"You know what the scariest part is? Have you ever heard of the Deadzone? It's basically a big graveyard after the great battle in the Heavens decimated the old city. A little while before the guards were murdered, several members of the White Horizon Sect were also killed at a different gate! You know what did it? A bunch of undead from the Deadzone. Some fool actually lured them into the city!" One man entertained his table with the latest gossip. His companion didn't believe him.
"Impossible, the members of the White Horizon Sect might only be a branch family of the greater sects, but they're still cultivators! To suggest that a few undead could hurt them is the height of lunacy! It'd take middle-ranked undead at the very least! No way!" His objections were met with agreement by most. However, the original spreader of the rumor, clearly intoxicated, boasted out to the whole inn,
"It was a higher undead! And I heard from my cousin that when the sect caught the man who caused the incident, they not only killed him, but they actually killed him in the Deadzone!" He looked around proudly, happy to be the center of attention.
"So what? Why is this a big deal? Of course that would happen to anyone stupid enough to commit a crime like that." His companion was still not convinced.
Lineir was face palming on the inside listening to the two. Hearing what had happened from the perspective of an outsider, it made what he did sound really stupid.
"Well, obviously the Deadzone is filled with undead. When they killed him there, he would have died with a grudge! What if he resurrected as a hungry ghost and killed those guards, and is even now, lurking in the city waiting to take revenge on the Sect!" The man at this point was yelling so loud that people were openly glaring at him. The manager quickly walked over, but before he could do anything the man had already collapsed face down onto the table. His companion apologetically tipped a few extra coins and bought a round of drinks for the rest of the inn before carrying off his friend to his room. Lineir's patron, noticed that he was very pale,
"You're not actually scared young man? It's just some drunk with ghost stories. Happens all the time, you should just focus on eating more, you've barely touched your plate. Once you put on a few pounds you'll be a real man and you won't worry about these wild stories! Look, I've got great news, you don't have to sleep out in the stables. The owner here knows me well, and has agreed that since his inn is only half full, you can have a room on the house. Just be sure to spread the word of the Nine Heart Inn's generosity okay? You'll be safe in there, I'll be in the next room over and no ghosties are gonna get you." Lineir sighed, unable to explain the real reason why he was scared to the well meaning man.
Mei, had also noticed Lineir's discomfort,
"Relax kiddo, nobodies going to connect that story with you. It was just a coincidence, go to your room and meditate if you're so worried." Lineir, realizing that there was little to be gained by socializing, quickly finished his food and excused himself. Entering his complimentary room, a small affair, but cozy with clean sheets and a window overlooking the stables, he couldn't complain. Immediately, he locked his room and sat on the bed to meditate. Looking deep inside himself, he immediately grew hot again as natural energies trickled in as if they were waiting for him.
"Keep it up kiddo, a lil more and you should be tested by the elements. Ignore everything else and focus only on seeing what's inside of you!"
Gradually, Lineir began to peirce the veil of darkness which he normally saw when he closed his eyes. Deep inside of him, he almost saw, but more felt, it was hard to explain, a little movement. It was just a gentle tug, like the touch of a child, but it led him deeper inside himself. At that moment, energy burst into him, first shocking yellow currents, then a deep all encompassing dark black, and finally a crimson red which shone even amongst the black. The energy entered through his pores and began to circulate all throughout his veins.
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"Excellent, excellent, the test has arrived, you must stay calm, and envision the energy. Can you see it? Take it, and feel it, now that it has entered you, you must make it yours. Is there more than one color?" Lineir was too focused on the task at hand to answer, but Mei seemed to pick up on a positive cue from him,
"Good, good, that means you have more than one element. Elements can be gained later on, but that takes time, and the ones you first receive will usually be your greatest strengths. It is a great advantage to have more than one."
Lineir looked deep inside himself and could practically feel the energies movements, it moved as if it wanted to be controlled, the reason it was circulating so wildly everywhere was because it was searching for direction, someone to take it over. With a mental tug, he guided the surging yellow energy to his internal center, where that childlike tugging motion was. Instantly, when the energy and that slight motion met, the yellow was sucked in and the gentle tug became a strong hungry pull. Lineir felt a growing crackling power inside him as the energy was stored and bent to his will. He was connected, and it was part of him, as much a part of him as an arm or leg. He was master and it was willing to serve him.
"Excellent, you've managed to pass the test and connect with one of these energies. Now try another!"
This time Lineir tried the black one. Once again, it seemed to want to be directed, but at first Lineir couldn't quite feel it, he couldn't see it completely. When he focused on it more, gradually it too began to be guided to the tug in his internal center, which had become more of a strong pull. When the two touched, it was immediately sucked in as the yellow had and Lineir was bonded with it.
Finally, he tried the red. However, this time, it was different. The red refused to be guided into his center no matter how hard he tried. Mei called out impatient,
"What's going on Kiddo, you should have been done by now. By my estimates you should have two done now, is the third giving you trouble?"
Lineir tried one last time to grasp a feeling of the red but it evaded him, and continued to frustratingly remain diffuse in his veins, stubbornly refusing to enter his center.
"I can't get the last one to enter my center, I can't feel it at all!"
"That's okay kiddo, sometimes this happens, it will come eventually, be it a day, a year, or a century, if you live long enough. Tell me what were the colors of the elements which you got? I can tell you more if I know." Lineir described the vivid yellow and deep black.
"As I expected, since I am fused in your veins, you are naturally inclined towards my main elements. The yellow is the devastating power of elemental lightning! As for the black, it is the strange and variable power of darkness! However, what is the color of the third, if I'm not mistaken this third color should represent your original attribute, and be unrelated to me. Lineir replied truthfully,
"It was red. A crimson red which pervaded everything." Mei was silent for a long, long time. "Hello? Mei-Mei, did you fall asleep? Do you even sleep?" Lineir questioned. Finally, after some time Mei asked with a serious voice,
"Disciple, you are telling the truth right, you're not color blind and telling me random stories? You saw red?" Lineir irate replied, "What reason would I have to tell stories, of course I know what is in my own veins, though I cannot guide this energy to my heart. What element is this?" Mei, hearing this refused to answer,
"Interesting.... I can't tell you until you master this energy and gain control of it. Until then, just train diligently in my elements." Lineir felt something was suspicious,
"Is there something wrong with red? Why are you so offhand all of a sudden. You only needed to know the colors of the others, don't tell me a great expert such as yourself has no explanation, master?" Mei was obstinate though,
"Just trust your master and don't speak of it again until you fuse with it. Now, see if you can feel the inside of your center again. Having passed the first test, you should now have the most crucial part of any cultivator, the Second Inner Heart. Or in your case, I guess the third heart, since you already lost your first heart and gained a second undead heart." Lineir felt this joke was obviously covering something up, but he let it go. There was no point prodding her, he might as well just wait to fuse with the red energy.
At that moment there was a great crashing noise and the floor was violently shaken. Glancing through the window Lineir saw that the stable was aflame! A call from the hallway came,
"Guests, fire! The stable is on fire! Help put it out quickly! Before it spreads!" Immediately doors banged open as guests raced out to answer the call. Lineir staring out his window noticed a dark shape furtively bound away from the stables. A furious knocking on his door came along with the voice of the patron,
"Young man, quick, come help, the owner of the inn needs our help to put out a fire!" Lineir sprung up, he could hardy ignore the debt owed to the owner. With a quick dash, he was still dressed, he was out the door and joining the line of people forming to carry water to the fire.