Frost surrounded Mei as he sat on the step in front of his house, the morning dew frozen over before the dawns rise. Turning it to slush as the sun's light rimmed the horizon beyond sight. His breath fogging up and rolling out like dragons breath.

He wished to stay unmoving in the cold, never having to walk back inside. For the frost to cover him, and seep into his arteries. Trickle down his veins and the back of his throat, becoming one with it. Unmoving to the will of thought.

It would be easier.

A familiar voice in the back of his head said.

“Hello,” a different familiar voice said.

Mei looked in the direction of the voice near the gate. There stood I’ani a couple of feet away on the stone path to the front door.

“Um… hello,” Mei gave a small wave.

“Why’re you outside now? It's freezing.”

“Preparing.”

“Ah, for the Funeral Rights thing, right?”

Mei gave a noncommittal shrug while I’ani sat beside him on the step

“How did you get past the gate, pretty sure it was locked?”

“Jumped.”

“It’s over ten-, no don’t answer that, it’s a dumb question.”

“Yeah, yeah. So, anyways. Ahem, I wanna ask you something.”

Mei nodded.

“Wanna be my apprentice?”

“Ha,” he said with a dry laugh, “Must have a bad eye there.”

“Oh, really?” I’ani said with a slight smile and raised eyebrows.

“I can’t even summon my avatar at all, my core’s just broken.”

“Ah, let me guess, when you try to pull it out you get sick or it feels like you're on fire.”

Mei glanced up at I’ani’s face then back down, “First one, like i’m seasick… How’d you know?”

“Luck I guess,” I’ani turned his nose up, “Or I couldn’t have looked at your soul, because my eyes are just so bad… and all that.”

Mei didn’t react, just staying silent and intentionally gazing directly into I’ani’s eyes, waiting for the man to look away

“Ok, ok, I get it, just give your hand please.”

Mei hesitated for a second but slowly pushed forward his hand palm up.

“Kay, I’m going to push energy into you. So don’t be surprised.”

Before Mei could respond, he felt a trickle of smooth pleasant warmth. No, not warmth, it didn’t feel hot or cold, just energy, like static when you get shocked.

It went through his hand, the stream getting bigger and bigger till it circled all around his body, pumping in time with his heart. The world around Mei becoming more in a way that words could barely wrap themselves around. The shadows became darker and truer, but he could see through them perfectly fine. Things cut in and out of reality like he was looking through a small slit and seeing something sliding by.

“This is your first sight,” I’ani said gently, “Now this is way beyond what you’ll see for a while. But, you should be able to do it now that I've engraved the technique onto your soul.”

“W-wha..,” Mei stuttered out, then it was gone

“Same world, believe it or not, you’re just seeing with better eyes.”

“You did what to my soul?” Mei said, trying to set his thoughts in order.

“Don’t worry, I'm a professional.”

“Oh, oh… ok.”

“So, you willing to become my apprentice now?”

“Why..-”

“Because I think you got talent.”

“No, sorry, no. I wasn’t finished talking,” Mei licked his lips, “Why… why should I, who should… I start. I don’t think I’d make it very far.”

“Why? How the hell’s should I know? I do it cause it’s fun, well sometimes. Other times I just gotta do it. Now it’s just… me, I guess. Why’s an answer you gotta find yourself kid, it’s like asking why birds fly.”

“But what’s a bird that can’t fly,” Mei continued softly with one of his father's sayings.

“A Penguin I think. A couple others too.”

“What’s a Pongu’in.”

“Penguins? Only the coolest damn bird on the planet. They live like, far up north, in that region equivalent of the Ice Steps over here.”

“What’s so special about them?”

“They can swim.”

“So… like a Duck that can’t fly?” Mei said in a flat voice

“Don’t insult them like that. They may not fly but they can swim faster than most fish, and they live in one of the world's coldest regions without a sweat.”

“I’d expect them not to sweat that much considering they live in one of the. You know, coldest regions of the world.”

“Smart mouth.”

Silence went on for a second, “So..,” Mei started up, “A bird can swim faster than a fish, eh?”

“Given time.”

Silence started up again, “Anyways, I gotta get going,” I’ani said standing up, dusting off his pants, “If you decide to come with me. Go to the steps at the temple next week, same day at noon sharp. I ain’t gonna wait for you. If you do, practice your First Sight, just will it. It ain’t that hard, but you probably won't notice doing it at first. If you feel a headache, that means you’ve been doing it too long. Anyway, bye.”

“Bye,” Mei waved at I’ani as he simply floated over the wall.

Hearing him talking to somebody on the other side, their voices undesirable as the both of them walked away.

OOO

I’ama pulled on her sister's hand to lead her forward through the newly beaten path created by the fresh residents outside the city walls. The mess of tents and shacks around them created from a crisscross of new and old material. All of the new residents placed wherever they thought convenient.

