The man’s name was Fang Xu, and he was damn tired. He sat in his little home, a log-and-plaster house situated at the edge of town, staring out the window at the dense green forest. Grey skies loomed overhead, the sun just starting to rise, and he suppressed a jaw-popping yawn.

  “I swear to Father Luotian and Mother Statera,” he cursed, rubbing his stomach absently. “I must have been tricked. There’s no way a sane, well-informed person would have agreed to a life like this. I don’t care what’s at the end of the road; this is miserable.” To the casual observer, or even most powerful cultivators, it would appear he was talking to himself. There were no other souls within the confines of his one-room hut, the dying light of last night’s fire flickering from the fireplace and onto the bare walls as a bitter reminder of his lack of sleep.

  Fang Xu scowled and rubbed his face, a headache throbbing in the back of his skull. To say last night had been rough would be an understatement, and it had only been compounded by the fact that the earth spirits wouldn’t shut up. As a high-consciousness Fae, he could interact and even see most spirits – especially low-level ones. That, in and of itself, wasn’t rare. But when combined with his positive spiritual energy – which had been purified and scoured of all deformities over the course of the past fifty years by his so-called “good” karma – that meant most benign or positive-aligned spirits fucking loved him.

  He doubted any one else on Pangaea could see spirits the way he did, except for maybe the gods themselves. As such, he was fully aware that what he said did not go unheard and he was, in fact, talking to someone. He couldn’t see her; she didn’t like to show herself to him. But he could nonetheless feel the angel Fu Hao as she floated above his humble abode. Her aura was unmistakable, as bright as the Realm Sun itself.

  “Relax,” she urged. “Go for a walk, it’ll be good for you.” Fang Xu grumbled to himself as he stood, a wave of vertigo striking him as his fatigue caught up to him, and slipped out of his little hut. Only once he was outside, closing the reed door behind him, breathing in the cool air and tasting the fresh scent of rain on the wind, did he pause.

  “What if I don’t want to go for a walk?” he grumbled, and wow, wasn’t he feeling ornery this morning?

  “Then don’t.” came Fu Hao’s reply. Fang Xu sighed and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his fur-lined pants, taking a moment to re-center himself. She was right, of course. A walk to clear his head was a common habit of his, he just didn’t want to admit that she was right about something. A storm was brewing on the horizon, chasing the one that had just passed. The trees were wet with rain and glistened in the early-morning light, while birds flitted about merrily in the trees, chasing a meal before the rain came once again to drive them back to bed.

  His herb garden was fine, upon brief inspection, the few medicinal plants he grew not having taken any damage from the storm, shielded as they were beneath the overhang of his roof. It hadn’t rained hard enough for that last night, anyways. He took two steps forward and paused, thin cloth shoes sliding a little in the mud as his heart directed him in a different direction than he was used to. Normally he wandered the forest a bit on his walks, observing the animals and lesser spirit beasts that made their home around the village but…today he wanted to do something different.

  He spun on his heel and wandered into town, already wincing at the headache it might cause. Dark spirits flitted about the town, visible to him as little blurs of negativity darting between houses, as they loved to congregate around large groups of people. The concentrated emotions attracted them, feeding and empowering them. Something was different today, however. The red-tiled rooftops of the little town glistened in the light of the sun, smoke curling from chimneys, and people were already getting up.

  Karae and Elementals, as well as a few Avians, dominated the population of the town. Fae like Fang Xu were rare, and he stood out even among them because of his fire-red hair and muscular form. Most people around here were thin and lithe…not broad-shouldered and large-bodied like him.

  Everyone expected him to be a soldier, too, because of it. Fang Xu scowled as he noticed his thoughts drifting away from the difference he sensed in town – whatever it was, it felt like there was something blocking his perception of it. An annoyed glance at the sky where he knew Fu Hao was flying said everything he felt about that, even if he wasn’t sure she was the one suppressing him. Part of whatever deal he foolishly made with whatever malicious being now had control over his life – not really, but sometimes it truly felt like it – meant that Fu Hao had a greater control over what he could normally feel and see.

