Path of the Berserker

It waited with patience a fraction of a moment more until the Chainmaiden’s strength was at its peak.

There.

The shell It had refined was now ready for Its Will to be deployed.

Through the aperture, It exerted Its influence to send the slightest portion of Its Will into the foreign domain. As the transformation took hold, It encountered the presence of the mortal soul It had enslaved within the shell of the being.

Memories of its history melded with Its own, and a surprise further yet emerged…knowledge of the foul Husk itself. The mortal soul loathed the Husk.

Fortuitous...It thought. A borrowed hatred would It gladly now employ.

As It extended Its senses, the brilliance and opulence that was the prime firmament filled Its being. Diffuse energy, thriving with life essence. All around it, were Its throngs. They fell to the ground in worship.

Looking star ward, the Bloodmoon was now full.

But it would not be so for long.

In the distance, the darkness was pierced by floating lights.

The domain of the Husk.

Destroy it, master… the mortal soul begged it. Destroy them all!

The residual defiance of the Cursed Flame shielded the domain, but It had extended Its Will for a greater purpose. The D’Mjulthu It had summoned from the depths, at great cost, were now grafted to the shell.

But without the glorious light of the One True Flame, they would not survive long.

No matter, the mortal soul interjected. There is time enough to destroy.

It concurred.

Summoning Its Will again, It moved the shell and took a step towards the lights.

* * *

The first hit from one of the bird sisters came so fast that Fia couldn’t tell which one of them it even was. It barely mattered, as all three of them came for her then. Her mind was still reeling from the confusion of shock and loss.

She didn’t want to believe it.

That Max was dead.

With what Kel Zhi had said it didn’t make sense.

But the evidence was undeniable.

A hand slapped her hard across the face, followed by a scoffing laugh.

“So sorry for your loss, little Fia!” Silver Hawk said. “Looks like you left your clan for nothing, you stupid little whore.”

They all tore into her then, shouting, laughing and kicking.

“Serves you right!”

“Disrespect us?!”

“Now you’ll pay!”

It was all she could do to curl into a ball, clutching her stomach to protect her precious baby within. Tears stream from her eyes as the emotional and physical distress took their toll. All her hopes and dreams were shattered in an instant and were now being dragged through the mud by these cruel, cruel girls.

Yet was this her fate again?

To die like this?

Both her and her child?

Part of her wanted to. To just succumb and join Max wherever he was.

But that was not the future she envisioned.

Nor what her child deserved.

Get up, Fia, she told herself. You’re grieving but you have more than just you to think about now.

The cold reality of her situation sharpened her mind with clarity. She had chosen to have this baby without Max’s permission for a reason. A reason that had now come true. A piece of Max was still with her and she couldn’t allow these cursed cousins to steal that away from her too.

As the jeering kicks and taunts came, Fia filtered them out and instead listened for the chords of Mei Mai’s guzheng. She played them back from memory, the soft and rhythmic tones resonating within her and bringing peace to her soul.

“For you little one,” she whispered softly. “For you and your father.”

Fia rose from the ground in a single fluid motion, spreading her fans and jian blades.

She spun and twirled on the spot, evoking the dance of the hidden sword art. She engaged her attackers, picking out each of them by name. Silver Hawk, she took head on, using her fans directly. She placed Silver Dove to her side, directing her attacks with her flag-covered, jian blades and left the weakest of them, Silver Sparrow, to her rear.

They continued to hurl insults, scoffing about Max’s death, but Fia focused only on the rhythm of her technique. They were much easier to deceive than her mother and Kel Zhi, their attacks sloppy and slow.

After a while the mocking laughs became curses of frustration.

“What nonsense is this!” Silver Hawk cried. “Why can’t you two idiots hit her. I’m setting everything up for you!”

“You’re not hitting her either!”

The crowd too seemed to notice the anomaly, and people stood to their feet to get a better look at how the woman, once prone on the ground was now defending against three attackers at once flawlessly.

But it wouldn’t be enough to merely defend, she knew that.

She needed to fight back as well.

