The Five Gogyô

Fluffy · Jan 15, 2011

Chapter 1: Introducing the Five

Darkness has slowly begun to consume China, as its people now fall asleep every night with fear. A magistrate was murdered days ago by a mongol, though his death isn't the only one. People both with and without power have been slain by these merciless fighters. Everything about them dominates China's armies, especially since some of them have to stay behind to watch over the civilizations.

The Mongols are a brutal clan of people who will even trample on the innocent upon horseback. Their strength and heartlessness overpowers the Chinese soldiers. There's no count for how many funerals have been held for these brave men; the word 'many' suffices. Now that the Mongols have advanced to people of higher status, all seems lost.

There's still a strong flame of hope: The Five Gogyô Warriors

Each one of these people wield a very special power that the mongols wouldn't stand a chance against. Still, it isn't quite simple as that. There are many steps to take in order to put an end to the madness. The very first was to assemble them, and point them in the right direction.

Once Ling Ji Soo and her husband got their message, they made haste to the palace that summoned them. They packed what they could and what they felt was necessary for their journey to come. Upon horseback, the one who wields fire and the one who wields wind raced to meet with the Emperor.

Early afternoon, Young and Ling arrived at the palace gates. They waited for them to open, anxious to meet the other three. The woman was, at least. For her husband often seemed disinterested in life, always getting lost in his thoughts...

Seiji · Jan 15, 2011

Won Quan An, Elemental Sage of Earth, had been far to the West when he got word of the Mongol horde coming down on China with all the fury it could muster. They trampled China's people with their weapons, their horses, their ruthlessness. Word said they spared no one, not even children, and that caused Quan An a furious moment in which he had turned to a boulder and destroyed it. Not his finest moment, nor his most serene, but he needed to release his frustration somehow.

Before leaving to go North, past the Wall, and engaging the Mongols on his own, Quan An had received word that the Emperor was looking for The Five Gogyô Warriors.

"Yes," he had said, "Five of us will be better than one."

Quan An had not shown haste in traveling to the Capital. As a matter of fact, it seemed he was enjoying a cross-country tour, than marching at the Emperor's Order! He had even opted not to use a horse, instead walking across the rough landscape and the beautiful forests.

