The sky beneath was vast and overbearing. I was making sure to hold to the fool-fences with a hard grip, almost absent-mindedly. I heard enough stories of fools flaunting before a woman or their “friends” to show the whole Great Gray and Azure that they’re a man, just to become one with the Great Gray after a long and high-pitched scream falling down. Still, I liked being here, just watching into the vast expanse of gray color covering the beneath and the azure skies above, seemingly mixing and mingling with the gray in the distance.

“Hey, stop sulking, brother. You know they don’t mean anything by it, they’re just looking out for you. You understand that, right?” A voice so quiet, almost a whisper rang behind me, inquisitive and tired.

“I know, Omin, I know. It wouldn’t hurt them to at least try to understand me” I boomed, a whiny tone in my voice.

“You know Ma and Pa, an Ox would break its horns before they budge. Just don’t take it to heart, yeah? No point in screaming matches every single time. Your brother’s heart will soon rattle more than a Gray Chaser.”

“I’ll try, Omin. Can’t promise anything. Whenever I hear Ma start her nagging and cries about raising an irresponsible son, I just can’t keep it in, you know," I sighed, “Whatever, let’s get back. I still haven’t fed the sheep. And weren’t you supposed to help old Rou with painting his house walls today?” I asked Omin.

“Ah, yeah, about that. When I went in there after breakfast, I was calling to him from outside, you know how he hates people intruding without announcing themselves first, right? So I was yelling for like 15 minutes before I decided to go in. Anyway, when I went in, he was there on the chair, just dead” Omin whispered.

“Huuh, dead? That old bastard?”

“Yeah, and so weird too. He was just stiff, fork in hand like he just died eating breakfast. The body was just stiff, like frozen in the same position as when he died, not slumped or anything” Omin explained with a shaky voice.

“That’s weird as all hells, brother. Did you tell anyone else?” I asked.

“Of course. I went to the village chief right away. He just thanked me and told me to go back home and not go anywhere today”

“Well, okay. Whatever, let’s go back home, village chief will figure it out."

The walk home from the fool-fence took us about an hour. A long journey by the village standards, but passing caravaneers have told me that there are cities out there where you wouldn't walk even a tenth of the city in an hour. Sometimes, just sometimes, after big fights with my parents, I would tell them numerous times that I was leaving for the Rhawa and never coming back… just to be talked out of it by Omin, with his quiet, understanding talks.

Anyway, the reason I keep fighting with my parents? I wanted to learn the secret arts. My uncle was one of the Bloodburns. He would show me small wooden puppets, dancing by following the dance of his hands, with no strings in sight or shadowy, almost invisible mangled creatures bringing him apples and strawberries from the local farmers. Every time he would visit us, I would beg and cry for him to take me with him to the Broken Promise academy, to Rhawa. Every time, he would shrug it off and tell me that he definitely would, as soon as I was old enough and my parents gave me their blessing to go. Tough luck, I knew it would be impossible. Not in a million years would my stubborn parents allow me to leave our small village. I sighed again and before I noticed, we made it back home. It was a sorry building, having seen better years. We are farmers and the land in the Southend village was infertile after years and years, generations after generations of growing the same old potatoes. We still had enough produce to last us through a year, with some trading with other farmers, but we couldn't afford anything else. Especially not an admission fee to the Broken Promise Academy.

“You want me to distract Ma and Pa?” Omin asked.

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I mulled over his question in my head.

“Yeah, please, Omin. Thanks.” I thanked my brother. I wasn't ready to talk to them or see them just yet, otherwise we would start arguing again.

I sneaked in after hearing Omin holler to our parents that he found me and I was all okay, but wouldn't come back for a bit. Surprisingly, even though the house was practically on its last legs it was quite big. There were 2 floors, with me and my brother's room on the second floor. Mother and Father, along with passed away Grandma and Grandpa could never explain why our clan’s house is bigger than others, nor did their parents. It just was, and was to be taken as it was. It was getting dark outside, I kept turning and tossing in my bed, listening to my family preparing for late dinner, laughing about something Omin would say. I couldn’t forget the uncle’s ghostly creatures, prowling around, how the puppets flicked my nose and pulled down my pants, following barking laughter from the uncle, when once again I was begging him to take me with him.

I suddenly woke up to the smell of frying eggs and potatoes. I felt the pull of the pillow and the desire to keep sleeping, but with a profound sigh made myself get up. I have slept in my clothes and my look wasn’t the most presentable, and neither was my smell. Washing day should be today, if I remembered it right, so I just went downstairs as I was. My whole family was there, eating their breakfast. Mother was brewing some hot water for tea, a present from the village chief for notifying him about the old Rou. I greeted everyone, hoping for no nagging right from the morning.

“Morning, dear.” Mother greeted back.

“I hope you had a great sleep. From your looks it sure looks like you did” Mother shaked her head. “I am sorry about yesterday, Trien. I… I just worry about you, dear. Finish your breakfast and let’s meet at the river, okay? I need your help with the washing and I have some news”.

“Okay, sorry, Mom” I grumbled back.

I started idly wondering what kind of news would mom want to tell me, so I finished breakfast as soon as I could. I just hoped it wouldn’t end in a fight like it often did.

I glanced at my Dad from the washing trough, his face was impassive, as always. He didn’t say a single word during breakfast and just drank his tea, looking out the window and the snowy dirt road, gray and sludgy. The spring was already coming with its warming sunlight. I finished washing my bowl, noting the absence of Omin, and went to the river.

The river was not far away from our house, but it took some time due to the mix of dirt and snow, making walking a bigger hurdle than usual. I noticed my mom at the bank, washing the clothes in a hole in the ice, her hands deep red from the frost.

“What did you want to talk about, Mom? - I asked from behind her.

Mom slightly jumped from her sitting position, almost losing the shirt she was washing to raging water under the ice.

“Don’t scare me like that, Trien!” she yelled, clutching at her heart.

“Sorry, so what was that talk?" I asked again, after sitting beside her by the hole and getting pants from the casket to start washing them as well.

“Yes, yes. A letter from your uncle came in this morning. It’s… He’s asking you… You know what, just read it yourself and we’ll talk about it, okay?”

I took the letter from her cold hands, glancing at her and noticing a contemplative look in her eyes.

“Hello, Trien.

I’m sorry about not writing to you earlier. It’s been what, 6 years now and more even from when we’ve seen each other? I’m really sorry about it. Don’t think I forgot about my favorite cousin. The reason I’m writing this message is this: Do you still want to learn the secret arts? Tell your mother and father that they do not have to worry about admission fees or anything, I will take care of it all. If your parents agree and your dream stays the same, then I will wait for you in Rhawa, ask for me in the Broken Promise academy.

Remember, Blood stays with Blood.

With Love,

Your best uncle”

What. What is this about. My uncle was never the type to do anything rash like this, and why now? We haven’t even talked for 6 years.

I looked at Mom. She still had that contemplative look in her eyes. And then she looked at me and asked: “Do you want to go?”