Chapter 2 - Starts

Word Count: 1119

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The young dragon bowed before his master and announced with an air of utmost respect,"My Lord, General Chen now awaits before the door of your study. Shall I welcome him in?"

Sehun glanced up from his readings and answered curtly, "Please do so, Kris."

"Yes, my lord." As the dragon left to do his master’s bidding, the demon lord was absorbed into his study once again. The book he held in his hand was one he had found in his father’s old library. For unknown reasons, the tattered leather book drew to him in the most undeniable way. And once he opened it, he could not place it back down.

But what drew him the most was not the book itself; rather, it was its content. In the book, it described one of the most beautiful places in the world, a place which he had never heard of before.

Sehun's eyes fell back down to the flowing lines of the text. As his eyes skimmed through the pages, his mind was suddenly carried back to the flowering western village of Shimo. As the book described, it was the most serene, majestic place in all of the Eastern nation. Flower petals rained down from the sky like snow, and the scenery was an absolute wonder to behold. The village was acclaimed to be surrounded by glorious white-peaked mountaintops and the most beautiful, exotic flowers. It was the most prosperous gardening village in all of the Eastern lands.

It was at this point when Sehun decided with finality, as soon as he laid his claims on the Eastern lands, he would make Shimo his. This strange attraction to the gardening village lulled at him. Ultimately, Shimo would become his first destination, his capital, his home. Shimo, the flowering village, would be his nation’s center.

And as the young general entered the room, Sehun did not do so much as to even stir. Only when Kris finally announced the arrival of the general did Sehun look up from his reading. The disruption annoyed him a bit, but he decided, these matters were important.

"Ah, General Chen," he began, subtly surprised by the general's sudden appearance, "I'm sure Kris must have informed you. Our enemies lie not too far from us. Just now, I was able to join with the Southern dragon demons and the Western tiger demons. Of course, the Northern wolf demons will aid us as well, so our military force should be sufficient. All I wish to know is, are you prepared to lead our troops today as we head into battle?"

Chen stared at his lord’s face curiously. He replied, “Of course, my Lord. H-how could you question my loyalty like this? You know that if you asked, I would have done eve━”

“That’s enough, Chen. I already have everything that I need to know. You are dismissed, general,” Sehun murmured nonchalantly as he waved him away. Out of respect, Chen bowed a full ninety degrees and left the study, his heart itching with slight annoyance. His lord was cold, and sometimes hurtful. Somedays, he even wondered why he continued to serve him…

As Chen left through the doorway, Sehun glanced back to his dragon. Kris stared at his lord, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “I must say, my Lord,” be began, “the way you handled those Southern counts was quite...impressive.”

“And why do you say so, Kris?”

“Well, as a dragon myself, I certainly must say, I’ve never seen a dragon declare their loyalty to anyone like that. It was quite admirable. My Lord, you are truly one of a kind, to be able to wrap a dragon demon around your finger and command them as you like. Even I have fallen for your━”

“Enough, Kris.”

“Y-yes, my Lord. I apologize for my excessive ramblings. Oh, how I must annoy you. I’m so sorr━”

“Kris.”

“S-sorry, my Lord.”

xxx

Jangmi wrapped the binding along her thigh. A silver dagger was strung in between. As she lowered the hem of her silk dressing, the fabric draped over her leg and covered the small knife, hiding it well. No one would expect such  a frail, young woman to carry such dangerous weapons, right? She patted her thigh proudly. If she could not convince the demons to follow her pleadings, then she would still have this as her last resort.

Jangmi was determined and set. No matter what, she would never give up her home to those demons. When she was finished adjusting the bindings, she completed her final touches on her hair. Even though she was to face her enemies, Jangmi still  had to make sure she was presentable. After all, what demon would not appreciate a beauty, even if the beauty had a knife ready to kill him? Surely, some good looks would be a nice advantage.

Jangmi brought one last jade pin and slid it into her silky hair. The jade peacock dangled brilliantly above her ear. Satisfied with her work, she rose from her bench and glanced into a tall mirror to her left. There she was, barely recognizable. The woman in the mirror looked nothing like her. Her skin was brighter, lips redder, and the dress she wore was dark and elegant. The black silk and golden embroidery made the previously ordinary Jangmi into the alluring mistress of the night. The women in the mirror was beautiful. Deep down inside, Jangmi knew, that was not who she truly was. She sighed as she slowly made her way to the sliding doors. She moved a door with her hand and placed a foot carefully into the hall. She stepped out. There, her mother was awaiting her.

Her mother breathed, “You look beautiful, dear.”

“Thank you, mother.” Honestly, she felt incredibly uncomfortable, but she would bear with it. After all, this was the least she could do for her home and family.

As she and her mother walked through the village and to the town center, she could feel the townspeople’s eyes on her. Jangmi gulped uncomfortably. Why was everyone staring, and why did everyone have that look on their faces? As the two neared the town center, the villagers' expression only grew darker and more dreary. There was dread in the air; Jangmi could feel it.

When the two finally arrived in front of the demon lord’s palace, Jangmi felt her heart clench. Her palms grew slick with perspiration. An uneasy wind blew past as she raised a shaky hand to knock on the large wooden doors. Before she even had a chance to touch the doors, they flew open, and a large horde of demons charged out. Jangmi and her mother jumped back, frightened.

A/N: Sorry to leave you just hanging there, hehe! Well, then. How was it? What did you think of this chapter? Be sure to leave some comments so I know, thank you! Goodbye, my love. Until next time! -chu-