Nestling

by Lupine King

  So he did what felt best. He would run forward when he saw an opening using his superior speed and he would use his strength to bludgeon things when the need arose. He would also cast whatever spells were appropriate in the situation. At least, that’s what he did until he heard what Kalian said.

  “…there’s more to speed than just running really fast.”

  A lamp lit in his head. The bastard was right. He knew how to attack, how to defend, he knew how to cast spells and create arrays but he did not know how to move. Steelborns did not dodge, they did not run around. They deflected hits until they found an opening and then, they countered. They did not go fast. They advanced steadily. In his heart, somehow, Valerian knew that just did not do it for him.

  It was Kalian who let him understand that. In claiming his family was born and raised to be the best in speed, he reminded Valerian that he could say the same for his family. Not the Steelborns! The Golden Winged Pengs. His ancestor was the fastest of all the divine birds and he had inherited that blood legacy. If that was not being born to speed, what was?

  There was one problem though. Unlike the DriftClouds, he had no legacy technique to use. Too bad neither his mother nor the Peng had thought to leave him some way to make use of his abilities. Then, Valerian remembered the dreams he had had in the egg. The memories of the Peng. He thought back to what his grandmother had taught him about high-class daemons and how they left hereditary memories to their descendants containing techniques and cultivation experiences.

  That was where the answer was, inside the memories the Peng had left him. Valerian had no real certainty of his assumption but his instinct told him he was correct. The secret to all his abilities could be found in there but how to access it? That was when an idea crept into his mind and he issued the bet.

  All techniques are built on concepts. The [Wind Borne Cloud] was built on the concept of a cloud drifting through the sky. The vast majority of techniques, however, were built on concepts gained from observing and imitating daemons. That was why there were so many techniques that bore the names of daemons. Even the Steelborns had their [Monolithic Arts].

  What Valerian needed was this same foundational concept. This was why as he flew towards Kalian, he closed his eyes, relying on his enhanced senses to guide him towards his quarry. He submerged himself in his subconscious seeking any and all memories he could of the Peng in flight. He would express this concept and in doing so embody and its principles. That way when he moved, he would be the same -- A peng in flight.

  But to do that would require training and practice. At the very least he required a training dummy. Lucky for him, a dummy had volunteered.

  Kalian stumbled backwards in shock. Initially, when he heard the wager he had laughed feeling as if he had succeeded in pushing his opponent into a corner so desperate that he just dug himself deeper without realising it.

  In his head, he had everything to gain and nothing to lose that was why he had agreed. When he saw the Steelborn begin transforming, he could barely hold back from laughing out loud. Everyone knew what the Steelborn transformation did. The brat must really be desperate to resort to it.

  The Steel Monolith Transformation did increase speed but only by a small margin of fifteen per cent. The growth in size and weight actually made them less agile and dextrous than they would be in their normal forms. The best they could do was charge.

  However, the laughter in his heart died out when he realised that his opponent was not growing any larger. Trepidation tried to crawl in but he held it off. Then, the wings appeared. Immediately, he felt some foreboding but what came next was what truly frightened him.

  The winged…thing in front of him shot towards him. The speed it moved at was nearly twice what Valerian had displayed before. He took a few shaky steps backwards in shock. Those few instances were enough for Valerian to appear in front of him. Letting out a shriek, he turned around and shot off, the winged Steelborn following.

  Kalian did not know how nor did he know when but he had the feeling that he had made a big mistake.

  “So that’s it, huh?” William asked his brother. “Just the first form and it is already this impressive. Divine legacies really live up to their reputation”.

  Wordlessly, his family members nodded. No words were needed. The results spoke for themselves. That burst of speed Valerian put on after transforming carried so much force that it disturbed the air around him and stirred up the dust and sand of the platform floor. The effects on his speed had been seen by all. His speed had gone up tremendously and all he did was flap his wings once!

  “Lord Cragsveil!” came a soft call.

  Thus far the Steelborns had been chatting amongst themselves using the enchantments provided in the seating to mask their words. This was the Lords’ Booth after all. There were many discussions going on, many of which their speakers could not afford to be heard. In truth, no noble would feel comfortable speaking if he or she knew it could be overheard.

  Still, everyone took precautions. The more paranoid ones and the ones with important things to hide took three. Nonetheless, though the seats could mask conversations they also allowed their occupants to send messages to people in other seats. That was how the Viscount had been contacted.

  Checking, he discovered his caller to be none other than Viscount DriftCloud himself. It was expected but he had not figured it would be this soon. However, he had no choice but to answer.

  “Is there anything I can help you with milord?” he answered.

  “I am merely curious, William. I was not aware that your clan had such a transformation. It is quite new and strange in my eyes and I confess to being at a loss. Could you tell me about it?” came Viscount DriftCloud’s gravelly voice.

  “I beg your indulgence, milord but could I plead with you to postpone this discussion a bit? There is to be an official city-wide announcement on this and other related matters on the first day of the finals, two days from now. I fear that letting the cat of the bag too soon might spoil the surprise. I can promise you that all the answers you seek will be given then”, William replied.

