His sister is eight years old and a prodigy. It is becoming more and more difficult to distract the instructors from arranging her first kill. Fon is more on edge every day. Not even obsessive practice is enough to quiet the burning. It's not just Mei impending fate that troubles him. Practice is becoming more difficult. The only peace he gets is during daily meditation and chores. Meditation may not soothe the burn of everything Fon is suppressing, but it helps him contain it just that much longer. It allows him to arrange his thoughts in his head and understand why he feels some of the things he does. The method that works best for him, is sitting quietly with a cup of tea. Any tea will do, but he likes the strong ones best, in the mornings.
Fon has started to adore his chores, since being assigned to the kitchens. Though he knows his earliest visits had a more sinister purpose, he cannot help but love the place. Cooking and baking are two more things he is good at, but for different reasons. Cooking is all about experimentation and finding the best flavor. Baking is all about precision and timing. There is comfort in the knowledge that he can use his talents to create, he is not just a weapon.
Since he was initiated, Fon's worst opponents have stopped being as obvious. His stealth has improved greatly because of the semi-regular ambushes. Any food he is given, that he has not at least watched being prepared, is subtly disposed of. He has gotten into the habit of cooking all his and Mei's meals. (Sometimes he is tired and cannot bring himself to eat, but he always ensures Mei is well-fed.) None of the adult members of the Triad have tried to kill him yet, but they are worse in ways. They will whisper behind their hands or just talk as if he is not there. Fon refuses to react to it; if he reacts, they win. It feels as if he is constantly fighting without fighting. Outwardly, Fon is as impassive as always. He is always smiling contentedly and his body language is completely unruffled. If he stands still, he could be mistaken for a statue.
The only people close to seeing through his façade are Mei and Sifu. His mother is rarely around; as soon as Mei was old enough to attend lessons, their mother was back to whatever she usually did. Mei adored him and constantly sought his approval. She always watches him closely and tries to imitate him. Fon knows his sister is aware he is not as… together as he presents, but she does not see the extent. The extra hugs were nice, though. Sifu knew Fon had bad days and did his best to make them better: reviewing old kata, extra meditations, sending him to the kitchen. An outsider would think Fon was being punished, but they both knew Fon found these things soothing. Neither of them knew the extent of his difficulties. Fon has a lifetime of memories keeping them at bay.
Before, he had been the child his parents didn't have to worry about. He had been calm and reassuring when his sister had an anxiety attack. If his brother was running wild, he would be trailing behind and cleaning up the mess. Constant and content. Even when he got sick, he pretended everything was fine until he could no longer hide the trembling, nosebleeds, and exhaustion. Bedridden in the hospital, he hadn't the energy to do much. Still he had refused to worry them; smiling and thanking them for keeping him company. If the pain became too much, he would apologize and claim tiredness. They would leave to allow him to sleep, and he would allow himself to cry. Now, nothing quite seems that bad. He was healthy and, as long as Mei was okay, he could live with anything.
It's been a particularly bad week. He was having difficulty with a new sequence of katas. There were two attempted ambushes in the last three days. The instructors won't put off Mei's first kill much longer; she is simply too talented. The Triad is also becoming shorthanded, so he had four new kills too his name. He is walking with Mei back to their quarters and he is exhausted. It is late. They run across two of the more hostile 49ers. The men have been drinking and are blocking the walking path.
"Hey, hey look. It's the whore's kids." They must think they are being discreet.
"Disgrace, should get rid of them now so they won't taint us anymore." Fon has always known he and Mei were illegitimate. People are usually hostile for other reasons, though.
"Maybe we should. But it would be a waste." Fon does not like the way that one is smiling.
"What do ya mean?"
"They're pretty. Might as well have some fun with them first." Now the other one smiles.
"Wonder if the girl is as talented as her mother must be."
Fon is going for the man's throat before he even fully processes the statement. His world has gone red. It's funny, Fon has heard the expression, but it is like a red haze in front of him. He snaps the man's neck. The other man is screaming. Fon doesn't understand why. He hasn't even hit him yet. When he does, he goes for the ribcage. It's a more painful death. Or it would be. The man is crumbling to ash, screaming all the while. Fon looks for the body of the first man and sees only ash.
Mei is calling for him. She needs him. Now is not the time to be upset. The red fades. Sifu is there, holding Mei. He goes to them. It's harder to walk than it has been for a long time. Fon hasn't been this exhausted since before. Sifu catches him before he hits the ground.
The next morning, he is dressed in his best clothes and brought to the Mountain Master's office. He bows and kneels, as is proper, as is expected. The Mountain Master, his Deputy, and the Incense Master are present. This must be incredibly important. They ask him questions about what occurred. He answers the way he always does. He smiles blankly and describes what he saw bluntly, in uncomfortably graphic detail. It is passive-aggressive and morbid, but he likes to see them squirm. See them react and realize just what they have created. Then they have Sifu explain things to him. Sifu is not cruel, but he has never been accused of being soft. The… gentleness he uses to explain scares Fon almost as much as the realizations he has. Sifu says that he demonstrated a very powerful ability. This ability is dangerous and rare. What he has are called Dying Will Flames of the Storm.
Fon is twelve years old. He is currently studying a dozen martial arts styles and has mastered 56. His kill count is over three times that. He has Dying Will Flames. Dying Will Flames are from KHR. His is a Triad assassin, martial artist, with Storm Flames. He is that Fon. How had he not noticed this?!
