Stormy Mountain Sect Chapter 1

*** AUTHOR'S NOTE ***

This story will be Patreon only for a while. I'm only writing it in tiny chunks, so there won't be many chapters coming quickly, but no one not a Patreon will get to read it at all. Additionally, there will be occasional polls where I ask you all something. One will pop up shortly. 

*** AUTHOR'S NOTE ***

The sky was only hinting at the coming sunrise when I left our house to start on my chores. Two buckets of slop dumped into the pig trough, chickens let out of their nighttime hutch, then all three cows were milked and fed. Once there was enough light to see by, I walked the rows of our farm, pulling any weeds I found. I rushed, too excited to pay as much attention as I should, daydreaming about the afternoon’s test.

“You missed the last dozen weeds,” Samara said from behind me.

“You were just as airheaded last year on testing day,” I told my older sister teasingly. “Did you finish weeding the vegetable garden”

“Yes I did. Come on, we can finish weeding the corn rows tomorrow,” Samara said. “Summer and mom should be done with breakfast. We’ll have to leave fairly soon thereafter to be on time. Even if we know it is a formality.”

“Just because you were only talent three doesn’t mean I won’t be a four or five,” I said testily. “Just you watch. I’ll come back from the test a five with a Wood affinity and apprentice under Mayor Sandberg. Then I’ll be able to grow our crops faster, and we can finally hire some help. Maybe we’ll even be able to afford getting mom healed.”

Samara looked sad for a bit, my beautiful sister contemplating her lack of talent and the sadness it brought mom. “You know Breton Merchant has been asking after me.”

“Yeah, but he’s a jerk and a creep, sis,” I said. “He’s twenty years older than you. We’re not whoring you out to save the farm. Mom and I agreed on that. We’d rather sell everything and start over in a new village than have you take that burden on.”

She got tears in her eyes, as she did every time this came up. “I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to refuse without it coming back on you,” she said.

“Just you wait,” I stepped over and gave her a sweaty, dirt-stained hug. “This afternoon, our fate will change. I can feel it.”

We finished the row we were on, knowing we had a couple of days before the next Qi Enhancement from Mayor Sandberg. We weren’t important enough, yet, to have him apply his Qi to our field every day. Hopefully soon, I thought, then we can afford better things. After pulling the last weed, my bag full and ready for the compost pile, I tagged Samara and took off, yelling over my shoulder, “Race you!”

The sixteen year old girl grinned, then sprinted past me. Even with only talent three, she’d already broken through the Skin Refinement stage and started on Muscle Refinement, her Qi making her tougher and stronger. Even with my head start, she easily passed me before we reached the compost pile. I dumped my bag in after she did, then grabbed the massive paddle we’d set and stirred the new refuse into it.

The Qi from the forest nearby made our crops, and everyone in the village’s crops, grow faster, but it was an equal opportunity enhancement. So we had to curtail weeds routinely, turning the extra growth into new fertilizer, when combined with the waste of the cows, pigs, and people on our little farm. My mom was partially crippled, barely able to help around the house after a spirit beast attack. The same attack took my father’s life, but provided a beast core worth enough that we were able to pay our taxes ahead for twenty years.

There were still eighteen years of that grace, but that didn’t stop several merchant groups from hounding us in the hopes of getting our massive farm for copper on the gold. The Ping An merchant clan took great delight in offering us loans to pay for whatever we needed, knowing that we’d have trouble paying back the terms. Mom had so far held out against all the pressure, mostly because Samara and I were pretty good hunters, at least for our level. Bringing the occasional rabbit or deer back to supplement our vegetable garden and stores of corn and wheat kept us from starving, though last winter was leaner than we wanted.

Samara and I stopped at the water barrel set next to our front door, quickly using a rag to scrub off at least the top layer of dirt and sweat from our chores. Little Summer was setting our best copper plates on the table, her strawberry blonde hair falling into her eyes. She hated tying it into a ponytail. “Marc, Sam!” she exclaimed. “Mom’s making blueberry pancakes!”

