Chapter 664

Chapter 664

After three, long months, Baatars son was finally responsive again, so when Father and Brother Du broke open the wine jugs, he might have drank more than he should have.

Much more, in fact, to the point where his memory of the night consisted solely of lifting a cup to his lips followed by a scathing haranguing from his precious rose as she hauled him off to bed. As such, even though he was no stranger to rude awakenings, the previous days joyous tidings left Baatar ill-prepared for surprises. So much so that Naarans midnight Sending failed to rouse him from sleep, and the same went for the pounding at his door. It wasnt until Sarnai smacked his bare bottom with full force that he finally shook the shackles of slumber, jumping to his feet with a growl only to immediately topple back into the sheets. Wishing he hadnt moved so quickly, he fought down the urge to vomit and quelled his roiling stomach with sheer force of will before asking, What is it?

Get dressed, Sarnai said, her tone stilted and afraid. Our son is missing.

Now there was a sobering statement if there ever was one. After a quick visit to the bathroom to purge himself of liquor, Baatar rushed out into the bustling courtyard to find torch-bearing Sentinels mobilizing while Sarnai, Brother Du, and Taduk comforted Mila, Yan, and Lin respectively. I dont understand how this happened, Yan was saying, unabashed of her tears as she clutched her grandfathers arm tight. We fell asleep next to him, and then the next thing I knew, Mama Bun was thumping at the door and Rain was nowhere in sight.

Mama Bun? Not the Guardian Turtle? Strange. Despite barely leaving the boys side during the past three months, the Divine Beast seemed utterly unconcerned with his unexplained absence, sprawled out in the grassy courtyard and blinking sleepily amidst a pile of snoring bunnies while watching the chaos unfold around her. Odd that she would be so at ease in this time of trouble, and as he stepped closer to inspect her, she looked up and radiated a calming Aura, one of patience and composure. Stop making such a fuss, she seemed to be saying, before nestling her chin between two sleeping rabbits and closing her eyes to rest. Hell be back soon enough.

Hoping she knew something the rest of them did not, Baatar took charge of the courtyard, for the Mother helps those who help themselves. Naaran. Bring me up to speed.

Fully armed and armoured for a fight, Baatars old friend appeared out of Concealment, his amber eyes burning with fury and frustration. The Chief Provost set out with Sarnais Mentor and Senior sisters, Naaran began, his petulant tone insinuating he believed he should be there with them. Moving as one in hopes of finding a clue regarding the boys disappearance.

Disappearance. Good. This meant they had not yet confirmed this was a kidnapping or assassination. How wonderful it would be if Rain simply wandered off on his own and got lost in the manor somewhere, perhaps falling asleep in the bath-house or seeking solace in the quin stables. The guards?

Were Baatar speaking with one of his Imperial Officers, he wouldve had to clarify, but Naaran knew him well enough to understand. None were drunk or asleep, yet they heard and saw nothing, not even the two standing guard at his door.

Window?

My station, Naaran replied, bitter and ashamed by his failure. Nothing as well. Do you think this the work of a Divinity?

Possible, but unlikely. For more reasons than one. The Imperial Clan had no need to abduct the boy, since a simple summons would be just as effective. As for the Enemy, even if they cared enough to go to all this trouble to abduct the boy instead of having a Divinity kill him outright, there was little chance a Defiled Divinity could make it past the border unnoticed. After Zhu Chanzuis unexpected appearance in the Citadel, the Imperial Divinities had gone on full alert and remained so all this time, unwilling to be caught off-guard again if should it come to all out war.

Unlikely did not mean impossible, but if this was a matter of Divinities, there was nothing Baatar could do. Instead, he focused on what he could do and divided the remaining Sentinels into four search parties with orders to head off in a cardinal direction and cast as wide a net as possible. Before they had even set out, the courtyard door creaked open and Rain slipped in as if returning from a midnight affair. Stopping mid-step as if caught by surprise, the boy stood in the doorway with one foot raised and an unreadable expression as he processed the scene in silent shock, a reaction which mirrored their own. It wasnt just his unexpected arrival which caught them all by surprise, but also his bloodied and battered appearance. Though his expression was stony and neutral as could be, his skin and hair were drenched in clotting blood and plastered with bits of gore and viscera, while his tattered, grisly robes told the tale of a bitter, hard fought battle. The boy had taken at least three life-threatening wounds by Baatars count. A billowing stain in his mid-section was the result of a clean thrust to the abdomen, and the cascading pattern of dried blood running down his chest indicated a slash across his throat, while his missing left sleeve showed that hed lost it and the pale, wiry arm poking out from the clean cut garment.

