"How could you hand out that Schema so flippantly, Xing? And to a branch family, at that," Di Yu snarled.

　　Xing slumped against the wall, cupping his head in his hands. "What else could I have done? His Filter produced a four, Di Yu. Even I, the greatest prodigy since my grandfather, only produced a three. We should nurture the boy. If he can grow and develop his talent to match mine, it could lead the clan to prosperity."

　　 Di Yu stomped over to Xing and jabbed her finger into his chest. "That Schema is designated for our head family. You were unwilling to bless Jun with it when he came of age. Yet, you`re willing to bless a runt from a branch family with it? All because he received a minor blessing on his Filter? What about our family?"

　　Xing raised his head to meet her crimson-eyed glower. It was true that he had not bestowed this Schema upon Jun. Eight years ago, Jun only produced a two on his Filter. The Winds of the King Schema had been passed down to Xing by its creator, Foon Haoran, who had given a condition: this Schema was only suitable for generational geniuses like themselves.

　　"My goal is to lead the Foon Clan to prosperity and longevity. Why should I withhold a blessing when someone fits the criteria to receive it?"

　　Di Yu`s footsteps echoed on the wooden floor as she stomped out. Xing groaned as turmoil consumed his thoughts and a tightness welled in his chest.

　　As a panting Enril crested the hilltop, Zelek hollered, "Hurry up, Enril."

　　"I can`t believe it, Zelek. You got the Schema you wanted. I`m so happy for you," Enril said with a forced smile.

　　"It must be a blessing from Heaven," Zelek looked skyward and mouthed a few words. "C`mon, Elder Shinu is waiting." He rapped his fist on the door. A man, who stood an entire head shorter than either boy, answered.

　　"Welcome, Juniors. Please, come in and have a seat." The miniature man moved across the room, gathering a handful of articles and spreading them across a table. He motioned for the boys to come closer as he held up a single sheet of paper with particularly brown edges.

　　"This is the Foon Clan Decree. It details what your privileges are as a Seeker of our clan." Shinu shuffled the other contents of the table around while the boys read the paper. "Next, we have the resource distribution for Seekers." Shinu presented a much less worn paper that detailed the different statuses and stipends.

　　The boys met the requirements of Clan Seeker`, the starting point. They would receive one Feather Pill` per month. According to the document, if they entered the Wandering Realm, there were more ways to earn pills.

　　Both boys looked to Shinu, who asked, "Do you understand?" The boys nodded.

　　Shinu set the paper down and cradled an ornate wood box with etched symbols on the lid. "Each moon you will receive a pill. Thirty days may seem long, but it will pass in a blink, trust me." Shinu lifted the etched lid to reveal a blue cushion upon which round objects rested. "Hold these and wait for my instruction."

　　He placed one of the pills in each boy`s hand. Enril and Zelek both stared with wide eyes. The packed, pale-green, powdered pills filled their palms. Zelek poked at his pill.

　　"Don`t play with it. These precious resources are not toys," Shinu chided. Zelek`s cheeks flushed as he lowered his hand. "These pills have a wondrous effect. They permanently bolster your Filter."

　　The boys shared a slack-jawed stare. Zelek`s face stretched into a wide grin. With the pill nearly pressed to his lips, Shinu caught his wrist. "You will wait until I`m finished speaking." Shinu`s eyes narrowed as he released Zelek`s wrist.

　　"Junior begs your forgiveness. I lost myself in excitement." Zelek bowed his head.

　　Shinu gave Zelek a light tap on the back of the head. "We cannot afford to waste these on wanton whims of the youth." He pointed a finger straight down. The boys knelt on the floor. Their Filters now hovered at eye level with Shinu. He placed a hand in front of Zelek`s Filter which spun round and round. Shinu`s eyes grew wide. "Zelek, your Filter is blessed with a four. How amazing." Zelek blushed but remained silent.

　　Shinu tapped his chin in thought. "I`m going to recommend a risky approach. Focus on the largest face more than the rest." He paused. "We can only pray Heaven continues to bless you."

　　Zelek`s emerald eyes lit up as his imagination ran wild. "Thank you for your guidance, Honored Elder," he said, staring down at his pill.

