Darian stared down at his bloody and broken hands, gritting his teeth against the pain. After a month of Astra’s “special training”, he was used to it, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it. In front of him stood the stump of a freshly fallen tree, with the rest of its body laying nearby.

He stood in the wooded area near the mound which contained the formation leading to his secret realm. Astra dozed on a nearby branch, observing his progress. Or so she said. Darian was sure the cat spirit beast was using this as an excuse to nap.

The sun had just passed its zenith, and looked down upon the world from above. It was well into summer by this point, and temperatures were high. The heat didn’t bother Darian, since he was a cultivator who practiced a fire technique, but he knew that the mortals in Silverwood Vale would be miserable. Unlike the servants who served Clan Wind Dance directly, none of them had access to the formations that kept their homes at a comfortable temperature. He wondered what they did to keep cool in the sweltering heat.

Insects buzzed and animals called out to each other. The smell of rich earth and rotting vegetation filled the air. Darian caught movement from the corner of his eye. It looked like a squirrel. The local wildlife was used to Darian’s presence at this point, as well as Astra’s, so they stopped being so afraid of him. They still kept their distance, however. In the beginning, when Darian had first started this “special training” of Astra’s, that hadn’t been the case.

The “special training” in question involved punching trees over and over again. Darian had to do this one hundred and fifty times for each stance of the Fists of the Mortal Flame, the offensive ones at least. That was eighteen hundred times in total. He had to do this every day, and Astra wouldn’t let him stop until he finished. The worst part was that if he faltered or gave up, Astra would hit him with her intent and make him pass out. After he regained consciousness, she would make him start over again. The first time this happened, Darian knew that this wasn’t training at all, but some form of punishment. Complaining got him nowhere, however.

This was on top of his daily cultivation and “Will Strengthening” training. He had been released from sparring with the others because, according to Astra, there wasn’t any point since he couldn’t throw a proper punch. That had stung, Darian had to admit.

On the first day of this training, Darian had barely been able to make it through the first stance of Fists of the Mortal Flame before his hands became too twisted and broken to form a proper fist. He had to give up after trying to get through the second stance. That was when Astra had hit him with her intent, and made him start over. By the time he made it through all eighteen stances, his hands were little more than bloody lumps. It was nothing short of torture.

Darian wasn’t ashamed to admit that he had cried a river of tears that day, as well as the following ones.

At least Astra had given him a slow-acting Medicine Pill so his hands could heal overnight. When he had woken up the next morning, it was as if they had never been injured. Of course, that just meant he had to suffer again the next day.

The worst part was that this “special training” actually worked. His hands became tougher, lasting longer and longer with each passing day. It was slow and gradual, but it worked. Today marked the first time he had gone through all eighteen stances with his hands somewhat intact.

His attacks had also gotten stronger as well. Darian studied the stump in front of him. He had managed to fell a tree just by punching it. Granted, it had taken him eighteen hundred hits, but he managed it. It had been a good sized tree as well, one with a thick trunk.

Last, and more important as far as Darian was concerned, his cultivation speed had increased as well. After only a month, he was about two thirds of the way towards opening his Ear Aperture. He thought it would have taken him longer, especially since refining his meridians had taken such a long time.

When he had questioned Astra about this. She said it was because he had refined his meridians already, which sped up his progress, and he had been taking the Body Tempering Pills his father had made. Those two factors, in addition to his training, contributed to his speed. Something about that made Astra upset, however, though Darian couldn’t figure out what. He thought she would be happy. Instead, she just looked angry and glared at him the rest of the day.

Now that he thought about it, something had been off about Astra ever since she started him on this “special training”. She had been colder towards him, more distant. While she never ignored him, she grew annoyed by his presence. It was as if just looking at him reminded her of something she would rather forget. Darian wondered what he had done to earn such treatment from Astra. While it hadn’t gotten to that point, her behavior reminded him of how his clan had treated him.

A trickle of fear wormed its way into Darian’s heart at that thought. He had already been tossed away once. He didn’t want that to happen again. While he hadn’t known her for that long, Astra had become an important part of his life. Along with the snake twins, she had become one of the few people who gave a damn about his existence. If she abandoned him as well, Darian didn’t know if he could handle it.

“Are you finished?” Astra asked, as she dozed.

“Yes, Auntie,” Darian said, still studying his hands.

