Tunde stirred as sunlight pierced his face, causing him to scrunch his eyes and groan. His mouth was dry, and swallowing felt painful. As he blinked rapidly, trying to regain focus, a sudden jolt of awareness surged through him. He shot up from where he lay, alert and fearful, instinctively cycling his Ethra, though his body felt sluggish and unresponsive.
His surroundings puzzled him. Elder Joran sat on a chair next to Lady Ryka, both halting their furious whispering to glance his way, the elder raising one eyebrow in mild amusement. Panting softly, Tunde’s gaze moved to his arms, wrapped in thick linen that smelled of healing elixirs. The scent filled the room, soothing but slightly overwhelming. Slowly, it dawned on him that his entire upper body had been similarly wrapped. He was alive.
"I made it," he whispered, his voice barely audible, as if he couldn’t believe his own words.
"Indeed, by a minute, give or take," Elder Joran replied calmly. "Any longer and you’d be dust within the collapsing rift."
Tunde wasn’t sure whether the elder was impressed or preparing to scold him. Lady Ryka handed him a glass of water, infused with a healing elixir. His Ethra sight immediately confirmed its potency. The water felt like ice to his throat, soothing his discomfort as he drank greedily. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, staring at the two of them, unsure of what to say.
“I should give you two space, teacher and student,” Lady Ryka said, beginning to rise.
“No, stay,” Elder Joran raised his hand, stopping her. "I have a feeling this discussion will involve you soon enough."
She paused, then settled back into her seat, offering Tunde a faint smile. His eyes darted around, panic briefly rising within him when he noticed his fingers were bare—no void rings. Everything he had worked for within the rift and forest was in those rings. His heart raced at the thought of having lost it all.
“They’re on the table beside you,” the elder said, catching Tunde’s growing panic.
“Your void rings,” Elder Joran continued, biting into a bright red fruit. “I imagine their absence was about to make you lose your mind?”
Tunde turned to see the rings lying on a wooden table nearby. His heart slowed, relief flooding his system. He faced the elder, bowing at the waist, shame coloring his expression.
“I apologize,” Tunde said quietly.
“Oh? For what?” Elder Joran asked, his voice casual as he chewed on the fruit.
Tunde hesitated. For what, indeed? The answer hovered on his lips, but he feared it would not satisfy the elder. Still, he straightened, gathering his resolve.
"For being weak," he finally said. "Despite everything you’ve done, I fell short the moment I faced true opposition."
He paused as the elder laughed suddenly, nearly choking on his fruit. Lady Ryka smiled faintly, while Elder Joran composed himself before responding, his humor fading.
"I’m not sure if I should call you foolish or applaud your spirit,” he replied, his tone shifting.
“Elder?” Tunde asked hesitantly, confused by the sudden change in mood.
The elder raised a finger, the mirth in his face vanishing. Tunde stiffened, the weight of seriousness returning.
"The report from Rhyn—the number one disciple of the clan—states as follows," Elder Joran began, his tone firm. "As the monitor of the rift run, Rhyn and his team, made up of the third and fifth-ranked disciples, watched as three disciples from House Verdant Arbor, ranked twenty-sixth, twenty-eighth, and thirtieth, respectively, attempted to kill you—a completely unranked disciple. This, despite the no-death order that you were clearly unaware of."
Tunde stayed silent, listening as the elder continued.
"Rhyn had to step in to prevent you from, and I quote, 'laying waste to three of the clan’s top disciples.' In the end, he had to execute the head ranker of House Verdant Arbor to pacify your wrath."
Tunde shook his head, the image of Gale’s head rolling from his shoulders flashing through his mind. “I didn’t ask him to kill them, I—”
"You did," the elder interrupted, his voice cold and calm. "To pacify your rage at them for breaking the clan’s rules."
Tunde’s brow furrowed, confusion clouding his thoughts. The elder’s words repeated in his mind. He hadn’t explicitly asked for Gale’s death, had he?
“You did,” Elder Joran reiterated. "Officially."
“Officially,” Lady Ryka echoed, her voice soft but carrying weight. Realization dawned on Tunde.
"And what if I hadn’t?" he asked quietly, the weight of the situation pressing down on him.