　　Shinu turned and spun Enril`s Filter the same way. "Has Junior done something to his Filter? Did your parents give you something before you arrived?"

　　Enril felt a sudden lump in his throat. "No, I received nothing from my parents before arriving, Honored Elder."

　　"How do you have two faces with the value of two?" Shinu spun Enril`s Filter once more, scratching his balding head as he nibbled his lip. Though he had served as the sixth elder of the Foon Clan for thirty years, he had not encountered a situation like this. He had given guidance to many hundreds of clan members when they came of age, and their Filters had all been similar. All ones with the occasional child being blessed with a single two.

　　Shinu sighed with dejection. "In your case, Enril, standard advice will apply: focus on increasing your average value by distributing your benefits evenly." Enril nodded in thanks, but a pang of disappointment beat within his heart.

　　Shinu stepped back and brought his hands together. "When you consume a pill, there will be a limited time to perform the modifications," he explained, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. His Filter popped out above his head, and he continued. "To bring your Filter into your body, focus on it. It should feel like an extension of your body. Bring it back to yourself." He took a quick breath and made his Filter vanish.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

　　The boys followed the instructions, and both Filters disappeared. With eyes closed, they envisioned a space within themselves - a black abyss with their one-hundred-sided polyhedron and a small, crystalline orb filled with a white and murky liquid.

　　"What you see now is your Reserve," Shinu said, as he knelt in front of the boys. "Your Filter is closely related. Your Reserve will expand as your foundation builds. The liquid inside is your riken. The small opening above your Reserve is your Stream. It allows riken to flow through you."

　　When Enril opened his eyes, he was greeted by Zelek`s quivering hand and huge grin. He tried to return the smile, but he worried if he opened his mouth his heart would escape.

　　"Feather pills grant two benefits," Shinu said and held a finger up. "The first: you can make a permanent change to your Filter. An increase of one to the value of a singular face." A second finger joined the first. "Your affinity with wind will increase. The Foon territory is rich with wind. Your Schema will guide you on how to cultivate it and process it into riken. I will wait for you both to finish."

　　Seconds later, a faint snore escaped his lips after Shinu assumed a lotus position and closed his eyes.

　　The boys stared at their pills. Five minutes passed. Zelek made the first move. He launched the pill into his mouth. He broke into a sweat and shuddered as a bitter taste spread over his tongue. Although he experienced mental clarity, he felt distant from his physical body.

　　As his internal vision came into focus, two small glimmers floated next to his Filter and Reserve. One glimmer floated into his Reserve and disappeared into the milky, white liquid. The other sat, waiting. Zelek cupped his hands around it. It was shaped like the number one. He applied the light to his Filter. One of the faces increased in value by one.

　　"Done," Zelek let out a large sigh. A bead of sweat dripped from his brow as he looked at Enril.

　　Enril nodded and swallowed his pill. First, the bitter taste assaulted his tongue, followed by a cold sweat, and a cramping sensation in his belly.

　　Inside himself, he saw two glimmers alongside his Reserve and Filter. He applied the light shaped like the number one to his Filter and the other glimmer faded into his Reserve.

　　"I`m also finished," Enril said. As he placed a hand on his belly, the cramping sensation subsided. His robe was left with a slight, damp stain where his hand had been.

　　Shinu opened his eyes. "It is time for your first actions as Seekers. You will cultivate. Let`s head to the garden." Shinu walked to the door and opened it, ushering the boys out.

　　As they entered the garden, they were greeted by the aroma of flowers and the scent of fresh rain. Plants of all shapes and sizes sprawled on the trellis at the entrance. A large, flat stone sat in the middle of a pattern of grasses arranged in a colorful rainbow. On the periphery of the garden, butterflies flitted from flower to flower.

　　Taking a seat atop the rock, Shinu said, "I will demonstrate." He conjured his Filter above his head. "You will be able to do this once per day. Feed your Filter a small amount of riken. We call this process rolling`. The Filter will roll until a face is chosen. The value of that face determines the amount of riken you can absorb."

　　A wisp of white floated from Shinu into his Filter. It began to spin, like a die thrown across the table. A few moments passed until the Filter ceased its motion. The number twenty-four shone.

