Blue Ripple had spent the day in his cabin recovering from the fatigue out he felt following the previous night's conference with the elders. Narrating the events of the hunting trip and handling the intensive questioning that followed had been grueling enough, but the rest of the meeting was what made him feel so tired. Now, more than ever, the elders had their naked self-interest on full display.

Despite knowing better, the elders had debated locating the ravine Strong River had discovered. They had all, at one time or another, accompanied the warriors to the Primeval Forest and already knew the difficulties in finding a specific place once more than a day had passed. The lure of something that could shatter their bottlenecks and expand their lives had erased their prudence and their sense.

Blue Ripple could not help but think of the conversation he had with Strong River during the return trip. His friend had been disgusted with the nature of the clan's leadership, with the primary players using the people as the steps for their ascent, crushing them underfoot as they contended with one another.

What had shocked and disoriented Blue Ripple most of all was seeing his uncle joining in among the vultures. Only Elder Cloud had seemed indifferent to the enticement, his legendary selfless devotion to the clan and not himself on full display. But even that stance was becoming difficult to stomach. What good was selflessness that forced one into blind obedience to those who were willing to trample all underfoot?

Then Elder Cloud had stepped out and declared he would see to Strong River's integration among the warriors. Blue Ripple had worried for his friend as they would remain separated for the time being. The clan's distinction between warriors and veterans was clear. Even so, would that help be a blessing or was it Elder Cloud's own bid for power?

As he finished his dinner, Blue Ripple's thoughts continued to race in circles. Among all the looming crises, the one in his faith in the clan's ways loomed large, absurd as it was.

A knock at the door broke the blond-haired warrior from his self-important reverie. Who would be calling on him as night fell? Strong River? One of the elders? Opening the door, he had his answer.

Elder Cloud.

Moonlight streamed in from behind the ancient warrior, casting his shadow over the wooden floor of Blue Ripple's cabin. Without preface, the man thrust a rolled-up parchment at the young warrior.

"Strong River is confronting the local outpost of the Dragon's Den. Elder Wave has left to assist them." The stone-faced warrior bluntly announced the situation as though he were commenting on the weather.

Blue Ripple took the parchment and unrolled it over a table's surface to reveal a map of the region. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked even as he made a mental note of the coordinates of the outpost marked there.

"Because it is not my place to act. You, however, may be able to."

Blue Ripple sighed at the old man's announcement. "Thank you, sir." He then retrieved his most prized weapon, a blue-sheathed sword that usually remained in the clan when he went hunting. Slinging the scabbard over his shoulder, he left the cabin and made for the northern gate of the clan compound.

He took a moment to stop at the gatehouse, flagging a man on duty. "Has anybody been through here this evening?"

"Two people: that new redheaded warrior, and Elder Wave," the sentry replied after a moment's recollection.

Blue Ripple clasped the man on the shoulder. "Thank you. I'll be heading out as well now if you don't mind." The man nodded and returned to the gatehouse, and Blue Ripple exited the clan compound.

Blue Ripple gathered his bearings and followed the path detailed on Elder Cloud's map, pushing himself to a high clip that he could maintain without exhausting himself.

Before too long he came within view of the hill mound that the local bandit affiliate called their outpost. Just as he spotted it, he saw its outer door close. Looking around, he saw no sentries or scouts in sight, although that came as little comfort as competent ones would not be so readily spotted.

It took about a minute for Blue Ripple to close the distance. He unsheathed his sword and kicked the door, knocking it open. Stepping into the antechamber, he noticed that the inner door was ajar and an unknown man lay in the doorway, twitching on the ground as he bled from his forehead and throat.

Had Elder Cloud been mistaken? Had Elder Wave come to help Strong River? As he snuck up to the open door, he could hear a choking sound from the other room. He stepped through the threshold and into a tableau straight out of Hell.

The furniture was overturned and broken, papers strewn everywhere. Besides the man convulsing in the doorway, four corpses were strewn around the room, drained in the same manner that Soaring Wave and the others had been. And against the far wall, an almost all-too-familiar figure -- only the hair was off, being much longer than before -- was holding what may have once been Elder Wave against the wall.

"Brother River?" Blue Ripple asked in a choked voice, the reality of the situation crashing over him all at once.

