I'm in the Garden again. The Azure one waits. This place, it still isn't budding. Though, there is grass. The rite worked. I sit next to the living blob of color.
"Why don't you come out?" I ask. The azure me looks to the only thing in the sky here. The Moon.
"I've no form to come out with." I think she turns to me. It's hard to tell. "I am not whole. I will remain here until my end." Does she tend to The Garden?
"Why are you here?" Azure laughs, happy.
"I am The Godmother of two Fish. Though..." She pushes me, I fall through the ground. The abyss beneath me.
"We are missing one."
Water. Steam. Someone woke me up with a very uncreative prank. Standing over me is Cecil.
"You can't sleep all day, Fish." Cecil's words are true. Momma said sleep is important, but too much is lazy.
"Right. We have training!" Right. I told her the name of the technique then left her alone. To ponder it. Pondering is one of the most important things to a cultivator.
"So uh. That water evaporated as soon as it touched you. How are we gonna spar if I'll melt when I touch you?" Hm?
"That's not how it works." I shake my head. "I have to try to melt you to melt you." Cecil shakes her head in return.
"Uh huh, then why did the water melt? You hate water?" W-
"That's just how it works!" I wave my hand around. "Inky! Tell her!" There is no response.
"Well the last time you touched me my arm melted so fast it turned into ashes before I even knew what was going on. Not the greatest training inspiration." I know how to settle this!
I reach over and grab Cecil's arm. "See? Are you even warm?" I nod.
Cecil looks herself over then touches where I touched. "Still cold."
"See? Intent is important. You can't accidently kill someone by standing next to them." I climb out of the hole I put myself in. "I can't use the fire anyway. Too hot, I'll melt."
"Hm? Do I need to worry about that? Using my magic has never hurt me before. Is Ki different?" I shake my head.
"I'm not supposed to be melting. You'll be fine." When lost, head to the pit. At our arrival practice tools are already in place.
"Z who put this here?" Z looks to be teaching the other animals.
"I believe the other little one does not sleep. It set up your training session while you slept." Ball doesn't sleep? Why not? Spookies? Can Ball even be afraid of things?
I must continue mastery of the stick. Mother said that as a sorcerer. The stick is the best weapon for me. Defense. Distance. Very good for enchantments. Oh! I need to make talisman too. And smaller sticks. Later things!
"So uh. I need to fight until I can feel the difference between Ki & Magic." I nod. Cecil continues. "Then I need to make a separate container for each of them?" Two nods this time. Cecil looks a bit unsure but starts looking through the array of practice tools on display anyway.
"Cecil used the dagger before. Weapon of the Ghost Sect. Why hesitate?" Cecil sighs.
"A chance to start over. Why not use a different weapon?" Silly Cecil.
"There is no martial artist who would not follow the same path given the chance to start over and remove all their mistakes." Cecil Smiles.
"Good enough for me." She takes two daggers. Dual Wielding? Didn't she use one before? I don't remember.
The first bout is swift. A few exchanges before I am disarmed. My loss. How do I stop that? Sitting up, I wait for Cecil to finish her self evaluation.
The second bout was a draw. Cecil's illusions are of little use this round, I can sense no Ki from them. It was ten moves before the timer was up. Ten strikes, ten deflects. Three minutes passed.
The third bout ended in two moves. A feint from Cecil, she struck from the front then vanished. Appearing behind for the victory. How did she do that? A small pause. Cecil cannot continue.
Out of breath, hyperventilating. The eyes of one who is scared. Overexertion?
"What'd you do?" Cecil takes a moment, hands on knees, managing to stay standing.
"I fucked around." Cecil composes herself, standing tall. Breathing still a struggle. "I think I found what the Ki is. I made a illusion with it, made it invisible with magic, then swapped places with it." Magic can make things invisible?
"Break time then!"
[Notice: Zōng Mén Shòu has reached the bottleneck of the Demonification Stage. Tribulation will arrive shortly]
Oh~! We have to go see! "Inky! Z is gonna try to breakthrough. Where is he?" Inky comes out, sliding onto my head.
"A breakthrough?" I nod.
"To advance to the next level, you must undergo a breakthrough, a very vulnerable time for a cultivator. If the breakthrough is interrupted or failed, it may kill the cultivator." Inky does the curiosity jiggle.
"I'll be back Cecil!" With Inky's guide, it is not difficult to find Z
The scene we find is that of a giant budding flower, hovering over the small lake me and Z talked by. Black petals spiraling towards the sky. Will it bloom? Butterflies circle. Danaus Plexippus. Though instead of orange, these Monarchs are colored black, dawned in flame of the same color. Why?
All the animals are here. And a few newcomers. Two birds. The-
"Are they giving reverence? They seem to know this ritual." Inky chimes in. Curiosity.
"I am not a Tamer, but I know some things. When a beast becomes a Demonic Beast, their instincts change. And at the second stage, they gain intelligence." The blob that is Inky does what looks like a nod.
