The Next Day in South Forest Sector 21B

After an afternoon of tracking, we have found its hiding spot. It’s amazing how well it could conceal itself, with its shiny translucence fur. It is painful to look at in the sunlight.

As we get closer the air fills with tension, and its Qi is so thick it’s palpable. It’s unnerving to think that will be sealed within me. Its power is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. “I’ve never seen anything like it." I whisper.

“That’s because one of this size and power is exceedingly rare.” Those were the first words out of Roh’s mouth that weren’t aimed toward toppling my confidence. “Just follow the plan and we will succeed.” His words are unwavering and confident. Whatever problems I have with him become irrelevant now. We all have to rely on each other to succeed now. “Stop here for now.” He commands.

“I’ll start preparing.” My words come out with an air of confidence. It wasn’t all false hope. ‘I was chosen for this mission.’ I reassure myself. My hand creeps down to my bag and I retrieve a brush and ink. This ink is a special formula, mixed with the Blood of Stones, made to absorb massive amounts of energy.

“Anya you need to start wearing it down, but keep your distance.” His hands begin to flash and weave signs. I am distracted by the technique. I have never met a ninja of his caliber, let alone seen one perform a high-level technique. His performance stops at a sign unfamiliar to me. It looks like an upside-down rabbit sign.

“Understood.” Anya closes her eyes and breathes deeply. The wind picks up ever so slightly, responding to her Qi’s influence. Her hands formed the seal of the hawk. Her clan has practiced The Path of the Hawk for generations. They were peerless when it came to technique versatility. Any squad would be lucky to have her talent.

Like her technique’s namesake, she takes off and dives the beast. Her first strike slashes her unaware victim. A disarming yelp echoes through the treeline. If I didn’t know any better it would have sounded like a wounded wolf pup. That false sense of safety didn’t last long. A soul-shaking growl rumbles through the area, signaling the beginning of our fight.

Before the wolf could make a counterattack, a vine springs from the ground and wraps around its leg. The attacker is Roh, unveiling a technique unknown to me. His eyes radiate a golden hue that is as bright as the morning sun.

The Beast lets out a bone-rattling growl as more vines spring from the ground. Every vine it snaps three more slither into place.

“Stop gawking, I can’t hold it for long.” Roh’s words motivate me to rush faster.

“I’ve practiced this a hundred times, I’ve got this.” I mutter. The easy part is complete. A five-word seal is painted on my stomach, and ready for the next step. “Okay, keep it still.”

“What does it look like I'm trying to do?” Roh grunts through labored breaths.

Anya’s blasts of wind continue to pelt the beast. They aren’t doing much damage, but they are making it hard for the beast to focus. “Hurry Dani!” She yells.

AS I get closer to the beast the air becomes acidic. This is to be expected with the amount of QI this thing is releasing, but I am nervous about what will happen when I seal it. The years of training to make up for my inability to use External Qi techniques, and the constant ridicule for my disability weigh heavily upon me. This moment was the culmination of all my hard work. It is time to prove myself worthy of the title Ninja.

“I smell your fear mortal.” The voice seems to come from within my mind. It sounds menacing like it harbors a deep hatred behind its words. “I do not know what you plan to do, but it won’t work on me.” The beast rips one of its back legs free and kicks toward me.

The blowback from the attack sweeps me off of my feet. I panic and look down. “Thank the Gods.” I mutter in relief. The seal is unscathed from the attack. More, vines wrap around the beast’s ankle.

With my moment of safety, I take a deep breath, allowing my core to stir. The sigils on my seal begin to tingle in response to my channeling. My hands clasp into the sign of the crow. “Five sigil seal.” I chant. Golden chains erupt from my abdomen and wrap around the beast’s neck and legs. It roars in shock.

The world turns black, and only me and the beast remain. “What are you doing?” Its voice sounds less menacing now. It sounds afraid.

“I hear the fear in your voice, great spirit wolf.” I could not help, but slip a sly tone into my statement. The chains grow taught as I let my core use the sigils as leverage. It isn’t easy, in fact, it feels like I’m trying to uproot a Great Oak with just a rope.

“You are mad!” I hear the realization creep into the beast’s voice. “You can’t be trying to seal me within— You!” It tries even harder now to struggle against the might of my sealing technique. “Fine, I will possess your puny form and lay waste to your pitiful village.” It quit resisting now, allowing itself to pass through into the seal.

“You did it!” Anya yells. She runs to me and tries to help me up.

“Careful, I need to go slow.” Taking in this amount of energy is a heavy toll on my body. It feels like I have an ocean in my belly, trying to break free.

“Let’s get you back to—“ She stops as a tear rolls down her face, her eyes looking behind me at something that terrifies her. “No…” She falls to the ground.

“Anya!”