A few tendays later and the Ascending Mountain Institute was suddenly visited by scores of cultivators. This was not some campaign to attract the attention of prospective students and their folks, like might occur in schools of another world, although many of these cultivators were indeed students. Instead they were came to the Institute as if they were four small battalions ready for battle. The Institute's students were no less aware of the reason for their presence and made themselves known in crowds, gathering around the building and nearby griffin's nests as if in greeting, yet somehow looked as if they were ready to protect their territory.
The building which the students surrounded happened to be once used by the inner school of scholars prior to the two schools somewhat merging in order to pool much of their resources and invest further into their studies, no matter their skill set. Over the passed few weeks, the architecturally imposing building with its decorative pillars, tall doors and ornate carved flora and fauna had been given a refurbishment, along with the (coincidentally) four dormitory buildings located around it. There had been many points on offer for sweeping floors and cleaning out cobwebs, Leon had joined a team that replanted the grounds with pretty and structurally pleasing plants and flowers. Other things, furnishings and such, had been purchased from outside and many temporary staff hired in order to keep the visitors well fed during their stay.
There were mixed reactions from the visitors regarding their efforts;
"Everything is so unexpectedly green this way north," murmured one with a heavy accent.
"Where are the servants to carry my luggage! You there! Pick up my bags!" The one pointed at sneered, did not bother retorting, just walked away arms crossed and cursing;
"Who does that fucker think he is? Laozi has better things to do!"
"Look, all girls!" A whisper came from the surrounding crowds this time and caught the attention of both males and females, the former couldn't help their instinctive reaction to scan over that group of flowers in interest, while the latter were either showed glints of unhappiness or delight dependant on circumstances.
In the end, all of the visiting students and resident students had opinions regarding the others, not all were favourable, but generally, the visiting students arrived peacefully. How long this would happen to last was a different story.
But at that moment, a small alchemist had his hands full with a matter far removed. Actually, they were holding a recently made, custom saddle.
Li Ming sniffed at the saddle in it's human's hands with interest. The thick, leather scent caused it to screw up its nose and turn its head away. Velana chuckled as she patted Li Ming's scaled head. "Your coeurl is an interesting beast," she mentioned to Leon, her eyes appraising the beast's mainly white skin with its lengths of black stripes stretching down its back.
"En," Leon agreed fondly, smiling brightly. The cub which had first approached him due to a small wooden fish charm, had become a young adult following a recent growth spurt. However, it never managed to shed all of its baby fur. Instead, it had developed a thick mane not unlike that of a lion from his former world. A small tuft also remained on the tip of its thick tail. It looked unusual on the coeurl, a feline species that were renowned for their thick, scaled hide and powerful agility, but Leon did not hate it.
Leon attempted to figure out how to place the saddle on Li Ming's back in vain, causing Velana to quietly chuckle. She took the saddle from him as if it weighed nothing and tossed it with ease on Li Ming's back. The coeurl blinked its blue eyes in surprise, unaccustomed to the weight, though it was more than capable of coping with it. It turned its head and shoulders attempting to see what was upon its back, circling as its fluffy mane partially blocked its vision. It yowled at Leon in complaint.
"B-be g-good," Leon said, softly, grabbing Li Ming's head and running his fingers through the heavenly silken fur. Li Ming purred contentedly, the sound a deep rumble in its chest, leaning into Leon's touch. As he distracted the coeurl, Velana fixed the saddle to the beast's back securely.
"You are aware that coeurls can't be muzzled?" Velana mentioned to Leon, who nodded in agreement. He'd rode on the back on Wu Ye before, granted it was usually Jin Li who lead or instructed the obstinate beast, but ropes and reigns were not the way of coeurl and their riders. Instead, a rider held onto a horn at the forefront of the saddle and relied upon the strength of his thighs to remain stable. To guide the beast was done through a series of whistles, nudges or pats, depending on the relationship between rider and beast. Jin Li and Wu Ye seemed so at odds most times were throughly in sync when it came to travelling, if Jin Li was given permission to mount that was.
Li Ming, however, was playful and easily distracted and Leon was not authoritative enough. It would take the pair some practice to be able to understand each other in this capacity.
Somewhat exhausted, Leon finally slid off Li Ming's back, but he really couldn't scold the beast for rushing about, tossing and turning him as he'd clung on the horn handle of the saddle for dear life as it really meant no harm. Even now, it nuzzled into Leon's waist seeking praise for its 'performance.' A sudden snort came from behind Leon and Li Ming was flicked in the head with the tip of a black tail; Wu Ye was not as generous as their smallest human. A low, disapproving rumble echoed in its midnight chest, causing Li Ming to whimper.
Teacher Volun chuckled as he watched the antics of the three. "T-Teacher," Leon greeted as did Velana, both bowing slightly with respect for the silver haired man of indeterminate age. Behind his silver framed glasses, Teacher Volun's eyes twinkled.
