Luthando

[Crack]!

‘’Explain yourself quickly before I decide to kill you,’’ Luyolo says with a {Death Stare} at me as he steps onto the pavilion Noluvuyo had set up.

I flinch reflectively as it slaps across my face in physical insult, I grit my teeth mana flowing through me and my surroundings to encompass all around me in a Mana Domain but everyone ignores the threat I pose. Luyolo walks through the silk bathing curtains dripping blood-

[Trrggaa]!

A wallop cracks across my face as he comes out the other side his {Death Stare} knocking my head to the side like a strap in it's intensity.

This shit! I calm myself down... I calm myself down... I calm myself down-

‘’I’m listening!’’ his voice cuts with its force showing himself to be in the 2nd stage of Initial Element at the very least.

‘’What do you want?!’’ I force myself to calm, my voice clipped as I take the insults and the packing order starts to align itself with the others looking on with various eyes of glee, pity, disgust and impatience at me. They think me a coward, something wholly unheard of having survived this long in the Nguni Clan of the Bantu-jin. I’m not a coward though, I’m a survivor, and they just don’t fully understand the advantage they have with chi over mana.

‘’I lost a Faceless out there and you knew all along that these weapons had hidden Techniques and told no one. Do you know what Uncle will do to me for losing one of his precious Faceless? To mortals of all things!’’ His words have intent and thus cut into my flesh splattering blood on the curtains behind me despite my domain bellowing about me. I take it, growling, unable to keep the hate from my eyes.

The fucker is blaming me for his mistakes.

Tchs, ‘’such cheek,’’ [BAMM!]

I block his punch, the foundation of the platform digging into the ground as the pavilion digs deeper into the ground. I uncross my arms covering my face as he tchs again and saunters to the refreshments one of the Faceless is already pouring and handing to him. ‘’You made me look incompetent and I will have redress from you cousin.’’

‘’Don’t think you will have him to yourself he tried to undercut us all claiming all these implements for himself.’’ Noluntu says holding one of the living weapons curiously studying it. ‘’Did you think to rob us of these tools Cousin Luthando? Mhm, cousin, think we are stupid?’’

‘’Now now Luyolo do not be quick to attack, it was your sloppy technique and brash behaviour that got you that injury. Do not be mean just because you were embarrassed, and Noluntu surely you can be magnanimous enough to see how desperately little L’Thando needs every gem he can get.’’ Noluvuyo says casually waving her arm at me as if to say ‘just look at how pathetic he is.’ ‘’He’s in dire need of resources if he is to survive to the next century.’’ Turning to me, ‘’but cousin L’Thando we cannot have you keeping things from us again.’’

My eardrums pop at her words, quickly rejuvinating and popping again until her own intent is past. The blood flows from my ears but I pay it no mind watching the vultures circling with my own impotent anger turning into careful consideration as I realise they might actually kill me here. My mana domain licks at the edges of their silhouettes but doesn’t impede or penetrate their persons in any way.

And that’s the crux between mana and chi; though mana is a very useful, versatile, powerful tool it cannot interact with chi directly. Mana is a form of energy found in the living, chi is a form of essence whether it be the essence of something or a concept or a Law. Foreign energy they can easily keep away from themselves but I can’t say the same about keeping away their chi from myself.

I cast a translucent Mana Barrier about myself but I stumble a step back as a intent driven stare slaps into me regardless of the barrier. ‘’Do I need to really hurt you to get you talking, cousin?’’ the question is asks with a lowering voice and I’m at a precipice of how they will threat me from this moment onwards if I survive this encounter.

Fuck it! I launch myself at Luyolo fully amplifying with Manna Body, he disappears from all my senses with a movement Technique and I block a kick with my arms that has me skidding away from where he was. I flip and stand only for a sandaled foot to drive me into the tiled floor, all air is expulsed from me with my tongue and eyes spit out along with saliva as I’m stomped. I sweep my feet around regardless missing his leg but coming to my feet in a twist-

[BAM]! I'm broken but mend at a visible rate pushing Manna Body hard.

I rolling away and come up in a defensive stance reflectively casting a Manna Pulse that blows the furnishings away bellowing the curtains but doing nothing to any of my cousins. Not even the Faceless flinch as my ability goes impotently around them, no one attacks and I look around taking a hot breath. Luvuyo grins at me, ‘’at least there’s some spine in you.’’

