Nikink/ShadowOfLaughter
Shadow Of Laughter
When he was a child, a Wyld hunt led by a Dragon-Blooded 'Hero' of House Cynis casually destroyed his village of Five-Tree-Grove (some 300 miles south-east of Great Forks) looking for directions to an Anathema in the region.
The villagers knew nothing... or at least, said nothing and after the inevitable slaughter and looting, a boy of 4 or 5 years, who had managed to evade the enslavement or death of his peers, cried alone over the remains of his family.
An itinerant monk named 'Swift-Song' wandered through the village as the sun dawned the next day.
He found the boy exhausted and asleep amid the wreckage of a crude hut and took pity upon the child. The gentle monk named the boy 'Shadow-of-Laughter' in honour of the child's lost innocence.
He raised the boy as well as he could, attempting to instill calmness and discipline, knowledge and wisdom, but the seeds of burning revenge were ever in the forefront of the boy's mind.
Shadow-of-Laughter became a superb Martial Artist under Swift-Song's tutelage, but rebelled against his master's peaceful philosophies. He grew to be a lean and graceful youth. Dark skin taut over corded muscles betrayed the power within, and golden eyes flashed with menace and anger. His head was kept shaved by his Master, as befitting an itinerant.
For seven years travelled the Hundred Kingdoms. From Nexus to the Eastern Forests, Marukan to Halta. His Sifu treating all with kindness and respect, protecting the downtrodden and performing good deeds where-ever they went; bargaining with gods, spirits, fair-folk and even the dead when necessary. All the while attempting to teach Shadow patience and control, wisdom and compassion. Some lessons were harder than others…
The unexpected happened, as it so often does. Within village of Coiled-Snakes, near Great Forks, Shadow and his Sifu were assaulted by Immaculate Monks. The Monks were young and brash, filled with hubris at their skill and outrage at the temerity of an itinerant monk and his self appointed apprentice to spread heresy against the Dragons and the Realm. His master forbade Shadow-of-Laughter to raise his fists in anger, and respectfully bowed to the young monks as they stoked their righteous fury into open violence. His master carefully, and skillfully, evaded the worst of the blows, and continued threading his way through the village. Shadow-of-Laughter was less fortunate and was severely beaten.
As the Monks jeered and laughed and kicked dirt upon the bleeding and bruised teenager, the more wary among them heard the old man’s voice wash over them like a breeze. “Beware waking the tiger before you have planned your escape, foolish princes.” A righteous anger washed over Shadow, and hate and shame filled his soul. He struggled back to his feet saying 'You have had your turn noble masters, now it is mine!'. The fight did not last long, and at the end three young monks were dead, the other four had fled, nursing wounds and tale of mighty bandits, to their own master Tepet Gorono.
The old man shook his head wryly over the panting, broken and bloody body of Shadow-of-Laughter. “You have awoken early, child, for you have much yet to learn. As always, patience slips from your grasp like water from a sieve. You should rest now, one comes who can guide you. We will meet again. If you are patient.”
And with that Shadow fell into a deep sleep. He awoke with the figure of a beautiful girl standing over him, cleaning his wounds. She smiled and he knew peace, she spoke and he knew love. "Welcome to my father’s village, hero. Shortly we will eat. We would be honoured if you would join us."
Months passed.
His master gone, Shadow-of-Laughter felt alone and confused. He decided that he had failed his master and resolved to learn patience by waiting in the village until Swift-Song's return. But eventually, boredom set in. Shadow-of-Laughter took to patrolling the surrounding hills in search of Dynasts and other Realm folk. Setting traps along the roads and ambushing from woods Shadow-of-Laughter became a local legend. To merchants and travellers - a merciless murderer, a bane upon Realm folk, a ghost with golden-eyes that would strike the unwary without warning or compromise. To the local villagers of Coiled-Snakes, his victories and successes, and the wealth he brought back, soon quelled any fears they had - he became a hero.
Seasons rolled on. Shadow-of-Laughter's and the girl, 'Dancing-Star's love grew and blossomed. Although she would beg him not to go on his raids, for fear of his death, capture or chance of greater reprisal from the Guild or the Realm, he would not be swayed. 'They will never find me! I strike at them unseen! And I will never bring harm on you or the village, for I will never fail! I do not fear the Dragon-Spawn, but I will not challenge them for I am not a fool. And their un-exalted siblings must welcome a chance at reincarnation, else they would not die so easily before my attacks!' But as Shadow's legend grew, his actions became bolder. He would target Dragon-Bloods in his raids; waiting until they were injured, near death, or otherwise at a severe disadvantage before attacking and in this manner defeated four Princes of the Earth in less than two seasons. He would even stoop as low as selling himself as a slave to the more debauched Dynasts in order to get close to them.
His reputation expanded yet further. Stretches of hills and woodland became known as haunted or cursed. Eventually, the audacity could not be tolerated, and a brotherhood of Dragon-Bloods came to investigate the rumours of ghosts and monsters. They set a trap of their own. It was all too simple - an elderly Dynast trader, leading a weary train of carts loaded with riches, and defended by a small number of exhausted mercenaries and a large number of effete slaves.
The Dynast fell quickly. The slaves ran into the woods and the mercenaries fled once their employer was dead. Shadow-of-Laughter and his small gang were laughing at the cowards and joking over how to divide the riches when the trap was sprung. Two Immaculates (of Air and Wood) and three secular burst from within the carts and laid waste to the surprised gang with ease. It was then that Shodow-of-Laughter Exalted. A glorious golden lion-headed dragon glowing like the sun lit the scene as the now terrified terrestrials fought the Anathema and one-by-one died beneath his hands and feet.
Once the battle was over Shadow-of-laughter fled into the woods. Scared of what he had become and wounded he laid low for three days before limping back to Coiled-Snakes and collapsing into the worried arms of Dancing-Star and her father, Solid-Cloud. He awoke in the afternoon and told them what had happened. They were afraid, he could sense it, but they vowed they would stand by him still. They informed him that a man had come to the village looking for him.
Shadow-of-Laughter's heart leapt as he imagined his Master's return, but it was not to be. A man named Usugama was waiting for him outside.
"Come," the man said. "Surely a Wyld Hunt will soon be called upon you. It would be best if we were far from here when it does."
Conceding wisdom and still confused, Shadow agreed to travel with the man. As he gathered his few belongings he vowed to come back and marry Dancing-Star one day.
