Rising Kite - A story from the world of HWFWM

“Did you hear about the outcast silver-ranker who arrived? The one with the outrageous name?”

“Why would I care enough about an outcast?”

“Aren’t you even curious about the name then?”

“Well, you seem eager to share. Spit it out.”

“Apparently, he is called Pathbreaker. Can you believe it?”

“What in the cursed heavens? Do they just let anyone take any name? That would be like naming you Immortal Conqueror.”

“Hey, just because the last few clashes haven't gone well doesn’t mean that you have to go and insult me. I swear, if we weren’t sworn brothers…”

“You’re right, I’m sorry.”

“Still, Pathbreaker? That one needs to be taught a lesson in humility. And an outcast no less. Maybe I should go challenge this so-called Pathbreaker myself. Where did you hear about it?”

“It was just rumors among some of the initiates. I don’t know where it started. But as for lessons, you will probably have to wait in line. Some disciple of the Thunderous Soul sect has already claimed rights to the first challenge. You’ll have to fight him or her if you want to cut in line.”

“Nah, then things should work themselves out. I guess that there is no response from the Silent Horizon sect?”

“Those sticklers? No way. Only the other sects acting out can ruffle their robes. You know how they are.”

“Figures. Still, what if it turns out that the name was actually an earned one then? Wouldn’t that be something to see?”

“Oh please. Your last loss seems to have scrambled something in that head of yours if you’d think that to be the case. Come, let’s go get some noodles. My treat today.”

“I know that I should hold off on making too many purchases here, but heavens, they sure are making it hard to resist,” Kite mused to himself, his smile strained as his insides warred between frugality and the set of armor in front of him.

It was one of many suits on display at an armorer’s shop within the Heavenward branch trade pavilion. Kite had only barely been in the city a full day, having registered his presence with the functionaries of the adventure society and found lodging relatively close by, and he already felt a bit overwhelmed by the size and scope of it. He had thought that he would have a good grasp of things, having spent some time in Convergence and Orchard, but Heavenward wasn’t called the heartlands for nothing.

Finally able to drag his eyes away from the armor set, Kite bowed to the sales clerk after paying for some materials he knew that Peony would want for the armor set they had planned out. While his current ones looked rather unassuming, it had a decent amount of quality enchantments. Nothing that synergized with his path per se, but enough durability, mobility-enhancing and self-repair that splurging on another set now just didn’t feel warranted.

Through his expanded vision, Kite had already noticed that he seemed to have garnered some slight attention from a man skulking about the trades hall. Information brokers were everywhere in cities as large as Heavenward, but Kite had thought it suspicious that the man would have continued to hang around him, as the city should be large enough for a new arrival to not stand out too badly. Those assumptions were quickly crushed however, as he saw the man nod to someone off in the distance and subtly nod towards Kite, leading the small group of essence-users straight towards him.

“Cursed heavens, really?” Kite murmured with a sigh as he noticed the accentuating colors of bold orange and the sect medallions on prominent display among the group, which consisted of a pair of silver-rankers and three bronze rankers. One of the silvers, a statuesque runic woman, took the lead as her aura homed in on Kite’s own. It didn’t actively try to suppress, but was more the spiritual equivalent of a purposefully rough handshake.

The others joined the aura efforts of the lead woman, projecting their spirits enough to clear a path.

“Make way for the Thunderous Soul sect!” one of the bronze-rankers bellowed, gathering even more attention from a, by now, quite curious crowd.

“You there!” the runic woman called, clearly directing her call towards Kite. “Are you the outcast called Pathbreaker?”

“That is the name which was given to me,” Kite acquiesced, keeping his voice in the tone of normal conversation. “And who might you be, senior sister?” he asked, trying to keep the tone polite and respectful even if he knew that it would probably be in vain.

“I am Joy of the First Moon, disciple of the Thunderous Soul sect,” she declared proudly. Kite recognized the name of one of the three great sects of the heartlands, which might keep even silver-rankers as mere disciples. Still, her presence raised questions of their own.

