Realy nice novel . nice job man. The plot is somewhat new and old . try some new content to distinct your novel from the same old ( not saying that their are bad i like them ). Keep the good job and nice story
Chapter Nine: Complications Spoiler Valerian opened his eyes slowly. It only took a second to determine that there was still at least an hour before dawn. He stood up, stiffly extricating himself from his cross-legged pose. Over the last two weeks he found it increasingly easier to slip into that special meditative state and maintain it for hours at a time. He even went without sleep sometimes, only to arise rested and refreshed. His body wasn't used to staying in the pose for long though. Awake he went up to his armour rack and began to put the pieces on. He had long since gotten acclimated to training in the morning and no longer needed to be prodded into action. Now he made sure to be ready and warmed up even before his uncle Richard came through the door. His training was coming along great. At that very least he received only praise on his progress. Unfortunately it came at a price. His schedule was completely packed. His day started with strength, endurance and combat training followed by a shower, breakfast and a short break. Then lessons with Jonas before lunch and studies in the study with his grandfather till supper. After this was evening training and private cultivation in his room. He couldn't complain though. He vividly remembered all his complaints about grammar school and his wish to truly be occupied instead of wasting time with things that took a few seconds and no effort. He sighed though when he thought of those carefree days. Hopefully when he became capable of creating hurricanes with a flick of the wrist and crushing mountains with a fist he would look back to these moments as well with nostalgia. He remained lost in thought as he went about his morning exercises until he heard his uncle's heavy tread coming towards his door. The man was early. He shrugged and went to open the door. His busy day was about to begin. ------------------------------------- Soon Valerian was sitting in the study listening to his grandfather stress the importance of applying strategies in battle. "Remember! You've been blessed with heaven defying talent. Don't let it go to waste!" Valerian's heart clenched. He thought back to the last few weeks and begun to feel the pressure. With an unusually meek voice he asked. "Grandfather! Is it really necessary to cultivate?" Valan was taken aback. The question stunned him. "Is it necessary to cultivate? Where is this coming from?" Valerian frantically defended himself. "It's just that not everyone can do it. There aren't even many cultivators. I was wondering why it is so important." Valan gazed intently at him not sure where what was going on. A second later he sighed. "Maybe Clara and Richard are right. I have caused you to be too sheltered if you cannot tell what makes cultivators so important". "It's not that grandfather. I understand that cultivators are powerful and can do so many incredible things but power aside I don't see why they are so much more highly regarded than other professionals like physicians and soldiers" Valerian explained. Then a thought struck him. "You're not a cultivator grandfather. You hold an important public office, have influence and live quite well and you didn't need to be a cultivator to do it. Why do so many people pursue cultivation, something so dangerous and which most can never practise in the first place instead of other professions?" Even as he spoke he knew he had spoken too rashly. His grandfather's lack of cultivation was a yet another taboo topic in their household. He watched as the man somewhat deflated before him, his face falling. However he did not take back his words. This was something important to him as well. The magistrate turned away slightly and for a moment Valerian thought he would leave but he didn't. He just sighed. It was a long sigh filled with reluctance and sadness. "Now I remember why I worked so hard to keep you so sheltered. Why you know so little about cultivation. I knew this day would come but I worked to postpone it just that much longer. Truth is, ever since you were placed in my arms you've looked at me like I was the greatest in the world. I never wanted you to realise that I wasn't worth your admiration". "Grandfather..." Valerian called softly. He hadn't expected that this would be such a painful subject for the man. Seeing him so morose immediately made him think that his own misgivings weren't important after all. "You must understand Valerian that you are right. Besides power there is little that separates cultivation from other professions. In fact cultivation is not a profession at all it is merely a way of life that opens doors to the true professions. But power is all it needs because power is all that matters. Power is the most important thing in the world of Verre! "If you have power you can do anything and be anyone. On other hand those who have no power are forever destined to be beneath the heels of those with power. Our very empire is so large and wealthy because we have power. Our clan is able to dominate the entire viscounty because we are the most powerful force in the land. If we weren't another group would have done away with us and taken our place in a flash and there would have been nothing we could have done or said about it. "Verre is a dangerous, callous place my child and the only way to survive is to have power of your own that you can fall back on. It is at constant war with itself and the entities that dwell in it. These entities are themselves at war with each other. That is nature. People fight all the time. Against each other, against the beasts, against the elements, all so that they can survive and thrive. That is why power is so important. To have power is to have a better chance of survival. No one begrudges the tiger from killing and eating the deer. For the sole reason that the tiger is powerful. "That is the ugly truth I have tried so hard to hide from you. Why? Because I have no power of my own. You see people cultivate because it grants them power. You might think that the benefits of cultivation are limited to physical and mystical power but there is a lot more to it. There are political aspects, the authority and influence from it are just as important. That is why people cultivate. "You say many are incapable of cultivation. That's true. But what's also true that despite that they learn some form of martial skill for self-defence or master some trade or art that allows them to fit under some power so as to gain benefits such as shelter and protection. Everyone with even the slightest chance of cultivating seizes it Valerian. "Most are like me doomed to never even become true disciples or practitioners but they still give it their all and on average they are much, much more powerful than someone who cannot progress beyond the energy gathering stage like your grandfather". Valerian sat there mutely. He never knew this. The atmosphere and topic were making him uncomfortable. He didn't like where it was going. "I told you that cultivation grants more power than is obvious. You should be able understand. Or rather it would be plain to you if you knew more about the world than merely what was in the books I give you. Even among beasts it is the strong and powerful that lead. Same with humans. We look to the powerful among us, the cultivators, to guide us, protect us and make decisions on our behalf. They administer the laws, protect us from the daemons and our fellows. In truth it is the cultivators that hold political power wherever you care to look in Verre." Valerian wanted to tell him that was not true. To remind him that he was a magistrate of the region just to rouse him from his despondent state, but before he could utter a word his grandfather raised a hand to silence him. "I know what you are thinking, what you want to say. I am a magistrate. An official of the state. Someone with clear political power even though I am so pitifully weak. However is it really so? Tell me Valerian, cultivators are people who command the elements themselves and possess power to accomplish mighty feats. They are people who enjoy the admiration and envy of their fellow men and the ones tasked with ensuring mankind's survival in this cruel world. "Which of these great individuals would be willing to be commanded or governed by weaklings like myself?" Valerian opened his mouth but shut it soon after without saying anything. Even he could not think of a reason why. He couldn't help but think back to Fang's Grammar School and how even he had looked with disdain at some of the other children. Who indeed would be willing to a subject to someone lesser than himself? His grandfather nodded sadly at his silence. "You are my grandson. You possess a fierce intelligence that most can only guess at but I know. I am just like you. That is why I talk thus with no fear that you will not understand. I was born intelligent. Incredibly intelligent. The things that took others several tries to even begin to understand I comprehended on the first try. I don't even have to search my mind to recall something. My memory is so good it is like answers present themselves to me when asked for. "I can perform multiple actions at the same time, process information like you wouldn't believe and can recall nearly every single sight, sound, smell, taste or feeling I have ever had. It is something you too will probably learn to do with time but aside from us you will be hard pressed to find even ten people below the emperor tier in the duchy capable of the same. "I have the second highest score in my scholars' exam in the near three hundred thousand years of our kingdom's history. I have mastered twenty languages and am adept in many other things and yet I am forced to be a low levelled magistrate in a border city. Even with this I can be counted as quite fortunate. It is clear that I wouldn't have even gotten this far if not for my father's power and influence. The fact that I work in his city is more than proof enough. "Don't look at our manor and lifestyle and think that being a low levelled magistrate is something to be proud of. I have ten assigned guards, five for my home and five for my person but who will work under someone with no hope for future like me? Aside from your uncle the rest have not even consolidated the first tier yet. "The only reason we can afford our lifestyle on my meagre salary is because of your grandmother and I are from wealthy clans and her profession pays well. I shudder to think of what would happen if my father was not the former Viscount of Cragsveil." "So you see Valerian you can make a living if you are not a cultivator but it would not be anything to write home about. I have a condition that prevents my body from accumulating arcane energy. It is why despite cultivating for over sixty years I remain unable to go beyond the energy gathering stage. I could cultivate like a normal person then..." he sighed and did not continue for a while. "You have been given a great opportunity. One that many can only dream of. You cannot waste this chance! I know you won't! In fact I look forward to the day that you will become an outstanding cultivator. With your talent and the clan's resources there is no doubt in my mind that you will surpass my father. You will even be better than your father. I just hope that when you become a powerful cultivator, you will not forget your pitiful grandfather" he ended. Valerian was startled. He could see the tears in the old man's eyes and the tired set of his shoulders. He had no idea that their talk would leave his grandfather so drained and downcast. He was at a loss at what to do. He wanted to comfort the man but had no idea how to go about it. His was a somewhat reserved family. They were not the type to have public or physical displays of affection. It could be seen from their characteristic aloof manner. The fact he referred to old man as grandfather and not grandpa or some other informal term was clue enough. "Your cultivation tier doesn't matter to me at all. To me grandfather is a role model. An example of what a man should be. Wise, elegant, responsible, just and eloquent. I believe that you can outsmart any cultivator and are better than they can hope to be. You have taught me the importance of knowledge and intelligence as well as many other things. I will always keep them at the forefront of my mind. Don't worry grandfather. I will become a cultivator like you've never seen before. One you can be proud of." Valerian swallowed the hot lump burning in his throat. He finally understood why his grandfather's cultivation was a taboo topic. He even got why the man was so ashamed of it. To be forced to rely on your family and your wife to get ahead in life. To be blessed with such a brilliant mind and yet be completely disregarded because of a strange physical condition. It had to be tough. Right then Valerian made a promise to himself. He resolved that no matter what happened he would become an outstanding cultivator. For his grandfather who never had the opportunity to do so. For his grandmother the pillar who silently supported the family. For his father, the genius whose life had been cut short. For the mother he never knew. For his uncles who took the time to train him. And for himself. He had always been outstanding at everything he did. He would become outstanding at this too. As soon as he left the study Valerian headed straight for his room. He took the rolled up mat leaning against the wall and unrolled it on the floor. It was a special cultivation tool made from daemon skin and inscribed with an array that aided in the gathering of world essence. When he first got it Valerian poured over it for hours trying to make out the glyphs in the beautiful leather. He had no time for that now. He quickly sat down cross-legged on it and entered a meditative state to cultivate. He had made a promise to himself and he was going to accomplish it by hook or by crook.
