Chapter Twenty: Genius

Spear training turned out to be dead simple and all about building muscle memory, at least at first. Lacy didn’t know if it would change later. They had taken basic stances and just practiced lunging and swiping for hours. She understood that it was necessary, but damn was it boring.

When weapons training ended, everyone—including the other four city parties—returned their spears to the carts and filed back to the camp, where they scattered. Some no doubt wanted to wash up before they ate, a few went straight to bed, but most went to the cafeteria pavilion.

“Oi, what do you want?” Shu asked in a defensive tone, prompting Lacy to look over and see unfamiliar recruits approaching.

“You are Lacy, right?” the leading man asked with a smug smile, ignoring Shu. “Where did you find the hive? We want to find one as well. If you tell us, we will share some spoils.”

Lacy set her jaw, not thrilled at his vibe. So, she didn’t answer and just looked at Shu, who caught on.

Shu stepped in-between them and said, “She found it in the camp between barracks. Too bad that won’t help you find more. Still going to share spoils or are you not a man of your word?”

The man frowned.

“I did not ask you, and I believe you are lying.” It looked like he held back from adding an insult, which was enough for Lacy to contemplate magically splashing him with dirt.

This time Hoomar stepped between him and Shu.

“She tells the truth, regardless of your belief,” Hoomar said. “Now fuck off with the attitude.”

Lacy’s eyes shot open at that, and she was forced to hold back a laugh.

The man’s eyes narrowed as he looked between Lacy, Shu, and Hoomar.

“Fine then,” he said as he took a small step forward and lifted his chin proudly. “You can take your spoils and shove—”

“I can confirm their testimony regarding the hive’s location,” a familiar and polite voice said. “They told no lies.”

Everyone jumped a little bit at Autberry’s appearance, except Shu, who batted a wink at the powerful man before turning back to the aggressive stranger. “Including about the attitude! No lies there,” she chortled.

With eyes wide the stranger stammered, “I und-derstand, Overseer! May I excuse myself, sir?”

“Permission granted, but do keep your word regarding sharing spoils. They answered your question truthfully, so must you keep your end of the deal.”

Then he and his buddies ran off.

“Care to go on a hunt with me, Initiate Lacy?” Autberry asked.

Lacy glanced at Shu and Hoomar, wishing they could come along because she couldn’t afford not to go. Someone would always be available to help her hunt—she’d been assured—but it wouldn’t always be the only dual cultivator in the camp! She needed to go along in case he had valuable insight to pass on!

Shu noticed Lacy’s glance and gave her a reassuring smile.

“Have fun!”

Then she pulled Hoomar away.

“Yes, I would be honored, Overseer,” Lacy finally replied.

“Wonderful,” Autberry said. “I was speaking with Guardian Mai Mosa of Yellowvine earlier about your circumstances and decisions, Initiate Lacy. Were you aware that he is returning to Yellowvine today? Or at least, he is beginning the journey back.”

“Uhh, I was aware, yes. He only joined us on the trip because of the koroth threat, sir.”

“The koroths, yes,” he said mischievously. “You did not speak of the koroths when I asked of your background, though Mai Mosa did.”

Lacy tried not to gulp.

“I just felt that it was…unbelievable and suspicious, I’ll be honest, sir.”

“No need to elaborate, I understand. But truly, there is little reason to believe you were not truthful about the event. Your recounting matches well with our understanding of the koroths. Not only that…”

He paused as they stood on the outskirts of the camp, looking out at the forest some half a kilometer away.

“It explains your fervent desire to become a dual cultivator. You wish revenge on the koroths?”

Lacy internally blew a sigh of relief.

“Absolutely! If the koroths aren’t dealt with by the time I become one of Yellowvine’s ordinary spirit cultivator there’s no way the city will let me join the hunting parties! My talents are just too useful to risk losing because I have already begun manipulating both water and earth qi. They will want me alive so that I can help build and maintain infrastructure. Sir. And likely heal with wood.”

“That is all quite correct. If you remain an ordinary spirit Seed your city will judge the risk of losing you too great to allow your admittance in the hunting parties. You are also correct in that if you become a dual cultivator, you will gain more freedom proportional to your power.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

He turned to look at Lacy.

“The walk will be quite long. Would you like to fly?”

Lacy’s jaw dropped. After a few stunned moments she nodded emphatically.

“Alright then. Hold my hand.” He presented his right hand to Lacy and she took it. “We will start walking, then running, and when we leap, we will soar over the ground as though we were unfettered from the world’s chains, though it is not true flight like a bird’s. Are you prepared?”

“Hell yeah!”

They walked, then they ran, then they jumped, and air qi swirled all around, clinging to their bodies like suits, pushing them upwards enough that they moved like astronauts on the moon! Autberry was right, they weren’t really flying, but…

‘HOLY SHIT THIS IS AWESOOOOOOME!’

Lacy’s heartbeat drummed in her ears as her legs ate up the distance and the world wooshed past. When they slowed down and stopped at the forest’s edge Lacy found herself letting go of Autberry’s hand and dropping down into a sitting position, breathing deeply. Her head was light.

“That was WILD!” she exclaimed while catching her breath.

“Yes, it is quite exhilarating the first few times. Luckily for me, I can travel like this as much as I desire. And the air element synergizes incredibly well with my dual cultivation because my body’s baseline power is higher than an ordinary spirit cultivator’s. Thus I can run and jump better, traveling faster than any spirit cultivator of the same practice.”

