- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You'll need to explain that one.
Return of the Stellar Empress [Worm/Xainxia]
- Thread starter Darkphoenixlady
- Start date
- Location
- Neptune
Her rules do not account for people not being mentally competent to make decisions on their own yet violently object to being "kidnapped".
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Kidnapping isn't enough to trigger the lightning. It has to be kidnapping in order to kill or torture. The same is true for slavery, if a court finds someone mentally incompetent and assigns their care to another person or institution, as long as drugs, enchantments, or formations, are used to force compliance the mandate won't care. Once there is a court in the first heaven, people could appeal it, and if they're successful the judge will receive a trial tribulation lightning.
- Location
- California
So asylums are going to have a real problem. Since drugs are the primary way people consigned to such places are kept calm and under control.
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
No general rule is perfect. That's what the court is for, and why there's so much paperwork.
Chapter 17
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Chapter 17
Dakala sits down next to the Empress and stares out at the sword floating above the PRT building. Eventually a visibly pregnant Snippy drags the bony foreleg of a deer over to them and dumps it on her lap.
As the Canada Lynx returns to the part of the courtyard she's claimed for herself Dakala chuckles and puts the leg on the ground beside her, "I sometimes wonder why she's still here. I know she goes out to hunt, but she always returns here."
The Empress smiles slightly, "She knows that she's getting stronger here, and her children will be born stronger too. It could well be that her children are born as immortals. If she didn't have the collar she certainly would."
Dakala looks at the Empress with wide eyes, "That can happen?"
The Empress nods, "Why wouldn't it? How do you think immortals have children? It just takes them far longer to grow, as their bodies lack the impurities of mortals."
"Did you have to kill her?"
The Empress sighs, "Yes I did. But that's not the answer you're looking for. Could I have taken her captive and handed her over to the local authorities? I could."
"Why didn't you then?"
The Empress looks over at the Pagoda, "I have a feeling Dragon is about to demand the same answers."
A few seconds later, Dragon comes storming out of the Pagoda, "You didn't need to kill her!"
The Empress gestures in a, 'see' motion, "Dakala was asking me the same thing. The answer is, I did have to kill her. Could I have taken her captive, easily. But that would lead to more dead bodies in the future. So many more dead bodies. If she'd been the sixth or seventh person that tried to use overwhelming force against Dakala, I would have spared her. But I tried it the other way around before. Every time I do, either my student starts picking fights they shouldn't. Or, more commonly, people start to assume that I won't kill them if they try to kill my student. Then they start to keep attacking them until I have to raze an entire sect. Mercy is the preserve of the powerful. To everyone else it is weakness. If I forwent the Mandate and killed everyone in the world that revelled in pain and murder, I'd be called a tyrant and despot, but nobody would second guess sparing the life of someone like Bitch. But I haven't done that, I understand that mortals need to solve mortal problems. The Mandate of Heaven will help to curb the worst of the problems that mortals try to hide from each other. But it doesn't help my reputation."
Dakala shakes her head, "Wait, reputation? This is about reputation? You killed someone!"
The Empress nods, "And your country went to war in a small nation on another continent for the same reason. Immaculate is covering Vietnam in one of their history classes."
"What? No! We went in because the communists were taking over."
"Why should it matter how they govern themselves? Surely that's a matter for the people of Vietnam to decide in whatever way they choose to."
"But they were trying to wipe out democracy."
The Empress shrugs, "There was no democracy where I came from. I find it fascinating that it developed here, where all mortals live with the same level of personal power."
Dragon interjects, "Empress, you're not a nation. You don't need to worry about world politics."
The Empress looks up at Dragon, "It would be nice if that were true. But by monopoly of force, I am a nation unto myself. There are already talks in your government about how they can run a false flag operation and have me attack the CUI. Or how they could relax their border checks, and allow CUI agents to cross the country to try and attack me. When they do, I will have to retaliate, and I will start with the people that instructed the knife to strike."
Dakala looks at the Empress with a mix of fear and horror, "Why would they do that?"
Dragon answers in a dead tone, "Because it either gets rid of an A class threat, it gets rid of Yangban capes, or they find out the limits of her power."
"But would they really do that?"
The Empress nods, "Eventually. These are currently vague ideas being tested to see what's palatable and what isn't. If they choose to go ahead with it, and they target you or Dragon, I will have to make an example of them. An example that is by necessity indiscriminate. They have also spoken about Lung in terms of a cautionary tale. I don't know what they did, but I assume it was something similar and the cost was too high for their tastes. That's why I had to kill Bitch. I'll also kill everyone else that you can't defend yourself from. Though I may save the weapons and see what I can do to heal them."
Dakala looks at Dragon with pleading eyes, "They wouldn't do that. Please tell me they wouldn't."
As Dragon stays silent, Dakala looks at the Empress, "What can I do to stop this? I-I'll stop being your student."
