Snow had begun falling in the night and continued to so, smatterings of light flakes drifted down towards the ground. Though the fall had not been substantial, it had been persistent enough to create a fresh coat of white here and there where the evergreen trees and bare branches of other tall species could not block them from reaching the mountain's surfaces. It would have created a silent beauty in the eyes of one small alchemist had it not been for the bitter wind that pierced through the shelter of the trees to sweep the otherwise gentle snowflakes into a frenzy, blinding the youth momentarily with its vision of winter.
Fortunately, for the small alchemist, he was snug within a thick, white coat made of foxbear pelt and fur and protected within a taller man's shadow from the worst of it. If it were not for the stripes of black within his hair, he would likely vanish into the scenery and only the martial artist beside him would be noticeable upon this path.
Leon's steps teetered slightly, his aching hips causing a disparity in his walk and two arms reached around him, one supporting his waist while the other reaching to hold his outstretched hands. Seemingly ungrateful, he glared at the attentive man, after all, what he was suffering could at least in part be blamed upon this person. Jin Li simply raised an eyebrow in response, his eyes languid and brimming with satisfaction suggesting the small alchemist's provocation was too weak to cause a reaction... a negative one anyway. That other type of reaction, well it couldn't be helped.
"Leon!"
The voice was charming and pleasing to hear so wasn't one that could be labelled as discordant, interrupting the ambiguous aura lazily circling the two men. Leon's lips curved upward in a warm smile, while Jin Li admitted to himself that the person calling his small lover was not completely unwelcome. He was a bit unhappy that his lover stepped out of his arms though. But overall, it could be said that Maimai's timing was not bad.
The girl stepped out of the shelter of her domicile within the outer school grounds, wrapped up in a hooded fur coat, hands tucked into a matching muff. It could be seen that she had been prepared to meet with them as they passed. Another girl followed in her wake; her sister, who had made excuses to stay with her the night before. Merylin glanced up through her long, dark lashes at the man she had heard would likely be found in the outer alchemist school yesterday. Her heart quickened and there was a note of hidden satisfaction within its beats as she also recalled how unhappy that girl looked to hear that she'd be unable to follow and win a similar opportunity to cross paths with him.
Maimai was not unaware of her elder sister's intentions, just chose to ignore them. Jin Li could sort out the mess of bees and butterflies himself, she just planned to interact with his lover, her best friend.
"Leon! Congratulations!" She told him, gleefully. "You were amazing!"
Leon felt a little heat in his cheeks, despite the cold winter air. "N-no, no," he denied, bashfully. "I d-didn't do m-much."
"Of course you did!" Maimai chided him for his humbleness. "We don't get to see everything that happened, but I did see that you discovered some uncommon herbs and didn't you help find some treasures in that first cave? Did you find a lot? Were there anything different from the initial samples? The mirrors focus on the team leaders the most, so as spectators, we couldn't follow you and that boy, Troy, plus they change perspective to other teams. Much was missed!"
Before Leon could say anything, a rush of cold air brushed passed them, causing them to all shiver with the exception of Jin Li. His step into the realm of Body Tempering had already improved his ability to resist little things such as low temperatures a bit. Sure, he would still feel it if he were not wearing a coat, but this little 'breeze' at this moment was not effective at all.
"Are you returning to the Martial Arts school, senior?" Merylin asked, softly. Her presence had surprised Leon a little bit, but she was Maimai's sister. It wasn't out of place for them to be together, despite studying in slightly different areas of the Institute.
"En," Leon responded, lightly. "The j-judges will g-g-give their scores soon."
"May we accompany you then, senior?" Merylin asked, causing Leon to hesitate. The small alchemist really wanted to sigh, inwardly, then glare at Jin Li behind him. She may have addressed the question to himself, but he was not naive enough to believe that it was he she wan't to accompany. Maimai had reassured him that her sister had given up chasing his man, but it seemed that wasn't so. Before he could deny her sulkily, the girl added; "I also wished to congratulate senior. Also to learn about seniors experiences. My Teachers hinted to my fellow students and I that we may well be chosen to enter the Isles during the Interschool Exchange next year, so we were instructed to learn well."
Leon had to hesitate, then agree to her wishes, less he seem petty. He did notice Maimai roll her eyes heavenward, though.
