Chương 101: Both knowledge and means

"That the director would be audacious to the extreme in either his timing or choice of favor is unsurprising, but the object of said favor… Now that was something I must admit to not having foreseen," Luster of Imminent Dusk said, the sect leader's intense gaze boring into Kite where he stood before her.

"I like to think of myself as a woman able to think and plan ahead, but this is the second time that you, of all people, have shown up like an unforeseen trial from the heavens. Will you aim to leave behind as lasting an imprint this time too, Kite flown in on Winds of Fortune?"

Kite had never met the sect leader of the Victorious Sunset sect in person before, but he found her to live up to the mental image he had built up of the woman of whom even mistress Dew had spoken of with a certain degree of respect at times during their training. Sect leader Dusk was a human woman with straw blonde hair, her sharp features and silver rank giving her a kind of imposing beauty which made one think twice before approaching. For any reason.

She was clad in the raiments of her sect, but the proudly displayed colors were but a complement to an armor of golden scales which shimmered like the sunset also visible outside the wide windows of her solar. For all her outward appearance, it was still her aura which had Kite stand straighter; a severe spiritual presence like the descending sun, promising only harsh punishment should it return the next day and find you wanting.

"My uncle likes to quote a certain Roland Remore, sect leader. I have heard that he is quite a famous figure. Apparently even runs a school, but that is beside my point," Kite said politely, doing his best to keep steady under the pressure of sect leader Dusk's aura. It was not the pressure of aggressive suppression, but pressure nonetheless.

"He apparently said that a good adventurer is the one able to turn opportunity into fortune. And as opportunities were rather scarce and perilous during that particular incident, I will at least say that I did what I felt right at the time." Dusk's eyes thinned slightly at Kite's comment, but she did not lash out or otherwise increase the pressure upon him, even smiling slightly although it did not reach her eyes.

"And such a gracious action too, to share the opportunity with your aggressors. I do not know if your actions were the ones of an idealistic fool or a devious schemer, but I will not deny their impact on my sect even to this day. And as for what was revealed in its aftermath-" she continued, the hint rich with meaning, "- it only further serves to leave our karma to this day in a strange place."

"Then, if I may suggest it, should we not agree to set the karma between us aside for the moment, sect leader?" Kite asked.

"After all, me being here is karma being severed between you and the branch director." Dusk regarded Kite for a while longer, then nodded.

"Your words and circumstances both indicate it to be the wisest course. As I am sure that you understand, my time during the surge is quite limited. My reply to Jarvan still holds; I can offer you two days of training in between my duties, with further delays possible as the needs of the surge demands. While I trust my grand elders to handle things, there is no more unpredictable time than the monster surge."

"Then I will remain ready to accept whatever insights you may provide," Kite said, remaining polite but neutral.

"And we shall see if you prove to be wise enough to be able to learn from them," sect leader Dusk countered, rising to leave her solar while gesturing for Kite to follow.

"Anyone with the right powers can drain the mana from others. It remains to be seen if you wield attacks on your foe's spirit with any more finesse than a streetside brawler swinging a broken bottle. You will accompany me to receive the reports of the grand elders, after which I will properly test your mettle." Nodding in response, Kite once more donned his wide hat as they exited the study, the obscuring veils gifted to him by Braid back in Bastion already in place to hide his face.

While the simple enchantments would not hold up to powers specifically made to pierce the illusions, the slightly shimmering cloth would still deter most observers up to the lower ends of silver from easily identifying Kite at a glance.

"Fortune, may this too prove an opportunity and not a mistake," Kite said in silent prayer, closing the doors behind him. Frost among Morning Dew moved swiftly through the forested landscape, trailing glittering frost and snow as her magic helped increase her speed. While her immediate surroundings were calm, she could hear the conflict escalating in the distance as her being in the higher end of silver rank both gave her the perception and ability to make out the words among all the other sounds of nature.

Because the conflict in question was not one between beast and person, but between two idiots.

"-no right to intrude upon our territory, no matter what contract you claim to have. Know your place, outcast trash!"

