BOOK 8. CHAPTER 18: THE PURE HEART FLAME

Sati floated in front of a pillar with mysterious seals on it, unraveling them as she sent darts of flame at some kind of bee monster. Other warriors fought the monsters within the halls of the inner sanctum, the Celestial Nexus challenge nearing its end.

Jake realized that this was a few months after the first vision. They had risen higher still in their shuttle and had even faced the mithril dragon and arrived at the inner sanctum before their enemy, getting access to more treasure and enlightenment.

The cultivators focused on unraveling the seals around the pillars as many fought in the massive hallways, with Fhesiah leading the people. Ever since she defeated the mithril dragon, even the Thane had venerated her, seeing her as someone special to follow.

Xara, the Blizzardblade Sect Matriarch, commended Sati with a smile on her serpentine lips. “You’re doing well, Sati. I think only Senior Hart exceeds you in this task. We are honored to have you with us.”

Sati smiled at that, happy for the praise as she continued her task. She liked being useful, and battle was easy for a living flame. Most enemies could not even harm her at all when they tried, and the few that could burned easily from Fhesiah’s draconic or kitsune flames.

Nearly everyone was friendly to her, thanks to Fhesiah, and she was excited to explore and see more of the universe. She hadn’t cared to in the cave before she evolved, but now she was thrilled to meet so many people and see so many new things. The strange world of the Celestial Nexus was breathtaking, and she couldn’t wait to see more.

She turned away from her task for a moment and blasted a giant serpent who was after the people in the pillars with some flames of Yang, a large gout like the breath of a dragon. Its flesh burned away as it wailed and screamed, and Sati grimaced. The creature really suffered, and it just didn’t sit well with her.

But it was attacking them, so it felt like what she did was fair. Xu Weiyan came over. “Thanks for that, fiery one. I hadn’t seen it coming.”

Xara pouted and joined him in a hug from the side. “Please do pay more attention, my dear Yanyan. I’d hate it if you did get hurt. In fact, let’s remain a little closer from now on.”

“Yan… yan? Uhh…okay.” The man blushed as Xara chuckled sultrily and pushed her body further into his, and Sati watched their interaction with interest, even as she worked to unravel the seals. Why were the man’s cheeks becoming red, and why was Xara looking so satisfied with her eyes narrowed in happiness, like she was eating something delicious? But somehow, the interaction stirred something within her. Was it envy? She wasn’t sure.

As the seals from the pillar unraveled, they were brought inside her, and they arrived inside her spiritual temple, preparing the scaffolding for creating her core. She was a little concerned that she hadn’t truly found her path yet, but she wasn’t that worried. Her mentor, Fhesiah, would help her find it, she was sure.

It was almost the moment she had this thought that they finished unraveling the final seal. Dozens of portals opened along the walls, and suddenly, Sati was sucked toward one of them, several others drifting into different ones just before they closed. She barely caught the look of worry Fhesiah sent her from across the large chamber, but she was too far away and unable to stop it from happening.

Arriving inside, her heart trembled, filled with fear after hearing from Fhesiah the horrible things that happened to her within.

She had to make sure she didn’t get her body snatched!

However, arriving inside, a woman’s matronly voice reached her. “It has been so long; what a surprise. Greetings, inheritor. May I ask your name, little one? I am Yogini Norisa, master of the Shuddha Anāhata Agni–the pure heart flame, the unbroken inner flame of devotion.”

The cavern was dark, but Sati’s mere fiery presence lit it up. Sweeping everything with her divine sense, she did not see or feel a speaker at all.

She realized that there was a giant bronze statue sitting in a strange pose with clasped hands, a woman, and while it spoke, it did not move at all to do this, nor did she feel anything from it. There were several stone bowls in front of it and three tomes sitting on pedestals. To the side, a giant bronze-colored door.

