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Chapter 23: Worlds Apart
Last Updated:
2023-11-25 20:32:27
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Dragon-kissed Chapter 24: A Cold Welcome
When they finally arrived at their torchlit destination, they were surrounded by another crowd, reinforcing Aki’s impression since Pukkitunturi that the Northern Province wasn’t accustomed to receiving that many visitors. Most of the first onlookers were children; something very surprising to Aki, who was used to seeing a lot of senior people around her – teachers, officials, retainers and so on. And it wasn’t just because she grew up isolated as royalty, it was because the Clan of Stork valued wisdom and experience over youth, gradually inducing an aged population. The villagers on this northernmost glacier-covered fell, Blarjokull, wore the same clothing as those in Pukkitunturi. The main difference, it appeared to Aki and Temujin, was the bronze skin and dark mono-lidded eyes of the people here. It turned out that, in the northernmost corner of the world, the people’s hair was dark and straight unlike those of the Pukkitunturians, who were not too different from Aki in appearance.
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“As much as we would like to provide you the information that you seek,” Chief Reijo orated, “there are two things that hinder us. First, the ill reputation of your companion precedes him. The red northern lights have given us fair warning of his arrival. It doesn’t bode well for our village to receive a member of the Clan of Salamanders.” Temujin tensed and a muscle in his jaw jumped. He knew precisely what the chieftain was referring to: the ancient match between Tamerlane and Gunnar, the representative of the Clan of Undina at the Gold Lotus Tournament. Tamerlane had been notorious for being a brutal fighter. “Temujin comes in peace,” Aki spoke. “He does not mean any insult to your clan by coming here. Like I said, we are both simply passing through and have business of great import that we need to see done.” “Be that as it may, the customs of the clan are iron, Aki-oujo, and I am merely a servant to the will of my people. As a future leader of your own clan, I am sure you can
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The circular arena lay in the center of the village and was made of smooth ice. It was around thirty feet in diameter and surrounded by eight stalagmite-shaped ice pillars crowned with sputtering torches. Between these pillars stretched thin, highly transparent but durable panes of ice that served as barriers through which the audience could watch. These barriers curved away from the torches and went on to meet at the top to create a twenty-foot-high bubble dome that deterred fighters from jumping too high. Temujin stepped inside the arena through an opening in one of the barriers. After him, someone froze up the hole to lock him in. He walked to the center of the ring exhaling water vapor through the filter of his mask and feeling a lot of angry Undine eyes on him. He knew Aki stood amid them watching with a very worried expression, but he couldn’t remember where he had left her and he didn’t want to look weak or nervous by looking for her now. In his right hand, he carried the scyth
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From his kneeling position, Temujin dug out his scythe from where it was buried. He did this by holding out his arm and projecting a horizontal cascade of blue fire. This melted a hole in the ice immediately around the scythe. Temujin tugged and the weapon flew back to him. Meanwhile, Magnar had continued his slide all the way to the end of the ring and, without decreasing speed, hurtled up the wall and then kicked off, executing a back flip that dropped him right in front of Temujin. He landed on one foot with surprising grace, bringing down his two swords with him. Fortunately, Temujin was ready and blocked both sword chops with his scythe and chain, which were still red-hot from all the flames. Magnar kicked off again and slid backwards. If his boot blades weren’t visible, it would seem as though he was levitating on ice. He may be huge but he wasn’t slow at all. On his mother element, he was as light-footed as a Stork Slayer. As though toying with Temujin, Magnar started spinni
