"Life energy gives birth to emotional energy. Emotional energy onsets the breakthrough of cultivation energy. And with bountiful cultivation energy can one extend one's life energy. There is harmony, which is the most important as these three things need to coexist peacefully in the body.
An Encantado's body constitution is somewhat a reversed clipped process of this. We take whatever excess cultivation, waste, or dormant energy there is in our surroundings and nurture it until it becomes life energy. But each one of us is limited to output one element in each life we live. We are not God, after all."
With a deadpanned look, he continues, "Only when there is abundant life energy around can humans breed more life. One cannot think of sons and daughter without thinking of food and shelter, can he?" He pauses. "But you", Amani points at me languidly, palm-up, "I can see you suppressing your emotional energy. No, more like you're feeding it to something else?
If I had to describe it, you'd look like having many threads connected to you from the ground. These parasitic things devour your emotional energy, giving themselves a leap in cultivation. And it looks to me like you're more than happy to feed them."
"You can see them?" My eyes could not hide the momentary sheen of doubt and surprise.
"Ha? Who do you think I am? I'm the one who made that prophecy for Via and made her roam the continent. Don't tell me you don't know her—you're wearing her necklace. Seeing your discordant energy is like child's play to me."
"What does Lady Amani want with me?"
"I really do want to get acquainted with you. I wanted to see for myself the person Via picked to guide her temporary vessel to me. Unfortunately, it seems you were parted from her vessel. Nevertheless, the vessel's already here, and they even arrived much earlier than the guide. That was indeed a twist I did not expect."
"What are you to Aovialutre? Why do you know so much?"
"I'm Via's elder. I'm technically what you'd call her mother. Ah, but that's in my last life, and we don't really stick with such things. We're currently unrelated right now, so I suppose it's better to call her 'friend'? Enough about me though, we're talking about you, the person Vera and Obrecht both adore."
"..." Adore? Do you deliberately ignore the person you adore?
"I do have an inkling why they like you. I find myself liking you as well. The earth elements around you are the happiest I've seen."
The more we talk, the more I'm confused. Maybe it shows in my face because Lady Amani laughs.
"Treating your shadow as though they are your extra limbs...no wonder your emotional energy seeps out of your main body; you have no fixed place in your 'body' for your energy to pool."
"How do you know that?" I squint at this landlady who seems to know more than I thought she would.
"My dear, you forget—the trees in my yard have ears." With a knowing smile, he stands up to leave. "I'll spare you some advice since I quite like you—Don't discard your emotions. If you keep jeopardizing the harmony in your body, either your life energy will be put at risk, or your cultivation energy will riot to a degree where one day, you will no longer be able to control your powers... I'll let someone bring you to my abode later on so we can talk privately on what to do with that Via's necklace. Until then, I'll leave you with your thoughts, Videre."
I stay seated for a long time, staring at the table full of dirty dishes like a discarded doll, thinking deeply about what Lady Amani advised.
"Videre."
I startle minimally. Another person may not have noticed, but in this person's eyes, it's way too obvious, I know.
"I missed you."
Turning around swiftly, I see a face I thought has long left with no cares.
"You missed this culprit? Where's Raguk, didn't you bring him with you so you can drag this culprit back to Lumea to confess his sins?" My sardonic answer makes Obrecht's face darken.
This is wrong. This isn't what I wanted to say.
Before I could say anything more to hurt him, I take my leave.
"Don't." He grabs my arm.
"..." The retort in my mouth dies at the presence of fear I see in his eyes.
"You're not allowed to disappear in front of me again." He demands in a heavy voice, yet his eyes are pleading.
"The first time I disappeared, I had no choice but this time, it's you who doesn't." I twist my arm out if his grasp and leave.
Going down the previous path, I quietly brew my thoughts until I reach the camp.
Crack, crack, chew~
"..."
Crack—
"..."
Girtro pops out from somewhere to walk alongside me, eating something seed-like.
"What am I doing, you may ask", Girtro questions with raised brow. "I'm tailing you. I have a hunch that wherever you are, is where the exciting things happen."
"..."
"You want some melon seeds?" He shakes the bag tied on his waist, he grabs a handful and offer it in front of my face. "I stole a bag from the cook."
Unable to say no, I grab only a piece and stare at it as Girtro walks ahead of me. I head along with him, looking at him.
"..." How do you eat this thing?
Observing Girtro, he places a sees in his mouth with a crack so I'm sure you have to bite it, but is it really necessary to take a bite out of something so small? Why not eat it whole?
Thinking like this, I place the whole seed in my mouth and chew. I don't frown, but the eyebrows do. The taste isn't bad, but I can't describe this thing in my mouth.
"Ahaha! I can tell this is your first time eating melon seeds. Here, I'll teach you." When Girtro looks down to grab a few handfuls—he eats so fast that he already finished the previous batch—I spit the seed somewhere behind his back. "Here you go."
"Mm."
Girtro demonstrates the correct way of eating melon seeds until we reach the open seats in one of the many scattered campfires. Some are still having their breakfast.
"Why is it that whenever I see you, you're openly stalking Videre?" Theo says as we approach the usual seats Laris and the others take.
"You're exaggerating", Girtro rolled his eyes.
"What's that", Letitia immediately eyes the seeds in Girtro's hands.
"Oh~ Melon seeds I managed to bargain from the cook~"
"..." That's clearly not what you said earlier.
Unlike me, clearly everybody knows how to eat them when Girtro passed a few to everyone around. Only Laris sitting beside me declined. I don't ask for more either.
"Did Lady Amani say anything...bad to you?"
At the corner of my eye, I see Laris' genuine concern. After finding out about our blood relation, I haven't talked to him ever since. I'm not as adverse as I thought I'd be. Perhaps it's because I've concluded that I shouldn't misplace my anger unto him. Though I can't say I want to be close brother with him right of the bat, I suppose giving small responses should be okay—
"No."
....Why does he look so happy hearing one-worded replies?
"That's good, that's good. If anything bothers you and you can't talk it out with Tukare or anyone else, you can talk to me. You know that right?"
He naturally raises a hand to my head. We both know what he intends to do. He's even gauging my reaction. I shift my eyes away from his hand and watch the other people around us busy themselves with their own conversations.
Laris takes this as an 'okay' sign and pets my head. He flashes a brighter smile than before, for the reason of me not dodging.
"Ah, is this how behaved little brothers are? Letitia should have been born a boy instead", Laris mumbles to himself and then sighs regretfully.
"Hey, Laris, are you dissing me?"
"What do you care? Behaved little cousins are healing." He argues as if its a sensible thing.
"Uh-hmm", Letitia nods in agreement. "That's right. Little cousins are healing. Older brothers are just annoyingly naggy~"
Laris is about to bicker with Letitia when the hand petting me is grabbed by the wrist.