An incredible surge of energy was her only warning, prompting Zee to activate her wayward walk skill just as the black clouds around her were suddenly pushed away. She appeared two hundred meters away, yet it wasn't enough to escape the radius as a totem of golden light sprung into existence.
The domain skill was blindingly bright, the pillar over a hundred meters tall, radiating a dense aura on par with a D grade cultivator. It looked like a golden totem made of light, with a myriad of beautiful faces wrought with various expressions of joy and despair.
She frantically searched the area, looking for an attacker, but couldn't see anything.
She didn't have time to consider who might be attacking her as dozens of golden chains made of light shot out from that pillar, radiating a chilling aura. Zee had no desire to fight whoever controlled this pillar, but they hadn't exactly given her much choice.
The pillar's domain restricted the range of communication and her movement skill, forcing her to destroy that thing if she wanted to escape its radius and warn the others. It was either fight back, or die. The thought made a cold mile tug at her lips.
The heart of fire beat in her chest, the thrill of battle urging her forward. Her perception of time slowed, just in time as the golden chains reached her, each one darting in with breathtaking speed.
Instead of retreat, Zee met their charge with aggression, the plateau cracking under her feet as she pushed off the rock. With a humming ping, her sword shattered into dozens of pieces to form a net of razor metal around her. Her weapon released clouds of miasma, the death spirit inside gleefully inflicting the chains with Rott that made even light wither. The loud clang of chains striking metal echoed around her, as weapons collided. The first chain collided with shards of her sword, sparks showering the area as it was flung away.
The first chain was immediately followed by the others, diving in from all angles to skewer her.
Undaunted, Zee was like a puppet master, using her omnidirectional spatial ripple skill to guide the pieces of her blade, and deflect attacks from all directions at once. As one, the chains were flung back, but without pause they quickly surged back, undeterred by the corrosive gashes in their links.
Her sword clearly won out in a test of durability, but it wasn't enough to sever the chains.
With renewed vigor the chains dove in again and again, attempting to suffocate her.
It was like the chains had a mind of their own, or were being controlled by someone. The fight had only lasted ten seconds before first blood was drawn. One chain was deflected, with another used the opening to attack from an unexpected angle, moving with shocking speed. Her instincts saved her from being skewered, but even then, blood oozed from a flesh wound on her shoulder.
Zee grimaced, conjuring a sword with spirit echo, just in time to bat aside another sneaky chain before it snuck through her defenses. At first, the attacks had been simple, but with each passing second, things were spiraling out of control.
She gritted her teeth, urging the metallic shards of her sword to move faster. Her defense was solid, deflecting dozens of strikes each second, yet it wasn't enough.
It was like she was fighting ten people at once, pushing her sword skills to their limits.
Zee fought with speed and precision, years of experience allowing her to narrowly avoid or block the frenzy of attacks. Even so, with each second she was forced further on the back foot.
A chain deflected at an awkward angle, whipping through her defenses. Pain wracked her side as she was slammed in the ribs by the links, her shroud doing little to blunt the force.
Anger flared in her chest at the pain. Enough defending… Time to go on the attack. Expanding her aura, and infusing it with an ember of compression she stepped forward. Immense weight blanketed the area, weighing down the chains while enhancing her own strikes. That wasn't enough, as the chains suddenly gained a hair-raising aura, their power nearly doubling as the totem glowed like a radiant star. Zee wasn't deterred in the slightest. Compression was quickly followed by the ember of ebb and flow, crashing waves of spirituality blanketing the area. The war of chains and sword raged on the surface, while the war between light, gravity and the spirit raged between them.
They appeared to be evenly matched, but that was only an illusion. Zee still couldn't see her opponent, but knew the delicate balance couldn't last. She still hadn't even spotted her enemy, and it was only a matter of time before her enemy dealt a significant blow. At this rate, just sitting around and defending was a good way to die.
The pillar of light restricted the area, but not completely. She could still do short ranged teleports though only about twenty meters away.
Activating wayward walk twice in succession only gave her a second of breathing room, before the chains were on her again. The relatively slow response time was a valuable piece of information.
As fun as it was to fight this pillar and its chains, Zee knew it was a losing battle. If this kept up, eventually she would be worn down. Something would have to change, something to force her attacker to show their face.
"Dern, search the area, find the controller. In the meantime, I'm going to topple that ugly faced totem," Zee said, her eyes narrowing.
"On it," Dern said with a hint of uncertainty in his usually calm voice.
Not having Kur Zul with her was a bit of a pain, but she didn't think he was needed to destroy that totem. Zee might not be good at the finer points of cooking or poetry, but she was not bad at destroying things. One might say she was pretty good at wrecking stuff.
