Manaborn, page 15
“I wanted to touch base and see if the technique I taught you is helping,” I replied calmly and created several more tendrils. They all slithered around her, probing at the shield she gathered around her body. “Besides, you love talking so much, I thought I’d try a different method of getting your attention.”
“I don’t mind talking. It’s just, I don’t always know what to say,” she said, reaching up to pull a flyaway hair behind her ear, then smiled. “How am I doing?”
She was proud of her accomplishment, that much I was sure of, but absorbing mana wasn’t everything. Especially when it came to fighting. A fighter’s ability to beat their opponent wasn’t always based on their stage or the size of the mana pool. Sometimes it came down to experience and creativity.
“I think you’re roughly a third stronger than you were when we met. You can create a shield that covers your whole body, but it’s far too weak to withstand more than a single blow. With the bare fist.”
She shrugged and once again stared off into the distance. The rate at which she gathered it was quite impressive, so there was a chance she could progress to the next realm within several months. Maybe even sooner, with the right tutelage and resources.
“Doesn’t matter,” she said, dismissively. “I’ll just keep pulling it in and it will get stronger. Maybe it will defend against two attacks, and then even more. I’ve lived in far worse conditions and survived that without mana. Why should I worry about it with you around?”
“That’s quite the reply,” I chuckled, “What is mana to you?”
She sat quietly for a moment, either stumped or taken off guard by the question.
“It is...energy?”
“Yes and no,” I said, pulling a folded parchment out of a cubby in my pendant. “Mana is life, in a way. It is energy and power, but it is also potential. Where so many cultivators fail is in how they view it. If they think of it as something trivial and limited, then that is what it becomes to them. But for those that allow their creativity to blossom, mana can become so many things. Have you ever heard the term mana lacing or mana winding?”
She shook her head, leaning out of her pose to better listen.
“When a cultivator uses mana, he or she can simply infuse it with their will and push it forth. That is what simple cultivation allows. Yet it is inefficient and if you ask me, not very creative. But the masters, they learn to view mana not as an invisible, shapeless thing, but as a thread of pure potential. They then develop the ability to lace mana together, weaving it into increasingly complex forms and shapes. Depending on the structure, and what your intent is, that mana then takes on a completely different form.”
“How do I learn to do that?” Eilin asked.
“Here, take this.” I handed her the piece of parchment.
“What is it?” she asked, unfolding the parchment and studying it. “Is it a—.”
“It is a single set of three moves for your sword-whip. I created it a long time ago for one of my concubines, but she never managed to master them before she… died.”
Eilin nodded and bowed her head. She stayed like that for several long moments.
“Thank you, master. I will practice them every day. What is it called?”
“Coiling Blossom. You can give it your own name if you desire.”
She shook her head quickly and stared down at the text and images I hastily scribbled.
“The name is fine. But tell me, how will this help me see the mana?”
“Once you absorb the mana and let it flow into your pool, it becomes a part of you. An extension, if you will. The more attuned you are to your own body, the better you will feel and control that usable piece. Much in the same way meditation allows you to feel and absorb it. Exercise your body and your grasp of mana will improve.”
She spun around onto her hands and knees and dropped her forehead onto the ground, bowing in the way pilgrims did at the holy shrines. I hooked her under the arms and promptly picked her back up.
“Please. You don’t need to bow to me. I want nothing more than your thanks.”
“You have it and so much more,” she said, as tears formed in both eyes. I struggled at that moment, wondering just how badly her family had treated her. I was suddenly overcome with a moment of inspiration.
“Would you like to go out and hunt some beasts?” I asked. “I can also show you many different ways of using mana.”
“I’ll get to hunt them myself?”
“You will if you join us. But only under supervision and in coordination with Mantis and his people.”
“Doing what now?” Ceres asked, sleepily from the doorway. She stood stark naked, only the flowing curtains enveloping her body.
