The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

"I never imagined Great Primaere to speak with a low-realm human. It's worth living this long to see such unexpected events." Almos chortled. "Where are you going, Ness?"

Ness ignored the squeals of the damnable boar and flew toward her offspring, the one who betrayed her words, Ruvin. "Child. Ruvin. Do you regret your decision? What if I smote you down here and now for going against me?"

"If that is Great Mother's will, then I will still fight for my life. I saw the potential within the outsider. I still can't stop trembling. After he came out of the waters, I saw a great foe. He is sure to be my rival." Ruvin answered so plainly without a hint of remorse in his tone.

Ness wondered why her favored child had to be such a strange one. But scolding him wasn't the answer, nor was it right to do so. The human evolving from the pool was a clear declaration from the Ancients. As much as it frustrated her, she had no power in this decision. She snapped her beak at Ruvin, seeing him tremble but stay in his spot. "Then become stronger so you won't eat the soil of the earth as a result of your decision. Show me the pride of the Yatscrow by maintaining your superiority over the Prielapos and the human."

"Yes! Great Mother!" Ruvin bowed his head deeply. Ness shook her head and flew into the air. As a mother, she only wanted what was best for her children. Since Ruvin had made his decision with such conviction, she could only watch how he dealt with the consequences.

…….

Following his question, Oscar lowered his head further and gulped, sweat covering his back. Still, he felt the Phoenix Primaere, Solara's, eyes burning holes into him. Surrounding him all over, the rainbow flames inflamed and dampened, surged and diminished, matching the soft breathing from the powerful existence.

"You possess a Blood Transmutation with Prielapos, my fellow mythical counterpart. You entered the Lands of Zeret with the blessing of the Ancients. You evolved in the Pools of Ascension. By all rights, you are partly beast, one of us. Unlike Ness, who can often be shortsighted due to her past, I will not be biased and respect the call of the Ancients." Solara sounded amused. "Your lives will be spared. About your release, that is up to what you tell me. Dear children, you may speak now."

Relief numbed his brain. The grace of a Primaere had secured his life. Though he kept his suspicions within his heart about whether or not Solara would keep her word, Oscar believed her pride as a mythical beast and a Primaere was a good reassurance. Lifting his head, Oscar first spoke of crossing by Xures on his way out of Shattirma, facing the waves sent by Okeanes, and finally meeting Metures in the deep pit.

"Metures…the Ancient of Metal spoke with you?" Solara's fingers curled slightly, a small action that Oscar barely caught. It seemed even a Primaere found themselves concerned with the actions of an Ancient. Solara vanished and reappeared right before Oscar, cupping his chin and tilting his head upward. Her rainbow stare was unblinking as her hand turned him from right to left. "A candidate? A candidate…for what? Has the Ancient said anything else?"

"He never said. I only received the instructions to meet him in the Fallen Heavens. That is all." Oscar waited for Solara's response. She could end his life with a single flick of her finger; Oscar knew that for certain. The silence continued as the breeze flew by. In the end, she let go of his chin and retreated her hand into her rainbow sleeves.

"So a candidate, and from your words, they've selected some throughout the years. I wonder how many candidates there were and are up to now. How interesting….You and your friends are free to leave these lands. It is foolhardy to cross the path of the Ancients, for they are Talos itself. Everything must run its course." Solara's body started to flake into embers. Bit by bit, her visage dwindled until nothing but motes and flickers of flame remained. Her voice, returning to the uncomfortable otherworldly tone, echoed through the air. "Hons will direct you to the closest way to your destination. I hope you can live up to the Ancient's expectations."

The last echoes of her voice faded away, lifting all the pressure and discomfort from Oscar and the others. Standing up, Oscar went over to Avril with a troubled expression. She raised her head, met his eyes, and sighed, only furthering his worry.

"The mistress is a candidate? Why would someone like her ever be regarded by the Ancients…." Avril's face was complicated, half covered in a frosty chill and the other warped by grief, lines of sorrow creasing across. Her vibrant golden eyes, once bright and giddy, dimmed, flickering with grief and anger. "Why her? Why her? Why her?" Avril bit her lip, bleeding onto the nest. She shouted, her eyes glinting coldly, "She doesn't deserve to be anything!"

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"Avril. Avril." Oscar and Erden approached with caution. In this emotional state, Avril could be set off by anything. Crouching beside her, Oscar grabbed a handkerchief and wiped her blood-ridden lips. "Metures said candidates come and go. Some are taken off consideration, like Elder Saul, and others probably died before they could fulfill the requirements. I promise this, if I ever meet this mistress of yours, I will never let her have her way. I'll kill her." A dense killing intent flashed across his pupils, filling the air with his malice.

