aTunde woke up from his deep slumber as the early morning winds blew, a shiver running through his body as well as the notification of a message on his Ark screen. Rubbing his eyes gently, he opened the message.
[sky vessel departs in an hour, get here with Elyria] it read.
Having no doubt of its sender even as he checked to confirm it was from the elder, he glanced at the thick animal hide coat that had been left in his tent, either by Elyria or someone else. Grabbing and wearing it, he stepped out into the chilly rocky wastelands, rubbing his hands together as his breath chilled, Tunde wondered how a desert wasteland could be as cold as the frozen season in Crystalreach. Walking towards the low burning fire where Elyria, Harun, and Giselle had gathered, he waved at them, cracking his neck with an audible sigh of relief.
“You look a whole lot better” Elyria commented, handing him a wooden mug filled with a greyish liquid Tunde stared at dubiously.
“Fermented haze tree sap, good to clear the mind in the morning,” Harun said, noticing Tunde’s look.
Taking a sip, his eyes bulged as his senses felt overloaded, coughing and spitting even as the rest laughed at him, a few disciples chuckling in the distance as they packed their things, Elyria rolled her eyes at him.
“What is this vile substance?” Tunde asked.
“I told you, haze tree sap” Harun replied in a chuckle.
“Well, how can it be this bad?” Tunde asked again as he spat out some more, dropping the cup.
“Now you know why it clears the mind and detoxifies the body from Ethra poisoning” Elyria replied.
“Which is necessary seeing as we’ve been swallowing elixirs and pills like nobody’s business” she added.
Cleaning his mouth with the back of his hand, he spoke.
“Elder Joran wants us back at black rock in an hour,” he said.
“I know, got the message too, we’ll go ahead of Harun and Giselle while they take the rest back at to the rock steadily, we can’t afford to miss the vessel,” she said.
Tunde nodded, a few minutes later and he was saying his goodbyes to Harun and Giselle as they began their journey back to the black rock. Tearing across the landscape, only pausing when they were attacked by creatures of the wasteland’s borders. Half an hour later they arrived at the rock, marveling at the wooden cast of what was to be a large wall surrounding the rock itself being already worked on. The two disciples at the makeshift gate both with swords at their hips bowed as they got closer.
“High ranker Tunde and Elyria, welcome back,” they both said.
Tunde nodded as Elyria stared at the wooden framework that had gone as high as possible.
“where’s the elder?” Tunde asked.
“Over at the meditation hole, we were instructed to inform you to make all haste there,” one said.
Tunde nodded, he and Elyria passed through to stare at a whole new setting, eyes wide.
“We were gone for a night, right?” Elyria asked as if not believing her eyes.
All around where rocks had been was a smoothened and cleared landscape, interlocking rocks placed systematically by initiate ranked rock cultivators in their hundreds, wood Ethra users as well as blade Ethra users of initiate rank cutting and moving.
“I believe so, not sure how this all was possible” Tunde breathed out.
He caught sight of a man in the distance with a large scroll, four people at his side as they pored over it.
“Not unless you have the might of an entire pavilion behind you though” he added, pointing at the man in the distance.
Dressed in no doubt expensive clothing of silk grey and white robes, rings adorning his fingers, and hair packed tightly from the middle of his head backward, Tunde stared at Baron Dale of the golden pavilion. Moving towards the man who looked up at that moment, a wide smile on his face as he paused the man explaining something to him, he spoke.
“Ah, greetings, high ranker Tunde dark fist,” he said.
Tunde bowed at the waist to him, Elyria as well.
“I greet the head of the golden pavilion” he replied.
“And with lady Elyria of the argent rose as well, it is indeed an honor to be in the presence of two esteemed rankers of the clan,” he said.
“It is our honor Baron” Elyria responded.
“As you’re no doubt wondering, the golden pavilion has secured the rights to be the constructors of the black rock itself, you can be rest assured that this will be a beauty as well as deadly home to the members of house Dark Fist,” Dale said.
“Pardon me, baron Dale” Tunde started.
“But where would we see the resources to pay you for all these?” Tunde asked.
Looking around again, he saw the structures being hastily put up, the large black rocks that had been chipped from the rocking around and shaped into perfect blocks, and was that a cultivation garden being planted in the distance?.
