No longer under the radar
Thirty meters of blackened land stood out like an ugly blemish in the back mountains of the western hills. The circular patch of land was charred, lifeless, and riddled with cracks, a stark contrast to the lush jungle-like greenery surrounding it.
Two weeks had passed and not a single blade of grass had grown back, all the other plant-life around flourished and bloomed in the spring sunshine. The blackened bald spot was an eyesore, serving as a vivid reminder of Hartley's encounter, and as evidence of the young woman's strength and infiltration skill.
No one outside of Hartley's inner circle knew exactly how this phenomenon had happened, Hartley kept it that way, hinting that he had an accident in his training.
...
"Who could she be? Do you have any idea?" Hartley asked with creased lines forming across his forehead.
"Sadly no." Answered Kang as he exhaled.
"One thing's sure though, someone will come knocking at your door on her account."
Kim Suzo chimed in, his face betraying the seriousness of the situation. "I'll ask around the alliance for information, maybe we'll get lucky."
The room went silent for a while.
Kang spoke again after giving the matter some thought.
"There are powerful reclusive families that live in secret all over the continent, I don't know enough to even make a guess whether they could nurture such a young and powerful female saint."
Three people sat scattered in Kang's office that overlooked his pristinely manicured estate.
Kang was sat beside his trophy case, slowly carving away bits from a block of wood. Closely inspecting it after every cut, the residual sawdust collecting at his feet.
Kim Suzo lounged in a cushioned chair not far from Hartley. The comical old man surprisingly serious.
Hartley had come in hopes of finding a clue about the young woman, but also to ask a favour from Kang.
***
The spring weather across the capital was consistently sunny, every new day was greeted with torrential golden rays of warmth.
Hartley decided it was now time for a trip back to the barren lands.
It was time to strengthen his core members. Even if they couldn't be as strong as him in the short term, they couldn't be weak either, that was not an option now.
His mission this time was to ascertain if it was possible to strike a deal with the beast-men. Maybe with some luck he could convince them to provide safe passage for his people to visit the pocket dimension. It was optimistic to say the least, but it was still worth a shot.
But first he had to go see Patriarch Zhang of the House of Smiths.
...
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The guard dressed in red coarsely enquired, his right hand gripping the handle of the sword sheathed at his side.
This was the House of Smiths, located in the central plains of the capital, the afternoon sun sat high at Hartley's back, pushing his shadow forward toward the gruff guard. He was stationed outside the ten meter high metal gate, with a half a dozen peers staring on.
"I'm here to see Patriarch Zhang." Hartley answered.
The man with his straw coloured beard touching his chest, glared at Hartley with a scowl, how could someone without a carriage or military escorts waltz up to the gate and request a meeting with a saint. This young man was clearly deranged.
"You've made a trip for nothing, I'm afraid, He's in closed door practice and won't be seeing anyone."
Came a stern reply.
"Tell him it's the saint from the western hills, he'll know me I'm sure, we've met once before."
The guard squinted in silence, looked him up and down.
Bursting into a fit of laughter, it was confirmed without a doubt that this young man was mad.
"I suggest you leave right now, you might not be able to in a few more seconds." The guard spoke, his hand slowly pulling his sword from its sheath, exposing a few inches of the glinting shiny blade.
Hartley spared no more pleasantries for the guards, ignoring their useless bravado, he moved pass them like a ghost, instantly smashing a hole through the massive metallic gate with nothing but a fist.
An almighty bang rang out, echoing across the House of Smiths.
Vibrations rumbled through the ground, the six guards outside the gate fell flat on their faces, screaming for back up in panic.
Hartley entered through the ragged hole, parts of the metal sheet coiled like paper, Hartley strolled in like the pointman of a swat team breaching a criminal stronghold.
The partly destroyed gate was crumpled on its sturdy hinges, leaning off kilter so anyone outside could see inside.
Pandemonium broke lose within the grounds of the House of Smiths. Screaming, shouting and running were the most prevalent reaction to the invasion.
Lines of Cavalry, organized at short notice, charged at the intruder with spears outstretched.
To everyone's dismay, the horses and riders floated up helplessly as they neared the target, flying up ten meters as if they were feathers caught in an updraft, their forward momentum taking them away like an attempt to orbit the planet in zero gravity.
Several xiantian experts rushed out from the huddled buildings, making a beeline for the intruder, as they got within ten meters they fell to their knees involuntarily, coughing up blood and struggling to move, like tonnes of bricks had suddenly fallen from the sky onto their heads, pinning them down like chains and shackles.
Hartley was happy to practice his gravity manipulation while getting the attention of the patriarch.
There was another boom that rented the air, a feeble looking old man was suddenly standing in mid air, peering at the young man dressed in black.
Patriarch Zhang trembled with terror, managing to disguise it quickly.
Bead after bead of sweat marched down his face, launching from his chin and landing on the ground like paratroopers.
Hartley looked up and smiled, "Just the man I wanted to see, your guards don't believe that we are acquainted."
The old man was a great actor, under the watchful eyes of his followers, he smiled and floated down to meet Hartley like old friends reunited.
Hartley's purpose in coming here wasn't to bully the weaklings, but to cooperate.
The house of Smith's were the finest builders and blacksmiths in the capital.
Hartley had an ample supply of white iron, the patriarch could help in crafting quality spirit weapons for his subordinates.
...
A beautiful satin-white carriage glistened under the morning sunshine, its spotless roof glinting with flares of sunlight.
It was swiftly being pulled over the cobblestones by four wild-beasts, each covered entirely in fluffy white fur, their cantering hoofs clopping against the road in perfect timing.