The ire and grief in her soul combined and Fia released a yell of anguish as she launched a quick strike with one of her jian blades. She aimed at Silver Dove and the girl cried out as it cut her cleanly across the arm. The action cost her to lose rhythm though and immediately one of Silver Hawk’s blades sliced through her fan and into her mummer’s robes.

Her heart stopped for a second and Fia instinctively covered her stomach.

The result was a loud ripping sound as the fabric was cut in two by the blade.

Fia broke into a sweat of panic then, desperately trying to regain her rhythm.

But the loss of her fan was crippling and the assault from the three bird sisters kept on coming.

* * *

Kelsey watched in muted horror as the three on one match played out.

Fia had recovered admirably, but now she appeared to be in trouble again.

The three bird sisters took turns mocking and taunting her and every so often, they would land a strike. Her Flame burned with indignation but behind it all, the uncertainty of the princess’s announcement played on her mind.

Max dead?

There was no damn way.

She had sensed him.

But still he wasn’t here.

So, what the hell did that mean?

She thought about running for the edge of the barrier to seek him out under the full Bloodmoon. If she came back with fresh proof that Max was still out there, she could give Fia hope again. But no way could she get all the way there right now.

Still, she needed to restore hope not just for Fia, but for everyone else.

Yu Li was sobbing and being consoled by Fia’s mother Rhi Dong. Gui Zu and even Lee looked distraught with shock and grief. Master Hei Dong and Jian Yi hadn’t said anything at all, still perplexed by the announcement, it seemed.

She needed to say something.

She couldn’t explain how she knew, but she needed to give them all hope.

“Guys, it’s not true,” Kelsey said, and everyone suddenly looked to her. “Max is not dead.”

“What?” Rhi Dong said, looking at her quizzically.

“How do you know, Kel Zhi?” Gui Zu asked, but with more hope in his tone than skepticism. “Is he truly not dead?”

“Yes,” Kelsey said with [Struggler’s Resolve]. “I can’t explain how I know but I know it to be true. We all need to encourage Fia with the same. She can’t lose hope out there.”

They still all looked at her perplexed but she didn’t have time to explain any more than that. Kelsey rushed to the edge of the arena then, leaning over the railing to yell to Fia.

“Don’t believe what she said,” Kelsey shouted. “Max is still alive, Fia! Keep fighting for him! Keep fighting!”

Kelsey wasn’t sure if Fia could even hear her or not, but she kept yelling anyway.

Part of her desperately wanted to run out of the barrier and get under the Bloodmoon. She looked to the night sky, past the floating skiffs and saw it hovering ominously there. It looked twice as big as usual and as she focused on it, she could swear she could sense its Dark Frenzy even through the barrier.

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Or is it coming from somewhere else? she thought. Somewhere closer?

Before Kelsey could even consider it further, a loud cry came from the arena.

When she looked back to Fia, Kelsey saw that she was now wearing only half her robes. The fabric was torn to shreds. Sliced apart by the bird sisters who now stood back from her with a mixture of shock and bemusement on their faces.

And when Fia turned about, Kelsey saw as to why.

The mummer’s robes were gone, and with it, so too went the illusion.

Fia was now fully exposed for all to see.

And her stomach was ripe with child.

* * *

Princess Lunalah stood to her feet.

She peered into the arena to exact a better view of what her eyes were already telling her could not possibly be true.

The girl was pregnant?

A million thoughts raced through Lunalah’s mind.

That girl carried the seed of the Iron Bull.

And had kept it hidden.

Her prized tribute was gone, but he still lived on.

Within her.

A mixture of hope, jealousy and anger filled her.

That child could have the very same potential as the Iron Bull himself.

Perhaps more even, being born to a true cultivator.

But that was what angered her the most.

Yet again, the stupid little girl had been blessed beyond measure with gifts she did not deserve.

“This is nonsense,” the Magistrate said, as she stood to her feet as well. “That girl is heavy with child. She is unfit to serve as a proxy.” She then banged her gavel. “Cease combat! There is an anomaly here! A decision must be made.”

