Far to the south, well beyond the forest and near the sea
“You do understand that this isn’t a negotiation,” Serhmy said. The patriarch of the Roaringstorm clan never let the gaze of his dark brown eyes move from Madix.
If flames could come roaring out from the glowing red eyes that shook with rage, Madix would have almost considered it, except for the knowledge that death would befall him here.
“The pretense was a discussion and negotiating an alliance for the coming months. Not requiring me to submit to every demand you make.”
Laughter echoed across the deck of his ship, and the other air cultivators present for this discussion joined in with their patriarch.
Every cultivator from the Firelance clan in attendance bristled with indignation, shifting slightly, prepared for whatever their patriarch might ask of them.
Crow, the infamous son of Madix, known for his razor-sharp mind and piercing gaze, was dressed in his customary black attire, a live bird from whence his nickname came, perched on his shoulder. Leaning in, he whispered something into his father’s ear, his words carrying the weight of reason and logic that always seemed to command respect.
Madix’s scowl faded slightly as he listened to the wisdom that never seemed to fail to come from his favorite son's lips. His demeanor changed instantly, and the laughter quieted down from the blowhards as they saw the man take a neutral stance.
“Very well. It seems that I may have been hasty in my words, and we often know my temper has a way of boiling over and erupting like a volcano. We will send what you have asked.”
A smirk appeared on Serhmy’s face, and the man motioned his hand for one of his sons to come forward.
“Luca shall accompany you. I expect him and the items we require back in less than two weeks.”
With those words spoken, Serhmy rose from his ornate throne, carved from the bones of sea creatures the Roaringstorm clan had killed for generations. His long brown hair flittered in the wind of the ocean air, spilling around both shoulders.
“I look forward to our journey together in the tower. May this deal help both of us advance through it and into the next plane,” Madix replied, his tone shifting from the storm it had been to a much calmer one.
Without waiting, Serhmy turned and moved away, using his chi to walk on steps of air that lifted him from the deck they were on toward another ship further out on the sea.
“I will guide you all back to your lodgings,” Luca said as Serhmy's youngest son came toward them. His skin was pale compared to most of the other air cultivators. Rumor had said that his mother had come across the sea. His narrow facial bones, black hair, black eyes, and pale skin didn’t match the typical sturdier sea people.
A hand on Madix’s shoulder from his son calmed the fire inside again, allowing the child, who could be in his early twenties, to lead them across the ship and toward the walkway.
“Two months, father. Then, you can find the revenge you seek when you have advanced. Their wind will do nothing but blow away the smoke of the destruction you bring.”
Teeth appeared as the hairless face cracked a rare smile. Crow was right. Madix would rain down brimstone, making the fool for considering the slight he had made.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
High atop a mountain to the far west.
A young man, Kae, stood under the arches, unable to let his smile go away. Standing across from him was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. Her blue eyes and blond hair couldn’t match her perfectly made smile and toned body, which showed a fraction of the power she contained.
While he wasn’t a slouch, having a physique he considered better than most, the marriage his father had secured for him was impossible to imagine.
For over ten years, the two of them played, worked together, and hunted across the mountains and forest. Their fathers' unique location and pact let them live without fear or hatred of a different cultivator. Their marriage had been agreed upon ages ago, and both knew what was riding on it.
Actus had forged a deal with his lifelong friend, Zogarth, and made a bold move, uniting his most promising son with Zogarth’s most promising daughter, Samantha.
The union of the lightning and metal cultivators would bring about a shift in power they had discussed for a hundred years. Neither wanted to continue the foolish ambition they saw the other patriarchs undertaking. Lives were wasted, lands were ravaged, and with the tower coming soon, the problems would only have to be hastened.
“They do make a lovely pair,” Zogarth said, his metallic suit shimmering in the evening sun. Samantha is excited to see this day finally come. She told her mother and me it seems like we introduced them for the first time yesterday.”
Grinning, Actus gave his friend a pat on the back.
“I don’t think Kae slept a wink last night. Those two have been playing for a decade, and he has resisted doing anything you might deem inappropriate in the last few years, lest you shoot him with that famed bow of yours.”
Both of them laughed quietly, hushing when their wives shot each of them a look.
The mystic was binding their hands with a metallic thread infused with lightning. Kae and Samantha infused the metal with a part of them, feeling the touch of the other's chi as their hearts and souls were linked together.
“Do you two understand the decision you are making?”
Samantha broke her gaze with Kae, her yellow eyes taking in the sight of the mystic, who had to be two centuries old. His face had the smallest patch of a white beard, while his bald head wore a sacred covering.
“I do. I freely give myself, my heart, my soul to him.”
Kae repeated the act, turning his gaze to the mystic and nodding once.
“My body, soul, and heart belong to her.”
A wide grin appeared, and the elder took their bound hands and held them between his. His chi began to flow, and both couples felt the sensation of the metal moving. It slid down their arm and wrist, coming to move to their fingers. Rings formed, and when the mystic finished his movement, each wore a matching ring, a white metal band with a hammer, and a bolt of lightning crossed on it.
“In the eyes of the heavens, you two are now one.”
With those words, a rain of rice flew from the onlookers, and cheers broke out as they each shielded their eyes, leaning forward and kissing each other.
As the celebration began in earnest, with people coming forward to wish them good tidings, Zogarth motioned to an area slightly further away.
“Are you certain you still want to risk your life and venture into the tower? You and I know the ordeal will not be easy, and our spies have shared what is happening in our world. Power is shifting.”
Actus frowned but nodded.
“You and I both know we are ready to advance to the next plane. You have reached the ninth stage, leaving everyone else behind, and have been there for so long. None have known because you keep it a secret. I am weeks away, but if we do not go, someone else will achieve this power, and we both know that cannot happen.”
Actus pulled a tiny book out from his robe and opened it, pointing to a list of names written on it.
“None of these are ready to achieve the level we have, and if we do not stop them, they will surpass us in time. Do we really need another Will Wright? His cultivation power was beyond anything the heavens had ever seen before. His son Lindon changed everything as we knew it. Who knows where that boy is now and what realms he has overcome?”
Sighing, Zogarth started to chuckle.
“That Dinniman was the last one to complete the tower, and we both know the world has not been the same since he moved on. You or I must take the next step, and the children we leave behind will follow. We both know there is no greater power than a dad who reads bedtime stories to their children, sharing with them a vision of the future and of things to come.”
Actus roared with laughter at that statement and felt the glare coming from his wife.
“We need to return to this party, or I fear we shall not get a chance to enter the tower. Our wives may end us before then in our sleep.”
As they prepared to move to join the wedding celebration, movement in Actus’s vision stopped him from where he stood. Zogarth turned and followed the man's gaze, and each frowned when they saw their mentor, Rhett, walking toward them.
“Your face looks like you ate something sour,” Actus said.
Grunting, the man, older than both of them and far richer than either though he had no clan of his own, nodded. Running his hand through his hair, he frowned.
“It appears that bastard Serhmy has reached the next stage. He is coming for us all.”
Zogarth cursed something not worthy to be recorded or written down, such a horror of words a child might die by merely hearing them.
“That big sneaky–”
“Father!” Kae called out, cutting him off. “Mother said it's time! You need to come give me your blessing!”
All three men smiled instantly, hiding the horror of their hearts. A storm was brewing, and things were going to get far worse in the race for the heavens.