Time is passing faster than I can process. Day in and day out, I harvest nature's bounty and return to sell my produce.

I find myself, again, reading the stars.

I see the knight and the abomination meet. The abomination corrupts the knight, so the knight treads upon the slave in his righteousness.

My thoughts are clouded with the battles that I merely spectate on.

What is my purpose? Am I simply a rogue cultivator?

I give up useless thoughts and cultivate my inner energies.

The night passes, and I find myself once more earning my income.

Today is unique as I finally have enough coin to purchase my cosmos ring.

At the store, I find several oddities. Arcane runes can be found on the surface of many of the items.

"What do you want?"

I am startled out of my examination by an older woman.

"I, uh. I'm here to purchase a cosmos ring."

The crone appraises me, "Can you afford it?"

The woman quotes me a price.

"Yes, ma'am," I jingle a bag of coins.

When I opened it, the woman rolled her eyes and began counting the coins.

"You don't have any silver?"

I cringe in embarrassment as I share my copper pieces.

"Alright. That'll work."

The woman opens a tray, pulls out an innocuous ring, and hands it to me.

I examine the item before putting it on a finger.

As the ring comes on, I become aware of a new space. It's an odd sensation. But, I managed to store my loose articles in the ring.

"Thank you for your business, valued customer. Do come again."

I nod my parting to the woman.

As I continue, I wonder what limits the ring has. My consciousness falls into the ring, and I note a sizeable space. It takes me a minute to find its boundaries.

It's incredible how something so small can be so spacious.

My path carries me to the meadows and fields that surround Callo.

With the ring, I can continue my harvest long past when I only had bags.

The tigerlily and blue grass are bountiful in my harvest.

I find myself thankful to Gaia for the abundance of the natural world.

The season is right for the growing phase of medicinal herbs.

Others will rise during the summer. But, fall and winter are strained times for medicinal herbs to grow.

For now though, I focus my attention on my task.

The day escapes me as I fill my ring with more significant amounts of herbs.

Night comes on, and I find myself watching the stars once more.

The clouds roll past in the moonlight tonight, obscuring my vision of the stars.

As I wait patiently for the clouds to carry on past me. I realize that there are lessons to be found in the lower heavens.

The clouds are as mortals before the immortal stars.

Each cloud changes as it passes. The winds ravage them like the changes in one's environment.

I rotate my core as I breathe in the clouds. My dao grows for my lesson in the mortality of those below.

The knight's battles seem less desperate as I watch the plight of the clouds that are constantly battered.

I carry on with my routine. I can spend more extended periods harvesting before returning to Grey's Pharmaceuticals.

"Good deal, Rook. Glad to see you upgraded from the burlap sack."

I smile, "Thanks. Is it okay for me to come in with less frequency?"

"Of course, son. Just keep them coming to your ability."

"Yes, sir."

The coin I gain from the man named Sebastian is the most I've ever received.

I part ways with my business partner and find myself in a routine of harvesting, selling, and working on my cultivation.

Days become weeks. And weeks become months.

I've long since purchased everything I want and need.

I find myself collecting books. Fortunately, my parents taught me to read in my formative years.

Now that I have the chance, I covet the knowledge the tomes impart.

I learn the myths of creation.

How the Calamity divided the world. The energies of Gaia are restricted to this plane.

Much of the history relates to the tales of the immortals—the legends of the great men and women who earned their place beside the gods.

For the first time in my life, I learn of the Creator. The one responsible for the Calamity.

The books that mention the Creator cast the figure negatively as a false god.

Why would he be called Creator if he was false?

Still, the information disseminated to the common folk has to be authorized by the ruling elite. And, I have little faith in the integrity of my rulers.

The tales of the immortals find prominence in my culture's history.

The role of the martial sects.

The Divided Fates and Serpant's Tail are middling organizations.

The power of a sect is dependent on the power of its matriarch or patriarch.

More significant sects include such names as the Steady Sword sect and the Violet Horizon sect.

The knowledge expands my understanding of the world I live in.

Every day, I learn something new.

In the quiet moments, I find myself comfortable with life. My need to return to my home grows more distant. And, my thoughts on my family are less pressing.

Days pass like hours, and I can't remember when I last slept.

