While walking to the top of the mountain, going past caves, Lia tried to look into them, but their insides were all leading deeper into darkness, masking their contents from prying eyes. She was tempted to use her soul to probe, but she also knew it would be taken as provocation.
When they were nearing the top, a man appeared from one of the holes, wearing a similar yellow robe, standing in their way. Even though he was clearly a man, his facial features and ponytail gave him a somewhat feminine aura with a surprisingly thin waistline.
"Qima," Shila said coldly, stopping dead in her tracks, and by just looking at her back, Lia could see she was preparing to battle.
"What are you doing, bringing outsiders this high up the mountain? Not to mention… walking? Are you strutting around, letting them watch your bottom sway?"
"They are not outsiders." She replied without faltering, "They are envoys from Supreme Elder Kyaranin's faction.
That simple answer quickly made Qima's eyes twitch, looking at the trio, and his penetrating, questioning gaze was met with Erias's mocking laughter.
"Sorry, Grand Elder Qima, for taking the time to introduce ourselves. You see… I am a man who likes taking things slowly and experiencing the world as it is. With my own eyes, my own feet, and my own senses!"
"We are no longer bound by our flesh and its weaknesses." He retorted immediately, but Erias didn't flinch. Instead, he stepped forward and started pressuring both Qima and Shila with his aura. It was what finally made the former's expression harden, realizing that a supposed 'elder' was on par with his strength.
"No, we are not… but that does not mean we ought to forgo its teachings at once…"
"The flesh has no teachings to speak of! It is weak, fragile, and finite... a mortal being of all else! It decays and rots away!" He repeated his stance, keeping a defiant and strong front, unwilling to cede to an outsider… especially in Shila's presence.
"I see." Erias nodded, then turned towards Shila with a friendly smile. "Can we proceed?"
"Of course."
Her reply was filled with pride and the mocking laughter of winning them over Qima. In her eyes, it was clear that the group was displeased with her rival's stance, making Shila think about rising to the Supreme Elder rank very soon. When they passed by the furious Grand Elder, it was Lia who had a sudden idea, stopping and turning towards the man.
"I didn't know we have Grand Elders who think they know it better than the Sect Master."
At that comment, everyone stopped, and Somia could see multiple eyes and senses looking and locking onto them. She wanted to say something or pull Lia away, but Erias only grinned, his body language encouraging her to continue.
"Who are you, again?" Qima looked at her with disgust and as if he was speaking to a bug.
"A nobody." She shrugged, but she showed no fear or idea of backing down.
"Exactly… so shut your trap and be happy I am courteous enough to not punish you…"
"See?" Lia giggled, looking towards Erias, "He really thinks he is better than the Sect Master! For one, he says flesh is useless… yet our Sect Master still has his body. Then… he says he could punish me as if he was my master! What a weird Grand Elder…"
"True…" Erias spoke up, licking his lip before Qima had a chance to say his piece. "In the end, it is the Sect Master who decides who gets to be part of his twelve, most trusted subordinates… Anyway!" He clapped, turning fully towards Shila, showing his back to Qima without any fear. "Let's go!"
"With pleasure." She replied, leading them on, disappearing into one of the caves.
…
….
……
"What should we do now?" Lia asked as the three sat on their knees in a side room.
"We wait," Erias replied, sighing as it was something he did not expect.
Shila's room was anything but what Lia would call a 'room.' It was just a simple cave with a complex formation in the middle where she could sit and meditate… and that was it. She had to realize that, as a soul, there was not much else they required. No sleep, no need to eat, but also they forgo all things that had any stimuli for their senses. What remained for them was nothing but cultivation. Getting stronger and refining their souls. Nothing else mattered.
Right now, they were in a 'guest' room where they could meditate just the same until Shila contacted all her supporters or those who had not taken a side yet. Erias easily convinced her that she was the right one for the position to be nominated to the rank of Supreme Elder; she just needed to establish order in her line to show talent and strength. While she did that, they were to remain here and… meditate. Make contact with their own side, telling Kyaranin that she will be a loyal ally later on. Of course… that part would never happen.
"I am already bored…" Lia moaned in her head, looking like a kid in detention.
"Welcome to my life." Erias joked cheerfully. "You can't imagine how it was for me at the beginning! This place is totally deprived of any usual impulses. After a hundred years, I really, REALLY missed simple things… like going to sleep. Eating a good meal! Having a partner to hug and snuggle up to! Or just… you know, laying down in a chair, looking at the setting sun and smoking some quality leaf, thinking about nothing. Damn it… I still miss that... Even the feeling when you have a full bladder, and you can finally relieve yourself!"
"Agreed! Totally!" Lia nodded rapidly, almost losing her head, before hearing Sonia's monotone comment on it.
"Useless nonsense. None of that serves any purpose."
