1 Prologue: An unexpected Blessing

A woman's high pitched screams reverbated in the sandstone cave.

Nine people sat outside under the wooden roof, surronded by work benches and leather stretched tightly over wooden frames for tanning. Five children sat in front of the bench with the small millstone, the youngest looking scared. The older ones were relaxed. After all, their mother gave birth every year.

There were four adults, one a man just over twenty, one an old woman older than her years and two barely grown at possibly fourteen or fifteen. The man looked unhappy as he paced around. The two young adults simply seemed annoyed, mostly indifferent. They had the same almond eyes as the man, the same delicate jaw and curly dark hair, while the old woman only shared the eyes and curls. Her hair was mostly grey, her expression spoke of a life of endless hard work and exhaustion, finally forced to her knees by loss and longing. She looked like a crone even though she still had a few years before she reached the age of fourty.

Unexpectedly, when the screams stopped again for a while, one of the young adults, the girl of fifteen, opened her mouth. "I'm going to marry Gared soon. He wants my talent at calming animals for his bees."

The old woman looked at her daughter in a flash of joy. "He's a dependable man. I thought he would take Miranda?"

The girl shook her head. "Miranda's abilitiy is a green finger, making plants grow larger than usual. It would be useless for a beekeeper, so his parents objected. He said he was going to come with a honey pot and mead in a few days."

With a hint of pride the old woman looked at her daughter. All of her children had talents that could directly influence qi in some way. Had they been a cultivator family...she wouldn't have been forced to sell six of her children to sects and large families by her husband. It hurt to sell a child, but...with eyes full of pity she looked at the five little ones as the screams started again.

Food was scarce. They would either have to starve or sell some of her grandchildren, to ensure the rest would be able to grow well. They were lucky. Others had to sell to pioneers or slavers. At least their family could still make sure their children would grow up well.

"Billy, go to the Laplace mansion in Etlarvale and tell them that the hunters from the southeastern high forest have children for sale. They took my younger siblings, they took most of my children. I'm sure they will take my grandchildren, as well." The old woman ordered the boy who was legally and adult but hadn't acquired the charateristics of a man yet.

"Is that really necessary?" The young father looked at his mother unhappily. "I can raise six. You'll see."

The old woman just sighed. She knew as well as he did that six would be difficult. Billy remained silent throughout the conversation, just nodding at his brother.

Embarrassing as it was, her youngest son was prettier than all of his sisters, who weren't unattractive either. The old soman couldn't help but worry about him. He would have to leave soon enough to find his own way in life and he did not seem sturdy enough to be a soldier or miner. Maybe she should have sold him, as well.

The young father just looked at his children as though he was trying to determine which of them he ought to sell, which could be sold and which he ought to keep. The little ones, the oldest only five, did not understand what the adults were talking about. They were sleepy and cranky as the screams kept them awake while the cool wind made them uncomfortable.

It was past bed time, but their mother was still fighting to give birth.

Fortunately, since it was her sixth birth, it did not take a whole day like the first. After another hour, when the little ones outside started complaining, a high wail showed that a new child was born. The father paced impatiently, waiting for the wooden door to open, when a second wail joined the first. After the second came a third.

The father of now 8 children covered his eyes with his arm. Six was a stretch. Eight would starve.

"I'll go tomorrow." Billy said quietly. His brother stood still, but the old woman nodded. 8 were too many for a single couple to raise properly. If they waited too long the cultivators wouldn't want the children anymore. Some only accepted babies, the Laplace took all children younger than ten, though only healthy children younger than three were adoped in the higher cirles of the family.

The old woman looked at her youngest son once again. He was fourteen, at the right age to become an apprentice. Maybe the Laplace would accept him, as well. He could guide qi within quartz and stone as he pleased, a talent useless to a farmer or hunter. Hopefully it would be useful for the Laplace.

Finally the door of the cave opened, allowing the family to enter. A thick smell of blood and sweat escaped and the view to an exhausted woman, the midwife bathing the babies and a lot of dirty linen on a pile greeted them. The woman had clearly been wiped with cloth and her nightshirt changed, just like the bed linen, so there was no hindrances when the children hurried into the cave. The old woman carried the youngest, a boy of 11 months that was crying from hunger after not being able to drink from his mother for hours. Her daughter brought the second youngest, a sleepy girl of two and a half years. While they went to sleep they couldn't help wondering which of the children they were going to sell.

