Yizzy’s eyes danced, sparkled and shone as he witnessed his mother’s torture, and a feeling of restlessness yet lightness birthed in his muscles. Heat radiated through his chest as a smile tried hard to escape out of his lips. And it eventually succeeded.

“Yavin, Zeke, Wiktor, Vadim... and Tamsyn. I’m extremely sorry for everything I have done!” His mother, a four-foot-tall woman, shouted as she got whipped on her thighs from the front. “I deserve this punishment. I know I do. I know, I...” Her blood dripped down and fell into the bowl underneath and turned its liquid redder than it already was.

Yizzy’s smile subsided. He clenched his fist and turned away before hurrying out of the portal, along with many other souls of all kinds. Unlike him, the souls changed into thin air as they entered the human world; however, their presence could subtly be felt by him. The atmosphere around grew a lot dimmer, and many lives were dying as darkness spread like a disease.

Soon after Yizzy came out, the portal closed by itself, and the energy gathered around him vaporized itself into nothing, and the next moment, hundreds of souls tried to cling onto his body, which he couldn’t fight against, and it rendered him unconscious.

By the time he woke up, weeks had passed, and he was in his North Lapol kingdom, with Godrick beside him. Godrick asked Yizzy why he entered a beyonder kingdom even after he advised him not to. Yizzy had no answer. Yizzy couldn’t comprehend why he found his mother after entering one of the beyonder kingdoms, and Godrick didn’t give him an answer either.

Godrick soon took Yizzy’s tongue temporarily for failing to keep his word and for bringing so much trouble to future generations of the world. In the few weeks Yizzy stayed unconscious, Godrick had taught a new anxiety-free lifestyle, including various martial arts to members of different nations as per their choice, which enhanced the body, mind, and spirit of people. So he ordered Yizzy to stay low and not to do anything until he said so.

Though they were unable to know much about the Beyonder kingdoms—thanks to what was known as the Hell Crack incident caused by Yizzy—the world was still united with most of the other major kingdoms in what was called the Martial Union.

Things were exceptional for humans for the next few decades when they had broken their limits in many aspects. Martial arts had become a norm and those who exceptionally learned the arts were given the title of a martial, which was anything but easy to obtain. However, Godrick was against the idea of giving the title of ‘martial’ to those who followed a new lifestyle that only included martial arts as part of it mainly learned for self-defense, but the word had already spread out faster than a wildfire. Afraid that martials might get branded as those associated with violence and war, Godrick worked extra-hard to heal people and spread peace to set an example that a martial was like a warrior who seldom swung his sword.

Everybody knew that the world’s first martial was Godrick, who had looked younger as time passed, and even after living for a hundred years, he had no white hair anywhere on his body. He would later come to be known as the only human who had become a martial at the ripe age of hundred.

Unlike Godrick, Yizzy didn’t stand out too much. However, he involved himself more in political affairs but also taught some type of martial arts to others whenever he had the time.

Over time, Godrick gave ten honors for the common people to follow. These common people would eventually come to be referred to as hollows. And the ten Hollow Honors described that following these qualities was essential if one wished to live life more than to their heart’s content, one that had to have high principles and also be shared with others. They were as follows:

HOLLOW HONORS

1. Have an open heart of a child and the self-confidence of a caterpillar.

2. Be patient like a parent, honest like a friend, calm like a tree, and kind like one of many.

3. Have a life of your own, but know when to depend on or help others, and never rest from relying on God.

4. Live not by your own laws, for any such selfish ideology is unwise at best and wicked at worst.

5. Do piffling things with people you like.

6. Accept the flaws of others and know when to compromise.

7. Do not bear grudges or keep a record of wrongs that others do.

8. Speak the truth, and take no disastrous delight through it.

9. Try not to love everyone but to love each other.

10. Do not abuse but serve each other to meet each other's needs.

Though he wanted to add another honor—do not fear death—to the list, in the end, he never added it. Maybe, he might have thought it was the only fear that could never be erased from the heart of every living being—not as long as new lives were born.

The ten Hollow Honors became so popular that they spread to every kingdom that was a part of the Martial Union, and even to some other foreign kingdoms. At some point, almost every family had a scroll painted with the ten hollow honors and a few other Godrick's teachings. It was revered almost as much as the Scroll of Scrolls. In time, some also referred to it as the Secondary Sacred Scroll, and even Godrick didn’t expect that his words would be considered sacred, and he took no pleasure in that.

For more than a hundred years, everything was peaceful for the countries that lived together as the Martial Union; however, there was a saying that nothing lasts forever. Maybe, those words got to the people.

New martials kept popping out from various parts of the world, more so than ever, especially after the creation of something called a ‘psychedelic pill,’ whose creator was not known to this day.

Becoming a martial was more important than anything in the world in that age, but it took patience to become one, so most people gave up in the middle; however, the arrival of the psychedelic pills helped people become martials quick without putting much effort from their side.

With the growing number, the desires of the martials also grew. People took so much pride in being a martial that nations took pride in winning the tournaments set between them. Over time, the results of the competitions affected the kingdoms in many ways, and especially those who lost the betting during the competitions were the ones who suffered the most. This was but one of the causes that created inequalities among the kingdoms in the Martial Union.

The differences created egos, which grew so big that they didn’t even listen to the words of Godrick and told him to not participate in political affairs as he wasn’t royalty. The increase in strength grew invisible horns on most people’s heads, and Godrick realized that. He expected that people would eventually understand each other, but as time passed, he only got proved to be terribly wrong. He knew that greed was the most troublesome thing in the world, but he later realized that it was still an understatement for it.

Greed bred people’s ego and took them for a ride, as they disregarded peace and desired for individual glory at the cost of bonds at racial, cultural, and economic levels.

Some martials who fought against each other on big stages were his disciples whom he had taught for decades and developed a deep connection with. Seeing them radically change after leaving his side saddened him to an unimaginable extent, especially since he put lots of hope on them doing things greater than he could ever imagine; however, he got proved to be gravely wrong as people who showered praises on his kindness for decades had now taken that as an advantage. Though those with newfound strength didn’t dare to disrespect him directly, they still avoided him and his teachings.

