Cerulean Sage
The boy was only thirteen, but the deep red color of his skin matched by his flame orange hair marked him as a terrestrial of high breeding. Dressed in a deep red gi, barefooted and blindfolded, he passed through the bamboo posts stepping gently on the balls of his feet. As he did so, his relaxed hands pushed forward in softly sweeping motions, passing effortlessly past the obstacles… most of the time. His elbow brushed a pole, causing it to fall with a great clatter to the floor.
As he moved, his steps took him closer and closer to an older man, standing in the center of the small kwoon. He was also dressed in a red gi, but his skin was pale blue in color. His head was completely bald, though he did have a long, flowing white beard that drifted about him on invisible currents of air, endlessly curling and uncurling about him. The student approached, and as he did, visible beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead. When his relaxed palm came within a hand’s breadth of the sifu, he froze in place.
“What do you sense, Amaranth Cherubim?” His voice was soft and slow, carried from his lips in only the faintest whisper.
“I sense... your virtue, sifu. It is almost blinding; your love for all things fills the room with warmth, as though you were on fire.”
“Mmm… you have learned to perceive the virtue in others, and this will serve you well as you serve all mankind, for by recognizing their virtue you will grow to esteem them, and through this esteem come to see all women as your sisters, and all men as your brothers. Now tell me, what else do you sense? Search with your heart… it is not so close as I, but if you seek with your feelings, it will reveal itself in turn.”
“I sense… sifu, there is another man here! His compassion does not match yours, but his conviction is strong. He’s… he’s waiting outside the door.”
“Excellent. You’ve learned to perceive even the unexpected. Meditate upon your accomplishments and how you will use them in appropriate conduct. I will see to this visitor.”
The boy ran out the back of the kwoon, pausing only to replace the pole he had upset in his practice. The sifu turned and said, in a slightly raised voice, “Welcome to our home once again, visitor. Please come in and let us hear your petition that we might better help you.”
The large man standing outside revealed himself in the doorway. “Sorry. Didn’t want to interrupt training.”
“Nonsense, Secret Avalanche, your presence afforded us an unexpected opportunity to test our student’s skill. It has been some time, though, since last you traveled this far north in the Marukan range. Please, sit with us.”
“Yes.” The jokun removed his broad-brim hat and began unwrapping the scarf from his pale face. “Always so hospitable, Cerulean Sage. No one treats us like you do, except the Master.”
“And how is your young Master? I see that you are here on his behalf… but you are no mere messenger. This is a strange thing; there must be a story behind it.”
Secret Avalanche took his seat opposite the sage, settling heavily to the floor. “Nobody watches Secret Avalanche, the spy who is not so good at spying. Secret Avalanche goes where he pleases and even the good spies don’t care.”
The Cerulean Sage frowned slightly. “Then the most powerful wizard in all of Murakan cannot trust his own people?”
“Secret mission. Master has always admired your arts. Seeks training.”
“We see…” The sage lifted two fingers to his lips and concentrated. “The wind tells us things about the new rulers of the Marukan; they possess great virtue, but they can also be terrible. Though we have transcended the rigid interpretations of the immaculate order, even we know that it is dangerous to teach enlightened martial arts to such headstrong young men. The Nameless Ravine recently attacked the spectators at a martial arts competition when he suffered an embarrassing defeat. Mayhiros Tesos was driven from his home by the Storm of Amber. Even your Master, who has done so much to seek peace and prosperity for this land, did he not order that a defeated earth immaculate be slain in cold blood by his elemental servitor? I hear many things, as do you, honored guest. How can I follow the path of compassion and teach the young wizard?”
“First. Earth immaculate fought us three times. Two chances to reform. Very fair. Second. Master needs secret arts to protect. Nameless Ravine goes berserk, who will stop him?”
“This is a noble purpose, true, but you are still hiding something from me. Why should a man with such aspirations need to hide his quest for compassion from his own circle of allies? Is Nameless Ravine so wild? I have also heard he can be quite temperate and fair.”
Secret Avalanche looked at him suspiciously, then sighed heavily. “Sage is wise. Master is doing something stupid. Fears his circle might try to stop him. Master…” he stopped and wiped his forehead with one hand, as though he could sweat like a mortal man. “Master values this goal before his own life. Needs secret arts to defend his allies’ enemy. Reform, not kill.”
