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He was a very young boy.
Smaller than the rest of them, more timid. When he was first introduced, there was nothing but fear in his eyes. His clothes were tattered, old and worn. His hair was a mess, just slightly over his shoulders, his bangs almost covering his face.
Kuai Liang tried to reach his hand out in greeting, but the boy flinched back, sticking to the grandmaster's side. Kuai quickly retreated his hand, wondering if he had done something wrong. His brother stood next to him, staring at the young boy with a blank expression he wore often. They both looked to their father with a similar question, the grandmaster's eyes showing a hint of something sad. He pat the little boy's back, before speaking up to his sons.
"The Lin Kuei has done something regrettable, my sons. There are times where even we make grave mistakes. And when that happens, we must work to fix them." His voice was rough and serious, and the brothers knew his words were meant to be heard, a lesson hidden between the lines.
"This is Tomas Vrbada. I expect you both... to treat him as your own brother. He will be staying with us from now on."
Both Kuai and Bi-Han had understood their father's words. Apparently the Lin Kuei attacked a family of hunters, a single survivor left behind. Their father had a look of irritation once word went around, seeming troubled by the whole situation. He motioned to the two of them.
"These are my sons, Tomas. Kuai Liang, and Bi-Han. They will teach you everything they know. I will raise you beside them, you will have nothing to fear anymore." He turns back to the two young ninjas.
"And if any of the clan members treat him with disrespect, you are to report to me immediately." Tomas had gotten the small courage to detach himself from the grandmaster's side, looking up at the ninjas who may have been only a few years older than him. His small physic made him appear much more young. Both of the ninjas nodded with a short bow to their father's words, Kuai turning back to Tomas.
"I am Kuai Liang, I welcome you to the Lin Kuei." He says this with a smile on his face, but it falls when the boy's face twists into something of discomfort. He again thinks he's done something wrong, turning to his father to see him shake his head.
"Do you speak?" Bi-Han asked with crossed arms. Kuai shared a look with him, his older brother never realized how rude his words could sound at times.
"It is a simple question, he hasn't said a word of introduction." Bi-Han argued to Kuai's silent lecture.
"There are better ways to ask a question like that-"
"I am not having this conversation right now, brother." Bi-Han shot his brother a hard stare, a look telling him that he wasn't going to change his wording just because he might have hurt the boy's feelings. Kuai shook his head as he remained quiet, noticing their father begin to give the three of them some space.
"I apologize if my words have offended you. This has never happened before." Kuai explains, noticing Tomas stare down at the ground. "I do hope we get along, as we will be spending a lot of time training together." He continued, patiently waiting for Tomas to give him any sample of a reply.
"It is rude to look away when others are speaking to you." Bi-Han spoke up, watching Tomas freeze in his spot. "Speak, we are getting no where with this conversation." Kuai bumped his brother's shoulder, trying to quell his string of commands. But it managed to get Tomas to look at them again. He dug his foot into the ground, staring up at Bi-Han through his long bangs.
"...Sorry." That was the first word he said to them when they first met. And despite such a simple and short reply, it got a smirk out of Bi-Han.
"There you go."
Settling Tomas into the Lin Kuei was much easier than either of them had anticipated. He was a hunter, agile, a fast learner. It wasn't long until they started implementing him into their training sessions, setting him on the path to become a proper ninja, and eventually, a part of their clan. Some members viewed him as a rival, someone to beat. Others viewed him with respect, knowing why he was here in the first place. For the most part, they left him alone to train.
"Good. Keep going. Hit me harder." Bi-Han instructed, his arms blocking a string of punches from Tomas. When he felt the boy was giving the same amount of pressure, he rose his voice. He could tell Tomas was holding back.
"Harder." Tomas let out a soft grunt, becoming irritated with Bi-Han repeating the same word.
"What? Am I making you angry?" Bi-Han started, beginning to step forward and slowly push Tomas back.
"Fight back, Tomas." He taunted, his arms that were much too strong for someone his age having Tomas trip backwards over his feet. He grit his teeth, a foot behind him to keep his body steady.
