By The Will of the Gods

One Rises Another Falls

Kunlun Mountain.

Waking the next morning, Si Yin remained lying in bed as she always did.  Unlike her seniors who literally flew out of bed the moment their eyes opened, she never felt the need to rush about in the morning, not when one had the entire day to get things done, and like every other morning, she lay warm in her bed listening for the soft voices of her seniors passing by her window on their way to the Hall for breakfast.  Only this time, she was also wondering where her Shifu had rushed off to this time.  Not only had he ordered her brothers to stop harassing her having chased her straight into his arms, he had then given her strict instructions to behave herself before he left her with the very people who were harassing her.

Raising her arm, she pouted sullenly at the small purple bruise she received the moment Shifu left the mountain.  Only she wasn't sure if he would be back in time to see it before it disappeared.  She knew as well as Zi Lan did, that if Shifu saw him hitting her, he would be punished severely and she would get a little treat to put the smile back on her face.

Sometimes he would give her little cakes he brought back from his travels or sometimes he would bring a delicacy that one could gain from only one place in their world and that was Chocolate.  It was such a rare treat, but she never forgot the taste, it was so sweet, yet creamy and she had only been given it twice in the forty thousand years she had been a Disciple, but she never forgot it.  Of course she would hound him for more, but he had told her that it came from a place that was not easy to move through as the culture was much different and the people less trusting.  But he had promised that if she could pull no mischief for a full three months, he would get her some, only it was too difficult a task.  She just couldn't be good for that long.

Now lying in bed with a rumbling stomach, she slowly rose to dress herself.  She had not heard a sound outside of her window, and thinking perhaps her seniors were already in the hall eating , she did not muck around.  If she was late, they would eat all the fresh bread which she loved more than the porridge.

 So running out her door, she flew through the outer corridors and into through the wide entrance that led to a small foyer.  Throwing off her shoes, she quickly slipped her feet into the smallest pair of slippers there before rushing through the door, only to come to a complete halt.

She should have recognized that something wasn't right because she could not smell breakfast which she should have been able to smell well before she got to the small foyer.  Not only was breakfast not ready, but not one single senior was in the hall.  Her head spun from left to right, before moving into the dining room cautiously.  Not even the sounds she would normally hear coming from the kitchen could be heard, it was as if, the entire school had up and left her all alone.

Quickly moving towards the kitchen, she began to wonder if her seniors were pulling some kind of lame joke on her for what happened the night before.

"HA HA HA...!" she laughed loudly as her small hand pulled the door back sharply, having thought they were all behind it ready to jump out at her.  Only the empty corridor soon had her passing through and heading towards the kitchen.  And like the hall, this too was completely empty.  There were no signs of breakfast being cook, or even left over dishes from a meal she must of missed.

Now becoming concerned, she quickly made her way towards the Grand Hall.  Was there a special lesson she was meant to be present for? she wondered having sent her mind back to her schedule which she did bother to keep, but no sooner was the hall in sight, then the emptiness and silence that met her, soon had her running to Shifus study.  If he was there, then it might explain why her seniors were not gathered, only his study soon had her running back through the main hall to the dormitories where she immediately fled to Zi Lans chamber.