Five years. Lind had been living a repetitive but fulfilling life for 5 years. Five days of the week were spent in the training yard until late afternoon. His early evenings were spent with Granny or his mother teaching him more of the world. Lind was enjoying that time but the subject matter bored him to tears.
If he was to nitpick beyond that, it was an escalation of bullying. Garnt clearly knew it was happening but did nothing to stop it unless it crossed a dangerous line, but physical damage was not the only damage. Kor was mentally abused!
Lind did not know where his friend's parents were but his older sisters did nothing to stop it either. At least, Lind had never seen them do so. For 3 years Lind had been forced to watch until a small mock tournament was made. Apparently the clan held such tournaments for real every 10 years for older disciples but those of the younger generation just had it between them right there in the training yard.
Rewards were simple. An extra day off to personal instruction from one of the many professionals of the clan. Lind had even asked his mother to put up an appropriate alchemical pill. This had spurred a lot of excitement, but then Lind found Kor.
He was bruised and crying in a dark corner of the storage closet. It was far worse than before but even Lind could tell Kor's injuries were nothing serious. Rage like he had never felt flooded his veins. He did not have to ask Kor who had done it. It was a small group of boys who were the sons of Elders of the clan. They felt entitled to their opinions and would beat up anyone that annoyed them.
They clearly hated Lind as well but strangely would not touch him. Lind suspected his mother's identity had something to do with that. He had learned she was the only Grade 2 alchemist in the whole clan. Only a fool would piss off a doctor.
Still, Lind and Kor had been friends. Kor refused to come to Lind's courtyard but the reverse was not true. Lind had been to Kor's courtyard many times. One visit had been enough to tell Lind he had been lucky. It was functional, but that was all he would give it. There was a single room for all 3 siblings, no signs of parents, and barely passable amenities. Lind was infuriated.
He had complained to Granny and asked if there was anything he could do. Granny had looked stricken at his words but mumbled something about there being nothing that could be done at this moment. Lind had not blown up at her but he had put a lot of energy into his training. Oddly, he had somehow become much stronger than the older kids very quickly.
At 8, he could defeat any of his partners in less than 3 moves. He did not understand why that was true but Garnt became his training partner after that. As expected, while the size difference gave Lind some leeway, he could never defeat Garnt. Lind did learn a great deal though about his limits and pushing past them.
The tournament was meant to be more exciting practice, and it had been, until Lind took the stage. He had no smile on his face and those that had come to respect him recognized something wrong, yet Garnt did not stop the event. The rules were simple.
You fight opponents from one line until they defeat you, then move to the opposing line. One side were those that had yet to fight or lose, while the other was nothing but those that had lost. It gave a chance to finish in a good place. Undefeated would be 1st, 1 defeat would be 2nd, and so forth. The real tournament could have more complicated rules but for this small group, it was sufficient. The alchemical pill was in 3rd place to make things interesting according to Garnt but none of that mattered once Lind got his chance.
Against those he had no grief, the fights were clean, smooth and instructive. Lind even gave pointers that his opponents appreciated, but that all changed when there was no one left in the losing line and only those who had yet to go were behind him. Thus, Lind moved over and waited for the next in line. Those behind Lind were the very people that bullied Kor.
They had 'convinced' the other boys to expend themselves so that this group could snag all top 3 spots. It never occurred to them that Lind would be so unstoppable. Lind was fairly certain they had told him to know his place and should step aside for important people. Some nonsense about remembering this favor. Lind could only hear the thrum of blood in his body and was awaiting the word 'Begin' from Garnt.
Once everyone realized Lind was not bowing out, Garnt continued the matches. What had been sparring with some minor injuries became a slaughter. Lind was like the wind. He was opposite his opponent and then the next the boy was flying in the air before being slammed into the ground. No one was quite sure what Lind had done, only that his foe stayed down.
"That's one." Lind whispered the words. The goon was alive and basically unharmed but would not be waking up anytime soon. Lind had been studious in where to hit someone to incapacitate them effectively. Lind thought his name was Bo, but he honestly did not commit it to his memory. The next one up was one Lind had personally seen enjoy striking Kor.