In a fit of pure annoyance, Tomas all but screamed as he swung his arms slightly lower than where Bi-Han had been blocking, his fist pushing into his abdomen. When Bi-Han hunched over, he focuses in to land an overhead attack now that he was open.
"ARGH-"
"Bi-Han!" Kuai called, now hurrying to step between them. Tomas' eyes were squeezed shut, his hand holding onto the frost-nipped skin at his arm, a sharp thin cut amidst the swelling red.
Tomas backed away with a hiss to examine his arm, turning back up at Bi-Han. His arms were glazed over in a thin sheet of ice, a stream of blood trickling down a sharp edge from Tomas' skin. Bi-Han gave him a single nod, the ice slowly melting off his skin.
"Good. We'll go again tomorrow, father asks for me." Kuai huffed out a breath at his brother. He couldn't believe he just used his cryomancy on Tomas.
"Let me look at it." He speaks softly, being careful to examine Tomas' arm. But Tomas pulled away, shielding the wound from Kuai. He was confused, wondering for a second if he had hurt him.
"Tomas?" Kuai asks, not wanting to pose as a threat to his injury. But when Tomas turned to him, the boy had a large grin spreading over his face. There were tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, and his face had colored a soft red, most likely from the pain.
"He... he finally used it on me." Tomas says, feeling the adrenaline pump through his veins. It reminded him of the times he caught his prey when he was out hunting in the woods, the rush of attacking, a slither of satisfaction.
"He's never done that before." He continues, feeling a surge of energy despite the tingling pain in his arm. Kuai was honestly surprised at his reaction. He thought his older brother was always too harsh when training them, but perhaps that harshness had a rather positive affect on Tomas.
"I...see." Kuai nodded, sighing at Tomas' excitement. He pulled out a roll of gauze from the pouch at his waist, it was always good to keep some sort of aid kit on you, even when training. He motioned for Tomas to let him take his arm, and this time, Tomas did.
"That is why we wear thick gear on our arms when training with Bi-Han." Kuai explained, dabbing small spots of alcohol over the cut before wrapping it up. Tomas scrunched his face up at the stinging feeling from it.
"We'll have to equip you with something for your hands and arms from now on. Be careful next time." Tomas took Kuai's words and plastered them onto a mental note. This was a marking for more serious training with the brothers, and he couldn't help but feel elated at the idea of being taken more seriously when training. He knew he had potential, and he wanted to prove it to them.
"Next time, will you use your pyromancy on me?" Tomas asked with smile, watching Kuai freeze his hands and what they were doing. He turned up to Tomas, a smirk pulling at the end of his lips as he tightened the gauze around his wrist.
"Patience, Tomas. I don't think you're ready for that yet." Yet. Which was a silent promise that someday, Tomas would be faced with Kuai's raging fire. If he could stand a chance against it, he would have proven himself.
Since then, Tomas had been given some new training gear. The cloth wrapped around his arms was similar to Kuai's, thick and padded underneath. He had no trouble going against Bi-Han now, able to block his cold punches with ease and only a slight shiver. There was one time he got sick, simply by training too long against Bi-Han.
"You are being dramatic, Kuai. It is a simple cold, he'll be over it by tomorrow." Bi-Han narrowed his eyes, watching his brother place a warm rag over Tomas' forehead. Kuai clicked his teeth.
"Bi-Han... we have to keep an eye on him so it does go away by tomorrow. Or else he could be sick in bed for days." He tried to reason, he got up and handed Bi-Han an empty bowl.
"Now go make warm soup for him." Bi-Han scowled at his brother.
"What makes you think you can order me around? You want to take care of him so badly, you make him the soup."
"I have to keep him warm." Kuai says with a stern voice. Bi-Han's loose temper never really phased him. They both heard Tomas mumble something, the brothers turning their heads to him and watching his face twist.
"Guys... it's ok, you don't have to. I'll be fine." He tried to give them a smile, and it was all but convincing. Bi-Han has never gotten sick from a cold, he was the cold. Perhaps it was a little more serious than he anticipated. Bi-Han groaned under his breath, backing away from his argument with his brother.
