Chapter 45: Arrival

The sun was high up, bathing the sand dunes, painting the whole horizon into a bright, brownish color. The heat was unbearable, a mortal would dry out in mere hours as the hot wind swept through, sweeping up the fine sand, making breathing hard, giving the feeling of breathing in air from a blacksmith’s forge. 

 

A figure was flying through the air, wearing a casual attire and a traveling robe. His blonde, wavy hair fluttered behind him as he was enjoying the traveling, without any difficulty or even a drop of sweat on his forehead. 

 

“A few days and I should be back finally.” sighed with a nostalgic voice as it was so long since he left his homeland. “I’m curious about how the children are doing.” smiled with a happy expression with expectation in his eyes as he sped up, leaving behind sonic booms, blasting the sand dunes below him into bits while he flew across the sky.

 

He was Aerthus, traveling through the Western Desert, slowly approaching the borders of his Empire he built almost two thousands of years ago. His aura was nonexistent almost as nobody would perceive him even if he stood behind them, completely invisible to the senses, blending into his surroundings, like if he was part of the world itself. Those who are in the know, would immediately realize Aerthus was already at the last, third level of the Harmony realm.

 

While the first level consisted of Inner Harmony, gaining complete control of one's body, energy and senses, sharpening it to the maximum, the second level held the name of Outer Harmony, which meant getting tuned with nature. One’s elemental affinity would slowly attune with nature, getting control of its powers were the main focus of the second stage which stumped up to 80% of the cultivators who reached Harmony, spending countless years, decades and centuries exploring their own and nature’s powers and how to synchronize with them. The third level was what they called Perfect Harmony.

 

The cultivator not just attained complete control over his or her powers, harmonized it with the surrounding, elevating it to another level, but he also formed a complete cycle within itself and the outside energies. His body acts like part of the world and the saying of moving mountains and summoning rain with a flip of a hand becomes real.  From that point forward the energies he or she has access to is limited only by the amount surrounding them which means they virtually never run out of it. Those who reached this level also gained a special sense, which they lacked before.

 

Thinking about his life, Aerthus slowly looked up and in the Sky, where he saw the tear that others only could lay their eyes on when somebody close by advanced. For more than a hundred years now every time he looked up, be it day or night, clear or stormy weather… it was always there, never to be obscured by anything, never to fade, always up above glowing in otherworldly colors, beautiful yet frightening. 

 

“The Mad God…” murmured under his breath as his mentor’s tale repeated in his mind, telling the story of the God who brought the change, the story of the catalyst of a new era and the tale of the four Gods and their tyrannical crusade against anyone emerging from the mortal plane to theirs. 

 

He was watching the Tear, mulling over his parting words when he decided to come home.

 

“You are at the last step. Nobody can say for sure how long it will take to finish it, Aerthus. What you need to do is not to cultivate anymore, it’s about enlightenment and nobody and no cultivation method can help you with that. You see the Tear Master left behind, patched by the four Tyrants in desperation, you reached Perfect Harmony, your body is in sync with the powers from it, changed to the body of a Demigod. What you need to advance now is not the body, but your mind. Your soul needs to gain enlightenment… to what that is, only you will know. You will feel it, as my Master once said to me… it just clicks when you least expect it.” smiled the young looking man in his memories yet his words just confused him “When that happens you need to grab that chance and break through, it won’t come back. But be alert!” Aerthus felt like his mentor’s words rang out again, next to his ears with seriousness and with a cold voice “When you reach the level of Demigod, they will feel it. The four Tyrants will feel that another one reached the threshold of being a true Immortal… the doorstep into Godhood. They will send their followers to you, trying to recruit you. Don’t believe their honeyed words. Their followers walk an endless path, never to reach their promised goal… and be ready. When you refuse their invitation they will try many times, whispering promises, showing you powers you never knew but they are false dreams only. Nobody can give you that, only you yourself can attain it by your own work.” felt a tap on his chest, just like when he pointed at Aerthus’ heart back then “It’s your road, only you can walk it, if you follow another’s path, you can only go as far as they let you follow them. It’s hard, for many, straight impossible, Aerthus, but this is the only way. Never give up. Do not forget that.”

 

“Yes…” answered inside his head, while a smile crept up to his face, looking down from the sky, towards his Empire he built so many years ago “It’s only fun if you do it yourself.”

 

…

….

…..

 

“Shaman?” asked Leinor, looking questioningly at him as he barged into their house while they were eating lunch, looking like he has been chased by dogs 

 

“She’s here!”

 

“Who?”

 

“She! Anyway, I’m not here!” whispered, pulling in every curtain 

 

As they looked at each other the first to realize it was Isha.

 

“Oh, the orangutans are here.” said, holding back her laughter as she stood up while the others followed her out

 

The village itself welcomed the arriving newcomers as they all walked in slowly, greeting everyone, while the orangutans were looking around, admiring the houses. Their leader Pongo, seeing them coming out of one of the houses, walked towards them while getting her pipe out, as the rest of the apes were eyeing the small pond near the village. 

 

“Yoooo… this place is niceeeee.”

 

“Thanks.” smiled Leinor, a bit uncomfortable “So… you came to join us? All the leaders are out-”

 

“I know, It’s cooooool. They will be back soon.”

 

“You saw It?” asked Isha, curious, raising her red eyebrows

 

“Yeaaah. This place is saaaafe. Will be good here… big city, many people.”

 

“Well, It’s still not that big to be called a city.” sighed Poli, looking around

 

“Will be.” grinned Pongo, looking at them, “You won’t live here.” said as she pointed her pipe’s end at them “But she will.”

 

“She?” 

