But it was in the many cracks and crevasses of the caked dirt and trogcrap that the magic was found. In those old layers, there were more shades of brown and black than Dario had known to exist. If the right type of scholar took their time studying that dried up old grime, he figured they might learn something about the history of this place.
It was at those boots that the Contadino boys were staring with horrified looks, as if they saw their future reflected in them. Which was not at all wrong.
“They fucked up bad, huh?” Luca asked, scratching his throat before showing a sadistic grin. “Welp, it’s like I always say. If you tickle a trog’s ass, don’t cry if you get shat on. Yeah, I’ve got some work for them, alright. Plenty of it, too.”
Despite their whining as they were shown the stables, Dario knew they would put in the time. Betraying their own to nobles was not something the people of the Belt took kindly to. If they wanted to avoid being exposed and shunned for years, or even exiled, they would take this punishment.
Luca was chuckling darkly as he came back. “I’ll set those dumb bastards loose again after shitting season’s over. That should teach them a lesson.”
Dario nodded with a faint smile, but he wasn’t quite in the right mood to fully enjoy the twins’ suffering. Luca seemed to notice, giving him a look.
“You alright? The Dario I know would be dancing a jig, but you look like someone pissed on your favorite boots.”
He let out a long sigh. “Yep, got myself in a big mess. I’ll find my way out again, but somehow, I’ve got this feeling like my carefree days are soon going to disappear.”
Luca snorted. “That’s just growing up, isn’t it? All of us gotta do it at some point in our lives. When I was your age, I was already in it up to my damn hips.”
“That’s just… really depressing. But even if I accept it, then what? Do I find a trade? Do I keep training as a cultivator and go look for a damn Koto?”
The farmer shrugged. “Can’t tell you how to live your life. But long as you’re not sure, I suppose you might as well keep your options open? Seems to me like a cultivator’s got loads of paths to pick from. Of course, if you don’t want any of that, you can just come see me.” The farmer grinned as he clapped Dario on the back. “Always need more hands in the stables.”
With that chore taken care of, Dario wandered back to his hammock, feeling like he still wasn’t much closer to an answer. In fact, he wasn’t sure what the question was. What he should do with his life? What he really wanted, deep inside? Maybe it was easier just to focus on a small thing first: should he search for a Koto, to try and raise himself to Amber?
He soon found himself back in his hammock, picking up his tablet to exchange thoughts with Hana. After sharing one of his many tangles with a trash-goat out in the Belt, she happily began teaching him about different types of plants. He liked the idea of learning how to glean with plant Ki, but at the moment, it felt like yet another decision on top of a growing pile.
With learning to control a new type of Ki, harvesting the aura is always a difficult step. For plants, how to get the aura under your control depends on what type of plant you’re dealing with. But for the majority, their nature is to want to grow and multiply. Plant aura will gravitate towards a place of nurture, so a useful mental image is that of luring it in with the promise of food and warmth. Think of it like… a little baby that you want to take care of.
Right… Mind if I ask you something unrelated?
I wouldn’t dare to refuse the mighty tablet.
What kind of motivations do people usually have to go look for a Koto?
Is the tablet trying to become even mightier? A terrifying thought. But I think cultivating is hard, and people do it for all kind of reasons. Many of them for the wrong reasons, maybe… But still, it’s a personal thing, right? For me, if I imagine myself wanting to get stronger, it would probably be to protect my friends. For a treasure hunter like you, I guess it would be to… find even more treasure?
There can never be enough treasure.
That’s the spirit! Now, back to plants! What you should do as training, is to talk to flowers. As sweetly as you can. Try to seduce them with promises of love and care. Hold onto that intention and those emotions as you lure the aura into your seams. In particular, look for flowers that…
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Dario looked up at the crystal ceiling as text continued to appear on his tablet. Protecting people was not a bad motivation at all. Those bastards had come pretty close to threatening his mother. Even if he was going to stay on this floor, ascending to Amber would at least allow him to fight back, if anything like that happened again.
But first, there was another chore to take care of. One that felt as large and heavy as the damn pillar itself.
***
Dario sat on a stone outcropping with his knees to chest, running his hands through his thick, spiky hair as he stared out at his mother’s house.
Everything used to feel so much bigger. The tree out front had been a battlefield of many climbing challenges, where he and his brother had shouted loudly enough to bring old Carla out of her house and down the street to complain. The house was silent now, the old tree looking old and worn, branches drooping sadly down. The paint was flaking. When had he stopped thinking of it as his home?
