Abyssal Road Trip

Amdirlain’s PoV - Outlands - Outpost of the Monastery of the Western Reaches

After Dareios spent some time fidgeting and fussing as he tried to settle and open his mind, Amdirlain took his thoughts in hand. A rush of understanding about base elements and Amdirlain heard the Wizard Class unlock. The Mana pool within him sounded like a tiny basin, and the surroundings provided him with a minute influx of energy that once would have been undetectable to Amdirlain.

[Perception [S] (161->162)]

All the increases in my Intelligence make it possible to notice the finer details, yet Resonance-Lord means there is so much more to hear. There is so much to listen to that sometimes I don’t even know where to focus my attention.

“How did you encapsulate so much so simply?” whispers Dareios.

“The energies possess a state transition between them that allows someone’s attention to be guided in a circle,” advised Amdirlain. “When there is a connection, it’s easier to carry the lesson of one thing into the next. It would have been easier to teach you the complete cycle, which includes the Para-Elemental planes of Lightning, Ooze, Magma, and Ice for a full eight affinities, but you’ve enough to learn with the four I taught you.”

Transition?

She set up all the various pathways of power to allow for transitions, to let things move onward, even while she felt trapped.

The idea tickled at the edges of Amdirlain’s perception, feeling like it was about more than simply a means of advancement.

“It’s also not like I can’t teach you more when you’re ready for them,” added Klipyl. “I’m not the best of teachers in magic, but I can cover the basics if you’d like.”

“We all have to start somewhere, Kli. It’s not like I knew how to teach the critical aspects of my style before I started trying,” said Amdirlain.

Klipyl winked at Dareios. “I’ll be gentle, I promise, no running you over while I teach you. “

“I’d appreciate that,” replied Dareios. “Especially since you looked busy trying to run Master Kadaklan over.”

“No, more trip up,” laughed Klipyl. “It’s not like only one key fits, Dareios.”

Oh, so Sarith’s comment the other day was significant.

“Do you speak Draconic, Dareios?” continued Klipyl.

Dareios shook his head.

“We might want to start the lessons there. Lots of the grimoires are in that language, and inscribing involves their runes,” said Klipyl. “They’re fun to learn with all their flowing lines.”

“Hopefully, the teachers will arrive tomorrow, as Erhi expects, but why don’t you two get started on the arcane fundamentals,” suggested Amdirlain. “I’ve got my sessions with Gilorn now.”

Klipyl slung an arm around Dareios’ shoulder and almost bodily dragged him away.

‘She can be a force of nature when she sets her mind on something,’ projected Sarah before she continued aloud. “Is there anything you didn’t mention about the students?”

“A fair number gained the Wizard Class, while others gained a variety of Eastern-style spellcasting classes,” said Amdirlain. “However, a large number already had their four classes, so they’re likely only looking to utilise the Mana with Ki Infusion or other powers.”

“They won’t have a method to practice Mana Manipulation with unless they’re casting spells,” noted Sarah. “That’ll limit how much Mana they’ll be able to call on.”

“Might have to figure out something to help with that,” muttered Amdirlain.

“I’ll create some tools to allow people to practice Mana Manipulation,” said Sarah. “I can sell them through the Duty Pavilion.”

Gilorn isn’t back yet. Should I be worried about her or enjoy the gap in my schedule? If something got her in trouble, I wouldn’t stand a chance, and I don’t even know where she went.

With Sarah kneeling beside her, Amdirlain nervously nibbled on the inside of her cheek, considering her warmth.

“What’s up?” asked Sarah.

Amdirlain held up a hand, spun on the spot to kneel facing Sarah, and timidly reached out to caress Sarah’s face.

“Ah,” Sarah breathed, giving Amdirlain a slow smile. “I heartedly approve of this use of time.”

“It was Klipyl’s idea,” said Amdirlain.

“She’s been giving you advice?” questioned Sarah, mirth gleaming in her gaze. “This could be good.”

“You’re jumping ahead. It’s advice she gave one of the chief’s sons,” admitted Amdirlain. A colour shift rippled through Amdirlain’s hair as her face lost its angular, ethereal beauty. Her bow-lipped mouth widened slightly, looking just a touch too big for her now heart-shaped face.

