Relentless Souls: Relentless, #1

Prologue

The stiff breeze flapping through Jian’s white robes portended a storm. After a lifetime of training, his heightened senses easily detected the subtle changes that indicated a changing of the weather. Above him, puffy clouds sprinted across the sky as though to escape the onslaught. The air, which had been humid and sticky all day, now held just a hint of a chill, cooling what little skin he left exposed to the breeze. Jian expected a thunderstorm to echo within the valley tonight.

He was certain of his prediction, and already looked forward to the rain. Not only would the storm bring the promise of relief from the heat, it also served as a metaphor. Rain washed everything away, including all the mistakes of the past. While he didn’t feel particularly guilty at the moment, the morning after a storm always felt like a fresh start, something the world could always use more of.

A powerful storm would also distract him from the thoughts running through his head. He’d been away from the monastery now for weeks, and he was disturbed by what he had learned. Although definitive answers still eluded him, he felt another storm brewing in the future, a storm aimed directly at the heart of all he held dear. He needed more information, but the outlines of a conspiracy were already taking shape; and if his hunch proved correct, they faced a foe more ruthless than any living monk had confronted before. Jian prayed he was wrong.

As Jian crested a small rise, he looked down at the town of Two Bridges, the village that he had called home for as long as he had known the word. It was a small town with only a few hundred residents, but it was where he had spent his childhood, before he joined the monastery in the mountains above. Now that he had seen more of the world he understood just how small of a town it was, but that didn’t decrease his love for the place one bit. It held both sorrow and joy, the key ingredients for a worthwhile life. If anything, on trips to the capital, like the one he’d just taken, he felt an acute longing for the simpler life he’d grown up with. Those who were born and raised in the city looked down on the towns and villages that surrounded them, but in Jian’s opinion, they didn’t know what they were missing.

His easy steps carried him to the outskirts of town, where a group of boys played catch with a small ball. When they saw him, they shouted and pointed in excitement. While they’d all certainly seen monks before, Jian understood that his white robes were not a common sight. Their voices sounded happy, but he thought he noticed a twinge of nervousness among them as well. They would’ve heard stories from their parents and would be just a little afraid. Most citizens feared the monks and their powers, powers the people didn’t understand.

If only the citizens knew how little the monks knew about their own powers, Jian thought. We’re all like blind men, groping around the proverbial elephant, desperately trying to understand the power we control.

Jian felt no particular rush to return to the monastery. So long as he arrived before the storm developed, he should be fine. The news and information he carried was important, but nothing that couldn’t wait for a few minutes while he played ball with the children. Their mission in the monastery was to make the world a better place. That mission was a lot easier when children grew up having positive experiences with his kind.

He smiled and bowed to them as he approached. He laughed as they all stopped their game and bowed to him as well, their forms sloppy and unrefined, but earnest. When they brought their heads back up he could easily see the worry on their faces. There was no reason for them to be so afraid of him. He unfolded his arms and brought his hands out from underneath the folds of his robe. He held his hand up as a target and said, It has been a long time, but give me a throw.

The boy holding the ball looked terrified, as though he had just been asked to jump off a high cliff, but he wasn’t going to disobey the request of a monk. He wound up and threw, a small leather ball poorly aimed. Instead of heading towards Jian’s hand, the ball sped towards his face.

He had just enough time to register the look of abject terror on the boy’s face before he moved his hand quickly and caught the ball in midair. The well-worn leather slapped against his palm, stinging his hand. He smiled again, trying to ease the boy’s fear. You have a strong arm. Who thinks they can catch my throw?

One of the boys, who Jian believed to be the leader, stepped forward and held up his hand as a target. The boy looked to be perhaps a year or two older than the rest. In fact, he looked almost old enough to be spending more of his time helping around the house. Jian didn’t recognize him but decided to give him a little test anyway. He tossed the ball, snapping his wrist and making sure to give it a fair amount of speed. The older boy didn’t even hesitate. He snatched the ball out of the air with a triumphant grin as though he had slain a terrible monster.

With that, the awkwardness broke and Jian reveled in the game of catch with the boys. By the time he left, each of the boys was smiling and waving, new friends that he told himself he should visit again as soon as his duties allowed.

