Hao woke the same way he fell asleep. His head slamming on the carriage floor.

He could hear the commotion outside before his eyes opened.

A few voices saying similar things going around in a circle, “Senior Sister Zu, thank you for your hard work.”, “Senior Sister works hard even though she is not a disciple of our Sect.”

The carriage door swung open the moment Hao lifted his head, a face peering in. “All of you out!” a man shouted.

Hao turned his head away, trying to escape the echoing sound.

Looking to the side, he found he was the lucky one.

Zui was awake, or half awake, trying to climb up. The other two, the two Hao didn’t know, looked like they got into a fight while the carriage was in flight.

The man looking in forced the carriage door open as he took a step back.

Zui was the first to get out. His face was scrunching up, pale, highlighting his swollen, bruised eye.

Hao followed behind the stumbling Zui, confirming he was much better off than the others.

Zui seemed eager to pass out, swaying with each step, lurching forward like he was going to puke.

The other two had no chance of waking up today. The only few injuries the two didn’t have were broken bones or bleeding skulls.

For Hao, better off didn’t mean uninjured. He was losing count of the knocks to the head since boarding that boat.

He was holding onto the top of his head as he stepped outside. Groaning as he stretched his stiff body from days of being stuffed into the carriage.

Looking around, Hao forgot the little pain he was feeling. The sky was closer, making the three moons of encroaching spring even more beautiful.

There was a building as impressive as the Temple, torches burning at its entrance.

Turning to the other side, a forest with tree tops lit by the moons, it almost captured and held his eye.

This is not the land of mortal men. Hao wanted to run around and look at everything.

His eagerness was cut short when he saw a bunch of people bowing. Following the direction of bent waists, his foot slid back as he looked into the eyes of this, “Senior Sister Zu”.

Locking with the icy glare made Hao want to jump back.

One of the blue-clothed men was bowing to her with his head lifted.

“Did something go wrong? Senior sister Zu.” He asked.

He followed the directions she was looking at.

When the toad saw Hao, he gave him a look like he was a fly on a plate.

I didn’t say anything that bad, did I. Anyone would react with shock?

Hao knew nothing about the people on land, let alone the Immortals who could walk in the sky.

Perhaps it was my face? Hao touched his brow without thinking. He wondered if his face showed more than he wanted it to. Any person would be offended if you looked at them like they were a horrid monster from a mythical tale.

Hao was a troublemaker, but helpful, with debatably a bright mind for problems. It was just the way he went about solving them that often caused more problems.

“Ouch!” Hao let out a moderately loud yell, his hands jumping back to his head.

Clutching down as he swayed back and forth.

Scanning the group as he waved around, his torso going forward and back like a cloth on a branch for a few seconds too long.

Hao caught a glimpse of what he wanted to see, just a few details a little off.

The eyes of the beauty thawed, getting softer. Almost turning to crescents like she wanted to laugh.

He then saw the faces of the men in blue and gray robes. They stared at him like he was a comedic spectacle, not worth a laugh.

Am I just making a fool of myself? He slowed his movements.

Hao stopped writhing and pointed over at the carriage; “Hurry, the other two are unconscious.”

He needed something to make it seem he was doing more than making a little scene of himself. Now it seemed all was unraveling in the opposite direction to what he wished for.

Everyone around turned quiet as Senior Sister Zu’s face became dispassionate once again, even a little embarrassed.

Hao’s heart jumped, and his mouth started moving again before he could stop it.

“We received an attack during our travels. The carriage took some damage. It was our luck that the Immortal fairy rescued us,” Hao said. He did not struggle to keep confidence in his tone during the act.

Divert the attention and remove the blame. Blame the boats! Not the people paddling!

Hao had to try. He couldn’t think of anything worse than being on the bad side of an immortal.

The mood changed instantly. The robed people began bowing with clasped hands once again.

“Senior sister has worked hard, all while displaying a righteous heart.”

The people in the blue robes did not care about what was true or false, even those who believed nothing from Hao’s mouth began to bow and smile.

They would not miss a chance to praise the famed Senior Sister Zu, who left the Fifth Peak at most once a year.

They did not wait for their turn to congratulate her, speaking louder and louder over each other.

The people in the gray robes were quick to act in the meantime. Taking the two unconscious people from the carriage.

“I’ll make sure the mission hall hears of Senior Sister Zu’s extra work and bravery.”

“Just help them. I’ll report to the mission hall myself,” Zu said.

She looked at Hao as she turned. The embarrassment was gone. Now it just looked like she wanted to leave. Perhaps that was a good enough outcome.

Hao thought he saw a glint in her eye for a moment, another passing urge to laugh. Only then did he realize he was still bent forward in a strange posture.

An itching feeling was tugging at him, telling him he got toyed with.

Flying off with steadier steps than before, as both men and women stared.

He stopped his act, only holding the bruise on his head instead of playing it up.

This was the second time Hao heard her voice.

