3/11/506
Shenlong led Echo through the dense bamboo forest, the towering stalks forming a natural tunnel around them. The creatures of the forest moved around lazily, their movement barely perceptible through the thicket. A flock of songbirds fluttered overhead, their song a pleasant backdrop to the otherwise quiet walk.
"I'm abit confused with where I am going."
"Hey Shenlong, I was wondering, where exactly is this kingdom we're heading to?
"And what's its name?"
Shenlong replied with a cheeky smile.
"Not far, and called Longwei Wangguo.Let's go, go!"
They finally arrived, the sounds of Civilian conversation filling the air. People walked the streets, their chatter blending with the clacking of Mahjong tiles and the gentle clink of Xiangqi pieces. Elders sat on benches, quietly observing the passersby while children ran about, chasing one another. Most practicing with swords. In the distance, a few people tended to livestock, their voices carrying across the open space.
"Wow, this place look so peaceful."
Shenlong looked up at Echo, his cheekiness
"Let's play Touhu!"
"so fun!" He exclaimed.
He quickly led Echo over to a nearby playground, where a group of children were playing the game.
Shenlong dominated the game, easily besting the other children. Echo watched from the sideline in awe, clapping his hands in applause as Shenlong made another perfect throw.
"Wow, you're amazing, please teach me how to do that?" Echo suggested.
"Yea, I teach you now!"
Despite his initial clumsiness, Echo was able to improve under Shenlong's tutelage. He played against several other children, losing six games in a row. However, during his seventh game, something changed. Perhaps fueled by the lessons from Shenlong or just sheer luck, Echo managed to score a victory.
"Oh yea!"
"I won, i won, i won!"
"Credit to Mr.Shenlong, as well hell yeaa!"
"Wait a minute.... i shouldn't be celebrating because i beat up some kids.Oh well, win is a win."
Shenlong had snuck up behind a middle-aged man, carefully placing a bucket on his head. Just as the man began to turn around, Shenlong and Echo ran for it, their laughter filling the air as they dashed into the forest.
Shenlong led Echo deeper into the forest, the towering bamboo stalks creating a tunnel as they moved forward. After a while, they came upon a small shrine surrounded by trees.
"This is... shrine.Many many years old, people of Longwei worship.... Dragon god.But, no longer, Dragon god fought against a very big eye and he was defeated!" He said.
"... a big eye... I know that... somewhere before..."
Echo thought to himself.He's feeling familiar with his past moments.
"Anyway, let's go back.Mama Ying Yue
.. be upset!
As they walked back through the forest, Echo's mind was preoccupied with something.He appeared deeply in thought.
"His accent is getting better..."
"Hey, do you know how to fight?"
With curiously, Echo asked Shenlong.
Shenlong furrowed his brows, his horns shining through the sunlight.
"Yea, little bit...with swords."
Shenlong replied.
"... oh man, a kid knows how to fight, while i don't....I'm so embrassed."
"Well, .... would you mind training me with sword?"
Upon Echo's request, Shenlong nodded and led him to a secluded training area. Tucked away from the rest of the forest, the area was filled with a collection of training dummies, each one of them made of wood.
"Follow." Shenlong said, picking up a wooden sword, lending another wooden sword to Echo.
Sure, here's a possible revised version of the
The training session began with Echo brandishing the sword awkwardly, his movements lacking finesse. With every attempt at a strike, he would charge forward, his foot slipping on a small rock and sending him toppling to the ground.
Shenlong, unable to contain himself, let out a hearty laugh, and soon Echo joined in, the sound of their laughter filling the air as he picked himself back up.
"Hahaha, that was fun."
"But hey, let me teach you how to do fist bump!"
Just extract your arm and... boom!"
Shenlong did Echo's instraction, It was their first fist bump.
"Yea, fun!"
As they made their way back to the house, Echo noticed a strange-shaped mountain in the distance. It looked like a jagged tooth against the horizon.
"Hey Shenlong, what's wrong with that mountain?"
Curious, he gestured towards it
Shenlong's expression serious.
"No, they.... bad people.
It was obvious that the mountain was home to a dangerous group of people.
Fixed without dialogues:
They arrived back at the house and were met by Mama Yin Yue who had been waiting outside. She took hold of Shenlong's ears and chided him in their native tongue. Shenlong hung his head low as he was pulled into the house.
Echo, meanwhile, ducked into his room and sat down on his bed with relief. He set his cap on the floor and lay back on the pillow, ready to sleep.
Echo awoke from a restful sleep, feeling rejuvenated after yesterday's adventures. He joined Ying Yue for breakfast, enjoying a simple but filling meal. After breakfast, it became clear that Shenlong hadn't yet returned from his errand to collect herbs.
"Seems like he went for a walk... let just wait for him."