They needed a Medicine Pill, otherwise they would be useless for the rest of the day.

“Good. Now do it again.”

Darian looked at her in surprise.

“Again?”

“Yes, again. Didn’t you hear me? Have your ears gone defective? Go through another set.” She opened one eye. “You didn’t think you were finished just because you completed a single set this early on, did you?” She closed her eye again.

Darian gaped at her. Going through another set would destroy his hands. While he had endured it before, he would rather not.

“Aren’t you at least going to give me a Medicine Pill?”

Astra snorted.

“Why would I? That would defeat the whole point of this training.”

Darian’s left eye twitched.

“No,” he said before he realized it.

This caught Astra’s attention, and she opened both eyes.

“No?” Her tone had a dangerous edge to it. “Perhaps my ears are the defective ones, because I thought I just heard you tell me ‘no’.”

While it would have been smarter to back down, Darian had already gone this far. He might as well go all the way.

“Your ears are working fine. I said no. I’ve had enough of this game you’re playing. I don’t know why you’re doing this to me, but I have had enough.”

Astra raised her head and let out a chuckle with no mirth in it. Instead, it sounded cruel and capricious. Malicious even. The sound sent a chill down Darian’s spine.

“Oh, this isn’t a game, young Darian. Senior Sister Nova entrusted me with your training, and I am giving that responsibility the due diligence it deserves.”

“You call this training?” Darian asked, showing off his hands. “If I go through another set, my hands will be nothing more than bloody stumps.” He spat off to the side. “This isn’t training. It’s torture.”

Astra stood up. Her pupils had narrowed to vertical slits. That’s when several things happened all at once, at least from Darian’s perspective. Astra disappeared from her perch and reappeared right in front of him. The branch she had been standing on exploded into splinters. A fraction of a second later, Darian felt five lines of fire run across his chest and saw blood spray out. That’s when he realized that Astra had clawed him, and he hadn’t even seen it happen.

Darian stumbled away from Astra and tripped, falling back. He landed on the ground with a heavy thud. All around him, the forest had fallen silent as the nearby animals had either gone into hiding or had fled. Even the insects kept quiet. Astra landed on his chest, aggravating Darian’s wounds. He dared not make a sound, however.

“You call this torture?” she said, her tone mocking. “Oh, you sweet, naive child. This is nothing compared to what I’ve witnessed.” She leaned in closer until her face was inches from his. “Did you know it’s possible to remove a human’s extremities, one tiny bit at a time, until they’re nothing more than a torso with a head? The process is quite painful. By the end, the victim will be begging for death. I’ve seen it happen, or the end result at least.”

An icy claw gripped Darian’s heart, even as warm blood dripped from his wounds and trickled down his sides. He stared at Astra with wide eyes. For the first time ever since he had met her, Darian was afraid of Astra. Truly afraid, on a deep, primal level. Not even when she had threatened him, when he had found out that Master Nova might have sealed his cultivation, had he been this afraid. It left him speechless.

“Well?” Astra said in the same mocking tone of hers. “Do you have anything to say?” She paused. “What was that mortal saying again? Oh yes. Cat got your tongue?”

Astra smirked at her own cleverness.

“Why are you doing this?” Darian pleaded once he found his voice again. “What did I do?”

He hated the trembling in his voice as he spoke. Hated it, and the weakness it implied. It threw him back to the dark days, when he had first found out that he couldn’t cultivate and his clan ostracized him as a result. He had asked his kin those exact same questions, in that exact same tone. They answered him with disdain and derision.

Astra’s actions reminded him that even though he was cultivator now, in the face of true strength, he was still that same weak and pathetic child he had been back then, begging for answers.

Astra froze at his words. Darian watched her, unable to move. If he did, he was afraid she would attack him again. His chest burned with pain, and his hands throbbed. The fall hadn’t been kind to them. Even so, he remained still.

“I…” Astra started to say, then fell silent.

Darian held his breath.

“I’m sorry,” she said, closing her eyes. “I am so sorry, Darian. I have mistreated you, and for that I apologize.”

Her words left Darian speechless, not that he had much to say in the first place. The sudden shift in her attitude caught him off guard. One moment Astra was attacking him and mocking him, the next she was hanging her head in shame.

