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Gotham's Dead End Bar Ch.62
🕑 Added 2025-03-26 23:56:09 +0000 UTC— Rose Rising With the Sun —
Rose Rising With the Sun — simply ‘Rose’ to those she cared to claim and ‘Rose Rising’ in less formal settings — had been named in the tradition of her clan. Her venerable father was named for the rare sun in all its glory — Ember of Sunlight, always burning through the tribulations sent by Heaven and Earth. His venerable mother before him was the same, and so on until the very founding of their clan and tribe. They were the Sun Clan, elevated as their namesake to guide those who looked to them.
The Sun Clan had ruled these lands and trees for longer than any Human memory. And still, they oversaw only a portion of Chy’a-kit — translating to the ‘Land We Know’ in the tongue of the Phoenix. Rose knew the Phoenix Empire called Chy’a-kit something else amongst themselves: the ‘Wishing Woods’.
It was a presumptuous title, in her mind. The outsiders would never know these lands, never know the spiritual mysteries they named them for. A wish in the woods was sacred and intensely personal, kept solely between the wisher and Chy’a-kit. Yet stories of them had spread to the rest of the Empire. And now, the name would be impossible to change.
But the outsiders were not wholly terrible at naming things. The tribe, for example. Their people had many names. And while Chy’a-maktra — the original name in the tongue of the woods — would always hold traditional weight, it was actually the outsiders’ name that resonated with their way of life most profoundly. The ‘Sunbeam Hunters’.
That title… Rose didn’t mind it nearly as much as the Phoenix replacement for Chy’a-kit. She’d known it all her life, for it’d come with the Empire’s rule and the Empire had ruled them from afar for as long as it hadn’t. While Chy’a-kit was sacred and true, Chy’a-maktra was… generic, to be so blunt. Rose knew of another two tribes that claimed the same name in their tongue.
By comparison, ‘Sunbeam Hunters’ was unique. It may have been given to them by outsiders, but sometimes, the best titles were. The name gave legitimacy and face to her clan’s rule, to the sun they embodied. And it summed up their people rather well. For, in these deep woods, what were they except hunters of the rarest commodity, of the sunbeams that survived to reach the forest floor? What were they if not all fond fools that cherished the sacred sunbeams despite the shadows they were born beneath?
No People of Chy’a-kit had managed to fully integrate with the Empire. And that was fine. Preferable, even. They kept their ways of life alive like that. They were still hunters as all their ancestors before them. They were still survivors, in harmony with both the rest of the tribe and the Lands They Knew.
Some cultural influence from the Phoenix crept in on the north winds, enough to change but never wholly overwhelm and destroy everything they’d ever known. But likewise, Chy’a-kit’s culture crept north. After millennia, the Phoenix’s settlers to the north were as much ‘of the woods’ as they were ‘of the Empire’. And Chy’a-kit would certainly be unrecognizable to Rose’s noble ancestors.
One truth remained prominent, though. Constant. No one who was not originally of Chy’a-kit dared to venture past the Mortal Woods. Those edges where sunlight through the trees was common, where the Spirit Beasts and dangers of the woods were rare, and where Chy’a-kit could reportedly be mistaken for any other land. Rose was skeptical of that last fact. But the ignorant would claim what they claimed. So long as the Deep Woods, the True Woods, were left to the original People of Chy’a-kit the situation would remain… satisfactory.
Rose knew the histories better than anyone else of the younger generation (except perhaps… him~…). The tribes had once made their homes in the Mortal Woods. But steadily, they all made their way deeper. Not due to being forced out, for this was long before the Phoenix came. But because — despite the greatly increased dangers — the People of Chy’a-kit found their lives to be simply and wholly better where the air was heavier. Those migrations were what first sparked the cultivation of Qi amongst the tribes.
The Deep Woods were dark and dangerous, most certainly. Deadly, even to the strongest of Chy’a-kit’s hunters and cultivators, to say nothing to the rare outsider suicidally arrogant enough to try them for personal gain. Only Spirit Beasts roamed the Deep Woods. Rose hadn’t even seen a mortal beast until her 25th year when she embarked on a trading pilgrimage to the Empire’s settlers in the north. And the land itself could be even more hostile to those who were disrespectful and complacent — Devouring Quick-Moss, ever-shifting hills and caves, Qi whirlpools and riptides, and the Wandering White-Peak Rapids in the Sky came to mind…
But despite everything, Rose didn’t know a single person who regretted their ancestors’ migration deeper into Chy’a-kit. With the many and varied dangers came boons to match. Dense, rich, valuable Qi. The harvesting of powerful Spirit Beasts. Earthly and Heavenly tribulations and treasures to push them higher and higher. And, of course, the profound connections they forged with the Totem Spirits and Chy’a-kit herself.
Long, long ago, their ways had changed with the migration. They found the strength to endure the new dangers. Then, they rose above to conquer them. To cultivate the land just as they cultivated themselves. New paths were forged, new prey was sought and stalked, and new proof of their claim to the land was manifested — proof seized by power and perseverance. Their claim was passed on, growing stronger with each generation. And eventually, Man came to rule the Deep Woods just as much as the Spirit Beasts did.