It's the start of a new week and I was thinking of running a small Q&A session for those of you interested. I mentioned the influences this story was receiving from my own culture but I realised later that I left what that meant vague. That will be discussed as well. However, I will only do this if enough of you are interested. If not then they will be revealed as they appear.
Chapter Ten: Complications II Spoiler Starting with arcane cultivation, Valerian circulated his energy according to the Manifold Elemental Incarnations hoping to complete his arcane baptism. Under his efforts, all the pores in his body began to open and close. His body began to expand and contract as well in accordance with their rhythm. It was like he was breathing with his entire body. Anyone looking at his body in the essence spectrum would see world essence entering his pores whenever they opened. Moving in myriad ways under the compulsion of his cultivation method to transform his flesh into the perfect vessel for the accumulation and channelling of arcane energy. This was the true arcane baptism, only Valerian's was quite special. Ordinary methods would create a differing number of channels for energy in the body or transform the skin to allow world essence to seep through but the Manifold Elemental Incarnations was different. It changed the entire body. Flesh, bones, blood vessels, organs, pretty much every part of the body became capable of absorbing and channelling arcane energy. That was the only reason Valerian was still at the arcane baptism stage. He had not yet transformed his entire body. Never mind that his current self was far better than many could hope for. It was better than even Jonas' but he was supposed to keep practising this stage so as to gain the best transformation possible. Even with the method not everyone could achieve such a state. The elders hoped he would be able to completely transform his flesh, and Valerian would not disappoint. After a couple of hours he apprehensively switched to his qi cultivation method. Unlike his progress on the arcane path his tellurian cultivation was at a complete standstill. He had kept it a secret but he had not improved even one bit since he started cultivating. This was very frustrating for Valerian who was used to being the best at everything he did. He tried and tried but he was unable to make any progress. Unused to failure he became increasingly disturbed. So much so that it was beginning to seriously affect his confidence and cultivation as a whole. That was why he questioned his grandfather the way he did. He had hoped to be told that cultivation was unimportant so that he would feel better at failing to cultivate his qi. However confronted with it's true importance, he couldn't afford to fail. His prospective tests had shown his unparalleled potential as a tellurian. He had the full backing and resources of the clan and a high tier cultivation method innately suited to him and his bloodline. There was no reason for him to fail. He would not let himself fail. Previously no matter how he channelled the Great Monolithic art his qi refused to respond but this time he would make it respond. Calming his mind and focusing his will he forcefully grabbed hold of his qi and with willpower alone he begun to move it around his body in accordance with the monolithic art. Soon he was covered in sweat. The force fought him the whole way. It completely refused to follow his commands and if he did not have such a strong hold over it would have slipped back to its special pool. Unwilling to lose he dragged it millimetre by millimetre along the route it should go. The process brought him immense pain but he ignored it in favour of his progress. He reminded himself constantly of the stakes he was playing for. That in a few circuits he would finally be able to push his qi into his bones and begin bone transformation. That there was no gain without pain. He ignored the way his blood roiled and boiled. The way his body protested and the pain that wracked his form. Anyone still watching at this point would be shocked and appalled at the changes in his appearance. Valerian's teeth were so clenched his gums bleed. His hands grasped his knees so tightly they looked bloodless. His body shuddered visibly as he tried to ignore the pain, and his clothes were completely drenched in sweat. If his eyes were open the watcher would see how bloodshot they were. Too bad Valerian had never watched someone cultivating qi before. If he had he would know that what he was doing was more akin to self-torture than cultivation. Sadly, he didn't know so he continued with what he was doing. Sometimes he lost ground and the qi retreated yet still he preserved. There was no question that his will power was incredible. Not even grown men would be able to endure what he was going through. Valerian's mind was totally clear and focused. He wholly ignored the pain and protest his body was enduring and forcefully moved his qi. All his thoughts were turned towards the task at hand and he was succeeding. He was nearly there. His qi was about to make a full circuit. He would have smiled if he could however as soon as the circuit was accomplished his body twitched and despite himself a sharp cry burst from his lips. The painful, loud cry rent the air disturbing all the people in the household. Quickly locating the source the guards led by his grandmother and his uncle Richard broke down his door. However the moment their eyes met the sight that awaited them they couldn't help but recoil in horror. Clara gasped and covered her mouth whilst everyone else stood slack jawed. Valerian sat there on his mat still in a cultivating pose. Motionless, hands grasping his knees, wet with sweat and blood bubbling past his lips. She rushed to him screaming for help to find him unresponsive and unconscious. ---------------------------------------------- It was only a week later that Valerian finally woke up. Raising his aching head from the pillow his eyes swept the unfamiliar room. A pure energy filled the place. He could feel it work on him, entering his body on its own volition and soothing his internal injuries. He traced the energies to several elaborate arrays that covered the floor, walls and ceiling. This was more than enough for him to deduce that he was in an infirmary of some kind. A high class one by the look of things. "Young master, you're awake!" a voice exclaimed. Slowly Valerian turned his head in its direction to see a young man in bright cream coloured robes. He tried to ask where he was but found his tongue to be heavy and unresponsive and his mouth dry. "Don't try to speak, just wait! I'll bring Healer Brian shortly". The young man warned. In less than a minute the previously empty room was filled with people. His grandparents were there as well as the three elders that often came round the manor and his uncles were leaning against one of the walls. However aside from the young man from earlier there were two additional people, one female the other male both middle aged. The man wore a monocle and cream robes in the same style as the young man only with mantle over it. Clearly he was Healer Brian. Healer Brian was currently bent over him running hands glowing with a bright yellow light over his body. The light brought Valerian great comfort. It was warm and soothing and best of all it removed the dull pain that he felt in his insides. Once that was done he was made to drink a pale blue liquid from a crystal phial. The moment the healer straightened up though, his grandfather's voice rang out. "Is he going to be alright?" "Yes! He will have to refrain from using any of his forces or cultivating for a day or two but aside from that and a little soreness and stiffness from being unconscious for so long there's nothing to be concerned about. His meridians are fine and his internal injuries are nearly gone", the man answered. Then fixing his monocled eye on Valerian he continued. "Our concern should be what caused his injuries in the first place. I confess to never having seen cultivation injuries like those before." Everyone's attention was immediately caught. They were curious too. What could have so ravaged his insides and put him in such a state. Somewhat anxious the magistrate couldn't help but ask rather loudly, "Valerian what did you do?" "Nothing", he replied with a confused look on his face. "Come on boy, nothing would not have wounded you like you were. I saw your injuries myself. We won't punish you we just want to know what caused it" Elder Foreson told him. "Truly! I didn't do anything. I was just cultivating". "Valerian please! Just tell us. There is no way that just cultivating could injure you so", his grandfather pleaded. "Wait!" Healer Brian called out. "Just how and what were you cultivating?" "Healer Brian! Are you saying cultivation caused this?" Elder Foreson asked incredulously. "It might be possible. We need to know more." The man replied. Turning back to the bedridden youth he asked again. "Just how and what were you cultivating?" Valerian thought back and answered truthfully. To be honest he was a bit hesitant to tell them as they would then know about his difficulties cultivating but he knew he must. Evidently, something went wrong it and it was best to figure out what. Besides he couldn't hide this secret forever. So he began to tell them all about the trouble he faced when he tried to cultivate his qi and how it refused to respond to the cultivation method no matter what he did. It was here that the strange middle aged woman finally spoke up. She was dressed just like the elders only with a special maroon cloak. It completely set her apart as someone with authority and when she spoke everyone went silent and focused on her. "That is impossible! What you are describing is a rejection and there is no way that any metal attributed clan member would suffer a rejection from the Great Monolithic art. Especially not one who has been confirmed to have the blood legacy", she said. "It is an art that originates with our earliest ancestor and one we have practised for as long we have existed. It not only trains our qi it enhances our strengths and bloodline and awakens our legacy. There has never been a rejection when practised by a metal attributed clan member". Valerian digested what she said. Then slowly and firmly he said to her, "It still happened". Seeing that the woman was about to erupt Healer Brian quickly interjected. "That still doesn't explain your injuries young man. Don't beat around the bush. Go straight to the point!" Valerian shifted, ill at ease under the stern, fixated gazes of so many people. Nevertheless he continued. "I'm coming to that sir. You see after nearly two weeks of trying with no success I was getting desperate. Since channelling the Great Monolithic art did nothing to budge my qi I memorised the path it was to take and then forcefully dragged my qi along that path". Loud gasps filled the room at his proclamation. It was easy for them to see how his internal organs got mangled now. A dark look even covered his grandfather's face and he went completely silent. However in the midst of the stunned silence came a question asked in a curious tone. "How far did you get?" Healer Brian asked tentatively. Valerian thought back, a pensive look on his face. It was hard for him to recollect those final moments before the blackness. In fact a normal person would probably have blocked those memories. But fortunately or unfortunately, Valerian was no ordinary person. "The last thing I remember is completing the first circuit before I lost control over my qi and then nothing but blackness until waking up here". This time even the maroon cloaked woman appeared stunned. Her lower jaw hung loose and she looked at him as if he was a monster of some kind. The others might not know what it meant but she and the healer knew full well what it would take to circulate qi that way. Especially according to a method his body was actively rejecting. Before the meridian opening stage, qi remained a wild force in the body. This was why there were particular methods required to circulate it. The meridians weren't open yet so there was no proper channel for it. The most a person could do was push it into the bones or flesh to refine them. If one wanted to circulate it then a method was needed. For a child to be capable of forcefully circulating his qi thus was definitely some she had never heard of. She exchanged a glance with the healer. It was remarkable and something that will be discussed in the meeting of the elders. Despite this, it was not something that should be encouraged. "Never, ever do that again! You are lucky that you only managed one circuit and that the clan had the healers and resources on hand to cure the results of your foolishness. Even so you can clearly see what happened to your body. Any successive attempt would be several times worse and at that time even if the clan wanted to help we would be unable to. At best you will be left a cripple or a dullard, unable to cultivate, move your limbs or think correctly ever again. That is if you do not die". Valerian nearly panicked as he listened to the healer. Had he really been that close to death? The very thought sent ghostly fingers running up and down his spine. There and then Valerian made a resolution to be more careful with his cultivation. He hadn't realised that just sitting down channelling energy carried such a high risk. "I'm curious though. We might have answered the question about how he got injured but there is still no explanation for why