“Food is the way to a man’s stomach, they say. Food is also power. It’s how we power our bodies. Why wouldn’t more food also power our spirit?”

- Terunofuji, sect leader of the Moon Lotus Pavilion

"We are lost. We have to be. We’re in the middle of nowhere! This is worse than the Wastelands and the Desolation!" the woman said, sitting on the driver's bench, looking at her husband. "Where are you taking us?"

The woman was short and a little thicker than was normal for cultivators. If you asked the heavy set bald man sitting next to her, he'd tell you there had never been a more beautiful woman. She had long brown hair that she kept in a tight bun in a ponytail behind her head. She looked at her husband with her multicolored eyes. One was blue and green, and the other was brown with a hint of green around the iris.

"No Mei, this is the right way, I promise. That old man told us just to cut through the desert, and this man is supposed to find us," Jin Chen gave a sidelong glance at his wife. He shrugged a little, though. "I'm as confused as you are by this whole deal."

Mei frowned and shook her head, reaching behind the bench and grabbing a large, wrapped-up scroll. Unraveling it, she inspected the drawing. It was a map of the continent they were sent to. They were being paid well to do this, but if they wound up dead, what good did all the money they were paid?

It was so hot they had both taken off their outer robes. The sun beat down on them. Mei was left in a deep green inner robe, and Jin was wearing a light gray. You would still wear pants under these. with the heat in the desert however, they both also took these off and had the inner robes pulled up. They also rolled their sleeves up so far it looked like they were wearing short sleeves.

She looked up from the map and looked around at the scenery in front of her. It was a wide-open desert with a couple of flat-topped mountains in the distance. Hardly any vegetation besides these dull green plants that had sharp spikes. On their first night in the desert, Chen found out that not only were they edible, but if you fried them, they were quite tasty.

That was what they did on this massive carriage. They rolled around and sold food and enchanted items. Jin Chen had come from an extensive family of cooks, and Jin Mei had been a cultivator that moved around and usually kept to the wrong side of the law. She found and sold enchanted items.

The cart they were driving in was about three times as large as a regular carriage you'd see noble people ride in. It was so heavy that it took a crew of five oxen to carry. The lead was even a spirit beast in the physical realm of cultivation. Inside the carriage was everything you could need for a kitchen, woks, and burners. Jin's specialty was ramen, and then he was also known for his dumplings. For Mei's business, she had an assortment of rings and boxes that held the various items she had to sell.

"How can anyone tell where they are or where to go here?" Mei was looking back and forth between the map and the landscape.

Jin just shrugged a bit and kept looking in front of him, holding onto the yoke. He tried to take things much more as they came and was more placid than Mei. He smiled and kept the oxen going. They rode for a little while longer. Mei, still annoyed they didn't know where they were going or what exactly they were looking for, when Jin nudged her with his elbow.

"What's that?" He asked her, nodding his head off towards the skyline.

Mei squinted and leaned forward in her seat. She was further along in her path than Jin was since she had reached the spirit level of cultivation, so she had better eyesight. All he saw was the shadow of a dot off into the skyline. Mei, however, could see him, a haggard-looking man riding a horse wearing beat-up black and gray robes. She looked over at Jin and smiled.

"I think it's what we've been looking for," she told him before shouting down to the lead ox. It was a spirit beast who hadn't quite reached the level where it could talk. "Ping, hurry!"

The lead of the five oxen looked back to Mei and nodded its head before he moved a little quicker. Jin gave a whip of the yoke to get the other four to follow their leader's pace. It took them a few moments, but soon Ping had the crew hauling the cart faster, almost galloping while they grunted and groaned, hauling the massive food carriage.

___________________________

Aki was lost. He had been lost for days now. He had been riding along in the desert, uncertain of how to return to the tribe. The cultivator had fashioned his outer robe into something to wear on his head to block the sun from his eyes and to catch the sweat. He had it rolled up, with a little of the excess over the back of his neck to protect it from burning.

Riding along with the sun on his back, he asked the winds if they would bring some news of where he should be going. They hadn't given him any information since he had left the scene of the battle with the demon that had killed the rest of the hunting party. Now, though, the breeze picked up a little around him, and he smelled... something.

