Chapter 352

Chapter 352

Waking to the warbling cry of the laughing birds, Song rose to greet the morning with a long, languid stretch. Still fast asleep beside her, Lin and Sister lay tangled in each others embrace while bears and wildcats snored peacefully around them. Even Jimjam, usually so anxious and vigilant, lay passed out on his side, his breathing heavy and belly swollen from last nights bout with gluttony. Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, Song postponed brushing her hair and sidled over to Jimjams side, gently stroking his cheek and smiling as he slowly came awake. Eyes widening in surprise, he gave a small yowl as if to ask howd she got so close. Rubbing his belly to appease him, Song checked his ears, gums, and paws for irregularities, a difficult task given Jimjams normal, apprehensive nature.

With a petulant huff, Jimjam closed his eyes and magnanimously accepted Songs ministrations. When she finished, she couldnt resist laying down beside the dramatic, overfed wildcat, stroking his neck and picking dried meat and encrusted blood from his fur. Sharing a yurt with Sister and Lin wasnt so bad, especially with all the animals here to keep them company. Although Sarankho was always available for a hug, Jimjam rarely enjoyed cuddling and Aurie and the bears almost never left Rains side. Despite all this, a small part of Song still resented having to give up her private yurt, though mostly because she was certain the devious Luo-Luo would never use it.

When she heard Rains new concubine was an Imperial Servant, Song rejoiced at the thought of having someone to help care for Rains pets. As much as she enjoyed their company, grooming three wildcats, two bears, and twenty rabbits took too much time out of her day. Unfortunately, Luo-Luos naive outlook and duplicitous personality proved Imperial Servant was merely a different way to say spoiled noble, expecting to be waited on hand and foot while reading into every word and gesture from those around her. Song had met plenty of women like her, a calculating social chameleon who changed personalities as easily as others changed clothes. With Lin, Luo-Luo feigned childish wonder and boundless delight, but with Sister-in-Law Sarnai, she behaved like a prim and proper lady eager to please her new husband. Given her deceitful and scheming personality, Luo-Luo had much to do before earning Songs trust, but for now, the Servant would be too busy winning over her husband to bother with anyone else.

As a plus, with an outlet for his lust, Rains lecherous ways might be constrained to Luo-Luo alone, leaving Song, Sister, and Lin all well alone.

That said, last nights banquet was surprisingly enjoyable, Songs first public event with her entire family. Mamas and Sisters dresses were beautiful, but Song could never bring herself to wear something so revealing, not by choice at least. No, a soldiers tunic and trousers were good enough, with her comfortable Runic armour worn over top and her trusty saber at her hip. As last nights poisoning proved, one could never be too careful when dealing with privileged members of nobility. Although Mama and Papa would never allow it, Song couldnt forget all the social events shed attended in Central after Teacher Du gifted her to Master Kai, nor how she suffered at the hands of those lecherous aristocrats...

Unhappy memories aside, when the Crier introduced Mama, Papa, Sister, and herself as one family, Songs heart swelled with joy, and that was only the beginning. The beautiful decorations, the delicious foods, the relaxing ambient music, and the adorable antics from the animals, the night went perfectly until Rain collapsed from poison. Even then, seeing how he recovered without incident, Song marked the banquet as a rousing success. The nobles ate, met Rains concubine, and nobody died, a much tamer event than shed expected. Rain rarely accomplished anything quietly, and even though someone tried to have him killed, his quick thinking, unsavoury solution, remarkable fortitude, and casual disregard for pain and death proved he deserved his new Imperial Peerage.

It felt strange approving of Rains actions, and although minor issues regarding negative public opinion might soon arise, Song couldnt deny how impressive and effective his demonstration had been. After barely grimacing when Brother Baatar cut his belly open, Rain didnt even bat an eye while the Medical Saint rummaged through his innards. Then, the second he finished Healing, Rain jolted up and joked about his empty stomach before devouring a full meal in front of his awed guests, a most appropriate, if crude, display of power and endurance. Though his new title kept him safe from harm, his actions would make even the most embittered noble think twice before offending the Bekhai.

A performance most suitable for the Undying Savage.

Having idled about long enough, Song hurriedly braided her hair and threw on her armour before carrying the sluggish bears and wildcats out to sleep in the grass. This way, Sister and Lin could rest uninterrupted, or more likely, not wake up to a stinky surprise left by the trapped animals.

