Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 522 - 521 - New Warders

Arianna was missing an arm as she stood over a simple stone grave.  Korath had loved the age of chaos after the Fiends were uprooted.

His ancient demonic face had never been without a smile as battle after battle threatened the Warders.

She had fought side by side with Thorn and Korath as they tried to save so many innocents.  Moebius Sect was a refuge but its powers and capacity were limited.  Even in desperation, living on an island run by beasts was hard to accept for prideful cultivators.

The Warders no longer had to worry about beasts running amok so they changed their task to try and carve out a safe place in the Floating Isles.

Their ranks thinned badly not only due to death, but betrayal and desertion.  She had more wisps of white in her hair despite only being 1300 years old.  Her injuries were grievous but she smiled as she spoke over the grave.

Thorn had been swept away in battle with only her head being found later and Korath had cut a bloody swath of vengeance for her.  Arianna had always suspected the 2 got along better than they showed others but Korath had made sure none forgot her.

A pleasant garden had been planted in the now crumbling fortress.  The lands of the Warders were essentially abandoned save near the old transfer tunnel.  Moebius Sect usually used the teleportation array only and as things settled, people left.

There was no flow of goods and the power the Warders once held was broken.  They were no longer needed, but she stayed and buried her friends and loved ones.

She was sometimes visited by Romana who helped out and Moebisu Sect was kind to her.

They let her do what she wanted but mostly she simply told stories to Korath as he loved battles.  She could see him stroking his wispy beard as a smile cracked his aged lavender skin.

She missed him and all the others.

"I knew you would be here today."  Arianna nearly jumped before she saw a familiar face.  Technically they had never really had a chance to meet, but Lind Frey bowed low as he laid a dark lotus of some kind by the headstone.

"In Hellfire Sect, mighty warriors and honored elders are waiting to be called to the next battle.  The Heartless Lotus severs their desire to re-enter the cycle of samsara and is offered to let them finally find peace."  Demons were damned odd but it sounded like them to her.

"You were the one that repaired Thorns garden too then?"  Lind nodded as he smiled at her.  She had noticed someone in the last year or so had been quietly repairing things here or there.  The places her friends were buried mostly.

"You all stood guard not only over Wild Heart Isle, but over the darkness that gripped so much while I was gone.  Thank you."  Arianna was no stronger than him but the feeling of his thanks cracked her stoic heart as tears slowly trailed down her face.

"Master Frey, I am not one to waste time anymore.  Am I being kicked out?"  The land was not useless, in fact many powers wanted to claim it but by treaty from the Babylon Guild, a sect connected by bridgeway had full rights to dictate the direct connection to their island.

As Moebius Sect was the only sect on Wild Heart Isle, they had control of both ends of the bridge as they saw fit.  For the last 300 years, no one could claim the land aside from the Warders and that rule stood.

No one sent applicants anymore as things were much more self centered.

"Hardly.  In fact, I wanted to offer you a position if you are willing to take it."  Arianna shook her head before he could continue speaking.

"I have no desire to leave and if allowed, would like to be buried with my friends."  Lind smiled and nodded.

"I have no objection to that at all, but I do not want you to leave.  I in fact want you to run the place."  Arianna was about to be a bit more firm when his words sank in.

Run the place?  What did he mean?

He saw her confusion clearly but first beckoned her to follow him.  They left Korath's grave and moved through what had once been a bustling city.  She noticed the 2 aether children floating just beyond her senses but the robes told her clearly where they were from.

"What are you planning, Lind Frey?"  Her blunt tone made him smile as they came to the ruins of a restaurant.  It had a few tables and chairs still intact inside but the roof had collapsed from one of the many battles.

Still, Lind summoned a steaming teapot and 2 glasses that he poured out.  The subtle scent made the stress she was carrying melt away.  It was Thorn's favorite, Arcadian Tea.

"W-where did you get this?"  Arianna had not had it in over 100 years.  Thorn never shared her sources but Lind smiled.

"Romana often talked about her time in the Warders.  She loved many of you but Senior Thorn's tea was something she kept coming back to.  I had a friend find some leaves but it is quite rare at the moment.  It will take some time before the leaves are freely available again."  Arianna felt touched.

He was going out of his way to honor her friends and even found a tea that likely cost a lot from his own words.  She had no luck at all so she knew he was not lying.

