Chapter 611

Chapter 611

Bolting upright amidst unfamiliar surroundings, Songs sabre was half-way out its sheathe before reason overcame panic.

Growling with indignation, Princess poked her weasel head from her satchel to see what all the fuss was about, while Sarankho chuffed and buried her head into the covers to show she was not yet ready to wake. Thumper and Flopsy didnt even stir atop their cushion next to Princess, so Song laid back down and set to appeasing the disgruntled weasel-bear and wildcat with head scratches a plenty. Stretching as she basked in luxurious comfort, she concluded that the large, comfortable bed was partly to blame for her earlier panic. The animals werent pressed up against her like they usually were back in her own room or on a cot in a yurt, so she woke up alone and afraid for the first time in... well, years.

Perhaps sensing her discomfort, Princess emerged from her satchel and stretched across Songs chest, sighing in contentment as she settled in for a snuggle. The weasel-bear was still ambivalent about most people and wary of letting down her guard in public, but when left alone with Song, she was as precious and carefree as could be. The satchel was still her favourite means of conveyance, but she was happy to amble about a closed courtyard like Rains or Brother Baatars. A shame Mama didnt have a courtyard of her own for the animals to laze in, but Song preferred her snug, cozy living quarters to having a too-large manor with various servants and strangers bustling about at all hours of the day.

That was the other reason for her rude awakening, and she could hear those strangers now. They moved as quietly as they could just out in the hallways, going about their duties with hurried efficiency, but to Songs heightened Martial Warrior senses, they were as loud and boisterous as a busy market street. Back in her own room, only the scheduled patrols ever disturbed her slumber, since she woke long before the gates opened for soldiers and supplies moving west. Private courtyard aside, there was really no benefit to living in a large manor like Rains, which Song suspected was why Mama kept her tiny quarters despite easily being able to afford and arrange better.

Enjoying the rare show of trust and affection from Princess, Song lounged in bed with the sweet animals until she smelled breakfast cooking in the kitchen across the yard. Though she was more than happy to continue lazing about, Sarankho and Princess were soon enamoured by the delectable scents wafting in through the window, and Song was left with no choice but to start the day. There was a time when she would have felt guilty for lying in bed, but she found that keeping to a strict schedule helped keep her from being overwhelmed by the multitude of choices she had to make each and every day, and she was not scheduled to wake and start training for another quarter hour. No matter, she could use the extra time to practice more, because after spending all day listening to the news and rumours regarding Sister Mila and all the other young heroes of the Empire fighting on the front lines, Song felt like she was slowly being left behind in terms of Martial strength.

There was no helping it. Heroes were made on the battlefield, and while Song had no interest in fame or recognition, constant conflict was the best way to hone ones Martial skills, and she had been too long away.

Wholly at home in the manor, Sarankho slipped out of the room the moment Song opened the door, bounding out into the outdoor hallway and jumping down onto the veranda roof with barely a sound. From there, she padded around to the closest tree branch and leapt over in a daring feat of Lightening, for there was no other way the thin, sparse branch could have supported the wildcats weight. Moving with inborn grace and agility, Sarankho ran up the tree trunk to the highest branches as stealthily as could be, right up until she came level with the red panda who leaped to his feet in alarm. Snarling ferociously as he raised his arms high in overt threat, the red panda stared down the much larger, stronger, and faster wildcat, but it was Sarankho who backed away from confrontation. Though clearly the deadlier of the two, her instincts warned her to avoid conflict wherever possible, especially when there was delicious food just waiting down below. Sadly, there was a time when Sarankho was queen of the courtyards cherry tree and shared those highest branches with adorable Blackjack, but now, the red panda had usurped her place and Sarankho was too sweet to swat him aside. She would just have to wait until Blackjack arrived later this morning to run the red panda off, though Song wasnt sure why the red panda was bold enough to stand against a wildcat ten times his size, but ran without putting up a fight against a tiny hare who was barely more than a mouthful.

Regardless of his origins, Song looked forward to the day she could hug that adorable red panda close and stroke his adorable cheeks, but until such a time, she left him to his own devices and contented herself with memories of seeing him clumsily playing on the tire swing last night. Aside from a quiet nod of greeting, she did the same with Teacher Du, who was off sipping hot tea in a corner of the courtyard while basking in the silent mornings glow. To ensure he had as much privacy as possible, Song made her way over to the opposite side of the courtyard so his line of sight would be obstructed and set Princess and the rabbits down in the grass. The rest of the rabbits were already foraging about the courtyard, as were the bears, wildcats, Kishi, and Ping Ping, which told her Rain was already awake and about. That was good to know, because she was worried about his health, both mental and physical, and thought he might spend the day moping in his room. Though obviously improving, there were still too many mysteries behind his recovery, which meant that if things took a turn for the worst, then there was no way for anyone to help him, and Rain had a habit of spiralling out of control for the most random reasons.

