Savage Divinity

Competition always brought out the worst in Yan, but she couldn’t really help it.

When she was younger, her yearning to stand out came from a place of envy, jealousy, and inadequacy which manifested itself as a desire to prove everyone wrong for skipping over her when it came time to choose a child for adoption. A childish mindset to be sure, but she would be lying to say she didn’t still harbour some small resentment for spending her whole childhood in the orphanage instead of with a family who loved and cherished her. Of course, had this not been the case, then Yan would have never become the woman she was today, and she now had a loving family to cherish herself, but she still liked to dream about what might have been. These days, she had a better idea as to why she was always overlooked for adoption, and the answer was not a pleasant one, nor was it one she could ignore.

No matter how much she wanted to, for she was not the only one to notice that the horned Half-Demons dotted amongst the Enemy ranks bore more than a passing resemblance to herself. They had yet to take part in the fighting, but they stood just out of cannon-range at all times, rotating alongside their tribal allies so that there was always a significant force of the formidable monsters just waiting for orders to advance. Clearly Yan’s sire was either working with the Enemy or a captured prisoner, which brought about a host of uncomfortable questions regarding where the People found her in the first place. Technically, she supposed it could have a dam instead, though the thought of any one woman having enough children to literally form an army was horrific to the extreme, even for someone like Yan who could never bear a child of her own.

Not that she wanted to. There were plenty of children in need of love and affection already, so why subject herself to the ghastly unpleasantness of childbirth unless absolutely necessary?

Since Yan didn’t really want to ponder the implications of all this new information, she focused on her ugly competitive streak instead, even as the whirling links of Paragon sparked her competitive spirit. While she was more than happy to share Rain’s affection with multiple women, fame and prestige were another thing altogether, and Mila had always been her chief rival and goal to surpass when it came to the Martial pursuits. The domineering woman was a sight to behold upon the battlements of Shi Bei, whirling her incomprehensible weapon about overhead to scythe through every Defiled tribesman with the misfortune to come into range, a veritable one-woman army who was not only decimating the Enemy ranks, but simultaneously protecting Li-Li, Yan, and a whole host of soldiers through some inconspicuous manner. Difficult to say what it was, but the Defiled standing out of range of Mila’s chain-whip were unable to fight effectively, coming over the battlements only to flinch and squint as if blinded by the glare of the sun. It was so widespread that Yan even glanced behind her only to see nothing, for not only was it past noon, but the sun was hidden by the raging storm clouds overhead as they unleashed a downpour to wash away the fatigue of Imperial soldiers and likely drain the stamina of Defiled as well.

Perhaps there would come a time when darling Lin-Lin learned to do the same, but Yan couldn’t imagine ever wanting to compete with the sweet, lovable half-hare. No, not half-hare, but Ancestral Hare, one who only recently ascended and turned out was either older or younger than her supposed twenty years of age. Technically, Lin-Lin had only been human for about eighteen years or so, as she went from hare to toddler to skip maybe eighteen to twenty-four months as a helpless baby. Made sense considering babies pretty much needed constant, round-the-clock care to just survive, though it begged the question of why a Spiritual Hare wouldn’t just turn into a fully-grown human instead. Alas, no one had the answer to that one, but Yan was still hung up on the fact that the cherubic Lin-Lin was quite possibly the oldest one of them all, if you added in her years spent as a Spiritual Cloud Chaser Hare.

Then again, that didn’t seem fair considering Lin-Lin had no real memories of her past life, only vague inklings and faint impressions that sounded suspiciously similar to Insight. Regardless of her age, what really irked Yan about all this was not the fact that Lin-Lin had hidden this from them all, which was understandable, or that she was now one of two women capable of bearing Rain’s natural born children, which didn’t matter at all, but that she was arguably the strongest and most talented out of all of Rain’s wives. Luo-Luo’s meteoric progress in the Martial and Musical Dao already had Yan on edge, for the formidable Imperial Scion was seemingly perfect in every possible way, and now her musical talents were filling the hearts of Imperials with courage and determination aplenty. Then there was Lin-Lin, who Rain spoiled the most and was also fated to ascend to Divinity naturally over time. It hardly seemed fair for Yan to devote herself to the Martial Path and make even less progress than Lin-Lin, who spent most of her time either sleeping or playing with the pets, two activities Yan also loved with all her heart, but it was well known that the Mother always had Her favourites.

