Serena met the Princess's gaze and felt a cold dread seep into her bones and soul. A tightness coiled around her heart, caressing it as if finding amusement in its pounding beat. She tried to breathe, but the air had fled her lungs in fear. She tried to look away but could not. These were the eyes of a reaper devoid of any warmth, and to look away would spell death.
"Serena Blacktide." The Princess said, her voice no longer distorted by the mask, "You harvested cursed sap with this axe, harming a tree in the process, and then killed a devoted believer of the All-Seeing Eye and unlawfully turned them into a tree with the harvested cursed sap." Stella brought up the axe caked in black sap and blood and lightly ran its cold blade against Serena's neck, "This alone would be enough for a public execution..." Her voice dropped to a sadistic whisper, "We have to set an example, after all."
Every word made Serena tremble. This girl's bloodlust was terrifying.
"Yet somehow, you committed even more crimes." Stella stood up and loomed over her with axe in hand. Lightning flashed behind her, and the bone-chilling winds violently rustled her cloak and hair, "You almost killed a tournament participant in the Red Village and attempted murder on an Ashfallen Trading Company representative by giving him an egg that absorbed months' worth of profits. Serena Blacktide, do you agree this is a fair assessment of your crimes?"
"Yes..." Serena gulped as she felt the weight of death hanging over her. "Except what do you mean by almost killed?"
"The blonde-haired kid you tried to murder is still alive," The Princess smirked, "I saved him just in time."
"So that twerp didn't even die?" Serena looked at the ground in despair. Here she was, a Soul Fire Realm cultivator reduced to such a pitiful state. Unable to cycle Qi under the Princess's deathly glare, she was soaked to the bone by freezing rain. Her list of crimes was too extensive, so she knew death was coming, yet she couldn't help but be bittersweet about it.
There was so much I still wanted to do and see.
"Now tell me, Serena Blacktide, why did you want to kill the twerp anyways?" The Princess asked, and Serena could hear a series of clicking noises as the Darktide Devourer shifted its weight behind her.
"It's pointless now, but he had seen my face," Serena muttered, "I heard rumors that nobody could escape from the Ashfallen Sect, so instead of laying low and proceeding with the tournament or running straight away, I felt the need to cover my tracks by disposing of the few people that had seen me."
"What about Old Bill? What did he do?"
Serena smiled sadly, "He was sprouting nonsense, or so I thought, about the trees having eyes and that I shouldn't touch them. I wanted to cut off a little of the root encircling the tree as I sensed divine nature from it and thought it would make a good pill ingredient. I had no idea about this cursed sap. I simply had the axe in hand and killed the mortal for talking to me in such a tone."
"So you thought murder was the solution to all your problems?"
"I know, it was stupid. I was wrong and too prideful—" Serena paused as she felt the Princess put a hand on her shoulder. Trembling, she looked up and met the Princess's gaze.
"There's nothing wrong with using murder to solve your problems," Stella smiled eerily, "But if you're going to choose the path of murder, make sure you are the best murderer around. Else, you earn the ire of a true predator."
Despite her dire straits, Serena let a chuckle slip, "That's oddly insightful, Princess."
"It's a lesson that was beaten into me," Stella mused, "If not for my Father, ancestors, and friends, I would have been dead by now many times over. While murdering is a quick and easy solution to problems, I've learned that sometimes talking it out or running away is better." Stella patted her on the shoulder, "Sadly, you are learning these words of wisdom a little too late. Luckily, you will have eternity to contemplate this lesson."
Stella stepped back and turned to leave.
"Eternity?" Serena tilted her head. What does she mean by that?
"You have a rare affinity, right?"
Serena pondered for a second before nodding. "Yes, I have abyssal tide affinity." While her affinity wasn't anything unusual among the island nations, she hadn't met anyone with abyssal tide affinity on the mainland before.
"With Nox gone, there is a new job opening here in Ashfallen City," The Princess glanced over her shoulder. "However, you will be publicly executed tomorrow at the tournament before I give you your new job."
Serena was confused, "How can I work for you if I'm dead?"
The Princess smirked, "The trees have eyes."
Serena's eyes widened, and she glanced at the tree that had once been Old Bill. Was her soul going to be twisted into a tree? Were her crimes so dire that a swift death was too much? Not only was she to be publically executed, but even in death, she wouldn't be free from this terror?
"Don't worry; I'm merciful." Stella laughed as she continued on through the rain. "If you can beat your executioner tomorrow, we can consider lessening the punishment to eternal servitude while you're still alive." With a snap of her fingers, before Serena could react, white flames engulfed her. There was sudden absolute silence. The storm's roar, the freezing rain pinning her to the ground, and Stella's overwhelming bloodlust were all gone instantly.
