“Let it go child. What happened to you is unfortunate, but think of the bigger picture for the house. We will find you a good match soon, so bury the hatchet and give them your blessings… do I make myself clear?”
“Of course elder, I will do as you say.”
“Good girl. There are actually some good candidates waiting on us. They’re a bit older, and their talent isn’t impressive, but they all come from good families. You’ll be comfortable. Since you’ve been so understanding you can continue to attend the usual banquets and meetings, but don’t go too far.”
“As you please elder.”
“Sigh, it’s a shame this happened to such a good child,” the elder muttered as she walked away. She didn’t notice the blood dripping from the girls tightly clenched fist or the fire raging in her eyes.
…
In the southern lands of the West Continent lay a small valley between two mountains surrounded by a blue forest. Twin Peaks City belonged exclusively to one of the stronger families in the southern regions, the Vault family. As the sun rose pass the peak of the mountain and the day began…
“Man, that was a good night.” The boy yawned while scratching his naked chiseled chest. He had a muscular build, a roguishly handsome face, and unique curly grey hair.
He looked over at the pretty woman still sleeping beside him and smirked at the satisfied smile on her face. Another job well done. It was time to leave.
He boldly left the room while buttoning his trousers. He didn’t forget to stop by the kitchen to steal a loaf of bread before leaving. It was brown, hard and not at all to his standards, but with some butter it made for a passable breakfast.
As he hiked up one of the mountain paths, he didn’t forget to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the valley or breath in the strong winds.
Just then, a flying boat traveled over him and kicked up an even stronger wind. They’d been flying in all week in preparation for the coming banquet.
‘Hmph, flying around acting all cool… I could take a flying boat home too, I just prefer to be economic.’ He pouted while watching the boat go by. But his face soon popped into a grin again as he enjoyed the strong breeze stirring around him.
After two hours of climbing, he finally reached the gates of the Vault family compound. One of the young guards couldn’t hide his look of disdain in time.
“Hey Jeff, working hard today too my man?” Raul grinned at him playfully as he approached.
“Yeah, not all of us can mooch off others to cover expenses.” Jeff said gruffly.
“Don’t be like that my guy, I’ve been working all night too mate. Even brought you a little gift.” He wrapped his arm around his shoulder and offered him the half-eaten loaf of bread.
Jeff’s face twisted in disgust as he pushed the bread away. “I wouldn’t eat anything offered by you. Who knows what slum you dug it out of.” He removed his arm from his shoulder.
Raul didn’t resist and simply strolled through the gate with a sigh. “Shame, I’ll have to tell your sister I couldn’t pass on her gift.”
Jeff’s face changed drastically as he turned around angrily, but Raul had already darted inside. The other guards snickered as Jeff’s face went through various colors.
Raul stopped by a few places to say hello to some good friends, and to tease some other ‘friends’ like Jeff, before arriving at one of the bigger manors on the compound.
He walked through it with easy confidence and nodded or waved at everyone he passed, whether they had disapproving looks or not. He pushed through the main office door to see a young man surrounding by towering papers.
“Damn, that’s an insane amount of paperwork, is Old George dumping it all on you again?” Raul couldn’t help but whistle at the sight of his friend’s desk.
“Damn it, I can’t deal with you right now.” The man looked up with a tired expression. He was handsome, very handsome, with brown hair and a regal face. He carried an air of nobility, and his body was firmly built.
Raul had to admit, his friend was juuuuuuuust a slightly tiny tad bit more handsome than him, but he honestly preferred his roguish looks. He was the one the girls came to for fun, and that’s how he liked it.
“Oi is that any way to talk to your best friend?” Raul spoke in a mock indignant tone.
“More like my worst friend.” He sighed.
“Seriously though Tai, you look terrible. I didn’t even know it was still possible for you to get tired.” Raul looked at his pale and fatigued face with worry.
“I always tell you we’re not gods. Well, at least not at my level. I’m fine though, this is just a minor chore. Dad’s the one who’s been killing me with training lately. You know I’m enrolling soon, and he wants me in the elite class immediately.” Tai yawned.
Raul’s concern immediately turned to envy as he said. “Bastard, hope you die of exhaustion.” While giving him the finger.
Tai merely shrugged. “Don’t hate me cause you ain’t me man. My offer for you to come is still on the table you know. The academy is an amazing place, it’s not impossible we could find an answer to your problem there.” He said seriously.