It was the scent of a creature he hadn't smelled since he left the Sasaki Empire—people. He could smell the creature's skin and the humans' sweat. Then there was something else in the air, and it smelled delicious. Aki narrowed his eyes and looked around in the distance, listening to his stomach growl. He had eaten some of the travel rations and had consumed some antelope meat, but they were turning. He hadn't been able to take proper care of the rest of the animals, so he had to abandon them the day before.

Off in the distance, he saw it: a massive carriage with a woman and a man being pulled by a large crew of oxen. He could feel their spirit as well. One of them was more powerful than he was, and another still existed in the physical realm. There was a third spirit, and a weaker one. He thought it might have been one of the oxen pulling the carriage. It made sense. The carriage, even from this far away, was huge.

He started heading toward the carriage, the horse struggling to move. Neither of them had had water in a few days. Help was here, though, delicious help from the looks of things. Certainly, this pair of cultivators on a carriage had water along with the food Aki smelled. He felt invigorated by the sight of someone, and he licked his dry, cracked lips. He cycled his mana through his channels, wishing he could give some to the horse to move it along.

They galloped for what seemed like forever. Aki was thinking the carriage and smells were an illusion. They were still there, though. Off in the distance, he could still see the speck of the carriage. The desert was so vast it was hard to tell exactly how far away they were. There was nothing between where Aki was and the carriage. Even the mountains seemed far away from where he was.

While Aki rode towards the carriage, he saw two figures on horses standing together. Both of them were wearing black. One was an older pale woman dressed in armor, similar to the knights in the Western Islands, with a ragged cloak over it and an enormous sword on her back. He recognized her and the other immediately. The one with the sword was Lilith, the Kami who had stood over and watched him fight Hinto during the raid on the town.

The other looked younger, and while still pale, she had the skin tone of someone from the Sasaki Empire, but she didn't see the sun much. It was Minako again. It seemed like she was taking a special interest in him with how often she was visiting him. They didn't come close to him, just watched from their spot, which seemed to be about as far away as the carriage.

Aki sighed and looked back at the cart. Was it getting further away? He squinted his eyes and looked up at the sun. It was blazing down on him, and he cursed. How did people live out here? This forsaken place was worse than the Wastelands had ever thought of being. He tried to lick his lips again; the skin was dry and cracked.

___________________________

Jin and Mei were still making their way towards the man on the horse. Jin urged Ping the Ox to hurry as best he could. Ping, however, was only an ox, and he could only move so fast with his companions trudging along behind him.

"Oh, hells, I’m going to run and get him. He looks like he’s already dead on top of his horse," Mei said, looking at Jin with genuine worry in her eyes. She seemed to know that this was the man the old man back in the village of Mudpass had sent them to find. Jin wasn’t sure how she knew, but he had the utmost faith in his wife. He gave a slight nod, still looking out on the horizon. Neither of them noticed the women on their black horses overlooking the entire scene.

As soon as Jin nodded his head, Mei leaped from the cart. She cycled the cool blue water mana through her channels and pushed herself. In a burst of speed, her legs carried her across the desert to the man on the horse. Sand and dirt kicked up behind her as she moved, dodging the snakes and cacti of the desert landscape.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Mei kept her eyes on the man. He was slung back in the saddle on the horse. He was barely upright by the looks of him, hanging onto the reins of the horse loosely. The horse was moving slowly, barely able to walk, until it fell, unable to keep walking. The man on the horse just fell with it, slumping down into the sand. Mei had felt the man’s spirit, and while he seemed weak she knew he would be alright. His leg wouldn’t be crushed under the animal's weight.

When Mei reached them, she found the man passed out under the horse. The horse lay dead on top of the man’s leg. Mei went to the man, crouched down in front of him, slapping his cheek a little before pressing her fingers to his neck. Finding he still had a pulse, she slapped his cheek a few times, trying to wake him. He was out cold, in a mess of robe. The cloth on his head had fallen off in the tumble.

She grabbed him from under his armpits and, while cycling her mana, she managed to pull him free of the horse. She grabbed up the cloth that had fallen off of his head and held it under one of her arms. Then, crouching down, Mei could grab the man’s arms and sling him over her shoulder. Once she moved him, she got a whiff of him, and she had to stop herself from gagging.

"Been a while since you’ve been able to bathe, huh? How long have you been out here?" Mei asked as she trudged back to the carriage. She didn’t expect an answer, but she had to keep her mind off the stench of him. Holding her breath as much as she could while she walked, she looked up. She saw Jin still trying to urge the oxen to rush towards them.