The Empress puts her hand on Dakala's arm, "Dakala, it's too late for that. The only way you could stop it is by becoming too powerful for them to risk attacking."
"How do I do that?"
"Give me your jade slip and keep doing what you're already doing. You are already progressing as fast as a mortal can. But as with all cultivators, your comprehension of the Dao is your bottleneck. This is not something that can be rushed, as enlightenment can only be found, never forced. You had a couple of breakthroughs during the fight, didn't you."
Dakala reaches into her sleeve and draws out the jade slip. As she stares at it, she nods, "I did. I-I could still see him even when I was covered in darkness. But I couldn't see anything else."
"What did that teach you?"
As Dakala falls silent while she thinks, the Empress gently tugs the talisman from her hand and smiles when she just braces herself with her hands rather than stopping thinking.
Standing up, she motions to Dragon, "Come on, she's solidifying her enlightenment. Once she's finished, she'll be ready to start her foundation."
Dragon turns to follow the Empress, "What do you mean?"
"When you start to follow a Dao you'll understand. I think the one I gave you will help you to grow the most, and it will provide a good foundation for whatever you choose next. Could you help me send a message to Michelle so she can pass it onto Kayden please, as she needs to know where to pull over for her private lesson."
Dragon stops and stares at the Empress.
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Kayden looks up sharply as the buzzer for the front door goes. As she spots Max's face on the video system, she quickly tries to shove the jade slip she's holding back into the ring. When it won't go, she quickly shoves it down the side of the couch and smooths her skirts as she walks over to the buzzer.
The buzzer screams angrily as she's walking over. Picking up the receiver she snaps, "What?"
Max gives her that infuriating smile of his as he stares into the camera, "I'm here to see Aster."
"You're supposed to give me 24 hours notice for unscheduled visits. You know that."
"Now Kayden, you know that's under the list of recommendations. It's not part of the settlement."
"I'm heading out soon…"
"Kayden, I'm hurt. I just found out that you and Aster were caught up in the bank robbery yesterday, and I came straight over to see that my daughter is alright, and you can't spare five minutes?"
"Fine, but I have to leave in 30 minutes."
As Max is on the way up, she unlocks the door and grabs her gym/yoga bag and throws it on the couch, before grabbing the jade slip and pushing it into a trainer along with a sock and a pair of panties.
She's just standing up when Max walks through the front door with a plastic smile on his face. Kayden puts an equally plastic smile on her face as she picks up the baby carrier, "While you're checking on Aster, could you check her nappy and put her in the carrier."
She takes some pleasure as Max's eyes tighten as he shakes his head and dumps the baby carrier on a chair, "We both know you don't have an appointment to get to. Let Aster sleep and talk to me."
Kayden shakes her head and continues to pack, "I have nothing to say to you."
"Hmm? Not even about your attacking some upstanding members of society on Monday?"
Kayden shakes her head again, "I did nothing of the sort. I saved a homeless woman from being beaten and raped by a gang of thugs."
"One of those 'thugs' was Dimitri's kid."
Kayden shrugs, "Who?"
Max slams his hand on the coffee table, "Don't play coy with me. You know full well who I'm talking about. Your friends."
Kayden shakes her head as she starts sorting through Aster's go bag, "No Max, they're not my friends. I'm starting to make some of my own friends."
"Your tea making group? Tell me, have they taught you anything useful?"
As her phone beeps, Kayden says, "Why don't you ask Mike? He knows everything there is to know."
Max picks up Kayden's phone while the message is visible on the lock screen, and Kayden hides her surprise as his expression sours momentarily. Grabbing the phone, she quickly unlocks it and checks the message.
The Empress doesn't have your number, so she asked me to pass this on. The back room of the Tea shop isn't suitable for your private lesson today. Come to the Pagoda, there's a parking area you can use at 44.134682, -69.199063. I'll meet you there at 4:30. Don't forget your exercise clothes.
Helpfully the phone has highlighted the two numbers, so she clicks it and it opens in her map app. "Sorry Max, but I'm going to have to leave a bit earlier than expected."
Max hides his scowl quickly as he snatches the baby carrier off the chair and heads towards Aster's room.
Kayden quickly sends 'Thanks, you're a life saver.' back to Michelle before she finishes packing the stroller.
A few minutes later Max comes back with a sleeping Aster, "Kayden, what happened to you? We were so good together, and even when you left you didn't forget our mission."
Kayden spits in a low tone, "What happened? What happened? I caught you in bed with those floozies and you ask what happened?"
"What about our mission to make the world a better place for our children?"
"Why were there five lightning strikes in East Downtown Max? I need to go if I'm not going to be late, as the schools are letting out."
Max carries Aster out of the apartment rather than clipping her carrier into the stroller. With a sigh, Kayden grabs her bags and pushes the stroller through the front door before locking it.
As the elevator door closes, Max runs his fingers up Kayden's back in that way that always drove her crazy. At the same time he leans in and whispers, "I miss you Kayden. Life's not the same without you in it."
