Tucked away in a hidden part of the Bayan Har Mountains is a magnificent, intricately crafted palace regarded as sacred to many. It overlooks a village at the base of a peak known to locals as Ryu Mountain. Few outsiders are familiar with either the mountain or the village, and those who do usually consider them to be mere myths. Within the Ryu Palace grounds lies an arena, positioned just before the palace itself—right at the top of the grand staircase that is reserved for special events and tournaments organized by the palace master. Today marks one of those events, and the villagers are eagerly awaiting its start.
"Do you think they'll finally win?" A villager asked.
"Don't know; they came close last year," Another villager replied.
"Psst, they'll lose, just like always," Another villager, one more cynical than the other, chimed.
Debates like those filled the arena as spectators watched two young men standing on one end of the ring. Despite the differences in their hair color, it was plain to see that the two men were nearly identical twins. One had blonde hair, and the other had brown hair. They wore similar gi, but the blonde's gi was red with some black, and the brunette's gi was blue also with some black. They wore the village's symbol on their backs, the three-toe symbol of the dragon. They were physically fit; years of training gave them their physiques, and today, they will put it to the test again.
"You ready, Billy?" The blonde asked his brother.
"This is going to be our year, Jimmy," Billy responded confidently.
The two boys were William Lee, the younger twin, and James Lee, the older twin, better known around the village by their nicknames Billy and Jimmy Lee. They were eyeing their opponent across the ring, an older man wearing a black and dark gray changshan. Despite being in his mid to late 60s, this older man was well-fit; he wore a black band with the village symbol around his eyes, indicating that he was blind. Also, a black bō staff in his hand suggests that his blindness was not a hindrance. This man is Chien Kuai; to the villagers, he is known as Sensei, the leader of The Ryu Village; however, to Billy and Jimmy, he is known as Grandpa, the boys' maternal grandfather, and to anyone who fought him, he was known as The Blind Dragon.
"My fellow villagers, as you know, today is July 28th and my grandsons' 17th birthday and the 10th anniversary of their arrival to their ancestral home," Sensei announced. "Per our tradition, my grandsons have the right to rechallenge me. Should they win, they have the right to leave our village and prove they are ready to return to their home in America, Metro City; however, if they lose, they will have to wait until their 18th birthday to rechallenge me and continue training,"
The crowd cheered for Sensei's announcement as they prepared for the fight.
"The rules are the same as last year: if they manage to knock me unconscious, make me yield, or force me out of the ring, then victory is theirs, or vice versa; I will have to eliminate them both,"
The twins bowed in respect before taking the fighting stance. Under their grandfather's teachings, both twins were trained in the art of Sou-Setsu-Ken, each with a different style/variation. Billy, the more upbeat and friendlier twin, mastered the Southern style, which focused on fast strikes, and Jimmy, the more stoic and occasionally hot-headed twin, mastered the Northern style, which focused on powerful strikes. However, Sensei mastered both styles, making him a Sou-Setsu-Ken master.
…Fight…
Upon hearing the okay to begin, Billy and Jimmy charged forward. Billy led the charge, using his faster reflexes to throw punches at his grandfather. The older man was more rapid as he deflected his attacks.
"I've told you a thousand times, it doesn't matter how fast your attacks are if you don't put enough power behind them," Sensei said after catching Billy's foot after he attempted a roundhouse.
"Wasn't trying to hit you, Sensei."
Jimmy suddenly appeared behind Sensei, throwing a punch. Still, to his shock, Sensei saw it coming, grabbed Billy's leg, and swung him around like a ragdoll, smacking Jimmy with Billy, knocking Jimmy back before tossing Billy back to his brother.
"I told you a thousand times also, James, your attacks might be stronger, but it means nothing if they're not fast enough to hit your opponent!"
The twins jumped to their feet, ready to continue the fight, but Sensei looked exasperated as he sighed.