Sati immediately identified that whatever this being was, it was powerful to be able to hide its presence. While cultivators could be malicious, there was an etiquette and rules among them, which usually kept people of higher cultivation realms from preying upon the weak.

She bowed to the statue, clasping her hands. “This one greets senior. I am called Sati.”

The woman’s voice laughed. “No need for that, little one–I am not actually present there, so you have nothing to fear from me. Sati is your name though? Interesting, I wonder who gave it to you? How fitting for an inheritor of my heart flame. I must say, you are a most unique being, Sati.” The woman almost seemed to be talking to herself, just as much as Sati.

But Sati was still alarmed about her situation. “I’m an inheritor? How do I…leave? I must get back. There is a big battle to happen soon.”

Norisa replied, “Why yes. This inheritance only draws in those with compatibility and Fate for it, and you qualified, Sati. As for leaving, you have two choices before you. You may leave and earn nothing. Or, you may stay and face what the Framework considers a Permanent Death Trial. Form your inner flame and survive the Trial, and you may have my inheritance.”

“Permanent death? That… sounds scary. How does this work… and… how long will it take? I really should be getting back; my mentor and allies might need me.”

“It’s possible that your mentor does need you. However, I do believe any mentor would lament that you gave up your fate, your destiny, for them. Time should be heavily dilated in here, to where very little time shall pass on the outside for each moment within. A year inside should only be a few days on the outside. How long it will take should be up to you, but I suspect it will take at least a year or more. Many can form an inner flame, and you being a living one, I expect that to be easy. But only a select few can form it from their heart flame, and for it to be unbroken in the face of Maya and malevolent fire.”

Sati frowned in thought–the woman was right. Fhesiah did separate the logic of a cultivator’s and others in her advice, but Sati was ultimately a cultivator in the end. And both the books and Fhesiah said the same thing–when destiny and fate call, they must answer, or they may regret it for the rest of their lives. This was a difficult decision.

Norisa continued, “As for how this will work, observe the tomes in front of my statue. You must read them and understand them in their entirety and practice the Sutras contained within. When you deem yourself ready to continue, you shall take on the Trial to ignite your inner flame and create the special fire of purity within you.”

“Create a flame? But I am already a flame. I only need to eat a flame in order to be it or make it. I don’t need to almost die to do that.”

Norisa laughed. “True, you are truly a special one. But when you create the inner flame of your spirit, it will be unique to you and only yours–not just what you ate. And before you wonder if you can actually do it, you would not be here unless the Framework believed you could. You must have a spiritual body and chakras, meridians, or something similar enough and the Origin or energy necessary to create it. It would never be wrong.”

Sati was still a little skeptical, a frown appearing on her face as she thought. “Is it really strong?”

Norisa chuckled. “Oh yes. In the face of evil, few flames can be its match, even among those considered the legendary flames–I have met many phoenixes and dragons that envied my flame.”

She added, “Do not feel anxious. I understand that your life is at great risk, and this is a difficult decision for you. I am not here to rush you or convince you to march on to your death, and as a matter of fact, I have not yet accepted you as my disciple–if you do not meet my requirements in some way, I will not allow you to continue. The desire must come from within, or you cannot be an inheritor of my flame. You are allowed to peruse the first tome without being locked in, which goes over the philosophy of yoga and most importantly, the Dharma–the cosmic order. This knowledge can be found nearly anywhere in the Multiverse, and it is not special.”

Sati tilted her head. She heard a term that had piqued her interest. “Philosophy, you say?”

“Oh, does that part interest you? I am able to do just one more thing to convince you. But take note, as an inheritor, you can only witness my flame thrice. And you’re absolutely not allowed to just eat it. Even if the Framework lets you, it would surely destroy you in nearly an instant. So, you must pay attention as much as you can. Would you like to see it now?”

Sati had already witnessed several flames that could destroy her, thanks to Fhesiah–so she didn’t doubt that it could. She nodded.