"That is the point!" The two Amarin argued back immediately, and Somia had no answer, so she just rolled her eyes a little.
"You would make a good Undead," Lia added, scanning her face for any real emotion but couldn't get a read on her.
"I know. I just disagree with their goal. They are collecting souls to heal their Master while hoping for some crumbs and benefits. It is nonsensical and wrong. They are just brainwashed by the promise of immortality."
"Speaking of that!" Lia stopped her from continuing, feeling as if she was being lectured by the Academy's System… which was true in a way. "How did you know how the Supreme Elder's choosing is being held?"
"I didn't." Her ancestor replied straightforwardly, "Nor do I have to! It is clear that they don't know it either, and I bet it's their Sect Master who appoints the person! I just need to lie and do it well; everything will work out! For now, we wait. Our presence alone should have lit the fuse under the Qima and his faction. They will blow sooner or later!"
"That is why you let me talk to him like that?"
"Exactly!" He winked at her, "He is right; we are 'outsiders,' and if he wants to show his worth as a Supreme Elder, he now only has one option left! Show his personal strength! They will have to take an action against Shila."
"Against us? Won't our cover be blown if we start using our strength? We are not fighting with their miasma…"
"It's the manifestation of their will, transforming part of their souls," Somia explained, but seeing how Lia was uninterested in it, she stopped and changed the topic. "We won't be attacked. We are still part of another faction whose leader is still present. So they won't touch us… What we need to do when the chaos explodes is to find a way deeper! Hopefully, the fire here can spread over to the other layers, too!"
"I can help you with that," Somia said after a brief silence, surprising them. Before they could ask, she fell into a trance, and her soul stepped out of her body, leaving without explaining.
"Shouldn't we…?" Lia asked, looking at Erias with worry.
"Nah. If she says she has an idea, leave her be. She is smarter than me."
"I think she is just weirder."
"That too! But I trust her… so don't worry! Meditate instead, we can't do anything else!"
“Haaaah… okay… Maybe time decides to act fucky-wucky again, and it passes faster instead of slower."
"Believe me," He chuckled, rubbing her head affectionately, "It never works that way! Whenever you want time to be slow, it is fast… and vice versa!"
"I know…!" Lia sighed but then closed her eyes, slowly falling into a meditative state.
As her mind delved deeper and deeper, when she finally reappeared before her inner self, just like when attending the Academy, she realized something was off. The clouds around her were gone; instead, it was replaced with the vast Cosmos and trillions of twinkling stars. She saw them everywhere she looked as if her whole mind and soul were no longer obstructed by a thin veil.
"What the…?"
What was even weirder was the fact she could see two distinct energies circulating her ethereal projection. One was brownish, emitting the smell of fresh earth after a rainfall, while the other was glowing red and emitting a strong heat she could immediately pick up on. Lia didn't need to think to realize those two were the elements of fire and earth, the same ones she felt being present around their current location. It was the two elements that made up Loonah's realm and were present in abundance.
"Why…?" She asked, but nobody was there to answer.
Lia's question was aimed at the fact she felt the element of the earth slowly flowing through her. She never learned about it, never thought about interacting with it… yet right now, while meditating, the two elements flow through her and interact with her new body by themselves.
When concentrating, she could easily manipulate the element of fire, absorb it, and make it her own. The other one, although it proved to be a bit more of a challenge, the fact that she was able to interact with it and manage it was strange enough. When she finally managed to assimilate a little of the earth's energy, she felt like finishing a meal, just barely managing to push down the last bites on her throat.
"Ugh…"
The bloated feeling was uncomfortable, but the earthly energies continued to course through her soul and body, slowly getting absorbed and made into her own, expanding her capacity toward it. She was, without any instructions or knowledge, starting to absorb and assimilate a new element. She wasn't even using a formation designed for that specific element… her body was doing it automatically, following her mind's command.
"What is happening? Is it because of this place?" She asked herself, looking around while rubbing her belly that felt like bursting. "No… It's my body!" She realized it quickly, "I was remade from the energy of the Cosmos… my body is formed from something that has all eight of them! Can… can I learn them all now? Or is this… is this just making learning easier?"
Suddenly, there were so many questions to ask, and now, with Erias here, there was someone who she could ask for an explanation. The moment she opened her eyes but was yet to open her mouth, the mountain suddenly shook in its entirety.
"Oh!" Erias looked up, and they saw Somia returning in a hurry, merging back into her body. "What did you do?"
"No time." She sprung to her feet. "I found the exit… we have to leave and fast. Things are going to get messy!"
"What the hell did you do?" Asked Lia, now even more curious and a bit angry that she screwed up her chance to question Erias.
"I bagged some souls, and now the two factions broke into an all-out war. If we leave now, we can plant those souls at another faction and instigate a battle between them."
"I like your thinking!" Erias grinned, back on his feet, "Let's go! Time to cause even more trouble!"
