3,900 years ago - 720 BCE-HEAVENLY REALM
Thousands of years have passed since Nuwa created humanity. Ao Shun (the Black Dragon God- Heilong) stood at the gates of Heaven peering down into the mortal realm. He sighed, watching the humans celebrate the Dragon's birthday on the thirteenth day of the sixth moon. Their dragon had no name.
He had been in Heaven for over three thousand years, and only had a few companions for company. He wasn't sure if this was just boredom or curiosity, but he wanted to visit the human realm and play.
Ao Shun grumbled, turning away from the view of Earth. He looked around him, frowning. The Heavenly Realm was a beautiful place, but it never changed. Ao Shun raised his hands, waving them through the air. The white and gold architecture of his home changed into shades of blues and greens.
He groaned dissatisfied. He continued waving his hands. The colors changed repeatedly: yellow and blue, black and gold, green and silver; finally settling on a red and white design.
Huxian (the Fox Immortal) and Langshen (the Wolf God) materialized at the edge of Ao Shun's home under the now, red and white gate. They noticed the changes and laughed. Huxian shook his head.
"Looks like Ao Shun is bored again. It's a good thing we're here." Langshen agreed. He lifted his hands with jars of wine. "Good thing I brought wine."
Walking down the path, towards Ao Shun's home, the surroundings altered appearance multiple times.
The trees disappeared, replaced with a small hill of flowers. The brilliant blooms scattered like paint on a fresh canvas.
A small pond froze, the ice spreading outwards. Golden fish heads popped up through the ice as it froze and unfroze repeatedly. The poor fish suffering along with the bored personality of Ao Shun. Their heads were frozen and released, over and over, when they peeked up at the surface.
A fountain, in the shape of a dragon, shifted positions. It looked like the stone statue was alive as it rotated around the pillar it clung to. It finally situated into an upside-down position, its tail high in the air.
Huxian stopped, turning in a circle, looking around them.
"I think it's worse this time. He has never changed so much of his landscape. And in a very peculiar manner."
Flowers and grass sprout around them, the path vanishing. Trees extend, grow and flower in front of their eyes. Langshen jumped backwards as a tree grew between his legs quickly. He covered his privates with the wine jars and yells,
"Ao Shun, I was standing there."
The two friends run, full speed, towards Ao Shun. They screech to a halt when a tree materializes in front of them. The way towards the dragon, had become an obstacle course. They run, dodging trees and sudden pools of water. Langshen jumped over a widening stream, flowing towards a cliff that had appeared out of mid-air.
"Ao Shun, stop!"
Huxian ran into the trunk of a cherry blossom tree. It wasn't there a second ago. Langshen handed Huxian the wine and rushed towards his friend. He tackled him, falling to a patch of newly formed grass and flowers. They spun together, down a small hill, coming to a stop against the base of a tree. Huxian ran towards them, plopping onto the grass next to the tangled dragon and wolf. The close friends laughed.
Langshen released Ao Shun and sat up. He grabbed a bottle of wine from Huxian, shoving it towards the dragon.
"Drink and tell us what the issue is. I don't think the realm can take any more changes to its environment."
Ao Shun sighed heavily. His two friends exchanged a concerned look.
"I'm bored. I want to visit the human realm but am unsure it's a good idea."
He took a long swig of the wine, some dribbling down his chin. Huxian clapped his friend on the shoulder.
"I think, as long as you don't interact too much, you should be ok, for a short visit. I have time, I can go with you."
Ao Shun's face lit up, his posture changing from defeated to hopeful. He held the wine bottle out.
"Let's leave tomorrow then."
The friends continue drinking and joking around with each other.
HUMAN REALM-
A 17-year-old girl stood holding flower bundles in the market. Her beautiful, cheery demeanor drew customers towards her stall naturally.
"Flowers. Beautiful fresh flowers."
A few customers are sucked towards her chiming voice. They bought small bundles of fresh flowers and walked away, smiles on their faces as they inhaled the fragrances.
"Flowers. I have lots of beautiful flowers for sale."