Truth be told, Song was of the opinion that Mama should bring Rain to the front lines and start slaughtering Demons in droves to feed him. That seemed liable to improve his condition, though she had no idea why he needed the corpses of Demons to recover or how the Empire at large would react to this news. Unfortunately, until last night, there were no Demons for Mama to subdue on the front lines because the Enemy had been holding them all in reserve, but now that they were in play again, there was a good chance Rain would once again ride to war, and Song would be right there at his side.

Not just because her Oaths compelled her to remain within five kilometres of his person, but also because she was itching to test her skills on the field of battle once more. Over half a year had passed since her last battle, and shed improved by leaps and bounds since then, now an Aura-Capable Expert of the Empire thanks to her brief bout of Insight in the bamboo grove. Though shed been back to the peaceful little garden many times since and it remained a place of quiet wonder and veneration, she had yet to find Insight again, but this was hardly something to be upset about. For better or for worse, the Mother never gave Her children more than they could handle, which meant it was up to Song to make the most of the bounty shed received.

It was for this same reason why Mama didnt spend much time training with Song and encouraged her to do what she pleased, because Balance applied to all aspects of life. Training and experience she had aplenty, but Song sorely lacked the perspective to understand her hard learned lessons, and somehow, sampling snack shops and sight-seeing around the Citadel was supposed to fix that. However, after so many months of idle inactivity, Song no longer concerned herself with the minutia of details and kept to her loose schedule as best she could, which meant starting each morning with a Demonstration of the Forms.

Today, however, introduced a new and unsettling change, for just as she was about to begin, Teacher Du appeared at her side without warning. His unexpected arrival wasnt due to Concealment or even mundane stealth, but he had a habit of Lightening himself at all times which made his movements seem natural and unhurried despite travelling at shocking speeds in complete silence. A single, casual step could see him soar clear across the courtyard without need to set foot on creaking board or rustling grass, and it was rather beguiling to see in action. While Song, Lin-Lin and Yan had all done their best to emulate his actions and traded notes regarding their observations, there was more to Teacher Dus skill than just Lightening or Wind Chi, a complex, multifaceted Chi skill he executed at will without even realizing it at times. Many Martial Warriors had favoured Chi skills like this, such as Papa and Sister Mila who had difficulty controlling their strength, or Brother Baatar and Rains hyper-vigilance, or even Nephew-in-Law Charoks ability to flick stones with frightening precision, accuracy, and power.

It was startling how hard most Martial Warriors had to work to fit into what was still predominantly a commoners world. There were times when Song chafed at having to take the stairs when it would be faster to climb walls and go through windows like sweet Sarankho, but doing so would not be proper.

Startled out of her inner musings, Song realized Teacher Du had asked her a question, and it took her a moment to replay what just happened. Offering Song a bashful, but reassuring smile, Teacher Du picked at his sleeves and asked, Would you mind if this old man joined you in Demonstrating the Forms? Ive found that a slower pace allows more time to reflect on and revise my interpretations, but without a partner to keep time, I tend to rush through the movements.

Nodding in agreement without considering the question, Song found herself in something of a bind. For years, shed hoped to have the benefit of Teacher Dus guidance once more, but now? Mama was her Mentor, and despite her... hands-off approach, Song had learned much under her tutelage. It had been years since she received any pointers from Teacher Du, and even then, she never had the benefit of his personal guidance, only his broad notes on how one should approach the Martial Path as well as his general primer on the Forms. Still, she did not wish to disgrace his teachings, nor did she wish to disgrace what Mama had taught her since then, but with Teacher Du standing patiently in wait for her to begin, Song had no choice but to throw herself into the Forms.