Aki woke up with a start, and he was drenched. His eyes opened, and he looked around. He saw a man and a woman standing over him. The man was holding a dripping bucket, and they both smiled expectantly at him. Aki tried to blink the water out of his eyes and comprehend where he was.

He found himself lying on a table, the kind you'd see in a tavern or restaurant, with a couple of chairs pulled away from it. There were a few tables in total, including the one he was on, each with two or three chairs. There was even a canopy over the little area, but Aki realized they were definitely outside. Behind the canopy section, he saw the large carriage he had seen on the skyline before. It was even more massive up close. Then he caught the scent of food coming from the carriage, and his stomach growled loudly.

This caused the man to laugh and nod his head. Aki looked back at him sheepishly. He was maybe a foot taller than the woman, with a round belly and a bald head. His face was smooth, except for the lower half of a goatee on his chin. The woman had dark brown hair pulled back in a tight ponytail and had a strict expression on her face. When she saw him move, however, her expression softened, and she smiled.

She had an air of toughness about her that contrasted with the man's laughter and smiles. She grabbed his arm and patted his shoulder. "Why don’t you…"

He laughed again and nodded, interrupting her. "Yes, yes. I know my cue. I’m sure our guest is hungry! I have some things cooking up. Set up a table, and we’ll have some dinner, and our new friend can tell us what he was doing in the middle of the desert."

Aki watched the man walk away, and the woman helped him off the table and into a seat. "Who are you guys? What were you doing out here?"

"We could ask you the same thing," the woman said as she eyed him.

Aki gave a sheepish smile and nodded. They were his benefactors, and he figured he owed them the truth. "My name is Saito Aki. I’m from the Sasaki Empire. I got mixed in with a tribe of locals, and a group of us was hunting when we were attacked by a demon. I’ve been wandering around trying to find my way back to the tribe, but I was lost." Aki trailed off and looked off in the distance, past the woman.

She smiled and nodded as if she understood him. "Well, we have seen no tribes of locals, but we haven’t been looking. We only saw a camp of the Akutamori Temple. Stopped there for a night and made some coin."

Aki looked up at her sharply before moving to his feet. "You saw the Akutamori?!"

"Did you not? They were camped only a few miles from where we found you."

Then there was a loud voice calling from inside the carriage. "Now, now, sit down and relax. The Akutamori isn’t going anywhere. They’re held up outside of some valley they’re trying to get into. We couldn’t find out many details." The man laughed. "That big fella kept a tight lid on any useful information."

A few minutes later, he left the carriage walking on a small ramp. He was carrying three large bowls, and Aki could see the steam rising from them. He moved over to the table and set the bowls down. "Rest tonight and eat. I think we’ve been looking for you, but let’s eat first. I have ramen and some dumplings I’ve cooked up for us. Come on, Mei, come give me a hand."

Aki sat back down uneasily, and his eyebrows pinched together. "Looking for me?" The pair seemed to ignore him, though, and the man walked back up the ramp into the carriage. The woman waited outside, and he watched her reach in.

It was hard to ignore the delicious smells coming from the bowls on the table and the carriage. Lots of onion and garlic, and a deep earthy umami smell of mushrooms. He could also get a whiff of some spice coming from within the bowls, and while the couple was gone, he sneaked a peek. The bowls were full of broth and noodles and some sort of meat piled on top. There were chopped green onions and red chili paste. Aki’s stomach growled again.

A moment later, they both came back. She was holding chopsticks and small ceramic soup spoons. He was carrying a large plate full of dumplings, accompanied by small dishes of various sauces. The man nodded his head. "Yes, we’ve been wandering around in this desert looking for someone, and by the sounds of things, you are him. Everything will become clear soon, I promise, brother." Then he clasped his hands together and gave a bow to Aki.

"We’re the Chens. I’m Mei, and this is my husband, Jin. We travel in this carriage and sell food and trinkets." Mei gave a slight shrug before sitting down. "We're also from the Sasaki Empire, and we're fellow cultivators traveling down our paths."

Aki took them both in and gave the pair a bow from his seated position. "Well, I thank you for saving me. I would have died out there if it wasn’t for you guys."

Jin just nodded his head and stood, gathering the dishes before taking them back inside the carriage. Mei leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table, looking at Aki. "Your Elder or whatever sent us out looking for you. I’m going to guess you’re the only Saito Aki wandering around in the desert. You live in that village, Mudpass, right?"