Sarah ran fingers through Amdirlain’s now brunette locks. “There is a face I’ve not seen in a while.”

“I haven’t used it in a long time. With my old boring brown hair and eyes,” quipped Amdirlain.

“Brunette isn’t boring. It’s a deeper, comfortable hue,” countered Sarah, “and your eyes were always warmer than my black. But why take on your appearance as Julia again?”

“Why not?” replied Amdirlain, leaning in to brush Sarah’s lips with delicate kisses. The slow kisses steadily deepened, and Sarah’s long fingers ran through Amdirlain’s hair when she relaxed and pressed forward, her arms going around Sarah.

When a blushing Amdirlain finally broke off, Sarah smiled. “You know there are more comfortable places we could be sitting.”

“I gave into the impulse,” coughed Amdirlain, her hands still trailing up and down Sarah’s back. “If I’d thought through what location was best, I might have chickened out.”

“You should give yourself more credit,” advised Sarah.

Notes in the distance caught Amdirlain’s attention. “There was also the issue that Gilorn might have returned minutes earlier.”

“She’s back?” Sarah asked, and Amdirlain glumly nodded, her blush starting to fade.

“Well, we have a starting point to continue from another time,” offered Sarah.

Amdirlain’s blush blazed again, and she gave a low growl of frustration.

A pert smile lit up Sarah’s gaze. “I like that I can make you blush.”

With Gilorn approaching, Amdirlain restored Phoenix’s Rapture, and her control settled in place.

“Spoil sport,” muttered Sarah.

“Too bad, so sad,” huffed Amdirlain before Sarah trailed her fingertips down her neck, eliciting an urge to shiver that fought at her control, and she flowed back into her Wood Elf form.

I enjoy that way too much.

Sarah’s brows lifted at her restoration of elven form. “Why do you care if you confuse them?”

“I still have to sort out some issues I had from when I was Julia, but I also need to accept I’m not that normal woman anymore,” replied Amdirlain. “Remembering who I was is part of looking to move forward. I need to acknowledge I will never be the person I was again and that my changes have been further reaching than merely aging.”

Did I take on the form to test Sarah’s reactions? Why the impulse? Stop! Why am I second-guessing myself when it went well?

Gilorn appeared in the training hall near where they knelt, and Sarah cut off her question. “Have you been waiting long?”

“Not long. Did you get everything done?” asked Amdirlain, restraining her curiosity about Gilorn’s activities.

“I just wanted to check on a few places whose creation I was involved with,” admitted Gilorn. “I hadn’t considered them until we discussed the uses for the demi-planes. Is it not strange that I was in stasis for longer than I have ever spent awake?”

“Is there something you’d prefer to be doing?” asked Amdirlain. “As much as I appreciate the help, I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

Gilorn chimed with surprise. “I’m glad to be creating again. It was the purpose of my creation, and the choices being equal, I’d still spend my time creating. It is the music I love to perform.”

“I understand now why you pressed me to create the clouds of material,” said Amdirlain. “You want to create new things on the scale you remember..”

“Yes,” rang Gilorn eagerly.

“Then we can do that together,” offered Amdirlain. “I don’t have Ori’s strength, and singing with you has taught me a lot, Gilorn.”

“That’s very kind of you to say, Amdirlain,” replied Gilorn. “Are you ready to work hard again tonight?”

“Always,” declared Amdirlain, and she looked at Sarah. “Do you want to come along?”

“I do, but I’ll leave you to your work, as I have a few errands to take care of,” replied Sarah. “I’ve been putting off taking new classes since my moult, and I need to figure that out.”

“Oh, shiny classes,” gushed Amdirlain playfully. “Dipping into your bag of tricks?”

Sarah snorted at her mischievous tone. “I might take a Class or two I’ve not explored before. First, I’ll see how the discussion goes, there might be some implications in my choices.”

“Do you want me to tell you when I’m going to hassle, Mor’lmes?” Amdirlain asked.

“I sure hope you wouldn’t have all that fun alone,” huffed Sarah. “Why did you approach him and not Cla’nes?”

