Fire (Buryoku Book 5)

by Aaron Oster

  Ending up in the Waterwood had been a shock to be sure, and it was why he’d taken this long to decide on a course of action and make it here. The dream had helped give him the push he’d needed, but even so, forcing himself to come back was not easy.

  Each and every step he took reminded him of a time when he’d been weak, a cripple with only one good leg and a freak who had no Core or Path. Now, he was returning, over a year after Shah Koya had left him to die in their clan’s Dungeon. He didn’t know how the clan was doing since their main source of income had been destroyed, but seeing as the clan was still running, they must have figured something out.

  “We’ve been sitting here for over an hour,” Aika said, breaking him from his thoughts. “I know this can’t be easy for you, but we need to either make a move or wait until tomorrow.”

  Roy sighed, then turned to Ferry.

  “Grab him, and make sure to keep a hand over his mouth the entire time, even if he tries to bite.”

  Ferry, who’d been lying on the ground and snoozing, rolled to her stomach, Darkness Essence already cloaking her form. There was a reason she was doing this covert task, as Roy’s Power Path would make a lot of noise. Aika was capable of keeping herself hidden as well, but they wanted to use Ferry’s brute strength in hauling their prisoner back no matter how much they struggled. Yes, Aika was also strong enough to do that, but Ferry’s height would make it an all-around easier job where she was concerned.

  The humanoid ferret darted from the cover of trees, her body all but disappearing as she was cloaked in her Essence. The Shah Artist – a 3rd Dan Yellow, looked in their direction, as he must have felt something. Roy froze, wondering if they’d been spotted, but after a moment, the man just shook his head and went back to his patrol.

  Roy had forgotten just how weak most of the Shah clan was. Although they’d been far superior for most of his life, he’d spent so much time amongst powerful Martial Artists that he now realized how truly pathetic the Shah clan was in comparison. They considered Orange-Belts of the 3rd Dan or higher to be elders, when children were Orange-Belts in most clans.

  A shadow appeared at the man’s back, and Ferry materialized a moment later. Before the man could so much as turn, one of her hands clamped over his mouth and the other wrapped tightly around his chest. The man’s shouts were muffled as he was easily hauled off his feet and dragged back into the tree line.

  “Good job,” Roy said as she reappeared next to them, easily holding the thrashing man aloft.

  His eyes were wide and manic as he struggled against the powerful Beast, but no matter how hard he thrashed, there was no way he was going to break free.

  “What now?” Ferry asked, giving him a questioning look.

  “We move back a bit more to question him,” Roy replied, already rising to his feet.

  They moved deeper into the forest and away from the regular patrol paths of the Shah Artists, only stopping once they’d put a good half-mile between them.

  “Listen carefully,” Roy said, grabbing the man’s face and making sure to meet his eyes. “My friend here is going to let you go. You’re going to stay very quiet, except to answer my questions. If you try and scream, I’ll kill you. If you try to run, I’ll kill you. Do you understand?”

  The man, eyes wide, nodded quickly. Roy looked up to Ferry, then gave her a nod. The man dropped to the ground, gasping and trembling. Ferry remained where she was, towering over him, while Aika flanked him on his left. Even if he tried to run, he wouldn’t make it two steps.

  “Wh…Who are you?” the man asked, looking up fearfully.

  “I’m asking the questions,” Roy said, all but glaring down at him.

  The man cringed, covering his head as if he were trying to ward them off.

  “What is the state of the Shah clan?” Roy asked.

  “What?” the man replied, seeming confused.

  “You heard me,” Roy said. “What is the state of the clan?”

  “Um…Okay?”

  Roy growled deep in his throat, and the man cringed again.

  “I won’t ask again,” Roy said, trying to keep himself calm. “Answer the question. In detail.”

  The man swallowed nervously, looking between the angry faces looking down on him. His eyes flicked between their Belts, though he likely wouldn’t recognize the colors. In the Waterwood, no one had ever passed Base Green, so they would have never seen a Blue-Belt before. Still, based on Ferry’s strength alone, he should already know that his chances of fighting his way free were close to none.

