A cultivator’s techniques are the ultimate expressions of their path. Many a diviner has foretold a cultivator’s future and read their past after witnessing just a few techniques. -Elder Zao to his disciples
* * *
Lin clung to his friend with all his strength. The moon artist was already panicking, gripping hard at his waist to keep from being dragged away in the waves. For all his limitless power, Yoru’s critical weakness was water.
If we live, remind me to teach you to swim, Lin thought.
Even then, he knew it was wishful thinking. If they lived, then they would likely return to a home that no longer existed. The village of Saikan would be wiped off the map entirely within a few days at the current pace, and there was little the four artists could do to stop it.
However, it was far more likely that none of them would live to see it. Lin and Yoru were being tossed through the waves like dandelion tufts on the wind, and while Lin was an exceptional swimmer with a breath capacity to match, Yoru was not. He would soon drown if Lin didn’t come up with something, some clever solution to get them out of this mess.
Above them, a direction that Lin only knew of because that was where the light from Yoru’s arrow was shining, the waves continued to churn in an impenetrable wall. They would not be escaping that way. Below, he could see the tops of a forest of seaweed that disappeared into the untold depths below.
Seaweed? Lin loved seaweed. It was such a wonderful plant with as many uses as there were stalks of it in the sea. It was a brilliant culinary addition, but most importantly, it shimmered with wood qi, which made it a perfect tool for a wood artist like him.
Lin’s mind raced. He would never claim to be particularly clever. Yoru was always the one coming up with crazy schemes and plans, but when his back was to the wall, Lin was a fighter, and he refused to let his best friend drown like this. If the Darkened Moon was destined to be defeated, then it would not be because his Soulbond let him drown.
Lin called out to the qi beneath him. The seaweed responded, but he would need to be closer to have greater effect. Tightening his grip around Yoru, he began to swim, pulling the other artist down deeper into the water.
Pressure rose all around them. Yoru began to shudder as the ocean sought to squeeze the very air from his lungs, but he clung to what little he had, putting a hand over his mouth and nose. From experience, Lin knew such actions were pointless. His fingers couldn’t hold back the breath that grew stale in his lungs, but if it helped Yoru keep his resolve for even a few seconds longer, it would be enough.
The two artists reached the tallest stalk of seaweed. This far down, the current wasn’t as strong. Lin maneuvered Yoru’s free hand to grip tightly at the stem of the plant, but before he could leave the moon artist to find a stalk of seaweed that would suit his purposes, Yoru flailed until he gripped Lin’s sleeve tightly.
He’s scared. His hands are trembling. Lin hesitated, unsure of what to do. Yoru couldn’t hear him in the water, and his eyes were squeezed shut. The poor artist was entirely helpless in an environment where he couldn’t move or even breathe. But, if Lin didn’t act, he’d surely die.
* * *
My lungs screamed, and I clung tightly to Lin’s clothes…or at least, I hoped they were Lin’s clothes. For all I knew, I’d grabbed a large flap of…whatever it was that he was trying to get me to hold onto.
His hands gently wrapped around mine, and he pried my fingers loose. Lin guided me back to the thing that he wanted me to hold. His hand wrapped around mine, and he let go…again…
Lin! Please! Don’t leave me here!
I wanted to scream, but if I didn’t focus everything on holding my breath, I’d be done for. I flailed again, trying to find him, but this time, he was gone. I was alone…
I should have learned to swim when the Ocean Lord threatened me… I thought. At least then, I didn’t need to breathe…
All I could do was grip the thing he said to and wait, praying that he’d come back for me before it was too late…a time which was rapidly approaching. From previous conversations with Lin and the fishermen in Saikan, I knew that the wood artist could hold his breath for nearly fifteen minutes when the situation required it. As a cultivator, particularly one who practiced techniques of adaptation, he could push far beyond mortal limits, something which the fishermen had been deeply jealous of. However, whenever they’d asked me how long I could hold my breath for, I cleverly avoided answering. There was a time when I didn’t need to breathe, and I had walked the moon’s surface for months at a time. But that time was long gone. I hadn’t tried to hold my breath for long, but at Iron? I was already at my limit.
A pair of cold hands wrapped around my own. Lin was back! I clung to his wrist, squeezing tight. Without any means of communicating, all I could do was hope he’d know. I couldn’t last any longer…
My body protested the lack of air, and I fought as my lungs tried to force out the stale air. Several horrible seconds passed. My hands trembled as they gripped Lin’s wrist.
Save me!
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I couldn’t do it anymore. My lips parted and bubbles of used air escaped past my fingers. I quickly bit down, desperate to hold out longer.
The hands reached upward. One rested on the side of my cheek while the other began to pry my hand away from my mouth and nose. I panicked. Why would Lin try to drown me?! I couldn’t hold out much, and he was trying to speed my death by removing one barrier keeping precious air inside?!
Was it really Lin? Or had I been fooled by a yokai looking to capitalize on our fight with the Tide Serpent? What was going on?!
I was helpless. I couldn’t resist any longer. The hand pulled mine away, and the rest of my air escaped in a cascade of bubbles.