I say nothing, fixing my clothing burning away my blood with motes of manna trying to calm myself down and not show how shaken I am from the encounter. ‘’I did not know about the techniques in the weapons, I wanted them because they seemed to be scalable in nature. I thought I could sell them to some of the merchants that trade with the lands outside Valeré, I hear such things are valuable there, far beyond what they are at home.’’ I explain myself whilst they give me the chance.

Voice steady, keeping eye contact even as I'm internally shaken by how vulnerable I am here. I have no Core, I can’t cultivate chi and I can’t hurt cultivators with Manna alone. Not yet anyways...

‘’What will you buy with gems that you can’t get at home from the family?’’ Noluvuyo asks curiously.

‘’As you said yesterday; we aren’t the most talented in the family and me least of all. No one will waste precious resources on a cripple so I’ve been accumulating my own resources," I say explaining myself to those that should be my equals as a subordinate would. I am disgusted with myself for my weakness.

Luyolo doesn’t seem convince nor really interested in my excuses. None of them seem interested really... was this a test?

‘’Tchn, I will find something to occupy myself with,’’ he looks at the scare running from his neck down his wrist. ‘’You still owe me cousin.’’ And with those words Luyolo is gone.

‘’We divide the loot the way we said we’d divide it but from here on out everything else is mine.’’

‘’What?!’’ I exclaim

‘’That’s not fair,’’ Noluntu says but Noluvuyo silences all with an upheld hand.

‘’Do not forget we've already decided everything here is mine and I’m just letting you have your fun. If you don’t like it go to your own areas and see if you can find something of value. Ahh, reinforcements and builders have been sent, excellent. Shall we return to the Portal Gate and ensure they start building the outpost properly, I appreciate all your presence here but I’m sure you are eager to explore your own regions.’’ Noluvuyo says closing the discussion.

*

Nyye

‘’Alright we can all stop,’’ I’ve concealed everyone from the following onlookers making it appear as though we crossed the land boundary and disappeared.

The slaves slump onto the floor as I stop pulling them along, having set a pace none could have kept without help. Two of Sachihiro’s retations fuss over 2 children in the group of 20 I managed to purchase from the Alderman, what to do with all these people now?

I approach the people I have an interest in ignoring all the rest and study them as they tense up but otherwise keep their eyes down and away from me. ‘’I will not hurt you,’’ I say seeing their beaten down states and the collars still around their necks. With a minor effort of will all the collars click open and the shocked former slaves find themselves free from the compulsive commands previously given to them.

‘’I won’t hurt any of you,’’ I say to the scared and shocked people around me. They flinch and cower as I walk amongst them, scared of me for being a slave owner and scared of me for the abilities I’ve shown by being able to get them here as fast as I have. I see a few who’s first instinct is to immediately go on the attack but all are tired and its easy to see that I’m not.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

‘’That is the border of these lands,’’ I say pointing at the wall of colours cascading all the way to the sky in the distance. ‘’If you walk through that aurora you will be out of the Foothills but I don’t know what is on the other side, so make your own choices as to what you will do.’’ I say to all of them then leave them be for a little while.

I disappear from the vicinity of their perceptions walking back the way we’ve come until I eventually reach the Sotho scouts following as discretely as they can. ‘’I do not appreciate being followed,’’ I say wrenching all of them out of concealment with a Pull.

They gawk at me with only one running away whilst another 2 immediately chuck spears at me, catching both spears one after another in psi I reorient them and chuck them back. Both spear throwers die from wholes where their hearts used to be with the spears disappearing far in the distance having gone through them.

‘’I do not appreciate being followed,’’ I say again and the rest scatter in various directions and soon enough I am again alone as I perceive them hiding or running away back to their elders. Good enough at least, I head back to the formerly collared people I bought and am encouraged to discover that they’ve organised themselves into something resembling order.

I stand before them; their leader or chosen spokesperson shuffles forward hesitatingly before holding her head high and even holding my eye with hers for a moment. ‘’We would like to leave this place as soon as we are able, our people will reward you for releasing us from these savages if you escort us home,’’ she says quickly looking away. This one probably used to be wealthy or a noble of some sort I surmise from her whole demeanour.