New martial arts were invented by various martials, which gave birth to new struggles, new pride, and new habits. People with similar goals formed clans, groups, clades, organizations, guilds, sects, and such sorts of groups and divided the society into smaller sections—most of which sought the material wealth or stature of some sort. As time passed, the weak were looked down upon more and more. The divisions between the rich and poor had furthered. And all new adverse changes in culture probably stopped human potential from growing into what it otherwise could have. Though the Martial Union still existed, it was only in the name.

Seeing the world turn into what it did, on one day, Godrick mysteriously disappeared from the eyes of everyone. The common crowd had never heard of him since then.

“So that’s how the Martial Union was formed, huh...” Lirzod took a deep breath. “To think even Godrick couldn’t change the people.” His heart beat in a strange manner, which made him feel uneasy. “His Hollow Honors... Aren’t they just random statements now?”

The old man nodded twice. “The ten honors didn’t teach how a hollow could become a martial. They only taught what a hollow must strive for to live uprightly in their lifespan. In his eyes, living honestly was more important than living happily, but most people didn't get that. He wanted everyone from every race to depend on each other and especially on God, but soon after they gained a bit of power, they began to depend on none but themselves. Still, during those times, when becoming a martial was considered the greatest achievement, Godrick also made many people believe that being a hollow wasn’t anything smaller than being a martial and that one can’t work their way up to heaven. He warned them that self-indulgence would only lead them to vanity and that one must learn to deny themselves for the sake of others. His saying, ‘only a heart that denies itself can come between need and greed,’ had become ever so popular. However, his sayings like, 'evil entices ever,' never reached as many hearts as they should. Maybe it was a divine decree... In time, his efforts could no longer catch up to the chaos being spread about in the world in unimagined ways.

“He wanted martials to guide hollows into leading a religious and spiritual life—one that lets you subdue the desires of the flesh and brings you closer to God. He wanted both the martials and the hollows to show the way to future generations, but the martials brought more and more differences between themselves and between them and hollows. As a result, not much has changed since then. There are still as many if not more self-righteous people now as there were back then. You can’t fit two swords in a single sheath. You can’t put two complacent people in a room and hope that nothing goes wrong. In the same way, one can’t expect peace when there are so many self-righteous souls in the same world, who think they are superior to others in their own ways. Some of them, especially those with a darker childhood or a bad upbringing, will end up walking the road of revenge or of supremacy and world domination. Maybe that’s why Godrick left. Maybe he came to the conclusion that he can’t change the world without waging war against it. Or maybe he's long seen what’s to come, and everything he did might have been for some higher purpose. In the case of the latter, he’s shown to the world how to sacrifice oneself for the sake of another soul.” He sighed. “At this point, all we can do is figure the happenings of yore.”

“Hmm, evil is ever enticing, huh. No wonder the Hollow Honors got put aside over time. I myself heard of similar things a few times as my clan heads spoke to each other,” Lirzod rubbed his chin as he went into deep thought and then shook his head.

“Though many martials were still corrupt, some of Godrick’s disciples understood the danger the absence of their master would bring to the world. They remembered the words of their master: Be it the water in the oceans, or the seed in the soil, anything that goes up has to come down. Likewise, those who climb mountains shouldn’t climb to stay at the top but to look for another mountain and continue their adventure. Some of his disciples who understood that Godrick didn’t want to be their leader but brother—did their best to counterbalance the deeds of the lost martials by doing overly good deeds and turning people who were better than themselves into martials and telling people to explore newer things.”

“Hmm,” Lirzod nodded to himself. “so that’s how it was. His disciples were the main ones who overshadowed the bad deeds done by many martials in the past. That’s why there’s still craze around the world to become martials. Our history makes more sense to me now. But...” He looked up at the old man. “Why all this? Why tell me now? What exactly for?”

“For once, you’ve asked the right question at the right time.” The old man softly smiled. “How does the pain you've experienced in your life fare against what Godrick did in his life?”

Lirzod was startled and paused for a long time. “For sure, nowhere near.”

“Mm, you are more honest than I thought.”

“Hmph, I’m the only honest guy in here.” Lirzod lifted up his chin a little.

After a few moments of silence, the old man continued. “There’s probably no better way to become a martial than by using the knowledge you obtained from knowing how the early martials were born.”

Lirzod nodded in repetition. “Hmm, becoming a martial helps us know the roots of many things, which helps us in becoming more and more perfect, right?”

“Indeed, as long as you don't give in to the temptations of darkness. As Godrick said, ‘one must work on their flaws and continually be conscious of them.’” The old man paused for a moment and looked into the distance. “He even said that everyone must feel blessed to be born with a flaw or two. Even while growing up, he said it was crucial to find some flaws at some point.” The old man smiled a little. “He said it keeps us grounded, keeps us human.”

“You mean Godrick wanted people to have some flaws?” Lirzod jerked the head backward as his fingers touched the parted lips. 

“I think he’s spot on. Nobody is perfect in the eyes of everybody, but everybody can be perfect in the eyes of somebody.”

Lirzod’s eyes subconsciously looked at the birthmark on his palm, and strange emotions stirred in his heart. In school, many students always mocked him for it, and in addition, he was often the brunt of cruel jokes, but his mother didn’t even tease him a bit, not even once as far as he could recollect. Now, after he sort of understood the reason, his heart grew heavier. And as his eyes narrowed, a drop of tear slid down his cheeks, and his body posture loosened. Flinching his head back, he stared at the old man. “What’s his flaw?”

“For starters, he was overly nice to people, even to his disciples who no longer showed any respect to him. He worked on it throughout the time, but he was like a child at heart. Once he took a liking to someone, he found it hard to objectively judge them for their deeds. And...” The old man tilted his head down just a bit.

“His flaw won over his disciples, huh...” Lirzod sighed deeply.

The old man took a deep breath and spoke, “The key to succeeding in life is to be a child at heart throughout your existence. A child lives according to his thoughts. The only selfishness of this world, which is guilt-free, is that of a child’s. Since adults don’t have a child’s innocence, they should try to be like children in other aspects.” He paused for a moment. Though the definition of a ‘hollow’ got metamorphosed over time, the current generations should have no problem in accepting this statement. He inwardly sighed before speaking, “A true hollow is a human at heart whereas a true martial is a child at heart.”

