The silence of it all is a fucking nightmare on her nerves.

Maen can’t help but feel like this is the worst, most shittiest, most terrible village in the entire third ring. There might be someplace infested with mind-control worms that tops it for sheer terribleness, but honestly, it’s incredibly difficult to imagine anyplace with less to do and less going on. She wouldn’t be entirely surprised if this place did have brainworms, for how absurdly quiet it all is.

She starts walking back from the river to the building they have set up as their main base. Apparently, none of the thatch-roofed buildings surrounding a generously named “village square” fit the right criterion, and Yun Ka spent most of the first two days on-site making sure she had something set up that they could use, bringing materials out of the spatially-warped carriage that brought them here and cutting down a piece of the woods all around. The trees grow back in a year anyways, so it’s hardly a huge loss, but for how the village chief was wringing his hands you’d think they slaughtered their only cow or something.

She sighs, still carrying the buckets full of water she originally tasked herself with retrieving. She knows she’s being uncharitable, it’s obvious; hell, her family's own houses pretty similar to these in a small village not much larger than this one. The fact that the Empire’s teachings and engineers haven’t yet had the time to find this tiny little corner of nowhere isn’t the village’s fault, and chances are they’re doing the best with what they have. Chances are the village chief was more stressed about the fact that they’re all cultivators, including a small but notable armed group of soldier cultivators in his little village, and that they can’t really offer much.

Discipline and common sense have won out handily so far, luckily. Old rumors or not, power is power, and the will of a cultivator is just… more than what one might consider a mortal, someone who’ll die in less than a century. The military guard they have, and of course the members of the Altered Cultivation Division, all seem to either not care or be much too disciplined to be harassing the townsfolk, though, something Maen is grateful for.

Well. Except Kaena. They spend, like, all their time harassing the chief and just about anyone important. In their case, though, it’s the kind of harassment some people pay for, and would certainly pay to watch, the androgynous and gorgeous figure dancing between and very much confusing a pretty solid number of the village’s more relevant members. Maen isn’t sure if they’re trying to get them to fight over the cultivator’s attention or convince them to start an orgy the minute the Division leaves. Might be that they don’t much care which the village chooses.

Maen walks into the shared building, doing her best to be very, very careful of the runic formations all around.

Apparently, you can store powdered Jade in amber and put it in some kind of tube, and it works just fine for a Qi conductor. Yun Ka tried to explain that there’s a ton of downsides to the convenience, but ultimately, Maen just needs to know that there’s tubes full of goop more valuable than the life savings of her entire family strewn about the floor, and she should absolutely not be stepping on, tripping over, or spilling water on any of them.

Speaking of lab safety regulations, she perks up as she sees the aforementioned scientist staring down at a podium.

“Honored Yun Ka!” she says with a smile. “I’m glad to see you!” She balances the buckets carefully on her shoulders as she does a light bow.

Yun Ka looks up from the podium, a bit startled. “Oh!” she replies. “And hello to you, junior Maen Fa! You know you don’t have to do the honorifics out here, right? I mean, you can if you want to, I just- I mean I don’t mind them, is all, I just prefer- you can just call me Yun Ka, if you’re more comfortable with it.”

Maen smiles. She can’t help it. It’s nice to have someone so entirely awkward yet sincere around, especially after leaving the sect. She hasn’t had anyone she can act even slightly mysterious around for ages except for-

Mmh. She tries not to think too hard on Raika. It makes her remember when she last saw her.

“I appreciate your consideration, Yun Ka,” Maen replies, smiling at the fact they’ve had almost this exact exchange three times now. “I shall return shortly, as I must deposit the water post-haste. Shall I find you here on my return?”

Yun Ka nods. “Yes, I’ll be here. Getting some fascinating readings, I have to keep an eye on them.”

