Firstborn of the Frontier

Book Three - Chapter 139


For all of his faults and shortcoming, Jinfeng was left in awe of the Firstborn's exemplary talents.

His skills in combat and Spellcasting were evident enough, and his spatial and positional awareness were beyond anything she'd ever seen in a peer and most elders. His greatest strength however might well be his tactical acumen and decision making, skills that were difficult to learn and even more difficult to teach. Upon realizing there were no less than three stalking táng láng tracking them from behind, or rather Razorscythes as he called them, it took the Firstborn perhaps three seconds to come up with a working plan to deal with their unwanted guests without causing too much of a commotion. A meticulous and well-thought-out plan at that, one which made full use of his allies and had contingency measures in place for whatever may come. More to the point, thanks to his superbly directed usage of his Detection Spell, he knew exactly where each táng láng was lurking, and while they stalked what they believed was the cicada in the Firstborn and Jinfeng, the Yao Guai were unaware of the Oriole moving into position behind them.

An idiom which fit almost too well for their current situation, and Sifu Zhang would find it most amusing when she shared this later. What he would not find amusing was Jinfeng's distracted mindset. A focused fool could accomplish more than a distracted genius, and the Firstborn was most certainly a focused genius. One who despite his petty nature did not use his authority over Jinfeng to place her in any danger. In fact, he took on the most dangerous role, the Vanguard by Ranger nomenclature, which was ironic given his absentee status in the Republic's Vanguard. Though his name had been entered into the roster of Frontier-born Novices the moment the General was made aware of his existence, it had been done by proxy and thus never officially recognized by the Council of Elders. And yet here he was fulfilling the role he should have played for the Republic, a soldier on the front line in the war against Yao Guai and a most effective one at that.

It started off simply enough, with the Firstborn casually lobbing an Entangle grenade behind him as soon as he finished his slow count to thirty. Jinfeng turned as he did and set her mind to work unravelling the magics keeping the mantid Yao Guai concealed. Unsuccessfully mind you, which annoyed her to no end. The fact that the Firstborn was able to track their location with such precision was one thing, but it irked her something fierce to admit inferiority to his bubbly blond paramour as well. The gorgeous, round-eyed woman was as bouncy and buxom as could be, with a bright and cheery demeanour that made her impossible to hate despite Jinfeng trying so very hard to. Naïve too, as she had not caught on to Jinfeng's implication last night when she submitted before what she thought was the Firstborn's demands.

Which was just utterly mortifying, and doubly so when his milk mother not only assured Jinfeng that he had no such intentions, but that any attempt to seduce him would likely only incur his ire. They had heard tell of how the Firstborn had dismantled a Sicilian criminal enterprise after an attempt on his life, but his milk mother implied it had to do with the girl who had been killed in the crossfire, yet another one of the Firstborn's lovers it would seem. She also let slip about another woman, one Noora who'd only just 'broken his heart', leaving Jinfeng fuming over his wanton and outrageous ways. How many women would he bed before realizing there were too many for him to manage? More than five at the very least, including the sweet and innocent Tina who acted next, unleashing her Spell before the Firstborn's grenade had yet to land.

Though seemingly dense and naïve at first glance, Jinfeng was humbled by the other woman's razor-sharp awareness. One that exceeded even the Firstborn's seeing how she was the first to notice they were being tracked, though how the girl managed it was a mystery to be sure. Not much was known of the woman, only that she was an Innate who'd grown up alongside the Firstborn, possibly with an eye towards mixing his bloodline with that of a powerful Aberrant. Though the traitor Ming's records showed no signs of such in-depth subterfuge with an eye for long term planning, the facts spoke for themselves. Not only had he seduced the General's younger sister, he'd stolen away the result of their union and arranged for their child to be placed by the side of a high-ranking Federation Officer, one Marshal Theodore Ellis. How the Americans were able to subvert a member of the Vanguard was yet another mystery, but that was a matter for another day.

With the traitor's plans laid bare, much attention had been placed upon the Walker-Bradshaw children, who themselves were the result of a paired Aberrant matching. An ideal one at that, with their father being an Enchanter and Illusionist and their mother being an Illusionist and Enchanter, and the fact that their union bore twins was a most promising sign. As the years passed by however, neither child showed much of any promise. Though stories were still told of their father, and their mother had garnered a reputation as a women not to be crossed, neither Tina nor Chrissy did anything to stand out. The opposite in fact, as the silver-haired doll of a girl exhibited signs of Aethermatic Overload. A double-edged sword that, being so sensitive to the flows of Aether that rather than enhancing one's senses and sharpening the mind, it diminished and dulled them instead.