"Don't be ridiculous." And before he could exit the room, he turned to Kuai. "And he better eat all of it." He always had to get the last word in, and Kuai just let him, relieved he agreed to make Tomas something to eat. He in fact could have made it himself, but his older brother was arguably the better cook between them.
Kuai shook his head before returning to Tomas' side at his bed. He pressed his hand against the rag, making sure it was still warm, before gently resting his palm over his chest. Tomas turned to him with curious eyes, the rag almost falling off his head.
"...What are you doing?" Kuai lightly shushed him, moving his head so he could face back up at the ceiling so the towel wouldn't fall.
"Nothing, just relax." Kuai breathed deeply through his nose, channeling something inside him at his core. He could feel the warmth run through his veins, down his arms, like a stream of light.
He focused on this warmth down to his hand, over his palm, spreading to the tips of his fingers. Within seconds, the heat radiated over Tomas' body, Kuai's warmth covered the entirety of his chest. Tomas let out a long breath, his eyes falling closed as he focused on the sensation.
"Thank you... brother." He mumbled, the words falling out of his mouth before he could stop them. Kuai's eyebrows lifted, his hand flinching over his chest, before he collected himself.
It was the first time Tomas called him his brother.
Kuai smiled to himself. He continues to radiate heat over Tomas' body. He never thought he'd ever have anyone other than his father and Bi-Han at his side, but Tomas caved his way into his family before he knew it. He was proud to be considered his brother.
"Don't let him fall asle-"
"Shut up, Bi-Han." Tomas was already feeling tired, so the new welcome warmth lulled him to sleep rather quickly. Their voices were a blur to him.
Bi-Han's mouth twitched with annoyance, because he was now cooking a bowl of soup that wouldn't even be eaten anytime soon. Despite that fact, he didn't argue further, instead going back to the kitchen, his steps quiet so as not to wake Tomas.
Another day, the two brothers had convinced Tomas to get his hair cut. It had grown out, reaching down to the bottom of his back. It got in the way, it was annoying to maintain, so Tomas agreed to let it all go. He didn't necessarily have too much of an attachment to it anyways.
"Uh... Are you sure you know how to cut hair?" Tomas asks nervously, watching Bi-Han hold up a kunai in front of him. Bi-Han met his eyes for a second.
"No."
Well, that was not easing his nervousness. Kuai noticed Tomas' anxiety, placing a soothing hand on his shoulder.
"He's messing with you. He won't make you glamorous, sure, but he's helped many of the members cut their hair short. Even me." Kuai comforted. Tomas gave him a weary look.
"But why is he using a kunai?"
"Stop asking questions." Kuai raised his hand as a signal for Bi-Han to calm down, he'll never understand why his brother gets annoyed so quickly.
"It's just to chop it shorter more quickly. He'll use something more proper after." That was when Bi-Han began to nudge Kuai away, motioning his hand to the side.
"All he needs to do is sit and let me work. Enough questions." Kuai sighed out, moving away to give his brother the space he so desperately wanted.
"S-Sorry, Bi-Han..." Tomas hurriedly apologizes, his hands held tightly together in his lap. He was second guessing himself now, wondering if he really wanted to do this.
Rough fingers began pulling his bangs back, and for a second Tomas thought he would have to bear a few sharp pulls. But to his surprise, Bi-Han's fingers carefully combed through the strands of his hair. He tried to turn up, noticing the amount of focus in Bi-Han's face as he looked down at his head of hair. Then Tomas' face was forced back to looking forward.
"Brother, stop. moving."
The sheer amount of irritation in his tone made Tomas hold in his breath. He sat still, letting Bi-Han work on his hair. Despite the cool air that hung around Bi-Han constantly, Tomas felt his chest grow warm. His eyes blinking rapidly as he took in the whole situation.
It was the first time Bi-Han called him his brother.
"Not bad, I think it suits you better." Kuai commented as Tomas examined his short hair in a long mirror. His short bangs framed his face well, he was mesmerized by his own reflection. He had never seen himself with hair this short before.
