As he hurried along the mountain path, the stone steps were already colored orange and purple by the setting sun. Around him, the lanterns hanging from the standing posts came to life one by one as the sect prepared for the coming night.

  "Fuck,” Siu muttered under his breath, genuinely being angry with himself, because if there was something he hated, it was breaking a promise. Doing that, betraying someone, those were the qualities he hated more than anything he could think of... and he just did it.

  “Master, it shouldn't be that big of a problem... It happens!” she muttered, holding onto his head, grabbing onto his hair, trying not to fall off.

  “Yes, it matters, Arya. We never break our words, at least, I don't. If I promise something, I will do it, end of story. If one thing I learned is that despite everything that the world can give us, our word is the only thing that gives it value.”

  "I don't get it..."

  "I can promise you a bowl of meat," he began, only to feel her shiver and her tail hit the back of his neck in excitement, "but in the end, what if I don't give it to you?"

  "Bully..."

  "Exactly. That's why it's essential to keep to what you say and mind your words."

  “Then it’s very important.” She muttered, understanding it way more now than before.

  By then, he was on the path toward the private meditation alcoves, which weren’t far, but it felt like it took him an hour to get there. Then, making him feel even more guilty, at the base of the mountain road, there she was, sitting on a low rock near the trail, her legs tucked beneath her, waiting patiently... Of course, she looked up at him the moment she heard his steps, and without question, her face lit up at once as she stood with one swift move.

  “Siu!”

  "Neya," He stopped short, trying to catch his breath, “Good... You’re… still here.”

  “Of course!” she said cheerfully, no visible or audible anger anywhere in her bodylanguage or in her voice, “I was starting to wonder if you’d show up for breakfast instead,” she added, even cracking a joke, giggling to herself.

  “You waited all day?” Siu asked, feeling not only guilty now but also... ashamed.

  “No, not the entire day, I cultivated for most of the morning,” Neya replied without hesitation, "And don't worry, the afternoon also went by pretty fast,” she said, tilting her head. “I practiced breathing, even out here, which was a nice experiment. Then I watched the clouds and thought about how different the mountain looked as the sun moved towards the west, changing the color of the sky... It was insightful, you know.”

  “You should’ve left,” Siu muttered quietly, shaking his head, “I didn’t mean to—”

  “I know,” she interrupted him at once, “You wouldn’t forget on purpose, so I knew that something had to come up. But then I always told myself I would wait a little longer, because what if you were just about to show up? See? It did work out!”

  “I’m sorry,” he said again, not really knowing what to utter besides it.

  "Enough," She waved it off, “It’s fine! Really. Now... I am hungry though, so... Shall we?"

  “Yes,” Siu nodded at once, “Let's go, I'll pay.”

  "I am not saying no to that!" Neya added with a smile, falling in line next to him, gazing at his face, "I never knew you could look this panicked! Ehehe~!"

  "I am not soulless..." he grumbled, pursing his lips, making Neya laugh again.

  Arriving at the kitchens, the crowds were thinner now, consisting mostly of disciples who were returning from longer training sessions or getting ready for their night duties. As for the choices at the front, they weren't as lavish as at lunchtime, but they weren't bad either.

  “I want that,” Arya immediately perked up on Siu's head as she said it, pointing with her tail at boiled eggs and freshly cooked bacon. “And also that. And maybe three of those...” she added, signaling out the rest of the meat that was being served.

  "I can see that she is hungry, too!" Neya spoke up, seeing Arya do it, receiving big nods from the fox, her saliva landing on Siu's neck.

  “She wants to bankrupt me,” Siu replied, wiping it off, as they got in line with their trays.

  "She is probably in her growth stage!" Neya giggled, finding Arya to be the cutest thing she had ever seen, “And if you want to save some money, we can share our meal. I'm not picky, so you can choose.”

  In the end, they settled on skewers of roasted meat, a bowl of thick vegetable stew, and still-warm flatbread. Of course, Arya got her boiled eggs and bacon, which was more of a breakfast, but the disciples who were doing nightly tasks had just arrived, so it made sense to have them prepared. The trio didn't need to fight for a place this time around as they found a small table near the back, the lantern light casting shadows on it from above. It wasn't a surprise that Arya claimed the center of the table without shame, tapping her tiny paws impatiently, going in circles, waiting for Siu to put her portion down already.

  “This is a good dinner!” she announced, already chewing the moment the plate landed before her. “Mmhm... Master, bacon is the best!”

  Although Neya couldn't understand her, she still smiled at the way she was wolfing it all down, fingers tracing the rim of her bowl.

  “Siu?” she asked, gazing at him, looking serious all of a sudden.

  “Yes?” He looked back at her, his spoon stopping midway to his mouth.