"So, every beast here will eventually be able to talk?" I nod.
"Yes. After the Demonification Stage, it is the Consciousness Stage."
"What are the qualifications of a Tamer?" Does Inky desire to see a Tamer?
"I can write it down a-" Interrupted. Inky shakes, no.
"I cannot read your writing." Ah.
"Well. If I see one Inky, I'll tell you." Clouds Gathering, a sigil appears in the sky. That of the Dao, Yin & Yang. Lightning spirals, flowing into the sigil. Inky is... nervous?
"Worry not Inky. This isn't an enemy attack. This is the Heavenly Tribulation. One must endure Tribulation to advance to the next stage." Mother said the power from the Tribulation is what is needed to breakthrough, there are other ways of course. But Tribulation always comes, no matter the method.
A single bolt of blue. The budding flower is filled with a radiant light. Even though it is day, it changes the very color of the sky in it's spectacle, a dance of flame and lightning. Black & Blue. The Flower wilts, sparks of lightning begin burning it away.
Visages appear. Silhouettes of many. The past is always watching the present. I can't recognize any of them. Trying to look deeper, to see what Flower they had once claimed. It brings me pain. Nothing but blurs. Distortions. New Visages form, beast of old. Watching over the first of the new generation. That which prevents their extinction.
The Flower is burned away until but one petal remains. Flame surges forth, the blue is consumed in a sea of black. Petal by petal the flower is reconstructed. A spire of flame sears through the sky. The Flower Blooms. At it's center is Z. Beauty fades each moment. The flower is gone. The scene is returned to mundane. Forest, Snow.
Approaching. Larger than before, nearly double the size of Cecil. His age has regressed. From Elder to a prime age. Fur, soft, fluffy. But looks to be that of stagnant flame. A new flame. I don't know how this developed, but in the end. One's name never changes, only the Epitaph. I change what is written written on Z's collar. 黑焰祖兽
"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Z. You are now Hēi Yàn Zǔ Shòu. The first of your Kin. Lead them well. Take to heart The three pillars of The Garden. Change, Freedom, and Indifference." Z's size changes to that of a normal wolf. Placing his head to my hand before walking off into the forest.
"Z must now reflect." After a small pause I look up, trying to see Inky. "Well. It's over Inky, sorry for bothering you." We begin heading back to Cecil.
"I learned quite a lot. Though I am no expert on this topic, I believe I know why the flame is black instead of Crimson." Inky looks down to me. "It was supposed to be the color of the flames he ate right? That was the Beast cultivation method?" I nod.
"The flame should be the same color as mine." How does Inky figure it out before me?
"I will not risk poisoning you with wrong information, Fish. My theory will remain in my mind." False knowledge, wrong practices lead to the demise of Martial Artist. A story told by Father. There was once a prominent family, led to ruin by a hermit, later revealed to be a charlatan. How? The Hermit gave insight into the Families technique, a alteration to further perfect it. A lie, poison that led to the death of those who practiced it.
Cecil is breathing steady now. Though, there is blood on the snow, and her clothes. What happened. I stand before her.
"Hey. I saw a big ass lightning bolt, and then a fire bolt. Everything good?" Cecil doesn't sound worried.
"That was just the Tribulation, worry not. Z passed." Cecil nods a few times, looking back to her daggers.
"I've been feeling around, trying to the magic and ki, after some uh... yeah. I think I get it now." She returns to her starting position for the sparing.
I can go a few more rounds! Why not?
A swift loss.
Again
Again
And Again...
I lay on the snow, arms crossed, looking to the sky. How can a teacher only ever lose? Perhaps Cecil should find a new one... I am claimed by childish pouting. Deserved! I am a baby after all. Surely they won't think less of me for removing my frustrations..?
Cecil is crouched next to me. "Don't be so discouraged, Fish.. You can't use your fire. And! You are a child, I'm double your size, and much stronger physically. This is normal. You'll grow into it!" I make a loud HMPH sound. Such limitations never stopped my sister from beating everyone but Father. I am simply lacking...
"Aren't you also a Sorcerer, that's like a mage right? People like me are really bad match ups for you." My head is patted. I guess... We even only start ten steps apart. I've no time for incantation, nor arrays...
"Inky, d- When did Inky leave?" I look to Cecil.
"She was never here? Was she with you on the walk here?" How do I not notice something on my head leaving? Inky is very sneaky...
"Little One. We have visitors. They request an audience with the Leader of the forest." Z enters sight.
I sit up and quickly gather myself. "Cecil! Stand next to me all cool like, you know how minions stand next to the boss in the stories!" Cecil Sighs.
"That sounds really stupid... I don't wanna do that." I shake my head.
"Nonsense! Presentation is important! Go now, bring me these visitors!" Cecil stands next to me. She seems to get into it, trying to match my aura. Though... am I really that scary looking? Cecil looks ready to kill at a moments notice.
The breaking of branches, the visitors are beyond the tree line.