Several days of the journey seemed smooth for the group of eight warriors. There was no way for Benevence to figure out the hint of the two treasure pieces. Invicta Draven may have made such cryptic riddle to prevent anyone from laying hands on his weapons.
"Invicta Draven had two weapons," said Chi when she was taking rest with the group. "The sword, Heaven's Grace and the sabre, Dragon's Rage. The sword is gentle in nature, and the sabre is indeed fiercer. Neither the sword nor the sabre is stronger, but in fact, they are complementing one another. That is the principle of yin and yang. This was what Sister Nuwa told me."
"It seems similar," said Zhanshi as he turned to Sunu. "Similar to what Mistress Myst'wing had said about dragon conquering skill. Everything should exist in perfect harmony, balance."
Sunu replied with her smile and said, "the Universe always in the perfect balance. So shall we."
The Sol had travelled through the sky for several days already when the heroes reached the entrance cavern of Nuwa's Sanctuary. As they about to enter the cave, a swoosh of dagger flew passed and landed on a tree's trunk. They turned their back to look and got petrified.
It was Benevence, with his warriors. And among his warriors, they saw a lady in red dress – Lord Xin. She was looking grave; it could be that she was forced to get involved.
"So," said Benevence. "This is the entrance to Invicta Draven's tomb?"
Chi and her friends were horrified. Of course, Benevence couldn't have figured it out. Still, they in fact without their knowledge had led Benevence and his no-good Warriors of Benevolence to desecrated Nuwa's Sanctuary and the tomb of Invicta Draven. All the time, Benevence had followed them in secret. How could they not have realised it?
"You cannot enter Sister Nuwa's Sanctuary!" Chi went to stand between Benevence and the sanctuary's entrance.
"What can you do to stop us?" said Benevence as his warriors drew out their weapons. All of the weapons have been imbued by ignium.
Sunu and Chi were started; once the sacred metal of Igniswing, now was a common metal for weaponry. A thought of Chi's redragon friend came to her mind. Fear that he might be in danger made Chi asked, "Is Emberfist alright?"
But Benevence was quiet, ignoring Chi's irrelevant question. Thus, Chi turned around to seek the answer from the warriors. Only Lord Xin replied, "Emberfist is alright. So are the Igniswing tribe. He fought hard to protect Igniswing."
Thank goodness. Emberfist had done well to protect the redragons. It would so hard for him to choose between the allegiance to Benevence and the sake of Igniswing.
"Now back off, Lady Myst'wing," said Benevence. "I do not want to hurt you!"
"You will never stand a chance against me," said Chi. "Or Sister Nuwa."
"Or with us!" Zhanshi, Vincere and Zhu Ming went to stand beside Chi. Only Sunu, Ziwo, Violetia and Mirai still stood at where they were.
"Back off," said Benevence.
But Chi was unmoved.
"Chi, and all of you," said Sunu, "It's dangerous. Come back here."
"Don't worry," said Chi. "Papa will protect me like he always does."
"It's not like this," said Sunu. "Don't ever find trouble. Come back here, Chi, and all of you."
Still, neither Chi, Zhanshi, Vincere nor Zhu Ming had moved a muscle.
"I'm giving you all one last chance," said Benevence.
"No," said Sunu. "Come back here at once!" The intensity of her voice could show how tense the situation was. "Sister Nuwa can handle…" Before Sunu could finish her sentence…
"So be it." In no time, Benevence launched a damaging red wave toward Chi and her friends.
The red wave was so fast that there was nothing they could do. Thus, Sunu had to do what she has to do; like what every mother would do – and she flew to between the Benevence and her beloved Chi and her friends…
AHHH!
The wave hit Sunu. So excruciating that she let out a blood-curdling shout.
"Mama!!!" Chi shrieked. Her eyes were rolling with tears. Where was her papa when she needed him? How could her papa let her beloved spouse in danger?
Sunu dropped to the ground. Chi, Zhanshi, Vincere and the rest all came to Sunu. At their heart, Sunu was like their mama. They hoped it was only minor damage since a redragon could withstand any blast.
"Mama!" said Chi, looking at her weakened mama. It was no minor hit. The red blast from Benevence's ignium-imbued sword was damaging even to the redragon. Her mama looked as though she was sleepy and could doze off to sleep at any moment.
Benevence looked as though nothing had happened. "Warriors, let's head to the Draven's tomb." And he walked past them along with his warriors into the entrance. Lord Xin paused a moment to look at Sunu, Chi and Violetia and a glance of Ziwo before she joined Benevence and disappeared in the dark cavern.
"No, you don't!" shouted Ziwo with sudden great rage and in high speed, he followed Benevence into the cavern. Sounds of metal swings and crushing rocks followed.
"Please, papa. Anyone, please save my mama…" Tears were flowing from the corner of Chi's eyes. Mirai came and touched Sunu at her cheek, but Mirai looked confused. "I can't really see your mama's fate. It's blurry." This made Chi and her friends even more bewildered. How could someone who is nearing death but could never be death?
Sunu's hand reached for Chi's cheek to wipe the tears off. "Chi-dear, take care. Mama will join Jing-dear soon…"
And then, a sweet familiar voice spoke not far. "Sister Chi…"
Chi and the heroes turned to the voice and saw Nuwa.