People stopped and clamoured to get a glimpse of the carriage, hoping to see the occupants before it disappeared from view, the excited and over zealous crowd created a minor traffic-blocking commotion.
All looking on in envy, it was a mode of travel most of them could only dream of, the prestigious vehicle was the epitome of wealth, luxury and power.
It was the Rolls Royce of its time.
After another hour of travel the vehicle rolled to a rest.
Standing out like a diamond among scattered coal, parked outside the docks of the Cassia province.
Merchants, workers, and soldiers swivelled their heads in unison, those securing the perimeter of the busy port headed towards the new arrivals.
Most Workers went busily up and down the docks.
Two cargo ships were moored on the pier, sails down, their naked masts propelling striped shadows across the boardwalk.
Dock workers and ship hands combined their efforts to load the vessel, always under the supervision of the steely eyed merchants.
A young handsome noble emerged from the beautifully crafted white vehicle, the door embossed with a hammer and a sword crossing each other to form an X.
He was escorted by a grizzly older man dressed in black.
Because of the luxurious carriage, built by the House of Smiths, the young unknown noble was afforded every courtesy by the guards converging to his position.
A carriage like this might be carrying someone related to the saint of the House of Smiths, it was imperative to avoid offending such a person.
The leader bowed politely and introduced himself, the raven haired young man dressed in black didn't even acknowledge his presence. Leaving the grizzly man to carry out the pleasantries.
With that out the way, the grizzly older man asked for the commander of the dock by name.
Everyone was extremely courteous, sending a messenger to inform the commander of the strangers arrival, leading the way for the prestigious guests to wait in a seated area.
The visitors were eventually led to a dingy little office at the east side of the port.
"Sir, an esteemed visitor has come to see you. They say they are from...."
As the assistant reported to the commander, The commander slouched back in his hard wooden chair, he sighed with boredom, thinking it was probably another noble come to inspect the security measures recently implemented on the docks.
No doubt about to talk him to death, with useless prattling and posturing about nothing relatable.
The door was rudely pushed, squeaking open just as his assistant was about to mention the rest of the details given by the esteemed guests.
When the door swung inward, the visitors became visible, bathed in the sunlight from the narrow hallway, the two familiar people stood shoulder to shoulder in the frame of the opening, their silhouettes outlined in sunshine.
Commander Genk jumped to his feet, scattering a few pieces of parchment, almost clumsily bundling over his old antique-like wooden desk, surprising his assistant who reflexively scrambled out of the way.
Hartley couldn't help smiling at the child-like antics of Commander Genk, his face shining with happiness.
...
In the cramped confines of the grey office, Hartley sat beside Qin Li, the Commander sat with his back to the wall, facing the pair on the opposite side, his hair wildly matted to his head in its usual dishevelled fashion.
The hulking mass of a man, garbed in a black military robe, looked like an adult sitting on a miniature chair meant for toddlers.
"What have you been up to lately commander?" Hartley started with some small talk, soon the pair's conversation turned to the reason the commander has been stationed here, stranded away from the capital for weeks.
It seems the commander had fallen out of favour with the young prince, proverbially put out to pasture.
After capturing the port and repelling the eldest prince's repeated attempts at recapturing the port for himself.
The commander and some of his best men had been stationed at the docks to bolster it's defences.
Even when the conflict had calmed and lines had been clearly drawn, the commander still hadn't been recalled to the capital, it was looking like the commander was surplus to requirements, now seen as a full time guard for the port.
"I've Been using my ass to shine this wooden chair to be honest, hoping for another attack to break this mundane duty."
The commander spoke mockingly.
Hartley knew he was a soldier through and through. A man married to his craft, sitting day after day in this dingy office must have been like torture for him.
Focus and measured, Hartley spoke with a serious face as if making a divine proclamation.
"It's time, no longer will we be moving under the radar in the capital. Are you ready to join me?"
....
A beautiful white carriage rolled towards the capital on its return trip. Still captivating crowds of admirers as it rolled by.
It was a journey that would take a couple days at this leisurely pace. It didn't matter, there was no rush.
Commander Genk and his long time lieutenant Anguo Chen were new additions inside the cabin with Hartley and Qin Li.
The ride had been smooth and trouble free until they came upon a roadblock, it was about the midway mark to the Papine province. It was a secluded piece of rural road lined with bushes and tall trees.
A light drizzle filled the skies while the wind blew the trees, subtly waving across the newly bloomed spring leaves.
The white carriage came to a gradual halt.
A black carriage was parked across the length of the double lane road.
A voice was projected into the white carriage, "Commander, abandoning your post is a serious offence punishable by death. Come out, return to the young prince and ask for mercy."
Commander Genk poked his head through the window and barked at the black carriage in belligerent fashion.
"Move out the way if you value your life!"
Hartley could have easily whisked away the Commander with a spatial crack but had obviously opted not to.
This trip was a statement, Hartley would no longer be going under the radar.
The white carriage was the first statement, showing the capital that even Patriarch Zhang had to acquiesce to his requests.
Second was escorting Commander Genk away from his post in broad daylight, even audaciously taking the scenic route.
The voice was projected into the white carriage again.
"To the guest of patriarch Zhang, I do not mean to intrude..."
"But you are going to intrude anyway, am I right?" Hartley finished the man's statement.
"It's like starting off a sentence by saying no offence, then going on to say something offensive." Hartley snarled.
Silence reigned.
"I want to see who is in the carriage."
The voice sounded again as the door of the black carriage was flung open forcefully.