The Coalition of forces that were surrounding the Jungle City had little choice. The retreat of armed forces in the area was a wise decision. After Ho had completely gutted the operations post, he turned his attention to the survivors.
He had taken 100 of them, In truth 112 had survived and given up. 100 was just a roundabout number that took less time for him to explain. Zao Ho marched the captured toward the City Walls and thrust his confidence in the Priesthoods Humanity.
If it were not for the sake of what people called the Humanity within someone's soul, Zao Ho would have wiped them all out.
"See that their fed soon. Send out a Hunting party, gather some fresh meat. Its Victory tonight, I really thought that maybe there was a challenge in this but I was wrong. They wouldn't be stupid enough to barge in so quickly after that crushing retreat." Luitian ordered several of the priesthood to gather supplies.
His processing abilities had gone through dramatic changes, Luitian was now unbeatable in strategy games. Many had tried, they were playing ultra-hard mode from the opening moves.
'They cannot defeat my hope.' Qingchi spent the night walking beside Ho.
Their understanding of one another had reached an all time peak. The questionable nature of his aging had faded after the first year. No matter how he appeared on the outside, there was nothing that he wouldn't do for Qingchi or her attention. Xui Ying wouldn't let anything questionable happen to her daughter. They were running, but she wouldn't give her daughter to a devil just to escape a cruel fate in trade for another.
Xui Ying saw the maturity in Ho. Their relationship wasn't bound to the perception of incest, there was no blood relation. Zao Ho was just a frightening package, a childlike monster of a being. Immense power contained in a small frame. The Prince of the Zao Clan was also a special entity on Earth, he was likely the oldest living thing on the planet.
Elementals were alive, their creation was another matter.
Defeated, the Armies of the World stood on pins and needles while camera drones were capturing another scene and broadcasting live to the world.
"MY WORD! I gave you my word that we would remain back unless attacked. It was you who broke the tacit agreement. You tried to come for us with force, we've already said that we were leaving. Couldn't have just waited?.." Zao Ho appeared for the second time of the Day.
The announcement and coverage spanned the surface of the globe. Most news outlets were deeply involved in reporting the turn of events.
"Since you have broken your word, I will destroy the long range naval battery that attempted to harm our city and its people. Right. Now." Zao Ho snapped his fingers.
The video feed cut to an aerial view of the Pacific Fleet. The footage seemed to be from a surveillance satellite still in orbit, no one cared. Then, a large Storm Cloud developed over the area. The Cloud wasn't so much of a cloud as it was a conduit for the electricity that was building up. The static charge in the atmosphere had accelerated the molecules and intensified the humidity to a condensation and then into droplets to form clouds.
Chains of bright flashes filled the sky below the satellite. Like a disco floor, the pounding of lights riddled the oceanic vessels. Anchors and grounding attempts did nothing to stop the current as it passed through every service member and volunteer aboard the warships.
After Ho was satisfied, he released his concentration on the distant fleet. The storm clouds faded from the orbital view, no ship remained.
"It is regrettable to take so much life, Do not try our patience again. Any forces to assemble in this region will be destroyed as well. The Zao Clan runs no longer. Come. Those who bring malice can leave as ashes. My name is Xui Ying." A figure flew in front of the camera, a banner flew behind her.
The Banner of the Zao Sect.
"This is my family." Xui Ying stopped and landed.
"You've all met my Brother on Camera." Tears of fire fell from Xui Ying's face as she spoke.
"I am from Earth. I grew up in China. Yet I see the flag of my home country firing weapons of mass destruction at my family before we've done a thing to threaten this world. Is it not the duty of all courts to punish the wrongful? So why not punish China?" Her voice changed cadence and she seemed more intensified.
"I declare China exempt from coming to another world. My brother will support this action. If I, a person who wanted to save my homeland declare them unfit.. then what of you all who mean nothing to me. I am not the one to pick and choose, but I think one or two nations being disqualified from being saved should put a panic and fear in your hearts. We didn't earn your hatred. You desired what we had and went for it. We won't be vengeful, you lost so badly. You would be an even bigger fool than us having trusted you, to believe we would ever allow you to come along.. or your people. Our borders are closed to China. If you attack again, I will personally come destroy the Dodona Trees; then how fucked will you be? Stop testing my patience as a mother, you stepped on the wrong family!" Xui Ying flared up on camera.. the feed cut out.