Lirzod grinned from ear to ear. “My mother always treats me like a child, as well.”

“Every mother does unless you are implying there’s a special reason as to why she treats you like that?”

“Hmm, maybe because I tell others that she rarely wears the dress on her own. No.” Lirzod shook his head. “Maybe because I daily hug her?” he shook his head again. “No, that’s not it either. It may be because I still listen to her fairy tales now and then.” He slowly nodded his head. “That’s it. She’s really good at it, you know. We used to sit out on the staircase in the lawn, me and Duera together get told many stories as we watch the moon and the stars as long as it took for twin sword candles to finish.”

“Now I know why you keep asking questions,” the old man’s shoulders hunched slightly.

“Eh? Is it wrong to ask questions?”

“Not at all,” the old man rubbed the back of his neck, “but it can get annoying quick.”

“O-Oh...” Lirzod’s chin dipped down, and his spine bent a little.

“For a hollow, home is the best school, and parents are the best teachers, but for a martial, mountains are the best schools, and the adventure itself is the best teacher.” A sense of calm and ease could be felt in the old man’s voice. “You may be trying to become a member of Shambala Sect, but do not expect too much tutoring. Even the brightest entries may end up alone, without a master for their entire time as a Martial Child.”

“No tutoring?” Lirzod was immediately displeased. “After doing all the hard work for joining the sect, you are saying we may not get chosen by any professors at all? That’s just ridiculous. I was expecting to study under a beautiful master.”

I guess he didn’t get the point. The old man sighed. “It’s not ridiculous as long as it’s just. In the world we live in, it doesn’t matter what it is, you’ll have to earn it. If you earn something without working for it, you are likely to abuse it. Remember what happened when pills that could turn hollows into martials showed up in the past. That single invention changed the course of the entire history. Just because you are a young master of a clan, don’t assume you deserve a master much less all the luxuries you experienced at home.”

Lirzod’s eyes enlarged, “H-How do you know that I’m—”

“That’s not what you should be worrying about,” the old man’s voice turned sharper. “Now that you’ve come out of your clan—see for yourself where chasing money, fame, or skirts will take you.”

“What do you mean by chasing skirts? You dirty old man,” Lirzod passionately barked. “I chase hearts.”

“Well, that’s what you tell yourself, huh. You are a bit better than most others your age.”

“What?” Lirzod looked puzzled.

“Be that as it may... All I’m saying is that you don’t waste your time—and life. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Learn to subdue them. See the lies you’re living, and change them one by one, and you’ll automatically start earning things that you not only want, but your life also needs. If you don’t... what’s the point of living, let alone becoming a martial?” a corner of his lips curled up a little. “When one doesn’t even know what makes a martial, they will struggle to answer when asked why they want to become a martial. The way things are, you might not become a shambalian. I suggest you work on your ways and improve yourself soon, child.”

“Thanks for your strange advice, but wait,” Lirzod hurriedly asked, “have you been to the Shambala Sect?”

“Yes,” a casual reply came in return.

“H-How does it look there?” he asked in excitement.

The old man replied a bit late, “Rather than saying how it looks, I think it’s better to say how it wants to look.”

“U-Uh,” Lirzod blinked a few times. “What?”

“Well, can you imagine a world where genuine knowledge is shared in full for free?”

“That’s…” Lirzod slightly shook his head. “Depending on the matter at hand, some information can be invaluable, right?”

“That’s right,” the old man’s voice gained weight. “Something as simple as the knowledge on how to feed a horse can be sold for sacks of silver, with neither guarantee nor assurance that the whole information will be shared with the rest because we live in a corrupted world where greed often gets the better of men. In consequence, even though so many people want to stand at the top of the world, only those very few who are privy to secret and sensitive knowledge rule the world right now. There’s nothing wrong with the poor keeping business secrets to get by, but if even those who are well-off follow this trend without an end, then shame on them. If something isn’t done to stop these flawed ways of the world, the rich will get richer by continually sharing half-knowledge, and the poor will get poorer without knowing why. And those in between will perish in the process. That’s why sharing enough knowledge and wisdom is of great importance. If we bear fruition, then people will be open to both sharing and receiving things from one another. Only then can we hope to abolish heinous practices such as usury.”

“Mm…” Lirzod nodded a few times as he pondered. “Now that you’ve said, it makes sense. The population of the rich is too little when compared to the poor. Even in my clan, there’s that disparity. I’ve always thought that talent set them apart, but, well, there’s more than meets the eye. Come to think of it, Godrick wasn’t greedy. He shared information for free, but if I’m correct, he didn’t share it with just about anyone. He most likely had his own way of deciding if someone was eligible to know about the information or not. However, because he probably didn’t keep secrets and taught his disciples in great detail, some of them got cocky of their own abilities and eventually didn’t put even their master in their eyes. And this master-disciple rebellion repeated again with increasing numbers as time went on. Truly pitiful.”

“Pitiful indeed. Power attained through greed brings pride, and pride blinds one from admiring all that is better in others. A prideful heart can’t accept that, when taken out, it weighs the same as that of others of its kind,” the old man sighed as if he was remembering something from the past, “and when it’s around, things tend to go horribly wrong. Even someone like Godrick who shared his knowledge, hoping it’d bear fruits of peace, had vastly underestimated the power of greed, and by the time he knew its nature, it was already too late. Even some of his own disciples had a change of heart and acted against his teachings and brought even more loss of face to their master. After Godrick disappeared, there were some with no sense of shame who joked that he hid his face in shame.”

“His own disciples too, huh. This reminds me of a saying from my hometown, ‘a foolish son can only dazzle his father with dirt.’ I guess it works for master-disciple relationships as well. Those days must have been tough for him to live through. Well, in a sense, his entire life was mighty knotty.”

A few seconds of silence passed.

Lirzod’s sneeze brought the old man back from his wandering senses.

“Ahem, we’ve chatted enough, child,” the old man stated. “As I’ve already said, you should work on your ways if you want to become a shambalian. Tame thyself. If you can do that, it’ll be more than enough. That aside, it was unexpectedly nice talking to you.” He turned into leaves and spiraled away high into the skies. “Hopefully, we’ll meet again one day, as fellow martials. For now, though, you’ve got something waiting for you.”

