He opened his eyes, but all he sees is the wooden ceiling.
He blinked his eyes, hoping all was just a dream.
But all was just the same.
'Where am I?'
He looked around the place. He was in an ordinary house, probably owned by a peasant. There was a fire place, but only burnt sticks are left. A little dining table beside the window, having 4 chairs and a sleeping cat that occupies one of them. He can feel the warmth of the sun in his face,, probably the thing that woke him up.
'What time is it?, is it dawn?'
Then he heard the door creaking. Someone is about to enter the house, but who? He tried to stand up, but a sudden pain in his chest prevented him to do so. It was too excruciating; he almost lost his consciousness.
'Damn, what's wrong with me?'
He realized that he was covered with bandages, a few more strands and he would have been mistaken for a mummy. All he can do was wait. The door swung open, little by little. He can see the shadow of whatever is on the other side of the door. And to his surprise.
It was… a child.
"The hairman is awake", the child shouted
'Hairman?'
To his horror, a mob of children came rushing to his side, like they were excited to see the carnival.
"What's your name?"
"Where are you from?"
"Is it true that you can fly?"
"Tell me a story of your adventure"
All sorts of questions came to him in a flash. He was so confused that all he managed to do was to open his mouth, for no words were willing to come out.
"Take it easy kids", a voice warned them in the background. He looked at its source, but all he sees was a silhouette of a person at the door.
"Achie", they almost said in a chorus. They came running back at the door and hugged who ever was standing there.
And there she was, a woman. She has a short brown hair, a body built by the gods, and an angelic smile written in her face. He sensed that the children were happy just to see her.
"So how's our visitor?" another voice from the background
"He's awake Father, now we're certain he's not dead" She replied
'Dead? I was dead?'
"How are feeling young man?" the man asked. He looks to be at his early fifties. Indeed, his face looks old, but his built seemed to be younger than his age. He tried to answer, but he can't speak. We was too weak to respond.
"Hmm, can you understand our languange mister?" The old man asked again, this time with a little concern in his voice.
"Let him rest father, maybe he's just too tired" The woman said while she was unpacking some things on the table. All the children were behind her, watching her unravel the package she's carrying.
Then suddenly.
"Water…" He blurted. He managed to pronounce some words, but it took a toll on his stamina.
"Oh, fetch him some water, he haven't drinked anything for days" The old man commanded. The children hurriedly filled a wooden cup with water and gave it to the old man.
"Here, drink this, your throat must be too dry for you to speak." said the old man. Indeed, the tap water tasted like heaven, maybe he was too thirsty to speak. It rejuvinated him, he felt a lot better with just a cup of water.
"Thank you, mister..?" he held a long pause, hoping that the old man will present himself.
"Zhang, hunter Zhang", the old man replied, "This is my daughter, Ca.."
"Jan", she interrupted, "Call me Jan"
"I found you in the northern lands when I was thawing the snow" Zhang continued, "You were barely clothed in the ice and dying."
"Father brought you here, hoping we can revive you but we only have small potions at hand, it's barely enough to keep you breathing." She folllowed, "I tried using my Morning Dew spell but I haven't mastered it yet, I only managed to heal some of your minor wounds."
Indeed, his body is still aching, God know's what's broken in him.
"What's your name mister?" one of the children asked
"Oh, I'm sorry if haven't introduced myself." quickly he answerd. "Sir Zhang, thank you for helping me, I wouldn't know what would've happened if you did not see me there."
"I am…" He paused, he can't seem to blurt out any word.
I am…he was in deep thought, how difficult would it be to say your name?
"You are?" the children asked again.
"I am.." he paused, "My name…" he stopped again.
"Looks like he had an amnesia" Zhang said "Don't worry, we'll go to Sword City and maybe we'll find someone who can assists us, For now, you just take a rest young man." Zhang stood up and walked to the door.
"Come on children, let Jan take care of him"
"Yes sir Zhang" they replied in chorus. They dashed outside, following Zhang.
"Just lie down mister, we'll find out what possible cures we can get in the city" Jan added.
"A cure?" he asked. Out of nowhere, he instinctively reached for his pocket, and felt something in it. He took them out and saw potions, and they were pinkish in color.
"What's that?" Jan asked
"It's… a Dragon Pill" he replied.
"And what is a Dragon Pill?" she questioned
He drank the potion without hesitation. He felt its effects as soon as it touched his inner body. His wounds began to heal in an amazing rate. He felt refreshed, he felt reborn, just like a newly risen phoenix from it ashes.
