Acquaintances

Kaizen was a magnificent structure, spread in width more than height. From the central rounded dome, extended branches drowsed in brown, the same shade as that of Headmaster Wama’s robes. Between the woods and brown castle-like structure stretched a grassland, covering every inch of soil from the forest lines to the foundations of the building. Around the castle-like university, people went about their business, discussing usual university things like professor love lives, student gossip, careers, and classes. The only thing that Sevir wasn’t used to seeing was the kind of students.

Some students looked younger than him, others looked older than him, and then some went around in their beast form. A crab, half the height of him, scuttled past him, veils in both his pincers. Since he heard it coming from quite a distance, he stepped away and listened to his clicking “appreciated” offhandedly. Two horses the standard size carried a blob of wet mud between them on a makeshift cloth tied to their saddles, complaining that the deal they had struck was unfair and they should get a raise for their workload. A pair of bluejays sat on the kees of a woman who laid back on her cloak, eyes closed, basking in the sun, listening to their chirping-gossipping about the love life of two professors. There were other students in a mix of beasts and humans, some lazily spread around, basking in the sun while the others hurried away with scales, cauldrons, weapons, wooden blocks, and whatnot. Everyone, beast or not, carried a wraparound cloak the same shade of brown as headmaster Wama had. Only now, Sevir was starting to notice the golden threading on them represented more than designs. It represented their beast forms and names. Sevir had heard all about this from RuIng, but it was still a shocking sight to him.

Sevir looked down at himself. The cloak was a deep shade of red instead of brown with Hongli’s name on it. While Hongli wanted to stand out, Sevir wanted nothing more than to blend in and be invisible. He hurried away, mostly ignored and deeply grateful for the lack of attention.

Going around Kaizen wasn’t a big task, except it was a long distance. Behind Kaizen was nothing like the front. It was a maze of cobbled streets uphill with mud houses, thatched roofs, and solid structures on all sides. At the topmost point stood distinct buildings. The third building, a black structure he was supposed to get to was far away. The streets leading up to it were laden with vendors selling paper scrolls, food, snacks, ink, sculptures, and even wooden mechanisms that made items walk around and fly on their own, much like the toys back in his world. Each hawker enticed passerby students who would be interested in their items. The more the people, the louder his ears rang from the negotiations, chats, and everyday blabberings that went out behind walls he shouldn’t have been able to listen to under normal circumstances. Here too, most people dressed in Kaizen robes, but there were other colors too, a mix of luxuriously elaborate clothes and simple garbs. Sevir blended well in these streets.

Sevir reached his destination quicker than he had anticipated. The black building was a group of small pointed towers of black surrounding one big tower like a church structure with no cross. Going around the building, Sevir witnessed the other half of Kaizen, spread out far and wide, downhill. It was a small city or a relatively large village, flanked by hills and forest on all sides. He suspected that behind the woods were more houses he couldn’t see. This part was busier than anything Sevir had seen, and the sounds that filled his head were hardly distinct. We went around the black structure, reading door signs. Some of them were like his. With names hanging from a hook, others were welcome signs or beast symbols carved into the wood, a couple of them in metal. Every once in a while, Sevir would hear water gushing within some house as loud as the lake or see tree branches sticking out of windows and roofs. Finding RuIng’s house was easier than he had thought. The sign hung on a metal hook that tilted forward as he twisted the name sign and made a 90-degree angle as he pushed the wood further. It was a mechanism.

The door opened soundlessly. Sevir stepped in and closed the door quickly. The sounds died. All around him was a quiet he had not expected. It made him smile in relief.

The inside of RuIng’s house was somewhat familiar. Every item was as he had remembered them, wooden, simple, and messy. In front of the door was a sitting arrangement of pillows spread around a low table. There was a pottery jar of water, a plate of food piled up, and a bunch of scrolls with inkstone in one corner. On one of the pillows was a set of Kaizen robes with metal cuffs beside them. He had seen them often enough to know where they went. To the left and right was a slight separation of rooms. To the right was a single bed on the floor. To the left was a dumping ground with all sorts of things- scrolls, bound books, disfigured weapons, and thrown-away burnt items. A rope ladder hung down from the roof opening, which was wide enough for two people to fit in easily.

Sevir climbed up to find better dumping grounds. There were stacks and stacks of books, paper scrolls, large cloth scrolls, and silvery metal in chunks and weird shapes. It was messily organized. Similar items were grouped together and thrown in a corner. There was a bed, too, at the far right corner, under a tightly shut window. No light or air came in.

Sevir looked around for a while, picking up a cloth scroll as wide as him and pulled the string. The cloth unfurled into a human-size painting of three animals, a tiger, a dragon, and a turtle, celebrating and drinking in a meadow. Behind them was a line of woods. While the woods were overflowing with greenery, there was a speck of darkness behind the tiger and dragon. Within it was the silhouette of some people, in beast forms. It was hard to distinguish one shape from another. It looked like a bear with wings and legs like thick snakes.

