[centre][h2]The Founding of Mengcheng, the City of Dreams[/h2][/centre]

Wenbo had not quite grown used to the view from the clouds - how could he ever? For his whole life, in the same way as every other Dreamer with the exception of Mom, his feet had been planted in good, solid earth with every step and only his mind had even considered the dream of flight. Yet here he was alongside his whole family - aflight aboard a divine ship. Below him came first a sea of white, covering the bedrock of deep blue far, far beneath like a patchy lid. Tendlepog had long since disappeared behind them - tears had been shed in litres across the faces of his clan upon seeing it vanish beyond the horizon. At night, however, they were forever reminded of its existence as they looked up. A somber smile slowly stretched across Wenbo’s face as he loosely fingered the medallion around his neck.

“... The twins will never die… But be united in the afterlife for eternity…” He snickered to himself and felt moisture slide down over his right cheek. He dipped two fingers into the corner of his eye and sniffed. 

“What’re you thinking about, dear?”

Wenbo swiftly ran his sleeve over his eyes for a few wipes and turned to face the equally somber half-smile of his wife. Before he could answer, she cupped his cheek in her hand and dabbed away the few remaining tears with the sleeve of her opposite hand. “Was it Chagatai again?”

Wenbo nodded. “All of them, actually, but yes, mainly him.” He gave a heavy-hearted chuckle. “It’s ironic, isn’t it? I who campaigned for us to remain spend my days longing for those that passed on.”

Ai placed a hand over his heart and laid her head against his shoulder. Wenbo caressed the back of white-haired head. “Maybe it is, but it’s not unexpected. You have a big heart, Wen-Wen - one that doesn’t simply break all ties just because it’s worlds apart from its dearest friend.” Wenbo sniffed again and cleared his throat. Ai sighed soothingly and pecked him on his cheek. “It will never pass, dear, but--... Well… We set out to make the most of life here while we still remain. Then, once our end approaches, it’ll be as God said - we will see them again.”

“... Yeah.”

The mighty thunder of the great tower gong shattered the mood and sent both Dreamers diving to shield one another. A faint shout followed the gong, followed by a slightly more audible shout, followed by--

“LAAAAAAND HOOO!” came the booming voice of a Servant on deck. Wenbo and Ai blinked at one another and scrambled to their feet. There, far, far beyond the clouds, nearly to the point that mortals eyes were insufficient, stripes of green, yellow and gray stood out between the blue and white sheets. Soon, the rest of the Dreamers had gathered at the bow and were marvelling at the approaching land far below. 
Eyebrows were raised, however, as the ship didn’t seem to lose altitude. A few mumbles and questions began to bubble up between the Dreamers. Wenbo walked over to a nearby Servant and asked, “Pardon, master Servant - why aren’t we landing?”

The Servant struggled to hide its discomfort at being called ‘master’ and bowed as low as it could without tipping. “Forgive this one for not being clear earlier, my lord - this is not Jiangzhou’s destination. The Lordship’s land lies beyond this continent.”

“W-well, what’s this place, then?” Wenbo asked and peeked back over the side. Below them were endless green speckled with gray stone tops in between. A particular patch of green looked somewhat uncanny, even from the sky.

“This patch of land is known as the Kick, my lord,” the Servant replied dutifully.

“The Kick,” Wenbo repeated with a rub of his chin. He continued staring down at the unfortunately uneventful woods. His family, too, sat staring at the mesmerising view of something so docile, yet so foreign. With the exception of young Song, no Dreamer did anything but stare down at the endless sea of trees. 

Then, as if there suddenly had sprouted a white wall before them, the ship crashed through a thick, warm mass of clouds. Hot, heavy rain whipped against their bodies like a steamy shower. A few reveled in the standing hot bath they were receiving, dancing around in circles on deck; others dove for cover behind and under anything they could find. Wenbo hid behind the dragon’s head at the bow, much to the entertainment of Ai, who stood smirking at him all the while. The occasional lightning bolt crackled between the violent clouds, scaring the rest to jump for cover as well. 

A Servant came over to the huddling Ai and Wenbo with a smile and said, “Please do not worry, my lord and lady - His Lordship’s presence causes the lightning to avoid the Holy Vessel. Remaining on deck is entirely safe.”

A lightning bolt bounced off the sacred planks behind the Servant and the Dreamers let out collective screams. Several of the children hunkered down in their parents’ arms, bawling their eyes out. The Servant turned lethargically to the completely unharmed spot and glanced upwards.

“Well, mostly safe,” the Servant corrected and walked towards the Palace. Underneath a table, faint pleas from Song begged Urangtai to keep her safe. The man seemed to curse, her usurpation of his hiding spot having pushed him halfway back out into the rain.
Wenbo and Ai blinked at one another. The hot clouds began to dissipate and their wet clothes grew cold and heavy. They had barely had the chance to feel it, however, before the Servants came out with hot tea and blankets for all the Dreamers. Wenbo and Ai huddled together under the same blanket and each accepted a cup of smoked black tea. Its scent was mouthwatering. 