They headed towards the Griffin's nests as a group. Leon's body still refused to cooperate fully with himself, thanks to the exertion of overexercise the previous evening. Apparently, reunification during bodily cleansing was insufficient, they also need to join to stave off colds while the main room was being reheated via the stove and also to reduce excess energy after their nap and evening meal. Leon had fallen unconscious and didn't even dream before being woken by kisses, a glass of water and a soft ice pill (which reduces fevers). As his body was this worn, he easily slipped on icy ground, tumbling into the small layer of snow, causing Jin Li to sneer.
"So clumsy," he drawled and picked his small alchemist off of the ground, before carrying him a ways. "Since you can't walk sensibly, this Lord will lower himself this one time."
Maimai covered her mouth, swallowing her gleeful giggles, but Merylin felt slightly alarmed, but uncertain of the reason. "Did you hurt your ankle, senior?" She asked, worriedly.
Embarrassed, Leon could only respond; "Something l-like that."
Merylin began to rummage in the beautifully embroidered purse upon her hip. "Please, senior should take this Blood Pill..."
"No need," Jin Li waved off her offer, not willing to relinquish the youth in his arms as he strode onward.
Merylin looked at her sister, feeling unsettled in her heart, but Maimai just shrugged. In the end, she could only join her sister to hurry forward and catch up to the young men in front.
The scenery offered aboard the griffin while it was in flight, was marred by specks of white descending both unhurriedly and hurriedly to the ground as the wind dictated. But it was nothing that Leon and the others had not seen before and the small alchemist couldn't help but yawn before dozing against the warm pillar of Jin Li. However the flight was not long, Jin Li woke him the moment he reached to carry him off the beast after landing.
"P-put m-m-me down!" Leon pleaded, the tinge of red upon his face not just due to the cold. "It's em-embarrassing."
Jin Li raised a brow, appearing a little unwilling. He couldn't use the excuse of slipping upon ice again, though, as the nests here were on top of the tall towers that made up part of the martial arts outer school structure. So he could only put him down. He did not release his hold upon Leon's arm, this was his final compromise.
They moved beneath the shelter of the roof top a few moments later, two young men and two young women following in the former's wake. To enter the inner school, they needed to pass through portals that would transport them directly. They proceeded unheeded.
The twenty teams lead by students of the school were gathering in wait in the lower stands of the arena, while observers had to take higher positions, guests gathered in an allocated space in the north of the arena and students had to squeeze in the other three quadrants. Students from Merylin's school and the inner scholars schools would mostly witness this from the spelled mirrors set up for them. Students from outer schools would have to accept the same arrangement if they wished to observe. There were also spelled mirrors here, two in fact, one which would reveal the proceedings in the inner Beast Taming school and the other doing the same for the inner Mage school. It could be said that the Teachers took this competition quite seriously considering the arrangements from beginning to end.
As Leon and Jin Li, with Maimai and Merylin, had arrived quite early, there were only a few teams beginning to form in the arena. Pike and Bowyer were there, bickering over nothing for the sake of amusing themselves. Troy stood with Pike, but Bowyer was currently alone. Troy noticed Leon and the others first and waved him over.
Feeling he should not keep them waiting, Leon attempted to hurry, but his condition held him back and it was obvious upon his face. Pike gave Jin Li a knowing leer and patted the other heavily on the back when they reached him.
"Really, you ought to hold back some, Jin Li," Pike advised him, cheerfully. "You'll break him if you continue having him 'serve' you like that!"
His words were ambiguous to the ears of those who did not know of the relationship between the two men, let alone Leon who's colour bloomed red and Maimai who began to giggle and reach for her handkerchief. Merylin felt as if understanding was within reach but just eluded her grasp, but an uncomfortable feeling was settling into her stomach and she became unhappy. She couldn't help but chide Pike for his words; "Senior, suggesting Jin Li and senior Leon have matters of status, wouldn't that damage their reputations should rumours based on these words spread?" After all, the Institute did not allow young Masters to bully and use servants within its boundaries. Such could lead to suspension or expulsion.
Bowyer exchanges glances with Pike, before turning on his heel sharply, his shoulders shaking with mirth. Pike swallowed his own laughter, his eyes tearing up with the pained effort. He cleared his throat before responding; "Miss misunderstood. My words were only in jest."
"It is not to me Senior should direct those words," Merylin continued, satisfied that she had made her point. She glanced through shuttered lashes at Jin Li, hoping he would notice her successful attempt to retain his honour, but was dismayed that he was not paying attention to her. He was currently allowing the alchemist to lean on him after they had removed their thick coats, she couldn't help but frown.
