Book 5, chapter 1

Drifting amidst a cloud of debris, and clouded in a dense miasmic haze that hid it from the scanning arrays, a ship hid a short distance from the planet of Lorocos. Zee was aboard the ship, waiting for her ride to come pick her up.

Standing to one side was Glendale, a man who she had mixed feelings about. He was an undead monster who had killed billions in a bid to conquer the allied planets of the Kelvish dominion. The horrors his armies brought upon those people, and continued to, were unimaginable.

And yet, he was her teacher for the last two and a half years. She had learned a lot about cultivation from him, but she couldn't forgive his actions. 

The arrays beneath her hummed to life and Glendale gave her sidelong glance. He spoke, his voice deep and raspy 

"I guess it's time for you to go. Don't forget about my warning," He said.

"I would say I am going to miss you, but that would be a lie," She said in answer. 

He laughed," Are you still mad about me leaving you in the death chasms," Glendal asked.

She only glowered at him, not having the courage to voice her venomous thoughts. 

"You will thank me for it one day," Glendal said.

Zee didn't dain that with a response.

"So, where are you headed next?" She asked. 

"Now that my babysitting duties are over, I am going to start looking for more keys to the Eternal Throne," Glendal said. 

"Do this Eternal Throne even exist," Zee asked. 

"I believe so. The last time a key emerged was nearly ten thousands years ago during the blood moon eclipse," Glendal said. 

"What is with that eclipse? Why does weird shit always happen during that date," Zee asked.

Glendal looked like he was going to say something, but thought better of it.

"Take a brief vacation and then get back to work. Before long, there will be an all-out war to see who can seize the Eternal throne," Glendale retorted. 

"Remind me again why this is my problem? Searching for this eternal throne sounds incredibly dangerous," Zee said. 

"Because, you already hold two of the keys," Glendale replied. Zee fought the urge to attack him.

"I didn't ask for either of them, they were forced upon me," Zee snapped.

"That might be true, but the spire and the living book both carry clues to find the eternal throne," Glendale said.

"And what do you expect me to do about it, i am just an E-grade cultivator," Zee fumed. Had Tarnival planned this all along? Was that the reason he forced her into a contract with the living book? 

Glendale snorted. "I expect you to train your ass off. Get stronger, because the winds of fate are turning. A war is coming, one that will drown the entire galaxy in blood," Glendale said. 

His foreboding words were cut short, as the array beneath her feet swirled, and power wrapped around her. Her vision lurched, and in the next instant, she was standing in a garden. 

Spiritual herbs and fruits grew in planter boxes, lining a winding path. They grew around a wide arching pathway, forming what looked like a ritual diagram. 

She traced the patterns with her eyes, trying to decipher its underlying function. Her eyes paused on a large tree that grew from the center of the garden, right at the focal point of the ritual.

The tree was vaguely familiar. She could swear she had been her in the past. She pushed deciphering the ritual from her mind as she noticed there were two other people in the garden. 

It was Julian in his usual combat attire and a frail-looking old man next to him. The old man visibly brightened as he saw her appear.

She hadn't seen him in a long, ever since she was a lot younger. The old man was her grandmothers father. Zee hadn't known her grandmother, as Veronia had died before Zee was born. 

"Grandpa Farsaic," Zee waved. 

He beamed," If it isn't my great granddaughter. Just look at you, you have grown like a weed," he replied. 

She looked down at her tattered and informal clothing.

"Sorry for my lack of dress, I didn't have time to change," Zee replied, with a formal curtsy. 

Farsaic was always a stickler for formality, though she wasn't sure why. 

"That's fine, I will let it slide this time," He replied with a wide smile. Zee's happy smile fell as she glowered over at Julian. 

"Julian," She greeted, not bothering to disguise her anger at him.

"It's been years, and all I get is a dismissive nod," Julian asked.

"You are lucky I don't punch you," Zee grumbled.

It probably wasn't fair to thrust all of the blame for the pain and suffering she had endured over the last few years. Still, he deserved at-least some of that blame.

"I would pay to see that," Farsaic chuckled.

"Anyways.. I know you are very busy old man, so we best get going," Julian cut in.

Farsaic raised a bony hand towards Zee. "Would you do this wizened man a favor and come see me again sometime soon? There is much I would like to discuss with you, like that bloodline of yours," He asked.

She nodded, a ripple of excitement flooding through her. "Of course, I would love to come visit. Though it may take a while. I am hoping to return to see my parents first and talk to my friends," Zee replied. 

