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The Fist of Winter's Past
Dec. 4th, 2017 04:29 pmAfter the fight with the fiery demon thing (was it really a Balrog?) and his failure with the Fist (a first since he got it), Danny decided to stay within Milliways until he could figure out what happened. The room he was given is nice, though more luxury than he is currently used to. The bed even had curtains!
(In some ways it reminded him of one time in Paris with his family. They'd closed the curtains and told stories in the gloom, staying up so late his father had almost missed his meeting the next day.)
His memories were interrupted by the sound of silk brushing brocade and he started awake, leaping from the bed in his pajama bottoms to find an imperious Chinese woman staring at him. She wore the robes of the Order of the Crane Mother, the same Order that taught him.
"Who are you and what do you want?"
"I am Wu Ao-shi," she answered, her face giving nothing away. Casually, she raised her right hand and ignited it with the chi of Shou-Lao, the same chi which thundered in Danny's veins. This was impossible, but he could feel it was so. "And a better question is what you want."
Startled, Danny felt his own chi react to Wu Ao-shi's and his Fist ignite, blinding him and making his room disappear in a flash.
When next he could see again, he immediately saw he stood in K'un Lun. Panicked he looked about and found Wu standing beside him. "Do not fear, Daniel Rand. None here will see us."
"I don't understand?"
"That much is clear. Look about, learn."
Danny did so and saw a young boy standing in an abysmal horse stance and punching at a wall over and over. The boys knuckles were bloody from where he'd hit the wall by mistake and calluses suggested this was a common practice. Shocked, Danny realized the boy was himself. Looking about more closely, Danny realized this was the past and the courtyard of Lei Kung, his adopted guardian. He turned to face Wu again, to ask how this could be but his words were interrupted by another's.
"They boy attacks a wall. This is what you would show me?" The voice in the shadows of the courtyard said.
"Is that all you see?" Another voice replied and Danny recognized Lei Kung.
"Psst. Many servants have delusions of grandeur."
"Again, this is all you see? Look at the stains on the wall. See how they climb higher as the boy grows? Delusions or daydreams of being a warrior do not last so long."
"No. But he is not one of us. It was good of you to allow him to join your home, but he is no warrior. Only those of K'un Lun can train to become a living weapon, let alone a chance to become an immortal one."
"It is I who decides, Tuan. Not you." At this Lei Kung turned and left, leaving Tuan to glare secretly at Danny for a few more moments before he to left.
Danny looked to Wu Ao-shi again and tried to form words to questions he didn't even know. She shook her head and raised her fist again, blinding him. Once his sight returned, he saw they were in one of the sparse meditation chambers of the Order. This time Danny turned to look about before being told and saw himself again, a boy dressed in the green and amber robes of the initiate. His younger self was kneeing as several older monks beat his back with bamboo swords.
The standard price of losing a fight.
"The boy cries like a child," came Tuan's disgusted voice.
"Yes, but he does not cry out." Lei Kung noted. "Nor beg an early end."
"A donkey does much the same. This is madness. Our ancient enemy arranged for the boy to find us, we should not be training him! Why give an enemy your best weapon?"
"Why indeed?" Was all the reply Lei Kung offered.
Danny turned toward Wu Ao-shi again, confused as to the purpose of what she showed him but she was gone. Danny spun about but everyone was gone as well. He stood alone in a dark cave. Well, not completely alone as he saw when the great dragon, the immortal Shou-Lao the Undying opened his glowing eyes...
(In some ways it reminded him of one time in Paris with his family. They'd closed the curtains and told stories in the gloom, staying up so late his father had almost missed his meeting the next day.)
His memories were interrupted by the sound of silk brushing brocade and he started awake, leaping from the bed in his pajama bottoms to find an imperious Chinese woman staring at him. She wore the robes of the Order of the Crane Mother, the same Order that taught him.
"Who are you and what do you want?"
"I am Wu Ao-shi," she answered, her face giving nothing away. Casually, she raised her right hand and ignited it with the chi of Shou-Lao, the same chi which thundered in Danny's veins. This was impossible, but he could feel it was so. "And a better question is what you want."Startled, Danny felt his own chi react to Wu Ao-shi's and his Fist ignite, blinding him and making his room disappear in a flash.
When next he could see again, he immediately saw he stood in K'un Lun. Panicked he looked about and found Wu standing beside him. "Do not fear, Daniel Rand. None here will see us."
"I don't understand?"
"That much is clear. Look about, learn."
Danny did so and saw a young boy standing in an abysmal horse stance and punching at a wall over and over. The boys knuckles were bloody from where he'd hit the wall by mistake and calluses suggested this was a common practice. Shocked, Danny realized the boy was himself. Looking about more closely, Danny realized this was the past and the courtyard of Lei Kung, his adopted guardian. He turned to face Wu again, to ask how this could be but his words were interrupted by another's.
"They boy attacks a wall. This is what you would show me?" The voice in the shadows of the courtyard said.
"Is that all you see?" Another voice replied and Danny recognized Lei Kung.
"Psst. Many servants have delusions of grandeur."
"Again, this is all you see? Look at the stains on the wall. See how they climb higher as the boy grows? Delusions or daydreams of being a warrior do not last so long."
"No. But he is not one of us. It was good of you to allow him to join your home, but he is no warrior. Only those of K'un Lun can train to become a living weapon, let alone a chance to become an immortal one."
"It is I who decides, Tuan. Not you." At this Lei Kung turned and left, leaving Tuan to glare secretly at Danny for a few more moments before he to left.
Danny looked to Wu Ao-shi again and tried to form words to questions he didn't even know. She shook her head and raised her fist again, blinding him. Once his sight returned, he saw they were in one of the sparse meditation chambers of the Order. This time Danny turned to look about before being told and saw himself again, a boy dressed in the green and amber robes of the initiate. His younger self was kneeing as several older monks beat his back with bamboo swords.
The standard price of losing a fight.
"The boy cries like a child," came Tuan's disgusted voice.
"Yes, but he does not cry out." Lei Kung noted. "Nor beg an early end."
"A donkey does much the same. This is madness. Our ancient enemy arranged for the boy to find us, we should not be training him! Why give an enemy your best weapon?"
"Why indeed?" Was all the reply Lei Kung offered.
Danny turned toward Wu Ao-shi again, confused as to the purpose of what she showed him but she was gone. Danny spun about but everyone was gone as well. He stood alone in a dark cave. Well, not completely alone as he saw when the great dragon, the immortal Shou-Lao the Undying opened his glowing eyes...
