Twisted Skies, Chapter 9 - Timely Help (Patreon)

 When his master had left their home for the city, he had come here with an express purpose. As a hermit and lone cultivator, master had done his best to care for Thurain. Even so, he could never quite offer him the same training conditions and resources the elite disciples of the great sects would enjoy. Even more, as a loose cultivator, he couldn't give out any diplomas other sects would accept once Thurain's training was done.

Thus, he had come here to get his disciple a decent status as a large sect's disciple and the diploma he would need to survive in this new, shallow world. Inside the sect, Thurain's master still had contacts with some old friends from his years of travel. Before his departure, master had been convinced that these friends would help him.   

However, Thurain's master never returned from his trip, and not long after he had left, his life-candle blew out during the night and told the young cultivator of his master's passing. To make matters worse, people from the Elemental Path Sect had come to claim his master's mountain for themselves only a week later. Apart from the city, their mountain was the only source of qi within a five-day travel, so they must have been eager to expand their influence southward. Of course, none of this was legal. However, what could one low-level cultivator, without a proper status and now without his master's backing, do against an entire sect?

His master had been powerful, even by the Elemental Path Sect's standards. Whoever had killed his master would be equally as strong, so there weren't many potential candidates. Yet Thurain understood that he would never find closure, or get revenge, if he fought them openly. While his master had been strong, he himself was just a weakling in front of the Elemental Path Sect's power. Rather than incite open conflict with them, he had to be clever.

Any fortress was much easier to conquer from the inside. This was the reason he was so eager to enter the Elemental Path Sect. It was also the reason he wouldn't use his master's name and reputation to gain easy access. As far as his master's killers would be aware, 'Vaine' would be just another in an infinite sea of nameless cultivators eager to climb the ladder up the Elemental Path Sect's ladder. Now however, he was stuck at the very first hurdle. He couldn't even get inside the gate, let alone get revenge for his master.

His impatience grew, until he finally found someone else enter the empty plaza and march towards the central gate. It was a small group of three people, all of them wearing the dark green robes of the Elemental Path Sect. Their leader had covered his face with a dark blue mask with a criss-crossing pattern of yellow, so Thurain couldn't tell what sort of person he was. However, the others had their faces uncovered and looked like youths, not much older than Thurain himself. Since the two behind the masked leader talked among themselves with great glee, they looked quite approachable to the young cultivator, so he decided to try his luck and get some information.

“Hello, please excuse me.”

As soon as he spoke up, the conversation between the two followers stopped, and their steps with them. In silence, they stared at him. First they only looked confused, but then their brows furrowed as if Thurain had committed some unforgivable sin. Still, he had to ask them, or he would be stuck here for the rest of the day. In the worst case, he may even miss the entrance exam. Thus, he stepped forward without fear.

“I am sorry to bother you, but I am here for the Elemental Path Sect's entrance examination. I arrived at the city today and went straight to the sect. But when I came here, I found the doors closed, and there is no way for me to enter, or to contact anyone inside. I see you are all members of the Elemental Path Sect. Could you please tell me if the entrance examination is held somewhere else?”

“Where did this hick come from?” one of the followers sneered, a young man with the posture of a martial artist. “And why would he talk to an executor group like it won't cost him his life?”   

The woman next to him shrugged with an indifferent face and turned towards Thurain.

“There is no entrance examination, not for a while. Sorry.” She spoke without a care and tried to just leave, but their masked leader remained still and spoke up instead.

“Arora, manners. There's no reason to be unkind to those who might soon become fellow disciples, is there?” To Thurain's surprise, the voice seemed to belong to a woman, and a young one at that, with a pleasant alto voice.

“Excuse me, senior sister.” The two followers straightened their lazy postures and answered in a serious tone. Meanwhile, the masked girl turned towards Thurain.

“You said you only arrived today, so I'm not surprised you're poorly informed. Usually, the enrollment for the sect would have started today, that much is true. This time however, there were some special circumstances and the date for the examination has been pushed back one month. I am sorry for the inconvenience, but you cannot enter the sect grounds before the exam's date, no exceptions. Until then, I suggest you find some accommodations in the city. Once the month is up, come back here and you will find what you searched for. To make up for your inconvenience, you may tell your tester that you know sister Morised when you enter the examination. You might have an easier time of things this way.”

Her voice was like a summer breeze, the kind that would cool and warm you both at the same time. It was so pleasant that Thurain didn't even mind the shouts of her fellow sect members right after.

“Senior sister, there's no need to do so much, right?” the female follower asked.

“Why would some brat deserve to even know your name, let alone use it?” the male added. However, both froze as soon as their senior sister raised her hand.

“Don't question my decision again. What's done is done.” Her voice was sharp, but turned polite again when she addressed Thurain. “I look forward to meeting again as fellow disciples. Please excuse us.” With those words, she bowed and moved past him and towards the gate. It took the young cultivator several seconds before he could come up with a reply.

“Of course, and thank you very much for your help. I am in your debt.” After Thurain had recovered from his shock, he shouted the answer, louder then necessary. By that time, the sect members were already far away, in front of the sect's entrance. The leader just raised her gloved hand without looking back, before she and her entourage disappeared beyond the gate.

After another moment of confusion, Thurain began to frown. No matter how helpful or impressive the members of Elemental Path Sect were, for now he was stuck out here, and his goals still had to change. Before anything else, he had to find a bed for the night. Thus he turned and marched back up the stairs, the same way he had come.

---

“A room is how much!?” In utter shock, Thurain stared at the stodgy old woman in charge of the apartment block close to the city's central plaza. “I came in here because the sign outside said you had rooms for rent. I didn't want to buy the whole city.”

“Tough luck, boy. That's the price I'm asking for.” She looked at Thurain and his dirty old robes with barely hidden derision in her eyes. Although he was angry enough to just storm out right away, he didn't have anywhere else to go. Even worse, after he had to compensate that scammer at the train station, he couldn't pay for such an expensive room even if he wanted to. Still, he tried to plead with the owner.

“But I don't have that much,” he whined. “Can't I maybe work in your kitchen or clean the rooms? I don't even need a wage. Just-”

“We need no help,” she cut him off. “So what if you got a sob story? How is that my problem? Shoo, brat! Don't hold up all my other customers.” With her verdict spoken, her spindly hands waved him away. He just looked behind him in response, at the non-existent line of customers behind him. Although the dismissive tone once again angered Thurain, he retained his calm. This was the big city, and he had already learned what happened to people who used violence to solve their problems here. The lesson at the station had been a costly one. Thus, he had no choice but to leave.

“Fine, it looks like you don't need my business then. Good day, madam.”

Once he returned outside, he stared through the green smog, up towards the darkening sky. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he lamented his bad luck. Really, without money, even a cultivator was worth nothing inside the city.

If he hadn't been scammed, he may have swallowed his pride and picked a decent room to rent near the sect entrance. Now however, he was stranded. He would have to walk back to the outskirts just to find a hotel he could afford.

By the time he would reach the outskirts, night would have long fallen. Still, he couldn't very well sleep on the main road, could he? When he began his long march back, small gems overhead began to release a soft yellow light all along the main road. As day turned to night, he could see more and more officers patrol along the route as well. While the crowds on the street thinned out, they never quite disappeared. Although he really wanted to, he wouldn't risk offending the local law enforcement again. So just sleeping out on the main road wasn't an option, even though he was well-acquainted with rough nights out in the open.

As Thurain brooded over his bad luck, a loud scream brought him back to his senses.

“Help! Someone save me!”