Firstborn of the Frontier

The Four-Armed Asura was the bane of all Yao Guai, but 4 arms could not win against a thousand claws.

Qian had no need of his almost 20 years of experience to conclude as much, and yet the young Scion of the Zhu Family defied all expectations as he fought the horde with expert finesse. It was a sight to behold as he dashed in atop his Floating Disc to unleash a storm of Bolts into the crowd, each one fired with expert precision to kill as many targets as he could and hold them back from the wagon. More than once, Qian audibly gasped out loud to see the young man come so close to death, dancing about the edges of the horde to entice them into the chase, only to rocket away with a cackling laugh that seemed designed to infuriate.

And infuriate it did as he drew the ire of the Yao Guai time and time again, pulling whole swathes out of position and causing traffic collisions among the Ferals in their frenzied efforts to get to him. More than once, minor scuffles broke out amongst the Yao Guai when they butted heads, and the young Asura used this to great effect by weaving in and out of danger to bait and entice them. Not only did he kill a great deal of them, he also disrupted their efforts to encircle and run down the wagon, which trundled on ever westward thanks to the valiant efforts of the Magical Ox. A clever beast it was, always glancing this way and that to take stock of the situation, not just to watch for Yao Guai or choose the optimal path forward, but also to keep a wary eye on Qian and his comrades because it did not trust them one bit. He also suspected the beast was gauging their abilities with the Floating Discs and pushing their speed to the absolute limits that the Spellcasters could maintain. It was subtle, but the beast would speed up, glance over, then adjust his pace if he saw either Spellcaster struggling to maintain the Floating Discs, followed by what Qian would swear was a huff of scorn and disdain.

A most impressive animal, one that would make for fine breeding stock, but not even the Republic cared to invest much into animal husbandry. Not with food already being so difficult to produce in quantities enough and automobiles being so close to hand, but while he would have once agreed with the line of thought, he was now second guessing the wisdom of the Council. A beast of burden was more than a means of transportation, but an asset in and of itself, as he was seeing firsthand as the Magical Ox coordinated with its master to evade the horde by weaving in and around all manners of hills and outcroppings.

The Aberrants lent aid to the cause as well, though mostly the young blonde one with the Ranger badge. Tina, she was called, and she put on a display of remarkable balance and marksmanship while stood atop the roof of the jostling wagon. It made Qian wonder what sort of training Federation youths were subjected to in order to develop such stable footing, for the girl's stance was steady as a rock despite the steel wagon bouncing and thumping beneath her. The young Asura exhibited similar skills atop his Floating Disc, with knees loose enough to absorb the impacts yet tense enough to remain upright with effortless ease. Were Qian in their place, he would find standing upright challenge enough, and it was a wonder that they could both aim and shoot while on the move.

With startling accuracy that belied belief, which only went to show the difference in training doctrines between the Federation and the Republic. With so many youths to train and equip, the Republic had no choice but to spread resources thin, whereas the Federation funnelled their considerable resources into a select few elites and left the rest to learn on their own. While he wholeheartedly believed the Republic had it right, he could not help but admit the Federation's doctrine produced some exceptional talents. The Asura was only to be expected given his lineage from both sides, the blood of the Zhu's and his lowborn father Ming who proved to be an exceptional talent himself, but the same could not necessarily be said of the Aberrant girl. While her bloodline might well be responsible for her mastery over her Spells and Abilities, her other skills could only be the result of training and experience, and while she was not on the same level as the young Asura, she clearly surpassed most elites of the new generation, having handled young Ao Tian so easily in their exchanges.

To hear the others tell it, her Shadow Clone had put up a good fight against the pre-eminent young swordsman, which in and of itself was a feat to be admired. There were not many who could last more than a single move against Ao Tian, and the number of peers who had defeated him could be counted on two fingers. He regularly sparred against the older generation too, defeating standard infantry swordsmen and even a few elites, though he still fell far short of a true Sword Saint. For young Tina to last three moves against him was already better than most would fare, and the fact that she defeated him without breaking a sweat spoke volumes to her skills.