At first, it was awkward knowing Teacher Du was... not watching, but cognizant of her actions, and Song stumbled through her movements in a clumsy and inept Demonstration even sweet Tali would frown at. Throughout it all, she feared Teacher Du would frown and disapprove, but every time she summoned the courage to sneak a peek at his expression, she was met with that same reassuring smile, without a hint of judgment or displeasure. Relieved that he didnt care about her progress and truly just wanted someone to slow him down, Song was able to put him out of mind and turn her attention to the Forms instead. Once relaxed, she felt her movements improve to her usual standards as she brought her sabre through the Snake, Deer, and Oriole Forms, all of which she once considered her weakest Forms, but had much improved in recent months. She was still most proficient with Tiger, followed by Wolf and Bear, and while she was ambivalent about Mantis, she was slightly more comfortable with it than the last three. Why, she couldnt say, but there was something about the Tiger Form which spoke to her, and not just because of her wildcat heritage, but also because the movements just made sense. Because of this, she based her combat style on the Tiger Forms, which Teacher Du encouraged, and it served her well by elevating her above the rest of her peers, but recently, Mama asked Song to help teach the Forms to Sentinel youths, which forced her to revisit and relearn the other Forms in greater detail than ever before.

It seemed odd to think that the Martial Path had once been the foundation of Songs entire existence and her sole purpose to progress further along it, yet somehow, she thought it logical to essentially ignore seven of the eight Forms. Teacher Du only encouraged her to focus more on the Tiger Form, but Song devoted all her attention towards it at the expense of everything else, and only now did she understand the folly of her ways. A few months ago, during their journey to the Central Citadel, Song saw Du Min Kyung in action and thought his fighting style so similar to hers, a Warrior who also focused on the Tiger Forms, but after reviewing the battle in memory countless times since and teaching the Forms for a few weeks, Song realized her initial assessment could not have been more wrong.

The movements of the Tiger Form served as Du Min Kyungs foundation, but a plethora of movements from the other Forms were mixed in alongside them, bolstering his strengths and shoring up his weaknesses. The Tiger Form was powerful and domineering, but the other Forms no less formidable in their own unique ways. The Oriole offered speed and precision while the Mantis emphasized surprise and misdirection. The Snake focused on inhibition and flexibility, and the Deer grace and alacrity. Individually, each Form had its advantages and disadvantages, but together, they were the Dao, the Martial Path in its entirety, and Song had been a fool to ignore so much of it.

Yet another facet of the lesson shed learned from her time in the bamboo grove. All the secrets of the Martial Dao already lay at her fingertips, everything from Core Creation to whatever lay beyond Domain Development, and while Song didnt understand how shed gotten so far and knew not what lay ahead, she was determined to continue forward one step at a time.

By the time breakfast was ready, Song and Teacher Du had gone through the Forms five times and had just started a sixth, but neither one was willing to put off eating just to finish this last set. As they strode towards the dining room, Song discovered it was Teacher Du slowing their pace, taking short, deliberate steps while looking as if he had something to say. After what felt like an eternity, he finally cleared his throat and said, You are a talented young girl Song, and I am happy to see you in good spirits. I did you a grave disservice in not... not safeguarding you from Jin Kai and Jin Tok. I make no excuses, and can only offer my heartfelt apologies. Should you ever need anything, speak and I will endeavour to do what I can to help.

There was a time when Song would have been beside herself with joy to hear Teacher Du say these words, back in those dark days when she had been nothing more than a slave and only found solace and direction in progressing along the Martial Path. That was her purpose, the reason for her existence, but now she had new purpose, one given to her by her loving family which was to simply be happy. There was nothing she needed from Teacher Du, not his guidance, his approval, or even his apology, though she was gratified to have it. He was a part of her past, and as much as she respected him, she no longer envied Yan who had his affection, because Song had something so much better.

Should word of this spread, death would be considered a mercy, but when he finally found his voice Teacher Dus outburst was not to condemn Rains thoughts, but to question them. ...And how would this even be possible? How can you take from the Father without falling victim to His lies? Not all are as blessed as you, little Rain, for even the Mothers goodwill is not without limit.

I mean no offence to your faith, Grandpa Du. Having said this, Song was certain Rain was about to offend, and he didnt disappoint. There are risks and obvious pitfalls, yes, but I see Heavenly Energy as a natural phenomenon, one no different from the flowing river or the raging winds. We have waterwheels and windmills to harness those energies, and I believe it is possible to harness Heavenly Energy in a similar way. Looking at it another way, you could say we are all novice swimmers who brave the raging seas in an effort to make it through to the other shore, when what we should really do is figure out how to build a proper boat, or better yet, a contraption to fly through the skies and carry us over the troubled waters in safety.