  “I wanted to tell you something.”

  "Okay," He put it down, watching her eyes, feeling that it was something serious. “I'm listening.”

  "I..." She took a breath, saying it without any more hesitation, “I’m going to move out of the dormitory soon.”

  “Really?” Siu asked after a momentary pause, his eyes flashing once as he didn't expect that, but he felt really proud when he heard it.

  "Yes," She nodded, suddenly very relieved, “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Ever since you mentioned it… about independence and all that... About not relying on others too much, getting overdependent, and only waiting for things to happen.” She smiled, becoming a little, “Well, I found a small residence near the eastern training terraces. It’s not fancy, but it’s quiet at night... Okay, at daytime it is not quiet at all, but I will be working anyway, and it's closer to the training routes I’m starting to take, which is good.”

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “How do you feel about it?” Siu asked, seeing her get a bit rambly after she mentioned it, probably because she was becoming conscious of announcing it.

  “A little scared,” she admitted honestly, “But… excited too. I think that’s how it’s supposed to feel... It will be the first time that I'll be alone, completely.”

  "It will become easy, you'll see." He nodded, smiling, and continued eating, looking visibly happy.

  "I guess," she chuckled, also raising her spoon, "Which only leaves you... huh? Funny!"

  “Now, that you mention it,” Siu laughed with her, nodding his head, "It is ironic. But it's only for a little while, because I do plan to move, too.

  “Really? When? Where?”

  “I don't know the concrete details yet.” He exhaled, the decision settling into place as soon as it was spoken, especially if he needed to prepare for that damned hunting expedition. It was best if nobody found out what kind of beast he is looking to tackle... “I'll have to look for one.”

  "Master," Arya tilted her head, half of her mouth filled with a whole egg, “Does this mean a bigger place for me?”

  “Potentially,” Siu said, not wanting to get into the details, "I'll tell you the moment I know."

  “Thank you!” Neya beamed at him, genuinely delighted, “It feels like… we’re growing up! Ehehehe!”

  “Yes,” Siu agreed softly, his eyes wandering towards the food they were eating, and for some reason... He began to miss his parents very much. He didn't know why, but... suddenly the feeling just struck him, only for it to vanish just as quickly as it appeared, yet still making him mutter a few words, “It does indeed...”

  ...

  ....

  ......

  The following morning was surprisingly cold. Or maybe it just felt like it, because Siu's mind was stuck on the Icecrown Stag, even having a dream about it chasing him around the forest. Taking it as a sign, he had left to find Rinmei, finally setting a meeting with her at the edge of a narrow overlook above the forest, where, to his surprise, she was painting an image of the scenery before her.

  "Nice painting," Arya shifted on his shoulder as he approached, her ears twitching while noticing the contrasted, colorful hues Rinmei was using.

  “What is it?” the woman asked, not even looking at Siu as he approached, dipping her brush and drawing another tree with one swift motion of her hand.

  “I wanted to know more before we go out and kill ourselves,” Siu replied, stopping a respectful distance away.

  "Really?" That stinging opening did earn him a glance, making Rinmei lower the brush and turn around, “You’re the only one who would do that,” she declared firmly, “With that attitude.”

  “I won’t waste your time,” Siu continued without flinching, “I read the texts, and you are trying to tackle something that is out of our league. No matter, I said I'm in, so I'm in. But if we’re going to succeed, everyone needs to work together... That means understanding what each of us can do, and what we can’t... And as the latest addition, I don't know what all of you can do."

  “True,” she said simply. “That’s why I agreed to meet you now.” She shifted slightly, angling her body so they were facing the valley together rather than each other, picking her brush back up. "I can't tell you everything as we all have our secrets, but I can tell you what all of us bring to the table. The core of the team, that is. Is that enough?"

  “Yes.”

  “For starters, all six of us are late-stage Marrow Cleansing,” she began explaining while she kept adding details to the trees she drew before, “None of us has crossed into Blood Resonance yet, though... I hope you are aware of the basics.”

  “Of course,” Siu said, rolling his eyes, "Bone Tempering, Marrow Cleansing, Blood Resonance, Flesh Morphing, and Elemental Awakening to step into the Second Circle. I don't think any of the disciples would be stupid enough to not know this."

  “Exactly,” Rinmei replied, smiling a little, “Then I hope you also know that most, if not all, inner disciples are at least in the blood resonance stage.”

  "As expected." Siu nodded, not arguing, "But not all of the blood resonance disciples are Inner Disciples..."

  "Exactly." She smiled, adding a cloud to her painting, “I’ll start with myself next. My strength isn’t raw power; it's more about control. I have extensive anatomical knowledge, including bones, organs, blood flow, and all the things that make people tick. If I fight, I usually don't aim to kill; my forte is more about disabling my opponents. Cut the tendons, fracture the joints, and disable nerve clusters.”

