"Stop! Don't move her!"
Both guards halt. They looked up to see a figure in the distance rushing their way. Those autumn colored locks scatter in the wind. Those bifocals were defogging themselves as the droplets of water were pushed back by her jogging. She'd already long flung her clip board back at the two older individuals behind her, turning her run into a full on sprint.
Sliding and falling to her knees she grinds to a halt, Marvena jumps to take Hong Luo's pulse, pushing an intangible aura through her thin body. Those green eyes of hers jump from one location to the next.
'Several internal burns but no bone injuries.' She confirmed twice before straddling Hong Luo, compressing her hands to her chest, and pushing with force, along with a steady stream of intangible energy.
"One two three four five."
"One two three four five."
"One two three four five."
The two old doctors made it just as Marvena administered mouth to mouth resuscitation for the second time.
"That's enough Marvena. I'll handle the rest."
Doctor Termit took her place, but he knelt at Hong Luo's side instead. With a single shove of his wrinkled hand, air filled the motionless lungs.
Hong Luo's whole body jolts. That rush of force, that strong wind rattled out several uncomfortable coughs and she was finally able to breathe again.
Her eyes briefly opened, unfocused and cloudy, then they fell closed once more.
• • •
Bam—!
Lightning ricocheted through the grassy plains of Hell's Valley. Scattered grass sizzles in the humid air, lighting up the fog clinging to the ocean of green with sparks and embers.
The air pressure of the impacted lightning bolts pushes back the tall grass. These shockwaves scatter the moisture high, peppering the air with sizzling water. Time seems to slow and in each passing droplet carnage, bloody and gruesome flash agonizingly by.
"AHAHAHA! Why run? We've only just started having our fun!"
Loud and ostentatious, roaring laughter sang and danced through the fallen bodies painted red throughout the field.
"Keep coming! Come on now! Taste this General's blade!"
Wide grinned, General Wan pushed off the ground, dashing through severed limbs and blood drenched grass. His broadsword tore through the landscape and the bodies in his way until finally stopping half through a boulder.
BANG—!
Crack! Large and small fissures spread fast through the boulder. Three large ones traveled in the shape of the wood "木" symbol, stopping only when the monstrous rock was cracked in half, locked in place by its own weight.
General Wan released his hilt and sat on the blade, roaring loud and proud.
"AH! Yah! Now this is the excursion I needed! What say you Moxue? Your Highness? Surely you crave for more bloody bastards to dare waltz their lives into our hands?"
Hong Moxue didn't answer.
He stood at the precipice of a vined over and moss encroached stump. Moonlight trickled down his long black hair, shimmering off the blood he steadily cleaned away with a handkerchief.
"Too weak."
General Wan just scoffed at that answer.
"What do you expect? They ain't region lords, only if one of them showed their cowardly mugs would we have a decent fight." General Wan smacked his knee in frustration.
Bam! Both Moxue and General Wan look over to his highness the emperor. The tall aged man looking no older than 30 dropped a deceased, held one hand high and the other curled behind his back.
"We aren't worth their time."
Crack. Emperor Jie held out an emblem to the moonlight, a crack now slicing down the marked viper entangling a sword, blood painting its silver attributes.
His sight passed the emblem to the moon, disgust crinkling his eyes into a squint. "Her world is too dangerous for what little it offers. Peace is not enough for those war hungry mongrels to risk their lives. It never was and it never will be."
"Peace is poison for them." Hong Moxue stated. "We're standing— no. Drenched in their proof 'that' will never change."
General Wan was quiet, his eyes fell over the carnage disappearing before their eyes. Distortions ate away at the death threatening to encroach their lands. The blood sucked away. The grasslands returned to its tranquility as if the previous guardian was still here, lovingly watching over her home.
Emperor Jie tucked the emblem away. "For living here without her consent, it is only right we protect this peace. For her and ourselves. For the prosperity, for the only place left where war will never be wrought."
"Ha…" Emperor Jie sighed. "Well hopefully it never will be. For as long as I reign. Those factions will keep their tails tucked. Even if, per say, they claim the treasures and rebel. Ha. They ought to hide themselves well. For this world she left may give us peace now—"
He looked past the grasslands, passed the mountains, crossing the destroyed forest, through the decaying beach, over the blood red ocean, to the black fires that have eaten away half of this world.
His eyes closed then opened once more to the full moon. "—But who's to say when that will end."
