The Dawn Fortress
(This will eventually become an infopost, but is a threadmark for now to help visibility)
Xie Jun was nervous. She had been travelling for almost six months, now. Ever since her great-aunt's own great-aunt's second cousin had sent Spirit Stones home to all the family and ordered testing of the aptitude of virtually every Xie family member, she had been worried. Becoming a cultivator? An immortal? Of course, Lady Xinya, head of the family was. But she was the daughter of a blacksmith and a prostitute. A child of shame, not worthy of bearing the Xie name. Her father had been shamed for marrying her mother, and her mother was spat on everywhere she went.
Whorechild. Filthblood. The daughter of a slut shall be a slut. That - and so much more - was what her cousins had said to her before the testing. When the immortal lord had come and found her worthy of cultivating... well. She would have liked to say that they stopped, and recognised her great potential, becoming friends rather than enemies.
Instead, the cruel words continued behind closed doors, the names scratched on doors or insults on tables. Her mother crying in the middle of the night by herself. Her aunts permitting her mother to eat with them for the first time, but her seat was old and shabby, even when her aunts sat on velveted chairs made of fine woods. Her mother had wept when Jun had said she wanted to go, but...
What else could she have done? For her mother's sake, her father bore so many insults, and even with his talent was relegated to the fate of an ordinary blacksmith, no matter his Xie name. No. Lady Xinya had sought for talent, and with enough talent she would show them all the truth. Her mother's blood would give birth to a great heroine of the Optimatoi, and for a thousand thousand years when people spoke the name of Yin Ah they would not remember her as a mark of shame, but as a mark of pride! The day her mother married into Xie family would be remembered as a boon to her family, and everyone who had insulted her would be shamed for their vile behaviour.
So here she was, sitting in a rattling carriage with ten others her age. All of them sixteen or seventeen, with the immortal lord who had sought them out standing on the roof of the carriage, guarding them.
Just yesterday they had come across a scorpion larger than three men, and Lord Xie Meng had slain it with his
fist, a single blow killing a creature that would have wiped out her entire village. She had barely been able to see him move.
That night, they sat down.
Lord Meng sat down near them, the seven girls and three boys all arranged around a small campfire.
He spoke.
"You are all of my Xie family. No doubt you have had instruction on proper behaviour, and I hope my teachings on what the Clan will expect from you will be useful. However, bear in mind our Xie family is not popular at the moment, with Lady Xinya seen as a figure of some disrepute by many. As such, you are expected to be upright and righteous - aiding the family, of course - but any corruption, any ill behaviour of any sort and I myself will throw you out of the Dawn Fortress and send you home. Your name will not protect you here."
He looked at them all.
"That is all."
Jun was nervous, but she spoke up.
"Lord Meng?"
His gaze settled on her. Lord Meng was a handsome man, with a square jaw and thick eyebrows, and teeth as white as bleached bone. His shoulders were large, even larger than her father's, and his eyes was pools of dark brown.
Jun took a breath. As handsome as he was, she was
not what they said. Just because she felt attracted to a man didn't mean she'd sleep with him! She took another breath, aware Meng's eyes were still on her.
"How close are we to the Dawn Fortress? What can you tell us about it?"
Meng smiled.
"Good. Asking questions. Always ask questions if you are unsure. At worst you might be caned for a stupid question, but you will die without knowledge."
His smile was so pretty, and she felt her cheeks warm.
He pulled out a roll of parchment, and carefully spread it out.
"Look closely, kids. This is a
Map of the Dawn Fortress Region."
Map of Dawn Fortress said:
He ran a finger along the map.
"Around it are these lines in a great square. This is the
Blood Detection Array, a mighty array that detects Blood Path, various methods and bloodlines of other Sects and Clans, and makes it difficult for our enemies to enter without us knowing. It has no power of battle in itself, but ensures any spies or enemies are destroyed by the many powerful cultivators who live within the Dawn Fortress. There are many towers, as well, each hosting a number of powerful cultivators on flying treasures and beasts, able to respond to incursions into our core region immensely quickly. They contain the power of the Glass Javelin Array as well, though you shall learn more of that in time."
"We are coming from the east, and so I shall describe things in the east, then in the west. Finally shall come the centre."
He paused.
"The white line is the
Scorpion Road, a powerful enchanted road to protect us from beasts, bandits, and also to speed our travel. It is the core of the Clan's wealth, and we shall reach the main Road soon enough."
His finger moved over, tapping on a forest.
"This is
Pill-Forge Forest, where many useful ingredients grow. While our Clan is not a great pill Clan, we still forge many pills and use herbs, and it is here much of the basics are grown. The clan's alchemists and pill masters live here, along with many of our herb growers."
To the west, now.
