She found the riverbank easily enough but there was no boat. After walking upriver for several moments she saw it on the other side, on the banks of the misty isle in the centre of the giant body of water.
What is it doing there? She thought but probably it was obvious. The last person who made an attempt left it there when they didn't return.
She summoned it with magic and it came sliding across the smooth, dark water towards her. When she stepped into it it only made the slightest ripple before bearing her at a steady pace towards the isle.
As she got closer the mists didn't recede at all but only became stronger. When finally she stood staring at it she realized she couldn't see anything at all.
Unbidden, a strange thrill went through her. There was fear yes but... perhaps this was a better way to die than being flung off the Endless Cliff into emptiness and nothingness. She knew it was the Empress and Yuting's wish to make her suffer but... Ruyi slid the knife out of her belt and clutched it tightly. Suffering is fine, but I want to live.
As she walked through the thick, slightly wet grass she saw through the mist strange shapes. At first they made her pause as she thought they were people but upon closer inspection she saw they were trees, twisted and bent into the shape of humans, with etchings on the bark similar to eyes and wide open mouths as though they were screaming. The plants that sprouted from these horrid figures were verdantly bright, poisonously colorful and somehow strangely beautiful...
In the distance she saw a wooden paifang, a gate with two vertical beams with a horizontal beam in between that bore the words Dream Peach Isle. A glowing red lantern lit up the words.
As she passed through it, continuing along the path, the strange trees grew more common. Some had expressions of joy or even ecstasy. But others were clearly mangled by pain. Each of them had eyes which seemed to watch her as she walked.
What.. what's that noise?
The earth was rumbling and there was the sound of something moving at vast speed through the trees. Dimly she heard the cry as though of wounded beast. Is it the Nightmare monster?
Ruyi froze but before she could think about what to do, as a large tree came toppling down out of the mist, narrowly missing crushing her flat. On top of the felled tree was... was a dragon.
There was no mistaking the enormous, long black body, iridescently scaled and the nine clawed fingers and gold whiskers. The beady eyes regarded her with surprise. But there was no time for greetings as a screeching roar from within the mist stuck Ruyi down with such fear and panic that instinctively she flattened herself against the ground, covering her ears against the horrible sound.
The dragon however showed no such cowardice. His tail whipped as he launched himself into the air and she heard him bellow; a sound that drowned out the screeching and released her from her state of panic.
She looked up from where was lying on the dirt and saw the dragon locked in battle with what looked like a gigantic shadow. At every moment the shadow seemed to change shape; sometimes it looked like a giant man, and other times some kind of bat creature with wings. It could take any shape to counter the attacks that the dragon launched upon it.
But the dragon... the dragon is winning...
She realized that with a rush of excitement. The dragon moved faster than the eye could follow, the tail and claws covering and ripping into the shadow so quickly it looked almost as though he were several dragons moving at once. And from his mouth he summoned a ball of energy which assaulted the nightmare creature and every blow it look it became smaller and less threatening...
The peach! Ruyi realized. Where is the peach?
She looked around it and spied it glowing on a high tree, it was higher than any other tree around it and had the peach as it's only flower. It was three times as large as a normal peach and glowed from within with a golden light.
This is my chance. She ran towards the tree and transformed into a fox. She began scrambling up the tree at top speed, using her claws to bolster her speed. Suddenly her vision was filled with glowing gold light.She transformed back into her human form and had to steady herself on the branches. She reached out and touched the peach.
The glow from the peach passed into her fingertips. As it did a strange, heady feeling filled her as though she was quite drunk.
Concentrate... concentrate! Ruyi told herself. She closed her fingers and realized the peach had changed size until it fit into her palm perfectly. She ripped it from the tree.
Aa she did so the tree began to shake. Down below in the glade the nightmare beast swung around until it faced her.
OK, now I've got it's attention... Ruyi barely had time to react before the tree was sliced clean i half. Then she was falling and the shadowy claws of the beast reached out towards her...
But before that happened something appeared below her and she was sliding down something slick and smooth... Ruyi reached out and snagged a scale, breaking her fall. In shock she realized she was on the back of the dragon.
It launched itself into the air as though it were going to take off but before it could do so the beast grabbed it around the neck slamming it into the ground. Ruyi tumbled off, hitting her head against a rock. Pain blossomed in her head but she ignored it, clutching instead the peach more tightly and securing it inside her clothing.
The dragon was now standing between her and the beast. His mouth opened and a ball of light appeared...
But then the beast suddenly became small. Small and human like. The mist cleared and suddenly there was a girl standing there in the glade amidst the felled trees and burnt grass.
The girl was not anybody Ruyi had ever seen before. She was small and slender with bare feet. She wore a purple robe half askew, exposing her ivory shoulder and a naked leg. Her face was impossibly lovely, delicate with translucent skin and rosy cheeks. Her large, bright eyes were filled with tears.
"Yuezhen..." she said. "It's me, Yuezhen."