The Deep Woods were their home. Their lives, livelihoods, and legacies. The Land They Knew. And those who claimed them and were claimed by them, in turn, were made strong and spiritual for all of their strife and struggles. Yet in their strength and spirituality — no matter what heights they might reach — they remained connected to the land that had birthed and raised them. Eventually, they would return to it. As all things did. As all things should.
The first Phoenixes were said to have seen Chy’a-kit’s ‘Daos’ and dismissed them instantly. Even when the strongest hunters of that age rivaled the then Phoenix Emperor strength for strength.
‘The Path of Shennong,’ the Phoenixes had whispered, whispers that were now forgotten by all but the deepest histories. Though the whispers had faded, the immediate dismissal remained. For all the Deep Woods’ strength and value, their province would always be looked down upon by the Phoenixes.
But the tribes never strayed. ‘Ascension’ was for the Phoenixes, for the birds, not the People of Chy’a-kit. Let them chase vague, pointless, and disaffected ambitions materialized by only a score throughout history. From Chy’a-kit to Chy’a-kit, that was the way.
Yet despite that core-deep certainty in her culture, history, and heritage… sometimes Rose still dreamed. She quested through visions in her deepest sleep. The Deep Woods were often opened to her then. Open and empty. Just Rose and Chy’a-kit. She would wander endlessly, her purpose not yet clear. But always, the dreams returned to a single place.
That recurring scene… It was burned into her mind, into the very core of her being by now. The clearing she came upon changed. She never quite recognized it until she saw what stood at its center. An island of sunlight in the dark depths of the woods. And standing tall in the middle of it all… a single toadstool.
The mushroom always called to her when she laid eyes on it. Each iteration of the dream seemed like the first time. The cap would shimmer and shine in the rare and sacred sunlight. Sometimes tiny, sometimes titanic — always reaching for the sun of Rose’s name and ancestors, always set against the Heavens themselves.
And when Rose would reach for the toadstool, she touched Chy’a-kit herself. She felt the land that birthed her and gave her everything, that she’d given everything to in return. Yet there was always something more at play. Chy’a-kit would gesture upward toward the Heavens, encouraging Rose to be the first of her People to do the impossible.
When she woke, Rose couldn’t help but feel… chosen. Chosen to do more than any of her venerable ancestors or any of her peers. It was profound arrogance, without a doubt. She dared…? Yet even with her arrogance, the dreams didn’t disappear. Was it… true…? Was she to be the first of Chy’a-kit’s People to reach for the Phoenixes’ ascension?
From all she knew, it was impossible. Quite literally, quite wholly… impossible. Rose — like all People of Chy’a-kit — was tethered to the Earth. That was the way, how it always should be. Why would she be the first to go against their ancient ways? Why would… Chy’a-kit herself advocate for such a thing…?
Yet with each dream, she became more sure of the fateful purpose she could grasp if she would only strive for it beyond all else. Chy’a-kit was… seeking something new. And Rose was chosen to be the center of it. She was blessed with her talent for a reason, blessed with dreams of something more for a reason. The Earth itself pushed her to unbind herself from all Earthly connections and reach for something impossible against the Heavens.
Rose told no one of her dreams, no one except… him~… That noble fool. That infuriatingly wholesome creature who never stopped chasing after her like a happy hunting hound. That boy who’d been with her since birth. That oblivious man he’d become who never even raised irksomely stirring, smiling face from his scrolls and creations to see the slatterns and harlots Rose chased away from him… For all the vexation he caused her, Rose could never keep a secret from Wind Waver.
He was utterly unmindful of anything social. Deaf and blind to everything that didn’t catch his interest. But for all his endearing flaws, he was far from dull. With his surprisingly profound counsel, Waver always helped Rose put her dreams in order. She swore him to secrecy. She knew he would sooner die than betray her trust. And so, she confided in him second only to Chy’a-kit herself.
Waver was fascinated by the implications at play with Rose’s dreams. He’d always been odd like that. The most curious of the tribe’s younger generation. He would’ve stood out if he wasn’t so damned likable.
They were opposites like that. Rose was the perfect princess of the tribe, the strongest young hunter, the most promising talent, and the highest ideal her peers and elders held. Waver wasn’t particularly good at hunting. He wasn’t particularly strong by the tribe’s standards. He wasn’t particularly interested in anything but deepening his profound understanding of the world to actualize his practical inventions. Yet those traits only made Rose more fond, more protective of him. He was a ‘mediocre’, oblivious, unfortunately handsome fool in the eyes of most. And he was perfect just like that.
Rose anticipated that she would eventually set out beyond Chy’a-kit in the quest for her purpose. And when she did, she knew Waver would come chasing after her without question.
Good. If she wasn’t around, the women of the tribe would eat him alive. And Rose couldn’t BEAR to think of that happening… Every time she tried, her stomach turned and her Qi twisted. It was unacceptable… even if Rose couldn’t fully comprehend why.
Typically, she did her best to put such caustic thoughts out of her mind. It was easier to focus on her cultivation and hunting than consider strange longings she didn’t understand. Waver would warn of Heart Demons if he knew. But, of course, it wouldn’t come to that if he just mustered a single strand of consideration toward her feel-…!
‘No,’ Rose stopped herself and let out a breath. Barely a puff through her nose. Anything else would be unseemly for the Young Mistress of the Sun Clan. ‘Peace and patience. This hunt requires all of my attention.’
