Street Cultivation 3

by Sarah Lin

  As Rick stewed in his thoughts, the helicopter took them deep into Siberia.

  Chapter 25: The Burning Snow

  Their hotel appeared ordinary enough, but the rooms they were allowed to use were based on their government ranking. It struck Rick as similar to several generations past in the US, when ether tiers had been used for everything. Now they only governed a few services and applications, whereas in Siberia they ruled every interaction. Weaker people were even supposed to step aside in hallways or on the street.

  He'd barely had time to set down his things and wash his face when H barged in. Rick thought he had locked the door and frowned, but H only shook his head.

  "Local laws don't apply to us, but they do assume that masters have complete control over their trainees."

  "How comforting."

  "If you don't fail me here, I won't use it." H gestured for him to follow. "The transfer to the demon realm was arranged more quickly than I expected. Apparently you have someone requesting you on the other side. So we need to do this now."

  So that was it. Rick had hoped to have at least a day to unwind in the hotel and go through all his training exercises again, maybe even do some final research. He grabbed a can of Lisa's serum and his demonic needle, then followed H out the door. As they walked down the hallway, he decided there was no point asking questions and just drank the serum so he'd be ready for the demon realm.

  They entered a special elevator just past the normal one, requiring both of them to scan their badges before it would close the doors and activate the controls. This time, however, they headed up instead of down. Rick had always thought of the demon realm as being "down" but he supposed that wasn't actually correct.

  "There's not a lot I can say to help." As they neared the top, H glanced over at him flatly. "Don't fail."

  Though Rick wanted to snark back, he didn't have it in him. This visit to the demon realm might be more dangerous than his past two, plus more was on the line, both for the demon brothers and for himself. Even if he succeeded there, he would only be thrown against...

  No. Focus.

  By the time the elevator stopped, Rick was mostly calm. For the first time, he would be entering the demon realm fully prepared for the transition. That didn't prepare him to step out on top of the roof and see a hole tear itself out of the sky.

  Biting shards of ice hit his skin as the wind began to swirl just above the hotel roof. He distantly saw that there was a heavily reinforced fence and several other security measures that set up the portal, but it was hard to focus on them with that entrance to the demon realm yawning above him. Only after he'd stepped forward did he realized that H had stayed back cautiously.

  "Do I jump o-" Rick didn't get out the next word before he felt the portal begin to draw him upward. There was a brief moment when he could have resisted, but he instead braced himself and let the force take him. In a flash he seared through the frozen air and then plunged into something that felt even colder.

  Rick rocketed out of a pool of water into a pale sky. The air felt colder than before and at first he worried that he'd freeze solid, but then he realized that he wasn't even slightly wet. For a moment he hung in the air at the top of his arc, with a view of the desolate landscape all around him. There was nothing but black tundra and a series of pale blue ponds.

  His path down was slower, drifting more like he was used to in the demon realm. When he looked back, he saw only the faintest ripples from the pond behind him. When he gazed into the water, instead of his reflection, he saw a blurry glimpse of the hotel roof. So that was his passage back.

  It didn't look like H was there anymore. Rick knew that probably didn't mean anything, so he just turned away to get to work. Though he instinctively tried to rub his arms against his torso for warmth, it did nothing against the supernatural chill.

  He'd set up his shielding aura without thinking, but it didn't seem like a single demon was visible. Hiding? Or was this region actually abandoned? When no one arrived after several minutes, Rick bent down and leapt as high as he could.

  With the strange drifting physics of the demon realm, he sailed far higher than he could have in real life. For long moments he was suspended over the landscape, his breath momentarily gone as he realized that it was as beautiful as it was harsh. Each of the pools reflected a different scene, glimmering like possibilities from so high above. The black snow reflected the light sky in shimmering waves as he moved, and in the distance he could see trees crystalline with ice.

