Savage Divinity

Bolting upright amidst unfamiliar surroundings, Song’s sabre was half-way out its sheathe before reason overcame panic.

Growling with indignation, Princess poked her weasel head from her satchel to see what all the fuss was about, while Sarankho chuffed and buried her head into the covers to show she was not yet ready to wake. Thumper and Flopsy didn’t even stir atop their cushion next to Princess, so Song laid back down and set to appeasing the disgruntled weasel-bear and wildcat with head scratches a plenty. Stretching as she basked in luxurious comfort, she concluded that the large, comfortable bed was partly to blame for her earlier panic. The animals weren’t pressed up against her like they usually were back in her own room or on a cot in a yurt, so she woke up alone and afraid for the first time in... well, years.

Perhaps sensing her discomfort, Princess emerged from her satchel and stretched across Song’s chest, sighing in contentment as she settled in for a snuggle. The weasel-bear was still ambivalent about most people and wary of letting down her guard in public, but when left alone with Song, she was as precious and carefree as could be. The satchel was still her favourite means of conveyance, but she was happy to amble about a closed courtyard like Rain’s or Brother Baatar’s. A shame Mama didn’t have a courtyard of her own for the animals to laze in, but Song preferred her snug, cozy living quarters to having a too-large manor with various servants and strangers bustling about at all hours of the day.

That was the other reason for her rude awakening, and she could hear those strangers now. They moved as quietly as they could just out in the hallways, going about their duties with hurried efficiency, but to Song’s heightened Martial Warrior senses, they were as loud and boisterous as a busy market street. Back in her own room, only the scheduled patrols ever disturbed her slumber, since she woke long before the gates opened for soldiers and supplies moving west. Private courtyard aside, there was really no benefit to living in a large manor like Rain’s, which Song suspected was why Mama kept her tiny quarters despite easily being able to afford and arrange better.

Enjoying the rare show of trust and affection from Princess, Song lounged in bed with the sweet animals until she smelled breakfast cooking in the kitchen across the yard. Though she was more than happy to continue lazing about, Sarankho and Princess were soon enamoured by the delectable scents wafting in through the window, and Song was left with no choice but to start the day. There was a time when she would have felt guilty for lying in bed, but she found that keeping to a strict schedule helped keep her from being overwhelmed by the multitude of choices she had to make each and every day, and she was not scheduled to wake and start training for another quarter hour. No matter, she could use the extra time to practice more, because after spending all day listening to the news and rumours regarding Sister Mila and all the other young heroes of the Empire fighting on the front lines, Song felt like she was slowly being left behind in terms of Martial strength.

There was no helping it. Heroes were made on the battlefield, and while Song had no interest in fame or recognition, constant conflict was the best way to hone one’s Martial skills, and she had been too long away.

Wholly at home in the manor, Sarankho slipped out of the room the moment Song opened the door, bounding out into the outdoor hallway and jumping down onto the veranda roof with barely a sound. From there, she padded around to the closest tree branch and leapt over in a daring feat of Lightening, for there was no other way the thin, sparse branch could have supported the wildcat’s weight. Moving with inborn grace and agility, Sarankho ran up the tree trunk to the highest branches as stealthily as could be, right up until she came level with the red panda who leaped to his feet in alarm. Snarling ferociously as he raised his arms high in overt threat, the red panda stared down the much larger, stronger, and faster wildcat, but it was Sarankho who backed away from confrontation. Though clearly the deadlier of the two, her instincts warned her to avoid conflict wherever possible, especially when there was delicious food just waiting down below. Sadly, there was a time when Sarankho was queen of the courtyard’s cherry tree and shared those highest branches with adorable Blackjack, but now, the red panda had usurped her place and Sarankho was too sweet to swat him aside. She would just have to wait until Blackjack arrived later this morning to run the red panda off, though Song wasn’t sure why the red panda was bold enough to stand against a wildcat ten times his size, but ran without putting up a fight against a tiny hare who was barely more than a mouthful.

