The Dragoness (2)

Saku continued, "Doragonken is a flawless martial art. It has no weaknesses on offense or defense. However, fighting isn't its only purpose. It is also a language."

"A language?" Val asked.

"Yes," Saku replied, "The language of the dragons, to be exact."

"I don't understand."

"Strike me. But first, rid yourself of all ill intent. Think of your fist not as a weapon of destruction but a means of communication."

Val nodded her head. She closed her eyes and focused, clearing her mind of all ill will and distractions. Then she punched.

Saku moved quickly and caught Val's punch in her hand.

A moment of silence followed.

Val opened her eyes—wide with shock.

"Did you get that?" Saku asked.

Val responded, "You said, 'I had mastered doragonken by the age of ten. Only three years after I began training. However, Blue didn't teach me to communicate with it until I was around thirteen.'"

Saku nodded. "Now you're getting it. When two capable martial artists, both bearing no ill intent, clash using doragonken, they can converse without ever having to utter a word. That is how I communicated with Blue and the other dragons."

"I don't get it. How is it possible that a martial art can also function as a language?"

"I didn't quite understand either. But Blue described doragonken not as a martial art or technique but as a concept in itself. He went on to explain that both the dragons and doragonken originate from a land beyond the Flow.

"He told me very little about this land. But it was the dragons' home. A prosperous land of spirits."

"A land beyond the Flow?" Val whispered to herself.

Saku pressed a finger against her lips. "When conversing through doragonken, you are utilizing the concept in its purest form, making it the most efficient method of mastering the art. So no more talking. From now on, we will communicate through doragonken."

Val nodded and blocked Saku's fist with her forearm. As they clashed, Val could read Saku's thoughts.

She heard Saku say, "As I was saying earlier, before his death, Blue informed me that the dragons were sent from their homeland to find someone within the Flow. Someone strong. Someone they could trust. I'm sure you're somewhat familiar with what he asked of me?"

"I am," Val replied. "Most current day higherups are familiar with it. Including me, my father, grandfather, and the gatekeeper."

"I see. Anyway, Blue told me that he and the dragons agreed that I was that someone. Thus, he entrusted me with all their secrets. He revealed the location of three artifacts: two pairs of earrings and a katana made of dragon scales.

"He told me these artifacts would lead me and someone of my choice to their homeland, where we would fulfill our destinies."

"So he tasked you with choosing that second person?"

"Yes."

"Ah," Val said. "But then, Warui struck."

"Correct," Saku responded.

"I never understood that part. You and Warui were childhood friends. Why would he turn his back on you and the dragons?"

"He was greedy. He thought he was the only one qualified enough to accompany me solely because he was powerful. But I wasn't too keen on the idea because power wasn't the only thing I accounted for when deciding who to take. I wanted someone I could trust. Don't get me wrong. Warui and I were close, but to be frank, I didn't trust him enough."

"So you refused to take him, and that's when he and his clan slaughtered the dragons?" Val questioned.

"Yes."

"I see. But you never finished telling me what happened after that."

"Ah, yes," Saku continued. "Well, as I said, I was filled with hatred. Which inevitably caused me to give up on Blue's task because I didn't think anyone qualified to go with me. Sometime after, I closed off the dragons' cave and fully embraced my role as Tribal Chief.

"I built a wall around our mountains to keep outsiders away from my people. And over the next few years, life went on somewhat smoothly. That is until the regret caught up to me. Deep down inside, I wanted to complete Blue's task. And I wanted to see the dragons' homeland and what they wanted me to accomplish there.

"Thus, I ventured back into the dragons' cave. But alas, the artifacts were gone, and I panicked. According to Blue, travel to the dragons' homeland is impossible without those artifacts.

"However, at the time, awe-inspiring stories were spreading of a blind man with the ability to see the future. I desperately needed guidance, so I left the Shi Mountains and sought that man out. His name was Tiresias."

"Tiresias," Val muttered under her breath. "I know that name. He's still alive today. Working as an advisor to Helios."

Saku continued, "When I found him, he prophesized—"

"That your will would be reincarnated into the next female elite born into the Shi family." Val lowered her head. "That's me."

Saku stopped using doragonken and began speaking verbally.

"Forgive me, Valerie. I was tired—tired of feeling regret, hatred, and doubt. I thought if I was inevitably going to be reincarnated, I no longer needed to try. So I gave up on Blue's task and left it up to the future generation. I failed."

"So, what do you expect me to do?" Val cried out. "We don't even know the location of the earrings. At this rate, I'll fail too! What happens then?"

"You won't fail," Saku replied. "Earlier, you told me all about your life. But, the way I see it, all your failures are a direct result of my shortcomings. If I had only succeeded, you would not have to carry these burdens."

Saku backed up to the very edge of the cliff. She was a step away from plummetting into the ocean."

"Hey, hey!" Val shouted. "What are you doing."

Saku gently placed her hand on Val's cheek as she said, "I failed at protecting the dragons, failed at guarding the artifacts, and failed at fulfilling Blue's task."

