I don't feel any shame, I won't apologize
When there ain't nowhere you can go.
Running away from pain when you've been victimized
Tales from another broken home.
-Green Day, "Jesus of Suburbia"
_________________________
Kuai Laing hunched in on himself, scanning the room wildly as he trailed behind the senior Lin Kuei warriors down the dark hallway.
He was walking along to the Grand Hall where the Grandmaster was awaiting them. Kuai hoped that it would be good news, for once, but he knew it was a foolish thought. With the recent plans for the Grandmaster to convert all Lin Kuei warriors into machines, Kuai knew that this meeting would likely discuss his gruesome fate. He longingly stared up at the windows that were at the top of the hallways on either side - a glimpse into freedom, something that Kuai had never known his whole life. It was so far away, only making Kuai feel more hopeless with his current situation.
He was twelve years old, now; the ripe age where he was still childish and innocent yet able to understand the graveness of certain situations. For a moment, Kuai foolishly wish that he was younger, so that he may not understand anything that was transpiring within the clan walls. The sight of the windows above brought him back to fonder memories where he'd spend his short leisurely time with Tomas in his room. He hadn't seen the enenra the entire day, and he was worried for him.
Had the Grandmaster got him, too?
Kuai felt a sharp rap on the back of his lower leg, making him stumble in his steps. He look up with wide, fearful eyes to see a senior guard looming over him, holding onto the shaft of a spear; likely what he had used to hit Kuai with.
"You know," Kuai said, unable to help himself, "that wasn't very nice. Maybe if you were less of an asshole, people would respect you more."
The guard jeered, leaning in close so that Kuai could smell the rotten breath as he spoke,"Well, I'm not getting paid to be nice; I'm getting paid to discipline idiotic children, like you. Move it!"
He pushed the butt end of the spear into Kuai's chest, making him fall back into the crowd of marching people. Kuai walked along with them, feeling like he was a zombie and that he - along with the other mindless Lin Kuei walking with him - were marching towards the Grand Hall to tear the throats out of the cruel Grandmaster.
Kuai eventually stepped into the Grand Hall, taking a seat at the very back of the room. He bowed his head, trying to stay out of sight as the Grandmaster stood up onto his feet. Kuai's stomach churned. The sight of him made his blood boil, as a hand lifted up subconsciously to briefly touch the fresh scar over his right eye that had been put on his face by the Grandmaster's order days before.
The disgusting old man stared out into the crowd, smiling sinisterly. "Welcome, my brothers."he started.
Yeah, right. Kuai scoffed in his mind. Like any one of us here is equal to you.
"I have excellent news regarding the Cyberization Project, as well as an update to give you," he continued to speak. "We have produced our first line of cybers, and the results are a success!"
He paused, letting the applause from the crowd wash over him. Kuai grit his teeth and played along. Each clap felt like his hands were burning.
When the claps died out, Grandmaster continued. "Now, for the update! My most respectable warriors, Sub-Zero and Sektor, have approached me to offer their counsel. I have decided to spare my senior warriors from the Cyberization Process. They have proved themselves time and time again to be great warriors for the Lin Kuei's cause."
Kuai looked up onto the stage where Bi-han was standing to the right of the Grandmaster. His cold, harsh eyes swept the crowd. Kuai shuddered, bowing his head once more. A long time ago, they were once close. However, the prospects of glory and fame had corrupted Bi-han and drove him away from Kuai Laing - the young boy could not recognize his 18-year-old brother anymore.
Of course, he convinced the Grandmaster to not make him a cyborg. Kuai thought to himself angrily. He has a silver tongue like a snake. I don't know what I expected.
On the day he got his scar, Bi-Han had been the one to carve it into his face. The Grandmaster had been beyond pleased, applauding Bi-Han's dedication to his word. Bi-Han had to cut into Kuai's face, fixing his cold, black eyes onto Kuai the whole time. Kuai has fled to his room, his heart pounding as the tears stung the new cut.
"Behold!" The Grandmaster in the present exclaimed with a flourish of his hand. "The next generation of the Lin Kuei!"
The red curtain behind the stage dropped, and Kuai's eyes widened in shock and fear. There, standing still on the stage, were twenty different cyborgs of different colors. However, the one that caught his attention was the steel-grey cyborg with smoke rising off of it's body. It's red eyes stared blankly toward the crowd, and Kuai had to resist the urge to throw up.
Tomas, what did they do to you?!
Kuai couldn't even recognize the young child from the robot - the only similarity the two had was the smoke rising off of their bodies. Kuai swallowed nervously, his Adam's apple up and down as he forced himself to look away.
I have to get out of here. I HAVE to! I don't know where to go, but whenever I end up, it can't be worse than this.
"That is all I have for you, my friends," the Grandmaster spoke, a sneer on his face. "Return to your dorms and sleep well - it will be your last night of rest. Tomorrow, we will put the Cyberization Project to full effect - with everyone!"
I have to leave tonight. Kuai thought as he fell into the crowd, walking back to the dorms in a state of shellshockness. I have to leave this hell tonight.
__________________
Kuai stared out his window, lying in his "bed" with his eyes wide open.
