In the Organ Meat Desert there was a place where sharp mountains jutted into the heavens, as if spikes trying to pierce the belly of the sky. It was the remnant of some ancient cataclysmic battle, with a deep and wide crater in the center. Three roaring rivers snaked through those mountains, passing through the jagged landscape on well-worn paths until they abruptly encountered a sharp decline. Forming powerful waterfalls, they crashed into the crater and filled it up to form a large oasis.
The rivers had passed through the vast expanse of the desert and through some strange mechanism, hoarded the little qi in the air they encountered until it grew into an incredible bounty. As they twisted and turned through the valley, that bounty was finally released, forming a land of natural resources that stood out from the arid wasteland outside. The majority of it pooled into the oasis, giving birth to a vibrant ecosystem of aquatic life and rare underwater herbs.
Despite the prize at its center, there was a startling lack of predators in the valley. Some of it could be attributed to the strange way the mountains served to shield the valley from the outside, but the rest was entirely due to the latent threat that suffused the air, reminiscent of the feeling of anticipation that came just before tribulation would fall from a clear sky. It promised violence upon any who disrupted the painstaking harmony that existed there.
The source of this presence was the Sky Dragon Long Xiaowen who had made his home in this valley. Lying at the Great Circle of Foundation Building, there were few things that could threaten him in this part of the desert and he exerted that power fully to protect the valley. Few spirit beasts were comfortable here, so attuned that they were to the flows of heaven and earth. The only creatures that existed here were those who burrowed deep into the earth in fearful hibernation and the ones the dragon spared from his attention.
Like those who served the clan.
Through an ancient pact, the clan had made a home here. Civilians were given shelter so long as they did not offend the valley's master and when the secret realm within it opened, the waterfalls reversing and the oasis becoming empty, he allowed the clan the right to harvest the many rare and unique spirit herbs that grew in the water bed. It was a rare paradise for mortals and a useful source of resources for the clan's immortals.
Antonius stood at the shore of the oasis, waiting to meet their local contact. He watched the youth that dotted the waters, riding atop it on fishing boats and diving under with little fear. It was a heartening sort of fearlessness, the kind one rarely saw even in places like the waycastles. The source of it was more than just the protection of the valley, but also the snake-like winged fish that leapt between the waves, playing with the humans and protecting them.
Those were the descendents of Long Xiaowen, born of his bloodline and that of a river dragon who had passed on long ago. Though the sky dragon cared little for the humans who sheltered under him, his children had grown up beside them. Still, while this harmony was good to see, Antonius knew that it wouldn't last much longer. Soon the dragon's descendents would ascend, cresting the waterfalls in their dance. That was when the secret realm would open after all, the rich herbs in the bed of the oasis becoming available.
The villagers were grasping for every little bit of supplies that they could find. Soon enough they would have to evacuate as Long Xiaowen would leave, taking his children left with him and would not return until a new generation of his bloodline were born. Without his presence, the valley would lose its protection and the people would have to move to a new location. The fish that lived in the oasis would be food for their journey and the herbs that grew upon its shore would mean wealth to establish themselves at their new home.
Glancing at the ground, he observed the herbs growing there. Kneeling down to touch them with his uninjured hand, he felt the qi flowing within the herbs. The energy within the oasis was rising and it was spilling onto the valley around it, causing these herbs to grow. It was strong for mortals. In fact, with a supply of these herbs he could likely be able to maintain his own cultivation fairly easily. They would be incredibly valuable within the desert.
Looking around, he could see that there were as many men going about carefully collecting those herbs as there were those who plumbed the depths with lines and nets. He saw a bit of his own determination reflected in their eyes. But the sorts of herbs he sought wouldn't be available on the surface. He would have to seek the herbs at the very depths of the oasis to find resources that could help him or his parents.
It was almost time.
Standing up, he looked further in the distance at one of the waterfalls roaring into the oasis. From where he was, he could barely make out the town that had risen behind the waterfall. Buildings at the center were arranged by careful design but by now, most of it had begun to spill out in a rural sprawl that showed that the town had remained standing far longer than the planners had anticipated. Relying upon the promiscuity of dragons, it was hard to predict when the valley would open.
