Dear Readers,
I would like to thank you for your support and patience over these 4 long years.
I do hope you will like this last chapter.
Happy reading.
Yan Zhu and the Fire Princess looked at each other.
The Ancient Spirit kept staring silently at the Princess, and tried to command back into the depths the emotions that besieged her from right and left at the same time. For some strange, unexplainable reason Yan Da's presence did not confirm, but rather uncertain her. The girl regained back from her the immortal power she had lacked so far during her present rebirth. But the Eternally Burning Fire seemed… not too bloodthirsty enough.
Yan Da did nothing but sit on the rocks, sometimes walked or slept some, and showed no particular interest when she told her about her plans. She had no intention of standing by the Ancient Spirit at all, to drown the Ice Clan and all the other clans who supported them into a fire storm. She was though much more enthusiastic when presenting her adventures with her mortal family, and with that stripling Prince Shi, while she should have long screwed his neck for watching heartlessly her death twice. She chatted about their love until Yan Zhu silenced and rat on her.
She tried to convince her in vain, Yan Da did not fell fot it. She attacked back with saying that the war must end and that only the Ice - Fire Clan could be the solution so that they could all live in peace as long as the gods allow it. And for that, they have to stay together - Yan Zhu slapped the girl for the first time when she talked about Xian Xue and their history, but next time she just waved and puffed away.
Yan Zhu took a deep breath and banished her feelings behind bars of rage. She turned away from the Fire Princess and looked at the green mountains. Hui Heise was late. But now she could no longer intervene, she could not go down the mountains, but was forced to wait for the clan leader to arrive.
Come on, my hero. Come, bring me the glorious weapon and your reward will be granted, she thought with eyes closed and left the message to the wind.
Xian Xue was kicking the snow under his feet and walked up and down, heading in one direction south to the green forest, looking back at the Fire Mountains rising in front of him. He conjured a whirlwind swirling from time to time to push the gray clouds carrying the mist shroud behind them a little further away, but it wasn’t too successful. Yin Kong Shi had already left at dawn to continue looking for the leader of the Shadow Cave Clan, he tried to hold him back vain from doing so. He was sure that Yan Zhu had made the man invisible with some kind of magic. He considered the whole a waste of effort. He was but thoroughly surprised when the Prince returned at first light.
- Xian Xue, I need you.
- What? Now?
- The Guard hot the road down the Speedy Stairs.
- And? – Snow Bird began to be impatient.
Ying Kong Shi did not answer. He grabbed the other’s arm and yanked him up between the clouds. They flew so fast that shreds of clouds twisted behind them, letting the sunlight through the gaps that formed. Before them, however, the air was only thick milk. Xian Xue growled endlessly until Shi cut his words.
- Silence! Listen!
Unrecognizable, muffled shouts were swept towards them by the slowly moving mass of fog. However, the scream of the girl was already heard clearly by both of them.
- Not again, - said Snow Bird. - There's a lot of trouble with this little mortal of yours, don't you think?
- Just catch her, okay? - Shi snapped back. - I'll take care of the Captain.
- We have more important things to do, no? What about the Princess?
Shi just shook his head and immersed himself into the fog.
Xian Xue's wings began to shine and illuminated the clouds swirling in front of him. He could already see the dark figure falling to the depths. To a mortal eye, it might have seemed hopelessly fast, but for Snow Bird, it needed only a few comfortable wing strokes to get next to the helpless girl and catch her still in time. Bai He could barely see because of her tears. The Captain's cry echoed in her ear, but when she was gripped by strong arms, she regained consciousness. Blinking, she tried to take out his savior's face.
- You're not Ying Kong Shi…- she whispered with such a dose of relief in her voice, that Snow Bird was offended and almost dropped her back into the abyss.
- You're welcome, mortal. - he growled at the girl, then without any particular ceremony, set her down among the muddy tufts of grass on a wider part of the walkway.
Holding the arm of the Captain the Prince watched them land. Kai Xi Wang could not move from the grip of the immortal force, and Shi did not intend to let go until he thought the moment was right. The mortal girl was safe and sound apart from the fright. The Applicants stared at the scene in shock, glancing from one immortal to another, and had no idea what they should do now.
-It's good that the General isn't here. - Lu Shan muttered in a low voice.
Ying Kong Shi was pleased that everyone could see well: Bai He owed her life to the Guardian Spirit. He nodded at Snow Bird, who waited until the mortals kneeled before the glowing appearance, then disappeared in a flash.
