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Chapter 49: Rocking the Boat
Last Updated:
2023-12-09 21:33:18
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Dragon-kissed Chapter 50: The Slayer School
Spurred by Temujin’s interest, on the fourth night, Sasha taught them other sailing skills, including rigging and knot-tying. Sasha said it was a subject commonly taught in the northern Slayer schools. “Slayer schools?” Temujin echoed. “Aye, mine was Wani-ryū. Wani Academy. Don’t the Salamanders have any? I know the Storks do.” “Yes,” Aki said. “On the Ethereal Nest, the best one’s Senten School of Sword and Sorcery.” “Senten?” Temujin said incredulously. “A thousand storks?” “Yes, it was inspired by the story of the young Slayer Tomoko Sasaki. The legend tells that anyone who folds a thousand origami storks will be granted one wish by the Stork God. Twelve-year-old Tomoko wanted peace for all the Slayer clans and undertook the task.” “Could she do it?” “No, she was among those killed by the Nagas when they attacked her village.” Everyone fell silent upon the mention of the Nagas. Sasha was particularly quick to change the subject: “And the Salamanders? What’s your top school
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“I wonder about the Gnomus Clan,” Aki said, curious about the clan they would soon meet. “That’s easy,” Sasha replied. “They specialize in Chimon – that’s geography – and Hensōjutsu, the art of camouflage.” “Everybody knows that. Is that all you’ve heard of them?” “Nay, there’s a lot more. They have Irezumijutsu, Ink art, and Tekkokagijutsu…” “Ink art?” Temujin echoed. “Oh, the bodies of brown Slayers are covered in tattoos of various land animals. But each brown Slayer has the tattoo of a unique spirit animal that they can transform into.” “Incredible,” Temujin muttered. “Right?” Sasha said. “All we can do is imitate some animal stances but a brown Slayer can shape-shift into an actual animal.” “Says the Slayer,” Aki said, “who has a 30-meter-long dragon inside him.” “That’s different,” Sasha said and then blew a raspberry. “It’s not like I can control and tell it to come out anytime I want. Anyway, the Chthonians also have their own version of Hojōjutsu or the rope-tying art
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Temujin could also feel it now. The way the conversation was going, it was starting to sound like a ghost story. To make matters worse, it was close to midnight, the wind was howling above deck and the main hold was creaking all over. “You two know we’re going to pass the equator in a few days, right?” “Right.” “Undine sailors have a line-crossing ceremony. Blue Slayers who have already experienced crossing the equator are called Shellbacks or Sons and Daughters of Watatsumi – god of the sea. On the other hand, those who have never or are about to for the first time are called Pollywogs or Slimy Wogs. “The eve of the crossing is called Wog Day. There’s a reversal of roles and the Wogs act out a kind of mutiny against the Shellbacks. They capture, bind and blindfold their superiors. The most daring Wogs also make fun of the Shellbacks by cracking eggs on their heads or hitting them with either a Suigekiken (Water Blast Attack) or a Touketsujutsu (Freezing Technique).” Aki thought
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Temujin and Aki stayed quiet, signaling Sasha to go on. “I had my fair share of beatdowns,” Sasha confessed, “of being dunked in the toilet, of being the Wog.” His voice had taken on an edge as though it grieved him to relive these things but they had to be said. Aki looked sympathetically at Sasha. If she had only known. She was Sasha’s best friend when she was six and he seven. She should’ve been there for him. Having indeed led the isolated yet sheltered life of a princess, she could only imagine how alone he had felt after the memory wipe. Temujin, on the other hand, finally understood Sasha. He could never have known that behind such a charmed-life, apple-of-my-eye image dwelt rough experiences. “Why didn’t you tell the principal or your teachers?” Aki asked. “The same reason I couldn’t tell my brothers, sisters or parents,” Sasha answered. “There’s an unspoken code of secrecy among blue Slayers. I didn’t want to be called a snitch. That was even worse than being a Wog.” A l
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Aki and Temujin were both quiet. They wanted to commiserate with Sasha but they didn’t know what words to say. “I’m very sorry to hear this,” Aki attempted. “I wish I…” “It’s all right. It’s all in the past. And it was my fault for playing the fool and believing that I could be loved by an Ice-nin.” “No, it’s not your fault,” Aki insisted. “What they did to you was wrong in so many ways. And I wished my clan hadn’t done the Memory Wipe Spell on both of us and I could’ve been there for you as your friend. I’m sorry for all that. I truly am.” “I guess…” Sasha said, flattered that the future empress of the Gold Lotus Throne would say such words to him. “At first, it disturbed me that some Slayers could be so evil but as I stood completely frozen in the Touketsujutsu, the thought of all the teasing afterwards made me entertain the thought of never coming back to school. Ever. After that, I knew the shame was something I could never live down.” “I can’t imagine how you could’ve ha
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“What did you answer?” Aki asked in a whisper. “Well, to tell the truth, I had considered the situation hypothetically before. All students of Wani Academy probably had. Our options were, precisely in this order: first, answer yellow cover – because naturally who wouldn’t want to get out of the experience alive? Sure you’d be covered in pee but at least you get to continue breathing. “But the most logical option didn’t appeal to the mentally enhanced version of me. Being discovered by my schoolmates covered head to foot in pee was a fate too horrible to accept, even weighed against the risk of dying. That was how concerned I was about my honor. I’m telling you, my priorities were so messed up. “And so my brain moved down to the second most attractive option. Option No. 2 was answering blue cover so we blue Slayers would get to die in our mother element. In fact, most Wani students I knew had thought the same thing, except for those who actually admitted they’d rather suffer a bucket
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“The door creaked open,” Sasha narrated to his petrified audience. “There was no one there, at least no one immediately outside. I buttonhooked to my left and looked to the middle of the bathroom. There was the Ayakashi floating in all her spectral glory. I felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck. The legends were true. She did look like someone who was eternally trapped in a dark, watery grave, clumps of her long hair waving like octopus tentacles. Because she had her head bowed and her neck bent in an odd, impossible angle, she was looking at me from the top of her eyes. She was smirking so her tiny face looked very malicious. I knew then and there this was no prank Lorelei or any student could ever arrange. “‘H-Hello there,’ I greeted in a small, cracked voice. I was forcing my mouth to say something, anything. “‘My name’s Sasha Babor and I’m a student here… in W-Wani-ryu. Just like you were. F-from what I heard.’ Instinctively, I was treating the ghost the way I would a
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“’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
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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
