The earth shook, the winds howled, the sky suddenly turned dark, and the ever-present yellow smoke ran as reality was torn asunder.
The planar space trembled as space frayed before ripping apart, forming a massive gate. It looked like a pool of darkness, the gates size far eclipsing any portal Zee had ever seen.
Moments later, there was an explosion of darkness as a long sleek starship exited the event horizon. The ship was wreathed in a dense spatial barrier, with arch's purple energy flashing ominously around it.
A heartbeat later, a bolt of lightning, lit up the sky in a blinding flash, taring through the portal after the ship. The bolt moved at terrifying speed, slamming into the space ships hull in an instant.
Or at least it should have. A massive spatial cut flashed into existence, splitting the lightning in half. The spatial cut made her reality slash skill look like it was a joke, dwarfing it in power and scale by thousands of times.
Lighting crashed, so bright Zee saw spots, shaking her to her core. Following the attack, the planar space fell deathly quiet, as though even the insects were afraid to draw the ire of whoever threw that lightning.
Zee couldn't blame them. Her hair was raised on end, every instinct urging her to flee before whoever threw that lightning arrived.
It wasn't just the lightning either, but that long sleek spaceship, its engines humming ominously.
Within only a few seconds there was a burst of violet energy, as the massive portal slammed shut, though not before a small figure flew through.
Zee squinted, focusing in on the creature. It looked tiny compared to the massive warship, and yet just looking at the figure made her blood run cold.
It was a bug-like being, one she had only ever seen in books. It had six legs, two pairs of arms, its entire body covered in bumpy brown and green carapace.
The creature had three sets of vicious pincers for its mouth, a bulbous abdomen, and two sets of long leathery wings sticking from its back.
As if to make it more unsightly, the creature was covered in sharp bony protrusions, its every digit tapering to a sharp point.
It was a truly hideous creature, one bread for a sole purpose, war. That thing was a blood gorger and a powerful one at that. She didn't need to wait long to find out why this creature was there.
"Julian! Come out here and face me you coward!" The bug shouted, in her native Lorocan, its voice echoing loudly for miles.
Near the massive warship, another figure appeared, stepping from a rip in space, and hovering in mid-air.
Her heart leaped into her throat, both excitement and trepidation filling her as she recognized the man.
"Fuck off Caldas, I'm busy," Julian said, his voice soft, yet it carried for miles.
The blood gorger laughed, its voice high-pitched and grating.
"Busy running for your life? I expected more from you. All the tales of your combat prowess have been vastly over-exaggerated. You are just live-stalk, a coward that brings shame to the Lorocan empire." Caldas shouted.
Julian snorted, visibly unfazed by the taunting.
With a casual wave, Julian gestured toward where the massive gate had been.
"Such brashness.. Tell me, what will you do without your army to back you up?" Julian asked, an evil smile crossing his grizzled face.
The blood gorger's cocky attitude faltered, if only for a second.
"I am not afraid to fight you in one on one combat!" Caldas retorted angrily.
Julian laughed, shaking his head in bemusement. "Foolish bug. I have been killing your kind since long before you got your wings. Do you really think you can beat me?" Julian taunted.
Fury crossed Caldas's face. "How dare you compare the Thornhills with other inferior clans. We are at the forefront of our empire, destined to rule this galaxy," Caldas shouted.
Julian laughed menacingly.
"So full of yourself. But, I think you have misunderstood your predicament Caldas. Why would I fight you alone." Julian smirked.
"Sendredie, let's teach this little bug some manners." Julian said.
Caldas didn't even have time to retort. The air fractured as a woman appeared above Caldas.
She swung a midnight black staff, hitting Caldas across the back with incredible force.
A moment later the planar space rumbled, as Caldas struck the ground hard enough to make the earth shake.
Despite the blood gorger hitting the ground over a mile away, Zee was nearly thrown on her ass as the shockwave washed over the group.
Zee crouched for cover as sticks and rocks battered them. Shielding her eyes and bracing herself, she turned back toward the fight in the sky.
She was just in time to see a cage of crackling lighting form around the woman holding the staff. The world river raged as the cage exploded with enough force to shatter a mountain.
Thunder crashed, the explosion so violent It caused the nearby spaceship to sway in the air, its defensive barrier crackling.
Trees fell over and creaked around them, the sounds of breaking branches filling the air. The power of that lighting cage should have been enough to turn the woman to ash, and yet.
When the light faded, Sendredie hovered there, unharmed, five sanguine towers, wrapped in cruel chains shimmering around her.
Zee recoiled, looking away feeling like her soul might shatter from simply looking at those towers.
In a plume of rock and dust, Caldas flashed up into the sky, wreathed in lighting. He flew on a collision course with Sendredie, moving so fast he might as well have teleported.
