Chapter 15: Get ready
Moss could not retain a groan as he woke up in a blaze of pain. His memory was blurry, he did not remember where he was. As his eyes opened, he found himself to be in a relatively large room bathed in sunlight. His back rested against a wall. The place seemed to have been abandoned for a long time. There even was some grass at his feet.
In a great effort, he turned his head and saw Lauren, not far from him. The girl was in a seated position and appeared to be meditating. Her face was serene but her skin had been grazed almost everywhere. She was covered in bruises as well.
That sight helped the old commoner to remember the terrors of the night. It seemed that they had made it out alive. What had happened after they left the rampart was still confused in his head but sorting that out was not his priority. He was thirsty, hungry and beaten all over. The girl was meditating though. Now was not the time to disturb her, so he remained silent and looked the other way. A desk barred the only door of the room. They seemed to be safe.
For now, there was not much more he could do without breaking his friend's concentration so he just waited like that. After a while, the princess opened her eyes. Her face lightened when she saw him.
-'You are awake! Why did you not say so earlier? I worried for you there.'
-'I am fine. And you ?'
-'Fine as well. You are one tough grandpa.'
-'Tough but hungry. Did you have breakfast ?'
-'Yes. But I am dying of thirst.'
-'Let me try to get myself up.'
Despite all the pain, Moss could still stand on his feet. He stuffed some flowers and roots in his mouth, but thirst was his primary concern as well.
-'Is this place safe?'
-'I think so. The door downstairs is sturdy and I did not hear anything that would indicate that they have made it inside.'
-'Great. Thank you for carrying me up there.'
-'You are welcome.'
They moved the desk out of the way and carefully explored the building. There were five floors in total. With time and wear, water had found its way past the roofs so they could drink from some puddle on the ground of the last floor. There stood a vast room more ornamented than the rest. It must have been the office of this whole place's master. The terrace that connected to it offered a large view of their surroundings. Moss immediately spotted a point of interest. he pointed at it.
-'There is a kitchen garden there, or what remains of it.'
-'Great! Do you see any wolfs ?'
-'No.'
They checked the outside with every possible angle they could get before finally going out of their hideout. While remaining vigilant, they went to drink more at the pound and explored the whole place. The large building was indeed a common part. There were discarded kitchens in it, a great hall and dormitories, plus some rooms. The small annexe had been a library. Some books had been left there, which did not fail to make them curious. Lauren promised to look into them as soon as possible.
The kitchen garden turned out to contain a huge number of edible vegetables like carrots, potatoes, leeks, tomatoes and many others. They could eat like kings here.
The atrium of the large building was huge and stood relatively clear of vegetation. They could use this place to train outside without fear.
The both of them agreed to stay here for a few days. This was a perfect opportunity to hone their skills, as they both knew that they could not make it any farther at their current level. Moss was in no state to do any physical training for the day so he did a bit of maintenance on the kitchen garden while the sister trained. Of course, he was prepared to jump back inside should he spot any sign of the wolfs's coming.
In the kitchens was an overused but still functional kettle. Thanks to that they had their first true meal in three days, a vegetable soup with lentils. Lauren had picked some parchment and read its relevant parts to liven up the dinner.
These were some classical reference on medicinal and spiritual plants, physical training theory and letters that narrated some episodes of the sect.
Their sleeping quarters changed to rooms above the common parts. They even had the luxury to make room apart and to sleep on beds, after they fixed them and add some fodder as padding.
Meditating under the moonlight helped Moss to recover. He felt better with each second he spent under its shine. Sadly there had been no spiritual plant to find, but it seemed not to be a crucial matter for now. During that night he fell asleep a few hours before the sunrise.
The following days a routine established itself. This place was perfect for cultivation. The only problem was the lack of spiritual plants. There was none inside the walls and they dared not venture outside. If the wolfs ambushed them there they were almost sure to get killed.
In a few days, Moss experienced a huge progression in his understanding of the dual state moon cultivation arts. On the fourth night, he managed to artificially reflect the moonlight at his feet. The day after, he could do the same with sunlight and entertained himself by reorienting light everywhere he went.
lauren's progress was not as tangible but existed none the less. She practised with the commoner now. He just had to stand still and focus while the girl tried to establish a spiritual connection with him. After some time he started to feel something, like a brush on his mind. It was a strange experience for both of them.
A few other days passed like this and their cultivation kept advancing smoothly. As the moon was now half black, the peasant thought that he would soon have to switch to the dark state practice of his technique.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone