The thumping of the beast under him paired with the clacking of claws as it moved from woodlands onto a paved path, moving through parklands where grazing animals milled between fences and little copses of trees.
Over streams, then Corvayne felt his compass subtly shift their path away from having the dogs run along a raised railroad bridge over a muddy river. Instead they careened down a path that took them next to the massive red-brick supports of the train-line and through a smaller town set up along the rivers edge, oriental designs. Bamboo poles helped support unlit neon signs, and someone was using something like Lythandies' crafting powers and a wok to stir fry new pairs of boots.
The row of little shops and larger restaurants and a hotel included apothecaries selling snake oil, and honky-tonks open to the street, where a duo with a guitar and a guqin were playing a song about someone's wife leaving with the dog and the truck.
Perhaps it was the truck in their way, being pulled to the repair shop by an oxen whom was colorblind or did not have his license. Corvayne found he really wanted to ask Bayou to spur the beasts to bound over the vehicle straddling both lanes, but given the number of shops spilling out into the sidewalk, he was worried they'd end up crashing into a stall. At the moment, they only had a few 'spirit quarters' which were the lowest denomination of funds. He did not press Lepin or Bayou as to where they kept their money when acid had eaten their clothes.
After an eternity of slow traffic, there was another bridge and a looping path from the river road up to it. A sign identified it as 'Heavenly Auspicious Path 41 – turn Right.'
Back up high, he saw what was certainly their destination, looming over the bright green landscape and wide river. It was a strange building, it's base looking like a sprawling mountain cabin, one that made him want to go back to the third floor forest of Cascadia. It must have been a mile at it's base and ten stories of alpine lumber and glass and balconies. The building then flattened on top to support a massive glass pyramid, an image of a celestial dragon, mouth open as it curved to roar at some unseen foe embossed above a phoenix, gracefully looking back. Between them was scrawled in ornate calligraphy 'Bagua Pro Workshops'.
For some reason, the three cowtivators looked embarrassed rather then emboldened by the titanic building, even as Corvayne watched a few flying stagecoaches and a covered wagon train come in for a landing. They came up to the front door as a gaggle of kids in robes, cowboy hats, and wearing wooden flying swords or calligraphy brushes were herded into the front door.
The compass told him to hold up, and Corvayne barely needed to think about essence vision to see that the place was glowing in wards. The mana was nearly invisible but the essence leaking was blinding to Corvayne. It was very clear some array was in place to detect intruders. However, his compass power was also not liking going into the front door.
Of course, his recent experience with pipes let him guess where it was going to swivel. He took a deep breath and did not start directing the beasts to go find the sewer enterance.
“Lepin, can you arrange for us to get day passes?”
She thought about it. “I think so, I'll get us the cowtivator fast pass.”
She had the beast stroll in the huge main doors, bypassing kids who were pointing at the massive monsters now prowling into a room with a fully stocked fish tank behind the reception desk. A woman who looked to Corvayne like a librarian, her bearing evoking memories of Watcher weapon-masters stomping across the training grounds because they did NOT like what they just saw.
“Excuse me, you cannot just barge in here-” The lady started when Lepin looked at her, Looked at her. Corvayne saw Bayou sink into her saddle a little, and everyone but the children also looked like they were wilting suddenly.
Lepin tilted her nose up. “YOU DARE question the inheritor House Lizzy?”
The woman and the clerks now were bowing and scraping. “Young Mistress! Mercy!”
Lepin hopped off the mount and strode up to the woman. Corvayne felt an urge to follow and Lepin looked back to make eye contact, and [[Unity]] had Corvayne step in between them. “Please Mistress Lizzy, forgive them. They were not informed your magnificence was arriving, but I'm sure now they know there will be no need for bloodshed.”
“Tch. If they Kotow three times I will forgive them!”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
A more senior cowboy wizard appeared at a spot overlooking the hall. His nose wrinkled up.
“A pup dares bark in my house?” With a leap he landed in front of Lepin. Waves of power radiated off him.
Lepin slapped his face, and the slight pressure Corvayne had felt from the man crumpled. “You DARE call ME a DOG?! I will not tolerate this loss of pace!”
Another look, and Corvayne understood and physically started trying to drag her away from a fight. She took a moment, one he was pretty sure everyone else was too stunned to see, to move one of his hands from her waist up onto her bust. He shrugged and grabbed them.
“There's no need to kill anyone today! Remember the last time you struck a minister down! I'm sure they can make it up in spirit stones!”
“Tch, Drop to your knees and beg or I will have your head!”
The old man dropped. Lepin was breathing heavily, and Corvayne started to take his hand off her chest but she grabbed it and put it back on, then three seconds later made an act of tugging herself free.
