Fire (Buryoku Book 5)

by Aaron Oster

  “Once you’re through that gate, you’re going to turn to the right, then follow the outside line of buildings. Once we’re lined up with the meeting hall, we’ll turn back in our current direction and head straight there.”

  Ferry nodded, picking up speed a bit as they neared the gate.

  It was strange how smoothly things were going so far. They’d made it quite far without arousing any suspicion, and Roy kept thinking they would be discovered at any moment. No plan went this well, especially where he was concerned. But as they streaked along the row of houses – all much nicer than his had ever been – and turned to make a beeline for the meeting hall, Roy wondered if he was just being paranoid.

  After all, the Shah were a bunch of weaklings. Their leader was a Green-Belt, for crying out loud! And after seeing what he’d seen and fighting the Martial Artists he’d fought, Roy had a new appreciation for what true strength was.

  As they drew closer to the meeting hall, Ferry was constantly forced to dodge and weave her way through the crowds, which were thickening. The people around here lounged about, talking, dining, and generally doing nothing for the clan's betterment, while those located outside toiled and worked to keep them fed.

  Roy felt his anger begin to boil once more as he saw many more familiar faces. These were the elite of the clan, those who were wealthy, powerful, and had no small amount of influence. Roy was tempted to jump off Ferry’s back, reveal himself and then start beating the ever-living crap out of these people for their arrogance and self-importance.

  It was only their mission and knowledge that it would be completely against his Ideal to do so that kept him in place.

  “There it is,” he said, pointing ahead to a long building that stood in the center of a small lake.

  Over a dozen bridges led to a balcony walkway that wrapped around the exterior of the building, each guarded by four Martial Artists, who barred entry to all but those who’d earned the title of Elder. There was only a single way into the building – as far as he knew, anyway – which would be at the back, where no bridges would lead.

  “We’re going to have to jump over them,” he said as they neared.

  There was no other way past them, other than jumping into the water, and with this many people around, that wouldn’t exactly be smart.

  Ferry sped up, and Roy once again felt Aika drag on his Belt as they did. The leap was smooth and easy, Ferry sailing over the heads of the unwitting guards and landing so softly that they didn’t hear a thing.

  They slowed as they reached the end of the bridge, then turned, racing along the wooden planks until they found the entrance. The door was closed, and the closest bridges were around the right and left corners, putting them in a very stupidly thought-out blind spot.

  “What now?” Aika asked in a lowered tone as Roy dropped to the ground, their group still shrouded in Qi and keeping them invisible to the eye, as well as most Spirit Senses the Shah could muster. It wouldn’t hurt to stay careful, even if the door was a blind spot.

  “I go have a reunion with my lovely family,” Roy muttered, straightening his back.

  “What do we do?” Ferry asked.

  “Follow my lead,” Roy replied as he placed a hand on the door. “Drop the shroud in three, two…”

  6

  The doors to the meeting hall burst open when they got to one, and Roy rushed in, followed closely by Aika and Ferry as the shroud of Qi vanished.

  “Bar the door,” Roy said as they entered, taking in their surroundings.

  Twenty-four elders sat around a raised table at the center of the wide, open room. It was a massive waste of space, leaving over a dozen yards between the table and any wall. They’d all been talking, bickering about one thing or another when the group had burst in unannounced. Of course, they reacted accordingly.

  “Who dares disturb this meeting?” demanded Shah Eyla, a withered old crone, as she rose from her seat.

  All of the other elders were glaring at them as Roy moved further in, motioning Aika and Ferry to remain by the door to assure that none of them could make it out before he got to question them.

  “Don’t you all recognize me?” Roy asked as he walked confidently into the light streaming down from a skylight set above the table – another pointless and extravagant expense.

  Several more elders shot to their feet, all demanding he either leave, bow and beg forgiveness, or die for his impudence.

  Roy’s eyes swept over the gathered elders, finally landing on the man he’d come here to see. Shah Korgo looked the same as ever, if a bit more drawn. The Base Green-Belt still sat around his waist, and as Roy expanded his Spirit Sense over the room, he found the collective power of the elders quite underwhelming.

