"He gotta be kidding me," Chaska let out a dry laughed as he read the golden scroll from the capital to him, his wife, Joel nodded as she put the steaming teacup on the table.
The raven-haired man wrote invisible word using his forefinger above the cobalt blue seal, the magical seal gave a small cracking voice. The sound similar to moving wheels, gears tying with each other as the scroll unlocked.
Her husband's study was calm and quiet but she knew this won't be long till the news broke to the public.
As one of the great general and more like a guardian rather than one of the human, she knew sooner or later Chaska must take care of this matter.
He was one of the Jade Emperor's son, after all, his soul to be exact. But Chaska was reborn as a human to control the human realm.
It was no secret this world contained numerous realm, while Jade Emperor had his realm; the immortals including his children needed to stay in this realm to take care the balance where humanity and mystical creatures lived together.
"But are you sure?' Joel asked once again, Chaska let her took a peek to the black ink written on the scroll.
An oracle, written directly by the head priest; one of the rarest person who could hear the Jade Emperor's voice at the most random time.
"I also can't believe he would give another couple for Lao Tai Po (Great Grandmother)," Chaska chuckled, thinking the one who people feared and admired at the same time.
Joel smiled, it's been a while since they met her, "I kind of missing them," she addressed the mentioned one, they didn't know the immortal was a woman or a man this time.
The great Phoenix, one of the oldest immortal in this realm. One of the high guardians of the four cardinal directions.
But people often wronged them.
The Great Phoenix wasn't one of the guardians of the four cardinal directions.
They were the ancestor of the Vermillion Bird, the true guardian of the South.
The Vermillion Bird was Phoenix's descendant, the chosen one from their children. The heir and the position kept changing as the time went by and the immortals changed places with the young generations.
"We call them the ancient one," Chaska said, "They are like the watcher like how Lord Byakko chose one of his children to succeed his place as the West region."
Joel hummed, taking a sip of her flower tea as she tried to remember the ancient's one appearance back then.
She recalled the long robe, with crimson and golden, the long hair with another shade of red. The hair would get brighter to its tips, ethereal creature with a really pretty and manly face.
"Well, now I must prepare my horse to go to the fated maiden of the Ancient One," Chaska left a peck on his wife's rosy cheek before he called for his guard and summoned Var.
☾ ☾ ☾ ☾
I felt like I was forgetting something important as I helped my mother brought our breakfast to the dining room.
The house was separated from the kitchen, I sat on the terrace as I waited for the porridges to be ready.
This world seemed to be familiar, the setting gave me déjà vu.
The last memories that still clear inside my head was several days before I died.
That weird store!
Trying so hard, I recalled the old man told me an extraordinary story while I was looking around!
Of course!
How could I forget something as important as that?!
I spent almost four hours just looking around the store and even drinking tea together with the old man.
Before my mother called me, I ran to the office where my father often read books of herbs.
I took the armchair and climbed to see the wooden log, the same one that hit my head and gave me enlightenment about my past life.
Same.
The amulet plastered to the log was the same as the one that old man gave me!
The mysteries suddenly added up, what the meaning of this?
Was I supposed to know about this?
Was this destiny or the God up there playing with mine?
I wasn't one hundred percent sure but I believed the ancient words and the strokes were familiar to the one I had inside my pocket before the freaking car hit me.
"Seo Joon, Hwan-ah!" my parents shouted our names, I jumped down from the chair and walked to the dining room.
Hwan already sat on his seat while my mother was setting up the cutlery, my father put the basket full of fresh herbs.
I smiled as I walked to the table before loud stomping steps echoed from the outside.
"Soldiers from the capital is here!!!"
A scream from the neighbours rang, my father looked outside in alert.
I never see soldier from the capital, only from a painting in the school's classroom. In the Elder Wu who taught history to be exact.
My parents exchanged a glance and I was sure none of them knew the reason why those soldiers came either.
"Let's eat, let's eat," my father said, his voice calm but I could notice the slight tremble inside his tone. I was an adult, after all, I knew when older people tried to act nonchalant to avoid the problem.
We ended up eating in silence, my mother and father kept exchanging the glace.
Anticipating, maybe the soldiers came for an inspection but our village was famous to be one of the most peaceful ones.
The tension became better after we finished clean up the table, Hwan asking my parents if we could play outside and after my mother contemplating with herself. She permitted us as long we didn't go to the village's market.
I was bringing my book, wanting to write down my memories in case I forgot them because I was sure the old man's stories which I miraculously remembered out of the blue would be useful in the future.
"Ouch–" Hwan hissed when he accidentally hit someone in the front gate.
I rushed to my younger brother but before I help him to get up, an older man, so tall even taller than my father and the average male knelt.
"Are you okay, son?" the voice was deep and gentle, similar to my father's but an octave lower.
Both Hwan and I looked up, we were gaping like a fish trying to inhale oxygen and the other man chuckled as he ruffled our hair.
My mother let out a loud gasp as she walked closer to us, my father immediately bowed down when he saw the stranger.
"My lord!" my mother ran to us, forcing us to bow as fast as she could, "please forgive our children, they didn't know!"
The man waved his hand, "it's okay ma'am," the man raised his hand, I looked at the armours the stranger wore.
He must be one of the soldiers, I didn't understand fully but when I looked behind the stranger. it was obvious the man had higher status because his attire was different than the guards behind him.
I noticed one of the horse was bigger than the rest, judging from the man's body, the horse must be his.
Maroon, a dark shade of red and the horse looked so majestic. Untouchable but gentle and giving a warm gaze like its master to us.
"My name is Chaska," my mother went rigid behind us, I was sure I once or twice heard his name.
Hwan let out a surprised gasp, his face turned bright and excitement beaming from his entire body while I was becoming more and more similar to a gaping goldfish.
"You're the Great General of the Sirius Star," one of the guardians who reside in the capital, doing direct order from the Jade Emperor.
Also, the reincarnation of the Great one's children, the maroon horse; Var, one of the most famous powerful spirit who only listened to its master; the Great Star of Sirius Alpha, the brightest star was living proof.
To put it simply, Chaska, the reincarnation of the brightest star's soul gave a terror to my entire family except for Hwan who idolized the general so much.
Right, how could I miss him when he was Hwan's role model for a life-time?