“Good morning,” I replied and walked over, then wrapped my arms around her and planted my lips on hers. My grasp slid from her shoulders down to her shapely ass. “We’re going out to hunt some beasts. Eilin will be joining us.”
“Oh? Who is going?”
“The three of us, Mantis, and Fazan, I would wager. Perhaps we can take several more of his men along to take care of the butchering and carrying.”
“What about your girl?”
I laughed, catching her meaning.
“Miria? She came by a little bit ago. Told me she gathered those rare and necessary items we needed, and then some.”
“What’s the extra?”
I snuggled in close and nibbled on Ceres’ neck before responding.
“She’s taking me to the provincial lord’s celebration. Tonight, when we get back.”
“You? Alone?”
“Yes, why? Are you worried about what I might do without you?”
“I’m not worried about you falling on top of her if that’s what you mean. But yes. I’m worried about you killing someone. Your temper worries me.”
“Oh, I know. But don’t fear. After the play last night, my focus is a razor’s edge,” I whispered and squeezed her rear hard. “You stay here, and I’ll tell you all about it. Oh, and by the way, has your ass become firmer?”
Ceres giggled and pushed off only to disappear into the room and then the bathtub.
“Want to join me?” she called.
“We’ll need one when we’re back,” I replied, eager to get going.
“Does that mean we’ll be leaving soon?” Eilin asked, standing behind me.
“Go order us some food and drinks downstairs. We’ll be right behind you,” I replied and followed Ceres inside to get dressed.
A short while later, we arrived to a pot of hot tea and some cookies. They were something special, that much was obvious even to the naked eye, but I could sense a trickle of mana lingering inside them.
“Who made the cookies?” I asked as Eilin jammed one into her mouth before sipping her tea. Her eyes flitted over as a man approached.
I turned, watching him walk towards us from the kitchen. He was middle-aged, short and thin, with long dark hair tied into a top knot. His eyes sparkled with a pearl of wisdom and vigor at odds with his youthful appearance.
“I’m here to pay my respect to Miria’s friends. She always rents the whole place out when in town, so it’s only proper to extend my greeting to her companions as well.”
“I do not disagree,” I said, bowing. Ceres and Eilin followed my lead as the man nodded his head respectfully.
“I appreciate the kind gesture. My name is Aiden, and these are Ceres and Eilin. My traveling companions.”
“Tsang,” the man replied. “Tsang Mua.”
“The owner of this place?” Ceres asked curiously. “I’ve heard that you’re a master chef, a craftsman with both youth and unrivaled skill on his side. And that you only cook on special occasions. And for special people.”
“Just like this morning, I think. And I’m not so young, it’s just that I’ve been eating healthy if you know what I mean. I’m over forty years old but have had many mistakenly believe me half that age.”
“Suspiciously so. How did you know we’d be up so early if I might ask?”
He shrugged and nodded to the main door.
“I saw Miria on her way out. She told me you’d be down soon. It is as simple as that.”
“Right,” I said. “Will you join us?” I asked and pulled out a chair for Ceres and helped her sit before I took up a place beside her.
“Thank you but I’m busy with preparing the food for tonight’s feast. Feel free to use the storage room whenever you need it, though. We had it remodeled overnight so it might…meet your needs.”
“Thank you, Tsang,” I replied and nodded again respectfully.
He retreated into the kitchen, leaving us to enjoy our breakfast. I stared at the full tray of cookies for a moment, before picking one up, considering it, and then took a small bite.
“What is it?” Ceres asked, “They’re just cookies.”
“Not just cookies,” I said, chewing thoughtfully. “He infused every single ingredient with mana before he made these. That is mastery.”
“I’ve heard about them, but I never dreamt of actually meeting one,” Eilin said, startling us both. She had a knack for almost sliding into the background and disappearing, only to pop back in at random times during a conversation.
“Heard about what?” I asked as I sniffed the cookie. There was no way in hell I’d just chomp down on it, no, I wanted to know more about it first, to appreciate the man’s artistry.