“H-hey! I see more land!” came a shout. It was Wen De, their youngest son. He stood next to them at the bow, hopping up and down as he pointed maniacally at the horizon. Wenbo and Ai shuffled to their feet and peeked over the side. There, slowly unwrapping itself from the cloudscape stretched an endless land of green and an eternal plain of red, separated by a range of enormous mountains. To the Dreamer’s utter confusion, these mountains seemed rather content sitting still in the earth, similar to their smaller cousins, the boulders. 

“Ey, Urang? What do you think that is?” asked Wen Tian and pointed at a strip of red running out into the boiling strait like a bleeding vein.

Urangtai squinted, Song’s vice-like grip on his arm. He sputtered for a moment in thought before nodding, “It looks like blood.” His eyes widened, “Maybe it is a land of giants.”

“Conclusions!” Zhong Wang tipped his head over the rail with a certain skepticism, “It could very well be a water rich in mineral.”  

Wen Tian let out a quiet ‘huh’ and tapped his lips thoughtfully. Wen Bei hoisted her youngest one up in her arms and came over to the rails, peering at the distant red river. The baby in her arms cooed fearfully at the distance to the ground. 

“I’m with Urangtai on this one - really looks like blood from here,” she agreed with a frown. 

The ship dipped downwards slightly and a few of the Dreamers had to grab onto the surroundings. The enormous gong rang out once more and the baby in Bei’s arms began to squeal. She offered it a sigh and tried to lullaby it to sleep, but was drowned out by a booming call: “ALL BOW BEFORE HIS LORDSHIP, SHENGSHI OF THE THOUSAND STREAMS!”

The palace doors swung open, sending Dreamers on the deck jumping into the air out of sudden fright. Out marched a thousand black-robed Servants, all thundering praises at the command of one crimson clad one in the front. The Dreamers scurried into position, but were quickly rounded up and brought to the very front of the crowd. As the thousand servants fell to their knees, the fifty or so Dreamers stood sheepishly before the approaching snake. Many of them fell into kowtows; some bowed; some had no idea what to do. Regardless, the snake lifted merely a hand and smiled.

“Have you all enjoyed the journey?”

Wenbo and Ai nodded smilingly. “We have, Your Lordship,” the couple confirmed. The others nodded as well and echoed the sentiment.

“That is a relief. I cannot imagine the pain of longing some of you must be going through… It is never easy to leave behind family. I will miss my dearest friend, as well, but to leave behind your own flesh and blood… Do not be afraid to shed tears if you must - tears shed in honour of friends and family are always a blessing.”

Some heads in the small crowd sank and a sniffle or two were heard. The snake cleared his throat and gestured to the green expanse surrounding the ship below. “If I may, I wish to direct your attention away from those tears for now, however, and instead focus it on the land beneath us.”

The snake slithered over to the railing, followed by the Dreamers. “I welcome you to the Dragon’s Foot,” he smiled. “It is an old land - ancient beyond any other landmass in this universe. Life walked this soil before there were fish in the sea; before the black moon Veradax shadowed the night sky. The mountains of Qiangshan are older than the continent of Atokhekwoi; the river Beihe, older than the land of Kalgrun.”

The Dreamers nodded along as if they knew about these places. The snake continued, “Upon the greatest river in this world - Nanhe - we shall land and summon forth your new home.”

The ship’s bow gently cut into the water and enormous waves pushed out on either side of the hull. However, as the Dreamers saw, even these tsunamis were but ripples in comparison to the inland sea that was Nanhe.

“W-where’s the bank?” Wen De asked nervously.

“During the flood season, Nanhe swells to be one hundred kilometres wide, young master De.

“Oh snap,” De whispered. The snake slithered over to Wenbo and Ai and placed a hand on their shoulders.

“Are you ready, then?”

The two blinked at each other and the other equally curious Dreamers and then slowly nodded at Shengshi. The snake nodded back and snapped his fingers. The red-clad Servant in the front of the thousand kneeling rose up and went into the palace. A minute later, the gong sounded for the third time. The snake raised his hands and thundered, “Chuanwang! Arise from the depths and hear the summoning of your creator!”

Another minute passed. The Dreamers bobbed their heads up and down and from side to side to see if they could catch a glimpse of anything happened. Then, as if the inland sea was parting, waves upon waves of water pulled away from the centre of the river to reveal a landmass of purple. Only, it slowly dawned upon the onlookers that it wasn’t a landmass at all, nor was it a mountain, and when a head the size of the very ship they stood on aimed one sky blue eye on the deck, the Dreamers collectively swallowed. The snake clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“Oh, my dearest little turtle - did those nasty fire giants do that to you?”

The water and trees quivered as the colossal turtle whimpered with a gruesome bass. The snake hushed soothingly and patted a small fraction of the beast’s stone-like snout. “There, there, little one - it’s good that they didn’t get both your eyes. Have you had time to heal?”