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“Konnichiwa!” a young Slayer stepped out of the crowd and greeted Temujin. “My name’s Aleksandr, and I’m the youngest child of Yuri Babor.” He was speaking in the pidgin language of the eastern lowlands in consideration of the foreigner. Surprisingly, out of all the denizens of Blarjokull, this Aleksandr, who was eighteen – younger than Temujin and only a little older than Aki – was one of only two who could speak the eastern tongue. Many other villagers had congratulated Temujin by shaking his hand, patting him on the back, or just calling out his name from the sidelines. The acceptance and complete reversal of attitude deeply pleased him. Who could’ve thought that he would put an end to the decades-long animosity between Salamanders and Undines? Magnar proved to be a real sportsman. He even lifted Temujin for some crowd surfing and a slight toss in the air; the second, Temujin would learn, was a taste of the northern festival custom of “blanket tossing”, in which hunters were ce
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Mr. Yuri Babor brought his youngest son with him to the Gold Lotus palace every time he had a meeting with the Imperial Court and every day during the construction of the Treasure Vault. And every time he did, young Sasha would hang out with the Stork princess who was almost the same age. At the time, five-year-old Aki still had a father and the Age of Darkness (Ankoku Jidai) was nothing but a pale memory. The dust clouds that had choked the sun for a full thirty years tore apart and the world was able to breathe at last. As though to a miner emerging from a collapsed tunnel, everything looked fresh, newly washed and full of hope. It was indeed a new age. Pan-Terra was experiencing another resurgent spring. Verdant mother earth was back with a vengeance, and back for good. Previously all the plants and trees had lain dormant and stunted despite the prodding of the agrokinetic Clan of Gnomus. Aki, too, was still young enough to enjoy some freedom from her royal tutors. More importa
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“You’re forgetting one very important thing. There’s one other option. We could just leave the system as it is. I’m sure it’s already perfect and my father has done his best to make it burglar-proof. Why do we need to make suggestions about its design? We could contribute to our parents and make them happy in many other ways. Safer ways.” “You should hear yourself talk. Are you really THE genius Slayer of the Babor family? The prodigy who could create arbalests at the age of four? You should probably change your family crest from beaver to chicken.” “I’m no chicken!” Sasha sat up from where he was lying. “Stay down!” Aki hissed and pulled him back down. “OK, if you’re really a Babor, then you’ll help me do this last thing and, that way, you’ll be able to help both our clans keep the Egg absolutely safe in perper… perpi… forever!” “I can’t even!” Sasha said despairingly. “What makes you think they even need our input?” “Because, Mr. Genius, they said they’re gonna be building the
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“It’s a water maze,” Sasha muttered, mystified. “I should’ve known…” “How can you tell?” “See the floor? It’s sloping.” “Isn’t water good news? It’d melt the whole maze.” “Not these walls,” Sasha said, feeling the texture of the entrance wall with reverence. “This is perma-ice. Hard as diamond. There are almost no air bubbles inside the ice crystals. Our Clans combined their powers and spells to create this thing of perfection. No jutsu, fire or otherwise, is powerful enough to break it.” “Well, good thing water flows downhill. Let’s just make sure to stay on top.” “We can’t. It depends on the layout of the maze. And if I know my father, these walls shift to create various designs and give the illusion of having no beginning or end. You remember the musical box I gave you? There are magnets underneath this labyrinth.” “Great,” Aki said sarcastically. “Is there any good news at all?” “The good news is,” Sasha said with a smile and tried his best to look confident. “I’ve prepa
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Dragon-kissed Epilogue: New Dawn
