BOOK 5: CHAPTER 49

Fia’s stomach fluttered with nerves as they entered the queue for the Omni Gate.

It towered overhead in the waning light of the afternoon sun, which brought on an anxiety of its own. Even though Kel Zhi had assured her several times that her axe would protect Bryce from the influence of the Bloodmoon, the thought that it would soon be rising added a new sense of urgency to getting to the front of the line and through the gate.

Her parents, Rhi Dong and Hei Dong were with her, but they could not be her parents right now. Which meant the toddler squirming in her arms had no special privilege as the grandchild of a Vice Warden. Fia now posed as a stranger. A young mother dressed in absurd garb to convey the role she was portraying.

“Relax, its going to be okay,” Kel Zhi whispered to her. “Your dad has got this.”

Fia simply nodded to Kel Zhi, who was dressed even more absurdly than she was.

The blonde haired Terran wore a combination of rags and chains and had painted her skin with red clay, the same as Max used in the ring. And just like him, she wore a helm fitted with bull’s horns. It gave her a beastly appearance, augmented by her muscular physique which had most people staring at her rather than herself.

Fia was thankful for that. She hid her silver hair beneath a dark wig and wore hooded robes on top of that. Her mother sported a wig as well, but wore a face full of elaborate make up to accompany it. Dressed in similar fashion to Kel Zhi was Tu’loc, the large sullied warrior sporting the same red body paint and bull’s horns.

The last person accompanying them, who was dressed in somewhat normal fashion was Jian Yi. She walked side by side with her father, Master Hei Dong, while Fia, her mother, Tu’loc and Kel Zhi fell into a clustered group behind them.

When they finally reached the gate, Fia understood why getting through would be difficult even for a Vice Warden, much less a nobody as she was now. There were imperial guards posted at the gate, but they were not part of the Terran regime. They wore the insignia of the planet Yee Guo and were representatives of the core worlds.

“Act casually now,” Jian Yi said, as they got one spot away from the front. “Master Hei Dong and I will do the talking.”

Fia’s heartbeat sped but she managed to keep a neutral appearance on the outside.

“Documents,” one of the guards, a short man with a beard said with an outstretched hand.

Master Hei Dong handed him an envelope.

The guard harrumphed with a smile as he opened it and read the contents. “A paid invitation from a princess? Aren’t you lucky. Let’s see some identification.” He then looked back towards Fia. “All of you.”

Fia reached a shaky hand into her robes to produce the false document.

‘Lin Wu’ was her name now, and she practiced it within her head to not forget it if asked. But the Guard placed far more attention on Kel Zhi and Tu’loc. He furrowed his brow at them with a mixture of confusion and disgust.

“Why are you dressed like that?”

“They are in costume,” Jian Yi said. “A local mummers troop. A special request by the princess.”

The guard looked back at the envelope. “I don’t see anything about that here.”

“You wouldn’t,” Hei Dong said. “It was a last-minute addition requested by Qi-Stone transmission.”

He then handed the guard a further slip of paper—a forgery of another kind.

The communication was authentic, a Qi-stone communication originating from Yee Guo, but it hadn’t come from the princess, rather one of her father’s associates he had written to over a week ago. ᚱ𝘼Νo͍𝖇ЁS

“Mummers?” The guard then looked directly at Fia. “Why the hell do you have an infant?”

“All part of the show,” Jian Yi said with a smile. “They start at all ages here. Shall we give you a demonstration?”

Fia’s heartbeat sped. They had planned for this, but now she actually had to perform.

Jian Yi clapped her hands and they all fell out of the line to assume their positions. She then spoke in a loud narrator’s voice: “Witness now faithful believers the legacy of our great Princess Lunalah and how she saved our world!”

Fia went into action, falling to her knees with Bryce in her arms and raising a hand towards Kel Zhi and Tu’loc in a position of surrender.

“No please!” she shouted. “Spare me and my child!”

Kel Zhi responded with a ridiculous “Arrrgh!” and then swung her axe haphazardly while Tu’lok did the same with a large wooden club.

“The denizens of the Bloodmoon had invaded our backwards and forsaken world,” Jian Yi continued. “Sparing no one in their bloodthirsty destruction.”

