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Looking down at the wolf he had subdued, Ox sighed faintly. The creature whimpered pitiably, its jaws obviously causing him some pain. Placing one huge hand below its head and supporting it, he wrapped a large arm around the beasts body, feeling the bones pressed against the skin, where the lack of food had stripped any fat from them. Standing slowly, he cradled the huge wolf like a puppy, looking down into its fearful, panicked eyes, obviously feeling sorry for the beast, as if he had forgotten the fangs piercing his leg barely twenty seconds ago. Watching as the rest of the swordsmen finished their targets, he turned his head to his master, awaiting instruction on what to do with the subdued wolf.

Thick, bright streaks of blood criss-crossed the flat stone ground, the grass, and Yin. He disagreed with the use of blades against these creatures, but said nothing, as Heaven's Fall lay in the sheath. Ox was the only one of the swordsmen able to wield the huge blade with any kind of control. Whenever he drew pride in this, he always remembered the times he had attempted to use daggers, short swords, or ever a katana. It was like wielding a toothpick for him. The sword couldn't be used by anyone but him, and he couldn't use anything but that sword. He looked across at the blades drawn by each of his companions, each one fitting them perfectly, and each one they had been chosen for by Master Wu.

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RpG Arena. The are no great fighters. Only great writers.

As the last of the wolves fell, Master Wu neither smiled nor nodded with approval. His eyes fell to the newcomer that came to assist his other five students in protecting the man. He merely pursed his lips and turned back. He had a bad feeling about what was going to enfold but kept the words to himself... for now.

"Bring those two home. And newcomer, we have much to talk about later," Master Wu said, with "newcomer" referring to Lao. Without saying another word, Star Hammer Wu walked away into the snow. Towards home.
The man on the snow noticed everything yet could not move even a finger. His laboured breathing made his form rose and fell. His own vision has been covered with a cloud of darkness and half light. Yet his lips still moved and they uttered a phrase over and over:

"Midnight... coming... help..."
On the high slopes of Celestial Mountain, there was a cave which was completely sealed in. In fact, it was well barricaded by layers of wood and stone that the snow covered it until it was seamlessly part of the slope. Indeed, no one would ever knew that their foot had touched the mouth of the cave had they scaled it.

Inside, a man sat cross legged in front of a flickering lamp. His eyes were closed and his long silvery hair flowed gently off his shoulders from the wind. The tunnels within the cave brought the wind from the outside and still embraced the chamber in its coldness, yet the man showed nor took any discomfort from it.

With his eyes closed, his other senses were enhanced. His ears in particular, caught the faint sound of wolves in the distance. Though that in itself is not spectacular, the sound of sliding steel was what caught his attention the most. He opened them slowly and the ever present eyes of murder and blood lust were visible once again after a month of absence.

He picked up the sword that lay beside him and stood up to his full height. Turning around sharply, he held the sheath firmly in his left hand while his right hovered above the hilt, upturned so that the palm was facing up, like he was offering a gift. He barely flinched as his hand turned down and gripped the hilt, pulling the sword out of its sheath in a sharp and high pitched sound.

The barricade crumbled from the clean cut in the middle and fell away like the crashing waters of a waterfall. Sleeping Wing Fu wasted no time and sheathed his sword swiftly, making the same sound as when he had drawn New Moon. He jumped off the opening and planted his feet firmly down on the snowy slope, skiing down the smooth snow like a water crescent on a lake, except downwards.

He had the feeling that something was about to happen back home.

They stood surrounded by the fallen bodies of their foes, proud as if the wild beasts had actually been some sort of a challenge. Wei Mao pushed a wolf off the path with the toe of his sandal, into the underbrush of the forest where it would become food for the other creatures of the wild. For a moment a frown marred that beautiful androgynous face. A waste. He was supposed to be learning miracles and here he was sparring with puppies. Glancing down at the sprawled man on the path, the man they had been tasked to rescue, he looked up to Ox. Built like the creature he had been so aptly named for, it was individuals like that who were made to haul baggage like a peasant. He could carry the traveler. Wei Mao had no patience for those that could not fend for themselves. His next look focused on the last unfamiliar martial artist, a newcomer to these mountains.

“Come.”

