Sarah Davis
Stories
10
Chapters
3,751
Words
1.8 M
Comments
0
Reading
6 d, 3 h
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The crystal knife must have been an expensive masterwork, because it cut deep into Kai's back. He cried out in pain and swung backward... narrowly missing Kraetius. "Bah." The old man drew another knife and advanced on him. "Almost had you." "Why?" Kai only managed the word before Tareth's next shout hit him from the side, binding him in place. "I couldn't stomach the sight of these peasants tearing down Krysal and dancing on the rubble." Kraetius spat. "Half of them are dead anyway, and I took out the…-
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As the city trembled around her, Yurwa told herself that she would stand until the end, at least. She had a clear view of what she was and wasn't capable of. Her role in the battle was to destroy crystal shielding when possible and remain behind defensive lines when it wasn't. Acid cultivation could provide ranged support, but fighting alone would be suicidal. She didn't think she was a hero, her goal was to help Kai and Zae Zin Nim and all the others put their full strength toward the fight. If…
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Kai ran through the city, struggling with his instincts. Zae Zin Nim was sorely outnumbered at the gates, Nirka and Maggle were under heavy assault, and the main army was barely entrenched at Mercantile Central. He wanted to go help any or all of them, but at this stage the battle was joined and he had to trust in the strength of his allies. Instead he ran into the city to take on one of the Diamond Crystalliers. If they had all stayed together, the revolutionaries would have had to concentrate their…
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Kai fully analyzed the siege of Mercantile Central as he sprinted his way over the Yulthens rooftops. It looked like some sort of special defenses had been activated over all the main entrances, where the army camped. In theory many of them could have broken through the other walls, but the opposite side of the building was in range of the last great crystal controlled by the nobles. Staying right next to the building actually shielded the army from its attacks. He considered leaving that to them and…
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Lots of people repeated "No battle plan survives contact with the enemy" and Nirka had always hated the phrase. What the fuck did they expect? Did they really think that a plan laid out on a bunch of maps in a room somewhere would actually play out in the real world? She hadn't been surprised when the revolution turned ugly, not when the oppressors turned to violence and not when things went wrong. Those who understood what she did had always been ready for a brutal war to take back their freedom. It was…
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The initial stages of the battle would be determined by control of the five great crystals that hovered over the walls of Yulthens. Krainuun had detailed their capacities, from paralyzing beams to great destructive blasts, as well as how to control them. Powerful cultivators had been pouring qi into them for days, so they could easily turn the tide of the battle. Zae Zin Nim raced ahead of the main army, her lightness technique taking her many paces with each step. Their true strike force had been…
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The worst part of being the "hero of the revolution" was that Kai saw nothing but defeats. Intellectually he knew that wasn't true. There were more successful uprisings every day, some city states had capitulated in full cooperation, Cragrila had defeated a Ruby Crystallier in battle, Maggle had stolen half a supply line. As the war raged across Krysal, there were plenty of locations where they held their own or even advanced. He heard about all those events, but if things were going well, he wasn't…
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Kai balanced in a handstand, then slowly pressed himself to the ground. Vertical push-ups weren't even really training for him anymore, he could just think more clearly while physically exerting himself. Given the barriers to his Physique, thinking might do more good than training. He completed one slow push-up with his first name: Ren Ziq Quen. The foreign cultivator seemed to be entirely loyal to Yulthens and Zae Zin Nim was convinced of his ferocity. She had tried to tell Kai everything she could about…
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Very few in the city saw the message with the severed head, but the reaction was still horror. The celebrations gave way to an ugly mix of bravado, anger, and fear. Kai hoped their morale raising had been enough, because it had just been dealt a serious blow. For him, shock had given way to hollowness. He remembered his rage about Fhazi or Nirka's infidelity and now felt childish - those petty injustices were nothing compared to the murder of a kind old woman who hadn't even been a threat. If Suortril had…
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Kai returned to Slaerta with new enthusiasm for his training. He might not be able to control the many variables involved in the revolution, but he would put everything he had into the one thing that relied entirely on him. There was no more time for any celebrations or any of the workers trying to flirt with him. His reserves had been thoroughly restored and it was time to push himself to the limits again. When he needed a break he just returned to Yurwa or Nirka and it was honestly easier to stay with…
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