Farsaic hummed thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, you should attend the academy. It will do you good to do some formal training, and shore up your knowledge," Farsaic said. 

"I will consider it," Zee replied. She turned to Julian.

"Can you portal me just outside the academy, I want to meet with my friends before I go home," Zee asked, her expression lacking its usual warmth. 

Julian nodded, looking tired. "Don't dally in the academy too long, your parents are expecting you," Julian called after her.

A pitch-black gate opened, and she stepped through it.

Her boots touched on cobbles, and immediately the bite of fall winds rustled her hair. The capital of Lorocos was beautiful during the height of the equinox. Grey and white banners hung from buildings, and blossoming flowers adorned window sills, creating a festive mood.

The boisterous celebration could be heard throughout the city as people celebrated the holiday. The ones causing the most raucous were of course the graduates from the various academies throughout the imperial capitol. 

There were rivalries between the various academies of course. Those rivalries were mostly put aside when barrels of spiritual liquor, and plates of good food were passed around. 

Amidst the festivities, walking through the crowds of uniformed students was a figure in a drab brown cloak. Amidst the finest young men and women of the Lorocan empire, she stood out like a lizard in a ball gown. 

Her worn leather chest plate was covered in blood-stained etchings, and her sword let off the odd feeling of death. 

As if on instinct, the crowds moved out of her way, letting her pass with looks of startlement on their faces. 

Farsaic and Julian hadn't reacted to her presence, but that was because they were so far above her that they were un affected. 

She didn't release a spec of her aura, and yet it was as if they were in the presence of a wild beast. Under Glendale's tutelage, she was forced to refine her aura into a lethal weapon. 

Her bright red hair flowed down her back in waves, with errant locks dancing in the chilly breeze. The odd color of blood-red hair was eye-catching, drawing the eyes of many. 

Most immediately looked away, unable to hold her fierce gaze. Zee wasn't trying to scare anyone off, but she had been living in chasms filled with violent monsters for the last few years. It gave her an expression that didn't seem to invite people to approach.

She walked through the academy grounds, getting a feel for the area. With the raucous laughter, it was a shock to her senses. She was just taking it all in, the sounds, the smells, and the good cheer. 

The academy grounds were like a city unto themselves, with housing, restaurants, jewelers, armorers, and herbalist shops. 

There was everything a student with a combat class could ask for. Even those with noncombat classes abounded. After all, they were the ones running the shops, making weapons, and doing other important tasks like alchemy. 

Zee was surprised by the difference in everyone's auras. Even the non-combat class users passed had surprisingly clean auras.

She shouldn't have been surprised. To get into the imperial academy you needed the backing of rich and or powerful people. And people with those kinds of connections would doubtlessly have a good cultivation technique. 

It was a stark contrast from people on Iztara, and even Tartana. Most of the random passers-by had better cultivation techniques than the royals on Iztara.

Zee walked the wide streets for a while, wandering to calm her nerves. She hadn't left on the best of circumstances, and was trying to get up her nerves. 

Some fresh air and touring the vaulted buildings of the academy were a good way to get her mind off things. She let her spatial ripple skill blanket the area, letting her mind get accustomed to the overwhelming amount of information that was assaulting her.

She had forgotten how loud and disorienting it was to be inside of a city.

In such close confines with so many people, her sensory skill was a double-edged sword. 

With each rank up, its radius would expand, or it would collect new, and different types of information. 

That seemed good on the surface, but the skill couldn't be deactivated. It was always on, and it collected information in a sphere around her whether she liked it or not.

Back in the oppressive dark of the death chasms it had been her saving grace, and now it was going against her.

Slowly, she was able to tune out the racket, narrowing her attention to a small area around her. It was a relief that most of the academy buildings were covered in arrays. That might be a problem later, but for now, they were like pockets of quiet. 

Before long, her wandering led her to the main administrative building. It had a nice brightly painted sign and everything. 

She stepped out of the cold into a wide atrium, scanning over the empty chairs and kiosks. Most of the staff were gone, which made sense given it was a holiday. 

She walked across the tiled floors and approached a grumpy looking older woman behind a glass enclosed counter. 

"Take a number," the woman said, not bothering to look up.

Zee glanced around the empty room. She debated on whether or not to argue that she was the only one here but decided it wasn't worth it. She took the number from the counter and took a seat in one of the uncomfortable chairs. 

The administrative building was about as inviting as she expected, but what was a little waiting? The only sound was the flip of paper and the scribble of a pen for a few minutes. Before long, the woman finally called her number.

