The caravan leaving our sect is a rge one, composed of twenty inner disciples and a multitude of servants and artisans all leaving for the city of Tong Xun. Qiu Tai looks comfortable on a healthy looking brown mare as she rides up and down the caravan to make sure everyone is ready for the week long trip.

  I watch her from my position at the front of the caravan. The other core disciples in the wagon with me are polite, but I’m not close enough with them to start conversation, so I stay quiet.

  We move at a sedate pace, the steps leading up to the gate of our sect growing smaller as we travel.

  The trees pass us by, birds and small animals peeking out from their hiding pces to observe us.

  Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath of air, noticing the change in the spirit around us as we leave the sect grounds, the spirit is becoming more wild.

  Being free of the walls of the sect is a relieving feeling, I missed the outside world.

  The other disciples in the wagon talk with each other or meditate, none of them sharing the same fascination with the outside world as me.

  I look back to the trees, thinking about the pace we are traveling; it isn’t much faster than a walk.

  I leap over the edge of the wagon onto the dirt road we’re traveling on.

  Qiu Tai notices me leave the wagon, smiling at me before turning her attention back to the Master she is speaking to.

  I’ll take that as permission.

  A giddy feeling overtakes me as I walk alongside my wagon. I’m walking somewhere on my own two feet, not being flown by the elders or riding on a wagon driven by horses.

  I can’t help but hum a tune I’d heard from my father’s warriors when I was younger.

  Something catches my eye off to the side of the road. A red flower, pulsating with spirit.

  I know better than to touch it, so I just watch it, knowing I can run to catch back up to the wagon. The pulse travels through the stem of the flower, until it reaches the petals, expelling soft spiritual energy. It only takes me a moment to notice the pulse continues underground, traveling to the trees around it through their roots.

  I look up at the old wizened trees, brimming with a power all their own.

  I smile at them, then bow, unsure if they are watching me as I am watching them.

  Nothing happens, so I hurry to catch back up to the wagon.

  Many fascinating pnts and animals line the side of the road, and I stop near most of them to observe their energies and actions.

  Some respond aggressively, their energy turning dangerous as I watch them, so I respect them and continue on my way. Others ignore me, or try to hide when they notice my attention.

  After a day of traveling, the caravan pulls to the side of the road in a clearing. The evening sun shines on me as I watch a colony of ants carry food along a road they’ve made for themselves. They notice me watching them, but they don’t respond to my attention. A lot of the creatures and pnts in the forest have spirit traveling through them in a symbiotic retionship, and these ants are the clearest example of that.

  Each individual ant has a unique spirit, but they are all connected in a web, sending information along pathways of spirit. As soon as one ant noticed me, the whole colony became aware of my presence. An older and wiser spirit somewhere deep underground, guides most of the ants, and it was the one that chose to ignore me.

  “They are fascinating creatures, aren’t they?” Qiu Tai says from beside me.

  “They are separate, but... they live as one.” I say.

  “Indeed.” Qiu Tai says softly. “I am going to be busy with the other masters. You are free to explore, but don’t travel too far from the road. There are creatures in this forest even I am wary of.”

  “Yes, Elder Qiu.” I look away from the ants to smile at her.

  She smiles back before walking away.

  I continue to watch the ants, eventually bringing out my flute to py as I watch them. I py a simple children's song, quick and cheerful in its melody.

  It might just be my imagination, but the ants seem to work with more gusto as I py my music.

  The older spirit from the nest pays more attention to me, not in a malicious way, it observes me as I observe them and py my instrument.

  I pause mid song as a strange feeling comes over me. My gaze moves deeper into the forest.

  I put my flute into my robes as I stand up, walking away from the camp. Movements of the Silent Monster quiets my footsteps as I walk over the roots of an old tree. I walk around spots holding predatory or dangerous spirit, while keeping the firelight of our camp in sight.

  “I enjoyed your music.” a feminine voice says from the trees, and my hand lowers to the sword at my waist.

  I bow in thanks, keeping my eyes on the forest around me. “I’m gd you enjoyed it.”

  “Could you py another piece for me? I’m sorry for interrupting you, but I was hoping to hear you better if you were closer to me.”

  I rub my thumb against my flute as I think about whether I should fulfill her request. I close my eyes, sensing the spirit of the pce I had been called to. There is danger in the spirit of whatever I’m speaking to, almost like a dagger ready to strike.

