Chapter 11: Leaving Mt. Wind Dance (Patreon)

Darian’s spirits were high as he neared Vera’s house. It was near noon now, a few hours after picking up her gift and that strange conversation he had with his grandmother. He had spent the time since then with his father, trying to help him with his alchemical projects, though there wasn’t much he could do to help. Alchemy was not an easy art to learn, and he had never bothered. The best Darian could do was to provide his father with an extra pair of hands.

While they worked, Darian told his father about Astra’s suggestion of having Ellen help with the Body Tempering Pills. Darren had been leery of asking for outside help, though that was pride more than anything else. In the end, he had acquiesced and the two of them tried to come up with a plan to bring Ellen to Darren. Having a spirit beast just show up in the middle of Mt. Wind Dance was a recipe for disaster.

The easiest and simplest solution would have been to sneak her into Darren’s house. However, that would have only worked in the short term. Eventually the servants would have realized she was there, and they would have alerted the rest of the clan. Besides, keeping Ellen hidden would have hindered her movements.

In the end, Darian had the idea of not trying to hide Ellen at all. Why not invite her? When Darian’s father had traveled the world on his adventures, he had met several people, many of whom were still his friends to this day. There was nothing wrong with inviting one of them to Mt. Wind Dance as his guest, to help out with a personal project. Only in this case, the “friend” in question would be Ellen. As an honored guest, she would be safe, even if she was a spirit beast. Clan Wind Dance would abide by the laws of hospitality as long as she did. They wouldn’t like it, but neither Darian nor Darren cared about that.

With a plan in mind, Darian just needed to convey it to Astra, Ellen, and Elliot to get their input. He had tried calling out Astra’s name, hoping she had been listening in, but she didn’t show up. That answered his question of whether or not she was following him all the time. That, or she chose not to reveal herself. Darian thought each possibility was as likely as the other, given his interactions with Astra so far. Calling out for Elliot and Ellen hadn’t worked either. Darian knew they were on the mountain, but not where they were. His house, perhaps? If that was the case, he could tell them the plan when he returned home. First, however, he would have to meet with Vera and Lucius. It was time he told them the truth.

While at his father’s house, Darian had sent a message to Vera asking her if he could meet with her and Lucius at her house. He had something he needed to tell them both. To his surprise, and delight, she sent a message back telling him that she was free at noon. She also said that she would ensure that Lucius would be there. When noon neared, Darian had said goodbye to his father and made his way down Mt. Wind Dance, Vera’s gift in hand.

Unlike Darian, Vera lived in a rather nice area of the mountain. Each member of the clan was assigned a living area depending on their cultivation level and their contribution to the clan. Those in the Foundation Establishment stage either lived in small houses near the foot of the mountain, like Darian, or they lived in the communal dorm area near the main hall.

For those in the Energy Gathering stage who were viewed with favor by the clan, such as Vera and Lucius, they lived in a neighborhood that sat atop a series of terraces that ran up the mountainside, forming several rows of houses. While each individual house wasn’t that large, there were several dozen of them. They were all much nicer than the one Darian lived in. Trees and fragrant flowers were placed in strategic locations around the neighborhood. Narrow stone pathways snaked through the neighborhood, connecting the terraces and leading to the houses. Every house also had a wall surrounding it, though none were as large as the one around his father’s house. To save on space, most of the houses shared at least one wall with their neighbors. Each house also had a small stone courtyard in the front.

Vera lived on the third terrace from the bottom of the neighborhood. As Darian made his way up, he cast his senses out. It was still gray and cloudy by this point, but the sky had cleared up somewhat, allowing weak rays of sunlight to filter through. The temperature had grown warmer as well, until it was almost comfortable by mortal standards. Darian didn’t sense many of his kin about. Most of the people he saw were servants, regular mortals, for which he was grateful. If it had been earlier, that wouldn’t have been the case. Most of his kin cultivated in the morning, usually in the comfort of their own homes.

Darian heard someone playing a harp in the distance, accompanied by two voices, male and female, singing a romantic duet. Despite his opinion of the rest of his kin, which wasn’t high, Darian smiled. The music was lovely, and lifted his spirits even higher. The fragrance from many different kinds of flowers reached him. For a brief moment, he wondered what they would smell like after he had opened his Nose Aperture. He looked forward to it.

