He gave a disgusted grunt, then stomped out of the room and down the hallway.
"Where’s he going?" Kidou asked.
"Probably to Master Lu, his father," I replied.
"Master Lu?" Han's eyes widened. "You mean the man from the airship?"
"I suppose so. I know he's an important person here, but I don't believe in Masa's threats-"
"You have to apologize to him," Han said suddenly. "As soon as he gets back, apologize."
"No, he doesn’t deserve one." I went across the room and slid the door shut. I wiped the blood from my nose with the back of my hand and lightly rubbed the pain on my stomach. "He should be the one apologizing to me. He insulted my sister."
"You don’t understand Terr," Kidou said quietly. "If he manages to convince someone to expel you, it‘s not like you‘ll just be sent home. My father said, that people who fail training or are kicked out of the temple, are sent to a terrible place, where you’re treated like a slave for the rest of your life.
Han gave a small smile, slapping his palm against my shoulder. " I think Kidou is exhaggerating. But still, it doesn’t do you any good to make any obstacles for yourself while you’re here. There will be far more challenging things for you to overcome, and making enemies will only make it worse. At least for that reason, you should apologize to him."
"Master Ichiro just now made Han our class leader," Kidou teased. "Han probably thinks himself as one of the temple masters now."
Han gave a wide-brimmed smirk and I couldn’t help, but smile back at him.
"Alright Han, I’ll apologize," I said with a short sigh. "But if he‘d better not say anything about my sister again."
He gave a satisfied nod then waved for Kidou to follow him to the door. "Master Ichiro wants me to take everyone to the courtyard. We’ll be leaving in a few moments, so hurry up and clean yourself up, then meet us outside."
As soon as he closed the door behind him, I fell lazily to the floor. I looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath, listening through the thin walls, the idle murmurs of the students in neighboring rooms. I couldn’t make out any words, but it sounded like they were enjoying the company of their roommates, while I lay on the floor trying to forget mine.
The Boar was puffing ferociously at his pipe as he looked at all of our faces. We stood in a square formation, lined up in rows in the middle of the courtyard. It felt a little ominous being the only ones there, when it had been just earlier that morning, that the place was filled with new students, checking their papers with imposing-looking men, amidst the sounds of a hissing airship, coughing smoke and water vapor across the grounds. Beside him was a large, gleaming bronze chest sitting atop a sturdy, wooden table. It was decorated with intricate, brass moldings of lizard-like dragons that snaked around its edges. Covering its front, was an oversized lock that seemed sturdy enough to withstand the hardest strike from the largest hammer, perhaps even a gunpowder blast.
"Is everyone here Han?" Master Boar asked hoarsely.
Han hesitated before he answered. "No, Master Ichiro. Masa isn’t with us. He ran out of the dormitory and I haven’t seen him since."
"Masa is missing? Why? And where did he go?" Before Han could answer, he pointed his pipe at me. "You. Terr is it? I asked you to look after him. Where did he go and why is he not with us?"
I was afraid to answer. I could hardly imagine the trouble I’d be in if I told him about our fight. "Master Ichiro . . . he told me that he no longer wished to be here, so he ran off to see Master Lu."
The Boar was silent for a moment. I saw his large nostrils grow as he breathed in the smoke from his pipe. His tiny green eyes were frozen, as if he were looking at something behind us. He seemed to be pondering something. "Very well. I will deal with him later."
He pulled out a large, bronze key from his robe and proceeded to the chest, which he inserted into the lock, then gave it a hard, forceful twist. The lock gave a metallic snapping sound that echoed across the almost, empty courtyard. The Boar seemed to struggle a little has he lifted the heavy lid. The creaking sound the lid made was loud enough to make me wince.
"Terr of the Stream, step forward."
Perhaps I wasn’t used to my new title yet, because for moment, I thought that he was calling for someone else. He looked at me with growing impatience. I gasped and rushed up to him as quickly as I could and gave a bow.