"Oh now that is rich, coming both from one who would outright attack a fellow essence-user trying to protect the people, something you traitors seem to have forgotten is our duty in the first place!"

"You dare?! The Descending Star sect has stood since before your pathetic line was even born, trash. If you get on your knees and beg for forgiveness, you might even get to keep what is beneath them once I am done with you!"

"You bi-" At that moment, Dew had drawn close enough, vanishing in a flurry of snowflakes only to appear in equally dramatic fashion between the two groups of iron-rankers squaring off against each other. And just in time too, as she had sensed the one representing the outcast group starting to gather his magic. An attempt that fizzled out quickly as Dew let her aura clamp down on both of the arguing women.

"Although quarreling children might be a more apt description," she thought, speaking up in the silence that followed.

"I believe that to be enough. Stand down and return to the city. There are plenty of other contracts for you to complete instead of attempting to do the surge a favor and getting more essence-users injured or killed." Her words were directed at the unaffiliated adventurer, the young woman at least having the sense to back down.

"Yes, Frost among Morning Dew."

"See, at least one outcast with some sense," the other woman, clad in the blue and silver of the Descending Star sect, gleefully commented.

"Now run along and don't challenge your betters-""As for you-," Dew interrupted her, now bearing down with her aura upon just that one initiate, the girl's words melting away like snow before an inferno, "- do not think me blind to the remnants of your sect's folly here." As she spoke, Dew gestured to one of the outcast adventurers present, his armor and arm scorched too recently as to leave any doubt of the origin of the attack.

"Seceding from the Adventure Society may have removed you from their authority, but also their protection. There is no one here to stop me from making an example of all of you. Probably no one in this entire region would be able to even if they tried. And an example you will be." All of Dew's words were delivered with her signature icy calm, her aura a monolith of impenetrable ice to all those present.

Before the group of the sect had the time to do more but flinch, a cloud of frost and snow washed over all of them. Cries of alarm could be heard from within, the cloud fading to show that most of those within had been rather unaffected by the display; in fact, all except one. The young woman who had been the most verbal of the group was now a frozen statue of shimmering ice, the panicked look of the young elf barely visible from the outside.

A sharp, thin sword of ice appeared in Dew's hands, and with a series of swipes and stabs she started chipping away at the unmelting ice pillar that was the initiate; not to injure, but to write. Before long, a message was carved into the surface of the ice covering the frozen girl, Dew gesturing to her companions in dismissal.

"There. She should thaw in a few hours, which should give her plenty of time to reflect upon some of her life's choices and for the rest of you to deliver her back to the sect along with my message. You may continue on your path. At least for now." Even though they were well and properly cowering, Dew could still feel the hints of defiance, frustration and even a bit of hate from the suppressed iron-rankers.

"Jarvan won't have an easy job with these in the future, that is for sure," Dew thought as she watched the sect members retreat with their companion in her unwilling, frozen stasis. The unaffiliated adventurers had at least shown the sense of not gloating at their chastised fleas any more, and all of them flinched when Dew turned to them.

"You should take a lesson from this as well. And prepare better for such occurrences in the future as well as remember that the surge means that your priorities should remain fighting monsters. Now, take your leave." She didn't need to repeat her command a third time, the group swiftly retreating back towards the city. Shaking her head, Dew then continued on her way, a bigger silver-ranked manifestation having been reported that was her original purpose of being in the area in the first place.

"But with how close this was, I will assume there will be more in the future that won't end without bloodshed. Jarvan's job will indeed become harder. And Rupert's too, I suppose. I best make sure to meet with him the next time I return to Gilded, as the future might hold even more contracts for me than I would have initially expected," Frost among Morning Dew thought as she was once more passing through the forests of the Autumn Lands, blue lips hinting at a sad smile.

"Again." At the sect leader's words, Kite once more bowed to his opponent; one of the sect's bronze-ranked junior elders who had yet to be named more than Censer. After having been left outside a meeting room for half an hour while the sect leader conferred with the grand elders, Dusk had then proceeded to bring Kite to a training hall within the compound with the man he was now facing already waiting for their arrival.

