Dance between Mortals and Immortals

Chapter 6.1

Xi'an's streets twisted and turned. The sound of of the city whimpering to life rose gradually as the roosters signaled the morning when the sun had not risen over the horizon, but its light already brightened the sky. People were already getting up and going to and fro, from food merchants to smithies. The hustle and bustle was intense even after living in the academies complex with so many more people than Rize's entire town as a child, she still wasn't used to crowds and found it uncomfortable. It was due to the constant stares someone like her  got from people. Her blue eyes stuck out like a sore thumb.

Rize hated that she cared so much, but after years of constant ridicule it could crack the hardest surface. Even water can cut stone given enough time or strength. Initially when she came to Xi'an she had to deal with the constant harassment and bullying by simply hardening her heart. For a long time their words didn't hurt. They only challenged her to improve, but some of the twerps words were beginning to sting and she didn't know what to make of it yet.

Cui Xinya masterfully dodged around people without them even noticing her; she kept her pace up despite it. Rize had to put in all her efforts to keep up; it had only been fifteen minutes and three miles plus some change and she could feel her heart wanting to burst out of her chest and her lungs burned as she gasped for breath every time she inhaled.

As if she was trying to lose her, Cui Xinya darted to the right down a quiet ally that was about two and half her width. Launching herself off a nearby wooden box she hit the opposing wall then launched off to hit the next wall she did this rapidly until she was at the top of the two three story building clinging onto the clay tiled roof. Looking down at her student she smiled "Come on my young student you must master all forms of athletics if you are going to increase your agility significantly."

Rize shook off her moment of shock before attempting. 'I'm not good enough to scale the wall as she did, but I must scale that wall to prove myself I cannot become a failure in her eyes."

Running at the box she jumped off the wall grabbing onto a window on the second level of the building. Then pushing off with her foot launched herself off towards the opposite wall before kicking off the last one and grabbing the roof with the edge of her fingers. By then her master had already climbed up onto the roof she watched as Rize struggled to pull herself up onto the roof with a tiny grin, her eyes closed as she was sitting down casually letting the morning sun hit her face.

Rize walked over and sat down beside her master not uttering a word as she let her master sit there in silence listening to the sounds of the city churning to life.

"Minako Rize" she said softly. "Tell me what you think is your purpose in this life?"

Rize looked at her feet that had small leather sandals that she wore "Master... I'm not sure." Rize said her eyes downcast.

Cui Xinya opened one of her eyes to look at her disciple from the corner of her eye. "That is the question isn't it... it is what you will be searching for the rest of your life and many never find the answer."

Looking at her master Rize saw that she had already stood back up stretching. "Alright, that was a long enough break, let's get moving. Don't fall down I don't want you to be getting hurt on me." She said as she jumped to the rooftop opposite theirs. Just before running off she looked back. "Come on now keep up."

…

Storm clouds gathered in the mountains just south of Xi'an city in the Sato eastern mountain range known as the forest of green stone to some due to the mountains having trees and vines covering them all around and jutting out of the earth like large pillars with numerous forests filling the gaps between each peak. At the base of one of the mountains a waterfall poured into a lake the water pounded against the rocks giving it a large roar that echoed for miles around the mountain range. Behind the waterfall was an immense cavern system where at the base of the falls two masked figures who wore black hooded cloaks entered the caverns.

"That girl is going to be great! It has been so long since the empire let a deity like hers go unnoticed!" The young child-like woman said as she walked into the cavern.

The large man behind her followed in his shoulders brushing up against the water that fell from the waterfall. "Calm down Motome we cannot do anything rash we must let the others have a say in what we do next. Also we don't know which deity it is yet."

Motome looked at the large man even behind her mask you could tell she was sticking out her tongue at the large man "Dukuro you are always such a spoilsport!" She said as she put her gloved hands behind her head walking exaggeratedly as they moved towards the inner parts of the cavern system.

The man known as Dukuro followed behind her silently as they approached a large wooden door that was obviously built with someone of Dukuro's size in mind. Motome walked up to the door and kicked it open with a swift kick that could hardly be seen due to its speed.

"We are back!" Motome said loudly as she strode through the door.

Before the two new arrivals stood ten others who wore similar outfits and masks as Motome and Dukuro. All had an aura of complete mastery and power amongst them.

"So you've made it back! How is the new batch of disciples this year?" Asked one of the men who had messy short hair that poked out from behind the mask.

Motome smiled a devilish smile "We found one..." the entire room went silent, the tension in the room building up.

"Are you certain?" a handsome male voice came from one of the members around the table.

"Absolutely!" she yelled slamming her hands on the table "If wasn't for that stupid b***h Cui Xinya we would have snatched her up immediately, but we decided to wait and talk to the rest of you about it."

"So you are saying Dukuro stopped you from doing something stupid is what you are saying pfft!" A mature female voice came from the woman beside the man at the head of the table "hahaha poor Motome never had much self-control, maybe that is why you are always with Dukuro."

Motome's face grew red behind the mask "YOU WANNA FIGHT ME NARA?!?!" Motome clenched her fist getting ready to climb up on the table before being stopped by Dukuro who placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head disapprovingly. Motome huffed as she stood back down and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Motome you are such a child. I feel bad for Dukuro having to always deal with you."

"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" Motome body trembled from anger.

"Oh such explosive anger, just like an angry toddler that didn't get enough milk from it's mother's breast."

"Shiro you w***e I will kill you!"

"Oh dear just---"

"That is enough bickering" the messy haired man spoke up again "Motome and Shiro will go and scout in normal attire tomorrow as you both are the youngest and can fit in with the other disciples easier." He turned his head to the rest of them "the rest of you beside Dukuro will go into your places in the city and act like nothing happened, we cannot allow this girl to fall through our grasp into the enemy's hands. Is that clear?"

They all nodded in unison and left the room besides the woman known as Nara and the messy haired man whose eyes stared down at the table which showed a map of Xi'an.

"Nara... we are so close. We can finally bring vengeance to our friends and families and so many others unjustly killed."

"Do you really believe we can do this? Sato is very powerful and even after years of conflict with Kalimdah they have yet to show any signs of weakness in fact in my experience they seem stronger than ever before."

The messy haired man took off his mask revealing a scared face as if a net was thrown on him and bore into his skin leaving a pattern of scars on his face "Nara they would be wrong to underestimate us, we are more powerful than ever. Our trials we all had to face to get here made sure of that."

Nara looked at his scared face expressionlessly unfazed by his appearance. "What happens when we accomplish our goals?"