Amdirlain’s PoV - Wudang Mountain
The speed of his motions meant the music provided no warning, but its seamless flow inspired her reactions. Since even a deflection contained bone-crushing force, Amdirlain shifted and slipped ahead of his blows. She re-enabled Muse’s Embrace and sank into the theme, catching the sharp notes of traps among the flurry of attacks. As her wrist snapped under the force of a block, she grinned and changed form to position against his forearm and drove a knee towards his groin, only for a minutiae weight shift to cause it to strike high on his thigh. A back fist rocketed towards her face in reply, and Amdirlain reformed further from Xuan Wu, so the strike whistled through the air just before her nose. Each Shapeshift anchored off whatever part of her body was closest to where she wanted to be, leaving a strange blur of collapsing bodies as she flowed seamlessly around the courtyard. His strikes and blocks came from more styles than she’d seen and, though Amdirlain sought to adapt to the unexpected attacks, more often than not, she weathered the blows that slipped through her defences.
Xuan Wu continually pushed her limits, hammering at the protection of her Ki Body, but held back from breaking more bones. Attempting to fortify it with Earth brought a rapid flurry of strikes and the rhythm of the strikes stirred the energy to harden inside her flesh. A softening of the flows and intent shifted the Mana churning about, and she began to drink up the momentum of his blows. Punches that previously caused her bones to creak barely dimpled flesh, and Xuan Wu grabbed her wrist to anchor her in place, only for it to slip from his grasp. The brief contact left him with acidic smoke rising from his hand, and his frown shifted to a neutral expression. Her skin tone shifted to a greenish-blue as Ooze Mana filled her flesh, and she started to ride out the power of his strikes, only for the corner of his mouth to twitch, and he struck harder.
His pace quickened, and he stayed constantly with her, no matter the speed of her transformations. The pace of their engagement sent gusts of wind outwards, only to be suppressed at the courtyard’s edge by Xuan Wu’s will. Amdirlain desperately attempted to slide his blows and look for an opening, but each promised a waiting trap. Mirroring the song of his motions, she met his attacks head-on, simply taking the impacts despite how they reverberated through her flesh. Their shins clashed as she blocked a frenzy of kicks, knuckles cracking against his despite the injuries she endured. Though the pattern was obvious, Xuan Wu didn’t lay traps to take advantage. Instead, he added light Ki Strikes to his blows, and Amdirlain moved to match him, negating the impacts.
Their exchange wore on for hours, and motes of blackness started to lick at the air from his hair, increasing in frequency until Xuan Wu stepped back. Precognition warned her against pursuit, and Amdirlain retreated in time to see his hair come loose from its queue. The occasional mote of yin energy turned into a swarm that flooded along its length. Darkness expanded from his pupils, swallowing the whites of his eyes before expanding through his skin, leaving him an old-fashioned negative. As the change swept through him, Amdirlain shifted to Primordial flame, and the pressure of its creative force stood steady against the darkness, though it sent up shrill notes that ripped jagged impressions against her skin. Amdirlain flared the aura of Phoenix’s Symphony to life a bare centimetre across her body to help buffer against Xuan Wu’s draw. Though each stood still, the battle continued with his energy ripping at her; Amdirlain sought to streamline her aura until an unexpected pulse sounded through it. While the sound rang through her awareness, the effort she’d put into her aura caused it to flare out nearly a half metre, prompting Xuan Wu to step back before she restrained it. Her restricted awareness of the mountain expanded five-fold, taking in the entire palace.
Xuan Wu nodded in satisfaction and drew in the motes. “Why did you meet my attacks head-on?”
“You know why.”
He gave her an amused smile. “But I want to hear you say it. Sounds are important to you.”
“My style’s weakness is that it relies on vulnerabilities when dealing with stronger foes, but you laid traps within every opening I could see,” Amdirlain glanced at the badly worn stone. “I was learning your attacks by duplicating them. Why did you let your yin energy loose?”
“Yin is a consuming force, and clashing with a creator stirs the energy,” replied Xuan Wu. “I grew curious about how you’d stand up to it, so I let a small fraction free. I’ll have to get someone to fix this courtyard.”
“I can do that for you.”
“My thanks. You adjusted throughout the lesson. While your overall style is unique, I recognise its many components. Though I imagine it’s quite different in a non-humanoid form.”
“It is.”
As a silent theme restored the stonework to its original state, a notification showed in Amdirlain’s mind.
[Ki Body [S] (116->127)
Ki Strike [S] (91->115)
Ki Attunement Unlocked: Ooze
Free Movement [M] (16->17)
Phoenix’s Symphony [G] (333) evolved into Phoenix’s Symphony-Lord [G] (1)
Mana Multiplier progressed from x15 - > x16
Ki Multiplier progressed from x19 -> x21
Agile [G] (91->94)
Dance [G] (56->58)
Devouring Cacophony [G] (58->94)
Perception [G] (7->12)
Note: It’s always good when specialists let you experience their craft first-hand.]
