Chapter 29

Becoming a Monk

Hunger.

The most powerful driving force of survival, as well as our body’s way to remind us that we need sustenance to keep living.

My injuries from the maze was somehow healed. Yet another mystery to be shelved because I was still dying, only of a different cause.

On the verge of fainting, I felt like I could go out at anytime. Every step I made could’ve been my last, but then I saw it.

The glitter of water, dazzling and inviting like a mirage. Before I knew it, I was walking towards it with a force I didn’t know I had. I knelt down beside the large, shining body of water and scooped up the liquid with my palm. But before I could drink it, something hit me.

It was something fast. It hit me on the chest, and with my body weakened from hunger, I was flung away. I quickly, messily got up and let out a bestial growl at the black bird that spread his wings as if to stand between me and the water. I charged at him like an animal, but he nimbly dodged and grabbed me with his claws, throwing me away again and again from the water. Still I kept going at him, attacking relentlessly with whatever limb I had. Before long, the bird finally backed away.

As I advanced towards the water, however, something stood in my path again.

This time, it was a huge, white wolf. I flinched when he snarled at me, showing the many teeth on his maw, but that hestitation only laster for a second. I charged in again, pushing all my weight against him. The wolf didn’t budge. Instead, I heard something like a mocking laugh.

So I bit. I bit hard and drew blood on the white fur.

Suddenly, my back was on the ground, pinned down. A dozen sets of teeth on my throat nibbled on my throat, threatening to end me then and there. I should’ve been scared for my life, but I wasn’t. It was drink or die. It was their water, or mine. With that kind of conviction, I pushed against the wolf’s maw.

Then everything went black.

Some time later, I woke up to the pain of something pricking the back of my head. I opened my eyes to see the raven’s beak heading straight for my face.

Ow!

「 Oh. I think she’s awake. 」

「 Prick her again. 」

Ow, stop it!

I flailed my arm at them and tried to skitter away in a crawl. Before I could even sit up, I was pinned down again. The wolf didn’t even lift a paw. He merely dropped his head on me. I glare at him, and his eyes shone a malignant gold as our eyes locked. His maw was right in front of my face and hot air washed over me everytime he drew breath.

Get off me!

I hit the wolf repeatedly with seemingly no effects. Then I stopped hitting and could only stare in horror as the wolf’s maw opened. His teeth gleamed right in front of my face, and I drew in a sharp breath as I prepared to get my face chewed off.

...And that’s when he licked me.

His large, wet tongue slithered all over me. From my chest to the entirety of my face, I was covered in wolf saliva. Satisfied, he licked his own lips as if savouring my taste.

「 Thou shall be a delight, little lass, 」 he said, and I shuddered pathetically from his words.

「 Stop that, you daft mongrel. We’re not going to eat you, brat. 」

I didn’t believe him one bit, not when Eretz was doing what he did. I couldn’t have known his expression, but I felt like the wolf was smirking at me.

「 Thou hast taken a bite of me. Now, I shall take a bite out of thou as well. 」

Ugh...

Every time I tried to push his huge head off me, he snickered, amused by my pathetic attempts.

Then I pulled on his whiskers.

「 GROOAWAAH! FUCKING BITCH! 」

The wolf pulled away in rage, rubbing his snout in pain while making whining sounds I didn’t know he could make. I looked in my hand and see the strands of long hair that I pulled off his snout.

「 Little lass.., 」 he growled at me. 「 I will fucking eat you. 」

I held up the trophy in display. Try it. There’s still more for me to pluck off, you fucking monster!

The wolf ran at me, faster than my body could react. It was as if my legs were frozen as the white figure came approaching. Before he could reach me, though, a black shadow crashed against him with so much force that it took the wolf down with it.

「 Stop it, you fool! 」 Hadda pressed his beak down on Eretz’s throat.

I used this chance to head in for an attack, but just as I’m about to kick the wolf in the face, Hadda flipped me. I fell to the ground, then Hadda used his claws to hold me down.

「 Both of you fools, stop it now! We don’t have time nor energy to waste for child-squabbles! 」

Our noses almost touching, the wolf and I could only shoot glares at each other while Hadda lectured us.

「 Is this the only thing you have left in you? If it’s like this, you’re no better than an animal. 」

Hadda leaned in on the wolf. 「 Remember, 」 he whispered in the wolf’s ear. 「 Remember why you’re here, pup. 」

「 Grrr.... 」

Despite that vengeful growl, the wolf seemed to have calmed down. Then Hadda turned to me and loosened the grip on my neck.

