System Break

The adepts and protectors ran off into the distance. 

Ying shifted nervously and he saw a flick of the head from Sakaala. "We'll be off I guess. There's much to do and only nine of us left standing. Will you come see us in the city?"

Sakaala said, "We will." She had been to their guildhall on her way from Dawnharbour to the Dokkalfar stronghold.

The whitecloaks took their cue to leave and gave courteous goodbyes.

Brione was to my right and Peppin to my left. The conversation had risen to tense and then down again after Brione sent their companions away.

"We are now alone and can speak freely," Brione said.

Sakaala came to stand by my side while Gisael appeared disinterested. It was a ruse; she was ready to fight in an instant.

Sakaala's eyes narrowed. "Why, were you putting on a show before?"

Brione looked at his daughter then at me. "It is not good to let the gifted know you can sense qi. It is a secret we'd like kept amongst other things."

"What other things?"

Peppin huffed. "The scum bag Duke starves us of qi. He hoards it all like he can take it to the next life."

I stifled a laugh. If she wasn't angry at me she was at the duke. The fact he was a lecherous greedy scum bag made it easy to quell my mirth. The last thing I wanted was to be in the same category as him.

Brione frowned. "Peppin if you cannot control your tongue I will send you away as well." Then he turned to me. "If our secrets cannot be kept we will be forced to take action. That is something I'd wish to avoid."

I walked down the hill, picked up the humungous core and rested it on my shoulder. My long arm barely reached to hold it in place, but it was much quicker and safer than rolling it. I began to walk towards the city. Their eyes were on me and they soon followed.

I nonchalantly said, "You should wish to avoid it. If I die, I come back like any adventurer. But if you die, you will dead as a door knob."

"Do you want to make a deal?" Sakaala said.

Brione quickened his step to keep up with my long stride. "We do not wish for anyone to find out our cores are low. It makes us vulnerable. Enemies would seek us out near and far."

I scoffed at the stupidity. "Then make your duke change," I said. "Peppin is young there is still time for her to grow a healthy core. As for your other protectors, well, that ship has sailed."

"Father," she spat. "Why are we treating with this … this … enough."

"Father?"

"She is my daughter."

I laughed so hard I had to stiffen my back. The core was finely balanced on my shoulder. When my laughter was under control I said, "No wonder she has no discipline."

My words were met with cold stares and a contrary reaction from Peppin.

"The duke knows he starves you of qi. Why would we give up this bargaining position?" Sakaala asked. I had to admit, she was damned smart too.

Brione was silent for a long time was he walked alongside. Peppin fumed and I walked along without a care in the world. Other than the gigantic qi core on my shoulder.

Brione sighed. "He knows but he does not understand. He thinks I whine and beg where there is no need. He is not one of us. What will you bargain for with him? I would rather support you than have him bargain for our secret."

Sakaala tilted her head and glanced at me. "What do we want?"

"I don't see why we can't bargain for the Reach and the whitecloaks to relocate there."

"What!?" Peppin could not control her mouth despite her father's firm hand on her shoulder. "Father this is too much - even for our secret."

"Don't be stupid," I said, and she turned a new shade of red. I swear steam was coming out of her ears. I chuckled it was actually quite enjoyable to tease her. "We will offer him the core."

Brione shook his head. "While its is a tremendous amount of qi it is not enough for the outpost in the north."

"That's where you'll support us, because that outpost would be dead already from this current portal storm. And now it's our people protecting it. He'll give it to us and at least get this core. Or he'll lose it anyway."

The gathered purple clouds darkened the land which made my claim easy to swallow. 

"He can send an adventurer guild north as you are suggesting,' Brione said.

"Not enough. Not with these portal storms. How often do you see one of those Gargscarabs?" 

"Never," Brione admitted.

Sakaala said, "Then the trade will be for you to suggest it. And we'll keep your secret even from our people."

Brione sighed. "We will honour this agreement, but if the Duke does not agree it is not our problem. Rest assured I'll do my best."

"We will honour it also," I said. 

"We will run ahead and inform the Duke as you suggested," Brione said and Peppin sighed.

I chuckled as they ran off towards the city.

"Do you have to flirt with every woman?" Sakaala said tersely.

"Was I flirting? I thought I was prodding her weakness."

She frowned. "You must know when you stand close to a woman you have an effect on them. You're nice to look at and have animal magnetism." She pointed to my stomach muscles. "Look at them."

"I can't I have to stand up straight or I'll drop this core."

She scoffed and looked away. "You're so mean to me and then you lather attention on the first pretty face we run into."

"What? Wasn't I mean to her?"

Sakaala seethed. "Don't talk to me." And she ran off.

"Weren't you talking to me?" I called after her.

Gisael chirped amusement.

"Don't you start."

She danced past me, free of the burden I was carrying. "I enjoy how you play with your prey."

"Prey, heh." I chuckled. "Don't ever change."

"You keep saying that Benzhi. I will not change. I am me." She inspected the core. "It is a lot to give away."

"Easier than carting it back north," I said.

She nodded. "We should visit the Qizhu. Loctris may be a place where we find some or passage to a place that does. If we keep killing monsters the size of the Gargscarab then we will need this artifact."

"I know.. but wait. What do you mean passage?"

"Loctris will have an airship. The people in Dawnharbour said so."

"Things just get crazier by the day. Explain to me about these airships."

"They fly in the sky. You will see when we visit Loctris."

I sighed. "I gathered they fly, but where too?"

"Other Islands," she said. "It is how people travelled before portals. It is how men came here."

"How many other islands are there?"

"I do not know. I have only come here from our old home and I have never been on an airship. We can learn more from the city folk in Loctris. I am not a good teacher on this subject."

The low walls of Salastria came into view. They were made of stone and they were only ten feet high. The city itself spread for miles; it was larger than Dawnharbour but not by much. A river ran through its centre and was brown by the time it reached the other side.

There was a smattering of trees throughout which was a nice change from Dawnharbour. Half the buildings were stone and the other timber. None were over four stories high except for the towers around the central castle.

Demon Bird flew over and we could make out its shape. It had several sides and eight towers along the walls altogether with different length walls in between.

Where the river exited the city there were some buildings and houses outside the walls. I asked Demon Bird to follow the river to see if it reached the sea. 

"I do not like cities," Gisael said as she peered at it.

"I'm not surprised. You are a tree girl after all."

She bared her teeth. "Do not play with me Benzhi. I am not prey."

I laughed. "No. You are definitely not prey."