The Way of the Open Palm
They approached the archway door slowly. Both men, in their own fashion, were preparing themselves for the coming battle. Alain took a few slow, deep breaths, trying to keep his mind still, and clear, like the surface of a lake at dawn. The elders at the temple had said: Keep your mind focused at all times; it is the flexible sapling, not the adamant oak, that survives storm after storm.The young student reckoned that his 'mind-tree' had withstood quite a few storms already.
If Trey was frightened, he didn't show it, and Alain was struck at how blasé he seemed after Nathyrra's appearance. He concentrated, attempting to read the older man's aura, but despite his best efforts, the most he could make out around Trey was a faint, grey line of his Ki around his body. He's drawing his Ki in, like a turtle withdrawing into its shell. What does that do?
Trey exhaled slowly, one hand on the door handle, as he felt the Ki beginning to build inside of him. Alain had not yet mastered the technique he was using, formally called Ba-Ki by the elders in the Temple, which meant the unification of both the body, Ba, and the energy of the soul, Ki. Drawing his aura inside the body resulted in great strength and speed through sheer force of will; however, it left one feeling physically and mentally exhausted. A monk using the Ba-Ki could run for miles at a quick pace, or shatter boulders with a well-aimed blow. Trey had mastered the technique at least ten years ago, and yet this was only the second time he had decided to use it.
"Ready?" Trey asked, steeling himself for what lay ahead. "Let's-" But his words were cut short by the sounds of a furious rumbling from nearby. The two looked about for the source of the noise, until a Formian worker, followed by the Queen Formian, burst from the wall of tightly-packed stone to their right. When the dust cleared, the Queen stepped forward, tilting her head to them in greeting.
"And so we meet again, human creatures." The Queen seemed to notice the astonished look on Alain's face, and continued. "Did you forget? The Hive has named you as friend, and the time has come to repay our debt to you for our freedom."
"Repay us? How?" Alain asked, though he already knew the answer. The Formians had come for one thing: revenge against the Drow, and the idea of the Hive repaying a debt to them by destroying their mutual enemy didn't seem like very much of a reward. But he had to admit, the Formian's aid would save them a lot of time.
"Southward through this door is a drow camp," said the Queen. "If you mean to go forward, you will have to enter a battle with the dark elves, and you are greatly outnumbered. But if you would proceed, we know a way for you to avoid a confrontation."
"Do you now?" Trey said quietly, his words more to himself than at the Queen. The Queen took no notice of his words, however, and continued on.
"My people have dug a tunnel to the northeast, that bypasses the Drow camp entirely. If you should follow it, it would lead you around their encampment entirely. Do not worry," the Queen said, as if anticipating their suspicions, "the drow will not follow you, as the tunnel will be sealed behind you. Shall I send a guide to lead you there now?"
Alain could have kissed the Formian, if not for the fact that her lips were nonexistent. Here was a risk-free way to avoid a fight and reach Halaster. The sooner they freed the mage, the sooner they could leave Waterdeep. After all, there's no other way for the Drow to enter Waterdeep with Halaster back in action, is there? But Trey's next words quickly killed his sense of glee.
"No," Trey said flatly. "The Drow were responsible for capturing your Hive in the first place. Alain helped liberate you, and so now we have a certain obligation to see this through."
"Uhm, teacher," Alain began, before a rather sharp look from Trey cut him off mid-sentence.
"…I owe you an apology, Formian Queen. Had it not been for Alain's brave actions, I would have decided to leave in your predicament, appalling as it may have been, to delve deeper into the caverns for what we believe to be the true threat at hand. We cannot in good faith accept your option under the circumstances. Our foe is one and the same, and we shall stand with you in driving them off."
It was a brutally honest admission for his teacher to make, and at first, Alain couldn't see the point in stating it. Was Trey indirectly admonishing him for his behavior, or praising him for it? The Formian queen was silent for a time, and it was difficult to tell whether she was staring at his teacher with hostility or astonishment. Such was the norm for telepathic creatures, Alain guessed.