  Sometimes he felt like she made things happen to him just because it amused her.

  Grumbling to himself he wound his way into town, nodding to the few people he met along the way.

  It was a beautiful day, in all honesty. The sun was bright, peeking through the clouds as it was, the air was clean, and the chill morning air was perfect. If only the chattering of the spirits could get quieter. The noise rang in his ears like a gong, echoing about in his skull in their excitement and dragging down his own mood. The qi of the land was raging and powerful, driving through the center of town like a wildfire – to his enhanced senses, it felt like he was stepping into a bonfire. It was too much for one with a qi cultivation as low as his.

  Yet his feet never stopped moving forward, leading him to where, even he didn’t know. With his karma, with his spiritual strength, he should have been a bigger person than he was. Stronger in qi, at a better place in life, doing more. But no, his entire damn life he’d been suppressed, put through spiritual torture and back again, healing others when he himself felt like half of his entire damn being was missing. And kept in this little town, where no one would listen to him, expected more from him, loved and hated him all in equal measure. His scowl deepened, then gave way to deep longing, his head hanging.

  Missing half my being. He thought sourly. What an apt description. It always felt like he was missing something, when almost everything more he tried to do with his life failed, when everyone he met never filled that hole of understanding…

  His heart longed for love. Yet he had never found it, in the eyes of any of the girls he’d met or in their hearts, either. When he was young, he’d had a few sweethearts. Even over the years he’d met some he might have been able to love. But they loved him for who they imagined him to be, not who he was.

  In that moment, he looked up and found himself in the town square. Chatter filled it as people gathered around the relatively large number of strangers that had appeared there. The village elder, a crotchety old man who was more wrinkle than man at this point, stood in the very center of the town square, atop the stone podium that had been erected there, and was speaking in an exaggerated manner to the man before him.

  Fang Xu sucked in a deep breath at the sight of the regal Fae. Physically, he was impressive. His shoulders were set and squared, his face hardened by time and trials, the horns that curled from his head sweeping and impressive. In his hand he held a spear, its haft worn in places by constant use. He was every inch a leader…yet to Fang Xu, his spiritual presence was that much greater. The man’s energy was like an iron wall, imposing and massive; qi had nothing to do with it. Half of the people in town had a stronger cultivation base than him, to say nothing of the monstrous cultivators in the man’s cohort, standing around the podium. Yet Fang Xu had no doubt this man was more powerful than any here.

  But then, he met the eyes of the woman next to him. They were blue. She was beautiful, face hidden by a black veil, and spirits of ice swirling around her. I want to marry her. He thought calmly, softly, a statement of fact. Then he furrowed his brows. That thought came from left field.

  “I told you, we don’t need any random cultivator,” the man on the podium said calmly, voice demanding it be paid attention to despite never harshening his tone. “We need a formations expert. Now, everyone within thirty Li of here says the man Fang Xu is the one you want to see about that. All I’m asking is where he is, nothing more.”

  “Lord Dei,” the elder started. “Master Wu –“

  “Is useless to me.” The now-identified Dei said bluntly. Fang Xu sighed and shook his head. The elder could be uselessly stubborn at times, and if this man was looking for him for formations help, he was loathe to turn down more business. It was the only thing he seemed to be good at, after all, besides being a punching bag for his karma.

  “I am Fang Xu,” he said, stepping forward. All eyes snapped to him, but Fang Xu found himself meeting the woman’s eyes despite his best intentions. Warmth bloomed in his chest, kind and firm, warm and welcome, and he found himself smiling. With no small effort of will he looked away, meeting Dei’s eyes, who was frowning suspiciously. Dark spirits swirled about him, trying and failing to sink their claws into his iron-clad aura. His fellows were not so lucky, dark spirits enflaming their emotions.

  “You are he? You don’t look like much,” the woman said bluntly. His smile just broadened at the accusation.

  “Calm, Celene. If his reputation holds true his skills were be invaluable.” Dei soothed, stepping off the stone stage. His people parted before him, the woman Celene moving to walk just behind him. Her hair glittered in the sunlight.