But, instead of water rushing back in, there was suddenly warmth in the cold depths. Hot air was forced into my mouth, as Lin held the back of my head firmly. The panic in my mind was quieted until I was left with what was immediately around me. Cold water...and Lin’s warmth…
When he withdrew his lips and the life-giving air they offered, I shook myself back to reality. He grabbed my wrist and began to pull in the direction I thought might be upward. I let him drag me through the water until he wrapped my hands around another length of the same fibrous…something…that he had me hold onto before. He wrapped both of my hands around it and disappeared from my perception again. However, this time, he wasn’t gone for long. In a few moments, he was back and wrapped his arm around my waist.
I soon found out why. The length of…was it rope, maybe…suddenly went taught, and we were pulled roughly through the water. Waves and currents battered and pounded against my face, but I refused to let go. Lin gripped my back tightly.
Water exploded into spray, and I felt rain kiss my face. My eyes snapped open and I gasped in ragged breaths of air, before coughing and spluttering it all out at the scene that awaited me.
I was clinging to a long rope of seaweed that shimmered with reinforcement from Lin’s wood techniques. It was wrapped in a giant loop around one of the Tide Serpent’s spines, and we dangled several meters down from the crest of its head.
“Are you alright!?” Lin shouted. I nodded. “Good! Here!” Lin pulled my bow from his back and shoved it into my hand. “I found it in the kelp forest!”
I didn’t have the heart to mention that I didn’t have any arrows left. They’d been spilled out and scattered in every direction by our tumble through the depths.
“You made it!” Kansi shouted. “We’ve been keeping it entertained, but I think we’re running out of tricks!”
A thread of voidlight qi streaked across my vision, wrapping around the Tide Serpent’s head where my last arrow was still lodged in its bleeding eye. Hope surged in my heart as another plan began to form in my mind.
“Lin, there’s seaweed below, right? Can you restrict its movement?”
“I got a good look at the bottom half of the snake. I’ll do my best.”
“Good. Kansi, will you lend me your mobility?” I asked. She nodded and offered her hand. I took it and hopped onto her sword. It was a tight squeeze, but it was a far sight better than being grounded. Lin shifted and took a firm grip of the seaweed rope.
“Good luck!” he shouted as we streaked away.
I pointed to the arrow still in the monster’s left eye. “Can you get me that? I have one last trick up my sleeve!”
The wind artist bit her lip and nodded. After leaving me with Lian, who was all too eager to share his cloud, she began to climb.
Kansi’s brow knit with concentration. She shifted her stance, crouching on her sword and leaning forward. With gravity as her ally, she streaked towards the Tide Serpent, churning up the winds around her to increase her speed even further. The Serpent didn’t have time to react before she slammed her sword into the monster’s eye, latched onto the glowing arrow and threw herself back into the air just in time to land on her sword. A moment later, she tossed me the arrow.
“I hope you’re ready to make that one count,” she said as she streaked by. “I don’t think you’ll get another shot.”
She was right about that. This creature only had one weakness that could be exploited enough to subdue it: the injury in its throat. Without the help of Shen Reixin all those years ago, this fight would be impossible now. I’d have to let Xinya know just how much her mother did for us. We stood a chance thanks to her.
“Kansi! Try to get it to look up and open its mouth!” I shouted. “Lian, get me just above it.” The two artists nodded, and Lian tossed a ball of green qi at Kansi. It infused her body and she dove at the Serpent. Meanwhile, Lin was still on its back. It seemed to be spinning strangely, clearly stuck in the seaweed forest below. Lin held it firm, keeping it from swimming off while we got into position.
Eclipse! Razor Wind! If you can still hear my command, I need you both! I sent the command with as much qi as I could spare. The two blades were somewhere below, and I desperately hoped they were in range.
Kansi began to zip and dart around the Tide Serpent’s head. It snapped at her, trying to snatch her right out of the sky as she spiraled every upward.
“Now, Lian!” I shouted. The summoner urged the cloud forward and upward. It might not have been as fast as flying by sword, but the wind that blew my soaked hair back was still strong as we streaked towards the Serpent’s head. Just as we crested high enough, Kansi flew by only a few meters below.
I sprang to my feet, taking one step forward to the edge of the cloud and springing high into the open air. The arrow was drawn back on my string, and I infused it with void and moonlight in equal measure. The arrow glowed, streaks of blue-silver and black cascading off the arrowhead.
The Tide Serpent’s mouth opened wide to snap at Kansi.
“Snack on this!” I shouted as my arrow released. It glowed brightly midair as I triggered Heaven’s Rain. The technique glowed brightly along the arrow as it began to split into double, triple, quadruple, until a dozen arrows made of solid voidlight rained down into the monster’s mouth.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted another streak of light from below and the wind shifted. In a single instant, two heavenly blades shot from the water, slamming into the weakened scale at the same moment as my arrows sank into the soft, scarred flesh in the Tide Serpent’s throat.
The Serpent’s one remaining eye went wide, and it tried to roar. Only a hissing gurgle managed to escape its jaws as it twitched, as even the strength to flail ebbed from its body.
Eclipse circled around to catch me, and I dove. Razor Wind flitted just behind. We raced down the Serpent’s body to where Lin was still holding on, shimmering wood qi all around him.
“Lin! Jump!” I cried. He didn’t hesitate. The Serpent’s body began to crash down into the whirlpool wall, and he threw himself into the air. I caught his hand and lowered him onto Razor Wind. A crash of water and waves resounded in the area as the Tide Serpent’s corpse hit the waves and began to sink.
We ascended out of the waves and were greeted by a gentle rain and the sun peeking through the clouds.
“We did it,” breathed Lin. “Guys, we did it! The Tide Serpent is dead!”