“’Tis a sin tah suffer such a numbskull as ye live,” Captain Fang said, “but it appears we be a perfectly even match. Ye know as well as I do ’tis futile tah resort tah our mother element.” The pirate could barely stand in his exhaustion and was leaning on his sabre. Sasha was also down to his last reserves of energy. He was poised low on the ground, ever ready to strike with his shinobuken held horizontally in front of him, his left hand behind. “Were we in a trainin’ dojo where ye’ve been raised,” the captain said, “no one would claim victory… BUT HITHER IS NOT A DOJO!” Captain Fang thrust his amputated right arm and released the harpoon on the end of it. As a matter of fact, Sasha had earlier grabbed a handful of salt when he tumbled forward across a drying pan. Now he swung his left hand from behind him and flung the salt to the captain’s eyes like a sumo wrestler purifying the ring. Sasha felt a certain amount of pleasure when he heard the captain utter a pained squeal. In a s
Dragon-kissed Chapter 89: The Cleanup
Yuriko poked her head inside the hole in the roof. The building was a temple. Its ceiling was high above the floor and the whole place, although spacious, was empty. There were plenty of Everlite crystals to keep the temple well-lit. She regretted that she didn’t bring a grappling hook. She made the hand seal of Pyō the Great Thunderbolt to execute a Kyūbanjutsu (Suction Pad). It was one trick she inherited from her clan and had been useful during her stint as a cat burglar, till she scaled the hull of Captain Fang’s ship and became a stowaway. She channeled her ki to the soles of her feet and created partial vacuums on them so they would stick to any flat surface. The suction was enough to let her stand completely upside-down on the temple’s ceiling, her braided hair hanging down from her scalp. “Thanks for dropping in.” Yuriko gasped. Aki was across from her and also upside down. With the better lighting, she looked formidable in her white Slayer suit, at ease and back in her ele
Dragon-kissed Chapter 88: Rooftop Fisticuffs
Aki leapt from roof to roof. Her tabi boots touched the tiles lightly before pushing off. She was harnessing Karamijutsu (Body-lightening). Without warning, a tile she was stepping on broke and she slid straight down to the edge of the roof, only managing to grab the gutter in the nick of time. She was dangling there when Yuriko appeared on the incline, just a few feet away, crouching and fanning out a set of throwing knives. Apparently, she had launched a projectile that broke Aki’s foothold. “Fancy a prince tah rescue ye, princess?” “I’m not a princess,” Aki replied through gritted teeth. “I’m a SLAYER princess!” With a back flip, Aki brought herself upside-down with her legs spinning in a wheel kick. Yuriko held her forearms up in an X shape and the casings of her katars blocked the kicks. Aki landed right in front of her. They were soon locked in hand-to-hand combat; something rare for Stork Slayers who emphasized defense over offense, evasion over brute strength. Yuriko projec
Dragon-kissed Chapter 87: The Teacher
“What took you?” Koumori-shishou asked. The old man remained seated on the driftwood, his back still turned and exposed to the newcomers though all three of his students had sprung to their feet. “Cor blimey! Whar be our manners?” Captain Fang said sarcastically, drawing a water-saber that he instantaneously generated out of an empty, solid scabbard. “Apologies fer keepin’ ye waitin’.” The saber was made possible by the Undina Clan’s Mizu Funsha no Jutsu (Water Stream), which produced a very high-pressure jet of water that was as strong and sharp as regular katana. “Well,” Koumori-shishou said, “we would not be very good Slayers if we threw away fifteen minutes of head start, would we?” “Maybe you’re just stupid,” Ganzorig said. “It was precisely the light in your pipe that led us here.” “Death on a hook is food in the eyes of a fish.” “Be ye sayin’ ye lured us out here, ye treacherous cur?” Captain Fang roared. “This shall nah end well fer ye.” “As I be a soul,” Kosano said, “
Dragon-kissed Chapter 86: First Class
They sat around Koumori-shishou on the moonlit beach. Like real students, Aki thought excitedly. Sasha had returned to his human form and was still half-naked. Apparently, shrinking back down was relatively easier than blowing up to the fearsome scale of Dragonkist Ryūjin. The master sat on a large piece of driftwood. He took off the tunic-like uniform of the Dark Emperor and revealed his usual attire underneath: the saffron robe and pom-pommed surplice of the hermit monks, the Yamabushis. From inside his sleeve, he drew out his shakujō staff with the six rings. Like Aki’s bō staff, it could be retracted and extended. Next, from his slightly hunched back, he produced his straw conical hat and placed it on top of his head. Finally, he unclipped his one-toothed geta sandals from his belt and put them on. He was completely transformed. Aki clapped and Sasha muttered, “Wow.” Koumori-shishou bowed with a flourish. “You’re a true master of disguise, shishou,” Aki complimented. The monk
