Day breaks upon the world and I meet the young woman.

She hides her distress. But, I can see her fidgeting.

"How long has this demon been demanding sacrifices?"

The woman startles out of her thoughts.

"3 months. We're going into the 4th."

We walk in silence.

I find it difficult to talk to her. She is focused on her purpose.

Hours pass as she guides me.

We make camp as the twilight hour comes upon the world.

I build a fire and we sit, looking into the flames.

"It'll be alright," I say.

She smiles a sad smile, "Yeah."

I meditate on my soul world. And, before I know it, dawn has come.

"You're getting better," the sword notes. "Sleep is overrated."

I find myself agreeing with the sentiment.

We walk another 2 days before the woman leads me off the trail.

I follow without question.

She doesn't lead me to a village. Rather, I find myself before a cave.

"It's in there," she says.

Cautiously, I enter the looming maw.

The sword comes out and its glowing is put to some use.

Not far into the cave, I meet a ledge overlooking an abyss.

"Gonna have to find a way around."

As I say this, I hear the sword say, "Look out!"

I turn to see the young woman rush me.

She pushes me into the abyss.

On her face, I see misery.

But, I don't have time to pity her as I plummet to the ground below.

The sword escapes me and I'm momentarily stunned.

When I recover, I stumble my way to the blade.

I kick against light rocks. At least, I think they're rocks until I have the orange glow of my sword showing me the truth.

Human bones and rotten meat litter the cave floor.

"Bitch," the sword curses my guide.

But, I have no time to worry about her.

A skittering sound surrounds me.

"Sacrifice," a whispered voice sounds.

I can't make out the source of the sound.

I see the shadows flee the glow of my sword like living creatures.

"Unusual," the whispered voice says.

I test the shadows and move to the wall of the cave.

My back against something solid, I breathe a little easier.

"What... is... that?"

The sword glows brighter, eliciting a hiss from the shadows.

"Let's go, bearer," the sword groans. "We'll stomp this bug."

Finally, I hear movement and charge.

What I find when I reach my goal confuses me.

Shadows pervade the demon. But, the long carapace has no end.

"Human," I hear from above my head.

Vertigo hits me as the sword dances away and something wet strikes the ground I'd just stood on.

The sword returns control as I see a wad of mucus bubble and hiss as it eats into the dirt.

I have one bottle of holy water that survived my fall into this mess.

The skittering sounds again and I charge it.

The millipede segment is before me.

I throw the holy water. The vials break upon the demon's carapace.

A whispered scream echoes on the walls of the cave.

The demon thrashes and its hold on the sealing fails.

The tangled web of the fiend lies before me.

"What are you waiting for," the sword asks. "Attack."

I swing into the hard shell of the monster. But, despite the sharpness of the blade, my attacks failed to penetrate the carapace.

"Use your chi," the sword instructs.

I send my spirit into the sword. Its light grows blinding as I cut down on the demon's body.

The creature roars as it is neatly cut in two.

"Find the head."

I nod my agreement as I come upon the now shorter main body of the demon.

From the side, acid flies at me.

I dodge to the side, avoiding most of it. But, a few drops land on my clothes and arm.

I roar with pain as the mandibles of the shadowy bug charge me.

Vertigo hits as the sword fights through my pain.

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A segment of the monster's jaw falls to the ground while the enemy and my body stand opposite one another.

"What... are... you?" comes the whispered voice.

I feel myself smirk, "Legendary."

The two forces clash for the final time before my body is returned to me.

The demon lies dead at my feet.

"Sorry, if you wanted the kill," the sword says. "But, I was on fire."

I nod as I take in the moment.

The shadows simmer over the dead demon's form.

Old memories stir and I'm not sure how to feel.

The sword, however, knows to celebrate this moment.

I let the sword praise itself as I find a way to scale the wall and make my way out of the cave.

The woman is gone. Her betrayal stings. But, I take the experience as a lesson.

"Forget about the girl. It happens. Demons pressure the weak into luring in would-be heroes. It's a trick as old as time.

