Lu Gui's PoV
[In this chapter, I will illustrate the commonly accepted origins of ink and subsequent power derived from it. Along with each of the base sigils and their interaction.
Magic, along with its other forms, require energy from the Everflow: a natural phenomenon that suffuses the world with energy. But there exist an exception to that: Miracles, who do not use any ink but create similar effects. Yet, miracles, like magic and sorcery, can impact the world just the same, altering the rules and laws of the mundane world.
The most agreed-upon idea of why such a feat is possible states that: it is the pure energy of the Everflow that is able to break the bonds of matter and twist it. Yet is naturally in an inert form until someone gives it intent.
But it is when trying to find the origin of the Everflow that debates and arguments arise. Many suppose that the Everflow, alongside the ability to wield its energy, is a tool given to us by the Great Tinkerer, an entity who is allegedly responsible for all change and creation. To help life grow and survive and ultimately thrive.
Another majority say: that it is to spite another such being responsible for the caretaking of reality.
Others say that the Great Tinkerer, who they call Mother Chaos, isn’t even aware of our existence. That the Everflow is the equivalent of the air someone breathes out, or the hair that falls from one's head, that everything is pure happenstance.
Yet a persistent minority ,who existed long before the others, claim that: indeed the Everflow is mere happenstance. Yet all life was allowed to use it, to create gifts for the Caretaker, Mother Order and gardener of existence. Just like one would carve a wooden puzzle or other such gifts for children or one’s beloved.
Whoever you choose to believe, know that magic, sorcery or the ability to influence the world is not innately wrong or evil. But like every power already existing, it creates easy shortcuts to take. Be stalwart and self observant, for the world already has many tyrant kings, cruel mage lords and deviant sorcerers. May this power not make you take the easy way by cutting through who you are and what you believe. Sometimes that hard and painful way is the good one.]
Looking at the long preambles, I shake my head with a sigh. ‘This girl really needs to learn how to pace her writing. Alright, at least she seems to have a good head on her shoulders. Next part is the one I am looking for, so there are 10 sigils?’
[ Space, Time, Order, Chaos, Solid, Fluid, Matter/Life, Energy, Light and Darkness.]
‘But why is matter scratched? Guess I will have to ask her…’ I look at the hefty book, as a brief pang of sadness surges.
‘I can’t believe it’s been 18 years already since that day. I still think how stupid I was to refuse her offer. If I had accepted back then, maybe my little Dan could have still been here with us… Come Gui, you gotta stop doing this. You’ve blamed yourself long enough, enough that your Huan returned with her own mini Mina in tow…’ I look outside the window as I hear the sound of blades singing through the air, as the earth rumbles with heavy steps. I can’t help but smile as I look at her, pride swelling in my heart, and yet I can't help but feel that something will go wrong. Dark thoughts surfacing in my head.
‘If this is a cruel joke of heavens, to make history repeat itself. I won’t stand for it. If I have to cast the heavens down and trample onto the Will of heaven themselves. I will do it. I’ve already let myself grow old and complacent for too long, letting myself be weak and frail, be a cripple unable to make my blades sing like hers.’ Looking back at the grimoire, I clench my teeth and return to it.
‘This time i will be ready.’
“Grandfather! We need to talk.” Huan calls out, her voice as poised as always, yet i can feel that there’s something wrong, like she is a bit tense. ‘Crap, did something happen already?!’
“Sure, come on in.” Closing the grimoire and setting it aside. I open the door for them as they enter my forge. I can already see little Iulia doing something to the surroundings.
“What’s the matter, why are you looking so scared, Iulia? What happened?” I try to be calm and serene, hiding my own fear from them as they look around before returning their sight to me. Iulia hands me a letter, her hand trembling slightly as she does so.
“Read it, and tell us what you think about it.” What I heard in Huan’s voice was echoed in Iulia, in a much more evident way though. Taking the missive, I find a wax seal on the back, meticulously intact, as I recognise the symbol impressed in it.
The Fan clan’s wheel and sword. ‘This is bad, really bad news.’ My heart started to sink before I even started reading. Yet as I did so, my feelings were confirmed.
‘It is that snake again, trying to meddle with my family. Trying to rip apart what little peace I still have, trying to obtain more cards for herself to use on Yongzheng.’ My hands ball into fists, but I breathe out.