She took a moment to settle and cycle her Qi before continuing. The familiar sensation was refreshing. Invigorating. She came back to herself, back to the trail she stalked. Waver would be waiting when she returned. By now, the other women of the tribe knew better than to challenge her clai-…
Another breath. Rose cycled her Qi again for good measure. Her current task was important as well, after all. It was the first hunt since her breakthrough. Solo, as was tradition. Rose alone could give gratitude and tribute back to Chy’a-kit for the blessings bestowed upon her.
Only 27 and already, she’d stepped into the Spiritual Realm. Truly, Rose knew she was a generational talent, with a strong foundation and the drive to grow forevermore. From the stories and news that reached them, Rose’s growth rivaled any of the Empire’s younger generation, even from the Big Three Sects. Such prodigious progress gave hope to her dreams of more. But it never paid to be ungrateful.
She set out days past, seeking a suitable Spirit Beast for tribute. On the first day, she found the tracks and markings of a great beast. Something cloven of hoof, large, and heavy. Then, the hunt truly began.
Rose tracked the Spirit Beast for days, learning its habits in an attempt to identify it. For the Sunbeam Hunters, information was just as important as strength. They sought to know their prey as they knew themselves. To do otherwise courted only death.
But somewhere, somehow during that hunt, Rose had — quite frankly — erred horribly. She was not complacent and strove to never be arrogant, yet she’d made a grave mistake regardless. The beast she stalked wasn’t the beast she thought it was. The signs were all familiar, pointing to a large boar of a Spirit Beast. Rose thought she knew which one, a Stone-Skin Sow. She’d hunted one before and slayed it with little complications.
But in the wake of her breakthrough, it seemed the luck of the Heavens was spitting on her dreams of more. The beast she intended to take as tribute turned out to be her greatest tribulation. For, when she finally caught up to her quarry, it wasn’t a Stone-Skin Sow. It was a Jade Boar — similar enough in theory to mistake the signs for each other but like a mountain to a pebble in truth and practice. Stone-Skin Sows reached as high as the Profound Realm, but never higher. Jade Boars averaged in the Earth Realm.
Most unfortunate of all, her days-long hounding of the beast seemed to have been enough to push it to a breakthrough of its own… Rose arrived just when the tumultuous Qi of that breakthrough was settling. Before, it was at the peak of the Spiritual Realm. Weak for its kind. She might’ve had a chance to flee or fight. But as Rose laid eyes on it, a Spirit Beast of the Earth Realm stared back at her.
Despite her recent breakthrough, Rose might as well have been a mere Initiate hunter again, staring with awe and determination at her young uncle Ray of Sunlight — her venerable father’s baby brother. He was in the Earth Realm, too, and despite all the power Rose now claimed, it felt the same. But where Uncle Ray sparked a love of cultivation, the Earth Realm Jade Boar sparked only terror.
Rose wanted to scream and shout, to cry and collapse, and to rip into the accursed Heavens until nothing remained! But she did not. She was the Young Mistress of the Sunbeam Hunters. She was favored by Chy’a-kit herself. She had her tools and weapons and her cultivation, and so if the Heavens wished to lay her low like this, she would make them work for it.
Rose Rising With the Sun’s tribulation began with bang, crash, and doom as the Jade Boar charged. Rose would’ve been the greatest of fools to meet it head-on. But as the Phoenixes said, ‘Man plans, and the Heavens foil’…
Monstrous steps shook the very earth beneath Rose’s feet. So much so that even her ascendant balance was lost for a moment. Her dodge to the side was shaky and delayed, turning into more of a dive than a graceful step. Even when she got out of the boar’s way, waves of stone followed in its wake. They swept outward, and Rose was struck.
Breath and composure were driven from her lungs as a suddenly rising pillar caught her in the gut. She barely resisted falling to her knees. For the first blow, it was more shock than pain. Rose knew the next blow wouldn’t be so kind and considerate.
Quickly, she scrambled away, forgetting any face. Beasts cared little for respect and honor. So thankfully, her disgraceful posture in that moment went unremarked upon. In a breath of time, the Jade Boar turned to face her again, bellowing and chuffing its challenge.
Rose knew she hovered between life and death. Her next moments wouldn’t be easy, wouldn’t be gentle in the slightest. One wrong move and the Jade Boar would crush her like dry reeds and smash her like rotten wood. It would break her upon the land itself. The Heavens were judging her now, but Rose wouldn’t kowtow and beg for mercy.
She cycled her Qi and resolved her will. Once more — perhaps for the last time, even — Rose stood tall. She had her blades, threefold and set into a ring she wielded with long practice. She had her furs as armor, Spirit Beast pelts stronger than any steel. She had enough hunting resources to see her through — Qi pills, healing potions, and effective restoratives concocted by the tribes’ strongest shaman. And she had the very sun of her clan set upon her brow.
So when the Jade Boar lowered its head and vicious tusks once more, Rose passed like thunder and moved like the wind. It didn’t get the chance to charge again. In a flash of sunlight, Rose was upon it, seeking flesh beneath its jade scales. Her ring blades ripped and rotated all along its flank. A trio of sunlit scars were scored and burned across the pristine jade there. Then, Rose was past it and running farther still.
