Legend of the Auras The Golden Lotus

The Shrughnan Mountain Sects market was bustling with people. Shops are lined up selling all kinds of things from jewelry, and clothes to vegetables and wine. Children are playing on the narrow streets connecting the market with small carts going to and from, with commodities brought from the plains. The lively environment of the Mountain Sect often lets one forget that it is situated deep within the Kangchen mountain range cloaked under heavy spells. The mountain range is a sprawling landscape that acts as a natural border to the three kingdoms like a shape of a Y. There are several watch towers located along the borders of the kingdoms to control human movement. But the mountain gets quite complex in the area where the three main branches meet. And it is there that the Mountain Community resides or best, hides away.

The Mountain Community is made up of what has been named by the current rulers of the three kingdoms, the Pariahs. Pariahs are the out-casted or fleeing auras and their family members along with the common folks who were procrastinated by their respective kingdoms for going against them. Any kind of dissent was subdued with a death sentence as punishment for treason.

About fifteen years ago the Mountain Community was first formed as a political uprising swept through the three kingdoms replacing their respective kings. There are three locations for the Mountain Sect from each kingdom. The three units maintain a well-kept relationship between them under their respective High Councils. The Mountain Sect takes in everyone who is usually banished or is fleeing execution from the kingdoms authorities.

The evil minister, Ratan Raj, under King Vikram Vedi of Shrughna, was a co-conspirator with Commander Xi of Tianxia, who put the puppet Emperor Haoran by murdering his elder brother Emperor Jiaolong and the Crown Prince Xiao Jun and his second son Ji Xiang while the soldiers never found the body of the later presuming him to be dead. The third co-conspirator was Sangcheon Dewang, who earlier was a Councillor at the court of the former King Yeongwon who fled the country with his two children after his queen sacrificed her life, allowing them to escape by stalling the murderous soldiers under Sangcheon. Then minister and now Raja (King) Ratan Raj wiped out the entire Vedi family except the youngest princess Aditi, who according to Commander Xis instructions was supposed to be handed over alive to him without a scratch just like the second-born children of the other kingdoms. The elder princess was taken away and escaped by Senapati Shera (Commander of King Vikram Vedi, Shrughna). However, the younger princess turned out to be a Regular (non-magic person) much to the Commanders distress. Yeosons banished kings second child was lost while fleeing and the king and his elder child were later captured and killed. Tianxias own second prince was never found, dead or alive after his elder brother died saving him. But that was not a cause of concern for the Commander as long as the two of the three chosen ones of the prophesied weapon was within his grasp or thats what he thought.

But soon the realization proved to be fatal as the truth gradually revealed itself and the Commander and the two kings soon realized that they were severely mistaken.

”We need to find them soon. Who would have known that what we thought was true is actually a huge blunder. ” Ratan Raj blurted out frustrated sitting with Commander Xi and Sangcheon Dewang in the sprawling royal garden of the Suneheri Mahal (lit.Golden Palace) the royal palace of Shrughna.

”How did we make this mistake? Didn the prophesy indicated that the second-born children were the chosen ones? ” King Sangcheon worriedly asked.

”The birthmarks ”, Commander Meng Xi calmly replied. ”The birthmarks were not checked. In fact, it is a lapse on my part as well for not noticing the prophecy properly. ”

”What birthmarks? both the Kings asked surprisingly

”The chosen ones are born with a distinctive birthmark on their left collarbone in the shape of the three sacred items used to cast the spell on the Shadow by the three Celestials. Raja Ratan Raj, your princess was supposed to have the lotus birthmark, Tianxias second prince should be bearing the jade pendant mark and Yeosons second prince will be bearing the gold hairpin mark. But as of now, there is no sign of any of those. ”

Sangcheon Dewang then spoke in a confusing voice, ” But what about the three pieces of the lock? As per the legend, the three pieces are hidden in three corners of the three kingdoms. So why do we need these kids anyway? ”

Commander Xi, ” You don study enough jeonha that is why your knowledge is so little. The lock can only be activated by the chosen ones. They are the only ones who can yield to them. If we capture them, retrieving them is a piece of cake. In fact, I will have the jade pendant from Tianxia in my possession as we speak. ”

The voice of the Commander grew darker filled with anger while he finished his sentence and slamming the tea cup on the table he spoke,

”We need to find the chosen ones. Now. ”

The Commander got up and left. King Sangcheon thoughtfully murmured to Raja Ratan, ”No wonder the kid the Commander took never displayed any magical manifestation ever, even when she turned seventeen. ”

The Commander and King Sangcheon were to leave for their respective kingdoms the next day. After they are gone Raja Ratan Raj sent out a decree. ”Anyone who brings me the chosen one with the lotus mark on the left collarbone will not only be awarded handsomely but one member of their family will hold a position in the imperial court in every generation forever. ”

Meanwhile at the same time, somewhere in the Shrughnan Mountain Sect, Mongmit shouted,

”Oi Adara, will you for god-sake walk slowly? My legs are giving out. ”

The girl she called out stopped and turned around. Her straight, jet black, and waist length half ponytailed hair flipped around as she turned revealing a face that wasn strikingly beautiful, yet the vibe she gave out was a sight to behold. Her big lotus petal-shaped eyes with long thick eyelashes exceptionally stood out among the not-so-sharp nose-bridge and jawline with a round face. Her complexion was not fair but was rather like molten tanned gold which shone brightly in the sunlight.