Regardless of his origins, Song looked forward to the day she could hug that adorable red panda close and stroke his adorable cheeks, but until such a time, she left him to his own devices and contented herself with memories of seeing him clumsily playing on the tire swing last night. Aside from a quiet nod of greeting, she did the same with Teacher Du, who was off sipping hot tea in a corner of the courtyard while basking in the silent morning’s glow. To ensure he had as much privacy as possible, Song made her way over to the opposite side of the courtyard so his line of sight would be obstructed and set Princess and the rabbits down in the grass. The rest of the rabbits were already foraging about the courtyard, as were the bears, wildcats, Kishi, and Ping Ping, which told her Rain was already awake and about. That was good to know, because she was worried about his health, both mental and physical, and thought he might spend the day moping in his room. Though obviously improving, there were still too many mysteries behind his recovery, which meant that if things took a turn for the worst, then there was no way for anyone to help him, and Rain had a habit of spiralling out of control for the most random reasons.

Truth be told, Song was of the opinion that Mama should bring Rain to the front lines and start slaughtering Demons in droves to ‘feed’ him. That seemed liable to improve his condition, though she had no idea why he needed the corpses of Demons to recover or how the Empire at large would react to this news. Unfortunately, until last night, there were no Demons for Mama to subdue on the front lines because the Enemy had been holding them all in reserve, but now that they were in play again, there was a good chance Rain would once again ride to war, and Song would be right there at his side.

Not just because her Oaths compelled her to remain within five kilometres of his person, but also because she was itching to test her skills on the field of battle once more. Over half a year had passed since her last battle, and she’d improved by leaps and bounds since then, now an Aura-Capable Expert of the Empire thanks to her brief bout of Insight in the bamboo grove. Though she’d been back to the peaceful little garden many times since and it remained a place of quiet wonder and veneration, she had yet to find Insight again, but this was hardly something to be upset about. For better or for worse, the Mother never gave Her children more than they could handle, which meant it was up to Song to make the most of the bounty she’d received.

It was for this same reason why Mama didn’t spend much time training with Song and encouraged her to do what she pleased, because Balance applied to all aspects of life. Training and experience she had aplenty, but Song sorely lacked the perspective to understand her hard learned lessons, and somehow, sampling snack shops and sight-seeing around the Citadel was supposed to fix that. However, after so many months of idle inactivity, Song no longer concerned herself with the minutia of details and kept to her loose schedule as best she could, which meant starting each morning with a Demonstration of the Forms.

Today, however, introduced a new and unsettling change, for just as she was about to begin, Teacher Du appeared at her side without warning. His unexpected arrival wasn’t due to Concealment or even mundane stealth, but he had a habit of Lightening himself at all times which made his movements seem natural and unhurried despite travelling at shocking speeds in complete silence. A single, casual step could see him soar clear across the courtyard without need to set foot on creaking board or rustling grass, and it was rather beguiling to see in action. While Song, Lin-Lin and Yan had all done their best to emulate his actions and traded notes regarding their observations, there was more to Teacher Du’s skill than just Lightening or Wind Chi, a complex, multifaceted Chi skill he executed at will without even realizing it at times. Many Martial Warriors had favoured Chi skills like this, such as Papa and Sister Mila who had difficulty controlling their strength, or Brother Baatar and Rain’s hyper-vigilance, or even Nephew-in-Law Charok’s ability to flick stones with frightening precision, accuracy, and power.

It was startling how hard most Martial Warriors had to work to fit into what was still predominantly a commoners’ world. There were times when Song chafed at having to take the stairs when it would be faster to climb walls and go through windows like sweet Sarankho, but doing so would not be proper.

Startled out of her inner musings, Song realized Teacher Du had asked her a question, and it took her a moment to replay what just happened. Offering Song a bashful, but reassuring smile, Teacher Du picked at his sleeves and asked, “Would you mind if this old man joined you in Demonstrating the Forms? I’ve found that a slower pace allows more time to reflect on and revise my interpretations, but without a partner to keep time, I tend to rush through the movements.”

Nodding in agreement without considering the question, Song found herself in something of a bind. For years, she’d hoped to have the benefit of Teacher Du’s guidance once more, but now? Mama was her Mentor, and despite her... hands-off approach, Song had learned much under her tutelage. It had been years since she received any pointers from Teacher Du, and even then, she never had the benefit of his personal guidance, only his broad notes on how one should approach the Martial Path as well as his general primer on the Forms. Still, she did not wish to disgrace his teachings, nor did she wish to disgrace what Mama had taught her since then, but with Teacher Du standing patiently in wait for her to begin, Song had no choice but to throw herself into the Forms.

