Chapter 24: A decision
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Chapter 24: A decision
Whelp, that explains why he sounded all different when he asked me if I really wanted to ask him anything. Would it have killed him to actually tell me that earlier?
The Soothound growled. It started toward Chance, watching Yamish warily out of the corner of its eye. Chance desperately tried to visualize whatever his insane mentor was talking about, but it was to no avail.
Saliva dripped from the Soothounds maw and sizzled against the ground. It bounded forward, snapping at Chance with jagged fangs. He threw himself out of the way, slashing it across the side with his urumi. The sword whip rang against its fur, sliding off it like metal.
Many monsters develop a natural defense once they grow strong enough. It is a form of body cultivation, Yamish explained from the sideline. Unless you possess a technique, your blade will not hurt this creature.
Chance cursed. He drew on his Essence and sent the golden mist out toward the huge wolf as it turned toward him, but the light fizzled away as soon as it drew near.
It can control its aura too? Chance complained. Seriously? How is this fair?
The Soothound lunged at him and Chance darted behind Yamish, narrowly avoiding a banana sized claw. It snarled, pausing in its charge to see if the cultivator would help Chance.
There is no fair, Yamish said, his head twisting one hundred and eighty degrees to look at Chance. Fair is a delusion. Your karmic debt to me was increased by requesting my teachings. This is paying it off. If you are willing to learn, then you must see.
Chance desperately scraped his brain for anything that might help him do what Yamish was talking about. Meanwhile, the Soothound padded toward them, starting to grow more confident in Yamishs lack of action.
If this is my debt, youre still obligated to teach me, right? Chance asked quickly.
I am.
Can I try to see with my Essence? Or will that hurt me?
Do not infuse your body with Essence unless you wish to cause yourself injury. It must be done in the proper manner. Essence is, however, the path to true sight.
Chance repressed a curse at that particular answer. Yamish was remarkably unhelpful, although he supposed that the man had told him what not to do. That wasnt completely worthless.
The Soothound leapt at Chance, who threw himself forward and rolled underneath the large monster as it flew overhead. He scrambled to his feet and darted back as it spun, dashing after him.
Please, a little help!
The gold mist didnt respond. A claw caught Chance across the side as he dove once more, and red-hot pain seared through his body. He cried out, staggering to his feet as blood gushed from the wound.
It is not fatal, Yamish supplied helpfully.
Chance didnt get a chance to respond. A massive paw slammed into his shoulder and he cried out in pain. He slammed into the ground, the bones in his upper chest cracking under the weight of the enormous creature. His urumi skittered across the ground beside him.
Hot saliva dripped down around him, burning into the cold stone. A victorious growl slipped out of the monsters mouth as rancid breath washed over him. Chance desperately drew on his Essence.
He needed to see. Something told him Yamish wouldnt be helping out any further until he did. If he couldnt push the Essence through his own eyes, hed make a new one. Chance directed the energy to his forehead, forming a mental image and praying to anyone that would listen that it would work.
Thank you.
He barely stopped the snicker from slipping out of his lips. The idea of being thankful an instant before a giant monster wolf that smelled of carrion ripped him to ribbons was amusing, in a morbid way.
Brilliant yellow light erupted from his forehead as a golden eye snapped open on it. Adrenaline pumped through Chances veins, doing its best to repress the damage to his body. Bands of gold light appeared around the Soothound, all of varying thickness.
One, as wide as his forearm, was wrapped around the creatures stomach. There were dozens of others connected to its paws and back like the strings of a puppeteer, stretching off into the distance.
The monster didnt seem to notice them. Its head shot forward to rip Chances throat out, completely unhindered by whatever the strange light was. A fist crashed into the Soothounds snout and the monsters head snapped to the side. Blood sprayed across the ground and it staggered back with a whimper.
A pill fell from above Chance. It hit his mouth and a cool rush of energy flooded through his body, repairing the damage to his chest with a dozen loud cracks. He drew a ragged gasp and scrambled upright.