Shi released the Captain then.
- Is there any problem? -he asked with a smile as the other turned to him. with a killing look. - Hui Heise slowly reaches the foot of the Mountains of Fire. We should speed up. Shall we go?
- Ying Kong Shi… - the Captain snarled, so the Prince retreated and raised his hand.
-Thank the Guardian Spirit for your luck. I have nothing to do with it. And until you wipe away those tears, - he gestured to the girl, - Xian Xue and I will clear the way for the Guard, okay?
He nodded to the officers, who immediately summoned and lined up the Applicants. Meanwhile, Shi's white hair was already ruffled by the awakening wind behind him. Snow Bird apparently didn't waste his time, so he didn't see the point in staying any longer either. He took one last look at Bai He, who crouched with her head down on the ground, then began to cast a spell in the air. It would only take them a few minutes to finally disperse the fog and clouds, and roughly dry up the rest of the trail so that the mortals could finally descend into the valley. That time should be enough for the Captain.
Bai He felt freezing to death. She tried to stop the shaking, but her fingers disobeyed. She lifted them up, but realized there was no warmth left in her and it made no sense to breathe on them. She heard the voices of the officers handing out short commands behind her and the Applicants fixing their equipment, and she knew she had to stand up somehow. She remembered her sword and began to tap at her waist for its grip. Her fingers ached as she squeezed, but she didn't care, ignoring the scratches on her face that burned from the tears that flowed through them. She pulled her legs closer and leaned on the ground to stand up.
Kai Xi Wang stood behind her back with his fist clenched. When she moved, he shouted:
- What do you think of yourself?
He Bian, who was busy with the Applicants, shuddered then shook his head in frustration. He waved to Lu Shan and they lead the team down the trail more quickly. They’d better not listen to this all the way through.
Bai He swallowed hard. She knelt down and turned her head toward the Captain.
- You put the whole team in danger! Your companions, the mission… - Xi Wang's every move was accompanied by an angry shout, and he didn't stop even when he reached right next to the girl and she could see the nose of his boots. - You seem to have a constant habit of entrusting your luck to the immortals. Did you hope the Prince would save your life, again?
She listened desperately to him and knew completely well that he was right. She was careless and clumsy. And weak. Everything that a real Guardian cannot be.
- I ... I'm sorry, - she whispered in a weak voice, tilting her head even lower. However, Kai Xi Wang grabbed her arms and yanked her off the ground in a single motion. She groaned in pain, squeezing her eyes to hold back the tears and avoid the Captain's angry gaze. In the growing silence, she could only hear her own intermittent breath. Suddenly she felt a light touch of fingers on her face as he smoothed her dirty and soaked hairlocks. It was good that Xi Wang held her waist tightly with one arm, otherwise she couldn’t have stayed on her feet. The man was less loud and even less angry, but he still continued:
- Why werent’ you more careful?
Bai He nervously tried to turn her head. She was certain that behind the Captain's back the whole team was there all watching her. S he tried to break free, in vain those fingers held her face tightly and the man's arm on her waist pulled her closer and closer to him. Kai Xi Wang was just whispering now.
- What did you think…? You say my name out loud, that I’ve been waiting for for weeks, and then you fall to your death the next moment?
The Captain could barely hold himself back. He talked so much because he needed time to make sure: he wasn’t dreaming his worst nightmare again, but it was real that Bai He was alive and pretty much unharmed, muddy, and terrified but here in his arms. Now that he could be sure, he didn't have to shout. It was enough only to hope.
Bai He, however, searched for some meaningful answer. This was her last chance, though she had no idea of any excuse to defend herself, and how to convince the Captain that she could still be a true Guardian. The Captain seemed to run out of scolding because he was just holding the girl tight, as if afraid of her escaping. Bai He took a deep breath, hoping that if she spoke, the right answer would just slip out of her mouth somehow.
But Xi Wang had an idea better than words and rather kissed her. He tried very hard to make her understand: first, he loves her terribly, desperately, and endlessly, and he was deadly jealous of the Prince, who was very fortunate to have disappeared with his silly grin, and finally that he himself would jump into the abyss if Bai He did not convince him about feeling the same way. All of this was hard enough to express without words, but Kai Xi Wang succeeded. He could feel her skin finally warming up under hid touch, and by some miracle she regained her strength so much that she was now pulling his head closer to her as she ran her tiny fingers into his hair and kissed him back.
