Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)

Ling Qi stretched her arms overhead, enjoying the light of the early morning sun. The twinge in her back had faded, and she was once again approved for cultivation. Sitting atop Zhengui's back as they trundled down the mountain path, she found that she was actually looking forward to this gathering.

Below she could see the brightly colored pennants marking out the edges of the grounds Wang Chao had rented out. It seemed like the set up had gone well. Most of the field was left open for cultivation activities and sparring, but a small pavilion had been erected at the far east end, which would contain tables laden with refreshments and a few temporary meditation chambers for those who needed privacy for some bit of cultivation.

She had, on Cai Renxiang's advice, helped with the planning for that part. She could already see people below, a half dozen odd disciples, including Wang Chao, clustered near a sparring circle having a discussion. There were a few spirit beasts already present as well, a pair of dogs, a big tawny mountain cat, and a preening eagle. The only one which stood out to her was the horse sized shaggy black mountain goat that she knew belonged to Wang Chao.

The other beasts gave the creature and it's tall curling horns a wide berth.

"Are you excited to get some exercise, Zhengui?" Ling Qi asked.

"Yes!" Gui agreed, but she couldn't help but notice that his cheer was a little strained.

"I Zhen, doubt that there will be much to learn here," Zhen scoffed.

"Don't be like that, we're here to work together and meet some new people," Ling Qi scolded lightly. "Just remember that we're here to enjoy ourselves too. You earned some fun, you know?"

"It would be fun if Hanyi was here," Gui grumbled.

Ling Qi frowned. "I know, but she is very inspired right now." Hanyi had been withdrawn since their return, and she was hard at work composing something. Ling Qi didn't want to interrupt her, because she recognized that sort of fugue.

"We all take different things from the Dream. For what it's worth, I think letting her be is the right decision," Sixiang whispered.

"Please Zhengui, let's try to enjoy ourselves, okay?" Ling Qi asked.

"Zhengui will try," he replied, but he didn't seem too enthusiastic.

She hid her frown, trying to think of what else she could say, but soon they were no longer alone.

She glanced up as she felt someone approaching from one of the other paths. It only took her a second to recognize them. Alingge, the girl she had met at Luo Zhong's party. She was dressed much the same as always, in a surprisingly scant combination of tunic and skirt, but she had replaced her white fur cloak with one of darker red. She rode on the back of a tawny female deer, fitted with a saddle but lacking a harness.

"Ling Qi," Alingge greeted as her mount cantered up beside them. "Honored Zhengui, it pleases me that you emerged from your hunts unmarred."

"It pleases me too," Ling Qi said wryly. "It looks like you've been busy too. Is that a trophy?" She asked, nodding to her cloak. It looked to be made from the pelt of one of the Cloud Barbarians horses.

"Yes, my deployment was successful as well," Alingge agreed. "The raiders did not pass us."

As they spoke, Zhen had met the eyes of her mount, and they appeared to be having a staring contest. Zhen preened, looking proud and fierce, but Alingge's companion merely looked placid.

"Congratulations," Ling Qi said. She could listen to what Zhengui was communicating, but there was no need to pry.

"Your praise is welcome, though your deeds are the greater ones. Regardless, let me apologize for my rudeness. This one is called Sembidun," Alingge, patted the neck of the deer she rode.

The beast turned her eyes to Ling Qi. "I greet you Singer, and the Young Growth as well."

"It is good to meet you," Ling Qi said politely, and subtly tapped Zhengui's shell.

"Gui greets Whispering Wind, and the Beastkeeper too," Gui said

Zhen remained haughty, but at least lowered his head a little.

"Is Sembidun your only spirit beast?" Ling Qi asked curiously. "Or are your others not coming today?"

The two of them looked briefly at one another. "She is my heart companion," Alingge explained slowly. "My pact with the others is different. This is not a matter which I may explain."

Clan secrets, Ling Qi understood.

"Well, I won't press," Ling Qi said reassuringly. "I apologize if I gave offense."

"I have taken none," Alingge agreed. "But let us not tarry longer, the field awaits."


"Miss Ling! Welcome. I was just discussing our program with our junior peers," Wang Chao greeted bombastically as they approached.

A few of those gathered, who were most certainly older than Ling Qi, looked mildly irritated.

