Azura sat around a large campfire, drooling slightly, as a large fish was being seared above it. Oil danced on the large frying pan as her mother added more spices on top of it. There were many cooks, most of them more skilled than her mother, but she always preferred her mother's cooking. It reminded her of home. Then again, she supposed home was where her family was. She looked to the left, where Gerald sat with Elise, his massive arm around her, holding her tight. Further to the left were Tabatha and Alenina, along with the rest of their family, several of whom were now liquid cultivators. On her right was Hamal and his family, most of whom had just finished their day's cultivation. Tallous sat near the fire, attempting to attune his ki to it. It was a relaxing atmosphere, the last they would have for the foreseeable future. It was time for the new liquid cultivators to complete their attunements and for the final lesson before Kinator. It was time to teach them about the Dao. This would be harder than anything they've done before. There was still much Azura didn't understand, but she could help them down the first step of their path. They would have to do the rest.

"It's time to teach you about the Dao," Azura said in her most commanding tone as she stood up.

"Oh!" Tabatha said excitedly. "You mean the Daaaoooo mother fucker?"

Azura blinked, then turned an accusing eye toward her mother, who just grinned and waved at her.

"Just call it the Dao…" Azura said, rubbing her face. Leave it to her mother to ruin any time when she was trying to be serious.

"Ahh, I liked the technical term," Tabatha pouted.

"Too bad!" Azura said. "Ahem, now if we can be serious, I want to explain a few things and make some changes. The changes will make sense shortly."

Azura stood up and looked each member of the audience in the eyes before continuing.

"I want to change the term gas cultivator to the 'Foundation' stage. Gas cultivators aren't real cultivators yet, so I think the term fits as it is the beginning of everything. If at all possible, I wouldn't have any foundation stage cultivator fight, but we don't have a choice. The next stage, the one you just reached, I'm calling the 'Fragmentation' stage. The reason is obvious, the core fragments inside you. This is what I would consider a true cultivator. This stage can be further subdivided into two additional stages that I am aware of: Attunement and Connection. Attunement is what you will all do before we leave this campsite. The area is well isolated, and you should be able to find anything you need to attune. It is crucial to attune to something that you feel a deep connection to. The better the attunement, the easier the next step."

Azura looked at Hamal, Gerald, and Tabatha before continuing. "Once you achieve the Attunement stage, you can directly control your attuned element, be it wind or shadows. The primary benefit of this is to reach beyond your sphere of influence. Hamal, will you please demonstrate?"

Hamal shrugged, then used part of his own shadow to gather the darkness around them. After a moment of concentration, a blade of shadow erupted from Hamal's shadow. It was the same size as Azura and was so black that it seemed to draw in the light.

"Thanks," Azura said, and Hamal released his ki construct, which dispersed. "The trouble with that is that it takes a lot of ki to do anything. Not only that, you consume resources that you could be using to cultivate. Hamal, can you cultivate the shadows around you?"

Hamal frowned as he closed his eyes. A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead before he opened his eyes in defeat. "I can't. All the shadows near here are… I'm not sure what to call it. Their essence is gone. I can't use them at all anymore."

"I expected as much," Azura said. "This isn't to say that using your attuned element isn't useful. It is, and it can be flexible. I just want you to be aware of the cost. This all changes with the 'Connection' stage."

Azura paused, letting the moment drag on. This was something new to all of them. "Connection is establishing a link to the Dao. I first became aware of Dao when I consumed some ki to do a powerful attack. That raw power forces a connection to the Dao, or more accurately, breaks into the realm of the Dao. Such a connection is a crude thing of violence, so it can do little more than destroy, which is quite useful. However, it takes consuming your ki to achieve such a connection, so it should be avoided. I was set back several months of cultivation by doing so. Worse still is that the connection is temporary."

