A Tangled Web We Weave (IC)

[Maugan Ra]

"That would be perfectly acceptable, thank you." Lotus says warmly, waiting for the woman to depart before taking a proper look around the room. The look of dismay on his face is, he suspects, quite comical.

Well, fine, it's not the finest room you have ever occupied. Actually, it might very well be one of the worst... that's not the point. The point is, sometimes sacrifices must be made in the line of duty, and if this is the greatest hardship I need to withstand on this mission I shall call it an excellent trade.

His mind back in the proper set once more, the Sidereal sits down on the bed and draws the battered old book his Sifu lent him, reflecting on the poetry within. Some of the verses are really quite beautiful, and after a moment, he tries reciting some of them out loud in the various different languages he knows.

Strange. They sound just as appealing in each tongue... one would have thought the author's native language would be best suited for the concepts many of these convey, but apparently some of them are universal. I wonder if such a principle might apply to language as a whole - each word for something merely another way to look at it, all derived from a common base of experience.

I never did understand some of those lessons of the Pillar, or the Scripture of the Bride. But... 'they travelled through strange places, and among strange people'. Perhaps this is what that means - a way to see past those linguistic differences, or to learn how to look at it from another angle. Aumin did say to pay attention to what I saw around me...

Lost in contemplation, the time passes quickly.

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So, starting training for the Linguistics charm 'Blue Vervain Binding', which is essentially a translation and training charm. I don't know how closely we want to hue to the training times, but I don't necessarily expect to get it right now - it's just a particularly useful effect that I figured would be a decent investment.

And, being a Sidereal charm, I can use it to potentially learn how to speak High House-Cat. Which amuses me more than it should.

[Ifni]

The woman returns about an hour later, a lighted taper in her hand. By now, it is fully dark.

She leads you to an office a few turns of the corridor away. This room does have a window, albeit one with heavy wooden shutters, and the icy bite of the breeze blowing through it makes it clear why the sleeping rooms are deeper inside the building.

Again, the room is small and plain by Lotus' usual standards. But there is a woven rug on the floor, dyed in surprisingly bright shades of red and violet, and several chairs arranged around a wooden desk. The lamp behind the desk shines with the clear white light that only comes from Essence.

The man sitting behind the desk is old. His hair is solid white, and his face more heavily wrinkled than Chejop Kejak's, and as he rises to greet the Sidereal, he moves with a slow awkwardness that speaks of painful joints. His knuckles are swollen, beneath the woolen half-gloves he wears, leaving his fingers free to write.

"Welcome, traveler," he says, with a slight bow. His voice is surprisingly strong, albeit cracking a little. "Safar, you may leave us." The woman bows, and retreats from the room.

"Welcome to the Wind Flute Monastery, my lord. Home of the Eighth Gate, although even most of our initiates do not know what that means. I am called Haven, and serve as abbot here. How may I assist you?"

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Heh. Lotus is in for a shock when he visits some of the nastier parts of Creation. Yes, by Yu-Shan standards this is the kind of hovel that setting fire to it would be considered home improvement - but by Creation standards this is a well-constructed and solid place. A clean private room with a narrow but warm bed is good accommodation, especially when it's free.

Noted that you've started training for Blue Vervain Binding. Training time is (Min Ability) + (Min Essence) days, given that it's non-favored, so that would be four days devoted to training. If you work on it for a few hours each evening, you'll likely have it figured out by the time you get to Sunrise Gap.

[Maugan Ra]

"I am bound Westward, into the Sunrise Gap in Arjuf province, Abbot." Lotus says with a respectful bow. "I would seek lodgings for the night, and ideally a map of the available routes in that direction. Perhaps a horse, as well, if one can be found... though that, I would of course pay for. Beyond that, I would not wish to impose."

True, I could probably just catch the caravan headed that way as well... but that will only leave me with a day or so to set everything up. And I don't know if that would be enough time.

