The Sheathing of the Sword [DRAFT; DISCARDED]

The Five Celestial Beasts

Li Bailong frowned, lowering his wand. The boy just wanted to successfully perform a magic trick for once. Was that too much to ask?

His eyes wandered back to the page of the book he was reading, The Mystics of Magic. The thick volume was opened up to page three hundred and ninety-four, elaborate writing explaining the steps required to wield ancient magic. Lavish drawings accompanied the text, illustrations of the intended effects and results of casting the spells. All other attempts at spells had failed, so he just kept flipping through the book, looking for something possible.

The boy sighed. "It's no use. It never is." He threw his wand into the corner of the room, frustrated at his failures. This was just another one on top of it all. Li Bailong wasn't surprised at his failure; rather, he was surprised at why he was still so disappointed when he fully expected such an outcome.

He gave one lingering look at The Mystics of Magic before averting his gaze. His failure was staring at him right in the face, sitting there wide open, and it upset him. Storming over, he snapped the book shut before hurling it at the wall as well. It had been a present, one given to him by his maternal grandmother, but as much as he valued it, it was too frustrating to look at. He left the room in a hurry, leaving the house without a second glance.

Li Bailong rushed down the street, his slip-on shoes slapping loudly against the ground. Onwards he raced, straight down the street, winding around corners here and there, weaving in and out of alleyways and the street. He paid no mind to his surroundings, solely his destination. Finally he came upon it: Zhao Feng’s Novelty Shop. He came here often, perusing the books and rare items he was prone to finding. Entering the shop, the bell above the door chimed, and a pair of amused eyes looked up at the new arrival.

The man at the counter smiled. "Well, if it isn't my most loyal customer. What brings you here, Li?"

"Li Bailong," the boy insisted. He disliked when people didn't call him by his proper name. "And I'm here to learn."

The counter man appraised him with an approving eye. "Most of your generation cares not to learn new things."

The boy prickled at being compared to his peers, despite it being a compliment. "I'm not most of my generation."

The man gave him a small smile, his white beard crinkling with the movement. "No," he allowed, "You're not. This way." He turned from the counter, turning into the backroom. Li Bailong scurried under the door that prevented people from going behind the counter, following him in.

The backroom was sumptuously furnished and generously lit, revealing walls lined with bookcases  filled to the brim with books. Also in the room were numerous antiques and dated artifacts, sculptures and paintings hanging from the walls as well. The boy sat himself down upon a particularly plump crimson satin cushion, and looked towards the man expectantly. He was not disappointed when the man swooped down, his tangzhuang kung fu uniform ruffling, sitting on the chair opposite him.

"What would you like to learn about today?"

"Anything," Li Bailong responded. "You always tell the best stories."

The bearded man smiled faintly. "Stories would imply they are not true, child. There is more to this world than meets the eye."

Li Bailong huffed. "I hope there's more to this tale too."

His patron chuckled. "Clever boy. Very well, let us begin. This is an ancient tale, entrenched in the beginning of time itself." To Li Bailong, the man's gaze seemed to become distant, reminiscent. His voice almost sounded...wistful.

"Long ago, there was nothing. The entirety of the universe was in the form of a void, exempt of life and creation. The void was simple, unbridled chaos. From the chaos came forth an egg. A giant, P'an Ku, resided within, hatching and breaking apart the egg that contained him. The egg shell broke into two pieces, light and darkness escaping as well. The darker, heavier pieces fell, creating the Earth, while the lighter, brighter fragments floated up and formed the heavens. P'an Ku, with fear in his heart, dedicated himself to keeping a balance between the sky and ground, vowing to keep them apart until he was sure the chaos would not return.