by Aaron Oster
That said, Kaeru turned once again and headed out of the shop, leaving the now terrified merchant to scurry after him and lock the door.
Kaeru took a deep breath as he headed into the fresh open air, allowing himself a few moments to calm down. That merchant had seriously tested his patience. Honestly, the whole ordeal had almost nothing to do with the price. Kaeru had more money than he knew what to do with. No, his refusal to be ripped off had nothing to do with that, rather, it was a matter of respect, and there was nothing Kaeru hated more than being disrespected.
“Well, froggy, looks like you got your way after all,” he muttered as he headed towards the inn.
The town head was making him come in person to retrieve the papers, but after that, he’d finally be on his way.
Just another hour, he thought, and then I’ll be on the road once again.
14
“Stop right there. This is a restricted area, accessible only to those of the head family of the clan!”
Roy froze where he was. The command of a Purple-Belt was not something one ignored. Both Aika and Ferry froze along with him, but Hermit simply kept walking, as though he hadn’t even heard the man.
One of the guards stepped forward, a woman wearing a 1st Dan Purple-Belt, and held a hand up in a blocking gesture.
“You were commanded to halt!” she called in an authoritative voice. “Turn back now, or you will be detained!”
Roy and Aika shared a worried look, while Ferry just watched on in interest, her nose twitching slightly and her tail swishing behind her. She didn’t seem in the least bit troubled, and though Roy knew that Hermit was powerful, he noticed that several people were looking over to see what the disturbance was.
None of them were particularly close, as the main family’s compound was somewhat isolated, but still, if Hermit didn’t want to draw attention, he was doing a very poor job of it.
“I’m part of the head family,” Hermit said, his voice completely calm. “If you’d kindly let us pass, I’m long overdue for a reunion.”
The woman obviously wasn’t convinced, as she motioned the others forward. The guards moved quickly, spreading across the path, and arranging themselves in a semi-circle before Hermit.
“This is your last warning,” she said, voice hard. “Turn back now, or we will be forced to detain you.
By now, Hermit was a good fifty feet away from their small group, standing alone between them and the line of guards. He briefly peeked back over his shoulder, a long sigh drifting back to Roy and the others over the wind before he turned back to face the guards.
“Why do I always have to work so hard?” He sighed, then, the entire area seemed to warp, the air growing heavy and an intense wave of heat washing over them.
Roy was standing behind him, so he didn’t get it nearly as bad as the others, but he watched in awe as all four guards were driven to their knees under the force of Hermit’s aura. A bright red glow outlined his body, setting his robes whipping in the breeze that the change in temperature had caused. His Blue-Belt seemed to catch fire, burning away until the shining, Gray-Belt, now with a single black stripe at one end, was revealed.
“Now, I don’t want to cause a scene, which was why I entered the city the normal way,” Hermit said, voice still calm and even. “I don’t need a bunch of uppity children messing that up for me. So, you just stay there while I go pay my sister a visit. Don’t worry, we won’t be long.”
Roy watched in fascination as Hermit then patted one of the frozen guards on the head and walked straight past them. It wasn’t that the guards couldn’t move; Roy could see their eyes flicking back and forth, and their bodies quivering in fear. They wouldn’t move, not so long as Hermit was nearby.
They knew that even if all four of them attacked at once, they wouldn’t even be able to slow him down. Hermit could just walk right through them, not even needing to lift so much as a finger to destroy them all. So, they remained where they were, frozen in terror as the monster walked past.
“Oh, wow! When did he become that!?” Geon said as Hermit kept walking, the burning aura dissipating, and the 1st Dan Gray-Belt turning Blue once again.
“Become what?” Roy asked, still frozen in place.
“A Sovereign!” Geon exclaimed. “You know, the rank after Sage!?”
“I thought Sovereign was just a title, like the head of a clan.”
“You really need to have your brain checked…” Geon began, but Roy just shut him out.
Whenever Geon started on the ‘brain checking’ thing, he just ignored him. It was the best way to get him to stop.
“Are you just going to stand there all day?” Hermit asked, not even bothering to turn back and check.
“How did he know?” Aika hissed.
“Because I can’t hear your footsteps,” Hermit replied.
“Oh,” Aika said, flushing in embarrassment. In a much, much lower voice, she said, “I keep forgetting he can do that.”
Roy nodded in agreement but began following Hermit towards the gates once again. There was a moment of tension as he passed between the guards, wondering if their lower Advancement ranks might not give them the confidence to attack. Clearly, Hermit’s presence was more than enough to keep them in check, as they didn’t so much as twitch at their presence.
A crowd was beginning to gather further down the path, some of them having witnessed what had occurred and calling their neighbors. By the time they reached the gates, Roy could see well over a hundred people standing there, all watching in rapt silence. It was eerie, seeing that many powerful Martial Artists, any one of whom could utterly annihilate the Shah clan singlehandedly.
Roy felt a small pang of jealousy as he saw a teenage boy, maybe fifteen or sixteen, with a solid Green-Belt tied around his waist. Even the children here were stronger than him! Roy didn’t really have much time to lament his perceived weakness, as Hermit placed his hands on the gates and pushed lightly.
