“Next up is… You know the shapeshifting I am most famous for? That’s based on aspects, or affinities. I use aspect magic, but they’re kinda the same thing but not really. Anyway, I want to see if ki-users can sense aspects.”

“Uh-huh. So how are we gonna do that?”

“Well, it can be a bit tricky to begin with, but at least for mana users I have a method which makes the aspect glaringly obvious. Now, I have no idea if cultivators can even do anything with aspects, or if it’s permanent or anything.”

She makes two hovering balls, one seemingly made of water and the other a swirling balls of wind. “For those reasons I would start with water and air, in that order. Those are what you’d need for those tricks I mentioned. Now, the five elements they more commonly use in the east don’t include air, but water is the most important part for this.”

“So I’ll start by attempting to force you to sense the water aspect in my mana, first on your skin, then inside your arm, and if neither works I can shapeshift you. As before, you can stop at any time. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, okay.”

She grabs my arm and again I feel that constricting feeling on my skin, but it doesn’t feel any different, I think. I say as much, and the feeling wraps and then fills my entire forearm and hand. No different. She then says she changes the affinity to air, but it feels the exact same.

She sighs. “Shapeshifting it is, then. Air and water forms are… weird, so I don’t think I should start with that… among the other five elements… was it wood? No, water generates wood, which creates fire, earth, metal and then water? That sounds about right.”

“So you’ll turn my arm to metal?”

“Well, I could cover it in metal-” She holds up an arm, which takes on the color of unpolished steel.

“Like this, but it feels really stiff, even when only applied to the skin. I could do it in conjunction with something which creates scales, though.” The arm to a more normal color before being covered in steel scales.

“Woah, that’s pretty cool.”

“I know, right? But if I going to use animal aspects I might as well use the one I’m the most familiar with.”

“Well, second most-” “Wolf?” We say over each other.

“Yeah, wolf.”

Second most familiar? “What the most familiar then?”

“Human,” she says with a grin. That makes sense.

“So what do you say, is that okay? Shapeshifting your arm to be all furred and werewolf like? I can revert it later of course.”

I nod and look on with a mix of mild fear and fascination as my arm changes. I try to focus on the feeling, and while it’s definitely different, I can’t put my finger on it.

“Anything?”

“It felt different, but I don’t- can’t really put my finger on it.”

“Hmm.” She says, reverting the changes.

Yes, it definitely feels different. But takes me no closer to feeling the aspect or whatever. “Should we try the water form? Or at least the steel scales?”

She blinks. “If you’re okay with it, then I really want to try. Scales first.”

Oh wow, yes. I can immediately tell that there’s something different, something… definite. But annoyingly, it’s just out of grasp.

“Do that again.”

She looks at me with mild confusion, before going ‘ah’ and slowly removing the scales before forming them again. We repeat it three more times, but it gets me no closer to actually learning anything. But with it being so tauntingly close I stomp the ground with a grunt, eliciting her bell-like laughter.

“Do the water form.” I demand, trying to push down my embarrassment.

She takes it very slowly, starting at my index finger and slowly spreading to the rest of my hand. Like with the scales I can sense something just out of grasp, and urge her to continue when she ask.

It feels really strange to have my arm become water, and she stops before reaching my elbow, telling me to carefully move it. I do as told, getting a feel for how it’s different. I almost scream when my arm bends at the midway point between the elbow and wrist, but it doesn’t actually hurt.

With a thoughtful but cute look she lets me play around for a bit longer, before asking me to pick up a small round stone she got from somewhere. Not limited by the joint of my skeleton the arm works more like a tentacle, but I find it easier to move it like I’m used to, so I reach out as normal and grab the stone.

Only for my hand to splash around it, losing its shape completely. Startled, I retract my hand, only to find it back it its normal shape. ‘Lara’ nods thoughtfully. “That’s why liquid and gas forms are difficult. Without direct control I can’t imagine being particularly useful. Should I revert you?”