In the end they had to breath anyways, so they parted, Bai He wasn’t the only one with roses blooming on her face and stars shining in her eyes.
They sat next to each other on a stone, and Kai Xi Wang insisted that the girl pull the bottle of palinka fairly and waited until her hand no longer shook. They followed the team only when Bai He swore to the Guard for the third time that she was fine and would be able to walk. A few minutes later, Lu Shan, who closed the line, looked back and saw them. He whistled cheerfully at his front-going friend, who looked back, raised his hand, then He Bian and he urged the Applicants further grinning widely.
Ying Kong Shi smiled to himself for long as he imagined the two mortals, but then quickly became serious. He rode the windstorm that Xian Xue had started, and as the cliffs at the northern edge of Elm Heights were covered with the light of the rising sun, he carried his gaze over the narrow valley all the way to the Fire Mountains. His anxiety turned to determination as he saw with one look the sparkling weapons striped to the side of the Guardians, Snow Bird high above his head, the hooded figure climbing on the black rocks of the Fire Mountains on the other side of the valley, and the fiery lights flaring up on the hilltop.
Well, everyone important is finally here.
He needed the Guard no longer. They did their job when they chased further away a little the thief who fled with his father's sword, unaware that he was running into his own destruction. Probably the General would be happy for them too, because even if they didn't have to fight anymore, they would at least have become a well-forged team. He also got rid of the faint guilt that had tormented him for so long about the mortal girl, but now he didn’t have to worry about her happiness either. Well said Xian Xue, they were his friends. And he won’t let Yan Zhu get them into trouble. He flew high up against the Elm Heights and drew a wide, not too high ice wall in front of the Guardians. He heard Kai Xi Wang shout angrily behind him, but ignoring the Captain's curses he was soon flying over the valley, right over Hui Heise's head.
He could have dealt with the clan chief with a single snap. After all, he was just a simple, ignorant mortal. But for what? They did not want to defeat the Ancient Spirit of the Fire Clan, but to win her over for themselves. They can only prevent the destruction that Yan Zhu is vengefully longing for if Snow Bird and she put aside their silly grievances and are willing to finally really care about each other’s happiness.
Let Yan Zhu get the sword of the Ice - Fire Clan. Let her just feel it in her hand, warm the ice-cold weapon until the two of them corner her nicely. There is too much Fire in her and too little Ice, his father's sword would not obey her anyway. As for the Fire Princess… Well, he had no better idea than to blindly trust Yan Da's feelings. Three against one… It would work. Anyways, he had nothing to lose. He didn’t want to spend more millennia alone, without Yan Da, so he put everything in one basket. When the bright sun sets tonight, its last rays will either shine on the intertwined hands of the two of them, or on his corpse.
Yan Da stood up as he sensed Ying Kong Shi nearby. The flames of the Eternal Burning Fire she once used to save the Prince who got wounded in a mortal body, greeted her from afar. And the ice magic in the depths of her soul, which she inherited from the Prince when he called her to a new life, answered. Yan Zhu appeared immediately ebside her and raised her hands to hold her back from whatever she was up to. but Yan Da just folded her arms and smiled broadly.
She no longer smiled when she noticed the hooded figure approaching them. She recognised the man – it seemed like an eternity that had passed since Bai He and she ran into Chou Lou’s mysterious companion on the forest road. Hui Heise walked towards Yan Zhu with a dreamy look and ignored the Princess. As he reached the Ancient Spirit, he looked at her with an ecstatic look, then knelt down and held the sword toward her.
Yan Zhu held out her hand. Slowly, carefully, enjoying every inch that brought her fingers closer to the sword. Then she grabbed the grip. She raised the weapon closer to herself in shock. She should have felt the strength, the omnipotent power of Yuan Ji and the Ice - Fire Clan, but in vain, the sword was silent and lifeless.
- Stupid mortal! - she screemed angrily. - You brought the wrong sword.
She wielded the sword, then sent a column of fire from her free hand towards Hui Heise, who had only enough time to roll his eyes before the Ancient Spirit burned him to dust.
Yan Da stepped back. Would it be possible? Would the clan leader have made such a mistake? Or the Ancient Spirit? But Yan Zhu was convinced that the sword they kept on Holy Snow Mountain had been stolen by the man she had made into her puppet. There was never any doubt behind her boastful words. Maybe she was wrong and they kept another sword there?
