Wind (Buryoku Book 4)

by Aaron Oster

  His Qi spiraled in a loop, the shining pool of liquid power growing larger and larger. It now took up well over half his Core and was pushing the Essence against the bounds of what he could contain. The knowledge that Hermit was coming for him and that no matter what happened, he wouldn’t be trapped here for too much longer gave him a sense of security, allowing him to relax as he had been unable to for weeks.

  In that moment of pure peace and utter detachment of everything around him, Roy had what was known to Martial Artists as a moment of enlightenment. It was a single moment where everything lined up perfectly between his mind, body, and Spirit, revealing to him the answers he had so desperately been seeking.

  It was referred to as a moment of enlightenment because they often came without rhyme or reason, and for but a single moment, the world was open to him.

  Roy saw it all as he stared into eternity. The light. The void. Space. He saw the Paths themselves and the world beyond his own. The intertwining of colors was astounding and beautiful. Unbelievable, yet real. It was terrifying, exhilarating, and most of all, humbling. In addition, the Spirits were all there. There was a Spirit, each as a representative of Power, Light, and Fire. They loomed over their world like titans and cast their shadow over all.

  Then, just as quickly as it came, it was gone, leaving him feeling an odd sense of emptiness, but his single moment of pure clarity hadn’t left him with nothing.

  “Geon. Wake up,” Roy said, slowly getting to his feet.

  “What’s…” the Core began, sounding drowsy. Then, he was wide awake. “What happened to you?” he exclaimed. “What did you do to me?! This…This should be impossible…”

  This was another first for Roy — Geon being struck dumb. He grinned, clenching both of his fists and looping his Essence through the complex pattern he’d seen. His Core shone brighter as the Power Essence was leeched from the air in an instant, flooding his body and converting into Qi in mere seconds.

  “What the hell happened? I was only asleep for a few minutes. What did you do?”

  “I don’t know,” Roy replied, opening his eyes and staring down at his hands, as though disbelieving what he saw.

  Golden Power flickered across his open palm, and the ease at which it moved was like nothing he could have imagined. Even the Pill he’d received in the Water Trial couldn’t compare. But there was still more, and Roy knew it. His Spirit Sense had expanded to nearly double its previous reach, the bonds of ignorance lifted in an instant.

  He breathed out slowly, then began to move through one of the forms of the Unaru Kuma. Roy had no idea what he was doing on a conscious level and knew he’d lose the knowledge he’d just gained if he stopped to think about it. So, he just did as his instincts bade. As he moved, his Essence and Qi flowed along with him, spinning and whirling through his channels, separate but intertwined.

  The Essence melded with his Qi, shining brighter and brighter, and Roy continued to move. His eyes were closed now, yet he could still see everything around him. The world was lit in brilliant color, the elements of the world visible to him in a way he had never known before. He felt something in his Core shift, then contract. A moment later, his Core expanded once more.

  “Roy, what are you doing?” Geon asked, his voice sounding almost faint in his mind.

  The Core sounded panicked, not because he was being hurt or anything, but because he didn’t understand what Roy was doing. And if Geon hated anything, it was not understanding something that Roy did.

  “I’m almost there,” Roy responded. “Just be quiet.”

  He could see them forming in his mind’s eye, see the Essence flowing out into the world around him, feel it empowering him at the same time. It was here. It was Power!

  Roy’s eyes flashed open, glowing a bright gold as he felt the ground around him explode outward, all other Essence forced back away from him. He was nearly there. He just needed a bit more, and then he’d finally be there.

  “What are you doing?”

  Roy staggered, his concentration shattered as Marrie’s question broke through the silence and startled him out of his trance.

  He dropped to his knees, panting hard, and felt that his Core was all but drained.

  How in the hell had that happened?

  He looked up, seeing the girl watching him with puzzlement and concern.

  “Are you alright? You were leaking so much power that I thought something might have happened.”

  Roy looked down at the ground, still panting hard as the feeling faded, leaving him drained and exhausted. More than that, he felt tired down to his very soul.

  He had been so close to something, but now, it had retreated, leaving him with an odd mixture of dissatisfaction and loss at the same time.

  “I’m fine,” he said, slowly pushing himself back to his feet and dusting his robes off. “I was just…”

  “Woah! When the hell did that happen? Have you been holding out on me or something?”

  Roy looked at the girl in confusion, wondering what she was talking about. Then, he noticed where she was looking and looked down. His eyes nearly bulged out of his skull, and his heart skipped a beat as he beheld the solid Blue-Belt sitting around his waist.

  “No. This can’t be right,” he said, rubbing at his eyes for a few moments and looking again.

  Marrie looked up at him, raising an eyebrow in question. He could see in her eyes that her mistrust was returning. She could have only come to one conclusion after seeing Roy’s Belt color change — that he’d been hiding it from her. Only the more powerful Martial Artists could hide their true Belt color to those who were weaker than they were.

  They couldn’t pretend to be stronger than they were, but weakening their Cores allowed them to display a Belt below that of their actual advancement.

