Cultivating Chaos 2

by William D. Arand

  “What are you doing, you foolish idiot!”

  Looking back at the raised voice, Ash found Tala getting down from her horse.

  “Pretty sure I told you to stay there,” Ash said, looking back to the Veil-overlap.

  Up close, it looked like a strange, cloudy material contained within a very thin sheath and suspended in the air. Just beyond, it was normal looking.

  “So get your elegant and beautiful ass back in the saddle and get thee hence,” Ash commanded.

  “I’ll do no such thing. My beautiful ass is going to stay with you, because without you that ass would be sold to the highest bidder,” rumbled Tala, as she came over to stand near him. “And we both know I’d be dead pretty quickly because they likely couldn’t resist trying to mar my elegant self.”

  “Yeah, I could see that,” admitted Ash.

  Reaching out, he stuck his hand into the gray, gauzy field.

  It was surprisingly cold on the other side. Cold, dry, and empty feeling.

  Pulling his hand back out, he looked at it.

  There didn’t seem to be anything wrong as far as he could tell.

  Reaching down to the ground, he ripped up a handful of grass and then stuck his hand back through to the grayness beyond the thin boundary.

  “You’ve resisted admirably. Though, I think you’re unique,” Tala said.

  “Resisted?” Ash asked, focusing on the grass.

  “Resisted assaulting my elegant self. Other than your one lapse, that is,” replied Tala. “You resist me quite well.”

  “You’re an idiot,” Ash laughed. The grass was rapidly becoming yellow in his hand. “Though you’re not wrong. You are rather hard to resist. Especially when you smile. Your personality just sucks. But once you get used to it, it’s fine. Kind of like an acquired taste.”

  “My personality… sucks?” Tala asked dangerously, her eyes narrowing.

  “Incredibly. You’re beautiful, a talented swordswoman, and you’re bright. Very bright, actually,” said Ash, letting the grass flutter free of his fingers as soon as it turned white. “You just really do have a shitty personality. Otherwise, I’d consider actually making a move on you.”

  Okay. The grass just got vampired, didn’t it?

  “Yes. Yes, it did. This overlap is very dead. Long since dead and bereft of anything that could sustain life. It’s closing. Collapsing on itself,” Locke said. “With any luck we’ll not run into any Veil-Wraiths. But that’s not a guarantee.”

  Got it. This is a dead veil then. It was… eaten.

  “That’s correct, Chosen One,” Locke said.

  Nodding his head, Ash pulled his hand back and looked at Tala.

  The tall, lovely rabbit Kin was glaring at him.

  “What? It’s true. Okay. I saw what I needed to see. I’m going to unsaddle my horse and start getting prepped for the camp,” Ash said, striding away from Tala and the grayness.

  And we won’t be instantly turned to nothing, will we?

  “No. As a living being, you’ll be able to survive for a few weeks in such a place. After that, though… you will likely begin to wither,” Locke said. “Though you’ll need to keep your food and provisions outside the overlap as much as you can. Or seal it in the Hall or similar devices. It’ll rot away otherwise.”

  “—discuss this!” Tala said loudly, chasing after him.

  He’d actually completely tuned her out.

  “No. There’s no point in that,” Ash said, guessing at the conversation that she wanted to have. “And if I can make it happen, I’m going to take you across to the Kin side of the veil and shove your beautiful and elegant ass, long legs and all, over the border after releasing you from your oath. Then you can live your own life and I don’t have to worry about you or how to resist you.”

  Glancing back at Tala as he started to work at the saddle, he was treated to something he didn’t get often from her.

  A look of surprise, shock, and utter silence.

  Nodding his head, Ash went back to work.

  Twenty

  Ash stood at the edge of the overlap, gazing off into the interior of it.

  White grass, dead trees, and dry shrubs.

  Not even a breeze. Everything is dead. Long dead.

  “I do believe that’s what I said it would be,” Locke murmured.

