In the eyes of the Empire, Dastan Zhandos and his former retinue were souls doomed to serve out the rest of their lives as slaves, but while he couldn’t speak for his comrades, Dastan saw his Oaths as less punishment and more an affirmation of faith.
For his master, his hero, his friend Falling Rain, was none other than the Mother’s Chosen Son, Her appointed servant who would lead the Azure Empire to victory against the Father’s foul minions.
What better proof than what all of Sinuji just witnessed, for here and now on the cusp of battle, the Mother had finally seen fit to restore Her Champion to fighting form. The term ‘miracle’ was often used far too casually for Dastan’s tastes, but how else could one describe tonight’s series of events? First, Falling Rain engineered an explosion of fiery death the likes of which the Empire had never before seen, so powerful it fooled an Enemy Divinity into taking action against them. Then, it was revealed that there were not one, not two, but three Imperial Divinities here in Sinuji to protect Her Chosen Son, an honour even the Emperor himself was only rarely afforded, though considering how His Imperial Majesty rarely left the safety of His Imperial Palace, His Imperial Dharma Protector was mostly there as a symbolic gesture rather than out of pressing need. And now, just as battle was about to be joined, Falling Rain revealed his recovery to all of Sinuji to raise their morale and remind everyone that no matter what calamity lay before them, the Mother always left a path to salvation.
While all of Sinuji chanted for Gen’s death, Dastan marvelled at the meticulous planning which had gone into this stunning reveal. The conflagration explained why Rain had been so unconcerned by the million-strong army of Defiled marching towards them, for he’d long since set a trap for Gen and his ruinous ilk. As for the trio of Divinities, Dastan attributed it more to fortuitous happenstance than careful planning, though Rain certainly took advantage where he could. To think, the scruffy, unkempt leader of the Protectorate was actually an Ancestral Beast hidden in plain sight, no doubt a secret, staunch ally of the Bekhai considering Guan Suo’s oh-so-talented daughter Sumila was being raised by Lieutenant General Akanai herself. GangShu’s appearance came as no surprise to Dastan, as the Ascendant’s status was an open secret ever since he revealed himself some six or so months ago, when he stepped in to save them from a powerful, Water-Blessed Demon they encountered while out on patrol. As for the Abbot of the Penitent Brotherhood, Dastan assumed such a lofty figure would be a powerful Martial Warrior to be reckoned with, but he hadn’t expected the humble monk to be a human Divinity, the match of any Imperial Dharma Protector or Ancestral Beast and only a half-step away from true mastery of Balance.
To think, this wrinkled, hairless, hunched-back monk could possibly become the first and only ever Ancestral Human in history, an all-powerful being capable of manipulating the raw Energy of the Heavens themselves.
After Rain agreed to become a hostage so the gathered Divinities would feel safe enough to leave, Dastan desperately wanted to tag along as a guard, but he knew his limits. Despite so many weeks of training with his new Domain, he was still a long ways off from matching the likes of Emissary Gen, so he stood back and watched as Rain rode out atop his loyal and ferocious quin Zabu to meet with the heinous, half-Demon villain.
Half-Demon. It sounded so strange to even think it, but such was the Emissary, an unholy amalgamation of flesh and Runic steel and formidable to the extreme, which made Rain’s courage all the more inspiring. Though frail and weak, the Mother’s Chosen Son didn’t flinch before his hated foe, and while there was no way to Listen in on their exchange, it was clear to anyone watching that Rain had gained the upper hand. What a sight to behold, the dangerous and daunting Emissary of Earth’s Fire balking before a gaunt and feeble cripple. Small wonder the coward Gen brought a million-strong army to Sinuji: he was worried anything less would result in failure, and in truth, it might very well have.
Best of all, now Rain was crippled no more. Though still gaunt and feeble in appearance, he exuded grace, poise, and grandeur as he sat atop his quin and narrated his poignant experiences with his hated foe, an emotional tale which filled all who heard it with vim and vigour, though the audience’s reaction did seem a tad overdone. Dastan figured it was because the soldiers of Sinuji recognized that they needed a boost to morale and seized upon Rain’s heartfelt, but rather uninspired tale. It seemed strange to know that the public face of the Enemy, this Emissary Gen, had betrayed humanity so easily, a weak-willed craven cur who’d grown into the fearsome Defiled Champion he was today.