“Then I greet the disciple,” Kite said, bowing politely. “May I ask for the reason behind this most public greeting. I have been here just shy of a day, and must admit that I am surprised that someone from such a grand sect would know of me.”

“Word of you and your pride started spreading fast, outcast. It is quite daring to claim such a name, after all, and as soon as I heard, I felt that it was my duty as a warrior to see if such a grand claim had any merit. One needs to be careful, after all. Perhaps it would be best to choose another title for yourself, one that better matches your station?”

Her words were, as Kite had come to expect, loud and boisterous, but Kite thought that he could see a calculating gleam in the runic woman’s eyes, her face covered by softly glowing pale white marks.

“Alas, the name was given to me and not one I intend to relinquish,” Kite answered honestly. While it had felt a bit boastful at first, he had to admit that he had come to like the title.

“As expected from one such as you,” the disciple replied, disapproval clear on her face. “Then I have no other choice but to challenge you to a clash of paths, outcast. Neither me or my sect will be satisfied until your claim has been verified.”

No one, neither the group from the sect nor the onlookers, seemed surprised in the least when the challenge was delivered, instead murmuring to one another with a modicum of excitement. Part of Kite wanted to just brush the matter off and be done with it, but he knew from experience that the woman wouldn’t back down. And he had to admit that he was curious to test himself against someone trained within the grand sects of the capital.

“You would lay down a challenge without asking for a prize?” Kite instead replied. “What would you wish to claim through such a challenge?”

“Bah, I have no need for whatever poor means an outcast such as you carries,” she snorted. “When you lose, it will show the world that you are just a jumped-up nobody, lacking both sect and foundations. That is enough for me.”

“So, a bout of tempering then?” Kite said, nodding to himself. “In that case, I accept. But you will have to forgive this ‘jumped-up nobody’ for asking for a prize for himself. I am without sect or sponsor, as you said, and have only my good name. Should I win, I ask for two awakening stones, trusting the disciple’s honor in choosing which.”

Kite didn’t know if asking for sparring and tutelage would even be a good option in the unknown waters of the capital, and if his guess was correct…

“A mere pittance, as expected,” the disciple said, waving off the request. “Then follow me. A sparring arena has been prepared.”

As the so-called Pathbreaker accepted the offered duel and left, following the disciple of the Thunderous Soul sect, one of those present in the crowd had to suppress a smirk, thankful that the crowd of people should make it hard for even the silver-rankers to pick out any spikes of emotions among those gathered.

“The plan of the mistress worked perfectly,” Sprig of Prosperity thought as he followed in the wake of many other curious would-be onlookers. When he was assigned as a personal initiate to Pristine Mirror, Sprig had been a bit worried. According to the rumors, the experiences of such initiates varied wildly. Still, five years of service for his essences and stones should be bearable, and so far his daily life beneath the mistress had been much more than that.

Not only was she surprisingly nice in their dealings, but even sent him out on tasks that were actually achievable for someone of his rank. Spreading some rumors had been the simplest of tasks as there weren’t even any lies involved. Merely telling certain initiates and other gossips about the name of the outcast had been enough, and it had paid dividends so soon, too.

“Now, the only thing that’s left is to make a recording and bring it back to the mistress. If she’s in a good mood, maybe she’ll even reward me.” Sprig had a good feeling. Pristine Mirror seemed smart, careful and cunning; the very epitome of a member of the Heavenly Shadow sect. Tying himself to her ship now could only mean that his rise in the future would be all but guaranteed.

“And maybe I’ll even be able to earn myself the standing to take a new name,” he thought, longing to be rid of the one of his birth, only sounding childlike to his own ears. Sprig made sure that he had the recording crystal ready, then increased his pace. He needed a good place among the onlookers, after all.

“So much for keeping a low profile for a week,” Kite thought with an inward sigh as he took in the forty-odd people gathered within the dueling arena. Even though Heavenward was affluent enough to have its own set of mirage chambers, they were rarely free on short notice and pricey enough that many bouts were still fought within the cheaper facilities. There were even plenty of warriors who shunned the dangerless experiences, writing them off as crutches as opposed to the mental acuity born from a bit of risk.