Her voice truly left an impression similar to her appearance. The oceans flow beneath the layer of ice during a cold snap.

That impression left by voice and appearance mattered little when a person was walking into the sky.

Something truly astonishing to him and Zui. Almost as surprised were the people in blue robes who ignored Hao and the injured islanders.

“Truly inspiring, Senior Sister’s skywalk has already improved.”

They all nodded in agreement and complimented her even when she was not around, their movements more exaggerated than Hao’s.

“Indeed, Senior Sister’s talent and beauty belong far above us”

They continued even when she was out of sight, sighing in infatuation and dispiritedness.

Hao noticed the improvement too, it was hard not to notice. Not that he had anything to say about this “skywalk”.

He was still half-wondering what was happening. Flying beauties and infatuated fools, truly like the old stories of Immortals.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Now he just wanted to know what other legends of Immortals were true, the good or the bad.

Uncle, did you have to tell me about immortals cooking people into medicine in giant cauldrons?

“Alright, let’s take unconscious ones to the medicine hall.” The talkative servant said.

“Senior Brother if you like, I can take care of these two.” Another person in a blue robe spoke up. He was quieter than the rest so far.

“That’s fine, just don’t claim extra contributions later. Even the servant hall leader won’t hear it.”

Hao wondered if the guys in blue robes were some type of leading class.

They gave commands to anyone with a gray robe as they walked by.

Hao was already growing to dislike them. They walked proudly while giving commands to people and talking down to them in the same sentence.

Hao had a feeling Zui didn’t like him much either. Zui probably didn’t like anyone. Hao had only ever seen his scowl. But he was a fellow islander and kind enough to show Hao around the boat days ago.

Zui did smile once, when he got told to stay behind in the Temple of Water.

After that, walking back out, it was back to scowling, with more stumbling around.

The person in front of them did not give much of an impression.

He walked in silence with his head high, jumping at shadows.

The walk was not long before all the buildings disappeared, leaving only the forest to look at.

The buildings they landed near were astonishing. Hao wanted to see more of them. But the sight that greeted him now was something he wanted to see even more.

Great trees, countless, stretching up towards the sky. These were more like the trees from the stories than any other so far.

Hao stared at them as they walked along the forest’s border.

Taking notice that they seemed to be growing in what seemed perfect rows. It’s hard to tell in the dark. If only the moons were a little bigger.

Finally arriving at a wooden hut, with no windows, just four walls, a roof, and a bunk bed.

“Choose a bed to sleep in till morning. You’ll get work then,” the man said, holding open the door.

“Those food pills are your food for the night.” The man said, his eyes dodge the two of them as they walked into the room.

“Food pills?” Hao said half of his thoughts out loud. Do those two words even go together?

The search in the dark was quick, with the tiny bit of light coming in from the door open to the night sky.

“Is this it?” Zui said, holding up a small white bottle.

It was a medicine bottle Hao had seen a few times in the past brought by merchants.

“I’ll take my leave and see you in the morning.” The man said, leaving the door half open.

Zui shook the bottle and then gave it to Hao. It was small and cold to the touch.

Hao popped the lid, letting the smell burst out.

It was not awful, but nothing pleasant either. The closest Hao could compare it to was mold.

He could hear several rolling around in the bottle, tipping it slightly let one fall out onto his hand.

About the size of his fingernail, slightly yellow, was a pellet.

His eagerness to eat something overtook him as he threw it into his mouth.

One bite turned it to dust, quick to dissolve. With a swallow, his hunger dissipated.

It’s alright, but it’s not enough.

He wanted something to chew on after a few days of porridge.

He could use some meat brought over by merchants, or a chicken slaughtered for celebration.

He could almost smell the streets of that city he didn’t get to explore. All of those new things he didn’t get to see, sweets and snacks, fresh meat from animals that lived on land, flesh, fat, marrow.

Could things be even better here? Hao let the thought come and go, yet to dodge his worries.

“Have the rest if you like.” Hao tossed the bottle back to Zui.

Walking toward one of the beds, which was closer to the door.

Hao was pulling back the blanket when he heard a question, “They taste alright?”

Hao was not surprised by the question, just who asked it.

Zui was a decent person judging from his actions, but rarely did he speak without insulting someone.

“The taste, nothing too bad,” Hao said, turning in the bed which held him in welcome comfort.

Hao slept much of the journey, but none of it was in a bed. And the bed here would not hold him for long.

He was wide awake again before the sunrise struggling to enjoy the comfort.

It was not easy, hearing Zui talk and cough in his sleep. A repulsive smell was coming from that side of the room as well.

It’s here again. There was something wrong with those pills.

Hao suffered a slight stomach ache but nothing crippling.

Zui however, had yet to wake up but was making noise endlessly in his bed.

Hao had to go outside multiple times, luckily the door was never shut, Hao could only imagine…

While away from the house, no sense of feeling tired, Hao explored the area nearby using the dim lights coming from the moons.

