Gray But Grand

"Wake up purple boy!"

"Ugh, dad that's too bright." Wait a min...

"Haha, do I look like-" Oh right all that stuff happened last night. I slept so heavily as if I was wearing a blanket of the ocean on top of me. Oh, wait...

"Mom, can you make these clothes lighter? Pleassee..."

"Nope, but I will have to teach you how to clean them." 

With one tug she lifted me onto my feet. Damn, she is kind of strong. It's like the weight of these clothes is nothing to her. Huh, it's weird that my ankle feels so much better now. Usually, it'll take a few days and even then there would be a subtle soreness. 

"Alright get your stuff we are leaving this place."

"Wait, already?"

"Yes, we are going and along the way, I am going to teach you the things your father left out."

I went to get my katana and sling it around my back. When I grabbed it something felt off and the smell was weird too. It felt as if it was brand new and even the colors changed a bit. The hilt was black and wrapped in dark purple fabric. The guard had an interesting snake-like creature on it, but much more majestic looking. The scabbard hasn't changed much from being fully black, but it does smell different as if it's made from a different type of wood.

"What about Dad's sword?"

"I got it."

She turned around and pointed her thumbs to Dad's sword on her back. We don't have much important stuff here so I just grabbed some of Dad's things and put them in a sack that he made for me with bamboo rope. Mainly just grabbed the survival essentials that Dad taught me how to use. Everything else was useless to me.

"Alright, you ready now?"

I sling everything on my back already regretting bringing all this stuff with these clothes on.

"Yep."

As we left the hut Mom turned around and placed her hands on our once-home and yellow lights sprang from her hands and covered the entire hut. In just a few seconds a structure that I once called home disappeared and the greenery underneath it showed as if it was never there.

We started heading west or at least I think it was west because the sun was rising from the opposite direction of where we were going. Following close to a river my Mom taught me many things from how to clean my clothes and hygiene that I never knew about.

"No more cutting your hair alright? I want to see you grow it out."

I looked into the waters at my reflection. My short hair gently waved in the light morning breeze. The little critters and fish in the river made the morning feel peaceful. Usually, there would be horned rabbits or silverback wolves lurking in the bushes or behind the trees. I didn't hear or see any of them this morning.

"What if something attacks us" I look up at my mother's scarlet eyes. I kind of figured out the answer when I remembered how scary she was last night.

"Well, it's kind of like all the animals have a primal instinct of fear. That's why they are probably running away from me."

We followed down the river for a few hours as Mom taught me more and more about life. I also started to get used to walking around with all this weight on me. 

"So will I be able to learn how to use magic today?" Using the tactics I just learned from her about respect and getting things I want from people.

"Not today, you are nowhere near ready for magic yet."

I guess it doesn't work on the person whole taught you the tactics. But still, talking to my Mom is fun. I never knew all these things about the world. 

We live in a world called "HaoTian" which means a vast sky or clear sky. There are many civilizations in this world with millions of people. It's crazy to think about just how big this world is. Not everyone in this world can use magic as well as Mom.

"Is Dad's runic magic what people here use?"

Mom looked a little shocked and seemed like she was thinking for a second.

"Not really his runic magic would probably be considered too complex to understand in this world." 

That's crazy. Both my parents basically sound like gods in this world. Magic abilities from out of this world? If I could learn these things wouldn't it be like cheating in this world?

"Maybe if you took 100 years you might learn some magic."

Again it feels like she just knows everything I'm thinking about.

"I can't read minds, but I just know 'cause I used to be a young and dumb kid like you once."

She chuckled softly and kept walking as if she didn't just insult me. Hmpf, she did teach me about humor and jokes now I just want to have a funny snarky remake to throw back. 

"Look over there you see that."

Mom was pointing into the distance way towards the horizon. I followed her finger with my gaze and I could faintly see a gray block next to a few more gray blocks. Holding my palm over my eyebrows and squinting my eyes... 

Yeah never mind can't really make it out clearly it's still too far away.

"What is that it's so far away I can't even see it."

"That's a city, a pretty decently sized one too. A great way to teach you the duality of people and how evil and kind the world of HaoTian really is."

Evil? She did tell me the horrible things that people do. Even though I know the dangers I still want to see how people could live with themselves when they commit these heinous acts. Some I don't even think you can be human to do.

She taught me about yin and yang how people are born with a normal amount of yang and the experiences people go through generate either yin or yang. This kind of spiritual energy needs to be balanced for a good life. Neither is inherently good are bad. Yin represents the more violent but radical nature of man, greed, and the ego that people harbor in their hearts. Yang the logical yet naive joys in life, ignorance, sort of incomplete calm in people's souls. Together the great balance of yin and yang determines a good life.

The existence of demons was always a mystery until Mom clarified that they do in fact exist but not in the sense of them being a different species, instead, they are humans who have thrown away their humanity and the darkness has consumed their souls. The yin energy in their spirits is corrupt and turns evil. From their thoughts to their actions.

Yeah, I've just been listening to Mom talk for the hours that we have been on the road. It's almost evening and we are still walking. Though the city is getting much closer I can see more details on the big gray stone walls.

