The sun rising over the Land of Departure had done more than breathe warmth across the landscape. 

Standing atop a slim, brown staff was a young girl. She balanced herself at the very top with just her right foot, the left had curled back just behind her, and the knee itself was pointed towards the ground below. She drew in deep breaths, silently filling her lungs and letting the fresh air keep her renewed and steady. In her hands she held a white teacup half-full of soy milk, handling it with care despite her position of rest. The light could be felt drifting across the grounds and coming towards her. Her eyes may have been shut to the first sight of the morning light, but she had felt it bless her body with its gaze nonetheless. 

Lin smiled to herself, opening her eyes and looking eastward to the sun. [color=fdc68a][b]“Good morning,”[/b][/color] she said, closing her eyes again. The energy it bestowed her was giving her strength to face today. Training would begin in another hour; she would learn from her new master—one of many she hoped to meet—and be able to make friends with her fellow peers. 

Despite her stillness, Lin’s confidence had wavered prior to the sun’s greeting. Mounting her staff and meditating on the positive side of things had allowed her to face the sun with strength rather than doubt. Her thanks couldn’t be expressed with words in any tongue she knew. [color=fdc68a][b]“Are you ready for today, as I am?” [/b][/color]she asked the sun, which only responded by continuing to shine its light upon her. She would take that as a yes.

Taking a sip from her cup, Lin crouched lower on the staff that held her. She jumped and switched feet, landing on its unmoving tip and bending her now freed right foot backward. The cup of milk had been shaken, yet not a drop escaped its container. Perfect balance. 

[color=fdc68a][b]“Han, I hope you are seeing a sunrise as beautiful as this.”[/b][/color] Lin took another sip from her cup. Nostalgia threatened her to quit, to pack it all up and go to the home she missed—to the China that she loved so dearly. It was too soon for that. At the very least she wanted to be able to return home with a story to tell. Master Irakois could make so much possible for her. What she needed now was more patience… and another sip of her milk.

So begins her chapter.