Book 5, chapter 16

Book 5 chapter 16 

After the excitement at the auction, Zee decided to lie low for a while. That was proving quite difficult after her grandpa essentially told an entire group of students she was his granddaughter. 

That was a problem because it was well known that Julian's granddaughter was the reason he invaded blood gorger territory. Some people thought she was responsible for sparking the war. Zee couldn't be too upset; they blamed her since Julian wouldn't have done what he did without her.

No one approached and asked outright, but there was a lot of speculation. And since Zee had a sensory skill that spanned a hundred meters in every direction, even able to sense through walls. 

It was a powerful skill, but it had its downsides. With its growing range and sensitivity, she could sense all the gossip around her whether she liked it or not.

"Isn't that the girl who started the war?" Asked a woman a few tables over.

"Ya, that's her, you can tell by her red hair," another woman said in a hushed whisper.

"She is not as pretty as I thought she would be. Just look at that scar on her cheek. Why doesn't she get it fixed?" Replied another.

"I know right," The first said with an amused laugh," Who would dye their hair that garish dark red?" Asked the first.

Another in the group shrugged.

"I don't know, I like it. I think she is cute," 

"Cute? Yanos, are you blind?" Asked the first.

"Do you think she is single?" Yanos asked, ignoring the woman's statement. 

"No, see that man she is with. Well, they are courting each other, which doesn't make sense. In my opinion, he is far too handsome for a dull-looking woman like her," The first said.

"It sounds like you are interested in him, Liana? It's a shame he is already taken," Yanos said. 

Liana turned up her nose. 

"So what if he is taken? They are not married. Plus, if I wanted, I could have him in no time. Just look at me, there is no way he could resist my allure," Liana said in a hotty tone.

Yanos rolled his eyes.

"If you are so confident, why not go for it, then? Go over and ask him to get a drink with you," Yanos said.

Zee had been enjoying a pleasant evening with Bastion at this fine restaurant. And now, it was about to be interrupted. Gossip was easily ignored, but now she had to deal with a Trollope ruining her evening. 

Zee didn't have much time lately to spend alone with Bastion. Therefore, she was annoyed when the hotty noble woman stood amidst the excited whispers of her friends.

If she was being honest, Zee was more than a little envious of the woman. She was tall, with sensual curves, long silky black hair, bright hazel eyes and stunning good looks. 

Her low cut dress didn't leave much to the imagination, showing off a good amount of her legs and daring amount of cleavages. 

Noticing her attention was elsewhere, Bastion looked over as the woman approached. She swayed her hips seductively, and even gave Bastion a smile that would make most men weak in the knees.

"Hello, I'm terribly sorry for interrupting your evening, my name is Liana," She said without even giving Zee a glance.

Holding out a dainty hand, the woman leaned slightly forward, giving Bastion a view down her shirt. 

Zees' anger bubbled up at the woman's blatant flirting. Bastion only smiled, and much to Zees' amusement, he stacked their empty plates and handed them to the woman.

"It's nice to meet you Liana, please thank the chef for his excellent cooking," Bastion said with a friendly smile. 

"But I'm not, I mean i don't- 

Bastion cut off her stunned rambling. "Ahh, how rude of me. Here, take this for your troubles." Bastion said, passing her a small handful of Ether crystals.

Stunned by the series of events, the scantily dressed woman stood there as Bastion ushered Zee to stand. Without saying a word, he deftly stepped around the stunned woman, and they strode away before she could say anything.

As if to add insult to injury, Bastion looped his arm with Zees while they walked away.

By the time they were out the door, Zee couldn't contain herself any longer. She burst out laughing.

"That was by far the funniest rejection I have ever seen," Zee said, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Rejection, what do you mean?" Bastion asked with an innocent smile.

Zee smacked him on the shoulder.

"Ouch," Bastion said with a laugh.

"How did you even know what she was planning?" Zee asked.

He shrugged. "They were being quite loud. I'm betting everyone in the restaurant could hear them," Bastion replied. 

"Well, even so, I thought you handled it well," Zee said.

"Not my first time dealing with scantily dressed nobles trying to hit on me," Bastion replied smoothly.

Zees brows both shot up.

"Should I be concerned that some harlet is going to steal you?" Zee asked.

He scoffed.

"That woman didn't have a single scar on her, and I doubt she has ever gotten into a proper fight. She isn't my type," Bastion said. 