[Ifni]

"Anything we can provide is yours, lord. It is all our duty to serve the will of Heaven." The old man's voice is calm. He moves to the shelves beside the desk, pulls out a pair of maps, lays them on the desk before Lotus. He takes a quill, dips it in bright purple ink, and begins to annotate them. "This is the main road to Sunrise Gap. There are courier stations along it, and inns; they sell lodging for a reasonable price. There should be a caravan heading toward Sunrise Gap right now; they'll likely be passing through Greenspring, down in the valley, some time tomorrow. At caravan speeds the trip is about sixteen days. If you take a horse - perhaps ten or eleven days? We have some horses in the stables here, and there are likely one or two more for sale down in Greenspring. Serviceable beasts, although not more than that. If you needed a fast horse..." He pauses. "I will not presume to guess at your abilities, lord. There are ironhoof mustangs in these hills. Sometimes our guests find mounts there."

The quill moves to the second map, picking out a path through the contours. "These are the trails straight through the mountains. That cuts some distance, but the roads aren't as good. If you can get a horse through, it'd likely be eight or nine days... we still sometimes have late-season blizzards, though. There's likely more danger from wild animals, but less from bandits, relative to the main road. Probably thirteen or fourteen days afoot, for a mortal; ten or eleven if you can keep up a forced march for that long."

The old monk slides the annotated maps across the desk to the Sidereal.

[Maugan Ra]

"We all serve in our own way." Lotus says agreeably, leaning forwards to study the map. He nods to himself thoughtfully, tracing a few of the potential routes with a light finger, careful not to smudge the fresh ink. "I'll head to Greenspring in the morning, then, and borrow one of your horses for the trip. If all goes well, I will return it when I pass back this way after my business is concluded."

There's a strong chance you won't remember me then, admittedly, but it's the principle of the matter.

That decided, he tucks the map carefully away inside a pocket, and nods to the old monk. "Well then, unless there's anything else that would be useful for me to know, I'll return to my room."

[Ifni]

"I don't know what information you have already, lord. Do you have specific questions? There are fang-cats in the mountains, but they would rarely attack the main road. You can tell when a storm is coming by the mares' tails in the sky. If you mean to take the high paths, our thaumaturges can request good weather for your journey, but we must be subtle - weather control is meant to be the domain of licensed thaumaturges acting with Exalted supervision. There are points along the main road where the surface is broken due to the earthquakes from a century ago - I've marked them on the map - but unless there were more rockslides over the winter, that shouldn't pose a problem. We've had no reports of such, so far."

"And, if I may presume to offer advice..." The old man's eyes are surprisingly sharp, as he regards the young Sidereal. "Remember to don a Resplendency before leaving, Chosen, unless you have a good reason not to. There are few who will understand the significance of your eyes, and fewer still who will remember it, but it's best to plan for low-probability but high-impact events."

After a pause, he adds in quiet explanation, "I've been privileged to deal with the Sidereal Exalted for close to a century, my lord. I suppose no one not of your fellowship can really say they understand you, but I've seen a few things."

[Maugan Ra]

Lotus blinks in surprise, then nods. "Sound advice. Thank you." he says, with absolute sincerity. "I am still somewhat new to my job, and some things evidently slip my mind."

He grins. "I do hope I haven't dented the Fellowship's reputation with the knowledge that even we have inexperienced rookies." he says, voice laced with self-depreciating humour.

[Ifni]

The Abbot smiles. "Not at all. We were all young and inexperienced once. In my case, if one of your colleagues hadn't intervened, I never would have made it past that point. Not a debt I can repay, but if I can return the favor in some small way, it's my honor to do so."

He pauses, and then adds, "We have martial arts practice at dawn each morning. It would be a great favor if you would join us, Shieldbearer. But I will understand if you must be on the road by then."

[Maugan Ra]

"I see no harm in participating." Lotus says after a moment's thought. "It will be good to focus myself before the day's journey begins... and diligent practice is always a good habit to maintain, even on assignment. I will be there at dawn."

A pause. "Or rather, Saram Zen will. A young Air-Aspected student on an extended field trip. Start as you mean to go on, after all."

[Ifni]

"I will be honored to meet Lord Saram," the Abbot says with a straight face. "The most common style we practice here, among the initiated, is actually aspected to the element of Air."

"I will let you take your rest then, my lord. Until tomorrow."

[Maugan Ra]

Lotus nods, and then turns to depart. Just before he leaves the room, he makes a tugging gesture across the centre of his chest, as though pulling on a cloak. Fate realigns, light bends, and then it is Saram Zen walking out of the old monk's office.