“You’re right,” she continued. “I had been torturing you. Well, punishment would be more accurate, though the distinction is academic at this point. This was training designed to toughen you up, but I was supposed to ease you into it, not force you to mutilate yourself. I was angry at Senior Sister Nova, and I had been taking it out on you.”

“What?” Darian blurted out.

This was the first time he had ever heard the cat spirit beast say anything negative about Master Nova.

“Pathetic, isn’t it?” Astra said, shaking her head. “Someone my age abusing a child just because someone else hurt me. I wouldn’t be surprised if you hated me right now. I definitely deserve it.”

“What did Master Nova do to you?” Darian asked.

Astra took a moment to think about it.

“I found out recently that she lied to me and tricked me.” She looked away. “It was a bitter pill to swallow. I thought I had vented my anger already, but clearly I was mistaken and you suffered as a result.”

Darian wasn’t sure how to respond to that. His emotions were a bit of a mess. He was angry and hurt by Astra’s actions, which she admitted were out of line. He had to bite his tongue to keep from yelling at her. Master Nova hurt her, and she decided to take it out on him? What a fucking joke. Did she see him as some sort of toy she could play around with?

Yet, Darian empathized with Astra. Master Nova had also caused him pain, or she potentially had. He still didn’t know the truth. Regardless, he knew what it was like to have someone he loved and trusted hurt him. His entire clan had done it to him after all.

As Astra stood on his chest, her head hanging low, he could almost feel her pain. It was clear to him that whatever Master Nova had done, it had left its mark on the cat spirit beast. That was when he made his decision. While it wouldn’t be as satisfying as venting his own anger, Darian believed it was the better choice overall.

Darian lifted his arms, wrapped them around Astra, and pulled her into a hug. It was a bit awkward, considering his hands were broken, but he managed. Astra’s eyes flew open and she jerked in surprise, but she didn’t break his hold.

“What are you doing?” she asked him, bewildered. “If you’re trying to squeeze me to death, it won’t work. My body is too tough.”

That thought had occurred to Darian, which was why he was hugging her as hard as he could. Maybe he was venting his anger a little.

“It’s called a hug, Auntie,” Darian said. “People give each other hugs all the time for various reasons. In my case, I’m trying to comfort you. Is it working?”

Astra stared at him for several long moments.

“You’re comforting me,” she stated. “I torture you for a month, in the guise of training, and you decide to comfort me. Are you sure you aren’t a masochist?”

Darian’s left eye twitched again.

“It’s called empathy, Auntie,” he snapped. “Maybe you should develop some.” His voice softened. “I know what it’s like to be hurt by those closest to you. It happened to me. This is me trying to help you in my own little way. It worked for me.”

And it had. His father, Lucius, and Vera had been the only kin who hadn’t turned their backs on him. Their love and support had helped him through the toughest years of his life.

“You are a strange human, young Darian,” Astra muttered as she leaned into his embrace. “Maybe my fears were unfounded.”

“What do you mean?”

Astra shook her head.

“Later. Telling you now would hinder your training.”

Darian thought about pushing her for answers, but decided against it. Instead, he continued to hold Astra. The two of them lay there for several minutes, neither one saying a word.

“You’re getting blood on my fur,” Astra said.

“Whose fault is that?” Darian asked.

While he hadn’t said anything, maintaining this position had been painful. If Astra hadn’t spoken up, he would have.

“Mine,” she replied.

She pulled out of his embrace and floated off his chest. A Medicine Pill appeared in her paw and she shoved it into Darian’s mouth. It was a slow-acting pill, so its healing effects were slower and more gentle.

“Let’s call an end to today’s training,” she said. “Eat this and relax for the rest of today. We’ll continue tomorrow.”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“I won’t have to do two sets, will I?” Darian asked after he choked down the Medicine Pill.

Astra shook her head.

“No. You will have to do two hundred punches per stance, instead of just one hundred and fifty, however.”

Darian sat up and stared at her.

“What?”

“As I said earlier, this was actual training I had planned to do. Since we’ve already gone this far, we might as well continue on.” She grinned at him. “Like I told you when we first started, by time we’re done, you’ll be able to punch through solid metal.”

At that, Darian gulped. Seeing this, Astra’s grin disappeared.

“Don’t worry. I won’t push you as hard as I had earlier. Again, I am sorry. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

Darian sat there in silence for several moments.

