Book 4, chapter 17

Zee awoke from deep meditation, the smell of frying meat drifting to her nose. Opening her eyes she looked up at the vaulted ceiling of her bedroom.

Blinking several times, she took in the fanciful mural of vibrant fields of green grass, spotted with birds, and deer painted on the ceiling. Taking a deep breath, she snuggled deeper into the soft bed, in no hurry to get up.

Judging by the light streaming in through the windows, it had to be at least noon, which made sense considering how late she was up last night.

She would have lazed about for another hour if not for the smell waving under the door. Stomach growling, she pushed back the covers, and leaned over the edge of the bed, looking for her necklace, which housed her spatial storage.

"Bastion!" She shouted.

"Ya, what is it?" he shouted back his voice muffled from the other room.

"Do you know where my spatial storage is? I need a change of clothes," Zee said, scanning the empty floor.

"I think I saw Dern run off with it this morning," Bastion shouted.

"What? Where did he go?" Zee asked, calling back.

"I don't know, but hurry up and come out here or your food will get cold," Bastion replied, his voice echoing through the door.

Slipping from the bed, she walked over to the closet, enjoying the feel of the thick carpets on her bare feet. As expected, Bastion had a few pairs of clothes neatly folded on one of the many empty shelves in the closet.

It was not ideal, but Zee had nothing else to wear since her pesky spirit companion ran away with her spatial storage. The button-up shirt fit loosely, but it looked pretty dang good and even smelled like he did, which was a huge bonus.

Humming softly she looped the sword belt around her waist, which should hopefully keep Bastion's baggy cotton pants from falling off.

Running a hand through her curly red hair she left her room, crossed the dining room, out to the fully stocked kitchen. Their overly lavish sweet was a little over the top, with a long table covered in expensive dinnerware large enough to seat thirty people.

It was a far cry from the best rooms in the mansion, but it certainly was an upgrade from the run-down inn they had been staying in before her grandpa showed up. Zee supposed there were perks to having a grandfather who was super powerful.

Idly dragging her fingers along the smooth tablecloth, she walked across the open dining room, finding Bastion cooking in the kitchen. There were probably wait staff that ran the place, but her grandpa had dismissed them, leaving them to do all the cooking and cleaning themselves.

That was fine, as Zee really didn't like the idea of having strangers who could spy on them and their stuff so easily. Besides, Zee rather liked the privacy of her own rooms with Bastion.

She opened the swinging kitchen door, bombarded by a wall of pleasant smells and a room brightly lit by several etched gems embedded in the roof. Several plates along the counter were already piled high with fried meat, eggs, and some pancakes with a gooey jelly-type sauce.

"Considering Dern is back, I take it last night went well?" Bastion asked, looking up from the pan, his eyes roving her from head to toe approvingly.

She sidled over next to the oven, grasping one of the plates. "There were some complications, but It went pretty well," Zee replied with a nonchalant shrug.

He eyed her disheveled appearance with obvious doubt but didn't press. " I was planning on going to do some shopping in the city, want to come?" Bastion asked changing the subject.

"Maybe. What are you shopping for?" Zee asked curiously.

"I wanted to get some more clothes, maybe see if I can buy a natural treasure or two," Bastion said, pulling the pan from the stove. With his face a mask of focus, Bastion dumped a steaming pile of pancakes onto his plate.

Zee stabbed a strip of grilled meat, and stuck it in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "I think I will pass. I might go pester Allie and Yukna for a little bit. It's probably where Dern disappeared off to," Zee said.

Bastion nodded, "Makes sense. So, have you talked to your grandpa yet, about taking us with you?" Bastion asked.

Zee fidgeted with the food on her plate nervously. "Not yet. Though, it might only be you and Greg. I don't even know if Yukna and Allie will come," Zee replied.

Bastion leaned on the counter, looking over at her, his expression hard to read. "Your grandpa said he might be leaving within a week. If you want them to come, you need to go and ask," Bastion said.

"I know, it's just, what if they say no?" Zee asked, her tone rife with worry.

"Then they say no. Yukna and Allison are adults, and if they don't want to come on whatever adventure we have next, that is up to them," Bastion said.

Zee looked away, a flood of emotions coursing through her. Leaving her friends behind felt almost like losing them, especially since they would be fighting a battle that they would likely lose.

Just the thought of them being forcibly converted to undead, or captured by some priests left a sour taste in her mouth. Noting her expression Bastion walked over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close.

"I'm sure we will figure something out. Even if they don't want to come, maybe we can find some alternative to keep them safe?" Bastion said, giving her shoulders a comforting squeeze.

"Like what?" Zee asked, crestfallen.

Bastion shrugged, "I don't know, but have you considered kidnapping?" Bastion asked with a cheeky smile.