  "How can I help you?” Fang Xu asked as Dei neared, eyes flicking to Celene, the dark spirits flitting about them both, then back to the man in question.

  “We need assistance and advice regarding formations. There is a truly large project we will be undertaking, and require the assistance of a formation’s expert.” Dei explained. “Is there somewhere we can talk privately?”

  “Don’t trust him, Fang Xu. They’re nomads.” The elder spat. Fang Xu shot the crotchety man a look over Dei’s shoulder, whose expression tightened at the accusation, but that was little compared to the cold fury that radiated from Celene, blue eyes flashing dangerously behind her veil. The dark spirits around her greedily latched on, enflaming her emotions and feeding off of the negativity that radiated from her. There’s a lot of those today, Fang Xu noted, flicking a finger absently, sending a jolt of spiritual energy at the dark spirits and blowing them away.

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  “Business is business, Elder.” Fang Xu replied with a shrug. And if you can’t tell that this man is stronger than you despite his lower cultivation, then I question your qualities as a leader. He added mentally. “Come with me to my home, we can talk there.” Dei nodded and Fang Xu led the way, walking the group of ten or so cultivators through town toward his little home. The walk was mostly quiet, a number of townsfolk poking their heads out of their homes to stare at the strangers as they passed. “So, where are you from?” Fang Xu asked as they walked.

  “Our home was destroyed in the time of chaos,” Celene snapped.

  “We have been wandering ever since, seeking a new place to call home.” Dei finished, glancing over his shoulder at Celene. “That is the reason we come to you. We may have found a place to settle, and could use your…guidance. None of my people are great with formations – we have not had the luxury of sitting down to study the craft.”

  “I see. My condolences,” Fang Xu said. The times of chaos were before his time, but the elders who had lived through parts of it all spoke of them in hushed whispers and grave tones. “I hope I can be of assistance.” But he wouldn’t be sure if he would even want to until he heard the problem. Would he even be allowed to move? Fu Hao had been insistent he stay here, in this village, despite many opportunities to the contrary.

  "I do too,” Dei muttered, and the conversation lapsed until they reached his home. To the casual observer, it was a simple place. Only the spiritually attuned could tell the amount of work Fang Xu had put into the thing to try and make his life a bit more comfortable. Stones were strewn haphazardly about the yard, thrown seemingly hither-and-thither, but in truth had a very particular placement to them. And because he was so sensitive to energy – be it qi or spiritual or otherwise – he could tell when even one was out of place. Positive energy practically poured through the center of his home, all light and goodness and positivity, designed to cleanse him of the negativity and darkness that many people so willingly carried within themselves, and forcefully pressed onto him.

  Misery loved company, after all.

  It still didn’t help him sleep, though.

  Of the entire group, however, only Celene reacted, staring at the stones with a furrowed brow. Dei watched her closely, which told Fang Xu these people meant actual business, not casual dabbling in formations like most of the people who had hired him before.

  Fang Xu invited them all inside, which the group politely declined. Pleasantries out of the way, he launched straight to business, folding his arms across his broad chest as he asked for details. Unsurprisingly it was not Dei who answered, as he seemed unfamiliar with the topic.

  “We want to build a city,” Celene said softly. “And need the help of a formation’s expert to make it feasible. Dei here is paranoid that something like the times of chaos will happen again – a reasonable thing, all things considered, so he wants to line the city with powerful formations that not only make life within easier, but attacking it harder. We will be willing to pay for your services, including for just a consultation. But ideally, if your skills are up to snuff, we would hire you on full-time.”

  “I see.” Fang Xu said, eyebrows raising. “That is…ambitious, to say the least.” But it hinged upon him actually wanting to take the job – this was a project that would require years of his life to complete, if it wasn’t a lifelong job. Did he want to commit to such a thing? Silence answered that thought, and he glanced at the little house he lived in, then the town that he called home. “Home.” Had he ever really considered this place home since his late parents had brought him here forty years ago? The answer was easy. “Let’s discuss details.”