While the snake conversed with the turtle monster, the Dreamers stood slack-jawed in awe. Wen Tian nudged Urangtai and said in a quivering voice: “B-bet’cha can’t surplex that, huh.” He laughed nervously.

“Not even Elder Chagatai could,” Urangtai managed to whisper out, “Nor Bataar. Elder Altansarnai... maybe.” He gave a nervous chuckle. 

“Maybe,” Wen Tian agreed.

The turtle rumbled again and silenced the bubbling chatter among the Dreamers. The snake turned with a smile.

“Chuanwang agrees.”

“Agrees to what, Your Lordship?” Wenbo asked.

“To serve as your home.”

“Our home, Lord?” Zhong Wang spoke up, “If I may...? In what capacity?”

“Your request was to travel the world in comfort. Chuanwang shall make certain of this.” He gestured to the turtle’s shell. “Upon his back, I shall built you a city to serve as your carriage. It will seem dauntingly large at first, but I assure you that, in time, your descendants will have filled it to the point where extensions to and even permanent colonies outside its borders must be made.”

Wen De blinked. “W-with all due respect, Your Lordship - how c-can we live atop a turtle? What will we eat? Where will we gather materials for our work?”

“Great questions, young master De.” Once more, the snake pointed to the shell, in an even more dramatic manner this time. “Your city shall be divided into several sections - one of these will be a great farming estate which harvests will feed all the residents aboard. There may come a time when even these will require expansion, but that time will be many generations from now. As for materials, Chuanwang’s shell offers nothing in terms of clays, stone or metals. These, you must gather from the world around you. As you traverse the land and seas, you will come across various deposits of natural resources. The city’s industrial complex will offer enough storage space to gather large quantities of all of these.”

“In other words, we will live as nomads?” Wenbo proposed. The snake nodded.

“Precisely. I foresee that in the future, the mortal world will very much depend on your great trade routes for all manner of resources you gather from across the world, and you will likewise depend on them for various other resources. Cooperation, growth, wealth - prosperity.” The snake seemed to almost swoon out of sheer anticipation and joy.

“We aren’t complete strangers to the idea,” Zhong Wang nodded, “Before a lot of our families had our own gardens, we followed the Tree Eaters around.” His eyes fell on Urangtai, “You may be a bit too young to remember those days.” He looked back at Shengshi, “My Lord, I do not think there could be a better gift.” He folded his hands together and bowed his head.

“A joy for me to give you, our dearest Dreamers. Now, to construct this city will take time - a long time, and no doubt be a little uncomfortable for my dear Chuanwang here.” Once more, he patted the turtle’s colossal muzzle. “Therefore, I recommend that all of you go to bed for the night, and that you do not ascend back onto to deck until Heliopolis stands at its zenith.”

“Go to bed? But it’s midd--ugh!” Wen Tian barely managed to speak before Wen Bei elbowed him in the stomach. Wenbo and Ai both nodded.

“Of course, Your Lordship. Best of luck to You and to the… Turtle.”

“Chuanwang,” the snake corrected. The turtle huffed.

“Of-- of course. Forgive us, great Chuanwang.” The older couple kowtowed, stood back up and went into the palace. Most of their children and grandchildren followed along.

“My Lord,” Zhong Wang piped up once again, “Would I be out of my standing to request an audience with you at your earliest convenience?” 

“Then you have it now, young master Zhong Wang,” the snake replied and gave him a sideways smile.

Zhong Wang folded his hands, “As your Lordship is likely already aware, the Dreamers are versed in Shengshese writing and reading. Our Elder Mother Xiaoli had also bestowed upon us the knowledge of ‘The Flow’.” He pursed his lips, “I was wondering if I may read the sacred writings at the source.” He pushed his explanation further, “I myself was a student of Elder Zhongcheng’s ‘Contemplations’ as well as Elder Mother’s ‘Flow’.”

“Ah, a scholar, I see,” the snake mused and leaned down to get a closer look. He chuckled to himself. “It pains me that I did not seize the opportunity to converse more with your father during the feast, young master Zhong Wang. To see that even civilisations as young as yours dabble in morals and philosophy… Oh, it warms this old serpent’s heart.” The snake placed a hand on Wang’s shoulder. “I grant you unlimited access to my libraries. Whenever you may wish to read or study my literature, simply call upon a Servant and have them take you to my study. I am looking forward to hearing your own ‘contemplations’.”

Zhong Wang bowed his head, “I regret that my Elder never named his contemplations beyond that -- although fitting considering his preaching of pragmatisms. I too look forward to discussing this further.” He tilted his head back up, “I suppose I shall get my ten hours of sleep in now, should your Lordship require nothing further of me.”

“Yes, go rest, young master Zhong Wang. Tomorrow, your new home will be ready.”

The Dreamer turned and entered the palace. As the gates closed behind him, the tremors of tumultuous torrents rung through the deck planks. The muffled soundscape of the outside filled with the rumble of stone, the whistles of wind and splashes of water. Boulders shattered and clumped together; hot metal hissed as it collided with cool water; and through it all, Chuanwang unleashed strained groans and pained roars.

