Martin stood next to the pedestal of the City Core, in the sect rotunda. Couches and chairs had been dragged to form a semicircle, where the members of the sect were currently gathered. Adam and Annette were front and center, along with Cooper, Helene, Gabrielle, and Eric. Students had trickled in after the initial recruitment efforts and had been diligently cultivating ever since. Newer members sat further back. They had joined after hearing about the sect from the various newspapers around the city, once they passed Annette’s vetting process. Those were still working on sustaining active cultivation, and weren’t ready for this next lesson. He figured if he did the lecture once and let them sit in, it would be a while before he had to do it again. And there was nothing like watching others burn their meridians into their bodies to make sure novices didn’t get it into their heads to do it on their own.
Esther joined them with a cart full of snacks and two types of tea. She distributed the drinks, carefully handing pre-poured cups to the front row and passing down some towel-wrapped tea pots for the rest. When everyone was settled Martin started in on the lecture he had memorized from his own youth.
“Drink up while I explain. The entire cup. It tastes disgusting but it will help you comprehend your internal mana flows. You’ll be grateful for it when we start the process.”
“Why don’t we use it all the time then?” Cooper had been a university student, and Martin found that meant he asked the same amount of questions as a curious child figuring out the world for the first time.
“Because it's an addictive hallucinogen. Now, back to what I was saying. Mana moves around everything in the world. There are cosmic flows linking our world to the greater universe, flows around and through the world itself, and flows within every living thing. As cultivators we use our will to leverage this mana to do whatever it is we want. Right now you all can move your mana around your bodies, and sense mana outside of you. Some of you can push your mana out into the world. Once –”
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“-- you burn your meridians in, you will be able to use your own mana to interact and control the ambient mana all around us. This is how we create the external effects of our techniques. Think lightning swords and things like that. They will also allow mana to circulate all the time, instead of only when you’re focusing on it. It is a foundation. Later you’ll be working to increase the speed or refine the paths, eventually infusing your entire body.”
Laurel looked down at her students from where she was pacing. They were gathered around the fire pit, sitting on logs that had been dragged back to camp to use for seating. Tin mugs were cupped in each set of hands as they forced the disgusting brew down. Even so many decades later, Laurel still gagged at the scent of atrician mushrooms. Knowing this was a likelihood on the mission, she had packed enough of the revolting powder for everyone.
The forest wasn’t ideal for this. They would all be dead to the world for a few hours as their pathways were created, and hard earth wasn’t the most comforting. At least the valley was about as safe as possible. All of her portable formations were set out and she had flown around the entire valley before starting the explanation, confirming there were no other cultivators, or anyone else, lurking about. Having never led anyone through the process before, she channeled the same lectures as the masters who taught her as a child.
“It’s important not to force it. Trip, I know when you cultivate, the mana concentrates in your hands in a sort of web. Rebecca, Leander, you’ve got the larger veins going into each limb. These are both fairly common. The worst thing you can do is try and force your mana where it doesn’t want to go naturally. Eventually you’ll have a mana network closer to mine, infusing every part of your body. Trying to do so without your first set of meridians will be, well, it probably won’t kill you. It will definitely set your cultivation back though, and it will feel like you died.”
“In a few minutes, you’ll start circulating your mana. First, you’ll get into a steady cultivation state, observing the pattern. Then you’ll use a mental spark to –”
*******
“-- ignite the flow. Hand down Cooper, no it's not real fire. That’s just the best way to visualize it. You’re forcing the mana to anchor to your physical body. This will be easy, your mana wants existing paths to flow through, rather than recreating them each time you cultivate, like you’re doing now.”
The entire room had blanched at this last part of the explanation. Martin leaned forward and nudged Annette to keep drinking her potion. Stars above, Laurel better get back soon because he was never doing this again. Or maybe Adam or Cooper would like giving the theoretical lectures once they had a bit more experience under their belt. They went off on tangents sometimes about book sorting systems so it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.
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“The most important thing to remember about the process is to keep cultivating. It will hurt. A lot. Until one of you gets strong enough for a spatial tattoo, it will be far and away the most excruciating experience of your lives. That’s the price of power. Everyone else, pay attention. There is no shortcut for this process if you don’t want to stunt your future growth.
“You all came to the sect for different reasons. We don’t judge those, or ask for details. If you want to leave right now, you can do so with our blessing. But once you do this, you are truly on the road of cultivation as a member of the Eternal Archive –.”
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“-- with all the privileges and perils that entails. Trip, Reina, Reynard, I’ve very much enjoyed having you as students. But as guests and not official sect members, your training from me ends after this. You will be welcome to apply to the library to study further techniques we have stored there, though depending on the technique that will require some service to the sect.