One of the bowl-like objects rose up into the air in front of Sati until it found a height and hovered in place. A tiny flame flickered to life inside–or rather, it exploded into existence.

The flame was pure white, producing a light and heat that was undeniably good. She had felt malevolence, the taint within the blood cultists and horrible entities like the metal dragon, and she knew right away: this was somehow its complete antithesis.

The heat was gentle and kind, and while similar to the loving flame of Fhesiah’s husband, it was very different. While gentle, it somehow flickered full of passion, a desire, and hunger contained within for…something. It did feel a lot like…how she felt for Jake’s void flame, but it was different still. It made her feel a little…fuzzy. And most of all, it felt like love, a different kind or…flavor.

Sati wanted it. Not just to eat it, which she definitely wanted to do too, but to make it her own. To form this inner fire.

“I want it.”

Norisa laughed. “I suppose if you could be drooling right now, you would be, wouldn’t you? So now, before I will allow you to take the Trial, I have to ask you: Who is the one you wish to devote yourself to? Your Divine, or your Lord?”

Sati frowned. She thought about it and realized that Fhesiah may not match this for her. At the very least, she knew that Fhesiah did not want that. “I don’t think I have anyone like that. Do I have to?”

“You absolutely must. One cannot form my inner flame without a target for their devotion and passion. However, you must have someone or something in mind. Perhaps, a Divine Being. You wouldn’t have been brought here if you didn’t have something to devote yourself to.”

Sati thought for a moment before she smiled. Lifting up her finger in front of her, she called out the special flame that carried a piece of Jake’s spirit: the void of family from her dantian. “This. It was from…a person important to me.”

The statue was silent for a moment. “What makes them important?”

“I…” Sati hesitated as she pondered. “I think it was the first time I felt love. I have consumed many tasty flames, and this one was the tastiest, but…it is more than that. I want more, to feel and taste his flame much more. To… I don’t know.” Sati’s cheeks burned in embarrassment, for some reason.

Norisa’s smile could be heard in her voice, “It’s a beautiful, wondrous flame. Both unique and while small, powerful. I wouldn’t call it Divine just yet, but…it has slivers of it, perhaps. Maybe some day, with your help… I see. What is he like? How did you meet?”

“I have not met him. My mentor only gave me his flame. I only have the flame and my mentor’s tales of him.”

Sati went on to tell Yogina Norisa about Jake, and he was rather flattered by all the things Fhesiah apparently told Sati. Her opinion of him was that he was a true hero and that his capability was only matched by his love. And that even at this point, she had understood how much gratitude she had for both Fhesiah and Jake. Even the defeat of that terrifying dragon was with his help in some way.

“A Champion of a Goddess of family… I see. That is a worthy target to become your Ishvara, your lord. You love his flame for how it makes you feel, a pure and unconditional love for a man’s path and how he serves for the good of all. You are pure of spirit; you may just be able to make it. Though, I wonder, your mentor is his wife? Part of my inheritance may become a challenge for you to practice later if you cannot join your Ishvara in truth. It is not required, but it may limit your potential. And this Yogini weeps for such a pure love unreturned and unfulfilled.”

Sati was confused. “Join? I don’t really get it, but my mentor says he has many more slots for waifus available to join and that he is a softy. That if a girl is interested, they just need to be strong, forward, and pretty, and eventually they’ll wear down his will with their charms and their sob story, whatever that is.”

Jake groaned internally at Fhesiah somehow managing to tease him through a memory, and Norisa laughed a little awkwardly. “My, I actually would like to meet this mentor of yours, if for nothing other than to give her a stern talking to. I’m not allowed to tell you much more about me, unfortunately, but if you pass this Trial I should become your mentor, and we can communicate in the future.”

She paused before she continued, “I suppose your love qualifies, and I accept you as my disciple if you so choose. I can allow you to take this Trial…but please read the first tome before you make your decision–you may even try some of the basic yoga poses and energy circulations to confirm it will work for you. I shall wait.”