“I won’t say that it’s all right, because it isn’t. Make no mistake, I am angry at you for this.” He grinned. “However, since you’re offering to make it up to me, I’d be a fool not to take you up on it. A new magical item would go a long way towards earning my forgiveness. I know this is against the rules Master Nova set down, but I’m sure she won’t mind if you bend them just this once.”

Astra blinked at him, before she reached for his cheeks with her paws and pinched them.

“Shameless little brat. I already bent the rules when I gave you that Necklace of Plain Sight. You’re being greedy.”

Wait, the necklace that hid his cultivation had a name? He thought it didn’t.

“Auntie, you’re hurting me.”

Astra sighed and let go.

“I’ll think about it. I can’t promise anything, however. While I am very angry at Senior Sister Nova, the rules she left behind exist for a reason. I won’t bend or break them without good reason.”

“I can wait,” Darian said after thinking about it for a moment. He then stood up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to lay down for a while.”

With that, he trudged towards the entrance to his secret realm.

***

Lucius observed his kin as they trained in front of Clan Wind Dance’s main hall. If the council chambers were the administrative center of the clan, where decisions were made at the highest levels, then the main hall, and the buildings that surrounded it, was the beating heart of the clan. Without it, Clan Wind Dance would not function as well as it did.

The main hall itself was a large wooden building, with an interior spacious enough to hold the entirety of Clan Wind Dance all at once. It was where clan meetings were held, and where the clan celebrated holidays and other festivities. It contained several long wooden tables, to seat the majority of the clan, as well as another table on a raised dais to seat the elders.

When it wasn’t used for clan meetings or celebrations, it was used as a mess hall. A kitchen off to the side provided meals for clan members who preferred to eat here.

In front of the main hall was a stone courtyard which Clan Wind Dance used for training. A paved pathway divided the courtyard into two halves. Wooden practice dummies occupied one half of the courtyard, while the clan used the other half for sparring and other forms of training. Wooden racks filled with practice weapons stood off to the side.

In addition to the main hall, there was the clan dormitory. This housed the clan members who didn’t have their own residence, or those who didn’t want to live alone. For the most part, only members in the Foundation Establishment stage and the Energy Gathering stage lived here. Everyone else had their own home. The only exceptions were those held in great regard by the clan, such as Lucius and Vera, or those held in great disregard, such as Darian, who lived by himself at the foot of Mt. Wind Dance.

Standing near the main hall was the clan repository, which held most of the clan’s cultivation resources, as well as the clan library, which contained most of the clan’s knowledge. The secret archive, which held the clan’s most treasured secrets, and its most forbidden knowledge, was kept hidden somewhere else on the mountain. Only those who had proven themselves knew of its existence, and even fewer knew of its location.

Of the two remaining buildings, there was the mission hall, where clan members could accept missions on behalf of the clan in order to earn spirit stones or merits. The latter of which could be exchanged for resources from the repository, or techniques and other knowledge from the library or hidden archive. The other building was the lecture hall, where the senior members of the clan taught their juniors and provided them with guidance on their cultivation.

Paved stone pathways weaved their way between these buildings, lined by flowering trees that provided shade. The trees filled the air with their floral scent. Wooden benches sat beneath these trees at regular intervals, for those who wished to rest their feet, or simply wanted to enjoy the beauty that surrounded them.

Several dozen members of Clan Wind Dance’s younger generations were training in the stone courtyard, split evenly between both halves. Lucius stood off to the side, observing them. On any other day, he would be among them, trading pointers and teaching. Today, however, he decided to keep an eye out for the potential candidate Astoria Hawk Feather had mentioned. After hearing her words, he had assumed she meant Darian, but Vera had pointed out to him that it could be someone else.

After the fateful day, Lucius’ relationship with his father had cooled. Dominic had given Lucius the silent treatment, and communicated with him through hand-written notes delivered by messengers. On the bright side, at least from Lucius’ perspective, this meant he received less duties and responsibilities from his father. Perhaps Dominic had meant this as a punishment, a way to reduce Lucius’ influence within the clan, and showing him how much he needed his father’s help.

If so, it had the opposite effect. Lucius enjoyed his newfound free time. He spent most of it either with Vera, or looking for Darian.

Lucius’ relationship with Vera, on the other hand, deepened when he had told her about his refusal to accept an arranged marriage with Willow Stone Pillar. His mind wandered back to that conversation. The both of them had been sitting in the courtyard outside his house, enjoying a bottle of wine together. Vera shoved him away when he gave her the news, before hugging herself.

