Sakura
Ive had enough of these children. I think It's ti we go for a walk.
What are you . . .? I tried to ask, but before I could finish the world started shaking. Gara lifted his hands, his staff in one hand, and stretched his neck up to the sky. A mont later he made the strangest sound I have ever heard.
Graaaaaahahaaa! The shaking grew even more intense, the lights above us flickered, and dust rained down from the cavern above us.
Ka mad, King said into my mind and for a mont he stopped eating and looked over at the avatar of the greatest Ka alive. His eyes were wide with a mix of fear and respect.
Its going to be okay, I said through our ntal connection. Gara is a friend.
The world shifted around us. The palace and the whole valley seed to shake and shift as if the buildings were built on liquid mud, while the ceiling of the cavern began crumbling away. Before the debris hit the city or fields below they shimred in a bright green light, and disappeared.
Boulders the size of skyscrapers simply dissipated into pure green light in seconds as they fell from above. While other chunks floated safely to the ground revealing the buildings, people, livestock, or other spirit beasts that had been penned above us on the top of Garas shell.
The air above us revealed the sky, and for the first ti in months I felt the touch of a setting sun on my skin.
The two fighting figures in the distance broke apart, dodging falling debris that for so reason took a little longer to dissipate. Conveniently, until just past their duel. I saw a glint of mischief in Garas eyes even as he unleashed his full aura, joining it with his main bodies and wrapping the entire scene in his mana and chie.
It felt like a stiff breeze, heavy with humidity. Not so much angry, as insistent.
ENOUGH! Garas voice seed to make the world shake with his aning. Rock fell into place, dust settled, the wind blew a gentle breeze, and the snow on the twin peaks, now visible from where I sat, glistened brightly in the light of the sun.
Everything stopped. Everything settled.
And the two high level cultivators ceased their battle.
For a mont.
As soon as the city below them finished settling into place like a great boulder that simply decided it was finished rolling for today, the two combatants were at it again.
Lightning and ice shards filled the sky between them, and impacted on the fields and buildings below. Lower level cultivators, our families' guards and soldiers, did their best to mitigate the damage. But even a ricochet-forgotten attack from the baron and count seed to carry enough power behind them to shatter mana shields, and warp protective chie formations.
Two familiar auras were unveiled in almost perfect synchronicity. Ren, and Raif, their auras filled with nace, unleashed their will on the world surrounding the two combatants. In a mont, they were sealed inside a bubble of rock solid air. I saw the two bounce off the bubble that now encased them several tis, before finally they both realized what had happened, and stopped their fighting.
It would be wrong of to call them children. My father said, but he turned and winked at . But I find the description rather apt. Just between us.
And now, we stand. The horizon in the distance shifted. What once was filled with hills and valleys, and thick forest in the far distance nestled at the bottom of stark mountain ranges, saw those sights fall away, as the giant tortious city stood. When we stopped, and the wind settled, only the tops of the tallest trees were visible. The valleys and hills were gone from where we stood.
My ears popped, and I winced.
Forgot to warn you about that. Ren winced in sympathy. Sorry. It's just the air pressure equalizing. Dont worry. If your hearing is hurt, itll heal soon. Loosen your jaw a bit, it should help.
I did as I was told, and after a few monts the pressure was gone.
Now, what to do with the unruly ones. Gara grumbled quietly to himself for a mont, as the world around us finished settling. Birds began chirping, dogs howled their displeasure, and the sounds of life seed to spring up around almost all at once. As if soone had turned off the speakers in a car, only to suddenly switch the volu on again a mont later. I know.
Gara reached a single clawed hand out, the other still clutching his staff. The movent seed to carry with it power, as if his will could command the world to shift and obay him. He closed his claws in a cage, and then pulled it to him.
The sphere of hardened air and force flew towards us at a speed that made my nerves stand on end. A mont later, it stopped dead directly in front of the turtle man, and the forms of both ambassadors were thrown into the sides of their newly ford cage unceremoniously.