It just stung to know that Yan wasn’t one of them, something she’d known all along, but she could do without all the constant reminders…

Luo-Luo, Mila, and Lin-Lin weren’t even the worst offenders, for there was still the matter of Rain’s ascension, which had Yan all twisted in knots inside. Proud as she was of her beloved husband, she was also undeniably envious of his success and his ability to accomplish something which no one in the history of the Empire had ever accomplished. Twenty-two years young and already a Divinity, or at least someone able to challenge them in some way, shape or form. Though Rain himself claimed he was no match for a Divinity in combat, and Taduk reluctantly agreed when pressed for an answer, the fact that Yan’s husband was even able to affect a clash on this level was staggering to behold, especially considering the fact that he said he still had room for improvement. Rain being Rain, he said this as if it were some grave sin to not be perfect and beyond compare, because surely he should have sprung out of the womb as more than a mere Divinity, but Yan could only marvel at how incredible he truly was. So what if Vyakhya stood still and took Rain’s attack head on? The fact that he was able to kill a Divinity at all was worthy of praise, yet he acted as if he didn’t deserve any credit at all, especially considering how Nian Zu’s titular Shooting Star barely made the Ancestral Bristleboar bleed when they clashed back in Sinuji.

Meaning Rain, Yan’s beautiful, beloved fool of a husband, had more killing power than the Shield of the North, a Colonel General and Living Legend venerated by all.

As for Yan herself? She’d been progressing by leaps and bounds of late, and recently even learned how to use her Blessing of Air to keep tabs on the battlefield, soar high into the sky, unleash devastating explosions upon her Enemies, yet she still felt as if others were surpassing her with each and every day. Not just her sister-wives and Rain either, for many a diamond in the rough had been revealed of late. Lang Yi for example, with his superlative spear skills, or Ravil who’d revealed his rough and tumble fighting style in Meng Sha, or Jorani whose courage never failed to surprise as he rose to the occasion time and time again. Then there were the established rising dragons to compete with as well, like Zian, Dastan, Sai Chou, and more, to say nothing of BoShui’s shocking achievements in the closing minutes of the battle of Meng Sha as he slaughtered a path through the Mataram Clansmen to kill Captains, Senior Captains, and even a Major without blinking.

Grandpa Du had already filled her in on everything that took place these last two weeks and revealed more rising young talents to be wary of, which left Yan feeling like her rivals were always hot on her heels no matter how far ahead she progressed. Now, Mila had not only proven herself as a Warrior to be reckoned with, but was also establishing herself as a pillar capable of holding the Heavens up on her two sturdy shoulders, for if the Enemy were to have any hope of overrunning this section of the wall, they would either have to kill Mila or wait until she used all her Chi and stamina. In contrast, while Yan was capable of slaughtering vast numbers of Defiled with little more than a look, due to her newfangled Wind Domain allowing her to unleash Wind Blades, the Sanguine Whirlwind, and Grandpa Du’s poorly named Explosive Wind in an instant, but she couldn’t keep this up for long. As impressive as it might be to cut down hundreds of Defiled with a single slaughtering gale, she had a limited amount of Chi to work with meaning it was more efficient to slaughter her foes one at a time.

Whereas Mila killed tens of tribesmen with each pass of her chain-whip, and could likely swing it from dawn till dusk without ever pausing.

If only Yan had Grandpa Du’s abstruse Talent for retaining control of his Chi as it passed through a living being, enabling him to slaughter multiple Defiled with a single Wind Blade with only minimal upkeep. She had Chi enough to launch hundreds of Wind Blades over the course of a battle now, but it still wasn’t worth using against the naked, tribal Defiled who died just as easily to a swing of her Battle-Fan. Stamina and staying power, that was what was needed here in Shi Bei, but despite having done the math and arrived at the correct answer, it wasn’t an answer Yan particularly liked. Much as she loved the Forms and fighting head-to-head against a challenging foe, there was no challenge in slaughtering these crazed Defiled tribesmen, for she wasn’t fighting against them so much as she was struggling to outlast them. Better if she could unleash widespread death and destruction from afar to send them running for the hills, for there was no honour or satisfaction to be had from this unending slaughter as the half-blinded Defiled delivered themselves to her Battle-Fan and Six-Pointed Shield.