Baron Dale laughed, eyes alight as he drew their attention back to him, the people at his side smiling.
“The venerable elder is a man of vision, one I’m surprised the clan leaders saw too late,” Dale said.
“I do not understand,” Tunde said.
“This entire area, from the mines to the wastelands itself is gearing up to be a nexus point zone from the calculations of my people, the surge would hasten it, this means that not only would the surge tear open numerous rifts from here to the shores of the continent itself,” Dale said.
“But the creatures of the wastelands would multiply in their hundreds,” Elyria said, eyes wide open.
“won’t that be a disaster?” Tunde asked.
He could imagine the thousands of hordes of creatures bearing down at the citadel itself and couldn’t help but wonder if they hadn’t fallen into the trap of the clan itself, a way to eradicate the house.
“As I said, the elder has assured us that by the time the surge shifts into full strength, he would be a lord, and a lord here is all that we need to ensure the safety of the citadel, along with the high-grade Ethra cannons and weapons he has bought through my pavilion, a true businessman!” Dale praised.
Tunde shared a look with Elyria who said nothing.
“So we’re paying you in advance?” he asked.
“Indeed!” Dale said.
“Then pardon me again, but just exactly how much do we owe the golden pavilion?” he asked.
“a few million lumens, nothing much,” the voice of Elder Joran said from behind them as they turned and bowed.
“It is just as the venerable elder has said, a few million, nothing more,” Dale said.
“And as well as the discounted war sky vessel as well?” Dale asked hesitantly as Elyria’s neck snapped upwards in shock, elder Joran sighing.
Tunde looked confused.
“That was meant as a surprise for my student, Baron Dale” Joran said with a smile.
Tunde noticed the elder had abandoned his dark green robes for a black robe with a silver wolf at its back, the colors of house dark fist. Elyria chewed her lips hesitantly; Tunde knew that look to be one of reproach even as he turned back to the elder.
“Come, we must be on our way, I trust we leave black rock in your very capable hands, Baron Dale?” the elder asked.
The merchant bowed at the waist.
“of course, venerable elder” he replied.
“Oh, one moment,” Tunde said as he opened his void ring, dropping the still smoldering remains of the mid-tier 3 flame bird as well as the tier 3 flame guardian core.
“How much for both of these?” he asked the baron.
Dale stared slack jawed at the core and body before jumping and slapping the people close to him bellowing orders.
“Containment gourd, now!” he shouted.
Turning to Tunde, he spoke with eyes filled with greed.
“Are you selling it for the house or personally?” he asked as a man at his side produced a large gourd from his void ring.
“Personally, only items and resources harvested specifically for the clan should go to you, and the first harvests are on their way already, as per our agreement of course,” Joran said, stepping in.
“of course, venerable elder,” Dale said as he continued.
“The body of a mid-tier 3 flame bird goes for four hundred thousand lumens, the core goes for half its price, two hundred, total will be six hundred thousand lumens,” Dale said.
Tunde’s eyes widened at the amount, nodding hastily.
“Then I would like to purchase a few elixirs and items,” he said.
Two hundred lumens lighter later and Tunde had a void ring filled with elixirs of healing, endurance, pure Ethra, and some food items. It appeared that the pavilion had moved a significant amount of their stocks from jade peak itself to black rock in preparation for their long stay, leaving with the elder and Elyria as they made their way to what was slowly being referred to as the meditation hole. Elyria had maintained a cold silence, saying nothing even as Tunde watched the constructions happening all around him.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Will we meet up with the clan when we get there?” he asked.
“No, we will catch up to them along the way, the mountain sects and Acacia clan have dug in with their fortress, waiting for our invasion” Joran replied.
“Why haven’t they entered the rift by now?” Tunde asked.
“Because they need the strength of the Acacia clan to hold the fortress from our forces as well, the mountain sects have been burnt once for their betrayal,” Joran said.
“To face us again without those whom they’ve thrown their weight in with would lead to the total destruction of the sects, something I’m sure the clan will look forward to nevertheless” he completed.
“The Acacia girl is protected by a lord, if he’s with her we’ll need one of the lords of the clan with us as well,” Elyria said, speaking up for the first time.
