31. Resilience

  Di Ram sat at the head of the table, listening to the two sides argue over an unimportant matter which they expected him to rule on. Some sort of territory dispute. A land on one of the western continents had been barren for generations, but in this new world it was suddenly lush with life and two separate clans were claiming that it belonged to them by tradition. They had asked the Many Peaks Alliance to mediate the dispute, and it had been elevated to his table after being kicked around by his juniors for some weeks.

  After three hours of both sides presenting their case, Di Ram had heard enough. He interrupted the latest speaker by flaring his Qi, and all eyes turned to him.

  “Let us summarize,” Di Ram said. “The North Glass Spider Clan’s claim to the region goes back eight centuries and was given to them by the Emerald Monkey Sect for safekeeping and development. Two centuries later, the Emerald Monkey Sect gave the land to the Southern Trap Laying Hound Clan. However, until the night of no stars, both clans saw the land as barren and not worth developing, so aside from including it on their maps of their private territory and occasionally taxing the peasants residing there, neither developed it. Is this a fair summary that both sides can agree with?”

  The two sides looked as though they were about to make a pedantic argument, but he kept his Qi high to show that he was done messing around. Reluctantly, the representatives agreed.

  “And why was this matter not turned over to the Emerald Monkey Sect and brought to the Many Peaks Alliance instead?” he questioned.

  “The Emerald Monkey Sect is in a state of upheaval,” the representative from the spider clan admitted. “While our authority to claim the land comes from them, they are in a battle to decide their true patriarch after several juniors ascended to the golden realm. Without a clear line of authority, their judgment would be meaningless. That is why we mutually agreed to seek your personal adjudication.”

  “I see,” Di Ram said. He sighed and considered the problem for a moment. “The spider clan’s claim to the region extends back further by about one hundred and ninety-six years,” he began, and the spider representative looked to be triumphant before Di Ram continued, crushing his hopes.

  “However, the fact that they did not dispute the Hounds Clan’s claim for six centuries means that they have forfeited their original stake in the territory. That is my judgment. If they wish to issue a new claim to the land which they forfeited, then it must be weighed as any challenge. As open warfare is now disallowed between Alliance members, you must select a challenger and establish clear boundaries. The result of the bout between these challengers are to be respected by both parties for a minimum of six decades. However, as the Spider Clan is the challenger, they must accept a handicap. I deem that their challenger must not have stepped onto the golden path before the night of no stars, while the hounds may select any defender from within their ranks.

  “That is my judgment on this matter,” Di Ram concluded.

  Both representatives burst into arguments, but he flared his Qi fiercely. He was of the Diamond Rank, and he shut them down effectively. “This matter is closed,” he repeated, and he stood and walked out of the room.

  He found Di Sana playing with her daughter in another room. He watched the child singing the songs that taught her the history of Atla while they played patty-cake, a smile on his face. The little girl was not his, she was the sister of Little Bug and would be important in her own right when she grew. But for now, she was just a girl playing with her mother, and it reminded him of why he strove to bring the alliance to every part of the world.

  A single fight between champions would decide a border dispute. Not a war between conscripted peasants. No fields would be scorched, no children slain or starved by the fighting. Just mutually agreed upon terms to be honored by both parties. And should they disrespect the outcome, then, well, then a higher authority would become involved. But after the tribulation, nobody was eager to draw the ire of Little Bug.

  “Mama, papa is watching,” the little girl said.

  “I see him,” Po Sana said, and their game came to an end. “Go play with the Hien girls, I will see what he wants.”

  “Kay,” the girl agreed, running off. With Hien Ro being off world, Hien Yara had become lonely and was staying with the Di family for a while, bringing the girls with her to the delight of all of the children.

  Di Sana came over and smiled at her husband. The second wife was often considered the ‘love wife’ in his tradition. Whereas a first wife was expected to hold the feminine half of the political power of the family – and Tonilla certainly filled that roll for him – the second wife was expected to handle domestic matters, such as the raising of children and seeing to the household needs.

  Di Sana was a farmer, but she was adapting to her role well. She had learned to read in the last five years, and was slowly expanding her oversight to the servants and the staff. But more than that, she was slowly claiming every piece of Di Ram’s heart with her beauty and silent resolve to make the best of every situation.

