“I often think back to when I first saw you.” Granny Zhǔ’s hairpin was the only thing keeping the breeze from running wild with her hair. “You were so small, so… fragile.” The distant slaps of a sparring match echoed in the background. “In fact, there was even a time I thought I might crush you.” Her laugh felt more like it should belong to a young maiden instead of the veteran warrior that sat on the edge of the cliff.

“Promise me you’ll stay safe.”

Mareus woke up to morning mist falling through his window. The rainy season should be here soon. He had long developed the habit of getting up an hour or so before the sunrise. After dressing, Mareus paused before tying up his hair. Should I cut it? It’s grown a lot since then. Pushing the thought aside he tied the hairpin into place, the simple flower prominent behind him.

“Off to the Elder’s Hall again this morning.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once Mareus was able to recollect himself the most ancient looking of the elders spoke up. “If you’re prepared, we’d like to discuss some things with you about Huā Gōngzhǔ. Things that concern your own past.”

“My past?” He asked.

“Are you sure now is a good time for this?” Elder Wei turned back to the withered man.

“We’ve already agreed that it’s best to speak with him about this.” Elder Guō was the oldest of all the elders by at least half a century and it showed. His eyes were sunken so far back that they were almost gone completely and his skin looked like it was replaced with a dark bark. Despite looking like a frail corpse that would fall over at any moment, this man always sent chills down Mareus’ back.

“That’s not what I mean, First Elder. Wouldn’t it be better when the child is more settled?”

Elder Guō turned to Mareus, his lifeless stare boring through him. “What do you think? Are you so immature that you couldn’t handle a conversation with this old man?”

“I…” He didn’t know what to say. His throat was already hoarse from his cries, but now there was a lump that felt like he was trying to swallow his own head. “I-I…” Mareus stammered.

Disappointed, the elder turned and made his way further into the hall.

“I want to know.”

Elder Guō stopped.

“I want to know!” He slammed his palms to the ground.

“Very well.” The elder didn’t turn around. “Follow me.”

They stepped into a side room that felt more like a closet than the elder’s office. Adding to the atmosphere were seemingly random decorations that were tossed here and there without an afterthought. Elder Guō removed a crate of scrolls from his chair and gestured for Mareus to find a seat.

“Please excuse the mess, I’ve been preoccupied with some matters and my record keeping has suffered thanks to it.”

“Is something wrong Elder?” Mareus pushed some random trinkets off a large pelt before uncomfortably sitting.

Elder Guō waved the question away. “Nothing that concerns you. Now tell me.” he took a sip of his cold tea before recoiling. “How long has this been here?” He muttered. “So, tell me, what has Lady Huā told you about your parents?”

“To answer the elder’s question, Granny Zhǔ rarely freely told me about them and I felt that it wasn’t my place to press her for answers.”

“You were never curious about your origins?”

Mareus took a moment to organize his thoughts. “It’s not that I was never curious. It’s just that… I was happy with my life.” Mareus shifted in place. “There were times I wondered what it would be like to have parents, of course, but Grandmother loved me and took good care of me. So I guess I had no need to know.”

“I see.”

Elder Guō silently brewed a new pot of tea and shuffled through the papers as he waited. Unsure of what to say, Mareus quietly waited with him.

The elder offered a cup to Mareus and took a sip of his own. “Huā Gōngzhǔ is not your grandmother by blood.”

A hollow clunk filled the room as his cup slid out of his hands.

“There was an incident that happened back when you were no more than a season old. You see…”

The elder’s voice faded into the background. Mareus only caught segments of the explanation here and there.

“...she led a team to investigate…the caravan was ravaged by a mad beast…you were barely breathing…Lady Huā insisted that in all ways except for blood you would be her grandson.”

The last line somewhat shook him out of his daze.

“Now that she is gone, you will need to decide on what you wish to do.” He paused as he finished his tea. “I see that you’ll need some time. Take a few days, think about what you want and who you want to become. Only when you have made a decision should you return here.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Mareus approached the steps of the Elder’s Hall he bowed to the Ancestor’s Shrine. He was once again reminded of the decision he made two years ago.

Regardless of blood, she was my grandmother and I want to live a life that would make her proud to call me her grandson.

Mareus reported to the hall secretary for the day's chores.

“Good morning, Secretary Huan.”

“Good morning to you as well, Elder’s Grandson.” Huan wasn’t necessarily a plain man, perhaps more flat. “You’re early again today.”

“I have time since I was never allowed to learn a cultivation technique.” He picked up a scroll. “And now I’m too old.” There was something else in his voice.

“Perhaps the Heaven’s will smile on you one day.” Huan’s tone remained flat.

“I appreciate your sympathy.” Mareus opened the scroll and read over his task for the day.

[Pick up a delivery from Elder Gin and deliver it to the Elder’s Hall store house by the end of the day.]

[Help harvest 10 Kg of Spirit grass.]

[Repair the leak in the bathhouse.]

“The chores today don’t look too bad. I suppose I’ll start with the bathhouse. Have a good day, Secretary Huan. I’ll see you at the end of the day.” Mareus shouted as he ran off.

Mareus had finally made it to the main street just past midday. He raced through the crowd towards Grandpa Gin’s Tavern. He waved at Ganju and Mai, their daughter giggling as he ran past.

Before he could reach the tavern the air changed. The sky violently shook and an unimaginable pressure crashed down on everything. The sound of wood cracking tore through the village as the buildings warped and buckled in under their own weight.

The same pressure forced Mareus to the muddy street chin first. The impact causing his mind to spin without the rest of his body. He couldn’t hold back his stomach as it emptied out in front of him.

Gaaack

Mareus collected his senses just enough to see the blurred twisting world before him. As his eyes darted around he could see that even the most seasoned warriors were being held down by the invisible hand.

His chest tightened to the point he feared that it might explode. A coppery taste flooding his mouth. Mareus felt so hot that the muck covering him was like snow.

Mareus’ vision throbbed in rhythm with his pounding heart as his ears were flooded with the sounds of his muscles tearing and bones creaking.

Only for it to be drowned out by the sudden screams across the village.

Children, adults, warriors, even some of the elders all cried out in pain and terror. As if their pleas could reach some omnipotent parent to save them from this unknown energy.

What’s happening? Did some idiot anger a powerful force? Mareus wondered through the pain. No, no one could be this powerful. At least no Mortal.

Mareus was paralyzed, by fear just as much as by the unknown force. Was that it? Had some mythical being come to demonstrate just how far above them they really were.

A thunder crashed through his body.

Grandpa Gin’s Tavern exploded outward in every direction. The shockwave tossing him like a doll into a stall down the street.

It could have been because of the pain, but he felt like the pressure had lessened. If only by the smallest degree. Laying there in a crumpled heap covered in his own vomit and blood he finally saw the source of the chaos.

A burning smile scarred across his face, one good eye piercing the sky, and crimson hair flowing around him like a war god's halo. Before Mareus stood a man best described as a walking inferno, one that didn't even notice the village beneath him.

None of the warriors he knew all his life could have even come close to holding a fire stick to his raging hellfire.

The man stepped into the air.

The force of his effortless motion transforming the once solid ground into a torrent of rocky waves in a single breath. One after another they beat against his small frame until he finally fell unconscious.