Eli wasn’t sure what he had expected. To just get back to his old life, he supposed. Maybe finish up his PhD coursework. Then see what he could put together for a dissertation with the research he had already done.

His short time back had thoroughly disabused him of any notion that returning to normal was a possibility.

It had taken some time for his mom to stop being a clingy mess. While her feelings were understandable, it made him feel claustrophobic. She wanted him to stay with her while he figured things out, but Bataar had convinced them it would be best for everyone if he stayed on the Farm.

His mom had been so grateful to them for offering to take care of him, but Eli knew it wasn’t really a request. He was dangerous, and they wanted to keep an eye on him. Bataar was worried about what he might do if he went feral again.

Eli was worried about that, too.

There was also the small matter of a contract on his head from the Triad. For the moment, they didn’t know he was even alive, let alone that he had returned home. He had no idea what he was going to do when they inevitably found out.

Never in his wildest dreams did Eli believe his life could get turned so far upside down, so astonishingly fast.

The Order had put him up in a room on the second floor of the lodge for the time being. It wasn’t big, but that didn’t bother him at all. The accommodations were more comfortable than he was used to.

Everyone mostly left him alone, which was great for letting him get his head on straight. At first, anyway. Eli looked glumly around the empty room, and then out the window to the porch.

At least the mountain views were incredible.

The Order of Celestial Harmony was based on over one-hundred acres of land surrounding a twenty acre lake, about half an hour outside of Colorado Springs.

Colloquially known as the Farm, the land had once been a fancy resort. When the owners went bankrupt, the Order had picked it up on the cheap. A dozen full amenity cabins of various sizes surrounded the lake, along with a few maintenance buildings and the lodge.

Eli wasn’t sure what trees were used to make the lodge, but they had been behemoths. The building stood two stories tall, with wrap-around porches on each level offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Comfortable rocking chairs, wooden benches, and a few porch swings furnished them.

Settling cross legged onto the enormous bed that dominated the center of his room, Eli took several deep breaths. With each breath, he focused on the energy in his core as Doc had shown him. He could feel it gathered there, humming silently into his being. Straining gently down with his mind, he reached out purposefully to move his qi.

And nothing happened.

Whatever mental appendage he thought he was reaching with passed through his core without resistance. Frustration quickly chased away the meditative focus.

What the hell does ‘circulate your qi’ even mean?!

A knock at the door saved from another depressing foray into his meditative incompetence Eli.

“Come on in. It’s open.”

He was glad to see Mira open the door, but his relief was cut short. The easygoing smile she usually wore flashed only briefly and did not reach her eyes.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“Bataar wants to give you a test. You are allowed to say no, but I don’t think you should.”

“What kind of test?” Eli was not liking the sound of this at all. He looked at her more closely. She had pulled back her long black hair into a tight ponytail and was wearing loose-fitting clothing, as if she were going to the gym.

“He wants you to spar with me. To see if it happens.” Eli felt his stomach knot up as she continued. “We won’t use any weapons this time. Bataar and Bo will both be there to intervene if something happens.”

If I go insane and try to kill everyone, she means. How is this my life now?

“Sure, no problem. It’s been fine since I got back,” Eli said with a confidence he absolutely did not feel. “I can’t just hide in here forever, right?”

Eli was already wearing sweatpants and an old t-shirt that said ‘Biologists Take Cellfies’ with a picture of a microscope. The dojo was just downstairs, so he decided he wouldn’t bother changing. He instinctively reached for the glasses on his dresser before remembering he didn’t need them anymore.

Mira stood there uncomfortably while he put on his shoes and socks.

“It’s cool,” Eli said. “Bataar is right. I will never be able to get back to normal if we don’t figure this out.”

“I’m supposed to be reassuring you. Not the other way around,” Mira said. This time, the smile was the easy one he had grown used to. “We’ll make sure you don’t get hurt.”

“Or hurt one of you.” The possibility that he might freak out and attack random people had been his biggest fear since coming home.

Mira let out a sharp laugh. “Don’t be daft. There is zero chance of that happening. The others are there, so I don’t have to cause any injuries if you need to be subdued.”

Her teasing confidence was surprisingly reassuring.

They left his room and followed the long hallway to the grand staircase that stood in the center of the atrium. Vaulted ceilings soared overhead, supported by massive timber beams. A huge stone hearth dominated one wall. Plush armchairs and sofas sat invitingly in front of the fireplace.

Walking through to the grand dining hall, it became more apparent the building had been converted into the headquarters for a group of cultivators. The room was transformed into an enormous dojo. Someone neatly stacked mats off to one side. A dizzying variety of melee weapons adorned the walls.