Oddly enough, aside from blood splatter and a few errant cuts, his lower-half seemed mostly untouched, though this was hardly surprising considering his penchant for using his short stature against his foes, charging headlong at his foes to get within their reach and force them to react to his unfamiliar angles of attack. The boy was a splendid duellist, just like Mother, but he could also carry his own weight when thrown into a massed, chaotic melee, a well-rounded Warrior and soldier to be proud of.

Sarnai was first to break the spell of surprise, letting loose with an anxious cry as she rushed to Rains side, only to be stopped by a raised arm barring her path. Naarans arm, in fact, having stepped away from Baatars side, and his Sentinels followed hot on his heels to encircle Rain in the doorway with weapons drawn and readied. You lot stay back, Naaran commanded, bravely risking death and grievous injury as all they glared daggers into his exposed back. Boy, come quietly and you will not be hurt. Baatar opened his mouth to interject, but Naaran expected his objection and Sent, You agreed to this. You are his father, but I am his guardian, and he my ward. Such is the duty you passed onto me, when you realized you could no longer bear it. Now, things have come too far to let him stroll in without question, so stand down, old friend. Do not make me ask twice.

There was pain in the mans voice, a plaintive plea to not make things worse, and as much as Baatar wished to fight his way over to his sons side and make sure the boy was alright, he knew Naaran was in the right here. Rain had disappeared in the middle of the night and come back covered in human remains. Though Baatar believed there was a good explanation for this, he couldnt fault his old friend for his caution, as this was the arrangement theyd made. Being Rains father meant he was no longer suited to judge if the boy had slipped and turned Defiled, so he enlisted Naaran to do so in his stead. There was no better person for the job, so it would be best to just leave him to it.

Come, my rose, Baatar whispered, wrapping his arms around Sarnais, not just to embrace her, but to keep her from doing anything foolish besides growl at him in anger. All will be well. Let Naaran do his duty. Brother Du didnt understand what was going on, but he kept Yan and Mila in check with a hand on each of their shoulders as he readied to guard them both. Tearing his eyes away from his son, Baatar checked to make sure the girl didnt do anything rash, but Charok was there by her side and she had yet to lash out with the spear in her hand, so matters were going as well as could be expected.

Except in all their shock and surprise, no one remembered to account for Song.

Baatars little sister offered no questions, made no demands, and even eschewed a heated cry of challenge as she responded to this perceived threat with the hiss of her drawn sabre. Having struck without hesitation, Baatar thought she might take Naarans leg off at the knee, but then a mighty chime rang out as sabre met spear, only for the former to rebound sharply off the latter. Undeterred, Song readied for a second strike, but she was no match for a Peak Expert, especially not one of Naarans calibre. Using the butt of his spear to sweep Songs leading foot out from under her, he drew his fist back to drive it into her unguarded stomach, as the girl had yet to don her Runic armour. A neat and effective way to take her out of the fight without causing undue harm, wise seeing how Father was lurking nearby and liable to lose his temper if anyone were too heavy handed with his precious daughters. Alas, needs must. Song was Oathbound to defend Rain to the death, so it would be best if she was brought away as quickly as possible so they could make sense of the situation without her interference.

Just as Baatar was about to shout for Father to bring Song away, silence and stillness fell over the chaotic courtyard a second time, again due to Rains sudden appearance. No longer was he standing trapped in the doorway, but had somehow made it past the Sentinel spears barring his path to block Naarans punch. No, not block, but stop the strike entirely before it could even begin, the older Sentinels arm still cocked while Rains was wholly outstretched. Though Naarans posture left him vulnerable to a counter, Rains attention was solely on Song as he turned his back to the older Warrior to look at Song instead. No danger.

Accepting the simple statement without fuss, Song hopped to her feet and sheathed her weapon before offering a silent nod of apology to Naaran, her customary stony and indifferent expression a match for Rains. The only sign of curiosity was an oblique glance back as Song retook her place by the bears sides, but she seemed content to let matters play out while Father stood silent vigil over her. A strange relationship they had, Song and Rain, one Baatar didnt wholly understand, but his little sister trusted the boy without question and seemed unconcerned by his gory appearance.

It was unnerving to see him move so strangely, cocking his head while still watching Song leave before turning to Naaran. The stilted, delayed movements lent an eerie cast to his demeanour, further amplified by his expressionless features and how he seemed to struggle with all natural reactions. One would usually expect him to look at Naaran and then cock his head, not the other way around, but Rain seemed only capable of carrying out one action at a time, and not always in the right order. Combined with his sharp, jarring movements and how utterly still he sometimes became, he gave off the impression of a realistic, lifelike puppet rather than a living, breathing person, which was all the more reason to fear him.

Baatar was happy to have his son back, but he would be lying if he said he had no reservations. Hence all the drink, to help him overlook the oddities and take joy in his sons good health.