His opponent had assumed a ready stance on the other end of the arena, the pair starting around fifty meters away from one another as was common during silver-ranked clashes. Joy of the First Moon had donned a suit of medium armor consisting of ruby scales as well as brought forth a round metal shield which looked surprisingly plain and unadorned in comparison.

“But I suppose that I have more pressing things to worry about,” Kite mused as his focus came to rest more firmly at his foe. Her aura was condensed and well-controlled, giving off the feeling of a thundercloud about to erupt with barely contained power. “I wonder if I will be able to hold back any of my tricks at all?”

While the powers of well-known fighters became common knowledge soon enough, Kite still knew the value of keeping at least some metaphorical cards close to his chest. Feeling that his opponent was a competent one, she should be a good benchmark for what to expect in this foreign city.

“Still, stumbling into a duel within a day? Almost feels like home,” Kite thought, unable to help a slight smile. “Is this what my life has become?”

However, it became obvious that the slight quirk of his lips was interpreted differently by the disciple across from him.

“Smiling, outcast? Are you that assured of victory?” the runic woman called out to him, her voice mostly silencing the crowds.

“Only idle musings, disciple. I meant no disrespect,” Kite replied, assuming a ready stance as he could feel his opponent’s aura tightening even further in readiness.

“Then you will soon come to regret not giving me your full focus,” she countered, looking for all the world like a spring wound tight, ready to uncoil into violence at a moment’s notice.

In the short silence, the officiator stepped up to speak. Unlike most, if not all, of Kite’s earlier clashes, this one was almost as close to a professional as one could find. A tall elven man wearing the robes of Warrior’s clergy had appeared to officiate the bout, apparently one of several who were constantly stationed near the many dueling arenas of the Hua-Xi capital.

“In the eyes of Warrior and the heavens, I declare this clash legitimate,” he called with easy confidence. “Joy of the First Moon, disciple of the Thunderous Soul sect, faces Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune, also known as the Pathbreaker. The terms have been agreed upon, and the queen’s decree has been upheld.” Seeing that each combatant acknowledged his words, the priest straightened.

“Then… begin!” he shouted, his words accompanied by a burst of his bronze rank aura.

“Step into the clangorous domain!”

Disciple Joy did not spare even a moment, casting her opening spell immediately. Mana flowed from her, and just a moment after, the air of the sparring arena was filled with floating metal discs. Or rather, as Kite realized upon seeing their curve and ornamental symbols, gongs.

“Wall!”

Having seen the conjurations for what they were, Kite could guess what would come next, and thus chose his most encompassing defense. A layered cube of barriers appeared just as the disciple sent another pulse of mana through the area, causing all of the gongs to reverberate as if struck. Even through his protections, the outer layers bursting instantly, Kite felt as if he was struck by a clap of thunder. Protective arrays lit up across the arena floor to prevent it all from disintegrating beneath the resonating force.

“At least this is a dance I know,” Kite thought, already moving to counterattack. He held back from deploying the arms of his mantle for now, Immutable Echo appearing in his hand as he struck out against his own barrier. The tremulous thunder around the arena was undercut by an even deeper reverberation as force walls exploded outwards in turn. The air rippled and shook as resonating ripples clashed into a chaotic mess, some of Kite’s own counterattack damaging nearby gongs. Still, that was only the opening salvo for both combatants. His opponent was already casting another spell when Kite made a two-pronged follow up.

“Dissolve the patterns of power!”

While Kite’s aura was an excellent tool for wearing down magical conjurations such as the gongs, he needed something more immediate. Ripple of Cancellation burst from him in all directions, swallowing around half of the gongs along with the streams of sharp metal discs which disciple Joy had sent flying his way. But what might look like his only one was actually second in turn, as an almost unseen blade had appeared for a brief moment and sent a flickering cut crossing the space between the combatants.