With the lightest pressure of footpads against the rocky ground, Wei Mao was in the air once more, swiftly threading his way through the dense growth of Celestial Mountain’s ancient forest. His lightness kungfu left only the slightest indication of passage – the faintest scratch of moss here, a puff of dust from the soil there. The mountains harsh environs were enough to daunt the most disciplined of Imperial soldiers, but he navigated it with ease, moss green tunic flashing through the shadows. Wei Mao did not look back to see if the other students accompanied him. He could sense their presence in the frigid air by the power of the qi alone.

The fog hung low and heavy over the peak of the mountain as if it penetrated up into the very heavens themselves. In his experience, however, the name was a misnomer. There were no hidden gods here, nothing celestial. Only the last safe haven of martial arts in an increasingly restricted world. The complex on the peak was built into the rocks themselves, a rough hewn octagon that might have been carved out by the blowing of the winds or the labor of men. Wei Mao had never asked and their master had never volunteered.

It was necessary to drop to the ground to enter the complex. The patterns were ever shifting and a casual entrant could find themselves wandering for hours without moving from the same eight foot radius. Only one who knew the base algorithm could navigate the maze to the dwelling concealed inside. Wei Mao had spent his first week there doing nothing but that until he could recognize the sacred eight symbols anywhere and knew how to follow their path to the true center.

The heart of the maze opened into a large courtyard with open grounds for training and a meditation garden in the corner. Water trickled from somewhere down a series of tilting pipes, replenishing the reflecting pool in the center of the garden. Despite the continuous flow of water, the pool’s surface always remained calm and undisturbed. It is said one can see great and fearful things in its depths. Wei Mao had only ever seen his own reflection.

The living quarters themselves were minimalist and sparsely furnished, bare constructs of bamboo and thatch. The walls did little to keep out the constant chill of the fog cover, but resistance to cold was a well-learned lesson. Wei Mao stopped before the main steps of the central building and awaited his master.

Master Star Hammer Wu was sitting in front of the collapsed man, now covered in a thick yak hide blanket and a bowl of hot steaming broth beside him. The man had stopped shivering no longer than a minute ago and could finally open his eyes. He was an old man in his 60's, with his face as wrinkled as Master Wu's own but his eyes were sharp and alert, though still very weak. They were all in the middle of the circular training hall, students and master, with the man in the middle. Senior student was still absent.

The old visitor tried to sit up but was halted by Master Wu's staff, pressing gently on his chest.

"You're not strong enough to stand up yet. Rest. Now, tell us why you're here," Master Wu's voice was slow and somber yet could be clearly heard within the hall. The old man lying down blinked his eyes rapidly a few times before looking at Master Wu.

"Forgive me... my friend... for... breaking our promise. I've... been searching for you... for help...," the man's voice was soft and raspy but it was still clearly understood.

"Talk," that was all Master Wu said before the audience was granted with a story from the visitor, who proceeded to recount in a slow and raspy voice.


The village of Goat's Foot was a small and isolated one that relied on the harvest of mountain rice for survival. Steppes of paddy patches surround the village that was built on the slopes of a small hill, which formed a secluded small canyon of a sort. The location of the village was strategic and formed a natural defense against bandits somewhat.

Yet position alone did not ensure the village's safety, its inhabitants also practice a simple form of martial arts to protect themselves. Their martial weaponry was not impressive, but adequate in repelling bandit raids from time to time. Yet they only practice martial arts sparingly and concentrated more on the harvest.

Li Fah was counting the sacks of rice for the annual Imperial tithe on the eve of collection day. Even a small village like theirs were not spared from the Imperial "protection tax". Yet even when they pay them regularly, their aid only came once in a period of 5 years of constant attacks. But in order not to arouse suspicions, they keep paying the tithe to spare their village from destruction. Li Fah's fingers gently held the brush in his hand and calmly scribed the amount of sacks.

His book keeping was interrupted by the sound of the alarm from the rickety watch towers.

"BANDITS! BANDITS!"

The rush of people fetching their weapons and keeping their daughters and sons safely in their huts were all over. Li Fah sighed and put down his brush, blowing on the ink so that it could dry fast and rolled up the parchment, putting it in his sleeve. Though he was fast approaching 60 summers, it was no reason for him to not be part of the village defense. He bent down and pried open a loose floor board, fetching his saber.

