Till The Ryu Tree Blossoms

*** (Path)

Sansuri, Gifting Day

THEY MADE THEM LINE up in the hall, the women on the left and the men on the right. It reminded Ryu of a square dance, and she half expected music to strike up. But instead a uniformed officer walked in, and began striding down the lane formed by the two sides. Ryu's heart jumped a little as she saw the red and black robes, only to exhale when she realized it was just the village constable.

Though the Gifting was compulsory once for each family, it did not mean that every candidate succeeded. Even a single child had the chance to be turned away, whereupon he had to "improve himself and return". Han Ren thought it was a ridiculous law and complained against it many times - wouldn't it be better to just hold government exams like all the other kingdoms, and welcome whoever wanted to join? Why made it compulsory for each family; it isn't as if the court lacks men . . . they seek to control us, that's what it is. Ryu had never made a comment during his rants.

The constable stopped in front of a youth standing second from the right.

"Two counts of theft in the marketplace! Out!"

A ripple of murmur spread through the hall, silenced almost instantly by the constable's sharp look. The youth flushed and bowed rigid, before stepping out of the line and leaving the hall.

Next the constable walked to a girl in a blue-green dress. "Your family have not paid their taxes in three months. Out!"

The girl burst into the tears and positively fled. The constable snapped a finger and an officer stepped up with a salute.

"Take a taxation officer and follow her. It's time they pay up."

"Yes, sir!"

The constable made one more round, slow and deliberate, and then left the hall. The place seemed to breathe again.

A wave of panic seized Ryu's heart. What if she was not qualified? What if the officers knew about her hunting? Or found fault with her in a million other little ways; she was not ladylike enough, she did not perform well in school, she could not recite the deity's prayers . . . Would that affect her chances? And if it did, and she was rejected by the Gifting, would the magistrate be appeased that she had at least tried? Or would he then drop the axe on her head?

I should never have hunted. If she hadn't hunted, the magistrate would not hold it over her - he would not even have cared to know about her - and she wouldn't be in this mess. But she had saved a lot of money by hunting, and that money had helped her father out when the landlord came by for the monthly payment, not that he knew it of course.

And of course, the magistrate had been right. She loved the thrill of the hunt.

Her father was old. It had not been easy for him when their mother had passed; though Ryu could not remember much, she could vaguely recall the drinking and the many, many tears, plus the flicker of anguish that was always there when her mother's name was mentioned. Her father deserved more now, he deserved to rest and to enjoy a leisurely man's life. He was already entering his fifties, and Ryu had not failed to notice the sigh that seemed to get heavier and heavier when he picked up his axe to leave for work in the morning. The balm for aches too seemed to be vanishing faster and faster with each passing day. Deep down Ryu was worried that one day he might sprain an ankle or twist his back, and then what would they do then?

Her train of thought was broken as the hall doors opened and the Royal Magistrate walked in. Ryu clasped her hands tight under her garment and decided she would meet his stare, if there was any, head-on. This man was an uncertainty. What did he want from her? Why make her join the Gifting? It would have more sense if he had asked for a bribe.

The eyes like burned almonds swept the hall and no, Ryu decided, this man would not accept bribes. Not out of some moral obligation, but rather he held himself and his position very high in regard, and to reduce himself to the standard of accepting bribes would be derogatory. He was arrogant.

The Royal Magistrate's eyes darted around with focus and purpose, like a martial arts master striking at a a body's vital points. He slowed as he approached the first man from the left. The young man had on simple cotton robes, blue with streaks of yellow, and proper shoes. His eyes were very clear, and his face gave away nothing.

Slowly the Royal Magistrate circled him, like a vulture around a dying prey. Once in awhile he would stop, peered close at some unidentified spot on the robes, or the neck and face, made a grunt, and then moved on. Finally he took a step back, dusted his hands off and walked away.

Ryu watched the young man exhaled, relief breaking his poker mask for a split second.

Then the Royal Magistrate wheeled around, and in that confident rone Ryu was beginning to recognize, said,

"You - are descended from magic."

The whole hall stilled.

Ryu watched the young man's face paled.

Although the hourglass of time had been overturned again and again, the word magic had not lost its effect. The scars it had left behind were like demon claws of the real demons who had once used it, and it was a taboo. Before the Dark Ages, magic was a talent, a gift born only to a selected few, and magicians were given treasure, fortunes and entire kingdoms. Or so Ryu had read. But when the demons began to rise and terrorize, magic became a plague, a murderer, and anyone caught using it was executed on the spot.