“You idiot,” she said. “You have a responsibility to the clan. Don’t throw it away just for my sake.”

Despite her words, Vera had turned away from him with a troubled look on her face. Lucius responded by pulling her into an embrace. She fought him, but without any real effort on her part. In the end, she gave up and accepted his embrace.

“I have a responsibility to you too,” he told her. “I said I would marry you, and I will. Unless you intend to be my second wife.”

Vera looked up at him after he said that, a murderous glint in her eyes.

“Never,” she said. “I refuse to be anyone’s second choice. Unless you plan to spend the rest of your life as a eunuch, never even suggest such a thing again.”

Lucius grinned at that, before kissing the top of her head.

“Don’t worry, I’m not an idiot. You are first and foremost in my heart, now and forever.”

“Good. Never forget that.”

They remained silent for several minutes after that, as they enjoyed the simple comfort of each other’s presence.

“What are we going to do?” Vera said, breaking the silence. “The clan will pressure you to marry Willow Stone Pillar. Your father will pressure you. This alliance benefits our clan too much for them to just accept your refusal.”

“About that…” Lucius said. He then told her about the other potential candidate to be Willow Stone Pillar’s husband, and his chief suspect as to who it was.

“Darian?” Vera said, her brow furrowed. “Are you sure about that? We’ve both known him for our entire lives. He isn’t a cultivator. We would have noticed.”

Lucius hadn’t been sure about that. Ever since Darian’s encounter with the cat spirit beast named Astra, Lucius had noticed something different about his friend. He didn’t voice his suspicions, however. Without proof, they were just speculation.

“Elder Astoria did say it was someone I wouldn’t suspect,” Lucius said instead.

At that, Vera buried her face in Lucius’ chest.

“I hope it isn’t Darian, even if he is a cultivator now.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Would you want to force an arranged marriage on him?”

At that, Lucius paused. His love had a point, one he hadn’t considered. In his excitement to avoid the marriage himself, he hadn’t considered how Darian might feel about it.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Lucius admitted.

“Keep an eye out,” Vera said. “You assumed Elder Astoria meant Darian, but keep a lookout for who else might be the candidate. And if it is Darian…Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” She paused. “I hope he comes back soon. I miss him.”

“I do too, my love.”

Following Vera’s advice, Lucius had spent the next month observing his kin. He focused on the younger generations, since most of the older generations were already married. There were exceptions, like Darren, Darian’s father, but the rest already had spouses. Some even had more than one. So far, no one had stood out to him, but he supposed that was the point. This other candidate had kept themselves hidden for a reason. A month of observation wouldn’t be enough to reveal who it was.

Lucius shook his head as his mind returned to the present. Everyone training today was in the Foundation Establishment stage, which was normal for their generation. Out of everyone in the younger generations, only Lucius and Vera were in the Energy Gathering stage, which made them geniuses and prodigies. The only reason why the clan favored Lucius above Vera was that he practiced the Dancing Wind technique, while Vera practiced the signature technique of her birth clan, The River’s Heart. Everyone else was in the late Foundation Establishment stage at most.

Today’s training group was split into two. There were those who practiced in the core Dancing Wind technique, and those who practiced in the sword art variant, the Dancing Wind Blade. As the name suggested, it was the combat version of the core technique and it involved wielding a sword. In order to learn it, one had to reach the mid Foundation Establishment stage with the core technique first. Lucius focused on this latter group. He figured he was most likely to find the other candidate among them, assuming it wasn’t Darian.

Lucius walked along the stone courtyard’s perimeter, watching the rest of his kin. Vera was supposed to have joined him today, so they could both observe, but her sister Lynda had pulled her away to gather medicinal herbs in the Silverwood. At least, that was what Lynda had said. His intuition told him that she had an ulterior motive for pulling Vera away.

As he walked along the perimeter, several of his kin noticed him as well. While they didn’t pause in their training, they kept their eyes on him. Most watched him with open adoration on their faces, while others put on a facade. They wore amiable masks that didn’t hide the jealousy and envy in their eyes. Both reactions disturbed Lucius, though for different reasons.

