Chapter 603

Chapter 603

With Milas world turned upside down following the death and apparent reincarnation of her father, she found a sense of calm purpose in predicting the logical development of chaotic battle.

Though unable to see past the quin-riders ahead of her, the thunder of hooves and crash of steel told Mila that Chu XinYues vanguard had met with the intercepting Enemy forces. Five-thousand of the Norths finest heavy cavalry and Ulfsaars hundred cattle chariots would do devastating damage on the charge, but not enough to break the spirits of seventy thousand screaming Defiled, especially not after two hours of steady retreat. Whether the vanguard swept through their foes or broke upon Enemy spears, they would not last long without support, support Sister Alsantset had been ordered to provide. A mistake on Brigadier Hongjis part, in Milas opinion, since Major Sun Qiangs light cavalry was better suited for this job. Chu XinYue needed more help than mere bows and arrows could provide, and tactically, the mounted Sentinel contingent was most effective at keeping the pursuing Defiled cavalry at range. Still, if the good Brigadier wanted to throw his best asset into close quarters combat, Mila would not complain, nor would any of the stalwart heroes accompanying her.

Stay close, little Mila, Tursinai Sent, hopping onto her feet atop her snarling quin and setting her chain and sickle to twirling overhead. My turn to lead and your turn to protect me now, understood?

Mila said nothing and merely nodded in reply, knowing this was not the time for dissent. Technically, she outranked Tursinai and was second only to Alsantset, but that only mattered to Imperials. Tursinai was a carefree spirit, unsuitable for politics and military command, but a Martial Warrior of immense skill and prodigious talent. There was no doubt in Milas mind that Tursinais grasp of battlefield tactics exceeded her own, for Yaruq was as demanding a Mentor as Mama and unhindered by the close ties between mother and daughter. The other Sentinels knew it as well and followed Tursinai without question as she led Milas retinue to break away from Alsantset and Huushals forces and strike at the Enemys left flank.Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m

Imperial Doctrine dictated the Sentinels stay in tight formation and charge in on the vanguards heels, lending their blades and mass to help their allies push through, but they were no hammer to go crashing into the fray. No, they were a chisel, or perhaps even a scalpel, a precision tool devastating in the right conditions, but easily broken if used in the wrong way. The heavy cavalry was stuck in now and even Ulfsaars chariots couldnt push in any further, but rather than lend their mass to the forward thrust, Alsantset opted to move her Sentinels around the flanks in hopes of distracting the Enemy and taking pressure off their allies. A risky gambit, splitting their forces against the overwhelming numbers of the Enemy, but roosequins and Sentinels were wasted getting stuck in a melee tar-pit, and Mila was confident her comrades were up to the challenge.

One moment there were too many Sentinels in the way for Mila to see, and the next, the Enemy was immediately before her, and she relished this chance to spill blood. Without slowing their quins, they crashed into the horde of tribal Defiled, not head on like Chu XinYue had but at a sharp, shallow angle with Tursinai at the point. Sickle singing as it scythed through the Enemy lines, the formidable woman single-handedly carved a path through their unwashed foes and cut a small contingent of Defiled away from the bulk of the Enemy, where they were ground underfoot by the bulk of Milas retinue, trailing behind and to the left of Tursinais heroic charge like sails flapping from the mast.

This was the way of the People, to rend and tear at their foes until they had no more strength to fight back, tactics which served them well against Enemy and Imperial alike. Like a butcher slicing off a thin steak to be smashed flat by the meat tenderizer, this initial clash killed hundreds of Defiled and scattered dozens more to the wind, but Milas retinue was dancing upon the razors edge. Once their momentum was spent, the Enemy could easily overwhelm them through sheer weight of numbers, but Tursinai knew this as well. Rather than push deeper into Enemy lines, she changed course and brought the Sentinel charge back out of the Defiled horde, responding to the attempts to encircle her before they could take shape. Slowing her pace, Tursinai led the quins around in a wide, winding circle until the Defiled were in front of her again, at which point she set her sickle to whirling before diving back in.

Behind Tursinais cheery and whimsical veneer lay a Martial Warrior bound for greatness, and after tonight, the Empire would learn her name. She was Tursinai of the Whirling Blade, Disciple of Yaruq, Wife of Fire-Bird Tenjin, an orphan who Condensed her Aura at seventeen and Formed her Natal Palace at twenty, and was now on track to beat Gerel and become a Peak Expert by thirty.

Were Brigadier Hongji or anyone else Scrying from overhead, they would see Milas retinue riding in a looping pattern, diving in to nip at the flanks of the Defiled horde only to immediately retreat before circling around for another bite. The wagon wheel formation, Mama called it, with the Sentinels simulating the wheel and the Enemy the path it rolled over. Taxing on the quins stamina, but they were built for this sustained pace and could outlast any horse, cattle, or even Defiled, and Sister Alsantset was undoubtedly mirroring this same tactic on the right flank, while Huushals riders picked away at the Defiled attempting to encircle Chu XinYues vanguard.