  “The clan is doing well enough,” the man said. “Trade is good. We’ve found some new gathering spots in the last year. Added a new elder to our ranks. Our military is strong as ever, and just so you know, the clan will destroy you for this. We number in the thousands. You’ll never get away.”

  That last part was thrown in as a desperate attempt to scare them off.

  “Where did you find new resources?” Roy asked. “Your Dungeon was destroyed.”

  “How did you…? Who are you?” the man asked, looking up at Roy.

  “Just answer the question,” Roy said.

  The man hesitated, but when Ferry’s hand landed on his shoulder, he started speaking in a rush.

  “A new clan came into the Waterwood a few months back. They brought some stuff with them, and in exchange for finding them a spot that was unoccupied, they gave us the means to rebuild.”

  “And what clan would this be?” Roy asked.

  All his life, the Waterwood had been home to only three — the Shah, Felrin, and Diadei.

  “They call themselves the Beast clan,” the man said, causing Aika to start in surprise.

  “And why would they bother trading with you?” she asked, leaning down and grabbing the man’s face. “From what I’ve heard, you’re all just a bunch of weaklings. Who’s their leader?”

  The man yelped in pain as Aika squeezed his face, and Roy had to haul her back to stop her from killing him. As a Tonde, she had a deep-seated hatred for the Beast clan, and although their Supreme, the Beast King, had been killed, it seemed the dregs of their clan had retreated from the Crater and come to the Waterwood.

  “Let me go!” Aika snapped, trying to wriggle free to get at the man.

  “Calm down,” Roy muttered so that only she could hear. “If you kill him, he won’t be able to answer our questions.”

  Aika growled, but stopped struggling and gave him an imperceptible nod.

  “Better answer the question,” Roy said, turning back to stare at the man. “Otherwise, I can’t promise my friend won’t kill you.”

  “Why wouldn’t they come to us?” the man said, on the verge of panic. “They’re a small clan, no more than a hundred or so members.”

  “And their leader?” Aika asked. “Who is he?”

  “A man named Ryehard,” the man replied. “He’s a 3rd Dan Orange-Belt and the strongest among them. That’s all I know, I swear!”

  Roy and Aika shared a look, then she relaxed fully. The dregs indeed.

  “Where is Shah Korgo located right now?” Roy asked, releasing Aika.

  “What? What do you want with him?” the man asked.

  “We just want to ask him a few questions,” Roy replied.

  “Well, I’m not telling you,” the man said, crossing his arms. “I won’t betray the clan.”

  “You already have,” Roy said flatly. “Now tell us where he is, or I’ll kill you.”

  “Go ahead then,” the man said stubbornly. “But I won’t go down without a fight! And my clan will avenge me! I…Ack!” The man cut off as Ferry seized him by the throat and hauled him into the air.

  The man kicked and struggled as he rose higher until Ferry’s arm was locked out straight.

  “Look,” Roy said, walking around so that he could face him once more. “Either you can tell me what I want to know, or my friend can start eating you one piece at a time.”

  Ferry looked to him at that, her eyes going a bit wide
.

  “I don’t want to eat him,” she said, speaking into his mind. “He smells yucky.”

  “Don’t worry,” Roy replied. “It’s just a threat. I won’t really make you eat him. Just pretend you will. Scare him a bit. Hopefully, it’ll be enough.”

  Ferry’s mouth opened in an O, then she turned back to the man and bared her teeth. Although her mouth was much more proportional to her body now that she’d chosen a humanoid form, her canines were still quite large and very sharp.

  “What, still not talking?” Roy asked as the man tried to turn his face away. “Okay. How about we start with a finger? Does that sound good?”

  The man let out a choked scream as Roy seized his hand, forcing his index finger out and pulling it toward Ferry’s mouth.