"You boys still rely on one style; a Sou-Setsu-Ken master can strike hard and fast; this fight was over before it started. I suggest you boys train in your opposite styles and we try again next year,"
Billy and Jimmy growled in anger at that thought; there was no way they would give up when they had just gotten started.
"Sorry old man, but this fight isn't over yet!" Jimmy said.
"It's just getting started,"
Suddenly, the air around the twins became hazy as heat began to emit from their bodies; the crowd watched with excitement before someone yelled.
…By The Power Of The Dragon…
Suddenly, as if it were a scene pulled from Dragon Ball Z, a fiery blue aura erupted around Billy while a red one appeared around Jimmy. Well-known among the villagers is that Billy, Jimmy, and Sensei were descendants of the Yan who founded this village and the son of Shaolin, an ancient dragon, her human husband, a powerful chi wizard. Their union resulted in the birth of their son Yan and a mystical force exclusive to his bloodline called The Dragon Force.
"The kid gloves are off!" they yelled.
The twins charged their grandfather, moving faster than before. Sensei was taken off guard as Jimmy threw a punch, seemingly as slow as before, until it suddenly became faster. Sensei was barely able to block with his staff. Billy followed up with multiple hard strikes to Sensei's abs, knocking him back. Jimmy followed up with a rising uppercut, knocking Sensei back. The force knocked Sensei close to the edge, and while he saved himself, his staff was knocked out of the ring.
"How will Sensei fight without his bō staff?" One villager asked another.
"Just wait and see,"
Back in the ring, the twins readied themselves for their grandfather's counterattack, but he began laughing instead.
"It seems I underestimated how committed you boys are to your training; despite your lack of mastering opposite styles, you've learned enough to improve your preferred one,"
"Does that mean we passed the test and can return to Metro City?" Billy asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"No, Billy, it means he's finally taking this fight seriously," Jimmy replied grimly.
"Correct, James," Sensei replied before enveloping himself in a fiery gray aura like the boys.
The fight continued, with red, blue, and gray flashes around the ring. The villagers watched as the competitors traded blows. Billy and Jimmy were determined not to lose, so they worked together to push back Sensei. Sensei was starting to believe that they might win. Deciding to divide and conquer, Sensei knocked Billy back before using a grapple move on Jimmy to toss him out of the ring. However, reshaping his energy, Billy fired a line made of energy from the back of his wrist, ensnaring Jimmy's leg and yanking him back into the ring, preventing a ring out. Realizing this battle wasn't going to be as easy as last year, Sensei knew he had to end the fight as soon as possible. Despite being a better martial artist and having better control over the Dragon Force, he wasn't in his prime, and prolonged use of the Dragon Force was draining his energy faster than his grandsons. As the fight continued, Sensei delivered a punch to Billy and Jimmy's gut, and they delivered one to him, pushing each other back and towards the edge of the ring.
"You boys have really impressed me, but it's time to end this tournament,"
"Our thoughts exactly!" Jimmy replied.
Sensei focused his energy, directing it into his vocal cords. Billy and Jimmy followed suit, sealing their throats to reveal their respective colors. The crowd plugged their ears but remained fixated, anticipating what was about to unfold.
"Dragon…ROAR!" the fighters yelled, unleashing beams of energy from their mouths that sounded like an endless roar, so loud it began shaking the area. The beams slammed into each other, starting an energy beam battle. They began trying to push each other off their prospective edges, and bit by bit, they felt themselves being pushed back.
"Give up, boys; this battle is over," Sensei said telepathically.
"Never!" Jimmy replied.
The beams intensified, and Billy and Jimmy found themselves seconds away from being knocked over the edge.
"Don't be ashamed, boys. You both have improved so much since last year, but you need more time, and in another year or two, you should be ready,"
"No, Grandpa…not next year!" Billy said.
"Or the year after!" Jimmy said.
Suddenly, Billy and Jimmy began to roar harder, strengthening their beams so much that they combined into a purple one.
"This year…we're going…HOME!"
