Islands after islands, sceneries only exclusive to this world are something Haji appreciated during their time adrift. Under the starry night, and above the deep blue sea, a mellow sound of the flute drifted through the ears of everyone inside the ship, pulling them into a dream-like state, and the sea looked very calm and tranquil, appeared to be listening enjoyably. One would wonder who could play such a song with so much passion. Footsteps can be heard from behind Haji, who stood at the bow of the ship.
"This is unexpected from what I've heard about you," Said Zhen, a high-ranking soldier directly under Bujing. "A ruthless boy renowned for crippling his opponents in an Agni Kai plays the flute with a soft tune, isn't this something rare. I expected you'd be busy practicing your skills or courting the little princess."
Haji stopped playing the flute and wiped the blowing hole with his sleeve. He turned around and looked at Zhen, a bit curious as to why the man approached him now. It's been two days since they departed from the Royal Capital, and never had he seen the man in front of him speak nor leave his grandfather's side. He'd heard some information regarding the man through the mouths of some bored officers, they said Zhen serves as a captain of an elite group which Bujing uses in covert operations in the front line. It was the only information that was public to officers, even Haji wouldn't be qualified to know this simple thing if he weren't Bujing's grandson, other than that, the group's size or its members are only known to Bujing and the Fire Lord.
Haji found it suspicious for someone so mysterious to approach him, either the man is scheming something or just plain curious about his general's grandson. Still, it wouldn't hurt him to casually chat with the man, and so he said. "What brings a renowned captain here?"
A faint sad expression flickered on Zhen's face when he heard the word 'renowned', he mumbled in self-deprecation. "Renowned, huh…" However, he took no offense from Haji's careless words, the culprit himself is a descendant of Lord Bujing, whom he swore his undying loyalty to. He answered. "Of course it's to meet my disciple."
Confused, Haji asked. "What do you mean?"
"I will train you by the order of Lord Bujing, and if you doubt my skills, we can have a match after arriving in the barracks." A straightforward man he is and his words deeply intrigued Haji, even Haji's will to fight was lit by this muscular, middle-aged man, making him wonder how strong a captain of an elite group is. A show of strength, huh, Haji thought. Accepting this fight will bring him more benefit; the soldiers will be able to see his strength, making some annoying pests disinterested from messing with him, and if he were to perform remarkably, then he'd be able to garner prestige. With this in mind, Haji accepted. "Sure, sir, I look forward to our fight."
A smile of success appeared on Zhen's face, and with a cheery attitude, he corrected. "It's Zhen, just call me by my name. Stick with that even if you're training under me."
Haji nodded, and Zhen bade goodnight right after, he watched as Zhen entered inside the ship, whistling delightedly at the outcome of their conversation. He mumbled in interest. "What a strange guy," Truly, an unexpected encounter for him...
The same night. Haji laid on his bed with eyes opened wide, his clothes had already been soaked with sweat, unease filled his thoughts and a strange sense of danger permeated him. The calmness of the sea turned opposite when he entered his cabin, rain poured suddenly, and waves smashed angrily at the ship. However, he didn't think anything out of it, deeming it a coincidence since man cannot control the winds and clouds to this extent himself. When his nerves eased, frantic shouts came from the deck.
"Prepare the lifeboats!"
"We're going to crash!"
"Help!"
Some soldiers that remained on the deck were swept by the waves, their bodies left for food in the deep, and their presence in the world will be thoroughly forgotten in time. A large tugging sound resounded on the door of his cabin. "Haji! Wake up, we'll be leaving by lifeboat with General Bujing!" The fear in Zhen's voice contained the magnitude of danger this represents. Haji hurriedly ran towards the door and opened it. "Isn't it too dangerous if we go!?" He shouted,
"The ship's going to sink! It's our only way, let's go!" Zhen answered, and grabbed Haji's hand, dragging him upstairs. On the deck, there were panic-stricken men that lined themselves up to ride the lifeboats. Some were still screaming, yet a single presence controlled the entire situation, making those fraught in fear reluctant to disobey orders. There beside a lifeboat, stood an old man with clear bright eyes, his back unbending from the swaying boat. They approached him, and Bujing ordered. "Get him in now!"
Haji was tossed towards the lifeboat by Zhen, the boat was already crammed with soldiers, shivering from the cold, but still, they made space for their general's grandson. "What about you, grandfather?"
"We'll use the next one," Bujing answered, however, there was no additional lifeboat, his words were only meant to ease Haji's worries. Wanting for the boy to not take a hint, Bujing roared. "Cut the rope!" A look of despair from the soldiers that remained was the last thing Haji saw.