She shook her head. No way.
- It is much easier to create than to destroy, Yan Zhu. You could have learned… - Xian Xue's lightsome voice sounded as they appeared near them. Behind him Yin King Shi walked confidently.
- Back off, Guardian! Don't come closer! - Yan Zhu raised her sword.
- Calm down… - Snow Bird kept trying, his voice trembling imperceptibly. But only for a moment, and Yan Zhu did not notice it in her anger. - Watch and listen to me.
- Why? You came in vain, Guardian… You are late, you and your pathetic little prince. Yuan Ji’s sword will eventually obey me, and then I will take revenge for the sins of the Ice Clan. You will suffer.
- How long? - Shi stepped closer and took a fleeting look at the Fire Princess before standing in front of Yan Zhu. - How many millennia would be acceptable to you? Because I think Snow Bird and I have already spent a couple alone, and we have long realized that it was just suffering for us. We also have a better idea to spend time, if you accept our proposal.
- You…? We…? What is this nonsense supposed to mean? Not even eternity can be enough to erase the memory of all the pain I had to go through.
- Wel then. - Shi nodded. - Give your sword to the Princess. I'd rather be lost by her hand.
- Do not ask! - Yan Zhu growled at him, but then gestured the girl closer.
Yan Da glanced secretly towards Shi, who nodded imperceptibly. She took the weapon from the hands of the Ancient Spirit. It was heavy, but she didn’t back off because of it. She barely held it in her hand for a few moments, when turquoise flames were born starting from the grip and running along the length of the blade, all the way to the tip of the sword. Sparks and tiny snow crystals rose towards the sky.
Yan Zhu screamed desperately.
- No! It cannot be! You are a child of the Eternal Fire! You can't be a traitor!
Xian Xue stepped closer with his hands raised up and tried to reassure her in a calm voice:
- Don't deny the obvious anymore, Yan Zhu. Please…
However, the Ancient Spirit backed away from him.
- Spare your tricks, Guardian. I don't believe a word from you.
- You should by the way. - Shi remarked. - You sould have had enough time to notice that Yan Da is no longer just a Princess of the Fire Clan. It led you nowhere to deny yourself the truth. I know it’s not easy, because it took me a while to accept too. But this sword will only serve the children of the Ice - Fire Clan. It will not obey you. Not now, not later, not in this life, or in any other.
- Yan Da! Give me back the sword! - Yan Zhu snapped. - If you're not with me, don't hope for my mercy. You too will perish with the Ice Clan.
- The Fire Clan is long gone, Ancient Spirit. - the Princess said sadly. - There's nothing we can do about it. But the Eternally Burning Fire stays forever. It’s in me too. We should take care of it. But you just want to destroy. If you're left alone, what's the point?
Shi and Snow Bird exchanged anxious glances. Yan Zhu apparently could not be convinced. The Princess stepped away, the blade flashing in her hand as blue flames danced around it. The next moment, her hand twitched and the sword flew away from her, straight into Yan Zhu's hand. The Ancient Spirit lifted the a weapon, pointing straight to Snow Bird's eyes.
- Come on, Guardian. I'll start with you, okay?
Yan Da ran over to Shi. The Prince smiled and shook his head, but did not speak. Xian Xue, meanwhile, took another step toward the Ancient Spirit. Yan Zhu watched helplessly as the flames went out on the sword. It turned into a useless junk in her hand, but she just lifted it toward the other, who didn't stop even when the tip of the sword reached his chest.
- The War of Fire and Ice was not simply a struggle between the two of us, Yan Zhu… Millennial battle was brought not only for our clans, but for all the inhabitants of the Three Kingdoms. Fight and suffering. PLease understand ... As I understood it… We can't go on with this.
The sword in Yan Zhu's hand trembled.
- What do you want from me, Guardian? What do you want from me right now? You've never wanted anything before.
- This sword belonged to the King of the Ice - Fire Clan. It will not obey you. The Fire Clan no longer exists, there is no one to support or defend it. Do you really think you can win?
- I'll burn you all to dust! - Yan Zhu hissed, but shocked to see Xian Xue step closer to her and the tip of the sword drilled into the front of his robe.
- Be with me. - said Snow Bird.
- What? - Yan Zhu looked at him, and even Yin Kong Shi was a little surprised. Snow Bird played a dangerous game, but it seemed he wanted to shorten the discussion. It was a question of how good that idea was. Yan Zhu was still furious.
