Chapter Song Suggestion - "Admiral Zheng He by Derek Fiechter"
Inka woke up reaching for the other side of bed to find it empty. Her heart sank. Kyou was gone. Last night, she was semi-aware of him crawling into bed and in his own way, he had apologized. The fact that he did was enough for her to forgive him. She could imagine how rare it was for him — the Emperor — to do so.
Stretching lazily with a contented smile, she paused at the sight of breakfast on the table. Next to a bowl of steaming chicken congee sat a note from Kyou.
'You look beautiful in your sleep; I didn't have the heart to wake you. I've gone out with Commander Rei and Kairyuu. Eat your breakfast and I'll see you when I return. – Kyou'
Inka read the note repeatedly with a nonsensical grin. Kyou thought she was beautiful. Her cheeks flamed and her heart expanded. She resisted the urge to twirl happily around the room.
After breakfast and her morning routine, a servant knocked on her door. "His Majesty requests your presence in the royal library."
A tiny frown pleated Inka's brow. Had the King changed his mind about last night? "Can you show me the way?"
The servant obliged and led her through a maze of open-air hallways, the crisp mountain air filling her lungs with each breath. They crossed a tiny rope bridge overlooking a bonsai garden and a floating lily lake.
The palace was enormous.
After ascending a stretch of steps, they arrived outside a lone building guarded by a pair of majestic tiger statues. The giant red doors added to its symbolic ambience.
"Thank you," she murmured thankfully and hesitantly pushed open the gilded doors, wincing at the sharp creak.
"Little dove, is that you?" Shuhei's voice echoed from within.
Inka gaped at the immense collection of books sitting on infinite rows of rock shelves, her head tilting to observe the top. It was a veritable treasure trove for book lovers. "Your Majesty?"
"I'm over here!" He hollered.
She passed a variety of papyrus parchments and oriental bamboo scrolls before reaching the western section of hardcover books. The King of Donggu was a well-read man. Inka found him idling on a portable ladder with a book in one hand. He smiled down at her. "Good morning, little dove. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, thank you. You wanted to see me?"
"Ah, yes." He snapped the book shut and hopped off with the ease of a man who had done this several times. "I've come to a decision after pondering all night, and while I did promise to help you, I want you to know that I'm helping you of my own accord."
"May I ask why you're willing to help me?" She hurried to add. "Not because I'm ungrateful but because I am a stranger to you. There's no obligation for you to uphold your promise to me."
"Because you remind me of Catrina." He simply answered. "Seeing you brings back nostalgic memories of my past and I'm feeling generous." His expression turns sad but thoughtful. "And maybe I wish to compensate for the guilt of what happened to her. If Catrina never met me, then she would still be alive and possibly happy."
This time, Inka was certain he wasn't capable of true evil, even one hell-bent on revenge. "If I were Catrina," she murmured, "I would be happy to know that I was well loved. Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty."
"Shuhei. You may address me by my name."
Grudgingly, she nodded. "Thank you, Shuhei."
He appeared visibly pleased. "I've enlisted my brothers' help to begin the search for your tribespeople. They are on a mission as we speak."
Was that the reason why Kyou had left so early? "What kind of mission?"
"I sent them to retrieve the Madame. She will know where your people are."
She wore a half-uneasy, half-confused glance. "But she doesn't know."
He clucked his tongue in disapproval over her glaring naiveté. "She lied. It's impossible for her not to know because your womenfolk would fetch a high price in the slave market – mostly as a novelty pet for the upper echelons."
Inka shuddered at the possible depravities her tribespeople might be made to suffer. "Do you think they've already been sold?"
"I don't know, little dove. I can't promise you that they will all be found but," he took a fortifying breath, sympathy in his brown eyes, "I can promise to try to bring them back safely."
Hope was like a candle in the wind. She couldn't control the sense of devastation and loss spiralling through her. "What if we can't find them?"
"Then it means I'm an incompetent King," he replied in defeat.
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Somewhere in the mountains…
"He did this on purpose!" Ryuu grumbled in exasperation as they paused to survey their surroundings. "Shuhei couldn't have given us a better description of the slave drivers' den. These mountains all look alike!"
"I couldn't agree more," Rei panted, shielding his eyes from the blazing sun.
"It has to be around here somewhere," Kyou insisted, staring hard at the uneven rocks, as if it would magically reveal the way. "He said to look for a cave opening resembling a lion's jaw."
"You would think something so bizarre could be easily found." Rei sat down on a jagged boulder. "We've been walking all morning. I don't think it's here."