  Still, the danger isn’t directed towards me. There is also peace here, a sense of protection and a hint of sorrow.

  I open my eyes, taking my hand off of the sword to reach for my flute. “I don’t know who you are, but as long as you don’t mean any harm… I’m happy to py for you. Is there anything you’d like to hear?”

  She is quiet for a moment, “I would like to hear of the world outside of this forest.”

  I think about her request, the correct melody and notes coming to my mind as I stare into the darkening night. Qi flows through me and into my breath as I begin to py.

  The world melts around us, showing a scene of two children pying in a field, happily dancing to the music I make.

  They twirl with each other, giggling as they trip over each other into a pile on the floor.

  The scenery shifts to a young woman schor humming to herself in tune with my music.

  She paints a beautiful ndscape, each stroke holding power behind it.

  She looks up, smiling at me, and I smile back at her from behind my flute. The scenery shifts again to the very mountains she was drawing.

  A group of adventurers ugh as they sit around a campfire on the mountain. The smoke of the fire twists and turns with the rhythm of the music.

  The song ends with one st crackle of the fire.

  I lower my flute, surprisingly drained of my qi. I stretch my arms and pce my flute into my robe. “I shouldn’t stay here too long, I don’t want the others to worry.”

  “Thank you.” The voice says as a green snake uncurls itself from the branches of the tree next to me. The setting sun gleams off of her scales, shining like gems. Her head, as rge as my own, hangs eye to eye with me, but I don’t feel any danger, so I watch her. “Your music is beautiful. May I request something of you?” the snake’s mouth doesn’t move, but I know the voice comes from her.

  “Of course.”.

  I stiffen as the snake uncurls from the tree, falling onto the ground in front of me.

  “Help me leave this forest.” The snake's tongue pops out, tasting the air.

  “I’m not sure what you mean.” I look into her eyes. “Can’t you leave on your own?”

  The snake rests its head in my p. “If I were to leave on my own, I would be hunted. I desire to see more of the world than this forest.”

  I bite my lip, “How can I take you out? You’re far too big for me to carry.”

  “That can be changed.” The snake lifts her head, approaching the sleeve of my robe. As she reaches it, her body changes, growing thinner. She slithers into my robe, wrapping herself around my chest and stomach.

  I stiffen as she does so, an instinct of pure terror filling me.

  If she wished to, she could kill me easily. I had been lured into a sense of safety from her spirit, but she is still a predator.

  “I do not wish you harm, young one,” She says. Her spirit confirms her words, and I let my fear wash over me, controlling my breath to calm down.

  Her actions should’ve terrified me more than they did, and I know I should be more suspicious of her than I am. But her request was genuine, even if there was hidden meaning behind it. Her words hold truth in them. She doesn’t wish me harm, and her spirit isn’t dark, or evil.

  I breathe in and out, sensing my own spirit. It seems to resonate with hers in a way I can’t quite define.

  “If you are coming with me, then you must listen to me.” I say, using the same tone my father used when talking to his soldiers. “If you have never left this forest, then you know little of the outside world. I won’t let you cause harm to my family or my sect.”

  “Your words make sense. In exchange for freedom from this forest, I will listen to your words and I will not harm those you call family.” Her qi resonates with mine.

  “Thank you.”

  I walk back to the camp where our caravan is, thinking about how I’m supposed to expin having a snake wrapped around my waist.

  Qiu Tai smiles at me as I approach then turns back to the Master she is speaking with.

  She didn’t notice.

  I look around the camp. No one recognizes anything amiss.

  “I am an ambush predator, little one. If others could sense me easily, I wouldn’t be able to feed myself.” A hint of amusement is audible in her voice.

  “Right.” I say.

  I walk to the tent a servant had erected for the female core disciples, finding my bedroll and sitting down on it

  She feels kinda nice on my body, comforting almost. I grow timid as I think about how she’s against my bare skin.

  “By the way,” I say as I take my sword and flute off, ying them next to my bedroll. “You never told me your name.”

  “I have been called Shia.” The snake says. I lie down slowly so that she has time to move around my body.

  “I am Core Disciple Lin Jia from the Flowing River Sect. It’s nice to meet you Shia.” I mutter, closing my eyes.

  “It is a pleasure meeting you as well Lin Jia.”

  I fall asleep fast, exhausted from a day of traveling and discovering new things.