THE SIX HOUSES

On a cool autumn morning, Singh knocked and entered the barn. His hand moved unconsciously towards his head, patting down any strands of loose hair and then smoothed and fixed his clothing. He steadied his breathing with some deep breaths, removing the fluster from his face.

Singh made his way to the end of the long table where a boy and three girls pored over a book engaged in a heated discussion. Amidst the pointing and moving hands, followed by the raised voices, he soon found himself standing in an awkward manner; sidelined to the corner.

"It's too expensive, no way, no way. Not a copper will leave this house."

"You say that, but think about it. This is our chance to become a mono-nopoly."

"Monopoly. And I think Sally is right. I have something in mind that will cement our hold in this field."

"Are you crazy. Sort out your business first, then we will talk. You and Sally will have to pry those coins from my dead hands if you want it. And what the heck is cement."

The little girl had something thin and light brown in color that she waved around while talking. Chu grabbed it from Sally and pushed it towards Amanda, as if to convince this self-created miser. Sakura sat besides her shaking her head in refusal. Chu placed the thing that looked similar to a thick parchment on a book, grabbing a quill. He then began scribbling.

Singh used this burst of silence to interrupt them, trying to relay his important message.

"Boss, they came. All of them. Doug has begun the hospitality proceedings, while Ming has informed the head guard from each of the group. After the hot bath and rest, they will join you in workshop-one, to have lunch and begin discussions."

This expected news managed to halt the argument and freeze the breaths of the listeners. When the shock from the surprise died out, Chu stretched his hands and loosened his body. Small cracking and popping sounded in the silent room. With a final crack from the rolling of his neck, Chu gazed at those present in the barn.

"It's showtime folks. As we practiced team... Let's go!"

Singh stiffened his body, his back as straight as the measuring rods in the fields. Dressed in complete leather armor, gauntlets and boots, the young man had the appearance of a true guard. The sleeveless cloth that draped loosely over his chest, along with the Chinese insignia of the merchant company Bai, stitched on the front and back, garnered respect.

This different dress style in this era, while holding onto an iron spear, and a belted sword made the group the envy of the arriving guards and increased the curiosity of the house representatives. As experienced businessmen and nobles, they had not been oblivious to the dress and conduct of what should be peasants from a rural farm.

Chu thought to create an invention like some gears, would earn him some form of recognition from the Merchant Guild and the Empire. After all, the introduction of simple machinery would wow the crowd, so to speak. Gaining the little profits from this venture, he could focus on a niche of his own.

As a graduate in the business field, he knew this invention would herald a new age in the country.

What he failed to understand and comprehend--the true meaning of a country-wide change.

When the smartphone made its debut, it wowed the technological world. Persons in the field of expertise understood the reaching implications of this convenient technology. Soon the rest of the world began to follow as the convenience of having such technology became apparent.

Chu related his introduction of gears to the country as similar to inventing a smartphone since he had read and studied the thesis and impact of the modern-day device. Unfortunately, this is where he erred. He did not take into account the timeline, nor the broad impact of this invention.

The two little cogs he once held in his hands had an earth-shaking similarity to introducing fire. People from all different walks of life; from the farmer in the fields, the peddler on the road, the Mages within the Towers-- could all find a use for these cogs.

His invention did not benefit the Empire but had implications to the two other Kingdoms to the south. The unlimited uses of these gears, coupled with the host of inventions that could spring from it, caused the Empire and the Merchant Guild to dish out special treatment for Griz.

Why else would the Tower Mage become involved, acting as intermediates for new inventions? How else could Griz have easily been gifted a token from the Grand Vizier himself? Up till now, Chu still did not grasp the enormity of unleashing something akin to fire.

Something that could cause a leap in advancing a budding civilization warranted further investigation. Chu had stirred up the curiosity and innovative spirit of the Empire. As members in the forefront during development within the Empire, he attracted the attention of the Six Powerhouses.

Their representatives mobilized from all over, while keeping a low profile; destination, Karst. Only when they eventually met in the town and collected their own information via the Thief's Guild, did they have no choice to greet each other and smile, while cursing within their minds.

