The Heavens Shall Fall

The idea in his head began to solidify the moment he stepped out of the medicinal halls and began heading towards the Wardens' tower. With all the attention they warned him about, bolstered by curiosity and ample opportunism, Siu quickly realized that it was a great soil for planting some seeds. Some for fear, but... mostly to garner ample respect. He knew this was the ideal moment to strengthen his organization's power, name, and position, doing something Stone Ward and the Ember Circle had taken years to achieve.

Still thinking the details through, Siu walked as if he were returning from breakfast, not from a medicinal bath, not even a missed step in his stride. Naturally, the girls kept asking what he was planning to do, but he deflected them all, humming and nodding, sometimes giving a grunt, telling them plainly to let him think. Even Arya and Marly knew to just stay quiet and wait... What bothered them was that the closer they got, the more people they passed, and the more eyes locked onto Siu, who began to follow them, abandoning whatever they were doing.

“Master,” Arya’s voice slipped through their connection in the end, unable to hold it back, "You feel it too, don’t you?”

“Naturally, and please, learn to ignore it.”

"It's not that easy!" Marly chimed in right after, "In the forest, if we were looked at it like this... it meant we were going to be dinner! We hate it!"

“She is right... It's very... bad. They’re staring a lot. We really... really hate it!” Arya also agreed, and the fact that she didn't make any jokes about being watched or something showed that she was honest and serious about it. This time, it was genuinely bothering her.

“It will go away soon. Trust me. And they watch me, not you two.”

"That doesn't help!" The two shot back in perfect sync.

Siu exhaled strongly through his nose, his mind back in the present, sensing the faint ache in his ribs, reminding him not to breathe too deeply as he turned the final corner up the stone pathway toward their tower. The dozens of voices he had heard from the bottom now came into view, as he saw a massive group around their tower, not only talking but actually arguing with each other, with current members and, well, with anyone whom they looked at. The twins didn't lie... this was pandemonium, alright!

The crowd that occupied their front lawn was a dense, restless mass of outer disciples, doing their best to press toward and on the entrance, some standing on stones to get a better view, others trying to push in, only to be shoved back again by those Wardens who were trying and holding their ground. Siu could already tell that most of the pushers were those members who announced they would quit... Wanting to rejoin or act as if they were still members.

“Huh… You weren’t exaggerating,” Siu muttered, shooting a glance to the Twins.

“No, they weren't this time around,” Rinmei replied beside him. “The floor is yours; they aren't listening to us.”

“Boss!”

One of the remaining Wardens spotted him first, his voice cutting through the noise like a thunderbolt, and all of a sudden, every head turned directly toward him. Conversations, arguments, yelling, threats, whispers, all stopped, and then, like a horde of mind-controlled abominations, every disciple turned toward him.

“That’s him! First time I've seen him up this close...”

“He’s already up? Whoa...”

“Didn’t he get crushed yesterday? He's already out? That's some peak resilience... We've got to get in!”

“I heard his arm was broken... I mean, I was there! I actually heard it! But it looks fine now. Damn.”

“Told you that it would be fine!”

“Okay, okay! Let me through!”

“Move! I need to talk to him, he knows me!”

"Liar! He doesn't know you, he knows me!"

The pressure resumed instantly as the first shout to move began, the bodies pressing forward again, now heading directly towards Siu and the rest.

“Master… We have to... run!” Arya muttered, trembling a little.

“Run!” Marly agreed. “They look hungry!”

“They’re not hungry.” He answered, doing his best to calm them down, but he also felt annoyed now. What is up with these people? Were they dropped on their heads?

“Then why are they acting like that? Master!” They both argued, more afraid than when they fought against Bren.

Siu didn’t answer immediately, as he had no clear explanation for it. In the end, he took a deep breath despite everything and stepped forward, even as the crowd surged toward him. The Wardens at the front quickly moved to intercept them. He could see Kira and Varren doing their best while Baun wasn't really putting his back into it as they tried to push through, doing their best and trying to form a loose barrier, but it wouldn’t hold for long if things escalated further.