“That’s simple. I wasn’t expecting them to have released the recording, so contacting Mor’lmes should have involved less drama,” explained Amdirlain. “Since I already had the scrying window open and Cla’nes could have been entertaining, I dropped the information in his lap—figuratively speaking.”

“Alright, let me know when you want to talk to him again,” said Sarah. “I want to see the look on his face in person, especially if he’s seen the recording of my Dragon form.”

“Then I suppose I’ll give you advanced warning,” laughed Amdirlain.

“You know it might be easier to return to Qil Tris, so we’re not waiting for an opportunity that doesn’t conflict with your schedule, especially if he’s not camping out on the Demi-Plane,” said Sarah.

“He has been coming and going from the alerts I’ve received during the day,” confirmed Amdirlain. “Venturing to Qil Tris was supposed to be a one-and-done.”

“Amdirlain, there are people there at risk from a curse. For that reason alone, I always knew you’d go back to sort it out,” replied Sarah. “Maybe you and Gilorn should figure out the implications of your idea about short-cutting the Soul’s path to Judgement.”

“True, we don’t know what their region in Judgement is like and what their deities might have left behind,” agreed Gilorn. “While the Titan’s rules should prevent much, I’ve seen how badly other deities have handled the departed in the past.”

Amdirlain stopped and nodded at Gilorn. “Should we investigate that tonight?”

“I’d prefer to tackle other things tonight, as risks will be involved,” cautioned Gilorn. “And we must carry some of the departed through the Gate to Judgement to reach their region.”

“That isn’t a problem,” Amdirlain said. “I’ve a Power that lets me draw souls into my flesh, and I’ve carried them there previously.”

“No,” Gilorn declared, “the problem is that they might deem our actions violent. Then it would be the Titan’s rules that would punish us.”

“If we avoid attacking first, the Titan’s servants would secure anything that tried to attack us,” replied Amdirlain. “If they’ve left anything there and it attacks us, it will be punished for disturbing the peace. We can give the souls directly to the Titan’s servants. I’ve done that previously as well.”

“Your knowledge will guide me,” agreed Gilorn. “Though Sarah is correct, the matter will require some planning. I might investigate the planet tomorrow while you’re training. Perhaps I can find a different way to severe the curse.”

“I’d appreciate that,” said Amdirlain.

“Tonight’s work I had some thought about,” said Gilorn.

“Oh?”

Along Gilorn’s neck, illuminated notes suddenly displayed a complex melody and swiftly scrolled, pushing Amdirlain to absorb all the notation and its subtle inflections.

“That isn’t for a Demi-Plane,” noted Amdirlain as she worked to interpret the music’s meaning.

“Indeed it isn’t,” agreed Gilorn. “Did you catch it all?”

“I did,” allowed Amdirlain.

“Good. I’ve got a few more pieces to present, and then I’ll ask you questions,” advised Gilorn. “After all, you need to push your Perception Skill, and there is a lot of theory for you still to master. Let’s see if you can keep up.”

Before Amdirlain could object, a laughing Sarah disappeared, and more illuminated notes speed along Gilorn’s neck.

It seems Gilorn’s taskmaster mood had changed to that of a schoolteacher.

As if she’d caught Amdirlain’s amusement, Gilorn’s presentation jumped in speed.

Throughout the hours that followed, Gilorn’s kept speeding up. After sharing fifty complex compositions, she began to ask questions that jumped between them with no detectable rhyme or reason, all while displaying new ones for Amdirlain to memorise and assess. The questions focused her attention on the forces involved in the first songs, and the music's common purpose became clearer. A notification appeared as she assimilated her understanding of them into True Song Architecture.

[Stellar Engineering Unlocked!

Critical Synergy with True Song Architecture detected:

- True Song Architectured Grand Master.

- Stellar Engineering advanced two ranks.