"Then House Verdant Arbor would have enough leverage to come after you without clan backing," Lady Ryka explained, worry evident in her tone. "They could have gone to any lengths to ensure you were eliminated."
Tunde nodded mutely, his thoughts spiraling. The death of Gale hadn’t disturbed him—he had been ready to kill if it came to that. But the way it happened, the cold, detached efficiency of Rhyn, struck a nerve. No hesitation. No second thoughts. One moment Gale had been alive, smiling, and in the next, his head was rolling across the floor.
It was more than a lesson in power—it was a reminder of how cruelly swift death could come in this world.
“Before that, two other disciples of house auric Apex, seriously, again I ask, who named these houses?” the elder said with a sigh before continuing.
“Reported to have encountered a disciple that tore apart moss golems like they were stalks of grass, leaving for the inner zones where no ranker in their right minds would go except the through monsters of the clan” the elder added.
“Reya,” he thought to himself.
“Tier two creatures that regular disciples constantly have issues with, quite frankly, when I heard it at first, I thought they were exaggerating, trying to paint you in a light that would draw the ire of all other houses on you, no one wants the wastelander filth climbing the ranks now do they?” the elder finished.
“Elder Joran” Lady Ryka said, frowning.
“Not my words, surely you’ve heard the term by now, haven’t you, Tunde?” the elder asked.
Tunde nodded quietly.
“And it didn’t stop there, you ventured straight into the heart of the rift itself where the top disciples fought over the rift crystal itself, a straight shot at adept rank the right way to be honest, and yet, despite warnings from Elyria, you went straight for the mountain itself!, straight towards where the second strongest ranker of the clan was!” the elder said.
Again, Tunde wasn’t sure if the elder was proud, or if all these were leading to a rebuking, he glanced at Elder Ryka who was staring at him with a proud smile on her face that made his stomach flutter a bit, berating himself for thinking of her in such a manner.
“Then you fought Thalas Verdan, heir to a branch family of the Verdan clan despite having two senior siblings, a peak disciple with the affinity of jade crystals, and the soon to be bestowed affinity of pressure,” the elder said.
“And as all expected, you got broken, left for dead, yet, somehow, you pushed yourself, despite what I would presume to be mind-numbing pain to escape the collapsing rift, and here you are apologizing for being weak” the elder completed.
“And so, I ask you again, daft student of mine, what are you apologizing for?” the elder asked.
Tunde took a deep breath, feeling the weight in his chest loosen with the realization of what the elder was implying.
“This unworthy disciple apologizes for losing a battle he wasn’t prepared for, he apologizes for dragging the reputation of the elder through the mud,” he said, bowing low again, fists clenched.
“hmm,” elder Joran said.
“Gaze at me” he commanded.
Tunde did so, the elder staring at him for a few seconds.
“Have you heard any rumors of why I blindfold my eyes?” he asked.
Tunde shook his head, now that he realized it, not one whisper had come across to him concerning the odd fashion sense of the elder. With everything going on, it had been the last thing on his mind, elder Joran nodded as he gripped the blindfold at the top, speaking.
“a long time ago, before I arrived at Jade Peak, I had been a wandering disciple, I followed the path most cultivators with no significant backing did, by moving around searching for resources and strong rankers to face in battle” he started.
Tundes' gaze was locked on the elder as he drew the cloth away, revealing his eyes that were shut tight, the smile on the elder’s face still there.
“And then I met an adept with an affinity of acid, quite rare if I should say, to find one of such in the middle of nowhere, they either belong to the numerous assassin clans or the alchemists’ clans as well” Joran continued.
But I was at the peak of disciple rank, unbeaten for the entirety of the second stage of my advancement, I believed I had what it took to bring down the adept I met within the cave system far away from here, the both of us going for the same item, the tear of life” he said.
“And I fought him, pitting myself against this adept, sharpening my skills, but I failed to realize something,” the elder said as he sighed.
“He was still an adept, there was no escaping it,” he said as he opened his eyes.
Tunde felt bile rise up his throat as he stared with the horrified visage of elder Joran, right where his eyes should be, whatever color or even shape he had expected were two empty sockets staring at him. Sealed with a thin layer of raw flesh that looked to have dried up, leaving nothing but grey-colored flesh, it made him a bit slightly dizzy. Elder Joran drew the blindfold back up, and judging by the look on Lady Rykas’ face, she had seen it before.
