Even with the existence of aliens becoming common knowledge while he had been trapped in liminal space, life in the sect carried on more-or-less as before.
Oh, there were some changes; the hallways and streets were a little sparser as people decided to spend more time cultivating their bodies and souls, weapons shot up in price as supply outstripped demand, there was a surge of interest in containment formations that saw that section of the library consistently swamped…
But those things were background noise. On average, everything was the same. Including, somehow, Old Man Jinka’s stubbornness.
“The price is the price.” The old man – who was actually only ten year’s Lu’s senior, but he was a mortal so it was better to treat him as such – was in slightly-better-than-peasant garb, his felt hat accented with a bright red ribbon and his denim clothes dyed vibrantly, and a thin wooden pipe poking out from between his teeth. Lu had, in the several years he had patronized the man’s stall, never seen him without that pipe wiggling up and down from the motions of his mouth – and equally never seen him actually smoke.
Lu’s lips pursed in frustration. “I’ve bought ten times as much from you as any other customer! Surely you could budge just slightly?”
The man chewed on his unlit pipe, not deigning to answer. He sat casually on his crate of rough wood, as much a fixture of the market street as any of the cobblestones.
“…Fine! But we’ll see if I ever come back here again!” The threat was an idle one, and they both knew it; even if Lu found someone else to source spices and alchemical ingredients from, there was no way he could live without the premium cosmetics the merchant sold on the side.
Behind him, the air moved as Stingy tilted her head. “Why’s it so expensive? You could buy, like, a whole bag of roots instead of just one little tin of powder.”
Lu had thought that Stingy would serve as a secret weapon – after all, who wouldn’t feel the pressure of a large reptilian beast, garbed in only a loincloth and thickly bejewelled necklace, standing menacingly behind a handsome young disciple? He certainly would have felt threatened!
But either Jinka’s mental defences were even higher than he thought, or the childish tone the translator rendered her voice in had ruined the image. The trader looked her in the eye as he replied. “I have to get that spice shipped in from an entirely different continent. All my goods are priced what they’re worth; if you don’t like it, feel free to go somewhere else.”
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While her utility as a haggling accessory was limited at best, Stingy was at least able to play the role of cart. As they strolled back up the mountain, she didn’t complain even once about carrying their entire haul.
I doubt she feels it, anyway. Her strength is at least as high as the upper inner realms; I could probably buy an actual cart and she’d be able to carry it over her shoulder.
In accordance with his companion’s size, and the state of his personal funds, Lu had decided that quantity should trump quality, at least for today. Rice, potatoes, and tomatoes made up the bulk of the purchase, along with onions and a small amount of pork.
And some spices, though he could at least justify those as also useful in alchemy. I won’t make back what I payed for them, but the finer things in life are their own reward.
The thought brought out a small amount of wistfulness. I’ll have to start putting more time into the steam carriages. I’ll regain all the wealth I put into the rescue effort, and then some! Yes, the steam engines, developing mortal-usable firearms, maybe even cracking hover technology – he had many routes to unimaginable riches.
Right! All I need is a bit more seed money, and I’ll be able to start everything back up again…
Hopefully before some Salt native swoops in and breaks my monopoly.
The air of the mountain smelled sweet as he thought about all the things he would be able to afford once he was back on top of his entrepreneurial enterprises.
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Though his rooms were rather large by some standards, even they seemed slightly cramped with a Salt woman scuttling about the place.
Or maybe it was just her insistence on continually hovering over his shoulder as he cooked. “Ooh, that smells good! Is it ready to eat?”
Lu mixed the sauté with a wooden spoon before replacing the glass lid. “No no, the onions need to cook all the way down. I can’t stand uncooked onions.”
Her neck curved around his body as she twisted to take another whiff of the steam. While his nightmare scenario – her huge body knocking over things constantly and ruining his furniture – hadn’t happened, likely due to her natural dexterity and body-awareness as a swordswoman, it was still very annoying to have her in his personal space.
“Perhaps you should retire to the main room? As a guest, you should be enjoying my hospitality rather than helping in the kitchen.” Please, young lady, this was meant to be a bathroom. It was never built to support a kitchen, I just crammed it in here because it was free space! There isn’t enough room for the two of us!
