Chapter 35 Dawn
While Mercury was getting settled with Tenebrosity, Felix was still settling down into his life in the Sacred Light Sect. It was did day when he was training with Sunlight. They were in Sunlight’s Courtyard. Felix’s skin was mostly healed, but a bit of his lip was still missing and his hair had started growing back black.
Felix kept swinging with sword at Sunlight. Each attack was easily dodged until, with just a little bit of Aura, Sunlight caught the sword with his bare hands.
“Good job Felix. Your eye and foot have healed up nicely.” {Sunlight}
“Thank… you.” {Felix}
“…”
“Are you sure you do not want to heal your voice?” {Sunlight}
“…”
“When… I… am… ready.” {Felix}
“And you will not tell me about when you will be.” {Sunlight}
“…”
“I understand. Come, sit down.” {Sunlight}
Sunlight and Felix sat down on the wooden porch of a building in the yard. An attendant brought some refreshments for Sunlight and Felix. After a few minutes of silence Sunlight spoke again.
“I know this is a lot to ask of you, but do you think I was too hard on Refulgence?” {Sunlight}
“…”
“I just think that he did not get better with Firelight, he got worse. So much worse. I wanted to ask you because I know you know more about his situation there than I do. Will he truly become a better person with Firelight?” {Sunlight}
“…”
“No.” {Felix}
“I was afraid of that. Firelight is a good person but” {Sunlight}
Felix grabbed Sunlight’s arms to get his attention and to make him stop talking.
“What is it?” {Sunlight}
“Fire… light… knew.” {Felix}
Felix’s eyes burned with a sad hatred.
“He knew… what?” {Sunlight}
“I… think… Fire… light… talk… him… into… burn… ing… me.” {Felix}
“…”
“What?” {Sunlight}
“You… you cannot mean.” {Sunlight}
Felix just looked up at Sunlight. Sunlight clinched his fists.
“How could he?” {Sunlight}
“I WILL ” {Sunlight}
“Stop.” {Felix}
“But Felix.” {Sunlight}
“No… proof.” {Felix}
“…”
(“You can try to get Refulgence if you want, but I do not think he has the desire to go with you for any reason.”) {Felix}
“I know.” {Sunlight}
“…”
“I do not know if you would want to, but later today there will be a gathering to allow the Cultivators from Tenebrosity and us to get to know each other. Would you like to go?” {Sunlight}
“…”
“Why?” {Felix}
“To tell you the truth, one of the… Elders from Tenebrosity was the one who knew how to heal you.” {Sunlight}
“Go.” {Felix}
“I… will… go.” {Felix}
“That is what I assumed you would want.” {Sunlight}
The light had already started getting dark when the gathering began. Even still most of the Cultivators from Tenebrosity were blindfolds and walked around using their divine sense. The Sacred Light Sect converted a large half indoor and half outdoor training room into what was basically a party room. Tables were set up to have foods from each side. When Sunlight and Felix arrived, the groups were still mostly divided. The Cultivators from Tenebrosity were still mostly inside, while the Cultivators from Luminescence were outside.
As Sunlight and Felix entered some people looked at them but quickly looked away, other than two people. Forest Fire started walking over, after he got close, he noticed Felix, and stopped. He had a look of pure shock on his face. Sunlight ignored Forest Fire’s antics and introduced him to Felix.
“Felix, this is Forest Fire. He was to one responsible for the medicine used to heal you.” {Sunlight}
“Thank…you.” {Felix}
Forest Fire straightened up and spoke with sincerity.
“If you really want you thank me, then you can kill me in the future.” {Forest Fire, with a smile}
Everyone went silent as they heard that. The Cultivators from Tenebrosity quickly recovered when they realized that Forest Fire was the one who said it. The other waited to hear more.
“What?” {Felix}
Sunlight quickly got between Forest Fire and Felix.
“You are not touching him.” {Sunlight}
Forest Fire started trembling and grabbed himself, a look of almost ecstasy on his face.
“But you do not understand… The pain… The emotion damage… The growth… The rebirth… Everything… Everything about him SCREEMS MY DAO!” {Forest Fire}
“You crazy maniac.” {Sunlight}
“Thank you. But flattery will not get me to stop. We both know that you do not have the Experience with Fire that I have. He would grow perfectly with me.” {Forest Fire}
“I will not ” {Sunlight}
Felix grabbed Sunlight’s arm and Sunlight stopped talking.
