The Heavens Shall Fall

Back in the Spirit Warden's tower, Siu sat near one of the upper windows, one leg drawn up on the chair, his arm resting loosely over his knee as he looked out over the sect grounds. The warm night air coming through the open window hinted that summer was fast approaching. As for Arya and Marly, they were asleep, the former curled up on the table not that far from him, while the latter was up on the top of a bookshelf, snoozing, only her tail visible, hanging over its edge.

"Still up here?" Neya asked as she walked in and sat down on his lap, allowing him to hold her waist while doing so.

"Pushy," Siu’s mouth twitched playfully, making her giggle.

“I learned it from the best.” She muttered, "I don't believe I'm saying this, but I do miss the twins."

“I hope they are alright,” Siu said with a shrug, adding something he didn't mention to anyone yet, "I do hope they didn't think I would be angry at them. I didn't have the chance to speak to them before they were whisked away."

"We couldn't either..." Neya muttered with a soft shrug, leaning up against him, "They got quaranteened or what when Elder Thane took you and then... we hadn't seen them even once."

“Haaah...” He sighed again, shaking his head. "Well, at least I can say goodbye to you, well... It is only goodbye for now."

"Um," She muttered, following his gaze out the window. “When will you take the test?”

"..." He didn’t answer immediately, as he kept staring outside for a moment before finally letting his head fall back against the wooden frame of his chair. “Well, we have tested it enough to know I’m not imagining things.”

“Mhm.”

“Still, that doesn’t mean I understand it. I know, I know!" he added, glancing down at her before she could protest, "I know enough."

Over the past few weeks, after the morning when he had copied Arya’s silver-light illusion, he tested his feelings repeatedly, observed his own body, failed a few times to his surprise, and then he forced almost every core member of the Wardens to spar with him multiple times.

It turned out that amongst them, Arya had been the easiest to mimic.

That made sense when he thought about it more. Their bond was deep, and with the connection between them, it came much more naturally. As for Marly, he felt it would be the same; the issue was that her ability mostly showed up in... stretching her mouth to swallow everything and gliding on the wind, which required things Siu simply didn't have. As for Arya's illusory technique, which she was born with, he no longer needed to watch her to reproduce the silver motes, though his version still felt different from hers. When Arya used it, the lights came off her body without draining her or exhausting her at all, while his copied version, for now, sapped him of essence way too rapidly to be useful in a proper fight. His duplicates lasted as long as he had the reserves to feed the technique... Which was not much yet. Still, he quickly learned that while Arya understood how to work it naturally, he would have to explore and actually learn its functions if he wanted to make it useful.

As for the second-easiest to copy, it turned out to be Kira.

It had been easier than he expected, though for a different reason than what he had with Arya. Kira's style was built on the Wild Cat Form, and he knew that very well. The moment they sparred, he could see where she had modified the base, which parts she had adapted for her technique, which made him feel like he was picking up a variation of something he already knew. After a few exchanges, he could mimic her steps almost perfectly, and when he executed it, Kira's eyes went wide that Siu could produce deceiving stepping sounds at once. She actually hated that, because it took her a year to get there.

On the other hand, copying Rinmei was different, and it was the biggest failure he had until that point.

Unlike Kira, Rinmei had not built herself from the base forms Siu knew well. Her style had been something she had developed herself, borrowing techniques from different sets and tailoring them to her own feelings. And now, after going through a lot, it has evolved significantly thanks to the experience she gained dealing with the Icecrown Stag’s coldness. Her style had acquired the power to chill those she touched. Not to mention, her finger strikes were like scalpels, aiming to sever tendons, slip under the muscle seams, and poke at his joints. They left no visible injury on Siu, but where he got hit, when he got hit, he felt a cold prickling sensation, numbing him. It was like she applied some kind of anesthetic, preventing her attacks from actually hurting, which made it even more lethal. Her opponents would never feel the true damage she had done to them, leaving them to strain an unseen yet injured body, crippling themselves. By the time the pain would come, it would be too late. One thing was clear, though: she was very close to breaking through herself.

Despite understanding its effects, when he tried to copy her, he almost couldn’t, because he didn't understand the hows and whys.

He could mimic the motions and, through his training, make sure that his fingers struck where hers did and that he angled his wrist where she did so... But the feeling behind it was entirely different, and he couldn't replicate the cold numbing sensation, nor slice up the correct muscles. He realized quickly that it was because he lacked the knowledge behind it. While Rinmei had a much vaster, anatomical repertoire in her head, he had no idea how a body looked under the skin... and thus, he could not copy her well or at all, in fact.

Only once had he managed to do something close to hers.

It had been when she nearly caught him. Her fingers had slipped past his guard, aiming for the inside of his elbow, and his body responded before his mind could interfere. For less than a second, he moved like her, and his hand struck a point near her wrist that would have weakened her grip if he had used force, and both of them froze just then.

