“Congratulations!” Says the booming voice of a broad shouldered man with long braids trailing to the ground. “You have passed trials and tribulations and proven yourselves worthy to be amongst the illustrious Serpent's Fang sect. I, Jorin Karr, am proud to induct you to join us in the pursuit of strength and immortality. Come, grab your sect token and officially become one of us.”
The children rush in a frenzy before something like order takes over the crowd and they form a line. One by one they grab their token and attach it to their sect robes with infectious glee. Jorin does not say anything, acknowledging each with a smile, until it is Tantra’s turn. He doesn’t frown at her, but he doesn’t smile, simply giving her the token and moving on to the next. Tantra scurries off from his judging gaze and finds a corner where she can be alone.
Father, she sighs, why have you done this?
She knows the reason of course, it’s just stupid. The fanciful dreams of a dying man, if only he had passed before this decision was set in stone. Then she would be back home, managing trade and enjoying proper tea.
Instead she is here.
Oh well, make the best with what you have, that was the first lesson her father taught her. Can’t expect a mountain of coins to solve everything, and that applies to this place to a rather extreme point.
She waits for Master Karr to lead them to their homes as her peers chat and celebrate, avoiding her, for which she is grateful. Until one buffoon decides to interrupt her peace.
“Hi!” Says a boy of modest height and modest pudge, “my name is Yorin, what’s yours?”
She looks at his outstretched hand dubiously before taking it in hers, rudeness is a merchant's bane after all. “Tantra Sol,” She says, “a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The boy stares at her then cocks his head.
“I don’t know half the words you just said.” He states.
Tantra sighs, “It’s nice to meet you.”
-
The house she’s assigned isn’t bad per say, it’s just much smaller than she’s used to, and she’s going to be sharing. Fantastic. She sighs for the hundredth time today as she turns the key and enters the house to be met with no one, good, better this way. She heads off to her new room for the foreseeable future and places down her bag of meager belongings. Father didn’t want her to come with much, saying a proper cultivator doesn’t need baubles and trinkets to reach the heavens, as though she was ever going to become a proper cultivator. She goes to the mirror to inspect herself and finds nothing particularly offensive, other than the obvious lack of cosmetics, she sighs again.
Well, this is her life now, it wouldn’t do to slack. She walks over to her bed and sits down, it isn’t very comfortable, but that's fine. She crosses her legs and closes her eyes, Qi sight is something beyond her, but everyone can feel the presence of the ethereal energy, even if only a little. Tantra does this through a process of elimination, taking in the sensations and categorising them until she can find something that doesn’t fit. It takes a while, and she grabs the Qi of her core and pulls-
Her door slams open, startling Tantra and making her jump back.
“Hello Junior!” says a reptilian girl with scales to replace hair, “I am the amazing Karaz! Kowtow before me, that I might share my vast stores of knowledge!” she says with a slight lisp.
Tantra just stares stunned, blinking at the girl in confusion, “Are you…my housemate?”
Karaz pouts, “I see a distinct lack of kowtowing.”
“Oh lay off Karaz.” someone says behind her, causing Tantra to jump again. There is a girl with black hair tied up into a ponytail, sitting all comfortable on her bed. “She just got here, she doesn’t need to deal with your brand of nonsense, and you interrupted her meditation.”
Karaz squints at the girl, “who are you to tell me what to do? Stalker.”
A cup of tea appears in the girl's hands and she takes a sip, “I was simply observing the attitude of our newest addition.” She glances over at Tantra, “which has revealed something interesting indeed.”
Tantra freezes as she turns to stare at the woman. Could she truly have found her out just through casual observation?
“Well c’mon then” Karaz says as she plops herself onto her bed. “Leaving a girl curious is a crime.”
“In what nation?”
“The kingdom of Karaz.”
“Then I give my thanks to the gods that no such place exists.” She clasps her hands together and bows to no one in particular.
“Bitch” Karaz mutters.
The black haired girl lets loose a large smile, “only the best for a fool.”
“I score higher than you on our exams Sola”
“Common sense and intelligence are two very different attributes, one of which you are greatly lacking.”
Karaz scoffs, “common sense is for common people.”
“Umm.” Tantra interrupts, earning the attention of both the girls. “Apologies honored seniors, but this junior was hoping she could spend her evening in meditation.” She gives each a bow.
Karaz hums, “Well mannered for a young’un,” then she jumps off her bed, “Alright, introductions can come later. The last one isn’t even here.” Then she walks off back to the living area. Sola stays.
Stolen novel; please report.
“How are you here?” She asks, crossing her legs and laying her chin in a hand as she regards Tantra with a neutral expression, “The connection to your soul is too weak, so much so I wonder how you aren’t dead or crippled.”
Tantra looks down shamefaced “I possess a few deficiencies.”
“You talk like a noble, some nepo-child then?” Sola tilts her head and shrugs. “It doesn’t matter in the end, coming here was a mistake, this place will kill you.”
Then she disappears.
Tantra stares at where the girl was with a bewildered expression, was that a technique?
She shakes her head and focuses back on her meditation.
-
The methods of cultivation are no secret, any peasant could cultivate and advance, and indeed many do. The first and most fundamental aspect of cultivation is the soul, the second is the body, and the last is the metaphysical organs in between. Since the soul cannot grow until much later into the journey, it is the body and core that is trained first. That brings us to the present, with Tantra’s hands on her knees, barely staying up and gasping for breath. The sharp crack of a beating stick fills the air as Tantra lets out a yelp of pain, “you bring shame to the Serpent's Fang! You will run until you can’t, or would you prefer we train your durability?”
