Chapter Text
As the revolution continued its ever vigilant cycle upon the earth, the sun once again peaked out over the mountains and valleys, signaling daybreak. Shafts of light illuminated many across the valley from the trees that cascaded blue tinted shade to the grass and dirt roads below, to the far off buildings to the west, marking their presence. Remnants of a fog had begun to fade, evaporating as the sun continued to stretch with first light. The land was alive with the chirping of birds, the breath of wind and a nearby river where water clashed with wet stone.
It was the picture of a paradise, a final resting place, a start of new beginnings or maybe something as simple as a napping spot. As under an older tree where abundant shade was caught, lay a man sharply dressed. His conical hat was placed over his face, to avoid the incoming sunlight. In his lap was a horribly hidden terracotta figure of a pig, its head held high in what could be mistaken as a smile.
He laid deceptively laxed against the tree, a muffled snore sounded behind the hat almost to a tune. There was a snap somewhere in the treelines above and a twig landed at one of his feet. No reaction.
A beat, like the world had suddenly gone silent, everything in the vicinity taking pause before a call to action rang. A figure lunged down from the tree to the man below; they think they’ve caught onto the sleeping individual before noticing the man has seemingly disappeared out of thin air.
No, that’s not the case. In an instant the figure whipped around to see the man, now standed up right and quite awake. In one hand he held the terracotta pig, whilst its twin covered his mouth to catch a yawn. Once more the figure lunged as they did multiple kicks and punches. But, the man is quicker, easily baking up in rhythm to the multiple blows that try to catch him. When the figure backs the man up against a tree, the other person thinks they finally have him.
Except the man merely pushed himself up in the air and onto a high branch, now having the high ground.
“Is that all you got, Chenfeng?” The man taunted, he held the pig aloft for easy viewing.
The other youth- Chenfeng- flicked errant strands of black hair away from his face. It was long, silky and well kept to this point, certainly a contrast to the bald of the man above him.
There was a rumbling, both men took note of it, even more so the man on the tree could feel it rustle violently then teetered to one side. He was quick to dash off, making sure his back wasn’t turned on Chenfeng or the second figure that joined them.
The man saw the chestnut tree he was on, now on the floor from a forced upheaval by the earth itself.
He tutted, “Guan, Guan, Guan, did you have to take down a perfectly good tree?”
Guan exited his fighting stance, he was built like a brick wall, taller than the other two and had his long black hair shorn to a point where a braid was the only thing keeping it.
Tilting his head to the side at the comment he resumed a stance and gathered energy from the world around him. Taking a deep cleansing breath, he closed his eyes and shouted, “Earth!”
Earth erupted from the ground underneath the tree, positioned it back up and sunk it in a little. This obviously didn’t help the tree much besides appearances.
“Not bad” The man drawled sarcastically. He threw the figure of the pig in the air a couple times, drawing both ire and curiosity from his opponents.
Chenfeng and Guan stood side by side, centering themselves against their opponent. While Guan hung back, Chenfeng sprang forth with his leg high in the air. The man threw the pig in the air before grabbing Chenfeng’s leg and hurling him to the side, all with a smile. Guan seized the opportunity to jump up and grab the terracotta figurine.
He almost would have made it too, if it wasn’t for the other man’s quicker speed, jumping after and slamming the pig to the ground. The impact against the ground made the terracotta split itself apart, breaking into big chunks.
The other two men gasped in horror at the situation, Chenfeng stopping in his tracks as Guan and their opponent touched the earth.
“What a grave error in judgment you have made.” remarked Chenfeng.
One of the man’s thin and perfect eyebrows raised at Chenfeng, barely looking at him with any interest, “You think?”
“You’ve destroyed the terracotta pig,” Guan took his turn to speak to state the obvious. “Now no one is capable of winning this challenge. How could we win such a contest?”
“You couldn’t” The man replied simply, dusting the non-existent dust off his gray jacket.
“What?”
“Your guys’ goal was to win,” Dashi explained. “While mine was simply, not to lose. That’s victory enough for me.”