The clashing beams astonished the crowd. Once the dust settled, Billy and Jimmy barely stood but were still conscious. Sensei remained upright, yet he stood outside the ring, indicating his loss and the twins' victory. The audience erupted in a wave of excitement. After ten years of struggle, Billy and Jimmy had finally succeeded, demonstrating their readiness to leave the village and return to Metro City. Fists raised in triumph, the twins quickly succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep.
…August 29th…
The twins recovered and prepared to return to Metro City a month after the tournament. On the eve of their departure, Sensei took them to a chamber under the palace.
"10 years of running around this place, and I never knew this place existed," Billy commented.
"You boys weren't supposed to know about it until you were ready," Sensei replied, bringing the twins to a large door.
"So, Grandpa, have you reconsidered about not coming with us?" Jimmy asked.
"I appreciate you boys asking me to come with you, but I have to stay to protect the village," Sensei replied, opening the door and revealing a room full of treasure.
"Holy cave of wonders, Batman!" Billy jokes
"Can you take this seriously," Jimmy berated.
The room was filled with gold coins and mini statues; a pathway in the middle separated the treasure.
"Remind me, why is dragon blood so valuable?" Sensei asked.
"I got this one because a dragon's blood can be smelted into gold, the purest kind worth a lot of money, Which is why dragons were hunted thousands of years ago to near extinction," Jimmy said.
"Correct,"
"Can I add that because our blood is mostly dragon blood, it can also be smelted into gold but needs to go through a purification process first to filter out the traces of human blood," Billy added. "Otherwise, the gold produced becomes worthless like Pyrite or Fool's Gold,"
"So this treasure is?" Jimmy asked.
"This treasure is known as the blood of Shaolin, made from her blood," Sensei explained.
"Is this why you won't come with us?" Billy asked.
"No, that's at the end of the pathway,"
As they continued along the path, the boys soon reached the end, where a stunning altar awaited them. Above it, a beautiful crystal shaped like an orb floated gracefully, capturing their attention. The crystal looked as if it contained a whole universe.
"What is this?" Billy asked.
The other half of the story," Sensei explained. "You boys already know the story of Yan, how his father, a powerful chi wizard, was banished from his clan for a crime he didn't commit, and how he met Shaolin? How they fell in love and had Yan, and how he inherited both his parents' powers, which merged into what is now The Dragon Force.
"Yes,"
"This crystal is the part of the story you don't know," Sensei explained. "Yan lived in peace until he was 10; he left to practice controlling his powers, but when he returned, he found his home destroyed, his father dead, and his mother dying, drained of most of her blood. Before dying, she told him two things: 1. the name of the monster who attacked them, Sh'Okanabo,"
"I think I remember hearing that name when we were little; yeah, Mom used to tell us that Sh'Okanabo and his shadow warriors would get us in the night if we misbehaved," Jimmy said.
"Right, she and Dad had us believing he was the boogeyman for years until they…" Billy added.
"Continue, please," Jimmy said.
"Sh'Okanabo was once the clan member who framed Yan's father and had him banished; his clan somehow, in his attempt to gain more power, unleashed a forbidden spell that gave him the power to summon creatures called shadow warriors but turned him into a monster," Sensei explained, his tone becoming grimmer. "Somehow, he found out about Yan and his power, believing it could restore his human form, he tracked Yan's family, demanding Yan be turned over to him; when they refused, he unleashed his shadow warriors to attack them, but he landed the killing blow,"
"What was the second thing She told Yan?" Jimmy asked.
"When she died to remove her crystal heart,"
"Crystal heart? Wait? Are you telling us that crystal is actually?"
"The Heart of Shaolin, our most powerful relic,"
"But why?"
"10 years after that day, Yan mastered his powers and confronted Sh'Okanabo; he had taken over a village and built himself a palace, his first stop in his conquest of Asia."
"It was here, wasn't it? This palace and the village all he ruled,"
"This village and palace was once called Kanabo; when Yan battled Sh'Okanabo, he used the heart's power to destroy Sh'Okanabo's body before sealing his spirit inside a golden idol. Using the heart, he reshaped the palace and village into what it is today, grateful the villagers renamed the village and palace after his father, Ryu,"
Billy and Jimmy were stunned a considerable part of their origin had just been revealed.
