- Ch 3

"It is time to accept new disciples in a month. We must prepare ourselves. Last time it didn't go so well when half of all the disciples died on the first outing." The voice sounded serious.

"The entry requirement to become a sect disciple must at least be the second layer of the Nascent realm and combat experience."

"Siri has been along several times without any problems and she was just first layer of the Qi-Realm her first time, so we thought there wouldn't be any problem bringing new disciples to the Greylands…"

"You can not compare Siri with new disples, Thor. Siri is beating the crap out of all recruits, even though Siri is in the Qi realm," muttered Cora.

"What are we going to do with Siri?"

The whole hall went quiet.

"Siri has been begging to go to more civilized places and see what a city looks like. She knows nothing of the world beyond the Wind-valley, the sect, and the grey land. It would be good if she learned that the world is a little bigger. Besides, she wouldn't distract everyone around her here."

"We can send Siri to the Phenix sect. They would gladly accept disciples from us, as it is always we who accept disciples from them."

"Send her off with some friend. Aris or Asher maybe."

"They're out hunting and won't be home for two months. Both of them will soon break through to Sea-realm. So they should stay here until the breakthrough is complete."

"Elix would work."

"Yes, Elix is a good choice."

"Sure, but can the phoenix sect handle Siri?"

"I hope so", laughed a huge man.

"Okay, then it's settled Siri goes to the Phoenix sect", said Cora

----

The two unknown persons approached one of the smaller inns in the village Stensala.

The Fox.

There was a stench of sweat, smoke, and coal in the air.

One of the guests molested one of the waitresses by slapping and pinching her bottom, causing her to protest loudly. But was drowned out by the sound of the other guests.

The innkeeper looked up from the dirty bar and measured the new guests with his eyes. The strangers had their cloaks on and stood stiffly, silently, and motionless at the counter.

"What would you like?"

"Beer," one of them replied. He sounded unsympathetic and harsh in his voice.

The innkeeper wiped his hands on his soiled linen apron and filled two worn clay mugs.

The taller of the two unknown persons pulled down his hood. His hair was the color of a raven. With a hard angular face that was dirty, but under the dirt fans a perfect complexion. But it was his eyes that fixed the innkeeper so that he forgot what to do. Under his cloak, he wore a leather sweater with a drawstring at the neck, and when the man took off his cloak a sword was visible. It was not strange. Most people are armed these days.

The unknown persons did not sit down at one of the few tables among the other guests, but remained at the bar and watched the innkeeper.

The shorter of the two was completely enclosed in his coat with his hood pulled up. It could have been a woman, a tall wench. When she or he had walked through the door, it was as if she or he had slipped in unnaturally smoothly.

Suddenly a wonderful beautiful voice was heard as the shorter person pulled down his hood.

"Half a mug is enough for me."

The innkeeper shifted his gaze to the shorter person and winced, as did several others. Someone spilled half their beer while wincing and, someone put their food down their faulty throat.

There stood a person who looked like a goddess. There was silence for a moment, but the swarm of sounds came back as quickly as it had come. But many eyes were still on her.

Siri was used to similar reactions. It wasn't uncommon and she had gotten used to it.

"Elix, remind me again why I should be here", whispered Siri

"You need some worldly experience. The world is not like the sect, and we're going to the phoenix sect."

After a while, three men approached the man and the girl. The landlord felt worried and trembling without it showing.

The man with the sword was no one to mess with. The innkeeper guessed that both the girl and the man were cultivators.

There was going to be trouble. One could feel it in the air. An ominous tension.

"Hey there, come over to our table my beautiful girl. We're buying." said one of the men. A big man with greasy hair that stank alcohol.

Two other men with similar looks had squeezed in between the girl and the man with the sword.

"I'm not interested," the girl replied. Her voice was like a sweet caressing summer breeze.

The men paused but continued.

"Come over to us. You'll love it." Said one of the men who had squeezed himself between the man and the girl. They had completely forgotten about the man standing next to them.

The girl took a step back so she could take in the three men at the same time.

The girl had a wicked smile on her face. Her ice-blue eyes were burning and changed color. Ice blue with black streaks quickly moving across her irises. If her arms were visible, black runes would appear on her arms.

The whole room had darkened. Black threads had wrapped themselves around the three men and then spread across everything.

"Siri." Her travel companion said. But received no reply.

"Siri!"... "Siri!!!" he had raised his voice and there was a fear in it.

The girl gave no response.

She bent forward slowly and whispered with her wicked smile.

"It's all right."

Her voice was not sweet as honey but a calm monotone and a cold motherly undertone.

"I will take care of you. You don't need to worry."

Everyone in the room was still, entangled in her black threads. Everything had happened in the blink of an eye.

Everyone could see the black threads pushing into the bodies of the three men. Their eyes were wide open and terror rushed through them. Everyone could now see the men's memories. The threads were burrowing deeper into them.

They tried to scream but no sound came.

"That's right, it's okay." The woman's voice was still as water but honey-sweet. The girl opened her mouth a little and licked her upper lip.

"You've been playing with the baker's daughter. Was it funny, it doesn't look like it to her."

"What happened to her?"

New images and memories streamed forth for all to see.

"Did you play with Dalback's maid?"

"Oh, you've been naughty boys."

Her voice and facial expression were expressionless except for her cruel smile. Everyone in the inn expressed emotions of fear, loathing, hatred, terror, despair...

Blood began to pour out of the men's mouths, ears, noses. Their eyes had been split open and urine and blood were flowing onto the floor. The next second, all the threads were gone. The men fell lifeless to the floor.

The girl named Siri looked at the men and turned to Elix and asked in a wind caressing voice with the scent of roses.

"Elix, what has happened here? "

Elix didn't answer. He didn't know what to say.

"Was it me?"

Elix replied, "Yes..."