He sat on the side of the bed after the potion had taken effect. He checked his arms, his legs and his hands to see if there are any scars left.
Whoa, why do I have something like that?
He looked behind him and he saw Jan, staring at him in disbelief.
"What..the hell…was that?!?" She exclaimed. Never in her life has she seen something so amazing. She's seen Yulings, healers from heaven, do the same 'magic', but this miracle happened with the help of a mere potion.
"I don't know. All I remember is that I should drink it…" He said.
Still, Jan cannot believe how such thing happened.
"Are you feeling better now?" she asked,
'I do feel a lot better'
"Yup, can't be any happier than that.' he replied.
He jumped out of the bed, took a few steps forward. He raised his hands and streched out. He jogged in place, seemed to be trying to measure his limits.
"Can we go outside? I think I need some fresh air" asked Jan.
"Uhhmm, sure.." he replied. He took cautious steps forward, checking out if his foot could bear his weight.
Looks good.
He checked back at Jan, still mesmerized by the power of the potion. She was looking at him from head to toe, still unwilling to believe the miracle.
"We need to tell father about this, what's that potion again?" shed asked.
"Dragon Pill" he replied.
They got outside and saw Zhang chopping some wood. The way he handled the axe was elegant. It doesn't seem that he needed so much to force to use the long-handled axe. With one smooth stroke, the plank was cut into two pieces.
"Whoa, that was something" he said. Right after he spoke, Zhang looked at him with a worried face.
"Jan!" Zhang exclaimed, "Why did you let him up? He should be taking more rest!" Zhang walked toward him and examined his wounds.
But he found nothing.
"What is this? Jan, have you mastered your healing spell?" Zhang inquired, still looking woried.
"No father, all he did was drink this" Jan replied, she reached out her hand and pointed to the empty potion bottle in their visitors' hand. In reply, the young man gave the bottle to Zhang.
"I have plenty of those, they are called Dragon Pills." He said, "I don't know how I got them, but they are pretty useful if you ask me."
Zhang took the potion. He looked at the bottle from every angle, examining it throughly.
"A Dragon Pill you say?" Where have I heard about that?" Zhang said
"Beats me", he replied. He pulled out all remaining potions in his pockets, giving them all to Zhang. "You can have them, it's the only way I can repay you."
But Zhang seemed not to care, he kept on checking the empty bottle in his hands. He's in very deep thought.
"Can I have some of that?" Jan asked, "One of the children has this severe burn on her shoulder, maybe this so called pills can help her."
So instead of giving the potions to Zhang, he gave them to Jan.
"Coleen, come here!" Jan shouted. A child came running the her side. It was the same girl who called him 'Hairman' earlier.
"I'm here Achie, what do you need?" the child asked.
"I need you to drink this, it will heal your shoulder" Jan replied
"Am I gonna be beautiful after that?" the child questioned, swinging her little body side to side, showing her excitement.
"You've always been beautiful" Jan said. The girl hugged her and smiled. "Thank you Achie!"
Jan opened the potion and was about to make the child drink it, but suddenly.
"STOP!" Zhang shouted from the background. Everyone was stunned. Luckily, there wasn't a drop of potion that touched the child's mouth. Zhang closed in to Jan and quickly snatched the potion from her hands. Frightened, but still composed, Jan stood up from her position and poised herself. Her face looked pale, it's not everyday that her Father shouts like that.
"What's the matter father?" She quickly asked. Zhang did not reply, he just looked into her eyes, looking troublesome. Zhang then turned his attention to him, who is looking confused.
"Young Man, come with me." Zhang ordered
He relunctantly followed Zhang and they went inside the house. Zhang got inside the house first, and he followed. He glanced back to Jan, her eyes full of uneasiness, before he closed the door.
PART TWO
"She could have died"
Those were the words that struck Jan deep in her heart. She accidentaly, well sort of, overheard their discussion while she was passing by the window of the house. She coudn't believe it. She's seen how the potion works but all she knows now that Zhang claimed that the same Dragon pills could very well be leading that tender child to her grave.
"This is non-sense" she thought.
To her surprise, Hunter Zhang opened the window, as if he was expecting to see someone out there. She didn't have time to run, all she sees right now are the two annoyed eyes of her beloved father.
