The mountainside was ruthless, this, he had always known. Harsh rain could sweep their hard-earned crops to dust. Harsh wind could bring trees on top of their clay houses. Harsh winters, could cause avalanches and potentially kill people. However...Even through all of that the people were at peace with each other. For if there were problems outside, the peace inside would be all the more cherished and protected.
Yes. As long as the outside stayed away...if the outside didn't cross the line, if the outside continued to be harsh, if the outside continued to be the enemy. The inside will always remain peaceful...That was what his father told him, at least, what his father said to him before he lay on the floors of their home crushed by the boulders released by the enemy. His mother pushed him then, sobbing and screaming, while holding onto his wailing younger sister. Only a year younger than himself, crying for their father, crying out of fear. "Daddy-!! Daddy-! DADDYYY-!"
The little girl's scream harmonized perfectly with many others into a similar haunting song. His mother pushed him desperately to run even if she could hardly keep herself together in her sorrow and terror. "Run! KANG HAOLIN RUN WITH MOTHER!" Kang Haolin, his tears pouring like rain sat in a daze staring at the crushed corpse of his father. His hands still stretched out from beneath in the same position as he was when he had thrown his son out of harm's way. Kang Haolin could hardly register anything around him due to the ringing in his ears, his heart was pounding, his mind spinning.
A rough hand scooped him up then, shaking but stern as he spoke to Kang Haolin's mother. "Jing'er I will carry him. Hold on tight to your daughter and follow me." Kang Haolin's eyes were covered by large calloused hands, blocking his view of his father's bloody corpse, those hands he always found so powerful and steady were trembling. Kang Haolin felt himself being jostled in the man's arms and stiffly moved his own shaking fingers to hold on tightly to the hand that covered his eyes. Not knowing if he wanted to remove them or not, the darkness was all he could see. But he could still hear the screams and mourning wails surrounding them. His voice was hoarse, Haolin was still petrified with fear and disbelief.
"Uncle..." His uncle was trembling as well, however, he still hummed softly to the boy whose tears almost created a pool of salty water in his palm. His beard was coated in stubborn tears, his nose red and sour. But he still responded as soothingly as he could to the boy. "Mn, uncle is here. Uncle is here, don't be afraid. Uncle is here, Haolin."
------------------------------------Twenty Years----------------------------------------
War banners by the hundreds fanned the bottom of the valley, their insignia of a golden dragon standing proudly. Their armor imitates the scales of a large silver dragon, surrounding the bottom valley ready to swallow it whole by the command of the gold dragon. Vain, prideful, full of justice and insolence. Their army stood with their heads held high despite their objective being so small and seemingly insignificant in comparison. Standing on top of the mountains watching this unfold with their lips curled up with derision and their teeth gritted with hatred. A group of white simple leather armored soldiers with spy glasses watched as the general of that army arrogantly strode to the front of army lines.
Provoking them endlessly. "Arrogant bastards." One of them mutters with a bitter smile. His grin exposed a sharp fang, he resembled a wild beast wanting to tear out the general's throat. "Tell the leader that they're finally here." As one of the men on the side nodded stiffly and made to do just that a man spoke up coldly from behind them. "No need." A bit startled but having been used to his quick appearance whenever danger encroached on them the men were quick to salute respectfully.
"Leader Kang!" The person who spoke emerged from the sun's shadows to stand firmly at the top of the ridge, his large frame seeming to cast a shadow on the valley behind him. The man's face was layered with fine frown lines, his sword-shaped brows narrowed in a forever fierce expression. He stood at an intimidating one hundred and seventy centimeters in height, dwarfing his allies in his shadow even just standing beside them. The closest reaching his shoulders. But even as a tall and built man, Kang Haolin's outer muscles did not exceed anything out of the ordinary as he saw it was nothing but a vain attempt to please others. Donning simple leather like his fellow villagers, Kang Hoalin's entire body told a story with the medals of honor he collected over the years.
Even his hands were not spared from his tales of horror. However, his face remained as clean as ever, no one knew why a callous male like Kang Haolin protected his face so much. He was a charming masculine devil, but those who trained with him day in and out knew better than to take him as a vain male and didn't ask questions. Only muttering speculations to themselves secretly. The 'charming devil' rejects the spyglass the scout held out to him and scans the large army at the bottom of their mountains with his eyes alone. They stood aside and waited for him to speak.
Watching as the steady man quietly took in the army below with the intelligent eyes of a beast eyeing the tiger of another mountain daring to take a step into his domain from the shadows. "I will go alone." Startled, the scouts with widened eyes opened their mouths to protest as Kang Haolin made to descend alone without so much as a bow and arrow. "L-Leader-! The village chieftain said that-!" Kang Haolin icily turned his gaze onto the man who spoke, silencing him with a mere indifferent look. "I will deal with my uncle when I return. Go back first."
Reluctant to return with their report, but also too scared to disobey the Leader's orders. The men hesitated and could only helplessly watch as Kang Haolin slid down the mountain alone into the forestry below. "...." Cursing after Kang Haolin disappeared, the man with the spyglass who ordered them to call Kang Haolin in the first place gritted his teeth before turning around in a hurry to report as the man ordered them to. "Go back! We'll report to the chieftain first!" "But Leader-" The man growled at his still hesitant subordinates, "I said go back! Do you want to defy the Leader's orders?!" With that, the men shut their mouths tightly and also hurriedly followed him down the mountainside.
The man pursed his lips, hiding the hint of worry in his eyes and refusing to look back and show his own hesitant appearance. Kang Haolin. Will it kill you to receive another person's help? Rushing into danger all by yourself all the time...How can we all rest assured? As they were halfway down the mountain, the sound of trumpets and faint screams echoed from behind sending shivers down their spines. Telling them that Leader Kang had started his rampage again. The faces of the newer scouts go pale, however seeing as the older groups only wore grim expressions they bit their lips and said nothing. "..." Following those echoing screams came the roar of an unnamed beast that shook the high heavens and rattled their mountains.
The head of the group couldn't help but glance back and saw the glimmer of silver flying over the horizon toward the rising sun. Like a silver spear soaring toward the heavens, gleaming brilliantly and gloriously in comparison to the fake gold crown that was stuck on the ground unable to take flight with him. His eyes flicker with a complicated light before he looks away again keeping his eyes on what was in front of him. No longer daring to glance back toward the now descending silver meteor.