With a cracking, tearing sound, the massive wood and metal gates were torn clean off and sent tumbling into the courtyard beyond. Several Martial Artists turned to them from inside, all staring in wide-eyed shock as a Blue-Belt marched into their compound, completely unhindered. He was followed a moment later by an Orange-Belt and a Green-Belt, as well as some sort of Beast. The sheer bafflement on their faces was almost comical, and Roy found himself feeling sorry for them.
“Which way to the Sovereign?” Hermit asked the nearest person, a boy of perhaps twelve.
The boy raised a shaky hand, pointing a finger at the center-most house, a very-impressive castle-like structure complete with dozens of ornamental decorations and an impressive rock garden out front.
“Thank you,” Hermit said, then moved forward down the path.
Roy and the others quickly moved to follow, sticking much closer to him now. Several heads poked out of houses, most of them young, as they passed. However, seeing the group moving towards their leader’s house, they quickly retreated.
“Where is everyone?” Roy wondered as he looked around the mostly deserted compound.
“I know what you mean,” Aika replied, looking around as well. “You’d think that a clan as strong as this one would have more members in their head family.”
“They do,” Hermit replied.
“Are they all inside that castle?” Roy wondered.
“No,” Hermit said. “But that doesn’t really matter. The person we’ve come here to see is. The rest are irrelevant.”
Roy and Aika shared another look, then went silent, following the man as he headed for the castle doors. Roy could feel the Essence density increasing the closer they came, a dense mix of Light and Darkness clashing and twisting through the air. It was strange for them to see the two types together in such abundance, when the presence of one normally meant the absence of the other.
Roy had long ago redefined his definition of impossible when it came to the Martial Arts. Anything was possible when someone could bend the very fabr
ic of reality with nothing more than their force of will and the power in their Cores. Aika and Ferry both seemed to be drinking it in, enjoying the Essence-rich environment, while Hermit seemed indifferent.
Roy wondered if he was the only one feeling uncomfortable right now. As a 1st Dan Orange-Belt, he was clearly the weakest in the group, and not by a small margin. There was a stark difference between Orange and Green-Belt, one that he was very well aware of. If they got into trouble and were forced to flee, he was the most likely candidate to be left behind.
“I thought you’d gotten over those feelings of inadequacy,” Geon said as Hermit approached the doors, shoving lightly and once again tearing them from the frame.
“Yeah? Well, think again,” Roy snapped, the feeling of unease rising in his stomach as they entered the looming building.
“Why are there no guards?” Aika whispered.
“Because with the people gathered here, they’re hardly needed,” Hermit replied. “Now keep your mouth shut. We’re about to meet some very powerful people, some of whom will not be happy to see me.”
“This place smells funny,” Ferry said.
“Funny how?” Roy asked in an undertone.
“I said be quiet,” Hermit said, turning to shoot him a glare.
“It smells like two things that shouldn’t be together but are for some reason. Do you know what I mean?”
Roy, in fact, did not know what she meant. He nodded all the same, heeding Hermit’s warning about not talking. The corridor they were in was dark and silent, their footsteps muffled by the dark blue carpeting lining the ground. They passed many doors, all closed, and it soon became obvious that they were heading for the tall set of doors at the end of the corridor.
As they approached, Hermit seemed to speed up a bit, his fists tightening at his sides and shoulders stiffening. Roy had no idea what they’d be facing on the other side of that door. He could sense nothing, even in his immediate surroundings. It was as though someone had thrown a blanket over his Spirit Sense and robbed him of his ability to see.
He suspected it had more to do with the building than anything else and wondered how they’d managed to accomplish it. Did those living here have immunity to its effects? After all, not being able to sense anything wasn’t exactly a smart way to live, especially if you were the head of a powerful clan.
Hermit had ordered him to stay silent, so he kept the question in reserve for later. He could feel his heart beginning to pound as Hermit approached the door. The man didn’t even slow down, simply shoving hard. Instead of being sent flying off their hinges, these doors merely swung inward, moving far slower than Roy might have expected.
Then, they were inside, but as soon as Roy saw the group of people standing around a table and staring at them, he froze in place. He wasn’t alone, as Aika and Ferry froze along with him. There was a good reason for that, seeing as the very weakest among the gathered group was a 7th Dan Purple-Belt, and the strongest was at Gray-Belt.
“Kai,” the woman with the 5th Dan Gray-Belt said.
“Ikari,” Hermit replied.
The entire room seemed to explode in a wash of power as everyone unveiled their Cores at once.
15
Roy was immediately driven to his knees, his body locking up as the near-dozen powerful Martial Artists released their Cores. He gasped, hands hitting the floor next as Hermit’s aura flared, bright crimson light washing off him in waves. His Belt was clearly outlined now, the Gray-Belt flapping in the breeze that had once again been kicked up.
The slender woman standing at the head of the table was completely shrouded in darkness, her body seeming to blaze, despite the complete absence of light. The Purple-Belt was the first to drop, her aura being snuffed out as she fell to the ground. The two Red-Belts were next, falling to their knees, gasping for air.
