The Fate of my Soul.

Part 10

It is early morning and only Chang Shan is awake, so I decide to take a walk about the grounds.  I remember there is a lotus pond nearby with a view of the lower valleys.  The mist is heavy this morning and it gives the valleys an air of mystery as I make way through the archway to the lotus pond.  Noticing the meditation dais, I decide to sit there, and with the mist about me as I make myself comfortable, I feel the floating waters and the mist laden air become one with my breathing.  It is a most magical experience, as I feel my inner being float and sway in quiet contemplation.  It is a feeling I am enjoying immensely.

As I am quietly meditating, I am suddenly hit with a sharp memory of a lotus.  A golden lotus!  My father is giving it to me and asks me to care for it until it can take on human form.  Though the memory is incomplete, I know deep within me it is an important memory, one that I must remember. 

Opening my eyes, my sight immediately moves to the lotus pond, but there is nothing there, and I have a very strong feeling that there should be.  In fact, my walk around the grounds with Die Feng brought the same memory and it was definitely this pond that I saw it.  That father had given it to me for safe keeping suggests it holds significant importance.  

Standing, I slowly make my way to the pond, but Im not even half way, when I suddenly see an image of Si Yin, playing with the lotus.  She is talking to it and lightly stroking it with a long blade of grass, as her giggling grows louder.  Closing my eyes, the image becomes even clearer.  She is  informing the lotus of her true identity, and though she is laughing and chatting happily, I feel a deep sadness in her voice. 

"Shifu." a voice breaks into my memories from behind me.  Turning, I find myself face to face with one of my disciples that I recall from the the first meeting in the Grand Hall.  His arms are still raised and his head bowed, so I greet him warmly.  He is quite tall, though not as tall as Die Feng, but what really catches my eye, is his hair.  It is jet black with a tinge of raven blue streaking through it, which catches the early morning sunlight that has just begun to rise.  It gives him an air of mystery. 

Looking up at me, I can see his eyes are almost as black as his hair, something that surprises me, the depth within them almost feels as if they are drawing me in,  like the chaos, they have a feeling of ruthlessness.   

Though his smile now, is very welcoming, and the small dimples that appear, instantly replace the dark feeling with a  cute childish warmth.  I also notice with stunned amazement, that the raven blue has now been replaced with a much lighter blue tone, his eyes also seem to have softened considerably which now seem to be a light greenish brown.

"Shifu, my name is Zhao Rong, your Fourth Disciple, and I am here to escort you to breakfast." he informs me as he once again bows.

That name instantly brings back another memory.  "Zhao.  You are from the Dragon Clan?"  A memory that I recall vividly, having spent much time with them, learning the art of Dragon taming and Dragon warfare.  Si Yin would often accompany me on those visits, and he would always ask to see my dragon form, it became a habit.

Theirs is also a clan that is known for the breeding of many kinds of beasts, in fact my own cranes were a gift to me, from the The Dragon Clans King as payment for taking the boy under my wing.  Birds I had completely forgotten about until now!

Suddenly another memory comes, and it comes in violently, as the cranes vividly appear in my mind.  Si Yin is arguing with Zhe Lan over the feeding of the cranes.  He hates my birds, so wants to swap his duties for the wine cellar which Zhe Lan had been given.  Their bickering is so loud, the cranes became frightened, and attacked Zhe Lan, who happened to be the nearest target.  In his defense, Si Yin attacked them with The fan of Kunlun, to get them off him, severely injuring 4 of them.  It was the Dragon Clans King, who had to come and save them, and I was forced to severely punish Si Yin to appease the Dragon Clans King, who had threatened to remove them.