"The Little Things"

Back then

Fear. It was filling every single cell of his body. He ran through the dense forest, like a hunted animal, for that was, precisely, what he had become- prey for the Shadow Beasts. He tripped and fell, then jumped back to his feet and ran again, only one thought in his head. "I cannot die. Not yet, not before I find my brother." He saw lights at the distant and felt a small flicker of hope. Light meant safety.

It was already too late when he realized that the lights came from a nearby village. That he was running towards innocent people bringing, gods know, how many beasts with him. He halted suddenly and turned around. His long weapon materialized in his hand, and he took a fighting stance. He would not let those people die. His body betrayed him, shaking uncontrollably, and he clenched his teeth.

"You just had to spoil the fun," came a disembodied voice from the darkness. "I wanted to make you my successor, the lord of the shadow beasts. All in all, you are the Mountain Ghost already. So much more entertaining than the other one. But you had to follow me."

"I will never-" Started the boy, his clattering teeth spoiling the effect.

There was a burst of low deep laughter. "I will still give you a chance, boy. If you survive today, perhaps I shall grant you a dreamlike life of a god."

"I just want to find my brother!"

"And you will. With all the power I can offer, finding your brother will be so easy... Searching through the darkness with just a small portion of that power will let you sense anyone you desire. Imagine..."

"Why are you doing this? Those beasts are evil!" the boy was slowly getting his courage back.

"And you think that humans aren't?!" roared the angry voice. Dixing, Haxing, Yashou. They are all the same! There is pure evil inside every one of them. They will look for any vulnerability and exploit it. They will use you, trick you, and when you are no longer needed, they will dispose of you like a piece of garbage. Only the strongest have the right to rule the rest.

"No," Shen Wei was shaking his head. They are not all like that. There are good people too."

"How naïve! As I said, survive today, and we shall meet again." There was a commotion among the trees, and seven Shadow Beasts appeared. The boy clutched his weapon, and as the first beast jumped, he slashed with all his might. The unsuspecting creature vaporized in a wisp of black smoke giving the boy some hope as adrenaline rushed through his veins. The other six screeched, preparing to attack. Shen Wei Was keeping the village lights behind him. They faintly illuminated his opponents. He kept track of all six of them. He would not let any of them attack the unsuspecting villagers. The moment the second beast jumped, he rushed forward, not caring about the fear, clearly visible on his face, nor the tears he was unable to keep at bay. His hands were swift, imitating the quick movements of his opponents. He didn't feel the gashes, their long claws left on his body. That night, his learning abilities were used to their fullest.

"Kid, hey kid, come on, you're not dead, right?" A slightly panicky male voice brought him back to consciousness. He tried to move and soon regretted it when the pain flared up all over his body. "Easy, here, drink some water." Something cool trickled down his mouth and throat, and he swallowed. "There, there." A gentle, though shaky hand wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I can't heal you more. Can you do it yourself?"

Shen Wei slowly cracked- opened his eyes and moaned when the bright sunlight assaulted him.

"Easy," said the old, white-haired man sitting cross-legged right next to him. "You had quite the night, huh?" The strange man's voice was full of compassion.

"Who?"

"Oh, I'm just a... local herbalist. Lucky for you, I went out in the morn to search for some wolfsbane and instead found you. Those evil sounds we all heard at night, you got rid of what was making them?" Shen Wei nodded, and the man smiled feebly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you earlier. But now we need to get you healed, here," the man guided Shen Wei's hand gently to his chest. The boy groaned. "I know. I'm sorry, this is the worst one. You will need to concentrate on your energy. Bring it out and focus it in your hand. Good. Now direct it at the wound. Think about how the skin used to be before and will it to heal back. That's it. That's it. Don't rush it..."

The man stayed with the wounded boy the whole day, helping him heal, then shared what meagre food he had with him. Shen Wei looked closely at the stranger. He had long white hair, and his beard and moustache fell almost to his waist. He would often pull it by mistake, which made him mumble profanities. His chin was slightly pointed, and the crow's feet around his eyes didn't leave any doubt as to how old the man had to be. Shen Wei didn't understand why, but he trusted this old herbalist right away. Perhaps it was the easy grin that appeared naturally on the man's face and seemed to be contagious. Or the fact that this stranger looked him straight into the eyes while talking. There was a sense of strange familiarity and safety around the elder.

"Those things you fought," began the man after they finished eating. "Do you know their origin?"

The youngster nodded, then lowered his head. He felt ashamed that he had treated the cloaked man as his mentor, not knowing who he really was. The old man put a hand on Wei's shoulder. "Do you know their master as well?" The boy flinched, and the man laughed gently. "There is no evil in trusting people. But once we know their true intentions, we must ask ourselves, how far are we willing to go to stop them."

"I... I will..." Shen Wei looked at the man with remorseful eyes.

"Have you ever killed a man?" the old man asked suddenly, and Shen Wei's eyes rounded. He had killed many Shadow Beasts and Youchu, and he had fought some rebels. But he had never actually killed a human being.

"I see." the old man nodded several times, deep in thought. His expression went from anxious to relieved. "Well, let's make it, so you don't have to. You are way too young for that. Let's say we find a way to seal his powers. Would you be willing to try it?"

"How do you know all this?" Shen Wei was starting to get suspicious. He shifted and winced at the unexpected pain. He looked down in confusion for any overlooked wounds. The man noticed it and smiled with sympathy.

"Oh, about that, although you healed what you can see, your body will still need time to mend itself. I am truly sorry that you are in pain," the herbalist said, and there was real compassion in his eyes.

"It's not that bad," lied the boy. The man snorted and shook his head but changed the topic.

"I had met that despicable man before. A long, long time ago, when he had just gained his power. However, I couldn't bring myself to kill him. The decision of that day, to leave him alive, resulted in the dire situation we have now." The herbalist's interlocked fingers whitened as he squeezed them.

„You just didn't want to kill," Shen Wei said, understanding it all too well. „That's not a bad thing."

„Yes... But had I killed him when I had I chance, how many people wouldn't have lost their lives later on?" asked the elder, and Shen Wei thought of all the destroyed villages he had passed through that year alone.

"So..." the boy lowered his head. "Will I have to..." The herbalist patted his head with a shaky hand and smiled sadly.

"Not necessarily. But whatever path you choose, you must remember to follow it. Your heart will guide you. Look beyond here and now. If you are able to do it, you will never be wrong."

The man saw Shen Wei look at him with a quizzical expression of someone who really wants to understand, yet for some reason cannot, and laughed gingerly.

„Ah, us old people always talking in riddles. But don't worry. When the time comes, everything will become clear." he reassured.