The Grandmaster's Disciple

"Is it really true? Has Elder Sima found the one left by Grandmaster Feng?"

"Perhaps it was only a rumor! What if he had only got mistaken?"

"Never mind the one left by the previous grandmaster! But did you hear about the attack on Infernal Spirit Sect?"

"Yes! They say two dragons have appeared and killed off the entire band and their eagles. They have even managed to find that Blue Feather Sect was to be their next target!"

"It must be some mysterious masters who were in hiding for a long time! Maybe they've come out to help us with our situation?"

"We should find the dragons instead of worrying over Grandmaster Feng's hero!"

Grandmaster Wei clenched his jaw in irritation and sent a wave of his qi surging through the hall, ceasing all side-conversations and whispers between the elders and disciples. "...Silence," he chided. "I will not cast aside the situation on the dragons, nor will I let go of my master's chosen one!"

His stern words were carried through the air in waves of silence, and the six elders and their first disciples clamped their mouths shut, careful not to frustrate their sect leader any more.

They waited in the grand hall, the grandmaster standing on the dais behind the many veils. The six elders stood on the sides in the area between the entrance and the dais, three on each side while their invited disciples flanked them.

Their flurry of glimmering robes that signified their status within the sect blended in aesthetically with the gentle blue, white, and gray of the Grand Hall, nothing like the striking black and blood-red of the one in Infernal Spirit Sect.

Though their styles and culture may be different, the sects in this country all stood unified on their side with no problems. Competition was not needed, nor was their time for competition. It is set either way, that the Mystic Sky Sect was to be the head of them all.

Suddenly, two figures appeared at the doorway, drawing the attention of the elders and their disciples towards them. It was a young man and woman, and they were recognized as Starling and Cyrus, Elder Sima's first and second disciples.

They bowed respectfully in front of the elders and grandmaster after they stepped in. Cyrus, the first disciple, waved his lethal wooden fan before the polite smile on his face and dipped his chin. "My master has returned," he announced. "It will only be a few more moments..."

The elders around him brightened up whilst the grandmaster slowly turned around, nodding in approval. Grandmaster Wei gestured at the empty spot closest to the dais, supposedly belonging to Elder Sima. "Come."

Cyrus and Starling swiftly bowed once more before walking towards their designated area, leaving remnants of their alluring aura into their soundless steps.

The atmosphere was tense, and it wasn't long before the stocky figure of the first elder stepped inside. He was flanked by his two troublesome younger disciples, Azure and Lance.

The three of them bowed before the grandmaster, and Lance quickly bounded towards his senior sister and brother with delight. "My beloved senior brother and sister, did you miss me dearly?" he bubbled.

Starling rolled her eyes playfully, the silver pin in her hair wobbling. "No," she said, an amused smile on her lips.

Cyrus knocked him over the head with his wooden fan. "Behave," he said crisply.

Lance gave a dramatic pout and clung on to Starling's arm, catching her by surprise. "Sister! He's bullying me!" he cried. Maybe he knew, maybe he didn't, but he was making such a scene that everyone was staring at him, even the grandmaster.

Azure shrunk beside Cyrus as he tried to avoid the eyes of the elders about him.

Elder Sima cleared his throat. "Er, I will give my disciple a proper punishment after this is all over," he declared.

Lance's jaw dropped. "What?!"

Grandmaster Wei sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "Never mind your disciple," he murmured, brushing the situation off lightly. "How was your trip? They are here?"

Lance stuck out his tongue at his fellow sect disciples that cast him glares of jealousy from behind their masters. The grandmaster would only ever let Elder Sima's disciples off so easily.

Elder Sima nodded, brushing his hand through his bread of gray. "Should I call them in?"

"Wait." Grandmaster Wei straightened up his shining robes and flicked his lengthy sleeves back behind his legs. He stepped out from behind the veils, revealing his head of long, white hair, similar to that of his master's.

In fact, he had many similar features as his master, despite not even being biological father and son. He'd even inherited some personality traits as well, and they were almost close to identical.