Few of the Dreamers found they could sleep properly that night.

[hr] 

Just about all the Dreamers had gathered early in the feast hall for breakfast, and all around the table, anticipation sparked like static shock. Chuanwang was a great beast, and even now they could hear exhausted droning coming from outside. Ai picked up her teacup with a quivering hand as another roar echoed through the planks of the ship.

“He sounds hurt, mom,” went one of the young and tugged at the hem of his mother’s robe. The mother picked up her child and held her close. Wen De pressed his lips together and gave his father a glance. The old Dreamer Wenbo sat with tears running down his cheeks and struggled to hold back whimpers. More and more faces turned to him, and Wen Bei asked, “What’s it saying, dad? Is it in pain?”

“Very much so, Bei,” Wenbo replied and sniffed. Ai pouted and laid her head on his shoulder. Wenbo swallowed. “However, it’s-... It’s also very brave. It’s known pain before and-... And it seems that it wants to help us. Well, either that, or it’s just very eager to please its creator.”

Some smiles spread throughout the crowd. Wenbo rubbed some teary exhaustion out of his eyes. Ai made a half-smile. “Are you sure you’re alright, Wen-Wen? You laid crying all night on Chuanwang’s behalf. Don’t think I couldn’t hear you.”

“I’ll be fine,” Wenbo assured. “As soon as he feels better and His Lordship’s work is done, I’ll be fine…”

Ai nodded. “Let’s hope he finishes early, then.”

The Servants brought the breakfast course: Various lightly fried vegetables, steamed goods, white rice and millet gruel. The Dreamers naturally missed Mother’s cooking, but all had to agree with her sentiment that it didn’t hold a candle to the eternally dedicated cooks in Jiangzhou’s kitchens. A number of them dreaded the rapidly approaching hour they would be left to their own devices and be forced to cook on their own. Ai in particular was not at all confident that her stalkplum stew could measure up to even a simple rice congee produced by a Servant.
A few hours passed this way, with small meals speckled between sessions of tea and conversation. Before long, enough hours had passed that dawn stood at its peak. Wenbo patted the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and adjusted the horned crown atop his head. He and Ai rose first, followed by the rest of the host. By a train of Servants they were led to the gates of the palace. The Dreamers all sucked in agitated breaths. 

The gates were pushed open; the Dreamers walked outside.

What greeted them stole away that breath they’d drawn. 

Before them, the great shadow of Chuanwang darkened the whole ship as before, yet atop the massive turtle’s shell grew enormous, pagoda-like spires of crimson bricks linked together by massive, red stone walls. From their perspective, it was massively difficult to see what was behind those walls, but the tallest among them to barely see the faintest signs of rooftops beyond the walls. So caught in the magnificence were they that they barely noticed the snake approaching.

“Do not fall in love just yet - you have not even seen the inside,” he snickered. 

The Dreamers snapped out of their awe just in time to see Chuanwang turn about face, revealing his left side to the ship. There, down the entirely of the shell, all the way to what would be the ground if the massive turtle retracted its legs, ran a long, robust staircase leading up to a great red gate. The snake begun to climb the stairs and waved the others along. 

“Come on now - come witness my finest work.”

Eagerly Dreamers ran up the stairs, making certain, however, not to run past Shengshi himself. Nevertheless, as the steps began to number in the hundreds, the enthusiasm died down a little. Some children, especially, sat down on the steps to sulk, much to the dismay of their parents. 

Song, the thin alabaster-haired woman of Urangtai’s chagrin, whispered silk in his ear as she clung to him and every step he took, “Urangtai, why don’t you carry me in those arms of yours?” She let out an excited giggle.

Silk as it may be, Urangtai’s face twisted, “I uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea, Song.” He mumbled, an ounce of discomfort dripping from his voice -- her obsessive eyes scanning his face.

"Well, why not?" she protested and groaned dramatically as she climbed another five steps. 

“I...” He shook his head, finding a different set of words, “What if I dropped you?”

"Am I that heavy?" Song pouted. "Would you drop me?" 

“I would.” His eyes opened wide, “n’t! I wouldn’t. I don’t know Song, maybe I could just get a little space?”

Luckily, before the frustrated girl could form a retort, a bellow came from the snake atop the stairs, followed by awed gasps from the rest of the Dreamers. The couple rushed up the remaining steps to witness the other side of the great red gate:

A long paved road ran roughly a hundred metres ahead, branching into various smaller roads along the way. As the group followed the road, they saw several cold kilns ready to be lit and set to fire clay, and multiple forges and smithies. To their right were large, empty wooden platforms and long, rectangular stone houses, doubtlessly the aforementioned storage areas. 

"Welcome to the industrial square," the snake said. "This is where you will work with the materials you gather as you travel the world. As of now, I have built you smithies, kilns, tanneries and carpenter shops. In time, you may repurpose old shops or construct new ones as you uncover new trades to pursue." 