- Be with me, Yan Zhu. - the Guardian repeated. - I know that's what you want. Mortals can live their lives without us. The Ice - Fire Clan, on the other hand, can be reborn only when Ying Kong Shi finally sits on the throne. And you and I could guard the flames of the Eternal Fire.
- I did not understand correctly. - Yan Zhu laughed compulsively. - Should I be a Guardian? Me? The Ancient Spirit?
- The Eternal Burning Fire is no longer just the Fire Clan's own. Don't deny it, you feel it too. It burns there inside the Princess just like in Yin Kong Shi Prince.
Yan Zhu did not answer. Now she was no longer hiding behind the mask of anger, they could all see the thoughts whipped up by her emotions swirling inside her. Snow Bird just stared at her, slowly reaching out to her, hoping that his eyes don’t deceive him, and the Ancient Spirit would finally understand that she could get what she had always wanted. But as Yan Zhu's eyes were filled with tears, she shook her head.
- No, I can't… I don't believe you…
Snow Bird tilted his head sadly. He looked deep into Yan Zhu's eyes, who almost exploded because of the fight she fought with herself.
- Then I'll help you decide. I don't want to spend another millennium without you either.
Then he leaned forward a little, just enough for the sword to pierce his chest. Yan Zhu screamed, but she pulled her hand back in vain, unable to stop the sword.
- Snow Bird, you fool. - she slumped down on the black rock beside him as he leaned forward in pain. - Why did you do that?
Xian Xue raised his hand and wiped off Yan Zhu's tears.
- Ancient Spirit, why are you crying? I thought you didn't need me. - He closed his eyes wearily.
- Snow Bird! - Yan Zhu cried again, and the other looked up at her.
- What?
- Hush. - she placed her slender fingers in front of the other's mouth at first, but as he twitched, she sobbed. – Stupid bird…
She closed her eyes and surrendered. Saving Xian Xue - that's all what was important now. She tried to pull back the sword, but it wouldn't let go. She summoned all the powers of the Fire Clan that she kept as an Ancient Spirit, but that was not enough either.
Be with me, she heard Snow Bird whisper in her ear again, even though he didn't speak. So be it. She sent out the flames of the Eternally Burning Fire toward him, but only carefully, not to injure him with the sword. She sent a few flames toward the other, which gently crawled along the blade, then immersed through the wound into the body Snow Bird. It’s just strength, she convinced herself, it’s just energy that keeps you alive.
Yuan Ji's sword did not deny the fire he had known from birth, but passed it on to the Guardian of the Ice Clan. Xian Xue shuddered as he felt Yan Zhu's strength, and his eyes widened as the sword withdrew from his body at its own will. It was followed by blue flames that turned turquoise mixed with the Eternally Burning Fire.
Yan Zhu picked up the sword and threw it away, and the next moment she was already sobbing on Xian Xue's shoulder, who hugged her tightly and tried to reassure her by stroking her hair.
After a while, when Yan Zhu raised her head shyly, Snow Bird smiled at her, then spoke back over his shoulder.
- Where are we going in such a hurry?
Ying Kong Shi was about to leave in silence, holding his father's sword in one hand and Yan Da's hand in the other. Now he stopped, raising his sword slightly in front of the two of them, just preparing for any possibilities:
- Hurry to…. for the coronation.
- Without our blessing? – Snow Bird asked sternly, so Shi pursed his lips, but then bowed ceremoniously. Yan Da hurriedly followed him.
- I ask for your blessings.
Snow Bird glared at the Ancient Spirit. She just waved her hand impatiently, saying she didn’t care, then pretended she urgently had to examine if the wound of Snow Bird had already healed.
The Prince bowed again, then pulled the Fire Princess after him. It took a lot of time to organize a royal wedding, and he had no desire to wait any longer.
In Snow Blade City, the coronation ceremony was delayed by at least half a day. Liu Shu, the High Counsellor, was unable to hold back the river of gossip. Although Ying Kong Shi sent a clear message and briefly explained the situation, the subjects of the Ice Clan were unable to digest what happened so quickly. They managed to obtain further information from the members of the Kingdom Guard being in the Palace, all this had to be discussed with friends, talked about over and over again until they knew even the smallest details, and everything became clear to them. The High Counsellor was forced to threaten them with severe punishments, so that they could finally begin to organize the ceremony and the subsequent royal wedding on the merits. When he could finally sit back in his tiny room and count the new wrinkles and dark circles that appeared around his eyes, someone screamed mightily in the Throne Room. Panicked, he ran out to see what happened, when he saw Yue Liang and Li Ming rushing toward the entrance, jilting snow lilies and blossoming cherry tree branches out of their hands to throw themselves into the arms of a short-haired, tanned-skinned Guardian.