The world watched the fury of a mother in the next moment.
The battlefield, which was once the joint operations base became a smoldering crater, the many corpses of the fallen were irretrievable. The assault from Ho earlier had left a great many corpses upon the ground. When she finished mopping up the FOB there were nothing but ashes, she flew around the perimeter of the City and torched everyone she didn't recognize.
The Camera Drones followed behind at a safer distance and then something changed.
Xui Ying started rushing toward the camera drones themselves. One after another, the drones were eliminated. The world watched.. and then the world watched no longer.
The footage in the region was gone.
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Inside of a Dark Cave a Man held a knife to the throat of another and slit it from ear to ear. He was wandering around near what looked like a old bandit hideout. The killer wore a shirt made of a sturdy looking metal fabric and nothing else.
The Bandit group had deprived him of his belongings during the night, Zao Zhan had gone through considerable efforts to head deep into demonkin controlled territory. On his ride earlier in the day, a group of what looked like hunters mistook Zhan's Firewolf as prey.
He tracked them down to find out the details but rested for the night. When he awoke, he was surrounded and robbed.
Zhan was beaten pretty badly and left for dead, naked and in the grasslands.
"Fucking Assholes!" Zhan kicked the corpse and stripped it clean.
The Man he had just killed didn't have anything that belonged to Zhan in particular but the bandit was the one he had seen skinning his best mount. It was relatively understandable, but still unforgivable after they had robbed him for approaching. Zhan was on a quest to find his Daughter, not cleanse the world of robbers and thieves.
The Bandits had stolen everything, even his storage rings. The dead man didn't have a storage ring but he did have clothes and a knife. The Metal shirt was found laying in the dirt outside of the camp, apparently it was too heavy to wear and forgotten. The chinks in the metal shirt didn't seem to have much of a problem straightening out with a little effort, it helped a little bit with the Cold. The air was biting at Zhan's skin. He was thankful for the pants, but they were a little oversized and stank.
Zhan wouldn't have worn the metal shirt if it would have revealed his stealth. Instead, he had chosen to wear it because the metal was soundless. No matter how he shook the shirt around, he didn't hear any noise from the fabric. That showed its quality. He wasn't sure what it was made of but it didn't matter, he was cold. The weight of the shirt didn't seem to slow his movements which surprised him a bit before he was surprised some more.
He felt lighter, much lighter.
'I'll have to have this looked at one day.' Zhan eyed the next tent and crept closer.
None of the people in the camp had heard what transpired. They were all stuck in their own mindless activities, drinking or asleep. Zhan was skilled at entering undetected long before he had learned from the stealth corp or even become a prince of a sect. It was through his own hard work and determination that he became the man he was today. No being would stand in the way of catching up to Darkwing. Xue needed to be rescued, and anyone who stood in the way was fair game.
The edge of the tent drifted in the wind, a tie down had been cut and the lights had gone out earlier, no shadows would appear on its walls. Zhan saw his armor on the man's body. He was sleeping on a pile of saddle blankets, the histories of which were likely to be quite sad. Empty of anything else, the tent had a trunk behind the sleeping man.
Zhan didn't want to create a situation where he was forced to fight so many. Unlike many of the stealth corp, he had chosen a specific skill set. Zhan learned the movements of the stealth corp and incorporated them into what he knew already from the Firewolf Brigade. Zhan had gotten Ice-Wood powers from the Gygax and he wouldn't let them go to waste.
The Wood powers helped with healing, but when it came to archers.. an endless supply of bolts and arrows were essential. The Wood could be anything that Zhan understood the structure of well enough to constitute. The concentration it took to form complex things from wood during a battle was pretty taxing, but something as simple as an arrow shaft and flight could be made in as long as it took to draw a bowstring.
Zhan was married to an Elf.
With the Ice Attribute he was able to create many different things, including his own form of reaper persona. The night was already cold, but when Zhan put his hands over the mans mouth, he froze his head. There was nothing that could be done for the man as he twitched. He died encased with a terrible expression. Zhan didn't want to destroy his armor or have a hard time removing it, going for head seemed rather smart in comparison to stabbing at his treasured armor.
Without any blood lingering on his hands, Zhan kept his sanity through retrieving his items. He still had dozens more to take care of and things were going to get exciting soon. Someone was bound to discover the bodies eventually.
