Chapter 34: Day of Creation and Destruction
It isn't appearance, but the meaning what makes something…
Interesting words, he should note them somewhere. Maybe in his mind.
Xin jumped from the carriage and exchanged looks with Maha; then they followed the wolf who has already been ascending the stairs. Looking at it now, maybe the building was not grandiose, but it had some style. It was very clean, of white and polished stones, and completely alone, a distance apart from the other constructions around. Moreover, it was finished.
Two Wolf-man-like statues in iron armor were guarding a gateless and wide entrance.
Was it cheaper that way? A plant was winding around both statues, its rosebud decorating their ears.
Looked as inappropriate as it sounds. The wolf sighed and like always rose his palm.
"Bing, you've grown." The plant winded around the statues trembled, the bud closed. As if it was caught off guard.
"She's still young; but she will grow to be a strong guardian, worthy of a King." The plant affectionately twisted around the wolf's palm, then let go and retreated into the iron armor of the statues.
"Let's go." Said the wolf and entered the building; while it was minimalistic from the outside, the inside was quite lavish. But lavish was a strong word. Xin would rather describe it as expressive. Many more statues there were, some bigger, some smaller, some crude and some masterfully done. But all were of wolves. And which had color – were of shades of blue. One small statuette he even found somehow familiar, but couldn't remember where exactly that familiarity lay, and with what, what is more important. They weren't arranged in any way and lay chaotically on all sides.
The walls were covered with tapestries of different size, color, and material.
Some had actual scenes painted on them, like stars and moon, and a blue wolf gazing at them. Some had just confusing patterns, some portrayed battles: savage, with blood and gore, and heroic, with the wolf, and only the wolf.
It resembled more a treasury than a decorated room, and maybe it was.
"It's all offerings." Said Mo Guang, contemplating.
"He isn't asking for them, but they are still given."
Hearing so many praises made Xin curious what kind of wolf was that wolf. So far he knows that he is great and he is blue. And he wishes to see them, especially Maha. Why would he need demons? They will know, soon.
At last, they reached one more door; this one was present, the wolf opened and stepped first. Then the door closed.
Before Xin could feel nervous, yellow light entered his mind.
"We have different naming traditions. Use "Manu"."
Xin nodded, and with his nod, the door opened once more.
"Enter." Said a new but similar voice.
Maha stepped in first, Xin close behind. They appeared in a brightly lit room with no ceiling. At the other end of the room, Xin saw a throne several stairs above the ground, on whose an azure-blue wolf was sitting, dressed in a loose blue gown, the same color as the vast sky above. The grey wolf was standing next to him, his hand on his machete.
"I greet you, long-awaited guests." Said the wolf, and now Xin heard that he wasn't speaking exactly like his brother. He was more natural and less… restricted.
"I know not your status. How should I, a Lord of different land, greet you?"
"No how, we acknowledge no one but the Demon Emperor as a ruler. You are king, but I can't care."
Xin was surprised at how rude Maha answered, still, he wasn't panicking. After all this time he found out that she could be trusted in such matters.
The grey wolf slightly trembled, while the blue one made a wide smile.
"Good, good. Then I ask for forgiveness. That was a little test, I had to know, whether you really are demons. Now I am sure." The wolf nodded.
"I see your impatience, but you must know, the deal I invited you for is very important. I can't speak of it in public, even if it is my dear brother."
On these words, Xin suddenly saw Maha's expression change for a second. He managed to notice only because of how much he was looking in her eyes these days, but almost immediately, it returned to normal.
"What's more, It will be a long talk. And I have something to do right now, will you bother to accompany me? It's but a minor matter and shouldn't take long." The wolf suddenly stood up.
"We will." Said Maha.
"Good, then let us go."
He and his brother headed out of the room, back along the way they came in.
"My name is Pu, Mo Pu, I forgot to tell." He said while walking.
"Maharshi."
"Em, Manu."
"Maharshi, Manu… My friends, I hope we will be friends." The wolf said scratching his neck with one of his claws.
"Now, it's the time. Please, use the other exit." Mo Pu walked out of the building.
The grey wolf walked to the right wall and slightly pressed it; a hidden door opened.
"Let's go, you should see it."
They went and Xin was amazed. Only about ten minutes have passed since they entered the building but around it gathered a large crowd of beasts, stretching as far as he could see. Some of them were large, some small, some sitting on others, some hovering in the air. How could they gather in such a limited time? Only if they were already trained to do it, it was possible.
"I welcome you once more, my subjects!" Rang the voice of the wolf. The crowd momently trembled, as if a quake passed through it. The grey wolf also was as if dazed. Xin felt a strange sensation, like something pricking at him.
"He's using light to enchant his voice." He saw from Maha; her eyes blinked and the strange sensation disappeared.
"He's strong, even though he isn't a demon he reached the Second Rank."
"Does he brainwashing them?" Xin asked, remembering the concern of Ying Zheng and the stories about slaves.
"No, to completely control so many beings with Light you need at least the Fourth Rank. He only pierces their natural reluctance, makes his voice more appealing, forces them to trust him."
Good thing that talking with light is faster than with mouth. Xin concentrated to hear the second line of the speech.
"As you know, the work on the City is almost finished. As you know, the dream is about to come true. A part of it, for our way is hard and long. But I am saying, one day, I Will built an empire for you, great, unbreakable alliance!"
"However, like that time many years before the humans will not let us live. Like many years before, they will try to crash us. You all remember the invasion."
"Humans almost destroyed us. And by the news I have just received, now they are going to do that again. Several tribes have already been annihilated. A large army assembles at the edges of our lands. Once again, they want to destroy us."
Worried whispers appeared in the crowd. Everyone looked at each other, some looked into their memories, and finally, all eyes and ears and noses concentrated at the wolf.
"However, you may hate them, but you should also praise. The first war deprived us of our lands, but it also Made us. We were rough iron before, and the war forged us together. Sharpened our claws, tied our blood."
"But, blame the late alliance, we lost. Lost and ran, and despaired, and suffered, and now they wish to finish us off. However, it will remain their dream."
"Now, I am here. I will lead you, I will rule you, I will destroy them."
"You are sharpest claws, and I am by no means the greatest Lord. However, I am enough. Look at the horizon, for there are clouds gathering, and go there straight, and pierce these clouds, and carve your way to the sun."
"This time we will strike first, we will return our lands, we will return our glory, We will enslave them."
"Rejoice, for in incoming conflict we will, I'm saying it, will retain our liberty and liberty for our cubs and our cub's cubs, not only for ourselves, but for all kinds, for this is a fight we wage, not for our people alone, but for whoever these monsters may invade after and after."
"Today is the day of creation and destruction."
"Rejoice, for today we declare our Empire. Empire of Mo! May its history last thousand years!"
"Rejoice, for this is a declaration of War!"
And then a roar, mightier than a thunder, pierced through the heaven. Roar, howl, chirp, lowing; in one, in a mindless symphony of euphoria…