Wry amusement welled up from within, so familiar and innocuous that it took Yan a moment to recognize her beloved Husband’s presence. So the idiot was still expending his Soul to help others without a care for the consequences, but there was nothing she could do to stop him. Stubborn was putting it lightly, for Rain was always someone who moved to the beat of his own drum regardless of what others said or did. It was one of his most infuriating qualities while also being one of her favourite things about him, his determination to be his own person even when everyone else tried to change him to suit their own needs. This attitude was what gave Yan the courage to be herself when she first arrived in Central, rather than try and acclimate to the local customs, ones which saw a talented and peerless dragon of a generation suppressed due to her gender alone.

Poor Da’in. Even if the Ryo Family sided against them, Yan would always hold the fearsome Sword Princess in high esteem for her Martial Skills alone, and hoped to one day even challenge and surpass her, but from what little Grandpa Du had told her, that day would not be soon.

Sooner than you think.

A wealth of knowledge surged into Yan’s mind as Rain’s Natal Soul bridged a connection to the Heavens above and opened the floodgates of Insight and Inspiration. At least, that’s how she felt it best described, though she knew her irreverent husband would simply scoff at the statement if she were ever to voice it. A discussion for another day however as Yan immersed herself in the Mother’s Wisdom to progress by leaps and bounds yet again, for the Heavens had sensed her desire to master Grandpa Du’s Talent and provided her with an answer that was both shockingly simple and staggeringly complex at the same time.

The wind is constantly in motion, because without motion, there is no wind.

That was it, the answer even Grandpa Du could not provide, for his Talent had been present since the day he Awakened to the Blessing of Air. A distinction he was always clear to make, that their Blessing was of Air, and not Wind, but Yan had always nodded along without really understanding the difference. Wind was just moving Air, so why was it necessary to have different names for the same thing? Moving water was still water, dancing flames were still fire, and shifting earth was still earth, so why the discrepancy with Air and Wind?

Because there was power in motion, and Wind was a perfect representation of that power.

Grandpa Du kept Air and Wind distinct because they worked on different principles. The Blessing of Air was about Lightening and Guiding, but the core concept of Wind was based in motion. That’s how Yan was able to deliver her Wind Blades to where they were needed, through instinctive Guiding similar to how Rain threw his sword without thinking, or how Mila utilized Guiding to target her foes’ necks and minimize resistance. This meant that utilizing Wind was merely one half of the Blessing of Air, for there was a whole second facet to it that she couldn’t even describe just yet, much less begin to explore. More to the point, Grandpa’s Talent to retain control of his Wind Chi even after passing through a foreign Domain was no Talent at all, merely the result of the indirect manner in which he used his Blessing. He understood the concept of wind being in constant motion on a base level, so ingrained into his mind that he utilized it without even thinking when unleashing his Wind Blades, but even now, Yan still struggled to put it into words.

When she first started using Wind Blades, she always had to envision her ‘Wind Chi’ moving down the edge of her Battle-Fan, for that was how she shaped the Blades. Now, she could do so without the need for it, because she realized Visualization was not her strong suit and she worked better through other sensations instead, like the tangible and tactile sense of the wind blowing through her hair and clothes. The problem was that unlike Grandpa Du, Yan always envisioned the wind as something separate from the air, to the point where she even sometimes confused herself at times by thinking she had the Blessing of Wind, when instead, they were one and the same. Moving air was wind, and wind was moving air, and wherever the wind passed, air would be displaced to make way for the wind, which in turn would give rise to new winds moving in new directions in a perpetual cycle that had neither an end nor a beginning.

Just because the wind died down didn’t mean the wind had stopped. Only a wind had stopped, the wind Yan could sense, for elsewhere in the world, there were countless other winds blowing as the air itself shifted about in a dizzying pattern dictated by an endless number of variables. Temperature, altitude, pressure, terrain, and so much more had an effect on where the wind blew, but nothing could truly ever contain it. There might be pockets of still air somewhere in the world, but all it would take was the slightest hint of motion to set the wind to blowing once again, while there was never a time when the wind ever stopped as a whole, for that would mean an end to all motion everywhere.

How was this applicable to Yan? Because now that she knew and accepted that the wind never stopped, she understood where she’d deviated from the correct Path. In her mind, her Wind Blades were expendable workings, a one and done sort of deal in that she summoned into existence to strike their targets and dissipate into nothingness, but Grandpa Du was not the same. He was more in tune with his Blessing of Air and understood the concept of perpetual motion, even if he was never able to put it into words. Thus, his Wind Blades were not the true Chi working, but rather the result of a separate working instead, the Air-infused shard of Domain driving the Wind Blade along.