One of Lucius’ openly adoring kin, Colin Wind Dance, stopped his training and walked up to Lucius. Colin was about Darian’s age, eighteen years old, and at the mid Foundation Establishment stage. This was a little above average by cultivation standards, since it usually took about ten years to reach the Energy Gathering stage, and Colin had started when he was fourteen, like the rest of the clan.

“Senior Brother Lucius,” Colin said after he had reached Lucius, giving him a slight bow. “Would you care to trade pointers? I’m sure that with your guidance, I can correct the deficiencies that plague me.”

While he was correct, Lucius had another goal today.

“I’m afraid I can’t help you right now,” Lucius said with a shake of his head. “However, I can trade pointers with you tomorrow. In fact, I can give you an hour of my time. How does that sound?”

Colin seemed disappointed at first, but a smile broke out on his face when he heard that Lucius would help him for an hour. Lucius often spent half that time with each individual person, since so many of them asked for his help and he had only so much time to spare.

“I look forward to it, Senior Brother Lucius,” Colin said, bouncing on his toes.

After that, he returned to his training with renewed enthusiasm. Lucius continued on his way. A few other people asked for his help, and Lucius declined each time. He promised to make it up to them tomorrow.

When he neared the other end of the courtyard, Lucius witnessed a sight that surprised him. Zayne, Darian’s chief tormentor, was helping a girl much younger than him. The girl looked to be about fifteen, maybe younger, while Zayne was close to Lucius’ twenty one years of age. From what Lucius observed, the girl struggled with even the basics of the Dancing Wind technique.

However, contrary to Lucius’ expectations, Zayne didn’t sneer or look disdainful at this. In fact, he helped the young girl with a patient expression on his face. It was such a departure from the Zayne Wind Dance that Lucius knew.

“Put your foot here and move like this, Junior Sister Clarissa,” Zayne told the girl, demonstrating the movement for her. “Do this, and you’ll notice an improvement in your progress.”

The girl followed Zayne’s advice, or tried to at least. She faltered at the last second, and almost tripped. However, Zayne caught her before she fell.

“So-sorry,” the girl stuttered, her face red. “I just can’t do it, Senior Brother Zayne. Oh, Father and Mother are going to be so disappointed in me.”

Zayne chuckled.

“Nonsense! Of course you can do it. Let me show you.”

Zayne put some distance between himself and the girl. Once he had enough space to move, he started performing the Dancing Wind technique. What Lucius witnessed in that moment took him by surprise. Zayne was only in the mid Foundation Establishment stage, despite his age, which put him below average when it came to cultivation talent. Based on this, and Lucius’ own observations of the man, Lucius expected Zayne’s comprehension of the Dancing Wind technique to be poor.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Zayne’s performance was beautiful and elegant in ways Lucius found difficult to articulate. It was as if Zayne embodied the ideal their clan strove towards, despite the low talent he previously demonstrated. He wasn’t moving like the wind, he was the wind. It was sublime, and contained hints of something profound. Lucius felt his own comprehension of the Dancing Wind technique improve just by witnessing this display. He wasn’t the only one.

Clarissa gazed at Zayne in amazement, stars in her eyes.

“That was amazing, Senior Brother Zayne,” she said. “How did you become so proficient at our clan’s technique?”

Zayne grinned at her and gestured for her to come closer. She did.

“It’s simple,” he said in a conspiratorial tone. “My talent for cultivation is below average. However, hard work, perseverance, and luck can make up for a lack of talent.” He gestured. “Your talent is average, but your luck is high. If you work hard enough, I’m sure you’ll surpass me one day. Call it a gut feeling.”

Clarissa nodded and wore a determined look on her face.

“I won’t let you down, Senior Brother Zayne.”

“I’m sure you won’t, Junior Sister Clarissa.”

As this exchange went on, Lucius looked around. No one else seemed to have noticed Zayne’s performance. They all continued on with their own practice, ignorant of what had just transpired. The only ones who witnessed it were Lucius and Clarissa.

Clarissa went on to focus on her own training. She faltered several times, but she never gave up. Zayne stood there, observing her.

“Junior Brother Zayne,” Lucius called out.

Zayne turned towards him with a sneer on his face, which was more in line with Lucius’ expectations.

“Oh, so you’re done spying and have finally decided to grace this humble Junior Brother with your presence, Senior Brother Lucius,” Zayne said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Lucius ignored his tone.

“Would you care to accompany me for a walk?”

