Chapter Eight

“You know what would make this perfect? A beautiful, slender, ice-cold bottle of beer with just the right amount of perspiration hanging from the glass . . . goddamn I would kill for that.”

A sultry feminine voice sighed from behind where Riley sat on the edge of the Sodden Dock, feet dangling in the warm water of the Whispering Glade and fishing pole in hand. “Focus, Disciple. Ignore the base desires of your body and focus instead on the very nature of our world. Ponder the secrets of the Universe and advance your cultivation in the ways that I have taught you.”

Riley fought back a sigh, turning his attention back to his line and attempting to ignore the feeling of Elder Meihua’s eyes burning a hole in his back. Why didn’t she bring her own pole? And why’s she staring at me like that?? Freaking me out.

The pole that the elder had presented him with was clearly ancient, made from a flexible yet powerful wood that was worn smooth from the passage of time. It bore a basic spinning reel that was crafted from metal in such a way that it appeared as if the metal was not forged and instead simply came into being as a reel.

Freaky.

The line itself that ran out from where Riley sat and to the small float that bobbed gently in the dark water of the Glade, marking where his hook dangled below the surface, was made of a thin but strong fiber. As for his bait, Riley had procured a hunk of salted meat from Cook on the promise that he would give the construct whatever he managed to catch.

If there’s even anything to catch, Riley thought, eyeing the murky water that surrounded him dubiously. But that’s why they call it fishing, not catching. Or at least that’s what Pa always said when we got skunked . . .

A distant bird call drew his attention from his thoughts and to the surrounding mangrove forest. It reminded him so much of the Everglades, where he had spent many summers with his family camping and exploring the wetlands. Only far, far larger.

A soft breeze stirred from the south, washing warm air over him and loosening his shoulders as Riley reminisced on simpler times. Riley closed his eyes, breathing in deeply, and suddenly; he could see. Glowing motes of light, bearing all the colors of the rainbow and more, floated through the world around him. Like tiny fireflies they flitted through both air and water alike, interacting effortlessly with the world around them.

Riley exhaled slowly, watching through the eye of his mind as the nearby motes of light reacted, orbiting closer to him. As he inhaled again, some of the motes melded with him, passing unimpeded into his body. Winding sluggishly through his body, the motes spiraled towards the ball of light that lay at his core until they at last came into contact with the glowing tendrils that stretched precariously out from his core. Sped up by some invisible force, the motes snaked through the tendrils at rapid speed before at last arriving at his core. The change was almost imperceptible, yet Riley knew that the ball of light had grown larger and the tendrils had expanded further.

Those must be the chi channels Miss Meihua mentioned, Riley thought, opening his eyes to find that the sun had sunken significantly lower in the sky above than should have been possible. Just how long was I doing that?

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Incredible,” Meihua breathed from behind. Riley turned to find her staring at him with wonder in her eyes. “It took me months to learn how to absorb ambient chi into my core and you did just one day after Awakening. Perhaps Xiao was right— ”

Whatever the elder was about to say next was interrupted by a massive splash followed by the fishing pole in Riley’s hands bending to form an almost perfect crescent.

“FISH ON!” Riley roared, standing to his feet, fishing line running from the reel with a terrible screech.

Yanking back hard with a guttural shout, Riley set the hook and began to crank down on the reel, feeling every ounce of the fish on the other end of the line fight for its life. Small waves spread across the clearing of water that the Sodden Docks sat in as Riley and his quarry began their tug-of-war battle to the death.

“IT’S A FUCKIN’ MONSTER!”

“I can see that,” Meihua said, watching on with a vague look of concern. “Is fishing normally this . . . violent?”

“SOMETIMES!”

“And how long does this usually last?”

“UNTIL I WIN!”

“Right,” Meihua sighed glancing briefly towards the Sodden Gate and the winding steps that led up to the sect before shrugging her shoulders. “Not like I have anything better to do and this is the most exciting thing that’s happened around here in a while. I shall bear witness to your battle, Disciple.”

“AWESOME!”

And so, as the sun slowly sank down from the sky and the Twin Moons rose in its place, Riley did battle with the fish. His veins bulged and his massive muscles rippled fiercely as he fought tooth and nail against his quarry. Twice did it nearly surface the vague hint of glistening scales shimmering at the surface before it dove once more for the depths. For every inch of line that he reeled in, it seemed as if the fish pulled two more back out yet he could tell that slowly, ever so slowly, the beast was tiring.

I’ve got you now, Riley thought, a wolfish smile flashing across his features as he felt the line suddenly fall slack. Preparing himself for one final heave, he tightened his desperately sore muscles once more and leaned back hard against his fishing pole.

“C’MON UP, YA BASTARD!”

Swinging with all his might, Riley hauled back on the rod with every ounce of his strength. With a loud pop his quarry erupted forth from the water and landed upon the dock with a wet slap. Falling to his knees out of exhaustion, Riley stared down at his quarry with a broad grin.

What a beauty!

Roughly five long and with glistening scales that shimmered with an iridescent glow, the fish was clearly the king of the waters of the Glade. Powerful fangs sprung from its mouth and hundreds of sharp spines erupted from its back, trailing the length of its form and gleaming with deadly points. Even its tailfin appeared to be a weapon, gleaming with a strange edge that reminded Riley of an axe blade.

“A Razor Fin!” Meihua exclaimed, standing from her lotus position that she had watched on from. “Even if it is a juvenile, that is quite the feat, Disciple. Especially for someone who is so close to mortality. Quite the feat indeed!”

Riley blushed at the slew of compliments before freezing, the color draining from his face.

“Wait. A fuckin’ juvenile?!”