Glancing between his father’s smile and his mother’s irked expression, Yu Xiaolong had an inkling of how amazing his father is based on the fact that he landed his mother. After all, his mother is prone to violent mood swings, and it’s quite a feat to manage his marriage and survive at the same time.
” Stop fooling around, come, and start preparing. ” His grandfather’s voice rang out from the shrine.
Yu Xiaolong was ushered into the shrine, which looked like a mixture of a haunted house and a dojo. It wasn’t shabby or dilapidated in any way, but a person from the 21st century would likely remark ‘ Damn! That’s haunted. ‘ at first sight.
When he entered the eerie-looking shrine, he found the space inside surprisingly spacious. The interior of the shrine is about the size of a football field, decorated with slabs that looks-like tombstones and giant statues of various beasts.
They are arranged to surround the center of the shrine, 72 statues of majestic beasts that were proudly displaying their prestige and solemn tombstones of various sizes scattered amongst the statues.
At the center of the shrine, Yu Xiaolong saw his grandparents and his sister. He saw them standing upon what a modern man would call ‘ glowing voodoo stuff ‘.
His parents led him to the center of the shrine. Upon arriving, he noticed that the statues seemed to be staring through him, judging him whether he’s worthy and worth grooming. The statues give the impression of looking down on him, it made him feel afraid and anxious.
The tombstones give a different pressure altogether, Yu Xiaolong could feel the vague expectations that the owner’s held. Staring at a cluster of irregular tombstones, Yu Xiaolong could clearly hear voices saying ‘ You’ll be great! Don’t let us down! Don’t end up like us! ‘ and various other whispers of different genders.
” SWEET MOTHER OF GOD! No wonder my sister is behaved and quiet, this place is really disturbing. ” Yu Xiaolong thought.
Both of them were made to stand side by side at the right at the center of the glowing parts. Yu Xiaolong noticed that the glowing parts are fine lines chiseled into the stone they were standing on.
His parents vacated the area where the strange carvings formed as soon as they were done settling them in. His grandparents floated up, taking a position as an observer right above their heads.
They shouted in unison. ” Today under the light of the holy moon, we bear witness, together with the ancestors of the Yu family, those who had ascended or perished, the awakening of the blood of these children. “
As soon as their voices faded, Yu Xiaolong saw his parents transform for the first time. The whole area was suddenly filled with a chill that left him in fear and awe. His mother soared up high, floating effortlessly even with her wings spread open. His father was enveloped with a thick layer of black smog.
When Yu Xiaolong eyed his parent’s transformations, he suddenly felt his inner geek flare-up. He could recognize the species his parents transformed into.
His mother turned into a towering white bird with a wingspan of 20 meters. Cloud-Ruling Hawk, a Monarch species of the Avian family. This species has dominion over the winds and clouds, second only to dragons. Their abilities allow them to be perpetually airborne, even when asleep. They can tap on to the winds to achieve supersonic flight, and use clouds to hide in the skies.
Yu Xiaolong quietly admired the majestic creature hovering right above him. His reverie was interrupted by the commotion on the side, Yu Xiaolong turned to his father.
His father became a 15 meter tall, overly muscular bull that was wrapped in a thick shroud of purple flames. Purple Vajra Bull, a Monarch species of the Bovine family. They have a minor dominion over the fire element, have the strength that can level mountains, and a physique that can rival dragons. Purple Varja Bulls would literally boil their blood to amp up their strength. The blood would evaporate and mix with the purple flames, resulting in a trail of red cloudlike smoke.
He looked really menacing.
Yu Xiaolong held his sister’s hand under the gazes of these two terrifying creatures. The statues and the tombstones started ‘ singing ‘ with a vibrating eerie sound. His grandparent’s started chanting, in line with the melody of the shrine’s sound. His mother began to beat her wings while his father began to stomp his hooves. They began dancing in a ritualistic manner circling Yu Xiaolong and his sister. It was a breathtaking performance accompanied by an eerie orchestra.
Yu Xiaolong had involuntarily let go of his sister’s hand and had unknowingly begun to transform. he became a foot-long fish with bright red scales and excessively long veil-like fins. His sister transformed too, but she was still enamored by their parents that she probably didn’t notice.
Then their grandparents, who were chanting, came to an abrupt stop. The sound of the shrine had turned higher as if it was shrieking. Their parents, who were dancing, suddenly turned against each other in perfect unison.
They rushed forward and impaled each other in the chest.
Yu Xiaolong saw a horn protruding from his mother’s back and her talons deep into his father. Their blood showered the siblings and seeped into the chiseled lines on the floor.
The lines filled with blood seemed to form a formation filled with runes. Its glow enveloped the blood-soaked siblings and the blood clinging to their bodies seeped into their orifices.
The siblings trembled in extreme pain.
Yu Xiaolong flailed in the ground, only to be knocked upwards by his sister’s thrashing. He was sent high up, his long fins torn and his scales scattering from the force.
The pain sent Yu Xiaolong unconscious.
But when his body started to descend, the whole shrine quaked and the formation emitted a pillar of crimson light.
Unbeknownst to his family members, a small inconspicuous statue shattered and resonated with Yu Xiaolong.