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Sati looked over the tome, and time sped up as Jake watched. It covered basic concepts of the dharma, yoga, bhakti, and the inner flame. The terms resonated with Sati and filled a part of her that she hadn’t realized was missing. Fhesiah’s motivating her to read the many books within the crystal helped her gain a good foundation of the world, but now, she sought what many did.

Purpose.

Cultivating was simple. For her, it was just eating, and she would become stronger and stronger, a powerful flame that could destroy much. But for what? She now understood morality, and she was content to follow Fhesiah and just fight evil–it seemed like a righteous task and people commended her for doing it, but also, she didn’t think about it overmuch, just exploring and experiencing the world that was so foreign to her. She hadn’t liked harming those creatures, feeling empathy for them, since it felt like they were being forced.

The bad guys wanted to hurt her friends and her, and so she helped defend them. It was what Fhesiah, her benefactor, did, and she was content to merely copy her. She did not hate the enemies that attacked them, but Tartarus wouldn’t stop even if she didn’t want to fight.

But seeking balance and harmony and serving the cosmic order by facing evil and the illusions of the truth–Maya, she could find meaning for herself. Whether facing evil enemies or not, she could focus her devotion on her Ishvara and find enlightenment and fulfillment through service.

The tomes appeared to be impartial to some extent–there were many who, after the advent of the Framework, had decided that Maya and Mara was Tartarus and that by destroying it, it would dispel the false perception. That by facing the dungeon, it aligned with the dharma, maintaining the cosmic order.

On Earth, the Hindu and Buddhist theology and myth were deeply similar and tied together–and in the Multiverse, it was even more so. Buddhists and Hindu practitioners often fought together, their Pantheons inextricably linked even if they were different.

Others believed Tartarus and Maya or Mara different and unrelated, and others still believed the Framework was Maya instead, an illusion that got in the way of true enlightenment and ascension. These refused to join the Framework and would stand against the Alliance and often would either be convinced to join Tartarus or fight it on their own.

The tome provided details about this, allowing Sati to understand others’ choices and even how her devotion could be pointed at any divine, or someone seeking to become one. That by practicing yoga, it didn’t preclude her from any divine even if they weren’t a member of the Hindu or Buddhist Pantheon. But to grant a mortal seeking ascension, like Jake, her devotion, it required a slightly more intimate affair.

Sati made the decision for herself. Whether Tartarus was Maya or Mara not, it was evil and a disruptor of the cosmic order. To bring balance and harmony to the cosmos, it must be resisted and defeated. She believed in Fhesiah’s righteousness, not doubting it for a moment. Even if she had strange hobbies.

The fiery girl spent more than an entire day going over the contents of the tome and trying out the yoga poses. It turned out that the tapas, the inner heat of suffering, made these poses truly a challenge for her to accomplish for long periods, despite having no flesh or muscles. As she formed the poses, breathed, and circulated her fiery Qi as prescribed, the heat within her flaming body would increase.

Sati found joy in the feeling, even if it was also painful. Her fiery body did not feel many things, so the sensation felt rewarding when her heat built. It was like her suffering, her sacrifice, was fuel for her flames, the fire, the agni, of her spirit burning powerfully. It was like cultivating, but different, and did accomplish adding flames into her dantian and spiritual temple, somehow.

So even if she didn’t accept this Trial, she had gained from understanding this special concept. It was as if yoga was meant to be a part of her from the very beginning; destiny.

She was grateful for what she had learned. Truly, she felt blessed that she was drawn into this inheritance, because she found a part of her she realized was missing. Sati worried for her friends, that they could use her help in the dangerous fight to come.

However, she understood the truth. She was not yet strong; she was only unique. But if she succeeded here, she could be stronger; she could be more. Then, she could help them against more dangerous threats, serving the dharma. Fhesiah did say she wished for Sati to be known as virtuous, and most of all, she wanted to meet the expectations of her benefactor.

