Blind night.
The sound of galloping horses' hooves quickly broke through the pouring rain. Stepped on the puddles that had formed on the small road out of the capital.
Large horses with men dressed in gallant guards raced as fast as they could to catch up to the person far ahead. The dark road did not prevent the large burly horses from running very fast without stopping.
"Hiaaaa!! Hiaaa!!"
The sound of screaming and the whipping of whips accompanied the tall, muscular horses filled with passion with hot breath and blood, running down the road.
"Hiaaa! Hiaaa!!"
The man in the front, with a wide hat wearing commoner's clothes carried a fairly large package in front of his chest. The heavy unstoppable rain made the body even the cloth bundle on his chest was all wet. He did not slow down his speed so that the horse was getting farther away from the palace guards who chased them.
Far up to the deep mountain, between densest trees and the deepest forest where steps haven't been reaching out that far.
Lotus Valley.
A plain along the foot of the mountain that was home to the Moon Lotus College. Known for its unique martial arts and ninety-nine medicinal remedies that were most admired by all of the Martial arts worlds.
The shabby hut of Elder Oei. One of the valley's elders lives at the foot of the mountain as he declares himself being off from the outer world and lives peacefully there as a healer.
Very hard knocks wake him from his deep peaceful sleep in the middle of a very quiet night. More like a smack than a knock.
"Yeah yeah, who's knocking on doors like that in the middle of the night, geez"
Old man Oei, Oei Lau Ya. The elder of the medicinal valley is the most powerful among the others in the matter of medicine. The magic healer is known all over the place for his ability to heal people who are almost out of breath. He is an old man, no longer involved in Lotus Valley affairs, and dedicated his old age to studying more about medicines. The old man put his clothes on and approached the door.
"Ouch, who is it, you're not a ghost aren't you?" the old man opened the door. A big tall man was already standing in front of him soaking in wet all over his body.
"Elder Oei"
The old man frowned as he widened the door for the familiar man to enter.
"Guard Lu, what are you doing at a time like this?"
Before Elder Oei had finished asking, the man in his middle age who was called Guard Lu lowered his body and handed the cloth bundle in front of Elder Oei.
"Please save this child! Please do anything you can to save him, I beg you!"
Elder Oei was surprised to see what was in the cloth package. A tiny baby with almost blueish skin, not moving at all, it's like, a lifeless doll.
"This.., guard Lu, who is this?" shaking, the old man try to touch the baby, his eyes widened to learn that, they might be too late already.
....
Six years later.
The dark sky glowed from afar.
There was a loud bang in the distance from thunder and lightning. But everyone knows it not just an ordinary thunder and lightning like it used to be. A young kid, petite, carried a rattan basket on his small back where he placed the medicinal leaves his been collected it all day long. He stood near the cliff watching the thunderous lightning flash here and there as if the fireworks that's sparks in his big redish eyes. It looks fun to watch it, until it hit the ground so hard as if something had fallen so fast to the ground.
"Bang!!"
The sweet-faced little boy look around for the path where he can run near the lightning-struck direction just now. Did it hit a resident's house? Has any animal been struck by it? That's very unsettling.
In no time his little feet send him ran down the rock as fast as he headed deeper into the forest.
Dark. The road is slippery. Almost no light enters the cold and wet cave. No sound whatsoever. Slowly, the small footsteps of a boy entered the depths of the cave far from where he shouldn't be. He shouldn't be there, but as far as he knew the lightning had struck there, some little animals such cute bunny or else might get hurt and he couldn't let that happens.
The young curious kid carrying an oil lamp hanging in his hand move in. Strange sounds came from all directions but he couldn't see anything.
While treading carefully because of the dark, the kid accidentally stepped on a slippery rock and fell.
"Ah!" not only slipped, but the small body also shot down into a deeper cave hole without being able to control it.
"Ah, help!!" he stopped at the deep bottom of the cave for sure because he slided quite far.
The little boy groaned while groping his buttock, why is he so unlucky?
"Ouch, it hurts."
With difficulty, the little boy whose shoulders were even smaller than the basket oh his shoulder widened his eyes. He fell into the interior of the cave, how can he get out later? He looks up with his oil lamp raise high, but can't see anything from there.
With a limp he slowly stood up, patting his buttock from dirt. Looks like he hurt his leg because of the fall.
"Why is a Yuen so stupid, it hurts"
He walk a few steps and stopped when he heard something from behind the stone wall not far in front of him. With a little shaking from scared, the little kid aimed his oil lamp and continued his steps toward the rock.
"Hello, is there something in there? Little bunny?" he cried in a small voice. The little boy headed behind the stone wall and glared at what was shining through his oil lamp. In a glimpse the thing is huge like a monster, without waiting to be eaten the little boy ran away.
"Akkkhhhh!"
But, he was in the deepest cave, where could he go? The boy suddenly stopped his steps. Although he was afraid but was so sure he saw something above the large rock, then, why didn't it chase him? Did he misslooked? Curious, the little boy move, and headed behind the wall again, reaching out his hand to see clearly with his oil lamp. The boy's big round eyes blinked a number of times, it was a strange creature, unlike what he had seen often, neither a horse nor a rabbit. It had bluish-coloured scales, a head that had horns, and a pair of glazed eyes staring at it, a long big bright blue pair of eyes. At first glance, it looks so pretty. There's a little smoke and smells of burning, was it is the one who was struck by lightning earlier? The little boy's eyes widened with glare.
"Wow, are you a dragon? Little dragon? This is great, a Yuen has never seen a dragon before."
Not afraid anymore, the little boy approached and lowered his body in front of the dragon's head which was quite large for him, even though it looked like a very young dragon, it still small. The dragon seemed to be badly injured, it couldn't even lift its head, its body burned and some of its wings seemed to pierce some sparkling arrows. Who has hurt it?
A Yuen's small hands, the kid touch the arrows on the dragon's wings and tail. But his hands were so small and had no strength, how could he pull them?
"Wait here, I'm looking for help" The boy quickly took his oil lamp from the ground, and ran out.
The creature with shiny colored scales curled its body endured the pain all over its body. From it big reddish teary eyes, it look surrender on what going to happens next. It had lost it will to live either, what will happens just let it happens. Soon the child would come with a human who would kill it, and it might end it there.
But before long, the sound of running footsteps was heard. The little boy came back with something in his hand. Something that shines.
"Look, what Yuen found in the cave over there, it's a stone lotus. Like what Teacher said, this plant is grow here, and Yuen found it, look, it's so pretty"
The kid cheerfully sat in front of the dragon, showing a white flower the size of his palms that glows in the dark. The dragon's eyes widened, it was said that the stone lotus grew on the very dark cave wall, and that was it purpose there to find a plant that could save lives and give spiritual power many times over. It grows a hundred year for one or two rare flowers, which mean it's almost impossible for people to find it, is it the real Stone Lotus as the legend?
And the lotus had never shone, and it would be difficult to find it among the cave stones which looks all the same. The plant would only shine on those who were destined with it so they could find it among the darkness. Then, that kid, is indeed destined with it? The innocent, sweet cheerful little kid who said he would call for help, but instead he come back again so fast, alone? The dragon eyes keep looking at the kid who didn't stop smiles at him.
"Hehehe no need to worry, you will be alright, hehe" said the little boy who's eyes shine more than the Stone Lotus plant.
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