Chapter 1. The Man of Florida Awakens
"Why is he so . . . pale?"
"I don't know . . . and all of those dots on his skin . . . do you think he's diseased?"
"No, Heron. I believe they call those . . . freckles."
"So . . . grotesque."
"And look how large he is . . . such massive muscles. And that hair, I've never seen a color so red."
"So . . . grotesque."
"You already said that, Egret."
"Point still stands."
A rush of footsteps sounded and the pair of voices let loose a collective gasp before speaking in unison. "Greetings, Elder."
"Step aside, Disciples." The voice was that of granite, hard and cold and rumbling forth with unyielding power. "You there on the ground. State your purpose for darkening the gates of the Whispering Glades Sect."
Riley shifted onto his back, groaning as his bruised and battered body struggled to comply. Blinking bleary eyes open for the first time since awakening, he found himself at the feet of a man wearing long verdant robes. Vaguely east Asian in appearance with long hair tied into a knot high above his head and a severe goatee, the man glared down at Riley with an imperious edge that promised punishment if a satisfactory answer was not provided. Behind the man, two young men who looked nearly identical to one another stood clustered, peaking around the edges of the man's stately robe to watch Riley with enthralled interest.
"Did I get 'em, Coach?" Riley mumbled, his jaw feeling as if it was made of glass.
Shattered glass.
A profound look of confusion flashed over the robed man's face, clearly an unfamiliar expression. "I'm sorry?"
Wait. Coach ain't Asian. Who the hell is this guy? And where the fuck is the team? And why am I naked?!
Riley froze as slow realization struck, noting the hammer pounding away at the inside of his skull, the taste of cotton in his mouth, and the burning desire to take an ungodly piss.
"Well shit in my mouth and call me an outhouse!" Riley exclaimed, sitting up from the fetal position. "I did it again!"
" . . . I'm sorry?"
Riley turned his focus back upon the robed man, realizing he best ought to explain himself. "I apologize for my outburst, sir. It's just . . . this is kind of a habit for me."
The robed man squinted, complete perplexion painted beautifully across his serious face as he took in Riley's bruised and battered naked state. "It is?"
"Well, yes sir," Riley explained, rubbing idly at his forehead as he spoke. "Y'see, me and Jack Daniels have a bad history. Every time we party together I end up on the front porch of some Asian family, naked and without any memory of the previous night. I don't know why but . . . something about y'all's porches just calls to me. Very comfortable looking, I guess."
" . . . what?"
"Oh, I'm sorry are y'all not Asian?" Riley said, slapping his forehead and immediately regretting it as needles of pain flashed through his skull. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume. My mama taught me better than that."
Shaking himself from his state of perplexion, the robed man drew up to his full height as he glared down his imperious nose at Riley. "Young man, I have no idea what nonsense you speak of but I am not Asian. I am Qiang, Elder of the Whispering Glade Sect, Keeper of the Sodden Gates, and Master of Arms. Now, who are you and how have you traversed the Sea of Grass to find us?"
Riley cocked his head, struggling to follow Qiang's words. Whispering Glade Sect, Sodden Gates, Sea of Grass? Where the fuck am I?
With far more effort than should have been necessary, Riley shoved himself to his feet at last. As he rose to his full height, one of the young men gasped. Standing well over a head taller than Qiang, Riley was massive compared to them. Yet he paid such things no heed. Instead, his attention was on his surroundings.
He and the others stood atop a large wooden platform shaped like a great disk that stretched perhaps a hundred yards in diameter. Beyond the edge of the platform, swamp lands stretched as far as the eye could see. Murky black water glistened amidst the long strands of marsh grass that waved gently in the air with the breeze. Towering above their cousins, great trees the width of several men stretched impossibly high towards the sun, their heavy boughs twisting chaotically amongst themselves in the gnarled way of the swamp. Opposite where Riley stood upon the platform, a massive gate built of thick blackened wood and banded iron guarded a spiraling wooden staircase that vanished upwards into the heights of the titanic trees.
"Where the fuck . . . "
Before he could properly express his complete and utter confusion, Riley collapsed to the ground, eyes rolling back into his skull.
Chapter 2. Florida Man Awakens . . . Again
"He's certainly large."
"Yes, and his features . . . they are that of the Far North. I've only seen a member of his kind once before. Wretched barbarians all of them."