At first, it was awkward knowing Teacher Du was... not watching, but cognizant of her actions, and Song stumbled through her movements in a clumsy and inept Demonstration even sweet Tali would frown at. Throughout it all, she feared Teacher Du would frown and disapprove, but every time she summoned the courage to sneak a peek at his expression, she was met with that same reassuring smile, without a hint of judgment or displeasure. Relieved that he didn’t care about her progress and truly just wanted someone to slow him down, Song was able to put him out of mind and turn her attention to the Forms instead. Once relaxed, she felt her movements improve to her usual standards as she brought her sabre through the Snake, Deer, and Oriole Forms, all of which she once considered her weakest Forms, but had much improved in recent months. She was still most proficient with Tiger, followed by Wolf and Bear, and while she was ambivalent about Mantis, she was slightly more comfortable with it than the last three. Why, she couldn’t say, but there was something about the Tiger Form which spoke to her, and not just because of her wildcat heritage, but also because the movements just made sense. Because of this, she based her combat style on the Tiger Forms, which Teacher Du encouraged, and it served her well by elevating her above the rest of her peers, but recently, Mama asked Song to help teach the Forms to Sentinel youths, which forced her to revisit and relearn the other Forms in greater detail than ever before.

It seemed odd to think that the Martial Path had once been the foundation of Song’s entire existence and her sole purpose to progress further along it, yet somehow, she thought it logical to essentially ignore seven of the eight Forms. Teacher Du only encouraged her to focus more on the Tiger Form, but Song devoted all her attention towards it at the expense of everything else, and only now did she understand the folly of her ways. A few months ago, during their journey to the Central Citadel, Song saw Du Min Kyung in action and thought his fighting style so similar to hers, a Warrior who also focused on the Tiger Forms, but after reviewing the battle in memory countless times since and teaching the Forms for a few weeks, Song realized her initial assessment could not have been more wrong.

The movements of the Tiger Form served as Du Min Kyung’s foundation, but a plethora of movements from the other Forms were mixed in alongside them, bolstering his strengths and shoring up his weaknesses. The Tiger Form was powerful and domineering, but the other Forms no less formidable in their own unique ways. The Oriole offered speed and precision while the Mantis emphasized surprise and misdirection. The Snake focused on inhibition and flexibility, and the Deer grace and alacrity. Individually, each Form had its advantages and disadvantages, but together, they were the Dao, the Martial Path in its entirety, and Song had been a fool to ignore so much of it.

Yet another facet of the lesson she’d learned from her time in the bamboo grove. All the secrets of the Martial Dao already lay at her fingertips, everything from Core Creation to whatever lay beyond Domain Development, and while Song didn’t understand how she’d gotten so far and knew not what lay ahead, she was determined to continue forward one step at a time.

By the time breakfast was ready, Song and Teacher Du had gone through the Forms five times and had just started a sixth, but neither one was willing to put off eating just to finish this last set. As they strode towards the dining room, Song discovered it was Teacher Du slowing their pace, taking short, deliberate steps while looking as if he had something to say. After what felt like an eternity, he finally cleared his throat and said, “You are a talented young girl Song, and I am happy to see you in good spirits. I did you a grave disservice in not... not safeguarding you from Jin Kai and Jin Tok. I make no excuses, and can only offer my heartfelt apologies. Should you ever need anything, speak and I will endeavour to do what I can to help.”

There was a time when Song would have been beside herself with joy to hear Teacher Du say these words, back in those dark days when she had been nothing more than a slave and only found solace and direction in progressing along the Martial Path. That was her purpose, the reason for her existence, but now she had new purpose, one given to her by her loving family which was to simply be happy. There was nothing she needed from Teacher Du, not his guidance, his approval, or even his apology, though she was gratified to have it. He was a part of her past, and as much as she respected him, she no longer envied Yan who had his affection, because Song had something so much better.

