Given what John had previously heard about Musa, he expected him to be a wild and reckless man. Instead, what he found was a calm and collected man, full of wisdom. At first the two views seed incompatible, but of course there was hardly ever a ti when a single perspective was complete.
After spending ti with Musa, John ca to a better understanding. Musa was indeed the reckless fellow that had been spoken of by his brother and Zelma of the Mozdar clan. Or at least, he had been. Yet it seed that even they recognized the changes that had occurred in him over decades. As for why they still held that opinion, humans were prone to sticking to their beliefs… and to cultivators, it might not seem like all that long had passed and so it was sowhat fresh in their minds.
A person learning from their mistakes was one of the most admirable traits they could have, in John's opinion. But he could also understand why people would much prefer those who hadn't made any mistakes. Or at least, when those mistakes were either less severe or considered more socially acceptable.
John rembered how hesitant he was to take on ex-cons as workers at his branch of Brad's Burgers… and how silly it seed. Would people really risk going back to prison just to steal a handful of cash from a restaurant's till? Maybe a few rare individuals, but most just wanted a job so they could survive. Of course, he could see that now but in his early 20's he was afraid.
It was entirely possible that Musa had done sothing more serious than petty theft. No, knowing how clan politics worked it would have had to be sothing more. Maybe he killed soone… though they either weren't important or it was an accident. John could ask, of course, but he only planned to if it ca up naturally. What mattered most was how the man was now.
And who he was now had quite good advice, especially on the topic of air elent body tempering. John didn't think the external electrical field of the Abiodun clan would be of much use to him, even with the changes Musa had made, but it was the process of reaching those changes that was important.
"Human bodies aren't ant for any of this," he explained. "Perhaps we aren't even ant for cultivation of spiritual energy at all. Maybe we weren't supposed to interact with totems."
John frowned. He certainly hadn't thought of things like that. After all, when introduced to the world, everything seed like it was how it was supposed to be. And while John didn't think that Musa fully believed what he had said, it did provoke thought. "What are totems?"
"A good question," Musa said. "And no, I don't have the answer. Perhaps an universal constant beyond our normal reality that we managed to tap into. Or perhaps they are a fignt of a combined human subconscious."
"But totems do things."
"Maybe only because we believe they do," Musa shrugged. "Have you ever co across a totem that was exactly what you were searching for? One previously undocunted?"
"Not quite," John said. "But with a great number of them, surely one would expect to be able to find most combinations of traits."
"And how many do you think there are?"
The Tenebach clan had docuntation for hundreds in each layer, and with six layers… "There have to be at least many thousands," John comnted. "I know of at least that many."
"Well, that's true. Let us say, for ease of use, that there are six thousand. Equally divided among elents, that would be one thousand. Less than two hundred per layer. And within each elent, you have various concepts. For air, you have lightning and gasses. For earth, you have stones of various sorts. Boulders, mountains… plants. How many gasses are there? How many plants?"
"Well, totems aren't going to strictly tie to a single plant but…" John shook his head. "Even if you consider larger categories, there would be far more. Unless you get as vague as the re concept of trees, but I know there are varieties even within that." John frowned. "So are you saying we just make them up?"
Musa shrugged. "Not necessarily. We might simply be discovering them by searching for them. But I do believe there are effects between cultivators. Tell , you could swiftly find anything logged by your clan or sect, could you not?"
"Well, obviously. That's why they have been cataloged."
Musa smiled. "Let show you what we have cataloged," he said. He brought John into their library- obviously his presence was enough for them to go to any section, even those normally restricted to outsiders. "Look at these."
John saw there were many different sorts of winds, types of lightning strikes, and of course earth totems that were skewed towards things that fit in the Glass Hills. Sand and form changing earth more than massive boulders or mountains. "So what you're saying is… what totems people can find are based on what people already know? Have you compared with other sects?"
The two of them moved to a private area for their discussion- so as to not disrupt others, among other things. "I have, actually," Musa nodded. "And their records are quite similar to ours, within the Glass Hills."
"What about the Wuthering Steppes?"
"Quite different."
"So… is it geographical, or related to people?"
"A good question, isn't it?" Musa raised an eyebrow. "The only way to test would be to uproot an entire group of people from one region to another and have them cultivate. Which… I do not think would be worth the results. And people are still able to find totems they are aware of or believe should exist, given ti and effort. But that does not disprove the idea, as if it takes them more effort where such things are not commonly known… does that not contribute to the idea?"
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John closed his eyes for a few monts, thinking. "It might. And ultimately, it doesn't matter, does it? What's important is that people can obtain totems that fit their needs with sufficient ti and effort- whether they are discovered or invented."
"That's right," Musa agreed. "I am certain you have encouraged your disciples to search for totems that fit them well. Though I will say there is a confounding factor in our numbers."
"Which is?" John asked.
