20 — TO OUR MASTERS WITH LOVE

The car ride to a small and reserved airport. The flight of many hours in a private jet. Another brief ride in a very old car. The jolting of a train wagon. The white landscape passing through the window. A pair of staring eyes.

Two young men left by the side of a road with their Urns on their backs.

"You're going to freeze like that." said the calm voice of Cygnus noticing that Seiya had left his coat inside the car that had just left, leaving them there.
"If you're not wearing it, neither should I." he rivaled, to a side laugh from the slightly older boy. Barely older. Basically, there were two very young boys alone on the road.
"I've trained at this place since I was born. The cold doesn't bother me."
"I'm not cold." Seiya lied.
"Well then, try to keep up." he said as he left the road and entered the land on the side that was already covered with a layer of snow.

Ahead of the white grass was a forest of Siberian pine trees through which Cygnus led them along a rough but clearly well-defined path among roots, rocks, and trees.

"So this is where the Sanctuary Outcasts are sent?"
"This is but one of the places." replied Cygnus.
"I bet you were banned from the Sanctuary too." ventured Seiya.
"I'm sure about that." he just said with a certain mockery. "And you too…"
"What do you mean by that?" Seiya shouted, putting himself in front of the boy.
"What I mean is that it is forbidden for Saints to use their Cloths for their own benefit." he said, looking deep into Seiya's eyes. "And that's why you're not welcome anymore in the Sanctuary."

Cygnus walked again, leaving Seiya with the doubts that already existed in his heart.

"You didn't fight in the Tournament." Seiya said. "What did you do to get banned too?" Seiya asked.

Cygnus stopped walking for a moment and answered without even looking at Seiya.

"I disobeyed my Master."

Behind the mist that descends from the mountains to invade the narrow wooden and rope bridges, Shiryu and Xiaoling made their way from the city to the outermost spiritual centers of Rozan. The path followed deep into the forest and they passed through small villages that seemed to have stopped in time; in the areas open for visitation, they said goodbye to the Foundation's escort and continued their journey even deeper into the mountains to the region of the Five Old Peaks.

Five huge jagged stone spiers in the sky, surrounded by clouds and mists, from which huge waterfalls of mighty rivers plummeted. It is said in nearby villages that those five ancient peaks were actually five elders who watched over the historic park and the sacred rivers of the region. The old people there were often compared to the huge stones. An ill spirited joke.

"How beautiful." Xiaoling said to each new landscape they passed.
"It was really a privilege to have trained here." Shiryu said.
"I was born in Guizhou. And from there the Foundation took me straight to Palaestra."
"Palaestra?"
"Yes," Xiaoling agreed with her eyes wide opened. "A school some of us ended up going to before joining the trainings." She limited herself to say, without lengthening on what probably should have been a secret.

Shiryu kept wondering, as she never had any teaching before being sent to train. They came to yet another platform across a bridge.

"What will we have to eat, huh?" Xiaoling asked, diverting the subject.
"I don't know. Shunrei must have prepared something for the Old Master."
"Shunrei?"
"Yes. Shunrei is a very dear friend of mine."
"Cool! And is your Master nice?"
"Yes. He's like a father and a grandfather to me. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to train with him."
"Is he very old?"
"Very."
"I love old people."
"But don't let his looks fool you. He can be pretty harsh too."

And they walked lightly through the dawning day in the hills and mountains of Rozan. As she crossed every bridge and climbed every hill, Shiryu recognized every corner of that place from her endless training to become a Saint. The endless stairs she walked up and down carrying buckets of water on her shoulders, the bridge where the Master forced her to meditate under snow, the tree now without a huge branch on which Shiryu was supposed to train her balance and ended up breaking. That region was an intimate part of her young history.

And finally the end of a wooden suspension bridge led to a rough stone staircase lined with bamboo that Shiryu knew so well. It didn't take long for the path to open up to a short drop, where a mighty river ran; on this side of the riverbank, the stone path followed. On the other side, it rose in levels of small, but colorful and very beautiful rice and flowers plantations. Shiryu smiled, remembering his days tending the field.

The ravine rose slightly and a simple and cozy house appeared with a huge waterfall further down. It was Shiryu's home.

She let the Urn touch the earth and Xiaoling saw a smile spread across the girl's face.

"Hey-yo! Anybody home?!" Xiaoling shouted, breaking the moment.

And Shunrei came out of the house wearing a dirty apron, her hair in a long braid. She immediately broke into a run and fell into her friend's arms screaming her name.

