Shuang Yan Chronicles : 01

Bei Fang Shan

The wind bit through Sai Yue's tattered cloak as she crouched low on the frost-laden plateau, the chill seeping into her bones. Despite her aching muscles, her violet-hued wings remained unfurled, ready to shield her companions from the cruel winds of the highlands. This land—raw, untamed, and utterly alien—called to her in ways the temples of Sai Tong Ge never had. The plateau stretched endlessly, separating the Silent Whisper Hills from the looming Northern Mountains, its sparse vegetation dotted with shrubs bearing cottony flowers that glistened under frost. These hardy plants thrived against nature's assault, a resilience Sai Yue envied.

She laid Du Si Bo and Dai Ronwan carefully onto the frozen ground. The frost instantly began to weave delicate lace on their clothes. Sai Yue hesitated, her amber eyes flicking between her unconscious companions and the distant horizon. The rising arc of Sui Ming, the smaller of the twin suns, was their only guide. Safety lay beyond the Frontier Gate, marked by the twin peaks framing Sui Ming's first light, but the journey there was perilous.

A groan pulled her from her thoughts. Du Si Bo stirred, his face pale, the warmth of life barely clinging to him.

"Did we make it?" he rasped, his voice strained and weak.

Sai Yue leaned closer, her wings brushing his cheek with a faint rustle. "We're not in the kingdom yet. This is no man's land—the barrier between worlds. The Draconians won't follow us here. They lack the courage and... other necessities." Her voice was steady, though her heart ached for the suffering in his eyes.

"And wings," Dai Ronwan chimed in, sitting up with surprising vigor. Her lips curled into a mischievous grin despite the frost clinging to her hair. "Draconians don't have goddess wings."

Sai Yue shot the girl a sharp look. "Ronwan, were you even unconscious, or have I been lugging you around for sport?"

Ronwan giggled but didn't answer. The child's energy baffled and infuriated Sai Yue in equal measure. Her boundless enthusiasm had grown on her over their journey, but her flippant disregard for danger was maddening. Sai Yue's gaze softened despite herself. This child needs a home, she thought. And somehow, I must give her one.

"Ronwan," Sai Yue said more sternly. "When we enter the kingdom, you will not speak of who I am or what you think I am. The people of Shen Hua Ren's land do not follow your faith. I am not divine. I am just... different."

The girl's expression shifted, a mixture of awe and defiance. "But you saved my life, Sai Yue. I prayed to you, and you answered. You are what the stories say—a protector."

Sai Yue sighed, frustration tinged with sorrow. "I saved you because I could, not because of some divine mandate. You are not inferior to me, Ronwan. If we are to journey together, treat me as your equal."

Ronwan's lips parted as if to argue, but Du Si Bo's cough interrupted her. He sat up with difficulty, his complexion gray. Blood dripped from his nose and ears, a chilling sign of the high-altitude pressure's toll on his body.

"Sai Yue," he gasped, "we need to move. My lungs... they're failing. I can't survive here much longer."

Sai Yue crouched beside him, her hands brushing his frostbitten skin. Her sharp gaze scanned their surroundings. The cold was merciless, and if they lingered, Du Si Bo and Ronwan wouldn't last the night. But safety was still miles away, across treacherous terrain. The air felt thin, biting, as if warning her of the risk.

Her eyes turned to the arc in the distance. Between the twin peaks lay the entrance to the Northern Kingdom, visible only under Sui Ming's rising light. The silhouette of the gate shimmered faintly, a beacon in the freezing haze. Reaching it on foot would take hours they didn't have.