"And now you lost your manners my dear" Zhang said. His eyes fixed onto her, like a judge looking down on the convict.
Trying to avoid embarrasment, she had to come up with an excuse.
"That man could have killed her, and it is my duty to protect this children!" She said. "I need to know what's happening father, I'm not a child anymore!"
Zhang replied, "Ahh, the same fiery attitude, I remember your mother when you do that" He laughed, obviously trying to prevent any arguments. "My Dear, I know you care much about the children, and I do so too, but things are just too complicated right now and I..:
A scream..
A child's terrorized scream..
They saw the children running back to the house. They've come from the woods, and all were hysterical of what ever happened back there.
"Hush children, tell me what happened" Jan said, but her voice were drowned by the cries of the scared kids. They scrambled towards the house and cramped to which ever place they feel that will make them safe.
Confused, Zhang asked one of the children hiding beneath the bed. "Toni, tell me what's going on"
The young man, seeing the chaos, walked out of the house calmly. He composed himself in the front of the house, as if he's waiting for something to happen.
"The plant, it's alive! It's trying to hurt us, please uncle Zhang, help them." Toni said. Those words alarmed Zhang,
"Help them?" He said to himself, "Then there must be some children left in the forest"
Grabbing his Howling Axe, Zhang rushed outside, running towards the forest. He stopped for a moment and glaced back at Jan.
"Jan, take care of the children, I'll go to the forest and see what's happening!" Zhang shouted. Jan nodded, for that was all she was able to do.
"I'll come with you" the young man said
Zhang, looking at his companion, nod in approval. "But let me take care of everything, we're not sure if your body can take up so much beating" Zhang said
Troubled by the old man's word, he stopped for a moment. He was in deep thought, like something was bugging him
"What now? Let's go, we can't be standing here waiting for nothing" Zhang interrupted.
The two men rushed towards the forest. They disappeared behind the white fog.
Jan, still worried, was trying to calm the children down. She looked behind her and saw how two silhouttes, His father's and the stranger, faded by the trees.
"Be careful", she thought to herself as she lead the children back in the house.
It was such a deafining silence in the forest, only the sounds of the crickets could be heard. Both Zhang and the young man walked cautiously, looking around for possile disturbances.
"I only counted 12 children", Zhang whispered, "But we take care of 15, so three more should be around here somewhere"
"EEEEEEeeeeeee…"
A distant scream
"There!" Zhang exclaimed "Follow me"
They ran towards the source of the cries. Zhang was chopping all the weeds blocking their way.
"He's pretty awesome for an old guy" the thoughts ran in the young man's mind.
They got into the location.
It was something horrific, something unexplainable
"Good Heavens!" Zhang blurted.
The tree was alive. Moving. It was solid wood, but has legs and arms. It was walking towards the deep forest, carrying three children in its enormous hands.
"Help us Sir Zhang!" the children cried.
The monstrous abomination stopped at its track. It turned around and looked at them. It has no eyes, just a hollow void in its face. The creature roared in such a terrifying manner, it sounded like it came directly from hell.
"My God: Zhang said, "It's Deadwood!"
"And what is a Deadwood?" asked the young man.
"Deadwood" Zhang replied, "it's one of the horrible creatures that existed in the Orchid valleys. It was a demon who took form of a tree and has been mercilessly killing people."
"LOOK OUT" shout the child
Zhang and the young man instinctively dodged out of harms way. The Deadwood slammed its fist on to where they were standing before.
"Damn" Zhang said, "this is one ferocious being" He looked behind, thinking that the young man was with him. But he was no where in sight
"Hey, where are y.."
He dodged another pounding from the beast. He had no time to spare, he cannot baby-sit 3 children and a man losing his mind. Zhang needed to act quickly because he has no idea on what could happen next.
"Bless me, Pangu, give me the strength to take this abomination down" Zhang prayed silently by himself.
"Rising Gale" Zhang chanted. Zhang launched himself towards the monster and soared. He raised his Axe and smashed the monsters body with its deadly blades.
But the monster seemed to be unharmed.
"This is gonna be one hell of a fight" Zhang thought to himself. He leaped backwards then crossed the axes in front of him.
"Sudden Dragon!" A bright light emerged from his blades and lauched itself towards the Deadwood. The light pierced through the monsters body, destroying a few strands of woods in its wake. The monster roared in pain.
"Ha!, so you feel pain too!" he ran back to the monster for another attack.