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“On the bright side, he had to leave hurriedly and with serious injuries as well as whatever forces were after him were close by, and I had swallowed the tear of life, leaving me in a state of animated death” the elder continued his tale after a few seconds.
“It healed my eyes, just didn’t return my sight to me, which was good as it honed my affinity the more,” the elder said with a joke.
Tunde couldn’t laugh at that.
“My point after revealing that gory sight to you, is that taking risks is all good and fine, just don’t expect to come out of it whole, especially if the risks are more than something you can manage if it backfires,” the elder said with a straight face.
“you’re not special, none of us are, we could die tomorrow, you almost died yesterday, throwing everything you worked for away in your haste or greed to get something you aren’t strong enough to defend, unfortunately, just as Gale tried well” the elder finished.
Tunde shut his eyes, nodding slowly as the elder clapped his hands, drawing his attention back to him.
“That said, it should also explain to you of the importance of strength, strength ensures what happened to you doesn’t happen again. You’re weak Tunde, not weak enough to be trampled again, just not strong enough to take what you desire yet” the elder completed.
“Your words are ingrained in my heart, great elder” he replied, elder Joran nodding satisfactorily.
“Good, now that you’re alive, we need to move on to other pressing issues,” he said.
“Like what house you need to belong to now that you are a disciple,” the elder said.
Tunde hadn’t really thought that far to be honest, and the sheepish look on his face showed that, lady Ryka smiling at him.
“Now, elder Celia would definitely want you in her house, an unknown ranker that managed to go toe to toe with Thalas Verdan and live to tell the tale?, yes,” the elder said.
“Elder Moros though, well, let’s just say he’d rather see you dead than join his house, which leaves you at the mercy of the other houses” the elder explained.
Tunde furrowed his eyebrows.
“What happens if I join any of these houses?” he asked.
“You leave red blossom, and while I am immensely proud of having you in my house for what was so short a time, I can only hope for your success later on” Lady Ryka replied.
“And you’ll start at the bottom of the ladder again, under less favorable conditions might I add,” Elder Joran said.
Tunde sighed, rubbing his head with his hand as he stared at the cloth wrapping them, he began to lose them slowly.
“What options do I have?” he asked.
“Join a random house and get on the rankings, no one would mess with you that way, or well, create your own house,” the elder said as both Ryka and Tunde froze.
“Elder Joran,” she said hesitantly.
“Is that even possible?” Tunde asked.
“Sure!, just, no one’s done it in a long time that it’s barely been remembered.” The elder said with a smile.
Tunde stared at Lady Ryka who stared back at him with a stark expression.
“Since the fall of house Red Pearl, lady Ryka here, who had been the last surviving member of that house found herself demoted to the lower districts rather than join the other houses,” elder Joran said quietly.
“Because they knew we were about to have another adept, and they betrayed us within the rift,” she said, bitterness filling her voice for the first time.
“It was the testimonies of nine houses against mine, there was no way I was going to win” she continued.
“Besides, I had a daughter, there was no way I was going to die and leave her alone when the only reason I survived in the first place was because I exited the rift earlier to drop off resources at the house itself.” She explained with a sad smile.
Tunde said nothing, letting her talk.
“This means there’s one space free within the higher districts,” the elder said.
“Why don’t you have a house of your own?” he asked elder Joran.
If the other two great elders had houses, what was stopping Elder Joran from having his?. The elder sighed, reclining on his chair.
“Because it’s a waste of time and the obvious madness that goes with running a house wasn’t to my tastes” he simply said.
“But don’t you need an adept to start a house?” Tunde asked.
“Not technically, the only thing stopping Ryka would be the houses coming together to snuff her out, you though, they’d have to think twice before coming for” the elder replied, grinning as if relishing the thought of that scenario.
“Would you advise it?” he asked straightforwardly.
He could barely fend off a few disciples, he wasn’t about to throw himself into the crosshairs simply for whatever advantages might be involved.
“Being free without the shackles of the power play from the other families and houses?, yes” the elder said.
“But you maintaining such freedom on your own strength is another matter entirely” the elder added.
Tunde had been expecting that, nothing came easily.
