The winter had been usually long this year, snow still falling as the planting seasons drew near. In the clearing on top of Fu Long Mount, three dark shadows gathered, forming a triangle shape against the white snow backdrop. Their robes unnaturally still despite the wind which howled like hungry wolves on the hunt. Ignoring the warnings bells ringing in my mind, I crept nearer to the last standing trees in the alpine tree line. I could make out another faint shape, almost invisible under the snow - a fourth figure who seemed to be completely made out of blue ice, standing in the centre of the impromptu triangle. Surrounding it were three human shapes best described as beings made of fire, air and earth. I had heard legends of such magical beings, demigods to some, demons to others. Sages say there used to be sorcerers with great powers who lived outside of the mortal world on the top of great mountains such as this one. These wizards had attained enlightenment and ascended, but returned from heavenly bliss for their own purposes.

The legends also mention the fate of those who encounter these demigods. Terrible misfortune would befall upon that person unless one would willingly give up one’s personal treasure for generations to come. I was thinking back of what my grandmother had told me when she was still with us. She was a wise woman of our village, well loved and respected for her medicinal arts. She used to go on such long trips to the mountain to gather herbs. Did she have such strange encounters out here? We all assumed she got lost in one of those trips when she never returned one day.

Grandmother would always remind me that I am the seventh son of the seventh son, born of a sacred bloodline that descended from dragons. But there was always a price to be paid for power she once said - a terrible price, always paid by the seventh. With sadness in her voice she would foretold that someday I would come to understand my inheritance, and that would be my undoing. She told me this one special night when only we two were together, fishing at the lake till late into the night; somehow that memory faded. The death of my mother soon after drove away dire predictions till I could not remember much about that little trip or what I had been told. My mothers’ passing was soon followed by my Grandmothers disappearance.

Now seeing the elemental beings before me, I remembered Grandmother. I had stared directly into her eyes that night and I saw fire there, raging flames from her heart. Like embers, I could see them quite clearly as now I could the these four beings of the elements. Memory and the present seemed to merge. My heart felt a cold, dreaded, familiarity in each of these wizardly beings. I recognized something, something that was far beyond explanation and comprehension.

I knew immediately that my wife was carrying a child, and she would tell me right away when I returned home from my mountain hike. Yet I did not move, my feet seemed rooted to where I stood as the magical beings all turned and stared at me. Each element exploded forth from their bodies as they breathed – watery mist, swirling fog, pollen and will o wisp flame came out from their mouths like tendrils. The magic expanded and snaked towards me. Quickly I was enveloped in sorcery. Were they trying to consume me? I watched without time to struggle as their magic’s seemed to be fighting each other’s sorcerous grip on my body. I could hear them screeching and hissing in unknown language, though the sounds were bestial it was clear something had been quickly agreed to. My mind could take no more, and I passed out – my mind broken by the unnatural.

For how long I was asleep I can’t be sure. When I woke up, something had left a foul taste in my mouth. I was completely wet from sweat. Perhaps I was going crazy because I was pretty sure that it wasn’t a dream and this had happened to me on the trip to the mountain many moons ago. I recalled travelling back home, turning up at the door late that night, my wife so happy to see me she did not complain of my forgetting to bring back the teething root. At that open door she embraced me and I felt as blessed as I had always been told I was.

Snow was falling heavily, but I was dry and warm. My wife exclaimed “There isn’t any snow on you! Have you been waiting outside and not coming in?” Hastily I said “yes”, and quickly brushed pass her. She did not notice that my cloak is not even damp, nor my hair wet.
I strode over to the crib. I gazed at what I had come to see.

As I look at my child a sudden chill seizes me. I brush the hair back from his eyes… I see the burning flame in those innocent brown eyes. The world slows, and time seems to freeze.

I look out the window, out of time, and see the clearing - instead of four sorcerous figures I see only one glowing against the inky darkness of the night. The demons hand beckons.

What does this really mean? I am confused. My mind is unravelling.

Then everything seems normal again as the light of dawn breaks over the trees. Somehow I had stood at this window all night. I felt only a moment had passed. Grandmother’s warning came to my mind. They had come for my child, but I had made a bargain that night. Somehow I saved my son from being taken, though I have no knowledge of it right now. All we can do is flee, as far away from this land as possible.