You saved the upgrade notification to the end instead of distracting me. Thank you, Gideon. He was trying to forge my techniques into stronger versions.
My hearing range multiplied by five, so I could hear ten million kilometres in a straight line; that’s still insufficient to take in a star system. My Mana Pool feels even emptier now since it’s still recovering. I’ve got to figure out how to get Mana Font to grow.
“Wouldn’t the same be true for you in serpent or tortoise form?”
“While in those forms, I only use energy techniques,” advised Xuan Wu.
Amdirlain smiled mischievously. “Then my ugly forms are more versatile.”
“Are we contesting about the ugliness of form now?”
“No, because mine wins,” quipped Amdirlain. “Your form is just a dimensional overlay of two battle-scarred animals, whereas mine are far weirder.”
“The ones you adopt aside from the eye-less feathered serpent hidden beneath your flesh?”
“Given my size, I’d classify it as a feathered Dragon,” argued Amdirlain.
“Dragons have breath weapons native to their species,” rebutted Xuan Wu. “I don’t sense that ability within your form.”
“You’re the second person to heckle me about my lack of breath weapon,” replied Amdirlain. “I might have to give myself one.”
Xuan Wu grinned. “That still wouldn’t make an attack native to your species.”
Laughter rippled through her mind as the connection with Sarah strengthened. ‘He shot you down with my argument.’
Amdirlain broadcast her amusement and received a snort from Sarah. ‘Were you eavesdropping through our link or taking in the mountain with your Dragon hearing?’
‘I’ve got big ears, like all dragons. What can I say? I’m not paranoid about the inhabitants of this place, not one bit.’
‘Just massively paranoid?’ Amdirlain retorted.
‘Of course.’
“More students will arrive shortly,” Xuan Wu nodded westward. “Why don’t you catch up with your companions, and we can have another exchange tomorrow?”
“I’d like that, Xuan Wu.” Amdirlain started to turn, only to pause. “Were you deliberately stressing my abilities to force an evolution?”
“Teaching martial arts and related abilities is what I enjoy. If Master Tang takes a while to arrive, you might progress to an acceptable state in your style by then,” stated Xuan Wu.
He uses other people’s titles but doesn’t want others to bother with his, even before he referred to me as Lady Am when he invited me to join him in this courtyard.
“That would take many exchanges,” Amdirlain smiled. “How do you classify your proficiency?”
“The early stage of a long journey.”
Amdirlain exchanged salutes and departed through the west doors, reaching out to Sarah as the door closed behind her. ‘Should I rescue you from Jiutian Xuannü’s clutches?’
‘She’s made time to take me through some practical exercises,’ Sarah returned. ‘Your mind already sounds better.’
‘Sparring was invigorating. Xuan Wu has arranged for the creator of my Ki Blast technique to visit, but they’re involved in an exorcism at present, so it is uncertain when they’ll arrive.’
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
‘Jiutian Xuannü offered me some tutoring sessions with enchanting. If you’re going to be waiting for your teacher, I might get more lessons from her.’
‘While you enjoy your lab session, I’ll chat with Kadaklan and see how long he’s happy to stay.’
Amdirlain reached out and found Kadaklan in the library, which had an almost familiar modern layout. The dark oak shelving was laid out in orderly rows, the ends of each tagged with an index number in the Chinese Suzhou numerical system. Individual reading rooms lined the sides of the library, and she’d found Kadaklan in a room with a crescent of tables covered with books containing illustrations and discussions about phoenixes.
Instead of navigating around all the passages and training groups on the way to the library, Amdirlain teleported outside to the reading room Kadaklan had secured and tapped lightly to announce herself.
“Come in.”
“I didn’t think you’d need to learn anything about phoenixes,” offered Amdirlain.
Kadaklan glanced up and set his pen aside. “Welcome back. The research concerns the eggshell you gave me. Most of my knowledge of phoenixes involves those from the South Wind’s Court. The energies within the egg don’t flow like the remnants of those laid by my kin.”
“You’re going to get out of practice using a quill,” Amdirlain said, nodding towards her pen case.
“Sarah gave me a write-up of the runic construction for the pens,” advised Kadaklan. “But I’m sure you’re not here to talk about quills or pens.”
“We might be here for a few weeks. Is there anything you want to do instead of waiting around?”
“I’ve got my research.” A bowl containing the remnants of the phoenix egg appeared on the table, and the pieces rocked softly as Kadaklan slid it towards her. “You had your senses restricted when you found the hatching phoenix, so tell me, what theme is within the shell?”