Indignity roared from the Jade Boar’s snout more than any pain. Quicker than any blink, any breath, the massive beast turned to lash back at Rose. Sharpened tusks found only air. It gave chase. Suddenly, Rose was leaping between the tree trunks and branches, leading the Spirit Beast in a reversal of her earlier hunt.
The sun of her clan’s cultivation arts burned on her brow. Both blood and Qi rushed through Rose’s veins. Raging. Roaring. She felt it from her core to the tips of her ears. Death was only a hair’s width away as she led the Jade Boar. Eventually, it would catch up to her. Eventually, it would reap her like so much grass. She would be equal — would rejoin her ancestors and Chy’a-kit herself — in death. But still, Rose persisted — always for a single breath more. Chased by an Earth Realm beast, those single breaths were all she could spare.
The Jade Boar stomped mid-chase. Stones were torn from the ground, turned to jade, and launched at Rose’s fleeing back. The first shattered a line of trees where she just was. The second dug a hole straight to the bedrock. Each piece of jade the boar spent would’ve enriched a whole clan forevermore. But value was the last thing on Rose’s mind.
She didn’t — couldn’t — look back, relying on her Qi senses to aid her movements. She dashed up bark, out along a branch, and bounded far from her perch. The air itself seemed to push her even farther than her Spiritual Realm strength. She alighted upon another branch for only a moment, turning herself into a hummingbird in constant motion. Like the hummingbird, if Rose stopped, she would certainly perish.
Her ‘wings’ were desperate. Each flap drained her of precious stamina. Still, she stimulated her Qi to rise to the occasion — this Heavenly tribulation, this hunt for her life. The charging beast behind her tore a path through the forest that would never be forgotten. She would be known forever by the tracks this hunt left, Rose knew. But she was determined that they wouldn’t be all she was remembered for.
When she saw a chance, Rose spun backward mid-flight. She tore a pair of pills from her pouch and crushed them together. They’d been made and given to her by Waver. He vouched for their effectiveness and Rose lamented that she didn’t have the chance to appreciate it.
The powder from the crushed pills fell as a curtain behind her. Rose just barely caught a glimpse of sparkling sunlight from them before she couldn’t afford to look back any longer. Still, with her Qi senses, she felt the Jade Boar run straight through the curtain. Upon contact, the motes ignited. They burned with Qi — sunlight realized on earth, if only for an instant — and the boar squealed.
The chase continued, but Rose knew something had changed. Waver’s pocket sunlight blinded and burned the Earth Realm Spirit Beast to the point that it veered ever-so-slightly off course. Rose could’ve rejoiced with a whoop. As expected from ‘Waver, anything he deigned to craft for her was spectacular!
Rose turned to strike once more. To try her hand at more damage, as slim a hope as it was. As she did, Rose felt eyes on her. She couldn’t look around for them, however. The Jade Boar lunged, shaking its head and tusks to tear through the tree Rose stood sideways on. Rose pushed herself off to dodge once more. And as the boar tried to follow, Rose ran straight up its snout.
Expectedly, she was flung off in short order. Recovering mid-air, rare sunlight reached her Heavenly tribulation through the treetops. The Jade Boar shined. Rose hoped she did as well. She felt Chy’a-kit’s favor settle upon her most heavily, then.
She might dream of the Heavens but the Earth was always behind her… In a single, frozen moment — a breath between breaths — Rose found serenity. She felt the Qi in her core harmonize and then surge upward as her cultivation rose a rank. To advance leaps and bounds even during a tribulation was certainly an auspicious sign. The eyes upon her watched with bated breath and vaguely distant amusement (two parties…?).
Then, just as suddenly as the breath between breaths came, the action of Rose’s tribulation resumed. Her hand whipped into her pouch for another of Waver’s creations, this one a ‘pill’ too large to ever swallow. It was a hefty thing that flew straight and true when Rose threw it.
Impact… Instantly, there was a rush of Qi and physical energy, a cacophonous crash and CRACK. Something intensely, wholly destructive bloomed from the ‘pill’. Something that tasted of fire and pure force. Something that shook the very woods of Chy’a-kit. The ‘pill’ shattered and detonated in an explosion grander than any of the Phoenixes’ fireworks.
Even the Spirit Beast’s shrill squeals were overwhelmed by the sheer, thunderous WHUMP of rushing Wind and expanding Flame. Rose was sent flying — fluttering — like rice paper in a storm. She just barely managed to anchor herself upon a tree. But even the mighty Spirit Oak she clung to bowed and bent like a young sapling.
The Jade Boar had nothing to anchor itself upon, though. At the center of the fireworks, it stood… At the center of the fireworks, it fell. Jade scales shattered like brittle glass. The silver flesh beneath was shredded like wheat and chaff. Its pillar-like legs buckled. The whole beast crumpled in on itself, collapsing outright.
It was over in an instant. Yet Rose had never seen a more glorious sight, never wished for anything to last longer. Truly, she was a ‘Frog in a well’ as the Phoenixes said if that noble, beautiful, oblivious fool could create sudden glory like this.
