A field of flowers lay in the Turtle Hills, an ancient battle zone, were lies the graves of countless fallen war Heroes, whom all wished nothing more, than to see a blue sky, one that is not tinted brown by the dusts of countless fireballs and boulders casted by enemy Conjurers, or blotted out by a black cloud of arrows, raining down upon them, as the very people they spent so much time with in the garrisons, who they bonded with as comrade in arms, could at any moment be impaled, smashed to bloody bits, holding on to their bloody entrails and praying to the gods to alleviate them from their suffering. Few had their wishes granted, but at the cost of millions of lives, who now rest here as beautiful blue Orchids.

As a young girl walked these hills, passing the vine ridden tombstones, whose names so prominently carved have been blocked away by age. In the lumpy hills, a vast river can be seen far away, with sapphire blue water painted by the skies who has taken on a new color, as it's former brown clouds were but a distant memory. Past the river lies Mocking Gale, a small city on the outskirts of the Ming Kingdom. On top of the tallest hills lies a grand arc, one to commemorate the fallen heroes.

Taking out a cup of white wine, the girl kneeled down to a tombstone right under the arc. pouring a glass of the cloudy liquid into a small cup, in which she placed next to the tombstone.

''don't worry, I made sure it was your favorite.'' The girl said, smiling at the tombstone.

She poured out a second cup for her, as it reminded her of back when she had dinner with him and mother, who died years ago during a siege led by the Qing Kingdom. 

''Years sure do change father. You if only you knew what it was like out here. Did you know the garrisons you used to live in have been turned into a school for children? And they actually teach kids Math! and Astrology! and Mafic used not for war, but for things like cooking and maintenace!'' The girl said with enthusiasm.

Tears formed around her eyes, as a drop fell into her cup of white wine. Suddenly, the cup started moving, as the liquid inside formed into a fish, swimming around in the air.

''See that father? I learned it yesterday during a course of Elemental conjuring! Can you believe this is what we use to use all of this power to hurt others?'' she continued.

Calls ran in the distance, as a group of teens about her age called her name.

''I should be going now father, nice chat.'' she said, turning away and running towards her friends.

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Blue flames lit up the temple of the Tang Kingdom, as a group of priests stood in a circle, with a Grand Priest sitting in the center in a lotus position. As an aura formed around the the group of priests, the Grand priest opened opened his eyes, releasing a wave that turned the blue flames white. As the priests saw the occurence, they felt a vibe of distress as the grand priest suddenly cried in agony, as sweat drenched his robe and was lifted into the air by a great force. As the priests went into panic, all suddenly went silent as their leader fell back down to the ground and as the flames extinguished.

''Grand Priest! Is everything okay?!'' Asked one of the priests as he ran up to him with a sweat towel in hand, but was pushed away by his wrinkled hand.

''Shenn! Call Emperor Tang and tell him to come here! NOW!'' He said with panic.

Sensing great danger, the priest ran out to the temple gardens towards the exit as his eyes glew a blue light. Reaching the exit, the jumped outside, revealing a near bottomless chasm right outside the temple walls, and falling into the abyss, before a massive condor with similar blue eyes suddenly flew in to pick him up. Flying across the skies, he took a look back at his temple, perched at the tip of a massive mountain, miles away from the capital, with the Tiger Jaw River running below. The mountain range around the temple were so steep, the trees grew sideways. 

Normally, one would take an easy way and fly along the mountains. But the young priest was far to adventurous to take such a boring route, besides, it was an easy shortcut that can save days worth of travel. Months even if you're not flying on the back of a giant bird. 

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Amongst the naturally formed pillars, jagged rocks and trees sticking out of the Tiger Jaw River, who got it's name from the thousands of invading ships it smashed to bits during the times of war, there were a multitude of caves leading into secret tunnels that led to abandonned camps and garrisons, a safe house for the priests and native monks during these times of war. Shenn flew his condor right above river level, flying amist the massive arches of stone as the water roared below him. Shenns eyes glew a blue light once more, as time itself around him seemed to have slowed. The water, to blurry to have therefracted color of the skies have nearly ceased completely. As droplets of water froze in midair and even his condor, who was flying at predatory speed has ceased near all movement. He reached out, touching the water. Still, no movement, then, the droplets moved once more as time was slowly beginning to move anew. Within the very last seconds before the devastating stream of water ripped his arm clean off his body, something slippery seemed to brush pass Shenn's inner fingers.