She smiled, and kissed him, "I love you," Zee said.

He grinned. "I mean, they might be a little pissed off at us for a while, but I'm sure they would get over it," Bastion said.

Zee laughed but shook her head. "As soon as you can find a way to safely kidnap the princess, I am all ears. But more importantly, are you sure you want to come? It could be dangerous," Zee said.

"This planet, and the whole Kelvish dominion for that matter is turning into a warzone, and I bet it will get worse after your grandpa takes his ship and leaves. Going with you sounds safer, plus, we are going to the Lorocan empire, which sounds interesting," Bastion replied.

"I guess," Zee replied, scrunching up her face in thought.

"You don't sound too excited about it," Bastion said.

She shrugged, " I don't know... It will be nice to see Mom and Dad again, but I feel like I have devoted so much time to get here. Leaving so soon before we have even explored Tartana seems like a waste," Zee replied.

Bastion poked at his food with his fork. "I wouldn't say that your stay on Tartana has been wasteful. You have gotten some much-needed rest, as well as helped Dern recover through learning rituals." Bastion pointed out.

Zee didn't reply right away, thinking about his words as she took a piece of pancake and dipped it in the jelly on her plate.

After their talk, Zee left her shared rooms with Bastion, crossing the mansion to where she sensed her grandpa. Julian must have sensed her approach, as he said something before she could nock.

"Come in," Julian said.

Zee wasn't even surprised, pushing open the carved wooden double doors. Julian looked up from a steaming cup of tea and a newspaper.

"Are you heading out?" Julian asked, reclining back in his chair and folding his newspaper.

"Ya, you might as well come, no point in following me from the shadows," Zee said, her tone a little more aggressive then she intended.

Julian raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't planning on following you today. The patriarch has requested a meeting, and I have decided to attend." Julian said calmly.

"So you are not going to have me watched, I'm free?" Zee asked excitedly.

"No, of course not, Sendredie will be keeping an eye on you," Julian replied.

Zee pouted, "Oh come on, I don't need a babysitter," Zee said.

"Need I remind you about last night? If I don't keep an eye on you, you might disappear again," Julian replied, giving her an even stare.

Zee let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, I will bear with it. I meant to ask you, can my friends come with us?" Zee asked.

Julian's expression turned thoughtful. "I see no reason not to bring them. I was planning on taking you to the Imperial Academy of Fostoria in Larocos. If you come without a fuss, I will get them in as well," Julian said.

"Isn't that one of the best combat academies in the empire?" Zee asked excitedly.

Julian nodded," I was actually planning on sending you there on your sixteenth birthday, but then you disappeared," Julian said.

Zee had to admit, that was an exciting prospect.

"And you will enroll my friends too?" Zee asked hopefully.

He nodded. "Go talk to them, see which of them wants to come," Julian said.

Zee gave him a bright smile, "I will, thanks Grandpa," Zee said, leaving the room in a much better mood.

Brimming with excitement, Zee left the mansion, taking a fancifully adorned gondola down the canal. The gondola stopped along a bustling street that bordered the grey wolf company shop.

Stepping off the small boat, pushed her way through the noonday crowd, catching a few glances thrown her way. Unlike back in the allevark capitol, these were not looks of disgust, more curiosity than anything.

It could have been from her red hair, or her presence, which let others with powerful senses know she was not a regular noncombat class user.

Ahead, the grey wolf company came into full view, the two cart-wide double doors to the warehouse were open.

Yukna's warehouse looked like a proper business nowadays, with painter walls, banners and a large placard or a snarling grey wolf hanging on the front.

She enter the large double doors, passing several people she didn't recognize. There were Allevark, one of those scaly lizard kin, and even two arachnids, each of whom wore the company uniform with a wolf motif on their chests.

She could see a group of about five, Yukna and Dern included, loading a large tube of metal onto a lizard-drawn cart from the street.

The lizard pulling the cart hissed at her as she slipped passed it but she gave the F-grade beast no mind, walking around the back of the cart.

"What's that?" Zee asked, eying the ten-foot-long metal tube, that was covered in a fine mesh of etchings. The cart rattled, its suspension groaning ominously as the full weight of the thing was placed on it.

Wiping sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, Yukna glanced over. Her coveralls were caked in grease, dirt, and oil, some of the filth even getting on her face, glasses, and in her mousy brown hair. Yukna looked positively filthy, yet she beamed when she saw Zee.

"What did you say?" Yukna asked, pulling something from her ear.

"What is that?" Zee asked, gesturing towards the contraption in the cart.

Yukna patted the edge of the metal tube.

