"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Mara sat, cross legged, in the center of a large stone chamber. The walls, dimly lit by pale blue crystals, wrapped around her in a wide arc. She breathed, deep and steady, a rhythmic, repetitive pulse. A dozen purple-white stones, arranged in a half-circle around her, emitted a fine mist. With each inhalation, this smoky dust was drawn into her lungs.
It resonated with her inner world, the core that sat a mere half-step from a breakthrough to a Nirvana-tier cultivator. The mist sank into the densely layered orb. It compressed and filtered the energy within and purified the power she'd accumulated for over 100 years. Each breath cast a new layer on the heavy core, a pale violet tint that held a trace of iridescent shine.
Mara's mind was lost, her awareness scattered and unfocused. She let her thoughts wander, her only proactive action being to take in the strange smoke. Aangor said that I needed to know myself to break through... She didn't understand. She was herself, she knew everything there was to know. She'd said as much to the big ape, but he'd just snorted.
Knowledge isn't understanding...
That had been the ape's reply, before he stuffed her into this cultivation room. The spirit stones around her had been made by an Earth-Deity, probably Ooulin, and filled through the efforts of Aangor and the rest of the guild. They contained enough cosmic energy to rapidly advance her growth, and the runes on the floor of this chamber smoothed out the process.
How am I supposed to respond to that? Mara chewed the corner of her lip. How can I reinvent the way I know myself... She was Mara, how could that change? The longer she considered Aangor's words, the greater her frustration. The ape asked too much of her. She never intended on reinventing herself, or becoming something she wasn't.
I still can't understand why Grandmaster Ooulin chose me...
"Maybe that's the problem, lady cat," Kalina's small voice piped up to answer her thoughts. "You have to accept that you're worthy, you know?"
"How many times are you going to pop up from nowhere?" Mara didn't even flinch at the woman's sudden appearance. "It's gotten predictable at this point."
She opened one eye and heaved a heavy sigh. Kalina was perched directly before her, atop her faithful turtle's back. The impish young goddess mirrored her cross-legged pose, and even little Ooulin struggled to place his back feet, one over the other.
"You're sooooo boring," Kalina whined as she abandoned the meditative posture. "That stinky little halfling up and stole Ven, so now you're all I've got."
"Thanks, I guess..." Mara fully opened her eyes and gave Kalina a wry smile. "But if you keep interrupting me, how am I supposed to make progress?"
"Blah blah blah," Kalina lay back on Ooulin's shell and kicked her feet. "You'll never break through this way, Aangor is a useless git."
"Well then, what do you suggest I do, little goddess?" Mara struggled to keep a straight face as she imagined Aangor's face. If he ever learned Kalina had called him a git, he'd likely break into tears. The poor ape had not adjusted well to his master's death.
"Come out and play with me!" Kalina yelled, all four limbs pointed at the sky like a dog that played dead. "I'm going mad with boredom, and I can help you figure out your problem." Kalina raised her head, puppy eyes at full force.
"Alright," Mara laughed. "I could use a break anyways. What should we do?"
"Yaaay!" The fairy child cried, an ear-splitting pitch that drove poor Ooulin into his shell. "We can take a walk around the city!" Kalina jumped to her feet and stomped her foot onto Ooulin's back. "Let's find some ruffians to fight, or a dragon to slay!"
"I'd be careful saying that!" Mara urged the small woman. "This is the capital of the Beastfolk Empire, the dragon-kin won't find it very funny."
"So?" Kalina blinked up at Mara, a smile on her face. "I've killed more dragons than this country remembers." Her eyes squinted, a dangerous gleam within. "They're all a bunch of muscle-headed idiots, all power and no understanding." Kalina paused, her grin suddenly wicked. "Just like my silly little fish!"
"Whatever you say," Mara smiled at Kalina's nickname for Ven. "We can walk around the town, just keep your dragon-slaying thoughts to yourself."
She scooped up both Ooulin and Kalina, then rose to her feet. The runic circle below her faded as she left her position, while the spirit stones dimmed. She inhaled what smoke remained and stepped towards the door.
"No one would dare attack me!" Kalina smirked, her tone smug. "Aangor would crush them into powder if little Ooulin was hurt, and I'll hold him up as a shield!"
Mara sagged, Kalina's absurd confidence a bucket of water over her head. She believed the woman, nothing was beyond the strange miniaturized goddess. Ooulin also believed her, as he sank even deeper into his shell. A small, wispy rune manifested in front of the opening that held his head, a deterrent for Kalina's prying fingers.
"I don't think that's very kind to poor Ooulin..."
"He doesn't mind, do you Ooul..." Kalina poked her head in after the fortified turtle. The small rune fizzled and popped as her tiny legs jerked, a visible electric current displayed across her limbs. It lasted for several seconds, Kalina's body locked in place by her rebellious muscles.
"Traitorous turtle!" the goddess cried as she stopped twitching. "I'll make you into a soup and wear you as a hat!"
Kalina withdrew her head, hair now puffed into a spherical, singed tuft. She rained her fists down on Ooulin's shell, blows that held no true force. Oouin peeked out from his total defense, a satisfied smile on his slow-witted face.
"Ok you two," Mara interjected. "Let's get going, or it will be dark by the time we make it to the markets."
She hefted the pair and made her way out of the labyrinthian guild hall. It had been her home for the past week or so, and she'd yet to explore the city proper. It had been some time since she'd taken a day to relax. Her time on the slave ship had been chaos, and the few weeks they'd spent on the run to safety passed like a blur.
Mara missed fishing every day with Ven, the feeling of progression that came as they traveled toward a goal. Now, she could see where she needed to go, but was trapped, held back by the chains of her own mind. I guess they don't call it the Nirvana tier for nothing... You need to be at peace, with both yourself and the world, to take the first step beyond Martial Master. Mara didn't even know how to begin.
"Yeah, let's go!" Kalina grinned, Ooulin's offense forgotten. "I want to get a party dress," She spun on Mara's palm like a ballet dancer. "I've decided that I'll be Ven's plus one to the Royal Banquet, so I'll need to look my best!"
Mara sighed once more, the idea of the little woman sewing chaos upon the Nobels was above her pay grade. When she became grandmaster, she'd have to worry, but for now, it was Aangor's problem. She opened the wooden door that led outside and plunged into the busy streets. Leave tomorrow's problems for tomorrow's Me. Today, Mara needed a break.