Rising Kite - A story from the world of HWFWM

“Kite! What has happened to you? I thought you wouldn’t leave for any contracts so soon?” Dragonfly asked with concern as she saw his rather sorry state. The pair had agreed to meet up for lunch. It was a day since they had last seen each other, and Kite looked about as sturdy as the noodles in the soup in front of him.

“Tra- training.” he managed to groan.

“Aren’t you overdoing it a bit? I mean, I’m all for a good workout but this feels a little extreme. The heavens are hard to reach if your legs won’t carry you.”

“Let’s just say that a new opportunity arose yesterday…” Kite began, telling her about his surprise encounter with mistress Dew and the subsequent training session this very morning.

It turned out that mistress Dew, like Kite, fought with a veritable arsenal of different weapons, the difference being that she conjured hers from ice. The morning had only been sparring as she had thoroughly tested Kite with each and every one. She had turned out to be quite a demanding teacher.

“I thought that my increased rank would help me weather these kinds of storms better.” Kite commented, remembering being in a similar state after master Stone’s assessment as he had reached his abode.

“Heavens…” Dragonfly commented as he had finished his story. “It sounds like it will be a bit more rough going in turning this opportunity into fortune.” she said, mimicking him on the oft repeated proverb. “Do you think it will be worth it?”

“Oh yes.” Kite groaned but managed to sound surprisingly optimistic while doing it. “Mistress Dew is very skilled. And if she thought our paths similar enough that I’d be worth teaching, I will make sure not to fall short.”

They spent the rest of their lunch on more pleasant topics, Kite gradually revitalized by the warm food.

“Do you want to join me and Glint at my apartment?” he asked as they had finished their meals. “I’m gonna give her the rest of the scales we have gathered. She’s sure to be excited.”

“Aaaaw, I always have time for my favorite fishie.” Dragonfly cooed toward Glint who had floated out of her bucket at the mention of her name. “As long as she stays outside while we are practicing aura techniques that is.” she finished with a wink.

Unsurprisingly, Glint was quite ecstatic when shown the pile of rainbow scales collected by uncle Walker and Kite. They took turns feeding her a scale at a time as she zoomed about on her blob of water.

“Huh, I can actually feel her aura getting a bit stronger for each scale. I wonder what she gains from them?” Dragonfly mused.

Kite nodded in agreement. “It does seem to be important to her. I haven't yet researched what kind of being she is, but I can’t imagine that it would be anything but beneficial. I’m sure uncle Walker won’t mind me actually using the scales for something worthwhile.”

They continued for a little while, and as they neared emptying the little pile of scales, Kite could feel something shift through his familiar bond. The carp had a lot more rainbow scales covering her body now, but the feeling was something else. Something previously unseen which just required a nudge from him.

“Hmm. Something changed. If I just-”

As Kite had given the mental command, his words were interrupted as he suddenly found himself squashed against the bed and wall. He could hear the snap of breaking wood as the legs on the bed gave out, and a wheezing laughter from somewhere above him. Kite could barely see anything in the chaotic moment, but he managed to wiggle forward a bit despite his constraint. Why was something blocking the light from the windows?

Then he saw the mustache of a carp wiggle before him. Unlike earlier, it was now the length of his arm. As he managed to turn his head, he realized that the small apartment he shared with uncle Walker now felt quite miniscule as he seemed to be sharing it with a gigantic fish. He felt Glint’s confusion through the bond as she thrashed about and he could see Dragonfly caught between the scaled side of his familiar and the slanted roof, laughing uproariously.

A few minutes later, they stood surveying the now rather messy apartment with Glint back to her original size. Apparently, eating enough of the scales had unlocked new potential in the previously rather diminutive fish. Not only had her general level of power increased, but Kite could now allow her to grow quite huge with a mental command, as well as having her shrink back to her initial size.

After cleaning up the worst of the mess, they took further experimentation outside in the small backyard.

“By the heavens, Glint! You are so big! And so pretty!” Dragonfly exclaimed as they got a better look at the familiar in her enlarged state. The carp had outgrown a heidel, now being about four meters long from mouth to tail. Her almost translucent fins billowed in the air like the finest silk, and her pink scales were now complemented by patterns in shimmering rainbow colors.