Darian reached Vera’s house and entered the stone courtyard. Unlike many of the houses he had passed by, Vera had a small garden’s worth of potted plants lining the edges of her courtyard. As someone who practiced a water cultivation technique, and a healing one at that, she was better equipped than most to nurture and grow. Bella Thorburn, Vera’s handmaiden, greeted Darian at the house’s entrance.

Bella was a new addition to Vera’s household, and Darian could tell that she didn’t think much of him. Oh, she was polite, civil, and always respectful, he granted her that much. However, she couldn’t quite disguise the hint of contempt in her eyes whenever they interacted, or the small smile of superiority that touched her lips. Darian hadn’t brought it up with Vera, content to let things lie. His friends’ opinion of him was all that mattered.

Nervousness and anxiety soured his mood at that thought. What he was about to tell them both would make them angry with him. Not the fact that he could cultivate now, but that he had kept it secret from them.

“Greetings, Young Master Darian,” Bella said, bowing to him. Her tone contained a slight trace of mockery.

“Hello, Bella,” Darian said, determined not to let her get under his skin. “Are Vera and Lucius in?”

It was a redundant question since he could feel their auras coming from inside the house, but formalities needed to be observed.

“The Young Mistress, and Young Master Lucius are inside, yes. They await you in the sitting room.”

Darian nodded his thanks to her and made his way into the house. As he did, he could almost feel Bella’s eyes following him. He drew closer to Vera’s sitting room. When he neared the door, he could hear them talking. While their voices were muffled, he could understand their words. He froze at what he heard.

“-don’t see why I have to be here,” Lucius said. “I have nothing to say to Darian at this time.”

“Oh, don’t be such a baby, Lucius,” Vera said. “Pouting is unattractive on a grown man.”

Darian didn’t know why he was eavesdropping instead of just going inside. It was rude and disrespectful, especially towards his friends. If one of Vera’s servants caught him, there would be gossip. Thankfully, he was alone at the moment. Yet, his intuition told him to stay put. Darian decided to listen to it.

“He gave up on his training,” Lucius said. “After trying for so long, he gave up just like that. I thought better of him.”

“After years with no noticeable progress, I would have given up too if I were him,” Vera said. “The heart can only take so much disappointment.” Darian felt a stab of guilt when he heard that. “You’ve sulked about it for long enough. Now it’s time for the two of you to kiss and make up.”

Darian heard some movement, before Vera yelped and then giggled.

“Why kiss Darian…” Lucius said, his voice so low, Darian almost didn’t hear his words. “...when you’re here?”

At that, Darian heard the sound of two people kissing. Lucius and Vera, his two best friends, were kissing each other. Darian felt something small and fragile within him wither and die when he realized this. It left a hollowness behind, a hollowness that spread throughout his entire body. He felt numb. He couldn’t think, he couldn’t feel. All he could do was stand there as his two best friends stabbed him in the back.

“Lucius, stop,” Vera said with another giggle. “What if the servants catch us?”

“So what if they do?” Lucius replied. “You’re the mistress of this house. Just swear them to secrecy.”

“And Darian? It’s almost noon. He will be here soon.”

Darian heard Lucius sigh.

“Vera, it’s time we told Darian about us. We shouldn’t have hidden it from him for so long, or everyone else for that matter.”

“I know, but this will hurt him. I’d rather avoid that for as long as possible if I can.”

“He’ll be hurt, yes, but he will recover. He’s tougher than you give him credit for. You and I both know that he wants the best for us. We make each other happy. He’ll understand in time.”

A sound pulled Darian’s attention away from the conversation. He turned to find Bella standing in the hallway behind him. She carried a tray in her hands. At first she gave him a puzzled look, but then she glanced at the closed door and smirked.

“So you know,” Bella whispered, not even referring to him by his title. “It’s about time. I had hoped I would be there when you found out. Oh, how the ancestors have blessed me.”

Bella’s cruel words did nothing to penetrate the numbness that surrounded Darian. He walked down the hallway. Her eyes followed him with every step. Just before he passed her, he stopped.