Scrambling to her feet, Serena felt disoriented for a moment. There was nothing under her feet—just endless white in all directions. This must be where the Princess sent that mortal's skin and organs as he was peeled alive by white flames.
A distinct clicking noise behind her made her freeze. Slowly turning, she came face to face with the Princess's nightmarish pet—Guppy. Serena gulped and backed away, "I guess you're here to guard me?" She then realized that wasn't the monster's purpose for being here at all. She couldn't escape from here, so a guard was unnecessary. The Princess had simply sent her pet to accompany her as a sick joke.
Collapsing and curling into a ball, Serena hugged her legs and shivered. I wonder who my executioner is going to be? Will I even have a chance?
***
After telling the Redclaws the problem had been resolved and cleaning up the mess, Stella returned to Red Vine Peak before sunrise to check on the kid she had saved. While she had absolute faith in Sol's healing capabilities, Stella realized she had left the kid unattended while she had gone off.
Appearing near Ash in a flash of white, she saw the kid intently reading something while sitting near her bench but not on it. He clutched the parchment tightly in his hands as his eyes carefully scanned every line. He was so enthralled by whatever was written on the parchment that he failed to notice Stella even when she stood right over him.
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"What are you reading?" she asked, and the kid yelped in surprise.
"M-Master..." he said in shock as he looked at her face.
Stella wasn't wearing her jade mask anymore, but this wasn't the reaction she had expected. "Who are you calling Master? I only have one disciple, kid."
The blonde-haired boy gulped, "Right. I apologize, Grand Elder Stella. I'm not yet worthy to call you by such a title."
Stella reached down and pulled the parchment from the kid's hands. "Mudcloaks realm domination scripture." Stella raised her brow as she read the domineering title. She then looked down at the contents. It appeared to be a detailed step-by-step plan for conquering the nine realms, with goals such as 'harvest the souls of every origin' and 'establish outposts on the 8th layer of creation before the era of ascension.'
"What is this?"
"The secret to cultivation I was promised if I reached the top of the mountain!" The kid replied confidently.
"Top of the mountain?" Stella looked at the kid strangely but slowly matched the story with the kid's face. Although he had changed a lot since she last saw him, was this Sam? The mortal she gave a truffle to in the village? "Ah, right... who gave this to you?"
"A mysterious monster. He approached me through the rain. Told me I had great potential and handed me this profound scripture."
Stella gestured toward her knee, "Was this mysterious monster this high with big blue eyes."
Sam's eyes widened, "You know of him?!"
Stella shook her head in disbelief and returned the nonsense scripture to Sam. Either one of the Mudcloaks was playing a prank on the poor kid, or those little guys were utterly delusional.
"Yeah, I know of them." Stella smiled. Whether they were playing a prank or not, they had saved her a headache. The Ashfallen Sect's techniques were in the library, and she didn't want to bother Kaida. The kid seemed happy with this nonsense realm domination scripture, so who was she to judge. Just let the kid be happy and move on. Easier for everyone.
Sam carefully took back the parchment.
"I'll send you back to Red Village now."
"Thank you," Sam bowed, "I needed to leave here before the tree awakened from its slumber."
Stella gave the kid an odd look but was too tired to care. Snapping her fingers, Sam vanished in a flash of white. "What a strange kid." Yawning, Stella made her way over to the bench to lie down. It had been a long day.
***
The all-encompassing white vanished, and Serena's ears were assaulted with the deafening noise of a crowd cheer compared to the utter silence of her prison. Scrambling to her feet, the arena's sand stuck to her still-soaked cult cloak. There had been no warmth in her prison, and she didn't want to waste any of her Qi to force the water out. Dry clothes were not her priority right now; survival was.
Serena had seen how awful the process of turning into a tree had been. That was a finality. There was no coming back from that. But if she was made into an eternal slave? Who was to say what would happen. If Ashfallen fell to a stronger foe, she would be without a master and may one day be free.
While her soaked cloak and hair clung to her body, she stood there defiantly under the gazes of all. Before her, high above the arena floor, was a booth occupied by the leaders of Ashfallen. Nearly a dozen people, some of whom she recognized, such as the Redclaw Grand Elder and Grand Elder Diana, were flanking a single girl sitting on a throne and looking down at her with amusement. The Princess of the Ashfallen Sect.
Serena's gaze passed over the thousands of onlookers. Most seemed to be mortals, which made her skin crawl. If she were here to show off her skills in a tournament match, she wouldn't mind their gazes, but she wasn't here to show off. No, she was here to survive.
Stella didn't even stand from her throne. Instead, she gestured with her chin, and the demoness called Diana stepped up to address the arena.