She was Li Song, daughter of Akanai and Husolt, sister to Sumila, and a Sentinel of the People, and despite her rude awakening, today was a wonderful day.

Rather than saying all this, Song merely nodded and walked Teacher Du to the dining room, where she took her seat next to Mama and waited for everyone to arrive. To her surprise, Rain emerged from the kitchen, rather than from the baths as Song expected, carrying several dishes of delectable delights he no doubt cooked himself. “Hello everybody,” he said, placing the dishes down with a flourish. “I trust you’re all well on this fine morning?”

“You seem in a fine mood today. I cannot even remember the last time you cooked a full meal.” Presenting her cheek for a kiss, Sister-in-Law Sarnai beamed as Rain obliged and asked, “Is there something you’d like to share?”

Though Rain and Brother Baatar likely didn’t notice, Song spotted Sister-in-Law Sarnai’s eyes dart across the courtyard and land directly on Luo-Luo’s door, no doubt wondering if the Imperial Servant had anything to do with Rain’s good mood. Unlikely, since Ping Ping, Aurie, and Mama Bun didn’t make a fuss about being forced to sleep outside, which was a sure sign Rain was up to no good. Flashing a knowing smile, he held his tongue until he returned to his seat, tickling Tate’s ear and tugging Tali’s braid as he passed. “Why yes. I believe I stumbled across an important revelation last night, a missing piece in the perplexing puzzle which is the Martial Path.”

“Seems you disregarded my advice after all.” Chuckling at their private joke, Teacher Du shook his head and smiled. “Well? Out with it then. I’m too old to sit around and wait for dramatic reveals. How will this help?”

“I’ll talk about it after breakfast, if you care enough to stick around.” Shooting a glance at the adorable twins and another in Song’s direction, Rain hoisted Mama Bun into his lap and said, “It’s nothing too specific, but I’d still rather not risk leading anyone astray.”

Song found it mildly annoying to have interesting tidbits dangled before her like this, but at least he was finally learning to watch his words. Mama nodded in approval while everyone else simply took the news in stride and ate their breakfast without comment, no doubt because Rain’s revelations were usually something which was on the cusp of making sense, but never really quite made it there. Perhaps that was why Mama even let Song stay for the post-breakfast discussion, as Nephew Charok offered to teach her class since Tali and Tate were going to join the lessons anyways. A good thing too, because Song was a terrible teacher and had no earthly idea how to control a horde of enthusiastic children with more energy than sense.

Grateful for the reprieve, Song followed Mama out into the courtyard and took a seat by the cherry tree with Princess in her lap, while Rain helped Sister-in-Law Sarnai and Teacher Du into their chairs. Papa and Brother Baatar couldn’t stay, as they had duties to attend to, so it was just the five of them for now, and they all gave Rain their full attention after Mama confirmed they were under Concealment and a Sound Barrier. “See,” he began, grinning as Ping Ping eased her head under Mama Bun’s fluffy behind to rest her chin on Rain’s lap, “It all started with something the Legate said, after the whole kerfuffle at Mom and Dad’s manor.” Only Rain would refer to the near death of a highly ranked Imperial Scion as a ‘kerfuffle’, especially since Brother Baatar was facing harsh criticism for ‘allowing’ this debacle to take place in his own home. There were even nobles demanding he be held liable for the Legate’s injuries and punished by Imperial Law, which was the height of foolishness, but politicians were not above looting a burning house to take advantage of another’s misfortune.

In defence of Rain’s ignorance, he did seem a little distracted and out of sorts ever since he woke from his coma. Despite all the good tidings of a successful withdrawal and heroic accomplishments, he barely cracked a smile and spent all morning moping in the courtyard comforting himself in a pile of pets, only to abandon them after breakfast and lock himself up alone in his room. Then, after a visit from Luo-Luo and a brief appearance to request Song use Aura on him defensively and offensively, he ran off to Brother Baatar’s manor to work, since apparently his room was not isolated enough for his liking. In hindsight, she realized he might have already been in the throes of Inspiration since the moment he woke up, but at the time, she didn’t pay much mind to his ‘strange’ behaviour, since it wasn’t exactly out of character.