Wen De blinked at a nearby kiln. A stupidly excited grin crossed his face. "Such amazing craftsmanship! Oh, I cannot wait to get started! I'll make some pots first - with fine patterns!" Wenbo and Ai chuckled proudly. The snake nodded as well. 

Urangtai looked to the forges, his mind splitting with thoughts. The daze of the dreamers recent blessing still buzzed in his ears and he knew right then, he wanted to master the ways of metal. He tugged away from Song, the woman already having forgotten his pleas for space and took a step towards the flat face of an anvil. Despite being so many steps away, he could almost feel the cold stone under his fingers. 

Surprisingly, Song had not clung to his arm as he walked away, for she had been pulled into conversation with her mother and sisters about the beautiful palace teasing its position behind an inner wall. 

The rest of the group followed the southward-going road towards yet another gate. The snake pushed it open to reveal massive fields, already ready to sprout. In the centre of the area grew a great field of wheat; on each side grew smaller patches of alternating vegetables; south of those, behind a low red brick fence grew tall fruit and nut trees of various kinds. Insects buzzed blissfully about the area, and scattered between the many gardens were both silos and houses. To the far back of the district stood a tall, rectangular building, broadside facing the Dreamers. The snake raised his hand towards it. 

"This is the granary. Here, your harvest may be stored for a longer time than if you were to keep it in baskets at home. A fire in the bottom keeps the air dry, and there are vents at the very top for hot, moist air to exit through." He gestured to the rest of the area. "The rest of what you see is known as the agricultural hub. I expected that most of you will work most of your days here to support your growing population. Already, I have planted wheat, carrots, cabbage, spring onions, garlic, cucumbers and millet for you. Due to the city's placement, however, I strongly suggest that you do not plant anything that is too reliant on consistent water supplies. Rain will come, certainly, but Chuanwang cannot support any rivers or mountains on his back - the only water that will be available to you here will be that which you gather, boil or catch." He drummed his chin as if trying to remember anything else. "Ah, yes, livestock - you can find water buffalo to the north past Qiangshan. They make for suitable companions and can eat the grass, flowers and moss growing on Chuanwang's shell."

Wenbo and Ai nodded along, with Zhong Wang right behind them. Wen Tian walked over to a carrot stalk and pulled it out of the ground. It was the largest one any Dreamer had seen - it could almost feed three. 

"Expect that level of quality if you sow the fields yourselves, dear Dreamers," the snake promised with a grin. Wen Tian's eyes flickered with amazement and he bit into the vegetable, dirt and all. 

"This is so good," he whimpered happily, a few children looking longingly at the vegetable. 

"Moving on," said the snake and continued along the centre of the hub, up towards a particularly large gate in the great inner wall. Ai and her daughters whispered possible purposes of the mysterious majestic building barely revealing itself from behind the crimson bricks, and as the snake shoved up this gate as well, it became abundantly clear that among them, the most creative had been right. 

Before them stood a tall palace of red and gold, topped with black stone tiles. Flower gardens filled the spaces between the walls and the paved roads, and the fragrance was heavenly. The snake swung out his arms proudly and shouted, "This is the Dreaming Palace! Not to be confused with the Palace of Dreams, no - it is but a mere smoking match compared to the beautiful chandelier that is K'nell's home. Still, I have tried to make it as close to my perception of a castle worthy of a god." He pointed at two houses flanking the road on each side. "These will one day serve as guard posts when the royal family will need them." 

"Royal family, Your Lordship?" Wenbo asked emptily. 

"Why yes! The Wen Clan are royal blood now. I thought I told the servants to call you by the titles 'lord' and 'lady'." He eyed Ai and Wenbo. 

"Huh… They… Might have done so," Wenbo mumbled. "I confess I've been a little clouded in the head on account of everything that's happened." 

"Understandable," the snake soothed. He turned back to the palace. "Due to its size, the palace will also serve as your temple to the gods. Make certain to be faithful to them first and foremost, and only greatness will await you." 

Zhong Wang stared longingly at the building before turning to Shengshi, “My Lord?”

"Hmm?" 

“Forgive my asking, and do not take the question as a buffer for my awe at your work,” Zhong Wang folded his hands, clearly a little nervous, “But where will those not of Wenbo, reside?”

"Ah, yes - we will get there soon. I believe your home is next on the tour." 

Zhong Wang bowed his head, “Thank you, my Lord.” 

"You may explore the inside of the palace later everyone. Please come along for our next destination." The snake slithered around the great palace, and many Dreamers stopped on multiple occasions to marvel at the architecture. The paved roads stopped and became a lightly cobbled path flanked by flowers as far as the eyes could see. Small ponds of rainwater formed in small indents in the ground. An idyllic aura filled the air.

“... I could live here for a time,” Wenbo thought out loud. Ai squeezed his arm.