‘This is exactly what she wants, an overreaction, she wants to have the remaining ‘weakness’ of Yongzheng in her hands, shouldn’t she already be satisfied with what she has?’ Looking back up, I can see that there’s more to it than a simple ‘invitation’ letter.
“Who gave this to you?”
“I do not know. He said he was just a ‘kind’ neighbour who received a letter after it was delivered at the wrong address. But that’s the thing, Iulia said that the way he moved was unnatural, that he didn’t even make any sound as he crept up on her. And that he somehow has more Ki than both Duan Ning and his uncle.” Huan looks between the letter and Iulia, concern obvious in her eyes despite how still her face is.
“Right. And what do you intend to do?” That was the obvious question, yet, one they didn’t think about. Looking at each other, I can see that they are conflicted on what to do.
“I want to go.” Huan say, looking at me firmly. ‘Just like her mother before her.’
“And you?” I turn to Iulia. She was surprised by what my granddaughter said, but somehow agreed immediately.
“I will go with Huan, this doesn’t feel right. I want to be there if something is to happen. Plus nobody will expect to be swept aside by a so-called ‘cripple’.” There was worry, anguish, but also a vicious smile as she took Huan’s hand with hers. Huan looked down, and then at her friend, yet she said nothing as she looked away.
“Alright. I will support your decision then. But before that, I need the two of you to understand what you’ll be getting your head into. And also to understand that: Whatever happens in Kui city, do not ever trust this woman, this Meili Namgoong and her minions. She will use whatever means she has to obtain what she desires, and that desire is: power and control.”
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Iulia’s PoV
‘Of course there’s a mastermind behind all of this… why not? Why can’t it be just a simple family affair? Urhhhh…’
“So, why is she doing all of that? What’s her goal? Because power and control are means to get things, last I remember. Wait, don’t tell me she wants those just for the sake of having them?” I ask as the older man looks at me and shrugs.
This is getting exasperating. The moment I start sighing, Lu Gui starts grinning, trying his best to stifle a laughter.
“Ok, what’s going on?”
“Oh please, don’t frown at me like that. It’s nothing bad, I promise. It’s just, you have the same reaction Mina had back then when we talked about this. Just so you know, so you don’t get blindsided: that woman is not an isolated case. That is, sadly, how most people coming from the big clans and sects think. You’ll see many acts just like that on your way there alone.”
“You mean like rich spoiled brats? Without a shred of empathy, expecting the world to bend over to their every word and when it doesn’t happen like they want, their fragile egos send them on a hate crusade to defend any perceived slights?”
“That’s about right, didn’t you just get here like not even a week ago?” He tilts his head as he looks at me confused yet satisfied.
“Yeah, but sadly it turns out that rich brats disconnected from the world exist everywhere.”
“Right, one could hope, but still. That Meili Namgoong is not just that, but someone that grew up and old inside those circles. She is calculating and vicious, I wouldn’t say that the attack from nine years ago is her doing, but there’s no way she wasn’t in the know or even pull a few strings to advantage her many plans.”
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“Are you sure?” Huan asks, her hands trembling in mine, her eyes riveted to her grandfather.
“Yes, but I would advertise to be cautious about it. That personage is really hard to pin blame down onto, and unless you have solid evidence and whatever figure of authority in your pocket. She will lash back two-folds harder than what she received before trying to ruin your reputation and the life of those around.” Gui talked with experience as he slumped in his chair, somehow appearing older than he already is.
“There might not be a need for any of that.” ‘The air in the room chilled, Huan looked into the empty room as she had a small yet dangerous smile tugging at her lips. Oh heavens…I think I might be a bit screwed in the head.’
“Hold your horse, Huan. Maybe it won’t come to that.” I squeeze her hand, trying to calm her down. As the old man bellows even harder than before.
“You might have a chance if you do that, but she is still one of the ten grand clan. And the Namgoong pride themselves in all of their members' abilities with the sword. I pray that it won’t come down to that too. But be ready for anything, there will be spies, ears and eyes in the walls and ceilings.”
“I will.”
“So, what do you want to get out of there? Apart from accepting this thinly veiled threat?’ Gui pulls out his pipe, putting dried herbs in the container and lighting them on fire. His face mellows as he takes a puff from it.
“I want to meet my other grandfather. Ask about him, who he is, but also about mother’s life there.” She breathes in hard, trying to calm herself before adding. ”There are things I want to know, such as who organised the raid nine years ago. I want to find all who are responsible, or were somehow linked to that event. I want to make them pay for what they’ve taken from me.” The two look into each other's eyes, the tension palpable.
