Chapter 327

327 Challenge

The Fleet of the Corvus Republic had once again landed on the serene and peaceful sanctuary planet, in the exact same spot where they first held their celebrations as a nation-state. In fact, their ships were parked in pretty much the exact same place.

Though they weren’t there to celebrate, like last time.

They were actually on the planet to simply drop off the majority of the wolves – this was now their new home. Secretly, anyway.

Packs of the wolves tumbled with each other as they ran across the grass, joyful in their newfound freedom.

They played with each other across the rolling hills and light forests, and simply became one with the land around them. They lapped at the rivers and bounded off the rocks and chased after smaller, furry things that darted here and there and everywhere.

For the first time in their short lives, the wolves were allowed to be wolves.

Even those who decided to ally themselves with the Republic gave themselves a few cycles to enjoy the planet. To enjoy a life free of chains and restraint, a life free of pain and misery, a life filled with grass and sky and water and true togetherness.

Of course, the wolves weren’t the only ones to disembark to enjoy the natural peace of the planet. A number of citizens of the Republic also decided to take some time to enjoy the outdoors. But not so much in celebration.

Freya, Kali, and Xylo stood in front of their respective squads, all of whom were dressed in their usual fatigues. All were lined up in neat rows and columns, and performed light calisthenics in concert with their captains.

.....

“Since we’ve got nothing to do while Azrael and Claire work to rehome the wolves,” said Freya, “we oughta take this opportunity to do a bit more practice. Wouldn’t wanna waste such a beautiful sky, would we?”

The soldiers and pilots in front of her all seemed eager and easily agreed with her in quick mutters and murmurs.

“Alright, now that we’re all limbered up, let’s give it another try,” Xylo followed up. “Just like last time, alright?”

Everyone then got into various meditative poses, though most sat down in the standard lotus position. Some like Freya instead sat on their knees, samurai-style.

All closed their eyes, and one by one began to look deep into themselves. They peered into their bodies, and did their best to view every part of them – their bones, their muscles, their blood. Their minds focused inwards and slowly communed with their physical selves.

And from there, opened up the pathways inside to reveal the vast richness of their potential deep down.

Like the First Feathers in front of them, they slowly understand how their bodies worked. How it produced energy, how it was diverted through their blood and sent where it was needed. They saw how to take better hold of that energy, and direct it in ways they never imagined before.

But no matter how hard they tried, it seemed the flow of power simply wove around their fingers, even as they attempted to grasp it. To them, it was elusive in the finest way possible.

None came close to reaching the same heights as Freya, or Kali. Or even Xylo, who had months and months of practice prior.

It wasn’t just their mental fortitude that was holding them back. It was also the physical toll it took on them. Simply holding their concentration that deeply exhausted their energy and their stamina quickly.

Some who weren’t used to expending that much effort fell out of their meditative focus, and collapsed on their backs, after only ten or so minutes of deep meditation. They panted heavily as their chests and lungs heaved up and down.

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“It’s too hard,” exclaimed one between heavy breaths. “We’ll never get as good as any of you...”

Freya looked at them and lamented, even as a few more joined their ranks in exhaustion and weariness. Of course she knew their biology limited them in some ways. Simply, they didn’t have a rapidly regenerating well of stamina, not like she and Kali had.

But other than a need for fuel, their systems weren’t all that different. Xylo had been practicing for months, and was able to sustain her heightened self for about an hour. Everyone had that ability, no matter what galaxy they came from.

It seemed to her that they could gain as deep an understanding as she did. Maybe even more. But that was a journey she couldn’t force on them. It was something they needed to figure out on their own.

“You don’t have to be,” she replied. “And you shouldn’t push yourselves to be. Everyone, relax for a minute. Take a breath.”

Everyone in front of her let go of their concentration, then began to pant as they caught their breaths.

It all greatly amused Freya, because in contrast to her past self, she would have ground them all into the dirt until it was ingrained in their bodies. Somehow, she had gotten soft along the way.

She wondered to herself when that moment happened. Or was it something that happened slowly?

“We’re teaching you this technique not to turn you into insane hyper-warriors,” Freya continued. “It’s because this is going to help you survive. It’s because we’re all going to have moments when we’re falling behind, surrounded on all sides, torn up by enemy fire.

“Wounded, tired, alone.