She took in the exquisite theme of the shards, an entwined essence of Primordial Fire and Life. The energy echoed a faint transposition effect that she had heard first in Balnérith, except the energies here originated from a different realm than those. Its tempo and pitch tugged at Ori’s memories, and Amdirlain sighed. “It’s a theme of creation and rejuvenation.”
The Phoenix came from Ori’s home realm.
Kadaklan gently slid the bowl further towards her. “I’m not sure I should use this for any potion.”
She sat across the table but kept her hands away from the bowl. “Can you think why my Precognition led me to the site then?”
“I believe you should put it in your Inventory or keep it for when inspiration about how to use it strikes.”
“Because placing the headband in it worked out so well?” snorted Amdirlain, but Kadaklan shot her a challenging look. “Alright, you tell me—why?”
“The Phoenix isn’t just part of Persian legends, but also Greek and the Middle Kingdoms., Then there is your sigil.”
Not to mention my True Name.
“It’s something to think about,” allowed Amdirlain.
Kadaklan shook his head. “It’s not the only reason. A Phoenix is reborn through fire, and you compared the pressure the material puts on your Soul to a furnace.”
“Alchemy is about using the physical and arcane properties of materials,” noted Amdirlain.
“Bringing things to the right temperature and maintaining them in the right environment is also part of it,” advised Kadaklan. “If you proceed with the idea, try one of the tiny shards first, and let me know so I can be on hand.”
“You think it’s risky.” Amdirlain frowned.
“It’s not like I can prove anything about your advanced Soulspace with careful experimentation. I had stored a piece inside my simple one without issue, but it’s not under the pressure or conflict yours is experiencing.”
“Want me to upgrade it to Inventory and see what happens?”
“That’s okay. I should earn upgrades to that ability,” demurred Kadaklan.
Amdirlain shrugged. “Gail gave the ability to herself after hearing me use it. The only injury she sustained was because her True Song wasn’t strong enough.”
“I have Soulspace, so I’ll work on upgrading it to Inventory myself,” replied Kadaklan.
“Here I was offering to help you experiment on equal footing,” huffed Amdirlain playfully. A golden glow manifested among the books and resolved into four large sections of phoenix eggshell.
“Just like that?”
Amdirlain tapped the closest text. “So that all your research is useful, I’ll create a few thousand of these and crate them if you’d like.”
Kadaklan laughed lightly. “Maybe once I find a use for them.”
Amdirlain transferred the bowl and its contents to Foundry. “Hopefully, those eggs are a close enough match to be useful since an exact match for the one I recovered isn’t presently possible for me.”
Maybe once I’ve got Primordial Will.
“What makes it special?”
“Since the Phoenix who crafted it originates from another realm, its theme carries hints of it,” explained Amdirlain. “Where anything I create is anchored within this realm, so functionally the same, but its essence would have a slight inherent variation.”
“Do you think you’ll overcome that restriction?”
Amdirlain shrugged. “Who knows?”
With Sarah deep in discussions with Jiutian Xuannü, Amdirlain caught the details of their room assignment from Klipyl and teleported directly to the room. The furnishings within the chamber were in the style of the classical Qing era. Each cupboard and side table had decorative panels with individual carvings that carried the same overall animal, plant, or landscape theme for the piece. She created a holding rack for Eleftherios’ memory crystals atop one of the side tables and released them from Inventory.
Though she’d skimmed the details within the crystals, she hadn’t made time for in-depth study, simply identifying the parts already covered by the texts from the Cloister of the Fallen. Plucking the first from the constellation hovering before her, Amdirlain sat cross-legged on the bed and leaned back against the headboard as she started to soak in the information.
When Sarah returned to their room, she found Amdirlain still cross-legged on the bed, taking in the details from that same crystal. “How are the studies going?”
“Just really started,” replied Amdirlain. “He included so many details that even part of this crystal has pushed Abyssal Lore up seven levels.”
“You had that at senior master rank, right?” asked Sarah, sitting on the bed beside her.
“Yep.” Amdirlain floated the crystal from her hand. “Infinite takes on a whole new meaning after getting into the details of hordes of species unique to a Plane. How have things with Jiutian Xuannü gone?”
“I’ve learned heaps of new things,” replied Sarah, tapping the crystal as it floated back into position among the others. “My psionics and tao enchanting are a refreshing change.”
“They do have the advantage that you’re not simply re-gaining your skills as an Artificer. The whole a change is as good as a holiday.”
“My conversations with Jiutian Xuannü have covered more than enchanting,” Sarah slid closer. “She and the jade maidens are interesting individuals. Weirdly, I lived longer than all seven combined in one of my lifetimes, but I didn’t transcend mortal limits in any lifetime.”
“Dragon mentally is different.” Amdirlain bumped shoulders and gave her a grin.
“Yet the Jade Court Dragons can transcend.”
