‘’Home...? That is a mountain.’’

‘’Haaah,’’ Boris sighed. Why is this boy so hard to talk?

‘’Of course, of course. It is a mountain, but also your new home.’’ Boris then ceased talking. He saw myriads of emotions passing through Ubel’s eyes under the trembling eyelashes. This wasn’t something strange. It was just an above average reaction to the Cindersnow mountain.

And indeed, that was a mountain. Boris wanted to smack himself in the face for a moment, then faced the hull of the boat to the flying mass of earth.

It was easily one of the biggest mountains in the world, if not the one. Although a pair of eyes like Boris’ couldn’t encompass the whole majesty of the light brown body of the mountain, that aura of sovereignty could still embrace their soul just from a small peek. Amidst the huge boulders and rocks looking like glued pieces of paper that constructed the bottom, some pieces of rubble and pebblestones fell down every few instances.

Above that part, the mountain started to shrink until it transformed into the shape of a high spire, with wide sets of stairs rounding the small huts, tower houses, cottages, and cave dwellings built or dug upon and inside. With his lacking vision, Boris couldn’t see the four or five man wide gaps between the sections of the stairs, which led inside the mountain. Though they were no wonders for him. He lived here for decades after all.

But for Ubel, for his junior brother, who was just a mortal a few hours ago this all was a spectacular sight. Perhaps a scenery so breathtaking that he would carve every content of it into his memories. Boris had done the same, so he could guess that much.

‘’We are nearing the entrance,’’ He said in a low voice bordering mumble, as to not ruin Ubel’s concentration, then rotated the boat slightly towards the left. The main platform came in sight while he left the boat’s control and landed on one of the numerous stages.

‘’We are here?’’ Ubel faced him at the moment of landing, sparkles in his eyes seemed quite strong.

‘’Yes, give me a moment. I will be back shortly.’’ Then he waited, looking at Ubel.

‘’...what?’’

‘’Get out of the boat!’’

*********

‘’Disciple hall?’’

‘’Yes. You will get your disciple robe and token.’’ Ubel hardly heard Boris’ words. His attention laid somewhere else, on the surroundings.

Looking from below, it wasn’t apparent but there were large patches of herbs planted alongside wide paths. One such path was the one they stepped on, made of half-dirt half-grass. At least four men could walk shoulder to shoulder without cramping the pathway. But he liked one little detail. Whenever he trod upon grass, they wouldn’t stay leaned. They budged, yet recovered the same upright stance.

This resilience shocked him.

There were also trees. Lots and lots of trees sat around at random places. Their shadows cast over the road sometimes, and sometimes on the good looking people that laid under their trunks. A few couples, groups of friends, or mentors and all kinds of people. Some stood alone, too, and the relaxing atmosphere affected his mood as well.

‘’Quite lovely,’’ He mumbled to himself.

‘’I know,’’ And Boris replied, despite seemingly understanding his lack of interest in a response. ‘’After going a bit further than here,’’ At this time he pointed towards front, slightly towards the southern side of the mountain, ‘’There are wide entrances.that leads into the mountain.’’

‘’To the inner-district?’’

‘’Yeah. But I didn’t tell you about that before. Where did you heard that?’’

‘’Just my ears picked up from here and there.’’ They weren’t the sole people walking down the road, lots of people came and went through. And of course, within that close proximity Ubel also found it easy to hear things he didn’t intend to.

‘’Oh, be careful then. Don’t learn things you don’t need.’’

‘’Alright...I guess?’’

They continued. Ubel’s foot didn’t ache from random pieces of rock, nor did random bugs bothered him along the way. He found it more enjoyable to travel this way. Although mutterings, whispers, or even some shouts interrupted him for a moment, the small amount of joy he felt from gazing at the ocean below and going through the swaying patches of grass didn’t lessen. On the contrary, it grew and grew, then brewed like a tornado inside his heart.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

It really is breathtaking.

*********

They stood in front of a four-story building. Only thing Ubel could discern as raw materials were stones and wood, most of them colligated around the pillars at the sides. Also, a metal like iron with the color of emerald and gold at the same time coated the outside. On top of that shrouding sheen of metal, some words read as: Disciple Hall. There was something written underneath that huge plaque as well, and whatever they used to write it definitely gave off the spirit the author wanted to release.