The suns peeking over the horizon, grazing the land in their blue and purple light. Casting shadows on the mountains, vailing the people below in a fractal tapestry of shadow and light. Bouncing off the lake water and wavering in a forever unrepeating pattern over the ground and paths surrounding it. Hitting I’ama and her sister as they walked one of them, heading for the Funeral Right.

But Ma’u stopped halfway there, looking down at the dirt, her feet shuffling.

“Need to rest for a bit,” I’ama asked

“Can we… not go?”

I’ama sighed through her nose, “Are you ok?”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Can we just… not?”

“Can you explain why?.”

“I don’t… I just… I don’t want to see it again.”

I’ama tried to meet her sister's eyes but she looked away, “how about we just give the heart coins, we don’t have to stay for the ceremony. That ok?”

She nodded.

“Ok, then let's get going.”

They kept following the rocky path, circling behind the stadium rooted in the holy lake like a tree. Finding behind it, its birth river, the water splashing up and misting. The foliage around it covered in thick frost. The thing spanning nearly thirty feet wide, the water sliding down the mountain almost steep enough at some points to be like a waterfall, hitting the lake below with a constant froth and boom.

Cutting down the middle of it like a dagger was a line of unpolished stone, depressed into the river. With water defying its nature and not falling onto it from above, two sets of stairs built into it on the side of it. In the middle of the stone a burbling stream of glowing blue water snaking through it. Finally falling and mixing in with the lake below.

The sisters walked over the bridges to the stairs on it. And then they saw on the first few steps sat I’ani and his apprentice. Relu wearing an absurdly thick wool coat but still shivering despite it.

“Hey ya, been waiting for you two,” the foreign man said

“That’s not a creepy thing to say to two lone girls,” I’ama sniped back.

He snickered, “Good one.” I’ani stood up, “But I got something to ask you.”

“Go on.”

“Wanna be my apprentice?”

I’ama looked over him, “Why?” she said more cautiously than curiously

“You two have a blessing over you. Those are always fun to teach with.”

“We do?”

“Yeah, a parents dying wish I think.”

I’ama felt her heart skip a beat, “And what if we do,” she stepped in front of her sister.

“Well… it means I want to see how I can help you mold it?”

Relu, put a hand on their master's shoulder, saying between chattering teeth “The O’ozhiwu clan thinks orphans are bad luck, especially one whose mothers died at birth.”

“Oh, uh,” He looked back at the sister, “I definitely don’t have any specific reason for taking you. Now I know that accepting an offer like this-”

“Ok,” both the sisters said.

“Can be hard- wait what? Oh… that was quick.”

“We got nothing else, having something to do is better” Ma’u said, I’ama simply nodding her head at what her sister said.

“Oh, so, um. I’ll be here next week on the same day at noon if you don’t decide against it. I won’t wait for you. Got it?”

They nodded their heads and made their separate ways up the stairs in time for the Funeral Right.

OOO

Xukali kneeled down on the smooth but worn wood stained black with the blood of a Leviathan's child. The masses of people surrounding her on the black and blue painted temple, some on the shore of the lake the temple stood in.

The stream of blue glowing holy water cutting through the crowd of people, coming from under a solid steel gate. The ethereal blue ghosts of people long dead standing in line over the Sacred Stream, with hearts of given coins. Their only unique trait being the hundred of different shaped and colored eyes in their cookie-cutter silhouette of a body.

Thousands of them standing in line down the stairs up to the temple on the river from the lake. Then falling down below, creating the lake below. All starting as the melted ice of the Dragon Gates mountains tip. The suns above it starting their day's journey. The monthly eclipse of the two celestial objects forecasted.

Marking the holy day as their light blanketed the earth below in warmth, melting the night's frost. Dampening the air with dew, droplets of it forming on the temple. Wetting some of the pure white cloth of the peoples prayer robes all in uniform rows, their hair creating a checkerboard of brown and black.

Xukali’s bright blond hair disrupting the harmony. When will this end, she thought. The head priest walking out in the same garb as the others but at a towering ten feet tall. And Xukali’s great-grandfather Li’iu, the former seventh-generation leader of the O’ozhiwu clan.

Karu walking to his left, and on the right was the man's youngest child, the current leader of the Black Spear Sect. And Karu’s father Kea’i, Xukali stared daggers at them, the traitors, the kin killers. She felt a surge of fire in her chest, the only thing keeping her from jumping up and tackling the three without Mei beside her was that she didn’t want to be killed. So she gritted her teeth and stared daggers at them.

Li’iu the head priest started talking, his aged booming voice reaching even the people on the lake's shore.

“May this day blessed by the suns be one of rest for both living and dead,” the masses echoing, Xukali just mouthing along. The head priest turned around facing the metal gate, placing both hands on it, adjusting his footing, and pushing on it.

The metal screeching as it opened, revealing a rock peaking up from the wooden floor gushing out the sacred stream. Surrounded by 12 wooden statues, three nearly 20 feet tall representing the suns. The other nine, the size of a regular person, representing the moons.

