The Stone King's Lover (石王的愛)

Prologue

Su Lan

1304 years after The Long Night

Xi Qiáng Forest

<Last Day of The Battle at Hêi'àn City>

Even this far west, smoke clung to the lungs and watered the eyes. Ash was raining from treetops, scattered in the wind as it was carried all the way from the ruins of Hêi'àn City. Staring out over the horizon, Su Lan watched the sun rise. He glared at it, wondering why the Gods would feel the need to cast such light on a day as dark as this.

Beside him, The Usurper; Meng Bai, slowly stroked the oily feathers of his hawk. The creature rested on his shoulder, tilting its head towards the rustle of branches and calling out in a shrill voice-

Su Lan winced, "Can you make it be quiet? There's no need for this torture."

Meng Bai's hard face remained unchanged. His hair was slicked back tightly, worn in a long tail, and Su Lan decided that he quite resembled his bird. Certainly those piercing eyes were akin in every way...

Meng Bai's voice finally shattered the silence as he said; "Torture is exactly why you are here. Remember who you work for, demon. I will have no mistakes today."

Su Lan was quiet as the man gestured for his guards to bring the prisoner.

I know whose side I'm on, Su Lan repeated to himself again. My own-

"Su Lan!" Yi-jun cried

"Hold him-"

"Wait, don't let them do this!"

Watching his old friend be carried roughly by the guards, Su Lan knew there was only one choice. He caught Xie Yi-jun's eye only once before the man was blindfolded, tied with his hands behind his back against the post they'd staked into the ground.

As Meng Bai laughed cruelly at the fallen hero, remnants of his broken kingdom snowed down upon everyone, as if to highlight the true scope of the destruction.

"Su Lan!" Yi-jun continued to beg, "I have a message for Songcai. Before you kill me, please hear it!"

Meng Bai stopped laughing, his eyes turning sharper than that of his hawk.

"Go on, speak!"

"I'll only speak it to Su Lan."

Meng Bai probably couldn't tell but Su Lan knew Xie Yi-jun quite well, or he used to. He could see that the man had already loosened one of his hands from the binds.

Approaching carefully, Su Lan took in the disheveled appearance of his former King. Skin burned in places, covered in soot and blood. His dark hair had come out of its usual braids and was singed at the ends by the fire that had scorched his city...

Everything about him said he was on his last legs. But Yi-jun would never give up. He used to say "only death will stop me... and maybe not even then-"

"I will get your message to Jin Songcai," Su Lan said.

Leaning in closer to hear Yi-jun's last words, he was prepared when the man suddenly yanked one arm free and swung it out. In a split second, he had Yi-jun's fist trapped in his grip, and the man still wasn't backing down-

"Guards!" Meng Bai barked.

"No need..."

Exerting a fraction of the force he'd normally use, Su Lan pushed, hearing the pained groans of Xie Yi-jun and the snapping of his bones as the arm was forced back and held in place by Su Lan's magic.