Today they finally reached the farm in question, after journeying together on the road. Unless they decided to split the profits equally, no powerhouse would allow the other to gain the opportunity in swallowing this huge cow. The first sight of the farm, however, proved that this cow, might be hard to milk.

A large towering structure, loomed into view as they neared the farm. Riding closer they observed the four massive wooden sails, churning lazily in the sky. Entering into the lane, they passed a large blacksmith building, smoke billowing from its chimneys.

"Did you guys remove all the traps?"

"Yes, a few days ago Chong helped Dareck carry and hide them in the smithy."

Doug replied to Ming, while clearing his throat.

The carriages halted near the strange tower, as the drivers looked at the wooden fort before them. Luckily at this moment a group of well-mannered guards exited the closed doors and came forward to meet the escorts. Using the standard greeting of the right hand thumping to the chest, one of them guided the lead carriage around the farm to the prepared guesthouses.

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As the carriages thundered by, the other guards bent their backs at the waist, bowing in respect to the individuals within. Arriving at the crude lodging, a neatly dressed peasant informed them that a hot bath within the log houses had been prepared and that lunch and meeting would soon follow.

The servants and guards could not hide their surprise at the polite and efficient greeting. Even a large open tent with a small corral at the side had been prepared for the guards and horses. Though the workmanship and construction looked crude, the operation and display of the residents indicated the hand of an educated person.

No matter the representative of the houses, the cordial and receptive atmosphere drove any thoughts of acting like a brute from their minds. Not only would they shame themselves in the presence of rivals, the constant smiling and courteous faces made it difficult to turn arrogant.

Within an hour, a gong vibrated out from the farm, as the western doors opened towards the houses. A small wagon, filled with food and drink trundled outside, making its way towards the long table prepared for the guards. The representatives, along with any trusted escort walked towards the workshop in anticipation.

Entering the fort, they finally witnessed what looked like the semblance of a farm, the large barn, small herb garden, and stables. In a corner, though they glimpsed the outline of a huge wolf, sleeping on the ground.

Stavia introduced them to the farmer Mr Thomas, and had them seated on the large dining table. Soon after, the farmer introduced his son the inventor. The Artisan Masters, Bon, Halter, and Hodge joined them also for lunch. The food had just been served when someone decided to strike.

"Let's not waste time here old Farmer. I want the rights to that tower thing, and that huge wolf I saw lying on the ground. Whatever other invention this boy has, I will take it."

Chu looked at the eyes staring at him from behind that pudgy face. As if watching his next meal, the fatty focused on him, even though his belly growled under the enticing smells on the table. Keeping his eye on the boy, young Master Tian, as he had been introduced earlier, grabbed a meat bun and bit into it.

The bags of fat shifted on the face as the eyes bulged. Fatty let his eyes wander onto the meat bun before returning it towards Chu. The softly ground flour along with the slow-cooked meat and vegetables within the bun created an unwilling sigh of contentment.

"I want the recipe for this also, in fact, give me the cook."

"Haha... Please do not take young Master Tian seriously, he has the mouth of a Young Master who has always gotten what he wants. What we are here for, is to try to offer help. Geniuses are found in all corners of the Empire, so we are here to offer help and hope that you will choose to work with one of us, to better our Empire."

These words that broke the tension came from another young master. Unlike the fatty, this man seemed to be much more carefree and fluent in his actions. Not only did he have a face and body many young men would envy, he also did not have that overbearing countenance prevalent to the young masters Chu encountered before.

The fatty simply glanced and offered a grunt while he stuffed his mouth. With this young master leading the way, the rest soon followed. First, the topic centered on how geniuses should be nurtured and developed, then on the advantages of moving and living in the Capital, then to the invention itself.

"Grandmaster Yang has a reputation of nurturing many apprentices in the Capital. Your invention astounded him so completely that he also made this trip. Alas, my own Clan do not have such services, but maybe you have ideas that might suit us also?"