Ones she put on display here tonight as she picked off the most dangerous Yao Guai in the crowd with rapid-fire speed and pin-point accuracy. Any leading Swarmlings that came too close were similarly dispatched with a shot from her pistol, one she kept holstered until needed and drew with remarkable haste. Then it was back to her lever action rifle, with the time taken to draw, shoot, and holster her sidearm totalling to maybe a full second at most. Fast hands, sharp eyes, and an unflappable demeanour, those were her greatest strengths as she slaughtered Yao Guai whilst smiling and bobbing her head from side to side in rhythm to an unheard beat.

And yet impressive as the two youths might have been, the true threat among them was the matron of the group, the gorgeous blonde Aberrant with her piercing blue eyes and regal hairstyle that framed her jeweled circlet of a Brand so well. There she sat with Blastgun in hand, paying no mind to the fight while watching the prisoners close. A kind woman who spared the lives of the young Vanguard she faced, but no fool to think them helpless and not a threat. A shame that, keeping her engaged as a guard instead of fighting the horde. Then again even with her Spells, Qian saw little hope of winning this engagement, not even if they dispatched the silver haired Aberrant to unleash multiple Psychic Screams at the horde.

Major Illusion, Phantasmal Force, Hypnotic Pattern, and Fear, these were the four confirmed Third Order Spells in the Siren's possession, and any one was capable of turning the tides of battle. Or at least taking vast amounts of pressure off of them, for the horde was much too large to be seen off with a single Spell, but Aberrants were prolific Spellcasters known for the volume of Aether available to them on a daily basis. Then again, the young Asura had spoken of multiple groups of Yao Guai and conserving resources, so perhaps there was wisdom in holding back seeing how the horde had yet to truly threaten them. All thanks to the young Asura's interference of course, weaving back and forth and forward and back to confuse and entwine the Yao Guai.

But still the Ferals soldiered on in a frenzied effort to bring the wagon down, their numbers being chipped away at in ones and twos yet still overwhelming all the same. Aside from his singular Fireball to take out the regenerating Silverfish threat, the young Asura used no other Spells aside from his Mage Hands which were clearly Cantrips due to how slowly they were moving. Which didn't seem all that slow unless you'd seen his upcasted version of the Spell, and the base version demonstrated a mastery that surpassed all of the high marks Qian had already given him. It was one thing to improve a Spell, but what was more impressive was using the same Cantrip available to any and all to such a high degree of expertise. It was subtle and effortless to the point where it appeared unremarkable at first glance, yet the way he pushed the twin Spectral Hands to their absolute limits to light molotovs, reload weapons, pass guns, ammunition, and Spell Components over, and more all while the young man fought and ran showed exactly why Qian had given him the moniker of Asura. The Mage Hands were more than a tool to him, but an extension of his self, an achievement that was considered the pinnacle of mastery for any and all professions.

The same could be said of his Aetherarms, and Qian marvelled to watch the young man work. It was simply artistry in motion, no less impressive than the Sword Dance of a Sword Saint or a demonstration of Kung Fu from a Grandmaster Monk. From the way his arms and body moved with the recoil of his weapons and followed through with his shots to the finesse with which he switched them out without so much as a hitch, the Asura was multitasking in ways that seemed all so natural yet boggled the mind should one try to replicate his efforts. He was shooting, reloading, steering, and accelerating, all while maintaining his balance and keeping a close eye on the overall situation, though to what end, Qian could only guess. He watched in transfixed awe as the young man wove back and forth and back again while moulding the Yao Guai battlelines as he saw fit, like kneading a massive mass of dough with only his presence and keeping it from overrunning their position.

A feat of daring to be sure, especially while navigating through the hilly terrain of his chosen battlefield. One that seemed ill-suited for his purposes since one would expect that the uphill portions might slow him down while the downhill portions might see him speed away too quickly to hold the Yao Guai's attention. Not so however, for he used those very same principles to keep the hoard focused on him, letting them think they could catch him as he ascended the hills only to descend down the same side at a sharp angle away from the leading elements. Too many times, Qian's heart leaped in his throat as he watched the young man hurtle headlong towards apparent disaster only to escape by the skin of his teeth. Whooping and hollering all the while mind you, with a big grin etched across his youthful features in display of courage and heroism unmatched, and Qian could shake his head in admiration and regret as he watched the battle unfold.