"Well he spoke the Tongue, Qiang, so I doubt he is one of their ilk."
"Hush both of you, I believe he is waking."
For a second straight time, Riley awoke to strange voices. As his eyes fluttered open, he found himself lying upon a reed mat in a small, unadorned room. Crowding the tiny space, a trio of robed figures watched him reproachfully as he slowly eased himself up. Alongside the imperious man from before, Qiang, stood a small elderly man and a stately woman with carefully arched eyebrows, both wearing the same long, verdant robes as Qiang.
"Welcome, Stranger," the elderly man said, his eyes disappearing beneath his bushy eyebrows as he smiled brightly. "How auspicious our meeting is."
Riley nodded, smiling broadly in return as his mind whirled in confusion. The hell does auspicious mean?
"Hush, Xiao," the woman said, folding her hands carefully in the sleeves of her robes. "His arrival has nothing to with your superstitions."
Xiao merely chuckled, mischievous grin somehow growing even wider. "Time will tell, Meimei."
"I've told you to stop— "
"Xiao, Meihua; both of you cease," Qiang interjected, silencing the bickering before turning his attention back upon Riley. "Young man, I'll ask you again. Who are you and how did you find our Sect?"
Riley cocked his head, brow furrowing. "If you're asking for my name, my mama gave me the name Griffith Riley Hawthorne III, but my buddies just call me Riley. As for your sect . . . well mama said not to affiliate with any strange religious groups wearing robes so I think it's best if I get going."
As Riley attempted to stand, a flash of pain erupted in his abdomen causing him to collapse to a knee. What the fuck happened? Ain't nobody on Flordia State hits this hard! They're all a bunch of soft ACC punk-ass bitches.
"Please, Young Ri Lee," Xiao, the smiling man, said, resting a gentle hand on Riley's shoulder. "Rest. We can discuss your leaving when you have recovered your strength on the morrow. The healers say you recover quickly. Although, if you'd be so kind as to entertain the curiosity of an old man, what caused you such grievous injuries?"
Riley frowned, choosing to ignore the strange way the elder pronounced his name, instead focusing on what he last remembered. "Well, shoot mister, it was late in the fourth quarter of our rivalry game against FSU. The bastards had driven the field and we were facing a fourth in goal, goalline situation. Coach signaled in an all-out blitz to stop the run and I was plugging the A-gap." Riley hesitated, his frown deepening. "And right as the ball snapped, I got the idea to just come flying in and jump over the big uglies up front and hit their QB before he handed the ball off. And I mean, shit, that's what I did only I landed real bad. Head first right into the dirt." Riley winced, remembering the horrible crack that had echoed in his ears right before blackness took over his vision. "But I made the tackle! So it was worth it, baby! Gators forever!"
As Riley devolved into a mad cackle followed by performing the Chomp for the trio of very confused sect Elders, the same trio exchanged a set of glances that spoke louder than words ever could.
This guy's completely insane.
"My fellow Elders," Qiang began, the perpetual frown upon his stern features deepening as he watched Riley perform the Chomp. "We cannot have such a distraction within our walls, not with the Southern Tournament approaching so soon. Our disciples need to remain focused not distracted by this strange . . . creature."
Xiao was already shaking his head before Qiang finished speaking. "I disagree most grievously, dear Qiang. He is exactly what we need!"
Qiang's eye twitched as he regarded the smaller elder. "And how is that Brother Xiao?"
"A stranger finds his way to our doorstep, amidst the most inhospitable lands within the province. He is large and muscular with incredible resilience. I can practically smell the potential. And weren't you just saying some days ago how the sect needs more disciples?"
Meihua smirked, clearly enjoying Qiang's attempts to stifle his building rage. "He's got a point, Qiang. We do need more disciples. And while the Stranger has no cultivation, there is much potential within him. Even you must admit to that."
"Fine," Qiang spat, turning with a flash of his pristine robes as he made to leave the room. "But Disciple Ri Lee begins his training tomorrow, regardless of what the healers say. We shall test this alleged resilience of his that you speak of Brother Xiao."
Riley paused mid-Chomp, turning to watch as the elder fled his room. "Why do I feel like I just missed something important?"