Kayden shakes her head to clear the sudden heat that settles in well remembered places. "Without my contacts you mean. I'm finally starting to make a new life Max, and you're not part of it. It took almost getting ruined for me to recognize the shadow we're living under. But I've seen it now and I'm starting to climb towards the light."
As the doors open to the parking lot, she takes Aster's carrier and walks out towards her car. Max takes a few steps out of the elevator, "What are you talking about?"
As the elevator doors close behind him, Kayden strides towards her car and calls back, "Why don't you ask Mike? He's your expert isn't he? Besides, where were my so called friends after Adam and Lena finished gossiping about the tea class?"
As she's fitting Aster's carrier into the car seat, Max jogs over from the key fob operated elevator door and leans against the hood of her car, "I put a stop to that, and Tammi missed you."
"Well, I go to the Thursday class if she wants to join me. Of course she'll need to learn a 'slant' language if she wants to participate in the class."
"Why are you being so difficult?"
Kayden uses the remote to lock the car and unlock the trunk, "Why are you only here now that you need me?"
As she's packing the stroller, Max whines, "Kayden, you know how busy Medhall keeps me. I barely have time to make our scheduled visits unless I plan it weeks in advance. If I'm not at work, I'm networking. I was only able to call in today because you were in danger yesterday, and I was concerned."
As she's loading the stroller, Kayden nods along, before adding, "But you still have time for your extra curricular activities? All the reasons I originally left are still there."
After she's stowed the stroller, Kayden grabs her purse and uses the extra she paid for when she hired the car. Namely, the ability to only unlock the drivers door. As she gets in she smiles as Max tries to open the passenger door.
"Kayden, wait, we can tal…"
Max's voice cuts off as she closes the drivers door and presses the button to lock the car. With a push of a button the car starts with a low purr and she pulls out of her space towards the garage exit. For a moment Max tries to catch up, before he stops. She can see the moment he remembers that there's no way to open the garage without a key fob, and he starts running after her again. As she exits the rear of the apartment block, she spots Max duck under the closing shutter at the bottom of the ramp.
A few streets over, she pulls over to put her phone in the cradle and start the map directions.
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As Kayden pulls into the small parking area the Empress flies down on a sword and steps off it a few yards from the car. Rather than getting out, she lowers the driver side window and calls, "Is this a joke?"
The Empress shakes her head, "Only if you want it to be. I'm sure you have questions, and it added doubt to Kaiser's confidence in his ability to know what you're doing."
"I mean, are you spying on me?"
The Empress kneels down on the sword blade, "Not especially. Kayden, you need to realize that I can sense everything that's happening on the planet. If I push my qi senses, I can sense the nearest stars beyond the local sun. Quite useful when you're crossing Galaxies, as crashing into wandering planets is hard on the clothing."
"That's imposs… You're not a cape are you."
"I'm not, no. Neither is Dakala."
Kayden nods, "I thought so, but I wasn't sure. Why are you being so helpful?"
"You remind me of an old friend, he was an unorthodox cultivator who fled his sect when he qualified as an inner disciple and they wanted him to become a demonic cultivator. I found him hiding out in a farming village, and he was the first mortal cultivator I'd met that had destroyed their own cultivation like I did. I taught him how to rebuild his cultivation, and we traveled together for a couple of decades. He didn't make it to Heaven, but I have his story in my library if you ever want to read it. He was trained to treat mortals like a resource to be cultivated and then consumed when needed." Kayden goes to ask something, "And no, I won't let you see his Dao until you firmly on the path of a Dao. There will be plenty of unorthodox and demonic Dao and cultivation arts in the future without my adding to them."
Kayden's mouth closes with a click. After a moments thought, she asks, "Why?"
"Your acquaintance, Mike, has already started his foundation. There's a couple more people in the USA and Canada that have done the same. There's a large group in Japan that are moving steadily towards it, and will probably start laying their foundation sometime next year. There's one person in Australia that's cultivating, and another in the UK. In the USA and Canada there's the beginnings of government sponsored sects. In a century or two they'll probably end up being this continents militia for the local Emperor. Each one of them is charting their own path, so they will be creating their own Dao and cultivation arts."
"Why are you telling me this?"
The Empress smiles, "Did you look at the Dao I gave you?"
Kayden narrows her eyes, "You already know the answer to that."
The Empress tips her hand from side to side, "I'm fairly sure. But I didn't label the jade slips I gave you. Even I need to at least touch a jade slip to read it. I gave you a weapon art for the fans, a initiates guide to formations, and the Dao."
"Yes, I looked at the Dao. Why appraisal?"
"What are your thoughts on it first?"
"I don't understand it."
The Empress nods, "It's an abstract Dao, and one that's closely associated with Truth and Judgment. It has a lot in common with Insight too, but it's harder to move away from orthodox uses for it. At the same time it has more practical uses, especially for an interior designer or antiques dealer."
"Orthodox, unorthodox, demonic?"
