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* Wen Shuo is just where Ai Lo promised that Jade would find her, in a little knock-together wooden stall at the end of a row of incense and luck-charm purveyors, hard up against the wall of a pocket-sized temple. * Wen Shuo is... well, after Ai Lo, Jade would hesitate to ever describe another woman as "big," but she is well-rounded and richly dressed in a red and gold robe embroidered with lucky cranes. Her black hair is piled on her head in an elaborate style and pinned with jewelled hair brooches. Rows of thick books line the walls of her stall. Her eyes take shrewd measure of Jade as she approaches. * Jade hobbles up to the stall, still dressed in her old woman disguise and carrying her empty basket. "Hello Shou-san." * Wen Shuo studies Jade a moment longer and then bows. "How may I serve you today, honored mother? Have you a son seeking a good woman to bear him many healthy babes? A daughter, perhaps, whom you seek to marry off before she gets too expensive?" * Jade nods, "My son needs a good girl to keep him from gallivanting around the world and forgetting about his old mother." <Wen Shuo> Well, now... ::her face wreathed with smiles as she sizes Jade up:: What sort of woman do you have in mind for a daughter? ::she turns, selects a book, and pulls it down, spreading it open for Jade:: I have many lovely ladies looking for husbands. He wishes to adventure? A strong man, then... perhaps one of these would suit... as you see, the price to set up a match is under each picture. * Jade starts casually flipping through the pictures, "I'd prefer a daughter who can keep him from adventuring. He could be very successful if he'd just settle down. Do you have any girls who have come here recently? I'd like to have a daughter who could convince my son to go back to Kara-Tur to be with her family." <Wen Shuo> ::a little surprised, almost dropping her book:: You wish to... oh. You would travel with them, of course. You tire of this place, then? ::she frowns thoughtfully, closing the book and replacing it on the shelf, sliding her fingers over the spines of others and finally turning back empty-handed with a small sigh:: <Wen Shuo> I can keep lookout for you, honored mother, but you must understand, there are few girls who come from the old country who have any desire to return there so quickly with a husband. <Wen Shuo> ::scowls a little:: They are young and foolish adventurers, most of them. Or their desire is to settle *here*. What you ask... it is difficult, and will likely be costly, I should warn you. * Jade smiles sadly and nods, "I'm willing to pay quite a fortune for my son. But if there truly are no girls hoping to return home then I'll settle for one who wants to remain here." <Wen Shuo> ::a little nervously:: That would be for the best. The only one I've seen lately... well, she is not the sort to talk to one such as I, of course, nor would I want her to. And she would make no good wife for your son. Better not to trifle with her sort at all. * Jade quirks an eyebrow, "Oh?" <Wen Shuo> ::looks around anxiously, making certain that no one is passing by or loitering around the booth, and beckons Jade a little closer, lowering her voice:: Have you not heard, honored mother, of the thing that has come to our shores from the old land? Some nonsense that such as you and I are better off not involved in. But there is a woman warrior trained in the old ways who runs with them, some say. I hear she is called Si Hua... the blossom which causes death. * Jade shudders, "How dreadful. Have they brought their ways with them? Will we live in fear of both them and the barbarians who rule this city?" <Wen Shuo> ::darkly:: Whoever knows, does not live to speak of it. Perhaps it is a good time to be leaving this place... I fear dark days, ahead. No one knows what it is they want. Although they seem to be concerning themselves mainly with the Bairen, so far. <Jade> Are there places I should avoid? I have no wish to die before I've held my grandchildren. * Wen Shuo clucks and shakes her head. "We shall all be killed in our beds. Wei Dong, that boy has been a criminal from way back. But these days he walks about the streets openly. Waaaii! Some say he has given up the old ways, that he only trades carpets now, but I say he is mixed up with them!" <Wen Shuo> ::pats Jade's hand:: You just stay away from the unsavory places, honored mother, and you should be safe enough. They do not congregate where good people go. The back alleys, the comfort bars down by the water, that is where they have been seen. * Jade looks suitably shocked, "Isn't there anyone willing to protect us?" * Wen Shuo shakes her head, looking a little bitter. "The honorable Purple Dragons, when have you seen them in our streets? They leave us to our own, for the most part. ::sighs:: Poor Yin Ko's great-grandson, he tried to stand up to one, I hear. They found him dead in an alley three days ago." * Jade claps her hands together and bows her head for a moment, "May these dark times pass quickly." <Wen Shuo> ::lifting her hands:: May the ancestors hear you! ::she hesitates a long moment, and leans forward again, putting a hand on Jade's arm and drawing her close. In a whisper, she adds:: There is one more thing I can warn you of, honored mother... do not repeat this to *anyone* you do not know. If you overhear men speaking of "Wuxing"... hurry away, and do not try to overhear. These are very bad people, and they would not hesitate to hurt you. * Jade makes a warding gesture and nods emphatically. <Wen Shuo> ::pats her arm:: Fortune