Noticing a crowd of quins gathered around Rains door, Song headed over to see what all the fuss was about. As she approached, Rains door rattled and a muted, distressed chirp sounded out from within, causing all the gathered quins to respond in kind. Perhaps Mafu was trapped inside, though why Rain would invite a quin into his yurt on the eve of his marriage was not something Song wanted to dwell on.

What a perverted deviant... And to think, Song was starting to respect him...Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Against her better judgment, Song pushed past the crowd of quins and unlatched the door. Far from the cheerful welcome shed expected, she blinked in surprise as it burst open to reveal a snarling, unfamiliar, quin. Holding her ground with a snarl, she held one palm up in warning while the other hand rested firmly on her sabers hilt. Cowing the defensive quin with her unyielding demeanour and silent threat, its anger subsided as it shifted from side to side, sniffing her palm and licking its jowls before letting loose with a plaintive whine. The poor thing seemed so distressed, Song wanted to reach out to pat its nose, but seeing its long, dagger-like fangs and obvious agitation, Song wisely kept her hands to herself. With the quin refusing to back down and Song unable to do so without possibly triggering its hunters instincts, she found herself in a stalemate. Where did this unsociable creature come from? Why was it inside Rains yurt? Was the quins antagonistic behaviour the result of whatever debauchery Rain partook of last night?

Thankfully, their awkward standoff didnt last long as Mafu darted around Song, past the angry quin, and into the yurt, his tail lashing back and forth the whole time. Emerging a few seconds later with a quin pup nestled in his arms, Mafu ran off chittering with the adorable creature and left Song in bemused confusion. A second, fully-grown quin soon emerged carrying two more pups, giving Song a cursory sniff before taking off after the pup thief Mafu, squeaking up a storm as the pack followed in their wake. The angry quin also disappeared and returned with two sleeping pups, ignoring Song to run off and follow its mate.

Out of self-preservation and perhaps even morbid curiosity, Song stood at the doorway and peered into the dimly lit room. Asleep on the floor, Rain wore the same clothes Song had last seen him in, his bed never slept in and the new girl nowhere to be seen. Were Rains tastes so depraved that not even an Imperial Servant could stomach them? No, for all their talk of superiority and eminence, nobles were a sordid and degenerate bunch, so it was doubtful Luo-Luos training wouldnt prepare her for the worst. Perhaps he sent her away because the poison and subsequent healing must have taken its toll on him, or why else would he still be asleep? Rain had many flaws but indolence could not be counted among them. Considering hed been too tired to change his clothes, its possible Rain left his concubine untouched and unspoiled, a small mercy in Songs mind, though Luo-Luo would certainly see things differently.

It still begged the question, where did Rain find a clutch of quin pups to snuggle with?

Her curiosity sated, Song closed the door and left Rain to sleep. Stepping into the rabbit enclosure, she smiled as the darling creatures stopped playing and gathered around to greet her, rearing up on their hind legs with twitching noses and hopeful stares. For some strange reason, Roc was also in the enclosure, hopping and flapping about to avoid the playful baby rabbits with an indignant look in his eyes, though too scared to attack with Mama Bun watching his every move. Annoyed by the repeated efforts to bowl him over, Roc hopped over to Song with wings outstretched in a futile attempt to take flight. Catching him mid-hop, Song brought him close to inspect for injuries but found him in perfect condition, his wings opening and closing without signs of pain or discomfort. Shaking her head in disbelief, Song let Roc perch on her shoulder as she fed and brushed the rabbits, all the while scouring her brain for ways to help a bird lose weight.

Almost a quarter hour later, Dastan was still chatting with the crowd and Song had almost reached the end of her patience. Dastan wasnt even an ideal training partner, the two of them too unevenly matched to do anything but spar. While sparring was a form of training, why spar with Dastan when she had Sister, Niece Alsantset, or even Rain to match blades with? In contrast, what made Mister Rustram an ideal training partner wasnt his strength, skill, or insight, but because he constantly made mistakes. In identifying and correcting his mistakes, Song discovered flaws in her own style, an arrangement which benefited them both.

Enough, enough, Ive made my partner wait long enough. Smiling as he turned away from the crowd, Dastan finally took his place across from Song, his body relaxed and lips turned upwards in a smug, self-satisfied smile. Dangerous for them to spar with Spiritual Weapons, but Song didnt care to delay this farce for even a second more. After today, she would have an opening in her morning routine, for Dastans arrogance was far too much to stomach.

