Song hummed as he wandered out of his yurt for breakfast. His family usually ate under a pavilion next to his parent’s yurt during the summer, and he made his way over to it with a spring in his step. When he arrived, he grabbed a mug of cool mare’s milk, then ladled yogurt onto some fresh fried bread.

  Standing with his back to the rising sun, he took a sip from his mug with a pleased expression, then let out an *ahhhh* of satisfaction.

  His father, mother, and three brothers stared at him. They were all in various states of morning disarray, though on Wook it somehow looked rugged.

  “Why are you so happy?” Tae asked, suspiciously.

  “What?” Song blinked at his brother.

  “You’ve been a black cloud for weeks,” Tae accused, “We haven’t heard a peep of singing or humming from you in all that time. AND you failed to bring back a jackal last night. So why are you so happy??”

  “Tae, it’s rude to point fingers at your brother,” Chohee admonished.

  “Wha~at, I’m just saying it’s suspicious,” Tae whined. “I think he found something – like a hundred-year treasure, or had a fortuitous encounter! And he isn't sharing!”

  Song took a big chug of milk to hide his grin, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Brother Tae. The only thing I found was a bit of inner peace.”

  Father choked on his drink, and Chohee concernedly patted him on the back.

  Song gave his parents a polite nod. “I have lots to prepare for tonight, and I need to practice! I’ll see you at the training grounds, Brother Wook!”

  Song jogged away, humming.

  “See?” Tae muttered into the stunned silence. “Suspicious.”

  —

  It was the second night of the lotus moon, when the moon was at its fullest, and the Great Nakjo Plains were flooded with light nearly as bright as midday.

  “The test is simple,” Crane explained from the bank of the pool.“Within these waters is a Hundred-Year Moonscale Carp. If you wish to prove yourself capable of becoming my disciple, you must catch it.”

  “Understood, Master.” Song walked knee deep into the pool, half-naked with his pants pulled up over his knees. His deel and fur jacket sat on the rocky bank next to a small campfire. His Sign shone brightly on his chest, for once not feeling like an embarrassment.

  Song held back a shiver and readied his hands while his eyes swept the pool. Dozens of black and white carp swam in the dark waters, but he only had eyes for one.

  The sliver of moonlight that he’d seen yesterday.

  Even now it was just out of reach, keeping to the bottom of the pool, and only rising to nip at flies and mosquitoes at the surface. Song didn't chase after it; he’d seen the carp swim closer to shore a few times, and when next it did, he, Lee Song, would strike!

  “Master, why is this pool here?” Song had learned over the years that asking an elder to explain something was a quick way to earn their favour.

  And he was curious.

  “Normally, it sits in a cavern below the river,” Crane dutifully expounded. “But every year during the lotus moon, the waters rise to the surface, bringing the fish with it. It soaks up the strong Void qi, then descends back below. Over the years, I’ve been eating all the fish but one, leaving it alone to grow fat on the Dark Dreamer’s qi.”

  Song’s eyebrows rose. “You raised a treasure fish, Master!? How admirable!”

  “It’s nothing for this mighty Crane!” The crane preened, pleased with itself. “There’s not a single other cultivator that knows fish or water better than I!”

  “How long did it take?”

  “*Ack!* *Ack! *Ack!* Are your ears as useless as your eyes? Did you not hear me call it a Hundred-Year Moonscale Carp? It was meant for… well, never you mind.”

  After answering, Crane grew withdrawn, so Song turned back to fishing.

  Attempted fishing.

  Song swore as the black fish flopped wildly in his arms. Its tail slapped him in the face repeatedly before it leapt from his grasp and splashed back into the pool. On the bank, Crane laughed uproariously.

  Song sighed. His attempts at practice just weren’t working. Even if he managed to catch the Moonscale Carp, he still wouldn’t be able to hold onto it.

  He climbed out of the water and went to sit on the small stony bank next to his fire.

  “Are you giving up so easily, little human?” Crane asked.

  “I just need to meditate,” Song replied. “And contemplate on what I’ve learned.”

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  He crossed his legs and began repeating his mantra. A moment later, he was within his mindscape, eagerly jogging over to the mirror.

  “Cyrus!” Song shouted with excitement. The strange man was lying on his back within the mirror, staring upwards.

  “Oh? You’re approaching me?” Cyrus said, with an odd timber to his voice.

  Song nodded. “Yes. I need your help!”

  “Typical. You raise them up, take care of them for years, and then they only come to visit when they need something.” Cyrus sat up and turned an angry glare on Song. “And what do you need me for anyway, you have a fancy new stork to teach you things now. Which you need to be careful of, by the way; it’s not what it seems. You're so freaking lucky that he – it – didn’t annihilate you."

  “Master Crane is a crane, and of course he doesn’t look like what he seems – he’s a core level cultivator. There’s less than a hundred of them on the entire continent!” Song explained breathlessly. "They have techniques I could only dream of!"

  “And I’m the only Cyrus level Canadian in the entire World!” Cyrus retorted. "I know things you can't even dream of!"

  Song bit his lip and shuffled his feet uncomfortably, his enthusiasm quashed.

  “Just… be careful.” Cyrus sighed. He softly massaged his bruised knuckles, then hid his hands behind his back. “You never meditate, you know. And I have no-one else to talk to. You could at least phone every once in a while.”

  “What’s a ‘phone’?”

  “A communication device for long distances. Does Murim have anything like that?”

