XXXI

  Arrival

  Night came and went.

  Despite the lack of sun, the morning cold was bearable. More bearable than on the surface at least.

  My mouth opened wide at the sight of a disciple yawning.

  “Need an energy pill?” Rin stifled her own yawn as she leaned on the butt of her trident.

  A hairband kept her otherwise unruly hair in shape. The rest of her outfit was in the classic combat-style: fitting robes that had an opening at the bottom for freer movement.

  ‘Wouldn’t a tail or braids work better?’

  It’s how I kept my hair most of the time.

  “No thanks,” I said.

  “Good call,” Kiaya said.

  Kiran nodded. “You’ll be taking them all day to circumvent the energy dip.”

  The two were sitting opposite me in the grass, their outfits similar to what they were wearing during the gala.

  Someone shouted something I didn’t catch. Clusters of disciples moved towards the back of the castle after the echoes of the voice faded.

  Rin straightened and put away her weapon. “We should hurry unless we want to be squished by the masses.”

  “Did you get a look at their wares?” Kiaya appeared at her side.

  My gaze narrowed. I barely caught the blur of his movement.

  “Mostly gadgets,” Rin said, smoothing her own frown. “We’ll need them. Unless our herald has a cosy tent in that spatial ring of hers?”

  “I do not.”

  A sigh. “The Dawnflames really—” Rin trailed off.

  I glanced behind me. Kayle’s smile beamed whiter than the umbrella shielding her from the non-existent sun, her cape trailing behind her as it did during the gala. Duke was at her side and awkwardly rubbed the back of his skull.

  The reason for which must be the third member of the group.

  “Everyone,” Duke said. “allow me to introduce the newest addition, Leila.”

  Rin did a double take of the words over Leila’s head, glanced at us to see if she was hallucinating, then stated: “She’s lvl. 11. This isn’t a charity.”

  “I can hold my own,” Leila crossed her arms.

  She glared the twins down, daring them to speak up too. The two were either too bored or just didn’t care enough to do so. However, they did turn my way. Leila included.

  The sundancer’s stance loosened as our eyes locked.

  ‘She likely pestered Duke to join us.’

  And the boy had pulled a string to make it happen. However, even Duke was waiting for my response.

  Parts of the conversation Leila and I had with Judith flicked through my head. Her sly confidence was a long way from home. And the feelings she had for him, however shallow or deep they may be, were hanging by a thread from my mouth.

  ‘I was at the table.’

  The members present during the war council last night were whom most considered the leaders of the Orthodox Pillars inside the realm.

  And I was there.

  ‘There’s only one Pillar without an obvious heir,’ Duke said.

  It struck me then: the fact that other no longer considered me a random girl from a minor vassal clan. My words held weight, and should I want to, I could disrupt the future of many beneath me.

  I collected my breath. “Did Duke make you aware of the goals of this team? We won’t have the luxury of protecting you.”

  “…yes,” Leila said.

  I allowed a moment to pass.

  “Welcome aboard.” I headed towards the back of the castle.

  Rin was right; this wasn’t a charity. Some of us would die before the Tomb was over.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Why would I gainsay one more who wanted to risk their skin?

  Raven was waiting for us outside the shop. His sun motives were not those of the Dawnflame clan and depicted a different phase of the sun. From the bright yellow, it must be the peak of day.

  “The others are ready,” he said.

  Loitering around the shop were a multitude of disciples from the Vermilion Pavilion. All glanced up at our arrival. Their looks were quiet but confident and lacked the kernel of horror that’d spawned in the eyes of those which had lived through the skirmish.

  “He led most of them into battle to slay the barbarians,” Duke whispered in my ear.

  A low, drawn out hum left my mouth. ‘Battle companions usually stay loyal to one person.’

  How much that would help in their fight for favourite cousin was up for debate, but it would go a long way.

  I turned to the shop. Viewing windows and glass counters set apart at set distances to allow many to scour the items they held at once. The lighting was minimal yet warm, and the servants were quick to step in, explain more about a product, then disappear before you’d blinked.

  We bought mobile tents and sleeping bags—that cost a total of five hundred RP—and split them amongst the storage rings of Duke, Kayle, and I.

  “The locators are over here,” Rin said.

  She stood by a counter housing hundreds of marbles in different colours. They’d allow us to sense each other within the Tomb, though a sign in the centre warned their accuracy would be lacking due to the nature of the place.

  Despite that flaw, they were the backbone of the plan the council came up with, so I bought around thirty at fifty a piece.

  After we were done shopping, an attendant in the same livery of the Custodian arranged us into a circle. She had us hold hands and recite a chant. Essence flowed through us in a chain, wrapping around our wrists and forming an invisible cord. Words popped up in my system screen.

  Party formed! You’ve been deemed the party leader.