"Orthodox cultivators abide by a set of rules that they won't break. A code of honor if you will. Unorthodox cultivators have lines they won't cross, but don't live by any particular set of rules. Demonic cultivators, let's just say that there are ways to improve your cultivation quickly at the expense of other people and I added one of the rules in the Mandate of Heaven to eliminate the most common of those methods."
"So what would this private lesson be exactly?"
The Empress chuckles, "Learning to walk to start with, while also cultivating. Once you can stand up and at least shuffle around, I'll insist that if you want to cultivate you'll do it with everyone else."
"Ah?"
The Empress smiles and holds out a jade talisman, "It's something you'll have to experience to understand. If you want the private lessons then you'll need to keep this on you at all times while you're at the pagoda."
Kayden looks back at Aster, "What about Aster?"
The Empress pulls out a jade pendant on a delicate silver chain, "This is similar to the jade slip, but only the person that puts it on can remove it. It also has a basic tracking formation inscribed on it. The formation can be found in the manual I gave you, along with the formation needed to track the necklace."
Kayden shakes her head and puts the window up before starting the car. After putting the car in gear she turns around and then sits there for several minutes as she argues with herself about whether she should just go home or go to this private lesson.
When her car beeps at her and flashes a warning about the gearbox over heating, she says, "She's not Max."
Putting the engine in park, she switches it off and gets out the car. "Ok, how are we getting to the pagoda?"
The Empress gestures at the sword, "We're flying. But first you should change into clothes that you don't care about."
"Huh?"
"You're almost certainly going to end up sweating out impurities before you can stand up. Would you like me to put the necklace on Aster while you get changed?"
Kayden narrows her eyes at the Empress, "Why?"
"Because, if there's someone who can compel me to take it off, the world has bigger problems than not being able to find your child. Also, I could find her anywhere on the planet anyway, while you can still use the formation. If you're worried, I have portraits of all my babies except Qigang. Look, this was Min just after she learned to walk."
Kayden looks at the large painting the Empress is suddenly holding. The first thing that she spots is the flame red eyes, "Why did the painter paint her eyes red?"
The Empress smiles, "Her other parent was a phoenix. The Heavenly Emperor of that Heaven kidnapped her while I was away from home and enslaved her. I couldn't free her, even after I took the throne. She's the reason I climbed the heavens, not that it mattered to her, as she and her brother died fighting off immortals that were after her blood. I still did it though, so that no one else would have to go through that."
The Empress seems to notice that she's holding the portrait and puts it away before dabbing at her eyes with a silk tissue.
Kayden turns to look back at the city, "You know, the government has a set of stats they bandy about. The average time a cape can stay independent is 6 months. There's a few that have made it into their career. But most of them are either forced into a gang like the PRT, or they're killed. I've been independent of the Empire for 11 months now. But on Monday I attacked an Empire group for the first time." She turns to face the Empress, "If I let you put the necklace on Aster, will you promise to look after her if I die?"
The Empress steps off the sword and walks towards Kayden, before placing a hand on her shoulder, "Kayden, if you die before she's an adult, I will take her as my own child. But you're not alone anymore. You're a member of the White Moon Sect. That means that you have allies and resources. While I can't intervene except under specific circumstances. That's not true of anyone else in the sect. If you know of other good people, don't be afraid to refer them to Dakala. People like your step-son rather than E88 capes."
"What? Theo?"
The Empress nods, "Yes. Now how do I get to Aster without breaking the car?"
Kayden laughs and presses a button on the inside of the drivers door, "The door is now unlocked."
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As the three of them cross the boundary between the hill and the pagoda courtyard, Kayden crumples onto the blade of the sword as Aster starts to cry.
The Empress deftly unbuckles Aster and gently picks her up as Kayden tries to rise, "There there, I know it's hard. Being a baby is very hard. But you'll feel better soon won't you. Oh yes you will, you can already taste it in the air can't you. All that qi just waiting to help you grow."
Aster hiccups, and Kayden croaks out, "What are you doing to her?"
The Empress guides the sword over to Dakala, who's lying prostrate where she was when the jade slip was taken from her. "Don't worry Kayden, animals instinctively know how to cultivate, and babies are no different. It's why children born in sects are considered to be talented. I'll leave you here with Dakala, as Aster needs changing."
As the sword disappears from underneath her, Kayden croaks "Bitch."
Dakala croaks back, "I feel you. But she knows what she's talking about."
"Fuck. How the, fuck am, I supposed, to stand, up?"
"Cycle qi to start with. Tell me when you can think straight after you start."
"What?"
"You know how good it feels to cycle qi? It's much much better here, and that's with the talisman cutting out most of the qi in the area. Hell, I've got toys that don't get me off as quickly as cycling with out a talisman."
"What do I do after that?"
"Cultivate until you reach the stage that qi starts to permeate your body and you sweat out all your impurities. After that you'll want to push your qi reserves through your body to continue refining it. I didn't have to do that, because the Empress fed me a seed. Fool me. I've got to do it now just to be strong enough to stand up."