What had followed had been a long series of sparring exchanges for Kite to demonstrate his different powers. Due to his history with the Victorious Sunset sect, Kite had been a bit hesitant when Jarvan had earlier suggested that he go all out in sharing his powers with the sect leader.

"While troublesome in her own way, Luster of Imminent Dusk has yet to break or dishonor any direct agreement I have ever made with her," Jarvan had said while nodding in understanding at Kite's worry.

"If she agrees to teach you, she will do her utmost to do just that as anything less would reflect poorly upon her path. Do not mistake me; she is a prideful and dangerous woman. But not an unstable one. Her knowing your powers more intimately would not change the power dynamic between the two of you in any practical way for the foreseeable future."

As such, Kite had demonstrated his powers individually as well as part of his more comprehensive fighting style, the junior elder proving to be quite the experienced sparring partner, although this was only to be expected of someone holding the position akin to functionary and instructor within a sect. The term 'junior' was also a bit misleading, as the man with the shaved head and thin mustache was clearly a lot older than Kite.

After bowing, the pair once more clashed, junior elder Censer doing an admirable job of supplying Kite with the opportunity to show off what the sect leader asked of him while still retaining as much authenticity as possible.

"That's enough. Thank you, junior elder. You may leave us." The words of sect leader Dusk were accompanied by a burst of her aura, instantly grabbing the attention of both bronze-rankers as they stopped and bowed once more before junior elder Censer left without further ado. While Kite could see her in his expanded field of vision, he still tried taking care in not forgetting basic social cues as he turned to look expectantly at Dusk for her evaluation.

She still regarded him in silence for a while, her stern facade unchanged as she eventually spoke.

"Your path is certainly an odd one, although I cannot deny its effectiveness in many situations. While I, a holder of the twilight confluence, have my share of means to drain mana or dispel effects, your negation confluence in tandem with the particular flavor of void that seems to have awakened within you makes you even more prone to need to truly adapt your whole style to it. The last racial gift evolution you spoke of was more a nail in that proverbial coffin than an actual surprise."

"But can you help me improve even further?" Kite asked, reading neither confirmation nor denial on Dusk's features.

"I find myself wondering what makes this; teaching you more techniques for incorporating mana-drain into a comprehensive fighting style, important enough to have Jarvan cash in a favor during an ongoing monster surge. Because while I do indeed have quite the list of pointers, you should be able to pass through most challenges of your rank with what you got. So why is this so important to you? Or to the director?"

As he remained silent, feeling her gaze and aura both probing at him as if to glean any insights without being too brutal in their intrusion, Dusk eventually shook her head.

"But as you are not forthcoming, I will not dwell further on it. Onto the evaluation. With all the tools at your disposal, you still wield the spiritual drain like a blunt object with which to simply bludgeon their magical matrix into submission; a tactic I would not discard as there is great merit to that in most situations. For example, as soon as you fight someone less skilled or weaker than you.

But while your overall fighting skills are good, even excellent for someone without too much backing, you lack a bit of the foresight and deviousness which can help one truly make the most of powers such as yours. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Answer me this, adventurer Kite; what is the benefit of draining someone's mana?"

"You rob them of an often vital resource while getting closer to victory. In most cases where you find yourself fighting, unconsciousness and death might as well be one and the same." Kite's answer came quickly, as this was something that he had already reviewed along with Phiona, Rachel and Vista during his stay in Bastion.

"While true, it also lacks nuance," Dusk remarked.

"Much as with someone's health, you also have a psychological aspect. Damage someone enough, even a silver-ranker who might not even need the body part in question to survive, and you will start instilling a certain mind set into them. That they are damaged, and need to compensate for it. Avoiding certain actions, or maybe fight more defensively. Damaging someone's mana plays even more into that factor, one where I believe that training and experience will take you even further than with bodily harm.

Picture this; you are fighting a competent brawler, who is well rounded and physically stronger than you. You start to only attack his mana. Does this mean that you have won?" Kite felt the trap in the question, thinking before giving his answer.

"That… that depends."

"On?"

"On how he handles it, and what it makes him do next."

"Precisely," Dusk said with a smile.