  Party members: 8/10

  Would you like to name your party? This name will be visible to the other teams inside the Tomb.

  “It’s asking me for a name,” I said.

  Duke opened his mouth—

  “Yeah, no,” Rin said. “I’m not going by Ashbringers.”

  The boy puffed his cheeks.

  “Team names are for flair,” Raven said. “They’re not required.”

  So we exited the shop without one and made our way to the elevator. It was the only way down towards the entrance of the Tomb, so there being a heap of disciples already waiting wasn’t a surprise.

  “This is why I wanted to hurry!” Rin cried.

  “Weren’t you the one lingering near the clothing?” Kiaya said.

  “We would’ve had time if our resident playboy didn’t try to sweet talk his girlfriend!” she retorted.

  Leila flicked her hair so the set of rare earrings adorning her ears gleamed—they were in the shape of a three-tusked elephant. Supposedly, the icon increased the wearers chance of finding special items.

  I was still shaking my head when a servant grabbed my attention.

  “Lady Sunstrider? Please, make your way to the front!”

  The disciples of both the Vermilion Pavilion and the Heavenly Weapon Empire gave us solitary nods as we passed. I slowly made out a tiny figure as more disciples disappeared behind us. Caelia Vire still carried the same broadsword I’d seen her with the first time. Behind her were Judith, Jake and Garen.

  Of their ensemble, I found my gaze drawn to Judith. Her attire was the same: a deep azure robe with a sword emblem over the chest. But the staff was different. Gone was the black wood from an unknown tree. Instead the base was bone. At the tip of the staff lay a shimmering, blue stone. Essence swirled restlessly within. Like it was waiting, begging for release.

  Judith turned around. The tear marks had vanished. As had the warmth in her visage.

  I gave her a nod as I came to stand beside her.

  ‘You’re not the only person entering this Tomb with ultimatums.’

  I’d do well to remember that.

  Contraptions whined. A stone platform rushed out of the darkness below. But a single attendant, a woman in dark robes wearing glasses, stood beside a panel in the centre.

  “Please enter,” she said, raising her glasses.

  The moment the last of us stepped aboard, runes glowed and hummed. The platform shifted, then descended into the depths without any further noise.

  A transparent shaft shielded us from a nasty fall but also allowed us to see what lay below: a landscape full of ancient temples. They were in the thousands, lying in haphazard piles that reached halfway across the open sky. By myth, dragons were hoarding creatures, and I could imagine this being one’s treasury.

  ‘There’s nothing saying the heavenly hegemon was human.’

  At a certain stage, beasts could be as much of a cultivator as humans.

  “So that’s the original Maze,” Leila said.

  Raven pulled the black shawl that cradled his neck closer. The piece of clothing wasn’t just for style—though it certainly looked good on him—the enchantments engraved onto the equipment basically sung.

  He noticed my lingering gaze and gave me a once-over too.

  Though I’d considered buying my own robe, it was a waste of resources. That, and the Dawnflame’s clothing had great padding to keep me warm, plus a better enchantment than my previous wear.

  I pulled the white shawl closer around my neck.

  Raven smiled.

  A quarter hour passed before the elevator came to a stop.

  The pushed up her glasses again. “Good luck on your journey, Honoured of the Clans.”

  We inclined our heads. As I passed by her, the servant discretely touched the side of my robe. A solid object that hadn’t been there before weighed down my pocket.

  ‘That must be the guiding totem.’

  I didn’t pull it out to inspect and simply moved it to my storage ring.

  The elevator ascended a moment later.

  There was an area of open ground between us and the surrounding ruins. At not even a stone’s throw away was a lonesome door covered with a shimmering, grey shield of light. Words above the entrance showed a countdown.

  2:14:35

  “Two hours to kill, huh,” Duke commented and took out his flute.

  Our party waltzed towards an outcropping of stone near the gate and settled in.

  Vyke’s team sat directly opposite us.

  Blood flushed into Judith’s cheeks and her staff trembled in her arms.

  Vyke didn’t look up. Neither did the other Immortals. Partially because many were deep in meditation, but also because Judith was far from the sole disciple glaring them down.

  Of their entire cast, the only one I recognised underneath their hooded, black robes was Aedan. And that was only because of her unique veil.

  She offered me a merry wave after noticing me.

  “Seems like you’re on speaking terms with everyone,” Rin commented.

  “Not everyone,” I said.

  A while later, the elevator touched the ground again. Gazes as sharp as swords thrust into my side and nearly made the enchantments flare.

  Erri’s liverly was different from when I’d last seen her. The frivolous, flowing and golden dress was no more. Instead, her current robe was a muted, darkish grey that was fitted to her form.

  A thick fang fastened to a bone necklace swung like a metronome as she exited the lift. Grass smouldered underneath her footfalls, and the steam rose to join the smoke escaping the mouths of the many drakes behind her.

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