The Tale of Yi Ti or At The Edge of Civilization
Chapter 4
Tiqui was only the beginging of the Qo's journey. Instead of opting for the longer route through The Sand Road, he decided to take the road less traveled, through the jungle road of Nanqui and Wan-Ti. Although the journey would be more uncomfortable, it would be potentially faster. Besides Qo didn't fancy being killed by hired outlaws in a foriegn country, where his death would be easy to cover up, his body preserved in the red sands for millenia.The empereor had done similar things to enemies in the past.Even worse, he could be tied up in the messy Quarthheen politics, chained to the city for months or even years. He didn't have the time for such foolishness.
Even so, Qo was beginging to doubt the wisdom of his choice. For the tenth time this week, the carriage had become stuck in the infamous mud of the YiTish wetlands. True, the comforts of Nanqui and Wan-Ti had more than equaled those of Tiqui but the jungle roads were winding, unpaved and dark. Even in the day, the massive trees obscured most of the sunlight and it night it was as if The Lion of Night had swallowed the world. Eyes of queer jungle creatures peered out of the gloom.
When they had finaly passed through the jungle, Qo had expected his difficulties to be beyond him. However they had just begun. Qo didn't think he could hate anything more than his brothers and jungles, but swamps topped all of them. The wooden wheels were always getting stuck in the mud and the humidity was terible. So Qo Pol was estatic when he at last saw the begining of The Jade Road at the edge of the wetlands. For he knew that the Jade Road was the road to Yi Ti.
As the carriage drew closer and closer to the great city, he could feel a sense of anticipation. The traffic, non existant in the swamp grew to a fevered pitch. The carriage was surounded by caravans, loaded high with every ware imaginable. Surrounded by these people, it felt to Qo that the city was tugging him closer, a strange and wonderous magnatism.
At long last, the great city came within his sight.Qo had once thought Trader's Town a city, Tiqui a metropolis. Comparing these
towns to Yin was like comparing a lion to a fly. Engulfing both banks of the Si-Qo River, Yin was framed by a high green wall. As Qo drew nearer to the city, the gates of Yin became visible. Much older than the rest of the wall, the gates were made of ancient bronze, one side depicting the Maiden-Made-of-Light, the other, the Lion of Night. As two guards slowly opened the gates, Qo felt a wave of anticipation.
Yin did not disapoint. Laid out long ago in an orderly grid system, according to the heavenly wisdom of God-on-Earth, the city was both respectful to the divine principals and pleasing to the eye. It was also unusually clean. Throughout the city, the green tilded roofs glinted in the fading setting sun.
Awaiting his arival was a procession of palaquins, soldiers, musicians, dancers, and entertainers. On noticing his arival, one palaquin came forward, and was carefully lowered to the ground by the two burly men carrying it. Pushing aside its silk curtain, a man rose from the palinquin.
"I am Prince Bai, crown prince of the Empire Blessed by the Gods. I trust your journey was ... comfortable." Bai said with a distainful glance at the worn carriage.
Qo laughed. " As comfortable as one can be traveling across so large a distance."
"Well, you can't possibly travel around the Blessed City in
that. Here, take one of my palinquins. I'm sue you will find them very relaxing."
"I am much abliged." Qo exited the carriage, gave curt directions to his driver to deliver his luggage to the palace then find a place for the carriage, and climbed in to the palinquin.
Although Qo was exhausted and sore from his long journey, for the sake of courtesy, he made polite conversation with the prince. However, he was often distracted by the sites and sounds of Yin. Sometimes he noticed the city folk looking at him, but without the wonder he was sure he would have seen in the eyes of his own people. No wonder in this city of wonders that the inhabitants grew jaded.
At long last they reached the palace enclousure. As the gates opened in to its massive grounds, Qo felt he was entering another city. Hurrying across the vast enclousure was a eunuch, marked as such by his purple robes. Leaning in to the Bai's palinquin, he whispered a message in the orince's ear, and then hurried away. Bai turned to Qo." My father requests an audience with you, for which he wishes me to be present. Come, I will guide you to the throne room."
Once out of his palinquin, Qo walked side by side with Bai, up the a hundred steps, into the first room( a shrine to the Maiden-Made-of-Light made entirely of pearl), and into the shrine of the Lion of the Night. The room was completely black, made of what seemed to be dragonglass. The only thing in the room was an ornate entrance to the next room, in the form of the golden head of a Lion.
Qo walked in to the maw of the beast.