Xiao chuckled, leaning over to tossel Riley's fiery hair before he and Meihua made to follow their fellow elder. "Don't worry, Young Ri Lee. Get some rest. Your training begins on the morrow!"
Training? Riley thought, even more confused than usual. But Coach said I can't practice with other teams . . . something about not paying any more legal fees?
Yet as Riley looked up to inform the Elders of such constraints placed upon him, he found himself alone in his room, nothing but the faint hint of a whisper of wind sliding through the lone window, bringing the tang of salt water with it.
"Man. Coach is gonna be so pissed."
Chapter 3. The Disciples of the Whispering Glade
"You're lying," Snake said, wiping sweat from her brow as she paused in her work of weeding the Whispering Gardens. "No man can be that tall. And seriously? Covered in freckles? What was he, diseased or something?"
"That's what I said," Heron said, Egret's twin brother flashing him a triumphant smirk.
The three and only Outer Disciples of the Whispering Glade Sect had been sent to the gardens by their seniors to meditate upon the origins of life and the fruits of labor and patience. Or in other words, to fuck off and leave them alone for a while.
In fairness, however, the High Gardens of the Whispering Glade were beautiful. Built many, many centuries ago by the Sect's founders atop the highest branches of the great Guardian Mangroves for support, perhaps several li of fields stretched as far as the eye could see. Meandering chaotically with the twists and turns of the mangrove branches that the great Qi-infused platform lay upon, it was only here that the sun's rays could provide nourishing life to the crops above the shadows and mist of the Whispering Glade. Furnished with hundreds of years of loamy soil dredged from the wetlands and watered by an ancient system of aqueducts that collected rainwater, the gardens had long been under the care of the sect's Outer Disciples, providing life and nourishment for all.
Too bad it's such tedious fucking work, Egret thought, rolling his eyes at the stupid grin on his twin's face. Dumbass. "I'm not lying, Sister Snake. The Stranger was massive. He was built like a mountain!"
"Even so, no true cultivator should be so large," Snake said, flicking her long black hair over her shoulder as she spoke. "He's likely just some lost farmhand. The Elders will have sent him packing on the morrow, be sure of it Junior Brother."
Egret stiffened at the insult, eyes flicking to his brother. A silent agreement passed between the two boys before they turned to face their fellow Outer Disciple as one.
"Your Junior Brothers thank you for your wise words, Senior Sister," the twins intoned, speaking and bowing low to the ground as one.
Snake smirked. "At last you pair of idiots have accepted my superiority over— What the fuck did you just throw at me?"
Heron and Egret burst into laughter as their fellow disciple squealed in outrage at her dirt-covered robes, the pair packing another set of dirtballs for a second volley when a stern voice interrupted them.
"Insightful meditations, Disciples?"
Shit.
As one, the trio came to heel, bowing low to Elder Qiang who suddenly stood in their midst. "Yes, Elder!"
How does he always know to appear in the worst moments? Egret bemoaned, preparing himself for the inevitable punishment. Just please don't make me unclog Elder Xiao's toilet again!
"I'm sure you doubtless have many questions regarding the recent arrival of the Sect's . . . guest."
The words were spoken with the same cold and deadly precision that Elder Qiang always used, yet this was not his usual pre-punishment speech. Don't get hopeful yet, Egret told himself, schooling expression. Hope is a dangerous thing with Elder Qiang.
"Yes, Elder," Snake ventured, her normally haughty voice now wavering before the Elder's dangerous aura. "So, he is a . . . guest?"
A frown flashed across Qiang's face, causing Egret's stomach to wrench. "That remains to be seen. Elder Xiao believes he may be worthy as a potential Disciple of our Whispering Glade." The Elder paused, killing intent spiking through his normal perfect control and causing each of the trio to burst into cold sweats. "I mean to ensure such a disgrace does not occur. I expect each of you to do your duty on the morrow and show this mortal the power of cultivators. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Elder!" the trio shouted, bowing once more.
"Good. Continue with your duties then. I shall see each of you at Arm's training tomorrow."
And with that the Elder left as quickly as he had appeared, disappearing amidst the tall stalks of the Heavenly Herbs that the disciples tended to.
By the Ancestors, does that man scare the shit out of me, Egret thought, sharing a knowing look with his twin.
"Guess you were wrong, Sister Snake," Heron said, elbowing the smaller girl. "Not a farmhand afterall."
