It had been a few days since the incident first went down. Tsukuyomi was invited to Rinze’s dimension for the start of his training. Getting invited when he wasn’t even Fabled yet? This would be a dream come true for anyone else. Unfortunately, Tsukuyomi wasn’t particularly ecstatic about it. He was wracked with nerves at his initial meeting with a Ryuo. Tsukuyomi was escorted to the highest level of the Heavenly Realm.
There, he found himself walking into an elaborate and exquisite golden hall. In this hall, seven enormous doorways were etched into the walls. There were three on each side and one at the very end of the hall. Each one of these doorways would lead to a Ryuo’s personal dimension, all collectively named the Gods’ Abode. Tsukuyomi noticed something odd about one of the doors. It was wide open, yet there was nothing but a black, empty space behind it.
So it was true. That, too, also disappeared without a trace. Tsukuyomi was guided to the first door on the right. “May the Solemn Night bless you.” The Fabled dragon that brought him here bowed slightly and left. Tsukuyomi gulped as he stared up at the door. How was he supposed to open this exactly? Should he just knock? The dragon lifted his claw to the door.
As soon as he did, his body was whisked away from the golden hall. Tsukuyomi wasn’t sure if he liked the feeling of suddenly appearing in a different place. When he blinked, he had materialized in what seemed to be a lotus garden. An array of beautiful lotus flowers floated delicately on the still waters. A pleasant scent of incense wafted past his nose. He was sitting at a stylish table underneath the shelter of a large pagoda. “You’ve arrived. Welcome to the Lotus Garden of Sagacity.” Tsukuyomi shuddered at the voice. It came from in front of him, however, it was almost like the sound was surrounding him. There was an oppressive aura in the air. So this was experiencing the divinity of a true god. He didn’t expect anything less.
“How are you?” Huh? It was a simple question. So completely ordinary that it caught Tsukuyomi off guard. “I must learn what my future student is like, don’t I?” Tsukuyomi looked across from him for the source of the silky voice. The area was misty which made her figure hazy, but those glowing yellow eyes were hard to miss. Her lush white hair wrapped gracefully around her head and went down the length of her back. She was covered in emerald green fur dappled with gold stripes and glittery patterns. The dragon wore a soft smile on her face. She sipped from a little teacup in her hands.
“Greetings, little one. My name is Rinze. What’s yours?” Tsukuyomi hesitated and swished his tail anxiously. “M-my name is Tsukuyomi, ma’am.” Rinze laughed. “Don’t be so nervous. And you shall address me as Master from now on.” Tsukuyomi nodded. The Ryuo of Wisdom studied her new student for a moment. “So? Are you going to answer my previous question?” Tsukuyomi blinked absently at her. “Uh, you mean…?”
“Yes, I would like to know your current circumstances. Please, do tell.” Tsukuyomi was perplexed. This wasn't how he thought introductions were going to play out. “I-I don’t know. I guess I’m doing.. fine?” Tsukuyomi stuttered through his words. Rinze just sighed. “Oh dear, we’re going to have to fix your usage of such vague language. Surely there is more to your story?” She gazed at the young dragon curiously. Tsukuyomi looked away. “I suppose… I miss my brother...”
“Hmm…” Rinze made an interested expression. “Can you elaborate further?” It’s not like he can refuse the request of a literal god, right? Tsukuyomi told her about their departure and their promise. He wasn’t sure how deep he had to delve into their relationship and stopped there. Rinze didn’t say anything initially. After a brief moment, she nodded in satisfaction, apparently coming to her own conclusion.
“Why don’t you have some tea?” She gestured to the teacup sitting in front of Tsukuyomi. The tea still had piping hot steam rising up from the pale yellow liquid. There was a floral and earthy aroma wafting up to Tsukuyomi’s nose. Tsukuyomi was a bit unsure, but he carefully picked up the cup and started drinking. He was surprised by how delicious it was. It tasted light and delicate with a hint of sweetness and an herbal undertone. Even though it was hot, he drank it one gulp. Rinze chuckled. “It seems you quite like my tea.” Tsukuyomi looked away a bit embarrassed.
Rinze placed down the teacup on the table and slowly rose from her sitting position. “Well, that’s enough chatter for today. I know you’re here for something else, so let’s not dawdle. Shall we get started?” She snapped her fingers and suddenly, both of them had moved to a different location. Tsukuyomi was startled and looked around. It was a little makeshift island surrounded by the garden’s shallow waters. A massive tree that towered over everything stood in the back half of the island. There was a big open space in front of the tree. This island seemed to be some sort of training ground.
Rinze approached her pupil slowly. “First of all, show me what you can do.” She stood in front of Tsukuyomi expectantly. “What? But Master- I haven’t had the chance to use my magic at all. I just recently learned my attribute and that’s it.” Rinze narrowed her eyes. “Something tells me you may have already obtained a hint. Recall it.” Tsukuyomi already wasn’t a fan of her teaching method. What does she mean? He’s had zero training at this point. Everything happened so quickly. There wasn’t a chance to… Wait. Maybe it was that? “I had… a vision. I knew everything before anyone told me.”
Rinze smiled. “Very good. Let me impart a couple words to you. Magic is rooted in the soul, but the basis of a moon dragon’s powers comes from understanding of the mind. Dreams, illusions, memories, you must learn to control all of these. Yet you cannot achieve great power without first mastering the basics. Hold out your claw for me.” Tsukuyomi did as his master instructed. “Try to imagine channeling all of the magical energy in your body into a single point. If you can’t do this much, I’m not sure you can be qualified to stay as my student.”
Okay, no pressure. Tsukuyomi closed his eyes and concentrated. He sensed a turbulent surging of power within him. Focus… He furrowed his eyebrows. Calm the waves. To a single point. And then…! A white ball of pure energy manifested in Tsukuyomi’s hand. The light flickered out as quickly as it formed, but he had done it for a second. “Impressive for a youngster. Now just do that for at least another decade or two and then we can actually get started.”
…What? Did she just say… a decade? Of just that? Tsukuyomi soon dawned on the realization of what he actually signed up for, not like there was a choice, anyways. Rinze chuckled. “Like I said, you must master the basics. It lays out the foundation for every other magic pathway.”
“Is there a quicker way? I thought you needed me to transcend as soon as possible.”
“Oh, that? The divine seat will be stable for at least a hundred years. Which is no time at all compared to the lifetime of a god. You didn’t think it was that fragile did you?” Tsukuyomi kept getting shocked from the things said to him.