widened with annoyance and terror as he witnessed the bull casually shattered that diamond casing before swallowing the 'Devil Star Fruit' in his shadow. It was like watching a child gobbling candy before dinner, this was madness.

"Now on to the next one." He gazed upon another wondrous treasure: The 'Tome of a Thousand Transformations'.

This relic had him captivated.

"That book…" He'd overheard the assistant manager earlier describing its powers with so much reverence, so much care.

'It could transform its reader into anything, it grantsss ssshapeshifting abilities. Even humans perhaps, and it could also be used to become a mighty, fire breathing dragon.'

He swallowed those thought with apprehension as his instincts told him; power like this usually attracted those even more powerful entities that had destroyed those ancient ones.

"Oh thissss iss bad, very bad! We need to get out of here now, Big Brother. Why are you even considering to loot that book? Those guards will be wondering where we've vanished to and if Killaman come looking, oh that won't end well." Lu Jade's words, yet again went unheard.

Raphael was focused on acquiring the book. He had already taken those risks earlier so what was there to fear anymore.

"That book, I have to have it!" He coiled back his tail and struck!

WHAM!

However…

"Huh, What?!"

The jade cube stood firm, unscathed. The impact reverberated, sent pain through his tail but not a single crack, those protections and arrays were potent indeed.

"Perhaps a little more force." He went back further this time and with renewed vigor. He called upon his trusted general,

"KONG! DESTROY that cube. Now!"

Bat General Kong tightened his grip around his spear. "A worthy target master! It's my honor to destroy anything for you!" He bowed then aim that golden spear with crackling essence toward their target.

Lu Jade hissed desperately, "BIG BROTHER! Are you mad?! If you trigger another defensive array we will be trapped! What if Father's energies are linked here?"

Those possibilities were indeed very, very real. Raphael however wasn't listening to reason, nor that fear that clouded his serpentine companion's words.

He was lost to ambition. And that's when fate had the final laugh.

"Do it! What are you waiting for?!" He roared that final command.

Bat General Kong obliged with eagerness. His spear hovered mere inches from striking. And in that space between, Lu Jade witnessed the air itself sparkling with a foreboding purple-green light. Strange runes glowing with a powerful energy he recognized too well, appeared upon those walls.

"No…" Lu Jade whimpered in utter disbelief. Then his form started slamming against an invisible barrier near the stairway.

BOOM! BOOM!

His escape had been cut off. Raphael's actions had triggered the dormant protective arrays. It was truly efficient in its application. Not only were they being trapped within, also, all those glorious, tempting treasures. They vanished as fast as they'd appeared, leaving nothing behind.

A truly disastrous situation indeed. And what truly made this entire ordeal more unfortunate for Raphael was this revelation:

That book… the 'Tome of a Thousand Transformations' it vanished along with those other trinkets. It had simply disappeared. How cruel, even for this realm.

"Told ya!" Lu Jade screamed with anger and frustration radiating. Hissssssss echoed with those slamming tail attacks upon those impenetrable barriers.

"Look at what you've caused, you clumsy bull!" His accusations were met with silence, the only sounds Raphael could hear were those heavy breaths and frantic flapping wings as he thought:

'Could my greed had gotten us trapped in here?'

Those hopes, dreams, and those Special Invitation Passes to that Great Divine Tribulation that Qi Hawk promised, it was all in jeopardy now.

"Oh, man! Thisss… isss bad. Oh gods! We are doomed! Big Brother, help me with thisss!"

Lu Jade launched another barrage of attacks against the barrier with renewed strength and purpose. However, nothing budged. It was an impregnable wall of pure essence! Their exit was gone!

This was a prison!

Raphael sighed. He was now getting used to being the target of blame and frustration. He approached the shivering and frantically tail thrashing serpent before suggesting:

"Calm down, Little Lu. You'll tire yourssself out."

Those anxieties radiating had those feathers from the 'Rou Lin Nest' rustling in his maw which gave a false sense of hope that they weren't alone in their predicament.

However, it wasn't Qi Hawk coming to their rescue, nor was it that bastard's fault this was happening. He'd caused it, his thirst for more power.

"Step aside. Kong, give it a try!" He gestured toward the imposing bat general that hovered anxiously nearby.

"As you wish, Master!"

WHOOSH! CRACK!

The sound of a golden spear slamming with enough force to split even mountains, was nothing but a light echo now.

They'd been truly trapped.