Valkyrie's Shadow

Winter's Crown: Act 4, Chapter 7

Winter's Crown: Act 4, Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Banking to align herself with a clear section of the city wall, Ilyshn’ish alighted in front of the entrance of the Frost Dragon pens. To her great discomfort, she discovered Lady Shalltear at the front desk, issuing instructions to two of the Vampire Brides. The third appeared out of the back somewhere, making her way up to unfasten the Infinite Haversacks about Ilyshn’ish’s body. Further in, she could see Hejinmal already slipping into his alcove.

She eyed the Demihuman Quarter stretching out below the wall. Once again, it seemed slightly busier compared to the previous week. In addition, new sets of hovels had appeared along the temperate band stretching between the icy inner wall and the sunbaked second wall. As her gaze wandered, it eventually fell upon the unassuming Justice Dragon Dojo on the east end, and a sigh escaped her jaws.

After gaining nothing but a harrowing ordeal during the last visit, Ilyshn’ish was no longer so eager to see what Master Tian had to offer. She wanted to finish exploring the rest of the city and start investigating the surrounding countryside. The town along the river to the south was rapidly coming into existence, and her curiosity about it grew with every trip back and forth to E-Rantel. Unfortunately for her, the instructions to report to Master Tian were still in force.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Lady Shalltear’s silvery voice drifted up towards her after the Vampire Bride was done.

“I-I was thinking that I should just take a nap today,” Ilyshn’ish replied. “I haven’t slept in six weeks…”

“Oh no you don’t,” Lady Shalltear told her. “You’ve yet to complete your training.”

Ilyshn’ish turned her head down to look at the diminutive Vampire.

“Just what are you expecting out of this ‘training’ anyways?” She asked, “Master Tian’s instruction focuses on abstract, nonsensical concepts. He lectured me for eight hours after what happened last week – I think I might have preferred being tossed about after just an hour of that. I have no idea about any of it, and his insistence on adhering to his ‘goodly’ ideals means little to nothing for me.”

“I suppose I can agree with the latter part of that,” Lady Shalltear answered. “As for his methods of instruction…you should just tell him that Frost Dragons don’t learn like that, yes?”

“…just how much do you know about us?”

“Don’t underestimate the wisdom of Lord Peroroncino~” Lady Shalltear stuck out her chest proudly, “Albedo might have put your head on a spike over the desk here, but I know better.”

Her words made Ilyshn’ish realize that Lady Shalltear was actually extraordinarily effective at getting her point across whenever something about the Frost Dragons’ conduct displeased her. Unlike the other beings in the city who constantly yelled and bickered and berated one another to no end over their faults and failures, Lady Shalltear appeared to understand that Frost Dragons only needed a single strong experience to nudge their behaviour in a given direction.

Did it mean that all of the circumstances surrounding the Frost Dragons were the result of careful calculations which accounted for their very nature? That their present situation was truly inescapable? Ilyshn’ish recoiled from any consideration that this might be the case.

“So you’re saying that I should just tell him how it is,” Ilyshn’ish stated dubiously, “and he’ll just listen?”

“Being what you are,” Lady Shalltear said, “you should have already gathered enough to understand this. He’ll certainly not cease with his whole goodly outlook on things, but his instruction should become more practical to you, at least.”

Maybe it was worth another try. At least she would know if it was working right away. Ilyshn’ish stretched her neck out over the edge of the wall, looking for a place to land.

“You have the ability to change yourself, do you not?” Lady Shalltear asked from behind her.

“Yes, but I don’t see a point in that,” Ilyshn’ish answered. “Being a Dragon is best unless there’s some objective better accomplished as something else.”

“Don’t you think that an Adult Frost Dragon walking around on the street is a bit of an imposition?”

“Not really,” Ilyshn’ish located a clear space on one of the terraces. “I haven’t had a single accident yet. My senses are far superior to those mortals down there, and I’m far more manoeuvrable.”

Despite her reply, Lady Shalltear only looked up at her expectantly. Ilyshn’ish sighed and started making her way towards the pens.

“Where are you going?”

“Changing.”

She walked past the broom closet and into the closest alcove.

“What are you doing?” She turned around and asked Lady Shalltear, who had quietly followed her.

“Watching.”

“…”

“What? I want to see.”

Sighs were quickly becoming the hallmark of her life. Ilyshn’ish turned to face the wall, and her voice quietly rose in song. Given that she had essentially vanished after her performance in the Frosty Beard, Ilyshn’ish settled upon becoming a Human rather than a Dwarf. She produced a small hand mirror from her bag and checked over her appearance.

After ensuring that nothing was amiss, she walked past Lady Shalltear, whose crimson gaze pointedly followed her. A startled noise escaped Ilyshn’ish’s lips when a hand gripped her rump and squeezed. She glanced over her shoulder with a hunted look.

Lady Shalltear bore a lascivious smile, fingers of her open hand playing lightly in the air.

