A.N: Thanks to all those who reviewed my story. It makes me happy to know that people actually take the time to read what I've written. The first chapter takes place several years after the prologue, a few months before the events of the actual game begin to occur. To those of you wondering about Yuan Ho...sorry, but I can't tell you what actually happened just yet. I know, I'm evil.
Chapter One
"Dawn Star!" Jen Zi called as she knocked on the door to Dawn Star's small cottage.
"I'll be right out," Jen Zi heard Dawn Star's muffled voice from somewhere inside. Jen Zi turned from the door, and walked a few paces to the edge of the porch. She leaned over the railing, and admired the view. Beneath her, spread out in all different directions, was a multitude of flowers of different types and colors. Each flower's sent blended with the others, and Jen Zi inhaled the exotic perfume appreciatively. In the distance, Jen Zi could hear the sound of a waterfall as it tumbled and danced over well-worn rocks, before splashing into the pond below. All of Two Rivers was beautiful, but in Jen Zi's opinion Dawn Star's garden was probably more idyllic than the rest. Standing there, with only the sounds of nature surrounding her, Jen Zi felt at peace.
Her respite was shattered as the door behind her creaked open on its hinges, and Dawn Star stepped out onto the porch. Jen Zi turned and smiled at her friend, as Dawn Star smoothed away a few wrinkles in the front of her rose colored dress.
"Ready to go?" Jen Zi asked. Dawn Star nodded in affirmation, and the two girls stepped off the porch, and began to walk side by side down one of the many winding dirt paths that wove around and through school grounds.
"What do you think Smiling Mountain has planned for us today?" Dawn Star asked Jen Zi curiously.
"I don't know," Jen Zi admitted. "I tried my best to get him to tell me something, but all he said was to meet behind Master Li's house, and not to be late."
Dawn Star frowned. "I don't think it will be sparring matches or anything of that nature…the land just isn't big enough to hold all of us."
The two girls rounded a corner, and came upon a large group of their classmates. They sought out Jing Woo and joined him, and he immediately began to tease,
"Finally, Master Li's two prize pupils decide to grace us with their presence. How good of you to be nearly on time! How consid-HEY!" Jing Woo yelped, as Jen Zi swatted at the back of his head good-naturedly. Jen Zi and Jing Woo stepped closely together, face to face, each glaring at the other. A moment of silence passed, before both simultaneously burst into laughter.
"All right everyone, settle down," Smiling Mountain's voice boomed over the hum of chattering voices. He cast a stern glance at Jen Zi and Jing Woo, who quickly smothered their laughter. "I imagine you're all wondering why I asked you out here today," Smiling Mountain continued. "Today's lesson is simple, yet unique. But first, I have a question for all of you. Why are you here?"
For a moment there was silence. Finally, a female voice spoke up, "I was sent here mostly because my family was embarrassed of me…I wasn't quite the wilting flower they had hoped for." Jen Zi recognized the voice as belonging to Lin, a girl a few years younger than herself.
"And why do you stay? What do you hope to get out of your studies, Student Lin?" Smiling Mountain asked. Lin pursed her lips, and her brow furrowed as she thought. Hesitantly she replied,
"I'm not really sure. I haven't thought about it all that much," seeing that her answer would not placate her teacher, Lin sighed. After a pause, she added, "Maybe I'll go to the Scholar's Garden, in the Imperial City."
From somewhere in the crowd, a loud snort could be heard. Smiling Mountain turned and frowned at Gao the Lesser, who was standing slightly off by himself with a smirk on his face, his arms crossed lazily in front of him. "Is there something you would like to share with the rest of the class, Gao?" Smiling Mountain asked icily.
Gao glanced at Lin contemptuously and muttered, "Waste of space," under his breath. Jen Zi bristled, but since Smiling Mountain had not heard, Gao continued, speaking louder,
"The whole point of training is to become more powerful. That way you'll be able to make your place in the world. As soon as I get out of this small, backwater village, I'll go on to greater things. Everyone will know my name, and fear and respect it."
Beside Jen Zi, she could see Dawn Star clenching her fists, her knuckles turning white. Jing Woo and Jen Zi looked at one another incredulously. Jing Woo thrust out his chest and puffed out his cheeks, shaking his head from side to side in a severe manner, doing an impression of Gao that almost caused Jen Zi to burst out laughing again. Thankfully, she had enough self-restraint to contain herself, and rolled her eyes.
