^^ Erik ^^

--- Date: 08/01/2030, Time: 07:15 ---
--- Mt. Carolyn, New York ---
--- Jack Legend, 19 ---

I hummed, watching my students pull spheres of metal from blocks, and place them back slowly. I sighed. "A few months, and none of you can take from the fire or wood... What to do... I'm not a good teacher... Ah! Field trip! We're going to Mt. Jakarta. Pack a bag." I stood, grinning.

Erik laughed. "Sweet!"

Theron raised an eyebrow. "Hmm..."

"What's on Mt. Jakarta?"

"Hector Legend." I shrugged.

--- 08/03/2030, Mt. Jakarta ---

"Come on, daisies, it isn't that hard to climb this mountain, I've been doing it since I was two!" I called down to the struggling climbers.

Theron growled in exasperation and simply pushed Qui into his legs and leaped as high as he could, grabbing the ledge. I helped him up, and nodded. "Well done. Erik, Jill?"

Jill rose on a small platform of qui, and Erik appeared suddenly from inside the rocks, dusting himself off.

I nodded. "Good. Let's go." I started leading the way towards my home, whistling a happy tune.

I saw my horse, and stopped to pet her, and let her smell me. "I'm back, Abigail, yes I am! Who's a pretty girl?" She neighed, and I laughed. "Good girl. Go on." I whistled sharply and pointed towards the barn.

She cantered off, and I followed the road in, my students following me.

I knocked on the front door, then stepped to the side, motioning for the others to do the same.

The door blew off its hinges, and shattered against the rocks 100 feet away. I smiled. "Still kicking, master?" I asked.

"About to kick your ass, grandson!" He growled, and pulled me into a quick hug, then literally kicked my ass, sending me into the dirt. "What took you so long?" He asked sharply.

"Picked up some students, master. Harder than it looks, that." I cracked my back, standing up.

He laughed. "Yes, yes it is... Alright, then they're here because you can't train them right?"

"So rude... I've taught them how to pull water, air, crystals, and metals, but fire and wood are still beyond them." I said.

He nodded. "Show me your marks, children?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, wait! THAT'S master Hector? You said he was 92 years old and dying!?!" Jill glared at me.

"93, actually, today's my birthday." He said blandly. "And I am dying. Moving on. Marks?" He asked.

Theron shrugged and moved his shirt, exposing the bloody chess piece. Erik showed his own, a wave. Jill growled about perverts, and moved her shirt just enough to see the lightning bolt, before fixing her clothes and covering her chest protectively.

Master laughed at her. "My dear princess Jillian, you need not fear for your chastity around me, or any man in this clearing, and modesty is a luxury martial artists do not have. So please. Get over it." He said simply, and waved a hand. His door fixed itself, and he fit it back on the frame, then stepped inside. "The giant may have to sit in the doorway, but come in for tea, all of you." He snickered slightly.

Theron chuckled, and I happily made my way into my home, breathing deeply. Master smacked my head. "Don't breath, make tea for your guests!" He reprimanded me.

I nodded. "Yes, master." I started to boil a pot of water with qui, (no electricity or gas on a mountain top), and then added in tea leaves. Soon, I had mountain tea ready, and served it in five quickly summoned cups.

Master nodded when he tasted it, and pulled out a jar of honey, dipping a spoon of it in, then holding out the jar to Jill, who looked petrified of the black tea.

She put a spoonful into it, stirring gently, and sipped it, passing the jar.

I chuckled. "Weaklings." I sipped my acrid tea, relishing the taste of home.

Erik and Theron ignored the honey, nodding. "Good tea." Erik said, seeming sincere.

I bowed my head. "Many thanks. The leaves come from just over there." I pointed out of the open door, and at a clump of plants on top of the rocks.

I finished my tea, and set the cup down, letting the rock floor eat it to remove the dish.

Theron and Erik followed my example, and Jill rolled her eyes. "Lazy men." She sighed, and walked to the sink. She turned the nozzle, and nothing happened.

