Creative Writing

[Lu Xiang]

Okay one of my additional studies is Creative Writing, this is the study and production of several different types of writing to a high standard. One of these or several will be related to Lu Xiang and therefore I need more characters to add in; I know Lu Xiang pretty well so it is easy to write about him, however I was wondering if anyone else wished to star in my story. Once it is complete I will post it up, I will try to depict your characters the best I can and to some extent it is a fan-fiction.

Obvious wants in the story would be:

Cao Pi (Vordor's version)
Liao Wei
Tsuki
Hiei
Shigure Burai
Hiro
Zhang Taixun
Wen Chou

But feel free if you feel if you want to remove or add yourself in, theres enouh room for all of us. I've written up the main prolouge so far and I will post that right after I've posted this. Also any suggestions or whatever would be awesome too.

The tale itself will follow my own personal storyline of Lu Xiang's life. From birth until his final breaths. I'm going to of course have to abuse him and wield him into a hero of some sort to fill the action, drama and political, social and war themes behind the story. I wouldn't mind having a few face-offs in the story between his rivals though, clearly Cao Pi and Shigure Burai at some point would be pretty awesome. But yeah, hit me up; either this thread or PM.

[Lu Xiang]

Prologue

“I would rather betray the world, than allow the world to betray me.”

Have you ever stumbled upon a treasure within your own mind? Well even if you haven’t, it is a simple concept to grasp. For example, a physical representation. Maybe a simple penny; upon the ground, that sparkles with brilliance and calls for you, though it is worth very little in our world of WANT over NEED you still crouch down to pick it up. But once in your hand it seems so significant; you pay more attention to it once it’s alone, a stray from the pack. The crafted outer ring, the diversity of this single coin – its journey alone separates it from the rest. But this now opens up several more pathways, depending on your origin, context, morals, personality, lifestyle and circumstance. Taking this coin, may lead to greed, one coin leads to another and another and before long you’re a greedy swine, who thinks of nobody but himself. Discarding the coin could mean you not thankful and you have discarded something so small and beautiful thus making you as foolish as the man before who dropped the coin whether purposely or by accident. Then you have to remember, keeping this coin makes you one coin richer then the next man – who is to say he will let you keep the coin. Turning your mind to paranoia and hostility. So petty, yet that is how human nature has worked and always will continue working. How something so small, could change everything so quickly and harshly. The grand domino theory of society, a chemical reaction from a single stimulus and before you know it you’re in too deep.
But don’t be mistaken this isn’t a story of a treasure as such, but rather a diamond in the rough, the underdog story. This is a political, economical, social confrontation of wretches and kings. How a single man along, turned the whole world upside down before they could even draw their weapons to stop him. How a single man was ripped from the sanctuary of innocence. His tainted hands stretched further and further by the day, pulling the wool of demise over their eyes. Biting the hand that fed, and changing how the world would see humanity for the rest of existence.

In order to understand a man; you have to understand his past, his present and his future. I brought him into his past. I fell in his present and watched from the afterlife until his last seconds of his future elapsed.

I, his father am not worthy of a such a heralded name. Nothing more than an ancestor of the Lu clan. They called me Chirping Swallow; I was always genuine and kind. Apparently wise as well. But this story isn't about me.. My son would beg to differ. He cherished me upon his firmly shut lips; emotion wasn't for him, his heart was disconnected completely from feeling by the time he reached manhood. But any warmness that existed from his soul, was for his family. I didn't live to witness his achievements - As you will find out later on; but celebrated his death and as he was finally laid to rest beside me in our graves. Father and son reunited at last.

Scratched away the mud, I dug my hands in the plagued grounds and the lords presented me with a child that only the heavens could bless. The diamond from the rough, a child destined from greatness. With a thunderous heart and a heart that not even stone could compare with. He felt no different in my hands at birth to his brothers and sisters; in fact we almost discarded him at birth due to his pale skin, which in turn usually signalled illness or weakness. Not something that was valuable in such times of hardship and distress. The doctor was determined he was going to die before he made his passage as a man. How wrong we would've been to have listened to that old medical coot!