“Ooh,” I said with a grin. Summer was only eight, and she was always excited about something. The rest of the family had taken on an unspoken rule to not put a damper on her enthusiasm, with it serving as a counterpoint to Mom’s depression. “What can we do to help?”

“Just sit down!” Mom yelled through the kitchen doorway.

“At least let me help with the plate,” Samara said, moving into the kitchen. “Marc, sit. It’s your big day.”

Samara and mom came out of the kitchen only a minute later. Mom was holding a jug of mango juice, a small grove of mango trees growing only a quarter-mile into the forest. Her blonde hair covered the left side of her face, hiding the scars the beast’s had carved into it. She limped over to the table and carefully set the pitcher down. “Marc, honey, are you ready for today?” she asked.

I nodded excitedly. “I can’t wait, mom,” I said. “I can feel it. I’m going to have a high talent and get to be Mayor Sandberg’s apprentice. Then we’ll be able to get help and expand our farm, and we’ll be able to afford a cultivation manual for Samara’s (rare affinity).”

“You certainly dream big, dear,” Mom laughed. “May it be so.”

After breakfast I took the plates and scrubbed them clean before hauling the dish tray outside and dumping it. A quick glance at our drinking barrel showed we had enough water for another day, but I’d have to make a run tomorrow to the river that cut through the village, and the province.

“Make sure to wash up!” Mom yelled through the door. “And get out your nice blue tunic.”

“Fine!” I yelled back.

Thirty minutes later, I was dressed up in my nicest tunic and pants, with only one knee patch on it of the same color. I used one of the copper plates to look over myself, trying to straighten my unruly red hair. Samara walked in wearing a blue-green dress that reached her knees, revealing her sleek toned arms from a decade of farm work. Summer’s bright pink dress was dirty at the hem. My sister was always able to find dirt, even in a bathtub! Finally, mom limped out of her room, the only bedroom on the main floor, wearing a dress identical to Samara’s, but fraying at the edges. She held a large comb in her hand. “Come here, let me work on it,” she said, her tone long-suffering.

A few minutes, pulled tangles, and yelps, later my hair was as neat as it was going to get. “Good enough, mom, thanks,” I said brightly.

She looked me over, a wistful smile on her face. “My baby boy, about to become a man. You look so much like your father. He’d be proud of you, you know?”

I nodded, tears in my eyes. I missed my dad, even when I was so angry at him for dying and leaving us in the pit of despair we were in now. I shook my morbid thoughts off, Not today. Today is a good day and will remain so.

We walked into town, crossing the mile of dirt-packed road that connected our farm and the neighboring few others to the center of the village. A large crowd was gathered in the central square, in front of the Mayor’s residence and town hall. A small stage had been set up, and Mayor Sandberg, a tall, solidly built man who appeared to be in his early thirties, stood talking with a slightly shorter, rail thin man dressed in the orange and cream tabard of a King’s Inspector. Beside him was a beautiful, young woman, with slightly tanned skin and wide, expressive eyes. Her dark hair was bound into an intricate braid, and she was wearing a cultivator’s robe in the blue and silver of the Stormy Mountain Sect, the largest Sect in our province and fourth in the kingdom.

“Marc, she’s from the Stormy Mountain,” Summer gasped. “Isn’t she so pretty!”

“Maybe I’ll get lucky, and the Stormy Mountain will take pity on me, accepting me as a menial worker,” I said. “That might be as good for us as an apprenticeship to Mayor Sandberg.”

“We’d never see you again,” mom said sadly.

“Not true,” I said. “I heard that they let all workers visit family at each solstice.”

“Hush now,” mom said as Mayor Sandberg turned to the crowd.

“Welcome, citizens of Sandberg, to the yearly testing of our upcoming youth,” his deep voice boomed across the square. “Today, we have Inspector Crane and a special guest, Outer Sect Elder Li Mei.”

