Though stubborn as a mule and arrogant to a fault, Baatar had no choice but to face the cold hard facts and admit he was utterly incapable as a Mentor.
Given the massive host of issues plaguing his beloved son and Disciple, this meant the sheer magnitude of Baatar’s own failings were staggering beyond belief. After Ghurda told him about their little talk on the outer wall regarding Rain’s twisted and tangled Martial Path, Baatar sat the boy down and did something they should’ve done years ago: they talked. There, inside a borrowed Officer’s tent sitting in the courtyard of Fort Sinuji, Rain explained his views regarding Chi, Insight, Enlightenment, and the Martial Path in painstaking detail while Baatar did his best to comprehend his son’s baffling leaps of logic in an attempt to help him untangle the secrets of his abrupt and mysterious quasi-recovery.
Rain’s tale left Baatar’s mind reeling in confusion, so they tried again the next day to similar results. And again the next day, and the day after that, but then he took a day off to collate his thoughts and come up with a long list of questions and issues requiring clarification. After presenting his list to his son, they went through it item by item, but each answer Rain provided only brought up more questions and concerns. Unable to make heads or tails of it, Baatar shared his thoughts with Mother, Ghurda, Nian Zu, Du Min Gyu, and anyone else who might offer insight on the subject matter, but these great warriors were every bit as lost as he. Never one to give up, Baatar continued pestering them during the trip back to the Citadel, and now that they were here, he called them all to a meeting alongside as many trusted Experts of the People he could find so they could discuss the matter in depth and perhaps come up with a solution for Rain. Baatar even went so far as to invite the boy’s friends and followers to sit in and share their experiences firsthand, most notably Dastan, Sahb, and BoShui for their perspective on Natal Souls and the half-rat Jorani because his Path shared a passing similarity with Rain’s. That said, the aforementioned young talents were left locked behind a Sound Barrier more often than not, mostly to protect them from hearing too much or getting the wrong idea and deviating from the correct Path.
Unless they already had, drawn there by a drunken slip of Rain’s tongue.
Thus far, Baatar’s efforts were entirely without use. After sharing what he could of Rain’s Path, not one of these gathered Experts had any useful advice or information to share, but he could hardly blame them. While each Martial Warrior must forge their own Martial Path, most went about it in a similar fashion, even Warriors who’d never had the benefit of guidance or references to draw upon. Such had it been since time immemorial, but despite arriving at all of the same major milestones in his own meandering way, the Path Rain took to get there was anything but standard, a fact Han BoHai was quick to point out. Eyes wide with disbelief, he scratched his beard and said, “You mean to tell me that Rain, a twenty-year old boy who holds the title of Number One Talent in the Empire and has exhibited enough power to be considered a Peak Expert, Created his Core and took his first step on the Martial Path only seven years ago?” Turning to look at his proud, beaming nephew and Disciple, BoHai sighed and shook his head. “How are his peers supposed to compete? Unrivalled, truly unrivalled.”
“We are not meant to compete with the Mother’s Chosen Son,” BoShui replied, unperturbed by Rain’s accomplishments or his uncle’s dissatisfaction. “For he will lead us to victory against the Enemy.”
As much as Baatar loved his son, he found BoShui’s unwavering faith mildly disconcerting.
“Er, beggin’ yer pardons, Great Ones.” Though of humble tone and crooked posture, Hangman Jorani wasn’t cowed in the presence of so many heroes like young Dastan or the others. Not to say the half-rat was arrogant or pompous either, but he exhibited proper humility and deference without crossing over into boot-licking like young BoShui. Baatar liked this Hangman Jorani quite a bit, because he wasn’t shy about offering his opinion or correcting his superiors during the lengthy discussion. Rubbing his close-cropped hair, Jorani matched Baatar’s gaze and said, “Ye sed the bossman don’t remember much of anything before the age of twelve, right?” The half-rat was one of the few outsiders who knew of Rain’s grim past, but he chose his words carefully so as not to divulge it to the others in the room. “Well, if that’s the case, then couldn’t he have found Balance and Created his Core before... before when he was younger, and then just fergot? Or Created it without knowin’ it?”
“What does it matter?” Nian Zu asked, dismissive of the entire topic. “Whether the boy Created his Core at three or thirteen makes little to no difference.”