"There is no need for apologies, what's done is done," the Queen stated with an air of finality. "The dorw will not threaten the Hive again. When the battle begins, look below. We will show them their mistake in underestimating their captives."
Trey bowed low, and the Formians scuttled back into the tunnel they had emerged from. A few seconds later, a great cloud of dust rose forth as the tunnel closed in behind them. Alain stepped in to look and saw nothing but solid rock where the tunnel had once been.
"Teacher," Alain began cautiously, "If this is about the fact that I… that is, I'm sorry about going on without you to help the Formians. You know that, right? We're not helping them so that you can— I don't know…"
"Teach you a lesson?" Trey said with a rather amused gleam in his brown eyes. "No, Alain, that's not why— not entirely, anyhow. We will help them because it is our Way. Perhaps you did not realize your actions when you sought to help the Formians earlier…but there's no benefit in mulling over the past."
Alain nodded slowly, considering. The Way of the Open Palm was the code of honor that he had sworn to follow when he had first become Trey's disciple. He had sworn vows of poverty and self-discipline, but the Way of the Open Palm went beyond dictating the conditions of his life. As monks, both he and Trey had bound themselves to certain rules regarding other sentient beings. First, if a person or persons require aid of some sort, then as monks of the Way, they were bound to give it, if their cause was deemed just. Once aid was given, a disciple of the Way was bound to see their business through to the end, that is, to provide help until no more was needed. The Formians had accepted their aid— though they hadn't exactly asked for it— when he had freed them from the clutches of their captors. Now, they were required to defeat this final force before their 'agreement' was completed.
"Ready?" Trey asked, and when Alain nodded, they passed under the archway.
The subterranean chamber they entered was smaller than the cavern before it. The Drow needed no visible light to navigate, and as a result, the torches which dotted the outer walls had been doused and tossed to the side. It was pitch-black, save for the enchanted light surrounding both monks, and Trey never recalled feeling so vulnerable. Might as well paint a target on my chest. Comes out to the same thing. They took a few steps forward, before halting at the same time. There was a small sound coming from the dark, but it was noticeable, and both recognized it: the tightening sound of a bow being pulled taut. Alain focused his mind, staring into the darkness. For a few agonizing moments, there was nothing. Then, almost relucatantly, the auras of their foes bloomed into vision, blazing like miniature halos in the dark. Many, too many. Anytime those Formians want to come out… he thought, and then a great many things happened.
A hail of unseen arrows flew from the dark as the first line of archers loosed their arrows at the two humans. At the same time, a great rumbling noise from below them. As the Formian Hive burst from the ground like unhappy undead, the stone beneath Alain and Trey gave way. The air soon grew thick with the unintelligible cries of Deep Speech, insectile schreeching and flying spells.
The two monks had fallen into a sort of miniature trench, seven feet or so in depth, which had served to drop them out of the line of fire in just the nick of time. With the battle joined, however, the duo scrambled up and into the battle almost at the same time. Trey plowed into the Duergar ranks like a hurricane while Alain headed for the archers, following the light of their auras.
Ocer the chaos, they could "hear" the mental urgings of the Formian Queen, directing her forces against the Drow. Behind them, the Formian Queen, along with two Formian mymarchs, pelted a group of Drow warriors with fireballs, each blast throwing the area into harsh relief in almost rhythmic flashes of light.
After a battle, Trey was always struck by a huge wave of melancholy, poignant enough to invoke nausea. Killing seemed to be an integral aspect of the adventurer's life, but it never got any easier, no matter the circumstances. There were elders amongst the temples who believed one's aura represented their immutable, invisible connection between man and earth, a delicate thread that grew thicker and more robust with every encounter. To sever that thread thoughtlessly was thought to be a terrible deed wrought with consequence. And yet it had to be done here, just as it proved to be a necessity so many times in the past. But it never got any easier.
Conversely, he never felt more alive than at a battle's beginning, and he catapulted into action like a man half his age. One duergar warrior, toting a heavy iron tower shield and a light flail, whipped a ferocious blow at his skull. The swing seemed hideously slow to his heightened senses, and he sidesteppeded out of its arc with opposite leg thrusted forward, colliding head-on with the dark dwarf's shield with all the force he could muster. The shield crumpled in the greyskin's grip, the top of the shield colliding squarely with the duergar's temple. Galvanized by his own strength, the monk followed up on his assault, delivering a brutal backhand blow that knocked his opponent right off his feet. The Duergar came to rest among three of his kin, knocking him unconscious and scattering the others.