Yamish stared at him.
I feel like that falls under our previous agreement, Chance pointed out.
You will learn to recognize the source as you cultivate. And no, it is not because of death. Death is a natural part of life, and killing something will not establish karma on its own. Every living being has a right to defend itself. The karmic bond you released was to a Soothound that was hunting together with this one. Yamish nodded to the corpse. This one killed it in order to get more food, thus creating debt.
So it was because it killed something, but more because of the reason why it killed rather than the actual killing?
Yes.
I see.
Chance looked down at himself, searching for his own lines of karmic debt. To his surprise, he couldnt see anything. He craned his neck to check if they were hidden on his back, but he looked normal to his newly enhanced sight.
Where are my lines?
It takes a great level of enlightenment to see your own karmic debt, Yamish said with a laugh. Perhaps you will reach it, perhaps not.
I guess that makes sense. What about you? I cant see your lines either.
And once I can see yours, Ill figure out how to defend myself from you. I havent forgotten your first little warning, Yamish. You want something from me. I just dont know what, and Im not going to get blindsided.
I have hidden mine, Yamish replied. Once you are strong enough, you would be wise to do the same. Our Karma is both our greatest strength and our greatest weakness.
Chance nodded, filing the information away. Thank you. I appreciate your help, so Ill just be on my way, if youd send me back
There is one more thing, Yamish said. He raised a long finger, pointing at Chance. You have karmic debt.
I know. With the Old City.
Not just the Old City, Yamish said. The two mortals you spend time with. You have a karmic connection with both of them.
I mean, isnt that natural? Theyre my teammates. They help me. I help them. Thats how things work.
Karma cultivators must have no debt. You must be pure, Yamish said.
Chances eyes narrowed. That means you never do net positive for someone? Everything good has to be tempered with something, what, bad?
That is a primitive way to look at it.
But not wrong?
Not wrong.
Then I refuse, Chance said, crossing his arms. Im going to help people, not hurt them.
You will inhibit yourself.
I guess well just have to walk different paths, then, Chance said, setting his jaw. I promised myself that Id make a positive difference, and thats what Im going to do, rules be damned. If the universe has a problem with me wanting to help, then it can take it up with me directly.
Yamishs lips pressed thin. He pulled a thin blade from his robes and cut into the dead Soothound, removing a small chunk of meat. The cultivator held it out to Chance, blood still dripping from it. Grimacing, Chance took it and swallowed, trying to chew as little as possible to minimize the time it was in contact with his tastebuds.
Heat seared through his chest, bands of molten agony wrapping around his heart and spreading through his veins.
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Chapter 24: A decision
Whelp, that explains why he sounded all different when he asked me if I really wanted to ask him anything. Would it have killed him to actually tell me that earlier?
The Soothound growled. It started toward Chance, watching Yamish warily out of the corner of its eye. Chance desperately tried to visualize whatever his insane mentor was talking about, but it was to no avail.
Saliva dripped from the Soothounds maw and sizzled against the ground. It bounded forward, snapping at Chance with jagged fangs. He threw himself out of the way, slashing it across the side with his urumi. The sword whip rang against its fur, sliding off it like metal.
Many monsters develop a natural defense once they grow strong enough. It is a form of body cultivation, Yamish explained from the sideline. Unless you possess a technique, your blade will not hurt this creature.
Chance cursed. He drew on his Essence and sent the golden mist out toward the huge wolf as it turned toward him, but the light fizzled away as soon as it drew near.
It can control its aura too? Chance complained. Seriously? How is this fair?
The Soothound lunged at him and Chance darted behind Yamish, narrowly avoiding a banana sized claw. It snarled, pausing in its charge to see if the cultivator would help Chance.
There is no fair, Yamish said, his head twisting one hundred and eighty degrees to look at Chance. Fair is a delusion. Your karmic debt to me was increased by requesting my teachings. This is paying it off. If you are willing to learn, then you must see.