"Hmph. We shall see about that. I intend to live up to the Elder's desires and banish this guestfrom our sect. There's no place for barbarians here and I, Disciple Ru "Snake" Daiyu shall be the one to handle this affront to our sect."
Egret rolled his eyes, sharing yet another conspiratorial look with Heron. As one they bent down, arming themselves with their deadly balls of mud.
"Don't you idiots fucking dare!"
That afternoon there was little meditation performed in the gardens.
Chapter 4. Never Yell Fight
I'm starting to think something's very fuckin' wrong.
Riley frowned, watching as one man who appeared only a little older than him disappeared, only to reappear several yards closer to his opponent in an instant. With a near flawless swing of his longsword, a slice of blue something erupted from his blade, slicing forth towards his opponent only to be stopped in its tracks by an equally powerful green something that the woman shot forth from her daggers.
It's like they're some weird type of Jedi except only . . . Asian. Riley shook his head, utterly baffled as the duelists continued their explosively colorful fight. Ever since waking up that morning, nothing had been right. First of all, he was in some massive tree . . . fortress. Connected by bridges that stretched over the yawning divides between the trees, an utterly massive complex of structures was built into the great forest. As to just how high up the complex was, Riley wasn't sure.
They were so high he couldn't see the ground.
All that was visible when he mustered the courage to glance over the railings of the bridges was a mist that curled chaotically around the thick trunks of the trees. The first time he had done so, he had nearly vomited, much to the amusement of the young man who had fetched him from his room that morning, introducing himself as Heron.
Strange name, that.
After eating breakfast in a massive and nearly empty cathedral-like building that Heron had referred to as the Lowly Dining Commons, Riley had then been led through a series of bridges and walkways to what could only be described as a wooden coliseum. At the center of the arena was a vast sandpit, perhaps the length of a football field, and here he was informed by Heron to "wait for our Seniors to finish their practice bouts."
And ever since I've been watching these crazy Jedi fucks beat the shit out of each other.
He and Heron had eventually been joined by a young man who bore the same floppy brown hair and easy smile as Heron and a small woman roughly his age with dark eyes and a perpetual scowl upon her face. Neither said a word, yet Riley could not help but feel as if they were staring at him out of the corner of their eyes.
A particularly loud explosion of color rocked the coliseum as the woman with the daggers dealt the final blow, sending her opponent flying into the arena wall with a bone-chilling crunch. Elder Qiang called the end of the bout, stepping forth from the shadows at the far edge of the arena to congratulate the victor.
Either I took a pill that would make Mama very disappointed in me or I'm dead and someone sent me to the wrong heaven, Riley thought, his brow furrowing as the defeated man slowly stood up from where he had been tossed, looking only slightly worse for wear despite the brutal ending to the fight. And what kind of fuckin' steroids are these folks on?!
"That was the last practice bout for the Inner Disciples, so it's our turn now!" Heron said, grinning broadly. "C'mon, I'll show you the way down, Honored Guest Ri Lee!"
Moments later, Riley found himself down in the arena, standing before the ever-impassive Qiang. He did his best to ignore the blood splatters that stained the pristine sand. Christ, I haven't seen this much blood since that one Waffle House parking lot!
"Disciples," Qiang began, cold eyes scanning the group before him until finally settling upon Riley. "We have an Honored Guest amongst us, put forth by the recommendation of Elder Xiao to join our honored ranks on the path to the Heavens. Who amongst you wishes to test our Honored Guest's fortitude to ensure that only the strong may call the Whispering Glade their home?"
Riley's eyes widened as sudden understanding struck. Wait, I'm supposed to fight somebody? At practice?? Without a warmup??? Coach would be so unbelievably pissed!
"I will take the honor, Elder Qiang," Snake said, the lithe woman stepping forward to bow before the Elder. "I wish to see the strength of a barbarian for myself."
Cruel mirth flashed in Qiang's eyes momentarily before he swiftly quelled the emotion. "Very good, Disciple Snake. Honored Guest, does such a bout suit you? Or do you wish to concede your right to join our great sect? There is no shame in bowing before your superiors."
Riley tilted his head, glancing between Snake and Qiang. "You . . . want me to fight a girl?"
