@yrsillar and everyone--this is the next installment of my omake. Part 1 is
here, part 2 is
here, part 3 is
here, part 4 is
here and part 5 is
here. While I feel like previous chapters may have been better, I've been writing these to have fun and not sweat the small stuff, lol...also omake points. That was also motivation
Genesis: Morningtide
Three months later.
Baron Heng was sweating and breathing heavily but his fighting stance was correct, his shield ready to deflect incoming attacks. Across the training field was Chen Xifeng, a younger sister of Lady Chen Mei. She was as poised as ever, having hardly broke a sweat during their practice. Full red lips quirking into a slightly smug smile, Chen Xifeng simply stood there, waiting for Heng Xun's next attack. The spectators, consisting of youngest sister Yawen, youngest brother Zhihao, cousin Keung and adoptive sister Lai Meixiu, had been watching the battle with both anxiety and awe. The children could not help but feel somewhat anxious for Heng Xun, who was barely keeping up with Xifeng. It was unsurprising, as Heng Xun was only in the fourth stage of the Green Realm whereas Chen Xifeng was on the cusp of Cyan.
Lai Meixiu could not help but admire Heng Xun's resolve. It was so obvious that he could not achieve remote success during this training session, yet he was trying his best regardless. Meixiu was told that years from now, she would awaken and eventually achieve the Yellow realm. It was only then that young family members were expected to start sparring with their elders. However, Lai Meixiu could not imagine that she would ever find the courage to ask Xifeng for a session, like Baron Heng did. Chen Xifeng was an infamously brutal teacher. Though Meixiu had heard such teaching methods were effective, part of her still viewed it as almost masochistic for anyone to request a lesson. She glanced at Big Sister Yawen, Zhihao and Keung who were sitting with her. Their faces seemed to mirror her own thoughts.
The young Baron started toward Xifeng in a rush of sunlit wind, his sword and shield glowing. His figure blurred forward but Xifeng just stood there with a vulpine grin, manicured hands on her slender hips. As his sword neared Chen Xifeng's head, the air between them shimmered with heat and giant fiery flower petals erupted into being. Each orange petal, made of pure flame, was four meters wide and longer than Xifeng was tall. Their mere appearance sent a shockwave outward, sending Heng Xun flying across the practice field. The giant petals arranged themselves around Xifeng as a flower, enveloping her. As Heng Xun slowly stood, his body glowing with a revitalizing light, across the room smaller petals were being shed from larger ones. The smaller flaming petals swirled through the air as if riding a gust of wind. As the petals traveled, the air seemed to ignite a hotter flame within them. Turning into blue flaming missiles, they flew towards Baron Heng, who raised his glimmering shield just in time. Each one seemed to shake the ground as they impacted his shield, which glowed white with the heat. Lai Meixiu thought it was a wonder the shield had not begun to melt.
There was a pause in the battle. "Nice defense, Xun." Chen Xifeng called across from the field. Her voice was casual and unruffled, a stark contrast to Baron Heng's disheveled state.
"You absorbed my attack nicely although your technique is still rough around the edges."
Heng Xun stood shakily. "You honor me with your praise, my lady. I am blessed to have such an instructor on this day." His voice was hoarse with fatigue. The silence that followed stretched on, as Heng Xun tried to gain his equilibrium. It prompted Meixiu's memory, of Qiu Min's words when he was instructing her just a few days ago.
You won't get pauses to catch your breath in a real battle. Be thankful for the breaks I'm giving you now and use them to absorb the lessons. Think about what you just experienced, then use those thoughts to formulate your next move.
She watched with bated breath as Heng Xun walked forward. His face was red and dripping with sweat. His clothing was singed and there were several burns on his arms but he approached the center of the field with a steady gait. Though he wore a pained expression, Baron Heng also looked quite determined. Lai Meixiu once again silently thanked the Sun Spirits that she would become a formation specialist. Hopefully she would be spared this level of combat--because there was no way she could ever manage such determination and discipline in the face of such pain and imminent failure. She and the other young pupils watch as Heng Xun slung his shield on his back and gripped his sword with both hands. He pointed the blade forward and took a breath. The tip of the blade began to glow. Soon the light coalesced into a tiny ball and after a few moments the, the ball started to grow. The larger it grew, the brighter its light became. Soon a small white sun was at the end of of Baron Heng's blade. With a sudden swing of his sword, he sent the ball flying towards Xifeng. As the miniature sun grew closer, the flower protecting Xifeng turned a deep crimson.
The impact of Heng Xun's attack upon Xifeng was like a small star slamming into the earth. Light and sound exploded outward and Lai Meixiu was temporarily blinded. Even from their distant position, the children stumbled from the resulting shockwave. When Meixiu blinked the spots from her eyes, Xifeng was standing at the center of a small crater. The enormous petals that had protected her were now fading, their strength depleted. With an impish grin on her pale heart-shaped face, Chen Xifeng looked up at Baron Heng who stood at the crater's edge. "Well, your mastery of the Sublime Sunfall Art has certainly improved. Your buildup of Solar qi is still too slow though. You won't have time for such preparation when defending our borders, Xun."
