Part 1 - The Miracle of Boshan
"With War do I bring Retribution With Retribution comes pain With Pain comes Enlightenment" The 1st Mantra of Sheng Seleris War had become my fodder, the fuel for my soul - I bathed in its sweet waters daily and the colour of it was a deep red. The word war' means so little to some, distant and removed as they arefrom the stench of corpses, the splash of brain, the scream of death. The true meanings of other words are also removed from such people - one such word is Retribution' and another is Sheng' meaning pain and Seleris' meaning star or enlightenment..
I ask the questions of my followers and give the answers too: How are these people so removed from war, retribution, pain and the enlightenment? They take or are born to it. What separates them from the ordinary man? The Will to gain or hold their Power. What separates me from them? The Power to destroy their Will. I am _all_ Will and can break any power as a result. I will never ceasein my quest to bring my mantra to their souls for when they created me, they created a Hell they could never dream to imagine. A Hell that came to them on a tide of victory and a road of the dead.
With my escape from the Hen Siao Instant Torture Camp my Will was set free. When I broke loose of the agonies I had endured I was clean of feeling, scoured fresh with the roughness of hate and burnt a gleaming black from passing through the fires of Perdition.
Many of my fellow inmates escaped with me into the Hso Shan Mountains and there I taught the first of my disciples the ways I had learnt in the moment of realisation which gave me a clarity of purpose that transcended anything the world had ever seen, broke the barriers between the possible and the impossible and created Sheng Seleris in me and, eventually, in others.
Others from the mountains or the province of Shiyang saw me and fell before me in awe or death, I cared not which, so long as they fell before me. Before long, the world would fall before me, then perhaps the Gods themselves.
Like me, my disciples scorned all worldly comforts and sought only the application of Will. They understood some of my contempt, my spite at the sallow beings who groveled around us, who fed us and served us and bowed their heads in fear. They saw how true power came from a freedom from need; the need to live, the need to love, the need to care - these were all things that enslaved our Wills and turned us from victory. I let them see this and showed them the Pain Star to light their path to enlightenment.
The enlightenment I gave my followers made them strong, stronger that they could believe at first and with their aid I turned back the Shiyang Army of Heavenly Splendour that north came to suppress our freedom and raids. Mighty they were for the Shiyang are greater in stature than most men and were warriors hardened against the likes of the Shan Shan, the Huan Tu and the Hordes of Ignorance but nothing could prepare them for the magics and force of hate I unleashed upon them. After a three day battle a hundred leagues north of Kuchawn the Kuwai Tan Kang river was filled with their corpses and ran red with their blood for weeks.
Victory was sweet but I saw that is was not enough. The Dragon Empire moved slowly but it was a force beyond all measurement and when it came, it would come with a terror of power that would sweep all but the mountains themselves before it. I knew I was obdurate enough to stand anything, like the mountain rock itself, but my followers were not - so I sought another path. Always mindful of my desire to see the plains again and to reunite with my people, I reached a decision; I left my followers in the forests to gains strength and power - many of my men were capable leaders in their own right and ride with me still for all who survived Hen Siao were made of iron. I told them to gather people and power in my absence but avoid the main Imperial Armies then I headed south for the Iron Forts and the province of Boshan.
Traveling quietly with but a dozen men and staying near the mountains the whole way we made it to Boshan with little trouble. Some of the Kralori who had escaped with me from the camp were from Boshan - it being a perpetual thorn in the Dragon Emperors side for its people were rebellious, independent and surly of authority, there were always many arrests. One such man with me was named Tung. Tung had been arrested for stealing rice from a Mandarins lands for his starving family - Tung had many relatives still in Boshan and it with them that we stayed a few nights before planning the break past the Iron Forts into northern Prax.
Tungs' kin were scared of me - it was a common reaction to my presence which had grown daunting to ordinary folk. But their joy at Tungs escape warmed them too me somewhat and they relaxed a little. Tungs uncle; Yen Ta was first to talk freely to me and told me the sad tale of Boshan and how it came to be cursed to strife.
He told me of how the Province had supported the False Dragons in the far past, before Godunya was Emperor. How the curse of the True Dragon of Celestial Justice had created the "Pain of Boshan" in punishment for the provinces' rebellion and defeat when the False Ring fell.
I was puzzled by this remark and asked him what the "Pain of Boshan" was.
"Each of us has it, you weren't born here but you would get it too if you
but lived here long enough. Those born here have it even if they leave for
there is no escaping the Dragons curse." Replied Yen Ta sadly.
I grew impatient and asked him again what it was.your bones, like a needle in your joints or a big fat worm in your guts. On special days, like the anniversary day of our defeat by Godunya, there's hardly a person in Boshan who can stand for the pain. They teach us that rebellion is wrong and that we should know our place as all men should in the soul of the Dragon. Only by following the Dragon properly can you be free of the curse, so only the obedient flourish here! But we are not an obedient people and so we suffer."
"Some days it is worse than others, mostly its just a nagging ache in
"And what do you think of those who inflict this upon you?" I asked. I
could see why the Boshan were so surly, so rebellious. To live in perpetual
pain for the sins of centuriesago past would enrage anyone.
The old man laughed - a gap toothed chasm of mirth opened before me. "I think the Mandarins are Demons of Mockery who laugh at our torment and the Boshan who follow their way to escape the curse are nothing but their lap monkeys!" He laughed again but stopped when I reached out to touch him.
I could feel it in him, the pain that is. It was like an malicious snake that slept in its hole only to raise its head occasionally for a bite. I widened my perceptions and saw that all the other Boshani had it also, in fact the spirit world here was resonating ever so slightly with their pain like a constant background noise though I had to concentrate to see it. It angered me to see this petty vengeance and I quickly sent my spirit against his pain. It bit me, it struck hard but I laughed for nothing it could inflict on me could equal the tortures of body and soul I had already endured. But more, when it bit, I felt a thrill at its agony, a sense of challenge that was buried deep within and I pulled it into me, sucked in its torment and ate the Pain of Boshan straight out from the old mans body and soul.
He looked startled. What have you done to me?" He choked.ran screaming form the room - I had expected some gratitude. I was even more surprised when he brought the whole family in scant moments later. One by one I healed them of the one thing I could heal - Pain. I didn't make it better, I simply absorbed it and the joy I unleashed was instant and total.
"I took the Pain from you." I replied. I was somewhat surprised when he
They danced, they sang. They held each other and cried. Finally they came before me and swore loyalty to me "for the gift I had given them was beyond their worthless lives." They said.
And so it began. I toured Boshan bringing my miracle to the people and behind ourtriumphant procession there was war and slaughter as those who followed the Dragon path and cooperated with the Mandarins were killed in a frenzy of hate and frustration that had built for centuries. Within a few weeks the Province was mine - blood and bone. I appointed leaders for my cause - on e being Tung for he could spread my ways to these willing folk. They immediately began to raise an army to prepare for the inevitable retribution of the Emperor but I was pleased for little effort I had struck a great blow to the Empire and would strike more before I was done.
The plains of Pent awaited me. The thought of a reunion with my people sent fire through my bones and would bring terror to the hearts of my enemies. The world would tremble beneath the hooves of my host.
Part 2 of Chapter 2 to follow
Martin Laurie
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