Smiling Mountain, however, smiled serenely as Gao finished speaking. "Ah, and so we come to the next part of our lesson." He gestured for the students to follow him, and he led them over a small bridge. Again, Smiling Mountain gestured in front of him, pointing to a small, simple gravestone set in the side of a hill. There was no name on the stone, merely a crude carving of a lion's face. On either side of the grave were small vases for holding sticks of incense. Two plumes of smoke floated lazily upwards. Making sure that everyone had a chance to see the grave, Smiling Mountain turned to his students and asked,
"Who is buried here?"
"I think it's a former master of this school," Dawn Star spoke up timidly. Smiling Mountain smiled. "Yes, you are correct Dawn Star. And what," he asked "Was his name?" There was a complete and total silence. "Does anyone know the answer?" Smiling Mountain asked again. Again, there was silence. Smiling Mountain turned to face the grave again. "I'm afraid that even I do not have the answer to that question. Which brings me to another one…what meaning, if any, was their to his existence?"
The students shifted around uncomfortably. "I'm…I'm not quite sure what you mean, sir," spoke Si Pat, one of the younger students nervously.
"Well, according to some," Smiling Mountain glanced briefly at Gao, "The purpose of one's life and training is to gain power and prestige…to have your name remembered. What then, does it mean when your name is lost? Does it mean that the life behind the name was insignificant?"
"No," a boy towards the front of the crowd frowned. "It doesn't."
Jen Li examined the boy with interest. Like the others, he wore the traditional school uniform. His shiny black hair was pulled back into a low-hanging bun on the back of his head, although some bangs and smaller strands of hair framed the edges of his face. There was a red bandanna tied across his forehead. Jen Zi knew that he was one of the newer students, but she couldn't for the life of her recall his name.
"Dawn Star," she whispered to her friend, her eyes never leaving the boy. "Who is that?"
"His name is Wen," Dawn Star said, following Jen Zi's gaze. "He just arrived about a week ago…I think he's from the Imperial City. I haven't talked with him much, but he seems nice enough. He's kind of quiet."
Both Jen Zi and Dawn Star fell quiet as Smiling Mountain turned his attention towards Wen. "Please, continue Student Wen," he said. "Explain why you believe that."
"Well," Wen chewed on his lower lip, thinking carefully how to word his response. "It seems to me that his name doesn't really matter. What use do you have for a name once you're dead? I mean, your name is really only useful as long as you're alive, which in the scheme of things isn't very long," he paused, and a wave of murmuring swept through the crowd as they considered what Wen had said. Once again, Gao snorted disdainfully.
"Ridiculous," he barked, laughing. Smiling Mountain looked at Gao sternly. "That is enough, Gao. You have already spoken your thoughts on the matter, and I will not tolerate another interruption." Wen's head had dropped, and he suddenly seemed to have a strong fascination for the grass around his feet. Smiling Mountain sighed softly, and glanced at Jen Zi. "Well, perhaps we should see what our senior student thinks. Radiant Jen Zi?"
Jen Zi groaned inwardly as he spoke the title in front of her name. Beside her, Jing Woo snickered…he knew how much she hated the pretentious sounding title. Jen Zi elbowed him quickly in the side, and felt satisfied when she heard a small grunt.
"I think," she said slowly "That Wen is right. It's not his name that's most important, it's the actions that he took in life, and how they affected those around him."
The beginning of a smile twitched at the edge of her teacher's face, and Wen looked up and back at Jen Zi gratefully. "Exactly," Wen said, smiling. "He probably taught many students, and those students took what they learned from him and went out into the world…"
"And who they were and what they did all relate back to the teachings of their master," Jen Zi continued. "So, you could say that this man was partially responsible for whatever achievements his students reached…"
"And in that way, his life had a strong and far reaching effect," Wen grinned. "One that was far bigger than just his name," he concluded. Jen Zi and Wen glanced at each other, and each smiled hesitantly. However, Smiling Mountain, true to his name, was grinning ear to ear.
"These two have hit upon the heart of today's lesson," Smiling Mountain said. "And that is this: your actions affect the world around you a great deal. Fame and fortune are unimportant…for they are temporal and fleeting. However, the deeds that you did yesterday, the ones you do today, and the ones you will do tomorrow will echo far into eternity. This man's name has been lost, but his spirit lives on, in every life he has touched. There is no such thing as an insignificant life. Do you understand?"