Tomas turned to Bi-Han, his brother, who was sharpening the kunai he had just used moments ago. Bi-Han caught him staring, returning his gaze with a light mug on his face.
"What?"
Tomas felt the tips of his own hair, it felt fuzzy under his fingers. He couldn't help the large smile spreading on his face. Bi-Han might have thought he looked crazy, but Tomas felt as if he were brand new. He couldn't explain it, but somehow he felt reborn.
"Thank you, brother!" Kuai couldn't help but smile with him, while Bi-Han simply watched him. He didn't understand why something so simple as getting his hair cut could make him so happy. There was no reason to be jumping off the walls about it, was there? Bi-Han forced his lips to still, giving the younger boy a simple nod before turning back to the kunai.
It seemed that ever since that moment, Tomas has spent a lot of time with Kuai. So little time with Bi-Han. He would only see him during training hours, a hard look on his young face, Tomas wondered how someone could look so angry all the time. He never let himself judge though, because it was Bi-Han. His eldest brother.
"I don't think I'm learning enough as I could be." Tomas states bluntly, hoping to convince Bi-Han to help him improve even more than before. Bi-Han's eyes look over to him with a long stare.
"Is that so?"
"It is so." Tomas replies. "The other members of the Lin Kuei still look down on me when we train. I- I..." Tomas looks down at the ground, his eyebrows bunching up in frustration. "I know I can do better. I just- I don't know how. I need help." He admits, having no shame in confiding in his older brother for his self doubts.
He trusted Bi-Han and Kuai greatly, but this was a problem only Bi-Han could fix. He was the one who always managed to bring out the best in Tomas when it came to combat. He knew how he fought, his strengths and weaknesses. Tomas' hands bunched into fists as he waited for a reply.
Bi-Han studied his composure for a second, realizing he was quite serious, maybe even angry. He found the timing quite funny, as his father had instructed him already to push Tomas to the next level.
"Lift your head up, it's rude not to hold eye contact." Tomas immediately lifted his head up to look at him. Bi-Han continued to hold his gaze, before letting out a soft grunt a moment later.
"You are prepared for advanced training. This will make you truly become a part of the Lin Kuei, there is no room for failure." Tomas nodded his head, not daring to interrupt him.
Bi-Han pulled a small ball shaped object from his pocket, allowing Tomas a moment to examine it.
"Is that... a smoke bomb, brother?"
"Correct. This will be your new weapon." Tomas blinked at him, wondering if he was joking.
"A... smoke bomb? But- aren't those just used for defense?" Tomas questioned, wondering if he wasn't actually being taken seriously. The corner of Bi-Han's lips quirked up, and Tomas realized this is the first time in days he's seen even a sliver of a smile on Bi-Han's face. It did not pair well with the dark circles under his brother's eyes.
"You merely believe so because you do not yet know how to manipulate it to your advantage. Observe." He messed with some sort of switch on the bomb, then slammed it into the floor. The puff of smoke found it's way into Tomas' mouth, his eyes, making him curl over into a coughing fit. He felt like he couldn't breath.
"A blow to the airway, disorientation." Bi-Han appears at Tomas' back, landing a hard punch to his back. It knocks Tomas off his feet, making him stumble forward before falling to his knees.
"An opening, allowing you a fatal blow. Your lack of concentration within those couple of seconds would have determined your fate if I was your enemy."
Tomas was barely listening, his nails scratching at his throat as harsh coughs racked through his body. He inhaled sharply, trying to swallow down the lump that had grown in his throat. He understands what Bi-Han was trying to teach him, yet he doesn't get why he had to be the test dummy for the demonstration. The taste of smoke lingers down his throat as he turns up to his older brother from the floor.
"I-I get it..." He tries to say, his voice hoarse and his tongue feeling dry.
"Good. Now get up, your new training starts now." He stopped, pulling something else out of the belt at his waist. Tomas slowly picked himself up from the floor, a few lingering coughs falling out of his throat.
