Rieren recognized them all, of course.
There was Elder Veylie, her severe bun bigger than the rest of her head. Stick-thin Elder Essieldo, youngest among the Elders at a purportedly youthful age of seventy-three—of course, cultivation made him look less than half his age—fidgeted with his heavy glasses. Tall Elder Alm stood with his thick arms crossed over his chest.
At the center of the group, a man in brilliant crimson-and-black robes stared over them with a strange expression. He was clearly trying to appear stern and severe, but there was an unmistakable twinkle in his eye and he had failed to completely hide his smile.
Rieren wasn’t sure the Sect Leader Solmir’s good humour meant anything positive. The man was known to be quite sadistic on occasion.
Solmir clapped his hands. The sound echoed over the courtyard, amplified as though my magic. It always impressed Rieren how much control over Essence one could get at higher realms of cultivation. She smiled. Soon enough, she would be there as well.
“People of Lionshard Mountain,” Solmir said, his iron-grey beard remaining still despite the movement of his mouth. “In this time of great upheaval, I welcome you to Lionshard Sect.”
He was silent for a moment, taking a dramatic amount of time to let everyone appreciate his every uttered syllable. Ah, here was one of the things Rieren had forgotten. It could get quite annoying to hear the Sect Leader’s speeches.
Solmir eventually went on. “Now, as you all know, we have been blessed with an incredible miracle. Time has been set back. We have been granted another opportunity to tackle this cataclysm from the very beginning. Better yet, we have all been granted a system with which to do so. Absolutely incredible, is it not?”
He went on to blather something about the Sect protecting everyone, working together to help each other, and the various measures the Sect would be taking to ensure everyone’s safety. Rieren’s attention was pulled away by Amalyse shaking her arm again.
“You’ll never guess what these people have planned,” she said with grin.
Rieren raised an eyebrow. “Do you mean this so-called Apocalypse Academy?”
Amalyse stared at her. Her bright red eyes—another thing that tended to make people stare—seeming to dim in disappointment. “How in the world did you hear? Did your cramps give you prophetic dreams?”
“Try not to be so vulgar, Amalyse. Elder Olg mentioned it a while back.”
If Amalyse had been about to reply to that, she was cut off when the Sect Leader raised his voice and began expounding on that exact topic.
“We are not alone in these trying times, of course,” Solmir said. “Not only has the Emperor already begun his excursions against the monsters that threaten our lands, many Archnobles and various Sects are taking stands as well. Is that not true, Elder Veylie?”
The old woman with the enormous bun stepped forward. Where the Sect Leader had failed to appear “stern enough”, she more than made up for it. That probably explained where all the lines digging into her face had come from.
“Thank you, Sect Leader,” she said. Like with Solmir, her voice carried over the whole courtyard. “It is true. We, mortal and cultivator alike, must all do our part in the times that call for us to give more than we ever have. As such, the Forborne Emperor’s eleventh edict decrees that all inhabitants of the Elderlands must do their utmost against the hordes of Aetherians and Abyssals that have invaded us.”
Elder Veylie didn’t have the charisma that Solmir so easily used to great effect. Instead, she spoke more like a harsh mother, barely keeping the implied or else out of her speech. It was effective in its own way. Her words might not be rousing in the same way the Sect Leader’s had been, but they did just as well to impress the gravity of the situation.
“Humanity is dying,” she continued. There was a touch of emotion now. “Our culture has been trampled over, our way of life shattered. Our very existence has been threatened. Even a single moment of complacency, of failing to fight as much as we can, will lead to our inevitable demise.
“We cannot allow that. We will not. As such, Lionshard Sect demands that each and every person within its walls contribute to the effort to oust our monstrous enemies. You may be frightened, you may feel hopeless, you may be despairing at the loss of your life and your loved ones. But we will continue to fight, to persevere, to never surrender. And neither will you.
“Over the next few days, the Sect will show you how we can fight back. The Sect will guide you to cultivate the power you have been granted so that you may use it the correct way. The Sect will teach you to use the system that you have been granted. The Sect will also show you that we aren’t alone.
“As the Sect Leader said, we are working together to cull this apocalypse before it can take root in the Elderlands. We have allied with the Crimson Leaf, the Exalted Lake, and the Lustrous Zephyr Sects to create a league whose main focus shall be the reconquest of the Elderlands—the aforementioned Apocalypse Academy
“Cooperation is key here. In practical terms, this means that, with reasonable limits, we will pool our knowledge, share our resources, and take part in training and missions together. Unity is the key to our prosperity. The times are changing, and to survive, to thrive, we must adapt with it. No one wishes for a repeat of what happened in our previous lives.”
With that ominous last sentence, Elder Veylie retreated back to her original position. Rieren looked around. The Elders’ summoned lights revealed the grim expressions that had taken hold of nearly everyone. They all remembered their last effort at fighting the apocalypse all too well. Their last failed effort.
But she had no doubt part of most people’s dour faces was at the prospect of needing to cooperate with other Sects. Cultivators in general were an individualistic bunch. They prized fierce loyalty to themselves and to those in their immediate vicinity of concern. Even the prosperity of others was seen, and dealt with, as a threat.
To go against such an ingrained tenet, to turn over such an integral thought process among all those who lived within the Elderlands… it was certainly a bold move. That those in power had managed to come to such a decision was a miracle in its own right.
A part of Rieren was more than intrigued to see what would come of it. It might allow her more opportunities to get stronger, even faster than she had originally planned.
She had thought the Sect Leader would come forward again, but it was Elder Alm who stepped up. The big man with shiny bald pate stared around the courtyard, not at all bothering to hide his unimpressed expression.