「 You are weak, brat. You can’t survive in this world on your own. That’s why you need to depend on us. If you want to get out of here, you’ll need to trust us. 」

Oh, I can trust ‘you’ just fine.

I leered at the wolf, lifting my chin. Him, I don’t.

「 Oh, you don’t, don’t you? 」 the wolf laughed, belittling me.

「 Zip it. I will release both of you now, but don’t attack each other, got it? 」

Hadda released his claws but stayed between me and Eretz. I stood up carefully, watching the wolf’s movements as he did the same.

「 Put this aggression away. We need to work together. Don’t attack each other, got it? 」

「 ...Aye, 」 the wolf replied.

Then Hadda looked at me, waiting for my answer. I crossed my arms, still eyeing the wolf behind him.

Fine.

Now that I’m calm, the feeling of thirst crept back on me. That’s when the water pulled my attention again. I took a step towards it, but the wolf quickly stepped in front of me with a forbidding glare.

「 Indulge that water, lass, 」 he snarled, 「 and thy body shall melt to its bones. 」

Lies. My hand was fine when I touched the water.

「 It’s true brat, 」 Hadda cut in. 「 The water is harmless in normal conditions, but turns into dreadful acid once it touches organic fluid. 」

That’s...

「 Trust us, brat, 」 Hadda stressed. 「 We’ve been here before. 」

I was conflicted. I knew in my gut that Hadda was telling the truth, but my thirst was clouding my judgement. In that confusion, I found myself staring into the bird’s eyes.

They were red. A soft red, but with a gaze sharper than a sword. As I lose myself into it, I see my figure reflected in it.

That small, white reflection amidst all the red— what was it doing there? Lost, helpless, always getting itself caught by the tempest around it.

Why? Why her?

All she ever knew ever since she came into being was pain and despair, and yet she remained. She held on, because before pain and despair got to her, something else got to her first.

That’s right. The raven got to her first.

...Okay.

「 Good. You will listen to what I say if you want to live. Do you understand? 」

Yes.

「 First, never trust your hunger. Second, if you see a mutt other than this pup, you run. Got it? 」

...Huh?

「 Never trust your hunger. Only eat and drink what we allow you. 」

Umm... Hadda—

「 Second, if you see a mutt other than this pup, you run. It is black in color and a little bigger than the pup, so make sure you don’t mistake them. Also, it has three— 」

Hadda. Is that the “mutt” you’re talking about?

「 What? 」

I pointed at the darkness behind them, to the creature that hid within it. Even though Hadda described it as “a little bigger” than Eretz, that was not the case. That was not the case at all.

Three sets of eyes glowered at us from the darkness. Three giant maws, each large enough to swallow us whole, showed off the many sets of teeth it had. There was a screeching noise as its claws lurched out from the darkness, as if saying that it could stomp us down like the insects we were.

「 Impossible. How...? 」

As the wolf mouthed those words, the beast lifted up its giant paw above us.

「 Oy! Get away, pup! 」

「 I did not smell him coming. How‒ 」

It all happened so fast.

All I could see was white fur as something knocked the air out of me, pushing me out of the giant paw’s way. There was a painful noise of flesh tearing and a gruesome splatter of blood. As I lay sprawled on the ground, I heard the bird screaming Eretz’ name in dismay.

And then everything shook.

I was watching the scene unfold, my mind too occupied to notice the cavern floor crumbling beneath me.

Before I knew it, I was falling again.

This time, however, the darkness wasn’t bottomless...

...because death awaited me at the end of it.

===

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=== === ===

The panting of my breath drowns out the faint sound of the falling mist. I let out a sigh as I finally arrive at the stop of the stairs. I walk through the front garden while scanning around to confirm that no one is standing watch. I walk up and stand on the porch, right outside the large wooden door as I take a deep breath to brace myself.

I push against the heavy door, making the wood creak and groan in a way that makes me wince. Then I walk in to find everyone’s stares on me, the hall silent except for the faint sound of rain, making it all the more awkward.

...What the heck. They’re all here.

Uh...

“You’re late,” the mentor said. “Again.”

I had to run some errands for my teacher.

“That’s always your reason.”

I’m not lying.

