Chapter 172

Brenna

A Duel of Cultivators

Lykan glowed. That was the only way to describe his transformation. One second he was normal everyday Lykan, the next he was a god made flesh and bone. His body glowed with a golden light. One that threatened to burn away the retinas of any mortal who stared too long.

He was a solar eclipse made flesh. He was the beginning and ending of the universe. For that one brief moment, Brenna looked on and saw perfection. Not perfection of Lykan, that she saw everyday. But this perfection was of a oneness with the universe itself. This oneness spoke of hidden secrets revealed, if Brenna but glanced long and hard enough.

Still even staring at the moment, at the grandeur, she knew this was not her own. This was Lykan’s fame. This was Lykan’s glory. Brenna was just a bystander in it all, a rippling wave that tried to follow along. The one white cloud in a storm. The one moment of stillness, at the heart of an earthquake. She was all of these things and none of them all at once. She was part of his moment, and at the same exact time, this was her moment.

For months she had stayed with and believed in Lykan. Never once did she doubt her path, never once did she doubt following him. And it all paid off. They were here, together. This moment, she got to look back behind the veil of the cosmos and see the universe the way Lykan no doubt sees the universe. The way he sees all the possible outcomes and strings of destiny and pulls on ones that he deems fit.

Looking now, she could see former golden strands that were cut. Strands where Lykan became a top graduate of the Sidherthan Academy, one where he married the youngest princess. He never smiled in that lifetime. Instead, he understood the weight of his choices and stayed with them. He was eventually made into the blackest of hands and assassins. Never once achieving this moment, here with her.

There was another, where he was with Octavia. There too he was happier, but would never be fully accepted. Even their children would be outcasts, forced to forge the same path of destiny Lykan himself had.

Then she looked to the future. To the strands of destiny that still glowed with golden light. Brenna watched as they all unfolded before her mind’s eye. Different futures that still had their hooks into Lykan, all that eventually led to a cold dark world, a dead world.

In a moment she knew all those moments of the future were showing the fate of this world. While it wasn’t exactly true. While the world itself wouldn’t die, the world they both lived, fought, and bled for would die. In so many different ways, in so many different time lines, the world Lykan loved died.

Also, a bitter truth filled Brenna’s heart as she stared on. In all the chains of the future, Brenna was not there. Brenna was never beside him. Was that because she was the one doing the observing? Could she truly view herself even from outside one of these dream spaces?

Then just as quickly as the chains were seen, Lykan sliced out with a burning hand. It was his attack that Brenna recognized easily.

[Searing Fist]

With that one attack, the chains that bound Lykan to all those terrible futures ended. Then the portal to the extra dimension closed, and all she could see was a singed and panting Lykan. His clothes were giving off steam, while unfathomable power flooded his body

Brenna watched as the power all seemed to congregate within his mind. Brenna had no clue what that was, but she knew it was important.

Then when he was at his weakest. When he was at his most distracted, the coward struck.

“I challenge you!” The villainous Titan screeched in barely understandable common. Still, the words and intent of the words were clear for anyone to see.

She Challenged Lykan.

“No!” Brenna screamed as she lunged forward. She moved so fast and on reflex that she didn’t even notice the moment her battle axe entered her hands. Instead she was moving in front of Lykan one second.

Whoosh!

Only for a gust of wind to blow Brenna’s hair back the next.

“I accept.” Lykan said, his staff easily striking at the hardened body of the Titan.

The Titan had foot long dagger shaped claws for fingers. Yet, despite this, Lykan moved within and outside of the Titan’s reach with ease.

The titan swung high, Lykan went low, and struck. The titan moved right, Lykan moved two steps to the left and circled back on the Titan.

For every move, there was a counter.

Smack.

Clang.

Dong.

The metal bo-staff clashed against the hardened scales of the Titan. Over and over, until finally cracks began to form in the thick woven plating that the alien being used for skin.

Finally, the beast accepted a full attack, then pounced. The let a strike land deep against the base of their neck. Then with exceptionally powerful shoulder muscles, the held the metal bar in place, before they started bending and breaking the stick.

Lykan flung the Titan away, but it was no use. Where once there was a bo-staff, now stood a curved walking stick.

Still this did not stop Lykan. Instead, Lykan just cast the weapon aside.

Looking at this, Brenna remembered one of the visions. One where a titan sliced open Lykan. At least that is what she thought happened. Before she could say anything, Lykan moved. He used his Unarmed Martial Arts techniques that he had mastered over so many years of being on his own.

Now when he moved, qi flowed into his hands.

[Frost Strike] [Searing Fist]

With alternating hands he wielded alternate qi attacks, each one striking out in a blinding display of speed and mobility. Lykan was the wind.

The titan would swing mid form, only for Lykan to phase with the wind. At least that is what Brenna thought had happened. She watched as the claw flew through the air, then he reappeared and continued landing blow after blow to the Titan’s massive armor.

Blow after blow landed, first searing heat, then freezing ice, then repeat. Over and over he struck.

Cracks began to form as dark green blood began to pour out of the numerous wounds that covered the Titan’s body.

She was losing.