Strong River let go of the corpse and whirled around at a speed too fast for Blue Ripple's sight to follow. Looking his sworn brother in the eyes, the blue-eyed warrior could not help but let out a gasp.

Strong River's irises had gone completely red, a shade to match the bloody mane of hair that now reached all the way down between his shoulders. A face contorted with savage glee transformed to open dismay in an instant. "I-I can explain..."

"Your eyes, Strong River. What happened to your eyes?" At this moment Blue Ripple was less concerned about anything else than his friend's well-being. His wholesale slaughter of the bandits, his killing of an elder of the clan; these were mere trifles in comparison.

Strong River's brow furrowed, and he frowned, confused. His gaze darted around the room, and he spotted a burnished dagger on the ground nearby, once again demonstrating that unholy speed as he kneeled to pick it up and then stood back up. He looked into the blade's reflective surface, tilting the knife back and forth as he examined his eyes.

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And then he laughed, doubling over in mirth as he tossed the dagger aside.

"Are you okay?"

The crimson-draped youth's laughter ceased and he snapped back up to proper posture. He clenched his fists and took a look at each of them in silence for a moment before returning his gaze to Blue Ripple. "I'm sorry, Brother Blue. There is no Strong River anymore... Strong River was someone tethered to the Flowing Water clan, a weakling chasing strength, a nobody that was a plaything to the elders."

A chill ran down Blue Ripple's spine as his friend said those words with an uncharacteristic coldness and distance. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that after this day they'll all call me something else. Blood River. The devil of Flowing Water."

"You can't mean to go back and--"

"Not now." Strong River -- no, Blood River shook his head. "Now I go somewhere to become even stronger. But one day, I will return. And Flowing Water and the Dragon's Den will tremble at my coming." The red-haired youth sighed. "Will you be there, trying to stop me, Blue?"

Blue Ripple felt dizzy. "I... I don't know. I have to think about it."

Blood River nodded, turning to the drained corpse of Elder Wave. He knelt down, this time without that bizarre blurring, and grabbed a cord that hung around the Elder's neck. With a tug, the cable broke, and an iron key fell into his palm. Standing, he turned and offered the key to Blue Ripple. "Take it."

His hand trembling ever-so-slightly, the blond-haired warrior reached out and took the key from his friend. "What is this for?"

"When you return to the village, go to Elder Wave's house," Blood River instructed. "Under his bed is a chest. This key unlocks that chest."

"And inside--?"

Blood River grimaced. "Is the sum of this man's crimes, all bound in leather. Read it, and then decide where you will stand."

Blue Ripple nodded and pocketed the key. The two regarded each other in silence before he stepped forward and embraced his sworn brother, his friend whom he felt strange admitting he had only known for less than a week, and yet felt closer to than anybody else in the clan. Blood River returned the embrace, his body noticeably warmer than normal.

Then they separated.

"Goodbye, brother." Blue Ripple's voice was choked with overwhelming emotion.

"Goodbye," Blood River replied, his voice almost a whisper.

Blue Ripple turned and left the bandit outpost, forcing himself to not look back over his shoulder as he did. With reckless speed he sprinted across the grasslands, rushing to fulfill the last task given him by his friend. Barely stopping to acknowledge the sentries and move on, he rushed to the back entrance of Elder Wave's cabin, impatiently kicking open the door.

The interior was unlit, but Blue Ripple could see well enough to navigate the house. Its floor plan was not all that dissimilar to that of his uncle's cabin, and so he soon found himself in the man's bedroom. On the nightstand stood a strange lantern with metal plates on it and a flint and steel, the latter of which he availed himself the use of to light the former.

Under the steady glow of the lantern, Blue Ripple reached under the bed. He half hoped he would not find anything there, but his searching hand soon connected with an iron surface.

He dragged the chest out from under the bed and searched the iron-bound container until he found its keyhole. Sliding in Elder Wave's key and turning, it unlocked. The hinge of the box made a light squeak as he lifted it.

Inside the chest was only a single item: a leather-bound book, the surface embossed with floral patterns. With the knot in his stomach tightening, Blue Ripple turned to the first page of Elder Wave's book.