Thankfully, the Empire had Falling Rain to depend upon once more, so all would be well.
Marching to Rain’s side, Dastan stood at full attention and saluted, while the rest of his comrades followed suit. “It will be an honour to fight at your side again,” he said, trembling with emotion and anticipation. “Your presence on the battlefield has been sorely missed.”
Expecting a quiet smile and a snarky quip, Dastan’s grin melted away as Rain raised an eyebrow and uttered, “Say what now?” Unsure how to proceed, Dastan simply repeated his statement verbatim and prayed this was all one of Rain’s strange jokes. Unfortunately, the eyebrow remained raised as he said, “Uh... Sorry, but... not sure how you haven’t noticed, but I’ve been crippled for many months now. Can’t really fight by your side today.” Leaning over to peer into Dastan’s eyes, he asked, “Are you feeling okay, Dastan? Did... Did Gen work some sort of mind magic or something? Can you tell me today’s date?”
“Leave him be boy.” Though the gruff woman came to his defence, Dastan didn’t appreciate Ghurda’s tone or how roughly she handled Rain, all but dragging him back into an upright position. “Be straight with me now,” she said, peering suspiciously at the Mother’s Chosen Son, still towering over his mounted form despite standing on two feet. “How long’ve you been better and why’ve you been keepin’ it secret?”
“What in the fu–” Clearing his throat over the sound of Ghurda’s chest-shaking growl, Rain smoothed out his sleeves and said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about Ghurda. What do you mean better? I guess I get a little better every day, but it’s hardly worth reporting. Woo-hoo, I can walk around without feeling like I’m gonna die. I’d hardly call that a secret.”
“...Yer serious.” It wasn’t so much a question as it was a statement, though Ghurda herself barely sounded like she believed it. “Mother in Heaven, yer dead serious. Ye didn’t know. Ye still don’t.”
“And I’d be much obliged if you’d clue me in.”
“Are ye daft, boy?” As much as Dastan respected Rain, he couldn’t help but wonder the same as Ghurda wildly gestured around them. “Ye hear that? All of Sinuji be cheerin’ fer yer speech.”
“Yea... so?” Still clueless and confused, Rain glanced at Dastan and raised his eyebrow ever so slightly to subtly ask if he was the only one who didn’t understand, but Dastan was too shocked to respond.
“This don’t strike you as odd?” Ghurda asked, her voice strained and frustration mounting. “How’d they all hear you good enough to cheer fer ye?”
“They’re soldiers, Ghurda,” Rain replied, with all the patience of a man speaking with a beloved fool. “If one starts cheering about killing Defiled, the rest will join in.”
“Oh Mother in Heaven, grant yer child the patience and restraint required not to smother this idiot before me.” Taking a deep breath after her muttered prayer, Ghurda exhaled slowly before taking Rain by both shoulders and leaning over to look him straight in the eyes. “You. Infuriating. Boy. Did ye not feel it? Yer story, soon as ye started telling it, ye began projecting it fer all of Sinuji to hear. It wasn’t Speaking, but something different, like ye were Sending to every living being around you while speaking in a normal tone.” Straightening up, the hulking half-bear added, “Ye were using Chi, boy. In more ways than one.”
Ever the skeptic, Rain glanced around again for confirmation and found every soldier in earshot nodding to corroborate Ghurda’s explanation. “Your words,” Song said, chiming in to convince Rain. “They were laced with... emotion, and I... I believe I felt what you felt as you told your tale. Your melancholy and disdain, your rage and sorrow...” After a brief pause, she added, “Your love and affection.”
