The fated ones

Chapter 26

After the birds and animals left, she turned towards her family and friends, only to find them still kneeling. Filial as she was, she couldn't bear to see them kneeling in front of her. So, she rushed towards them, dragging dong hua along with her. Reaching her grandfather, she started with pulling him up and then zhe yan and mo yuan, saying, "why are you guys kneeling? You are my elders; I am supposed to kneel before you not the other way around." Gradually everyone stood up. Dong hua slipped his hand around her waist, pulled her back against him, and spoke softly, "don't feel bad, xaio bai. They were not kneeling for their precious xaio jiu but in the honor of the queen they saw. Even though they do not fully understand your true nature and reality, they recognized the command and supremacy of the queen they saw, addressing her subjects. Show them what you really are, xaio bai. They have paid with blood, sweat, and tears for you; they deserve the honor, my queen."

She didn't know what he meant by blood, sweat, and tears but she will ask him about it later. For now, what he had said was true, they deserve the respect of seeing her true self, they were the ones she loved most, except for dong hua of course. She nodded at him and he moved away to give her the space she required.

Everyone waited with bated breath as feng jiu slowly took a few steps back and extended her aura. From the brilliant red aura, then flew out a huge phoenix with a rich blood-red body and wings and crown made of fire. This majestic phoenix was the innate form of the queen, since, phoenixes were the first primordial beings of this universe. Seeing her in the phoenix form, zhe yan couldn't control his spirit and his own phoenix self, burst out to pay homage to his queen. The old phoenix bowed to his queen.

Feng jiu, however had a gift for him. A golden symbol of an unfurled phoenix blossom, the same as on her forehead, appeared on his wings before fading back. She spoke to him in his mind, "zhe yan, you have been a father, grandfather, uncle, brother and best friend all rolled into one to me. You have cared for me, since I was a kit like I was your own. And before me, you have given unconditional support to my beloved through millennias' of pains and trials. Thank you for loving me and him so much. This mark I gift to you, if you will accept; this is a part of my essence that will protect you from all that may seek to harm you. It will give you access to anywhere and everywhere in this universe, even the holy blue sea. Also, it is your direct connection to me, you need only to call for me and you'll find me there."

The old phoenix was so touched that with tears glistening in his eyes, he said, "you've honoured me, my queen. I graciously accept."

Next, feng jiu turned into her fox form. The fox was not overly big but just as majestic with a coat of dark ruby red fur, tipped with golden ends and her nine foxtails framing her magnificent body. Seeing her fox form, the entire bai family turned to their innate forms, pulled by the same feeling that zhe yan had, of paying homage to their queen. She gifted them all with a blood red symbol the same as on her forehead. This one ensured their protection from everything that may seek to harm them. They all accepted her gift and turned back to their original forms.

Next, she turned into her dragon form, a gargantuan red fire dragon. It was a regal, ruby red dragon with the scales, wings, and tail all tipped with gold. There, also, sat a golden crown at the top of her head to mark her as the leader of the horde. The queen's dragon form called mo yuan, ye hua and lian song to their true forms, pulled by the same thread like the ones before. The golden, black, and blue dragons bowed to their queen. Again, she gifted them her symbol, though it was in silver, this time. She called out in their minds, one by one, "mo yuan, you are my teacher, my master, even though you don't allow me to call you shifu. You taught me and helped me get through a very hard time of my life that I might not have survived otherwise. I have seen your loyalty, love, and blind devotion for my beloved and that, I have always held in the highest regard. Thank you for loving him even when he made it impossible to do so, thank you for taking me under your wing and nurturing me."