I assess all of them at a glance to try and gauge their continence; I’m surprised none of them ran when I left them alone here uncollared. They watch the callaoscope of colours of the strange aurora marking the boundary of this land's borders with obvious unease, and more than a healthy dose of mistrust on all their faces.

‘’Honestly speaking I have absolutely no idea what awaits anyone on the other side of that membrane either but I will not be taking responsibility for any of you. From here on out each of you are on your own so make whatever decisions you make but don’t make them think you have me to lean on.’’ Grumbling immediately starts up at my words as I walk away from everyone. Some of the children huddling about together whilst others are adopted or rejected by groups.

The chaos starts not long after with a few setting off on their own after grabbing a tool or implement that can be used as a weapon. I watch groups form and dissolve to reform again and soon enough there are only two small groups of people remaining with everyone else having gone towards the border. I go to them and prompt them with a nod, ‘’and you?’’

There are a dozen of them remaining, Sachihiro’s family amongst them. The albino with red eyes stems forward, her face and pale body riddled with scares with only rags serving as clothes around her torso. ‘’Who are you?’’

I nod, ‘’I am The End is Nyye of the Order, born in Morondo, a city in the Wild Woods very far from here.’’

‘’I am Shea van Damage, I was from here but born very far away... Who are you, why did you free us?’’ she asks pushing on despite whatever horrors are threatening to surface in her mind.

‘’First, tell me what you intend to do then we will discuss my reasons.’’

She turns and talks to the others silently through sending I assume, it interesting that they know how to do that. I leave then be to follow those that chose to leave, giving each of them a staff to carry then watching carefully what happens when someone crosses the barier. I don't get much out of the observation and head back towards my dozen former slaves.

Shea is back to me and introduces me to everyone else, we sit and a fire is made to ward away listeners and eyes. They also use it to put some animal on a spit and roast it, I learn that they are all staying for various reasons. But Sachihiro’s family are staying because their children are still here in these lands somewhere and they intend to find them.

‘’So how did they take you to begin with?’’ I ask pointedly, ‘’I saw that house, its a fortress and you alone are tier 2 aren’t you?’’ I ask the albino woman looking after the redheaded women who seems to be mostly out of it still. The other woman, a tall stern looking woman with dusk skin takes care 4 children now, 2 that aren’t her own, unwise.

‘’Isis went into labour, it was difficult and during the birth Saya went into labour as well. I didn’t suspect anything, I thought we were safe home...

‘’The children were outside with their uncles; they were a distraction in the house. I don’t know what happened outside but Toura rushed in to say we were under attack, I thought he was crazy but...’’ she sighs.

‘’Eldritch and Brian held them off for some time but there were just too many of them, by the time Saya had delivered they had the kids and there was nothing we could do. We gave the newborns to Toura and tried to get the kids back, as you can see it didn’t go well.’’

‘’I heard you killed something like 14 of them on your own,’’ one of the others remaining former slaves says from where he huddles close to the fire. ‘’It’s why they kept cutting you in the pens, I heard taking you lot cost a lot of men. That’s why I’m staying if you stay,’’ he says shmeleslly. How is he the only surviving male anyways?

‘’It doesn’t matter how many we killed now, all that matters to us is getting our children back.’’

‘’All that matters to me is killing as many of those motherfuckers as I can,’’ the man says sourly.

‘’My mother,’’ a young girls says in a squeaky shaky voice, ‘’they have mother.’’

‘’Alright then, we’ve told you who we are and what our plans are. Now End is Nyye, tell us what you really want.’’ The albino says now with a deeper male voice and stature, interesting metamorphosis.

I look at those piercing red eyes and all the other eyes staring at me as they eat hungrily with grease dripping between sticky fingers. ‘’I came looking for Sachihiro, this is where I was directed by my contacts.’’

‘’Who is Sachihiro to you?’’ the one named Isis asks pointedly.

‘’That is for him and I to discuss but I assure you I mean him no harm, do you know where I can find him?’’

‘’No, but sticking with us will more likely get you to him than leaving us here to look for my siblings alone,’’ the redhead finally says coherent words. Though her eyes are still droopy she seems to be coming back to conscious sanity.

‘’Unfortunately things have changed and my priorities with them. I came to your father looking for someone to pass my legacy to but these strange happenings compel me to go home. I just didn’t want to leave a prospective student’s family in the situation I found here but I won’t get involved in your affairs more than I must.’’