You are both adults. n with power, station, and might that few in this world ever achieve. Garas voice was stern. I recognized his disappointnt from when I had tried to give up during training, or failed to grasp a concept quickly enough. And yet you squabble as children do. Throwing swings around wildly, without a care in the world for who or what might be damaged in your blind childish tantrum. You dishonor yourselves, the n you serve, and the mothers who birthed you.
The northerner was on his knees, his rage subdued. His earth and ice mana armor and weapons were gone, dismissed when he had been captured. Now he looked on despondent. I could see streaks of dried tears on his face.
The Dragon stood proudly, definitely. But there was an edge, a twitch of discomfort, and a crack in his visual pride that seed to speak volus about his ntal and emotional state.
I will let the ruler of these lands deal with you. But know, if you so much as twitch your mana in a way that I do not approve of, I will crush both of you into dust. I will not have my shell cracked by nats again.
The two n didnt react.
Ren stepped forward and shook his head sadly. I do not know whose idea it was to send your daughter to her death, Koja. You have my sympathy for her death. No parent should be forced to outlive their child. Koja looked up for a mont and t my fathers eyes. He looked totally spent. His eyes were red, but his expression was slack. But the fact is, your daughter attempted to assassinate Yalda.
Koja revived then for a mont, his expression twisted into anger. Do not sar my daughters na or ill -
Or youll what? Ren asked, his voice calm and steady. I have you, completely. If I wanted your lives, neither of your families could, or even would so much as object. So do not speak lies, even those borne of a fathers love for his hot headed daughter. My sons, and my wife were both there, in the aftermath of the attack. Our guards were in the process of investigating when you showed up, but in that ti they gathered enough evidence to suggest your daughter, and one other masked man, attempted to retaliate against Koja and the Imperial Clan for what they saw as an attempt at your life. An understandable, if childish thing to do.
Koja reeled as if he were slapped, and a riot of emotions crossed his face. Fear, anger, confusion, uncertainty. The Genji side of read it all. This was a rat, caught in a cage. A rat that had once gotten a little bit of power, and had thought himself above traps.
A few heartbeats later, he had control of himself and he kowtowed. Planting his head firmly on the floor. I do not know why my daughter was there. Nor who this other man was.
Ren looked over at Gara, and the old tortious nodded his head.
Good. You are telling the truth. In that case, I will withhold judgnt until I know more about this inciting incident. I already have my daughter, and son's accounts. Why don't you tell about the attempt on your life.
I was talking in the market. I had just purchased so gifts to send ho for the celebrations I had missed. So fruit mainly, but also so trinkets for my first grandchild. That shocked . The man didnt look like he was in his late twenties, early thirties at the most.
How can he have grandchildren? Oh, right. This world is filled with people are are basically immortal by Earth standards. I shook myself ntally and refocused on the story.
I had just sent the servants back, and was going to enjoy so ti in the market by myself. A rare treat for one of high station. It was then that I realized that the peasants who were hanging there wash, or repairing damaged tiles on their roofs were not actually working. They were watching , mirroring my movents as I walked through the market. I attempted to loose them, but they must have seen my movents change, and knew they had been found out. The next mont three of them had thrown those cursed censors at my feet, and I felt my chie and mana being blocked. I hadnt felt that weak since I was a silver.
Yes. Ren interjected. The censors we discovered were not re chie construct knock offs. They were rardian. Built by the hands of the imperial clans mystical formation makers themselves. They worked on you, because of your high chie and mana concentration, not in spite of it.
Then it is true. Yalda attempted to have assassinated!
Hold on Koja. I did not say that. But you are close to the truth there. We will get to that in a mont. What else happened?
I was able to block most of the attacks against . They were coming from Coppers or lower, but they were relentless. From every side, using powerful crossbows, clearly from the far western Human Kingdom beyond the barrier mountains. Id seen their build before in my travels. Many tis. We briefly considered arming our peasants with them along the wall, as they were far more affective at piercing Voidling armor then traditional crossbows or short bows, but the war was over before we could adopt the design.
And then what happened? Ren asked, trying to bring the conversation back to the events earlier today.