Looking down from the town, his eyes followed the oasis until he spotted a boat coming towards him with a man and two children. The man had the tell-tale shine of bronze in his hair, but he wasn't a cultivator. The boy next to him however, though only fifteen, had already broken through to the first heavenstage. There was a far younger girl hiding behind his legs, eyeing Antonius with the wariness towards everything unfamiliar only certain children can have.
Standing up, Antonius waved his hand towards them and the man waved a hand back. As he came close and brought the boat to shore, Antonius walked up to them and helped pull it in. The young boy looked at him in awe as he dragged the boat and all three of them in it using only his uninjured hand. "Hail, honored legionnaire." The man said, holding out his hand. "I am Bernardus Maximus, governor of Yellow Waterfall Village. Please, be welcome to my home."
Antonius reached out and clasped his hand. "I am Antonius Ambrosius." He replied, "It is good to meet you, governor. Tell me, are you truly from
the Maximus family line?"
Bernardus smiled and nodded. "Yes, though I am not a cultivator." He then pushed forward his son and patted his shoulders. "Though, of course. My
son will carry on the family legacy."
Antonius studied him and the boy stood taller, placing his hands to the side in attention. He was wearing rough traveling clothes, as expected with their need to leave soon but he also had a bronze gladius by his side, surging with the aged feel of gravebronze. "An heirloom?" He asked, directing his question to the boy.
"Yes, sir!" The boy said, stamping his leg to the ground. "It belonged to my great grandfather."
"I bet the full armor doesn't fit yet, huh?" He asked, leaning in with a knowing smile. The boy laughed sheepishly which was all the confirmation he needed. He clapped him on the back as he entered and sat in the boat. "Don't worry, you'll grow into it."
The boy nodded, sitting down sheepishly. Bernardus ruffled his hair and laughed heartily. "He will be moving to the Dawn Fortress soon to become a legionnaire."
"If he's already in the first heavenstage, I'm sure he will have a bright future ahead." Antonius said and the man smiled, while the boy looked both happy and embarrassed.
"I was lucky to grow here," He said quietly. "The herbs really helped me cultivate."
Antonius nodded. "Luck is just another part of talent." He told him firmly. "Just remember not to rely completely on that. The greatest talents rise on strong foundations of hard work."
"Yes, legionnaire." The boy said, firmly committing it into memory.
Giving him a last smile, he turned to Bernardus. "How are the preparations going?"
"It was difficult at first." The man admitted. "We have lived here for three centuries now. People were reluctant to move. Luckily, we've since sorted out a good place in a nearby waycastle."
"That's good." Antonius said, glancing at the town and the next to it. "I've only just arrived here but I can already grasp it's beauty. I can understand the hesitation towards leaving this place. "
Bernardus smiles sadly. "We were lucky to be able to live here for so long. Many of our kin have to move as often as once every twenty years."
"Truly?" He had grown up in one of the clan's cities. He couldn't imagine how lives in the villages and towns worked.
The man nodded. "If you live under the legion or other powerful protectors, it is possible for you to live entire generations without moving. For all others, there are few places we can stay for long and are left to roam the desert, migrating from one location to another."
Antonius frowned as he considered that. "With the attrition of the desert, logistics would be a matter of life and death. I would imagine any place you could re-supply would have its share of dangers attracted by the very things you seek. You would need to have an incredible depth of knowledge to make it out here."
"It is easier with the clan." Bernardus replied. "We make it a point to record these details and share them. Before them, we had to rely a lot more on luck and inherited knowledge."
Antonius nodded slowly. "It's a harsh life, but I imagine it gave birth to strong people."
Bernardus grinned. "House Maximus is proud to claim descent from them. The first of us was born in the desert and joined the clan later in life."
"It is a good legacy." Antonius replied, before glancing at the nearing town. "What can you tell me about the name and history of your village?"
The man considered that. "Many of our cousins chose not to settle down, instead continuing to travel the desert alongside caravans. We actually serve as a major stop in the Scorpion Roads for those who know to find us and they bring us things to buy and take the things we sell to other places."
