Of ink and Hope

Making breakfast was a short affair as Iulia pulled a sealed metal box from one of her bags.

“Here, take your pick.” She put the box on an outgrowth from the wall between the beds. Inside were a bunch of thin strips, at first glance they looked like leather and even felt like it. Lu Huan, not wanting to disrespect the offered hospitality of her benefactor, took one. She looked at it, confused as she had never seen something like this before. It was only when Iulia popped one into her mouth and started chewing that she followed suit.

“That’s a pear?! There's a hint of some kind of spice too.” Her eyes widened as the taste spread in her mouth. The cultivator had expected some kind of grain ball like all of the cult ate for all meals, or at least the equivalent these unknown painters consume. She was glad it wasn’t one of those tasteless all purpose grain balls. While they had everything needed for a balanced life, the horrid taste and effect it had on her guts didn’t help accustom herself to the cult.

“You have pears too here? That's nice, and yeah, those are fruit leather. I made them myself a few months ago, the box keeps them fresh.” She smiled, taking another one with her left hand as her right pulled two glass mugs from the bag, filling them with water soon after.

“Here, drink up, they are rather dry and can be rather bad on an empty stomach.” Lu Huan watches the woman’s hand as a barely perceptible purple smoke wisp from it.

Feeding Ki into her eyes was the first thing she did this morning upon waking up. While her healer and benefactor didn’t do anything to warrant her suspicion or feel discomfort. She was curious of her abilities, from healing to bending earth into a shelter and even mending her clothes to a propre looking state.

“Is my hand that interesting that you are boring a hole in it with your eyes?” The comment was light and a bit playful as it ended in a chuckle at Lu Huan’s jolt.

Like a child caught with their hand in the sweat jar, she blushed slightly, not liking how the girl in front of her made her feel. Raising her head to meet her gaze, she finally asked the question that had burned her lips since the night before.

“Last night. You said something about how I should already know of those techniques you did. Could you explain what you meant?” She instinctively made herself smaller, biting her tongue hard for blabbing out. This was a taboo, the sharing and teaching of one's technique were highly private matter, only given to direct disciples and heirs.

‘Considering her demeanour until now, she shouldn’t punish me too harshly, perhaps a bone of two…’ She paled as her body remembered the first and last time she had ever done that. This atmosphere and feeling of security made her forget where she stood.

“Please forg-”

“Sure. Wait what? Why are you trembling like that? Did I do something wrong?” Iulia started to panic as well, feeling the fear and anticipation wafting off the woman.

“Did. Did someone beat you for asking something like that?” Her voice was calm, warm but poised, trying to sound as gentle and soothing as she could, remembering the many scars her new guide has on her body from having healed her.

Lu Huan started to breathe again. The pain she was prepared to suffer never came, but instead when she opened her eyes, she saw concern and worry.

“Whatever happened, you are safe here Huan. I won’t raise a hand on you, nor do I plan to. I am really sorry that you’ve been through something like that for you to react like that.” Iulia had her arm in mid air, hesitating if she should hug the scared woman or not.

‘She seems troubled enough as she is, better let her calm down by herself and show her i don’t intend to harm her. A hug would just worsen things as they are now.’ Her heart sank as she felt sad for her.

Opening her bag again, she pulled a porcelain tub and a new mug. Opening it let out a gentle floral scent through the cabin. Taking a large pinch of the dried leaves into the new mug, she summoned water again, appearing above her hand with conjuration magic, she heated it up with a touch of surprise before pouring it into the cup.

“Here. It’s a chamomile infusion, the flower and warmth should help you relax." She places the mug near the box as she sits back on her bed. The other woman’s outburst and previous behaviour is not boding well to her mind.

“Why? Why are you the way that you are…? Helping an unknown stranger from certain death and painting a target on your back, giving them shelter and what little food you have, and now you’re worried? Why? Why bother at all?!” Huan’s voice was sore and filled with tears as she talked. She finally understood why she was feeling like this, why she couldn't stop thinking about when the other shoe would fall.

‘That’s how Wu Chang had me wrapped around her finger.’ Her mind filled with as much venom and anger as the thought of falling for another honey trap like SHE had done to her before.

“Because I care and I can do it? I mean, if I wasn’t able to paint magic, I would still have tried to bandage you and nurse you back to health the mundane way. As for why I am like that? Well, you could thank my teacher. She was the one who taught me to care and be kind to others: ‘ The world is already cold and uncaring, doesn’t mean you have to be like that too.’ Her words, not mine; but after having lived the life I had, I can't help but to agree. Like I said before, I didn't help you to get something in return, if that’s what you thought this was. And who ever said this is all the food I have?’ Iulia laughed as she pulled something else from her bag, a whole loaf of cozonac.

