Chapter 375

Chapter 375

Rain my boy!

Rudely awakened from slumber by a surge of adrenaline, I spring to my feet ready to defend myself, only to slip and flounder while trying to keep my footing on Ping Pings slippery shell. Pulling me into a soggy embrace, Taduk saves me from a face-plant while simultaneously shocking me out of my panic. Thank the Heavens youre alive, he exclaims, hugging so tightly Blackjack squeals in muted protest from between us. Releasing us with a hangdog look, Taduk looks me over with his tear-stained eyes and his Chi to make sure Im still hale and healthy, his hands patting my hair and face as if to reassure himself that Im really there. This was all my fault, we shouldnt have come so far out into the sea. I took all the warnings for tall tales and flights of fancy, thought we were perfectly safe but we werent and I almost lost you and... I uh... mm...

Eyes widening in surprise, Taduks voice trails off as he stares at my chest. Worried something happened to my fur babies, I look down to find Mama Bun comatose from her Spiritual Algae snack and Blackjack so irked by the rude awakening hes baring his sharp, squared teeth, but neither are enough to shock my teacher into silence. Whats thrown him for a loop is the newest addition to my menagerie poking his head out from Mama Buns damp fur. Glaring at Taduk with undisguised hostility, Pong Pongs adorably grumpy expression too darling to resist. Giving his tiny turtle nose a light poke, I snort with laughter as Pong Pong shrinks back in alarm and retreats into the safe confines of his shell, nestled tightly between Mama Buns clingy paws.

No wonder Blackjacks so grumpy, it seems hes no longer Mama Buns favourite thing to hug while sleeping, cast aside in favour of her new Spiritual Algae treat.

Quickly! Hide the creature, Taduk Sends with alarming urgency. Tell no one about it, absolutely no one, understood? Well speak more after returning to land.

Obeying without question, I drape Mama Buns damp fur over Pong Pong and the greedy bunny lends a paw, pulling the turtle deeper into her chest as if afraid Ill steal it away, her lips moving in silent but staunch defiance while fast asleep. Pong Pong doesnt seem to mind, probably because he likes the warmth, but Blackjack is none too pleased. When the little hares efforts to force its way into Mama Buns embrace are met with abject failure, poor Blackjack attacks Pong Pongs shell in frustration, throwing a series of rapid-fire taps to no effect. Moving his arms to peek at his assailant, Pong Pong smugly dismisses Blackjack as a threat, blinking lazily with a protracted yawn before covering his face once more, all turtled up and ready to nap.

Smug turtles and angry hares are too adorable. This is for the best anyways, Mama Bun was coddling her little baby hare too much so Blackjack wasnt making friends. Now hes free to go snuggle with the other bunnies, preferably Tawny One in particular. My plan is coming to fruition. First, Yipi and Kai Yay, now Ping Ping and Pong Pong, and soon, Blackjack and Tawny One. How many other silly paired pet names can I come up with?

I dont know, but if I want to find out, Ill need more pets. Hooray for floofs!

Shaking off the last vestiges of sleepiness, I finish hiding Pong Pong and give Taduk a sheepish smile. Im so sorry Teacher, its not your fault, but mine. Since he doesnt want to talk about Pong Pong, theres nothing I can do but keep my mouth shut while we check on the rest of our waking companions scattered around Ping Pings shell. Even with as big as she is, theres six of us in total plus Sir Inkys cauldron, so its a little cramped after Guan Suo joins us atop Ping Pings shell, grumbling and growling all the while. Which one of you left me in the sea to soak? My ears are so water-logged I can barely hear a thing.

Sorry, I reply, instinctively shrinking back at his glare. I tried, but youre too heavy to lift. Honestly, Im surprised he even floats. What is it with half-Red Pandas and their ridiculous weight? Are the animals also deceptively heavy? I dont see how its possible, theyre like 75% floof.