Why, the boy uttered, forgetting to inflect his tone to imply a question, yet another unsettling behaviour.

Recovering from his surprise with admirable haste, Naaran glared and said, I ask the questions here. Release me.

...How was this possible? Naaran shouldve easily been able to break free from Rains clutches, but despite his strained muscles and reddening cheeks, it was clear the older Sentinels fist was stuck in Rains iron grip despite all his gentle attempts to free himself. The boy was also exerting no small effort, but Baatar hadnt noticed because of Rains lack of expression, and to everyones surprise, they were seemingly equally matched.

After a moment spent parsing through the words, Rain complied with Naarans demand and let his arms drop to his side. Literally drop, as in he stopped holding them up and forgot about them as they swung about like dead weight. There were times when he almost seemed normal while sitting with his wives or cuddling with his animals, but the peculiarities cropped up whenever he tried to communicate or take calculated actions. What, Rain uttered, again forgetting the inflection as he gave permission to be interrogated, his arms jostling and swaying all the while as momentum played out and gave off the illusion that they were limp, unfeeling appendages.

Where did you go?

...Out.

What did you do?

...Fight. Kill.

Who did you kill?

How is it here? It was destroyed.

...Oneness, Rain replied, his smile falling away after the customary pause he needed to parse through the question. Me. Sword. Same. One with the Sword. How... fitting an answer, albeit not exactly useful.

After trying and failing to get Rain to expand on his answer, Mothers patience wore thin and she asked, Why did I find this lying in an empty, blood-stained field?

...Forgot.

How could you forget? The blood has yet to dry!

Phrasing, Mother. Sensing her frustration, Baatar helpfully added, He answers questions very literally. I believe he is saying he forgot to bring the sword back.

Glaring daggers at him for being correct, Mother took a deep breath and tried again. Where did the bodies go? And it was here, Baatar learned what Mother was afraid of. Did you... Devour them?

The silence that followed aged Baatar by a lifetime, until Rain finally answered, ...Dunno.

And after another equally arduous pause, he added, ...No.

Mother was struggling with her conscience now, Baatar could see it clearly. She too wanted to isolate Rain lest he bring disaster down upon them all, but seeing little Mila tenderly scrub his bloodied hands made it all but impossible to do. Mother was the strongest Warrior Baatar knew, but he was also a parent, and he knew how difficult it was to break your childs heart. Unable to bring herself to give the order, Mother turned to Baatar and Sent, Head directly north from here. Bring your father, Naaran, and Little Du. See with your own eyes what I saw, and perhaps together, we will find the strength to do what needs to be done. North, she repeated, her gaze fixated on Rain and not in the same way Luo-Luos was. You cannot miss it.

Stomach sinking at her ominous tone, Baatar did as he was told without question. Cloud-Stepping out of the manor with the others hot on his heels, it wasnt long before they arrived at what could only be the scene of Rains battle, and what they found chilled their blood. While Father and Brother Du gawked in silence, Naaran made a sound that was halfway between horrified and impressed. A few minutes back, something set the belltower to chiming. Not a proper peal, but a low hum, loud enough for me to hear out on the roof. Scanning the upheaval with a critical eye, he nodded to himself and said, I suppose this would have done it.

For here they stood, at the edge of a cavity of overturned dirt and grass, the ground broken and overturned by a colossal use of force. Though the cavity was not particularly deep and only stretched about twenty metres in diameter, the clear, bare footprint in the centre made it clear this was no natural occurrence, but rather the work of a powerful Martial Warrior.

The Mountain Collapsing Stomp, Brother Du proclaimed, and there was nothing but joy in his voice. The boys done it. He unleashed the Mountain Collapsing Stomp here, theres no doubt about it. I said hed have to be a Peak Expert by thirty to marry my precious Yan, but the boy might have actually done it with almost a decade to spare.

Even better news was how no one lived in this area, as it was earmarked for future development and expansion. The boy had plans for it, something about soldier housing or an entertainment district, or perhaps both since it was ill-advised to have bored soldiers stationed so close to civilians. Rain often made plans with more than one outcome in mind, and Baatar had long since learned to trust in his vision, but that was neither here nor there.

There was no proof this was his work, but the alternative was that he fought here against a bare-footed Mitsue Juichi and won, which was ludicrous to the extreme. Though reassured by the boys forethought, Baatar forced himself to consider this from all perspectives, and the outlook was bleak indeed. If the boy was capable of this much widespread destruction, then anyone staying in the same building with him was risking death. Yesterday, seeing him throw himself down by the riverside and refuse to budge made for an amusing sight, but what would have happened if they really tried to pry him away? Would he have lashed out in anger, or allowed himself to be moved against his will? Difficult to say, as Rains troubles were mental in nature, making it difficult to anticipate how they might affect him. Thus far, he seemed content to indulge in his pets and spend time cuddling the people he loved, an outlet for all the happiness and joy he was experiencing, but what would he do if faced with anger or hatred?

