As I had more or less expected, the latter half of the trip was equally as uneventful as the first, just hampered by the snow. The Peak’s upper half would be treacherous for a normal person between the deep snow drifts, ice, and uneven footing. With the whole group being made up of at least baseline Cultivators, the danger was pretty significantly lessened; the only real concern was something large scale like an avalanche, which wasn't common.

But nothing unusual happened at all. Emery and I lead the way, followed by the teens, with the older crew bringing up the rear. We did have to watch our speed and occasionally make sure we didn’t leave the older group behind, but they wouldn’t so much as acknowledge that they were slowing us down. Especially toward the end where things got steeper and a little icier.

But I knew if anyone actually said anything outright about it, there’d either be a big argument over it or retribution over the ‘embarrassment’ to be paid later.

It was so much easier to let sleeping dogs lie.

Besides, it wasn’t like Emery or I were bothered by the cold and icy winds. We could pretty comfortably sleep out here if we had to. Especially given my ability to shape the cold around us - which I was quietly using to keep the teenagers pleasantly cool.

When we finally reached the familiar little path that Emery and I had cleared near the basin, I sighed with relief. We would make it home well within sundown. If we timed it right, we might even reach the basin’s edge during the golden hour, which would surely leave a good impression.

“We’re just about there, everyone.” I called back to the group as I stepped onto the cleared path. It was still snow and ice covered, but it was at least cleared of debris to trip us up less. “There’s a path here that’s mostly cleared. You still need to watch your step, but there’s less to climb over.”

Nods rippled through the group as everyone fell into step behind Emery and I.

“We’re getting close.” Emery whispered to me as we kept up at a brisk run. “Is there anything special you wanted to do? A tour or anything?”

I shook my head. “No, nothing special. A tour would be nice, but I suspect offering them the houses they’ll be staying in and the bathhouse would probably win the most points with them.”

“We can do that then.” Emery said and turned back to her jog. Thankfully, it seemed like everyone was keeping up, even as we picked up the pace a little on the easier footpath.

Not twenty minutes later, I could see the crest of the basin and slowed down. Emery moved up next to me and we shared the same grin we did every time we made it back. This was home.

And right then, with the footfalls of my blood family behind me, I had never felt so strongly that this place was truly home.

We leisurely walked up the incline toward the break in the stone wall that surrounded the whole basin. The wall was a naturally sheer rock face that was something like fifteen meters tall. It was probably jumpable for a Cultivator, or even breakable, but it still felt like a nice natural line of defense to keep us hidden. Even if it didn’t offer any real protection in the end.

The break in that tall stone cliff face was a few meters wide and let us pass through easily. Walking into the basin was never anything less than breathtaking.

The climate control Array reached to the edge of the cliff wall, so walking through the break in the stone meant walking into the warmth every time. And I could hear the effect it had on everyone behind me as we moved through the little stone path. Breathing was easier, the chilly wind was gone, and the temperature was comfortably warm for the early spring.

And when Emery and I breached the path into the basin, we stepped aside to watch as each person entered and saw it for the first time.

We entered onto a sloped hillside looking down over the rest of the basin. We had indeed timed it well, and the beginning of the sunset was coloring the sky and illuminating the entire scene wonderfully.

There was no mistaking the wisteria trees for anything else. They covered the entire landscape in a lovely purple, giving the entire place a dreamy, relaxing feeling. The wooden buildings peaked through the canopy here and there, but still blending into the naturality of it all. We had actively decided not to use any metals, so the entire basin was basically nothing but wood.

We couldn’t see the farms from where we were, given they were covered by the trees, but beside where they would be we could see the shimmer of steam in the air rising from the bathhouse. Vale or Talya must’ve just heated the water for it to be giving off that much steam. I appreciated it though, because it really added to the atmosphere.

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And, of course, there was no denying the elder wisteria tree. It dominated the entire space, growing taller and wider than anything else. Its branches didn’t quite reach the outer edges of the basin like where we were standing, but it still felt as imposing here as it did anywhere else.

Following the massive trunk toward the ground, I smiled when I saw smoke slowly tumbling from the main house’s chimney. Someone must’ve been cooking dinner. The thought of Talya at the stove with Cierra and Stena running circles around her legs as she tried to get the food finished made me smile.

I felt Emery glance at me and she smiled too. I imagined she was thinking the very same thoughts at the moment.