Several hours passed and Ying Yue began to worry as Shenlong still hadn't returned. Echo, meanwhile, had been amusing himself by kicking rocks around the yard. As the hours stretched on in silence, it became clearer that Shenlong wasn't coming back anytime soon.
Echo decided that he needed to take action. He couldn't just sit around and wait, so he took to the forest in search of his friend.
"He's not here.... Where could he be?"
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Echo searched the Longwei Wangguo with increasing urgency. He went through the bamboo forest, stopping briefly at the secret training area where he had practiced with Shenlong.
But to his disappointment, there was no sign of him.
"Where is he?"
"He's got to be somewhere...."
Having searched the kingdom far and wide, there was only one place left to look. The strange-looking mountain they had seen before was now the only possibility left. Though it was dangerous territory, Echo knew he had no choice. So, he grabbed a wooden sword and set out for the mountain's base.
As Echo arrived at the base of the mountain, he was exhausted from the climb. In front of him stood a shrine, the size of a house, made of alternating light and dark stone, with guards standing in front of the gate.
"They look tough... I might need to find a way getting in."
Echo quickly picked up a rock and threw it in another direction, hoping to distract the guards. But to his surprise, they didn't even glance at the rock; instead, they fixed their gaze straight on Echo.
"How did they know?"
Sensing imminent danger, Echo darted toward the entrance of the shrine, with the guards in hot pursuit.
As Echo ran through the shrine, more guards joined the chase, determined to stop him. One of them swung their sword, intending to slice him, but Echo, by sheer luck, ducked and the sword hit one of the guards.
He continued to run through the shrine, dodging and weaving through the passageways.
As he navigated through the shrine, Echo managed to dodge all the traps, a combination of luck and quick reflexes. To his surprise, many of the guards themselves fell prey to the very traps that they had set.
Finally, Echo reached the last room. There in the corner, bruised and bruised, was Shenlong. Across from him sat an imposing figure, their face partially obscured.
The man spoke in a tongue unfamiliar to Echo
"... sorry, i don't speak Mandarin."
The man drew his sword and gesturing threateningly.
"Oh nah, he thought he's the one that only have sword?"
Echo instinctively pulled out his own wooden sword.
The man sneered at the sight of Echo's wooden sword, immediately charging forward. Echo managed to block most of the man's attacks, but a few strikes managed to graze him. Without hesitation, Echo lifted the unconscious Shenlong and moved toward the balcony.
Turning back, he saw the man approaching.
"You want the body of a young dragon?"
"You have to get through me first."
The moment he jumped, the whole world seemed to stop, and Echo closed his eyes. The wind rushed around him as if a powerful force was guiding him.
"I feel..... so free.... from this world."
"I hope you can feel the freedom too, little man."
The world seemed to slow down, and the wind wrapped around him. The trees around him slowed his fall, but gravity still had a grip on him.As he fell through the trees, branches slapped him like nature's own brakes. The pain of it was almost enough to distract him from the adrenaline-fueled descent. Finally, he made a graceful landing in a tree next to Shenlong, who was relatively unscathed.
He jumped down from the tree, catching Shenlong in the process.Echo gasping for air after landing Despite his initial fatigue, he managed to support Shenlong as they began to walk homewards.
"Damn, this pain is killing me..."
Upon reaching their destination, they were met by Ying yue, who quickly came out with a cane and helped them both to the house. As they reached the bed, Echo could barely stand, his strength completely drained. He collapsed onto the floor, completely exhausted.
15/11/506...
After a week had passed, Echo was feeling better again. His fatigue had eased, and he was able to move around more easily. Shenlong too had fully recovered, his usual cheerful demeanor back in place.
They sat together at the table, enjoying their breakfast of noodles and dumplings.
"Oh somethings in lighten up in my pocket... Oh, it's my machine...Oh, yea..."
As the time machine began to glow, Echo knew that it was time to bid his new friends farewell. He stood outside the house, his heart heavy with the knowledge that he would have to keep his journey on time. As he turned to face Ying Yue and Shenlong.
"Thanks, everyone.Granny Yin, thanks for the foods."
"And Shenlong, take care."
Shenlong approached Echo, extracting his arm.
"Fist bump?"
Echo realize what's the young man wanted, he can'r refused an old fist bump.
"Yea, fist bump.
After they did the fist bump, every turned dark.The red eye was behind him.
"Fun times over."
"Hey, hey!"
Echo came back to reality, abit confused with sudden switch.
"H-huh?"
"Oh right, take care of your granny.I'll see sometimes.When thw faith let us cross again."
With a final smile, Echo pushed the button on the time machine, and the world around him blurred. The very fabric of reality seemed to warp and contort, as if the laws of time and space itself were bending to his will. In the midst of this cosmic distortion, the environment around him began to morph, each object becoming twisted and unrecognizable.