"That will not be your only new weapon. Take this." Bi-Han hands him a familiar looking kurambit. The handle is decorated in dark leather, and he recognizes it as his older brother's.
"You're... you're giving it to me?" Tomas asks in slight awe, holding his hands out to accept. Bi-Han placed the weapon in his palms.
"I no longer have a need for it. It would be most useful to you, at least until you find yourself a new one. Now, enough with the presentation. It's time you actually start doing." With those few words, Bi-Han led him out to the training grounds.
That was all he got. One measly presentation, with zero pointers. Bi-Han was basically telling him to figure it out himself, challenging him to find a way to make use of the smoke. So he did, he took on Bi-Han's challenge. And he failed many times, that is, before he finally got it right.
His voice was rough the first few days. He had inhaled so much smoke at one time, it managed to destroy his throat. He barely sounded like himself, much to Kuai's dismay. He questioned Bi-Han's teachings, wondering if they were too much for Tomas.
"You don't have to train today."
"It's fine." Tomas mutters, placing on the last of his training gear. Kuai tries to reach for him, to place a hand on his shoulder, but Tomas is already moving away.
"I said it's fine." His voice strains in his throat, and he turns to Kuai with a bit of a frown. He did not want to appear frustrated, so he tries again.
"Really, I'm getting the hang of it." He says more softly, sounding a bit more like himself. Kuai notices the object in his hands, before his eyes properly examine it and find that it was some sort of mask.
Tomas presses the mask against his face, effectively blocking his airways as he wraps the straps of the mask behind his head. When it's on securely, he turns to Kuai again, his eyes smiling at his brother.
Kuai realized he was alright after all.
In fact, he was better than alright. The first time Kuai decided to take a front row seat at his training session with Bi-Han, he was nothing short of amazed at Tomas' techniques. He made good use of his smoke bombs, effectively hiding himself and getting the upper hand on Bi-Han.
By the end of their training session, Bi-Han was choking on a cloud of smoke. Tomas was breathing heavily beside him, his chest rising for a few seconds, falling for some more. A trail of smoke filtered out of his mask.
It was as if he had truly become one with the smoke surrounding him, as it seemed to emit off his body, taunting Bi-Han, daring him to step closer. Bi-Han's face appeared a light red from his sudden choking fit, turning to Tomas who seemed... much taller than he remembered.
For a second, he was truly terrifying. His eyes blaring into Bi-Han's, trapping him as if he were his prey. Before the Lin Kuei, he was a hunter through and through. Something was hungry in his eyes, they were proud that they had him cornered. But Tomas snapped himself out of it, realizing what he had just done.
"Tomas, that was amazing. I didn't know you could fight like that!" Kuai went up to him, the smell of smoke and the dust particles making his eyes squint. Tomas turned to him, his eyes widening. He didn't need to take his mask off for Kuai to know he was grinning under it.
"I didn't know I could fight like that either! Brother- I've improved so much with your training!" He excitedly tells Bi-Han, as if he wasn't just a test dummy to his smoke. Bi-Han spits out of the corner of his mouth, his tongue had gone dry.
"You'll improve even more, Tomas. Bi-Han will mold you into the perfect ninja."
"Our training together ends here."
Both of his younger brothers turned to him with shock written in their eyes. Tomas blinked a few times, trying to process the words he's just been told.
"What?" He voiced aloud, his voice trailing off into the stiff silence between them. Bi-Han turns to Kuai.
"This goes for you as well. From now on, you are to train with Kuai Liang, or any of the other members. As long as you don't interfere with my own." This got them both to raise their brows.
"But brother-"
"That's... I- I like training with you. It's the only time we spend together now!" Tomas argued, not yet wanting to come to terms with this.
"You will learn to like training with Kuai."
"It's more than just training." Kuai replies, their training sessions together never lasted long enough either, and Kuai often wishes for more time spent with his eldest brother.
"Enough. You two know better than to complain, you will do as I say, without unnecessary excuses. That's an order from your future grandmaster."