He passed through the town, taking an easy pace and allowing his eyes to wander over the buildings and establishments that he knew so well. While he had just been through town a few weeks ago on his way from the monastery, it was still an experience to be able to walk through it and notice the changes. He was no different than the other monks. He did not leave the monastery often enough, did not spend enough time out in the world among the people they were supposed to protect and serve. Training and study took up more time than it should, especially with all the new discoveries as of late. The town had changed considerably since he was a child growing up in its outskirts. For one, there were no longer just the eponymous two bridges across the river. Instead, there were now three, with the newest one running through a commercial district that had been expanded in recent years.

Some days he remembered his childhood so vividly it seemed like no time had passed at all, and yet when he returned through town he saw just how much had changed since he left. As the sun was still high in the sky, Jian decided he would take a break and enjoy a small meal. There was a street vendor in the commercial district whom Jian visited whenever he came through. Although Jian didn’t remember the heavyset man’s name, the man had been serving some of the best fish in town since Jian was a child.

Jian was ashamed when the man remembered his name. Jian! It is good to see you once again. Would you like the usual?

Jian gave the man a grin. Please.

A few minutes later, a bowl of rice and fish sat in front of him, a feast by his monastic standards. He bowed his head deeply and thanked the old man profusely as he dug in.

When he finished the meal, scraping up every last grain of rice, he decided to head straight to the monastery. Even if he climbed the trail at a slow pace he would be back in time to report to the abbot and still make evening meal. It would be good to see his brothers once again.

As he left Two Bridges, he walked through one of the older sections of town, a place that now only housed the poor and the destitute. He passed the seediest tavern in town, the Old Goat, pausing for a moment as he did. He could feel Lei, his brother, inside, the power of his life force distinguishable even from this distance. His brother’s strength, wild and untamed, burned like a bonfire to Jian’s senses. Lei’s power was still incredible, even after years without training.

When he last came through town, Lei had also been in the tavern. After asking around, he found that most people agreed that was where his younger brother spent most of his time.

Jian considered going in and visiting with his brother. No doubt Lei was currently drunk, but they had been drunk together before, so it wasn’t something new and unusual. He wondered if his brother was sober enough to know that he was standing right outside on the road.

Jian felt a gathering of energy from inside the tavern. The force was hostile and angry and was definitely aimed at him. That was as much of an answer as he was ever going to get. His brother not only knew he was outside, but was happy to attack him if he dared get closer.

Jian’s stomach twisted as he thought about the anger his brother carried, feeling the guilt of his own actions and how they had brought them both to this place. The sensation was familiar, strong enough to almost make him vomit the delicious meal he’d just eaten.

What would he give to spar with his brother one more time, the way they had when they were younger? He considered the question frequently, and his answer depended on the day. Today, he was almost willing to give up his monastic lifestyle.

Almost.

Jian took a deep breath, exhaling his frustration. Perhaps his brother couldn’t forgive him today, but there would be other days. Other opportunities. Jian wouldn’t allow the situation to continue much longer if he could help it. He would make things right with his brother, no matter the cost.

Jian gave a bow in the direction of his brother. The gesture felt feeble and empty, but he couldn’t think of anything else to ease the pain that his brother felt. The energy inside diminished and Jian turned to walk away, leaving the town and the memories of his mistakes behind him.

Two Bridges nestled in a small valley between a series of hills and a mountain range. Leaving the town behind him, Jian began trekking up the mountainside toward the monastery high above. His legs, well-conditioned from long hikes in the mountains, took steady strides up the path even as he gained altitude and the air thinned. He welcomed the burn in his muscles as a distraction from the pain in his heart.

After he put about a mile between himself and the town, he stopped to rest where the different paths that crisscrossed the lower altitudes of the mountain met. From here, there was only one way up to the monastery and Jian would hike it all in one effort. But here was a beautiful viewpoint looking out on the valley below. He could see the place where his house had once stood and all the landmarks of his childhood. He thought about how the decisions he and his brother made when they were so young had made such a lasting impact on their lives.

He looked up the mountain. The monastery was still a few miles of switchbacks and climbing away, so it could not be seen from here. As much as the past affected them, it was only the present and the future that mattered. The past couldn’t be changed, but the future was yet unwritten, and if Jian had anything to say about it, few children would have to suffer the challenges he and Lei had experienced growing up.

With a newfound sense of resolution, Jian began the final section of the ascent. His long legs ate up the ground quickly, and before he knew it he was at the signpost that indicated there was only a mile left to the monastery.