Effective as this was, Mila inwardly grumbled about being stuck guarding Tursinai, which was about as necessary as drawing legs on a snake. No Defiled could even close the gap between Tursinai and her vicious chain and sickle, leaving Mila with nothing to do except twiddle her thumbs and wait. Then again, even if she was further behind on the tail end of the charge, her short spear was unlikely to see action as this was a tactic in which polearms reigned supreme. Despite the battle raging around her, her weapons sat unstained by blood for long minutes as they circled around again and again. Even Zabu was getting frustrated by the long wait and it took considerable effort to keep him from breaking formation to close with the Enemy, and she was sorely tempted to lose control, if only to let her spear taste blood. Zabu was a fine battle quin, well-suited for Rains rough and tumble style of combat, and while Mila usually appreciated Atirs more level-headed temperament, tonight, she empathized with blood-thirsty Zabus eager impatience.

And so, Mila sat and glowered until their eighth revolution, at which point Tursinai sat back down on her quin with a brow full of sweat. The Enemy cavalry is finally responding, she Sent, glowing beneath the moonlight despite the circumstances. I could use a break. Care to take point on this, little Mila?

Gladly. A feral smile stretching across her face, Mila slowly and carefully stood atop Zabus back. Her cautious ascent was a world of difference from Tursinais casual hop to her feet, but Zabu would thank Mila for her slow approach since she was at least twice Tursinais weight and had less than half her skill at Lightening. From her new vantage point, Mila took a moment to appreciate the wind in her hair carrying away the fetid stench of death and battle while studying her oncoming opponents. Tribal garo outriders rather than heavy Chosen gajashia cavalry, who seemed a different, more dangerous breed of Defiled. Still, Mila appreciated this chance to test her skills, for she had learned much in this past year and had yet to put her lessons to good use.

Leaving her short spear strapped to her shield and her shield hanging across her back, Mila reached for her third Spiritual Weapon instead. Paragon, she had named it, not out of pride or hubris, but because the name felt right. There was a time when she dreamed of crafting herself a proper polearm to wield in place of her short spear, something with reach and suitably weighted for her to use with one hand, but in time, she came to see this as a waste. A longer polearm would render her short spear as nothing more than a backup weapon, and that didnt sit well with her. The nameless short spear was a part of her, and leaving it idle and unused would see her skills deteriorate over time. No, rather than craft a weapon to replace her short spear, Mila decided she would be better off crafting something which would fill a void her current Spiritual Weapons left empty without wholly replacing them, though she was hard pressed to decide what sort of weapon would fit the bill.

Right up until she saw Joranis Spiritual Rope, and set out to learn how itd been crafted.

What began as a curious intellectual diversion soon turned into an obsession as Mila forged weapon after weapon in pursuit of perfection. Crafted in throes of Divine Inspiration, Paragon was one of her earliest creations, but despite this, she had yet to replicate her success. Luo-Luos retractable flail came close, though it lacked the sheer flexibility of Paragon, which at first glance, looked like a short wand measuring twenty centimeters long and not even a finger thick. Appearances could be deceiving however, for much like Mila herself, Paragon was a weighty weapon unlike any other, with many secrets hidden within its depths. So excited by her accomplishment, she bound the weapon for her own use immediately upon completion, an action she soon came to regret.

Because she discovered she had no earthly idea how to use her new, esoteric weapon and no one to turn to for advice, not even Mama and Papa.

So embarrassed by this quandary, Mila spent many months hiding her ignorance, and even went so far as to lie to Rain and tell him that if he wanted to see it, he would have to be strong enough to force her to use it in a spar. A silly falsehood to hide the truth, that Paragon hardly seemed deserving of the name and Mila had no idea how to bring out its strengths, but after more than a full year of arduous trial and error, she was finally confident enough to bring it out in real battle. Twirling Paragon between two fingers, she unleashed her Aura and guided Zabu around to intercept the encircling garos, ensuring that when they clashed, the garos would be caught between her Sentinels and the Defiled infantry behind them. With a snap of her wrist and an exertion of Chi, Paragon elongated and transformed from wand to cane in the blink of an eye, but this was not enough. A second snap of her wrist saw Paragon elongate even further as the weapon went from twenty centimeters long to two-hundred and twenty centimeters in total.

Or more aptly, from wand to polearm with just two flicks of her wrist.