Reeling back as if physically struck, Rain blinked repeatedly and said nothing, which Lieutenant Masahige took as permission to say his piece. “Fuck Watanabe,” he said, quivering from head to toe with fear and excitement. “If you’ve truly recovered, then you need to leave now before he acts. I don’t know what he’s planning, but I know it won’t end well for you or yours, and I will no longer be a part of it.” Spinning about on his heel, he drew his sword and held it to the neck of the man behind him, his arm shaking all the while. “This one is Watanabe’s mouthpiece. I suggest we kill him before he Sends word.”
“Too late now.” None too gently grabbing onto Masahige’s sword hand, Ghurda forcibly lowered the idiot man’s weapon for him. “When it comes to Sending, it don’t take more than a thought, so if you mean to stop one, best to act first and act fast.” Shaking her head, she added, “Besides, we ain’t runnin’, and he’s free to tell the Lieutenant Colonel as much. Be a warm winter in the mountains before Old Ghurda abandons her military post, that it will.”
“I’m recovered?” Still lost in the throes of confusion and denial, Rain barely batted an eye even though Masahige almost started a rebellion in his name, or at the very least meant to violate no less than a half-dozen major military laws. “Since when? How?” Closing his eyes, he reached for Balance and... winced. “Nope. Still hurts when I reach for Balance.” Staring at his empty hands, he frowned and shook his head after a moment’s study. “No Aura, no Reinforcement, no Lightening.” Biting his finger, he watched the blood well up for long seconds before adding, “No Healing either. In what way am I fixed?”
“Perhaps not entirely recovered, but I might have some insight to offer regarding your earlier performance.” Striding over without acknowledging the salutes offered to him, Colonel General Nian Zu cleared his throat and said, “I’ve encountered two similar such times when I was moved to emotion through sound. The second time was during Imperial Consort Zheng Luo’s musical performance, wherein she used her zither to evoke an emotional, almost supernatural response from her audience. Not entirely unheard of, and not entirely understood either, but most scholars attribute it to a sort of harmony between the arts and Balance, a means of drawing out one’s innermost emotions in order to cleanse them from the self and cast them to the Void. Music is not the only art known to do so, but also poetry, dance, calligraphy, sculpting.” Giving Rain a pointed look, he added, “Oration.”
“What about the first time? You said you experienced it twice.” Rain asked, never one to be happy with vague answers lacking in substance. Besides, he’d already vocally admitted how he’d been unable to appreciate the finer points of his Consort’s concerts, a difficulty Dastan shared, but Rustram, Bulat, and even Sumila swore the music had helped Condense their Auras, though they lacked the words to explain it.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Lang Yi had also been present at that momentous concert and Condensed his Aura, but he only spoke about the experience once. Rather than give credit to Consort Zheng Luo, he said he owed his new Aura to his dear departed wife, though he refused to elaborate on how or why, only offering a sad, but hopeful smile as he gazed off into the distance. Having long since Condensed his own Aura, Dastan didn’t press the taciturn man for answers, but now he wished he had, if only to help uncover the mystery of Rain’s recovery.
Despite having been put on the spot, Nian Zu remained silent for long seconds before putting up a Sound Barrier to make their conversation private, though Dastan, Song, and Ghurda were all included within it. By design, no doubt, since Kuang Biao had been excluded and if Nian Zu only wanted Rain to hear, then he could’ve simply Sent the answer. “The first time I experienced such an event,” Nian Zu said, watching Rain carefully for his reaction, “Was during the Imperial Grand Conference’s opening ceremony, when the Legate addressed the crowd and instilled every man, woman, and child in Nan Ping with a burning sense of loyalty and warm affection for the Empire.”
“Ah right. His rousing speech.” Lowering his head in thought, Rain added, “I remember it well. I didn’t feel anything strange personally, but I saw that there was something off about everyone else’s reaction. No wait, not everyone’s.” Amber eyes landing on Dastan, Rain cocked his head and said, “You weren’t affected. Same with Sahb, Ulfsaar, Neera, and Wang Bao. I didn’t see anyone else, but I distinctly remember the five of you, and thought it was because of... our shared experiences.”