"Not everyone is going to record every totem they co across. Especially if it's similar to another one they've heard about but don't care about. In fact, I would expect very few to do so, except those specifically tasked to do so. The others would be a particular kind of personality."
John pondered for a few monts longer. "For all the ti I've spent searching for and thinking about individual totems, I've spent far less thinking of totems as a whole. Because… the system worked for . Perhaps I should emphasize the possibilities to disciples more clearly. I've had assumptions about what people might realize." Then sothing else ca to him. "Totems can grow in power. Does that an they're not fixed in form?"
"Ah, you've realized that, have you?" Musa nodded. "Well, I can say it is theoretically possible to change them… but I wouldn't. Of my many mistakes, that was one of them- and I wasn't even trying for a shift between elents. They might grow with you naturally, but forcing it… its just as bad as forcing anything else in cultivation."
"I am aware of the pitfalls," John said.
"Indeed. So, why did you change your na?"
"What?" John asked, surprised at the sudden topic change.
"I had disagreents with my brother and strife within the clan," Musa said. "But I still kept my na. I would have fought for it, even. But you… from all accounts, you're on more than adequate terms with the Tenebach clan, and all of your children."
"Well… that's part of it," John said. He thought about how- and what- he should explain. "The triplets made things sowhat complicated. Especially with their elental affinities. Tirto was born with water elent, so he had little choice but to take a position in the Brandle Clan. The sa with lanthina and Darkness. It was for the benefit of both them and the clans. But after Matayal was gone… I didn't want to feel tied down to a single clan."
"So you divested yourself of your entire na, starting anew."
"It sounds a bit extre now that you ntion it. And… I never really stopped having those connections. It's a bit silly, I suppose."
"Perhaps. But I understand. I founded this sect, not because I had great ideas in mind. Not even to prevent people from making the sa mistakes I had. But instead… because I felt like I needed a structure built up around to keep stable. I understand. Though I don't quite understand the particular na you chose. Why John Miller?"
"Well, I… had my reasons."
"Is it your na from a previous life?" Musa asked. John couldn't help but react slightly. "You need not be surprised. Any figure of great influence has rumors about reincarnation. It is common enough among the upper echelons."
"And who is spreading these rumors?" John asked. He wasn't really upset. He'd known the na change might reveal so things, and he'd stopped actively hiding his status from the world at large- he just hadn't announced it either.
"They've been around for decades," Musa admitted. "I heard them even before your na was changed, though they intensified. You and your wife were star crossed lovers, destined to rule the world. And then, when she perished, it was said that the both of you were cursed to reunite for only brief monts."
"That one's a bit… flimsy, isn't it? We were married for decades." John had to admit they didn't spend as much ti together as they should have. Their responsibilities didn't allow that. "And we knew each other before that for quite so ti." Though most of that was Fortkran, so that didn't really count. Then there was the relevant detail that Matayal wasn't a Reincarnator. Or a Transmigrator.
"Yes, it was a rather inconsistent series of rumors. And most rumors aren't true. But… for you in particular, I had a feeling. Before your reaction, of course." Of course an experienced cultivator would have noticed. "You're odd, you know? That was before your na change, which is an odd na indeed. As Fortkran Tenebach, you were training in pure darkness… only to have a sudden change in trajectory. And personality. Rather than one who reincarnated from the world, you're more likely a Transmigrator, are you not?"
John shrugged. "Would it make any difference if I was?"
"It would make more sense to why soone suddenly decided to try a full cycle of elents even though common sense says it's insane. Especially since you could have only expected to reach halfway at the ti- which is not a cycle in any sense."
"All I can tell you is that it was youthful rashness. I certainly didn't know enough to properly train a cycle of elents. That I reach this place was great luck, both in the family I was born into and many elents beyond that."
"Every cultivator of great renown has such fortune," Musa said. "Even myself, to so extent. I could be dead, you know."
John nodded. This was the mont, then. "So what was the incident that caused all this for you?"
Musa sighed. "I crippled my niece. Which hurt nearly as much as I hurt her. She was so eager and vital."
"I have the feeling this was more than a simple sparring accident."
"Indeed. It was my radical training ideas. She pushed for a totem she wanted but couldn't reasonably attune to. She wasn't the only one I hard, either. A number of clan mbers ruined their bodies under my guidance. And here I am, unhard."
"Did you know that harm would co to them? Had you tried the techniques yourself?"
"I had. But circumstances were different. I was old enough to have gotten over most of my folly of youth… while sohow forgetting that others were still there. So perhaps I had simply fooled myself. I shouldn't have ever taught her that."
"... I should have died instead of Matayal," John said. "She was the one who belonged here."
Silence lingered between them. Both of them knew their words weren't true, except so far as that was what they felt. Perhaps at so point they would get back to technical details of cultivation, but before that steadying their hearts was of greater importance. And though it wasn't sothing either of them had sought out, each utterance brought them a bit closer to restoration, even if reaching the end of said road wasn't possible.
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