  Aside from the beauty, Rick saw several large fires that might have activity around them. One northwest, two to the south, and one to the east. When he returned to the ground, landing more softly than his jump would have suggested, he decided that there was nothing to do but head toward one.

  As he left the region filled with lakes, he began to see more signs of life. Several of the smallest mindless demons moved cautiously through the snow... and then he saw a larger demon chewing on a smaller one. The demons in Branton had all swarmed together, but here he realized that he was seeing predator and prey relationships.

  Something began rushing toward him and he considered just how far the "prey" category might extend.

  Even though he should have been untouchable here, Rick dodged on instinct, his hands going up by his head in a defensive position. Whatever it was, it was fast, sweeping just past him before tracing a quick arc back to him. Only when it finally reared up to its full height did he get a good look at it.

  Though humanoid, it was skeletally thin and clad only in black rags. It grinned with a mouth filled with sharp teeth and raised a clawed hand. "Hello, human."

  "I... don't suppose you're here to welcome me?" Rick kept his hands up even when the demon laughed at him.

  "You're a Showdown contestant with no demonic affiliation, are you? Well, nothing that means anything. Bold of you to come here. And a bit stupid." With no more warning than that, it lunged forward, its claw wrapping around his throat.

  To Rick's shock, it actually hurt, grasping hold of him instead of passing through. The demon must be monstrously powerful, and Rick panicked for a moment... but only a moment. He might not know the demon realm perfectly, but he knew it was a world of aura.

  Attempting to push away the arm gripping his neck didn't work, but it didn't seem like it could crush his throat. Ignoring the mild pain, Rick focused on his aura and began to intensify it. At first it seemed to have no effect, but then he felt the Dark Blood Kettle rising within him and his aura burned brighter.

  The demon winced and pulled back its hand. Rick prepared to take it down if he could, but it only chuckled.

  "Well, it was worth a try. You must have more experience here than I thought."

  "Did you just try to kill me?" Rick lowered his arms to a normal position, but he focused on his aura, ready to use it as a bludgeon if necessary. The demon only laughed again.

  "I wouldn't have been able to kill you, not here. But I could have done enough to coerce you into an agreement in my favor."

  Though still skeptical that he was being lured into letting his guard down, Rick thought the demon actually seemed sincere. "That couldn't possibly be legally valid. Even if it's legal in Siberia, it wouldn't be when I left."

  "Oh, I didn't mean a formal bond. An embedded fusion." The demon folded its arms and regarded him curiously, one claw tapping along its arm. "What are you doing here, then? Don't give me that look, I'm just curious now. Maybe I can help you out as an apology."

  "I'm here to meet a pair of foreign demons." Rick decided to say nothing else in case it was still a trick. Even if this demon couldn't hurt him, it could almost certainly kill Bftgage and Ythsil. To his surprise, the demon shook its head.

  "Business dealings aren't this way. If they're here, they're at the bonfire to the east." With that, the demon sprinted away, rags vanishing into the darkness. Rick stared after it, thinking about possible scams, but eventually decided that going east had to be at least as good as a ra
ndom direction.

  As he went, he found himself pushing off the ground as hard as he could. It was easier not to think about it, but he was getting worried for the demon brothers. Comparing their home to this part of the demon realm, it was obvious that they would be in trouble. He wanted to believe they wouldn't have asked him to send them to Siberia without knowing what they were doing, but it was easy to imagine worst case scenarios.

  The closer he came to the bonfire, the larger he realized it was. There was something like civilization around it, with several buildings and multiple demons moving without attacking one another. He thought a few of the buildings were several stories tall, but they looked like huddling shacks surrounding the enormous fire that burned without any visible fuel. Once he looked closer, he saw that the buildings were in an archaic style, all wooden shingles and gnarled beams.

  His arrival attracted a little attention, as many of the demons around the fire were strong enough to notice him. Most didn't seem interested, however, simply going about their business or training. No other humans in sight, bonded or free. When Rick finally saw a demon wearing modern combat robes, he decided to stop.

