The Voyage In The Blizzard - Chapter 54
“Do we really have to do this? I don’t know about you, but it scares me.”
“Scares you or not, it’s our duty.”
“And what does the book say? We have to shed blood to create new life. Not that I haven’t heard of it before, but it is rare when someone talks about it.”
“Following the book that Xing Fu gave, each warrior should cut off a lock of hair and, at the beginning of the night, leave this lock on the Spherical Stone. And then this spell should be read. This should be read loudly and clearly, and at the same time you should stand with your eyes closed, and the right hand should touch the stone itself.”
“It seems you misunderstood Brother Xue. As I heard, you need to spill a few drops of blood on the stone. Not a lock, but blood.”.
“What place do you not understand in this book? You see, it is clearly written here that you need to cut off a lock of hair.”
“Delun is actually right. Earlier, many centuries ago, the warriors did it this way. They shed a few drops of blood directly on the Spherical Stone and then cast a spell. And the next morning, a child appeared right next to this stone. But over time, everything changed. And now instead of blood, a lock of hair is used.”
“So everything is actually very simple.”
“You know, recently I witnessed how one warrior created a new life. At night, he left a lock of hair and then loudly uttered the words of a spell, and the next morning, a child was already standing near the Spherical Stone. The child was about 7 years old.”
“Yes. When a new warrior is born, he is 7 years old. He knows how to speak and already knows his purpose. He knows where he is and what he should do and where to go. Following the book, the child of a warrior born in a Spherical stone grows very quickly. In a matter of months he turns 13 and then 17 and after 17 his age is already changing over the years. That is 17, 18, 19 and so on. ”
“That’s why I don’t remember anything about my childhood. I didn’t have that. And even if I had, it was very short.”
“No one remembers the time when he was a child. Even those who knew their fathers and grew up with them.”
“Brother Xue, you grew up with your father. And Brother Longwei too.”
Hearing Longwei’s name, there was an abrupt silence in the room. The silence that was interrupted by the piercing whistle of the wind and the door that opened with a bang.
Running towards the door, Delun tried with all his might to close it back, but the force of the wind was stronger.
“Help me.” he said holding the door.
Throwing things off the table and from the shelves, the wind brought snow into the house and the fire that burned in the corner went out, plunging everything around into darkness.
Closing the door, Delun and Eagle went back to bed.
Covering himself with a blanket from head to toe, Delun said, “I can’t believe that we are already 25 and we have to create the next warrior. And in general, what is this rule? Who invented this? Or is it a hint that after 25 years you can die? Why do we need to create a child? These beasts have no end, they go and go, so why then continue to create armies? Isn’t it easier to surrender?”
Baofeng-Xue, continuing to sit with a small book, glanced at him and said, “A warrior should not know such a word like surrender. We must fight and defend these lands in order to find out the nature and purpose of these creatures in the future. We cannot just close our eyes. And in general, to create a future warrior is the goal of each of us.”
“Brother Xue, isn’t it dark for you there? You can ruin your eyes.”
Putting the book aside, Baofeng-Xue looked thoughtfully out the window. As always, the blizzard was raging without knowing any boundaries.
Delun threw his boots and asked, “So who will be the first? Who will go to that cave first?”
“Of course you. Who else?!” exclaimed Enlai.
“No way. Most likely, brother Xue will go there first.”
“Let’s go to sleep. It’s so late.” Baofeng-Xue muttered.
Xiaoli, sitting on the bed, hugging a pillow, brushed away one tear that froze on his cheek and said, “I miss Longwei.”
Through the darkness and the whistle of the wind, Baofeng-Xue’s shaking voice was heard, “We all miss him.”
Waking up in horror and in a cold sweat, the first thing he heard was the deafening whistle of the wind.
With closed eyes, Longwei reached for the blanket, which was a thin material that once served to store potatoes.
Shivering from the cold, he tried to fall asleep again. Feeling the icy wind that pierced to the depths of his soul, in the cave, in the same place where his whole journey began from, Longwei muttered something to himself.
Slowly sinking into sleep, the distant but clear voice of Xing Fu began to sound in his ears again, and the very day, the day of his death, appeared before his eyes.
“Perhaps it was my mistake to find you and make you a soldier of the First Clan. Perhaps in what happened, in a way, I am guilty. Longwei, despite the fact that you disappointed me and violated the Warrior’s law, I will still show you mercy. You must leave this clan, these mountains once and for all. Consider that this is your punishment. You must never again come across to me or anyone else. Live as you want. From now on, you are not obliged to anyone.”
“Where is Lei?”
“You will never see him again.”
“Where is he?”
“Do not try my patience. Use my kindness and go.”