Tomas became still, he suddenly remembered he was a part of the Lin Kuei. They had a strict set of rules here. Kuai's reaction was no different. He stared at his older brother, unable to grasp this sudden revelation.
"You're... he's training you to become grandmaster?" Kuai asks, he had his suspicions, he didn't expect them to be confirmed so early.
"Yes. Which means I'm busy. I don't have time to be training you both anymore, so get used to your new sparring partner. I'm sure you'll both get along well." He says between the two of them. Tomas and Kuai look at each other.
Tomas turns back to Bi-Han, reaching for his shoulder before he could walk away. But his hand gets shoved away, and he is met with a cold glare. As if he just insulted Bi-Han by the mere thought of touching him.
"Sorry, brother... Just, before you go..." Tomas tried to smile. "When you do have time, I'd hope you spend some of it with us. Father seems to have you all hours of the day." His voice was soft, gentle. Much different to Bi-Han's, a deep groan sounding out of his throat, almost making Tomas flinch back in surprise.
"Mind your own business, Tomas." And the way he said it made his heart drop, because it felt as if his words put a barrier between them. Bi-Han wasn't always the sweetest, but he was never truly this cold. Kuai set a hand on his shoulder, whispering to him as their older brother finally walked off.
"Let's... give him some space. I'm sure father is working him to the bone. He may just be agitated." He tried to reason, and it was the only hope Tomas could hold onto.
Every night after that, the two brothers ate dinner together. They had morning tea together. They trained together, and Kuai even used his pyromancy on Tomas. He adapted quickly, although he would admit he had a lot of trouble. There was one time where he had gotten a bad burn on his arm, and Kuai was apologizing profusely.
"Kuai, it's really alright. You don't need to-" His brother looked over his arm closely, a cold wet rag in his hand. He hissed at the sight of it, gently pressing the rag to his arm. Tomas made a small nose, almost pulling his arm away if it weren't for the grip Kuai had on him.
"Stop- stop!"
"I'm sorry, but we have to clean it off..." Tomas shook his head, realizing that the burn was a tad bit more severe than he initially thought. He clenched his teeth when Kuai went to place the rag against his skin again, before another person stepped into the room.
"What are you complaining about, Tomas?" He didn't even need an answer, the two ninjas looking up at him with slight surprise at his presence, Kuai holding the rag right above the burn. Bi-Han raised his brows, before shaking his head at the two.
"Using the rag is a stupid idea, run his arm under cool water and bandage it." Kuai blinked before pulling away from Tomas, feeling foolish for his actions.
"A-Ah, right. I'm sorry, Tomas." Tomas shook his head, relieved that Kuai stopped touching the burn. He turned to Bi-Han, it was the first night they've ran into him for about a week.
"Thank you, brother..." He mumbled, Bi-Han had such a cool head when it came to things like this.
And he almost regret his words with the look the young grandmaster gave him. A look twisted with what seemed like disgust, aimed towards Tomas. He had never looked at him that way before. Like he was someone truly below him.
"Do not call me that." Tomas could feel his heart stop, his face falling at Bi-Han's words. Even Kuai had heard him, turning to Bi-Han with a look of genuine confusion and shock.
"W-What?" His voice was as small as a whisper.
"We are not brothers. Remember your place." Whatever that place was, Bi-Han had never mentioned it before. Kuai immediately took a step forward, raising his voice at his older brother.
"Bi-Han! Do not speak to him that way!"
"Is what I have said wrong? We had no choice but to bring him in to the Lin Kuei. He is still not our blood." Tomas' mouth fell open at his words.
"He is a part of this family just as much as we are. I don't know what compels you to speak this way of him, but I do not want to hear it again." Kuai was hardly intimidating in Bi-Han's eyes. He could laugh in his face right now if it weren't for the hint of annoyance from being ordered by his younger brother to shut his mouth.
"Bi-Han?" Tomas' voice was light and steady, as if anything more would set Bi-Han off the rails. He held his hands together nervously, keeping his eyes level with his. Something in those eyes of his has changed, Tomas couldn't read them anymore. The only sign of life on Bi-Han now was the scowl on his face, the wrinkles on his forehead when he narrowed his eyes at Tomas.