  “Have you heard from my son?” she asked. “I don’t mean that avatar he left behind. How is his true self doing?”

  “The last I heard, he is on the other side of the world cultivating, trying to bring his power under control,” Di Ram admitted. “The Tribulation has made him mighty, far stronger than anyone who has ever been born of this world, I think. But until he has that strength truly mastered, he cannot be around commoners. I fear that anyone below golden rank would have their identity shaken by the experience.”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “I see,” Sana said. She held his hand and leaned into him as they walked through the garden. “I have been struggling to reach the golden path.”

  “I know. I love you regardless of your cultivation,” he assured her.

  “I believe you. But in this new world, perhaps that isn’t enough,” she said. “Di Ram, I have a request. Take me not only as your wife, but as your disciple. Teach me to elevate myself yet further, so that I might stand in my son’s presence and not tremble. So that I might bear the weight of his existence and not loose myself. Raise me up to the golden path.”

  Di Ram was surprised by her words. He scratched his beard as he considered them.

  “No,” he said. He shook his head. “I would have to be ruthless with you, and I cannot be ruthless with someone that I love so much. When he suggested I marry you, Little Bug informed me that this path led to happiness, and I might be being selfish, but I would not trade the happiness that I have found for anything.”

  “Then I will have to find another master,” Sana said, exhaling sadly. “But perhaps you are right. I have lost one husband already, and it would be a shame to drive a wedge between myself and my second husband.”

  They kissed, and they separated to see to their individual tasks. Di Ram, galvanized by his interaction with his second wife, called forth the next matter requiring his attention.

  Another territory dispute. He sighed as the two opposing sides brought forth their arguments, which were much the same as the first matter he had dealt with that day. It would take hours to resolve.

  But it would be resolved without the loss of innocent life. And that brought him great joy and purpose, so he found the strength to endure.

  That night, after they had eaten and put the girls to bed, Di Ram found himself in bed with his second wife, and their passion sparked another life into the world.

  ~~~~~~

  “You’re going to have a new brother,” Atla informed me in a lull of our mutual cultivation. I frowned, looking at him.

  “What do you mean? When did this happen?”

  “A few hours ago. Di Ram and your mother—”

  “Never mind, I don’t need the details,” I said quickly. I sighed. “Atla, I know that you’re very aware of certain people, but you really should try to be more respectful of their privacy.”

  “I thought you’d like to know,” Atla said.

  “I would. But I think that I would have rather heard it from my mother than from you. Not that I don’t love you, but have you considered that by telling me you’ve stolen the joy that Mother might have in sharing the news with her oldest son?” I asked the world-child.

  “Oh. No, I didn’t think of that. Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll act surprised when she tells me in person,” I said. “Is it, I mean, it’s going to be healthy, right?”

  “Of course it is. Both Di Sana and Di Ram have good bloodlines, and I’m going to be blessing it myself as it grows,” Atla assured me.

  “Okay,” I said. Then I smiled. I was soon going to be a father, and a brother once more. I felt my determination sharpen to get this new power of mine under firmer control. If I wanted to be a part of their lives, then I had to make certain that my mere presence wouldn’t be a danger to the ones that I loved.

  “Okay, Atla,” I said. “Let’s continue.”

  “Right,” he agreed, and we linked hands once more.

  As the cultivation proceeded, Atla grew more powerful, and my own power was purified and became more refined. It was mutually beneficial, but Atla’s growth was starting to peak. Soon he would be as strong as I could make him until I stepped onto the mythril realm.

  And all around the world, the dragon veins and ley lines began bursting with power as the world core reached unprecedented heights of power. Every now and then, Atla would announce that he needed to stop and check on something, vanishing to a far corner of the world. Then he would come back and we would resume where we left off.

  It was a slow process.

  But I knew that I was doing what I needed to do. Both for myself,

  And to prevent the tragedy that my visions of fate were foreseeing.

  I had only a few months to avert mass destruction. When I tried to peak into the future to see the shape of this catastrophe, I saw only a vision of a young woman.

  Nadia.

  She knew where I was, and she would be coming for me soon. I was not strong enough to face her, and I knew it.

  I would have to find a path for myself, and for all of Atla, which would safeguard us from annihilation.

  ?