Except it did. It made all the difference in the world to those who knew of Rain’s past and origins. Baatar had never considered this possibility before, but it made too much sense to ignore. How else could a malnourished child of twelve survive in those hellish working conditions and the subsequent Lung Rot which killed all the other, healthier, older slaves? Perhaps Rain Created his Core before he was sold as a slave and simply didn’t remember, just like he didn’t remember his life before the mines. It would explain how he learned the Forms so quickly and why the State of Enlightenment came so easily to him, because he had already embarked upon the Martial Path and was only having difficulty finding Balance after his harrowing experience in the mines.
Or worse, as Monk Happy pointed out through Sending what young Jorani had been hinting at, Rain might have forsaken Balance entirely and relied on the Father and his dastardly Spectres to Create his Core.
If this were true, then the boy couldn’t be held accountable for his actions considering the Canston Trading Group had purposely abused him and other slaves like him to manufacture Demons, Defiled, and Anathema. Given how he never truly succumbed to the Father’s whispered lies, Baatar would have liked nothing more than to call it water under the bridge and never mention it again, but the possibility that Rain’s Core was Created with the Father’s aid and guidance could not be ignored. Monk Happy went on to claim that the Penitent Brotherhood had studied the Defiled Martial Path and found it almost identical to the Imperial Martial Path, likening them as two sides of the same coin, but almost identical still meant there were minute differences, and understanding those differences might go a long ways towards solving Rain’s current woes.
Unfortunately, this open discussion was no place to speak of the boy’s meandering Path between Mother and Father, because while Baatar trusted every last person in the room with his life, trust only went so far in a matter of this magnitude. Should word of Rain’s Path reach the wrong ear, the consequences could mean an end to the Empire as they knew it. The Penitent Brotherhood’s theory regarding the Mother and Father was hardly a new one, but it was far from popular for reasons which had nothing to do with logic or fact and everything to do with fear. If it were true and it became known to the world at large that one could become a Martial Warrior with help from the Father while retaining one’s sanity, then Baatar could only imagine how many arrogant, ignorant, or desperate fools would leap in headfirst and succumb to the Father’s whispered lies. While Rain might have found success by siphoning strength and Insight from the Father and His foul minions, not everyone could be as stubborn, wilful, and fortunate as little Rain, able to remain true to himself and withstand the Father’s covetous gaze long enough to develop a Talent and attract an Elemental Spirit to Cleanse himself of Spectres.
Besides, if word got out, the Emperor might just order all of their deaths outright to suppress this information...
“The Colonel General is right,” Yaruq said, her voice filling the empty silence Baatar’s internal musings had left behind. A discerning and intelligent woman, the half-gazelle Bannerman was lying to keep the ignorant few in the room from wondering what Baatar and the People were hiding. “The boy’s first step along the Martial Path is of no consequence, so let us move on.”
“Yes,” Mother said, agreeing a little too quickly as she too noticed the risks, but the Herald of the Storms was no practised liar and it showed. “My Grand-Disciple’s Path only grows more ambiguous and uncertain from there.”
“Ha. An understatement if I’ve ever heard one.” Seemingly amused by Rain’s plight, Du Min Gyu stroked his beard to hide his smile and shook his head with a feigned, drawn out sigh. “I will never understand your People ways, leaving such talented youngsters to flounder without instruction. We all must forge our own Path to the Peak, but what harm is there in letting youngsters learn from history and avoid making the same mistakes? It’s a miracle Rain has gone as far as he has while moving through uncharted territory. Think of how far he might’ve gone with proper guidance.”
Typical Central arrogance, believing their way was the only correct way and speaking while ignorant of the whole truth. “The wolf needs no instruction to learn how to hunt,” Baatar retorted, his tone clipped and curt, “But this does not mean he is left to flounder. He learns from experience, from example, from trial and error, and so too do the People.”
A crotchety and argumentative man, Du Min Gyu countered with, “And how much more efficient would wolves be if they had the intelligence and tools of man? Ancestral Beasts take human form for a reason, and it’s not so they can continue behaving like beasts.” Waving his hands in dismissal, the old fart continued, “Bah. Leave off this talk of Ancestral Beasts and let us focus on the matter at hand.” Of all the nerve, as if he wasn’t the one who brought it up. “All this talk of Natal Souls and a second personality hiding within Rain’s mind, none of it makes any damned sense. How are we to believe that Rain could craft an entirely different persona and fool himself into thinking it was real? This whole concept of split personalities is ridiculous, for it goes above and beyond simple self-delusion. It would be like a man acting in a play while watching himself in the mirror and believing it all to be real. Things would make so much more sense if this Baledagh was actually a different entity altogether, perhaps remnants of a past life or a twinned soul sharing the same body.”