Stellar Engineering (1) -> [Ap) (1)]

The pieces progressed through the complexity of stellar forces, provoking a deeper understanding of how the framework of a solar system functioned and remained in place. They covered the orbital mechanism of comets, asteroids, moons, and planets, the fundamentals of nuclear fusion within the sun and its interaction with the Radiant Quasi-Elemental Plane, and the formation of the heliosphere. All the increases in knowledge, though, were a secondary effect. Her Perception and True Song Architecture surged forward, dealing with the rapid fire of questions Gilorn unleashed. The majority involved activities Amdirlain had never undertaken in forming planets. There were also ‘shortcuts’ in manipulating planetary crusts that promised to strain her capabilities with the complexity involved, even while significantly reducing the time for associated songs.

[Perception [S] (165->166)

True Song Architecture [G] (51->52)

Stellar Engineering [J] (12->13)]

With the latest notification, Amdirlain held up a hand. “My brain is starting to feel like it’s on fire. Every one of those songs was an element involved in creating solar systems, wasn’t it?”

“And I hadn’t even asked you questions about some of them yet,” laughed Gilorn. “Seems I’m truly predictable.”

“It wasn’t hard to miss since my Stellar Engineering knowledge jumped through multiple levels.”

Gilorn hummed. “Only feeling like being on fire is insufficient reason to halt. Shall we continue?”

“We discussed my schedule and reasoning last night. I want to create another two demi-planes before my next teaching sessions,” argued Amdirlain.

Gilorn released a bright run of notes. “I’ll admit you did well, and we still have time to create them. However, it would be best if we further increased the difficulty of that work. Take us to the first Demi-Plane, please.”

Though tempted to groan, Amdirlain’s Planar Shift moved them.

“Open a Gate to a second Demi-Plane,” instructed Gilorn. “We’ll change two at once and progress the songs of each slowly. Ensure you pay particular attention to the water biomes, particularly the wetlands, as they’re the filtration system for any world. We’ll expand them both and, after you shift the Gate’s location, we can put a Radiant Sun in place within them.”

Sarah’s stretching my intimacy limits, and now Gilorn’s going for my True Song limits.

“You want to create the contents of both Demi-Plane at once?”

“Of course,” chimed Gilorn. “Since you did one so easily, we should increase the strain. We’ll allow the same time it takes us to create two consecutively and gradually shorten that time each night. Now I want you to catch the extra elements I add to the compositions, but don’t adjust your singing from last night.”

Doubling the work doesn’t merely increase the strain, and she wants me to listen for surprises.

Despite wanting to protest, Amdirlain nodded and set up a Gate. Expanding each Demi-Plane was manageable, but the creation of the outer crust set an edge to each note that carved through her flesh. A cascade of notifications came through Pain Eater as Phoenix’s Rapture was pushed hard to seal rupturing flesh. Amdirlain concentrated on singing true and smoothing the distortions between notes. As the work progressed, the pressure on Phoenix’s Rapture eased fractionally. When the last piece of the demi-planes’ fundamentals was in place, Gilorn instructed her to halt.

[Crafting Summary (Category: Planetary Biomes and Constructs)

Interlinked self-sustaining biomes with day-night cycle x 2,876 (50%)

Dungeon complexes x35,646

Gathering challenges x248,000

Total Experience gained: +99,247,500,000

Olindë: +99,247,500,000

Olindë Levelled Up! x7

Harmony [G] (37 -> 40)

True Song Genesis [G] (55 -> 59)

Dance [G] (35 -> 41)

Perception [S] (166 -> 169)

True Song Architecture [G] (52 -> 55)]

While Amdirlain took in the notification and dealt with the shifting pressures inside her, Gilorn sang on alone. Amdirlain listened while she added the controls for the regional zones and the elements that would dictate the monster stampedes and boss manifestations.

“Are you able to handle the deeper planes?”

Gilorn clanged in shock and disgust. “No! I’m fundamentally a being of balance. If I were to go into the depths of the Abyss, it would distort my energy flows and completely destabilise me. While I’d make an impressive explosion, and likely destroy much, I wouldn’t survive it.”

“Forget I asked,” said Amdirlain, holding up her hands. “It was just a moment of curiosity.”

It’s tempting to push my Willpower higher, but I must improve my balance. I have another seventy points available to put into Quickness from that effort, and Endurance is climbing higher than anything else.

“Your mind is going in strange places,” huffed Gilorn. “You did well tonight. The more questions I asked, the more I could see your understanding of the material increase. Let’s return to your training hall, and you can consider the extra pieces I set into the demi-planes.”

