by Aaron Oster
“Well. That could have gone better.”
Roy jumped, his body jerking in surprise as Geon’s voice broke through his confused thoughts. He winced instinctively at the expected pain from his injuries. But, surprisingly enough, he felt absolutely nothing.
Right, he reminded himself. Injuries are healed before and after the test.
Sitting up, Roy looked down at his waist, grimacing as the Yellow-Belt containing three Orange stripes seemed to stare back at him accusingly.
“It’s not my fault I didn’t pass,” he grumbled. “There were just too many of them. And that cheating gem stole all my Essence!”
The belt, of course, didn’t respond. Geon, however, wasn’t so kind.
“Don’t go blaming other people. It was your fault, and no one else’s. You weren’t ready and you decided to go take the test anyway.”
Roy just huffed, moving his legs under him to stand up. He let out a silent sigh of relief when they both responded as they should. He’d been terrified that his failure would result in him being permanently crippled once more. But, thankfully, even that horrific injury had been fixed when he’d left.
“You’re back! That was quick. Did you…oh.”
Roy felt his shoulders slump as Aika’s usually chipper voice trailed off. After seeing the Yellow-Belt still cinched around his waist, it would be fairly obvious that he’d failed. She had warned him against taking the test, saying that he didn’t understand the nature of his Path well enough. But he’d ignored her advice.
The gate had appeared, after all, which meant that he was deemed to be ready. He’d ignored her warnings that the gate would appear once the requisite power was gathered and that the test from Yellow to Orange wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. She’d said that a big part of the test was knowing not how, but when to take it. Just because the gate was there, didn’t mean he was ready.
“Guess you were right,” he said, finding himself unable to face her.
He was too ashamed to see her expression and too ashamed for her to see his.
Aika, however, didn’t rub it in. She merely placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“You gave it your best shot. At least you’ll know what you’re walking into next time.”
“Right. Next time…” Roy said forlornly.
He knew that if he wanted to, he could summon the gate again right now and retake the test. The problem was that should he fail three times, he would be forever stuck at 3rd Dan Yellow. The gates of Advancement would be forever locked, leaving him as he was for the rest of his life.
That could not happen. If he remained stuck at Yellow, he’d never be able to achieve his goals. The Shah clan would remain intact, the current world order of might makes right would continue, and Martial Artists would be able to do as they pleased. As someone who’d been downtrodden his entire life, Roy had truly felt the unfairness of being treated as nothing merely for his inability to fight back.
He was sure that there had to be others like him out there. Not only those born without the ability to fight but those who simply didn’t want to, or those without the talent or drive to keep pushing forward. He couldn’t fail. Not again.
His resolve firmed, and he finally turned to face his friend. Aika had a worried expression on her face which she quickly tried to hide behind a smile.
“Don’t worry about me,” Roy said, meeting her eyes. “I won’t fail again. The next time I emerge from those gates, it will be as an Orange-Belt.”
Aika’s forced smile turned to a genuine one at that, and she patted his shoulder once again, being careful not to put too much force behind it. As a Green-Belt, she’d attained her Core-Body. Something that would seem like a light pat to her could in fact be strong enough to break the bones of someone less sturdy, like Roy.
“I’m glad you’re using this as a learning experience and moving past it. Let’s get back inside. We still have to decide what we’re going to be doing in the long run, and it isn’t safe to stay out in the open like this.”
“Did more patrols pass while I was gone? And how long has it been, by the way?” Roy asked as the two of them headed for the hidden entrance in the tall spire of stone.
“You were gone around three hours, maybe a bit longer,” Aika replied, pressing her hand to an activation port and flooding it with her Essence. “And three separate patrols passed. All from the Beast clan.”
A section of the stone vanished, seemingly into thin air, revealing the room beyond. Aika stepped through, followed by Roy.
“That’s way more than we’ve seen so far,” Roy responded worriedly.
Sure, they’d seen frequent patrols in the area. But they’d never seen so many in such a short period of time.
“It seems like the war is escalating,” Aika responded as the stone morphed back into existence, sealing off the exit. “Come on, let’s grab something to eat and see if we can decide what to do next,” she said, seeing his worried expression.
Roy felt his stomach grumble at the mention of food. He hadn’t realized just how hungry he was, due to all the excitement. Now that the test was over, he was definitely beginning to feel it.
“Sounds good to me,” he replied with a sheepish grin. “I’m so hungry I could probably eat an entire cow!”
3
Roy did not, in fact, eat an entire cow. Two bowls of rice and some steamed chicken were more than enough to fill him up. His years of lean living hadn’t left him with much of an appetite, so it didn’t take much to fill him up. He sat back with a sigh, then felt a light nudging at his elbow.
He looked down to see Ferry nudging him with her snout and looking up at him pleadingly. Roy chuckled, giving the massively oversized ferret what she wanted. Her eyes slit in pleasure, and she relaxed as Roy’s fingers began stroking through the fur behind her ears and under her chin.