The moment I said that, his glare of death intensifies. He walks towards me, his footsteps thumping heavily against the wooden floor as if he’s wearing boots instead of those flat slippers. Against that giant pressure, I shrink back in instinct.

I‒I’m really not lying.

“Did I say you were?”

Oh, then...

“It doesn’t matter what the reason is. I said for you to be here before sunrise, and you failed to meet. What does that tell you?”

Uhm... those are some long-ass stairs to climb...?

Behind him, I see the faces of my classmates falling into their palms.

“No, child,” Douzhen leans down at me with a terrible gaze in his eyes. “It means that you are a worthless, undisciplined brat that doesn’t know how to keep your own words.”

...You know what I think, mentor? I think you’re just irritated because more of your hair fell off this morning, and now you’re just taking it out on me.

There’s a series of gasps from the other students when I said that.

...Maybe I should start putting my “mouth” on a leash.

“You’ve learnt nothing, have you?”

Oh, crap...

There’s nothing I can do as he lifts me up by the scruff of my neck with one hand, choking me as he carries me over in full display. I can see my classmate’s faces as they look at me, some in horror, some in pity, and some in scorn.

As I try not to choke on my own coat, Douzhen carries me across the large hall and into the back garden, in which he finally drops me.

“You will take the Heavenly Steps to Tenrin peak. If you’re not there in time, I will start the trial without you.”

The mentor then turns and scurries the other students out the building to depart. I watch hopelessly as they leave, all except for three students.

While I was grieving my fate, one of those three suddenly pushes me down the porch and into the garden’s wet ground, soiling mud all over me. I look behind and see the perpetrator snickering down at me.

“Your pallid ass deserved that, you little bitch.”

He’s a huge, muscular and stocky-looking kid with a face so square you’d think his parents were boxes. He also hates me for some reason.

“Leave her alone,” a lean, brown-haired girl said as she bravely steps in between us.

“Look at her, Ranlan. One month inscribed, and she’s still this pathetic. Even you should know what hopeless is when you see it.”

“Yeah, I do. That’s what I think when I look at you.”

“Tch. You think you’re so righteous, don’t you? I can’t wait to see when your face when you fail Tenrin. And you,” he turns at me, “you won’t last one more week here.”

Funny. You said something similar when I first got here. “Three days”, was that what you said?

I jeeringly smiled at him, something I probably shouldn’t do to someone that can give me a bear hug with one arm.

“I will make sure of it this time,” he threatened, turning to follow the others outside afterwards.

“Don’t mind him,” Ranlan said as she helps me up, not even minding the mud on me. “He’s just insecure.”

I flash a reassuring smile to tell her I’m okay. To be honest, the way he treats me reminds me of a certain bird-bully. How can I hate him then?

“You’re partly at fault, though. Not only were you late on the one day you shouldn’t, you also said that to the mentor. No one talks back to Mentor Douzhen, let alone mention his hair problems. You should’ve known that by now.”

Uh-huh.

Out of the blue, she narrows her eyes at me. “...You weren’t lying when you said you were running errands for miss Inzhi, were you?”

I shake my head. Of course I’m not lying.

“Oh, good. Anyway, I wish there’s something I could do to help you, but you’re on your own with the climb. And promise me that you won’t bail out in the middle. Failing the Tenrin trial with your grades will get you kicked out.”

Yeah, yeah... I promise.

She shakes her head at my nonchalant attitude. “Right, so... I have to catch up with the others. You stay safe, okay?”

As she said that, I look over at the other person still here, just silently watching me the whole time.

He’s slim compared to Zethran, yet he is taller than the brute. His dark hair falls down to his eyes’ height, obscuring his rather well-defined face. Even as I stare him down, he’s not looking away. Instead, he meets my gaze with his keen blue eyes.

I look back at Ranlan. What does he want?

“Hey, you got something to say to her, Anlong?” Ranlan asked him.

“I just wanted to make sure she’s alright,” he replied.

I’m quite alright.

“She says she’s fine,” Ranlan conveyed to him.

I eye him curiously, wondering what he’s thinking as he nods at us, leaving to join the others. With him gone, I turn to Ranlan to see a knowing smile on her face.

What?

“Don’t ‘what’ me, you vixen.”

Again, what?

“ -sigh- That poor guy. He can’t hear your ‘voice’, so all he sees is this quiet and bewitching faean.”

“Bewitching?” You flatter me.

