As I climbed from the hole Nirvana had opened for me I had to start pushing dirt out of the way. I slowly made progress but I knew that I had to keep going. Finally I saw pale moonlight start filtering into the hole. As I emerged water started to trickle by my feet. After being inside Nirvana for so long I could hear the voice of the water. It promised safety for Stoneroot.

I looked down and noticed that the water had a slight white look to it. No it wasn’t a look. It was the water itself. It shined a white light. I could tell it held a sort of safety behind it. Then I realized that I was right in the center of the fountain.

As I started climbing out of the fountain I heard a horn go off. I looked around and noticed I was right in front of the prison hut. I felt someone knock me off my feet. I felt the guy shove his knee into my back. He yelled something. The ring in my ears was starting to fade out.

I felt a cloth shoved into my mouth and felt four people grab my arms and legs. They picked me up roughly. The one holding my right arm dropped me and I felt everything go black.

As I came to I was sitting I room filled with light. I know that I had been in Stoneroot. Was I still there or had I been taken somewhere else. I tried to lift my arm but found it chained to the floor.

“Get the magistrate now!” A voice barked outside of the door. “Nobody is to enter this building until we know who this silver haired ninja was hired by.”

Silver haired ninja? Did he mean me? I’m not a ninja. Only yesterday I took a nap inside of Nirvana. Didn’t they recognize me. I tried to call out. Tell them that I was Zen but the cloth was still tied in my mouth.

I heard someone come to the door. The mumbling outside the door drew my attention for a second until the pounding from where my head hit the ground took over. I felt the pain as I slid back into the darkness. The sleep wasn’t the same as in Nirvana.

A shadow in the room brought me too again. I don’t know how much time had passed. But I do know it had been a while. I was still in the chair. A guy sat down across from me. He removed his hood slowly. It was Mel!

“Take that rag out of his mouth.” Mel glanced at me. I felt the cloth finally be removed.

“Mel what’s going on?” I asked in a hoarse voice that I barely recognized.

“Child I don’t know who you are or how you got into town.” Mel almost looked at me pityingly.

“It’s me though. I just came here yesterday with Zoran, Heather, Snell, and Shino! You took them to the meeting hall!” I felt like crying. How did he not recognize me after a night of sleep? “It’s me. Zen.”

Mel looked hard at me for a moment. “Zen disappeared a year ago. If you are him then what caused the commotion a year ago? And what town are you from?”

“I’m from the town of scribes. Just yesterday you were on saying something about my hidden blade. You even shown me that the pen comes out.” I felt the tears start to run down my face. What did he mean a year ago?

“Go get Snell and Zoran. If it really is Zen then they know the one question to ask. I’m not convinced so far though.” He glanced back at me. “If you are Zen then what is that on your back child?”

“It’s still the hidden blade Mel. I had a journey. When I napped in the cubby in Nirvana.” I felt the stains on my cheeks starting to dry. “William somehow combined the hidden blade with SoulCleaver.”

Mel held his hands in clasped together in front of his face. His eyes shown a fiercer blue than they had the whole time. “So it wasn’t a lie by the three. They might have really been touched by the nature of magic.”

A knock came at the door. Mel went over and knocked twice on the wall. A single knock came again. As the door opened Snell and Zoran came into the room.

“Snell! Zoran!” I felt excitement at seeing them now when I needed them most. “Please explain to them that it’s me. It’s Zen! We got here yesterday!”

Snell sat in a chair right across from me. He stared me down for a lifetime. “Zoran fix his hair how you had had it. Now child. How do you track a snake?”

“Snell you sound like Shino now.” The tears yet again burst from my eyes. “Why do you give me the same lecture he gave me? I don’t care that the dirt fall into the trail the direction it’s heading. Right now I care that everyone quits treating me like they don’t know me.”

Both Snell and Mel stared at me as Zoran came back with her string and knife. She fixed my hair to how it should be. “Your eye might be gold but the pupil is wrong. No pupil is like that.”