"In the west firstly is the
Beast-Raising Forest, where many useful flying and transport beasts are raised. The Clan does not raise many beasts of battle as others do, but rather we seek to make ourselves more mobile. Our Blood of Bronze makes us powerful and strong, but slow, and to be able to move quickly is a boon we often seek. Also is the
Great Open-Cut Spirit Mine. Few enough stones remain, and so we mine relentlessly there, simply gouging into the earth, seeking new veins. It is not the most efficient, but such mining is often used to teach new Aspirants how to detect and interact with Spirit Stones."
His finger moved to the centre.
"As we come up the road, we will find
Emporikipolis. The centre of Clan trade, with nearly two million souls calling it home. All who come along the Scorpion Road stop here, and in engage in much trade. A city of liars and foreigners, but one where there is much value for both the Clan and for Xie family."
"Now, the Dawn Fortress-"
Jun found herself interrupting.
"What about these great mountains, Lord Meng?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Ask questions, girl. But don't interrupt, you must wait for the appropriate time. Some centurions would have you in the stocks for an hour to learn your lesson on speaking out of turn - be glad I am not them."
She lowered her head, not meeting his eyes.
"But since you now understand, these mountains are mysterious to me. The
Indomitable Peaks somehow hold Qi within the Dawn Fortress's region, and ensure it does not leak out. It drains those flying over them, as well. I confess I do not understand how, merely that disciples - even those who stand in the eighth level of Qi Condensation such as myself - cannot cross them."
He drew a breath.
"The core area is guarded by two towers and a wall. Firstly,
Epitiritis Tower. The first place of habitation developed by the Clan when they fled here, a fortification above the cliffs. It is manned by many powerful cultivators, and is the home of the 3rd Legion. It is one of the most powerful pieces of our Javelin Array, and can slay many from afar, even as far as our home. Secondly,
Ypopsifios Tower. It is here Aspirants come once they have been trained to receive missions outside of the Tall Wheat Fields, and it is the home of the Elder of Disciples herself. Lastly comes
The Bronzewall, a great wall infused with our Blood of Bronze. It is a sacred place. If a cultivator seeks to end his or her life, they may gain permission to bleed themselves to death over three days and nights, letting the Wall absorb their bloodline power and cultivation. The great Wall-Spirit can tell who carries the Blood and who does not, and will slay any cultivator without the Blood of Bronze seeking to cross it, if they are not given a Wall-Crossing Token by the Clan. It can endure any siege, and is the true last line of defense for the Clan."
Jun waited, but it seemed as though Lord Meng was quiet.
"Lord Meng, is not the Dawn Fortress the true last line of defense?"
He chuckled.
"Oh, I've heard tell of ancient artifacts and old Nascent ghosts, but who knows the truth of the matter? The
Dawn Fortress was originally merely a city, but was fortified over time as it was the central location of the
Tall Wheat Fields. It is the centre of the Qi in these lands, and in the Dawn Fortress Qi is thick enough for Aspirants to cultivate to the 1st Heavenstage of Qi Condensation in a mere thirty or forty years. Many arrays and such are built here, and the
Tall Wheat Fields are named so because when we arrived, they grew thick with wheat. In the desert nothing grows, but here plants grow if one merely scatters seeds, and the defenses keep mortals safe. Of the sixty or so million mortals under direct Clan rule, almost twenty million live in the Fields."
He sighed.
"The
Dawn Fortress is a marvel. It is where you will be trained, where the Clan makes decisions, the greatest citadel you or I will ever see. It is built high, great walls of granite sheathed in a coat of reflective bronze. On the walls are massive war machines of various types, and atop the walls dot many towers, each of them containing the Burning Glass Javelins for our Array. Inside it are the most verdant lands you will ever see, and towns, villages, and cities within the outer walls in their own right. It is the heart of the Clan, and leaving it is a cause of heartbreak for many a young cultivator. Within the inner walls are training camps, teachers, and everything a young cultivator might want."
He sighed.
"In any case, that is enough for tonight. In return for this, you will all study the etiquette notes I have lent you, and I expect you to carry out practice conversations for at least ten hours in the carriage tomorrow. Ignorant peasants from the Xie family or not, you are still Xie family, and none of you will shame us. Much support can be given to those who push our reputation higher, but I will be asking questions tomorrow to you, and if you cannot answer them in the appropriate manner..."
Meng slapped his hand against his thigh, a small thunderclap shocking the camp.
"The one among who you answers least appropriately will be spanked on the bare bottom in front of the other nine. I will not harm you, but Lady Xinya is quite clear that we must be above reproach in all things. Humiliation now will save you much sorrow later, and I think I have been too lenient on this trip."
Jun blushed deeply.
As exciting as that idea sounded, she would not be humiliated. Not again. She would be perfect, and when she returned home it would be as a Lady Cultivator, an immortal lady that all would bow to, and that her mother would be proud of. She would have a velvet chair and the seat at the head of the table, and Jun would bow to her. Her aunts would bow to Jun, and then to her mother as well, and
nobody would shame her mother. Not ever again.
