Everything went still in the presence of Kivuli. Ayasu tried to push Sahiri and Aurelia behind her. Kivuli twisted his dark form until he stood as a man. His clothes were unlike any Aurelia had seen, a long white robe with gold-threaded lapels. His face bore tribal markings from a bygone age when the lions were human. A purple glow surrounded the serpentine eyes. Rows and rows of long sharpened teeth gleamed bright against his blackened form.
Behind him was the source of the footsteps dozens and dozens of grey-skinned, bat-eared humanoids with holes drilled into their skulls looked toward the darkness for guidance. Their eyes shone with devotion.
"I am Kivuli, and who are you to trespass into my city?" A hand adjusted the spectacles, "I don't have time to entertain guests. Not when I am on the verge of my monumental discovery. The answer I have sought for so long is in my grasp." Madness held onto Kivuli's voice.
Ayasu and Sahiri stood frozen in fear. Aurelia
Okay get ready for the far east. With their objectives finished in Kianzangi for the moment it's time to move on to the far east and then to the conclusion.
The loss of Kuende and Nyo cast a dark cloud over the journey back to Tambwe. They stopped off and retrieved the skull and some bones from Kongamato. Ayasu reasoned while they were not victorious in their search for Nyo and Kuende, to bring home a victory over a rival may soften the blow of losing the crafty hunters. The whole city came out to greet them, with Zinjo and Juma waiting ahead of assembled masses. Zinjo shoved all aside until he held Aurelia in his arms. She leaned into his shoulder and cried with joy and sorrow in equal parts. Ayasu raised herself above the crowd the heat of the afternoon sun beat down on her golden pelt. The effect made her look like a messenger from on high, "People of Tambwe, I have grown long in the tooth and wish to enjoy my golden years. To that end, I name Sahiri, wife of Juma, to be my successor." The people cheered loud for Sahiri, and Juma stood up a little taller. He gave Zinjo a smug look. Zinjo shrugged and gave an a
The weather favored the Nightingale's voyage to the far east. They encountered the blockades into the waters of Fā Tiáo Cheng. The naval ships were pleased to let them past, as the people of Fā Tiáo Cheng were consummate merchants. Gale clutched his bandana while he skillfully steered the ship into port. Aurelia noticed the humidity in the air almost immediately. As a human, she hated the hot and muggy feeling. As a werelion, she found comfort in the tropical climate. The port was alive with activity. Ship captains wheeled and dealt with passengers who sought adventure abroad. Merchants poured over the goods of recent arrivals. The scene seemed normal for a harbor, except the men made of metal. Each one differed in size and design, but they all had masses of gears and springs beneath their metallic chests and legs. A few had large knobs on the back, while others did not. "What are they?" Aurelia asked with awe  
Things in the far east are not going well for Aurelia and her mate Zinjo. Their search for the Lemurian runes took them to the city of Fā Tiáo Cheng, an advanced city with clockwork servants. Under the advisement of their ship captain, Gael, they came to the slums of Fā Tiáo Cheng to speak with Límāo Xiǎotōu. A man who deals in lost treasures and artifacts. Only to be attacked by clockwork servants themselves. Aurelia hissed at the hand-painted faces. To see machines act like men unsettled the princess. Their movements devoid of purpose and soft scrapes of metal and ticks from the gears made them more terrifying than Kongamato. "These should not be," Aurelia commented as she raised the Lion's Fang in defense. Zinjo brandished the ancestral partisan and nodded, "I agree with you, dark princess. These things are abominations meant to rust away into nothingness." Each one stood about six feet tall with springloaded limbs to add force to their blows. In their che