Six unaffected parties, all of whom formed Natal Souls after almost turning Defiled. A coincidence? Most likely. In truth, there were probably many unaffected by the Legate’s speech, but at the time, only Rain’s elites had been around him, waiting to be called onto the floating platform to present their gifts, and the five named were amongst his strongest soldiers. Answering the unasked question, Dastan shrugged and said, “I wasn’t much impressed by the Legate’s speech either. Just another snake of a politician pretending to care about the people while exploiting them for all they were worth.”
“Cynical, but not necessarily wrong.” Turning to Nian Zu, Rain said, “I figured it was the Legate’s Talent, but it could just be a secret Imperial skill they don’t teach to outsiders. Wouldn’t want any charismatic individuals using Oration to turn loyal citizens against the admirable and distinguished Imperial Clan.”
With a snarl so savage even Rain’s vicious quin flinched in fear, Ghurda gripped her battleaxe tight until her knuckles cracked and popped. “Which means they won’t be too pleased when they hear about what happened here today.” Patting Rain’s cheek with a long, drawn out sigh, she added, “I’ll say this much boy: ye make life interesting.”
“Sorry.” Looking contrite for all of a second, Rain took a deep breath and said, “Look, this is a problem for the future. Let future us handle the Imperial Clan. For now, let’s focus less on ‘what’ I just did, and instead discuss the ‘how’.” Glancing around from face to face, he asked, “Does anyone have any theories on how I was able to use Chi?”
“You ask us, but who are we to ask?” Nian Zu’s incredulous response spoke for all parties involved, which was good because Dastan wasn’t sure he could’ve phrased it any better. If Rain didn’t know how he used Chi, how was anyone else supposed to know?
Then again... perhaps Dastan did have an explanation, or at least the beginnings of one. A half-year ago, Dastan would’ve been completely lost, but after Developing his Domain, he finally had a grasp of the inner workings of the Martial Path, albeit one he cobbled together mostly on his own without guidance from a Mentor. Even better, in the last few weeks, Rain, the Abbot, Monk Happy, and oddly enough, Jorani would often question Dastan and his comrades on their unique Martial Path, and by answering their questions, he came to understand so much more about the steps he’d taken and what direction to go from here.
Add to this how Dastan forged his Martial Path based on Rain’s advice, he was probably the person most qualified to help Rain solve the mystery of his recovery.
When faced with a conundrum he couldn’t solve, Uncle Diyako said it was always best to start with what you knew. There were only two irrefutable facts laid out before them. One, Rain unconsciously used some sort of speech skill to share his emotions whilst telling his heartfelt tale, and two, that his Core was still shattered, as evidenced by how he was unable to wilfully and knowingly use Chi. Put together, this meant one of two things. Either Rain unintentionally Ascended to Divinity and manipulated the raw, unfiltered Energy of the Heavens, or he discovered a workaround to convert Heavenly Energy into Chi without the use of his Core. Given what Dastan knew of Rain’s Path and the fact that his body was still in such a fragile state, the first option was so improbable it could be discarded out of hand, leaving only the second option on the table.
It was common knowledge that Martial Warriors drew the Energy of the Heavens into their Cores, converted it to Chi, and stored it for later use, but evidently, Rain had discovered some way to bypass the need for a Core and spontaneously convert Chi as needed. This explained why he couldn’t consciously use his Chi, because he had no Chi to use since his shattered Core couldn’t hold any, but even a sieve would hold water for a precious few moments, so if one moved quickly enough, they might wet their lips.
Now Dastan knew the ‘what’, but the question to focus on was ‘how’. So how did he do it? How did he bypass the need for a Core to turn Heavenly Energy into Chi? To answer this, one had to consider the question: how does one’s Core turn Heavenly Energy into Chi?
Only now did Dastan realize he’d muttered this last part out loud. “Emotion,” Rain said, supplying the answer with a shrug which indicated he wasn’t entirely certain. “You take Heavenly Energy in and brand it for your own use through emotion, hence the need for Balance. In essence, it’s a little like binding a Spiritual Weapon, except in this case, the vessel is Heavenly Energy and the binding doesn’t last outside your Core. It’s also why Aura is so easy to use once Condensed, because despite technically being an external usage of Chi, it’s intrinsically tied to the user’s emotion, which allows Aura to persist where other external Chi-workings would unravel into Heavenly Energy.”