He was trying to stay awake until it was the dead of night, so he busied himself with identifying the constellations in the night sky, counting them off one-by-one. The standard "beds" that were issued to the Lin Kuei were actually just a bedroll on the floor. Kuai didn't mind - he had adjusted to the pain a long time ago. His few belongings had all been packed into a simple backpack, and he had taken the towels, sheets and blankets to create a rope that he would use to climb down the sides of the building.
Finally, when the moon was at its highest point in the night sky, Kuai slowly stood up onto his feet, grabbing his backpack at the foot of the bed. He walked across the floor, placing his feet on the places he knew would not creak under his weight - the practice of doing this multiple times in the past would finally help him that night. He finally reached the window, opening it slightly.
All windows in the Lin Kuei complex had wire mesh on them, sealing the way shut. However, Kuai was not any Lin Kuei warrior. He is a cryomancer.
He concentrated to make a misshapen knife out of ice - while he hadn't perfected the shape just yet, he was still able to give it that sharp edge that he needed. Slowly and methodically, he started to cut through the mesh until he was able to push it to one corner. Carefully, Kuai lowered the rope he had made of the cloths in his room, looking outside to see that he had measured the distance correctly - it touched the ground.
Quietly, Kuai slowly moved out of the room through the window, grasping the rope with both hands as he planted his feet on the wall outside. Cautiously, Kuai started to descend from the window, taking one step at a time as he carefully measured his steps. How tragic would it be, he thought to himself, if I died by falling from here when I was so close to escaping?
Fortunately, he was not fully out of luck, yet.
His feet planted themselves in the firm snow on the ground, sinking into the white substance. With wide eyes, he tilted his head up to see how far he had climbed down, reveling briefly in the cool air that ruffled through his hair. He shouldered his bag, making sure it was secure on his back, and took off to the tree line, disappearing into the forest.
__________________
Kaui panted, sprinting with all his might as he tore through the forest, not minding the sting as branches whipped his face and arms. He needed to get as far away from the Lin Kuei while he had the advantage of the night on his hands. He could already see the end of the forest up ahead.
He finally came to a stop at a tree with a blue ribbon wrapped around the trunk - an indicator of the boundaries of the Lin Kuei territory. Kaui paused in his flight, absorbing the full impact of his decision to flee. By doing this, he would be labeled as a turn- cloak and traitor of the Lin Kuei. There would be no turning back - his people would try to kill him if they ever saw him again.
Taking a deep breath, Kuai never turned back. He carried on through the forest line, running out of the forest and into the small clearing, bolting through the snow with surprising grace and agility. He crossed through the clearing and disappeared into another section of the woods - unclaimed and untouched by the Lin Kuei's hands.
Still, Kuai forced himself to keep running. He knew that he had to put as much distance between himself and his old clan as possible. He continued to run, seeing the sunrise in the distance - the golden warm light filtering into the woods through the top branches of the barren trees without any leaves. Still, Kuai ran.
He ran until the sun was high in the sky, marking the afternoon of the day after he fled. He allowed himself a short break to recuperate, feeding on some bread in his backpack and drinking from his thermos. Then, he was off again. The panic of getting caught never faded, only spurring him onwards. He ran until his feet were sore, and then ran some more.
Kuai ran until the snowy barren lands were replaced with flowing waterfalls and deciduous trees with red, orange and yellow leaves. Perhaps, he would have spent sometime admiring the scenery, had he not been running for his freedom and life.
He ran in up ended dirt and green, luscious grass. He heard songbirds singing their tunes in the trees and even saw a stag strolling through tge trees. Still, he continued to run.
When the sun was disappearing over the horizon, Kuai ran until he fell to the ground, tripping over a tree root as he looked around him. He was finally able to take in the beauty of the warm environment. It only then occurred to him that this was an area far away from the Lin Kuei - possibly an area that they wouldn't be able to find him.
Could he rest, now?
Getting back onto his sore feet, Kuai looked around him, still panting slightly from the marathon he had just finished. He finally laid his eyes on a hollowed- out part of a tree trunk that probably used to be occupied by an animal for a burrow, at some point. However, it was also big enough to shelter twelve-year-old boy. Kuai shook off his backpack tiredly, dragging himself to the burrow and entering it. He let the sounds of the forest life wash over him, lulling him to a blissful slumber.
__________________
Hideo Hasashi, General of the Shirai Ryu, woke up that peaceful morning when the sun was shining in the blue, cloudless sky. He kissed his slumbering wife, Aiya, on the cheek before rising out of bed.
After cleaning and dressing to perfect his appearance, the man exited his house to the sight of his clanspeople bustling in the village, completing their morning duties. Hideo observed the morning warriors depart, making sure that there were no threats residing in their territory.
He walked through the cobblestone pathaways, nodding in greeting to the families of the warriors who were standing outside their houses and watching the children play. He finally came to a stop in front of a specific house, knocking firmly on the front door two times.
A young, petite woman answered, looking up with a warm smile, bowing once respectfully. "Ah, good morning, Father. Have you come to see your grandson?"