The jaunt home was becoming a familiar trip: Planar Shift, a short flight from the forest to cross the Domain’s boundary, and one Teleport. Resonance located those individuals Amdirlain was most interested in. Sarah and Klipyl conversing with Kadaklan while Dareios was busy discussing Eastern philosophy with Livia at her longhouse. Nomein, Gemiya, and Lezekus were sparring in a deserted arena while Sarith mentally monitored the few patients in clinics across the mountain.

I need to make more time to see her, the occasional chat isn’t far to her.. She’s aware I’m in her Domain but I’ve not taken solid time out. Just because I sense her working at other things doesn’t mean she isn’t available.

Amdirlain slumped into a chair on the observation platform, a dry report of pain still signalling within her awareness. As Gilorn settled beside Amdirlain, she unleashed a run of airy chimes that carried her amusement.

“What is it?”

“We still have nearly an hour before your lessons, and you have yet to practice with a Floor Harp today,” noted Gilorn.

“Are you sure you want to put up with me practising scales today?” asked Amdirlain. “I’m hardly going to be tracking what I’m doing well enough to give my best.”

“One doesn’t always have an opportunity to be fully rested when required to perform,” countered Gilorn. “You mentioned the scales, and that is where we should start. You need to accustom yourself to the octave reach of my strings.”

With a grunt of acknowledgement, Amdirlain slipped from her chair and knelt beside Gilorn.

“Using a low stool is customary,” noted Gilorn.

Amdirlain shrugged. “My legs don’t get tired, and I don’t feel like creating a stool until Pair Eater stops giving status updates.”

Gently plucking middle C, Amdirlain listened to the secondary energy echoes that spread through the dimensional space.

She produces a far different sound. A base supporting pitch for True Song, so that’s hardly a surprise.

There was no dramatic rush of memories, and Amdirlain relaxed into the peace of the simple practise session and allowed her body to recover.

When Dareios entered the training hall, he looked more comfortable in his Wood Elf Form, the slight awkwardness in his stride having eased. The repetitive notes guided him to Amdirlain on the upper platform where Gilorn had allowed her to progress beyond singular notes.

He stopped on the upper step. “Good morning, Lady… err... I mean, Am.”

Amdirlain glanced up with a reassuring smile. “Have you had many people giving you odd looks for using only my name?”

“I was told it was improper,” confirmed Dareios.

“Anything else?” enquired Amdirlain.

“I should address you appropriately to avoid lowering your reputation,” reported Dareios. “I don’t understand how a title can decide someone’s importance. Either a person is important or not.”

“What did you tell them?”

Dareios straightened in his seat. “I had been instructed to refer to you as Am, and your orders and preferences mattered to me where their opinion had yet to prove its value. I also enquired if they felt themselves more important than yourself.”

“Oh?” laughed Amdirlain. “Why did you do that?”

“Since they started to tell me how I should address you when you had given me different instructions, isn’t that them declaring they're more important?” huffed Dareios indignantly. “How could they override your instructions if they don’t hold a higher rank?”

“People see social mores in some places as more important than the individual,” explained Amdirlain. “While I can see that they educate people in such a fashion to try and achieve an ideal of proper behaviour between all members of society, it doesn’t always work out that way. Instead, wealthy people or those who see themselves as better than others can use their proper etiquette education as an excuse to belittle others.”

“Yet you follow it when dealing with them?” asked Dareios.

“I understand its shortcomings, but I can also understand their ideals regarding etiquette,” advised Amdirlain. “If you call me Lady Am to them, I’m not fussed. When addressing me directly, I’d prefer you not use a title.”

“So I can respect your choice and still put them at ease if their social mores rigidly bind them?” Dareios asked.

“For some people, a highly formal etiquette is a simple requirement for all interactions. Whereas for others, even in the same culture, being held to such standards is someone trying to put on airs as being above others around them,” replied Amdirlain. “The danger I see is that the more formal and rigid a society, the easier it is to point at an outsider and be critical of them. Also, the easier it is for the cultural difference of an outsider to offend those within the culture. It can become self-isolating.”

