5 || The Hufang Family Matriarch

This was all thanks to Tara, who arrived outside of the Matriarch's hall with her parents a week after having left. Within the hall stood many armed guards formed of Tara's aunts and uncles within her family, all the most exceptional of their generation. Tara even knew that there were a few guards hidden, having made a game of finding them a few years ago.

Tara's great-grandma, Hufang Shuyren, had just reached 70 years of age but looked as if she was only in her mid-30s. Every stage of the Body Altering not only expanded a person's life but slowed their aging. It is for this reason many folk walk down the path of martial arts.

Shuyren's happy to see two of the grandkids and her pride, Tara, return safely. She was concerned when news of her early retreat met her ears but everyone had made it back without any wounds.

"What's wrong, starlight?" She asks gently. Instead of rushing to greet her with a hug, Tara stops just shy of the stairs that led to her great grandmother. Tara's fidgeting makes her nervous. Just what had her favorite witnessed? Before she can question any further, Tara glances at Di who merely nods.

It only lasts for several seconds but a white aura encases Tara's tiny frame. Several of her aunts and uncles verbally lose their stoic composure while others' eyes turn into tiny saucers. Shuyren's lips part with surprise as a gasp escapes.

She still had another 40 or so years to make another breakthrough into the next Body Altering stage until it was too late to try. Once she crossed into it, she could affirm some rumors.

In the meantime, she had always placed her faith in Di. Her eldest granddaughter had been the same age as Tara when her aura had flickered upon her fists. Thus, Shuyren could safely bet that Di would surely surpass her at every level. When Di had told her Tara echoed that experience, she had been pleasantly surprised.

Now it seemed, after merely two weeks, Tara had grown beyond Di's past accomplishments. Was it possible that her little starlight could match their ancestors in the past?

Just before Shuyren waves to dismiss her guards, Tara speaks up. Her voice is small but clear enough for all to hear. "Could aunties Kohra and Ashne please stay behind?"

Two women appear beside Shuyren's throne, holding hands. Kohra had dark brown skin and cool blue eyes while Ashne had tan skin with piercing green eyes.

Most of the time they just let Tara win the little game she had started, which was to see if she could find them. This time was different as if Tara had detected them. The thought had left them shaken, to say the least.

Once it was only these six within the room, Shuyren's hands moved like lightning to form numerous seals. The entire room is flooded with forest green energy as a soundproof barrier came into creation.

The moment it's completely up Tara can't hold back she begins her report:

"I found an ancient ruin with floating crystals and stairs that changed colors. I think there was more to discover down there? There was a box at the top of a temple and when I unlocked it, the energy within fused with me and then taught me to use my aura and a movement technique!"

Before any of the adults can process the young girl's words, Tara's aura flashes and she appears at the other end of the room, several meters away. When she doesn't immediately flit back after concentrating, she rolls her eyes before running back into her spot.

"Something like memory or maybe a feeling told me how? There's more than this, a lot more than that but it's all mixed up in my head. So I can't really explain it or even write it down for you. I'm sorry. Oh! Baba, what's up with this seal on my stomach?" Tara stops and puts a hand above her navel.

After a beat, the adults in the room finally absorb what Tara has told them. When she disappeared, she had experienced several miraculous encounters back to back.

Not only had she undergone a transformation of her mind, body, and soul but also inherited a powerful movement technique and possibly even an energy circulation method. If she were older and more distrusting, Tara wouldn't have likely shared any of her experiences so easily. But because she was young she had told them what had occurred.

"Are you sure it's okay to share such secrets with us?" Ashne asks, confused as to why they weren't asked to leave as well. Tara merely nods with a smile on her face. The system finally starts informing her how she's connected with her family members as she makes eye contact with them.

"You and auntie Kohra have always played with me even though your job guarding Baba is super important! Also, I think I have a way to help out Chun! She's always been very kind to me and trying really hard to follow in your footsteps."

As Tara read descriptions of these two women, she found some kinship with Chun. However, it was clear something about their family's energy gathering technique didn't agree with Chun.

Ashne and Kohra were startled. Their daughter was one of the weakest children of her group. To hear that such a situation might change fills them with an indescribable feeling.

"What's it called when you stay in your room for a long time and meditate?" Tara asks the room with her head tilts in confusion. The system suggests that time was needed to absorb and cipher the new information.

"You want to go into seclusion?" Shuyren blinks. Simply getting any child to sit still and meditate for ten minutes was asking for a lot. Now her own great-granddaughter has asked to shut herself off from the world and gain insights from what had just happened to her. For Tara, Shuyren realizes, practicing an aurator's nature was the same as breathing.