"An inexperienced warrior might panic as they feel their spiritual reserves being drained, becoming more reckless and maybe even trying to finish you off quickly. And with your path, that is when you truly win. But if said person is wise to such tricks? Who realizes that by becoming more conservative, they can still win out through skill and strength as your attacks find less to affect?

Draining someone's mana does have the advantage in that it is a resource most are used to spending freely, as well as conventional healing not being the response to counteract it. But if said brawler is skilled, that will not happen. In fact, it might be an even better tactic for them to just brute force the issue with you instead, which will eventually lead them to victory. From the look of you, this is something you have already experienced, no?"

Kite started slightly as he realizes that sect leader Dusk had indeed gleaned at least the sentiment of his thoughts as Kite had recalled his unexpected battle with mistress Withers, who had in the end won out more by abandoning most of her powers and instead trusting her raw attributes to bludgeon Kite into submission.

"That is… not inaccurate," Kite said, relaying some of the broader strokes of the conflict while leaving out the details surrounding the scenario.

"It is good that you have learned said lesson, and survived it. Serves the core-user right. If one builds one's path upon wealth, finding out that one's power is hollow is too light a punishment," Dusk said, voice dripping with derision.

"And having at least partly grasped that lesson might let me give you some pointers as to how to subvert the expectations of even those more experienced or skilled; how to truly turn their mana into a trap, and leave control even more firmly in your hands. The time we have is short, but you have enough of a foundation to at least let you get a grasp of it. Steady your mind; we will begin at once."

"That is… quite the plan. I must admit that I am more surprised that it was young Kite and not my son who came up with it." March of Indomitable Glaciers looked both amused and contemplative as he swirled his glass of sap-wine, the small container enchanted to keep the liquid perfectly chilled.

"From your words, I take it that you don't disapprove?" Jarvan retorted, taking a sip of his own cup.

"This is an excellent brew. The first spring barrels?"

"The tartness does give it away, doesn't it?" lord Indomitable noted.

"But you are correct, on both accounts. I must admit that I am pleased that an outlander such as you has come to appreciate our way of doing things."

"Oh, I am yet far from going entirely native," Jarvan chuckled, catching the double meaning.

"But there is definitely an appeal to some things you do around here. The directness is quite refreshing even, when there is some thought behind it more than preserving honor or keeping face. Then, from your assessment, you believe that Kite can do it?"

"In all honesty, you being here and sharing this with me tells me that you believe that the chance for success is decent, branch director," lord Indomitable noted with a twinkle in his eyes.

"We may have our disagreements, but not in regards to quality adventurers. Young Kite should indeed have his chance here, but-" the elf raised a finger in warning, "- you should well know that obvious interference from your part here will only undo what you might want to achieve. The interference of elders in the business of the younger generations is quite frowned upon when done inelegantly."

"Oh, believe me, I know. And Kite does too. We might be close enough to save his life should things go extremely wrong, but with the fragility of bronze-rankers, not even that is in any way assured." Jarvan took another sip before smiling his usual grin of confidence.

"But still, I can't help but feel a bit excited as well. Because this might be what we need to set something in motion. And depending on how things go afterwards-" Jarvan began, but the city lord waved him off.

"If things do indeed look favorable or within some of our predictions, you can count on my contribution. And if not, I promise to do what I can to at least keep the mess to a minimum."

"Which still won't be a small one," Jarvan noted.

"Although from the way things are going, said mess would probably hit us soon anyway."

"Then-" lord Indomitable said, raising his glass in a toast, "-to the paths of our young. May they be tempered enough to reach far."

"Tell me, adventurer Kite; do you think my sect to be in the wrong?" Kite started slightly at the question from sect leader Dusk where he walked at her side, slightly behind and his obscuring veil in place. The pair was currently moving towards the entrance to the sect compound, with the sect leader about to head out temporarily to hunt down a nearby silver-ranked manifestation.

It was the morning of Kite's second and final day staying under her tutelage, and he had been surprised at her asking him to walk with her on the way to her departure. Around them, the sect compound of bright wooden buildings with their west-facing verandas and windows covered both the ground and cliffs around them, glowing in the morning sun. The students and functionaries of the sect were long since up and about, groups of the warriors likewise heading out as the surge still continued.

