Stepping out of the training building, Ren was inundated with the buzzing sounds of the lively temple district. It was mid-morning by this point, and the air was filled with the tweets of colorful birds, occasionally sweeping down to pick up pieces of discarded food. Standing there with his eyes closed, he took a moment to savor the feel of the morning sun caressing his healed face, basking in its warm embrace.
Opening his eyes, he took a few steps away from Mosswood's training hall and stepped into the throng of people returning from their morning devotion. Everywhere he looked, prayer beads were wrapped around hands and the faithful continued to mouth Mantras even as they made their way back to their mundane lives.
Much like on Earth, the majority of the people locked in fervent prayer were elderly, with the best parts of their lives far behind them. A quick switch to his energy scanners confirmed that this group had little to no essence flowing through their aging bodies, but when they prayed, what little they had slipped outside their shell and significantly agitated the energy in the surrounding air.
Being a creature built from concepts of advanced logic and mathematics, Ren had a healthy apathy to religion in general. However, faced with the evidence he was collecting, he had to admit that the combined faith of the passing crowd seemed to fill the air with an oppressive weight. Like a distant cousin of gravity, their shared belief merged into something much greater, capable of imposing its will on reality.
Enraptured by this discovery, Ren flowed with the crowd, his curiosity driving him to further observe the phenomenon. He wasn't sure how useful this line of research would be but his resolve to become a cultivator was stronger than ever. And that was just his immediate goal. Ren would not stop until he reached the very top! It felt so good to have a goal again. Something to give meaning to his existence and keep him excited. The invigoration he felt from the fight in the training hall still ran through his body in waves, and the feeling was addictive.
His sight sharpened as he looked on with greed at the energy dense streets filled with a throng of faithful, continuously enriching it with their prayers. If only he could find a way to siphon off a portion of the released energy for himself. That would significantly solve his immediate goal of being a cultivator. Better yet, no one would even notice…
"Huh."
Scratch that. He hadn't noticed it before, but a steady percentage of the energy released by the passing Sangha was being redirected towards the Temples in the distance. Ren tsked in annoyance as he stopped in his tracks, closely scrutinizing the flow of energy in the air. Now that he had noticed it, it became so obvious. Turns out his idea was not original enough because someone else had already implemented it, taking a steady energy tax from the oblivious volunteers.
Welp. There goes that idea. Whoever, or whatever was capable of controlling energy on such a massive scale was well beyond Ren's capabilities at the moment. Shaking his head, Ren archived the information in his memory with the plan to revisit it in the future when he had enough power to snatch the energy for himself. For now, he opted to continue to flow with the crowd, exploring the Temple district and building the mental map he had been making of this portion of the village.
As he walked with no destination in mind, he saw Temple shops selling everything from incense sticks, to prayer beads. Some sold ornate robes, hemmed with threads of gold while others sold miniature figurines of the numerous Devas of the region. Ren was fascinated with the quality of figurines on display in a nearby shop so he stopped to peruse the wares. A quick exchange of greetings with the storekeeper to confirm he did not require additional assistance and he was left alone to admire the mini-sculptures. Some were made out of clay with vague resemblance to humanoid figures, while the higher end figurines were carved of whole pieces of marble or jade. A few caught his eye, but he decided to continue with his exploration.
A few steps later, he was walking past a bakery, churning out mouth watering scents of freshly baked goods. The temptation to stop and sample one of the local delicacies was immense, especially because he had not eaten since his unexpected transportation to this realm. Alas, the same reason he had moved on from the trinket shop demanded he do the same here. His traitorous hands, though, slipped into his pockets, feeling the couple of local bronze coins he carried with him. Though he had little use for money on Earth, he would have been considered extremely wealthy if he had bothered to disclose his net-worth to the agencies that reported such things.
Unfortunately, in this world, he might as well be a pauper. His net worth were the few coins and crystals on his person and he planned on spending them on high priority items. A wry chuckle burst from his lips as he had to admit that having a warm meal was not a priority. Although he did not need food to survive, eating had long been one of his favorite hobbies. He particularly enjoyed the burst of flavor on his tongue as he savored his favorite dish, even though the majority of the meal would be compressed and incinerated within his body. Shaking his head, he had just taken a few steps away from the bakery when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
“Oi! If it isn't Mr. One of a kind!”
He turned around and saw Kala waving him over from within the bakery's door. She was dressed in vibrant yellow robes with her bowl-cut hair bobbing furiously as she waved him over. Her waist was cinched by a red belt adorned with 5 white stripes, which somehow complemented the outfit perfectly. Her trusty sabers rested on either side of her hips like the fangs of a vicious beast and Ren could not decide if she looked better in leather armor like when he first met her or in temple robes.
“Hi Kala. Good morning to you too,” Ren replied, walking into the bakery and joining her.
“I stopped by your room this morning but got no response. Figured you were still sleeping," her eyes took in the blood smears in his hair and repaired face and she snorted with a shake of her head. "Heaven's Mercy! How did you end up in a fight on your first day on Temple grounds?”