Chance desperately scraped his brain for anything that might help him do what Yamish was talking about. Meanwhile, the Soothound padded toward them, starting to grow more confident in Yamishs lack of action.
If this is my debt, youre still obligated to teach me, right? Chance asked quickly.
I am.
Can I try to see with my Essence? Or will that hurt me?
Do not infuse your body with Essence unless you wish to cause yourself injury. It must be done in the proper manner. Essence is, however, the path to true sight.
Chance repressed a curse at that particular answer. Yamish was remarkably unhelpful, although he supposed that the man had told him what not to do. That wasnt completely worthless.
The Soothound leapt at Chance, who threw himself forward and rolled underneath the large monster as it flew overhead. He scrambled to his feet and darted back as it spun, dashing after him.
Please, a little help!
The gold mist didnt respond. A claw caught Chance across the side as he dove once more, and red-hot pain seared through his body. He cried out, staggering to his feet as blood gushed from the wound.
It is not fatal, Yamish supplied helpfully.
Chance didnt get a chance to respond. A massive paw slammed into his shoulder and he cried out in pain. He slammed into the ground, the bones in his upper chest cracking under the weight of the enormous creature. His urumi skittered across the ground beside him.
Hot saliva dripped down around him, burning into the cold stone. A victorious growl slipped out of the monsters mouth as rancid breath washed over him. Chance desperately drew on his Essence.
He needed to see. Something told him Yamish wouldnt be helping out any further until he did. If he couldnt push the Essence through his own eyes, hed make a new one. Chance directed the energy to his forehead, forming a mental image and praying to anyone that would listen that it would work.
Thank you.
He barely stopped the snicker from slipping out of his lips. The idea of being thankful an instant before a giant monster wolf that smelled of carrion ripped him to ribbons was amusing, in a morbid way.
Brilliant yellow light erupted from his forehead as a golden eye snapped open on it. Adrenaline pumped through Chances veins, doing its best to repress the damage to his body. Bands of gold light appeared around the Soothound, all of varying thickness.
One, as wide as his forearm, was wrapped around the creatures stomach. There were dozens of others connected to its paws and back like the strings of a puppeteer, stretching off into the distance.
The monster didnt seem to notice them. Its head shot forward to rip Chances throat out, completely unhindered by whatever the strange light was. A fist crashed into the Soothounds snout and the monsters head snapped to the side. Blood sprayed across the ground and it staggered back with a whimper.
A pill fell from above Chance. It hit his mouth and a cool rush of energy flooded through his body, repairing the damage to his chest with a dozen loud cracks. He drew a ragged gasp and scrambled upright.
Yamish stared at him.
I feel like that falls under our previous agreement, Chance pointed out.
You will learn to recognize the source as you cultivate. And no, it is not because of death. Death is a natural part of life, and killing something will not establish karma on its own. Every living being has a right to defend itself. The karmic bond you released was to a Soothound that was hunting together with this one. Yamish nodded to the corpse. This one killed it in order to get more food, thus creating debt.
So it was because it killed something, but more because of the reason why it killed rather than the actual killing?
Yes.
I see.
Chance looked down at himself, searching for his own lines of karmic debt. To his surprise, he couldnt see anything. He craned his neck to check if they were hidden on his back, but he looked normal to his newly enhanced sight.
Where are my lines?
It takes a great level of enlightenment to see your own karmic debt, Yamish said with a laugh. Perhaps you will reach it, perhaps not.
I guess that makes sense. What about you? I cant see your lines either.
And once I can see yours, Ill figure out how to defend myself from you. I havent forgotten your first little warning, Yamish. You want something from me. I just dont know what, and Im not going to get blindsided.
I have hidden mine, Yamish replied. Once you are strong enough, you would be wise to do the same. Our Karma is both our greatest strength and our greatest weakness.
