“Breathe in and out, be calm and look down into yourself, find the conflict that shakes you.” Elder Ming’s words resounded, almost melodious through the dark cultivation room. She paced around Grypha who knelt on the wooden floor, moving her qi through her meridians. Her shaky qi. It was still out of her control. “I have seen those like you before, even if the others have not. I was once like you. You do enjoy cultivation. It is just that your path is in conflict.”

  Path. She was surprised to hear a sect elder speak of one’s path. Outside of Grypha’s people and certain legends, mostly told by the powerless, paths were looked on as a fancy, something akin to noble ideals, not actually needed by a cultivator. That was not the way of it though, at least not to her, her path was her identity, it was what defined the self she wanted to become through cultivation.

  “You are of the Bou tribe, no? I’ve been told your people value freedom above all. For most it is part of their path, yet you chose to sacrifice certain freedoms in coming to my blooming moon sect. That too, then is surely part of your path. Meditate on this conflict and seek a resolution. One’s path is never truly in conflict, you need but understand it better.”

  Grypha had to give it to her sponsor, the woman was not lacking in insight, nor was she afraid to hit where it hurt. She was wrong about one thing though. No part of Grypha’s path had told her to come here. That lay entirely at the feet of a young master of the Meiryu clan, fifth among the great clans. Just thinking about the man made her mind feel vile.

  “Meditate child. If you cannot find answers in the present, seek them in the past. You know the flow of qi, follow it.”

  Grypha did. She meditated on her past. Not on the element of her path that her sponsor asked her to examine, but another. She thought of bonds. It had been some time since she’d felt so bound by them. She rotated her qi, seeking a memory from her past, her qi remembered such things, better even than her own mind could. Maybe it would give her what she really needed.

  She was thirteen years old, and her parents were saying goodbye to her for the first time. There were no tears, it was a happy occasion. The Bou clan had long observed that strong bonds to others constrained freedom. There was plenty of value in connections, and no one would claim they should be forgotten or discarded, but bonds were another matter, those constrained, limited. She would be traveling without her parents from now on, seeking what her path asked her to seek. She could take happiness that her parents would be doing the same, would be out in the world somewhere. They would meet again, someday, when their paths called them back together and they would be no less loving for holding no responsibility to each other.

  Grypha’s mother gave her a hug, shaking her cheeks in her hand like any other day. “We’re so proud of you.” Her father, stoic as ever, with that horrible mustache he liked to joke was part of his path, smiled at her. “Your bonds to us are gone. You are ready for the world. We’ll hold you back no longer.”

  Grypha smiled, the corners of her lips touching her mother’s palms. “Take happiness knowing I share this world with you.” How long had she waited to say those words? A few years perhaps. The feeling of restriction had not always felt so strong, but now her path called for her. She turned and left, choosing a direction she’d wanted so badly to explore the day before. There were secrets of the world to be had that way, even if there would be more dangers to dance with than her parents’ paths had interest in.

  Elder Ming’s voice called her back from the steady rhythm of her qi. “You smile. This is rare. Have you touched on some aspect of your path?”

  “I have.” Grypha answered, compelled to by her bond to her sponsor in the sect. Her performance directly affected the elder’s reputation. She had a duty to her, one that Grypha doubted she could fulfill, her bond with the Meiryu clan, with her little brother who they held really, was too strong. She wished she could be the girl her qi remembered, free, strong, happy.

  “Dredge deeper, find that which hurts you.”

  Grypha spun her qi into motion again. It conjured up another memory. One from two years ago. The smell of stilled death greeted her into it, the day she’d met her brother.

  Fog was in the air, the morning lost in it. It was no bits of water in the air, but something of divine qi. She was in an old part of the empire, long forgotten by the great clans or the sects, perhaps intentionally. Its history was of necromancy, of death that was not dead. Such things had always drawn Grypha’s attention. Oh, she was no necromancer, she respected death, but she also did not turn from death in the same way most did.

