The hallways were quiet, Khan Ni's footsteps rang out the most, while the Twins clacked along on their talons. Wu Hai's wing's were giving off a buzzing noise, they were about the same size as the rest of his body and they kept him in the air. While the group followed from behind, Wu Hai found himself darting from spot to spot.
Down the Main Hallway, the walls were covered in carvings and tapestries that seemed frozen into the wall itself. The majority of them were frosted over but remained visible. Among the most notable were the paintings of Dragons, metal Birds and giant Beasts clashing along the landscape backgrounds. The Lobby floor was spacious and a stage was present at the end. There were only a few Humans shown on the walls that led to the staircase for the second level.
One of the paintings of a Human was that of the Great King Latsu and another man standing atop a pile of bodies in a Victory pose. The bodies were not all Human, some were Semon, some were Animals, but one thing was for certain, all things around the Human men were dead. The figures giving the victory pose had his head faced to the heavens, he was roaring in anger.
'The Violence of the picture will only be easy to remember but why such scenes?' Wu Hai wondered about the paintings, their picturesque backgrounds and gruesome images, though shadowed by the Ice, were still easily seen. There were hundreds of paintings but few with Humans and there had to be a reason to it.
Around a corner, the long staircase that continued up could be seen. The group wanted to go up several floors at once but only if they so chose it.
"Wu Hai, What do you have in mind? Does the Compass help you in here?" Khan Ni was being inquisitive, after experiencing a rise in her strength and intuition she already craved more. For whatever reason, she knew her body was stronger and the only thing she could connect with the sudden change was the Golden Light.
"The Compass is spinning, whatever its pointing to must be above or below us. Since it's a tower, we go up!" Wu Hai made a decision and stuck to it. There was a stairwell leading down but the vent in the center of the stairwell led to a heat source. A Steam rose in billows that wanted to melt the ice-like walls.
The Towering Pagoda was a mystery that they all wanted to understand, the steam meant incredible heat while the Ice meant intense cold.
Moisture on the walls accumulated as they climbed the stairs. The Ice-like walls didn't even seem to be affected by the steam at all, instead the steam would settle, adding layers of frost on top of each other. The higher the group went, the narrower the staircase and the more the insides of the tower resembled a frost riddled freezer.
Finally, they could go no further and the group was forced into a room at the end of the Stairs.
Sitting atop a pillow was an ethereal beastkin that was dressed like a Monk, he was surrounded by eight large feline statues, each with its own articulation and style. In the center of it all, below the pillows and statues was a large lotus Altar.
"A Monk?" Mu and Yu were both confused. The Beastkin looked like a like a Cat but wore the clothes of a monk, his long gray tail swayed Wu Hai had spoken. He was illusory and slightly transparent at times, an icy glow followed around his body in pulses.
Opening his eyes, everyone stood ready for an attack. The statues seemed to turn on their own as the Monk faced the group.
There was no sense of violence coming from the Monk. Content in his own meditation, surrounded by monuments to its Ancestors, he was unafraid of the intruders.
"What brings such beings into my chamber, do you seek the Towers reward?" The ghostly Bastet Monk spoke, bringing everyone's attention to his words.
'Reward?' The Twins had thoughts but kept silent.
"It would be a lie to say we do not seek something that is here, but a reward? Is such a thing given to those that come?" Wu Hai was fair and asked questions rather than making demands.
"Your choices will determine your outcome, in this Tower, in this World, in this Life." He spoke between breaths and enunciated every word, "The Experiences you gain can only increase in difficulty, it's alluring nature ever present. A Mountain is only a Mountain but a Peak can rise to new heights. The way of your existence is but a fleeting moment, chance and prevail, fail to and expire. There is no greater adventure than a life itself, cherish yours and give." The Monk spirit trailed off and looked like he was waiting for a reply.
"Give Life" Yu repeated the words the Green Orb kept chanting again and again, it had almost never shut up about it either.
The Bastet monk kept quiet, Yu felt like he had given the wrong answer and held his tongue.
Zao Wu Hai had been preparing for this for a long time, the answer had to deal with the objects that came with the compass, its what had led him there.
"Charity," Wu Hai couldn't help himself.. he blurted it out.
Rising to his feet, the Bastet Monk kowtowed to the group and said "It has been a long time, but it seems there is finally someone with a sense of vision. The answer was with all who came before, yet none have opened their eyes."
Having been to the Shrines in the Mountains with his Mother quite often, Wu Hai was quite familiar with the concept of charity and kindness. he tried his best to remain calm and assess the situation but as most things were in his life, the situation seemed out of his control.
"I am called Morning Dew, Tower Spirit of the Azure Pagoda. I was tasked to advise those who answer the question and dispatch those that cannot. You are fortunate that you answered swiftly, I was prepared to strike." Waving his hands, Morning Dew patted and dismissed the statues that surrounded him like mist in the wind, transported elsewhere. Another wave of his hand summoned a Table and tea set.
"Sit, I will explain." The Monk spirit didn't leave room for negotiation, the group could sense that he was powerful and held a great deal of control over the space around them. Disagreeing wouldn't be helpful to any of them.
"Has Morning Dew completed the Tower's tests before? Is that why you guard it?" Khan Ni asked eagerly, she really liked the attitude that Morning Dew was exhibiting. His level of authority was on a completely higher level and she had a deep respect for Spirits.
"Children always ask questions, why ask before I have spoken? These obstacles will endanger you in the future, observe well." Refusing to budge on his position and authority, Morning Dew continued with a prideful tone.
"Many have come, many have died. The top of the tower holds the reward. When you choose to not complete a test, you've already failed. Each test will be different than the last, none are quite what they seem. Only Five Tests exist, Resolve, Temperament, Heart, Mind and Soul. What you experience will be yours alone, none can assist. Each of you must accomplish your own victories." Morning Dew stared intently at the Twins who seemed inseparable.
"I have said all I am allowed, Go and Do not Return." Sitting back in his Lotus, the Monk waved his hand slightly and the eight statues returned, all in different poses than before.
Before the group left, the Monk stopped them to ask a question. "I have a question for the Qilin in the back, would that be alright?"
Morning Dew asked one question of Cheng Yu. "Why did you answer 'Give Life' to my message?" Keeping his curiosity in tact, the answer did not matter to him either way.
"All of us spent some time near a bright green Orb, It never stopped saying those words as if tempting us, somehow it felt like the words belonged in your message. Brother Wu told us not to listen to it and to leave it where it was." Cheng Yu held nothing back, not feeling the need.
"Resisting Ferris's Grasp is a feat in its own. Even my descendants are not immune. Go.. find your path." Passing his hand over Yu a golden light shrouded him and pulsed. In a matter of moments Yu felt stronger, much stronger than before.
He flexed his hands, "Wu Hai, lets go see what we can find!" Cheng Yu flexed at his brother while Mu shook his head. They both walked forward to the wall that Morning Dew had pointed toward. A path ahead, one for each of them opened up, it split into four while they took steps forward.
"These tests are designed, cheating only serves to cheat yourselves. You've been warned." Finally closing his eyes Morning Dew looked just as they group had found him.
The paths were narrow and steep, winding in different ways. The group found themselves alone at the ends of their individual staircases. Stepping into a bright light, each of them had their own tests to fulfill.
Wu Hai found himself at his parents house.
Khan Ni found herself in her hometown, surrounded by her people.
The Twins, although alone, each found themselves facing a forest treeline on a hunt for prey surrounded by their missing clansmen.
None of them expected what they saw in front of them and there was much they didn't understand.