Enril sat up and surveyed his surroundings. A brown blanket covered him, a tall dresser sat in the corner, green and white walls, and a round mirror on the door. It reminded him of his childhood bedroom. He stood before the mirror, pressing his fingertips against the cool glass.

　　"Was that& a nightmare?" He looked at his gaunt face. Dull emerald eyes stared back at him. He was dressed in the robes of his clan instead of his sect. He left his room in a daze.

　　In the main room, he found his mother and father at the table. On the table, he spied a plain lily sitting in a vase.

　　Enril froze, his memories flooding back.

　　Zelek`s demise flashed in his mind, and he collapsed to the ground, hands covering his ears. He wailed and screamed until his parents reached him.

　　His father`s stern voice cut through his screams, "Enril, calm down, we`re here." They stood him up, and though his tears did not cease flowing, he controlled his screams. "Come with us."

　　They led him to the town square. The Foon Elders, Di Yu, Xing, and Madam Yun sat in front of a closed casket. Zelek`s parents sat to the side of the casket.

　　"You seem well rested. Enril, I need you to answer me about yesterday," Madam Yun said, calm but stern.

　　"My fault&" he muttered with hot tears streaming down his cheeks. His vision was blurry as he stumbled to the casket and crumpled over top. "My fault." The violent sounds of his weeping filled the air.

　　"Enril, if you cannot answer me, I am going to have no choice but to believe you committed this crime. The punishment the Council hands out for this is death. Do you understand?" Yun berated.

　　"Good&" he said, his forehead pressed to the casket.

　　"Enril, you must see reason. This loss pains us all, but we still have you. You and Zelek were equa-" Xing started.

　　Enril rose, his face contorted in fury. "Don`t you dare compare me to him. He was more talented than I could ever hope to be. No one could match him. He was a star among stars, shining brighter than anything else." Enril`s pained voice filled the otherwise silent town square.

　　Xing had given an edict that only the immediate family and the Elders were permitted to attend this hearing. Yun stood and said, "Due to the nature of this incident, the Ten Heavens Council officially hands control of this trial to the Foon Patriarch." She nodded to Xing, then sat down.

　　Xing gestured to Zelek`s mother and father. In a quiet, somber tone he asked, "Foon Zi, Foon Zell, please step forward." They stepped between the casket and Xing, and bowed. "A tragedy has befallen our clan that involves Enril. He won`t recount the story for Madam Yun, impeding her decision. It is on our shoulders now to provide the Council with a satisfactory result." Xing paused, and took a deep breath. "We heard his tale yesterday. With those details in mind, do you have any demands for this major grievance which has been committed against your family?" Xing asked, the words bit his tongue like caustic poison.

　　Zell stepped forward. "Our only request is that Enril be absolved of any involvement in this matter. He is not guilty, and we will not accept any other answer." Zi grabbed Zell`s hand and sobbed, but nodded.

　　Xing glanced at Yun, and she returned a nod. He turned to Enril and said, "Foon Enril, you have been absolved of any involvement in this grievance. You are free to do as you please." Xing breathed a sigh of relief as he half-smiled to Zelek`s parents.

　　Enril grumbled, "You`re all fools. People suffer when I`m involved. Who`s next?" His voice grew louder until he was shouting, "Will you be the next to die, Xing?"

　　"You should know your place, boy. Were it up to me, you`d have a casket of your own," Di Yu sneered. She turned her nose up, and a bruise on her cheek revealed itself.

　　Yun extended her hand towards Di Yu. "Enril, you have a future here. Your full potential has yet to reveal itself. Continue to hone your skills. Maybe you could be the one to find the realm that lies beyond expression. If you find that realm, new possibilities may reveal themselves." Yun drew her hand back and placed it over her heart. "What do you think? If you continue to grow, new powers are waiting."

　　Enril bit his lip until it bled. He just wanted the aching in his heart to stop.

　　Xing approached Enril and grasped him by the shoulders. "Enril, this will pass. I promise you, whatever help you need, I am here. The whole clan is here for you." He tried to look Enril in the eyes, but Enril tucked his chin.

　　Di Yu scoffed, "If he wants to go off and die, so be it. Worthless scum. Seems his only talent is running like a coward. No wonder Zelek died, he had to carry a leech with him everywhere. So much for them being brothers`."If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

　　Fury burned in Enril`s chest. He broke Xing`s grip and stepped to Di Yu. He raised her from the ground with one hand wrapped around her throat. "Don`t you dare speak his name, you worthless snake. You`ve always had a viper`s tongue, but this time you`ve gone too far. Say whatever you wish about me, but I will not tolerate anyone speaking ill of my brother!" Enril squeezed harder. Her face tinged blue. She flailed her feet and clawed at Enril`s arm. Unable to breathe, she could not enhance herself.

　　Xing intervened, prying her from Enril`s vice. "You are the one going too far," he scolded.

　　Di Yu tried to speak but only hoarse whispers came from her throat. Four purple lines ran up one side of her neck, and a solitary purple line on the opposite side.

