Chapter 3: Caranathus

It takes a lifetime to master a profession, or anything else. But even after a lifetime, one should still consider oneself a novice. You could, after all, learn something from even a novice. Even now, after many lifetimes, I still consider myself a novice, especially in the Arts of the Blade-Spear. It is from this passionate willingness and a lifetime of mastery that forged my everlasting conviction. An undying spirit is far greater than anything immortality has to offer.

-One of Conviction

Teacher Embracing Flower, if nothing else, could only be called beautiful. She had flowing ruby-colored hair that seemed as if each strand of hair was a beloved one of the sun. Her eyes were of passionate fire, complimenting her hair. One would think from her eyes and hair, she would have a wildly tomboyish attitude.

Instead, she reflected her name. Truly, she fitted the embrace of a flower. She was pleasing, both to the eyes and to the mind. It was said that when Embracing Flower had been born, she had been named Passionate Fire, but the name was such an incongruous one that it had been changed to Embracing Flower.    

“Good Morning, Teacher Embrace,” I called out, mustering all the strength I had into my voice. Thinking back, it was a childish display, but then again, I had my faults back then. I was only three and a half years old with a crush on someone who was already seventeen years old. Far, far older than me.

Her skin was of a white color, comparable to that of a newborn Wraithborn. Like a fleeting cloud one could never get enough of, and further accentuated by the simple black dress she wore. She was the only motivation and encouragement I had in continuing my Magus training.

She also had the rare feature that was normally not found in a Wraithborn. Teacher Embracing Flower had a white-colored tail that was purer than the whitest of snow. Sleek and smooth.

Her voice rang out sweetly. “Good Morning, Wolf Under Stars.” She tilted her head a little to the side, a gesture which I found tingly to the heart. “Did you pass the test?”

I felt tongue-tied, captivated by her beauty. A few seconds passed by before I could find the will to break free. I coughed once. “No. I mean, yes. I passed it.”

Teacher Embracing Flower had an average height for a Wraithborn, but even then, she was still two heads taller than me. I was only three and a half years old, and my height, ironically, reflected the number of my age. Trainee Hunters matured far faster than the other Demonas and Wraithborns, but in the end, we were still children.

“I am pleased to hear that.” Teacher Embrace sweetly smiled.

With just that one smile, she had bewitched me once more. I felt as if I was enspelled under her magic. I barely managed to say a thank you.

Teacher Embracing Flower took a deep breath. She looked up the sky, as if searching for something. “Follow me, Wolf Under Stars. Today’s a warm day. And I think you are learned enough to Know.”

I followed Teacher Embracing Flower. She led me through the western gates of the village walls. Along the way, exiting the section where some of the Magus lived, I saw Teacher Prina scolding some of her Magus Disciples or trainees.  Most Magus, however, preferred the word disciple rather than trainees.

I waved a greeting toward Dance of First and she rolled her eyes back in return. Most likely another form of her pouting toward Teacher Prina.  

The clearing I had trained in yesterday was located near the eastern gates. The walls of the villages were more than ten feet tall, the wood reinforced by a type of commonly found metal called Loden.

Teacher Embracing Flower called out greetings to the stationed watchmen at the western gates. They returned her manners with wide smiles. No doubt, charmed by her beauty. Teacher Embracing Flower, I knew, had many suitors.

We stopped short at a field close by that was heavy with the crisp scent of greenery and the pleasant smell of the flowers. She led on a few more steps before stopping short behind a flower with pink petals.

Humming a little tune which I did not recognize, she bent down, drawing in the scent of the flower. True, the flower had a pleasing smell—I had a sharp sense of smell, one of the many things a Hunter was proud of.  But, the scent from Teacher Embracing Flower was far better. I would never tell her this though.

“Tell me, Wolf Under Stars,” she said. “What is the language of Knowing?”

I frowned a little. There were many aspects to the language of Knowing. It was a question as ambiguous and mysterious as they came.  

“The language of Knowing,” I began, “is a language that seeks the heart of the world, the matter of things. To Know is to control. To Know is to believe. To Know is to seek magic. And the right combination of words, sounds, and traits can lead to true magic, spells, enchantments, blessings, and what not.”

“You forget very little, Wolf Under Stars.”

From her tone, I could not tell if it was praise or not. And standing behind her, I could only see her back and her white-furred tail which was dancing to a happy tune which I could not decipher. I decided to maintain silence.

“The Essences of the world are subtle,” Teacher Embracing Flower said, breaking my silence. “True Knowing comes not from mere words, sounds, or traits, but from becoming and through sensing.”

Teacher Embracing Flower turned around and stood up. In her opened hand was a small petal that had been taken from the flower. “Open your senses, Wolf Under Stars.”

I heaved a sigh. She was asking for the impossible. Nonetheless, I could only try. To try and fail was better than not trying, Teacher Embracing Flower would always reprimand me.