And given Tina's meek and demure behaviour before the Firstborn, Jinfeng assumed the girl was similarly overloaded, only to a lesser degree. A mistake that, because the girl was a first-class Illusionist, a fact Jinfeng only learned in this very moment as the Illusory Tina in front of her drew her weapons while her true self had flanked the mantids with weapons already in hand. Not to unleash a hail of Bolts from her twin 1911's, weapons which would have been standard issue in the old world, but were near and dear here on the Frontier especially among the Vanguard. Tina carried 4 such weapons, 2 standard and 2 improved, yet she fired not a single one despite having clear shots on all three Yao Guai who revealed themselves as soon as they realized their prey was wholly aware of their presence.

Likely because remaining concealed required some degree of Concentration, or perhaps limited their movement in some way. Whatever the reason, they showed themselves as soon as the Firstborn turned his attention upon them, allowing Jinfeng to gaze upon them in all their fearsome glory. Despite being taken by surprise, the targeted mantids were already moving out of the way of the Entangle grenade, leaping forward with all haste to not only avoid the blast radius, but to close in and engage with their massive, razor-sharp blade arms. Despite the speed of their reaction, Jinfeng harboured some hope that the Firstborn had somehow anticipated their movements and perhaps primed his grenade to go off in the perfect location to capture all three Yao Guai, so she watched the grey, jewelled orb as it arced through the air and landed on the dry, dusty ground of the sloping canyon floor.

Where it bounced once, then twice, before its momentum played out and it rolled back down towards them.

Still intent on the grenades, Jinfeng's thoughts went wild as she considered all the possibilities. Was the Firstborn so far-seeing that he knew this would happen and prepared his grenade to go off only after rolling back into range of a Yao Guai to catch them from behind? Or did he throw it out as a mere distraction? If so, then for what? He'd been maddeningly vague while outlining his plan, speaking in broad, general terms that made no sense to Jinfeng. "Scoot around the side and hit one with a whammy", that had been his instructions to Tina, which sounded like nonsense of the highest order, so how was Jinfeng to discern his intentions from just that?

It wasn't at all possible, which was why she was completely and utterly taken aback when one of the charging mantids turned to strike at its companion while still mid-leap. With a furious, chittering screech no less, and the receiving Yao Guai was every bit as surprised as Jinfeng as it turned to look at its traitor comrade with a look of all-too-human confusion. It died without receiving any answers as its enraged assailant lashed out in a flurry of blows almost too fast for her eyes to follow, reaping the victim's life and carving up its carcass with those long, curved blade arms. The third mantid similarly stopped in its tracks to face the assailant and chitter a sibilant warning, one full of vigilance and warning. A mistake that, as the Yao Guai saw the Firstborn and Jinfeng as easy prey, with the real threat being its wayward comrade who'd turned to cannibalism in the heat of battle, plunging its face and proboscis into the still warm corpse of its unfortunate ally to feast upon its flesh.

At which point the Firstborn struck, but not with any of the guns on his hip. Instead, he sent as single glowing Mage Hand forward, one wielding the hatchet he normally kept sheathed on his thigh holster. A tool more than a weapon, though it would make do in a pinch, but the mantids had already displayed their frighteningly fast reactions and the one the Firstborn attacked was still of sound mind. It paid no attention to the Mage Hand until it drifted into range, at which point it delivered a casual back-hand swipe to knock the floating weapon off course without taking its bug eyes off its bloodthirsty comrade busy feeding on still twitching corpse of their third.

A state of mind which the Firstborn took full advantage of as he unleashed a Bolt Cantrip at his distracted foe, one which veered mid-flight to come around strike the feasting mantid instead.

The results were instantaneous. The Bolt struck home to do a negligible amount of damage, then the maddened mantid's head came up to hone in on the direction of the attack. Seeing only the other mantid in front of it, the furious feral came to the erroneous conclusion that it had been attacked by its vigilant ally whose scythe arm was still retracting after swinging at the hatchet in the Firstborn's Mage Hand. Never mind that the other Yao Guai was well out of reach; deep in the throes of the Madness Spell, the bewitched mantid had lost whatever feeble grasp of logic it might once had held, and responded to the unprompted attack with unbridled fury.