After long seconds of silence, Nian Zu and Ghurda both reluctantly agreed, each one offering the slightest of nods without explaining further. Clearly they were worried their own bias might influence Rain and Song’s Martial Path, so they refrained from adding to the explanation, but for some strange reason, Song appeared dismayed by so simple an answer. It made perfect sense to Dastan however, and explained why Martial Warriors felt the warm embrace of the Mother every time they settled down to meditate. The Mother loved all Her children, and Balance was her way of showing it, and by reciprocating Her love, Her children would grow in strength. “That’s it!” Dastan exclaimed, almost giddy with excitement. “I think I figured it out!”
“Please share.”
“Your tale,” Dastan said, ignoring Rain’s skeptical expression. “Don’t you see? You began telling us how you met Gen, but half-way through it turned into the tale of Falling Rain and Qing-Qing. In this heartfelt rendition of events, you relived your past and expressed your regrets, sharing your true self not just with Sinuji, but with the world at large, so it’s obvious what happened.” Seeing the blank stares directed towards him, Dastan’s frustrations grew and he blurted, “One with the Self, and One with the World. Understand?” Knowing he wasn’t making much sense, he stopped to organize his thoughts before continuing. “What is a Domain? It’s just a Core outside the Core, a portion of Heaven in the physical world entrusted to the Martial Warrior for their own use. Even when used externally, Chi will remain Chi so long as it remains within one’s Domain, and the process of Developing a Domain is to become One with the World, which you did while telling your story because you became one with the Self. You wanted all of Sinuji to know about Gen and Qing Qing, and you made it happen, because while Chi is bound through emotion, it is utilized through Intent.”
Exchanging a confused look with Ghurda, the Living Legend Nian Zu asked, “Do you understand any of the boy’s ramblings?”
“Maybe half,” Ghurda replied with a shake of her head. “But it ain’t a half which makes much sense. He ain’t wrong about Intent, but the first thing I did when the boy started spouting off was check him for an active Domain, but I didn’t sense a thing. Also, what in the Heavens is One with the Self?”
Oh right... One with the Self was a part of Dastan’s personal Path, one unique to himself, Sahb, BoShui, and possibly Rain, though the latter never actually confirmed it. Still unconvinced, Rain shook his head and sighed. “You might be on the right track, and I even theorized this might be possible, but... I don’t think that’s what happened here, for several reasons. Not just because Ghurda says she didn’t sense a Domain, but also because there’s a certain aspect regarding my Martial Path you’re all unaware of, being that... well... I didn’t Develop my Domain by becoming One with the World. I kinda... sorta... disassociated myself from the World, to put it politely.”
What?
Faced with their incredulous stares, Rain deflated and reluctantly explained, “The World was getting in my way, so I told it to fuck off and leave me alone. It worked. For a bit. Sorta. Maybe. I think. I dunno. I only had like a minute to play with my Domain after I was crippled, and I don’t remember any of the more impressive parts.”
Exchanging a helpless look with Ghurda and Nian Zu, Dastan’s spirits sank as they shook their heads, but at least he could feel better knowing these two Peak Expert were equally lost with regards to understanding Rain’s unique Path.
After a long, awkward pause, Song spoke for the first time this meeting. “The gourd,” she said, without further explanation.
And none was needed as Rain’s eyes lit up in comprehension. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of it sooner? Thank you Song, you’re brilliant. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Bristling with irrational jealousy, Dastan did his best not to glare at the half-cat or let his feelings show as he tried to follow along, but he wasn’t the only one confused by their exchange. “Well?” Ghurda asked, while Nian Zu displayed a similar level of indignant impatience. “Ye gonna explain or am I gonna need to wring it out of ye?”