  “He’s having a meeting with the elders!” the man screamed as his finger neared Ferry’s overlarge teeth.

  His face was beet-red by now, and he had to be close to passing out.

  “You wouldn’t be lying to us, now would you?” Roy asked, pulling the finger a bit closer.

  “No! No! I swear!” the man gasped, his eyes starting to roll up into his head.

  Roy stared at the man for a few more moments, then nodded to Ferry. She released him, allowing him to drop back to the ground, sputtering and gasping for air.

  “Are you sure we can trust him?” Aika asked in a lowered tone as the man rubbed at his neck.

  “Maybe, but I think we can make sure if we push just a little harder.”

  Aika nodded as the two of them turned back.

  “Alright then. The two of us will head in for a little chat with the clan head. Ferry will stay here with you to make sure you haven’t lied to us. If we don’t return within the next two hours, she’ll start taking you apart piece by piece.”

  The man’s face went pale and he started to beg.

  “Please! You won’t make it out. There’s no chance you’ll get past the entire clan and make it to the central hall! And even if you do, the elders will kill you all! Please don’t take pieces away!”

  Roy looked to Aika, who shrugged, then up to Ferry, who looked as though she wanted to do nothing less than stay and guard this man. Finally, he just shrugged, leaned down, and slugged the man in the jaw.

  He collapsed without so much as a sound, his eyes rolling up into his head and remaining prone as Roy stepped back.

  “Leave him up a tree,” he told Ferry. “Make sure the branch is stable enough to hold him and tie him tight. That should give us plenty of time to make it into the hall, seal it, and make sure the clan isn’t alerted to our presence.”

  “Won’t they hear us once we start fighting?” Aika asked.

  “The elders are a bunch of arrogant, self-important, superior snobs,” Roy said. “Do you really think they’d want their conversations to be overheard?”

  Aika slowly shook her head, a grin spreading across her face.

  “We make it in, bar the doors, and no one will be the wiser,” Roy said, returning the grin. “Now, stick him up in that tree, and let’s go!”

  5

  Roy clung to Ferry’s back as they streaked through the forest, hating the fact that his Path made sneaking around so impossible. He’d ridden on her back plenty of times back when she’d been in her bestial shape, but now that she appeared humanoid, it just felt strange. Of course, Ferry didn’t mind, thinking it was a lot of fun to be carrying him again, while Aika, oddly enough, seemed a bit sulky.

  There had been a bit of a debate as to who should carry him before they’d headed out to enact their plans, and Ferry had very obviously won out.

  Aika streaked along beside them, all but glaring ahead, as though the trees had somehow offended her.

  “We’re coming up on the first structures,” Roy said. “Grab onto my Belt, and I’ll guide Ferry and try to avoid stepping in any water if possible.”

  Aika grunted, then moved closer to do as he asked.

  Both Light and Darkness Qi spiraled out around them, shrouding their forms and obscuring their presence. Using Qi instead of Essence should hide them better, but the Shah were all Water Artists, so avoiding the stuff where possible could only help them.

  Roy felt his heart begin to speed up as they reached the perimeter, marking the first of the houses. Out here, they were dilapidated, made of older wood and poor building materials. People moved about their business, performing their day-to-day tasks, completely unaware of the Martial Artists sneaking into their midst.

  Ferry abruptly sped up as they passed, and Roy felt a tugging on his Belt before Aika sped up to match.

  “Lean to the left,” Roy said, projecting his thoughts to her. “Aim for that cluster of pools in the distance.”

  “This was your home?” Ferry asked, subtly shifting direction.

  “Unfortunately,” Roy replied, looking around at the thronging masses of people.

  He didn’t recognize any of them, but that was hardly a surprise. The Shah clan was massive, containing thousands of members. Plus, he’d lived on the opposite side of the clan’s lands and had hardly ever needed to come this way. Still, he knew his way around and would have no trouble finding the elders’ meeting hall.

  “Are you angry, Roy?” Ferry asked.

