Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1113 - 1112 - Dark Clues

Lind spent an enjoyable morning with the old woman, who refused to give him her name! She said she had lived long enough and did not bother with pretentious Dao titles or bringing up old issues.

Oz actually hit it off with her and left after she had to go back to work.

Their conversation was decidedly inappropriate!

Still, Lind marveled at the workings of the Strider. They were simply the same name with a number after each. Strider 3 was their current ride and the old woman spoke on the things he wanted to know.

The power cores worked on entirely different principles than his but the effect was similar. Rather than harnessing Qi from harmonic resonance, they collected natural Qi from peak grade 7 crystals that were arranged to drive the Strider around and power its weapons.

The descriptions sounded damn familiar as she spoke but he could not place it. It was only when she mentioned the original designer went on and on about something called the Force that the shape of the Strider made more sense!

Another human reincarnation but a harmless one it seemed. Relatively. He recalled his own weapon creation and prayed to the spirits that a cache of similar artifacts did not exist!

Still, he only designed the artifact but the power cores were done by someone else. The old woman seemed frustrated at that too as very little was known about their creator. She suspected it was either politically inconvenient or it was someone that was betrayed.

The reason for the latter was due to the fact that no one could create any more power cores for the Striders. They could be repaired and parts replaced but not a single jade slip or scroll existed to explain how they were made.

Lind had then scanned them as deeply as he could but the principles were not apparent to him either. It had to be some Law or Laws he had not grasped and it fascinated him!

The day was spent relaxing as even with the powerful vehicle, it would be some weeks journey to the capital. Lind had most of the knowledge he was likely to get but the Piercer of the Veil Immortal assured him the King had more than she.

He wished he could just tear through space but that would give him away.

Instead he trained as much as he could and cultivated as they traveled. The commander never came but the vice-commander, Solene Hibak, often invited them to dinners and inspections of the Strider.

She was a slim woman but she packed power that was easily felt. She was only a peak Sky Realm like the rest of the crew but he was assured the commander was a Heaven Realm. Lind tried to sense him but could not penetrate several areas without setting off a myriad set of alarms.

He had become better at narrowing his aura rather than simply blanketing the entire area around him.

He was playing a kind of chess with Jur when Oz came back a week into their trip with a grim expression.

"What is wrong?" Lind did not look up but he could feel the dark clouds around the old man. He stroked his white beard as if he was trying to figure out how to deliver bad news.

"I was resting in a nice bed not too far from the crew mess when I overheard something. I did not really take it all in as it was mostly about you but then they mentioned a name I have not heard in a long time." He seemed very uncomfortable before sighing and sitting down. "Princess Delenn Fionan."

Lind froze. Jur jumped as the aura in the cabin suddenly became oppressive for a moment before he could get it under control.

"What did you hear?" He looked and saw Oz was troubled but he motioned for him to continue. The red carpet and dark wooden chairs seemed to add to his dark aura.

"I only heard rumors but plied them a bit to be sure I was correct. I have heard of her supposed return but they were talking about something else. Apparently she wiped out several areas of the wilds but no one recalls anything being out there. It was not a big deal but then a village got caught up in it." Lind closed his eyes as a fear crossed his heart.

"That has to be a lie! Papa's Master would not be like that!" Lind wanted it to be true but he knew better than most that heart demons were patient bastards. They were weak when there was no chance to take hold but coming back home put revenge right in her hands. If he had been there, he could have helped but events did not allow it.

"There is something odd about the rumors. There are a lot of details about her attacks and her description but a complete lack about why. It is almost as if–almost as if someone is making sure they know about her and her strength." Her power came from him! She was at full strength but the artifacts should have been drained long ago.

Her harmonic tempering would still give her an edge but the Corruption should be affecting her by now.

"What about Nest?" Oz snapped up at that name but nodded.

"The village survivors mentioned a man matching his description fighting her but again, that is odd. How could a random village possibly know what they looked like or who they were at all? The descriptions were vague but the names were explicit." Lind grasped what he was saying.

Someone was leaving a trail of clues.

"It is bad but not enough to make you look like that." Maybe Oz thought he would react badly but he saw it was likely someone laying the groundwork for a trap or even a defamation of his Master.