Kayden lies back and tries to cycle qi. After a few minutes she croaks, "How am I supposed to do this?"
"Same way you normally do. Just here. You should be cycling qi all the time. I keep forgetting though."
Kayden puts as much sarcasm into her voice she can manage when it feels like Hookwolf is standing on her chest, "Right."
Tisaku
Head Chief Thinkomancer
? Easily
Immaculata
continent's
emperor
overheating
XiaoYueMao
小月猫《🌙🐈》
- Pronouns
- She/Her/It
dont want to be that girl, but most US states do not have unlimited force for defence, im from New York for example which requires that all defense remain in proper force (if someone tries to beat you with a skateboard you cannot pull a knife to stab them, for example).... in this situation where Empress absolutely has the clear power to kill the dog and subdue bitch non-lethally, yes, legally this is indeed a case of excessive force, self defense or not. and considering nearly all NE states dont allow unlimited force for defence i doubt Brockton bay sits in a state that does.
Lung
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Bakuda sneers at Lung from her position kneeling on the floor before the Laz-y-boy he calls his throne.
"You had an idea that would help us after this setback?"
Bakuda schools her expression behind her mask so that it doesn't colour her voice. "Yes lord. I have developed a bomb that I can plant at the base of a persons skull. We could…"
Lung stands from his chair, silencing her words with his sheer presence. A single stride brings him in front of her and he reaches down and picks her up by the front of her clothes. As she dangles from his fist, his other hand reaches out and rips off the gas mask that protects her identity.
"Foolish chit, you know nothing. Our enemy. No, if she is to be believed we are beneath her notice or care. The Stellar Empress has never made a secret about the rules that we now live under. She executed Bitch to send a message to the villains of the bay, her students are off limits. But that's not your mistake is it? Did you not read the press release about the Mandate of Heaven?"
Bakuda nods rapidly, "I did, but this isn't any of the listed things."
Lung holds out his hand, "Coin!"
With their head bowed, one of the lieutenants pulls a jade coin from his pouch and places it in Lungs hand. Almost conversationally he says, "You know, I used to be a prisoner of the Yangban. While you're sitting in a pit, you hear things from your guards as they tell stories to amuse themselves. Old stories of men who flew on swords and could demolish mountains with their martial arts. Pure fiction you'd think, but since she arrived I've been wondering. What if she wasn't the first to come from wherever."
Bakuda has no warning as between one word and the next Lung presses the coin hard against her forehead. After a couple of minutes of her head filling with alien knowledge he removes the coin. "Tell me Bakuda, if you're so smart, what does the language look like?"
As Lung's hand starts to heat up, Bakuda blurts, "Chinese, it looks like Chinese."
Lung smiles, "Good. You can actually think. Now think some more, how exactly would those bombs help us?"
"If they didn't do what we say, we'd blow them up."
Lung pulls Bakuda up to look in his eyes, "That, little worm, is called violence. You would call down ruin on us for what? Fearful slaves? No, we simply have to adapt, if an example is to be made it will be made in person."
Lung drops Bakuda to land in a heap on the floor, where she croaks, "If you're so strong, why don't you fight her?"
Lung turns back to his throne, "I do not wish to rule over ashes. For that is all that would be left. Send out the word, the Empress and her students are off limits. If you encounter them, fight to disable and escape. Jin, ensure that Bakuda learns all of the rules on the coin."
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
He'd never admit it if he didn't.
- Location
- miami
Wait your saying if someone is beating on you with a baseball bat and you shot them your in the wrong if you live in New York?
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
No need to guess, there are articles by lawyers about the subject. The defense of self-defense in New York criminal cases.
- Location
- miami
What the actual fuck…. More you know I guess.
The whole escalation of force thing is retarded if someone is coming after you with a bat or knife it already had the potential to be deadly. The idea that you're not justified returning the favor because it hasn't turned deady yet is ridiculous.
Reminds me of a story it grandfather told me years ago someone broke in to his house and he just shot them dead. And when the police asked he said he told him not to move and he saw them reaching in to there pants, didn't happen he just shot them and when I was younger I though that was wrong. But why the hell would you take the risk of warning someone who already broke the lock on your door.
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Nihilo
Authorial parasite
- Location
- Catalonia
Lmao. Competent Piggot is always a treat.
Enjoying the fic so far, author. I expected it to be pure wank but it is actually a very nice read with how you've set the focus.
Knives are different you are allowed to shoot in those cases mainly because at like 6 feet if you don't your fucked.
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Thank you, though a bull in a China shop interpretation would see her fighting Scion after a couple of days of dealing with atrocities in Africa, and then wandering around the universe after Earth Bet was destroyed in the ensuring fight.
Nihilo
Authorial parasite
- Location
- Catalonia
For some reason this chapter is in comic sans and has no spacing between lines.