Inspector Crane stepped forward, his voice reedy and echoing, but perfectly audible to every person in the crowd, “I will be testing each of you for your talent and elemental affinities. The Kingdom will offer those of you who desire to join the army, protecting our great nation from the threats outside it, a cultivation manual specifically chosen for you.”

“The Stormy Mountain Sect is recruiting as well,” Elder Li Mei said, her voice light and pleasant. “If you are worthy, we will be offering worker positions within the Sect, enabling your ascent to immortality with hard work and dedication. For a rare few, you may even be offered direct induction into the outer sect.” She paused for a second before continuing on, her face growing hard. “But do not mistake this path as less dangerous than joining the army. All Sects within the kingdom provide soldiers, especially to combat demon incursions.” An almost audible gulp erupted from the crowd. A few older boys who had been slowly pushing forward almost visibly got second thoughts.

“Thank you, sir and madam,” Mayor Sandberg bowed to them, then turned to the rest of us. “Every fifteen year old who has not been tested for their talent and affinity, please step forward and form a line in front of Inspector Crane. If you have been tested already, you may speak with Elder Li Mei or Inspector Crane after the testing.”

Samara gave my arm a squeeze, then pushed me forward. I stumbled to the front of the crowd, joining fifteen other young people my age in a short line. I grinned at Haoyu, one of my few friends in town.

“Fancy seeing you here,” a girl’s voice sounded behind me. I beamed back at Nuan, my heart skipping a beat. We’d been friends for a long time but I’d never gotten up the nerve to tell her how I truly felt. Of course, after the loss of my father and subsequent drop in our standing in the village, her parent’s had tried to drive us apart.

“Well, we are the same age,” I winked at her.

“Step on up, Miss Ling,” Mayor Sandberg said, gesturing broadly. The huge man was always jovial, utterly confident in himself and his power and thus able to find joy in everything he did.

A young girl stood at the front of the line, and marched nervously up the stairs to stand in front of Inspector Crane. She bowed to him, and he nodded imperially back, a slight grin on his face. Gently, he reached forward and placed his right palm on her head, and his left palm just over her heart. A few seconds passed and he stepped backwards. “You have a talent of three,” he said kindly, then pulled a small crystal ball out of his pocket. “Place your hands on either side of this.”

She complied quickly, and then he enveloped her hands in his own. After another few seconds passed, the ball glowed a dull brown color. “You have a good affinity for Earth Qi. That will serve you well,” Inspector Crane said. “The army would do well by you.”

“Thank you, sir,” she bowed to him, her face a mixture of emotions. Her talent was common, but starting with an elemental affinity was good. In all likelihood, I thought, that’s going to be me. Even that much, though, would be okay. I can cultivate and work hard, and with some lucky breaks we’ll be fine. I ground my teeth at that. I don’t want to be fine, though. I don’t want us to continue to eke out a scrabbling existence on the edge of our small town, knowing that one bad winter or spirit beast attack will destroy us. I want to thrive, to give my sisters the opportunity they need to grow, and to find a way to heal mom’s body and spirit.

Four other people had been pulled up while I was lost in introspection. All of them had neutral affinities, which meant they could eventually specialize into whatever they wanted, but it would take extra effort and time. Three had the most common talent value of three, while one had a talent of four. Supposedly, talent values went all the way to ten, but I’d never seen or heard of one higher than a five showing up in our village. Baron Flaherty had a large celebration three years ago when his son was rated as a talent of eight. Come to think of it, I thought, Baron Flaherty’s son might be going to the Sect this year, since he was rated when he was twelve and they don’t allow anyone under fifteen to attend. Of course, he’s probably already a Qi Condensation cultivator by now.

Finally, it was Haoyu’s turn. He stood nervously in front of Inspector Crane, who repeated his actions of putting a hand over head and heart. Almost twenty seconds later, Inspector Crane nodded, beaming. “You have a talent level of five! Remarkable. Mayor Sandberg, your town is growing in capability. Young man, a talent of five in the Kingdom’s Army will bring you immense resources and a faster path to an officer’s commission.”

