Ball of Nothing

Chang E returned two hours later and informed Merlin that the Qilin was ready to meet them. Zero was excited when he got to know that there would be a chariot pulled by white rabbits escorting them to the grand palace.

The ride to the palace could only be described as cute. Zero didn't know that rabbits could grow to the size of half a man but they were still fluffy with long ears that Zero wanted to hug. Merlin didn't comment and sat in the carriage that Chang E prepared for them. The deity didn't sit in the same space as them but chose to guide the rabbit mounts and flew in front.

According to the books in his mindscape library, the Qilin looked like a giraffe but there were so many variations that Zero didn't know what the actual qilin looked like. Still, meeting a mythical creature thrilled the young doctor.

Merlin was worried. Although he was the saviour of all the residents in the moon dimension, they were still respectable mythical beasts with pride as tall as Mount Olympia. Chang E would not be able to convince them to help him out and even if the Qilin agreed, not all the zodiacs and guardians are as willing to aid someone whom they don't even know. The debt towards a benefactor only went so far after all.

They arrived at the main palace and Zero didn't have much time to take in the magnificent structure and all the details before he was pulled into the main hall where a strange young man with long white hair in yellow robes was seated on a golden throne.

\"Qilin,\" Merlin greeted and Zero gawked. Wasn't the Qilin a Chinese unicorn? Shouldn't it look something like a horse? The Qilin before Zero looked completely human. He was fair-skinned and had deep blue eyes with a strange red mark on his forehead. Other than that, Zero could have easily mistaken him for a man.

\"Benefactor, what brings you all the way here? The visit was too sudden for us to make any preparations,\" the Qilin smiled and Zero noted how gentle his voice sounded.

Merlin bowed in apology. \"Benevolent Qilin, I came here to ask for a favour on behalf of my student.\"

The mythical creature looked a Zero with curiosity and Zero hastily bowed to introduce himself.

\"I'm Zero, a student of Hua Tuo and Merlin's.\"

Hearing the physician's name, the Qilin brightened up. At once, Zero saw flowers starting to bloom around the vast hall. Chang E was no longer in sight but Zero thought she would have been surprised by how the hall's interiors were suddenly full of flowers.

\"The divine doctor has finally taken on a student? Goodness! This calls for a celebration. Zero, if you see the divine doctor again please pass him our gratitude,\" the Qilin said and bowed, getting off his throne.

Zero felt awkward being bowed to by such a splendid creature even if he looked like a man. Merlin decided to cut to the chase after Zero introduced himself.

\"We came here to request help for crafting a grimoire capable of surpassing even my own.\"

The Qilin smiled. \"I understand. This is not a place to talk, why don't both of you follow me to the garden? My wife Feng Huang is waiting with some snacks.\"

Unable to refuse the kind hospitality, Merlin found himself agreeing and followed Qilin's lead.

Feng Huang was a beautiful lady dressed in red with the same strange mark on her forehead. She smiled prettily when she saw Merlin and her husband. Zero used appraisal on her and found out that Feng Huang only looked human. In truth, she was actually another mythical creature also known as the phoenix.

The four of them sat at a small stone table in a garden beside a clear pond. Feng Huang poured them tea and Merlin took a sip before starting the discussion.

\"We want to create a grimoire out of paper from the barks and leaves of the Tree of Knowledge and Tree of Life. However, the binding for these pages that we currently have cannot control these pages. It's too powerful and they refuse to cooperate with each other. The magic that Zero intends to create rivals the power of all creation.\"

Feng Huang took a look at Zero and caressed his cheek. \"No wonder I thought he looked familiar.\"

Zero didn't know the lady but he didn't sense any ill intentions coming from her so he let her do as she pleased, even going so far as to amuse her by leaning further into her touch. Qilin didn't say anything but he looked troubled.

\"Benefactor, by any chance is he...?\"

Merlin nodded. \"The one you've all been waiting for. He might not be the Jade Emperor but he is the one Buddha said would arrive one day. I'm sorry that I cannot find the whereabouts of the Jade Emperor after that incident. He may not be among the living anymore.\"

Qilin looked crestfallen but he understood. Hiding the pain away from his eyes, he turned to the teenager whom his wife had taken interest in.

\"Huang-er, will you send the message to the zodiacs and the guardians? I believe it is time.\"

The phoenix looked surprised but obeyed and took her leave, transforming into a huge flaming bird that took to the skies and disappeared from sight.

\"Benefactor, some of them have already passed on. I'm currently holding on to some of the remaining pieces of their souls they left behind. Please follow me.\"

Merlin didn't explain anything and nobody paid Zero any heed so the poor teen followed behind his teacher mutely like a shadow. Qilin led Merlin to what looked like a memorial hall. There were painted portraits hanging on the walls and some of them had small pots beneath the paintings. Merlin didn't have to look to know what those were. He'd seen enough urns in his life to know.

\"Who's left?\" he asked in a pained voice.

The Qilin looked tired as he answered. \"Rat is hiding in Hell with Baal. Snake is waiting for her time to come in her lair. Rooster is spending his time with the Vermillion Bird here in peace. Boar and Dog spend their time playing chess and idling away. Lamb comes here once a day to clean up the urns and pay respects to the fallen comrades. Black Tortoise is gravely ill, White Tiger has already fallen into a coma for the last decade.\"

Merlin grimaced. \"The dragons...?\"

Qilin laughed bitterly. \"Became pearls. They couldn't withstand the pain of feeling their brethren getting murdered. They're resting in their urns now.\"

Merlin didn't know what to think. Of twelve zodiacs, only six remained. Of the four guardians only one is healthy and one had already passed on. To think that if Zero came any later, the moon dimension would have been nothing but a resting place for the once-powerful mythical beasts of the old world.