"Ohh, I see. Being into scars, that's a weird fetish," Zee said. 

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not into scars. I was just trying to be romantic and you go and ruin it," Bastion said.

A mischievous smile crept onto her lips. 

 "You are just messing with me, aren't you?" He asked.

"What can I say? You look incredibly handsome when you are surprised," Zee said.

He gave her a hurt look.

She smiled and kissed him before pulling from his grip and sauntering down the street.

Bastion just stood there in the streets watching her go. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't understand her. Were all women this difficult to predict? 

He sighed. Well, he had wanted an exciting life. Her chaotic behavior was one of the reasons he fell for her, but sometimes he wished they could just go out for dinner without something happening. It was unlikely, but a guy could hope, couldn't he?

Over the next few weeks after the auction, things were calm. Zee was pretty sure that the incident at the auction was forgotten, and had put the whole thing out of her mind. 

It was the end of the fourth month in the academy, and she stressed out about master Anton's upcoming test. 

Unlike her other classes, master Anton was taking another approach. The last three end of the month tests were separate, yet each were meant to be combined into one. 

The test was quite simple. She had three months to form a full sized set of gates, and they had to be stable enough for a person to walk through without being ripped apart.

After forming a set of stable micro gates, it should have been easy to simply do the same thing, but make them larger. She had been so wrong. Every time she tried to expand the size, the gates became unstable and collapsed. 

In their last class, master Anton said she needed to stabilize space in the area, allowing the gates to form and stabilize the connection.

Sitting on the edge of the fountain in the front yard, Zee let out a frustrated sigh. She had one anchor stone in her hand, while the other was a few paces away in the grass. Repeating the same thing over and over felt like madness, but she was hoping for inspiration. It was proving to be futile, but Zee wasn't willing to give up just yet.

As the micro gates were in the midst of growing, there was a loud knock on the front gate.

The jarring sound was enough to make her lose focus. Her gates fizzled, space warped and the gates collapsed.

Zee scowled, looking up at the unwanted guest. It was someone she faintly recognized, though she wasn't sure from where. 

"What do you want?" Zee asked, walking over towards the gate, but not bothering to open it.

Looking taken aback by her rudeness, the woman stammered. 

"I'm sorry, if this is a bad time, I can come back later," She replied.

Zee sighed.

"No, it's fine, how can I help you," Zee asked in a less hostile tone.

Shifting nervously, the woman grimaced. 

"I wanted to discuss the item you purchased at the auction. I was wondering if I could buy it off you," She asked.

Zee paused, looking her visitor up and down again. She was around Zees' height, though she lacked the build of a melee fighter. 

She was doubtlessly a combat cultivator given the pressure her aura gave off, but that probably meant she was a caster.

It took her a few seconds, but Zee finally remembered who this was. 

"You are the one who was with that spearman who had a stick up his butt," Zee concluded.

The woman scowled at Zees' disrespectful words.

"That spearman is lord Draveroc, great grandson of the emperor," The woman replied.

"So? That doesn't mean he can be an ass," Zee said. 

The young woman on the other side of the gate gaped like a fish out of water.

"Anyway, I'm quite busy, what do you want?" Zee asked.

Visibly biting back an angry comment, the woman took a deep breath.

"I was hoping you would reconsider, and sell me the sky diamond. I have been searching for something to advance my insight for years. Please this is my only chance," She said, her tone pleading. 

"What concept are you trying to advance?" Zee asked curiously. 

Asking such a personal question of someone who was not a close friend was incredibly rude, but Zee didn't really. 

Surprisingly, the woman didn't seem all that offended. "I have the concept of heaviness," The woman replied.

Zee let out a trickle of her aura, and the air around her compressed. 

The woman's eyes opened wide. "Woah, you have heaviness as-well?" She asked, her excitement quickly fading. 

Zee nodded.

"Not really, but I do have a concept that is close enough. That's why I bought that sky diamond," Zee said.

The woman who she still didn't know the name of sighed.

"I'm sorry for bothering you. I will be on my way," She said with a defeated tone.

Zee took in the woman's crestfallen face, and her slumped shoulder. She looked positively crestfallen, which made Zee feel kind of bad as she watched the woman trudge down the street. 

"Hey!" The woman paused, glancing back. "Would you like to watch?" Zee asked.

The woman's face lit up. Zee hadn't been planning on breaking through today, nor had she planned on doing so with a stranger as company. It looked like her plans were changed. 