Chenfeng and Guan looked at each other for a moment and then back at their sometimes peer and sometimes teacher, Dashi. It took a moment before Guan rested a hand on his chin and chuffed out a laugh.
“Ah, I see now, an interesting lesson you have placed upon us, well done” Guan congratulated.
Meanwhile, Chenfeng still had a look of confusion, looking over at the scattered pieces of pig on the ground, completely indistinguishable from what it once was. He supposed he could put it back together, but it might’ve been more effort than the pig would ever be worth.
“Still, It seems such a waste.” Chenfeng said softly.
“It would certainly be the case with such a limited view point, I thought all that traveling would have loosened you up, but guess I was wrong.” Dashi said jokingly.
Chenfeng paused to look at the bald monk in scrutiny, any comment died on his lips. Instead, his almost gold eyes peered beyond to the west, seeing what looked to be the outline of a temple.
“Are we close?” Chenfeng inquired.
Dashi took a moment to follow Chenfeng’s eye-line to the path ahead. The morning light that poured in created a haze from the leftover fog in the area. It was unmistakable to him, playing over and over in his head like remnants from a dream.
“You know patience is a bitter plant, but its fruit is sweet” Was all Dashi could reply and it was all he could do to not laugh at Chenfeng’s face when he said it.
Guan came over to clap a hand on the shorter and thinner man’s shoulder, nodding at the road ahead. He looked determined, “With the sun at our backs, when we reach the gate it shall be facing us.”
The face that overtook Chenfeng’s features was one of wonder, eyes glittering like gold under clear water. Mouth slightly parted, but instead of commenting, he merely nodded at his companion before looking on with equal determination. Dashi went to join them, squeezing in between them, ruining the moment as he slipped through.
“Alright then, let’s quit yakkin and start wakkin… Or walking, whatever. Point is, let’s go already” Dashi said.
Guan had been correct, by the time they crested the beginning of the mountains, they saw the Xiaolin temple clearly as the sun was beginning to set. The sky was painted in coral pinks and oranges and blooming blues and the sunlight that touched the trios backs illuminated heavenly light onto the temple.
It wouldn’t be long before the last light faded and the dying sun fell to give way to the quiet calm of night. Ahead of them, there was a rumbling sound as pyres ahead of them lit themselves; enough to act as a pseudo lighthouse to weary travelers no doubt.
It was taken in with reverence. The many buildings of whites, blues, reds and golds was nothing like either had ever seen. Compared to the more run down villages and farms they passed on the way, the temple held much more power from looks alone.
Guan looked on at the Xiaolin temple. Chenfeng was looking at Guan.
“Amazing.” Guan said, taking in the shine of the blue pagoda roofs that dotted the expanse of the temple. He wondered what the inside would look like if the exterior looked so majestic.
“Indeed.” Chenfeng commented.
Looking at it almost seemed unreal, as if the temple was nothing more than a painter's magnum opus; it certainly helped that Guan looked at it as if he was in an art museum, unable to touch or interact with the surrounding environment.
After this notable pause, Guan addressed a noticeably silent Dashi.
“This is beyond my expectations, Dashi.” Guan said in awe. “Dashi?”
His attention shifted to their guide, who instead was looking off into bushes not touched by fire light. Dashi’s usual lax demeanor was held with subtle tension, eyes narrowing as if in deep thought.
Chenfeng and Guan certainly hadn’t heard it, but there was a faint shuffling noise that came from off the path. Too heavy and clumsy to be that of an animal.
This caught Chenfeng’s attention too. Immediately following to the new object of their attention. He said below his breath, “What is it?”
“Dunno,” Dashi replied simply. Then, he approached without much fuss at all, drawing confusion from the other two. Still, they followed behind, taking stances of hunting dogs that had just heard a noise from a prey animal.
Chenfeng was able to see what Dashi was looking at before Guan did. There was a sort of protrusion in the leaves that made it difficult to see in the fading light. It was noticeably darker than even the deep viridian of the leaves and when he finally figured it out, he blinked in confusion at the sight of it.
“A shoe?” Chenfeng said in a whisper.
