Salted Spires (A Cradle Quest)

KittyEmpress said:

You didn't know any specifics, you'd never even really held a scale, until Semis gave you one for being the first to show such deep curiosity in the art of cycling aura. But you did know that Half-Silver was rarer than rare here - it didn't naturally occur anywhere on the Spires, and instead only washed up with shipwrecks and driftwood after storms. Halfsilver was a special sort of metal notable for being completely madra-disurptive. No matter what type of madra was used against it, it would break it apart, rendering it useless. Being stabbed with a halfsilver weapon would cut through a person's defensive techniques and disrupt their ability to cycle any sort of Enforcer technique - and this made them deadly weapons. However, the star-spackled silver metal was brittle, so long as you could meet it with physical force.

Outside of your family, the ring you now were wearing was the type of thing someone might commission for their child's Jade advancement, and even then it'd be a notably pricey gift, the type of thing that ring alone would not be disappointing when opening your gift box. Inside of your family they were slightly less valuable, but only because your family owned most of the halfsilver that had ever come to the Spires. You might have been able to expect a gift like this for your Iron graduation, but that was still at least a couple years away.

"More than I've ever seen in my life?" You guessed it, as you looked down at it. The scripting on the half-silver had to be done so carefully, the words were so tiny that without a drudge you wouldn't even be capable of making them. And even then, you needed a good one, and to be capable of controlling it well. "It's so pretty..." Halfsilver looked mostly like silver in a neutral light, but under bright light it sparkled like stars were embedded inside of the metal. And just holding it in your hand you could feel a heaviness to it - your body wasn't quite full of Madra like an Iron's, but you could feel the spiritual weight even in your senses. Sliding it on made it feel even stronger.

"Close to, at least." Your Mom patted you on the head, as she pulled away from helping you put it on, "Be patient when you start to pull at the aura today. You'll note that only the purest aura will make it past the ring, and that some of what you think you grabbed will dissipate. Don't feel frustrated if you feel like you've made no progress at all, especially for the first few weeks." She played with her own ring, and you noticed that yours was forged into a matching shape to your Mother's - the band billowing outward at points for an uneven, cloud-like ring, smoothed to perfection, "And don't try to cycle in ways to resist the struggle it causes, or it's a waste of time. You want to let the ring do its job."

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

KittyEmpress said:

Cycling with the Parasite Ring was indeed like trying to walk uphill while carrying sandbags. From reaching out for the aura around you, to pulling it in towards you, to breathing it in, to cycling it through your body to turn it into madra in your core, every single part of the process was almost painful. Almost. And you immediately felt the temptation to go against your Mother's advice, as you tried to adapt to the situation the scripted ring was putting you in. In a way, your talent worked against you, as you adapted without thought to pull from new angles, to adjust how you cycled, before realizing that you were reducing the benefits of your ring. So you would adjust yourself, and start over from the basics. And then you'd start to get into a rhythym again, and you'd find yourself doing it all over again.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

KittyEmpress said:

Unlike some of the treasures your family could have provided you, the parasite ring gave you no overt disadvantages when it came to class. You jogged from the bottom of the largest Spire to the top with all the speed you could, as Vai Depth-Watcher walked over each of the trainees. You were expected to do ten laps of this during your lesson, but by the time you'd ascended once you fell to the floor, panting for breath and feeling like you might vomit. You weren't sure how many steps you'd gone up to get there that time, but the idea of pushing through more didn't make you feel good.

Tane, meanwhile, finished his second ascent as you were laying on the ground - the boy literally lapping you as he dismissively regarded you, "Can't believe a weakling challenged me." You were panting for air and couldn't reply quickly enough - because he turned and started to descend again. You were laying in the ground, and he was leaving already. He was sweating, but he wasn't even panting yet, and in that moment you could feel the gap between the two of you.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

KittyEmpress said:

"My nephew asked me about his Son's opponent, and if the family should be worried." Vai didn't speak to you often, she had given up on pushing you to do better or work harder. Instead she gave you basic instruction like everyone else, but no more or less, "I told him that you were the weakest, least driven Sacred Artist I had ever taught. That at least the other weaklings I had taught had pushed themselves harder than their peers to catch up." Her words filled you with frustration, and soon enough you were looking up at her with anger in your eyes, "Don't glare at me, child. If you have the energy to glare, you have the energy to run. Turn that hatred into motivation, and prove me wrong."

You tried to push yourself off the dirt ground. But as you did, your arms shook. And you felt like you might lose your breakfast. "I can't." You finally said, as you let youself lay back down in the dirt, accepting your defeat.

