When a Bird Loved a Fish

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

There was a storm above the surface of the water, causing the sea to be turmoiled and angry. The water groaned and churned and tossed about in large waves. Even in the deep underwater it was restless and unforgiving. The lack of light from above caused it to be dark and murky below. The atmosphere was one of danger and fear.

Deposed Emperor Jin Zitan of the Merfolk Tribe sat alone in his tent. His eyes, tense and desperate, stared at the lone candle on the table. His hair, gathered up in a high bun, was graying in far too many places. His robes were old and frayed.

"REPORT!"

The shout from outside had him sitting up straight, his gaze moving from the candle to the entrance of the tent. The messenger ran inside, his brow wet with perspiration.

"The enemy has caused a crack in the barrier," he panted out. "General Cai asks Your Majesty to come at once. He will hold the forces at bay until you arrive to help mend the damage."

Zitan was on his feet in a moment. "They've managed to breach it," he muttered. He brushed past the messenger and hurried out of his tent. Once outside he transported himself to the scene of the breakthrough. He half expected to find chaos upon his arrival but found that, though the situation was indeed dire, General Cai had kept it under control. The small force of highly cultivated Unbroken Warriors had formed an energy wall around General Cai, who stood at the crack itself and was using his Inner Energy to create a ice wall over the opening. Behind them the regular warrior stood ready in case the enemy broke through. On the other side of the Barrier Wall, Zitan caught sight of General Gao Hui, head General of the Sea Kingdom army. He was sending Flaming Ice Darts at the wall General Cai created. Some of the darts were managing to break through and it was only the barrier of protection created by the Unbroken Warriors that kept General Cai unharmed. But the never ending onslaughts of Gao Hui and his elite men were taking their toll of the energy of the Unbroken Warriors.

"His Majesty is here," one of the soldiers shouted. A rumble of relief passed through as the men took courage at seeing their leader.

"Your Majesty," General Cai called, "only you have the power to seal it. The Unbroken will form a wall of protection from the onslaughts, I and the regular soldiers will stand ready in case anything goes amiss.

In a moment Zitan took the place of his general. He cupped his hands slightly and brought them close together. He then shut his eyes and focused all his attention on the energy that flowed inside of him. He twirled his hands slightly and the blue energy began flowing out of them. Opening his eyes, Zitan flattened his palms and channeled the energy towards the crack. Slowly the broken barrier began to mend. On the other side, General Gao also cupped his hands and in a moment power energy seeped through his hands and clashed with the energy of Emperor Zitan. The original flow was so strong and hit so hard that Zitan's concentration was broken and he stumbled back. A searing pain filled his arm and he saw the General Gao's power had broken through the protective wall and hit his arm. But he had no time to bother with minor wounds. Focusing his full attention on the task at hand, Zitan once more channeled his energy towards the crack. It took the better part of two hours, but at last the barrier was sealed once more.

Zitan stumbled back. He felt drained and depleted. On the other side he could see that General Gao was much the same. That was good. General Gao was the only one in that army who had the power to break through the barrier. As long as he was weakened there wouldn't be much threat.

General Cai rushed to support his Emperor. "Gao will need to rest and recuperate," Zitan breathed out in a deep voice. "This will give us time to plan our next move. As long as we dispose of him the threat will be diminished."

"You Majesty, you have also used too much energy," General Cai worried. "We will take you back to base. The Unbroken Warrior will stand guard here while we plan our next move."

Zitan nodded his head and allowed his general to lead him off. He had planned to return back to the Inner Core today, but with things as they were he would need to delay his return by at least a month, possibly more.

The unpleasant fact brought on a headache that clouded out the pain of his wounded arm. He had been gone from the Inner Core for nearly a year as it was. What sort of trouble had his little brat been up too while he was gone?

"My brother can't be depended on to give any sort of honest information after all," Zitan muttered to himself as he watched the physician apply medicine to his wound. "He's always covering for him, defending him, indulging him. All because he fancies that just because he married the boy's mother he has as much right to parent the boy as I do." Zitan clenched the fist of his good hand. The whole world had been turned upside down when the Sharks had rebelled against his rule and drove him and his kind into exile. His inability to hold on to power, the hardships the Merfolk now endured, the never ending attacks of the new power that ruled the sea, this had caused morale to fall. He knew that few believed he could restore the Merfolk to the glory they once enjoyed. But he had hope. Yes, he had failed the Merfolk, but young Crown Prince Song could give back the faith that had fallen. As long as his son gained power, attained high status, was well known in all the six realms, and was respected and feared by all, the people would rally behind him. This would give them the strength needed to find allies and launch an attack that would make him, Jin Zitan, Emperor of the Seas again.

Which was why he needed to get back to the Inner Core as soon as possible. He had to make sure his only son was not letting him down.