his body rejected the Great Monolithic Art" the maroon cloaked woman pointed out. "You are right!" Healer Brian conceded. "There is no reason it should. Young Valerian is a true Steelborn. He carries our blood and the Steel Monolith legacy, and possesses an innate metal attribute. I can attest to that. He should have no problems channelling the method". It was at this point that the magistrate finally spoke up. He had said nothing thus far and had merely wallowed in the suspicion that he was the reason that Valerian was lying in the infirmary. If he hadn't gone on and on about how important cultivation was and how terrible it was to not do so maybe Valerian would not have been pressured to do something so risky. He too knew the full ramifications of what his grandson had done and what it meant that he had even been able to do it. He was an acclaimed scholar after all. But he said nothing of the matter. The only reason he was speaking up now was to help find a solution to Valerian's problem. "Perhaps his mother's legacy is not as compatible with ours as we originally thought", he suggested. Healer Brian and the woman in maroon mulled this over. It was possible that both legacies were clashing somehow in Valerian's body suppressing each other and preventing him from accessing either. It would explain why the steel monolithic transformation had not awakened despite all the signs that he had it. If so he would require some special methods that didn't favour one side, catered to both and did not provoke any adverse reaction. The problem was that no one knew what his mother's legacy was. How would they find a suitable method if they had no clue what they should be searching for? The maroon cloaked woman was just about to voice this out when someone said something. "Yeah right! The problem is from his mother's legacy", one of the elders said with a sarcastic sneer. Valerian's eyes shot to him identifying him as the elder that had called his grandfather a wastrel the other time. "What are you trying to imply?" his grandfather questioned angrily. The man didn't hesitate to make his disdain plain to see. "Isn't it obvious? The grandfather's body cannot hold arcane energy and the grandson's rejects qi training. The connection is clear. What mother's legacy? That's just an excuse! I just can't believe you actually passed your filthy blood down and ruined a peerless talent for the clan". "Y-yo-YOU!" Valan spluttered. "You think because you're the patriarch's son I wouldn't dare. Just look at the boy and what's happened. It is obvious he carries your taint. The only question now is if his children would be similarly crippled or if it would skip a generation like it did with your son". A chair screeched as his grandmother shot to her feet with a face so furious it looked like she would spit lightning. Richard pushed off the wall, an immense tower shield and a spear appearing in his hands out of thin air. The crystal at the top of Jonas' staff lit up casting red light everywhere. Seeing that a fight was going to break out the maroon cloaked lady quickly intervened. "ENOUGH!" she yelled. Waves of power accompanied her voice and suppressed everyone in the room. It was as if they were standing right next to a ringing church bell. The word rang in their ears and shook their very souls. It took several seconds before anyone could shake off the disorientation. Luckily thanks to her control everyone experienced the same degree of effect regardless of cultivation level. So the weaker ones among them did not have their brains dribbling out of their ears. "Elder Grant, you are out of line! Richard, Jonas stand down. Now!" she barked. The elder looked affronted and the two brothers still looked murderous. The former because he didn't understand why he was being chastised for saying what was obviously the truth and the latter two because they, like everyone else from the magistrate's household knew just how hard the elder had poked the magistrate's weak spots. "Grant you will report yourself to the listless cavern for one month's punishment effective immediately! Valan you will come outside with me!" "But..." Elder Grant tried to get out. He was nailed with a dark look from the maroon cloaked woman and ended up saying. "Yes Great Elder!" Grant looked like he was about to protest, Valan looked gloomy, the members of the magistrate's household still looked furious, Foreson, the other elder and the healer were decidedly uneasy and the great elder merely strode out the door expecting to be obeyed. All of them forgot about the young boy in their midst. A boy who looked at the door his grandfather and the elder had just gone through with a fierce light and an unnoticed spark of comprehension in his eyes.
So, now we can see just how far Valerian is willing to go for his goals and most importantly for his pride. Pride. It is funny the things people are willing to do for it. Besides this we also get to see his obstinacy and just how being always referred to a genius has warped his psyche. Those who often succeed are also those who struggle to come back from failure. They just can’t handle it mostly because they aren’t accustomed to failing and more significantly rising from it. Looking at him right now makes you wonder how things would play out from here, doesn’t it.
The story is now on royal road as well. Thanks to RRL Vocaloid and obama 05 for the suggestion. Here's the link. I would appreciate it if you found some time to check it out and leave a review or something.
Chapter Eleven: Left With One Spoiler The next few weeks were unkind to the magistrate's household. It was as if someone draped a damp blanket over everything, smothering their happiness. Valan walked with his head down, Richard looked furious all the time, and as for the other members of the household they did their best to stay out their way. It was as if a curse of gloom had been cast over their home. Valerian could even swear that the daylight was duller and the food was increasingly bland ever since he got injured. The reason for this of course could be traced to the aftermath of that meeting in the clan infirmary. Once he recovered he was subjected to a barrage of tests just to confirm Healer Brian's hypotheses. Then he was given a stack of five qi cultivation manuals. The complete works possessed by the clan. Unfortunately his body utterly rejected them as well. Following this a secret meeting was conducted and a declaration was announced to the household. He was to desist with his tellurian training. All the assurances and promises that the clan had made concerning his education in the tellurian path had been revoked. There was no point they said if it was just going to be wasted. He was advised to focus wholly on his arcane studies since in that at least he still remained a peerless talent, for now. It was distressing to note that there were many who argued against even this decision. Not because they did not think that they clan had not exhausted every avenue available to it but because they felt continuing to support him was a further waste of resources. To them it was painfully obvious that his arcane studies would halt at the energy gathering stage where he would be woefully unable to accumulate energy just like his useless grandfather. Thing is, Valerian had long since predicted that response. He saw it coming from a mile away after watching how the elders reacted in the infirmary. He was still surprised and hurt though. To think that his clan would totally give up on him and ask him to do same was definitely an eye opener. The most painful part was watching what it did to his family, most especially his grandfather. The meetings, discussions and talks held concerning his future were conducted without even consulting him. There was even talk of having him removed from his care and taken to be raised by the clan. As if his grandfather's presence was somehow infectious. Two more fights broke out. And he had it on good authority that his uncle Richard broke an elder's nose and both his arms. It didn't help matters nor did it stop the gossiping. Even in their own household Valerian could clearly hear and sense the servants and guards discuss the matter and look at him with looks of pity and schadenfreude. Just yesterday his grandmother nearly fed a servant to the hounds after overhearing him say something derogatory about his grandfather. Valerian blamed himself. Yes he did. He had given people the opportunity to so readily disrespect his grandfather and his family. This was an issue that few knew and even fewer dared speak of but his blunder had caused his and his grandfather's names to become the subject of conversation. Just imagine. If the issue was so publicly discussed in their household and the clan then how widespread was it in the city itself? Remember his grandfather was a public official. A strange slow burning fury had been ignited in his heart and Valerian did not know how to quench it. It was an entirely foreign feeling. He could not recall ever getting angry before. Annoyed, yes, irritated yes, exasperated, definitely but this maddening fury was new. He wanted to crush something, scream, curse just to displace it somehow. But he didn't. He kept his lessons at the forefront of his mind. The lessons his grandfather had taught him. Everywhere he went he fixed a small nonchalant smile on his face, remained impeccable and above reproach, his comportment and manners elegant and his speech eloquent. Publicly he acted like he had always done as if the events of the last month or so had never happened. It caused some people to look at him like he was retarded, like he was a stupid little boy who did not realise what was going on around him but he paid them no mind. Privately though, he marked down their names and faces. He took note of their derision and how they had deflated his grandfather and turned what was formerly a joyous happenstance of his family into a subject of mockery and he turned that into a source of motivation. So what if he could not train his qi? He was still an arcane disciple with a dual innate attributes and forty-one times the average essence level. He was gifted with superior intellect, extraordinary senses and great strength. If he couldn't turn these into greatness then he probably deserved being called the true grandson of a wastrel or whatever people were calling him now. As for those who called him ‘the great disappointment’ and speculated about whether his arcane cultivation would end up like his grandfather's, well, he would just have to disappoint them. He allowed them to stoke the flames of his determination and directed that all heat into his training. It was true what his grandfather said. Power was everything. He hadn't fully understood it then and he still may not fully do so. Nonetheless he recognised that before even those who knew of his grandfather's condition did not readily speak of it. Even Elder Grant and the other one once spoke of it behind his back. Why? Because though he had no power, his father did. They were cowered by the clan patriarch, the true ruler of DaleGuard and the fact that his worth had risen with the discovery that his grandson was a heaven warping talent. That was why they acted meek in front of him and guarded his manor with little complaint. Now they could let their disdain out for all to see. The only reason they stopped in the infirmary was because the Great Elder, a figure more powerful than them spoke out. Foreson and the other elder did not speak then but Valerian knew full well that they held similar views. They were just smart enough not to blurt them out but who knew how things would have gone if the Great Elder had not intervened. They were powerful and thus had nothing to fear in front of a powerless man like his grandfather. He would not be the same. No disrespect to his grandfather but the man was just plain incapable of doing anything about the problem. He would be different. He will not allow a scenario to spring up where he stood helpless in front of people while they insulted him. This was why despite wasting two entire weeks in the infirmary it only took two days after getting home to attain the perfect arcane vessel. The perfect arcane vessel! Something that no other person in the history of the clan could brag about. His entire form was now capable of channelling and absorbing energy. He didn't know it but under mage sight he looked like he was a solid being of arcane energy. Unlike others who would only have their energy channels illuminated his whole body radiated light and energy. All he knew was that now he had some good news for his family. Something that might lessen the gloom. So that morning he got off his mat with a more hopeful smile knowing that he had just finished the first step on his arcane path. Then he put on his armour and begun his exercises. ---------------------------------------------- Richard was never happy go lucky. Being orphaned at the cusp of puberty did that to you. This was even before mentioning his nigh disastrous stint in the army and the fact that his surrogate brother and his wife were missing and presumed dead. However his smiles while rare still came from time to time. Not lately though. None who looked at him would think that his face was able to do so. He wore a dark, furious look wherever he went and his temper, never good to begin with, was incredibly frayed and taut. He had since lost count of the number of people who scuttled out of his way in last week. And the reason for this could be traced to those idiots who called themselves clan elders. Even thinking