smile on you, honored mother. I will look for a new daughter to make you happy and give you comfort and grandchildren for your later days. * Jade gives an arthritic bow, "My thanks Shou-san." <Wen Shuo> ::chuckles:: I must care for my clients, must I not, or I do not get paid! * Jade chuckles, "True enough Shou-san." <Wen Shuo> Check back with me in a few days, and I shall see who I can find for you. * Jade nods, "Again, my thanks." * Jade turns and hobbles away. * Jade hobbles down the street, stopping at a stall to get a bowl of ramen before continuing on her way to see Yin Ko. * Yin Ko appears to be as much a fixture in the little square at the center of this part of town as the fountain beside her is. She is a tiny bird-like woman, seated cross-legged on an old blanket at the edge of the fountain, the curved retaining wall at her back. On the blanket in front of her are a collection of coins and yarrow sticks, and she studies them intently. It is relatively quiet at this time of day, it being past the time that most women come to draw water. * Jade hobbles up to Yin Ko, pausing a respectful distance away and waiting for Yin Ko to acknowledge her presence. * Yin Ko looks up after awhile and stares at Jade appraisingly. After a bit, she nods, her voice sounding like a creaky gate. "Welcome, daughter." * Jade sits carefully and "painfully" across from Yin Ko, "I wish to know what the spirits can tell me honored one." * Yin Ko laughs rustily, showing a mouth largely devoid of teeth. "And why do you think a crazy old woman could tell you what the spirits know?" * Jade smiles back, "I've got a hunch you hear the spirit's wisdom more clearly than I do." <Yin Ko> True, true... ::eying Jade keenly:: The spirits say little to liars. * Jade nods sadly. "There are unfortunately too many of us about these days." <Yin Ko> ::narrows her eyes a little, picking up her yarrow sticks with a quick sweep of her hand:: Why, then, do you come to torment an old woman in the guise of another old woman? You walk with a stoop and disguise your ki, but what flickers through has a warrior's focus, and your skin is unwrinkled. <Jade> I come to find those who have unsheathed their knives in our streets. And I come in this guise to avoid detection both for my own protection and for yours. <Yin Ko> I see. ::she opens her hand, carelessly spilling the bundle of sticks back on the blanket between them:: And what would you do, when you find them? Die, as so many others have? Join them, perhaps? ::her expression does not change, but there is grief in her voice:: * Jade sighs. "Kill them, most likely. Though I'd not complain if they simply chose to leave." <Yin Ko> Death... so much death. I am an old woman, and thought I was past fearing it... until it came for my great-grandson. He also wished to make them leave. * Jade sighs again. "I did not know your great-grandson, but as for me, I have only one talent, filling Death's quotas." <Yin Ko> Ha! ::she pokes a few fallen sticks, shifting them slightly:: So if you kill these outsiders, then, Death will be satisfied and not come for any more of us? * Jade grins weakly. "For a time at least. Though it seems I've been rather remiss in my duties recently." <Yin Ko> Hmp. I, for one, look forward to my next life. Perhaps I shall come back as a wise sage. ::reflects for moment:: Or a turtle. A turtle's life seems very peaceful to me. ::looking up at Jade sharply:: And you, daughter? Do you fear death? ::her eyes are piercing:: * Jade shrugs, "I don't know. I feel I've accepted that death is a part of battle, but I also know that the greatest warriors can only succeed when they fight for a cause greater than themselves." <Yin Ko> ::grunts:: And what do you fight for, daughter? <Jade> For the safety of this community and the protection of those I've sworn to defend. <Yin Ko> Very prettily said. Hmp. I suppose I must help you, then. <Yin Ko> ::picks up her sticks and coins again:: What do you know, daughter, of the Five Elements that make up all of creation? <Jade> I've read Wuxing Kun and studied under some elemental priests before coming here. <Yin Ko> Ahhh... "The Five Elements Blade." And did you understand what it was you read? <Jade> Better than some, not as well as others. <Yin Ko> ::cackles again, and reaches across to poke Jade in the arm:: I could come to like you, daughter. Very well. I will tell you what I can, which is more than some know, but perhaps less than others. * Jade grins, "The feeling is mutual honored elder." <Yin Ko> ::settles back, one hand up in the traditional storyteller's pose:: At a time lost to memories even older than mine, a group of wise monks who had been studying the world around them for a very long time came together to share their thoughts. <Yin Ko> They decided amongst themselves that the Five Elements were not only an ideal way to describe the makeup of everything in the universe... they were also the ideal path to perfection in a warrior. <Yin Ko> As is the way of monks, they gathered students, to teach their thoughts to before they died. One, who was perhaps not as well disposed to teach, wrote down his thoughts instead-- the book, which you have read and understood better than some. <Yin Ko> That much is fact. What follows is more like legend. <Yin Ko> ::frowning thoughtfully:: It is said that each of the five monks was born under a different sign, and that the will of the Yellow Emperor predisposed each of them to a particular element. <Yin Ko> Their students, also, naturally sorted themselves out so as to gravitate to the master that matched their own style. Such is the way of