"Shunrei." She smiled back.
"I didn't know you would come." And she turned to Xiaoling smiling. "Hi."
"Hello."
"This is Xiaoling."
"Hello, my name is Shunrei." she introduced herself.
"I know. Shiryu talks a lot about you." She smiled, making them both blush. "So, what are we going to eat?" she asked immediately, breaking the awkward mood.
"Oh, I had no idea we would have visits. You should have warned, Shiryu."
"I wanted to surprise you, Shunrei."
"Oh, you're the worst…" she chided.
"There's no problem, I'll help you… I'm a great cook!" Said the little girl, marching to the house now.

Shiryu and Shunrei looked at each other, smiled and went inside too.

The late afternoon passed quickly; Xiaoling left her things at the entrance, found an apron that was huge on her body and didn't do any ceremony to leave a big mess in Shunrei's kitchen. Dinner, to be fair, at least was doubled and the three of them even tried to laugh at the little girl dying of shame for having soiled the kitchen so much.

Already sat down at a low table, Shunrei looked at Shiryu with a wide smile, as they could clearly hear the dry sound of light tapping on the stone outside.

"The smell of food does its charms..." Shunrei commented.

The two got up and Xiaoling didn't understand anything.

From the entrance, the Old Master entered with his small cane and his bamboo hat on his head. He had an amused smile on his face that his full white beard could never hide, for when he smiled, his entire face, cracked by age, smiled with him.

"I see we have visitors." he said in his husky voice.

Shiryu bowed to the old man.

"This is Xiaoling, Master." she introduced.
"I speak of you, young Shiryu."

She was super embarrassed and the Master took the opportunity to hit her with the cane on her foot making her fall to her knees in front of him.

"Oh, Master..." Shiryu complained.

And then the Old Master gave his young disciple a strong hug, as he was very short old man.

Shunrei smiled at her. She always fell for that trick. The Master released the embrace and looked into his disciple's eyes.

"Master, I have many questions…"
"And I'm very hungry, Shiryu." said the old man, leaving his bamboo hat and sitting down in front of the wonderful stew. He quickly praised: "Looks like you had help in the kitchen today, Shunrei."
"Xiaoling cooks very well." she said, smiling at the little girl.
"It smells really great."

Xiaoling was super embarrassed and smeared with flour.

They all sat down at the low table and, silently but hungry, ate their supper. The feast consisted of a beautiful beef stew, white rice and some dumplings stuffed with pork.

They drank of a light tea made by Shunrei, the only thing Xiaoling let her do after she arrived, and continued around the table breathing calmly.

"It was really delicious, Xiaoling." said the smiling Master, finally breaking the silence.
"Thanks." she said simply. "I just carried on with Shunrei's recipe."

Xiaoling got up to clear the table and Shunrei helped her to get everything in order, although Xiaoling insisted that she wanted to do everything.

"What makes your heart so anxious, young lass?" asked the Master, noticing Shiryu restless.
"Master…" she began choosing words. "I remember you told us that in your youth you had a great friend at the Sanctuary."

The Master smiled.

"Oh yes, young Shiryu. But it's been many, many years."
"And that friend became the Pontiff of the Sanctuary, didn't he?"
"Yes, Yes. Zion was a great man. Unfortunately, he has already passed away for a few years."
"Master..." Shiryu resumed awkwardly. "We've been fighting some battles and we think Sanctuary Outcasts might be behind it. And I would like to know what you know about these people who get banished for some reason."
"It seems to me that your question have an answer already, Shiryu." replied the Master mysteriously.

But then the Master noticed, with some surprise, that there was another question that Shiryu didn't have the courage to ask. A sharper question, which the young Shiryu left buried in her restlessness and her education. He again let out a warm smile, proud of his disciple.

"Shiryu, do you think I'm a Sanctuary Outcast?" the Master asked with grace to her, super embarrassed.
"Ah, Master. No, I would never dare think bad of you." Tried to dodge her.
"Bad?" said the Old Master, smiling. "I didn't say anything about being bad. But if someone like me, a member of the Sanctuary, a friend of the Pontiff himself, had my whole life watching over a waterfall... well, that can only be a punishment, right?"

Shiryu was embarrassed, but there was nothing in the Master's face other than the grace and pleasure of seeing how sharpened his disciple's young mind could be.

"Shiryu, I chose to live here." said his husky voice. "And it seems to me that the battles you and your friends have been going through were caused by the sins of each and everyone of you."

Shiryu's face turned livid, and the Master's voice became low and unnaturally polished.

