Chapter 29
The Secrets of Sand
When you take a pile of sand, it is called a heap. If you pluck one grain of sand from said heap, that same pile is still a heap. With the assumption that removing a single grain does not cause a heap to not be considered a heap anymore, the puzzle is to consider what happens when the process is repeated enough times that only one grain remains and if it is still a heap. If not, then the question would be when it will change from a heap to a non-heap. That is one of the teachings of the dragon clan. That is what the hermit follows. He is that last grain of sand from the heap that has not been plucked from time and time again. So, if he is now just a singular grain of sand, what if he then added another? Auramancy is a gift, an almost forgotten one at that. If he fails to pass it on, it will be lost to time forever. Not even Twilight could keep a record of it. The ability is sacred, powerful, mysterious. Even he hasn't truly grasped its full potential at his age and yet, he is at the top of its wisdom. It seems like he climbed a mountain that was so tall, that when he looked out, he saw a far bigger mountain just ahead of this one. Another mountain peak that needs to be climbed and reach new heights. But somehow, he feels that other mountain is meant for another. Someone who is much younger and with the capacity to do even more than he ever could. Auramancy is the ability to manipulate one's aura, mind, and body. The dragon clan was taught to harness themselves to be one with the world. But the biggest step was to teach it to the next generation. Was he ready to teach? Was he ready to pass it on? He would soon get that answer the next morning.
The alleys around the inn were rowdy with children of the town. As the hermit exits, he notices a band of adolescent boys playing and running around, yelling and laughing as kids should. But something particular catches his eye. A few of the boys are seen picking on another. The same boy, he still with the same dirty and tattered garments from yesterday. The boys seem to be picking on him and messing with his long tail. Calling him names like banana boy and tugging at his clothes. "The game is full banana brain, the teams will be uneven with you around." One of the boys say, holding the ball in his hand. "But… it will be six if I join, I thought that would make it even?" The boys look at each other, one of them speaks up with a sigh. "Sure, you can play I guess, stand in the middle and we can start. The young boys begin to play a game that involves the middle's group goal of attempting to catch the ball before it gets to the other side. If you catch the ball, the person that threw it goes into the middle. A very crude game, but highly active and competitive for the youth. The hermit watches the young boy with intrigue while he eats at his usual spot at the tree, which was repaired with rope to keep it from falling from yesterday's bout.
The game begins as the group passes the ball over or around the players in the middle. Sometimes the middle group catches the ball, causing the one who threw it to be forced to switch with the one who caught it. The game goes on for a few more minutes until one boy tries to be cunning and tries to use something out of the blue, magic. Though barely a fickle, children sometimes can possess hints of magical prowess. He begins to use an updraft of wind of sorts, manipulating the currents of air to whisk the ball higher so the ones in the middle do not have a chance to catch it. "Hey! That's cheating!" The young boy exclaims to the one using magic. The boy laughs. "No one said it 'wasn't' Allowed. You gotta work with you what you got to win, banana breath" Frustration set in the young boy, but he lets out a breath and smirks. "If that is how you want to play it" The kaiken crouches very low and with all his strength leaps into the air he uses his tail and grabs the ball quickly and lands on top of the walls of the alleyway with a smirk he spins the ball with a finger. "How's that?" The boys murmur and complain. "See, this is exactly why we don't play with you. You're no fun at all" A frown begins to emerge on the boy's face as he stops spinning the ball and his head begins to hang. He overdid it again, it seems. The boys begin to argue and bicker at each other, but they are stopped by a yell from a Lamia woman at the end of the alley. "Alright! All of you, come along now. Quit with the fighting. School is about to start." She slithers over to the group of boys and places her hands on her hips. Her skin is tanned, and she has long brown hair with greenish yellow snake eyes. She adorns a jeweled head piece that wraps around her forehead. Her cheeks and a part of the chin has tan scales like a mole for a human or freckles, and she has cloth covering both her arms that loop around her middle finger that crosses her back in an X Shape. This, in turn, wraps her collarbone to cover her chest, leaving an opening in the middle showing her both sides of her breast. Her lower half is covered in brown and tan scales and at its end is a large prominent white rattle which slightly shakes by her frustration. In unison all the boys apologize, "Sorry Miss Safiya" She is the Village Teacher and Spiritual Shaman.
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The young boy that has the ball jumps down from the alley wall and shuffles along with the group but is suddenly stopped by Safiya. She whispers something into his ear and whatever she said brightened his mood a bit as he nods and follows along with the other group of boys. She smiles as she watches all the children go into a building which seems to be the small school house, and before she enters, she turns her head to look at the Hermit. "You know one of these days you will have to buy me a drink" She says twirling her hair. The hermit chuckles and begins to stand. "And one of these days I will take you up on that offer" She sighs after again being rejected and begins to slither towards the school but The hermits hand lightly grabs her wrist. "Oh? Is it my lucky day?" She asks with a twinge of excitement. "No, not that, I wanted to ask you about the young boy. The kaiken amongst the group of boys that were just outside playing. Do you happen to know if his parents are around? I want to ask them something." With her face seemingly perplexed, she blinks and recollects her thoughts. "Oh him, well for the few years I have cared for him, Unfortunately he is an orphan. A few of the children are. I take time in making sure they stay out of trouble from time to time so for him specifically, I'm his guardian, believe it or not. So I'm curious as what your questioning details? Did he get into trouble?" The hermit shakes his head, "Oh, not at all. It is just that he seems like a very gifted boy for his age. I was curious to see if his parents were around to find out more about him." She shakes her head. "Sadly, no, he just stumbled here at the school house with nothing he was just left here as a baby. I nurtured him and did my best to keep him clean." She sighs, noticing just now, and realizing, that he was covered in sand and dirt before entering the school a few moments ago. She shakes her head in disappointment. "At least I try." The hermit laughs and give the top of her head a slight pat to comfort her. "Well, if it is not a bother, I like to visit your abode before the sun goes down to meet him properly, if you don't mind. I like to ask him something." Safiya looks at him in curiosity but looks into his eyes and sees his intentions clearly. She gives him a warm smile, "You will always be an interesting man, it always amazes me, Xu." She slithers up and pecks his cheek with a quick kiss before entering the school. After the school day passes the many orphans follow Safiya back to her large abode, they all enter one by one but before the young kaiken boy could enter he is stopped by Safiya. She then takes him inside and enters an office like area where the Hermit is residing, drinking a cup of smooth calming tea. He sets it down and stands with a warm smile. "Excuse my intrusion, young man, but I would like to ask you a question." He then does a very formal bow. "My name is, Xu Zhao Shimon, A pleasure to meet you.