Fallen Oak Town

Fallen Oak Town buzzed with life. Narrow streets were filled with townsfolk tending to their various tasks, merchants selling goods from knapsacks slung over their backs, and savory meats and freshly steamed dumplings that hung in the air like unseen scents. Hei An looked around the market square, taking in all that was happening with careful eyes, as he and Wei Ren made their way through the crowds.

"This place is....lively," he thought, watching as the vendors loudly haggle with customers. Town energy stood sharply at odds with the dense silence of the forest he came from. Hei An's gaze lingers on a group of laughing children racing each other across the street. A small pang of sorrow knots his chest, remembering those simpler days before tragedy struck at his home.

"Not too shabby, eh?" Wei Ren smiled, gesturing around them. "Fallen Oak doesn't exactly look like much to the eye, but if you know where to look, it's got everything you need. Inns, guilds, markets. the best dumplings on this side of the mountain, too."

Hei An nodded vaguely, his eyes drifting off into space. He watched the stalls with a calculating gaze, examining the array of herbs, arms, and talismans being peddled. He wasn't unfamiliar with the use of herbs, though most of his knowledge derived from what his father had taught him. But here, the choices were incredibly more extensive, and a few of the ingredients were rarer than any he'd seen in the wilderness.

"These might come in handy if I need to concoct remedies… or poisons," he mused.

Wei Ren, heeding Hei An's curious looks, started pointing out the different views as they walked.

"Over there," he said, pointing at a squat building with a great wooden sign in the shape of a coin, "is the Merchant Guild. You can get nearly anything if you know how to haggle. And that's the alchemist store, great place for getting rare herbs or elixirs if you're willing to pay the price.".

Hei An listened quietly, he began to see just how useful a place like this could be for him, a man with such very clear goals.

Wei Ren nudged him, a small grin playing on his lips. "You're lucky you ran into me when you did, brother. Do you know why?"

Hei An studied him, one eyebrow rising in question as the calm face sparkled with curiosity. "Why's that?"

Wei Ren puffed out his chest a little, seeming pleased to explain. "Because in about two months, the Blackfeather Sect will hold its annual recruitment for new disciples. Only the truly talented get chosen—and even fewer get in without a formal recommendation." He gave Hei An a meaningful look. "But as a member of the outer court, I have the authority to recommend promising individuals to the sect.".

Hei An's eyes narrowed a little as his mind snapped into place. "So That's why he kept insisting for me to come along," he murmured, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.

Wei Ren didn't seem to catch the edge in Hei An's tone, proceeding as if nothing were amiss. "Ordinarily, you'd have to go through all kinds of tests and trials just to prove your worth. But thanks to my recommendation, you'll get a direct shot," he said with a very wide, beaming grin. Pride swelled in his voice.

As they strolled along, some of the passersby began casting sideways glances in their direction, particularly at Wei Ren. Some even murmured to each other, and Hei An heard small bits of the conversation, "Blackfeather Sect…" "That's Wei Ren, right? The one with the Scarlet Wolf?"

"Look," he heard someone whispering close by, "he's wearing the outer court disciple robe of Blackfeather Sect… and that's his wolf! It's really him. I Wonder who is the other guy with him".

Hei An glanced at the onlookers before he turned to Wei Ren, their faces full of a mix of curiosity and awe. "Looks like you're pretty famous here," he said with his brow creased in an arched line.

Wei Ren grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I might've done a few notable things on my last visit," he replied with a shrug, trying to play it off casually. But his Scarlet Wolf, standing tall beside him, seemed to command more attention than even Wei Ren himself.

"Well," Wei Ren said, glee dripping from every word. "You probably don't know it, but I am one of the top five disciples of the Outer Court." He looked at Hei An, expectant, almost smug.

"Top five?" Hei An repeated, tilting his head. He looked at Wei Ren again with calculating eyes, his brows furrowed. "Then why so weak?"

Wei Ren's face twisted into a stiff smile. "I—I mean, I'm not exactly looking all that intimidating right now, but. I have been training in earnest! When you're a disciple of a sect, there is more than just brawn to keep in line." 

Hei An tried his best not to smirk, but Wei Ren's response was a little hilarious. His gaze swept by the crowd. For a group of martial artists, they seemed more intent than he had ever seen in smaller villages. Most wore simple yet finely made robes, marked according to sects and clans. Some of them carried weapons. Perfectly crafted swords and spears left their sunlight glinting about. It's a world of power here, where only the strong command respect." He clenched his fists, feeling the rough calluses on his hands. "Strength… it's all that matters." 

He followed Wei Ren to an inn that sat at the far end of the market square. The building was modest but well-maintained, with a wooden sign painted in deep red, depicting a hawk with its wings spread wide. Wei Ren led the way, pushing open the door and stepping inside, with Hei An at her heels. The warm air inside pulled her away from the chaos of the streets, and a few heads turned to look at them before returning to their meals.

"This is the Hawk's Nest Inn. Good prices, and the food's decent too," Wei Ren said, gesturing to the table by the corner that sat empty.

Hei An sat down, feeling the weariness of his travels settle into his bones now that he was in a place of relative calm. The warmth of the inn embraced him, the murmur of people, and the faint aroma of cooking meat drifting through the air.

Wei Ren called for a server, ordering a simple meal for them both, but Hei An's mind was far away. Hei An felt himself growing exhausted, bone-weary. He hadn't slept properly for days, not since his village had been destroyed. Shortly after the meal, Wei Ren booked two rooms for them to rest before continuing their journey to the sect.

Hei An's room was small, tight with a narrow bed, a low table, and one single window that casts over the bustle on the street and noise of passers-by. He put his bag by the door and sat upon the edge of the bed, feeling the weight of journey already beginning to settle into the bones.

He went into the room and finally found a moment to rest. He had been leaning back when memories began washing over his mind, he thought of his father, whose silent strength had comforted him. He almost heard his father's laughter, saw the warmth in his eyes as his father told Hei An stories in his childhood. And Ling'er… her voice, smile, and joy at the smallest things. Memories that had been flung aside now assailed his mind, every one a sharp stab to the heart.

But now in this moment of stillness they came flooding back to him with a clarity that hurt.

A lump formed in his throat, "I am still breathing," he forced himself to remember harshly, resisting the overwhelming grief that threatened to sweep him under, "But they are gone. Father. Ling'er. everybody."

He felt the familiar sting of tears, warm and bitter, as they rolled down his cheeks. He had not let himself feel this way when he was in the forest, kept vigilant by the constant threat of danger. Here, though, he could no longer keep it in.

A wave of grief rested upon him, pressing him down as if he could not breathe. Hei An buried his face into his knees and thumped his shoulders hard against silent sobs. Bitterness ran through his chest. "I couldn't save them…I was too weak. They are gone because I couldn't protect them.".

He sat there, wordless, as the pain swelled inside him. The fist clenched as a new emotion began to spread slowly, gradually replacing the pain with burning hatred, "I won't let them have died for nothing," he swore to himself. "Whoever did this. whoever took them from me. I'll find them."

"I'll find out who did this," he swore in his mind, his eyes hardening. "I'll make them regret.".