"Nothing would please me more, Harumi," he replied, bowing in return. "Tell me, is my son still here? Or has he gone join the others in the morning patrol?"
"You know how Hanzo is," Harumi said a smile, leading Hideo into the house. "He's very dedicated to the clan. He woke up early this morning to leave. I think that he's desperate to leave the house - with Satoshi crying all night, it has been rough for the both of us."
She walked off, returning after with a baby cradled in her arms. "Satoshi," she whispered slightly, bouncing the baby gently to soothe him. "Your grandfather has come to visit, again."
She handed Satoshi to Hideo, who cradled the baby preciously. Immediately, Satoshi started to wail, his face turning red as he cried loudly. Harumi laughed apologetically, taking him back into her arms. "He's a very noisy baby," she declared, trying to get him to stop crying. "He'll be a very outgoing person when he grow up; just like Hanzo."
"I should leave, now," Hideo said, the corners of his eyes wrinkling with his smile. "The warriors should be returning momentarily - the territory is not big, after all. I will welcome them back."
Harumi nodded, smiling gently at her father-in-law. "See to it that you reprimand Hanzo for leaving me alone with Satoshi," she said in a mock-angry tone. Hideo laughed in response waving a hand farewell as he left the new mother to try to silence the infant.
_______________
Kuai was startled awake from a nightmare, only gasping for breath when he awoke. He had been trained to keep silent in all situations and was punished terribly until the lesson was ingrained into his mind.
However, when he woke up from his slumber, Kuai found his legs and hands tied onto a pole. He was being carried horizontally, with a blindfold tied around his face. Despite his temporary blindness, he could tell that there were people on either end to hold onto the pole and suspend him in the air. Kuai started to struggle in earnest, the panic settling in.
Had the Lin Kuei found him? Was he being brought back to the clan to be cyberized?
"Please," Kuai cried as the hope and fight started to leave his body. "Don't hurt me. I don't wanna be a brainless machine!!!"
"Shut up!" A man walking on the side of him snapped, hitting himin the side to silence him.
Kuai sobbed, letting the tears fall down his face to the forest ground below him. He had run for full day, but evidently, it hadn't been enough. Kuai cursed himself for taking a complacent stance when he decided to rest in that tree hollow. Suddenly, he felt the kidnappers stop in place before he was dropped, falling to the ground with a solid thump.
The child gasped as his bonds were loosened to slip the pole away from him, but not enough to let him break free. Soon, the ropes were tied even tighter around his wrists and ankles, and he flinched at the presences around him, curling in on himself like he would at the Lin Kuei.
"I don't want to die," Kuai whimpered.
"Goodness Grace!" A male voice cried out. "He's a child!"
"A child wearing Lin Kuei colors and symbols," a gruff voice replied, kicking Kuai to his stomach on the ground. He let out a yelp at the sudden action, feeling the boot dig into his back. "He could be a spy."
"Where did you find him?" A soft female voice questioned.
"In a hollow in a tree on the outskirts of our territory," the gruff voice replied. Kuai hid his face in the dirt, his shoulders shaking from fear.
Kuai could hear footsteps crunch through the leaves as they slowly approached him on the ground. "Stay away from him, Harumi!" The gruff voice called out, a little of panic.
At the sensation of a soft hand on his cheek, Kuai flinched immediately. "Please," he whispered hoarsely. "I don't wanna be a machine. Don't take away my free will."
"What do you mean, child?" The man who had first spoken asked curiously. "And for the Elder God's sake, take that blindfold off of him, Hanzo! Since when have the Shirai Ryu been cruel to children?"
Kuai heard a grumble above him, and suddenly, he was being lifted up to a sitting position. He felt a rough hand pull the cloth away from his eyes as bright light entered his vision, blinding him temporarily. He blinked rapidly, turning away from the sun to recover as his vision adjusted.
He looked around him wildly, taking in the awe-striking sight of children playing with laughter as their parents joined them. There were distant farmlands behind the houses of the village where farmers were tending to the corps. The sight of this peaceful village offered Kuai a moment of respite before his panic doubled - he needed to get far away from these people before Lin Kuei traced his steps here.
"Why are you here, young one?" The feminine voice asked him. Kuai looked up with wide eyes, seeing warm honey brown eyes like his and a heart-shaped pale face with red lips. He felt comfortable in her presence, and his rapid breathing started to slow.
"I... I ran away," he said quietly, bringing his knees up to his chest as he curling into himself protectively from these strangers. "My clan, the Lin Kuei, they... The Grandmaster was turning all the clanspeople into cyborgs; I escaped the night before last night. I ran the entire day yesterday."
The women looked up to a man dressed in ornamental, decorative yellow robes with black markings. Kuai recognize the man to be the leader of this group of people. He looked down at Kuai with kind eyes. "You do look tired, young one. However, we can not confirm whether you are telling the truth. I'm afraid that you can not stay here."
Kuai felt relief settle in his bones; his first interaction with people other than the Lin Kuei had proved to demonstrate what the young cryomancer had been missing his entire life. "I understand," he replied, nodding. "I will leave now, then, if I am still able to."
