Seed Of Speed

Diego woke up an unknown amount of time later, but considering that he woke up at all, he was mildly surprised, even if he was not sure if it was a good thing. He had only managed do heal enough of his c.h.e.s.t to stop the bleeding, but he found himself in perfect health, aside from the empty feeling in his dantian. It was strange how he had never really felt the power it contained until it was gone.

He was laying on a pile of furs and staring up at a sandstone ceiling, so perfectly smooth, he knew it had been magically created. With a groan, Diego slowly pulled himself up into a seated position and looked around. To further confirm the room he was in was artificial, it was just a bit larger than he was and the only doorway lead to a series of steps where sunlight poured in. He tried to stand up a few times, but after the third time, he made a sandstone block to use as leverage.

(You still there, Katalina?) Diego asked silently as he rested on top of the block.

::I don't really have anywhere else to go, kid. I'm glad you're awake::

(Can you tell me where I am, or who was the person to save me?)

::Somewhere in the southwestern reaches of the desert… as for who, I believe that she is already on her way down with a few others::

Diego looked over to the doorway a meter away as a couple of shadows revealed that someone was walking down the steps. Normally, he would have been able to hear their footsteps even on the sand, but it turned out it was just another benefit of his cultivation. Fanflame was the first to appear through the doorway, followed by both Shadowbolt and Swordflash. He might have felt his heart warm by the concerned gazes of his masters, but he felt as empty as his broken dantian.

"Brightmelody," Shadowbolt said softly with a tear in her eye.

"Shaman Fanflame, Masters," Diego replied quietly with a nod of his head before turning his eyes to the ground.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Swordflash asked.

"A Daemora attacked my clan because I wanted to spare my brothers during our clan's trial for the seat of Patriarch. He slaughtered everyone, men, women, children… Since he hadn't killed Moonwater, Rainshower was determined to find her mother and we did… I tried to protect them, but he never even took me seriously… When I knew there was nothing I could do, I tried to give Rainshower the teleportation talisman, so she could save herself and her mother, but…" Diego's voice got quieter and quieter as he recounted his tale.

"Rainshower, she's dead?" Shadowbolt asked.

"Maybe… probably…" Diego said as he looked at the black star-burst scar that now covered his navel. "I used the talisman after she…"

He could not finish the sentence, but his demeanor and the way he placed a hand on his stomach, the three understood. Fanflame and Shadowbolt both sighed with sympathy while Swordflash's face took on a darker look than normal.

"He going to come after me… maybe Tovao too, but the sect is in danger… because of me."

"Brightmelody…" Shadowbolt said softly.

"NO! My name is not Brightmelody, or Ishu Telryn! I'm not even from this world! The real Ishu died over a year ago, I'm just the idiot who took over his body!!!" Diego roared with all of his frustration spilling out.

::Smooth::

Swordflash took a step forward, keeping his eye locked on Diego, then struck him hard across the face, knocking him to the ground. "Of all the things Shadowbolt and I have taught you, self-pity was never among them! When you get knocked down, you stand back up! Your cultivation may be broken, but not your Way of the Spear, not your magic, not your music! You can only move forward in this life; stop and you die!"

Diego held his jaw as he healed the fracture Swordflash had left behind. The cold swordsman gave him one last look then headed back up the stairs. Fanflame had the wherewithal to read the mood, and followed Swordflash out of the room.

Shadowbolt sighed and waved her hand. Diego felt the ground under him shift and moved as it formed a chair to fit his body. A second chair was created as well which Shadowbolt sat in.

"Swordflash is just like his sword, sharp and cutting. It pains him to see you like this as you are the first disciple he had truly accepted. To see you like this..." Shadowbolt explained until Diego cut in.

"I understand him, master. He isn't one to coddle, but he still cares... in his own way," Diego replied.

"So, what 'should' I call you?"

Diego sighed, knowing he had said far too much, but he was just tired, tired of the lies, of the betrayal, of the meaningless deaths. He had been so caught up in all the wonder this world had to show him that he had forgotten his sister's words. This was not a kind world. There was no room for weakness, but he knew there was no way he could severe his emotions, much like why he was still willing to trust his masters.

"Diego, I was Diego before..."

"And who are you now? Although it's rare, reincarnators have passed through the sect maybe one in every five generations... there had already been guesses among the other Grand Masters with your rate of growth, but that doesn't make you responsible for the actions of a Daemora... or for what Rainshower did," Shadowbolt said gently.

"If I had never meddled in their affairs..."

"But you did, acting with no malice or intent other than to help Ishu's people. Dwelling on the past cannot change it."

Diego nodded lightly and replied, "I know... So, what now? I can't return to the sect, the Daemora knows I belong."

"I'm afraid your right. Even without your cultivation, your body is strong enough to handle your advancement through the ranks of your Magic Crest, so you aren't defenseless. Combining that with your Soul-Singer identity, the best place for you would be the Grassland Nations. You will even be able to learn much more there about being what they call a Bard."

"Is there anything you can do for my brother?" Diego asked.

"I'll see if I can transfer him to the sect's outpost in the Trava Kingdom's port city of Cajka. A trade ship is due to set out next week, so it won't be hard to arrange," Shadowbolt replied.

"Thank you, master," he replied.

"Fanflame has offered to accompany you to a nearby fishing village. With enough coin, you can arrange passage across the Likho Sea and reach the southern tip of the Grassland Nations. From there, you would just need to follow the coastline north until you reached Cajka."

Diego nodded as he pulled himself out of the chair then dropped to his hands and knees and pressed his forehead to the ground. "I can never repay the kindness you have given me, but one day, when I am strong enough, I will return, I promise," he promised.

Shadowbolt sighed as she looked down at her disciple and said, "If you want to repay me then live your life. I've only ever wanted you to be happy and reach your potential."

Diego righted himself and stood up. "I will, master," he promised before he made his way over to the door way.

He made his way up the stairs, leaning on the wall while he could. The world topside was different from the normal endless sand desert he was used to. Orange, jagged cliffs rose out of the red sands and there were even a few patches of mostly-brown bushes to further break up the landscape.

Fanflame was nowhere to be seen, but Swordflash was standing off several meters away, looking off in the distance. Diego shook his head as it seemed to be his master's eternal pose, but he walked up, nonetheless.

"When I have regained my strength, I will return," Diego promised.

Swordflash turned around and gave him a nod. "Then I will await the day, disciple, but you need to recover more than just your strength," he said then he tossed Diego a ring. "I had gathered it some time ago, but I believe you can might achieve the impossible."

Diego dipped his mind into the storage space within the ring and found it filled with elemental crystals, enough to get him to the fifth or sixth stage. Although Shadowbolt always seemed to be the one to arrange the materials for his advancement, he realized Swordflash had been the one funding all of the expenditures for the resources the sect had poured into him. His thoughtfulness did not stop there as there was a custom set of armor, higher quality than what Silverflame could make, and nine new spears.

Diego placed a hand over his heart then touched his forehead and bowed to Swordflash. "Thank you, master," he said respectfully.

"Go then. When you return, I will expect your spear to have improved and we shall have a proper spar," Swordflash said then turned back around to face the desert.

Diego nodded and looked to his left where Fanflame was stepping out from behind a nearby ridge. She waved him over while she tossed out a fan-shaped golem, that grew in the air to be able to hold the both of them. He walked over without another word and stepped onto the fan. Shadowbolt exited the small room just in time to watch the pair take off and she stood next to Swordflash as they watched their disciple fade into the distance.