He turned around then lounged the axe forcefully to the monsters legs "One-Inch Punch!" Zhang chanted.
Then things turned around unexpectedly.
The Deadwood kicked Zhang as soon as he was in it's range. The power was so immense that Zhang was hurled back a few feet above the ground, knocking the axes from his hands.
"Uncle Zhang!!" the children screamed. Terror filled their eyes as they see their only saviour crashing on the trees.
"Ughh" Zhang moaned, its attack was too powerful. Yes, he may be a strong warrior, but his old age and his wounds from the wars had taken toll on his mortal body.
He tried to stand up but the pain was far too unbearable. The Deadwood rushed towards him.
The stomp was getting louder.
Closer.
"Uncle Zhang run!!!"
As much as he wants to, his body doesn't have the energy to stand up.
The stomps have stopped, and the children's cries were far louder then before. Zhang looked up and saw the hollow, unforgiving eyes of colossal beast. It raised its enormous foot, ready to crush his vulnerable body. Zhang closed his eyes waiting for his final moment.
"Graaaahhh"
Then a loud cracking sound. Zhang looked up and saw his axes smashing the monsters foot.
"Get out of the way!"
It was the young man
Zhang poured all his strength and rolled out of the tumbling monster.
The children were tossed away, sent rolling on to the ground.
"Take this" The young man threw a potion to Zhang. Zhang caught the potion, opened it and drank with no hesitation. He felt energized, revived.
"Save them, I'll hold this monster while I can"
Zhang found a very commanding, yet concerned voice from the young man. This was not the same man he saved, he thought.
"Follow me" Zhang told the children. They ran back, taking some distance away from the monster. Zhang looked back and saw the young man's nimbleness. We was dodging all attacks from the Deadwood while running around, slashing and chopping with the Howling War Axe. He saw a faint blue light coming out of the man's body.
"That is Wind Walk!" he blurted
Then, as the monster was weakening, the young man ran behind it. He set one Knee to the ground, positioning the axe in his chest. The ground was shaking, fire was brimming around him. The clouds above them were parting and bright fire-colored light were starting to shimmer. The ground beneath the man had a circular mark. with a dragon sign inside.
"GOOD HEAVENS, GET DOWN!" Zhang exclaimed.
Once again, he woke up from slumber; sand was on his cheeks and he felt that stones and pebbles were pushing through his chest. He smelled the distinct odor of burnt grass, feeling bits of ashes flowing in his nostrils. His body is numb all throughout.
He is faced-down on the earth.
“Are you alright?”
A familiar voice, it sounded worried and concerned.
“Are you alright? Can you hear me young man?” It grew worrisome.
Summoning all his strength, he flipped to his back. Now he sees the blurry sky and its clouds peacefully floating around. Also, a face of an elderly man came into view. There is a bothered look on his face.
It was Hunter Zhang.
“What happened?” he asked as he tries to reason out why he is on the ground.
Zhang looked at him, quizzed and bemused.
“Son…” Zhang whispered “You have a serious problem of memory gap. Will you please look around you and see what you have done?”
He closed his eyes, still trying to recall the events. He bent his elbows to bring his ahead above the ground and gazed on his surroundings.
The horror woke up his senses.
“I DID THIS?” he gasped
The horrible monster, or what’s left of it, lays a few yards away from them. It was motionless, hopefully lifeless as well. The damage though did not stop on that abomination. The ground below them actually got the least amount of punishment. Trees far back were toppled down, some still burning, others already charred out. The ground appears to have barely survived a mighty tremor as cracks all over the region. A few innocent critters lay dead as well, poor victims of an unforeseen assault.
He sat upright, crossing his legs. He was frozen in place, still refusing to accept that he was the sole cause of this unnecessary chaos.
“You’ve made quite a remarkable damage.” Zhang interrupted his thought. “This might sound out of context, but I’m impressed, this is something I haven’t witnessed in a long time.”
Zhang extended his arm to help this downed stranger up. Zhang helped dust him up from all the ashes smudged in his clothing and skin.
Deep in his mind, Zhang is mystified of this young man’s doing. A person charging towards against a Deadwood is unheard of, but killing it and walking away unscathed is beyond belief. He knows, definitely, that this person is more than just a simple man.
“Son,” Zhang blurted, “we have a lot to talk about. You’re starting to frighten me. I need you to be honest with me or, God forbid, I’ll send you back to that snow-ridden field where I found you”.