He was born Xiang of the Lu clan (Lu Xiang) nothing more than a lowly peasant born on the outskirts of China. He was tiny; born way before his time. The elders said he was eager to be of greatness. His hands struggled to move back and forth as the light of the world tested him. He didn't crawl up nor hesitate, refusing to falter even as a newborn - no matter how comforting his mother’s womb had been. The elders painted him; with his own father's blood. Two markings tribally placed upon his face. A complete contrast upon his pale, snow-like flesh. He looked up at me; huge eyes, burning. It was then I knew....

A small village on the outskirts of China; my father hunted these lands and his father before and once I died Lu Xiang was intended to do the same. We were simple folk; living from the land and returning all that we had taken. There were six of us by the time of Xiang's birth. Me, my wife, Xiang himself and his two older sisters and later go on to have another sister and two brothers. He often rejected them due them teasing him about his pale skin and mostly played with his youthful cousin who was only two years older Lu Bu; often they would both return with blood covered faces - battling their arrogance and strength. Education cost a lot and wasn't something we had access too. It was more important to have warriors and men of labour and strength then to have educated scholars in the barrens. China wasn't a nice place to be; with the persistent rebellions and usurpations we were declined access and left to survive alone as a small travelling party of several families.

We were humble about it; Lu Xiang grew up fast presenting himself before us as a strapping young man. As fierce as the cougar, striking down the cattle but yet as cunning and sly as the fox. Exchanging several hundred blows with his older cousin without faltering. Obviously he never won - Lu Bu always cheated or played dirty before disregarding him and spitting upon him. He had a tough childhood; but his ignorant eyes were sealed over it. Something about him painted his black skies; blue.

The Summer of Lu Xiang's twelve year we ran short of grain. Before we could starve ourselves and taking precaution we sent him and his uncle to fetch some from the Capital. Trading furs and other exotics from the outlands with the merchants. The carriage wasn't much. In fact it was homemade; and would take the two of them several weeks or even months to even reach the capital. It would be Lu Xiang's first trip to China. Travelling along the newly made silk road - It was fortunate that he had a safe encounter. It is important to remember this would be a turning point it Lu Xiang's life forever..

The journey did him good; the fresh air of the capital and the sights he saw. The city of Luoyang was unlike anything he had seen before, a goliath compared to his moving village. The fresh smells of greatness and difference. The flustering of merchants, scholars and school children as animals roamed the streets and pick pockets even more so. Such a wondrous yet dangerous place to exist in. He was swept off his feet, a sense of belonging wrapped around him. Considered the to be the point in which the match inside of him called ambition was lit. His uncle normally did the expedition upon his own so the company was useful. Lu Xiang assisted with carrying the goods and other things that his uncle reaching an older age couldn't do. They made a good profit considering the tough times and began the long journey home on the high note.

Rolling upon the roads; scarred by the dry heat and ruined by the hooves and wheels beforehand. Drought plastered the barren desolate plains and the plague refined something so cruel into something far worse. China had never suffered such cruel times, bodies stacked like hay.

Then out of the blue, between the hours of dusk and noon. Where the sun reached a mid-cycle; neither high nor low in the sky. The most obscure of events occurred. On the fifth day on their steady journey back home; roughly a hundred miles away from his home village a giant Chinese eagle sat in front of them. Carelessly, completely in the middle of the road. The wagon stopped; himself and his uncle staring at this beast.

"When an eagle falls from the sky, a loved one ascends to the heavens."

His uncle said; understanding exactly what this meant. They didn't shout at the eagle to make it move nor did they become impatient. Lu Xiang stepped off the wagon gently approaching the bird of prey. Its golden feathers rolled down its prominent body; complex yet beautiful..

The silence extended over several minutes, his uncle lost for words that his nephew could get so close to a bird without startling it. Lu Xiang himself lost in the moment personally; caught between reality and destiny. The bird seemed to speak to him without moving.. a sort of bond. As daft as it sounds. Eventually the bird extending its full wing span, stretching its multicoloured wings of gold, green, red and blue before letting out a huge roar, plucking its own feather with such grace and ease before tossing it to the young man and then running several steps towards.

Thud.. thud.. thud...

The bird hopped, picking up more speed and momentum as it approached the young man, it’s unbreakable eyes moving to connect with the human before him. The supersonic gust mustered beneath the great beast pounded as it lifted its wings back and suspended into the skies in a single movement. Before Lu Xiang could step back and gasped in amazement, the bird of prey skyrocketed into the sun. Leaving nothing more than a single feather within the hands of the man.