“Here, try this. I baked quite a lot of them yesterday.” Lu Huan’s stare at the bag in amazement, the tray the loaf was on was larger and longer than the entire bag was.

“Magic’s quite amazing isn’t it? Please have a slice.”

The two ate in silence, Huan’s paranoid and scarred mind tried to find any possible things to push back the woman’s kindness. But as time went on, she couldn’t find any, no mask, no hidden agenda or daggers, no cruel actions or misplaced words. Nothing at all. To her who was raised and trained in the Blood demon Cult, this was completely foreign. Yet to her trained sense, Iulia is as she appeared, genuine and wholesome. Yet a part of her still felt like she could be some kind of master manipulator.

‘But only time can tell, if this is all an act, she is bound to make mistakes sooner or later.’ Swallowing her discomfort. She finally allowed herself to digest the cozonac she ate, the anti-poison suspension technique proved to be useless as she couldn’t feel any harmful substances in it. Same with the herbal tea.

“Better?” Iulia asked, still shoving her face with cozonac.

‘Like a squirrel cutely storing nuts in her cheeks.’ The stray thought clashed with her previous ones, making her face heats up.

“Y-yes, thank you benefit- Iulia, my apologies.” She lowers her head, ashamed.

“It’s alright once again, don’t mind it. As for your previous question, I don’t mind answering you. I still don’t understand why someone would do that to you for simply asking a question. But it is something I won't stand for. If we ever meet them, please tell me so I can give them a piece of my mind.”

“I don’t think that would be wise Iulia.” Her voice was still a bit sore, but the warm infusion had helped somewhat.

“... I will trust you on this. But know that if someone dares to raise their hand on you or me while we go around this place, I won't stand for it, understand?”

“Yes, bene-. Iulia, I understand.” she nods, still conflicted.

“Moving on from that topic, I said that the schools of magic should be known to you as I can see the presence of Ink inside of your body, meaning that you should have already opened your inkwell to the Everflow.” The painter points at her torso.

“What do you mean by inkwell?” Huan looks down at her own body. Down under her belly button was her dantian, her reserve of ki, where her cultivation: the sum of all her training and gathered energy formed a crystal core. Core that waited to be purified after she finished bringing the rest of her body up to speed. Looking up at her sternum, she compared herself to the woman before her, the Ki circulating in her eyes enabling her to see the mystical energy from between heaven and earth.

Then the painter did something, and like an ambush hunter finally moving out of its hiding spot, she saw it. Yet despite seeing, she couldn’t comprehend: ‘this shouldn’t be possible’ she thought, watching as her understanding of cultivation crumbled.

While Lu Huan considered herself to be a pretty advanced cultivator for her age. Having created a stable foundation by skin, flesh and bones with Ki, opening the way to her dantian and forming a core before turning twenty. She had enough experience to be allowed to take in a disciple of her own back at the Blood Demon cult, and yet.

From what she could see, Iulia’s upper body: from her head to her waist sat inside a large, flower-like halo, where each petal was of a different colour. The flower bud in the middle was mostly black and red, yet the further out she looked the more diverse and faint the colours were, blending together at the edges. Yet there was something off back in the flower bud, something that made her skin crawl as she narrowed her eyes: a grey dot, like a hole in a canvas, sitting just past iulia’s sternum.

‘It doesn’t make any sense, her body is letting all the energy flow in and out. This should have crippled her ability to generate Ki… but, she doesn’t need it, does she?’

“That’s my Inkwell. That’s where my connection to the everflow is, and it is what fills me with ink. But… Now that I can pay attention to you, your inkwell’s not open. How. How can you have so much energy then?” Iulia gets closer to Huan, observing her sternum. The intense stare at her chest made Huan uncomfortable as she cleared her throat.

“What?” Iulia looked up, seeing the discomfort on the woman’s face as it finally hit her. “AH! I’m sorry, I didn't mean to! I was just confused and didn’t mean to be rude.”

“Please mind where your eyes wander, painter Iulia. While I don’t mind you looking, I would ask you to be proper about it.”

“Wha- My apologies. But, how do you… Do, do you think you could show me how you gathered so much ink inside of you? If that’s not impolite of me to ask?” She didn’t know where to put herself: ’Why am I such a dork about magic?! Get it together Iulia, you can’t stare at the gorgeous girl’s chest like that…’

“It is extremely impolite, but as you are my benefactor and clearly not a cultivator in the traditional sense. I do not mind once again, perhaps in return help me understand this Inkwell you’ve spoken off?” Huan smiles, a bit tense and stiff, not used to such honest attention.

“Sure, I could even help you open it, if you wish.” Iulia nodded, happy to move on from her blunder.

With a smile, Huan brought her legs up on the bed and crossed them in half lotus, before closing her eyes. Her breathing slowed, words too low to be understood escaped her lips as she hummed; the surrounding air lifting and moving towards and around her.