The crowd grew restless with interest and confusion as the bird sisters and Silver Light retreated to their corners of the ring.

“I did not foresee this,” the Warden said. “Shall we stop the trial, your majesty?”

As both the Warden and the Magistrate looked to her for an answer, Lunalah dove into the depts of her soul for a response. She could stop the trial. Allow both Silver Light to live and for the child to be born.

Perhaps she could even kill Silver Light later and then usurp the child as her own.

It made sense.

She could perhaps still have her consort then… in twenty or thirty years more time.

It was a plan that could work.

But could she stomach it?

Even now her insides roiled with the envy and hatred of that little girl. Why should she have even the privilege of giving birth to the Iron Bulls child? The hatred grew within her like seething venom. She should have been the only one to ever bare the Iron Bull a child.

It was her destiny, stolen from her yet again.

By this naïve little whore of a girl.

No…she thought finally.

If she could not have the Iron Bull or his children, then neither should this girl.

“The trial will continue,” she said.

The High Magistrate blinked at her. “Your majesty?”

“Master Hei Dong chose his proxy unwisely. Let the outcome of the law stand where it may.” She then shifted her eyes to the Lady Silver Tear. “Warden…a word.”

As they both withdrew from earshot of the magistrate, the Warden whispered to her. “Yes, your majesty?”

“See to it personally that your nieces get this message,” she said. “The lady Silver Light is to die this day, but ensure her baby dies first.”

* * *

Fia stumbled to the edge of the arena was shame and pain in her heart.

The stare of disbelief from her father was the most painful of all.

“Fia,” he said. “What is this? What have you done?”

“She did what she had to do,” Rhi Dong said quickly. “And yes, we didn’t tell you.”

“We?” he exclaimed, looking to his wife with shock. “You knew?”

“We all did,” she said. “They did not want to keep it from you, husband, but I knew it would cause you too much distress. So I made the decision. To protect you from it, until it was all over. And we had it handled. This match should have been perfect with the new style Fia has mastered.”

Fia smiled weakly at her mother. It was only her quick words that could disarm her father’s wrath. Still, he looked more concerned and confused now.

“New style?” Hei Dong said. “Is that what those robes were?”

Fia nodded. “I’m sorry, father. We knew me not being able to stand as proxy, would have put you at immediate risk.”

“But now you risk this child,” he said. “And with Max gone…”

“He is not gone,” Kel Zhi said, stepping forward.

Fia looked to see Kel Zhi staring at her with fire in her eyes.

“He is still alive, Fia,” she said. “I’m certain of what I sensed. The princess. Everyone. They are all mistaken. Max lives. I know it.”

Fia felt a glimmer of hope stir within her. But could she believe it? “How sure are you?”

“I’ll stake my life on it,” Kel Zhi said. “I don’t know how, or why he’s not here. But we connected but a few days ago, Fia.”

“Connected?” Hei Dong said. “Connected how? What do you speak of?”

“Just trust me, Fia, please,” she said.

Fia nodded. “I will.”

“What happens now?” Gui Zu said. “Is this all over?”

“In one way or another, yes,” Jian Yi said. “Fia should not have been allowed to stand proxy in her condition. If the magistrate stops the match, the claim will fall on Master Hei Dong with no defense. Or he himself will have to stand trial.”

“I’ll go in,” Kel Zhi said. “I’ll rip those bird bitches to pieces.”

“We spoke of this already,” Jian Yi said. “The conditions that were put in place won’t allow it. It’s Fia or no one.”

Her heart sank for what had to be the hundredth time. She looked across the arena to see the Warden had now descended from the dais to speak with her three nieces directly. They, in turn, eyed her like vultures, their lips peeled back with knowing leers.

In that moment the outcome became clear.

“They aren’t going to stop the trial,” Fia said flatly.

The realization hit her seconds before the Magistrate’s gavel banged.

“Order!” the High Magistrate shouted. “The trial will continue. Special conditions were applied to the details of the proxies and these conditions must stand. Proxies, to the center of the ring for the restart of the trial.”