"Yes, Master Ichiro?"
"Terr of the Stream, what I am about to give you, is not just a gift from the Nation of Rui Nan, but also a gift from the Emperor himself. It is an honor that is forbidden to most people. You, and the other students will receive this gift and you will treat it as if it is a part of you. It is called a Tamma, the most important object a Shyo Mu may carry." He reached into the chest and pulled out a small, lacquer box about the size of my palm. Its glossed black finish gleamed in the pale sunlight. A small lock kept it shut. He held it out to me, but I continued to gawk, wary as to what was inside. He took my wrist and placed the box on my unsteady palm. "Accept this gift."
I bowed once again, but he regarded me with little tolerance and waved me off. I quickly scurried back to my place in formation.
Master Boar called out to another student, then another, handing out the small lacquer boxes as they came. This continued until everyone had one in their hands.
There had been moments in my life when I had been entrusted with taking care of important things. My mother had once asked me to help paint her pots. When my sister was at work, it was up to me to take care of the vegetable garden. None of these I did very well. I ended up painting terrible blotches and awkward shapes on mother's pots where there should have been beautiful patterns and images. The vegetable garden died, because I kept forgetting to pull the weeds and brush. I suppose you could probably imagine then, how insecure I felt, holding the most beautiful box I’d ever seen. Even more so, I felt unworthy to be entrusted with whatever mysterious object lay inside.
After Master Boar closed the chest, he scanned at each one of us, moving his eyes from one face to another, as if studying our reactions.
He took another puff from his pipe before he spoke. "None of you know what it is I just handed you. All you know, is what it is called. I will not tell you what is inside that box, or what it does. You will figure that out for yourselves." He pointed to a student that had eagerly raised his hand.
"Master Ichiro, how are we supposed to do that," the student asked. "The box is locked so we can‘t even look inside. If we don’t know what a tamma looks like, how can we even begin to know what it does?"
"I didn’t say you wouldn’t be allowed to look inside," the Boar replied. "But I will not give you the key to open it. This is your first test as Shyo Mu. You will not be allowed to eat or sleep until you can open the box and tell me what a tamma is."
The Boar silently regarded our faces again. I was certain he saw expressions of concern and fear in each one of us. To be threatened with hunger and fatigue over such a trivial thing, well, it seemed ludicrous.
After he seemed satisfied with our reactions, he continued. "To complete your first test, you must follow the red banners and flags. They will lead you beyond the temple grounds and towards a stream. From there, you will follow that stream, going the opposite direction of its currents; that will take you up the mountain. Once you have come to a certain clearing, you will find the key, which will open your boxes. After you’ve seen what’s inside and discovered its purpose, you may come back."
Scared as I was, I felt a strange sensation that made my muscles tighten and my lungs gasp. It was a sensation that I had never felt so strongly before. I looked around and saw expressions of doubt, of fear and of hesitation. Standing in the midst of such surprised and bewildered students, I was somehow emboldened, like a young tiger faced with its first hunt. I felt determined, driven by a sudden need to do this test more than anything.
I think he must have grown tired of watching the expression on our faces, because he gave a
loud, grunting sigh that sent billows of smoke through his nostrils. "If you think there’s anything more I have to tell you, there isn't. I’ve already told you what you have to do. If you don’t wish to starve tonight, then you had better get going."
Kidou was the first to leave. Afterwards, everyone followed, making their way to the banners and flags that lead out of the courtyard. I decided that I would be the first to finish this task, so I ran as fast as I could; past the other students and past Han and Kidou who bounded out of my way as if I had been a charging bull.
"Terr, wait. We’re not supposed to do this alone." Han sprinted after me and gave a sharp tug on my shoulder. "I'm the class leader Terr, and I've decided that we're going to finish this together."
"I don't want anyone's help, Han," I said fiercely. "I want to do this on my own."
"Why? If you finish by yourself, then you might be eating alone tonight. If we work together, then we‘ll eat together."