The young student pauses for a moment to get his bearings, then sets off for his assigned quarters at a swift pace. The mind needs rest to remain keen, as his teachers always said, and he has every intention of caring for the greatest gift he has received from the Dragons.

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Well, barring any interesting developments during the night or early morning, moving on to the martial arts practice seems like a solid choice.

And yes, I think it was at least as much my mistake there with the Resplendency as it was Lotus'. There's a lot of little tricks in playing a Sidereal, and I need to get into the habit of using them.

[Ifni]

The night passes uneventfully. Lotus - no, Saram Zen - rises in the frosty chill of a mountain dawn.

The washroom is full of men and women in loose-fitting trousers and jackets, washing their hands and faces in the water running down the stone trough; their ablutions are hasty and not particularly thorough, perhaps because there's a skin of ice around the edge of the trough. Several of them glance at Zen, but quickly look away from the young Air Aspect, lowering their eyes in respect.

The practice takes place outside, it seems, amid terraced gardens; from a quick glance, as Lotus walks by, they appear to be mostly food crops and medicinal herbs. Targets have been set up in a flagstone courtyard.

The participants - ranging in age from the Abbot, who despite his advanced age was there at dawn, down to children of nine or ten - form into lines, apparently for initial stretches and exercises; an older woman in white shirt and trousers leads the practice. When Saram Zen arrives, she walks over to him for a moment, to bow and deferentially explain the usual sequence - warmups, practice in small groups, tests for anyone seeking recognition.

The initial exercises are simple, universal, to warm the muscles and get the blood flowing; Lotus finds them familiar, but surprisingly strenuous at first. The air here is thin, as well as cold.

They move on then to more distinctive katas - wholly mundane, still, but less generic, more focused toward a particular end. To Lotus' well-trained eye, the formal movements speak of the fighting style they are designed to build toward. Not a forceful art, this one, nor one focused on speed and aggression - but the leader's movements have a flowing, shifting, unpredictable grace, reminiscent of a leaf on the wind. Not everyone manages to attain the same smooth fluidity, but even the clumsy enthusiasm of the youngest children shares a little of it. When one child wobbles, and nearly falls, in the midst of a slow kata, one of the adults steps closer to her, murmurs a correction, reaches out to adjust her stance.

In the midst of all this flowing serenity, Saram Zen's presence is like a stone in a river. People are watching, studying what the young Exalt does, some of them trying to copy his movements.

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This is mostly just getting a sense for the Eighth Gate monastery and maybe learning some TMA, we can skip forward if you like, but I thought Lotus might like a chance to show off his Violet-Bier-trained martial arts skills I can write more, moving forward to the bit in the practice where the Essence-wielders show off their nifty tricks, but thought I would stop here for a moment to give you a chance to post...

And ah, speaking of tricks for playing a Sidereal... going through his bag, Lotus will find that someone has slipped a small case in there. Opening it, it has cosmetics, hair dye, and other tools of disguise. Exceptional tool, +2 to Int+Larceny rolls to disguise oneself. (I forgot about this. Aumin wouldn't have. Resplendencies are great, but it's best if you have a decent mundane roll backing it up.)

Also, I would like an (Intelligence or Perception)+War and an (Intelligence or Perception)+Occult roll for Lotus.

[Maugan Ra]

Saram Zen moves like a breeze. A casual, flowing grace imbues his every movement, pale skin rippling slightly as he moves through the elegant katas being displayed all around him, his pale eyes following the movements of the Abbot with careful diligence. He is a learner here, that much is immediately obvious - extraordinary talented, but unfamiliar with the exact patterns being displayed.

A slight smile tugs at the edge of his lips as he notices the small audience he appears to have attracted. It is only natural, perhaps, but he finds it somewhat amusing none the less.

One of the best ways to learn, is to teach, eh Sifu?

With those words in mind, the Exalt slows down his kata slightly, adopting a smooth and steady motion that makes his exact moves considerably easier to follow. One pale eyebrow quirks inquiringly at the nearest of the watchers, inviting feedback and questions alike.

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Lotus is avoiding his Violet Bier methods for the moment, though that's mostly because he's here to participate in someone else's training sessions. That said, he could always start demonstrating his own techniques if invited to do so by an ambitious student or something.