Qilin sensed Merlin's grief and gave him a comforting pat. \"Better late than never,\" he told the magician who removed his glasses to wipe away the tears. Zero watched them silently from a few steps away and felt as if this was something he shouldn't be intruding upon. Whatever this place was, Zero felt as if he shouldn't be here to disturb the tranquillity.

Somehow, there was a pattern that Zero noticed. Wherever he went, he would always be the reason for people's suffering. The teen knew that it was because of his curious nature that caused a lot of inconveniences to others. His meddling nature and selfish desire to help everyone made him pry into their businesses more than he should. As a result, they would be forced to open up old wounds.

\"We're all here now,\" Feng Huang announced as she returned. Behind her, Zero saw a group of unfamiliar faces. Everyone looked human but Zero knew better. Even without appraising, he could tell that they were all mythical beasts of some kind. The aura and pressure that some of them gave off didn't seem normal for humans.

\"Thank you, Huang-er...\" the Qilin smiled and turned to Merlin. \"We're all here now, benefactor.\"

Then, he turned to the group of individuals gathered. \"Comrades, I've gathered everyone because the time has come. The Jade Emperor couldn't be found but today, Merlin brought the child that Buddha told us would one day appear before us.\"

There were murmurs once everyone heard that the child of Buddha's prophecy has appeared. All eyes were immediately on Zero who felt self-conscious all of a sudden.

The first to approach Zero was a man with tanned skin, black hair and an eye-patch. \"Hello, I'm Dog. What's your name?\"

Zero thought it was an odd name but he didn't question it. \"I'm Zero.\"

They shook hands and Zero wondered why everyone started lining up to greet him and shake his hands. At the other side of the hall, Qilin revealed a hidden room and with Merlin's help, started to shift the urns into that room.

On the floor of the hidden room is a magic circle drawn using blood. Merlin remembered doing this many years ago. Qilin had preserved the condition of the sacrificial circle very well. The urns were placed at the respective spots of the circle and Merlin turned to Qilin.

\"Don't you all want more time?\"

Qilin smiled. \"Not really. We've waited for far too long. That day when Earth was destroyed, we should have all perished as well. If it wasn't for you and Buddha, we wouldn't be here. At least now, we know that we did not live in vain. Waiting in this place where the scenery never changed was torture. It has to be at least a thousand years since then but the memories in my head still remain very clear. I'm glad that our deaths can become something meaningful and that this torture we suffered isn't for naught. The boy's name is Zero, it's a contradictory name for someone who wants to save the world.\"

Merlin laughed without humour. \"It's contradicting that the one born to destroy it is trying to save it in the first place while the one who created this world is trying to get rid of it.\"

Qilin raised his brow in surprise. \"Are they not one and the same?\"

Merlin sighed heavily this time. \"It's something I'm still trying to understand. The grimoire that we need to create must act as Zero's sword and shield against the creator. The Tree of Knowledge and Tree of Life are too powerful to be bound by simple beast leather. I couldn't think of anything else that could rival the power of plane guardians except for mythical beasts of the old world. If the Star guardians were still around, I would have asked them for their blessings but they've all fallen.\"

Qilin nodded. \"It is indeed a shame what happened to the Star guardians. However, after us, there wouldn't be many others left to remind you about the old world.\"

Merlin tried not to think about it. All the Sage Gods that existed were from the old world. They were already few in numbers. Losing the mythical creatures from the old world will reduce the number of survivors to something that can be counted on one hand. Coincidentally or not, all of them were acquainted with Zero at some level.

\"I won't forget any of you,\" Merlin told Qilin who smiled.

\"Thank you, benefactor. You truly are kind. I heard from Chang E that you still celebrate your old friend's birthday and drink on the day Camelot fell?\"

Merlin didn't answer. Qilin smiled. \"I think I can speak on behalf of the four guardians and the zodiacs that we enjoyed drinking the Jade Emperor's wine back in those days when the Monkey King was still stealing peaches and claiming to be the best.\"

\"I don't know the recipe to brew the wine that you drank back then.\"

Qilin laughed. \"Buddha and Hua Tuo know. Won't you talk to us occasionally after this? They say that the deceased cannot speak but they can listen.\"

Merlin closed his eyes and inhaled. \"Of course, I will. But none of you will understand the gibberish I speak. Maybe this time for real, I can start teaching all of you the true beauty of alchemy that all of you scoffed at.\"

The gentle Qilin smiled and stood in position as the rest of the zodiacs and guardians entered the room. One by one, they took their spots and Zero watched as his teacher chanted a long spell with his back faced towards him.

The young doctor didn't understand what was happening until he felt their life energy starting to fade. Panicked, he tried to stop his teacher but the ritual was already complete. Horrified, Zero watched the spirits of the guardians and zodiacs merge into one white orb in the middle of the sacrificial circle.

Item: Remnants of the Old Word

Description: An orb from the last few survivors of the old world that grants mysterious powers to control laws of any domain. Can only be used by those with powers that surpass the Great Gods.

Merlin looked at the white orb in his palm that was no bigger than an apple and slowly passed it to Zero.

\"Let's go back and complete that grimoire,\" he said.

Zero wanted to stop his teacher and ask about the mythical creatures and why he had to sacrifice them but after seeing the mourning look on Merlin's face, he decided to keep silent. The white orb in his hand felt heavier than it should be and the young doctor took one last glance at the secret room before running after his teacher. Whatever Qilin and Merlin spoke about while he was occupied by the others must have been private and important.

For once, Zero didn't want to pry into the matter and doused the fire of his curiosity out with a sense of guilt and gratitude. The white orb glowed warmly in his hand as if responding to his feelings and trying to tell him not to blame himself but Zero didn't realise it, too occupied with his thoughts.