Han was certainly concerned. It was important to him that he do his job as class leader. If we separated, instead of working together, he‘d probably lose face before the Boar. But the feeling in my chest, the need to face this challenge alone was too great. "There’s something I want to know about myself Han. It's important. I'm sorry."
Before he could reply, I gave a slight bow and hurried down the path.
As I ran, I imagined that there was a voice telling me that my life would not be worth anything until I did something on my own. My mother worked hard to help me live like a normal child, then it was my sister who made sure that I could remain in school. Everything that I had become, was because someone had helped me. This was my chance to prove that I could help myself, to prove, even to Masa, that I was a person of worth.
The trail of red flags and banners took me out of the temple grounds and to a forest paved with a faint dirt trail, most of it covered by snow. I probably wouldn’t have noticed it, if not for the worn banner poles just off to the side of the trail. I followed it as best as I could, stumbling now then on stones and branches that lay hidden along the path. I should have watched my feet, but my eagerness left little room for caution, something I would come to regret when my ankle struck a tree root protruding from the ground. I fell to the icy ground and the lacquer box slipped from my hands. It made a sickening snapping sound as it flew into the side of a tree. I winced, feeling the pain from the scrapes on my hands and knees. I rubbed the sore spots on my hands and scampered to the box. Picking it up, I realized that a small, jagged piece was missing from the side, leaving a tiny hole. I peered into the crack, but all I saw was a tiny glimmer of something that looked like glass. I tried to turn the box up against the daylight that filtered through the trees, but the pale, gray clouds covered most of the sun and aside from the glassy shimmer, there was nothing else the crack would reveal.
I treaded along much more carefully, holding the box tight against my chest. I was worried about crack I‘d made along its side and thought about the scolding I would receive for damaging the emperor's gift. The air was freezing and I felt it sting my lungs with every breath. My feet crunched against thick carpets of snow, slipping now and then on random patches of greasy mud. A small amount of doubt crept into my mind. I wondered if doing this alone was truly a good idea. I imagined that not too far behind, was Han and the rest of the class. For a moment I thought about rejoining them and apologizing to Han for my rudeness, but that thought quickly died away as I came to the stream.
There were statues of men twice my height, some dressed in robes and others in ancient armor, all carved of stone, lining either side of the bank. They stood with imposing gazes and chins held high, as if they were protecting the stream from intruders.
They were carved with their mouths open suggesting that they were in the midst of spreading their wisdom to some invisible audience, while the others in armor looked on with one hand on the hilt of their sheathed swords. All of them had one arm outstretched, pointing upstream. I had never seen anything like it before. The craftsmanship seemed so perfect, I was afraid they might come to life at any moment. My sister once told me that our people used to carve armies of stone soldiers in order to protect palaces, temples and even the graves of the imperial family’s ancestors. She used to scare me by telling me how sometimes, they came after people that doubted the superiority and purity of our country. I shivered at the thought. Out of curiosity, I found a long branch lying on the ground and carefully prodded several of them to see if they would flinch or move. Then I continued upstream, feeling unsettled, as I passed one stone figure after another. At times, I felt as though they were judging me while I passed below their stern eyes. It was impossible for me to know how many there were as the line of statues stretched down the entire length of the stream in either direction, much farther than I could see.
It seemed like an had hour passed before I started to think that the stream would go on forever. The clouds had begun to open and I felt the sunshine warm the chill in my skin. It was as if someone had turned on the lights in a dark room. I squinted through the sunlight that reflected off the water. A soft glow fell upon the statues, adding a mystical aura that only made me more leery of them.
"Hey you. Little trout."
A pebble splashed in the water next to me, giving me pause. I turned to see the frail, shriveled form of an old man gazing back at me from across the bank. His skin was heavily tanned and looked like a piece of old, worn leather. He wore a loose-fitting dark red robe, tied with a long piece of rope around his waist. He waved at me, grinning broadly. "Come here."
