Re: Chapter 3: The Secrets Within
Elizabeth is the bird? Or is that just coincidence?
Xuan had heard of a student within his own caste that could merge with the consciousness of animals, or at least had a certain empathy with them, and he had even seen evidence of it once or twice as a child. A bird sitting on a shoulder or a panda that would wander too close to the temple and wave. He wondered if that was the case with this bird and Elizabeth. However, the student had disappeared suddenly at some point, and there were a number of rumors as to why. Some said the Demon Clan coveted his power, wishing to use it for themselves, and so abducted the boy. Others said that he died to one of his own animals, a case of an overextension of his skills where either a misfire or backfire caused the vengeful beast to retaliate with extreme aggression. The last, which Xuan had chosen to believe, was that the boy got lost within one of the animals, casting aside his human existence and allowing his body to perish as he lived on within that creature. Maybe none of it was true. Perhaps the boy simply fell off of a ledge and was swallowed up by the wilderness or snow. It was not unheard of for such a thing to occur, especially when one would neglect their training or instructions. Without supervision and discipline, The Mountain could be a very dangerous place.
As Xuan approached the fire, he was encouraged by the presence of Ace. Except, uncharacteristically, the Ancient Boy's attention was darting to and fro. Xuan puzzled over what he might have missed, or hadn't considered in the first place. It was a reminder, at any rate, not to let his guard down completely, no matter how good the circumstances seemed.
With a nod and small bow to the older man, Xuan introduced himself.
"Thank you, and no thank you to the food. I am not hungry. My name is Xuan. Forgive our intrusion, but we were not expecting to encounter... well, you." Xuan sat and motioned to their surroundings as he looked around. "Or even all of this. Apologies if this is rude, but we would love an explanation as to our 'chance' meeting."