Guan cocked his head towards him, not quite hearing him and Dashi didn’t bother to look back at him at all. Indeed, someone's black shoe was stuck on the top of the bush, but its angle was awkward; like it had been flown in the air with frustrated haste.
Dashi didn’t hesitate to pull it out, it was a shoe like none of them had ever seen. It looked like some sort of military boot that was cut off at the knee; brass plating was decorating the exterior, likely for protection of some sort. Inlaid in the brass was a red gem or button of some kind. Turning it to the bottom revealed these odd holes; the whole shoe smelling like oil or a lighting fluid of some kind. On a hunch, Dashi pressed a finger to the red gem and the bottom sparked flames.
Gasping, Guan and Chenfeng took a step back, the flame gone as soon as Dashi pressed the button again. Still curious, Dashi kept turning the shoe, dissecting it with all his senses, until a noise snapped him back into reality.
All three men heard a groan in the distance, further off the path and into the darkness as night fell quickly. Acting on impulse, Chenfeng rushed forward, missing the grasp of Guan’s hand and passed Dashi who put the shoe in his bag. There was hushed contention, but it fell upon death ears as Chenfeng ventured farther. Not too much farther, as his 8th step landed on something that wasn’t the solid earth.
Gold eyes forcibly adjusted to the dim light, leaning over to the figure for further investigation. The person looked to be male, a young adult like he was, taller than him, dressed in these strange black garments. He took note that one shoe was missing, its twin still attached to its owner it seemed. Trailing from the feet to the head, Chenfeng’s jaw dropped at the man’s rather strange appearance.
The man was pale, deathly pale, as white as snow, whilst his hair was a burning red. He was like a picture of a demon or a ghost or some kind of ill omen coming to bring pain and misery across the land. Yet as Chenfeng subconsciously brought his face closer to the other man, he was surprised how beautifly youthful he was despite looking death touched. Intense black lines were painted underneath his eyes, the right marked with a hook design. He brought his hand up, gentle as it could be, to the pale man’s cheek, rubbing at the marking with his thumb. Delicate enough not to wake, the young man was surprised to see the markings begin to rub off.
“Chenfeng?”
He gasped, taking his hand off the other man as if it burned him. Looking back, he saw Guan and Dashi looking at him, still a couple feet away.
“Chenfeng?” Guan called again in a low voice. “What is it?”
Chenfeng looked at the pale man, then back at his traveling companions, then back at the pale man. He wasn’t sure where to look, “This person, I think… I believe they are in some kind of danger. Perhaps they collapsed on their way to the temple.”
“Did you check?” Dashi asked, he could hear the suspicion in his voice, though he didn’t know what it was directed at; the pale man’s condition or Chenfeng’s actions.
He looked back at Dashi, “Check?”
Dashi joined him, crouching on the other side of the still unconscious man. Bringing two fingers to the side of his neck, he felt a definite heart beat and anyone looking at his chest could see he was still breathing.
“Yup,” Dashi nodded solemnly. “He’s screwed.”
“We should transport him to the temple then,” Guan offered, approaching closer. “It would not do him well to stay out here for a night.”
Guan didn’t wait for permission or arguments as he effortlessly scooped the man into his arms. Chenfeng opened his mouth as if to strike an argument, something starting with the fact that despite his vulnerable state, his looks could mean he’s quite dangerous. But, as Guan and Dashi walked back on the trail, a new sleeping adventuring party member in tow, all he could do was follow along.
The temple gates had two guardian monks stationed, playing the role of the lion figures that so often offered protection. They exchanged a brief back and forth with Dashi before they were all let in.
Dashi led them into the central entryway, dramatically grasping onto the handles of the door and swinging them open. The interior was a long entryway, lined with columns and simple designs; despite its exterior brilliance, the inside buildings were quite modest. Guan and Chenfeng weren't sure what they were expecting, but it sure wasn’t Dashi bouncing around shouting.
“Guess who’s back!” Dashi gleefully shouted. “I brought gifts in the form of people, non refundable!”