Or a Demonic puppet used to lull the boy into a false sense of security, but Rain had scoffed at the notion and dismissed it out of hand when Baatar brought it up. Apparently, having multiple personalities was an actual medical condition called dissociative identity disorder, though Rain couldn’t recall where he’d read this term which even Taduk was unfamiliar with. Truth be told, Baatar agreed with the old Central fart, though he would never admit it out loud. All this talk of Natal Souls and separate personalities made Baatar’s heart ache and head hurt, for matters of the heart, mind, and soul were all beyond his ken. Even Monk Happy wasn’t certain of the specifics as the monk who came up with the theory had been something of a nonconformist, and although Rain understood what he’d done, he had no idea how he’d done it.
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While young Dastan and BoShui did their best to explain the concept of a Natal Soul once again, Baatar patiently sat through it again in hopes of finally understanding how it worked. Not that it really mattered in the end, because regardless if Baledagh was an actual entity, a figment of the boy’s imagination, or another thing altogether, his mere presence complicated Rain’s Martial Path to the extreme. While the boy believed he produced this Natal Soul after being attacked by the Demon Vivek Daatei’s Dreaming Talent, Rain wasn’t entirely sure after Mother mentioned that he’d exhibited signs of a ‘Baledagh-like’ presence before, namely in how he fought off bandits with a murderous grin during his first trip to Shen Huo. Back then, he’d been a timid and anxious child, one Mother took an interest in because she was bored from sitting around in the village day after day, but Rain’s talents caught her interest as did the potential threat he might pose to the People. Though borne from boredom, her suspicions grew to a point where she pushed him harder than she had any right, most often during their near sadistic spars and her many repeated tests.
Honestly, a woman her age should have known better than to treat a child so roughly, but she was spoiled by little Mila’s sturdy bones. The mind was a fragile thing, and who could say if Rain’s dissociative identity disorder hadn’t been caused by one of the many skull fractures he suffered while under his grand-mentor’s “care”? At the very least, the repeated trauma couldn’t have helped, so it would be a warm winter in the mountains before Baatar left sweet Tali or Tate alone with Mother...
After an hour of debate devoted solely to the existence and viability of Natal Souls, Dastan and BoShui looked ready to collapse in defeat, left to ponder if the truth they perceived was flawed in some way. Say what you will about Du Min Gyu’s arrogance, but it was arrogance well deserved, his every question cutting straight to the heart of the matter and every answer leading to more questions. While the old fart’s curiosity had yet to be sated, Nian Zu’s patience had been worn thin and he made it known with a call of, “Enough. Let us put this topic of Natal Souls aside, as it is too new and unknown to be of much use. Moving on, there’s one facet of Rain’s Martial Path which has always puzzled me, and I’m curious to know if any of you have an answer. During the trials against the Society...”
Ah yes. Rain’s incomprehensible ability to endure an offensive Aura months before Condensing one of his own. Mother was the first to respond, attributing it to her efforts to acclimate the boy to the effects of Aura and build up a resistance, but Baatar felt this was utter nonsense. Keeping your trousers dry and weapon in hand was one thing, but Rain actively fought while under the effects of young Jia Zian’s Aura, and even moved to defend himself when faced with Nian Zu’s, feats which went above and beyond simple ‘resistance’. Luckily, the Living Legend brought up all these points and old fart Du agreed, sparing Baatar the need to pit himself against Mother.
Family they might be, but Baatar still remembered his Mentor’s touchy pride and fiery temper.
“In this monk’s humble opinion,” Monk Happy said, thankfully before Mother could offer a rebuttal, “Junior Brother Rain’s reaction when faced with Aura bears striking similarities to how wild animals might respond. While creatures of nature feel the oppression from a Martial Warrior’s Aura, they rarely freeze in fear like a human would and instead move to fight or flee.”
“Savage the Empire might call him,” Baatar growled, balling his fists in fury, “but my son is no beast.”
“Don’t be a fool,” his beloved Sarnai snorted, even going so far as to swat the back of his head. Aggrieved at being treated so poorly in front of his peers, he turned to his beautiful wife with a desolate gaze and she wordlessly apologized by stroking his cheek. “The monk meant no offence,” she explained, her eyes conveying her contrition. “He’s right though, and we’re all mule-brained fools for not seeing it sooner. Rain’s reaction to Aura is suspiciously similar to how beasts react, threatened, yet still able to act in the interest of self-preservation.”