about them caused his hackles to rise. ‘How dare they?' his screamed mentally. Like many orphaned at that age he had many problems with authority. The clan elders were one of his sore points. He remembered how reluctant they had been to take him and his brother in and how they had acted like placing them was a hassle. Then his uncle stepped up. Since then he had had an ‘us vs them' mentality when it came to the clan. A mentality that had been vindicated many times but never as strongly as now. Their current actions had him snorting flames. To say he was angry was an understatement and his disgust was so great that he could spend the whole day throwing up. The elders had not wasted a second before taking back their support despite all the promises they made. Thankfully he had things to occupy his mind or he would wallow in his rage. For instance right now he was training his nephew. He watched as Valerian took a five minute break before they moved to combat training. Richard was most impressed with his nephew. That's why it infuriated him so that the clan had pretty much given up on his tellurian training. The boy just had so much potential. He could keep a 30 kilometre per hour pace around a 60 kilometre course for a full hour whiles wearing weighted armour, had unbelievable arm strength and a gift for martial arts. At the very least Richard could never boast of being able to do same when he was eight. Still he gave no indication of how truly impressed he was. ‘Best let him work for it', he thought. He kept up the training sessions, refusing to go along with the elders’ wishes and give up on his nephew. Not before he got the boy to reveal his full potential. "That's enough!" he announced. "Prepare yourself! I will be attacking shortly". Valerian quickly got into a ready stance. Keeping his feet firmly planted and apart he raised his hands in front of his face. Before him, his uncle Richard took out a longsword and held it loosely in his right hand. Two weeks ago the thought of someone coming at him with an actual sword would have filled him with apprehension now he just braced himself. "Remember! Keep Clude's principles of defence in your mind. Apply them readily but do not focus too much on them. Just hold them there and let them guide you", Richard reminded you. Valerian nodded. In two steps his uncle was before him covering the twenty meters between them in less time than it took to draw in a deep breath. The longsword in his hands flashed forward in a simple thrust aiming for Valerian's midriff but he was prepared. He had faced this attack countless times over the last month and knew just what to do. Keeping his fists level with his chin, and his forearms before his chest, he stretched his right arm forward slightly and met the blade with the back of his forearm. Disregarding the slight impact and moving his arm outward and downward he let the sword slide down and off the plates of his gauntlet and watched his opponent lean to his right. It was a manoeuvre that though simple would have been dangerous and foolhardy if he were not a Steelborn. The Steelborns were particularly heavy set folk. They were all tall and muscle bound, blessed with unbelievably durable bodies and immense strength and that was in their normal forms. When transformed they grew even stronger and durable. But there were some drawbacks. Theirs was a not a build that leaned towards speedy and agility. Their transformed bodies were even worse. The fifteen per cent increase in speed looked great but they also grew exponentially heavier and their large bodies made them walking targets. The fighting arts of Harry and Clude recognised this and decided that rather than attempt what they were not good at, they would instead emphasise their strengths. What this meant was that Steelborns did not dodge nor they try to pull of overly complex and acrobatic manoeuvres. Instead they used their strength and sturdiness to defend against attacks. A normal person would not be able to take a sword strike to the forearm but with their bodies and strength it was quite easy. The average consolidated tellurian practitioner would have strength to lift at most three to five thousand kilograms. Valerian, an eight year old at the preliminary bone transformation stage had a similar level of strength. True he was unusual even for a Steelborn but that's only because that was the strength of his normal form. The average Steelborn at this stage would only have ten to eleven hundred kilograms of strength but he or she would also have the steel monolith's transformation which quadruples strength making that about five tonnes of strength. This combined with their incredible defence, special armour and fighting style allowed them to shrug off hits and keep fighting. Against most opponents they could even sit back and let them tire themselves out trying to hurt them. However it would be wrong to think that they just stood and allowed their opponents to whale on them. Clude's first principle of defence, "Unless absolutely necessary, take no attacks head on! Deflect everything!" The meaning of this was self-evident. It was also the key to the manoeuvre that Valerian just pulled. When facing the incoming thrust he did not take the stab point first. He made his gauntlet meet the sword after the point and even then not directly on the blade edge. ‘You can never foretell the enchantments and substances on a weapon', his uncle had told him. Rather he met it at an angle and then relying on his strength and armour pushed it aside. It wasn't easy though. It took weeks before Valerian had the proper timing to avoid getting struck in the breastplate but after that he could succeed four times out of ten. And once the manoeuvre succeeds Clude's second principle kicks in. "Counter to disrupt balance and battle rhythm!" Valerian did not hesitate. His left fist rushed forward at breakneck speeds. The reason the strike was deflected to the side was to cause the attacker to be unbalanced. A thrust caused the body to lean forward. A redirection like this would cause the opponent to over extend and lean to the right of the defender. This was the perfect time to ‘punish' him as his uncle put it and Valerian did not intend to let the chance slip by. That small gauntleted eight year old fist carried the crushing force associated with over four tonnes of strength and smacked solidly against his uncle's right shoulder. The intent behind this strike was not only to cause damage but also to disable a limb and further unbalance the opponent to provide an opening for more follow up attacks. Of course this was not a true battle but merely his uncle testing him by attacking him in different ways to help him with his deflections and counters. He was completely incapable of harming or moving the man no matter how hard he tried. Not only was he an experienced and gifted fighter of the lord tier. He was a master of the very art they were practicing and possessed incomparably greater strength and defence. Notwithstanding, for the first time ever Valerian detected a change in his uncle's expression when the strike landed. The man fixed him with an intense gazed and Valerian found himself backpedalling nervously. "Your strength has increased greatly. I estimate that it's improved by at least two more tonnes. You've advanced to the middle phase of the bone transformation stage!" the man announced. Here's today's chapter.
Chapter Twelve: The Hope Not Lost Spoiler Valerian was floored by this news. It was downright unbelievable, but he knew better than to doubt the man. If he said he had advanced then he had. But when? How? These were just some of the questions whirling through his head. Unfortunately he did not have time to ruminate on them though. His uncle was advancing towards him with a furious look on his face. "What. Did. You. Do?" the man enunciated. Fear rushing straight from his heart Valerian retreated even further whilst yelling out, "Nothing! I swear!" "What nothing? You were told not to take any more stupid risks and not to attempt qi cultivation until a solution had been found", his uncle growled. "But I didn't! I only cultivated my arcane energy!" Valerian yelled frantically. He was right and truly scared in the face of his uncle's wrath. It was not the first time the man's anger had been directed toward him. It was the second. The first was back when he first woke up after the cultivation accident. Back then Valerian thought he was going to die. Apparently his uncle had meant it when he told Valerian to come to him with any problems or questions regarding his qi cultivation. He became very mad when he realised that all the problems, or at least most have been avoided if Valerian had just come to him with his problem. It was a side to him that Valerian had never confronted before that day and one he had hoped never to again. Too bad things never worked out like planned. Seeing that he was scaring his nephew Richard forcefully reminded himself that despite his maturity and talent Valerian was still only eight years old. He could not always bark at him like he was a subordinate officer. So he visibly calmed himself before inquiring. "What are you not telling me?" Valerian scrambled for answers. What could have caused his advancement? What had changed since the last training session? Then a lamp lit up in his mind. "I've formed the perfect arcane vessel in my arcane cultivation manual!" he blurted out. Richard's eyes bulged out. A perfect arcane vessel! He knew what that meant. It meant that the person's entire body, cells and all were capable of channelling arcane energy and absorbing world essence. He knew that Valerian was training in the Manifold Elemental Incarnations, the same method as his brother. It was hypothesised that the method could possibly allow someone to fashion his body into a perfect arcane vessel but that had never happened. Not to his knowledge at least. What was the perfect vessel? It was the pinnacle and not something so easily reached. The average method allowed a person to create channels in the body for the purpose of conducting arcane energy. The wider the channels the more energy could pass through them. The more numerous the pathways, the more energy that could be absorbed from nature. This meant that person could cultivate his arcane energy faster and control it better. Bear in mind that was only with a normal method. Someone with a perfect vessel would have a training speed tens of times faster than normal and an arcane pool dozens of times greater. For Valerian to manage this. Something no one it the clan had done before... Still that did not explain how he had advanced to the middle phase of the bone transformation stage. Having a perfect arcane vessel was a boon to arcane cultivation not qi cultivation. Or was it? Richard's mind spun. Dual force users were practically unheard off. Who knew what having both forces present did to the body especially their essence. Sudden comprehension dawned within his eyes and he turned away from Valerian and started walking out of the courtyard. "Come with me!" ---------------------------------- Valan looked at a departing Valerian with a pensive but hopeful look. The entire family, Valerian excluded were all in the hall with him. They had all conducted independent tests and confirmed that indeed the boy had not only achieved a perfect arcane vessel but had also advanced to the middle phase of the bone transformation stage. Funny how they were more excited by the latter, an ordinary achievement instead of the former, a feat no one in the clan's history had ever accomplished. Valan faced his family with a small smile in his face, the first one in a week. Unconsciously his back straightened up and that often seen elegant air wafted off him. "Richard! You brought the news, any thoughts?" Clearly, for this moment at least the magistrate was back to his usual self - Aptly playing the wise man. It raised the spirits of everyone present. Seeing him despondent over the last few days had brought the entire home to a new low reminding them how his antics livened up the household. "I am not sure but I think there has to be some synergy between his arcane energy and his qi. We all know that while a person might have only one force cultivating it indirectly cultivates his essence meaning that he gains both effects albeit at a much lower level. An arcanist increasing his arcane energy, strengthens his essence thereby gaining a small boost to his physical form. That is why sage tier arcanists can have bodies on the same level or stronger than entry level tellurian lords. The effect is probably stronger in Valerian's case since he has both forces", Richard speculated. The magistrate revealed nothing only saying. "Good. Good. That's a reasonable hypothesis. Jonas, you?" Jonas exchanged glances with his brother. Both of them could clearly recall the times as kids when they were queried in pretty much the same way. The three-way competition back then had been very intense. Now they were older, Valiant was gone and still they continued. To their uncle every event was an opportunity to teach them and test their knowledge. "You always say that the simplest solution is the probable one. In forming a perfect arcane vessel Valerian obviously upgraded his bones in a manner not completely unlike bone transformation and thus elevated their change to the middle phase. After all, both processes require flushing the body with essence and so whilst the Manifold Elemental Incarnations may not be meant to improve strength and toughness it brought them up a grade", he proclaimed. The