The three men were silent. The wind whistled. The trees rustled. The grass sways. The wildlife sings to the music of the night.
"War be damned! We just have to make sure that never happens!" General Wan clapped his fist to his palm. "Until this general's life blood runs dry, I will not let this hard won peace ever end, this I swear!"
"Spoken true for once."
"AHAHAHA!" General Wan just laughed at Hong Moxue's response. "Say, Moxue, let's return to the topic. Let's say one of the region lords did come."
"Too. Weak." Hong Moxue harshly enunciated each word.
"Ha!" General Wan scoffed. "You arrogant piece of blood stained ice. I say, would any of the region lords give you a sense of crisis, or will you say, fuck them all, let them come at me all at once, then maybe, just maybe I'd break a sweat, eh?"
"Maybe." Hong Moxue spoke lightly, agreeing with ease and causing General Wan to pop a vein.
"You! Moxue!" General Wan slapped both his knees and stood up. "Is there no one out there you feel you can't beat, or are you just that overconfident?"
Hong Moxue glanced over at General Wan with furrowed brows. "I will never fight the blood emperor. Even in his weakened state, I will not seek my own death."
"Hahaha—" General Wan shivered. He grabbed for his shoulder and messaged it deeply. "We have more of a chance of the region lord visiting over that monstrous bastard." He ended with "thank the heavens for that," in a whisper.
Emperor Jie smiled, a sense of peace relaxing his shoulders and knot in his heart. Listening to them always gave him a sense of stability. If only Anying were awake, then it would be perfect.
Bang! Suddenly lightning broke apart the peace and started rippling once more. The dark clouds again blocked out the moon and lit up the sky serpents of lightning.
"It seems the night is still young my friends." Announced Emperor Jie. "So— Who's region lord's men will it be this time?"
Emperor Jie drew his blade once more, his eyes narrowing on the first intruder's hips. "Snake…the western lord again?"
A figure tall and lithe stood in his memories. His cold serpent-like gaze looked down upon him with cunning madness, and in his grasp was the severed head of his 4th brother.
Behind him, sitting in his throne was his father not batting an eye at the death of one of his sons. A beauty to each one of his sides laughing and giggling as they fight for his affection.
The western region lord grinned wide, his head tilted to the side. "Your highness. Mozen's sword for the head of your son. I think it's a fair trade, no?" Was the first words he heard from that insane man.
Has he finally decided he wanted this world for himself? No. He'd have come personally if that were the case.
Then what? What does that mad man want?
"Is the western region lord dumping off his trash at our door? Not a single one isn't from his side." General Wan spoke out in confusion.
"It matters not. They all will die here." Hong Moxue stated a fact as he effortlessly cut down 10 men at once.
"You aren't wrong. Not a single one will survive." General Wan agreed as another 10 were cut into pieces.
Only Emperor Jie stayed where he was, watching another carnage take place. Watching this valley of hell swallow more and more lives. Watching as the war standing at their doorstep is thwarted once more.
He looked up and back at the clouds circling the continent, a question in his eyes he will seek an answer to later. A hope that he yearns for that he anxiously feels is close to being extinguished.
"Livida. What will your answer be."
• • •
Deep underground in a cave dripping with water, a woman dolled up in a pure white gown, adorned with several pieces of green jewelry, clicked her heels as she proudly walked. Her long golden hair swayed back and forth as a playful smirk danced across her face.
"Everything will come to a beautiful end in a raging fire, just as it was always meant to be. Yet you still try in vain despite knowing that. I truly don't understand you anymore."
Her heels came to a stop and she looked up. "Still not willing to answer me?"
"..." The darkened figure trapped in a watery prison entangled in roots kept quiet. They squeezed their knees and hid their face, small traces electricity swirling around them.
Lavida just chuckled as she tossed a few stones in the air. "That's fine. You don't need to. Just stay right where you are until the day you are slowly boiled alive."
Those stones vanished and turned into energy to empower the formation trapping the darkened figure. Thorny vines leapt out and tangled them, turning the water prison red with blood.
"In this world, we who have taken and given nothing in return don't deserve the life we have been given. And so to mother I pray—"
Lavida stepped into the light, the shadow casting itself onto the ground dark and long, curving itself into a weeping beast, whilst her immaculate face smiled with twisted glee.
"We do not deserve forgiveness. It is only death we deserve."