“What about my father’s letter? You promised that you would give it to me.”
“It’s in your cape pocket.”
“Xing Fu, since you’re letting me go, answer the question. What will become of Lei?”
“It doesn’t concern you anymore.”
“Lei!” Waking up from his own scream, Longwei felt his heart beating in a frantic rhythm. Putting his hand on his chest, he swallowed saliva thereby awakening a strong hunger inside.
Getting out of bed with aching pain all over his body, shivering from the cold, he reached for a small firewood and threw it into the fire. After standing a little over the fire, he looked ahead and said, “You must be hungry.”
He lifted a cloth bag off the ground and shook his head. “I think I need to farm. There is only one potato and a few beans left. But that’s enough for you.”
Still trembling all over, he took out two iron mugs from a small pile of things and put them in front of the fire. “I’ll go get water.” he said and headed for the exit.
Filling a small bucket with clean snow, he hung it on a thick log above the fire. “Now the snow will melt and we will have hot tea.”
Returning to bed, which was a fur cape and a folded backpack as a pillow, Longwei with empty eyes, looking in front of him with a heavy sigh, said, “It seems that there will be a heavy snowstorm again today. And we will not be able to walk.”
Listening to the silence that filled the entire cave, Longwei suddenly shouted loudly. So loudly that the echo was more deafening than his scream. Hitting a stone wall with his fist, he dropped his head to his knees and froze in that position.
It has been exactly a year since he was left alive. It has been exactly a year since he left the clan and left his life behind.
He was alive, he remained alive, but his heart and soul were covered with a thick layer of ice. And he did not feel the life anymore. Everything was blank.
“Lei!” he screamed, hitting the wall until the cracked skin released blood.
Wiping the frozen tears from his eyes, he grabbing his cape, suddenly rushed to the exit, knocking over a bucket of water.
Through the snowfall, through the branches, his legs carried him forward. Running, as if competing with the wind that was behind him, Longwei no longer noticed the nature around him, did not notice the birds flying high above the trees, all he saw were only memories. Memories that warmed his soul, but tormented his heart.
Falling to his knees in front of a tall tree, he clasped his head with both hands and shouted again, but his voice immediately deadened and a strong cough replaced the scream.
Coughing, catching air with his mouth, he sobbed as if he gave his whole life to every tear.
Surrendered to the rush of feelings that still made him alive, Longwei fell into the snow and large snowflakes quickly covered him from head to toe. Without moving, continuing to lie, looking at the pale sky, he whispered Lei’s name.
Opening his eyes with horror and noticing that it was already deep night, Longwei, brushing off the layers of snow, got up and slightly staggered to the tree. Severe dizziness and pain all over his head prevented him from moving forward.
Coughing, he touched his throat.
After recovering a little, he moved towards the cave.
Dragging his feet through the snowdrifts, he still straightened his back and raised his head and put both hands in his pants pockets.
“How long have I slept?” he asked looking to his right. “How cold it is. Probably we should get the stones with dragon fire. And where are they, you know, Lei? Of course, you never know where what is.”
Stopping him, the strong gust of wind had a suffocating effect, causing Longwei to start coughing again. Not noticing how the wind abruptly took his cape with it, Longwei, covering his face with his hands, felt the frost painfully slipping through his thin shirt.
Turning back, Longwei saw his cape hanging from a branch.
Putting it back on his back and buttoning it, Longwei wanted to leave, but stepping on something, he bent down and saw his father’s letter tied to a small stone.
Quickly putting the letter back in his pocket, he moved forward.
Exactly a year has passed since Xing Fu gave him the letter. But during this time, Longwei never once dared to open it. Not knowing why he hesitated, Longwei simply kept this letter intact.
With the returning back to the even colder cave, Longwei threw more wood on the fading fire and the flame again, made everything around bright.
Holding the letter in his hand, he said, “Do you think I should read this?”
Untying the rope which was around the letter, the yellow paper exuded the ancient scent.
“Maybe you’re right. I should read what it says.” After saying that, Longwei quickly but neatly tore the envelope and the folded paper fell to the ground.
Unfolding it, Longwei began to read. His eyes, tired and slightly swollen from tears, slid over his father’s beautiful handwriting.
Quickly as if in fear, reading the contents, Longwei unrolled the folded end of the paper and another small, perfectly folded letter fell into his lap.
“What is it?”
Unfolding the strange-looking letter that looked like it had touched fire, Longwei was not immediately able to understand the contents, as the handwriting was chaotic and did not resemble his father’s.
But at that moment when he finished reading, Longwei suddenly jumped up and put both letters in his pocket. Running headlong towards the exit he said, “I have to say this to Xing Fu!” and disappeared into a thick blizzard.