They’d had to almost empty a small public fountain from nearby but could, thanks to that, confirm that Glint’s ability to control water had increased vastly. She now floated about the yard, seeming careful and a bit anxious in the suddenly much more cramped environment. As she got her bearings, she became more confident as she seemed to swim through the air, carried on a much larger cushion of water.

As she stopped before Kite, he got a sense of happiness and pride as she almost seemed to be preening before him.

“Yes, Glint, the heavens are no longer any match to your beauty.” Kite said with a laugh as he stroked the cool scales. He suddenly had a thought, posing it as a question to Glint through their link. She gave her ascent immediately.

A short while later, Dragonfly was giggling furiously as she and Kite were carried along the streets of Gilded upon the back of a giant carp. They floated well over the heads of the pedestrians, but as such exotic means of travel were very rare in these magic-sparse lands. This meant that they garnered quite a lot of attention, some stopping and gawking while others quickly scrambled from the streets. Kite just hoped that they wouldn’t cause any accidents.

It had taken some practice in the yard before they had found their balance with this new mode of travel, but as soon as they had Kite realized that this would allow him a new means of travel. They also had gotten a feel for the carp’s capabilities. While she couldn’t use the water for much else than carry herself and any riders, assist in repelling rain or shape water around her, Kite still found it plenty impressive as she seemed to be able to keep doing it for long periods of time. She could float, but was limited to around three or four meters of altitude, which meant that soaring through the clouds was quite a ways off.

As they settled down after their ride throughout the city, Glint was resuming her normal form as she returned the water to the fountain from where they had taken it. While she felt quite tired, she was still preening and squiggling happily.

“You are quite the wondrous fish, Glint.” Kite said while dropping in some small chunks of bread into her bucket. “I hope you will like the home I commissioned for you.” he finished, thinking about the order he had placed with one of the crafters in the trade pavilion yesterday. “But I might need to update the order. We will need to start carrying a lot more water around.”

“That is quite the development.” mistress Dew remarked as Kite arrived at their session the next morning, riding on the still quite proud giant fish. “I had sensed your familiar before, but its strength seems to have increased.”

“I have indeed been blessed by Fortune once more.” Kite replied with a smile, telling his latest mentor about yesterday’s development.

“You should truly take the time to research her kind more thoroughly, young Kite, but don’t be surprised if you won’t find much in a provincial city such as this. Our kingdom has many rather unique species of magical creatures, after all.

But my time is limited, and I believe we have some practice to get about.” as she finished, she conjured a straight sword of gleaming ice which she brandished.

They went through some practice bouts in one of the practice yards of the adventure society campus, eschewing the training equipment. Mistress Dew’s silver rank gave her all the control she needed over the situation, and due to her speed of both thought and body there was no risk of any accidents. This did not mean that Kite went free from blemishes during their sparring, but that all the blemishes he did receive was meant to prove a point.

As Kite had to rest, she took the opportunity to evaluate him while he sat in a meditative pose.

“While I share Walker’s sentiment regarding your proficiency with your weapons, there is one part I feel warrants some dedicated work. Your racial gift evolution which stores your weapons.

As there seems to be almost no restrictions on how often you can bring them forth or stow them other than the short moment it requires, you need to actually start utilizing it in itself as a weapon rather than merely a convenient tool.

Watch closely.”

Mistress Dew then proceeded to go through a quick series of movements and attacks against an imagined opponent, albeit slowed down enough for Kite to actually follow her movements. She began with a lunge as she conjured a spear, but instead of retracting it and backing off, she continued the forward motion as the spear disappeared and was replaced by a sword. Thrusting twice she let the sword transform into a shield to deflect an imaginary counterattack as it turned into a gauntlet to keep pressing the offensive. She continued along those lines for a while, cycling through an arsenal of weapons which left Kite’s head swimming. Finishing up, she once more turned to Kite.

“While your rank will limit you a bit in number and your path requires you to actually possess the weapons beforehand, I believe you should be able to do something with the concept. Since your strikes are even boosted as you draw a weapon anew from the void, I would go as far as calling it foolish not to.”

During her demonstration, Kite had forgotten about his weariness as he saw how the silver-ranker had moved, relentless as the march of winter at autumn’s end. Something within his path resonated with it, albeit concepts still unnamed and thoughts yet unformed. Even though his muscles ached, Kite still knew that this opportunity was most fortuitous indeed.