  “I promise you, I don’t know how this…” Roy’s eyes flicked down again as a flickering light came from his waist.

  His Belt color flickered several times, switching between Green and Blue. Then, it finally settled, returning to its original Green color like it was supposed to.

  “So, are you going to try and pretend I didn’t just see that?” Marrie asked, crossing her arms and all but glaring at him.

  “I’m telling you,” Roy said, his voice almost pleading. “I have no idea how that happened! That should be impossible!”

  “No, it’s completely possible,” Marrie said, her voice hard. “You’re clearly a much more powerful Marital Artist than you’ve been letting on. I suspected as much when I couldn’t feel your Core, but your little slip just gave you away. So, who are you really?”

  “There’s no way some low-level fighter could infiltrate the Inu clan, especially when it comes to fooling a Sage. Are you even part of the Herald clan, or is your face faked as well?”

  Roy opened his mouth to defend himself, but Marrie cut him off before he could speak.

  “You know what? I don’t even care. I trusted you. I thought that despite the secrets you were keeping, you were still a member of my clan. But you were only playing a role. Whatever your goals are, I want no part of them, even if you are some all-powerful Sovereign or whatever!”

  Marrie’s voice cracked on that last line, then she spun and ran back toward the cell.

  Roy stared after her, dumbfounded as he tried to wrap his mind around what was happening. He’d come out here to relax and cycle in peace, only to stare into a world he could no longer comprehend. He’d come back to discover something new about himself and had almost accomplished something great.

  Then Marrie had come along, and he’d somehow ended up a Blue-Belt – albeit temporarily – which had been enough to shatter what little trust he’d gained during the last fight. He collapsed to the ground, pulling his knees up to his chest and burying his face into them, squeezing his eyes shut tight and trying to blank out the panic that was threatening to overtake him.

  “Geon, what’s happening to me?”

  “I don’t know,” the Core replied, so
unding somber. “But whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.”

  Roy could not remember the last time he’d been so afraid. What had just happened was completely impossible, yet he’d seen it happen with his own eyes. He’d somehow advanced an entire Belt, then had gone back to Green. In his mind, he could only take it to mean one thing.

  He was regressing. The power he’d fought so hard for was leaving him once again, and his greatest fear, that of being a cripple, was once again rearing its ugly head.

  ***

  Contrary to what Roy had thought, there was someone else who’d witnessed his little display and all that had transpired after that.

  Xu, the man who’d thought himself dead after his capture during yesterday’s fight, quickly retreated back into the cell as Marrie came running back, his heart racing a mile a minute.

  If what he’d just seen and heard was true, then it was no wonder Roy had been able to do what he’d done! It was common knowledge that a more powerful Martial Artist could hide from those who were weaker, and if Roy really were some sort of Sovereign – or maybe something even more – then he was lucky to be alive!

  Still, despite the adrenaline racing through him, Xu saw this as an opportunity. He’d been trapped here for a while now and wanted more than anything to get out. With the deaths of those he trusted here and the fact that Roy and Marrie now his enemies, he only had one other chance at freedom — a pardon from a Sage.

  It might not be wise to cross someone as powerful as Roy, but in his mind, the longer he was stuck here with him, the more chance there was that Roy would just kill him outright. After all, the cell was designed to stop Green-Belts from attacking one another, not Gray or Black-Belts!

  Xu waited in silence, listening as Marrie got into her own bedroll. She was sobbing quietly to herself, which was the first emotion other than anger he’d seen from the girl. He continued to wait until her sobs slowed, then ceased altogether. Only after triple-checking that she was actually asleep did Xu rise from his own bedroll and make his way over to the far side.

  There was a solid wall, behind the bars, as that was how these cells were designed. When in the arena, the right was open, and when in the cellblock, the left. But Xu knew something that the others didn’t. There was a guard station placed right behind the walls. He leaned in close, making sure to keep his voice low but still audible.

  “I have some information that the Sage might find interesting. Tell him that it’s about the Green-Belt known as Choi.”

  Xu didn’t hear anything at first, but after nearly ten minutes, a voice drifted in through the other side, causing a wide grin to stretch across the man’s face.

  “You will be escorted to the Sage at three this morning. Make sure you’re ready.”

  28

  “Are we sure he’s leading us to the right place?” Aika asked, glaring at the man walking at the front of the group. “After all, he’s a lying snake!”

  “I’m quite sure,” Hermit said. “I don’t think our friend here would lie to me, not when there’s so much at stake. Isn’t that right?” he asked, addressing his question to Doragon.

  “I wouldn’t lie,” the man said through gritted teeth. “The information I’ve gathered puts him in Reign City, as I said. I’m sure you can find that place on your own, so if you could just let me go, that would be most appreciated.”

  “Why would I do that?” Hermit asked conversationally. “I can’t let a valuable prisoner like you go running off on your own out here. This is enemy territory, after all.”

  Although the man had been cooperative over the last few days, leading them ever closer to where Roy was supposed to be, Aika couldn’t help but want to end him. She desperately wanted to see the man who’d betrayed and killed her father put in the ground. This man had ruined her life and deprived her not only of a father but a grandfather as well.