Inwardly shaking her head at Rains fanciful dreaming, Song wondered how he ever came up with these ridiculous ideas. Perhaps next, he would suggest they build a water-tight coffin to lay in so that they might explore the sea depths. Oblivious to the puzzled glances being traded about the courtyard, Rain continued his rant without pause. We mystify the Martial Path and elevate it to this ineffable process because we ourselves do not understand it, but look back in history and you will see many similar examples play out. Our earliest ancestors venerated fire, for it illuminated the darkness and kept predators at bay, but over time, we unlocked its secrets and used it to bake bricks to build walls we could hide behind, and to forge better weapons and tools with which to defend ourselves. Now, fire is a part of our everyday lives, and we give it no more thought than breathing. Some people still sacrifice animals to the Mother Above in hopes of favourable weather or a bountiful harvest, but we laugh at their foolish ways because we know weather follows a general pattern and that droughts and forest fires are merely a part of nature. The Azure Sea was considered dangerous and impassable until we learned to build flat-bottomed junk ships to navigate through the shallows, and now it is the most trafficked trade route running through North, West, and Central. Tapping the side of his head, Rain smiled and said, That is the power of knowledge, and with it, I believe we can go from treating Heavenly Energy like some Divine Power, to something similar to fire which we use each and everyday.

It was clear Mama, Sister-in-Law Sarnai, and Teacher Du didnt approve of Rains line of thought, but they had no words to refute him either. Once again, Rain had said many things which almost made sense, but fell woefully short of reaching a point. How? Song asked, drawing the glares away from Rain, if only to sate her curiosity. How do you even begin to combine the two separate Paths without grave risk of Defilement?

By comparing and contrasting with a different Path, Rain replied, surprising Song who expected him to shrug and say no idea. One which we know has no chance of Defilement, and as an added bonus, is even capable of Shattering the Void to reach true Divinity. Understanding dawned as Songs eyes were drawn down to sweet Ping Ping sleeping in Rains lap, her eyes closed and cheeks puffed as she dreamed pleasant dreams. Happy to have someone understand him, Rain nodded and said, Yep. Animals. Again, this goes back to what the Legate said, that the Core is the medium through which we harness Heavenly Energy. We. As in we Martial Warriors. I didnt understand it right away, but Grand-Mentor already pointed it out. We take Heavenly Energy into our Cores and turn it into Chi, but that is not the only way to use Heavenly Energy.

Though Song still didnt entirely understand what Rain was going on about, at least he seemed to have some inkling of what was going on, so she gave it some thought. We have Runes, she said, after a moments thought. That is another method through which we harness Heavenly Energy.

True, but I dont know enough about Runes to pursue that. Shrugging, Rain said, I wanted to ask Teacher about it, but he was already gone by the time I came down, so I suppose itll have to wait. For now though, there are other avenues to explore, namely animals, and Im beginning to suspect they not only have a different Martial Path, but that they dont have Cores at all and simply manipulate Heavenly Energy at will.

...Mother in Heaven. Eyes wide with alarm and admiration, Teacher Du whispered, ...I never even considered the possibility before, but you may be right. There are marked differences in how animals use Chi compared to Martial Warriors, namely their Spiritual Hearts and complete and utter lack of Aura. Glancing down at the slumbering Ping Ping, Teacher Du corrected himself and said, Until now. Now we know animals hold off on Aura Condensation until after achieving Divinity, but why? Does this not leave them susceptible to Demonic Aura? Without humanity to defend them, the Enemy would scour the world clean of life in decades, for such is their purpose, to ruin the Mothers most cherished Creation, so how can this be the right Path?

You told me the answer yourself, Grandpa. Smiling in a way which made him look all too smug, Rain said, After all, love makes heroes and monsters of us all.

Enough grandstanding, Sister-in-Law Sarnai snapped, finally tired of Rains quiet gloating. Explain.

Sorry mom. Offering the top of his head with a hidden smile, he visibly brightened when she stroked his hair and explained, See, I wrote a bunch of this stuff in my notes while under Inspiration, but I didnt really put it all together until afterwards while considering love and stuff, which brought me to Emotional Aura. Something that always bothered me was how animals always skipped Aura Condensation, and yet arent exactly susceptible to standard Aura. Instead, they react unpredictably, either panicking, fleeing, growing angry, or just plain confused, whereas humans all freeze in place when subjected to Aura. Now, I initially speculated Spiritual Hearts were to blame, which doesnt make sense since not all animals have one, but all animals react unpredictably to Aura. Then, I realized I myself wasnt exactly susceptible to Aura, seeing how I eked out a narrow victory against Zian despite not having an Aura myself. It said something about Rains eventful life that everyone present had forgotten such an incredible feat, but he merely laughed and said, Yea, I forgot all about that too until just yesterday, when I learned I was susceptible to Aura again. I wrote off my... resilience, for lack of a better word, as inexplicable good fortune from earlier misfortune and bad experiences, but now, Im wondering if I inadvertently did what animals do, and somehow... I dunno, dampened the effects of Aura in some way, without actually using one. No idea, but Im looking forward to hearing your thoughts and exploring the matter further.

