WAY OF THE FLYING CRANE

by Ulquiorra9000

Chapter 10

Tashi wasn't imagining it; it definitely got colder the deeper he went into Ukud Necropolis. The chill wasn't just in the damp, musty air, but inside him, too. He felt the unnatural cold creeping into his brain, spreading psychic frost across his mind. His brain felt heavy and dull, his body clumsy.

"Are you feeling it, too? This cold?" Tashi muttered to Jinpa as the two squads marched through the torch-lit halls. He held up a hand and flexed the fingers, afraid that he was going stiff.

Jinpa nodded. "I'm not surprised, being this deep in Sultai territory. They're ruthless; weaken us with ambient mana, then ambush us, like those naga did earlier."

"Right. So... time to clear our minds. Ready?" Tashi clapped his hands together, and Jinpa mirrored him. Closing his eyes, Tashi released his mind's attachment to his flesh, disconnected from any numbing sensations. He welled up his tri-colored mana and willed it to flow freely, and he immediately felt warmth in his mind. The mental frost vaporized at the touch of Tashi's focused mana, and it rushed through his brain in a wave.

Tashi's body felt lighter as his mind exerted its flexible freedom to the flesh. The cold air seemed to warm up, almost like Tashi sat before a comforting fire. He opened his eyes and was almost shocked to not see such a fire before him. The Abzan soldiers shivered from the ambient cold mana, but Tashi felt isolated from it, and Jinpa looked much the same way. And of course, Lady Sangye looked unaffected by anything around her.

"This looks promising. Let's double time it!" Sahar announced as she led the two squads around a bend. A wider hallway lay ahead, adorned with wall decorations and thick doors. "This must be the treasure wing!"

Excitement bubbled in Tashi's mind as he hurried along with the others. What would he find in here? Whatever it was, he hoped that the Abzan would take it and quickly get out of this place. Maybe stolen Abzan and Jeskai treasures, or rare artifacts with unique powers.

Once again, hisses rang out from the shadows. Up ahead, a cluster of naga rushed down the hall with their rod-blades at the ready, and the Abzan soldiers raised their swords and shields while the battle mages prepared their magic. Tashi grinned and prepared to launch form one of Way of the Flying Crane, but another arrival changed his mind.

"No way. Rakshasa!" an Abzan soldier shouted, pointing. The Abzan shrank back as one when a large, furry form emerged from the gloom. The bipedal beast towered to the ceiling, a massive cat-person with curling horns on its head and huge fangs. It wore a simple sash over its fur and armor plates on its shoulders and waist, and carried a larger version of the nagas' rod-blades. The rakshasa's rod ended in a curvy blade nearly two feet long, and no doubt incredibly sharp, and enchanted.

The nagas pounced on the Abzan. Swords and blades clashed, and both groups broke up into smaller clusters of struggling bodies. Sahar and Leila rushed forth and unleashed blinding attacks against the naga, quickly felling one of the creatures. But they stopped when the rakshasa advanced.

With a growl, the rakshasa pointed its rod at Sahar and coalesced a seething ball of green, blue, and black mana at the tip, the ball swelling to a shocking size. Sahar glanced away from her naga foes long enough to see the rakshasa's spell, but she was caught in the open with no way to defend herself. She snarled and raised her hands over her face -

Three Abzan mages leaped between Sahar and the rakshasa at the last second. They threw up their hands and summoned a white-green barrier just as the rakshasa fired a blinding cone of destructive mana, and the spell slammed into the barrier with enough force to rattle the walls.

"Whoa!" Tashi covered his face as the rakshasa's spell shattered the barrier with terrific force. The abzan mages wailed as the leftover energy threw them aside, and they crashed right into the wall, crumpling to the floor. Meanwhile, the rakshasa stalked closer to Sahar, its eyes locked hungrily onto her.

"Leila! Jeskai people!" Sahar shouted, backing away from the incoming rakshasa. "Help me take this thing out!"

Quickly, Leila broke away from the naga and took up position by her mother. Lady Sangye did the same, untying her red hair ribbon as she went. She snapped it out like a whip, and the ribbon cracked through the air.

Here goes nothing. Tashi nodded to Jinpa, and she nodded back.

Despite the many struggling beings around him, Tashi found an inner calm and allowed it to radiate through his whole body. He stood on one leg, arms extended to either side, palms out. His mana and muscles alike became at once tense but relaxed, fluid and sturdy. He watched the rakshasa's movements closely, waiting for any sign of weakness or hesitation.