“Well, good thing we will, huh? Imagine it: waking up to this view, then step into the fields and work… It’ll be just like home! With a bigger house!” She sighed in relief. “No more drafts through that dumb curtain door.”

“... I worked hard on that,” Wen Fei muttered to herself.

The snake pushed open a great gate behind the palace and the doors unveiled another massive building complex, this one almost larger than the palace. It consisted of three increasingly taller and wider buildings, ending in a great stone block with a black-tiled roof. The snake beckoned over Zhong Wang.

Zhong Wang folded his arms behind his back and stepped forward, eyes flickering with appraisal.

“This is your new home, young master. I present to you the Hermian Academy - a research institute for mortalkind to use on the quest for knowledge, religious epiphanies and technology.”

“I-” Zhong Wang stammered for a moment. He slowly breathed out of his nose as he held his pose straight up, “I am honored, my Lord. I would like to see the inside and set up as soon as possible.”

“You may - the tour is almost over, anyway. The inside contains multiple studies, empty rooms and a large library. If you wish, I can add some of my own literature to the shelves.”

“I would appreciate that, my Lord,” Zhong Wang tipped his head into a bow.

The snake nodded. He then pointed at Zhong Wang and turned to the other Dreamers. “Zhong Wang will be granted the title of Master from this day forward. I elect him to be the headmaster of the Hermian Academy, and he is to lead research and science in the name of spirituality, prosperity and harmony.” The snake nodded at Wenbo. “See to it that he and his students receive the proper funding to do so, Lord Wenbo.”

Wenbo tasted the title of ‘lord’ in his mouth and found it wonderfully sweet. “O-of course, Your Lordship. Master Zhong shall have whatever he wishes for.”

“Good. He will need assistants, too. Master Zhong, are there any among these Dreamers that you deem as worthy of being your assistants, disciples or colleagues?”

Master Zhong Wang tipped his head once again, “Your Lordship, I know of a few.” He looked to the crowd, “Li Jian, Wen Taishan, Batbayaar, Wen Yang, and Nergui.”

“A fine selection,” the snake praised, knowing full and well that he knew none of them. “Then you have heard your mission, I suspect. Are there any questions?”

“Is there anything else we should know, or keep in mind before we begin our tasks?” Zhong Wang asked.

“Only that I make my highest recommendations to seek out every culture you meet - learn from them; teach them what you know. Know that the Hermian Academy is not only for the people of dreams and rivers, but that it is a school for all who wish to enroll. If you encounter other mortals that express interest in enrollment, it is your duty to accept them. Is that understood?”

“Quite well,” Zhong Wang bowed his head without hesitation, “All will know your generosity this day.” 

The snake bowed low before the Dreamer. “I am eternally grateful that you so dutifully take upon yourself this task, this mission. Keep up the effort, Master Zhong, and greatness and fame will await you and your teachings.” 

“Then may the glory of the Zhong name ride upon whatever greatness comes,” Zhong dipped lower than Shengshi and folded his hands forward, “Our first task shall be a written code of our Elder’s words blessed in your name.”

“I am looking forward to reading it,” the snake chuckled. “You may begin your work, prized scholars.” The snake tipped back up and turned to the rest of the Dreamers. “Very well, our tour continues out the western gate - if you would follow me…”

The rest of the Dreamers walked off behind the river god, with Urangtai looking over his shoulder at Zhong Wang, a buzzing smile on his cousin’s face. His eyes then jumped to the ones Zhong Wang had chosen, from the gruff yet intelligent face of Li Jian, to the gentle curves of-- Suddenly Song’s face appeared in his line of sight, a smile he didn’t know he was wearing turning to a straight line. The girl flashed him a menacing grin, took him by the arm and picked up speed. 

The snake opened the western gate to reveal an open courtyard at the centre of which was a ring of sandstone. At the far end of the courtyard was a tall brick building with a tall tower to house a lookout. Three small shacks lined the wall to the group’s left, and at a distance to the left and forward a bit was a strange, open range with a collection of upright wicker disks at the far end. The snake gestured to the various buildings.

“Welcome to the Military Quarter. Any good city needs a proper defense, and a moving city will likely not be any different. While Chuanwang can offer some aid, it would probably be best for everyone and everything onboard if he remained largely still.” A few of the Dreamers nodded in agreement. The snake continued, “The headquarters and command centre would be the building behind me--” he thumbed at the large house with the lookout on top, “-- followed by the barracks for the soldiers on duty--” he pointed at the three buildings by the wall, “-- a shooting range-”

“A what?” one of the Dreamers blurted out. Shengshi sneered.

“Please do your best not to interrupt me, child…”

The Dreamer raised her hand and Shengshi pointed at her. “Y-your Lordship, forgive me - what is a shooting range?”

The snake frowned. “Well, it is exactly what it sounds like, is it not?” Once more he pointed to the range. “It is an area where you practice archery.”

“Practice… What now?” Wen Tian supported. The snake blinked in surprise.

“Have you not learned of archery before?”

The dreamers shook their heads. The snake hummed.

