“My mother was used like yours,” Racha stated, his face twisting with emotion.

Haylock could see the young man was gritting his teeth, jaws muscles tight.

The earth cultivator closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out, slowly using his hands in some weird movement as he repeated the process.

The chi within Racha moved slowly, reflecting his breathing and the technique he was using. Nini didn’t appear anxious about the boy's action, so he was intentionally slow as his roots moved in that direction, just to be safe.

Opening his eyes, a calm, blank look now replaced the angry one a moment ago.

“My mother was a gift from my grandfather. Xkarn took her as a wife, hoping for a son who would be worthy of his name. Unfortunately, I did not impress him as much as he hoped, so my mother was taken from me when I was five and turned into one of his many pill furnaces.”

Haylock could see Nini’s face. She looked shocked as her eyes went wide.

“Why do you stay with him?” she asked. “I mean…”

“What else can I do?” Racha replied with a shrug. “You know our life. I have talent and can cultivate. Either I became a cultivator under him or found myself in a far worse position. The contests and things I have done show my potential decades from now. If at some point I fail to impress, my father will do to me what he did to my mother.”

Slowly, Racha moved his finger over to where a ring was, similar to the one Haylock had choked on the day before.

“May I?”

After Nini nodded, the boy pulled out a pouch. Digging into it, he eventually held up a white metallic necklace with a weird bird image.

“This is the last thing I remember and have of my mothers. If my father knew I had it…” Racha shuddered and shook his head. “I’m willing to strike a bargain if you are willing.”

Cocking her head to the side, Nini studied the boy and the necklace he held.

“What kind of bargain?”

“Help me kill my father.”

Nini coughed, and she glanced at Racha and then back at Haylock, who was just rooted in the same spot, unsure of what kind of crazy scene was playing out before him.

Just how fucked up is this world? These two talk about killing someone like it’s no less common than taking out the trash!

“Why… I mean, how…” Nini stuttered for a few seconds as she tried to comprehend what Racha was saying. “You and I both know he is at the ninth stage! We cannot match that power! Even in thirty or forty years, I doubt we could achieve what he has. The other elders and masters make sure to limit growth like that.”

“They do, but your plant back there is different. My gift lets me see chi, and the second we got here, I could tell it was stronger than me and only slightly weaker than my idiot of a brother. Had he fought it one-on-one, I doubt your plant would have survived, but since it had help…” trailing off, Racha shrugged. “It’s demonic, isn’t it?”

Nini’s breathing was betraying her, coming faster than normal.

“What if it is?”

Racha laughed.

“You ask like we both don’t know it’s true. That rabbit… I’m guessing that is what it summoned and drew all of us here. I’m guessing the flower didn’t know how dangerous that was?”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Rolling her eyes, Nini nodded. “No… no, it did not.”

Chuckling, Racha shrugged. “A dangerous thing to be certain, but it proves to me how powerful it is. The difference between that plant right there and what you and I have is the potential for growth. Surely your grandmother told you that.”

Wincing at being reminded of Mimi, she turned and looked at the tent.

“She did mention that,” Nini replied as her head slowly returned to Racha.

“So, what is the bargain you want to make?”

Smiling, Racha put the necklace back in the pouch and then stored it in his ring.

“In order for your flower to grow, you’ll need monsters or cultivators. I’m assuming you're too weak to hunt them in the forest, but I can sense wards around your place that keep them away. The stronger it becomes, there will come a time when it should be able to help us. Similar to a master who shares their power with a disciple.”

Nini’s head bobbed slowly, starting to see the big picture.

“So you want me to let you be a part of all this,” she said, motioning to Haylock behind her. “All for the chance to possibly kill Xkarn.”

The grin was back, and Racha nodded.

“My whole life, I have trained with one purpose. Every decision I have made has been built around getting revenge. I can see that same look in your eyes. Together, we might have a better chance.”

Haylock began to gag, making an awful noise that got the two younger people staring at him.

Reaching in with a vine, he pulled out the necklace the young man had been wearing along with a weird belt with an ugly belt buckle.