Well, your children showed up. They accosted the attackers, and gave enough room to chase the others off. I am grateful for their aid.
What did you do after you were treated by our doctors?
I went back to my compound to find it in turmoil. My people had thought I was dead, rumors were spreading like wildfire, filled with half truths. I worked to put them to bed, and decide what my peoples next course of action would be going forward. How we would respond to such a blatant attempt on my life. After I got things calm, I received word that . . . that my daughter had been killed.
Who told you this information?
I could see Kojas expression shift into uncertainty. My chief of staff. But he had been with since I had returned to the compound. He could not have been the masked man.
Ren turned and motioned for one of the guards, n I didnt even realize were there, who had stood silently in their thick armor, carrying their heavily enchanted and inscribed weapons, stepped forward. Take a platoon of n to Ambassador Kojas compound, and lock it down until either I or my wife return. No one in, no one out except by our orders.
Yes sire. With that the guard disappeared from view a powerful gust of wind the only sign of his passing.
We will not harm your people. But I can not allow the culprit, whoever they might be, to escape justice.
I understand. Kojas voice was low, soft, and defeated. He sat down, back against the rear of the bubble that still contained him.
Now for you, Yalda. I know your story already. My wife told you two had spoken before the desperate attempt to heal your nephew, and I trust her judgnt that you had nothing to do with the attacks directly. On top of that, the extensive search that my n made of the rubble of your compound and turned up no incriminating evidence.
You invade my privacy, and what? Expect to bow like the child?
Ren chuckled. Always a pleasure to speak to you too, Yalda. I just cleared you of a capital cri. One would think you would be a bit happier about that fact.
Yaldas expression did not crack. He stared straight at my father with an arrogance that I found both impressive, and annoying.
He acts like a king, even when bigger and stronger things around. Sniffing for weakness. Impressive. King said into my mind.
Hes brave. But arrogant. Arrogance will get you killed just as quickly as weakness will. I thought back, and I felt King chewing on those words.
I am grateful. But I also resent the idea that I would stoop to such low efforts to achieve my goals.
I understand, Ren said waving away the subject. What I need to know is, if you were aware of the coordinated attempts on dissidents lives throughout the empire by your clan? This was not a one off event. I hear that even the King of the Western Kingdom had soone attempt to slay him in his own palace.
For less than a heartbeat I saw Yaldas mask of poise and confidence slip. But just as quickly as it had fallen, it was back up again.
I suspect, that if I had not been deep in my own palace at the ti I would have also been a target of these assassins. Your clan has over stepped. Dramatically. Their actions alone would put the entire empire on the verge of splitting. But you add this with the strain that the Kadras ascension is causing, and you are lucky you do not yet have an open civil war on your hands.
Yalda took in the information, clearly new to him, and after a mont spoke. I was not aware of this, operation. However if my kin in the central provinces think it was needed, while I might not agree with them, I think it shows just how desperate things are there. How soarly stability needs to be reestablished.
And where Yalda, is the emperor in all of this? Why is he not soothing his people's fears, and reassuring his kinsman?
I, I do not know. Perhaps he thinks it . . . He trailed off, and after a mont of realization Yaldas shoulders slumped slightly. Beneath him.
Indeed. Perhaps it is so. Or, perhaps he is directly behind these attacks? I am not sure. And neither can any of us here be. Long has he been unavailable to anyone. Let alone a lowly Duke, or Count such as ourselves. Yalda stood stiffly at the words, but after only a mont he nodded once in agreent.
Our Emperor has, of late, not been available to the public. That is true.
As of this morning my King has declared for your clan Yalda. They will be sending support, I suppose. And any of us who disagree, will be punished. With exile. A kind punishnt compared to what could be brought. But still. To think I will never see these hills, trees, or valleys again? It is a dark thought to .
So you will refuse to go then?
Oh yes. The Emperor, and your clan, have been nothing but anchors around my family's necks. I regret now, not taking the southern throne when I could have. But to challenge for it now, would only cause greater unrest throughout the whole empire. Sothing I am unwilling to do.
So you will just . . . what? Leave then? Yalda asked, incredulous.