All of this was only possible thanks to Divine Inspiration which arose from studying Joranis intricately braided Spiritual Rope and Rains obsession with multi-form weapons. In its most condensed form, Paragon was stuffed to the brim with exactly eight-hundred and eight segments all folded neatly together, with each one no thicker than a fingernail and arranged in two, neat columns. A snap of her wrist timed perfectly with an Amplified burst of Chi released the first half of the folded segments, and a second Reverberated snap unlocked the second half, but this was not enough to make Paragon Milas finest work ever. As she raised her weapon overhead, she sent yet another burst of Chi through Paragons frame, this time with the aim of Guiding it. Not the weapon as a whole, but to every single one of the eight-hundred and eight segments, causing them to detach from one another and turn Paragon from a long staff to an even longer bladed whip, one held together by the finest of metallic threads.

It was satisfying to see the front rank of Defiled riders balk in fear as Paragons bladed whip form hurtled through human and garo alike, the weapon so fine and fast it could barely be seen by the naked eye if not for the blood of Milas enemies dripping down the blades and wires. Bringing Paragon about in a wide, high arc, she swung the weapon around again, and then again, as shed seen Tursinai do so many times before, and Zabu chittered in frustration at the lack of enemies to rend and tear. It wasnt as simple as it looked, twirling her weapon like so, because even with the wires and blades Honed to perfection, it still took considerable strength to carve through bone, muscle, and sinew, and she was driving her weapon through dozens of Defiled at a time. While her Blessing offered enough strength for her to do so with relative ease, it took almost a full year to get to this point, and in truth, if not for her extended bout with Insight in Taduks bamboo grove, it might have taken Mila several more years to figure out how to put Paragon to use.

Balance. Thats what it all came down to, balance. Too much strength, and Paragon could tangle upon itself, too little and her attack could be intercepted. It took a combination of Guiding, Reverberation, Amplification, and various other Chi skills she had no name for to pull this off, and all she was doing was whirling her weapon about. Her entire life, Mila had focused on being straightforward and unyielding, a domineering warrior who overcame her foes through sheer strength of arm. This allowed her to score resounding victories against foes and rivals weaker than she was, but as Ryo Dain so aptly demonstrated, Mila was utterly helpless against anyone physically stronger than she was. Even stupid Gen almost killed her back in Sanshu because he refused to clash head on, and it was a lesson Mila had not picked up on until becoming an Expert of the Empire.

The bamboo grove in her Natal Palace was far from complete, for Mila had yet to strike upon Perfect Balance, but it taught her an important lesson. All forces, great or small, obvious or subtle, solid or intangible, they each had their place in the world, and by ignoring anything that wasnt sturdy or powerful meant Mila was leaving far too many tools on the table. A pole-arm was indeed strong and domineering, but a whip was also an effective weapon despite being made of soft and pliable materials. Even a wet towel could cause significant damage if placed in the right hands, which was what the Mother Above had been trying to tell Mila through so many bouts of Insight and Inspiration.

Stop thinking. Just like that?

Not picking up on Huus sarcasm, the old geezer smiled and nodded. Yep. Maybe you cant trust your thoughts, but you can always trust your instincts. You said youre too angry, too scared, too selfish, and that means you gotta die, but I dont see why thats a problem. Gesturing at the battle before them, he added, Youve plenty of good reason for all three of those emotions right there. Sonly natural to fear death and adversity. Fear is good. Keeps you sharp.

Its not that Im feeling angry, scared, and whatever, Huu exclaimed, confounded that this great, great, great whatever grand Mentor needed something so basic explained to him. Its that I cant control my emotions.

So?

...So? So?! Barely able to utter a coherent thought, Huu sputtered, If I lose control, then I lose Balance and turn Defiled.

From anger and fear? Bah. Waving a hand in dismissal, the old geezer shook his head and went back to scratching the quin. If that were the problem, Id have turned Defiled the day your ma brought you to me. You know how frustrating it is talking to you boy? All you do is grunt, nod, and go along with whatever anyone tells you. Thats your problem. Cant make up your own damned mind. Thats why the Spectres got such a hold on you, because youre dumber than a bag of bricks.

Snarling in rage, Huu drove his fist into the old geezers face, or at least he tried to. His punch never even came close before the world spun and he found himself staring up at the nights sky. A long second later, the old geezers face came into view, as did Huus quin, the former looking amused and the latter concerned. Lost your temper there, the old geezer remarked. You turn Defiled? No? Well, what a surprise. Guess you were wrong. Gesturing for Huu to sit up, the old geezer shook his head and sighed. Youve overlooked something so basic I didnt even consider it might be the problem. You equate Balance with control, and for some, maybe it is, but not you.

Head still spinning from the tumble, Huu cradled the back of his head and looked around to see if anyone noticed, but thankfully the old geezer was keeping them both Concealed. What do you mean?

I mean youve got a temper boy, and you always have. Nothing wrong about it, and aint nothing you can do about it either, because its in your blood. Flashing a wolfish grin which did nothing to calm Huus nerves, the old geezer explained, Your ma says youre a kind soul, and I can see it, but thats whats got you into this mess. You let your anger get the best of you once, didnt you? Bet you hurt someone real bad, someone you care about, so you slipped a leash over your temper and have been afraid to let it go loose ever since. Who was it?