The only warning he received was the surge of energy building above him. He wasn’t sure he had ever felt such a large increase happen so quickly. His body, sensing that he was in danger, acted of its own volition. He leaped forward into a roll, just in time to feel the wave of energy crash behind him. The attack blasted off a section of the path, sending broken rocks tumbling hundreds of feet below.

Jian didn’t understand. He’d never been attacked before, not outside of the training they practiced in the monastery. The energy needed to cause that type of damage to the trail was impressive, obtainable only by monks who had achieved the higher ranks of their order. Who among them would attack him out here on the path?

He furiously pushed the questions away. Answers could come later, but he needed to defend himself. The attack had come from above, and Jian assumed that his attacker was one or two switchbacks higher.

Jian felt another surge of energy building, just as strong as the one before. He cursed himself for not having had the forethought to stand up and keep moving. He lay on the ground, as easy a target as had ever existed. Instinctively, he summoned his own energy. Against the force he had just dodged, he wasn’t sure he would be able to summon enough energy in time, but his life depended on success. If he couldn’t block the energy, perhaps he could deflect it. His hands made the sign, fingers dancing an intricate pattern that told of years of practice. He thrust out his own energy, shaped as two planes coming together above him, a large invisible axe head with his body underneath the wedge.

He finished just in time. Another wave crashed down from above, and the impact against his own pointed energy jarred him, shaking his bones. The attack split in two, crashing into the path on either side of him, digging deep furrows in the stone. The energy had again been more than enough to kill him.

After the attack passed, Jian knew he couldn’t afford to make the same mistake twice. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted up the path toward his attacker. He turned around one switchback and came across a man dressed in nondescript traveling clothes. He looked thoroughly unremarkable, even though most of his features were hidden by his clothing and his hood. The only attribute Jian noticed was the man’s hands dancing an intricate pattern, focusing energy in the ways that only the monks knew.

Wanting to conserve his own energy, Jian dove behind a large boulder on the side of the road. Another energy wave leaped toward him, crashing against the boulder with unbridled fury.

The boulder was thick enough to take the abuse, though. It cracked and groaned but held. Jian guessed the stone could take one more blast before becoming ineffective as cover. Hopefully by then this man, whoever he was, would be tired enough for Jian to defeat easily.

Jian felt energy being gathered once more, again with incredible strength, determination, and speed. Whoever this man was, he was no amateur. He had trained at least as long as Jian. But there was a reason Jian had been the one sent out to hunt down news of a secret conspiracy. He wasn’t necessarily the strongest monk, but his control over his gift was second to none. When it came to a fight, it wasn’t always the strongest warrior who won, but the warrior who possessed the greater control over his energy. So far, Jian hadn’t found an attack that he couldn’t block given enough time to focus his energy, but for all he knew the other man was still holding back.

This time, the energy gathered by his assailant felt different. It was tighter and more focused than any of the attacks that came before.

Jian moved his head, thinking he should glance around the boulder to see what hand signs the man was using to form his attack. Perhaps the movements would reveal some clue as to the identity of the opponent he faced.

Just as he did, though, the energy was released, and Jian couldn’t believe what he saw. A small hole, not much wider than Jian’s thumb, appeared in the rock where his head had just been. Jian cursed. There was only one attack that could punch through a boulder and remain that tightly focused. Whoever was after him knew the Dragon’s Fang. Jian knew of it, and even knew the gestures used to focus the attack. But even if he could contain the energy of the technique, which he thought unlikely, he would be immediately dismissed from the monasteries. A monk would never use such a style. The move was as taboo as using weapons.

Again, Jian’s instincts took over. His opponent knew the Dragon’s Fang and could summon it quickly. No boulder in the world offered him enough protection. He would need an entire mountain to protect himself, and that didn’t seem likely. Jian couldn’t risk a prolonged engagement with this assassin. He needed to strike and finish this while he still could. He stood and bolted from behind the stone.

As he ran, Jian focused his own energies, using two different focal points, one for each hand. It was a skill that very few had the ability to perform, and Jian planned on using that hard-won ability to finish this fight.

At a full sprint, Jian thrust out one of his hands and released the energy he’d gathered there. It was a focused attack, the energy spiraling toward the strange assassin in a tight beam. It was nowhere near as tight as the Dragon’s Fang, but it was still a substantial attack. A direct hit would kill. Normally, Jian opposed violent solutions, but he did not think a peaceful resolution likely here.