“Huh. Imagine that… Well, no time like the present, I suppose.” With that, he snapped his fingers and an intricately carved bow materialised in his hand with five arrows. “The art of bow making and fletchery may take years to perfect - not to mention the very art of archery itself. First, one must find adequately bendable branches - a sort that does not break easily, yet does not require an ox to bend. Mulberry, walnut, ash and ironwood are all viable materials.” He tugged at the string. “Next, the sinew. It should be solid and lasting - poor string will snap at the least convenient time. Animal sinews make for good string.” He handed the bow to Urangtai for him to test. “That is about it. Proper selection of materials make a great bow - skill in use, however, cannot be taught, at least not by me.” 

Urangtai stretched the string back, the bow creaking under his hard earned strength. He looked over at another Dreamer, “Bataar would have loved this.” The other dreamer nodded vigorously. 

“Let me see,” A compact looking dreamer by the name of Zhong Ming held out her hand. Urangtai handed it over and Ming twanged the string a few times, a pleasant smile forming on her face. 

“You could teach him the skill in Heaven,” the snake said with a somber smile. He offered Zhong Ming an arrow and pointed at the shooting range in the distance. “If you could walk over to where the sand begins and aim for the centre of that disk, please?”

Ming looked over the arrow, eventually finding the notch in the back and putting it all together in her mind. She knocked the arrow and pulled back, her elbow a little too far out and her forward arm doing little more than holding the bow. The sloppy form quickly turned into the string blasting out from her fingers and snapping across her nose. She dropped the bow and cursed loudly, a red line forming on her otherwise blue speckled face.

Before anyone could offer to take her place, she had picked up the bow and the arrow again. She adjusted her back arm, but kept a sloppy position -- having little knowledge of the tool in her hands. This time, however, she managed to launch the bow in the nick of time -- her arms straining under the weight. The arrow shot off from the arch, straight and true -- just not at the target. It slipped far above the disk and slapped against a wall, causing everyone to flinch. The snake snickered and patted her on the shoulder.

“With practice, you will make it one day.”

Ming dropped her eyes to the ground, slightly deflated but not beaten, “Thank you, my Lord.” Her voice betrayed a jaded perfectionism.

“That concludes the tour of the city, dears - well, not all of it. There is still the residential area and the market district, but I reckon that one needs little to no explanation. The Lord and Lady Wen, as well as the heiresses or heirs to their titles may take up residence in the palace--” He closed his mouth and hummed. “... Though I suppose you are so few and intimate that class division really is not necessary. Tell you what - take up shelter wherever you may wish; be fruitful and multiply; then, one day, you may utilise all of this city’s assets to their fullest potentials.”

The Dreamers bowed as deeply as they could. At the front stood Wenbo and Ai, Wenbo nearly at the verge of tears. “Y-your Lordship, words cannot express how much--...” He let out a whimper and Ai comforted him with a squeeze of the shoulder.

“We are eternally grateful, Your Lordship,” she finished helpfully.

The snake nodded and bowed back, albeit not as low. “It was the least I could-- Oh! I just remembered something.”

Wenbo, Ai and several others looked up. “Your Lordship?”

“Yes, there was distinctly something I was going to make you - something to make interacting with others a whole lot easier… Oh, what was it again… Oh yes!” The snake slithered over to a tree, broke off a thick branch and began whittling away at it with a claw. Wenbo blinked and raised a hand. Shengshi nodded at him.

“M-my Lord, what are you making?”

“A translator. It will help you talk to other mortals that are not familiar with your tongue.”

“Wait, not all mortals speak the same language?” Wen De thought out loud. The snake shook his head.

“No, not really. A few speak approximation of others’, but nothing that can easily be deciphered by mortal minds.” He gave the object a final scratch before handing it to Wenbo. It was a small, wooden carp . The snake hummed. “Well, are you not going to say hello?”

Wenbo blinked. “O-oh, of course, uhm.. Hello?”

“Howdy,” the carp responded. Wenbo, Ai and the others jumped. As the carp spoke, its head and tail seemed to move in an uncanny resemblance  to a living fish. “How you doin’?” it continued.

“I’m.. Doing quite well, I suppose,” Wenbo answered. “How about yourself?”

“Oh, y’know. Not much’s goin’ on. Life’s a little wooden, if ya will.” It snickered to itself and Wenbo frowned out of a frustrating lack of understanding. He looked at Shengshi in desperation, and the snake smiled back.

“I call it the Babblefish. Just ask it kindly and it will translate any sentence spoken to its user. This means that, if you want to understand what someone else is saying, you must hand them the fish before they speak.”

Wenbo frowned. “That sounds a little…”

“Inconvenient?” the snake proposed. 

“N-no, that’s not what I meant!”

“Do not worry. It is meant to be this way. Connection requires trust, and to share is to build trust. Show the other first that you mean them no harm by offering them this fish. Then, once you speak, it will translate your message to them, and you will tell them that you come in peace and the ability of this fish. You will tell them of the wonders of the world and inspire them to learn your language, just as you will learn theirs.”