"What does your village export?" He asked, though glancing at the herbs and fish, he found he had some idea already.
"Mostly fish and a variety of crops we grow."
"Not any herbs?" He asked curiously, though he supposed it could just be an issue of semantics.
"No," He replied, shaking his head. "All of our herbs go to the clan in return for use of the location."
"So the clan gets all of the cultivation resources you acquire." Bernadus nodded in agreement. "What of the dragon?"
"Long Xiaowen is not concerned with us." The man replied. "So long as we do not hurt his children. I believe the original agreement was a truce formed after a battle between the dragon and the clan in which the former lost."
The sharp presence in the air suddenly seemed to grow sharper. "Ah. So he may not like us very much." Antonius whispered.
"He is very particular about his word and has yet to harm any who do not deserve it." The governor quickly reassured me. "And though he may not be personally invested in us, many of his children
are."
Antonius nodded at that, though he resolved to be careful still. He doubted Yixuan Shan would have been happy if someone hurt his siblings as they hid within the coral reefs. "What can you tell me about the valley?"
"Ah." The boy began to speak and then froze when we looked at him. Antonius nodded at him to continue."I believe that the valley was born from the fight between two immortals. We don't know the full details but based on time estimates and the quality of the qi in the valley, we believe them to be nascent souls from the Dragon Empire."
Antonius raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. So Long Xiaowen came later then, drawn to the dragon-aspected qi."
"That is how I understand it, sir." He replied, smiling proudly." I believe it was a battle between two prospective heirs after the death of their emperor. They fought for thirteen days and thirteen nights until the victor struck their opponent into the ground with force enough to create the crater that would become the valley and the oasis."
Antonius nodded. "Do you know how the opening of the secret realm actually occurs?" He asked curiously. "I only know the generalities regarding the threats I would face."
"It's not another realm as such. It's actually just the river bed." Bernardus said, taking over. The legionnaire knew this but simply nodded at him to continue. "When the dragons crest the waterfalls, it causes a strange reaction on the ambient qi. The waterfalls begin to reverse and pull the water out from the oasis, revealing the water bed with several rare and unique herbs grown untouched by centuries of collected qi and silt."
"Why doesn't anyone just dive for it?" Antonius asked curiously.
"I believe it is because of powerful currents in the depths. It is too strong for those in qi condensation and the prizes are usually not worth it for foundation building cultivators to make the attempt."
"What about threats?"
"High Qi Condensation, experienced but cowardly. They are mainly from a number of hibernating beasts that have made their homes in the mountains and seem to awaken with the realm. They depend on the herbs to recover their energy before they can return to sleep."
"Hmm. How long until it ends?"
"It varies," The man admitted. "But it should remain open for at least a week after which the water will fall again as heavy rain. The force of that and the beasts that occur are the primary dangers, I am told."
Antonius nodded, before glancing at the rapidly approaching town. Quietly, he extended his spiritual senses. He couldn't sense any of the beasts the man had mentioned, though he suspected he would not. If their hibernation was as deep as he expected, few would be able to sense their qi. Most of the qi came from the dragons nearing the peak of qi condensation and the same energies they exuded came many-times magnified from one of the mountain peaks.
The presence of Long Xiaowen was heavy on the valley and as he studied the ancient creature, Antonius felt the creature's gaze settle upon him in turn with distant curiosity. He froze as he felt his attention, causing the others to look at him warily. He made to clasp his hands and bow, before remembering one hand was still injured. He quickly adjusted that motion into an awkward salute. The dragon's gaze moved off of him, uncaring.
"Is everything alright, legionnaire?" Bernardus asked him with a frown.
"Yes, I just believe the dragon noticed me." He replied, giving him a reassuring smile.
Bernardus nodded. "The other cultivators had a similar reaction."
"Oh?" He turned his gaze to the town, looking through the milling mortal auras for the energies of a cultivator.
It would be best, Antonius told himself.
Not to wander too much. Immediately, several presences stood out to him. He recognized Oriana's presence, lying in the sixth heavenstage with the unmistakable tang of bronze, it was familiar to him from decades of friendship. The others he could not recognize.