“You oaf! Feh. You are fortunate my retainer has a honeyed tongue. I demand a pass to view the grounds.”
“Mistress we cannot-” He sputtered as the air became thick and sort of tangy.
The woman was on the ground face down, raising a hand. “Please call back your grilling intent! We will prepare a pass at once!”
Corvayne could taste something bold and tangy for a moment before the air returned to normal.
“Boring! Get me the pass, this sort of reaction, spineless!”
Corvayne arranged getting passes as Lepin strode over, grabbed some fish food off the front desk, then strode up the stairs.
“Five and three beasts. Yes. It's not a backpack, there's a woman on my back that's my uh- It's complicated.”
A little later, after Lepin had fed the fish while looking sourly at anyone who wasn't a child who a approached, they were strolling through the halls of the school, Corvayne acting as both guide and wedge showing off the badge and announcing everyone must move. The lower floor of the school was a vast series of buildings that catered to student needs, set on what looked like a swamp with wood buildings marked with things like mission hall, orientation, herb and material exchange, fishing supplies, pill refinery, Crawpapa's Cajun Cafe... and so on. The pyramid itself was a shell around an imposing stone building that connected with rooms and walkways around it.
They tromped into the student dorms, moving past calligraphy enchanted to speak and move and follow them. A pair of lions clearly able to leap out of the paper stalked them in long bamboo forest made of ink, at least until they saw Lepin glare at them, to which they turned tail and bounded deeper into the painting, going so fast part of the paper wrinkled before it smoothed itself.
“Is Whiskey Soul that big a deal?”
“I suspect it's also the high level. As I said, anyone who knew what you can do, they'd put you in a box to use your abilities-”
He looked over at her, and forced himself to calm down when she flinched a little. “Sorry. What your are saying is why I'm worried about Preshe.”
The hallways started to turn and the compass was directing them past doors and up stairs and over a bridge above a different part of the main campus into what looked like a parlor. Dark wood panels, paintings of wilderness and cattle, rifles and flying swords mounted over a blazing fireplace.
Bayou whispered “I'm really here...”
Little Wing was less impressed. Possibly because there was a faint trail of smoke coming out of his ear.
They padded right through the room. On either side, young Cowtivators were playing cards, sitting at a bar drinking whiskey, watching a screen where a pair of disciples was fighting in a cage with fists and talismans. Bets were being made on sword riders careening around a racetrack, one young woman taking her hat off and stomping on it while another boy whooped and collected talsmins. Some students were working, mixing pills and potions in clear cauldrons and decanters behind the bar while an older student watched. Others were playing pranks. Two boys were arm wrestling, more attention on the girl who was clearly eyeing someone else. Someone else was playing a violin to give it all an air of class.
A young man in the best fitting suit Corvayne had seen nudged a friend. A trio moved to get in Lepin's way.
“Mistress, coming to Demonbreun Dorm, you should have a fitting escort. I would behead whomever gave you these three, I saw them at the stables. A trio of dung shovelers. As the future head of the Brentwood House, It would be my pleasure to show you around.”
He saw disgust aimed at him, and greed with a pinch of lust at Lepin. She glanced back at Corvayne, and he turned and gave him a poker face. How best to handle this?
A moment later the boy had fallen over, then stood up incensed. “How dare you look at me like that!”
Corvayne made his tone even. “Take your hand off your piece. It won't be a fight.”
The boy looked terrified, and before he could sputter some more young master nonsense Corvayne had the beasts keep strolling.
“Jealous?” Lepin asked.
Corvayne shook his head. “I didn't want you to have to break his spine or whatever.”
“I would lose pace if I did that. With you, not him. If you were totally helpless, I'd step in, but you are not helpless.”
The hallway here was designed to look like cabins, with the pyramid windows far above blocked by a tangle of trees, instead lit by red lanterns between porches. A few students were on rocking chairs, but it was much less busy than the lounge. His compass had the cabin marked now.
Corvayne hopped off Fred and walked up the steps to knock at the wooden door. He heard running and Preshe leaped out, wrapping him in a hug.
He was trying to think of how to greet her, and felt the same from her. He was trying to think of how to put it when there was a popping noise and he turned to see that part of Little Wing's shoulder was burning and there was blood leaking from his mouth. Bayou cried out as the boy slumped, signs of his repressed advancement now trying to shatter what was left of his essence pathways.
There was a moment were he considered the comment from before about being put in a box. Did he pick risking his family or dooming his friend? He shook his head. Little Wing, Little Spur... he was practically in the same boat as Preshe. He wasn't worried about Bayou, and Lepin... he had to hope that [[Unity]] would help convince her cover up what was about to happen. Or cover up everything that had happened before.
“Preshe, he needs your help.”