Avril stayed silent, taking the handkerchief from Oscar's hand and wiping the rest of the blood off. Her shoulder trembled, and loud and crazed laughter rang from her lips. She laughed hysterically with her wide eyes and constricted pupils, holding her stomach, not in a comforting way. Her harrowing display worried Oscar, who caught a glimpse of the true madness within Avril. Despite her claims of being better, she had never progressed after her encounter with Old Yule, saying she needed to take it step by step. Rather, she seemed to have regressed. Oscar cursed how Avril seemed to take two steps back after one step forward, always stuck in a quagmire of her trauma.

Unable to think of anything else, Oscar cupped her ears as she had done for him, speaking softly. "Page one of the Collection of Short Stories…." At night, whenever Avril wanted to read together, he took the necessary steps to make sure it was always a good, happy, and relaxing time. Taking a page from the book on ills of the mind, he had done this nearly every night for the past few years to associate reading as a happy place for her. It read that doing so might create a series of actions to help calm her episodes. With the combination of his hands over her ears and him reading the stories, Oscar relaxed slightly. Her labored breathing began to recover, and her eyes closed in a deep sleep.

Holding her in his arms, Oscar flew up from the tree and entered back into the trunk. He entered the chamber set out for him, and placed Avril on the bed. Mentioning the mistress had a far more devastating effect than anything else. Oscar noted in his memories to be very careful around that topic.

"You said you would kill the mistress, but she's part of a Primaere faction and a central figure as well," Erden grunted. "A nice challenge for the two of us."

'Three of us. I wonder how such a person would try to strike fear into me.' Demon spoke from within.

"Four. Four of us." Oscar placed a blanket over Avril. "I believe in her. She'll fight with us if the time ever comes. Forget about a potential fight for now. Let's focus on what else we need here."

Oscar exited the chamber, leaving Erden behind to watch over Avril. Passing through the winding tunnels, he arrived at Hons' abode, the dense forest greeting him with its blue swaying. Sounds and roars broke past the trees, hostility rising with the crunching of branches and grass. Several primates leaped around and surrounded him. Oscar knelt on the soft ground, unafraid of the drooling beasts.

"You seem eager. Is it the golden sap you are here for?" Several hours later, Hons dove down, landing with a soft thud. He asked with a rushed tone. "How was the Great Primaere? She has informed me about letting you go in the best direction for you to return home."

"Her power was incomprehensible. Nothing made sense around her." Oscar said plainly.

"Indeed. Primaeres are so far above us. I am still so far from them." Hons grumbled. He tossed a leaf-wrapped bundle into Oscar's hands. "In there is the golden sap for Marshal Exalts. Find a good alchemist to process it, and you'll get your medicine for her."

"Thank you." Oscar bowed and stood up. "I recall another promise made, one to Ruvin. Is he around for a rematch against Erden?"

"Ah. Young Ruvin. Quite bold to go against Ness like that. But she loves her children more than she hates humans. Don't despise her for trying to impede you. She's had a rough life. For young Ruvin, Ness sent him to train in the Thousand Peaks. He wanted to fight against Erden again, but she forced him away. Your rematch will have to be put on hold." Hons let out deep laughter. "You've only been here for around two weeks. How did you enjoy the Lands of Zeret?"

"Enjoy? I didn't see much other than the Pools of Ascension and this tree." Oscar smiled.

"No? Well, if you find an opportunity, come back and enjoy. This is an offer not made to humans. You're the first. Consider yourself lucky." Hons turned around, his broad back facing Oscar. "Now get some sleep. Tomorrow I will send you on your way." He vanished from sight.

…….

The next day, Oscar went outside with Avril and Erden. He glanced over at Avril, who returned to her usual self, worried about how fast she could change without addressing what had happened earlier. He wondered if healing the scars covering her body would help her mind settle.

"Your destinations are different," Hons flew them over to a large shore, waves crashing on the beaches and tearing away the sands to reveal a bed of pretty seashells. He handed Oscar a map. "Your Farsky Continent is to the north, and her Everest Continent is to the south. Make your way to Convecia in the Rusk Continent. There are long-distance portals there that will take you closer to your targets. Good luck to the three of you."

"Thank you, Lord Hons." Oscar bowed with the others. Hons smiled and flew away, leaving them alone on the beach.

"Well then. Ready?" Oscar raised Avril to sit on Erden's back. He swung on and sat behind her.

"Ready!" Avril cheered.

"Ready." Erden kicked off. His wing and hoof antlers had been retracted to avoid any attention, hiding his mythical bloodline. Still, his speed surpassed many, piercing the winds.

Oscar stared out at the horizon. After a few days, he saw a distant shoreline where boats traveled and docked, fishermen on its decks hauling large scores of fish. Oscar trembled with emotion, his home so close, the Rusk Continent was before him.

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