“Any last questions?” No one asked. The children looked firm in their convictions, the way only young people can. She hoped that was out of loyalty and not fear of being stranded. The soldiers were more apprehensive, but none balked at the step.
“Get to it then. I’ll be here watching but you’ll be focused internally and won’t notice us for a few hours at least. Relax into the effects of the tea and start cultivating.”
She watched as eyes closed and breathing rhythms evened out. There was nothing left she could do to help, every cultivator had to cross this hurdle in their own way.
********
Leander was dying. He must have done the bad thing Laurel told him not to. Every part of his body was on fire. At the same time he could see the mana moving through him. The colors were speaking to him but he couldn’t understand what they were saying. He saw rivers flowing from his heart to his hands and feet. They were changing. Getting more real somehow. But it was so slow, and he would be turned to ash before then. He kept trying though. Laurel had said he couldn’t stop cultivating, so he wouldn’t. Instead he focused on the other thing she said. If he got through this then he would be a real member of the sect, who couldn’t leave or be sent away.
*********
Adam was dying. He hadn’t believed Martin, though the man never lied, as far as he could tell. But surely nothing could be worse than his spontaneous aspecting during the trial. Wrong. So, so wrong. Distantly, he could feel his body convulsing on the couch. There was no time to pay attention to that as he watched his mana creep up towards his brain. He wanted to stop it, you can’t let any unexplainable mystical force slither into your head. But he held on by a thread. He had clawed his way off the streets and into polite society, only to be kicked back out after a simple mistake. Stopping now would mean starting over and he had no desire to waste the second chance he had already been given.
*******
Martin watched the flailing sect members in front of him. The screams had mostly stopped, they’d either gone hoarse already or were so removed from the physical that even their subconscious couldn’t make noise any more. A brief check confirmed they were all still breathing at least, and holding their cultivation. Everyone else had left the rotunda. It was difficult watching your friends scream and writhe in agony, Martin didn’t begrudge them fleeing from the sight. He would stay. The whole point of a sect was that there were others around to show support, even when they couldn’t do anything to help.
“How long will they be like this?” The question came from Esther. Martin was surprised she had come back. Once the screams started the formidable woman had hustled Lucy out of the room like a bowshot.
“A few hours. If you could have the spiritual mint steeping they’ll be eternally grateful.”
“Of course. Of course.” The matron was wringing her hands, lingering with more to say. He waited for her to come to it, they had time, after all. He might play the brash cultivator but he still had the patience of a century-old master when he needed to.
“I’m not sure I can let my daughter go through something like that.”
“You’re not alone. I think there’s a good reason sects end up with so many orphans. Or children from rich families whose parents want or need the prestige but don’t know the realities of cultivating. It’s a difficult thing to point someone you care about down a path that you know holds danger and pain.
“Know this: neither you nor Lucy will ever be forced to leave the sect, whether or not you choose to pursue cultivation. This is your home, and I know I speak for Laurel as well when I say we are happy for you to be here. Saying that, if Lucy comes to us and asks to learn how to cultivate, we’ll be honor-bound to teach her.”
Esther frowned slightly but gave Martin a pat on the shoulder anyway. “Thank you.”
“Enough heavy stuff. As though the sect wouldn’t riot if you and your baking ever decided to leave. Today is a happy occasion, gross as it is to watch. Tonight they’ll rest but tomorrow we’ll celebrate!”
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“Yeah, not sure how many army recruits we’re going to get to sign up for that.” Kat was puffing on a cigar as they all watched the new cultivators shivering and shaking on the ground. Laurel had put pillows and blankets beneath them but that only did so much.
“I don’t know, I’ve met a few people in my day that would jump on the chance to take the pain if it means they can breathe fire or something,” Maria said.
“As disturbing as that is, I’m inclined to agree. Power always draws those willing to do anything to seek it,” Laurel said.
“I’m sorry, you think my thought’s disturbing and then come out with that?”
Instead of answering, Laurel pulled a small table and a game board out of her tattoo and set it up on the opposite side of the fire from the still occasionally thrashing cultivators. “Anyone up for a game of byd?”
They stayed awake into the evening, waiting for their friends and charges to wake up. Rebecca was first. She bolted upright with a gasp, then a whimper as her whole body and soul protested the quick movement. Laurel repaid the girl's kindness from the previous day by handing over a tea made from her own stores of spiritual mint.
“Drink. Nothing will take away the pain entirely. But this will at least let you fall asleep for the worst of it. I’m proud of you, well done.” Her voice was low to avoid agitating Rebecca’s headache, but she saw a flinch at the noise. The girl gratefully slurped down the tea and then crawled to her tent. The process repeated with the others and everyone went to rest for the evening while Laurel kept watch.