第1章:亚索
“Deathislikethewind—alwaysbymyside.”
~Yasuo
Asachild,Yasuooftenbelievedwhattheothersinhisvillagesaidofhim:onthebestdays,hisveryexistencewasanerrorinjudgement;ontheworst,hewasamistakethatcouldneverbeundone
Likemostpain,therewassometruthtoit.Hismotherwasawidowalreadyraisingayoungson,whenthemanwhowouldbeYasuo’sfatherblewintoherlifelikeanautumnwind.And,justlikethatlonelyseason,hewasgoneagainbeforetheblanketofIonianwintersettledoverthesmallfamily
EventhoughYasuo’solderhalf-brother,Yone,waseverythingYasuowasnot—respectful,cautious,conscientious—thetwowereinseparable.WhenotherchildrenteasedYasuo,Yonewastheretodefendhim.ButwhatYasuolackedinpatience,hemadeupforindetermination.WhenYonebeganhisapprenticeshipatthevillage’srenownedswordschool,ayoungYasuofollowed,waitingoutsideinmonsoonrain,untiltheteachersrelentedandopenedthegates
Muchtotheannoyanceofhisnewpeers,Yasuoshowednaturaltalent,andbecametheonlystudenttocatchtheattentionofElderSouma,lastmasterofthelegendarywindtechnique.TheoldmansawYasuo’spotential,buttheimpulsivepupilrefusedhistutelage,remainingunbridledlikeawhirlwind.Yonepleadedwithhisbrothertosetasidehisarrogance,giftinghimamapleseed,theschool’shighestlessoninhumility.Thenextmorning,YasuoacceptedthepositionasSouma’sapprentice,andpersonalbodyguard
WhenwordoftheNoxianinvasionreachedtheschool,somewereinspiredbythegreatstandthathadbeentakenatthePlacidiumofNavori,andsoonthevillagewasbledoftheablebodied.Yasuolongedtoaddhisswordtothecause,butevenashisclassmatesandbrotherlefttofight,hewasorderedtoremainandprotecttheelders
Theinvasionbecameawar.Finally,onerain-slickednight,thedrumsofaNoxianmarchcouldbeheardinthenextvalleyover.Yasuoabandonedhispost,foolishlybelievinghecouldturnthetide
Buthefoundnobattle—onlyarawgraveforhundredsofNoxianandIoniancorpses.Somethingterribleandunnaturalhadhappenedhere,somethingthatnosinglebladecouldhavestopped.Thelanditselfseemedtaintedbyit
Sobered,Yasuoreturnedtotheschoolthenextday,onlytobesurroundedbytheremainingstudents,theirswordsdrawn.ElderSoumawasdead,andYasuofoundhimselfaccusednotonlyofdereliction,butofmurder.Herealizedthetruekillerwouldgounpunishedifhedidnotactquickly,sohefoughthiswayfree,thoughheknewthiswouldallbutconfirmhisapparentguilt
Nowafugitiveinwar-tornIonia,Yasuosoughtanycluethatmightleadhimtothemurderer.Allthewhile,hewashuntedbyhisformerallies,continuallyforcedtofightordie.Thiswasapricehewaswillingtopay,untilhewastrackeddownbytheonehedreadedmost—hisownbrother,Yone
Boundbyhonor,theycircledeachother.Whentheirswordsfinallymet,Yasuo’swindmagicovercameYone’sdualblades,andwithasingleflashofsteel,theoutcastcuthisbrotherdown
Hebeggedforgiveness,butYone’sdyingwordswereofthewindtechniquesresponsibleforElderSouma’sdeath,andthathisbrotherwastheonlyonewhocouldhaveknownthem.Thenhefellsilent,passingonbeforehecouldgrantanyabsolution
Withoutmasterorbrother,Yasuoroamedthemountainsdistraught,drinkingawaythepainofwarandloss,aswordwithoutasheath.Thereinthesnow,hemetTaliyah,ayoungShurimanstonemagewhohadfledtheNoxianmilitary.Inher,Yasuosawanunlikelystudent,andinhimself,anevenmoreunlikelyteacher.Hetrainedherinthewaysofelementalmagic,windshapingstone,embracingatlasttheteachingsofElderSouma
TheirworldchangedwithrumorsofarisenShurimangod-emperor.YasuoandTaliyahpartedways,thoughhegiftedherthetreasuredmapleseed,itslessonnowlearned.Asshereturnedtohernativedesertsands,Yasuosetoutforhisownvillage,determinedtoputrighthismistakesandfindhisoldmaster’struekiller
Withinthestonewallsofthecouncilhall,ElderSouma’sdeathwasrevealedtohavebeenanaccident,onebroughtaboutbytheNoxianexileknownasRiven—andoneforwhichshefeltdeepremorse.Evenso,Yasuostillcouldnotabsolvehimselfofthechoicehehadmadetoabandonhismasteror,worseyet,howthatchoicehadultimatelyledtoYone’sdeath
YasuoeventuallyjourneyedtothespiritblossomfestivalinWeh’le,thoughheheldlittlehopethatitshealingritualswouldeasehisheart.Itwasthereheencounteredademoniccreaturethatsoughttodevourhim,anazakanathatfedonhispainandregret
Yetamaskedintruderintervened,strikingdownthecreaturewithrighteousfury,andYasuorealizedheknewthisman—itwasYone
Fullyexpectinghisbrothertotakevengeance,YasuowassurprisedwhenYonelethimgowithlittlemorethanabitterblessing
WithnothingleftforhimintheFirstLands,Yasuohasembarkedonanewadventure,thoughheknowsnotwhereitwilllead,hissenseofguilttheonlythingweighingdownthefreewind