Or at least, that’s how Yan figured it, though the reality of things might be completely different, and the only way to find out was to try it for herself.

Drawing her Battle-Fan back, she waved it about and immersed herself in the sensation, but rather than focus on the wind itself, she instead turned her attention to what moved the air. That was the true purpose of her unique and sometimes inefficient Spiritual Weapon, a tool created to move the air, a truth which had been staring her in the face all along, yet she failed to ever realize until now. All this time, she’d been pouring her Chi into creating Wind Blades when instead she should have been using it to create a tool to move the Air instead, a discrepancy so minor that it was almost without distinction, yet one which also made all the difference in the world. When Grandpa Du struck down multiple opponents with his Wind Chakram, it wasn’t technically one Chakram in the same sense as striking a foe down with a sword or sabre, a solid, unchanging weapon that persisted with use. Instead, it was better to envision it as a ring of rotating air used to form Wind Blades, and every time one Wind Blade was consumed, the ring could easily form a new one to take its place for only a fraction of the Chi required to create a Wind Blade from scratch. Most of the work had already been done after all, since getting the Air moving was where the bulk of her Chi went, with Honing and Guiding requiring only a minimal effort on her part. It was similar to how Rain’s Keystones worked, and this thought more than anything was what made it all fall into place.

For Yan recognized that her Natal Palace of endless wind could serve as a Keystone, and she already knew how to manifest her Wind Domain into reality.

A light breeze passed over her skin and clothes, yet the falling rain remained untouched as Yan’s Domain manifested into reality, where she had long since used her authority to establish the constant motion of Air into law. From this motion, it took only a bare modicum of effort to form a Wind Blade and send it shooting out, an effort which cost her even less Chi than it took to Amplify her strikes, while maintaining her Domain was far easier than sustaining constant Reinforcement. Now, it was finally more efficient to kill her foes from afar than to take up Fan and Shield, a task Yan immediately set to with glee and delight for the endless waves of Defiled were an eyesore to behold. Turning her attention to the right, Yan mowed down the tribesmen on the battlements one by one with Wind Blades no longer than her index fingers and was rewarded with a resounding cheer, but she was hardly paying any attention, because she realized she had a much more target rich environment on the ground.

Normally, she would’ve hopped up onto the parapets for a better view, but Mila’s swinging chain-whip would not differentiate from friend or foe and was effectively keeping the Enemy off an entire stretch of the wall. Thus, Yan fell back on her Spiritual Senses, ones which she perceived through the stirrings of wind, and after a moment spent figuring out how to best decipher this knowledge, she unleashed a barrage of Wind Blades high into the air, whereupon they arced back down towards their chosen targets. The Enemy died in droves without even knowing what killed them, her Spiritual Senses helping her target her foes’ vulnerable areas in a manner which was superior to using her eyes to aim instead, yet another discovery Yan was delighted to uncover as she unleashed wave after wave of death.

It was so easy, so simple, so effortless she wanted to cackle and scream, but Yan refrained from doing so out of a sense of propriety. She still laughed however, because she was only human, her mirth spilling out as she became aware of how many Imperials were awed by her display, one which even Grandpa Du would find difficult to match, because he had yet to learn how to materialize his Domain. What was it about a Domain that made this so easy? The answer struck her like a bucket of cold water and chilled her to the bone, for it came down to a matter of cost. If energy could not be created or destroyed, then it stood to reason that these ‘cost-effective’ Wind Blades were being paid for in a different denomination than Chi. Perhaps it came at the cost of her soul, or perhaps some other energy she was unable to perceive, but she’d know soon enough. In all likelihood, if the cost was her soul, then she would soon pass out like Rain, but as the minutes ticked by and she kept her barrage of Wind Blades going, she felt no noticeable strain on her mind or soul. No headache, no distraction, no pain or even a sense of fatigue, so she kept cutting down the Enemy tribesmen as they came until there were no longer any living targets in range.

