Thunder Chronicles: Path of the Light (Volume One)
Prologue - #4 Master who lives on the slope
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The path passed through dense foggy forests in the west of the Land of the Winds. There are still many legends and rumors about this place in the western settlements nearby. The fog enveloped the trees, creating ghostly silhouettes that resembled ancient spirits, from which many local myths emanated.
After several days of traveling, Raito and Kobo came to more settled lands and reached Trade Alley, a lively city connecting two great countries – Fire and Wind. Trade Alley was a bustling hub where numerous trade routes intersected. There were shops in large numbers on the streets, where you could meet merchants from different parts of the world. Languages and cultures mixed here, creating an atmosphere unlike anything else. The houses, where there were shops filled with goods from fabrics to spices, were mostly two-storied, mostly light-colored with dark roofs. Raito and Kobo stopped there to restock and exchange news with the locals.
Crossing the border between the Land of Winds and the Land of Fire, they noticed how the landscape was gradually changing. The wooded hills of the western part of the Land of Winds gave way to the open steppes and fields of the eastern regions of the Land of Fire. The expanses spread out in front of Raito and Kobo resembled endless sea waves, with gentle hills stretching beyond the horizon.
In the eastern fields, local farmers and shepherds led their daily lives. The green meadows and pastures were dotted with herds of animals, and the small villages were extremely cozy. The architecture of houses and other structures has changed significantly – the houses were lower, and their roofs were elongated with rounded ends.
Slightly to the west were more hilly and mountainous regions. The landscape became increasingly harsh. Fields and steppes were replaced by rocky areas and steep ascents. The path lay through narrow paths winding among the rocks of the Dragon Gorge, which led straight to the Peaks of Jinfeng, starting from the fertile eastern fields. Dragon Gorge got its name because of the winding rocks resembling the back of a sleeping dragon. This gorge was not only a natural barrier, but also an important trade route connecting the eastern and western regions of the country.
As they approached the Peaks of Jinfeng, incredible views opened up in front of them. High mountains rose into the sky like ancient guardians protecting these lands. Terraced rice fields appeared on the mountain slopes, glistening in the evening sun, where local hard workers worked. Streams and waterfalls descending from the peaks filled the air with the sounds of running water.
— It remains only to cross these mountains. — Kobo said, pointing at the mountain that covered the peaks.
— Yeah, finally two months of the journey will come to an end. — Raito said with relief, sitting by a tree at the very edge of the forest.
The forest from which Kobo and Raito had just left was located exactly between the mountains, so once outside, the guys felt a cool wind coming from the north, where the mountains almost did not meet on his way. The breeze blew over the tops of the dense trees, and the grass in the clearing, already in the shadow of the mountains, resembled sea waves.
A sound was heard from the forest, which immediately attracted attention. Kobo turned sharply, but did not immediately notice the one who had disturbed the silence. A man in black trousers with a bandage wrapped around his body was hanging from a branch directly above Raito. His forehead was also wrapped in a bandage, slightly lifting his brown hair.
Raito abruptly raised his head and noticed an opponent above him, to the sound of whose sword Hakami drew attention.
— Who the hell are you? — Kobo asked, looking up.
The brown-eyed man rushed at Raito without ceremony, which he was definitely not ready for. He took out his sword and began to attack it with quick stabbing blows, which Hakami could hardly repel, because he still had very poor swordsmanship techniques. Kobo did not leave Raito in trouble and intercepted the enemy, taking out his sharp axe, which he sharpened in Essaya's forge.
— What do you want from us? — Kobo asked defensively.
— Give me that guy's weapons. — The man suddenly replied.
— Why should I?
Kobo honed his techniques and mastery of the element himself, practicing almost daily outside the city. During such training, he could not develop the full potential of his strength, but it was more than enough to protect him.
Kobo wrapped his axe in sharp stone pieces, which increased the weight of the weapon and significantly added damage to attacks.
— Weapons from the Land of Thunder are highly valued on the mainland. — The man declared.
— So go there and buy it. — Kobo replied.
Raito took up his blades, and stood waiting for the fact that he was about to have to fight. Kobo fought off the enemy's strong stabbing blows with the back of the axe blade and fought back with his legs and elbows in parallel. However, the enemy, apparently, was a bandit and hand-to-hand combat was the most familiar way for him to resolve issues. The enemy reflected Kobo's blows without any problems.
One of the attacks went through Kobo's right side, but fortunately did not touch any internal organs, but only left a scratch and tore his favorite gray long-sleeve T-shirt.
— Damn idiot, it hurts! — Kobo shouted, quickly repelling the enemy's attack, causing the enemy's sword to fly out of his hands.
A fist fight ensued, which, however, ended very quickly. Johnsen took advantage of his advantage and disabled his opponent by hitting him on the head with the back of an axe.
— Taste your own product, you idiot. — Kobo said, a moment after the bandit's unconscious body fell to the ground. — Why should I fight a bandit fairly?
Raito stood in a daze, holding onto his blades with his palms, which were fixed in the belt of his wide straight black trousers. He had never felt so useless before.
— What was that just now? — Raito asked in surprise.
— Yes, that's weird, why did he attack us at all? — Kobo said, putting the axe behind his back.
The unhurried sounds of footsteps began to come from the forest. Raito and Kobo reacted again and prepared to take the fight, when suddenly a short old man in a gray-greenish Hanfu and a light cape appeared out of the darkness. There was not a hair on his head, except for his eyebrows, which hid his eyes with their thickness. The old man looked about eighty years old, and he was about one hundred and forty centimeters tall.
— You just dealt with one of the buffaloes. — The old man said in a hoarse voice, walking slowly towards Kobo and Raito with his hands behind his back.
— Who are you little old man? — Kobo asked, wary. — What's with the buffaloes?