“Tell your mistress that I couldn’t come,” Darian whispered. His voice sounded like it came from far away, as if it belonged to someone else. “Tell her that I had to deal with something urgent.”

“You never deserved the Young Mistress’ attention,” Bella whispered back. “She and Young Master Lucius will make for a fine couple. Sooner or later, they realize you’re nothing but a waste of time for them both.”

Her words struck true, confirming Darian’s deepest fears. He almost asked why she hated him so, what he had done to earn her poisonous words, but decided against it. It didn’t matter. Without another word, Darian moved past her and left Vera’s house.

He walked in a haze, not paying attention to his surroundings. His feet moved forward on their own accord, as if someone else had taken control of them. If anyone said anything to him, he didn’t hear it. All he knew was the growing pain within his heart. Bella’s words pierced him, over and over again.

After what felt like hours later, Darian found himself in front of his house. He didn’t remember how he came here. The journey was a blank in his memory. Darian opened the door and entered. He saw Stella. She was in the midst of sweeping the entrance hallway.

“Greetings, Young Master,” Stella said, smiling up at him. Her smile dropped when she saw him. “What happened, Young Master? You look ill. Let me check you.”

She walked towards him. Darian raised his hand to stop her.

“I am going to my room,” he said in a monotone voice. “I do not wish to be disturbed.”

“Young Master, I-…” she started to say, but he interrupted her.

“That is all, Stella.”

Stella had a conflicted expression on her face, but after a moment, she nodded and stepped aside. Darian walked past her and headed towards his room. When he entered, he closed the door and locked it behind him. He sat on his bed. Something crinkled. He looked and saw Vera’s gift in his hand. That surprised him. He hadn’t realized he was still carrying it. After tossing it aside, he just stared into nothingness.

Hours passed as Darian just sat there, not moving. The sunlight dimmed, and then faded altogether, until he was sitting in almost complete darkness. Stella knocked on the door a few times, despite what he said earlier, asking him if he needed anything. Darian didn’t respond. After a while, she went away.

The pain from Bella’s words had spread beyond his heart now, creeping through his entire body like a thorn covered vine. It slithered through him, tearing as it went, until it felt like his entire body was a bleeding mass. The worst part was that the people he would go to for advice and comfort were the ones who had caused this pain in the first place. Darian let out a bitter laugh at that.

There was his father, but Darian didn’t want to talk with him about this. He didn’t want his father to think him weak. His two best friends had hurt him, and what had he done about it? Nothing. He just ran away and hid like a coward.

Darian had never felt so alone in his entire life.

Anger flared to life within him, sudden and swift. He felt like he was choking on it. How dare they do this to him? How dare they? They were supposed to be his friends, yet that didn’t stop them from betraying him like this. He was too weak to do anything about it for now, but he would get stronger. He would train hard, and when he grew powerful enough, he would make them pay for abandoning him like this. In fact, why not train now? He still had the stone token for his father’s immortal cave. It didn’t matter if it was nighttime. Now was as good a time as any.

Darian stood up and headed towards the door, but before he could take more than a single step, something hit him in the chest. The impact knocked him back and sent him sprawling onto his bed. He looked up to find Astra sitting on his chest. Despite her diminutive size, she felt as heavy as a boulder. Her weight made it difficult to breathe. The bed groaned beneath them.

“Astra,” Darian wheezed out. “What are you doing? Get off me!”

He tried to lift her off of him, but no matter how hard he strained, Astra didn’t budge. Ignoring his efforts, Astra then raised a paw and slapped him with it. The blow made his head reel. It took him several moments to recover.

“I told you to call me Auntie,” she stated in a matter of fact tone. “And I’m stopping you from doing something stupid.”

“What are you talking about?” he ground out.

“Let me guess, you found out that your friends were having a secret affair. Instead of being an adult about it and talking with them, you stormed off to have a little sulk about their ‘betrayal’. Then, in your brilliance, you decided it would be a good idea to cultivate, so you could become strong enough to get your revenge. How am I doing so far?”

Darian stared at her, dumbfounded.

“You were following me!” he said in an accusatory tone, or as close to one as he could get with a cat-shaped boulder on his chest.

Astra snorted.