A man from behind Kuai, the gruff antagonistic voice, retorted in response. "We're not going to let him go, are we? If we let him go, he could run back to the army of Lin Kuei waiting to attack! Cyborg? What foolish prattle is this? He's seen too much- we should kill him."
Kuai's eyes widened. Was he going to die here? After everything that happened to him? After everything he went through to get to this moment?
"Hanzo," the man in the robes spoke sternly," enough. He is a child, and the Shirai Ryu are not child-killers. If the Lin Kuei do attack, we will be ready. Now, cut him loose. I can only imagine how scared he must be if he is telling the truth."
"But Hideo," Hanzo protested.
"Now, Hanzo!" Hideo snapped. "As your father and General, I am commanding you to."
For a moment, Hanzo didn't move, and Kuai was worried that the man would kill him anyway. However, he walked around Kuai until he was standing in front of him, sawing through the ropes on his ankles. He was wearing his dark black hair tied back in a ponytail and was clearly a warrior based on the yellow gear he was wearing.
As the warrior started to cut through the ropes on Kuai's wrists, he glared at the cryomancer with dark eyes that made Kuai resist the urge to recoil from the man. It reminded him too much of Bi-Han's dark eyes - the only difference being that Bi-Han's eyes were cold, while Hanzo's blazed in flames of anger. "If you bring the Lin Kuei to us," he growled under his breath so that only Kuai could hear, "I will see to it myself that you are burned alive."
With the ropes falling to the ground, Kuai got onto his feet on shaky legs. The exhaustion from yesterday hit him; Kuai gritted his teeth as he stomached the pain from the bottoms of his feet, taking shaky steps forward.
Surprisingly, the faces of the other Shirai Ryu warriors that had found and carried him were strangely uncertain and borderline sympathetic. Kuai clenched his fists around the strap of his backpack, looking toward the General of the Shirai Ryu and the woman. He bowed respectfully, his back screaming in protest as he did so.
"Thank you for your help and hospitality," Kuai Laing murmured. "I will make an effort to lead the Lin Kuei away from this peaceful place."
Turning around before either one of them could give him a reply, Kuai took slow, firm steps through the village towards the tree line to leave the people be. It was only determination and the fear of the Lin Kuei that pushed him forward. However, the exhaustion of running for a whole day overwhelmed him. He was at the tree line when his legs collapsed, forcing him to fall onto his hands and knees as he gasped in pain.
Immediately, he felt soft hands on his back, helping him up. It was the woman, Harumi, he noted. She must have followed in his steps, seeing his drained form. "You are in no condition to go anywhere," she scolded gently, her eyes looking down at him with concern. "Come, stay for a day. Rest, and regain your full strength before you leave."
"No," Kuai gasped, weakly fending her off as the cruel faces of the Grandmaster, Sektor and his older brother swam in his vision. "I can't, I can't bring the Lin Kuei here. I can't ruin more lives!"
"Enough," Harumi spoke firmly, gently guiding Kuai back. "I will take care of you myself. Do not worry about my husband - he has a brash temper and is very mistrustful of strangers, but he will listen to me."
"No," Kuai repeated again, panting from the effort of walking to the assembly of murmuring warriors. "He only seems to hate Lin Kuei."
Not that I can blame him...
"This young man is too weak to continue his journey," Harumi declared to the group. "I will nurse him back to health. Is that a problem?" She asked with a steel note to her voice, cocking and eyebrow in a challenge.
There were no replies. Hanzo opened his mouth to protest, but a venomous glare sent in his direction by his wife was quick to silence him. Harumi nodded, a pleased smile on her face, as she looked down to Kuai.
"What is your name, you one?" She asked, guiding him away from the people and towards the houses.
"Kuai," the cryomancer replied, the name sounding unusual on his tongue. In the Lin Kuei, you only went by your codename - your original name was left forgotten. "My name is Kuai Laing," he said, both reply and remembrance.
"Well, Kuai," Harumi said, stopping at a door to one of the bigger and nicer houses. "I hope that you don't mind the sounds of a screaming newborn as you rest."
Walking inside, Kuai was taken aback by the feeling of comfort that he felt. There were many items of self-indulgence that he had never seen in the Lin Kuei - sofas, armchairs, personal plates and cups. Harumi led him into a room in the back of the house. Stepping inside, Kuai saw an actual bed - one that had a mattress and two plush, soft pillows. The sight of this soft bed only made Kuai more sleepy. He couldn't strifle the yawn that overtook his weary face, making Harumi laugh sympathetically as she left him to sleep.
The sounds of Satoshi crying echoed through the house, but Kuai didn't mind. It was another reminder that he was still alive, for now.
_______________
Harumi emerged from the house, walking straight to the main templ where Hideo and his wife, Ayia, resided. She marched through the doors , heading straight toward the office in the house where shouting and arguing could be heard from the entrance of the house.
She opened the door with a slam, silencing the people. Hideo was sitting behind his desk, obviously frustrated as Hanzo's face was red, no doubt from shouting a storm. Ayia had a look of disapproval on her face - whether it was was for Kuai or against Kuai, Harumi didn't know, yet.
