39. Resonance

The award ceremony was scheduled to last the entire day, beginning with a parade in which the top twenty-five competitors were hauled all through the city on massive floats, surrounded by dancing performers.

The city was still shaking from the reverberations of the violence from the night before between the champion’s family and an unknown but powerful cultivator. While such things were unsettling, they were ultimately not that far out of the norm in the Ker’tath peninsula, so although the timing was strange, nobody questioned it too much.

Instead a million people rushed through the streets to get an eye on the champions, screaming and celebrating the conclusion to the weeks-long event which had captivated their attention and hearts. Almost everyone in the city had attended at least one day of the tournament. Not everyone could afford a seat for the final ceremony, and so the parade was their final chance to get an eye on their heroes, and everyone was eager to get whatever reflected glory they could.

Fortunately for his peace of mind, Hien Ro’s own float was far behind Thaseus’s. He smiled and waved at the cheering crowds, with Jumper perched on his shoulder for much of the journey.

When they finally unloaded inside the coliseum, things ironically quieted down as he was ushered into one of the many waiting rooms and the master of ceremony explained the presentation of his reward. Having placed ninth, he would be awarded financially. For the purpose of showmanship, a treasure trove of valuables would be presented to him during the ceremony, but those weren’t his actual rewards.

Rather, he was quietly given a chit which he could redeem at one of the local money changers, taking his rewards in a more convenient form than piles of jewelry and gilded silverware.

Hien Ro was actually very relieved at this arrangement, and assured the master of ceremony that he would play his role cheerfully.

After everything was explained, he was dressed in a fine robe, then forced to wait for three hours as the parade finished and everything else was lined up.

When he was finally scheduled to take his place on the victory platform, his name was called, and the audience cheered at him as he walked. He was presented with the fake awards, then he stood on the podium as the rest of the top ten filed in.

He was only slightly surprised to see Thaseus in good health, although the young man seemed very distracted and introspective.

With the victors in place, it was time to award the grand prizes. One of the announcers came over to them. He shouted his question in a voice which carried through the buzzing coliseum.

“There are seven prizes to be awarded. Three of these prizes are the same, a personalized technique developed by the awakened soul of Po Guah. A weapon from the Silver Anvil to be forged to the recipient’s specification. A Sacred Paths Heaven’s Will Bending Ascension pill, which is said to be enough to raise anyone from the purification realm onto the bronze path. A dozen World Walking Pills. And a trove of Sacred Stones. These rewards are not ranked, but rather to be chosen by the champions, with the first prize going to the grand champion. Tell me Thaseus, which reward do you desire?”

Thaseus was silent for a moment, then he said “The technique.”

Lukal Lukal also selected the technique. In a surprise upset, the third place winner selected the custom weapon instead, allowing a very excited fourth place winner to snap up the final promised technique.

Hien Ro lost interest in the rest of the ceremony, simply standing and smiling as the coliseum cheered at its champions.

As the finale, Little Bug came out to give a speech. The crowd cheered at seeing the young boy, whom none doubted would have claimed the championship had he been allowed.

Unlike the announcer who introduced him, Little Bug spoke at a quiet, measured pace.

“People of the city of Mer’cah. I thank you for your welcome and celebrate the common ground that your various factions have found in founding this tournament. I was there when the idea was presented to the organizers, and the purpose was singular. To give experiential opportunities to their juniors. However, I believe that this has become much more than that. I believe that this tournament has the potential to become a keystone upon which the various factions of the south may reconcile and—”

He paused, turning to look up.

The audience, eagerly listening, looked up at the same time. A figure flew floated above the center of the coliseum, flowing silver robes. Half of his face was rotten away, and his left hand was missing.

“I found you,” Ko Ren said. He raised his left stump, and a line of energy connected him with Little Bug.

The resulting explosion knocked Hien Ro into the stone of the arena walls. He took a minute to recover, then stood, dazed, as the world screamed.