The moment passed, though, as I turned to watch the faces of my family members as they each emerged from the mountain pass.

And I was not disappointed.

I knew they wouldn’t say anything about how impressed they were, or how beautiful any of this was. Or at least, none of the adults would. Nor would Leon. But their faces when they entered said it all, even if they were quickly able to get it under control.

Glenn, Mica, and Cove were the first ones to enter and they didn’t even bother to hide their expressions.

“Whoa.” Mica said, stunned. Glenn and Cove helped her shuffle to the side to allow their parents through. “This is something else. I’ve never seen anything like it. And it’s so warm, too, despite the snow we just walked through!”

Glenn and Cove, despite being quiet, seemed just as shellshocked. Their mouths hung open as they took in the sight of the basin in its full glory.

“Got some real wow factor, doesn’t it?” Emery said proudly.

The teens merely nodded, still looking around for every little spot of interest.

Leon came in next, not far behind the teenage group. There was just a moment of awe on his face before he schooled his expression and stepped aside. A brief moment of hesitation on his next step. That was all it was, but it was still enough to tell me that he was impressed.

Aster and Mint came next. They were both older than me by quite a few years, but not as old as the others. They had been mostly quiet during the trip, but stopped in the entrance way for a moment to appreciate the sight.

I didn’t know Mint at all, but from what I knew of Aster, he had barely ever left Bouquet. So I imagined this sort of sight was entirely new to him, given his bookish merchant proclivities. He said nothing but met my eyes and nodded approvingly, which was far more than I had ever expected from any of my family members.

Basil and Amalia were the next ones through. They weren’t as old as my parents, and certainly not as old as Lark and Severa, but they were solidly into their sixties. Thanks to their Cultivation, they still had the bodies of roughly thirty year olds, and looked like they were still doing fine from the hike.

When they stepped into the full view of the basin, shock overtook their features for a moment as their eyes scanned the horizon. Similarly to Leon, they quickly got their faces under control and stepped aside to let the rest in. Basil in particular was a produce merchant, so I was willing to bet that a place like this would be of particular interest to him. But he was no less skilled than any other at hiding his emotions over the view.

My parents stepped in next. I scrutinized their faces more than the others - they were my parents after all - looking for any indication of being impressed by my new home.

My father did show a little bit of amazement when he first stepped into the light. His eyes were quick to scan and take in his surroundings, a quirk of his merchant training, and he adjusted fast to the new sight. I could still tell in that brief moment that he was at least mildly impressed by our home.

My mother however, met my expectations and showed very little. She seemed to have adopted an expression of disinterested disdain before she even stepped into the basin, and it barely flickered. Her gaze certainly bounced around and took everything in, but she was either unimpressed or simply didn’t care.

Lastly into the basin was Lark and Severa. They were the oldest couple among our little group, with both of them being just over one hundred years old. Cultivator bodies were a wonderful thing, and that was on full display here, with both Lark and Severa looking as though they were perhaps in their fifties. Severa could easily pass for her natural forties, even. And while they showed the most exhaustion from the trip, it only really amounted to heavier breathing than the rest of us.

But that slight level of exhaustion left them a little more impressionable than the others. Both showed shock and awe clearly on their faces when they stepped into the light, as their eyes took in everything. Severa recovered quickly enough, but Lark continued to look around for a moment.

“And our accommodations?” He asked, still looking around.

I pointed toward the smaller houses hidden among the trees. “There’s a house for each couple and their respective children. Each one has three bedrooms, a small kitchen, bathroom, and some living space. They’re also fully stocked with food for you, as well as working Arrays for heat, water, and the like.”

Lark nodded. “Acceptable.”

I looked away before I rolled my eyes.

“Can you show us around, Avuri?” Mica asked, excitedly taking in the sights. At least the teens had taken to calling Avuri instead of Ivory. Seeing how my immediate blood relations were acting, I was only more and more sure of my decision to distance myself from them, and changing my name to not fall within their fake nature theme was just a small part of that.

“Of course. Let’s get you all to your houses first, and show you where the bathhouse is so you can all clean up. If you’d like, I suspect dinner is also being made, but you’re free to eat on your own. Like I said, the houses are stocked.”

My mother waved us forward. “Alright then, let’s push on.”

“Yes, mother.” I said flatly, then turned to walk.