By The Will of the Gods

Honoured Guests

"Seventeen, don't cry, we'll be fine, Shifu will come for us." Liang whispered down into her hair as she clung tightly to his robes.  They had been walking though a myriad of corridors for some time and for a while Liang wondered if the guards were purposely walking them around in cirlces, except every now and then a new feature would suddenly spring up out of nowhere.  

An intricately carved water fountain, an arched doorway that led onto a rustic red cobblestoned pathway, flower beds filled with all manner of unusual plant life that Liang gathered were being grown artificially considering there was no sunlight, but what had both of their eyes popping was the sudden appearance of beautiful ornately carved pagoda which was set in the center of a small lake filled with rainbow fish.  In fact, he was so impressed with the beauty of their world, that he began to wonder just how much of what he'd read was true, because rather than being a backwards race, these beings seemed to possess skills that rivaled his own world.

Si Yin on the other hand held no such notions.  And it was the new features that eventually had her pulling back a little to take notice of what was around her.  Her intially thoughts on the Trolls was they were not very pretty, but she had never judged anyone on appearances, so their unsightly features were not what was frightening her, but being among a people that her own had deemed untouchable and for very good reason.

She had learned of all kinds of deeds these beings were responsible for and the one that was still making her cry, was their love of human flesh.  They ate children like her and she wasn't so naive as to not realize the immense danger she herself was in.  Being a Nine Tailed Fox, her heartblood made her very desirable to these people so she knew it was imperative that she say no more about Qing Qiu least they get any ideas.

But what had her head raising off Liangs arm and her head swivelling about in awe, was the sudden and unexpected beauty they were surrounded by.  Now that her sight had acclimatized to the thick mist, the beautiful natural architecture that utilized the trees and surrounding gardens along with adornments that the Trolls lavished on their homes which she could see through many of the open doorways, was actually very impressive.

Lifting her head towards one of the guards who until then had said nothing to them, she couldn't help but ask questions which immediately had Liang tensing.

"Excuse me kind sir.  But how do the flowers grow in this mist?" she asked timidly but politely.

Staring hard at the child who was smaller than their own children, the one closest to her and the one she had aimed her question at, was initially going to ignore her, but the look of wonder in her eyes as she began to lose the fear, soon had him replying tentatively.

"Magic.  We are Earth Deities, we can control all that grows from the earth." he replied and though he gave her what she thought may have been a smile, her head nodded slowly before once again leaning back into Liang as the guards then took them through one last corridor that was lit with burning torches similar to what the Mortals used and before they knew it, they had finally entered a set of chambers that looked like something they themselves would have offered a visitor.  It was clean, well lit, warmed with a hearth and contained two beds, and a couple of soft fur rugs which they both tried not to imagine to which animal it may have belonged to.

"As you have already learned,  you are our honored guests.  Therefore you are to remain in this chamber until he gives the order for you to leave.  I suggest you do not do anything stupid, he will not take kindly to it." one of the other guards said in tone so soft, that she instantly smiled at him despite the situation they were in.

"Of course.  We are already in big trouble, we don't want to be in any more." she said with a little more enthusiasm while her head bobbed up and down.