Micro led his friends through the muddy woods around the base of the mountain, making his way toward the alleged source of chaos energy. It wasn’t long before Blue was also certain of its presence nearby.

  “I did think it was weird, not sensing any chaos recently,” Blue said as she flew above Micro, Arbur, Kolt, and Kira. “There were lots of magicians in that other town I set on fire.”

  “Maybe they all hid somewhere after the summoning like we did,” Micro said. “There were some strong cultivators around after that.”

  “Master Lena said that cultivators were complacent about magicians, because they are weak on their own,” Kira added. “But when they increase in number, they get surprisingly dangerous.”

  “Like bees?” Kolt asked.

  “Shut up, Kolt…” Kira said with an embarrassed look.

  “I’d rather deal with bees. Chaos energy is pretty unpleasant to deal with,” Blue said with a shrug. “Cultivators sure got what they asked for, eh? Oh, there are a lot of them over there.”

  “Stop here, everyone,” Micro announced. Blue and Micro could both sense a large number of people in the woods far ahead of them. Though there were no cultivators, it felt like they were approaching a fog of strange energies.

  “There are hundreds of them, but I can’t see them clearly,” Blue said.

  “We need to stop them, no matter how many there are,” Micro replied. However, Kolt, Kira, and Arbur suddenly ran in front of Micro with their hands extended.

  “Master, don’t you think—” Arbur whispered, but he awkwardly trailed off as he met Micro’s gaze. “That is, I’m sorry to say…”

  “What’s wrong?” Micro asked.

  “You said there are hundreds of magicians?” Kira asked in Arbur’s stead, with a worried expression of her own. “And you can’t tell how strong they are from here, right?”

  “That’s right,” Micro replied with a nod. “And they could be doing something very dangerous.”

  “But, what I think we all want to say is…” Kira continued, but she also seemed to have a hard time articulating her concern.

  “Why is that our problem?” Kolt blurted out. “There are people from the empire who deal with that kind of stuff.”

  “But the town could be in danger,” Micro said with an eyebrow raised. “We just have to break the statues Ember made for them, and then they won’t be able to summon anything dangerous.”

  “And what if they don’t like you barging in and breaking their stuff?” Kolt asked. “How are you going to deal with that?”

  “We are marching into a situation with very little knowledge at our disposal, Master Micro,” Arbur added humbly. “I will follow you, but if we might exercise some caution…”

  “I’m missing a sign somewhere…!” Micro suddenly said with a loud voice. “Give me a second, I’ll try and figure it out…”

  Arbur simply stared at Micro, waiting for clarification as he slipped into a state of meditation. Kira and Kolt waited beside him with equally pale faces. Micro spent several minutes considering his current situation and what events led up to it. In the past, he had frequently relied on Lena, Blue, Feng, and others to make up for his lack of knowledge and awareness in a variety of complicated situations, but he was now in charge of the three young people in front of him. He opened his eyes and looked at the ominous energy ahead of them, then looked back at Kira, Kolt, and Arbur. He then looked up at Blue, and she nodded.

  “I think you’ve just developed a nasty habit of poking your nose in trouble,” Blue said. “I’m always up for messing with some cultivators or ruining a magician’s day, but I have a feeling you haven’t thought it through yet.”

  “A habit…” Micro nodded slowly with a deep frown. “That’s a very human thing to have, isn’t it…?”

  “You are strong, master,” Kira said softly. “But we never know when we’ll meet someone, or something, stronger than you.”

  “You’re right,” Micro replied with a conflicted expression. He frowned as he considered his feelings toward the matter more carefully. “It’s better to drive around danger, not directly into it…”

  “You’ve developed a few odd habits since you wound up here,” Blue smirked, but she looked content to follow his lead. “I can take or leave a fight right about now.”

  “We’ll figure out what to do after we talk to Kel. It might involve his cousin after all,” Micro decided. “No detours today.”