“This appearance feels much better,” Lady Shalltear said.

Ilyshn’ish suppressed a shiver and scurried away.

She wove a spellsong to conceal her presence before coming out into the open wall, then dropped down into an alley near the Frosty Beard. After looking around to see if there was anyone nearby, she dispelled the concealment and slipped into the modest pedestrian traffic on the main street. Ilyshn’ish felt numerous stares upon her before she realized that she was the only Human present, as far as she could tell. In hindsight, she should have chosen a Demihuman race to alter herself into.

Unable to do anything about it for the moment, Ilyshn’ish preoccupied herself with looking over the market stands along the street. They were only partially occupied, which could be explained by the fact that many Demihumans were not active during the day, or at least preferred darker environments. Those out in the sun were cold-blooded, like Lizardmen, or those without superior night vision. The quality of the goods was mostly unchanged, however, being simple crafts at most, and raw commodities piled haphazardly on the tables.

Without anything of interest for her to linger over, she soon found herself on the other side of the Demihuman Quarter, in front of the Justice Dragon Dojo. She poked her head into the open entrance.

“H-hello?”

Positioned as it was, the morning light did not penetrate the darkness of the hall. She sensed Master Tian near the back, examining a wall hanging – it seemed he had gotten another one from somewhere. Like the other, it seemed of little value. The old Human turned around and strode towards the entrance at the sound of her voice.

“A new student…?”

“I-It’s me, Master Tian – Shiver.”

Despite the fact that he could not tell who she was, Ilyshn’ish did not consider lying to him. That particular option had been beaten out of her the last time she was present, so she would not conceal the truth from Master Tian for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, he did not react in a violent manner when she was being candid…at least as far as she knew.

Master Tian furrowed his brow, raising a hand to stroke his beard.

“I wasn’t aware that Frost Dragons could alter themselves.”

“I can’t speak for all Frost Dragons,” Ilyshn’ish told him, “but I am certainly capable of doing so. I came over immediately after I arrived today, so I’d like to get started right away. Lady Shalltear suggested that I ask you to employ purely practical methods of instruction.”

“Is there a specific reason for this request?” Master Tian asked.

“Frost Dragons learn far faster that way.”

“If I’m not mistaken, Lady Aura’s new companion quite enjoys reading, and has learned much from it.”

“Now that he’s out and about,” Ilyshn’ish told him, “my brother has recently realized this truth of our kind. I enjoy reading as well, but I still learn much faster through personal experience. It is a trait of Frost Dragons – we have a perfect memory for what we experience, so the way our minds work centres around this quality.”

“I see…I believe something related to this was mentioned the last time you were here,” Master Tian nodded. “Allow me a moment to retrieve a uniform.”

“A uniform?”

“Yes,” Master Tian replied. “Membership with the dojo comes with a uniform – I didn’t offer one previously since I had none that were Dragon-sized.”

“Dragons don’t wear uniforms,” Ilyshn’ish told him, “or body armour of any kind, for that matter. Accessories are fine, but the rest is an unnecessary impediment.”

“At the risk of sounding untoward, you appear to be wearing something right now.”

“This isn’t actually clothing,” she said. “It’s me. What you see before you is a result of self-alteration, creating a parallel of my Dragon self with a Human body.”

Ilyshn’ish turned and held up portions of her ‘garb’ for Master Tian to examine as she explained herself.

“Then…if I display one of our uniforms to you,” Master Tian said, “would you be able to alter the appearance of this attire?”

“You’re awfully insistent about having me wear one of these uniforms…”

“It is an appropriate representation of your status as a disciple of this dojo,” Master Tian said. “Do you not believe that one’s appearance should suit the atmosphere of their circumstances?”

“Fine,” Ilyshn’ish huffed, “go get one of your uniforms.”

Master Tian turned to walk off towards a side room, and Ilyshn’ish went to the head of the training hall. The Dragon-sized hole in the wall had been repaired, as was all the other damage that came with her being thrown about. She walked over to one of the wall hangings, trying to figure out what compelled the old man to collect such low-value articles.

The sound of Master Tian clearing his throat behind her drew Ilyshn’ish’s attention away from the drab landscape. Over one of his arms was draped a uniform in two main parts, fashioned out of moderately thick fabric. The items seemed no more than what they appeared, without even a hint of enchantment.

“Is there a name for these items?” She asked.

“The white tunic is called uwagi,” Master Tian said as he handed it over. “The bottom, hakama. These socks are tabi. When I last visited Re-Estize, I found that there was a place with similar aesthetics to this dojo, so the garb should not be entirely unknown.”

In addition to the described articles, he handed over a belt made from the same, dark grey cloth as the hakama.

“Is there a name for this belt?”

“It is an obi,” Master Tian replied. “They come in many forms, so you may see others described as such.”

Ilyshn’ish examined the garments from every which way before going into a side room and adjusting her own. She returned to Master Tian and held her arms out to the sides.