“Times are changing,” he said, his voice a boulder crushing gravel. “As such, you are all expected to change with it. There is no place for you otherwise. Not in the Sect, not anywhere else. You must adapt, or this life will leave you behind.”
He grunted once. “But Elder Veylie has said enough about that. Heed my words for a different purpose. The Sect will give you guidance, resources, and any assistance that we can spare, as we have already been doing so since the apocalypse struck again. The food you eat and the water you drink come from our stores. Even the homes you stay in are ours.
“I seek to emphasize that you are in the Sect’s debt. In return for rendering such life-saving services, Lionshard Sect expects good-faith participation in all its endeavours from all of you. You will be granted more permanent homes, a proper source of food and income to spend as you see fit, and more besides, but only if you seek to participate in the new world.
“Do not forget generosity. Do not overlook kindness. Do not discard the rules of proper conduct and righteous respect. The Sect is not forgiving. And this new world is actively punishing.”
If Elder Veylie’s had made everyone go grim. Elder Alm’s little speech had frightened most of the attendees. Of course, most people in their right minds had never believed the Sect was saving them out of the goodness of their hearts. Such sentimental actions didn’t belong in a collapsing world such as theirs.
But it was one thing to expect that Sect would subtly require them to repay them in some fashion. It was another for the Sect to outright state that they were all inductees now.
Whether they wished it or not.
It made sense, Rieren supposed. If the Sect wished to control how everyone used their new system, then it would need to treat one and all as disciples. Beware the far-reaching consequences, the system had said. Rieren was seeing it first-hand here.
The Sect Leader finally came forward. “I do not intend to keep you here for long. I understand things are still confusing and much still needs to be clarified. Unfortunately, specific details are difficult to disclose in one long speech. Instead, the Sect has assigned people to different groups who will all clarify what you need to do from here on out.”
He clapped his hands again, and this time, his beard did move, if only by a fraction. “For now, I bid you all a good night. Within a few days, we shall begin our journey towards the reclamation of the Elderlands in earnest. Until then, Lionshard Sect will do its utmost to keep you safe. Farewell.”
The Sect Leader turned and promptly left the way he had come, the Elders giving him a respectful amount of space before following.
With the end of the speech at hand, the guards quickly moved in like shepherding dogs barking at sheep. Most of the attendees were ushered away from the Sect’s courtyard and back towards the encampment. That only left some of the Sect’s servants and a vast number of disciples, all of whom were told to return to their quarters.
“Well, what an enlightening speech,” Amalyse said. Her eyes were sparkling when she turned them to Rieren. “Come on. Let’s get inside. I want to talk about everything.” She tried to pull Rieren along but found herself stopped. Rieren wasn’t budging. “What’s wrong?”
“I must wait before I go to the dormitories,” Rieren said.
“What? Why? Now really isn’t the time to try to sneak into the boys’ dormitories.”
“I am not a disciple, Amalyse. Not yet.”
“Monkey’s buttered balls, Rieren. Sure, you aren’t a real disciple yet, according to the real timeline. When did you even get inducted the last time? The fourth day of the apocalypse? The fifth?” She shook her head, brown locks whipping about her face. “Doesn’t matter. Most who matter know you’re supposed to be a disciple. No one will look askance.”
“Perhaps. But not yet. But worry not. I will see you soon, I promise.”
Amalyse smiled at her, though it died slowly. “You were always willful, Rieren. But now…”
“You know I need my privacy, Amalyse.”
Rieren kept her face blank. Amalyse wasn’t wrong. It was impossible for someone to go through what she had done, for decade after decade, without changing. Rieren could, always would, recognize herself and her unwavering goals. But the journey had undoubtedly transformed her.
Around them, the other girls were going to the dormitories. In the growing gloom, it was difficult to recognize the people Rieren had known before. She did catch of sight of a few girls she knew though, some of whom flashed smiles or simply returned looks of recognition back at her too.
There was Auri, brilliant, pretty, and popular, smiling in welcome at Rieren. A girl she knew distantly, Mala, glanced briefly at her before moving on. Another girl, tall and easily the palest one there, stared at Rieren for a moment that was almost uncomfortable, though she nodded a greeting, then left as well.
Most of the others didn’t pay her much attention, and soon enough, returned to the dormitory. Rieren and Amalyse finally had a moment to themselves. Somewhat.
“I might not be the same person you used to know, Amalyse,” Rieren said. She reached forward and pressed her friend’s shoulder. “But that doesn’t mean I no longer care.”
Amalyse tilted her head, her red eyes glinting. “Are you certain your definition of caring hasn’t changed either?”
“Perhaps I need a moment of privacy to think about it…”
Amalyse laughed, a tinkling sound that dragged the attention of everyone else still outside. She lowered her voice as the others left. “When will you tell me what happened to you… after the last time we saw each other?”
After her death, she meant. The good mood began to evaporate. While Amalyse was probably happy that she had another chance at life again, Rieren couldn’t keep the incident of her death from sending little spikes of grief and regret through her. It wasn’t as bad as her father’s murder, but it was a death all the same.
“I’ll tell you when I can,” Rieren said. “I promise.”
They parted afterwards. Rieren was forced to swear that she would meet with Amalyse sometime tomorrow before leaving. The guards tried to block her path, thinking she was a disciple attempting to sneak off, but a threat that their jobs would be in peril if they allowed a non-disciple into the Sect proper easily cleared the way.
Late as it was getting, Rieren didn’t return to the camp just yet. There was one more thing she wished to try before letting go of the day—or night, rather.
She was finally in a position to attempt to cultivate.