"You were the one who told me that it was written in the Oath that Saints could not use their Cloths for their own benefit."
"Master..." Shiryu said, disappointed.
"Well, if the Oath was broken, it seems to me that if there is anyone here who has been banished from the Sanctuary, that one is you, young lady."
"Old Master!" Shunrei shouted at him from the kitchen, indignant.
"It's all right, Shunrei." Shiryu said, sulking. "The Master is right. I embarrassed him fighting in that Tournament and…"
"Tha's a lie!" Shunrei said, finally standing between them, a dish towel over her shoulder, her face indignant but smiling. "That stubborn old man didn't lose one single Tournament fight on television. He went down faster than when he had dinner. He watched the highlights. He made me record so he could see it later in his free time. And it wasn't even just your fights. He saw them all!"

The Old Master burst out laughing and Shunrei left the two of them alone again, muttering and talking to Xiaoling about the things she had to deal with on that mountain.

"Is it true, Master?" Shiryu asked, torn between shame and grace.
"Shunrei never lies, does she, Shiryu?" he said, still smiling. "Why, can't an old man like me have some fun?"
"But…I don't understand, Master."
"Shiryu, it will not be a rule written by men that will define whether you are right or wrong when using your Cloth. It is the Cloth itself that will give you the answer."

Then finally the Master got up from the table and repeated, looking at the young disciple.

"It is the Cloth itself that it will give you the answer, Shiryu."

The Master then took the bamboo hat, the cane and was about to leave the house when Shiryu got up in surprise.

"You're talking about the Gold Cloth, aren't you?" she asked.

The Master said nothing.

"Shiryu, rest for the night. You have training at dawn." Xiaoling held back her laugh as she saw her friend come home and have to train, when she was surprised by Master's hoarse voice. "You too, little one."

She swallowed her laughter.

A desert. Everything their eyes could see everywhere.

A calm snow fell from the sky, blending into the white carpet of a wide, covered plain. Sometimes a cold wind blew the snow harder and chilled Seiya's bones.

Not much more was said during the crossing; partly because Seiya was shivering and trying to hide from that boy who was marching resolutely through the snowy desert.

The plain then gave way to a huge frozen wide river, banks far apart. They descended the snowbank and marched through the frozen water along a clinging path created just so they wouldn't slip on the smooth surface. Seiya experienced a certain tension when crossing.

"Don't worry, the ice is thick and has never thawed." said the Cygnus Saint, very seriously.

Seiya, however, noticed a large crater not far from where they were; already covered in ice, but clearly a flaw in the geography of that frozen river.

The two marched and finally crossed the wide frozen river to emerge on the other side into another snow-covered forest. Seiya always after a determined Cygnus; he didn't dare ask what had been that disobedience that had imprisoned him in that icy hell.

He did not understand what Cygnus was doing alongside them in the Kido Manor, or why he had helped them in their fight against the Black Saints, but why, above all, he had been banished.

His doubts gave way to some relief when he noticed, among the thin trunks of the Siberian pines, what appeared to be wooden houses. It didn't take long for them to end up in a village of perhaps two dozen of these shacks of different sizes, but all wooden and covered in snow.

There was, however, something terribly wrong in that village, and Cygnus soon became more agitated. Seiya noticed.

There was no one in the village and the shacks were all empty.

A door slammed alone in one of the poorly locked shacks. The wind howled through the surrounding trees, but apart from the animals in the distance and the wind there was not a peep in this village that was surely abandoned.

Cygnus called through the village in a language Seiya barely understood. He called, and called, but no one responded to the names and words he shouted.

"What happened here?" Seiya asked, worried, looking for any sign of life.

Cygnus did not answer, he looked out of the windows worried and found no one; he started running from house to house trying to find someone. Seiya saw through an open window into a house that snow had already invaded what appeared to be a simple living room, now washed in white.

Behind a shack, leaning against a thin pine tree, Seiya saw something that caught his attention and astonished him: a child suffering in the snow.

"Cygnus! Here, Cygnus!" he called.

The young man came running and, seeing the face of the little child, Cygnus was filled with worry; he passed in front of Seiya and immediately took the child in his arms calling him in his local language that Seiya understood at least the simplest words.

"Jacob. My God, Jacob."

The boy opened his tired eyes and Seiya saw how in those frightened eyes of a child a huge smile opened up.

"Hyoga."

ABOUT THE CHAPTER: Absolutely delightful to write Xiaoling and Shiryu traveling together, and Seiya and Hyoga in Siberia. =) The idea was to use the chapter to bring those who weren't very close together and create greater links between them.

NEXT CHAPTER: HYOGA, THE CYGNUS SAINT

Who will be that child who suffers in the snow? More than that: after all, who is Hyoga?