Ren chuckled amicably and shrugged his shoulders. "In my defense, I tried to break his jaw first, but it wouldn't budge."
"That makes it so much worse!" she laughed, playfully smacking him on the shoulder. She looked at his dusty robes with a pout, completely unimpressed by their current state. "Don't expect me to get you new robes again. The quartermaster is stingy as all hells and will require payment for additional items. Although—" her eyes roamed over his body with slightly more approval than the night prior.
Ren had admired himself long enough in the mirror earlier in the day, so he knew exactly what she was seeing. His broad shoulders fit the gray tunic perfectly, and the sleeves hugged his biceps. The pants, though loose fitting, clung onto his chiseled quad and calf muscles. He had opted to ignore the footwear she had provided and instead wore his military boots. They were comfortable and he liked the way the black shoes complemented the local attire. He watched her lick her lips seductively before a mischievous glint crossed her face.
" —you do fill out the robes quite nicely. Although, come to think of it, I wouldn't mind getting you a robe one size smaller. To really highlight your physique!"
That brought a genuine chuckle out of him and Ren held his hands up in surrender. “Thank you but I'll have to pass.”
“Suit yourself,” She smiled brightly, then snapped her fingers as she thought of something. “Ah yes, I almost forgot, Algor sent word that he would be working the Temple soup kitchens till midday. He wanted me to bring you over once you woke up.”
“Is that so?” Ren asked rhetorically, as he salivated over the fresh bread and cakes on display.
Kala nodded. “Lucky I found you, although you look like you could use another bath,” she said, gesturing to his poorly cleaned face. “But first, you have to try Big Zainab’s famous garlic knots”
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Seeing the look on Ren’s face, she eagerly continued. “It might not look like much, but Zainab makes some of the best pastries in the Temple district. But her garlic knots? Best in the Village! I hear the Village Lord personally orders batches from her!” She finished in a conspiratorial whisper.
Ren was practically drooling by now. However, he remembered his financial limitations and sighed in defeat. He only had 5 bronze coins and 4 wolf crystals in his pocket. “How much are they?”
Kala hesitated at the question, her eyes squinting slightly as she slowly realized Ren might be broke.
“You know what? It'll be my treat.” Her tan cheeks blushed slightly in embarrassment on his behalf. She had never really had reason to worry about money. Well except for that one time in her rebellious teenage years when she had decided to ignore her allowance, determined to buy everything from money she'd earned. The problem was, she had no idea how to even begin to acquire a job.
She shivered at the memory. As embarrassing as it had felt, that moment of realization of her dependency to her Family had led her to the Temple’s doors. She wondered what Ren’s story was but senior Algor had not told her everything. All he had said was that he was bringing Ren under Kringle’s Mercy to see the Diviners. Her thoughts were interrupted by strong muscular arms wrapping around her and lifting her up into the air.
“You are the best, Kala!” Ren yelled in excitement, getting weird looks from the other patrons in the shop. Kala rolled her eyes, but a small smile played at her lips even as she unwrapped herself from the nice hug. When it was their turn to order, she walked up to the counter and ordered a few dozen garlic-knots and fig cakes, while Ren followed close behind her like a hungry Kefo cub.
After paying and receiving their order, Kala led the pair back towards their residence, nibbling her pastries and savoring every bite. She glanced at Ren only to see him wolfing his portion down in pure bliss.
“Delicious, isn’t it?” she giggled at the ferociousness with which he gobbled down the treats.
“Amazing!” Ren's lips smacked in regret as he finished the last piece of pastry. “Once I get enough money, I’m going back there to sample everything.”
They made small talk all the way back to their building, with Kala splitting off to her room, asking Ren to knock on her door when he was ready to leave. Ren had a quick shower and beat the dust out of his robes and pants before putting them back on. He tied the solid red belt around his waist then admired himself in his mirror. Satisfied with himself, he made his way over to Kala’s room and saw she had left her door ajar. The sounds of metal grinding against metal echoed out into the hall as Ren knocked to announce his presence.
“Almost done!" She yelled over the sharpening sounds of her Sabers. "I just have to apply some oil and then we can go.”
Pushing the door further open, Ren watched as she grabbed a piece of polishing cloth, applying some oil to it and rubbed down her sharpened Sabers. He had only known the woman for less than a day but she had never looked as serious throughout their interactions as she did in that moment. The intense focus on her face could not be faked, and the smoothness with which she moved the polishing cloth from one end of the blade to the other was hypnotic. Even clothed, he could make out the flexing of her taut muscles as she continued in the sacred ritual of maintenance. She must have felt his intense gaze because she looked up just then and smirked.
“Like what you see?” she teased, before turning her attention back to her work.
“Absolutely!” Ren responded genuinely.
One should always show the proper respect to their weapons. Nothing less annoying than trying to stab with a dull blade.
“Well, when you get back from your business with Algor, come see me.” She said slyly, before looking up at him. “I hope you are as good as you look.” She bit her lips, as she placed the honed blade back in its scabbard.