“Argh!” Kel Zhi screamed again. “Me Demon! Me kill! Me kill everyone!”

That got a surprising spat of laughter from some of the people in line and Fia had to clench her mouth shut from not joining them. Kel Zhi made a swing just above her head and Fia reacted with an over-the-top scream that sent her crashing to the ground. Bryce fell to the ground with her but instead of crying, the child giggled and laughed.

Fia fumed inwardly. Too much damn roughhousing with Kel Zhi!

Fia quickly pinched the baby and his cry changed, becoming a scream, but it was one of annoyance rather than pain. He swatted his little arms back at her in protest, but she played dead, ignoring his little thumps of defiance on her chest.

“All appeared to be lost,” Jian Yi continued her monologue. “But then…!”

Rhi Dong stepped forward, shedding her robes.

She revealed a sheer white gown beneath and a head of golden hair.

“I Third Princess Lunalah have arrived to save this pitiful world!” she proclaimed and then raised a palm towards Tu’loc and Kel Zhi. “Be gone demons! Face the power of a child of the True Soul Emperor Yin Yee!”

Kel Zhi cried out in an over-the-top death cry. “Ahhh! Super cultivator powers! I am no match!”

She then performed a backflip that landed her flat on her face with a bam!

A few of the onlookers jerked back in shock.

Even Tu’loc had the same reaction, who all but forgot to quickly lie down and play dead next to her.

“Wow! Is she okay?” someone said.

But Kel Zhi continued to play dead, her axe clambering at her side.

Bryce continued to whine and cry, thumping on her chest.

“The brave princess Lunalah saved our world,” Jian Yi orated and then gestured toward Fia. “But what a price did we pay. Who now will care for what remains?”

“I shall!” Rhi Dong declared as Lunalah, and she reached down to scoop up Bryce in her arms. “I the great princess Lunalah shall raise this world from the ashes and make a new kingdom for the Yee.”

Rhi Dong paused in a dramatic fashion with Bryce in her arms, the baby now giggling again.

Master Hei Dong broke into applause, signaling the end of the pantomime and a few of the by standers joined in with lackluster claps and confused shrugs.

“Good job, everyone,” Jian Yi said and Fia picked herself off the ground to take a bow alongside Tu’lok and Kel Zhi.

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That got a few whistles but more from the ‘already’ Kel Zhi fans.

“So, what did you think?” Hei Dong said with a smile.

The guard paused a moment and then frowned. “Honestly. It could use some work. This the best troop you could find?”

“The Princess requested a troop from the Iron Bull’s home province,” Jian Yi said. “These here are all natives of Jurin.”

“Oh…” the guard said with a laugh. “No wonder. Anyway. Good luck to you.” He then handed Master Hei Dong back the papers before catching his sleeve. “Seriously though, I’d have them rehearse a few more times. It’s the core worlds you are headed to, not another backwater. People have standards.”

Hei Dong nodded obsequiously. “Yes, quite. Thanks for the tip.”

Fia breathed a sigh of both relief and embarrassment as they stepped towards the gate. She clutched Bryce to her and again feared for anything that might trigger the mark on his neck. Holding her breath, she stepped through with Kel Zhi and was engulfed in a kaleidoscope of colors.

In an instant it was over and she found herself in bright sunshine again.

The golden sphere of the Celestia Realm hung overhead and she swooned with nostalgia at being back upon the core worlds once again. Bryce gazed up at the glowing golden orb, cooing, reaching for it as if instinctively knowing it was not a true star.

“Move along,” an official said and Fia complied, rejoining her mother and father on the other side.

“See,” Rhi Dong said with a smile. “It all went well. Just as I said it would.”

“Yes, it was a wonderful plan, dear,” Hei Dong said and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “Brilliant and brilliantly executed. Despite what that guard said.”

That gave them both a laugh and Fia smiled to see her parents, even at their age, able to be so loving with one another. It made her long to be back with Max. To not just rekindle their love but to solidify it before the highest court in the realm.

“I would not go celebrating just yet,” Jian Yi said, bringing them all back to reality again. “The trial begins soon. And we have one more gate to get through.”

* * *

I stepped out of the Omni Gate and into my destiny.