"I've completed my examination of Wu Ye," the Beast Tamer Teacher informed Leon readily. "It is definitely a prime example of its species and in good health as well. I can see Li Ming is also far from the small runt of its litter!"
Knowing that the silver haired human was talking about it, Li Ming stood tall once more, shaking its mane as if to clarify Teacher Volun's point. Velana chuckled again behind her hand and Volun's eyes brightened further.
"Look at those coeurl! So awesome!"
"Hmm... wait! Where are you going!?"
A youth with large amber eyes and skin as golden as autumn leaves suddenly appeared before them. He was tall and broad shouldered, with ropey muscle and a strangely unfitting baby face. He was dressed in a mix of furs and leathers with bone bracelets decorating his wrist and his long flowing hair, that was deep brown with wispy yellowing ends, was unadorned. Without thought, he rushed right up close to Wu Ye as if to examine the beast more closely.
Perhaps knowing that the youth meant it no ill intent, Wu Ye only pushed the young man over with one paw, it's claws remaining sheathed. A second youth, almost equal in height to the first, but less thick of form, hurried to pick the first off of the ground. "I'm sorry!" The second young man, who wore a similar style of long sleeved tunic and trousers to the first, crossed one arm about his chest with a closed fist before bowing deeply. "My friend here gets a little over enthusiastic when it comes to beasts. He meant no offence."
"It's ok-k-kay!" Leon stuttered out startled by the fervent behaviour of both youths.
The knocked down youth had already stood up and sidled over to Wu Ye as if he hadn't already been chastised by the black coeurl already. Wu Ye turned around, ignoring him. The young man began to mutter just beneath his breath; "Coeurl, pure Pantherian bloodline, Male, around one to two years in age..."
"You know your stuff, young man," Volun said approvingly. "Student of the Savage Red Sands Force?"
The first youth didn't answer, his eyes only taking in the magnificent matt colouring of Wu Ye's scaled hide, so the second youth hurriedly answered for both of them. "Yes, yes we are. I'm Hamset, he is Ahti. We are cousins and studying together. We are primarily martial arts students, but..." he glanced at his cousin whose attentions had turned to Li Ming. The youth's head had tilted to one side as he unrestrainedly examined the striped coeurl, who in turn was staring curiously at him.
"I don't know this breed... too strong and healthy to be of multiple ancestries, striped coat... a tigray?"
"A hybrid with a pure Tigray mother," Volun volunteered to inform the student of the school often stereotyped as being a training ground for barbarians and savages by not only the ignorant and ill informed. "And likely a father of the Tundras genus."
"Tundras?" The youth, Ahti looked thoughtful for a moment. "The Tundras are the only genus of the Coeurl family to not shed their fur, due to their habitats being in the most cold regions of the continents... that would explain its unusual mane and more robust stature..." Leon wryly thought that actually the latter was due to Li Ming overeating and under-exercising.
Volun rather liked this young martial artist; many of his own students were not as versed regarding the various bloodlines and breeds that existed for their own favoured beasts, let alone others. He thought that such a youth might be a good influence on them... alas, he was another school's student and training in a different field than his own. Still, it never hurt to be cordial. "We have many interesting beasts and not few rare bloodlines here," he told the man, amused when the youth's ears seemed to perk upwards with interest. "I have time, allow me to give you the tour of my outer beast tamer school."
"Can I?" The muscular young man glanced over at his cousin with pleading eyes, which sparkled with joy the moment that he understood that the other had given in to his request. Hamset gestured with one hand, sighing heavily as the other man hurried to follow the silver-haired Teacher.
"Your cousin really likes beasts," Velana stated in a matter of fact tone.
"I know," Hamset agreed, slightly disapproving before hurriedly explaining; "It's not that I look down on beast tamers, I don't, they are as honoured as any martial artist in the tribes. It is just that Ahti's father wishes him to be a martial artist and follow in his footsteps. He is my chief, so I must abide by his wishes and guide Ahti, even if Ahti would be happier otherwise." Velana nodded in understanding; this was not an unheard of thing in the cultivation world. Leon also had met a few who were ill suited to their specialism, but mostly persevered anyway due to expectations placed upon them.
Leon did not want to ride Li Ming home, but was unable to refuse those expectant blue eyes and almost immediately regretted it. He felt also that Wu Ye was laughing at his expense as they raced back together. He climbed off of the striped beast with shaking legs on their return, taking a few moments to settle himself before finding that he faced a dilemma... How was he supposed to get the saddle off of Li Ming?
Author's note; sorry about the absences. No excuses, I've been out in the garden, digging, weeding and preparing newly built raised beds rather than writing, but it's raining today. So I've finally finished this chapter! I do have a chapter started for CiaZA also. Will post whenever I finish it!