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It had been days since the boys had left, Khan Ni was worried about her Husband. She wondered if he would return before the child's birth. It was a special moment, but she understood that what had happened was something that must be resolved. It pained her that she couldn't come along on the journey. The child was a surprise to all of the Clan when it was announced. Khan Ni had given herself to Zhan in front of Rachael only once before it happened. Rachael wasn't surprised or angry at the development but it was almost time for her to give birth.
"This Child is as much yours as it is mine." Khan Ni stared at Rachael's eyes, she knew what she was thinking and it was clearly a difficult subject.
"I am just worried about Xue. Zhan can take care of himself." Rachael was worrying herself into sickness with her grief.
Burying one of her daughters would have been enough, but Xue's kidnapping came like a double-tap to her heart. Calistown was unable to give any consolation, no matter how she tried Rachael didn't allow it. Rachael tried to be strong, but she was having complicated thoughts.
"I hate being powerless." Rachael threw a glass across the gallery and collapsed to her knees.
"Do something about it." Khan Ni couldn't show pity, she could only pursue strength in her own way of struggle.
"Like What? Everyone else is able to do something to contribute, its not like I don't want to help but honestly can I really be of use? I get scared just thinking about when the city was attacked, to fight.. that is frightening." Rachael laid bare her fears and started to cry on the floor.
Khan Ni walked up, knelt down and stroked Rachael's hair. "First thing.. you have to stop your tears. Not to rob you of your grief, but to get you to harness it. Your daughter was taken. STOLEN OR KILLED. That sort of grief changes someone. If you're forced to change because of something, you'll hurt more if you don't use it to your advantage. Sink yourself into training. When Zhan comes back.. prove you belong by his side, in battle and in life."
Khan Ni began to cry when she started to talk. "For now, I'll cry for you. Get up. Lets go for a walk to clear our heads and then tomorrow, I will show you how to handle a bow again."
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Master Jiang had been left with the majority of the responsibilities that Zhan had left behind.
He had inspected the build sites of the new facilities and was more than impressed with the progress. It would still take several weeks for the settlement to be secured enough to establish its own governance. The community had yet to be established within the prisoners and newly released slaves. A hierarchy had to eventually appear and the balance would come afterward, until then the situation was a veritable powder-keg.
"Abi and Genba have done well with the management of this area. I think it was wise to put a Dragonkin and Gamer in charge of the Mountain, I must thank Qu for his good foresight." Remarking the situation to himself, Master Jiang continued his inspections.
He still had the wall, shops, alchemy department, and even the researchers in the castle library to check over. The Alchemy department had been relocated to the depths of the Mountain. The closest stop were the shops on the way that held necessities. The food supply was left up to the residents, but hunting parties were common. Most of the meat that came in was monster meat, but it was the norm.
Vegetables and other edible plants were somewhat rare, most of the plants that the Sect had run across held some property that would often act like a debuff in games. It left eating raw vegetables mostly unfulfilling and always felt like a waste. Still, some chose to try different things out. There were so many species of plants in the world that it was impossible for them all to be suspicious.
One of the primary things to show up were tubers. The farmers in the area found a particular patch when the city had just started to expand. Just a few bites would fill the stomachs of even the hungriest of citizens. They were calling them Deebees.
The rounded and plump edible portions tasted more like a fruit than a root. One shop owner had even begun making a sort of frozen desert from them that was quite popular.
But it wasn't just Deebees, there were hundreds of plants that had minor effects. The key of making the 'froots' into something that didn't have a small debuff like couchlock was to mix it with other substances.
In the end, Cooking became Alchemy.
Harris soon found himself answering questions that he didn't want to be bothered with. Master Jiang had noticed a few large pails in the corner of his office. They were from the Deebee Cream Shop.
"I see you've tried the new flavor right?" Master Jiang needed his subordinate to comply more regularly and to open up a little.
Harris was always looked at with suspicion, his actions would leave most to jump immediately to the worst conclusions.
"Its the same here as it was on Earth... everyone always gets upset or offended by the unemotional shut-ins when people just want to be *LEFT ALONE!*" Harris shouted in frustration and then clarified his position.
"This 'Ice Cream' is great, I'm thrilled for them. Now that cooking has been discovered to share a lot of similarities into cooking and chemistry, I have foodies constantly hounding me for advice. I have my own work and these interruptions are serious set backs." Harris finished talking and saw Master Jiang cringe.