“Like I said, I support you. But know that at the end of that road is nothing but even pain and suffering. I am not saying it isn’t your right to take revenge, just be mindful about it. Do not stoop to their levels, they aren’t worth it.” I could see the pain and sadness in his face as he held his gaze to hers.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But, try to not drown yourself in your anger and pain, alright? Can I count on you, Iulia? To help her out if she needs to? To get her to straighten out her mind?”
“Yes sir, I will do my best to help her and keep her safe and sane.” I blabber before even thinking, but I don't regret the words I said.
“Good lass. Keep an eye on her, and don’t let her do something she will regret.”
“I will.”
“Good. Now, there’s a few things I need to prepare. When do you wish to leave?”
“Three days should be enough for the both of us to recover, what do you think?” She asks me, her hand squeezing mine.
“Should be doable. I still need to organise my bags, I left in a rush back then, so that’s that. Could you help me Huan?” She nods, squeezing my hand again, much softer this time.
We left the forge as the old man started digging through his reserve. Going to my room, I started by emptying my large backpack.
Inside were most of my clothes, a few books I kept, and some preserved food like the fruit leather from last time.
The shoulder bag had all of my wands, staves and old grimoires, most were old but still attuned to me.
Lastly was another shoulder bag, yet it was much smaller and looking like a coin purse. Inside were the many herbs and seeds I was told to keep on hand at all time, something Mina barely got to teach me. Along those is the crystal ball Minadora created, still containing our home tree and garden.
“Hum… What's this?” Huan said, picking the glass orb I put aside. Most of the room was now filled with my stuff, making it hard to move.
“That’s my mentor’s home. Or at least was. That’s where we lived together, where she taught me all I know about painting too.” I can feel tears welling up at the corner of my eyes. Rubbing my tears away, I take the orb and peer into it. I can still feel Minadora’s overwhelming intent contained inside the orb as a feeler made of energy extends out of it.
Curiosity getting the better of me, I extend my own Ink towards it.
The world around me immediately changed and shifted as I felt myself being moved through space. When everything calmed down, I could see where I was. Far above is my tree-home’s branches extending high into an artificial bright blue sky. The air felt clean and fresh as a soft breeze blew through the leaves.
I am inside it. Standing before my home, inside the orb.
“That’s impressive.” “AAAAAHHHHHHH’ I jump around as I scream, scared shitless. Only to see Huan standing there with nothing better to do than look at me with that smug smirk of hers.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” I bat at her torso, she chuckles as she pushes me away, a hand on my head.
“I just saw you disappearing, you don’t expect me to do nothing about it, do you?” ‘THIS… FUCK.’
“Fine, thanks. You still scared me. Stop smiling like that, you mean woman!”
“Sorry.” Her face returns to her expressionless mask.
“No, ah! Not like that, sorry. I didn’t mean for you to not smile or enjoy yourself. Just… don’t be mean?”
“I could try.” Her lips tugs back up, but only so. ‘ I guess that’s progress.’
“So? This is it? This is where you lived?” she starts walking around. Looking up at how the tree looked, how the trunk has been warped by magic to enlarge and grow wider, how it was smoothly woven into a home, yet still looked intact and without any exterior add-ons.
“Yes, all of it is my mentor’s work. Or rather, your mother’s. I guess this is as much my home as it is yours. Want to see around?” I ask, walking up to her and offering my arm.
She looks at me, raising an eyebrow at the gesture but took my arm in hers all the same.
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Huan’s PoV
“This is where Minadora would summon or create her familiars.” Iulia says, the room around us is dark and dreary, deep underground and past their cellar and fermenting alcohol reserve. The room was one paved with even grey stones.
To the far left was a large purple circle on the floor, like deep grooves dug into one solid piece of black stone. “That’s where she would call upon the being of other realities to bargain things and exchange favours with. That’s why those robes are there and the circles are there for, to help protect the summoner in case whoever they called decided to get ideas.” The robes were pitch black and had hoods extending far past one’s face, long sleeves with the same goal to cover and hid a person’s body.
“Over there is the biomancy workshop. Where she would create her familiars from scratch... Oh shit! Don’t move, I need to do something real quick.” she bolted past the large metallic desk, towards the door that stood beside it. I could hear the sound of a blade being drawn.