"This is a larger and much more powerful version of my grenade launcher. It should be able to dish out some serious punishment to the Terlashar," Yukna said, the clamor of the shop making her voice hard to hear.

Zee glanced back at the ten-foot-long metal tube, and what looked like a platform to bolt it to a wall or on a roof. She then realized what the head-sized spheres of metal were for.

"That's, is uh, scary. Yukna, are you sure those are safe?" Zee asked suddenly nervous to be anywhere near this warehouse and the explosives inside.

Yukna brightened," Of course, it's not safe, they are explosive projectiles. Each of those grenades is designed to explode when in proximity to their target showering the enemy in a cloud of shrapnel. I am hoping they can take down high-flying aircraft." Yukna said.

Dern leapt up on the far edge of the cart, balancing on the railing as he peered down at their creation.

"They are a bit of a pain in the ass to make, but we should be able to make another dozen over the next week," Dern said, his voice entering their minds.

Zee cocked her head, "That many? That seems like a lot of work, are you sure you can make that many?" Zee asked dubiously.

Dern leaped onto the metal tube, eying his work as he walked down its length.

"We aren't doing all the work. We aren't creating the tubes or projectiles at all, simply applying etchings to them," Dern said.

Zee nodded. "I see.... Well, I will leave you to it, where is Allie?" Zee asked.

"I think she said something about looking for mercenaries with Maldy, Why, what do you need?" Yukna asked.

Zee glanced around, making sure no one was in listening range before replying. She didn't need to worry, as the clamber of nearly a dozen workers in the shop made it hard to hear.

"I was hoping to talk to you both about coming with me to the Lorocan Empire. My grandpa says he can sign us up for the imperial academy, it's one of the best schools in the sector," Zee said, deciding it was best to just come right out and say it.

Yukna wiped her face with the back of her sleeve, the action merely spreading the grease and oil across her cheek. "An academy? That sounds interesting, but Zee we are gearing up to repel a full-scale invasion. We can't leave now when our people need us," Yukna replied.

Zee had been afraid of that. She wanted to argue, but she could see the resolve glimmering in Yukna's eyes, prompting Zee to drop the subject for now.

"Do you need any help," Zee asked. It couldn't hurt to help out, especially considering she needed to wait until Allison returned.

"Sure, come over here. Dern has been imbuing the projectiles with a highly unstable combination of rituals and etching. With your spatial affinity, we might be able to create something nasty," Yukna said, gesturing to a pallet of unmarked canisters, each about the size of her head.

Zee almost immediately regretted her choices, creating explosives sounded dangerous. What had she gotten herself into?

Performing rituals on the projectiles was pretty complex, though Dern did show her how it was done. It took her a while, but she got the hang of it, working most of the day.

It was actually pretty monotonous work, placing a containment ritual on the projectiles. She was the second part of a chain, whilst Dern was the first, and some spiders the last.

Its name, Nevelascularmar, was either a mistranslation from the amulet around her wrist or it was just obnoxious. She tried to say the name several times but ended up giving up and calling the arachnid creature Nevel.

Nevel was a noncombat class user, with a variant of the scribe class that somehow offered some pretty advanced etching abilities.

Four of their ten limbs moved with speed and dexterity, the sharp points of their appendages carving precise lines into the metallic surfaces of the projectiles.

The surprisingly adept coordination and multitasking were mesmerizing, drawing her attention more than once. Zee had no idea where Yukna found the spider, but they were extremely competent.

Even Dern, and his strictness for all things etching, didn't argue when Nevel wanted to be in charge of the etching process. The light coming in through the large double doors had long since faded, and the warehouse was lit up by etched crystals on the ceiling.

Zee was getting a bit exhausted, and her empty stomach was grumbling by the time Allison and Malden walked in. They looked no worse for wear, though Allison's rapidly evaded when Yukna tried to greet her with a hug.

The Grey Wolf Company warehouse was a lot quieter now that most of the carts and workers were gone for the day. With it being so quiet, it was much easier to overhear them.

"Hey, what gives?" Yukna asked.

"Oh no you don't, stay back, you are covered in grease oil, and other yuck," Allison said.

"It's not that bad, just a little grime never hurt anyone," Yukna replied innocently, slowly advancing on her fiancé.

"That is not a little grime. It will ruin my robes, these clothes were not cheap," Allison said, backing away.

Zee glanced over at Nevel, who gave her the spider version of a shrug, its bulbous abdomen bobbing up and down.

"Well, I should probably be going," Nevel said, " It's been a pleasure working with you Zee. I hope we can exchange some pointers sometime?"

She nodded. "Of course, it's been a pleasure to meet you too Nevel, Have a pleasant evening," Zee replied.