Especially considering he just spent two long weeks in a coma after helping Ping Ping ascend to Divinity and bring Guan Suo back as an adorable red panda. As miraculous as it was, a small part of Song hoped he might one day do the same for her as well. Though largely left to their own devices, the wildcats might never know true freedom, but they didn’t seem to chafe at their restraints or boundaries, and Song hoped to one day experience that feeling for herself.

Oh how blessed it must be to live without a care in the world, never yearning for true freedom or envying those who squandered it...

After going over his discussion with the Legate once again and reiterating what everyone present already knew about the notes he’d written, Rain finally got to the point. “So before the Seneschal brought him away, the Legate said I had a glaring mistake in my notes and that the Core is not the powerhouse of the Martial Warrior. It’s merely the medium through which we harness Heavenly Energy.” Shrugging, Rain looked around at all the blank, unreadable expressions and said, “Yea, see? I didn’t get it either. I thought it was a difference without a distinction. If Heavenly Energy is a river, the Core is the waterwheel which powers the millstone. Yes, it’s technically the water powering everything, but without the waterwheel, the millstone doesn’t turn, and the water and millstone become worthless for our purposes, which is to metaphorically grind... things. That’s what we use millstones for, right?”

It was strange to think Rain knew so much about the world, but wasn’t sure what millstones were used for. It was Mama who answered first, since she was well-accustomed to answering all of Rain’s silly queries. “Yes, but your conclusion is flawed. Even without the waterwheel, the water still has use, and the same is true for Heavenly Energy.”

“Exactly!” Grinning like a madman, Rain offered Mama a salute in respect. “You understood it right away, but alas, I am not as wise or experienced as you, Grand-Mentor.”

“Call me Mother-in-Law, boy, else you and I will have words about your improper relationship with my beloved daughter.”

“A thousand apologies, Mother-in-Law.” Rain would go back to calling Mama Grand-Mentor in a matter of minutes, but that was their way, always manufacturing good-natured conflict between them just so they could butt heads and fume about it. “Anyway, as I was saying, I’m kind of stupid, so I didn’t get what the Legate was trying to say until late last night when everyone was heading off to bed and Grandpa Du offered me a word of advice.” Offering Teacher Du a salute, Rain explained, “He said I should get a good night’s rest, which I promptly ignored, and then he said, ‘Do not underestimate the value of love, for love makes heroes and monsters of us all’.” Grinning as he panned across his audience, he asked, “Anyone care to guess my internal response?”

When his gaze came to rest on Song, he raised an eyebrow in expectation and she realized she knew the answer. “You thought it was nonsense.”

Teacher Du coughed and Rain went red with mild embarrassment at her blunt wording, but still nodded in confirmation. “I mean, it’s very poetic and not entirely wrong, but that’s not how it is with animals. They love, they hate, they get angry or sad, but they don’t let those emotions control or poison them, nor do they pursue them above all else. They still get up every day and set out to forage or hunt, work tirelessly to survive until they find a place to rest their weary heads. While we say life is ‘trials and tribulations without end’, wild animals truly embody this, because no matter the odds, they continue to struggle and persevere until the bitter end.” Lifting Mama Bun up a little higher, he revealed Ping Ping’s adorable head hidden underneath and gave the sweet girl a vigorous pat. “And that’s when it all came together.”

Unable to follow Rain’s logic, Song looked to Mama for help, but she seemed as perplexed as everyone else sitting in the circle, save for Rain who was busy congratulating Ping Ping for being ‘the best girl ever’ while the sweet turtle emanated her Loving Aura for everyone to experience. It was nice feeling this again, for Rain only showed it to Song the one time, but Ping Ping was a sweet girl who used her loving Aura as often as possible, and Song imagined she herself would do the same. It was difficult to show affection, whether it be taking someone’s hand or leaning close for support, because she wasn’t sure how well her actions would be received or if the message would even be received, but to share how you felt about someone through Aura left no room for misinterpretation.

A shame no one could explain how it was possible to use Aura in this manner, but Song hoped Rain’s notes had something to say about it...

