Aaron woke feeling surprisingly good, given last night's drinking. Then he remembered that his organs, including his liver, were now more efficient. Standing, he stored his mattress, which was beginning to fray at the edges. He then stared out the window for several moments, simply basking in the relative quiet. It was still several hours to sunrise, and the street outside the inn had less than a dozen people on it. Exiting his room, he moved out to the inn’s bath house. He spent a full hour simply enjoying the water before leaving. Instead of eating at the inn, he headed to a breakfast restaurant on one of the nearby squares. He caught some sort of massive commotion in the square as he walked down the street.
“Notice to all peoples within the city walls, our august city lord has declared a tournament. The event shall be open to all residents and travelers still within the Body Tempering realm. Registration will be open for the remainder of this month, and qualifying bouts will be held at the beginning of next year.” The crier was clearly using some essence technique as he spoke. His voice wasn’t really any louder, but somehow…crisper, clearer. It was still understandable despite all of the squares' other ongoing conversations.
Aaron considered the broad gaps in his knowledge of this place as he sat down to eat. He realized that he didn’t know what calendar this empire used, let alone the current month. Guessing the season was difficult, given that he didn’t know what the local climate was like. He would need to speak to his master, both about his questions and the tournament. The food provided a pleasant counterpoint to his musings. A sort of scramble, made using both meat and eggs from the local magic beasts. It was worth the single square it had cost. Having finished his meal, Aaron set out for his master’s home.
He entered his master’s courtyard to find her once again doing her tai chi esque routine. He sat and pondered his questions until she finally slowed to a stop. He informed her of his desire to speak over lunch before settling in to cultivate for the morning. He now needed to temper his bones, the act of seeing the individual cells, then envisioning how those cells make up the bones as a whole now familiar. The next several hours passed in deep concentration, the only breaks being to refill his dantian and refine new essence.
Finally, he completed his morning routine, before settling in for lunch. He asked his master many of the questions he had considered throughout his morning. His master informed him that this world’s years were instead four hundred and eighty days long and always the same length. These years were split into twelve equal length months, each forty days long. They were currently at the beginning of the eighth month, in the first of the four ten day weeks. He had noticed that the days seemed much longer in this world. The only place he had been able to use the twenty four hours he was used to was the cave. His master explained that instead of sixty, seconds and minutes were sets of one hundred, while days were only twenty hours. This still left each day over twice as long as earth days.
“Now, with that out of the way, I wanted to talk about the upcoming tournament.” Aaron set his now empty bowl down as he spoke.
“Yes, we should speak of your place in the tournament. It will make a most effective method for announcing yourself as my disciple” His master nodded as she spoke. ”If you register, then compete wearing my symbol, all will know that I have a new student. Since the tournament will also attract travelers, the word will quickly spread throughout the empire. Your elemental attunement and martial skill will see you through to the later parts of the tournament quite easily. Only the best of the local scions and prodigies will be able to match you.”
“Will there be anyone in particular to watch out for? Anyone who would specifically seek to best me, or whose victory over me would be problematic?” Aaron put forth what he felt were the most important questions.
“Not in this event. My enemies all reside in other parts of the empire. There children and students will not be likely to come to this tournament. They will come to the city once you are announced. They will seek to challenge and defeat you. Such would bring glory to their elders and masters.” his master held his gaze as she spoke, clearly trying to convey the weight of what would come. “You will go to register at the city center tomorrow afternoon. But for now, to your martial training.”
He spent the next portion of the afternoon on his martial arts training. His master seemed quite pleased with how well he was folding the more formal martial disciplines into his fighting style. Once he had completed that training for the day, his master changed the routine once more. Instead of simply having him practice his essence arts as normal, she sat with him.
They spoke for a time about how he had utilized his essence arts in combat. How he could better utilize the arts he already had, and what kinds of arts could be added to round out his fighting style. His style so far comprised quickly moving between enemies and rapid brutal strikes, relying on momentum and lightning to do most of his damage. She noted that he could use a lightning based sensory technique. Such an art would allow him to perceive his surroundings, even during a bolt rush. His master was also searching for a lightning agility art to replace the drifting leaf step. He would also need a more direct defensive technique before the tournament started. He would never be able to avoid every attack. Despite his flesh being more durable than normal for his realm, he could still only withstand so many blows. His arc barrier only punished attackers, rather than defending against blows. He ended the conversation and headed back to the inn as the sun touched the horizon.
Aaron registered for the tournament late the following morning, after a brief conversation with his master. The registration was handled in the city’s massive central square. Massive crowds surrounded the two dozen tables set in front of the city lords manor. The manor itself immediately seized his attention as he entered the central square. A massive edifice of almost metallic silver stone with soft blue wood accenting. It was six floors high, and spread out over what Aaron guessed to be a square mile. The corners speared upwards into tall pagoda esque towers going four floors above the central building.