Speaking of benefactor, she remembered something Fhesiah had said. That these body snatchers do not do things out of goodwill in their hearts, usually, and anyone that claims to do so may be trying to ‘get one over’ on you. Whatever that meant.

Sati asked, “Why do you want an inheritor? Why…like this? Do you get anything from this?”

Norisa laughed. “Get anything? I’ll have you know that this was quite expensive to set up! When it comes to the great task of defeating Maya and Mara, I have chosen to enlighten others in addition to fighting. I wish to share my pure flame with as many as I can teach, and I have taught many disciples Bhakti Yoga and helped many more create their inner flame. However, it requires a rare set of circumstances to truly create the pure heart flame; less than one in a million disciples can accomplish this–a world might produce one in an entire lifetime. I wish to share my love, my unbroken heart flame, with as many as I can to defeat evil. And so the Framework helped me set up this inheritance to seek out these unique individuals.”

Sati frowned. That didn’t really help her. But on some level, she had felt the woman’s flame. Feeling the love in that flame, and combined with the teachings in the tomes, maybe it did fit that she was truly a ‘goody two-shoes’ as Fhesiah put it.

“Have others died trying?”

“Absolutely. Make no mistake, child. This Permanent Death Trial is dangerous. Even with the Framework finding me potential inheritors that meet my requirements, less than one in five have the willpower, the love, and the talent to stand up against Maya and Mara and ignite their unbroken flame.”

The final section of the tome talked about why the Shuddha Anāhata Agni was special and so challenging to create. It required not only purity of spirit–one without malice or hate in their heart–but also for that heart to be unbroken. It needed to face a challenge of darkness and burn away the illusions and darkness of Maya and Mara to use it as fuel to create the pure flame and merge the heart chakra flame with their soul, forming their inner flame. Establishing a strong inner self was absolutely required, and for that, one needed purpose and resolve, and most of all, love without hate.

There were also the technical requirements. Flames of heaven and earth were also necessary, those of Yin and Yang–much like Fhesiah’s. Not only that, but they must be a woman. It was rare for someone to have access to these two kinds of flame and in such purity and equal power, and there was another important factor–they couldn’t have an inner flame already. It was to be the cornerstone of their core, somehow.

Sati didn’t understand the feminine energy, Shakti, but somehow, this pure flame she would create would generate an intense amount of it. And that energy could be granted or bestowed to her Ishvara, the object of her devotion. She found herself smiling just thinking of somehow giving something back to her benefactors. As she was now, her fire could only burn, hurt, and destroy.

Sati was mostly convinced. It was very much fate that brought her here, she reasoned. A cultivator must not ignore the call of destiny.

Before she did anything else, she had one more test that Fhesiah told her to do. To make sure this was not a body snatcher. Also, Fhesiah might enjoy some extra special stuff–she always got a wide smile on her face when she got treasure–so it couldn’t hurt to ask.

A body snatcher would always appeal to a cultivator’s greed, she said, and while Norisa was nonchalant about her being accepted as an inheritor, Sati didn’t want to be tricked.

“I have one more question before I will accept. Can you hand over some treasure if I become an inheritor? Surely, an all-powerful being like yourself has lots of trinkets and can part with some for this humble disciple.”

Norisa laughed. “Hoping to sweeten the pot? Let me guess though, the treasure is not for you, is it?”

Sati’s jaw dropped in surprise. “How did–”

“I know that you are without guile and without self-interest besides maybe looking for a meal, and your words didn’t feel like they came from you. Otherwise, you may not have arrived here in my inheritance–none that wear the cloak of greed and guile can arrive here. Not only that, but your spatial device only has bits and bobbles for self-preservation and nothing showing a person who seeks material wealth–you don’t even wear clothes.” She chuckled. “Your mentor must have gotten you to ask that question in front of someone stronger? I wonder why? To answer your question, I cannot sweeten the pot–everything is aboveboard and must be done within the Framework.”