For a minute, time paused as they all sat together to share in the warm, unadulterated love radiating from this most Divine of turtles, until Sister-in-Law Sarnai cleared her throat and caught Rain’s attention. Had it had been anyone else, the fiery woman would have snapped at them to stop dawdling and explain, so Rain sheepishly offered an apologetic dip of his head before saying, “I’ve been going at the problem all wrong. When I considered the Martial Path and all the glaring gaps in our knowledge, my first instinct was to compare and contrast Imperial methods to Defiled ones.” This earned him a glare from Mama and Sister-in-Law Sarnai while Teacher Du shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but Rain weathered it all without blinking. “It’s the logical comparison. Anything we do, they can emulate, except the Defiled tend to progress faster at the expense of their sanity, which also tends to limit their prospects unless they turn into Demons. I know people who I helped claw back from the brink of Defilement, and I’ve seen their strength increase by leaps and bounds. I have former commoners in my retinue who suffered through gruelling conditions and were able to become Martial Warriors with limited guidance. I’ve experienced the Defiled Path firsthand, and know that despite all the differences, at the end of the day, the Imperial and Defiled Martial Paths are two sides of the same coin, with less separating the two than most would care to admit.” Sitting up straight as if to brook no argument, Rain continued speaking over the nonverbal protests. “And therein lies the problem. The two Paths are too similar, so there is nothing to be gained from comparing and contrasting them. I should instead take the best from both and eliminate the worst so I can come up with something new, a fast-track along the Martial Path without an increased risk of Defilement.”

Despite her initial abhorrence to his claims, Song realized Rain was uniquely qualified to make these claims since he himself had experienced both Paths, albeit through a manic episode of mental dissonance in which he played the part of two different individuals residing within the same mind. Mama and Sister-in-Law Sarnai seemed to realize it as well, while Teacher Du was too shocked by all these revelations to do more than sputter for words which would not come. Logically, what Rain was saying made a certain sort of sense, but it was also... well, blasphemous to the extreme. All this time, Rain had been heralded as the Mother’s Chosen son, and here he was advocating to join Her Path with that of the Father’s.

Should word of this spread, death would be considered a mercy, but when he finally found his voice Teacher Du’s outburst was not to condemn Rain’s thoughts, but to question them. “...And how would this even be possible? How can you take from the Father without falling victim to His lies? Not all are as blessed as you, little Rain, for even the Mother’s goodwill is not without limit.”

“I mean no offence to your faith, Grandpa Du.” Having said this, Song was certain Rain was about to offend, and he didn’t disappoint. “There are risks and obvious pitfalls, yes, but I see Heavenly Energy as a natural phenomenon, one no different from the flowing river or the raging winds. We have waterwheels and windmills to harness those energies, and I believe it is possible to harness Heavenly Energy in a similar way. Looking at it another way, you could say we are all novice swimmers who brave the raging seas in an effort to make it through to the other shore, when what we should really do is figure out how to build a proper boat, or better yet, a contraption to fly through the skies and carry us over the troubled waters in safety.”

Inwardly shaking her head at Rain’s fanciful dreaming, Song wondered how he ever came up with these ridiculous ideas. Perhaps next, he would suggest they build a water-tight coffin to lay in so that they might explore the sea depths. Oblivious to the puzzled glances being traded about the courtyard, Rain continued his rant without pause. “We mystify the Martial Path and elevate it to this ineffable process because we ourselves do not understand it, but look back in history and you will see many similar examples play out. Our earliest ancestors venerated fire, for it illuminated the darkness and kept predators at bay, but over time, we unlocked its secrets and used it to bake bricks to build walls we could hide behind, and to forge better weapons and tools with which to defend ourselves. Now, fire is a part of our everyday lives, and we give it no more thought than breathing. Some people still sacrifice animals to the Mother Above in hopes of favourable weather or a bountiful harvest, but we laugh at their foolish ways because we know weather follows a general pattern and that droughts and forest fires are merely a part of nature. The Azure Sea was considered dangerous and impassable until we learned to build flat-bottomed junk ships to navigate through the shallows, and now it is the most trafficked trade route running through North, West, and Central.” Tapping the side of his head, Rain smiled and said, “That is the power of knowledge, and with it, I believe we can go from treating Heavenly Energy like some Divine Power, to something similar to fire which we use each and everyday.”

