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Summer, Eighteenth Year of the Xin Zhuo Emperor
“Qing? I think you need to meet someone. Immediately.”
The blue dragon was dozing in her rattan wicker bed when the Sha quietly knocked at her door from the hidden passageway. Though the commander of the guard had passed her duties for the night to Tong hours ago, Qing was immediately awake and shimmied her way over to the nervous Sha. Eshak knocking meant something both secret and important was up, and the dragon readied herself for some possibly life-threatening conspiracy.
“Can you tell me what it is?”
Eshak shook his head. “It’s better for you to see it yourself, but it concerns all dragons.”
In short order the long was outside the Sha’s cottage, staring incredulously at the naked male Berang huddled by the toolshed.
Frahat shied away from the reptilian figure, who quietly but sternly looked over him and evaluated him.
Qing turned to her companion. “Why did you bring a Berang here, Eshak?”
“I rescued him from the Imperial Dungeon.”
The blue dragon was immediately in the Sha's face. “WHAT?”
Eshak backed up and raised his hands. “Easy, easy my lady. He has some information of great importance to us all.”
“What could possibly be worth betraying the Empire and possibly condemning us all to death? Why shouldn't I alert Lord Buzhong myself?”
The Sha took a deep breath. "The Empire is betraying us."
"What are you talking about?"
"I caught glimpses of the Imperial Dungeons. The Emperor has gone mad. He wants to be immortal, and he plans on doing so by consuming the flesh of all the suo of the empire.”
The blue dragon frowned, then abruptly turned to the escaped prisoner.
"Do you speak the Middle Speech, Berang?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"What is your name?"
"Frahat."
"I am Qing, Captain of the Guard of Lord Buzhong, Master of Ceremonies of the Emperor. Why are you here, hiding from the Emperor’s forces? Why are you so far from Panyu?"
Frahat gulped but began speaking, and once he started it was like an unstoppable torrent of words. "I was the ambassador for my people to go to Anping to petition the Emperor for help after the humans launched a pogrom at our colony. However it turned out the Emperor himself was behind that attack! He seized my entire embassy at the Imperial Court and took us down to the dungeons, where everyone was sacrificed except me to brew immortality potions! My people sent me to seek help from the Emperor, and he captured us and killed us! I’m the only one left! Like Eshak here said, the ruler of Jiangshan has gone mad! The Imperial Dungeons are filled with mao gui and suo gathered from all over the empire and beyond. Surely you know of the increased hunting expeditions into the Yue Lands? Surely you noticed that no one ever comes out? Surely you noticed the crackdown on us nonhumans?"
“Morha.” Eshak muttered under his breath.
“Jiangshan is turning on its non-human folk! You have to believe me! Help me escape back and warn my people of the danger!”
Qing was taken aback by the flood of information. She stopped to process it all, then carefully replied to the escaped prisoner. “Even if I believe you, the Emperor is the absolute ruler of all of Jiangshan. I don’t know what you Berang did to anger the Emperor, but his word is supreme. Why wouldn’t I give you up if the Celestial Son wants your head?”
Frahat was shaking and stuttering, but finally he blurted out. “Because I don’t think he’ll be satisfied with just me, or my people. Once they grind up my bones, who knows who they’ll come after next! Yours?”
"I believe him." Eshak stated simply.
Qing frowned. “Well I don’t believe you or any of this.”
The Berang fiddled through his back, and finally pulled out a few items from a small pouch made of wrapped cloth. Pieces of metal and a hard, thin object clanked together inside. The blue dragon did not want to know where all of that came from.
Frahat quickly unwrapped the objects. “These shackles came from the Imperial Dungeons." He handed over a chained shackle, too large for the Berang-put just right for a dragon.
"And this scale came from one of their last victims.”
Qing was silent as she looked at the piece of keratin about the size of a large coin. It was milky white, but reflected the moonlight to produce a rainbow sheen. Then the blue dragon slowly sank her head into one of her forepaws. Not sure what to make of it, both Eshak and Frahat backed away from the long.
"This was from Jingui.” Qing finally muttered. “I know that scale anywhere. He disappeared after being sent North against the Nomads."
“What does that mean?” Eshak asked.
“That means the Imperial edict that sent him off was a lie. Eshak, get Morha over here.”
As the Sha ran off, the blue dragon turned over to the frightened Berang. “Tell me about everything that happened, Frahat.”