The spider skittered off, disappearing out the front door with some of the other employees. Zee couldn't blame them. According to Nevel, they had been working since early morning and were no doubt exhausted.

It was pretty tiring work, though also fulfilling considering the fact the weapons, and defensive arrays they were making would be used in the defense of their homes.

Some of these weapons were of course being sent back to Iztara, or would be smuggled back. Zee wasn't sure about the details, but she doubted Yukna was helping make all of these weapons and defensive arrays without some way to get some of them back to defend her home planet.

She hadn't asked, but Yukna was clever, so she undoubtedly had a way. Dern shrunk to about the size of her fist, and leaped up, landing on her shoulder, a necklace in his tiny gauntleted fist.

The necklace was a silver chain, with a pinky nail-sized pitch-black gem embedded in it. It was originally a gift her mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday and later turned into a spatial storage.

It wasn't the best material to contain a pocket of space, only able to hold about the size of what a small cart could hold. Even so, she didn't want to replace it, given the necklace held sentimental value.

Zee reached over and took the necklace, giving Dern a dirty look.

"You could have asked before you took my spatial storage," Zee said.

Dern snorted, "You were, uhhh, otherwise occupied, so I decided to just take it." Dern said.

"Oh, I see. What did you need? There isn't much in there," Zee said, flushing a bit at his not-so-subtle jab.

"I needed some Ether crystals," Dern said.

She quickly scanned the interior, noticing she was quite a bit less rich than last night. "You took thirty Ether crystals? What the hell Dern, I needed that, " Zee said, trying to glare at him while he crouched on her shoulder.

"It was just some expenses, nothing to worry about," Dern replied calmly.

"That is almost a quarter of my overall wealth. Of course, I am going to be worried about it, what did you spend it on?" Zee asked.

Dern waved a gauntleted fist dismissively, "Where do you think all those workers, including Nevel, came from?" Dern asked.

Zee's face met her palm, she let out a deep sigh. She wanted to be mad, but she decided it wasn't worth it. Besides, she could always find some way to make him pay her back for spending so much of her hard-earned money.

That decided, she walked across the warehouse, towards her friends chatting near the double doors.

Malden gave her a curious look as she approached, his lips parting into a needle-toothed smile. "You look in your element, being covered in grime suits you," Malden said.

Zee gave him a rude gesture, "You know, I used to feel bad about you sleeping on the floor, but I think I changed my mind," Zee replied.

"I only slept on the floor for one night, I am currently sleeping on a soft bed," Malden said, running a large paw down his silken brown shirt.

"What, you couldn't handle sleeping on the floor for any longer? I thought royals were made of stronger stuff," Zee asked.

Malden's fluffy ears twitched at that, "I am perfectly capable of roughing it just like any other adventurer," Malden replied.

Zee nodded sagely, " Righttt." Zee drawled. "You know, I heard you took a lavish tent, soft rugs, and comfy bed into the planar space," Zee replied.

Malden folded his extremely muscular, and hairy arms," That is not true, I didn't bring rugs," Malden replied, looking a little embarrassed.

Allison laughed, patting Malden on the back. "Don't get so flustered Maldy, no need to be ashamed of a little luxury. Though maybe you shouldn't pack a desk, and library with you next time," Allison said.

Allison's statement, when delivered with her usual seriousness, combined with Malden's look of betrayal made Zee and Yukna burst out laughing.

Poking fun at Malden was fun and games, but Zee did have an important subject she wished to discuss with the princess.

Yukna's refusal earlier had of course been wearing on her mind for most of the day. There was no way Allison would leave her fiancé behind to repel an invasion without her. Even so, Zee had to ask.

"Hey, Allie, I was wondering if you want to come to the Imperial Academy of Lorocos with me? Grandpa says he can get you enrolled. It's a combat academy with some of the best trainers in the sector," Zee said, hoping to sweeten the pot.

The princess thought on the question, but as expected she shook her head after a few seconds. "I would love to, but we are planning on heading back to Iztara after we get the resources and mercenaries we can. I can't just leave my home to be conquered," Allison said, her response very similar to Yukna's.

"So, none of you three are coming with us?" Zee asked, her shoulders slumping.

"Unless your grandpa has the power to protect our planet from an undead invasion, I will sadly have to pass," Allison replied regretfully.

Zee grimaced, knowing it was highly unlikely that her grandpa could actually do that. He was powerful, but her grandpa couldn't protect a place when he wasn't there.

But maybe all hope wasn't lost. There was a certain old man that might be able to help. The only question was, could she convince him to protect Iztara? The answer was a firm maybe.

That old geezer was hard to judge, but one thing he had made clear was the fact that he really didn't care for mortals.

It was going to be tough, but if she could convince him to protect Iztara, Allison and Yukna could come with her.