  Song shook his head. “No. The only way to send a message far away is to pay a peddler a silver tael to carry it for you, and it might make it there in a few months. You could pay the Escort Kings to do it, but that would cost several gold yuanbao and still take weeks.”

  “I thought you had cultivators with literal super powers. Not that I’ve seen any yet. Couldn't they do it instantly?”

  Song barked a laugh. “Cultivators don’t deliver the mail. That would be dishonourable!”

  Cyrus shook his head. “What’s dishonourable about bringing a widow word of her soldier husband’s death? Or delivering emergency supplies to a town in need? Or providing protein shakes to a housewife who really wants to lose that last pound? You still need to widen your perspective, Song.”

  Song considered Cyrus’s words, then shook his head when he realized he’d gotten distracted. “I came because I need help. You’re my ‘spirit guide’, do you have any advice?”

  “What, with that dumb fish-catching thing?”

  “It’s a treasure fish, Cyrus!” Excitement came back into Song’s eyes. “It’s what happens when a plant or animal is infused with the elemental qi of a Great One without forming a dantian, becoming a demonic beast, or undergoing qi deviation. Anyone can eat it and take its qi to raise their cultivation level! Even at a lower level they're an important ingredient for ritual components or medicine.”

  “So it’s a power-up. Neat. And you have to catch it for this bird? Make him catch it. There, expectations subverted.”

  “Master Crane doesn’t need me to catch it. It’s a test. It’s practically a requirement to serve under a powerful master. Even the Great Hero Phoenix-Fire Kim had to bathe in lava for five days to gain the Fire King’s favour.”

  Cyrus cocked an eyebrow. “Talk about pretentious naming conventions. So it’s a ‘wax on, wax off’ situation, eh? Okay, fine. My first piece of advice is that you stop trying to catch fish with your hands. You’re not a crane, you’re a man. People have always used tools to make up for our lack of natural weapons.”

  “I could get a fishing rod!” Song said, brightly. “There’s a few in the family stores.”

  Then his face fell again. “But I won't be able to get it until tomorrow. And then I’ll only have one night left.”

  Cyrus scoffed. “What fishing rod. You have a net right with you, man! Just get it with the lacrosse stick!”

  Song scoffed, “I can't throw rocks at a fish.”

  “What? No, Song, you don’t just throw with a lacrosse stick!” Cyrus growled with impatience. “There’re a bunch more techniques. Like scoops, stick handling, and catches.”

  “But I don’t know how to do any of those.” Song bit his lip.

  Cyrus grinned. “Want me to use your body for a bit? Give you a cheat boost?”

  Song considered his Inner Demon. So far Cyrus had saved him multiple times and returned his body every time without hesitation - and despite his better judgement, it was the best option.

  “Please, Guide Cyrus? I promise to meditate more often. Would you help this unworthy Song?”

  Cyrus laughed. “Alright. But I won’t catch it for you. It’s your stupid kung-fu test. And you’re going to owe me more chats.”

  —

  Crane lifted his beak from under his wing as the little human stood and stretched.

  This had been an amusing evening, and as much as the large bird didn’t want to admit it, he was going to miss having someone to talk to. Especially here, and now.

  But he had better things to do than teach a clumsy chick how to fly. Like catching fish off the western coast of Yunnan, and bothering that foundation level seal who thought he was so clever. And – and – stretching his wings over the Kunlun mountains to the South! Yes, yes, so much to do.

  Crane’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the little human. To his core level senses, the Void qi swirling around the child seemed thicker than before, and more refined. Less like the faint wisps of an untrained refinement cultivator, and more like… something Crane had never seen before.

  The little human edged around where the crane was sitting, shooting him a wary eye, then sauntered over to the pool. Suddenly, the child jumped in and swam to the strange stick that he’d left floating on the surface yesterday. He emerged from the water muttering, “I worked hard on this thing, man, be more careful with it.”

  Then he stood on the edge of the pool and took up a squatting position. He proceeded to sweep the stick through the water for a few minutes. When he seemed satisfied, he stood stock still in a way that the crane understood on an instinctual level.

  The child was fishing.

  A moment later, he swept the stick through the water, and flipped a flopping fish onto the beach. He nodded, then went and sat back down next to the fire.

  Interesting. Crane thought, absently nabbing the fish and gobbling it down. There may be more to this little human than first appeared.

  Starry-Eyed Hero

  by QuiteTheSlacker

  Ten year old Astra has always dreamed of reaching the stars.

  As a humble farm boy living in the countryside, Astra's been surrounded by forests and flowing rivers his entire life. It's a routine full of family fun, community, and good ol' hard work... but sometimes, he'd lay on the grass at night and gaze out toward those bright stars above.

  He'd reach out with his hands, and he felt a yearning to see them: to form a bond crossed in starlight, regardless of the vast space between. Thus was a wish sent to the cosmos. One day, he too would shine just as bright.

  That opportunity would soon come in the form of a galaxy-wide competition for the chance to enter the most prestigious school in the milky way, Excelsior Academy, where noble children from the kingdoms of the Twelve Constellations are raised to become leaders, trailblazers, and most importantly warriors against meteoric monsters from beyond the universe. The encroaching slither of the Constellars.

  Astra doesn't have a special bloodline, belong to a royal house, nor is he the chosen one. But against all these kids with powerful backgrounds and fated destinies, Astra has only one wish.

  To shine bright as a starry-eyed hero.