With a roar, the rakshasa whirled its rod-blade like a baton and jabbed it at Sahar and the others. This time, a noxious green gas filled the air, radiating through the whole hallway. The Abzan warriors coughed and faltered, wincing at the gas's effects. Tashi felt the gas sink into his skin, and to his horror, it clogged his mana's flow.

Focus! Don't let the rakshasa destabilize you! But Tashi felt sweat run down his body as he strained against the poison gas's effects. Once again, his mind went fuzzy, then his vision and hearing, too. Everything seemed distant and surreal as the rakshasa took a swing at Sahar and the others with its weapon. Tashi dimly saw Sahar block the blow with her clawed hands and get thrown aside.

Then, Tashi saw Lady Sangye's fuzzy form spring into action. Her red ribbon whipped through the air in a frenzy, lashing at the rakshasa from head to toe. The giant cat jabbed its rod through the air to block the blows, but Sangye was too fast. Despite the poison's harmful effects, she scored several cuts on its furry hide, drawing sprays of blood.

"Tashi!" Numbly, Tashi registered Jinpa's voice, but he couldn't break from his pre-battle meditation. His mana struggled to force the poison out, and if he faltered for just a second, he'd succumb. He could feel the poison's icy fingers trying to dig right into his soul -

With a snap, everything became clear. Tashi gasped as sudden exhaustion burned in his muscles, but for the moment, he could fight. He had to.

The rakshasa countered Sangye's next blow with a swipe that knocked Sangye aside, so Tashi intercepted the beast before it could finish her off. With a yell, Tashi leaped into the air, time slowing down as he went. The shouts of wounded Abzan soldiers felt deep and slow, the hiss of the nagas like distant rain. Everything felt suspended, frozen in time.

Tashi snapped out a mana-infused kick that caught the rakshasa right in the cheek. In slow motion, Tashi saw his foot's energy ripple across the cat's face, its eyes squinting in pain and shock. The cat hastily backed off, but not before Tashi pummeled its face with three quick jabs. His knuckles ached as they smashed into the rakshasa's enchanted flesh, but he couldn't hold back. Please, let this work!

Time flashed back to normal speed, and the shouts and clashes of battle became faster, more real. The rakshasa blinked and shook its head, then recovered itself and swiped its rod-blade through the air.

Tashi dropped just in time, and the rod's cruel blade swished through empty air. Quickly, before the rakshasa could prepare another swing, Tashi jumped back up, this time inverting his body to perform form two. Disoriented by Tashi's reorientation, the rakshasa wasn't prepared for Tashi's sudden flurry of kicks on its face and upper chest, and Tashi grinned at the beast's howl of pain. Almost there!

Sudden agony blasted through Tashi's body. The rakshasa didn't even bother with its weapon; it just punched its furry fist deep into Tashi's gut, and it hit like a battering ram. Tashi felt himself get flung bodily across the room, and only Jinpa's last-second mana cushion stopped him from crashing painfully to the stone floor.

The poison gas's effects pounced on Tashi's monentary weakness. He gasped as it dug back into his flesh and body alike, and he suddenly felt heavy and weak as the rakshasa advanced on him, raising its rod-blade to decapitate him. He squirmed in place, willing his body to move. But he may as well be pinned to the wet, rough floor.

"Hey, you!" Jinpa shrieked. With a flourish of her robes, she tossed a pair of paper charms, and the enchanted papers latched themselves onto the rakshasa's stomach. The cat monster blinked in surprise, reaching a hand to peel the paper off.

BOOM! A blinding fireball swallowed the rakshasa as Jinpa set off her paper bombs. Encouraged by the sight, the Abzan soldiers spurred themselves to greater heights, redoubling their efforts against the naga warriors.

Jinpa offered a hand, and Tashi gratefully took it and let Jinpa hoist himself to his feet. "How's the poison not affecting you?" he asked her.

Jinpa parted her robe just enough to reveal a charm necklace that she wore. "I put it on when the rakshasa released its poison cloud. It drains my mana over time, but in exchange, protects me from such things as poison and curses."

"Why don't I have one?"

"They're super rare."

"Figures."

The rakshasa, meanwhile, slumped to the floor in a charred heap that stank of burnt flesh, its rod weapon clattering out of its hands. Sahar, Leila and Sangye joined Tashi and Jinpa, and Sahar nodded her approval. "Good work, everyone. Let's wait for the poison to disperse, then finish off those naga. We -"

"Mom! Look out!" Leila raised her sword and stared in horror at the Rakshasa's remains. To Tashi's amazement, the burnt creature slowly got to its feet, raw red flesh emerging from its innards. As Tashi watched, the rakshasa's skin materialized and stretched over its renewed muscles, then fur, eyes, and teeth and claws.

