บท 2: Part 2
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-Help your mum, you lazy bum! Just like your father!
Dodging his grandfather's slap, Guan Yu took off. Jumping over the interfering underfoot toad-chickens, the boy, laughing, ran past the neighbouring houses. The identical stone buildings with thatched roofs created a maze for those who wandered into the village, but having lived in Shu Village for six years, Yu knew every nook and cranny.
Sipa and Li's son was a sturdy and tall boy with short black hair. Many people said he looked like his father, but Yu vaguely remembered the image of the man. The strong square chin and wide straight forehead also came from his papa. Grandfather often joked that Guan Li wanted a son so badly that he gave birth to one himself.
Greeting and nodding hello to the many neighbours and relatives, the boy ran outside the village. The boundless fields of the Earth Kingdom were dotted with various grains and vegetables. The small paths leading along the vast crop fields were filled with many men and women that had gone out to harvest the crops.
For several days now, the Shu villagers had been busily filling the warehouses and preparing to pay the tax. Every year at the same time, the tax collectors came from Lu Yang, so everyone in the village was working hard.
Turning into the plot their family was working on, Guan Yu ran past the Zhang family and gave the bent-over Fei a savoury kick. Falling face first into the ground, the boy's head was stuck in the loose earth. He struggled from side to side as Yuu's feet carried him further and further away. When the boy's friend finally left the land, a scathing tirade was unleashed at the fugitive, ending in a paternal slap for Zhang Fei.
Enjoying the warm rays of the spring sun, Yu slowed his pace and leisurely walked down the narrow path towards his mother.
Sipa, who had recovered from childbirth, had long since been working on par with everyone else. Her face had a cheerful blush and a slight fatness on her cheeks. Inundated with gifts from her restless husband, she had quickly gotten into shape. Her brown hair was tied back with a small shawl, and the apron she wore tightly round her large assets.
Sneaking up on his mother who hadn't noticed him, Guan Yu jumped on top of her, clutching his mother's legs in a tight embrace. Shrieking in surprise, Sipa spun around on the spot, pulling the boy's feet off the ground. Hearing her child's happy laughter, she took a few turns, spinning the boy around.
Finished fooling around, mother and son got down to business. The long and tedious work was soothing, giving the heart of the simple peasants peace and satisfaction from the process. But not for Guan Yu. Since childhood, active and physically developed boy wanted to constantly move or have fun, if it were not for the love and respect for relatives, he would never have appeared on the field.
-Hey, Yu! Come with us, we want to see the Udavolosi!
Almost falling off the branch, Guan Yu, hanging upside down, looked at the boys approaching the tree.
The neighbour's child, Zhang Fei, was the son of a butcher. Large and full for his age, he was always red-cheeked like old men drinking booze. The unruly black hair inherited from his mother was like a bird's nest. His barrel-shaped figure and short legs made him disproportionate and slow, but he had plenty of strength. Helping his father carry meat carcasses or firewood, Zhang Fei was extremely strong for his seven years old.
Next to him was the leader of their little team. The bastard of one of the aristocrats of the Earth Kingdom, Liu Bei was thin and skinny, small in stature, and puny in build. He was the most like a normal child in their company, but listening to his abstruse speeches, it sometimes felt like an old man was playing with them. Despite his difficult and pompous character, he easily got along with simple country boys like Yu and Fei.
According to Liu Bei's own stories, he is soon to be placed in the care of his father's uncle, Viceroy Tao Qing. Having no children of his own, Qing dreamed of an heir to his business, so the kind-hearted grandfather decided to raise a native blood rather than leave his grandson to languish in the village. The old man was rumoured to be so ancient that when the war broke out, he was already wearing a grey beard.
Although Yu was happy for his friend, imagining how pompous he would become after studying with an aristocrat, his head was beginning to ache.
-Yui, get down. It'll be dark soon, I don't want to get a belt again.
Rubbing the phantom pains on his heel, Fei gave his friend a palm under Liu Bei's snide gaze. Reaching up and hanging onto his left arm, Guan Yu accepted the help and carefully lowered himself to the ground. Standing in front of his mate, he began to squeeze his fingers tighter and tighter. With gambling smirks, the two children measured their strength until Yu grimaced in pain. Pulling away his sore and aching hand, the boy frowned at Fei's moronic smile.
-Where do you get all that strength?
Ahead of the butcher's son, the hitherto silent member of the trio stepped forward. Slapping Fei's stomach with his hand, he leaned closer to Guan Yu and whispered loudly.
-So, he's eating for four people. Soon it will be bigger than a duck bear.
Laughing with his friends, Zhang Fei patted his voluminous belly himself.
-There should be more of a good guy . Alright, enough fooling around, let's go!
Returning late at night, Guan Yu tried to quietly sneak into his house. Looking around and pressing his back against the wall of the building, he tiptoed his way into the courtyard.
When he looked round the corner and didn't see the 'wardens', he got down on all fours and crawled under the windows leading to his parents' bedroom. When he was a couple of metres away from the door, he heard a polite cough above his head. Slowly bending down and cocking his head back, Guan Yu saw an upturned unfamiliar face.
Staring briefly, the child felt his body stiffen more and more and his head became heavier. Returning to his normal posture, he looked suspiciously towards the window where the stranger still loomed. Leaning on his arms, he smiled warmly as he regarded Yuu.