Now a hundred years of peace and calm had passed after the last demon was defeated, but still the stigma surrounding magic had not fade. Some of the more stricter communities, Ryu knew, had those old laws forbidding it still in place. The neighboring kingdom, Tar'zkun, exiled those who practiced it. The Niav Islands in the north carried out medical procedures to "bleed" the magic out of the accused, or conduct brain experiments to expel the "disease" out of the system. And there were more towns out there, towns whose ancestors had felt the whole spectrum of demonic violence, who carried out their own private judgments - burning, staking, drowning, to name a few. It was incredible how much damage paranoia could deal.

While Sansuri's laws were not that extreme, the life of one with magic was still very hard in the kingdom. The law disqualified anyone with even the slightest trait of magic from any position in the court, and reduced them to the lowest ranks of society, higher by one rank only from the criminals and scoundrels, who sat at the bottom. If the law was bolder, Ryu thought, they would ask a person of magic to permanently hang a silver bell around his neck.

The young man stammered. "I don't - I don't understand what you're saying - "

The sword cleared the scabbard hanging from Yoon-ki's hip faster than the eye could blink. It pointed, steady and unwavering at the young man's Adam's Apple, which now bobbed up and down unsteadily.

"I could have you arrested right now for breaking the law. Article 4, Section 5.7, Code 3. A person of magic must make his condition known to the law, the court and his community. At least three non-magic persons must be aware of his whereabouts at all times, such as the village head, a family member or a neighbor. And of course, Section 5.7, Code 6 : When entering a room filled with strangers, a person of magic is to make his condition known by some sort of a signal, be it a loud verbal announcement, a displayed message on a board, or any other form of communication that renders the people in the room aware that a person of magic exists among them."

The magistrate stepped closer. "You weren't exactly yelling out loud about your magic just now, were you? And you definitely did not inform registration."

The young man's jaw clenched and Ryu watched his chest rise and fall, furious. "That's because I don't have it. I might be descended from it, but it doesn't mean I have it! And I refuse to be punished by the sins of my ancestors!"

The sword didn't dip. "Who's the last person in your family to have magic?"

"My grandmother." The young man's voice was sullen.

"Did she practice it?"

"No. Her father made sure of it."

"How?" The magistrate pressed.

"Every time she showed any sign of displaying it, he had her beaten. That way, she learned not to harm others."

"Did her father inform the court?"

" . . . No."

"So your great-grandfather broke the law."

"Yes. But not me. I don't have magic, I've done nothing wrong!"

"It's only been three generations. How sure are you?"

The young man's voice raised. "I told you, I don't have magic!"

"The disease might be temporarily repressed. The court is a stressful place; in the long run something might trigger you to go boom."

"That's ridiculous - "

"You're a ticking time-bomb. Maybe your grandchildren can make it into court, but I'm afraid your royal ambitions end here. Sha Jeongguk, you're disqualified from the Gifting." The magistrate stepped closer. "Now will you leave quietly, or do I have to remove you?"

Ryu watched the young man struggled with his rage. His fists were clenched into tight knuckles and for a moment Ryu thought he would fly at the magistrate. But then he tilted his head high, and marched stiffly out of the room. As he walked past Ryu she couldn't help taking a step back; he might not have magic, but the burning anger she could feel emanating from him was not to be reckoned with.

Sheathing his sword back into the scabbard, the magistrate turned around to face the remaining candidates. His shoes were polished and shone under the hem of his robes as he walked. Ryu watched him and tried to burn her glare into his back, but never once did he show any recognition of her as he made his way across the hall and out of the room.

Next came an old government officer. He had a pointy beard, and behind him a page scurried, carrying a tray full of measurement tools. Snapping his fingers he quickly chose two girls. Ryu noticed they were the most beautiful of those in line, which luscious locks and rosy cheeks, and their gowns too were made from satin, unlike her drab cotton.

A series of tools were passed between the page and the old man, who began to measure every aspect of the their bodies that he could see - the width of the nose, curve of the jaw, circumference of the arms and waist, down to the length of their feet. With each measurement he made a noise of satisfaction, before finally straightening up, slow. Something popped in the old man's back and he groaned comically. Ryu looked away as she giggled.

The old man waved and two women appeared from the side of the hall.

"Take these two away, and bring them to Concubine Hong."

Those words could only mean one thing - these ladies were to be trained to become the wives of either the king or his sons. Ryu watched the two girls' eyes lit up. A concubine's financial security was assured. She did not envy them though, it meant they would never be able to leave the palace. At least the army and the kitchen staff could still go home on weekends.

The old man walked down the line some more, and then he stopped, right in front of Ryu. Ryu's heart did a wild jolt.

Good Mingyu, bless me with your magnificence; let my nose be too crooked, my feet too big and my gown too crumpled - anything to make sure I not get chosen! A life forever tied to the inner court was something Ryu didn't think she could bear.