Chance nodded, filing the information away. Thank you. I appreciate your help, so Ill just be on my way, if youd send me back
There is one more thing, Yamish said. He raised a long finger, pointing at Chance. You have karmic debt.
I know. With the Old City.
Not just the Old City, Yamish said. The two mortals you spend time with. You have a karmic connection with both of them.
I mean, isnt that natural? Theyre my teammates. They help me. I help them. Thats how things work.
Karma cultivators must have no debt. You must be pure, Yamish said.
Chances eyes narrowed. That means you never do net positive for someone? Everything good has to be tempered with something, what, bad?
That is a primitive way to look at it.
But not wrong?
Not wrong.
Then I refuse, Chance said, crossing his arms. Im going to help people, not hurt them.
You will inhibit yourself.
I guess well just have to walk different paths, then, Chance said, setting his jaw. I promised myself that Id make a positive difference, and thats what Im going to do, rules be damned. If the universe has a problem with me wanting to help, then it can take it up with me directly.
Yamishs lips pressed thin. He pulled a thin blade from his robes and cut into the dead Soothound, removing a small chunk of meat. The cultivator held it out to Chance, blood still dripping from it. Grimacing, Chance took it and swallowed, trying to chew as little as possible to minimize the time it was in contact with his tastebuds.
Heat seared through his chest, bands of molten agony wrapping around his heart and spreading through his veins.
Chapter 24: A decisionWhelp, that explains why he sounded all different when he asked me if I really wanted to ask him anything. Would it have killed him to actually tell me that earlier?The Soothound growled. It started toward Chance, watching Yamish warily out of the corner of its eye. Chance desperately tried to visualize whatever his insane mentor was talking about, but it was to no avail.Saliva dripped from the Soothounds maw and sizzled against the ground. It bounded forward, snapping at Chance with jagged fangs. He threw himself out of the way, slashing it across the side with his urumi. The sword whip rang against its fur, sliding off it like metal.Many monsters develop a natural defense once they grow strong enough. It is a form of body cultivation, Yamish explained from the sideline. Unless you possess a technique, your blade will not hurt this creature.Chance cursed. He drew on his Essence and sent the golden mist out toward the huge wolf as it turned toward him, but the light fizzled away as soon as it drew near.It can control its aura too? Chance complained. Seriously? How is this fair?The Soothound lunged at him and Chance darted behind Yamish, narrowly avoiding a banana sized claw. It snarled, pausing in its charge to see if the cultivator would help Chance.There is no fair, Yamish said, his head twisting one hundred and eighty degrees to look at Chance. Fair is a delusion. Your karmic debt to me was increased by requesting my teachings. This is paying it off. If you are willing to learn, then you must see.Chance desperately scraped his brain for anything that might help him do what Yamish was talking about. Meanwhile, the Soothound padded toward them, starting to grow more confident in Yamishs lack of action.If this is my debt, youre still obligated to teach me, right? Chance asked quickly.I am.Can I try to see with my Essence? Or will that hurt me?Do not infuse your body with Essence unless you wish to cause yourself injury. It must be done in the proper manner. Essence is, however, the path to true sight.Chance repressed a curse at that particular answer. Yamish was remarkably unhelpful, although he supposed that the man had told him what not to do. That wasnt completely worthless.The Soothound leapt at Chance, who threw himself forward and rolled underneath the large monster as it flew overhead. He scrambled to his feet and darted back as it spun, dashing after him.Please, a little help! The gold mist didnt respond. A claw caught Chance across the side as he dove once more, and red-hot pain seared through his body. He cried out, staggering to his feet as blood gushed from the wound.It is not fatal, Yamish supplied helpfully.Chance didnt get a chance to respond. A massive paw slammed into his shoulder and he cried out in pain. He slammed into the ground, the bones in his upper chest cracking under the weight of the enormous creature. His urumi skittered across the ground beside him.Hot saliva dripped down around him, burning into the cold stone. A