Folly & Agendas & Talulah

~{Chapter 04}~

Twenty Years Ago...
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Lighting struck the ground below; thunder shook the sky above. The raindrops hailed from the sky pounded the ground like cannon fire. In a city beset with corruption, one man's last stand exists between the fine lines of life and death. He holds an umbrella in hand, shielding himself from the torrents above, gazing into the night. Countless figures dressed in black watched a phenomenon that will happen to them once; their conical hats shimmered beneath the moonlight. They stand on uneven plates, discarded from their city's structure, facing a bridge on the verge of collapse.

Across the bridge, a handcuff was tied onto a young girl's trembling hand. A flickering light could be seen hanging from an apparatus wrapped around its outer case. Beside her stood the same man clad in a white royal garb, holding his umbrella in one hand, and his other chained to the same cuff. Sweat and tears trickled down her ash-white face, illuminating her pale cheeks and gray eyes. 

"Where is he taking me?" She wondered, quivering beneath the umbrella resting above her. Her chest puffed outward as a defense to the fear crawling throughout her body. She whispered to herself, hoping to quell her feeling of hopelessness, but fell into silence as the events transpiring around her came to an end. 

"You'll never get away from this Koshchei! I'll kill you, I'll kill you!" Someone roared, bursting through the choir of raindrops and gusts, his very voice embroiled with strife. And in his hand, he also held a little girl, one a year younger than the one Koshchei  held. 

"No matter how much you wish my death, you cannot succeed," Koshchei responded with a grin, eyeing his old enemy from afar.

"You set foot in this city, and converted your will into slaughter!"

"Now, now. The great Wei Yenwu is anything except a naïve politician. You conjured up this plan  in the blink of an eye to stop me, eradicate me, bury me in a tomb so I can never exercise my power again, in order to reclaim the city that is rightfully yours." 

"Save me your vile words," The one known as Wei Yenwu gnashed his teeth; his body simmered with anger. He took a cautious step forward, and all around him, the figures wearing conical hats prepared to strike. Then their surroundings suddenly turned quiet, although the rain continued pouring. 

"I will politely ask you to yield, Wei. Otherwise, everyone shall bear the consequences of such impulsive actions. The outcome you're about to pursue is this–"

Koshchei pulled on the cuff tied to the arm of the little girl beside him. A thunderbolt flashed into existence; pausing his speech, revealing the dark corners of their world; an industrial void filled with hapless individuals. 

"–If you proceed to stop me, then this cuff shall burst and rip your beloved city apart. Not only that, our lives, your guards' lives, and these two sisters shall find each other in our graves. Should your people, should Lungmen, suffer as a result of your choices?"

Wei Yenwu paused and took a step back. Beside him a blue-haired girl tried to break free and reach out to her "sister" from the bridge. She called out, "Talulah!" but her words didn't reach her. Wei tightened his grip, but he didn't look at the girl's face.

Just when he could respond, the skies began to part. The ground they were standing on collapsed, breaking into smaller pieces, drifting away one by one. Large plates crumbled, until they started floating on top of the barren ground. Koshchei let out a faint, sinister laugh,  frightening the little girl beside him, as the platform beneath them rose higher and higher. From there he spoke his last words to Wei:

"The tragedy that transpired today shall forever be etched into your heart. You could have stopped this scheme of mine, and yet, you didn't. The death of your dear brother, Edward, is only the beginning for you. But remember, this is your doing."

CRACK!*

A strike of thunder, a splash of rain, he took off in a matter most fain. The platform they were on floated away, like a vessel on an ocean's surface. The veil of the storm covered his retreat. This was the last day "Talulah" had seen Lungmen. Leaving the city was all but rueful for her, but she couldn't do anything. How long has she been awake? Two hours, four? Maybe a little more? She was floating farther and farther from her home, standing on stiff, worn out legs. And in her ears, she kept hearing Koshchei's words. 

"What is the matter, are you afraid?" 

"You are quite the brave girl. That's good." 

"Now bid Lungmen away and break the ties you've developed there–"

Now Koshchei takes her by the hand and turns around, walking slowly onto another platform far, far away. Their voyage would last a mere few days, but Talulah didn't remember those harrowing nights; she didn't want to. Her tears have long dried, but her fears haven't. Her legs were drenched with dirt and sweat. Her spine was freezing up and down throughout their journey. What will she do now?  

Before she knew it, she arrived in a foreign land called, Ursus: another empire far north of the continent.The skies parted, and a new sun shined, she was bathed in a new light so warm, yet so cold. Her fluttering eyes gazed upon a palace tall and bright. Its towers were decorated with fine marble and ores. Its tops were covered in onion domes. Perhaps it was only ostentatious to her view, but she was still awestruck. Suddenly, she froze in place, preparing for what the world will through at her, a new country lied beneath her feet. New tears resurfaced when her thoughts spiraled in her head.

Then, a wool blanket was wrapped around her head and shoulders, extending all the way down to her feet. When she looked up, she saw Koshchei's face, got a better look of him, but refused to see his eyes. But she cannot deny her new sense of security around her. With one quiet breath, Koshchei announced to her:

"Welcome to your new home, Talulah..."

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 (A/N): And here is the (NEW) Chapter 4! 

- The new chapters will be rewritten and replaced slowly; it will take more time than I expected...

- And I must tell you all that I will be busy doing college stuff during the months of September to November, so updates will be slow (It's already slow enough but it's always "Quality" > "Quantity")

- Thank you for your patience

- For my new readers, skip to the (OLD) Chapter 3, but I warn you, the info in those (OLD) chapters are just about obsolete now   :)

- For those waiting for Chapter 53, it will come out later next week, followed by another Special Chapter that I will publish along with it!

- See ya!