With a deep breath, I pick up the trail we'd come by. And, before long, I find my way to a main road.

My spirit world thrives with life. My soul illuminates the primeval world.

Every blade of grass and every flying insect reflects an aspect of me.

"The immaterial to the material," the sword instructs. "Bind your soul world to the chi of heaven and earth."

I feel my world expand as I suck in the chi.

"What is the soul world?" I ask as I come out of the meditation.

The sword glows. "It is you. Every tree and beast? In the land tells your story.

"Whether or not you can read it is up to you."

It's peaceful, I think.

The road ahead of me is long and I see dark clouds on the horizon.

As the clouds encroach on me, I prepare myself for rain.

A mighty pine tree serves as my shelter as fat water droplets pool on the ground beyond.

As I wait for the storm to pass, I think about my life.

A vagabond and nomad. Without ties to the land.

It's not a bad life.

But, things like family and friends are distant concepts.

A drop of water sneaks past the pine needles to land on my head.

I move out of the way.

"What's on your mind, partner?"

I look at the sword before turning back to watch the rain bounce off of the ground.

"Just thinking."

"Hmm," the sword hums. "I've done a lot of thinking over the ages."

I nod as I watch a sapling get battered by the rain.

"What's it all for?" I ask as I feel an existential crisis well up from within me.

"Fighting," the sword says flatly.

I chuckle, "For you maybe."

"Then, what about you?" the sword asks. "What do you think it's all about?"

"If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn't have asked the question."

"Oh, come now. It's on your mind. You must have some ideas."

I think for a moment, "Adventure isn't quite the truth. But, it's close."

"You seek out what you do not know."

I shrug as I see rays of sunlight peek out from behind the clouds.

A short wait sees the last of the rain fade.

My boots sink into the mud as I continue on my way.

The sword happily talks about past bearers while I walk.

"If you were used by so many immortals," I ask, "what happened to them all? Shouldn't they still be carrying you?

"That's a shallow view of immortality," the sword says. "You mistake immortality for invincibility.

"It is true that immortals are powerful. But, so too are their enemies.

"The celestial war saw many shining stars fall.

"I don't know what the celestial pantheon looks like now. Whether it's ruled by immortals or the gods."

"Celestial pantheon?" I echo. "I've never heard of it."

"That's not surprising. Mortals aren't exactly in the loop on heavenly matters."

I concede the point.

After the shower, the meadows and the forest abound with new life.

I see yellow butterflies dancing in the air.

As dusk comes over the land, I make camp.

My meditation carries me into a world so familiar.

Like the material world, I see and hear insects.

My soul walks through a field of grass.

I extend a handout and feel the waist-high blades upon my fingers.

The mere act of touching teaches me the plant's dao.

I spend seemingly minutes caught up in my exploration before opening my eyes to the material world.

Night has passed and early morning has come.

"How long can someone remain in the soul world?" I ask.

The sword is silent for a moment.

"There is a school of immortality that cultivates the soul world rather than refining it.

"These dreamers dive deeply into their souls. They rarely leave their little world.

"So long as the world sustains them, they can remain in meditation indefinitely.

"Most find an immortal cave and hide their physical bodies."

"Sounds lonely," I say.

The sword laughs, "I'd imagine it quite the opposite."

I find my way to the walled-off city, Jareel.

There is a heavy atmosphere when I enter the streets.

People hurry from one building to the next.

The inn that I find is an old-looking establishment.

A middle-aged woman minds the counter.

"You new in town?" She asks.

"Yes, ma'am."

She eyes me evenly, "Why'd you come this far South?"

I shrug, "I've never been here before. Seemed like the thing to do.

Her lips twitch.

"Listen," she says. "You'd best go back where you came from. The demons as getting ready to attack the wall down South.

"This isn't the time to be sightseeing."

I nod my understanding, "I'd still like a room for the night."

"Of course."

I make my way through the creaking building to find my room.

Unburdened by my traveling gear, I walk out into the city streets.