There was a deafening clang of bone on steel as Julian appeared to block the rush. She watched with wide eyes as they exchanged blows, moving so fast and hitting so hard that reality frayed around them.
Both combatants weaved and dodged, avoiding each other's strikes while also avoiding the tears in reality that were rapidly forming around them.
It looked like an even duel until those sanguine chains joined the melee. The cruel chains formed a terrifying cage around the dueling fighters, darting in like striking snakes.
Caldas frantically tried to escape, but Julian blocked his path repeatedly, forcing the blood gorger to defend itself. The cage closed around them with finality, snapping shut like a guillotine.
Julian stepped through a rip in space, appearing outside the cage a moment later. Caldas flailed and screamed as the chains wrapped him up, gouging deeply into his bloody carapace.
Thunderclouds brewed overhead, as Caldas released colossal amounts of power to free himself.
Lighting crashed, the storm so powerful that it made the entire planar space shake.
"This is crazy! We should get out of here before we get caught up in one of their attacks." Bastion shouted.
"I agree. Zee, open a spatial tear, we are risking going to the Null realm, go!" Allison shouted.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Said a familiar voice, in flawless Ducale. His voice was deep, and soft, though it commanded attention.
Zee had no idea, when or how Julian had learned Ducale, but that didn't matter at the moment.
The thirty-odd members of the group froze as short man with straw brown hair, and deep brown eyes appeared in front of them.
Everyone, including Malden, froze in fear, having witnessed the power this man could bring to a fight.
All except one. The odd collection of five humans, five Allevark, three tribesmen, and fifteen rift-walkers watched on with horror as Zee ran forwards and leaped at the man.
Their looks quickly turned from horror to confusion as instead of crushing her like a bug he caught her in a fond embrace.
"Grandpa, you are here!" Zee shouted excitedly.
"You sound surprised. Did you think I wouldn't come to save you?"Julian asked.
Zee released her crushing embrace and took a step back. "I am not going to lie, you had me worried. What took you so long, it's been well over a year," Zee asked, grinning ear to ear.
"Oh, you know, I just had to invade the blood orders domain." Julian gestured behind her, to the others who were watching on with curiosity, and no small amount of worry. "So, who are they?" He asked, sidestepping her questions.
She perked up.
"They are friends, and acquaintances of mine,"Zee said, beaming.
Julian gave them a once over, his gaze lingering on the rift walkers the longest.
"You certainly have a diverse group of friends," Julian commented.
Allison cleared her throat, eying Julian anxiously. Zee doubted she had ever seen her friend so nervous before.
"I don't mean to intrude, but shouldn't we be going? It's not safe here." Allison asked.
As if to punctuate her words, the planar space trembled, more spatial tears opening up in the sky, the massive cracks widening, as lightning crashed above.
"Ahh, yes… Sorry about that. I may have been a little too rough when I forced open a gate into this planar space." Julian mused.
"That's not your fault grandpa. I am the one who caused this mess." Zee said, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.
Julian raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Julian asked.
"Well. I may have stolen the heart of the planar space." Zee said, flushing at his sudden interest.
Julian ran a hand down his face letting out a tired sigh, in a perfect imitation of Allison.
"Another problem to deal with. When did you become such a troublemaker?" Julian asked.
"I wouldn't say I am a troublemaker, just adventurous," Zee said defensively.
Behind her, her team gave her doubtful looks, which didn't go unnoticed by her grandpa.
"Anyways, say a quick farewell, your friends should get out of here," Julian said. He gestured and a portal snapped into existence.
"You are taking her?" Allison asked.
Julian nodded. "Yes, we don't have much time to dally. There is a fleet of blood-gorger warships waiting outside the planar space. We need to leave before they find a way in here." Julian said, gesturing them towards the portal again.
Zee glanced from her grandpa to her team, then to Bastion, suddenly hesitant. This was all happening way too fast. She hadn't planned this far.
Zee had long since given up on her grandpa actually finding her after over a year on her own. Him suddenly showing up threw a wrench into Zee's plans.
"I can't just leave them behind. It's dangerous out there, I need to make sure they get back to Iztara." Zee said.
Julian grimaced. "Bringing them along will add complications," Julian said.
Zee really didn't want to just up and leave without saying her goodbyes. Especially not before her friends made it home safe.
Zee open her mouth to respond but was cut off by an overwhelming sense of dread. The sky darkened, the sense of danger growing more palpable by the moment.
Zee's gaze snapped up towards the sky, watching with mute incomprehension as a wide crack formed across the sky opening small rifts to the void.
Twenty-five blood-gorger warships snapped into existence, with five large clouds of flaming debris raining down toward the ground.
Sadly the warships were not what let off that ominous feeling. No, it was something far worse.
Deep cracks echoed through the planar space, followed by a bellowing screech of rage. It was a sound she never wanted to hear again, yet one that haunted her nightmares.