“Yes please.”

She does so, then stands there in silence.

“Uhh-” I start, but she waves a hand and speaks up.

“So that clearly didn’t work. I’m just thinking about other possibilities. It might be that you need to have proper ki before you can get affinities, or maybe they work differently for cultivators.”

“For now though, just take the opportunity to practice in this area. Oh, but I can shapeshift you with wood. There’s lots of trees around, and if you sit next to yggdrasil maybe you can sense the wood aspect when you already have an ‘example’ in your body and breath in essence which presumably has the wood aspect.”

I don’t have time to ask what she means before I’m lifted off the ground by her magic, whizzing flying a couple hundred meters to a huge tree. So that’s what she meant. I let her shapeshift my arms and legs with wood then take her suggestion to practice. I’m not sure what I think about her bossing me around, but all since thoughts fade as I get into the trance of practice.

I let the trance slip as I breathe out after the last round of the exercise. Her assumption that places with more essence made for better practice spots were spot on. Just today I think I gathered more essence than the entire previous week. Where’s Lara, though? I seem to recall her going behind the tree, but where is-

“Aaagh!” I make girly scream and jump.

The bark-skinned woman stuck to the tree slowly comes loose, and I regain my composure as I recognize her. Once loose the bark turns to fair skin, and Lara stands before me, seemingly holding back a laugh.

“What was that?”

“You startled me!”

“Sounded like a bit more than just being startled…” She says, a soft giggle escaping her lips.

“Whatever. Why were you stuck to the tree?”

“Just testing something. I think it might be possible for me to sense essence using mana. If nothing else I am like seventy percent sure I can indirectly manipulate it.”

Seventy percent? That’s a bit… “What now?”

“I was thinking that we’re done for today. Don’t think we can get any further today. But what’s up with your exercise technique? Did you suddenly learn a new ability or something?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

“You suddenly got a lot better. I mean, the first round was pretty stiff and halfway through the next one you changed how you did things and it flowed a lot better. I figured you either learned a new ability or decided to switch up your technique or whatever, but it looked to be the same with a twist.”

“But, weren’t you behind the tree the entire time? How did you…?”

“One: magic. Two: puppet.”

That makes sense. “Yeah, I learned a new ability [Flowing Breath Technique (wood)].”

“That’s a stupid name. Is the usual technique called [Flowing Breath Technique]?”

“How could you guess?” I say with a sarcastic tone.

“Oh you know… Lucky guess.” She says with an equally sarcastic tone. “You do know you can rename abilities?”

“Huh, you can?”

“Yeah, well sorta. It’s called whatever you want to call it. It’s easier to communicate if you use the same name as others, of course, but as far as I can tell you basically invented the ability.”

“Oh. I don’t have a better name, though.”

“Don’t look at me. But if you’re gonna be partially chuuni, you can name it based on the fact that it doesn’t have any sudden moves, instead flowing and bending. So something like ‘Bending (tree-name) Breath Technique’?”

“Fir? Pine? Birch? Oak?”

“Ooh, I like ‘Bending Birch Breathing Technique’ for the triple alliteration bonus.”

“Oh, it’s called that now.”

“Told you. Now let me un-shapeshift you and then I can drop you off in the city wherever you want.”

We really do go fast with the flight magic, if she suddenly dropped me… Let’s not think about that. She wants to cooperate more later. She’s busy the next two days, but after that she has a few days where she can help me cultivate and, as she says, ‘Maybe unlock the secrets of the elements.’

Having taken up her offer I meet her at a metro station at the northern side of the city a few days later. Well, this time he looks like some kinda raptor. He takes me to the ‘magical forest’ as he calls it, and then we go through the same things as previously.

As I practice the [Bending Birch Breathing Technique] I vaguely note that he turns into the tree-woman from last time, mimicking my movement. I finish the first round of practice I pause and ask why.