Not just because the Asura had firmly pitted himself against the Republic with his words and his deeds, but also because Qian saw no path towards victory here for them today. No matter how many times he read the signs and calculated their fate, it always ended in disaster so long as they stayed upon this course, with only two real combatants while a third kept watch of the prisoners and the fourth hid inside the wagon proper. Even if Qian and his team were to join hands, he saw no feasible method to do away with the hoard already nipping on their heels and escape from the other Yao Guai still chasing them down. At best, they could buy themselves time for an impossible miracle, and even then, the cold hard truth of the matter was that not all of them were fated to walk away from today's fight.

A truth his heart could not bear, for he had seen too many of his comrades fall before him over the years. Nor could he stomach the thought of seeing any more, like Yihan for example with his wife and two children, or their other Scout Shun being the sole provider for three children of his own. The other four were little more than children, older than Qian had been when he stepped through the Gate but so sheltered and well-fed they were nowhere near as adept as they should be. Even then, these children were the future of the Republic, each a much-needed talent in the years to come if the Asura and his Aberrant were any indication of the Federation's future heroes. Especially young Ao Tian, for though he had shown himself to be faithless to teacher and patron both, he was still the number one prospect for a future Sword Saint among his generation. The only current prospect sure, but to show such potential at so young an age meant he was a talent worth nurturing for the Republic.

Qian had no children of his own, for he had no wife to keep him company. It simply came down to numbers, as there were far more sons than daughters of the Republic in the First Wave, so not every man could wed. It made for a lonely existence, but he managed all the same, and while he had no real desire to be a father himself, he held true to the notion that the strong were to look after the weak, for only then could the Republic thrive as a whole. That was the true meaning of Mínguó wànsuì, not the twisted version the young Asura had spoken of, wherein the people gave their lives so that the institution of the Republic might thrive. No, the people were the Republic, and the Republic it's people. The strong stand firm, the weak offer support, and together, they would endure whatever may come so that the people would thrive for 10,000 years and more.

Some would die to pave the way, but they would be honoured forevermore by the survivors who followed. Such was the way of the Republic, and now it was Qian's time to step forward and pave the way so that his comrades might stand a chance of returning home alive. He said nothing to Yihan lest the other man dissuade him, nor did he speak to Shun who was still Concentrating on maintaining the Floating Disc. Instead, he acted quickly before he thought better of it and stepped off of the Floating Disc with both hands raised in surrender as the wagon hurtled on by, ignoring Yihan's cries of alarm behind him. The gorgeous blonde Aberrant matron tracked him with weapon in hand, but she did not fire, and for that, Qian was most grateful, though he supposed it might well have been a quicker death than what lay in store for his future.

The decision was made however, and there was no cure for regret, so all that remained was to make a good show for himself, one Yihan could share with the rest of the Republic should he make it home to his wife and children. That would have to do, for there was little chance there would be anything left of Qian to entomb in the mausoleum of heroes in Fuyuan, but the space would be better saved for those with descendants to mourn them.

These were Qian's thoughts as he faced down the shadowy horde barreling towards him in the darkness, Swarmlings and Beetles aplenty all eager for a taste of his flesh. Dreadmaws too most likely, but they were slower and probably far enough back that Qian would be long dead and gone by the time they arrived, but so too would a whole slew of Yao Guai. The young Asura was a wary child and cautious to boot, but not cautious enough when dealing with experienced Spellcasters. The moment he freed Qian to cast Settle in Shadows, he could well have died then and there, for there were plenty of offensive Spells that only required Verbal or Somatic Components to cast, with no Materials required whatsoever.

Like Qian's favoured Third Order Spell, one he worked day and night to learn and execute upon the battlefield, and one he held until the very last moment when the Yao Guai claws were already hurtling towards his flesh. There he stood with both palms facing outwards as he faced down the hoard, his inner energies channelled and readied to unleash with but a word. A Sanskrit word of many syllables he'd learned in his youth, during lessons in the old world that were meant to prepare him for what lay upon the Frontier. Highly comprehensive lessons considering they had done their best to teach him everything he would need to cast a Third Order Spell even though he had yet to even prepare a measly Cantrip at the time, but history showed that no amount of preparation would have sufficed. Not for the countless brothers and sisters he'd lost along the way at least, but it served him well thus far, and he hoped it would serve for the others as well, and the Asura too, for they were the true future of the Republic.