Do they have cowboys here? Who wears crap like that?

“Oh! He had his belt! You’ll definitely want to keep that,” Racha exclaimed as he motioned to the two items now on the ground before Haylock, covered in saliva and blood.

“What’s it do?” Nini asked as she motioned for Racha to move closer.

“I’ll pass if that’s ok,” Racha replied with a wink. “Until I know for certain that it won’t eat me. As far as the belt it will help you take chi and convert it to match yours. It isn’t a huge amount but as you and I both know, any help is better than none.”

Nini tried to not vomit as the smell of the belt and necklace hit her. She made a face and grabbed just the necklace, flicking it to try and remove the saliva on it.

“This is so nasty, Flower… why does it smell so bad?”

Haylock took a vine and gave her a playful shove, almost toppling her over.

Nini laughed, regaining her balance, and took a few steps toward Racha.

“Flower, will you eat him if Racha comes closer, promising not to attack any of us?”

Haylock wished he could have rolled his eyes but instead moved his massive flower back and forth, watching the young man’s face. Racha’s mouth opened for just a moment before he quickly closed it.

“It can communicate already! Amazing!”

Slowly, the young man moved to where Nini was, his eyes never moving from Haylock or the two vines that occasionally twitched in the air.

“Here,” Nini said as she tossed the necklace to Racha.

Catching it, the boy began to tap the necklace in a pattern. After about twelve taps, he stopped and took a few steps back.

“I’m going to empty it. Easier that way.”

Haylock still couldn’t believe how much had been in the necklace. A giant pile of rocks rested near the wall, at least six feet high and another twelve feet long.

This guy had that much stuff in there with him… was he like some kind of hoarder?

Other piles had been separated by the two as they chatted and talked, discussing different items, including the weapons, armor, and supplies Kode had kept in the necklace.

“You’re certain you only want those two pill bottles and two wild chi balls?”

Racha nodded, waving off her question as he stored the last of the four items he had taken.

“The balls will serve as proof of me getting a few kills from the monsters in the forest,” he replied. “I’ll tell my father that we were ambushed by the ice cultivator and that Thomas was there with a few others. It was just the two of us because our disciples died to the constant barrage of wild monsters.

“Xkarn knows I’m a coward and have no problem running if the fight is lost. He also knows that Kode is an idiot and won’t run even if he should. I should be fine. It will probably be a few weeks before I can return, but hopefully, by then, I’ll have a way to help strengthen your flower.”

The two of them stared at each other, and Haylock wondered how old Racha was based on the way each of them seemed to become uncomfortable in the silence.

Reaching out with his vine slowly, Haylock used the tip to point at the young man and then to the north.

“Is the plant telling me to leave?” Racha asked, chuckling afterward.

Sighing, Nini held up her hands and shrugged.

“Ask him. He can tell you yes or no.”

Frowning slightly, Racha gazed at the glowing yellow eyes for a second before clearing his throat.

“So, Mr. Demonic Sunflower… are you saying it is time for me to go?”

Moving his flower up and down, Haylock’s response caused the two to burst out in laughter.

“I guess you do have a guardian,” Racha said as he started moving toward the path that led to where Nini and Mimi lived. “I’ll do what I can to keep your two safe for as long as possible. If everything works out, I may try to spend more time here if that is ok.”

Nini’s face flushed red, and Haylock wished he could laugh, seeing her act like this.

Didn’t she hate this guy earlier? Why the heck is she acting like a love-struck teen?

Pointing more emphatically with his vine, Racha nodded quickly and jogged toward the path, waving at the two of them.

Once he was out of sight, Nini turned on her heel and glared at Haylock.

“What the heck did you do that for?!” she demanded.

Ignoring Nini’s outburst, he pointed to Fufu, who had returned to his cute state. The pink ball of fur was covered in blood still, his bandages having fallen off when he shrank.

“Mr. Bunny!” Nini exclaimed, running over to the rabbit, forgetting all that had just transpired.

Haylock instead focused on the bodies of the two disciples his roots had pulled into the ground.

Now I remember why I hated my teen years… too much drama.