The remaining Gold-Belts kept their feet for a few moments more, before they fell, though not all at once. When the last man’s knees hit the ground, Hermit walked further in. The woman, Ikari, stepped out from behind the table and approached him, both of their auras expanding wider and wider.
Never before in his life had Roy witnessed such an awesome display of power, but instead of cowing him as he’d expected, he watched in rapt attention.
This was what real power looked like. This was the type of power he’d need to accomplish his goals. No, a small voice in the back of his mind whispered. You need more! If there were people this powerful, then he needed to be stronger than them.
Hermit and Ikari were only a few feet apart now, their auras clashing against one another, the red and black light flashing as they drew nearer. The light in the room began to dim as the air grew even heavier, and Roy found himself driven to his stomach. He felt someone land on top of him – either Aika or Ferry, though judging by weight alone, it was probably the former – and felt what little air remained in his lungs be driven out of him.
He gasped as the two Martial Artists drew even closer, now just inches apart. They were roughly the same height, both staring the other right in the eye as their power flashed around them.
“What the hell are they doing?” Roy asked the only one he could.
“How should I know?” Geon snapped back. “It’s not like I can read minds!”
It was clear that he was shaken up as well. That much was obvious from the panic in his tone. Still, Roy thought it was kind of rude to be taking it out on him.
“I’m scared!” Ferry’s panicked voice sounded in his mind a moment later. “Roy, I can’t breathe!”
It wasn’t like he could do anything about it, though the fear in her voice sure as hell made him try. With a monumental effort of will, Roy began to push himself up, his Core flaring in his chest as he pumped himself full of Essence. To him, it felt like the golden light was just a tiny spec in a sea of black and red, yet he knew he had to do something.
He felt Aika slide off him as he moved, hitting the ground with a muffled grunt. He had to at least be able to turn so he could see them. Roy didn’t know why, but he felt that so long as he managed to do that, everything would be fine. No air was entering his lungs, though, and he began to grow light-headed, even as he flooded his channels with Power Essence, trying to buck against the invisible restraints keeping him locked in place.
There was no way he was just going to lie here, while the air was squeezed from his lungs until he passed out and died soon after. Not from some weird power contest between siblings! He shoved his trembling arms beneath himself, pushing with all his might. His Path of Power was specifically designed to smash through everything. He didn’t have any fancy tricks to weave through attacks or try and circumvent or redirect blows.
He met things head-on. That was the essence of Power, and if he couldn’t even get to his hands and knees, then what sort of Martial Artist could he be?
Teeth gritted, Roy continued pushing, feeling a vein throbbing in his temple. His muscles were locked and rigid as he finally managed to get himself back to his hands and knees. Sweat poured from his brow as his Essence burned through his channels. He could feel his Core straining, even with the abundance of power loaded inside.
He pushed with one hand, slowly beginning to shift around. Blackness was creeping in around the corners of his vision, and all he saw now was the golden Core standing out in his mind’s eye. There was so much pressure, squeezing not only his body but his Core as well. The very Essence inside was condensing under the force, pulling in tighter, even as he tried to force it through his burning muscles.
Another vein throbbed in his forehead, and a blood vessel in his eye burst, coating half of the room in a crimson tint. Not that it really changed much, as the room was now awash in a mixture of black and red so dark that it was starting to become hard to see. Roy couldn’t see at all, his vision having gone almost completely blank. The only thing remaining was his Core, burning brightly as it tried to push back the darkness.
Roy fought to keep the gaseous Essence flowing, pushi
ng it to his tired limbs as he turned just a bit more. He was almost there, though his Core was quickly emptying, and more and more of it was being compressed by the immense force. His arm buckled as he turned a bit more, dropping painfully to his elbow. He winced, pushing himself back up and burning through what little Essence remained.
His arms were trembling, his entire body beginning to shut down from lack of air. But still, he wasn’t quite there yet. He still couldn’t see his friends. All that remained in his Core now was the small ball of compressed Essence that appeared to almost be a liquid. He reached for it, pulling desperately on the small droplet of power. It resisted him at first, fighting against his will and condensing further and further, until it was little more than a drop in the center of his drained Core.
Come on, just a little more, he thought, fighting against his own rebellious Essence as it completely transformed from a gas to a liquid.
It shone far brighter than his Essence had up until now, the clarity of the small droplet appearing to be the color of honey, though far less dense. It continued to resist him as the pressure mounted, but Roy was not one to be denied. With a strangled cry, he wrenched at the droplet of condensed Essence, forcing it to obey his will.
It flowed smoothly out of his Core and down to his arms and legs. There was a momentary surge of power, the likes of which Roy had never felt before. A feeling of elation flooded through him as he completed the turn, his body burning with so much power that he was left utterly stunned. However, his elation turned to panic a moment later, as a horrible burning sensation began rampaging through him.
Roy screamed as his channels began to burn, his entire body locking up and dropping to the ground. He began to thrash as the last of the Essence burned out, leaving him feeling weak and as though he were dying. Just before he passed out, he felt the heavy weight lift off him, though by then, he was too far gone to even notice.