The Veiled One’s decree nicked the disciple’s right upper arm, the woman having sidestepped only as she belatedly sensed the attack. The hidden strike drew only mana, but Chakra implosion was not its main purpose, but rather the affliction of the blade itself. Sensing the obfuscating curse take hold, Kite had no time to smile as yet another pair of metal gongs had appeared. These were much more detailed and potent as they manifested to each side of him, and Kite was forced to whip up the barriers of Heaven-and-Void warding towards one of them while a quick Disrupting Strike sundered the other.

This left his ears ringing only slightly after another series of shockwaves erupted from the fresh conjurations, the intention no doubt being for the energies of the two-pronged spell to collide in the middle to some devastating effect. As only one gong remained, it was not enough to break through Kite’s ward. But it was enough for his Unyielding to have accumulated enough stored momentum, and Kite took the opportunity.

A couple of panels of force appeared beneath his feet as he stepped into the air thrice before unleashing the stored momentum into an empowered dash. Behind him, even more cacophonous spells erupted, but the disciple did not seem perturbed by Kite closing in even as she blocked a pair of projected strikes with her shield.

Having her gongs dispelled and having been rather ineffectual overall so far seemed to have little effect on disciple Joy’s composure, and the runic woman instead took a thunderous step of her own to meet Kite. A crystal wand decorated with several dangling chimes was conjured into her hand, and the silver-ranker struck out with her shield to meet Kite’s swung staff while said wand projected several bolts of magical force at once. Most, however, weren’t directed at Kite but rather the floating gongs around them, creating further resonating cascades as they impacted.

Joy’s second strike with her shield was foiled however, as Kite’s left hand let go of his staff to conjure a short sword with a wavy blade. The descendant of Matra flickered, and Disrupting Strike caused the wand to crack and dissolve while the Pattern-Shattering Counter delivered through his staff did the same with the crackling resonance that had built up within the shield.

Even here, Kite had to admit that the sect disciple showed a lot more composure than many of his foes so far, swiftly moving on to send another series of sharpened metal discs toward him instead of freezing up as her conjured equipment disappeared. She did try and create some space however, leaping back with another thunderous shockwave that sent Kite’s bones creaking with resonating force.

The shockwave was no doubt meant to force Kite back as well, and so Kite did get a slight satisfaction at seeing the surprise in her eyes as the ground beneath him absorbed the knockback instead. This left her sailing in a decently predictable trajectory against an opponent who had already projected two attacks towards where she would be. Joy managed to turn and absorb one on her shield but the other, Kite’s staff strike, hit her full-on in the side. Three times did Chakra implosion eat through her mana reservoir and three times did boons get dispelled or transcendent damage delivered.

Kite was forced to abort his third attack however, as the ground beneath him bucked and rippled before erupting into yet another resonating detonation, Matra lashing out to deflect a few razor metal discs which curved their way around his barrier even as he was dodging and attempting to counter at the same time. While performing the next few ranged exchanges, Kite had to accept a few more waves of resonating force from the surrounding gongs until his aura had finally broken them down enough that they shattered one by one by the force channeled through them.

Less than half a minute had passed, yet so much had happened as both Kite and the disciple transitioned from one attack or spell into the next, the intensity truly showing off both the physical power and mental acuity of a silver-ranker. With the greater reserves and capabilities as well as more evolved powers, it became more a race to see who could force the other to make faulty judgments in which attacks to avoid or defend against and which one would be forced to accept.

But while the disciple was indeed skilled and in many ways overwhelming as she turned the world around her into a cascade of resonating doom, she was not Soul, blessed by Warrior. Compared to the faster and stronger celestine, the potent spells of the runic woman felt so much simpler to predict. One by one, Kite cut through her spells and defenses, his combat meditation keeping his mind steady and assisting him in processing each and every ripple in the air around him.

The distinct shift in the battle came when Kite had to make an awkward side-step, and his opponent saw her chance.

“Strike, and announce the ruler of thunder!”