Frahat did. He talked about the governor. He talked about the mutterings of the locals in Panyu. He talked about the vandalism and attacks, and he talked about the sudden, violent and bloody riot that charged through the gates of the colony. Afterwards, he talked about the Matriarch, the creation of the embassy to Anping, and the long trip over. He talked about the Imperial welcome, and the Emperor’s surprise and betrayal. He talked about the dungeons, the deaths of his staff, and his escape with Eshak. Qing looked like she did not believe a word of it, but she remained silent as Frahat poured everything out like a fountain.
"The hell is that creature?" A voice suddenly called out of the dark.
Frahat froze as he saw a purple furred reptile staring back at him with annoyance.
A mušḫuššu!
The mušḫuššu were the ancient serpents of Babil, the once great foes of the Fars. Worshiped by their enemies, these creatures once ruled the skies, dealing wind and lightning and consuming whole cities. After the Babils were finally defeated, these beasts were cast down from the heavens and scattered among the ruins of the forgotten cities where they had once been deified. As people avoided those cursed sites, the mušḫuššu had likewise been consigned to oblivion for centuries, remembered only through ancient legends and monsters that people in Fars used to frighten children with: “Misbehave, and the mušḫuššu will eat you!”
Now there was a mušḫuššu right here, in Jiangshan, right in front of Frahat.
The Berang wondered if it would have been better to remain in the Imperial Dungeons.
“It’s a Berang.” Qing explained. “A mao gui, part weasel, part man, part fish. They’re from Fars. You never encountered them before?”
Morha shrugged and shook her head. “I’m from Babil. What do I care about our neighbors?”
“I think Fars ruled Babil for a while.” Eshak added.
The mušḫuššu snorted. “What? Ppft. Fuck that. You want me to bow to that thing?”
“Just let me leave, please." Frahat squeaked. "Don’t let the mušḫuššu eat me!”
“What the hell is this twerp talking about?”
“I think Frahat knows your people, Morha.” Qing replied before reassuring the Berang. “Morha won’t harm you-unless you do something very stupid.”
“What?” The purple dragon glared right at Frahat. “Tell me about my people, Berang Frahat.”
“You guys are the sweetest creatures I have heard about-please don’t eat me.” The Berang squeaked.
“Excuse me, Frahat.”
Qing brought Morha over to one side.
*Berangs kill dragons.* The blue dragon stated simply.
*Wait, really?*
*The Berang slather themselves in mud until it forms a protective armor, then dive into dragons mouths to tear out their throats. That’s what the legends say.*
Morha laughed. *What? That pathetic twerp couldn't kill anything.*
*That's the only reason he's still alive. Berang are dangerous. Be careful with them. It looks like the feeling is mutual.*
*So why not just kill this twerp?*
*For one thing they are also wealthy: they dominate the trade networks to the South. If you’re lucky, you may be able to get them to take you home.*
*And why would I trust them?*
*You’ll have to see. But things are moving.*
*How?*
*The Berang there gave me some very important information, stuff that portends disaster.*
*Ppft. You’re being overly dramatic, Qing-*
*The Emperor is consuming longs. The Empire is consuming its own guardians.*
The purple dragon stopped.
Meanwhile, Frahat had turned to Eshak to continue pleading. After a few exchanges, the Sha had pulled out his pipa, sat on a chair, and began flicking out some dramatic tunes, the music drowning out the night. Qing looked at the miserable looking prisoner and finally went over to the Berang. Having judged that the long was the most helpful of the three individuals present, Frahat went back to pleading his case before her.
“You have to send me home to Panyu! My people have to know what happened!”
“We can send a message directly by dove. No one knows you’re here.” The blue dragon replied.
“Well I certainly don't want to remain here and be chopped to pieces for some crazy ruler!”
“Fair. It seems like the fates are forcing us all to move.” Qing sighed, before turning to her companion. “Well Morha, it seems like your long stay here at Lord Buzhong’s is finally coming to an end.”
The mušḫuššu’s eyes suddenly widened and she jerked over to look at her friend. “Really?”
“Yes.”
The purple dragon gave her little furry war dance, leaping around and clapping her forepaws. Five long years, and the opportunity had finally come. She was leaving this alien land. “Yippie!”
Qing simply looked tired as she sat on her haunches looking at Jingui’s scale.
“And I’m joining you.”
Mandate of Heaven DLC Trailer Music : Total War: Three Kingdoms OST
From
Emiiz!
“Qing? I think you need to meet someone. Immediately.”