Shoulders slumped in exhaustion, he looked back at her with a haggard expression. "I understand, Lady Chen. I thank you for your praise and I vow to put in more effort."
Xifeng frowned. "What did I tell you about calling me
Lady Chen, Xun? Each time you say that, I look around for my older sister." Her voice grew disdainful when mentioning Chen Mei. At a leisurely pace, Chen Xifeng started climbing out of the gaping hole. "Really now, how long have we known each other? You're always so
stiff," she chuckled.
In a gentlemanly manner, Heng Xun offered a hand as she reached him. She acquiesced and took his hand, allowing him to help her over the lip of the crater. She shook the dust from her flattering vermillion dress. "That was pretty good for round one. Take a qi pill and sit down to rest before round two."
Baron Heng nodded. "Yes, Lady Ch--"
"What?!" Zhihao yelped. There was a beat of silence as everyone turned to look at the eight year old boy. He seemed to shrink from the stares at first but rallied after glancing at Heng Xun's exhausted state.
"Big Sis Xifeng, you can't put Xun through that again. Look at him, he's about to drop dead!"
Xifeng simply smiled at her little brother, seeming amused at his outburst.
"If he were one of the formation specialists of the family, I would declare this training session complete. But Zhihao, you have to remember that Xun will likely be on the frontlines of most confrontations at our border. He must be prepared to push through pain and exhaustion. What if his reinforcements do not arrive as planned? What if he encounters enemies more powerful than his expectations? He must hold the line for the sake of his comrades and for the sake of the Chen clan, whenever necessary. This manner of training builds his resilience, stamina and endurance--attributes that are essential for defending our land."
Heng Xun was not even listening to the conversation. He was sitting on the ground and resting, having already taken a qi pill. Concentrated as he was on replenishing his qi, Lai Meixiu wondered if Baron Heng had even heard what they were saying about him.
Zhihao seemed to be absorbing Xifeng's words. He frowned at the ground. Yawen placed a hand on his shoulder. "I wouldn't worry about Heng Xun, Zhihao," she said gently. "Despite how it looks, he won't actually be seriously harmed here. Big Sister Xifeng is just, um…" she trailed off, not quite knowing what to say.
"Challenging him." Someone called from the entrance. The group looked around and saw Chen Mei striding towards them. The eldest sister of their family seemed to glide towards the group, almost as if she were walking on air. She wore a maroon dress with orange-gold embroidery and trimmings, which flattered her curvaceous figure. Though she looked to be in her early thirties, Lai Meixiu had been shocked to hear that Chen Mei was 93 years old. "Why
hello Big Sister." Chen Xifeng's greeting had an edge to it, hinting at ill-concealed aggression.
"Hello Xifeng." Chen Mei replied, giving her younger sibling a cold smile. She closed the distance between herself and the group, approaching Lai Meixiu. As she looked down at the girl, her smile grew more sincere and warm. "It is time for our afternoon lesson, child. Come along."
"Just a minute, Mei."
Looking irritated, Chen Mei's hazel eyes flicked toward Xifeng who was now approaching them. "I believe the girl could benefit from watching Xun and I finish the match." She strode towards them and came to a halt mere feet away from Chen Mei. The group of children anxiously watched the two sisters stare each other down. In the tense silence that followed, Lai Meixiu marveled at both the similarities and differences between the two sisters. Though Xifeng's tall willowy frame contrasted with Mei's generous curves, they had the same complexion. Both had porcelain skin that was in stark contrast with their dark hair. Chen Mei had styled her locks in loose curls and waves that perfectly framed her face. Xifeng had pulled her long black hair back in a simple tail that was almost waist length. Where Mei was the picture of cold composure, Xifeng seemed to radiate disdain. The latter's cheeks were flushed and her dark eyes sparked with inner fire. They looked to be no more than a year apart, rather than sixty four years.
"She has already watched the first round. Though I perfectly understand the need to push Heng Xun to his limits, I'm afraid I do not see how her--or any of the children--benefit from observing the second one. It is not so much as a fight as it is beating the young man into the ground." Though Mei's tone had been rather bland, Xifeng bristled at her words.
"I wouldn't count Xun out just yet, sister. He has had a decent amount of time to recuperate. Though Lai Meixiu's future may be set on qi painting, the others futures are more undecided--well, especially little Zhihao and our dear cousin Keung." At the mention of their names, Zhihao and Keung seemed to shrink inward. Keung in particular seemed intimidated. Meixiu supposed it was no surprise, considering his shy, quiet nature. Yawen frowned and put her hands on the boys' shoulders. Brow furrowed, the fourteen year old looked at the two women with concern. "Elder sisters, there is no need for such contention. Let us handle this matter peacefully."
Both sisters's faces seemed to soften at Yawen's words. Xifeng gave her a sidelong look, a small smile forming. "You always have been a rather peaceful soul, Yawen."
"Indeed," Chen Mei said fondly. "You may be the kindest among us." Chen Yawen blushed at the sudden praise and started to protest but her older sisters did not seem to be listening. "I suppose I may have arrived a little early," Mei allowed, with only a touch of condescension in her voice. "You may recommence the training session, little sister."