“It is just a cookie,” Ceres droned.
“So much more,” I argued.
“They are master chefs that know how to cook with mana. The Emperor has an army of them, and the provincial lords one or two each. That is all I know,” Eilin said, distantly, “So wonderful.”
“Self-taught, I would think,” I said, thinking out loud. “He must have studied under a chef to learn the basics, but then figured out the mana portion on his own. I mean, the recipe seems simple enough, but the idea of infusing the ingredients is genius.”
“Oh, he’s quite good, trust me,” Eilin added.
I took another small bite and put the cookie down. “How do you know?”
“Because I can do what he does. Just not to this level,” she said, turning a cookie over in her hand. “Most of the mana escapes when I cook, but I’m stronger now. I think with more control I will have better luck infusing the ingredients. Can I cook for us? Out in the forest? Today?”
“I’d like that,” I replied honestly. It genuinely warmed me inside to see Eilin connect to a passion. Just so long as that passion didn’t involve poisoning me. Or Ceres.
I bit down on the cookie, taking my first sizable bite, and felt a wave of mana wash up inside me. It wasn’t strong enough that it made me dizzy, but it was like a kick in the teeth. If that was a pleasant thing. I could feel my mana pool regenerate, even though it was pretty much full.
“What kind of effects can the food—I don’t even know what to call it. Cause? Give? Add?” I asked. If we could use this to our advantage, then we’d have another ace up our sleeves when the time came to fight.
“Higher mana regeneration, better absorption, heightened sensory perception. Nothing too special, but every one of the effects is valuable in its own small way,” Eilin replied.
“I can only imagine,” I muttered and then ate two of the cookies quickly, only to have them catch in my throat. I coughed and spluttered, slurping down several large drinks of tea. I managed to swallow, then coughed again.
“Hey, take it easy,” Eilin hissed. “Don’t disrespect his craft like that!”
“I’m choking!” I muttered and glared at her. “When did people start doing this anyway? We didn’t cook with mana in my time.”
She shrugged and looked away.
“It’s from the far west, I heard. The Emperor was gifted a pair of cooks from a foreign land. He liked their cooking so much he had them teach others. That is how it started, at least. It’s awfully expensive, though, so not many people can afford it.”
“And now I have a personal cook,” I said and leaned forward, when Eilin didn’t catch on, I looked right at her. “Fancy a change of careers, Eilin? I want you to study this craft with all your focus. I’ll pay Tsang to help you if you’re willing to learn.”
Eilin nodded slowly but drifted off again. When she spoke again, her voice was quiet.
“Will you allow me to keep cultivating? I want to become strong, as a warrior, not just a cook.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. How do you feel about an equal share of the spoils? The same as Ceres. Would that be enough?”
Ceres coughed and looked up from her cookie. She appeared ready to argue, but then decided against it and turned to her tea. I caught her throwing Eilin several sideways glances after that.
“I’ll tell you what. You two finish up here. I’ll be in the storage room. Join me when you’re done,” I said, grabbed two more of the cookies, and then jumped up from the table.
Chapter Sixteen
Miria really delivered, there was no doubt about it. The storage room was roughly fifteen paces wide and ten deep. A perfect space had been picked out for the portable forge along with a chimney, bellows, and all the tongues and smithing tools I’d need. I had no idea how she’d managed to do it all overnight, but it only meant one thing: she was onboard.
I inhaled, taking in the scent of freshly-forged tools, straw, and wood. It immediately brought back so many memories of my old workshop in the sky palace. Supplies sat in crates, stacked neatly in the center of the space, but after looking at the space from several angles, I decided that the storage wasn’t fit for anything but the most basic of crafts. I could use the cauldron, maybe set up a workbench for alchemy to make pills, powders, and elixirs. Maybe, eventually to grind bones, but that was about it. It was too cramped for smelting and smithing. Making armor or weapons of good quality required space to work, air, fresh air.