The blue dragon was dozing in her rattan wicker bed when the Sha quietly knocked at her door from the hidden passageway. Though the commander of the guard had passed her duties for the night to Tong hours ago, Qing was immediately awake and shimmied her way over to the nervous Sha. Eshak knocking meant something both secret and important was up, and the dragon readied herself for some possibly life-threatening conspiracy.
“Can you tell me what it is?”
Eshak shook his head. “It’s better for you to see it yourself, but it concerns all dragons.”
In short order the long was outside the Sha’s cottage, staring incredulously at the naked male Berang huddled by the toolshed.
Frahat shied away from the reptilian figure, who quietly but sternly looked over him and evaluated him.
Qing turned to her companion. “Why did you bring a Berang here, Eshak?”
“I rescued him from the Imperial Dungeon.”
The blue dragon was immediately in the Sha's face. “WHAT?”
Eshak backed up and raised his hands. “Easy, easy my lady. He has some information of great importance to us all.”
“What could possibly be worth betraying the Empire and possibly condemning us all to death? Why shouldn't I alert Lord Buzhong myself?”
The Sha took a deep breath. "The Empire is betraying us."
"What are you talking about?"
"I caught glimpses of the Imperial Dungeons. The Emperor has gone mad. He wants to be immortal, and he plans on doing so by consuming the flesh of all the suo of the empire.”
The blue dragon frowned, then abruptly turned to the escaped prisoner.
"Do you speak the Middle Speech, Berang?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"What is your name?"
"Frahat."
"I am Qing, Captain of the Guard of Lord Buzhong, Master of Ceremonies of the Emperor. Why are you here, hiding from the Emperor’s forces? Why are you so far from Panyu?"
Frahat gulped but began speaking, and once he started it was like an unstoppable torrent of words. "I was the ambassador for my people to go to Anping to petition the Emperor for help after the humans launched a pogrom at our colony. However it turned out the Emperor himself was behind that attack! He seized my entire embassy at the Imperial Court and took us down to the dungeons, where everyone was sacrificed except me to brew immortality potions! My people sent me to seek help from the Emperor, and he captured us and killed us! I’m the only one left! Like Eshak here said, the ruler of Jiangshan has gone mad! The Imperial Dungeons are filled with mao gui and suo gathered from all over the empire and beyond. Surely you know of the increased hunting expeditions into the Yue Lands? Surely you noticed that no one ever comes out? Surely you noticed the crackdown on us nonhumans?"
“Morha.” Eshak muttered under his breath.
“Jiangshan is turning on its non-human folk! You have to believe me! Help me escape back and warn my people of the danger!”
Qing was taken aback by the flood of information. She stopped to process it all, then carefully replied to the escaped prisoner. “Even if I believe you, the Emperor is the absolute ruler of all of Jiangshan. I don’t know what you Berang did to anger the Emperor, but his word is supreme. Why wouldn’t I give you up if the Celestial Son wants your head?”
Frahat was shaking and stuttering, but finally he blurted out. “Because I don’t think he’ll be satisfied with just me, or my people. Once they grind up my bones, who knows who they’ll come after next! Yours?”
"I believe him." Eshak stated simply.
Qing frowned. “Well I don’t believe you or any of this.”
The Berang fiddled through his back, and finally pulled out a few items from a small pouch made of wrapped cloth. Pieces of metal and a hard, thin object clanked together inside. The blue dragon did not want to know where all of that came from.
Frahat quickly unwrapped the objects. “These shackles came from the Imperial Dungeons." He handed over a chained shackle, too large for the Berang-put just right for a dragon.
"And this scale came from one of their last victims.”
Qing was silent as she looked at the piece of keratin about the size of a large coin. It was milky white, but reflected the moonlight to produce a rainbow sheen. Then the blue dragon slowly sank her head into one of her forepaws. Not sure what to make of it, both Eshak and Frahat backed away from the long.
"This was from Jingui.” Qing finally muttered. “I know that scale anywhere. He disappeared after being sent North against the Nomads."
“What does that mean?” Eshak asked.
“That means the Imperial edict that sent him off was a lie. Eshak, get Morha over here.”
As the Sha ran off, the blue dragon turned over to the frightened Berang. “Tell me about everything that happened, Frahat.”
Frahat did. He talked about the governor. He talked about the mutterings of the locals in Panyu. He talked about the vandalism and attacks, and he talked about the sudden, violent and bloody riot that charged through the gates of the colony. Afterwards, he talked about the Matriarch, the creation of the embassy to Anping, and the long trip over. He talked about the Imperial welcome, and the Emperor’s surprise and betrayal. He talked about the dungeons, the deaths of his staff, and his escape with Eshak. Qing looked like she did not believe a word of it, but she remained silent as Frahat poured everything out like a fountain.