Garnt let things continue but nothing changed. Lind was going all out yet obeying the rules so no one could stop him. The 3 goons afterwards were all defeated in a blur without any chance to retaliate or stay conscious. Finally, there were 2 people left. The last person was Kor, and the one in front of him was the ringleader. Shou Frey. Son of 2nd Elder of the Clan and a pompous ass if ever there was one.
His long dark hair framed a narrow face. He always reminded Lind of a rat on 2 legs. He even had the prominent teeth for it. Lind suspected Shou was jealous of Kor's good looks, but that could not be all of it. It was if there was something about Kor, himself, that allowed this idiocy to continue. The dark eyes were full of rage, but Shou was not a fool. He had never once touched Kor, only directed the beatings. Lind did not care about that separation at all.
"You have had your fun, impure bastard. Now, it is time to bow out. I will overlook all of this on account of your mother." Shou seemed quite sure this would make Lind concede. Lind instead felt rage blossom in his heart like never before. He had met far too many idiots like this in his old life. They saw the world and the people in it as pieces to play with. They had no desire to work for themselves but take all the credit from others. It was idiots like that that brought the world to near destruction everytime.
Lind said no words and assumed his stance. He took great joy in the shock on Shou's face.
"Did you not hear me or were those ears just decorations on your head?! It is over. I have won this tournament! A filthy bastard like you should know this!" Lind suddenly had something click in his head. He had ignored it, pushed it down with all his questions over the years but he looked behind Shou at Kor. He looked hard at Kor's vividly blonde hair. Lind's own hair was a sort of blonde brown mix but it did not change the fact that aside from Kor and his sisters, no one else in the clan he had met had blonde hair at all.
The rage in Lind's heart gave birth to true wrath now. Was that what it was all about?! Their lineage was from a foreigner and that was enough reason to bully an innocent child?! Lind did not know what held him back, but for once in his life, he let go of all constraints. He could not see it but the wind seemed to flow differently around him suddenly. Garnt narrowed his eyes before starting the fight.
Lind simply vanished to everyone's sight. Even Garnt lost him for a moment which shocked him. The next thing all knew was Shou was flying backward, about to leave the impromptu ring but was stopped by an iron grip on his shoulder. Lind looked like a god of death at that moment. Shou was wetting himself to look into those dark green eyes.
"I am not you, people are not things. If you touch Kor again, know I will find out about it and I will not be pleased." Lind then lifted Shou up like a ragdoll and slammed him into the ground flat. A few teeth went flying from Shou's mouth but no other harm was caused. Silence reigned until Lind's next words. "I forfeit to Kor. Apologies for my ugly display."
Lind had bowed and left before he did something truly foolish. He walked by Kor and patted him on the back. Lind ignored the tears of gratitude but he did not miss 2 silhouettes in one of the hallways looking at the tournament. While final places had to be decided, Garnt made no comment on Lind's absence. Shou and his followers were taken to the side as they were still unconscious.
Lind knew he would be trouble for all of that so he had begun doing his meditation. After 3 years of physical training, they had added the meditation but what you did with it was foolish to Lind's mind. After 2 years of it, he only found it useful to organize his thoughts and unwind from a day of labor.
Still, he was supposed to be thinking about the 'elements.' It was classic RPG stuff to Lind's modern mind. Rather than things like helium, hydrogen and so forth, it was instead just 6. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, and Dark were the only elements to be considered at all. Fire was simple, associated with fireballs and the like with similar variance on water, earth, and wind, but the last 2 were different. Light and Dark were both literal and metaphorical. Supposedly, a twisted person could wield darkness quite well but Light was not necessarily the most courageous.
It was the vagueness that irritated Lind's mind. He was supposed to be trying to figure out what elements he was aligned with to proceed with his training but that seemed damned silly. How could anyone just meditate to find alignment. Lind had studied all Granny and his mom gave him, but it was just theoretical stuff. In other words, it was meant to nudge someone, but Lind's modern mind had a better idea.