"Mah – no – BHAY – dah!" he intoned, dropping his voice several octaves to speak from the chest as he'd been taught. "A Breaking of the Mind", was the direct translation, and he imbued each syllables with his Will and Intent to focus the magic into a conical spray of razor-sharp blades. Projectiles of Spirit, not Force, which then erupted from his hands to sweep over the Yao Guai before him and shred their minds and spirits both. Though he exerted no force upon the physical world, the Spell hit his foes with the force of a truck and threw their bodies back in a wave of mottled green flesh to crash into the others behind them.

This was his trademark Spell, the one he was best known for. Psionic Blast, a Third Order Divination Spell that required no Material or Somatic components, though he found using his hands to direct the attack allowed him to spread it over a larger area, one that erupted in an arc before him to take out everything in a 135-degree cone before him as opposed to the standard 45 degrees. It stretched further too, bowling over all manner of the Ferals as they slammed into their allies or simply tumbled over and died, clearing enough of a lane for Qian to breathe easy for a few seconds yet before the closest Yao Guai could reach him.

All in all, it was not much of a contribution, but he thinned the horde down some and bought the wagon and himself a minor reprieve. A few seconds at most, not enough time to run and cast another Spell even if he had another one in him. It was more than enough time to reflect on a life well lived however, a soldier, scout, and Warrior whose duty would soon come to an end, surrounded by corpses of Yao Guai that would slow the horde's advance as they feasted to their hearts content. In his peripheral vision, he saw the young Asura watching on with a mixture of rage and chagrin, and Qian was gratified to know that the Scion of the Zhu family would witness his death. As such, he made sure it would be a good one as he stood at attention and snapped off a salute, shouting, "Mín-guó-wàn-suì!"

Ten thousand years for the Republic. Ten thousand years for his people. That was the true meaning of those words, and he hoped the young Asura would come to understand them one day and become the Deva and saviour he was clearly meant to be.

Or perhaps he already was, for Qian was denied his noble death as a tangled of pale white growth sprung up before him. One filled with razor-sharp barbs that the Yao Guai impaled themselves upon in a repeat of what he'd witnessed before being taken prisoner, only far less effective without a bevy of Entangled Growths and a smokescreen to cover up their deaths.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Qian had precious little time to watch it all unfold however as the young Asura came hurtling towards him at speed. Grabbing Qian by the belt and lifting him effortlessly with his right hand as he passed, the scowling young warrior snarled, "You wanna die, you do it on your own time. I gave my word to see you home safe, and you ain't gonna make a liar out of me."

Again, Qian was struck by how similar to the General the young Asura was, right down to the cold demeanour hiding warm intentions. In the early years, the General had been known by another name, the Taskmaster who demanded excellence of all who served under him. He would abide no slackers or layabouts, indulge no truancy, indolence, or idleness at all, for if there was free time to be had, it was best spent training. Oh how the soldiers hated him for it, and many like Qian sought other patrons to serve, but all who did so soon came to regret it as they watched their peers who stood with the Taskmaster grow into the true elites of the Republic. His Cadres saw more action than any others and achieved victory more often than not, with his string of successes over the years quickly catapulting him to the forefront of the Republic's heroes. Then and only then did he become known as the General, and his people made it known far and wide that he demanded excellence only because that was the best way to ensure his soldiers survived. So long as they carried out their tasks without error, then any fault that led to death would lay with him and him alone, a burden of responsibility he bore proudly as he prioritized the lives of his soldiers above all else.

And the young Asura? Angry and bloodthirsty though he might seem as he harangued Qian for his 'reckless and feckless' ways, it was clear the young man wanted them all to live. "Not only did you waste me a Second Order Spell, you done messed up all my efforts so far," the young Asura continued, slowing down just in time to dump Qian back onto the Floating Disc with Yihan and Shun. "So if you wanna help," he continued, directing his Mage Hand to pass over an Aberrtin Tuning Fork, "Then cast Detect Abby and keep an eye on what lies ahead to make sure we ain't headin' into no ambush. If there do be Abby ahead, you just holler and let Cowie know and he'll handle the rest."