She took a seat on the edge of the fountain and subtly called out Dern. Zee might be willing to let a stranger watch her breakthrough, but she was not willing to do so without protection.

If the woman, whose name was Ellena, attacked, both Dern and Kur Zul would be ready. 

Zee doubted the woman would, but better to be safe than sorry. With that out of the way, she pulled out a densely etched box from her spatial storage and opened it. 

Zee took several deep breaths, trying to clear her mind. The diamond was sky blue, and about the size of her fist, releasing an oppressive weight. Cautious, she picked it up, wondering just how she was supposed to absorb the thing. 

She couldn't exactly eat it, but maybe she was supposed to have it crushed up into a powder? Her concerns were pushed away as the energy inside the diamond tried to invade her body.

She smiled. "Get ready, it's starting," Zee said.

Zee let the foreign energy inside, and the effect was immediate. 

Ellena watched on with wide eyed fascination as the redhead she had just met started drawing in energy from the sky diamond. The air around her warped, as Zees' aura blanketed the yard. Her aura combined with the energy of the natural treasure, creating a suffocating pressure. The air became so heavy that Ellena's knees shook, and blood ran from her nose.

She would have been concerned for her own safety if not for the pure expressions of heaviness all around her. There was much to be gained by simply looking around. She could feel the insight of heaviness coalescing, gathering around Zee in a storm that was invisible to the naked eye.

The fountain cracked, and the grass indented, but Zee didn't falter. The energy entered her mind in a storm. She knew what she wanted, and wouldn't let pain distract. 

The storm grew, her hair whipping around her, as her body soaked up all the energy in the diamond until it cracked and turned to dust.

Her insight grew and crystalized, the air around her compressing far more than it ever had before. The compressed air around her expanded and gained a sense of solidity. 

She revealed the sensation, enjoying the heavy feel of the compressed air around her. The pressure was immense, yet she let it was over her in waves.

She could ignore the effects of her own aura, but she could still feel it.

Her connection to the concept of compression had grown a lot deeper, with much more solidity than before. 

Zee just sat there as a growing puddle of water filled the crater she was in, enjoying the connection she felt towards her insight.

Curious, she called up her status, skipping over most of the details until she found what she was looking for.

(Ember of Compression)

Zee was pleased

Evolving her spark to an ember didn't make her physically stronger, or any faster like when she acquired a new boon. Still, that didn't mean the benefit was any less impressive. 

The ember would give an increase in power to her aura, but the main benefit would be to her skills in combat.

Judging by the sense of solidity, Infusing her new ember of compression into her skills would make them more durable and even hit harder. 

Or at-least, that is the feeling her new ember gave her. She was excited to test it out, but that would have to wait.

She opened her eyes, a bit chagrined by the surrounding devastation. Zee was sitting in a crater where the fountain used to be. Water slowly filled the crater and the poor was just a pile of rubble now. The damage was a lot worse than she expected. 

It was a good thing she hadn't absorbed the sky diamond while in the mansion. Feeling wrung out after her breakthrough, she climbed out of the crater, finding Ellena sitting on the grass.

She looked a bit worse for wear, but seemed fine.

Curiously, the woman's aura felt a bit more compressed than before, as if she had also experienced a breakthrough. 

"Congratulations," Zee said. 

Ellen beamed up at her. 

"I can't believe that worked! Watching your breakthrough was incredible. It helped find the insight I needed to form an ember," Ellena said tiredly. 

Zee laughed.

"Maybe I should make you pay half since you evolved your insights as well," Zee joked.

Ellena's eyes lit up, and she reached toward her wallet.

"I can do that. Will seven thousand cover it?" 

"I was joking. You are fine, keep your money," Zee said, with a laugh.

Ellena stood on shaky feet, holding out the satchel.

"Here, take it, I insist. I was willing to paw twenty thousand before. This is actually a steal of a deal for me," 

Zee shrugged and took the satchel of ether crystals. Turning it down would be stupid considering she still needed to buy another treasure to evolve her spark of ebb and flow.

"You know, I misjudged you, Ellena. Sorry for being an ass earlier. I thought you were just here to cause me trouble," Zee admitted. 

Ellena raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be here to cause you trouble? We don't even know each other," Ellena replied. 

Zee was going to reply, but just then, she spotted a familiar man as he walked in the front gate.

"Zee, why is there a giant hole here? Is this your attempt at redecorating?" Nathan asked, eying the hole in her front lawn.