Unlike its fallen ally however, this mantid was ready and waiting to receive it with scything arms raised in defense. In the blink of an eye, the two Ferals had locked blades and were battling it out with their piercing mouth tubes as they each sought to blind the other with a well-aimed thrust. It was a masterful show of grappling as they utilized all six of their limbs to attack and counter-attack their foe, turning and twisting and stomping while pushing off the ground in an effort to free a blade limb for a killing blow, but neither side gave way. Though the maddened mantid took several minor injuries in the first few seconds of the exchange, its frenzied mind paid them no mind as it sought only to rend, maim, and kill its foe with no thought given to its own well being.

And so even though it traded poorly, it slowly but surely gained the upper hand through sheer single-minded dedication of will. It lost an eye, both mandibles, and even the top third of its left arm, which it accepted alongside a deep wound to its chest in order to free its freshly crippled limb enough to deal a decisive blow with the razor-sharp edge of its forearm that sheared its prey from shoulder to waist. Even after attaining victory, it still took injury after the fact as it carelessly disentangled itself from its opponent's corpse in a haze of fury, receiving a long gash down its right side so it could attack the corpse a little faster.

It was a sickening sight to behold, and one that chilled Jinfeng to the core, for the architect of all this madness had been the blonde haired, blue eyed, buxom girl she'd all but ignored. Gazing upon what she had wrought, Tina ambled back over to their side in plain view with a look that was somewhere between rattled and intrigued, eyeing the Maddened Feral with wary caution yet taking pride in the death of its comrades. As well she should, for a single Second Order Spell had handled what might have otherwise been a dangerous encounter, especially if they wanted to avoid alerting other Yao Guai in the area as to their presence. Even a Silenced Bolt from a pistol would have brought smaller Ferals over to investigate, but now they only had to deal with a solitary injured mantid before returning to safety up top of the mesa.

"Good job, Songbird," the Firstborn said, collecting his discarded Entangle Grenade from the second Mage Hand sent to retrieve it. "Easy peasy lemon squeezy, right?" Which was more of the gibberish he spouted for no other reason than to confuse Jinfeng, because she absolutely refused to believe anyone would willingly choose to speak like that on a daily basis. "Now all that's left is cleanup." Having said that, he gave her a pointed look, then asked, "So? How about it? You feelin' confident you can take it down quick and quiet without gettin' hurt?"

A question asked not because he was concerned for her safety, but rather because an injury would slow her down and make her a liability. An infuriating man, the Firstborn was, but at least he asked instead of giving her no choice but to attack. Studying the feasting mantid with a wary eye, she catalogued its injuries and was mildly disheartened to see that its legs remained wholly intact. That was where the bulk of its strength came from, not the spindly, scything arms that seemed so ferocious at first glance, but the four legs grouped in two perpendicular pairs. It was these legs which gave it strength enough to carve through one of its kin in a single blow, utilizing all of the strength of its legs to propel its upper body forward and down in a deadly scything motion. Say what you will of Yao Guai, but each and every one was a remarkable display of intelligent design, and this mantid was tailor made for stealth, speed, and savage ferocity meant to end battles with a single blow.

Barkskin would serve no purpose here, as that keen edge would cut through her all the same. Dragon's Breath could work, but despite its Maddened feeding frenzy, it was still wary and guarded, as evidenced by its multifaceted eyes fixed upon their persons while it gorged on the corpse laid out before it. As soon as it saw her cast the Spell, it would likely launch its attack, leaving her little to no time to draw in a breath of Aether and unleash it in a burst of Elemental damage.

Nor did she have any Control Spells prepared, as that was not her role in the cadre, and she had left her Spellbook behind in case the Firstborn should search her. Not that there were all that many Spells she could have prepared to help her in this exact scenario. She was a Vanguard and Disrupter, one who drew attention away from the others so that others were left free to ply their trades, but neither role would serve her any purpose here. There was only the single mantid left to deal with, and she had its full attention, for its Feral instincts had honed in on her studious gaze and singled her out as a rival predator gazing upon its prey. Very different from the look of revulsion in Tina's blue eyes, or the calm indifference etched into the Firstborn's gaze, staring at this formidable Yao Guai before him like it was no different from any goblin or drone he could kill as easily as turning a hand.