“Who dares!” came the challenge, and Ko Ren cursed as he recognized the power in that voice. The ants scurried beneath him, but he’d accomplished his goals in killing Little Bug, so he turned to flee.

A blast of energy hit him in the side, causing an explosion that rocked the city. Ko Ren cursed, realizing that he would not be getting away so simply. He turned to face his attacker, and found a gregarious man with an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face.

“Who dares?” Tornolai repeated.

“This is none of your concern. It is a private matter that required my personal intervention,” Ko Ren explained. “I apologize for—”

“Enough! Face me, demonic cultivator, and I shall show you heaven’s justice!”

Ko Ren conjured a spear just in time. Their battle shook the heavens above the city of Mer’cah.

Explosions filled the air as Qi and esoteric energies collided with each other. However, the city’s defender faced a serious disadvantage. When a stray blast wandered too close to a residential district, Tornolai burned to much of his reserves in containing the destruction. Realizing his advantage, Ko Ren began targeting the places that mortals would gather.

Hien Ro watched the battle in the sky along with everyone else who wasn’t running for cover. It took him back to the days when he’d been young, staring at the lights and flashes as the immortals had done battle in the sky. The Lord of the Realm had faced off against some invading enemy, and more than that wasn’t widely known, but while the energies of this battle were pale reflections of those unleashed during those days, their proximity was much closer.

But even so, Hien Ro understood something that his mortal counterparts did not. If a stray blast on this level headed his direction, it would take more than a simple wall to stop the energies from ripping him apart.

Instead he walked to the center of the initial blast, where Little Bug had stood. Lukal Lukal joined him, as did Thaseus and the other victors.

“So much for our grand prize,” the fourth place victor muttered.

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“Now is not the time for that,” Lukal Lukal said. He sighed, looking towards the thundering heavens. “Now is the time to pray to the gods for mercy and intervention.”

“He’s not dead,” Hien Ro said.

Lukal Lukal put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I know that before he revealed himself you were his friend, and—”

“This wasn’t him. Not really,” Hien Ro clarified. “He wasn’t really here.”

The others turned, seeing that their fellow victor was in denial, but they said nothing.

Hien Ro held out his hand, where a glorious ring decorated one finger. “Do you know what’s happening? Don’t come out. Not yet. Not until it’s safe.”

~~~~~~

I gasped as my false reflection was shattered. I blinked in confusion for a moment, then pulled at the corner of my mind where the memories of that reflection were shunted. I frowned, replaying the avatar’s final moments.

I closed my eyes as I understood what had come about because I had revealed myself. Then I spent a few moments determining the correct course of action.

It was rather simple and obvious when I put my mind to it. People were being hurt because of me. I would endeavor to be their shield.

I put aside my current meditations on the nature of the void and quietly walked through the library where I’d spent the last few weeks. I pulled at the corners of the lock that kept this dimension sealed off from the rest of the world of Atla--

And I felt my attunement to the void click into place. It had been my false reflection holding it back, and now that I was entirely me again everything fell into place. I blinked in surprise, for why hadn’t I thought of that sooner? I pulled open the dimensions the rest of the way and stepped through the gateway that formed.

I emerged into chaos, filled with smoke and screams. Hien Ro was nearby, as were many of the young competitors. He was looking at his ring, talking to it. I ignored him, sitting in the lotus position.

While I would soon commit to helping as many caught in the destruction of the battle between Ko Ren and Tornolai, right now I needed to do something that I could not have done until just that moment.

I needed to step upon the bronze path.

Taking a deep breath, I reached out to the chaotic spiritual energy, churned up by the battle in the heaven, and I pulled .

~~~~~~

Ko Ren felt the sudden shift in ambient Qi, turning back to the coliseum, which lay half in ruins from the raging battle between him and this unknown golden path cultivator. He cursed, recognizing that he had failed. He raised his hand to conjure another attack, targeting the epicenter of the vacuum that was gathering energy from the world, but he was cut off as his opponent launched a reckless attack.