Anger flashed in Snake's eyes and she made to step towards Riley but a flash of Qiang's hand stilled her.
"Is there a problem, Honored Guest?" the Elder asked, a hint of impatience tinging his words.
"Mama always said I should never fight a girl," Riley said, smiling apologetically at the Elder. "Also, aren't we gonna do any drills? In all the practices I've ever been to, the fighting usually happens during scrimmage or in the middle of drills. Don't get me wrong, though! I like the idea of gettin' it done early, but it does seem kinda strange to me."
Muted laughter from the viewing deck echoed over the sand and the group turned to find both Elder Xiao and Meihua, alongside some of the Inner Sect Disciples from the earlier bouts, watching on with amused expressions.
"Fine," Qiang spat, tearing his eyes from the viewing deck to point a finger at Egret. "You. You shall fight our Honored Guest. That is unless theHonored Guest has any more stipulations?"
Riley hesitated. What in Dade County is a stipulation? "Uh . . . no?"
"Very good!" Qiang cried, clapping his hands once before storming off with Heron and Snake to the far side of the ring. The woman shot Riley a particularly hateful glare as she passed him, looking down her sharp nose.
Huh, Riley thought, frowning. She must really be into me. Women are strange.
"Uh, Elder Qiang?" Egret called nervously, the gangly boy tugging anxiously at his hair as he glanced between Riley and the Elder. "Do we get our weapons?"
"NO!"
"Well, shit," Egret sighed, before settling into a weird half-squat position that looked like something out of a Bruce Lee movie. "I'll try to make this quick. You seem like an honorable sort."
Riley just cocked his head, eyeing the young man's much smaller frame in comparison to his own before breaking out into a broad grin. "Man, it's strange as Hell to me that y'all's coaches just let y'all fight whenever you want! I like it!" He paused, a sudden frown replacing his grin as he remembered the fights he had witnessed earlier. "Wait, are you a Jedi too?"
Egret squinted, his hands dropping from the ready position. "The fuck is a— "
"Fight!"
As the shout echoed through the arena, Riley's easy smile dropped from his face and a cold mask of serenity took its place as the warhorn of his ancestors reverberated in his ears. Generations upon generations of Florida men had shouted that warcry before marching into battle. Whether it was a family chain restaurant, the local dive bar parking lot, or Miami Beach, a deep bloodlust was awoken in every man of Florida upon hearing such a shout. And Griffith Riley Hawthorne III was nothing, if not a Florida Man.
Somewhere deep inside his core, something ignited, fueled by the sudden shout and burning bright with the glow of a sun rising over a verdant coast.
Before the words had faded from the very air, Riley moved.
[ALL OUT BLITZ]
"What the f— "
Like a wrecking ball smashing into old Florida homes to clear the way for ever more rental beach condos, Riley launched himself into Egret, snatching the very words from his mouth as Riley's shoulder blasted the remaining air out of his lungs. It was a perfect form tackle, sending both men flying back into the sand with a bone-shattering crunch.
Coach would be proud.
As Riley stood up from his unconscious opponent, he turned to find the entirety of the Whispering Glade Sect staring at him with slack jaws.
"So when does the actual practice start? 'Cause I'm ready to pop some mo'fuckin' pads!"
Chapter 5. The Elders and the Disciples
"So . . . what the fuck was that?"
Within the great courtyard that lay at the epicenter of the series of tree houses that made up the Outer Sect dormitories, the three and only Outer Disciples of the Whispering Glade Sect held their usual council after life-altering changes occurred to their lives as disciples.
Although, no other topic of discussion has been this . . . momentous, Heron reflected. I mean, by the Heavens, the last one was about the addition of dumplings to the meals served at the dining hall.
"I don't know," Heron said, at last answering his brother's question out of pity for the bandages that were wrapped around the boy's midsection. The healer said the fracture would be healed by the morrow yet Egret still winced at every movement he made. "But I do know that was the fastest I've ever seen you get folded."
Egret frowned, yet couldn't help but nod in agreement. "He was fast. I couldn't even see him until he was right on me."
"Defeated by a mortal," Snake scoffed, running through her martial forms beside where the brothers sat. "I knew you two were behind me, but I hadn't realized just how far."
Egret and Heron exchanged looks of exasperation. Why must Snake always be so . . . Snake?