“Wait!” Lirzod was saying, but he got sucked into a portal that opened behind him. I didn’t even ask his name. “Wait a second… did he say it was unexpectedly nice talking to me?” His expression turned cold. “Just wait, you geezer… Next time I see you, I’m gonna make you sing a song!”

He got pulled into the portal, and straight away, he ended up on a small mountain, in front of an old mansion where two men were arguing. There was no one else in the vicinity, no other homes either.

“You found this near my mansion, so this treasure is mine,” the gray-haired one who was dressed finely had his hands on a sack full of silver coins. Three big melons would fit in that sack. “Let it go.”

“I’m sorry, Master. You may own the manor, but you don’t own the mountain,” the other one, an orange-haired fellow, who was shirtless and was only wearing a dhoti, was also pulling the sack, “so, rightfully, this is mine.” His tone was respectful. “With this, I’ll buy my freedom, and I will go find my family.”

“A slave like you shouldn’t be dreaming.”

They kept pulling the sack from the other, but then the master kicked the slave in the chest.

“You’re free now,” the Master sarcastically said. “Good luck with finding your family.”

“You…” the slave got back to his feet and attacked his master; however, the master made short work of him.

“Hmph! You think you can beat me with your measly strength?” the master snorted. “I’ve been patient till now so that I wouldn’t be losing a precious dog, but you forced my hand. Now, get lost from my sight.” Saying that he turned to enter the mansion.

The slave was on the ground, his hands on his face, crying aloud. “Dammit!”

“Hold your horses,” Lirzod, who had witnessed the whole thing, now approached the mansion, his eyes set on the master. “What you’re doing is dirty, sir.”

“Mm?” the master turned his head back and took a glance at Lirzod. “And you are…”

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Lirzod faintly smiled before saying, “Just a mountain child—like you two are.”

A second of silence passed, and both the master and the slave were looking at Lirzod.

“As fellow children of the mountain, we are free to own every bit of unoccupied regions this mountain offers us. Those who find it gets to keep it,” Lirzod said. “Since he found it outside your home, I’d appreciate it if you give that wealth back to the one who found it.”

The master turned to face Lirzod. “What makes you think I’m going to listen to a stranger’s stupidity?” he snapped his fingers and produced a fine sound. A couple of seconds later, a four-foot-tall black dog came dashing out of the mansion. “Get him!” he pointed his finger toward the boy.

Lirzod narrowed his eyes as the dog ran at him. But suddenly, the slave came in between and shouted, causing the dog to stop. The slave waved his hand, forcing the dog to go away.

“Hmph! I’ll punish it later for disobeying my order, but...” the master smiled and gave a ridiculing look to the slave. “You should learn from the dog. Don’t bite the hand that fed you for so long. Be a good slave.”

The slave frowned. As he stood conflicted, Lirzod stepped past him, “I’m not a fan of those who see others as no more than tools. Please let go of the money before I feel like punching you in the face.”

After a pause, the master let go of the sack and then folded his sleeves. “If you can land a single punch on my face, then all the money will be yours.”

“What a nice offer,” Lirzod was pleasantly surprised. “So, you want to get punched.”

“But if I land a punch in your face, then you’ll clean my mansion and then leave the way you came.”

Lirzod’s expression stayed still briefly, but then he smiled. “Agreed.” He then turned his head and shifted his gaze at the pitiful-looking slave. “Don’t worry. I’ll get your money back—”

As he was saying, the master turned into a blur and flashed in front of Lirzod, jabbing his hand nimbly like a monkey.

“Hmm!” While his head was turned to the right, Lirzod moved his body to the left in haste. The master’s fist scraped past Lirzod’s nose and smashed the slave’s nose, causing him to step back. Lirzod fumbled to his left. When he looked back, the reddish liquid was all over the slave’s mouth, chin, and shirt.

Lirzod was given no time. As he was getting back up, the master came swinging his leg like a whip, aiming to strike the boy’s head. Lirzod blocked it with his arm but got forced back to the ground. Then came a series of toe-blows to the belly, and a calculated punch in between to his face. Though Lirzod couldn’t block all the kicks, he made sure to block the punches. When it seemed like there was no end for it, Lirozd raised his legs and locked the master’s leg and dragged him down.

The master fell to his back, but soon, they unbound each other and got back to their feet and locked their eyes. They heard the wind, and it was cold as if it was trying to win over both. But none shivered. They ran toward the other, and soon their fists clashed, casting the cold wind away from their surrounds. Though Lirzod got briefly pushed back, he pressed on. There wasn’t much emotion behind the fists, but there was a bucket-load of intent, and fear couldn’t find a place in the eyes of either. In the succeeding exchange of attacks, Lirzod’s fists ached, and the sudden jolts of pain coursed throughout his arms. His opponent didn’t wait and threw himself fiercely. Lirzod dodged to the side abruptly. With a swivel, the master launched a side kick only to be met with Lirzod’s raised leg.

BAM~!

The impact was loud and virtually bone-cracking. Lirzod absorbed the blow just fine and jumped back.

The master charged him, and a harsh exchange of kicks ensued. It was short and violent. As they fought, they moved around and arrived at a small tree. When Lirzod’s back hit the tree, the nest shook, and three chicks fell out of it. The master was the first to notice that and react, and Lirzod followed him. The master caught two of them, and Lirzod caught the other one. They looked at each other briefly, fists lowered, before dropping the garden bird’s chicks back in the nest one after another.

Then, they resumed their clash for what they wanted. The victory. Their fists couldn’t easily reach the other’s face, but they surely sunk into each other’s stomachs. There were no blind punches or sloppy kicks. Every move of the master was refined, and the boy was no slouch, either. His eyes were filled with determination as he dodged many times and came up with his own ways of troubling the opponent, especially through countering. As the conflict escalated, the master suddenly stopped when he realized that the slave had already taken the money sack and was running away. He went after the slave immediately, but Lirzod came and stood in his way, assuming a belligerent pose.

“Move,” the master deepened his voice.

