Clover
"Foolish sisters. You two should already know what happens when I give my juniors pointers. These woods beautiful woods will be painted with your shame, and you shall have only yourselves to blame" I throw back my head, laughing in the faces of my juniors as they put on their silly show of threats, their foolish performance, their... their dumb, insubordinate...… fucking Hel, I swear why does most of the *fine literature* on sect elders have them yelling foolish or childish all the time. It does not offer me much room to make appropriate insults.
In a theatrical aside, Annabelle leans towards Celeste, her hand poised as though to impart a clandestine revelation. "Sister, she persists in veiling us in ignorance. A sect elder withholding knowledge from her charges—a lamentable display."
"She weaves a tapestry of mischief and lies, dear sister. A lesson is warranted," Celeste responds with a stage whisper.
I sneer and bark my reply to their foolish… no. their imbecilic portrayal of my august personage. “Celeste. You and your twin are serial mischief-makers, Those who live in log cabins shouldn’t throw glass”
The brightly dressed junior blinks in surprise at my finely spoken analogy. “Er- firstly, elder clover, I believe the phrase would either be to remove the log from your eye before pointing out the speck in mine, or not to throw stones when you live in a glass house, and, truthfully, if any of us is throwing stones from a glass house it would you you, honored elder. I would advise your esteemed personage to pick one and refrain from crudely mashing them together when trying to show your superiority.”
“An elder has duties to her disciples. Perhaps you are unaware, what with Jessica taking care of everything for you? The least you could do is not make mischief, but you and Tommy seem determined to stir the pot with your pranks.” Celeste says starting to pace around the circle
Shocked, I step back. "You, a mere sect disciple trying to lecture her better! Come! We have a duel. I shall not back down here! dear foolish girls”
"Hmph! How obstinate of you, elder sister. If you won’t back down we’ll just have to make you” Celeste declares, fire in her eyes.
"As will I, sister. Our Clover must be the first to cultivate a 'dao of bitchery,'" Annabelle remarks as her blade slides from its sheath.
"Be careful, girls, this ‘bitch' will put you in your place." I retort, drawing my blade. The terms are set, and now blades must clash in the unfolding saga, surrounded by the quiet hum of the woods.
Inhale
I [flash step] up. Thrusting my back paws on Celeste's shoulder as she tries to evade, blows landing with a thunderous THUMP on hardened skin. A shock spreads from the wound as her body reinforcement distributes my starting blow, aura sputtering as the ground beneath her cracks from the force, but holding firm. I flip back off her as Annabelle tries to land a thrust, moving like a woman underwater. I deflect her with ease and carefully deliver a cut through her aura. Strands of her will sputter away even as the main form of the refined qi mends back together. The final thrust of my retaliation hits her center and she winces visibly from the shock. A clenched teeth and furrowed brows. A blow like this may hurt, fucking dragon cunts, I’ve felt Tessa’s pointers enough to know that, but she’s in no real danger. A few more blows to remind them of their place, then I’ll have things back in hand.
Exhale
Celeste stands in her crater, splaying a set of cards out. This is that weird magic card stuff that she and her sist- the cards light up and I leap sideways preemptively before a spear of lightning essence forms and shatters a small hill right behind where I was standing. She should be careful with that. Might singe someone.
[STEP TWO: METAL SHOT] I flash out of the cloud, slipping aroud tge crackling orb of gathering lightning, channelling it through my body as I pass to kick Celeste square in the back, giving her a taste of that essence. Sending her flying into Annabelle like a qi reinforced ton of bricks. The two of them crash through a couple of trees and then skid and bounce over the dirt. I feel like if pleasant plains were a bit wetter there would be grass for them to cushion their falls, but the plains are on the arid side of pleasant so they got dirt and pine needles to eat when we are under tree cover. A rather poor cushion.
Inhale
With that thought, and my juniors temporarily dealt with for the moment I pour my Qi into a new technique I found. One which I think suits me rather nicely, especially with pranks- ahm sorry - keeping my juniors aware of their surroundings with harmless tests. My outline blends into the forest shadows only to appear right above my targets, poised to hammer them into the dirt and finish our duel. I think I have grown to understand Master's teaching style somewhat, kicking Jess and I around must be quite cathartic for her. I shudder at the thought of relating myself to Master in any context. I should probably meditate on this at some point and make sure I don’t develop a personality as awful as hers. Even despite her help, she’s an insufferable master.