He blinked twice because he couldn't believe his eyes. Yet this young woman was indeed Bai He. She arrived led by the arms of Captain Kai Xi Wang, proud and with sparkling eyes, as she had once left the Palace, only much happier.
- I cannot breathe. Let go… - she laughed.
- You lucky snowbird, - the two court ladies sobbed. - We thought you were dead… Why didn't you send a message?
- All right, all right… I'm here now, am I? And if you want to know, I'm just one dress short…
They didn't need more, Kai Xi Wang could barely jump out of the way, Yue Liang and Li Ming grabbed her bride with such vigor to find a suitable wedding dress for her. Bai He could only wave at him him before they disappeared in the hallway with her. He forced himself into seriousness and walked over to the Counsellor. He bowed politely.
- High Counsellor …
- The General will be here immediately, Captain. As soon as the discussion with the clan chiefs is over.
- Thank you, High Counsellor.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you, High Counsellor.
Xi Wang bowed again, then pulled himself out and stayed there waiting for the General. Liu Shu sighed unnoticed. He was relieved that the Captain was apparently not resentful of that old case. By no means did he want to clash with a mortal who managed to keep up with Prince Ying Kong Shi in a sword duel.
The Prince wisely appeared late in the Palace. Yan Da and he spent a few days in the small house by the Gray Crab River to enjoy solitude. Shi knew that even so, with the Princess by his side, the crown would have weight, and he wanted to prepare for it in head. He knew people like Hui Heise still might come, who might not cause trouble only for the Ice Fire Clan, but for the Three Kingdoms. There will still be fights he will have to fight, but he gave thanks to the gods every single day for not being alone. His gaze only frowned as Yan Da and he stood at the entrance to the Throne Room outside the door, waiting for the Host to signal to begin the coronation ceremony.
- What troubles you? - Yan Da asked, looking up anxiously.
- My brother… I wish he could be here…
- Shi…, - the Princess whispered. - Ka Suo and you are forever brothers. Neither time nor space changes this. He's not here, but believe me, he knows… he knows you're finally happy. Because you are, right? Are you happy, Prince?
Shi leaned closer and kissed her.
- Yes, Princess. I'm happy…
Behind them, Kai Xi Wang cleared his throat and grumbled between his teeth.
- Can we finally go? The door opens… We do not have an eternity.
Bai He chuckled softly, then elbowed Xi Wang in the side.
- Respect, Captain.
The man nodded in response as they walked down the stairs leading to the Throne Hall pretty slowly, following in the footsteps of the future King and Queen of the Ice - Fire Clan.
Snow Bird sat on the rock at the Peak near Mirage Hall, his legs dangling over the depths. With his eyes closed, he sat, smiling, listening to the filtering sounds of the merry gathering in the Throne Room. With her back against his, Yan Zhu crouched beside him on the bearskin the Guardian had borrowed from the Prince's suite. He doesn't need it now anyway, he remarked and spread it out in the snow so she could be comfortably seated. Together they watched the Light of the Gods, the rising stars, and the fireworks held in honor of the royal couple at midnight. However, all this was not warm enough for Yan Zhu, and when her slender fingers were already numb from the cold, she impatiently poked the Guardian in the side.
- Can we finally go?
Snow Bird looked at her and took her hand. He felt it cold and smiled.
- Yes. We can go now. I know a place…
Glittering snowflakes were twirling in the air around them, as their shape slowly disappeared in the darkness. Ying Kong Shi rushed out gasping for air to the Peak, but in vain. Disappointed, he stopped at the edge of the rocks and lowered his head. Yan Da hugged his waist with one arm, and leaned over.
-You didn't think they'd wait, did you?
-I didn't have a good opportunity to say goodbye ....
-They will come back, don’t worry… They won't forget… But now they have better things to do than take care of us, don't you think? - Yan Da chuckled. - Come now, - she walked over to the forgotten bearskin and held the king by the hand. - I'm cold…
Behind Ying Kong Shi, the double door slammed shut, and Mirage Hall finally sank into darkness.