  Once, these people had inspired fear. They had been larger than life titans who stood above all the rest. Now, all Roy saw was a bunch of children playing at a game they could not even comprehend.

  “Wait, I know you!” a voice Roy recognized called out, sounding above the cacophony.

  So, she’s the new elder, Roy thought as his eyes swiveled to lock on the woman who’d taken special care to make his life miserable.

  Shah Lynn stood, her 3rd Dan Orange-Belt – one Dan up from the last time he’d seen her – standing proudly around her waist.

  “Shah Lynn,” Roy said, his lips forming a flat line. “How unpleasant it is to see you again. And here I’d been hoping you’d have died in some horrible accident. Oh, well.”

  A hushed silence fell over the room at that and Roy had the distinct pleasure of watching the woman’s face go through a variety of expressions before settling on red-faced rage.

  “How dare you?!” Lynn exclaimed. “I am an elder, and you are just a crippled freak! An outcast who should long have been dead!”

  She paused, the realization finally seeming to sink in.

  “How are you still alive?”

  “Long story really,” Roy said, beginning to pace around the room. “Let’s just say I had an enlightening experience when Koya and the goon twins tossed me in your Dungeon to die.”

  His eyes continued roaming around the room, looking for one man’s face in particular but not finding it among the elders.

  “Wait, you survived the Dungeon?” another of the elders, Rainer, asked.

  “Obviously,” Roy replied with an eye-roll. “Where’s Elder Shota? I don’t see him here.”

  “Shota is dead,” Lynn snapped, glaring at Rainer for daring to speak. She had always been a prideful and self-important person.

  “How?” Roy asked.

  “None of your business, freak!” Lynn snapped. “But you have a lot of explaining to do, especially seeing as Koya and the rest left over a year ago to track down those who stole our Dungeon!”

  “I did,” Roy said with a shrug.

  Stunned silence greeted his proclamation, and Roy felt a distinct sense of pride at that. The Shah had treated him horribly, and stealing their biggest source of income had given him endless joy, even if Geon was annoying. He’d allowed that to slip to the back of his mind, what with all that had happened since he’d left. But now that he was back, that joy returned in full force.

  The silence stretched for another few moments before the elders all began shouting at once. Roy’s eyes flicked to Korgo, who had remained seated, all but glaring at him.

  He knows something, Roy thought, glaring right back.

  “Obviously,” Geon said, interrupting his thoughts. “Your weird sleep visions told you that. Are you sure you can trust those, by the way? Your squishy human brain shows you some truly bizarre things when you’re sleeping. Once, you were walking around naked in front of a pink and green—”

  Roy slammed his thoughts shut on the Dungeon Core, wondering if Geon had access to all of his dreams. If so, Roy was very glad that he couldn’t talk to very many people, because if Aika found out about some of his dreams, it would be mortifying.

  “Quiet! All of you!” Lynn shouted, bringing Roy back to the
present. “This freak has the nerve to show his face here, openly admitting to stealing our Dungeon after all the Shah clan did for him when his filthy mother died!”

  The other elders went silent as Lynn strode off the dais, hands clasped behind her back, a smug smile lurking just below the surface.

  “We took him in out of the goodness of our hearts. Fed and clothed him, and kept doing so, even after the freak got himself crippled by a boar. We even saved his life and generously gave him a place in our ranks, despite his weakness. I say that he should die a death of a hundred cuts, right here and now!”

  Roy looked down at his Belt, then at his fully functioning and obviously not crippled leg, as the elders cheered. He wondered if they were all willfully ignoring the obvious or if their moronic minds simply couldn’t comprehend how badly outmatched they were. Still, he’d come here for only one person, and despite their treatment of him, he would still give them a chance.

  “I wasn’t taken in out of the goodness of anyone’s heart,” Roy said, directing these words to Korgo. “I know that the Shah killed my mother, then dragged me back here for some reason. All my life, I’ve been told how lucky I was to be allowed in this clan. Even now, you spout your lies to my face and call for my death.