  Roy was honestly not sure what to feel. He hadn’t been expecting to return so soon, and seeing this place was bringing back some very bad memories, especially as they drew closer to the cultivation pools.

  “You’re going to weave between those houses and move right. When you see the tall statue, you’re going to turn and head into the third alley.”

  Ferry dug in her heels, flashing by the pools, and Roy only got a brief glimpse of the youngest generation of the Shah, all standing and practicing their Paths. He felt a flash of anger as he saw a few Orange-Belts directing the training and recognized more than a few of them.

  These were people who were strong by the standards of the clan, but not enough to become elders. Several of them had either taken pleasure in tormenting him or had turned a blind eye when others had partaken.

  They were gone in a second, as Ferry wove between several Martial Artists on her way to the center, where the statue of the first Shah stood. They bumped into several people in their passing, sending them sprawling, but were gone before they could react. Roy imagined that they would likely start throwing around blame and begin bickering, and although he’d have loved nothing more than to see a bunch of the Shah fighting one another, he simply didn’t have the time.

  There was no knowing how much longer this meeting of the elders would last, and he wasn’t going to miss his opportunity.

  “Wow. That’s a big stone man,” Ferry said as the statue came into sight.

  It was a towering figure around twenty feet tall, the stone weathered and aged, its features marred by the passing of time. Still, this was one of the staples of the Shah, something in which they took pride.

  “I’m going to destroy it before we leave,” Roy thought pettily.

  “Why?” Ferry asked.

  He winced mentally as he realized he’d been projecting his thoughts, but now that she’d asked, he would have to answer.

  “Because they like the stone man, and I don’t like them,” he replied.

  It was an extremely simplistic way of explaining things, but the intricacies of the statue’s history and all that it stood for would go way over the ferret’s head.

  “You do realize that breaking some piece of stone won’t make any difference, right?” Geon said, cutting into their conversation.

  “They like it, so I’m going to break it,” Roy said stubbornly as they dashed into the square and Ferry pulled sharply to the left, streaking into the designated alleyway.

  “Wow. Who knew you were so petty?”

  “Says the pettiest man I’ve even met,” Roy shot back.

  “I am not a man. I am a Dungeon Core.”

  Roy sighed.

  “Why are you sad?” Ferry asked.

  “I’m not�
��” Roy began, then stopped.

  Ferry was right. He wasn’t just angry. A great feeling of sadness seemed to be looming over him as well, which was confusing, considering his memories of this place.

  “I don’t know,” he admitted, guiding her past a group of playing children and out into the open rice-fields that separated the outer living spaces from the inner ones.

  “Can I make you feel better?” Ferry asked. “You always make me feel better when I’m sad.”

  Roy smiled at that, reaching up and scratching her ears in the way she liked.

  “You already have.”

  “I did?” Ferry asked, sounding pleased.

  Roy sighed, then pressed his face into her shoulder, feeling the soft fur tickle his cheek. For a moment, he was transported back in time to when they were running through the Waterwood together. Despite her change, she still smelled the same as she had — clean, with an earthy undertone.

  “Yes,” Roy replied. “You did.”

  Ferry didn’t say anything after that, but he felt a sense of contentment floating back through their mental link as they dashed across the open fields.

  It was harder to avoid stepping in water here, seeing as it was pretty much all water, but Ferry did her best to stick to established pathways. Several times, clan members looked up at their passing, but catching an invisible, fast-moving enemy wasn’t exactly easy when you were two or three stages of advancement below them.

  The spray of water hit his back and Roy soon found himself feeling quite wet. But in the Waterwood, staying dry was never an easy thing, and having spent much of his life in this state, Roy found that he didn’t mind too much.

  “We’re coming up on the inner living areas,” Roy said as he spotted the edge of the fields over Ferry’s shoulder. “You see that gate?”

  Ferry nodded, though it was less of a gate and more of an archway that set a separation between the important members of the clan and the so-called trash.