The old man made a "hmmph!" sound and moved on. He peered around a little more, measured someone's fingers and took a good look at another's ears, before nodding and leaving the hall.

Several men and women came in then. Ryu watched as a royal chef took two, the royal doctor one, and then in the line of the girls, there was only her and another one left. A gentle-looking woman with a beauty mole and soft eyes came up to the other girl and initiated conversation. The other girl perked up and Ryu heard something along the lines of, "I love horses! How did you know?" And then she also left the hall. From the male line the army took three, and the royal gardener one.

Now there was only her and three more males left in the hall. She tried not to squirm. A ministry officer came in after that, hemmed and hawed, then picked a 22-year-old in scholarly robes for clerical work. The scholar broke down on the spot, mumbling something about having failed his school exam three times and how thankful he was that he was now finally acknowledged. Ryu tried not to laugh as the older man gave him a ginger pat on the shoulder. The remaining two men were whisked away by what could only be a eunuch.

The hall doors closed, the place was empty, and now she was truly alone.

Ryu bit her lip. Despite the closed doors, she shivered.

Was she to be rejected now?

The side door of the hall swung open. Leaning against the doorway, the magistrate tossed and caught a half-eaten apple.

"Well? Are you going to come over, or do I have to make you?" He walked off.

After a heartbeat's hesitation, Ryu followed.

The magistrate led her out of the qidan. Outside, the sun had gone little past noon and was now a blazing orb in the sky. Ryu watched as the royal doctor and his new apprentice took a seat in a horse-drawn carriage and went off.

Yoon-ki led her away from the village square and took a path that veered off near the port. A sliver of anxiety creeped in as they began going deeper and deeper to the back end of the village. Ryu watched as the streets got dirtier, and the vandalism got heavier, and more eyes began peering out of dark and shady places. Dwellings were less of a proper house than ramshackle tin huts. A homeless child crouched by the curb, watching a dog tear away at an abandoned piece of chicken with hungry eyes. The moment the canine's jaws left the meat he darted forward and grabbed it. The dog barked, the child snarled, and the animal fled.

Ryu's imagination went wild. The magistrate was going to kill her after all; all this charade had been done merely to let her fall into a false sense of security. He was now going to lead her to some abandoned hut, where he would murder her in cold blood and dumped her body in the sea, perhaps to be discovered by the fishermen the next morning at high tide. Her brother would weep, her father would grieve, and then after that they would fall into disarray, with no one to budget the family account and make them meals; her family would starve and she could do nothing because she was dead -

They reached a stone cottage with black smoke coming out of the chimneys. Three guard dogs were sprawled around the badly tended garden, and when the magistrate and Ryu came close their hackles rose and they began to growl. The magistrate raised his voice.

"Park Taehyung! Open the door!"

There was no response for a moment. Then a window on the left side of the house opened a crack, and Ryu thought she spotted a glimpse of purple. After several seconds the front door opened and a male who must have only been the same age as her came into sight, sporting an entire head of purple hair. Ryu stared. Dyeing was not uncommon in Sansuri, she did it herself even, but she'd never thought she'd seen it on a male - and in purple, no less!

The young man at the door was dressed in goatskin boots that came all the way up to his knees, black trousers, a brown tunic made of cheap, rough fibre and nothing else. The tunic was unbuttoned and flapped around his torso, which was tanned and muscled. Ryu hurriedly averted her eyes.

"Call off your dogs too, while you're at it," she heard the magistrate said.

Taehyung let out a smooth whistle that traced a slow arc, starting low, before jerking upward suddenly in pitch. The dogs settled back down on their haunches and began licking their paws.

The magistrate walked into the garden and ruffled a dog's head. Ryu hung back.

What was this? Who was that young man? Who was the magistrate, even? She didn't understand anything; all she knew was she had broken the law by hunting, and instead of punishing her like how he should be doing, this man had brought her all the way down to a part of the village she had never even knew existed, and was making her enter a strange house. Every single part of her was screaming against it.

The magistrate reached the door and looked back. "Don't just stand there. We haven't got all day."

He pushed open the door a little more and Ryu heard sounds of loud conversation. There was more than one person inside.

Very slowly, she walked into the garden. The grass was shorn unevenly in places, some even looked burnt, and all the flowers had wilted. Past the dogs, which she gave plenty of berth. No knowing how many fleas were on those animals. Up the steps.

Into the house.

Where immediately she came face to face with a table seated with four individuals, including the magistrate and the purple-haired man, who was now sucking on a lollipop. All conversation ceased at that moment.

The magistrate twirled the apple on its stem and smiled.

"Welcome to the royal hunting party."