“Sorry. I can’t hear you. Mind repeating again?”

“I don’t have time to bother with your crap,” the master unleashed a barrage of thundering fists. 

“Ngh!” Lirzod grunted as he got pushed back from every impact that heated the air.

“Hmph!” seeing the boy feeling the stress, the master acted a bit smugly.

This guy… Lirzod frowned as he blocked more punches. He isn’t easy meat. He was forced to raise his strength, but his fists got bruised more and more. Despite feeling the heat on his fists, he gritted his teeth hard and continued to take the attacks head-on.

As their attacks intensified, they moved away from the mansion and toward the sightly sunset, the same direction the slave had taken. The dead fallen leaves danced in the air as the two combatants hurled each other upside down, banged each other’s bodies against the trees, kicked, head-butted and bruised each other, and fought sternly. The mountain heard their struggle in different echoes. In the vicinity of their battle, the birds abandoned their nests, and the rats scurried back into their holes. There was so much weight behind every blow, it felt as if one wanted to vanquish the other. It seemed as if two beasts were brawling, and the fight was no longer just about landing a punch in the other’s face. There was much more at work. More than just running and returning favor through bettered attacks.

“Why are you helping him for free?” the master asked hastily in the middle of the heated exchange. And a punch to the stomach made Lirzod bloodied Lirzod’s mouth.

“Why did you catch the chicks?” Lirzod sounded strange because of the blood in his mouth. “Did the mother bird pay you?”

“What? They got nothing to do with our fight. That’s why I cared.”

“Well,” Lirzod spat the blood to the side. “You got nothing to do with the money someone else found. That’s what made me care.”

“No. You are not caring for anybody!” he launched a reckless streak of punches. “You just love marauding rich folks. That’s all.”

“I take no pleasure in seeing people suffer, even those who’re blameworthy,” Lirzod took a blow to his chest as he closed in and hugged the opponent. “But I do what I feel is necessary. And I believe I did the same in your case.”

The master’s eyes revealed a hint of shock, “W-What the hell are you doing?” he pushed Lirzod away.

“Just a greeting to end the fight,” Lirzod rubbed his bruised chest. “It’s over now, isn’t it?”

”Like hell it is!” the master barked. “That jealous bastard left you to defend yourself and is running away with all the money! Come to my side, and we’ll catch him and share the silvers in half.”

Lirzod shook his head out of disappointment.

“It’s not over until I catch that bastard!” the master quickly resumed his chase after the slave, who had long disappeared from their sight.

Lirzod snarled, then swiveled and caught up to the master and pushed him to the side, into the bushes, with a shoulder bash.

The master got back to his feet and swatted the dust and leaves off his clothes while glaring at Lirzod.

“Give it up,” Lirzod’s voice was both urging and warning at the same time. “It’s either me or your mansion.”

“So you want to die,” the master spit to the side, “then so be it. I’ll send you to your grave right away!” He stormed at him with a rageful scream.

“My grave? You’ll not even find it in your dreams!” Frustration took over Lirzod’s face. “Since you aren’t listening, let me help you get to your mansion!” he also charged with a mighty cry. 

With bodyweight thrown behind the attack, blood thrummed in their veins as both fists went past the other and clobbered into the opponent’s face.

BANG~!

Pain flared up as the fists connected the jaws, and both got sent packing back in the way they had come from and some more.

The master was thrown out of the woods, whereas Lirzod ended up falling deeper in.

Lirzod fell on the floor, his jaw bruised into a mild swelling. He took shallow breaths as he got back to his feet. “That hurts…” he slowly exercised his jaw a bit, but then stopped in the middle. “Oh, no! That guy might be going after the money!” he started running out of the woods, but a portal right in front of him, and though his feet slid into a halt, he got sucked in. “Not again!” he tried holding a branch and resisted the pull, but one of his shoes came loose and fell into the portal. “Oh, no!” Lirzod let go of the branch reflexively and then ended up getting swallowed.

Meanwhile, near the mansion wall.

The master got back to his feet and was clearing the dust off his clothes.

The slave, who was hiding in the trees, came out laughing, “Hahaha, he really sent you flying back home. I wasn’t expecting this, really.”

“Well,” the master casually said, “though he’s young and small, he can pack a pretty punch. He may even be better than you, Nouman.”

“Haha, I’m not sure about that, but you surely don’t look all that pretty now, Ruth,” the slave, Nouman, leaned closer. “Want me to boil some water?”

“You need it more than I do,” Ruth stepped away. “That tomato smell is itching my nose.”

“Haha, are you sure that’s what caused the itch?” Nouman gave a teasing look.

“Enough with your teasing and go prepare the bath,” he kicked on Nouman’s butt, causing him to run back into the mansion. Ruth then walked toward the woods and muttered under his breath, “What an odd kid we’ve got this time. Hugging the opponent in the middle of a fight… What an unusual thing to do.” Without quite looking, he plucked a low-hanging raw mango and took a bite. The sour taste made him look at the fruit. He shook his head a little and threw the fruit away. “Unripe things always taste strange.” He turned and walked back toward the mansion. “Anyway, now that my job is done, it’s time to relax for a little while.”

In the meantime, back in Lirzod’s room, 10-K43.

“Wuooh!” the moment after Lirzod had gotten pulled into the portal, he popped out of a book and fell on his four limbs on the floor beside the bed. One peanut fell to the ground right in front of him and grabbed his attention for a moment. His hand reacted by instinct, and he quickly put it in his mouth so fast like how a lizard would snatch its prey with its tongue. As his teeth crunched the nut, he looked around and realized that he came back to the room. “So, I’m back.” He wasn’t as surprised about his return as he was about the pain he longer felt, be it in the jaw, chest, stomach, or the hands. As he wore the shoe, he thought about things. “Who were those two guys? Who was that old man? Why am I not feeling the pain anymore?” he doubted if he was dreaming or something, but then some part of him told him that it wasn’t a dream. However, as he wondered about everything that had happened, he got lost in thought. When he came back to this world, he ended up seeing the words that were written on the wall, up near the ceiling: My dream is to one day hear the Song of the Ship and to eventually become a martial among martials — Ruth Douglas.