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I tried to make some corrections, and it went fubar.
I see you didn't watch that episode of Mythbusters....
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I did, but their China shop was nothing like the ones we have in tiny villages in the UK, where there isn't even enough room for two people to pass side by side, and often not even enough room for a wheelchair.
Chapter 18
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Chapter 18
Missy snaps her notebook shut as her mother slams open the door to her bedroom. Spread throughout the pages are crude copies of the diagram that was inside that tea box. Diagrams that she's been taking pains to hide, as she doesn't want to go through powers testing again. She just wants to be able to make those space diagrams.
"What are you doing with those clothes? We're going to Florida not Canada."
Missy looks over at the suitcase she finished packing for camp, before glancing up at her clock, "Mom, we're going to be late."
Cynthia shakes her head, "Nonsense, the plane leaves tomorrow."
"But Mom, I managed to make some qi stick when I got home from school today."
Cynthia gives Missy an empty smile as she walks over to the suitcase and starts to unpack it. Missy's shoulders slump as she realises her mom's gone into her 'reality is inconvenient, so I'm going to ignore it' mode.
"Mom, I thought you wanted me to go to the camp so that I wouldn't get in the way of your Gabriel time."
"Absolutely not, you're my daughter. I'd never do that."
Missy opens her mouth to protest before folding her arms and slumping back onto her chair.
Just as Cynthia has started to pack beach wear, the front doorbell rings loudly through the house. A second later Missy's father calls, "I've got it."
A minute later, Missy's father walks into the bedroom, "Missy, your camp leader's here to check you did your homework. Cynthia, when were you going to tell me that you'd signed Missy up for a two week camp? You know I had plans for the second week of the holidays."
Missy slips out of the bedroom as her mother does a volte-face, and says, "You know she's been trying to learn that tea thing for weeks. How could I not sign her up for it?"
A quick application of her power sees her at the top of the central staircase in a single step, but still out of sight of the foyer. As she takes the couple of steps forward to see the foyer, she pauses as she spots the Empress jiggling a baby in her arms. After a couple of seconds, the Empress turns to look up the stairs and smiles as she spots Missy.
"Hello Missy, I see you've been doing your homework."
Missy walks down the stairs with barely restrained excitement, "Can you teach me how to make expanded boxes?"
The Empress chuckles, "That would depend, in part, on your parents. Do you also have the patience to devote yourself to the centuries of work required to become a formations master?"
Missy trips, as she misses the last stair, "What?"
"Did you think that being able to shape reality through the application of qi and diagrams was something that could be learnt by anybody? To move beyond an initiates level in formation will require you to at least match the qi control needed to perform the tea ceremony to an acceptable level. To reach the level of a practitioner, where you would be trusted to apply formations to premises will require nearly perfect body control, advanced spacial and reasoning abilities, and the ability to do the tea ceremony perfectly. Only then will you be ready to start mastering the mortal levels of formations, as they are no longer mere two dimensional constructs painted onto a surface. The lines you draw will start to cross each other without touching. If you reach that level, you may even be able to glimpse some of the formations used in the Mandate of Heaven."
Missy nods as she thinks of all the things she could do with that. The Empress smiles and holds out a ring, "Missy, this is for you. It contains a Dao, a rope dart, and a meteor hammer I made out of a tennis ball, along with an martial manual for using them."
Missy shakes her head and looks at the ring cautiously, "How does it work?"
"It contains a small space inside it that you can store and retrieve items from. Just send a trickle of qi into ring in order to see the inside. Remember, there's no air in there, so don't put anything living inside it."
The Empress doesn't bother hiding a smile as Missy snatches the ring almost as soon as she finishes saying the word space.
After a few minutes, Aster starts to stir as the sound of a shouted argument makes its way to the top of the stairs. As she starts to fuss, the Empress puts a finger in her mouth and speaks in the language of Heaven, "Hush little one, the frogs in the well eat with their eyes closed, while their daughter climbs out of the well. I know you want your mommy, but we have to deal with frogs for a little longer."
Missy looks up from the ring and asks, "What does that mean?"
"Which bit?"
"Frogs and Eating?"
The Empress chuckles, "I'll tell you the story of the frog and the sea turtle later. There was once a powerful noble who was known for treating his servants badly, so many of his guests would eat with their eyes closed so they didn't have to see their wounds and broken body language."
"Why didn't they do anything?"
The Empress shakes her head, "Why don't your parents see what they're doing to you?"
Missy looks down and clenches her fists, "I don't know."
"We can talk about it later if you wish, as they are descending the stairs."
Almost as if it was choreographed, Missy's parents both stop arguing as they notice the Empress talking to Missy at the bottom of the stairs.
Cynthia gives the Empress a thousand watt smile, "Stellar, I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing."
The Empress raises her eyebrows, "I'm here to pick up Miss Biron, your daughter, for camp as we agreed on Tuesday."
"Oh, but we couldn't possibly let her go after the horrid events yesterday."