He ran towards the gates where Fire Tail Tao, the village headman, was giving orders.

"Ah! Li Fah! Just in time! We need you right here on the front battlements," Fire Tail waved while beckoning him to his side.

"One day I will join the other old people by hiding in the huts. I'm simply getting too old for this," Li Fah replied with a small smile as he fastened the ropes attached to his saber sheath onto his back.

"But you're the one who taught us, we need your skill right here to inspire us!"

"They need only you, Fire Tail. You're younger, and gain the trust of everyone. You would do," Li Fah patted the younger man's back (around 40) while climbing the wooden steps up to the battlements.

~~~~~~

The front gates were still intact, yet there were dead men on the battlements and on the ground before the wooden walls below. Arrows and bolt of all shapes and sizes filled the wooden walls as well as bodies. The village suffered minor casualties and the bandits turned tail and ran before they were fully decimated.

"Another fine victory! And luckily not during collecting day tomorrow!" Fire Tail Tao said while handing Li Fah a bowl of wine, fetched from the urn at their feet. Both of them were sitting on the bodies of their enemies.

"Indeed. It would be hard for us to explain this mess to the Imperial Army. They would sooner kill first rather than ask questions," Li Fah was about to put the bowl to his lips when the fluttering banner of the Imperial flag was seen rising up from the horizon. "...they're here early..."

A lone Imperial scout broke off from the group and sped towards the village by horse, but did not go closer when he saw the fallen dead bodies that littered the front gate and the battlements. The fact that the men still had their weapons in hand did not help the situation any further.

Fire Tail Tao cursed under his lips pinched the bridge of his nose. He was swearing non stop as the scout returned to his regime and the entire dark silhouette retreated off the horizon.

"Dammit Li Fah! They weren't supposed to come here this early! We can't possibly defeat them when they come back!"

The former village chief patted the shoulder of the current one before looking back past the battlements, making a sombre expression.

"They usually attack in full force. It'll take them time to amass an army to attack us. We still have time," Li Fah said coldly as he raised the bowl to his lips and finally took a drink. He finally picked himself up and stood in front of Fire Tail. "Prepare the defenses. We're trapped in this valley, it'd be hard to escape them. They would most probably set up road blocks by the time we organize as evacuation."

"We can't evacuate in the first place! This is our land!"

"I know. But try to get the women and children to safety. I have go for help," Li Fah began to walk away before Chief Tao held his sleeve.

"What help? No one will help us to save their own skins with the edict!"

Li Fah gave a sad smile and his face was lined in pain for a brief moment, though it could be the trick of the light.

"An old friend... he... never was a fan of rules and edicts."


Li Fah coughed out blood as he finished his tale and continued to do so until the spasm subsided. Master Wu simply looked at him with disinterested eyes and shook his head slowly from side to side.

"You were a fool to teach them."

"I was... also... right... in doing... that..."

"You have doomed them."

"I... have SAVED them! You... you had your... chance... you... left..."

Ragged wheezing temporarily replaced Li Fah's croaky voice as Master Wu let loose a long sigh while closing his eyes. To his students, whenever he did that signified that he was deep in thought, weighing down options before committing to a decision.

He opened them again and looked at Lao. His actions with the wolves had impressed Master Wu somewhat today and he was yearning to find an answer out of him. Before the morrow comes, everyone will have a choice to make.

"I will not go and help," Master Wu said, closing his eyes again while Li Fah's own opened wide. "But... my students may choose so... if they wish. Whether it would be for the protection of the village, or simply for the challenge of defeating the Imperial Army... or simply stay here, it is their choice."

A clap sounded behind the group, coming from the entrance as a man with long white hair and similarly white outfit stepped inside, with a long curved sword of ivory white marble hilt and part of the metal sheath seen from his back, hanging horizontally. His sword was tied by a whipcord.

"Marvelous! Simply marvelous! I seemed to have gotten out just in time!"

Master Wu looked up towards the source of the voice and smiled a bit to his eldest student.

"Sleeping Wind, you will go, even if I forbade, will you not?"

Fu laughed a bit at his master's quip while his eyes remained the same. There was fluidity and grace in his steps as he moved closer.

"I will. And you will not forbid. You wanted to see potential, this is a chance that even you cannot deny me, Master," Fu ended with a bow after he said "Master", holding both his hands forward in respect. It was perhaps interesting to note that he didn't smile at all while speaking out his words except when he laughed.

"That I do. That I do."

"And who's this?" Fu looked at Lao and addressed him with a sneer while keeping his voice level. The sharp stare of his eyes ever present.

"That... is the wielder of Transcendence."

Fu's head snapped back at his master and hints of rage filled his eyes, though not his face nor composure.

"A... stranger... will wield Transcendence?"

Master Wu said nothing to Fu but merely watched the breathing form of Li Fah, who was once again unconscious. Seeing that he was not about to get anymore answers, Fu snapped back on his heels and walked towards the exit again, the full view of his sword sheath clearly seen this time from his back.

"I will prepare my horse to move at dawn tomorrow. I do have your blessing... don't I? Master?"

Fu's words hung around the hall as he spoke them without looking back.

"Go if you wish."

Fu gave a small nod and walked out into the cold. Unseen by everyone however, he was giving himself a faint smile, and his eyes burned with hunger.