Bataar waited for them, looking more like the leader of a motorcycle gang than an order of cultivators. The long, black hair that covered his head and face was wild and unkempt. He wore a leather vest over a black t-shirt, and his heavily muscled arms stretched the sleeves tight.

Eli’s eyes lingered on the powerful scimitar that was strapped to the man’s back. Mira may not want to hurt him, but he wasn’t sure Bataar was quite so discriminating.

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“I told you he would come,” Bataar said, slapping the man next to him in the chest with the back of his hand. “The boy has courage!”

If the slap had bothered the other man, it was impossible to tell. Bomani Fuli was austere in every respect. The only words they had exchanged since his arrival were a brief introduction. He was a tall man. Lean, dark and angular. From his clean shaven head to his sinewy legs, there was absolutely nothing extra about Bo.

Bo said nothing and inclined his head towards them as they entered.

“Alright, here’s how we’re going to do this,” Bataar said. “Start off nice and easy. Mira will slowly ramp up the intensity, and I’ll call out for checks as you go. If you feel like there’s a problem, just stop. If you go bananas, we’ll wrap you up until we can get you calmed down. Understand?”

Eli nodded, feeling a little nervous despite Mira’s reassurance.

“Begin!”

Eli was caught off guard by Bataar’s sudden announcement. Weren’t they supposed to bow or shake hands or something?

Mira did not take advantage of his obvious surprise by launching a full attack, but she threw a quick jab that deliberately fell just short of his nose. He flinched back and fell into a familiar fighting stance.

Martial arts had always just been a hobby for Eli, but one that he was passionate about. He trained hard and was good at it. He did a quick internal inventory for burgeoning rage and was happy to find nothing.

This might actually be fun.

Mira allowed Eli to make the next move, observing his technique with keen eyes. He launched a series of powerful jabs and kicks, aiming to use his height and reach advantage. Mira, agile and precise, dodged effortlessly. Her movements fluid like water flowing around rocks. She countered with minimal force, strikes barely a whisper against Eli’s defenses.

“How we doing?” Bataar asked from the sidelines. Eli gave him a thumbs up.

Gradually, Mira sped up her attacks. Eli quickly found himself struggling to keep up. She slipped through his guard with a swift low kick followed by a spinning elbow that hit him solidly in the shoulder joint. It barely looked like she was trying.

“Yeeouch!” Eli jumped back and rubbed at the spot. His arm gone numb briefly, but was already recovering.

“You still good, kid?” Bataar asked.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Eli said, still rubbing his shoulder.

Mira looked at Bataar, who nodded for her to continue.

Wasting no time, she unleashed a combination of high kicks and rapid punches, each move seamlessly flowing into the next. Eli was immediately overwhelmed. He found himself on the defensive, blocking and retreating.

Mira feinted a high kick and transitioned into a stunning front strike right into his midsection. Eli doubled over gasping, wind knocked out of his body. Her body dipped as she spun into a leg sweep, and he felt himself leave the floor momentarily before slamming down.

Ok. Maybe not so fun after all.

Eli groaned and looked up at Mira. “What happened to not hurting me?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be a very good test if we didn’t push the limits a bit, would it?”

Bataar loomed into view next to Mira as Eli lay on the ground, trying to recover.

“Well? Anything?” Bataar asked loudly.

“Just the pain,” Eli said, attempting a weak smile.

“Wonderful! I will tell Doc the test was a success!”

Mira offered Eli a hand up, but he waved it away and struggled into a sitting position. He looked over to gauge Bo’s reaction, but the man had already disappeared.

“Despite getting my ass kicked, I’m actually relieved,” Eli said as he pushed himself to his feet. “I was pretty nervous about it, if I’m being honest.”

“We were all nervous for you, too.”

“Bo was nervous?”

“Definitely. He has a particular stoic glare when he’s feeling nervous. Are you headed back to your room?”

“Not like I can go anywhere else.” He caught Mira’s frown and realized that sounded worse than he meant it. “But with your guys’ help, that will change soon, right?”

“That’s the spirit. Give me ten minutes. I have a present to make up for kicking your ass.”

“So you knew ahead of time you were going to kick my ass?”

“Shut up. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Eli was feeling hopeful as he made his way back to the room. It seemed that the modest threat or injury was not enough to set him off. Which was awesome, but still left too many unknowns.

As soon as he got back, he filled up his water bottle and took a long drink. He moved around the room, shrugging his shoulders and twisting at the torso to test the extent of his injuries. Not even remotely sore. Hits like that normally would have left him aching for a week.

