From afar, Rand saw a huge volcano towering over the nearby plain for many kilometers. This volcano was the home of the Fire Dragon sect, where a large part of it resided. It was from here, directly from the mouth of the volcano, that the magnificent pillar of flame emanated, marking the beginning of the sect's selection process, and now he would have to wait for such a presentation again next year. But for Rand, it no longer mattered.
He had visited here several years ago, still being a prince, so he knew the general layout of the sect, but he had no intention of showing this knowledge to anyone. The Elder, however, took the opportunity to tell him about notable places in the sect:
"There is the residence of the sect master," the Elder pointed to a palace of enormous size with many majestic columns, then gestured past three lines encircling the volcano, "Do you see the three impressive walls? They divide the sect into external, internal, and central. Each of these walls has a powerful barrier protecting us from attacks by any potential enemies. No one can pass through the barriers directly except sect members with the title of elder or higher. If someone tries, they will be literally torn apart. Remember, do not approach them without need.
"On the other side of the mountain, behind the second wall, is my home. We'll go there a little later. And now we're almost at our destination."
A few seconds after these words, the boat began to slow down abruptly and descend, stopping at a building of impressive size, which was not much inferior to the sect master's palace in terms of scale.
"This place is called the House of Law. Here reside the elders and their disciples, overseeing that the sect members abide by the rules. One of them is my old friend, Elder Minos Tirgul, and we are going to him. He ensures that no spies or potential traitors posing as novices enter our sect. Again, you have nothing to fear, just answer him honestly, and remember that even if you want to lie or embellish something, you won't succeed anyway."
This brief conversation, or rather monologue of the Elder, took place as they exited the boat and walked along the path to the building. The ground beneath their feet was incredibly smooth volcanic rock, strangely not slippery. The air, on the other hand, was unusually fresh; Rand felt as if he had ended up in a spring forest. Once, when visiting the sect, he asked his guide how and why this happened. According to all the laws of nature, the air saturated with fire Qi from the volcano should be so scorching hot that mortals would find it difficult to live here for more than a few hours, and to prevent this, a huge amount of spiritual stones had to be expended every day. And this wasn't even a downside because for practitioners of fire techniques, which were the majority in the sect, such an environment had only benefits. And this current cold with the freshness of spring was even slightly harmful. He was told that all this coolness was not the goal but rather a side effect of the formations that absorbed fire Qi from the air and directed it to the places where the elders, magisters, sect leader, and other important figures cultivated.
From these thoughts about the past, Randa brought out the sight of the imposing gates, adorned with reliefs depicting flame-spewing dragons swirling in a dance. But neither the size nor the magnificent drawings interested Rand; he had seen more than enough of all this in his lifetime. What caught his interest was the phrase written above the gates: "Speak, friend, and enter."
"Teacher, what is this..." Rand asked, slightly intrigued, pointing to the inscription. He had not been here last time.
"Oh, that..." the Elder began somewhat annoyed, as if it was slightly unpleasant for him to talk about it, "Many years ago, one of the elders at that time attempted to create an artifact that would determine whether a person was a friend to the sect based on just one word. The idea was that the visitor, before entering, had to utter the word 'friend,' and if they were truly a friend to the sect, the gates would open. But that elder overestimated his abilities, so while these gates are endowed with various impressive capabilities, they work terribly. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. There was a case when they didn't even open for the former sect master. I don't know why no one wants to get rid of them. If you wish, you can try; say the word 'friend.'"
"Friend," Rand uttered the word, but the gates didn't even budge, let alone open.
"You see, yes, this useless piece... of expensive materials. A real disgrace to the sect in my opinion. Few people know the history of these gates nowadays, even fewer tell it. For most, they are just ordinary gates, and they believe there is only one way to open them. This one," he added, then he placed his hand on them, and they opened by themselves.
"Let's go," the Elder called Rand, then the two of them walked straight down the long deserted corridor with many branches and approached the door at the end.
"Enter, Oberin, Minos already knows about your arrival. Remember my advice," he said finally, before opening the door for Rand.