With that, the young Asura was off and away, leaving a very embarrassed Qian to stand in awkward silence next to Yihan and Shun. At least the latter was too busy focusing on the Floating Disc to do anything, but the former gave Qian a measured look that was just brimming with amusement. "Brave thing to do," the other man said, sagely nodding his head. "Would've bought us whole seconds even. Shame you didn't die. Sort of ruins the story if you survive. Mind if I tell people you died regardless? Might have you grab hold of the wagon too, fight from the back there and maybe cast a few more useful Spells before you died. A minor embellishment, but a necessary one, because truth be told, three dozen little bugs and a handful of bigger ones is hardly worth bragging about. Me, I'd be too embarrassed to even mention it really, especially if I stood before the Ancestors and their heroics. Better to say I died of gout or dysentery."

"Shut up," Shun snarled, reaching out blindly to gently shove the other man. "You keep going on like that and I'll burst out laughing before dropping all three of us to the ground. Then we'll see who's laughing, huh?"

Cheeks burning in shame, Qian pretended not to hear either of them and set to casting Detect Aberration as the young Asura bade him. He still had Aether enough for that, and when the Spell took effect, he spent some time adjusting his senses to account for the giant horde chasing after him from behind. No point in being alerted to their presence, so he filtered them out by virtue of range and focused on anything outside of five-hundred metres. That was the base range of the Spell once mastered, but there were ways to extend beyond even that, such as funnelling the signal down to a beam like the young Asura favoured. In contrast, Qian preferred to increase the frequency of waves, which admittedly took more effort and concentration while providing only a minimal boost in range, but allowed for far more clarity and breadth of scope.

The way it was explained to him seemed simple enough. The Asura's method was like using a piece of glass to focus light upon one area. In contrast, Qian's favoured method was like using mirrors to reflect the light and cover more area all at once. Both could be of use, but most Diviners favoured one or the other because they were so distinctly different that it was difficult to master both. Qian had almost given up on learning either one, because he lacked the strength of mind to maintain a beam and quickly became overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information provided by the increased frequency of the Aether waves, but one day the torrent of data simply started making sense as his mind worked it all out on its own.

Assuming he parsed through the information correctly of course, which was why he filtered out all Yao Guai that were close by lest it overwhelm him with a splitting migraine that could put him out cold. Beyond 500 metres, there was not much of anything to be seen however, mostly stragglers trailing behind and a few groups of far-off Yao Guai approaching from the north east. Nothing to the west however, which was both fortunate and unfortunate, because while it was good to know there was no ambush awaiting them up ahead, he now had nothing to do besides twiddle his thumbs and ignore all of Yifeng's amused looks. As the minutes passed by and the gunshots sounded behind him, Qian stood vigil to watch what lay before them, but he soon grew curious as to what the Asura meant about ruining all his efforts thus far.

Was there a method behind his madness, a goal he was working towards besides keeping the horde at bay for as long as he could? Qian's death would have bought the wagon some time to be sure, but not much, as Yihan was right to say it would have been a rather lacklustre last stand. A few dozen Swarmlings and an injured Beetle or three, that was the tally of his kills using the one Third Order Spell left to him. Not insignificant, hardly consequential given the size of the horde chasing after them. In fact, the Asura's Spiked Growth might well have killed even more Yao Guai, as many had been so tempted by the dead flesh of their brethren that they ran headlong into the grinder without any care for their lives, as the cold and exertion meant their reserves were running low and there was little to nothing to eat out here in the badlands.

So what then was the Asura planning?

Mostly to indulge his curiosity and ignore Yihan a little longer, Qian turned his attention to the horde as a whole and let the information wash over him. Their movements mostly, as they moved back and forth behind them in surging waves of stampeding flesh, with the Asura masterfully guiding them to crash into one another and slow their progress down. Though unable to see his movements with the Spell, Qian was able to track the Asura by the movements of the horde as they redoubled their efforts run him down every time he drew near and noticeably slowed whenever he skated away. Perhaps that was his goal, to tire them out until they could run no longer, but it would be a long whiles yet before they expended all of their energy. Ferals were the least clever of the Yao Guai, but even they would know when they were close to their limits and would not so easily be baited.