"I thank you for this, if nothing else.  Now, what are you trying to get me to do for you?"  Lind smirked but he stayed humble as he sipped at the tea.  He enjoyed the tea as well as she did.

"I want to rebuild the Warders, but they will be their own power again.  I want them to administer a city that will host a special competition and ensure no fights occur.  They will once more be drafted from other powers but there will be a difference."  Arianna felt her heart quicken at his words.

The Babylon Guild was there so he was not simply speaking a wish but something he could actually do!

"In what way are we needed again?"  Lind smiled at her wording but finally became serious.

"I am creating a competition for production jobs to shine.  We have plenty of combat or sects flexing their Arts for the world to see, but we all need pills, formations, and so forth.  I want to promote those experts in a competition they can show off but I want the powers here to know they can trust Moebius Sect will not favor itself ever."  Arianna slowly nodded as she saw the wisdom but frowned.

"We can't judge such things."  Lind nodded.

"The actual competition judges will be selected from recognized experts.  It is quite normal for guilds to employ such experts for evaluations anyway.  What I need is for the rest of it."  Arianna now understood.  He needed the Warders to be the masters of the city and security.

"So how will you get the others to be on board?"  Lind smiled as he slid a few jade slips to her.

"Resources are not a problem but we need to get it done in 10 years.  The more time I give them, the more some will try to muck it up because they want to see us stumble.  The original fortress will be remade into a memorial for all the fallen as well."  The last line made Arianna freeze but she saw his warm eyes never waver.

"I can help with ideas, but I am soon to start declining on top of my injuries.  We will need to select a new leader."  Lind smirked as an elixir appeared in front of her.  Her eyes narrowed at his gold and tan color as it sparkled.

"It is up to you, but I think you have more potential in you.  Also, healing a lost arm is not difficult.  If your dantian had been cracked open, it would have been more challenging, but not impossible."  He smirked at her shock as she carefully examined the vile.

Low grade 6!  It was low grade 6!

"You are impossible!"  Arianna screamed as tears streamed down her face.  She felt ashamed at her outburst but she tried to throw the vial away only to see emerald light flare around it before it could shatter.

She threw the tea in his face and smashed the table with her fist.  There was some pain but her body was very sturdy.

"You saved the realm but destroyed us all with no way to trust each other.  You died!  We all thought you died and fought the good fight but you come back like nothing happened!  How dare you just offer to fix me like it was nothing!"  Arianna was heaving but Lind quietly sat there as tea soaked into his robes.

He did not sneer nor did he look offended.  Instead, he looked regretful and sad!  How dare he!

"I was dropped into the void."  Arianna froze at his quiet voice.  He carefully collected the shattered glass and summoned a new one as he repaired the table with his skill in an instant.  "I barely fell into another mortal realm."

He then told her most of what happened to him and how he barely figured out a way home.  She had heard some of the last part but the rest took the rage right out of her heart.

An entire realm of Fiends and enslaved races!  All alone until stumbling on the wyverns and the strange mountain.

"I have made a point of checking up on everyone that has died, Lady Arianna.  I have also seen how we are all barely holding on.  There is peace but it is merely gossamer waiting for another fire to burn it away.  I want to change that."  Lind sat back as he looked tired.

Arianna knew he was not wrong but how could a competition fix it?

"Cimmeria did not always exist.  It was born when some merchant powers wanted to increase trade, did you know that?"  HIs sudden words surprised her but she knew little of the lower world.  Still, Cimmeria was one of the pieces most knew of.

"The Stardust Emporium changed that.  I know."  Lind nodded at her words but he skipped to the heart of it.

"They saw how auctions brought people together and let them battle without bloodshed.  What happened after was beyond control but far better than war.  The competition they created let powers at war show off and gain honor with rewards to gain pride and accolades."

Arianna slowly saw where he was going.

"The guild competitions are too narrow.  They ignore each other and disdain other paths.  You want to give them a place to duke it out without killing."  Lind smiled and Arianna finally understood.

"The Warders will keep the peace and build a new path for all that fell to have meaning?"  Lind smiled wide as he nodded again.

"The new Warders will not be cultivators without potential but be just another way for them to show they can send candidates to work together in harmony.  One side will have myriad cultivators working as a single force to show off and the other a fun contest to preen and strut."

Arianna looked at the vial once more before she downed it one go.

"Where do I sign up?"  The missing limb began to burn as she looked him right in the eyes as they began to discuss the future.