Entering the rather small room, especially considering the size of the building, Rand saw an elderly man who looked to be sixty to seventy mortal years old, but Rand couldn't bring himself to call him old. He was tall, with long gray hair and no beard. His eyes resembled those of a reptile rather than a human. Rand knew that this was a sign of great success in the sect's main cultivation method and that unlike Elder Byron, he didn't want to hide it.
"Come in, boy, have a seat," he gestured to the luxurious armchair. "You're Oberin, right?" Elder Minos asked, although he certainly knew the answer.
"Yes, Elder," Rand replied. Surely, he had spoken with Elder Byron while we were on our way here using spiritual sense, and he had told him everything he knew about me.
"I'll ask you a few questions about different things, alright?" Getting a nod in response, he continued, "Tell me about your parents. You lived in the village of Lar, correct? Were your parents peasants?"
"Yes, Elder, we lived in the village of Lar, but my parents were not peasants. My father was a blacksmith, and my mother mostly took care of household chores, although sometimes she helped my father in the forge with tasks not related to metals. He even said that no one processed leather better than my mom, not even the village tanner, Tom," Rand recounted again about "his" parents, his eyes slightly reddening as if he wanted to cry but was holding back with all his might. At that moment, the Elder interrupted him.
"Alright, enough about the family. It's normal to be saddened by the death of your parents, but try not to show your emotions to others. The cultivation world is cruel, and your future opponents will try to exploit any weakness and emotions, especially such strong ones - that's a big weakness."
"I'll remember your words, Elder," Rand replied thoughtfully to the advice.
Minos, giving Rand a few seconds to compose himself and ponder his words, continued.
"What do you think about our sect?"
"I always dreamed of coming here because the Sect of the Fire Dragon is the strongest sect in the empire, with powerful cultivators who can transform into mythical beasts - dragons. Even the emperor respects it; some even say he fears it."
"Good answer, correct, although it's better not to talk such things about the emperor outside of the sect," the Elder advised.
"Have you nursed a strong grudge against anyone? Is there someone you want to seek revenge on?" Minos asked another question after a short pause.
After a couple of moments of thought, Rand replied, "No, Elder, the people of my village are like one big family. Even if we had grievances and disagreements, we reconciled very quickly. There's no other way to survive in the village. And here, I've only just arrived and don't know anyone. Except maybe I hate wolves... But they're not people."
The Elder nodded at this, then said something that was supposed to startle the young village boy.
" Right now, you lied to me! I sense the lie in your words! Are you planning to harm the sect of the Fire Dragon or its members!?"
"No, of course not, and I never even thought about it. I, I only spoke the truth, I don`t know why…" the boy stammered in fear. The horror and confusion presented on his face completely convinced the Elder.
"Alright, I believe you," Minos said, again waiting for a few moments.
Throughout the conversation, Elder Minos closely watched Rand, as if scanning every microscopic movement of his body.
But he didn't know that all his mighty observational abilities, all his techniques of detecting lies, deceit, and illusions were utterly useless.
"With your pitiful cultivation, you can only dream of seeing through my transformation. Perhaps I would have been slightly concerned if the Great Elder were here, but there's no chance for someone like you," such thoughts roamed in Rand's mind as he "performed" before the Elder.
"Do you know, young Oberin, why I conduct such conversations with each new disciple?"
"I can only guess, Elder."
"Tell me what you think."
"To learn more about the candidates for sect members and to weed out bad people."
"Correct and incorrect at the same time. We do indeed try to find out more about future novices to understand them. But the main goal is to weed out potential enemies of the sect and spies. And whether a person is bad or good is not so important if they can be of benefit to the sect. So remember, not all people in our sect are as good and friendly as those in your village. But you will understand this very soon yourself. And now I want to congratulate you; you have passed the test and are now officially a novice of the sect." At that moment, the Elder turned his gaze somewhere behind Rand. "George, come here."
Suddenly, a young man in his twenties appeared out of nowhere. Rand wasn't sure if he had been in the room the whole time or if he had entered during the conversation.
