The First Cultivator

Azura sat on the cart as the caravan continued on its long track to their new home. She didn't notice the bump in the road and intentionally ignored the rumbling of her stomach. Her focus was entirely on the Dao. Her connection to the Dao had deepened these past few weeks. Having nothing to do had helped her to devote more time to her meditation, which strengthened her connection to the Dao. After her fight with her grandfather in which she broke through the veil separating her from the Dao, it had become her constant companion. No, not the Dao, but her Dao. The Dao of blood. She was the first to connect with this higher concept. It was glorious. It would be even better once she figured out how to use it properly. Azura smirked at the possibilities laid out before her.

"What do you think she's thinking about?" Elise asked from nearby.

"Fish," Hamal answered sagely.

Azura disregarded her friends, her concentration absolute. She returned her focus to the Dao only to find it now replaced by a perfectly seared salmon swimming in an ocean of butter. The glistening oil seeped into the cooked folds of its flesh as a delicious aroma wafted from the teasing fish. Azura tried to redirect her thoughts back to the Dao, but a light rain of herbs and spices sprinkled upon the fish as it leapt out of the ocean of butter, perfectly coating all sides.

"Damn it Hamal!" Azura growled. "You made me lose my concentration!"

Hamal only shrugged as Azura glared at the piece of hard bread next to her. Her ration for lunch. She refused to acknowledge it as food. Her mother probably gave her a brick. It had the same consistency and strength. It was closer to a deadly weapon than anything edible. She wanted to scream and throw the bread brick at something, but didn't want to waste the food. They were running low.

Azura leapt off the cart and, seeing a nearby squirrel-kin child, she tossed it to her. The child eagerly began munching on the stale bread. It both warmed her heart and left her feeling even worse. They had to get more food. The hunters weren't finding enough for everyone. What Azura had considered a mountain of food they had when they started had quickly dwindled. Feeding thousands of kin did that rather rapidly. How much longer would it take to get to their new home?

Azura trotted up to the front cart where Fatania and her mother sat, both in meditative positions. They were trying to cultivate, but with the thin mana here, progress was slow. They had taken the thicker mana of the mana forest for granted. She leaped up behind the pair, slapping a hand on each of their shoulders, causing them to jump.

"Are we there yet?" Azura asked with an innocent expression on her face that fooled no one. They glared at her.

"Does it look like we're there?" Coralline asked, clearly annoyed.

"Umm… maybe?"

"What do you mean maybe?" Fatania said. "Do you see any mountains?"

"Oh, are we going to a mountain?"

"Azura!" Coralline said. "Didn't you pay attention in any of the planning sessions!?"

"… No"

"What!?" Coralline spluttered. "You agreed to the plan! Did you agree to it without knowing where we were going!?"

"Kinda of…" Azura hedged. The incredulous stares made her clarify. "Well, it's not like I've been anywhere but Deepmere. How would I know where a good spot is? As long as we don't have to deal with too many mages and it's away from the mists, does it matter?" Then, recalling the mana issues, she added a stipulation. "Oh, and there should be thick mana there. I'm sure you two know better than I do. So, I trust you." That seemed to mollify the pair.

"What am I going to do with you?" Coralline asked.

"I would say feed me fish as usual, but I would take anything besides rations right now."

"Same," Fatania grumbled, looking down at a piece of bread sitting nearby. "First, we are going to stop by the Crystal Glade. This is a recent change, so we haven't had time to discuss it yet. We were going to discuss it at tonight's leadership meeting. Then on to Kinator. Does that clarify things?"

"Not at all," Azura said proudly, her hands on her hips.

Coralline sighed. "Which part of that doesn't make sense?"

"All of it. What is the Crystal Glade? Why are we stopping there?"

"The Crystal Glade is a mana forest controlled by the City-State of Tram. Provided that everyone agrees, we will start heading there tomorrow," Fatania said. "We're going there to replenish supplies and to advance as many cultivators as possible to the liquid stage. Our planning didn't account for the thin mana out here. We need the resources of that mana forest for a few weeks to get ready. We'll need all the liquid cultivators possible when retaking Kinator."

"Are there that many mages there?" Azura asked.

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"AZURA!" Fatania said, shocked. "You should know about that place! Damn it girl, I taught the school lessons about it! You passed the tests I gave. How could you not know about it?"

"Oh…" Azura said sheepishly as she fiddled with her tail. "Umm, Hamal helped me cheat in exchange for snacks…"

The pair just stared at her. What was that judging look for? It was a great deal as far as she was concerned.

"I'm simultaneously furious and impressed with that boy," Fatania said.

Further down the convoy, Hamal had a sudden itching sensation on his head, as if a pending head thwack was about to come his way.

"I'm paying attention now," Azura said, trying to distract the pair. "What's Kinator?"

"You do know what the Great War was, right? Or did you cheat your way out of that as well?" Fatania asked.

"I know it! That was where the mages attacked the kin." Azura said.

"Basically," Coralline said in a lecturing tone that Azura always dreaded. "Around one hundred and fifty years ago, the humans and elves invaded the continent. This was the first time we've encountered mages. Before then, the land was ruled by the various kin sub-races and the dwarves…"

"Dwarves!?" Azura asked, surprised. "I've never seen a dwarf!"