  Because of his son’s death, Irusaru had spent most of his time away, and when he had been around, he had spent his time training her relentlessly. Her childhood had been practically nonexistent, and she wanted to take every moment he’d stolen from her family out of his hide.

  “Your rage is so palpable, I can feel it leaking out of you,” Kaeru said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

  “How can you not be mad?” she asked, glaring after the man.

  Her rage had not diminished since finding him. If anything, it had only grown, getting stronger and stronger as the days passed.

  “Every moment that man still draws breath is another where my father’s soul cannot rest in peace!”

  “Is that what you truly believe?” Kaeru asked. “That your father never found peace?”

  “How could he?” Aika snapped. “He was murdered! Killed before his time! And the man who was responsible still walks free.”

  “And is it only your father’s death that you seek to avenge?” Kaeru asked, “Or is there something more?”

  Aika felt her entire body trembling as her anger mounted, once more threatening to burst free.

  “No,” she finally admitted. “This man didn’t just take my father. He ruined my life! Without him, my family would never have been torn apart. We would be together, happy, and at peace.”

  Kaeru let out a long sigh, staring up at the sky above and looking contemplative.

  “What makes you so sure that everything would be perfect had your father not been betrayed?”

  Aika stared at him, too shocked to even come up with the right words, but Kaeru continued before she could think of anything to say.

  “I’m not saying that he’s better off dead, only that life goes on and that even if he hadn’t been betrayed, he may still very well have ended up dead. War is a constant part of our lives, and we lost thousands of people in our war with the Beast clan. Many of those lost were dear friends and allies, people I have known for decades, and some, centuries.

  “Instead of thinking about all you lost because of this man, think of all the positive. Of all the things that would not have come to pass, had the events of your life played out any differently. For example, had your grandfather never left the clan, he’d never have found your friend Roy, and the two of you would never have met.”

  Aika, who’d been preparing a stinging rebuttal, paused. Though she wanted to dispute that claim, Kaeru had a good point. A lot of what had happened as a result of her father’s death would never have come to pass if things had happened differently. And, when she thought of life without Roy, it made her insides twist up in knots.

  “That doesn’t mean I have to forgive him,” she said sullenly.

  “Nor does it mean that you have to allow him to destroy your life,” Kaeru said. “I know you’re angry. I am too. But you can’t allow that anger to dictate how you live. He’s already taken your father. Don’t let him take you as well.”

  He gave her shoulder one more squeeze before moving to walk with Violet, whose waist was now adorned with a shining Red-Belt. That was yet another sore spot for Aika. This girl, who was nearly two years her junior, was so far ahead, despite all of the hard work Aika put in as well. A shadow loomed over her, and she felt a light nudge on her shoulder.

  “I know you can feel it better than the rest,” she said, not willing to look up and meet Ferry’s eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “No sorry,” Ferry said. “Bad man. Bad smell.”

  Aika snorted out a laugh at that. She knew what Ferry meant. It wasn’t that Doragon smelled bad, but Ferry didn’t like his scent. Ferry’s simple statement helped her start calming down, to let go of some of the anger she’d been holding onto for days. What Kaeru had said was true. The past was in the past, and while she would never forgive the monster standing before her for what he’d done, she would not allow his actions to dictate her life anymore.

  Right now, they needed to find Roy, which, coincidentally, was also Doragon’s fault. She would see him dead for all he’d done, but for now, he was under the careful scrutiny of Hermit. According to her teacher, they should be arr
iving in Reign City within the next couple of days, and once they had Roy back, she’d have her revenge!

  ***

  Granite sat in his office, fingers interlaced as he waited for his guest’s arrival. It was in the early hours of the morning and he’d just dismissed another visitor, a sniveling man who’d come with some useful information. It appeared he’d been right in his assumptions, after all, as the man had personally witnessed Choi’s Belt changing colors. It also appeared he’d been talking with the exiled Herald girl who they’d been tasked with keeping an eye on by their Sovereign, and it seemed that even she no longer believed him to be a Herald.

  Though, if they were going by looks alone, Granite would have to say that he was spot on. There was a knock at his door, and he shot to his feet, quickly smoothing down the front of his robes. His guest could just as easily have barged in without knocking, but the Sovereign always insisted on propriety.

  “Enter,” he called, trying to project strength.

  The door opened to reveal a slim woman with raven-black hair and narrowed yellow eyes. A Brown-Belt sat around her waist, complete with a single Gray slash.

  “Pearl,” Granite said, tilting his head forward a fraction of an inch.

  “Granite,” the woman said, not even bothering to copy the gesture.

  As the daughter of the Sovereign and a Martial Artist of a higher rank, she should have commanded more respect. But, unlike Granite, she was not a Sage. So, this put them on somewhat equal footing for now. Despite what they liked to pretend to the majority of the clan and what they told the outside world, the Inu were every bit as self-important and conceited as the other clans. They also respected power over all, and while they had strong Martial Artists doing a few menial tasks here and there, it should be noted that not a single low-ranking member of the clan found themselves in a seat of power.