Azura again paused, but not for dramatic effect. This time, she reached out to the Dao of blood, the connection a firm tether in her mind. While maintaining that connection, she spun some ki in her hand, then applied the Dao to it. Immediately, everyone jumped away, their eyes filled with panic as a surge of terror jolted through them. It was the feeling of a monster breathing on your neck as you hid, praying that somehow, someway, it would pass by. It was the feeling of looking at the maw of an apex predator as it lunged for you. The invisible ki took on a crimson hue as it spun in her hand, becoming visible to everyone. Azura maintained the effect for several seconds before dismissing it. She looked at those around her, their expressions were a mix of desire and fear as they stared at her palm.

"That is my path, my Dao. The Dao of blood." Gradually, they all returned to their seats, eagerly listening, except for her mother, who yelped and flipped the fish, not wanting it to burn. Azura let out a relieved breath. There was nothing worse than burnt fish.

"Ahem, anyway, the Dao has several advantages. It doesn't consume ki to use it. It is more of an exercise of will to use the Dao. It can be difficult to establish a connection to your Dao. You might have to consume a little ki to start getting a feeling for it. It takes a fundamental understanding to connect your core fragments to the Dao. Just knowing intellectually about it will help, but won't establish a connection. The… insight… into the Dao is something you must figure out for yourself. I can't explain it better than that. There is another important part of the Dao. It's stubborn. It only wants to act in a certain way and takes a lot of concentration to use. Trying to use it in other ways is exceptionally difficult. It lacks flexibility. You will have to work intensively with it and align it with your path. The easiest way to think of it is like a spell. Mages learn each spell individually, and they can spend years mastering difficult ones. Mages use a mental static mental image or a spell structure to construct their spells. Cultivator's use flowing will to create their effects. I'm calling these 'Formations'. Spells excel in one area, but not much else. The Dao is similar, but far more complex. Instead of spells, I'm referring to these as 'Arts'. You will need to combine your Dao with a Formation, then integrate it with your fighting style to create these Arts. Then you'll have to practice them repeatedly to master them. I'm close to finishing my first Art, and I hope to have it ready before we reach Kinator. I'll be spending all my time until then mastering it." Her mother took the fish off the fire, and Azura quickly amended her statement. "Besides eating, of course." Azure ended the lesson as she rushed to be the first in line.

***

Gerald handed Elise her plate of food as he sat beside her. It was a fine cut of beef with potatoes. Azura had taken most of the fish before anyone could object. He took the first bite as he thought about their latest lesson. The Dao… he could immediately tell that his attunement was not well-suited for fighting. His Dao of creation would not work well in these Arts, as Azura was calling them. Others could use it that way, but not him. He was a smith. It was what he liked. He could fight and would, but he would rather not if possible. Give him a forge, and he was happy. He didn't need anything else. A look at Elise amended that thought. Give him two things, and he was happy.

"I'm pregnant," Elise said quietly, and Gerald began choking on a piece of potato. He thumped his chest a few times, sending the offending tuber down his throat before he looked at her.

"W,What?"

"I'm pregnant."

Gerald just stared, utterly flabbergasted, at Elise. Then slowly he smiled as the meaning of her words finally penetrated his brain. Pregnant… that means… He was going to be a father?! Gerald stood up and swung her around as he roared in joy. Elise shrieked before she too joined in the laughter. Their jubilation did not go unnoticed by the rest of the kin, who gave them strange looks.

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"Is my cooking that good? Glad to see SOMEONE appreciates it," Coralline said in a carrying voice as she walked over with bowls of soup in hand.

"Elise is pregnant!" Gerald shouted in excitement. He then blushed and turned toward her, unsure if he should have said anything. Elise's happy expression told him all was well. He returned his gaze to Coralline, who seemed stunned for a second, then she smiled.

"Congratulations, it can be hard to conceive a half-kin. Here you'll need extra nourishment. You won't believe how much I had to eat when I was pregnant with Azura."

Azura was suddenly there, her expression surprised, then swept both him and Elise into a hug, which Coralline quickly joined.

"That's amazing!" Azura said. "Is it a girl? A boy? Twins!?"