“Whoa… I didn’t see that till now,” Lirzod was surprised. “It must’ve been written by someone who stayed in this room before. How cool. But... what is the Song of the Ship?”

He kept staring at it for some time, with his expression gradually changing.

“Everyone wants to become a martial, but what makes a martial? Who is a martial? When can one call themselves a martial?” he couldn’t help but ponder for a moment. “Some books say they pursue power. Some other books say they pursue truth. Some even say they pursue fame and wealth. I, on the other hand, thought that a martial was someone who was healthy, strong, and could live longer than a hollow. Now, that sounds too simple.” He paused for a second. “What reason did Godrick have? As far as I know, he didn’t wish for a long life. Given how he took care of his sisters when they were young, he was already a strong man, so he probably didn’t desire more strength either. If strength and longevity don’t make a martial, then what does? What made Godrick a martial then? What exactly drove him to become a martial?” He scratched his head a little. “Even after hearing his story, I still can’t tell.” He took a breath. “It’s a simple question, but answering it isn’t.”

“I feel like I didn’t learn much even after knowing so much about his life,” Lirzod’s shoulders slumped a little.

As he lightly rubbed his fingers on his forehead, his thoughts drifted back into the past.

He, as a four-year-old, was walking on a street together with Primera, holding each other’s pinkies. The morning sun warmed up their cold bodies. Primera was in simple clothing, but the young boy was wearing bright, shining clothes, but his face was glowing even brighter, for the woman holding his hand had just taken care of a dust particle that fell in his eyes by blowing her rough, warm breath in his eyes. Thanks to that, he had stopped crying, and now, he held her hand tightly and wore a comfortable smile on that scarless face.

As they were strolling, they came across an adult man who was carrying two big rice sacks on his back. “Wow, he’s carrying those big bags,” Lirzod was excited. “He must be so strong. I want to be strong like him, too.”

“You will also become strong when you grow up, Young Master,’ Primera replied casually, but different thoughts were running through her mind. It looks like he really doesn’t remember what happened.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Lirzod looked happy. “I want to grow up quickly, so I can help you bring all the food to the kitchen.”

“Haha, but growth doesn’t happen overnight. Be patient.”

“Mm…” Lirzod stayed silent for a moment. “Why do you sound dull today?”

Primera was a little surprised. “No, Young Master. I’m okay.” She closed her eyes and smiled.

“Then it’s okay.”

“What’s okay?”

“What we are doing. Walking in the morning.”

As they continued walking, they soon came across an old woman who was sitting on a rock bed in front of her house, but she was struggling so hard to find her walking stick, which actually had fallen on the ground, but she was unaware of it and was searching in every direction with her arms stretched out. Primera hurriedly ran over and picked up the stick and gave it to the woman, who then put her palm on top of her head for a moment—a way of blessing younger people. Then the old woman went into her house with the help of the walking stick, her back bent enough that it was almost parallel to the earth. In the meantime, Primera came back to Lirzod.

The young boy, who was watching all that, couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong with her eyes? Why couldn’t she see the stick even though it was right in front of her? And why is she walking like that?”

“Ah, she can’t see well due to her age,” said Primera, “and her back is no longer strong, so she uses a stick to support herself.”

“Why did she even become so weak?”

“That comes naturally with aging. We all get old and become like that one day,” she said. Of course, not counting those that have chosen to walk the Martial Way and achieved some success.

“What? I will also become like that?” Lirzod was stunned. “I don’t want to!”

“I can understand your feelings, but you’re just being unreasonable, Young Master,” said Primera in a caring voice, but his expression didn’t change. She glanced at his attire. “How long do you think you can wear the clothing you’re wearing right now?”

“Squeezel bought these for me. These are my favorite. I will wear them every day all my life.”

“Haha, that’s cute, but when you grow up, your build increases and those clothes won’t fit you anymore. And if you do wear it daily, the wear and tear will only increase, until one day they can’t be worn anymore. It’s the same with all items. Any item you can wear won’t last forever.”

“That…” Lirzod, at the moment, felt conflicted. He wanted to wear the dress, but then also wanted to keep it hidden and safe.

“It’s not just the items that we wear, but anything physical isn’t everlasting,” said Primera. “Our bodies are also vessels, and they have their own expiry dates as nuts do.” With a sweep of her arm, she caught a housefly and then gently held its wings with the nails and showed it to Lirzod. “This little thing lives and dies in a month.” Her words enlarged the young fellow’s eyes. “The lifespan of some races can be counted in days, and for some other races, it can be counted in years.” She then let go of the housefly, and Lirzod watched with his mouth agape as it flew away. “But not all can even get to live long enough to come to terms with the inevitable death.” As she was saying, a hen, in the background, was feasting on the ants on the roadside. “To put it simply, it’s all a matter of fate for all beings, for anything that breathes, Young Master.”

“What is fate?”

“The path God lays down for all beings from birth to death and beyond.”

Lirzod doubtfully asked, “W-What do you think my fate is?”

“Only God knows,” Primera shrugged her shoulders. “But I hope that the path is long and bright.”

Lirzod felt happy, but that didn’t last long. “But at the end of that path… how will I look like?”

Primera just glanced at him but didn’t say anything.

“If we all die at some point, then what’s the point of living?” Lirzod looked at his dress, and at the same time, thought about his body. “Why do we have to let go of things we’ve spent time with? Why do we have to watch people we love die? Isn’t it painful? Why go through all this? What for?”

“Well…” Primera paused for a few seconds, and then picked him up and made him sit on the back of her head. She took a left turn and entered a different street. Even though he kept asking her where she was taking him, she didn’t respond, so he played with her hair. After taking a few turns, they ended up in the street full of people going somewhere.

“Wow, why are there so many people here?” asked Lirzod. “Is there a party?”

“It’s a funeral procession.”

“What’s that?” 

Primera stayed silent for a moment and then pointed her finger toward the open coffin that four people were carrying on her shoulders. And a squirrel was sitting on the edge of that coffin, with a heavy heart, doing nothing. “Can you see that wooden box?”

“That big brown thing…” Lirzod’s eyes locked on the coffin. “Yes, I can, but it’s a bit far, so I can’t clearly see what’s in there.” Then he was somewhat startled. “Don’t tell me, it’s full of nuts?”