Lu Huan repeated her cultivation method to gather the mystical energy, using the right words, images and breathing technique, she felt her soul pulse, beckoning the energy to her; the trigramme remaining silent ever since her body was healed.

After a long silence where she completed ten rotations of the essence of heaven and earth through her body to purify and condense it. She deposed the tiny drop into her dantian, her core absorbing it like water on dry sand.

“Done. Did you manage to comprehend it, painter Iulia?”

“Absolutely not. In fact I am still quite shocked that you could pull in ink without being connected to the Everflow… That’s amazing! I don't understand how it is even possible. Fascinating. Can I ask another question, Huan?"

Wiping her sweat off her forehead, she nodded.

"Is that how you manage to increase the amount of energy in your body?"

“Yes. From my understanding and my observation, your body is the type to be in balance with the mystical energy of heaven and earth, unable to deepen your reserve, but in return you are never empty, right?” the painter agrees, albeit not entirely.

“The way your body acts would make you a cripple to the eyes of any sect, clan or cultivation school. The simplest reason why would be to compare a cultivator's body to cups, bottles and barrels: as long as there’s enough space inside and the rim resistant enough to not explode under the pressure, you can keep cultivating. But on the other hand, your body is akin to a strainer, you can’t create the pressure needed to refine the energy into Ki.” She tried to appear as non judgmental as possible. Remembering the horror of her fellow cellmate all these years ago when she learned she was a cripple. The screams still haunt her to this day.

“Right… that’s stupid. Sorry, but let me guess, those deemed cripples are laughed at and ostracised, right?” Huan nodded, uncomfortable as Iulia’s eyes looked at her coldly.

“Yes.”

“And that it is a common occurrence that those with power act like that?”

“Yes…” She was ashamed. She had seen so many things over the years: abuse, coercion and so many many more. She felt her stomach turn as the memories resurfaced.

“Damn, I guess that no matter where it is, power will always push people to take cruel shortcuts. Hey! Snap out of it." The small woman waved her hand in front of her face, once again with worry on her face.

"What?"

"Look, I can see that there's something eating you up, and I know we barely know each other. But, if you ever feel like talking about whatever it is, I am here. Come, let's get out of here, a bit of sunlight might do you some good." Iulia extended her hand to her, a kind and knowing smile on her face as she hinted at the door.

After being pulled by the smaller woman out of the earthen cabin. Huan stood there, the warm early summer sun shining on her, heating up her body.

"Feels good, right?" Iulia smiles from the side. The petite painter looked absurd with the three large bags she lugged around.

"Can I help you carry your bags?" She offers. "A young girl like you shouldn't burden herself so much."

"What do you mean a young girl? I am twenty years old Huan, are you sure your eyes are working properly?"

'What?' "What? Wait! Are you really 20 years old? But... you look so small and … Delicate."

"First, thanks. I put a lot of effort into looking like this. And secondly, yeah, I am only twenty autumns old. And I plan on looking like this for the next few decades, or until I tire of people reacting like you just did." Iulia rolls her eyes, before chuckling at her companion’s confusion.

"I didn't ask, but how long do you painters live for?"

"Why? Afraid I outlive you?"

'Yes.' "I... Just want to have an idea of how long you might require my guidance."

"Already having seconds thought, are you?" She looks at her, her hips cocked as her hands rest on her waist.

"No. Rather than having second thoughts, I am glad. You seem to be a kind person, it would be sad to see you leave too soon, heavens know this place needs more people like you."

"That bad? Damn. Not much I can do, but if I can help someone I will. Come, let's say hello and have a proper warm meal to eat" she walked ahead. "You coming?" she turned her head when she noticed Huan didn't follow.

"I don't think that's a good idea for me to be here." She joined Iulia, her feet shaky.

"Come on girl. Worst that can happen is they give us the boot."

"I don't know If i am allowed back." Iulia pauses, turns to her and gets in her face.

"Did you do something to them?"

"No..."

"Are you blaming yourself for something that has happened to you?"

"..."

"Did they do something to you?"

"No! What are you even saying?!"

"Sorry Huan. But I kind of noticed that you tend to blame yourself for things outside of your control. Look, I don't know who these people are to you, but if you didn't wrong them, and they, you. There's nothing to worry about. Don't give me that look, I know that saying is easier than doing, but if you don't try, you'll never know and live your whole life with regrets. So are we going in or not?" Iulia's face was strained and tired despite the calm mask she had on, Huan felt the shift in tone as she spoke.

"Are. Are there things you regret?"

"Yep. So? Are we going or not?"

"Right. Thank you for calling me out like this. Let's go." It was Huan's turn to pull along Iulia with her hand, a warm smile on her lips.

"I hope grandpa is still around."