When Nuwa caught a glance of Chi crying, she could feel how Chi was feeling right now that she dropped her basket of forages as she hurried to Sunu and checked her pulses. "Your mama's weak. Let me bring your mama to the lake. This is the only way to heal her."
"Sister Nuwa," said Chi. "Benevence had brought several of his men to loot the tomb of Invicta Draven."
"Benevence," said Nuwa. She looked as though she was offended, but when she looked at the heroes, her countenance changed. "Well then, follow me too," Nuwa muttered an incantation, and a spherical orb with green and blue paint appeared. When the portal had focused, the colour of green and blue turned out to be a scenery of lake with rising vapour.
"Come," said Nuwa, as she used her power to carry Sunu through the portal. Chi and her friends followed by. It was nearing a year since Chi had come to Nuwa's Sanctuary and the lake. It was the same lake that gave Chi a new physical form. Would the lake give her mama a stronger and gentler new form?
"Sister Chi, your mama doesn't have enough strength to descend the lake by herself. It seems that there's only one way and it was destined."
Nuwa carried Sunu with her arms, descending into the lake. Nuwa and Sunu disappeared in the lake's rising vapour and submerged in it. Beneath the lake, Chi could see the silhouette of Nuwa and Sunu becoming one. After a while, Nuwa crawled up from the lake alone. She looked so weak that she could not stand on her feet. But Sunu was nowhere to be seen. Once Nuwa reached the higher ground, she limped on the grass.
"Where's mama, Sister Nuwa?" said Chi.
"Your mama's body was too weak, but your mama's mind is stronger. I and your mama now sharing the same body. This is already destined. I had this premonition several months ago. Chi-dear…" Nuwa spoke out with all her strength.
"Lady Nuwa," said Zhanshi. "Benevence and his allies are too powerful for us. You're the only hope."
But now Nuwa was so weak that she couldn't even stand up. How could she defeat Benevence and his warriors? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and exhaled and repeated the process.
"I wish… to deal with Benevence myself." Nuwa was struggling through the words. "He has the nerve to intrude my beloved protégé's resting place… but…"
"Sister Nuwa," said Chi. "We can fight him with the help of my papa."
But Nuwa just shook her head to disapprove. "Descend into the lake, Zhanshi, Vincere, Ming, Mirai and Violetia. This lake will transform your physical body to the one that attunes with your mind. It will also greatly amplify your powers. Remember, do set your mind at peace. It's the mind that controls the physical form; not otherwise. If the mind's strong, the body is likewise."
Without a second thought, Zhanshi descended into the lake; followed by Vincere, Zhu Ming, Mirai and Violetia.
As the heroes had submerged into the lake, Chi could recall the moment she descended the lake. She had found herself became swifter and powerful with her new form. The warm sensation on her skin was still vivid in her memory like she had descended the lake yesterday.
She could see her friends were changing forms. After some time, her friends, one by one, emerged from the lake, stepping onto the higher ground. Her friends' physical forms were now humans, yet she could still recognise their identities. They glanced at their new forms at their reflection on the surface.
Zhanshi had a square face and stoic looks with an oriental armour of green and gold, filigreed with Azuredragon's motif. While Vincere had a majestic oval face with a plate mail of silver and gold that seemed as if it belongs to an angel. Zhu Ming had a triangular face and wore leather armour with a skywolf motif. Mirai had a heart-shaped face with a robe of brown and white which resembled her past form of a vixen. Violetia had a new dress of violet and black, and she still retains her original form of violet and white.
Nuwa gave them a smile. "Now, you all have new forms with greater power. Follow this way to the tomb... it is much faster... now, go…"
The heroes nodded (except for Chi which she was still worried about her mama and Nuwa). They hurried off, disappearing through the bushes as the rattling leaves became silence.
"Sister Nuwa, let me help." Chi was still at the lake attending Nuwa as she tried to pull her up to the nearest bench. Nuwa's feet were weak that she could not support her weight. Chi supported Nuwa until a bench so that Nuwa could borrow the bench support to help her regulate her breathing.
"Don't worry about me… Chi-dear… Your friends need you more… go now… I just need more rest…"
Without another thought, Chi hurried through the patch of grass and trees; blades of leaves swished as she went, and after some time, she reached the entrance of Draven's tomb. The tomb was carved out from a cavern. Perhaps Invicta Draven had carved it out from a mountain to seal his weapons. Statues of a dragon and a phoenix were guarding the tomb's entrance, but they had failed in their duty since then stone entrance had been broken. On the ground, there were several lifeless bodies scattered everywhere. What curious was, needles the length of Chi's index finger sprouted from the bodies. It must be the tomb itself had defence mechanisms such as traps. No doubt that Benevence may have used them as meat shields to save his own skin. How benevolent and kind he was.
As she went deeper and deeper into the tomb, more bodies of Benevence's meat shields were found. Chi got worried. What if Benevence used her friends as meat shields if all his warriors were death?
With the faint light far in front as her source of a beacon in the dark cavern, she quickened her moves, and she could hear the sound of laughs and talks. As Chi walked nearer, the faint sound became clear that she knew who were talking: Lord Xin and Benevence.
Chi had reached the deepest area of Invicta Draven's tomb. But she couldn't see any statue or anything that may have kept the legendary treasures. All she could see was a stone wall; the end of the Draven's tomb. Zhanshi, Vincere, Zhu Ming, Violetia and Mirai were standing before her; all stood to look at Benevence, Ziwo and Lord Xin.