A blood gorger warship was violently torn asunder as a midnight black tentacle ripped a hole into reality.
Just like the other five, it turned to a cloud of debris, plummeting toward the ground in a shower of fire and metal.
Space cracked in a wide area as dozens of gelatinous appendages forced their way into the planar space.
"Ohh, nooo! Get in the portal now! Go! All of you. Now!" Julian ordered his concern, turning to fear.
The others didn't hesitate, using movement skills to rush through the portal, Julian had created.
Zee hesitated, glancing from her grandpa to the portal.
"What about you Grandpa? Are you not coming?" Zee asked.
Julian smiled at her tossing her an amulet on a silver chain his Mirth not meeting his eyes. "Here, take this and go. Oh and don't break it like the last one, I will need that thing to track you down again." Julian said.
Zee gave him another crushing hug, her hands twining behind his back, realizing with a start she was almost as tall as he was now.
"I'm still mad at you for missing my birthday party. Twice, actually," Zee said.
Julian snorted, tousling her hair before pushing her gently away. "Get out of here kiddo. If I don't show up to get you, then you can use the amulet to help you find your way back home." Julian said.
Zee had so much she wanted to say, and yet she had no time with the chaos raining above as the planar space literally fell apart at the seams.
Standing at the edge of the portal, she paused, glancing back at her grandpa.
"You better not die, Grandpa, as I recall, I still need to kick your butt," Zee said.
"Hah. One little rank up and you think you can beat me?" Julian asked.
Zee smiled taking a step through the portal. She had no business being anywhere near a clash of this power.
Julian's warm expression faded as Zee disappeared into the portal. He collapsed the spatial tunnel behind her, no longer able to keep it open as the Farahar overhead pushed more of its mass into the physical realm.
His hard brown eyes turned up to the sky, as he transmitted a message.
"They are gone, no need to hold back anymore," Julian said.
"About time! What took you so long?" Sendredie asked.
"I had to give Zee a stern talking to before sending her away. We can find her again once we get out of this mess," Julian said.
"That's nice. Now, enough messing around, we need to save my ship so we don't get stuck here," Sendredie said.
The sky flashed bright red, as a crescent moon suddenly appeared on the horizon, releasing an aura that put pressure on the entire planar space.
The pressure of the skill would have crushed Zee and her friends like they were bugs, even though this was only the first stage of the skill.
Julian released his spatial barrier, no longer needing it to protect his granddaughter. They probably hadn't even noticed the thin film of energy protecting them from the clash above.
As he watched a salvo of attacks shot out from the fleet of blood-gorger warships, searing large holes into and severing some of the long tentacles of the Farahar.
His brows furrowed, as some of those attacks bounced off his barrier protecting the Waiver's terror.
Sendredie was right, those bug brains were trying to blow up his means of escape.
He couldn't have that. If he didn't do something soon the ship would be destroyed, and they would be stuck deep in enemy territory.
If that happened, he would be the one who needed saving. Well, time to join the fight for real. They didn't have much time before the planar space fell apart. If they were still here when that happened they would be screwed.
This was about to get very messy...
Zee stumbled through the portal into the staging ground that the Kelvish dominion set up.
With a faint pop, the portal slammed shut behind her, leaving her amidst another type of chaos.
All the emissaries that had helped set up this trial were scrambling to finish an array, desperate to flee Sphedhara.
And Zee could see why. A vast thundercloud filled the sky, spotted with cracks in space, that dragged in the yellow Smaug. It was the premonition of a looming catastrophic implosion of the planar space.
The implosion would be akin to a super volcano going off, wiping out all life for hundreds of miles, and turning the dead world, into a truly desolate wasteland.
With that in mind, it was no surprise that over a dozen D-grade cultivators moved about with frightening speed.
They were frantically working to finish the final touch-ups on the teleportation array, as the world trembled ominously.
The battle inside the planar space was leaking out into the real world. This was causing arcs of energy to flash across the sky, creating a spatial storm of unprecedented ferocity.
Ten black pillars covered with intricate etchings thrummed, the world river raging around them as the teleportation array flared to life.
"Hurry up you bastards. If we don't leave, we are going to die when the planar space explodes." Petrie shouted, frantically waving them over.
Zee and the others didn't need to be told twice. They were not the only ones, dozens of others scrambling onto the array, desperate to leave.
This place was going to shit, the entire planet of Sphedhara feeling as though it might fall apart.
Zee's relief at not being left behind was short-lived.
She was no expert on arrays, but she did have a strong affinity for space, and that affinity was telling her that space around them was going haywire.
Her stomach clenched as she felt the teleportation array activate, twisting space to form a gate.
Just as it activated, five of the pillars forming the array violently exploded, killing and injuring many of the people on the array.