Huh?! But Ruyi did not have any time to process her shock before the dragon suddenly transformed into the Third Prince of the Heavens and the object of some of her dreams not repeatable to polite ears.
Is this some kind of nightmare I'm having?! Ruyi felt faintly hysterical as though the universe was conspiring to have some joke on her.
"Lingxi..." The Third Prince said in a strange tone.
Ruyi saw now that the girl carried a flute in her belt. She remembered the rumors from the inner court. A flute immortal from the mystic realm...
"Yuezhen why did you abandon me?" The girl called Lingxi asked piteously, the tears rolling down her cheeks. "You said you would come back for me."
Yuezhen said nothing but Ruyi saw his hand holding the sword tighten.
"Did you not say that you loved me?" She was approaching him, hand outstretched. "Or were you only lying so that you could use me?"
Yuezhen sighed. "We used each other. But the one that was lying was only you..."
It's not my nightmare, Ruyi realized. It's his... She cleared her throat. "Um... is she real?"
Yuezhen didn't turn around. "In a way but the real Lingxi is dead now, I suppose."
"I died when you abandoned me!" Lingxi wept. "You left me to die and the Beast consumed me and my dreams as it does all the things that die in this realm. I am real, Yuezhen, I am the Lingxi that you dream of, even now..."
She was in front of him now. Ruyi braced herself for something horrible to happenn but Lingxi only touched his face and gently embraced him. Slowly his arms came up too until he was embracing her. A strong smell of osthmanthus filled Ruyi's nostrils, it was intoxicating. Around them the sound of flute music assaulted them, even though Lingxi hadn't touched her flute. The notes were wild and frenetic, and not at all melodic.
"Something... something's strange." Ruyi said but it was too late. As they embraced Lingxi had taken a small knife from her waistband and stabbed it into Yuezhen's heart. He didn't move or even shudder. The flute ghost wrenched herself away from him in surprise. "Why.... why didn't you...?"
He caught her wrist, preventing her from moving away. "To repay you for what you did for me so that we are even...." The blood began to seep from the middle of his chest.
Lingxi's face twisted. "We will never be even! How can we be even...!"
She didn't have time to finish her words. Yuezhen's hand moved so quickly Ruyi couldn't follow it and the next moment he plunged his sword into her stomach. Lingxi screamed with pain and her body transformed to black miasma and from it rose the Nightmare beast once more. The shadow monster picked Yuezhen up bodily.
"Hurry, transform into your dragon shape!" Ruyi yelled at him but the Nightmare Beast laughed. "He cannot anymore... the knife is poisoned! Once I kill him, you will be next, fox demigod!"
At first they still seemed evenly matched. Even though Yuezhen stayed in his human form, his sword dance was fast and deadly. But eventually Ruyi saw that his pace was slowing. The wound in his chest had blossomed like a flower, and everywhere his blood fell onto the ground the grass hissed as though singed by acid.
He landed on his in front of her and his voice was slightly ragged, as though he was out of breath. "Perhaps... you should go, little fox. Take the peach and..."
He is out of breath! Ruyi realized with dismay. The next minute the Nightmare Beast lashed out and he didn't move fast enough. The claws slashed him in the middle and flung him backwards. Ruyi launched herself sideways and caught his body as it fell. He landed with a thud against her chest and they were forced backwards against a tree. Struggling he moved off her, panting loudly and trying to steady himself with his silver sword.
His blood... it burns! Ruyi stared at her corroded hands. The poison his consuming him from within!
"Wait...!" She said. "Wait, don't go!"
She stood up and reached around her neck, grabbing her amulet. She summoned her power and crushed it between her fingertips. As she did so a loud thump filled the glade, like the low single beat of a drum. A force was released and both Yuezhen and the Nightmare Beast froze in surprise.
From within the amulet a figure appeared. A figure that Ruyi had never seen before.
She saw a tall, broad man with wild red hair. He wore a red robe, bright like flame. In his hand he carried a gigantic greatsword as large as himself. He saw her and she saw him.
"Daiyu." He said and her blood rushed to her head.
But before she could speak, he turned around facing the beast and began to laugh. There was an almost glee in his voice and eyes. "Once again," He said. "The Blood of the fox shall flow again!"
He launched himself at the Nightmare Beast, his greatsword moving in a great arc towards the shadow monster. The beast caught the sword with one hand but the red haired man only laughed, wrenching the sword out if his grasp. A blast of light came from the sword that broke against the Nightmare Beast who again let out that horrible screech that made her want to stab her own ears.
"Let's go." A hand grabbed her around her forearm, dragging her off the ground. It was Yuezhen. Stumbling they made their escape but they didn't get very far before he stumbled suddenly and pitched forward. Hurriedly, she caught him and saw his eyes were closed and his face pale and bloodless.
His mouth moved and she leaned in close. "Lingxi..." He whispered. "I'm sorry..."
A black tear like acid slid down his cheek.