The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled light on the small campsite where Shennong, Romina, and Mandira sat. The air was thick with the scent of pine and the faint sweetness of the stew Shennong had prepared. The pot sat in the center of their makeshift camp, its contents barely touched, steam still rising lazily from the surface. Shennong leaned back against a tree, his broad fra relaxed, though his sharp eyes darted between the two won sitting across from each other, their silence louder than any words.
"Didn’t it taste good?" Shennong asked, his voice cutting through the quiet like a blade. He gestured at the stew, eyebrows raised. "I put so effort into this, you know."
Romina, her auburn hair catching the sunlight, froze mid-motion, her spoon halfway to her mouth. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and she quickly averted her gaze, staring at the ground as if it held the answers to the universe. Mandira, older and more composed, coughed softly, her fingers tightening around the hem of her robe. The mory of the previous night—wild, reckless, and utterly unexpected—flashed through both their minds. Aunt and niece, entangled with Shennong in a mont of passion that now hung between them like a storm cloud. How could he act so normal?
Mandira cleared her throat, her voice steady but strained. "It’s... fine, Shennong. Really. We’re just... not that hungry."
Romina nodded quickly, her words tumbling out. "Y-yeah, it’s good! Just, um, full. From... earlier."
Shennong tilted his head, his dark hair falling across one eye as he studied them. The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken thoughts, and the two won avoided each other’s gaze. Romina fidgeted with a loose thread on her sleeve, while Mandira’s fingers traced the intricate embroidery on her robe, a nervous habit.
Finally, Shennong sighed, his broad shoulders slumping slightly. "Well, no sense letting it go to waste," he said, standing and brushing dirt from his pants. "I’ll store it in my inventory. You two can snack on it later while we’re on the road." He waved a hand, and the pot vanished into thin air, tucked away in the magical storage space he always seed to have on hand.
Mandira stood abruptly, smoothing her robe with deliberate care. "Let’s continue the journey," she said, her tone brisk, as if movent could shake off the awkwardness clinging to them. "The Mage Sanctuary isn’t far now."
Shennong nodded, slinging his pack over his shoulder with a grin. "Lead the way, ladies."
Romina scrambled to her feet, her movents jerky, and the trio set off through the forest. The path was narrow, winding through towering trees and over gnarled roots. The air grew cooler as they ascended the gentle slope of the mountain, the terrain becoming rockier with each step. But the silence between Romina and Mandira was deafening, their footsteps the only sound breaking the stillness. Romina kept her eyes on the ground, her cheeks still faintly pink, while Mandira’s lips were pressed into a tight line, her posture rigid.
Shennong, oblivious or perhaps pretending to be, humd a tune under his breath, his long strides eating up the distance. Every so often, he’d glance back at the two won, his expression unreadable but his eyes glinting with amusent.
Finally, Mandira couldn’t take it anymore. The silence was suffocating, and she needed to fill it with sothing—anything—to keep her mind from spiraling back to the previous night. She cleared her throat, her voice cutting through the quiet like a bell.
"The Mage Sanctuary," she began, her tone taking on the cadence of a teacher addressing her students, "is a place of great power. It’s ho to the Sisterhood, a group of mages dedicated to the study and mastery of mana. You’ll see when we get there—it’s unlike anything you’ve ever encountered."
Romina glanced up, her curiosity piqued despite herself. "The Sisterhood? Are they... all won?"
Mandira nodded, her expression softening slightly. "Mostly. There are one or two n in the Sanctuary, but they’re rare. The Sisterhood has always been predominantly female."
Shennong, walking a few steps ahead, turned his head slightly, his interest clearly piqued. "That’s weird," he said, his tone light but curious. "Is there a reason why so many won are mages?"
Mandira’s lips quirked into a small smile, grateful for the chance to focus on sothing academic. "It has to do with mana absorption," she explained. "Won, for reasons we don’t fully understand, are inherently better at absorbing and channeling mana. It’s like... our bodies are more attuned to the flow of magic. n, on the other hand, tend to rely on brute force and physical strength. They can be mages, of course, but it’s less common."
