“So.”
Raika sighs. “I know.”
“I heard you and Maen had a little spat.”
“I know.”
“And that you said somethings that came out thoughtless, unkind, and blunt, and as much from a place of fear as a place of affection.”
“... yeah. I know.”
“Good.” Kaena pats Raika on the shoulder, smiling so politely it almost shines. “I’m so glad you’re fully aware of how your behavior impacts others. What an absolute pity you couldn’t achieve this level of enlightenment before using wood to put out a fire.”
Raika flinches a bit at that. “Yes, alright. She’s still in the Foundational stage, Kaena, I’m not being unreasonable trying to keep her safe.”
“Wasn’t it less than a year ago that you were fully a cripple, fully trying to murder cursed corpses? Isn’t it true that you know full well how quickly Maen can go, and that she’s not in the habit of acting arrogant?”
“Yes, I… ugh. I know. I’ll apologize later. Make it up to her.”
“By doing something nice. I’m sure you’re overjoyed at your fresh talents in the sack, and I take no small amount of pride in introducing the two of you to that fact, but it wouldn’t kill you to make her dinner sometime. Celebrate her win more properly, too. Maybe find a nice spot to take her for a walk in.”
Raika goes to scoff, to roll her eyes- and then, realizing just how shitty that would be in this moment, doesn’t. She sighs instead, wilting a bit beneath the burning weight of such basic analysis of her relationship.
“That’s… not a bad idea. I’ll think of something.”
Kaena nods, making a ‘hmmph!’ sound to go with it. “As well you should. And if you can’t, I’ll offer suggestions. Training requires repetition, and I’ll hardly qualify as an adequate master if I spend all my time doing the hard work for you.”
Raika nods. “I understand. I haven’t been in a lot of… healthy? Long term? Relationships in the past. It’s new territory. I’m not used to courting someone.”
“Well until you get rich and powerful enough to have concubines, get used to it. Maen might not be as strong or as traveled as you, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to put in the work to keep her happy. And not just at night, beastie.”
Raika grins, laughing at how quickly Kaena predicted what she was about to say, but nods. “Fair enough. I agree, you’re very right, and I promise I will think of something meaningful to do to celebrate and make up for being foolish. Now can we focus on more dangerous concerns?”
Kaena huffs. “I may not be part of their particular brand of person, but I’ll have you know there are few things more dangerous than a woman scorned. Or so I hear.”
Taking a breath, Kaena shifts their posture and faces Raika more directly, all professional now.
“The cultivator’s name is Rei Ji, and he’s an inner sect disciple with the Unearthly Depths. He’s been with them for about fifty years now, and stands somewhere at the end of Core Formation, moving surprisingly slowly, especially for someone in the inner sect, but it’s partially explained by his work. He is apparently one of their justicars, acting as guard and hunter for the judicial branch of the sect and occasionally volunteering for shifts as a prison warden. His cultivation isn’t much, but he’s supposed to have a relatively unique method, one that I couldn’t get the name of, and a few of his fellows dislike him, especially with perceived weakness of slow growth, but his deeds and contributions earn him a reputation as someone upright and proper. Why you claim he was skulking about in a mask in some alleyway in the merchant’s district I have no idea, but I don’t see any direct reason why he would be. Born and raised in Cragend, participant in a few out of town tournaments and once, the main tournament here on the eclipse a decade past, but never made too many waves in any of them, and has helped with two minor beast tides and one hunt. A perfectly average middle-aged cultivator to all intents and purposes.”
Slowly, Raika’s face morphs through the long breakdown of a stranger’s life, going from simply absorbing the information and ending with an eyebrow raised and lips slightly parted. “I… was not expecting that much information.”
Kaena grins, resting their chin on their hands like the cat that caught the canary. “You asked of me history on a stranger based on a descriptor and placement, Raika. Had you given me his name to start with, I’m sure I could have charted his family tree for you by now.”
Raika scoffs, waving a hand. “Yeah, yeah. Ask and ye shall receive, I suppose.”
