Amdirlain's PoV - Demi-Plane

When Amdirlain finished reviewing all the dead-end powers and skills she'd let fall by the wayside with Cyrus, she sat up and brushed her fingers across her hair to smooth it out.

"Death Strike, Dominion, Flight, Greater Teleport, Planar Beacon, Rebuke, Seed Doubts, Silent Kill, Spirit Bridge, Stimulation, Tongues, True Sight, and World Step. They've all got specific uses, so they're not exactly powers I can turn to other purposes."

"I can't imagine your use of Rebuke and Seed Doubts matches what a typical Fallen outside the cloister would use them for," said Cyrus. "With changing anything, it's not always the ingredient but the perspective one adopts. Given your uses of those two, it's odd that they didn't merge with Muse's Embrace."

This is eerily like the conversation I had with Gilorn. Was my attitude there adopted from conversations with Cyrus having rubbed off on me? Or is someone nudging us both? I'm not paranoid, I know aspects are out to get me. He's always guided me since we met, and the Jade Emperor's koan sent him on that journey to Limbo.

"You're an excellent influence, Sifu," said Amdirlain. "Did you ever come to an understanding of the koan that led you to meet me?"

Cyrus shrugged slightly. "A koan is like life's journey; one's understanding is never complete, it merely visits rest stops along the way. After you inspired me to break through, the Emperor himself greeted me. He asked me to contemplate the way of my Phoenix's rebirth. Then they made me wait to speak to them again so I could return."

"Did you find any further understanding from his question?"

"It made me consider the gentleness of the flames," said Cyrus. "You raised this old guide to heights he'd thought long past. For millennia, I had considered myself a shard sent to guide, never a seed to grow."

"Maybe that's why you were thinking about neglected powers, not my collection of them, but what else you left undone in your life?"

"A koan doesn't have a single answer," acknowledged Cyrus. "After you finish your journey through the courts, I'll see what I can seek for myself."

Amdirlain rose and bowed. "Sifu, I'm going to meditate on your advice about Mana and see if I can determine if I need more lessons or a lot more practice."

He acknowledged her bow but didn't retrieve the scrolls he'd packed away, instead turning to study the dark ocean beyond the dome.

She created a scroll on the Duty Pavilion desk request another lesson and listened as they immediately dispatched it via courier. With the request on its way, she relaxed in her bedroom, not bothering to unroll the futon stored in their absence.

As Amdirlain sat, cycling Mana and Ki together, she drew her senses inwards to cover a metre of her surroundings. With her attention restricted, Amdirlain dismissed the filter around both Ki and Mana. Multiple levels of interference came from the noise of her flesh, between the saturation of her spiritual net and the planar nature of her species being inherently magical. She repeatedly cycled to use the moving sound to let her identify the elements that required her focus. The golden light from her sigil shone through the screens and washed across the rear garden and the pathway that separated the property from the dome. A Demon assigned to tend to the path and check the boundary markers vanished in streamers of white light; his clothes and implements dropped on the ground as enlightenment helped his essence over the last hurdle to a true Soul. A half dozen in his work detail stepped forward to let the illumination wash over them. Only one more followed suit in a clatter of tools, but all gained a thoughtful expression, inspiration having guided them further along their path; seeing the dramatic events, a trio—overcome with fear of the unknown—fled back to their duty station. Once there, they babbled about incinerating flames and their fellows having perished.

As an eyewitness to the events, Cyrus reassured those who came to investigate and sent them on their way with a suggestion. Over the following hours of her meditation, more demons walked the path, bathed by the golden light of Amdirlain's sigil, and all emerged changed for the better.

When Amdirlain emerged from her meditation and expanded her attention, she found Cyrus sitting in the main room. His attention was on the hundreds of demons stretched out along the path. The chatter among them had her hiding face in her hands. Heartbroken whispers from those arriving too late stopped her from rising, and soon, the golden light resumed washing the path. When she sensed no more movement among the demons in the East Court, she emerged and sat beside Cyrus in the living room.

"Oops."

"That was kindly done," said Cyrus. "They lost less than one in a hundred completely, but you moved hundreds onwards in their journey."

"I don't understand how it had that effect. I caught some energy shifts, but not enough to make sense of, even with the knowledge of souls I've gained recently," said Amdirlain.

"A large part of it would be their readiness to move on. The light from your Ki carried the touch of your Muse's Embrace and helped them find the pieces inside themselves."

"What about the rest?" asked Amdirlain.

Cyrus motioned to those still paused on the other side of the fence, their expression ones of quiet contemplation. "A mixture of factors unique to each individual, and some combinations required more time to purify."

A flurry of activity in the central palace drew her attention.

"Lord Qinglong is planning to celebrate," noted Amdirlain absently.

"Why would he not? Dozens of new souls were born today. For some, the journey of hundreds of years has finally ended, and now their souls begin." Cyrus nodded thoughtfully. "It's a grand occasion. This old guide is proud of you, Am. You've come far from the wounded individual I first met."

Amdirlain swallowed, her attention fixed on the path.