  ~

  Micro’s friends sighed in relief as they changed their course, turning away from the ominous energies of the magicians, and headed north toward the Fire Mountain Turtle Sect. Blue assured Micro that anything the magicians might do in their absence would be easy to sense from quite far away, so the air of the group slowly returned to its usual state. The three young disciples discussed the differences between various sects, and Blue quickly fell asleep on Micro’s shoulder. Micro had grown accustomed to carving a trail through the woods as they walked, but he did his best not to complain about the condition of the ground they ran on. Though he was able to run much faster than his three disciples on flat ground, Micro still had trouble keeping up with their pace while running through the woods. Arbur was particularly agile, having trained in the woods for much of his life. Kolt was also confident in his balance, but Kira’s movements were notably graceful in comparison.

  “Can we stop to eat something?” Kolt was the first to speak after the group had run straight into the evening.

  “You’ll regret filling up before we get there,” Blue replied, waking up quickly at the mention of food.

  “They have good food there?” Kolt asked. “I thought cultivators just ate old roots and weird pills.”

  “Where did you hear that?” Arbur asked with gasp, appearing to be slightly offended.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “I heard they also drink too much,” Kolt added.

  “That…” Arbur gasped, but he was left speechless by the claim.

  “You might never want to leave after your first meal there,” Blue continued. She licked her lips and kicked off of Micro’s shoulder to fly ahead of the group. “Of all the things I’ve stolen, I can’t believe I never stole a bowl of that fried beef before!”

  “It really is good,” Micro added. Despite his worries, his mood was improving as he thought of meeting Kel and his friends again.

  ~

  The time went by quickly as they ran north. The snow also grew deeper the farther they ran through the woods and hills. Eventually, the familiar scenery of the Fire Mountain Turtle Sect’s territory, several mountains surrounded by vast plains, though it was the first time Micro had seen it covered in snow.

  “A lot has happened since last time we were here,” Micro said quietly as he took in the beautiful scenery.

  “Really? When?” Blue tilted her head as she stared at a cloud.

  “Everything with Lena, and the summonings, making new friends…” Micro began to explain.

  “Oh, right—” Blue laughed. “I guess that’s a lot. Wait…”

  “Humans don’t live long enough to get used to anything…” Trill spoke up for the first time in a while. He stretched his arms as he crawled out of Kolt’s pocket and stood on Kolt’s head. He then looked at Blue with a worried frown. “More fun on the way now anyways…”

  “You feel that to, eh?” Blue asked him.

  “What’s wrong?” Micro asked,

  “Hard to explain it…” Blue replied sombrely, then landed on Micro’s shoulder. “And I can’t sense it as well as I used to. But it’s clear that fate just shifted.”

  “Fate?” Kira asked.

  “You mean the wind?” Kolt added.

  “It does feel a bit like wind, but fate only moves like this for one reason these days…” Blue explained with a sour tone.

  “There are fairies on that mountain,” Trill concluded, pointing toward the location of Kel’s sect with his eyes glowing brightly. “I’d rather deal with those magicians right now, but I’m pretty sure the fairies can already see us from there.”

  “Should we turn around?” Micro asked.

  “I know that fairies and pixies were enemies once, but would Blue or Trill have something to fear should they meet?” Arbur asked. “I believe the war has been over for generations.”

  “Blue is special—” Micro replied.

  “Stop it!” Blue shushed him. “Let’s just say things didn’t exactly end between them and me…”

  “I see,” Arbur said. “So there is reason to worry…?”

  “There’s nothing to worry about as long as we’re here, mostly likely.” Blue shrugged. “I remember something neutrality within a recognized sect, interference penalties, something else…”

  “They can’t pick a fight if it bothers local cultivators,” Trill clarified. “They swore as much on the hill of fate.”

  “Hill of fate?” Kira asked. “That sounds like an interesting place.”

  “That’s what the whole war was—” Trill began to reply, but he stopped himself and laughed bitterly. “Forget about it. None of your business.”

  ~

  Micro had told Arbur, Kolt, and Kira about his previous encounter with fairies around a campfire once or twice, but the group was nervous about visiting Kel’s sect while it hosted such powerful beings. On the other hand, Micro was growing increasingly excited to meet Kel and his loyal attendants again. The villages scattered around the base of the mountains were quiet to the point of seeming uninhabited, and the bumpy roads weren’t even visible beneath a layer of undisturbed snow. Aside from the smoke rising from many houses’ hearths, only the cattle, huddled together in fields and near barns, seemed to provide any sense of life to the territory.