The rakshasa huffed and licked its lips, then raised its lip in a defiant snarl. It scooped up its rod weapon and jabbed it right at Leila.

With a shriek, Leila was thrown off her feet and crashed into the opposing wall, stunned. The rakshasa swiped its rod through the air and caught Sangye right in the ribs, drawing blood and slamming the woman to the ground. Sahar, meanwhile, raised her hands to defend herself, but even she couldn't keep the fear from her eyes.

The sight of the rejuvenated rakshasa filled Tashi with defiant fury, a flame that seemed to burn away the poison in him. Drawing up the last of his mana, he sprang into the air in form one, fists drawn back.

The rakshasa whirled around just in time for Tashi to kick it square in the face. The cat beast snarled and raised its rod weapon to strike Tashi down, but Sahar was faster. With a shout, she boldly leaped at the rakshasa and raked her metal claws along its cheek, drawing another yowl of pain. But even as Tashi watched, the rakshasa's wounds began to seal magically shut.

Tashi landed and took a few steps back. "Jinpa! When I say 'now', toss me a few more of those exploding charms!" he called over. "It's our only chance!"

Jinpa drew two more paper charm-bombs from her robe's pockets, but she looked doubtful. "These didn't kill it last time. What are you planning?"

"You'll see. Lady Sangye! Help us!" Tashi called out.

Swiftly, Sangye got to her feet and charged at the rakshasa, filling the air with her deadly ribbon. Sahar wove herself into the pattern, and the two women launched a fierce dual assault on the rakshasa, scoring wounds all over it. Furious, the cat beast raised its arms to block the blows, but it clearly couldn't hold out for long.

Just as Tashi leaped into the air to finish the job, however, the rakshasa sprang back on its strong legs and pointed its rod-weapon at Sangye and Sahar, charging another tri-colored spell at its point. With a roar of mana, the destructive spell blasted through the air, right at Sangye and Sahar.

There's nothing I can do for Sangye or Sahar. I have to do this myself! Tashi took advantage of the rakshasa's distraction and hopped onto its back, hanging onto its body tightly. Confused, the Rakshasa whirled around, trying to wrench Tashi off its back. But he clung to its fur, praying that Sahar and Sangye had survived.

The smoke from the destructive spell cleared, and both Sangye and Sahar stumbled out, their clothes and skin burnt, and Sahar's right arm dangling at her side. Judging by Sahar's pale face and the arm's odd angle, the bones had been broken. But still Sahar approached, her eyes glaring at the rakshasa.

With a flourish, Sangye snaked her ribbon through the air and caught the rakshasa right in the face. Quickly, Tashi grabbed the beast's jaw and wrenched it open, and together, the two Jeskai kept the rakshasa vulnerable for just a few precious seconds. "Jinpa! Now!" Tashi shouted.

At once, Jinpa tossed two charms, and Tashi caught them. He stuffed them down the rakshasa's throat, then scrambled away from it. Jinpa smiled as she realized Tashi's plan, then clapped her hands together.

The rakshasa's body suddenly bulged like a balloon as the charms inside exploded. Then, its flesh blasted in all directions, stinking hunks of muscle and fur everywhere. Only a smoking crater was left, and this time, Tashi was sure that the cat beast was gone for good.

Sahar stumbled toward Tashi. "Good work, Tashi. Rakshasa aren't easily dealt with... but I guess that'll do the trick."

Inspired by the sight, the Abzan soldiers and mages pressed the nagas even harder, and finally, slew the last one. Only a handful of the troopers were left, many injured. But that was enough for Sahar. She gathered all her allies and set off down the wide hallway, eager to finish the mission.

*o*o*o*o*

"This is it! Take all you can carry."

Although Sahar limped painfully into the next room, Tashi could see a confident vigor in her movements, and he didn't blame her. The party now stood in a large treasure room, packed with heaps of goods: thousands of coins, jewelry of all sizes, rare and antique weapons, and to Tashi's disgust, a collection of hand-crafted Jeskai wall scrolls and robes.

The Abzan soldiers eagerly scooped up nearby goodies, but Sahar strode right past the gold and jewelry and inspected a stone podium. Tashi joined her, and saw that it was a sort of necromancy altar, probably set aside in storage for the time being. "Vile, isn't it?" Tashi commented. "Playing with death like that, messing with the sanctity of it all..."

"Yes," Sahar said distractedly, running her left hand along the altar. "You may not know it, but the Abzan respect a spirit's passing into the next life, and the deceased's name is carved into our kin-trees. Bringing them back... it's indeed vile."

Before Tashi could respond, he heard a rustle of robes, then saw Lady Sangye join Sahar at the podium. "What is this?" Sangye asked. "A ritual relic?"