The chant of his foe was cut off as yet another metal disc appeared before her, wide enough to obscure her whole form. This gong was even more decorated and charged with potent magic, and a split second after it was struck from behind, turning everything in front of it into a mess of roiling destruction.

However, this also meant that Joy of the First Moon, disciple of the Thunderous Soul sect, did not see what became her downfall.

A small panel of force appeared beneath Kite’s seemingly stumbling foot, turning the awkward side- step into a steady stance as Kite countered. The charge of Potential of Stolen Powered was poured into his Pattern-Shattering counter, and Kite’s staff swung upward to meet the roiling tide of resonating ripples which blurred the air enough to distort visibility. And said swing cleaved the spell in two.

The destruction parted before Kite, his empowered dispelling counter thrice echoed leaving his foe actually staggering back as the costly spell meant that the returning mana drain took an even greater toll. A single empowered step left Kite standing just before the runic woman as her gaze seemed to clear, and another swing trailing the darkness of Void-Sunders-Firmament swept through Joy’s form. The duel ended like so many others for Kite, his opponent’s last dregs of mana cut away by his mana-draining powers and the deceptive Cleave the Spirit.

But unlike most other times when Kite had faced someone of his rank, his body was hurting all over. Sure, he had been able to hold his most spectacular advantages in reserve, but the disciple in front of him had shown true skill only rarely seen up in the northern provinces. And Kite suspected that this disciple was not the best that Heavenward had to offer.

“And knowing my countrymen, this will probably be just the beginning,” he thought as he laid the head of his staff on the shoulder of the wobbling woman in front of him, who was barely holding onto consciousness.

“The Pathbreaker is the victor,” the officiator stated matter-of-factly. “You have both performed well, and Warrior is pleased. The prize is to be delivered to my church when ready, and we shall make sure that the victor receives it wherever he may be.”

Then, the priest left as the crowd exploded into conversation. Many gazes rested on Kite, ranging from surprised, to curious, to greedy to hostile, and the voices only grew louder as another figure entered the arena from one of the side doors.

The elven man had deep blue hair which hung in a thick braid almost down to his ankles and cheekbones so sharp it felt as if you might cut yourself on them. He was dressed all in black, his clothes a cut unfamiliar to Kite with their straight lines, and the pin of an adventure society official was prominently displayed on his stiff collar.

But it was most of all his spiritual presence that was a kind of incongruity; while it was immediately apparent that he was a powerful being, Kite still couldn’t sense his aura at all at first. Only when meeting the elf’s ocean-blue eyes and sensing a wisp of aura which the man must have purposefully let leak, did it finally click in Kite’s mind that he was in the presence of a gold ranker.

The man completely ignored the crowds as he stepped up to Kite, hands held behind his back.

“Adventurer,” he said, voicy surprisingly melodic. “Follow me to your scheduled meeting.”

Kite, very confused but also knowing better than to start arguing with someone of such power, felt himself giving a bow of acquiescence, following as the elf turned and left without so much as a glance backwards. Only when the doors to the dueling arena shut behind them did he muster the courage to speak.

“If you would excuse me, honored elder, I was not aware that I had meetings of any kind scheduled, at least not within the upcoming-”

“The meeting was scheduled just now, in fact, when we learned of your little confrontation,” the man said, interrupting Kite with a nudge of aura that felt much like a slap on the hand. “Most days, duels between you natives wouldn’t be any cause for concern. You can’t seem to help yourselves apparently. But since you are a candidate for Task Group Gauntlet, things are more complicated. So the director saw fit to bring you in and get a look at you for herself.”

“I… see…” Kite said, getting a sinking feeling. While he knew that there were gold-rankers in the capital, there still weren’t that many. Even his preliminary research before traveling south had let him get a grasp of the ones which were more or less constant presences. And as there were only two working directly for the adventure society, one of them being the director, he also knew who he was speaking to. “I’ll be in your care then, deputy director Brackenstar. “

Upon the mention of his name and title, the elf glanced back at Kite, face still impassive. “You already have been. Me revealing myself let you avoid at least three more challengers who were just waiting to get their chance. After this little display today, I would expect many more.”