“Yet I shouldn’t look to offend such individuals by refusing to use the terms of address they prefer for themselves?” questioned Dareios. “Mortals are strange. If I speak to someone calmly and make no hostile actions, should it not be considered respectful?”

Amdirlain nodded understandingly. “A calm tone for one society might be considered sly in another, or you might approach someone and find yourself within what they regard as a proper social distance for strangers. In both cases, you might have unknowingly offended.”

“And they might have reactions to your offence that might be a sign of pleasure in your society?”

“Gets tricky. A smile could indicate pleasure or show hostility,” mused Amdirlain. “On Qil Tris, curling your upper lip is threatening, but lifting your whiskers with your ears perked up shows happiness.”

“It’s easier for celestials if we listen to their thoughts,” commented Dareios. “Though Sarith says in some cultures, that is also rude.”

At least Universal Communication cuts out some of the mess for me; if I address someone politely, it translates to them as being polite. However, I still intend to use titles when speaking to them.

“Fun, isn’t it?” laughed Amdirlain.

Dareios rubbed his jaw. “No. Though now I know I’ll have to get used to learning how to socialise with mortals.”

“Formality isn’t something I enjoy, but I’m getting used to going with the flow when no one is harmed,” offered Amdirlain. “If I came across a situation where someone was using it as a weapon, all bets would be off,” said Amdirlain.

“Like the noble scions trying to cause a fuss at the Affinity session last night?” questioned Dareios.

Amdirlain giggled. “I didn’t bother to find out who they were. They started to get heated with the clerks, so I sent them on their way.”

“They made a fuss to Head Clerk Erhi afterwards,” advised Dareios. “And she sent them on to see Master Livia, who shut them down quite bluntly.”

“Oh?”

“I was there speaking to her when they came to complain,” continued Dareios. “Do you want an exact quote?”

“Near enough is fine with me,” replied Amdiralin.

Dareios huffed in satisfaction. “She said ‘my Móðir has an approach to life that can be sumed up in two parts. Treat people as they treat others, and fuck around and find out. You complained when she told you what would happen to everyone, so she tossed you out because you started demanding special treatment. Don’t expect her to offer to help you again. I suggest you politely lodge a request with the Duty Pavilion for someone else to assist you. When a Wizard or Wu Jen feels like spending months or years opening your affinities, they’ll contact you.’”

“Livia knows me so well,” cooed Amdirlain. “They’ve got zero chance of me helping them now.”

“Why did you do that without warning?”

“They chose to be rude, and I chose to withdraw my help and put them somewhere to cool their heels. The fact I could do that to them, and they’ve still got the nerve to complain, tells me all I need to know about them,” explained Amdirlain. “Master Lu’s contingent is starting to assemble at her manor. Do you want to join the morning training?”

Dareios nodded. “I would appreciate that. I might look to gain the Monk Class, along with Ranger and Scout. Though I’m still undecided about the last option, perhaps something able to steer me through societies might be more useful to round out my classes.”

“Even if you are progressing a few classes, you don’t have to start the fourth at the same time,” advised Amdirlain. “How did your lesson with Klipyl go?”

“She is an excitable individual,” replied Dareios. “But the draconic script is fascinating.”

A sheaf of paper and a pen appeared on a nearby table. “Write out the runes you’ve learnt until Jinfeng gets here.”

Amdirlain kept Dareios busy until the procession of students drew close. Then, she directed him to a spot within the training hall and teleported him to the courtyard.

Master Lu led the students through the outer gates and marched to the bottom of the steps. After coming to a halt, she bowed, her right fist against a flat palm. “Good morning to you, Sifu.”

“Good morning, Jinfeng,” replied Amdirlain, giving a shallow bow in exchange. “None of your contingent were at the arena yesterday to gain an Affinity.”

Jinfeng twitched in surprise. “Some among the Martial Pavilion were present, but they are from those who seek to spread their understanding among various areas. I brought those students who wish to focus on their physical and Ki capabilities at this point in their studies.”

“Such is your choice,” agreed Amdirlain. “I appreciate the explanation. Come inside, please.”

