For the One I Love: the Legend of the Four Priestesses of Heaven and Earth

For the One I Love Chapter 6

Niao was about to comment further, but they were interrupted by a light knock on the door.

"Come in," Niao said, and Yu Gui came in.

"Greetings, my brother... And you seem well, Minister Zhang," Yu Gui greeted the dignitaries.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, General... and I told you a thousand times not to call me minister, remember?" Zhang laughed softly.

"Yes, I'd remember that... Minister..." Yu Gui teased, and they both laughed together.

"I'm glad to see you back, Yu Gui," Niao stood with open arms, and Yu Gui embraced his brother and even patted him on the back.

"Hey, everything for brother," He said fervently.

"Now," Niao went directly to what Yu Gui came for, "Who is this person you would like me to meet?"

"Oh," Yu Gui went out for a second, and then he came back with a young maiden wearing ordinary clothes and a white hairband that looked rather like a bandage. "Brother, this is Akiko, the summoner of Fenghuang."

Akiko then came out from Yu Gui's back and bowed to the emperor.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet the emperor of Huo," Akiko greeted formally.

"And it's an honor to meet Fenghuang's mandated summoner," Niao complimented. "But enough of formalities, for a close friend of my brother is a close friend of mine, too."

"Oh," Akiko said with a nervous laugh. "It's just that it's my first time to meet an emperor."

"Well," Niao said. "We will get to know each other on the days will come. Anyway," He turned to Yu Gui. "What is this I hear about demons getting more powerful?"

"Yes," Yu Gui was now in full report. "Well, to be exact, it was only one demon, but we fear that there are large numbers of it already. It was running at top speed, chasing after me and Akiko, and it was on the wide plains on the eastern border. It was known to have sparse number of trees, and we deemed it safe to go through it, but on our short trip, we found out it was otherwise."

"Hmmm..." Niao was in deep thought.

"You say it was out on the open, right?" Minister Zhang asked when the emperor never spoke upon the matter.

"Yes," Yu Gui confirmed.

"On the eastern border," the minister mused. "Well, this is certainly a matter to look upon with top priority, since the territory on the eastern border is the source of the majority of our food supply."

"I shall implore your Eminence to make a motion for heightened security in towns not only on the eastern border but also on towns in the routes leading towards the city," Yu Gui spoke with authority. "It needs to be done as soon as possible, maybe on the next council meeting."

"What say you, your Highness?" Zhang asked Niao.

Niao was one step ahead of them. He was writing what seems to be a memorandum. He handed it to Yu Gui.

"Go to each minister's office and see to it that all would agree to come," Niao ordered. "I'm calling an emergency meeting immediately."

"Right away, brother," and Yu Gui was gone in a blink of an eye.

The emperor now turned to Zhang.

"Prepare the motion for heightened security asked by Yu Gui," He instructed to the minister. "The nation needs to be secured from this abhorrence."

Zhang bowed once and then left.

Akiko was now left alone with Niao. All the while that the three were discussing, she was waiting silently by the window, her eyes closed and her hands holding the window pane.

"Now," Niao called Akiko's attention. "What's this matter that you wished to present to me privately?"

Akiko turned to the emperor.

"Do you know the legend of the four gods who defeated the onslaught of the armies of the water demon seeking revenge against heaven?" Akiko was now speaking as summoner.

"Yes, my father and grandfather told me stories about it," Niao answered.

"What is it that they told you?" Akiko asked again.

"They say that during that time, Gonggong the water demon was said to be defeated by the fire god, Zu Rong," Niao narrated. "In his anger, he sought the heavens be destroyed by destroying the pillars upholding it. He sent hordes of demonic armies to burn the cities guarding those pillars, but the four deities, Fenghuang, Long-wang, Bai Hu and Gui Xian, went down and eliminated those forces, but in the process the temples they had were destroyed amidst the fight, breaking the pieces of their influential power into seven. They say that these went up to heaven and made counsel as to the future of the world, and they foretold of a great disaster coming that will be brought by the rising of the water demon. Also, they foresaw four maidens gathering these powers and summoning the four gods back into the world to defeat Gonggong once and for all. They then made a mandate in four scrolls and, through the earth guardian, Qing Long, they were given to the four which are then to be given to the maidens in question when the water demon stirs up once more."

"Yes, all of what they told you... are true, and are happening right now," Akiko spoke with foreboding that sent shivers down the emperor's spine.

Akiko now took out a scroll of brilliant red and placed it in front of Niao.

The emperor stared at the object, confused for a moment, then, as he recognized what it was, he then looked straight into Akiko's eyes, astounded.

"Is this... Is this the mandate of the high heavens?" He asked.

Akiko nodded and in one fluid motion she pulled the tie of her headband to reveal the mark of Fenghuang himself.

"I am the maiden decreed by the high heavens to summon Fenghuang," Akiko made what she was known to the emperor himself.

Niao never realized that he was now standing until his knees were hurting with the strain. He sat down and closed his eyes for a moment, absorbing all of it. 

"If you're the summoner of the god who favored our land," Niao said as another realization hit him when he had his resove to speak back. "Then, it must mean that -"

"Yes," Akiko answered the emperor's question before it was ever asked, seeming to read what the emperor was thinking. "A war shall soon unfold, and the water demon shall rise to lead his armies once again."