"Everything on this mountain is powered by qui, Princess. I'm not lazy. This is how I gained the pure control I have over my qui. And hopefully it's how you three will, as well." I nodded.

She hummed, and focused, her eyes turning silver, and water started running up the pipe from the well. She washed her cup, and set it on the counter to dry, then sat back down.

Master hummed. "You don't move like a fighter." He commented.

She narrowed her eyes. "How does a fighter move?" She asked, a bit testy.

"Gracefully. With control. With an understanding of your surroundings and place in the world... With respect." He raised an eyebrow.

She bowed her head, acknowledging her mistake in snapping at him. Then she straightened her spine, and looked at him questioningly. "So are you really a king?" She asked.

I snorted, and he raised an eyebrow. Erik laughed. "You didn't really believe that, did you? That's so-"

"No. But Jack is." Master interrupted, a tiny smirk on his face.

Erik froze, and it was Theron's turn to laugh. "Foot, meet mouth." He snickered at his son, punching his shoulder.

She looked confused. "Then why did he say he was a prince?"

"He's my master, and my grandfather. I hold no power over him. The man with the most authority in a land is the King." I shrugged.

Master shrugged. "I'm just his teacher, Grandfather, and the clan Medicine Man. He is the Chief."

She nodded. "I see. Fine, I won't confuse myself with the details. You're a king, he's a prince. Simple. Sigh..."

"Too hard to grasp?" I asked a floundering Erik.

He blinked slowly. "But... You're a jackass... How are you a king?"

I laughed loudly, and master snickered and slapped his thigh, nodding. I wiped a tear of mirth from my eye. "Ahh, yes, Erik, I'm a jackass, and a King too. It doesn't matter. I'm Jack Legend, and that's what matters."

Theron grinned, and leaned against the wall. "I like this dynamic. Finally, a royal that doesn't have a sickening amount of pride."

"Hey!"

"The fact that you were offended should tell you something, little cousin." He raised an eyebrow.

She grumbled, and settled down.

"Technically I'm just a 19 year old punk kid who knows a little bit of fighting." I shrugged. "Now, let's get Cuttin'." I said.

"Ooh, yes, go do that. Theron, you stay with me, hmm? Many things to speak of." Master said.

"What are we doing?" Jill asked.

"Cuttin'." I said simply, and went outside. I opened the woodshed, and hauled out three full trees.

"What are we doing?" Jill asked a second time.

I looked at her slowly. "We. Are. Cutting. Wood." I said slowly.

Then I dropped a 2' diameter, 12' long tree in front of her, and handed another to Erik, who grunted in surprise, but accepted the burden, carrying next to me. I dropped my tree, and then looked at him. He was looking around for an axe. "Use qui, Erik. That's the trick to everything here. No tools." I shrugged.

He nodded, and Jill growled in annoyance. "How am I supposed to move this?" She asked.

"You don't need to. Just cut it." I said.

"Why?"

"Just cut the damn tree. Jeez." I sighed, and started cutting the tree into large planks. I started stacking them into a log crosshatch, and then directed Erik to add his as a layer of leaning planks, to make a teepee. I looked for Jill's planks, and sighed.

Erik grunted. "Who's lazy now?" He asked Jill sarcastically, as she sat on her uncut log.

She shrugged. "I just don't get why we're cutting trees. You have firewood." She motioned to our chopped wood pile.

"Ever had a bonfire? You're about to. It's to welcome you to the clan. Now pitch in." I growled.

She sighed and started cutting her log sloppily. I nodded when she had shredded it, and then touched one plank. The entire pile turned into mulch, and I poured that into the center of the pile, for some starter.

I measured the time by the position of the sun to be around 07:30, and nodded. "Alright... Eric, start the fire please. Just a little spark at the bottom should work. The clan will arrive soon. Get ready for the biggest party you've ever witnessed. And Jillian, don't be a brat. This is your new family." I winked, and walked inside.

Master looked at me. "Fire ready?"