No, losing wasn’t a strong enough word. Losing implied she had a chance to begin with. She had known that Lykan was stronger from the start, especially with his having a full cultivation base. Then the viper waited, until Lykan had his own epiphany, a moment that by all means looked like he was at his weakest.

Sadly, the Titan had never experienced the thrill of energy from an Echelon breach. Brenna had felt one, when she broke through the third tier. Even then, while seemingly at her lowest, she had an excessive amount of energy.

The Titan it seemed never had this lesson.

Of course the Titan never gave a chance for Lykan to teach her this all important lesson. The lesson that even though someone might look weak, they could still be more powerful than you could ever imagine.

Wham! Wham! Wham!

By the end, Lykan wasn’t even trying to change up his forms. The reason for this was simple, the Titan had stopped moving. No, not really stopped moving, but rather collapsed to the ground, while Lykan continued to pummel her relentlessly.

Every few seconds Lykan would stop, only to see the look of rage and humiliation coming from the Titan. Seeing that she had not given up, Lykan continued.

Over and over he pummeled the form.

“Gurgle, glub.” The Titan spoke in their weird alien language.

Lykan just stopped for a second, took a half step back, then gestured for the Titan to get up.

“It will make no difference. You do not understand what it is you try to do.” Lykan said first in Common, then in the language of the aliens.

At that the Titan’s eyes flashed red once more.

They were faster, clearly they were trying to burn through their qi. They were desperate, trying to just survive.

By now Lykan was just playing with her, snapping a kick out to move her left leg back. Striking her right arm with his left. Over and over she tried to move, but every time she moved, Lykan countered.

Only after a few minutes of this did Brenna realize what Lykan was doing.

He wasn’t just abusing her, he was pushing her body into the proper stances. When she moved incorrectly, he struck out. When she made the same mistake multiple times, he struck extra hard.

Even now, even with the whole weight of the world on his shoulders, he was trying to teach this alien conqueror how to cultivate. No, not how to cultivate, but how to move while cultivating, an entirely different concept.

She swung, he reached out, casually grabbing the outstretched arm with one, while he used his now empty arm and leg to strike at the Titan’s legs.

Then once she was in position, Lykan would give a nod. Then disappear three meters away, and beckon for her to come at him once more.

When she didn’t move as a cultivator, he would shake his head in sorrow.

Still the fight dragged on. Halfway through the fight, the Titan just swung with slow arms.

Finally, something clicked in the mind of the Titan as she moved. For that one punch, she was fluid, she was grace. She flowed from one position to the next.

With that, Lykan didn’t strike out, he didn’t punch. He didn’t appear a few meters away.

Instead he moved to the front of the training room. To the same spot where she had asked him to teach her.

By the time the broken and confused Titan was able to find Lykan, he was already seated with his hands in his lap.

“Very good. You managed your first true cultivation of water.” Lykan said in his double speech way.

The titan, who had been balling their fist up in preparation to strike out paused. Then she looked at him. Then paused as she moved her arm that she had used to channel her qi.

“Glurggle, glug.”

At that Lykan nodded his head with a bow.

“Gulll glurg ug.” The Titan said once more.

From the emotions she was giving off, it was clear that she was confused by the outcome. She had challenged Lykan to a duel, one that he clearly accepted. Yet, right now, it appeared that neither wanted to continue the duel.

Lykan, because he felt he had taught his student what she needed.

The Titan for realizing that she had been a fool.

The Titan dropped to the ground and bowed her head in supplication.

After that, the titan began blabbering in her weird alien language. Lykan for his part seemed to nod at appropriate times, then shake his head at others.

Cultivation Pact Initiated, by Pentra La’H Twol, to Lykan Vov’Vita. As a witness you must bear witness to this moment.

Then details of a contract that were written in some form of alien scratches appeared. Fortunately Brenna was not doing any of the signing. Instead, she saw her portion appear in Common for her.

By signing this contract with your Qi. You are hereby acting as witness to this cultivation pact made between Master Lykan, and Apprentice Pentra. Sign:

With that, Brenna did all she could do. She signed her name.

Brenna Vita.

Only after she made the signature did she realize the mistake. She had no surname, not anymore, not since she was forced to leave her home.

Here it was a binding contract, and she had ruined it by signing the name she wished for so many times before she fell asleep at night.

“Brenna Vita?” Lykan asked, having seen the contract.

At his face, Brenna paused, had she been too forward? How had the contract accepted that as a last name anyways. Before Brenna could go too far down that path of self doubt, Lykan continued.

“I kind of like it. We should probably do something to make it permanent.”

With that, a damn of emotions and energy that Brenna had been building up for so long within her heart, as she felt an explosion come from her very core.

Blessing Bestowed: Wife of Lykan Vov’Vita Wife of Lykan Vov’Vita: Your plea has been heard by the gods and witnessed. May you two complete each others cycles, may you always find comfort walking the endless road together. Reward: Qi bands that always let you know where your spiritual counterpart exists.

Brenna paused as she witnessed the message from the gods. Then she felt a slight tingle around her left ring finger, as a golden ray of light seemed to sear its way into her flesh. Then be absorbed by her skin.

With that, Brenna felt a second much deeper, heartbeat within her own chest.

With the connection completed, Brenna turned to lock gazes with Lykan who looked just as confused as she apparently was.

“What was that?” They said in unison.