"Call them in," he said as he flattened out his sleeves.

Elder Sima hummed in response and turned back out towards the doors. "Kiddos, you come inside now!" he called cheerfully.

Two figures popped out from the door, and again, it was a boy and a girl. Considering their resemblance in features, the grandmaster quickly assumed that the two were siblings. He watched as they stepped inside at the same time, casting side-long glances of curiosity at the many faces about them.

The boy was tall, with toned features and incredibly long hair that was tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His irises were as black as his pupils, and he seemed to be the type that didn't talk much.

The girl was about a couple inches shorter than her brother, though she boldly walked with a straight posture. Her expression was fearless and steady, the air around her sophisticated.

Both wore robes of shimmering blue and white, but the grandmaster could see the worn and dirtied edges at the tips of their sleeves and at the hem, and he wondered what they've been doing the past couple of days.

But what puzzled him was the presence of two people, not one. Did his master not choose one hero? Or was Elder Sima mistaken as the others said?

But as the pair came closer, he found that the elder was not mistaken, nor did his master only left one successor. He chose two. With his eyes growing wide, he could sense the fragments of his master's soul residing within them...

The girl quickly bowed, lowering her head that her hair swept off her shoulders to the side. Seeing that her brother didn't do the same, she reached up and pulled his arm down so that he bowed as well.

The boy was taken by surprise, but he quickly recovered and clasped his hands in front of him with respect, bowing properly. He cleared his throat and started, "Elias and Eryn Bai greets the grandmaster of Mys-"

His sister stopped him with a sharp elbow to his side, and Grandmaster Wei and the elders raised their eyebrows in confusion as the two hissed at each other. Elder Sima seemed to be the one who understood what was going on, and he smiled radiantly, waiting for the whole thing to play out in high spirits.

The boy grumbled under his breath and rubbed the side where his sister had hit him before opening his mouth to speak again.

"Er, uh...I meant...g- g- greetings to U- Uncle Wei," he stammered to everyone's shock and surprise.

The siblings straightened up, and the boy averted his eyes to look down at the floor, feeling awkward. However, the girl only looked straight forward at the grandmaster expectantly, waiting for a reaction.

The elders and disciples held their breaths, waiting for the moment their mighty grandmaster would burst in rage and indignantly. Who were they to address the sect leader of all sects so casually...and uncle, even?!

The grandmaster took a step forward, his expression clouded over. Heavens, he was going to blow...

But to everyone's amazement, a smile broke across his lips, showing great approval to the ones his master had left to his care. "Hmm...Elias and Eryn, right?" he exulted. "You address me as my niece and nephew...then perhaps you've met my master?"

Lance choked on his saliva as he watched the casual exchange between the person he held as 'god' in his eyes and two newbies. How was this fair? He'd long dreamed to even have the slightest conversation with the great sect leader.

The others around him seemed to have a similar reaction as Eryn smiled, her expression smoothing over. "Yes, we have-!"

The siblings suddenly glanced down at their buzzing pendants, and they quickly removed them and held the stones in their hands.

Grandmaster Wei peered curiously down at the black and white stones, humming with life. "What is this?" he questioned, sensing something familiar from within.

Elias rubbed the back of his neck and wrinkled his nose. "I think...I think Grandmaster Feng wants to talk..."

And then the stones flashed brightly, a stream of spiritual energy pooling out onto the wooden floor before them, taking the form of a human.

Grandmaster Wei's eyes flew wide open as he took a step back in surprise, watching the person that he'd missed for so long appear in front of his eyes. "M...Master?"

In a flurry of magnificent golden robes and enchanting white hair, the previous grandmaster of the Mystic Sky Sect materialized before his former subordinates, flashing a joyful smile.

"Though I planned to stay within the stones to preserve my energy, I just couldn't help upon coming back to my sect..." Grandmaster Feng's eyes feel on Grandmaster Wei, and he brightened significantly, though his eyes grew a little sad. "We meet again, my dearest disciple!"