　　"Now what am I supposed to do?" Xing cupped his face. "This is another major grievance. Allow me a moment to think."

　　Elder Hao stepped forward, "Xing, might I have a word whilst you think?" Xing nodded, and Hao continued, "Enril, you studied from Winryu`s Bounding Wind Schema. I recall a time, many moons ago, when Winryu shared with me a pain he endured when carrying anything more than a spatial pouch. Yet, you surpassed this by carrying an entire person. Not just once, but for many steps, according to your tale. Your mastery is astounding. In your six years of practicing, you achieved a greater mastery than Winryu had in his entire life. Do you know how proud he was of you? He used to boast endlessly that you had chosen his Schema to study. You are the only Foon who has ever chosen to study it." Enril bit his lip harder, his shoulders quivering. Hao wrapped his arms around the shaking youth. "Everything you do brings pride to our clan. Your brother now rests with all his ancestors. Do you understand the honor you`ve bestowed upon him by bringing him home? Please, don`t lose hope." Hao`s soft voice soothed the fury in Enril`s heart.

　　Enril turned to Yun and inquired, "What powers lie in these realms beyond expression?"

　　"I don`t possess that answer. The bounds of Heaven would be the limit of power, I assume. However, I am certain that this power does not exist in the Vale." She winked at him, and his mind raced.

　　Di Yu regained her ability to speak, though her voice crackled with each word, "No, he is not to leave. I demand his head for this transgression."

　　Xing drew his sword with a half-smile. "Enril, shall we?" He pointed the sword to Enril and nodded. In the blink of an eye, Enril disappeared.

　　"What the hell? Chase after him, Xing," Di Yu barked.

　　"I`m sorry, but I must refuse. As Hao explained, Enril possesses a mastery of the WindWard Step that we cannot fathom. Before I can reach the eastern exit, he will be long gone. In terms of speed, I am not his match. My apologies to you, my dear wife." He slumped his shoulders after sheathing his katana.

　　Enril`s parents stepped forward. His father asked, "Where is he heading?"

　　"He`s beginning a long journey. One day, I believe he shall return. Be ready to embrace him when he does. His heart is in turmoil and he will need your support," Yun said and stood. A bell chimed and she vanished in a burst of light.

　　With a mere four WindWard Steps, Enril departed from Foon territory. With each step through the Wild Lands, a torrent of thoughts inundated his mind. One thought, that repeated itself again and again, caused hope to blossom in his heart: If I can grow strong enough, I can bring him back.`

　　Between Miraculous Liquid Sect and Quaking Earth Sect, he approached the Outer Lands. A dry, desolate desert stretched out before him. If his assumption was correct, the desert would continue outside the barrier. He could utilize his Maneuver to the greatest effect and travel the farthest possible distance. As he approached the barrier`s edge, he saw someone leaned against a stray boulder.

　　"Disciple greets Sect Master," Enril said and bowed.

　　"How did I know you`d be dumb enough to leave?" Ying Yue taunted as she walked over to him. "You`re a headstrong fool, aren`t you?"

　　"I have a new path," Enril stated. His voice was calm and serene.

　　"Who could have guessed?" She rolled her eyes. "Take this." She tossed a spatial pouch to Enril.

　　"Many thanks, Sect Master." He bowed again before inspecting the pouch. It held a small amount of pills, minerals, herbs, and food. He noticed three odd carved objects and a book underneath the other supplies. "What are these?" He asked as he pulled all four items out.

　　"You craft Technique Tokens, but don`t recognize these?" she asked.

　　"I only studied the basics of that Schema. My understanding of them is very rudimentary. Imbuing a stone with a single-use technique is my limit."

　　Ying Yue snatched the tokens from his hand. "These each hold a special technique." She handed him the first, shaped like a shield. "Use this if you face life-threatening danger." She tossed him the second, shaped as a disc. "This is a token to be used if you are injured." Last, she handed him the final token, shaped like a crescent. "This is a last resort, only use it if you absolutely must strike someone down. Don`t use it flippantly, understand?" Her stony gaze concerned Enril.

　　"I understand, thank you, Sect Master." He bowed again.

　　She placed a hand on his shoulder and announced, "This will be a direct order from your Sect Master. You must report to me before you reach thirty years. If you don`t, I will assume you`ve perished. I can`t stop you from leaving. Instead, promise me you`ll obey that command. Return, but with newfound strength." Her lips softened into a smile.

　　"I promise you, I shall return before my thirtieth year." He placed a fist on his chest as his lips undulated in an awkward smile.

　　Ying Yue sighed before departing. Standing at the edge of the barrier, Enril stowed the tokens back into his pouch. He still held the mysterious tome which she hadn`t explained. The title read, Schema of the Forlorn Traveler`. Enril felt a sense of peace wash over him as he read the title.

　　As he prepared to step beyond the barrier, he filled his lungs and looked up at the sky. He shouted, "Mark my words, Heaven. I will seek your truths and resurrect my brother." The clouds parted and a radiant beam of light swept across the sky.

　　With a WindWard Step, Enril disappeared through the barrier and into the desert.