“No, this can’t happen!” Yu Li shouted. “She no longer has her robes or her fans!”

“I’ll just take the punishment,” Hei Dong said solemnly. “I’ll plead guilty to the charges. It’s my mess that I have made anyway.”

“I won’t let you do that, father,” Fia said, as a new resolve filled her. “You wouldn’t last a month in a prison.”

“Fia, you can’t fight like that!” he shouted.

“I can,” she said. “And I will. For all three of us.” She turned to Kel Zhi and smiled. “I trust you, sister. If Max is still out there somewhere, fighting to get back home, then I will fight for us as well.”

She turned before either of them could try to talk her out of it again.

“Hold on little one,” she whispered. “Father is going to be home soon. We just need to survive this.”

As she came toe to toe with the bird sisters, Silver Hawk gave her a nasty sneer.

“This is going to be the end of you and that bastard child,” she said. “Hope you all have a happy reunion in hell.”

Fia clenched her teeth and flexed her four jian blades behind her back.

Perhaps she had been too pessimistic about all this from the very start.

She was carrying a child, but it was Max’s child.

It was strong.

And so was she.

Fia grinned back at Silver Hawk. “You all are forgetting one thing.”

The Magistrate suddenly banged the gavel.

“None of you, dumbass bitches can fly.”

Fia took to the air with a burst of Qi, utilizing her [Silver Sail] technique. The rapid movement caused a jolt of pain to rip through her stomach, but she endured it with a grimace. The bird sisters immediately began pelting her with quills, but she flexed and twirled in midair with a combination of pure reflexes and her newly gained Hidden Sword Art technique.

Fia retaliated with quill techniques of her own and sent a hail of the silver needles falling atop Silver Dove. She cried out as several pierced her body and Fia immediately followed up with aerial sweeps of her jian blades.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Blood flew as she carved a sizeable wound in Silver Dove’s thigh.

“Help me, sisters!” she cried out as she fell to the ground.

But her siblings were too busy focused on Fia.

Good, Fia thought.

It meant one less to worry about now. She [Shadow Stepped] to close in on Silver Sparrow next, causing another sharp pain to rip through her stomach.

She ignored it.

Just get this done quickly, she told herself. Speed is the key.

Fia pushed past her limits and held out her palm to release a Qi technique at point blank range. “[Ninth Heaven, Zero Point Stri—]!”

Her words cut short as a scream ripped from her throat, the pain in her stomach exploding. It radiated even to her Dantian. All at once her Qi left her and she dropped out of the sky like a stone. Fia fell towards the ground face first, but then twisted her body in midair to avoid landing on her stomach.

She crashed down hard on her side instead.

New pain immediately filled her, as her stomach twitched and convulsed.

It was excruciating.

She cried out, paralyzed.

Fia had no idea what labor felt like, but this had to be it.

Damn it, she thought. I pushed it too far.

Had she now forced her child to be born early?

“No!” she cried. “Not now!”

“Kill her!” Silver Dove screamed while still nursing her leg on the ground. “Kill her for wounding me!”

“Hold her down!” Silver Hawk commanded, and immediately Silver Sparrow grappled Fia from behind. She struggled as Silver Sparrow pushed her head into the ground and then Silver Hawk moved to stand over her.

“I’ve never liked you, Fia,” she said as she looked down at her smugly. “You or your unworthy father and the stain your entire family has brought to our clan. This latest disgrace being the height of it.” She glanced down at her exposed stomach. “But I’ll put an end to it all now. I’ll stomp that ugly, mixed breed mongrel right from out of you.”

“No!” Fia cried as Silver Hawk raised her leg. “No sto—!”

Her foot came down like a hammer, crashing atop her stomach and Fia saw stars.

She wailed as the shock and pain ran through her like lightning.

Deep within, she felt something break.

No! Dear gods no!

“Again!” Silver Dove screamed. “Kick her again!”

Fia was beside herself with pain and disbelief, the cruelty of their jeers assaulting her ears as Silver Hawk raised her leg once more.

* * *

“Get away from her, you damn bitch!” Kelsey screamed as she tore across the arena.

