Tagging in Batu

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It was only the second time the Empress had absconded from her kingdom. When she had the time before, it was to the same place – a fairytale land of waterfalls and mists. It sounded beautiful, but she knew the place to hold secrets. Blue, glowing stones that had driven an innocent soul mad.

Yue needed to know more.

She had not explained the reason to Wéi Jùn, though he, too would have seen the dreams. The Empress has only explained, in hushed tones, that they were to travel – with explicit instructions to tell no one.

Lately, there had been much coming and going from the Verdants Grace. It was likely she would be back before those responsible for her whereabouts all took note that, no, the Empress was not busy with someone else, or other business.

And when they did, then beware the hounds!

Even when escorted, Téng Shènlei did not appreciate when his wives or Golden kin left his domain. To do so unannounced would invite questions and critique that many would rather not endure. Under the cover of the growing night, they fluttered to the outer fringes of jungle and then took their southern flight.

Yue, who was normally very sensitive to stimuli, was even more so since she was hunting for something. Since she did not know what it was that she hunted, everything was deserving of her attention.

Everything that revealed itself from the shadows, all that lay in wait. All the leaves that blew in the viscous, slow wind. The moon’s dappled illuminations. Every movement, every mewling noise –

and that was the auditory input that finally caused her to pause. Yue lifted her nose to the wind and sniffed wildly, thinking perhaps it was a newborn deer, or another wild dog from the west, or some sort of primate that had left the northern jungles, just as they had.

What she found, swaddled in a dark nest of dry grasses, was not that.

Oh, sweet and beautiful child! the Empress cried out, in both surprise and awe. Her tail waved wildly, signaling to her dusky guard to make haste and come see!

To whom do you belong?

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