Primera smiled, but her smile was rather sad. “There was a man named Fucha who used to live in this street, in that house,” she pointed toward a small house surrounded by six trees. “His mother died during his birth, and he had no limbs when he was born. His father took care of him for many years and tried to find a wife for Fucha, but no woman was willing to share their life with him. His father eventually passed away, leaving Fucha alone when he was nearing thirty. Fucha, who never spent a day outside his father’s care, for the first time in his life, had to do everything by himself. Though some people offered help now and then, it didn’t take long for him to realize that their help was often out of pity and not out of love and that their hands could only stretch so far to succor a suffering soul. It made him understand why his father had tried so much to get Fucha married. After all, who can better support a soul than another from the same family?

“Though Fucha saw the need to get married, he probably didn’t want to burden a woman through bondage, so he never sought out for a partner. His father didn’t leave him any treasure, except for the little home and the six trees, so he treasured them. He always stayed at home, for that was where most of his memories drift. He largely ate mangoes, blackberries, custard apples, and grapes, and sometimes what others brought him. For all the years he lived, he took care of the trees. Though he had no limbs, he grabbed a stick with his mouth and tried to shake the dead leaves off the trees. That was his job. All day long. Every single day. It was anything but easy. More than the pest and bugs, squirrels were his enemies. One day a squirrel fell from a tree and injured itself. When Fucha found it, he couldn’t bring himself to end its life because it was only a baby, and he did what he could to heal it. Then—”

“Ah, why are you talking about this person now?” interrupted Lirzod, visibly bored.

Primera stayed silent for a moment and then spoke, “You asked if that box was full of nuts, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Lirzod suddenly looked interested. “I was correct, wasn’t I?”

“Partly… Yes,” Primera’s answer puzzled Lirzod. “There are more than just nuts in there.”

“What else is there?” Lirzod eagerly asked.

“Fucha,” replied Primera calmly.

Lirzod’s face jerked a bit back as his brows pinched together.

“Fucha is in that box. After surviving for over twenty years following his father’s death, during the last night, under cover of darkness, he departed this life,” Primera’s head was tilted down, and grief occupied all of it. “All these people you see are going to his funeral, to the burial grounds where his parents and all the dead rest in their graves.”

All the excitement on Lirzod’s face vanished. Soon, he began to read the faces of the people and realized that none of them were smiling, and there was a gloomy atmosphere in the street, which he couldn’t feel until now. And what’s more, he just saw that the three clan heads were among the crowd, and they exchanged places with those who were carrying the coffin. It puzzled Lirzod as to why they were doing that. Some women were watching the procession from their homes, seemingly sad, and as seconds passed, Lirzod’s heart pounded against his chest.

“You asked what’s the point of living, didn’t you, Young Master?” Primera said. “It’s not all for this moment, but some of it surely is... for this little time that gathers all those hearts you’ve managed to find a place in; one that reveals who has loved you enough to shed a tear or two for the loss of your company; one that demonstrates who is kind enough to support your lifeless body on their shoulders; one that shows who cares enough about you to give you a send-off, for one last time. It is this short period of time that defines your existence as it exhibits in the streets all the wealth you’ve accumulated in your lifetime. It is this last moment that parades your worth in the world and displays the real evidence of your life, and hopefully, at least a single soul will take it as an inspiration and implement it to better their life, be it in this age or in the ages to come.”

Lirzod went speechless, as both of them momentarily walked in the trail of flowers left by the funeral procession.

Primera slightly narrowed her eyes as she gave the people in the front a once-over. Fucha died only hours ago. If not for the clan heads showing up here, this much crowd wouldn’t have gathered so quickly. Looking at some of their walking styles and mannerisms, she looked confused. Now, I can’t tell who’s here for just Fucha.

A few seconds later.

Primera took a turn and entered a desolate street, for it wasn’t good for a child to be near a funeral procession for too long. The atmosphere was silent, and she broke it first, “Be it clothes, or be it your body, as long as you take proper care of it, you won’t regret during the last moments you spend with them or anything for that matter. We don’t want to have regrets in the last days of our lives, right, Young Master? Look at Fucha’s life. He didn’t even have hands to find things to do in life. His life was full of hardships, but he somehow got over them by simply trying to make the most out of what he had. If he didn’t live his life to the fullest, then I don’t know who else did.” Even though she was visibly sad that Fucha died, something else in her was telling her to not worry so much about Fucha’s death, for he was awake to life as long as there was breath in him.

Lirzod stayed silent for a few seconds and then asked, “I can keep the clothes clean and even wash them regularly, but how do I take care of my body?”

“Good question,” Primera said and faintly smiled. “You can’t expect to store your clothes in a garbage bin and expect them to stay clean and smell nice when you take them out, right? In the same way, you can’t expect to stay good in a bad environment. We, humans, tend to give and take things from one another, knowingly or not, especially habits. That’s why you should be with good people, so you are likely to gain good habits from them. Bathing regularly is enough to keep your skin clean and healthy, but you have to do a lot more than that if you want to keep your body clean both inside and out. After all, clothes and we are not the same. Clothes don’t breathe, and they don’t have emotions as we do. They don’t talk; they don’t know of their own existence or of those around them, but they are just there, affecting the world in their own ways. You can say the same for rocks. Plants, however, are alive and can feel things around them; all they take is water and some nutrients from the earth, but in return, they provide food for every hungry stomach that comes seeking nourishment. Even the beasts serve us if we can tame them. All these are creations that our creator has given us to enrich our lives in this world. As beings with superior intelligence, we, humans, must understand that and try to be at least somewhat helpful to the world around us, if not more than it is to us. That’s the least we can do to honor life in general, and especially God, the mastermind behind all life and all things.”

“So, it’s much harder to take care of one’s body than one’s clothes.”

“Haha, yes,” Primera couldn’t help but chuckle a little after realizing that a long response was a bit too much for the little fellow to get his head around. “You see, you can change your clothes whenever you feel like it, but that’s not the case with your body, which is where you’re born in to lead this life on earth. But our bodies can only go through this mortal coil for so long before they become dust. So the better we care for them, the better they can bear our life’s burden for us however long we may live.”