He needed to act... So, he suddenly shouted.

“Everyone!” His voice was surprisingly loud, and the moment it rang out, something in it cut through the noise, forcing people to pause and listen. The chaos itself didn’t vanish, but it made everyone finally stop and look at him, feeling as if he were taller than anyone in the group before him. “We are not taking new members today.” The reaction was immediate, of course.

“What?!”

“Then why are we here—?!”

“I came all the way and—! We are willing to pay the fee!”

“Listen first,” Siu added, raising his voice again, and this time sharpening it just enough to stop the complaints from building further, while his gaze also hardened.

Apparently, it worked because the shouting had stopped, and he intentionally let the silence rule them for two long breaths that he counted. What he was surprised by was how everyone looked at him, suddenly realizing even if they were agitated, they didn't want to trouble him much. Or at least, not directly.

“Two nights from now on,” he continued in a calmer voice, “there will be a gathering. As for where, it will be posted in the Mission Hall.”

“A gathering?” someone had already begun whispering, which prompted the others to start asking their questions by shouting them out from the crowd.

“What kind?”

"Where?"

"Will there be a test?"

“Is it another spar?”

"Let me finish!" Siu shook his head slightly, “It will be a celebration, hosted by the Spirit Wardens.”

“A celebration?” someone echoed, and that was again like the starting pistol for the questions to rush in once again.

“And who will be invited?”

"Will it be a paid entry?"

"Do we need to make reservations?"

"Will you be there?

This time, Siu didn’t interrupt them, and he let it play out for a moment before continuing. Seeing that most questions had been asked, he simply ignored them all.

“The celebration will be,” he repeated, “for the Spirit Wardens. And for anyone who wants to join or meet us.”

“…Anyone?” someone asked cautiously, and this time he answered it before the rest started the cycle again.

“No,” Siu shut the idea down at once. "There will be updates to our rules. Our doors were open, and we gathered the people who proved to be a reliable bunch. So, we are... Evolving... As for what that means, we will announce it at that gathering, for which everyone is invited, of course." The murmurs rose again, but Siu wasn't done, and he made sure they knew that, “And not just you, who want to join can come,” Siu explained in more detail, his gaze sweeping across the crowd. “I will go and invite members of the Ember Circle, too, and I am ready to hand out a welcoming hand to every other, smaller groups who wish to come and introduce themselves. We are always looking for... friends.” That earned a few raised brows, a few quiet scoffs, but then, when they heard his next words, that was when they were actually felt to be literally shocked. “And I will send an invite to the Stone Ward myself.”

“What?” Neya yelped loudly

“No way—!” Milli shriked, while Nilli matched her sister's voice perfectly. “You’re inviting them?!”

“After what happened?!” Rinmei added.

“That’s stupid!” Kira yelled from somewhere ahead, followed by Varren's muffled choke.

“That’s—”

Siu didn’t flinch under the wave of disbelief from his friends, which was then amplified by everyone else present, who began almost shouting at each other for some weird reason.

“It’s over!” he yelled, raising both his hands and speaking over everyone with a voice that somehow calmed them down once again. “The duel settled it all.”

“Bren tried to kill you!” Kira yelled through the crowd again, making Neya, Arya, and Marly nod their heads, as even Siu's pets were stunned, despite feeling their master's emotions.

"And so did I," He chuckled, “And we both failed. Elder Faliah is right, we are of the same Sect, so we must put things behind us now.”

That shut a few mouths... but not all.

“Oh...” Arya's ears perked up, catching a feeling from Siu, "Ooooh... Master, you are nasty! Ahahaha! I like it! I like it when you are so rougeish!"

"Huh?" Marly asked, confused, but Arya wasn't explaining it further, listening to Siu continue yelling at the people gathered in front of him.

