In the morning, Aki woke up slumped over on the floor in his room. Pillows surrounded him, and a blanket covered him. He smiled. The late morning sun streamed in through the windows onto his face. Endra must have come up to check on him after he had fallen asleep and tried to make him a little more comfortable. He stood and inspected himself, both externally and internally.
His senses ran through his channels, checking to see how full his core and stores were and if there was any damage from the fight yesterday. His core was more than half full, not quite where he wanted it to be, but it would be alright. He could cultivate while going about his day today. The wound on his arm had healed over, and there was a small scar that you couldn't really notice unless you looked for it. This was very good. Last night, before he settled in, he thought he could almost see the bone in his arm. The cut was so deep.
Once he was sure he was alright. That he didn’t suffer any lasting damage to his core or channels from pushing himself so hard in the fight. You could strain your channels or completely empty your core, which could lead to a mana deviation and ruin his spiritual journey. He pulled the small blood-red stone from a pocket in his robes and looked it over. He tried reaching out with his spirit, but the stone felt… wrong. Filled with massacre, blood, and darkness. Aki pulled his spirit away and pocketed the stone once more. He wished he had some kind of jade box or something to keep it in, to seal it off.
Some piece of good news, though, Aki realized, was that he might be almost ready to push himself further in his spiritual journey. His mana was growing thicker, more concentrated. He couldn't hold more mana in his core, but it was stronger. There was more depth to the power he had access to. This would mean his attacks would pack more of a punch. Blossom's Breeze would become beyond deadly to a small group of people, maybe even a small army one day. He also wouldn't have to expend as much mana to stay in the air. So hopefully, eventually, he could fly. Aki would, in fact, be able to become the wind.
He shook the thought away. No point in wasting energy thinking about what might happen down the line. Aki went into the bathroom to relieve his bladder and clean himself up. He didn't bother taking a full bath, just used a washcloth to wash his face and under his arms. He slapped himself in the face a little to wake himself up and then headed downstairs.
When he went down to the lobby of the inn, he saw there wasn't anyone around, but he smelled something delicious wafting in through the open windows. The smell of garlic, onions, and peppers was thick in the air. The light breeze from the outside blowing the curtains open carried the smell right to him. Aki grinned and did what any sensible person who was hungry would do. He followed his nose.
Stepping outside, he looked up at the sun. The air was cooler than it had been, and he figured the hot summer months were almost over. According to the locals, the coast stayed pretty hot, but it got colder the further inland you went. He was told it even snowed sometimes in the capital around the New Year's festival. They also had a tradition here. He learned where they celebrated a fat, jolly guy in a red suit would go around and give presents to children. It seemed like a decent way to make sure the children stayed good during the year. If the kid was bad, the parents told the child that Saint Nick wouldn't bring them anything.
Endra walked toward Aki and leaned in close to him, smiling and giving him a small hug. He smiled and returned the embrace. Liam, as always, stood at her heels, staying silent. Aki reached out and ruffled his hair a little. The boy gave a small laugh and reached up to fix his chestnut short hair.
"Your friends met Ava. They're over in the square. They're all cooking things for the town while they take a break from rebuilding," Endra told him. She pointed down the street where the two major streets came together in a T. Not that it was really a town square in the traditional sense, but it was the largest intersection in the middle of town and where the town crier and other people gathered.
"Ava?" Aki asked her with a raised brow.
"The cart girl that came at dinner before the raid. They made fast friends and started exchanging ingredients and giving each other recipes," Endra told him. Aki laughed a little and nodded. He was glad his new friends found someone here with a common interest as them. Maybe the Chens would stay a little longer than they originally thought they would.
They walked down the dirt road, with Aki having an arm around Endra's shoulders, and her having an arm around his waist. Endra's other hand reached out, holding Liam's as they walked along. When Aki got closer, he saw there was already a crowd of people sitting on porches and standing around the Chen's carriage and Ava's cart. They all had makeshift dishes, and some of them were trying to use chopsticks.