Fight and kill, it would seem, but who were his opponents?

Well, this sets my mind at ease, Brother Du declared, stretching his arms with a yawn. Ill leave it to the youngsters to comb through all the dirt and grass in search of clues. One of the benefits of age and infirmity.

How? Baatar snapped, angry that he would make light of this. How can this set you at ease? The boy can barely string two words together, yet possesses enough strength to bring the manor down upon all our heads. Does this not concern you?

Hmm. Stroking his beard in surprise, Brother Du considered the question for a moment before declaring, No. Shrugging, he explained, If the boy is unable to control himself, then whatever will be, will be, but I think you give him too little credit. In my opinion, his mind is working fine, and his issues stem from the connection between mind and body.

And just like that, the fog lifted from Baatars mind, for what Brother Du said made perfect sense. Of course! His frustration! He knows what he wants to say, but he cannot make himself say it. If he were simple-minded, then there would be no frustration.

That and he lured his foe out here so that he could do battle away from the manor and District. Stifling a yawn, Brother Du gestured about at the empty plains, further emphasizing his point. If hed fought in the manor or close to it, others might have gotten caught in the chaos. His logic is flawed, as it would have been better to alert us, but his intentions are still good. Inside that awkward, expressionless body, Rain is still himself, so Ill lose no sleep resting in a room close to his.

A fact Baatar had known, but overlooked. Indeed, he lured his enemies to a place they could fight without causing collateral damage, giving up the defensive advantage to protect those he loved. Ashamed for not believing more in his son, Baatar stood silent as Brother Du bade them all farewell and left. Father and Naaran stayed behind, with the latter setting off to do as Brother Du suggested and comb through the dirt and grass. Patting Baatar on the shoulder, Father rumbled, Come now son, no need to look so hangdog about it. Like yer Ma, your first concern is always yer people first, and your family second. Tis a noble calling, leadership, that it is, and it aint fer everyone, but you bear it better than most. Shrugging, Father added, Though between you an me, Id think long and hard before telling the lad no. It aint likely hell throw a tantrum and stomp us all flat, but no sense temptin fate, if ye know what I mean.

Smiling at the half-jest, Baatar leaned against his fathers broad shoulder and took comfort in the mans powerful presence. Care to help me search through for clues? There are still many mysteries yet to be solved. Who Rain fought, how he reformed his blade, and perhaps even Insight on how he came this far without being noticed.

Bah, if youngster Du can claim the benefits of old age and head back to sleep, then I, yer Father, could have stayed in bed and never stirred. Grinning as he thumped Baatar on the back, he wished him good hunting and left. Heading over to join Naaran, he offered no apology or excuse and instead set to work beside him, the two of them working by torchlight to follow Rains bloody trail of destruction. For long hours, they found nothing definitive aside the odd patch of flattened grass or errant, bloodstained scraps of cloth, and it wasnt until the sun was rising that they finally uncovered their first real clue in a field almost three kilometres away from where he unleashed the Mountain Collapsing Stomp. Over here, Baatar called, drawing his weapon to carefully dig something out of the dirt. Careful. If this is what I believe it is, then we should not touch it barehanded. For there, embedded in the grass a short ways off from the third battle-site theyd uncovered, was the severed tip of a black metal blade, so similar to those wielded by Wraiths. That answers that, then, Baatar declared, puffing up with pride and vindication. The boy fought and killed Wraiths.

Odd, Naaran murmured, cutting through Baatars joy and tainting it with confusion.

What is so strange about it? The Enemy dispatched killers to end my sons life, and he saw them off without assistance.

If Rain fought Wraiths here, Naaran replied, bundling the shard of metal up in a handkerchief, Then why did he not say as much? Shrugging, Naaran added, Just seems strange.

A good point, but Baatar had no answer to give. Perhaps he was not sure if they were Wraiths?

Difficult to mistake those pale, ugly bastards for anything else.

True, but Baatar was too relieved to care anymore, just happy that his son was not only conscious again, but now a Martial Warrior far beyond any of his peers. How did Rains Mountain Collapsing Stomp compare to Mitsue Juichis? Baatar should have asked Brother Du before he left. What of the Spiritual Weapon? Would Rain be able to reform the others? Could he make more, without need of Spiritual Heart or steel? What were the limits of his newfangled strength?

Whatever the answers, Baatar looked forward to helping guide Rain to discover them himself. Even Alsantset was not so far along the Martial Path that she needed help finding her steps, but Rain had jumped so high in so short a time, he was bound to have questions in need of answers, which meant Baatar could finally put his undeserved title of Mentor to good use.

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