"I will arrive on time," he had told everyone simply, on the day of his departure.

~~~~~

It was early afternoon, the sun casting it's brilliant warm light from high into the sky. It wasn't too long past mid-day, and perhaps a meal would be in order. But not yet, not right now.

He had to be on time, did he not?

Won Quan An, Sage of Earth, strode proudly, confidently, and barefooted-ly, over the well-maintained roads of the Imperial City. The soles of his feet were darkened, so filthy they were practically black, but not a mark of injury dared make it's place on his feet. He had a brilliant smile, bright and toothy, his dark eyes reflecting a deep intelligence. His black hair was straight, and short, barely going past his chin. It was messy, and unwashed, but hardly presentable-- there was a stylishness in the messyness.

Ignoring the hawkers and the salesmen surrounding him, even the cautious eyes of wandering Guards, Quan An made his way to the gates of the Imperial Palace. He saw others crowded around, but two in particular caught his eye. He knew it, without needing to ask, that they were like him. They were connected to the land, the elements, to life itself. They were kindred.

Smiling, he strode up to the pair and dropped the heavy but of his guan dao onto the ground in front of him. The heavy, curved blade was covered in a thick leather and tied down to the haft just below in an intricate knot. There was even a tiny chain there, to lock the covering of the blade!

"Nihao," he said simply.

Blind Hemingway · Jan 16, 2011

Soo Young never really liked travelling around on horseback. He always seemed to have bad luck with them no matter which one he borrowed from his father-in-law's stables. Young had chosen a black mare, assuming maybe a horse of the fairer gender might change things. He forgot that the "fairer gender" aspect only applied to spirits or mortals. This mare decided that eating twigs on the side of the road than deal with the long march to the new capital of the Empire.

Has he and his wife entered the city of Nanjing.

"Wow...I am not impressed." Young said as he twirled his bamboo flute around in his fingers. "You would have thought that they'd build this place up a little more for our arrival."

"It's only been two years since the Red Turbans led by our new Emperor captured the city from the Yuan." Ling said.

"I know, I know...But we've been involved with the rebellion for several years now...And we get no fancy welcoming. Sometimes, I wonder why I accepted this life style."

"You can read and write. That's why." Ling rolled her eyes.

It had only been a few months since the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty was overthrown by the Ming Dynasty. Alongside institutionalized ethnic discrimination against Han Chinese that stirred resentment and rebellion, the Yuan had overtaxed rural villages, and then the massive flooding of the Yellow River as a result of the abandonment of irrigation projects was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Young then began to play a little melody from his flute.

Slayer · Jan 16, 2011

Geng Qui Jiang, the Sage of Kú was in no haste to arrive at the palace. Even though he wanted to get there, it was impossible for him to just walk trough a village without talking to the people and helping them where he could. The Emperors call disturbed him, he knew that the land was in danger and something had to be done, but he never liked war and violence.

"Can't there be another way?" , he asked himself. He was walking down the road that led to the palace gates. He wondered if the others already arrived, but with him being close to the palace when the call arrived he doubted that the others had already arrived.

He liked staying in this part of the country, war hadn't quite shaken this part as much as the others yet. But this too would change soon, if nothing would be done. He steeled his resolve one last time before entering the palace.

"It must be done" His thought echoed in his head even after the gate was closed.

Kitti · Jan 20, 2011

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Chang Bo Bai had received the summons while she was tending to the village shrine to the Jade Emperor. She had not at first believed that she was being called upon, not when her grasp of her own abilities was hardly exceptional. Bo shook her head a little at the letter, terrified of the implications. In that delicate script, she envisioned godlike beings as her fellows, and being scorned for her inability to compare. Still, Bo knew that these worries were anxiety, secondary to serving the people. If she was to be humiliated, at least she could humiliate herself in service to China.

Bo did not own a horse, rather choosing to tend to matters on foot or over the water, although she did occasionally borrow a horse. Such was the case now, she was receiving a horse for her travel from a household that was wealthier than her own. Though she was unaccustomed to riding, she was given a stallion, which made her even more uneasy. The owner had told her that if she liked the horse, she may keep him, and that the horse would have otherwise been sold as meat because he had no need for more stallions.

With a hesitant step, then, she approached the honey brown horse. His dark mane contrasted beautifully with his coat and she admired him as she prepared to climb up on the saddle pad provided for her. Surprisingly, and for which she was grateful, the horse did not offer more than token resistance and she easily controlled his behavior.

With a little more hope, she set off on her journey, her pack for her travel tied to her back, including a change of clothes since she had donned a man's heavy ramie pants and short tunic instead of clothing suitable for a woman, which would have made the ride more difficult. Bo had already said her goodbyes to Father and so she departed. The village was quiet at first, watching her leave with worry, but soon she could hear calls from the houses wishing her a safe trip. It lightened her heart to know that they cared.