"You were very rude to that boy," she chided Hanzo angrily. "Didn't you see the look on his face? He was obviously tired, scared and terrified for his life, no thanks to you!"
"Where is the boy, Harumi?" Hideo sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he interrupted Hanzo's retort.
"I tucked him to sleep in the guest bedroom," Harumi replied. "He was out like a light. I don't care what anyone says,Kuai Laing is not a threat to the Shirai Ryu."
"You don't know that for certain, Harumi," Hanzo sighed, starting to calm himself. "The only facts we know are that he is a Lin Kuei warrior who was found on our land. This, combined with his ludicrous story... Do you really think that he really the truth?"
"Then find out," Aiya spoke calmly, ever the voice of reason. "Head to the Lin Kuei and observe. Travel by horseback - you can ride there and back in one day. Confirm the boy's story, and he has our trust as a child running away from his oppressive clan. If it is not true, he leaves tomorrow."
"Fine," Harumi said, nodding in agreement as the terms satisfied her.
"Fine!" Hanzo huffed, storming out of the office angrily. "I'll leave right now."
When he was gone and Harumi could hear the sound of hoofbeats fading into the distance, Hideo sighed in relief. "How did our son become so stubborn and hot-headed?" He asked Aiya, who smiled in amusement.
"He takes after you, dear," she replied, before looking to Harumi. "Could you take me to the boy, Kuai Laing? I would like to meet him and judge his words for myself."
Harumi bowed respectfully towards her and the General, standing upright again. " Please, Aiya, follow me." The two women exited the house and walked on the stone paths, nodding in greeting to the families in the neighboring houses until they came to Harumi's house at the end, set aside from the others in seclusion.
When they entered, Harumi let out a gasp as she saw the sight before the two women. Kuai looked up with wide eyes, holding a milk bottle in his hand as he cradled Satoshi in his arms gently, feeding him. "I'm - I'm sorry!" He cried out, making Satoshi spit out the mouth of the bottle and cry with vigor again, sensing Kuai's anxiety.
The two women watched in astonishment as Kuai reacted quickly, tilting the bottle upright again to avoid spilling more milk on the baby's face. He wiped away the spilled milk on the baby's face with his own soft shirt sleeve. After cleaning up the baby, Kuai then rocked the baby gently in his arms , humming softly as he pressed the infant's head against his chest.
Satoshi stilled immediately, cooing quietly as he was lulled back to sleep. Kuai smiled gently, looking down fondly at the baby as Harumi blinked, walking forward slowly. It was the first time she had seen the young boy smile. "How... How did you know what to do?"
"He was crying earlier," Kuai whispered, continuing to rock the baby. "I thought he may have a dirty diaper, so I changed it." He nodded towards the trash bin where Harumi could see the wrapped diaper at the top, rolled shut to prevent the odor from stinking the house. "Then, when he continued to cry, I found the bottles of milk in the fridge. I took one and warmed it up over the stovetop and fed him with it. I'm so sorry," he whispered again. "I should have asked for your permission, firts."
"Everything is fine, Kuai," Harumi assured him, shaking her head in wonder. "I just... I've been having trouble quieting him these past few days. How did you know how to do that?"
"In Lin Kuei," Kuai replied, an anxious look settling on his face again. "I often got into trouble, and as a punishment, I was sent to take care for the kidnapped infants that were brought to the temple. It never felt like a punishment, though. They're very cute and quiet, and they don't shout at you for doing something wrong."
"Well, thank you," Harumi said, reaching out to Satoshi as Kuai gently handed the baby over. Satoshi fussed, shifting slightly, but eventually settle down, slumbering peacefully.
"Let me put him in his crib," Harumi whispered, leaving Aiya alone with Kuai.
He shifted uncomfortably under the older woman's judging look, rubbing his arm. "Um, hi. My name is Kuai Liang."
"I'm Aiya," she replied, moving to sit down at the dining table next to the kitchen. She waved a hand at the seat in front of her in a silent invitation. Kuai took it as an order, moving quickly to sit down as he bowed his head anxiously.
"I must admit," she said slowly, "you're not what I was expecting. You're not like the other Lin Kuei, not even like some of the children I've seen. They're very...brain-washed... If you understand what I mean. Have you been raised in the Lin Kuei?"
"I came to the temple when I was three," Kuai replied, clasping his hands tightly together. "I'm twelve-year-old, now. I've been living in the Lin Kuei for as long as I can remember."
Aiya nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Then how is it that you've retained emotions? Principles such as love and reverence?"
"I had a friend," Kuai said, choking up on his words. "He came to the Lin Kuei when he was five, my age at the time. We were close, and he taught me what life was like - what life should have been like - outside the clan walls. I was going to run away with him, but it was too late; he was cyberized before we could escape together."
Tears were streaming down his face as he sniffled, wiping the tears from his face as new ones replaced them.
If his is faking this, Aiya thought to herself, I'll be damned and cut off my own foot to eat it.
"I want to let you know that one of our warriors has gone to the Lin Kuei to confirm yoir story," Aiya informed the cryomancer, who looked up with wide eyes. "If he obtains proof that you are telling the truth, you will be permitted to stay."