And let's see those rolls:
Int+War: (7d10)[6][1][8][8][5][3][2](33)
Int+Occult: (5d10)[8][3][10][7][10](38)

[Ifni]

The man beside Zen in the line slows his movements to match the Exalt's. His eyebrows go up for a moment, before he offers the Air Aspect a quirked smile.

"This hand gesture, my lord, your line of force isn't quite right," he mutters under his breath. "More outward-directed - for throwing, see? Imagine holding a chakram..."

He glances at the others watching. "Watch our Exalted guest, Ciris. If you can keep your transitions half as smooth as his you'll improve more today than you have in a month. Lealan, you as well, your stance is too constricted, if you mean to seek the sky rather than the stone."

He looks back at Zen, and inclines his head. "Do you mind keeping that pace, sir? I've been trying to improve my balance when leaping -"

Once the first phase of the practice is over, they break up into smaller groups. Mats are brought out for the children; led by an adult instructor, they begin practicing stepping and falling, simple holds and throws. Another group seems to be playing some kind of throwing game as they move through the exercises, tossing small cloth balls back and forward. Older children work with the targets, tossing darts and knives.

Some of the adults move through much the same exercises, albeit with more precision and skill. The Abbot leads one group in a slow, formal kata; the old man's hands tremble a little, but it does not impair the flowing grace of the motions.

The man who'd addressed Saram Zen before wipes a few drops of sweat from his forehead, and turns back to the Air Aspect. He looks relatively young, perhaps in his late twenties or early thirties. Two others, a woman and a man, walk over to join him.

"The Abbot said you might wish to observe, sir, or to teach. If you wanted to instruct, I'm sure any here would be glad for your guidance - you're obviously skilled -" The words despite your age are not spoken, but perhaps implied. The woman elbows him.

"It's an honor to practice beside one of the Dragons' own, my lord," she says briskly. "Branch and Hoof and I are all initiates here, and hoping to test for the next dan soon. The Abbot suggested you might be interested in seeing a demonstration, and offering your critique, if you wished. And of course -" She grins, teeth gleaming whitely, "- if you wished to demonstrate your own arts, we would be very interested."

"We're all initiates to the path of the sky; we're taught the style we practice draws on the understanding of Air," the other man adds. He coughs, and then adds rather hurriedly, "Although of course it is inferior to the Glorious Dragon Styles."

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Rolls noted, I'll tell you the results when it comes up.

[Maugan Ra]

"I'm only passing through, but a chance to observe seemed too good to pass up." Zen responds, an enthusiastic gleam in his eye. "I'd be happy to demonstrate a few different methods I've picked up in exchange. Perhaps we can trade critique."

A confident grin. "So... if you practice air, something contrasting would probably be useful. Hmm... Earth, Fire or Water? I'm not much for Wood, I'm afraid."

[Ifni]

The first man - Branch - nods, watching Zen curiously. "The other path taught here is of the stone. So for something entirely new... a demonstration of Fire or Water would be fascinating." He smiles, a little tentatively. "Do you need us to set up anything?"

[Maugan Ra]

"Fire, then."

Zen takes a few steps back, and with a few sight hand-gestures, gets his observers to clear space for him to work. He takes a breath, holds it for a moment, then lets it out slowly. "I do not, as yet, have true mastery of the Fire Dragon Style. It is difficult for a child of the air to internalize such techniques, and would require a period of intensive, unbroken training to learn the essence that underlies it's techniques. That said, I am something of a scholar, and I do understand the mundane components of the style."

"The first principle - fire is fast, but not in the same way as air. It is not a thing of controlled grace or delicate balance. It is ferocious, and destructive, and strikes without warning."

With that, the child of Mela explodes into motion, his immobile balance shattering in an instant as he launches a devastating series of attacks. There is no pause or rest visible in the harsh series of katas he performs, no easy way to distinguish where one ends and the next begins - just a rolling series of vicious strikes that ends as abruptly as it began, the martial artist now at the other end of the impromptu practice space. Zen takes another breath, before turning back around to face his temporary students.

