"Have the courage to use your own reason- That is the motto of enlightenment."
― Immanuel Kant, Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785)
"He's not here either!" Kalina puffed up her cheeks in frustration. "That stupid turtle is asking to be scraped and served in a soup..." She groaned, head in her hands. "What if he's really in trouble?"
"He'll be fine," Mara stroked the goddess's hair with a finger. "We haven't found Ven yet, Ooulin's probably with him."
"I know..." Kalina balled her fists. "But that makes it worse, stealing my time with the little fish..." She ground her teeth as she punched the air. "Stupid turtle, stupid fish! They're out playing without me!"
"Calm down, ok?" Mara patted Kalina's small back. "We can punish them when they get back." She carried Kalina away from Ven's room, toward the streets, packed with life. "Let's go get some snacks from the street carts!"
"Ok..." Kalina sniffed. "But we have to make them suffer." Her tearful face warped, a sinister grin that replaced the sadness.
"I know just what we'll do..."
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"I think Rafe pushed in this knight and..." Ven groped around at the base of the labyrinth door. "There we go!"
A click sounded, and a smaller door revealed itself before Ven and the twins. The pair of dragon-kin stared into the darkness, trepidation on their faces.
"Come on, it'll be fine." Ven shoved the pair inside and swiftly followed. "The path is easy, until you get to the second door..." The fly was a problem, but Ven had a plan, albeit a simple one. Then you two will wait, while I make the next area safe to farm."
"Farm?" Huan scratched her head. 'What are we farming?"
"We're farming strength, using the cores of monsters." Ven pat her head. "Just be sure to stay close to Jun, or me."
"Ok!" Huan scampered to his side and seized his hand. "Let's go!"
"Shouldn't we be more careful?" Jun followed along, sword in hand. "The monsters here are rumored to be powerful."
"Powerful?" Ven tilted his head. "I guess... but they're really stupid, like mindless undead."
Ven pointed into the tunnel's gloom. A malformed shambler had already caught their scent.
"We're going to blitz through these things, until we get to the next area." Ven's knuckles cracked as he pressed his fists together. "I'm going to see how much stronger I've gotten."
Ven stamped his foot and launched toward the shambler. He slashed his palm, hand angled like a blade. The creature evaporated into a blizzard of flesh that sored down the tunnel. Ven tossed a small core into his mouth and nodded. The real test wouldn't begin until he met the golden fly. Ven jogged over the smooth stone and called over his shoulder.
"Come on, we're going to start with a run!"
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Jun shook his head. They'd been at it for hours. Ven ran, just ahead. The monsters they found were converted by the man into a sickening paste, their cores divided between the three of them.
"He's like a machine..."
"I know..." Huan leered at Ven's back. "He's so beautiful!"
"That's not what I said..." Jun rolled his shoulders and pulled away from his obsessive sister. "He's only using his body, not his cultivation, yet he makes these monsters look like children."
"He's perfect..." The dreamy-eyed Huan rubbed her cheeks. "A dragon, just like Father..."
"You're weird..." Jun shuddered. Being like their father wasn't necessarily good, and a daughter shouldn't be looking for her dad in her husband... "Just drop the marriage thing, will you?"
"NEVER!" Huan hugged herself. "He's my soul mate and I'll never stop loving him!"
"You don't even know what that means," Jun rubbed his temples. "He's said less than ten sentences to you, he's more likely to marry Father at this point."
"Really?" Huan's eyes turned to stars. "They'd make an adorable couple... Ven is so feminine, and Father would be the bear!"
"I was making a joke..." Jun stumbled, and Ven's pace seemed to falter as well. "Get your mind out of the gutter, isn't that your future husband!"
"I can hear everything you two are saying..." Ven's voice called out from up ahead. "Try and keep things reasonable, ok?"
"Tell her that!" Jun waved at his sister. "She's the one taking things too far."
"I'm just following my heart!" Huan protested. "Father always says 'Follow your heart, no matter what!' and that's what I'll do!"
"Well, it's a good policy." Ven looked over his shoulder. "But remember to think about everyone else's heart." His voice was soft. "Your dreams shouldn't crush the dreams of others."
"Oh..." Huan's face became serious. "Ok, I'll make sure!" She raised her fist. "We'll all get married, so everyone can be happy!"
"That's not what he meant!" Jun rubbed his fist atop Huan's head, right between her horns. "He meant that you should follow a path that won't hurt other people... right?" He turned his face to Ven, who was pulling a shambler apart at the seams.
"I guess.."Ven shrugged. "I just meant to keep other people in mind when you do things," He tossed Jun a core. "Not everybody has the same definition of happiness, but we can do our best to not tear anyone down."
Jun nodded. His father said much the same, though in much harsher terms. The people deserved peace, and freedom from tyranny. They should be able to live their lives without fear, or hunger, just like the nobles.
"How do you know someone's version of happiness?" Huan scampered next to Jun and seized his core. "I'm happy when I'm eating, or if Father tells a story, or when my husband visits me!"
"You ask." Ven laughed as Jun shoved away his thieving sister. "Or you do your best to listen to what they're saying in the first place." He tossed Jun another core. "Most people are willing to tell you about their needs, it's what they think about all the time."
"Thanks," Jun grabbed the core and shoved it into his mouth, ahead of his sister's nimble hands. "But... what about our enemies? They're actively destroying our dreams."
"Are they?" Ven raised an eyebrow. "Sometimes, people's moralities are incompatible, but most of the time you can find a way." Ven pointed to the shambler that crawled into sight. "People aren't like these things, they just want to be left alone and live their lives."
Jun frowned as Ven dispatched the creature. His father was more about empowering the empire, rather than seeking to better the lives of other nations.
"That's enough talk," Ven raised a hand. "We're here..."