  “Unlike you, I am not unreasonable. I’ll give you all a chance to back off. Korgo is the only one I want because he knows what happened to my mother. The Heralds are one of the Seven Great clans of Safaia, and all the way our here, in the Outer Edge, none of you should have had any reason to attack us. Which makes me think that there were others involved, weren’t there?” Roy said, staring at Korgo the entire time.

  He watched as the man’s eyes widened a bit before he quickly hid it behind an expression of anger.

  “I am the head of the Shah!” Korgo roared. “I will not be slandered by a crippled freak!”

  “You can all clearly see that I am no longer a cripple and have gained strength far superior to your own. If any of you value your lives, you’ll back down now.”

  Roy narrowed his eyes as golden light began coating his skin, highlighting the color of his Belt even more.

  “I’ve never seen a Belt like that before,” Lynn said, stepping forward confidently. “And we, the Elders of the Shah, all know that there’s no such thing as Blue-Belt.”

  “Are you so stupid that you think Green is the most powerful a Martial Artist can become?” Roy asked.

  “Of course not,” Lynn said with a condescending smile. “White comes after Green, symbolizing a full circle of power and that a Martial Artist has reached their peak. But I wouldn’t expect a weakling like you to know that.”

  “Enough talk,” Korgo said. “Kill him for his impudence! Then kill his little friends as well. We will mount their heads for all to see, and it will discourage anyone from questioning our strength ever again!”

  “You two stay back,” Roy said, extending an arm as both Aika and Ferry stepped forward.

  “But, Roy —” Aika began.

  “No buts,” Roy said, keeping his eyes locked on the Shah clan leader. “You two guard the doors and watch for any who try and run. The rest of them are mine.”

  Aika hesitated for another moment before letting out an annoyed huff and retreating to the door alongside Ferry.

  “You’re making a mistake in not getting your little friends to help,” Lynn said. “Not that it would have mattered either way. We’re elders, and you’re just a cripple!”

  Two of the elders rushed him at that, Water Blades spinning up around them as they channeled their Water Essence. They used the typical Shah cultivation technique, and with his improved Spirit Sense, Roy could feel how their Essence moved.

  “Make sure to leave some for me,” Lynn called. “I want at least a few cuts in before he goes.”

  Roy let out a snort, then pulled his right leg back and raised his arms. The first man, Shah Pente, rushed him, throwing a Water Blade and trying to bisect him, contrary to Lynn’s wishes. Where once the attack would have sliced him in two before Roy could even see what had happened, the blade of condensed Water Essence moved through the air at a snail’s pace, easily giving Roy the time he needed to dodge.

  He stepped to his right, pivoted on his foot, then spun around the attack, letting it sail by him, slamming into the wall and leaving a small cut in the wood. The man stumbled, shocked that his attack had missed. The second elder, who’d been counting on Roy falling, had already unleashed their attack, which now smashed into the floor ineffectually where Roy was supposed to be.

  Elder Pente blinked a few times as Roy stepped right up to him, then drove a fist into his stomach.

  There was no technique involved in this attack, only a pure punch, powered by his enhanced body that had been reforged in Qi. The 1st Dan Orange-Belt was folded in half under the force of the blow, and Roy felt ribs crack and break as his fist sank in deeper. Blood sprayed from the man’s open mouth as he was sent tumbling back, the contents of his lunch following a moment later and showering his nearby companions in the disgusting bodily fluids.

  The man crashed to the ground, spasming and retching up blood, clutching at his ruined chest and the damaged organs within.

  Truthfully, Roy hadn’t expected a simple, unpowered punch to do so much damage, especially seeing as he hadn’t put his whole body weight behind the blow. But he was a Blue-Belt, while Pente was only at 1st Dan Orange. There was a vast gap between the two of them, one that Roy himself hadn’t fully comprehended until now.

  He looked down quickly, wondering if the Belt had changed to Purple, but oddly enough, it was still Blue.

