by Aaron Oster
It was clear that the anger stemmed from her being surprised, and the confusion was due to finding a Gold-Belt she didn’t recognize standing right next to her.
“My name is Tonde Kaeru,” Kaeru said, bowing at the waist. “And I happen to be interested in the Sovereign’s brother. I believe he’s traveling with a clan member of mine, and seeing as you’re on your way to warn him, I would very much like to tag along.”
Violet seemed stunned for a moment, then immediately tried to defend herself.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, not sounding the least bit convincing.
Kaeru rolled his eyes, then took her arm and pulled it into the crook of his elbow before continuing to walk. They were beginning to attract attention, and while two powerful Martial Artists standing out in the middle of the street and arguing might be strange, two people out on a stroll was an ordinary activity.
“What are you doing?” she hissed, her face flushing red.
“You’ll have to forgive me for being so rude,” Kaeru said, keeping his tone conversational. “But if we’re to leave the city without incident and warn them in time, we need to not stand out in anyone’s minds.”
“I don’t understand what you’re…”
“I overheard your conversation with the Sovereign,” Kaeru said, cutting her off. “Judging by the way you reacted, you would very much like to see her brother remain out of harm’s way. I have a vested interest in seeing my own clan member to safety, so why don’t we work together?”
He said it in a way that she couldn’t really argue, and at the same time, hadn’t needed to pry into her business.
Violet’s shoulders slumped momentarily. She quickly composed her features into a neutral expression with just the hint of a smile touching her lips. While Violet was recognizable in the city by her Itachi heritage, he was clearly a foreigner. Now, though, to anyone who looked, it would appear that they were out on a date. Political marriages were common amongst the powerful clans, so no one would even think twice about stopping them.
“Very well,” Violet said, keeping her tone pleasant. “But you’ve got a lot of explaining to do, and I expect to hear everything. If I’m not satisfied, I’ll call for backup, and trust me when I say that there are people here who can tear even someone like you apart without even trying.”
Kaeru simply smiled, as though the notion of being torn apart by angry Martial Artists didn’t bother him in the least.
“But of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
1
Roy stumbled, his foot sinking several inches into the shifting sands and nearly causing him to lose his balance. Wind whipped at his face, driving the grains into his mouth, nose, and eyes, making it all but impossible to see more than a few feet in any direction. His mouth was bone dry, his skin felt raw, and his head ached horribly. Despite all of his discomforts and the fact that his body practically screamed out for rest, Roy refused to give in.
All around, he could sense nothing but the mix of green Wind Essence and the brown of Earth as they battered against his body and senses. The sandstorm had begun shortly after his escape from Doragon, and now, despite his best efforts, he was completely and hopelessly lost. His body, now reinforced with the power of Qi, was holding up for the time being, but he had a feeling that if this kept up for too much longer, his skin would be rubbed clean off by the grating sand.
“You really should stop,” Geon said for about the hundredth time. “You can’t defeat a sandstorm.”
“Watch me,” he replied, stubbornly refusing to stop.
He’d long since given up exclusively talking to the Core out loud and now solely relied on his mind to speak with Geon.
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand your weird squishy brain’s way of thinking,” Geon retorted. “I mean, common sense says you should stop and give your body a rest. But no, you have to keep going for some inexplicably stupid reason.”
“I have to keep going because I know there’s a gathering of people around here somewhere,” Roy snapped.
“And how, pray tell, do you plan on finding them? Have you learned to sense people through literal storms of opposing Essence in the last few minutes? Because if you have, I would very much like to know how.”
Roy ground his teeth together in annoyance but decided to ignore the Dungeon Core’s last question. Navigating through this sandstorm was hard enough, but doing so while having to put up with Geon’s constant nagging made it so much worse. Truthfully, he wanted to stop, but if he did so now, he’d never hear the end of it. Right now, he knew that Geon’s gloating would be far worse than his discomfort.
The solid Green-Belt cinched tightly around his waist didn’t so much as flap in the wind. It simply sat there, shining softly against the dim lighting caused by the storm. It was still hard to believe all that had happened in the last few hours. He’d made it out of the Water Trials, gone in for his Belt test, met the Spirit of Power herself, and had become a Green-Belt. Then, he’d been grabbed by a man claiming he’d been sent by his Sovereign father, who was apparently the leader of a powerful clan.
There were many unanswered questions, like how Roy had ended up with the Shah if his father was supposedly all-powerful. It was one of the reasons he’d decided to break free, as he wasn’t really sure he could trust the man with burning red eyes. The man unnerved Roy and didn’t exactly instill confidence that he was truthful.
Besides, he wanted to get back to Aika and Ferry. They were probably worried sick about him right now, and seeing as they were his only friends, he was quite worried about them as well. Hermit’s insane sister had thrown both him and Aika into the Trials of Water to die, yet they’d managed to survive and make it out. Was Aika still alive, or had Ikari, upon seeing her escape, simply finished her off?
