The Royal Family of Flowing Sands#

A foolish son, a clever father, One plans ahead, the other rather. On the battlefield, no room for kin, The cunning father flees, leaving his son within.

The Kingdom of Flowing Sands had three princes of the royal line.

The eldest prince, favored by the king, was a renowned warrior for his valor in the battles against the Fuban. He was granted the title of Valiant General. But later, a shadow darkened his mind, clouding his reason and erasing his memories of his kin. Thus, he was hidden away.

The king was heartbroken. Luckily, two of his sons yet remained.

The third prince, the youngest and the king's most trusted, was well- versed in poetry and deeply fond of Buddhist teachings. He possessed both wisdom and strength. However, when the king issued the Rodent Reverence Edict and executed those ministers who opposed it, the third prince left in protest. Wrath consumed the king, but one of his sons still remained.

The second prince, though a man of great strength, was simple of mind. He was neither as skilled a warrior as his elder brother nor as clever as his younger sibling. Of the three sons, he was the least favored by the king. Nevertheless, he remained by the king's side the longest.

When the Yellow Wind King retrieved a mighty vessel and returned, the King of Flowing Sands rallied to his banner with what remained of his people, hoping to reclaim his lost kingdom. The Yellow Wind King, short on men, saw the fierce spirit in the second prince and welcomed him and his followers into his ranks.

But the Yellow Wind King had a Tiger Vanguard, whose hunger for rat flesh required a fresh feast each day. When the Yellow Wind King retreated into his meditating seclusion, the tiger grew even bolder. Only the savage might of the second prince's hammer could give him pause from time to time.

Much did the second prince sacrifice for his father the king, yet through all the perils and hardships they endured, the King of Flowing Sands never failed to bring the eldest prince with him and continuously sent minions to seek out the youngest. What thoughts dwelled in the heart of the second son, none could say.