Headed by a Snake

Jiang Ying Yue blinked her eyes to adjust to the bright blueness of... the sky?

With... no ground beneath her-- anywhere to be seen.

Panic set in immediately, Yue's heart racing and her chi circulating rapidly... but thankfully, her body acted on its own.

That is-- she drew her flying sword and held on for dear life!

The last thing she wanted was to fall tens of thousands of yalms into-- whatever!

Ying Yue was a half-step Monarch! But... falling that distance was a little unreasonable.

Once Ying Yue was certain she was somewhat safe, she mounted her sword properly and breathed a sigh of relief.

Only a few moments ago, she was in the company of the Sect Elder and her brother.

It felt like... she'd stepped into a teleport formation?

It wouldn't have been the first time... but she had never been so blindsided by one before.

Even stranger... the sun was nowhere to be seen... and the air wasn't thinner or more difficult to breathe.

It was cold, though-- so much that her teeth were chattering.

Ying Yue was deeply regretting not taking up her brother's offer for new robes...

Strangest of all, though... was seeing a... young woman casually reclining on a faraway, fluffy cloud.

As Yue willed her flying sword closer, she saw that the other girl wore a strange metal helmet that hid her eyes. On it, small, exquisite, feathered wings flared up at her temples.

To fend off the cold, she was wearing a simple, comfortable-looking white sweater, its sleeves covering both of her hands. Brilliant and shimmering jade-green hair streamed down from her helm and onto her shoulders.

She was pretty... and quite possibly of a similar age.

Yue was about to greet her-- maybe ask her about her hair and attire... but the wooden weapon that floated at her side gave her pause.

It was a staff... topped with a metal head in the shape of bird wings and with two snakes carved onto the haft.

It was... a magical focus-- the tool of a Wizard or Sorceress.

As she could fly... the Cloud Lady was at least a Third-Circle Caster. If she had stored Third-Circle offensive spells inside her staff, she could probably eradicate over half of her sect in only a few minutes.

Ying Yue slowly levitated towards the woman. Preparing for a worst-case scenario, she kept her arms slightly raised-- ready to kick arse at a moment's notice.

"Sup? Wanna fight?"

"Fufufu..." The helmeted woman placed her tiny hand to her mouth, "I'll have to pass, Jiang Ying Yue. I don't enjoy fighting as much as my mate, Rixen."

Yue narrowed her eyes, "H-how did you know my name?"

Cloud Lady pursed her lips, "I'm... literally in the room next to you guys."

"And... and you trapped me here?!" Yue yelped, starting to panic. "Is this some sort of ⌈Domain⌋ Skill?! You-- you're a Monarch, aren't you?!"

"Whoa-- caaaalm down, humie," Cloud Lady waved. "That is a... somewhat, a yes, and... technically, also yes? Forgive me, I'm more used to the Metal-Ranking system."

"O... o-oh... hah?" Yue laughed-- "in... in that case... I am... am TOTALLY. CALM!!"

The only cultivator in the Hidden Lake sect that reached the level of Monarch was the Venerable Ancestor... and he was ten thousand years old-- or close to it.

This woman was dangerous. Really dangerous!

Ying Yue was not calm. She was not calm, at all.

"Seven hecks," The Monarch groaned, "relaaaax!"

She waved her palm and the staff besides her twirled in place. In front of her, a short, fluffy piece of the cloud whirled up and turned into... what looked like a short wooden stool.

It also came with an expensive-looking, velvet-red cushion-- which was some really advanced-level Outsider magic.

The woman sat up and gestured with her long-sleeved arm, "Here y'go."

...Yue narrowed her eyes as she gingerly stepped onto the cottony fluff. It was solid... which wasn't how a cloud was supposed to work.

The seat was stable, too-- even despite the bumpiness of the... 'floor.' The cushion was soft and springy-- but it also molded perfectly to her butt like it was made out of foamy dirt.

She wanted one.