  Grunting at that, Ash folded his arms in front of himself. It wasn’t that he had doubted Locke. Especially after having seen what happened to the grass he had pushed through to the other side.

  But at the same time, he didn’t completely trust Locke. He distinctly felt like there was something worse going on here. Or that Locke hadn’t explained everything.

  Although when the scouts he’d sent into the overlap came back an hour or two ago, he’d gotten reports of exactly that.

  The veil was devoid of all life in all types. There was nothing left of anything living in any way. The very grass broke apart as you walked through it. Only the fact that there was no wind had prevented the grass from simply blowing away.

  Turning around, Ash looked at those in his personal camp space. He’d wanted to be as close to the overlap as possible so he could watch it.

  The camp formed out from around him and stretched back the way they’d come.

  “I do not think this is a place worth investigating any further,” said Jia simply from where she sat on a barrel. “I almost feel as if we are better off going no further.”

  “Well, I don’t think our illustrious Realm Lord’s master would care. He’s said nothing to us, nor even left his tent,” Mei said and then laughed. She was standing to one side with Tala. The latter having started hanging around the former since they camped. “In fact, it seems to me that he’s as willing to leave as we are. If not perhaps more so.”

  “I don’t like that,” Yue countered, shaking her head. “Shouldn’t he be pushing for us to just get in there? I don’t like that he’s acting outside of what we expect.”

  Ash nodded his head a bit at that.

  Yue was right, the man wasn’t acting within what the logical direction would be given the man’s position. They’d all been rushed to get here, only for the Realm Lord’s master to more or less take his hands off the whole thing.

  “It’s a betrayal,” Tala said with conviction. “Someone from the Inner Sect bribed them. By staying where we are, we’re doing what they want.”

  “That’s… possible,” Moira said, her wings sliding out from her back as she stood up from the entrance to Ash’s tent. “I can double backward and see if I can spot anything.”

  “That’d be a good thing to do,” Na agreed. She was seated with Chunhua and Rou. The three of them tended to be together when possible. “Master Sheng, what do you think?”

  Letting out a slow breath, Ash thought hard on the subject at hand.

  “If Gen thought this could be a trap, he likely sent someone to watch over us. Right?” Ash asked, looking around.

  “If he could, he would,” agreed Jia. “If he could.”

  “What if that’s exactly it? He couldn’t,” Rou said, scratching at her knee. “He’s got a lot more responsibilities now than he did previously. Right?”

  “Considerably more,” Mei answered, then she looked back to Ash. “Why?”

  Sighing, Ash realized he was being overly optimistic.

  “Never mind. I’m being foolish. Moira, please go check behind us,” said Ash with a quick shake of his head. “Mei, take Na and Chunhua and throw up some tall platforms. All around the perimeter. As tall as you can reasonably make ’em. Get people up there to watch out for anyone coming. We can’t rely on just Moira to watch out for us.

  “Jia, Tala, organize patrols and defensive lines on the outskirts of the camp. Then put up picket lines and scouts on top of that. Don’t let them get too far out of eyesight, though, because if they did send someone for us, they’re not going to be weak. They’ll probably be from the Inner Sect.”

  Everyone looked mildly concerned about th
at last point.

  Ash felt it was true, though. If there really was going to be an ambush, it’d likely be from someone considerably stronger than them.

  Everyone responded and started heading out for their various tasks.

  Leaving Ash with Yue and Rou.

  “I’m going to go work on my alchemy,” Yue proclaimed with an odd look on her face. “I need to keep practicing. I have to do as much as I can.”

  Turning, Yue started walking away determinedly.

  “I really do pity the others when she finally decides to go after you,” Locke said quietly.

  “Ah. I suppose that makes this an opportune time for me,” Rou said, walking over to Ash. Standing directly in front of him, she put her hands on her hips.

  “Ashley Sheng, I’m a Qi Healer,” Rou said, lifting her chin slightly. “Master Gen has told me I’m the strongest he’s ever seen. The techniques you’ve given me are beyond the likes of his knowledge or awareness.

