Chapter 2: Chapter 2 – The Sect

[Luka’s Perspective]

I did not think about it, but I am called Luka, I thought I was just a weak boy again and didn’t pay attention as most of my attention was watching my memories, it became a habit of mine to re-watch certain memories I enjoyed or found useful for myself. I am a girl this life and I don’t have an opinion on that it seems, so I push my concern away as I ponder on what the cultivator said. Being traded means I am just a potential cultivation furnace to him, I need to be careful from now on, and prepare.

On the flying cart the girl that helped me up asked me many questions and said her own guesses for cultivation, citing supposed bedtime stories that seem to be about dog-eat-dog world where domination and suppressing is the goal. The girl in question could very well grow up to be a jade fairy or a city shaking beauty. Her clear white skin unblemished and full of life, curious eyes that are a mainly blue with a red rim around the edges. She still has all of childish features being younger than myself, but she will likely shoot past me in height, I was a small guy last life, and it seems I will be smaller here too, not that being short bothers me. I tried not to form ideas for cultivation yet in case I inhibit my own future with bias ideas, so I try to relax and rest, staying close to the girl’s side.

Reaching the sect half a day later, Elise, that is the girl’s name, took my hand and carefully lead me around like how adults did at my hometown when I got near the edge of town. I don’t mind as her hand is warm which is a nice change as my hands always feel cold to touch. We get assigned rooms being told miscellaneous sect information like how we outer disciples will do many chores and get herbs weekly for our cultivation. Our room was part of a long building, one of many used by outer disciples, it sported two benches with bundled feathers for a mattress.

It took a couple years, but I learnt the known cultivation path. Cultivators support themselves with pills as they focus on gathering qi, transforming qi, and learning the mysteries of the world as the books say. Recalling from books I read in my last life and comparing the cultivation manuals I had a general idea of how I was to do it, having meridians to cycle qi through was odd at first but became like nature. Having read many of the books in the library, the realms are Qi realm, Core realm, Spirit realm and some tell of an immortal realm, but it seems the sect isn’t powerful enough to have knowledge of that openly accessible.

I am still in the qi application stage of the Qi realm as I study the elemental qi system. All cultivators have a spirit root, and we need to draw the related affinity qi from the world to empower oneself, so location is important to cultivators as the ocean is full of water qi whilst being scarce of the rest for example. So, a single spirit root has an easier time gathering Qi in certain location and has less to comprehend in the later realms. But I’m still young and need to build a solid foundation before I start growing strong even if my multiple affinity spirit root peers are overtaking my cultivation. Most important of all I will do it different to the books.

[Elise’s perspective]

It has been eight years since I joined the sect as an outer disciple. My dual element spirit roots meant I wouldn’t have an easy time according to the teachers but a few years ago one of the elders took me as a personal disciple, she said I was a genius for balancing the two elements and growing well to keep my yin pure but not extreme. It wasn’t my own talents though, I just learnt from Luka, she was still very odd, but she would always say complex ideas about other spirit roots. For example, fire and water don’t have to compete, they can work together to make steam and mist.

When we left the sect together on missions and some bandits would try to mug us she would be the one to trap them with wires as we go on our way, I'm not sure if she knows she is killing them when she leaves them like that. Everyone would credit the subjugation of the bandits to me, saying a qi cultivation stage cultivator at her age was too untalented to learn the skills of the sect. Luka never used the sect’s skills in combat but she trained them all to perfection in our room, she made her own skills sometimes taking inspiration from my comments I blurt out when I am with her. It is incredibly peaceful in our room together, and very insightful.

She always asked what kind of person I saw myself as, I thought I was someone that would protect what I care about and fulfill expectations, but Luka would tell me to stop thinking about others just for the question, think of myself only and slowly I worked out some stuff about myself. I am greedy, full of emotions and desires, and that nurturing plants bring me joy. I didn’t know at first how these things mattered but slowly I shaped my own skills around myself instead of thinking how the books said, from there I made leaps and bounds in my progress and strength. Water and flame engulfing all, both bending to my will as I make it do what I want. We ended up taking gardener chores as outer disciples more often then others.

If I were to say what kind of person I saw her as I would say first she is a strange genius. She is also stubborn in all sorts of ways yet accepts changes almost as easily as water. I asked her why she would act like that when her affinity is metal and she asked if I had ever seen someone forge metal, its stubborn but it’s also accepting of effort, firm yet adaptable, far more capable than the normal expectations of becoming someone that uses strength to suppress others below them or to make restraints out of fear of other’s talent.

Luka has grown her hair out quite long now and tends to tie it in a really bad bun for it gets in her eyes which still sometimes show the dull and cloudy look when listening to others of the sect, but now when we are in our room her eyes always shine like the best forged sword, even when she is listening to me complain about our peers. Her cute freckles still remain garnering her many insults behind her back that annoys me, but Luka always just smiled and said they will be chore cogs for the sect for years to come. Having talked with her for years now, I know she is sometimes mature like her figure is becoming, but other times she is very childish, like her height that I have passed, she said she wasn’t upset I got taller than her, but she would pout about it when ever her height was brought up. When it comes to her joys alchemy and formations are two where she was always making strange things without a teacher as she is treated as below average by the seniors and elders of the sect.

My master said we will be visited by some disciples from a high-ranking sect and that I should prepare to be engaged to one of them if our talents match, saying even if it doesn’t work out this time, next time is fine since I’m still quite young, showing a hint of willingness to push it back forever. A rage boils in my heart as I feel like I’m back at my hometown, brooding on my bed as I can’t focus on cultivating when I feel trapped like livestock. My doll’s arms, I mean Luka, I don’t sleep with dolls anymore, Luka’s arms wrap around me, pulling me into her embrace as her cool hands stroke my hair just like that time with the crystal orb, my rage begins to dissipate.

“Don’t let that rage slip away, hold it, let it gather into a mighty ocean so you can flood those that anger you in the future” Her voice still quiet and soft but I can feel an edge of demand in her words, my years with her has taught me how to detect the differences in her voice and demand was very rare to hear, I turn around and look into her eyes, a soft smile on her face as her eyes stare seriously at you. I give her a nod as I focus on my thoughts, feeling the rage filling a hole in my heart as it remains on the edge of boiling.

Yes, I don’t have to surrender my fate to someone else, I am strong, I will be stronger, and I will protect Luka too. She places something on my lap, a formation, saying she hopes I won’t see it activated any time soon but when in doubt, trust in the amulet. It was of simple design, a strange green stone wrapped in grey metal, multiple formations etched on both parts as I feel a lot of powerful metal qi from it, it also feels like home.

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