The Empress shakes her head, "While I appreciate your attempting to give me time to come to terms with what happened. It is not something I regret doing. Indeed, I would expect any right thinking person would have acted the same way in my position."
"But you killed someone!"
The Empress raises Aster in her arms, "And if I didn't act as I did, Aster here would be dead. So would my student Dakala. And isn't she just the most adorable baby you've ever seen?"
As Cynthia searches for something to say, Missy's father says, "Face it Cynthia, you're such a heartless bitch you'd have preferred to see a baby die than ruin your manicure saving her."
"Really Devon, you murdered my dogs and you have the gall to say that."
As they start bickering again, the Empress leans down and softly says to Missy, "Get changed into something you won't mind being ruined and we'll leave when you get back."
As Missy dodges around her parents, the Empress takes the letter that Michelle translated, and Cynthia signed, out of her ring and carefully takes it in both hands before pulling it apart like taffy. As Aster reaches for the letter, she lets go and takes out a fist sized transparent ruby carved into a phoenix figurine, and hands it to Aster to suck on. With Aster now occupied she starts pulling the letter apart again, until it seems to pop and she's holding a duplicate letter.
Putting the original back in her ring, she withdraws her personal seal and carefully stamps the copy next to Cynthia's signature.
When Missy comes back down wearing a lacy pink dress with stripy pink tights and hot pink pumps, the Empress shakes her head. As she moves to stand beside the Empress, the Empress steps forward and hands out the letter to Devon. "Mr Biron, this is your copy. Mrs Biron should already have her own copy. We'll be off now."
Distractedly, Devon takes the letter, "Oh, right thanks."
Cynthia shouts, "Devon, what are you doing? We…"
Missy waves and calls goodbye as she's closing the front door and cuts of the sound of arguing. As they're walking down the path towards the sidewalk, the Empress draws a sword out of her ring and sends it to float a few inches above the ground as it expands.
"Ready?"
Missy just clenches her fists and steps up onto the sword without hesitating. The Empress gives a sad smile at her back, before stepping up behind her. As the sword takes off into the sky, the front door opens and Cynthia runs down the path, her voice lost to the rapidly expanding distance.
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As the Empress brings the sword to a stop high enough that it's possible to see both the curvature of the planet below, as well as the shadow of night slowly moving across the ground she points at a patchwork of lights to the south west.
"Missy, I know that you came with me partly so that you wouldn't be spending the week with your mother and Finley."
Missy spins around, "I didn't, I want to learn."
The Empress nods, "I know you do. But I also know you're thirteen years old, yet you've also experienced more than most people several years your senior. You didn't get the scar I healed from playing with dolls or gossiping about boys."
Missy looks away, "I don't want to talk about it."
"I'm not asking you to. Instead, I'm going to give you a choice. I can fly you down to Boston and you can spend a couple of weeks with the wards there. Or you can join me at my home. I don't have any sort of camp schedule set up, you would be expected to do the same things that any other outer disciple would do."
"What does that even mean?"
"Which part?"
"Giving me a choice. They'll just send me home again."
The Empress shrugs, "Chicago then, or LA, maybe even Vancouver or Vermont. Which branch doesn't really matter. Especially given the Dao I've given you."
"What's that?"
"What? The Dao, or what a Dao is?"
"The latter. What's a Dao."
"A Dao is a path of enlightenment that goes hand in hand with a cultivation art…"
The Empress spends the next while talking about what a Dao is and why it's important.
As Aster wakes up again, and starts fussing for food, Missy asks, "Why are you giving me the choice?"
"I need to get this one back to Kayden. So you need to choose now. Why I'm giving you the choice. I've given you the Dao of Integrity. How can you begin to understand it if you can't be true to yourself. The first part of that is always going to be making your own choices."
"I'm not a child."
The Empress nods, "I know."
"Everyone treats me like a child."
"Children get to have childhoods. If I ever had a childhood, it was stolen from me a long time ago. Much like yours has been in different ways. I've seen children younger than you picking up guns in Africa and India in order to defend their families and themselves. I've seen girls your age forced into brothels to serve the perverse lusts of the local warlord. And I've seen children like you, forced to grow up faster than they should on this continent. All because the people surrounding them are demonic in nature, and can't see anything beyond exploiting their fellow mortals. I see everything, and yet I cannot act. Because if I do, where do I stop? So I obey the Mandate of Heaven, and try to tip the scales where I can. Dakala, Dragon, Michelle, Kayden, Danka, Sue, even you. This is your world and I'm trying to give you the tools you need to make it a better place. But it must be your choice, as if it isn't, am I not one step away from being a slaver myself?"
Missy shrugs, "I'll do it, I'm already a child soldier."
The Empress shakes her head as she aims the sword towards the pagoda, "You are a soldier no longer, you have taken the first step on the path to becoming a heavens defying cultivator. Even the most orthodox cultivators chafe under the rule of law, as it so often goes against their guiding principles, their Dao."