But it was the only time.

Although none of them could decide what affinity Siu had that allowed him to copy, they all agreed that its biggest drawback was already visible: knowledge. Without proper understanding, he wouldn't be able to copy his opponents' techniques, leaving him on the back foot in the fight. Well, at least, if he didn't have his own techniques to fight back with. Which made Siu think about one of the great advantages he hadn't told anyone besides Neya.

Once he understood something he copied, he could easily recall it, like Arya's illusions.

What he was unsure of yet was whether he could understand others' techniques the way he understood Arya's, and then 'store' them in his mind. They were, after all, connected, so his understanding came through that, but when he told his conclusion to Neya, she just chuckled, telling him to tame more beasts and check what else he could copy, storing up different abilities that could surprise anyone in a fight.

“If your ability is copying, you can’t be lazy,” she spoke up suddenly, as if reading his thoughts. “You will have to work twice as hard as others... But if anyone can make it work, I know it's you.”

"I'm only afraid of one thing."

"What?" She looked up at him, wanting to support him.

"Will I have anything that is mine...? Or only others' techniques? I have been thinking about it since fighting with Rinmei. She is developing her own... thing. I hadn't even thought about something that is made by me until just then."

“You will,” she said firmly, "And I think you will have an easier way of completing it when you do that."

"Will I?" Siu asked as he looked down at their joined hands, playing with Neya's fingers.

“Uhum.” She nodded, smiling.

“You sound very sure.”

“I am.” She giggled, "You will have a plethora of techniques in your head, and isn't that the basis of creating something for yourself? Having more knowledge?"

He turned toward her fully this time, thinking about it, watching Neya’s expression, seeing her so relaxed and content. She didn't have a worry in her, and, suddenly, he didn't either. She was right, and things would solve themselves anyway.

“Go to Elder Thane tomorrow,” she said suddenly. “Submit the request.”

“I will." He answered her, finally surprising Neya with how firm he sounded. "I will do it early in the morning. As for the Wardens—”

“Will be fine.” She put a finger to his lips.

“And you?” He asked despite it touching his lips.

"Naturally, I will be fine too," she said simply. “And I will work on catching up. I talked with Rinmei; her technique is interesting, and with how many beasts I had cut up by now, I will learn something similar... but not against humans like she has.”

"I will look forward to it." He nodded, leaning down and kissing her, knowing that tonight, maybe their last night together like this.

...

....

......

The following day, after spending half the morning checking the training fields, the outer lecture area, and even the Medicine Hall, Siu finally found Elder Thane near one of the higher stone platforms overlooking the outer disciples’ grounds, probably just coming down from a path that no disciples could see.

“Looking for me again?” Thane asked with a half-smile, noticing Siu hurrying towards him.

"Yes, Elder," Siu nodded as he cupped his hands. “Elder Thane, I wish to submit a formal request for the inner disciple examination.”

"Oh?" For the first time, Elder Thane couldn't hide his surprise while facing him, “Already?”

Taking a deep breath, Siu lifted one hand and then flicked his fingers as three faint silver lights shot into the air, swirling briefly before fading.

“I'll be damned.” He hissed, looking at him, seeing the clear signs of Blood Resonance. "Is it because of the twins?"

"Most likely." He nodded, while Elder Thane stared at him for several seconds, then let out a slow breath, chuckling and shaking his head.

“You are a lucky bastard, I'll tell you that. And probably the fastest disciple to do this.”

“I don't care about that title, Elder Thane.”

“You should,” he told him seriously, "I'm not afraid of you turning out to be vain or your ego going out of hand, so I am telling you now, that you should care about things like this. Denying someone's own talent and achievements just because is unhealthy. And it will make you look fake."

"Fake?" Siu asked, feeling confused.

"You heard me. Being humble is one thing, but it can be overdone. I guess you've had people in the past who postured around, feeling themselves to be hotshots, eh? Well... I get that, but you can't act like an average person when you are not one, or others will think you are acting and being fake. If you want to stay actually humble, accept the praise when it comes your way, but don't flaunt it. However... Never deny it. Do you understand me? Anyway, you are indeed ready, so go to the Mission Hall, pay the fee, and the test will be tonight.”

“Tonight?” He asked, surprised it would happen so soon.

“Do you want me to decorate the request and let it sit for a month?”

“No...” He answered, twitching his mouth.

“Then tonight. I will collect you and bring you to a private testing area. Usually, three Elders are present, all of us examining you and deciding if you are indeed worthy of becoming an Inner Disciple. So, until then, prepare yourself and don't forget to bring your two beasts. They are part of your strength, after all.”