Aki and Endra walked up to the Chen's carriage, with Ava currently in it with them. The carriage was large enough for the plump Jin and smaller Ava to fit in it comfortably side by side and cook together. Mei was standing out in front of it, taking orders and organizing the crowd. Aki clasped his hands together and bowed to them while he smiled and greeted them.
Mei clapped his shoulder. "Good morning, good morning. Do you feel better this morning?"
"Mostly, yes. Thank you, and thank you for staying and for all of this," he gestured around.
"Happy to do it," Jin piped up from the cart. "This girl is wonderful. Teaching me many things that I can take back to the Empire that will please people, I think."
Aki nodded for a while. He listened and smiled at his new friend. He still had an arm around Endra's shoulders, and she stood close to him while holding Liam's hand. Mei looked at the pair and then turned to Jin, pointing and whispering to him. She pointed to some different things inside the cart, and Jin and Ava stared at Mei as she seemed to have a fit.
Aki and Endra just raised their eyebrows at her. A moment later, the duo in the cart were working furiously, and Mei turned to face them with a smile. "They're going to make something special for you two," she said happily.
Mei took them both and led them over to a table she brought out from one of her rings. Three chairs followed it for them. She directed them to sit and that she'd be back with their food shortly. It didn't take long for her to come back, only a few moments, and she was carrying a platter of shucked oysters.
She set the platter down in front of them. There were about a dozen oysters with cut lemons, little dishes of garlic, and chili oil, and some vinegar. The oysters even sat on a bed of ice with some water. He stared at it and then stared at her.
Where the hell did she get ice? Aki pushed the thought from his mind, though, and stared at her.
"Start with these. They're making you guys some more right now. Should be ready in a few minutes. You two should relax and enjoy while you can. There's talk of holding an election to be mayor of the town once the rebuilding is finished. Also, this will be the last meal from us. Jin and I are catching a boat heading back to the Sasaki Empire, leaving later today," Mei explained to them.
Aki frowned slightly and looked at Mei, but she put a hand to his cheek and even gave a soft, playful smack, as if to smack the frown away.
"None of that now. Now you will eat and enjoy your company. Make plans to train these two in cultivation," Mei told him firmly before turning and walking away.
Aki looked over at Endra and Liam for a moment, smiling. He had been giving some thought to training both of them, how to go about it and start it. He just had to decide if he'd be a kind master or a harsh taskmaster like his own master was. Circumstances were different. Aki was living on the streets of a major city as an orphan boy.
Endra eyed him suspiciously. "What's on your mind?" She asked him, narrowing her gaze.
Aki just laughed and shoved the thoughts of their training from his mind, waving his hands. "Nothing, nothing. Let's eat," he said to her as he used a small spoon, putting some chili oil and squeezing a lemon slice of one oyster. He slurped it down, letting the briny sweetness of the ocean. The plump, springy meat sliding down his throat. He gave a soft moan of satisfaction, and Endra just stared in disgust.
"What? Come on, try one, they're delicious," Aki told her, laughing. It took some goading, but, he talked her into eating one. After he fixed it up with some garlic and chili oil and a bit of lemon. They slurped one down together, and Endra immediately went pale, then got a little green. Aki tried to get Liam to try one, and he vehemently refused, even going so far as getting up and backing away from the table.
Aki shrugged. "More for me," was all he said as he fixed them up.
It only took a few more minutes before Mei came back with three bowls of noodles and a platter of dumplings. The ramen had pieces of roast pork, and the broth was garlicky and had some spice to it; it was an explosion of flavor. They covered the dumplings with a thick oyster sauce with bits of garlic all over them. When he grabbed one up and took a bite, he gave a groan of pleasure. They filled them with roast duck and had orange notes to them. These two were too good in the kitchen.
Endra stared at Aki when he moaned from the explosions of flavors as he ate. Slurping up noodles, he stared at her and cocked a brow.
"What?" He asked when he was finished with his bite.
She just laughed and shook her head and ate her own. The trio ate in silence, just saying hello to some people as they passed by when they were finished eating their food. The doctor stopped and spoke a moment longer than everyone else had. Checking on Aki's arm and how his arm was. When Aki told him everything was fine, the doc smiled and left.