The Cerulean Sage opened his eyes wide in surprise. “Ah.” He stood and began pacing through the room with light steps. When he stopped, he looked down with mild annoyance as he realized that his beard had tied itself into a bundle of tight knots. “That is an… extreme dedication to the path of compassion, I must admit. Some might say recklessly so. However, I will not be the one to judge his actions. Tell your master that I will accept him as a student when he is ready to agree that he will never again order a subdued foe slain, and that he will never kill a living man, woman, or child unless on a field of battle. The Marukan may need warriors, but it does not need killers.”
Rivers Between Us tensed his muscles. He crouched low in his stance, his trailing leg bent like a bow beneath his loose fitting robe, while his right, leading leg was extended out before him. The right foot was turned slightly inward, but the left was twisted perpendicular to his body. One hand was held out before himself, open palm up, while the other was folded and hidden behind himself, like a coiled serpent.
Opposite himself, the Cerulean Sage's own stance was hidden beneath the many-layered folds of cream and cornflower-blue robes. His right arm was crooked before him at waist level, while his left mirrored the position behind his back. Between them, the mirror-smooth hardwood floors reflected the cloudscape that roiled past the open windows of the flying pagoda. He spoke, his hand reaching up to smooth his narrow white beard. "You claim to have learned much in the past months, and I sense that your pursuit of virtue has met with... some... success. Now demonstrate for me this mastery you claim to have attained with your "snake" style."
Rivers shook his head. "I see now why you're the sage of compassion and not temperance. Fine, I will demonstrate!" His hand inverted and flashed forward, a lash of azure essence flicking out in a blinding streak of light at. The god slid... forward, into the strike, and the light was dimmed before it reached it's full strength. A warm, deep blue light began to seep forth from him. He accepted it into his raised palm, a raised welt appeared there and burst, three drops of blood falling to the floor. Rivers nodded his head, then staggered, his knee nearly folding beneath himself, his own hand wracked with pain.
Rivers clenched his injured hand. "That's not fair. I saw that, you used a combo!"
The sage laughed and shook his own hand, the wound sealing immediately. "And you used essence flow. I merely removed your solar crutches. I'm sorry, but you are still not ready to receive my teachings. You've wasted my time by summoning me here. Nice house though. A little gauche, but that's exalts for you."
"Wait! You haven't seen my combo yet... the Benevolent Spirit..."
"Bah!" The sage strode across the floor in three quick steps and performed a sweeping kick towards the twilight's leg. Rivers began to shift out of the way of the attack, but the god stopped short and gestured to the youth's knee. "That! That soft twist in your essence flow through the seat of valor. Certainly, you may have mastered the Snake, but that's not a Snake retreat. You've already begun studying another art... something stranger. You have another sifu! How dare you ask for my assistance when you're seeing another master on the side?"
Rivers stepped away and straightened his robe. "I don't know what you're talking about. I may have picked up a trick or two... I've been having strange dreams lately..."
"And you didn't think that mattered? This isn't even celestial martial arts you're practicing!
"What are you talking about? I'm sure it's not terrestrial... I'm working far too hard at night for that! Is there actually solar martial arts? I would have thought..."
"Fool!" The sage's visage darkened from sky-blue to sea-dark, and lightning fairly crackled from his long beard. "You're messing with powers you can't possibly..."
Rivers cut him short with an axe kick that nearly crashed into his face. His foot struck the floor, smashing through the boards and leaving a spreading pool of green venom that ate away at the ragged edges of the hardwood. Rivers slowly resumed his stance, a dark look on his face. "I've spent every moment since my exaltation pursuing the power that I need to protect those I care for. You're damn right I'm messing with powers I can't comprehend, that my level of enlightenment and virtue is insufficient for the task. I have proven my purity of purpose, and I am no longer so weak that I can be ignored. It is for you to decide if my path will continue to be tempered with compassion, if I will have the power not only to kill but to save as well, before such time as my charges are assaulted directly. Have pity on those around me, who are dragged into the wake of the sun as it falls from the sky!"
The sage circled him, twisting his beard and laughing, his face suddenly brighter. "You threaten me with the death of your allies? Ha! If you draw others behind you, then you must deal with the consequences. Fine. Tools I will provide you, if only to encourage your path through safer paths of enlightenment. You come with strength to the path of compassion... you have passed the first test."
Thus Rivers began his instruction.