Missing her one metal arm she had disposed of, something about it being tainted with rust, Tunde turned to her, wondering what had dampened her mood.
“Lord Alaric comes along for the journey as well as the other adepts of the clan as well, we should be fine with them,” Joran said.
“As fine as anyone can be within battle” Joran added.
The war vessel was as large as the vessel that had ferried him to Jade Peak the first time, coated in black, it sported large cannons that poked out of the vessel itself, the people on board scrambling about as they sighted them. Tunde watched the lower half of the vessel split open seamlessly to admit them in, the trio coming to a stop within the spatially large inner of the ship.
“These are only built within the technocracy; they would be worth millions of lumens” Elyria observed.
"Nothing like a forward payment plan, don’t you think?” elder Joran said as he moved forward.
Tunde was about to move when Elyria held his wrists, stopping him as she glanced at him.
[this isn’t right] she wrote through Ark.
[what isn’t?] Tunde replied.
[this, the vessel, why carry a war vessel to meet up with the clan?] she asked.
[for protection I guess?] Tunde replied hesitantly.
Elyria shook her head.
[there’s a limit the flaunting of his strength will go in the eyes of the clan] she said.
Tunde gave no response, nodding at her as they met up with the elder, going to the upper decks through a series of wooden stairs, watching as the vessel shuddered as it powered to life and began to rise into the air. Watching the true scope of the walls of black rock as they ascended into the clouds, Tunde turned to the elder who sat on the wooden deck, legs folded along with his arms as well.
“Elyria, perhaps you can enlighten us on just what we’re walking into,” he said.
Elyria nodded, sitting on the wooden floor as a large burly man with a shaggy beard walked up to them, bowing first at the elder and then at them.
“Greetings, venerable elder” he started.
“We will meet up with the clan’s forces above the sacred training forests just at the border with the three mountain sects,” he said.
“Everyone, meet Hajan, first-time captain of this vessel, which, I haven’t named by the way,” Joran said.
“The black swan,” Hajan said.
They all stared at him.
“What?” Elyria said.
“The name of this vessel, by the elder’s leave of course, I would like the honor to call it the black swan,” Hajan said.
Elder Joran sighed.
“We will discuss this at a later date” he replied.
Hajan bowed, bowed once again at Tunde before leaving, his uneven gait taking him across the wooden floors toward wherever he was going. Elyria turned back to them.
“The mountain sects comprise three individual sects” she started.
“The Stoneheart sect, the Cloudsoar sect, and the Emberpeak sect, each predominantly versed in the Ethra affinity that embodies their name” she continued.
“Of the three, only the Stoneheart sect has a lord left, and from what I was able to gather, too injured to put up any form of meaningful resistance,” she said.
“You know of these sects?” Tunde asked curiously.
Elyria nodded.
“While you were on your mission to go face the Corespawn horde, I and Thorne were ordered to scout the sects and do as much damage as we could possibly do before the clan came, we just didn’t expect to face other parties as well,” Elyria said grimly.
“The Acacia clan” elder Joran said.
Tunde hadn’t heard of this mission, perhaps that was why the clan had allowed Thorne to come see him?.
“It was the deal I made with the clan, if we did it for them, then Thorne would be given his freedom,” Elyria said.
“Then why isn’t he free?” Tunde asked.
“The revenants happened” she replied.
“With the presence of the revenants during the horde subjugation, the risk that Thorne could somehow be linked to it was too much to overlook,” Elder Joran said.
“So they locked him up back?” Tunde asked incredulously.
“Better locked up than dead, don’t you think?” the elder said.
Tunde glanced at Elyria who stared back at him.
“And you’re fine with that?” he asked.
“You assume we have some leverage over the clan, we don’t we’re completely at their mercies, you and I, isn’t that right, venerable elder?” she asked.
Elder Joran gave a tight smile.
“With strength comes freedom and in this case, leverage” he replied.
Tunde pursed his lips.
“The Acacia clan came along with nine war-class sky vessels, I and Thorne managed to destroy one and severely cripple another, so seven fully functional war-class vessels,” she said.
“Along with a literal fortress made out of both rock and ice affinities, an entire army of disciples and initiates, three adepts, and a lord” she recited.
Tunde felt a chill go down his spine.
“that’s a lot,” he said.