“Or you may seek out the Stormy Mountain Sect,” Elder Li Mei said. “That talent will guarantee you a spot as a worker with the right to challenge for an Outer Sect position. The next challenge is in two months.”

“First, let us see what affinity you possess,” Inspector Crane said, pulling out the ball yet again. Haoyu put his hands on it as directed, the inspector covered them with his own, and then the ball glowed a fiery red. “Excellent, a Fire affinity, and a fairly strong one at that. An officer’s billet for you, if you wish.”

Haoyu bowed to all the senior people up on the stage, “Thank you, sirs and madam. May I speak with my family before giving an answer?”

“Of course,” Elder Li Mei said, smiling a brilliant smile at him. “We do not need an answer for several hours yet. We will leave for the next village in the morning.”

Mayor Sandberg beamed at Haoyu, then gestured to me. “Marc, step on up son,” he said.

I bowed to him, then walked up the stairs, giving Haoyu a grin and a pumped fist to show I was excited for him. Haoyu beamed back at me while hurrying off the stage, heading for his parents and younger siblings. I tore my eyes off my friend, distracting from my own nervousness, and stopped in front of Inspector Crane. I gave him a deep bow, then waited as his hands touched my head and chest. His hand was warm, and a tingling energy flowed out of the one near my heart. The energy flowed into a spot just above my solar plexus, where I felt something almost grab ahold of it. From there, a tiny piece fell into me, and then the rest spiraled up through my neck and head to his other hand.

He repeated the cycle a few times, growing more excited with each one. He beamed at me, then turned to Mayor Sandberg. “I do not know what you are feeding your people, but we must share it with the kingdom! This young man has a talent of seven! Son, you have the highest talent I have yet to discover this year.” He continued to talk, but my brain just kind of shut down. He noticed after only a few words, then shook his head. “Come, first let us check your affinity, and give you time to process. Elder Li Wei and I will make time to speak with you later this evening, during the celebratory feast.”

The little ball appeared in front of me, my perceptions still stuttering about. I was in shock, elated and surprised and terrified by the intensity of the gazes from Inspector Crane, Elder Li Wei, Mayor Sandberg, and the crowd. My hands cupped the ball. It was surprisingly warm, not cold like I expected. Inspector Crane’s hands covered mine, and the same energy flowed out of his hands into mine, mingling with something it found in each palm, and then into the ball. A bright, startling green color flashed out, and then a deeper green the color of an oak leaf shined as well. The two colors alternated every second.

“Remarkable,” Elder Li Wei whispered, staring at the ball with wide eyes.

“Two affinities,” Inspector Crane announced, glee in his voice. “A very strong Wood affinity, and an affinity for a subaspect of Wood as well.”

“Growth, I think,” Elder Li Wei said. “I have heard that it is a subaspect of Wood.”

“Well,” Inspector Crane suddenly looked a little disappointed. “The army would love to sponsor you.”

“But you would be best served by coming to the Stormy Mountain Sect, where you will be eligible to immediately attempt to enter the outer sect,” Elder Li Wei said.

I bowed to them both. “I thank you both for your kind words,” I managed to say.“I would speak with my family before deciding anything, and am honored and humbled to hear your praise.”

“Of course. We will speak with you in two hours, be ready,” Inspector Crane said. I stumbled off the stage, managing a weak grin at Nuan. She winked at me, her dark eyes flashing, then climbed up the stairs to get inspected by Inspector Crane.

By the time I’d stumbled to my mom’s and sisters’ sides, I heard Inspector Crane gasp out, “And another remarkable talent of six!” I turned, the joy for my friend overcoming the shock of my dreams coming wildly true. I saw her hands gripping the affinity ball, only for it to glow brightly red. “And a strong fire affinity. Excellent for both the battlefield and the forge.”

Everyone else ended up a talent of three or four, but Mayor Sandberg’s face had a permanent smile on it. “The village is rewarded for every high talent,” mom said from my side. “As will Mayor Sandberg. Come on, let’s grab something to eat and celebrate. My boy is going to the Storm Mountain Sect!”