  "I was told to meet a pair of demons here?" He let his statement turn up like a question, unsure if it was rude to throw something like that at a stranger. The demon stared at him in surprise, then let out a sigh.

  "Oh, you must be the one they're waiting for. Horrible little busybodies. Please get them away from us." The demon left him quickly, but not before directing him to a building around the side of the central flame.

  As Rick floated around the side, he began to wonder if he was getting a run-around. He thought the skeletal demon from earlier had truly tried to harm him, so he was reasonably confident that he could defend himself against a direct threat. But in the demon realm, even this demon realm, that was really not his biggest fear.

  Then he saw two melted frogs and they were one of the most beautiful sights of his life.

  "Rick? Rick!" All three of Ythsil's eyes went wide and he launched himself off the top of the house where the two brothers were sitting. Though Rick raised his arms to catch him, the demon went straight through his body. Bftgage climbed down at a more steady pace, but soon enough the brothers were hopping around his legs.

  "I'm glad the two of you are alright." Rick crouched down so he wasn't towering over them, smiling more broadly than he had expected. "This place is more dangerous than I thought."

  "We had a formal merchant's pass, so we weren't in danger!" Ythsil declared. But over his head, Rick saw Bftgage vomit some nervous blue mucus.

  "This place was... more than we expected. Even the pass might not have been good enough. But they're not all as cruel as they might seem, and so we've made progress."

  "What kind of progress?" Rick asked. "I was watching my bond for you two and I noticed that it hasn't changed, but I wasn't sure what to expect."

  Ythsil tried to push Rick's legs to make him walk, which was of course ineffectual, but Rick joined the two as they half hopped, half rolled away from the bonfire. That took them further from prying ears, perhaps, though Rick wasn't eager to leave the flame. Being near it was one of the only things that reduced the freezing spirit of the place.

  "We realized that we've been going about this wrong," Bftgage explained. "We've been trying to create powerful demonic bonds for fighters, because you're a fighter, and that's what we know. But we could do better with simple economic bonds. We even have connections to resources in Branton that could make them better."

  "Right, right!" Ythsil encouragingly blew red spittle over his brother. "I didn't realize humans could have so much lucrim! Even with help we can probably only give bonds worth about 1000. But there are lots of humans who just want little bonds to buy things."

  "The really difficult part will be getting the necessary permits. We have a stronger basis now, but doing the same thing back in Branton will be hard, because the big firms control everything."

  Rick listened to the two brothers with a smile on his face, glad that they'd made progress and even more glad that he hadn't made a horrible mistake bringing them there. But as they got further and further away from the settlement, he couldn't help but wonder exactly where they were going. He wanted to ask, but the two kept talking over each other.

  "And we couldn't have done it without Kat-"

  "Ythsil, ssh! She wanted to introduce herself."

  The exchange instantly froze Rick's good mood. "Who are you talking about?"

  "A demon who helped us! And she wants to help you too!" Ythsil looked up at him with a broad grin, but Rick's skepticism immediately went into overdrive. He looked toward Bftgage, who began hopping faster as he spoke.

  "We're almost there anyway. I think this will solve your problem, Rick. You can get a... a real demonic bond, not just the best we can do."

  Ahead of them, Rick saw wasteland... and a pool of water. But unlike the others, which reflected the human realm, this one glowed a pale blue that was almost white. As they drew closer, he realized that the pool was frozen over, unlike all the others. The snow around them was black, so he wasn't sure why the ice was so pale, but it stood out in a way that made all his senses scream for caution.

  It was true that he needed a demonic bond, and he doubted that H would be satisfied with a simple bond from the brothers. Meeting someone who they trusted was, in theory, exactly what he needed. That didn't make him less nervous about meeting a demon who by implication seemed much more worldly than the two. He trusted their basic good nature, not their infallible judgment.