I felt a large sob escape. “How can you say that my pupil is wrong when you don’t even have your right eye Zoran.”

“That confirms it. We need the three in here now.” Mel stepped out the door and whispered to one of the guards outside. “This is the lost child. I have Shino and Heather coming too. Also priest Albert is here now. Couldn’t have been a better time.”

“You told me Albert wouldn’t be informed about the disappearance of Zen.” Snell looked almost furious. The red rising in his face above his beard was almost like a fire growing. “Anyhow it doesn’t matter now. We have Zen back.”

Zoran bent lower. “This eye worries me Snell. It’s almost like the pupil is crawling out of the iris. Look at the whites. It’s taking it over.”

“It’s called a spiritual touching. A soul of the departed has touched his soul. But something about his gold eye has protected him.” A tall man walked in. “From this day I will instruct little Zen here in everything that Zoran and Snell can’t teach him on this trip.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

As the man sat down a line of people came in. There was Heather, Albert, Shino followed by three more I didn’t recognize. Two people brought in a table returned with chairs for everyone. Another guy came over and finally unchained me. The two guys who brought in the table gave everyone a glass of water and sat a pitcher down in the middle for anyone who might need more.

“It has been a year and three days since Zen went missing. It has also been that long since a group gathered in here for such a joyous occasion.” Mel stood up from his seat beside Snell and the tall man who said he would train me. “Today we have a meeting on how to proceed with the training of Zen, the user of a bleeding moon artifact.”

“Well from the way I understood it a year ago I was to go on the journey with Zen and Snell.” The tall man stood up. “I understand that Zen has just returned but that shouldn’t stop our plans. I will train any blade user that deserves his caliber. Although his blade isn’t the same as was described to me.” The tall man sat back down. It was then that I noticed he had dual katanas sitting by his chair.

“We don’t know how long we have until the next blood moon Lucindious.” Albert glanced at him. “We can’t worry about the stone of beginnings now. I know it’s what Drakon wanted but where is Drakon now. Nobody has heard from him since Heather graduated. Right now we need to focus on a proper education for Zen. We thought he would be on the return trip now.”

“I told you it's Lucy, Albert. My parents were fools for such an insane name. I’ve had to fight every day of my life to gain the title of Lucy the tongue slayer.” Lucindious glanced at Albert with an evil glare. “But the plans don’t change just cause the date does. That stone is the true beginning of all the blood moon artifacts. It is not our call. Do you remember the legend about Cynthia the Slain. She chose not to go to the stone and died by her own bow during the blood moon.”

“Now is not the time for fighting. Lucy is right. Question is what really happened Zen? Your disappearance for a year really caused some problems.” One of the three stood up. His eyes caught my attention. I looked at the girls beside him. They all had black eyes and white pupils.

“What’s wrong with their eyes?” I looked around the table.

“Same thing as you Zen. They were touched by nature. They appeared in the fountain just as you. Only difference is the fountain filled after your rest. It didn’t for them.” Mel looked at the three. “They say they saw the Black Knight. They claim he was the savior of our town.”

“It’s no claim Mel. We are legal citizens. Our papers even checked out. We were touched and saved by the Black Knight. He said we are the guardians of the fountain. Everyone thought we were crazy.” The man of the three looked around the room. “All our names are numbers now. Two here is our eldest. Then Three there she’s only about one hundred and fifty two now?”

“Yes One. Our hibernation and yet we keep getting summoned and aged for these useless meetings. We were supposed to meet Zen with the Black Knight.” She glared at Mel. “This has been a waste I’m going back to hibernate. I will know if my expertise is needed.”

As Three left everyone slowly shifted their gaze to me. “Okay Zen tell us of your stay inside of Nirvana.” One sat down and I began my tale.

As I told my tale everyone remained completely quiet. I could feel the air getting extremely tense as I told them about the destruction of Travestar the room stood still. I could see Snell crying. I felt almost guilty cause I know how proud he is of Stoneroot. I was the one that told him the person who helped Stoneroot as it is today is the same person who destroyed Travestar.