A slight telekinetic force pushed the doors open, and Amdirlain held them in place remotely, wanting to re-familiarise herself with the capabilities she’d learnt decades ago. It had been some time since she’d used more than Far Hand, and she aimed to jump ahead of Nomein’s instruction.

“Will your guests join us this morning?” asked Jinfeng as she entered the training hall.

“Kli and Dareios will,” replied Amdirlain.

“Oh.”

Amdirlain raised an eyebrow. “You seem disappointed.”

“I was curious about the man with the beard. He seemed a soldier type. While a bit ill-kept, he certainly seemed capable,” replied Jinfeng.

I don’t think I tell her that she’s commenting on the appearance of a Deity. Should I tell her he’s married?

“Looking for further sparring partners?” asked Amdirlain.

Jinfeng smiled. “His blade was a familiar length, but his approach differed from anything I’ve previously encountered.”

“His style comes from the birth Kingdom of Master Livia,” advised Amdirlain diplomatically.

“It seemed more a collection of practical techniques than a style as such,” countered Jinfeng.

“I guess I’m not one to judge in that regard,” admitted Amdirlain. “Would you count what I’m teaching a style or a collection of techniques?”

“You have a definable philosophy and goal behind your accumulated techniques. That is the difference between a ramshackle collection and a style,” offered Jinfeng. “Though I’ve only learnt some of your techniques so far, from your sparing with Master Payam, I could tell more.”

“Go on,” prompted Amdirlain. “I’m interested to hear your perspective.”

“They seem to have a cohesive focus, building on balance, mobility, and adaptation. Even the techniques you learned from copying him kept to that principle.”

“You could tell I’d learnt some during the spar?” enquired Amdirlain.

“Some attacks and counters smoothed out dramatically throughout your bout,” clarified Jinfeng. “It was a clear signal you were unfamiliar with them, and it seemed bold to use them immediately without testing them outside the session first.”

“What sort of training did you have in dancing?”

Jinfeng frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe I should ask: did you have any training in dancing?”

“My family are merchants, Sifu. Daughters of merchants do not learn such a means of entertaining men,” Jinfeng curtly replied.

Cultural mores.

“From my perspective, dancing isn’t just for entertaining men,” replied Amdirlain. “Dancing teaches you to be aware of your balance, and some types teach you to read your partner’s motions so you can improvise around them. There are forms of group dancing where pairs will move about a dance floor with other dancers, and they need to be aware of those around them to avoid bumping into and tripping each other. This helps people learn situational awareness. Nearly any physical activity can teach you more than it appears.”

“Including eating?”

“If I asked you to close your eyes and hold an apple in your hand, could you eat it without opening them?”

“Yes,” declared Jinfeng

“That involves being aware of where your hand is relative to your mouth, the speed of its motions, and determining the object’s size by how your fingers have closed around it. Is it a good apple or is it bruised? How do you tell without opening your eyes?”

“My fingers would feel a soft spot,” offered Jinfeng.

“That involves your sense of touch. When was the last time you closed your eyes and ran your fingers over something to understand its texture?” asked Amdirlain.

Jinfeng pursed her lips. “A while.”

“Pay attention to all things your body can tell you. An air current moving across the back of your neck can warn of a rushing foe that otherwise might be concealed. You seek to master your blade, but you are not steel. Paying attention to what your body can teach you can be beneficial. My way of wielding weapons evolved by combining many skills.”

“Excuse me, Sifu, but I still can’t see how dancing would help,” Jinfeng replied.

“It is only a step removed from knowing where someone is to avoid them on a dance floor or in battle. Knowing how to judge multiple people’s movements to slip between a gap on a dance floor or slide a blade into someone’s ribs,” replied Amdirlain. “In dance, you focus on your body’s movements, developing flexibility, timing, speed, and learning the limits of your flesh. There is a tempo to a clash of blades just like dancing.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” admitted Jinfeng.

“It might not be the right exercise for your Dao, but it is part of my developed style. Everyone, line up in your usual order to the right of Dareios, who is joining the session,” instructed Amdirlain, and she shot Jinfeng a grin. “Except you. While they practice the basics, you can attempt to kill me.”

Jinfeng grunted in surprise.