Wenbo looked back down at the carp and it gave him a sassy wink. “I understand,” said the old Dreamer.
“Good,” the snake replied and looked over the gathered crowd. “Placing the fish on Chuanwang’s shell will let him understand you, by the way, so whenever you wish him to do anything in particular, that is how you do it.”

“Understood, Your Lordship.”

The snake gave the Dreamers a smile and flicked away a divine tear. “You know, I cannot quite express just how proud I am of all of you… It warms this divine heart to see so many eager faces ready to bring a golden age to this world.” He sniffed quietly and rubbed the last of the tears out of his eyes. “Well, I will have to leave you now. For your first destination, I recommend travelling around the continent for a bit - explore and see the Foot. Just… Stay away from the east. There desert is a dangerous area.”

“Of course, Your Lordship.”

The snake looked back towards the hub and sighed. “Well. Good luck, then.” With that, he skipped into the air, gliding lethargically back towards his ship.

Ming stepped over to Wenbo, “Eld- Lord Wenbo,” She corrected herself, “I was wondering if maybe--”

“Lord Wenbo!” A young dreamer held out his hands, “Can I try the fish?”

Wenbo handed the youngster the carp and Ming tucked a slant into her cheek. The youngest quickly ran off with the carp, giggling at it. Ming watched him leave before turning back to Wenbo.

“Lord Wenbo,” She started again, “I was wondering if you had thought about who should be in charge of...” She let her voice trailed as her eyes bounced around the military quarter, “All this.”

The old dreamer scratched the hair black hair underneath his crown and hummed. “Well, uhm… I suppose whomsoever would like to volunteer may be deemed eligible,” he proposed ponderously.

“I volunteer,” Ming bowed her head.

Wenbo scanned the small crowd. “Anyone else?”

Nobody challenged her. Wenbo gave Ming a smiling nod. “Then the job’s yours, my dear. I name you… Uhm… General Zhong Ming, commander of the City Guard! Make us proud.” 

Ming did her best to force her smile into a serious, stern look, “You can count on me, Lord Wenbo!”

Wenbo squeezed her shoulder proudly and then turned to the rest of the crowd. “Well, I think it’s about time we set a course, wouldn’t you all agree?” Chuckles, hums and cheers sounded back. “Right,” Wenbo continued, “where should we travel towards?”

Wen De raised his hand. “Oh! Dad! We could head north and check out those mountains over there!”

“And that red lake!” Wen Bei supported.

“It was a river, Bei.”

“I know what I said.”

Wenbo hummed. “We could, I suppose - though I’m curious as to how Chuanwang would climb them without, uhm… Tipping the whole city.”

Wen De let out a disappointed ‘oh’.

“We have plenty to settle into,” Urangtai suggested, “Just send our companion on a flat path -- I want to check out a few of those workshops, and I’m sure some others might want to as well.” Several others gathered around Urangtai with similar sentiments. Wenbo nodded.

“So be it. Then we either go west or south.”

“South sounds like a scorcher,” Ai mumbled. “I vote west.”

“West,” Wen Bei voted.

“Can we go south after?” Wen Tian asked.

“Yes, of course.”

“Then I, too, vote west.”

In the end, the vote to travel west gathered a majority. The lord and lady smiled at one another and made their way back to the Academy, where they would attempt to reach Chuanwang’s head.

As they left, Wen Yuma patted Urangtai on the back. “Well, shall we check out those shops?”

“Let’s--” Urangtai wobbled to look past Yuma at a busy Song, “Yeah, let’s get going.”

[hider=SummaREEEEEEEEEEEE]
Dreamers fly to DF aboard the Snake-spress. They spot some odd things from the bird’s eye view and nearly get zapped by the Saluran lightning storms. When they arrive at DF, Sheng tells them to chill for a day while he makes them their new home atop Chuanwang, the beeg turtle. The Dreamers do as he says and the next day, they are given Mengcheng, the City of Dreams. The tour is basically just a written account of the map below. When they get to the Hermian Academy, Snake makes Zhong Wang and some others into a holy order named the Hermian Acadmy, whose mission is to research and teach the world’s mortals about stuff. When they get to the military quarters next door, Snake teaches the Dreamers to make bows and arrows, and then gives them the Babblefish, which is a translator artifact that translates anything into the user’s language. 
[/hider]

[hider=MP Usage]
Start: 5MP/8FP
1FP - Make Mengcheng, the Dreamer city, atop Chuanwang.
2FP - Make the Hermian Academy holy order.
1FP - Teach the Dreamers bow-crafting and fletching.
1FP - Make the Babble Fish, a small wooden carp that can translate every language into the user’s. This means that whoever is holding the fish can use its powers, so it cannot be used to translate back without giving the other conversationalist the fish.
End: 5MP/3FP
[/hider]

[hider=Map of Mengcheng]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/tQgGmXP.png[/img]
[/hider]