Límāo Xiǎotōu, stroked his mustache while Aurelia and Zinjo told him of their adventures across the world. The black marketer smiled and sipped from a tiny teacup he didn't interrupt or laugh. When they finished the tale, he held out his hand, "May I see the Lion's Fang?" "I want it back," Aurelia warned him. She drew the blade and presented it horizontally across her hands. The loving hands of Zinjo touched her shoulder, "I do not think our new friend is that foolish," He eyed Límāo with suspicion. "An Al' Miraj gifted you with its horn. To take the blade in greed would anger such a creature and bring bad luck. I am envious of such a beautiful weapon. Where did you get it originally?" Límāo ran his hand against the onyx metal. Aurelia related the tale of the spider monster she fought, and Límāo shot her a look of awe and respect, "Your deeds are worthy of song. Spider demons give the greatest of warriors difficulty." Límāo motioned for more tea, and
The wilderness of the Kun Lun Shan was comparable to the forests of Shadowfen. Aurelia noted monkeys and wolves, which made Aurelia realize just how far from she was. Zinjo remained tensed up and ready for action. His partisan remained in his grip. "How much further to Kun Lun Shan?" Aurelia asked. Unlike her male counterpart, she enjoyed the new scenery. In the distance, a plume of smoke rose above the trees. "Do you see that?" "Hmmm," Zinjo used his hand to shield his eyes from the sun, "It is hard to tell if it is from civilization or a camp. Do you wish to investigate?" "Of course, I want to investigate. I might be able to wash the dirt and grime from my body." "In this bath of yours, do you envision someone being in there with you?" the joke was a rare instance of Zinjo's playfulness. Aurelia found his jokes endearing and wished he would make them more often. "Depends on what this other person is doing," Aurelia tested the hardness of the
The next day Tien bought them to Lord Nian Zhen. The leader looked exhausted and frustrated with his inability to protect his people from a superior opponent. Thoroughly demoralized guards spoke to the frequency of the attacks. The middle-aged man had lost the flatness to his stomach, and his face drooped a little on the edges. Yet, there was still power in his movements. He wore a stretch of cloth over an eye. Like anyone else with rank, his robes were elaborate and brightly colored, his bore cranes in flight among the clouds. Tien cast his spell to allow the young couple to speak with the lord. Zinjo stood in silence next to Aurelia. "Do I bow here?" Aurelia asked Tien. "You are a princess, and he is a lord. Your station is still higher than his," Tien seemed amused by her concern, "Aurelia, princess of Shadowfen, this is Lord Nian Zhen of Sēnlín zhī jiā, you may call it Senlin for short."Lord Nian bowed to Aurelia, "I have never met anyone from the
Tien felt his age would hinder the journey to return the Yanhuo child to its people. To ensure proper communication, he spent the night enchanting two leather bracelets, which would allow them to speak without confusion. Aurelia despised the jungle-like forest. She'd had her fill back on Larylia to go into a second dense forest brought her sanity into question. However, she promised to help return the Yanhuo child. Lord Nian carried his strange halberd, known as a Jian, with pride and care. Zinjo admired the weapon and the craftsmanship that went into it. "I like this style one can stab and cut." Lord Nian gave Zinjo's partisan the once over, "This blade tells the tales of your victories and your families victories, does it not?" He ran his thumb over the edge, "How do you keep the blade so sharp?" "My father bestowed our oldest weapon to me when I came of age. I sharpen it with a clear stone." He reached into his pocket and produced an uncut diamond,
Tension filled the air as the Yanhuo surrounded their younger counterpart. The White faces and tiny flickers of flame came out their nostrils and mouths. Zinjo transformed into the lion and took a submissive position. The Large male cautiously approached Zinjo and held position two feet away. Zinjo stood and faced the forest titan and did not move. The child crawled up on Zinjo's back, waved, and then returned to its proper mother. The Silver backed leader grunted something unintelligible, and three males joined their leader. Aurelia and Lord Nian looked at each other, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Aurelia asked. "Wel,l I'll assume the Yanhuo are hostile toward intruders, and why shouldn't they? The Yanhuo have the power to defend their territory. I think they like Zinjo," Aurelia was not encouraged by the uncertainty in Lord Nian's tone. Zinjo and the male Yanhuo returned to Aurelia and Lord Nian, "I think the bandit tribe took the child and