“I think it’s time we decided what to do,” he said, turning his attention to Aika.
She’d finished eating as well and was now sipping from a clay mug. As soon as he started talking, a sour look twisted her face, and she set the cup down with a sigh.
“Yeah. We probably should.”
They’d been dawdling in The Crater ever since Roy had fled, unable to decide what to do next. With a war currently going on between her clan and the others in The Crater, Aika understandably wanted to stay close to home. But, seeing as he’d been branded an enemy of the clan, she had to stick by his side. Now, she had to decide who needed her more, and Roy wasn’t looking forward to her answer.
Roy knew what she’d say. After all, if he was in her shoes and had a family that actually cared, he would go help his family. He was expecting Aika to make this choice, so they’d both been putting off having this conversation. She had stuck up for him when Irusaru had kicked him out. She had come after him when no one else would and even saved his life.
Aika understood him better than anyone else did. Then again, seeing as he didn’t have many friends and had loyalty to no one other than himself, and by extension Geon, that wasn’t saying much. He still dreaded losing her. It was nice to talk to someone other than the voice in his head and the oversized ferret who’d once been the Guardian that spoke for the Dungeon.
That was why, when Aika spoke next, he was surprised.
“I think we should risk going through the Beast clan’s territory and head for the Light Fields. There isn’t nearly as much Power Essence there, but there’s no war there either. And even if my grandfather decides to send someone after you, they’ll have to fight through Beast territory to do so. If we…”
“Wait,” Roy said, cutting her off. “You’re coming with me?”
“Yeah,” Aika said, her brows coming together. “I know I’m not the strongest Martial Artists, but I’m sure I can at least protect you better than you can protect yourself right now.”
“No. That’s not what I meant,” Roy said, waving his hand. “What I meant to ask was, don’t you want to stay here and fight for your clan?
I mean, I know you’ve done a lot for me, but you’ve only known me for a few months. Are you really going to leave them to come with me?”
Aika’s cheeks turned a bit pink at that, and she quickly cleared her throat, speaking in a businesslike manner.
“My clan is big enough that a single Green-Belt won’t be missed. Besides, without me, you won’t survive out here. So, I’ve decided that I’m coming with you.”
“Oh,” was all Roy could say to that.
He had no idea how to respond. No one had ever put him ahead of their own needs or the needs of the clan. He’d always been the outcast, the cripple. The one everyone looked down on. He’d never been pitied, just ridiculed. When Irusaru had taken him in, he’d had his first taste of belonging and when he’d met Aika, he’d gotten his first taste of friendship. Now he felt something else. He couldn’t quite place the emotion, as he’d never felt it before.
“I think you humans refer to it as gratitude,” Geon helpfully supplied. “Either that or gas. Not sure which.”
“Thank you,” Roy said. “I wasn’t expecting you to keep traveling with me. But I’m glad you are.”
Aika broke out in her usual trademark grin then, rapping on the table lightly.
“Well then, it seems like its settled. Now all we need to do is teach you a Movement technique.”
“Why?” Roy asked, confused by the sudden shift in conversation.
“We are going to be attempting to move through enemy territory. Even if we move through the narrowest section, it’s still sixty miles to the border. You’ll need that extra speed in case we get into trouble.”
Roy scratched the back of his neck, feeling his nearly empty Core thrumming lightly in his chest. He would need to cultivate, cycle, and purify his Essence before he could even attempt to learn a Movement technique, and even then, he didn’t really know where to start. He voiced his concerns to Aika, but she just brushed him off.
“I’ve got a bit of training to do, so you go cycle. After that, we can work on your technique together!”
“But…Aren’t you on the Path of Light? What would you know about Power Movement techniques?”
While it was true that all techniques had the same general effect, the way one went about using them and how a specific type of Essence reacted to said technique was completely different. It would be like him trying to teach her the Exploding Fist, or having Ferry try to teach him how to use Darkness Essence.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, standing from her chair and brushing off her black robes. “I’ve been around that old man enough to pick up a few things.”
With that, she turned and headed to her room, closing the door behind her. Roy stared after her, feeling Ferry bump his hand again to get him to resume his scratching.
“You’re a spoiled little girl, aren’t you?” Roy muttered as the ferret settled back down.
“Yes, she is. But she said that if you stop, she’ll start leaving little presents in your sleeping mat.”
Roy stared at the ferret, horrified. A low rumble sounded in the Beast’s chest, followed by a light squeaking sound. It took Roy a few seconds to figure out that the ferret was laughing at him. He still had a hard time remembering that Ferry was growing more intelligent by the day. She’d already advanced to 3rd Dan Yellow and, according to Geon, was getting close to Orange.
He had to remind himself that unlike a regular animal, Ferry was a Beast, a creature capable of gathering and refining Essence. This would allow her to advance just like any normal human. And the more she grew, the more intelligent she became. According to Geon, she might even be able to begin speaking soon, though that might still be a ways off. For now, though, she seemed content to communicate through her old master and the only one who could understand her.