"They can't!" Kuai blurted despite himself. "What if they get captured? The Lin Kuei will torture him to give up your location! My older brother-"
He stopped, slapping his mouth with his hands as he realized his mistake.
It was too late. Aiya's eyes widened. "You have an older brother? Still at the Lin Kuei? He didn't come with you?"
"My older brother... He's Sub-Zero," Kuai admitted in a choked voice.
Aiya gaped in shock. Everyone in the Shirai Ryu knew about Sub-Zero, the infamous cryomancer. Hanzo and Sub-Zero had met on several missions in the past - every encounter resulted in some kind of grievous injury to both parties. Sub-Zero was a name that stuck fear into the hearts of the Shirai Ryu children, as parents cautioned them to run away from people dressed in blue.
Kuai continued to talk as Aiya was recovering from this revelation. "He was kind,once. He used to protect me from the senior officers whenever I failed to meet their expectations, but he started to become distant. He left me for Sektor and the Grandmaster - he gave me this scar," he said, pointing to his own face, " because the Grandmaster ordered him to."
Aiya covered her mouth, finding herself in a rare moment - a total loss of words.
Kuai bowed his head, looking ashamed for his older brother's actions. Aiya felt a cold fury rise up in her, thinking about the clan that had stifled the young boy's carefree nature.
At the moment, Harumi came back, catching Aiya's look, as the older woman indicated with her head to join her outside.
"Kuai, now that Satoshi is sleeping again, why don't you go back to the bedroom and catch up on some sleep?" She suggested, receiving Kuai's somber nod of assent as he pulled himself to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.
Aiya practically dragged Harumi out of the house, speaking in a hushed tone outside on the front steps of the house so that the other clanspeople couldn't hear them. She revealing everything that she had learned from the young boy, focusing on their relationship between the two brothers.
Harumi's eyes widened when she was told about Kuai's connection with Sub-Zero. "Hanzo will try to kill him," she said in a hushed whisper. "They hate each other with a burning passion."
"I know," Aiya replied, "which is why I'm tellin you. This can never happen, understand? You need to protect Kuai Laing as if he were your own son. As if he were Satoshi. Can you do that, Harumi? Even if it means fraying your relationship with your husband?"
The young woman nodded firmly, a hard determined look in her eyes. "Yes, I swear on the Elder Gods that I will do everything in my power to protect Kuai Liang."
Aiya's shoulder slumped in relief, nodding several times in satisfaction. "We will wait for Hanzo to return. We must tell him the truth. Nothing good comes from lies. We will see how he reacts, and act from there."
Harumi hoped that it wouldn't have to come to it, but she intended to make good her now.
______________
Hanzo descended from the horse, tying the animal securely to a barren tree as he walked through the snow, the white coat he was wearing providing camouflage. He crouched low in tue snow, moving to lie on his stomach as he peered from the treeline to the Lin Kuei temple.
He waited patiently, still fuming over the events of the morning. He had been rejected by his wife and father - all for a boy with innocent ice blue eyes and a sad face?! The facts were there: he was a Lin Kuei found in Shirai Ryu territory. History and tradition dictate that the boy should have been killed where he stood. He was about to slay him when they found him in the tree that morning, but the sight of the child slumbering in the hollow made him pause - his conscience wouldn't let him do it, even with his opinions on the matter.
He grumbled, irritated as a figure started to appear in his field of vision. Eyes narrowing hatefully, Hanzo saw that it was Sub-Zero, the head warrior of the Lin Kuei. The past encounter made Hanzo's shoulder twinge in phantom pain, remembering a knife of ice had cut deep into his skin. Still, it was reassuring for Hanzo to see him. The boy was lying, he thought satisfyingly. Sub-Zero had not been "cyberized," as the boy had claimed. As Sub-Zero disappeared, Hanzo was about to stand up to leave.
However, he ducked back down with a curse as he finally spotted the people following Sub-Zero in a uniformed march that was too coordinated to be human. Hanzo's eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight of a squadron of fifty silver robots marching in unison after Sub-Zero, who came to a stop as he turned to address them.
"Find the deserter," he snapped, "and kill him. Do not stray beyond the border - if he is beyond the clan's boundaries, he is as good as dead."
The robots dispersed, and Hanzo quickly stood up once the coast was clear, the blood coursing through his veins as his heartbeat jumped up to his throat. The boy had been telling the truth, after all. Now, Hanzo felt guilty for wronging the boy. He remembered the fear in the child's eyes and felt remorse for not picking up on it sooner. Hanzo knew that he had an unfortunate tendency to rush to conclusions. He had to return with the truth so that the child could be accepted into the clan for his courage in escaping from the Lin Kuei.
However, he had to get back alive.
Hanzo rushed quietly to his horse, starting to untie the rope when he felt a presence behind him. He ducked, dodging the strike from a cyborg that had snuck up behind him.
The Shirai Ryu whirled around, striking his foot into the cyborg chest. It stumbled, letting out no sound whatsoever before it got back up to charge at Hanzo. However, the Shirai Ryu was ready and with a single swipe of his sword, he beheaded the cyborg, the body falling to the ground with a soft thump.