"Second - Fire is offensive. There are no purely defensive moves in the Fire Dragon Style, nor in the vast majority of those derivative or related styles that I am aware of - only adapted attacks. The best defense, in the philosophy of fire, is a good offense - slay your opponent before he can slay you."

He launches into another series of attacks, but these ones are visibly different to the ones before - filled with low, lunging blows aimed at maximizing reach and force even at the expense of defensive. The acolytes can almost certainly spot a dozen or more moments where Zen leaves himself dangerously over-extended... and they can just as easily see that the ferocious attacks would have left the majority of opponents too stunned and pinned back to properly exploit the openings granted.

"It is brutal." A sharp jab at a fantasy enemy, one that pulverizes the guts and leaves the ghost choking on blood. "And merciless." An arcing, downward kick that actually cracks a stone tile on the floor, and could only have been designed to eliminate downed opponents.

"To face a Fire stylist is to face an enemy utterly committed to your complete destruction. Every move he makes is either an attack, or designed to enhance an incoming blow." Zen finishes, slowly dropping out of the stance and catching his breath once again. "There are, of course, exceptions... but they are still variations on a central theme of pure offense. Masters of the style tend to demand complete self-control and a strong will from their students, lest they lose their protégés to the dangers of their own technique."

A grin, as he rocks back on his heels. "A fascinating subject, all in all. Any questions?"

[Ifni]

"Ranged attacks. Does the style possess them? How would a Fire stylist handle enemy archers?" The woman's eyes are shining, with fascination and something more ambiguous - envy?

Branch nods, and steps forward to study the cracked tile on the floor. "You mentioned striking without warning. We use shadows to do that, and unpredictable shifts of the wind. Are the Fire techniques at all similar?"

The other man, Hoof, doesn't speak at first, but begins moving through an experimental series of strikes, slow and testing. He coughs after a moment and then offers, "Those fast strikes... there's an advanced technique of our style, one I've been trying to master, that hurls a handful of weapons at once. Doesn't take as much concentration as hurling them all separately, or leave you as open. I know you said the style focused on offense, but do you have similar techniques, that mitigate the downsides?"

Lotus notices something about the cracked tile, at this point. There is a pattern carved into it, almost imperceptible when it's laid flat to the ground, but now caught by the dawn light. A familiar pattern.

And now that he looks, the other tiles bear the same swirling, subtle carved designs. Not mere decoration, oh no. He's seen them in textbooks of thaumaturgy, on how to recognize - and thwart, if necessary - the arts of Warding.

[Maugan Ra]

"Fighting at long range, with a bow, is certainly one of the better options against a Fire Dragon." Zen answers promptly, nodding in approval at the insight. "There is one ranged technique, where the stylist concentrates the fire essence in their lungs, and then breathes it out in a river of flame towards their foe. Obviously, it's not an easy one to demonstrate when you can't perform it yourself... but it is quite devastating, if somewhat indiscriminate."

His attention switches rapidly to Branch, with an almost audible snap. "Fire is difficult to hide, by it's very nature, so there isn't much use for shadows. It's more... surprise, really, taking advantage of being able to shift rapidly from passivity to ferocious offense. A Fire Dragon won't be making many sneak attacks once battle has started - it's more of an all-or-nothing element to the very start of the conflict."

Hoof's question inspires a moment of quiet reflection, before a useful answer is forthcoming. "There are... some vague similarities. Lessons, and charms, on how to control the offense so that it does not leave you totally exposed. I'm not sure how that compares to your own techniques, but I'd be interested in..."

Then the growing sunlight catches at the swirling designs along the stone, and Zen practically collapses into a crouch, fingers brushing feather-light along the intricate patterns. "Ooh, wards! A very comprehensive layout as well. Hmm... I wonder what they are keyed against..."

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Saram Zen has the whole 'hyperactive scholar' thing going on, along with the jittering train of thought and rapid switches of focus. Very much an Air Aspect...

[Ifni]

A quick glance, difficult to read, passes amongst the three.

"Ghosts and demons, mostly, is my understanding," Branch says after a moment, in a low voice. "The wards against the raksha were added a century ago, in the Time of Chaos."

"We have to enlighten our Essence anyway to progress through the dan ranks, Chosen," the woman adds, equally softly. "So many of us learn the techniques to maintain the wards; it's only sensible to be prepared."