"I was thinking of adding a swimming pool," Zee said with a straight face. 

"Uh, huh." His brows shot up, as he glanced between Zee and the hole filling with water. Finally his bright purple eyes landed on Ellena, whose cheeks flushed at his attention.

Nate gave her a friendly smile and offered a hand.

"Ahh, pardon my poor manners. I'm Nathan. I hope my little sister hasn't involved you in one of her schemes," Nathan said.

"Your sister?" Ellena asked, surprised.

He nodded sagely.

"I know right, It's hard to believe. She may be an encourageable troublemaker, but yes, she is part of the family," Nathan replied.

Zee could only shake her head as Ellena laughed.

"Would you excuse us Ellena? We can meet up again some other time if you would like," Zee offered.

A bit shaken, Ellena nodded. "Of course, see you later," Ellena said.

Looking a bit unsteady on her feet, Ellena left through the front gate, disappearing around the corner a few seconds later.

"Well, she is cute," Nathan said. 

Zee punched him on the shoulder. 

"Hey! What was that for?" Nathan asked, rubbing his shoulder with a hurt expression. 

"Oh, no reason. So, what brings you here, Nate?" Zee asked. 

"Just here to see Bastion. Is he in?" Nathan asked.

"No, he usually doesn't get home for a few more hours," Zee said.

"Ahh, that makes sense. Owning a business is incredibly time consuming," Nathan replied.

"What business?" Zee asked. 

Nathan's brown shot up.

"He hasn't told you?" Nathan asked.

"No, I have been really busy these last few months. What's going on Nate? What business are you talking about?" Zee demanded. 

"It's not a big deal. Yukna and Bastion just run a small black market auction called the drunken lizard cooperation," Nathan said. 

"You don't say. No one tells me anything," Zee muttered.

Nate cracked a teasing smile.

"Is my poor little sister jealous that I know more about her boyfriend than she does?" Nate asked. 

"This little sister is going to beat you up if you keep testing her," Zee threatened.

He raised his hands in surrender. 

"Sheesh, so violent. Sometimes I wonder what a nice guy like Bastion is doing with a brute like you," Nathan said. 

She punched him on the shoulder, but that only made his grin widen further. 

She could only sigh in defeat. 

"Did grandpa stop by and see you recently?" Zee asked.

He shook his head. "He sent me a letter, but he didn't visit me in person," Nathan replied.

Zee swore.

"Well, that is just perfect… Why does he always pester only me? He showed up in the middle of the street, and basically told everyone I am the granddaughter who caused all the trouble with the blood gorgers," Zee said unhappily. 

Nathan laughed.

"I have been hearing a lot of rumors about you. I guess some of them are true," Nathan said with an amused smile. 

"This is such a pain in the ass," Zee grumbled.

"I thought you wanted to be famous? You used to talk about it constantly," Nathan said. 

Her face scrunched up like she swallowed a lemon whole.

"I didn't understand what being famous entailed. Do you realize how annoying it is? I can't even walk the streets these days without hearing gossip about me," Zee complained.

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Nate asked. 

"It is. Just the other day, some scantily dressed harlot tried to seduce Bastion when we were out for dinner. She walked right up to our table and tried to flirt with him, and she did it just to prove she was prettier than me," Zee said.

Nathan nodded to himself, glancing around hopefully. 

"Beautiful ladies, you say? So, you wanna go get some dinner? I wouldn't mind that sort of attention," Nathan said. 

Zee rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't do that to you Nate, it would be un-sisterly of me. I doubt these women actually want a committed relationship," Zee said.

"Neither do I. After my last relationship didn't work out, I have no desire to get into another one anytime soon," Nathan said. 

"Ohh? I didn't know you and whats her name were separated, sorry to hear that," Zee said. 

"It's fine. You know, I wish you were here when your friends arrived. I didn't know that Yukna and Allison were a couple back then. I may have asked Yukna on a date," Nathan admitted.

"You didn't…" Zee said with wide eyes.

"Thank all that holy that Allison wasn't there. I might have gotten flash fried," Nathan said, with an embarrassed laugh.

Zee burst out laughing. 

"Now, that is lucky. Wanna get a drink and catch up while you wait for Bastion?" Zee asked.

"Sure, a drink would be nice. What are you going to do about that crater in your front yard?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know. I will just leave it there for now, it's not like its going anywhere," Zee shrugged.