Hanzo retrieved the head, placing it in his satchel. Proof, so that the others will believe. He untie the horse and hoisted himself into the saddle, silently urging the animal back to the Shirai Ryu territory.
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The night sky cast nearly everything into darkness as Hideo summoned the clanspeople outside for the announcement regarding Kuai Liang. Torches lit the streets and the front of the big house where Hideo and Aiya lived. The people congregated in front of the house, muttering and gossiping about what the assembly could be about.
"As some of you already know," Hideo declared out to the crowd in a voice so that he would be heard by all, "there was a visitor to the Shirai Ryu who arrived this morning. Yes, the rumors are true. He was a Lin Kuei."
Shocked murmurs swept the crowd. Aiya stepped forward, addressing the people. "He is but nine years of age; a child. He has done nothing to hurt us and poses no threat from what I have seen. Your head warrior and my son, Hanzo Hasashi, departed from the territory this morning to confirm the Lin Kuei's story of this Cyberization Project he mentioned. We await his return."
"Kill the brat!" An angry voice called out from the crowd. Murmurs of agreement slowly started to spread. "Kill him before he kills us all!"
"Listen to yourself!" Harumi snapped above the clamor, temporarily silencing them. "You are talking about killing a young, innocent boy. He is the age of most of your children. Would you condemn him to such a fate?"
"He is a Lin Kuei!" A woman's hysterical voice cried. "I would happily kill him to save my daughter!"
Shouts of agreement rang out through the clearing. Harumi hoped desperately that Kuai was fast asleep and couldn't hear what was going outside. She yearned desperately for something or someone to intervene on behalf of the young, traumatized child. However, looking up at the grim faces of Hideo and Aiya, she began to lose hope.
Suddenly, her eyes widened at the sounds of distant good eats that were slowly growing in volume. Hanzo, riding on the horse, broke into the clearing, startling the crowd into silence.
Hanzo jumped down, reaching into his satchel as he lifted the metal head of the cyborg he slew in the outskirts of the Lin Kuei temple. Shocked murmurs swept through the crowd as he held it up for everyone to see.
"I apologize for my outburst this morning," Hanzo spoke solemnly. "I rebelled against your judgement, father, and that of my beloved wife, Harumi. The boy's story proved to be true. The majority of the clan has been converted into these machines; it appears as though only the senior warriors, including Sub-Zero, retain their humanity, for now. The Lin Kuei child fled from his clan in search of safety elsewhere. Because of my actions today, I insist that the child be raised here, in the Shirai Ryu, as one of our own. He will be safe as I have also discovered that his clan does not know of his current whereabouts and are unwilling to leave the territory to search for him."
Hideo nodded approvingly, turning toward the crowd. "It is decided, then!" He declared. "The boy will be raised as a Shirai Ryu warrior. If there are any objections, speak now."
When his request was met with the silence of grudging acceptance, Hideo let the clanspeople disperse, returning to their homes as he walked toward Hanzo and Harumi with Aiya following him.
"Greeting, son," Hideo said warmly, pulling Hanzo into a hug. "You came just in time."
"I got back as fast as I could," Hanzo replied gruffly, returning the hug with one hand. "Once I saw that the boy was speaking the truth, I knew I had to return to absolve him from my false accusations."
"His name is Kuai Liang," Aiya spoke quietly, approaching slowly. "He is the younger brother of Sub-zero."
Hanzo jerked back in surprise. "Sub-zero? The most dangerous warrior if the Lin Kuei is his older brother?"
"He saw is best friend turned into a cyborg," Harumi defended, crossing her arms. "Kuai Liang is not to blame for his brother's actions. I want to raise him the way he should have been, but I need to know that your rivalry with his older brother won't affect your treatment of him."
Hanzo hesitated.
"Remember that big, red, gash over his right eye?" Aiya pressed, seeing a weakness in Hanzo's resolve. "Sub-Zero himself did that under the order of the Grandmaster."
"He did that to his own brother?" Hanzo shook his head with stunned disbelief. "I always knew Bi-Han was a cold-blooded killer, but to do that to one's kin..."
"Kuai told me that Sub-Zero became too caught up in the affairs of the Lin Kuei, and thus pushed Kuai aside for the glory and fame," Aiya spat with disgust. "He's hurt, scares and undoubtedly traumatized by the whole ordeal. He deserves to be brought up in a household of love and care. Can you do that, Hanzo? Can you provide for him?"
Hanzo sighed as the others held their breath in anticipation. "I... I can not," he admitted shamefully, making Harumi slump with disappointment. "When I look at him, all I can think about are those Lin Kuei dogs that have plagued our clan for decades. I do not feel comfortable having him around my son. Could you please care for him?" He asked his parents, Aiya and Hideo.
The couple shared a brief look before Aiya nodded. "I will see to it myself that he is raised with love,"she assured Harumi. "You can also visit him if you would like."