“But what if you stood as the patron of the house?” he asked.
The elder paused from where he scratched his chin, focusing his entire attention on Tunde.
“An interesting proposition despite informing you that I wanted no part of it earlier, why would you think I’d change my stance now?” he asked.
Tunde stared straight at the elder, swallowing his nervousness.
“Because you need me alive,” he said.
“Oh?, overestimating your importance, are you?” elder Joran said, a hint of threat in his tone.
“Because you need me to win the duel, you need to rise to the rank of a lord to get the clan families off your back and I need to get to adept rank to be able to hold my own” he hastily added.
“Ignoring the fact that a rushed advancement could lead to more troubles down the line, but go on, it’s your death, not mine” Elder Joran replied, clearly interested.
“All I ask for, is the duration of the surge, if I don’t make it to Adept by then, the deal is off,” he said.
“How about this?” the elder replied.
“If you don’t make it to adept by the end of the surge run, or at least, peak disciple, then the deal is off,” he said.
Tundes' eyes widened as Lady Ryka spoke.
“that’s impossible, not even the top disciples could accomplish that,” she said shocked.
“The clan has kept its future prospects leashed as disciples simply to avoid power tussles, I have it in good standing that elder Celia and Moros are aiming for the ranks of lords within this surge,” Joran said.
“Meaning Rhyn and the other powerful disciples could become adepts as well” Lady Ryka completed as Elder Joran nodded.
“And with their second affinities all but prepared, thanks to their one year of training, you can expect them to be powerhouses the moment they advance, meaning he doesn’t have that luxury of time any longer if he wants to defend his house” the elder finished.
Tunde nodded along, listening to every word.
“For that to be possible, I need every help I can get from you,” he said.
“I just spent a year’s fortune on getting you to where you are, you ungrateful git, what more do you want?” elder Joran asked exasperated.
“more” Tunde said, steel in his voice.
Turning to Lady Ryka, he spoke.
“What would it take to get the promising initiates of Red Blossom to disciple rank?” he asked.
“a lot of resources, they barely make enough as it is with their taxes to the clan left for housing and feeding,” she said.
Tunde nodded, picking up one of his rings as he disgorged its contents, watching as piles of resources, cores from tier 1 and 2 creatures poured out into a pile, elder Joran whistling in appreciation as lady Ryka stared wide eyed.
“What can these do?” he asked.
*****************************
The one void ring had been enough to cover the advancements of more than half the initiates of Red Blossom House, pushing those already at the peak over to disciple rank with the acquisition of disciple-ranked elixirs. Thankfully no casualties were recorded, those within the mid-ranks finding themselves at the peak of initiate rank, their advancements all but assured. Tunde left Red Blossom house to the applause of its inhabitants, no doubt the sudden rise of the house would be news by the end of the day, but he had places to go with elder Joran, the both of them taking a vessel to the city proper.
Large stalls and smiths filled the market area, hundreds of voices calling out all at the same time as he and the elder made their way deeper into the city, the once dusty but smoothened roads making way for paved roads, showing they had left the poorer areas for the more refined areas. He had voiced his concern to the elder, seeing as the prizes of whatever items they were going to purchase would be more expensive.
“Advancements don’t come cheap,” the elder said as they stopped at a large building made of finely cut stone and smoothened golden-colored wood, the disciple ranked guard at the doors bowing to them before opening it to reveal a quiet but large room filled with people.
He saw the looks being sent his way, the recognition as they sighted him, hushed whispers filling the air. Dressed in the customary black and jade green robes of the clan, his hands tucked into the large folds of the robes, he ignored them.
“The more expensive the items, the more refined they are, unless you have your own alchemist at your beck and call, then you have no choice” the elder explained.
A large portly man with oiled beards that glistened and large gold-colored robes shuffled hastily forward to them, ignoring the lines of customers who didn’t dare grumble at the sight of an important elder and adept of the clan.
“Venerable elder Joran, disciple Tunde, it brings me great honor to see you within our golden pill pavilion,” he said.
Tunde simply stared in surprise.
“You know my name?” he blurted out.
“But of course, disciple Tunde, honored student of the venerable elder Joran here, your rise to disciple rank within the short few weeks of arriving here is nothing short of a motivation to the other initiates, notwithstanding your wasteland roots of course, terrible shame,” the man said coughing.