“That’s…amazing,” Lacy said. “Honestly, I wish I had talent for air instead of water. It’s not like there’s water everywhere, like with dirt and air, so it’s less effective for combat.”

“Although that is often the consensus, I have to somewhat disagree. Air might be the most effective element for combat with all the ways it can move an enemy and make them make mistakes no matter where you battle, but it isn’t exactly lethal. Attacks derived entirely from air qi can only disrupt, not kill. At least, to enemies of the same realm. Water is much heavier than air and easier to control than earth, so if you carry water or live on any kind of coast—or even if it rains often wherever you are—then you are capable of killing your foes with just your element. An air elementalist must be protected and work together with body cultivators in order to be most effective, unless they are a dual cultivator.”

Lacy nodded.

“I see your point, but I already aim to be a dual cultivator so that I can enhance my martial prowess with elementalism. In my specific circumstances, I value air manipulation over water.”

“Which brings me to my second point, Initiate Lacy,” he said, reminding Lacy that she was speaking to a superior and needed to use honorifics or his title. “Unless you are entirely devoid of talent for the wind, nothing can stop you from practicing it. You may, in fact, be far more talented with water and earth, but you can still take your time with other elements.”

“Um, Peegra—my spirit tutor—said that since I’m so talented with water, earth, and it seems wood, that I should focus solely on those and not even bother with others for a long time, sir.”

Autberry extended a hand to help Lacy rise.

“Come, let us walk and talk, assisted by my wind.”

They began skipping through the forest at sprinting speeds, buoyed by air qi.

“I have two major points regarding what you said, Initiate Lacy. For one, because you might be talented with three elements already does not keep you from being talented with more. You might be a genius—we’ll only know if you try. Secondly, your tutor Peegra wishes for you to be just a spirit cultivator, does he?”

“Correct, sir.”

“I brought up Mai Mosa earlier not to talk about the koroths. I got sidetracked, but I wanted to bring up the issue of how he desired to stay here instead of returning to Yellowvine so that he could continue bringing you on hunts.”

“He said that? Um, sir?”

“Indeed. Specifically, because he also wants you to cease pursuing the path of dual cultivation. He was certain that with a few more weeks of feeling frightened while fighting spirit beasts you would cave and admit that being solely a spirit cultivator was superior for the safety the status provides. And, truthfully, until he brought up the koroths, I was of the same mind.”

He paused, and Lacy sensed a concentration of air qi scare away a camouflaged spirit beast. She tried very hard not to look, because she wasn’t supposed to be able to sense the air qi yet.

“Despite being a dual cultivator myself, I agree that this path is too dangerous for someone like yourself, who has no great backing. Even men with backing—people from clans of cultivators who support each other—still die often. I watched two dual cultivator friends of mine die in my early years.”

Lacy felt awkward at the pause and felt the need to say something.

“That’s terrible. I’m sorry to hear that, sir.”

“It is life… Where was I? Yes, I was of the same mind as Mai Mosa to scare you into forgetting this path until he spoke of the koroths, because now I understand that your motivations are sourced from a real event that you will never forget.”

Lacy saw an opportunity to play along.

“Exactly, sir. I…I’ll never feel safe until I’m stronger than a koroth. The way they just…took me in front of so many people! If I was a dual cultivator in that moment, I think I would not have been captured.”

“Indeed. You would not have been. That is why I changed my mind. Those memories of helplessness will never leave you, so I approve of your goals. I will assist you as best I can on this path while you are here.”

The corners of Lacy’s mouth tugged up.

“Thank you, sir! But I don’t want to be a bother. I already have Peegra, right?”

“It will not be a bother. And yes, there is Peegra, however there is also no reason not to have two tutors.”

“Thank you very much, sir!”

“Additionally, I can teach you how to fight most efficiently as a dual cultivator, for when you are ready. For now, would you like to try sensing air qi? We can determine on our hunts whether you have talent for air.”

Lacy almost agreed on the spot so that she could acquire an air qi teacher, but stopped herself as dread reared its head.

“Um, what happens if I really am a genius?”

Autberry hesitated.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I just want to be a normal Yellowvine dual cultivator, for now. If I’m a genius spirit cultivator, will I be dragged to the capital or something? If other people catch on that I’m a genius, will I be forced not to become a dual cultivator? Sir?”

Again, the man hesitated more than Lacy was comfortable with.

“Well,” he began in a more serious tone, making Lacy’s stomach drop, “I would have to report if you were a genius spirit cultivator, but I do not think anything bad will come of it. Surely, no one would force you into forgetting dual cultivation. However, attention would come from the capital. I cannot say to what extent, however.”

Lacy pursed her lips, realizing that she might have to be satisfied with only having Peegra teach her water and earth.

“I don’t mean to seem ungrateful, sir, but I don’t want attention like that. Is…is having a spirit root genetic? Do powerful spirit cultivator clans reliably produce spirit cultivators?”

For the third time, Autberry paused much longer than what Lacy hoped. But when he finally spoke, his words were relieving.

“I understand your point, Initiate Lacy, and I apologize for not thinking of it first. I would have to report a genius in my midst, and some powerful person might swoop down to take you from these lands to their own. If not to train you and gain a powerful disciple, possibly to offer you political marriages wherein you would have children in the hopes of passing down your talents. Yes, I see now why you would hesitate to determine whether you are a genius.”

He turned to Lacy with a reassuring smile.

“It is a good thing you are no genius, yes? Officially, I only have to report spirit cultivators who practice four or more elements. Now, enough about that subject. I wish to see you battle spirit beasts with only your spirit arts.”