‘’But you must, you can’t-‘’ the redhead shutsup the man by unleashing a bloodthirsty aura that licks around my own ineffectively. We look at each other, some of the others shivering in fear or their own fighting emotions as their aura’s instinctively come forth to compete the redhead’s, Saya.

‘’What legacy did you want to give to da?’’ she asks with slited eyes, again at the precipice of her previous madness.

How would this girl ever understand the burden of responsibility I carry, the knowledge that the style of swordmaship I have developed to my current height will die with me without a worthy successor to leave it to. ‘’I have said enough, I will leave you provisions and my protection for another night. On the morrow we go our separate ways until fate allows our paths to again cross.’’

I swerve and swerve around the madwoman suddenly attacking with a bloodcurling scream piercing the air. I don’t see where she gets the dagger but I grab her, twisting her wrists to the edge of breaking, the imbecile sacrifices the wrist to get a hold on me trying to bite into my neck. I swing her over my shoulder under my armpit and send her flying into a heap against the albino.

She shoots at me again without hesitating, her form is sloppy but there is controlled power in all her movements. She punches, kicks, sends her aura out to try and suppress me, even some chakra releases are unleashed as I swat her appendages aside. She gets faster and more savage as she continues to attack me, her face in a constant snarl as she loses more and more fluidity of movement for speed and ferocity.

‘’You need to learn some manners,’’ I say then step into her with a downward chop of my hand to her skull.

BAM. She stumbles a step.

BAM, I hit her again, WAM! Then kick her through the grass to skid on the grass before getting up and rushing me again but the albino stands in her way. They hiss at each other, the redhead visibly shaking before being engulfed in the albino man’s arms and they start crying together. The children join and its a whole mess of tears and hugging for a good 10 minutes whilst I watch on, I doubt I’ll fully ever understand humans.

‘’Sachi isn’t here and judging by that thing,’’ Isis points at the border aurora, ‘’probably won’t be here in a long time. Whatever legacy you planned to give to him maybe you can pass on to one of his children before you leave. Please, we need all the help we can get.’’ She says, the desperation written plan on her body, ‘’please sir.’’

‘’Alright, I’ll take these two with me. If they are worthy of what I have to give that’s great, if not I leave them in the first Conclave establishment I can find, in Tiba or in Morondo, is that acceptable?’’ I say to her looking at the two children hiding behind their mother’s skirts whilst holding little daggers like they know how to use them.

The dusk skinned woman pulls the children to herself and whispers to them before pulling them to the redhead and albino. The redhead calms down and starts crying again whilst she keeps mumbling how sorry she is to the albino man with weeping wounds on his body. I let them be, concentrating on the others the surroundings then the border wall of colour going into the sky.

It gets late and eventually 4 children instead of the 2 I requested are brought to me. ‘’This here is Lysandra, Kira, Alex and Brian.’’ She says pointing out each of the children to me, they bear scares of their brief time in slavery but they bear them well for human children. ‘’Lysa baby, Kira. This man is End is Nyye, he’s a friend of your da’s. Tomorrow he’s gonna take you away with him and he’s gonna teach you... What is this legacy that you have for my husband by the way?’’

‘’I will teach them how to kill,’’ she looks at me askew but looks back the scared children she is trying to comfort.

‘’He will teach many things my babies, mama will just take some of his blood to make sure we can always find him.’’ The woman Isis says then looks at me in the eye, ‘’and with his blood will make sure he can never get away if something bad happens to you.’’

‘’What are you gonna do ma?’’ Lysandra asks fearfully.

‘’Us?’’ She looks at the small group huddled around the fire looking at the exchange. ‘’We’re gonna find your siblings, and we’re gonna make all the bad men pay for what they’ve done.’’

''Is Saya going to be okay?'' Kira asking looking at her catatonic big sister.

''We are going to find all your other siblings and Saya will be okay again, you remember everything we discussed?'' they both nod their accent. ''Good, stay with the nice man for as long as its safe and I will come find you in no time.''

''You'll bring Morpheous and Orochi and the others?'' Kira asks tears threatening to fall from her big round eyes, Isis nearly breaks down herself as she hugs the kids tightly in a hug.

''Yes, we'll get your brothers and everyone else.''

''Promise?''

''I promise.''