HARMONIOUS FIST

Chapter One-The Separatists

"Daruma had returned from his odyssey across the world, that did not surprise the people of the Sol Islands, they were seafaring people. Wondering about or lengthy adventures was a thing that flowed within their veins.

Nevertheless, they all gazed at him astonished, not by the stories of his voyage or the little he had brought. It was when he was challenged by the warriors of the islands that their gaze could not leave his effortless movements in neutralising his opponents at will, without harming any of them. Unless he wished to, going as far as breaking bones now and then, but rarely if not did he take away lives"-Ancient Tales of Daruma, The Wanderer.

Part One

LEI TAI

Once upon a time, long before the birth of the universe, in the state of nothingness was wuji, which gave birth to taijitu, the two opposites that complemented each other, yin and yang. From these two arose the five elemental phases. Metal, water, wood, fire and earth and from the five, the myriads of things that make up the expansive universe.

These observations were made from the dawn of civilisation, by Daoist sages, who were hermits meditating in the high mountains, in an area known as the Dragon's Lair. Where it is believed dragons once resided (thus the name). The Daoist sages, observing nature made many discoveries.

They created meditative exercises, that increased longevity, amongst many other things. Their knowledge on the inner workings of nature also helped them create martial methods, all in the objective to adapt and survive all the changes that nature brought with it. They summed up their knowledge calling it the Dao, meaning the way.

Soon, their knowledge spread, reaching the rest of mankind. This knowledge was used for self-gain by some, leading to war and from this disease, came its many symptoms.

The world was engulfed in chaos, fathers and sons fought; brothers murdered brothers; for hundreds of years, the world experienced carnage. Moments of fragile peace were always broken by sporadic skirmishes amongst nations leading to calamity.

It was a young man, of a fiery nature, taught in the ancient traditions of the Water School of Daoism from the mountains of the Dragon's Lair, that brought peace to the world. His name was Fei Yue; he had a violent temper and was unbearable as a child. His mother, a single mom had him sent away as a last resort, to douse his flaming temper, once he was thirteen years of age.

He was sent to the Water School, where his strict teachers managed to extinguish these flames and bring balance to his heart. Within three years, the young Fei had finally found some form of inner peace. He was then taught all the secrets of the Water School. Training night and day, until he could not sweat any more. It was finally on the tenth year since his training had begun that he had mastered the hermits' teachings.

Given the very secretive nature of the Water School, compared to the other schools of thought in the area, the young Fei now at that time a twenty-six-year-old man, was their only disciple. Having passed all their trials, he was made a master of the Water School. It was now time for him to return to his mother. However, the Daoist hermits on the day of recognising his mastery in their sciences and arts told him that with the knowledge he now possessed it was his responsibility to cure the world and restore balance. Since he was not going to join them in living as a hermit. His contact with the outside world meant that he had to heal it. Fei honourably yielded to their demands.

Upon his return to his village, horror-struck him; the village was demolished and everything that once moved had lost their breaths to a violent death. A wasteland composed of decapitated heads and the corpses of people, their pets and livestock. Amongst the grim images was the mutilated body of his mother.