  Stunned silence permeated the room as everyone stared at Pente, the man continuing to retch and bleed all over the place. Several elders who’d been standing nearby stood back with sounds of disgust. Some stared at Roy in shock, while others, in anger. Korgo glared at him, but now, Roy could see a hint of fear in those eyes.

  Korgo knew. Even if all the others didn’t, he did. There was no way he was getting out of this, not with Roy alive.

  “What are you all just standing around for?!” the man snapped, finally breaking the silence. “He just got in a lucky shot.”

  Roy resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the others nodded to themselves, squaring their shoulders and preparing to continue the attack. Though, if he were being honest with himself, he was going to enjoy destroying the people who’d tormented him for over fifteen years of his life. It was wrong to pick on those who were weaker than himself, but if anyone deserved it, it was the Shah.

  7

  Shah Korgo felt his heartrate increase notably as the boy marched in. From the moment he saw him, he knew he was finished. Unlike the others there, he remembered this man’s mother, that demoness who’d killed so many of their own. Of course, at the time, he hadn’t been the one in charge, or he’d have ordered the boy dead as soon as the mother was killed. But, over time, he’d begun to relax.

  A crippled, coreless freak couldn’t do much to avenge a dead mother he didn’t remember, and when he’d disappeared – presumed dead – he hadn’t batted an eye.

  Now, his worst nightmare had come to pass. The boy had come back from the dead, resurrected with a Belt he’d never seen, and carrying more power than anyone in his clan. Worse, he remembered that the Shah had been responsible for his mother’s death and that Korgo had been there for it. He wasn’t sure how this had happened, but at the moment, it didn’t really matter.

  Shah Ursa went sailing past him, slamming into the far wall and leaving a red smear as he crumpled to the ground. There was a hole in his torso where his stomach had once been, leaving him in no doubt that the man was very much dead.

  Two more elders threw themselves at the Herald boy, finding themselves quickly dispatched in a similarly brutal fashion. He moved so quickly and fluidly, his strikes landing with more force than should be possible by how little he moved. Korgo could sense no techniques being used either and could only dimly sense the movement of energy in his body.<
br />
  This boy was a Power cultivator, a very rare Path to follow. His own Water Path wasn’t exactly rare in the Shah clan, and although he’d advanced to Green and obtained a Core-Body, Korgo knew he wouldn’t be going any farther. This boy seemed to be a living demon just like his mother but worse somehow.

  Where his mother had been desperate and weak, he was controlled and strong, facing down the toughest the Shah clan had and not even flinching. More, he made fighting all of those powerful Martial Artists look effortless, like he wasn’t even trying.

  Korgo felt his hands tighten at his sides, muscles tensing as he began to plan his escape. His eyes flicked to the wall on his left, to a small knot of wood that, when pressed, would open a trapdoor, dropping him into the lake below. From there, he could escape underwater to a small cavern dug out beneath the lake. There, he could hide, containing his Core and waiting for these monsters to leave.

  Another elder dropped, her left shoulder popped out of its socket and the left side of her face bloodied and broken.

  Korgo swallowed hard once more, his body beginning to tremble. He just needed to wait for the perfect moment, and then he could run as far away from this monster as he could and hope the other clans of the Waterwood didn’t hear about this. The Felrin and Diadei were opportunists, after all, just as the Shah. If any of them got wind of this, their clan would be invaded within the week.

  A scream of pain, horrible and piercing, rang out as one of the elders finally managed to land a strike, driving a punch directly into the Herald’s nose. It wasn’t the freakish monster who had uttered that scream. Shah Ingo was on his knees, clutching his arm, which was broken in five places and bleeding from where pieces of bone had torn through the skin.

  It was a sickening sight indeed, one that showcased just how monstrous this beast was. He wasn’t even trying, and the elders, the most powerful fighters in the clan, were falling like weeds. Herald Leroy looked up then, their eyes meeting for a brief instant. They were hard, merciless, and flashed with a golden light as he struck the screaming Ingo in the head. A small puff of golden light flowed from his hand as the blow landed, and pieces of Ingo showered them all, the man’s body collapsing to the ground.