"Number twenty-three," she said in a bored voice.

Plastering on a smile, Zee approached the counter. "I'm looking for a friend of mind, his name is Bastion Grey," Zee asked. 

She reached into her desk and pulled out a huge stack of files. 

After flipping through the documents for a while, she looked up.

"Bastion Grey is in, housing district twelve, in room 274," She said.

"Thank you," Zee replied.

"Anything else," the clerk droned. 

"Yes, is there a map of the academy," Zee asked. 

"Look over there on the wall," The woman replied, her tone implying that Zee was an idiot. 

"Thank you," Zee replied, pushing aside the insulting tone. She strode over to the wall and examined the map which covered the entirety of one wall. 

It was a Birds Eye view of the academy, with buildings outlined with designations and numbered. The academy was colossal, with thousands of buildings and designations. At least the map was fairly straightforward. It had a conveniently highlighted arrow, marked with a 'You Are Here' on it. 

Finding housing District Twelve on the map was pretty straightforward as well.

It was at the outermost edges of the academy grounds and was probably damned inconvenient for people who lived there to get to classes in time. She traced a route from where she was on the map to the housing district and headed for the door.

The bitter chill of the streets made her breath fog, but she couldn't help being excited. She followed the map in her head, finding housing district twelve after no small amount of walking.

The people in this stretch of the academy grounds seemed more rowdy somehow. Despite wearing the same grey academy uniform, the people here looked poorer. 

Their uniforms looked less ostentatious, lacking fine embroidery. Something she had noticed already, was that some people had their family crests embroidered proudly on their chest. 

From what she couldn't tell that was restricted for people of noble houses. It was doubtless a sign of status the noble heirs used to flaunt their status and importance. 

What she saw in District Twelve was not as impressive as what she had already seen. Some people had clan crests on their uniforms, but the majority did not. 

Most of these people were likely the sons and daughters of wealthy merchants, and other rich backgrounds.

These people might be at the bottom rung of the academy, but that was still impressive. This was the Imperial Academy, costing a fortune for even one semester.

Some families would likely save for generations to send one of their children here in hopes of elevating the family. 

After all, the imperial academy trained the highest quality of cultivators in the entire Lorocan empire. 

It was eye-opening to see so many young powerful cultivators in one place. 

It was a reminder that she was just a fish in a well. If she didn't push herself to get stronger, she would be another piece of fodder thrown into the grinder.

Zee wished she could kick a certain bone lord in the crotch for telling her about the Eternal Throne. Well, others were also to blame. Like her grandpa, and most of all, Tarnival.

Having one key was bad enough, but two was looking to be a death sentence. Kur Zul's tower in her inner world, and the living book were both keys that could help locate the eternal throne. 

It was the reason Glendale was so interested in her. She felt like a leaf cast a drift on a raging river, her destination uncertain. 

Zee was tired of being used by people stronger. She had worked so hard to get control and yet it still felt hopeless. To make things worse, this time, it was her own grandpa who was using her.

Her grandpa should have saved her from danger, and yet, now she was in more danger than before.

It made her sad, and angry. She had hoped coming home would solve her problems, but she had more now than ever. A war loomed on the horizon, a war to crush empires, and she was somehow right in the middle of it.

The scale of it all threatened to crush her. 

Calming waves of energy leaked from the fragment in her mind. It was followed by a voice that filled her mind.

"You are not alone," Dern said.

She let out a tired sigh. "I'm exhausted Dern, I think I really need a break," Zee replied.

"Then, let's go, Bastion should be close," Dern said. She nodded.

Pushing through the afternoon crowd, she ran into a group of boisterous students. Seeming to have a little too much to drink, a group of young men moved to block her path. Zee wasn't in the mood for a confrontation, and it showed on her face.

"Who are you? Vagrants aren't allowed in the academy grounds," one slurred. 

"Ya! Brick is right, you should leave. Go back to your gutter," said another, laughing uproariously. 

Zee paused, her cold expression unchanging as she parsed over their words. It had been years since she spoke much of her native Lorocan, and these drunkards' slurring weren't making it easy. 

"I have no business with you, please move out of my way," Zee replied, her voice sounding odd in her ears. It was still weird using her voice after two years of talking only in her head. 

The three drunk students seemed emboldened by her polite reply. They were at the peak of E grade and should have little to fear from some vagrant off the streets.

Zee sighed at their obstinate expressions. Oh well. Her aura flared outward, and it was as if a dagger was held at each of their throats. 