Oz squirmed a bit before he summoned a crisp copy of the local maps. He laid it on the table and pointed at the far north eastern edge of the Rubyfire Kingdom.

"That is the village." The blood drained from Lind. He did not believe in coincidences when it came to the Fiends. Had they found him or was his revelation of a relationship enough to mark them?

A jade stone appeared in his hand and he infused his harmony directly into it.

It flared brightly for a few moments before a line of emerald shot to the north of them and slowly shifted to the west.

Oz did not need to ask what that meant.

"Get me Ranger, now." He dared not reach out across the vessel to find him. Oz and Jur both left as he looked at the jade stone in his hand. It was a simple compass type artifact that honed in on one thing.

A soul imprint was left on it and so long as Delenn was in range, it would point to her. In the current environment, a kingdom was about as far as it could go. The faint line shimmered before shattering.

"A trap for me, or for you, Master?" Lind mumbled his words as he looked at the village marked on the map. He knew one more person he had to talk to and closed his eyes.

⬧⬧⬧⬧

"The trip is going well, Father. We will be home in 3 more weeks after we cross the river and traverse through the arachnid territory." The 5th Prince was looking at a panel with his Father's image displayed on it. The image flickered but the audio was stable enough at that range.

[Good. I have had concerns after your report but it is understandable given what your advisor told me. Make sure to–] Piercer of the Veil Immortal tuned the rest out. Her King was a good man but he worried a lot about decisions already made.

His children were a soft spot for him but the absurd request the 5th Prince had for when they got back still made her blush.

He wanted to step down and gain a name for himself! He wanted to marry her!

She did not know what was more foolish, his plan or her reaction to it!

[Can you hear me?]

She jumped as a familiar voice entered her head. It was so clear as to sound like he was in the room with her. She also felt like he had made a bridge between their minds so she could answer him with her own mind.

[Why are you calling me, Lord Emerald Immortal?] She stuck to that name for safety but the pressure coming to her mind did not change at all. She felt a grim purpose.

[We have learned something odd and I need to know about a possible trap being set.] She sighed as her power did not work the way he wished but then she listened and became sharp. Her blindfolded eyes would have been grim if they could be seen by the world.

She assumed a lotus position and pretended to cultivate. She knew the area he referred to as she had been around the Rubyfire Kingdom often. Her training required her to know her home intimately.

The flow of darkness and light swirled in her dantian crystal until the 5th Prince and the Strider fell away. She was standing in a village protected by both the Law Bindings and purer Qi of the fallen lands.

Commoners went about their day but her vision let her see the truth. Vile Qi was beneath them! She saw its horrific taint but why could she not see it before? Even if Fiends were outside her sight, standing right on top of a facility was still easy to pick out!

"Oh, a spirit seer? I suppose that should be expected." A man's voice suddenly startled her as the vision changed. He had steel gray eyes and a sword strapped to him but she saw the real him.

Vile and twisted as he sneered at the world.

"How do you see me?" She knew it was no longer the past or present but something in between. He scoffed at her.

"My masters are not idiots. They know they can't be seen but it would really give away the game if their followers had the same power. It would be like catching fish in a barrel at that point! So we got little gifts like this added to us in artifacts and such. I fought that harridan here. She has truly become mad and used me quite well but now it will be my turn." He glanced above and she turned to see a platform with a gorgeous broad shouldered woman on it.

Her fine hair was ragged now and her once pleasant face was twisted into hatred.

"She is really angry at me and is almost ready. My masters will be pleased. Anyway, I can't have you ruining things, so I need you to–" The man, Nest, was reaching for her when a roar filled the air.

An emerald dragon snapped out of her body and sent Nest flying.

[Go back now!] Piercer of the Veil Immortal shutdown her technique and fell back covered in sweat in her cabin. The dimness showed it was night in the Strider! What just happened?!

[Rest and make an excuse to come meet us tomorrow. I want to know what you saw.] Lind left her mind but she was shaking. How had Nest met her there and how had Lind saved her?! What was going to happen to the Rubyfire Kingdom?!