She cursed herself for not jumping in a half second sooner.

The vision of that woman stomping on Fia’s stomach was now burned into her mind.

Her Flame roared in response, pumping Frenzy as she sprinted. The crowd was on their feet and the Magistrate was banging her gavel like crazy, but Kelsey couldn’t care.

The bird sister that was about to kick Fia again, suddenly turned her way.

“Who the hell are—?”

Kelsey barreled into her full force, landing a punch straight to her head. She knocked her to the ground and kept punching, fury igniting her soul.

“You piece of shit!” she screamed as she slammed her fist into the woman’s head again and again. She tapped into her rage, screaming with each punch. “Trying to kill a child?”

Kelsey was vaguely aware of something cutting into her and it took her a half second to realize a jian blade was now piercing her from the side.

“Get off me, you filthy Terran!” the woman shouted, and Kelsey suddenly found herself flying in the air with a kick. She managed to land on her feet and suddenly felt the pain resonating from the blade in her side.

It burned like it was on fire.

Kelsey cultivated the Pain quickly, and then used the Frenzy to cover for any organs the blade might have pierced with [Death’s Door]. She hid a wince with [Indifference] as she pulled it from out of her.

“Glad you drew first blood,” Kelsey said as she reached for the axe strapped to her back. “Will make cutting your head in two all the more satisfying.”

She was just about to charge forward, when she sensed something flying at her head. She shifted and a silver quill sailed past her nose. She turned to see one of the other bird sisters had tossed it at her, but was keeping her distance otherwise.

As well you should, Kelsey thought.

These bitches would learn to [Fear the Flame] today.

As she invoked the technique, they cringed away from her and one of them even screamed. More screams suddenly filled the air and Kelsey feared she might have affected the entire stadium as people began screaming en masse.

What the hell…?

And then she felt it.

A presence of Dark Frenzy so strong it made her toes curl.

She looked immediately to the sky for the Bloodmoon and saw skiffs flying about haphazardly, some of them crashing into one another. She looked to the crowd next and saw people running and stampeding over one another, some of them running across the arena itself. The bird sisters began running away as well, two of them grabbing the third that was lying on the ground.

What the hell was going on?

“Kel Zhi…” Fia called to her weakly and Kelsey immediately rushed to her, falling to her knees by her side.

“I’m here, Fia,” she said. “Are you alright?”

But Kelsey already knew the answer. Tears were streaming from her eyes and what was left of Fia’s robes was covered in blood from the waist down.

“I… I can’t feel the baby, Kel Zhi,” Fia muttered through choaking sobs. “I can’t feel the baby anymore.”

Her stomach sank, but she pushed it down with [Indifference] to stay strong for Fia. “Don’t worry. We’ll find you a doctor. Everything is going to be fine.”

She was just about to lift Fia into her arms when a resounding Boom! rang out from behind her, followed by more screams. Fear and Dark Frenzy permeated the air and as Kelsey stood and turned about, she finally saw the reason why.

There, crashing through the side of the stadium was a towering five-story tall monstrosity that she recognized immediately.

I’Xong’Xiang…

But it looked different than it did before.

Bigger.

And clearly stronger.

How did it get through the barrier?

The answer came in the form of the rusted shackles and chains hanging from its wrists and neck. Kelsey recognized them immediately, even though they were only ever described to her by Max. The implements of the giant blue bitch, I’xan’dra that controlled the gates of the moon.

And there, within the center of the beast’s massive chest was the small, inverted triangle of a gate itself. But that wasn’t all. At the behemoth’s feet, hundreds of normal sized demons were swarming and ripping into the crowd.

It didn’t make sense.

Had the barrier failed?

No, it couldn’t have.

The gate or the demon itself had to be producing a barrier of its own.

A barrier of Dark Frenzy.

But she couldn’t think about that now.

People were dying by the second or were being driven mad by the Dark Frenzy streaming from the gate. The inner core of her Dao flew into high gear. This was what the monster had been taunting her with all along.

And it would now be up to her alone to stop it.