"I was just asking if you tried the new flavor, its Red this time." Master Jiang smiled and looked for damage to the rooms structure, he wanted to see how the Mountain was holding up after a few experiments had sent shockwaves through the caverns like a bell.
"To Join or to Pwn." Harris laughed a bit and continued.
"We had a saying back on Earth. If you can't beat them, Join them. If you join them, dominate. I think that's what I'm going to be forced to do. If they want to annoy the Alchemy department with frivolous things like Ice Cream, the least they could do is study to be Alchemists. I will write a cookbook. It will be alchemy in disguise. Maybe then they will make something useful." Harris grabbed another book from his storage and placed it in front of him.
"Like this one, If we took it and placed it onto a plate with some sweetener and spices we would call it food. It just wouldn't be processed into a delivery method." Harris waved his hand to shoo Master Jiang away.
Old Man Jiang smiled inside. It seemed Harris was using his head.
One of the biggest drawbacks to the products created by the Alchemy department was their distinct lack in a positive taste. All the products were made from a variety of strange materials, Most of which would never be eaten alone.
If Cooks put forth an alchemical reaction and made good food that was an alchemy product, then Harris could develop the department further. The Cooks could do a lot of experimentation, and get away with it.
Harris' Eyes gleamed with possibilities.
Old Man Jiang wondered if the change in persona would be okay, controlling Harris was already a precarious situation.
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Tiancho, Han, Ho, and Wang were all nervous about their Brothers leaving.
The Patriarch had assured them all that one day each of them would be going on their own adventures. "Each man had to walk his own path. To see adventure and liberation a quest should be fulfilled. Then, should the child return home they would have earned their place as men. That is the way of our Zao Clan and now it is the way of the Sect."
"I've chosen to give you each a Teacher worthy of your talents. You all have a bit of growing up to do, but you'll get there when the time comes. Enjoy your youth or it will haunt you." Their father made a silly face and cheered them up a bit.
The Family had gone through a tremendous amount of suffering and the healing had to start somewhere.
Tiancho went with the Cheng Twins, Genba took care of Han. Ho could study on his own, and Wang would learn from the Mi family. The scrolls obtained from the temple of Kumomoto showed various distinct styles of fighting and insight from generations of Earths hand to hand fighters. The Mi family was talented with Earth Magic, after the transmigration much of the City buildings had been crafted by the Mi family's abilities. Their control with contours and weight distribution showed their ability to be artistic as well as functional.
When the Mi Family realized that the world resembled Feudal periods with magic and swordsmanship, they knew that fighting styles from the Earth's martial arts era would play an important role in the new world. The Family of Nine had grown to thirteen over the past five years and they took Martial arts very seriously.
Their mock fighting didn't have to be gentle with the advent of Healing magic and regenerative abilities. Most of the Mi family chose to pick Wood Abilities when they came along, the balance of nature and farmland came easily to anyone with such a connection to the land. Wang's teacher had been chosen because of his own fighting styles and his darkness abilities. The Head of the Mi Family, Mi Yung chose Wang specifically for this reason.
The Mi family history was a bit clouded if you looked at public records. A family of fighters, their great sect had been annihilated generations ago. Han wondered why he wasn't sent to train with the Mi Family, he had a wood shadow power that greatly matched up with them.
The Patriarch gave a short and simple reply. "Combat Training should be done out of your comfort zone."
The boys all gulped in unison.
"Tomorrow you all set out, tonight lets enjoy your mothers cooking." Telling his children that they would be separated for a time seemed easier than it should have been, but the Patriarch had to accept that time moved onward.
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The City of Yunnan was surrounded by forests with a coastal port next to a delta. The Rivers end brought lots of traffic, that was one of the reasons it had been chosen for the slave trade. The architecture of the City showed the many sources of workers that had contributed. There were design aspects from many different civilizaitions.
One of the more promanent and visible cultural additions were the windows and doors. Most other civilizations didn't bother with doors, entrances were shaped differently altogether. If it were another civilization other than humans that primarility occupied the city, it was likely to be different. Elves for instance, had a tendency to just make a blind turn into their loft like homes. Most of the Elves in the stories in the Tower Library all lived in high positions, either towers themselves or in the treetops.