"Yes, Elder," Siu swallowed once, then asked without thinking about it, “Who will oversee it?”

“We can't tell you that!" He snorted, then looked around, "I will, though. Actually, knowing who is currently assigned to the outers' needs, the other two will be Elder Faliah and Elder Marron.”

"Oh," Siu smiled when he told him so easily, but then he realized he didn't know the last name. "Um... Who is..."

“Don't worry about her." He waved a hand, "She handles the protection barriers and formations around the sect. She is a pretty... insociable person, so I don't think she ever interacted with anyone else, including elders, besides completing her tasks.”

“She sounds important, though, if she is working with the barriers.”

“She is." Thane nodded, "So... Do not annoy her, which means, try not to talk to her too much. She has been my senior when I was an Inner Disciple, and I think, throughout my years, I only heard her speak to me... um... twice.”

“Wonderful...” Siu muttered, suddenly, not being that sure he really wanted to do it now, and that maybe he should wait for other elders to become available to grade his progress.

...

....

......

By the time night fell, Siu stood inside a circle, up on one of the peaks, in a building he had never even perceived, not even when Elder Thane led him up the stone path. He only noticed he was standing before one when the door was opened for him.

The floor was carved directly from the mountain, then polished smooth, except for the circular formation etched into its center. It reminded him of the time he entered the sect proper. Grooves ran through and along the formation, creating layered rings and symbols he did not recognize, and he didn't try to either. Moving his eyes away, he watched the four pillars that stood around the circle, each holding a fist-sized crystal that gave off a soft white-blue light. Were those... They were. He realized that they were Azure Crystals... Worth of 100,000 CC per piece. Clearly, they were part of the formation in here, because the air in the room was dense with essence, much more than in any meditation cave he had ever booked. Probably Arya and Marly had felt the seriousness of the situation, because they were walking beside him, following him, and keeping their thoughts silent.

Leading him into the middle, Elder Thane stood to one side, and Siu realized that two others were already there; he had not perceived them until just then. Elder Faliah stood opposite him, his hands folded into his sleeves, while his expression was the same Siu remembered from the duel with Bren. As for the third Elder, Marron, she turned out to be a tall woman with dark, somewhat bluish hair tied into a knot at the top of her head. She had a narrow face that looked permanently unimpressed, telling him she wanted nothing to do with this and just be... away. Anywhere else, where there was nobody to talk to. Trying to look away, he failed, and then he noticed that in her hand was a thin tablet of polished wood, marked with what he recognized as formation lines.

"You," She looked back at Siu, as if noticing he was peeking at her, making him almost jump. “Stand in the center.” She said with a very weak voice, so the order was anything but... order-like. Still, he obeyed, and was already standing there anyway. Just then, the woman tapped the wooden tablet in her hands, and the formation lit up, the four Azure Crystals bathing the room in a cold, bluish light, making Arya suddenly shiver, her eyes twinkle... apparently, she very much enjoyed the feeling, while Marly looked more confused than comfortable.

"Relax," Elder Faliah smiled faintly. "This is not a duel, and the formation will help you to regenerate essence much quicker. We want to see what your blood can do, so we need you to be able to use everything you've got.”

“Breathe naturally." Elder Thane joined the discourse, "Just do what you feel like doing, and it will be enough.”

“I understand.” He nodded, and then Siu closed his eyes, and his breathing technique began working at once.

At first, nothing happened that would make him feel out of the ordinary, but then the collected essence entered him through the air, and he could even feel it rushing into him through his skin. The way he absorbed it was like nothing he had experienced before, and it made him feel very pleasant... a bit too pleasant.

“Confirmed circulation through blood,” Marron said, barely audible, documenting it, talking to the other two. “Indeed... Early Blood Resonance.”

"Mhm," Elder Faliah nodded, still looking at Siu, “Congratulations.”

"Um..." Siu opened his eyes slightly. “That’s it?”

“No,” Faliah said with a chuckle. “That is the easy part, but that alone is not enough.”

The rings of the formation beneath him glowed brighter just then, and the air grew heavier, like when Elder Yan tested him on his first day. Withstanding it just the same, Siu felt something searching through him, as three senses at once scanned him, discovering everything he may be hiding. Then... the crystals flickered, and the sensation intensified... However, elder Marron frowned, tapped the tablet again, and the formation under Siu rotated, the weight lessening for a moment before returning twice as strong. Another sweep... a new flicker, one more rotation, the weight coming down on him thrice as heavily now. Then... a fourth change. Fifth. Sixth...

"Master!" Arya suddenly cried out, being unable to handle more, making Siu realize that the two of them were standing with him all this time. He just... forgot, lost in the feeling, withstanding it, fighting so strongly that he closed off everything else, just to keep his back straight.

“Again...?” Elder Marron muttered, her brows now completely crunched together.