In the guise of a young boy, a minor Demon soberly collected the garment left behind by the last to change and clutched the little dress tight to his chest. His head bowed, and tears trickled down his cheeks. Amdirlain's gaze lingered on the sorrow lining his features as his shoulders shook. His energies rippled as a faint beat of joy warred with his grief and jealousy. The internal celebration cleared some darkness from the goop that made him up, and the negative emotions lessened but didn't fade completely.

The positive emotions are a catalyst for their internal transformation.

"He lost a friend."

"Hopefully, she's merely gone ahead. Might I suggest shielding your room if you're concerned?" asked Cyrus.

"My mind was busy with my challenge, and I've not had to bother for weeks," sighed Amdirlain. "A hurray more than an oops?"

"Or a joyful oops. It's your choice. Your light has let others learn too much about you in the past, but as with these demons, it has also provided healing and insight."

"Positive emotions teach them to become Human," said Amdirlain.

"Life teaches them. The positive emotions reinforce the goodness they've found and lessen the hate and spite that they originate from," corrected Cyrus.

Amdirlain's mouth tightened. "That black goop is a lot like the corruption in the Abyss."

"Not all of them find souls. For some, the negativity and hatred is too strong, and they refuse the opportunity," explained Cyrus.

"Do you have any freshly bound demons?" asked Amdirlain. "I'd like to learn as much as possible about their different stages."

"I can get some. There should be some from recent hunting parties at the Duty Pavilion, bound into figures or spheres, as at Xuan Wu's palace."

Amdirlain focused on each Duty Pavilion site until she found what she sought. "The black goop is raw negative emotional energy unfettered by morality or virtue—not exactly, but close. In some ways, they're like ectoplasm formed into a psi-crystal with an imprinted decision matrix, but the pathways are all forged by negativity."

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"Binding allows them to place context and boundaries around those emotions and experience positive ones," offered Cyrus.

"I think I can work with that," murmured Amdirlain. "But I'll need to be careful not to filter out the key parts I need to hear. Stupid headband means it'll probably be best to wait."

Cyrus patted her shoulder. "Yes, don't add more to your list."

"I'll see how long before I can get a last lesson on Soul healing, and then we'll move on."

"Did you make any progress while bringing enlightenment to others?"

She smiled sheepishly. "I got the Mana down to the surface of my Soul consistently—a little diver's bell—but it still won't go into the font's source."

An old man, hair white and slightly hunched, walked along the path, the energy within his chakras only that of a mid-twenties practitioner. He patted various crying demons and offered kind words until he finally stopped and crouched before the little boy. He gently chided him about getting her favourite dress grubby and gently prompted him to bundle the garment up to keep it as a safe memory of his friend. Once it was secured, he pointed to the tools dropped by the original Demon, and together, they tended to the path edges. His raspy voice asked the boy questions about what sort of life he thought his friend would get to experience first and offered ideas for adventures. Soon, he had the boy giggling at the outrageous tales she might live first-hand; the joy of his laughter claimed new ground within the blackness that composed him.

Other practitioners showed up and took other stunned demons under their wing. Each practitioner's approach differed, but Amdirlain could hear the weak energies in the demons responding and strengthening against the darkness.

Amdirlain sighed. "Once, the mere thought of enslavement would have made me go ballistic, but it's more like an apprenticeship. Some demons are so untrustworthy they're bound tight and only allowed to act on orders. Then, as they progress towards a Soul, you give them more room to live and experience a breadth of emotions. A gentle touch of correction and guidance here and there."

She watched the old man dig up weeds with the boy, who had slowed amid his escalating giggles, waves of clean energy within him rapidly diluting the remaining blackness.

They'd been working together for half an hour, with the boy contributing progressively less as the old man kept him giggling with increasingly wild tales. Finally, a peel of laughter surged from the boy, and he burst into streamers of light.

With a smile, the old man knelt and placed the tools into their proper containers. Then, he bundled up the boy's garments and tied them to the girl's before securing them to the back of his obi. He straightened and bowed towards the house before returning to the chores.

"That was neat. A soft touch, kind questions, and laughter did more for the boy than my light," said Amdirlain.

"Sometimes, after significant events, it only takes a little more effort to tip off a cascade," said Cyrus. "All the practitioners helping them will have experience in guiding improvements."

"Do you think he'd speak to me? Or am I going to be too intimidating?"

"You won't know until you try," replied Cyrus.

Amdirlain stood, her clothing changing to a plain wushu uniform in black and red, and headed for the back garden. When she exited the back gate, the old man had moved onto trimming lichen from a boulder, shaping its formation into a decorative pattern. A check of Analysis returned information that matched what her senses reported of his strength.

"That was kind, the way you spoke to him," said Amdirlain. "I'm called Am, and I'm visiting the East Wind's Court for lessons. Might I know your name?"

"I'm Yoshiki. We're all aware of who you are, Lady Am, though I've heard rumours you are more than any of us know."

The name's meaning resonated through Amdirlain's gift, and she raised an eyebrow at the name Jade Tablet. She dropped all her filtering briefly and caught the edges of the facade covering his truth, but couldn't see beyond it.

Does that count as discernment, or did I cheat?

"Does anyone truly know another?"