They are best friends since Adara arrived with her father fifteen years ago. Mongmit belongs to a small tribe called Mangpo who lived in the foothills of Kangchen Mountain in Shrughna. The tribe specialized in growing magical herbs for the purpose of concoctology and was the only person who had knowledge about it in the whole of Shrughna. Unfortunately, one of their tribesmen embraced nefarimancy to become one of the special advisors to Raja Ratan Raj by betraying his tribe which made them flee into the mountains.

Mongmit was slenderly built with a square face and her hair was extremely voluminous and straight which unlike Adara she put up in a low ponytail. She stood at the same height as Adara and is a little introverted and quiet in nature. Being the daughter of the tribe leader Mongmit is well-versed in the knowledge of magical herbs. She even has her own greenhouse where she grows rare magical herbs. Recently, her father gifted her a special diary that belonged to her great-grandfather. It was a collection of the rarest of the rare magical herbs and how to grow them. Neither her grandfather nor her father succeeded in growing them so her father wanted her to try to keep their legacy alive. After years of trying Mongmit finally was able to grow a particular herb called the mors bloom. In fact, she has a dream to be the first one to start teaching the art of growing magical herbs. But her father somehow forbade her every time she wanted to appeal to the High Council which her father is an important member of. She soon ran to inform her best friend Adara who was probably in the training ground of the academy teaching young mayavis (Shrughnan auras).

”What? It bloomed finally? ”

Adara screamed startling a few mayavi disciples. She is a person with a rainbow character; always wearing a smile that can sometimes change into an expression of severe sarcasm or anger depending on her mood or the person she is interacting. But with Mongmit she is never angry; irritated maybe but never angry as she was the only person who Adara trusted and confided in fully.

”Yaaa lets go I want to see the flower. ” Adara pulled Mongmits hand and dragged her along.

”But what about your class and students? ” Mongmit held back. To that Adara gave a nasty look at her before screaming at the students.

”Class dismissed ” and ran. The students stood confused as its only been an hour since their class started.

Adara has a habit of walking faster than others. The pace was always normal to her while others literally have to run to catch up with her. Mongmit was especially tortured whenever they went outside together. Even today Mongmit has to scream and asked her to slow down as she already grew tired of running behind her to keep up.

Adara chuckled and said, ”Alright, alright lets take a break shall we. ”

While Mongmit was catching up her breath they noticed that they had stopped near a sortileges (fortune teller) shop. She was selling all sorts of beads, chains, anklets, and amulets. However, unlike the common fortune tellers sortileges possesses the power to foresee into future through signs and visions. Adara always thought of sortileges as a farce because of the trauma life has given her till now. She is convinced that people make their own fate and that there is no such thing as a pre-destined thing.

Mongmit, however, believed in it and while they are at it she eventually dragged Adara into the shop.

”Its just for fun. Come on Ada lets see what she has to say. ” Mongmit winked to which Adara rolled her eyes.

The sortilege welcomed them and Mongmit pushed Adara forward for her to try first. The sortilege asked for Adaras left hand which she let out for her to hold within her hands. Suddenly the sortileges eyes became cloudy white and she started to speak.

”I see the lotus and the fire within. The three are destined to meet, to face the inevitable. The lotus burns out itself but the fire dragon breathes life into reviving it while the tiger protects it. And the two parts of the black soul that was once broken will reunite and become one again. ” The sortilege stopped and her eyes became normal again. She continued to hold Adaras hand into her staring into her deep black eyes.

”Glory awaits you before all the hardships you will face. Be brave and never give up. Live up to your name. ”

”My name? ” Adara asked puzzled.

”Yes, your name. Adara. What does it mean? ”

”It means fire I guess. But, wait how did you know my name? ” Adara shrugged casually answering the sortilege.

”Yes. So live up to your name. Be the fire you are destined to be. ” h

Adara narrowed her eyes and felt very uncomfortable and irritated with all the mumbo jumbo playing of words by the sortilege so she hastily got up and left with Mongmit following her.

”I told you all these are nonsense. What she said doesn even make any sense. And I must find out how she came to know my name. Wait did you ever? ” she looked at Mongmit with suspicion and she quickly defended herself.