"The hell is that creature?" A voice suddenly called out of the dark.
Frahat froze as he saw a purple furred reptile staring back at him with annoyance.
A mušḫuššu!
The mušḫuššu were the ancient serpents of Babil, the once great foes of the Fars. Worshiped by their enemies, these creatures once ruled the skies, dealing wind and lightning and consuming whole cities. After the Babils were finally defeated, these beasts were cast down from the heavens and scattered among the ruins of the forgotten cities where they had once been deified. As people avoided those cursed sites, the mušḫuššu had likewise been consigned to oblivion for centuries, remembered only through ancient legends and monsters that people in Fars used to frighten children with: “Misbehave, and the mušḫuššu will eat you!”
Now there was a mušḫuššu right here, in Jiangshan, right in front of Frahat.
The Berang wondered if it would have been better to remain in the Imperial Dungeons.
“It’s a Berang.” Qing explained. “A mao gui, part weasel, part man, part fish. They’re from Fars. You never encountered them before?”
Morha shrugged and shook her head. “I’m from Babil. What do I care about our neighbors?”
“I think Fars ruled Babil for a while.” Eshak added.
The mušḫuššu snorted. “What? Ppft. Fuck that. You want me to bow to that thing?”
“Just let me leave, please." Frahat squeaked. "Don’t let the mušḫuššu eat me!”
“What the hell is this twerp talking about?”
“I think Frahat knows your people, Morha.” Qing replied before reassuring the Berang. “Morha won’t harm you-unless you do something very stupid.”
“What?” The purple dragon glared right at Frahat. “Tell me about my people, Berang Frahat.”
“You guys are the sweetest creatures I have heard about-please don’t eat me.” The Berang squeaked.
“Excuse me, Frahat.”
Qing brought Morha over to one side.
*Berangs kill dragons.* The blue dragon stated simply.
*Wait, really?*
*The Berang slather themselves in mud until it forms a protective armor, then dive into dragons mouths to tear out their throats. That’s what the legends say.*
Morha laughed. *What? That pathetic twerp couldn't kill anything.*
*That's the only reason he's still alive. Berang are dangerous. Be careful with them. It looks like the feeling is mutual.*
*So why not just kill this twerp?*
*For one thing they are also wealthy: they dominate the trade networks to the South. If you’re lucky, you may be able to get them to take you home.*
*And why would I trust them?*
*You’ll have to see. But things are moving.*
*How?*
*The Berang there gave me some very important information, stuff that portends disaster.*
*Ppft. You’re being overly dramatic, Qing-*
*The Emperor is consuming longs. The Empire is consuming its own guardians.*
The purple dragon stopped.
Meanwhile, Frahat had turned to Eshak to continue pleading. After a few exchanges, the Sha had pulled out his pipa, sat on a chair, and began flicking out some dramatic tunes, the music drowning out the night. Qing looked at the miserable looking prisoner and finally went over to the Berang. Having judged that the long was the most helpful of the three individuals present, Frahat went back to pleading his case before her.
“You have to send me home to Panyu! My people have to know what happened!”
“We can send a message directly by dove. No one knows you’re here.” The blue dragon replied.
“Well I certainly don't want to remain here and be chopped to pieces for some crazy ruler!”
“Fair. It seems like the fates are forcing us all to move.” Qing sighed, before turning to her companion. “Well Morha, it seems like your long stay here at Lord Buzhong’s is finally coming to an end.”
The mušḫuššu’s eyes suddenly widened and she jerked over to look at her friend. “Really?”
“Yes.”
The purple dragon gave her little furry war dance, leaping around and clapping her forepaws. Five long years, and the opportunity had finally come. She was leaving this alien land. “Yippie!”
Qing simply looked tired as she sat on her haunches looking at Jingui’s scale.
“And I’m joining you.”
Mandate of Heaven DLC Trailer Music : Total War: Three Kingdoms OST
From
Emiiz!
Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Otter
Size 1000 x 1100px
File Size 1.28 MB
Yah as someone frequently adjacent to the medical field, mental damage is extremely hard to diagnose, hard to control and hard to treat. My only takeaway after two years of neurology research in Alzheimer's Disease was that we still know very little and fear conditioning is the easiest learned behavior.
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