Xifeng gritted her teeth. "Why thank you, eldest sister, for being so understanding," she deadpanned. She whirled around, short crimson skirts fluttering, and stalked back to the training field. Once she was out of earshot, Chen Mei let out a small laugh. "I do not believe I was that vexatious when I was 26 years old."
Yawen shook her head. "You know," she said in a disapproving tone, "that she's just going to take out any excess anger or frustration on Heng Xun?"
The amused expression on Mei's face was replaced with one of guilt. Out on the field, Chen Xifeng and Heng Xun were taking their positions. "Well, not on purpose of course," Yawen continued. "Also, you know how she dislikes you calling her
little sister. Yet you said it anyways…" she trailed off, as Xifeng began her attack. Countless tiny, bright balls of light were forming in the air. Each gradually took the shape of a flower made out of flame. Meixiu marveled at the beauty of the fire flowers suspended in air. There were dozens of dozens, in varying colors of gold, ochre, magenta and scarlet. Xifeng raised one arm and, as she brought it down in sweeping motion, a gust of wind arrived on the field. The flowers were gathered in the wind and became one swirling path of color heading for Heng Xun. He swept his sword in a downward arc around him after images of the sword were left in its wake. As the fire constructs fell upon him, each exploded with heat and light. However, the baron's sword and its afterimages were taking much of the damage for him. He swung the sword upwards, creating more afterimages but he was not quite fast enough to defend against all of the attacks. Lai Meixiu winced as the bombardment left burns on his shoulders, back and legs. Undaunted, Heng Xun continued the defense.
As Xifeng's attack began to die down, Heng Xun suddenly went on the offensive. In the blink of an eye, he was upon her with his sword mere inches away from her torso. At the last second a pair of twin blades appeared in her hands, blocking his attack. Here, Baron Heng was showcasing his swordsmanship. It was clearly his area of focus, whereas Xifeng's dual wielding ability was merely meant to compliment her other skills. The only reason he had not landed a hit was that Chen Xifeng was generally faster. There were several close calls but she always evaded his disciplined strikes in time.
Dust still floated in the air from the previous round, when Heng Xun had created a small crater in the earth. Embers floated about the battle field, mostly concentrated around the two combatants. With a start, Lai Meixiu realized that there had not been embers on the battlefield before. Or maybe there simply hadn't been this many of them? She could not remember…
Suddenly something small exploded against Heng Xun's stomach, knocking him back and away from Chen Xifeng. He tried to stand but another small explosion on his side knocked him down again. With a start, Meixiu realized it was the embers floating about the combatants. If she looked closely, she could see how they would head towards him and explode on contact. Unfortunately for Baron Heng, the embers were too small and numerous to track while also fighting Xifeng. Lai Meixiu idly wondered whether they were actually embers or perhaps some construct made to resemble embers. She had seen other family members use such deceptive abilities in previous spars.
As he tried to stand once again, Heng Xun started to emit a yellow-gold light. The embers started to disappear in that light, although Meixiu could not be sure what had happened to them. By this time, Heng Xun's chest was heaving and he truly seemed on the verge of collapsing. The light coming from within him began to dim. Chen Xifeng transferred her two swords to one hand, freeing up the other. She flexed her fingers and waved the remaining embers towards Heng Xun. They followed her motion and rushed him. Although most of the embers dissipated in the light, some still struck the baron. This time they ignited on contact, setting his clothing on fire. He tried to put the flames out, to little effect.
Xifeng raised a hand, closed her fist and the flames were snuffed out instantly. "Well done, Heng Xun. You are certainly improving and well on your way to the fifth stage of Green Soul. Focus a bit more on your defensive skills."
"Yes, my lady," he croaked.
"Yawen," Xifeng called. "Please take our dear baron to Grandmother Chen An. I'm sure her ministrations will be more than enough to get him back on his feet."
Yawen was already hurrying to the young man's side. "Yes, elder sister."
Meixiu glanced at the other spectators still with her. Unsurprisingly, Zhihao was looking at Chen Xifeng with awe. He was always amazed by flashy spectacles of power. His eyes shone with admiration, his cheeks were flushed and his mouth hung slightly open. Keung, on the other hand, looked quite intimidated by the young woman--almost cowed. She couldn't help but giggle at both of their expressions. That seemed to pull them out of their thoughts though. "What's so funny?" Zhihao demanded.
"Nothing," she replied, trying to keep a straight face. However, the two boys knew her well enough to know when they were being laughed at. While Keung looked away in embarrassment, Zhihao tried a different tack. "Well
I don't know what you're laughing at." He puffed up his chest and crossed his arms, trying to give her his most imperious look.
Meixiu kept a hand over her mouth but her shoulders shook with silent laughter, giving her away. The laughter faded when she felt the insistent pressure of Chen Mei's hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Lai Meixiu. It's time to go."
Meixiu simply sighed in response and looked at the afternoon sun. Then, she brightened, realizing that court training was not going to be very long today since the evening meal would be in only a few hours. She looked at her two friends and gave them an impish grin.
"See you at dinner!"