You? Obviously not the culprit he expected, Guan Suos scowl deepens upon hearing my apology. Youre saying that after the attack which rendered everyone present helpless and unconscious, you pulled us to safety?

Well... yea. Im not sure I like his incredulous tone. Sure hes strong, but he aint got nothing on King Pong. After the water rose up and the uh... Aura hit, I woke up, saw we were alone, and dragged everyone onto Ping Ping before passing out from sheer exhaustion.

The rest of our party joins Guan Suo in his disbelief, aside from Taduk, who swells with pride, and Lei Gong. Bursting into laughter, the old warrior shakes his head while wringing his robes dry, his bare, barrel chested frame much hairier than expected. Ah, yer full of surprises, aint ye? Yer the last one Id have expected to save our skins, but you have my gratitude. Again.

Err, dont worry about it. Especially since Im the one who brought calamity down upon them. Glancing at the upended Runic Barge which is slowly sinking into the Sea, I wince at the estimated cost to replace it and vow never to admit fault so long as Gang Shu still lives. To throw off suspicion, I feign ignorance and ask, So... We were attacked, but by what? Was it a kraken or something? Why didnt it eat us?

Snorting in derision, Guan Suo looks ridiculous with his head tilted to one side, hoping to drain his ears of water. Didnt see what attacked us, but it werent no kraken, he replies, fixing Lei Gong and the Tyrant with a glare. Your friends probably know, seeing how theyre out here hunting it. Baring his teeth in a frightening smile, he looks comically terrifying with his odd posture and warlike expression. Go ahead and lie, little warriors. Im feeling generous today, so Ill leave your corpses intact for the rat to bury.

Wow. Guan Suo has zero chill.

Rocketing out of the Azure Sea, Lei Gongs metal cane careens into his grasp as if attached by a wire and the Tyrant draws two small, metal wands similar to the ones she gave Jorani. Easy there, Lei Gong cautions, the tip of his weapon crackling in bursts of energy. I admit, we been chasing the beastie who done this, but we been after it for weeks without so much as a splash. Our Runic Ship was tailor-made to hide our presence, so the way I see it, the creature spotted yer turtle or mayhaps yer skiff sitting alongside and figured yall were the ones hunting it.

With a throaty snarl, Guan Suo takes one step forward and to my surprise, the Tyrant and the Lord of Thunder step back. Now, I dont know about the Tyrant, but Lei Gong is definitely not the cowardly type, which means I should probably rethink how I treat the hobo half-beast. Unwilling to see both parties come to blows over something I cause, I step between the quarrelling warriors without thinking and immediately freeze, wondering what Im supposed to do now. Thankfully, Guan Suo is happy to stand and growl, looking all deranged and menacing while tilting his head. Heres an idea. Sound less snarky please. Hows about we all stay calm and relaxed until we get back to dry land and away from whatever tried to kill us. Poor Pong Pong, was the mean old Lord of Thunder bullying you? Dont worry, youre... sorta safe now. Then again, I guess you werent really in any danger, considering you almost murdered everyone present, so... whatever. Do you Pong Pong. Do. You.

Ill find out. Giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, my teacher sidles off to seduce the Tyrant and squeeze her for information, picking up where their conversation left off before Pong Pong so rudely interrupted them. What a charmer. I dont know how he stayed single for so long.

Aye, live and let live I say. Moving to fill in the space left by Taduks departure, Lei Gong conveniently places me between him and Guan Suo, though if I were him, Id be warier of Guard Leader beside him, even though she has yet to move since she stood and is still staring at nothing. Lowering his voice, Lei Gong asks, So, between us, tell me: howd you do it?

Do what?

