My fist whistled through the air. My body creaked as I moved, feeling off. Wrong. Big D dodged the strike and lashed out, tapping the side of my body.

I sighed, frustrated. Sure, I could have gone faster, but that was defeating the point.

I knew I could move faster. I knew I could just swing and I could probably send Big D to the next province, but that wasn’t the point of this spar. The point was to learn.

You can’t learn if you just unga-bunga everything in your path. I mean, it was kind of a valid strategy… but if I ran up against anybody who I couldn’t just yeet out of the province, I was pretty boned.

I sighed as I corrected my stance… Or at least tried to. Big D was considering.

“The blows themselves have nothing wrong with them, Master.” the rooster said. “Yet… nothing is changing.”

Sparring kind of sucked. We had been at this for at least an hour already. An hour, and I still felt… off. I tried to focus. I tried to really, really focus on what I was doing wrong.

I hesitated too much. I thought too much about my next move. Without the panic and immediate need to act of real combat… Well, I just didn’t commit. I spent too much time thinking.

It was compounded by the fact that I needed to keep everything under tight control. I still remembered what happened when I let loose at the Dueling Peaks. A wrong jump had shattered a house—I had been lucky nobody was inside.

I felt like I was wasting time. We were no closer to figuring anything else out now than we were when we started.

I stopped shuffling my feet, trying to get into a position that felt good, and dropped my stance.

“Lets take a break.” I suggested, wandering over to the log with my sword and the scroll, and just sat down.

I sighed, frustrated with myself as I took a swig from my waterskin. Just what was I doing wrong?

I sat there, brooding for a moment— and jerked my head backwards as a clod of dirt and grass shot through the air where I had been but a moment before.

I turned to the rooster, who looked entirely too innocent.

“What the hell, Big D?” I asked.

The rooster cocked his head to the side. “I am merely adapting thy training methods, Great Master.” the rooster intoned. “Sisters Tigu and Xiulan swear that this training is most efficacious.”

I huffed. The training had actually been useful? I mean, I could kind of see it…

Another clod of dirt went for my head, and I dodged it. Some of the tension faded as the rooster dug into the earth with his talons, scooping up ball of dirt number three.

I snorted, tired of the whole sparring thing.

“Alright then. Come on, if you think you’re hard enough!” I demanded.

The rooster was only too happy to oblige me. Earth rained down upon me as I danced around the missiles. He couldn’t throw curveballs like I could, but he could chuck a clod of dirt then flap his wings to send it in a shotgun-like spray straight at me.

The first one got me good, I do admit. But I was wise to the next strike.

The spread of dirt whistled by my head.

It felt good to finally have some stress relief though after hours of worthless training. After this, we would probably have a dunk in the river and head off to bed.

I may not have had any progress… but I was still grateful to Big D for taking the time to try.

Then the cheeky chicken decided that dirt wasn’t enough and sent another kick at me. I dodged it, but instead of backing off, he kicked again and I blocked.

Well, if that’s how he wanted to play it…

I swung back on the next strike, and the rooster dodged it. I laughed and poked at him, like I always did when I was play-fighting with people. Back and forth, like a dance, we went. Smacking and kicking at eachother like we had been when we were sparring—

I paused. I didn’t feel any of the odd, grinding sensation. My moves were crisper.

Big D performed the kick combo he had before, the one that ended with a tap to my side, and I waved through it with ease.

The opening that had been there was gone.

I had landed a real hit on somebody sparring.

Was... was it that simple?

Had I really just been that dumb? Had I forgotten what kind of world I was in?

I had started training not because I wanted to, but because I felt like I had to. I hated it. I loathed every moment I was training for battle.

I resented the sword. I resented everything going on the offense represented to me. I had not wanted to do it. And, if I was honest with myself… I didn’t want to be good at it.

To be good at this… meant that I was almost failing in my promise. To not go off the deep end. To not become some kind of warlord.

And so it had been flawed. The moves were right; the intent behind them was what was wrong.

How could I hope to get anywhere when I didn’t really want to succeed?

There was another flurry of blows as we exchanged strikes. Each attack started to run into the last as I started to get into the flow. A continuous motion.

But here, here in this moment… things felt just the slightest bit better.

I didn’t need to be so grim and steely eyed. That wasn’t me. I had been trying to be something, to do something, that I wasn’t.