Dragon-kissed Chapter 85: The Emperor of the Dark
From the strong rocking movements, Aki could tell they were on a small boat. Her captors were using oars. All at once, the bag was pulled from over her head and the wind coating was removed from her mouth. “Get your stinking hands off me or I swear you’ll lose them!” Aki blinked to adjust her eyes. It was still night. Have they arrived in Dragon’s Horn already? “Spoken like a true warrior-princess,” said a familiar voice. Aki couldn’t believe it. She strained her eyes in the dark. “Temujin?” she blurted out. “That’s right. It’s me.” “But I thought…” “I had some help,” he said, gesturing to a second figure behind him. Aki let out a frightened gasp. In the pale moonlight, she could make out the Dark Emperor! “Oh, don’t be alarmed!” Temujin said. “It’s just my master, Koumori-shishou.” To Aki’s great consternation, the Dark Emperor swept back his hood and took off his iron dragon mask. An old man with slanted eyes and a long wispy beard like a mountain goat’s was beaming at her
Dragon-kissed Chapter 84: Hard Truths
“What do you think they’re going to do to us?” Aki asked Sasha. They had eventually given up hope that Temujin would return. As much as it pained Aki to admit it, she knew he would succumb to brainwashing. Most Slayers did, sooner or later. “Well, at first they were pointed south like us but then they made a U-turn, which explains why we didn’t see them coming. My guess is they’re now taking us to Dragon’s Horn. It’s a big and busy trading port, for all things legal and illegal.” “They’re gonna sell us as slaves?” Aki said in horror. “No, we’re much too old to be submissive. But they know you’re the heiress apparent so they’ll demand a princess’s ransom.” “A princess’s ransom? How much is that?” “Let’s just say they’re gonna try and bleed your empire dry.” “My grandfather would never allow that. I’m sure he’ll have imperial soldiers waiting for us when we reach port. I’ll have these pirates arrested before they even—” “They probably wouldn’t tell anyone about you just yet. The
Dragon-kissed Chapter 83: Torture
In the afternoon, after their cheerless and tasteless brunch, the captain came down to the brig to grace them with his presence. Aki was right, the four most important people on the ship were: Captain Fang, the Dark Emperor, Kosano and Yuriko; in that order. But because they were pirates, it was easy to imagine incessant politicking among the last three. The entire crew was of course curious about the young Slayers who had kicked their butts, but they were under strict orders to stay on their posts and perform their duties. Nevertheless, Aki recognized Zaterra and Ganzorig; the first was endlessly cutting his nails with a dagger. Temujin also noticed his cork backpack slung on Zaterra’s shoulder. “Hey, that’s mine!” Temujin shouted, gripping the dragon-bone bars of his cage. “Finders keepers,” Zaterra replied and stuck out his tongue. “Give it back to him!” Aki demanded. “Be yer companions knowin’ yer secrets in this here bag?” asked Kosano. Temujin fell quiet. “Cat got yer ton
Dragon-kissed Chapter 82: Prisoners
They were held in separate cells down the ship’s brig. Aki’s and Sasha’s were adjoining while Temujin’s was across from theirs. Each cell had an additional feature. For instance, Aki’s had a water barometer to monitor the slightest change in atmospheric pressure if she attempted to form winds inside the ship. Sasha’s had a quicksilver thermometer to keep the room temperature in check. Last, apart from confiscating his flint and steel, the pirates put Temujin in a cell with the fire-proof bones of a red dragon for bars. In case the prisoners showed any signs of defiance by using their powers, the pirates also had a weird-looking contraption like an electrically charged spear. Sasha figured it was a weaponized version of the Leyden jar. If it touched their prisons (the conductor), it would discharge tens of thousands of volts. This last piece of technology suggested a link between the pirates and Tamerlane’s research on the fifth element, but all of them pointed to the fact that the cap