The wards, to Saram Zen's probing eye, are quite high-quality, and obviously well maintained.

[Maugan Ra]

"That makes sense." Zen says, his voice sobering as he rises back to his feet. Even his slightly manic enthusiasm wanes somewhat in the face of such a reminder - that even here, in an ascetic retreat at the top of the world, measures must be taken to defend from the most unholy foes.

"Tell me, what form does your training take, anyway? Is there a... well, a journeyman aspect seems the simplest way to put it. A period of traveling. Warding skills and martial arts are valuable trades, so you could certainly support yourself, and I've always found that a bit of exploration helps one centre themselves wonderfully."

[Ifni]

"No," the woman says, with a somewhat wistful sigh. "The records say there used to be, before the Time of Chaos, but during the Contagion traveling wasn't a good idea, and afterward... it was decided that initiates should remain here, in readiness. None of the masters wanted to spend all that time and effort training people who'd just go out and get themselves killed. Of course, people go down to Greenspring all the time, and the surrounding valleys - and sometimes one of the masters goes on a longer trip - but for us, living at the monastery is part of the discipline."

Branch shakes his head at her. "You sound like you regret it."

"Of course I don't! I'd probably be a grandmother by now if my family hadn't given me to the monastery. But, well, I wouldn't mind seeing more of the world. The monastery hasn't been attacked in decades."

"Maybe we should offer our guest a demonstration, Harp?" Hoof asks mildly. He smiles at her, a little slyly. "Show him what we've learned, in our time immured here. It's rather discourteous of us, to only ask questions and complain, and never offer learning in return."

"... mmph. Fine. You two willing to test me?"

"At what?" Branch asks a little warily.

"Sixth dan leap, of course."

Hoof massages his forehead. "You broke your ankle last time."

"Only because I forgot that cornice had broken off last midwinter."

"You were lucky not to break your neck."

"I'll stick to the courtyard this time." She glares. "Gods above, Hoof, do you not want me to attain sixth dan?"

"Fine. Sixth dan leap. And I'll show Lord Saram the Hailstorm. Branch?"

"I think I'll stick to the fundamentals." Branch smiles at Zen. "Show you the basics of our style - although you were picking up the idea very quickly, in the early katas. Harp, go grab the throwing sticks? Unless you want to use the rice balls?"

Harp scoffs at him, but walks off. Hoof turns to Saram and says quietly, "I hope you weren't offended by the informality, sir. We all grew up together."

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Lotus would know, incidentally, that the Yu-Shan Gates were closed for nearly thirty years following the Great Contagion. The Celestial gods were very very paranoid about their own safety. A lot of Terrestrial gods who were actually severely affected by the Contagion/Crusade resent this.

Also, Harp looks about the same age as Branch, not an age you'd associate with 'grandmother'.

[Maugan Ra]

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I remember that bit, yeah. And Lotus likely takes the side of the Terrestrial gods in that one - expecting obedience to the grand celestial hierarchy, and then slamming shut the gates and leaving your subordinates out to die of plague, is not an easily-supportable position.

He's being fairly quiet about it for now, though.

Zen shrugs. "Why would I be offended? This isn't the Imperial court or anything. There's a time and a place for formality, but I don't think this is either."

Then he settles back to watch, an intrigued expression on his face.

[Ifni]

Harp returns with her hands full of small throwing sticks, which she passes off to Hoof and Branch. She walks to stand a few yards away, and bows to the two, her round face growing serious.

Hoof bows back and then stands still, idly tossing the five sticks between his hands in a rather intricate pattern. Lotus has seen more spectacular juggling - it helps to have extra arms - but he's very good, for a mortal.

"We work on hand exercises a great deal, starting with the youngest children," Branch begins, after bowing to the others. He tosses three throwing sticks at Hoof in quick succession; for a moment they join the dance of wood flashing around the other man, before they are fired back out at Branch, who snatches them out of the air. "What we call the path of sky can employ any small thrown weapons, anything light enough to be carried and turned by the wind. The air and darkness are our truest weapons."

He moves into an impossibly slow, graceful kata, hands empty for the moment. No Essence is being used, as far as Lotus can judge - only mundane skill here, in the slow controlled turning of the monk's steps.