Elise laughed. "We can't tell yet. It's too soon. I would normally have a medical mage check on my condition, but…"

"We can get one," Coralline said. "After we retake Kinator we can get a specialist. Once I get my healing attunement, I will want to learn from them anyway. While healing spells might not directly apply, it should give me some ideas. I wish there were an ancient scroll left by some expert that could just teach me everything instead of figuring it out on my own."

"You'll do fine," Azura said.

Hamal, Tabatha, and their families all came over to congratulate them. Gerald couldn't stop smiling as he shook hands and accepted hugs. This, this was something to fight for. He felt the fragment of his core in his warhammer resonate in agreement.

***

They stayed at the campsite for nearly four days as each of the new cultivators achieved their attunement. The rest was a welcome change of pace. Inside the Crystal Glade, everyone had been anxious. Either they were gathering supplies or cultivating as much as possible. Out here in the thinner mana, there was little point. There was simply too many fragmentation cultivators sucking up the mana. It was a welcome period of rest that was further improved by the excellent food. Now it was time for the last part of their journey. They would either take Kinator or die trying. Azura looked at Elise walking beside Gerald. Azura would make sure it was the dragons who perished, besides… they were delicious after all.

***

Three weeks had passed since they left their safe camp, and their destination was in sight. Azura could see a lone mountain that gradually grew taller each day as they neared. The land around them was a scorched ruin that smelled of ash and fire. Even more telling was the increase in mana density. How much mana was the mountain producing?! If she could already feel it from here, the effect on the mountain itself must be intense. Once they took it, they could support hundreds, if not thousands, of cultivators. It will truly become the heart of the new world. That is… once the pests were driven off. Even from this distance, she could see several flighted forms circling above the mountain. She was hoping to approach the mountain under cover, but the dragons had burned everything for days. They had to know they were coming. Why hadn't they stopped them yet? Azura scowled at the winged forms. She just wished they would attack already and get it over with.

"We'll reach it tomorrow," Hamal said, joining her. Azura nodded in agreement.

"Why haven't they attacked yet?" Azura asked.

"Who knows," Hamal said. "But if I had to guess, they didn't want to scare us off. It's not often that food delivers itself to their door. You usually have to pay for that service."

"I think they will find us unpalatable," Azura said.

"Come on, the rest are waiting for us," Hamal said. "It's time to discuss the plan."

Hamal led Azura back to a large gathering. There, Gerald and Tabatha were waiting along with their dozen new liquid cultivators. Azura looked at them all, the results of the path she started down. They were the beginning of a new stage for not only themselves but the world. After tomorrow, a great shift would occur; she could feel it. There would be those who would try to stop it, but it was as inevitable as the rising sun.

"It's time to go over the final details," Fatania said. "All the new cultivators have their attunements, and we are ready as we can be. The vanguard will include all the fragmentation cultivators, except for Coralline, who will serve as a healer. Her attunement and skills will be invaluable." Fatania gestured toward Tallous, whose restored eye gleamed with excitement. "We will have the foundation cultivators help out with weaker or younger dragons. Coralline will have around one fifty non-combatants help out with the wounded. All told, we will have over a thousand cultivators join the battle. The rest will stay here and protect our supplies. If we lose them, things will get difficult. The fragmentation cultivators will do their best to ground as many dragons as possible, and the foundation stage cultivators will finish them off. I wish I could develop a more effective strategy, but no battle like this has ever happened before. I have no idea what to expect. Azura, do you have anything to add?"

Azura paused as she regarded those around her. They looked at her with such hope and respect that it weighed heavily on her, despite her impressive power. Yet, it was a burden she would carry. She had too.

"Yeah, I got a few words," Azura said, her normal playful tone absent. "Dragons are nothing more than mages with a massive mana pool, judging from the one I killed at Deepmere. The bigger they are, the more mana they have, the more powerful they will be. They will underestimate us at first. We will have to make that count. All fragmentation cultivators should target the largest dragons you can find. We need to keep them occupied. Let the others handle the smaller ones. Don't be afraid to consume some of your ki if you have to. Be careful and protect each other. We are the future of our race. Don't let it end here."