“I like it better here. It’s warm, and the other room smells funny.” She continued to sniff at the pans as they cooked – he was certain that she would have an appetite fit for her size, so he had something going on every burner.
“Yes, but…” Oh, just say it straight out. “I’m feeling a bit cramped, here. Human architecture wasn’t designed with you in mind, I’m sorry to say.”
Her tail lashed while her face remained mostly blank. “Okay. But it’ll be ready soon, right?”
“Yes, yes. I’ll be out in a few more minutes, just be patient.”
As she slid away, somehow navigating the sea of enchantment-supported stoves without touching anything, Lu let out a mental sigh of relief. Ah, that’s better. Despite aging, she really doesn’t seem to have changed much at all.
I’m glad. A young lady’s innocence is something to be preserved! If she had turned harder and brooding like Cobo, I’d feel bad.
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His strike connected with the scarred man’s raised forearms, then a second, third, fourth-fifth-sixth in quick succession. Bull was pushed back, and Cobo’s bared teeth glinted with bloodlust.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Take this! Finishing blow: Chaos Sabre!” In his closed fist, a multicoloured light bloomed, and between one moment and the next he was holding a shining sword made of energy. “RAA!”
He swung the blade down, aiming for the centre where his opponent’s arms met. But the human seemed to have decided to go on the offensive, because in the time it took to blink he had his own technique ready to go.
A fist wreathed in darkness like black smoke met his sword of light, and the light lost. The sword shattered into a half-dozen pieces, leaving him holding only a hilt – but Cobo didn’t back down, continuing his swing.
This is a chaos technique! Not even I can predict what it’ll do! As if responding to his thoughts the jagged shards of rainbow light suddenly wavered, splitting apart further into a swarm of bearing-sized white orbs.
They followed his swing like warriors obeying their Warboss, and struck Bull all over his body. The man tried to twist away, but Cobo had been keeping a tight hold on space since the beginning of the fight. Direct hit! I’ll teach you to take me seriously!
The temperature plummeted with each little ball that burst against Bull’s skin, and when he finished weathering the attack there were points all across his front that were cracked, his flesh behaving more like hard wood than anything.
But as the alien warrior exhaled a breath that turned to vapour in the cold, Cobo could see that his confidence hadn’t diminished.
“Good hit,” he said. Then, like magic, his wounds reversed themselves. “But I’ve been working on my healing arts.” He raised his fists again, any indication that he had been frozen a second ago completely gone. “You’ll have to hit me with a real finishing art, kid.”
Cobo’s teeth parted in a snarl. “Fuck you!” But he couldn’t keep a touch of enjoyment out of his voice, and his opponent merely smiled mockingly.
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When the battle was over, both of them were torn up all to shit. They were both completely exhausted, with only barely enough energy to stand, never mind heal their wounds.
It had been a good fight, for all that Cobo could tell the human had been holding back.
They dragged themselves off the field and were on their way back to Bull’s rooms – and more importantly his medical supplies – when the man turned his head and broke the silence. “So… this thing between you and Lu. Gonna keep holding a grudge?”
Cobo bristled half-way, too tired to muster the proper amount of offence. “Yeah. What about it?”
The man looked at him with his weird-looking human face, then turned away. “Nothing, forget I asked.”
Now that was enough to provoke a whole bristle. “What? You got a problem with how I handle my own shit?”
Bull’s face was passive, maybe more than Cobo had ever seen before. “No. If you want revenge, that’s your right.”
They continued for another thirty seconds, but Cobo didn’t feel like letting whatever this was sit. “Then why even speak up?”
Another blank look. The expression was strange, less like he was doing it naturally or even as an affectation, than it being something moving the muscles of his face without him noticing. Creepy as fuck. “I just…” He licked blood from his lips. “I figured you should know that if you take a shot at him, win or lose… you’re going to die.”
Cobo blinked. The next moment any tenseness at the strange atmosphere disappeared. “Okay, yeah. I get you.” I get it completely. Fuck, why’d you get so weird over something so simple? Freaked me out. Another thirty seconds of trudging, leaving drips and drops of blood to congeal on the fancy waxed floors. “It’s not like I’m planning on killing him or anything.”
They got back to Bull’s rooms alright, and bandaged themselves up.