  “Hmm”, the Viscount intoned, somewhat displeased. “Very well, this lord will wait till then”.

  Meanwhile,

  The crowds, lords and judges watched the chase before them. A blur raced about the stage, twisting, turning and leaping. Basically, it was doing all it could to stay out of reach of the winged figure behind him.

  Once he got over his initial shock, Kalian and all the spectators realised that he still held the advantage in the battle. His opponent was fast, sure but he was clearly inexperienced at high paced battles possessed far less skill and agility when compared to himself.

  Valerian did not turn as well, stop as easily, change directions quickly without issues or perform other actions with any proper finesse. His linear speed was outstanding though. He moved from one spot to another so fast all you saw was a hint of gold and the rushing winds. Kalian recognised this fact and did his best to rob Valerian of that advantage.

  He would not move even five metres without changing direction, sidestepping or straight out leaping into the air in that strange featherweight motion of his. That was the only thing that was making the chase last this long. Little did he know, he was playing right into Valerian’s hand. At this juncture, Valerian did not care whether he won the wager or not, in fact, he never did.

  The whole thing was a test to see if his instinct was right and it was! Even if he lost the wager, he stood to gain tremendously. Right then, whiles everyone saw a chase, he was busy, his mind elsewhere, buried in his inherited memories.

  He was the peng and the peng was him! Flying in the skies. Skimming the clouds. Soaring over the oceans and the lands. Peering down at mountains. Fighting other sky lords. Hunting down dragons. That was all that filled his mind.

  Gifted watchers began to murmur amongst themselves, all of them noticing one thing. Valerian was getting better! Getting faster! He no longer took as long to re
cover after a turn. He did not disturb the air as much when he passed through it. His form was growing even more streamlined and his flying technique was improving, reducing the wind drag and clumsy movements. He followed his adversary, the gap between them growing ever smaller.

  Kalian noticed this as well and panicked. He began to let out afterimages. Each of them racing in different directions in an attempt to distract Valerian. It did not work. He had no idea Valerian had seen through this move from the first time he used it. He continued to chase him remaining barely a couple of metres away.

  Nevertheless, there was something he was missing. Valerian could feel it. His movements were getting better and with practice, they could become perfect despite this there was something crucial he lacked. The essence of the concept he was trying to comprehend was lacking something.

  As he chased down his prey, Valerian pondered on it, mulling over it. Ironically, it was Kalian who provided him with the answer. Valerian had long since noticed the minute amounts of qi Kalian released into his surroundings. It was part of his technique. The source of his blurring. However, it also did more than that only Valerian could not figure it out.

  That was then. Now, in his current state, Valerian’s condition was greatly boosted. Even more importantly, his essence was strengthened and increased allowing him to see what he had missed before. This led to an epiphany.

  The wind!

  That was what he lacked. That was the true purpose of the qi Kalian released. It acted like a password, telling the surrounding air and winds to let him through. That was why he disturbed so little with his movements. Why he was not hindered as much and why he weighed so little. By modifying this qi he released, he would receive less wind resistance and even get the wind to aid him where favourable.

  Understanding this let Valerian also understand what he was missing. The Golden Winged Peng was no ordinary bird daemon. It was a Monarch of the Heavens. A Sovereign of the winds. That was what he had failed to add in his conceptualization. He copied the movements and the feelings at the core of the technique and left out the supplements. He corrected this immediately and one-upped Kalian.

  In truth, he one-upped all the DriftClouds, Lytaun practitioners and all the other speed based wind cultivators in the county. He did not use a special technique, qi flow, spell or method to gain the winds assistance. He just commanded it. He was the descendant of the Golden Winged Peng, a divine lord of the sky. It was his birthright.

  Like a loyal dog summoned by his master, the wind obeyed. It did so happily and joyfully. It responded, wrapping him up in its embrace. Not only did it assist his movements, but it also buoyed him up and helped him along. At that moment, Valerian felt invincible. More than that, he felt vindicated. He had been right. His instincts did not lead him wrong.

  He could feel his connection to the wind like it had always been there and in a way it always had. The feeling was akin to what he felt in his true form only more subdued. He could tell he had succeeded. He had comprehended the basics of the peng’s unique flight technique.

  [Soaring through the Heavens] his mind supplied. The technique was called [Soaring through the Heavens].

  He came to a stop, surprising everyone. His aim had been achieved. The wager had lost its purpose. Kalian stopped as well, watching him warily.

  “We will end the wager here!” Valerian announced. “You are no longer of use to me”.

  Kalian was relieved at first and then something clicked in his head and he became indignant. “What are you talking about? Are you trying to renege on our bet?”

  Valerian looked at him and then started laughing. “Far from it. It is just that the results have become a foregone conclusion. I did not want it to end that way so I am changing the rules to give you a chance”.

  Kalian was confused. “What do you mean?” he asked.