After some thought, Baatar agreed with his beloved wife and the smiling monk, for he had witnessed firsthand a school of blood-frenzied sharks retreat in abject terror and craven rodents attack in reckless fury when inundated with Aura. Only... why would Rain react in the same way? What made him different from virtually every other human in existence? Dastan suggested it might be due to his Natal Soul, but while Baatar wasn’t confident this was the case, they lacked a subject with a Natal Soul who also lacked an Aura to test it on, so there was no way to tell for certain. Rain’s inability to pinpoint the exact moment he Condensed his Aura and how he might’ve been... wearing, for lack of a better term, his ‘Baledagh’ personality at the time only served to further muddy the waters and left the gathered Experts at an impasse, unable to move forward without more clarity.
There was even less to talk about regarding Domain Development, the fourth and final milestone Rain had reached, because the boy himself didn’t know anything about it. Monk Happy insisted Rain had reached some state of ‘natural Balance’ which allowed him to utilize his powers freely, a state of mind which made the boy sound more and more like a feral beast. While Baatar wasn’t entirely against this theory, he worried Rain had set himself down yet another dead-end path, much like he’d done with his use of Keystones to automate his Chi skills.
Mother in Heaven... maybe Du Min Gyu was right. Perhaps they’d given Rain too much leeway. It was one thing for the lion to push its cubs down a cliff, and another altogether to abandon them in the wilderness. Then again, who was to say Rain had erred? Perhaps his Path was the True Path to the Martial Peak, one superior to Defiled and Imperial alike. There was strength in instinct, any fool could see this as true, and it was generally accepted that there were wild beasts more powerful than even Ancestral Beasts and human Divinities. The boy’s tiny turtle Pong Pong was the perfect example, an ordinary and unremarkable beast at first glance, but one powerful enough to escape detection from anyone it cared to hide from, not to mention call forth giant waves and an Aura so powerful it could render Peak Experts crippled with despair.
All his life, Baatar had worked hard to restrain his inner wolf and hold true to his human emotions without giving in to his bestial desires. Had all his efforts been for naught? Rather than subdue his inner wolf, should he have set it free instead? Was this the True Path to the Martial Peak? If only he’d known this sooner and loosened his inhibitions as a child, then where might he stand now?
...Nowhere. He would stand nowhere, for he would be naught but ashes in the wind, a dim-witted Defiled half-beast who was killed before he could blossom in a full-fledged murderer. These were the Father’s foul machinations at work, whispering in his ear and tempting him with sweet lies of power and glory. Like Du Min Gyu said, if the true Path to the Martial Peak was through base instinct and bestial cunning, then why would Ancestral Beasts take human form? Rain walked a new path, one he himself had yet to understand, so it was far too presumptuous of Baatar to take these grand leaps of logic as fact.
The arguing continued until Taduk, who until now had remained silent, stood and stretched with an unbridled yawn, “Well,” he said, twisting his waist to crack his back. “This was... something, but it’s time for dinner, yes?” Patting Baatar on the head as he so often did, Taduk added, “An admirable effort, but I won’t be coming to these meetings anymore.”
“Why not?” Confused by the half-hare’s ambivalence, Baatar blinked and said, “I expected you of all people would want to help the boy however you can.”
“Bah. Help. What help?” Dismissing Baatar’s concerns with a wave of his hand, Taduk asked, “What makes you think he needs help? Little Rain got this far on his own, so I trust he’ll figure out the rest given time.” Shrugging, Taduk added, “Or he won’t. So long as he is alive, healthy, and happy, everything else is of no concern.”
Snorting in undisguised disapproval, Du Min Gyu muttered, “The People way.”
Rounding on the old fart with a glare, Baatar reminded himself that it would be rude to blacken his future in-law’s eyes. Swallowing his pride and a handful of rude phrases which came to mind, he instead growled, “What would you have me do then?”
“Mentor the boy,” Du Min Gyu replied, and he even had the gall to shrug as if the answer were so obvious.
Only Sarnai’s firm grasp on Baatar’s wrist kept him from lunging across the table to smack that hateful smirk off the old fart’s face. “What do you think I’m doing here?”
“Trying to make sense of the mess you’ve made?” Du Min Gyu shrugged again, and this time, there was a glimpse of challenge in the old warrior’s gaze, almost daring Baatar to bring this to blows. Oddly enough, this made him like the old fart more. Steel and fire a plenty, this one, and little Yan would learn much from him, teachings she would eventually bring back to the People. Almost disappointed by Baatar’s restraint, Du Min Gyu sighed and explained, “The Medical Saint is not wrong to trust in the boy, for he understands more of his Path than any of us could ever hope to, but this does not mean he cannot benefit from our experience. Tell me, why did you exclude him from this meeting?”