‘’Men is worth as much as their relevance to their debt, and their determination to pay back what they owe.’’ Ubel read aloud, then turned to face Boris.

‘’Did something good happen?’’

‘’Uh-Oh, was I smiling again?’’ Boris retracted his head a bit back, hiding his enigmatic grin from Ubel’s eyes. ‘’Nothing, just a habit.’’

‘’Alright, senior brother. What do I do?’’

‘’I will take care of things for you. Just follow me and listen to what I’m going to say.’’

‘’Aye aye-’’

‘’Stop that.’’

‘’Welcome back, senior brother!’’ A group of disciples greeted him with smiles and questions, but Boris shrugged them off in a few seconds. He seemed a pretty popular persona at the sect, at least among the disciples. Their faces told joy and happiness, and maybe some other emotions Ubel couldn’t see for now. Yet, this didn’t even affect the Boris as he made them pave the way to the inside.

Climbing a small flight of stairs, Ubel wondered why every building was built with stairs like this, they came in the hall. Multitude of tables and desks covered the corners of the room. Plaques made of exquisite wood with words like Missions/Resource/Inquiry/Report Section written on hung down from several rods sticking out of the ceiling with ropes. Only a single place had none of them, a small desk with translucent glass situated at the furthest corner of the room right below a pillar.

An old man sat there, with a blue covered book in his hands that read Pre-Sovereign Era’s Excavations. His long and grey streaked brows and beard touched the tip of his curved shoes. His robe looked enigmatic as well. Disciples wore all kinds of colors; Blue, yellow, green, red, dark, purple, and so on. Yet, he wore a pure white robe with streaks of red over it. At the left chest of his robe, where generally an emblem of a Snow drowned mountain covered in blazing cinders stood out, wrote Combat Master.

As they came closer, Ubel could hear the man mumble to himself.

Down the river in the village,

Washes a mother a little child.

He cries his heart, shouts his tears,

Oh a mother washes her little child.

There comes the stream down the mountains,

Freezing cold like a frigid night.

She cries her heart and shouts her tears,

Oh the mother washes her little child-

‘’Sounds good, eh?’’ He stopped suddenly and looked over both of them. He dropped the book on the desk and stood up. ‘’Welcome back, Boris. It had been some time since you came here.’’ He clasped his hands.

‘’Your voice is always pleasant to listen, senior master.’’ Boris bowed, followed by Ubel, and stood up. ‘’I don’t have much time left senior master Illidan. So I’m afraid I can’t accompany you for the moment.’’

‘’No need, I prepared everything beforehand.’’ Illidan smiled, then sent a blue token to Ubel. Ubel caught it in the air, then looked down at the inscription on it. The same pattern, mountain covered under cinders, but with a word Disciple underneath it was inscribed on the shining surface.

‘’You can get three manuals from the Star Library’s first level, and since you are invited by Elder Snow, your housing will be at borough seven. If you have anything, give them to the laborers and they will carry them to your house with your disciple robes.’’

‘’Um, no senior bro-master. I can carry myself.’’ Ubel’s voice stiffened for no reason.

‘’Good, then later.’’ Illidan waved his hand to send them away, then slumped back into his chair like before.

‘’Let’s go, I will escort you back to your house.’’

‘’Oh, thanks senior brother.’’ Ubel found it hard to get accustomed to such a way of addressing, but it wasn’t like he had other alternatives.

As they made their way to the path, Ubel heard the Combat master Illidan mumble to himself again.

And the boy ceased his crying,

His beady eyes shining like a star.

And the boy ceased his crying,

His mother looked down on her child.

Then she found the courage to tell him,

‘’Your name is my little...’’

*********

Standing in front of the Star Library, Boris patted Ubel’s back to get him back to reality.

‘’Then I will be going now. If you need anything, I’m frequently at the training grounds and at the hill of Master Quan.’’

‘’Alright senior brother, thank you.’’

‘’Oh-’’ Boris stopped for a moment, ‘’If you are confused about what to pick, just take advice from the personnel. Their knowledge about manuals surpasses any other.’’

How many times did I say alright today? Ubel sighed.

‘’Thank you senior brother, I will be careful.’’

After bidding goodbye to Boris, Ubel turned around to face the huge structure in front of him. Swallowing a dry saliva, he wondered.

How do they build things like this?