"It is," Sahar said, "but I can't figure out... there!"

Sahar lifted the podium's top off one-handed, and a number of items sat inside a cavity, sitting in a foul miasma of mana. Tashi backed up and coughed, his eyes burning. Sahar, however, ignored it and withdrew a wicked-looking dagger, its handle made of wood. The serrated blade had odd runes carved into it.

"I'm taking this," Sahar said. She sheathed it on her belt. "Shahzad's scholars would love to study it... once they get over their revulsion."

"There's much to learn from it," Sangye agreed. "I presume that it will be secured safely, given its nature?"

"Oh yes," Sahar said. "Shahzad's palace has a few secure vaults. No way is anyone else getting their hands on it." She turned to her men. "Hurry it up! We've got to pull out before more guards catch us. We need to rendezvous with the other platoon and get back to the siege tower. This assault is over."

Eager to leave this horrible place, Tashi scooped up a few Jeskai meditation pendants and joined the rest of the platoon as they retraced their steps through the cold hallways. The platoon advanced slowly, but to Tashi's relief, no Sultai guards presented themselves yet. The whole time, Tashi kept his eyes on Sangye, wondering what interest she could have in all this. Retrieving stolen Jeskai treasures? Maybe, but there had to be something else. Not that necromancy knife; the Jeskai abhorred such things. So what's this all about, Sangye?

Close to the necropolis' entrance, Sahar's platoon met the other infiltration force. Only a dozen bloody and ragged men showed up, with a hollow look in their eyes. "We slew the leader of this place, and his guards," the captain wheezed. "Some naga prince calling himself Takshak. But we're ready to leave this place far behind. We've lost so many."

"As have we all," said Sahar heavily. She glanced at her broken arm with frustration. "All we can do now is save all the Abzan, and Jeskai, lives we can. The general retreat should be sounded anytime now."

Finally, Tashi breathed fresh air as the two weary platoons emerged onto the open battlefield. It didn't look good; the Sultai had clearly recovered from the Abzan army's assault, and now steadily pushed the Abzan right back to their siege towers. All the while, the wounded chameleon sniped the Abzan wherever it could, its tongue snapping out at blinding speed.

"Mom, let me handle this," Leila told Sahar. She put a hand to Sahar's shoulder. "You've done enough."

Sahar smiled, but it was strained. "Okay. Don't get us all killed."

Leila tossed her wavy hair and raised her sword with a shout. All nearby Abzan joined her and began a charge back to Shahzad's waiting siege tower. Tashi smiled at the sight of such ferocity and unity in the face of the horrific Sultai, and he and Jinpa joined the fray. Tashi pushed himself to the limit, beating back every Sultai that came too close to the weary Abzan. He felt his tri-colored mana thundering through him, his passion fueling him. Sometimes, we Jeskai found enlightenment through quiet contemplation of all that is. Other times, not so much!

Tashi shouted in pain as a Sultai warrior's sword sliced through his shoulder, and he saw red blood soak his white tunic. He faltered, watching as the brawny warrior loomed over him, sword poised for the kill. In an instant, however, the warrior fell apart in bloody pieces, and Sangye's ribbon snaked back to its owner.

"Careful, Tashi," Sangye said. "I can't watch your back all the time." She flicked the man's blood off her ribbon.

Tashi nodded. "Sorry. And thanks."

Leila, meanwhile, clearly enjoyed herself as she led the charge. A few more Abzan succumbed to Sultai magic and blades, but by the skin of their teeth, they reached the siege tower's shadow and, more importantly, the cover of its archers. Arrows rained down on nearby Sultai, forcing them to retreat and allow the Sultai safe passage. Tashi checked the rest of the field, and saw that hardly a third of the original troopers were making it back to their siege towers. So many lives lost! This is what it means to wage war, isn't it?

The siege tower's entrance ramp yawned before the Abzan troopers, and they gratefully hurried up the ramp and into the tower's protective walls. Just as Tashi and the last few stragglers made it inside, the ramp hastily snapped shut, and Tashi felt the whole tower shudder as its beast began pulling it again. The sounds of battle were dim from in here, and faded entirely as the Abzan completed their retreat. Tashi could already imagine the Sultai warriors slinking back into Ukud Necropolis to heal their wounds with vile magic.

The medics started treating the soldiers' wounds, and Tashi held still as a medic bandaged his wounds. Jinpa took this chance to speak to him.

"Hey, Tashi," Jinpa muttered in his ear.

"What?" he murmured back.

Jinpa sounded distinctly grouchy. "Next time you take me on a quest, we go someplace nice."

"I wish I could promise you that."

"I'll just bet."