“Please, mistress Dew. Teach me.” he asked, now back on his feet and bowing deeply.

Frost among Morning Dew smiled.

Kite closed the last book with a sigh.

“Sorry, Glint. Nothing here either.” he said to the small carp which hovered by his side. Kite was currently at the library of the magic society in Gilded, researching his familiars and unfortunately coming up short in both cases. Neither the magic carp nor the astral gatherer was mentioned in the texts, confirming mistress Dew’s assumption.

“We will have to try again if we ever find ourselves in a city with a better-stocked library.” Kite concluded as they left the building. “Fortunately, I don’t need to know the species of my friends for them to be just that. Come on, you two, over to the seventh pillar. I hope Glint’s new home is ready.”

As he sailed through the streets of Gilded upon the back of his giant carp, he realized that it had almost been two weeks since the group had returned to the city. Time had flown quickly as his training under mistress Dew and his own subsequent practice had been taking up a lot of his days. Combined with his aura training together with Dragonfly, and social gatherings with both his friends he had barely found the time for much else.

“It sure is different now as opposed to when I first arrived. Back then I didn’t have time for much else than contracts. I wonder if Adelaide would have preferred it that way.” he mused to himself, chuckling.

Other than a short stop to help a child retrieve a toy from one of the fountains, his journey through the city was swift. When they arrived at the trade pavilion, Glint was still almost glowing after the praise she had gotten from the child’s father as she had used her water magic to fish the small carved bird back to dry land. She settled happily into her bucket as Kite entered the pavilion and went up to the second floor.

“Greetings, crafter Swift.” he called out as he neared the stall of a bronze-ranked human woman. Unlike most other stalls, she had few goods on display other than some dimensional bags. Kite had consulted Adelaide for recommendations regarding a custom-made dimensional storage, and he had been sent to crafter Swift.

“Greetings, Kite. And to you as well, little Glint.” the woman replied with a smile. Unlike most other crafters around, Swift looked more like a scholar with her neat robes and Kite understood that working with dimensional forces probably required something a bit more elaborate than a hammer. She also wore big, round glasses which Kite understood to be some kind of magical aid as a bronze-ranker would never suffer from bad eyesight.

“Your order was completed yesterday, and I hope you will be pleased with how it turned out.” she continued, before producing a green, glossy glass bottle. It was rather small, only half the length of Kite’s lower arm and had an oversized opening without a stopper. A small loop in the glass and a bit of golden string would allow for easy carrying on a belt.

“Let us see if she fits, then.” Kite answered with a smile, before ushering Glint up from her bucket. The carp inspected the proffered bottle for a while before she floated into the opening, disappearing completely even though she was longer than the container.

“With the new specifications, you should be able to carry quite a lot of water in there. And the enchantments, besides the obvious ones for resiliency and spatial expansion, will make sure that she gets plenty of ambient mana in there, as well as pleasant temperature.” crafter Swift explained, waving to Glint as she plopped her head out of the opening.

Kite sensed that the familiar seemed pleased with the arrangement, which in turn pleased him. “It seems like we are quite pleased with the result.” Kite said with a smile as he tied the bottle to his belt. “Now we just need to handle payment before we can find a plentiful source of water. Wouldn’t want to accidentally drain someone's water supply here in the city.”

After paying the crafter a quite hefty sum, Kite started to peruse the hall of other convenient or necessary items, but ultimately left without purchasing much more. For the plans he had, he felt that he needed to prepare thoroughly, which meant at least running his plans by his friends. And uncle Walker. What he did do was to sell off some of the excess equipment his ability had generated, which gave him a neat sum of additional funds. Especially the iron spirit coins had additional value, as he didn’t know for how long he would be away, neither for his own plans or the venture that would take place in the upcoming autumn.

Brave Walker of Paths, or just Walker as he was known to most, was eager to return home these days. As yet another long, meandering contract had seen him crossing a large part of the northern Autumn lands, it was nice to have something extra to look forward to upon his return. He and little Kite had missed each other’s short stays in the city quite frequently over the last years, but if nothing had interfered then that was about to change. He should be back from his extended training journey with his companions, and Walker was eager to see how he had fared both from that and the training with old man Stone.