A state of incredulity washed over the two as they watched Dashi dance around the room, banging on every door, looking out every window, checking under every surface and even banging a gong. As if the monks were hiding for some kind of surprise party, but the central room just held the four of them.
From the opposite end of the entry, a door swung open and an older man, brown skin, bald head, long salt and pepper beard, stepped in. His almond brown eyes darted in scrutiny at Dashi.
“Oh!” Dashi stood to attention. He suddenly shifted into a bow for the man, the other two following suit. “Master Seng”
“Dashi,” saying his name like a curse.
Dashi nodded his head to his companions, still making eye contact with his master, “I brought these guys along”
“So, I can see,” Master Seng grumbled. His eyes slowly shifted from one body to another, eyes as sharp as a hawk. Sizing them up and down, making even the tallest Guan feel small. He said nothing else, the blank space in it of itself seemed to be a question as his eyes lingered on Guan, or rather who Guan was holding.
“Master Seng,” Guan started, ducking his head, “It is an honor being in your presence and at the Xiaolin temple. I am Guan and this is my friend Chenfeng.”
Chenfeng lowered his head and nodded.
Guan continued, “While on our way here, we had come across this man in need of medical attention. We could not have very well left someone out like this, please, help this man.”
Master Seng took a moment, now sizing up the strangle looking sleeping man, enough silence where the others thought he wouldn’t accept this. Instead, he nodded, “Come with me, let’s set him down.”
They brought him into a smaller room, lined with medical supplies that included cloth and medicinal herbs. Guan took care to lay the man gently onto the elevated table that served as a mat. Giving the sleeping youth a once over, it didn’t seem like he had any external injuries, which only brought up the question of why he was passed out and missing a shoe.
Master Seng continued looking him over for a bit, but didn’t physically prod around too much. After a couple moments, he brought his hands up in the air, two fingers extended in each hand, and began to trace the air.
The cool night air billowed the curtain blocking the circular window, Dashi getting an upbreeze from it. While Master Seng was next to the body, Guan stood right behind him, towering the Master. Leaving Chenfeng by the door, leaning his head this way and that for a better look. He saw the Master trail his fingers up and down the prone figure, never making physical contact, only waving the air around him.
Whatever was being done, seemed to have worked as the figure began stirring, making unintelligible noises before groggily opening his eyes. Chenfeng’s gold eyes widened as the man’s eyes, blood red, was the first thing he locked onto. The two stared at each other for a moment before Dashi spoke up.
“Hey”
The man swerved his head to look at Dashi, eyes squinting in confusion. He let out a haggard mix of a groan and a yawn.
“How ya feelin?” Dashi inquired.
“You look like a lemon head” The stranger responded, his voice was deep and raspy, like he spent most of the time yelling.
“You look like hell”
“Dashi!” Guan said.
“What?”
“What happened to you?” Master Seng broke off the inane banter before it could even start. All eyes were focused back on the stranger, who now seemed more uncomfortable the more awake he got.
“Huh?” He asked. A pale hand rolled through his short red mane of hair, they almost looked like flames against the candlelight.
“Who is your Master?” Master Seng continued.
“My Master…”
“Do you know where you are?”
The stranger paused, eyes darting all about, wide and on the verge of panicking. White boney fingers thrummed at the man below him in a sort of nervous tick. He let out a staggered sigh, “Uh, this is a temple?”
Master Seng nodded.
The stranger could barely keep his gaze with anyone, ping ponging his eyes around the room to look at anything else.
He ran a hand through his hair again, “To answer your other questions, no, I mean I have no idea what you’re talking about. The last thing I remember is… The last thing I remember is…”
That caught everyone’s interest.
“What is the last thing?” Chengfeng asked.
The pale youth looked down at his hands for a couple seconds before looking back at all four sets of eyes on him, “Uh, Nothing.”
All of a sudden, the stranger stood to attention, although his legs still wobbled, stumbling towards the door like a newborn deer. His red eyes were just as wild as his breath came faster and faster. It was Guan that caught him, the man looking twice as gaunt and sickly against those chiseled features.