My meditation serves to invigorate me in ways that normal sleep can't.

Over time, the revelations of the heavens are opened to me.

The farmer and his plow stand as one of the more prosperous figures in the sky.

The farmer sows his produce continuously.

Whereas the abomination devours the stars around it with rapacious greed, the farmer leaves a trail of seed-like formations.

From behind the farmer stands the reaper, who collects the bounty at harvest.

Each figure in the sky carries a lesson and a purpose.

They are all aspects of the soul and the times of one's life that pass.

The warm rays of dawn bring me back to my labors. The bounty is ever fruitful.

The morning dew coats the herbs as I gather them, and my gloves grow wet.

I mobilize the chi within my body and into my hands.

A slight steam rises from my damp gloves as I continue my hunt.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

The harvest is abundant, and I spend the day in the hunt.

My days and nights pass, and I can't help but feel contentment from my life.

The day comes when I am to meet with Sebastian and sell my produce.

"You, stop."

I continue my path to the apothecary across the street.

"Stop!"

The man's aggression tells me he's dangerous before I see the short, overweight man flanked by a pair of burly guards.

I stop my transit and look with curiosity at the trio.

"I know what you've been doing." The short man eyes me aggressively.

"Excuse me?" I say, pointing to myself. I'm still trying to figure out why the man would be addressing me.

"You've been working with that bastard, Grey."

His accusation is true, but I'm uncertain what business of this stranger that is.

"I'll buy your herbs from now on." The two guards step in close to me.

"I'm sure you'll give me a fair price."

I'm reminded of the pair of guards who scammed me when I first sought to do business in Callo.

"I don't know you."

"And, yet, you do business in my city."

A vein bulges from the bald man's head.

"Your business with Grey is done." The man spies my cosmos ring.

"Hand it over. I'll decide what to pay you after that."

This businessman is as corrupt as the immortals who act like gods.

"No," I say flatly.

The large vein pulses as the aggressive little man absorbs my refusal.

"Tch. You bring this upon yourself for your stupidity. Rex. Barr."

The two bodyguards come closer, and I feel some fear about what's about to happen.

I've never fought anyone before, and now two giants face me.

I could run. But I'm tired of running. I feel the chi swell within me.

I channel the energy into my limbs.

The overflowing energy from my soul stone compensates for my lack of martial skills.

Time slows down as the pair of men draw back to punch at me.

It's incredible how slow these men are.

I swat away their incoming fists and dance backward.

Neither man is injured. But they look perplexed by the engagement.

"What are you fools doing? Beat him and bring me that cosmos ring."

The two men return to their task while I swat aside their attacks once more.

The men grow frustrated, and I see an opening in one of the men's defenses.

I've never punched a man before. But I find myself balling up a fist.

I watch the large man open for an assault and bring the weight of my chi-infused fist into the man's midsection.

The man folds forward and collapses.

I watch the scene as if separate from it.

The short man and his remaining guard gape in surprise that a man of such thin proportions as myself could drop the giant.

I watch as the remaining guard backs away from me, his hands up in a disarming display.

"What are you doing, fool?"

His subordinate's cowardice angers the small man.

The guard bolsters his courage and charges me.

Again, the man's movements are as slow as clouds on a calm day.

I effortlessly deflect the man's attack. Frustration and anger give way to a return of his fear.

He pulls back to stand beside his master.

"....Hidden master," comes the brutish guard's respect-filled voice.

The man bows hand over fist to me. "Please forgive our offense, master."

The short man is as surprised as I am at the man's deference.

"What are you- Why would a master pick flowers for Sebastian Grey?"

The guard says nothing while his partner comes back into the world.

I decided the opportune moment to break free of this harassment and turn to Grey's Pharmaceuticals.

"I don't know who you think you are. But Callo is my city. You'll learn your place at my feet. Even if it takes breaking your legs."

I want the obnoxious little man to leave me alone.

When I arrive at Grey's shop, he works, oblivious to the goings on in the neighborhood.

"Rook. Glad to see you. I trust nature shared its bounty with us."

I push annoying thoughts aside and focus on my business. As I look around Sebastian's store, I can't help but notice how his stock of potions and tonics has grown since I began selling him herbs.