“No. I just happen to have eyes and a brain. I found out your friends were seeing each other weeks ago, and I figured you might react like this when you discovered them. You aren’t the first young human I’ve dealt with. All of you react the same when something like this happens. You get hurt and angry, and in your hurt and anger, you all decide it is a good idea to train so you can get stronger and take your revenge. Tell me, do you know what would happen if you tried to cultivate in your current state of mind?”

Darian started to answer, but Astra silenced him with a paw to his lips.

“That was a rhetorical question,” she said. “Let me tell you the answer. The best case scenario is that you lose control and damage your meridians, crippling your cultivation. The worst case scenario is that you explode, leaving behind nothing but chunks of meat that used to be Darian Wind Dance.”

Darian stared at her, his eyes wide with horror. Astra jabbed him in the forehead.

“I told you that cultivating every third small realm for the Foundation Establishment stage would be more dangerous than the others.” Jab. “What were you thinking, you idiot?” Jab. “Oh right, you weren’t.” Jab jab jab.

“Will you stop that?” Darian said, trying to fend off her paw.

That’s when Astra stopped concealing her aura. He had thought his father’s, and Grandmother Astoria’s, had been difficult to bear. Theirs was nothing compared to Astra’s. It felt like a star was staring at him. Its flames burned so hot, they took his breath away. Astra seemed to encompass everything around him, until all he could see and hear and feel was her. Her white hot eyes bore down on him.

And then it was gone, just like that. The change was so swift, that Darian needed a moment to adjust to its absence.

“You are Senior Sister Nova’s disciple,” Astra said. “I will not allow you to disgrace her legacy. You need to stop acting like an idiot.” She leaned down and brushed her cheek against his. Her voice grew gentle. “More importantly, I care about your well being, young human. I can’t watch over you all the time. You are not a child. You need to learn how to protect yourself, even from your own foolishness.”

Darian closed his eyes and leaned his head back. The anger drained out of him, leaving behind pain and exhaustion. Astra grew lighter, until it no longer felt like a boulder was sitting on his chest.

“Why would they do this?” he whispered.

“Why wouldn’t they?” Astra replied. “Both of them are young, beautiful, and their cultivation techniques are compatible. It makes sense that they would fall for each other, especially given how much time they’ve spent together.” She shifted position, until she was lying down on Darian’s chest. “Do you have feelings for the girl? Is that why you’re upset?”

Darian thought about saying yes, and leaving it at that, but he had no one else to talk to about this. He felt that if he didn’t get this out, that if he didn’t voice his feelings on the matter, it would fester and come back to haunt him as an inner demon later on. Besides, Astra had already seen him at his lowest. It wasn’t like it could get any more embarrassing for him.

“That’s a part of it, but not the whole of it,” Darian said. “Vera didn’t return my feelings when I confessed to her, but a part of me still held out hope.”

That was no longer the case. It was painful when hope died.

“And the rest?” Astra asked. “You said that was part of it.”

Darian found it difficult to voice what really bothered him, yet he knew it was important for him to do so.

“I’m afraid of being left behind,” he whispered, his voice so low that a mortal wouldn’t have been able to hear him. “The three of us were inseparable as children. However, ever since Lucius and Vera started cultivating, they’ve left me further and further behind. They’ve gone ahead, while I’ve been running in place.”

Darian had never felt so vulnerable. He had never opened up to anyone like this, not even Lucius and Vera. Waking up beaten and bruised in the middle of the Silverwood was nothing compared to this. He expected laughter and mockery from Astra. To his surprise, he received neither.

“That is a part of growing up, young Darian,” Astra said. “Each of us walks our own path in life. Sometimes those paths cross and run parallel to each other, and sometimes they diverge. Change is inevitable.”

“I hate it,” Darian said. “I wish things could go back to the way they were.”

Astra snorted.

“Do you really? If I recall, you were eager to start cultivating. That’s a big change.” She paused. “Is that why you kept it secret from everyone? So you could pretend that nothing has changed?”

Was it? Darian guessed so. It made sense, in a contradictory sort of way. He wanted to cultivate and show everyone just what he was capable of, while also keeping everything the same. By the ancestors, he had been a fool. Darian let out a small chuckle.

“You must think I'm a fool,” he said. “Are you sure you didn’t pick the wrong person to become Immortal Nova’s disciple and heir?”

