by Aaron Oster
“Wait, why would enemy Scions bother talking to either of them?” Roy asked.
“Don’t you know? They’ve both advanced,” Doragon replied, as though this was common knowledge.
Both Roy and Aika gaped at him. They obviously hadn’t known that, as they’d been away from Hermit and the others for months now. Roy, even more so than Aika, having not really seen his teacher since before the Cavern Beast had attacked Light City.
“Well, that aside,” Doragon said as they continued to stare at him. “They managed a clever ambush against a couple of enemy Sovereigns and killed them without being blatant about it.”
“Wait, what?” Aika asked. “What is going on?!”
Doragon’s eyes flicked between the two of them, and he let out a long sigh.
“I had assumed that since you knew about the Ancient Cavern Beast, you would know the goings-on in the world. Very well, listen closely, and I will explain…”
Nearly an hour later, both of them had been caught up on what had been happening since they’d vanished into the portal to the Waterwood. Hermit and Duncan had advanced, putting them ahead of the other leaders of the Seven Great Clans. Seeing the war on the horizon, they’d forcefully taken over and were now waging war against the forces of the Ancient Cavern Beast, who had yet to make an appearance.
“Wait, if this Beast is as powerful as you say, why would it bother with lesser forces like Sovereigns or Scions? In fact, why offer terms of surrender when it’s won every single battle up until now?”
“That’s what I was getting to before,” Doragon said, staring off into the distance as though seeing a world beyond their comprehension. “Beasts like Furea might be powerful, but due to that power, they can’t just go around doing whatever they like. Their own Ideals restrict them to certain rules.
“Each of them is different, but seeing as he hasn’t left the Dreadpit, one of them is clearly keeping him there. It was only after he offered terms of surrender that I believe I learned why he hasn’t left.”
“Aren’t you a Beast?” Roy asked. “If you’re as powerful as you claim, why don’t you have these rules and restrictions?”
“Because I was born as a regular animal and evolved and grew naturally,” Doragon replied. “Furea is a Beast of chaos, as all Cavern Beasts are. They grow in strength at alarming rates. Why do you think Martial Artists, even those as powerful as Scions, are leery of facing them in battle?”
Roy had never faced a Cavern Beast before. Aika, on the other hand, had, out in the Windblight. She remembered the Beast’s incredible growth and ability to heal. Had Kaeru not been there, she very much doubted they’d have been able to stop it.
“Anyway, most of them are stopped before they can reach Perfect Black-Belt, and even once they do, they aren’t truly Scions, as one must be both a Sovereign and a Sage to become one. This creature managed what only one other on this continent did and became a Sage after it had reached Perfect Black-Belt.
“Advancing to the heights of a Scion is very different than any previous advancement. It takes an insight into oneself, their Path and the world as a whole. Your entire view of life changes on a fundamental level, and things that once seemed extremely important become trivial as a result.
“I can’t tell you why, but when the Bringer of Fire reached this point, he stopped his rampage and all but disappeared. From what I understand of this continent’s lore, he’s risen a couple of times over the centuries, awakening as though from a slumber and continuing his fiery rampage.
“Each time, he’d disappeared soon after. Until now, that is. The likely answer is that he was unable to meet the requirements of his Ideal and was forced to stop. Now he has an army at his back with powerful subordinates to help, and the ability to keep moving is his for the taking.”
“Where exactly did this army come from?” Roy asked. “And can you please just tell us how to stop him instead of beating around the bush?”
“I do not know where the army came from. I am not all-knowing. As for how to stop him, I believe one of the main things holding Furea back is the resistance of his enemy. If I am correct, he is slowing down. Before his influence reaches the edge of the Windblight, he will be forced to halt and, soon after that, retreat.
“But if he can get his enemy to willingly surrender, he’ll have met the requirement that will allow him to walk free of the Dreadpit.”
“All we have to do is not surrender and wait for him to retreat?” Roy asked. “Sounds easy enough.”
But Doragon was already shaking his head.
“You can do that, but this process can take another few months at the very least, and thousands upon thousands will die protecting their lands against his forces in that time.”
“Can’t they just leave?” Aika asked. “Vacate their homes and flee from the Windblight? If they do that, they can just wait him out.”
“That’s just the problem,” Doragon said, his lips twisting into a grimace. “Furea’s restrictions likely don’t just have a single avenue of unbinding. Retreating will likely free him just as quickly as surrender.”
“How do you know that, though? Maybe it’s different,” Aika insisted.
“Let’s just say that I’ve been around long enough to see Ancient Cavern Beasts rise and fall many times.”
“Why exactly are they called that anyway?” Aika asked.
“The term ‘Ancient’ is bestowed instead of the title of Scion, to differentiate a clear-thinking creature of intelligence and will from a monster who is hungry for power in any form.”
“So, what you’re saying is that Furea is just a simple Beast?” Roy asked. “Albeit an extremely powerful one.”