If this was meant to appeal to a person, then were all the elements part of a person? It was all perspective to Lind. After the tournament, he wanted a desperate distraction before he was chastised for his actions. He knew it was coming, but frankly he wanted nothing to do with anyone at that moment.
Fire. Fire is what represents the heat of a body. We need to be warm and we can share the warmth if needed. Too much fire can burn up a person. Lind saw it all. Fevers to freezing, the idea of his own personal fire took root in his clear mind. Fire was one part of the whole.
Unknown to Lind, deep inside his core body, a sphere of crimson took shape but seemed to not quite click into place, as if it was waiting.
Water was easy. Humans are mostly made up of water. All life needs it to live almost more than food. Too much can kill, but too little can as well. One can feel at home floating in the water or lost to eternity after a shipwreck. Water is part of the world and its people.
An azure sphere appears opposite to the crimson. Pressure began to build around Lind.
Earth was harder, but earth held all the food. Plants and animals are from the earth. Without the crops to eat, animals and humans would die. Even the insects were nurtured by the fruits of the earth. Earth could reclaim what it gave. Quakes and sudden holes could bury people forever if not careful. This exterior element was woven into each person by every meal they had or plant that benefited them like herbs. Earth is the source of the cycle of life.
A crumbling sphere of soil formed beneath the crimson. The 3 were not in balance, something was missing and the pressure increased. Lind felt like his meditation was slipping away but he persevered. He wanted to complete his thought. Something pushed him to complete it.
Wind was as easy as water. The air was brought in and re-energized the blood with oxygen and nutrients for the cells. The waste was breathed out to be absorbed by the plants themselves and thus the cycle was important. Wind was powerful though, it could uproot the world with tornadoes or gusts. Storms came on the wind but were also taken away. Wind moves the world.
A vibrant green sphere brought temporary balance. A square was formed but the pressure was not gone. The alignment was not complete.
Darkness and Light were duality. Humans need light to see but they can adapt to the dark. Too much light can blind but blindness is not the end of life. A blind man can see the world through their other senses. There was also a metaphor in regards to humans. Light and dark are needed to make a whole person. No one is only a saint or devil but a mix of both. A person chooses what they do, but temptation will always be there to whisper a different path. The most depraved can find redemption and the most divine can fall. Light and Darkness are the essence of the soul.
A bright ball of light formed above the crimson and azure while a deep black sphere formed below the soil and green. The 6 elements were complete and the pressure exploded. A vortex of Qi centered on Lind as he felt a pressure in his abdomen. On instinct, he held his meditative state as all across the clan, members felt a massive influx of elemental Qi.
As if he was born for it, Lind guided the energy to his abdomen and the 6 spheres drew in the Qi like it was fresh from the desert and offered water. His dirty blonde hair flew on the wind as the spheres finally fell into place as an emerald fire sparked at the exact center of the newly formed dantian and his body exploded with foul smelling substance. His clothes were soaked as all the dirt in the world seemed to be expelled from Lind's body.
Lind's mother let her concoction fail completely as she stared in awe at her son. He was 11. He was only 11! Had anyone broken through to the Soul Realm at 11?! The storm of Qi finally calmed down after an hour and Lind slowly opened his eyes.
The world had changed.
The once sun touched herb garden was exploding in color. Reds, golds, greens, and the whole rainbow seemed to float to Lind's eyes. He had a headache just looking at it but he quickly seemed to filter out most of it. If he concentrated he could pick out individual colors but still see fleeting images of others. Further, a lot of it seemed to be flowing into his body!
He felt both fantastic and disgusting. His body felt way more energized but he was covered in what Lind felt was crap of God tier level. Was anything supposed to stink this badly?
"Lind?" Lind looked up at his mother's voice and was about to answer when he received a shock. He could see his mother, but there was more. In her belly area were 3 bright spheres. A deep red, bright blue, and dark brown. They were inside some kind of thing in his mother's stomach area and he could see the flow of those 3 colors following some kind of system in her body. She also was absorbing some but not nearly as much as Lind. The location clicked in his head and Lind felt real shock.
"Cultivation is real?!!!!!" His words echoed in the courtyard as the Old Man and Granny just came over to see what was the disturbance.