He had so many questions, yet no answers, which contributed to why he refused to stop despite the storm. There was also Azure’s warning to consider, and he wondered if the mystery man would be making another appearance anytime soon. If he did, perhaps he could explain himself and say why he believed Roy’s long-lost clan to be his enemy.
Upon advancing to Green, he’d finally received his Core-Body, the first big accomplishment on his Path. He could use Qi, and while it had nearly killed him before, he could now use it without fear. Right now, his Core was brimming with both Essence and Qi, the latter standing out in the center as a much more solid sphere of power against the more gaseous Essence.
The golden Qi had a consistency akin to that of water and held so much more potential and power than Essence, that only now did he truly understand the difference between a 4th Dan Orange and a Base Green. Although only a single Dan apart, the Green-Belt was so much more powerful than the Orange, it was almost laughable! It was easy for him to understand now how he had never stood a chance against those who could use Qi.
“You really should consider stopping,” Geon said again, breaking into his thoughts.
“I’m starting to get sick and tired of your constant suggestions,” Roy replied. “I told you, I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not,” Geon retorted. “In case you’ve forgotten, you’re out in the middle of the Windblight. That means that there is no food and no water, both of which your squishy human body needs to survive.”
“I’m a Green-Belt now,” Roy retorted.
“Which means you’re only a little less squishy and vulnerable. You still need food and water, and while you might be able to go for a couple of weeks without eating without feeling any ill effects, you’re not going to survive without water for long.”
Roy knew Geon was right, though he hated to admit as much, even to himself. It was basic biology — an irrefutable fact that could not be changed. Sure, he could go for longer without needing water now, but if he still couldn’t find any in about four or five days, he’d really start to feel it, and he’d be dead within ten.
He wasn’t sure how he knew his new limits. It was just a feeling he got from his g
ut, as though the advancement came along with new knowledge. Of course, he’d yet to test his new limits when it came to fighting, although, before his advancement, Roy doubted he’d have been able to break free of that Purple-Belt’s grip, even if he’d used leverage. Still, despite his advancement to Green, Roy had to remember that he lived in a world of monsters.
Sure, if he went back to the Shah clan now, he could probably take them all – Korgo included – but out here, in the Windblight, he was likely as weak as the White-Belts back in the Waterwood. Still, at least he was now at the point where he could protect himself in a fight and not be so horribly outmatched that everyone thought he was a joke. His journey had really only started not too long ago. Roy paused then, his thoughts coming to a screaming halt.
When had his journey started? Surely it couldn’t have been more than a few months, right?
“We’ve been together for the better part of a year,” Geon said.
Roy was annoyed with himself for letting his thoughts trickle through to the Dungeon Core. He’d learned that keeping their thoughts separate was possible, but when his mind grew particularly troubled, Geon was able to see in, to get a peek into his mind and thoughts.
“Has it really been that long?” Roy asked, realizing that if it had, his birthday wouldn’t be too far off.
“I know. It feels like a hundred years, what with how slowly time moves for you squishy humans,” Geon lamented.
Sand tore at Roy’s hair and face then, the wind intensifying, and finally, he had to admit defeat. He was getting nowhere, and with the wind and sand driving into him, he’d lost all sense of direction.
He inhaled through the cloth over his mouth, sucking in a lungful of dry air and cycling Essence through his channels. Qi would have been better, but he saw no point in wasting the precious resource for something so mundane. He crouched, slamming his hand into the sand and tearing away a section of ground. The wind came whipping back, already trying to fill the hole he’d just made.
“Finally taking my advice, I see…” Geon began, but Roy blocked him out.
He worked quickly, digging away a trench within a couple of minutes and dropping in. The strain on his body immediately lessened as the walls of his trench broke the wind and Roy breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t even realized it, but his body had been slowly expending Essence to keep him going. All of that Earth and Wind Essence battering against him must have been doing more damage than he’d realized, and only now that he was out of it did he notice the difference.
“Yes, you were right,” Roy said, not wishing to hear the Dungeon Core go on and on. “There, I admitted it. Now can you please drop it?”
“So long as you know that I was right and you were wrong, I’ll be happy to be the bigger Core and gloat in silence…After one more ‘I told you so.’”
Roy just shook his head, feeling the sand slowly bruise his body. Earth Essence was all around him and was now being joined by Darkness. The already dim lighting began to fade even further as the sandstorm buried him alive, but Roy wasn’t worried. There was enough Wind Essence in here for him to keep breathing, as the sand was loose enough to let it in. Besides, the more sand that was piled on top of him, the less the wind and blowing sand bothered him. Within minutes, he was completely enclosed, buried alive for all intents and purposes.
It wasn’t only darkness that greeted him, but an odd silence as well. In the stillness of his manmade tomb, Roy finally had time to think. Really think. He decided to use the time to try and come up with some sort of plan.
He knew he was in the Windblight – that much was obvious – but he had no idea where in the Windblight he was. The desert was huge, and seeing as he’d never been here before, he didn’t know where he should be going. All he knew about this place was that it bordered the Crater on one side. He had no idea how far that was from Light City and the main branch of the Itachi clan, though.