The horse's behavior stayed unusually mellow the entire trip, a good omen if she knew one, and soon she was approaching her destination. She was almost to stopping in order to retrieve the summons for where exactly she was to go, but she saw another traveller on horseback and instead discreetly followed him in through the gates, and not a moment too soon since they shut with a heavy thump just behind her.

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Fluffy · Jan 27, 2011

Ling waited with Young by the palace, where they anticipated the meeting to be. She was getting uncomfortable on her horse... This never was her favoured way of traveling. Horses were vulnerable to attacks, and she disliked the way she had to sit on one. Both of her legs felt weak right now as she struggled to get out of her saddle.

"Dear, will you help me?" she asked after dropping the reigns. One of her arms hung down so he could take her hand and help her off. Ling didn't like to ask for help, but what shame was there in seeking assistance from your husband?

The woman then made an irritated sigh and turned her head to him. He was unresponsive, no doubt daydreaming about something. "YOUNG!" she snapped, reaching out to punch him on his arm. Unfortunately, she didn't have the longest limbs. When she launched the punch, she not only missed, but crashed on to the ground after losing her balance on her horse's back.

Ling landed on her side, thankfully without breaking a bone. She immediately stood up, a deep shade of red stretching across her face. "We are on a mission, Young! What are you doing getting lost in the clouds!? I mean, the least you could do is pay attention to me!"

All of Ling's rambling got quiet as she ran out of breath, her body then turning to where the rest of the warriors were arriving. The one who possessed the element of Earth showed up first, even giving a pleasant greeting after dropping his weapon to the ground. She eyed it curiously before looking back at him, giving an apologetic smile that still had some crossness lingering in it.

"His majesty will be with us soon," she told him.

Seiji · Jan 29, 2011

"Good!" Won Quan An said in his deep, sonourous voice. His voice was surprisingly deep given his handsome, good looks. Some might even call him 'pretty'; indeed, he got his good looks from the nobility, where those 'pretty' people seem to come from. He didn't mind it, nor did he really notice it. He looked simply the way he looked, as did everyone else. What did 'pretty' or 'ugly' even matter, in the grand scheme of the universe? Beauty came from serenity, and from finding one's place. Not from strange blue eyes, flowing hair, or rosy lips.

"It is not a moment too soon, I feel. The time for haste has finally come, as our destinies seem to be finally converging. We Sages were summoned, yes, and of course we would all arrive eventually. But, how interesting is it, that we all arrive at around the same moment?" He tapped his chin, and leaned heavily on his quandao. The heavy tip in the ground seemed to dig itself into the near-solid earth underneath it; was it heavy, or was he heavy?

"But, the weave of destiny aside, I cannot wait to put an end to those marauders from the North. Have you heard the tales? Of men being forcibly separated from family, from loved ones, and from their limbs? Only to be given their lives so they can spread these tales?" He shook his head sadly, but their was a hint of fierce anger in his voice, in the gleam of his eyes. "Rumours, yes, but all tales have a hint of truth to them, yes?"

Blind Hemingway · Jan 31, 2011

Young had a sly grin on his face when his wife began to blush. He knew that he irritated her a lot. Their families had arranged the marriage so many years ago, Young's father was a noble farmer, so it meant that he had a comfortable life but was not as rich as the Mongol overlords or their collaborators. Ling's family was also from the same caste and with their union both families would be able to do even greater trade deals over the rice that their peasant's grew.

"Oh, but I do pay attention to you my love." He then twirled his flute with his fingers and then placed it next to his lips and began to play a lullaby that Ling had grown up listening to. He then stopped once her rantings were over.

"One cannot always be a warrior, my love. Making mistakes, is what makes you grow beyond the simplicities of a child and to bloom into a flower."

The first Gogyo to appear was a muscular man armed with a large blade. Young did not dismounted from his horse just yet. He preferred to listen to what the new comer had to say. He then smiled, this guy spoke in flowery language just like he did. Though he had better prose. Young guessed he probably had a more formal education than even he had received.

"Yes, all tales do have a bit of truth in them. And in this case all we have to do is listen to the tales about their wars against the barbarians of the West, passed even the Great Mountains."

Young then gracefully dismounted from his mare and walked over to the Gogyo, "Hello my brother. I am Soo Young. This is my bride, Soo Ling. It is a pleasure to meet you." He then extended his hand out in friendship.

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The Five Gogyô

Fluffy

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Seiji

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Blind Hemingway

Ancient Iwaku Scum from 2006.

Slayer

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Kitti

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Fluffy

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Seiji

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Blind Hemingway

Ancient Iwaku Scum from 2006.