There was one type of elf that was discussed that lived on underground, but they were the cursed to become what was known as a Vampire much later in history. Instead of feeding their lifesources from Nature, the Vampires had another source for their power and vitality.
Lizardmen and dragonkin usually took shelter in cave like dwellings, the entrances were usually sloops or slides that were smoothed for entry and exit. Lots of species had different ways they preferred their nests. The Domesticated Human had lots of talent, but they were afterall a minority.
The Humans of Yunnan City were in constant danger of being destroyed on a whim from a passing Demonkin or Mercenary Group. One rogue magic user could do a lot of damage. The fact that the humans of the world had become slavers was actually a surprise for Mike, it showed the humans would not be wiped out so easily.
They were also not alone. Many other species appreciated being around humans despite the common practice of slavery. The Dustike were friendly, they chattered like undead but were alive. The exoskeletons of the Strar were especially useful for armor after they had been shed, but the Strar freely sold their moltings. Such exchanges were how productivity and prominence were done in the Beastkin cultures.
Gold was useful as a currency it had many issues when carrying spellwork. A dedicated elemental slave could make gold, the situation had happened before until a war broke out. The elemental was destroyed, but the damage done by the mountains of gold that appeared had tipped the balance of power in the human civilizations. Trading materials was always a considered an efficient way to do business. Bartering was always a skill, this.. for that or those.
Mike and Wu Hai were looking for materials to work on some new weaponry that they had in mind, but the truth of the situation was that neither of them were very good at hand to hand combat. They fought wildly and won, but it was just a narrow win each time. If it wasn't for their abilities they would have long since become fertilizer left under the suns.
A shop stall containing a set of Wiedrakfen had caught Mike's eyes. Wiedrakfen were made for fighting close quarters. Much like Claws or fist braces, the Weidrakfen were made from Monster materials. The action of the device, acted more like the spot on Wu Hai's forearm. Only, they were a type of not-so-secret hidden weapon. Weidrakfen were somewhat like a sturrup for a saddle that held yet another weapon in a pocket storage. Normally, the weapon was used as method of delivery for poisons but the exterior could easily be mistaken for normal fist packers or heavy gloves.
The Unique part were their utility were the K-bar like striking surfaces. The Weidrakfen was specially concieved to puncture heavy armor. All force a momentum went into a single point, It was almost needle-like accuracy the sharper the edge.
Mike Stopped and asked to see them. "What do you want for those?"
He didn't bother being polite and cut right to the point, "I need not much, thirty giant snake eyes should cover its worth.."
The price was high but not impossible, the rarity of the item made it hard to pass up. Mike started pulling out statues. When he found one of a Giant Snake, The Stall owner was thrilled to exchange. The price was likely disproportionate no matter how you looked at the trade.
Wu Hai stopped a few places but didn't find anything he wanted that wasn't on the list. They needed a 7 toes rabbit foot, five novar cords, a kritse, phantom butter, distilled orc urine and Sabertooth Garlic to quench a blade. The mixture was foul, but when it was used as a quench in the forging process the end result would be a weapon of light that was particularly harmful to Undead or Vampires. If they could get all the ingredients it would be possible to create at least a few weapons before more had to be prepared.
Mike was confident in his own ability to dodge an incoming strike, the Earthlings had engaged in mock battles for nearly 4 years before the Undead horde had attacked the City. The problem was that none of it really required technique and only needed power. He felt distinctly unrefined during his fights and it bothered him greatly.
Wu Hai on the other hand, had possession of an intensely well constructed weapon but chose not to use it. He was seeking his own road rather than the one that had been laid out for him, traversing it was difficult and paved with hardship.
"Lets look at some other shops to see if we can find more materials, we're bound to find what we need and we could always check to see if the Rogue Queen Chambers can help us with some of them. Before we lose the rest of the day we should start making our way." Prince Wu Hai wanted to get back to practice at the forge.
The Shopping continued as they waded through the crowded street. Trades were happening all around them yet nothing showed particular interest until they stopped at another herbalist selling his finds. Wu Hai traded some honey-brandy he had gotten from an Usura.
The Alcohol wasn't the greatest but the effect it had was amazing for insectoids. The Shop owner had been a bug dealer and all of his pets were drawn to the smell. At first, the insects had no impact on the reason for the sale but when the brandy was uncorked the smell was intoxicating for the pets in the crates nearby. All of them showed great interest in the contents. The allure for the Insects was enough to seal the deal. Wu Hai walked off with several species of rare insect and all of the Herbs on the table.
