The Heavens Shall Fall

Siu was splitting wood outside his abode when he felt it, through his connection to Arya. As he focused on it, he could also pinpoint the arriving presence from Marly, who was up in the trees, looking for things to stuff into her mouth out of habit. He had to admit... the one coming to visit him was more dangerous than many may think, because without the two's sharper senses, he wouldn't have noticed his arrival at all. He didn't even make the snow crunch...

As for who it was... It was Toban. He could tell by how Arya sneered in his mind, hidden amongst the snow with her white fur, warning him to be careful because a bigger fox than she was had come to snare him. Smiling to himself, he didn’t turn immediately and just finished the swing of his arms, splitting the log cleanly as he set the pieces aside, then wiped his hands on a cloth, enjoying the simple labour being used to train. By the time he looked up, Toban stood at the edge of the cleared path, waiting for him to acknowledge his presence, wearing a soft smile on his face.

“I am surprised you came by yourself,” Siu said first, looking at his face, "I thought if you wanted me for something, you would send Lorean again."

"Not this time around," Toban inclined his head, keeping up his smiling expression, "Because this is private... from a certain point of view."

“Are you cashing in already?” He asked, feeling this was about him owing Toban a favor... but he expected the man to only go for it... later.

“Yes, you owe me,” he said plainly, "And although I wanted to sit on that a little more, circumstances had... changed."

"I guessed as much because you came yourself."

“That's good,” Toban nodded, “Then this will be simple. Can we go in? The wind is not to my liking, nor the whole winter, to be honest.”

"It makes me want to stay out here then," Siu answered, tilting his head, but then motioned towards his home, letting Arya and Marly lead Toban in, while he carried the fresh logs in his hands.

"I have nothing to offer," Siu said after closing the door, but Toban didn't take it to heart at all. Instead, he went straight to the point.

“The Stone Ward Collective must be dismantled.” He said, watching Siu put down the wood and feed the fire in his room, to keep the air warm and comfortable.

“That’s ambitious.” Siu answered with a snort escaping his nose, the orange colors of the flame flashing through his eyes, "What? Should I go and beat every one of them down? Because then I'll say no, debt or not."

“It’s a necessary step,” Toban answered, holding his smile, "and no, I don't need you to do that. Do you take me for a fool?"

“Sadly, no."

“Thanks, and just you know, this is for the betterment of every outer disciple.”

"Altruistic? You?" Siu asked with a raised bow, sitting down on a stool, watching him, while Arya hopped into his lap and Marly landed on his shoulder, gazing at Toban, afraid the man would try to eat them all.

“Okay, that's a byproduct," Toban shook his head, not denying that it wasn't his main reason, "The real issue is that they control too much of the outers' CC mining operations. They do it for the sect, yes, but indirectly, they also gained control over its distribution. They, no matter the angle we look at it from, control the flow, and that flow is what gives them the ultimate power. Their grip has tightened since Harrik’s death... And they began making up excuses to hold back funds from people, other groups, or just... raise prices.”

“Bren Taar,” Siu asked, "Has that much sway in sect pricing?"

"Of course not!" Toban shook his head, chuckling, "But we all know that, besides the stipends the sect may give us, mostly through the rewards for official sect missions and anything related to them, the rest of our economy is fueled by ourselves. Other disciples posting requests, missions, trading... and all of that requires CC, and all of that surplus has its source, too." By then, Toban began pacing slowly, crossing his arms and holding his chin, and it was the first time Siu had seen him like that... he was way too serious. “Most of their yield goes to the sect, as required. But that surplus I mentioned? It flows between us and can easily determine who trains, who eats better, who advances faster... Do you follow?”

"I do, because it determines who bribes whom, and who comes to you to spend on information, yes?" Siu asked because he already understood the reasons.

“Naturally..." Toban nodded a little, but then his smile vanished, "And if you are not in their good graces,” he continued, lowering his voice, “your access becomes… inconvenient.”

“So you want to weaken them.”

“No.” He shook his head, "Did you listen to me? I want to destroy their monopoly and, through it, their group. Stone Ward isn't just a mining group anymore because they are becoming damned gatekeepers, loan sharks, and leverage brokers... They have intruded on MY field of work! And I don't take that lightly, especially now."

"Ruthless," Siu muttered, leaning back, scratching Arya's head, watching the man, finally witnessing his true nature as far as Siu was concerned.

"We all are," Toban murmured, observing him without blinking.

“So break them,” Siu said, shaking his head, "But don't think that I can do that for you."

“Breaking them is not done through sheer force alone, Siu, not at their size.”

"Use your vast network then."

“If Golden Scroll moves openly," Toban shook his head, "it becomes war, and it would be bad for my business. I built my group on neutrality, well, at least outwardly. It's what keeps us afloat.”

“So?”

“I need a substitute,” Toban muttered, measuring Siu, making him feel a bit... unsure. He didn't like the way Toban was talking to him or looking at him. “You will form a new collective.”

“No,” Siu answered instantly. "Forget that!"

“You will form one,” he continued calmly, ignoring Siu's answer, “because it will serve you just as well as it will serve me. This is not a bad thing, Siu, even if you can't see it now.”

“I think I can see it," He snorted, "But go ahead, explain.”

“You are already a symbol, believe it or not. You made your name since the first months you came to this sect. I have been here for eight years now, and I have never seen something like what you did in just a year. Take last month for an example! You survived the first Icecrown hunt, not to mention you have two contracted beasts, and you are still independent. Others watch you, especially those who are similar to you, and without any backers.”

“I don’t care.”

“Those others do.” Toban countered again, causing a long silence between the two. “You don’t need to build a mining empire,” Toban went on after a minute of just looking at each other, “You just need to offer an alternative.”