Then, a handwritten note blew itself directly into her hands — one with handwriting Rose recognized and that could’ve only come from her pouch with the ‘pill’ in the chaos — and Rose was reminded just who Waver was…
‘Hey, Rosy! Forgot to tell you some things about my stuff, so I thought I’d leave this here while packing your hunting pouch ‘cause I know you’ll be diligent as ever and read it carefully. Be careful with the big one, yeah? It’s really very volatile. Not a problem for you ‘cause you’re all responsible and whatnot, of course. But make sure you throw it super, super far when you use it. Anyway, good luck! And don’t forget that I packed a few lunches for you as well!’
… Rose didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Fool, fool, fool of a man! After this, Rose was going to eat all of his packed lunches in one sitting just to spite him!
An utterly pitiful noise pulled Rose from her (righteous!) fuming. The Spirit Beast still lived. Stubbornly and furiously, it clung to life, enough to start crawling toward her at an alarming rate. Chunks of jade fell from its back and silver ichor fed Chy’a-kit beneath its feet. Yet those tusks were still just as sharp, just as spiteful. Before the Jade Boar died, it would take its killer with it.
Rose scrambled ungracefully. She pulled upon all of her Qi, all of the sunlight from her arts. But immediately, she knew she’d be too slow. Those jade-green spears would reach her. They would skewer her. Even victorious — triumphant against her tribulation — Rose was as good as Dead.
Then, a mere breath away, the Jade Boar stopped in its tracks. Something pulled Rose’s attention upward, away from the now-frozen tusks. Standing beside the Jade Boar, with a gentle hand placed just under its now-dead-empty eye… was a dark beauty. Stunning, entrancing, she was the peace of midnight-… no, she was the closure and serenity of Death itself.
Rose’s Qi senses couldn’t begin to comprehend, couldn’t begin to fathom the dark beauty. She was… Endless. Wholly, utterly, entirely Endless.
Yet Endless Quietus simply smiled at Rose and said… “It is over, child of the woods. The beast cannot harm you anymore. It has reached its final End… while you have not. I sense a full Life still ahead of you.”
“C-Chy’a-kit…?” Rose stuttered, asking — pleading, almost.
Endless Quietus just cocked her head, humming a denial, “Hmm? No, I don’t think so. You must be mistaking me for someone else. I am Death of the Endless. But as with most people, I ask that you simply call me ‘Didi’.”
The shining crown of the Sun Clan sputtered almost comically on her brow. Rose didn’t spit blood, but it was a very, very near thing. For she knew the Endless beauty spoke true. She didn’t know how, didn’t know why Death was appearing before her, and didn’t know what she should be doing… But one thing was certain. The dark beauty was eternal and Endless. She was utterly not of this world. She was as far above Rose as the Heavens were above a mere dung beetle. And… she’d saved Rose’s life.
Once more but in a very different context, Rose didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Or kowtow and never raise her head again. Death herself had saved her from certain death. The greatest ascended ancestors of the Phoenix couldn’t tell such a story. Yet Rose, an unknown Young Mistress from a province with no claim upon the Heavens… now could.
In the face of Death, of Endless Quietus and Dark Beauty, Rose Rising With the Sun froze. Even the Qi within her core stilled completely. She held not just her breath, but her very Life in stasis. And all around her, Rose sensed a second remarkable occurrence.
Chy’a-kit was with her — now more than ever, Rose knew. She could feel the True Spirit of the Woods focus wholly and solely on her situation. The Qi of the Land She Knew surrounded her. She felt its wariness, its cautious hope, its favor and willingness to intercede on her behalf. But at the same time… Rose knew that even Chy’a-kit would falter if the Dark Beauty of Endless Quietus made herself a foe.
Then, the moment was suddenly broken by yet a third remarkable, impossible occurrence. A man came up to Death’s — Didi… — side and laid a loving kiss upon her porcelain cheek. He was handsome but otherwise unassuming. On the surface, at least… Below, Rose could barely begin to comprehend. Only one word came to mind. Samsara… and perfect peace within. He’d known Heaven and Earth again and again. Yet in the end, he only came to treasure Endless Death.
“Sean Caine,” The man smiled openly at Rose, introducing himself. “Didi’s Prince Consort and Death’s Hand. Alright there?”
Rose… was too shocked to even consider spitting blood. Prince Consort to Death… And Death herself… Both expressing such earnest and genuine concern over worthless her…? Her Qi almost deviated. Her cultivation almost collapsed. But Chy’a-kit was there to stabilize her, with a more direct hand than Rose had ever known. And that was the final straw, the push that sent Rose into unconsciousness as her Heaven and Earth were turned upside down.
IIIII
Gentle, formless dreams carried Rose back to the waking world upon… a chariot of mushrooms of all things… Rose — her mind hazy and ignorant — did as she always did upon waking at first light. She turned her gaze inward. Toward her cultivation and toward any gains she might’ve made in the night.
Her eyes didn’t open, but her brow furrowed at what she found within. She’d somehow… advanced two stages, ascending by leaps and bounds and then leaps and bounds once more…? Immediately and instinctively, she set about settling her new cultivation. As she did, the memories of ‘how’ trickled back into her mind.
