That night as Enki slept, Inanna decided to try to contact her elemental avatar once again. She wanted to practice as diligently as she could to make her father proud. She wanted him to know that she was prepared to be on her own, and, most importantly, she wanted to see if she could truly fly. She drifted off into meditation and was once again greeted by the familiar sight of the gentle breeze rippling across a river’s surface. She focused on seeing the face of the wind and just as before she returned to the body of the dove, but this time she wasn’t surprised. She spread her wings and angled them towards the wind. Tonight, she would fly. Even if it was only in her imagination, she would soar amongst the clouds. She squatted low, gathering the strength in her legs, and jumped off the ground with all her might. She only managed to get a few inches off the ground, but as soon as she was in the air her body reacted accordingly as if it were a conditioned reflex.

Her wings beat up and down. As they flapped down, she felt the wind catch against her feathers causing a force that propelled her higher. With a circular motion, her wings would flow back up for another mighty flap, but strangely on the return stroke her feathers spread wide, and the wind flowed through them without any resistance. Her heart beat with adrenaline, and her wings beat in concert. She rose higher and higher into the sky until the ground shrunk beneath her tiny red feet. The earth, the trees, and even the water all lost their distinctive features and became splotches of rustic hues beneath her. It was a beautiful painting that stole her breath away.

When she reached an altitude of a few hundred feet above the ground she began to glide on the wind. It was a strange feeling. The wind rushed over the top of her wings but slowed to a gentle flow beneath them all at the same time. This cushioned her upwards, keeping her effortlessly afloat. However, this wasn’t enough for her elemental aspect, with a gentle change in the tilt of her wings she began to climb higher in the air. She soared to such heights that even the clouds were in reach. It was a novel experience, that she found rather familiar. It reminded her of floating in the great river. Just as before, she knew that she was at the mercy of the elements. However, this time, she was no longer directionless. She finally understood how to sail. She couldn't control her surroundings, but she could control herself. She could guide herself in any direction she pleased, as long as she worked in concert with the world around her. Her feathers, her wings, and even the angle of her body could help her to steer and navigate the airflow. With that realization, Inanna slipped into a hypnotic trance of enlightenment. Her body tilted left and right. She flew to even greater heights and dove down with impunity. Finally, she felt free and unfettered. Finally, she felt joy and bliss. She no longer saw the world as an adversary. Instead, she saw it as a companion. A friend that could work alongside her to achieve her goals. She was at one with herself and her surroundings. This was what she had been longing for her whole life. She finally had direction.

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Unbeknownst to Inanna, her true body was causing quite a stir on the raft while she relished in her newfound enlightenment. Her trunk had begun to glow with green light as her heart chakra point began to fill with chakra. The wind around her whipped into a frenzy as her body released pulses that excited the air around her. Still drowsy, Enki opened a sleepy eye and peered at the storm brewing around him. He released a tired sigh and the air around the raft became dense and stagnant.

“She only just contacted her heart chakra point today, and yet she’s already gained the acceptance from the air element. What type of prodigy have I taught? Being able to reach enlightenment on her first night of cultivation. How monstrous, even I’m a bit terrified by this level of potential,” Enki muttered wearily. With a tired yawn, he began to drift back off to sleep until something seemed to grab his attention. His eyes became alert and he stared up at the sky with a tired stretch.

“How is this possible,” he mumbled in confusion, “what has stirred the laws of life and time into action?” With a sudden realization, Enki’s gaze moved back down to his daughter. He gaped as he stared at her with wide eyes.

“There’s no way," he trembled, "she’s not ready! She hasn’t even opened her crown chakra point! What is happening with the heavens? Have you gone blind?” Enki shouted in protest.

What Enki had never considered was that while Inanna had only started cultivating as a mage, she was many years into cultivating as a warrior. Her lower, middle, and upper dantians had been full of chi for quite some time. For seven years Inanna had absorbed the essence of a primordial being’s blood. Even in small amounts, it was more than enough for a mortal to reach the divine stage. The only thing that had prevented her from experiencing the tribulation earlier was her lack of connection with the world. Her body had long since been ready, but her mind was severely underprepared for the tribulations. If anything, the existential laws had been extremely lenient towards the little sapling. She had been given a bit more time to grow. A bit more time to build her connection with the cosmos. However, this bout of enlightenment was a tipping point. She had become a traveler of two paths. The laws had waited long enough. It was time for her tests.