“Trust me, I’m better,” Ren replied, looking deep into her eyes. He had missed the initial undertones of her words but now he finally realized what she meant. Not having much else to do, he decided to play along. “Although, are you allowed to …” he let the question hang in the air.
A sensuous laugh rang out in the room as Kala made her way up to him. “Of course I am. Ren, I am not asking you to be my consort, or husband. I like you and I just want to spend the night with you. No feelings.”
Ren leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped her hands around his waist as she deepened the kiss. A few moments later, she pulled back and flicked him on the forehead.
“Tsk. I said come back later, not right now,” she smirked. “Besides, I have a few things to take care of after I drop you off with Senior Algor.”
—
True to her word, Kala dropped Ren off in front of a building with a long line going through the front door. The people waiting in line wore weather beaten clothes, and held containers of various shapes as they waited their turn. Ren entered the building and asked for Algor. Shortly after, he met the old man passing out fruit to the less fortunate.
“Honored Ren, you look so much better in reasonable clothing,” the old man called out once he saw Ren approaching.
“Good to see you too Algor,” Ren said with a smile. “Do you volunteer here often?”
“As much as I can. Anyway, now that you are here, we can make our way to Diviner Estrid. I took the liberty to tell her about your condition, so she should be expecting us.”
Ren nodded his thanks, and waited patiently while Algor passed off his task to another Acolyte, before leading them to the meeting location. Ren looked on curiously as they walked before realizing that they were headed towards the grand central temple he had seen multiple times during his stay in the district.
The grand central temple was a complex unto itself. Immaculately manicured gardens lined up either side of the cobbled road leading to the temple. Every hedge and flower was trimmed and groomed to perfection. Ren spotted members of the devout meditating in quiet reflection around tranquil ponds. Others simply placed their meditation mats in one of the many open fields dedicated for such use.
At the edges of the complex, Ren saw numerous shrines and pagodas with their entrances being guarded by statues of their respective Bodhisattvas and Devas. The air around the statues were buzzing with energy when viewed under Ren’s scanners. The heavy gazes of the statues seemed to follow him and they felt pervasive. The strangest thing was that everytime he looked away from the statues, he could see movement in his peripheral vision but once he snapped his head back to them, they would be still again.
Ignoring the unnerving statues, Ren focused on the deep hum emanating from a tolling bell, marking the hour. An Acolyte with corded muscles pulled the ropes to the bell with practiced ease, delighting in the simple pleasure of servitude. Similar scenes repeated across the complex as other bell towers rang out, forming a hypnotic orchestra. The walls of the towers were covered in intricate carvings and their roofs were covered in gold leaf.
Bracing himself for the dreaded impact, Ren finally turned his scanner towards the 30 meter statue guarding the doors of the massive central temple. He expected to see a stronger version of the buzzing energy he had noticed around the smaller statues. To his confusion, the statue of the jolly man seemed … normal. It almost felt anticlimactic. Ren switched the parameters of his scan, searching through obscure and rare frequencies, as well as the nuclear and chemical compositions around Kringle’s Statue. They all came back in the normal range.
While still contemplating on the meaning of this, Ren noticed Algor turn off the road leading to the central temple. Groaning to himself, Ren followed the old man toward a cluster of statues each giving off a more monstrous aura than the last.
They had been walking for about 20 minutes when their destination became clear to Ren. Placed in front of the building was a statue of a blind woman, sitting in a meditative pose. A stone cloth was tied over her eyes, but Ren had never felt more naked than when he stared at her. It felt like his true essence lay bare before this statue and there was no secret capable of hiding from her piercing blind eyes.
The statue was 16 meter tall and the artist that carved it, gave a motherly expression to the Deva. Despite this, Ren felt extremely unnerved. His sense of danger was screaming, warning him of imminent peril, while his audio and video scanners were glitching. It felt like he had just been hit by an EMP –Electromagnetic Pulse– but luckily, the safeguards built into his model seemed to be staving off the damage emitting from the statue.
Algor did not seem to feel the same way as he did, because the old man just continued to lead the way to a side door, hidden from the casual public view. He pushed the door open and motioned for Ren to be quiet as they both stepped into the hallway. The hallway was well lit with mage stones and was filled with Acolytes and Priests moving around with purpose to complete unknown tasks. Algor nodded in greeting to some of them as they passed by, but for the most part, he tried to stay out of the way.
As they walked, Ren spied scripture halls with shelves full of scrolls, and Acolytes carefully copying texts from one scroll to another. There were other rooms with nothing but simple altars surrounded by burning incense sticks. They also passed by classes with Priests giving lessons to Acolytes, but no matter how hard Ren tried, he could not pick up the voices behind the seemingly open doorways. After making a couple turns, Algor finally stopped before a normal looking door. He looked at Ren for a few seconds, deciding how best to convey his thoughts.
“Honored Ren, behind this door is Diviner’s workshop. Please be respectful and only speak when spoken to.” Seeing Ren’s nod, Algor pushed the door open.