When they had entered the courtyard Master Star Hammer Wu interrogated the injured man - they seemed to be old friends. While the traveler told his tale Xiao Mei stood nearby. She tried to listen intently, but even the masters intense training regimes could not break her impatience and inability to focus when she wasn't terribly interested. So to occupy herself she drew lines in the sand with her sandal, picking up the gist of the tale.

The young martial artist smiled when she saw Lao, and her smiled broadened when he walked off towards the road. He would go to battle against the Imperial Army. It was a glorious day, first she got to stretch her limbs in a battle with the canines - but there was no challenge. But now, now she could unleash her inner chaos and get revenge on those who forced her to seek Master Wu in the first place.

"Not going by yourself you're not!" Xiao Mei bounded past Master Wu and the unconscious traveler, striding up along side Fu, "No way you're getting to have all the fun." She beamed at him, "Dawn? You really want to wait until dawn!?"

He simply ignored her, she was akin to an annoying pest at the best of times. Being used to such treatment, Mei was unphased and skipped off ahead of him to prepare her horse and get ready as quickly as she could. Excitement and anticipation filled every joint and molecule in her body. The beast of burden she called her own was a soft brown creature, it was a strong beast but small. Which was appropriate, for Xiao Mei was rather petite.

She checked the saddle bags that hung on the stall then packed them full of food and tools for travel. Feeding and grooming her horse, which she named Swift Wei, she talked to her about the great adventure and fantastic battles ahead. Oh the fun they would have, the Imperial's they would cut down and maybe Xiao Mei would find some opponents that were more entertaining and challenging to fight than a pack of wolves. At the very least, she would get to practice her arts - and that alone kept the huge grin on her face.

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Lao had learnt in, when the wolf had been laid down. He heard the words. His eyes, brown and wide, slitted as he thought about them. What did they mean? Then he heard the voice again. The one that had touched his mind when he had been meditating. He was to go somewhere. He had been told to go somewhere. He turned his head to hear the other men to telling him to follow. Lao looked up at the Large man, giving him a smile as he seem to take care of the large beast rather then killing it. Lao isntead lifted the old man, his lean frame bearing the weight of the animal skins and age. He followed, sure footed as a mountain goat, making his way after the student who had taken charge. They made progress relatively quickly and arrived at the very peak, witch had been made flat. It was a maze. He had not discovered this earlier, the mists had pushed down too hard. But he followed to the centre of the complex.

A few minutes later, they were in the round building that was the training hall. Lao gently asked for some blankets. One was laid in the centre and another was placed upon the old man, when Lao had placed him down. Then Lao removed his flat, cone hat next to the old man and had rummaged in his bamboo pack, finding some pots that had been tied with bamboo strips. "A bowl, please..." He asked one of the group kindly. And when handed one, he poured the contents of a pot into it. The tea was warm, having been nestled with his blankets since the morning he had made it. He poured the tea into the bowl. But the man had come around and now he was talking.

When he had finished his tale, he looked up at the Master. He was slightly suprised at the fact that he would not go to fight for his old friend. But then he understood that if he was a Master and had a place to teach your knowledge, that the Empire would very much like to destroy you. He was suprised to see one more student standing at the door. There was some dialouge that he didn't pay attention to, simply giving the man a drink instead. Then he found out they were talking about him. Transcendence? Wield? What? His head turned as he watched the Student insult the Master and leave. He slowly stood up, looking shame faced. He felt responsible for the words that transpired. Slolwy he moved forward, to the masters side, before bowing.

"I have come to seek Sancturary, Master. My home was taken away from by the Empire, my Master killed by soldiers when they did nothing to even warrant this... But I have a question, Master... What is Transcendence? Why would I wield it?" Lao had not stood straight up, he had remained bowing while looking up at Master Wu.

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Tragedy Is When I Fall Down An Open Manhole Cover And Die
Comedy is When it Happens To You.

The journey to the maze that was the home to Master Wu, and his students, was uneventful. Not much was said, and it suited Kah just fine. His braided rope sash hung down to his knees, dyed a brilliant green with a simple knot at he end, his way of stating that he was a practitioner of his art. The ground changed underfoot as they stepped indoors, the dojo-esque place was adorned with a tan hardwood floor of brilliant smoothness, a relief on tired soles. Hopefully the silence would remain that way.

But conversation began to emerge, and Master Wu and a fellow student named Fu exchanged a brief flurry of words before he left, as did Xiao Mei who looked exited about the whole ordeal. All Kah could do was let out a sigh as he folded his long legs and took a meditating seat on the wooden floor as he removed the Star Chasers and their backpack sheath and placed them precisely horizontal infront of him.

Kah's black hair was mostly kept rigorously short, save for the top and bangs which he kept long enough to touch his nose. They obscured his face as his soft as a feather voice slowly creped out of thin lips, almost a murmur it was so soft spoken. Master Wu would like to know his decision, and Kah would answer simply, no more, no less. His green eyes were closed but he remained perceptive of the would around him.

"I shall remain, Master."