“Damn you,” Ko Ren shouted, turning back to face down this interloper. “Don’t you know what’s at stake here? I am doing the world a favor by slaying that leech!”

“Yes, and if you must burn down a city or two then what’s the harm?” his opponent taunted. “You do not walk in the light of your ancestors.”

“Fool!” Ko Ren shouted, and the battle in the heavens carried on.

~~~~~~

Tonilla felt the ascension from where she had taken shelter. She turned in the direction of the power vacuum, wondering who it was that was breaking through onto the silver path at this point in time. What secrets had they glimpsed? What path did they walk, to draw so heavily from the word during this time of strife.

She decided that she must know, so she decided to forgo the relative safety of the deep subbasements of the coliseum, rooms that only those who had been involved in the planning stages knew about. She emerged onto the coliseum floor moments later to find Po Guah surrounded by the victors of their tournament, a circle of young fighters turned inward as they gaped.

She too stared, uncomprehending, as she witnessed the ascension. The amount of energy that the boy was gathering was far beyond what she’d ever seen a bronze ranker utilize for anything but ascending to the silver path. But then she reminded herself of whom she was watching and decided to simply accept what was happening.

The voices of the two golden path cultivators boomed out over the din and the screaming of the commoners. She turned to Hien Ro, whom she regretted not cultivating a closer relationship with.

“How did he survive the attack? That blast would have slain an elder,” she said.

“You’ll have to ask him. I’m not even worthy to speak with him, though I walked side by side with him from the north and delivered him on your doorstep,” the teenager taunted. “You never even delivered my messages.”

“What are you—no, you’re right. I apologize,” she said. “But what happens now. How far will he—”

Abruptly the vacuum ceased, and the energy of the world stilled around them. Po Guah stood and turned to her. “Get as many to shelter as you can,” the boy said authoritatively, and then he split into a hundred, each avatar running in a different direction.

~~~~~~

Fate shifted all around me. Decisions were being made which would ripple through time for decades to come. Lives were ending, new paths were opening, and above all, things were changing. I walked one hundred paths at once, rushing through the city, pulled by the strings of fate.

I could not save everyone, even split into one hundred avatars. But I saved those I could, pulling children from rubble, healing the injured with techniques from beyond time and space, and standing as a bulwark between the titans battling above us and the small people of the city.

I set up hundreds of small formations which would serve as shields, and tried to usher as many into them as I could. Behind the energies of those wards they would be … not safe, but safer than hiding in the basements and the alleyways where they crowded now.

I helped criminal and saint the same, for it was neither time nor place to judge them. Nor was it my responsibility. That I could see the sins of some of those I saved weighing them down did not mean that they deserved to die in an attack which came about because of my presence.

And while I did these things, I did one more.

Each formation I created was one piece of a greater whole. Working above and beyond the ken of mortals, I put together the pieces of a puzzle to form a gestalt. Slowly, the ambient energy of the city began to flow in a new direction.

~~~~~~

Ko Ren screamed as his old injuries became suddenly inflamed.

Bong!

He heard it, from somewhere, the impossible, dreadful sound echoing through time.

Bong!

Distracted as he was, he took the full force of one of his assailant’s attacks, punching a hole through his stomach. He screamed and prepared a counterattack.

Bong!

The purifying energies that had lodged in his body from the final attack of the Asura resonated, and he could do nothing to stop them from. It wouldn’t be enough to kill him; he had survived that attack already, and the scars of it did not frighten him.

Bong!

But it was enough to distract him while he was already engaged in a life or death battle with someone who was proving to be his equal.

Ko Ren screamed in frustration as he turned tail and fled. His assailant gave chase, but when Ko Ren unleashed one final attack aimed not at the unknown golden path cultivator but at the city itself, the cultivator used his own body as a shield, and Ko Ren used the opportunity to flee.

Back to the north.

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