Ranlan gives me a friendly, if not a bit too strong nudge on the shoulder. “A somewhat accurate word, you witch. Just try not to push it.”

I still don’t know what you’re talking about.

Without warning and for no reason, she suddenly pulls my cheeks hard and laughs at my torment.

Stop it, Ranlan!

“ –giggle- Anyway, you be careful, okay? It’s wet and the mist has yet to dissipate. That’s the worst combination for a walk on the Heavenly Steps. Good luck, Fay.”

Ah, you too.

After Ranlan and everyone else finally leaves, I walk through the unnecessarily large garden, intentionally avoiding the attention of the few people here as I exit through back gate.

As I start my what would be a grueling climb, I think back on how I got here.

It’s like reading a story.

One page, teacher was just welcoming me into her home. The next, I’m suddenly part of this class full of, as Raf put it, “crazy mountain monks”. Just how did I get here...?

It’s been two months since teacher brought me here. I remember when she introduced me to the people of the monastery. I’d thought she wanted me to make connections with them, but I never thought she’d make me join them in class.

“You need to train your body,” she said. “Get inscribed in the Hall of Acquisition. It’ll be fun,” she said.

She also made it clear that she won’t make me an arcanist if I don’t become at least │Adept│ in Strengthening, so here I am, spending my mornings with Jade class and my afternoons with my arcanist teacher.

-sigh-

Just put up with it, Fay. Quickly become an │Adept│, and then I can just drop out and focus on magic, becase Zethran is right; I’m not suited for this dragon-warrior-monk hogwash. I find it funny how they literally call themselves “dragon warriors”, but no matter how wacky they are, they’re still teacher’s people, so I never showed them disrespect...

...Not usually, at least.

Anyway, since I already agreed to it, I might as well give it my all.

Assuming the others are going at a normal pace, the class should arrive at Tenrin in maybe two hours while the route through the Heavenly Steps would take double the amount of time. In other words, I simply only have to halve that time. Easily said, and now to get it done...

I start my climb with a run, using both vimic and magic to empower my steps. With my strides transformed into leaps, I climb my way up the mountain of stone, one careful jump at a time.

--- --- ---

Climbing never was my thing, but the view atop the Heavenly Steps after an arduous climb can never bore me. Even though the mist is thick, enough sunshine has pierced through for me to make out the shadows of the pillars and footholds around me. Tired and dizzy from the climb, I close my eyes and just feel the wind on my face. The gust blows my hood off, but I don't bother putting it back on as the sunlight is still faint.

Taking the Heavenly Steps to Tenrin peak is not actually a longer route. In fact, unlike the ground route that circles around the pillars, this route is a straightforward path that’s actually much less in distance. The reason this route takes a much longer time to take is because it takes you way up to the top of the stone forest. It takes you through the Heavenly Steps, the web of naturally formed bridges of stone that connect the great pillars to one another. When up here, it’s only natural to take time on caution lest you’d fall from atop the stone forest. This particular route to Tenrin, however, is so dangerous that students aside those of the Jade class are not allowed to go near it.

Hypothetically, if I just run without that extra caution, I can get to Tenrin peak with half the time it would take to go through the ground route. But as teacher said, “creativity first, safety after.”

...That might not be the best thing to say in this situation, but it does point that safety is important. All things considered, I’m going to put a little time into caution.

It already took me one hour just to climb up to the Heavenly Ste— fuck it. Fuck that name. I’m calling it “stone-web” from now on.

Anyway, as I was saying, it took me an hour just to climb up here, so now I’ve got maybe another hour to make my way to Tenrin peak. Using magic is actually forbidden up here, but there’s no way I can get there fast enough with vimic alone, and there’s no one watching either, so...

Huh? Hold on‒

.......

.....Thalvos?

No, it’s just... it’s been awhile.

I’m just doing some... climbing.

I grasp my own arms to stop it from trembling. Whether it’s from the cold or not, I don’t know.

What do you want?

Monitoring me, you mean.

It’s “Fay.”

I have a name now. It’s “Fay.”

W‒What is it?

Of course. What do you think I’ve been doing?

Eh?

......

Stupid, stupid, stupid. You don’t lie to a god, Fay. What the hell were you thinking?

I, err... have a theory about the fallen house, Castaroth. I think your “true king” have something to do with... yeah, that.

And, I’m... currently following a lead. Right now, I’m trying to get close with someone who might know something.