Bloodlust oozed out of her body, slamming into the three. To them, she wasn't a person anymore, no, she was a savage monster who would rip them apart if they so much as twitched.

The three young men froze, sweat rolling down their necks as she walked casually past them. They didn't dare move until she was well down the street, and only then did they scramble away, as if running for their lives. 

 Zee didn't give the three a second thought, entering the building labeled District Twelve. She walked down one narrow hallway, after another, straining her senses to detect a familiar presence.

Doorways lined either side of the hallway, each given a number. Before long, she paused in front of the door labeled 274.

Zee raised her hand, but paused unable to bring herself to knock. With her spatial ripple skill she could faintly sense him on the other side even through the protective arrays. He was alone, cooking something that she smelled delicious as its aroma wafted under the door. 

Her knuckles were inches from the wooden frame, and yet the door might as well have been a universe away. She hesitated. What was she going to say? It had been nearly three years since since she left.

He had probably already moved on. Her stomach clenched at the idea. The thought had crossed her mind more then once in the Death chasms. What if he found someone else while she was gone? 

 Knocking felt more terrifying then any monster could. She hadn't left in the best of circumstances, and now she was back. She stood there, unable to bring herself to knock, hesitating for several minutes. 

"Just knock already, if he is seeing someone else, I can just kill them," Dern offered.

She snorted."You are as helpful as always Dern," Zee replied.

"It will be fine, just knock on the damned door already, and get it over with," Dern urged. 

"Fine," She grumbled. 

After Dern's pep talk, she still didn't feel any more confident, but raised her hand anyway. Taking a deep breath, she knocked. Her knuckles rang off the wood, the sound echoing down the hallway she was in.

"Give me a second," Bastion shouted, his voice slightly distorted through the door.

Hearing his deep voice made most of her resolve flee. She wanted to turn around and leave but forced herself to stay. As Dern said, It was best to just get it over with.

She couldn't back out now as the soft thud of boots approached the door.

The knob turned and the door rattled as it swung open. Her stomach lept in her chest as Bastion froze in the open doorway. It took only a second for recondition to dawn in his light orange eyes. There he was. 

Dressed in black dress pants and a button up white shirt Bastion cut a striking figure. He had put on probably ten pounds of lean corded muscle, making him look lythe and built like a predator. 

His curly black hair was longer than she remembered, and his dark skin sported a few more scars on his knuckles. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and the top few buttons in his shirt were undone, revealing well defined muscle. 

His aura had completely changed as-well, much deeper and more pure than before.

 He looked like a different person, and she supposed he was. It had been nearly three years after all.

"Hey," Zee said, uncertain of what else to say.

Bastion didn't hesitate. He reached out and pulled her into a fierce hug, lifting her off the ground. He squeezed hard enough to crush the air from her lungs. It was exactly what she was hoping for. She grinned, squeezing him tightly.

"It's so good to see you," Bastion laughed. He hugged her like she might run away, before gently setting her back on her feet.

Grinning like an idiot, he held her at arms length, looking her up and down.

"Is it actually you? Please tell me this isn't a dream," Bastion asked. 

She stood up on her toes and kissed him square on the lips.

"Can a dream do that," Zee asked, with a cheeky grin.

He laughed. It was a sweet sound, one she had missed immensely.

"Just look at you, you look dangerous," Bastion said, eying her up and down.

"You don't look so bad yourself, just look at all that muscle," Zee said eying him up and down.

He grinned.

"I have been doing lots of training. Come inside, I'm making dinner," Bastion said.

She whistle as she enter his cozy little room. It had an open kitchen, and a couch piled high with textbooks in the living room. The door to a small bedroom was off to one side, revealing a tidy interior with an unmade bed. 

"This place is pretty nice, does everyone get a room like this," Zee asked. 

"No, mine is practically a dump. This is actually one of the worst rooms available," Bastion replied with a nervous laugh.

Her brows furrowed, as she took a seat with her back to the far wall. "That doesn't make sense? Grandpa said he got everyone the best accommodations available," Zee asked. 

"About that.. I may have borrowed some things I shouldn't have. I am lucky they didn't kick me out of the academy all together," Bastion said with a nervous laugh.

"You stole from the academy," She asked, glaring at him as he refused to meet her gaze. 

"It was just a misunderstanding. How was I supposed to know I wasn't allowed to remove the books from the restricted library," Bastion asked, innocently. 

