The morning had risen over the Tansen Dojo. A bird came and sat on the top of Sambes. Then flew away.
"Haaahhh!" Zinor yawned as he woke up. "Is it morning now?"
He saw Yarma was sleeping sprawled out, with drool dripping out from his mouth.
The other residents like Zinor who slept there were still lost in dreams.
Zinor walked outside.
"Who thought this type of place can exist? This much peace, feels unreal."
He climbed down to the lake. As he steps down, the water was showing how close his reflection came to him.
A snake was climbing on the tree. Two birds flew over the sky yet the water was still.
Zinor sat on the bank dipping his feet in the lake.
In morning, the water was like a glowing jewel. The bright rays nourished the scenario.
"So, how is this place?"
A man asked from behind.
Zinor turned.
It was a old man. He was wearing an old Taisagi covered by a golden shawl. He was shorter than Zinor.
"You are, the master of this Dojo, I guess."
"Yeah. I never saw you before. Are you lost or having no place to return?"
"I... Don't have one."
The Master remained silent. He walked pass by him then turned, "Care for a walk?"
Master and Zinor were walking on a path which surrounds the lake connecting all five mountains.
"So, what was your name?"
"Zinor, Agatsu Zinor."
"What does that mean?"
"Huh? I don't understand."
"I mean, what is the meaning of your name."
"It hasn't."
"Did you take that name by yourself."
"My elder brother gave it."
"Oh. So Zinor. What do you think of this place?"
"It's hard to believe something like this can be real."
"Isn't it? "
"Aren't you the one who made this total place by yourself?"
"Yes. But when I started. It was nothing but a wreck. Everytime I build a portion, it felt imperfect. Even now. But at this age, it's not possible to do anything much."
"How old are you?"
"Fifty Seven no Fifty Eight. I guess."
"That's not a age of giving up."
"One Hundred Fifty Eight."
"What!!"
"I know I look still young. But this place took more than hundreds of years to craft."
"Do this place rejects dying by old age?"
"This place? What do you mean?"
Zinor told him the truth he once said to old man Dante.
"So you were a king once. At this age? "
"Why?"
"Nevermind. What's your age by the way."
"I was... Ugh. Twenty. I guess."
"That's very young age though."
After this for a while none of them said anything. Then,
"How was Dante?"
"Old man? Yeah. He is good with his grandchildren."
"That's nice to hear. He was timid. Always...
Yet tries to show that he is fine living at the door of fire temple."
"I know..."
"Seeing fear of fire temple in his eyes. I left his house. But after an arrow shot. I don't remember well."
At this point they were at Sambes. They stopped at the bottom of it. Master stood staring at the stairs.
"Wanna see the main dojo?"
He started climbing the stairs then. Zinor followed him.
The healing chember of fire temple was dark. The daylight was coming from a window.
The charioteer was sitting on the bed. A black haired boy was standing, leaning to the wall. His face wasn't visible.
"So a new protester. Got out of your hand. Probably dead or alive. How do you will plead to the Sangha?"
The charioteer was sweating enormously. His voice was shaking. "I-It wasn't intensional. Master Sharma."
"So who's fault is it?"
Whish!
All of a sudden every lamp of the darkned healing chamber lit up.
The person who stood leaning, straightened. His one eye was red and glowing.
"You, a mere disciple of Gardaan. Don't hope any mercy from me. The law is harsh that's why it is pure."
His eyes widened.
The charioteer's clothes caught fire.
"Aah! Aaah!" He screamed.
A person was climbing down. He noticed master and came running.
"Master, I was looking for you."
"What happened?"
"Brother and other decsiples are doing it again."
"What!"
He rushed to the dojo. Zinor and that person caught upto him.
'He is fast for his age. One-hundred or whatever.' Zinor thought.
"Hey you what are you doing!"
There was four disciples of the dojo. Fighting to each other. Their taisagi was dirty. Others were watching their fight as audience.
"Didn't I warned you from doing it? Go now, You four will fill my bathtub today."
They stood in line and said accordingly."Yes master!"
One of them was short in height. For some reasons, he smirked.
Master noticed it.
"You will fill it by spoons. Go now!"
The colour of their face faded hearing it.
"But master.." Other one of them was trying to say something.
"I say, Go now!"
They ran to the Lober.
Zinor saw one of them was Yarma's brother.
Soon one after other disciples went to their job too.
The master came to Zinor and that person.
"Yushiro, thanks to inform me. Which task do you take?"
"Darumo hill's. An old women requested to guard her house and her granddaughter while she will went to main village for some work."