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After staring for several moments, Aaron moved toward the leftmost registration table. This particular table had a line in the dozens instead of hundreds. Aaron listened to the surrounding chatter as he waited. This tournament was clearly a significant event, both for the locals and travelers. These sorts of events apparently only happened approximately once every half decade. It provided warriors in the city for access to the great eastern wood a chance to both prove themselves and earn resources. The inns, shops, and eateries would see extra traffic over the following months. After almost an hour, he finally made it to the table to register.
“Name, realm, local or visitor.” The clerk snapped out, clearly already harried and worn out.
“Lannen Aaron, early Bone Condensing, visitor” The man scribbled down his information as Aaron spoke.
“One mark registration fee” The clerk held out his hand, and Aaron placed the coin into his palm.
“More information on the tournament will be provided on the day before the qualifying rounds begin.” The clerk's words were clipped and monotone as he waved Aaron away. He heard the woman in line behind him engage the clerk as he walked away.
Aaron considered the kinds of fights he would likely face as he walked. His unarmed fighting style was relatively uncommon, at least in the empire. Enemies wielding weapons,both blunt and bladed, were his likely opponents. Ranged weapons were less than ideal in a tournament context, so such enemies were unlikely. He would likely need defensive gauntlets, at minimum, to keep from being slashed to ribbons.
Aaron stopped as this thought occurred to him, leaving him standing next to a food stall. He was drawn towards the scent of the buns steaming behind the thin wooden counter. He walked up and sat at the stall, whose proprietor walked to stand across from him.
“What can I get you, sir?” the large man said with a broad smile on his face.
“I’ll have ten buns, and a spicy sauce if you have it.” The stall owner nodded as Aaron spoke. “Actually, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure thing sir, I have time. Here are your buns.” The man sat down on a plate heaped with steaming buns and a shallow dish containing a yellow sauce. Aaron paid the one square and two chips listed above the counter.
“I’m new to the city, and I need a few weapon repairs. Could you tell me where the craftspeople work?” Aaron dug in as he spoke. The buns were soft, filled with a mixture of meat and beans. The sauce was pleasantly spicy, but also had a tart edge to it. He noted the street he was on, making a note to return to this stall.
“Sure thing, the crafting districts are all on the south end of the city.” Aaron nodded in thanks to the man, before returning to his food.
Aaron set off for the city’s southern end, noting the increasing sound of pounding hammers as he went. He followed the sound to a square surrounded by open air smithies. The air was stiflingly hot, even to him, and the clangor of hammers on metal was deafening. Aaron looked around for a moment, before spotting a boy, twelve maybe thirteen, lounging in the mouth of an alley. He strode towards the boy, who wore scuffed, likely hand me down robes.
“What do you want, stranger?” suspicion laced the boy’s voice.
“Five squares if you take me to the best smith in the district.” Aaron held the boy’s gaze as he spoke.
“What makes you think I know who the best smith is?” The boy stared at Aaron's robes, clearly calculating.
“If not to be a guide to clueless visitors, why are you hanging around this particular square.” Aaron raised a brow. “It certainly isn’t a comfortable place to be.”
“Fair enough, stranger, follow me.” The boy smirked, before turning to walk down the alley.
The boy walked through a series of alleyways and side streets. Aaron’s instincts flared as he followed the boy out of an alley. He ducked, bracing his hands against the ground, feeling something heavy pass over his head. His eyes took in the scene in a matter of moments. The alley opened into an enclosed square, surrounded by the backs of buildings. Three men were moving across the square towards him, while he could hear two men behind him. He snapped his right leg out in a mule kick, catching the ambusher in the throat. Pressing down with his three braced limbs, he jumped up and to the left. Spinning in the air he brought his extended right leg around. His side kick landed on the temple of the remaining man behind him. Continuing his spin, he landed with his left foot, rotating to face the remaining three attackers.
Aaron pushed off, darting towards the three men, who spread out and readied their clubs. The center man swung down, his club brushing just past Aarons nose. Confusion filled the man’s face at Aaron’s abrupt stop. Aaron’s fist wiped the expression from the man’s face in a burst of blood. Tuning to the right, Aaron bolt rushed backwards, rolling under the left man’s hasty strike. Rolling to his feet, Aaron drove his left fist into the back of the man’s head. The last man’s club swung for Aaron’s head as the man circled around to the left. Aaron blocked the man’s blow with his left forearm, surprised that the blow didn’t even hurt. Twisting, he shoved the man’s club away with his left arm, while driving a right hook into the man's jaw.
“My offer stands, five squares for the best blacksmith” Aaron turned and spoke to the now trembling boy. The five men groaned as he rifled through their pockets, taking the ten squares and two dozen chips spread between them.
“Sure thing boss, right this way.” the boy continued to tremble as he led Aaron away. This time, the boy headed immediately for the main thoroughfares, leading Aaron towards the south wall. Fifteen minutes later, the boy stopped outside of a large, closed smithy on a side street. Aaron stared at the boy for a moment. He decided that the boy was being honest, and handed him five of the squares from his friends. Aaron tuned as the boy scrambled away. He took a deep breath that tasted of hot metal, and entered the smithy.