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Growing up on a farm is a very rewarding, but hard life. When you're young, you loathe the hard work that is demanded to upkeep and maintain the crops and animals; yet, as you get older, you realize the lessons and values this lifestyle instills within you. I used to enjoy helping the little lambs get born and take their first steps, and I would always get sad when it was time for the older ones to go. My father would tell us it was the grand circle of life, all things end and the cycle starts anew. At the age of seventeen I chose to leave the farm for a year and see as much of the world as I could. Sure I had been to the city of Buya many times for supplies and the occasional meal at Lin's Noodles, ah.. Lin's.. that lady made noodles so good you would forget every other meal you've ever had.., but I had never spent time anywhere else. My first stop was the mysterious Nagnang. Mother always said only the truly brave or the truly foolish would tread those lands. Any time our cousins would visit they would tell scary stories of the Dark Forest. Usually some tale of another poor soul that would get lost in the maze, eventually succumbing to madness, or worse, the wildlife within. The locals say only true survivors and those with a strong will and mind can find their way out. I knew I had to take such a challenge to test myself. I went in with the confidence of a bull, headstrong in my childish ambition to prove myself. The first day there was a breeze, I strolled through the forest with my head high, showing no fear to the countless new animals I saw there. The occasional tribesman would watch me from behind the trees, but luckily none chose to approach me as of yet. Day four was the first time I allowed doubt to creep in. Perahps it was the hunger that weakened my mind, but whatever it was, had made me start to worry I would never find my way out. Wolves began to get closer to me at night, like they could smell me losing my mind. On night six, the pack that had been following me finally made their move. I was able to escape by sheer luck - stumbling upon a farm, the home of a ghost. The wolves dared not follow me here, it was as if there was an invisible dome around the farm that turned any animals docile. The ghost approached me, and I noticed a certain.. emptiness within her. Her mouth would move, but no sound was heard, as if the winds themselves swept the noise from her lips. After regaining my courage, I decided to leave the farm and find my way out of this forest. I noticed on a fencepost the work "Dusk." When I left the farm, the wildlife was still docile towards me, not even staring at me. It was if the atmosphere of the farm had stayed with me. With this new sense of safety, I was able to clear my mind, and eventually find my way out. The adventure in the forest was enough Nagnang for me, so after a night at the inn and a good meal in my stomach, I set off for Dae Shore and Koguryo. It is within the wilderness just north of the walls where I would come across the home of the Earth Dragon, who imparted with me his scroll the Shu Jing. I was enthralled with the knowledge within, especially Yin, Yang, and Balance. Being on the farm, I had been surrounded by real examples of balance between the energies of Yin and Yang my entire life without even knowing. I knew immediately I had found my new home, because I felt a joy within me on a level never previously experienced. The more I study its like I see the world with new eyes. The only path for me is dedication to the mastery of the way of the Earth Mage. To understand, protect, and preserve balance. Before I knew it, two months time had passed me by. With the blessing of the Earth Dragon, I kept a copy of the Shu Jing and set off for home, taking every opportunity I could to study along the way. When I returned home, I told everyone about my journey. My parents were so happy that I found my calling in life, and with their blessing, I left home to pursue my new life. | |