"I see. Be aware of Famga. Those wolves are good in camouflage. You will face them in your way."
"I know master. I am going now."
"Hmm."
Yushiro went toward the Ribia gate.
"Hope he will be safe."
"Task...?" Zinor was mumbling.
"Oh, decsiples here do some task peoples through out the whole kingdom requested for. In exchange we get some Dayans to keep this place alive."
"So it is how this place still in shape."
"Yes. But after I gave shelter to him. Peoples fear to come here. That's why you see most of the shops near Ribia gate are closed."
"Can I take tasks like this?"
"Hmm? Why? You aren't a decsiple. I don't want any resident get harmed by this."
"I don't like being a freeloader. That's why I am asking for this."
"Zinor, I totally understands what do you feeling. But you are not... Compatible for these jobs."
"What do you mean?" His voice got rough."Are you saying I am weak?"
A cold breeze flowed, the master stood at a distance from Zinor on the dojo ground.
"I am warning you. It's not bad to live under the shade."
"You think I am a nobody. Then go on. Don't hope that I would be softned on an elder. If I win I will take tasks."
For a moment both stood still, then
Zinor started collapsing.
Suwih!
He vanished and punched straight at masters face.
Baam!
"Nice one. You indeed are highly experienced."
Zinor's eyes widened. He saw master blocked his punch by his index finger.
Clip!
He grabbed Zinor's fist and pull him.
Baam!!
He shot a punch on his chest.
"Gggh!" Zinor's breath was hitching.
"Are you done? I thought you could do more."
Baam! Baam! Baam!
He shot more punches one after another until Zinor collapsed.
"You are weak indeed. Until you get strong you will live under the shade of Tansen."
Meanwhile,
"Sharma where are we going?" A girl in white cloak asked him.
"Sambes. The master of the dojo is there. We will ask him if that person is here."
"Will he really disclose?"
"Haah?"
"He gave shelter to the lone survivor of Heins battle. Though kingdom knows it they don't force the dojo."
"You are childish Lilly. Why do the king would inflame the fire that extinguished in recent 100 years?"
"I don't get why does two fire temple master's need to give him a visit."
"You just became a 1st grade master. So don't try to end up early."
"What! See your words. I became a master in just one year of training. In one or two more I would become a Shesenkai..." She enraged her voice.
"You just keep guarding this little temple and I will become close the great Prince of fire."
"Ok ok. As you like it."
They were crossing the bridge.
A Near was standing upside down under the bridge.
His ears moved a little as he heard Lilly's words.
Whip!~
He fell down from there.
* * * * * * *
"Zinor, Zinor! Are you ok?"
"Waah!" Zinor jolted awake. "What happened?"
"You get collapsed in main dojo ground."
"What was that? I never felt that before."
"Kinsho?"
"Ah what?"
"The force you felt by master's punches were known as Kinsho." said Yarma's brother who was sitting beside him.
"What is it?"
"How do I make you understand?" He thought for a moment. "The world is full of energies. These energies always travel in our body then went out. You can say without these we can't even think to breath."
"So it is a form of rituals that you or those fire temple decsiples do."
"Same same, but totally different. The thing they use is their law. A belief on elements. But the Kinsho is a belief on your own self. An outlaw can't use laws but he can believe in himself. That's how Kinsho exist."
Zinor thought for a moment. "Didn't you was ordered to fill master's tub."
"Oh. That was Ranso. He was ordered to all of us. So rest of us used buckets."
Zinor and Yarma gave a awkward look.
"Hey what's that?!"
The afternoon came. Birds were returning. A dense cloud was swirling over the dojo. Inside master's home Sharma and Lily were sitting.
"So a new protesror. You say he is residing here."
"We are not blaming you old man Hajin. It's just an accident. So if he is here we would ask you to hand him over to sangha."
" Yeah yeah. I will. But unfortunately nothing like this came in my sight. I will myself inform you. "
Lily was sitting with a unsettling face. 'What's with this good behavior. Just hung him over the valley and ask about the protester.'
"No I mean there are rumours that... The lone survivor of Heins is here."
Master stilled for a moment. Then itched his head. "The air is not good always. You shouldn't believe every word came flowing in it."
After some more talks, the fire temple masters went away.
"Zinor. He was right then. Where is he?" The master said by himself.
In the night a disciple came to Zinor while he was going for supper.
"Are you Zinor?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Master called you. He said you will eat supper in his house. A storm is coming. So hurry, Follow the light. It will show you the bridge of Sambes."