I crested the small rise to view the deepened valley below .
It was the third day of the journey from the landing site and to finally see the fabled valley that I had longed so much for, was a deep relief within my soul. My core resonated with the place. It was for certain the site of ascension that I had foreseen.
Wu Chu had provisioned lightly so we traveled fast.
He perhaps was more assured of success than I was.
So confident was he that we would both be leaving this mortal plane forever, that he did not pack any resources for a return trip.
Perhaps I should have had more faith.
Or perhaps we were both punished by the heavens for his hubris.
At the ti I was so blinded by devotion that I did not mind.
So blind that I never saw the hand which stole my sight of that hidden valley.
Had I seen it, I would have perhaps thought it one of the savage giants which road the land freely. Or the beasts that howled endlessly throughout the nights. Far be if from , to think then, that Wu Chu himself would be the one to strike down.
I never saw his tears as he dragged to that solemn throne.
Never heard his apology to as he bound with my own chains.
Or his whisper of love as he slit my throat.
Upon the agony of my own death did I awake.
He never stayed to explain that he did so to force my own ascension.
To force to use my own hidden talents to return not just others, but my very self from the realm of death. The chains, which allowed to once roam the kosmos, now beca my shackles.
I did try, however.
What else was one to do?
I reached for the Heavens, in tribulation, just as Wu Chu had hoped.
But the answer from the Heavens was not rciful.
‘Why have you risen above your place?’ they thundered.
‘Why have you awoken that which we have slept?’
‘You are a petulant child who has disobeyed the Mandate of the Heavens.’
‘For this, you shall be banished forever to the realm you seek to flee. Even death shall no longer be thy companion.’
For my sins, the sun darkened, and rot fell from the sky.
The rain blessed the land not with growth but decay.
In my pain of failure, a great battle still raged.
Wu Chu himself used my tornt to face his own trial of ascension.
So strong was he, that even the greatest champion that the Heavens summoned, was bested in only one day. A great dragon the Heavens summoned next, but by Wu Chu it was bested in only two days.
Furious, the Heavens did seek my consult in desperation.
‘Lowly and unworthy One,’ they thundered. ‘You have broken the laws of heaven and for this you have been justly punished. But you may redeem thyself this one ti.’
‘What must I do?’ I cried out.
‘Use thy chains to summon from the depths a great demon to slay Wu Chu!’
And what was I to do with such an offer?
For the heavens had already cursed and my love for Wu Chu had already soured and turned to hate. So summon I did, a great Lord from the depths, and so mighty was it, that the very Heavens ran from its sight.
But not Wu Chu.
By Halberd, sword and spear did he face the great terror.
Even the dead did not rest and beca demons to join in the fight against Wu Chu!
The battle lasted an entire year and by the end, the green shores which we had landed upon, had turned to a desolate and darkened waste. When the Heavens returned to see no outco of the great battle to be had, they cursed Wu Chu again.
‘You have defied both Heaven and Hell and have made a mockery of both. But as we have no strength left to defy thee, we shall allow thee to ascend to the Heavens.’
And so as Wu Chu began his ascension, the Heavens called out to again.
‘You have failed to summon a demon strong enough to defeat Wu Chu, and now we are forced to allow him into Heaven. You shall remain for you have not fulfilled our promise. Cast now thy chain a final ti upon the ankle of the demon you have summoned and drag it back to Hell before it too ascends to the Heavens and defiles it therein.’
‘But how?’ I answered. ‘For there are many demons now summoned from the fallen.’
‘Cast it upon that which has the greatest hate within its heart. For that with the greatest hate within its heart, shall be the greatest amongst them.’
The Heavens spoke well, for I had long since beco that sa demon with the greatest hate within its heart. With one end of my chain did I cast it upon my own ankle and with the other did I cast it upon the ankle of Wu Chu.
I dragged him back down from the Heavens and the demon took his place.
‘Insolent one!’ the Heavens raged, as the demon tore them asunder. ‘You have sided with Hell and shall be forever cursed to remain upon the firmant.’