"Oh, you've decided on that already?" Ling Qi asked. She had ceded planning of the actual training to Wang Chao, since that was what she had originally planned to ask for his help with.

"Yes," he said, just a little pompously. "While we will spar together obviously, I was thinking that between the two of us, we could demonstrate to our peers the two extremes of high level cultivator combat. Singular overwhelming physical force for myself and…"

"Encompassing spiritual field effects for me," Ling Qi said, finishing in the pause he gave her. "I think that will work nicely with the arts I am intending to cultivate."

"Hoh, you have something new in mind Miss Ling?" Wang Chao asked curiously.

"Lady Cai is generous," Ling Qi explained. "I cannot yet make my own arts, so she elected to see the gap in my capability filled."

"The Cai are indeed generous to those who earn it," Wang Chao agreed seriously. "And from what I have heard of your expedition, you have certainly done that."

"Your own deeds were admirable as well," Ling Qi knew this dance well enough by now. She had checked up, Wang Chao had indeed done well in his assignment to defend one of the Inner passes, so she didn't even have to embellish. Still, she felt Zhengui shifting impatiently beneath her. "But I am sure everyone is looking forward to a little exercise."

"Yes, yes of course," Wang Chao agreed. "So, this is the schedule I have worked out for the morning…"

Such was the beginning of Ling Qi's cultivation routine, for the month, over the next few days, she began to cultivate two Arts, the Unstoppable Glaciers March, and the Beast King's Savage Dirge, while working on coordinating her tactics with Zhengui.

Each day she found a few more people trickling in, most of whom were in the Appraisal and Foundation stages. This was most helpful for the open sparring section of the day. It meant that she always had sparring partners to match with her developing arts.


Ling Qi's fingers came down on the holes of her flute, sounding the deepest note possible. Before her, the three disciples who had advanced through the tangle of Zhengui's grasping roots and Paradise Ramparts blanched as a snowstorm screamed around her.

The force of the note rippled out, freezing the moisture from the air as she took a single step forward in time with the next note.

The frontmost attacker, a young man at Foundation planted the but of his spear in the ground, as he was driven backward, heels and spear alike digging furrows through the writhing earth. The young man to his left was less lucky, forearms shrouded in crackling stormclouds crossed in front of his face to block the worst of the cold even as he was flung backward to slam into one of Zhengui's ramparts with a meaty thwack. The girl on the left in her pale green gown at least managed a controlled flight as she was flung away like a leaf in a storm, the twin iron fans in her hand guiding the wind currents enough that she sailed through a gap rather than directly into the thorny wall.

The Unstoppable Glaciers March art had come to her as naturally as breathing, the first stanza she had mastered easily, and the refinement of the second had not been much harder.

As the second boy struggled to pull himself away from the wall, Ling Qi felt the earth rumble as Zhengui followed in her footsteps, and grasping roots rose to pin him in place.

The disciple with the spear lunged, the polearm in his hands burning like a brand. She swayed to the side, and it passed her head.

Ling Qi took another step, and was inside of his guard. The chorus of the Grinding Glacial Melody sounded again, and he tumbled backward. The other boy, trapped against the wall, let out a cry of pain as icy wind and pressure crushed him into his restraints.

He fell as molten venom flew over it's head to impact his chest in a burst of sizzling steam.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the other girl again, gliding on currents of wind to strike at her back. Ling Qi's fingers danced, and she played a very different stanza. Pitched high, the wild melody transformed into the piercing shriek of an enraged eagle. The Sun overhead, already dimmed by her Mist and Zhengui's ash, went out, shadowed by vast wings.

The phantom summoned by her song, a mighty raptor with a wingspan twice the height of a man and more, with plumage of dark grey and pale blue, beat it's wings once, and dove. The girl cried out as she was seized in gleaming silver talons and carried away back to the depths of Zhengui's killing field.

The Beast King's Savage Dirge was a more difficult piece, and one which did not so easily flow from her previous experience. Nevertheless, it was potent. The Eagle God's Defiance technique summoned the aerial phantom, but the beast's own echoing cry called further phantoms into play.

She saw the third boy's expression fall as beasts of black mist began to rise from the ground in thick ranks, their yowls and barks drowning out all sound. Claws and fang's glistened with rime. It was not like the Dissonance technique, summoning scattered nightmares to worry and distract.