“I didn’t pick you. You earned it yourself when you passed the tests she laid out. I’ll admit, some of them were formalities, but in the end, you were the one who managed to open your Heart Aperture using The Nine Gates of Destruction. Not just anyone could’ve done that, especially in less than a day.”

Her words were like a balm to his soul. No matter what happened with his friends and his clan, he still had that. He was still a cultivator, and an Immortal’s heir.

“I need to leave,” Darian said, opening his eyes.

“Oh?” Astra stood up and walked across his chest, until their faces were inches apart. “Why is that?”

“It’s like you said, I’ve been pretending that nothing has changed. Except for my father, no one else in my clan knows I’m a cultivator now.” He shook his head. “If I’m to be a worthy heir to Immortal Nova’s legacy, I need to start acting like it.” He waved his hand. “All this sneaking around and hiding is just hindering my progress. Change is inevitable, and I need to adapt or be left behind.”

Astra reached over and gently tapped his forehead. It was still sore from her earlier jabs.

“I had hoped you would realize that on your own,” she said. “You are not a mouse, scurrying around and hiding from the cat. You are a cultivator. Raise your head high as you defy the heavens, or don’t bother.”

Darian sat up and stood. Astra jumped off his chest and hovered in the air. A fire ignited in Darian’s heart. Now that he had decided on his path, he was eager to get on with it. He had already wasted enough time.

“Yes. That means leaving Mt. Wind Dance. If I stay here, I’ll continue to see myself as the scion of Clan Wind Dance who can’t cultivate. If I am to change that, I need to put some separation between me and my past self.”

“If only you had a place you could go to that was specifically created for you to train in,” Astra said in a dry tone.

Darian glared at her.

“Quiet you.”

Astra chuckled.

“Good. I prefer this Darian over the mopey, brooding one.” She clasped her paws in front of her and spoke in a mournful voice. “’Oh, woe is me. My friends are in love with each other and here I am, all sad and lonely even though I have an entire estate to myself and two spirit beast servants to cater to my every need. The fates are so cruel to me.’” Astra shook her head. “Really, I was quite embarrassed for you.”

Darian looked at her with a chagrined expression on his face.

“Are you finished?” he asked. “Because I have a lot of work to do before I leave. If nothing else, I have to let Stella and my father know.”

“What about your friends?”

Darian paused before shaking his head.

“I’ll leave them a message, but I don’t want to face them right now. If I do, I’m likely to do something I’ll regret.”

Even though talking with Astra had helped, the pain and anger remained in his heart. It would take time before he came to terms with Lucius and Vera being in a relationship together. He was also angry that they had kept it hidden from him. Of course, he had done something similar, but he never claimed that he wasn’t a hypocrite.

“In that case, I’ll collect Elliot and Ellen and meet you back here so we can all travel together,” Astra said.

“Where were they, by the way?” Darian asked. “You said they were on the mountain, but I haven’t seen any sign of them.”

“Oh, they’ve been wandering around, keeping their eyes and ears open. I figured they might as well, since you haven’t been utilizing their abilities. They’ve learned quite a few interesting things these past few weeks.”

Darian wasn’t sure how he felt about Elliot and Ellen spying on his clan. In the end, he decided to let it go. It was over and done with, and he had more important things to worry about. It was nighttime. If he wanted to make it to his secret realm without anyone bothering him, he needed to leave now. With that in mind, Darian started packing.

***

Packing didn’t take long. The only things Darian needed to take with him were some personal mementos, his stash of Spirit Energy Pills, and a few changes of clothes. The estate in his secret realm had everything he needed. Informing Stella that he was leaving Mt. Wind Dance for an indeterminate amount of time, as well as leaving a message for his friends, also took less time than he had expected.

“I see, Young Master,” Stella said after he explained everything. “Please, do take care of yourself.”

She still looked worried, so Darian pulled her into a hug. It was something they used to do a lot when he was a child, but as he grew older, it became rarer and rarer. While he didn’t care much about the social divide between them, Stella insisted on maintaining some propriety.

“I’m sorry for making you worry earlier,” Darian said. “Today has been an eye opener for me, and I needed some time to think.”