The stranger's long black beard neatly flowed along his body. The straight and soft hair showed that the owner was constantly grooming it. The face was covered with a network of small wrinkles, and the red-and-black officer's uniform identified the intruder as a member of the Fire Nation's military.
-Father!
A second of realisation, and the silence of the night was broken by a joyous shriek. Without opening the door, Guan Yu jumped at the stunned father through the window. Tumbling the man to the ground, the boy clung tightly to Guan Li's broad chest.
Sitting at the table, the little boy choked on his food. Shoving everything into his mouth, he swallowed the food without chewing, just to quickly free his tongue for a new question. Laughing, his parent had no time to answer as his restless offspring poured more questions into his father's mouth.
Hugging her husband Sipa silently reveled in this heartwarming picture. Guan Li could not often afford leave, but every time he faithfully rushed home to spend at least a day with his family. The girl's father often grumbled and swore at the Fire Nation captain, but old Lon was generally annoyed by anyone wearing the colour red. The old man still remembered the days when Taku City was the capital of the province. So he condemned his daughter's choice every chance he got, until the old man's wife chased him away to work.
The sit-down didn't last long, as much as the man loved his son, he wanted to spend time with his wife, after all the last time he had been home was a year and a half ago. After tucking in Yuya, who was swollen with food and warmth, the boy's parents secluded themselves in their room.
Taking off Sipa's green dressing gown, Guan Li felt an incredible thrill. The long months of abstinence had made him slightly nervous, but now he had managed to beg for a three-day weekend, so his wife had better get ready.
As he embraced the woman he loved, he inhaled the fragrance of her hair, which absorbed the scent of the herbs she'd picked through the evening. Lee's fingers roamed greedily over her body, not knowing what to grab onto. The woman's large form teased the officer, catching his attention with every movement. Growling furiously, the captain picked his wife up in his arms and pressed her against the wall. Unable to wait any longer, he penetrated her, eliciting moans so pleasing to the ear.
-"Get up here, son. We're going to check something today.
Standing in front of his son, Guan Li smiled like a polo smarty-pants. Having tormented his wife with his passion, he did not go to bed and woke his son with the first rays of the sun. Folding his arms across his chest, the captain waited for the boy to stand opposite him.
-As you probably know, son, I am skilled in fire magic.
With a focused nod, Yuu folded his hands behind his back, eagerly awaiting the end of the speech. Stomping his foot, he closely followed his father, who held his hands out in front of him with palms up. The small light that appeared above the hands attracted Yuu like a moth. After listening to some of his father's words, the child struggled to bring himself back to reality, no longer imagining himself as a great mage.
-...I've had a lot of luck. Although I will never be able to match the aristocrats of the Fire Nation or the Overlord's guards, my level has allowed me to reach my position. Without magic, I would have become a sergeant at best, like my friend Ping.
-If he wasn't a mage, how was he able to join the army?
Grinning at his offspring's naive question, Li waved his hand invitingly, inviting his son to follow him. This time, the prudent captain, in order to save time on the road, had obtained permission to use the military property in advance. Leading his son into the barn, the officer nodded his head towards a small stall where a tethered horse-stratus was peacefully munching hay, completely ignoring the intruders.
Approaching the beast closely, Lee gently ran his hand along the animal's powerful neck. Feeling the touch, the Conestraus scrutinised the bold man who dared to distract him from his meal. Recognising the man as his rider, he went back to chewing the huge pile of hay that good Sipa had thrown in front of the beast.
Calling to his son, Lee intercepted the boy's hand and slowly brought it to the horse's neck. Showing how to stroke and with how much force, the captain nodded satisfactorily as he made sure his son understood this simple science.
While his son amused himself, his father sorted out the bags stowed in the corner. Behind the pile of guests and gifts he had brought to the family, Lee found the item he was looking for.
-Oh, Sipa. This is a weapon, not a stick for cattle, - looked in the far corner of the shed, where the stick was allocated a special place among the tools, the man tiredly exhaled, - although there is a place for it here.
Returning to his son, Guan Li watched with surprise and delight as his son unsuccessfully tried to climb on the horse-straw, and the animal, indifferent to everything, tilted its side, rolling the child to the floor.
-Yui! Come on.
Back in the courtyard, the man unhooked the protective sheath guarding the blade. As he swung the weapon, he elicited rapturous gasps from his son. The nearly two metre long staff ended in a long curved blade. Adorned with scalding games, the black coloured hilt absorbed the light. A small red tuft of hair from an unknown animal dangled from the shank.
-You asked how Ping got into the army? Here's the answer to your question: my friend can use this thing to defeat several mages single-handedly. It's a guan dao. Legend has it that one of our ancestors was so good at it, he got his surname after it.
-Then why is he a sergeant and you're a captain?
Ignoring his parent's proud speech, Yu asked his most important question. A smug smile slid off his father's face. Opening his mouth, he pondered the answer for a few moments while his son jumped around the weapon, asking for it in his hands.
-It's hard to explain. Mages are many, they can make up squads of a thousand men, and not every one of them is endowed with great power. Strong mages can reach unprecedented heights. They can change the course of a battle with their mere presence! I have enough talent and perseverance to boldly stand a level above the average mage.
With an emphatic finger, the captain, satisfied with the articulated answer, put his weapon aside. After calming the agitated boy down, he knelt down in front of Yui.
-Today we will test your abilities in Fire magic. If you're lucky, you'll possess even more talent than me!
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