It took a second for my eyes to adjust to the blaring white landscape of Luxor. The freezing cold hit me next, chilling me even through my elaborate Imperial Marshal robes. The sky above was a pristine blue and in the distance the rays of the celestial orb bathed the planet with light but no heat. Snow blanketed the ground below, a white plain that stretched for miles in all directions.

“This is it,” Ling Wei said. “The court of the High Council. And, as you can see, currently the center of the known world.”

I nodded appreciatively as she said the phrase. Ling Wei had met us at the starport, and after providing me with a fresh set of robes, escorted Blue Rose, Mal’Kira and I directly to the battlegrounds. Zin Tai had tagged along as well, but I made it clear to him that I had to get into combat mode and didn’t have time for any more of his incessant badgering.

For the last couple of days he had been trying to glean more information from all three of us, but I stuck with my story and fed him nothing but disappointment, which I’m sure only caused his suspicions to grow, but I had bigger things to worry about now.

“I shall join my colleagues in the third arena,” Zin Tai said with a formal bow. “I wish you all the best, Marshal. Perhaps when all this is over with, you could do me the honor of providing some glimpses of that shadow world via the brush.”

“Yeah, I’ll paint you a picture or two,” I said without committal. “Thanks for everything, Master Zin Tai.”

I gave a bow in return and he gave the same to Ling Wei before departing into the growing crowd. A wave of relief washed over me to not have to deal with him anymore. The looks from Blue Rose and Mal’Kira said they were feeling the same.

“Strange guy,” Blue Rose said. “But at least he helped out somewhat.”

I couldn’t disagree with that.

“Shall we?” Ling Wei said with an usher of her hand. “The princess wishes to see you before the trial begins.”

“Lead the way.”

We boarded a skiff that took off from the crowded platform housing the Omni Gate we had travelled through, to an even more crowded platform below. When Ling Wei said we were now at the center of the known world she wasn’t kidding. I’d been to massive stadiums before but this one was literally planet-sized. Five floating islands housed what had to be a million people on each and the noise of their commotion filled the air with a constant drone of life and vibrance. In between the platforms giant Qi-tablets, huge as buildings, displayed various activities going on about the stadium. An announcer’s voice boomed from what seemed like everywhere, hyping the crowd up with the action from a pre-trial tournament going on upon one of the platforms below.

We weaved through yachts and other high-end skiffs that were parked in VIP areas, ­other empresses and princesses perhaps. On the peripheral of the floating arena were no less than three battleships, hovering threateningly, but more for show than security I figured.

We headed for the lowest platform that was just a hundred feet or so above the surface that was set up just like a courtroom. A group of sixty or so officials in high-ranking Imperial robes sat overlooking the main court area and on a small floating dais above them, sat three even more official looking people, two men and a woman.

Our skiff touched down on the westernmost side of the small court platform where another entourage of imperial officials was assembled. As soon as I stepped off the skiff with Ling Wei a wall of lemonade hit me, seconds before a shrill squeal filled the air.

“Lunalah!”

The sharp rebuke came from the Empress Ravenah who shot a dagger filled stare at her daughter as she all but swooned at seeing me.

“This is your trial, not your betrothal. Settle yourself, girl!”

The words shut her mouth but did nothing to wipe the incessant smile from her face. After nearly six years she was everything I remembered her to be. Somewhat tall, blonde hair, too beautiful to be believed and 100% cringe inducing right off the bat.

I hid my chagrin with [Indifference] as I waded through the small contingent of imperial guards who all belonged to the empress by the looks of their royal insignia. I bowed to the empress first and she acknowledged me with a head nod.

“Congratulations on your victory, marshal,” she said. “You’ve accomplished the impossible, it seems.”

“Thank you.” I then gave a bow to the councilman, Jin Yoo Sai. “Greetings Admiral.”

He returned the bow. “I echo the empresses congratulations. The High Council is all set to grant you your title.” He then paused. “Pending the outcome of the trial, of course.”

I raised a brow at him. “What do you mean?”

“He went and told them to only give you your title after my trial,” Lunalah said, crossing her arms with a scowl. “Some nonsense about them changing the rules if you do.”