  Her divine formation kept her safe, the powerful divine qi in the air was rebuffed. It was a simple matter, her glyphs had barely needed any qi of hers. The divine sea was dense, it always was where death was concerned. Civilization was dozens of miles away at least; the law would not concern itself with her formations here.

  Grypha had had her fill of this place. Death was part of her path, but not this death. Not undeath. Her kind of death was that of past life preserved, of trees turned to stone, perhaps of animals buried and long, long dead, now just impressions of the earth. Her sort of death respected life, took record of it, it did not defy the natural way of things. There was, at least, some clarification she had gained here, if only of a firming of her revilement of necromancy. Her formations, too, a rare insight gifted to her from a reclusive divine beast, had improved by necessity. It was time to go though. She would not return.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  A clawed foot stepped through her formation, and Grypha tensed, reaching for her partner in its cloth sheath. Her shoulders relaxed as she realized she knew the owner of that foot, a brief traveling companion, a red fox as tall as her shoulder. Algavel, a friend and kindred spirit of the Bou tribe. He’d traveled at the sides of many, but none for long. He had his own path to walk.

  “Who is that child you carry?” Grypha found it only somewhat strange to meet Algavel here, he had no connection to death, but he had a knack for finding those he wanted to.

  “Your brother.” The red fox said, communicating in waves of the divine sea. He was not the one who had taught her of formations, and he had certainly played no part in her rare enlightenment, but he took amusement that she could understand him in such a way. Perhaps it was why she had seen more of him than most.

  “My parents have sired no other.” She’d met with them by chance not a month ago at a regular gathering place for wandering cultivators. This child looked young to her eyes, perhaps four, perhaps five, her parents would have informed her of such a joyous new connection. Even if he were a cousin, she would surely have heard.

  “He is your brother as you are my sister.” That brought a slight smile to Grypha’s face. Algavel had never spoken to her as such. It was a rare honor to be considered kin by the fox, and Grypha found she returned the warmth. That did not, of course, explain the child.

  Algavel gave a sigh, releasing the child to wander the pocket of safety. He moved around, looking in wonder at Grypha’s supplies, her extinguished campfire especially. “He is an orphan of the war in the north, the child of lowly servants abandoned and fated to perish. I felt it was not his fate to die beside those who were already gone. I bring him to you because his fate does not lie with replacement parents, and because I know you to be a fine sister.”

  Grypha felt herself balk at the responsibility. “I do not know if it is in my path to care for him.”

  Alvagel shook his head kindly. “Then perhaps fate means for him to remain here. Do not think of him as a bond though, think of him as a valued, constant connection. I think your path is a little too lonely. I’ve heard you are drawn more and more to places of gathering. A companion, a brother. It would put me at ease knowing you have such.”

  Grypha glared at her proclaimed brother. The fox claimed to believe and follow the fate of things, and to some extent he did, but he was a meddler. Stories of his compassion were well known. Perhaps he was a follower of some fate, but she knew him to be a softie. He would not leave the boy here if he had any doubt she might abandon him.

  Alvagel left, nuzzling the child one last time before he went. “Take happiness knowing I share this world with you, little Lata.”

  Ming’s voice once more broke through the darkness. “Our paths are not set, they are built, found, but they should never truly be changed.” She looped around behind Grypha with her constant pacing, a darker shadow in the black room. “You need to understand yourself and find your way forward.”

  Grypha spun her qi along again, memories coming quickly. There were so many where Lata was concerned.

  The small hand gripped her own, tugging at her as she cultivated. She persisted for a moment. “Come on, Sis.” Spoken with a slight lisp, Lata had just lost one of his baby teeth. That did it. She pulled him closer, ruffling his hair. He grinned up at her, smiling wide, and she noticed the qi stored in her heart respond slightly, feeling a little lighter. “You have to see this. You have to.” Grypha let him drag her, moving to see what he’d found. It was a little fire-cricket, lighting up every so slightly with its tiny amount of qi. Each breath for it was filled with warmth. A sight she was glad she could see indeed.