The rest of the journey resolved in small talk, his uncle was very jealous over his nephew. Like that tense journey or a long wait to find out the truth. A thick hail pelted down around them, piercing their spirits. A harsh, cold reality erupted upon them – the worse was expected and found..

Lu Xiang ran from the carriage several thousand yards to the village; leaping across the a small wall, his vein pumped fist clutching the top stone before throwing himself over. The constant pounding of his heart, anticipating the truth. Chaining himself to something he wanted to believe but knowing what was around the corner. He whistled past the last bastion of defence for his innocence before opening his eyes to the cruel world around him.

His eyes flashed finding the bodies of all his family and friends slaughtered and butchered with everything he had ever known as a child gone and lost forever. . Blood everywhere, untamed body parts scattered. His whole world collapsed, not one brick at a time but it all fell through. We can pretend to sympathize with others and understand how they feel. Comfort them, support them through tough times. But in the end, nobody understands the struggles of another. When everything you ever knew, love and cared for is ripped from you and is presented before your aching eyes, heart and body. Humanity might as well rip out your spine and string you up as well and save you the pain.
Demolished by the disaster, feeling nauseous he stumbled around holding his palm firmly on his head to reassure his balance. It wasn’t long before he found his father long gone and cold. His face torn apart by a blade and his jersey covered in his own flesh and blood; Lu Xiang felt physical and mentally sick and blood hungry for this crime. He vomited before feeling faint, several tears by now running down his face. He had nothing to say; He had nothing to offer; he couldn't speak to the dead. He closed his eyes, a single tear rolling down his cheeks.

"Father. You have always been a man against revenge; but for this dishonour there is nothing else I can summon to repay for our clans lives. If I am to die by the blade; so be it. I will die for honour and vengeance. Forgive me."

The hail pattered around; his blues skies turned grey. Cutting his own wrist with his father’s blade and taking a blood oath. He would not sleep, eat or rest until every single criminal who had attacked this village was dead and well dead. The hail erodes around him; a frost shield. It pattered off him in the harshest of manners and his long hair covered his eyes; the blood rolling down him. A fierce monster, carved into his sweaty brow as sweat, blood, tears and hate dribbled down his face. Inhaling and exhaling at an impossible tempo.

He hadn't been oblivious to his uncle’s attempts to kill him and now the man appeared out of jealously and spite. With the village burnt and nobody to stop him and a perfect reason to dispatch his nephew, the rewards would be his. He called out for Lu Xiang in a gentle tone, but that bastard didn’t fool him. Lu Xiang picked up the blood covered sword of his fathers and marched out of the hut. Presenting himself before his uncle, covered in blood.

“You! You did this, you bastard.”

Lu Xiang shouted, pointing his blade at his uncle in a furious rage. Blinded by his own infliction. His uncle laughed at him, before presenting his own blade.

“Nephew, you truly believe you can challenge me? The blood is on your hands; clearly you are the culprit of this crime. Now beg for my sword and I will grant you a quiet and painless death.”
His uncle replied. Morals and family thrown out of the window. This was something more. Bound now by his freshly made pact beside his stone cold father, honour, revenge, retribution and hate was the only thing that drove him now. He spat blood to the ground, insulting the villainous elk his uncle truly was before lashing towards him. It was easily dodged before Lu Xiang was pelted to the ground by a fierce blow from his uncle, smashing him into the mud, splashing into the humiliation. His head firmly connected with floor, sending him into a spiral of subconscious thought.

The mud turned to water, opening his eyes to the brightest light that had ever pained his eyes to adjust to. He shook himself off, wiping the wetness from his face to check his hands – completely clean from the mud he had fallen into... he looked up and his uncle had completely vanished also. His cold finger tips grasped lightly at the floor, still in pain and discontent he raised his head; his wet hair sprinkling all over the floor as he spluttered blood everywhere. Was he dead? Surely not.. pain didn’t exist in the afterlife did it? Before he could continue further on his wandering thoughts his eyes glanced ahead, two firm leather boots were in front of him, he ran his eyes up them two legs which soon became a body. An arm extended before a helpful hand presented itself lifting Lu Xiang to his feet to find at eye-sight the person who had lifted him up was a clone of himself. He leapt back in fear, only to bump into another figure. He spun around in fear, to find another one. His eyes opened wide, stuttered and lost for words too scared to step back and find another.