But I cared not. Not even when the very Heavens burned with Hellfire.
For Wu Chu was finally with .
As we were betrothed to be
And forever he shall remain.
Within the darkness of my chains.
* * *
“Damn,” I muttered as I closed the book. “That was one jacked up read. If that wasn’t an allegory for marrying the wrong woman, I don’t know what is.”
I cracked it as a joke, perhaps more from mirroring my own circumstances, but Hun Wu didn’t look amused. She sat patiently across from in my quarters, waiting for to finish reading.
It was the early hours of the morning, our usual ti for ‘getting together’ for our shared lessons in demonic theology. Three days had passed now and we were finally nearing Dokumu. Despite all our ti together, I still didn’t have the heart to tell Hun Wu that I had co to do anything but free her precious master.
Unless it was freedom from life itself, that was.
Still, I went along with the charade to glean as much information as possible during our lessons. Over the last three days I had busied myself with reading the book, while simultaneously avoiding Master Zin Tai. Hun Wu lived up to her end of the bargain as well, keeping Zin Tai busy with constant flirting and nipping off to do ‘who knew what’ in whatever corner of the Imperial Corvette they could find.
That left ti to chill with Blue Rose and Captain Teng and his crew for most of the ride. Between the two of us, Blue Rose and I kept the soldiers entertained for hours on end, describing how we survived on the Hell World, although we were selective enough to leave the details vague enough as to not drive them insane.
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It felt like old tis, being in the company of military sorts and the free lemonade was well worth cultivating to prepare for the task ahead. In the quiet hours between that though, I’d have to face Hun Wu.
Like now.
Thankfully the book gave us more to talk about other than the truths we were about to face on the surface of Dokumu. But now that I had finished the book, that left open to more discussions about that as well.
“So what’s the story an?” I asked.
“You read it in its entirety, yes?”
I shrugged. “All one hundred and thirty three pages.”
It was a short book, to be fair, but I dragged it out to waste more ti.
Most of it was about the exploits of Wu Chu or whatever the hell his na was. I figured that was the stand in character for the Soul Emperor Wu Shin Taun. There were at least 10 chapters alone on how Wu Chu went around cultivating by ripping off people to buy expensive ingredients to make pills.
It was boring as shit.
But I stuck with it.
Eventually the story culminated in the finale, which I had just read, but even the boring parts, had hidden purpose our aning, according to Hun Wu. The ‘swindles’ and ‘subterfuge’ employed by Wu Chu, were strategies the Demonic Cultivators used to remain hidden from the outside world and the pill recipes were all codes for various forms of demonic cultivation.
I did pay attention to those parts and had gleaned a bit more insight into my own demonic techniques, like how the masking technique worked. The story also went into their journey a bit which I noted ntally for clues.
Zin Tai had said the fable was based off of reality and if the Author was Lysandra, the sullied concubine of Emperor Wu Shin Taun who had eventually beco the Chainmainden, then her descriptions of the planet could possibly help with my journey as well.
But none of those things seed to matter to Hun Wu as she gave her final explanation.
“To translate it properly, you must read everything in the contrary,” she said. “The demon in the story, is not our master as you may first think. Wu Chu is instead our master. If you re-read the book from this perspective, you will see it is he who teaches us all the skills we need to survive and thrive within the world ruled by the Unjust Heavens.”
I nodded at that. “Unjust Heavens?”
That was the first ti I’d ever heard such a phrase but sothing within it resonated with my Fla.
“The order of this world is a farce,” Hun Wu said. “The story exposes the hypocrisy of the Heavens. The divine mandate which Wu Chu fights. It is our master who truly fights it.”
“So who does the demon represent then?” I asked.
“The demon is us… our purpose as followers of our master. To wage war on the Unjust Heavens.”
My Fla twitched as she said it again.
This did sound like the sa mandate of the Greater Will and the Children of the First Fla.
“Who is the narrator?” I asked. “What does she represent?”