Yes. Yes I will. And I wont be going alone. That is my fate. As for yours? Your entire clan in a sane world, would be broken. Shattered into its families, and those responsable for this attack would be crusified for a month, and then beheaded publically. But we do not live in such a world. No. We live . . . in an empire of broken peaks.
What do you an?
Did you know that if you go into the eldest sects, into their deepest basents, the ones they dont ever even tell outsiders exist, and you read from those hidden libraries whose scrolls and tombs have existed for longer then any living being, that you will learn the true history of our great empire?
Tread carefully, Duke. So things are best left unknown.
Ren smiled sadly. I can see in your eyes you fear this knowledge, but you do not know it. Not really. I learned it when I was a newly minted Prince. I was told by the imperial clan to destroy a boarder sect. ONe that was half run by elves, and half by our own people. One dedicated to peace, and that had been acting as interdiaries between their kingdom and the empire for a very long ti. Since before I was born, I knew that. And like a fool, I did as I was ordered. I helped kill every last mber of that, peaceful sect. It is my greatest sin, and to this day it stains my soul. In the deepest hidden depths of that place, I found a library. From that library, I read all about our history.
Please. So knowledge is forbidden for a reason.
I know. And that reason is control. You should know this, or else you will never be able to rule your clan with wisdom. Yalda sighed, and sat cross legged. He closed his eyes, but I could tell he was listening.
Our Empire was once ruled over by the Elves. This much we know. They held us as slaves, until the coming of the dragons, and the other Great Beasts who helped us throw off our shackles. Humanity, the Kin, and many other smaller races, most of which have since left the empire or been wiped out, overthrew our masters and sent them into hiding. You know this, we all do. Thousands and thousands of years ago.
What you dont know is what happened afterwards. The great beasts trained us humans. Bonded with blondlines. The sions of each of the great beast clans and houses rose through the ranks of cultivation, walking the multifaceted paths of the Dao, until they reached the very peaks. There, at the Emperor stage, each of our house's great ancestors ascended to serve the Gods in their great war against the void. Leaving a path for all of us to follow.
But one clans emperor stayed behind. Fearful of walking among the stars, and pushing back the enemy of all of existence. That fear gripped him, and instead he decided not to take that final step along with his Great Beast companion. While the great Golden Dragon ascended, his partner did not. That man beca the first Emperor.
He conquered all of the other kingdoms, each which had their own unique culture, style, and cultivation thodology. Replacing all of it with his vision for a perfect empire. In so doing, he broke the paths our ancestors laid out for us. Now, we could only try to forge our own paths to the stars.
And so few have. And each one of those, every single human from the various kingdoms that has ascended to the Emperor stage as been either forced out of the empire, killed, or forced to ascend before they were ready. And do you know why?
Ren waited in silence for what felt like a long ti, until Yalda asked, I do not. Why?
Because of your ancestors' fear. Fear of the stars, and fear of his cowardice being found out. The dragons are brave, bold, and noble in many ways. But they are also arrogant. And in that arrogance, they refuse to see the weakness that lies in the very human hearts of their companions. Fear.
I am not afraid.
You are, Yalda. I can see it in your soul. But do you know what the cure for fear is my friend? It is bravery. The willingness to act, despite one's fear. To do what one believes might be the right thing, rather than what one knows to be the right thing. Because no one can truly know. Bravery, and faith in those you walk with. That is the only cure.
Enough of your philosophizing. What will you do with us? Yalda demanded, his eyes open again, staring directly at my fathers eyes. I do not need a lecture on the moral virtues from you. Do what you will do, and be done with it.
Ren smiled genuinely this ti. Fair enough. By now, my wife has subdued both of your factions. Hopefully shes been able to capture the assassins, but if not then have no worry. My people will. Theyre excellent at tracking. As for the two of you? Well . . . until today id say, despite my dislike for both of you, that I trust you. However, after today's little display, I cant say I do any longer. So, in the sa rcy I have been shown by my King, I will so you. You are both banished from my duchy. Do not return, under pain of death.
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