“Ask for work from an artisan, don’t expect horseshoes. Practical is practical. I am Kaena. I am nothing if not exceptionally talented at what I do.”
“Fair. Anything else?”
“Yes. He agreed to a meeting in about six minutes.”
Raika blinks.
“I’m sorry. Did you say a meeting? In six minutes.”
“Yes. Yes I did. My aforementioned talents at work.”
“I didn’t want to meet him, I wanted to-”
“Skulk and figure out what he knows and do research and sneak into his secrets, but the good news is you have me, and I can already do just about all of that. The best way for you to figure out what you need to know, now, is to confront them and learn from trading blows and what he lets slip. Metaphorically speaking. Please do not hit him here, his entire sect is ready and willing to kick our collective ass.”
Raika opens her mouth to argue- and then closes it again. She thinks. She squints at Kaena. She thinks harder.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Kaena just smiles the pearly grin of someone who knows they’re right.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Always and forever, the show stops for no one. Which is to say that as she sits and waits, Raika is treated to a hell of a backdrop as the next round of the tournament lights up the colosseum.
From the culling of the first “round” at her hand, the next few battles have gone quickly, with one-on-one matchups being the norm, and some cultivators scheduled for later team battles and such. The massive marble and sandstone landmark that is the arena has been lit up with colorful spectacles of power and thunderous announcements for hours now, and will continue to be so for at least the rest of the day and most of tomorrow before the final brackets are announced. Those who earned the right to fight above their weight class and those who were never in doubt will both be attempting to clash to the top, even as those with strong performances in the initial fights get rewards and attention for their accomplishments.
The current battle is between someone from the Unearthly Depths sect, interestingly enough, and another independent, this one nearly statuesque, her flesh seeming to imitate stone in all but flexibility. Within the barrier that protects the audience, the malleable, enchanted terrain has been shifted to something like a jungle, replete with humidity, bright green foliage, and sinking, loamy earth, and the battle flashes by between the trees more often than not. The commentators help, but for many of the mortals in the crowd, the fight probably isn’t all that entertaining.
To Raika, at least, it’s fucking thunderous. Every blow she can hear like it’s beside her head, and the growing pressure from the scent of Qi flavored like a black whirlpool beating against another that smells of bright light and sharp-edged corners is enough to give her a headache. She casually rolls a cigarette between her knuckles, fighting to keep in mind that she needs to keep her head clear and senses sharp.
Almost exactly six minutes since Kaena said he’d arrive, Rei Ji walks into the room.
Raika looks him over from where she sits, her mask lounging back against the couch like a contented beast, splayed out and arrogant. He doesn’t match that arrogance, instead giving a polite, almost perfectly correct bow to her.
“Senior Rei Ji greets Imperial junior,” he says. “I am honored to make your acquaintance, Raika the Unbroken. This tournament you have called has been a good opportunity for my sect, and we express our gratitude.”
She smiles, long and languid. “Ever so glad to hear it. I always do my best to keep a sect’s personal interests in mind when I indulge.”
Seeming either not to notice or deciding not to remark on the sarcasm, he bows again, even as a wave of diffused Qi washes out of the arena and makes her flinch, even with her mask. He notices the tick immediately, though.
“A worthy battle, no?” he asks. “I believed it rare that so many independent cultivators would put up such a fight, but it would seem the merits of Imperial education trickle down even to the dirt beneath the mountains. While I still see far too many benefits in belonging to a proper order, it is still a heartening challenge to see so many of the young pushing themselves and forging new paths.”
“It’s a decent fight,” she shrugs. “My money’s on the statue woman. A little on the younger side, but uniqueness, you know? Less… predictable than all you deep waters folk.”
He lets the statement rest for a moment. “Unearthly Depths sect.”
She smiles. “I know it. You know it. But you’re hardly one to stand up for their good name, are ya? Not when you’ve got that whole side hustle going on.”
He remains impassive, quiet.