"Citizens of Darklight City, Ashfallen City, and those who have traveled from afar to visit the Ashfallen Sect, today we have a special event." The demoness gestured to Serena, and she felt every gaze bore into her, "A few days ago, it came to our attention that someone had not only harmed the trees but gone a step further and murdered one of the All-Seeing Eye cult's devoted believers who tried to warn her against such actions. Such a crime is punishable by death."
A cheer echoed through the area, and Serena couldn't help but back up a few steps and glance around nervously.
Grand Elder Diana paused before continuing, "As you all know, the trees are a sacred part and extension of the Ashfallen Sect. They provide the citizens of the cities under our control with food, warmth, light, sanitation, and protection from the elements. Without them, far more of your friends and family would have died during this winter and especially this storm! Think back to a time before the Ashfallen Sect blessed the land with demonic trees. Darklight City reeked of human waste. The city was shrouded in darkness when night came, and everyone had to return home. There was no way for the hungry to have access to free food, and during the winter, many homeless would perish to the cold and elements. But these are also stories of the past. With the demonic trees, the quality of life for the average mortal has increased tremendously. Furthermore, you all now have an opportunity to become cultivators through the All-Seeing Eye!"
Everyone in the arena stood and began clapping toward the booth. The noise was deafening, and the people's energy was tremendous. Serena wasn't sure how much of what Grand Elder Diana said was true. Still, she had found Darklight and Ashfallen City surprisingly cleaner and better managed than other more 'developed' cities she had visited.
"While those days are in the past due to the Ashfallen Sect's grace," Grand Elder Diana raised her arms as if relishing in the applause, but her cold grey eyes were locked onto Serena as if casting judgment upon her. "Allow this public execution to remind you of the consequences. Do not harm the trees; your attempts will not go unnoticed as the trees have eyes."
"Praise the trees!"
"Praise the trees!"
"Praise the trees!"
"Praise the trees!"
A chant began throughout the crowd and got louder and louder. The most reverent were definitely the ones wearing the same cult cloaks as Serena.
Diana stepped back, and the Princess stopped resting her chin on her palm. Straightening her back with a sigh, she stood and came to the forefront of the booth. Stella was wearing the cult cloak of the All-Seeing Eye and had the hood down to reveal her face to the masses. The gentle breeze of this place played softly with her hair, and as she stood there wordlessly—the arena slowly descended into silence. Everyone seemed to eagerly anticipate what the Princess had to say, including Serena.
"I welcome the All-Seeing Eye to cast judgment upon Serena Blacktide," Stella said without raising her voice, yet her words reached all who listened. In unison, everyone looked at the illusionary sky, and Serena followed suit. Divine energy swirled up the pillars of the arena and arced into the sky like crackling lightning. The sky began to tear apart, and through the rift, a godly eye that stole Serena's breath away peered through. It was utterly incomprehensible. Both its sheer size and the weight of the gaze as it dwarfed all that dared to behold it.
***
Ashlock stared down through the rift with his Evil Eye as he wanted to get a good look at Serena Blacktide before she died. Stella had already caught him up on the situation. She was from some faraway island in the vast sea and had ignored the locals' warnings regarding harming the trees.
"Let's see," Ashlock mused as he peered deeply into her soul, uncaring of the mental torment he was likely causing the woman. "9th stage of the Soul Fire Realm, and what's this? It resembles water affinity but a rare variant like Diana's demonic mist. So this is what abyssal tide affinity looks like."
Ashlock was thankful that Stella managed to hold back from killing Serena just yet. He wanted to get a good look at what this affinity was capable of in a battle.
"Serena Blacktide, for your crimes against the Ashfallen Sect and your ruthless murder of a devoted member of the All-Seeing Eye, I sentence you to eternal servitude either in life or death to me. What will decide your fate is the result of this upcoming match. If you want to live and overcome fate, surpass your limits and win this challenge." Ashlock passed his judgment and withdrew his eye as Stella repeated his words to the crowd. "Stella, bring out her opponent."
***
Serena trembled as the eye in the sky looked away. Upon relaying the All-Seeing Eye's declaration, white flames wreathed Stella's hand. With a simple gesture, the grand gates to the arena were pulled apart, and Serena got a good look at who stood between her and the remaining human.
You have got to be kidding me.
Serena felt despair as an incredibly beautiful, short girl stepped into the arena with purposeful strides. Her eyes, like swirling galaxies, looked over the crowd while her hair, which was black as night, intertwined with streaks of blue and gold, floated behind her like a cape as a powerful aura crackled around her.
This girl was a person possessing the cosmic affinity that was deemed so lethal that even Stella had acknowledged the possibility that the light shields would be unable to resist the might of cosmic disintegration.
Her opponent was Celeste Starweaver.