The tribute hunt… The mistake and tribulation… Her noble fool’s genius made manifest… Oh-so-valuable, it had saved her life… One of her advancements had come during the hunt, the tribulation, the fight for her very life, Rose could recognize and remember that much. The other, however…? It came from meeting… Death Herself and her Prince Consort…
Like lightning from the Heavens above and a sinkhole from the Earth beneath her feet, Rose remembered. Her eyes shot open. Already, she was prepared to kowtow, to grovel, and to flatter her pristine cultivator ass off. Her surroundings brought her up short.
She was in… a carriage…? In Chy’a-kit? Wheels would get one next to nowhere. But then again… Death and her Prince Consort. Who was Rose to question them traveling in such luxury and style? Strangely, Rose turned and saw the inviting door of a palatial cabin in the woods behind her. Woods that were both there and not, within and without…
Yet in front and all around, Rose was certainly riding within a vehicle of some kind. She was laid out upon a surprisingly comfortable bench and the ride was smooth. As she sat up, she saw… her hosts… cozied up upon another bench in front of her. And in front of them still, the woods of Chy’a-kit passed by as easily as an experienced hunter would traverse them.
Shakily, Rose gathered what composure she could to best represent herself, her clan, and her tribe, “Ahem… Good morrow, exalted masters of masters. Though it must be worth little to you, you have my gratitude for not leaving me where I lay. I shall intrude no further, of course. You may let me out here… No, I shall let myself out. There is no need to trouble your progress by making you stop.”
Yet for all of her deference, the Prince Consort snorted a genuine laugh, “No need for all of that, Young Mistress. We don’t mind giving you a ride back to where you need to be. Just give us directions. Fascinating place, these Wishing Woods, but very easy to get lost in.”
“You… know who I am…?” Rose gasped softly and barely stopped herself from gaping in unseemly shock.
“Not a clue!” Death Herself happily chimed. “But that just means we’ll get to know you now.”
Rose was quick to nod in obedient agreement, “Of course, Great Lady Death, as you command. It would be my pleasure-…”
“Didi,” Death cut her off. “And Sean. I must insist you call us by our names.”
“Then…” Rose hesitated, but only just. “Didi… And Sean… I must also insist I give you leave to use my most familiar epithet. I am Rose Rising With the Sun — Young Mistress of the Sun Clan, who lead the Sunbeam Hunters tribe, one of the many noble Peoples of Chy’a-kit. I would be forever grateful if you would simply call me ‘Rose’.”
“That’s more like it,” In a rearward-facing plane of polished glass set onto the carriage’s ceiling, Rose saw Death Herself — Didi — smile at her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rose.”
“The pleasure-… Nay, the unpronounceable honor is all mine, Lady Didi,” Rose quickly assured.
Lady Didi sighed and Consort Sean chuckled, “I think that’s the best you’re going to get, my Death.”
The sheer fondness, the profound implication, and the loving fit of such a name shared between two more-than-divine lovers made Rose suck in a sharp breath. It was… perfect. Beautiful. Simply… everything. Rose hardly felt worthy to witness it. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to avert her eyes, either.
Could she dare dream of such a thing on top of her dreams of more…? It hardly felt fair to compare the Prince Consort of Death to her noble fool… But would he not live up to such heights in his own way-…?
Rose quickly shook her head and hoped her transcendent hosts hadn’t noticed her wandering mind. That mortification was not one she could bear to live with. Thankfully, if they did notice, they didn’t say so.
“May I ask what brings such exalted beings as you to lowly but beautiful Chy’a-kit?” Rose asked.
“Vay~cay~” Sean answered in a strange singsong.
Rose cocked her head slightly, “Apologies, Consort Sean. I do not recognize this word.”
Didi rolled her eyes, and Rose was shocked to recognize the expression in the mirror. It was exactly how she felt about her noble fool when he was being just… so him~…
“A vacation, Rose. We’re on vacation. A short break from our usual routines. Just enjoying each other’s company and revisiting a world from Sean’s past.”
Rose bowed in her seat, “This lowly Young Mistress is honored to be part of your transcendent vacation.”
Didi giggled to Sean, “They’re so stuffy. It’s adorable.”
“Now, Didi,” Sean playfully chided. “Rose is being perfectly respectful. She likely doesn’t know up from down or Heaven from Earth right about now.”
Despite herself, Rose nodded, “You are certainly a wise and perceptive master. My deepest apologies if my manners offend or disappoint, Lady Didi, Consort Sean.”
“No, no, of course not, Rose. You’re doing as good a job as you can so far. Adapting well,” Didi reassured.
“But if you still feel the need to apologize,” Sean began. “We could use a guide. I’m afraid I never got the chance to visit these Wishing Woods in this life. Shee-agit, you called it? Is that the local name? We’ve got a bit of a trip ahead of us, so why don’t you come up here and tell us about your home while you direct us?”
“Chy’a-kit, Consort Sean,” Rose humbly corrected. “It is the true name of these lands and woods in the People’s tongue. Only the Phoenixes call our home the Wishing Woods. I would gladly tell you more, but I wouldn’t dare intrude upon your seating.”
“Nonsense!” Didi waved. “We insist.”
Her noble hosts didn’t give Rose a second chance to refuse their offer. Something shifted. Between one blink and the next, Rose found herself sitting on the front bench beside them. Further denials died on her tongue. Rose marveled at the instantaneous sensation of movement. She marveled more at the sheer shocking lack of oppressive presence from her two hosts. They could’ve crushed her without lifting a finger, Rose was certain. That she could feel simply nothing from them was just as — if not much more — impressive.
