Jia arched a brow before moving to stand in front of him.
"Will you not sit?"
Jia shook her head, "I would prefer to stand. Makes it easy to fight."
Zong smile up at her, "You are so much like her. Rowen was always blunt yet very beautiful."
"Oh my goddess. Are you hitting on her?" Fiona asked with disgust. The guy looked old enough to be an uncle.
Zong frowned at Fiona," I am sorry, I am still not familiar with the slang of this era, what do you mean by hitting on her?"
"She asking if you are flattering me in order to win my affection."
Zong laughed," No, I give you my word. It would be wrong. I would feel as if I was flattering my granddaughter. "
"Get to the point. Why are you here to talk to me and why did you send that copy after me?"
The silver haired man pursed his lips," I needed no resistance. You see, a long time ago, I set out to lead this world in a new world order but I was…" He paused and swallowed harshly, "Prevented. The Honor Guard of the Goddess stood in my way. Naturally I was defeated and shut away. "
"Yeah, we heard that part in History Class."
"Wonderful," Zong grinned and pointed at Jia," But if my loyal soldier has taught me anything, it is that History does not outline my reasons for going to war."
"You wanted to control the kingdom."
"Of course but only to better it. Think about it, all of the world`s problems of violence and wars and kidnappings would cease when I use my magic to incite in them the urge to follow the new law. My law. No more violence. No more deaths."
"You`d be taking away everyone`s free will."
"A small price to pay for peace."
The sorceress folded her arms, "So how does all of this tie to me?"
"You are a hindrance as your ancestor had been and I apologize for sending my Copy after you. I should have approached you differently, "Zong said as he stood and moved to stand on front of Jia," You are more powerful than anyone I had ever encountered and you have just scratched the surface of your power. I can help you get stronger. If you join me."
"When the Nether world freezes over, she will!" Fiona exclaimed as she watched Jia`s face turned blank," Don`t listen to him girl!"
"What do you say?" Zong asked softly. His red iris` scanned her face carefully.
Jia took a step back and shook her head, "No."
Zong arched a brow at her," No?"
"No. "Jia confirmed," I`m plenty happy on this side of the line."
Zong pursed his lips and nodded," Very well… Remember I only off this chance once, think carefully about my offer, child."
"I won`t change my mind."
The white haired man gave both girls a curt nod and bowed slowly. After he rose u, he turned and walked away," The next time we see each other, I won`t be so courteous."
Fiona quickly moved to grab Jia before yanking her away, running for the exit," Where are we going?"
"We need to call this in!"
By the time Jia and Rose had reached a Ranger`s station to call it in, the Head Ranger sent out teams to comb the Reserve but the Emperor was nowhere to be found. The girls were then questioned by the Ravenpoint Guards, the police force of each kingdom before they were brought back to Viola. AT the school, Headmistress Aline questioned them as well with the Vice Head mistress Ursula and Maze in attendance. When they were done, both girls were instructed to go back to their room and not breath a word about what had happened. Unfortunately, when they went back to their, the rest of their group stood waiting for them with the TV on showing the news that Emperor had been sighted. Before both girls could saw anything, they were shoved harshly onto the couch.
"Are you two crazy!?" Rose yelled at them while Kyra and Zoey stood behind her in full on disappointed mode. Clary was grinning from her perch on top of the kitchen counter,
"And you, "Rose zeroed in on Fiona, who immediately held up her hands in surrender, "How could you take her out after what happened at the Butterfly Sanctuary? We still don`t who attacked her and their reasons of why they attacked her!"
"Rose has a point," Zoey pointed out," Jia, you need to be careful."
"Have you been hanging around with Roy lately? Cause you`re starting to sound like him," Jia observed.
Rose gave her a deadpan look. Jia wisely chose to pretend to zip her lips.
"Relax, he just wanted to talk to her," Fiona pointed out as she stood from the couch only for a green energy blast to push her back down.
Jia`s eye`s widened slightly as she took watched Rose`s eyes glowing green," No way girl, you sit. You`re not off the hook yet."
Fiona nodded meekly.
"You were attacked once and now suddenly the Emperor that people hadn`t seen since the Dark Ages comes looking for you to talk to you? This cannot be a coincidence."
"What was he like, what did he look like? Oh, what did he want?" Clary fired questioned after question. She suddenly yelped and Jia watched her friend`s shadow shake her head in disappointment. Clary pouted as Rose gave Kyra a nod of approval.
Suddenly a phone ringing made Rose growl and throw up her hands," Now what?! Can`t a girl scold her teammates in peace?!"
Zoey sheepishly answered her phone before smiling and turning to Rose," It`s Cole, he wants to make a Teleportation Call. He`s with the other boys."
Rose huffed," Fine."
The gravity sorceress nodded before moving to put her phone down in the middle of the girls. She then pressed the third bottom on the corner of her phone to activate the Teleportation Magic. In a flash of light blue, six digital figures appeared in the room. All the boys were dressed in their civilian clothes and looked agitated.