Ohh no! Zee's heart leaped in her chest, but it was too late to do anything about it.
The chaotic spatial tunnel formed and sucked them in, sending a violent jolt up her body that made her pass out.
Zee came back to consciousness in all-encompassing darkness, drifting aimlessly in the Null. It was so quiet, just herself, floating in the endless nothing.
After a few moments of panic, she calmed her racing mind wanting to shout for the others, but knowing not to. After witnessing the battle in the planar space, she was absolutely terrified of drawing the attention of the Farahar.
Something tugged at her neck and she grabbed for it, feeling the amulet her grandpa had given her.
She could feel it, as space rapidly stabilized around her, tendrils of energy creeping outward washing over dozens of others, as if trying to connect to something.
Zee could suddenly sense her friends, hovering in the Null, so close, yet so far away.
Somehow she knew that if she shouted, they wouldn't hear her.
From the spatial bubble wrapping itself around her, she also knew her amulet was going to leave them all behind. The thought sparked her to do something rash. Zee reached out, to forcefully expanded the spatial bubble, encompassing everyone around her.
The bubble of spatial energy protested, refusing to bend to her will. She gritted her teeth, doing something that would make her grandpa very unhappy. Zee pushed aside that worry.
She only had a few moments before she was whisked away. In a flight of desperation, she pulled an ominous spike from her spatial storage. It worked on the heart of the planar space, so, maybe it would work on her newly acquired amulet.
No telling if this would make things worse, or better, but it was worth a shot. Without any more hesitation, she stabbed the amulet, releasing a storm of spatial energy.
Letting out a soundless scream, she pushed the spatial bubble outward. She could feel it expanding to encompass dozens of others, the energy dispersing rapidly.
No time to be gentle. She had to force a gate to open before the energy dissipated, or they would be stuck here until they were eaten.
The amulet her grandpa gave her had done all the work, all she had to do was finish the final touches.
Zee poured everything she had into the spot in front of her, forcing a gate to open. And surprisingly it worked the Null lighting up as a gate formed.
She was dragged through the gate, collapsing on a hard stone floor, scraping the skin from her palms as she fell to her hands and knees.
Zee felt queasy and weak, but she couldn't help but smile. Dozens of others fell to their knees around her, disoriented by the rough transport.
Some of them vomited, while others passed out, soiling King Bethel's courtyard. Heh, well, hopefully, the king wouldn't mind.
Zee laughed softly to herself as the princess vomited, some of the bile splashing over Malden opulent boots.
What a mess. On the bright side, at least they had gotten away alive.
"Ughhh. That was awful. Why was that so rough?" Allison asked, wiping yesterday's dinner from her full lips.
Zee swayed on her feet dizzily, holding up her recently acquired medallion, exposing a finger-sized holed punched right through the center.
"Grandpa is gonna be angry with me. Suffice it to say, I broke the medallion he gave me, and used its energy to teleport us all here," Zee said, a little woozy.
Bastion massaged his forehead, groaning.
"What gave you that horrible idea?" Bastion asked, looking a bit queasy.
"It was inspired genius, I was thinking on the fly," Zee said.
"Genius would have been smooth and not this messy. I think you just got lucky," Allison said, placing a comforting hand on Yukna's back, holding her mousy brown hair as the shorter woman dry heaved.
Zee rolled her eyes. "Luck had nothing to do with it. Maybe next time I will leave you all inside the Null realm," Zee muttered.
Malden snorted, seeming less affected than the others as he stood, his once immaculate blue robes soiled.
"Hold that thought, I need to go stop a fight from breaking out," Malden said, vanishing in a cloud of sand.
He appeared on the other side of the courtyard, startling some of the guards that had noticed the rift walkers, and were moving towards them with weapons drawn.
Zee let out a weary sigh, looking over the bizarre collection of different species and races in the room.
With the help of her grandpa's medallion she had managed to teleport about a hundred people.
Only a hundred, out of the thousand or so had been on the teleportation array when it malfunctioned.
All of the others must still be trapped in the Null realm. Hopefully, some of them could escape before they were devoured by the Farahar.
Zee shuddered, her mind going back to the chaos inside the planar space as the Farahar ripped apart blood gorger warships like they were made of paper.
Was her grandpa really going to fight that thing? If so could he win?
She desperately hoped so, though she knew she may never see him again. Zee shook her head, discarding the thought. No, he would get out, and come find her.
Zee turned her attention away from thoughts of her grandpa, noticing Petrie eying her from the far side of the quart yard.
Well, shit. Zee gave the alchemist a smile, noticing that several other emissaries were standing nearby. Zee was willing to bet Petrie wouldn't act until the others were gone.
That meant she had some time to Scheme, and hopefully figure out a way to keep Petrie from trying to kill her or worse.