“How is it?”

Master Tian walked slowly around her once, returning to stand in front of her.

“You should close the neckline of your uwagi to the collarbone, at the least,” he said. “The colours should not be changed, either. Aside from that, I see no problems…so this ‘clothing’ you currently wear is a part of your natural armour?”

“That’s right,” Ilyshn’ish replied, returning the uniform to its boring colour scheme. “Though I’m currently Human, I retain most of the traits of a Frost Dragon. Generally speaking, if I lack the associated appendages associated with certain functions, I cannot perform them. I have no wings at the moment, so I cannot fly naturally.”

“I believe I understand,” Master Tian nodded. “It is not too dissimilar from how some Heteromorphs function in their different appearances. If that is the case, I should worry less about damage to you and more about damage to the hall.”

“W-wait a minute. Why are you worried about that?”

“You requested purely practical instruction, did you not?”

“Uh…”

Master Tian folded his hands behind his waist.

“Now then,” he said. “I shall gauge your technique. Strike me in the abdomen with all of your might.”

“A-are you sure about that?”

“Of course.”

Ilyshn’ish frowned slightly at the old Human. Hitting a stupendously resilient Vampire was one thing, but, as far as she knew, Humans did not possess any durability of note. Though it might not be much since the apparent difference in their power was vast, something would always get through unless Master Tian possessed some other means to prevent it.

With a tentative expression, Ilyshn’ish drew back one arm, then sent her palm streaking forward into the centre of Master Tian’s torso. The shock of the impact travelled up her arm, but the old Human did not budge. She withdrew her palm – even the fabric of his garb under her nails remained undisturbed.

“Is that all you can do?” Master Tian was entirely unperturbed.

“I-I was holding back a bit, I think…”

She struck him again, this time without any reservations. A dull thud reverberated throughout the hall. Again, Master Tian did not shift even one millimetre. A furrow appeared over her brow.

“May I go out into the back, Master Tian?” Ilyshn’ish asked, “I’d like to confirm something.”

Master Tian nodded slightly, and Ilyshn’ish went out into the backyard. Stepping up to the wall, she reared back to hit it.

“You will damage the wall if you strike it with the same force as previously.”

Ilyshn’ish looked around. In the end, she settled on giving the ground a good whack. The ground shuddered slightly, and a web of cracks emanated from where she left the deep impression of her hand. There appeared to be nothing wrong with her – if anything, she thought she was a bit stronger now. Master Tian spoke when she returned to the hall.

“You have the strength that would be expected out of a Dragon of your level,” he said. “But it is only raw strength. You lack any technique in your form and movements.”

“…are you saying that I’m capable of doing more than that?” Ilyshn’ish perked up as she heard something useful.

“I believe so,” Master Tian said. “There is something I need to confirm first, however: when you attacked me, you did so with your palm, in a manner reminiscent of a Dragon Claw striking forward. Did you naturally do this?”

“I suppose I did?” Ilyshn’ish replied, “I didn’t think about it, at any rate.”

“This should prove quite useful,” he said. “When humanoids with no prominent natural weapons on their hands – like claws – strike for maximum damage, they will tend to naturally form a fist. Does this mean your current movements will translate in a similar fashion regardless of the appearance you assume?”

Ilyshn’ish considered Master Tian’s observation. It was not something that she had noted on her own, but as far as she could recall, he was correct.

“Initially, yes,” she replied. “Movements that are natural to other races would require some practice to adopt convincingly. I would need to factor in differences between species, like the shorter neck of a Human, or lack of a tail. Also, there are various things that influence balance and posture that need to be addressed.”

“Excellent,” the strange gleam in Master Tian’s eyes resurfaced. “Since this is the case, we may proceed onwards with confidence. I will now demonstrate your last strike with proper martial technique – please pay close attention.”

“Alrig–blorph!”

Master Tian’s palm made contact with her stomach for a split second before she streaked backwards. The world tumbled around her as she bounced off of the floor, glanced off of a pillar and careened through the air before landing with a thud on the opposite end of the hall. Ilyshn’ish lay with her cheek on the polished floorboards for half a minute, staring at nothing in particular.

“Are you alright?” Master Tian asked from the head of the hall.

“…maybe.”

“It was just a tap – there was not much force in it at all. Between your damage reduction and the Ring of Regeneration, you should be perfectly fine by now.”

“Yes, perfectly fine,” Ilyshn’ish said. “But I have the suspicion that I will become un-fine if I get up again, so I’ll be laying here for a while. Have you thought of using platinum for your floors, by the way? It would feel much better than cedar to rest on.”

“You should be focusing on what you’ve observed,” Master Tian told her, “and striving to perfect it yourself.”

“So you’re saying that you’re going to be hitting me until I’ve memorized everything you want me to?”

“Effectively, yes.”

“I knew it,” Ilyshn’ish sighed.

“Well, it was by your request.”