As I told them about the shadow dragon I could feel everyone holding their breath. Then I told them about William. How even though he did evil it was to save everyone. I explained what happened to the hidden blade. As I wrapped up my adventure I could feel every eye in the room.

“Three really should have been here. Zen you had quite the journey. No wonder it took a year for your awakening. Have you noticed any differences?” Two looked at me. “We all awaken different. I wound up finding a way to make peace with anything around me. I could pass that peace to anything around me.”

“I can talk with nature itself. I know the fountain out there is safe and for protection. But I don’t know from what.” I lowered my eyes. I suddenly felt guilty without a reason why. “I can understand the intent of things I guess.”

“Mel you know this ruins our history.” Snell was still contemplating what he had heard. “The plague is what ended our home town. The Black Knight just tried to save all our futures. Looking around he has done well.”

“So with this meeting at this conclusion I will talk to Snell and Lucy in private. Thank you One and Two for joining us today. Zoran you should stay too. Heather and Shino take Zen to Nirvana and show him the surprise that is waiting for him.” Mel gave a bow that had a grace you wouldn’t expect from someone his size.

I left the room in quiet contemplation. It had been a year since I fell asleep inside Nirvana. How could that possibly be? I knew that I had went to sleep but how did it take so long to wake up? Was there anything else that I could do rather than just communicate with the world around me?

It was as we walked out of the hut that I noticed I had been chained in the meeting hut. Silently I swished out a thank you to all of Stoneroot and to William that I wasn’t forced out of the town. Heather lead us to our ladder. Fifth from the meeting hut. It wasn’t until we made it to the first platform that I noticed another platform had been added.

“The iron trees add new platforms when they accept a new occupant Zen. I don’t know how much time you will really spend here but now Nirvana has made you one of the town.” Heather began to climb up to the second platform. “Follow me Zen. It’s time to show you to your new home.”

We climbed past the second platform up to the third. I noticed that at this platform there were no bridges over to others. There was also a staircase that led to a wooden seat, that sat at the top of Nirvana. Raised all the way through the branches.

I glanced down back towards the meeting hut. I saw Albert coming out. He walked over to the fountain with it’s white light shining. I watched as he pulled a water skin out and dip it into the fountain. I glanced at Heather and Shino behind me.

“What is Sir Priest doing down there?” Heather glanced over to where I was pointing. “He just got some water out of the fountain.”

“Albert isn’t down there Zen.” Heather looked at me as I glanced back. What did she mean he wasn’t down there. He was sitting right by the edge. “Whatever you see Zen doesn’t matter right now. Now let’s bring this new love into your life. It is time for you to claim your home in Stoneroot.”

Heather lead me to a spot in the trunk that looked like a door. I gently put my hand to the place and asked Nirvana for entrance. She shivered and denied me. I felt her more than heard her. The only entrance comes through the proper phrase.

“My arm!” Heather and Shino jumped as I hollered out. “What does it say?”

I glanced down at my arm. I still couldn’t read what it says. But somehow I knew. I rubbed the spot to confirm but it didn’t change the feeling.

Only when light accepts dark can I accept change.

I put my hand on Nirvana again and utter the phrase on my arm. She gave a low creak then opened a door large enough for all three of us.

As we entered I heard Heather gasp. “Zen this is the most beautiful room I’ve been in. You have truly been blessed.”

We all asked at the same time for Nirvana to bring the couch by the hearth. It was then that I realized that Nirvana was the one who started the fire in the hearth. She gave part of her for us. I also noticed for the first time that to do so she used the bark that could never burn to protect herself.

We sat down on the couch. How was this couch so elegant? I took the hidden blade off my back. I took a slow breath and unsheathed the katana. William was right, now it was more like a hidden pen. How had he done it? I heard a gentle snore beside me. When I looked over both Heather and Shino were asleep. I gave a slight smile before I headed back into my thoughts.