Shennong nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Makes sense, makes sense," he said, though there was a playful edge to his voice. "So, you’re saying won are just naturally better at magic?"
Mandira rolled her eyes, but a faint blush crept up her neck. "Don’t twist my words, Shennong. It’s not about better. It’s about affinity. n have their strengths too."
Romina, who had been silent until now, piped up hesitantly. "So... the Sisterhood. Are they, like, strict? Or... welcoming?"
Mandira’s expression softened further as she glanced at her niece. "They’re a family, in a way. Strict when it cos to discipline and study, but they take care of their own. You’ll see when we get there. It’s a beautiful place, carved into the mountain itself. The halls are lined with crystals that glow with stored mana. It’s... breathtaking."
The conversation seed to ease so of the tension, and Romina’s shoulders relaxed slightly. But the awkwardness lingered, like a shadow neither woman could shake. Every so often, their eyes would et, only to dart away quickly, as if burned. Shennong, for his part, seed content to let them stew in their discomfort, his casual deanor a stark contrast to their unease.
As the trio climbed higher, the trees began to thin, giving way to rocky outcrops and patches of stubborn grass. The air grew colder, and the path steeper. Mandira slowed her pace, her eyes scanning the ground carefully.
"This is my least favorite part," she said, her voice low. "The mages are... protective of the Sanctuary. They set traps along the mountain to keep intruders out. I don’t know what new ones they’ve planted since I was last here, so we need to be careful."
Shennong’s eyes lit up, a grin spreading across his face. "Traps, huh? That’s interesting. We’ll get to see what your sisters are capable of before we even reach the place."
Mandira shot him a look, one eyebrow raised. "Are you that much of a battle junkie?"
Shennong placed a finger to his lips, closing one eye in a playful wink. "Call curious."
Romina stifled a laugh, the first genuine sound she’d made all morning. Mandira shook her head, but a small smile tugged at her lips. For a mont, the awkwardness faded, replaced by the camaraderie of their shared journey.
The path grew narrower, winding around jagged rocks and past sheer drops that made Romina’s stomach lurch. Mandira took the lead, her staff glowing faintly as she probed the ground for hidden traps. Shennong followed close behind, his movents relaxed but his eyes sharp, scanning for danger. Romina brought up the rear, her hands clenched into fists as she tried to focus on the path and not the mories that kept creeping into her mind.
"Careful here," Mandira called back, her voice steady but urgent. "There’s a pressure plate just ahead. Step where I step."
Shennong chuckled. "You mages sure know how to make a guest feel welco."
"It’s not about guests, mages don’t welco any unwanted guests." Mandira retorted, her tone dry. "It’s about keeping the Sanctuary safe. Not everyone who cos here has good intentions."
"Fair enough," Shennong said, his grin unwavering. "But I’m looking forward to eting these sisters of yours. Sounds like they’re a lively bunch. Espcially the Grand Archmage."
Mandira snorted. "Lively is one way to put it, but you should be careful about Overseer."
"Overseer?" Shennong looked confused, but mandira wasn’t going to explain any further, after all she was curious about what kind of future would Shennong show her.
As they navigated the treacherous path, the mountain began to level out, and the first signs of the Mage Sanctuary ca into view. Towers of smooth, pale stone rose from the cliffs, their surfaces shimring with embedded crystals. The air humd with latent magic, a tingling sensation that made Romina’s skin prickle.
"We’re almost there," Mandira said, her voice tinged with relief. "Just a little further."
Romina glanced at her aunt, then at Shennong, who was whistling cheerfully as if they weren’t walking into a fortress of powerful mages. Despite the awkwardness, despite the mories that still burned in her mind, she felt a spark of excitent. The Mage Sanctuary awaited, and with it, the promise of answers—and perhaps a chance to make everything right and bring great changes to the land that is on the verge of war.
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