Maen chuckles, waddling over the tubes and artificial vines of arcane materials that now litter the room in patterns half like coiled snakes and half like strange diagrams. It doesn’t take her long to finish her task; one of the many machines she took out of the carriage and into the building is a sort of metal tank or block, hollow on the inside, which apparently (according to Yun Ka, anyways, and all the soldiers seem to agree) cleans and purifies any liquids put into it. For now, they’re using it for extra clean water, for rituals, drinking, and even bathing, if someone fills it enough.

Maen has nothing to do. So she fills it up.

She hops back into the main room, a space erected out of stone with the aid of one of the soldier’s cultivation with a domed ceiling and a hole in it, through which a bunch of weird brass, gold and silver rods are extended. If she focuses really hard, she can hear them vibrating ever so slightly, like wind chimes.

“What can I help you with, Maen Fa?” Yun Ka asks.

“Just Maen is fine,” she replies quickly. “I was wondering if there’d been any news? On Raika?”

Yun Ka hums, looking down at her podium. Connected to by some of the “tubes” to the swirling, vein-like and strangely alien diagrams and formations all around, it’s made mostly of what seems like slate stone, with a piece of black material on top where small grains of white sand dance and shift as Yun Ka taps at them and emits slight waves of her Qi. It’s always disconcerting; with the most minimal use of her Qi, the whole panel shifts, sands scurrying into new shapes and words and diagrams. Then again, Yun Ka using her Qi is always a bit weird, and Maen has no idea why, so… eh.

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“Since you last asked six hours ago,” Yun Ka says, her voice matter of fact and seemingly free of judgment, “there’s been minimal updates. Last time we checked, there seemed to be four rather drastic Qi signatures heading towards her. Upper Core Formation realm beasts, it would seem, but… well, she’s killed a few of those already, so we kept it on monitoring. Now, there are… two Core Formation signatures around her. So it would seem that trend has continued.” She shakes her head softly. “Whatever she’s doing, once we get back to central and can get some proper readings, we might very well revolutionize how cultivation works. Never mind that she used to be crippled, she’s punching well above any projected “weight class”. It’s hard to accurately measure her progress, because it’s difficult to tell what seems to be niche advantages and what are universal upgrades. Against beasts at least she’s been thriving, but since she seems to be attracting them in the first place, it’s hard to say how useful it’ll be in more general contexts against armed forces or Qi techniques, but it’s still… well. Wonderful to watch, anyways.”

Maen shudders. “Not so wonderful up close. With respect, senior.”

Yun Ka blinks, coming back to herself. “Ah, yes,” she mumbles, “I apologize. I didn’t mean to minimize the events of your… rescue.”

Maen does not like to think about that day. Almost a week ago, but fresh.

When Taran brought her back she’d been borderline catatonic from screaming the whole way back. He seemed to have switched to Hao Kai at some point in the journey, going from silent and generally raspy to something more akin to a heavy smoker and gentle, babbling meaninglessly and chatting to her about anything that would cross their mind. It had calmed her down some, but it could only do so much.

The first day had been a nightmare. She’s been left in a bed, shivering, terrified, filthy, but still had managed to listen in to what was happening. Panic at first, that the materials even pre-installation into formations were attracting far too many beasts, that there was going to be some kind of unexpected localized beast tide. Then, orders from above; Taurus’ voice, speaking through a bright blueish stone on a small pedestal. Not a beast tide. Not a miscalculation in their supplies. Whatever had occurred, it seemed to be a response to Raika. To the “latest addition”. And then… he’d said to monitor the situation, but not interfere unless she tried to retreat to the village.

The only good thing she could think of that had come of it was that she had learned to hide. And that above all else, these people couldn’t be trusted.

Taurus, she’d known. But the way Yun Ka had responded… Taran, or Hao Kai, had at least had the common decency to look frustrated, to protest, however lightly. There’d seemed to be an internal struggle, a strange twitching, before the main, rasping voice of Taran took over and confirmed things, a sour look on his face. But Yun Ka had just… nodded. And moved on.

But since then, she had been monitoring. And on the odd times that Maen hides again, like Raika told her to, the easier it gets to sneak looks over her shoulder.