“Indeed, and the reason why the clan is taking along almost all the house’s disciples as well as adepts to counter,” Joran said.
“However, my concern is the clan’s heir, lady Zehra,” Elyria said.
“The Acacia clan is a predominantly water affinity clan, their clan head, the water serpent himself, rumored to be descended from the ocean dwellers of Adamath’s seas,” Joran said.
“However, a particular miracle as the clan called it appeared within their bloodline, a natural-born ice cultivator, and the heir to the sea serpent himself, lady Zehra” he continued.
“Unprecedented but giving them a legitimate claim to the ruling clan of the ice kingdom of the Ironthorn continent, it allowed them minimal access to a few secret cultivation techniques sent as honorary members of the clan solely for the heiress’s sake” he completed.
“What grade of techniques are we talking about here?” Elyria asked.
Elder Joran turned to Tunde.
“Techniques are broken down into five distinct grades just in case you’re unaware,” he said.
Tunde scratched the back of his bald head awkwardly.
“I was getting to that in my learning” he replied.
The elder gave a dubious grunt before continuing.
“They are low, mid, high, top, and peak grades respectively,” he said.
“While the Acacia clan might be a distant blood relative to the ice kingdom, intel suggests her strength is on par with those of the Scions of the high-ranking branch families, and as such, was bestowed a high-grade cultivation technique as well as the second-best cycling method of the ice kingdom” he explained.
“Well, that explains why we could hardly faze her,” Elyria said as they both turned to her.
“Thorne’s an adept, a freakishly good fighter if I do say so, and yet, her defensive imbuement techniques ensured no harm was done to her specifically, only layers of ice skin that even I could hardly breakthrough, and that were the few seconds before her lord guardian stepped in and we had to retreat or lose our lives,” she said.
Exhaling gently, she ran her hand through her hair.
“But with Rhyn, Sorin, and Shiro around, I believe we can keep her occupied, assuming lord Alaric keeps the guardian off us” she explained.
“Lady Zehra of the frozen blade style might be a prodigy of the Acacia bloodline, but even she will have her limits, notwithstanding, Tunde” Joran called as Tunde faced him.
“Under no circumstances should you fight her head on if you see her” he ordered as Tunde scrunched his face together.
This was the first time the elder would tell him not to run head first into danger.
“No doubt, the heavens would be cruel and you could somehow find yourself going up against her, you must realize that unlike the Verdan clan, clan Acacia has poured all their resources into a single adept, she’s their pride and joy and as rumors have it, to be betrothed to one of the stronger branch families of the ice kingdom” he explained.
“Meaning not only will she surpass all your expectations, but there will also be no duel, no rules, she will come for you as an enemy of clan Acacia and while you’re undoubtedly strong my student, you’re not ready to face the biting edge of the frozen blade style,” he said.
Tunde said nothing, simply staring at the elder who sighed.
“Elyria, explain” he ordered.
She turned to him.
“It would take Rhyn, the first ranker, you, Sorin the third ranker, and Shiro the now returned fourth ranker combined to even consider bringing her down” she explained.
Tunde simply stood up, turning as he stared at the clouds going past them.
“Thalas, what rank is he?” he asked.
“Till he challenges for a duel, he’s officially off the rankings,” Joran said.
“My victory, was it luck?” he asked.
Elder Joran gave no response for a few seconds.
“Do you believe so?” he replied.
“I thought as much,” Tunde said softly, turning to Elyria.
He bowed a little.
“Please, if you would be kind, I would need your guidance in training,” he said, head bowed.
“Tunde, what are you- “
“Back in the wastelands,” he said as he cut her off.
“You said I was too weak to spar with you, do you still think so?” he asked, his voice silent but filled with intent.
Elyria pursed her lips, turning to the elder who gave a fraction of a nod.
“What is your aim?” Joran asked.
“You said we’d need to combine four of clan Verdan’s strongest disciples to face her, I intend to keep reducing the number” he replied as he got up and began walking back inside the vessel.
Elyria stood up with a sigh.
“don’t go easy on him,” Joran said.
“I couldn’t even if I wanted to, you’ve bred an unrelenting beast” she responded.