”Oh ho hold on there I didn say anything to anyone ok. I don even know her. All the more reason you should believe her. She might really see the future. ”

”There is nothing pre-destined. I make my own future. Now come on don ruin the fun. Lets go and see your plant. ”

The greenhouse Mongmit build is at the edge of the mound on which her house is built. The house is two-storied and made of the gray-elder tree which is known for its durable wood, with a pagoda-styled roof. The house is not grand but quite sprawling with a lot of land area. At its side, there was a pond where different types of lotuses grew. It was Adaras favorite spot because she loved lotuses. Well, not all but the blue lotus. It is her favorite flower and thus Mongmit has prepared a perfume from it for her. The magical perfume was like it becomes a persons smell after using it for a long time which is why Adara always smelled like a blue lotus.

Mongmit, being an introvert, a striking contrast to Adara, is also a private person who likes to do her stuff away from people and so she had her greenhouse built at the far end of their plot overlooking the valley between two ranges. She even built a fence around the greenhouse with a gate and Adara put a couple of warding spells on it to give an extra layer of protection and privacy because the herbs and plants she is growing have huge demand in the concoctology market and their might be a chance that these might end up in the wrong hands. Even Mongmits father the Chief knows the risk and so doesn interfere much in her work.

”Whoooaaaawwww, ” Adara exclaimed looking at the blackish red flower blooming among the long succulent leaves of the mors bloom. There were three other buds shooting up along with it.

Mongmit excitedly said, ”Look, the buds are in perfect shape which means they will definitely bloom. ”

”How can you say so? I mean what shape? ” Adara asked inquisitively.

”Well if the buds are rounder and tightly packed meaning it will be a successful bloom. Before, the buds were slightly oval in shape and loosely packed that is why they didn bloom ”, Mongmit answered.

Suddenly Mongmit felt a tight embrace and the next moment Adara shrieked with excitement, ”Ohhh my dear Mong you are a genius. You did it. ”

To which Mongmit smiled and gave a slight tap on her hands that embraced her.

”Alright lets go now I am famished. I am sure Aunty made good things today ”, Adara chuckled

”Wait up glutton ”, Mongmit followed her.

The table was set in the dining area and as they entered the house Mongmits father Chief Takhchung Namsimik and mother Lady Songkit Namsimik welcomed them lovingly. Since Adara grew up without a mother, being raised by a single father, Lady Namsimik dotted on her like a second daughter.

”Ayiii Ada!.. Come my dear ” She gave her a warm hug.

Khaamree Aunty! ” Adara returned her affection.

”Do come here often girl. Such a long time you since visited us. ” She chirped on.

”Ehhhhh???? Amoo (mother), She came last week only. ” Mongmit said

”That was last week. Seven days have passed. ” They all chuckled.

”Well if that is so then I think I should move in here. What do you say? ” Adara mischievously chuckled.

They all laughed and ate. Lady Namsimik prepared some special dishes since Adara was visiting. The dishes are exclusively authentic to their tribe. Buckwheat pancake which is oil-free and eaten with tomato sauce, glass mung bean noodles with wild mushrooms and ham slices, wild fern stir-fried, baked meat, noodle made in a vegetable stew, and pork and rhododendron wine. Adaras favorite is the stir-fried wild fern, baked meat, and wine. Lady Namsimik is also highly skilled in weaving and basketry. She and other women in the tribe run a making unit for business. Chief Namsimik overlooks the tribal affairs along with the rhododendron wine business. Adara enjoys the culture very much, especially the music festivals that are held occasionally. The Chief is also good at playing the four-stringed lute, a popular instrument of the tribe. But Adaras favorite is the flute among the sanga (drum) and yangchay (another string instrument). She actually got one from Mongmits parents as a birthday gift years ago and has quite mastered the skills of playing it.

Suddenly her message trinket started shining and Adara became restless. Mongmit noticed her and right away knew what was going on. She made an excuse and came out of the house with Adara.

”Please tell me its not him again ”, Mongmit in a frustrated tone asked Adara.

”Well, he wants to meet about the problem we are working on ”, Adara said in a helpless tone.

” Ohhh I know what kind of problem-work meeting is this. When will you understand that he really doesn care about you? Don be so naïve Ada ” Mongmit said.

”I know but trust me I tried so hard to move on but it seems so difficult ”, Adara said in a helpless tone.

”Let me get this straight. He cheated on you, then he ignored you and shows little to no respect for the fact that you are in a relationship for more than a year now and yet you are saying you can move on? ” Mongmit said in an irritated tone.

Adara knew she was right. In fact, she herself knew the bitter truth in her heart. Adaras memories flashed back to when she first met Daksh and it changed her forever as a person and a woman.