An ache of longing shot through Raul’s chest as he hesitated to answer. Finally he smirked. “What, and have all those expectations and crap to deal with? No thanks man. I’ll leave that to you bro, meanwhile I’ll be here living it up till I’m old and grey.” He hid his clenched hand behind himself.
“I see.” Tai smiled sadly. “In that case you better party it up twice as hard for me as well.”
“I’m already planning on it mate. Celica and Tami are already upset you haven’t visited them in a while, so I’m planning on comforting them after you leave.” Raul nodded magnanimously.
Tai’s face twitched. “Hmph, they’re too smart for you.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “That said, if you don’t mind looking out for them, I’d appreciate any care you could give them.”
The smile on Raul’s face faded as he nodded seriously. “Of course man. I’ll make sure they’re living well.”
They both knew once he left it’d be a long time before he came back. Cultivators and mortals live in different worlds, by time Tai came back Raul might really be old and grey.
Tai suddenly smiled. “Enough of the sappy talk, we still have six months to try and have some fun. Speaking of which.” He pulled out an envelope from empty space and handed it to Raul. “Got you that invite you were hounding me for.”
Raul swiftly snatched the envelope and stared at it with excited eyes. “Holy crap man, you know I love you.” He couldn’t help shivering as he held the invite. This was for the banquet the Vault house was holding in three days. A lot of other cultivation houses would be there.
“Hmph, you’re just lucky dad is busy, no way he’d let you attend.” Tai said with a trace of nervousness in his voice.
Raul rolled his eyes. “Old George is thinking too much. I’m not dumb enough to make trouble with any cultivators, it’s their servants I’m after.”
“You’re already making me regret giving you that invite.” Tai’s eyes narrowed.
“No takebacks!” Raul yelled as he ran out the room.
Tai could only shake his head before going back to his paperwork. Though there might be some fallback with his father, he wanted to give this chance to experience the immortal world to his brother.
Raul soon arrived at his own home. A small cottage nearby Tai’s manor. It was cozy and well furnished, but Raul felt no love for it. He placed the invite carefully on the counter.
Raul exhaled sadly and moved to his courtyard. He sat down and began meditating, as he did every day. Within seconds his senses expanded and he could feel the primordial qi all around him. This was usually the part that separated cultivators and mortals. Despite living in a world saturated in it, mortals couldn’t distinguish primordial qi, much less use it to refine their body and spirit.
With a thought he willed the energy to occupy him, that’s when the pain started. Sweat pooled around Raul as the qi rampaged in his body, refusing to integrate with it.
Through gritted teeth Raul forced the qi to stay in his body for as long as he could. As time went on his muscles started seizing uncontrollably as his veins wriggled across his skin.
He could no longer control his voice or posture as he fell to his side roaring in agony. Even so he persisted, beyond the point he’d ever done so in the past. Through the pain his conversation with Tai kept replaying in his head. Was he really content to grow old and die in this small town, never venturing, never gaining? Of course not!
His skin prickled. and blood leaked from his pores as his eyes turned a deep red. He let out one more deafening yell before falling unconscious in agony.
The sun was already setting by time Raul woke. His body ached all over and he was covered in the filth of his own sweat and blood, but none of that mattered to him. He painfully sat up and started meditating again to check his body. One minute, three minutes, ten minutes…
Raul finally looked up into the sky with a self-deprecating smile. Nothing. Not a single bit of the primordial qi had refined his body. “Sorry dad, I can’t fulfill your wish.” He muttered as a single tear dropped from his eye.
It was Tai and his father who took care of him after his dad died twelve years ago. They treated him like family and never asked for anything in return. They’d even paid for numerous herbs and experts to attempt to fix his problem.
That’s why he couldn’t follow Tai to the academy. His future as a cultivator would be decided there, he couldn’t ask him to spend that time looking for a cure for him.
‘I did my best dad. It wasn’t enough.’ More tears flowed. He’d practiced every day. Endured the pain of cultivating, and even made some small accomplishments in sword training, but it never changed anything.
Before he’d always convinced himself that if he could endure the pain a bit longer something would change, but this time left no room for delusions. It didn’t matter how long he held it, the qi wouldn’t process.
He would never cultivate, he likely wouldn’t see his best friends ever again, he would never repay the Vault household, and he would never complete his father’s wish. Anger, frustration, shame, and… relief battled it out within him as he struggled to make peace with his fate.