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As they get closer to the Pagoda, the Empress hands Missy a jade slip, "Missy, while you are within the grounds of the pagoda, you must keep this on you at all times. It is the only thing that will allow you to survive. Yes Aster, I know you're hungry, your momma's just down there, I'm sure she can hear you now. Once we land, you'll need to cultivate until you can start pushing your reserves into your body to strengthen it. If you can't lift your hand by first light in the morning, I'll give you a choice of leaving or eating a seed."
Missy takes the jade slip and nods seriously before she gasps as her knees buckle as they slowly move through the increasingly dense qi surrounding the pagoda.
Just before they cross the threshold, Missy pants on her hands and knees, "This isn't so bad."
As they cross the threshold, the Empress catches Missy with her qi and gently turns her onto her back before she can break her arms and legs.
From the ground, a filthy Kayden groans, "Aster" and manages to half raise her arm before it flops back onto her belly.
The Empress gently places Missy on the other side of Dakala as she floats down to land beside Kayden. "Hey Kayden, let's clean you off a bit and then you can feed Aster. She's been an absolute darling. Dakala, can you keep an eye on Missy and guide her through cycling here."
Dakala raises her middle finger before she starts to talk to Missy in a low tone.
As she's gently peeling Kayden's clothes away from her body, Kayden asks, "Why are you doing this?"
"Cleaning you?"
"Forcing us to…"
"Kayden, whenever you want to leave I will take you home. Same as I will return Dakala's jade slip if she asks…"
She's cut off by Dragon's angry voice coming closer, "Empress, why have you kidnapped Missy?"
The Empress sends the letter and check out of her ring and over towards Dragon, "That is the original that Cynthia signed on Tuesday. It's really just an excuse to get her out of a toxic living environment where she's having to choose between living as a Ward full time, or being used as a finger trap between two frogs that can't climb out of their wells long enough to see how much damage they're doing."
When Dragon's suit locks up, the Empress sighs and folds the letter in half so that only the translation is visible. Turning back to Kayden she continues cleaning as she says, "As for why you're cultivating like this. It's forcing you to do body cultivation, and make your body strong. You've also learned how to reinforce your body with qi, that's how you lifted your hand. I'm sure you've noticed that your reserves haven't been growing as fast as they did when you started cultivating here. It's because you're now strengthening your body at the same rate you're growing your core. Once you reach Foundation Building, your tribulation will be very light, if you have one at all. I'll talk about the trials once everyone can move around. I'm going to place Aster now."
Kayden smiles as Aster latches on, and she forces herself to raise her hand to cradle Asters head with her hand.
A minute or so later, the display on Dragon's suit reactivates and she looks at the letter and check in a huff. "Empress, I need to send this to Director Piggot."
The Empress waves her hand as she walks over to watch over Missy, "Go ahead, though I will stop you if you try to destroy either of those."
Dragon lets out a sigh of relief as she walks to her mat in the pagoda.
As she kneels down beside Missy, the Empress asks, "How are you doing Missy?"
Missy groans, "This is worse than when Hookwolf got me." She then turns bright red at the slip of her tongue.
"Remember, this is just like when you were learning to feel qi on Tuesday. Except now you're learning to cultivate both your body and your soul at the same time. Dakala's learning the same thing, but it's harder for her because I fed her a seed and forced her body to improve to the Flying Immortal stage. Once she's learnt it, and she's doing it naturally I'm going to give her talisman back. Dakala, while your lying there, you should also lay down your foundation, as I think you're soul is just about big enough now."
Dakala groans, "Now you tell me. Am I going to get struck by lightning?"
The Empress shakes her head, "No, remember an unbalanced cultivation towards the body shortens your lifespan because your soul can't keep up. When I wrote your Dao, the heavens tried to kill cultivators in the fairest way they could. So you'd always get a tribulation. I changed it to check for imbalance, as the tribulation lightning tempers your body."
Dakala looks at Missy, "Missy, I hope you know that your clothes are going to be ruined."
Missy tries to nod, "I know, I hate them, but mom thinks they make me look like a proper girl for her fashion parades and social outings. At least dad lets me wear pants."
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- Location
- Hot Springs
Ok, I have to wonder about Missy's mother's suicidal streak. Has she paid ANY attention to the fact you don't tell the nine-thousand ton Dragon what they can and can't do?
Stellar Empress has been 'gently' showcasing at every step that getting in Her way deliberately can (and by the smarter folks IS) being taken as a death wish. She exists on a level that REALITY ITSELF has decided it's not interested in being obliterated getting in Her way. Chuck Norris ain't SHIT in comparison!!!
Stellar Empress has been 'gently' showcasing at every step that getting in Her way deliberately can (and by the smarter folks IS) being taken as a death wish. She exists on a level that REALITY ITSELF has decided it's not interested in being obliterated getting in Her way. Chuck Norris ain't SHIT in comparison!!!