Our thoughts? Blinking owlishly as she stared at Rain, who was too busy smiling at Ping Ping to notice, Mama asked, Is this all you have to say? What use is any of this... this... Song thought she would say useless drivel, but Mama caught herself and said, Speculation?

It offers new avenues to explore and uncover. More excited than he had any right to be, Teacher Dus leg twitched in place as he lost himself in thought. Promising ones considering we have a prime example of success here before us. Glancing up at the red panda hiding in the treetop, Teacher Du added, Possibly two.

Nodding along with Teacher Dus thoughts, Rain said, I think the key lies in how we wield Heavenly Energy. There are two main methods I can identify, which Ive been calling Visualization and Intent. The former is self explanatory in how we utilize Visualization to control Chi, whereas Intent can be used to the same effect, and I believe is the sole method through which animals use Heavenly Energy. Most really only use it to enhance what they can already do, whether it be climb trees, run faster, hide better, or whatnot. Intent also covers all the instinctual, intrinsic uses of Chi that we might not notice, like how Tate cant consciously use Reinforcement but can almost lift Aurie off of the ground when it suits him. It shouldnt even be physically possible, but Heavenly Energy has made him much stronger than he appears, but when he tries to utilize that strength on purpose, hes only as strong as any other ten year old child. It also covers things like regrowing teeth, which youll have to believe me, is not normal when youre a fully grown adult. You get two sets of natural teeth, and thats it. Any more, and youre using Heavenly Energy to grow them. Thats the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Somehow, Rains theories always circled around to teeth, but the strangest thing was, aside from the teeth bit, Song actually understood what he was going on about. That said, he was missing a third method, and she felt compelled to speak up, but she had to wait until there was a lull in the teeth debate to say, There is a third method of utilizing Chi or Heavenly Energy.

Just saying Heavenly Energy is fine, because theyre essentially the same thing, but thats neither here nor there. Also, I have a theory about why you can do things with Heavenly Energy that you cant do with Chi, but we can get into that at another time.

Urging her to continue despite his caveat, Rain waited with bated breath for Songs answer. Emotion, she said, wondering how he missed it. We control Chi through emotion as well.

Right! Smacking himself in the head, Rains eyes went wide with comprehension. Emotion! How could I have overlooked it? It was right there in front of me. I even had that whole section on how we bind Chi with Emotion... Hang on. Running off to his room to get his notes, Rain left everyone behind to stare at one another in shared confusion, save for Teacher Du who was already lost in his own thoughts. Frowning, Mama said, Girl, I think it would be best if we left now, for I fear even I can not hold true to my Path in the face of the boys... incomprehensible yet oddly compelling leaps of logic. As things stand, we cannot afford to question the very foundation of our strength, not with the Enemy bearing down upon us.

Go, go, Teacher Du said, waving them away, even Sister-in-Law Sarnai who seemed undecided whether to stay or go. This sort of theoretical debate is more to my tastes than yours anyways, and Im old and spent, so even if I falter and fall, nothing of value will have been lost.

Taking Mama by the hand and offering Sister-in-Law Sarnai the other one, Song gently led them both out of Rains manor and off to the marketplace. Though she herself wanted to stay and listen, this was Rains Dao, not hers, so she trusted Mamas methods to find her way. Since her schedule was already thrown off, she decided it would be best to have her post morning lessons pastry early today, which was perfect since she normally had to spend a half-hour or so standing in line for a table and having to rush to meet up with her sparring partners. Since she was early today, maybe there wouldnt be anyone there, and Song could treat Mama and Sister-in-Law Sarnai to something delicious. As for Rain, for better or for worse, it seemed he found new purpose again, but Song had her own Path, and she would not deviate from it now, not without significant proof of a superior one to follow. One step at a time, that was her Path and she would forge it with Mamas help, but perhaps Rain would do the impossible and develop a new, superior Path which would allow others to take three steps at a time. If anyone could pull off a miracle like this, it would be Rain, but it shouldnt matter too much, because regardless of the path taken, they all led to the same destination.

As for now, there were freshly steamed sweet buns to enjoy on Songs path, and there were few people she would rather enjoy them with than her beloved Mama and respected Sister-in-Law.

Chapter Meme