And truth was? He probably could, which irked Jinfeng to no end, because he wasn't reliant on her to act, but rather giving her the opportunity to prove her worth. Though his milk mother had assured her that he would not send her off to die with the corpses of her ancestors in tow, Jinfeng had little confidence in the woman's judgement when it came to this. The older woman saw things through rose-coloured glasses, for it was clear to anyone with eyes that she loved the Firstborn dearly with all her heart, and so she would be blinded by that same love to all but his most egregious flaws and faults.

Of which there were plenty, chief among them being a selfish and narrow-minded perspective that cared only for his own benefits. Which included the safety of his loved ones, as an egomaniacal and faithless philanderer would place value upon his menagerie of kept women, a category in which Jinfeng was not included. Ostensibly because of her 'thick' legs, though she'd seen his hungry gaze look her over more than once. Which she did not mind, as she took pride in her appearance as any woman would, but what was truly infuriating was how his lips would purse in disappointment when glancing over her modest chest. While there was no denying that she fell far short in comparison to Tina, Chrissy, and especially his milk mother Aunty Ray, it wasn't like Jinfeng was wholly lacking in that area. Besides, a woman was more than her breasts, even if the Firstborn seemed to think otherwise, which combined with his repeated jabs regarding her most decidedly smooth and slender and not at all 'tree-trunk-like' legs had left her in a sour mood.

So if he wanted to see what she could do, then she would be happy to oblige, and perhaps show him a thing or two about the Sinew Transformation Methods.

Rather than answer him with her words, she responded with her actions instead, springing forth on the offensive while activating her Ki to defend. Others believed this meant channeling her internal energy to bestow her body with bronze skin and jade bones, but this was a common misconception. Bronze Skin and Jade Bones were milestones in the progress of the Sinew Transformation Methods, a marker along her Path in the Way of the Open Hand. In truth, she was naught but a rank Novice in her Path, one who had yet to immerse herself in the true meaning of the Way and unravel the mysteries behind it. No, she had merely touched upon the Way and was able to utilize some small tricks, including her ability to enhance her speed, senses, and reflexes enough to allow her to sidestep the mantid's slashing riposte in response to her attack. Even then, she had to parry the flat of its attack to avoid taking grievous injury when it readjusted its aim on the fly, showing the frightening strength of its lower body which enabled it to not only deliver such incredible power packed into a single blow, but also easily alter the path of its swing with little more than a thought.

A technique which was shockingly similar to the strength bestowed upon an individual by the Sinew Transformation Methods. Though it reinforced the body as any regular exercise would, the benefits were not as exaggerated as they appeared, and in fact only better than normal exercise in that it had been refined over thousands of years to efficiently and effectively target every last muscle in the human body while also building up stamina in the process. As such, the physical training only required a few hours each day, and she could do the vast majority of them inside the close confines of the shack she'd been relegated to up top of the mesa. While it was wholly possible to match the mundane benefits through regular muscle building exercises, the reputation of the Battle Monks was not the result of overwhelming strength.

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Not directly at least. No, their reputation was earned by making use of every bit of strength available to them. There was very little magic about it, but few cared to listen even though the Battle Monks made no effort to hide this fact. Their feats of strength and agility were within normal human capability. The issue was that few people were capable of exerting their full potential even under ideal conditions, and since the Battle Monks trained to do just that, they seemed superhuman by comparison. Take her actions here for example. It was a simple matter of predicting the very obvious counter attack, stepping back and ducking down to avoid it, and knocking the flat of its bladed-arm aside with the middle-knuckles on her hand. So long as the Feral wasn't moving too fast to be seen and you could predict the arc of its attack, you could glean the orientation of its blade from the set of its shoulder and do exactly what Jinfeng did here, using no more strength or speed than any other person with her same physique could manage. At 108 Jin or 120 pounds, any man weighing more than her would likely have similar or greater muscle mass, and yet most would have died to the mantid's attack were they here in her place.

Not because they were any slower, weaker, or dumber than Jinfeng, but simply because they were unable to eke out the full potential of their body's strength.

Few ever could, though you often heard tales of such things. Frantic mothers lifting fallen trees off of their children, distraught fathers charging through a blazing hot flames to rescue their loved ones, children running for days to get to safety and arriving exhausted but otherwise none the worse for wear. The human body was capable of so much more than most could manage, and Battle Monks made use of this untapped potential by training to eke out every scrap of strength contained within.

