The Adventures of Hu Tao and Ruggie (work in progress title)

Prologue

Hu Tao was always a very lonely child. She was raised by her grandfather. As her mother died in childbirth and her father died in battle while her mother was pregnant. Her grandfather was always busy with work. So when Hu Tao was 5 he had employed an orphan boy a year older than her to be her friend. The boy’s name was Ruggie. 

He was a sickly thin and lanky 6 year old, who instead of human ears, he has large, brown hyena ears on the top of his head, he also has a short hyena tail of the same color. 

It didn’t take long for the two to become as close as siblings.

 They were inseparable from the start. They spent everyday together. He would help Hu Tao cook breakfast. Or play hide and seek. They did everything together.  From playing tag and hide and seek, to going exploring. There was nothing they couldn’t do. Ruggie even taught her how to swim.

Years later…

Ten days before the funeral itself, her grandfather had passed away following a bout of illness, leaving her orphaned. For its 75th Director, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor held a grand funeral, in accordance with the last wishes of the old man himself, to be conducted by Hu Tao.

Only thirteen at the time, Hu Tao, who would later go on to become the Director in turn, made all the arrangements herself to the highest standard, greatly impressing the undertakers.

After the funeral, the thirteen-year-old Hu Tao  grabbed her traveler's bag, woke up Ruggie and the two crept out alone in the dead of night. In the bag were only a few rations, some water, and a means to create some light. They was headed to a mysterious and seldom-seen frontier.

Heading straight from Wuwang Hill, one may arrive at the "border." It is the line that separates life and death, the secrets of which have been managed by Wangsheng Funeral Parlor for generations. According to legend, it is a place where the souls of past relatives and the spirits of those with unfulfilled aspirations linger. For Hu Tao, this journey was a chance to see her grandfather once more before he departed forever.

For two days the two journeyed unceasingly before finally arriving at their destination, yet was unable to locate her grandfather upon arrival. Between the innumerable spirits she walked, but not one of them resembled the old man.

Theu stayed there the whole day before falling asleep in exhaustion, awakening to a night sky and heavy dew. Around the two were gathered a few lone spirits, clapping and laughing:

“Silly children, why would Old Hu be here of all places? What were you two thinking, looking for your relatives here?”

Not one to be swayed so easily, the two continued to wait, day after day. Their rations gradually disappeared and their water supplies drained away, but Hu Tao’s grandfather did not appear. In the end, it was a little old woman who came to them.

She laid eyes on the exhausted Hu Tao and Ruggie and smiled as she spoke: "Look at your stubbornness, you're exactly like Old Hu. It's a shame, but none of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Directors would ever linger here. You come from a family of plain speakers, so let me return the favor... Go back. Go back to where you came from."

The old woman bid farewell to the children, before passing over the border and into the distance. Hu Tao and Ruggie watched as the figure of the mysterious woman grew smaller and disappeared, as a sense of doubt tinged with relief manifested itself.

At last the two came to the conclusion: Hu Tao’s grandfather's absence was due to him having passed over the border as soon as he'd arrived, to the place where he was bound. He had been open and honest in life, leaving behind no regrets, so was it right for his departure to be framed in regretful terms?

With a smile, the two set forth on the return journey.

The faraway moon had been casting a thin light on the way over but had now been replaced by the bright light of dawn. As she walked, Hu Tao thought of a saying that her grandfather had often quoted: "Live in life, die in death. Follow your heart, do what you can."

It was noon when Hu Tao arrived home. She climbed over the wall into the rear courtyard, went straight to her room, and unpacked her travel bag.

With her food and water long gone, and the rest of her belongings unpacked, the bag she had taken for empty instead contained a colorful Vision. Just when had it arrived?

As one of the few living that had dared to visit the border, perhaps Hu Tao's actions had moved some unknown god.

Perhaps this then constituted a heavenly gift... the ultimate recognition of her strength.

But the night of Saturday the next week….

“Ruggie….Ruggie where are you? Please don’t leave me alone too,” Hu Tao cried into the darkness of her room, her tears silently flowing down. She sat on her bed, hugging her knees, rocking back and forth…..