"Yes, master," the young cultivator responded.
"Take the boy to the Outer Sect Repository, let them give him everything he's entitled to."
Then he turned his attention back to Rand and said, "This is my disciple, George. He will take you to the Outer Sect Repository, where you will be given all the things you need as a new novice. And I'll have a chat with your teacher in the meantime. Don't worry; I'm sure he'll be waiting for you there when you're done. Off you go."
Rand followed the youth, and they went an entirely different way than the one Rand had entered with Byron. For a while, they moved in silence, and it was the disciple of Elder Minos who broke it first.
"It seems I forgot to congratulate you on joining the sect; I heard you are very talented, and a great future awaits you."
"Thank you, senior," Rand replied shortly, then asked the question that interested him.
"Senior, did it seem to me, or was Elder Minos slightly displeased with my teacher?"
"Hmm, you're very observant. You're right; your teacher broke the rules by accepting you as a disciple during the trials. Especially considering that he shouldn't have been there in the first place."
"He shouldn't have? Why, senior?" Rand clarified the moment that intrigued him.
"Your teacher is an elder of the Inner Sect, and during the trials of candidates, an elder of the Outer Sect should be present. I don't know how it happened. But don't worry, this is a minor violation for the elder, and my master and your teacher are old friends, so nothing serious will happen."
"We're going to the Repository now, where you'll be given a uniform, a monthly supply of spiritual stones, and they'll tell you where your new residence is."
"Senior, is this Repository far away?" Rand asked, showing proper curiosity for a young novice eager for knowledge.
"Yes, if we walk like we are now, it will be difficult to reach it before dawn," George replied, looking at the already setting sun.
"Then are we going to fly? I loved flying with my teacher; I've never seen anything like it in my life," Rand continued his questioning without breaking his character.
"Haha," George chuckled. "You'll get tired of flying soon enough, and no, we're not going to fly. My method of flight is not suitable for transporting mortals, and it's not necessary anyway because we have a better method."
"What's that?"
"We'll teleport."
From afar, Rand saw a huge volcano towering over the nearby plain for many kilometers. This volcano was the home of the Fire Dragon sect, where a large part of it resided. It was from here, directly from the mouth of the volcano, that the magnificent pillar of flame emanated, marking the beginning of the sect's selection process, and now he would have to wait for such a presentation again next year. But for Rand, it no longer mattered.
He had visited here several years ago, still being a prince, so he knew the general layout of the sect, but he had no intention of showing this knowledge to anyone. The Elder, however, took the opportunity to tell him about notable places in the sect:
"There is the residence of the sect master," the Elder pointed to a palace of enormous size with many majestic columns, then gestured past three lines encircling the volcano, "Do you see the three impressive walls? They divide the sect into external, internal, and central. Each of these walls has a powerful barrier protecting us from attacks by any potential enemies. No one can pass through the barriers directly except sect members with the title of elder or higher. If someone tries, they will be literally torn apart. Remember, do not approach them without need.
"On the other side of the mountain, behind the second wall, is my home. We'll go there a little later. And now we're almost at our destination."
A few seconds after these words, the boat began to slow down abruptly and descend, stopping at a building of impressive size, which was not much inferior to the sect master's palace in terms of scale.
"This place is called the House of Law. Here reside the elders and their disciples, overseeing that the sect members abide by the rules. One of them is my old friend, Elder Minos Tirgul, and we are going to him. He ensures that no spies or potential traitors posing as novices enter our sect. Again, you have nothing to fear, just answer him honestly, and remember that even if you want to lie or embellish something, you won't succeed anyway."