Jian saw the other man make a quick sign for a barrier, and his attack pounded against the shield. He had two choices: he could continue pushing against the barrier, hoping to overwhelm and crack the man’s shield, or he could try again with another attack from his other hand.

The signs the man used to make the barrier were simple but effective. The shield was wide and covered the entire space between them. A second attack would do no better, so Jian focused on putting more of his energy into his first attack. The two energies met and swirled, each one wrestling for superiority. Eventually, Jian realized he wouldn’t break the barrier without a concerted effort. He released his energy to save his stamina.

Even though his attack hadn’t harmed his opponent, it had distracted the assassin long enough to allow Jian to get in close. Hand-to-hand combat was Jian’s specialty, and no matter how strong this man was, Jian was certain he would seize the victory if he could reach the other warrior.

Jian sent a flurry of quick blasts in the direction of the man, who stepped around each of them with ease. The only success Jian accomplished was knocking the hood from the man’s head, revealing a cleanly-shaven scalp and a menacing glare. The man had dark-green eyes that burned with hate, as though he believed Jian was responsible for all the pain in the world.

The assassin released his own flurry of punches, and hands, wrists, forearms, and elbows met in a dizzying pattern. Throughout the fight, Jian attempted to gather what energy he could, hoping that he could release a blast far too close to dodge. Across from him, the man was doing the same.

The battle felt even, neither of them able to obtain the opening they wanted, but Jian felt that he was just a hair faster than his opponent. His guess was proven when he finally created an opening in the man’s otherwise impenetrable defense. Jian made a quick focusing sign with one hand and brought his palm toward the man’s torso.

Too late, he realized that the man had made an almost identical gesture. With a start, Jian released his energy, hoping that his attack would land before his enemy could release his energy. It was no use. Both released a wave of force into the other’s attack point-blank, and the concussive power of the energies pounding into one another threw them both backward. Jian landed hard, barely managing to roll over his shoulder and back onto his feet. Above the path from him, the man had kept his feet, aided in part by being pushed uphill instead of down.

Jian summoned his energy again but held onto it. Unless he had a clear opening, there was no point in him expending his valuable stamina. His opponent was too good, the fight harder than he had expected, harder than he’d ever imagined. In the monasteries, he had no equal.

The man up the hill from him seemed unperturbed by the energy Jian had gathered, effortlessly matching it with his own. He cracked his neck and looked down at the monk. I was told you were strong. But I had no idea that the fight would be this enjoyable. You are almost as good as me.

Jian saw no point in trying to speak with the enemy. It would just be wasted breath, and he needed to catch his. They could speak when the man was appropriately subdued.

His heart sank when the man reached behind his body and revealed a small dagger. Somehow, Jian knew exactly what he was in for. A weapon by itself didn’t mean much, and in the hands of a civilian, Jian wouldn’t have had even a hint of hesitation in attacking. But somehow, deep in his gut, he just knew that this man had trained his gifts with a weapon. Among the monks, such training was a sin even greater than performing the Dragon’s Fang. It seemed fitting that the greatest challenge Jian had ever faced would be so closely related to the mistakes from his past he regretted every day.

Perhaps this was his path toward redemption. Perhaps this was his chance to make things right between him and Lei. After all, what were the odds that this assassin would be proficient in the very skill that had brought his brother such grief?

Assuming the assassin knew how to use the dagger with his power, the only way Jian could imagine defeating him was to get in close. The dagger would still be a weapon, but at distance the focused attacks the man could achieve with the edged weapon would be the difference between the two of them. Charging an assassin with a dagger wasn’t a wise decision, but it was the best he had.

Jian flashed a one-handed sign at his opponent, sending a burst of energy towards the man’s face. As he expected, the assassin blocked it easily, but Jian had never hoped to score a direct hit. He had only wanted to distract the man for the precious few seconds he would need to get in close.

For the briefest of moments, Jian thought his gamble had paid off. As the assassin regained his balance, Jian closed the little distance that remained between them. It was almost too late when he realized that a collected force of energy rested in the assassin’s open hand. The hand released the power and Jian was forced to spin away from his opponent in a desperate bid to avoid the strike.

Instinctively he prepared to deflect a stab from the dagger. At this distance it was the attack that almost any warrior would use. But here, Jian’s instincts betrayed him. The assassin didn’t try to close the gap and stab out with the dagger. Instead, he took a step back and let Jian spin past him so that Jian now had the upper ground. The dagger made one quick gesture and Jian felt the energy spring from its tip in a razor-sharp line, whipping towards him. Having no other options, Jian continued his spin, hoping desperately that his momentum would carry him out of the way of the attack.