It was clear Mama, Sister-in-Law Sarnai, and Teacher Du didn’t approve of Rain’s line of thought, but they had no words to refute him either. Once again, Rain had said many things which almost made sense, but fell woefully short of reaching a point. “How?” Song asked, drawing the glares away from Rain, if only to sate her curiosity. “How do you even begin to combine the two separate Paths without grave risk of Defilement?”

“By comparing and contrasting with a different Path,” Rain replied, surprising Song who expected him to shrug and say ‘no idea’. “One which we know has no chance of Defilement, and as an added bonus, is even capable of Shattering the Void to reach true Divinity.” Understanding dawned as Song’s eyes were drawn down to sweet Ping Ping sleeping in Rain’s lap, her eyes closed and cheeks puffed as she dreamed pleasant dreams. Happy to have someone understand him, Rain nodded and said, “Yep. Animals. Again, this goes back to what the Legate said, that the Core is the medium through which we harness Heavenly Energy. We. As in ‘we’ Martial Warriors. I didn’t understand it right away, but Grand-Mentor already pointed it out. We take Heavenly Energy into our Cores and turn it into Chi, but that is not the only way to use Heavenly Energy.”

Though Song still didn’t entirely understand what Rain was going on about, at least he seemed to have some inkling of what was going on, so she gave it some thought. “We have Runes,” she said, after a moment’s thought. “That is another method through which we harness Heavenly Energy.”

“True, but I don’t know enough about Runes to pursue that.” Shrugging, Rain said, “I wanted to ask Teacher about it, but he was already gone by the time I came down, so I suppose it’ll have to wait. For now though, there are other avenues to explore, namely animals, and I’m beginning to suspect they not only have a different Martial Path, but that they don’t have Cores at all and simply manipulate Heavenly Energy at will.”

“...Mother in Heaven.” Eyes wide with alarm and admiration, Teacher Du whispered, “...I never even considered the possibility before, but you may be right. There are marked differences in how animals use Chi compared to Martial Warriors, namely their Spiritual Hearts and complete and utter lack of Aura.” Glancing down at the slumbering Ping Ping, Teacher Du corrected himself and said, “Until now. Now we know animals hold off on Aura Condensation until after achieving Divinity, but why? Does this not leave them susceptible to Demonic Aura? Without humanity to defend them, the Enemy would scour the world clean of life in decades, for such is their purpose, to ruin the Mother’s most cherished Creation, so how can this be the right Path?”

“You told me the answer yourself, Grandpa.” Smiling in a way which made him look all too smug, Rain said, “After all, love makes heroes and monsters of us all.”

“Enough grandstanding,” Sister-in-Law Sarnai snapped, finally tired of Rain’s quiet gloating. “Explain.”

“Sorry mom.” Offering the top of his head with a hidden smile, he visibly brightened when she stroked his hair and explained, “See, I wrote a bunch of this stuff in my notes while under Inspiration, but I didn’t really put it all together until afterwards while considering love and stuff, which brought me to Emotional Aura. Something that always bothered me was how animals always skipped Aura Condensation, and yet aren’t exactly susceptible to standard Aura. Instead, they react unpredictably, either panicking, fleeing, growing angry, or just plain confused, whereas humans all freeze in place when subjected to Aura. Now, I initially speculated Spiritual Hearts were to blame, which doesn’t make sense since not all animals have one, but all animals react unpredictably to Aura. Then, I realized I myself wasn’t exactly susceptible to Aura, seeing how I eked out a narrow victory against Zian despite not having an Aura myself.” It said something about Rain’s eventful life that everyone present had forgotten such an incredible feat, but he merely laughed and said, “Yea, I forgot all about that too until just yesterday, when I learned I was susceptible to Aura again. I wrote off my... resilience, for lack of a better word, as inexplicable good fortune from earlier misfortune and bad experiences, but now, I’m wondering if I inadvertently did what animals do, and somehow... I dunno, dampened the effects of Aura in some way, without actually using one. No idea, but I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts and exploring the matter further.”

“Our thoughts?” Blinking owlishly as she stared at Rain, who was too busy smiling at Ping Ping to notice, Mama asked, “Is this all you have to say? What use is any of this... this...” Song thought she would say ‘useless drivel’, but Mama caught herself and said, “Speculation?”

