Book 6, chapter 33

Zee stared blankly at the man who appeared atop the pyramid. As always, Tavza had appeared out of nowhere, showing up in places it didn't make sense for him to appear. She had no idea he had followed her here, but sating her curiosity would have to wait for some other time. 

More urgent than his untimely arrival was the fact he had brought along company.

"Back away from the key, or Sersie gets it," Tavza threatened, the roiling shadows around Sersie's cloud like body constricting. Sersie cried out in pain, the sound echoing around the large chamber. Zee didn't much care for the hotty ashary, but Dern did. Judging by his seething rage, Dern would not let this go, which meant she would have to figure something out.

Zee glanced from Tavza, and then to the glass case with the gray hued ball of madness within. The energy inside seemed like a treasure on the surface, but within hid a calamity. She took a deep, steadying breath, tamping down on the rage leaking from Dern.

 Normally she wouldn't capitulate to threats, but in this case, she was more than happy to back away. That thing inside was not a powerful treasure. No, it was something sinister. Taking a few steps away, more out of self preservation than his command, Zee tugged on her connection with her newest companion. A simple command. Climb the stairs undetected and wait for an opportunity to strike. There wasn't more than a mental nudge to confirm her new pet would carry out her order. With a barebones plan set in motion, Zee finally spoke. 

"Why am I not surprised to see you here? I should've known you would do something this shameless. After all, you have made a habit of stalking me. Not what you would expect from a so-called prince of the empire," Zee said. 

Tavza scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "You can throw insults all you want, but it's not going to change the reality of this situation." Tavza replied evenly.

Zee scowled, feigning outrage. 

"You're the real piece of garbage, do you know that? First, you stalk me for years, and now you're trying to steal what's rightfully mine," Zee said. 

Tavzas raised a manicured eyebrow. "Rightfully, yours? That's absurd! You are just a trumped up half blood, with visions of grandeur. I on the other hand was born for greatness. It is my destiny to one day be emperor. All I have to do is seize a key and ascend the throne," Tavza said, his eyes glimmering with a madness she had never seen before.

Zee rolled her eyes, unable to hide her contempt.

"Destiny? That's a cart load of lizard crap. And I never claimed to be anything else than what I am. It's not my fault none of you so-called pure blood imperials were born with all three bloodline talents." She smiled, "It must be aggravating to be pushed aside by a mere half blood," Zee replied.

Tavzas face scrunched up like he just swallowed a willow jack. Fury radiated from his usually undetectable aura, raising her hair on end.

He growled softly. 

"So what if I wasn't born with all three imperial bloodline talents? It's just a stupid rule that no longer holds weight in the current era. The emperor has clearly grown senile in his old age. That old man is just clinging to tradition. So what if I lack one of the imperial bloodline talents? I have the other two, and I'm a pureblood noble raised from birth to rule the empire," Tavza spat.

Zee sighed and waved off his tirade. "No need to act like a zealot. I get it, you're superior, and I'm just a nobody. Honestly, you can have the throne. I don't want it. Becoming the ruler of an empire seems like way too much of a headache to me," Zee said.

Tavza's eyes glimmered madly as he took an eager step forward, dragging Sersie's floating form behind him. 

"Then why not just step aside? Let me take the key? By my word, once I ascend the throne, no one will touch you. You can go back and live as a dirt farmer, and return to obscurity," Tavza said.

Zee frowned at the insult of him calling her a dirt farmer. She let out her anger with a soft exhale. She couldn't lose sight of her goal. 

"By your word? What assurances do I have? You could just lie and go back on your word after," Zee said.

"I swear on my power that if you go back to being a dirt farmer, I will not come after you once I ascend the throne. " Tavza said. His words caused his aura to fluctuate, a promise that was binding by his own power.

Zee nodded. "Very well Tavza. Hand her over, then I will step aside, and the key is all yours," Zee said.

Tavza gestured, and his shadowy tendrils dragged Sersie off to one side, towards the edge of the pyramid. 

With her best angry expression, Zee walked towards Sersie, passing Tavza as he approached the pedestal. 