magistrate nodded slowly giving nothing away before turning to face Alfred. The child minder hysterically shook his head and shrugged to show that he knew nothing. To his great fortune the magistrate chose not to press him. "It's nice to know you still remember my lessons on essence theory", Valan begun. "Your answers were spot on. Each addressed a different yet plausible reason. That is how advancements are made. It why I always remind you, start with a plausible statement hoping to explain the phenomenon then rigorously test..." "Spell it out dear!" his wife interrupted. Everyone was eager to know the truth. She in particular was too anxious to listen to him circle the issue. The magistrate blushed slightly and after a small cough continued. "You were both right. The synergy between Valerian's forces is there and the two forces are indeed complementary even more so than you realise, but that is an issue for the higher tiers not the stages of the first. Also, by flushing his bones and transforming them according to that arcane method Valerian did indeed improve his bones just not in the way you think. That does not mean that your answers did not cut the heart of the matter far from it. You just neglected a small piece of information that would have guided you to the truth. That piece of information concerns Valerian's special physique. Let's ignore the Steelborn legacies and even the O'be curse for now. What have we overlooked?" "His mother's legacy!" both brothers exclaimed. "Yes! His mother's legacy. Need I remind you that his body was already transforming itself even before he begun actual cultivation. It was absorbing world essence on its own to alter his bones. Forget whatever small increase the essence flushing did for his bones or the negligible increase in physical form. What do you think is happening now that he has a perfect vessel and his essence absorption has multiplied by a hundred fold?" the magistrate elaborated. "So basically the more essence his body absorbs the more it transforms", his wife clarified. Valan lips twitched. He nearly pouted at having his momentum upset twice in a row but he didn't. Clara loved to mess with him and she'd only do it more if she realised that it got to him. Not that she wouldn't anyway. "Yes", he ended up affirming. She frowned. "That poses a problem though", she started. "His initial growth was so slow we almost missed it. All this time he was still transforming unconsciously and yet remained at the very beginning; the preliminary phase of the first stage of the first tier. He might have gotten a boost now but it will wear off quickly. Each successive breakthrough will require many times as much essence as the one before it. He already has the perfect vessel. He can't improve it further and its main yield is to his arcane energy. The tellurian aspect is just a side effect. Very soon his essence absorption will not be able to keep up then his transformation speed slow down to what it was previously, maybe even slower. At that rate it will be a decade or two before he is a consolidated practitioner". The faces of everyone present fell at this. Well, nearly everyone. The magistrate still had his easy going smile on his face. "It seems another person has benefited from my lessons. Wait! She was already brilliant when I married her!" he said teasingly. "You have a plan" Clara stated. "Of course! I always have a plan", Valan confirmed. Silence settled into the hall while they waited on him. However it soon became evident that the old magistrate was not going to say anything. Everyone tuned to his wife knowing that if she didn't intervene they'd have to resort to /that/. Understanding their intent, the magistrate's wife prodded him. "Well..." "Well what?" he shot back. "What's the plan?" she asked. "Plan?" he asked in a confused tone. Inwardly he was rejoicing at having at least gained some payback for earlier. Interrupting him...humph! "Delrein's sake Valan! Cut it out or so help me..." On hearing her tone the magistrate immediately decided that maybe he shouldn't push her too far. "The solution is simple!" he announced. "If all he requires is essence then we just have to supply it". Jonas was startled. "Would that really work?" "It should", his uncle confirmed. "Thus far he has been working with world essence unfortunately like your Aunt pointed out that would not remain effective for long. However if we were to supplement his essence intake somehow then..." "His body should be able to work with that", his wife finished. Unable to help it he shot her a dark look. She just smiled demurely in response. Ignoring the old couple's play Richard couldn't help but point out, "That seems a little...." "It should. The process would be very wasteful. It doesn't matter what we get him. Pills, elixirs, daemon meat, cores, spirit herbs, what have you he will only be able to half refine them at most since he can't move his qi and he definitely shouldn't refine them into arcane energy. Even if he could convert them to qi we would then have to determine whether the process would work with qi instead of raw essence. However it is the only thing we can do to help him", the man admitted. "We should go to the clan, tell them what we have found. If we get them to reinstate the provisions for his tellurian cultivation and even increase it we would not have to worry..." Jonas tried to say before he was interrupted. "NO!" the old magistrate yelled emphatically. "We have been insulted enough. I am not ready to go back and grovel before those myopic cretins. Besides, do you really think those elders would sign off on such an experiment? Even if they did I would not accept it. Let them continue to fund his arcane studies Clara and I will pick up the cost of the materials". He glanced towards her as he said this and she nodded to indicate her support. She even moved closer to him allowing him to wrap an arm around her waist. "It will be very expensive!" Jonas reminded them. He understood were the man was coming from but he also loved his uncle and didn't want him to make any rash decision out of pride. A decision he might regret later. In spite of this, when looking at the old man he saw nothing but grim determination and so he had no choice but to assent to his decision. Richard on the other hand was wholly in support of this. It showed in his eyes. "Don't worry", their uncle assured them. "I have a lot more saved up than you realise. In addition, Valiant's fortune is still with me and it is untouched. While our belts will be tight for a while, we will not go hungry". Seeing the sombre look on Jonas' face the magistrate merely laughed and said, "Don't worry. Really it will be fine. Remember that before the true depth of Valerian's talent was discovered your Aunt and I were going to fund his education on our own. For now, you should focus on Valerian's training. In the meantime, Alfred I will write down a list for you. You will then go the market and purchase the items we need to test my little theory". Soon the talk in the hall dissolved into planning and suggestions on what they should do. Meanwhile, on the other side of the North wall of that very same hall, a young boy opened his eyes. The intense expression of concentration left his face and he pushed off the wall to walk back to his room. His talent for eavesdropping was proving its worth. He had heard all he need to hear.
Chapter Thirteen: Commander Vorm's Visit Spoiler If Valerian wasn't a prince before he was now. His current way of life would make many so green with envy they'd turn black. He only ate food made from spirit herbs and daemon meat. His drinks consisted of juice from special plants, fruits and daemon milk. He had two precious baths a day. One; a mineral bath filled with precious salts and essence crystals and the other; an evening bath containing herbal remedies. Then there were the elixirs and pills he took like sweets. All of this was done with the intention of aiding his cultivation. The medicines were to help with the tellurian practitioner tier. They were precious aids that worked alongside cultivation to enable a person speed through the initial stages. However Valerian did not cultivate as a tellurian. He just popped the pills and relied on them releasing their effects in his body. Every day, Avery would give him some pills to take at different times of the day. He administered the baths, prepared the precious ingredients and rubbed a special balm on his body that strengthened the amount of world essence that he could absorb. Funnily, he was only told that they would help him with his cultivation. The true reason was not actually explained to Valerian. He was still a child. It wasn't everything that was told to children. Nor did he have to be consulted about every decision made concerning him. That would be stupid. Why then should he have guardians? He understood that but he had to wonder. If he did not know the truth beforehand, would he truly have accepted their answer at face value? Probably not. He still had ears and could easily overhear the servants. Apparently the actions his grandparents had taken had garnered attention. None of them had seen or heard of someone using so many precious substances. In fact, the sheer amount that was used on him each day made many of them feel faint. One had even remarked that he now understood why his grandfather was referred to as a wastrel by some of the clan members. He too had been fed such precious resources and for years without making any progress whatsoever. His father had even gone as far as to hire an alchemist and a cleric to monitor and help him with the intention of curing his condition but had no success. And now he seemed to be on the same route. Nevertheless, Valerian tried not to let the comments affect him. In fact, Foreson and some of the other elders had come over to question his grandfather over his movements and purchases. They were turned away of course but they did not go quietly. One had announced loudly that if the magistrate wanted to waste his money he was welcome to do so. Valerian would not let that happen. Even now, sitting at table with his family and eating such precious foods whilst they ate food that was so much inferior to his own made him incredibly uncomfortable. The only reason he ate was because he did not want their efforts to go to waste. In addition to this he trained even harder. He put his all into everything and often had to be helped into his special baths as he would be too tired to do anything. If he wasn't training he was cultivating his arcane energy. If he was doing neither he had a book in his hands reading on the arcane in preparation for his lessons with Jonas. Even Richard was honestly impressed and taken aback by his ferocity and progress. Everyone noticed his efforts and commented on them wondering what had gotten into him. As if it wasn't obvious. There were literally people with eyes trained on the manor, waiting for him to fail. They had not missed the opportunity to mock his family even more now that they purchased precious cultivation resources so outrageously. The only thing they'd like better now was for their assertions to be proved true. He would not give them that chance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- A troop of men marched towards the gates of DaleGuard with a swift, purposeful stride. There were at least two hundred people in the troop all of whom carried weapons of some kind. Some were clad in full sets of armour while others only had a few pieces but all wore dangerous looks on their faces. They stormed towards the walled city seemingly without care. Anyone would tell you that was a foolish action. Those walls were not there for show. They were a hundred meters tall and twenty meters thick. Built from a dark stone that was as strong as tempered steel and specially constructed to enhance the city's defensive capabilities. They were also enchanted to not only be stronger but prevent cultivators, no matter how skilled, from being able to manipulate its material as well. They could try but they'd always fail. This was the work of the kingdom's top earth attributed arcanists. All in all, the walls were a fitting testament to the city's name. One must never forget that it was and still is a fortified city created with the purpose of guarding the openings in the surrounding mountain ranges that led to the Kingdom of Bathar. While the former viscount may have expanded both the city's limits and purposes, it still remained the headquarters of all military forces in the region. This meant that not only were its walls nigh unbreachable, its battlements and guard towers just waited for the chance to unleash their wrath on any who dared have inappropriate thoughts towards the people and land it sought to protect. Also, the sheer number of cultivators behind the walls alone would have most would be attackers revise their decision to do so. Even so, the armed force continued at their pace toward the city. A closer look at their ranks revealed why they were so daring despite daunting DaleGuard looming over them. They were bearing the standards of the kingdom and of Cragsveil. Clearly, they belonged to the Viscount's forces. Thus, when they marched up to the gate no one rained arrows or spells on them. Instead the gates remained opened for them to come in. The man at the head of this procession led his men in amid salutes from the soldiers stationed at the gates. Not stopping, he headed for a section of the city clearly marked for military accommodation. There he dismissed his soldiers amid cheers. They quickly dispersed going to their homes and families. In the midst of this, a new squad came up to meet him, their leader coming close to converse in terse whispers. The leader of the troops was obviously not an ordinary character. He wore a bright silvery helm. It was a beautiful, ornate thing with a single sheet of metal covering his neck and face. It shielded his cheeks whilst leaving only a hard strip covering his nose. The dome of the helmet was also a strange affair with the front displaying a large horn after which a plume of metal bristles began ending in the back with a short tassel. The rest of his armour run along similar lines. His shoulders and torso were covered in the same decorated silvery metal and he wore large gauntlets that extended to his elbows. The only other pieces he wore were tassets, poleyns, greaves and sabatons all silvery as well. One did not have to examine the StormHawk emblazoned on his left breast to know he was Steelborn. The two men exchanged harsh whispers before the silver clad man reared his mount and turned to trot away. Five mounted knights from him original troop immediately followed him along with the new squad and their leader. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The armed men rushed straight to Magistrate Valan's courtyard. There the sound of stomping from the mounts and armed men was heard through most of the household causing many to come out to see the arrivals. They were unafraid because the guardsmen had not stopped them so they were probably not enemies. Still, they were somewhat cautious. The watchers were treated to the sight of seven mounted dragoons and a squad of infantrymen. The lead dragoon was a man in silvery Steelborn armour atop a massive Hoarfrost Spikesaur. The beast was gigantic, a full metre and half at its withers and fourteen metres from head to tail. Covered in large, dense white scales it was a fearsome beast. Armoured, fast, with incredible stamina and the ability to use ice attributed attacks, it was a perfect battle mount. It was also a daemon, a special beast that was like to normal beasts what cultivators were to normal humans. In its case it was a saur, a class of lizard daemon feared among the reptilian species. The highest class of reptilian daemons were the dragons separated into three classes, the drakes, the drakons and the wyrms. Lizard daemons despite not being as highly regarded were similar. They were divided into saurs, crocs and geckos. The saurs were the land based lizards and spikesaurs was fearsome even among them. They were ideal battle beasts and mounts, able to fill both roles with ease. The spikesaur had superior attack and defensive abilities. It had a long, ridged, massive prehensile tail that that made up about two thirds of its entire body length, a shocking nine and a half metres. This tail is used as a whip or bludgeon and its dagger-like claws and teeth were fully capable of ripping heavily armoured men to shreds. As for its scales, they were tougher than stone. Not to mention that this was Hoarfrost. The ice attributed variety, possessing all that entailed. Naturally strong and fast, this particular saur could run more than twice as fast as a normal horse whilst comfortably carrying thirty times its carry weight. Plus, it was a fully trained battle mount of a high ranking military officer. But its true value as a mount came from its sheer endurance, resilience and mobility. A horse could maybe move at nearly fifty kilometres per hour unburdened at full gallop but it would never be able to maintain this speed for an extended period of time. The spikesaur was different. It could run at max speed for a day or two, heavily burdened, with little strain. It was also armoured thanks to its scales and its massive, toed feet allowed it move on an incredible variety of terrain. The lizard could move on rocky, marshy, flat, loose, sloped and frozen ground. It was these factors that made saurs in general the preferred mount of Bathar's elite heavy dragoon battalion -- The Saurians. However even among saurs the Hoarfrost Spikesaur was in a class of its own. Its scales were tougher, it had a crown of savage spikes on its head and a few other parts of its body and could use ice attributed daemonic arts. In addition to this, the particular specimen that had been ridden into the magistrate's yard was an extremely powerful and beautiful one. There couldn't be more than three such beasts in the whole city let alone one with an actual master serving in the military. Seeing it also dispelled any wariness that the members of the household could have had. The daemon as well as its rider of the beast were familiar to them. Even Valerian who had been drawn out by the commotion immediately went back to his courtyard to continue his training, leaving Richard to handle it. Valerian had long held Jonas Steelborn, lord tier arcanist and second circle array master as arguably the most famous of the relatives he had met. Arguably. The reason for the use of this term was because of the man who had just ridden in on his high class battle mount. Vorm Steelborn, king tier arcanist and commander of the Viscount's forces of DaleGuard's military. Array masters were very highly reputed and Jonas was recognised as the most gifted one in his generation. However Vorm was an Arcane King. Arcane King! The very words made the bones of many shudder in admiration and even Valerian was not exempt. Before he had just seen it as a lofty title for a great cultivator but now that he was an arcanist himself he finally understood what it really meant. The tiers in cultivation were not just steps on a ladder. Each implied a certain level of power and comprehension of the mysteries that was beyond his current understanding. That fact that Vorm had achieved this alone marked him as a gifted talent and the fact that he did so before the age of fifty marked him as a prodigy. Not that Jonas was any less of one. He was an Arcane Lord, a veritable level of power but the only reason he could even be mentioned in the same breath as someone so far above him in strength and status was due to his skill as an array master. The worth of a second circle array master did not lose out to that of an Arcane King. Richard walked up to the assembled men calling out joyfully, for him at least. “Vorm”. The armoured knight leapt off his mount replying in turn, “Richard”. “Is uncle in?” he asked in addition. Richard had some inkling as to what this visit was about so he nodded and motioned him over. “Come”. He led his cousin into the manor. Those who observed saw that as they crossed the threshold Vorm's unique helmet suddenly shimmered and liquefied, running down his neck to become part of his breastplate. It was no trick of the light. His breastplate liquefied next triggering the entire ensemble to do same. The silvery liquid swirled around him once before being sucked into the ring on his right index finger.
Chapter Fourteen: Commander Vorm's Mission Spoiler Armour put away Vorm, allowed himself to be ushered in to meet his uncle. His own father had been the magistrate's elder brother. Sadly, he died young. Thus even though Vorm grew up with his mother he had an incomparably precious relationship with his uncle. Valan was not just his uncle, he was also his teacher and his father figure. He counted himself as fortunate. His father may have died but having Valan as his uncle afforded him the things that made him who he was today. He was the leader of Cragsveil's military, commanding four thousand, five hundred men and women. What some called the O'be clan curse had worked in his favour turning him into a recognised powerhouse with abilities others could never fathom. Again, it was Valan who gave him the guidance necessary for that to happen. When a subordinate informed him of the magistrate's troubles he tossed everything aside. Despite coming home from an extended deployment and a lengthy campaign he did not go home to rest or to his wife and children. Instead he rushed to his uncle's house. This was more than enough to show how much he valued this particular uncle of his. “So ... you were gone for quite a while this time but I did not hear any news of battle at the Pronged Gap!” Richard inquired. “There was none”, he answered. “I was about to head back when I received intel that a Dire Daemon had made its way over the boundary and was causing chaos along the East. I decided to deal with that before coming home. It took longer than expected.” Richard chuckled, a single dire daemon would never delay him that long. “A Horde Lorde huh? The newcomers are always so brash. They honestly think that despite the fact they could not make it out in the Wildlands they can run rampant here.” Vorm couldn't help but smile. He shared that opinion. Still, this particular Horde Lorde had some reason to be cocky. It had many powerful subordinates and a proper grasp of the properties of its element. It would probably have risen to the profound tier soon. Thankfully he got there in time to stop it. The two men had never truly been close but they had similar dispositions. Nevertheless, they took the time to catch up a bit before Valan came out to meet him. Once the old man came however, Richard made an excuse to leave knowing that they needed to speak privately. “Good morning uncle!” Vorm began. “Good morning Vorm. Hope all is well”, the magistrate answered casually. “All is well Uncle. I have come about the matters concerning Valerian and yourself”, Vorm stated simply. He had to cut to the chase. If he did not and ended up drawn into the magistrate's pace it would be dinner before they were done. “Ah! As I suspected. Tell me, what have you heard?” the magistrate added. “I learnt of Valerian's outstanding prospects, of his dual force nature and the rumours of his crippling disability”, he answered. The magistrate's eyes hardened. It was nearly imperceptible but Vorm caught it. Not only was he that good but he had also known the man all his life. He wouldn't dare say that the man was bare before him but he could certainly notice when he hid something especially now when he was watching closely for a reaction. “Valerian is not crippled. His is a problem stemming from his mother's legacy”, the old man stated matter of factly. “Yes. I heard that too. Only I was told it was an excuse you were using to avoid admitting that your defective blood had been passed on” Vorm pushed. It seemed harsh but he knew from experience that he had to do it. He had to push his uncle in order to have the full story come out. He wanted that. Not an hour long lecture that would have them skim the subject and the issues involved then retiring for tea before a second session. He was here for information not a lesson. He would get it. “What is it you wish to know Vorm?” the magistrate asked blandly. He was neither blind nor stupid. He knew exactly what his nephew was doing. He didn't approve but he knew that the boy -- no -- man would keep pushing until he had his way. After he had tried so hard to teach him patience too. “Let's start with what happened exactly?” he replied finally leaning back in his chair. The magistrate did same reaching up to stroke his long beard as he did so. Then he set out to weave his tale. Vorm did not stop him. His uncle was the best narrator and story teller he had ever met. He settled in looking forward to what he had to say. This led the magistrate to smile. Little Vorm always loved a story. “My dear nephew. I hope you remember my stance regarding cultivation and the proper age for children to start it”, he opened. “How could I not? Because of it I only begun cultivation when I was ten”, Vorm answered. “Good, good. Then, does it not strike you as odd that Valerian is cultivating at the age of eight?” he questioned with a small smile. Vorm was startled. It was only now he reflected on it that he realised that it was strange. His uncle had always maintained that it was stupid and unnecessary to make children begin cultivation before they were ten years old. He argued that true progress in cultivation only begun with the onset of puberty and anything before that would only help with the foundation. So apart from establishing some of the basics such as control there was no basis in starting so early. This flew in the face of the general practice that had children begin as soon as they were able. However the magistrate cared little about that. He pointed out that the overemphasis on cultivation was what allowed children to grow up empty headed and ignorant. Besides the basic numbers and letters the only things they knew had to do with cultivation. This was a serious shortcoming that could lead to problems in their future. The head start wasn't worth it in his opinion. Not when there would be next to no physical growth till puberty, meaning that training would be unable to show its results. Or the fact that it was during puberty that natural essence absorption peaked to facilitate the changes, making that the best time for even arcanists to train. Even a person's own essence would be stimulated during this period doubling the effects of all efforts. Thus he felt that the years before were better spent on more scholarly and childish pursuits. If training the body and the essence was not very effective why not focus on the mind. After all, these were children they were talking about. How many had the attention or comprehension to make any meaningful gains when they were forced to train instead of play at so young an age? However if you spent time teaching them the things they would need as adults you'd not only broaden