The Passage of Twin Disciplines
Chapter One
The Shadow Princesses Awakening
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"Concentrate!" A sharp female voice pierced the training ground. Akali spun on spot, keeping her body low in the brush of the bamboo field. Her loincloth whispered over the earth beneath her, black-brown eyes carefully picking through her surroundings for any abnormalities.
She couldn't locate the voice, it sounded as if it had come behind her, but her instincts told her it was in front of her. Folly to those who did not listen to their instincts.
Scowling, she held perfectly still, trying to quell the rising anger that was slowly creeping up into her consciousness.
'Balance in all things,' she silently recited, taking a deep, steadying breath. A single needle, tinged green with coated poison, aimed at her forehead; ripped through her hair as she ducked out of the way and vibrated in the trunk of a bamboo shoot.
Another needle sunk into the soft dirt between her feet as she pushed up, flying into the air, moving clear of the bamboo shoots coverage. Cloth flapped in the wind, reaching back for her previous hiding spot and it's meager protection.
She twisted, throwing out one of her kamas at a rustle, hitting a thrown stick, a diversion. Akali's eyes widened, realizing her mistake too late as a sword hilt slammed into her back, sending her sprawling through the bamboo she was already descending into.
"Dead once."
Her arms snapped around, appendages hitting the wooden shoots painfully, peppering her with future bruises as she rolled to a stop. Fingers clawed at the dirt for a grip, being rewarded with a particularly durable root. No sooner had she stopped was she back on her feet, pulling herself against the root and using the momentum to propel herself forward.
Steel flashed for her exposed neck, clanging against the blade of her right kama, the force of the blow causing her arm to shake under the awkward block. A needle flashed and she lowered her left weapon to deflect the shot to her kidneys, receiving a twist of the enemies blade that sent her right arm out wide.
With a strike that was too fast to defend against, the cruel hilt of the sword slammed into her jaw and she staggered back, spitting out a wad of blood while raising her defences.
"Dead twice already." Her mother scolded, long black hair tied back and tight over her dark purple uniform. Akali felt the anger building again, fighting to push it back and regain her inner balance when another slash came out. Her mother stepped forward under the strike, twisting her ankle around to switch her stance mid strike.
A second blow came when the first was deflected, aimed low and up, using the long katana to it's fullest. Akali deflected the second blow, pushing back to get out of her mother's strike range so she could regroup. Her fingers slipped into her back pouch, grabbing and tossing a smoke bomb with a single twitch of her wrist.
The cover wouldn't do much against a seasoned veteran, but her mother would pause long enough for her to break out of the bamboo field. While the weapon her mother preferred did well in close quarters, while keeping her opponent at bay, Akali needed more room to fully utilized the flourish of her kama.
As soon as the cover was deployed she broke for the clearing she knew to be there. No sooner had her first step into the wider area been placed, had a needle grazed her shoulder, leaving a bubbling hiss where it touched her skin.
She turned and raised her kama in a cross, expecting the forward chop that would have cleaved her exposed back.
The blow came down furiously, pressing her weak guard as she struggled to keep the strength in her legs with the angle they were placed. The sword relented and Akali dropped, kicking out only to hit air, her target having already retreated.
A rustle warned her of the next strike as she was attacked from her right, the deft sword cutting down an aged bamboo stock in it's wake. Akali deflected, throwing the blade off and counter-struck with a side cross of her Kama, narrowly missing a direct hit. Pulling back, her mother smirked and struck again, pulling the deflected blade around and up, aiming for her daughter's armpit.
A second kama came down and blocked the expected counter, and a second smoke bomb was placed. Akali attacked instantly, using her mother's expected hesitance to her advantage. Her kama flourished, cold steel flashing through the smoke cover and digging into her mother's scabbard.
She tugged at the weapon, tossing it aside when it was obvious it was lodged too deep to deal with in her present situation. Akali kicked out when her mother's arm was thrown wide, carried by the scabbard and lodged kama. Managing a staggering blow to her mother's lower abdomen, she put all her strength into a twisting blow that would have beheaded another opponent and was instead met with the flickering sword.