The suffocating domain formed by the totem trembled as Zee suddenly activated her movement skill several times in succession, well away from the net of chains.
Instead of fleeing, this time she was right in front of the towering golden totem, eying a particularly handsome visage.
With a brutal swing of her sword that reformed mid swing, she unleashed her favorite skill.
A horizontal guillotine of force crossed the gap in the blink of an eye, striking one of the alien faces right between the eyes. A rent in reality split the enormous totem pole asunder as a rift in space formed.
The pressure from the domain skill was shattered as the pillar was cut clean in two by an enormous spatial tear. Much to her delight, the whole thing turned to motes of light as the totem crumbled. The roiling darkness from the storm rushed back in, crashing around the turbulent spatial chaos of her finisher skill.
"Sense anything?" Zee asked, frantically scanning the area.
"Over there!" Dern shouted.
Zee's eyes honed in on an area nearby as a shimmering golden vortex formed. Her brows rose as an Ashary shrouded in golden motes of light appeared from thin air at the edges of the crumbling domain, and dove into the vortex without hesitation.
"Go after them!" Dern shouted.
Zee hesitated for only a moment, activating her movement skill in rapid succession. She didn't even have time to study the spatial gateway before she was forced to jump inside. Jumping head first into an unknown gate after someone who had just attacked her wasn't the smartest thing she had ever done, but Dern's tone had been insistent.
At least Kur Zul was with her friends which should make finding them again a lot easier. Her skin tingled as she passed through the spatial film, her stomach lurching at the sensation of being transported to god knows where.
Unlike last time she traveled through a gate in the endless storm, she didn't meet a monstrous fish in the spirit realm. Nothing so calamitous happened, instead she appeared in an odd forest, falling to her hands and knees.
The urge to wretch was nearly overwhelming, showing that despite the relatively uneventful transition, it was still an unstable gate.
Zee swallowed the bile, pushing herself to her feet while frantically scanning the towering forest around her. Looming large, the trees had bark of dark black, with veins of blue, their leaves a bright azure with smoke drifting around them. A dark hauntingly beautiful sky clouded in a spiritual haze could be faintly seen through the dense canopy.
She was momentarily taken aback by the dense waves of spirituality that buffeted her. It wasn't harmful, but instead her body came alive. She suddenly felt ravenous, like her body was starved, and this environment held the fuel it needed.
Zee pushed down her desire to start drawing the energy in, as movement caught her eye. An Ashary, appearing like a cloud of golden motes, floating nearby, energy churning around it as it swayed like it was drunk. She had been so startled by the dense energy she hadn't even noticed the enemy nearby.
Thankfully, it appeared it wasn't only Zee who had a rough transit through that gate. The golden Ashary was swaying in the air like a drunkard, appearing disoriented.
The momentary reprieve quickly passed as the Ashary rose into the air, energy rippling from it.
Unwilling to let such a dangerous opponent get anytime to prepare another attack Zee unleashed the floodgates for Avatar of Dominion. Using
the Mantle, she instantly conjured the avatar in its full form, the environment empowering her bloodline to new heights. A ball of spiritual flames grew above her, expanding rapidly to the size of a carriage. A wave of weakness filled her, as over half of her reserves were drained, but she ignored it.
Conjuring it instantly like this had its downsides, namely draining a huge amount of energy instead of from the environment, but in times like this it was worth it. A small sun formed of dark blue flames had lit up the canopy, releasing a heavy pressure surpassing that totem.
Mid formation, she flung the ball of spiritual fire forward, right at her enemy.
The golden Ashary tried to flee, but couldn't. The immense pressure of the avatar restricted its movements, dispelling the barrier enshrouding the Asharys form slamming it towards the ground. Crackling like a bonfire, the avatar was moments from striking when a sense of abject horror filled her mind.
"No!! Zee stopp!!" Dern screamed, his voice panicked in her mind.
Zee wasn't sure what was going on, but she didn't hesitate upon hearing the terror in Dern's voice. Using the Mantle, she reached out and caught her own attack, stopping the small sun moments from consuming its target. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she pulled it back, the ground and trees withering and dying from its mere proximity.
Her opponent wasn't much better off, its form shedding light like it was smoking.
"What is it Dern?" Zee asked, eying her enemy warily.
"I, i know her," Dern replied in a shaky voice.
Her brows shot up.
"You know this Ashary?" Zee asked hesitantly.
"Yes... Now get rid of that thing before you hurt her anymore!" Dern snapped.
It might not be the best idea, but she decided to heed his words. Judging by his tone, there would be a rebellion if she went any further.
With a force of will, the avatar dissipated, and so did its crushing domain.
Zee hesitantly approached her clearly injured attacker.
"Are you alright?" Zee asked, uncertainly.
The Ashary swayed unsteadily in the air.