Early the next morning a very pretty young man of fourteen called William rose to make his way to Etlarvale, the township to the northwest of his home. It was barely more than a village with a market, but several large families and cultivators used it as a rest area on the journey over the mountains. A shortcut only cultivators were able to take and therefore nothing most ordinary families could take advantage of. Except those with good heritage who sold part of their children to them.

The young man was familiar with the rough hills and the dense forest, crossing the distance with little trouble while avoiding the territories of dangerous beasts with ease. At one particular point he changed direction, running towards a cliff. Not long after he entered a cave where an old man was busy polishing a piece of colorful glass with intricate designs on it.

William bowed before the man in respect while the old man gave him a kind smile before he continued his work.

"Master, my brother wants to sell his kids." William reported without rising from his bow.

The old man looked at the boy he had taken as his apprentice after hearing about the quality of children that family supplied. With a hint of interest in his expression he nodded. "Well, I'll come over to take a look then. This would be the right time to make your position as my disciple official, too." He hummed thoughtfully for a bit while William stood straight with a proud smile on his lips. As it should be.

Finally the older man got to his feet and left the cave with William tailing him. He threw the intricately shaped and polished piece of grass on the floor at the entrance carelessly. Almost immediately an illusion barrier coveredpart of the cliff, hiding all traces of them.

The master walked seeminly slowly while William was almost running to follow as they made their way towards the cave of the little hunter family.

When they arrived the rest if the family was already waiting, the children all bathed and dressed in their best shirts, still damp from washing. The old woman and her eldest hurried to put all of them on the bench outside for the man to inspect as he approached before they went to their knees and bowed.

"Your family has always approached my family and given us good children to groom into fine members of our clan. If you're ever in trouble you may contact the local branch." The man threw a coinin front of the old woman's knees. There was no kindness in his tone and he didn't bother introducing himself. This family was merely a resource to be protected for its usefulness. He did not allow them to rise or speak either and the family remained still. There were plenty of stories about people trying to prove their children's worth with words and being punished for bothering cultivators.

The man took a look at the eldest boy, touching his forehead while the child remained very still. After a while the man nodded. "Qi manipulation ability, just a genius at body enhancement, but not bad. What's the name?"

"Andrew." William answered from the back.

The cultivator nodded as he turned to the next child. One after the other revealed an ability with qi manipulation, receiving even better evaluations than the eldest boy. Finally, the triplets, two girls and one boy, showed broad abilities with qi manipulation.

"These three I could take to the core family." The cultivator judged as he pointed towards Benjamin, Jasmine and Clarabell. "The others, aside from the oldest, could be adopted into the branches and chief retainer families. Andrew would be a good addition to our army. I'd offer two stones for each of the triplets, one for the four younger ones and fifteen gold for Andrew."

The old woman, though still bowing, smiled to herself. Her grandchildren could have a good future. One other peasant families couldn't dare hope for. Her own husband had gambled the gold and stones for her children away, but her son was more sensible. He wouldn't make the same mistakes. They could buy a large farm or a shop in the better parts of a large city with 10 stones. Not that they would go to a city. But they could definitely have a good life. It was not her decision however. Silently, she waited for her son's answer.

He sighed quietly before he answered. "Andrew will have to care for me and my wife when we grow old." His expression showed that the idea of having his son become a soldier worried him, as well. Being a moderately wealthy man with children living a life he could never give them...he was only too glad to do so. But an army was something very different. "We're ready to sell the others."

His wife sobbed quietly beside him. But she would get used to it. Everybody did. It was better for all of them this way. None of his children would ever starve, all would have a brighter future. What else could parents wish for?

The cultivator nodded and pulled a purse from his robes, counted ten murky crystals into his hand and placed them on the bench. "Next month a few people will come to get the children. Take good care of them during that time." Seven gold coins were added to the pile. After all, these people were now caring for young masters and young ladies, not peasant children.

Finally, the man pointed behind himself, towards William. "His ability is useful in talisman crafting. My Laplace family will accept him as an apprentice. Since he won't be a bother he can come over tomorrow. Since he has talent we won't demand a fee."

The cultivater nodded towards all of the kneeling people and then turned around, leaving with the same slow yet fast pace from before.

The little family was silent for a few seconds before the little ones started crying and their mother joined. Sobbing in quiet desperation she clung to her kids while the father got up, took his bow and ran away into the forest. Unable to face the children he had just sold and the wife he had robbed of those babies she had given birth to.

The old woman watched patiently.

In William's eyes the flames of ambition burned brightly. He was eager to show his skill and talent to the world, not as the laborer everyone had assumed he would become but as something far better.

He dreamed of his own family clan, a clan where everyone could cultivate and no children had to be sold to become the strength of others.