“Mm…” Lirzod nodded and then planted a kiss on her cheek. “I will start taking great care of my body from now on.”

She lightly pinched his cheek, “Then you should first stop crying over simple things.”

“Huh? Why? What’s my crying got to do with all this?”

“Well, when you cry, tears well up in your eyes, and your face reddens, and probably your heart is in pain, too. Clearly, your body hurts when you cry. So, you should stop crying all the time. It helps your soul to mature.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Impossible, huh. So you were lying when you were saying you want to take great care of your body.”

“N-No. I really want to.”

“Then, you should learn to control your emotions. You don’t need to go all out on them right away. Start with one emotion at a time.”

“You make it sound easy, but I’m sure it’s not.”

“Don’t worry, Young Master. I’m going to help you along the way.”

“How?” Lirzod couldn’t help but ask.

“Well, this is a secret that I’ve never told anyone, but if you promise me that you’ll not reveal it to others without a good reason, I’ll tell you.”

“Ah! What’s that secret?” Lirzod got extremely intrigued and excited.

“First... promise.”

“Yes, I promise,” Lirzod put his hand on her head.

“Not ‘on’ me,” Primera’s brows jerked a little, “but ‘to’ me.” She lifted her palm, and he placed his hand on it. “Good. Now bring your ears closer so not even prying ants can hear,” the carefully crafted words made Lirzod bend his head forward, and his cheek was rubbing against her cheek. “The secret to better control any emotion is in breathing.”

“What? That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Stop fooling me,” said Lirzod, jerking his head back.

“I wasn’t fooling, Young Master,” Primera was startled. “I was telling you the truth. If you can consciously breathe through your emotions, you can have a much better chance of keeping them in check.”

“You are wrong,” said Lirzod. “I breathe all the time, but that doesn’t stop me from crying.”

“You didn’t hear me correctly. I said, ‘conscious breathing,’ remember?”

“Conshee, what?” Lirzod narrowed his eyes, “You are trying to fool me, right? Did Squeezel, no, did my mother put you to this?” he started to nibble on her ear.

“Young Master, no!” Primera started to jump all around. “Please stop!”

“Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom...”

UWAHH~~!!

Coming back to the present.

Lirzod didn’t remember much from when he was a four-year-old, but this was one of those memories that stuck with him.

“The old lady, Ibiki, didn’t have health. The disabled man, Fucha, didn’t have wealth. Yet they seemed to have lived without regrets. It’s as if health, wealth, happiness, fame, and success... none of these temporal things tempted their hearts. It must have been a hard life to lead.” He took a lasting breath, and some light restored in his eyes. “I hope I can be like them… but then again, I don’t want to be exactly like them. I want to do things differently, in my own way, and surpass them if possible.” He paused for a moment.

“From what I know… Living is not just about taking care of myself but also of the world around me. I feel like some of it is about finding a place in people’s hearts. But... even honor, like all temporal things, is just another worldly merit, which isn’t any better than a passing cloud. So, is earning the honor of people worth it?” He thought about Godrick, who would’ve been honored more than anybody else in the world at a point of time, but whatever he got didn’t even last till his last breath. These conflicting thoughts made Lirzod feel as if there was more to Ibiki and Fucha’s lives than he had given credit for. Only seconds ago, he thought he could surpass them, but now, he wasn’t so sure anymore. “Old man Godrick… For good or bad, you’ve affected almost every soul in the world either directly or indirectly. Yet, nobody gathered for your funeral. Why did you hide from the world? I feel like I’m missing something crucial. But the more I think, the more I’m getting confused.” A few moments of silence passed. The silence felt strange and, to an extent, even scary when he thought about his own goal of making his people recognize and respect him for his achievements. What had happened to Godrick… Would it repeat again in his case? The thought itself made his heart pump blood erratically. He took a breath and then sighed with some effort. “So many questions, but no clear answers.”

“Did anyone see the man on the donkey?” at that time, the trailing voice of a man came from outside the room. “He stole my purse. My girlfriend’s only picture is inside of it. Did anyone see that damned fellow?”

“Poor fellow…” With a sigh, Lirzod somewhat pitied the man who lost his purse. Afterward, he glanced at the pocketbook and quickly fetched it and opened the cover. He touched the painting of the bell, which was on the first page, but nothing happened. No matter how many times he touched it, nothing changed. He eventually sighed and put the book aside for a moment, before grabbing it again and flipped through the rest of the pages.

It was filled with lots of information regarding the ship, but what attracted his attention was the rules of Extensive Voyage. There were lots of them.

RULES

Rule 1: You hold the responsibility for everything you do on the ship.

Rule 2: If you murder someone and is found guilty, then you shall pay the price with your own life, assuming your act wasn’t an accident or made out of self-defense. An attempted murder, however, will get you a sentence in prison or in service blocks if the commander of the deck wishes it so.

Rule 3: If you look in the eye—without permission—at those who are at least a belt higher than you, then you are responsible for all the trouble that knocks at you.

Rule 4: No abortion must take place on this ship. In case if it happens, both the mother and the father will be kicked out of the ship within nine days after the date of the abortion.

Rule 5: Teasing and ragging of most sorts are tolerated, but raping members of any sex will result in death by a thousand stabs.

Rule 6: If you do not pay heed to the orders of the commander of a deck, then that commander has all the rights to force you to stay at the given deck or lower.

Rule 7: If you are found bribing or blackmailing or refusing to listen to the words of a referee of any deck, you will face a review.

Rule 8: Do not fight or shed blood inside a test hall unless it is part of the test.

Rule 9: If any of the officials disregard the rules, then you, as an occupant, have the right to apprehend them.

Rule 10: ...

There were almost a hundred rules, and before reading even a quarter of them, Lirzod put the book aside and rested his spine on the bed, his arms spread on both sides. He brought his right palm closer and looked at the mark on the palm, and after a period of time, a smile beamed out of his visage, and he kissed the mole. “You are far more than I ever deserved to have… Mother.”

Outside Extensive Voyage, as the ship sailed over the silent sea, the full moon, hovering high in the lambent sky, grew in the glow and shimmered unusually as if it was picking on the stars which paled in comparison.