Slowly, heads began to nod. Smiling Mountain looked around at the assembled students, and beamed. "Good. Class is dismissed. You have the rest of the afternoon to yourselves."
Gao was the first to leave, complaining loudly to anyone who would listen that the whole day had been a complete waste of time. The other students began to slowly filter away, many approaching the grave and bowing respectfully before they left. Soon, the only students left standing in the small thicket were Jing Woo, Dawn Star, Jen Zi, and Wen, who was a little ways away from the other three by himself. He kept casting sidelong glances at the other three, who were involved in quiet conversation and did not notice. Making up his mind, Wen hesitantly approached them.
Dawn Star was the first to see him coming, and she looked up, causing her companions to stop talking and they also looked up. Wen smiled, a bit self consciously, then said,
"Senior student, thank you for your support today. I'm afraid that I can become a bit muddled at times…but you spoke so elegantly!"
Jen Zi blushed, and Jing Woo looked at her with amusement written all across his features. "Please, call me by my name," Jen Zi said hastily. "And you don't have to thank me. I thought you made your point quite well."
"You are kind to say so, Radiant Jen Zi…"
"Just…Jen Zi, please," she interrupted. "I never was fond of that title."
"Oh. Sorry," Wen looked just a little crestfallen.
"No, no! Don't apologize…there's no need," Jen Zi said hastily.
"Okay, sor-I mean…okay," Wen repeated, nervously cracking his knuckles. Jing Woo picked this moment to sling his arm across Wen's shoulders. Wen jumped slightly in surprise, by Jing Woo paid no attention and leaned in close to Wen and said conspiratorially,
"You know, once you get to really know her, you'll find out that she doesn't really live up to the 'radiant' part at all," Jing Woo looked at Jen Zi, and caught her staring at Wen. When she realized she had been discovered, she began to blush furiously. "Unless you count that lovely shade of red she's turning right now," Jing Woo continued happily.
"Jing Woo, you leave those two alone," Dawn Star said in an exasperated tone. Turning to Wen she said,
"I'm sorry, but this is the way he always is. You'll get used to it after awhile."
Wen grinned. "It's okay, Dawn Star. I don't mind."
"See?" Jing Woo said triumphantly. "I knew I liked you!" he said to Wen, slapping him on the back before releasing him.
By this point, Jen Zi had recovered slightly, although for some strange reason she still felt a little tongue-tied. Wen turned around and smiled at her again, and Jen Zi suddenly understood why. He reminded her a little of Yuan Ho, especially when he smiled, although Wen was by far more timid than Yuan Ho had been.
"Wen, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?" Jen Zi asked brightly. "You've been here a week, but I don't think we've ever really talked."
Wen's face lit up, and he began to talk about his life before Two Rivers. Wen, Jen Zi, Dawn Star and Jing Woo began to walk back to the center of the school grounds. They were walking past the sparring arena, when a familiar but unwelcome voice interrupted the flow of conversation.
"Well, well. If it isn't golden girl and her little entourage of worshipers," Gao said sarcastically, a cold hate smoldering in his eyes. Jen Zi, Dawn Star and Jing Woo were used to such jibes from Gao, and ignored him completely and kept walking. Wen however, stopped in his tracks and glared at Gao with undisguised disgust. Seeing an opportunity, Gao pounced.
"So, another mewling sheep has joined the fold? How pitiful."
"Gao," Wen began. Jen Zi, sensing that something bad was about to happen, turned, and grabbed Wen's arm. "Come on, it's not worth it." She tried to drag Wen away, but Gao continued,
"Why you all insist on following around that pathetic, weakling, peasant is something I'll never understand."
Wen yanked his arm away from Jen Zi, and took a few steps towards Gao. Jen Zi could see she was fighting a losing battle, and looked to Jing Woo and Dawn Star for help. They began to move towards Wen, but before they reached him Gao said,
"She's an orphan too, did you know? Her inbred parents probably took one look at her and-" Wen launched himself at Gao, who merely laughed and sidestepped quickly out of the way.
"A challenge then?" Gao said, grinning. "Finally, someone with a little backbone. I will fight you, boy, if you wish, but realize that your efforts will be futile. You can not beat me." Gao stepped into the ring, and crouched in a fighting stance.
"Wen…" Jen Zi began. Wen glanced at her. Jen Zi shook her head, but couldn't bring herself to speak. An even stronger look of resolve came across Wen's face, and he turned from Jen Zi and stepped into the fighting ring.