All it takes is focus, burying something down quiet, focusing on instinct and the parts of how she’d acted that Raika had pointed out, and she’d started to feel… something. Her cultivation has been growing, slowly but steadily, but this felt much more important somehow. A more individual talent, maybe, and a hint of a way forward.

She breathes out. It’s fine. She’s here. She can focus.

“It’s ok,” she assures Yun Ka, who doesn’t seem to have registered the pause. “I lived, and I progress, right? I just… it’s been almost a week, as of today. Don’t you think we should… I don’t know, check on her? Find a way to get in contact?”

Yun Ka shrugs. “Runemaster Boriah already explained that if something truly bad were to happen, he will intercept and assist. I trust in his judgment.”

“Can… can I watch, then?” Maen asks. “If you’re not too busy? See what’s happening?”

Yun Ka shrugs. There’s a long, drawn out moment of silence, but… “Alright. I believe that a pause in recordings of other readings won’t be detrimental for a few moments. One moment, please.” She tilts her head to one side, ear coming into contact with a piece of her crown-contraption so full of devices and lenses, touching a blueish stone held there. “Kaena?” she says. “On request, I am initiating a more direct watch on our newest subject and teammate. It will be actively ongoing as of now, for the next twenty minutes.”

Maen tilts her head, looking at her. “Why… why summon Kaena?” she asks.

Yun Ka blinks, as if the answer should be obvious. “Because they asked me to,” she replies.

Maen does a blink of her own. She… hadn’t expected that.

In moments, the gorgeous fox of a cultivator flounces into the room, practically skipping. “I heard the good news!” they almost yell as they walk in. “Thank goodness someone has come to their senses, it’s about time that big bully- oh! Hello Maen! Excellent, I was just about to call if you weren’t here.”

Maen bows graciously. “Thank you, senior sibling,” she says. “It was on my request, I’m just happy that honored Yun Ka has indulged me.”

“Oh nonsense,” Kaena replies, “You should know by now that-”

“Quiet!” Yun Ka yells abruptly, interrupting the two of them. “Look! Crucial data, Kaena I need you to bind your Qi if you’re in the room, I will stand no fluctuations!”

The panic in the academic’s voice has both the other cultivators in the room a bit shocked. It’s the loudest they’ve ever heard her speak, and Maen scrambles to her side to try and see the panel, desperately trying to make sense of the squiggles and shapes on it and the two blinking, rapidly shifting dots at the center of it.

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know!” Yun Ka says with a breathless smile. “I’ve never seen anything like it! It’s like… I don’t know what it’s like! It’s a collapse, or an explosion of some kind, but it tracks as the subject still, it’s like they just-”

And then the screen briefly fizzles, as if distracted or suddenly disoriented, and suddenly the sand falls into static before reforming a moment later.

“Runemaster Boriah is on site,” Yun Ka says as Maen practically clutches at her, avoiding the contact only just as the gadget-clad figure flinches away seemingly on instinct. “I have his signature, but the other two- one of them is gone, I think, but I can’t tell, its an entirely new signature? The tracker is still active, but-”

And then the screen fritzes again, and there is a thunderous sound at the open end of the room they’re in. It’s a much larger space than it needs to be, but the landing is still outside until a massive furred hand reaches into the stone like sand and pulls out a shattered, ruined hole in it.

“Yun Ka,” rumbles a familiar, horrifyingly inhuman voice. “Contact the soldiers. Get another room erected. I want every bit of sensory equipment we have on this, now.”

Maen, despite his presence, despite the weight of the energy he exudes, tries to step forward. The pressure ramps up the closer she gets, like he’s exercising his power on the world, like he’s using his Qi pressure like a blanket, crushed around where he’s standing. She can see him through the hole, robes covered in blood, something that looks like burns on one of his hands, and then she looks past them, knees trembling and eyes watering from the intensity, and sees what he has brought.

Despite herself, even as she vomits, there is a part inside her that simply nods. Yep, says her inner voice as she tries to hold her hair back. Somehow, this tracks.