Sevir let the cloth painting fall on the ground and went back down the rope ladder. He checked the door before pulling out the orb. His hand turned red as if blood was collecting under his fingers before that red brightened to luminescence-like glowing cinders with dark shadows underneath them. The orb glowed for a moment before a large brown eye appeared.

“Are you safe?” Sevir asked quickly, willing the fire in his blood to cool down.

The eye zoomed out, and a familiar face appeared- his own, but it was RuIng now, nodding excitedly.

“Your old man is here. He was in the house when I came.” RuIng whispered, and Sevir frowned.

“What did he say he was here for?”

“To check if you are dead or not?” RuIng made it sound like a question, unsure of what it meant.

Sevir rolled his eyes, “Let him do whatever he wants. He will leave in a day. It’s too soon to start with the plan yet.”

RuIng’s eyes twinkled, unlike his own. RuIng ignored his advice and asked with a jittery shake, “did you reach my place safely?”

“Barely. I met Headmaster Wama, your bullies, some white-haired highborn, and a Princess Kamiko.”

RuIng’s eyes widened and zoomed in. It had always been RuIng’s habit to hold the orb so close to his face that Sevir could see every detail of the eye. He was so used to the red freckles in RuIng’s eye that their absence made him uneasy.

“Something big is happening. Maybe my grandparents will want to call me back soon. If that happens, don’t go to them. No matter what they say or do, don’t agree.”

“Is it related to who you are?”

RuIng looked uncomfortable but nodded nonetheless, “Don’t ask.”

Sevir shrugged, “Princess Kamino knows about your mother and the people she was traveling with. Do I talk to her? Do you want to know? And it looks like Headmaster Wama has been talking about your beast's progress to Highborns. didn't you say he is a good guy? What is that all about?”

RuIng leaned away from his orb placing the crystal sphere on the table. The playfulness was gone in a faraway look and a rare resignation.

When their eyes met again, RuIng’s expression changed to wonder. Instead of answering his question, RuIng leaned forward, “What happened to my hair?”

Sevir raised his hand to the long straight mane, feeling foreign as he put his fingers through them, still half wet. He pulled them forward and saw a chunk of deep red against coal black in RuIng’s hair- his hair.

“Didn’t you just have a little red when we switched? Why is it like this?” Sevir asked.

“My beast mark has expanded. Maybe I… I mean, you… have a new ability. It could be because of transmigration or maybe because you are better at Azar than I am.”

“I am not. Your fire is not like my fire. It’s different and wild. It feels different and looks different. It’s not unmanageable, though. Have you tried my fire yet?”

“Last time I tried to fire up, I burnt the whole building. Didn't you see the charred towers outside? I dare not.”

“That was different. Yours is wildfire. As you said, it is the fire that comes from your beast, but mine comes from me. It is now yours. It’s a part of you, like a hand, like your fingers. Have some confidence. You have been practicing for ages to do this. Give it a try.”

“You are not afraid I’ll burn down your home?”

“No. I will be glad if you can create trouble for the old man.”

RuIng zoomed out of the crystal again, smiling playfully, and raised one hand, concentrating with his brows pinched together. Sevir’s eyes widened. A light blueness covered RuIng’s index finger a pale matchstick fire rose.

“Your control is a thousand times better than mine.”

RuIng mirrored his expression of surprise, but it quickly melted into a delight.

“Oh, by divine’s blessing…” RuIng took a staggering breath, “all my life, I never thought I would be able to do it. Sevir. It’s working. I finally did it. Father would be so proud. I can’t wait to show mother….”

The more RuIng got excited, the more the fire spread onto his fingers until his complete hand was aflame.

“Hongli. Calm Down. Look at your Hand.” Sevir snapped, and RuIng paused, eyes wide, fearful as he took deep breaths.

“I apologize. I didn’t think. I shouldn’t take this risk without flowing water.”

Sevir shook his head, “your control is perfect. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you. There is running water in the bathroom if you need to practice. That works for me. It should work for you.”

RuIng nodded solemnly, extinguishing the fire.

“What should I do about this Kamiko princess?” Sevir prompted again, and RuIng looked away.

“If I tell you not to talk to her, will you not?”

Sevir shook his head, “I have to try.”

RuIng nodded, still not looking.

“Now. Where do I start tomorrow?” Sevir changed the subject, and RuIng gladly accepted, “the sheculde is on the table. The training is difficult but nobody expects me to excel. But take the training. I will guide you with Azar in the evening. Outside Kaizen is very dangerous Sevir. Please be careful. If you are dead, there is no coming back for me either.”

Sevir nodded, “What about headmaster Wama?”

Knock. Knock Knock.

A knock on the other side and the orb drowsed in darkness. Sevir waited and heard his grandfather’s voice.

“Who…” but the rest of it was gone as the crystal turned light again, reflecting the lifeless mud-brown walls around him. RuIng was gone.