"Disappointing." Was all you heard from Vai, as she turned away from you, starting to coach the middle of the pack runners on how to improve their forms.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

KittyEmpress said:

"Maybe I want to cultivate it, maybe I want a fancy meal to myself, or maybe I want to go buy some knuckles." She shrugged her shoulders, as you hesitated "What I do with it isn't your concern. What is your concern is getting your head beaten in. So think about it." She stormed off in the way she always did, like she knew people would get out of her way.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

KittyEmpress said:

"It is, in much of the world. As is my own Poison blend - I'm certain that Blood and Poison is far from what an outsider would expect a teacher to specialize in." He chuckled into his hand, but then you saw something catch his eye - something about you, "Oh my, jewelry. You don't seem vain enough to be interested in that yet. And judging by the way it's catching the light, halfsilver. Where and why were you given a Parasite Ring, my curious disciple?" He didn't seem upset by its presence, more amused if anything. "I certainly hope your family isn't allowing you to use that while you are still in the process of stabilizing your core? Your Mother should know better, as an expert in that kind of thing."

"Oh!" You realized that of all people Semis would probably be the most likely outside your family to recognize the ring and what it meant for you to be using one. But you realized that a step too late, "Well... I uh..." You tried to scramble for a lie, but in the end you just bowed deeply, "I actually already stabilized my core. Please don't tell anyone, because Tane and I are supposed to fight, and I need all the time I can get to get ready, because if I start fighting Tane I'm probably gonna get beat up really bad, and I don't wanna get beat up really bad, and even three months isn't that long and I am probably still gonna get beaten up, so please please please don't tell anyone, please?" You had tears in your eyes as you begged the teacher to hide your family's lies.

Warm arms wrapped around you, as the teacher lifted you off the ground effortlessly into a hug, "Oh little Lōkahi, do not cry. I was only teasing you. I have known your core was stable since the day you did it. I might have realized it before you even did - I am an expert in Sacred Arts and cultivating, after all. Even without a deep scan, I can tell these things." His voice was so soft and gentle as he spoke to you, "You do not need to beg or fear. I will keep your secret as I have so far." He lowered you back to the ground as you stopped crying, and started trying to talk.

"I-I-I didn't mean to lie! I just... I just... at first I just kept... forgetting! There's always things to do, and work, and studying, and trying to script better and... and then Tane challenged me and it became a secret secret and now it's scary because if people find out it's bad!" You rambled at the teacher you trusted most, and he let you do so, with a gentle smile on his face.

"Well, if it eases your worries at all, know that all your pains will be temporary even if these fights come to pass. My family ensures that every wounded participant is healed as soon as we can after the fights - it is how many of our young learn to heal more properly." He held his hands infront of hmself, as he spoke with the same gentleness, "I know it is likely a hollow appeasement, however. It will still hurt in the moment."

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

KittyEmpress said:

"Infinite Purification Cycle..." The name itself sounded... fancy. "A technique to maximize this..." You looked down at your Parasite Ring, "But... would it be safe?"

"Not to do on your own." He closed the book suddenly, as he realized you were reading the how to without him. "I shouldn't be suggesting this at all to a child. But I've seen your talent in understanding these things, and with me keeping an eye on you I think you might be able to learn it." A pause as you started to smile, and he raised a finger "But, this technique isn't proven at all here, because by the time most people get a parasite ring, they've already started on their Path's cycling techniques. The guide says it can triple the benefits of a parasite ring for only increasing the strain by half again. But you cannot ever trust guides at their words, for people always claim things are greater than they are. And the benefits of this kind of technique would take months of practice to show if it works at all. I mean, I think the theory looks logical - but I cannot assure you it is."

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

KittyEmpress said:

She pointed back towards the Spire where you'd come from, and to Semis' class, "We saw that teacher Semis likes you a lot. So if you could put in a good word for us, maybe tell him about all the help we've given you..." Natano was the one speaking again, seemlessly playing off his twin's gesture, "We're getting close to our Iron graduation, and he collects Iron bodies. But he only advises his favorites. So you know, put in a good word, help us with the homework, you help us, we help you."

"I-I mean..." You hesitated. Something about it felt wrong, but they were still family, "I'll think about it!" You fled as quickly as you could, under the pressure of your two older cousins and their silently staring friend.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

KittyEmpress said:

"In class, yeah. But you know where I train. You could have come and asked for help." She crossed her arms as she looked at you, still that military bearing of hers that was oh so disciplined, no movement in her whole body besides the intentional arm crossing.

"I didn't think we were... close?" You'd only hung out with her once, and you mostly just watched her swing her sword. Sure, she'd inspired the path you took with one of your techniques, but that didn't mean you were close. "I mean, I don't wanna bother you... I uhm, barely know you."

"We aren't close. But my Sister wants to marry your Brother. So you are nearly my sibling. And I refuse to let my sibling lose and be embarassed." She said it like it was defacto going to happen without her help, "Because that could embarass me. Because I've never lost." She looked oh so smug for just a moment, expression slipping through a mask that her family had pushed onto her.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Adnate said:

What are the Swift Steps exercises? Is it some kind of martial art?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...