Getting lost in that thought I nearly don't notice as a hidden rune glows softly, hidden as it is by dust. As though it was suppressing itself before to avoid-
BOOM
Exhale
I flashstep backwards, only fast enough to not catch the brunt of the thing as a violent explosion sends dirt flying and shatters the dry branches in a wide circle. The shock wave sends me flying backward through several trees. As I'm standing up, splinters and pine-sap catching in my fur, the two upstarts don't give me time to recover from the trap.
[step two: fire's domination]
[step two: force shot]
Inhale
and leap towards me like arrows, qi flooding the meridians in their legs. With the simultaneous strike I am only able to fully block Celeste, Annabelle's weight slamming into me and nearly knocking me off my feet as the qi jabs spearlike into my aura. I feel the cutting of my thoughts forcing me to reassert control over the disrupted flow. I grimace as I feel Celeste taking advantage of my distraction to press the attack.
[step three: flame illusory strike] I think everyone kinda agrees that this one is mostly the same name just changed for the elemental attribute. Errant thought aside though, Celeste's blade swirls with fake and real clones of arm and blade as she strikes. I’m used to how Celeste fights though Illusions can only do so much to disguise the tendencies that you pick up when you also helped teach them. With a few light parries I find myself inside her guard and striking at her aura again, this time with a far harsher slash that leaves her staggering, qi spent.
With Celeste incapacitated for the moment Annabelle is no match as I slip into her guard and slash down on her head with a lovely BONK delivered by the hilt of my blade. The girl fell to the ground clutching at a growing welt on her head.
Exhale
"My win" I stick my tongue out at them as a properly victorious Senior Sister ought. Three breaths to beat them. Damn, I need to pick up my own training. It shouldn't have taken that long.
The two groan from their places on the ground. I can't keep my tail from wagging, satisfied. It doesn't help their glares but they shouldn't complain. Start shit get hit. They knew what they were doing.
"Now that we have that out of the way, we need to pick up the pace. I wish to be at the capital by midday." I could tell them that I wish for us to pick up the pace because I miss Jess' face, but I don't want to invite more teasing. I should, truth be told. Though giving up just cause I feel lonely would be kinda weak, wouldn’t it? I don't like thinking about this sort of duplicitous stuff. Is the word duplicitous? Two-faced? This would be easier with Jess here. She has that nobility shit giving her an edge in saying the right thing.
The two of them grumble and groan as they clean themselves off. Well- actually only Celeste is groaning. Annabelle gets up as though she had not suddenly been injured in the slightest and makes a noise of joy.
“Finally! I miss having a proper room so much. Lets go lets go.”
Celeste and I glance at each other as she has a little moment. When we are about to step off I see a glow of green in front of my face then a stone dropping down into my hand. I grasp it, gently, feeling the little mote of Jess' ki within. Well ordered and stable, a tiny fragment of her and the message held within. The map with the general area the bandits would probably be in.
Bandits - stolen mail - nearby forest - learned from Kasey - background worry about something of a different sort-
She's not doing too well deep down? I bite my lip, unable to do much to help from here. We really should hurry this up... Since we are already in the area I can just-
"Sorry, I need to go take care of something urgent. You two keep going to the city, I’ll catch up in a minute. Don’t follow me, that's an order as your sect elder.” I say before I step into the shadows of the forests.
Perhaps I should explore my emotions with Jessica further. I'm no idiot, and I can tell Jessica needs emotional support. Our master, for all her martial prowess, is rather clumsy as a leader. She's no slave driver, but it's hard to find a reason to want to follow someone with such a hands-off attitude to her own sect. In practice, The Tribulation Sword has always been more Jessica's than Tessa’s.
Hmm
I'll set that idea aside for now. Worth exploring later, maybe. Right now, I need to sniff out my targets.
Stepping from shadow to shadow through the forest. Racing like an arrow without a sound, not a single leaf out of place. Somewhere this way, there should be a trail. Something to give me a starting point. The scent of campfires, unwashed bodies, and dried blood will give them away if nothing else. Mortals, honestly, just cannot hope to hide from a determined cultivator on their trail. Maybe with time, or enough of a crowd I suppose, but in these quiet woods?? They may as well light off fireworks to tell me where they are.
They’ve cropped up here before, a past group at least. No survivors after dealing with them then so I guess no one got the memo. Like clockwork every few decades. Causing a ruckus when the memories of last time fade, needing a fairly competent silver team or a gold team to take care of it. Or a Hero that one time, I guess. This group seems a bit sloppier than average. Going after cultivator mail this time. Lazy too, Even an observant mortal could probably spot the signs they've left behind. The remnants of their attacks stand out like a sore thumb, the smell of blood strong... A stray arrow with the scent of a bandit's sweaty fingers lingering on the shaft. A whiff is all it takes...