"Yes, sir. I believe they will be waiting for you in the pub."
He blinked. "The pub?"
"It seemed the best place to put them, sir."
Antonius raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "I'll find them." He said, glancing at the rapidly approaching shore. "Thank you for the information, Bernardus." Then spared a glance at the people crowding the streets. "And thank you for your time. I am certain you could have better spent it aiding your people, so thank you for spending it on me."
"It was no trouble, sir." Bernardus replied, smiling. "I also had the chance to introduce my children to up and coming legionnaires."
Antonius smiled and glanced at them, looking at the boy who was trying to sit straight as his gaze fell upon him and the girl who hadn't said a thing this whole time. "Then I will remember them," he said, nodding. "Best of luck to all of you."
"And you too, senior brother." The boy said, bowing. Antonius smiled and then with breath, he jumped off of the boat, stepping into the land. The boy once more looked at him in awe and he waved at him as he left. Finally, he turned his gaze away.
They were a good family and he wished them well.
Now, he had to work on helping his own.
Taking a breath, he released his own aura, letting them know that he was here. Oriana flared in acknowledgement, radiating outwards in an invitation to join her. The boy behind him froze, feeling the weight of his aura but Antonius put him out of his mind. He glanced up at the dragon for a moment, but he did not react.
He nodded to himself.
None of my business. He told himself, deciding to put out of mind the ancient creature. A part of him was curious about him… but his left arm ached and he knew that other things came first. Like his own injuries and the fate of his parents. He couldn't afford to lose focus anywhere.
He had to focus on his family.
| | | | | | | | | |
"Look at him..."
"So tall!"
"He's gorgeous..."
"...legionnaire..."
"...like he's been carved out of bronze."
The whispers began as soon as he entered the town proper. It wasn't a sudden thing. Most people simply happened to look as he walked by and upon noticing the bronze giant, they simply couldn't look away. They then tended to point him out to others and whisper to each other in ways they thought he didn't notice. Unfortunately, most people tended to underestimate how far a cultivator in the tenth heavenstage could hear.
It had been a side-effect of body purification, his bloodline reaching a point where he seemed made of living metal. The attention had been strange at first, especially since it followed in the heels of his parent's ill fate but Antonius had grown used to it by now. Even among the cultivators of the clan, his visual density was a rare thing. He dealt with it this time in the way he usually did, by ignoring it entirely.
Instead, he focused on his sixth sense to help him navigate the town. The outskirts were haphazardly placed and he was certain the locals, who likely knew the layout instinctively, couldn't appreciate the amount of confusion it could cause. Luckily, once he passed that hurdle, he was in the inner area that was arranged how a clan settlement should be. Walking through the streets, he quickly found himself standing before an old pub.
It was an old thing, worn out more from constant use than mere age. He could tell that it had been a popular hut. There was a whisper of conversation from inside it, however he could feel the sound stop as they sensed him standing out here. There were three presences in all, a woman and a man he didn't recognise alongside Oriana's familiar aura.
Taking a breath, Antonius entered. Looking around, his eyes first went to the bar that was placed prominently in front of him. A grizzled old woman stood behind the bar, pouring a drink from a bottle in her hand. Though he couldn't identify the drink, he could tell that it was from the famous Magnus brand.
In front of her was a young man with handsome features and a charming smile that was downplayed by the fact that he was obviously half-way drunk. As soon as their eyes met, the man grinned and tossed the bottle he had been holding directly at Antonius. Blinking in surprise, he stopped it instinctively.
He felt it with his mind, sensing the liquid wine within it. He twisted that liquid, summoning more water into it with his Wave-summoning Art and filling it up until the wine began to spill from its rim. With the increased water density, he had better control and gently manipulated it into his open palm.
Then he glanced down to see a bottle of wine, now spilling on the floor and thoroughly watered down. "Damn it, man." The man complained. "That's a terrible waste of good wine. You could have just given it back to me, if you didn't want to drink it."
"Sorry," He replied, placing the bottle on a nearby table. "My hand is injured and I've gotten used to using my water for combat."