We are in a mutually beneficial relationship, and I can't help but hope that the angry little man minds his business.

I part from Sebastian, both of us pleased.

My eyes are on the shadows around street corners. Now, I can't help the paranoia that someone will accost me.

My anxiety leads me to a building I'd observed as I was passing through the Callo streets, a dojo.

I've never learned martial skills before. But I feel I must learn to protect myself. I should prepare for anything, like the knight, wary of the shadows.

A lone woman rests her weight on her knees.

I look in on her domain. She is ready to take on all challenges.

Her aura is one of dominance.

Walking into her dojo, I hear, "Take off your shoes."

I look down on my dirty loafers and set them before the entrance.

"Is this your first time in a dojo?"

The woman is neither friendly nor unfriendly.

"Yes, ma'am."

She appraises me.

"Sit."

I take up a cross-legged position across from her.

"That is not how the martial sects sit."

"The martial sects?" I echo.

The woman waves dismissively.

"It is unimportant for now. You are fine as you are."

I nod my head and hold my tongue.

She smiles, "You are not quick with the tongue. This is good."

She leans back and steps forward, coming to a standing position.

"Show me how you fight."

I'm intimidated by the woman. But, dutifully, stand.

She motions for me to come forward.

I charge for her with an open-handed strike. My blow is easily deflected, and I find myself staggering off balance.

She pulls my leading arm and kicks out my knees.

I fall face-first into the matted floor.

The attractive and fierce woman looks pensively at my collapsed form.

"What does an immortal have to gain by learning from such a lowly soul as I?"

I find my feet. The woman almost looks angry as she examines me.

"I just thought I could learn to protect myself. I didn't mean any offense."

Her eyes are critical.

"I can train you. If you can pay the tuition, I will be your teacher."

I understand etiquette well enough to bow with hand over fist.

The woman tells me to return at a set time when practice is to be performed.

I part ways with the seated master.

I look forward to learning from her.

Left to my own devices, I head back to the wilderness. I haven't slept in or on a bedroll for some time. The exact period escapes me as the days and weeks come into a single continuum.

There are still hours in the day, so I hunt down more herbs for Sebastian.

The day goes faster than I might have liked. But I find myself watching the stars on a cloudy night.

The lessons that the stars teach me are secondary to the stories of the clouds.

By and large, clouds are solitary entities.

If they should meet another cloud, they will eat each other like the abomination. Voracious consumption without a knight to protect them. On some nights, the clouds wander, respecting each other's space in the sky.

It is beautiful to watch the moonlight illuminate the dark shapes.

If this is immortality, I can't comprehend how the world can be such a painful place.

My breathing finds a rhythm, and I envision the chi of the clouds, great wisps of energy coming down to be breathed in. The energy cleanses me of my pollution.

The night soothes my soul after the events with the short man and his entourage.

I think about what I'll be doing in the coming days.

I will return to the dojo early to begin my training.

My watching of the clouds gives way to a need for movement.

I want to be early for my first day of training.

The city in the predawn hours is a peaceful place. The hawks selling their wares still slumber.

My path goes undisturbed as I make way for the dojo.

As I approach the building, I hear the sound of water splashing.

I turn around a corner and see the woman I have taken as my master.

She stands by a well. She washes her face, forearms, hands, and feet from a bucket.

I wonder at the ritual.

"Rook," she says without turning.

"Yes, master?"

"Join me in the cleansing. It is an important part of your training to begin in a state of ritual purity."

I follow her instructions and similarly wash myself.

"And," she says, "don't call me master. I'm not a man."

"Then mistress?" I ask in my ignorance.

For the first time, I see a slight smile on her face.

"Teacher will suffice."

Finished with my cleansing, I find myself in the courtyard with my teacher.

"Here." The teacher tosses what looks to be a cloth bracelet.

As soon as I catch the bracelet, I feel the strange article drag me down.

It feels like it weighs a hundred pounds.

Even with my enhanced strength as a cultivator, I can barely hold the weight.

"Put that and this on your ankles."

I'm afraid the woman will throw another at me.

I stoop down and gently and achingly bind an ankle, then the next.

"And your wrists."

I start hating the woman as my body sags under a weight that must be at least four hundred pounds.