As someone who had only ever seen water and mud, the forest captured his imagination. He could have wandered forever.

At it for hours, the only thing that would have made it better was if he was without worry.

He didn’t want to be cooked in a cauldron by Immortals wandering the forest, so he never wandered far.

Hao was back at the house, leaning against a wall outside, not daring to go in.

Hao spent the rest of the night listening to hinges squeak as he waited for the morning sky.

The day started to sink in a little more as the moons began to fade with the sun’s slow rise.

Seeing Immortals, a man, and a girl fly.

He questioned the very sky he looked at. He had seen the four Heavenly Bodies all his life.

They seemed much closer on the land and even closer when standing on the mountain.

But that morning the familiar seemed a new kind of far away.

The last hours of the new morning passed, and the sun scraped the darkness from the land and sky.

“What is that smell?” A shout from downhill made Hao jump slightly.

It was the voice Hao was expecting. He waited as he stomped to the door.

“Wake up! Don’t you islanders wash yourself?” the blue-robed man said. Veins popped from his face. Hao could see clearly now that the white light of the sun was assisting him.

Even if Hao was not looking at the man from the side, just hearing the words would have made his dislike grow.

He was middle-aged, something Hao already knew.

Ugly, yes, but certainly not the ugliest

He and Zui were similar in face, but one was still a young man without an ungroomed, patchy beard.

Most of the unattractiveness came from the bulging eyes that made hiding his emotions impossible.

One of the old female elders on the island used to say, ‘The eyes show every intention’.

Right now, they showed his displeasure at the smell, but he was not showing the surprise that was in his voice.

“Sorry, it seems there was something wrong with those pills last night!”

Hao purposely shouted louder than he needed to.

“Eek!” The man let out a screech like a ship rat that got stepped on, jumping to the side.

He regained his composure in a snap, showing the gray in his black hair was not for naught.

“Oh, they weren’t green, were they?” He scratched his chin, eyes ducking.

If they were closed within their bottle, they should have been fine. But if they go bad, you can get food poisoning, yeah.”

The man spoke, taking steps back.

On the Island, all of Hao’s free time was spent with the Elders.

One of the minor things he was teased for by others on the island.

They prepared him for the time he would be a monk or scholar at the Temple.

He didn’t join the Temple of Water and still had many things to learn. But he still knew everything he learned, which was something he was proud of.

One thing his Great-uncle taught was how to spot an inexperienced trader.

He used that knowledge for all sorts of things, not many of them good.

“They were yellow sir, should we worry?” Hao spoke.

Fast in putting on a nervous expression bordering on panic, he spoke again.

“Could we die! Should we go to the medicine hall as well?”

Quickly walking towards the man, taking note that he swallowed twice wearing his panic.

“No! No no. There is no need to worry about the medicine hall. There are a few streams where you can get a drink from around here. You can wash up before we go to our destination.”

The man was quick to spit out his words.

Zui was up and inspecting himself, moving to the two of them. Hao was the one to jump away this time.

The man glanced at Zui up and down, then said, “Just follow me this way.”

Hao might have been just a little paranoid, but that was better than dead or worse.

Questioning the man, he was hoping for information, guessing the man was involved in some way. Now he was too nervous about his wrongdoing to say anything more.

The walk was silent for a while, the stomach of the three the only thing making any noise.

Zui was stumbling, tripping over his own feet.

Having frequent fits of coughs followed by gasps for air.

Hao was only a tad light-headed. He had a rare cough, but it was nothing to take note of.

“What should I call elder brother?” Hao asked.

Trying to create conversation to hurry along their journey.

Hao got a side eye, one he did not expect from the jumpy man.

“You don’t. You will be part of the servants’ hall. I am a disciple of the Sect. You will hear of this when we get to the hall.”

His words were not respectful the way he spoke to Senior Sister Zu, also not entirely condescending in tone.

He could have said it while yawning.

If he wanted to save the breath it took to speak, he could have just spat on the ground instead of answering.

They had already stopped at the stream.

Where the flow of the water ended was close to the cabin.

They had to walk a little upstream to find a part wide enough.

Hao went first, taking a drink and bathing, leaving Zui to his own devices afterward.

Hao walked in stride with his thoughts as they moved through the forest.

None of the three were good for conversation.

Zui spoke as often as it rained stones and the one leading them was getting more skittish by the minute.

I’ve been kidnapped, and a man tried to poison me. I’ll have to run if I see a cauldron.

The three broke free of the line of trees, the large buildings from last night coming into sight.

Only one stood out. It was not much smaller than the temple of water in the town.

A little shorter, and wider on either side.

The size of the hall only got larger with every step closer they got.

The person escorting Hao and Zui was the only one with blue robes.

The rest of the people were rushing around in gray robes, pin-like eyes locked in the direction they were walking. Their heads lowered, looking at the ground when the three passed by.

“When we go in, just take your robe and badges and be on your way.” The man said, turning his head to look at Zui a few times.