“Aw come on, Rei Ji. That is your name, yeah? I asked around. You’re a proper uptight one, hmm? Coal into diamonds sort of pressure in you. Work as a justicar, and volunteering for extra. Funny how that just doesn’t really line up with skulking through alleys and rooftops in masks.
But then, we both know you got other masters than your sect’s justice. After all… you did get me a smoke, in the end.”
She twirls the cigarette across her knuckles again, drawing his eyes and Qi senses to it.
“Hell of a roundabout way to do it, but it seems you got the word to her easy enough. Whoever she is. She Beneath Still Waters.”
He raises an eyebrow at that, turning his eyes to look around the room and do… something with his Qi that would probably make more sense if she could do more than smell it swirling about, casual and light but vague nonetheless.
She scoffs, taking a guess and segue opportunity. “I’ve got the room covered. No one listening I don’t want to. Ain’t got no love for these Imperial fucks beyond what they pay me, and they don’t pay me much. Your boss has something to say. I want to hear it. Go ahead and spit it out, before someone starts to wonder where you’ve wandered off to.”
He shifts a bit at that, but eventually just relaxes. A sort of hidden tension leaks out of his shoulders as he metaphorically shakes himself off, and nods.
“Very well. I apologize. The agent you used to contact me was… a surprise. But I have no such master you speak of.”
Beneath the mask, she tilts her head in confusion, even as on the surface all that happens is a low growl of frustration and a roll of her eyes.
“No need for frustration,” he says. “You’re an outsider. And not a particularly subtle one, so far. One can’t be too careful, especially in such a loud place, but… someone I occasionally work with did mention an interest in you. She certainly hasn’t reached out to me since then, though. I’m not in the business of taking messages.”
Raika huffs. “So you say. Master or not, you work with someone way more interesting than most of this whole tournament thing, and she made me an offer. You can tell me what you know, and maybe we work well together in the future, or you can go now, and we can see how we feel when next we meet.”
He nods his head softly. “I can understand your hesitation, and I applaud junior’s care. If I have your measure, your appearance, however different from the norm, still speaks of true youth rather than created or altered age. As your senior and a relative stranger, I applaud your caution.”
She raises her hands, palms up. “That’s it, then? A bit of applause? With some applause and a piece of copper, I could buy a dumpling and clap afterwards ‘senior’ brother.”
He smiles at that. “Indeed. I apologize if I am not to my junior sister’s liking, but perhaps the title carries more weight for me than for you. Perhaps there is something else we might speak about? I’m a citizen of this fair city, born and raised, and there are many unique myths and stories in this land that I am well versed in. Perhaps my junior sister could use some education in simple things, as a lighter conversation than what perhaps you desired?”
He raises an eyebrow, and she can’t help but laugh behind the mask. On the surface, she styles her face into one of impatience, then confusion, then irritation, all in short order, all without speaking, but beneath it she is calm. Maybe a test to see how dense she is, more likely a way to speak without having any clear accusations that can be levied against him: either way, he’s offering cooperation of a kind.
Eventually, she shrugs. “Sure. I can indulge a cultivator facing senility a while longer.”
There’s a very slight tic in his face, but not an ounce of Qi escapes with his irritation, and he holds himself just as professionally and calmly as he has since she arrived. If it wasn’t already obvious, it seems clear he’s the more level-headed member of the trio back in the alley, the one who de-escalated the encounter.
Outside the window nearby, Qi crashes against Qi as Raika hears the sound of the stone woman’s flesh begin to creak and groan, the heartbeat of the Unearthly Depths sect cultivator speed up faster and faster as fear and adrenaline enter their system.
“Very well then. Perhaps I can offer some insight to you, junior sister. You seem one more oriented towards the active, violent work of cultivation, so perhaps a story of just such a thing?”
She just nods, pretending not to be interested, looking out the window at the fight even as her senses track every shift in his movement or position.
“Excellent. Then perhaps I’ll begin with the tale of the Night of Broken Earth and Blackened Sky."