Xiao Yi/Jin Muyi (Rebirth)
I see Cultivator after cultivator step out of the ranks in response to my challenge. A rough count tells me there's about 50, more then i can take with my current condition. At the corner of my eye, i catch a glimpse of a group of Clansmen taking full advantage of the 5th Sea's love for theatrics and attempting to sneak their way to Pleuron.
Raising my Ji, i gave it a twirl that caught the attention of the 5th Sea cultivators as it blurred through the air. With a thrust, i struck it into my body, towards my Dantian. And as the demonic vines start draining my Qi from my meridians, i reach out to that faint wisp of will from Hell-Sender, the sole remnant of it after it was forged into my JI.
I'll release you from your bonds if you do me one favor. Use my Qi to grow the Demonic Vines and use them to stop the 5th Sea cultivators. Any excess Qi drained from them can go to you beyond what is needed to ensure i live as a deterrent to them. Do we have a deal?
At the wisp's agreement, i let everything go and fall into the darkness.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As i fall continuously in the dark, i feel the vines growing within me. My bones being crushed, the thorns on the vines lacerating my organs, the agony of the vines going through my veins and bursting from my skin. Despite the pain, i feel a tug on what should be my lips as the sensation of the vines piercing through flesh and bone reverb back to me.
Each impact causes a fresh spike of pain that tells me of the success of my gamble. However, eventually the impacts soon start to slow before gradually coming to a stop. Alone in the darkness, all i can do is hope that the deal was kept and that all the 5th Sea Cultivators were eliminated. A more pessimistic part of myself whispers that the 5th Sea were no fools, and that they were more likely to have given me a wide breadth and continued with the attack on Pleuron, this time without me to assist in the defense.
Without the impacts, i had no way of telling time. No way of knowing the results of the battle, of the life and death of my brethren. It could be a hour, a second or an eternity before a flicker of light appeared in the darkness. Focusing my awareness on it, i find myself watching as it moved to and froth, never in a straight line and with a gait that i found all too familiar.
Watching it move, my suspicions became certainty. The dot of light was Qing Yun, my loyal brother who even now chooses to remain with me and the darkness was the area in which the Demonic Vines birthed with my Qi had spread. In keeping with the bargain made, Qing Yun not being of the 5th Sea was left unharmed and yet the innate greed of the vines painted a target on him, enticing me to alter the deal so that they can strike and drain him into a husk.
Despite the attempt to alter our bargain, I was grateful. The attempts to tempt me had instead given me a method to conceptualized my new world, allowing me to understand and visualize my situation. And with understanding came opportunity, a way to regain control over my new body, perhaps even a way to make myself human in form again.
And yet, my other side whispers to me.
Won't it would better for the Clan if i remain the way i am? My presence will guard this city, I will serve as both barrier and guard against those who seek to harm it. And with such a sturdy guardian, Pleuron would be able to grow as a Trade City, a safe haven in the desert.
The sudden appearance of a dot of light puts a halt to my internal conflict. From it i feel a sense of bronze that conveyed to me a impression of Clan. The light seemed to blur, at times flaring bright before dimming to a barely perceptible glint. A impression that he was dreaming overturned by the sheer sense of deep respect mixed with interest that radiates outs from him.
It triggers a memory.
Savvas, a Junior of the 8th Heavenstage. Known among the Clan for his interest in the Whys of Cultivation. One who decided to hunt the hunters during the Trial. The respect conveyed from such a talent is humbling, and his presence tells me that the battle is won. I find my vines rustling in a mockery of laughter, the only way i can congratulate my Clan.
Savvas' appearance was a start. Soon after he left, a wave of dots light up the Darkness, the sense of bronze from each and every one indicating Clan and the glimmer-like appearance of the dots telling me of their status as Clansmen in the early Heavenstages. As I feel the glimmers speak their thanks in a murmured flow, a ember-sized dot of light caught my attention.
Like a small flame, the light flickered in my Darkness. The fluctuating Qi giving off a sense of Shame, of Horror and Fear all tied with a strong impression of Rage. Reminding me that even a victory against the Trial Hunters does not come without loss, the emotional turmoil of the young junior calling to mind memories of my own loss.
With the way i currently i am, i find myself helpless to offer him any comfort nor share with him my own experiences about feeling powerless and at the whims of fate. Yet in this moment, Qing Yun came to my aid once more. Perhaps he knew my thoughts due to our bond or perhaps he just knew what i would do after almost a century together.
I watched as the dot of light that was Qing Yun made his way to the Junior, and whatever he did upon reaching him seemed to have help. As i looked on, the emotional turmoil seemed to subside, turning the flame into a small pillar of light that marched out of my Darkness with a gait that could only be called determined and leaving it to be solely lit up by the light that is QIng Yun.
Suddenly to my surprise, i felt Warmth. Hot and smooth unlike the desert sun flowed closer, like Fire but not. And as the light appears in my Darkness, i sense the Bronze that is Clan and also gunmetal brass and burnt cinnamon. The combination that tells me without a doubt that this was
Ferenike.