“Calm yourself, you’re in good company, I can assure you of this” Guan’s voice was smooth, like stone, calming as the brook they woke up next to that morning.
Dashi and Master Seng both looked at the stranger in Guan’s arms with tactile precision, bodies were tense but to the untrained eye weren’t prepared for combat. Chenfeng noted the two stances and mirrored it himself, in truth looks could be deceiving and there was no telling what this youth was capable of.
“Don’t suppose you can recall anyone that we can get in contact with?” Dashi asked. “Or a name you go by?”
The stranger winced as if it hurt to think, the only thing keeping him up at this point was Guan. He let out a stuttering sigh before giving Dashi a pained look, “No… This place looks familiar, but I can’t… I can’t place the who, what, when, where, why and hows of everything. I don’t remember anything before waking up.”
Chenfeng was about to say something, but Guan beat him to it, looking at Master Seng, “Master, permit me to impose on this stranger for him. Let him stay until he regains his senses, he was so close to the temple, this cannot be by mere chance, it must be fate of some kind.”
“Perhaps by omen instead,” Chenfeng remarked grimly. All eyes looked to him for a moment, the stranger shivering in Guan’s grip.
“Yeah, the way he almost bashed his head against the floor is really threatening.” Dashi said sarcastically. The stranger loomed his gaze over to the bald monk, noting that his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Chenfeng responded with an irritated glare, causing Dashi to raise his hands in surrender, all with a lax energy.
“I’m just saying, he was by the entrance. The guy must have wanted to come here for something. It’s the only thing around for miles.” Dashi argued.
Master Seng reached a bony hand to stroke at his long beard, briefly tugging on it. The look he gave to the stranger was inscrutable, thick brows and half lidded eyes spoiled no emotion or intention.
“To comment about omens and fate: they often go hand in hand, young Chenfeng,” Master Seng finally said. He stepped closer to the stranger, eyes searching. “Do you feel a pull to this place young man?”
The stranger seemed to hate such an intense and authoritarian look on him, slightly writhing in Guan’s gentle hold.
“I mean, It feels familiar… But it’s not like I’ve seen anywhere else at the moment.” His red eyes flicked to the outside, taking note of the darkness and clearly not caring for it. Red eyes unnatural and scared.
Master Seng considered this, nodding.
“This is the Xiaolin temple, home of the monks of eternal balance and keepers of the divinely made objects. Does it strike you as odd that you landed in such a place merely by coincidence?”
“Wow, that sounds official.” He was trying to focus on anything but his current confusion, but it couldn’t be helped. The pale youth had no idea who or where he was, subject to prodding my strangers.
“It’s okay.” Dashi shrugged. Chenfeng looked over to give him a curious look.
“You may stay.” Master Seng said and all the boys in the room looked at him like he said something ridiculous.
His eyes looked far away for a moment as if a thought had occurred to him before landing his gaze on the stranger once more. The youth’s red eyes and overall strange appearance might have led to unease, but the elder man’s look of scrutiny was bone chilling.
“If you do, it will be as the monks around you.”
The stranger gulped.
Master Seng continued, “There’s something inside you, young one, you have my hospitality to live amongst us if you can abide by these rules. Rather, you’d risk a night out in the forest alone?”
Guan helped the stranger stand a little taller, lightly placing an arm around his hips to stand him upright. The other man seemed to be marginally uncomfortable with the position as he repeatedly squirmed around, face growing hot. Chenfeng’s look turned to more thorny intent as a blush painted the pale man’s face.
“Okay, okay, enough about the dark,” The young man begged. “Not like I have anywhere else to go, so I guess I can crash here for now.”
“Crash?” Chenfeng asked under his breath.
Dashi uncrossed his arms and walked up to the youth, “And what do we say?”
The stranger looked at him, almost incredulity before forcing out, “Uh, please and thank you?”
He stuck his hand into the vibrant flame-like hair and gave it a good ruffle; resulting in the stranger almost losing footing again and Guan having to put another arm around him in support.