“To learn the ability, of course. I succeeded, too. I’m pretty sure inner power is made from essence. I should be able to generate a lot more given the amount of essence around here, though. Well, I might just be wrong, though. And unfortunately Wikipedia’s knowledge is a stub.”

“Wikipedia’s knowledge? Stub?”

“Uh, the deity, not the website. Stub is when an article is stubby, short. The deity uses the same terminology.”

I simply mutter an ‘okay’, then turn away and try to get back into the flowstate to continue the exercises. While we don’t really learn anything new this place is great for cultivating, at least. After the exercises I find her perfectly still, as if she’s taken root. She does look pretty covered in the yellowing green of autumn, but I don’t want to walk back to the city, so I shake her awake.

After the day’s aikido practice I talk to sensei. With his guidance I manage to learn [Essence Conversion]. He asks how I suddenly got so much more essence and seem interested in the magical forest, so admit I don’t know where exactly it is and mention Lara’s seemingly joking remark about being a ‘cultivation taxi service’.

The others show interest, and soon I’m answering questions about the tests we did. Such a place with a lot of essence would obviously be useful, but sensei is more interested in the other training placeLara mentioned. I admit I don’t know anything beyond what I was told, which is not much at all.

The next day I get a lot more out of the practice in the magical forest, being able to actually sense the ki inside my body as well as creating more via [Essence Conversion]. It feels like I’m closer to sensing the elements, but as before it’s just out of reach.

I also follow sensei’s advice on how to advance, circulating my essence and -indirectly- ki throughout my body. He says that I will need to create four major channels for ki and essence to flow throughout my body, one for each limb. There are also four minor channels, to the head, heart, lungs and belly.

By the end of the practice I can feel a slight different in the way essence moves through the body. It feels… smoother to get it to each of the four limbs. Lara seems satisfied when I give the ‘status report’, as she calls it.

“Good, then tomorrow we can try that other location.”

“Didn’t I need to learn a trick for that?”

“Well, not really. I can fairly easily bring others, but it’s better if you don’t die if I mess up or something. Anyway, I made something which should work, just gotta adjust it for you and properly test it.”

And with that she whisks me away to a nearby lake, where she retrieves something from her bag.

“I made this breathing mask, which should, well, let you breathe without external air. Making airtight goggles is a pain, so I just bought a pair of swimming goggles for that.”

With no real say in the matter she makes me put them both on, making me feel very silly with the bandana-like mask and swimming goggles, shortly after which I find myself sitting wrapped in a large silken towel under a gray sky, teeth clattering.

“If you’re cold, I have a warm body, you know?” She says with a mischievous smile, casually maintaining the magical campfire-sized fire.

I’d usually appreciate the offer, but right now I’d rather actually warm up. “N-no than-nks.”

“If you do say so.” She says, seemingly disappointed. “My wool-snake puppet is super comfy, though.”

“Your what?”

“Wool snake. It’s kinda like a big snake, but the outside it covered in fluffy wool, like a sheep.”

“Oh, that’s what you meant by a warm body.”

“What else would I mean?”

I shut up and turn away, only to turn back when the flame goes back. I’m about to ask her why when she summons the wool-snake which promptly wraps me with its body. The name is…. Apt.

The day after that she waves me over as soon as I get to the meeting point. It’s a different form, with a more modest look this time. So it’s time to see this secret training spot of hers, huh. I’m looking forward to it. “So, where are you taking me today?”

“Well, today I wanted to test your physical abilities a bit, actually.”

“Okay?”

“It’s really simple: I’m gonna run, and you’re gonna follow me. Have you tested your endurance and running speed lately?”

I shake my head. “Not really.”

“Well, this will be a trial by fire then.”

I don’t even have time to ask what she’s about before she turns and takes off with a jog. I stand there for a moment before making an annoyed sound and follow her. I quickly start catching up to her on the even sidewalk, but she turns the jog into a proper run, and soon after takes a left into a gravel road.