"No i'm not alright, you nearly killed me," It replied in an unsteady voice.
"You kind of attacked me first, soo..." Zee said, trailing off, unsure of what else to say.
"Stop yapping and summon me you imbecile," Dern said in her mind.
"Sheesh, someone is grumpy," Zee grumbled. In this instance she didn't mind doing as he asked.
The wary Ashary floated back as Dern's armored form coalesced into them, much more physically imposing than the sentient cloud.
"Sersie's is that you?" Dern asked, his mental voice filled with nervous excitement.
Zee didn't understand Ashary expressions, but the way its form roiled, she got the expression Sersie's was shocked.
"How do you know my name?" the ashary asked.
Dern gestured to himself.
"Its me Sersie. It's Dernath Choel Mar," he said, anxiously holding his glaive off to one side.
There was a long pause, as the golden cloud bobbed in the air.
Zee could sense a sensory field blanket the area, reminiscent of her spatial ripple skill probing him. Zee was uncertain of what to make of this predicament. Therefore she decided to let Dern handle it for now.
"Is this some sort of joke? Dernath is long since dead. He was cast out, banished to Null realm about ten years ago," Sersies replied, her tone turning dangerous..
Dern took a half step forward, his steel shawl'd boots grinding on the cobbles.
"No, i didn't die Sersie. Don't you remember what you said to me just before they cast me out? You told me you would get revenge on my killers. But i'm not dead. I'm still alive and kicking, despite having my power stripped from me," Dern said, clenching his gauntleted fist.
Sersie bobbed a little closer as if to study Dern.
"How are you still alive, and why aren't you insane?" Sersie asked, her tone accusing.
Dern gestured towards Zee. "Well, that is a bit of a long story. In short, I met this human in the Null realm, and fuzed with her soul. Since then we have been through quite a lot," Dern said vaguely.
"You fuzed with her soul? I knew you could be rash sometimes, but I didn't think you were that big of an imbecile," Sersie said.
"Hey, I didn't have a choice... And i am not an idiot. Besides, if i was stupid, how would i still be alive after all these years?" Dern said, folding his arms.
Sersie flew closer, floating ten feet away.
"I beg to differ. You are an idiot! Your vessel positively reeks of taboo. What were you thinking practicing soul arts and with a human vessel no less," Sersies admonished.
Zee felt mildly insulted.
"This human can hear you loud and clear, and does not appreciate your tone," Zee said.
Sersie seemed to just then remember how she almost died not too long ago.
"Ahh, yes... Dernath, won't you introduce us?" Sersie asked hesitantly.
Dern gesture between them.
"Of course. Where are my manners? Zee, this is Sersie Choel Mar, a good friend of mine. Sersie, this is Zee Viotti, heir to the Lorrocan throne," Dern introduced.
"You found a human princess to make into your vessel? That's quite the find," Sersie commented, as though Zee was an interesting pet.
Zee's grip on her sword tightened.
"Once again I am not his vessel. We are partners. Dern and i have a symbiotic relationship, this not a host vessel relationship," Zee replied evenly.
Sersie scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that. A human is nothing but a vessel for an Ashary," Sersie replied.
Zee's anger at being attacked quickly returned. She did not appreciate this cloud's tone. That arrogance that all Ashary seemed to possess really pissed her off..
With each passing second, the urge to turn Sersie to ash was returning, a fact that Dern did not miss. Dern moved, placing himself between them.
"Sersie please stop being an ass. Zee is quite hot headed and prone to drastic action against those who piss her off," Dern said, his tone almost pleading.
"Forgive me if I am just a bit angry. That heratic almost killed me," Sersie grumbled.
"This heretic was only defending herself. As I recall, you attacked first," Zee snapped.
Dern let out an annoyed sigh.
"That's enough.. Sersie where are we, and how do we get back to Saltarus?" Dern asked.
The golden cloud gave Zee what she thought might be an angry glare.
"I have no idea where we are. My gateway wasn't supposed to bring us here. It was supposed to take me back to my ship, not this creepy place," Sersie replied.
"So much for being a high and mighty Ashary. Can't even target a gate properly," Zee muttered.
Judging by the way her golden form churned angrily, Sersie heard it loud and clear.
Dern pointed a metallic finger at Zee.
"That's enough," He gestured at their surroundings. "Until we figure out where we are and how to get back and rejoin our prospective teams you two are going to at least pretend to get along," Dern said.
Zee took a deep calming breath, letting it out slowly.
"Fine, I can pretend," Zee said.
Sersie didn't say anything, but instead bobbed in agreement.
"Good, now, Sersie are you alright?" Dern asked, his tone concerned.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me. Us Ashary are a lot harder to kill than humans," Sersie replied.
Zee felt Dern's annoyance through their connection.
