NO CELESTIAL / dick grayson

twenty-five, wings

"YOUR QI IS a part of you. You know how to use it to amplify, to strengthen, but it is so much more than that."

She stood across from her aunt, one night after their initial meeting. Nightwing and Robin had insisted on accompanying her, but her aunt had dismissed them. They'd been led off to learn about the sect instead, which ought to come in handy somehow.

She didn't have much time before they headed off. She didn't want to drag this on for too long, and sooner or later her uncle's men would come knocking at her door. Remiel intended to be gone by the time that happened.

But her aunt promised her lessons. And it should be useful, having a better control over her qi before she headed off to face her uncle. What if it came down to a trial by combat?

"Teach me," Remiel said simply.

Shan Ling nodded. "Get into stance."

Seraphina had taught her that much. While Seraphina had no master, there were books and scrolls on the subject, and Remiel knew the basics.

Shan Ling sighed. "We have so little time. But I will teach you what you ought to know. You know how to soften your fall, how to amplify your jumps, but with the correct control over your qi, you can lift yourself off the ground for prolonged periods, make high jumps that seem like flight. Let me show you."

Remiel watched, brows knitted tightly together, as her aunt leapt into the air, twirling mid-air twice with her sword outstretched before landing back onto her feet. As she continued watching, Shan Ling broke into a run, jumping outwards. And almost as if she was controlling the air around her, pushing herself upwards, she landed on the roof of the pavilion, stood straight, staring down at Remiel beneath her.

"That's not—"

"Scientific? No. Because it is not science. It is the wisdom of our ancestors." Shan Ling shook her head, staring down from above. "I do not have the time to teach you everything. But I think you will figure out lots of it yourself. Your control of qi does not only control what is inside you, Shan Ran."

"Teach me."

"We shall start with the basics. Try to get yourself up here. I know you can amplify your jumps—you already have half the technique down. Now enhance it even further."

—

THEY HEADED ON the plane for Changsha, the capital of Hunan province a week after their initial meeting with Shan Ling. Every day for the past week she'd spent with Shan Ling, training and practising. She learnt fast. She always did. And Shan Ling was right when she said Remiel already had half of it down. Because she did. She just hadn't maximised her potential.

She still hadn't. Shan Ling had told her at the end of their last session that she still had much to learn. No doubt about that. Perhaps once this was all over, she'd ask her aunt to teach her some more. She seemed a better tutor than White Canary.

It took two days for Remiel to figure out how to lift herself onto roofs of buildings. At first it had seemed like so much effort, but after days of constant practice, it started getting... natural.

Dick had been slightly annoyed. "So you can just jump onto roofs now while we still need to grapple hook our way up?"

And upon learning that Remiel preferred a staff and a chain whip as her weapons, her aunt had started specialised lessons on how to use those as well. Remiel was, frankly, impressed by both Shan Ling's and her own endurance, considering the intense training she'd undertaken.