DISCLAIMER: THIS IS THE START OF THE BOOK. YOU START HERE. IF YOU WANT YOU CAN READ THE PROLOGUE OR PRIMER BUT IT IS NOT NEEDED.
EVERYTHING WILL BE EXPLAINED IN DUE TIME, FOR NOW ENJOY JUST BEING THROWN INTO THE WORLD.
The snow melted before it could touch him. He exhaled, watching his breath curl into the winter air. Another year had passed, and still no trace of Hou.
With a light smile, not quite happy not quite sad, he reached out towards a snow covered rock. His hands began to heat up and the snow melted, into a puddle and then into steam.
He felt the rock, making sure it was dry, then sat down. He carefully reached into his long flowing black robe and took out a letter.
"To Hamar" it read, this was the man's name, Hamar. He undid the wax seal and took out the letter itself while a smile grew upon his lips.
He squinted his and started to read the letter,
"No news yet...we haven't found anything out" Hamar tutted and shook his head. Reading along it continued,
"...No matter what, I'm sure we'll find him." He read the rest of the letter and dismissed it. He tossed it on the rock beside him and looked up.
"Where are you Hou..." He murmured it aloud then calmly took out another envelope, also addressed to him. Once again he took out another letter and started to read,
"...Hou fought with someone...strange formation...disappeared...monitor the dragon...only have one opportunity to summon me...from your teacher, Elder Mo Huai"
Hamar skimmed over this letter some more before placing it atop the other, on the rock beside him. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he started to collate his thoughts,
"Hou was fighting...that thing. And...he just disappeared?!"
He felt something in his robe and raised his billowing sleeve, a small snake poked it's head out. It hissed and made a small noise before going back into his robe.
"This great dragon will tell you...there are five worms hiding in the brush in front of you..."
Hamar shook his head, "This? A dragon? More like a snake...but it is a special snake", he murmured back, "I know" he jolted a little and he felt something arise from his body.
A voice responded to him, "I am a proud dragon! Hmmph!"
Hamar chuckled, "You could hear what I thought?!"
"No...but my main body knew you well, so I know you well. You thought I wasn't a veyr impressive dragon, didn't you!?"
"Hou you...Your main body and I were very close it seems, it felt just like you read my mind" he stroked the 'dragon's' body through his robes. This was the 'dragon' was the very same mentioned in one of the letters.
Hamar and his teacher weren't sure sure what it was but for Hamar, and Hamar alone, it could speak. Through this he figured out a bit of WHAT it was but not HOW and especially not where Hou is.
Hamar recalled what he was told when he first got the 'dragon'. It was created by Hou, a sworn brother of Hamar and the reason for his travels, the dragon contains a portion of his essence. It has limited memories and emotions of Hou but he was given it for a reason...at least that's what he thinks.
Hamar recalled that information and stood up, bending down to pick up the letters again. After putting them in his robe again he muttered under his breath to the dragon,
"Remember, tell me if you sense the 'real you'."
Then Hamar drew his sword and pointed it out to the forest ahead of him. "Come out!"
Suddenly the bushes shook and a group of five came out of hiding. They snickered and swung their savers with a sadistic grin on each of them.
"Old man! Just hand over the money and you'll be safe" the seemingly leader spoke up.
Then a grunt behind him added, "Heh you're swordsmanship might've been strong when you were a spring chicken but you've grown old! I bet just me could defeat you, ha!"
Hamar continued smiling gently. He held out his other hand and motioned for them to come.
This quiet act of defiance caused quite the anger to rise from not just that grunt but the whole group. The leader was growing red and shouted, "You're asking for it old man! Get him!"
They all rushed forward and swung their weapons. Savers, clubs, a variety. All mismatched and of varying qualities.
Hamar simply stepped out of the way, dodging each swing with nothing but a step. His eyes glistened as he noted, "Stolen weapons?"
"So what if they are!?"
They continued trying to assault him, and Hamar continued to simply step out of the way. Slowly, he was cornered to a rock, unable to step out the way.
The weapons all aimed towards different parts of himself, aiming to disable not kill. He snorted and finally swung his sword.
With one clean sweep, he deflected two people while gaining the opportunity to step through their defence and be safe.
He stepped through them and now behind the rest he simply hit them with the butt of his sword. Then he sweeped at their legs and they all toppled together in a pile.
Hamar walked forward and turned around towards the pile of bodies. "Don't steal or you'll have something much worse happen to you."
The group of thieves struggled to bring themselves back up but when they did, the leader was extremely red in the face and shouted,
"Don't speak as if you know what we need to do! You've really pushed me old man!" With vitriol he threw his sword into the ground.
With his free hands he put them together and while looking at his fingers carefully, he activated multiple mudras (hand sigils).
Then the air around him whorled and the snow shifted. He shouted and from within his hand a fireball started to form.
"Bet you didn't think I was a qi master! You can still give up and hand us everything you have!"
Hamar looked at him and raised his eyebrows, thinking to himself, "I didn't think that would happen, oh well"
Hamar simply sheathed his sword. The bandits roared, "giving up already huh"
Hamar continued smiling and then held his hands out as well. He did his own mudras and then pushed his palm forward.
With such a simply action, the fireball forming in the leaders hands rose up and attacked himself. The fire seemed to come alive and slither across his body. It burned him and he screamed, it was all real.
The bandits froze as their leader who was so confident became a screaming mess. Hamar dropped his smile then snapped his fingers.
The fire was extinguished and he looked at the rest of the bandits in the eyes. They all averted them and stood still in fright.
Hamar lifted his hand and the leaders burns all lessened. He stood up and with a stutter, "W-We're sorry, sir."
Hamar told them to sit down. They did, and knelt on the wet snowy floor with their backs up straight. Hamar nodded and spoke,
"Let me tell you something about qi. If the stronger person tries, they can very easily take control over your qi...and therefore whatever technique you were forming."
The leader hurriedly nodded his head, "So wise. So wise. Sir is the wisest!"
Hamar shook his head, "I am far from the wisest" he thought of his friend and then glared back at them, "Just do two things and I will let you all go."
"Anything sir!"
"Bring me to the nearest 'big' town and turn yourself in. Perhaps you can do guarding for free as punishment, you figure that out"
The leader nodded and turned to his subordinates, urging them to follow in his footsteps and hurriedly submit.
"Good, wait for me like this. Think about your actions!" Hamar turned away and walked over to the stone he had heated with that technique.
He looked into his robe and took out a piece of paper. He then took out a brush and started to write, "Yes thank you master, nothing to note yet. I've just started to take my first steps into this world outside the sect thanks to you..." He finished the letter and sealed it up. Then he threw it into the air and it disappeared in a puff of pink smoke.
The onlookers, the bandits, eyes' dilated as they saw him work. "Either he's got really good qi control or he has treasures, that brush has no ink! Is he...no, he can't be a cultivator, here in the middle of nowhere...unless"
Hamar looked at the wisp of smoke dissipate then stomped his foot. "Lead the way now boys!"
Hamar thought to himself, "I can feel it...soon enough my aura will have a breakthrough...do you know anything Ho- great Death Dragon?...we should really give you a name"
From within his mind, an answer popped up in the dragon's way of speaking, "My memories are fuzzy but I remember great main body said that once you have enough aura you might go through a body rejuvenation."