  "Celene will speak with you.” Dei admitted. “She is the one most familiar among all my followers with formations.” Fang Xu turned his attention to said woman, fully expecting a test of sorts to prove his knowledge of formations. It was a common enough occurrence, due to his low cultivation base and relatively young age many people wanted to test his knowledge. In fact he was expecting it to some degree. Yet what happened defied his expectations to some degree.

  Celene grilled him, but it was more of a conversation than a test. And it came quick and easy, often wandering away from their original topic. They discussed life and cultivation, travel – which he had done little save for the villages nearby – and the gods, even. Yet when she did ask questions regarding formation, or Dei chimed in to ask if something was possible, he found the answers coming quick and easy. There were very few who could do what he did, see what he did, and understand how everything worked in conjunction with one another. So even if he hadn’t worked on a particular problem that was presented to him, or worked at quite so grand a scale, he found he could still piecemeal an answer together.

  The whole thing was sparking something within him, creativity coming in waves and compounded by the warmth he felt while talking with Celene. It felt…natural. Right, in a way that had nothing to do with enjoyment or mere lust for the beautiful woman across from him.

  “…the spot we found is on two intersecting ley lines, so power shouldn’t be an issue.”

  “Doesn’t matter how much power you have access to if it’s not the right flavor. You’ll need cleansing formations…”

  “You ever had Dragonfire Brandy? Dangerous stuff.”

  “I’ve been to the depths of the jungle of mourn. Foul place, but not without its beauty.”

  “Well what about warding off spirit beasts?”

  “You don’t want to ward off all spirit beasts. What you want is this…”

  And so it went for hours, until the two before Fang Xu seemed satisfied. Dei shot a glance at Celene when the conversation lapsed into silence, the woman herself staring at Fang Xu intensely. It actually made him a bit uncomfortable, such was the intensity of her stare. Dei cleared his throat.

  “Celene,” he said gently. “Go check on the others while I discuss payment with our new friend.” Celene shot him a brief glare, but nonetheless turned on her heel and stalked off, careful to avoid the stones that were part of Fang Xu’s formations. He watched her go.

  “You have a beautiful wife,” he guessed, turning his full attention back to Dei.

  “Wife? Gods no. She would sooner fillet me alive than even think of me that way. No, she never moved past her late husband. This is the most alive I’ve seen her in…well, a long time.” Dei said with a shake of his head. “But that is besides the point. Back to business. Fang Xu.” At the tone in Dei’s voice he straightened, squaring his shoulders and meeting the man’s eyes. This was a cultivator who could sweep his entire village with ease, no doubt, and he sounded downright accusatory. “How do you know what you know? No one with your cultivation base should have the knowledge you do. I do not doubt your skill, mind you, only your honesty.”

  “Qi is not the only method of cultivation. I cultivated my spirit,” Fang Xu replied, smiling at Dei. “It’s a miserable path, but it lets me do what I do. You should understand this better than most; you do not cultivate qi, either.” Dei stared at Fang Xu for a long moment, then nodded sharply.

  “As you say.” He agreed. “I will admit, you are an easy man to talk to, to admit things to.”

  “I get that a lot,” Fang Xu laughed. It caused him more trouble than it was worth most times, however.

  “Good, then allow me to admit something else to you. This is not just a job offer.” Dei said bluntly. “This village will be in range of my people’s influence once we settle, and I intend to unite all peoples within our range under one banner. I have travelled quite a bit. Crossed quite a bit of country in this past century, and seen more than my fair share of...everything. The Fae, the Karae, the Elementals and Avians…we are not united. If something like the times of chaos happen again, it will be just as bad as before, if not worse. I will give them something to rally around – this city is more than just a home to us.” Dei explained. Fang Xu raised his eyebrows.

  “The sects –“

  “Are disjointed. My people are nearly five thousand strong now, a force greater than anything this part of Pangaea has ever seen. The sects will retain their autonomy, as they have proven bastions of strength, but we will provide the banner. But we need a headquarters. A capital. And it would be best if one of the architects of these places was someone from the local area. You more than fit the criteria needed.” Dei stated. “Your payment will be in the form of spirit stones, as well as potential prestige and nobility. Whatever you wish, so long as you deliver on the promises. If you just want to help make it and have your name remain anonymous, that will be fine as well. If you do not wish to aid us, that is acceptable. But let me be clear; once you start on this path, I will not allow you to back out of it.”

