Chapter 15

  Yin stood on the cloudy deck of the Miniature Rose. It had been a transition so sudden from watching Jakkas remnant rising from his headless body that Yin hadn’t even reacted for a moment.

  ‘’You look like a whole carnival ran you over bro.’’ Montai told him drily, one of his wings limply spread out over half the cloudships deck.

  Yin only nodded and looked around at the people who were starting to gather on the ship.

  Margo stood on a platform outside in midair, talking with some other lord he hadn’t seen before. The dream lord from earlier appeared with Duong and Secretary in tow. The pink remnant staggered inexpertly over to Yin and fell onto him. Making an odd, lengthy humming noise.

  ‘’Looking good Secretary.’’

  Zeruel was transported up onto the ship by another lord, or lady in this case. The woman looked to be a sacred beast in human form. Zeurel herself looked just about as bad as Yin felt at the moment. Her arms up to her elbows drenched in blood and viscera.

  Her usual peppy manners were nowhere to be seen, simply silently coming over to Yin and plopping down on the cloud.

  That seemed like a good idea right about now, so Yin helped Secretary sit with them and leaned his shoulder against Zeruels. Like a serpent striking she suddenly twisted and embraced him tightly enough that it hurt a little.

  Sitting turned into laying down. Secretary also piled onto them with a satisfied hum.

  Emriss appeared, this time from a blue rift in space, so it had to be her real body. The lords and ladies all gathered onto the ship, nine in all.

  Duong and Ten sat by Montai, Ti Li peeked out from the crew quarters, clothes clinking and jingling with stolen goods.

  A silent moment passed and then Emriss asked a simple question. ‘’How do you think you did in this test?’’

  Zeruel started sobbing, pressing her face into the cloud. Montai violently swore in English. Duong muttered incoherently.

  Ten silently glared at a single knife in her hands.

  When they started to quiet down Yin spoke. ‘’Complete mission failure. Other than the fact that I got to kill Jakka, that was peak, critical success.’’

  ‘’Elaborate.’’ Emriss kindly demanded.

  ‘’First off, I’m too weak. If I’d been a higher stage or at least had more finished techniques I could have done way more. Splitting up our group was a mistake too, we would have done way more if we’d stuck together. Should have joined the defenders in the first place.’’

  No one else was volunteering to speak so Yin continued.

  ‘’I don’t know, I kind of treated this like a chance to show off from the start, not like an actual danger to human life. I’ve been letting my old wounds guide my hand here.’’

  Yin rubbed a slow circle into Zeurels furry back, realizing she’d fallen asleep on top of him. ‘’Holy shit guys, am I the only one here with a voice? Can you say something?’’

  ‘’I don't know what I could have done better.’’ Ten growled.

  ‘’I'm sorry’’ Duong said, actually intelligible for the first time in a while. ‘’I was scared out of my mind the entire time, and I’ve never really practiced combat arts. I don’t know what I even needed to make a second path for when I’m too frightened to use it.’’

  Montai remained silent, only testing his limp wing, letting Yin see a section of it where all the feathers were gone and the flesh underneath was red and puffy.

  Emriss nodded. ‘’Certainly, this mission can only be called a failure. Montai, had we not been here you would have been dead, or permanently crippled. Yin, though you do not know it, Lady Margo intercepted four techniques that would have killed you tonight.

  Duong, unfortunately I must agree with your assessment, you were entirely lacking.’’ There was a pause and Yin felt some complex working of madra happen. Zeurel blearily looked up. ‘’Zeurel, your healing tonight would have saved many lives. However if you had joined your friends and stopped the invaders they would have been unable to hurt as many as they did.’’

  When the reprimand was done Zeurels head slumped back down, hitting Yin in the face with her horn.

  Ten had switched to a more formal kneeling position, head down, and waiting for her turn.

  ‘’Ten, overall you did well, however you wait for guidance rather than think for yourself too often. Find your self determination.’’

  Emriss’ gaze rose over them. ‘’Young Ti Li, you enjoy the thrill of taking what isn’t yours. Do not let that become a vice, channel it and control yourself. Find worthy prey to pursue rather than mindlessly gorging on anything you can reach.’’

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  Yin looked at the chastised little girl who started to divest herself of all the little trinkets she’d taken. It became the background noise for Emriss' next statements.

  ‘’You have far to go yet, and not much time for it. I am sure you already know you four are not the only outsiders on this planet. In two years and two months you will meet them, and what my peers have in mind for that occasion I can only guess. Keep that in mind.’’ Finished, a blue portal opened behind her and she stepped through, quickly followed by her Lords and Ladies.

  Her voice sounded in their heads even as the portal closed. ‘’Do as you please, but know your rooms in Titan’s Grove will be there when you return.’’ And then maybe only to Yin. ‘’Your Falling Star remnant will be ready in four months at most.’’

  When the monarch was gone, Montai’s grandfather slipped out of a shadow and sat on the floor like the rest of them. ‘’This old man, as well, has a long way to go.’’

  Yin tried to plan what he would do from there, but he was too tired. Lifting Zeurel and Secretary back into the crew quarters would be too much work. He closed his eyes and slept.