[mnemonic strings]
Jess’ new jade slip gave me some fun ideas. A nifty application for the spell that Jess won’t be able to take advantage of.
A scent comes from somewhere, always a path back to home. The world expands into the world of qi. Strings everywhere. Smells in every direction from everything. However, I just need to find one, and I just need to follow the path laid before my nose. Scents of reds greens brown and so many more in a symphony of indescribable visions. If I had the words of Jessica I could perhaps describe in a way she would understand. When she had asked me a few decades back I was only able to call it as much. I feel as though I would find the words to describe that glint in her eye behind all the worries and responsibilities. I am scared to look too deep. I stared at the spark within Kasey and found the same. They are both so wonderful. They both strive so hard to keep their corner of the world in order. Though Jessica could perhaps learn to relax a smidge more. We're just a small sect in a slice of the world with no ruling body. Hmm- putting a close on this thought.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
It takes roughly half a minute of flash-stepping about and feeling for the pull of my strings for where the scent’s origin comes from before I find my way to their little camp. In an open space within the woods so they are set upon grass. No more than ten walking around. Is this even all of them?
I slip into the camp with ease and slit the throat of a passing guard. Probably not even a guard, I think he was on his way to the bathroom. I steal one of their hunting knives and toss it into a gal’s face. A shame, she was pretty, but alas, highwaywomen aren’t my type. I make my way through their numbers one by one in this manner. Painting the grounds with their blood, none the wiser to my presence.
It wasn’t until after I had killed them all and started looking through the camp that I realized my error. With no survivors, I need to find the damn mail myself. Too much stink and blood all over everything to sort out the specific one I’m here for. Guess I fucked myself a bit, didn’t I? I eye up the camp full of mangled dead bandits in stinking unwashed leathers
…
Fuck me.
Dead bodies are disgusting when fresh. Floppy, smelly, and staining everything red as their innards spill all over the place. I’m gonna need new clothes. The smell refuses to go away and makes me regret having a strong nose. The girl I hit in the face with a knife happens to have some clean clothes tucked away, even if she is a size smaller than me. I throw those to the side for later.
As I look through all the tents and boxes around I am realizing there really is not all that much here. Even with signs of a somewhat recent encounter. At the very least only a day or so old.They’re pretty close to the city, aren’t they? Close to Centercity…. Fucks sake I hate the names here. But yes, it is close to the big city in the center of the region. I wonder if they’re set up nearby, then. Or actually, work from the capital? That would be new.
I get a partial answer sifting through the bodies. Silver badges along with a few shards of crystalline essence. Well I’ll be… Hunters. Guess I oughta visit the local guild hall.
I find a nearby stream and roll around to get the scent and blood off. I shakeshakeshakeshakeshake dry. Get into those “new” clothes and find my way back to Celeste and Annabelle who were now just a short way away from Centercity. Annabelle gives me a disbelieving once-over as I rejoin them wordlessly near the edge of Center City. Celeste just rolls her eyes.
“The mysterious and secretive sect elder returns to us. Clearly having just had a call of the wild with a lady, from how she returns in clothes not her's. Did you steal the clothes of a peasant in your conquest?”
“Don't bring attention to it, Annabelle, we don't want her ire to be set our way.”
Annabelle and Celeste are playing up a bit and my emotions lie somewhere between peeved and amused. Enough of serious matters for the day, perhaps there is humor in the matter. “Indeed my juniors. Beware my anger. You have seen me as I toy around with you like the children Jess allows to climb upon her in the village. Bow before me and I shall be your next star." I proclaim, striking what I feel is a rather heroic pose in my rags if I don’t say so myself.
“Sister disciple she claims to be our star yet she does not see her fate to be the holder of the dao of the unfaithful.”
“Enough, enough." I wave off. The teasing is fine and all, but being called a cheater is not something I can take in good fun.
“So you gonna tell us what that was actually about? or is this another one of those things you'd rather kick ass than talk about, like your romantic life?”
“It’s really nothing that juicy. Our mail got stolen by some bandits. Jessica and I… didn’t want to get you involved because this is a task for sect elders to take care of. Jessica is right that we need to
“Oh… so.. Where is our mail then? I had some new tools for my brewing coming in the next shipment.” Annabelle looks to be taking this seriously. I could also be going off her aura which is flaring up with an internal fire at realizing her stuff is being erroneously desecrated.
“I… sort of killed them all before I got around to asking. They didn't have our mail… but I did find this!” I flick the badge their way, casually.