While walking to the top of the mountain, going past caves, Lia tried to look into them, but their insides were all leading deeper into darkness, masking their contents from prying eyes. She was tempted to use her soul to probe, but she also knew it would be taken as provocation.
When they were nearing the top, a man appeared from one of the holes, wearing a similar yellow robe, standing in their way. Even though he was clearly a man, his facial features and ponytail gave him a somewhat feminine aura with a surprisingly thin waistline.
"Qima," Shila said coldly, stopping dead in her tracks, and by just looking at her back, Lia could see she was preparing to battle.
"What are you doing, bringing outsiders this high up the mountain? Not to mention… walking? Are you strutting around, letting them watch your bottom sway?"
"They are not outsiders." She replied without faltering, "They are envoys from Supreme Elder Kyaranin's faction.
That simple answer quickly made Qima's eyes twitch, looking at the trio, and his penetrating, questioning gaze was met with Erias's mocking laughter.
"Sorry, Grand Elder Qima, for taking the time to introduce ourselves. You see… I am a man who likes taking things slowly and experiencing the world as it is. With my own eyes, my own feet, and my own senses!"
"We are no longer bound by our flesh and its weaknesses." He retorted immediately, but Erias didn't flinch. Instead, he stepped forward and started pressuring both Qima and Shila with his aura. It was what finally made the former's expression harden, realizing that a supposed 'elder' was on par with his strength.
"No, we are not… but that does not mean we ought to forgo its teachings at once…"
"The flesh has no teachings to speak of! It is weak, fragile, and finite... a mortal being of all else! It decays and rots away!" He repeated his stance, keeping a defiant and strong front, unwilling to cede to an outsider… especially in Shila's presence.
"I see." Erias nodded, then turned towards Shila with a friendly smile. "Can we proceed?"
"Of course."
Her reply was filled with pride and the mocking laughter of winning them over Qima. In her eyes, it was clear that the group was displeased with her rival's stance, making Shila think about rising to the Supreme Elder rank very soon. When they passed by the furious Grand Elder, it was Lia who had a sudden idea, stopping and turning towards the man.
"I didn't know we have Grand Elders who think they know it better than the Sect Master."
At that comment, everyone stopped, and Somia could see multiple eyes and senses looking and locking onto them. She wanted to say something or pull Lia away, but Erias only grinned, his body language encouraging her to continue.
"Who are you, again?" Qima looked at her with disgust and as if he was speaking to a bug.
"A nobody." She shrugged, but she showed no fear or idea of backing down.
"Exactly… so shut your trap and be happy I am courteous enough to not punish you…"
"See?" Lia giggled, looking towards Erias, "He really thinks he is better than the Sect Master! For one, he says flesh is useless… yet our Sect Master still has his body. Then… he says he could punish me as if he was my master! What a weird Grand Elder…"
"True…" Erias spoke up, licking his lip before Qima had a chance to say his piece. "In the end, it is the Sect Master who decides who gets to be part of his twelve, most trusted subordinates… Anyway!" He clapped, turning fully towards Shila, showing his back to Qima without any fear. "Let's go!"
"With pleasure." She replied, leading them on, disappearing into one of the caves.
…
….
……
"What should we do now?" Lia asked as the three sat on their knees in a side room.
"We wait," Erias replied, sighing as it was something he did not expect.
Shila's room was anything but what Lia would call a 'room.' It was just a simple cave with a complex formation in the middle where she could sit and meditate… and that was it. She had to realize that, as a soul, there was not much else they required. No sleep, no need to eat, but also they forgo all things that had any stimuli for their senses. What remained for them was nothing but cultivation. Getting stronger and refining their souls. Nothing else mattered.
Right now, they were in a 'guest' room where they could meditate just the same until Shila contacted all her supporters or those who had not taken a side yet. Erias easily convinced her that she was the right one for the position to be nominated to the rank of Supreme Elder; she just needed to establish order in her line to show talent and strength. While she did that, they were to remain here and… meditate. Make contact with their own side, telling Kyaranin that she will be a loyal ally later on. Of course… that part would never happen.
"I am already bored…" Lia moaned in her head, looking like a kid in detention.
"Welcome to my life." Erias joked cheerfully. "You can't imagine how it was for me at the beginning! This place is totally deprived of any usual impulses. After a hundred years, I really, REALLY missed simple things… like going to sleep. Eating a good meal! Having a partner to hug and snuggle up to! Or just… you know, laying down in a chair, looking at the setting sun and smoking some quality leaf, thinking about nothing. Damn it… I still miss that... Even the feeling when you have a full bladder, and you can finally relieve yourself!"
"Agreed! Totally!" Lia nodded rapidly, almost losing her head, before hearing Sonia's monotone comment on it.
"Useless nonsense. None of that serves any purpose."