The cadence quickens, almost imperceptibly at first. There are still no strikes here, just smooth movement - but faster, and faster, until Branch seems to sway and turn and block in synchrony with every fluttering gusting breeze that crosses the courtyard. His feet seem to barely touch the ground.

From the warded stones, from the shadows of the targets, a darkness seems to seep. It winds around the monk like smoke and cloud, shadowing his face like a hood. Flickering shadows spread out to cloak the whole group from the pale dawn light, dancing with Branch in counterpoint to his movements.

Something makes Lotus glance downward. Branch's bare feet are leaving no prints in the light coating of windblown earth over the stones, as if they did not touch the ground at all.

"This is the heart of the path of sky," Hoof murmurs to Saram, from where he stands, still juggling. "To tread lightly as a feather - we practice by walking over eggshells - and to pass unseen."

There is, suddenly, a pair of throwing sticks in each of Branch's hands. One flies out toward Harp, sudden as a bolt of lightning.

She has been waiting, standing in a relaxed stance, but her reaction is almost too quick to see. A fierce grin, a graceful twist to the side - and then she is flying, somersaulting through the air. She lands behind the low stone wall of one of the gardens, a good thirty feet away, and darts behind a tree.

"The air is an ally," Hoof continues. "The style emphasizes mobility - to move safely, and swiftly. Albeit also its counters -"

Branch smirks; the next throwing stick is already in the air. Its trajectory curves, impossibly, neatly circling the tree. Harp emerges from hiding with another distance-defying leap, as if the air itself buoyed her up, leaving a shower of leaves and twigs behind her. This time she lands on the monastery roof.

"Huh. Two. That's good. She's been having trouble getting the transitions right -"

Branch vanishes. One moment he was there, albeit wreathed in shadow - the next moment there is only air, and flickering darkness to fool the eye, and was that a sound?

There is a yelp from the monastery roof, quickly stifled. Branch is visible again, with a small smile of satisfaction on his face. The fourth throwing stick flies out at Harp, now running light-footed along the narrow ridge of the roof, with an easy flick of the hands that reminds Zen of the earlier exercises.

The wind shifts. Zen feels the gust against his skin, blowing hard across the courtyard. It lifts Harp from her feet, flings her toward the spinning stick -

- and she curls into a ball, rolls under the trajectory of the blow, and flies from the roof. There's a good fifteen feet to fall, and yet she is laughing, smiling in triumph; she spreads her arms wide as she touches down lightly on the flagstones a few yards away.

"My turn," Hoof says mildly.

And then the air is full of throwing sticks, all five that were in his hands, a hail of polished wood. His hands do not blur, do not move impossibly fast - but every small motion is judged with exquisite precision. The rest of his body barely moves; he looks almost bored.

Harp reacts instantly, swaying down under the barrage in a single smooth motion. Her leg muscles bunch and then fling her away, like a swimmer kicking off from a wall. The wind that gusts around her slows the throwing sticks; they clatter to the ground.

She lands awkwardly but immediately recovers herself, then runs back toward the others, beaming. "I did it! Four in a row!"

Her glance at Saram Zen is a little abashed. "... uh. Sorry. But that's a technique I've been trying to master for quite some time." She smiles. "I tried using your footwork, from the exercises earlier. I noticed you were turning your heel a bit more than I've been, and I thought, since you're of the Air, it might help with leaping."

Hoof hugs her, briefly, and then goes to gather up the throwing sticks. Branch touches Harp's hand for a moment and then looks at the young Air Aspect. It's hard to make out his expression, as shadows still swirl around him. "Mobility, a light tread, subtlety. Those are the hallmarks of our path, as controlled aggression is that of Fire." The pride in his voice is audible. "Any questions, Lord Saram?"

[Maugan Ra]

"No questions - your demonstration was very informative. Well done." Saram Zen says with a genuine smile, a respectful half-bow in the direction of the acolytes clearly conveying his sincere respect. "And I am certainly glad to have been of help, even if mostly indirectly. You have given me quite a bit to think upon as well."

He straightens up, and cracks his neck. "Still, I can't stick around for too long, I'm afraid. I need to be in the valley and on my way shortly." A slightly challenging look enters his eyes as he regards them, though the easy smile on his face keeps it in the realm of almost-playfulness. "Still, there's a good chance I'll pass back this way before too long - late in Ascending Wood, most likely. Perhaps by then you'll have even more improvements to show me, hmm?"