Alain moved like a fierce wind in autumn, scattering Drow archers like dead leaves. With quick chops of his hands, he snapped bow handles and strings. The most quick-witted archers quickly traded their bows for short blades and dirks, but before the ambush could turn against Alain, the Formians were there, popping up from the earth like bizarre moles. Sharp as the Drow's blades were, they couldn't break through the shell of the Fomians' chitinous skin. The Formians' maces and clubs, however, found no trouble in crushing the soft flesh of the Dark Elves.
A hand reached out from the dark, grasping his shoulder, and Alain turned, his left hand a mere blur. But Trey fended off the attack, Alain's outstretched hand slapping against his raised forearm. Alain, shocked, began to apologize, but Trey flapped a hand in the air and motioned behind him. The Formian Queen, her carapace smeared with gore, approached them. Alain looked around. It is said that even five minutes of battle seemed like hours to the combatants, and now he could see the truth of that proverb. The stone was littered with charred Drow corpses.
"The drow threat is ended, and the Hive has paid its debt," the Queen said with what sounded like grim satisfaction. "Though it is unlikely we shall meet again, you have my thanks for our freedom." The Queen bowed low, her insectile legs bending beneath her, her antennae wiggling. Seconds later, a tunnel opened up before them, which the Queen promptly crawled into. A few seconds more, and she was gone, the tunnel closing up behind her. From all around the cavern came the sound of moving dirt, as the other Formians exited in the same method. Then the two were left alone, with only the staring eyes of Drow bodies to watch them.
Trey exhaled slowly, feeling the pent up Ki inside of him leaving through his pores in waves. He was exhausted, fatigue washing into him, deep down into his bones, filling in beneath his skin like jelly. Ba-Ki had its drawbacks, and his weariness was chief among them. He got Alain's attention and pointed towards the Drow's former campsite, indicating their next destination.
"Before we move on any further, Alain, I must rest," Trey panted, a bit unsteady on his feet. Alain nodded, and the two made their way over to the ruined campsite.
Soon, a crackling fire has sprung up among the cold embers, and the gloom encompassing the site was pushed back. Trey had set down an old cloak as a blanket and sat down, as Alain went about starting the fire. The older monk's body seemed to shiver, but it was not cold that bothered him. When Alain looked closer, he could see the Ki which drawn into his body earlier begin to seep out like water in a sieve. Trey's eyes were closed, and he did not speak for several minutes, leaving Alain to stoke the fire. Finally, he opened his eyes, and a little of the weariness which had been in them was gone.
"Much better," Trey said in a satisfied tone. He shrugged his shoulders slowly, stretching as one had woken from a long sleep. He looked at Alain, who was staring into the fire, and poking the embers with a stick distractedly. "Something on your mind?"
"Oh, I was wondering if those Formians will be all right," said Alain, looking up. "They've been caught once before, so hopefully it won't happen again."
"Only the Queen matters, and I'm sure she will be loath to put herself into such a vulnerable position again," Trey assured him. "As long as the Queen is untouched, the Hive will never be in danger."
"It's kind of strange though, isn't it?" Alain said, and then, prompted by the look on Trey's face, he continued, "I mean, why does the Queen mean so much to the rest of the Hive? Do they feel any kind of love, or is it just instinct that makes them protect her? Because I know, that if it was one of the workers trapped instead of the Queen, they would have abandoned it." Alain looked at Trey, puzzled. "Does that make sense to you?"
"You can live without your arms or legs, but not without your heart. I cannot claim to know the intricacies of Formian society, but I think that would be a fitting metaphor nonetheless. You remember our first encounter with the Formians?"