He didnt understand how blessed he was to have a master like Falling Rain. Why did the Mother love everyone but her?

My apologies, Lady Song. Whenever youre ready.

In response, Songs saber hummed through the air as she opened with a downward slash, prepared to clash head-on with the Runic shield. While unsure if the shields worked the same way, she knew her Runic armour boasted an effect which dampened impacts and assumed the shield would do the same. Armed with this knowledge, Song intended to take advantage of the dampening effect to turn her slash into a stab, allowing her to end the match in an instant.

Except somehow, her saber cut through empty air as Dastan side-stepped and avoided the attack, his movements so fluid and nimble it almost looked inhuman.

Cursing her negligence, Song disengaged and stepped back to re-evaluate her opponent. How could she forget why the crowd was so eager to see him? Only yesterday, Dastan demonstrated his true strength by defeating Mitsue Hideo in a consummate display of skill and agility, a feat Song wasnt certain she could replicate. Whats more, though she defeated him time and time again in the past six months, they used common training weapons in those spars. This was the first time she faced him with Spiritual Weapon in hand, and he seemed like a different warrior altogether. During their previous spars, he always seemed driven and impatient, recklessly diving into battle in hopes of victory, but no more. Today, he stood across from her a changed man, tranquil and composed with a joyful gleam in his eyes. What she mistook for arrogance was in fact childlike glee, enjoying the challenge for what it was worth without caring for victory or defeat.

Interesting.

Abandoning her preconceived notions of his strength, Song moved in to exchange blows and test this new Dastan, absorbing and analyzing his every moment as they circled the field. Back and forth they went and neither one took the upper hand, their match silent but for the stomping of boots and panting of breath. First ten, then twenty, then thirty exchanges without the clang of saber meeting axe or shield, and not for lack of trying on either part. On their forty seventh exchange, the ring of metal on metal sounded out as Songs saber glanced off Dastans Runic shield, and she cursed her past self. The Runic shield failed to dampen the impact and her blade bounced off its surface, which meant the shield was inferior to her armour. Unfortunately, this also meant that if hed responded with an active parry to her opening attack, the match would have ended after a single exchange just as she hoped, only with her defeat instead of his.

After more than a hundred exchanges, Song finally had a grasp on his movements. Wolf Form Circling the Grass, Oriole Form Rising Steps, and Snake Form Slithering Pursuit, three different movements from three different Forms all focusing on footwork. While Dastan hadnt exactly merged them into something new, he used all three in delicate harmony, making his constantly shifting movements unpredictable and erratic without sacrificing balance or poise. To control these strange movements, Dastan constantly shifted his centre of gravity by alternating Lightening and Stability at varying magnitudes. A difficult task even without distraction, but something Dastan accomplished in the midst of battle as easily as turning his hand.

When did he become so proficient at Chi manipulation? Was this the advantage provided by a Natal Palace?

Throwing everything she had into the match, their weapons rang out in an accelerated concert of steel. Stalking the Dragon, Swiping the Rushes, Reversing the Flow into Fanged Clutch, Songs most trusted combination failed to find an opening in his defence, though it allowed her to grab hold of his shield. Wrenching it aside with an effort of pure strength, she leapt up and twisted her body in mid air before driving both boots firmly into Dastans exposed face. With a tuck of her head, she rolled across the dirt and came to her feet with saber at the ready, but the spar was over. Hands held up in defeat, Dastan said, Mercy, Lady Song. His smile bloodied but genuine, he clasped his hands and bowed in respect. As always, I am awed by your skill and strength.

After a moment of hushed silence, the shocked crowd burst into cheers and applause, delighted by the show of Martial skill. Breathless and ashamed, Song offered Dastan a salute and left, her feet carrying her away as quickly as they could without breaking into a run. Her winning move was something Mama had forbidden her to use, because the last time Song tried it, Rain struck her in the back of the head before she could turn. Judging by how quickly Dastan recovered, he also had time enough to lop off her head, but instead forfeited to spare her ego. Song believed she still stood at the forefront of her peers, but Dastans remarkable improvement proved her wrong. No matter what Mama claimed, without strength, Song served no purpose, so she had no choice but to condense her Natal Palace as soon as possible.

Only... she didnt know how and Mama was too busy to teach her. What was she to do?

Two things were certain though. Tomorrow morning, she would return to spar with Dastan again, but not before telling Rain to take more responsibility for his pets.

Chapter Meme