"If you let me finish, you'll understand why. Ahem! So, as I was saying," Azura rolled her eyes as her mother continued. "The land was shared among the dwarven race and the kin."

"Everything was peaceful until the mages arrived," Azura jumped in.

"Of course not," Fatania scoffed. "The mountain kin and dwarves hated the plain kin and dwarves, who hated them right back. There was plenty of fighting. All that ended when the mages invaded. Ancient feuds were forgotten as city after city fell to the invaders. The magic that mages brought with them made them formidable foes. Together, the kin and dwarves fought the mages, but were unable to stop their advances, until they reached the great city of Kinator."

"What's so great about it?" Azura asked.

"The city was the greatest place of power on the entire continent. It was often called the "Heart of the World". That was because it had over fifty leylines on it."

"Fifty!" Azura said, amazed. The amount of mana… "Wait! How did any kin live there? Didn't the mana kill them, or were dwarves immune to mana poisoning?"

"They are like the kin," Fatania said. "Many kin and dwarves died taming that mountain. On each leyline, they constructed incredible runic formations that controlled the mana and channeled it in pathways to mighty forges. It was there that the great smiths of Kinator made their legendary weapons and armor. Without those armaments, we would've been conquered in a year rather than the twenty it took. The techniques for such forgings were lost when the city fell."

"How was it conquered?" Azura asked. "Was it betrayal? I bet it was."

"Well, no…" Coralline said. "It's just that no one expects dragons."

Azura's eyes went wide. "Oh…"

"Yeah," Fatania agreed. "Dragons were rare on the continent before the elves and humans arrived. We aren't sure if the dragons followed them or if they took advantage of the situation. What we do know is that they love mana. And when a dozen adult dragons attack a city that was already under siege by magi, there isn't much you can do. The city's wards fell, and the dragons attacked the runic formations restraining the mana. The mana contaminated the entire mountain. The mages had already blockaded the surrounding land. The kin and dwarves were trapped. Two weeks after the dragons attacked, every dwarf and kin was dead. The city was lost. The last of the dwarven race retreated underground ever since."

"Wait, who controls the mountain now?" Azura asked.

"The name Kinator is only still used by the kin. The mages call it Dragon's Peak," Fatania said grimly.

"Are you saying there is a flock of dragons living there now?" Azura asked.

"I don't think it's called a flock. I think it's a swarm," Coraline said.

"I'm pretty sure it's a flight," Fatania countered.

"Whatever!" Azura said. "You are saying that we have to fight a bunch of dragons. That's why you want to have as many liquid cultivators as possible."

"Yup," her mother said.

"How many dragons are there?" Azura asked.

"Don't know. We are preparing for the worst," Fatania said. "Another reason to go to the Crystal Glade."

"What are we going to do once we get to the Crystal Glade? I can't imagine the Lords of Tram will let us in," Azura said.

"We weren't going to ask," Fatania said, a dark gleam in her eye.

"A fight then. I thought we didn't want any more enemies."

"It won't be long before that happens anyway," Coralline said. "Once the traitor reveals the secret of cultivation, we will have a war on our hands. With Kinator under our control, all that vast mana will significantly increase our power."

Azura nodded. With that much concentrated mana, how many liquid cultivators could they train in a year? She frowned at the thought of the deer-kin. Once he showed them the secrets, then everyone would want Kinator or places like it, which was why her mother and Fatania had chosen it as their new home. They were going to secure the best spot before anyone knew the race for mana had even started. The mountain was previously beneficial for mages, but not critical. Nothing they would fight for… until now.

"It's going to get bad, isn't it?" Azura whispered.

"It is," Fatania agreed. "Dragons are mighty, and there are certainly a great many there now. We need to secure the peak before the mages understand how significant a resource that is. Then it's a race. The mages will rally everyone against us while we fortify our strength. It will be war."

Azura was silent. War. She fought the mists. She fought against Deepmere and their allies. This was different. It will be all the magical forces on the continent, rallied against them. How could she win alone? Then she realized she wouldn't be alone, that was the whole point. Already, she had three trusted allies. Soon, there would be a dozen more. This was an arms race that they had been preparing for years without knowing it.

"When will we reach the Crystal Glade?" Azura asked.

"Provided nothing changes our plans, five days. It takes a long time for several thousand kin to march anywhere. We can…" Fatania said.

"I have a better idea," Azura interrupted. "The goal is to secure this Crystal Glade so our most advanced cultivators can break through, correct?" Azura got nods in return. "Then a small group is all we need. Myself and one other liquid cultivator should be plenty to secure the site. We can proceed with those who are closest to advancing. We'll take the glade and start immediately. The rest can catch up. That will save us a few days."

Fatania and Coralline looked at each other. "That's a good idea," Fatania said.

"Great idea, actually," her mother said, patting her on the head. "We'll gather those closest to advancing and get ready to depart immediately."

"Let's take Gerald with us," Fatania said. "I want to leave Hamal in charge."

Azura smiled as the others began to get ready. Her internal glee had nothing to do with the fact that she almost certainly could get better food in this Crystal Glade. Nothing at all.