System Break

I scrambled over the peak and the yetis were in sight across a sharp ravine. They looked like massive, white monkeys and ran as a pack. There were seven of them and with their long arms and short legs, they ran on all fours most of the time.

From afar they looked small, but the closer I got I realised they would be as tall as me if they stood on their hind legs.

I didn't give the goats much chance, only one could put up a decent fight and it was severely outnumbered. I loved rooting for the underdog, so I grabbed one of my spears and attempted to throw it like qi arrow.

Too few hours of practise in throwing and qi-spear but I gave it my best. I collected my qi at the butt of the spear and placed my lead foot forward like a javelin thrower. I threw it up to give it altitude it was a 150ft throw. I pivoted with my throwing arm and let fly, guiding it with my qi.

It was fast, too fast for me to change direction and it smashed into the rockface inches in front of a yeti. I only had one spear left and I grabbed it from my back sheath. The first was cracked from the force of the blow, and it had the yeti's attention if not their blood.

Four of them turned to look at me and the three in the lead continued to chase down the goats. The goats were in a panic, but their leader was trying to calm them. He bleated in low tones as they ran past and swung his massive horns in circles. He was the size of a small car and his horns curled like a giant circular bugle.

My qi sight showed me the true power of the mystical beast. His qi pathways crisscrossed his body in intricate patterns far more than anything I'd seen, including trolls. And his core was large, especially considering his size. He was a beast and I thought for a moment maybe he did have a chance against seven yetis. 

The yetis were similar to a hell hound in terms of a qi core, but their physical strength and speed was superior. They'd caught goats in the mountains, a feat I would've bet against.

I didn't have to close on the yetis, they were frothing at the mouth to get to me. They zigged zagged their way across the ravine while I took up position on a large boulder. Demon bird showed me everything including my friends who were racing to catch me.

I held on to my last spear, I'd rather its reach than a chance at taking down a yeti. The goat bleated its roar moments before the yetis arrived at my boulder.

I focused on the largest and laughed when arrows began to skewer them. "What? Did you think I was alone?"

Their skin was tough, but a qi arrow managed to penetrate, and each arrow was a wound. I could tell which were Gisael's because she always went for the eyes. 

Each time a yeti tried to pull me off the boulder or claw at me I stabbed with my spear. It was like playing king of the hill as a kid. Except this time blood was spewing everywhere.

They were as strong as apes and with vicious claws to boot. I relied on the arrows to deal damage while I focused on staying alive. My leathers were getting torn to shreds each time a claw landed, because it was hard to defend against two at once. 

One was bold and jumped towards me. I rewarded him with a spear through the heart and while I kicked him off my weapon another clawed my legs. Reyas danced around the boulder swinging her axes in deathly arcs. An arrow hit one to my right, it was his fifth and he stumbled back. He was bleeding like a feature fountain at the local mall.

Whenever I fought something that wasn't a troll, I was glad. It was nice when you hit something that it stayed hit. I stabbed another through its open mouth as it tried to eat my face. It bit down and killed my last ebony spear, snapping it in half like a twig. But it was its last act when my fist followed through and pushed the spear through its tiny brain.

I smiled beneath my mask as Reyas chopped the last one down. It feels good to share with your buxom lover.

Four dead or twitching yetis surrounded the boulder. We looked across the ravine and the giant goat bleated its fury. He was a magnificent beast and was bleeding from several wounds. Demon bird could see his opponents, they were all thrown down the mountain.

"Don't fuck with an angry goat," I said with a chuckle. "Do you think he could have taken all seven?"

Reyas peered across the ravine and pursed her lips. "Maybe."

The giant goat threw his head up and down. He turned and trotted back to his herd.

Ailen, Sakaala and Gisael arrived. They collected their arrows and waited for me to skin before collecting the cores.

With razor sharp knife in hand I went to work removing the yeti from their fur. I asked, "No one is going to ask if we're taking out the magic goat?"

"Nope," Ailen said. "We saw what it did."

"It is in its domain and is not threatening us," Gisael said.

Reyas collected a core and slid it into her pack. "I fear it would cost us more than we would gain. It's best to leave them alone."

I inspected the skins and two were pristine. We took them, the cores, and some meat for Reyas to eat.

The goats had moved on and I wanted to collect the other three cores. "Set up camp to the north at dusk, I'll fetch the other three cores and catch up."

I collected the remnants of my spears and headed down the mountain. It was the wrong way, but I was confident I could catch them before dark. I used Reyas' innate qi techniques; qi-strength, stamina and agility to climb swiftly. The more I used them the better I got and the less I had to concentrate. Like everything practise makes perfect and if you do it enough it becomes second nature.

I never used the quickbar. It was a crutch that hampered growth. If I did, I would never improve. But I understood why Ailen and Sakaala did; they couldn't see qi like me and without my help it would be almost impossible to make improvements.

Demon bird kept watch over me and my friends. It was hard to move in the mountains and easy to get cornered, but with his help we cheated. Our only weakness was in the darkness when things could move without being seen by the demon in the sky.

I arrived at our camp just after sunset with three cores and another pristine skin. 

"We should hide the skins here," Ailen said. "Pick them up before we visit the Dokkalfar next time."

Reyas nodded. "It is easy to hide things in the high mountains and no one would find for decades."

"Good," I said and dropped the skin in his lap.

Ailen frowned. 

"I will show you," Reyas said. He stood and she shook her head. "When it's light. We will find a good spot and set markers in the rock with my hammer."

I beckoned Ailen, "There's something I wanted to discuss." I looked at Sakaala. "You too."

We sat around the fire. "I've been thinking."

They chuckled.

I ignored them and continued. "I never use the quickbar, well rarely, just tree-run. But I should stop that as well. I'm improving how I use qi strike, strength and the others all the time."

Ailen's mouth opened. "Oh," he said excitedly. "Don't resave them. We don't want everyone getting upgraded versions."

"What about you?"

"Leave that to us, we might be able to work something out once we get you moved and can mess with your pod."

I frowned. "I don't like the sound of that, but there is another way. We should continue your training in using your own qi. Ditch using the quickbar."

Sakaala moaned. "It's hard enough as it is."

I nodded. "I know, I'll help."

Ailen tugged on his ear. "We should start small. What's the easiest?"

"Qi strike with your fist. Weapons are much harder."

Sakaala nodded. "Would be handy if something got too close."

"Like Redmond?" I asked and we laughed at the poor guy's expense.

"We don't have much time until the tournament,' Ailen said. "If we travel back to the forest, then back to Dokkalfar then its only four spare days."

"We travel quicker with Redmond," Sakaala said.

"Oh, yeah," Ailen said. "Maybe six, depending on how many cores we collect on the way."

I stretched and put an arm around Reyas who snuggled in beside me. "Cores just became our number one priority." Gisael leaned on my other side. The pair snuggled and listened but said nothing.

A wicked smile appeared on Sakaala's face. "Qi is power and wealth." 

To some people power and wealth are all that matters but I had Gisael on one side of me and Reyas on the other. I was happy.