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Wei Mao stood through the audience with the traveler, his repose relaxed and nonchalant. The village's tragedy did not move him - these same events happened the country over. Hundreds of tiny villages so small they did not even qualify as a dot on the empire's map of conquest. And did anyone ever move to help them? This stranger's hometown was nothing special. They had been stupid; now they should learn from their mistake. But it was obvious from the consternation in Master Wu's expression that this was not just any village that was in distress. Wei Mao had never dug into the laoshi's history before and he was not about to now.

Yes, by all accounts it was a dull, uninspired, and foolhardy mission. The kind of mission that he should have turned down right away. The only purpose this would serve was to alert the previously unaware and uncaring Emperor that a school of surviving highly trained martial artists still existed under his totalitarian rule. And yet, it was precisely this purpose that made Wei Mao pause in his refusal. They had lived, studied, trained in silence and isolation. Perfected their skills in the dark untouched reaches of the mountain. What was skill without acknowledgment, power without prestige? It was time the Imperial forces realized that they were not alone.

And so uncharacteristically, Wei Mao bowed low to his master and the traveler beneath the blanket and said that he would accompany his brother and sister to the village of Goat's Foot. Then he left to prepare Puzzle Box and arrange his collections of potions and vials. This trip would provide another useful side benefit - human subjects on which to perfect his latest concoctions. It was so difficult to find test subjects up in the impenetrable mountains.

No matter the story, they all sang the same tune: horror, death, destruction, heartache. The dilapidated man's recount of the invasion upon his village was unoriginal; not that it would have had cause to be inspired in the first place. It just hit no notes of interest for me. The man was entirely pitiable. The only thing remotely interesting about him is that he knew my Master. My Master looks to him now, he exerts his authority, he has given us the choice of assisting or staying.

It hardly mattered. This state of affairs had become more than normal over the last few decades. You could say I had already dehumanised it. Those in the thick of battle, their victims; they weren't human to me. They were numbers. They were casualties. They were the imperceptible dots within a sea of many. To assist them would be fruitless, not to mention entirely purposeless. To dive headfirst into a power such as the Empire was hedonistic for those who bothered to envision themselves as heroes.

My answer to the man's plight came to me as a butterfly from the further reaches of the mountain being swept upwards on the breeze. It glided onward on the air until I held out my hand for it. As if to seek a landing platform, my hand was welcomed. I observe it complacently. It is beautiful: Beauty and soul in essence, and yet, they are symbolic only to the end of their short lives. What is it about them that seems so mystifying? I use the creature to illustrate my point now.

Inching out a blade from River, I sever the bulk of each of its wings, "The beauty of humanity is its ability to persevere. True beauty and strength lies in letting life to take its course. Perseverance: Even in strife, discord, pain and despair. This creature knows only life and what little of it is left. Over time, the quality of its life is diminished and yet it remains. For humanity also, we come upon trying times. Times that require us to know only life. However, my Master has spoken. I too, share his sentiment. There is no cause to stir my action."

Now, with the movement of my hands, the butterfly once again takes flight. It staggers in midair at first, appearing to be reacting to my action of having destroyed the prior lustre of its wings. It holds its air however and within moments it has readjusted itself to take to the skies once again. Even without most of its wings, it carries its own circle of life; for it knows no pain, only the continuation of its future generations.

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Master Wu paid no heed to what his other students were doing but instead fixed his gaze upon the newcomer, Lao. It was perhaps ironic to him that the most devastating sword that he has ever created would go to this calm man. His other students were unsuited to wield Transcendence, even someone as skilled as Sleeping Wind. He was the most unsuited of all.

Master Wu gave a small smile as he exhaled a small cloud of breath.

"I'm no Master of yours. As for the death of your Master, I care not. It would be his failing for not being able to protect himself and it is yours to abandon him. Yet I sense much peace in you, more so than any of my students here. Come with me."

Master Wu gingerly got up and went inside the main hut, leaving the others to decide what they were going to do. Inside, he was most disappointed in Calm Foot and Mei Yin. Yet it was their choice to stay and he would not forbid them to do anything that they wanted. He never had. He sometimes feel that only his skill warranted the obedience of his students even when he didn't make a direct order. It was apparent to him that this was the case right now.

Inside the hut, Master Wu threw his staff to the dark ceiling and the tip of the staff hit a block of wood before it fell within his grip again. The block of wood tipped to one side from the roof rafters and fell right at Master Wu's feet. It's a plank of wood that's tied with two wires, where a crude and unfinished sword was fastened to it.

"This... is Transcendence. I would give it to you because I believe that you would not use it. Should you do, it must be in the utmost urgency where all options are exhausted. It may kill you," Master Wu let out a small chuckle after he finished his sentence, a gleam of mischief played in his eyes.

"I cannot shelter you here. Truth to tell, your best bet would be to follow my students, where ever they may go. But this place is no haven."

In truth, he wanted Transcendence to leave his sight. He could never look upon the sword that he wanted to finish so badly yet couldn't. Every pound of the hammer on the blade brought about a terrible sound that threatened his life every time.

"Transcendence... is an arrogant sword. You would do well to humble it. It does not discriminate on who it kills. Remember that well. Now you may go where ever you wish. But... following my senior student would do well in teaching him something that I could not."

