The Dragon Wall
Student, Gro
he bleached moon hung like a Chinese lantern in the distance, as the last wisps of clouds scudded
across its face in a haste to abandon the cold. A dangerous slide of sleet sloped down the steep
mountains that led to a sludgy layer of grey, covering the ground like a frigid blanket. A swirling mist
shrouded the deciduous branches of trees that groaned and creaked in the howling wind. The world
seemed to be frozen, stuck in time.
up 2: Fiction, Diocesan Girls' Junior School
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From the frozen solid ground rose sturdy bricks constructed out of rammed and tamped earth. Together,
they formed a majestic wall that twisted along the backbone of mountain ridges, traversing a vast expanse from
the Western Himalayan mountains to the billows of the Bohai Sea.
Torturous cries were heard, as the colossal stones were hauled on top of each other. Sunken-cheeked
labourers, who had been enslaved by the power-hungry and ruthless Emperor Qin were sentenced to be worked
to death in the harsh terrains where blizzards sliced into their cheeks and survival was a daily battle. It was the
Great Wall of China they were struggling to construct, built by their blood, sweat, and lives in order to protect
China from the Northern invaders.
One would assume that contributing to shielding China from harm was an honourable task. Yet, the
relentless whipping and lashing on the backs of anguished men, the meager morsels that they were fed, and
unsanitary conditions ridden with deadly disease only brought about a pile of bodies in heaps. Mass graves that
ran through the centre of the wall was testimony to this. The taste of hopelessness and stench of the despair
loomed in the air.
It was on this very ominous night that something extraordinary and miraculous happened. From the heart,
the very core, of the Great Wall where rotting bodies and fragile bones lay, there was a slight stirring. This was
followed by the heavy release of what seemed like the last breath of a dying man. More joined in chorus, in
agonising groans and moans in a crescendo, causing the stone slabs and clay bricks to tremble violently. The
poor souls were lamenting over the injustice that they had faced, and improper burials of their premature deaths.
Eventually, the rumbling and roaring caused the ground to split from the base of the wall, levitating the
entire chain of clay brick in one clean swipe up into the air. The architectural grandeur had become a
tremendous dragon, fuelled with anger and thirsty for revenge for the ill-fated souls. The mighty dragon flung
its head back and let out a thunderous roar that rattled the night sky. Moments later, its body snaked up and
down in a wave-like motion and it ascended gracefully. Cutting through the blustery gales, it headed towards the
source of tragedy, grief and sorrow – the imperial palace of Qin.
Thud! Scrape! Twang! The dragon landed smoothly onto the exquisite roof of the palace. Its claws, as sharp
as knives, gripped the terracotta tiles. Gold, silver and bronze littered the land that boasted riches and power.
Attentively, it surveyed its surroundings with its fearsome and luminous blood-red eyes that sent chills down the
spine and caused one to lose their breath at a fleeting glance.
Meanwhile, inside the immense main hall, rich and harmonic tunes from bowed and wooden instruments
reverberated off the high decorative ceilings that dangled with gleaming chandeliers and glimmering crystals. A
savoury feast of ninety-nine dishes was also served. Its inviting aroma floated out towards the starved slaves,
causing their mouths to drip uncontrollably with saliva. Perched on the golden throne sat the ruddy-faced,
chubby Emperor. He was encrusted in jewels of every kind: shimmering sapphires, dazzling emeralds, clover-
shaped amethysts, glimmering rubies…. Grinning greedily, he rubbed his fleshy hands together, and smacked
his pink lips.
However, Emperor Qin’s smug grin was soon erased when the roof of the palace caved in, revealing the
colossal dragon towering above. In one swift swoop, the serpent-like head of the dragon was inches away from
the now pale-faced Emperor who gasped in utmost terror. The mythical beast was so close that the Emperor
could smell its sulphuric breath on his skin and felt its piercing eyes bear into him. Before the Emperor could
utter a single word, the revengeful dragon boomed, “You have greatly wronged your people!”
“
Wha-wha-wha-what? How dare you speak to me like that! I am royalty, you know?!” he spluttered in a
nervous but haughty wheeze. His entire body was so pressed back against his golden throne that his wobbling
chin sank into his neck.
“
You are a fool blinded by greed and power. The millions of lives you have ruthlessly claimed have come
back to haunt you. I represent the tortured souls that are trapped within the Great Wall!” the mighty dragon
thundered, swinging its head from side to side and breathing tremendous flames out of its nostrils.
As these momentous words were spoken, a stab of remorse and guilt shot through the Emperor’s cold heart.
It was an unfamiliar and unsettling feeling for him that he desperately desired to extinguish. The pained