the knowledge but their minds as well. This would help with their comprehensive abilities and develop them into more balanced adults. This was a conviction he had held for most of his life. A conviction that had caused Vorm, Richard, Jonas and even Valiant to be forced to wait until they were ten to even begin cultivation. They were forced to sit through boring lessons on politics, strategy, philosophy, cultivation theory and other such subjects whilst their colleagues were busy with their baptisms and transformations. You would have thought they were to become scholars. Nonetheless, the effects of their lessons revealed themselves when they began actual cultivation. It was like they cultivated their minds first before they progressed to their bodies and energies. Each of them were far ahead of those same peers who started before them. He was a medial Arcane King, a reputed spell caster and famed commander. If Richard had not suffered his injury he would definitely be a king as well. Jonas was an expert array master of the second circle an achievement that couldn't be over praised and Valiant ... he had outdone them all. For his uncle to go against his own convictions and let his grandson cultivate at his age, there had to be a reason. “Why?” he asked. “I see it's began to dawn on you”, the magistrate said smiling. “I was forced to let Valerian start so early because of a small discovery we made nearly three months ago”. Then he began to tell his nephew some of the events of the last two months. “You're saying that Valerian's body is somehow self-cultivating?” Vorm asked bewildered. The magistrate nodded sagely. “And that the reason you are buying all these resources is to provide it the fuel it needs to continue?” Again the old man nodded. “You are sure that his condition has to with his mother and not yours? That it has nothing to do with the O'be curse?” Vorm asked for the second time. The magistrate looked annoyed. “Do you think that I of all people will be mistaken on this issue?” Vorm thought about it and decided that that it was very, very unlikely. There was no one more knowledgeable about the O'be and their curse than his uncle. The man had searched and researched for so many years trying to understand his defect and the source of it. There was no way he would not be able to tell if Valerian's condition was similar to his or not. “Have you spoken to the elders? Get them to know what is happening. With their support you will probably find other ways to help Valerian” he suggested. The magistrate merely snorted in anger. “The elders! Forget them! Most of them do not even know about Valerian's special physique. That was classified a secret on par with the O'be legacy. When Valerian woke up and the problem was first discovered I broached the issue. They actually nearly considered it. Then they remembered that I was a crippled wastrel and immediately concluded that Valerian's problem was my fault”. As he spoke he couldn't but think back to the moment when the great elder pulled him outside. Unlike the ignorant Elder Grant she as a great elder was in the know about the true nature of his condition and the O'be legacy. But all she did was ask whether he was sure that Valerian's condition had nothing to do with the O'be curse. He assured her that it was not. However even as he spoke he could see the disbelief on her face. He knew then and there that he wasting his breath. Which was easier to believe? That the inability to move qi was related to a mystery legacy belonging to a missing woman of whom little was known or to the one curse they knew with similar effects. The great elder looked at him and informed him that be that as it may the clan would have to withdraw its support. It could not afford to waste resources. The meeting held later was just a formality. The issue had been decided there. The elders were already of a mind that Valerian was as crippled as he was and were prepared to cut their losses early. They only held off on his arcane cultivation because they did not want to be seen doing so without proper proof. But to them there was no need. Not when it was so obvious. At first Valan had been infuriated but eventually he too began to doubt. Could Valerian's condition really be traced back to him? It would fit. He knew nothing about his daughter-in-law's true origins. Who is to say she even had a legacy? What if this was all just another form of the curse? Thankfully, good news came just in time to break him from his downward spiral. From that moment he knew what to do. Vorm looked at his uncle unsure of what to say. He knew how touchy the subject was but he was not sure that the old man was making the right decision. To bet everything on an untried theory was too reckless. Uncle Valan did not do reckless. “Are you sure there is no other way? Perhaps we should invite some experts to come and examine the boy. They could find something to help”, he broached. “Find what?” the magistrate barked. “I have narrowed the problem to a blood legacy he inherited from his mother but without knowing what that legacy is we can do nothing. It could be that he needs a special cultivating method, or a special device, or substance, or environment or any other number of things. We can't know because we have no idea what the legacy is. “If there's a problem, we wouldn't know. His legacy has not revealed any obvious characteristics that we can use to deduce its nature or origin. Thankfully we can tell that it is active due to it transforming his body. The best we can do is wait for it to reveal more of itself. But we have no idea how to do that as well. So we are banking on it doing so during puberty or when his one of energies, probably his qi, reaches the gathering or condensation stage”, he elaborated. “That is...” Vorm began but he could not continue. He could not see any way out of it. They were backed into a corner. The only other route was to ask Valerian to give up on his qi cultivation which was obviously a no no. “But after that, what then?” he was forced to ask. To call someone a tellurian when he did not even practice a qi cultivation method was a stretch. Their importance to cultivation could not be overstated. Even if Valerian got to the qi gathering stage what then. He could only ever be an inferior cultivator for the rest of his life. “Even I cannot see that far ahead”, his uncle admitted. “With luck something would change by then but if not once his meridians are open there are alternative methods of training we can try”. “Qi tempering! You're planning for him to undergo qi tempering when he achieves qi movement” Vorm realised with some distaste. Once a tellurian succeeded in opening his eight meridians he could move his qi through them. They would become roads or channels allowing him to distribute his qi throughout his body and move his qi to wherever it was needed. It was only after this stage that a person would have control over his qi and be able to use it to perform skills or enhance his body. Qi tempering was an ancient form of tellurian cultivation, from a time when cultivation methods with true mysteries were not so widespread. They strengthened qi in a variety of ways and could have some very good effects. However, they lacked any inherent mysteries making them inferior to actual cultivation methods for the most part. Many were still used today but only as supplementary techniques not mainstay ones. Plus, besides some really old clans and tribes very few had any qi tempering methods worth a damn. For Valerian to practise such methods as his primary form of cultivation was as good as cutting his path short. He could never even dream of reaching the higher tiers. Vorm shook his head dispiritedly. ‘Is this really all we can hope for?' he asked himself dispiritedly. “Don't look so glum”, his uncle ribbed. “You might look down on qi tempering but the actual techniques are better than you think. Also, not all hope is lost. These are just things for the meantime. I've got feelers out searching for any information on his mother and her origins and I have contacts that might be able to get us some qi tempering methods of the king tier when the time comes”. Vorm was incredulous. Sounds of shouting distracted him for a second and caused his eyes to flick towards the entrance but he ignored them for the sake of the conversation he was having. “You want to begin a search of the same kind that drove Valiant mad with obsession and resulted in his disappearance?” he broached in a careful tone. “Yes”, the magistrate said softly, gaining that look he always did when his son was mentioned. “We have to. If there's any chance it may help Valerian we have to take it”. “I'll handle that”, Vorm suggested. Best to keep the old man away from the matter. Then to change the subject he asked. “You know, I have never spent much time with the young man. Is he really as bright as you all say?” That got a smile from the old man. “Hah! Recently I've been forced to admit that even I underestimated him”. “Really, do tell?” he asked now honestly curious. “He has achieved a perfect arcane vessel theorised in the Manifold Elemental Incarnations!” Vorm was gobsmacked at the news. He made to say something when the sounds from the commotion in the front yard heightened, cutting him off.
Chapter Fifteen: Let Loose Spoiler When Richard followed Commander Vorm into the manor, Valerian knew that the day's training session was officially over. He still kept at it though. Going through the stances whilst focusing on the mantra and principles so that they would entrench themselves more fully in his mind. He lacked the qi mastery to bring out the true might and profundities in the moves but the goal of training at this stage was to sculpt his body and ingrain the skills in his muscle memory. So he busied himself for a while before his sharp hearing caught wisps of the conversation that the soldiers were having. Unsure of what he heard he moved closer. “That's right! Everyone thought that the brat was some sort of heaven warping talent. Who would have thought that he would be disabled? He cannot move his qi! It does not respond to anything at all”, he heard one say. “It's true. I heard it as well. They say that the Steelborn elders gave him more than a score of methods to try but none of them worked. He even ended up hurt from trying. You guys were stationed at the towers and so you do not know what has been happening in the city. But in my opinion it was obvious from the start. The grandfather is an ostrich, how could his grandson soar into the heavens as a raptor? He was probably just dreaming of being a peerless talent”. “Just think about it. Innate dual attributes, dual forces and an essence level forty-one times normal. Does this magistrate take us to be fools? It is obvious that he was just trying to con his clan into giving him more resources”, another added. Unable to take it Valerian rushed out to front yard fixing the speaking men with a fierce glare. Immediately all sounds of conversation in the main courtyard seized. Many of the military men even looked embarrassed to have been caught gossiping. He ignored them fixing his gaze instead on the ones he knew had been saying those nasty things. Both men were middle aged and well-built but the first speaker was quite unkempt for an infantry man. Valerian could smell the alcohol on his breath from his spot thirty metres away. He wore simple leather armour that was tattered at his right side. The second man was younger and cleaner with thin pursed lips and a large forehead. They were clearly infantrymen since they were not among the soldiers who came in mounted but those who walked beside them. Valerian felt even more enraged, low levelled peons like these were looking down on his family. He had been right to suspect that they had become the talk of the city. He noted their appearances down, adding them to his list before turning to glare at the manor guards. The guards looked away sheepishly unable to meet his gaze. They knew they were in the wrong. They, the guards of the household, had actually allowed outsides to come into their territory and disrespect their lord. Frankly, they were a little ashamed but they also felt vindicated by the fact that those men spoke the truth. Having quelled them Valerian turned to go back inside when a voice came from behind. “Hmph! See him strutting like he's all that!” Valerian recognised the voice as belonging to the man with the large forehead. So he turned around to look at the man again the look on his face asking if he dared that way speak to his face. However he was unable to silence him like he did earlier because the man was strangely emboldened. “What? Stop scrunching your face! Are you going to cry brat? You should you little cripple”, the man added then looking towards his companions he continued bitterly. “Can you believe this brat? Coming out here like he was going to attack us. Who does he think he is? Do you know how much gold is being wasted on this cripple? I heard his grandfather was a legendary wastrel but junior seems to want to break his record. If I had even a tenth I'd be a true practitioner by now, paid off my debts and enrolled my children in some academy...” Valerian was surprised. He understood mockery but the vehemence in the man's words was something else and he wasn't stopping. He looked towards the guards stationed around the courtyard all of whom seemed to be looking away as if they couldn't notice anything. He caught sight of some of the servants. Some of them pretended to be busy but most of the people in the courtyard were looking at