Passing through the gates, he enjoyed the feeling of the rustling leaves around him as he walked through the city streets. One of his essence abilities helped his senses travel through plants, which both provided superior powers of perception in the heavily forested province, but also to glean a bit of a secret not known to most. The golden trees of Gilded were not merely decorations after all.

He stopped at a nearby pastry wagon to buy some snacks for what would, without a doubt, be a long evening of tea and stories.

As he turned around, bag in hand, he froze at a most unusual sight as he came face to face with a gigantic, flying fish. Huge golden eyes stared at him blankly where it hovered over the street on a cushion of floating water. The rest of the pedestrians gave the creature a wide berth, but none seemed to panic which at least indicated that the creature was no threat. A gentle nudge of aura from its back found him back to his proper senses, as he met the eyes of none other than the object of his thoughts. Kite’s face bore a wide grin of triumph, like a young kitten who had managed to sneak up on its guardian.

“Youth these days. No respect.” Walker said with a smile.

“So you mean that all those scales were actually good for something after all?” uncle Walker chuckled as he took a sip of tea. The pair were seated at the small table, as Kite had just finished the story of when he first discovered Glint’s ability to grow larger. Raising his cup to the little fish who floated over the table and was busy devouring a pastry, he continued. “Fortune be thanked then, little Glint, that I even have yet another gift for you.” He produced another glimmering scale from a pouch at his side, which managed to drag her attention from the crumbly pastry.

They could both witness another patch of rainbow scales appearing among the paler pink of her back as she happily devoured the new offering. While nothing spectacular occurred, they could both feel a little more strength in the magic of the carp.

Kite nodded in satisfaction before turning to his uncle. “On other matters, uncle, how has your journey been? So far, we have mostly talked about mine.”

Uncle Walker waved his comment away. “Your growth is quite important Kite, and an adventurer’s first steps and discoveries always tend to bring a fond nostalgia for those of us who wore your shoes long ago. But as to your question, it was rather pleasant, if lengthy. But many villages now have more supplies, and the city lord has begun to stock the fortresses in anticipation of the surge. The city lord may be called many things, but negligent is not one of them. To think that you met one of his sons too.” Uncle Walker shook his head before continuing.

“However, I too stumbled upon some concentrations of monsters that felt unusual. While I only noted them for later extermination, there is a different feel to them rather than the normal precursor signs. It is probably only the fears of an old man, but keep your eyes open, Kite. While the power you now possess might be called immortality, it is not infallible.”

The conversation continued on to lighter topics for a while before Kite decided to address a subject that he had on his mind.

“Uncle, I think it might soon be time for me to seek the jade-sky gate. At least before the operations planned for this autumn begin.” Kite stated, both trepidation and excitement in his heart. He had long felt the call of that particular adventure while the stories of all the failures put quite the metaphorical wet blanket over that fire.

His uncle gave him a long look, then nodded. “I think so too. I am unsure how long it will take, to be honest. And you have come far through your hard work, Kite. It warms an old man’s heart to hear of your journeys along with your friends. I think those experiences have readied you for what may occur inside the gate. At least I hope so. As I said before, we know quite little about them. But you should at least finish your training with mistress Dew first. That opportunity is one that probably will not come again.”

“Uncle is wise, as always.” Kite agreed. “And I would like to be as prepared as possible when the day comes. I have some ideas as to how, if you are willing to give me guidance once more.”

As such, the rest of the evening was spent strategizing. Planning, both solutions and contingencies. The jade-sky gate and its promised dangers and opportunities loomed on the horizon. Kite was not quite there yet, but soon. Quite soon.

“You are going to do WHAT?!” Dragonfly half shouted where she sat at the cozy teahouse. This made a lot of the other patrons turn displeased glares her way, and she sunk into her chair while lowering her voice. “Kite, that sounds monumentally awesome and stupid at the same time. Have you heard the stories? I know that you are good, but are you that good?”

Dragonfly had, as expected, reacted with her usual passion at the news of Kite’s intent of challenging the jade-sky gate. Serene lived up to her name, merely regarding him and giving little away of her thoughts on the matter. Kite knew that she probably listened as much to his aura than his words.

“Dragonfly.” he began, voice soft. “I know the risk. Frankly, part of me is terrified. And the other one believes in my path, that it is one which can rise to a challenge such as that which the queen left behind so long ago.