~~~~~~
Meanwhile...

Sleeping Wind Fu merely looked at the Claw user as she happily traipsed before him, racing him towards the stables. He had always wanted to cross swords with her but often thought the better of it. He wasn't jealous of Xiao Mei, merely acknowledging her hidden strength. He turned around to see Wei Mao the eunuch following as well.

The irony that three of Master Wu's most selfish students were to head out to help the village in question. He couldn't help but feel amused of the predicament.

He followed Xiao Mei to the stables where she was caring for her horse for departure.

"Right now, Xiao Mei? You're certainly as crazy as I imagined you would be when you first came here. Very well. We'll ride out. the others may follow if they wish."

Unlike Xiao Mei, Fu has no attachment to his own horse. He merely see it as a means of transportation and as a beast of burden, nothing more. He didn't even bother giving his black stallion a name. Unslinging New Moon, he placed the heavy sheathed sword onto the leather holster at the horse's front half, allowing him to draw the sword easily on horse back.

He looked back towards Mao and simply nodded. The wind suddenly picked up and flapped Fu's coat tails about but he paid it no heed. It would be a cold ride, but the hard ride and the cold would keep the horses moving fast.

"I can't imagine who else would follow. We would wait a bit before setting off."

It's not that Fu cared about the other students. He only wanted to know if the owner of Transcendence would join him or not. He needed to know what was it that made Master Wu decide to award such a devastating weapon to a stranger.