Rose could only bow her head in deference and make herself comfortable, “As you say, Lady Didi. I shall strive to be worthy of this prestigious distinction.”
Sean smirked straight ahead, “Oh, I’m sure you’ll do enough of that just by speaking to us. Proudly share your people’s culture and history and you’ll be fine. We’re not overly caught up on ‘face’ and the like, Rose. Think of us as old friends already.”
Oh my, Rose could never. But if her hosts insisted, she could act more… familiar… Familiar with Death and her Prince Consort… Rose’s view of everything under Heaven was shifting dramatically. It was all she could do to maintain her course and composure. And so, she began…
“This land and the Spirit all throughout are known as Chy’a-kit. Translated literally, it means the ‘Land We Know’, for only her People can know Chy’a-kit best. We’ve walked these woods since forever-past and shall do so forevermore-…”
On and on, Rose exposited. Some of the tension she was holding drained out of her as she did. She spoke of Chy’a-kit. Of the stories that brought her tribe and many others into the Deep Woods. Of how her ancestors survived and thrived so she might do the same. Of how the Phoenixes came, but nothing truly changed within the Deep Woods of Chy’a-kit.
Rose spoke of the connections they forged with True and Totem Spirits, “All Children of Chy’a-kit are raised to respect the Land We Know. Everything we take, everything we use, we give back twofold. Not in pursuit of strength, but in pursuit of harmony. As is right and proper.
“Like that, Chy’a-kit claims all of us as we claim her. We are her People, and she is our Land. Few if any form a direct connection with Chy’a-kit herself. But she gives us the Totem Spirits as proof of her claim. Each clan in the tribe holds a Totem Spirit as their own. From Totems of Wind and Sunlight to Totems of Bear and Mantis. As I know it, the other tribes do the same. We are all mirrors of each other in that way. But for each tribe, a different clan — a different Totem — leads the way.
“My venerable father is connected to the Spirit of Rare Sunlight Through the Trees in the Deep Woods. With its aid, he has risen to the peak of the Sky Realm. But… I don’t believe I will follow in his footsteps. You see, exalted ones… This Young Mistress has dreams-…”
She couldn’t even help but share her most sacred secrets. To impress or to simply lift the weight from herself, Rose didn’t know. Regardless, she told Death and her Prince Consort aspects of her life that only one other had heard before.
One could hold no secrets from Death, Rose supposed. Her throat grew scratchy, but her Dao Heart was light. Something settled and resolved within herself as she spoke her dreams of more, as she gave true voice to them for the first time. She felt Chy’a-kit practically perched on her shoulders, urging her onward as she bared her Dao dreams. The Spirit saw an opening for its most favored child, and Rose was encouraged to seize it.
Through it all, Death Herself listened intently like a student before a master. It was a heady feeling. But Rose wouldn’t blind herself to Mount Tai. She strived to keep herself humble and grounded. The mere reminder of who her audience was helped that quest tremendously.
Eventually, the positions were reversed and Heaven lectured Earth. Rose listened with all her being, all of her focus. Sean shared a perspective of her situation that she never would’ve comprehended alone.
“You said no one makes a connection with Chy’a-kit directly,” He said. “But I think you have. An untraditional one — purposefully incomplete — but it’s there all the same.”
The moment Sean uttered it, Rose knew it to be true. All around her, Chy’a-kit ‘puffed’ happily at the assessment. That was the only way Rose could describe the sensation.
Sean continued on from there, however, “On the whole, you’re talking about the Path of Shennong. Or a uniquely local version of it, at least. Your people tie themselves to the land through their veneration of Chy’a-kit and their connections to the Totem Spirits. They’re made stronger and healthier, more fulfilled and prosperous for it. But you, Rose… your connection is different. Less of a tether and more of a… push. I can’t say I’ve seen anything like it before.”
He summed it up best with a single sentence, “Chy’a-kit vicariously seeks Heaven through you.”
Rose felt her foundation rock from that revelation. She was awed. Honored. And that much more determined to manifest her Dao dreams. Chy’a-kit deemed Rose and Rose alone worthy to carry her name to the Heavens. She would fulfill those ambitions.
“Then, not even Death will stop me from reaching ascension,” Rose firmly declared. A moment later, she paled and almost spat blood, “… No offense meant, exalted ones! This one did not think before she spoke!”
Yet Death — whose name she’d just taken in vain — simply giggled, “Don’t fret, Rose. That determination is cute on you. I understand that ‘Defying the Heavens’ is the way of this world. I’ll hardly intrude just to turn all of that on its head.”
“Truly, your wisdom, patience, and benevolence know no bounds, Lady Didi,” Rose bowed.
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Didi grinned. “Hmm~… Yes, I think I’ve decided. You’re going to come with us.”
Rose blinked, “Come… with you…?”
“Oh, yes,” Didi nodded. “You’re adorable and serious and oh-so-driven. So is there a better way to start your journey toward the Heavens than with us?”
Sean chuckled, “No objections here. We’ll give you a nice, nifty headstart and maybe introduce you to some valuable friends and rivals. As far as journeys go, it’ll be a hell of a first step. And really, what’s a vacation without a few friends made along the way~?”