Without any command on my part, my vines moved and pricked at her skin but were turned aside by an incredibly tough outer shell which the thorns slipped and skittered on. While attempting to call the vines back, i find that i'm able to move my awareness into the vines bringing me closer to the lights and allowing me to better read emotions given off by the Qi.
I could feel it buried deep within, a well of tiredness, mixed with hope and wrapped in a diffuse anger that seemed aimed at subjects outside my Darkness and a complicated relief. Relief at turning away the Hunters?
However knowing her and her sense of responsibility, the sheer act of surviving the hunters won't call for such a feeling. Perhaps the battle was more deadly then i expected and the Clan only triumphed due to a long shot paying off ? That would lead her to have such a feeling instead of the guilt from burdening herself with things beyond her control.
As she opens a jar of wine and pours it on my roots, i can't help but wonder if the aftermath of the Trial would bring the Clan any relief.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Despite my efforts, i find myself losing track of time. My only constant was Qing Yun's movement in the Darkness and regardless of how close we were, using it to guess the time was beyond my understanding. In the end, i found myself using the time it takes for Qing Yun to make a lap of the Darkness as a unit of measurement.
The other item that kept me sane beyond QIng Yun's constant presence was Ferenike's frequent visits. Each time she returned, she bought along many strange drinks and foods as well as a warmth that lingered and grew. She spoke even though I could not understand and in the way she carried herself or flinched from the vines or how her aura tasted I could feel a gamut of emotions, generally tinging towards thoughtfulness, horror and again that ever present warmth of hope.
After about a 100 Laps, i found to my pleasant surprise that the Warmth brought new sensations to me. The Warmth within the Darkness bought to me spots of utter coldness, and sending my awareness into the vines near the spot revealed to me the presence of the mortals from Pleuron.
I felt cool touches along my vines, words spoken in a solemn tone that were clearly prayers. A brief memory with Gui Xing springs to life, our battle against a cultivator who pretended to be a God to the mortals. The same solemn tone that the worshipers used when we were investigating the rumors.
The irony causes me to rustle my vines in a mockery of laughter that rang throughout the entire Darkness. Just like before, my Other Self started whispering it's poisonous words at me. It mocks me for attempting to remain Human and following Human conventions when i'm no longer one.
It encourages me to give into the instincts granted to me by nature, to grow throughout the land and leech the life and Qi from it in a vicious cycle until the whole Third Sea consists of nothing but me. Yet again i reject this Demonic Self and banish it once more into the deepest recess of the Darkness, but even as i do so i feel the whispers striking a chord.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More time passed. I suddenly realized that i've lost track of Qing Yun laps. That i couldn't recall the last time Ferenike visited. Without my notice, the sensations available to me have expanded. I find myself feeling the warmth of the sun as it shines on my vines, feeling the rain falling on my leaves and vines, the wind causing my vines to rustle with a lulling motion.
It was strange. I was not, could not get tired but found myself energized by the Sun. I could not get thirsty but found that the rain made everything more reactive. Working with the wind allowed my Vines to swing further and higher, creating a labyrinth within the Darkness.
My sense of self had weakened. I find myself just enjoying the different sensation the weather of each day brings me. Each time i think a new thought, i noticed that Qing Yun is in a different location within the Darkness. The Time it takes to form each thought is getting longer and longer. I wonder if one day I will just come to a stop?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The number of Light Dots and Cold Spots within the Darkness has increased. The numbers involved remind me of the moment where the Juniors bid me farewell. Something within me has changed as well, i find my vines catching the Wind and bringing to me images and sound.
Understanding the images and sound takes effort on my part. I feel the pause between understanding each instance getting longer and longer. I hear the words " 10 Years " , " Memorial " and " Triumph ".
One of the many Dots of Light catch my attention. It has the Bronze of Clan but something about it is familiar, the name of the clansman is one i should know but i fail to recall it. Focusing on what the Wind brings, I see the man opening a jug and pouring it out. Of the words he said i catch " Best i ever made.... For you... Enjoy... " The familiarity gets stronger and yet the name still fails to appear.
Another familiar Dot of Light enters the Darkness. This time i will get the name. I throw my awareness into the closest vine and reach out to the Dot. I sense a duality to it, a smaller dot within it that pulses in time with the main dot. I feel my thorns dissolving slightly from something in the air. The Wind shows me a woman, with a flowing liquid serpent around her neck putting down flowers. Of the words said i hear " 10 years since that day .... bought time ..... we worked great as a team "
A memory flares to life, the woman and I facing an army and challenging them to a duel. Yet, despite the memory showing that i knew this woman, i fail to find a name.
The warmth from the sun fades and i find myself becoming sluggish. The Darkness is once again lit by only a few dots of lights, the mortals have left. A dot of light approaches, it has both the Bronze of Clan and the scent of the Enemy. I feel my vines moving to attack and force myself to make them halt. The contrast feels like a itch within the Darkness, and i focus my awareness on it.