I calmed myself, closing my eyes. I looked deep within. There, in the depths of my mind, I found my Surge. This was what differentiated a Magus from the normal people.

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My Surge was a crudely formed sphere that floated in the midst of vaporous energy called Anima. The sphere, in my mind was small enough to fit my palm. It gave off a black hue, so darkly colored that I almost thought it would be able to devour light itself.

Seconds passed by, yet my Surge—my senses—still did not open. The seconds soon became minutes. Or was it an hour? I grew frustrated.

Finally, I opened my eyes. I knew when to give up.

To my front, Teacher Embracing Flower stood still, her face in ponderous silence. She spoke. “It’s been five months since I have become your teacher, and two months since we have started to try to awaken your surge. Seeing no progress with your Surge, I fear we may have to move on to drastic measures.”

Perhaps she saw the worry on my face, as she formed a small smile. “Not to worry, there have been cases of difficulties in many Surge Awakenings. You are not the first.”

I raised my eyebrows at her. “But I am the most difficult, eh?” I had read many cases of Surge Awakenings in our village library that catered to the Magus.

As soon as I said those words, I immediately regretted it. Teacher Embracing Flower was just trying to help me. There was no need to be difficult or dye my words with venom, however small that amount of venom was.

“I suppose I should have known you would have already read up on Surge Awakenings.” She twitched a smile to show that she was not offended. “Perhaps I even deserved that for dancing around the truth.”  

Just as I was about to interject, she waved a hand. “No matter. Let us focus on the task at hand for now. We will work on your Surge Awakening tomorrow. I will need to prepare the necessary materials.”

Teacher Embracing Flower pulled her opened palm toward me. The palm which held the pink flower petal. “Tell me about this petal.”

I thought briefly upon her statement. There had to be more than that. Teacher Embrace never asked simple questions. Her questions were all tricky as they come. And she was always patient to obtain the necessary answers from me.

“The petal is part of the flower?” I attempted at an answer. Then it hit me. “But now that it is not part of the flower, it is an individual, solely different from the flower.”

Teacher Embracing Flower let out a small laughter, a soft voice which was comparable to that of the singing of birds. “You are half-correct, young Wolf Under Stars. The petal, though necessarily no longer part of the flower, is still in some ways, connected to the flower. It has its own individual and associated traits.”

She took a step back. “Watch.”

All of a sudden, I felt a slight tugging at the back of my mind. It was slight. It was gentle. Had I been doing anything else rather than paying attention to the signs, I would not have noticed Teacher Embracing Flower’s Surging.

Admiration was felt. I knew that only an accomplished Magus could easily hide their Surging from normal eyes. A subtle Surging that was like the gentle wind. And even if I did not like being a Magus disciple, I had to admit, it was admirable.

Grandmother Moon Bird had taught me many things, among some of which included manners. Most important of all, little life lessons that helped influence my personality.

The tugging grew stronger, until it felt as if a hand on my shoulders was gently shoving me. In front of me, the pink flower grew noticeable larger and larger. Its stalk became taller and stronger as if the flower had absorbed years of light and rain.

Steadily, it grew more and more until the flower was almost eye level with me. Perhaps encouraged by this unreal scene in front of me, I inadvertently took a step closer. Closer now, I could smell the aroma of the flower which had grown even more distinct. A pleasant smell that tickled at your nose.

“This, Wolf Under Stars, is known as Association,” Teacher Embracing Flower said. Her voice became softer. More mysterious. “But this is just a mere step toward true Knowing. Through Association, even if one is not learned enough, one can at the very least reach a state called the pseudo-Knowing.”

“Through our Surge,” she continued, “we link our Anima, the internal energy the Surge converts from the Essences of the world, to our desired target. And through that link, we can manipulate. And with a true Knowing of our desired target, we can form True Association.”

Teacher Embracing Flower winked at me. “For me, my Anima has a particular attraction toward Nature Essences and Spirit Essences. It seems my name falls true. I do have a penchant for embracing flower.”

At her joke, however bitterly sweet, I could not suppress the small grin which must have shown on my face, for Teacher Embracing Flower also grinned back.

For the whole of the morning, she taught me more about nature than I would ever need to know in my lifetime. In the afternoon, I spent time studying the language of Knowing, how each sound and how each word could have entirely different meanings. Just a slight off-tone and it would result in different meanings.

I reflected on my morning.  

To think once I had been satisfied just knowing which spot of grass was the best place to take a piss on. And which spot of grass where prey was aplenty.

The six petaled pink flower, I also learned, was called a Caranathus. It was the symbol for defiance, of strength, and of great mental changes. Another flower with nine petals,  the Aramanthus of its shy red, was the symbol for love found and love lost. Of life and death. A flower that was full of contradictions.

It was a good morning.

But it could have been better spent training. Then again, spending time with a woman, especially a beauty, was much better than exercising with sweaty, half-naked Hunter trainees.