  Fang Xu leaned back a bit, considering his options. He was already on a path that he could not back out of.

  “I will need time to think about it.” he admitted.

  “You have three days.” Dei said. “Thank you for your time. I will leave you to the rest of yours.” And, with a slight bow, the man walked off. Fang Xu let Dei’s statement hang over his head for a moment, considering everything. He was still feeling a little heady from all the information that had been crammed into him, not to mention the feelings of creativity that pounded in his soul.

  So he wandered back into his house, sat down, and stared at the wall. And considered his life. And, to his mounting horror, something occurred to him. He was in the perfect position to take this job.

  His skills in formations were unique and strong, if he did say so himself. The job itself aligned perfectly with his passion and ambitions – it killed him to stay in these small little towns, but was this truly the answer to all his suffering? He knew nothing of Dei. He knew nothing of the man’s plans or ambitions. What he said…Fang Xu could see the potential for Light in it, but also great Dark. And to make things worse, he had no connections to this town, this area. Nothing to keep him here. Again, he was perfect for this job.

  “Is this what you’ve been waiting for?” he mused, looking up at Fu Hao, still flying above him. Her answer was simple.

  “Follow your heart.” She said. “But remember that only a fool claims to know what he was born for.” Fang Xu nodded to himself, and mused, and debated, and thought of the woman Celene.

  He had his answer by morning.

  Celene cornered Dei the moment he escaped Fang Xu’s range of hearing – and to be honest, Dei could only pray the man joined their group. Little as he knew of formations, the man clearly knew what he was doing, and he didn’t know what they would do without someone of that caliber to aid them. Kei had been right, the area over the lake was perfect; but to create a city there required making formations his people had no clue how to forge. They needed someone skilled, and creative, and willing to help for more reasons than just their own power. But those thoughts were crushed when Celene cornered him, veil removed, revealing a scowl on her lips and an intensity in her eyes he had not seen in ages.

  “Did you know?” she demanded.

  “Know what?” Dei asked carefully. This was a rare mood for her, and he always had to be careful around her when she got like this.

  "That’s him.” She pressed.

  “Who?”

  "Leo. I mean – Fang Xu isn’t, he’s not my Leo,” she said, naming her dead husband. Dei’s eyebrows could only go so high, so he let her continue. “You don’t believe me. But I know. I spent hours feeling the shape of his soul – that’s him. Mother Statera…that’s actually him.”

  “Celene,” Dei started.

  “I know it sounds insane.” She said, silencing him with a look. The temperature around her was not cold, however, not like he was used to from the frigid woman. It was…hopeful, almost. Her expression had a looseness to it that he had not seen in far too long, a smile dancing on her lips that was almost genuine. It was enough to almost make him believe her. “But I know it. I know it. But he doesn’t remember me. I’ll have to make him remember.”

  “Celene, with tact. Even if he is who you say, a lot of time has passed. If reincarnation is real, then…he may not be who you remember.” Dei urged, trying to be the voice of reason. Celene nodded sharply, pulling away and looking heavenward. She was silent for a long moment before moving off, heading to do what Dei had originally asked her to do – and he sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. “For your sake, I hope he is who you think. And I hope things go well.” More importantly, he hoped Fang Xu could do what he said he could. He could only deal with one insane person at a time; Celene was more than enough.

  But he wasn’t sure. The nature of god was still lost to him, as was large thoughts like reincarnation and the like. All he knew was that he had to find his people a true home, finally, after far too long. And Fang Xu seemed to be the answer to the worst of their problems. You told me to seek guidance. To listen to things, and I’m trying to listen to my heart like everyone says. He thought to himself, thinking back on that fateful encounter he’d had with the green eyed man so long ago. So why is it telling me not to trust Fang Xu?

  With a shake of his head Dei rubbed his face and headed after Celene, fully unaware of the dark forces attempting to manipulate him.