The young ninja glared at her mother's easy, almost bored and still controlled expression. Akali's strength wavered, it was then she felt the prick of cold steel pressed against her throat and noticed the dagger against her throat in her mother's free hand. Disbelieving, she slanted her gaze to the hilt of the sword and realized she was losing with a dual grip on her kama to one of her mother's arms holding the sword strong.
Sighing in defeat she closed her eyes and relaxed her body, awaiting her punishment. Her expectations were met a moment later with a harsh slap to her cheek as the dagger was pulled away.
"I'm disappointed, I expect more from you." Her mother stated, her voice cold as she walked away to pick up her scabbard. "Meet me in my room in ten minutes, and Akali, do not be late."
"Understood." Akali replied, waiting until her mother had departed before she bent to retrieve her fallen kama.
~o~
Akali's mother gripped her daughters chin with thin, strong fingers. The fledgling ninja stared straight ahead, focusing on one of the bamboo walls of her mother's room. She forced all of her attention on the wall, pushing out the throb from her shoulder she had flushed with an anti toxin and the pulse her lip was giving.
The younger shadow warrior is lean, muscle covering her body, leaving no extra room for unneeded fat. Akali moved easily under her mother's touch, moving her head to the left and the right as she was inspected but did not let her gaze wander.
Her pure black hair hangs down to whisper against her waist, tied back at the top of her skull in a cloth wrap, as well as at the bottom of the stream. Carefully controlled so it would not be a hindrance. Left uncontrolled are a set of bangs, hanging over the left side of her face as well as tickling down to her chin all the way around to the back.
Akali's skin is dark, with new bruises already spotting her soft skin, her dark skin is partly from training in the sun for hours on end, and partly because of her lineage. Her dark black-brown eyes focused turning to slits as her mother tut-tutted, unimpressed with what she had seen from her daughter so far. The morning's workout had been a test, one Akali had obviously failed.
The young shadow warrior is dressed in her usual combat attire. Dark green leg guards cover her shins, cutting off with a painted metal plate covering her kneecap. Underneath the leg guards is a cloth cover, running up her calves and cutting off half way up her thighs. Around her hips is a thick belt, holding various hidden pouches holding all of the weapons, smoke bombs and poisons she could possibly need. Dirt and grass stains cover her clothing, a small spot of blood on her shoulder and right forearm.
The belt also holds up the dark green loin cloth she wears, both the front and the rear piece hanging down to her knees.
Her stomach is exposed, showing hard muscle on the all too thin frame that leads up to her chest guard. Around her chest, leading up to encompass her neck is the same dark green material, fully covering her chest and breasts. The fabric cuts off at her shoulders, leaving them bare.
Her forearms are covered in similar green metal plate to the pieces on her shins, running up to her elbows. Again, dark green cloth runs up under the guards, reaching half way up her bicep.
The outfit is finished with a gas mask and a piece of cloth that wraps around the top of her head, covering her face except for her eyes.
Her mother let go of her chin, stepping away from her daughter as she strode over to the wall off to the right of the pair. Against it is the shadow dynasties leader's own personal weapons collection. When her daughter had turned fourteen and graduated as a full fledged shadow warrior, she had gifted her with her kama. The type of weapon her daughter has always been the most proficient with. They bore metal hilts, carved with designs and wrapped with leather grips. Dangling from the ends are two silvery strips of cloth, meant to confuse the enemy when the weapons go into their deathly dance. A single circle beam comes out of the hilt, three fingers side before turning into the head of the weapon.
The blades are curved with a flat back, looking very much like a grim reapers weapon. The but of the blade is forked and sharp, curving up and designed to stab on a reverse grip. The underside of the blade is sharp, the top is dull. A single design runs down the centre of the blade, a groove cut in deep that rises and falls like the pull of waves.