Zayne looked thoughtful at this, before nodding.

“I will, though I can’t be gone for too long. I promised Junior Sister Clarissa I would help her today.”

“That is fine with me,” Lucius said. “I only wish to ask you a few questions.”

With that, the two of them left the stone courtyard, making their way around the paved pathways that weaved around the main hall and the buildings that surrounded it. Lucius didn’t say anything for the first few minutes. Questions buzzed in his mind. The Zayne he had just witnessed with Clarissa was different from the Zayne he knew. The latter was a bully who picked on Darian on a regular basis. Lucius had done what he could, but it was never enough.

“Well?” Zayne asked. “I assume you wished to talk with me about something specific, Senior Brother Lucius. If not, I will return to Clarissa.”

“Why?” Lucius asked. “You treat Darian like the scum of the earth, but I saw you act like a doting brother with this Clarissa. I don’t understand. Why treat Darian with such disregard?”

Depending on his answer, Lucius might see him as the potential candidate Astoria mentioned. He definitely didn’t expect it to be Zayne Wind Dance of all people. The problem was, as far as Lucius knew, Zayne had never left Mt. Wind Dance.

Zayne stopped and faced Lucius with his arms crossed. Lucius stopped as well.

“That depends,” Zayne said. “Do you want the expected answer? Or the real answer? You won’t like it either way.”

“The expected answer?” Lucius asked with a frown.

At that, Zayne’s sneer deepened and his voice took on a nasally quality.

“Of course I would treat Darian like the scum of the earth,” he said. “It’s because he is. Unlike Clarissa, who has some actual talent with cultivation, Darian is worthless. No, he’s worse than that. He is a stain upon Clan Wind Dance’s name. His mere presence is harmful to us. He is the byproduct of a drunken encounter between a cripple and his whore.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zayne’s sneer disappeared and he smirked.

“That is the expected answer.”

Lucius stared at him. He had been fooled by Zayne’s act. It was so good, Lucius had felt his blood boil as he listened to Zayne insult and demean Darian. It had taken a considerable amount of willpower not to strike him.

“And what is the real answer?” Lucius asked.

“Oh, simple. It’s because I was asked to.”

Lucius had not expected that.

“Well,” Zayne continued. “Not quite. We were supposed to let nature run its course, so to speak, but after a certain incident, I decided to take on a more active role to keep a closer eye on the boy. This one seemed like the most fun.” He glanced to the side. “I wonder what that says about me.”

“What are you talking about? What incident? And what do you mean by role?”

Zayne waved off his questions.

“Don’t worry about it. All you need to know is that I am playing a specific part in Darian’s education. Someone had to. Better it be me, rather than you or Vera or someone who doesn’t care about Darian at all.”

Lucius glared at Zayne.

“I would never treat Darian the way you treat him, and neither would Vera. He is our friend, and we care for him.”

Zayne met Lucius’ glare with a sly smile.

“No, but you do look down upon him. You can’t deny it. I mean, why else would you keep looking for him even though he said not to worry about him? If disregarding his words isn’t patronizing, I don’t know what is. Even if you did find him, what was your plan? Drag him back to Mt. Wind Dance by force?”

Lucius had no answer for that, because that had been his plan, at least initially. He didn’t know if it still was. It would depend on the circumstances.

“That is all the time I have to spare, Senior Brother Lucius,” Zayne said. “See you around.”

“Wait, we’re not done talking,” Lucius said, putting a hand on Zayne's shoulder and stopping him.

“I’m done talking.” Zayne broke Lucius’ grip with ease, something he shouldn’t have been able to do at his cultivation level. “Don’t bother trying to tell anyone about our little conversation, you won’t be able to.” He started to walk away, but stopped and looked back at Lucius. “Oh, to put your mind at ease, I’m not the person Astoria told you about. Your first guess was correct, so you can stop looking.” He smirked. “I do look forward to seeing how this all plays out. I should thank that woman, as Astoria calls her. She knows how to make things interesting, I’ll give her that.”

Zayne started to walk away again. Lucius chased after him, but a wave of dizziness washed over him and he passed out. When he came to again, he found himself sitting on a nearby bench. Zayne was nowhere in sight. As his “Junior Brother” said, Lucius found himself unable to tell anyone about what he had found out. No matter how hard he tried, all that came out was silence.