"I don't know if you noticed while you were too busy looking down your nose at us, but that 'mortal' Awakened in the arena," Egret said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "He even managed to use what looked like a basic movement technique just moments after his Core sparked. The barbarian would've kicked your scrawny ass too, he just would've felt guilty doing it."
Heron laughed hard at that, thoroughly enjoying watching Snake's back stiffen in rage. "Besides I wouldn't go around calling the barbarian a mortal, Snake. The man looks like he might be a potential prodigy. He'll probably surpass you in a matter of months."
"He will not!" Snake spat, spinning around to face the twins, her fists tightening until her knuckles turned white against the grips of her daggers. "I have trained for years! My chi channels are almost finished and I'm on the cusp of entering the Chi Projection stage. That beast will never be my equal! Not now, not for a hundred years, and not ever!"
A silence fell over the courtyard as the young woman's shouts echoed off the surrounding trees, the twins exchanging a single solemn glance in the face of their companion's resolve.
"You have a crush on him don't you?"
"Shut up!" Snake screamed, launching her daggers at the brothers with such speed that the very air whistled with the passing of the blades.
Heron and Egret both barely dodged the throw, laughing all the while as Snake tore after them in search of vengeance.
"I sure hope the Elders are having a better council than we are!" Heron shouted to his brother as they dodged yet another pair of daggers that would've surely decapitated them.
"I really doubt that! Qiang's even worse than dear Sister Snake!"
More laughter erupted from the pair before a ball of righteous, feminine anger slammed into the pair, knocking them to the ground in a tangled clump of curses and flying fists.
Deep within the recesses of the inner sect, in the Grand Hall of the Whispering Tower built atop the tallest Guardian Mangrove in all of the Whispering Glade, the elders were, in fact, nothaving a better council than their juniors.
"Just what in the Heavenly fuck was that?"
"Language, Elder Meihua," Qiang snapped, ceasing his pacing across the jade floor.
"Oh, do be silent Qi-Qi," Meihua returned, waving dismissively at the other elder. "I know you're just as shocked as I am. We just witnessed perhaps the quickest Awakenings. Not to mention it was prompted by the smallest of nudges!"
"And the density of his core!" Xiao added, the small elder grinning fiercely. "When you look at him with Chi-sight, it feels like the very rising of the sun! We might have found the answer to our recent woes!"
"A powerful disciple in our ranks with such clear martial aptitudes would certainly improve our standing amongst the other sects," mused Meihua.
"Have both of you gone insane?" Qiang snapped, tugging absently at his long goatee. "We are far too quick to welcome a potential snake into our nest. We do not even know who this young man is, let alone where he hails from!"
"Brother Qiang, calm yourself," Xiao said soothingly. "Young Ri Lee does not seem the type to hold dark secrets. His eyes are without guile, as open as the sky. Besides, I remember not so terribly long ago another young man that was found lost upon this Sect's doorstep. And alongside some amazing companions, if I may so indulge myself, he forged a powerful reputation for our sect."
Qiang frowned, teeth grinding together.
"He's got you there, Qi-Qi."
"Will you cease with that horrible name?!" Qiang roared, flaring his Chi as his presence grew to loom impossibly high over the other like the great Guardian Mangroves of the glade.
"Oh, you dare?" Meihua hissed, shadowy tendrils slithering over her body and pulsing with dark, malevolent energy. "You think you're might is enough to challenge me, Little Qi-Qi?"
Xiao merely slid aside, watching with quiet serenity as his companions of many centuries began their age-old favorite pastime.
I hope that at least our juniors are having a more peaceful evening.
Chapter 6. Far From Home
Riley frowned, the light of the two moons that hung in the night sky slipping through a gap in the canopy of the glade and coating him with silvery ethereal light.
I'm not on Earth anymore, am I?
The thought resonated deep within him, rippling across the surface of the ball of densely packed something that nested within his core. Through the lens of his mind's eye, it glowed with a golden light, shining with the brilliance of the sun. Already, golden tendrils of light stretched out tentatively from the ball of energy, forging trails through his body.