When Jinfeng stopped in her tracks, she didn't merely come to a halt. She moved in reverse to come to a standstill in a single instant, so that there was only a minimal delay between moving forward and jumping back. When she ducked down, she wasn't merely lowering her head. She contracted her head and neck while crouching down as quickly as she could, bringing her chin down to her knees before springing back up to parry the strike. In that similar vein, she relied not solely on the strength of her wrist to slap the blow aside. She had the full force of her weight placed behind the parry, one that looked simple and effortless but was the result of countless hours of practice which enabled her to judge the optimal angle to strike at in order to exert the most force with the least effort.

This was but a single exchange of course, one Jinfeng was ready to see through to the end as she lashed out with a probing kick that wasn't meant to do any damage. Hence why she was able to retract it before the mantid's truncated scythe arm came slashing down in response, though it was a close shave to be sure. Too close in fact, because if it had been wholly uninjured, she might well have been caught then and there. It was the thick winter trousers slowing her down, the same ones that made her slender and shapely legs look thick and formless, so she adjusted her expectations accordingly and moved on with the fight. Which was a defensive engagement no matter how you looked at it, because while it could most certainly kill her in a single blow, she would find it exceedingly difficult to do the same. So she dodged and weaved about its flurry of blows and picked apart its rhythm before falling into her own, one designed to avoid it where it was strong and counter where it was weak.

A low kick to its knee joint to shift its weight ever so slightly. A hook to its elbow joint to pop its forearm out of the socket. A jab to its chin to ward off its protruding proboscis and rattle its Feral brain. She fought not to kill it in a single strike, but to rain down a storm of blows that would eventually wash it away. Drop by drop, strike by strike, she whittled away at its defenses and opened up gaps for her to truly exert her strength. A dodge turned into a spinning back kick that made its way into a gap in its abdomen and send it staggering aside. Ducking and rolling under its subsequent retaliation allowed her the opportunity to sweep away at one perpendicular back leg and break the carapace supporting its weight. A backflip through the air saw her soar clear over the mantid's head as it turned in a rage, only to find that she'd disappeared as she landed behind it once again.

And then she made her first mistake, an error made in haste. She saw an opportunity to end the battle, to deal a killing blow and show the Firstborn what the Golden Phoenix was capable of. Once again she drew upon the strength of the earth, digging her toes into the soil beneath her and directing that force up through her ankles, calves, knees, thighs, and waist to launch herself forward onto the mantid's back as she drew back both arms in preparation to strike. A single step upon its carapace was all she would need, one solitary step to bring herself within range to unleash a powerful two-handed strike containing the full force of her body behind it. Not only that, but this strike would also contain her Ki which she channelled into the base of her palms, ensuring that not only would she land this blow, but also stun the Feral after the fact should she fail to kill it in one strike.

Last but not least, she allowed her Internal Energy to extend beyond the surface of her skin, just barely coating the exterior of the base of her palms in a shimmering coat of Qi, one that would enhance her strike into something beyond the capabilities of a normal, untrained person, a touch of magic imbued into her strike that Battle Monks kept for themselves. It was no different from the Imbuements placed upon weapons of magical might that enabled them to cut through Aberrtin reinforced plates with relative ease, and an Ability she did not use often, for it was an all or nothing effort that only rarely made the difference in a fight. It would not make her any stronger or faster, only help her overcome the magical properties Aberrtin bestowed upon the natural chitinous plates of the mantid, ones that were not all that thick or hardy, but might prove the difference between life and death if not for her Ki-Empowered Strike.

One that would have to land in order to take effect, which was difficult to do when her boot touched down upon the mantid's slime-covered back and found no purchase there. Instead, she slipped, and her momentum brought her down as opposed to forward towards its head, a difference of single-digit degrees which wholly spoiled her angle of attack. To make matters worse, slipping had caused her body to come out of alignment for the blow, meaning that when she lashed out in an act of sheer panic, it had less than a third of the strength behind it compared to if her hips had been poised correctly. Her two-handed strike landed firmly on the mantid's lower back and sent it staggering forward a step. She heard the crack of chitin and felt the give of flesh pulling free of its insectoid scaffolding that served the same purpose as bone, but this much was far from enough to kill a Yao Guai such as this, or even stun it as she'd hoped.