"Afterwards, Yan banished the idol and the shadow warriors from the village and used the heart to create a barrier to keep them from finding it ever again.
"Why tell us this now?"
"So you understand why I kept you boys here so long and waited until you were ready," Sensei explained. "Now, place your hands on the heart," he instructed.
"What? Why?" They replied, confused.
"You'll see, now do it,"
Reluctantly, the twins walked to the altar and touched the heart. Suddenly their hands were sucked in, alarming them as they tried to pull out.
"What the heck is this?" yelled Billy
"Just feel around until you feel something, and then pull it out."
The twins did as told until they both felt something, grabbed it, and pulled it out. To their shock, they were holding nearly identical gray-bladed katanas, sharing everything except the color of their handle. Billy's was blue, and Jimmy's was red.
"What are these?" Billy asked, examining the sword.
"These are gifts from the heart itself, a fragment of its power transformed into a weapon best suited for you as a way to continue protecting you,"
"Woah, wait, does that mean your Bō staff is also a gift from the heart,"
"Yes, but be warned, not to take these gifts lightly; they are tools of protection but can become weapons of destruction if misused,"
"Uh, Grandpa, how are we supposed to blend in if we have these," Billy questioned.
"Your weapons are extensions of you; you need only will them," Sensei said, making his staff appear and disappear.
The twins followed his example, making their swords disappear and reappear.
"This is so cool," Billy said excitedly.
"Remember your sword is as strong you are, which is why you two will spend the night connecting to them through meditation,"
"What!?"
"I'll check on you in the morning," Sensei said, walking away.
…The Next Day…
When Sensei returned the next day, he found the twins still meditating, their swords across their laps.
"Have you boys finished your meditation,"
"Yes," they replied.
"And what did you learn,"
"Their names,"
"What are their names?"
"Azaka," Billy said.
"Kamidake," Jimmy said.
"Congratulations, now you boys are ready."
…Later…
The final preparations were done, and Billy and Jimmy were just about ready to leave; the villagers gave them parting gifts, including a pair of nunchucks for Billy and Escrima sticks for Jimmy.
"The preparations are set; you'll be staying with your paternal aunt Satori and working in her restaurant while you attend Metro University for your senior high school," Sensei explained.
Satori Imada was Billy and Jimmy's father, John Lee's younger sister; she still lives in Metro City, even after the death of her brother and sister-in-law, Marika. Now, she runs the restaurants she started with John and Marika.
"It will take you a few days to reach Hong Kong to catch your plane, so you better move—"
"Listen, Grandpa, we know there were times when we acted restless and ungrateful, but we appreciated everything you did and apologize for," Jimmy interrupted.
"You boys don't need to apologize. I understand how trapped you felt, but you stuck with my training, and it finally paid off,"
The boys hugged their grandfather, promising to visit, which he promised to keep in touch.
Waving goodbye, the brothers descended the stairs down the mountain trail, eventually passing through a gate at the bottom. The moment they passed, a fog set, making the gate disappear; in the past, they often wondered why that happened when they left the village with their grandfather. But after learning everything last night, they didn't need to wonder anymore.
"So, how should we get to the airport?" Billy asked.
"According to the map, if we cut through Jusenkyo, we can shave some time, making it down the mountain," Jimmy suggested.
"You sure that's a good idea, I don't want to go home with a curse,"
"We should be fine as long as we're careful,"
"Hey, since we're passing through Jusenkyo, why not make a pit stop at The Joketsuzoku village and say hi? It was the only place outside the village Grandpa let us visit, and we did learn some good moves there,"
"Don't think we have time. Besides, we only knew three people from there, and Grandpa mentioned in passing they're living in Japan now."
"Japan?"
"Some place called Furinkan,"
"Alright, let's get going,"
The twins nodded as they set off on their journey back home.
End Of Ch.1