"Please come to me with all of your herbs if you see me in the future." Wu Hai didn't know when he would need them, but the Alchemy department would love new materials wherever they came from.
"Indeed, we will do business again. Bye now." The dealer was satisfied and started to pack up when the pair left.
"Mike, This was too good, I bet they don't know the use for this brandy. Lets see if we put out an information request at the Rogue Queen." Zao Wu Hai was tired of walking around, there was a lot of noise and he was trying to concentrate on ways to make his tempering process smoother.
'The Hammer Falls..' Played over and over in the Prince's head.
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Fluttering wings sounded through the plains outside of Portano. An occupying force of Undead were forced to linger in an ancient city like a putrid stench. No matter the corner turned, a Shamble, Vampire or Ghoul took residence. Zombies would act like golem puppets for the Ghouls and Shambles. The Ghouls were run by the Vampires and the Vampires were run by a singular individual.
{"Sire, our scouts found traces of a human encampment nearby but they were recently by the living,"} An Undead Yirrku soldier spoke after having returned from their mission.
The Apparition was in charge of the entire area, learning about a Human encampment was enough to have him consumed to strengthen another or his replacement. Failure was not tolerated in the Undead world, the living made sure of that. Most undead fed on the living in some way, it was extremely rare for an Undead to be without a hunger. It wasn't impossible, just exceedingly rare and well guarded against discovery. The Undead who were able to survive without the consumption of the living would feed only off the Undead, or a Mineral. The common factor between all types of Undead who didn't consume the living was that they all fought against or despised the Undead greatly.
To scholars of the many races, their opinion was that the change was caused by a matter of pride or determination to be superior among the Undead. For instance, if a Ghoul managed to step away from the norm and become an Undead that consumed other Undead it was likely to develop stronger by consuming the properties of other to some variant degree. Eventually, the Undead around that Ghoul would turn to a constant food source. After some point, the Ghoul becomes something else. Some believe the source of Wraiths and Reapers was partly due to the overpopulation of Undead during the last Great War. The overpopulation likely led to cannibalism among the Undead.
Undead who found ways to feed off the Undead or some other source like a material, would not lose their ability to feed off of the living. Instead they would become wraith-like and take the energy whereever present. Insects, trees and animals nearby were not exempt from becoming a food source. The living would become food, which became undead, which became food. The cycle made the older Undead quite powerful if properly motivated.
{"I have another task for you. A Strange Qilinkin was spotted stealing a human, go to their nests in the southwest and tell me if you see the black one. You will know it when you see it, for some reason its dragging a human with it. Do not let them discover you, Elder Qilin are problematic to our Campaign."} Sending off the Yirrku was a good idea and the Ghouls knew it, giving the order made it so they would profit from any success that occurred.
Undead were like most other species in that they had a hierarchy, a caste system which separated levels of both intelligence and strength. There was always the outlier, but those were special circumstances and they all held titles for their victories or defeats. One such Undead rose hundreds of years ago, a fallen branch of the Elves.. The Vampires.
Controlling vast armies was not all that difficult for the Charismatic Eccentrics. Most Vampires spent the majority of their time wallowing in self-interests or consumed by their chosen work. Some of the more bloody villains throughout history were the Vampires, and there were even many that were wiped out. During the cleansing that happened after the battle of Glacier Peak, Vampires were thought to have become extinct. Undead that didn't move, didn't expel much energy. Technically a Vampire could sleep for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years without eating. They would experience a great hunger when they awakened, but it was less hazardous than it sounds.
If a Vampire had chosen to sleep for 10,000 years in one sitting, they would most definitely have a problem. However, If they were to sleep for 800 years at a time the hunger would be much lighter.
It was true in all worlds, do whatever you do.. in moderation.
A commotion had begun within the Castle, news from the Scouts had finally made its way to the top. A large explosion rocked the City. Debris scattered and crushed many undead in the collapsing buildings below.
{"Humans?!"} The word was audible from all parts of the City.
The Shouts from the Castle were clear. In the next instance, a Demonkin walked to the edge of the broken hallway wall to face the horizon. He was scanning for movement of any kind.