And so Jinfeng watched her life flash before her eyes as she toppled off the mantid's back and fell towards the hard ground. Her body moved as if it weighed a thousand Jin, yet her foe appeared wholly unhindered as it twisted about in place which took more effort than it would seem. Between its bulky lower body due to its centigaur build and the injury to its hind leg Jinfeng had caused earlier on in the fight, the creature could not pivot as quickly as it would like, but those brief moments were merely a minor delay to the inevitable. The mantid's one good scythe arm cocked back and lashed out with all its strength in one, singular motion, and though Jinfeng's hands moved in futile hopes of parrying the attack, she knew that she would fail and die without the strength of her feet firmly pressed against the earth.

Time slowed to a standstill, as if to allow Jinfeng time enough to wallow in bitter regret, which she did right up until she sensed a cascade of Aether go surging towards the Yao Guai. A flash of light that was not light, that is all she sensed, but she recognized it immediately as a Cantrip few cared to use. The Daze Cantrip was aptly named, only it was far less effective than most would think. It only worked on the weak of mind too, as it delivered a stream of nonsensical information directly into the target's mind, typically bright colours, flashing lights, and gibbering nonsense that was easily ignored. Especially when one was already in the midst of an attack and only needed to rely on momentum to follow through, which the mantid most certainly did.

So when it stopped mid-swing and clutched its lowered head in a universal display of a headache, Jinfeng was caught completely by surprise. So much so that she landed hard on her side instead of breaking her fall, but if she had, she might well have missed the lasso snapping closed around the Yao Guai's upper torso and pinning its arms in place. In time to save her life even without the Daze, which was a surprise to be sure, for she did not think the Firstborn would care if she lived or died here in the badlands. He'd already been paid after all, and like he said, he never promised to deliver Jinfeng home safely, only Hu Sheng who was likely well on his way back already. No one would fault him if he simply delivered the remains of the ancestors alongside her corpse as well, and truth was, there was not much anyone could say if he chose not to. He had taken their lives after all, so why would he care if their spirits were laid to proper rest?

And yet, saved her he had, utilizing the Living Whip Cantrip to snare the Yao Guai arms at the same time Tina stunned it outright. Without the use of a gun however, the Firstborn's options were limited to his Hatchet wielded by his upcasted Mage Hand, which gamely swung at the mantid's head and cracked open a chunk of chitin, but failed to deliver a killing blow. He was a warrior who relied on his weapon more than most, a failing of excess due to his easy access to Aetherarms, and one that could easily be forgiven considering the rest of his skills. As for Tina, she had even less tools at her disposal, as she held both guns in hand and had her Shield deployed while waiting for her excess Aether to drain away so she could cast another, hopefully more effective Spell.

That was ungenerous. Neither one could've expected Jinfeng to falter like that, and both Cantrips they used were designed for quick and easy utilization. In contrast, Jinfeng was still laid out on her side as the mantid recovered from its daze and shook off the Firstborn's blow which had knocked it free of its Madness. Always a risk with Enchantments, because as effective as they might be, there was always a chance the target would break free in time. Especially if you kept hammering away at it with blows like Jinfeng had been, though to be fair, it might well have been easier to deal with without the Madness since it would've assessed its injuries and retreated while it still could.

Which is exactly what happened as it regained clarity and took stock of its situation decided discretion was the better part of valour. It turned to bound away, and it was almost comical to watch the Firstborn try to rein it back in. More impressive was the fact that he succeeded without being pulled off of his feet, his heels digging deep furrows in the dirt as he dragged down on larger, heavier Yao Guai and pulled it out of its springing leap. Which shouldn't have been possible, but it was as if the Firstborn's rope was anchored in his hands. No, at his right wrist, which exerted far more force than it otherwise should, perhaps due to whatever magic he used to Conjure up a working hand.

Making his Spell all the more impressive, and a secret well worth keeping. Though it would bring great benefit to the Republic, Archmagi and Immortals were a secretive lot, and the Firstborn's Spell was comparable to some exceptionally powerful Spells. Not in raw strength, but in potential and flexibility, for who would not want to regain the use of a damaged or missing limb, or perhaps enhance what was still there. There was potential in the Firstborn's secretive Spell, the limits to which Jinfeng could not even guess at without knowing more.