His head sunk low as a long sigh left his lips. It might be easier to go off and shovel trogcrap with the Contadinos than to have this talk. Turns out even a chat can feel like work, if it’s unpleasant enough. But he’d already put it off as long as he could, so now it was time to tell his mother he was going to have to miss a dinner or two.
He hadn’t missed a single dinner in close to a year, ever since Matteo left. But with this hunting trip on the horizon, he’d be gone for at least ten days. As he imagined seeing the wilds, finding the rare treasures that might be hiding there, a spark of desire flashed to life in his chest. But then came the image of his mother’s sad face and the guilt washed through him, the spark of desire quickly fizzling out. She’d felt as fragile as a dried out leaf since Matteo left. Breaking the news was going to be difficult.
Dario was pondering if it might not be easier to simply run off, and apologize when he got back, when his mother opened her door and called out to him.
“You think I don’t see you sitting there like you’re struggling to pass a bowel movement? Has JeeJee been giving you those bad pills again?”
He let out a soft chuckle, then took a deep breath and pushed himself to his feet, slowly shuffling over to the house. Silence stretched between them as they sat around the kitchen table once again. He ran his fingers over the worn wood of the table. How often had he seen her sitting here, head in her hands?
“Could use a new coat of paint, huh? Oh, is that a new pot?’
She didn’t answer, eyes narrowing slightly as she looked him over.
“My father used to say that worries are no different than a bad tuber,” his mother said. “Once it’s in your belly, there’s nothing for it but to get it out one way or another, otherwise it’ll just keep making you sicker.”
“Yeah, well, I ate some pretty crappy tubers this time,” Dario sighed. “I got into a bit of trouble with some noble the other day. Long story short, I now have no choice but to guide this noble on a hunting trip into the wilds. So I’ll be gone for a while.”
“Is everything alright? Will you be safe?” she asked, eyes widening with concern.
“It’ll be fine. If things fall apart, I’ll just hide and run away.” He offered a reassuring smile which she mirrored, though it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Right. I know you’re capable, but… Well, a mother still worries. But on the positive side, you’ll finally get to see a bit more of this floor, won’t you?”
She was doing it again. Always acting the good and supportive mother, encouraging him to follow his dreams. But his keen eyes noticed how her usually steady hands scratched at a loose splinter on the tabletop, how her eyes were just a tiny touch too wet. The tears only ever came out when she thought no one was watching.
Still, he nodded. “Sure, but it’ll just be a short trip. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“I knew the time would come when you’d be all grown up.” She sighed, giving him a kind smile as she squeezed his hand. “It’s always so much faster than you think. This is how it started for Matteo, too, you know. First he was off to the city to get more books. Then a research trip to learn more about the crystal. He always loved those little experiments. Then a few small jobs in the city. Then suddenly he was out to find his Koto. Did you realize it’s almost been a year since he went up?”
There was a short pause as he nodded and he watched with growing concern how the corners of her mouth drooped slightly, how she swallowed heavily.
“He said he’d visit. He still hasn’t written, you know? Not even a single letter.”
Dario’s fingertips turned white where they gripped the table. “Mom, please. Don’t go down that rabbit hole.”
“Sorry, you’re right. I know it won’t help, but… It’s like I said, a mother worries. That’s all,” she said cheerfully, with what could only be a forced smile. “Anyway, how long is this mission of yours?”
“Probably a week, maybe a bit longer.”
Her smile slipped for a moment. “Okay. Well, you stay safe, alright? Try not to get distracted.” She laughed, shaking her head. “Listen to me, what am I even saying? It’d be like telling a cat not to chase mice. Just… Don’t take any crazy risks. It’s like I said, a-”
“A mother worries,” Dario finished, nodding. At this rate, she was just going to be sad and worried the whole time he was gone. He needed to reassure her. “I’ll tell you what, there’s ten days until next week’s dinner. I should be able to get it all over and done in that time. If I’m not back in ten days, you’re allowed to worry. Before that, you should assume everything is going as planned.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her smile didn’t slip. “Oh, what’s this? We’re bartering for permission to worry now? Don’t forget, I’ve heard those kinds of promises before.”
The last sentence hit him like a punch to the gut. He let out an angry grunt, frowning. “Well I’m not like them. I keep my promises. Do we have a deal?”
He held out his hand, meeting her eyes. She looked him over for a long moment, before finally laughing as she shook her head. “Alright son, you’ve got yourself a deal. No worrying for ten days, but if you’re not back by then, I’ll have to assume the worst.”
She was making light of it, but as they shook hands to seal the deal, he could see how her eyes lightened up. When she smiled again, it was entirely genuine.
“So, back to the topic of potential partners then. Carla has another cousin who has a daughter that lives in the city…”