"Perception and understanding walk a separation route, and only the individual can open themselves to both," replied Yoshiki.

The energy of the facade tickled at her thoughts.

"Have we met before?"

Yoshiki tilted his head curiously. "You might have seen me in passing. I've worked in many places, but my accomplishments infrequently warrant the attention of those greater."

"Or of those that can't see?"

He inclined his head slightly. "People only truly perceive what they are ready to understand, even if they can glimpse wisdom from the corner of their eye."

"Might I ask why you tied their garments together?"

"A slight gesture in the hope their friendship will stay secure in at least their first lives," said Yoshiki. "I'll store them together in the hope their friendship grows towards love, or at least strengthens to remain through future reincarnations."

"Thank you, Yoshiki. I hope you and Quan Yi will be kind to them," said Amdirlain.

"I've got a soft spot for young lovers these days, unlike the silliness of my youth," replied Yoshiki.

She paused and offered a deep bow. "Thank you for tending the courtyard at Xuan Xu's palace. It was always orderly."

A glint of otherworldly amusement peeked past the Jade Emperor's facade of Yoshiki. "Some mountain air might be good for me in my dotage."

"I hope we'll meet again when I can discern your truth properly," said Amdirlain.

"Only you can say where your steps will take you and where your eyes might lift to," replied Yoshiki.

"Might I help more of the demons?"

"Why?"

"Souls are special, and I'd like to help them start their new journey."

"These days of servitude help them plant seeds of wisdom. We brought those here that would benefit, but not those it would ruin. One needs to see them through to bloom properly, like the mourning process, or a grub in its cocoon."

"Or a chick testing its wings against the shell?"

"I didn't see what he would do," said Yoshiki, lifting a hand to gesture to her forehead. "Would you like it gone?"

"I want it gone so much. It hurts, but I want to get strong enough to remove it."

If I'm going to make Wukong wear it again, I'll need the strength to match it.

Yoshiki nodded. "Then the choice of punishment against your attackers is yours alone. My underlings overstepped their clouded understanding of the future, so you have my apologies for their conduct. With its many possibilities, this realm is not a place to reward such meddling. Remember, water does not stick to the mountain, and vengeance does not stick to a big heart."

"Many things fuel my flames. What do you call your poem delivered with a puzzle and a broken tool?"

"A poem, a decorative container, and a tool you could have completed. Why did you consider them a koan? I was never your teacher to issue one."

"But this trip," protested Amdirlain.

"What your journey teaches you is between you and the road." Yoshiki smiled. "Until we meet again."

Bowing again, Amdirlain returned to the living room, and Cyrus raised an eyebrow.

"Glimpses from the corner of my eye," murmured Amdirlain as she sat beside him.

Did he manipulate me, or did I manipulate myself into taking a holiday? A lesson in expectations?

"Ahh. I wondered if you'd see even that yet," said Cyrus.

Amdirlain looked out to where Yoshiki was still trimming the lichen. "Of course you'd know who he is."

"I've seen him dozens of times on the Material Plane since I met you at Silver Lake," said Cyrus.

"I only figured out one besides Yoshiki from the feel of his disguise," sighed Amdirlain.

Cyrus patted her forearm reassuringly. "He must like you to give you such a hint."

Amdirlain frowned. "Or he figured I needed the help."

"If that is your understanding of the situation."

"It was a complete cheat. The moment he gave that name, its meaning echoed too far within Universal Communication."

He gave a dry smile. "I'm reminded of one of your sayings, which I find completely unsuitable in some situations."

"Which one?"

"If you're not cheating, you're not trying hard enough."

Amdirlain groaned. "Don't remind me. My slip still makes Sarah laugh. My foot entered my mouth too fast to avoid. What does he look like to you?"

"A man tending a path. What should he look like?"

"Be that way. I'm returning to meditation."

As she walked away, Cyrus chuckled.

This time, the golden light didn't spill from the house.

Klipyl's PoV - East Court

As she strolled after the tea ceremony, Klipyl caught the spreading news. Even dampened a hundredth to allow for exaggeration, Amdirlain had aided twenty demons in developing souls—surely she hadn't impacted two thousand. Or had she?

She caught the wry smile that warmed Kadaklan's gaze and looped her arm with his. "Is my sister amusing you?"

Kadaklan patted her hand. "I'm more amused that she can amaze people after the stories from the other courts."

"She's been behaving herself," sniffed Klipyl. "Two years of meditating is so mundane around here that it got them settled and comfortable."

"True, and so they underestimated you all."

"You mean us," corrected Klipyl.

"I'd never presume," replied Kadaklan.

Klipyl traced her fingertips along his jaw. "Not even with me?"

He turned towards her and smiled warmly as he cupped her face. "I'd never presume or assume with you. Though I'd like you to communicate whatever it is you desire."

The ribbons of his attention widened, and she felt them enfold her more comfortingly than any hug. "Would you travel with me while sis undertakes her solo journey?"

"Wherever you go. I'll figure out a way to come with you."

"Promises, promises," purred Klipyl,

The fierce blush that darkened his cheeks didn't contain as much heat as Klipyl's gaze.

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