“A hunter’s badge?”
“As well as a few shards, yes, either means they are mixed in with the hunters or they’ve killed them, though I don't usually see bandits wearing a hunter’s badge. Not like they could use it in a city.”
“So are we gonna talk to your wife about this one?” I assume they are talking about Kasey though with their teasing that’s not a given. I am a little tired of their persistence on the matter, but I let it go for now.
“I think we should see what we can find out here. She’s already in the loop on the initial situation. We are not too far from Centercity. Let's hit it up, and scrounge around. We have our original mission as well. We could probably get some hunters mixed up in it to see if that brings up anything. Besides, I got my old clothes filthy and had to switch to them. They don’t even have a tail hole, and she had a smaller butt than me.”
Annabelle looked a little bewildered before she looked at the situation with my tail and gave a huff. “I swear. I saw you were in new clothes but I thought it was part of a joke. This is somehow more of a gaff than it was before. Come now, let us hurry and get you some proper clothes as a start. Letting our sect elder walk about in the clothes of a dead bandit is too much.”
With that, we make our way into the capital of the region. Though really, is capital the right word? It's a big city yeah, but it's not like there is any greater land management. Just a place where a lot of people reside really. Would that celestial be the leader? I guess it would make sense. I should ask Jess to explain how that works sometime.
"You two can go out and do whatever you want for a bit. We can get my new clothes, but I need to check in with someone. I'll meet you at the market after. maybe go pick up a gift or something." I say, idly scratching behind an ear.
"Oh no you don't," Celeste says, grabbing my arm. "We're coming with you. Would you stop just, disappearing on us”
I sigh and pull my arm out of her grasp. She hugs it tight, not letting me escape without making more of a scene. "Celeste stop that, it's just Zinnia, nothing hidden I swear it this time."
"Clover, Senior Sister of our blessed sect and all the honorifics. I'm not as close as you but I still visit the village often and have talked plenty with Zinnia. She’s adorable. Of course I would want to see her."
"We should all say hi. It’s not as though the Hunter's guild is going anywhere."
I scrunch my nose a little in annoyance before begrudgingly letting myself be coerced. I'm sure Zinnia would appreciate their company. Being away from home without anyone you know is a big undertaking for a kid. Even with the staff to take care of things.
Annabelle adds “We need new clothes first. Our sect uniforms won’t do”
"What? Why? I might see your point but they're a bunch of old scholars, we're not there to make an impression."
She sighs in a matter far too overacted for my liking. "We can't just go and visit her dressed as cultivators.A single cultivator visiting would make her stand out let alone thre- two of us and some sort of bandit ruffian." She corrected herself and gestured to me. "We need mortal clothes, not our sect uniforms, or we’ll stick out like a sore thumb. Also, I am fairly certain visiting a mage college dressed as a bandit is not truthfully the most intelligent of ideas"
She tuts with her finger, like a mother chastising her significantly older child.
I tilt my head with a slight glare, crossing my arms. I know she's probably right, but the way she’s saying it rubs my fur the wrong way... wait. My tail stops swaying as I have a great idea. Ohohoho that would be great!
"Okay, but I'm keeping the clothes."
Annabelle gives a very specific raise of her eyebrow. Really nailing that "I can't tell you no but I am very suspicious of what this is about." look.
Celeste looks between us and sighs, shaking her head. Why does she look as though she expected her sect to have a little more self-respect. Didn’t she say she was part of a circus once with haley? The girl I’m betting was once a clown grabs my arm and pulls me along. I stoically let her drag me off to do the thing I would probably enjoy but won’t because these two are making me.
==
I pull at the cloth hugging tight against my legs.
"Are you sure mortals wear their pants this tight nowadays?" I feel like my ass is being suffocated more than those last pants did. Even with a proper tail hole. Not to mention the fur bunching up at the hips. At least the fabric is decently soft.
"Oh, yes Senior Sister" Celeste affirms behind me, eyes seemingly locked on my new pants.
"Please, don't take them off" Annabelle adds, similarly inspecting them.
Weird. At least it all looks nice. And they do hug my figure nicely if the mirror is anything to go by. Pants with a tail hole are a bit of a new one, but the tailor we spoke to seemed excited. Whatever he did I feel like I can swing it freely now without it pinching and that’s all I care about...
It's paired with a lacey blouse that, in contrast to the tight pants, is loose and easy to move in. In short? decent for fighting, although I’m not so confident the pants in particular would survive the experience. I think they will rip after my first lunge. Is this why cultivators need that thousand-year silk robes woven with the silk of the iron spider that can make the wearer have everyone shit their pants with a clap of their hands?