  Grypha moved through the rain swiftly. Lata was carried in her arms, his body cold, too cold. Anger surged through her body though it was far overwhelmed by worry. What had he been thinking, why hadn’t he told her he was feeling poorly. She would have brought him to a healer right away. The anger faded. She knew the reason. Lata had always resented any kind of burden his care left on Grypha. He was far too proud for a kid so young. It was her fault. He thought of himself as a burden, but he was not. He was her brother, and each moment looking after him was well spent. He had brought her so many small moments of enlightenment, and so many more of joy. She would get him to the healer, and she would make sure this never happened again.

  Lata’s broad smile was wide enough for Gypha to share in his pride. He had just cooked his first meal all by himself, leaving her nothing to do but watch. “You did great Lata. You put me to shame.” There was some truth to the words. The boy was a genius with flame. It was the reason she had let him practice around it. Lata’s path no doubt was tied to flame in some way. He glowed with the praise, and she reached out to ruffle his hair. Her hand found nothing but empty air, a feeling of wrongness passing over her.

  Her face met with the dirt, a foot, unseen but a moment ago shoving against her back. “We found some my lord. Do you think the girl will fit what you need.”

  A pair of footsteps approached, and with them came the feeling of incredible qi, of steel strength. “We shall see.” The voice was smooth, its pronunciation practiced in a way that only the pretentious might bother with. “Let her go.”

  The foot on Grypha’s back released and she staggered to her feet. She saw a man, wrapped in strands of black cloth, holding Lata off the ground, a sharp knife against his throat. She froze, her qi beating against her in rage.

  “Yes.” The pretentious voice supplied. “I think she will do.” Grypha turned towards it, her qi pounding inside her chest, urging her to do something. The man she saw wore fine armor with artwork of a tiger facing down a dragon beaten into its folds. “I am Meiryu Ala Gorance. My clan has something of a sect problem, and you will help us.” He gestured at Lata or perhaps the knife, his meaning was clear.

  The rage built on itself within Grypha. “I am of the Bou tribe. We are not beholden to any of the great clans. We will not do your bidding.”

  Meiryu Ala Gorance gave a mirthful laugh. “I’ve heard of how you value your freedom, but do you know what I think?” He approached her, leaning into her space. Her partner itched to be drawn, but she knew it wouldn’t even leave a mark on his face. “I believe in the goodness of mankind. I believe that even you, with your talk of reason, will choose to save the life of your kin rather than selfishly pursue meaningless ideals. Do you not agree?”

  Grypha looked between the knife at Lata’s throat and the man before her. “Don’t listen to him, Sis. Take happiness knowing I share this world with you. Take…” The man holding him shoved a wrapped hand in front of his mouth. The words were strong, so brave, but there was no way she could listen to them.

  “I…agree.” She said, glaring at the young lord of the Meiryu clan. It was not her path, but she had a bond with her brother, a duty to keep him safe. Even if he desperately wanted to avoid being a burden to her, she would not listen. How could she do anything but turn off her path?

  “You’ve found something.” Elder Ming’s calm voice carried through the pain that flowed from Grypha’s eyes. “Tell me. What is it, what holds you.”

  Grypha slowly stood up, taking a breath. Her bond to her brother told her the words she had to say, even though she wanted to do anything but say them. “I…think you’re right. It is the idea of freedom that holds me, but I think…opportunity is the stronger part of my path. I have heard of ventures to the southern continent, and I believe my people are foolish for not participating. There are some things, I think, that can only be accomplished by working closely with others. The sect drew me, I think, because of that.”

  Elder Ming nodded sagely. “Wise words, an insightful path, and you are right. We follow the emperor’s command. There is much to gain on the frontier even if the great clans refuse to see it.” Her shadow stroked her chin. “Perhaps, in time, perhaps…”

  Grypha looked down, the humble sect disciple. In her ears, her qi let her hear the words of Meiryu Ala Gorance, words she would rather not have heard. “The sects have the emperor’s favor. They seek resources in the south where we can simply take those in the north. You need only cause disruption to their plans. I will handle the rest.”