No food vendors are dealing out in the open. But, I find a place to sit down for a meal.

A watery stew with a single, small, piece of meat is presented to me.

I don't complain as I pay for the subpar meal.

Bored, I wonder if it's too early to go to a pub.

Down a back alley, I hear several thumps and groans of pain.

I turn the corner to see three young men kicking a fourth.

The victim of the attack is in a ball, trying to endure the onslaught.

"Hey!" I call out.

My hand goes to my sword as the assailants turn to me.

"This is none of your concern," says a leading bully as he draws a knife.

In one fluid motion, my sword points at the, now, less confident young man.

The blade glows almost red as it exults in the moment of conflict.

The three men retreat under the threat.

I find myself alone in the alley with a recovering young man.

As I look at him, I notice something peculiar. Cat ears peek out from his black hair.

He achingly comes to his feet.

I look at him, "You're a beastkin."

The man looks down.

His clothes are ratty and I can tell that he's lived on the streets for some time.

I think about how my life could have led to living on the streets if not for...

I'm getting lost in thought.

"C'mon," I say. "I'll buy you a drink."

The man looks up into my eyes.

There is hesitation. But, also, hunger.

I turn and walk down the street.

I know he's taking a moment to debate whether or not he wants to follow me.

But, I hear the patting of feet as he runs to catch up with me.

The pub I find is a little hole in the wall.

The bartender doesn't show any prejudice against the beastkin.

I take a seat at a table and wait for the man to join me.

He hesitates but sits across from me all the same.

The bartender sees to our drinks.

I take a sip of the ale and look over the rim of my mug.

"What's your name?" I ask after he sips at his drink.

The man looks down.

"Sorry," I say. "First I should tell you my name. I'm Askilar."

The young man looks up, "Max."

I smile, "Nice to meet you, Max."

A little warmth shows in Max's features as he takes another sip.

"Nice to meet you, Askilar."

From here we can enjoy our drinks.

"Why?" he asks. "Why are you doing this?"

I shrug, "I'm not prejudiced against beastkin. I couldn't just let them beat on you like that."

Another round sees us loosened up.

"Where are you from?" I ask.

Max's ears twitch.

"East. The drow destroyed my village."

I find my circumstances not dissimilar to his.

"You?" he asks.

"Northwest. But I'm from all over."

He looks uncertain, "What's it like being from all over?"

I smile, "It's not so bad. Do some work here and there before moving on. I'm fond of investigating ruins."

I think for a second, "Honestly, things are usually ruined by time. Pottery and jewelry are common items to find. But, I've found things of greater value."

The sword makes a fuss about being compared to pottery and jewelry.

The cat ears on the man twitch, "I wish I could be like you."

I frown, "What's stopping you? Surely you can get out there."

He smiles wanly, "Beastkin aren't popular. Getting work is hard."

I sympathize with the man and wish I could do something for him.

"Would," he asks. "Would you take me with you? I can carry your luggage.

I feel guilty.

"I can't."

His ears sag, "I understand."

There is an awkward silence between us.

"Oh, take the boy, bearer. He can hold your stuff while we fight."

I sigh, "We'd be traveling North if you were to come with me."

The man's ears perk up while the blade is stunned.

"North? We're going South. You want your revenge on the demons, don't you?"

I flick the overreacting sword.

"I'll follow wherever you lead, Askilar."

I smile, wondering if I made the right decision.

We finish our drinks and I pay for him to have a room at the inn.

His ratty clothes are simple to replace with common robes.

My wallet has taken a hit in recent days.

I'll have to take on some work soon.

But, for tonight, I settled into a quiet meditation.

Or, I would if not for the sword badgering me to continue along my southern progression.

I put the pest out of my mind as I dive into my soul world.

I feel the tether with each spirit grow stronger, feeding me more chi with every passing moment.

I wonder at the next stage of my evolution as a cultivator.

To refine my world into a ball of energy.

It sounds like a fantasy.

But, then, the soul world itself sounds like fantasy. Despite how real it is to me.

The night passes.