Everyone inside the boat sighed in relief, they were ready to brace the wave just for the tiny bit of hope they'd survive. Unfortunately, nature is cruel and unfeeling. The ship was already far, and Haji kept staring in that direction. He hoped, for that stone-faced, rarely-smiling, grandfather of his to live. "Just take my life, and let my grandfather live, you miserable god!" He cursed, standing up and pointed at the sky, unbothered by the stares of the soldiers beside him. Everything was too sudden, and he couldn't accept this situation where his life was at the edge of death. "Don't stand! Take him down!" A soldier shouted. The boat might turn upside down, he thought, and with his remaining strength, he tackled Haji, and the others helped him to hold the boy down. "F*ck my life…" Haji mumbled, and tears drizzled down on his cheeks.
"Have you calmed down?" A soldier asked.
Haji answered. "I am, I didn't even struggle so let go of me." With that, everyone returned sitting on their spots, and Haji sat holding both his knees. The cold air, along with his dampened clothes seeped through his bones, he shivered along with the soldiers. "Try breathing on your hands, it might provide you some heat." The soldier, who shouted earlier, instructed him. Haji did as he was instructed and it provided him momentary relief. He tilted his head to the side and said. "Thank you, what's your name?"
"I'm Jugeun, you're called Haji, right? It must be nice to be the grandson of Lord Bujing." Jugeun enthusiastically said a slight smile appeared on his fatigued face. "I'm sorry about earlier. You can punch me all you want once we arrive at the base."
Haji understood the consequences of his actions if he wasn't stopped. "It's fine, I wasn't in my right mind." He laughed. "Are you sure? You could die if I punch you directly."
"Many had said that but they all lost to me, tell that to me when you've grown taller," Jugeun spoke arrogantly, and he mocked Haji's height with his gestures. Though, Haji was unaffected by the insult on his heights, that conceited tone and arrogant look annoyed him. This guy's about twenty but his mental age is like a kid, he thought.
They laughed. The two may be annoyed at each other, but it was only that. Jokes and insults that weren't malicious are not to be taken seriously, especially in this kind of situation. Some soldiers laughed alongside them, not even knowing why they were laughing. The cheery laughter relieved their anxiety, and they became unaware of their impending doom that was about to come.
"I'll treat you all to drinks if we survive this, even you, kid, not even general Bujing will stop me from doing so!" An old soldier laughed, and his words made everyone laugh once more. "I'll even drag grandfather to drink with us if you manage to convince him!" At the same time Haji looked at the old man, a towering wave reached his sights. "Shit…" He could only curse before everything turned dark.
Hello! Thank you so much for reading, and now the fun part starts! To be honest, I might just kill off Haji but who in their right mind kill their main character.
"Ah!" Haji woke up to feel a searing pain in his arms, blood sipping out relentlessly at the wound, painting his left arm red, the wound seemed to be caused by the collision with the wooden debris of their boat when a huge wave toppled them over. He then looked around and saw no flora nor fauna around him, the ground looked lifeless with steam coming out from cracks, but there was no time to worry about the place he's currently in right now, treating the wound first was the top foremost priority he needed to do.
His soaked tattered clothes, even when wrapped multiple times will not be able to prevent the loss of blood from the severe wound he had sustained. It was a long narrow cut stemming from his left shoulder until the arms, lucky enough that the wound wasn't too deep that the bones would be visible. His face paled every second passed, and the pain ate his sanity away bit by bit, a method came unto his mind at the moment of sudden clarity. He used his last bit of chi to light a small flame on his fingertips, and with his will to live, burned the long wound with the fire. With clenched teeth and teary eyes, Haji managed to cauterize the wound but his consciousness faded after enduring the immense pain that came along with it.
Where am I? Why can't I feel the pain from the wound earlier, Haji thought. Land consisting of large, towering trees, with bright flowers all around. There were animals, with an appearance that were foreign to Haji, moving in packs, from the large ones whom Haji assumed as the parents to the little ones. The serene sound of flowing water entered his ears, attracting his body to move on its own towards the source. Haji, in shock, wanted to exclaim but no words came out of his mouth, and his face unchanging. He was awake, but not in control, an uncomfortable feeling seeping into his soul. Haji observed as his body walked to a road, made of cobble to be exact, it looked mismatched with the natural look of the area, disrupting the old feeling the place exhibits.
After reaching the end of the forest, he was welcomed by a valley in between two mountains, and the long cobble road continues upward to the left mountain. The valley, however, was empty unlike the flower-filled forest, only the sea of grass was in sight. With only his eyes that could be moved, he observed the valley with no restraints, even if it was empty, staring at the picturesque mountains and the tall swaying grass seemed to exclude a mood that he could appreciate. If only there was such a place like this in the nation, he thought. An amusing thing too was how the breeze when passing through his ears, seem to whisper "A newcomer!" and some barely audible words.
"A human? It's been a long time…" Suddenly, an old, weary voice came in front of him when he reached the middle of the road. His eyes saw none in his path, but the voice grew clearer. "I see, you were pulled into this side by her, huh. That little girl finally grew interested in a human."