I followed after her, despite being told not to. Yet what i saw back there made me understand why.
“Iulia, tell me. Why do the pots and walls look like they are growing flesh, bones and other organs? Why is there a vat full of blood there?” The view was sickening, memories of my time the demonic alchemist cells returning. This place was like the fields of demonic growth, without the screams of pain, the wails and the putrid stench. Like a twisted forest or garden where flesh and bones grew from boxes while a series of vats were filled with different organs floating inside, all linked together by a string of flesh.
‘I’ve seen many things there, but this? This place would fit in perfectly back at the Blood Demon cult’s black laboratories.’
“Hey, I told you to stay there. This is why i told you, I didn’t want you to see this.”
“And why? Why didn’t you want me to see this, painter Iulia?”
“Because it is gruesome? Look, I won't say that it is not what it looks like, because it clearly is a flesh farm. But this, all of this: comes from Minadora’s own flesh and blood.”
“What?” I stared at the small woman, she wasn’t making sense. Why would.. What?
“Look, I can see that this is clearly disturbing you. Just know that nobody suffered for all of this to be here. This is a cloning farm. Each of the pots, vats and planters are inscribed with a biomancy sigil to make different body parts grow. Imagine this place like a field that’s growing body parts, where you can come, take the organ that you need and replace the damaged one in your body. This place exists because healing magic has a limit. It cannot restore what your mind thinks is normal. Remember when I fixed your badly healed nose?”
I nod, still angry and uncomfortable.
“Because I’ve just met you, my mind still hasn't registered that your nose is not supposed to look like that. But If it was you that tried to do that, the part of your mind that has already adapted and accepted how your nose was would have tripped your spell. That’s just one of the many exemples. If you get a certain type of curse that hampers healing magic, you would need to use biomancy to fix your body. That’s why there’s vats of blood, limb trees, planters of organs and eye flowers. Those are grown in houses, inside empty vessels like this one.” She hands me a small earthen bottle, with the side adorned with grooves.
“Right…” I feel more and more weirded out as she hands it to me.
“Can we please get out? I promise you, this is all spell grown, cruelty free organs. Not just that, Minadora even helped people who lost limbs by grafting one of these on them, altering them to fit the person in question, of course. But still!” With a sigh, I turn around, walking away from this place, the painful memories drifting away.
“Right, sure. I believe you. So, what did you need to do there?” She quickly follows behind me, looking uncomfortable.
“All the spells were still active, I had to put them in stasis mode, but the interface has been overgrown by the cloned flesh.” My stomach sinks as I hear that.
“But hey, all that stuff saved countless lives. Mine included. I didn’t use to look like this, you know? I was quite small and sickly before, and more than that: I was also a plain regular boy too.” I turn around, surprised by the shift in Iulia’s voice, now barely above a whisper.
She leads us the way out before I can give her comment some more thoughts. Leading us through the more normal rooms of the house, bedrooms, library, observatory and a regular looking alchemy lab.
“And lastly, this is the kitchen. But, I guess your appetite went out the window. I am sorry about that." She looks apologetic as she tries to make comfort me.
"I was disgusted and scared too, you know? Back when Teacher showed me the cloning farm. I had thought she was the same kind of witch from the stories, kidnapping children and eating people. But that never happened. There’s no prisoner or guinea pig or something like that. I think i know what you want to say: Biomancy is gross, and i agree with you. But that's the thing, it can help people, give them new limbs or eyes, kill disease which healing magic can't do. That's a price I am ready to pay, and will keep doing so, so long as I can help other's with it.“ She takes a seat in a wooden chair as I look around, trying to force my mind onto other things. This place looks normal, compared to what I've just witnessed down there. Just a well lived kitchen, albeit a bit on the fancy side: wooden cupboards with marks around the handles, indents on the table from a knife. Yet most things here looked just like in grandpa's home, engraved sigils nearly everywhere, sink, table, over and many more.
'Speaking of, there's some pastries still steaming hot in the oven. Must be some sort of magic too, I guess.'
“Can we leave? I think I've seen enough for now.” 'I don’t know what to think, everything here was either extremely common, or some stupefying thing, either grandiose and fantastical or abhorrent and horrifying.'
She didn’t say anything, and instead brought us out of there. Back into her room. “I will stay here if you need me. I will transfer my things back there, or at least what I don't think will be useful while travelling.”
I nod and get out. Already feeling more at ease as I leave the house.