Ryuu unstrapped his water pouch and leaned back to take a nice long sip when he bumped into a tiny cleft in the rock wall. Suddenly, their surroundings vibrated vigorously. The three of them startled to attention when the walls cracked to reveal a darkened chamber within.
"What the ─," Ryuu gawked, his water forgotten as he observed the tapering structures hovering dangerously over them. "I think...I think we found it."
"More like under it," Rei murmured, realizing they were standing inside the so-called lion's mouth. The cave was overwhelmed with tapering limestone structures of enormous proportions, hindering intruders from going further. "This place is a death trap."
They jumped when the walls shut, plunging them into total darkness.
"How wonderful," Ryuu muttered sarcastically. "Now we're stuck in here without a light."
"Hold on," Rei remarked. "I have some matches." There was a distinct rustling of clothes as he fumbled for them, followed by a sharp rip. Soon, a dim flame flickered to life, casting a soft, orange glow upon their faces.
Relief was temporary. Now they were saddled with a time limit. "This fire won't last for long," Kyou declared. "Come on, we need to find that woman or we'll be stranded here for good."
They trudged deeper into the cave, careful to avoid getting stabbed or stumbling on a misstep. A continuous dripping of water echoed, accompanied by the ghostly whistle of wind pressure. Soon, they were faced with a dilemma in the form of three hollow tunnels.
"Which way should we go?" Ryuu asked, less than eager to continue.
"We should split up," Rei suggested. "It'll save time."
"He's right," Kyou conceded. "But be careful. The element of surprise is still our enemy." Not to mention, they were at a severe disadvantage without light. "These tunnels will eventually lead to a connecting point, and we'll regroup there. Do whatever is necessary to capture the Madame." He stressed firmly, never compromising when it came to achieving his goal.
"I'll take the middle tunnel," Ryuu volunteered.
"And I'll take the left," Rei stated, fixing everyone a small fire before they dispersed.
Venturing deeper into the cold, airy tunnel, Kyou froze at the tell-tale sound of approaching footfalls. He blew out his fire and unsheathed his sword. With nowhere to hide, he decided to take down the slavers if he must but, the tangled voices faded away and headed into another direction. Exhaling with ease, he continued tracking onwards.
In the left tunnel, Rei encountered an empty room leading to a sealed doorway. Skeptically, he pried the lock open and stepped inside. Chasing off the darkness, he raised his meagre flame over the disarray of maps, sketches and papers pinned against a mud wall. It hit him that he had found a wealth of hidden information. He wasted no time to pore over them.
Ryuu, on the other hand was fumbling with a dying flame. A sudden gust of wind left him in utter darkness. Releasing a string of expletives at his bad luck, he extended both hands to blindly guide him into a poorly lit hallway. "What the hell?" he whispered.
The first thing that hit him was the offensive smell — pungent decay and metallic blood. His nose twitched. Next were the sounds of crying children, coupled with garbled moans of...men? Women? He had no idea. Had he found the captives? He gingerly shuffled down a row of caged dungeons, hearing the prisoners wretched pleas to save them. He flinched at a woman's sharp wail.
"Shush!" he hissed. He was afraid their ruckus would alert the guards. He hurried around a corner and was arrested by an inhumanely chained figure. Closing the distance, he realized it was a young woman in a dirty, torn gown; her features obscured by a tumble of dark, matted hair. Ryuu took an involuntarily step back at the unrefined stench wafting from her body.
There was a metal collar fitted around her neck and a rusty chain attached to her cuffed wrists and bloodied ankles. How long had she been kept down here in this condition? An incredulous rush of anger at her captors gripped him. "Can you hear me?" He reached out to touch her but drew back when she released a barbaric growl.
Dull and glassy eyes pinned him. He recognized that look, his rage doubling. This poor woman was drugged and judging by the fingernail marks in her palms, she appeared to be battling addiction.
"W-who are y-you?" Her teeth chattered.
Though faint, Ryuu was captivated by the smoke and honey of her voice.
"P-please…can you h-help me…?"
"What?" He snapped out of it. "No, I'm not ─,"
"Please!" she begged forcefully. "P-please!"
"Quiet!" he whispered harshly, stealing a quick glance over his shoulder. "I can't help you if the guards come running." Grimacing, he realized he had no choice. He doubted she would let him leave in one piece. He eyed her restrains with grave annoyance. "This is some piece of work."
"Please...," Her head bobbed as she fought to stay alert.
Pity consumed him. It was a feeling he thought to have buried and forgotten. The face of another woman — a blend of joy and sorrow flashed before him. He hadn't known his teeth were clenched until he had to forcefully relax his jaw. Pushing away the wayward memories, he wondered how the hell he was going to get them both out of here.