...Elia. Huus other mother, his kinder, gentler mother, but she had a streak of steel in her too. Huu was barely ten years old then, and out playing with his friends, but Elia came to fetch him for dinner. For some idiotic reason or another, he hadnt wanted to leave just then and made a big stink of it. When Elia tried to grab his arm, he shoved her hard, harder than he meant to. He already had a Core then, and she wasnt expecting him to it, so she fell in a bad way and hit her head. He still remembered the panic and dread at seeing her lie there on the dirt, to the point where he hadnt even thought to scream for help. Yan did though, and Elia didnt suffer anything more than a bad bump, but for long, agonizing minutes, Huu thought he had killed his mother. Ma and Pa wanted to beat him bloody when they found out, but Elia, kind, gentle Elia wouldnt let them lay a finger on him, because she knew he hadnt meant to hurt her and saw how it ate him up inside. That was the day he vowed to be more like her, why he let the other children bully him even though he was bigger and stronger than any of them. Because he wanted to be more like Elia, like his mother, who loved him more than anyone in the world.

Yea, thatll do it. Chortling as if hed made some private joke, the old geezer said, So you learned to tread lightly and keep an even head, but despite all your efforts to turn the other cheek, your temper never went away. So look at you now, all twisted up inside because you wanted to be nice. Ridiculous.

While Huu understood every word coming out of the old geezers mouth, he couldnt piece together the message being conveyed. So what? I should just be angry all the time?

No, idiot, not all the time. Grumbling something about pups and blockheads, the old geezer sighed and explained, You feeling angry? Be angry. You feeling sad? Then be sad. Same thing with any other emotion, happy, scared, impatient, nervous, whatever youre feeling, embrace it, and when youre finished feeling whatever it is, let it go. Nodding sagely as if he made perfect sense, the old geezer added, Thats the hard part. Letting go when its all done. The Defiled make you angry, then be angry when theyre around, but no sense snarling at shadows if theyre not, you get me?

...No.

Rolling his eyes, the old geezer mumbled a half-dozen unsavory insults before trying a different tack. Look, forget trying to understand it then. You think youll turn Defiled if you give into your emotions. Im saying you probably wont. With me so far? Huu nodded, and the old geezer continued, Alright. So why dont you head out and indulge your emotions. If you turn Defiled, Ill kill you before anyone notices. If not, then you know I was right. Since you wanted to die anyways, then this here is a perfect solution, no fuss no muss.

Huu thought about it for a very long time before deciding it didnt make any sense whatsoever, but there was no stopping it now, as the old geezer wouldnt take no for an answer. Prodding Huu back onto his quin, the old geezer said, I hear they call you the Ravenous Wolf, but you aint no wolf. You a leashed pup, barking at anything that moves. Now that you got a real wolf in your head, youre too afraid to do anything but tuck tail and hide, but them Spectres cant hurt you. Scratching Huus head the same way he scratched the quin, the old geezer added, Slip the leash, pup. Give your anger free rein. Theres enemies who need killing, so that anger is nothing but fuel for the fire. Like him, over there. Thats a cub who understands Balance.

Following the old geezers finger, Huu spotted the fearsome half-bear Ulfsaar tearing his way through the Defiled lines, roaring in wordless fury as he set his axe to bloody work. The fearsome man looked half-Defiled himself, but Huu had met him several times in these past few weeks, and outside of battle, Ulfsaar was a kind, soft-spoken man who treated his wife and mount with tender care. Thats why he was in such a rage right now, for he fought to keep the Defiled away from his wife while she tended to his injured mount, and from the looks of things, they needed Huus help.

There was no more time to think, no more time to worry. This was battle, and Huu was worthless like this. He needed the Ravenous Wolf, the dangerous, bloodthirsty predator within who drove him to bloodlust and battle. Somewhere along the way, hed just plain forgotten how to find Balance, and the Spectres took full advantage of his stupidity. Well no more. Slip the leash, Huu thought, and for the first time in what felt like eternity, he knew this thought to be his own, as well as the one immediately after. Kill the Defiled. Drawing his sabre, Huu raised it high overhead as the clamor of battle returned. Sentinels, he exclaimed, filling his voice with Chi and authority. With me!

And just like that, the Ravenous Wolf surged into the fray to rescue Ulfsaar and do battle with the Defiled, no longer in control of his emotions, and no longer afraid to embrace them. The hunt was on, and when it was over, he would lay his fears to rest for good.

...Or he would succumb as expected and the old geezer would put him out of his misery. Either way, it was an improvement, so why not enjoy it while he could?

Shitty Paint Map of Battle

Chapter Meme