...That is, until she remembered she was sitting on a cloud. In the sky.

"Would you like a drink?" The magic cloud lady offered. "Calm your nerves?"

Yue leaned forward, steepling her fingers, "Wh... what'cha got?"

"Tea? Chilled black sugar beer? Choccy milk?"

...Those all sounded good.

"Can you... mix them all together?"

Cloud Lady didn't even flinch.

She swished her hand left and right... and a tall glass of liquid appeared out of thin air, "Toasted brown sugar milk tea."

Yue took the drink gratefully... and took a tiny taste.

It was...

So...

Good...

"I love you. Marry me?"

"This is why your family thinks you play for the other team, you know that?" Cloudy Lady frowned, "Not to be mean-- but do you even know who I am?"

"Mmmm... Nope!" Yue took another sip of her drink, smacking her lips... "Bwah! Ohhhh... If I can find a guy that's good at cooking, I'll marry him too!"

"You're... a very easygoing human," Cloud Lady tapped her cheek, "--more agreeable than most Chosen Ones, anyroad."

"Most people just call me stupid," Yue smirked.

"Humans... can be cruel." The mysterious cloud lady smiled half-heartedly, "I am... Jerim Jya."

Ying Yue was wondering what exactly the woman was... a cloud spirit, an angel... or maybe even a goddess. That name, though... it sounded like something more... mythical.

"Lady Jerim Jya..." She gulped, "Do... dragons really exist?"

Jerim Jya's mouth curved into a subtle smirk, "The Laws require that I answer: no."

Yue held her drink between her thighs to point with both fingers, "I got'cha."

Jerim Jya giggled lightly before continuing... "Your Sect Leader, Chen Weiqi, has asked me to elucidate you on the impending doom that's about to befall the Realm."

Yue pursed her lips.

Sharing Jerim Jya's company was actually rather nice... once she got over the fact that they were talking above the clouds and... that she was a Monarch.

Yue wanted to get back home as soon as possible to annoy the seven hells out of her parents and little brother... but she also didn't want to be rude.

"I can summarize most of it," Jerim Jya offered.

"I am in your debt, oh great, green-haired goddess," Yue bowed.

"Fufufu..." Triple-G floated up and swiped her hand to the side. The white wall of clouds split in two, twisting black with rage and hurling bolts of lightning at the waters below.

Ying Yue almost spilled her drink as she saw dozens and dozens of ships braving the roiling waves... all sailing towards Moon Crescent Isle.

"N-no way... so many of them..."

"Dramatic approximation," Jerim Jya shrugged. "But that's about the level of threat you're dealing with."

"Got'cha," Yue bit her lower lip. "Who... are they? What do they want?"

Jerim Jya shrugged and shook her head, "I... wish I could tell you. Unfortunately, I'm just the messenger."

Ying Yue shut her eyes...

In her years of adventuring, she'd found out the painful way... over and over again... that no conflict was black and white.

Everyone was the hero of their own story.

"...Lemme guess," She sighed. "If we let the bad guys do as they please... the entire Realm goes buh-bye?"

"Yup," Jerim Jya nodded. "Ash and fire... War spanning the entire Realm."

"...Our sect is protected by the Sea God," Yue insisted. "If you look real hard at our island, you can see all the shrines!"

"Well... your sect's Divine Beast might be able to help... and you might get some help in the form of inclement weather. However... don't count on the Sea God showing up."

"Wait, what?" Yue tilted her head. "Why not?"

"The... allegiances," Jerim Jya took a moment to think-- "are... kind of weird, right now."

Yue took a breath and grimaced... "Are... the goodly gods not... all on the same side?"

"Everyone fights for what they believe is right, Ying Yue," Jerim Jya frowned... "even the gods."

She sighed again and waved her hand... but cracked another sly smirk, "But enough of that... Are you up for the task, Chosen One?"

Yue downed the rest of her milk tea before wiping her lips with the back of her wrist.

"When do we start?"

",