Not to be outdone I increase my pace to follow, and soon after find myself next to her. “Where are we going? To the training spot?”

“No, not yet. Gonna take a detour to check up on something first.”

She offers no further explanation, and instead increases her speed even more. I keep up, but it strikes me that not only are we running really fast, but given the distance we’ve run, not to mention the hill, I should be a lot more tired.

Lara seems unaffected by the stares we get from the occasional person or group of people, all heading towards the city. Given the darkening clouds that’s to be expected I guess. The weather forecast claims it won’t rain just yet, but whenever it starts it will pour.

We blaze past what I assume is the now semi-famous Old Sawmill café and Lara turns towards what soon turns out to be one of the many bathing spot for the nearby lakes. There isn’t anyone taking a swim in the chilly autumn water, but there are some canoes and kayaks out.

And then she turns into a small trail in the forest. The rougher terrain slows her down, but not by much and she’s clearly familiar with the area. I almost lose sight of her among the thinning leaves but she never quite leaves me behind. Is she intentionally slowing down?

I can feel tiredness starting to set in, but power through. I idly reflect that it’s amazing I’ve been able to keep up this tempo for so long with the uneven terrain as I practically fly over a crossing dirt road.

Whether or not it’s intentional form her side, I’m catching up again, and I’m close enough to hear her laboured, heavy, and mostly steady breathing when she finally stops, leaning over and spitting.

“Fuck! I did -haah- not expect you -huuh- to keep up so well!”

“I’m sorry? I didn’t even know I was in such a good shape.”

“Ahh, heh, it’s probably the ki and essence. Well, a large part of it.” She says, having caught her breath. “The only reason you didn’t catch up to me earlier is that I more or less propelled myself purely by magic since we entered the forest.”

Looking at me with a strained smile, she says “Looks like you’re not exactly familiar with the territory as well.”

I look around, but can’t see far through the fog. “Where are we even?”

“The ‘Wolf Forest’ or ‘Foggy Forest’ or whatever people have decided to call it. If they decided to agree, that is. To me it’s just the part of the forest that happens to be near the Den.”

“Wait, this is where all the wolves live?”

“Well, no, yes, kinda? Not all of them” She pauses for a moment with a thoughtful expression. “Let’s see… I often call it the Pack as if it were one cohesive pack, but it’s really five large packs and some strays and small groups which are on friendly terms.”

She point into the fog. “Over there is the Den. If the Pack was a mostly nomadic tribal state, the Den would be the capital. Most of the time the wolves are other places, except the pack which ‘owns’ this territory. They just gather here for the safety and to leech off, err, meet humans. And, as you will see… well, you’ll see.”

She starts walking in the direction she pointed. “Stick close to me and circulate your ki and essence or something. This is a good test of your magic defences.”

“Magic defences? What do you mean?”

“The fog has some serious misdirection magic. It will steer you away from the Den. I don’t think I got the full picture, but unless you know about it it will sorta just make you walk a big circle around it and continue on the other side. Hey! Pay attention!”

“Why are you yelling?”

“Why are you walking that way? As I said, the magic is pretty powerful. But it’s not absolute. It doesn’t affect members of the Pack, and it is possible to defend against it. And if you are safe from it you can bring others.”

“But why did I suddenly end up walking away from you?”

“That’s why you need an ‘anchor’ which is safe from the effects. It’s damn good, isn’t it? Another caveat is that you can power through it, for example by following a map.” She elaborates by explaining how the local orienteering group accidentally put up a post which you can only get to by blindly and stubbornly following the map.

“Anyway, welcome to the ‘eye of the storm’ so to speak. You’re still affected, by the way, so don’t go wandering off or following something which isn’t me, but you can freely move around this area.”

I look around. The fog is as thick here as anywhere else, but what I can see is amazing. I open my mouth to ask Lara… something, but words completely fail me so all I manage to get out is a simple “What.”