He had no such luck. While the attack missed his center of mass, it did cut into his torso and the underside of his left arm. For a moment, he thought he had been lucky, but then he realized that the cuts were so sharp he didn’t even feel the immediate pain. When his entire left side flared in agony, he stumbled and fell to the ground.

To his left, on the edge of the path, the sound of rock sliding against rock caught his attention. His eyes darted in that direction and he watched the top of a boulder slide off and down onto the path below. The attack he’d almost dodged had cut clean through the rock like a scythe through grass.

That was why weapons were never permitted for those who could control their energy. That blast, as far as Jian could tell, had been relatively controlled, and there was still no telling the damage it could cause. It could conceivably have traveled onward for miles.

The assassin wasn’t interested in giving Jian the opportunity to reflect on the strength he faced. Crushing force slammed into his body, pressing him firmly against the ground. Jian cursed at himself. How could he have been so foolish as to drop his guard, even for a second? The force was so strong he couldn’t even move his fingers, and he was unable to focus his energy in any way. The assassin stood above him, one arm fully extended in his direction. That was the arm this crushing force emanated from.

It was well met, said the assassin. The dagger traced a small intricate pattern that Jian didn’t recognize.

With a strength born of desperation, Jian unleashed all his energy in the general direction of the assassin. Without the ability to focus the energy using hand signs, he wasn’t sure what chance he had against the other man’s strength, but he refused to lie here and die. Too much depended on him, and he now regretted that he had passed up the opportunity back in town to make things right with his brother. He refused to die with the chasm that remained between them.

He wasn’t sure if he caught the assassin by surprise or if the assassin was distracted trying to maintain two separate flows of energy at the same time. Whatever the reason, Jian’s last-ditch effort succeeded. The assassin lost his focus as he stepped backward, struggling to keep his feet as he was pushed down the path.

Ignoring the flaring agony in his side, Jian stood and faced his enemy. He couldn’t hold back anything against this opponent, not any longer. Summoning everything he had, he focused his power into each hand, using the patterns he knew would give him as much focus as possible. He pushed everything he had and everything he was into his outstretched palms and unleashed the first attack as the assassin found his balance. Jian saw the assassin’s open hand gathering energy as well.

The assassin snapped his dagger and again energy sprang out of it, blocking and negating Jian’s attack. But he wouldn’t be deterred. Jian released the attack from his second hand, once again throwing everything behind it. The assassin finished focusing his energy just in time, releasing it just before Jian’s attack would have blasted him from the mountain. This time, Jian wouldn’t let up. He grunted and strained, forcing all of his will into the energy he projected at his opponent. He could feel his body and his soul acting as a conduit for the force they didn’t truly understand.

Down the path, the assassin replied in kind, sweat streaming down his forehead. Jian continued pressing, pushing as hard as he could. If he relaxed for even a moment it might provide the assassin enough time to use the dagger. He needed to keep every bit of the assassin’s attention on his attack. More importantly, he needed to win this duel. His left arm was burning from the effort of even being held up, and Jian wasn’t sure how much longer he could fight at his full power.

He didn’t even see the movement of the dagger, unwilling to accept that his own strength could be outclassed by such a tremendous degree. The actual energy the assassin expended wasn’t that great, but focused by the razor’s edge of the dagger, it was more than enough. The assassin’s aim was true, and a tiny gash opened up in Jian’s abdomen. It cut through his internal organs and sliced his spine clean in half as the energy cut through his body, burying itself in the mountain behind.

Jian immediately lost control of his legs and fell backward. He didn’t even have time to curse before the assassin was in front of him. With nothing left to give, Jian had the opportunity to observe the assassin closely. He was pleased to see that the man also looked the worse for wear. His eyes were sunken in his sockets and sweat poured off his shaven head. Jian’s strength had almost been enough.

But what really caught Jian’s attention was the look on the man’s face and the hatred that still burned in his eyes. Jian had only once before seen hatred like that, the hatred that had burned in his brother’s eyes the day he’d been kicked out of the monastery.

Jian wasn’t afraid to die. He had been raised as a warrior monk, and acceptance of death was a necessary part of the process. His beliefs gave