The Cave system

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One year had passed, Jin was now eight years old, his body had devoloped more towards the atlethic build then a warrior packed with muscles. Jin was a mix between a mage and warrior. This also suited Jins martial art, where flexibility and fluidity was a must. His hair now reached a little below his shoulders, his facial feautures was more defined and you could see how his face would develop in the future, more beautiful than handsome. His green eyes looked clearer and his white skin purer.

While Jin was training in both his magic and martial art, his swordsmanship had taken the same route as his hand to hand combat, and melded perfectly to a faster more fluid technique. He had tried the piercing sky technique he stole from grandpa Yi, but did not have the strength to preform any of it.

His magic had improved to the peak of first rank, and he would soon begin with the basic of second rank. He could now make the earth spikes reach out fifty meters with his black wind, and three almost four meters without it. His wind blades could now reach halfway through a tree tick enough for tree grown men to link arms around. Jins speed in conjuring air also improved, and it would not take more then a second from conjuring the air untill the wind struck through its intented target.

Jin was eating breakfast with his mother and grandpa Yi, they where talking about his progress, and how much he had changed since two years ago.

Jin brought up his father, he had felt his father and himself grow further and further apart. He hoped his progress in his body and the imperial styles would change things between them, and get closer. He knew that being a mage was looked down upon by warriors, but his father would be different right, he was after all his father.

Both his mother and grandpa Yi suggested that he talked with his father at the imperial training ground, then bring him somewhere nobody would disturb them, and show him his magic, that should be impossible for anyone younger then eleven years old.

Jin agreed and was about to leave when his mother stopped him. “We need to talk“ Jun said.

Jin looked at his mother and said. “Okay, what about? “

His mother explained that it was time for Jin to get engaged. “Your grandpa Yi and I have been talking about this for a while, and even if no family of high nobilty will betroth their daughter to you, because you are a mage. I and your grandpa Yi have found you a match. “ Jun said very happily with a big smile on her face.

Grandpa Yi was laughing while he said. “Jin, one of my oldest friends have a granddaughter your age. Their house as fallen on some bad times, and lost alot of their assets, but they were once high nobility before their fall.“

Jin had no choice in this matter and could only let his mother and grandpa Yi go through with their plans.

“Okay grandpa Yi, mom. I will do what you think is best. “ Jin answered while nodding his head.

On his way to the imperial training ground Jin was walking in a daze while thinking to himself.

I understand the need for these kind of arrangements, and I even understand why mom and grandpa Yi wans this for me. I know this is normal in the sun empire, even in the sky continent. The problem with this is I died when i was twentyone and im now eight by right this should make me twentynine years of age even this is a great age to get engaged or betrothed but not to a eight year old girl it just fell wrong.

Jin did not notice that while he was thinking about what his mother and grandpa Yi said he had already arrived at his destination in front of the imperial training ground.

He was shaken out of his daze by laughter, the happy laughter of his father and Jin looked in the direction the laughter was coming from. Jin saw his father on one knee hugging the second prince saying “You finally mastered all the stances of the imperial spear and it only took you a year your even faster then your older brother.“

It took him a whole year to master the imperial spear, and his brother took even longer, what a pair of useless idiotic brothers. Jin thought to himself when he suddenly froze, and almost all life got sucked out of him. His fathers words stabed Jin right through the heart.

“Why did I get burdened with a son like him, why couldnt my wife give birth to you instead. “

It was said under Yi chus breath, but Jin heard every word. Jin fell to his knees and the sound of Jins knees hitting the ground made his father turn around.

When Yi Chu turned around, he saw his eight year old child Jin on his knees, his face pale, his body shaking, and tears streaming down his face.

Yi Chu tried speaking but all he could say before Jin stod up turned around and ran was his name. “Jin“.

Three hours later Jin was still runing, Jin did not know how long he had been runing for, but after the shock of hearing his fathers thoughts he just kept runing. While Jin was runing he heard the sounds of a battle.

Curious he walked towards the shouting, screaming and klinging of blades. When Jin got closer he saw many small and big rocks behind the merchant caravan being attacked by bandits.

Jin decided to go around and hide between the rocks to get a better look a the battle.

When he sat down in hiding behind the rocks, the fight was almost over and the remaining survivors scattered around everywhere.

One merchant ran directly towards Jin, he was riddled with arrows before he rached cover from the rocks Jin was hiding between and fell over dead. One arrow missed its intended target and flew straight into Jins shoulder and Jin screamed from the pain.

The scream startled the other bandits because they knew they had killed everyone from the caravan. When they saw Jin they started laughing and singing.

One of the bandits said “He is a noble lets capture him and ransom him back to his family. “ All the other bandits screamed in unison. “Yeah ransom him back, lets get him. “

Every bandit was screaming while chasing Jin. Jin had already started runing in the opposite direction.

Jin stupidly pulled out the arrow from his shoulder, but that only made it worse, he knew he was supposed to leave it in but he panicked.

Jin had never been in a situation like this before, and he was feeling weaker and weaker every minut that passed as he was loosing more and more blood.

His eyes became cloudy and he could not see a meter in front of himself, but countinued running when he stumbled on som rocks and fell down a cliff.

Luckily he landed on a big rock sticking out from the cliff wall, Jin was crawling to the cliff wall doing his best to hide from the chasing bandits on top of the cliff looking down.

A opening in the cliff wall appeared or had always been there, Jin could not tell from the blood loss and cloudy vision. At this point Jin did not care and crawled in the cave. When inside he noticed it was a slide made of smooth rock and already slipped down.

Jin did not know how long the ride down was, but when he hit the bottom he was calm, he was safe. He used some earth magic to plugg his wound and stop the bleeding, he took out some liquid and medicine from his spatial ring and circulated some essence through his body.

The liquid, medicine and elemental essence replinshed most of the blood he had lost and the medicine was slowly healing his wound. He looked around to discover he was inside a big cave system.