The town did little work for the day. They celebrated having their town back and getting rid of Calvera. There was much ale and whisky poured from the tavern around, and the partying and eating went well into the night. The Chens stayed the entire time, cooking and having fun with the townspeople. Since everyone was partying, there was no one working the docks.
As night fell, they gathered up some of the old wood and built a bonfire. The town party went well into the night. Once people filtered away and the party died down, Endra and Aki retired to the inn. Endra offered a room to the Chens, but they turned her down, telling her they were plenty comfortable with what they had.
Aki and Endra stood there and looked at each other. Liam just said goodnight and went off past the divide into the little section they called their home. Aki smiled and pulled at his beard, giving Endra a nod. The silence seemed to last forever between the two, each of them staring into each other's eyes, unsure of what to say or do.
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Their relationship was undefined. They never had a talk about what they were or how they came to feel about each other since he first stayed at the inn. They had grown closer, though, and Aki felt strongly for her. He obviously did not know how she felt about him, as they hadn't talked about it. Still, there was something in the air between the two of them. He couldn't pinpoint it, and he could tell there was something she wanted to say to him, but couldn't get it out.
Aki just nodded his head. "Goodnight, Endra. I'll see you in the morning," he said, leaning in to her, giving her a small hug, holding her tightly to him for a moment before pulling away. He went up the stairs, and then she finally stopped him.
"Aki. Wait," she stumbled now with her words and looked to the ground. She seemed to resolve her nerves, though, and then looked back up at him. "Come with us?" Nervousness filled her eyes, and they glassed over a little while she looked at him. It was one thing when they were sharing a tent out in the desert. Now she was inviting him into her own home.
Aki smiled behind his beard and walked to her. He put an arm around her, and together they walked into her home. It was small but cozy, warm and inviting. There was a fireplace that went unused besides in the coldest of months. A large, comfortable-looking couch sat against one wall, and then a couple of chairs around a table. There was also a small kitchen that only held a basic stove and pantry.
She took his hand and led him through the small area and through an opening in the wall by the couch. There were two doors here. One was Liam's room, and Aki could hear soft snores coming from inside the room. She took him through the left door, into her room. It was plain, nothing in it besides a small closet against the wall and then a bed large enough for two people against a wall across from the dresser.
She lit a small lantern that sat on a night table, which was the last piece of furniture in the room. Endra then went to her closet and got undressed. She went slowly, unsure of herself. Aki stood on the opposite side of the room, feeling much like her, unsure of himself. He followed her lead and removed his robes. Before he was finished and was in a pair of shorts, which he wore under his inner robe as his small clothes. He turned around and looked at Endra.
Endra was already in bed. She didn't have many blankets on the bed for the time being. Endra just had a simple white sheet to cover with in case the night breeze floating in through the window grew chilly. She held the sheet open for him and was wearing a thin garment that hid her modesty. He looked down at her and smiled, climbing into bed with her. She laid close to him, nuzzling close to him. Aki smiled and wrapped his arms around her. Her warmth comforted him. Nothing happened between the pair other than sleep. They laid close and held each other. He turned and reached to turn off the lantern before wrapping his arm back around Endra, and fell asleep. Between the comfort of sleeping next to her and all the ale he had drunk, he slept like a rock.
Morning came, and Aki woke slowly. He was lying on his back, one arm half off the bed, the other under her body. She was awake already, leaning up on her shoulder. She was tracing the scars along his chest. When he woke, she looked into his eyes, her bright eyes smiling brightly.
"I thought you cultivators all had pure, flawless skin?" She asked him unabashedly. Aki laughed and rubbed his eyes, nodding his head. Then he went into his life story. He grew up on the streets in the capital. How the old man found him and taught him how to fight and how to cultivate. He explained that the Old Man was recruiting for his sect, the Beggars. A sect most people didn't believe existed. The sect was full of spies, undercover people who brought word about the kami to people. They were trying to fight the established thoughts of cultivation.
It was weird how they had to do this. The world wasn't that old, and cultivation was even younger than that. The rich and powerful didn't deem most people to learn all the truths of the world, though, so the Beggars worked against that as much as they could. It was what originally brought him here to this continent.