Right now, his best bet was to wait out the sandstorm and then try and locate a settlement. Yes, this environment was hostile and quite barren, but there had to be people around, as he’d sensed them upon landing. Right now, he couldn’t sense anything other than the wild Essence, but he was sure that he’d be able to pick up the trail once he got out. While there was a lot he didn’t know, he knew for certain that he was in a bad spot.
He had nothing with him. All of his belongings were back in the Itachi homeland, and right now, he had nothing but the clothes on his back, and even they were looking quite tattered and shabby.
“Hey, at least you’ve got me!” Geon said.
“Oh, joy,” he muttered, feeling the exhaustion of his ordeal finally starting to sink in.
He hadn’t had a proper rest in weeks, what with his Trials and constant life-threatening danger. Now that he was out of the storm and surrounded by darkness, he suddenly found it very hard to stay awake. He doubted anything would be out and about in the middle of this storm, so he felt confident enough to shut his eyes.
Maybe a little rest would help give him some perspective, and when he woke up, he’d hopefully be able to formulate some sort of plan. It didn’t take long before he was out cold, and although his sleep was fitful, it was very much needed.
2
It took a full two days for the storm to blow itself out, in which time Roy had finally managed to come up with a modicum of a plan. He hadn’t left the shelter of his makeshift trench the entire time, and when he dug himself to the surface, he was forced to remove his robes to empty them of sand. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation, having sand literally everywhere. As soon as he’d undressed, Roy expelled Essence from his skin, blowing the grit from his body and finally making him feel clean.
“I could really go for some water right about now,” he said, tying his Belt off and squinting around.
“Well, don’t look at me,” Geon replied. “I don’t have any water.”
Roy already knew that, and while he knew complaining would do him no good, his mouth was quite dry. He was already beginning to feel the effects of water deprivation, and had he been a single Dan lower, he suspected he would be experiencing splitting headaches, horrible nausea, and possibly hallucinations as well.
Instead of continuing to talk about water and his lack of it, Roy expanded his Spirit Sense as far as he could in all directions. His range had been increased since his Trials, and he could now feel everything within a half-mile, although it began to grow hazy after around a few dozen yards.
“Your range is still pathetic,” Geon commented as Roy tried to push his limits.
Right now, all he could feel was natural Essence and not so much as a spec of anything else.
“Your words of encouragement are an endless source of joy,” Roy said flatly.
“I do try,” Geon said, once again oblivious – or at least, pretending to be – to the sarcasm.
No matter how much Roy hated to admit it, Geon was right. As far as the range of his Spirit sense, he should have been able to feel more than twice as far at his Advancement stage, but this was an area where he lacked in the extreme. For someone who had a lifetime of experience, it was easy, but Roy hadn’t been a Martial Artist for nearly that long. For most of his life, he’d been a cripple and a freak. So, in his mind, it was a miracle he’d even come this far.
“So, what now?” Geon asked.
Roy’s plan had been to spread his senses outward and then head in the direction that showed the most promise. However, in the storm, he’d become hopelessly lost, and although it was easy to find the four points of the compass, it was impossible to tell which way would be best to travel, especially without any landmarks. He didn’t know where in the Windblight he was, so simply heading west and hoping to find the Crater wouldn’t exactly help. It could be weeks or more of travel to reach the Crater, and for all he knew, he had traveled too far north or south to even find it.
“I guess we just pick a direction and go,” he replied unenthusiastically.
“I was afraid you’d say that
,” Geon said. “You can’t let yourself die out here. I still need you to kill the Beast King and the Supreme of Cloying Darkness.”
“Your concern for my well-being is truly touching,” Roy deadpanned.
“I’m always happy to help.”
Roy rolled his eyes, then turned and picked a random direction — South. He breathed in deeply, allowing his Power Essence to flow through his channels to empower his Movement technique, the Shockwave. It was a bit risky to use a technique out here, but he had little choice. It was either use a technique to speed up his movements or risk dehydration.
He couldn’t sense Water Essence anywhere within his half-mile radius, which meant that there were no people or beasts around either. Normally, he wouldn’t rely on such a crude method of detection, but in a dry and arid place like this, it was perfect. All living things were made up of all Essence types, and if he were looking for it, Water would stand out.
“Hard to believe that I was surrounded by water just a couple of days ago, and now it’s nowhere to be seen,” he commented, taking off with a loud boom.
One downside to his Shockwave was the amount of noise it generated, simply by being used. But that seemed to be Power in a nutshell. Go big, or go home. The nature of Power was abrasive, forceful, and demanded overwhelming might to win any fight. If Roy tried to be even a little sneaky, the techniques wouldn’t work nearly as well. Power was a stubborn Path, one that was rigid and adamant, which was the polar opposite of Water.
Still, Roy wasn’t about to complain. Any Path was better than none, and none was what he’d had for nearly his entire life.
The sand made the going harder than it should have been, and the resistance from the wind was far stronger as well. Then again, the Windblight was full of Wind Essence, so that could hardly be considered surprising.
“How do you think I can go about using my Qi for techniques, instead of Essence?” Roy asked, more to pass the time than anything.