‘Should I say sorry for screwing up?’
Sarah wrapped an arm around her side in a one-armed hug. ‘We’ll blame Bahamut and Tia since the conceptual premises for Ori’s dragons came from those two. Though it’s probably just as well there aren’t more Immortal dragons than the templates, which are an example of what happens there.’
The crystals swooped off to the side and settled onto the holding racks Amdirlain had placed atop the cupboard. “I missed you.”
“Likewise. Why don’t I show you how much?”
Sarah’s mouth hungrily claimed Amdirlain’s, and she put other matters out of her mind.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Amdirlain mixed training with Xuan Wu, progressing in Abyssel Lore, and composing a song to align a planet with the Jade Court for a few days. A new arrival entering the palace late at night caught Amdirlain’s attention. She slipped from their bed, and the shadow vines formed into their typical dark green silken robes.
When Amdirlain arrived, Master Cyrus was in discussion with one of Xuan Wu’s servants, and she looked him over as the pair spoke. Master Cyrus’s hawkish features were unchanged, but the little grey near his temples had disappeared. Instead of his short hairstyle, it was long enough to be secured back in a queue. He now wore elaborate mandarin-era robes with voluminous sleeves in layers of green and red.
The servant hurried off, and Master Cyrus turned to greet her with a smile.
“Hello, Sifu. Should I offer apologies or congratulations?”
“You helped me understand not only what I’d cut myself off from in the past but also in the present. Bringing enlightenment is nothing to apologise for, Am,” replied Cyrus.
Amdirlain stepped forward to hug him; Cyrus hesitantly wrapped his arms around her in return and lightly patted her back. “I’m glad the Jade Emperor didn’t keep you cloistered away.”
He’s not a hugger; I’ve overstepped.
She slacked her hold, but Cyrus didn’t let go; his pats shifted from awkwardness to carrying the feel of a kindly uncle. “My situation provoked a vigorous discussion among the officials.”
“Did they have to invent new rules to handle it?” Amdirlain asked lightly.
A wry smile brightened Cyrus’s expression. “Not wholly new rules, but there was some debate about whether I counted as a completely new member of the court, returned from a long closed-door meditation, or other less pleasant scenarios.”
“Did someone seriously suggest you counted as a Celestial turned Demon?” grumbled Amdirlain.
“They drew a parallel to those sealed away to lessen their abilities and the danger they posed to mortals.”
Amdirlain frowned. “Can I smack them in the ear for you?”
His hug firmed briefly before he stepped back and held her at arm’s length, looking her straight in the eye. “I’d still be dealing with the bureaucracy, except for your work with Rustam. Lady Quan Yin asked me to convey her appreciation for aiding him and apologise for the pain this trip has brought you. She’s unhappy with all the involved parties.”
The tale of me creating that star got me lots of attention.
“Well, I’m glad those unhappy with them aren’t shy about letting me know,” replied Amdirlain. “That doesn’t mean I’ll let Nezha off without repayment.”
“From how she spoke, I believe she’s hoping your plan teaches him some valuable lessons.”
“Time will tell. I’m glad you’re back.”
"I was told that you developed your Ki Strike technique with the help of Lord Bai Hu."
“I did, though I don’t think I provided him a reward he was entirely happy with.”
Amdirlain filled him in on the events at the West Wind’s Court following his departure, drawing a few appreciative nods and chuckles.
“Have you seen any appealing techniques or ones you’re curious about investigating?” asked Cyrus.
He’s straight back to helping me learn.
“I was given a manual for a Ki Body technique, but I’ve yet to study it. When you’ve some time, shall we go through it together?”
“Of course, and I’ll contact the author of your Ki Blast technique after I greet Lord Xuan Wu.”
“Xuan Wu’s already been in touch with Master Tang, but he’ll be a little while. While I await his arrival, Xuan Wu seems intent on forging my martial arts and Ki Body.”
Cyrus smiled at her familiar use of his name. “He’s already got you disregarding his title. Why am I not surprised about that?”
“I’m a reprobate.”
He snorted and shook his head. “I got the feeling from court mutterings that you are up to something far exceeding any official’s expectations.”
I take it Xuan Wu reported my offer about aligning a planet.
“The servant is hurrying back this way to invite you to talk to Xuan Wu. I’ll fill you in on the details tomorrow after you speak with him,” Amdirlain winked and vanished to her bedroom.
Withdrawing the shadow vines into their bracelet form, she slipped into bed beside Sarah, planning to resume studying.
Sarah briefly opened an eye. “You know that disturbing sleeping dragons gets people eaten.”
“Later.”
With a sleepy chuckle, Sarah wiggled closer and wrapped an arm around Amdirlain’s hips; smiling down at her wife, she trailed light caresses across exposed skin and drew contented sighs.