No matter how Qian racked his brain, he could not glean the Asura's goal here tonight, nothing besides strive to survive for as long as possible. There was no winning however, for the Yao Guai were more than capable of outlasting the ox and horses, leaving only the Asura capable of getting away with only two of his three loved ones if they piled onto his Floating Disc and abandoned all their weapons and gear. 225 kilograms might seem like a lot, but at an average of 60kg a person, there wasn't enough for four, and if such an escape was his end goal, then his insistence on saving Qian would make no sense whatsoever.

It all came together before his eyes, even though he did not realize what he was seeing. The Asura baited the horde right, then cut a sharp left, causing the Yao Guai to collide with one another once more like he had so many times before. Qian almost paid it no mind, until he noticed his Detection Spell alerting him to the fact that there we less Yao Guai in the area. Not by much, only a few dead which could have been attributed to the Asura's shooting if not for the fact that his guns had yet to ring out in some time. Same for young Tina, and the matron had yet to fire off a single shot, though she'd stopped watching the prisoners to look out behind them.

No, not just to look, but to weave a Spell, one she had to maintain else she could simply sit down. Peering past her and the wagon both, Qian was just barely able to pick out some movement in the darkness, that of the Yao Guai feuding amongst themselves in a chittering, skittering mess of a melee. Not all of them, but enough to cause a blockage on the plains, and like a stone thrown into a still pond, their infighting spread across the horde as the scent of blood and biomass filtered out into the night. Cold, tired, and furious as can be, the Ferals could hardly hold themselves back at the prospect of a meal, and they cared little if it was human or Yao Guai flesh they dined upon tonight. As soon as one was wounded and injured, the others pounced upon it in a feeding frenzy, fighting and scrambling for a taste and causing more wounded and injured to stagger away and repeat the process anew.

And the Asura encouraged it, drawing the horde this way and that in little zig-zag patterns as he went, risking life and limb to move perilously close to the Yao Guai and entice them to fight amongst themselves. Silent were his guns now, and the same could be said for the others, as they all worked in tandem to ensure that the Yao Guai saw each other as the greatest threat.

All thanks to the Matron's efforts, who had cast some sort of Enchantment to feed their rage and resentment. Paranoia? No, that was a single target Spell, but while Discord was merely Second Order and only lasted a minute in total, it caused the targets to feel a deluge of anger, irritation, and general mistrust and hatred. Emotions most Yao Guai would hardly even notice, for they were beings of darkness and loathing, but given their violent natures and voracious appetites, such feelings could easily lead to infighting amongst them.

A fact which the young Asura made use of with help from his milk mother, and Qian could only watch on in awe of the boy's prowess. There were hundred of Spells with a dazzling array of effects, and the Matron likely knew plenty of Illusions and Enchantments which he was unfamiliar with, but he still managed to pick out a single Spell that could be used to such great effect. The horde was still chasing them, but not as a united group, and instead were broken up into bands of Ferals that were still on task, feuding groups fighting amongst themselves, and starving opportunists seeking to snatch a quick meal only to get caught up in the mess.

"Qian," Yihan whispered, his voice barely audible over the thunder of hooves and clatter of the steel and wood wagon. "It would appear our young leader would have words with you."

So entranced with the Asura's accomplishment, Qian's first thought was to look to him, only to remember that they'd been placed under the command of young Ao Tian. Who had somehow managed to wiggle one eye free of his blindfold, though he was still bound and gagged and unable to do more besides glare and make faces. That said, the boy's message was clear enough as he glanced at the distracted matron before glancing down at his bindings, saying that now would be a good time to free him while no one was watching. Ao Tian wasn't wrong, except what could he hope to accomplish even if he was freed? Take down the Asura? To what end? So that they would all end up in the bellies of Yao Guai, or worse, fated to be taken away used to bring more of the Great Devourer's minions into the middle realms? The boy was dedicated, but to the wrong cause for the wrong reasons, but there was still time for him to learn yet.

