Dragon Guide

Chapter 11: Mount Tai

The colors shift and swirl around me and my stomach feels so sick I might just throw up right here. Just when I feel that I can't take anymore it all stops and the sudden change back to normal gives me an automatic headache. I push myself away from Aoyun and dash to the side of the stone stairs, I fall to my knees and start to wretch until there is nothing left in my stomach and after that, I dry heave for a while more. Tears prick my eyes and the acidic burning in my throat rages on. I finally become aware that someone is rubbing my back and holding my hair away from the mess I've made. I turn to see Aoyun watching me carefully and embarrassment floods my face. I push him away, "Please don't look at me when I am like this!"

I quickly get up and turn his body around the next way and it is then that I see where we are, I gasp in amazement. I've never been here before but I've heard so much about it, Mount Tia, or as some call it Taishan. It is one of the most sacred mountains in China and we appear to be at the tallest mountain in Tai, the Jade Emperor Peak!

"Oh, my Gods! I can't believe it, I am finally here!", I shout joyously as I spin around taking in the scenery. The mountains join together at the seam like lovers who can't stand to be apart, creating a path in between them leading upwards. Throughout history beings of all races have worked together to create a stone path up to the top. I look at Aoyun as he watches me with a little smile on his face, he must think that I'm such a dork, oh well.

"Let us go Bǎobèi, the others are waiting for us, and the sun will be setting soon", he says.

I look to the winding stairs and then it dawns on me that he could have just taken us to the top from the beginning, why didn't he? I turn to him to ask that very question but he seems to have known that I would and replies," I didn't think you could take another second more and I figured you'd be sick if I did push you any further. I just wanted to give you some privacy for that in the event that happened... and it did."

I had forgotten about that, but now that I remember the embarrassment is back. I can't even think of a response and so I just turn and quickly scurry up the stairs. We are on the Eastern route to the summit and it takes just under half an hour, at top speed to cover the rest of the way. I imagined if we hadn't arrived so far up from the start, I might have just slept on the stairs tonight with the current exhaustion I felt creeping up on me.

When we arrive, it is already nightfall and as I stand by the gates of the temple I look back at the open sky and I can see the sun setting. The clouds create the illusion of a floor that you can just walk across for miles. They appear dark grey, like rain clouds, on the side facing me but on top where the sunlight catches it, they are a brilliant red-orange. The vision of blending colors bleeds across the sky. The sun perches just on the edge showing its full glory for one last fleeting moment before it takes its leave until tomorrow.

In the Spirit World time feels the same as in the Natural World but in fact, it moves far faster. If I spent a week here it would be the same as spending a single night in the Natural World. With that in mind, I make a mental note that I want to return within that timeframe. If I don't make it back soon enough my human body might die, I am not like the dragons that can reincarnate into new bodies over and over again at the end of their life span, this is my only chance and I want to live it well. With that in mind, I make my way to find the whelps, I've been away from them long enough and I miss them so much, even more so than normal because of our imprinting.

I continue through the gates, heading to the entrance of the temple. I remove my shoes and place my feet on the cool, smooth floor. As I enter the temple, I can physically feel the tranquillity take hold, putting me at ease. I move further into the temple until I reach an altar filled with hundreds of lit candles, the melted wax creating a stage for itself. The candlelight blends smoothly to match the light of the setting sun sneaking in. Kneeling before this altar is a monk in a saffron robe. We wait patiently until he is finished with his prayer. He rises slowly and I quickly move forwards to take his hand, wanting to offer my assistance, but before I can even take two steps in his direction Aoyun quickly grabs my hand and pulls me backward and I almost fall into his arms. "You cannot touch a monk; you are a woman! Be mindful of that and let him be," Aoyun whispers in my ears urgently. I stare up at him in shock and wonder why that is but I let it be, for now, this is not the time for an inquiry.

The monk seems to have caught the entire exchange and graciously chooses to let it be. I get the feeling that I almost committed a huge crime but why?! I only wanted to offer a hand to help him up! Never mind, this is not the time. No harm, no foul. "Come young one, the children's lessons will begin and we will start with the history of the First Dragon," he says to me. "You may call me Bhikkhu, this is my temple and I will be with you through this journey to find yourself as well, but I must tell you that this is a road best not walked alone. You will have many trials and I can only watch but not assist you as you go. You will find the ones that you need on your way but you must decide who those ones are for yourself too."

My jaw opens a gap and I am about to ask what he means by this; he is the second one to tell me about having a hard time in the future but does that just mean that I will have a hard time guiding my children? I always knew this would be hard, I never expected easy. For some reason, I keep having the pricking in the back of my mind that tells me he doesn't mean the guidance of my dragons but something else. What could it be though? I really don't get it! Yes, I have had my lovers from time to time but with a life as long as mine who in my race does not have them. If you look at it my way, I am modest! Most mages have several partners at the same time some even sharing the bed all at the same time! I've never been that forward... no that can't be it. He must mean the guidance; he must just underestimate me that's all. I understand that this is a new ground-breaking in our history since the time of the first dragon, since then we've never had such a large hatching as now but that is a dark story, we are about to relive so I'll just save that taught for then.