“Who are you?”

Wailed from his lips, several words getting lost in translation before recollecting to make decent enough sense as they fled his lips. An utterance in the wind, whistled around before the two characters laugh, completely in-sync. Before the one in front smiled, lifting his hand in a friendly manner and patting Lu Xiang on the back. He was dressed exactly as Lu Xiang envisioned himself to be dressed. A concept of his mind, expanded and realistic.

“I’d love to sit around and chat, however now is not the time to do such petty small talk. You hit your head pretty hard back there so little closely.”

Said the man in front, before a voice appeared from another direction, Lu Xiang turned his weary head to face the new appearance – to no surprise it was another hologram of himself.

“How humiliating it would be to be thrown to the ground by your own uncle, you bring shame to us all.”

Laughed one of them, another voice appeared and with it another figure. A small crowd appeared around him, not a single difference between them physically. The body language was different and the tone of voice. He hadn’t seen or heard anything like this before.. was he insane?

“You look in a terrible state!”

Gasped another, appearing and pushing himself through the crowd to gently look after him. Placing Lu Xiang’s arm over his shoulder and holding him up.

“In a few seconds you will return to reality, we come to warn you that if you don’t get back up.. then you will never find your true destiny.”

Replied another, sounding the wisest and fairest of all who had spoken already. Lu Xiang’s eyes opened? Destiny? Wasn’t that just the talk of visionaries – men who believed in such things. Lu Xiang was about to laugh but before he could his face was thrown straight back into the dirt by his uncle. The flashing lightening around him thundered returning him to the cruel reality, a lot more beaten than when he left.

His lip bled and his stomach felt sick with the taste of his own blood, a fine line of sweat trickled down his face across his firm angered lines upon his forehead.

“Get up, you pathetic swine of the nephew.”

His uncle cursed, playing with his prey. Walking around with his blade teasing the man. Lu Xiang shook his head, spraying the water away from his hair and face digging his claws into the dirt around him; he pushed himself from the floor – skywards.

“It all makes sense..”

He laughed, raising from the ground.. his face hidden from his uncle by his soaked jet black hair shadowing his face and hiding his true expression. The hail bounced off him, as the injured main arose from the floor as if he was completely unharmed. His uncle cursed between his teeth and his tongue, rolling the words back into his throat. He questioned the man’s statement but didn’t show interest in what he had to say.
“An eagle falls, another one arises.”

Lu Xiang said, as a smile appeared upon his face. One of confidence, arrogance and pure cruel intention. His grip tightened around his father’s sword, he didn’t know what was coming nor if what he had experienced was true. He inhaled one final time, bracing himself.

“Uncle, your time is over.”

His uncle laughed, tired of games now the older man charged at him with the blade. Lunging directly towards him, a smooth and well-aimed attack. He was completely sure the child would die from it, but the blades connected. They both fell back from the impact. Somehow the young man’s footwork, sword skill and knowledge of his opponent had increased. His uncle raised an eyebrow launching another attack at him, his time throwing his fist into the equation as well. The sword was denied its path before Lu Xiang ducked low dodging the fist – sending the unbalanced man stumbling forward into a well placed foot movement of Lu Xiang’s. He tripped and fell down to the floor. Turning around in horror and defeat. The man found his own brothers sword, now in his nephews hands plunge into his chest at full impact; smashing his ripped cage completely in one blow. He choked in exhaustion on his own labouring lungs. Puncturing the center as the blade ripped into the delicate flesh with ease.
“You betrayed me, my father and my family. You do not deserve death. Suffer villain”
Lu Xiang spat, pulling his sword out of the wretched fiend on the floor as the hail pelted at the man’s wounds on the floor as he screamed and writhed in pain. He wiggled and begged for death. The sword refused, returning to Lu Xiang’s hilt still stained in the blood. His feet pounding upon the ground as he walked away from flesh and blood; leaving not a single survivor of his clan left in his village. All were dead, mutilated and long gone. All but Lu Bu his cousin. The last breathing of his relatives.

[Lewis]

More people should do this

[Sun Qing Liang]

Hmm.. You could add Liang to your story if you want. I like it