  “I am likely the single most valuable person in the entirety of the sect.”

  “She’s not wrong,” Locke agreed.

  Standing there, Rou looked incredibly confident. Far more than he’d ever seen her before. Her hair was starting to become quite red, and quite obvious. He knew she washed her hair frequently. Repeatedly.

  To get rid of the dye she’d been using as quickly as possible.

  Standing there, with her hands on her hips, looking imperious, Ash couldn’t help but see her as his personal pet project at the same time. What she had become literally represented exactly what he was going for.

  Awakening all the lost and overlooked talent that was wasted simply because of the selfishness of others.

  “I’m going to swear myself to you now,” Rou said.

  “Rou, I thi—”

  “Hush,” Rou said, holding up one hand, one finger pointing up toward the sky. “You will accept my oath because the alternative is me leaving. Do you understand me, Ashley?”

  Ash let out his held breath, his protest dying on his lips.

  He couldn’t let her just leave. Because she really was his pet project and more. Her and Chunhua both. They weren’t the Nas, Meis, and Jias of the world.

  “Yes,” Ash said finally. There was no alternative.

  “Hmph. Good. Then… I hereby swear myself to Ashley Sheng in love, life, and death. Bound together, bound forever. Hand in hand, heart with heart, Dao to Dao. Though we were born on different days, may we both die on the same day,” Rou said, giving him a wide and bright smile. “On the entirety of my cultivation and my life.”

  ***

  With a thump, Moira landed on the ground nearby.

  “Ashley, a group of our scouts is returning,” she said without any preamble. “They’re also being stalked by… people I don’t recognize and have never seen before.”

  “People?” Ash asked, now very confused. “What do—”

  “They’re not human. They’re wearing armor I’ve never seen before, on mounts that look like lizards, and are travelling in very precise movements,” Moira explained. “They’re hunting our party and it doesn’t look like they’ve been spotted.”

  “Not human,” Ash repeated.

  “No, not human. I cannot tell, but I believe they’re from the same veil as Tala,” Moira offered. “She’s mentioned a number of times that her race is not alone there.”

  “Right… so… they’re sending people across to look into the overlap. Just as we are,” Ash concluded.

  “That’d be my assumption,” Moira confirmed. “This would be a good time to let Tai loose. Perhaps on the Kin side of the veil?”

  “There’s an idea. Let’s get rid of him. We can just drop him off and let him run around all on his own,” Locke offered. “He’d even have a chance to live.”

  Ash didn’t like that idea. It sounded a lot like stranding a person on a deserted isle with barely any resources.

  Looking around, he tried to spot Jia. He could run it by her if he got the chance. The possibility of it being a valid alternative was true enough, but he’d never do it without Jia signing off.

  Instead, he found Tala and Chunhua standing almost on his heels.

  “Shall I ready an ambush?” Chunhua asked, giving him a wide smile as her white eyes stared into his. It didn’t take much more than a thought to realize that this was a chance for her to prove herself to him.

  The last time she’d fought for him in any way, she’d been defeated and in such a way that he’d been forced to intervene.

  “Yes,” Ash said, deciding that if he was going to keep her around, she’d have to have confidence in herself. This would quite probably give it back to her.

  Cultivators were a strange lot. He understood them for the most part, but he didn’t agree with a lot of their mentality.

  “Tala, act as her second,” Ash said, glancing at the rabbit-eared Kin. “This also might be an opportunity for you to get back home. If they’re from your veil.”

  Slowly, Tala’s eyes narrowed and bunched up at the corners. Then her mouth moved partially to one side, giving Ash the impression she was chewing at the inside of her cheek. Though at the same time she nodded her head, her ears bobbing along.

  “I’ll go, as well,” said Ash. “Though I’m just there to watch. You’re leading it, Chunhua. If possible, it’d be nice to engage them in dialogue first. They didn’t attack our people after all. Right, Moira?”