The battle still raged on around Shi Bei, but even the fearless Defiled were unwilling to charge headlong into certain death, especially when they were still unable to discern how Yan was cutting them down. To the outside observer, she’d merely been standing around and laughing like a fool for the last few minutes while holding her weapons at the ready, yet it was clear to anyone with eyes that her Blessing of Air was hard at work as arterial blood burst out from razor sharp incisions that appeared along the throats of the Enemy. Even Mila had stopped swinging Paragon about and was watching her with a silly smile, one filled with love, pride, and admiration to match Rain’s, a fact which only made Yan feel guilty for harbouring thoughts of competition, and she resolved to be better about it in the future.

They were sister-wives and best friends, not rivals and competitors for Rain’s affection, and once their husband ascended to Divinity, hopefully they would have a long lifetime to share together, rather than merely a short hundred years.

Before any of them could say a thing however, Grandpa Du cleared his throat and revealed his presence behind Yan. “Stay vigilant,” he warned, so stern and sombre in appearance yet clearly struggling not to bounce in place with unmitigated delight, and she could almost sense his love and pride emanating from his presence. “You’ve both proven yourselves as Warriors to be wary of, and prime targets for the Enemy elites.”

As if to prove his point, a body thudded down on the parapets as his Wind Chakram roared into existence to scythe through seven Wraiths at once, while Li-Li and Kyung accounted for two more each, their sabres moving so quickly Yan could barely even track them. Formidable Warriors the both of them, and their skills were a stark reminder not to slack in her efforts, for though her Blessing of Air was powerful indeed, the Martial Path held power aplenty and she still had a long ways to go from reaching the peak.

And not as much time as she once believed either, for her goal was no longer Peak Expert and Living Legend, but Divinity now that Rain was so close to that same achievement. Not because she yearned to compete with him, but because if he was going to live for several lifetimes, then she wanted to spend several lifetimes with him as well, to make up for the fact that she had to share him.

Alas, it also meant that she would likely have to wait until the next life to gather a harem of handsome husbands, but this was a price Yan was more than willing to pay.

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Standing with sabre drawn and dripping with blood, Song screened her surroundings for more threats to dispatch, but she saw nothing besides the falling rain.

That’s how she spotted the Wraiths in the first place, by the void left by their passage through the wall of raindrops, one which outlined them in a watery shell as they Cloud-Stepped towards their intended targets. Mila and Yan had both forced the Enemy’s hand with their superlative displays, and Li-Li knew Mama was already making arrangements to exploit this, either by moving them further apart to defend even more ground between them or rotating between them to keep one area clear at all times. Li-Li would happily go along with either to defend them, for she knew her talents lay not in massed slaughter, but single combat, and she yearned to put her newfangled abilities to the test. Not against crazed, half-blinded Defiled tribesmen, but against foes strong enough to require the full measure of her efforts, a whetstone to hone her skills against and an accomplishment worthy of pride.

Where were the Champions and Chieftains, the Demons and Half-Demons, the Chosen and Experts among them? All standing at the back of the army, waiting for the Imperials to expend the bulk of their strength against the tribal Defiled who seemed undaunted by the prospect of death. Even from afar, Song could feel their hatred and animosity burning hot within their chests as they glared towards Mila and Yan in unbridled contempt. Rather than fearing for their lives, they were unresigned by the fact that they could no longer try to kill the two Imperials who slaughtered so many of their comrades, the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands far from enough to cow the bloodthirsty cannibals. Surprising to be sure that they would be so determined to take Shi Bei, even after so many days of unfruitful slaughter, but Song supposed it should be expected since they were willing to charge through Medical Saint Taduk’s incredible and inexplicable working which brought rainfall to the desert plains. A most formidable display of power and control, especially considering what little Song knew of Divinities, that their power was beyond compare and how they could easily destroy an entire city in their rage. It was only recently that she became aware of the fact that the destruction was an unintended side-effect of utilizing the Energy of the Heavens, something to do with Will and Intent and the eagerness with which the Heavens responded. The way Rain explained it during the harrowing boat ride to Shi Bei made it sound like Divinities were the true Chosen of Heaven, the most beloved children of the Mother Above who monopolized the bulk of Her affections.

A shame Rain couldn’t find it in himself to simply crash his wave into the Enemy forces and end the battle outright, but putting aside the implications of this possibly Treaty-breaking action, Song suspected that such a wholesale slaughter was beyond him. Not only would he have been risking losing control of the Energy of the Heavens, but killing so many with a wave of his hand would have broken him. He was a kind man who empathized too much with too many, and while he was more than capable of killing someone threatening his safety or the safety of another, slaughtering Defiled without reprisal would have laden him with guilt enough to crush him, and she could hardly fault him for it. Killing in war was one thing, while killing in cold blood another, and though they were at war with the Defiled, crushing them with a sea of Water Chi would have been asking too much of Rain.