 

“You’ll see.” stretched, dropping the topic, looking at the house behind them “Edu! Wanna catch up?”

 

“Edu?” asked almost in union the rest of the group, also looking back but no answer came from the house 

 

“Eh… he will.” shrugged Pongo before turning around “We like the water, it’s coooool… we need houses there.” 

 

“We’ll see what we can do.” nodded Leinor, watching her leave, thinking about her words 

 

“Don’t mind it.” sighed Zern “I still can’t trust most of what they say as they look like they are out of their minds all the time. Let’s wait until the others come back.” 

 

“I agree.” came the voice of Shaman “Let them do what they want, if you keep them sober, they are worse.”

 

“What do you mean… Edu?” grinned Poli but received a slap at the back of the head from him 

 

“Don’t you call me that again! Anyway. They are highly intelligent, if they are off their pipes their brains work on 110%. It drives them and everybody around them into madness. They overthink everything and want to do EVERYTHING to perfection.” sighed, looking at the orangutans, walking around the village, checking out their new home.

 

“Why is it bad?”

 

“Here.” said, as he drew one line onto the ground “Is it straight?” 

 

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“I guess… yeah.” nodded Isha and the others 

 

“For a sober Pongo this would be trash of a straight line. She would start to calculate the friction between the stick and the ground, the weight of the dirt it pulls out, etc, etc, until she could draw one, geometrically perfect, flat, straight line. With one stroke. She wouldn’t relax until she does it, even if it takes a year. They are obsessive in this way.”

 

“That sounds… unhealthy.”

 

“It is. When I first met them, most of the tribe were completely out of their mind. I helped them, and found the perfect combination of drugs to tone down their minds to functioning levels. I lived with them for around 60 years.”

 

“What about this… seeing the future thing then? Did they have that?” 

 

“No… honestly, I don’t know. It’s some kind of… side effect? I never understood it either, it just… happens. Especially when they group smoke, there are times when they come together and do it in perfect synchronization, it’s a weird scene, you will see if you stay here long enough. But it always comes out with a prediction and they were right all the time. 100%.”

 

“Creepy.”

 

“Yeah, that's why I left. Anyway, back to work! I still need to dissect a lot of bodies, there are a ton of great materials to be harvested!”

 

“I lost my appetite…” murmured Isha as Shaman just laughed, leaving them alone while Leinor watched the orangutans gathering near the pond 

 

“She will live here…?” murmured under his breath “Why… would she?”

 

…

….

…..

 

“Miss! Miss!” came the voice of Rem from the trees as Emi was sitting at the bottom of a giant oak tree, while her scar was plastered with a paste of herbs, helping her recover, yet she was still feeling weak.

 

Looking at her face and skin, she was clearly having a fever, her eyes were watery and it was hard for her to focus. Hearing Rem’s voice her breathing sped up a little, especially after hearing her next words.

 

“My friends have come, I knew they would find me!” arrived the happily smiling fairy but Emi’s body stiffened up immediately.

 

She was expecting more fairies to arrive, yet it was Ren, Feynor, Kang and Niji, who stepped out from the shadows of the forest. She tried to get up but had no energy to even move her limbs, so she just watched them arrive with a cold expression.

 

“Good.” nodded Ren, seeing the weak foxgirl, showing a smirk on her face, looking into Emi’s eyes “It’s what you deserve. Thank your ancestors bitch, because if you were in better condition you would have to pay with your arm for my disciple’s missing one.”

 

“B-bitch? Big… Big Sis, don’t call her that! She is injured badly! We need to help her!” said Rem, with a confused expression, flying back to Ren

 

“That boy with the sword crippled himself.” answered Emi, her voice being as weak as a whisper 

 

“Yeah? Who was the one who attacked them and forced him to do it?!” flared up Ren while lightning flashed around the trees and up in the sky, while her silvery hair was curling upwards by the electricity around her 

 

“Big Sis!” gulped loudly Rem, now really frightened 

 

“She attacked you.” explained Feynor to Rem “She almost killed the others, then kidnapped you.”

 

“W-what?” blinked surprisedly, looking back at Emi but she said nothing just looked at Ren, who was weighing on her with her aura. “Are… are they okay?”

 

“Poli lost an arm, but they are fine.” answered Niji, making Rem’s little face turn a shade fainter 

 

“Is… is it true… Miss?” turned back with tear filled eyes

 

“She also-” but before Niji could tell her about the baboon attack, Ren raised her arm, stopping Niji from continuing.

 

“It is.” nodded Emi, still taking on Ren’s aura, but her wound started to tear up and blood dripped from her nose 

 

“W-why… they are my friends!” sniffled Rem

 

“I thought you were kidnapped.”

 

“Yeah, you assumed a lot of things. I guess you are used to listening to only one side.” snorted Ren, drawing back her aura in the end, letting the violent crackings of lightning disappear

 

“You humans-”

 

“Enough. Yes, humans this and that. But we are not the same. There are different humans and there are different demonfolks. Or we should just group all of you under the same banner and come with swords and shields all the time, without compromise?”

 

“...”

 

“Enough. I am getting mad just looking at you. Kang, pick her up and let’s go.”

 

“Sure.” nodded the gorilla and came forward, easily grabbing the weak foxgirl.

 

“If you think you will make me talk… you are gravely mistaken. Just kill me.”

 

“Kill you?” looked at her with a deadpan expression, holding Rem, stroking her head as she was sobbing silently, murmuring “sorry” all the time “I considered it when I first saw my friends after you left. But I won’t tarnish my Lil’ Sis efforts of keeping you alive… and honestly...” walked past her “I don’t give two shits about what you have to say.” spat in a freezing voice, before leaving with Rem and the others followed behind her.

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