I was hesitant at first, but he was insistent and continued to wave me over. I did as he ordered and waded across the stream, feeling the icy water hug around my ankles. Hi grin widened, as if he were amused by the way I stumbled; shivering as I came out of the water on the other side. I greeted him with a bow and then opened my mouth to ask him if he knew where the key was to open the box. He answered before the question left my mouth.
"Well then little trout, you’re the first person today to come and get the key from me." He turned away abruptly and shambled towards the trees. "Come this way. . . oh, and don't do that again."
"I'm sorry sir, don‘t do what again?"
"The bowing, little trout; no more bowing. I know everyone at that temple wants you to be formal and proper, but in front of me, I expect a different kind of respect." He paused for a moment, as if he’d forgotten something, then blurted out suddenly. "And don't call me sir, master or any of that none sense. All the students call me old man, just so long as I have the right to call them all trouts. . . or whatever manner of creature I happen to fancy."
For a moment, I wondered if there were other things I shouldn‘t say or do, for fear of offending him. "I understand. . . Old Man. I won't do it again."
"And look up at me when you talk. Peering into the eyes of another is important sometimes. It shows that you are sincere."
He continued to wave me on, but I felt hesitant to follow. His appearance made me think of the poor beggars back in Rune. His clothes were dirty, with dry clumps of mud clinging against the frayed fabric. He walked with bare, calloused feet, which seemed hard and cracked. Just the man’s appearance alone left me wondering what purpose he served with the temple. I often ignored beggars, even though my sister and I came very close to becoming like one. Mostly, I pretended that they weren't there, and now, seeing this man in front of me, made me think of all kinds of reasons not to trust him, let alone follow him into the woods.
He didn’t wear silk or satin or keep his hair tied up like the other adults. His hair was wiry and looked like a withered bush. I wondered if birds had ever mistaken the top of his head for a nest, because there were dead leaves and straw tangled in the strands. Certainly, his hair was ready to accept an egg.
He looked over his shoulder and grunted discontentedly as he saw me still standing some distance away. "Well little trout, are you coming, or are you going to keep those statues company?"
"Your eyes... they're brown."
"Why yes they are. It is the color most people are born with. Or have you not known this?" He turned and crossed his arms stoutly as if he was expecting me to make some other foolish remark.
"I'm sorry, it's just, that many of the people I’ve seen working for the temple have strange-colored eyes. And also they. . ." I hesitated, trying to think of a way to word my thoughts as respectfully as possible.
"They what little trout? They dress nicer? They don’t smell of earth, or perhaps bathe themselves once in a while? You see? I already know what you’re going to say." I expected him to be offended or upset, but he simply chuckled as if I’d just told him a joke. "Just because you see a wolf with gray fur, does not mean that all wolves are of the same color. Don’t be mislead. My eyes may not be exotic and my appearance may not be as pristine as you had anticipated, but I am a teacher, just like every master at this temple. Just think of me as one who is much closer to nature than the others. Now, you can either come with me and learn about what’s inside that box of yours, or you can go back to your master and tell him that you’re too proud of yourself to trust your fate to an old, humble man."
I regarded the dark, lacquer box for a moment, then gazed back up to him. "Forgive me I didn’t mean to-"
"There you go, being proper again by giving me meaningless apologies. Are you coming, or are you not?"
I was about to apologize to him again, but I stopped myself before the words left my mouth. All I did was nod. He seemed pleased with this and waved me on.
I followed him through the trees, making sure to keep a certain distance. My body shivered as I felt the icy wind sting my cheeks and my feet grew numb from treading on the patches of snow that littered the ground. But the old man was not at all bothered by these things. His bare feet crunched along the frozen dirt, and though he wore just a simple, ragged robe, he carried on as if the cold was something he had long since become accustomed to.
Sky of Paper: An Asian Steam-Driven Fantasy Tale Page 11