Now was not the time to theorize about Spells however, for the mantid was trapped but far from dead. Unable to break away, it turned its attention on the Firstborn and pounced without warning. He was readied and waiting however, dancing back as gracefully as any novice Battle Monk could, but Tina was not so well prepared. She simply stood there with guns in hand and Shield deployed while crouching ever so slightly like she intended to meet the charge head on. A fool's notion that, because even without the use of its scything arms to cut clean through her defenses, its weight alone would be enough to trample her underfoot.

So Jinfeng did the only thing she could. She kipped up onto both feet, then charged the mantid and delivered a two-handed blow to its flank. It was a hasty, half-hearted affair that she rushed through without properly getting her feet underneath her, but the Way of the Open Hand allowed her to manipulate the mantid's Qi to shove it aside. It did no more damage than her lacklustre blow otherwise would, as her Ability merely knocked the Yao Guai slightly off balance. Which it recovered almost instantly before turning upon Jinfeng with a rage no less than the one inflicted by Madness. Though without the use of its arms thanks to the Firstborn's lasso still fastened tight around it, as Jinfeng had already pointed out, its sizable bulk was weapon enough to deal with a frail human girl like herself.

So the trick was not to let herself be hit, though that was easier said that done. She spent her Qi like water to help her flow away from the Yao Guai's seemingly endless flurry of charges and stomps, at times even pushing herself off of its bulk to get out of the way in time. There was no chance for her to go on the offensive, because if she even so much as tried, it risked taking a blow that would most certainly kill her. If not immediately, then slowly but surely since the Firstborn did not seem the type to nurse an injured enemy back to good health. The worst part was that she did not see him as her enemy. No, he was a potential ally she so desperately wanted at her side, or perhaps even to stand in front of her as no one else ever had.

Because she was Second Sister, the eldest of their generation save for one man, the fabled Firstborn who'd thrown aside all his ties to country and Republic to side with the White Devils of the Federation.

A difficult thing to admit, but if she were to pit the sum total of her skills against his, she would find herself falling far short. In a close ranged engagement, she most certainly had the upper hand, but he held the advantage in every other situation. Hard to claim even a moral victory in that case, and she found it both unfathomable and awe-inspiring to know there were shoulders taller than hers to bear the heavy burden of responsibility bestowed upon her by fate. Except he'd cast his fate aside and wanted nothing to do with it, an act that was so selfish she could hardly believe it possible while wondering what her life would be like if she did the same.

Unbearable, in a word, for she could not live with the shame. Both her parents had given their all to the Republic to ensure that Jinfeng would have every advantage possible, so how could she even dare to consider squandering all that they'd given her? The Firstborn did so out of ignorance, having been led astray by his traitorous father and the Federal propaganda, so he only needed to be led back into the light to see what he'd thrown away. Then he would return to the Republic, because despite all his flaws, he was a man of honour and a warrior without compare who arrived just in time to save Jinfeng from the rampaging mantid.

By roughly shouldering her aside and out of the way before unleashing his readied Fireball at point blank.

A bit like using a spear to kill a fly, but the outcome was all that mattered. Jinfeng didn't even take affront at the undignified manner in which he shoved her aside, not until he turned on her with a snarl. "Idiot girl," he snapped, making no effort to offer her a hand or even check if she was unharmed as he loomed over her fallen form while she caught her breath. "That Abby was done trussed up and ready for the fire, so why'd you go and run on in like a moth drawn to the flame? Couldn't even Metamagic a pocket of safety for you, not with you dancing around willy nilly like that."

"I ran in to save her, ni wáng bā dàn!" Jinfeng snapped pointing at Tina still stood nearby with guns drawn, shield out, and stare vacant as can be. Which was what gave it away, and made all the blood drain from her face as she turned to see a second Tina behind her, the real Tina as opposed to the shadow clone Jinfeng had almost died trying to save. She should've known better, had seen the girl leave the clone behind while getting into position to cast Madness under a cloak of Invisibility, but in the heat of the moment, Jinfeng had forgotten all about it.

"Least you figured it out eventually," the Firstborn grumbled, kicking dirt in her general direction while rummaging through his component's pouch for whatever it is he needed. "These corpses though? All mine. Don't say I didn't give you a chance to earn your keep, but then you went and caused more trouble than you worth. Had to jump into the fire and blow a whole Fireball just to save your sorry hide, and what do I get for all my troubles? Not a word of thanks, but plenty of curses in a language I don't understand." Jinfeng's cheeks coloured at the reminder, as that was hardly the polite language expected of a lady, and she suspected the Firstborn understood more than he let on. He continued to grumble out his grievances while carrying out his Ritual at what had to be record Speeds, conjuring up a Floating Disc to carry away his spoils of battle in less than a single minute.