“The gourd I drank, like a week or two ago. I don’t remember.” Obviously flustered, Rain rambled out an explanation which made little to no sense. “See, I thought it was Chi-Water, like, water bound by Chi. Chi Tea, get it? But the Abbot has this whole thing about simplification and lack of labels and such, so he thought the Chi Tea was Heavenly Water by another name, and was convinced it would fix me if I drank it. I did and nothing happened, then I threw a tantrum about the waste, but now we know it did work, except it needed time, and now I owe him another apology. The Chi Tea must have cleansed all the Spectres inside me and left me a cache of Heavenly Energy to use, which is how I did the whole... Oration thing just now.” The blood draining from his face, Rain grabbed his hair with both hands and whimpered quietly. “Andddd not only did I just waste a metric shit-tonne of precious Heavenly Energy giving a speech, I also gave my last two gourds to GangShu and Guan Suo.” Leaning over to bury his face in his mount’s back, Rain’s incoherent screams were muffled by the beast’s thick fur, but to Dastan’s ears, it sounded suspiciously like an endless repetition of, “Fuck my life.”
Longer and more drawn out of course, but given the circumstances, Dastan understood the sentiment.
“...What Spectres?” Nian Zu asked, and everyone looked away, Dastan included. Some secrets were not his to tell, and Rain was too immersed in self-pity to respond. “What Heavenly Energy? Someone explain.”
Luckily, Dastan was neither Oath-Sworn to the Living Legend or technically a soldier anymore, so he held his tongue and stared at his boots while Ghurda waved aside Nian Zu’s questions and watched Rain knock his head against Zabu’s back. After long seconds of awkward silence, Song moved to Rain’s side and offered him an awkward pat of the back before slipping a handkerchief between the quin and his face. “Take care not to injure yourself,” she said, and Rain froze in place, his lamentations falling silent in an instant.
“...Holy shit, this doesn’t hurt.” Sitting up with a look of surprise, Rain patted his oily, but unmarked face and squinted at his hands. “There’s no blood,” he said. “Am I bleeding?”
Still staring at his boots, Dastan worried that the boss might’ve snapped from this latest revelation. Dead pan as always, Song gave him a thorough inspection before stating, “No, you are not bleeding.”
“I’m not bleeding.” Surprised by the delight in Rain’s voice, Dastan looked up to see him beaming from ear to ear. “I’m not bleeding,” Rain repeated, before emitting a girlish squeal of glee and leaning back down to hug his quin’s torso. “I’m not bleeding,” he said a third time, rubbing his cheek against his mount’s dense fur while the creature squeaked in displeasure. “Shaddup Zabu, I need this. I’m not bleeding, I’m not bleeding.” The last was delivered in a sing-song voice, and after squeezing his quin one last time, Rain sat up and said, “Okay. Let’s get the battle over and done with so I can go back and hug the shit out of my pets.”
Unsure how to respond, Dastan simply saluted and hurried back to his place on the wall while simultaneously trying to purge his memory of the last few minutes. It’s not that he begrudged Falling Rain for his love of his animal, but there was something unsettling about the intense fervour he approached it with, almost with the same zealous passion the Shrike had for the Purge. Still, there were two facts no one could deny. One, Rain’s skin had toughened to the point where mere hair couldn’t pierce it, and two, he was progressing towards a full recovery, perhaps much sooner than the many decades most expected.
Still... Even if his rehabilitation was slated for a matter of hours, Dastan wasn’t sure if it would make a difference. Staring out at the massive Defiled army, he watched them move into formation to attack with a sinking stomach, for gathering directly across from him were no less than a dozen unnatural and formidable Demons led by none other than the giant, Water-Blessed behemoth which they met out on patrol.
Only this time, there was no Divinity to save them from the menacing Demon Rain had almost fondly dubbed, ‘Pudge’.
And with that thought, the Defiled let loose with an ear-shattering roar of challenge before setting the earth to shaking beneath their boots in their headlong charge towards Sinuji. Such was life, trials and tribulations without end, but the Mother always left a path to salvation, and Dastan was determined to find it today.
...In hindsight, perhaps his path to salvation would’ve been to swallow his pride and accept Ghurda’s earlier orders to fall back.
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