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“Ah, I’ve believe I’ve outdone myself! I’ve never cooked this much all at once, but I’m certain it all turned out splendidly. Please, help-”
Lu’s words died behind his lips as the spectacle of Stingy getting down to business stole his breath. I- I thought Sulphur and his children had bad table manners, but- dear Heavens, is she even tasting it?
In the time it took for him to have the thought, two plates of potato dishes and a large pot of rice had disappeared down her gullet. Lu wasn’t even sure how it was going so fast; her mouth was wider than a human’s, yes, but not by much, and it wasn’t like she was unhinging her jaw like a snake or anything.
“Well, ah, yes. I hope everything is to your satisfaction. I’ll just…” Grab a plate for myself, before you make it all disappear.
As he was ladling roasted tomatoes over his rice, Stingy paused her rapid consumption to speak. “It’s good! You’re not bad at cooking!” Then she immediately shoved all of the pork into her mouth, long tongue snaking out to wipe the steaming-hot pan clean.
Despite the faint praise, Lu couldn’t help a touch of red from colouring his cheeks. “…Th-thank you.” At least I know she’s being sincere. “Did you, ah, not have much to eat out in the desert?”
“Nope. If things had gone even a little differently, I might have had to eat Cobo.” She said it so casually, it took a second before it registered. Lu’s face flew through a series of expressions, but in the end he decided to remain silent. “Glad that didn’t happen. He’s really grown on me.”
Lu nodded mechanically, still processing her statement. “Yes, he does have a certain way of inspiring an emotional connection.” Like a… “Like a small dog, yapping at every passing cart.”
She snorted, managing to exhale without slowing her food intake even slightly. “Yeah, exactly!” The last of the rice was snapped up, then the potatoes. “I’m glad you think the same way.”
And then, to Lu’s spiritual senses, the room seemed to take on a cold and bitter air. Stingy raised her head, and he couldn’t help but focus on the way her triangular teeth caught the light like polished knives.
“So don’t do it again, okay?”
Lu wasn’t able to move a muscle as he was pinned in place by her intense stare. Even when her consumption-aura, or Comprehension, or whatever it was faded, he continued to look at her without moving,
Until she shook her head from side to side, making a childish sound with her lips. “Blah! I hate being serious like that, I’m really bad at it! Let’s just keep eating, okay?”
Slowly, Lu nodded. “Yes, of course.” He speared a tomato with his fork, brought it to his mouth, and chewed.
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At some point, Lu became capable of small talk again. He chatted casually about his efforts in engine building and gunsmithery, which she seemed politely disinterested in, and alchemy, which she compared to her mother’s practise of potion-brewing, apparently called witchcraft in the other world. He showed her his super-premium cauldron, and used a pinch of those spices she had been dismissive of to make some Black Sugar Candies for her to take back to the medical wing.
She left seemingly happy, and Lu sat down on a plush armchair as he eyed the small mountain of licked-clean cookware. The only food left was the small amount of sauce left dirtying his own plate.
…Well, aside from the one uncomfortable moment, I’d say that was a success! And honestly, it isn’t as if I have to take any implicit threat seriously; I doubt I’ll ever be in a position to betray Cobo a second time, let alone have the motive.
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The next day, Lu was awoken yet again before the breaking of dawn. A servant in grey robes informed him of summons from the Elders, ordering him to report to the heart of the sect. He made his way up the mountain with anxiety-leadened legs, and stepped through the gate to the core sect for the first time in his life.
Don’t be nervous – I’ve already been much higher than this. I’ve had tea with the patriarch. The thought did little to calm his nerves.
Finding the appropriate meeting hall was not hard – the core sect was incredibly spread out, each building standing out distinctly – and when he approached the doors a multitude of spiritual senses brushed his before they opened.
“Please, enter,” said a deep voice.
Lu obeyed. Inside the hall, sitting in concentric circles, were a massive number of Elders. Fifty at least, perched on old-fashioned giant cushions, even the youngest and most talented of them no less than two centuries in age.
And in the centre, the sun that these metaphorical planets were orbiting around. White Knuckle sat with incredible dignity, his back perfectly straight, the scene so artful it put Tai Sho's meagre beauty arts to shame.
“Sit, disciple Lu. We have a special mission we would like to request of you.”