“Good boy, good.” Dashi praised like he was talking to a dog. Then something occurred to him, “I guess you’ll need a name to go by too.”
“Er, right it’s…” He trailed off once he realized that-again- he didn’t remember.
The stranger looked to his feet, one shoe and all in thought, trying to catch a memory that was close and yet still couldn’t fully arrive.
He stumbled out, “I-I don’t know, something cool, ya know? I’m trying to think.”
“First time is always hard.” Dashi said. Before the stranger could retort, Dashi snapped his fingers, “I got it! We’ll call you Jian, because you look like a spirit or a ghost of a ghost.”
“A ghost of a ghost?” The pale youth was incredulous.
“Well, if this matter is settled now,” Chenfeng interrupted with slight irritation. It was gone by the time he faced the Master of the temple. “Might we be taken to our rooms to recuperate for the night, Master Seng?”
Master Seng nodded, “Easily done, we have spare food to give. I suggest you settle in early, I needn't say it, but you will need all the energy you can get for tomorrow.”
Chenfeng was quick to exit the room not before giving the stranger- Jian- a glare, Dashi followed after, giving their new companion another ruffle on his hair. The other youth grumbled in irritation. Guan still held back though, a hand reached out.
“Do you require assistance?” Guan looked genuine.
“I’m fine” The pale youth-Jian- said before almost tripping if not caught by Guan.
The taller monk slung Jian’s arms over his shoulder and a hand around the thin frame of the pale youth and slowly walked out to join the other two.
“No need to be stubborn.”
The four men were taken to another room in the temple, it was small but the lack of any furniture made up for it. The only thing of note in the rooms were the sleeping mats, decorative scrolls and vases up against the walls. They were detailed incredible patterns of plants and landscapes that seemed to be taken from the area around the temple. Though it was hard to see with the dim light of the candle.
Dashi immediately dove into the mat, hands stretched over his head, looking up at the ceiling with a smile. Guan gently laid down to the mat beside him, the mat being a couple inches shorter than him, but he wouldn’t complain. Chenfeng went to lay down next for him if it wasn’t for Jian taking his spot last minute.
“Is it safe to let him sleep with us?” Chenfeng asked, looking between Guan and Dashi for answers.
Guan was about to say something, before Dashi beat him to it, “What you want him to sleep in our dungeons? Come to think of it, we don’t have those… Oooh, how about we set him up in the dog house?”
“Uh, I can hear you,” Jian looked frightened.
“I know, just foolin around. Look, if you’re training so far means anything, Chenfeng, you should be able to suss out a threat before it even hits you.” Dashi said, hands making elaborate gestures as he talked.
The youth once again looked at the other paler youth with a barbed look of scrutiny, something that made Jian shrink into his mat.
“Why don’t you and I switch mats, Jian, that way we can make Chen more comfortable?” Guan offered. He sat up, but stopped when Chenfeng raised up a gentle palm to halt him. The golden eyed youth kept his eyes on Jian.
“No, there is no need, I can sleep just fine with our current arrangements.” Chenfeng said.
Chenfeng laid down, black hair coiling around like whisps of obsidian after a volcano erupts. His eyes never left Jian, forcing the other youth to roll over to face Guan instead. Even so, he still felt a piercing gaze.
Jian closed his eyes and buried his face in his pillow. Chenfeng looked over to Dashi and Guan, who also already closed their eyes for slumber, unable to see his distress.
Gold eyes loomed over Jian, a lot of emotions bubbled to the surface, he didn’t want to call it something as trivial as anger. He was afraid if he named it something like jealousy or contempt, it would rule over him. It wasn’t any of those things, because Chenfeng didn’t want to think of himself as such a person.
In the end he settled on suspicion. It was too easy for them to have found Jian near the temple, unconscious. It was too easy for Jian to not remember anything and it was too easy for Master Seng to not interrogate further.
So, Chenfeng vowed to do it instead; if this strange man wasn’t scared off by tomorrow’s training then he would get to the bottom of his true purpose and intentions. Unveiling it for not only his Master, but his compatriots as well; to defend them against a possibly malevolent force. This was his vow.