Aki kept his body like this even though he could have gotten rid of most of them when he entered the spiritual stage of cultivation. He wanted to lean into his role as a beggar, though, so he chose not to. She laid a hand on his chest and looked at him solemnly. She didn't ask what was on her mind; how long would he be there?
It was better, since Aki himself didn't know. He was going to be here for the foreseeable future, though. He still had to get to the capital. Then there was also that man, Axel. The man gave him a funny feeling, and he had a strange feeling he'd see him again, sometime.
Endra leaned in and kissed him on the cheek just as Liam walked into the room. He stood in the door. He looked at the pair of them in bed together. His eyes moved back and forth between them. He only stayed there a moment before he took a step backward and closed the door. Aki then heard him walk away from the door and out to the main room.
Endra said nothing until Liam was gone. When he was gone, she gave a soft groan and leaned her head into Aki's chest. He ran a hand through her dark, silky hair, unsure of what to say. She wiggled her way down to the bottom of the bed and climbed out of it without climbing over Aki. Endra stood and left the room in her nightgown. She tied her hair into a loose bun on the back of her head with a band she had put around her wrist.
Aki wasn't sure what to do, so he just lay there for a few moments. He heard Endra walk into the main room and sit next to Liam on the couch. Aki closed his eyes. It wasn't his business what happened here. He strained to avoid hearing what they were talking about, what they were saying. It was hard even without the extra-sensitive ears of a cultivator. He stood and found his robes in a pile in the room's corner and got dressed.
He tuned them out, running through his thoughts, though. The cultivator wanted to train Liam today, maybe Endra as well, if she wanted to learn. He'd take him out to the ocean and teach him to meditate first. The beggar would have to figure out a way to get a sword maybe made for the boy. Probably too soon for that, though. It would be better to teach him some unarmed styles and how to meditate and then cultivate. Then, they'd have to grow the boy's core.
When he was back in his robes, he heard the door open. Endra peeked her head and smiled.
"Come, the Chens are here. They're getting ready to leave and wanted to say goodbye," she told him. Aki looked at her with a concerned stare as he fixed his sword on his back. That was another thing he'd have to do, get a proper scabbard for his sword so he could wear it on his side. Now that the cat was out of the bag, there was no point in using it like a cane and pretending to be blind.
"Is everything alright?" He asked her. She gave a strained smile before sighing and nodding her head. "Yes, it's fine. It's just hard. Liam never really knew his father, and then finding you here like this," she said, waving the thought away with her hand.
They still hadn't really talked about Liam's father, her dead husband. He knew he had died in some sort of farming accident just after Liam had died. He was a local farmer, while she and her mother had the inn. They also had a small farmstead just outside of town. She had to sell it when he died because she couldn't take care of the inn and knew nothing about farming. She moved in here, where her mother lived full time. Her mother died, as mortals do when they get old, and then it was her and Liam to live here and take care of the inn.
Aki walked towards the door and put his hands on her shoulders. He smiled, looking into her bright eyes, and leaned in and gave her a small kiss on the forehead. "I'll do whatever you need me to do here, you know? If you want me to stay in the room upstairs, or hell… if you want me to go back to sleeping behind the tavern, I'll do that. I don't want to upset the life you have here."
She stared at him and smiled and laughed. "No, I don't think I could stand that smell again, or ever get those robes of yours clean if you continued to do that."
She closed her eyes and put her head into his chest. "No, Liam is alright. He understands as much as he can about everything," she continued.
Aki nodded and just held onto Endra for as long as she needed to stay like that. He rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes. It only lasted a few moments until he felt her head shake underneath him. "Come on, the Chens have a boat to catch and they want to speak with you before you leave. Then I'm sure there's plenty of work to do around here," she told him.
"AKIIIII! COME OUT! WE HAVE TO GO!" Jin's jovial voice rang out through the air, boosted with his round midsection. It rang out deep but light-toned. Still, Aki could almost hear a slight strain in the cook's voice, the pressingness of being late.