He paused when they were shoulder to shoulder.

"No hard feelings cousin," Tavza said, unable to hide his excitement.

Zee looked him right in the eyes. "I hope you know what you're getting into. Taking on a key isn't as glamorous as you think," Zee replied.

"You are just saying that to give me doubts. How can it be that difficult? If you can handle two of them, I think I will be just fine with one," Tavza said confidently.

"Whatever…Don't say I didn't warn you," Zee muttered. 

She picked up her pace, reaching Sersie just as Tavza reached out and tugged at the translucent case. She wasn't sure what exactly was going to happen, but it was going to be a spectacle.

Time seemed to slow as Tavza place one hand on either side of the glass like material and without hesitation, tugged the case free. The world river atop the summit of the pyramid went from a gentle flow, to hurricane force winds in a heartbeat.

Zee was forced to both knees, while Sersie who was closer to the edge was flung off the pyramid. 

Zee wasn't to worried for the ashary, Sersie was a D grade cultivator. Falling a few hundred meters was no problem for people at that grade.

 For his part, Tavza floated up into the air, his shoulderlength blond hair whipping around his face. He grinned as the swirling ball of madness dragged him upward. In tandem, they both floated until they were about ten feet off the ground, with the gray mass of power releasing a bright pulse.

Sixty thin threads of power shot out from the orb, piercing Tavza from head to toe. Each thread thrummed with energy, and from what she could tell, they each pierced one of his inner gates.

Tava threw his head back in ecstasy, his entire body releasing plumes of that gray energy. It took only a few seconds for the entire globule of madness to be absorbed. Tavza shone like a beacon, his aura rising by the moment. 

His aura rose from early D grade, all the way to the peak, and beyond. It was as if he was showing off before her, with his aura only rising further with each moment. 

Everything seemed to be going well, with his power nearly as immense as that of a celestial. Something inexplicable happened. One moment, it looked like a miracle, and the next, a calamity. 

The princling, who had been grinning moments before, all of a sudden started screaming. As it turns out, absorbing that ball energy was just as she expected. It seemed like an incredible treasure, but what hid inside was much more insidious. The outer shell of energy he had absorbed was protecting and hiding the true threat within. 

During Tavza's transformation, she had a moment's regret, but now she was happy with her choices. If Zee hadn't been cautious and studied the ritual diagrams on the temple, she would have fallen into the trap as well. 

 Pure and unrestrained, a new energy graced the world, leaking from Tavza's pours. It was not something of this era, an energy that shouldn't exist in a stable form. No longer hidden, the apocalypse leaked from Tavza's body, bathing the whole cave in the fundamental truths of destruction.

It was a concept that was anathema to the current order, energies that sole purpose was the unmaking of reality. That truth was not something a mere early D grade cultivator could withstand, even if it was just a small orb of it.. Tavza's entire body had been remade by the outer shell, but, what did that matter in the face of the Apocalypse? Things rapidly spiraled out of control.

 Reality itself seemed to shudder and come apathy at the seams as the world river went insane. A decade of experience since the last time did very little to prepare her for what happened next. 

The cave trembled, the temple shaking as heavenly wrath descended. Dark storm clouds filled the cave in moments, bloodlust leaking out as arks of white lighting crackled through the clouds. 

Still suspended at the center of the madness, Tavza couldn't move, his screams of pain only growing louder. It was as if he were a bug stuck between the two titans that were the apocalypse and the heavens. Without any preamble, the heavy unleashed its fury.

A searing pillar of lighting as thick as a cart shot down, engulfing the two in an eyes searing clap of thunder. Her ribs cracked, as she was thrown bodily against one of the pillars, her vision swimming as she tried to flee. Unfortunately, she was unable to even activate her movement skill under in the face of heavens wrath. 

As if containing a will of its own, the energy of the apocalypse fought back, releasing a pulse of power to repel the attack. Caught at the heart of the clash, a soul shattering scream left Tavza's mouth, as his skin peeled and his body crumbled to ash under the pressure.