"In what regard, sect leader?" Kite asked, still keeping his tone polite and neutral. While his stay had been nothing but productive, it had also been quite intense in both a physical and spiritual sense so far.

"In how we conduct ourselves. And what we strive for. Or whatever else that may have influenced your decision when sharing your thoughts with the servitor of the Queen of Jade and Sky." Luster of Imminent Dusk's eyes continuously looked ahead, but Kite got the feeling that she had not asked the question lightly.

"I…" Kite began tentatively, then finding his resolve.

"I have long been torn on that question, sect leader, and I yet feel that my answer might not be to your liking."

"From your words that day, I would already have assumed it to be so. Yet I would still hear it."

"Then; yes. While I can see the clear merit of your sect and the training it can provide as it nurtures young warriors, I have also witnessed slivers of its failures. In person as well as a witness to the consequences that come afterwards. My uncle - who you may know as Brave Walker of Paths - used to tell me that pride is the most double-edged sword there is, easily made brittle by the insecurities of its wielder.

And during my first two years as an adventurer, I saw and experienced ample proof of that; that it was a sword many of your members were actively encouraged to use yet never properly taught on how to wield. Or more importantly, when to return it to its sheath. As you hear, sect leader, there is a reason why I only once ever asked the question; should I join a sect?"

Kite had delivered his thoughts, long compounded and out into words over the many evenings spent out on contract or otherwise in contemplation, with a carefully neutral tone. Still, the following silence did not fail to slightly unnerve him as sect leader Dusk did not answer him nor deign to show anything in her aura to allow him to glean her emotions.

"I see. You are quite the eloquent one," she eventually said, voice firm and controlled while not sparing him a glance.

"I will reflect on your words during this hunt; your ties to the Queen's servitor would make me a fool not to. Be prepared for our final stretch of practice when I return. Junior elder Censer will remain at your disposal until then in the usual training hall." With those words, Luster of Imminent Dusk set off at a much swifter pace, her silver rank speed carrying her towards the distant gates at an impressive pace.

Kite was left looking after her, a thoughtful expression on his concealed face, before turning back towards the training hall. There were quite the few pointers that he had received yesterday, after all. Seeing one of junior elder Censer's most powerful special attacks inbound, his sword glowing like the sun itself, Kite acted.

A palm shot out without fear to touch the destructive blade, Pattern-shattering Counter dissolving the potent effect and draining Censer's mana even while Kite's staff was inbound in a one-handed swing, glowing with the blue outline of Cleave the Spirit as the evolved racial gift was employed for the first time during this sparring session.

The exchange became the starting signal for a shift in the battle as the twin vortices of Spirit Singularity shifted to both focus on the junior elder even as the empowered, echoed chakra implosion tore through the man's mana reserves. Kite continued to follow up and press the advantage, but a burst of sect leader Dusk's aura interrupted the bout.

"That is enough. Junior elder, you may leave us. Take the evening off to replenish."

"Thank you, sect leader," came the man's gruff voice, Censer bowing once more to Kite before leaving. Through the large windows of the training hall, the golden light of late afternoon was just beginning its transition to dusk. Like many times before that day, Kite turned to the sect leader to await her verdict.

"That was a well-executed reversal. While you should not expect a surprise to work, that doesn't mean that you should not try. Unexpectedly losing that amount of mana at once will have a chance to shake or stress even experienced warriors. But it will have to be added to the list of things where it will be up to you to properly integrate them into your path. Because as the sun sets, your time here will come to an end.

The surge waits no more for either of us than for the gods, and we will have to doubly prove ourselves during the rest of the time of tempering it represents."

"I will take your advice to heart, sect leader," Kite said honestly, bowing in polite respect. While he had gone into the sect compound with doubts, Jarvan's assessment of Luster of Imminent Dusk had held true as she had opened up a new aspect of his path. Throughout the day, Kite had been drilled in feints, moves and fierce attacks; all ways to further control the tempo of any fight in which he may find himself.