“It’s in those moments that we need the courage and the strength and the will to break past all that, and strive through to live and survive. Sometimes all it takes is unleashing yourself in just the right moment.”

Those in front of her let her words sink into them. They chewed on their meaning, even as their bodies slowly restored their energy. They felt her encouragement fill them, and empower them.

“And besides,” she continued, “we First Feathers achieved where we are through years and months of constant practice. I was definitely like you in the beginning. Lungs empty and laid out all over the grass. So don’t give up and always keep going...

“Speaking of which, let’s get back to it.”

~

It was hours of practice later, just as the sun began to set, that almost all of them found themselves completely exhausted. They truly spent a good amount of the cycle practicing their very best. Sure, there were groans and moans along the way, but none actually ever chose to stop.

Most were laid out on the grass, either on their stomachs or their backs, and panted heavily. Their bodies were literally covered in sweat and their faces were bright red, as though they had been running a marathon the entire time.

Even Xylo was panting heavily, though not nearly as much as the others. Plus, she was still standing. She had certainly come a long way since she started.

“Well, that concludes practice for this cycle,” she said between breaths. “Take the rest of it off, and we’ll see you again in a few hours.”

A handful picked themselves up, then stumbled their way back to the Raven’s Refuge. A great majority stayed exactly where they were, unable to move. A few began to outright snore.

It was right about then that Lucifer walked up to Freya, and nodded at her in greeting.

“Did you get a good warmup?” ze asked her.

“Definitely ready to spar, if that’s what you mean,” she replied.

The two of them walked off, and let the rest recover in peace. They headed towards a nearby sloping hill, even as the planet’s primary star began to dip further towards the horizon.

And once they were far enough from the rest, Freya noticed that Lucifer shifted hirself slightly. In fact, she had been noticing subtle shifts in hir appearance, hir voice, and hir mannerisms. But only with her.

With everyone else, ze was hir normal self.

She wondered why that was, even as they raised their energies up and got into their stances. She looked hir straight in the eye and tried to suss out why Lucifer was, well, being extra in hir own way.

They circled each other while she sifted through the different reasons. Then their fists met with violent explosiveness, even as she came to her conclusions.

The strength of their blows shook the hill they fought on, and rippled out across the grassy fields beyond in little tremors. They danced against each other, blow after blow, parry after parry, evasion after evasion.

A swing and a lunge and a throw and a counter.

And with every move, Freya’s thoughts sharpened.

Has Lucifer been flirting with me? she asked herself. Or is it all my imagination? Am I seeing what I’m seeing because I want to see them? Or is it because Lucifer wants me to see them?

Frustration welled up inside her, as she would have normally trusted her instinct to guide her, to sense intent lingering in the air. But she knew that Lucifer could easily sidestep her instincts, and use them against her.

Or if these aren’t signs of attraction, she continued musing, then maybe they’re signs of an impending ambush? Or maybe a feint? This is just way too confusing...

As Lucifer grabbed her by the wrist and threw her over hir shoulder, it hit her. She exhaled sharply as she took control of her body, then flipped over and landed on her feet.

Then she used that momentum to fire forward and counter Lucifer’s throw.

It’s gotta be all those things, she finally concluded. All of the above. Lucifer is flirting. And is playing some kind of gambit. And is definitely being confusing. On purpose... I guess that’s just how devils like to romance.

It also dawned on her that she had her own moves to make, and wasn’t going to allow herself to get dazed by hir. Not without a fight.

“I bet you’re itching for a rematch,” she told hir. “A real one, I mean, not these little sparring sessions we’ve been doing.”

Lucifer grinned, even as ze threw a lunging elbow at Freya, which she dodged easily.

“It’s like you read my mind,” ze answered. “Yeah, been thinking about it a whole lot lately. More and more.”

“Then let’s do it. You pick a time and place, and I’ll pick the rules. Agreed?”

“Deal.”

Lucifer then pulled hir attack back, then withdrew altogether. Ze panted as ze caught hir breath, and completely relaxed out of hir fighting stance.

“Last cycle before we leave here,” ze began. “We find a spot somewhere on the other side of this planet, and have it out where no-one can bother us.”

Freya grinned happily. That was exactly what she wanted to hear. If ze was laying a trap for her, then she was going to lay one down for hir, too.

“Sounds good to me,” she replied slyly. “And the rules are, hmm... No holds barred. Winner takes all. And definitely no messing up the planet in our wake.”