This brief conversation, or rather monologue of the Elder, took place as they exited the boat and walked along the path to the building. The ground beneath their feet was incredibly smooth volcanic rock, strangely not slippery. The air, on the other hand, was unusually fresh; Rand felt as if he had ended up in a spring forest. Once, when visiting the sect, he asked his guide how and why this happened. According to all the laws of nature, the air saturated with fire Qi from the volcano should be so scorching hot that mortals would find it difficult to live here for more than a few hours, and to prevent this, a huge amount of spiritual stones had to be expended every day. And this wasn't even a downside because for practitioners of fire techniques, which were the majority in the sect, such an environment had only benefits. And this current cold with the freshness of spring was even slightly harmful. He was told that all this coolness was not the goal but rather a side effect of the formations that absorbed fire Qi from the air and directed it to the places where the elders, magisters, sect leader, and other important figures cultivated.
From these thoughts about the past, Randa brought out the sight of the imposing gates, adorned with reliefs depicting flame-spewing dragons swirling in a dance. But neither the size nor the magnificent drawings interested Rand; he had seen more than enough of all this in his lifetime. What caught his interest was the phrase written above the gates: "Speak, friend, and enter."
"Teacher, what is this..." Rand asked, slightly intrigued, pointing to the inscription. He had not been here last time.
"Oh, that..." the Elder began somewhat annoyed, as if it was slightly unpleasant for him to talk about it, "Many years ago, one of the elders at that time attempted to create an artifact that would determine whether a person was a friend to the sect based on just one word. The idea was that the visitor, before entering, had to utter the word 'friend,' and if they were truly a friend to the sect, the gates would open. But that elder overestimated his abilities, so while these gates are endowed with various impressive capabilities, they work terribly. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. There was a case when they didn't even open for the former sect master. I don't know why no one wants to get rid of them. If you wish, you can try; say the word 'friend.'"
"Friend," Rand uttered the word, but the gates didn't even budge, let alone open.
"You see, yes, this useless piece... of expensive materials. A real disgrace to the sect in my opinion. Few people know the history of these gates nowadays, even fewer tell it. For most, they are just ordinary gates, and they believe there is only one way to open them. This one," he added, then he placed his hand on them, and they opened by themselves.
"Let's go," the Elder called Rand, then the two of them walked straight down the long deserted corridor with many branches and approached the door at the end.
"Enter, Oberin, Minos already knows about your arrival. Remember my advice," he said finally, before opening the door for Rand.
Entering the rather small room, especially considering the size of the building, Rand saw an elderly man who looked to be sixty to seventy mortal years old, but Rand couldn't bring himself to call him old. He was tall, with long gray hair and no beard. His eyes resembled those of a reptile rather than a human. Rand knew that this was a sign of great success in the sect's main cultivation method and that unlike Elder Byron, he didn't want to hide it.
"Come in, boy, have a seat," he gestured to the luxurious armchair. "You're Oberin, right?" Elder Minos asked, although he certainly knew the answer.
"Yes, Elder," Rand replied. Surely, he had spoken with Elder Byron while we were on our way here using spiritual sense, and he had told him everything he knew about me.
"I'll ask you a few questions about different things, alright?" Getting a nod in response, he continued, "Tell me about your parents. You lived in the village of Lar, correct? Were your parents peasants?"
"Yes, Elder, we lived in the village of Lar, but my parents were not peasants. My father was a blacksmith, and my mother mostly took care of household chores, although sometimes she helped my father in the forge with tasks not related to metals. He even said that no one processed leather better than my mom, not even the village tanner, Tom," Rand recounted again about "his" parents, his eyes slightly reddening as if he wanted to cry but was holding back with all his might. At that moment, the Elder interrupted him.
"Alright, enough about the family. It's normal to be saddened by the death of your parents, but try not to show your emotions to others. The cultivation world is cruel, and your future opponents will try to exploit any weakness and emotions, especially such strong ones - that's a big weakness."
"I'll remember your words, Elder," Rand replied thoughtfully to the advice.
Minos, giving Rand a few seconds to compose himself and ponder his words, continued.
"What do you think about our sect?"
"I always dreamed of coming here because the Sect of the Fire Dragon is the strongest sect in the empire, with powerful cultivators who can transform into mythical beasts - dragons. Even the emperor respects it; some even say he fears it."
"Good answer, correct, although it's better not to talk such things about the emperor outside of the sect," the Elder advised.