Pristine Mirror looked up from her meditations as the initiate servant returned. The younger man did his best to keep his composure, but she barely had to glance at the surface layers of his aura to see his distress. Worry, disbelief, and quite a bit of fear.

“Probably directed at me,” she thought as initiate Sprig knelt in front of her meditation mat, presenting a recording crystal. She could sense him steeling himself before speaking.

“Mistress, I regret to inform you that things did not go according to your wishes. I spread the rumors in what I thought were fertile soil, and initially, I had hoped to reap your intended harvest. Joy of the First Moon was the first who found him, and he accepted her challenge.”

“From your tone, I would imagine that things did not go well for disciple Joy?” Mirror asked, picking up the recording crystal.

“No, mistress. While she did put up a fight, to say that the result was a close one would be a lie.”

Mirror looked thoughtfully at the crystal in her hands, now even more curious to glean its contents. “I see. Isn’t disciple Joy placed squarely in the middle of the local dueling rankings?”

“Yes, mistress.”

“Huh.” Mirror said. “And here comes our outcast and actually defeats her in front of witnesses. Maybe it isn’t that weird that he was able to beat uncle Prowess while still in peak bronze rank? Still, it shouldn’t affect my plans too much. Rather the opposite, as I imagine that our little outcast will barely be able to get a moment's rest from here on with the line of would-be challengers. I would assume that he was challenged again right afterwards?”

“That’s the thing, mistress. I thought so too, but deputy director Brackenstar showed up from nowhere and brought the Pathbreaker along to some meeting.”

This had Mirror straighten suddenly. “Brackenstar? Came personally?”

“Yes, mistress.”

“Then that is proof that there is something more going on here. You have performed as asked of you, initiate. I will take it from here. My sources at the adventure society will talk to me and me alone. Feel free to use my token to the training facilities when I am gone. Laying a foundation at normal rank is important.”

Mirror held her expression in check when she felt the relief almost pouring off the man, Sprig thanking her profusely as she left her quarters. “It takes so little to make the less fortunate so very happy. And such loyalties may become very useful down the line,” she thought as she walked through the corridors of the sect compound towards one of the many terraces where people could take off with flying artifacts and powers. “As for you, Pathbreaker, let us see if we can’t find the reason for your contacts in such lofty places.”

“Well, out with it!” Soul eventually said, unable to ignore the servant woman who had patiently been waiting for her to finish meditating. For the last half an hour. It wasn’t that the young woman had been noisy or irksome in any other way. Even her aura had been clean and controlled, which Soul had rarely felt in a normal ranker. But essentially having an incarnation of the dedication to service standing beside you had not really been the most relaxing experience to her warrior’s heart.

“Mistress, there is an adventurer at the door who has asked for you, apparently having traveled far.”

“Did this adventurer wear any sect colors?” Soul asked suspiciously.

“No, mistress. Apparently, you yourself had sent a letter-”

The woman didn’t get the chance to finish before Soul sped past her, crossing the grounds and gardens of her patron family at top speed. Still, she was careful so as to not wreck anything. The Eden family had so far lived up to their promises, both in stipend and that Soul was left to her own devices outside of the contracts and services they provided. And with the fierce inter-family rivalries of Boundary, that meant plenty of chances at beating up other silver rankers.

It was only once she had flung open the main gates to the family’s compound and actually laid eyes on the person outside that her spiritual senses caught up to her.

“You’re not the Pathbreaker,” she said dumbly, looking at the woman with the long, curly pink hair who had been leaning against a long, heavy axe while idly playing with a straw of the long grass which was plentiful in the mountainous region.

“Hi! I’m Dragonfly!” the shorter woman said cheerfully. Soul, disappointment churning her stomach, was just about to turn and slam the door shut when Dragonfly’s next words registered.

“I challenge you to a clash of paths!”