"You may use one of my rooms. This way I can protect you personally. First, come here, you haven't hugged me once since you arrived." Shuyren beckons and Tara bolts into her arms, hugging her grandmother tightly.

Finally comfortable and knowing no one else outside this room could hear her, Tara starts crying. The tears feel hot despite being virtual. Shuyren caresses Tara's head, telling the young girl how proud she is and how happy she is that Tara made it home safely. Kohra leaves the barrier for a moment only to return with a 3 sided mirror.

Tara steps away from her grandmother as the seal over her stomach flashes with that same green before disappearing. The energy flows into the barrier from clear to opaque. Tara went to step towards the mirror but her balance was off. Glancing behind her she finds a white-furred tail with a silver tuft at the top. She takes a couple of steps to adjust herself before stepping in front of the mirror.

White serval ears cutely replace her human ears in her reflection. Tara smiles with two fanged upper canines revealing themselves. Curiously she flexes her fingers, only to pout when no claws appear. The adults can't help but laugh at this.

"Did Elder Guo go over animus with you?" Shuyren asks while Tara takes in her new appearance. Tara's spinning around trying to see her tail before stopping.

"He said that our Dawn Jungle has the most population of animus?" The system supplies Tara with an older lecture from Elder Guo concerning the world of martial arts before her expedition. Tara certainly hadn't expected that she would be something other than human.

Shuyren nods her head in reply, trying to imagine where her little star will go in the future. "The animus clan has a natural talent for martial arts, yes. Those within human countries aren't sure why. Uncertainty breeds fear and fear leads to discrimination. It's harder for an animus in a human country to become an aurator than a wanderer. So we kept your lineage a secret for your own sake but your mother was right to share it with you now rather than later. I think you're destined for more than this family can give you."

"I will replace the seal but those stronger than me will be able to see your true form. When you come across someone like that it may not even matter to hide it, but for now, I want you to be safe." Shuyren says.

Though the illusion is back in place, Tara can feel the difference now that she's aware. By knowing her true ancestry, she feels like her senses are stronger. Tara returns home with her parents as the maids and butlers hold a grand feast for their young lady's return. Zewan immediately runs towards her big sister from her grandparents' side.

Di's parents are high tier Skin Igniting, with her mother being so close crossing into low tier Blood Directing. They took great pride in Di and Tara.

Over dinner, Tara tells her sister a small bit of what had occurred and Zewan listens with sparkling eyes. "Next time there's an expedition, I'm gonna go with you!" The little girl exclaims.

Tara smiles at this and nods. "For that, you need to train well and listen to Mother and Father's instructions. Also be good for Elder Guo, since he is the best teacher in our family." Little Zewan promises she will be.

Tara feels a little sad since she didn't know how long her seclusion would be before she saw her sister again. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too long or Zewan would miss her too much. Tara leaving, if only staying just at their great grandmother's, was even harder as Zewan crawled into Tara's bed like she had done so many times before.

She truly struggles out of her sister's hug while not waking her up. Tara could already imagine Zewan's crying face as her mother explained why she left.

Before dawn even arrives Tara practices her movement technique as she heads towards Shuyren's estate. Tara can now only use it three times before becoming tired but she's slowly getting the hang of it.

To her surprise, it's Shuyren herself who escorts Tara to the room she would be staying at. The room was fairly large with a big bed and a bathroom and a desk set. Upon entering Tara notices runes had been placed along the walls.

"Some of them are to help you focus your energies while others are to keep people from spying on you. News that you've come to stay with me will surely be the gossip of our family for a while," Shuyren explains as Tara looks around, "It will blow over quickly though. I'm sending your mother and a team of scouts soon to look into the ruins you two found and maybe even reach that chamber."

Tara frowns at this news. Many families and Martial Academy students would be fighting over treasures. While she had faith her mother would be fine, she was still worried. But as she wasn't even a low tier Blood Directing let alone a midtier, she didn't have the power to accompany her mother.

Then the only thing she could try was to decipher the information that had been left to her by the magic crystals. Tara immediately climbs into the center of the bed, crossing her legs.

"You will only meditate for half of the day. Twelve hours from now you will write down what you've learned in the notebook at the desk. Then you shall eat, bathe, and rest for the night. At the end of the week, you shall bring what you've come to understand to me." Shuyren lays down some ground rules.

While Tara has what was necessary for martial arts, she was still a child who hadn't even entered the real first stage. Once she did, her limit to concentrate would grow.