“Don’t worry about me, Young Master,” Stella said. “Look after yourself and train hard. When I next see you again, I expect you to at least be in the Energy Gathering stage.”

Darian pulled away from Stella and stared at her in shock.

“You knew?” he asked, flabbergasted.

She smirked.

“I have eyes and a brain, Young Master,” Stella said. “Did you think I wouldn’t realize why you visited your father every day for the past month? Or that I wouldn’t notice the little black stains on your clothing?”

Darian felt dejected at that.

“I thought I had done a good job at hiding it,” he said.

Stella patted him on the cheek.

“Don’t underestimate me, Young Master,” she said. “I know more than you think.” She took a hold of his shoulders. “I also know why you’re leaving Mt. Wind Dance. When you’ve been around cultivators for as long as I have, it’s easy to predict their motivations.”

Darian looked at Stella in a new light.

“Stella, you’re much scarier than I realized,” he said in all honesty.

Her smirked widened.

“And don’t you forget it.”

After saying his goodbyes to Stella, Darian made his way to his father’s house. At this time of night, most of the rest of his clan were either in their own homes, or socializing with friends. He imagined that the more populated areas of the mountain were quite lively right about now. A part of him wondered what his friends were up to, even though the thought made his heart clench.

When he met with his father and explained what he planned to do, Darian met with a snag. The two of them were once again in his father’s study.

“Very well,” Darren said. “When do we leave?”

Darian blinked at him.

“What do you mean, ‘we’?” he asked. “I’m leaving Mt. Wind Dance. You’re staying here.”

“Oh?” His father raised an eyebrow. “Did something happen since we last saw each other this morning? Have you become the father, and I the son? Hmm?” Darian remained silent. “I thought so. I’m coming with you. You promised me help for the Body Tempering Pills, and I intend to hold you to that promise. It won’t do me much good to stay here if you’re gone. Besides, it has been far too long since I left Mt. Wind Dance. A bit of exercise will do me good.”

Darian tried to think of an argument that would convince his father to stay. In the end, he settled for the one that he thought had the best chance of success.

“What about your condition, Father?” Darian asked. “You need to rest, not spend hours traipsing through the woods.”

Just as Darian finished his sentence, Darren disappeared and reappeared right in front of him, his cane pressed against Darian’s throat. It happened so fast that Darian didn’t have a chance to react.

“Don’t let my condition fool you,” Darren said, his aura sharp. “I may be recovering, but I’m still stronger and faster than you. I can handle anything you can, and then some.”

The sharpness in his aura receded. Darian eyed the cane and swallowed. That would teach him to underestimate his father.

“Noted,” he said, before pushing the cane away from his throat. “What if my estate doesn’t have an alchemy lab? I didn’t explore it that much before I left.”

Nor had he asked, since he hadn’t expected to need an alchemy lab.

“If that’s the case, then we’ll just transport mine,” Darren said, shrugging. “I bought all the equipment for it with my own funds, not the clan’s. They have no right to complain if I take it with me.”

In the end, Darian acquiesced. His father had made several good points, and once the idea had been planted in his mind, he found that he liked it. It was something of an adventure, albeit one close to home, and that was something he had never done with his father. He looked forward to it.

Like him, Darian’s father didn’t take long to pack. He had more to pack than Darian, but he had a holding bag to store it all in. At the speed they moved, it took them less than half an hour to get everything ready. In the end, they also stored all of Darren’s alchemy equipment in the holding bag. Neither of them knew when they would come back to Mt. Wind Dance, so they figured it was best to leave nothing important behind.

After they left a message with Wyatt, to be delivered to the elders in the morning, the two of them made their way to Darian’s house. They found Astra, Elliot, and Ellen waiting for them. The snake twins bowed to Darian when they saw him.

“Young Master,” they said at the same time. “It is good to see you again.”

Darian smiled at them.

“It’s good to see you too.” His smile turned wry. “Something tells me that you saw more of me than I saw of you this past month.”

The snake twins gave him innocent expressions that were so exaggerated, they had the opposite effect. Rather than respond to his statement, they bowed to Darian’s father.

“Greetings Young Master’s father,” they said in unison.

“Hello,” Darren said, before turning to Astra. “So you’re the one responsible for getting my son into this mess.”

Astra was grooming herself.