Three more strikes. It was… Well, it was awkward as hell fighting a rooster. He moved so gracefully and so quickly it still seemed like I was watching a TV show or something. What we were doing could barely be called fighting, compared to what I remembered it as in the Before. The undignified flailing that barely deserved to be called strikes. Or the short brutal scuffles where one guy tackled another and then pounded the tar out of him while he was on the ground.

I let out a breath as I saw an opening, and tapped the rooster in the side. His eyes widened briefly as he leapt away, and we paused, facing each other.

”Thank you for showing me that opening, Master.” the rooster said, sounding a bit surprised. “Shall we continue?”

A silver glow formed on Big D’s legs. Crescent blades formed on his spurs.

I pulled my own Qi.

I got into a stance. I could feel the power thrumming through my body— My breath caught, this was enough power to—

“I know that you shall not harm me, Great Master.” the rooster stated simply.

I took a deep breath. I let the tension run out of my body.

Just think of it like a shounen fight scene. The power of friendship, and nobody gets hurt. Like when Tigu and Xiulan fight.

I launched myself towards Big D. The silver blades met my fist.

I may not have a solution quite yet… but it was a start.

I dueled, properly dueled, for the first time since I came here. And with Big D… with a friend to guide me by my side... I couldn’t say I hated it.

===========================

It was dawn when we finally stopped. I was sweating and breathing heavily, while Big D looked close to collapsing.

I looked down at my hands.

“Thank you.” I said, and the rooster bowed.

“It is my pleasure to aid you, Master.”

Even now, he called me Master. Even now after all they did. I could still see the respect in his eyes as he stared at me.

Even as I felt I still didn’t deserve it, no matter what Xiulan had said.

I felt the urge to ask him. Ask him why he thought so highly of me—but in the end, that would just be me stroking my own ego.

The only thing I could do was to try to keep being worthy of that respect.

I patted my shoulder. This time, the rooster hopped up happily, claiming his rightful place. He let out a terrific crow and I laughed as he did his job of greeting the sun.

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Bi De was absolutely exhausted, barely hanging onto his Great MAster’s shoulder as he bore him to the village.

His feathers were ruffled and his spurs ached. His Great Master was sweaty and his clothes were drenched through. But that was the end of it.

He looked more at peace now. Or at least, less like the weight of the world was upon his shoulders.

He had finally, truly been of aid to his Master. His Lord had given him heartfelt thanks.

Bi De supposed some would see his Master’s moment of weakness and be disappointed. Yet his Master had ever been frank with them about his capabilities. He had told them he considered himself weak. He had told them all he disliked fighting.

Even with that, his Master gave them his all without reservation. It was humbling, to see how far he would go for their sake. Driving himself to distraction, and willingly taking up that which he hated the most.

Bi De still wished that he could dissuade his Master entirely from fighting. That Bi De and his Master’s disciples would take care of any who dared to raise their hands against Fa Ram.

Yet he could not. All he could do was offer his own aid… and to win any war before it truly became a battle.

They passed the tree line, and came to the outskirts of the village, where they were awaited.

There stood the Disciples and the Great Healing Sage Meiling, waiting for them. The Qi Bi De had given off as he sparred with his lord was no small thing, and they had all surely felt it. Yet none were worried or anxious as they approached the waiting group.

The Healing Sage sniffed at the Great Master, clearly using her peerless ability to sense Qi to uncover any hidden ailment. She just nodded her head, and declared:

“Better.”

And thus, they returned home, with their newest guest.

Bi De never did get tired of the look on people’s faces when they first experienced Fa Ram. Liu Xianghua was no different. Her sharp eyes softened. Her breath became shallow, and her tense, coiled body relaxed.

For a brief moment, Liu Xainghua looked vulnerable.

And then she straightened, her eyes firmed up.

“Hmm. this place’s air… I don’t hate it!” she shouted. “In fact, its not half bad! Master Jin, allow this Liu Xainghua to praise what you have built!”

The Great Master laughed at her words. “I try my best, you know?” he said, his own back straight. “Come on in, and make yourself at home.”

Later after settling in, The Great Master called both Sisters Xiulan and Tigu To him, and bowed his head requesting their aid.

Tigu was euphoric, to spar with her Master. Cai Xiulan accepted without reservation.

To give and receive in equal measure. One of the First of His Great Master’s teachings.

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