victorious growl slipped out of the monsters mouth as rancid breath washed over him. Chance desperately drew on his Essence.He needed to see. Something told him Yamish wouldnt be helping out any further until he did. If he couldnt push the Essence through his own eyes, hed make a new one. Chance directed the energy to his forehead, forming a mental image and praying to anyone that would listen that it would work.Thank you.He barely stopped the snicker from slipping out of his lips. The idea of being thankful an instant before a giant monster wolf that smelled of carrion ripped him to ribbons was amusing, in a morbid way.Brilliant yellow light erupted from his forehead as a golden eye snapped open on it. Adrenaline pumped through Chances veins, doing its best to repress the damage to his body. Bands of gold light appeared around the Soothound, all of varying thickness.One, as wide as his forearm, was wrapped around the creatures stomach. There were dozens of others connected to its paws and back like the strings of a puppeteer, stretching off into the distance.The monster didnt seem to notice them. Its head shot forward to rip Chances throat out, completely unhindered by whatever the strange light was. A fist crashed into the Soothounds snout and the monsters head snapped to the side. Blood sprayed across the ground and it staggered back with a whimper.A pill fell from above Chance. It hit his mouth and a cool rush of energy flooded through his body, repairing the damage to his chest with a dozen loud cracks. He drew a ragged gasp and scrambled upright.Yamish stared at him.I feel like that falls under our previous agreement, Chance pointed out.You will learn to recognize the source as you cultivate. And no, it is not because of death. Death is a natural part of life, and killing something will not establish karma on its own. Every living being has a right to defend itself. The karmic bond you released was to a Soothound that was hunting together with this one. Yamish nodded to the corpse. This one killed it in order to get more food, thus creating debt.So it was because it killed something, but more because of the reason why it killed rather than the actual killing?Yes.I see.Chance looked down at himself, searching for his own lines of karmic debt. To his surprise, he couldnt see anything. He craned his neck to check if they were hidden on his back, but he looked normal to his newly enhanced sight.Where are my lines?It takes a great level of enlightenment to see your own karmic debt, Yamish said with a laugh. Perhaps you will reach it, perhaps not.I guess that makes sense. What about you? I cant see your lines either.And once I can see yours, Ill figure out how to defend myself from you. I havent forgotten your first little warning, Yamish. You want something from me. I just dont know what, and Im not going to get blindsided. I have hidden mine, Yamish replied. Once you are strong enough, you would be wise to do the same. Our Karma is both our greatest strength and our greatest weakness.Chance nodded, filing the information away. Thank you. I appreciate your help, so Ill just be on my way, if youd send me backThere is one more thing, Yamish said. He raised a long finger, pointing at Chance. You have karmic debt.I know. With the Old City.Not just the Old City, Yamish said. The two mortals you spend time with. You have a karmic connection with both of them.I mean, isnt that natural? Theyre my teammates. They help me. I help them. Thats how things work.Karma cultivators must have no debt. You must be pure, Yamish said.Chances eyes narrowed. That means you never do net positive for someone? Everything good has to be tempered with something, what, bad?That is a primitive way to look at it.But not wrong?Not wrong.Then I refuse, Chance said, crossing his arms. Im going to help people, not hurt them.You will inhibit yourself.I guess well just have to walk different paths, then, Chance said, setting his jaw. I promised myself that Id make a positive difference, and thats what Im going to do, rules be damned. If the universe has a problem with me wanting to help, then it can take it up with me directly.Yamishs lips pressed thin. He pulled a thin blade from his robes and cut into the dead Soothound, removing a small chunk of meat. The cultivator held it out to Chance, blood still dripping from it. Grimacing, Chance took it and swallowed, trying to chew as little as possible to minimize the time it was in contact with his tastebuds.Heat seared through his chest, bands of molten agony wrapping around his heart and spreading through his veins.