Written in tiny glyphs is the message that all of the ninja trained under Akali's mother's leadership are taught on their first day. 'Balance.' The simple message relays everything they must remember and strive to maintain. Today, Akali had lost her's in the heat of battle and it had cost her the match. That was her true failure.
"There is a man in Demancia." He mother began, touching the leather sheath to her favourite sword. The sheath of the sword is decorated with a red dragon coiling front the point up to the hilt, flecks of gold showing the glimmer of his scales. The small indent from where Akali's kama had become lodged is only slightly visible as her mother runs her thumb over the cover, a slight sadness tinging her expression.
Akali waited, her mother would often take her time with her explanations and did not appricate being questioned. When she was ready to tell her more, she would. Her mother was not angry about the damage done to her sheath, it could be repaired, and in the heat of battle you cannot worry about aesthetics. If anything, she was disappointed in herself for allowing the treasure to be damaged.
"He is a traitor, and has been ordered dead by the king." Her mother continued, pulling the sword out of it's sheath to show the gleam of the tempered metal blade. The same as her daughter, Akali's mother has dark black hair, hanging long and straight down her back. Today, the destructive fighter is wearing nothing but a simple navy blue Kimono. Having found time to change out of her combat garbs since they last talked.
Her outfit choices was not enough to fool anyone within the order into thinking she was defenceless. Akali's mother had a wicked temper and could hold her position on reputation alone.
"Kill him." She finished, dismissing her daughter with a flick of her wrist as she sent the sword flying. The weapon sliced through the air, stirring up a few strands on her daughters loose hair as it flew by in close proximity.
"Understood." Akali replied, leaving the room through the hidden entrance, grabbing the drawn picture dangling from where the sword had lodged itself in the bamboo wall.
Everything she needed was already on her person, extra baggage simply got in the way. She would be able to find anything she needed on the way. Anything she could not find, and she found herself in desperate need of, she could purchase. While it was better to remain unseen, plans were rarely followed to a point, being able to adapt was vital.
Akali rushed out of the building without a whisper of sound. She had not been told to tell anyone where she was going, so she wouldn't. No one had been assigned to go with her, so she would go alone. Things were often much simpler than people made them out to be.
She would leave and travel through the Kumungu forest, she was familiar with the area and it was certainly faster than travelling around.
Kumungu forest is a place of magic that is avoided by almost everyone if there is any other plausible option. To anger the spirits of the forest is to die, and the spirits are easily angered. Akali felt for the charm around her neck and found it against the dip of her collarbone. The small wooden cat had kept her safe within the walls of Kumungu forest since the night she had gotten lost. Sometimes she would search for the cougar cub and it's parents, other times she would swear it had been a dream.
After that, she would travel to the border town of the Shurima dessert and obtain a camel or some other form of transportation. Often working as a bodyguard for a travelling caravan has worked well in her favour. It allowed her easy and safe passage, as well as ensuring that another troop of bandits were no longer spilling the blood of innocents.
Once she made it safely though the dessert she will continue north through Mogron Pass, while it is a commonly used trail, it is her only option. There is only one passage carved through The Great Barrier, to go another way to avoid a few travellers would be folly on her part.
After Mogron Pass, it would be only a short travel to Demancia to the north west.
Akali took her first running step into the thick underbrush of Kumungu forest, easily picking her way around tree trucks and other trip-ups hidden in the darkness. This is the first mission she has been sent on so far from the Kinkou estate. Ever since her graduation at the age of fourteen, four years ago; she has been training brutally with her mother in preparation to take over her mother's position.
If she is to one day take over her mother's position as The Fist of Shadow, there is no other option. Her mother was tough on her because she has to be. To be weak is to die.
If you are weak then you cannot enforce the rules of balance and the world will fall to chaos. There is no other option.
She will not fail this mission, she won't be one of the weak to fall to the strong. Akali vowed that much, she would bring honour to the name her mother had birthed her under.