　　Shinu`s Filter grew brighter as green wisps gathered into it. The boys felt a strong wind gust toward Shinu. An almost solid strand of white dripped from his Filter and into his body. After two minutes, the strand disappeared along with the Filter`s glow.

　　Shinu retracted his Filter and stepped from the stone. "You two have now witnessed the process. Who would like to go first?" Shinu held out an open hand toward the stone.

　　Zelek gave Enril a nudge. "Go ahead, Enril. You`ll be awesome." He flashed a thumbs up and beamed a huge, closed-eye grin.

　　Enrils heart pounded as he placed a hand on the cool, smooth rock. "Go on," Shinu said as he backed away a few paces from the stone and folded his arms within his robe.

　　With a deep breath, Enril sat down. Butterflies fluttered around him, and he felt as though he`d swallowed one. He followed Shinu`s example and conjured his Filter, prompting an "ooh" from Zelek.

　　Closing his eyes, Enril focused on his riken and forced a bit through his Stream toward his Filter. As his Filter began to roll, he felt disoriented and off-balance, as though he spun in a whirlpool.

　　Once the Filter ceased rolling, his senses returned, and he saw a pale light flash the number two where his Filter had been. He gave a silent cheer as he felt a new sensation, colder than winter`s wind yet hotter than summer`s sun, flow into him. He witnessed a pale stream flow into his Reserve, replacing his missing riken. His Reserve was now full, yet riken continued to force its way in, shooting pangs of pain paralyzed Enril`s breath. They subsided after a few moments, and at a glance, he could tell his Reserve was larger.

　　Enril opened his eyes and retracted his Filter. Shinu gave a small clap. "Well done, Heaven has smiled upon you. Congratulations on rolling a two." The corners of Shinu`s lips tugged upward.

　　Enril bowed his head. "Junior thanks Elder Shinu."

　　"My turn, my turn." Zelek leaped onto the stone the instant Enril vacated.

　　Enril took his place next to Shinu, his body still trembling. He stole a glance at his hands-they were still his, no different than before. Something felt different, as if they`d been asleep all his life and just now awoken. Shinu`s gasp broke Enril`s reverie. Zelek`s Filter shone with a five.

　　Shinu gave a hardy laugh, "Heaven seems to favor you boys."

　　Riken rushed through Zelek`s Filter and flowed into him. Enril bit his lip and waited in silence. When the riken had ceased flowing, Zelek sprang to his feet and his Filter disappeared. "I feel amazing!" he shouted as he jumped half his height into the air before landing.

　　"Settle down before you hurt yourself," Shinu barked.

　　"Junior begs forgiveness," Zelek said with a bow.

　　"Continuing the lesson; the number you roll dictates the amount of riken you absorb. As you noticed with me, the stream is more or less solid. For you boys, it was a thin line. This is important in the numbering system our Filters have received from Heaven. Standard math would dictate two is twice one; four is twice two. The Filter does not operate under linear mathematics. A single two is more than two ones; four is more than two twos."

　　The boys gasped at the revelation and waited for Shinu to enlighten them further, but he remained silent and shuffled back into his home. The boys followed him inside. Shinu grumbled as he poured himself some tea. "That`s all for today. Return home and rest well. Training begins tomorrow." Steam billowed out of his cup as he finished pouring. The boys bowed and departed.

　　Halfway down the hill, Zelek flexed his fists and exclaimed, "How amazing is this? I feel like I`m in a new body. How do you feel, Enril?"

　　"Like you said, a whole new body. You`re so lucky," Enril replied, his compliment tinged with jealousy. "You rolled such a high value on your first try."

　　"Elder Shinu`s advice urged me to push my four to a five. I didn`t think Heaven would smile upon me as it did." Zelek looked skyward and mouthed a few silent words. He turned back to Enril, "You were amazing as well. Two was your highest face, wasn`t it? Heaven has smiled upon us both." Zelek thrust a fist skyward with a cheer.

　　Enril scratched his head with a sigh. "Yeah, I guess so. After consuming the pill, I had three chances out of one hundred. It is a blessing, isn`t it?"

　　Zelek`s excited giggle never stopped during their journey home, while Enril remained quiet. The flutter in his stomach and the hammering of his heart had not subsided.