Elder Joran coughed lightly as well, drawing attention back to himself as the man stiffened.
“Forgive me for wasting your time!, what are you in need of?” he asked.
“We should retire to a more, quiet surrounding, don’t you think?” elder Joran asked with a smile.
Tunde knew better now than to assume it was a request, the man nodding, clapping his hands as four women dressed in rich robes and styled hairs with plastered smiles on their faces that Tunde thought creepy led them deeper into the building, past the lined customers.
*************
Behind the golden pill pavilion was a large garden, apparently the pavilion itself was a part of a large estate, the rest of the estate serving as the living quarters of the man who sat in front of them on the wooden floor, the sweet smell of the fruits that grew on the trees around them wafting through the air. It was a life Ethra fruit, disciple grade or tier 2, and a bunch had been gifted to Tunde the moment they entered the garden. Seated within the garden with a boiling kettle of tea, Tunde kept quiet, allowing the elder to speak.
“How long have you been at Jade Peak, baron Dale?” elder Joran asked.
Baron Dale frowned lightly, glancing between elder Joran and Tunde.
“More than a year now, venerable elder” he answered carefully.
“And yet, you don’t have a patron house that solely requires your provisions” Joran continued.
“I assure you, elder Joran, that is not in any way as a result of our products,” Baron Dale said.
“We arrived at a time when a surge was expected, supply lines are close to shutting down and no house would want to depend on such merchants, not when they already have merchant barons around already” he explained.
“I understand, and yet, you must trade, or risk the other barons consuming your business,” Joran said.
“My business and family extend far the borders of Jade Peak venerable elder, past the city of Red Crown itself and into the heart of the empire itself,” Baron Dale said, sitting straight.
“While it would benefit my clan to get a stable house and faction here within Jade Peak, it would simply hinder us for a while” he completed.
“Assuming the other branch families and houses don’t seek what you have,” Elder Joran said, sipping from the tea in front of him.
It was sweet and then bitter the moment it got to the back of his tongue, Tunde had sipped a few times to show appreciation, but he wasn’t sure he could take much more of the drastic change in flavours any longer.
“Indeed, already, the families are looking to draw my business under tight contracts, but that is public knowledge, the merchant world is a cutthroat place” Dale responded.
“Indeed, I then wonder, how would you feel to ally yourself with a new founding house?” elder Joran asked.
“One that would sorely require resources as much as you would require sales?” he continued.
Baron Dale narrowed his eyes, Tunde watching as the true merchant came out to play.
“I was not aware of any new houses being formed, and in the lower districts no less” he replied.
Elder Joran smiled.
“Who said anything about the lower districts?” he asked.
Tunde watched the baron’s expression go from confused, to realization, to shock.
“you’re attempting to open a new house?” he asked.
“Not me, my student here, with my backing, of course,” elder Joran replied assuredly.
Baron Dale turned his gaze to Tunde who kept his passive look, rubbing his oiled beards thoughtfully.
“That is quite an undertaking, of course, you do realize that we would be running at a loss at first, seeing as your new house couldn’t possibly have the lumens to fund such resources easily,” Baron Dale said.
Elder Joran turned to Tunde, nodding slightly, Tunde tapped his second void ring, grabbing one item and dragging it out. It was a large gold furniture; stuck within the void ring he had taken from the dead disciple he had found within the rift. Baron Dale’s eyes widened a bit before he realized it, schooling his features back.
“That’s quite the find, I suspect you intend to dispose of such valuable discreetly?” he asked.
“Along with other more valuables, like for example, the core of a tier 2 peak ash serpent as my disciple described it” Elder Joran replied as Tunde produced the core.
Slightly heavy to the touch, he visibly restricted his band from absorbing what Ethra was left in the core as Elder Dale visibly paled.
“Plus, you’ll be the house’s go-to merchant with every rift run they take, that goes unsaying for the surge and future prospects as well” Elder Joran completed.
Baron Dale smiled again for the first time.
“Well, it would be the honor of the Golden Pill pavilion and myself to serve the?” he asked.
Elder Joran turned to Tunde questioningly.
“Dark sword, house dark sword” Tunde replied.