Plus there are so many more people going in and out of the gate. Their clothing style is also very different from what me and Mom is wearing right now. It is more flowy like clouds but also the colors are dull sort of earthy. 

"Hmm, let me do something with your hair and your eyes."

She reached over and patted the top of my head. A tingling sensation trickled through my head and eyes.

"What was that?"

"Just made your vibrant purple colors a bit darker. Looks more natural here."

Looking at the people more closely I could see that the whole color vibe was kind of dull. There's not a whole lot of color in the city either besides the brick red shingles and the yellow lanterns. 

"Welp go get them." She tapped my back and gave me a little push.

"Wait are you going somewhere?" Is she just going to let me go in by myself?!

"Well yes, but technically I'm not allowed to go in."

"What do you mean can't you just change your appearance like you did for me?!"

"I'll be close by don't worry about a thing. I just have to take care of some stuff. I can give you this tho."

She handed me some small golden metallic circular disks with square holes. Five in total with some symbols on them on each side of the hole.

"These are the currency in the city as well as a big part of this world. It's called 'Yuan' here."

I put them in my right pocket. 'Yuan' Huh? I'm guessing I can buy food or find someplace to stay.

"Now go and use everything I've told you today."

Her thumbs up and smile didn't reassure me at all. But I still trust that she'll be with me.

I began my walk up to the big gate of the city where I saw some people being greeted as they were entering the city. Following suit I decided to go to the back of the line of people trying to get in.

I tried to wipe my sweaty hands on my pants and my knees were heavy and not just from my clothes. 

It took a while but I finally got to the front and met the guards.

"Welcome to 'KongChen' Are you a citizen or a traveller?"

"I-I'm new here." I slightly adjusted my clothes and positioned my feet to seem a bit more presentable and respectable as my Mother had taught me.

"Since it is your first time here we are going to need you to create an identification card with your information."

The guard pulled out a piece of parchment and a bamboo pen. After a few drawings, he handed it over to me.

"Sign your name here, age here, and I'll make you a common pass for one yuan."

I felt a sting as I handed over one out of my five yuans. I remembered how my mom showed me how to write my name. A short horizontal line followed by a longer one split in the middle with a longer vertical line. Ending it off with two diagonal strokes right and left stemming off where the longer horizontal line intersects the vertical line. Like this: 未.

I also put 16 where it asked for the age and I handed it back to the guard. 

I saw visible confusion and a raised brow on the man's face.

"Is that your name? Usually, it would be three characters long with a surname at the start."

Then he looked at me up and down as if he was checking how human I was.

"Never mind that then. It's fine." He went over to the table set up behind the gate and stamped something on a piece of rectangular wood.

Walking back up to me he reached out and I saw that it was a small plaque with my name and age on it with the symbol next to it.

"Thank you, sir." I bowed and reached out with both my hands just as my Mom had shown me. She said that this was the proper way of showing gratitude and common mannerisms in society.

"At least your parents taught you manners, even if they forgot to give you their family name."

I didn't really get what he meant by that. I didn't even know what my parent's names were I've always just been calling them Mom or Dad.

I shoved the wooden card into my left pocket and decided to just go into the city and explore. My curiosity overruled my nervousness.

Stepping into the city the first thing I noticed was the stone-paved roads everywhere splitting in between each of the red and black wooden buildings.

And the abundance of people. Walking, shuffling, rushing around working as they are yelling and talking with others. The sweet and savory smells of food wafting through the air, the sounds of horses and wagons carrying all sorts of things and people in the streets. The city was so lively that I didn't even know where to start. 

Still a few hours before the sun started to set so I just walked straight down the first road that I saw.

"Hey, young boy! Come over here!" 

By instinct, I glanced over to see if the man was talking to me. With a wave of his hand, I figured that he was talking to me. Gripping the straps on my sack I shimmied over to what I assumed was a food stall that this person had outside of his store.

"You seem like a new face around here! Why don't you try some of my food?"

"Try? Like for free?" 

"Of course, and if you enjoy it why not buy some to take with you?"

He pointed at a bowl of what I suspected to be samples. I picked up the white gooey food and sniffed it. The sweet aroma enticed me to put it into my mouth. The chewiness sticking to my teeth and how sweet it is had me wanting another bite.

The growl from my stomach sounded as if my body was telling me to get some more.

"Haha! I knew you looked a bit hungry. Young men need to eat a lot to grow strong."

"B-but I'm not-" Oh shoot I shouldn't talk with food in my mouth...

"Don't worry about it kid. Since this is your first time here I'll give you a discount, one yuan for eight of these sweet rice cakes."

Really that sounds like a good deal? And all that walking today really has me hungry for more.

"Alright, sir you have a deal!" I handed over one yuan as he picked up a bag from behind the counter and placed it into both my hands.

"I knew you had good eyes for treats! Thank you for your business!"

Nice I got some food and these are still hot and fresh! I took another one out and consumed the treat as I kept walking down the road.

"Hey wait a minute what do you have there kid?"

I turned around to see a burly man on the street with his gaze right on my katana.

"T-This is my sword sir."

"Let me buy it off of you."

"W-What!?"