Aki perked up and sat up in his seat, nodding his head. "The Elder sent you?"

Then Mei went into the story about how they were summoned by him while they were traveling. They received a paper lantern that burned up after they found the note asking them to come to the town. Their mission was to find him and ensure Aki was alright and progressing as expected. Then they were supposed to return with the news of Aki's well-being.

Aki frowned and explained the tribes didn’t have paper or anything he could use to make a lantern. Thus, he wasn’t able to send back word. Aki asked Mei if she could let him know he was fine, but he had gotten sidetracked. He then told his own story about the town and the woman he met and saved. He also explained his desire to save the people from the tribe and get them back into their town so they could rebuild.

Mei nodded slightly and then gave a smile. "Well, I haven’t even told you the best part. Not only did he send us after you to make sure you were alive, he gave us something to give you."

Aki raised an eyebrow and looked at her. She smiled and had her hands on the table. In a moment, a short dagger appeared in a sheath. Unlike his sword, this dagger had a slight curve to it, and the sheath was a dull light blue, almost white. It appeared out of nowhere, and Aki knew that one ring the woman was wearing must be a spirit ring. She mentioned they sell trinkets.

She observed him closely, and Aki noticed she had different-colored eyes. One was brown with flecks of green, and the other was green with a couple of large dots of blue. She pulled the dagger from the sheath, and Aki looked down at it. The first thing he noticed was that it wasn’t made from metal. It looked like a frosted icicle, pitted and marked. It almost seemed like if he tried to touch the blade, his fingers would stick to it.

“I’m told it’s made from the spirit stone from a beast found in Minako’s lands,” Mei told him as she examined it. “I’m not sure what it does, but it’s supposed to be powerful if you can unlock its abilities.”

Minako. Aki's mouth gaped open, and he looked at her sharply. Was this why she was taking such a special interest in him lately? Because of this blade? Or was his situation dire enough that she took special interest? He had even seen her just before he passed out when he saw the carriage. She slid the dagger over to him, and he looked back down at it. The hilt matched the sheath and was plain. The weapon looked plain in every way except for the frosted blade.

“Anyway, it’s yours now. He gave it to us to give to you. He said it’ll probably help in the harsh lands here.”

He reached out and picked up the dagger, examining it. “What happened to my sword?”

She smiled and gestured towards the carriage. “We have it, and your outer robe, though the robe is more suitable for burning at this point than anything else. We have an extra cot you can sleep on under the canopy, and in the morning, we’ll see about freeing your townspeople.” She knocked on the table and stood up.

Just as if that was his cue, Chen walked back out under the canopy carrying a folded-up cot. Mei moved the tables out of the way, and Chen set it up. Then he went back and got a couple of others and set them up as well. “We can all have a camp-out, and in the morning, I’ll make us some breakfast, and then we can get started.” He looked at Aki with a gleam in his eye and a cocked grin.

Aki looked back down at his new dagger, taking it in. This would be his first magical weapon. When he became a beggar, he took it to heart, even though he had little. The Elder found him when he was young, living on the streets in the capital of one state inside the Empire. His sword, unique because of the cane scabbard, wasn't magical.

He examined the dagger's size, about as long as his forearm from tip to tip. Mei had said the whole blade was made from a spirit stone. How big was the creature it came from, and how powerful was it? Aki tried to reach out with his spirit to get a sense of the weapon, but he had to withdraw as soon as he tried. The blade was beyond him in power. Would he even be able to harness its abilities? Aki frowned. Since it was a spirit stone, strong though it may be, would it be as durable as a regular blade?

He was pulled from his musings when the night sky lit up with a brilliant white light from the east. The power unleashed from the direction of the Empire was like an assault on the spirit. All around them, whatever vegetation existed blew back in a gale of wind. The light vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Aki, Mei, and Jin staring in the direction the flash of power had come from.

Aki stood, his dagger still in hand, and took a step toward the source of the power. “When was the last time you saw the man from Mudpass?” He looked over at the couple.

Mei looked at Jin, and they both thought about it. “About a month? It took us a while to find a ship willing to carry our carriage. Why?”

Something else happened. It was like a flash of power, but the opposite. It was like a great power was taken away from the world. Aki narrowed his eyes and strained, wishing he could get some glimpse of what was happening.