"Have you nursed a strong grudge against anyone? Is there someone you want to seek revenge on?" Minos asked another question after a short pause.
After a couple of moments of thought, Rand replied, "No, Elder, the people of my village are like one big family. Even if we had grievances and disagreements, we reconciled very quickly. There's no other way to survive in the village. And here, I've only just arrived and don't know anyone. Except maybe I hate wolves... But they're not people."
The Elder nodded at this, then said something that was supposed to startle the young village boy.
" Right now, you lied to me! I sense the lie in your words! Are you planning to harm the sect of the Fire Dragon or its members!?"
"No, of course not, and I never even thought about it. I, I only spoke the truth, I don`t know why…" the boy stammered in fear. The horror and confusion presented on his face completely convinced the Elder.
"Alright, I believe you," Minos said, again waiting for a few moments.
Throughout the conversation, Elder Minos closely watched Rand, as if scanning every microscopic movement of his body.
But he didn't know that all his mighty observational abilities, all his techniques of detecting lies, deceit, and illusions were utterly useless.
"With your pitiful cultivation, you can only dream of seeing through my transformation. Perhaps I would have been slightly concerned if the Great Elder were here, but there's no chance for someone like you," such thoughts roamed in Rand's mind as he "performed" before the Elder.
"Do you know, young Oberin, why I conduct such conversations with each new disciple?"
"I can only guess, Elder."
"Tell me what you think."
"To learn more about the candidates for sect members and to weed out bad people."
"Correct and incorrect at the same time. We do indeed try to find out more about future novices to understand them. But the main goal is to weed out potential enemies of the sect and spies. And whether a person is bad or good is not so important if they can be of benefit to the sect. So remember, not all people in our sect are as good and friendly as those in your village. But you will understand this very soon yourself. And now I want to congratulate you; you have passed the test and are now officially a novice of the sect." At that moment, the Elder turned his gaze somewhere behind Rand. "George, come here."
Suddenly, a young man in his twenties appeared out of nowhere. Rand wasn't sure if he had been in the room the whole time or if he had entered during the conversation.
"Yes, master," the young cultivator responded.
"Take the boy to the Outer Sect Repository, let them give him everything he's entitled to."
Then he turned his attention back to Rand and said, "This is my disciple, George. He will take you to the Outer Sect Repository, where you will be given all the things you need as a new novice. And I'll have a chat with your teacher in the meantime. Don't worry; I'm sure he'll be waiting for you there when you're done. Off you go."
Rand followed the youth, and they went an entirely different way than the one Rand had entered with Byron. For a while, they moved in silence, and it was the disciple of Elder Minos who broke it first.
"It seems I forgot to congratulate you on joining the sect; I heard you are very talented, and a great future awaits you."
"Thank you, senior," Rand replied shortly, then asked the question that interested him.
"Senior, did it seem to me, or was Elder Minos slightly displeased with my teacher?"
"Hmm, you're very observant. You're right; your teacher broke the rules by accepting you as a disciple during the trials. Especially considering that he shouldn't have been there in the first place."
"He shouldn't have? Why, senior?" Rand clarified the moment that intrigued him.
"Your teacher is an elder of the Inner Sect, and during the trials of candidates, an elder of the Outer Sect should be present. I don't know how it happened. But don't worry, this is a minor violation for the elder, and my master and your teacher are old friends, so nothing serious will happen."
"We're going to the Repository now, where you'll be given a uniform, a monthly supply of spiritual stones, and they'll tell you where your new residence is."
"Senior, is this Repository far away?" Rand asked, showing proper curiosity for a young novice eager for knowledge.
"Yes, if we walk like we are now, it will be difficult to reach it before dawn," George replied, looking at the already setting sun.
"Then are we going to fly? I loved flying with my teacher; I've never seen anything like it in my life," Rand continued his questioning without breaking his character.
"Haha," George chuckled. "You'll get tired of flying soon enough, and no, we're not going to fly. My method of flight is not suitable for transporting mortals, and it's not necessary anyway because we have a better method."
"What's that?"
"We'll teleport."