This unexpected encounter shook Haji's soul, his body stopped in front of nothing, he was like a puppet with the string pulled by that voice. After a few seconds, the voice spoke once more. "Forgive me, I forgot a human cannot see me in this form." Then the ground moved and formed into a golem, its head was circular and the body, large like a bear. It stared at Haji with its lifeless eyes and spoke. "Your soul... Let this old man help you, in return please tell me what the outside world is like now." The golem extended its long thick arms, and it pointed its finger on Haji's forehead.
A yellow-colored, string-like substance appeared on its finger, it entered through his forehead, and he could feel a warm sensation, slowly, that feeling seeped throughout his body. With that, Haji regained control over his own body. "Thank you…" He spoke, his tone slightly disheveled from accustoming himself to his body.
"No need for gratitude, it is my duty to fix the disturbances brought upon by my kin. Still, I will not prevent you from meeting the little girl."
Confused, Haji said. "What are you?"
"For the humans to even forget about our existence... I wonder how long I've slept," Said the golem, its face warped into one in thought. "I'm a spirit, and this world is where we reside that no living could enter," It said.
"Then why am I he—"
"— A spirit, one who is supreme, could bring forth a person into this world without restriction. This, however, rarely happens, strange isn't it? For a human to attract the interest of a strong spirit," The golem interrupted.
"Who are you referring to?" Haji asked.
"I shall speak no more words. You still owe me a story about the current era, hence, you shall repay your debt after your meeting with her," The golem moved on to the side of the road, and sat unmoving on the ground, the light in its eyes disappeared. "Continue on the road, and at the end, you shall meet the one who brought you here." It spoke before Haji felt its presence inside the golem vanished.
"What the hell is really going on..." Haji sighed as he continued along the path, this encounter has been too bizarre and the world he was in felt too surreal. He looked at his left arm and saw no wound nor blood on it, even a scar was nowhere in sight. "Either that golem was speaking the truth or I'm experiencing near-death hallucinations." Haji pondered. There were no more encounters with anything weird after the golem, hence the way to the mountain was peaceful, except for the still childish voices along with the breeze.
The road on the mountain could be described as rough since it has changed from the start of the mountain and turned into one made of dirt, and there were small and large rocks scattered everywhere, to which poked his feet from time to time whenever he missteps on them, making it annoying to traverse. Different from the valley, the wind seems to have weakened and the voices disappeared thoroughly in the mountain. Trees with thick trunks but small in height compared to the ones earlier, surrounded the road, its leaves, strangely painted with the color, blue. Haji, though have already walked far, could not even feel a tinge of fatigue. He found it weird but did not think much of it since the experience so far had been strange, thereby he deemed going with the flow as the best course of action.
Meanwhile, Bujing stood at a ten-meter defensive wall surrounding a military base at the center of Umji island, the designated destination of their travel. He watched as ten frigates on the horizon depart from a harbor.
Umji Island, an island that is also called the first frontier during the early years of the war against the earth kingdom. It spans around 1520 to 1580 acres, while the military base at the center occupied 260 acres, it is considered to be one of the fortified bases in the whole nation due to having twenty ballistae on each side of the wall, and guard towers where a small, elite group of firebenders resides, alongside the group was a garrison of war veterans that numbered three hundred.
Outside the base, a lush bamboo forest encompassed its surroundings, looking very tranquil in contrast to the dark, intimidating walls. There are four roads that intersect at the middle of the base that each connects to small bases in all directions around the island, one of them is the harbor that resides at the easternmost part of the island. The harbor acts as the docking area of reserved cruisers, ready to be deployed anytime, therefore due to its importance, it is surrounded by a four-meter wall with a tower gate at the center, with a strong unit of firebenders manning the walls. The navy, although of a different branch, could still be under the authority of a high general, especially Bujing who held most of the power in the island. The frigates that departed from the harbor were under his orders to conduct a rescue mission of his grandson, tasking them to recover him, dead or alive. "Do not come back here until you've brought him back." He sternly ordered the commander of the operation during their meeting.
"I'm sorry, my lord. I should not have placed him in that lifeboat," Zhen walked over behind Bujing, he had a sullen expression, blaming himself for the tragedy that occurred.
"That is under my orders, Zhen." Bujing coldly said, his expression hardly changing. "No one is to blame, and you being downcast does not help at all." He turned to Zhen. "Rally your men, I've prepared five ships for you to join the frigates."
Zhen bowed and promised. "Understood, my lord. I shall bring back the young master alive."
Bujing did not want his promising aide to lose his morale due to the incident, he knew no words of comfort nor punishment will be sufficient to appease Zhen unless he was to be sent with his men to accompany the search party. An opportunity to redeem himself was the only way for his pride.
I'm sorry if I wasn't able to update frequently. Online classes have been really tough with all the works assigned, and I've started to think of an outline for an original novel to submit in the contest. Thank you so much for reading.
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