She smiled. Customers shove coins towards her for the flowers. A maid walked up with her young miss. The flower girl acknowledged her with a small bow.
"Zi Mei, you look beautiful today."
Zi Mei smiled, looking through the flowers.
"Jin An, do you have the bundle I asked for? I was so hoping to put them in my mother's bedroom."
The flower girl nodded, "Of course, I went and picked them just this morning."
Wen Jin An shifted around to the back of her stall cart and grabbed something under the carriage. She pulled a beautiful bundle of flowers out, holding them like a baby. The bright colors complemented each other.
Zi Mei's eyes light up. "Oh, they are perfect. Jin An, you know exactly what I like."
They exchanged flowers for coins and Zi Mei walked away, cradling the flowers. A few ladies nearby, witnessed the exchange and surrounded the stall, all asking for bundles. Jin An began making smaller assortments for them.
Jin An started closing her stall, as the sun slid down in the distance and other shop owners packed up for the day. She sold out of all her flowers but for a small bunch sat on the edge of her cart. Most of the wandering people had gone home for the night, not many continued to roam the street.
Jin An counted the money she made for the day. She giggled, her hands full of small coins and a few pieces of silver.
"You did well, Jin An."
She slid the money in a small pouch, hanging it from her belt.
Picking up the last bunch of flowers, she spun in a circle. She spoke to them as if they were alive.
"Shall we eat well tonight? I'm craving some chicken."
She laughed, wiggling the flowers as if they nodded in reply. Setting them back down, she finished packing up and grabbed the cart firmly.
"Let's go home."
Huxian, Langshen, and Ao Shun wandered down the emptying street, looking like rich bachelors on the way to the brothel for wine and women. Ao Shun was curious about everything. His friends laughed at him. This wasn't their first time in the mortal realm, but they knew about human customs. Keeping an eye on him, they allowed the dragon to do as he wished. Ao Shun walked, turning in circles, taking in the sights and smells. He looked like a small child experiencing the world for the first time, but he was 3000 years old. A few vendors were giving away the remaining food they had. Langshen accepted a bun. "Ao Shun, taste this." He held it out for the dragon, who readily accepted it. Taking a bite, his eyes expanded. A smile widened across his face as he chewed. Engulfing the bun, he spoke with his mouth full. "This is human food? I could get used to it." He laughed, wandering towards more food vendors. They handed him remnants, which he greedily
Ao Shun walked in holding plates of food. Looking to the bed, he expected the girl to be there. Panic rose, seeing it empty. Tilting his head, he listened. Ragged breathing sounded from behind the curtains. He smirks and set the food on the table. He moved silently to the edge of the curtain and whispered, "Why are you hiding from a god?" Silence. Jin An closed her eyes tightly, sucking in a breath. "I brought you food. You're too skinny. Come eat." The dragon sat at the table, pouring himself a cup of wine. Behind the curtain, Jin An run out of air, gasping. Sniffing the air; the smell of freshly cooked meat started to override her fear. Her stomach growled. Biting her lip, she peeked around the curtain, her eyes landing on the food. Subconsciously licking her lips, she stepped from her hiding place. The dragon ignored her, even turning his body away from her. He realized she was scared, but the need to fill her stomach would ov
PURGATORY- Zhou Shuren hurled the cup of wine towards the head of the man standing before him. Yao Fu stood firm, his eyes clenching as the cup strikes him in the temple. He bowed his head, his knees striking the floor. "Yan Wang (the King of Purgatory, used as a title), I came as soon as I discovered the dragon had left and arrived in the mortal realm." He smashed his head to the floor as a sign of repentance. Zhou Shuren stormed towards his servant, grabbing him by the neck, effortlessly lifting him inches off the floor. "I should have known prior to his exit from the Heavenly Realm. You're like the others; worthless." He tossed him to the floor like a limp rag doll. Turning, his eyes glint with a black energy that starts to surround his body. Speaking to no one in particular, "The dragon has always been a thorn. His ego has surpassed even that of the Emperor." He cracked his neck, the sound echoing through t