“Message received,” Roy said in mock seriousness.
The ferret gave a light huff, then placed her massive head back on the floor and closed her eyes. Seeing as he wouldn’t be able to leave until the ferret went to sleep, Roy decided to do a bit of reading and review the different techniques. Seeing as he was attempting to learn a Movement technique, it would be good for him to review what he’d read so long ago in the Waterwood when he’d gone to gather gravel.
Reaching into the small bag hanging from the back of the chair, Roy retrieved the book he’d pilfered from the Shah clan’s library and flipped to the section on techniques.
Techniques: The tools of the Martial Artist.
All Martial Artists will train various techniques over the course of their lives. While there are nine overall technique types, they can be broken down into two categories: Body and Spirit.
Body techniques focus on enhancing the Martial Artist’s physical fighting power, enhancing strength, speed, and defense.
Spirit techniques focus on enhancing the Essence-based attacks, focusing on distance, terrain, and containment.
There are four each of Body and Spirit, with the ninth technique being a combination of them both. All those who manage to combine their techniques into a single one has earned the title of Master and are considered to be true Martial Artist.
Roy had since amended his view of what a true Martial Artist was. Back when he’d lived in the Waterwood, he’d believed Green-Belt to be the pinnacle of power for anyone. Now, however, he had a more liberal view of what true power was. He’d seen a Green level beast be obliterated in an instant and learned of Martial Artists capable of destroying mountains with just the force of their will.
In his opinion, a true Martial Artist was someone who always strived to improve. Someone who didn’t scorn tutelage and didn’t look down on those who were of lower cultivation than themselves. That was a true Martial Artist.
In addition, each technique can be improved upon a total of five times, increasing their power and potency, as well as cost and risk to the user. These improvements are called Stages.
Roy had added that last part in himself after Aika had explained how she’d managed to reach him so quickly. Apparently, any technique could always be improved to be more powerful, saving any Martial Artist a lot of time in developing newer techniques once they advanced. Flipping to the next page, he continued reading.
Body techniques: Control of the physical self.
Physical: These affect the body directly, strengthening blows, or lending them special properties. They are great in hand-to-hand fighting and are most useful to those following a more martial path. The downside to these is that the user must make physical contact for the techniques to work.
Movement: These affect how the body will move. This technique can increase speed, flexibility, dexterity, and so on. These techniques cannot directly harm anyone, but they can be used to bolster one’s own body and techniques.
Armorer: These affect how the body will stand up to damage. They are one of the most important for any Martial Artist, as they provide the bulk of their defense unless they manage to reach Green. While Yellow-Belts gain a certain degree of immunity to physical harm, it is nothing compared to what one would receive at Orange. Even that is a pale imitation of the immunity gained at Green. The downside to these is that the more punishment that is taken, the more taxing it will be on your Essence reserves.
Full-body: These techniques are the culmination of all three Body techniques combined. These techniques will lend the Martial Artist the aspects of all three of their Body techniques, multiplying their effects many times over. You should not attempt to use it until all three Body techniques have been thoroughly mastered. One slip-up can end in disaster.
Spirit techniques: Control of Essence.
Projected: These techniques are used to control Essence, projecting it outward and forming an attack. They are most typically used for range, but some Martial Artists have been known to use them to enhance Physical techniques. The downside to these techniques is that it requires a lot of concentration and leaves the body vulnerable to attacks.
Terrain: These techniques are used to control Essence out
side the body, affecting the terrain itself. The Martial Artist uses their will to control the ambient Essence and bend it to their will. This technique can be used even if the Martial Artist has no Essence stored within their core. The downside is the risk that the Martial Artist will lose control of the Essence, causing it to run wild. Therefore, it is suggested that the core always be at least half full when attempting to use one.
Containment: These techniques are used to control others, or more precisely, to either capture someone or contain powerful attacks. These require an extreme amount of control and concentration and are normally slow to form.
Full-area: These powerful attacks are the culmination of all three Spirit techniques combined. The Martial Artist would reach out to the ambient Essence, then combine it with their own. They would then use their Containment technique to hold it in place and trigger a technique that covered a wide or targeted area. Like the Full-body technique, this should not be attempted until all three Spirit techniques are mastered.
Master-level technique: Mastery of Body and Spirit.
Conqueror: This technique gives one full control over their body and environment. They combine the uses of all the others and demand a massive amount of both Essence and control. This is the mark of a Master in the Martial Arts.
Roy stopped scratching the Beast for a moment and flipped a few pages. There was a small mark near each technique corresponding to a page further on in the book, which would give more information on that particular technique. Ferry grumbled a bit, but Roy soon found the correct page and continued his ministrations.
The Flowing Snake: Movement Technique on the Path of Water.
The Flowing Snake is the Movement technique that is most commonly used by those on the Path of Water in the Shah clan. Though others undoubtedly exist, this one is by far superior to any other.