it, I understand. I myself know little of the Way of Swords. <Yin Ko> This, too, is part of the legend: that before they died, each monk forged a talisman, something meant to help a favored student by reminding him of the core of his master's teachings. <Yin Ko> And, as sometimes happens with such things, it is said that the talismans quickly became more than mere tools of study. Each became imbued with the perfection of that master's arts, and in some small way was said to embody the very element it was meant to represent. <Yin Ko> ::shrugging:: As I have said, this is the stuff of legend. There could be no more truth to it than young men's boastings of their prowess. <Yin Ko> But this, also, is said of them... that one student was perhaps not as pure as the others, and coveted the other talismans for himself, with all the power and wisdom they had come to represent. <Yin Ko> This part of the tale goes that the covetous student managed to defeat two of his brethren and take their talismans, before the others realized what he was about. <Yin Ko> The others banded together, swearing to defeat him and destroy *all* the talismans, for they came to realize that such powers are not safe in the hands of men in the world. <Yin Ko> ::snorting a little:: Their wise masters should, perhaps, have thought of that before they created them. Ha! <Yin Ko> Be that as it may... it is not known to the world how that part of the tale finishes. Matters intervened, and all that is known of it is that today, the Fire Mountain stands on the spot of their old monastery, surrounded by the Forbidden Mountains. It is a terrible place, and no one goes there now but wild men, saints, and desperate criminals. <Yin Ko> It is whispered that the good students won, and that the talismans were destroyed. And it is whispered that the fight was a draw, and the evil student made off with what he had, and the others were lost. And it is whispered that he defeated them all, and made off with the talismans, destroying all that was left so none other might create more, or learn their secrets. ::shrugs:: The spirits know the truth, perhaps, but they do not say. <Yin Ko> But this I know... in Malatra in the south, near to the Fire Mountain, there are rumors of a secret society known as the Wuxing, the Five Elements. And rumor says that sometimes, warriors have been seen to do wondrous and terrible things in that region. ::she shrugs:: But who knows? It could be more of young men's boastings. But it makes a good story, does it not? <Jade> I do not know if the talismans survived, but I have seen a talisman that fits your legend. Do you know which elements the evil student possessed? <Yin Ko> ::nods:: It is said that he stole the powers of Wind and Fire. And that he, himself, owned Void, which is why the others could not capture him. <Yin Ko> ::looking troubled:: I tell you this story because I have heard the name Wuxing whispered on these streets. I fear they hope to bring their power to bear on these shores, where they could not conquer in the north. * Jade nods, "I held Void in my hand, and the one who took it from me was unharmed by Fire, and I have heard the name as well." <Yin Ko> ::nods thoughtfully:: The talismans... they would not be able to be used by just anyone, I believe. ::she smiles thinly:: I have had some time to think on the story. The legend insists that these students had to study long and long with their masters, to understand the secret nature of the elements and to unlock their secrets. * Jade nods. <Yin Ko> And what the evil student desired... I think it would be impossible for a normal man. The elements are so different, some even fighting with each other. Perhaps he was able to gain some rudimentary control over the other talismans, but not the great powers he hoped for. ::she shrugs again:: But then, who knows? All I know is that history speaks of no one with such powers. And we of today do not all tremble under the shoe of an all-powerful arch-fiend, and that is enough to convince me that either the talismans were lost, or they are not so easy to use as was thought. <Yin Ko> ::smiles thinly:: And as for the evil student... he was a mortal man with dreams of power and glory. I believe, if he had the choice, he would rather have defeated his fellow students, than lose his chance at their talismans and their shame by raising up a volcano under their feet. * Jade smiles at well. "Let us hope that the same is not attempted here." <Yin Ko> Who knows legend from truth? Not I. But ever since I heard that name whispered here, I have been thinking of that story. It was told to me by my grandfather's father, who, in his day, was not such an honest man. He spent time in that region once, I think. But I do not know where he might have learned it. * Jade reaches into a pocket and pulls out the silver she got for her oranges, placing them near Yin Ko. Jade then claps her hands together and bows to Yin Ko. "I thank you for you wisdom, honored elder, and pray that I may be worthy of the guidance you have given me." <Yin Ko> ::smiles, her wrinkled face lighting:: I think that you will do. You have a good heart, for all your talk of filling quotas for Death as if you were some salaryman. And the spirits like you. Come and visit me again, if you will. If Death does not take either of us beforehand. * Jade rises, groaning and leaning heavily on her cane. "I hope to speak to you again soon." Picking up her basket, Jade begins to hobble away, losing herself in the crowds and back alleys as she did when she came here. |
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