Besides, the silver-haired Aberrant was still watching them close, and lovely though she might be, Qian had no intention of rousing her ire. Instead, he gave her a smile, a wave, and then slowly made a gesture towards Ao Tian as if urging him over while uttering a Sanskrit phrase that translated to, "A hand born of my will". Or at least that was what he'd been told, and in doing so, he summoned a glowing blue Mage Hand of his own that he sent over to Ao Tian. The boy's eyes widened in eager impatience, only to blink in confusion as Qian used it to lower his blindfold all the way and move on to the next Vanguard to do the same. That was all he did, and he made sure to pause between each one to let the Aberrant see what he was doing, allowing the children to see what the man they'd come to hunt down was doing to keep them all alive.

Yes, the Asura had declared war against the Republic, but actions spoke louder than words, and his actions proved him a hero to be admired. One who risked his life again and again by skating back and forth in front of the horde, sometimes shooting and often whooping in a cry of pure joy, as if there was no place he would rather be than out here fighting the Great Enemy.

The children had already missed out on the best part of the show, but as the minutes passed by, they saw plenty even without Darkvision to aid them. The flash of the Asura's guns illuminated enough of the darkness to reveal the snapping Yao Guai around him, and more than once, they saw creatures dying in mid pounce as they attacked. More impressive was the fact that the matron had taken her seat again, less than a minute after standing no less, meaning she'd only cast Discord a single time and the repercussions of her Spell were still in effect. The original Yao Guai who were targeted were likely all dead and gone, else they would have realized they'd been ensorcelled and would come after her directly, but the feeding and infighting continued as the Asura led the hungry into the dedicated and got them to fighting amongst themselves.

Turning his attention away from the horde, Qian glanced at young Ao Tian, who sat there scowling fiercely and paying no mind to what was happening around him. All he did was glare in silent accusation, and Qian could hear the boy's arguments in his head, how he'd go before the Council of Elders and claim he'd betrayed them and the Republic both by interfering with his mission. "The Council will not take your side," he said, shouting to be heard and speaking in English so that the matron would not grow suspicious. "Nor would they ever have. The order to take Hao Wei's head was never formally legalized, and thus has no bearing on the matter. Were he to die, the blame would have been laid solely at your feet, and the General's wrath to follow suit. Alive, he is still a young dragon who might one day return to the Republic, and you a beaten dog who may have still be of use, but only if you are intelligent enough to remain silent. There is nothing to be gained from open conflict with the General, not by you or any of the Elders who might back you, so you would do yourself a great disservice if you were to air your grudges openly."

It broke Qian's heart to see young Ao Tian's spirit shatter before him, for he was a boy who wholly believed in the Republic, but had only just touched upon its dark underbelly. Though still better than other methods of governance like Democracy, totalitarian regimes, or Heaven forbid Theocracies, the Republic was not without its flaws, flaws that only a strong and benevolent leader could fix. Like it or not, the General was the closest person to becoming that leader, and the young Asura a promising candidate should the General falter and fall short. Thus, for the betterment of the Republic, some of them here today would have to fall upon their swords and take the blame for this conflict, one that would see them unofficially punished at the very least and quite possibly killed to keep quiet.

Such was the murky world of politics, one Qian did his best to avoid wherever he could, but there was only so much a lowly soldier like he could do. Such was life however, and he would gladly welcome an unpalatable posting in the worst regions imaginable so long as he was given a chance to return home and tell all of the young Four-Armed Asura, a Rising Dragon of the Old Blood who should be welcomed and celebrated as the General's blood relative and possible successor so long as they could pull him over to the Republic's side. A task that seemed difficult to say the least, but Qian would argue for it so long as he wasn't tasked with carrying it out.

Over the next few minutes, the Ferals of the horde broke out into infighting time and time again, until the full cohesion of the Yao Guai fell apart and they banded together in groups for self protection. Some to hunt, others to defend, and still more ran away to fight another day. There were still plenty chasing after the wagon, but not enough to overwhelm them in one go, giving the young Asura time enough to break away from his defensive duties to skate up alongside Qian once more. Glaring at the children and cowing them all in one go, he scowled, drank a mouthful from his waterskin, and asked, "How's it look out there?"

"The way forward is clear up to a kilometre," Qian replied. "More Yao Guai are incoming from there and there," he added, pointing to the north east, and east north east respectively, but the young Asura already knew as much. "They will arrive in short order."