THE VEIL- Yao Fu stood at the entrance to the Veil, awaiting entrance into the cathedra room. His hands wrung together in an anxious twitch, a drop of sweat slowly sliding down the side of his temple as he waited. He whispered a self-motivating prayer to himself, "Be eloquent. Don't screw this up or you're dead." A Veil member trod out from the monolithic serpent-ridden doors. Swinging his hand biding him entry, Yao Fu swallowed nervously following the man inside the vast interior. His mouth dropped in awe seeing the exquisite decor of the hall. As he followed, his head was on a swivel. The massive green columns looked as if snakes had engulfed every space. The detail in the sculptures created a slithering effect on the hard surfaces. The floor reflected the flames from thousands of lit candles and lanterns along the path. In the center, of the massive cathedra room, sat a fountain created by four skeletons all leaning in towa
Jin An opened her eyes, her breathing speeding up as she surveils her surroundings. The sun shone through the paper covering the windows. She looked to the door, her hands covering her heart, beating furiously inside her chest. The feeling attacking her should be one of fear and burden, but it wasn't. She had awoken mid-teleportation, feeling warm, and protected. She bit her lip gently, giggling softly into her pillow. Jin An lay in the bed, looking around her. She wasn't used to the furnishings being so fancy. In her home, she lived day to day with the money she made selling flowers, so what she owned is shabby and worn. She had never been bothered by the state of her home, but seeing the room of the manor, she felt like nobility. Slowly, she crept from the bed. Her head ached a little, trying to remember what happened. The three men had approached her as she was finishing up for the day. Her mouth hung open remembering she had struck the man in the face wit
She looked at the food, then at Ao Shun, back and forth numerous times. Her face contorted with all sorts of emotions, trying to figure out what was happening. She glanced to the other two men in the room, thinking, “Why didn't they look surprised to see food floating and frozen in mid-air?” Slowly, she circled the floating food and the dragon. Her breathing hitched, her brow wrinkled. She stopped orbiting, staring at the man in front of her. Massaging her eyes, she tried to dispel the obvious hallucination, then began giggling maniacally. Without warning, her hand flung out, punching Ao Shun in the stomach. Quickly, she looked to the faces of the others for a reaction. They appeared shocked and entertained at the same time. She cautiously eased her head around to look at Ao Shun, his hand rubbing his stomach. Tilting his head, he took a step closer to her. "Why did you hit me…again?" Realizing he was real and not a figment of her imagination, she col
ECLIPSE MANOR- Jin An sat on her bed, staring at the rays of moonlight peeking into her room. She blushed thinking about the way Ao Shun caressed her neck when he stared at the birthmark. Strolling to the mirror, she tried to see the birthmark he told her she had. She didn’t even know she had one, so she was curious. Struggling to look at it, her body twisted and contorted in various positions. She untied the top of her hanfu, pulling it down exposing the soft pale skin of her shoulders, and turning her head to get a closer look. Pulling her hair around to the front, the light reflected off her white flesh. The door to Jin An's room opened quickly, Ao Shun silently wandering in unannounced. He watched as she twisted, her shoulders bare, her neck exposed. His eyes widened at the exposure of her body and swallowed. Forcing his eyes from her nakedness, he smiled at the way her lips contorted into an assortment of shapes. Clearing his throat,
The next morning, Jin An exited her room, the sun shone brightly triggering her to shield her eyes. Lowering her hand, Ao Shun stood before her wearing a beautiful gold and red robe over a red hanfu. Her eyes traveled from the bottom of the robe to his chest, to his face. She was taken aback by the smirk on his face. "Something appealing?" She shrugged, walking past him. "Maybe." He followed her to the main hall where they sat to eat breakfast. Huxian brought plates of food, setting them on the table. "You know, I’m not a servant. You need to find help, dragon. Langshen and I need to return soon." He sat down beside Ao Shun. Jin An peered at the fox, speculating, “I wonder what he is. Should I ask?” She laid her chin in her hand watching him, staring at his profile, searching for animalistic ears . Her obvious curiosity was unnoticed by Huxian who continued eating. Ao shun watched Jin An staring at Huxian. His brow wrinkled. His lip tw