The gathered kin started a slow clap, which gradually rose in tempo. Azura pumped her fist into the air, which caused a crescendo in the applause. She stayed like that for a full minute before lowering her hand to join her close friends.

Elise and Gerald were having a hushed conversation when Azura joined them. They abruptly stopped when she joined them. Azura wondered what that was about when Elise pulled her into a hug. They embraced for a long moment before separating.

"We were discussing where Elise would be during the battle since she's pregnant," Gerald said after giving Azura a quick embrace as well.

"I'm not that pregnant yet. I have more condensed mana than anyone besides Trenton. I'll be needed."

"You have to stay safe," Gerald whined.

Azura knew that Gerald was trying to keep her sister with the non-combatants. He should also know that such an attempt was useless. Elise was far too stubborn, unlike Azura, who was a living embodiment of rational and reasonable decisions.

"How about you help my Mom? That's an important role," Azura suggested. Elise seemed to consider her point.

"I'd rather she be back with the others," Gerald said.

Azura just shrugged. It was only a suggestion.

"I'll do it," Elise said. Gerald grumbled.

"I'll leave it to you to figure out," Azura said. "Be careful out there. I don't want to lose anyone."

"You too," they said together and began discussing the plan in earnest. Azura did not doubt that Elise would get her way.

Azura visited Tabatha and her family next. They were seated around a campfire, a somber expression on most of their faces. Azura plopped down next to Tabatha and Alenina.

"Good speech, master," Tabatha said.

"How long are you going to keep calling me that?"

"Until I don't find it amusing anymore."

"So, a while then."

"Yup."

"Things will be dangerous tomorrow," Alenina interrupted. "Make sure you take care of yourself. Without you, our entire race will be in trouble."

"I'll be careful," Azura replied. "I was just wondering if you want most of your children back with the noncombatants."

"No," Alenina said. "I asked them that already, and they want to fight. I don't have the heart to tell them no." She sighed before continuing, her rabbit ears drooping. "I just wish none of this was necessary. But that choice was taken from us when the mages enslaved my family and killed my son. I'll never let them have control over my family again."

Azura couldn't find a response to that, so she simply nodded at them and clapped Tabatha on the shoulder before leaving. Their family had already paid so much, but it was like Alenina had said. They could either submit or fight to ensure that no one would control them again. For Azura and the rest of them, there wasn't a choice at all.

The rat-kin knew this instinctively. They had been resisting the mages and pretty much anyone who tried to suppress them long before Azura was even born. She didn't need to comfort them or reassure them. She just wanted to let them know she would stand beside them always. Azura joined the rat-kin, all of whom were sharpening their knives or preparing other equipment. Hamal was handing out strange metals spheres to various members of his family.

"What are those?" Azura asked, sitting down beside him.

"Remember the itching powder I use on you?"

Azura's face soured. "Distinctly…"

"Ahem. Well, yeah, so this is version two of that. I figured if we could get it in some dragon's eyes or other soft areas, it would provide a distraction.

Azura's hand began to drift south to scratch as she recalled the intense itching sensation. "I bet it will."

"Be careful with that!" Fatania barked. "Last time you accidentally spilled some on my bedroll."

"Oh. Yeah. Sure, I'll do that…"

…

"That was an accident, right?"

…

"Yeah, it was, of course," Hamal said, sweating profusely.

The death glare was nearly a cultivator art with the sheer power it radiated.

"Don't hurt him too badly," Azura said, leaving Hamal to his well-deserved fate. "We need him tomorrow." Azura left Fatania to deliver justice upon her wayward child as she joined her mother. She was busy looking over their medical supplies as Azura joined her, wrapping her up in a big hug.

"Be careful tomorrow," Azura said.

"You too," her mother said.

There wasn't anything else to say. So instead, the pair sat by the fire together as the last of the daylight sank below the horizon.

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