"Are you sure we don't look too rich now Annabelle?" I say to the dressy-looking Junior sister. She has a pink corset and a firm starched brown top, a simple sleeveless design that contrasts the flood of lace covering her thighs. I'm getting a feeling that the fashion of the era favors looselace contrasted by stiff fabrics. The outfit Celeste is wearing confirms that with a similar composition to mine, but features softer colorful shades to my earth tones and white.
"The point is to avoid her classmates thinking she is some kind of secret sect princess. Showing up as affluent mortals won't grab attention the same way a group of cultivators would. They may think she’s a rich kid, but not actually involved with us."
I shrug. She's right I guess though I hate admitting so. "This still feels like a bit of a waste. There isn't anything in this region." I mumble to myself as we purchase the outfits with a couple tens of gold coins.
"Oh nonsense, this was a great use of time. You look stunning and Zinnia won't have to deal with weird rumors. No use being a stubborn bitch.”
I huff! Such disrespect- even if I am, by definition, a bitch. I glare at the offending disciple. Instead of looking properly chastised she sticks her tongue out! Already in trouble for her act earlier and now this! She will pay.
“Besides,” she says with a smirk, leaning in to whisper. “Imagine how Jessica would appreciate you being so sharply dressed for once?”
I have to stop and control my thoughts for a moment after as the idea of Jessica giving me a once over. Cease this betrayal, my thoughts. I will not relent to their teasing. I am suprised though that Annabelle isn’t pressing the teasing so I look her way.
It seems as though something caught the juniors’s attention as we stepped out of the store and looked at the scenery around us. A little confused, I look at it with more scrutiny.
It is a house with stone and plaster construction. wooden paneling over the windows. Likely wood framing on the inside with some sort of wool or stuffing in between the stone wall and the plaster wall placed opposite it to offer insulation. Decent long-term construction. Probably about fifty years old right now. Wood could do with replacing on the outside. Inside may need replacing if the years have not been kind to it.
"Annabelle, why are you looking at that building so intensely?"
"I want it."
"What. You want a random house here in Centercity? just like that?"
"I am tired of living in a wooden hut, Clover. Are you not? I am surprised we let it stay for over a year, let alone as long as we have. I have no intention to simply steal a person's house either. No, I simply have had enough, and living in a tent is making me realize how close our normal lodgings are to just living in the elements, and being a cultivator has made me forget it."
"You’re technically allowed to stay in town, I think?"
"I have never been told this." Wow the stink eye on this disciple. So intense today. I have to put up my paws. "You can get a building made too as well probably. You probably just need to talk to Jessica about it."
Annabelle gave a sigh. A very exasperated sigh. "Clover, you understand as well as I do the lengths Jessica goes through to document everything. It is-" She had to take a moment to close her eyes and clench her hand before relaxing. "It is a minor nuisance most of the time, however when it comes to things that require expenditure of resources I think she is perhaps a smidge too interested in intrinsically linking her bureaucracy into every single aspect of construction.
"O-okay? What does this have to do with me?" I don't like how her intense look turned to me.
She huffs and pulls a paper and pen from her storage. Takes a few moments writing something then hands it to me. "Sign this."
I look down at a piece of paper. It is a finely written document with all the letter swirls and everything.
"Permission to build a residence within the aegis of the Tribulation Sword Ascension sect.
This form will allow Annabelle Maria Sterling to construct a building of her own design on sect grounds. This form will be the only piece of documentation required to hire any additional hands or materials for the creation of this structure
Annabelle Maria Sterling
_________________________"
"You want me to- just sign a form that allows you to bypass all of Jessica's forms?"
"Yes. Exactly." She answers with a focus in her eyes.
"Is this... Actually why on this trip, Annabelle? Just to come all the way out here to sneak a form past Jessica?"
"Not entirely, the reason I told you was actually something I still wish to do now. Collecting resources and whatnot. I will also commission a house for you with whatever design you may wish if you happen to accidentally sign this for me using my meager funds as a lowly disciple."
"Yeah?" I do like the idea of upgrading out of my little hut aaaaand she does owe me after that bout we had.... "Okay fine." I swing my signature across the line left blank for me.
The blonde takes the paper and examines it. Then she nods before folding the paper. "Enjoy your time with Zinnia. Sorry for changing plans on you so suddenly, however, this is something of greater importance." She give a graceful curtsey and steps away into the crowd. I look to Celeste who appears to be as confused as I am. We give a mutual shrug and then make our way to the academy. Sometimes Annabelle just does that.