"What... What happened to you?" He asked, because he was already missing the version of him who allowed Tomas to call him his older brother. Bi-Han huffed out of his nose, turning away from Tomas as his jaw clenched.
"Mind your own business, and get that wound cleaned up. I'm tired of looking at it." Tomas had forgotten all about the burn on his arm, feeling his heart sink lower as the exchange went on.
Bi-Han wouldn't say that he was worried. He wouldn't admit that he couldn't stand to see Tomas hurt, simply eager for him to fix it. He had to get rid of those worries, he couldn't show that type of softness. Not as grandmaster. He left the two brothers alone again, Kuai pouring a cup of cool water over Tomas' burn.
The two were silent, a small hiss from Tomas when the burn began to sting under the water. His eyes fluttered shut a few times, he was just waiting for it to be over.
"I'm sorry..." Kuai whispers, setting the cup down when he's run out of water. Tomas looked down at the burn on his arm, his eyes becoming blurry, his vision distorted. Kuai frowned at the look on his face.
"What is wrong, Tomas?" That Kuai... always a careful eye on him. Tomas sniffed, trying desperately to keep his voice level. Boys weren't supposed to cry this easily, that's what their father always taught them. But in this moment, Tomas couldn't help it.
"N-Nothing... it just... hurts really bad." He meant to say the wound, motioning down to his arm. But when the words escaped him, he wasn't so sure he was speaking of the burn anymore.
His tears streamed down his cheeks, and Kuai couldn't help but to pull Tomas into a hug, pressing his brother's face into his shoulder. Tomas didn't have it in him to return the hug, instead, wrapping his arms around his own body as a few sobs shook through him. He doesn't remember the last time he had cried so hard.
And he never cried about it again. He had mastered a stone face around Bi-Han, letting the insults behind his words fly over his head so he wouldn't have to process them. Bi-Han liked hearing himself talk, both he and Kuai had soon realized.
Time passes by fast, they lose a few good members. They lose their father. It was a quiet day, none of them cried. Or if they did, they did so in private. Bi-Han was also officially made grandmaster that day, and the two brothers didn't think things could get any worse.
They failed to realize just how hungry for power their brother really was. They received a solid betrayal, the loss of their clan, Kuai felt the need to build his own. He made Tomas second in command, and he couldn't have been more honored. He was even given the code name "Smoke", which was thought up with minimal amount of effort.
He met a young boy, feisty, angry. But it turned out he was just hungry, so Tomas offered him a place to stay, some food on a table. He introduced the boy to Kuai, and he took him out to their training grounds. The boy excelled in basic training, and Tomas crossed his arms, seeing the boy's potential.
He spent a lot of time with the boy, Hanzo Hasashi was his name. The two were sharing a meal as they admired the overgrown garden near the Shirai Ryu training grounds. Tomas occasionally watered that garden, wanting them to have a nice scenery. Hanzo turns up to Tomas, his curious eyes watching him.
"Has Kuai Liang found a lead on Bi-Han's whereabouts yet, brother?" Brother. Yes, his family just keeps growing. He finds himself lucky to have gained a new brother after losing one. Tomas turns to Hanzo with a small smile.
"Yes, actually. We are in the middle of coming up with a plan to ambush the Lin Kuei. We think it might be our best option right now." He says, looking back out to the garden. Hanzo glances to where he is staring, becoming curious again.
"You said he was your older brother, right? Doesn't it make you... sad? Knowing you have to fight him?" Hanzo never held back on his questions. He liked to know everything and some more, Tomas couldn't blame his curiosity. He sighed as his hands rested in his lap.
"Of course I'm sad. All I wanted was for the three of us to get along. I don't think that's an option anymore, though." He lightly scratched his palm. "I don't really want to, but at this point it's clear I have to fight him. So I will." Hanzo raised his brows, and Tomas couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him.
"He's tough, but I'm sure we can beat him. After all... we've had the best teacher."