the proceedings without doing anything. It was only then that Valerian realised that he was on his own. He looked at the same servants and guards he usually joked around with. The ones who told him stories and called him young master. None of whom would even stand up to defend him or his family when the situation called for it. He cursed himself. He had been such a fool. What had he expected? That he would come over and his status would magically cause them to reconsider. His eyes stung with unshed tears and he turned his back to the onlookers to blink them away without being noticed. The disgruntled soldier continued to rain abuse on him but Valerian did not care at that point. He'd show them. He really would! He'd tell his grandmother and get them all punished. They'd be sacked or fed to the hounds. No! They'd be given to Sela to play with. They'd see. He'd would make them regret it. Behind him the soldier continued to speak. Not even he was sure what he was talking about anymore. What had started out as a mockery of the magistrate and his grandson soon became a rant on the Steelborns and their tyranny. Then it escalated to an attack on all nobles in general before narrowing back on the Steelborns and their ‘haughtiness'. He was a bitter, impoverished man whose wife was cheating on him and whose children did not respect him. He had numerous debts and had recently been told that he was actually sterile calling the paternity of his kids into question. To sum up, he was a man who had finally gotten a chance to vent and thus he could not stop his resentment from pouring out. Around him his colleagues were distancing themselves. Mentally telling themselves that they were not here and they could not see anything. His friend, the not too sober one, was worried. He was taking it too far. Not only was he yelling abuse at a child, he was forgetting in his rant the fact that the boy was the grandson of a sitting magistrate. Their commander's very own nephew. To the side one of the armoured knights made a move to stop him but was stopped by another knight. “...stupid Steelborn outsiders. You should just go away and take your filthy blood with you!” Something in Valerian snapped. Whereas before he had been leaving. Planning to take his revenge by setting his grandmother loose on the offenders he just stood stock still for half a second. Rage poured out him as in an extreme burst of speed, he appeared in the air right in front of the spit spewing man. He was blinded by anger but not enough to forget Harry's first principle. “Put in all force when attacking, taking out your opponent in a single strike!” The disgruntled soldier did not even see it coming. One second the sniffling brat was slinking off the next he was under attack. Lucky for him his training kicked in. Instinct and ingrained reactions are always faster than conscious thought. Qi rushed into his arms as he crossed them in front of his face to shield his head. Alas, despite being in the qi manifestation stage he was just too weak because he practised an inferior cultivation method. How could he block a strike coming from Valerian, who was far stronger than any child had a right to be? Valerian would not have cared anyway. It was as if he had tunnel vision. The only thing he cared about was his fist meeting his target. He did not even realise that he had covered a distance of thirty meters in the time it took to blink, a new record for him. Fuelled by his rage his armoured fist shot forward carrying a shocking murderous intent and the desire to make his enemy pay. His small gauntleted fist was like a wrought iron ball shot from a cannon. It smacked against the soldiers arms with such force that an audible crunch could be heard reverberating through the courtyard. All who heard it winced but there was nothing they could do to stop it. Valerian's sudden attack had surprised everyone, not just the man he was attacking. They were forced to watch the disgruntled soldier's arms shattering in the face of the overwhelming force that met and overpowered them. The power was actually so great that his supporting arm bent backwards and broke a second time when it struck his massive forehead. Also, since it was a downward strike he was even knocked to the ground shattering some of the stone tiles of the paved courtyard, his face covered in his own blood. What Valerian saw was a little different. His sharp vision registered the fear and regret on the man's face and the momentary distortion from the impact and the pain. It satisfied him in a blood thirsty way that he had made the man regret his words. That he had actually caused the man to be afraid. Would he dare insult his family now? Everyone, guards, servants, soldiers stood there stunned. The sheer force and ferocity behind the attack left them breathless. No one could have predicted this outcome. They were so shocked that it took them a second to realise that Valerian was raising his fist to launch another attack following Harry's second principle. “Seize all openings to put down your opponent!” Fortunately for the downed soldier his friend was a little less stunned than the rest of the soldiers. He blindsided Valerian knocking him away with a charging tackle. The young boy was thrown aside rolling a few times on the pavement before rising to his feet. He was only fortunate that the man had not followed up with the attack. Rather he stopped to check on his friend. The man was barely breathing, broken bones were poking out of his arms and his mouth was filling with blood. Wiping his face and turning him over so he would not choke on his own blood the tipsy soldier was shaken into sobriety. If his friend hadn't raised his hands to protect himself? If he hadn't enhanced himself with qi? If he was any weaker? If he himself had not gotten there in time to stop the second strike? Confronted with the fact that his friend had nearly died the man was understandably shaken. As it was, even if he recovered he would be a cripple. For a few moments he could so nothing but stare at the wreck his friend had turned into. Then his panic and worry swiftly changed into anger. Sword drawn he charged towards the perpetrator. At this point he did not care that he had just attacked his commander's nephew or that his friend probably deserved it. He wanted revenge. “YOU BRAT!!” It was now Valerian's turn to panic. By this time his rage had dissipated and the adrenaline was wearing off. His head swung from side to side taking in the scene around him. The guards and servants stared at him as if looking at him for the first time. He could see the fear and shock on their faces. And he could see the tiles that had cracked from the impact caused by the man hitting the ground and the bloody misshapen lump lying in the middle. His eyes widened when he saw the wrathful soldier coming for him. This one was different from the first one. He was not distracted and was coming at him with the intent to kill. Much weaker than his friend, he had only opened six of his eight meridians so he was unable to use any true, qi skills. However, he could still channel his qi through the open ones to enhance himself. Plus, his killing intent, forged from dozens of bloody battles erupted in full force. It closed in on Valerian's inexperienced form, making him feel like he was drowning in his own fear. Unbidden his eyes flicked towards the other soldiers pleading for help. He was met with the sight of them standing at the ready with their weapons drawn. Erroneously thinking that they too were preparing to attack him he nearly gave up. It was a conditioned response. Having faced an attack their first reaction as military men was to ready their weapons in case they were to be attacked next especially after such a furious unexpected attack like Valerian's. It was only the knights that did not do so but that was because they were powerful and fully confident of being able to handle a less than minor figure like Valerian. Valerian had read many books. Among them was a story about warriors who lived on the battlefield because it was where they felt most at home. The reason being that it was only in the throes of combat that they were truly themselves. Fighting was what brought out their true nature. While an overly romanticised tale it did have some true facts. Confronting danger was one of the ways to tell one's true nature. Every living thing had a flight or fight instinct. When thrust into a dangerous situation there were some who run as fast and as far away as possible. Others would fight to their last breath if they had to, staking their survival on the outcome of battle. Placed in the same situation and left with no way out, Valerian was surprised to find out that he did not turn his back. Rather, his fear prompted him to fight his way out. Something was born inside him at that instant. A defining trait he would not notice until much later in life. It was a mentality to take the bull by the horns instead of trying to outpace it. Both were equally ridiculous but in his mind getting gored from the front whilst doing his best to take his killer with him was better than getting gored from the back while running away. He was a cornered animal that sought to force his way out of his tight spot instead of digging a route to freedom and his essence answered this need. All he felt was a rush of arcane energy and then all the weapons in the area seemed to leap towards him. Even pieces of armour and the pot in the hands of one of the servants came flying towards him. The shocked gazes he was enduring became even more intense when all registered the fact that he was now surrounded by a wide range of metallic objects. Each of them pointed outwards as if daring someone to come forward. Swords, spears, three axes, four shields, many pieces of armour and a pot swirled around an eight year old boy who was just as shocked as the people around him. It was probably the biggest surprise of the day. A few of the more experienced people there had managed to channel their qi or arcane energy into their weapons and armour to prevent them from answering Valerian's call. The most pitiful ones were those whose own weapons had harmed them in their flight or had had their armour violently ripped of their bodies before they discerned what was happening. One was even dragged a few feet by his well buckled breastplate before he coated it with his qi. The attacking soldier was no exception in this case. He stood there looking dumb as the sword in his hand ended up protecting his enemy. Its quavering tip pointed in his direction. Tension filled the air and Valerian was at the centre of it. Seeking to dispel this atmosphere and get things to calm down the knight who had been stopped by his colleague earlier stepped forward. He raised his right hand but before he could get a word in a sword shot at him. Quickly sidestepping the missile he began to reconsider his decision to get involved. Valerian couldn't help it. He panicked and when he did the sword flew out to protect him. He knew full well that the knights were the most dangerous people here. The fact that they had special horses and full plate armour more than highlighted this fact. Operating on the notion that all the soldiers were enemies made him jump when the heavily armoured man moved towards him. Now he was even more worried. They had not made a move yet but his attack could cause them to. Thankfully he did not have to continue wondering whether he had broken a seize fire or whether the knights were going to get into the fray because at that a moment a booming voice bellowed. “WHAT IN THE THREE REALMS IS GOING ON HERE?”
Good story, good grammar! The plot is kinda cliché, but it's still the first arc so it's forgivable. Since you are going for a Western (Qihuan) style like Coiling Dragon, try and get reference from it for your story progression. For eg. Use of arts like sculpting will help in cultivation, the nobility structure (Knight, Baron, Earl, Duke, Prince, King) and the protagonist climbing up on it, gentlemanly manners and classy ladies and magic techniques (Wind Blade, Earth Spike, etc.)
Important Announcement My editor and I have chosen to join Fantasy-books.live. It is a great site with a focus on original English web novels. There are a number of good novels there, from a wide variety of genres so please check it out when you have the time. God willing, it will become the place for original English web novels. In the meantime, it will be the official home of Heavenward on Golden Wings. Updates will still take place on schedule and overall, not much will change. Most edits and extras will occur there though. Nevertheless, I will endeavour to maintain this thread as well as respond to any queries you might have. Also, the 25th to 29th of July are special days in my family. Nothing sacred. It's just that a lot of birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions and such happen to fall in this period. It is a time (and an excuse) for celebration. So as not to leave you guys and girls out I planned to release our first extra/bonus chapter during this period as well. That plan hasn't changed. In fact, we have even greater reason to celebrate now. Thus, tomorrow keep your eyes peeled for Chapter Seventeen. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Interesting chapter. The difference of perspectives between the MC and his grandfather was interesting to read.
Thanks. Both for this chapter and the one before. Your comment was insightful and your suggestion both welcome and appreciated.
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