Alain nodded slowly. It was hard to forget, really— they had stumbled into a pitfall in the Anarouch and had wound up in the subterranean catacombs of a Formian hive. They had been forced to fight through countless worker and soldier Formians before their Queen had been willing to negotiate. How many lives had they been forced to end until the Queen decided to reconsider? It is bizarre…but it is their way, I suppose. Voluntary sacrifice for a greater good.
"As for what motivates them," Trey mused, gazing into the fire, "I have no idea. I'd like to think that it was more than instinct that caused the Hive to stay their hand…but it doesn't quite ring true. "
Alain nodded, and for a few minutes the only sound was the crackling pops and snaps of the fire. After a moment, he spoke again, "What was that Ki technique you used back there? It was hard to tell, but it looked like your aura was shrinking."
"I'm surprised you noticed- and impressed," his teacher replied with a nod of approval. Alain smiled and scratched at the back of his neck self-consciously. It wasn't often that Trey paid him compliments, but when he did, they were always well-received. "Your sight is getting better, isn't it? It's called Ba-Ki: drawing outer Ki inward."
"Okay…but how does it work, exactly? You were stronger, faster…usually I'm the one leading the charge, but this time, I could barely keep up with you."
"How does it work? Well…" Trey paused briefly, considering how best to explain the technique without losing his student. After a moment, he raised a hand in front of his face. "Disciples of the Way, as I'm sure you know, are trained to channel their aura unconsciously. If I threw a punch at you, you might observe me gathering my Ki into my fist the second before impact."
"Right, right," Alain said, nodding quickly. "The same way I might gather aura at the point of impact to defend against it. I don't even have to think about it, to some degree."
"Correct, it's become second nature. Ba-Ki, however, takes a conscious effort, and not just to your fist or your feet, but to your entire body. If my hand was my aura," Alain said, clenching his extended hand before him, "then normally it clenches right before I hit my target. Ba-Ki would be like throwing a punch and flexing every muscle in my arm as I do it."
Curiously, Alain swung across his body with his right hand slowly, trying to imitate exactly what Trey had stated. With all of his muscles tightened, his right arm felt a bit like a very tightly coiled snake, ready to strike. "So, you use your aura kind of like a muscle, and keep it tensed for a period of time."
His teacher lowered his hand with a nod. "Very tiring to perform, as you might imagine. The most skilled practitioners can use it for extended periods of time. My own limit is about fifteen minutes. Frankly, that's all the time it should be needed for."
"Alright. Think you could teach it to me?"
"In time, I believe so," Trey said slowly. "But I doubt a proper opportunity will come up, hm?" He gestured to the utter darkness of the place around them. Somewhere off in the gloom, they heard a soft cawing sound, and a dull squelch. Some beast had just taken its meal, no doubt from one of the cooling corpses lying on the ground behind them.
"For now, you should focus on your basic techniques. Fundamentals…"
"Right, right," Alain said, suppressing the sarcasm in his voice to a mere treble, "Fundamentals."
"Alain," Trey began reprovingly, "Patience. Haste is man's undoing. No doubt, mightier men than you and I have died in this very place for acting just a second earlier than they should."
Alain's lips pressed together as he nodded and lowered his gaze. The aura around him had shifted to a sickly green. Jealousy? Anger? Perhaps both? Trey sighed. In his current state, it was difficult to tell: gathering his Ki would be strenuous for a while. He's not going to be your student forever…
"Continuous, controlled channeling," Trey said solemnly. Alain looked up at him quizzically. "You know the theory behind it, now put it into practice. Guide your ki into your body evenly and retain it. Five seconds, ten seconds…when you manage to reach two minutes without pausing, I'll show you the next step."
Upon seeing Alain's delighted expression, Trey quickly added, "And don't let me catch you practicing in the middle of an ambush. You could very easily get yourself killed-"
"Yes, Teacher, thank you!" Alain said, bowing his head deeply.
Trey watched him with a touch of reproach for a long beat, then rose to his feet. "Anyhow, I feel stronger now. We should push on while we can. Halaster should be close. Also," he said, looking around slowly as Alain doused the fire, "we should keep our eyes out for our new friend. With this recent success, she shouldn't be far." With that, the two monks began to look for the exit, the darkness around them complete.