I understood why Cinder's parents, the Sect member that would fix the eight trigrams formation, gifted her with that name the moment I saw her. Most Elves had hair coloring that ranged from dark browns to honey-colored yellows. She was the first Elf I had encountered that had red hair. Not the shocking red that would make her stand out, more burgundy with copper highlights. It was still striking and set off the greenish tint of her skin most effectively.

She was tall and lithe, like most Elves. But it was her hair, complemented by eyes that seemed to have flecks of emerald in them that were her best features. She was mature enough and experienced enough to know that her looks were unique and exotic and had had her Hanfu tailored to take advantage of that uniqueness.

The Hanfu had been created using material dyed charcoal gray. Dark enough to enhance the burgundy tones of her hair without being garish or cartoonish. She was wearing a few pieces of jewelry, a ring and bracelet crafted from turquoise, each piece burnished with blues and greens as well. Most Elves didn't bother with jewelry except for those pieces that were functional. Defensive artifacts or spatial devices.

It was hard to tell her age, it always was with Elves, but she seemed to have a gravitas, an aura that suggested she was at least past the mid-century mark. That she was still a core disciple instead of an Elder meant that she had not reached the century mark. A core disciple that had not advanced to Elder status by the time they reached their first century would lose that distinction.

She would always be considered a student of their master, but that personal relationship between Disciple and Master would cease to exist. It was a solution the Elves had to implement when you considered how long-lived, even the non-cultivating people of our species were.

"Cinder?" I said in greeting, making sure the young woman was who I thought she was.

"Yes," she affirmed, performing a truncated Eshaku, the bow perfectly respectable from Senior to Junior. " You are Jay?"

"I am. Elder Tum explained my needs?" I asked, making sure she had been informed of what I needed her to accomplish.

"He did," she responded excitedly, her face transforming from exotic and mysterious to joyous and open. "An eight trigrams formation that has been damaged and the power function corrupted. The Elder has instructed me to effect repairs and to be most detailed in examining and recording what was done to modify the formation.

"He hopes to understand the method that was used to convert the array that gave it the ability to use beast cores and drain Qi directly from people as a viable power source.

"It sounds like an adaption of a Rubicon technique, replacing Spirit stones with beast cores. It has been done before, so we don't expect to learn much from that adaption, but to siphon Qi directly from a person?

"That verges on forbidden arts, blood arts, and demonic rituals," she warned me.

"Before we leave, I want to make sure I have everything you might need to affect repairs. I am just starting my training with arrays, and as far as I can tell the only materials you will need are metal flux and cores?" I asked.

"Basically," she agreed. "The metal works as a conduit for Qi. The cores are crushed and added to the metal, activating an absorption ability. There are other methods. Herbs or rare metals that might temper and change how effective the metal flux used becomes. Changes that affect the engravings in rare instances, but ninety percent of array mastery is done using a standard metal flux and cores.

"Adding crushed cores is the most efficient method to sublimate the metal, to change it from an inert state into one that constantly absorbs the world's energy. Occasionally an Array Master might discover that by adding additional resources, a specific effect can be triggered.

"Baptisia Lightning Rods are often collected and cultivated; the powdered plant added to flux as it cools. The Baptisia is prized because of its affinity with lightning added to gold-infused metal flux there is an increase in conductivity. Some Array Masters have used the plant with great effect in arrays that are created to power larger towns. You will learn more about those types of rare plants once you reach journeyman level.

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"The only other thing of note you should be aware of is that metal flux comes in different varieties. I'm not sure if the servant you purchased flux from made you aware of this. She probably assumed you knew and sold you the standard metal flux that is most commonly used. Silver flux is standard, while Copper, Bronze, Platinum, and Gold can be used. There are a few alloys that might be used in rare instances.

"The engraving is the vital part of any array construction, and where an Arrayist spends most of their time and attention. The engravings give definition, they provide order and function to the array. It is the engravings that determine what the array does. How it performs, and how it is powered.

"Once I examine the eight trigrams formation, I will know if standard flux will work.

"It should. Even if the flux that was used to initially create the formation differs, I should be able to recycle what is damaged, adding it to the flux you have if needed to create an amalgam that will meet our needs.

"Worse case, you will have to return to Array Hall and buy metal flux that matches the flux used to create the formation," she pointed out.

"I think we are ready to go, then," I said, hoping I wouldn't need to make a trip back.

Cinder summoned a Pegasus to carry her at my words, satisfied that I gathered the materials I would need. She could have flown without the use of her companion. She was at the late stage of the Qi Gathering Realm, the same as Yvonne, but she didn't experience the same feelings of joy and freedom when flying that we did. She informed me she had a small fear of heights and felt safer while riding. That feeling of safety while riding was partially tied to her cultivation method.

She was a Beast Tamer and had cultivated the techniques that made it possible for her to contract multiple animals. She would always feel more in tune with her cultivation method when she was relying on one of her bonded companions. It was a function of the technique. To become a Beast Tamer, a cultivator needed to compartmentalize her inner sea. It had to be fractured and segregated. It was this segregation, the creation of multiple spaces within her inner mind, that allowed for multiple bonds.

But that fracturing of her soul came with a price. While she was never alone in her own mind, she was also never complete unless she had one of her companions active. It was this synergy of minds that allowed Beast Tamers to function. That synergy also allowed her to create multiple personas, each influenced by the active animal companion.

Her mind remained in control. Her sense of self-guiding the synergistic personas that were formed. But traits and instincts that were unique to the companion were drawn upon to create the over-arching principle for each persona.

It could be confusing dealing with a Beast Taming cultivator that had vastly different types of animal companions. They tended to have dissociative personas, identities that acted in vastly different manners. It could be both an effective method for attack and defense, but it was hard to establish real social bonds because the people you encountered expected you to act a certain way, and if another persona was active, those actions might conflict with expectations.

I would have thought her fear of heights would have demanded she remains in control, knowing you were in control, knowing that you could affect change and save yourself if something happened should have been an overriding factor. That sense of control that she could only gain by powering her flight with her own talents to help alleviate those fears. But phobias didn't follow rules and logic.

The Pegasus she was riding was a riot of color; golds and whites. What appeared to be fur was, in fact, small feathers layered in such a way as to give that false impression. The animal's wingspan had to reach twenty feet from tip to tip, and the wings were controlled by a powerful set of flight muscles, an interconnecting system of musculature across the shoulder, chest, and back that was required to control and give lift.

The animal took a running start, gaining speed before snapping his wings open and attaining lift. I was sure there was another method possible. I couldn't imagine how the Pegasus could fly if it found itself surrounded by trees in the middle of the forest if a running start was needed. I thought, instead, it just enjoyed the freedom of running. It was part horse after all.

I watched as it transitioned, at first finding purchase for hooves and feet on the ground, until finally galloping across the sky. The animal's powerful wings allowing it to find purchase in steams of air and eddies of wind. It was a magnificent animal, only eclipsed by my Storm for sheer beauty, in my opinion.

I had no idea what other companions Cinder might have bonded with, but this first animal was breathtaking. The shades of gold set off Cinder's copper-burnished locks as well as any piece of jewelry. And I hoped that she hadn't selected her companions for vanity's sake.