Perhaps sensing his frustration, Mother answered in Baatar’s place. “Open discourse is not our way, not for one so young. Better for us to discuss this without the boy present lest our idle musings and careless remarks negatively influence his perspective and Path. Once we have settled on a possible direction, we can then tailor our advice and suggestions so as not to interfere with his decisions, allowing him to shape his Path as he sees fit and become the Warrior the Heavens intended him to be.”
“A... valid concern and fitting solution.” Sounding surprised by his own compliment, Du Min Gyu stroked his beard with a frown and muttered, “So you were not leaving little Yan to languish in mediocrity, but leaving her free to explore her own potential. Hmm, most interesting, like the difference between a wild meadow and a cultured garden, both beautiful and natural in their own ways.” Shaking his head, the old fart frowned and added, “But the boy... Rain has all but completed his Path, or at least made his way to the Peak before, albeit in the darkness of night. All he needs is a little guidance to find his way back up again by the light of day, help we can all readily provide.”
When faced with a difficult decision regarding the Martial Path, Baatar did what he always did: he turned to Mother for guidance. Arms crossed and lips pursed, she blew a strand of blond hair out of her eyes before shaking her head in defeat. “Perhaps he is right. Perhaps the boy’s Path is truly set and he is qualified to join his elders in discussion, though I fear his steps misguided. You make this decision, pup, for I dare not claim I have only his best interests in mind.”
Meaning Mother was a traditionalist who would refuse based on principle alone.
“...I will think on it,” Baatar said, standing from his chair to see everyone out. It was a cowardly decision, but he needed the time to consider his options. Last to leave the room, he strode arm in arm with his beautiful beloved Sarnai, who after many months of slow recovery was finally hale and healthy enough to walk without assistance. While running was still out of the question, it felt good to have her at his side once more and see her hold her head up high, no longer ashamed of her infirmity or trying to hide her age, a bold and confident woman once more, the mountain rose he knew and loved.
Upon returning to their manor, they greeted the Guardian Turtle before moving around her bulk to step through the double doors. There in the courtyard, they were met with the sight of their loving family, all seated in the grass and enjoying a sumptuous feast of a myriad variety of steamed buns, with everyone sitting close to the doorway so they could keep the Guardian Turtle company. Mother and Father had arrived ahead of them and sat with sister Song, and ravenous Taduk’s lips were already stained with red-bean paste. Du Min Gyu had also arrived, though the ornery old codger chose to sit on a chair at the side, with little Yan and the half-cat Kyung attending to him. The girl and her husband were also here, cuddling Baatar’s darling grandchildren who were too busy eating to say hi, surrounded by the bears and wildcats hoping to steal away a treat.
Then there was the boy, their precious, worrisome boy, the son they found who’d brought them so much joy and good cheer. “Hi Mom,” Rain said, extracting himself from his beloved betrotheds to hug his mother tight. “Hi Dad.” Baatar got a hug too, and he held the boy close, so happy to see that bright smile once again. Little Rain had been so despondent in the days since Sinuji, but it seemed like things had taken a turn for the better, at least for tonight. Laughing as he hugged back, Rain sighed and murmured, “Glad to see you too, but if I were you, I’d let go and find a seat before Teacher eats all the sweet buns. Mila already ate all the lotus paste buns, so all that’s left are red bean and egg custard, but there are precious few left.” Feigning a wince as Mila pinched his calf, Rain corrected himself and said, “We ate all the lotus paste buns. All of us. Not just Mila.” Lowering his voice, he added, “Guess I really should’ve made five dozen. There’s also meat buns, barbecue pork, minced beef, and...”
By the Mother above, it was good to see Rain in high spirits again, not to mention know he was feeling good enough to do something besides play with his pets or stare off into the distance. His decision made, Baatar accepted a plate of steamed buns, clapped his son on the back, and sent him back to his betrotheds with a smile, hoping this good mood would last until tomorrow, when Baatar brought him to seek guidance from the greatest Martial Warriors in North and Central.
Whatever the boy’s new Path, he would have to walk it on his own, for there was no one qualified to guide him, but even if he could offer no advice, Baatar would do everything in his power to help.
Even if it meant swallowing his pride and admitting that Du Min Gyu was right.
Chapter Meme