'Rabbit, crawler, snake, snake, corpse, one of ours, bird, bird...' Looking over the surroundings didn't seem to help him find his target.
'Up it is.' No more thoughts were given, just the bloodlust of a hunt filled his corrupted heart.
His wings spread out and caught on the wind. No human could mask their presence well enough to hide from E'Ril.
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Sitting in the corner of the cave, a girl wrapped in furs ate her meal in silence. Zao Xue was always a talkative child but since her abduction she had been moving at an almost constant pace. Most of the time she had been carried while she was unconcious, eventually she got tired of being carried and asked to be put down several thousand times. Sometime after the six thousandth request Darkwing found a cave that was small enough to seal.
A large stone was convenient enough to cover the entrance while he went out for a hunt. It had been a few days since Darkwing had eaten, Xue was progressively vocal about being hungry when she grew tired of asking to be released or killed.
Zao Xue was courageous in her attempts to escape, while flying at great speeds she regularly went to pluck at Darkwing's Feathers or kick at his balls. It was irritating on many degrees and he needed a break from her as well. Darkwing had noticed a large size pond nearby when they were still airborne.
'This will do.' Darkwing dove into the pond and collected several large fish.
The water was moving enough to drink, with the empty vessels in his storage Darkwing was sure to collect some of the water for later. Building a fire was a easy enough without someone having the fire ability, lightning was a high energy discharge. With some gentle focus Darkwing roasted the fish in peace. He had brought enough human food for the girl, but not nearly enough to cover the expended energy he would consume every day.
During the meal, Darkwing wondered if he had done the right thing. There was a long way to his destination.
He thought about the state of the Sect and what his former Master thoughts were about what had happened. Darkwing knew he had become the enemy of the Sect but he felt he was left with little choice. The Moons highlighted the sky in spectacular fashion, the surroundings were illuminated well enough to spend the evening in the nighttime air.
In the distance visible streaks of jetstream crossed the sky. Darkwing thought about his distant cousins, the Qilin. He looked to the direction they were headed, a mountain range in the distance blocked him from seeing after a time but he had a heading.
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A scroll was a picture of the past, knowledge that was difficult to transcribe was often depicted in the most simple of forms for understanding. Fifty Thousand such scrolls adorned the Libraries of the Sect. All of them had been reproduced shortly after their arrival on Shiyan. Context was easy to understand once you had a grasp on the motions and it was these scrolls that made up the Bulk of the fighting knowledge brought back from Earth. The Mi family were particularly skilled in learning the techniques but it was Nara Kuzunoha who had preserved their heritage and meanings her entire life.
When Nara finally saw the re-ignition of the Dragons Roar performed by a child in the City, her heart nearly leapt out of her chest with excitement. The meaning behind her survival, the struggles of her ancestors had been unburdened. The Song of Uratami was call equally as beautiful to witness, a Crane style that shook the opponent with a piercing sound was being performed over and over against an old Keen Tree that was surrounded in a rock garden.
Overall, Miss Nara was considerably pleased. Then she saw mantis and tiger styles being used during a sparring match, to the left of them was a man speaking about meditation. The Sect was starting to feel like a Cultivation Sect until she saw the Swordplay. The Sect had become so diversified that it was only a matter of time before something became dominant, but the dominance seemed to never rise past a certain level. Most of the Citizens that studied, were studying a wide variety of subjects and all of them were training with intensity.
It was inspiring, until she noticed their overall strength. Much of the former slaves were not cut out for combat.
The Mines were scheduled to be finished in the following week, and the change in the Sect in the time would be anything but minor. Prisoners would be released and many of them had come to enjoy their new lives in Zao City. As citizens they were more likely to learn better techniques that would help them greatly in life and there was also the safety that the City itself offered. Most places in the World were filled with all sorts of prejudice, some species were not even allowed to enter other cities.
Travelers wouldn't be allowed to stay long term without special permissions so the City remained as it was most of the time, peaceful. One evening, the perfect evening that Nara Kuzunoha was having suddenly became quiet. A guard near the gate collapsed and a hooded figure walked out of the doorway's shadow.
It was covered in a thick hide, had a whip-like tail, bone wings and a mostly human looking face. The big difference was the color of the skin, instead of a natural skin tone it was flat blue with a bunch of red lines that covered its body in what looked like tattoos.
Alarms rang.