Cultivation, Riley thought, equal parts wonder and fear coursing through not for the first time since discovering his newfound power. This is a cultivation world, just like all those stories Kyle used to read and rant about. Riley's eyes widened, as his thoughts went towards his brother and the rest of his family. Holy shit. Does my family think I'm dead? Am I dead?! He froze, something truly horrible occurring to him. Oh no. OH, GOD NO! I'm gonna miss the SEC Championship! This was our year! THIS WAS OUR YEAR! And I fuckin' died!
"FUCK!"
The mournful shout echoed through the densely packed mangroves, reverberating against their thick trunks until it garbled the yell into some twisted animalistic roar.
"What ails you, young Ri Lee?"
Riley spun from his seat at the edge of the roof of his treehouse to find the small Elder Xiao standing behind him. How long has he been there?
"Uh, nothing, sir," Riley at last answered, struggling to get over how silent the elderly man moved as he settled in beside him on the roof. "Just thinking."
"A wise thing to do after Awakening," Xiao mused, staring up at the twin moons that hung in the sky. "Much has and will change in your life now that you are a cultivator."
"You have no idea," Riley muttered. "Christ, I wish I had a beer."
Xiao chuckled, turning his gaze upon Riley. "Oh, but I do have some idea, young Ri Lee. The Heavens told me of your coming the night before your arrival at the Sodden Gate. A comet, golden in color flashed through the night sky, spearing the Twin Moons." Xiao paused, a soft smile replacing his typical cheeky grin. "I'm certain you must feel lost and confused. For that, I must apologize. I know not how you got here or from where you come, but I do know that within you rests a very piece of the Heavens themselves. For better or worse, great things await you, young Ri Lee. And I am very excited to watch what happens next."
Riley frowned, rubbing at his temple. I understood like half of what he just said.
Xiao nodded, smiling sympathetically. "I know it's a lot to take in but you should know just exactly what you are joining when you agree to take on the mantle of the Whispering Glade and I doubt that you have ever heard of our sect. We are small compared to the more traditional powers of the southern region of the Empire. The only thing that has allowed us to maintain our independence is that we live in a very inhospitable land, far from civilization. The Whispering Glade lies at the center of a vast sea of marshland that we call the Sea of Grass. The Glade itself stretches the width of some of the smaller imperial provinces and only the strong and foolhardy call her home."
Xiao paused, a small frown replacing his typical smile. "That is not to say that we are weak, however. Because of our smaller size and the nature of our home, our sect elders have always taken much more interest in their juniors than other sects. Because of this and the abundance of resources found within the Glade, our disciples on an individual level often far outstrip the power of the typical sect disciple." Xiao shrugged, chuckling softly. "Unfortunately, even the mighty Water Horse may be taken down by a school of Razor Fins."
Jesus Christ that was a lot of exposition, Riley groaned, mentally massaging his brain. And what the fuck is a Water Horse? Or a Razor Fin??
"Now I really need a beer."
Xiao laughed, his eyes sparking once more with mischief. "Fret not young Ri Lee, our seasonal expedition to the town of Far Water is just around the corner and I think of one tavern in particular that would sate your desire. Train hard and perhaps I shall let you join the expedition!"
A glimmer of hope sparked deep within Riley's heart. "A tavern? That's like a bar, right? A place where they serve booze?"
"Why, of course!"
"And all I have to do in order for you to let me go to this tavern is to practice cultivating really hard?"
Xiao cocked his head to the side, eyeing Riley's sudden eagerness with no small amount of concern. "Well, I would not so casually brush aside the mental and physical fortitude it takes to pursue cultivation, but yes, I suppose that is what I am saying."
"Fuck yeah!" Riley exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "Coach never let me hit the bars after 'the incident'! This is gonna be goddamn awesome!"
"'The incident' . . . ?"
Riley hesitated, a hint of guilt flashing across his face. "Uhhh . . . nothing, Coach Xiao. Don't worry about it. Just a small misunderstanding, y'know?" Before any more questions could spring forth from the elder, Riley clapped his hands together with a tremendous boom. "Welp, I should probably get to bed! Got a lot of cultivatin' to do tomorrow, n'whatnot. Night, Coach Xiao! Thank you for the talk and I promise I won't let you and your weird shooting stars down!"
Xiao watched as Riley dropped down from the roof, the treehouse door opening and slamming shut within a heartbeat of one another, a perplexed expression stretched across his face. "Only the Heavens know for certain, yet I cannot help but feel that I made a mistake with that promise . . . "