I find myself reminder of the Sun's warmth. The Qi within the Dot blazes bright and a closer look shows me that the majority of the Qi in it is the Bronze of Clan. For a third time i focus on the Wind and see a Man standing on a giant snake and accompanied by two smaller serpents in a slight bow. Hearing what the Wind brings only coveys the slithering of snakes, the grind of scale against scale and the hiss of serpents scenting the air.
The exoticness of the Man and the serpents should bring to mind a name. None appear no matter how hard i think. Even as the day dawns once more and the Man leaves as soundlessly as he came, i find myself still as lost.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The days pass once more, i find myself trying to recall the lost names when the Sun sets. Despite the passage of time, none of the names appear for me.
I find the Wind blowing strongly today, and a whim makes me focus on what it brings. I see a youth clad in the Clan colors facing a group. He's wounded and bleeding slightly but is still ready to fight and as i watch his arm moves like water. Parrying a punch by striking downwards before flicking up to smash the attacker's face into pulp.
I let the Wind bring me the sounds of the conflict and i hear threats about killing him and selling his body to the highest bidder. I hear laughter about the Clan being weak and still recovering from the Trials. I hear them mocking him for coming to visit a tree and how the visit will cost him his life.
The scene of my junior fighting and losing to the mockery of his foes calls to mind a old memory.
Xiao Yi spat blood, bubbling green and black, hissing as it sunk into the sands. He spoke, each word an effort. His voice was a monotone, as though he was reciting a lesson rather than speaking from the heart.
"Words from you lot. Always words. Here's some. Protect the weak against the evil strong. Giving up..."
He coughed and spat out a larger mouthful of blood.
"Giving up is for lesser men."
The words ring. And i find myself repeating them over and over again.
" Protect the weak against the evil strong, Giving up is for lesser men. "
" Protect the weak against the evil strong, Giving up is for lesser men. "
" Protect the weak against the evil strong, Giving up is for lesser men. "
" Protect the weak against the evil strong, Giving up is for lesser men. "
Repeating them until the Darkness rings with the truth of the statement. The Wind shows me the sound of my chant reaching the battle as a thunderous roar, I see the bandits look around in shock and stop playing with the Junior. I see the leader walk towards him with axe raised up high.
Giving Up Is For Lesser Men.
I throw myself at the battle, i feel my vines being torn and pain erupting once more through my body. I ignore it all and focus on reaching the battle.
I feel the Darkness start to tear, to compress as it strained to keep up with my awareness. I ignore it and force it to take a Human shape, shaping it into two arms and legs.
I land with a thud. I watch as the bandits turn towards me and watch as the smug expression on their faces turn to fear. I raise my right "arm " and with the Darkness' aid, i shape it into a bow. A thought draws it back and launches two thorn arrows coated with poison in a second.
5 seconds later, i find myself along with the Junior who gave double-take at my appearance before giving a deep bow and expressing his thanks to me.
" Man, that was a close one. Thanks for the aid Senior! My name is Chrysanthos! I'm afraid that despite the aid, i need to report all wandering cultivators to the clan. Could i know where you're from? "
The Junior was polite, i knew that i looked like a caricature of a human and yet the most he said about me was " wandering cultivator "
" You can call me Muyi, Jin Muyi. Tell me, junior how has the Golden Devil Clan fared? I'm what you may call a old acquaintance and would be more then glad to follow you to your Centurion. "
As the Junior begin explaining the events of the past few years as we make our way back to Plenum, i find myself thinking back once more on my missing memories and realizing that now i recall them all, Magnus. Minervina, Ninth Prince and the rest of the Indomitable 13.
" Giving up is for lesser men, Indeed. "
=========================================================================================================================================
@occipitallobe Healing bonus to remove the Cripple Malus please! Also ties to my Goal next turn of embracing the Tree Life. The aim is to become like Isley from Claymore, able to look human most of the time and even fight in that fashion. But his full battle mode is the inhuman form where he can shape the vine and plants within his body to take different forms/weapons. A more famous example is Venom from Marvel. I hope with Great Fate Rolls i can also learn Vine Whip, Solar Beam and Leech Seed.
Thanks goes to
@Shard ,
@Quest and
@BungieONI for the Good Seed Cameos set just after the battle. I rephrased the interactions they gave me to better fit what i was aiming for.
Thanks also goes to
@LordEdric ,
@Katana1515 and
@Kaboomatic for their Good Seeds in the scene 10 years after. I decided on his friends + a well known GS to emphasis the degradation of the mind.
Lastly, thanks also goes to
@RyubosJ for Chrysanthos helping me to finish the Omake neatly.
The Darkness was inspired by the Mace Windu Clone Wars novel, where the Dark Side jungle of his home was named in a similar fashion.
@ReaderOfFate It can still be placed with the Xiao Yi chaps. The name change in the title is for thematic reasons.
Edit: Forgot to add name breakdown. Jin = Gold. For Golden Devils and Mu = Wood/Tree. For becoming a plantman. Yi = One/Singular. Together the Golden solitary tree cus no family anymore