Here Ling Qi stood surrounded by a howling regiment, and the shadow of her little brother loomed over them all.

"I think they've had enough Miss Ling!" Wang Chao's voice echoed from outside the mist. Ling Qi glanced to the remaining young man, who was nodding fervently.

...She supposed that they had been at this for awhile.

Lowering her flute, Ling Qi let the phantoms fade. "You can let up, Zhengui," she said, turning to face her little brother.

Behind Zhengui was the hastily constructed stone 'fort' that was the object of the exercise. Around them was a maze of ash clouds and root ramparts, which he had raised over the course of the exercise, choking off approaches more and more while Ling Qi flitted around buying him time.

It had been an enjoyable little exercise.

Ling Qi smiled as she rested a hand on his blunt snout. "Good work. I think our strategy worked pretty well,"

Gui didn't look fully pleased though. "...Big Sister was holding back."

"Of course I was, everyone was working with new arts, that was the point," Ling Qi replied. "It's important to practice for when I have my new arts fully learned. She hadn't even gotten to her replacement for Thousand Ring Fortress yet. You're improving your ramparts too, you've gotten much better and faster with them."

"Hmph, foolish Gui should cease doubting his own power," Zhen hissed. "We are mighty, and will only grow mightier still."

"A good attitude to have!" They both looked up as Wang Chao spoke, striding through the withering remains of the walls. "I must say, it is a good thing that between your beast and I repairing the landscape is so easy."

Ling Qi turned to him and bowed. "It is good to let loose without worry."

"Using our explosion is fun," Gui muttered.

"It is enjoyable to watch," Wang Chao agreed, turning to survey the others, who were only now climbing to their feet, those who had more notable injuries were marbling back to the pavilion where a medical disciple was waiting. "It would have been a better test if your enemies had better tactics," he added with a frown.

"I wouldn't blame them," Ling Qi replied. "It takes a lot of drill to turn random cultivators into a unit, doesn't it?"

"It does. Perhaps I am being a little unreasonable," he pondered. In a much louder voice he called out. "That was fine work, facing a stronger foe everyone!"

There was a ragged cry of agreement.

"Will I be facing you soon, Sir Wang?" Ling Qi asked.

"I intend to put on a proper lesson and spar tomorrow," Wang Chao agreed, turning back to her and Zhengui. "I must say your beast has taken quite well to my words on battlefield control."

"Mister Avalanche gives good advice," Gui agreed, seeming to perk up a little. "Gui was not sure he could control so many walls at once."

"It is not my personal specialty, but I remember my lessons. You will be quite a boon to any battle with a little coordination, even if you lose focus easily sometimes, Sir Zhengui. Being able to set and manipulate the approaches of a battlefield is useful indeed," Wang Chao grinned. "And of course, Miss Ling is quite frightening in her ability to deny enemy cohesion."

"Hm, not frightening enough I think," Ling Qi pondered, thinking back to that fort, and the enemy commander who had so easily denied her.

"Hah, Miss Ling is too modest. You are a very frightening woman indeed, according to most," Wang Chao laughed.

Ling Qi frowned, somehow the way he said that made it seem bad.

"Big Sis is the scariest one," Gui said proudly.

That just made her feel worse.

"Hey, you get the reputation you earn," Sixiang teased.

Ling Qi huffed. "I think I need a few moments to cultivate my reserves back to full, if you don't mind."

"Of course. I think I would like to slake my thirst myself," Wang said affably, turning away. "Will you join us in the pavilion after?"

Ling Qi considered, eyeing the other end of the field, where Alingge and the disciples spirit beasts were gathered. Despite her efforts, Zhengui had not been particularly social yet, and she did want to speak with the girl about some things.

If anyone could help her work through her conundrum regarding her spirits, surely it was someone who even Zhengui called 'Beastkeeper'.

On the other hand, she was supposed to be here primarily to influence Wang Chao, but she was still going to be sparring with him tomorrow.

[] Join Wang Chao in the pavilion. [Make yourself more approachable, influence Wang Chao Bond. Give Zhengui room to act on his own, for better or worse.]
[] Join Alingge with the Beasts. [Actively help Zhengui be more social. Advice on the vagaries of raising spirit beasts, Influence Alingge bond.]

AN: and below here are the next levels of the arts you just learned.