Li’iu pulled out a knife with a handle made from whale bone engraved with one ancient character “zhi’iana” translated as “Purify.” Or advancement, or change, or flight, or forging. There was no modern word or words that could truly encapsulate what it meant anymore. Just a forever lasting process to be and become better.

Li’iu cut his palm with the blade. Closing the hand to stop blood from spilling he walked over to the statues starting on the left, going clockwise he placed his bloody handprint onto them. Muttering a prayer no one but the priests could know.

Stopping at the first tall statue painted blue and decorated with a feather cloak he projected his voice again.

“May Bluebird look over these Remnants and guide them to the Father above, and retrieve those sunken down to Forever Below Creation. And make sure those trapped in Blazing Winds stay where they belong,” the mass repeated, then the statue started to glow.

He kept on walking, stopping at the one painted red and orange with green eyes, holding a sword, “May Wanderer look over the worlds of the living and dead, and guard the ashes of The Leviathan in the frozen land and blazing womb. And give us of the Black Spear and Leviathan Kin Sects the power to help him,” the crowd followed suit. And it started to glow to

Li’iu making his way through the statues made it to the final one painted a soft purple, carved to look like it was dressed in a cloak. It’s face obscured by a pure white mask nearly porcelain like in quality, “May Reaper look over our souls in the sky and bless us with strength in our hour of need.”

As the crowd said the final word of prayer the Reaper statue glowing in unison with the other two. The smaller ones starting to glow, a quiet humming starting in the ears of the people always present no matter how loud one talked or if they covered their ears. And so the waiting Remnants started to flicker away one by one slowly at first, then in pairs every few seconds, then half a dozen every second.

Then countless disappearing every moment as the hum grew louder and the suns above perfectly eclipsed one another, blending into a darker shade of purple. The suns and Remnants light being sucked into the spring, like a stream. Till none were left, and the suns departed one another

The Head Priest saying the final prayer, “May you rest easy in the sky above and never know the flames or mud,” the crowd saying these words softer than the rest, “May you have peace,” the last words spoken in a collective whisper even Xukali said

As the final words echoed out in silence, finally resting, people started to shuffle out down the stairs. Xukali following them, the knot of tension in her stomach finally unraveling. She felt a hand on her shoulder, she spun around. The knot tight ening again, only to see I’ani.

“Uh, hello. Can you just wait here for a second? I’m going to pick which one of you is going to be my apprentice. Just stay here ok?”

“Oh, ok-”

“Thanks,” then he was gone in an instant, running through the crowd of people impossibly smoothly. Like water flowing through rocks, his apprentice Relu standing beside her.

“So…,” Xukali started up, “Am I gonna regret this?”

“Don’t assume you’ll be picked.”

“Oh, ok.”

The silence trailed on as the crowd poured down the stairs, the both of them occasionally getting cursed at for blocking the way.

They saw I’ani from across the now empty temple wave at them, Three people following him. Li’iu the Head priest, Karu, and Kae’i.

“So you’re choosing between my grandchildren?” Li’iu said, in a gentle tone of voice you would’ve never connect to him if you heard him just a few minutes before.

“Yep.”

“Can’t you pick both?”

I’ani gave a noncommittal grunt.

“Aren’t you a bit small for a practitioner?” Karu’s dad said.

“They’re ways around that.”

“Oh, how so? My back has been giving me problems in-”

“No more questions,” I’ani cut off the Head Priest, making Xukali snort and Relu sigh, “You two,” he pointed at Karu and Xukali, “Stand in front of me please, makes it easier to talk to you.”

They lined up in an awkward shuffle, I’ani looking over them. Making sure to make direct eye contact with them one by one, “Neither of you are fit, not in the slightest.

She saw Karu and his father stiffen, Xukali taking a venomous pleasure in it.

“Karu, to put it bluntly… you’re just sort of an idiot. You never try anything yourself, it’s only by the book. And I can only know so much about you, at some point, you gotta take the reins yourself.”

Xukali grinned, trying to hide it, then I’ani turned to her.

“And you… you’re just so annoying. You did absolutely nothing to try to gain my favor. You’re worse than Karu, you’re just empty.”

Xukali balled her fist, “Oh, what do you know, even if I did everything-.”

“But you didn’t. And so what? Did you just ask for this to spite him? I knew that was the main reason, I ain’t a fool. But… is that all? Is that really all?”

Xukali bit her lip and started to take a step forward

“Now isn’t this a little too hasty,” Li’iu interjected calmly, “You’ve barely tested them yourself, only observed after giving advice.”

“This is my choice.”

“Just give it a short time, you can even take them on the road with you. Abandon them where you please.”

“But-”

“It wouldn’t be too much effort for one such as you right?”

I’ani starred at the old man, then opened his mouth again, “Now look here, kid-”

“I mean only a minuscule time, what’s the worst that could happen? Take some of your time. At best, you have two good students, or even just one.”

“Fine!” I’ani said with a winning tinge in his voice, “A year at most, nothing more.”

“Thank you.”

“Kay, shoo, now go!” I’ani flicked their hands at them.

And they went their ways