It would take quite some time to properly consolidate and learn more, way more than Kite had, but he was quite sure that the knowledge would help immensely in the trial which he strived to set up for himself. As Dusk still regarded him, Kite remained standing before her. Eventually, the sect leader seemed to reach a decision as she spoke once more.

"As for your words earlier, I have contemplated them, reaching some conclusions. It would seem that our fundamental differences in pride and its qualities will forever make our paths rather anathema to one another. Because where you only see a brittle sword, I instead see the blade being able to be raised in defense of one's path; a blade which both to ward off your foes and keep your mind and purpose clear.

While power comes with responsibilities, I still say that the ultimate responsibility remains to one self and one's path. And through that, I believe that the Victorious Sunset sect will climb towards the heavens, one step at a time as we show the world our resolve." As she fell silent, Kite let a few seconds pass by. Just as he was about to nod in acknowledgement and take his leave, Dusk held up one finger to forestall him.

"But I will say, despite the face it costs me, that your thoughts about wielding one's pride have merit. Thoughts that I will contemplate. This only adds to the karmic debt that I have found to still lie between us, Kite flown in on Winds of Fortune. A debt of action, not of worldly things. And one that I will aim to sever in the future, should the opportunity of something equal present itself.

While your actions at the gate still remain alien to me, I would be a fool to try and not to learn what I can from them, if only to make sure that the sect grows stronger in the face of this adversity. All of its students who adhere to its creed deserve no less. I did promise them the chance at heaven, after all." The pair stood there, far from equal in power yet sharing one trait; resolve.

As he met sect leader Dusk's gaze, her aura now being more of a presence rather than a pressure for the first time since his arrival at the sect, Kite also felt that there was another trait the two shared; earnestness. Channeled and expressed in vastly different ways, yet the same at its core. And as such, he chose to share something which he had not aimed to share beforehand. As Kite spoke, Luster of Imminent Dusk's eyebrows gradually climbed ever so slightly upwards.

And as he finished, she even showed him a slight smile with some actual mirth twinkling in her eyes.

"This was a plan that, by sharing it, also meant that you left me the opportunity to hurt you without even getting my hands dirtied, should I wish."

"Yes," Kite agreed.

"And by sharing, I also gave you the opportunity for some final words of advice, should you have any." At this, Kite thought that her smile might have widened just a fraction more.

"In this case and for this purpose, Kite flown in on Winds of Fortune, I might even be able to surpass your expectations. I will indeed provide you a gift of words, but even more so, an offer of legacy."

"Kite!" Dragonfly all but ran up to him as the gates of the sect compound closed behind him, looking him over.

"Are you alright?"

"I am," Kite said with a smile, Will and Serene soon reaching the pair as well.

"From what I can feel, he is even more than alright," Serene chimed in.

"I sense a bit of joy, and the sense of trepidatious excitement has only grown. Your short time here seems to have been worthwhile indeed."

"In that, my friend, I hope that you are correct," Kite said, joining his friends as they started the trek back towards Gilded.

"But I was fortunate enough to gain both knowledge-" he said, looking down at the object he still wore on his left hand, "- and means." WWJS: [Item] Dusk of Fortitude Gauntlet Bronze rank - epic [Effect] Touch a creature and pay a cost of moderate mana to inflict them with a curse-type affliction which causes any mana-drain suffered by the target to also drain stamina. The stamina drained is in addition to the mana, but only a small portion compared to the original draining effect.

This affliction is resistant to cleansing effects of bronze rank and below. Duration: 1 hour. [Effect] Has an internal storage of mana and stamina, which is filled either through active channeling of the wearer's reserves or through the wielder draining said resource in excess of their own maximum. Stored reserves can be used to fuel attacks or be channeled back into the wearer over time, but will start to slowly decay after an hour in storage.

"But we need to make haste in our return to the city; the contracts will not wait for us much longer," Kite said, mind back to future endeavors.

"Speak for yourself, my friend. We have definitely kept up the slack even in your absence," Will boasted. Glad to once more be back in the more relaxing company of friends, Kite was regaled with the stories of their trials as they returned to Gilded. Because there were indeed contracts waiting for them. And, eventually, a challenge to be issued.