[Ifni]

"Mastering new katas usually takes us a bit longer than a month - Exalt," Branch replies gently. "But yes, we'll look forward to seeing you again. I have some thoughts..." He moves one hand vaguely, shadows flowing around it. "Hmm... anyway, thank you very much for the demonstration."

Harp nods. "Yes, thanks. I... you are not what I was expecting a dragonlord to be."

Hoof smiles, and adds, "When you try those flurries of strikes, lord, perhaps focus on moving only the parts of your body that need to move. Wasteful motion, not directed into force or evasion, can only weaken your strikes, and your defenses."

The practice continues, but as Saram Zen turns back toward the monastery, the Abbot leaves the group he was instructing and walks over to join him.

"So what do you think of our monastery, Chosen?" he inquires mildly.

Spoiler

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Lotus may learn a single Charm chosen from Sifu's Useful Fingers, Auspicious Recruitment Drive, or Training Mandate of Auspicious Battle.

[Maugan Ra]

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I went for Auspicious Recruitment Drive, though both of the others were rather tempting. Still, the auto-rally effect is too useful to pass up, and lends itself rather well to dramatic battlefield interventions...

"It seems remarkably like a fortress." Saram Zen responds in an even tone. "Whether one is needed is not for me to say, but I do question the decision to have it work both ways. Air does not like to be caged, and I cannot imagine most of the acolytes like it very much either."

[Ifni]

The Abbot blinks. He is silent for a moment, then says, sounding a little hurt, "No one is forced to remain here against their will, Saram Zen. Well, I suppose you could say the children are - when they run off to avoid doing chores, if they don't come back within a few hours we'll go looking for them, but I'd expect as much of any parent. Any adult is free to leave whenever they wish. Quite a few do, who cannot find within themselves the strength required for the training. Perhaps you misunderstood...?"

[Maugan Ra]

Saram Zen raises one hand and inclines his head in an apologetic motion. "I may have misspoken. Certainly, I do not accuse you of keeping your students here against their will. I merely meant to question the decision to remove the journeyman aspect of the training - as one on such a journey myself, you can see how I would place some importance on it."

"The Blessed Isle is no longer threatened by plague or Raksha, and I cannot help but feel that it would benefit your acolytes to see some of it for themselves without needing to give up their training. And certainly, knowledge of thaumaturgy is very valuable just about anywhere in the world, even if you wished to keep the secrets of your martial techniques."

He shakes his head and smiles ruefully. "Clearly I need to consider my words better in future. It was not my intent to cause offense, but in retrospect I can see how I did."

[Ifni]

"Ah." The Abbot relaxes. "I see." He is silent for another long moment, considering his words, as the pair walk toward the buildings. "It was long before my tenure that the monastery had such a custom. When I first arrived here, an ignorant youth with no command over my own Essence and no knowledge of any mystical arts, the gates were already closed tight against all but a very few."

"You are... forgive me, Chosen, but I think you are very young. This place is a fortress because even within my living memory, far shorter than that of the gods, it needed to be; if that need arises again, we may not have much warning." He taps one warded stone with his foot. "This place was designed to be a refuge for the people of the surrounding lands, in times of need, and a beachhead in Creation for the forces of Heaven." He chuckles, a little wearily. "And even if it didn't function entirely as intended -" That is a polite way, Lotus senses, of saying Even if Heaven left us to stand alone, "- the community here, and its skills, helped the people of these mountains survive through the horrors, and was the heart and center of the rebuilding afterward."

"And now... yes, knowledge of thaumaturgy is valuable, but that doesn't mean it's always welcome. Maybe you don't know, but the Shogunate outlawed the practice of the Arts, except for those working directly for the Exalted. Those laws made it into the Empress' code, along with most other Shogunate jurisprudence - they're rarely enforced these days, but we'd still prefer not to draw too much attention from the Dragon-Blooded." The old monk gives Saram Zen a pointed look. "I trust your discretion."

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Just to be clear, he's not stonewalling; you should feel free to keep arguing the point, it may have an effect.