Harumi nodded instantly, her face showing slight disappointment. However, she was glad that Hanzo had been truthful. Besides, with Satoshi, she would have her hands full. "Let me bring him," she murmured gently.
Hideo raised a hand. "Let us walk together," he suggested, leading the way to the house. "I, myself, will welcome Kuai Liang to his new home."
The four of them walked in silence towards Hanzo's and Harumi's house. The night sky was inky black above their heads and the way was lit with torches for the people to see where they were walking. Eventually, Harumi opened the door to the house as she led them inside. She quietly brought them to the guest bedroom that she had temporarily offered the young cryomancer. Harumi knocked three times on the wooden door, waiting for a few seconds before she opened the door on its hinges.
Instead of seeing the boy lying underneath the covers, Kuai was lying on the cold, wooden floorboards. He lied there in a surprise position, lying on his back without a pillow to support his neck. The boy's hands were clasped over his stomach, much like the corpses in an open casket at their funeral.
"Kuai?" Harumi asked hesitantly, rousing the boy from his slumber. He yawned behind his hand, rubbing his eyes with his hand as he propped himself up on his left hand. "Sorry." He spoke quietly, trying to not wake Satoshi in the house. "I couldn't stay awake long enough."
"You don't have to apologize for that," Aiya said dismissively, looking at the boy in concern. "Why weren't you sleeping in the bed?"
Kuai turned around briefly to look at the bed. The bedsheets had been placed back into a neat, set form. Harumi knew that Kuai had slept in the bed when he first came here -he must have set the bed himself before lying on the ground.
"It's too soft," Kuai spoke softly, his hands wringing together in a state of anxiety. "I had a nightmare that I was at the Lin Kuei and being buried in snow. I couldn't sleep in it, after that. Besides, I'm used to sleeping on the floor, so it's fine."
The adults all shared a worried look as Kuai turned to look at the bed one more time.
Hideo beckoned with his hand, and Kuai followed the adults outside, hunching his shoulders. Kuai took a moment to look up to the sky - he could see the stars glittering like diamonds as the cool wind ruffled through his hair.
"You've treated me with more kindness and respect than I deserve," Kuai spoke once they were outside. He kept his head bowed, staring at the feet of the adults standing in front of him. "If you want, I can leave right now," Kuai continued. "It's probably better that way; the clanspeople won't see me leave, and they won't have to know that I was here."
"Look up at me, Kuai Liang," Hideo said firmly yet gently.
The cryomancer slowly did as was requested, looking up with scared, round eyes. "The clanspeople already know that you are here, because I told them," Hideo spoke slowly so that Kuai had time to process his words. "Hanzo confirmed your story about the cyborgs; this, coupled with the bravery you displayed by running away from the Lin Kuei - with full knowledge that you could have been killed - makes you worthy to be accepted among the Shirai Ryu. If you want to, you can sleep and live with my wife, Aiya and myself.
Kuai looked between the faces of the adults, taking in Hideo's words. "I... I don't know if it's a good idea for me to stay," he admitted quietly, lowering his head again. "Whenever I go, the people close to me fall to tragedy. I don't want to bring you bad luck."
"Nonsense," Aiya chided gently, placing her hands on his shoulders as she knelt to the ground to make eye-contact with the young cryomancer. "There is no such thing as good or bad luck. Even if the Lin Kuei were to come here right now and slay us in our sleep, it would not be your fault. You, solely, are not to blame for your clan's actions. You rebelled against their beliefs. You fled to escape that life, to save your friend's life."
Kuai sniffled. "But I failed," he whispered hoarsely. "Tomas is a cyborg, now."
"But you tried, Kuai," Hideo pressed, " and that's all that matters. It would please me immensely to have you among my family here. Would you do me the honor of joining my family?"
There was a pause in the conversation.
"Family," Kuai finally murmured with such longing in his voice that made Hanzo's chest constrict in sympathy. "I had a family, once. I can't remember my mother's face, anymore."
"I, myself, would treat you as my own son," Aiya confirmed. "Maybe even better; right, Hanzo?" She asked, looking up with a twinkle in her eyes.
Kuai's eyes widened suddenly, looking up at Aiya. "He's your son?"
Hideo chuckled at the child's surprise. "Yes, he is. Don't worry, you're not the only one to not see the resemblance."
Kuai cringed, his pale cheeks flushing red with embarrassment.
"We're all distracted from the main point," Harumi spoke up, pulling them all back to the matter at hand. "Kuai, in the hours of today, I have enjoyed your company immensely. You were a great help in the kitchen and with Satoshi. If you left, I would miss you."
Kuai bit his lower lip, looking more of his age. The saddened, hollow look in his eyes from before had made him seem years older than he was "... Okay," he finally relented, nodding slowly. "I'll stay."
Hanzo and Harumi watched as Hideo and Aiya departed, walking on either side of Kuai and holding onto his hands. He was looking up at their faces more frequently as he talked to them, with a lot more courage Hanzo had seen from the child at the beginning of that day.
He promised himself - right then and there - that he would learn to accept Kuai's presence so that perhaps one day, in the future, he would be able to fight side-by-side with him to defend the child's new clan.
Chapter 2 coming soon!
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