Tantra just grunts and goes back to jogging. Well, it looks like jogging but she’s pretty sure most others would consider it alternative walking, since that’s about how fast she’s going. She wouldn’t call herself pampered, but she wouldn’t call herself fit either. She went on morning jogs and circulated her Qi occasionally, so as to not fall behind her peers, but she was never meant for this life so she never really took it seriously. Which means she is falling behind. Her peers are still moving at a steady pace while she languishes like a ghoul. There are older disciples who have been at a full sprint for a full half-hour, and aren’t slowing down. She keeps her walk-jog going for as long as she can, but she can’t help when her legs give out from under her and she falls to the ground.
One of the teacher's assistants comes towards her, and she prepares for another beating. Instead he lifts her up and places her down, away from the tracks. “Good job.” Says a chipper voice, “Now circulate” then they turn around and observe the students.
Tantra, out of breath and vision spotty, does as he says.
She has yet to open her meridians, and doubts she ever will, so she has to circulate the old fashioned way. It takes all her focus for a thread of Qi to make its way through her tired body.
It takes all the Qi she gathered yesterday and most of the meager offerings from her soul, and yet her body still could fit more if she simply had more to give. She sighs and stops herself from draining the rest of her Qi, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. When she opens her eyes It is night and all the students have gone, except for one.
“You took so long!” Yorin says, “we missed the day's lecture because of you.” he points accusatively.
Tantra raises a brow, “you waited for me?”
“Of course!” he nods to himself, “What kind of friend would I be If I left?”
Tantra tilts her head, “we’re friends?”
“Uh-huh”
“Since when?”
“Since yesterday.” He puffs out his chest proudly. “I can’t just leave a weakling alone, it would be wrong.”
Tantra chuckles, “So even you can tell?”
“Of course! You're so thin, and so pale! Like the sun has never kissed your skin.”
Tantra can’t help it, she lets out a snort, then pales at herself.
“My apologies,” she bows.
Yorin tilts his head, “For what?”
“For presenting myself in such an undignified manner.” She says.
Yorin scrunches his brow, “If you're gonna use big words at least teach me what they mean.”
Tantra stares at him, then shrugs, “sure.”
-
She passes by a myriad of disciples as she makes her way to her new living situation, hobbling away at the pace of a snail, with shaky legs that cause more than a few to chuckle and snicker. It’s embarrassing, but she tries to ignore them, she’s not very successful.
She has a much bigger problem than being a laughingstock though, it’s night, meaning she has no time to meditate. So tomorrow’s going to be full of pain just for the fun of it, she glowers at the thought.
Eventually she reaches the home she’s been assigned where she finds a pale girl with dark blue hair who can’t be much older than a toddler sitting there. Her eyes are an endless sea of black, sclera and all. She sits cross legged as she regards Tantra.
The girl gets up, brushes off her robes, then extends a hand to Tantra.
“Weakling!” She says, smiling, “Welcome to Ranya’s house! Ranya will do her best to be a good housemate, so please be patient with her as she is doing her best.”
Tantra blinks, didn’t she already say that?
She takes the offered hand and shakes it.
“You are Ranya I presume?” She says bemused.
“She is!” Ranya says, “What is pre-zoom? Is it before the being of fast?”
Tantra chuckles, “I am Tantra Sol, and presume is like assuming something-” Ranya gives a confused look “-or like guessing, well not exactly, it’s like guessing when you know your guess is right?”
Ranya tilts her head, “wouldn’t that just be knowing?”
“Apologies, I am explaining this poorly.” Tantra says while scratching her head.
“That’s okay Tantan, Ranya has trouble with words too!”
Tantan?
“Good to see you two getting along.” says a voice as Sola suddenly just appears beside Ranya, who seems unfazed as Tantra jumps with her extremely sore legs.
Sola chuckles.
Ranya grabs her ear and pulls.
“Ow ow ow ow, Ranya! Stop!” Sola begs. “I’m sorry, okay?”
“Sorry Sola, Ranya must punish bullies on sight. it is a sacred duty.”
-
Sola is rubbing at her ear and grumbling to herself as Ranya goes to grab Karaz, Tantra wonders about her methods as she hears a yelp before the two exit the hall and enter the living room.
“We are ready!” Ranya says proudly.
“Yeah, totally ready.” Karaz mumbles while taking a seat, “let's please get this over with, I had a shit day.”
Ranya jumps up and smacks Karaz on the back of the head.
“No swearing!” Ranya scolds.
Karaz grumbles, but to Tantra’s surprise, actually acquiesces.
“Alright, who wants to go first?” Sola asks.
Karaz raises her hand.
“This one is the magnanimous Karaz, but you already knew that. I’m in this shi-” Ranya gets ready to pounce,”-craphole because beast bloods aren’t exactly welcome in the proper sects. That and I fit the aesthetic.”
Ranya gives her a little clap and goes to stare at Sola.
Sola Sighs.
“I’m Sola Razan, I’m here to learn how to kill”
Tantra raises a brow before Ranya continues the proceedings.
“This is Ranya! Ranya is possessed by a Daemon! She is here to learn how to eat it before it eats her.”
Tantra stares, “You’re possessed by a Daemon?”
“Yes!”
Tantra doesn’t really know what to say to that, at least nothing polite, so she chooses to say nothing. Surely the sect masters wouldn’t place an obvious danger right in the middle of their homes? Surely Ranya has it under control.
Surely.
Three pairs of eyes look at her inquisitively and Tantra sighs.
“I am Tantra Sol, I was brought here because of my father's dream to raise an immortal.”