5 An Ominous Sight side chapter (2/2)

The young men felt a chill go down his spine like ice-cold water rolling over his skin.

In Heavenly City, there wasn't anyone that didn't know what that could mean. Even though that had happened almost a thousand years earlier, the story was still too vivid, too terrifying for any of them to forget. As the years went by, the reality lost itself among the legends and songs of gods and heroes from another time, but the manuscripts still existed, and the elders would always remember.

There was glory, and blood and loss and fear. Above all, there was the uncertainty in the hearts of those that, after waiting for hundreds of years, didn't know what to expect when finally seeing their hopes come to fruition. Didn't know what to do with the times that were to come.

”We will have turbulent times ahead of us” his Shifu said, finally looking at his direction ”No war is meant to last forever, just as peace is not always as peaceful as it seams.” he sighed deeply, an old sadness creeping closer and closer to his eyes. ”We've been fighting for so long, resisting in the shadows... Now, it is finally time”.

The young man felt his throat go dry like sand paper.

”Shifu means...”

”A war is coming” Madam Ling answered in his stead ”One that our Soul-gathering Flames Sect can't afford to lose”.

The first disciple of the Eldest Master of Heavenly City felt fear like never before, a terrifying foreboding that chilled him to the bones.

Once again, he looked at the scenes playing out over the basin, his eyes trailing the young and delicate features of the girl running through the crowded market, her long sleeved blue robes swaying with the speed as she tried to put more space between her and the servants on her heels.

There was no mistaking the mischievous, determined look on her beautiful foreign eyes.

He sighed deeply, pursing his lips while remembering his master's words.

It was an ominous sight indeed.

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Luan Bird: usually portrayed as a blue bird, similar to the Phoenix. It's sad to serve as mounts to the gods or be their messengers. Some believe they represent the Yang energy, symboling positive values such as life and peace. On the other hand, there are those that say it is a sign of return to the Yin, times of chaos, which explains its association as a ”solar simple of death”.

Zhu Que: the Vermillion Bird, one of the Divine Beast of the Chinese Mythology. There is not much written about it, aside from it representing the South, Fire and Summer. Ot is sometimes depicted as a red bird made of flames, but it can't be confused with the Phoenix. The seven mansions are actually the seven stars that constitute its constellation.