"These are soul cuffs. They are used when trainees have an excess of soul force.

"Your training is to mobilize your meridians to output power into your soul cuffs.

"It will take you some time to practice this until you can be more controlled in the output of your soul force.

"Go off." She motions me away. "Come back when you're better accustomed to your energy."

All I can do is give her a slight nod as I turn to depart.

It's achingly slowly that I shuffle my way out of the courtyard.

As I look at the cuffs, I note that they are cloth articles with some arcane script written on them.

My path out of the city takes some time as I lift a massive weight that only seems to grow the longer I bear it.

I think about what the teacher said. This is training in control.

When the teacher handled the soul cuffs, she showed no fatigue.

There must be a trick to it.

Chi courses through my blood and tissues. I direct this energy into the cuffs to the best of my ability.

I notice an almost imperceptible lightening of my burden.

Realization dawns on me that I have the chi idling within my soul and body.

The energy that my cracked soul stone projects disburses into the aether.

Learning to direct my energies to particular parts of my body may put me on the path to perfecting my soul stone.

My thoughts are optimistic. I can advance as a cultivator without depending on the sects.

Whatever my optimism expects, what I know is the heavy journey at my feet.

It's dusk when I make it to the city's outskirts.

I walk by moonlight to my fields and woods.

Sweat rolls down my face with every step I take.

I finally lay down among the tall grasses.

The weights pull me to the ground. But I see no reason to take them off.

I feel like the slave bound in his shackles.

My toil is arduous. But, unlike the slave, I choose to wear my cuffs.

Even lying down, I mobilize my energies to contain them in my limbs.

I find the nature of my soul body reflects my soul stone. The fissures can be sealed if energy is invested with precision into them.

I breathe in the chi of heaven, deep into my diaphragm. The energy rotates in my core. From the cracks, energy dissipates throughout my body and into the aether.

If I am to master the soul cuffs, it will be the same as mending my cracked soul stone.

There are no simple solutions to my trial. What is demanded is time and patience.

The night passes at an exhausting pace as I try to bind my energy into my core before channeling it into my cuffs.

Despite the slow progress, I feel myself becoming more powerful—more whole.

Much as when I first formed my soul stone and realized the emptiness that preceded it, I now discover how I leak so much of what comes into me.

As the day comes, I feel no desire to move.

The herbs are left to multiply in the absence of my hunt.

The clouds tell me the brief stories they each have before moving on past the horizon.

Day passes into night and day again.

I've been caught up in meditation and grown oblivious to the time of day.

My mastery of my internal energies has grown by leaps and bounds.

This day, I test the limits of my control.

With significant effort, I come to my feet.

The weight is about the same. But, my muscular control has grown. The tissues of my muscles reflect in my soul body.

The results are pronounced even if it is only a minor realignment of my physical body with my soul body.

I decide that my break has lasted long enough. My herbalism today is slowly going as I carry the weight everywhere I go.

But, the slower pace allows me to be more patient with the harvest. More thorough.

The day gets away from me, and I once more find myself reading the stars.

My book on astrology teaches me new things every day.

Tonight, I watch the doctor pass through the sky.

His task is to mend and heal those he touches. He is a benevolent force in the cosmos. Aiding the knight and crone alike. It is only the abomination that the doctor does not tolerate.

Tonight's reading teaches me that the slave is ever in need of aid from the doctor. However, the doctor cannot free the slave from bondage and turns his attention to others.

My dao grows more robust with the lessons that the constellations teach me.

The night passes in quiet contemplation. The stars and clouds are unconcerned with my struggles.

With dawn comes a renewed search for the herbs I covet.

Time slips by, and I watch as day and night pass me by.

Sweat runs down my face as I carry the massive weight of my cloth cuffs. The weight doesn't lighten as I work to mend my soul stone and control how my energy dissipates from me.

But, despite the lack of relief, my speed and strength while hunting herbs improve with each passing day.

I focus on breathing—deep breaths through the nose and mouth.

The chi of heaven and earth reforms me on the inside.

Each breath brings purity into my physical and spiritual body.

I search out the pollution within me and channel it with my breath.

In and out.

As I collapse from my labor at night, I think about the future.

When I was with my family, the future was simply tomorrow. Now, the future is daunting in how expansive it is.