Dont play dumb boy. Lei Gongs characteristic colloquial charm slips away to reveal raw, acerbic exasperation hiding underneath. The creatures Aura. I aint ever felt anything like it before, and Heaven willing, wont ever feel anything like it ever again. Misery and despair so heavy I could barely breathe, and truth be told, I dont think I cared. Look around boy. You travel in the presence of greatness, with... with warriors standing at the peak of the Martial Path, and every one of us is still reeling from the encounter. Pausing to give me a chance to look around and see hes right, Lei Gong adds, but not you. Youre standing there calm as can be, hiding yer smiles while snuggling yer rabbit, all without batting an eye. You say you shook off the Aura and dragged everyone aboard the turtle, and seeing how you are, I believe ye, but I need to know. Howd you do it? Just stand up and go back to feeling... normal?

The look in his eyes is familiar, the same haunted look I see reflected in the water when I wash my face every morning. Whatever wretched misery Pong Pongs Aura dredged up, hes desperate to rid himself of it and never feel so hopeless and forlorn ever again. Its a sentiment I know too well, but sadly I have no solution to offer. Go back to normal? Misery and despair is normal, at least for people like me. Maybe youve forgotten, being a peak Martial Expert and all, but we live in a world filled with pain and suffering. That hopeless resignation youre feeling? Its always been there, a dagger hanging above your head or a noose around your neck, and today, you were merely reminded of its existence. Theres no shaking it off, you find a level of despair you can tolerate and call that happiness, because thats as good as it gets. Shrugging, I add, Soldier on or give up, simple as that.

Both of which are valid options.

The silence is deafening in the wake of my explanation, and I realize everyone is staring at me with mixed emotions. Even Guard Leader has broken out of her daze and joined in the staring session, but I have no idea what expression shes hiding behind her veil. Unwilling to meet Taduks gaze, I glance at the sun to check the time and realize its almost noon, which means weve been out on the water for almost five hours now. Wow, we should get back, Alsantset will be worried. Need a ride back to land?

Er, about that. Running a hand through his tangled beard, Lei Gong winces and says, I was hoping you could ask the Divine Turtle to help raise our ship. It cost a pretty penny to make and the big boss wont be too happy about losing it.

Not that I dont want to help, but Im not sure I can. Contrary to the rumours, I dont control animals, I merely feed them and they never leave. With a helpless shrug, I add, Hell, I dont even feed the turtle, she just followed me here. Sorta. I think I understand why she follows me around, but I wont know for sure before I test my theory out on dry land.

I might be able to convince the old girl. Sitting on Ping Pings shoulder, Guan Suo gently strokes Ping Pings head as she comes awake with a mournful squeak, yet another victim of Pong Pongs powerful Aura. Drawing on my depleted reserves, I bolster her spirits with an Aura of Love, but since I still have yet to meditate, I dont have much to spare. Seeing no change in her demeanour, I sigh and sit down to rest while Guan Suo guides Ping Ping into lifting the sinking barge out of the water, which she does with relative ease using a combination of muscle and Water Chi.

This morning, I would have been shocked and awed by her power and control, but now? Eh. Pong Pong raised the bar on impressive, and Ping Ping falls short in comparison.

Groaning in frustration, the Tyrant inspects the intricate markings on the side of the barge, as large swathes of it have seemingly been wiped away. Its ruined, she says, while looking over her work. Absolutely ruined. How did this happen?

Everythings taken care of Rain my boy, Taduk Sends. Wont need to worry about GangShu finding out about your little friend, not for a few months at least.

Huh. I thought it was weird Guan Suo was in such a helpful mood. He probably did something to the Runes using... whatever it is he uses to explode sharks or something. Hooray! Now I have a few months to learn all of Pong Pongs secrets and become stronger than an Ancestral Beast. Easy Peasy. Whatever. Pong Pong is plenty strong enough to take care of himself right?

Unless... GangShu is feeling vindictive and tells the world I have not one, but two drops of Heavenly Water. Yea, that would probably ruin my day. Itd ruin more, but I doubt Id survive long enough to find out. Well shit. No wonder Pong Pong was looking for the safety of home. Strong as he is, hes no match for an entire nation.

...

Is it too late to throw him back?

Chapter Meme