Val stared at Saku blankly, unsure of how to feel.

"Don't you get it?" Saku continued. "You've spent your entire life modeling yourself after me—a failure. It's only natural that you'd end up failing yourself."

"But still," Val's voice grew solemn. "You make it sound so easy. Even if we manage to track down the earrings, what happens if I choose the wrong person? How do I know who to take with me to the dragons' homeland?"

"That is up to you to decide. But I know you have what it takes to do it. All you need is to have the resolve that I lacked. You must be prepared to do what it takes to succeed. That means abandoning the Shi's teachings and doing what I couldn't: killing if need be.

Saku's eyes fixated on Val. "But none of this means anything if you don't believe it. So do you think you have what it takes?"

"I do," Val said firmly. "As I said, my grandfather broke the rules once to teach a god the secrets of doragonken. The way I see it, that is no different from taking a life. All it is, is a violation of the rules. Nothing more, nothing less."

Saku smiled. "My dad used to say my fists were blessed by a higher power. I guess that was the only explanation as to why I grew so powerful despite never once wielding prana. I'm sure you can reach that level of power too. A part of me resides in you, after all."

Saku took another step back, and the rocks crumbled to pieces and fell into the ocean.

With nothing to stand on, Saku began to fall, but Val caught her hand.

"You have to let me go," Saku pleaded.

"I-I can't."

Val heard loud footsteps similar to that of a stampede approaching behind her, but she refused to turn around.

"It's the Korosu," Saku informed Val. "It appears they were revived just as I was. Who could've done this?"

Val turned to Cora and Nezumi. They were still unconscious, and the stampede of Korosu wasn't getting any slower.

"It doesn't matter!" Val shouted. "They'll kill my friends before they get to us. Let me help you up. We can defeat them together."

"No," Saku said gravely.

"What do you mean no?" Val pulled harder, but Saku didn't budge.

"Shit, shit, shit," Val's eyes paced back and forth between Cora, Nezumi, and Saku.

"It's your choice, Valerie," Saku said. "You said your goal was to protect. Well, now's your chance—if you don't let me fall, your friends will be killed."

"Please, Saku," Val begged. "My body's in no shape for battle. I can't defeat them on my own."

"Sure you can. Channel your failures and use them as motivation. It will only make you stronger."

Val's grip loosened.

"But—"

"My era's long been over—yours is just beginning. Please. . .let go of your past self."

The Korosu's footsteps grew increasingly loud. It was clear that they were only a few steps from Cora and Nezumi.

Val sighed. And with great reluctance, she released Saku's hand, leaving her to plummet into the ocean.

As she hurled shut-eyed through the skies toward the raging waters below, Saku felt at peace. "Thank you, Valerie. I'm not sure how I got here, but I'm glad I got to speak to you. I know you can do it. You were once me, after all. You have all the power at your disposal.

"I leave my burdens to you, Valerie. Or should I say—The Dragoness."

Val's head felt like it was splitting open. She was weak and trembling with grief, but she had no time to waste.

She stood ahead of Nezumi and Cora as the Korosu arrived on the scene. They were obviously fatigued, but they had hundreds at their disposal.

Part of Val wanted to grab her blade, but she held herself back as she remembered the significance of Saku's nickname.

"Strong enough to triumph over any saint or elite with her bare hands. If I was once that powerful, I must do whatever it takes to reclaim that level of strength."

Val cursed under her breath and faced the army of Korosu.

"It's like they're under someone's control," Val muttered. "Whoever's behind this is likely also behind Saku's return."

Val's knees continued to tremble. But she took a deep breath, collected her thoughts, and relaxed her muscles.

"Facing this many doragonken masters without my blade is risky. But I have no choice but to win."

The area grew eerily still. Suddenly, with a loud rumble, the ground quivered as hundreds rushed toward a sole Val.

Val simply assumed her stance.

***

"Teo!" Raijah yelled out as he knelt before a group of corpses.

"I don't recognize them," Teo said.

"Neither do I."

Raijah placed his fingers on the side of the body's neck. "The body's warm," Raijah noted. "It's a fresh corpse."

"Let's keep moving," Teo advised. "Val's aura is nearby."

After a while, they stopped at a giant mass of corpses.

"So many bodies," Raijah remarked. He let his aura leak out, clearing the fog and revealing their surroundings.

The number of corpses was much more than they initially anticipated. They saw hundreds of bodies covering a distance that seemed almost endless.

Raijah and Teo made their way to the center, where they saw a silhouette standing in a pool of bodies.

"Val!" Raijah called out as they closed in, carefully avoiding stepping on bodies.

Val turned to face them.

Raijah grimaced upon seeing Val's condition. Blood stained her body from head to toe. She was hardly in better shape than the bodies at her feet.

Raijah scanned the area with utter shock. His eyes widened. "What did you do?"

Val's arm trembled as she pointed into the distance.

She was pointing at Cora and Nezumi. Nezumi was still somewhat unresponsive, but Cora had regained consciousness. From the look on her face, she was just as shocked as Raijah.

"I-I protected them," Val said.