I looked back to the admiral questioningly.

“You’re already facing a Lesser Deity Realm cultivator due to your ranking as an Imperial Marshal. Can you imagine who they might put you up against if you were a Duke?”

I rolled the logic about in my head. Maybe it was a good thing I hadn’t ascended, after all.

Still, that wouldn’t make this fight any easier.

“It’s fine. I don’t need a fancy title to beat this crazy bitch.”

I need it to beat this other crazy bitch, I thought, staring at Lunalah.

All three of them blinked at me in shock, but Lunalah quickly laughed.

“That’s my Iron Bull. You show her.”

I nodded. “I should go get prepared for the match.”

“As should I,” Ling Wei said with a quick bow. “They will still want to have opening arguments before the Martial defense is raised.”

“No need.” Empress Revenah stopped her with a raise of her hand. “My own barrister will be representing my daughter in this matter.”

“Oh?” Ling Wei said, looking somewhat shocked and confused. “I’ve… spent the last two weeks preparing for this. I wasn’t made aware you wished to change counsel, princess.”

“Why should you have been made aware?” Lunalah snapped. “You think just because I had to send you to some backwater prison trial that you can now represent me before the High Council? How presumptuous of you!”

She burst into a cackle laugh and her mother joined in.

“The arrogance of this one, I swear!” Lunalah said with a guffaw. “Absurd! She’s not even a real barrister!”

As they continued to laugh my blood and Frenzy boiled. Ling Wei gave a half-hearted chuckle with them, trying to save what little face she had left, but the way her crestfallen eyes fell towards the ground, ripped my soul apart.

Evil bitches.

I wanted to kill Lunalah and her damn mom.

But now was not the time.

“She was real enough when it counted,” I said. “Let’s not forget who brokered this whole deal for you.”

That shut them up quick-like, perhaps helped somewhat by my healthy dose of [Struggler’s Resolve] and [Fear the Flame]. Ling Wei glanced up at me with a faint but appreciative smile. An uncomfortable silence fell, broken when Lunalah released a haughty scoff.

“Well then, perhaps she needs a task more fitting of her true station so that she does not get confused of her place in the future.” Lunalah leveled her eyes at Ling Wei. “This weather chills me, Ling Wei. Fetch me another overcoat from the resort back on Yee Guo.”

The look of despair in Ling Wei’s eyes broke my heart a second time.

Belittling her like that again.

As her countenance fell, I felt like punching Lunalah’s head off.

But I cultivated my internal rage instead.

Don’t worry Ling Wei, I said internally, wishing she could hear me. Your bitch of a boss is going to get her comeuppance in the worse way possible.

As soon as this match was done and she went to make her big announcement, her entire world was going to come crashing down.

The thought made me smile, but I suppressed it with [Indifference] and gave a reassuring pat on Ling Wei’s shoulder as she left, instead. I redoubled my vow to avenge her for Lunalah’s mistreatment when the time came, but to do that I had to pray the other side of my plan had come through as well.

“Let us acquaint you with my daughter’s new counsel,” Revenah said. “The trial is soon to begin.”

“That means I must take my leave as well,” Jin Yoo Sai said. “I shall be watching from the High Council stands. I will make the proclamation of your new Title as soon as you are victorious, Iron Marshal.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“We’ll be in the stands as well,” Blue Rose said. “Let’s go, Mal. He’s got this.”

As they all departed, Lunalah slinked up next to me and casually looped her arm within mine.

“So close now, my love,” she whispered, the heat of her breath on my ear causing my stomach to curl. “My loins have burned for you. One match and you are finally mine.”

I resisted the urge to Judo-throw her off my arm as we proceeded towards the trial area, with her mother leading the way. It was like some nightmarish premonition of the wedding procession I’d have to endure if things did not go as planned.

I looked out at the massive crowd, the millions of people screaming and cheering.

Wondering if the one person I needed the most was already somewhere out there now.

Please be here, Fia…

I thought of my pledge to Ling Wei, the need to finally break free of my shackles from this psychotic family and to finally stand as my own man, with my own title.

My own land.

But none of it could happen, if she wasn’t here.

Please, Fia…I thought again.

Be here when the time comes.