Bowyer managed to regain control of himself and sidled over to where Maimai was dabbing her nose. "Your sister... she still doesn't know?" He murmured beneath his breath, close to her ear.
"My sister chooses to remain blissfully innocent of such things," Maimai shook her head, her wayward curls spilling about her shoulders as she did so. "I've attempted to enlighten her a few times, however one does not see what one does not wish to see, one does not hear what one doesn't wish to hear."
Bowyer nodded, sagely, but at the same time he wanted to shake his head and turn to Jin Li to question him. Just how are you going to handle this? But Jin Li, whose arm had slyly reached around Leon's back rub soothingly the shallow of it, was oblivious to the fact that he need deal with anything at this point.
"What is everyone talking about?"
Heads turned as a pretty brunette came rushing forward, followed by other familiar faces; Sun and the General. Bowyer, Pike and Troy had yet to be introduced, however. Sun hastily made them. "Grandfather, Carmen, these are my seniors, Bowyer, Pike and Troy. Seniors, this is my Grandfather, General Ramas and my eleventh sister, Carmen."
"It's an honour, sir General," the three young men cupped their hands and bowed in formal greeting. Compared to certain outstanding persons within the cultivation world, General Ramas' fame was quite modest, but in the mortal world, he really wasn't unknown. They were quite surprised that their cute, bubbly junior was his grandson, Sun never once flaunted this fact. His appearance in their eyes elevated a level.
"My fortunes are nothing in particular," the General waved away their compliment, lightly, though he was quite pleased inside. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you boys outshine me in the future."
"We wouldn't dare!"
The General chortled and his eyes scanned over them all, finally settling on Leon, who couldn't hide the escaping yawn nor his flush complexion. "Are you unwell, young Leon?" He asked him, concern in his black eyes. "Even if you have the blessings of youth, you shouldn't do things to excess."
Leon gave the General an apologetic smile, "I'm q-quite well, sir, thank you f-for your c-concern."
"If you are sure..."
"Grandfather, didn't he just say so?" Carmen said, testily. The idea that a servant would become her adopted brother never sat well with her, thus her Grandfather's concern for him was irritating. She didn't understand it. She felt her grandfather had been strange ever since he'd broken through to quaternary stage and formed his core. It should be mentioned that Carmen's dislike for cultivation, coupled with her poor potential for it, had caused her learning of Cultivation matters to stutter to a halt, therefore her knowledge of that world was shallow. This was her own fault, for the General had made sure all his sons and grandchildren had access to the knowledge for he knew the importance of it, not only for themselves but for future generations. Carmen just lacked interest; she couldn't step into that world, why should she bother to learn about it.
She never once saw this as an issue, even when she found her heart beat for a man of that world. She was stubborn enough and imaginative enough to believe that his 'love' for her would have him step off of the path of Cultivation and enter her mortal world, then they would marry, have children and grow old together. This ignorance was her greatest failing.
Sun sneered at his cousin, embarrassed by her behaviour, so turned to ignore it and tease Leon instead. "Did Jin Li pester you all night long?" Sun's words were actually pure and innocent, not ambiguous like they sounded. He was thinking over the numerous complaints Jin Li had had over the past tenday or so; the tea was too weak, too bitter, the food unseasoned, cold, unpalatable. The baths were too noisy, the Food Hall too crowded... the list went on.
"Sun gongzi, your words could easily be ill construed," Merylin reprimanded him, somewhat less gently than she had previously with Pike. He was related to that girl after all! "Think of Jin Li... and senior's reputations!"
Bowyer and Pike's faces once more became strained, mirth heavy in their eyes. Troy wanted to know what was going on, Bowyer enlightened him in whispers as Sun's expression became puzzled. "What did I say?" He scratched his head, confused.
Merylin blinked, not expecting Sun's question nor the clear eyes that proved he wasn't wronging her. She glanced to Maimai seeking assistance, but Maimai chose to ignore her this time. She could only steel herself and explain; "If such words were heard by others, would they not make wrongful conclusions about the relationship between Jin Li and senior Leon?"
"Wrongful conclusions?"
Carmen's eyes sparkled with wit and she offered a taunt that would later come back to bite her solidly; "Perhaps sister Merylin is concerned others would think Jin Li took his servant as tong fang!"
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