They all turned to Rose and Jia.
"You said you`d be alright," Roy said as he approached his cousin.
Jia laughed nervously," Yeah, I said that and meant it but things happened so…"
"How did you know to call us?" Rose asked.
Roy turned to Jia`s techno friend," We just saw the news and considering what happened at the Sanctuary last month, we took a hunch and Cole called."
"Plus we wanted to check if you were okay," Cole added as he turned to his girlfriend.
Zoey awed and sighed happily while Kyra rolled her eyes.
"We`re fine, we were with our families when it happened, it was these two," Rose pointed at her two roommates and explained," Who were there at the Emperor`s sighting."
Fiona raised her hand," Yeah, how did you know that? The news reports and any official report would have said the rangers saw him. Nothing about us would have been mentioned."
Rose folded her arms, "Tracking device."
Jia blinked as Fiona patted herself down self-consciously, "Tracking device? I`m sorry, but did you say tracking device? Where?"
"In your gloves and in Fiona`s jacket,"
Fiona shrieked and took off her jacket before launching it across the room. It landed on Clary and Kyra`s room door knob.
"Oh real mature, Fiona," Rose commented.
"Seriously Rose, don't mess with my jacket."
"Technically, I messed with all your jackets so…"
Fiona sunk back down in her seat in shook as Jia moved to rub her shoulders mumbling that it was okay.
Tristan and Dylan snickered as Mike bit back a smile while Cole turned to give his girlfriend a questioning glance. Zoey just shrugged as while Chase moved to get his phone and snap a picture of the two girls. Roy shook his head. Thankfully, his parents had left with his siblings when the news came on. He hadn`t mentioned last month`s attack to his parents. Jia was adamant that because she was fine, his uncle Marcellus didn`t need to know.
"At this point in time, Rose had the idea to track you two," Roy pointed out as, as everyone turned to him," Jia, did the Emperor approach you?"
Fiona glanced at Jia. While she was glad that her friend rejected Zong`s offer, it must have been tempting to learn form someone who was all too aware of your magic and more than willing to take you on as an apprentice.
Jia sighed, heavily," He…He wanted me to join him. To study under him and become strong."
Kyra spluttered, "That`s insane!"
"You did say no right?" Dylan asked pointedly.
Jia rolled her eyes," Of course I said no," She then stood to address everyone, "He wanted to apologize for sending that thing from last month and he wanted to make amends by giving me lessons. In that way…"
"You won`t be against him, you`d be on his team." Zoey finished.
"Exactly."
"By why? Why you specifically? Why is he targeting you? What makes you so special?" Tristan questioned her.
Jia turned to Rose, who shrugged half-heartily. No one knew the answer to why.
Zoey licked her lips nervously, "Well, at least he`s gone for now."
"But he`ll still come back, we know who he wants," Tristan said as he gestured to Jia," We just don`t know the why. That makes him dangerous to us."
"What do you mean?" Clary asked at the raven haired Knight.
"If you don`t understand your enemy`s objective, then you haven`t truly beaten them." Chase spoke up," War Games Strategy One Point One."
Kyra raised her hand to make a point, "But we know why he`s attacking, he`s a psychopath."
"Not in his mind," Fiona stated," He wants to end all suffering by making everyone summit to one ruler and taking away their free will."
Jia nodded, "That`s what he said."
"Alright, how does this tie to my cousin? "Roy asked the questioned that was still bothering him," She`s noble from Azazel and she wasn't alive during the Dark Ages."
Fiona gestured with her hands wildly, "He said that she was a hindrance. She was preventing him."
"Great, a psychopath from the Dark Ages thinks I`m a Pause button for his plans for world domination," Jia remarked glumly.
"Jia, be serious." Mike scolded her.
The lightning sorceress folded her arms and pouted, "I am and I`m telling you a psychopath wants me on his side or gone from this world."
"We could tell your dad. "Roy offered.
Jia shook her head frantically, "No. No way. We are fine. No one is dead yet or seriously injured." Everyone in the room folded their arms and gave her a pointed look." Alright, I`ll rephrase that." She held up her hands in surrender," No one is injured anymore. That was last month."
"Look until, someone finds out what the heck is going on, you`re on house arrest Jia." Roy instructed her.
The white haired sorceress` jaw dropped," You`re joking."
"In the Nether world name, no!"
"If I wanted to become a prisoner again, I`d just go back home to Papa!"
"That can be arranged."
Jia`s mouth moved wordlessly as she tried to find the words to put her tall cousin in his place.
"And he doesn`t mean total imprisonment," Mike explained, "Of course, you`ll still be going to classes and wherever else girls go to when they`re bored."
"The Cemetery," Jia said deadpan as she glanced at the kind hearted Knight.
Mike frowned at her, "You`ll just need to have someone with you at all time."