You are incredibly important to me. As are you Serene. And my aunties, and uncle Walker. I thank Fortune every day for people such as you in my life. I would not take this step if I did not actually believe that I had more than just a chance.” Kite said, while reaching out to grasp Dragonfly’s hand. “You have trusted me, time and time again to be as close to you as one can be, and to guard your back. Could you find it in your heart to trust me to guard myself as well?”

His little speech had stopped her rant in its track, instead resulting in a spreading blush. “Heavens curse you and your earnestness, Kite. When you put it like that, how could I deny you anything?” she grumbled, leaning into his arm. “But can you promise me that if you find yourself faltering, think of me and fight even harder? You of all people should know how sad I would be if you would not come back.”

“Dragonfly, he is quite indeed his earnest self.” Serene chimed in, her windy voice low but firm. “During all of our conversation, I have not felt the disharmony of falsehood even once. But I share Dragonfly’s sentiment, Kite, even as I can empathize with the importance of following your path even through hardship. I would not be here right now if it weren’t for your curiosity and earnest friendship. So please make sure that our paths will continue along one another. Our harmony is quite pleasing. The goddess has even said so herself.”

Kite was touched by the reactions of his companions. He had always known that he longed to form bonds with others, but to sit here after only a year had passed felt surreal. His life sure had changed.

As the trio continued their evening, Dragonfly and Serene helped to fill out the list of items and strategies to bring with him, not even Serene’s sharp aura senses had noticed one particular person listening in.

The young man in question left the establishment before the group. He was no one special, at least not in most regards. But he did know that there were some people who paid for this kind of information, which meant anything regarding adventurers and what they were planning. The man didn’t think this was important enough, but after going to the usual place and sharing what he had, he got paid as usual which meant that someone thought the information was worth having.

Two days later, evening was shrouding the streets of the Victorious Sunset sect. Initiate Rise of Morning Glory was walking back toward his new dormitory, body aching from the hard work he now performed as part of his punishment. Punishment for the failings of others, unfairly laden at him. Even as his master had cast him out and his demotion to initiate, he had continued to curse the heavens and the outcast scum who had conspired against their betters.

He was almost at his destination as someone called out to him.

“Senior, a moment of your time please.”

The initiate turned around to see one of the junior elders, functionaries of the sect, waiting next to one of the buildings while looking furtively around. She didn’t look like anything special, and as such Rise felt no fear at approaching her.

“What do you want?” He asked, brusquely.

“I…” she hesitated before she seemed to steel herself. “I overheard something that I felt senior had the right to know. Apparently, there is an outcast from the city who will attempt to brave the jade-sky gate in only three weeks time.”

Rise of Morning Glory knew about the gate. Everyone in the sect knew. It was both a monument of pride and failure for the institution, as it had stood on in the northern part of their territory for the last hundred years since the artifact had descended from the sky and settled at the aperture of a newly formed proto-astral space. While a regal monument, the gate still remaining meant that not one of the sect's warriors had proven themselves worthy and conquered the gate during the last century.

“And why should I care about such news? The tokens are spread wildly. Let the fool get themselves killed.” he asked the junior in a dismissive tone.

“Forgive me, senior. I thought it might interest you since the outcast is called Kite, even though I do not know his full name. But I had heard that it was the name of the trash who cheated against you, and I am not alone among us in the lower ranks who long for a chance to avenge the fate which befell you.”

Rise only listened with half an ear on the last part. So it was that particular outcast who had the gall to even think of trying to claim that glory. He would fail, of course, but then Rise would be denied his vengeance. And now that he thought about it, wouldn’t such a token allow him, Rise of Morning Glory, to do what no one in the sect had done for a century? A plan of a glorious return to his former station was forming in his mind, him absently thanking the girl as he walked off.

The young woman looked after him, smiling and shaking her head as she turned to walk back along the alley between two buildings. Reaching out with her aura carefully, she confirmed that no one was around as her form rippled and changed. She walked out from the alley in the shape of a young man, another junior elder.

She did not know if there was anything special with this particular tidbit of information she had been given to disseminate, but knowing her source it was probably only one of many similar threads of information spread to those willing to act upon it, even if the target was another within a sect or the adventure society. The only important factor was that they did act. Every action created ripples, and as the ripples increased the foundations of said institutions might start to crack. And in the end, there was no telling what might slip between those cracks. The adherents of the path of lies were patient hunters, after all.