"Damn it, Theos." The woman cut in. She smacked him on the head and put the bottle she had away from his reach "Sober up,
now." She said, snapping her fingers and then turning to you. "Don't worry about it kid, it's completely his fault."
The man closed his eyes and Antonius felt him circulate his qi, before opening his eyes and giving him a dazzling smile. "Sorry about that." He replied. "We've been here for a few days and I got a bit carried away."
"That's a neat trick, did you flush it out of your system?" Antonius asked, holding up a hand. "I'm Antonius by the way."
"Theos." He replied, grabbing his hand. "And yes, I'm a poisoner."
"Lois." The woman said, holding out her hand as well. "Also a poisoner. Seeing as you recognised the technique, should I assume you are familiar with our line of work?"
Antonius nodded, grabbing her hand. "I was taught the basics of countering poison from my mother, but I've had a bit more of an occasion to look into it since then."
The woman winced. "I assumed you were here about your injury, but I guess… someone you know got poisoned?"
He nodded with a sigh. "My parents. It's a long story."
"My condolences." She replied, shaking her head. "Are you here for the Marrow Cleansing Herb too then?"
Antonius raised an eyebrow. "Too?"
"We were hunting a Blood Cannibal Poisoner," She told him, grimacing at the memory. "Hit us with a really tough poison and the herb seems to be the only solution we could find."
Antonius nodded, frowning and turned to the Theos who shrugged. "I'm only here for the cultivation resources." He said, grinning as he answered the unspoken question. "I have the One-Headed Hydra Body - the poison we were hit with actually helped with my cultivation."
Lois gave him a withering look before turning to him and smiling. "Good luck with your search. I hope you find what you are looking for."
Antonius gave her a nod. "And good luck with yours as well."
With that, his eyes swept across the place until they landed on the last person in the pub - a woman seated at the corner watching the conversation in amusement. The hooded cloak she wore covered her well enough that he wouldn't have recognised her based upon physical appearance alone. Still, he had already sensed her qi.
With a nod at the other two, he moved over to her and pulled up a chair. "Hey, Oriana." He said, smiling at her. "Journey was good, I hope?"
"Antonius," She greeted, pulling down the hood of her cloak. "I went as well as could be expected. And yours?"
"The same." He replied, shrugging. "Nothing particularly interesting happened."
"I'm not surprised." She replied, grinning. "You're quite noticeable now, aren't you? Anyone who knows anything about the clan would give you a wide berth."
He grinned and shrugged. "It is how it is."
She raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, is there any point in any sort of anonymity with you here?"
"I'm used to it by now." He replied, before glancing at her apparel and raising an eyebrow. "What about you? Does the whole mysterious cloaked stranger thing ever work?"
"There are a lot of people traveling like this actually." She answered, smiling at him. "People will definitely remember the cloak, but they generally know better than to try and figure out who might be under it. It's definitely a different sort of anonymity than just blending in…" The smile turns into a smirk. "But it also leaves me less identifiable than the giant man made of bronze."
He shrugged again, accepting her point. He glanced around the pub for a moment and then he turned back to her. "I would have thought we would set up some place quieter."
"It was the only one with enough space." She told him, shrugging. "Bernardus Maximus had likely hoped for more cultivators to come."
"Maximus, huh?" He prompted and she nodded in response.
"I'm surprised too." She replied. "I thought they were extinct."
"I think they might be the last of them." Antonius mused, feeling out the qi of the boy with his spiritual sense. "I guess they might have just fallen off the radar once they were stationed here."
Oriana nodded. "Hopefully, the kid does well in the legion."
"Same," He said, before turning back to Oriana. "Any idea what to do until we wait?"
She took a look at him and then just shrugged, raising a hand to Lois and Theos. "I think I'll have a drink." She said, and glanced at the woman with a smile. Lois nodded and began pouring her a drink, then she glanced at Antonius curiously.
He sighed. "Do you have any
interesting drinks?" He asked curiously, causing Theos to laugh. "I like unique tastes."
Lois considered that and then grinned. "I certainly have a few personal concoctions I'd like to see you try."
Antonius paused for a moment, remembering that she was a poisoner. But then again… "Sure, why not?"
It was a way to pass the time.