Zee could only shake her head at his antics

"I should have known. So, where are the others," Zee asked. 

Picking up a plate in each hand, Bastion turned. Each plate had a half of a sandwich that was piled so thick with grilled meat it threaten to topple over as he set the plates on the small wooden table. 

Bastion sat across from her taking a bite of his sandwich. "We are going to meet in about an hour for dinner, and to party," Bastion said, chewing happily. 

"If you are going to dinner, why did you just make a sandwich," Zee asked.

"I was hungry," Bastion shrugged, taking another large bite. 

She didn't know what to say to that. 

She could have argued he would spoil his appetite, but that was probably a lost cause.

Instead she took a bite of her own, chewing thoughtfully, enjoying the explosion of flavour. 

"Woah! That's really good," Zee said, taking a much larger bite.

"Thanks, but this is just leftovers. You should try the dishes I can prepare with high grade meat and herbs," Bastion said, gesturing excitedly.

"Have you been cooking a lot," Zee asked.

"Of course! The imperial academy has some of the best chefs in Lorocos, how could I not attend their classes," Bastion asked.

"While I have been fighting for my life in the death chasms, you have been cooking," Zee asked, incredulously.

"Deaths chasms? What's that," He asked through a mouthful of sandwich. 

"That is where I was stuck for two freaking years! That bony bastard almost got me killed hundreds of times," Zee muttered. 

"That sounds pretty rough… Julian told us that you were going for special training with a friend of his," Bastion said.

Zee scowled. "I wouldn't call Glendale a friend. Grandpa is a jerk too. I can't believe he would hand me over to that monster," Zee said, some of her pent up frustration leaking out.

Bastion raised an eyebrow. "Was it really that bad," He asked.

"You have no idea," Zee replied, some of her anger leaking out.

"Well, your aura is so dense that your mere presence makes my hair stand on end. You must have been through alot," Bastion said. 

She smiled, "I have a bunch more scars now, but it wasn't all bad," Zee said. 

"I have a few more scars myself," Bastion said.

Zee looked him up and down," Really? I might have to check and see if there is any lasting damage," Zee said.

Bastion grinned, bobbing his eyebrows. "You know, we have almost an hour before the others are going to meet up," 

An hour and some change later, they were walking hand in hand down a wide boulevard. She was excited and nervous to see everyone. Zee was dressed in her best outfit, one she had stashed away in her spatial storage just in case. It was a green shirt, and black dress pants, that were both stylish and practical.

Bastion had a mischievous gleam in his eyes as they approached the upscale restaurant the others were meeting at. Spending some quality time with Bastion had alleviated some of her concerns, but not all. Plus, that look in his eyes had her suspicious. He was up to something. 

"What are you so excited about," Zee asked, unable to contain her curiosity. 

"Not telling, it's a surprise," Bastion replied. 

"What kind of surprise," Zee probed.

He shook his head, "Just wait and see," 

As they drew closer, her excitement grew. 

The restaurant was ornate and upscale enough to have defensive arrays that blocked out spying.

It was like there was an empty spot, a dead zone she couldn't see with her spatial ripple skill. Still, that wasn't enough to put a damper on her excitement. 

The door opened, and a well-dressed server led them to a terraced balcony. It was walled off, and isolated from the other booths. The way it was set up made it feel like they were the only ones looking at the sprawling city. They were late, so everyone was already there when they walked onto the balcony.

She followed Bastion in and quickly scanned the familiar faces. It had been three years and it looked like they had changed a lot, though not enough she couldn't recognize them. 

Allison looked more regal than ever, wearing a fiery red dress that seemed to dance like flames whenever she moved. 

Greg was sitting off to one side, nodding slowly as Malden said something to him in a hushed whisper.

In his form-fitting uniform, the prince looked even more imposing than before, though his war hammer was nowhere to be seen.

Yukna was just as she expected. The woman was fidgeting with something mechanical, her glasses halfway down her nose. She had it halfway taken apart, with small pieces lying out on the tablecloth. 

The last person made Zee freeze. He looked up just as she noticed him, and their gazes locked.

He was tall, with straw blond hair, a sharp jaw, and stunning violet eyes that matched her own. He wore the same grey academy uniform Malden had on, looking a lot more stately than his usual coveralls.

There was a moment of confusion, followed by recognition and then disbelief. It had been at least five years, and his aura had changed but she would recognize her older brother anywhere. 

He gave her a dopey grin that brought back a flood of memories. 

"Zee! Is that you," Nathan asked, quickly standing.