“How?”

“There are dozens of methods, like fair distribution of resources, use transparent exchanges, offer shared labor, or shared protection of members. So on and so on, grow some business sense!”

"I'm a cultivator, not a businessman." Siu countered, making Toban reach up, running his fingers through his hair.

"Then learn it, it will help you in the future."

“Let's say, I do what you ask..." Siu added, enjoying the slight frustration appearing in Toban's eyes, "And why would anyone follow me?”

“Because they are tired of the same shit happening to them.” As he said that, Toban’s voice lost its neutrality for a brief second. “Believe me, I know... Many of them are tired of Bren’s pressure, which has picked up in intensity now. They are tired of his favoritism toward his supposed friends, and they are tired of having to kneel to him to get ahead. Their pride has been wounded... and that is the best rallying point for you. You will have to capitalize on that!”

“You benefit from this... how?”

“I benefit because my work is best done when there are multiple smaller and eager groups to buy and share information with.” He answered, as if it was the most normal thing ever, "Monopolies like this Stone Ward bullshit is a sickness... and I have the antidote against it."

“And I get...?”

“You remove your debt, of course, but more than that, I am giving you the opportunity that others would kill for. You can start your own group! You can go farther and faster than you would have done it originally. You may owe me, Siu, but I am giving you what you need on a silver platter.”

"You speak like the sweetest of demonic cultivators would, snaring a woman into bed to consume their essence. Are you related to the twins?"

"Yes." He answered at once, making Siu flinch, and Toban just watched as his eyes enlarged, until he noticed how Toban began smirking, "Of course not. See? I can lie when I want... but I am speaking the truth now, and most of the time, in fact. You know why? Because then I don't need to keep track of lies and get entangled myself in a web of falsity. Believe me, being honest is what keeps me on top of my game."

"Hmph... you did get me there." Siu nodded, looking away for a moment, "And if I refuse?"

“If you refuse, I will not be offended.” Toban said with a shrug, “I will simply hold your debt, and then I'll cash it in... Perhaps in a year, perhaps in five. Perhaps when you have something far more precious to lose.” Finally, hearing that, Arya growled at him, but Toban mostly ignored the beasts gazing at him with hatred in their eyes. “This,” he continued, “is the cleanest way to erase it.”

“You are a bastard, aren't you?”

“Yes.”

“Also..." Siu groaned, stroking Arya's head to calm her down, "You’re also positioning me as a lightning rod.”

“Of course, because you can take it.”

“And you expect me to accept...?”

“I expect you to prefer freedom over being owned.” He shrugged, opening his hands, "As I said, I am setting you up for a better future, which will benefit you just as much as it will benefit me. Even if you can't see it now."

Not that Siu couldn't see the benefits, he was aware of it all... But it also brought more responsibility than he was willing to take on. He liked his current pace, the idea of only dealing with his own advancements and problems... If he follows his idea... Having a group would exponentially increase those issues, and he hated the thought of that. He didn’t want followers; he didn’t want applause; he didn't want acknowledgments; and, more than that, he didn’t want... politics. He just wanted to keep his own autonomy...

“I will not become a puppet,” Siu said after thinking it through.

“Of course, you won’t,” Toban said at once, his smile returning.

“I will not hunt for YOUR profit or do things on YOUR command.”

“You won't have to.” He nodded again, letting Siu continue to list his stipulations.

“I will not answer to you.”

"Naturally," Toban smiled, already expecting it, “I don’t want you to.”

“If I build something,” Siu continued slowly, watching his eyes, trying to read the guy, “I will do it my way.”

“That is what I would prefer. Anything else?”

"Probably," Siu nodded, "I will have to think about it and write everything down."

"You do that, and I will give you advice on how to proceed, and all the information you need to be successful."

"What will it cost me?" He asked at once, narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing." Toban chuckled, seeing the suspicion in him, "And nobody will know I am feeding you information, as outwardly, my Golden Scroll remains independent and serving everybody, including the Stone Ward idiots. I will just... not mention or sell certain... data. Or tell them I don't have it. You and I will have a... secret relationship."

"EW!" Arya grunted, turning her head towards Siu, "Master, don't, his buttocks for sure can't swing as well as mine or Marly's! Don't fall for his stupid dance!"

"Shut up," Siu groaned, wanting to knock her head, "I am not swinging that way."

"Good, good, good!" Arya nodded rapidly, "You only need to watch us swing our tails! Our butts are rounder anyway, his is flat as the ground!"

"If I swing it too fast, I get dizzy and fall off the tree..." Marly added, forcing Siu to block out the two and refocus on Toban.

"Why are you so charitable?" Siu asked, wanting to know the true reasons behind his visit.

"I'm graduating, if you will." Toban answered, flexing his muscles, and there was a flash of golden light running across his skin and face, making him shine for a moment, "I had stepped into the Blood Resonance stage already... about a year ago. I completed everything I set out to do, and I am raising my replacement... It's time for me to become an Inner Disciple. By summer, I will be gone, and I am planning to keep my Golden Scroll intact and use it as a foundation. This will be my last hurrah and my gift to the rest of the outers, before I leave, even if they don't know it... I will know, and that's enough for me."

"You... are... weird," Siu muttered, letting out a long, tired breath and shaking his head.

"Thank you very much." He nodded, smiling happily, actually taking it as a compliment.

"I do this, and we are squared?"

"We are."

"Haaaah..." Siu stood up in the end, holding Arya in his hands, "I don't like it... But if it helps everyone, I'll do it. But if I feel you are using me in a way that goes against my morals... Don't be surprised if you become my target."

"I will take on that risk!" He laughed, and it felt genuine, "It will be good to work with you... And I will look forward to repeating it when you also become an Inner Disciple."