— "Buffaloes" nightmare the local settlements, rob the common people and do not disdain to set fire to the houses of ordinary peasants. — The old man replied, continuing to walk slowly towards the guys. — Very unpleasant people, there can be no question of any "fair fight" with them.
— And why was this one such a weakling? — Kobo asked in a gruff voice.
— A weakling?.. — thought Raito, replaying the whole fight again... — Kobo, you're strong, damn it!
— Probably, this young man has separated from his own people. — Said the old man who came up to the unconscious body of the bandit, poking him in the cheek with a stick. — This happens extremely rarely, because they usually attack in a "herd".
— And how many of them are in this "herd"? — Raito asked.
— Usually at least thirty. — The old man said, without taking his eyes off the defeated enemy. — Maybe he decided that he was able to benefit his "herd" on his own. Who knows.
The old man left the poor bandit alone and walked out of the forest, fixing his gaze on the high mountain that Kobo and Raito just had to go around.
— We should leave this place. — The old man turned to the guys, putting his hands behind his back again, with which he held his wand, which helped him when walking. — Surely his comrades are already looking for him in full force, I would not like to get into a skirmish with a bunch of robbers.
— You're right, old man. — Kobo said, moving slowly from his place.
— Are you from Yulang village? — Raito asked.
— Of course, there is no other settlement near this place. — The old man said, moving towards the mountain.
— Do you know a man named Liang? — Slightly accelerating his pace to catch up with the old man, said Raito.
— Ha-haha! Who doesn't know him in the village! — The old man laughed.
The road to Yulang Village was scenic but difficult to cross. Climbing up the mountain by a stone staircase, the old man and the guys found themselves in a fog that enveloped the slopes, creating a slightly dark atmosphere. Stone stairs leading up and down turned into narrow paths, sometimes almost disappearing among the dense vegetation. Ancient cedars and bamboo groves stretched along the path, and the air was filled with freshness and a woody smell. The sounds of footsteps complemented the atmosphere, merging with other natural sounds.
After overcoming another steep climb, Raito and Kobo had a view of the sprawling rice fields cascading down the mountain slopes. The water filling the terraces reflected the rays of the sun still passing into this place, as well as the evening sky and clouds, giving the place an appearance of peace.
After a while, the trail led them to the first building in the village. The houses here were built of bamboo and wood, with graceful roofs curved at the ends, covered with tiles. Yulang village was surrounded by high mountain peaks that protected it from the winds.
— The night is coming, we should spend the night somewhere. — Raito spread his hands, standing under a small wooden arch at the entrance to the village.
— We'll spend the night under a tree, the good old-fashioned way. — Kobo said.
— We don't spend the night in the woods. — Raito said thoughtfully. — Old man, is there a guest house here?
An old man standing a little further away reacted and came a little closer.
— No, young man. Visitors are a rare occurrence here.
— That's how it is. Gotcha.
— Well, that means under the tree. — Kobo said, as if rejoicing.
The old man, smiling, looked through his eyebrows at the dialogue between Raito and Kobo, as if waiting for their next question. After waiting for a while, he tapped with a stick on the thick stones from which the road was laid out at the entrance to the village, attracting the attention of the guys.
— As I recall, you're here to find Liang, aren't you? — He asked.
Raito and Kobo, who were standing in contemplative poses, turned around and directed their gazes at the old man.
— I can escort you to him.
Raito and Kobo moved towards Master Liang's house, accompanied by the old man, passing through the narrow, rambling streets of the village. After walking a good half of the village, they found themselves almost at its very edge, in the place where one of the peaks of the Jinfeng Peaks was located. It was at the foot of this mountain that a small house was located, surrounded by a well-kept garden where plums grew. Water was gurgling nearby, probably there was a mountain stream nearby.
Approaching the house itself, Raito raised his gaze to take a closer look at the exterior of the building. Panels were carved on the wooden facade of the house, referring to the mythology of the region, as indicated by the fact that they often featured the mist falcon, a long–time resident of the Jinfeng Peaks.
The old man pushed open the door of the house, from which a soft smell of incense and warm yellow light immediately began to come.
— Come on in. — Said the old man, passing his hand.
Hakami and Johnsen entered a room in the middle of which there was a low table with dark blue cushions around. There were open scrolls and drawings on the far wall, and on the left there were paper windows that scattered sunlight during the daytime.
— So... where's the Liang you were taking us to? — Kobo asked, sitting on the floor in a lotus position, looking around the room.
— He's right in front of you, kid. — Said the old man.
Kobo blinked and looked at Raito, who was sitting in front of him with his knees tucked up.
— Raito? I don't know what kind of Master Liang he is, I've known him since the beginning of the academy. — Kobo reasoned with absolute seriousness.
— You're a fool, kid. — Suddenly said the old man, who went to the kettle, into which he was going to draw water. — I am Master Liang.
— What, really?
— It became obvious to me even when we were on the road. — Hakami said in a deadpan voice.
— Really? — Kobo shouted. — You could have told me too.
— I thought it was really obvious. — Raito continued in an unperturbed voice. — Kaisa once mentioned that she trained with some "small old man" in the mountains in the west of the Land of Fire, and now Ren has sent us here.
— Kaisa, you say? — The old man interrupted the dialogue between Raito and Kobo. — Isn't that Kaisa who wields the rare lightning?
— Yes, she's the one.
— I remember her, she's an outrageously stubborn girl, but if she gets down to business, she can outrun anyone. — Said the old man.
— This is not surprising. — Kobo said with displeasure, annoyed that Raito had not informed him about the old man's identity.
— She's one of the most valuable Shadow fighters right now. — Raito said.
— I don't care about these names and organizations, as long as everything works out for her. — The old man said, picking up a small golden teapot.