I wonder how my aging parents are dealing with the daily struggle to have enough to eat.

If I knew of a way to return to them, I would drop everything to see them again.

I feel emotion welling up within me.

Memories of when my father would discipline me as a child when I was inappropriate. My mother's cooking. And the meat my brother would bring back from his shop.

Even thoughts of the girl I liked. But I never dared to tell her.

My occupation was too low to court favor with her or her family.

I sigh and think that if I return, I can earn a greater station.

She might notice me.

But then, my life changed forever. What would it be like to watch a flower that I love wilt?

I don't believe I could find love so quickly anyway.

I should stop thinking useless things and focus on what I can do here and now.

I control the flow of chi into my soul cuffs. As I do so, I feel incremental advances in my mastery of chi.

Lost in thought, I think on the nature of chi. It is an aetherial thing. It's not a gas in the conventional sense.

Revelation comes to me as I realize that just as there is a spiritual, or soul, body that must be aligned. So too is there a spiritual realm beneath the surface of every object in creation?

When something is broken on the physical plane, its spiritual form is also damaged.

When the spiritual form is malaligned, the object's physical form is prone to damage.

I open my eyes to the spiritual world around me. My eyes see the worlds overlap.

As I pick flowers, I desolate their spiritual form.

It's a sad thing to bring the end to something so beautiful.

I study the transition from life into death. When I pluck a flower, its spirit disintegrates and joins the chi surrounding it.

This is where immortals get their power from.

Death feeds life.

I breathe in the chi of creation with a newfound reverence.

The days pass quickly as I grow in my control.

Eventually, I find my supply worthy of a trip to Grey's Pharmaceuticals.

I labor the whole way. My feet carry the weight of my soul cuffs.

"What kicked your ass?" Sebastian asks as I slowly walk into his shop.

I smile with what might be seen as a grimace.

"Don't work yourself too hard out there.

"Alright, what do you have for me today?"

I unload my stock onto a table.

"Sage leaf and golden crown, by and large."

There's a large number of miscellaneous herbs. But, the two dominate the haul. With the seasons changing, certain herbs are growing more prominent while others fade away.

"Good deal," Sebastian says.

As I turn to leave, the older man gazes at me for a long moment.

"Rook..."

I turn back, an eyebrow raised in question.

"I'm curious if you'd be interested in an apprenticeship."

I puzzle for a moment.

"You could learn the art of alchemy. And I would appreciate the help."

I smile, "Yes, sir."

He returns the smile before saying, "Take your time to rest up, and we'll begin when you bring the next batch of herbs."

With that, I depart from my business partner and soon-to-be teacher.

I find myself anxious to learn this new art. But I'm also cultivating martial arts. Even if I have yet to practice with my teacher.

Whatever the case, I absorb myself in my cultivation.

The herbs I harvest dry out with the summer sun as it rises and lingers longer in the sky.

Hell caps are popping up. Small mushrooms with red tops. Conventional mushrooms favor the dark and wet. But hell caps defy the natural order.

My harvest grows fewer and farther between. But, I carry on with my occupation.

The day gives way to night, and the stars open the world before me.

The doctor plies his trade. But needs the aid of the merchant. The tradesman follows the safe path in life, only treading where the knight has passed.

In his business, the merchant buys and sells. His dealings with the wanderer enrich both parties.

And, when he deals with the doctor, the doctor acquires the means of his trade.

The merchant is close to many of the figures in the sky.

But, one figure has a terrible fate at the hands of the merchant.

The slave.

The slave is unfortunate in most stories. And heroic figures, like the knight, can oppress the slave.

But, it is the merchant who counts the value of the slave.

The slave is bought and traded on the whims of the merchant.

The stars reflect the horrors of the earth.

Men and women are treated as commodities.

The practice has existed since the dawn of civilization.

I think of my short time as a slave. The fact that I survived is astounding.

I am curious to know how many of the acolytes of Divided Fates survive or fail to survive the first filter and ascend within the sect. The number of dropouts I witnessed was significant.

I bring myself back to center. There are lessons to be found in the past. But life is in the present moment.

I find the stories in the stars endlessly fascinating. The more I learn, the more I find to learn.

Night and day pass as I rest my soul.