During the conversations between the group, the handsome Young Master Wu maintained a rapport between everyone, this time inquiring if Chu had future plans. On this question, the two old men representing the Churches Union stopped talking in mid-sentence.

"I... I don't have any such plans, I dreamt about those cogs, and Master Dareck and Bon were kind to help me. We did not know it would have become such a big deal."

The boy squeezed his hands as he looked down from the table, a tinge of red appearing on his face and neck. Throughout the lunch meeting, he nibbled his food while constantly dropping his wooden spoon. Clearly, in the eyes of those present, his shy disposition and nervous expressions made him an easy target for information.

The little coaxing from young Master Wu and a Merchant Windit soon bore fruit. After another attempt near the close of lunch, the boy plucked up his courage. Putting on a brave face, but with his hands still shaking on the table he nearly shouted out an answer to another prodding question.

"I dreamed of that tower outside. Master Halter and Master Bon help me build it, but only I know of the plans. Father said no matter what happens, I should never give anyone my ideas because there are a lot of bad people in the Empire. After lunch, I will show you what it does, because you all look like nice people."

An innocent and determined smile plastered on Chu's face as he looked onto those expectant faces. He did not fail to see the stiffen faces of the Union representatives.

"Boy, you are an idiot. What if I decide to take that tower thing away from you, or kill your parents for the ideas in your head?"

With a burp, the fatty finally spoke, smacking his mouth. All through lunch, he demanded the recipes for the dishes and threatened Chu until the little boy had been on the verge of tears. Now he blasted a fresh threat.

"It... It cannot happen, the person in my dream said something about bad people facing something called heaven, heaven wat, Heaven..."

"Heaven's Wrath?!"

The priest from the Union sprang up as he stared at the boy still struggling to recall the words. His eyes sparkled in anticipation, gripping the edge of the table, while the representatives sitting around had faces mixed with awe and fear.

Chu placed a finger on his chin as he struggled to recall. His face twisted in recollection of the dream.

"Heaven's Wrath, yes that's it. When I had the dream, it mentioned givf, gits... no gifts, that's it. A gift from Heaven."

Chu said, nearly jumping in pride of answering.

The old man slumped to the chair.

"No wonder, no wonder the Emperor and the Archmage both considered this so highly. The Heavens have not forsaken us, its devout worshippers. Like Prometh who brought down fire, so too has Heaven found mediums throughout the ages."

A dark veil swept across everyone's faces. In the age of darkness, no one would dare go against the Mandate from Heaven. Not even the Emperor himself could defy the stars. If some plague or crisis descended because of anyone's greed, and rumors spread, then the masses would swallow them whole.

In this era where the Heavenly Will, ruled absolute, and the commoners prayed for everything ranging from good health to rain, Chu had the protection of a higher power. Now that his water well invention had spread out and sold in the Empire, threatening him would lead to untold headaches.

"If anyone ever comes to hurt my family, I would die first. Nobody will get my plans in my head, the person in the dream told me so."

Chu balled his little fist as he replied to the fatty with tears streaming down his eyes. His little chest heaved while his shoulders trembled, but he showed a face of determination.

"Hahaha... Well said brat, you have the heart of a northerner in you. Don't mind that fat boy though, he is all bark and no bite."

Master Roak laughed heartily. Besides the fatty who demanded everything, and then ate like no tomorrow, Master Roak had been the quietest, listening to the conversations while just adding a couple of questions about the farm in general. Luckily he kept on the good side of the boy.

The two old men from the Churches Union gave small nods of approval, one should never go against the gifts bestowed by the dream world. History spoke of countless tales where nobles died gruesome deaths because they tried to steal from geniuses who received a gift from Heaven. Nobody wanted to pit a fight against Heaven.

"Yes, he has only bullied me since he came. Master Wu has been the best, so I will show you my newest invention because of Young Master Wu."

Chu smiled, looking coldly at fatty Tian.

Seeing the boy ready to move cause everyone at the table to rise.

Chu turned at the table before exiting, raising his voice. Trembling under the excitement of displaying his new toy, he spoke.

"I hope you will like my inventions, my new friends."