“You mean unblocking his spirit root and stopping him from killing himself through sheer foolishness?” she said. “Yes, I am. You’re welcome. Feel free to shower me with praise now.”

Darren snorted, but otherwise didn’t respond. Darian looked around. It was late, but there was always the chance that someone could come along. While he was sure that Astra was concealing them from others, or he hoped she was at least, he wanted to leave as soon as possible. He was no longer afraid of revealing his cultivation, but if someone saw them, they might interfere. If nothing else, the clan elders might get involved. One of their clan’s most powerful cultivators was running off after all. He didn’t want to deal with that sort of hassle.

“Let’s just get out of here,” Darian said. “I don’t want to stay for longer than necessary.”

“Oh, fine.” Astra sighed. “If you insist on being boring. Everybody stand back.” With that, Astra shifted to her true size. “Climb on. I’ll fly us there.”

There was more than enough room for all of them to ride on her back. Elliot, Ellen, and Darren all climbed aboard. However, when it was Darian’s turn, he hesitated.

“What are you waiting for?” Astra asked. “You’re the one who insisted on hurrying up.”

The others all gave him odd looks.

“Sorry,” he said as he climbed onto Astra’s back. “It just hit me that I’m leaving home, really leaving home, for the first time in my life. It’s a lot to take in.”

“I remember when I left for the first time,” Darren said, his tone wistful. “I was so excited back then, that in my haste, I ended up crashing my flying sword into your grandfather.”

He sounded rather proud of that, rather than remorseful. Darian wasn’t sure how to respond, so he didn’t. Instead, he looked around and found Stella watching them from his house. She waved goodbye. He waved back. And then they were off, flying into the sky and away from Mt. Wind Dance. A weight lifted from Darian’s shoulders. His father let out a whoop of joy. It was so infectious, that Darian couldn’t help but join in. The others did as well. Soon they were all crying out and laughing like mad men.

***

The next morning, Astoria pushed her way into Darian’s house. She could already tell through her mind sense that it was empty, save for Darian’s mortal servant, but she wanted to see it with her own eyes. It was a small, ramshackle place, unworthy of her grandson, but the clan had put him here on account of his so-called lack of cultivation. She scowled. Why had Darian insisted on continuing the charade? Why did he pretend to be mortal, even after he became a cultivator? Why all the secrecy?

She knew why Darin had, the fool. It was at that woman’s insistence. Really, she never understood why Clan Wind Dance had given in to so many of the woman’s terms. Yes, that woman had saved Darren’s life and that alone deserved some measure of recompense, but this was taking it too far.

The more Astoria saw of the plain and spartan dwelling, the angrier she grew. If Darin hadn’t insisted, or rather ordered, that she not interfere with Darian’s upbringing, she would have ensured that her grandson lived in a better place than this. She wouldn’t have left him in this…hovel. To her shame, she had.

Astoria entered the kitchen, where Darian’s mortal servant was at work. The woman started when she saw her, and then bowed.

“Mistress Astoria,” the servant said. “You honor me with your presence.”

Astoria eyed the woman, Stella, if she remembered correctly. She never trusted her presence here on Mt. Wind Dance. This Stella had shown up shortly after Darian’s birth. Given her coloring, Astoria had always suspected that she was a spy sent by that woman to keep an eye on Darian. The clan elders agreed with her, at least the ones who knew about the truth of the matter. Of course, that meant they had done everything they could to accommodate this Stella when she had first shown up. Unfortunately, Astoria had been unable to do anything about it then, and it was too late to do anything about it now.

The thought further unraveled Astoria’s already frayed temper. For a moment, she was tempted to take her anger out on Stella, but held back. There were many cultivators who abused their strength, bullying the weak and oppressing mortals. Astoria had never been one of them, and she wouldn’t start now, no matter how tempted she was in the moment.

Stella remained where she was, waiting in silence for Astoria to say or do anything.

“Where is your master?” Astoria demanded. “Where is my grandson?”

The chances of learning anything useful from the woman were low. The clan had already searched Darren’s residence and questioned his servants after receiving his message. They had learned nothing. Darren had just disappeared, leaving for parts unknown. Astoria was the only one who had thought of checking on Darian. As she suspected, her grandson and her son were both missing.