A victory which would have come at the cheap cost of a single Second Order Madness if not for Jinfeng's bumbling ways, since the Firstborn likely had much better methods to kill the trussed up mantid from afar. He only had to resort to Fireball to save Jinfeng's life, a debt she did not much like owing once much less twice now, and one she would repay with all haste. Saying as much would earn her no goodwill though, for words were empty and actions spoke louder, so she simply endured his endless tirade of complaints on their trip back to the mesa. Once again, he made her cover her eyes while he unlocked the path up, though from the sounds of things, the mechanism was complicated enough that it would make no difference if she could see or not. It would take multiple trips to get the pattern memorized, especially given the speeds at which the Firstborn worked, not slowing even a bit despite telling Tina to watch closely.

They made their way up to long and winding ramp with as much haste as possible given the sheer number of traps in place. Despite the blindfold covering both her eyes, she still sensed the presence of the other two women waiting for their arrival, and the magics erupting as someone used a Cantrip to put on some sort of limited Illusory display that made a pop of air and splash of colour. "Surprise," Chrissy said, sounding not at all excited as she ran into the Firstborn's waiting arms. "Happy Birthday Howie."

"What's this now?" Gone were the harsh, grumbling tones he directed at Jinfeng, and in their place were the saccharine whispers of a man in love. The silver-haired Aberrant was a silly girl, but sweet and harmless as could be, so Jinfeng could hardly fault him for it. "A surprise party just for little old me? You shouldn't have Chrissy."

"Mama helped," Chrissy said, prompting the Firstborn to turn his charms upon his milk mother, which was still disconcerting as could be. In front of them, he was the sweet and dutiful husband, and it irked her to see him play it so well as he thanked them both for the efforts and waved off his milk mother's concerns about their dwindling supplies by reassuring her with soft words and what she imagined were sweet smiles. Smiles that would never be given to her, not with her meagre breasts and tree-trunk legs. It wasn't like she wanted to be subjected to his lacklustre charms either; she simply resented the vast disparity in treatment and could not stomach it any longer.

So she strode off in the direction of the shed, with the blindfold still on no less, so as not to give the Firstborn any reason to speak up. And yet, speak he did as he called out, "Hey girlie." He refused to use her name, or even a proper form of address like Second Sister, and he would not dare be so impolite to any of the other women present. Jinfeng swallowed her ire however and turned to face her debtor, one to which she owed two lives now and would have great difficulty paying back. "You can't see it, but there's plenty of food," the Firstborn said, sounding almost as reluctant as Jinfeng had felt about hearing what he had to say. "You done a dumb thing back there, but yer intentions gotta count for something, so lose the blindfold and pull up a seat. Ye earned it."

It took her several seconds to parse his meaning, and then several more as she went over the words multiple times to make sure she hadn't misinterpreted what he'd said. Slowly removing the blindfold, she saw that the Firstborn had left her behind and brought his family over into the house proper, which was sparsely decorated with little bits of ornamentation and coloured paper as well as a stitched banner that read "Happy Birthday Howie" hanging over the doorway. One which was over a decade old by the looks of it, and filled with memories no doubt.

A birthday. Tomorrow would be Jinfeng's, as the westerners saw it, the 31st of December. By then, she too would be 18, though come January first, she would be considered 19 as the Republic saw it. The only nineteen-year-old Vanguard as it were, what with the Firstborn having abandoned his duties, but seeing the warmth and affection he'd found in his life apart from the Republic, Jinfeng once again wondered what life would be like if he returned to the fold as the Imperial Dragon he was fated to become.

Or if she were not the Second Sister and Golden Phoenix, but merely someone who could live her own life and perhaps find a new family for herself, just like the Firstborn had, because Mother would most certainly refuse to leave with her. A dream born of a flight of fancy, one that would never come to pass, for there were too many people counting on Jinfeng and too much responsibility for her to easily cast aside. No matter though. Let the Firstborn shirk his duty, for she would step in to fulfil the role he'd left behind and lead the Vanguard to reclaim the Frontier which had unjustly been stolen from the Republic by the Nations of the old world.

Such was her fate, one she would not fight against, for only fools challenged their fate, and not even the Firstborn could escape that which the all-powerful Heavens had bestowed upon him.

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