The text was a detailed description of a young man, clinical in its precision but colored by the elder's own perspective. The clinical air to the document was dispelled as Blue Ripple read further, as the words moved to describe the elder's treatment of the man. The young warrior, his hands holding the book shaking, forced himself to continue. Turning to the next page, there were detailed illustrations done in Elder Wave's own hand, again meticulous and precise.

Fighting off the rising wave of nausea, Blue Ripple continued. The elder's "subjects" ranged from about 12 years old to 20 years old. Blue Ripple did not recognize most of them initially, but as he continued deeper and deeper into the book, the young men and women became more familiar. Blue Ripple remembered them, some from when he was barely able to walk.

Of these people, many came from the clan, while others came from the village. Several were imported from beyond in collaboration with that very same bandit's den he had just left. Of the ones Blue Ripple remembered, almost all had met their end through sickness or in the hazards of the local wilderness.

Finally, Blue Ripple reached the entry that above all he had wanted to believe did not exist: his own. The description was meticulous as usual, exact. Blue Ripple's nausea came to a head at the section where Elder Wave outlined his intentions. The rest of the entry remained blank, unfinished, work for the elder to complete.

He turned the page, and there was a lifelike picture of his own face. The illustration of his own eyes stared back at him, but they were lifeless, empty. Elder Wave had caused that expression in so many that it was now the default in his sketch work. It shouldn't have bothered Blue Ripple so much, but after the parade of horrors in the previous pages and learning of the man's intentions for him, it was enough to make a difference.

Blue Ripple turned and vomited. When he finished he made no move to clean up after himself; it was not like the man was going to return and insist on it, after all.

Blue Ripple returned his attention to the book, flipping the page one last time. The last entry was the one he had expected: Strong River. Blue Ripple didn't even bother reading beyond that, not wanting to give that evil book another moment of his consideration. Slamming the cover closed and tucking it under his arm, he stood and left Elder Wave's cabin.

Blue Ripple got no rest that night, not trusting himself to sleep after all he had experienced. Once the light of dawn washed over the compound, he went to his uncle and requested another council of the elders, telling Elder Ripple that Strong River and Elder Wave had both gone missing in the night and that he had gathered the report from the sentries. He remained tight-lipped, insisting on giving his information to all the elders at once, to his uncle's ill-concealed dismay.

That news was enough to make the elders scramble to assemble, as each wanted to ensure he knew the details. Once they had come together in the lodge and performed their usual perfunctory greetings, Blue Ripple entered the chamber, that leather book in his hand.

"Blue, my boy, come, tell us what's this business with Elder Wave and the boy."

Blue Ripple slapped the cover of the book in his hand, making his uncle jump. Then he tossed it into the middle of the semi-circle of seated elders.

"That's funny, uncle. You all being concerned about Elder Wave and boys. Because after reading that book I can see you never concerned yourselves in such matters before." Blue Ripple delivered those words between clenched teeth, his fury barely bridled.

"Impudent!" Elder Pearl complained, his usual simper missing. The others -- bar Elder Cloud -- made a clamor as they each wished to rebuke the youth.

"Then pick it up and read it! Read it!" he shouted, drowning out the elders. "This is what you all have created here in Flowing Water, gentlemen. These are the crimes in which you are complicit, esteemed elders."

"I will not be insulted like this!" Elder Pearl interjected. "There is a standard of decorum in this lodge! As a member of this clan--"

"Fuck the clan. Fuck you. I wash my hands of you all." He turned and began to leave the chamber, but then stopped in the doorway. "By the way, old man Wave's dead. His empty rotting shell is over at that bandit outpost he frequented. Brother River killed him and the bandits and left, too."

Blue Ripple tapped his index finger on his lips thoughtfully in the shocked silence. "I do hope you fellows figure out a way to satisfy the Dragon's Den that doesn't end in Brave Dragon coming in person to raze the entire clan to the ground. But that's not going to be my problem anymore, is it? Cheers."

The young warrior left the stifled hall without opposition. Within half an hour, he had his personal herdbeast loaded and stomping away into the grasslands. After that day, he never again saw another living soul from Flowing Water. After that day, much as there was no longer a Strong River, there also was no longer a Blue Ripple. Only Blue, the vagrant swordsman.