“I-…” Rose hesitated but Chy’a-kit practically shoved her forward. “I can only accept. Your offer of nurture may mean next to nothing to you, but it means everything to this lowly growing seed, exalted ones… All I ask is one allowance.”
Again, her hosts treated her with kind patience and gentle indulgence, “And what would that allowance be?”
Rose looked away as the lightest dusting of blush darkened her cheeks, “… I could not bear to leave without my noble fool.”
Sean laughed, not cruel but certainly amused. Didi was kind and gentle and… just as amused, “Oh, of course, Rose Dear. Trust me, I know the feeling all too well.”
Rose, more flustered than she’d ever been, utterly failed to meet their eyes. She focused on the woods of Chy’a-kit instead, stubbornly avoiding her embarrassment by thinking of how this might be the last she saw of them for a long time. Slowly, melancholy came to reign and her blush faded. She didn’t let the feeling affect her determination, though.
Looking into the woods of the Land She Knew — savoring the sight — Rose saw something she’d never seen before. A half-sized figure sat atop a familiar toadstool, beaming a bright smile directly at Rose. She was clearly not Human, but clearly not a Spirit Beast, either.
A True Spirit, with voluptuously fertile curves, a doll-like face, and a toadstool cap on her head in place of hair. Sharing a moment only with Rose, the Spirit pointed skyward.
Then — suddenly and certainly — Rose knew… Chy’a-kit would always be rooting for her to reach the Heavens.
IIIII
[AN: Unfortunately, the Gemma expy fell through. Didn’t really wanna drag my homebrew stuff out and the whole Sunbeam Hunters village scene I had vaguely planned would’ve done just that. So the rest of this Wishing Woods section of the trip will be accelerated. Sean, Didi, and their new companions will be in the process of leaving at the start of the next chapter.
For those interested in the nerdy, nitty gritty details, I do have a few worldbuilding notes I can share, though. The Monster Hunter Cultivator tribes do have Palico expies lol. Essentially tamed and awakened Spirit Beasts. Pretty sure they’re going to come up when it’s time for gifts and souvenirs back in the bar.
Also, the Chy’a spirit was supposed to show up as more of a character, but I relegated her to basically just a cameo and ‘presence’. She didn’t really add anything (other than shortstack ‘shroom waifu). She’s essentially all of the fungus in the Wishing Woods, though. And in a forest like that… Well, you know how the largest living organism on Earth is a honey fungus in Oregon? Yeah, it’s that, but on a Cultivation scale. So she’s MASSIVE, with a mycelium network underground that spans the entire forest and a critical fertilization and decomposition role in every aspect of life there. Pretty cool, I thought. Shame I haven’t really figured out a way to reveal it in the story.
Anyway, next chapter will be mostly their travels through the rest of the Empire and then a cultivator tournament (practically required, IMO) where they’ll meet players from the Big Three Sects. There’s a little surprise there, concerning when in the world Sean and Didi arrived. It’s likely not what you think. But I’ll leave that reveal for next chapter.
I foresee two more chapters in this vacation arc. I’ll have to workshop the next vacation trip after this. Turns out, hopping to a whole new world is a rather hard thing to write in a succinct package. If I included everything I wanted/thought up, we’d be here for… a while, to say the least. I think I’m striking a decent balance with this first vacay arc, but it can certainly be improved.
Anyway, I’ll leave you with a bit of peak Human’d smut (not by me). This caption was the first thing I thought of when I knew I was doing a mushroom Earth Spirit lol. It’s great fun. Highly recommend the author. Enjoy :]
IIIII
Bonus Pics (sauce below)
Comments
Dave
Eh, this chap wasn’t for me. Found myself skimming most of it. Might be bc I dropped Beware of Chicken but idk
QuantumServer
Thanks for the chapter
dryskies_btb
Honestly, same, but I think it's a good habit to get into. Setting limits on the vacation arcs, I mean. Not everyone's going to like them as much as others will. I think it's best to go into them with a definite end in sight. It's all about striking the right balance. There are still so many stories to be told in the bar, after all, and a few plots in the DC 'verse to explore as well. I don't intend for the Dead End to become solely a world-hopping story.
dryskies_btb
Assuming you mean the caption, here: https://www.reddit.com/user/MtG-Ti :]
Kz3838
Thank you for the great chapter, stay safe out there and keep up the good work!
Zai
I really want Dxd to be the next vacation spot and Gabby joining her husband once again.
Phoenix01
Can’t be a Cultivation story without a tournament arc. Also, need a Phoenix clan Jade Beauty.
Captain Chase
Hi I tried to search for the artist for the nsfw can you please tell me where to search for it thank you!
Ghostviper
Honestly, I would not mind being here for a while. The Fa Ram world is a really cool one.
ExodiaTheForbiddenOne
Amazing work as always dry looking forward to the tournament
dryskies_btb
Sauce 2Rose: both AI, I’m pretty sure :/ Wind Waver: Callista Chy’a: nocturne nsfw caption: Hoss M. Bonus 1: nordlys 2: kpjpark 3: officewaifu 4: realladytarzan 5: leighbunbun 6: deviilbby 7: Katsumi_Tori 8: mayhashira
