Chapter 79: Imprisoned
Chapter 79: Imprisoned
The body was destroyed but the soul got the support. Each of the strands got back together and surrounded around another soul. Another dragon soul. Combined together, a new form was born. The primordial dan, slowly growing back over the time. But it was stuck. It was locked up. It got punished by the heavens to have mistreated oneself and imprisoned for a longtime, not letting the world know about the existence. The powerless form moved around and finally fell on the ground in a complete human form down from a water fall right through the middle into a pool of cold water surrounded by lilies.
She opened her eyes but it hurt. She hid the sunlight shining on her face with her hand and slowly sat up. The wet hair with water dripping from them, wet white gown drenched in water that revealed her body shape perfectly. The lilies, some petals and leaves surrounded her. She looked around trying to remember what the place actually is. But she had no clue about it. She was sure it is a cave and is within the lands of Water Realm.
She got out of the pool and walked around the cave. It was too cold and she did not like it. The stalgamites were everywhere. She was careful each step she took forward. She looked around for the entrance but found none. Then she walked towards one of the walls and touched the wet rock that had mosses. She kept trying to touch them but she couldn't feel them. She got frightened. She had no idea what she had become into. She punched the wall but her hands just got through it and didn't touch the surface again. She withdrew her hands and examined her body carefully. She could sense but not feel it. She did feel the water but she couldn't feel anything that was solid and hard. She did not have enough strength not flash and blood. She was just a soul that is wandering around. She looked at her feet and saw how it did not entirely touch the ground. She felt herself as if she was similar to a smoke form. She started feeling sad and scared. She looked around to see if there was anyone and found nobody. She walked deep into the cave and to her surprise, she found a harp. She ran her fingers through the strings. Tears whelmed her eyes. She couldn't believe anything that was happening.
"You need not waste the little energy in you left by crying here," she heard the voice of a lady. She looked around the cave. "Why? Do you want to see me?" The lady asked. She nodded and kept looking around. Suddenly she saw a figure appearing in front of her, with Aura of light around her. She was wearing a bright white gown and holding a sceptre in her hand. A long train of her dress behind her. She was radiating with energy and smiled. She was shocked to see the lady and forgot her manners. Then she quickly bowed and greeted the lady.
"You should make piece with this place and consider this your new home," the lady advised. The tattoo on the arms shined bright and it was made clear how the myth really existed. Then shenlong has always been the Water Realm it appeared to be. And it was a woman, not a man. The original shenlong is a woman.
"Why?" She asked back to the shenlong. She could hardly make sound from her throat.
"Because you will forever be punished," the lady said to her very casually.
"Why?"
"Why? You are asking me why my dear?" Shenlong asked back.
"Because you gave love for a man more than you gave love for yourself,"
"Isn't what being true to your heart means? She asked back.
"You will be punished by law for the mistreatment towards the crystals, quitting life for one and many expectations given to people, you could have ruled the universe and lost the only chance," the lady said back.
Then it occurred to her about what had happened. She immediately looked down her stomach, touching the belly, then moved her hands towards her abdomen where she was stabbed from the back. It hurt though no wound was visible. Then she remembered how she got stabbed with the soul sword right on her chest.
"Whatever happened, nothing was in my hand," she tired to reason with the lady.
"Whether it was or was not, it has already happened, and you, one of my children, you broke my law and lived on your own, you weren't a sacrificial animal for a heaven, you were not made for the cause, but to live independently, but you lived like a cow that was going to be taken for slaughter later, as the mother, I am very disappointed to see ny child standing in front me after wasting a life time. And I have decided to ground with all the right for being my descendant. The shenlong blood," the lady made everything very clear. "Take care, " she said and disappeared just like that.
"But,' before she said anything, the shenlong left her she had no idea about what to do. She found a place to rest near the harp and laid down on the cold floor.
Days passed, but she kept no track of time. Everytime she got bored, she would sit and play the harp for a longtime. She couldn't believe she is going to spend the rest of her live inside this large cave. She tried to find some edible food and realised she cannot consume any food or water without a body and flesh. She would always get into the pool and float on water and learn swimming in different ways. She also tried to practice any cultivation through meditation but nothing worked out.
One fine day, she sensed people outside the cave. But she had no way to get to know and ask for help. She grew bored again and played the harp. She kept playing them for a long time. She recalled the times she played the harp whenever the family rested in her sea palace usually after the lunch hours. Her father always loved watching her play, listening to the melodious tune. Suddenly something shook the ground and the sound leaked. Her powers accidentally deflected while she played a particular tone. But she was not aware of it. It went out through the tunnel and hit a man. He fell down on his knees while his wife tried to help stand back on his feet.
She kept playing the harp and immersed herself into it. Enjoying each note she played. There were tears in her eyes as she recalled her some things from her memory. "Maybe the shenlong is right, I do deserve this punishment, " she told herself as took a deep breath and put an end to playing it. But when she stopped and looked up, there was a man standing in front of her.
"It can't be," she gasped. Her thin self, her long black hair lying free, her white plain gown, she did look like a spirit but in much better condition. She did not move a bit forward. She wanted to hide herself but had no other way.
He came forward and walked towards her.
"Aqua? Aqua is that you?" He asked you.
"Pa," she called. He walked towards her too quickly and tried to take her hand but failed massively. He was shocked to see her state.
"You won't be able to feel me at all," she replied to her father, King Aenon.
"Aqua what happened to you? What is wrong? How did you end up inside here?"
"She said I was formed here, born here, and that am her child, the shenlong blood, and also that am grounded forever, " Aqua told her father. "Am doing fine, I will be confined here forever, but do not feel bad, I don't have another life to choose, " she said.
"Shenlong?" Aenon asked her.
"The myth is true after all, the shenlong does exist, it is a she too," she told about the news to her family. "She came to me,"
"It can't be," Aenon said.
"But it is," Daughter assured her father. "Pa," she called him as she watched him growing silent. "Do not come here again," she said in the end as her heart ached. She was feeling too tempted that the control she had over her was slowly going off. She had tears in her eyes as she asked him that. "Do not ever come here to see me again," she pleaded to him. "I do not want to be tempted and commit crimes to get out of here," she said openly. "Am being punished for not having enough self love, and I have realised it really is important to have it,"
"How can this happen?" Aenon asked her full of doubts.
"She said she is disappointed to see her child since I lived like a cow for slaughter for a cause than i choosing the throne to reign over, the universe, " It was like a slap on King Aenon's face. He couldn't believe how the Water High Goddess Shenlong had told her things. He was ashamed to say that he was part of such a crime. For believing in the bad cause and torturing people for it. "Leave, " she ordered her father to leave soon. She was afraid that the longer he stayed and second time with her, the bigger her wishes to step out would resurface in her heart. She did not want that but accept the punishment, living in her reality. Aenon noticed how she no longer had flesh and blood and felt his heart breaking into pieces. He respected her words and said nothing but took his leave the same way he entered the cave.
She stood watching her father leave and carried on with playing the harp.