  Valerian waved dismissively, “Enough! This lord is tired of speaking. I will let you have one final attack before I finish this. Use it wisely, it might not change anything but it might let me keep my good impression of you”.

  Kalian’s face immediately coloured he recognised those words as his own only they were being thrown against his face. “You…are you mocking me?”

  Valerian ignored him, pondering instead on the satisfaction he was gaining from his current action. ‘Is this why he does it?’ he asked himself. Outwardly though, he called out imperiously, “Hurry up! Don’t waste my time!”

  “You…!” Kalian ground out darkly. Then, without any warning, he moved. He had never been so insulted. Fine! If the idiot wanted him to attack, he would. He would make him regret it.

  He blurred forward and split into seven copies of himself. This was the maximum number he could create and sustain at any time. Together, the many DriftClouds circled Valerian. They crisscrossed each other in their movement, moving in such a myriad pattern it caused some of the spectators to become dizzy. Then, their swords started glowing.

  Valerian watched impassively as the many images clouded his vision. This time he had not even bothered to track the original. They run around him till all he could see where blurs. Even so, he felt Kalian’s qi begin to build in preparation of a skill.

  He closed his eyes thinking back to what he had experienced. The memories he had reviewed held more than just the peng flying. Without meaning to, he had gleaned some additional insight from them. Now, he would check it out.

  The many Kalians drew closer the swords in their hands beginning their swings at Valerian. Still, Valerian ignored them. His mind was focused on the image of the Peng taking off and rising into the sky. Nothing could hinder the peng’s flight. Not even the clouds, especially not the clouds.

  The peng in his memories reached the cloud layer and saw them in front of it. All it did was flap its wings and the wind responded by blowing them away and leaving its master’s path clear. Out in the real world, the many DriftClouds had launched their attack.

  Valerian’s incorporeal wings flapped once. ‘[Scattering the Clouds]’ he intoned mentally. In response, a strange pulse left his body dispersing all of Kalian’s afterimages and flinging him far away. Valerian opened his eyes in time to catch his opponent coughing up blood.

  He smiled and raised his right arm intoning the name of another technique he picked up. This one from the memory of the peng hunting a dragon. His qi surged. Collecting in his arm, it flowed out through his pores and covered it. Before his eyes, it shaped itself around it forming massive birdlike talons over his fingers.

  [Rending Talons]

  Watching on the side, Avery was startled. He was the only one who recognised that phantom limb. It was the same one that Valerian had used to tear apart the Steel Scaled Wyrm a month ago.

  Valerian took off again, in pursuit of his prey. Kalian tried to run away but this time Valerian was the one circling him. Then, a naughty thought came into his mind causing him to smile. Preparing the arcane energy necessary, he cast a spell.

  Kalian was frantically waving his sword, firing off beams of sword qi at the winged figure circling him. Valerian quit circling and rushed straight at him. Kalian did not hesitate. With a cry of anger and fear, he unleashed his sword skill infusing it with as much qi as he could. His heart filled with hope as it sailed at Valerian who did nothing to block it.

  Then it sank as he saw the skill pass right through his winged opponent. Instantly, he knew he had been had. Regrettably, it was too late to do anything about it. The real Valerian was right behind him, having approached him leisurely under the cloak of his illusion spell.

  He stuck his talons into Kalian’s back. Not too deep, just enough to leave flesh wounds and then with a flourish he swept past his opponent leaving a diagonal trail of gashes from the top his right hip to his left shoulder to show that he could have severed his spine if he wanted.

  Then leaping backwards, he cancelled [Mirage], the wind spell he had cast over their surroundings. The judge having seen everything called it.

  The match was over!
Valerian had won!

  FOURTEEN

  Steelborn Affairs

  The finals were to begin. The Zebre was nearing its end. Every category had completed its group stages and now all that was left was to discover the true winners. The best combatants and their respective rankings. The day before the runner-ups from the various groups had met for a final clash to determine the fifth seats. As for the rest, they’d remain unranked.

  That’s just how things were. No one cared about the others. They were the ones who had failed to cut it. Instead, they focused on the upcoming matches. You’d find that everyone, from those on the streets to the ones in the bars and taverns, was debating on the competitors and their strengths, weaknesses, chances and possible matchups. That was the only topic people were concerned about at the moment.

  As a matter of fact, it would appear that the battles this year nearly completely outshone the rest of the festivities. Yes, the battles were the main part of the festival but that had never been made so clear, at least in recent memory.

  It was customary to use the Zebre as an excuse for partying, drinking, noise making, equipment sales, hosting fairs, auctions and having unofficial underground duels but this year … The main battles held all the attention. The betting houses were making a killing and the proceeds from this festival’s arena ticket sales so far was more than the last five combined.

  Many famous loose cultivators, mercenaries and warriors were taking part this year, drawn in by the incredible prizes and fame that winning this particular Zebre would bring. As for the Young Lords’ Tourney, that was shaping up to be one of the most stimulating tournaments of them all. This year’s quality had been far above the previous ones and the battles, twists and turns had made for the most enjoyable watching.