  “Nice place,” Kolt scoffed. “I thought people lived better near sects.”

  “Winter must have come early,” Kira suggested. “I bet all this place needs is some roads. Right, master?”

  “Or a better sect,” Kolt scoffed.

  “I’ll ask Kel about that too… There are still a lot of things I don’t understand about my own world, but this one is even more complicated.” He looked around the poor village, catching sight of several young men working in the distance, then looked up at the intimidating mountain before them, where large and elaborate stone structures were visible. Though Micro had come to understand that cultivation and power were popular ways to improve one’s life on this world, he didn’t understand why so many people lived so poorly. “Poverty isn’t unheard of on my world. But seeing this sort of thing with my own eye is different…”

  “The mundane are—” Arbur began to explain, but he stopped after noting Micro’s reaction. “Excuse me…”

  “I know…” Micro sighed. “Let’s hurry.”

  ~

  Micro and his friends passed several disciples of the Fire Mountain Turtle Sect on their way up the mountain. While few of them recognized Micro in his new attire, and several even tried to stop him, everybody recognized Blue, and word spread quickly around the mountain. By the time Micro arrived at the gate to Kel’s sect, there was already a nervous crowd gathering in the courtyard to greet him and his party with suspicious stares. However, Micro soon found a warmer welcome.

  “Master Micro!” Kel burst out from the crowd with a wide grin. “I wasn’t sure which rumours to believe, but I am pleased to see you in one piece!”

  “Thanks, Kel!” Micro waved back before being lifted off the ground by Kel’s embrace. “How—how have you been?”

  “There is much to discuss, my friend!” Kel shouted, setting Micro back down. Kel’s eyes glowed as he looked around at Micro’s friends, then paused as they passed over Micro. “Why am I not surprised? How shameful that I was about to brag to you about my recent enlightenment, but you have already crafted your own amber core. Incredible, master!”

  “I don’t see your friends anywhere,” Micro said while looking around at the crowd. Whispers and gasps could be heard among the gathering crowd at the mention of Micro’s core, but Kel ignored them as he gave Micro his full attention. “Are they alright? I heard about your grandfather. I’m—”

  “My attendants have begun to train independently, now that I have finally ascended to the next stage of cultivation. All but Tae, that is…” Kel explained. “She has been rather…”

  “What happened to Tae?” Micro asked worriedly.

  “Well, she was the first to cultivate an Amber core, you see? She did so several days before I did, and I was only able to do so with the assistance of my grandfather. She will return after things have calmed down here…” Kel explained with a conflicted expression. “So much has changed…”

  “What do you—” Before Micro could ask for clarification, Arbur leaned forward and whispered to him.

  “Should an attendant surpass the heir of their master, it is expected that they usurp the young master’s position at once, as it would greatly destabilize the hierarchy of the sect,” Arbur explained. “It simply means she is resting somewhere while the young master before us firmly establishes his position as the head of his sect.”

  “She must be tired,” Micro added, confident that he understood most of what he’d heard. “Well, a holiday is good now and then!”

  “Though my grandfather’s passing has hastened my path to becoming the head of this sect, I have delayed my ascension to that position for the time being,” Kel said. “Until I have truly proven my abilities to the loyal disciples of this sect, the council of elders will oversee sect operations.”

  “So, you’re not actually the boss yet?” Micro asked. “What more do you have to prove?”

  “As I have confirmed recently, my current fortune is more than fate would normally allow. My strength is a result of both my grandfather’s noble sacrifice and your immeasurable assistance, Master Micro,” Kel continued. “Until I prove that this strength is not just a decoration, placed here through the kindness of others, I shall not assert my own authority. I have resolved to face whatever challenge I can find in this world, no longer to cultivate in the comfort and safety of my home.”

  “Okay, that’s great,” Micro nodded, his good eye beginning to glaze over.

  “Forgive my rambling, master!” Kel said loudly with a quick bow. “My petty concerns must seem infinitely small to you!”

  “Do you have time for lunch before your big adventure?” Micro asked. “We actually have a few things we wanted to ask you about.”

  “I forget myself!” Kel shouted merrily, gesturing to some of the people nearest to him. “An honoured guest awaits a proper welcome, and he has a strong appetite for our sect’s most famous dish!”