Hun Wu chuckled. “They are the ones to be fooled. The sa as those reading the book incorrectly. They are the masses. The Empire. The Royal houses. The Sects and Clans. All the sa. The blind followers of the precious order laid down by the Heavens Mandate. As you see from the end of the story, they are the ones who will be cursed in the end, but they are also the ones who have enslaved our master.”
“So that part is real?” I asked. “Wu Chu, or ‘our master’ is being chained down by…?”
“It’s not that literal,” Hun Wu snapped. “What’s important is that it has occurred here. At this place. Or so I suspect. Many within our ranks have long suspected so, especially as the empire has barred it from access. But only now, through you, do we finally not only have access, but a way to free our master.”
“Yeah,” I said, smiling like an idiot. “Freedom here we co.”
Hun Wu scowled at . “You take these matters too lightly. This could be the most important act to take place in over a hundred thousand years! Do you not understand the gravity of this?”
I had to use [Indifference] to not laugh at her. She had no idea that the Chainmaiden was an actual person, or that the powers described were a carbon copy of what I had already witnessed in the Spiritual Realm. Unable to die, using the chains as a ans of interdinsional travel. It made sense also that soone like Lo Feng, a supposed leader in their enclave didn’t even know he was tapping into I’Xan’dra’s powers for his own. They also didn’t know the true na of their ‘master’ either.
But I did,
And he was at the top of my hit list at the mont.
“Now, you must tell your secret,” Hun Wu said. “How have you survived on the Hell Worlds without your core blooming prematurely? Even the most disciplined of us would bloom under just a Bloodmoon.”
“What do you exactly an by ‘bloom’?” I asked. “Do you an? Turn into a demon and… like die?”
Hun Wu scowled at furiously again. “How is it you are so blessed by our master yet, so much of an afront to him. To Bloom is our purpose. As you read in the fable, no? We are the ones who shall storm the heavens when our master is finally freed. We shall all bloom as the divine of the new order. It is our purpose. Our destiny.”
I could tell she was dead serious about that.
Whether it was from ignorance or brainwashing I didn’t know.
“So you really look forward to becoming a demon?”
“Not prematurely,” she snapped. “When the ti is right, I shall gladly sacrifice myself to the Greater Will of my master. But not before.”
I blinked as she said the words.
It was clearly in ignorance on her part, but hot damn, that was like the Greater Will itself was channeling straight through her.
“Tell now, how have you done it? Did you have an artifact? Sothing akin to Aetherite but perhaps not as corruptive?”
“Aetherite is corruptive?”
Her scowl had beco almost permanent now. “I am beginning to understand why you call yourself Chun! By the nine hells, have you never experienced it yourself yet? Can you not even feel the effect of the crystal about this ship now?”
I could. A faint harmonic of Frenzy.
But then it made sense.
In large doses, Frenzy would corrupt them just as much as Dark Frenzy corrupted . I’d have to be careful with my explanation to tiptoe around the details of that.
“I guess without knowing what I actually was, I developed a ans of… resisting the temptation to ‘Bloom’?”
I said the words cautiously, gauging her reaction.
Her scowl turned into a head nod of understanding. “Yes, but how? How did you resist such an urge?”
“I may just have to show you,” I said. “It’s sothing I developed naturally while at Du Gok Bhong. It’s like flexing my core. I guess since I never knew the risks, I just made it happen during my training.”
“Fascinating,” Hun Wu said. “A breakthrough via ignorance instead of knowledge.”
I chuckled at that, mostly because it was true.
“I can protect you with it too,” I said. “I did the sa with my team on the Hell Worlds.”
“Truly?”
“When we’re on the surface I’ll show you,” I said.
“I would very much like that. To see my master’s true form before I would Bloom.” A strange sort of look ca into her eyes then, like she was staring into the future of her own destiny. “You must share this technique. It could change everything.”
“Sure,” I said. “As soon as we return.”
Not that you’re going to, I thought.
“No! You must show now,” she said, as if reading my mind. “Show how.”
Shit…
“I told you, it’s not sothing I can just teach you. I learned it via trial and error. Just resisting. It’s like cultivating almost.”
“Then show how you resisted,” she said. “Show this new form of cultivation.”
