v5c45: Cracked, but Unbroken

Crushing, heavy, dark.

Bi De lay on his back, breathing out in ragged gasping pants. A shield of moonlight flicked so close to Bi De’s face his beak touched it, holding back massive boulders. His Qi strained, pressing up against the rocks unsettled earth.

Trapped, trapped, trapped.

In the dark, never to see the sky again.

His greatest fear realized.

He could hear his beating heart thundering. He pushed and strained against the earth. The rocks began to crumble under his strength, but instead of relief, the weight suddenly intensified, the boulders around him groaning. The light of the shield began to dim, he was losing control. The crushing earth closed in. He could not breathe.

No.

No, he would not die here.

He would not die alone, and he would not give into the fear.

Bi De sucked in a breath and held it. The thundering of his heart started to slow, the lunar shield matched with the beating of his heart and held.

No, this would not be the end of Fa Bi De. Not when he had so much to do. Not when his comrades still needed his help.

He let out the breath he was holding. Slow and steady. He closed his eyes and sucked in another purposeful breath. It hitched when the rocks above groaned and shifted. His heart started to beat faster again, to his frustration.

His Qi would return with his breath, but he could not focus. He needed that cool calm. Fear was his enemy as much as crushing rock.

He needed to calm himself. He needed control. He cast around for something, anything that would help him. The shield dimmed even more. His meridians burned.

He had just enough Qi. Just enough Qi for one last plan.

Bi De gathered a fraction of his fading Qi and sent it into the earth.

The shield dimmed so low it was almost invisible, and Bi De closed his eyes. He cast his mind back to his days on Fa Ram. He remembered looking at his home, knowing peace, and knowing the pulse of the land beneath his home.

He cast his mind to the absolute peace he felt as his Qi touched the earth.

The pressure of the rocks faded as Bi De sent his spirit into the ground. The Dragon Veins were close here; he touched the deep wellspring of energy and felt the pulse of the world. The energy here was not like the power of Tianlan, comforting and kind. It was an ancient and vast thing that felt cold and flowed sluggishly, encompassing an area that boggled the mind. Some may have been unnerved by its enormity, yet it was comforting to Bi De. Even though it may be callous and cruel at times, the earth supported every living thing. The world was alive, with its own heartbeat.

The pulse of the world’s heartbeat soothed Bi De’s fears. He gave it the little thanks he could, the gentle flow of its winter Qi a balm to his soul.

He would get out of this. He would get home soon. It was a shame that they had missed the Solstice Festival this year, and the giving of the gifts. Tigu probably wouldn’t let him hear the end of it—as she rightly should. Home before the solstice? How foolish of him to think that, to promise that.

He would fulfill the intent though. Even if their return would not be in time, they would. They all would return home.

The beat of the world’s heart focused his thoughts and his memory of home kept the fear at bay. It kept his Qi moving.

He breathed, slow and steady.

They would be playing the drums in Hong Yaowu right now. The drums that had first sent him on his journey. He could almost hear them, the Dan, Dan, da-Dan. He imagined the dance, the way Xian’s soul surged, the way the Qi gathered in the air. His own Qi bounced and hopped with the memory. The sound rang in his ears.

… dan, da-dan.

Bi De paused.

Dan, Dan, da-Dan.

He…he was hearing the drums…?

Bi De opened his eyes. He could hear them. The drums of Hong Yaowu thundering, thundering, thundering, louder and louder—

Something moved. Something titanic. Something that dwarfed even Tianlan utterly. The ocean of Qi that flowed through the Dragon Veins moved, rolling in like the tide. It formed into an enormous wave inching closer and closer until it crested above Bi De. A formless mass with two glowing eyes took shape, peering down at Bi De.

He looked up in awe as the sound of the drums pulsed in his ears and the massive Qi pulsed in time to the dance of Hong Yaowu that Bi De’s own Qi replicated unconsciously .

Was… was this an Earth Spirit?!

Bi De looked upon it as it loomed over him, before remembering his manners and bowing.

…curiosity. Like thump thump, thump thump good.

The response was simple yet infinitely complex. It was not a word, but a feeling. The Earth Spirit looked down at Bi De, its gaze seeing, but unseeing.

More instinct than thought. A tendril of its frozen Qi reached out and touched Bi De.

The power was overwhelming. The brief contact nearly snuffed Bi De out. Only his experience with Tianlan spared him.

===================

The thump thump woke it up.

Thump thump sounded neat. The sound pulsed and beat kind of like an earthquake but different. Interesting. It liked thump thump.

Thump thump made it shake. Its waves reached deep into its body. It felt funny.

It wanted to know more, but thump thump was far away. Through the cut veins—to a place that should have been dead.

It considered this. It could not reach the thump thump.

Disappointing.

It turned to lay down, tired again, but another sound made it paused.

Dan, Dan, da-Dan.

There was a smaller thump thump.

There was a thump thump it could reach.

Curious, it approached.

Thump, thump thump went the little thing. It was pleasing. And strange.

It touched the tiny thump thump thump, hoping to feel the reverberation… but the thump thump started to quiet and fade. It poked the little thump again, and this time, two motes of light came out of the little thump.

One was all gold, and it felt Pain, but…. Happy? The other was grey and cold, but it liked little thump.

Sisters kin family—small one friend.

Friend? It did not know what a ‘friend’ was. But the feelings were interesting. It tapped at the other places where the faint gold feeling was coming from… but the others were still too far away.

It wanted to touch and feel the other gold pieces!

Frustration.

It stared at the motes. They were trying to escape, and get back to the little thump.

It let them go. It felt the tiredness creeping up again. It couldn’t stay long. The thoughts and feelings within needed more examination…at some point.

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It settled back in, ready to sleep. But the little thump was doing something stranger still.

Little thump moved and lowered its head. Then a tiny piece of itself detached and moved up to the spirit.

Little thump offered it a piece of Qi? But why? And why did it feel familiar?

It paused, and after a moment, it took the offering. The feeling was pleasant.

Like. Joy, want more but…

Little thump was not right. Little thump did not meet the requirements for the contract.

Disappointment.

It wondered what to do. It liked little thump’s Qi. Should it give little thump some back?

After a moment, it did. A really really small amount. The ball was twice the size of little thump, but little thump was very tiny.