Horror gripped her at the sight of his body simply turning to dust on the wind. Nothing could have prepared her for this kind of madness. In such proximity, she wasn't much better off from Tavza. Two of her ribs were broken, and she was unable to use her movement skill. She was stuck atop the pyramid, and unable to run while the two titans clashed. Despite Tavza's body turning to ash, it wasn't over just yet.

The heavens were out for blood, and wouldn't be content to leave until it rid the universe of its nemesis. 

Unlike the last time the heavens descended, Tarnival did not appear to save her. He had said it was a one-time thing, but she had been hoping he was lying. As her body was unmade on a fundamental level, she was forced to come to terms with the situation. That asshole had really done it this time. Not only had he killed himself but also caught her up in it.

Noone was coming to save her.. Or at least not Tarnival. Out of the corner of her eyes, there was a surge of motion as giant snake wrapped its thick coils around her body. Zee was incredibly relieved that she had silently commanded the monster scale most of the pyramid while she was talking with Tavza.

Its long coils wrapped her body from head to toe, its form undulating it tried to defend her. The monster she had recently contracted might not be the brightest lizard in the shed, but it was quite handy to have around. 

Its unique ability to absorb energy was incredibly useful at a time like this. Wrapping her tight, it absorbed much of the fall out, protecting her with its own body. Given the pained hisses coming from its mouth, it wasn't enjoying it, but hopefully it could pull through a bit longer.

Despite the monster's timely arrival, she wasn't out of the woods just yet. Her body was a mess, that one clash was enough to cause all sorts of problems. An angry, earsplitting rumble rocked the cave, as more lightning gathered above. Supposedly, when forming a core, heavenly wrath would descend. It was the price of stealing longevity and power far beyond what a mortal should have. 

Many failed to withstand heaven's wrath, unable to step into middle D grade. This clash made those seem like child's play. Striking with enough force to obliterate a celestial cultivator, the heavens unleashed another bolt of lightning. 

The strike made her inner world tremble, and the snake screeched in pain as it tried to protect her from the shockwave. That last bolt seared her vision, leaving the ball of energy atop the pyramid flickering ominously. This time, the ball of apocalyptic energies looked a bit worse for ware.

Once again, she sensed something from it, though this time it was pain, and perhaps fear. Like when it had connected with Tavza, the ball of power released a much weaker pulse. It was a last ditch effort as the heavens gathered power for another strike.

The pulse passed right through her guardian, and then into her body. It was like being set on fire. Her inner world trembled with thin cracks forming at the edges. 

Three patterns she had never seen before lit up across her inner world. One formed atop Kur Zul's spire, another formed above the burning ocean with the illusory outlines of a book around it. The third was a translucent moon, turning her inner world shades of red. 

They were all very reminiscent of the images she had first seen when entering the labyrinth. All three patterns hummed in an odd rhythm.

Using that rhythm, the pulse of energy seemed to hone in on where a small island had once been. It was her connection to the monster that was protecting her at this very moment. 

Zee wasn't sure what would happen, but horror gripped her, as the ball of pure destruction shot towards her. Turning into a beam of light, it crossed the summit in the blink of an eye, dodging her pet, and striking her in the forehead. 

Without any resistance, it forced its way into her inner world. The cracks deepened across her inner world, as it released another of those pulses. Her connection to the snake lit up again, and the ball of madness was suddenly gone. It was as if it had never been there.

She blinked, turning her attention outward, as a crack of thunder lit up the cavern. Outside the heavens rumbled, its fury mounting as its presence probed the area. Zee thought she was next, but its attention passed right over her. 

Whatever the orb of apocalyptic energy had just done, confused the heavens. When the clouds found nothing, it released another pillar of lightning onto the summit, deafening her.

Somehow, that ball of energy had hid inside her body, without killing her.

It was an incredibly confusing turn of events. Much to her relief, the clouds filling the cavern thinned, as the heavens departed. Despite that, things were not looking great. Her body was in a sorry state, from both the clash, and when that apocalyptic energy entered her body. Those cracks across the edges of her inner world could take months to heal. It had really done a number on her. Gasping for breath, Zee collapsed on her butt, letting her mind sweep through her inner world.