Endra broke the embrace and walked away from Aki. He followed close behind her and smiled at Liam before reaching for the boy, ruffling his hair. He was eating a small sticky bun, sitting on the couch wearing some plain brown slacks and a matching shirt. The boy looked like he was still asleep, but he looked up and gave a slight smile to Aki. He didn't acknowledge the hair ruffle or try to fix it like he normally did this time. Aki understood it must be a hard thing for a boy to find his mother in the arms of someone else.
The beggar just kept smiling and gave the boy a wink before continuing on through the room. When he reached the main lobby of the Inn, he found Jin standing there, his hands resting on his stomach. The man was wearing the usual plain gray robes he normally did. His short, thinning hair looked a little disheveled, like he had been hard at work already this morning. Jin smiled and looked at Aki with tired eyes.
"Come, come. Mei is outside with Ping and the carriage. She has something she wanted to give you before we left. And of course, we wanted to say goodbye," Jin was waving at Aki to join him as he walked outside.
Endra stayed inside with Liam as Aki went out in the bright, cool morning air. Mei was standing there by the carriage, and she instantly came over to him and wrapped her arms around him. Her short but thick form pressed into Aki.
"We are heading back now that the townspeople have seen fit to work again. I am sure we will see each other again, though, hopefully back home. I don't know if I'd care to ever go traveling in that desert again," Mei smiled, and Jin just laughed behind her.
Aki hugged her back and laughed politely with her. He couldn't say he blamed her. He wasn't looking forward to traveling through that desert himself so he could get to the capital.
"First though, I wanted to give you something that I think you'll appreciate," Mei continued, and pulled away from him. She looked up at him, and a bundled-up package wrapped in plain brown paper appeared in her hands, seemingly from nowhere.
"I've had this for a long time, just wasn't ever sure if I wanted to sell it or not. People would give me their entire savings for it," she explained, looking at the package. She offered it up to him with a smile.
Aki gaped at her and took the package from her hands. The bundle was light but bulky. It was some sort of clothing within. He gave it a squeeze and unwrapped the package just enough to peek into one corner. Not being able to see what it was besides just fabric, he untied the rope that held the package close and let the paper fall to the ground between them.
As he opened the package, he saw shimmering green scales. They almost had a sparkle to them. Aki unfurled the cloth. The cloth behind the scales was plain black and made from some sort of stretchy material that would hug the wearer tight. It was a bodysuit, sort of like the long underwear people wore in the north to keep warm. There were ivory buttons to clasp it closed once you got your legs and body into the suit. The shimmering scales were covering the fabric, though, and Aki looked at Mei with a questioning glance.
Mei gave a chuckle in response to the unasked question and then answered it. "See, it's so rare you don't even know what it is, do you? It's wyvern scales. A lesser dragon seen sometimes around the world. Not as rare as dragons, mind you, nor as strong, but…"
Aki nodded his head. She trailed off with the explanation, but Aki understood how valuable and rare such a thing was. The scales would protect him from… Well, from just about anything. Blunt force damage would still have an effect somewhat, but it would be hard to defeat Aki while he wore such a thing. He looked back at Mei, astonished.
"Me and Jin live a peaceful life, we have no such use for it, and Jin wouldn't be able to fit into it, anyway. You, well, you put yourself in more danger. It might as well go to someone who will put it to use if I will not sell it. I'm happy to give it to you," Mei told him.
Aki bundled the cloth up, the scales were hard, but the magic of them and size meant the suit bundled. He clasped his hands together and bowed low to his friend. "Thank you," was all he could say.
She and Jin both returned the bow to him, bowing low, but Mei embraced him once more. Jin clapped him on the shoulder before they broke away and climbed on top of the carriage onto the driver's bench.
"Go ahead, Ping, down to the docks," Jin called and gave the reins of the yoke a soft slap. He then looked back and waved at Aki. "Goodbye, my friend!"
Aki watched them roll down the street a short distance and down the small hill to the docks. There was a team of men waiting for them to help them break the carriage down and get the oxen and the carriage itself on board the vessel. Aki waved back at them and yelled his goodbye before leaning down and picking up the paper that had originally held the item. He then headed inside to Endra and Liam.