Hun Wu was practically begging now.
I could tell she wasn’t going to leave without an answer either.
She had shared all her knowledge and was demanding that I shared mine.
As I studied the determination in her face a new thought ca to mind. The demonic cultivators possessed knowledge but no insight. Legionnaires, through exposure to the unknown, gained insight, but had no knowledge.
I, as a Berserker, possessed both.
My Fla flared as a new Hidden Truth was unlocked.
“Alright,” I said. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
A spike of fear jolted through her as I said that.
I flipped to the back of the book and tore out a blank page. I then grabbed so writing implents and used the book as an easel to draft a quick sketch. The brushes weren’t the best, but it was enough for to get the basic brain-like body of a Mind Reaper drawn along with its spindly, spider legs.
“Here,” I said and handed it to her face down. “If you can resist seeing that without, ‘Blooming’ then I think you can be on your way to cultivating the sa skill.”
“What is it?” she said.
“I can’t tell you. Else it will drive you mad. Maybe make you Bloom right away.”
She swallowed visibly, fear in her soul, but slowly turned over the leaf of paper.
Her eyes bulged and she let out a sharp gasp.
Inside I sensed the Dark Frenzy of her Demonic core explode.
The paper shook in her hands as sweat beaded upon her brow.
She retched like she was about to throw up and a sickly sound like bone snapping filled the room. With shock, I realized hair was starting to grow on her arms, thick red hair, which upon closer inspection was not hair at all, but small feathers.
Oh shit…
She let out a sharp scream that sounded alien, like the nail-on-chalkboard sounds that ca from I’xol’ukz. I quickly snatched the paper from her, but she was in so much of a trance that she didn’t even respond. She was breathing rapidly like she was hyperventilating and then slowly the feathers receded, and her eyes shifted back into focus.
She looked at , her skin covered in sweat. “What just happened?”
“I think you started to… bloom?”
“What?” she said. “What did you do?”
“I gave you a picture to look at.”
“What picture?”
Holy shit, her mind was already blocking it out.
“Nevermind,” I said, and tucked the picture into the back of the book and rested it on the side table.
“Now, what were you going to show ?” she asked.
“I already showed it to you.”
She furrowed her brow at confused. “What?”
A knock ca from the door and we both shot a stare towards it.
“Yeah?” I said.
A voice ca from the other side. “It’s Zin Tai. I heard a scream. Is Hun Wu in there?”
Shit, I didn’t want things to look like this.
“Ah… n—.”
But before I could say anything else, Hun Wu hopped up and opened the door. “What is it, Zin Tai?”
Zin Tai jerked his head back shocked. He looked her up and down quickly and then shot a glance. “Oh… well I suppose this makes sense.” He then cracked a grin. “Last ride before destined death, huh?”
“Don’t get the wrong idea, pal,” I said with [Struggler’s Resolve]. “Ain’t nothing like that going on here.”
He shrugged. “Why the scream then?”
“I didn’t scream,” Hun Wu said and then grabbed the book off the side table. “I will see you both on deck. We should be near orbit by now.”
With that she pushed past Zin Tai, and to my horror the loose page ca flying out of the book. Hun Wu was already down the hallway and too flustered to notice, but Zin Tai stooped down to pick it up.
“What’s this?” he said, grabbing hold of it.
My heart raced and I had to use [Indifference] to cover my own fear.
He frowned nonplussed as he stared at the paper, and for a mont I hoped that it was so cosmically unnerving that all he would see would be a blank page. But then he flipped it over and his eyes bulged.
“Did you draw this?” he asked and showed it to .
Shit!
I didn’t know what to say.
“D’Mjulthu,”he said, with perfect demonic diction, enough to make my Fla quake. “Or Mind Reapers as they’re more commonly known. Pesky creatures. Or so I understand. But I suppose I don’t need to tell you that. I’m sure you could tell much more about them than even I know.”
He then handed the drawing back to .
“Hun Wu is right,” he said. “We’ll be in orbit soon. I’ll see you up on deck.”
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