Yang-hui: The Third Divine Avatar

An elf named Yang was born in the lands of the Dawn Lord, which meant he was expected to serve Jin Lon Zhu and the other dragons who lived in that land. He refused to submit himself to the dragons for assignment to a vocation, but instead began moving through elven towns. He taught the people he found that their future was not service, but to make the world a better place through their own choices.

His teaching spread, and he attracted the notice of the Lon Zhu. Jin Lon Zhu summoned Yang to the Dawn Court, and asked him who he was to teach that the dragons, who had cared for the elves since the beginning of time, should not shape elven destiny.

“I am Yang-hui, a face of the One God. I have come to lead the elves on a journey to a new, greater destiny.”

“If you are a part of the One God,” said Jin, “then you are my father.”

Yang-hui’s face was dark. “You have no father.”

Jin laughed, and then sneered. “You would disown me, pappa?”

Yang walked up to Jin and pointed his finger up at his nose. Those gathered, dragon and elf, gasped at the disrespect, but Yang spoke as if to a disobedient child:

“She will not sleep forever, much as I would put off her waking. Today is a dream for Her, but when she wakes she will remember what we say. I will stand by my words, fearless. Can you say the same?”

The Dawn Lord, Jin Lon Zhu, was still as a golden statue. No one dared to breathe.

Yang-hui dropped his hand, and his voice became tender. “Jin, there is no point to age if you forget your youth. Remember why you fear the shuddering in the earth. Remember who saved you.”

The dragon lord lowered his head to meet the eyes of Yang-hui. He said, “You have humbled me here, in my court. I have not forgotten my beginning. What would you ask of me, Divine Avatar?”

“To let me lead the elves to a new land, and release them from your service.”

Jin Lon Zhu rose again, and his eyes narrowed. “I could not act alone. I cannot force all the other Lon Zhu to release their servants, and without my soldiers I would be vulnerable to their attack. What you ask is impossible.”

Yang-hui said, “Then bring them here. Let me speak to all of you. If I cannot convince all the Lon Zhu to release the elves, then let none of them free.”

The Dawn Lord nodded his head, once. “It shall be as you say.”

The dragon lords gathered in the Dawn Court. The exact words of the debate were recorded, and have become the scripture of the Sylvan religion. At the end, the Lon Zhu all agreed to let the elves leave, but the Mirror Lord, Yin Lon Zhu, demanded that the elves not be forced to leave. If they chose to stay, they should stay. Yang-hui agreed.

So all the elves from across Oestria were summoned to the lands of Jin Lon Zhu. They were told they had a choice. Yang-hui offered to bring them across the sea to a new land, where they would rule just as the dragons ruled Oestria. They would serve only posterity.

Three quarters of the elves agreed. The dragons permitted them to build ships which they would use to cross the ocean. The last quarter refused to go, preferring to stay with what they knew.

Yang-hui tried to convince them to come. He spent the entire night reasoning, entreating, even begging. As dawn came, he wept openly for them and left to the ships that were being built.

The Lon Zhu came. Hong Lon Zhu, the Dusk Lord, said, “We appreciate your loyalty. Your faithfulness and commitment are a blessing for your people. However, we cannot keep you as servants, for the rebellion and ingratitude we have seen this week has ruined our trust, and will poison future generations against us. Therefore, since you will not go in the ships, we exile you to the land beneath us. You may wander the caves and the cracks in the earth, and to keep you from doing us harm we will now make the sun a poison to you and your descendants. Now go and never return.”

Those elves suddenly found the sun too bright and fled to nearby caves.

The others, seeing what happened to their cousins, worked harder on the boats. By the end of the week they were ready. The Lon Zhu watched them leave, and though they said nothing, everyone knew they would not be welcome back.

There were several storms on the voyage, but Yang-hui came on deck and they calmed. When they arrived on Myrnia, Yang-hui came out first. He climbed a rocky knoll. He lifted his arms, and as he lifted them a piece of solid crystal emerged from the rock. It kept rising until it loomed over the beach.

Yang-hui turned to the elves who were gathering on the beach. “Let this Crystal Tower be the start of a new city. Let it shine with your light across every corner of this new land.”