She added, “The inheritance, such as it is, is primarily my pure flame energy, a gift to help you form your perfect core from your heart flame, and then knowledge. More than a thousand sutras reside on the information crystal you will be provided should you succeed, but they are meant to aid you in cultivating your flame toward ascension, allowing you to reach all the way into the third Tier and establish your Nascent Soul. And, potentially help others to form this flame and other kinds, should you find prospective disciples.”

“I…yes. That makes me feel better. You see, my mentor…”

Jake had to chuckle as Sati did her best to talk and act out what happened to Fhesiah in the other two inheritances, which included how she gained her intelligence. She also brought up Fhesiah’s theory about why she was even able to be given such challenging inheritances in the first place.

“Ah! How unlucky your friend must be, or perhaps lucky because she was capable of triumphing? And what she said is true. Due to the nature of this Trial where you gain potential, I am unable to give you much more guidance after you accept, beyond a showing of my flame twice more and answering the questions you might have from the text. Each question after you accept consumes a finite energy; I am not allowed to instruct you limitlessly as those two did, which would be incredibly valuable and would need to be earned by an equal danger. Unfortunately, you are mostly on your own with those tomes in terms of mastering the poses, mantras, and mudras.”

“It sounds risky, but… if I am ever to be strong or serve a great purpose, I must take a chance here. Especially if… I want to ever give something back.”

“Gratitude, is it? A pure motivation. It is risky, but to cultivate is to defy the heavens. Before the Framework, many would find tragic ends, only having a rather pathetic chance of succeeding in many dangerous endeavors. This Trial will be challenging, make no mistake. But as long as you hold onto the love and devotion for your Ishvara, you shall triumph. And that should remain true now and well into the future, when facing Tartarus or Maya or in finding enlightenment, the truth.”

She paused for a moment, before she added, “You wouldn’t be here if your feelings for this flame, this man, were not enough. You may not realize or understand it, but love is a prerequisite for you being brought here as well. Perhaps, you may understand your love even more by the time you leave here.”

Sati smiled at that thought and floated in front of the second tome, and a prompt appeared.

[This is a Permanent Death Trial. Creating the Shuddha Anāhata Agni is required to succeed, and you may not leave alive unless it is formed. Upon completion, you will establish your Cultivator Core and reach the second Tier.]

[Do you wish to continue?]

“I wish to continue.”

There was a small shift, the bowls lighting up with flames and brightening the room, and a small door behind her opened. A small cot and a modest bathroom were linked inside, the girl checking them out of curiosity.

Attached by another door, a small garden was growing fruits and vegetables of various kinds, which with the amount of Qi within the chamber, was more than enough for a cultivator to survive as long as necessary. Sati had no need for food or sleep, so long as she had Qi, so this was mostly for others, she understood.

The Qi within the chamber was plenty dense, formations around her seemingly regulating the amount. She returned to the statue and the tomes, ready to dig in.

The smile could be heard in Norisa’s voice, “Good luck, child. Your time limit is five years within this chamber, but taking longer than two or three is not likely to improve your chances to succeed in the Trial. Remember, believe in love, for in the face of illusion, it is the one thing that will always burn it away and uncover the truth.”

Sati worked through the tomes with fervor. They were full of diagrams for many poses, as well as chants and mudras meant to purify her body and master the manipulation of Qi through her chakras.

While her body was flame, there were all sorts of impurities that had built up over time within her spiritual body. She took to the Bhakti Yoga, the yoke of devotion, like a fish to water. The heat of suffering, the tapas, allowed her, for the first time, to build something on her own. She did not only eat it; she built it inside her through her own efforts and nothing more.

