Guards surrounded the gates, prepared for anything.
Soldiers rang an alarm bell and the Beast was surrounded on all sides.
When the Beast came to a stop, spear tips were pointed at it from every direction.
The Guards shouted, demanding that the rider come out. The sound of a long yawn could be heard from inside the Coach. "What? Are we there yet?" Dissait poked his head out of the enclosure and saw the Zao City Guards. "Ahh, Get someone from the Medical Staff here immediately, inform the Patriarch that I've returned."
Very quickly, several soldiers collected Hana and flew to the Medical Building.
When Dissait arrived, he bowed respectfully toward the Patriarch and began to explain the details of their encounter.
"Ultinians? But that, I thought that was just a nasty rumor.." Patriarch Ooran looked at Hana with pain in his eyes. "How long?"
"Three weeks. I had no other means to travel, thankfully she contracted the Astradon and it could carry us back to the Sect." Dissait kept his head down in shame. It had happened on his watch, there was no redirecting his anguish.
The Patriarch tapped him on the shoulders, "I'm sure you did everything you could to protect her, the fates have seen her to this point. All we can do now is wait and see." Go meet your supervisors and inform them of the Ultinian, the place where you fought and I want a group of scouts to search the area.." Dissait nodded and flickered from view.
Alone in the Medical Ward of the Castle, he paced around Hana's bed. 'What have you done? Granddaughter, you're too rash.' Her complexion was pale like she had been on deaths door, her body was cold.
The Matriarch heard the news and came to see the situation for herself, when she saw Hana laying down with her eyes closed, she was happy that she was alive. "Call him. Call him now.." Fury raged in Calistown's eyes, starlight beamed a strong pressure washed over the entire Castle. It took a moment for the guards to recognize the energy patterns, the Matriarch rarely showed her anger. She began to beat against Ooran's chest, repeating herself. "call him... call him.." Her words were muffled by Ooran's robes.
"I will." Ooran stroked Calistown's face. "Our granddaughter lives, this is hope. Let us wait for the doctors to examine her."
"Un." Calistown nodded.
About an hour later, they exited the room. "They say she's going to be alright, she's suffering from a backlash, a big one. It could hurt her future but she's breathing, and that's what we should focus on. She'll wake up after its time." Ooran spewed something out, even he couldn't believe his words but he had to remain optimistic in the face of tragedy.
"Lets contact the Emperor." He led Calistown to their bedroom and located a communication stone. With a deep breath, he poured his energy into and though only of his son. Very quickly, a connection was made.
"Father? What's going on? Are you alright?" Wu Hai was studying in the Library.
"Its about Hana. You should come here as soon as possible." Ooran's voice trembled and Wu Hai dropped the communication stone.
A Moment later, Ooran's communication stone shattered and the Castle began to shake. A Dark bubble appeared in their Bedroom, Lightning sparks discharged in every direction and Wu Hai stepped through.
"Where is she?" Guards knocked on the doorway, when the saw the Emperor, they all knelt. Wu Hai repeated himself. "Where is my Daughter!" A powerful energy was released and the castle shook itself free of dirt, every hallway, every door, every stone shifted slightly.
"She lives. She's in the Medical ward, Room 4." The guards answered quickly.
"Father, I will meet you there." Another teleportation ring appeared in his hands and then he flicked his fingers, disappearing altogether.
The Castle Shook once more.
Standing by her bedside, Wu Hai took out an Ancient Healing Potion and poured it down her throat. When that didn't work, he started to pull out treasures. One by one, he tried them all.
When they didn't work, he sank his spiritual sense into her body and retracted it just as fast.
"Heart of all Darkness." 'She just got the books, did she really want to get stronger that fast?' Hana had paid the blood price and survived until now. Zao Wu Hai knelt down beside her bed and held her hand. There was little he could do besides wait. He pulled out a communication stone and made contact with Kuzunoha.
"Its Hana, she's in a Coma from backlash. Tell Ibuwere to handle things while I am away, its time for him to work so I can handle this. I am going to return with her in a week if she's not awakened. Manage without me, I love you." The Crystal broke and he took out another.
He called Harris for answers, even Xuan Kim Li. Neither of them had a solution to her problem, in the end, Wu Hai could only think of something he wished he hadn't.
Three days later,
The Throne room was filled with the Elders of the Sect, those that were nearby returned from mission and they were waiting for the recon group to return. Dissait had gone along with the group to retrace their steps.
The Emperor sat on the center of the Throne room floor, channeling his energy and directing it throughout his body. The immense concentration could be measured by the beads of sweat that ran down his body. He wasn't just thinking, Wu Hai was desperately searching his mind for answers. "There has to be another solution." He didn't mean to say the words out loud but it garnered questions.
Kuzunoha sat at the side. "What solution?"
"I didn't want to consider it, its just too much." Wu Hai hung his head for a moment then stood up, walked to the Empress and created an isolation barrier around them.
As he whispered the details, her expressions were awful. Shaking her head in disagreement, eventually the Empress began to cry and sulk. It wasn't until she had regained her composure that Wu Hai wiped her tears and disabled the formation.
"Absolutely not. There has to be another way." Kuzunoha's eyes glittered with tears and her voice was one of outrage.
"I've tried every solution, every treasure at my disposal, save this.." Wu Hai took off his crown and knelt beside the Empress. "You know my words are right, even if we both hate the decision."
"If anything happens, I'll never forgive you." Kuzunoha's eyes were red and the white fire that burned around her began to show flickers of crimson.
Wu Hai nodded and spoke to the guards in the room, "Gather the Stealth Team when they return, I want answers when they arrive." A teleportation ring formed in his hands and he flicked his fingers. The Empress was gone, Wu Hai was gone, all that remained were some fluttering drapes within the throne room.
The Castle Shook a few times after that, the Emperor was moving from place to place rapidly. After the final shift in his position and the dust settled, the entire City went on alert and into action.
Patriarch Ooran had his own ideas about what his Son was about to do. 'Reckless, but that's how you've always been.' He found a quiet place to pray and begged for his family. Rays of sunshine drowned their way into the glass panes of the Castle, a purple light filled every corner. Shadows crept into hidden spaces a voice came into Patriarch Ooran's ears.
His eyes grew wide and he struck out behind him but no one was there. The whispering had gone, only an echoing laughter caught the wind.
֍ꟷꟷꟷꟷ֍
In the Tower City Pagoda, Zao Wu Hai was discussing the details of his plan more thoroughly with Kuzunoha. "..I will be back as soon as I have answers, regardless of the outcome." Wu Hai withdrew the Tower Token to call Qu and Lu Sha over. "Ibuwere will take care of the battle outside in my absence, Support him in every way. Qu. I need rings #221-225." He pulled out the Gygax Cup and a bag of Dice.
While searching through the bag, he pulled out three. "Its been a long time.." Wu Hai spoke to himself and placed them into the Cup.
"May destiny smile upon the us..."
Without any more hesitation, he threw the dice and his body began to change shape.