There was no sign of that world rending power remaining, despite the fact she knew it was there. The energy of the apocalypse had pulled a fast one on the heavens, hiding in her inner word.

It was an incredibly troubling turn of events. On the bright side, she was alive. Zee stuffed a handful of her best healing pills into her mouth. What a mess..

This whole thing had gone way out of control.

"Dern, do you sense it in there?" Zee asked, tiredly, pins and needles shooting up her side.

"No. But, maybe we should cut our connection to your new pet. I don't know about you, but I don't want that thing as a new neighbor," Dern said.

"Me either.. But, Urza is quite handy to have around," Zee said.

"Urza?" Dern asked.

"The snake. I got tired of referring to it as a monster. Its name is Urza," Zee said. 

"Good of a name as any, I guess," Dern said.

There was a pained groan behind her, and Zee glanced over one shoulder just in time to see Sersie float up from beyond the edge. The ashary had somehow managed to survive that madness, probably because she had been thrown off the edge. 

Sersie's aura fluctuated precariously, but she would probably pull through.

"What happened?" Sersie asked, swaying in the air.

Zee looked up at the troublesome cloud and sighed. 

"My cousin was ripped into pieces after trying to absorb something he shouldn't have," Zee said calmly.

"I almost died after being thrown off the pyramid. How are you still alive?!" Sersie asked, her tone almost accusing..

Zee reached out and patted Urza, who was releasing plumes of energy like smoke, as if on fire from absorbing so much energy.

"Urza here is quite handy to have around. He is a good boy," Zee said. 

The snake raised its head above her, eying Sersie with its slitted gaze. 

"You tamed that thing?" Sersie asked nervously. Zee smiled. 

"Something like that," Zee said. She paused, her train of thought was cut short as something caught her eye. 

Was it just her imagination, or were the three pillars atop the pyramid starting to glow? She groaned, forcing her wrung out body to move. Her everything hurt as she slowly pushed off the ground and rose to her feet.. 

"What is it?" Sersie asked.

Zee gestured to the pillars. " I have no idea, but it's probably not good,"Zee said.

Her anxiety only grew as a sharp series of clicks echoed through the cavern. Releasing a gust of dusty air, the center of the pyramid opened up. An impenetrable black haze filled the interior, a haze that was broken as an object rose from the depths. 

First the head, then the whole body, rising like a titan to loom above them. It was a ten meter tall bronze statue, that of a fierce human woman, with a spear in one hand holding aloft a bell in the other. The bell was easily the size of a cart with potent arcs of lightning crackling across its surface. The bell radiated a very familiar aura, the aura of heaven's wrath. This statue had somehow absorbed the lightning from earlier into its bell.

Moving slowly, the statue rose towards the ceiling as if gravity didn't exist here. Zees' eyes widened as the giant statue actually moved. Holding onto a thick chain, the bronze statue raised the bell and shook it. 

A deep, bone rattling clang filled the air, a sound so deep that it seemed to echo across the cosmos. As if it were made of dust, the rock above simply crumbled away. A vast, and powerful storm was unveiled as the ceiling was pulled away. The storm covered the horizon, with a river of pure energy streaking through. 

The storm raged around the river, spanning as far as she could see. It was the cosmic river in all of its glory, at the heart of the endless storm. Zee had never been so close to the cosmic river before, nor had any desire to either.

There were good reasons to be cautious. That place was incredibly dangerous even for Celestial grade cultivators. Uncaring of her concerns, the bronze statue raised its bell again. 

Instead of swinging it again, the statue turned, its baleful stare locking on Zee. Bronze eyes bore into her, seeming to scan her body and soul. 

It was an extremely uncomfortable sensation. 

After a few seconds, the statue's face seemed to come alive, a myriad of expressions flashing across it. It opened its mouth. 

"Greetings key holder. I am the guardian of the eternal throne. You have met the requirements to enter the final trial. Would you like me to conjure the gate?" the statue asked, its expression seeming only mildly interested.