“He left with Master Darren, Mistress Astoria,” Stella said, surprising her.

“Did either of them tell you where they were going?”

Stella shook her head.

“They didn’t say. Young Master Darian only said he was leaving Mt. Wind Dance. I believe he did so in order to train.”

Astoria narrowed her eyes at the servant.

“You know Darian is a cultivator now.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.”

After that, there wasn’t much else to say. Astoria had gotten what she had come here for. While she didn’t know where her son and grandson were, she at least knew they were together. It would have to be enough.

Despite the circumstances, Astoria couldn’t help but feel a little pride in them both. Finally, they were both moving along their respective paths. The two of them had been static for far too long, Darren in particular. It had hurt when he first came back to Mt. Wind Dance, his body and soul battered and broken. As much as she despised that woman, Astoria was grateful that her son was still alive.

“Tell your mistress that I don’t appreciate her meddling in my clan’s affairs,” Astoria said.

Stella just smiled and bowed as Astoria turned around and left.

***

Stella watched as Astoria left Darian’s home. For a moment there, she thought the younger woman would attack her. By the ancestors, how Stella wished that she had. It had been far too long since she had been in a fight, let alone a good fight. Not that Astoria would’ve provided much of a challenge. The difference in power between them was like the difference between an ant and a mountain. Still, it might have proven amusing, especially given how much Astoria despised her, or rather “her mistress”. In the end, however, Astoria managed to keep herself in check. Stella had to give the younger woman credit for her self control, if nothing else.

After Astoria left, Stella continued on with her chores, not that there was much for her to do. The house was now empty save for her. Even when Darian had been in residence, there had been little for her to do, beyond the bare minimum. The boy had focused on training almost to the exclusion of all else, even when it hadn’t had any noticeable effect on his cultivation.

On the one hand, Stella was proud of him for his dedication. On the other hand, he was a young man now. He should’ve been out in the world, sowing his wild oats, getting into fights, and making mistakes. She had at his age, and his father had been the same. When Stella had first seen Darren, he had been running from a man who had caught him in bed with the man’s wife. Darren hadn’t known the woman was married before then, he wasn’t a womanizer, but the scene had been amusing to witness. The memory of it made her chuckle even now.

It was one of the reasons why she had chosen him, if she was being honest with herself.

As Stella continued with her chores, she wondered if she should just retire her current persona and leave Mt. Wind Dance. With Darian gone, there was no reason for her to still be here. That said, he hadn’t left Silverwood Vale yet. When he came back, and she had a feeling he would, she wanted to be here to see him one last time. After that, she would leave.

Of course, she could just drop the act and head over to his secret realm right now. Yet, she was hesitant to do so. She had her reasons for keeping her true identity distant from him. One reason was that she had made several enemies over the centuries, and none of them would hesitate to use Darian against her. Another reason was that Clan Wind Dance’s Immortals had all but forbidden her from setting foot on Mt. Wind Dance as part of the bargain between her and them. While that wouldn’t have stopped her under normal circumstances, she conceded in this case.

It would have been better for her to stay away from him completely, but she had been loath to do so. She hadn’t trusted Clan Wind Dance to raise him right, despite the terms of the bargain between her and them. That, and she had wanted to be there in some capacity during Darian’s formative years. She had even come here with her main body, and had not sent a clone.

Many in her position would’ve waited until after childhood to make contact, but Stella thought that was a mistake. There was something precious about watching a child grow up. She had been here to witness Darian’s first words, his first steps, and several other firsts. Moments like that were treasures, and in the end, she was a greedy woman.

And so she had spent tens of thousands of spirit stones on this disguise. It was so effective, Clan Wind Dance’s Immortals hadn’t detected her, even though she had been living under their noses for almost two decades by this point.

Yes, she would stay for now. Since she had already paid the price, she might as well enjoy the benefits. That included annoying Astoria, the closest thing Stella had ever had to a mother-in-law. Really, that woman needed to relax. Perhaps Stella could send her a bottle of immortal wine. She would even make sure the younger woman knew it came from her. And if Astoria considered the wine an insult and threw it away, well, Stella would still see that as a win.

Cheered by these thoughts, Stella started humming as she continued her work.