********************************
The fortress stood right in the middle of the canyon, protected by large rock formations that shielded it from the worst of attacks, a place picked by the three mountain sects. It hadn’t stopped the merciless spear from tearing them from their roots, pushing them farther than the tier 4 rift itself, losing two lords along the way. Even till now, scars of the battle lined the landscape for as far as the eyes could see, the smoking ruins of their former sect bases still lay crumbled as a testament to the ruthlessness of the Verdan clan.
The fortress had been built to overlook the smoky ruins, the three citadels built in close proximities to each other as a sign of the combined strengths of the sects ironically acting as their downfall, a lesson they learned the hard way. Still, when clan Acacia arrived, it had taken them a few hours of dedicated craftsmanship to show the rural sects just what an impregnable defense was. A hexagonal-shaped fortress built with inlaid cannons and traps, a few dozen disciples who wanted the honor of accompanying the heiress on her journey of advancement as well as the three adepts of the clan and lord Akero himself.
Still, to her surprise, two rankers had managed to sneak into the vicinity of the fortress, get to the war vessels, and manage to destroy one before retreating. They had escaped by the hair of their teeth, but Zehra had seen a technique used by the male one, a filthy disgusting thing that left them with the horrific realization that they might not be the only one gunning for the tier 4 rift crystal.
A revenant.
The thought was as preposterous as it was infuriating, lord Akero, close to ordering a complete retreat back to their territory, let the sects and hegemons willing, clan Verdan deal with them. She had refused the order, contacting her father who was in line with her, a tier 4 rift crystal, no matter the affinity was too good a prize to give up on.
And it was so that she sat within her ice chambers, two peak-rank disciples of the clan garbed in thick animal hides sat next to her, eyes closed as they cycled, trying to gather as much water as they could from the frozen realm that was the cycling chamber itself. A gift from her betrothed all the way from the Ironthorn continent, it had taken a staggering number of lumens to transport through nexus key, enough to buy clan Acacia ten times over, and those were minus the resources as well.
It had come along with advancement pills that could take her to the peak of lord rank in ice affinity, a couple of sword affinity Ethra, and pills added as well, but her father had refused her using them. The sea serpent wouldn’t throw his daughter at the mercies of some distant kingdom despite the opportunities opened for them, she would earn her advancement the hard way, and for once, Zehra agreed.
Still, he had allowed her access to the high-grade projection technique bestowed upon her. Even now, she struggled to assimilate it, the crystal it had been etched into now lying shattered at her front as she continued cycling, twitching gently. One finger twitched and the ice around her began to swirl in a miniature blizzard, sharp icicles forming as she felt the door to the meditation chamber open and she reflexively released the technique.
A male voice chuckled even as she opened her eyes, seeing the large form of lord Akero crushing razor-sharp icicles in his palms, a broad smile on his face even as Zehra sighed.
“Good, good lady Zehra,” he said, his soft voice betraying the raw power within him.
The two disciples behind her bowed with their heads to the ground, staying motionless even as the frost no doubt affected them.
“rise” he ordered.
They did so wordlessly, taking their place back as sentinels, willing to give their lives for hers, a great honor for a member of the low-ranking families of the clan.
“Is it time?” she asked, piercing icy blue eyes staring at the lord.
Garbed in the dark blue robes of clan Acacia, the lord folded his hands with a grin on his face.
“Soon, the rift has almost reached peak conditions, eager to leave the shell of adept rank?” he asked.
She cracked her neck as she stood up, grabbing her blade and sheathing it.
“The earlier the better, are the sects ready?” she asked.
White hair neatly packed with a golden hairpin lay on her head, her armless robe fluttering in the gentle winds.
“I could care less, we do them a great favor, however, we have news of activities from our neighbors, clan Verdan has begun to move,” he said.
“And is he with them?” she asked.
The lord glanced at her.
“You believe the rumors?” he asked.
Zehra shrugged with a smile.
“It is curious, I for one would like to meet this ranker, see if he’s truly worth his advancement” she replied.
“And what about Rhyn?” she asked.
Zehra frowned, saying nothing as she stepped out of the spatial meditation chamber and into the dimming sunlight, staring at the rift in the middle of the fortress as it kept pulsing with power, drawing in Ethra around them.
“he’ll be handled, the dark wolf though,” she said, leaving her words hanging.