“I’m not interested in dragging this feud out,” He continued in the meantime, “We have the resolution, and I won it, fair and square.” He paused just enough for everyone to notice the way he worded it and that he stood straight as an arrow, “If there’s anything left to say, it can be said over a fire instead of a fight.”

Some didn’t believe him, of course, while some thought it was foolish. Others… well, they saw different things: Strength... Control... And ample confidence. If nothing else, they had to acknowledge that he had the balls to do something like this.

“Pinch me... He’s serious?” someone muttered.

“He’s really inviting them…”

“Would they even come?”

“They won’t,” another voice scoffed. “They’d never show up to something like that.”

“Then that’s their choice,” Kira muttered, her eyes fixed on Siu, feeling she was missing something but didn't know what.

As for Siu, he began pushing through the crowd, already moving toward the tower entrance, cutting through them while continuing to speak.

“As I said, the location will be announced before the day it happens,” he added over his shoulder, not looking at them anymore. “Bring whatever you want to eat. We’ll handle the drinks. And spread the word, I welcome... Everyone.”

...

....

......

By the time they were up in the tower, the noise had faded behind them, but sometimes, shouts still echoed up to the chamber where the group was now converging, waiting for Siu to explain what the hell he was thinking of.

“You’re insane!" Rinmei said, leaning on the table, holding her head, ruffling her hair, "Inviting... Them?!"

“Of course.”

“This isn’t a... A... sane choice!” she continued, her brows drawn together. “You’re inviting everyone? Okay. Okay... But... Them?! Even them?!”

“That’s the point,” Siu said, watching her calmly.

“To provoke them?” Neya asked, trying to get what he was planning, feeling there had to be a reason, and she had already gotten over her initial surprise. She knew him enough to feel there was more to it.

“To expose them, but yes... It is a kind of provocation.”

That made everyone pause as the Twins also looked on, quite interested.

“Explain? Like... as if you were talking to a toddler. Please?” Rinmei moaned, too confused to think straight.

“If they come,” Siu said, moving his gaze around, then stopped as the door opened and Kira and Varren walked in, “I'm just starting to explain." He looked at the two, then pointed at the table, "Sit and listen."

Kira closed her mouth that was already halfway open, and then, the moment Varren closed the door, she plopped down, watching him without blinking.

"As I said," Siu restarted, "If they come, they lose face.”

“How?” Kira blurted out, unable to hold back.

“They show up after the duel? After everything?" Siu asked with a smile, "That means they accept that it’s over and that it was my win. They will bow their head to me and do it before everybody.”

“And if they don’t...?”

"Then..." his lips curled faintly at Varren's question, “Then everyone sees it.”

"Um..." Neya blinked her eyes, looking at the others who were also puzzled, “…Sees what?”

“That they can’t let it go. Especially if they come and provoke us, cause trouble, when we are extending our hand in peace.” The room fell quiet as he kept talking, "I hope they come and provoke us... That would be the easiest way to turn everyone openly against them."

“That’s…” Neya started, then stopped, shaking her head slightly, yet smiled to herself. “That’s dirty.”

“Effective,” Rinmei added at once, "I see... That's... insidious..."

“Also risky,” Varren added, gulping, but his eyes were shining.

“Yes,” Siu agreed, "But it will be fine. I’m not pretending it isn’t, but I'm confident. Right now, we control what people think of us. More than that, we can control what everyone thinks of Stone Ward. It is the best moment to strike, and we will bring them down for good. One way or another!"

“Okay, okay…" Rinmei muttered, crossing her arms, already thinking of the details, "What about the logistics?”

“I’ll handle that through Golden Scroll.”

“Lorean is going to charge you a fortune.” The Twins warned him, but Siu just smiled.

“I don't think so... I have an ace up my sleeve.”

Which was, of course, the fact that they were the ones financing him to start this group... and if they wouldn't help, he could simply say he would no longer try to finish Stone Ward off.