This cultivator stuff isn’t all bad.

He was enjoying the view out the window when he heard the door open and then close again quickly. As he turned to look, it was obvious no one was there.

“Mira?”

The room just wasn’t that big. Unless they had ducked into the bathroom at lightning speed, no one had come in. Eli moved to check the bathroom, just to be sure. He stopped in his tracks as movement on the floor caught his attention.

A furry little bundle looked up at him, inquisitive and alert, with big, light brown eyes. One of its perky triangular ears flopped over. The short, dense fur was mostly black, highlighted by a golden brindle.

Eli knelt down and held his hand out. Curious and unafraid, the puppy came over to sniff his hand. It gave him an approving lick and he gently pet its head.

Until this moment, Eli hadn’t let himself notice just how lonely he had been since getting back. He felt an unexpected lump well up in his throat and swallowed it back down.

The chime of a text alert sounded from on top of the dresser. The puppy trotted over on oversized paws and looked towards the noise with a cocked head.

Eli got up and followed to check the message.

Mira: He’s an eight week old Dutch Shepherd. You’ll have to give him a name. A bag of food, a few chew toys, and two bowls are outside your door. He’s not potty trained, so good luck with that.

Eli sat down on the floor and lifted the puppy into his lap. It squirmed a bit but enjoyed the affection.

“Hey, little buddy. Me and you are going to be best friends.”

A little while later, Eli stepped out onto the spacious porch, found a comfortable chair, and opened up his laptop. He preferred to just use the phone, but his mom insisted on seeing his ‘handsome face’ to be sure he was ok.

Testing out the camera, he found an angle that would show off the panoramic vista before calling his mom. The pretty view would make her more likely to believe he was doing alright. She always worried too much.

The screen lit up after a few rings. All Eli could see was her forehead and a mop of curly gray hair.

“Hi sweetie!” she said.

“Mom, I can only see your forehead.”

The image on the screen shifted jerkily, and now he was just looking at the ceiling.

“How’s that?”

“No. Mom. Angle it down towards you.”

The screen moved again and he could see her from the nose up.

“Is that better?” she asked.

Eli sighed.

“Perfect. How are you doing?”

“I’m good. Are you doing ok? Are those people taking good care of you?”

“Yep. Everything is going fine,” he said.

“Would you look at that view,” she said, peering past him to the clear blue sky and mountains. “I am so relieved you’re in such a nice place with nice people who look out for you.”

“I’ve got someone I want you to meet,” Eli said, smiling.

“Oh my god, is it a girl? Where did you meet a girl? Are you sure it’s such a good idea to start a serious relationship right now?”

“No, mom. Stop. It isn’t a girl.”

“Oh, thank goodness. You know I would support you if it was, but you have so much else to focus on right now.”

Eli quickly grabbed the puppy and brought him into the camera frame before she continued.

“Meet Taz!”

“Aahhh!!” She squealed like a teenager. “He’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life! Except you dear. You were adorable.”

Taz’s tongue lolled out of his mouth and his oversized paws dangled as he grinned at the camera. Eli nuzzled the back of his head before setting him back down to sniff everything on the porch.

“He is definitely cuter than I ever was,” Eli said. “It will be nice to get him trained up. Gives me something to do around here.”

“That’s just wonderful. I know how much you’ve always loved your dogs.” She looked thoughtful for a moment, then her eyes widened slightly and her eyebrows went up. “Oh yeah, I just remembered something I was going to ask you.”

Eli could tell she did not ‘just remember’ anything. She had been biting her tongue about whatever this question was since he’d called.

“What’s that?”

“Barry thinks all this alien stuff is just a big government conspiracy to distract us from the economy.”

Eli was glad his mom was finally dating again since his dad passed away. He didn’t want her to be lonely. He just wished it didn’t have to be that idiot, Barry.

“It’s not a conspiracy, mom.”

“That’s what I said. I told him my son is a cultivator and if it was all fake, he would know about it.” She nodded sharply to emphasize the point.

“I don’t know really know anything about the aliens, mom. Please stop listening to Barry.”

“Well, I wouldn’t normally, but he said he saw it on the news.”

The ‘news’. Sure.

Eli watched the puppy venturing dangerously close to the stairs. He forgot how much work they were.

“Alright, mom. I just wanted you to meet Taz and say hi. I’ve got to get going.”

“Ok honey, thank you for calling. I love you.”

“I love you too. Bye.”

Eli bounded over to Taz before the puppy could tumble down the stairs and brought him back inside.