“Not exactly,” Doragon replied. “Yes, Furea is a monster in every sense of the word. A creature hellbent on destruction for the simple purpose of growing more powerful. However, you would be a fool to think that he lacks intelligence. One cannot become a Scion without it. Additionally, one of the eight Path Spirits — likely Fire — deemed this Beast worthy enough to give it the Imprint of a Sage, and seeing as Cavern Beasts can pull in any type of Essence, this creature must have truly impressed.”
“You literally just contradicted yourself,” Aika said, reaching up to rub at her temples. “If the term is applied to a monster who isn’t clear-thinking or intelligent, but is at the same time intelligent, then that makes no sense!”
“I think I might understand what he means,” Roy said after thinking it over. “It has something to do with Furea’s viewpoint, right?” he asked, directing his question at Doragon.
When the man nodded, Roy continued, playing the thought out.
“We’ve fought against many intelligent Beasts who we might not have considered as such. I’d say that his intelligence lies more like an instinctual drive than anything else. Don’t get me wrong. I’m pretty sure he has no trouble communicating his desires in one form or another, but as far as goals and plans for the future, I don’t think there’s much thought, past that of simply growing stronger.”
“That still makes no sense,” Aika said.
“It does to me,” Roy said quietly.
He could still remember the feelings he’d had before Geon had squashed them — the need to grow and destroy everyone and everything in his path. He hadn’t experienced it for long, but it had been enough to leave an imprint.
Clearly sensing his mood shift, Aika calmed down a bit, reaching out to take his hand under the table. She didn’t look at him but squeezed his hand lightly in reassurance.
“Getting back to the matter at hand,” Doragon said. “Retreating from this Beast will mean the Ideal has been met, giving him the ability to leave his current position and do as he pleases. If that happens, there will be no stopping him. But,” Doragon continued, “knowing this type of Beast, I’d say that there is likely a third option. One that will give us an opportunity to force him back to slumber without the cost of thousands of lives…”
***
“A trial of
champions?” Hermit asked, his voice sounding fuzzy and distorted as it came through the small device held in Doragon’s hand.
Doragon had paused in his explanation to pull the device, battered and barely in one piece, from inside his robes. He’d explained to both Roy and Aika that it was a communication device, one that could reach anyone he desired. However, he’d warned that the conversation would be brief, as the construct’s integrity had been compromised. Because of that, he would be doing all the talking.
Roy and Aika had been forced to remain silent while Doragon gave Hermit the abbreviated version of what had happened. Only once he’d explained did he have Roy and Aika chime in, each stating something only they would know before continuing his explanation on how to stop Furea.
“Yes,” Doragon said, his voice even and clear. “Furea offered terms of surrender in hopes that you would take it, but when you meet his representatives, offer them a trial of champions instead. This is likely the third way he can escape his bonds, and it is one that will seem most enticing, both to him and his forces.
“Beasts like to be challenged. They like to prove their superiority. It will trigger their innate sense of pride and instinct to prove themselves. Furea will be unable to resist, and the fact that it will also free him will tempt him even further.”
“His strongest fighters are more powerful than we are,” Hermit said. “In a straight fight, we wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“That’s why your most powerful Martial Artists won’t be fighting. In the interest of fairness, you’ll work out rules, restrictions, and what levels of power will be allowed to enter. You should push for both the minimum and maximum to be Base Red-Belt, but you’ll probably settle on something else.”
There was a flash of light as sparks danced from the construct in his hand, and Doragon grimaced.
“I don’t have much time left,” he said quickly. “I will keep your students here with me for the time being. Roy needs to learn how to fight properly and seeing as we probably won’t have much time, it would be better spent here, where the passage of time is faster than the rest of Safaia. I can’t tell you what else to do in setting restrictions in this trial, but you’re a smart man. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
There was a pause on the other end, and for a moment, Roy thought the construct might have gone dead. Then Hermit’s voice came through again, sounding as though from very far away.
“Kaeru and Violet are in the Darklands,” he said. “Should I send them your way?”
“If you have a way to communicate with them, tell them to keep to themselves. One would most certainly qualify if the terms were set the way I want but has the potential to grow further. I will be unable to help multiple fighters at once–”
Another flash and the construct began to smoke.
“When you know the terms, call me by name and speak them. I will hear,” Doragon said quickly.
Before Hermit could reply, the Construct finally shattered, falling apart into a heaping pile of smoking metal and flashing lights.
“What now?” Roy asked, looking from the pile of metal to Doragon, unsure of where they stood or what was going to happen next.
“Now, you rest,” Doragon said. “In the morning, we begin your training in earnest.”
31
“Are you sure you won’t stay and train with me?” Roy asked, not for the first time, as Aika shouldered her pack.
“I can’t,” she replied, staring back over her shoulder at Doragon, who remained just inside the doorway of the small house. “Although I can see that he’s a different person, I just can’t look at his face without seeing my father’s killer. I’ll come back and visit in a week if I can manage it. If not, I should still be pretty easy to find.”
Roy sighed as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, then slowly backed away. He’d tried to convince her to stay and train with them since they’d retired to the single guest room in the small house, but Aika had been adamant about it. She did not want to stay where Doragon was, instead choosing to train on her own.
“Can you do it?” Roy asked.