"Soon, Jill got lazy, held us up a bit. Eric is starting the fire. Who's coming?" I asked.

"Everyone. We added a princess, a Duke, and his son to the clan, all on your recommendation, and you're the one who initiated them? Everyone is curious." He smirked.

"We'll need more food, then... And another Fire." I said.

He nodded.

I walked outside, Theron following this time. The fire was slowly starting to spread to the outer rings, and it was smelling delicious already, what with the scrumptious salt driftwood already soaking the air in salt. I looked at Theron. "You any good at hunting?"

He nodded. "Erik and I fend for ourselves in Germany."

"Then if you'd hunt down a few Hogs in the valley, that'd be great. 4 big ones should be enough, most will bring food with them, as is tradition. I'll get the chicken. Unless you want to butcher a few chickens? I know the land better." I said.

He shrugged. "You go ahead, I'm fine with butchering, but I'd rather hunt."

"Alright. Erik! You're going hunting with Theron, get me 4 big male Boar. And Jill, if you'd fill the Cauldron with water then come see me in the Butcher Shack?" I pointed at the butchers shack. I walked inside quickly. "Oi, master, which chicken are ready for chopping?"

"Sherry, Jack, Cajun, James, and Carter." He said simply.

"You named a chicken you're going to eat Jack?" Jill asked incredulously.

"You should see Hector. He's the Cock Rooster." I shrugged. She raised an eyebrow, and I mirrored it. "The cauldron is full?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Then let's go catch some chickens." I shrugged, and walked outside. I snagged Sherry, and cracked his red neck, and then tossed him into a bucket, reaching for Jack.

Jill snatched him first, and very happily snapped his neck, skipping away. "Brat." I called after her, and snagged the others, taking them into the butcher shack to start plucking the birds.

Once that was done, I butchered the birds, then put all the boneless breasts into a bowl. "Give those a quick cook and throw them into the cauldron, hmm?" I asked Jill.

She blinked.

"You don't know how to cook fresh chicken, do you." I said dejectedly.

Master walked in, and started cooking the chicken. "Princess, gather some carrots, and get the jar of peas from under the sink, please, then dump it all in the cauldron." He said simply.

"You already seasoned it?" I asked.

He nodded. "I'm expediting the process. These Pallo Canto's are taking too long." He grumbled.

I chuckled. "Alright."

"What's a Pallo Canto?" Jill asked.

"A brat princess from the city who needs to be plucking carrots like the master said." I said blandly.

She growled but stomped out and started gathering carrots.

"At least she knows what carrots look like in the dirt." I shrugged.

He nodded. "I admit I thought she'd get lost. Hmph."

"Hmm. Anyway. Chicken." I nodded, and handed him the drumsticks and wings, then tossed the discards into the compost pile, which would be used to put nutrients back into the soil.

I headed outside, and was met with Theron and Erik returning, each carrying two giant boar each.

I grinned. "You work fast."

"Do you realize how plentiful your lands are!?! We passed more pigs by than we see in months in Das Schuarzenwald!!" Erik exclaimed.

"It's because of our extremely low population. Nature rules this island, so you have to respect it, or you'll end up somethings dinner." I shrugged. "And, spring just ended, so they're out in force, scoring trees."

He nodded. "Still. It's crazy."

"Alright, Theron, so you and Master can get these pigs on a spit, over the Pit, I'll light it real quick, and Erik, we need another bonfire, so you know how that is built, right?" I asked.

He nodded and jogged off. I went to the Pit, a 6 foot deep, 12 feet wide pit where we filled with white-hot coals, and then set a giant grate over it, which was where the boar would be set.

I started pulling heat into the coals, turning the mat of burnt rocks to spread hear further and perfectly even.

"You're taking a while with that fire. Need help?" Erik asked.

"There is an art to a good fire. It Takes Time, as does anything worthwhile." I replied, smiling.

I looked up, and laughed, exclaiming. The clan was drifting onto the mountaintop.