“Why… do…” {Felix}
“I want you as my student because you fit my Dao.” {Forest Fire}
“want… me… to… kill…” {Felix}
“Our Daos are about rebirth. A forest fire does more than just kill all the trees but leaves room for more to grow. Life though death on and on. I can see your Dao is more personal, but it does not matter. Rebirth is Rebirth! We live this by having the new kill the old… when it is their time of course. So, what do ya say, would you like to be my student?” {Forest Fire}
“…”
“Felix.” {Sunlight}
“Let… me… think… about… it.” {Felix}
“Great! Great! *Gasp* I need to go prepare some stuff!” {Forest Fire}
“Forest Fire! He said… and he is already gone.” {Sunlight}
“Felix, do you really want to?” {Sunlight}
“…”
(“I would lie if I said that I am not tempted by his offer. I can tell that he is as strong as Firelight. But even more so there is not something about him. Something… He feels the opposite of Firelight.”) {Felix}
“Then?” {Sunlight}
(“I do not know. I just do not know.”) {Felix}
“I understand. Take your time. I am sure if he truly wants what is best for you, he will wait for you to choose.” {Sunlight}
“Thank…you.” {Felix}
“…”
“Felix, go. Have fun. You deserve it.” {Sunlight}
Sunlight and Felix separated. Sunlight stood with the other Elder and Grand Elders there, allowing for the Cultivators from Tenebrosity to meet him or see what he looks like. Felix went around trying to talk to people but kept not being able to join conversations and when he did, he did not have a lot to talk about with them. So just kind of wandered off to a wall to stand away from people. That was until someone came to him.
“Hey, um… I am Dawn. Nice to meet you.” {Dawn}
Felix looked at the girl, he was stunned. Unlike him who chose to come in just what he was wearing earlier in the day, she clearly put time into dressing up for this event. She had on a black with streaks of yellow sleeveless dress robe and had black gloves up to her elbow. This matched with her eyes and hair.
“Name…Felix.” {Felix}
“What is with your voice? Shit. Sorry. I am bad at this.” {Dawn}
“It…fine… You… will… find.” {Felix}
(“Have you learned how to use divine sense to talk yet?”) {Felix}
(“Yes?”) {Dawn}
(“Please just talk normally, if I need to say a lot, I will use my divine sense.”) {Felix}
“Okay.” {Dawn}
(“I was saying that you will find out at some point. The person who I once considered my father burned me, badly.”) {Felix}
“…”
“I am sorry that happened to you.” {Dawn}
“…”
“Thank… you.” {Felix}
“…”
(“So why me?”) {Felix}
“What!?” {Dawn}
Dawn looked away embarrassed.
(“I mean why start talking to me?”) {Felix}
“Oh, that is what you meant. Well, I was you came in with a Grand Elder and Uncle Ash came to talk you. Then you just ended up alone.” {Dawn}
“Ash?” {Felix}
“Oh, I mean Uncle Forest now.” {Dawn}
“…”
They just stood awkwardly.
(“What do you think of Forest Fire?”) {Felix}
“He… Uncle Forest is weird but in a good way. He looks and acts weird but is protective, and he is painfully honest.” {Dawn}
“Hon…est?” {Felix}
“Yeah. Father would always have him come over to watch over me when he had to leave. I got my first period and he freaked out and did not know what to do. He brought over everyone thinking I was dying. He got beat up for it but he was still smiling as it happened.” {Dawn}
(“What is a ‘period’?”) {Felix}
“Well, its um, forget I said anything.” {Dawn}
“…”
(“Is there anything you want to talk about?”) {Felix}
“…”
“What?” {Felix}
“I think there is medicine to fix your voice. Why don’t you use it?” {Dawn}
“I……um” {Felix}
“I, um, if you don’t want to talk about it you don’t have to!” {Dawn}
(“I want to keep it like it as a reminder. I… think I might if I could ever get a higher Cultivation than him.”) {Felix}
“So cool.” {Dawn, whispering to herself}
(“What was that?”) {Felix}
“Nothing!” {Dawn}
“…”
(“So, uh, what do you like to do?”) {Felix}
“I, um. I like to train. But um. I also like books.” {Dawn}
(“What kinds of books?”) {Felix}
Felix and Dawn happily talked until Forest Fire kicked down the door to the room carrying several bags. Everyone looked at him, saw that it was him, and went back to what they were doing before. Forest Fire saw Dawn and Felix talking and started walking over.
“I, um, I have to go.” {Dawn}
(“Okay, um. If I become Forest Fire’s student, will we see each other again?”) {Felix}
Dawn became red.
“I! UM! PROBABLY!” {Dawn}
Dawn ran off as Forest Fire came to Felix.
“I do not know what that was about… Nor do I really care. Come young sampling we have many trees to plant in the forest they let me stay in.” {Forest Fire, shaking his bags of seeds}
“What?” {Felix}
“I might have gotten ahead of myself and burnt down the old and dead trees in it. Seriously, no care for forest husbandry.” {Forest Fire}
(“I mean you do not care about me talking with your niece?”) {Felix}
“Niece? You talking about Dawn? Why would that be a bad ” {Forest Fire}
Forest Fire seemed to have a realization as he looked back and forth at Felix and the direction Dawn went. Before he burst out laughing.
“Kid, if anything I am glad Dawn is meeting kids her own age. But if you want to court her, you must ask yourself if she is worth the danger.” {Forest Fire}
(“Even so, I um… do think she is nice.”) {Felix}
“Good, no fear that is what I like to see! Stick with me and you can see her often.” {Forest Fire}
“Greet… ings… teach… her!” {Felix}
“Good! Then let us be off!” {Forest Fire}
(“Um, I forgot to ask but why would Dawn be dangerous?”) {Felix}
“Oh, right, you think she is my niece. No. She is Grand Darkness’s daughter.” {Forest Fire}
Thank you for reading.