Something Song understood, but didn’t entirely comprehend since he seemed more than happy to design weapons of war for others to use. Strange that, but she supposed using Chi to kill was more personal than using a Runic Cannon or catapult, or at least different enough for his delicate sensibilities.

For now, he seemed more than content to stand nearby and watch the battle unfold while listening to Luo-Luo’s musical masterpiece. One which was very different from her usual performances, far less structured and melodic, yet brimming with meaning and significance in a way Song could not wholly grasp. It was there, filling her with courage and conviction aplenty, but also reassuring her that no matter how dark the night, daybreak would soon come, for there was a pillar here waiting to hold up the Heavens, and that pillar was none other than Falling Rain. He would not act until he had to, not because he disdained warfare, but because he loathed it with all his heart, the same way Junior Martial Brother Fung loathed it. The difference was that Fung shirked his responsibilities while Rain did his best to fulfill them, a lesson Song’s Junior Martial Brother would do well to learn.

Or maybe Rain needed to learn the reverse lesson from Fung, how to be true to his heart and desires. Difficult to say which of them was right, because while Rain’s meteoric progress spoke volumes to his success, Fung’s free-spirited manner was more in line with the likes of Ping Ping and Pong Pong’s attitudes. Nature was cruel and merciless, and none knew it better than the beasts who struggled to survive each and every day of their lives, so why go looking for trouble when there was already so much out there in the world at large?

Sheathing her sabre and drawing it again in one, fluid motion, Song set aside her idle thoughts for another time as she cut down a Defiled Champion, a recent Western convert if his rounded eyes and dusky complexion were anything to judge by. There was a poem in the Classics which spoke of death and release, and it flashed through her mind as her sabre scythed through the man’s neck and released him from his trials and tribulations.

“Empty-handed I entered the world, barefoot I leave it. A life endured, a death suffered, with only the strings of fate and karma to bind me.” Though this Defiled Westerner likely committed all manner of atrocities once he gave in to the Father’s lies, Song bore him no hatred, only pity, and in a moment of clarity, she finally understood why Rain couldn’t bring himself to kill the Defiled in one fell swoop. Not because he couldn’t stomach their deaths, or because he thought it beneath him to use the Energy of the Heavens to kill so many, no, Rain’s reasons were hidden so deeply he himself might not even realize it. Before setting out on his crusade West, he’d given a rousing speech to the troops about what he intended, but most of it had gone in one ear and out the other. Song remembered every last word however, because she knew he was a man of his words, and the speech played back in memory once more.

“Today,” Rain had said, standing there in his golden armour and struggling to look both regal and impassioned at the same time, “Marks the first day in our holy crusade against the Defiled, for we will show them the errors of their ways and teach them the meaning of regret.”

A single line part of a larger speech promising victory and more, but this was Rain’s true goal. To most, this line would reek of rhetoric promising death and worse to the Enemy, but Song knew him better than that. When others spoke to Rain of faith in the Mother or the Heavens, or hatred for the Father, his response was usually to shrug and say he didn’t care too much about religion, but when the Abbot spoke of mercy and absolution, Rain dug his heels in and strove to prove the man wrong. Why? Because he so desperately wanted to believe in the Brotherhood’s teachings, even as he outwardly scorned them, else he wouldn’t bother holding them to such a high standard. Their outlook resonated with him, even if he didn’t wholly agree, which was why he was unwilling to simply kill the Defiled and had set his sights even higher. It wasn’t enough to drive the Enemy out of the Western province, he wanted to rehabilitate the Defiled Westerners as well, or at least give them the chance to redeem themselves by showing them the errors of their ways.

A move which would not be popular with the Empire at large, even if he revealed his Heaven-sent ability to Cleanse them of their Spectral taint, but that never stopped him before. Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission after all, an idiom Rain continued to wholeheartedly believe in even after all the calamities he’d suffered through for it, and it appeared as if he was about to suffer through yet another. He was a foolish dreamer who expected more from himself than anyone would ever ask of him, but Song this more than anything else, for unlike her, he would never give up on hope no matter how dark the night might grow.