Hey, wait! Why are you keeping tabs on me? Didn’t you say that there’s no time limit?

Yes, you did!

I... yes, I know that...

Myself? What do you mean...?

Wait, I still have‒

< Get your game up, Fay. Don’t dissapoint your friends. >

As soon as Nexy shuts the connection, my strength saps away and I fall down to my knees.

...Phew...

Talking to him again after so long was... taxing.

Fuck you, Thalvos. There, I said it...

Well, now... just what do I make of that converstation? Was he really just checking up on me, or did something happen that made him contact me?

Damn it, and I wanted to ask him about Lyrfanas’ mark, as well. Also whether or not I can share this whole thing with someone else. I have a feeling that teacher’s going to ask me about that soon and I don’t want to risk getting her on Thalvos’ sights for that. I’d hate to do it, but I’ll have to ask for his permission...

...Argh, so frustrating. It’s like he’s my boss or something. What a joke.

Now then, seems like Thalvos has ruined my pace with his abrupt “check-up.”

I have about one hour left before Douzhen starts the trial and it’s just a straight path from hereon. I just have to jump between the rocks and take care not to slip and fall to my death. The mist is starting to clear as well, so that’s good for me.

Huff...

Deep breath, Fay. Deep breath. Thalvos can wait, but this can’t.

Here we go...

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With the sun right at the horizon, the vale lay in a blanket of mist, with some of the highest peaks piercing through it. Aside from the stone forest and the true forest beneath it, the vale is also wreathed by a great many hills, notably around the foot of the mountains that walled around the region. Such places have been the foundations of not only the villages and halls, but also the geomancer’s home.

Though she prefers to call it her “laboratory”, it also doubles as her home whereas her real residence, located a few hundred strides towards the mountains, was accomodated for her apprentice’s livings. After making a makeshift bedroom on top of the lab, she has everything she needs to live there.

Right now, she sits on the window-frame of her bedroom window, sighing as her gaze bore into the thinning mist that has yet to disappear. Her thoughts are with her feeble apprentice, probably somewhere up in one of the stone peaks doing a big trial with her classmates.

She saw Fay up late the night before, experimenting with her magic, and that made Inzhi worried whether or not her apprentice woke up in time for the trial.

She’s never been good with mornings.

However, the reason for her sigh isn’t that.

Ever since they came here, She and her apprentice had become closer. Intimate, one might say. Intimate but pure— perfectly platonic. However, just yesterday, a chat with an acquintance revealed that some of the augurs see Inzhi’s relationship with Fay as not only professional, but also romantic.

Of course, Inzhi tried to clear it up, but no one seemed to believed her, figuring her to be shy about romancing her own student. In reality, no one would actually mind even if that were the case. The problem is that it’s not the case.

“She’s just my apprentice...”

As she stares out into sky above the vale, she notices someone approaching her lab in a rush. She recognizes the man as Gihan, a friend of hers who is also an augur. She watches as Gihan catches his breath on her steps before furiously knocking on her door.

“Good morning, Ginny,” she greeted from the window above him.

“Oh, Inzhi! Thank god you’re in,” he worded between breaths. “Hurry down! There’s an urgent meeting in the Hall of Elders, and we need you in as well.”

“Ah~ I’ll pass. I’ll let the old men handle it, ” Inzhi replied in a carefree manner, not even minding that Gihan is one of the old men she mentioned. Fay’s bad attitude is evidently starting to rub off on her.

“This isn’t the time to joke around! Every augur and drachtal were called in. You must come in!”

He caught Inzhi’s attention this time. There’s very few possibilites that are big or urgent enough to warrant calling such a gathering. At the very least, it’s something that could affect the entire monastery.

“What’s the issue here, Gihan? What’s the word?”

“I’m not entirely sure yet. The condition is hectic, but the word ‘demon’ has been thrown around quite a lot.”

Inzhi’s stomach sinks upon hearing that. With a swift movement, Inzhi grabs her staff and jumps off the window, landing nimbly beside her friend.

“Let’s go.”

As they haste towards the Hall of Elders, Inzhi’s mind is in chaos. Her conscience has been screaming at her to find her apprentice from the moment she heard the word “demon.”

Is it the broodmother from Lephander? Has it come to take her apprentice away?

Despite her worries, it’s all she can do to look up at the stone forest where her apprentice is, and hope that the faith she put in Douzhen is not misplaced.