Pantheon Book 2: The Way of the Tao

The Heavenly King

        Melody takes the stairs two at a time, clutching the treaty tightly in her fist. She knows it's stupid to bring it with her if they're under attack. But the alternative - leaving it alone with the monkey - is worse. She stops on the deck, panting heavily. Oliver and Marcus stand to either side of her, staring at the bow. A man stands atop the figurehead, glaring down at the three of them coldly.

The man is of Asian descent, with a flat nose and rounded cheeks. He's wearing some kind of samurai armour, with a rotund belly and thick shoulder pads. The chest plate and helmet are dark green, like moss, while the armour on his arms and legs is red. A thick cloth is tied around his waist, bound by a black ribbon. An ornate lion head figure acts as a belt buckle to hold it together. A similar black ribbon hangs around the back of his neck and under his arms, flowing freely in the ocean breeze. Under one arm he cradles a decorative urn, separated into five layers.

"Wǒ kàn nǐ dài láile chuánwén zhōng de xīn tiáoyuē," he says, raising his head proudly. Melody blinks, her mind trying to catch up with the situation.

"Nǐ shì shuí?" Marcus snaps, making Melody pause.

"Wait - what?" She says dumbly. "Marcus, you can speak - what even is that?"

"What are you talking about?" He growls, glaring at her through squinted eyes. "I'm speaking English."

"Ah, so you're still an apprentice," The man on the bow says, clearing his throat loudly. He speaks in a thick Chinese accent, and as he talks, he steps casually off the figurehead. The ribbon around his head flaps open, and he floats down to the deck slowly. "Gods can understand all languages - for those recently ascended, they often don't even realize when they speak in a foreign tongue."

"Thanks for the lesson. Now answer me - who are you?" Marcus says, raising his hands. Melody feels the blood drain from her face as he aims a pair of daggers threateningly at the man. She turns to Oliver, but he looks as pale as she feels. His hands are shaking, his knees locked together, and he grips Caduceus in a white-knuckled chokehold.

"I am The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Li Jing," He rumbles. "I've come to put an end to your journey." Melody grits her teeth, quickly hiding the treaty behind her back. The heavenly king - just like the monkey said.

"B-But, why?" Oliver squeaks, inching backward. "What does the Jade Emperor want with us?"

"I can assure you, he means you three no harm," Li Jing replies. "A sentiment I share. I do not wish to turn to violence. I'll simply be taking your new treaty and disposing of it." He pauses, extending his hand expectantly. "I'd ask that you hand it over peacefully." Melody recoils back a step, turning to hide the parchment behind her.

"Dispose of it? It's meant to help people!" Melody snaps, tensing when Marcus takes a threatening stomp forward. She scrapes her memory for anything she knows about Li Jing but comes up blank. Even the Jade Emperor she only recognizes as a name. "Why would you want to destroy it?"

"I see no need to answer that," Li Jing rumbles darkly. He slowly and deliberately retracts his hand, placing it on the top layer of his urn. He holds Melody's eye, setting his jaw. "This is your last chance to come peacefully before I take you by force."

"I'd like to see you try," Marcus hisses, power pulsing through his eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, you're outnumbered."

"A trivial matter. You cannot defeat me," Li Jing replies calmly. Melody takes another step back, feeling every drop of sweat on her body go cold. Li Jing holds his urn out, and Oliver suddenly jumps, his eyes wide.