"That is the point!" The two Amarin argued back immediately, and Somia had no answer, so she just rolled her eyes a little.
"You would make a good Undead," Lia added, scanning her face for any real emotion but couldn't get a read on her.
"I know. I just disagree with their goal. They are collecting souls to heal their Master while hoping for some crumbs and benefits. It is nonsensical and wrong. They are just brainwashed by the promise of immortality."
"Speaking of that!" Lia stopped her from continuing, feeling as if she was being lectured by the Academy's System… which was true in a way. "How did you know how the Supreme Elder's choosing is being held?"
"I didn't." Her ancestor replied straightforwardly, "Nor do I have to! It is clear that they don't know it either, and I bet it's their Sect Master who appoints the person! I just need to lie and do it well; everything will work out! For now, we wait. Our presence alone should have lit the fuse under the Qima and his faction. They will blow sooner or later!"
"That is why you let me talk to him like that?"
"Exactly!" He winked at her, "He is right; we are 'outsiders,' and if he wants to show his worth as a Supreme Elder, he now only has one option left! Show his personal strength! They will have to take an action against Shila."
"Against us? Won't our cover be blown if we start using our strength? We are not fighting with their miasma…"
"It's the manifestation of their will, transforming part of their souls," Somia explained, but seeing how Lia was uninterested in it, she stopped and changed the topic. "We won't be attacked. We are still part of another faction whose leader is still present. So they won't touch us… What we need to do when the chaos explodes is to find a way deeper! Hopefully, the fire here can spread over to the other layers, too!"
"I can help you with that," Somia said after a brief silence, surprising them. Before they could ask, she fell into a trance, and her soul stepped out of her body, leaving without explaining.
"Shouldn't we…?" Lia asked, looking at Erias with worry.
"Nah. If she says she has an idea, leave her be. She is smarter than me."
"I think she is just weirder."
"That too! But I trust her… so don't worry! Meditate instead, we can't do anything else!"
“Haaaah… okay… Maybe time decides to act fucky-wucky again, and it passes faster instead of slower."
"Believe me," He chuckled, rubbing her head affectionately, "It never works that way! Whenever you want time to be slow, it is fast… and vice versa!"
"I know…!" Lia sighed but then closed her eyes, slowly falling into a meditative state.
As her mind delved deeper and deeper, when she finally reappeared before her inner self, just like when attending the Academy, she realized something was off. The clouds around her were gone; instead, it was replaced with the vast Cosmos and trillions of twinkling stars. She saw them everywhere she looked as if her whole mind and soul were no longer obstructed by a thin veil.
"What the…?"
What was even weirder was the fact she could see two distinct energies circulating her ethereal projection. One was brownish, emitting the smell of fresh earth after a rainfall, while the other was glowing red and emitting a strong heat she could immediately pick up on. Lia didn't need to think to realize those two were the elements of fire and earth, the same ones she felt being present around their current location. It was the two elements that made up Loonah's realm and were present in abundance.
"Why…?" She asked, but nobody was there to answer.
Lia's question was aimed at the fact she felt the element of the earth slowly flowing through her. She never learned about it, never thought about interacting with it… yet right now, while meditating, the two elements flow through her and interact with her new body by themselves.
When concentrating, she could easily manipulate the element of fire, absorb it, and make it her own. The other one, although it proved to be a bit more of a challenge, the fact that she was able to interact with it and manage it was strange enough. When she finally managed to assimilate a little of the earth's energy, she felt like finishing a meal, just barely managing to push down the last bites on her throat.
"Ugh…"
The bloated feeling was uncomfortable, but the earthly energies continued to course through her soul and body, slowly getting absorbed and made into her own, expanding her capacity toward it. She was, without any instructions or knowledge, starting to absorb and assimilate a new element. She wasn't even using a formation designed for that specific element… her body was doing it automatically, following her mind's command.
"What is happening? Is it because of this place?" She asked herself, looking around while rubbing her belly that felt like bursting. "No… It's my body!" She realized it quickly, "I was remade from the energy of the Cosmos… my body is formed from something that has all eight of them! Can… can I learn them all now? Or is this… is this just making learning easier?"
Suddenly, there were so many questions to ask, and now, with Erias here, there was someone who she could ask for an explanation. The moment she opened her eyes but was yet to open her mouth, the mountain suddenly shook in its entirety.
"Oh!" Erias looked up, and they saw Somia returning in a hurry, merging back into her body. "What did you do?"
"No time." She sprung to her feet. "I found the exit… we have to leave and fast. Things are going to get messy!"
"What the hell did you do?" Asked Lia, now even more curious and a bit angry that she screwed up her chance to question Erias.
"I bagged some souls, and now the two factions broke into an all-out war. If we leave now, we can plant those souls at another faction and instigate a battle between them."
"I like your thinking!" Erias grinned, back on his feet, "Let's go! Time to cause even more trouble!"