  “And healing?” Siu asked, "You said you were our... healer."

  “If I can break it,” she said, glancing at him with one eye and with a smirk, “I can put it back together, too. Well, in this case, I can accelerate what the body is already trying to do. I have enough strength in me to stop bleeding, force clotting, reduce shock, dissipate pain, and make you survive until we can get back.”

  “Mhm... But I also guess this is not something you can do for all twelve of us.” Siu said quietly.

  “No, I can't,” Rinmei agreed without hesitation, “Which is why I don’t do it lightly. Overuse can cause internal damage or worsen the injury... I can save lives when it counts, that's the important part, but I can't save people from death, inflicted by stupidity.”

  "Nobody can." He added, shaking his head, "And why are you the leader?”

  "Rude," She chortled, “Because I found the stag, it is that easy. I know which it is and where it is,” she continued, turning to him fully while explaining. “For two years,” she went on, “I’ve tracked the same one, and I had marked it. I located its territory, know its movements, and where it spends its winters. I know which one will transform... and nobody else does.”

  “And if others hunt it down before winter?” Siu asked, furrowing his brows.

  “Yes, that risk is there, but I put... preventive measures in place. If it happens, we are just unlucky, that's all.”

  “You’re confident we can take it?”

  “Yes, but I am not saying we won't suffer injuries.” She smiled, "Or even deaths. Nobody can complain about it either, we are cultivators, if we were to be grown as sheltered plants, the Hollow Song wouldn't be as powerful as it is."

  "I am not afraid of that, I am simply afraid of everyone dying."

  "I don't see that as a possibility," She replied, shaking her head, "For example, Harrik from Stone Ward, is our defensive specialist. His bones are reinforced to almost an unmovable level. He will be able to hold the stag down.”

  “He doesn’t like me,” Siu warned her, but she waved it away.

  “He doesn’t like anybody,” Rinmei snorted, not wanting to get too deep into it, “But he will do his job, because he is a greedy bastard. Then, as for Kae’Lin from the Ember Circle will be our main damage dealer. Her affinity was also already measured as fire-based, just as Nue's. Those two will be the ones who put on the pressure, forcing the beast to move in a way we can control the battlefield."

  "..." listening, at least Siu could agree that they indeed had a good team coming together, with everyone bringing in an extra helper, to support their own tasks... which probably meant he would have to be on the attacking front, just like Nue.

  “Ryn,” Rinmei continued, “Is a very talented scout with one of the best awarenesses we can ask for. If Ryn says retreat, we retreat, no debate about it, not even from me... And now with your fox, she could do her job even better to keep an eye out and make sure our battle won't drag in something else from the forest.”

  At that, Siu was no longer as sure about being sent to the front lines... Will his job be to secure the battlefield from external risks?

  “Jarek,” Rinmei said next, not waiting for his thoughts to settle, “Is a kind of breaker. We expect the stag to go on the defensive if it realizes we have cornered it. That's when he comes into play to break it, because when he enters a berserk state, he loses fine discrimination. You never stand between him and a target, understood? He will break down whatever method the beast may use, and I will drag his mind back to the present; leave that to me.”

  "All is well... On paper." He finally spoke up, letting out a breath, "So, what about me?"

  "You’re just an extra hand to secure our kill, to be honest with you,” Rinmei said calmly, “You are not a core member, so it's... okay. You will do what Nue tells you to, or what any of the others tells you, depending on the situation. You and the other five are coming along, so we, the core, can do our job. Still, mostly, you’ll operate in a support role like the other additions,” Rinmei continued, biting on the end of her brush.

  “If Nue has the option, she may send me to my death,” Siu said, and he was serious about it.

  “She won't dare to sabotage our hunt,” Rinmei answered quietly, “This is too big, even for someone as wild as she is. Anyone who dares to work against us... will have no future in the sect... Believe me when I say it."

  "I do," Siu nodded, finally standing up, putting his hand behind his back, watching the forest, where, somewhere, deep within, their future prey, right now, frolicked within it, unaware of being marked for death. "And I also trust my own instincts."

  "Didn't know that behind all those rumors I heard about you, lies an actual coward..."

  "..." Siu didn't answer her, even if Arya, on the top of his head, exclaimed a word that almost made him laugh. In the end, he just turned around, deciding he'd heard enough, and left, while Rinmei didn't try to stop or talk to him again, more focused on her painting instead.

  "Master, she is a bully!" Arya spoke again when they were already away, "You are not a coward!"

  "It doesn't matter what they think," He answered out loud, categorizing in his mind everything that he had learned just now, "Come... we need to train. Winter is not that far away, and I don't intend to risk my life for nothing."