If being a Red-Belt was going to be one of the requirements to enter, Aika had a long way to go. Additionally, they had no idea how much time they actually had. Though, knowing Hermit, he was going to try and get as much as he could.
Aika gave him a lopsided smile as she walked backward.
“I’ll advance so quickly you won’t be able to keep up.”
Before Roy could say anything else, her body was shrouded in white, and a moment later, she vanished, dashing away with the full speed of her Movement technique.
“It is good that she has left us,” Doragon stated, making Roy frown. “Love is a distraction that those on the path to greatness can ill afford.”
“I’m not just going to forget her,” Roy said, all but glaring at the man as he strode forward.
“I know you won’t,” Doragon replied, not seeming bothered by the venom in his nephew’s words. “Without her around, I will be able to really teach you how to fight.”
“I know how to fight,” Roy said, folding his arms. “I have a good teacher.”
“A human teacher,” Doragon said. “Because of that, you fight like a human.”
“I am a human,” Roy answered. “How else would I fight?”
“You are only half human, if that. The blood of Beasts is powerful, and my sister is stronger than most. If you were even a quarter human, I’d be shocked.”
“I look human,” Roy said, his voice growing heated. “I feel human. In fact, I’ve been human for as long as I can remember!”
“Attack me,” Doragon said.
“I…! What?” Roy asked, taken completely off guard.
“Attack me,” Doragon repeated.
“What will that prove?” Roy asked, the anger coming back. “You’re much stronger than I am, so beating me up won’t prove anything.”
A Purple-Belt appeared around the man’s waist, his power flaring to that of someone at 2nd Dan.
“If I do not wish to lose myself, I cannot exert myself overmuch,” Doragon said, crossing his arms behind his back. “I am weaker than you. Attack me.”
Roy still hesitated, and this time, Doragon began to become aggravated.
“I am weaker than you are, and you will still not attack me. Are you afraid?”
Roy made up his mind, and with an explosion of Essence, he launched himself at the man. The ground shot by underfoot as Roy closed with him, intending to blast Doragon off the island where the house was and into the trees. He would hit him hard enough to send him flying, but using only an Essence technique, so as not to exert himself too much.
He reached Doragon in under two seconds, his hand cocked back to deliver a powerful blow and his mind already working to find the counters Doragon might be planning. Roy swung, his fist blurring forward faster than Doragon could react.
Roy’s breath exploded out in a whoosh as something slammed into his stomach, sending him careening back and barely managing to keep his footing.
It hurt, which should have been impossible, considering that Doragon was only in the Purple stages. He stared at the man standing impassively by, still in the same position as though waiting for him to attack.
Roy glared at him suspiciously, wondering if he’d raised the level of his power in the instant before he’d attacked to catch him unaware.
Growling under his breath, Roy tapped into the golden sphere of Qi, floating between his Essence and Chakra. This time, he wouldn’t give Doragon the opportunity to react in time. The ground flashed away in a burst of golden light, the air barely making a sound as he appeared right before the man, his foot arcing across in a sweeping motion designed to scythe Doragon’s legs out from under him.
Roy saw it this time, as Doragon leaped upward, barely avoiding the attack, then brought his fist crashing around toward his jaw. Roy expelled a burst of Qi from his chest, throwing himself back and just managing to avoid the blow. Doragon fol
lowed after him, kicking at the air and ejecting a burst of Essence to throw himself after Roy.
It roiled in a silvery cloud behind him before dissipating, but seeing as he was using Essence, Roy was still faster, or so he thought. He stepped hard to one side, avoiding Doragon and throwing another powerful punch at the man’s passing head. And once again, Roy missed, only to have a fist crack into the side of his head.
Roy saw stars as he was tossed clean across the small clearing, smashing into the trees on the opposite side. He crashed through one before his momentum was arrested by a second. He staggered to his feet as Doragon came striding over, easily leaping over the stream around his home and landing on the other side.
“You’re cheating,” Roy said, swiping the back of his hand across his lip and seeing blood.
“Why would you say that?” Doragon asked. “Because you’re losing?”
“Because if you’ve restrained yourself to Purple, there’s no way you should be able to hurt me, especially if you aren’t using any Qi in your attacks!”
“Who said I wasn’t?” Doragon asked.
Roy’s eyes narrowed as he focused his Spirit Sense on the man, trying to discern any obvious patterns of moving Qi.
“If you are, then I can’t feel it,” Roy said. “Besides, even if you were, you shouldn’t be able to hurt me. Aika and I tested it out after I got my Red-Belt. She threw plenty of attacks at me and nothing hurt, not even her strongest attacks!”
“That’s because she is human,” Doragon said, clenching a fist. “Do you want to know how I was able to hurt you?”
“By cheating?” Roy asked, raising his hands.
Doragon shrugged, then ran at him, this time without trying to disguise his movements. The way he ran was odd, to say the least. Normally, Roy had a fairly easy time reading opponents when they fought, but it was as if he were staring at a blank wall.
Still, there was no way he was going to be hit again. His Armorer technique flared around him as he moved toward the man, his fists crackling with power as he activated his Exploding Fist. This time, he would make sure to hit him, nice and hard.