"Seems about right," the Asura drawled, and it occurred to Qian that the young scout could have found out for himself by simply raising his hand and concentrating on the task, which begged the question of why he would come over here to ask such things. Sucking his teeth as he studied Qian from head to toe, he let the silence hang heavy over top of them both before finally breaking it a few moments later. "You got any more Spells left in you?"

"Another First Order at most," Qian replied, as it was the truth. "Yihan has at least 28 Aether available to him, though his Prepared Spells lean heavily towards stealth and close combat." Melee Spells were typically more efficient compared to the ranged alternatives, though there were a few stand out Spells like Spiked Growth and Flame Cloud that went against the grain. Or Discord as it were, if used properly like the Asura had, building up their ire beforehand so that when the Spell took effect, the Yao Guai would not be overly suspicious of why they were so incensed. In contrast, Qian's Psionic Blast seemed rather lacklustre considering it was a Third Order Spell that'd done far less damage at a much closer range than any of the aforementioned Second Order Spells.

The Asura appeared to hold a different opinion, scowling at Yihan and seemingly upset Qian had no more Spells left to him. "If we gotta stop and poke Abby, then we might as well call it quits then and there," he growled, breathing in, then out at a slow and steady rate, and only then did Qian realized the boy was winded from his fight. Was only natural considering he was propelling himself all about with only his legs and Floating Disc, and had done so at a high rate of speed over hilly terrain for at least a full quarter of an hour without rest. Qian was just surprised because the young Asura sometimes seemed like a god given flesh, a deity from on high who'd descended down into the mortal realms and saw their greatest trials and tribulations as little more than a bothersome task.

But even the Venerable Son of Heaven had failed at his task, so it could only be expected considering the Asura was still human yet. He didn't ask about the others, not Shun or any of the children, just glanced at their lowered blindfolds a few times before deciding it wasn't worth the effort to put them back on. Which was fine, seeing how there was no Spells any of them could cast with only their eyes. Even Misty Step had a Vocal Component, one that could not be spoken if gagged. Not that it mattered, because if Ao Tian were to successfully cast it, the most he could do is die alone on the badlands as he was still bound and gagged with nowhere to run.

The Asura's sharp intake of breath alerted Qian long seconds before his Detection Spell did, and he imagined the others would have a great laugh seeing him react so slowly. Much like the Asura, he raised his head and looked out towards the East, where a solid mass of Yao Guai had only just appeared some seven-hundred meters away, no doubt having burrowed out from underground. There was nothing to be seen, not in the darkness even with Darkvision to aid them, for the hills and terrain would block their sight, but sense the presence of Yao Guai they did, a presence which combined with the remnants of the horde still chasing them and the two other groups closing in spelled doom for them all. Qian said nothing however, just looked to the Asura for guidance and ready to follow his lead.

It came so naturally to the old soldier that he didn't even notice until after the fact. In spite of the dire circumstances, the realization brought a smile to his face, for in his heart of hearts, he had already acknowledged the Asura as his superior officer even if he held no rank whatsoever. Taking orders from Prince Gong and Ao Tian rankled him to the Core, so much so that he couldn't help but drag his feet and be curt in his replies, to say nothing of making suggestions whenever he felt they were warranted and going through with his own ideas when he thought their orders senseless. With the Asura though? There was no reluctance to be had, no second guessing or resentment bubbling up from within. This young man was a leader worth following, and Qian had already pledged to do so to the bitter end.

One that might not be too far out, as the Asura scowled some more and heaved a sigh. "Well Yihan," he drawled, and Qian did not miss how the other Scout perked up to hear his name, "Might be you get a chance to poke something after all. Got us some more Abby up ahead, and a tough fight to get through them, so tell me what you and your friends need and I'll get it to ye." No big speech, no loud fuss, just trust given freely without any demands, and once again Qian was shocked by how much the Asura and the General had in common. There was an ineffable quality about them that drew you in, because what sort of man could take you prisoner and then so easily offer to fight alongside you a few hours later? And more to the point, make you want to fight alongside him, to serve and follow his lead in to the Lower Planes themselves to strike at the Great Devourer beyond.

That was the Four-Armed Asura, a Warrior to the core, and should Qian make it home to tell the tale, he would ensure that every man, woman, and child in Fuyuan knew the mettle of the Republic's wayward Dragon, so that they might do everything in their power to reclaim him.