“Are you happy?” Ceres asked, stopping in the doorway and blocking most of the light. I smiled but knew she’d see through it. There were simply too many things to remind me of everything I’d lost and no way to effectively block it all out.
“It’s good for some of our needs. Though I have to be honest, we’ll need a better space for smithing. We need space and fresh air. I’d like to see this spot to the south first, maybe we can build something over there? What do you think?”
She frowned and I knew why. She didn’t want to leave the safety of the city behind.
“About what?” Eilin asked as she appeared behind Ceres.
“About living in the wild.”
“Oh? I don’t mind. I’ve been living out in the open for the last few years, so it’s all the same to me.”
“But it isn’t for me!” Ceres protested. “I didn’t work so hard to end up in the damn wilderness!”
Ceres looked ready to either fight or start crying, but she managed to hold it together. I turned and put my arms around her.
“No one said you have to. You can stay here, and I will pay for you to stay in comfortable rooms.”
“A life without you?” she muttered and looked away. “I don’t want to live without you, Aiden. You might not remember me, but I have a history with you...or Harlan. How can I just give that up?”
“What are you—?”
“Nothing,” I replied quickly, cutting Eilin off. “Why don’t we check the place out and hunt some monsters? No one said we need to move tonight, or tomorrow, or even in a year. I just said it was a move that would open up possibilities. Craft wise.”
“Hey, Aiden? Come here. Look at this,” Eilin asked, pointed somewhere off to the right.
I rushed out, almost knocking Eilin over in the process, but caught her before she could fall. It was Roach. The young man sprinted towards us, clearly winded. He reached us and sagged against his knees, sucking air by the mouthful.
“Roach, what is it?” Ceres asked, clearly worried.
“Men...armed men. Headed for...Mantis’ place,” he finally managed.
I pushed around him and shielded my eyes from the sun, searching the south. Sure enough, a delegation of…what appeared to be Martials, were making their way toward the southern gate. They stopped there, standing proud like peacocks, holding their heads high with weapons in hand.
Yes, it was stupid, but I ran towards them. After all, I wasn’t going to see the one worthwhile ally I had managed to get my hands on imprisoned, or worse, killed.
“Call your master out!” one of the younger men yelled, while perched atop a black stallion. “I want to see that swine’s ass right now! And tell him to bring that newcomer out here, the one he took under his wing! He cost me an arm and a leg by taking my mounts!”
The horse's flanks were wide and strong as was the armor flamboyant and over the top. He was the last man I thought I’d see trying to stir up some shit after the humiliation I forced on him during our escape. It was none other than Monar Yarnel, the heir to the Yarnel family. The same little shit I’d knocked off his horse.
Deciding that he was due another lesson, I ran in between the horses and kicked his stallion’s flank. The horse immediately reared up, catching the young man off guard and tossing him from the saddle. Monar fell on his ass and barely escaped a kick to the teeth as the stallion whinnied and bucked.
Several guards rallied around Monar while the others went for me, drawing their weapons and moving in aggressively. Sure, I’d just humiliated the little brat, and they could probably have reasoned that my actions could have killed him, but sometimes accidents happened. I wasn’t going to let anyone harm me, or those I’d taken in, since my rebirth.
“Horses, they can be such jittery beasts, sometimes,” I said, “Maybe your master should keep a firmer grip on the reins.” The guards didn’t look amused.
Eilin’s sword whip extended, and she slashed hard, deflecting two blows that cut in for my left flank. Ceres, as fearsome as a lunging tiger, sprang into action and fenced off three more with well-placed parries. That left me with two behind and four in front of me. I waited for them to close the distance, then counted the moments until they lunged, hard. I shadow stepped, which my body wasn’t fully prepared for, and just managed to grab the two spear shafts, then pulled hard and sent the guards stumbling past me. Unfortunately, one of the stumbling men gutted another guard coming in from the rear. While the second man fell and nearly impaled himself. Neither was my fault, as they weren’t utilizing proper and safe weapon manipulation.