  “They did not attack,” Moira confirmed. “Though they clearly have had several opportunities. Our scouting party is operating well and in a safe and coordinated fashion. The other group simply is operating with more information than I would expect.”

  In other words… don’t punish them.

  Which would likely happen in most situations that didn’t involve someone with a brain.

  Chunhua was already moving away quickly, her robe slightly flapping out behind her as she began to gather a force.

  Minutes later, a fast-moving group of cultivators was rushing across the open dead fields. Forsaking horses, Chunhua was employing several sorceresses to empower everyone with preternatural speed.

  Powering across the fields at a speed that made Ash wonder about just what a true Dreadful Immortal could do, they followed Chunhua. She, in turn, was following Moira magically. There wasn’t any other option since she was well beyond visibility in the sky high above them.

  “Mm. Mm mm. Look at Chunhua run. Lovely. She’s becoming lovelier every day. I’d rank her right behind Mei now,” Locke commented.

  Really? Are you done? Do you have to?

  “I mean, I don’t have much else to do. Tai doesn’t do much other than read from the library and you’re not a stunning conversationalist,” Locke countered.

  Ash regretted not having asked Jia, but he was pretty sure she wouldn’t have allowed him to dump her brother off with the Kin.

  Unfortunately, he did find his view straying over to Chunhua. She was in front of him and partially to the side. As she ran at breakneck speed, she also looked beautiful doing it.

  Though it was incredibly strange to watch her running like something out of an anime from Ash’s homeworld.

  “Given our speed, the amount of drag we’re creating really does lend itself to trying to create a better aerodynamic shape,” Locke said, picking Ash’s thoughts out of his head.

  That still doesn’t make sense. It probably wouldn’t work.

  Ash refused to run like Chunhua and the others, instead, he ran exactly as he’d been taught to do from school. Though he got a number of strange looks from everyone else as he did so.

  “And by the way, I can sense those we’re looking for. They’re definitely from another veil. They’re also not far away now. I believe Moira is leading your group around to the rear of the other group,” Locke explained. “Chasing those who chase your people.”

  Chunhua took the group down around a low hill and up around the back of it.

  As soon as they cleared an outcropping, Ash c
ould see who they were looking for.

  Their targets were wearing what looked like light leather armor, riding large lizard-looking creatures, and keeping themselves spread out.

  Except they apparently had a considerable awareness of their surroundings.

  One by one, it was obvious they became aware of Chunhua’s party. Their flanks began to rapidly close in tight. Then they clearly broke off from following the other group of scouts.

  Even as they swung wide, Chunhua turned to match. There would be no room for a missed confrontation here.

  As if realizing that their only option to dodge Chunhua would take them even further from their likely camp, they turned and formed a line, preparing for engagement.

  Coming to a stop roughly thirty feet away from the other group, Chunhua appeared as if she was ready to simply start attacking without discussion.

  Instead, she turned her head and looked at Tala, who was nearby.

  Taking several steps forward to stand next to Chunhua, Tala called something out to the other group.

  “Before you ask, no, I didn’t catch any of that. I am however attempting to learn the language as quickly as I can,” Locke muttered.

  One of the armored people moved forward on their large lizard mount.

  Then they said something back to Tala. Ash didn’t know what they said, but he got the impression it was a tense question. It was also considerably higher-pitched than Ash had expected, even though—as far as he could tell—the rider was a man.

  Tala shook her head, then responded with a question of her own.

  Apparently what was said was amusing, because the lizard rider started laughing at that. Then they made a gesture with their hand. It was as if they were beckoning to Tala.

  She promptly shook her head. Her response was to draw her weapon free and flick it up to her shoulder.

  Taking that as a cue, Chunhua and the entire group all fell into an aggressive stance.

  Ash included.

  Sitting there on the lizard, the opposing speaker didn’t respond to Tala. Instead, they remained motionless.

  As if waiting for something.

  “They’re here for the same reason we are. Almost exactly, in fact. Additionally, they want us to surrender,” Tala finally said. “I was invited to cross over and join them. My answer is to remain with you.”