"Please tell me I wasn't this self absorbed when we first met?" Dern asked in her mind.
"If I'm being honest, you were worse. You have gotten a lot better these days. Maybe if you talk to her, you can knock some sense into thick skull," Zee suggested.
Dern sighed.
"I guess I can try. Can you scout the area while I have a one-on-one talk with her?" Dern asked.
"You sure that's a good idea? Have you already forgotten the ambush from those three Ashary that almost killed you?" Zee asked.
"No.. I haven't forgotten. This time is different. There is no need to worry, Sersie wouldn't go that far," Dern replied.
Zee scowled over at the Ashary in question. "I don't trust that cloud for brains," Zee said.
Dern sighed.
"It will be fine. Just give me some time. I will talk some sense into her," Dern said.
Zee frowned.
"Fine, i will go scout the area. If you need help just call me. I won't be far," Zee said.
She gave a warning glare to Sersie, before vanishing into a cloud of mist, disappearing into the forest.
It was only once she had entered the shadow of the canopy that Zee let out a frustration exhale. After that interaction, she was on edge, so much so that she hadn't even noticed that the nagging sensation in her mind was much stronger than before.
Now that she focused on it, it was like a beacon to her mind, urging her to head deeper into the ethereal jungle. She was partly excited by the discovery, but also wary. Suddenly appearing closer to the key to the eternal throne seemed like a good thing, but once you considered where it was, her anxiety only grew.
Were her nerves just frayed from the battler, or had they been flung far deeper into the endless storm. This was why gateways were never used unless absolutely necessary. They were not reliable at all.
She took a deep calming breath, trying to calm her racing heart. Perhaps she was just overthinking things. The beacon in her mind was louder than in Saltarus, but that could mean anything. It didn't necessarily mean they had been flung into the inner reaches of the endless storm.
Sword in hand, Zee roamed the forest, hoping to distract herself. The black barked trees towered into the sky, with wide branches and broad leaves with blue veins. As she walked, she started to notice a haze coalescing around each tree, tendrils of spiritual energy being released into the air. The energy was so thick that it felt almost like she was wearing a heavy blanket.
To make things more weird, the forest was actually quite tranquil. Not a single monster to be found. This did nothing to calm her nerves. Why were there no monsters in such an energy rich environment? That usually meant only one thing.
Either this place was sealed off from any sort of wildlife, or they were in the territory of an extremely dangerous predator that didn't take kindly to intruders.
She had no proof of her hypothesis, but would bet her left boot on it.
After the brief, yet exciting encounter, Zee roamed the edge of the forest, the deathly quiet doing little to calm her nerves. She didn't trust Sersie in the slightest, and would be ready if the Ashary attacked Dern.
They might have been friends from before, but Zee still didn't like the current arrangement. Leaving Sersie alive could cause them all sorts of problems, even if she didn't try to kill them again.
As she roamed the forest, her sense of unease only grew. Her nerves were taught, the dense spiritual energy doing little to calm her. Eventually, she stopped her anxious pacing and took a seat on a mossy boulder. The satchel at her side stirred and a small leather-bound book floated up in front of her.
The cover shimmered softly before a small child of about seven years old appeared as if from thin air, standing in front of her. Inquisitive green eyes stared up at her, the girl's long auburn hair falling gracefully down her back. The child which had somehow aged since the last time she saw her, had a puzzled as she stared off into the distance.
"What is it Raina?" Zee asked, deciding to just take the fact a ghost girl could age in stride..
"I don't like this place," Raina replied, wrapping her arms around herself as though she were cold.
"What's wrong with it, it seems nice enough?" Zee asked, still on edge, despite not knowing why.
Raina didn't say anything for a long mine, and when she did reply her voice sounded scared. "Something is coming. We should leave this forest before it finds us," Raina said.
"What is coming?" Zee asked.
Raina started trembling. "I, i don't know.. Big sis, we need to go. Please, let's go," Raina insisted, her eyes wide with panic.
Zee reached out, her hand tingling as it passed through Raina's incorporeal shoulder. She wanted to comfort the girl, but in the heat of the moment, forgot she was an incorporeal spirit. Zee had no idea what was coming, nor how Raina knew of it, but given the girls terror she decided to heed the warning.
Zee was more than a bit troubled by the implications. She stood, turning to return. Just then, an earthshattering roar shook the forest, the trees swaying madly and the ground trembling from the shear force. Moments later, the sky lit up with a brilliant golden luster, mixing with a malicious form of spirituality that made her shudder.
"Damnit…" Zee swore under her breath.
"Let's go," Raina pleaded.
"We can't, not until we get Dern," Zee replied
The gloomy forest turned to a blur around her as she shot forwards, the rumble of battle drawing closer.