“It offers new avenues to explore and uncover.” More excited than he had any right to be, Teacher Du’s leg twitched in place as he lost himself in thought. “Promising ones considering we have a prime example of success here before us.” Glancing up at the red panda hiding in the treetop, Teacher Du added, “Possibly two.”

Nodding along with Teacher Du’s thoughts, Rain said, “I think the key lies in how we wield Heavenly Energy. There are two main methods I can identify, which I’ve been calling Visualization and Intent. The former is self explanatory in how we utilize Visualization to control Chi, whereas ‘Intent’ can be used to the same effect, and I believe is the sole method through which animals use Heavenly Energy. Most really only use it to enhance what they can already do, whether it be climb trees, run faster, hide better, or whatnot. ‘Intent’ also covers all the instinctual, intrinsic uses of Chi that we might not notice, like how Tate can’t consciously use Reinforcement but can almost lift Aurie off of the ground when it suits him. It shouldn’t even be physically possible, but Heavenly Energy has made him much stronger than he appears, but when he tries to utilize that strength on purpose, he’s only as strong as any other ten year old child. It also covers things like regrowing teeth, which you’ll have to believe me, is not normal when you’re a fully grown adult. You get two sets of natural teeth, and that’s it. Any more, and you’re using Heavenly Energy to grow them. That’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”

Somehow, Rain’s theories always circled around to teeth, but the strangest thing was, aside from the teeth bit, Song actually understood what he was going on about. That said, he was missing a third method, and she felt compelled to speak up, but she had to wait until there was a lull in the teeth debate to say, “There is a third method of utilizing Chi or Heavenly Energy.”

“Just saying Heavenly Energy is fine, because they’re essentially the same thing, but that’s neither here nor there. Also, I have a theory about why you can do things with Heavenly Energy that you can’t do with Chi, but we can get into that at another time.”

Urging her to continue despite his caveat, Rain waited with bated breath for Song’s answer. “Emotion,” she said, wondering how he missed it. “We control Chi through emotion as well.”

“Right!” Smacking himself in the head, Rain’s eyes went wide with comprehension. “Emotion! How could I have overlooked it? It was right there in front of me. I even had that whole section on how we bind Chi with Emotion... Hang on.” Running off to his room to get his notes, Rain left everyone behind to stare at one another in shared confusion, save for Teacher Du who was already lost in his own thoughts. Frowning, Mama said, “Girl, I think it would be best if we left now, for I fear even I can not hold true to my Path in the face of the boy’s... incomprehensible yet oddly compelling leaps of logic. As things stand, we cannot afford to question the very foundation of our strength, not with the Enemy bearing down upon us.”

“Go, go,” Teacher Du said, waving them away, even Sister-in-Law Sarnai who seemed undecided whether to stay or go. “This sort of theoretical debate is more to my tastes than yours anyways, and I’m old and spent, so even if I falter and fall, nothing of value will have been lost.”

Taking Mama by the hand and offering Sister-in-Law Sarnai the other one, Song gently led them both out of Rain’s manor and off to the marketplace. Though she herself wanted to stay and listen, this was Rain’s Dao, not hers, so she trusted Mama’s methods to find her way. Since her schedule was already thrown off, she decided it would be best to have her post morning lessons pastry early today, which was perfect since she normally had to spend a half-hour or so standing in line for a table and having to rush to meet up with her sparring partners. Since she was early today, maybe there wouldn’t be anyone there, and Song could treat Mama and Sister-in-Law Sarnai to something delicious. As for Rain, for better or for worse, it seemed he found new purpose again, but Song had her own Path, and she would not deviate from it now, not without significant proof of a superior one to follow. One step at a time, that was her Path and she would forge it with Mama’s help, but perhaps Rain would do the impossible and develop a new, superior Path which would allow others to take three steps at a time. If anyone could pull off a miracle like this, it would be Rain, but it shouldn’t matter too much, because regardless of the path taken, they all led to the same destination.

As for now, there were freshly steamed sweet buns to enjoy on Song’s path, and there were few people she would rather enjoy them with than her beloved Mama and respected Sister-in-Law.

Chapter Meme