She learned of Shakti–the feminine energy–and how she could cultivate it through her devotion to her Ishvara. The breaths and the mantras–the chants and prayers–altered the way the fire moved within her spiritual body, building flames within and empowering her chakras. It was very much a spiritual journey for her, and time was fast-forwarded for Jake showing her routine.

Day and night without stopping, she formed the poses and suffered through the heat, building up her fiery body. As she nurtured this Shakti within her, her body began to change, ever so slightly. She had already had the vague shape of a fiery woman, but her body started to take more influence of the representation of an adult human or elven woman.

Despite the pain, she often had a smile on her face as she practiced the mantras and mudras–the hand symbols. Her chakras built, especially her heart chakra, as she held onto the love and devotion she had for Jake and his flame. Somehow, that tiny flickering flame Fhesiah had given her had become just a little bit more, which only increased her fervor. It seemed the three flames on the bowls were somehow special, allowing her to feed and grow just about any kind of flame from her efforts.

It ended up taking her two full years. Day and night she suffered and built the pure Shakti within her. Eventually, she had taken to reading the rest within Fhesiah’s information crystal, even all the stories provided as she experienced the pain of the poses and mantras.

The reason it took so long was because she had to finish rebuilding her spiritual temple. As a flame elemental, her foundations were a natural representation of fire, formed through hundreds of years of absorbing that monster’s fiery core. Originally, it looked much like the lava caverns where the special core sat, where she met Fhesiah, truths of fire lining the walls.

What she found interesting was that the special scaffolding for establishing her core from the Celestial Nexus’ runes and glyphs remained and even shifted as she changed her temple. Forming her hexagonal bricks out of the fiery Qi’s that constituted her body, she created her modest temple and altar, though she kept the truths of fire from the cavern walls, the fractal patterns seared into the walls from hundreds of years of lava flows.

Her body was a temple of worship for her Ishvara, where she would devote her every breath and action.

She witnessed Norisa’s flame twice more and had used up most of her questions as well. Norisa was helpful, providing answers that made her see the truth on her own, rather than just giving her the answer.

During this time, her love not just for Jake but for everything, the universe, increased. She understood how everything was connected, and through her struggle and suffering, she understood others. Her purpose became larger and greater, wanting to end the needless suffering of those in her view.

And Baron Jake Hart was the best way to fulfill that purpose. Her Path, her dharma, was to offer herself to her Ishvara, and the hero would carry out this righteous duty, as he has always done and will always do. She would become an extension of his will, just like his wives, but different. It was in that surrendering devotion that she would be powerful. She could already feel this, that this path was right for her.

It was not that she expected him to return her love. True devotion was love and sacrifice without expectation, she had learned. She hoped, surely, but she had found her resolve. Even if he never did, she would serve until her last breath and be fulfilled, satisfied.

In all, as Jake listened to and witnessed Sati’s story and understood her a little better, he was moved. He felt how much love this woman in his arms had for him in every action for all this time, suffering in a chamber all by herself.

Every few days as she rested, she would take out Jake’s flame, just to stare at it with adoration, thinking about Jake. She even replayed moments in her mind when Fhesiah had talked about him.

She could feel the Shakti she was cultivating within her heart chakra as a result of all her efforts, and he could feel the intense desire to somehow give it to him. While the scriptures in the third tome did outline how to do it and some were sexual, Tantric, there were non-sexual means, like the one Jake was now experiencing. True Divine could just draw it in from anywhere; there was no need for anything like this.

As she told the story, floating in the lava vent, she had continued her poses in Jake’s lap. This feminine energy, the Shakti, was being sent inside of Jake. As he kept his mind clear–as clear as he could keep it while experiencing her story–that energy would roam around his body.

While it was a form of Yin energy, it was not exactly the same as the Yin Qi Fhesiah would sometimes use in their cultivation sessions. From Sati’s tomes and her thoughts, he now knew that they would eventually weave and transform this energy–but he was holding off until she instructed him, or he found the right moment.

The display of her devotion was about to get even more intense in her retelling.