Chapter 1--The Queen's Last Request(part 1)

Not far away from the borders of Ying Wu, stood a hooded figure. On his hand, was a blue bundle with yellow lightning pictures on it. Behind him, stood a carriage. It was midnight, the moon was hidden by the clouds, you could barely see the figure if there were no lights from the lantern hanging on the carriage. They would look like a normal person if it had not been the huge scorpion beside the hooded figure. The scorpion looked intimidating. Its pincers looked as if it could crush the carriage behind it, but this was nothing compared to its tail, if you knew its power.
The figure seemed to be waiting for someone. He stood there for an hour or so, as still as a statue, he did not even move his head. He just stood there, waiting and waiting…
And finally, he saw lights approaching. The lights flickered, and were bobbing up and down. The lights turned out to be emitting from the lanterns of another carriage. The carriage stopped in front of the figure, who still did not budge. Instead, the scorpion raised its pincers, ready to fight. If the carriage contained guards from the palace, they would still be drowned by sand from the scorpion, why should the figure worry?
But the carriage was not carrying guards, but two other hooded figures. The scorpion’s tail moved instantly, so fast that its actions could not be seen clearly by the naked eye. Then the tail branched into two, its poison end pointing at the other two hooded figures, who were as cool as ice, ignoring the poison end, which were inches from their delicate throat.
‘Declare yourselves!’ ordered the first hooded figure.
‘Raian, Hanami.’ declared one of the other figures. They took off their hood, presenting a man with snowy white hair and a woman with hair of the same colour as the man tied in a ponytail. They did not look old, instead, they were in their 20s.
‘Scorpio,’ said Scorpio, while taking off his hood. He had red hair, and blue eyes which shined in the dark.
Scorpio moved forward towards the couple, and handed Hanami the bundle. She took it with trembling hands, she was looking at the bundle with disbelief. Is it true…?
‘I’ll put her under your care.’ said Scorpio.
‘But are you sure?’ asked Hanami, still gazing at the bundle, this time with a sad look on her face.
‘Yes, this is the final order of the queen.’ answered Scorpio, ‘The order that will prevent Ying Wu from collapsing.’
So the rumours are true, the queen is… thought Hanami.
‘What about the prince?’ asked Raian.
‘The prince left.’ answered Scorpio, ‘He left the moment the queen passed away.’
Hanami could not suppress her feelings, and tears trickled down her face, ‘If…if I did not retire, maybe this would not have happened.’ If she had not retire, maybe she could still protect the queen…If she had not retire, Ying Wu would not be on the verge of collapsing…
‘Keep yourself together!’ said Scorpio loudly, Hanami stopped crying, and looked at Scorpio. ‘Both of you are the last of Ying Wu! So please, grant this last wish.’ begged Scorpio.
The trio gazed at each other for a long time, knowing that they might not meet each other again, nor surviving.
Finally, Raian and Hanami climbed into their carriage. Before parting, Raian asked Scorpio to take care, which Scorpio replied with ‘You too’. And then, Scorpio watched the couple’s carriage took off, farther and farther form Ying Wu.