Chương 119: River and Wind

Miriam found that after her Eoin's coaching during the run from Teilgcheárta she was picking things up more quickly than she had before. The martial training sessions with Cian had been painful and embarrassing; she was someone who had usually been very good at most things she attempted and struggling with the spear under his watchful eye had been mortifying. This time however, things just felt more natural. Perhaps the sword was simply a better fit for her, but she thought that wasn't it.

She was simply becoming more capable, and her body more used to the additional power being a Second granted. This time her mind was following suit and the benefits were apparent. Two weeks after her run-in with Onóra, Miriam was able to keep her Reborn Sword manifested for half a day at a time, four times longer than she had started with. Eoin had even allowed her to begin training with a second sword, indicating that she had gained enough ability with one that a second wouldn't be too much to concentrate on.

And she found it wasn't. The Way of the Unbroken Channel seemed to get easier with two swords, actually, motions that had felt odd and unbalanced now suddenly flowing into each other with ease. Now, Eoin had declared her ready to begin incorporating her Adept classes into the style - something that would give her an advantage against opponents who outclassed her, as Onóra surely would.

"You realize I would usually never start this so soon," Eoin said as he summoned his own swords to demonstrate.

"But your accelerated time line means we have to move on to lessons when you might not have completely mastered the previous ones."

"I will continue to drill the basics," Miriam agreed. She only stopped training to sleep these days. She was all too aware that if she dawdled too long the torpor that had begun to plague her on Cianán's Walk and had almost taken her at the edge of the Second Ring would make improving even more difficult. She had no time to waste. Eoin nodded and swung one sword.

"The first Adept enhancement I want you to practice is actually not one I am familiar with. Neither of my Adept classes are suited for it, but River was basically made to do things like this. But, I saw many practitioners of the Way of the Unbroken Channel who were also River Adept use this to devastating effect. Or… I sort of remember them doing that," he admitted.

"It was probably a thousand years ago. Recollection is a little fuzzy."

"What do I do?"

"You've already done it, actually, but we need to refine. When you punched Caolán Séarlait? Your Raging Spear technique? You will use the push of the River to add power to your swings."

"Oh, easy enough," Miriam said. She built up her Raging Current technique in her hand and ran it through her right sword, swinging forward. The blade slammed into the workshop floor, splintering the wood apart. Far more power than she could ever generate on her own. Eoin's water sword tapped her on the chin.

"I know, that's a very satisfying thing to do, but huge swings like that leave you vulnerable. You need to have the utmost control of the kinetic power of the River. Swing with that much power, but move your sword only six inches. Follow up with the left blade. Do your forms perfectly, but at twice the strength." Finally, it seemed she had encountered a technique she would struggle with. As soon as she activated Raging Current, her sword was almost ripped from her grasp as she swung.

It seemed to be all or nothing - an instance when her considerable power worked against her. It was only in the final few moments when she was nearly out of fórsa that she was able to get it right, but it fell apart quickly after she ran dry. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. After a week of watching her struggle to grasp this technique, Ultán suddenly barked, "For the love of Selkie, I can't watch this anymore.

Please let me out of this vine and I can show you how to do it right." Miriam exchanged glances with Eoin.

"I'm not sure that would be wise." Ultán snorted.

"Why? What in the world am I going to do, trapped in this village surrounded by Fetch, watched over by a Fifth, and me with no power at all?" Eoin shrugged.

"Your call," he said. With a sigh, Miria allowed her Entangle vines to dissipate. As she did she felt some more of her fórsa return to her - she sometimes forgot that she had been continually using her power to keep him locked away. Ultán stood, stretching.

"Oh, gods, that feels amazing. If you've never been tied up on the floor for weeks at a time, I don't recommend it."

"Ah. Sorry," Miriam said.

"We should have considered that." Ultán shrugged.

"Can't blame you. Anyway. Can you give me a sword? Can't make my own anymore." Miriam created another falchion and tossed it to him. Ultán grabbed it out of midair and swung it gracefully.

"Ah, I have missed this," Ultán said.

"As I got older my body wasn't as durable as it once was. I switched to knives, which worked out well with my Adept class. And now with this new body… whew. If I had my Wind I would be a force to be reckoned with!"

"You were going to show me what I was doing wrong?" Miriam asked pointedly.

"Ah, fair enough. I don't have my Wind, so you're just going to have to imagine with me." Ultán copied one of Miriam's sword motions.

"Wind and River are very similar, you know. They're about motion. Water that's not moving is no river. Still air is not wind. I don't know the style this over-aged fop is teaching you, but it's not too different from my Desert Storm methods." Ultán slowed the swing down.

"You're applying your power to the top of your swing and thrusting it down. That's how you will generate the most power - which is good, if power is all you're looking for. You're pressing the River fórsa against the tip of the blade - again, great for cutting power. But all too easy to over-extend. Instead - do not apply the kinetic power to the sword at all."

"Then what is the point?" Miriam asked.

"I might as well do the forms un-enhanced."

"I wasn't done, girl! The power in a normal sword swing comes from the entire body - you've learned that much already. But now you're trying to add an additional external force. The way you're doing it, it's like there's an invisible guy with his hand on your sword, pushing down when you swing. How could you ever control that?" Ultán shoved his blade down with his other hand, against the resistance of the hand holding the sword.

"Trying to do sword forms like that is like someone shoving you around in the middle. Gonna be out there stumbling around like a drunk heron."

"Ah," Eoin said, understanding.

"I see. That makes sense… but can she really handle that, as a Second?" Ultán shrugged.

"I was a Second when I learned it. Gonna hurt for a while, but it might even help her toughen up towards Third."

"You mean run the River through my limbs, not the sword!" Miriam said.

"Just like I did when I punched Caolán. But it nearly tore my arm off that time."

"That's why I said it was going to hurt," Ultán responded simply. Miriam grit her teeth and tried a swing. She lurched forward as the momentum of her River fórsa hurled her arm down. Pain lanced through her muscles.

"Gah! It's too much power." Eoin thought for a moment.

"Could you peel it off? The way you did when you first started learning fórsa natures?"

"Nah, don't do that," Ultán said.

"What does that get you? You need to learn to adapt to the power. Where it hurts - that's where you weave your fórsa denser. Eventually it won't hurt anymore and you'll have a body that can take it."

"But until then?" Miriam asked. Ultán shrugged.

"It's just going to hurt." Miriam looked at Eoin.

"It's your choice," Eoin said.

"One approach might get you use of some of your power more quickly. The other, all of your power - but we don't know how long it will take."

"Plus all the pain," Miriam reminded him.

"Plus that, yes." Miriam sighed.

"I took shortcuts once before. I used Solas's Reel to lock the parts of my power away I couldn't handle. When I met Cian he mocked me for leaning on it instead of using it the right way. I have no way of knowing if I'll have the opportunity to train in solitude like this again. I should do it the hard way - especially if I have to face Onóra. I'll need all my power." Ultán grinned.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Miriam held her sword in front of her and swung again. She tried to convince herself the pain was less this time. It wasn't.