  —

  The general mood was abysmal when Yin woke up close to mid day. Everyone was off in their own thoughts, even the new and improved Secretary seemed to be moping. But that might just have been that the spirit was having trouble getting used to having a ,sort of, physical body and not just being semi sapient smoke.

  He’d have to step up and get the ball rolling, but first food. The Miniature Rose had a few dry rations and a water gathering script that worked really well when they drifted through a cloud.

  They didn’t have utensils so Yin was forced to eat with his fingers.

  Trying to swallow the last of the sticky grain porridge, Yin reared the pan he’d cooked it in back and spiked it into the wall. Duong yelped in the cockpit and there were several discontent complaints around the little cloud.

  Clapping his hands, Yin declared. ‘’Meeding!’’ He worked the goop in his mouth some more and tried again. ‘’Meeting! Let’s figure out where we’re going next.’’

  Yin leveled a finger at Ti Li who looked supremely offended at having her sleep disturbed. ‘’What is your goal!? Tell us now! Now, now-’’ The little girl motioned for Yin to zip it.

  Ti Li glared at nothing in particular for a moment. Eventually grinding out the words. ‘’I want to steal something cool.’’

  ‘’That’s a good goal, we’ll help you make that happen. Somehow.’’ Yin left the floor open, but no one volunteered to go next. Sighing he randomly chose his next victim to attack. ‘’Grandfather!’’

  The sacred bird lord stood with his back to them, looking out over the horizon. ‘’Overlord. But I know not how to reach it.’’

  ‘’Grandfather will introspect.’’ Yin declared, drawing the old man’s attention. ‘’We can ask you hard questions about who you are and what you want to be. I guess we’re gonna need all those natural treasures. Shit, multiple sets for all of us. Whatever, that’s for later-’’

  ‘’Young Yin, what knowledge are you hiding?’’ The old bird towered over Yin glaring down at him.

  Yin paused, looking up at the old man. ‘’Do you not know how to advance in the Lord levels?’’ The bird continued to glare at him. ‘’Alright, Underlord is when you acknowledge why you cultivate, right?’’ Yin waited for the old man to nod, then continued. ‘’Overlord is answering the question of who you are. And for Archlord, declaring with absolute conviction who you are going to be.’’

  The outsiders knew that, the natives certainly did not. Ten looked like she might fall over, and Grandfather looked faint.

  ‘’Then Sage is when a Lord creates a connection with an Icon, basically a concept or dao. Herald by pushing your own remnant out of your body and then taking it back in truly merging. Monarch when you get both.’’

  Grandfather fell to the cloud, having actually fainted somehow, despite his constitution. Ten looked like a fairytale character had appeared and was trying to guide her into its world.

  ‘’Zeurel! Go!’’ Yin clapped in the most stressful manner he could. ‘’Gogogogo!’’

  Zeurel staggered back and forth, looking for help that wasn’t coming. ‘’Aiuh! Eeeh! I want to- I want to learn how to fight! Self defense!’’

  Yin cheered and Montai joined him, making a great racket.

  ‘’I wanna get even better at fighting too!’’ Montai screamed, wings spread over most of the ship. Yin cheered again.

  ‘’Se-Secretar-Ry Co-con-sume-Consume Knowl-ledge-Knowledge!’’ Secretary sang in multiple voices, stuttering and jittering, trying to act like Yin and Montai. Yin cheered, alone this time as everyone else was too creeped out.

  Then he sighed and wiped the sweat off his brow. ‘’Ok, let’s calm down, nothing good will come from making hasty decisions. Duong?’’ Yin ignored Zeurels glare with ease.

  The most withdrawn member of their group wrung his hands together. ‘’I want to.. I just need to get stronger any way I can. Please, bear with me-’’

  ‘’You’re gonna work with me and Ti Li to develop more pure techniques. And I don’t know, Gramps? Wanna coach him in his evil path?’’ The old man laid on his back and dabbed at his brow with a little embroidered napkin.

  ‘’I suppose I could..’’

  ‘’GOOD!’’ Yin roared. ‘’I’m going to spend the next couple of months flying around this continent looking for treats and goodies. If you guys come with me we can all train together on the way. How’s that sound?’’

  Secretary held up a hand. ‘’Seccsecretarry wann nnt goo to librabry- mu-much-ch dreamsss.’’ Yin snapped his fingers and pointed at the remnant.

  ‘’We’ll swing by Titan’s Grove. Get supplies, let Secretary raid the library and then we can go.’’

  Yin was mostly joking by not including Ten in the whole thing but now he was becoming conscious of it. ‘’Alright, Ten, your turn, break your silence.’’

  The young woman stood with crossed arms, frowning. ‘’I don’t know.’’ Yin almost spoke but waited, letting her get her thoughts out. ‘’I.. I need to think more about what I want to do. Is it fine if I join you while I figure it out?’’

  Yin was so tempted to say no that he had to bite his lip to stop himself. Ten obviously noticed and did not look pleased by it.

  ‘’Of course you can join.’’ Zeurel jumped in, getting all touchy feely with Ten. They’d apparently hit it off over the barely three days they’d known each other. That the exuberant goat and the dour knife would get along was honestly unimaginable to Yin.

  ‘’Welp, let’s get to it!’’