  The ice cracked loudly and a burst of water erupted from it, yet the liquid froze in midair, rapidly taking the form of a woman. She had white hair, unnaturally pale skin, and a predatory smile.

  "Richard Hunter. I've been looking forward to meeting with you."

  Chapter 26: Katenka

  "That's an interesting way to start a conversation." Rick didn't take a step back, but he readied his aura as he analyzed the demon woman, trying to figure out if she was a succubus, or whatever the local equivalent was. Though her face was attractive, it was a slightly unnatural beauty that left him unsettled. Her robes conformed to her body, but no more than normal. Above all, the look in her eyes was far from seductive.

  "Oh, but your friends have told me so much about you." She slid across the ice without taking a step, bending low and patting the two frogs on their heads. Ythsil happily vomited mucus onto her hand, which slid off without a trace, while Bftgage looked to Rick seriously.

  "We would have been in trouble without her, Rick. She's been so helpful in changing the type of our bonds. Right now she's looking for a strong human. Maybe the two of you can help each other?"

  "Maybe," Rick said. He hadn't intended to agree, but he didn't want to disappoint the eager looks on Bftgage and Ythsil's faces. That agreement didn't commit him to anything, so he just resolved to be completely logical when it came time to sign anything. "You have the advantage over me."

  "My name is Katenka." The demoness rose and took a grand bow. "Humans call me a rusalka."

  "I... don't know what that is."

  "You could think of it as a Slavic mermaid, though less singing songs about the surface world and more pulling men to their doom." Katenka smiled, her perfect white teeth just a little too pointed. This time it looked more playful than predatory, or at least a mischievous predation. "But given that you have more experience in the demon realm than most, I would trust you to understand that we aren't actually the same as the stories told about us."

  Rick didn't let his guard down, but had to nod at that. "Yeah, I've met a few demons named Lilith, for example."

  Katenka laughed briefly, a sound like ice shattering. "Ah yes, they would do that in the west! But I do not intend to play such games with you, Richard Hunter. I truly believe that we could help each other, if you are willing to consider the possibility."

  "I'm listening. But I've seen what demonic bonds have done to my family and frie
nds. Taking a small one from friends is one thing, but relying on them is entirely different."

  Ythsil interrupted with a gobbet of purple phlegm. "You wouldn't be like that, Rick! You know how to use a bond properly."

  Seeing their enthusiasm, Rick hesitated. Before he could figure out what to say, he caught Katenka's eyes shifting between them and he realized that her irises were luminous white. She again turned to the two frogs, smiling broadly at them.

  "Richard and I need to discuss some boring contractual details. Why don't you prepare a contract for him to sign? That is, I assume that you've told him about your plans to shift into purely economic bonds. You could do much better for him that way, even right now, but you need to set up the contract properly."

  The brothers agreed and began to focus more on each other. Once their attention turned away, Katenka reached out and hooked Rick's shirt with one finger, then suddenly they slid out into the center of the frozen pond. It wasn't violent like the skeletal demon that had attacked him, yet her ability to move him in the demon realm was even more worrying.

  Once they were alone, however, the frogs just distant specks, she went silent. Rick decided that whether or not she was on the level, he should just be direct. "I don't like demonic bonds and I've never taken a real one. You're going to have to do better than a little flirtation to convince me."

  "Believe me, I intend to." Katenka turned to him and he realized that she could do an icy gaze like none other. "Let me begin with a show of good faith: everything I did for your little friends was purely voluntary, without any strings attached. If you want to turn me down, you can leave with their contract."

  "That..." Rick looked toward where they stood on the shore. "Did I make a mistake, sending them here?"

  "They may not be the brightest demons in the realm, but don't be condescending. You didn't send them, you helped them come here. But yes, it was probably foolish on their part. Even with their pass, they could very easily have ended up dead, since they would be little missed. Their firm might have asked for compensation, but if you're wealthy enough, that is simply the fee to murder."