You know me so well, it’s frightening.

Despite the alarming undertones of his non-verbal statement, Song clearly sensed Rain was more amused than anything else, and flattered that she understood him in a way no one else could match, because they were so alike in so many ways. He was here again not in her mind, but her soul, a Natal Soul popping in to deliver Heavenly Energy through sharing his emotions, so full of tender love and affection. That was all he had to say, with no questions for her about her feelings or expectations of any future together, just an affirmation of his emotions without the fear or shame this time around, for he’d unburdened himself of his secret and left the next move up to her, like a game of chess he started and would leave untouched until she was willing to partner and play.

Truth be told, Song wasn’t entirely willing to play actual chess with him, much less this game between men and women, mostly because Rain played by his own rules which were indecipherable to most. Perhaps there would come a time when that changed down the road, but Song didn’t see it happening anytime soon, but the beauty of it was that Rain didn’t either, yet still he was willing to wait. What he was less willing to do was compromise, on his love for her or his intentions to help others find redemption, a goal even this Natal Soul had not been wholly aware of, because Rain himself had yet to realize it. Gone was the young man who earned himself the title of Undying Savage by fighting like a crazed barbarian, one who harboured an intense hatred for all things Defiled, and in his place was an older and wiser Falling Rain who saw the Defiled as the pawns they truly were. Some were beyond redemption, but the same could be said of many Imperials who were not Defiled in the least, for the Heavens and Balance had little to do with morality and ethics.

Something Song had known for some time now, and a lesson she would rather do without. Better if the Empire stood for good and the Enemy for evil, but while this was usually true, one could argue that some good could be found among the Defiled, like in the tribesmen who found their way to the Brotherhood monastery, and much evil could be found in the Empire, of which there was too much to even begin to list. Chief among them was the evil of slavery, one Rain was wholeheartedly against, and Song looked forward to the day when he made this a reality.

All this and more passed through Song’s mind in the blink of an eye, and as she cut down the second Champion to reach the parapets, she took a brief moment to glance at Rain and consider him in a new light. While handsome, he was not overly so, nor was he even visually impressive, a slender, boyish man who still managed to look tired and bored despite the invigorating rain and cacophonous battle unfolding all around him. When he caught her eye, he flashed her a tiny half-smile in greeting out of sheer politeness, only to immediately break eye contact in the same breath because he didn’t know what else to do. It was small habits like this that made so many of his enemies hate him, because they saw it as arrogance for him to dismiss them out of hand, or worse, a deliberate insult meant to imply they were beneath his notice, when the truth was that Rain was just awkward and anti-social due to his lack of upbringing.

It was almost endearing in some ways, and Song wanted to reach out and pat his head, but she settled for a brief burst of Aura to thank him for his help. That was all, but he beamed so happily she suspected if he had a tail, it would be wagging even harder than big brother Baatar’s, but she had no more time for him anymore as more Defiled Champions and Chieftains arrived screaming in incoherent fury as they sought to claim Yan and Mila’s heads. A futile effort, for Mama, Papa, Teacher Du, Kyung, Big Sister Tursinai, and so many more Warriors of note were standing by to defend them, but first, they would have to get through Li Song.

As she drew her sabre once more, Song realized her foe’s guard was already raised, for he’d seen her use this attack twice now. Oddly enough, this was the first foe in a long time to come at her in this manner, ready to guard against her quick-draw and intending to counter once her strength was spent, but she’d long since planned for this eventuality. Instead of her standard horizontal or diagonal slash, she twisted her hips, back, and shoulder to turn her quick-draw horizontal strike into an overhead slash, one which cut the Defiled Champion in twain from crown to groin without ever touching his weapon. A simple enough variation, one she’d practiced many a time before after her close failure to save Luo-Luo during their trip to the Central Citadel, but never used in real combat until now. Smiling as she returned her sabre to its sheathe, she met her next foe head on in hopes of further testing her might and finding some use for the gift of Heavenly Energy Rain had only just bestowed upon her.

Combat was simple. Life and love were far more complicated, but that could wait until after the war, or perhaps even later when she joined hands with Rain to free the slaves of the Empire. Whatever the future might hold, Song could rest easy knowing that she had her family and loved ones to accompany her, as well as a man who loved her enough to hold off on his own desires to give her the time and space needed to recover and rediscover her own heart.

And for now, that was more than enough.