The droplets fell, the river resumed it's one way massacrerous journey and the young priest pulled upwards, landing his condor near a cliff barely above the jagged rocks, were lay the carcass of several scouting boats from the Qing Kingdom. 

''you hungry?'' Shenn asked his feathered friend, who responded with a glare.

''Yeah, me too.'' He said, opening his right hand, revealing two meaty salmons. 

The two friends feasted on their newly caught prey. While his condor friend ate the whole thing in one bite, Shenn took the time to cook his, lighting a fire with the wooden bits of the boat carcasses, somehow. While cooking, the condor smelled the savory flavor of Shenn's prey and leaned in, poking him with his beak.

''Hey stop that Laoying! that tickles!'' Shenn laughed.

The condor tilted his head in confusion.

''Oh? you don't like that name? how about just Ying then?'' asked Shenn, turning around, only to get bit in the nose.

''OW! Fine! Lao then?'' He asked, as the condor patted Shenn's head with the bottom of his beak, ''Lao it is then.''

The two were about to finish their meal, But before Shenn could take a bite out of his Half of the salmon, with Lao sneakily trying to bite the back end, Lao jerked upwards, looking around in alert.

''What is it Lao?'' Shenn asked.

Suddenly, he sensed several pairs of eyeballs watching him. Looking upwards, he saw a nest of predatory dark birds.

''Night Hawks, why did it have to be Night Hawks?'' Shenn asked with an air of annoyance.

As the hawks dove towards the cooked salmon in Shenn's hands, Shenn jumped onto Lao as they flew away. Sadly, as Shenn didn't know it, they were in the middle of a Night Hawk nest. the duo though they could lose the pack of hungry feathered wolves by doing some quick and sharp turns to through them off, but found themselves in a pinch when groups of them started to pour out from the cracks of the nearby walls. The two zipped across the vast ravine, dodging waves after waves of jagged rocks, as Shenn shook off a few once they reached the trees, Shenn's eyes glew his signature blue light as he jumped off his Condor and kicked a nearby rock with all of his might. The shockwave spread across the walls, shaking the wall enough for a few small pebbles to fall, leading to a sudden boom and as avalanche of boulders rained down upon them.

Jumping back onto Lao, he steered him into a nearby cave as a dozen Hawks that weren't crushed by the boulders pursued. Flying aross the stalagmite and stalagtite ridden tunnels, they followed the water stream that continued into the tunnels, eventually leading him to a waterfall inside a massive cave inside the mountains. The Hawks were still dead on his trails, not letting up.

Seeing a faint light near the end of the tunnel, but the closer they got, the more hanging stalagmites came to sight. As only of the hawks caught up, it did a dive attack, knocking Lao off course and causing it to scrape its wing on one of the Stalagmites.

''Lao!'' Shenn cried, before the ravenous Hawk bit his hand.

In a hint of panic and rage, he slammed the hawk into a nearby wall, but hit it so hard, it caused the fragile jagged stalagmites hanging from the ceiling to fall. The exit was just in sight, and Shenn and Lao were determined to escape.

it was only a few hundred meters away, ninety meters, eighty. The Hawks saw the danger and gave up the chase. Seventy, sixty, that's when Lao's broken wing was acting up, and it slowed down and stumbled.

''Lao! dont, give up on me yet! I'll give you plenty of fish! but please! just a little more!'' cried shenn.

Lao wasn't done yet, his instincts wouldn't allow it, either, and those words gave him just enough strength to gain a sudden burst of speed, they were now only thirty meters away, twenty, ten, five, four, three, two, one...

The two bursted out of the cave, heavily bruised and injured. Shenn caressed his newfound friend, who sheltered him in his wings.

''We did it Lao... We did it.'' Shenn said as he passed out.

As the condor looked around for predators, his predatory eyes revealed a massive city shimmering in gold and jade, only a few kilometers from where they were. Letting out a cry, Lao passed out along side his friend. Unbeknownst to them, they were getting picked up by someone, and put into a cart, a cart that was heading at the derection of the capital.