"That will be enough, Elder Marron." Thane said, crossing his arms and looking at her, "Please turn it back to normal."

“His stage is confirmed, but his affinity is not.” She muttered again, her fingers still hovering above the tablet, but... in the end, she tapped it, and the weight was withdrawn from them, looking very displeased with the results. “This is not a measurement error,” she said at last.

“No,” Faliah agreed softly. “It is the boy.”

“His affinity refuses classification.” Thane explained briefly, "You should look into the news spreading among the Elders, Marron."

"..."

Siu forced himself not to speak, his heart beating, checking on Arya and Marly, who were exhausted, but otherwise looked and felt okay.

“Can you manifest it?” Elder Faliah suddenly asked, "I heard it was unique."

“That is... complicated.”

“I asked if you could manifest it.” He repeated, clearly not interested in excuses.

“Yes,” Siu said after a moment. “But not alone and not in the usual way.” It was then that Thane finally stepped forward.

“He needs a pattern to... well, you'll see.”

“A pattern?” Faliah repeated flatly, raising a brow.

“Someone else’s technique, movement, or ability." Thane waved it away, making it vague, "I'll help him demonstrate.”

Marron turned fully toward Thane, clearly not understanding, and the words ready to bubble out of her, looking bewildered.

“That is absurd... That is not an affinity!" Elder Faliah said before Marron could, "If he can't use it without someone else, he is not an inner disciple material.”

"I can use it by myself," Siu spoke up at once, lifting one hand as he produced Arya’s silver motes. "I just can't demonstrate the true nature of my affinity alone."

"So..." Marron’s gaze locked onto her tablet instantly. “Illusion...? The readings say this affinity is an illusory type... but... why is the reading being so weird...?”

“No, it's not that." Siu shook his head, "This is why I need someone to demonstrate with me..."

"Now," By then, Elder Thane had stepped into the circle. “I will suppress myself to his level.”

"Thane!" Marron’s eyes narrowed a little, as her readings were disturbed by Thane's presence. “This is an examination hall! For him!”

“Keep examining.” He shrugged, and unlike Marron, Elder Faliah was clearly intrigued. It told Siu that his unique affinity wasn't widely known... or at least not in detail. They only knew he was unique, but not how or why.

"You can separate the readings, Elder Marron. If you want to go already, let it happen so we can advance with the task." Faliah chuckled softly. “Let him proceed. I am curious...”

"..." Marron clearly muttered something under her breath, but she did not stall them anymore.

The air around Elder Thane changed at once, and for the first time ever, Siu could sense the overwhelming presence of an Elder. His aura was wild, searingly hot, and he couldn't get a read of him... Arya and Marly whimpered, hiding behind Siu, but then, the feeling lessened, and Elder Thane pulled back almost everything, allowing Siu to get a better read, sensing as if he was still stronger than him, but only just enough to give him a winning chance. Just then, Thane lifted one hand and a small flame appeared above his palm, no larger than candlelight. It began dancing, then flattened into a thin, circular ring of fire. With a flick of his finger, the ring spun outward, slicing through the air before dissolving, never leaving the formation itself.

“Basic Fire Ring,” Thane said. “It is nothing but a simple control technique everyone with fire affinity learns, as it helps concentration.”

“Can... Can you do it again?” Siu asked, as he was too lost to pay proper attention.

Without question, Thane formed the fire ring a second time, doing so more slowly now. Inside the formation, Siu could sense the way essence gathered around Elder Thane’s body. He had a faint sense of how his blood ran through his arm, entering his palm and... Without thinking, Siu lifted his hand, and his own essence moved through his own blood just so that a spark snapped above his palm like a firecracker. It wasn't a fire ring at all, but everyone went still, even Elder Thane. Seeing it and knowing about it were two different things.

“That is impossible,” Marron spoke up, probably the loudest she had ever been in her life. And then, she spoke more than in a year... or two. "His readings had changed from illusion to... fire? Impossible! Even if someone has a rare dual affinity, it is usually with adjacent or complementary ones, not... random like this! And it can't change in a way that makes the other totally disappear!"

"How... quaint," Faliah added as he exhaled slowly, while Thane just laughed.

"Well, is he an Inner Disciple material, or?" Thane asked, stepping out, and the formation began slowly dying down as the trio exchanged glances.

"He is," Faliah answered before Marron could, who, in the end, only nodded, watching her tablet, then Siu, then her tablet... then the formation, her mouth moving but no words were coming from her throat.

"Congratulations," Thane said, turning towards Siu, "Your promotion will be finalized in two days, and when your silver sash is delivered, you will have to move into the Inner Disciples' section. Until then..." He smiled at him, "Make sure everything is settled. You won't have the time to visit them, I can guarantee you that."